Joseph, The Chosen GOWRA... for the INCARNATED M'SHIKHA+

Matthew 1: 18 -25

Now the birth 
of Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA 

was on this wise: 

When as His+ mother Maryam 
(Aramaic/Syriac) 

was espoused to Joseph, 

before they came together, 

she was found with CHILD+ 

of the RUACH ha KADOSH.

Then Joseph 

her GOWRA, her guardian-husband 
(Aramaic/Syriac), 

being a RIGHTEOUS man, 

and not willing to make her a public example, 

was minded to put her away privily.

But of these things he was considering 
(Gk, literal)  

behold, the angel of the LORD 

appeared unto him in a dream, 

saying,

 Joseph, thou son of David, 

fear not to take unto thee Maryam thy wife:

for THE ONE+ in her 

has been generated 
( a one-time occurence) 

from out of the SPIRIT 

is HOLY. 

(Greek, awkward but literal)

And she shall bring forth a  SON+,

 and thou shalt call His+ Name 

Y'SHU+:

for HE+ shall save His+ people    

from their sins.

Now all this was done, 

that it might be fulfilled 

which was spoken of the LORD 

by the prophet, saying,

Behold, 

a virgin shall be with CHILD+, 

and shall bring forth a  SON+,

and they shall call His+ Name EMMANUEL, 

which being interpreted is,

GOD WITH US.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep 

did as the angel of the LORD had bidden him, 

and took unto him his wife:

And knew her not 

till she had brought forth 

her firstborn son:

and he called  His+ Name 

Y'SHU+ .

Heart-breaking ! Our dear brother Joseph, what troubled thoughts he must have endured for several  hours after Maryam's condition was discovered.

However, Joseph was of the line of David as well as Maryam. Joseph ALSO was CHOSEN of GOD --- as well as Maryam ---  for his purpose during the Incarnation of Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA.

The Syriac-Aramaic Peshitta text records Matthew 1:16 like this:

"Jacob fathered Joseph, 

the guardian of Maryam, 

from whom 
( 3rd person , feminine, singular )

was born Y'SHU+, 

Who+ is called the M'SHIKHA. " 

Later, in verse 19, Joseph is called Maryam's ba-al, or husband.

But the Syriac Text, which dates back to the early centuries of Christendom, tells us that Joseph was indeed functioning as a GUARDIAN for the first nine months of their marriage !

Joseph was chosen because young Maryam needed a human guardian to cover her as she carried the Divine BABE+ in her womb. Both Maryam and the BABE+  needed to be protected from the zealous righteous ones who would stone a Hebrew woman who was with child, without a husband.

When The LORD selected Joseph to protect Maryam and the Divine BABE+ in her womb, HE knew the kind of man Joseph was... and was not.

Let's ponder the righteousness exhibited by Joseph in this most trying circumstance... which, indeed, is where righteousness counts.

First of all, righteous Joseph was not willing to marry a "loose" woman who had defiled herself; he maintained the righteous standards of the Mosaic Law.

Although maintaining the Scriptural standard of righteousness, Joseph was also not willing to expose the young woman to public scorn and shunning, at best, and possible stoning. Thus, we see in Joseph that true righteousness is guided by mercy.

In a quandry, Joseph was not hasty in action, but was pondering WHAT was the right way to be righteous-yet-merciful in this harrowing situation. Joseph's integrity held him bound to doing the right thing by GOD and avoiding taking vengeance for the supposed immoral conduct of his un-faithful, betrothed wife.

In his integrity, Joseph was also bound to do that which was best for the young woman who disappointed him in her betrothal vows. 

So, Joseph's decision was this: 

He would keep the standard of righteousness, but  Joseph would "put her away" ( dismiss her, sever the betrothal bond ) privately, to cause her and the child the least amount of wounding.  

Now ... how Joseph would have been able to end the legal, public espousal covenant without exposing Mariam's condition is a puzzlement.  

Would Joseph have been able to take her to another village and legally perform the divorce, and thus keep her hidden ?

The literal Greek places the adverb "secretly" between two verbs:

"... he purposed SECRETLY to dismiss her."

Could that phrase possibly be rendered with this alternative meaning ? :

Joseph secretly determined 

( i.e., without asking counsel of another person 

or telling anyone ) 

that he would divorce her.

The LORD, however, provided  evidence to Joseph before he contacted the elders to divorce her. The LORD sent a SUPERNATURAL  dream, re-assuring Joseph that Maryam was still chaste, and in her obedience, she was chosen to carry the Long-Awaited MESSIAH+.

Chaste Joseph responded 

WITH A SIMILAR level 

of faith and obedience 

to the Living Word of The LORD

unto him ! 

To his great credit, Joseph believed the Word of The LORD to him in that dream. He obeyed immediately without question... just like Maryam obeyed immediately without question. 

Joseph directly took Maryam into his home and  covered her and the BABE+ in her womb, providing for them and guarding them through nine long months of pregnancy amongst their fellow townspeople.

He took her with him on the long journey to Bethlehem during the taxation of Ceasar Augustus, which required both of them to be present at the registration for taxation, as it seemingly is phrased in Scripture. Luke 2:5. 

This man of integrity did not claim the rights of a husband until after the BABE+ had been born.

So, not only was Joseph a righteous man of the Law, he was also a man of integrity:  GOD did not have to tell him to wait until after the BABE+ was born in order to consummate the marriage. 

Joseph was compassionate as well as righteous, and walked in integrity without being commanded to do so.

In all this, 

Who 

was Joseph proclaiming?

Surely, Joseph did NOT proclaim SELF. Self was NOT on the throne through any of those mysterious days and months.

Joseph set to his seal that GOD IS TRUE and worthy to be trusted. 

Our own integrity, our standards, our compassion should testify that ... 

Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA 

has come 

in the flesh. 

We, like Joseph, PROCLAIM HIM+  to the World by our life ... a life lived in integrity, GOD-centered standards, Y'SHU+-centered compassion.  

We do RIGHT because 

of OUR LOVE FOR HIM+,

Who+ always did right 

because of His+ Love 

for His+ Heavenly FATHER... 

... and His+ love for us. 

Let us Pray: 

O FATHER ALMIGHTY, we bless THEE for Thy great power, established in Righteousness, established in Holiness. 

Help us to PROCLAIM the M'SHIKHA as HE+ becomes Incarnate in our hearts by faith.  Teach us to stand firm in Thy Truth, and with Compassion and Integrity walk in righteousness all the days of our lives. 

Change whatever is amiss in the temper and disposition of our souls, 

For the sake of the INCARNATED MESSIAH+ Who+ lives and reigns with THEE, and Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD, both now and forever, world without end, to the ages of the ages. 

Amen.

HEBREW ROOTS # 5: Making a "god" out of The LAW of Moses

[ Note: It is difficult in these troublous times to focus on bad grammar and faulty doctrine when our brothers and sisters in Syria and other places are under such terrible persecution. 

Although we are DEFINITELY NOT POLITICAL at the Order of The GOOD SHEPHERD+, we are not cabbage-heads either;  we are well aware of "who" is at fault and we are well aware of the help The LORD has ordained to rid Syria of the merciless mercenaries.  

We recognize the workings of the 10 kings of Revelation 17 in these terrible times. And... we KNOW WHO+ WINS IN THE END   !  ]

.

The LAW of The LORD is perfect, 

converting the soul;  

the testimony of The LORD is sure, 

making wise the simple.

Psalm 19

.

Yes, we receive most EXCELLENT instruction and correction from the Law of The LORD. That is where we learn the difference between right and wrong.

If we covet, for example, we would have no knowledge that coveting is wrong unless we had the Law to teach us,

"Thou shalt not covet."

If we lay the Law of GOD, The Word of GOD,  to heart, we will receive conviction of sin and --- hopefully --- repent of coveting. Turning away from coveting, then, works to convert the soul. 

In other terms, The Law shows us that we ourselves are bad in GOD'S eyes and we hasten to apologize for offending HIM+. The LAW shows us where we transgress HIS+ Way, His+ character, HIS+ image in which we were created.

With a sincere heart, we desire to rectify our values, thoughts, and behavior --- bringing them all into line with GOD.

The Law of Moses brings conviction of sin.  The Law brings us knowledge of our sin. 
.

Do we then make that knowledge a "god " ?  

Do we venerate, worship, and adore 

the Law of Moses ?

[ Webster's 7th Collegiate tells us that venerate is  from the Latin root VENUS , which root means "love, charm" . ]

 Do we then worship the Law of Moses 

which brings us KNOWLEDGE 

of our humanly sinful ways ?

Here is what Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA said to venerators of The Law of Moses:

If a man on the Sabbath Day 

receive circumcision 

that the Law of Moses should not be broken; 

are ye angry at ME+  

because I+ have made a man 

every whit whole 

on the Sabbath ?

John 7:23

What was the problem here between The LORD Y'SHU+ and the Torah-observant Jews who kept the Law of Moses to the letter ?

Not only was Y'SHU+ pointing out that HE+ effected the true CIRCUMCISION of man, but HE+ was pointing out something in addition: 

 They worshipped The Law itself !

 Their focus was SO MINUTELY centered upon the Letter of the Law of Moses that it actually HINDERED THEM FROM recognizing The LORD HIMSELF+ ... to WHOM+ the LAW pointed !    

Their practice of the Law of Moses became an obstacle between The ELOHIM and themselves.  This problem is pointed out in the Words of Y'SHU+ in the Gospels and in the words of the Apostles John, Paul, and Peter and James the Jerusalem Elder in the New Covenant.

The worshippers-of-the-LAW's focus upon The Law of Moses actually REPLACED their love for the ONE+ Who+ wanted them to RECOGNIZE HIM+. 

Their focus on The Law of Moses worked to hinder and obfuscate the REAL INTENT of The Law as a means to draw close to GOD, Ha ELOHIM.

If a person or group venerates The Law of Moses, there is no way to avoid DISCARDING several Scriptures in several books of the New Covenant.

In Hebrew Roots circles, it sometimes involves taking the very words of Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA out of context in order to "adjust" His+ Words to fit their doctrines... a dangerous ploy.

For instance, look at the Hebrew Rootist's flagship New Testament, Andrew Roth's AENT, for the infamous mis-translation in Matthew 11:38  and Mr. Roth's even more erroneous footnote #107 which accompanies that verse.

In true translations of the Words of Y'SHU+ in that verse, HE+ admonishes His+ Disciples to pick up the Cross and follow Him+, to lay down their lives for HIS+ sake.  

Incredulously, Mr. Roth calls the Cross a "staff" of authority ( !  ) with which we are to pick up and use to rule, justifying his wrong translation  via the passage in the Torah regarding Aaron's rod that budded, Numbers 17:1-10.

In the New Covenant, some of the verses DISCARDED include these, by the Hebrew Rootists:

Words of Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA, recorded in Matthew 5:18:

For truly I+ say unto you, Till Heaven and earth should pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass away from The LAW until all be fulfilled.

[ Note: The FULFILLMENT or completion of the LAW occurred at Calvary. Hence, the LAW was in full effect and power until the Crucifixion when Y'SHU+ completed the Sacrifice, fulfilling The Law, in regard to our sins. ] 

Words of James, the Jerusalem Elder, in regards to the Law of Moses ( circumcision , etc. ) as recorded by Luke in Acts 21:25:

 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.

Words of the Apostle Peter in Acts 11:9, in regards to the vision of eating "unclean" animals:

But answering me a Voice+ the second time out of the Heaven, "What GOD has cleansed, you do not call that ' common.' "

Romans 3:20;  Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in His+ sight: for by The Law is the knowledge of sin.  

Galatians 4:20-30 ...Tell me, ye that desire to be under the Law, do ye not hear the Law ? ... Hagar vs Jerusalem ... Cast out the bondwoman.

Galatians 5:4   ... M'SHIKHA+ is become of NO effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by The Law; ye are FALLEN from grace.

Galatians 5:18

But if ye be led of the SPIRIT the RUACH ha KADOSH, ye are not under the LAW.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ...   5:17 Therefore if any man be in M'SHIKHA+, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Ephesians 2:15

Having abolished in HIS+ Flesh the enmity, even the LAW of Commandments contained in Ordinances; for to make in HIMSELF+ of twain one new man, so making peace;

Ephesians 2:18 

For through HIM+ we both have access by one SPIRIT unto The FATHER.

When the Words of the LORD and His+ hand-picked Apostles are  discarded IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH A SEPARATE DOCTRINE, Followers of Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA no longer follow HIM+ in truth.  They follow error.

No Follower of Y'SHU+ disregards the Law of Moses... because Y'SHU+ is the LAW INCARNATE+ and HE+ and HIS+ Law live within the heart of the person following HIM+.

As Scripture teaches: They are NOW written in their hearts. The phylacteries have moved from the head into the heart.

Thus, peoples and tribes who come to Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA  keep The LAW ... even though they may have no knowledge of the FIRST Covenant at all. HE+ places it into their hearts and they follow the leading of the HOLY SPIRIT, the RUACH ha KADOSH.

Hear these Words of Our LORD from Matthew 22:37-40 and Mark 12: 29-31, combined: 

The GREAT SHEMA

The first of all the commandments is:

HEAR, O ISRAEL; 

The LORD our GOD is ONE LORD. 

Thou shalt love The LORD thy GOD 

with all thy heart, 

and with all thy soul, 

and with all thy mind, 

and with all thy strength. 

And the second is like unto it: 

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 

There is NO COMMANDMENT 

greater than these. 

On these two commandments 

hang ALL THE LAW

and the Prophets.  

I +  and My+ FATHER

ARE ONE.

John 10:30 

  

HEBREW ROOTS # 4 : Why Did Y’SHU+ THE MESHIKHA keep The LAW ?

Why Did Y’SHU+ THE MESHIKHA keep The LAW ? 

All the LAW in the First Covenant --- the TORAH, the law found in Proverbs, Psalms, and the Prophets --- HE+ flawlessly kept.

Y’SHU+ THE MESHIKHA was born under The LAW, into The LAW.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, GOD sent forth HIS SON+, made of a woman, made under the Law,

His+ birth mother and His+ earthly GOWRA (guardian, Aramaic text)  kept the LAW and raised HIM+ in it, as was their custom.

HE+ lived by The LAW.

When of age, HE+  kept the LAW and the feasts and paid the tributes, as required by the LAW of GOD.

 HE+ manifested The LAW and demonstrated a right application of it. Before the eyes of men,  HE+ healed the sick on the Sabbath, for instance, correcting the doctrines of the doctors of The LAW.

 HE+ instructed from The LAW about honoring one's parents, about tithing, about washing the inside of the cup, about immersion, about what to do with the sword. 

 HE+  instructed from The LAW, about correct judgments...  such as who gave most in the offering, who loved the most, which sinner returned to his house justified in the eyes of GOD.   

Why did  HE+ keep The LAW ?

Y’SHU+ THE MESHIKHA was The WORD+.  

HE+  was  all the LAW, both oral and written.  

HE+  existed in the Beginning with GOD and was made Adamic flesh, the ONE+ WHICH+ dwelt among us.

As the Living Word+, Y’SHU+ THE MESHIKHA was the LAW INCARNATE+. 

And, HE+ was clothed with a vesture 

dipped in blood: 

and His+ Name is called 

"The   WORD+  of  GOD. " 

Rev. 19:13

For Y’SHU+ THE MESHIKHA to deny the LAW+ 

---  the WORD+ of GOD --- 

would have been for Y’SHU+ THE MESHIKHA 

to deny HIMSELF+... 

which Scripture tells us 

that  HE+ cannot do 

... HE+ is not able to deny HIMSELF+ . 

2 Timothy 2:13

Something unexpectedly happened, however, when the Living WORD+ took flesh: 

HE+ died.

HE+  died while living under The LAW. 

HE+ died unto The LAW, suffering outside the camp.

HEBREWS 13: 10-13

We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the High Priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

Wherefore Y'SHU+ also, 

that HE+ might sanctify the people 

with HIS+ own Blood, 

suffered without the gate.

Let us go forth therefore unto HIM+ without the camp, bearing HIS+ reproach.

And, HE+  died for The LAW  .  

Yes,  HE+  died FOR The LAW  so that it could be established in our hearts , not as a list of covenant-rules to obey, but rather, HE+ established " THE LAW " as SOMEONE+ WHOM+ we would gladly and lovingly obey from our hearts!

HE+  HIMSELF+ was The LAW INCARNATE+. 

Now loving "the LAW" is so much the better Covenant through loving Y'SHU+ in a faith, obedient, loving relationship  with HIM+.  

This is why Evangelized tribal peoples or others who know nothing about the Old Covenant may enter into  the  NEW Covenant+ , the Commonwealth of Israel Proper,  and be received into the Heavenlies ! 

They have heard the GOOD NEWS about Y'SHU+ cleansing them from sin by HIS+ ONE SACRIFICE of HIMSELF+ ... and they turn, repent, and are converted unto the ONE true GOD:  The FATHER, the SON+ Y'SHU+, and the HOLY SPIRIT. 

Thus, The LAW is kept, INCARNATE+, and HE+ leads them into all righteousness 

because they heed 

" THAT " Voice+  behind them from " THAT " Prophet+  saying:  

"This is the WAY+; 

walk ye in it." 

Isaiah 30:21 

And thine ears shall hear a WORD+ behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. 

( courtesy of Bible Gateway.com )

and His+ Name is called 

"The   WORD+  of  GOD. "