“From the rising of the sun even to its setting, My Name will be great among the Gentiles,” says Yahweh Sabaoth.
(Malachi 1: 11)
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Faith and Obedience are Two Sides of the Same Coin
When King Solomon built Yahweh’s Temple, Yahweh told him something that too few people understand correctly.
1 Kings 6: 11-13
Now the word of Yahweh came to Solomon saying, “Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”
Point 1
Yahweh emphasized the importance of obedience. His faithful followers don’t just believe in Him. As James pointed out, demons believe in Yahweh, but they refuse to obey Him.
The faithful remnant believes in Yahweh enough to do what He says. That’s what “walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments” means.
Point 2
Yahweh promised to “dwell among the sons of Israel” and “not forsake My people Israel” if they obeyed Him.
Jacob/Israel had 12 sons. Collectively, they are called “the Children of Israel”. Individually, they have names, too. For instance, Livi’s descendants are called Levites, and Judah’s descendants are called Judahites. Today, we call Judah’s descendants “Jews”.
After Solomon’s death, Israel divided into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south.
Israel, the Northern Kingdom, failed to obey Yahweh. As a consequence of their disobedience, Yahweh permitted the Assyrians to conquer them and take them captive.
The Northern Kingdom consisted of 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel. The Assyrians scattered them among the nations, i.e., the Gentiles. The vast majority of them never returned. They remain scattered to this day.
The Northern Kingdom is referred to as the 10 lost tribes of Israel, but they were never lost. As I said, they were scattered, but they lost touch with their Israeli identity. They remain descendants of Israel even though most of them don’t know it, but Yahweh knows.
The Southern Kingdom, Judah, consisted of 2 tribes, Judah and Benjamin. Benjamin was small. Eventually it was absorbed by Judah. Judah disobeyed Yahweh, too.
As a consequence of their disobedience, Yahweh permitted the Babylonians to conquer Judah and take them into captivity. After 70 years of captivity, Judah was allowed to return to the Promised Land.
Point 3
All of Israel’s descendants are the Children of Israel, not just Judah.
Yahweh’s promises apply to all of Israel’s descendants, not just Judah.
Point 4
The Messiah came to call Israel’s descendants to repentance and to pay the price for our sins.
“But He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way. But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” (Isaiah 53: 5-6)
At the time of the Messiah, Jewish religious leaders expected His coming. They were looking for the victorious King Messiah. Their forefathers knew about Him, because He is discussed prominently in the Tanach, i.e., the Old Testament.
The Tanach talks about the Messiah’s 2 roles:
- He is the Suffering Messiah who laid down His life as a sacrifice for the sins of His people. He is the Redeemer and Savior.
- He is the King Messiah who will destroy Israel’s enemies and rule with a rod of Iron.
Religious leaders in Judah could not reconcile the Messiah’s 2 roles, so they came up with 2 Messiah’s. They called one the Messiah Son of Joseph. He is the Suffering Messiah. They called the other the Messiah Son of David. He is the King Messiah.
The Tanach doesn’t talk about 2 Messiah’s. It talks about 1 Messiah who comes twice to accomplish 2 different things.
In the Gospel of John, the Messiah talked about His role as Redeemer and Savior.
“For Elohim so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For Elohim did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of Elohim.” (John 3: 16-18)
Believing in the Son doesn’t mean intellectual acceptance of His existence. It means to have faith in and obey Him. I call it “the faith of Abraham” and “faith with legs”.
Yahweh is “the Name of the only begotten Son of Elohim.” This is how Yahweh explained it to Jeremiah:
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch. He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is His Name by which He will be called, ‘Yahweh our righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 23: 6-6)
From Yahweh’s perspective, faith and obedience are two sides of the same coin. Obedience is the manifestation of true faith. Paul explained it this way:
“Faith without obedience is dead.” (Hebrews 5: 9)
The Messiah said it a little differently:
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of Elohim abides on him.” (John 3: 36)
Let me put it bluntly. No obedience means no faith. No faith means no salvation. I can’t make it any clearer than that.
I’m not talking about perfect obedience. I’m talking about having a heart for Yahweh that is willing to go where He says and do what He says.
But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for Elohim sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
It’s obedience that goes beyond religion. It’s not limited to adherence to Yahweh’s Laws in the Tanach. It means being led by Yahweh’s Spirit as we move through life.
The Messiah explained it this way:
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10: 27)
To some people, that sounds otherworldly. It is to an extent, but for those who have a relationship with Yahweh, it’s tangible and real. Think of it as getting in sync with Yahweh.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7: 7)
Point 5
Obedience matters a lot.
Don’t believe anyone who tells you that obedience doesn’t matter. As the Messiah said, “The wrath of Elohim abides on him.”
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“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17: 22-24)
