Brother In Messiah

CHAP. V.

The subject continued.

AND when he had fulfilled the commandment of Alahym, What says he? Who will contend with me? Let him stand against me: or who is he that will impede me? Let him draw near to the servant of Yahuah. Woe be to you! Because ye shall all wax old as a garment, the moth shall eat you up. 2 And again the prophet adds, He is put for a stone for stumbling. Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation, a precious stone, a choice corner stone; an honourable stone. And what follows? And he that hopeth in him shall live for ever. 3 What then? Is our hope built upon a stone? Alahym forbid. But because the Adon hath hardened his flesh against sufferings, he saith, I have put me as a firm rock.

4 And again the prophet adds; The stone which the builders refused has become the head of the corner. And again he saith; This is the great and wonderful day which the Adon hath made. I write these things the more plainly to you that ye may understand: For indeed I could be content even to die for your sakes. 5 But what saith the prophet again? The counsel of the wicked encompassed me about. They came about me, as bees about the honey-comb: and, Upon my vesture they cast lots.

6 Forasmuch then as our Saviour was to appear in the flesh and suffer, his passion was hereby foretold. 7 For thus saith the prophet against Israel: Woe be to their soul, because they have taken wicked counsel against themselves, saying, let us lay snares for the righteous, because he is unprofitable to us. 8 Moses also in like manner speaketh to them; Behold thus saith Yahuah Alahym; Enter ye into the good land of which Yahuah hath sworn to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, that he would give it you, and possess it; a land flowing with milk and honey.

9 Now what the spiritual meaning of this is, learn; It is as if it had been said, Put your trust in Yahusha, who shall be manifested to you in the flesh. For man is the earth which suffers: forasmuch as out of the substance of the earth Adam was formed. 10 What therefore does he mean when he says, Into a good land flowing with milk and honey? Barak be our Adon, who has given us wisdom, and a heart to understand his secrets. For so says the prophet, Who shall understand the hard sayings of Yahuah? But he that is wise, and intelligent, and that loves his Adon. 11 Seeing therefore he has renewed us by the remission of our sins, he has put us into another frame, that we should have souls like those of children, forming us again himself by the ruach.

12 For thus the Scripture saith concerning us, where it introduceth the Father speaking to the Son; Let us make man after our likeness and similitude; and let them have dominion over the beasts of the earth, and over the fowls of the air, and the fish of the sea. 13 And when the Adon saw the man which he had formed, that behold he was very good; he said, Increase and multiply, and replenish the earth. And this he spake to his son. 14 I will now shew you, how he made us a new creature, in the latter days. 15 Yahuah saith; Behold I will make the last as the first. Wherefore the prophet thus spake, Enter into the land flowing with milk and honey, and have dominion over it.

16 Wherefore ye see how we are again formed anew; as also he speaks by another prophet; Behold saith Yahuah, I will take from them, that is, from those whom the ruach of Yahuah foresaw, their hearts of stone, and I will put into them hearts of flesh. 17 Because he was about to be made manifest in the flesh and to dwell in us. 18 For, my brethren, the habitation of our heart is a set-apart temple unto Yahuah. For the Adon saith again. In what place shall I appear before Yahuah my Alahym, and be esteemed? 19 He answers I will confess unto thee in the congregation in the midst of my brethren; and will sing unto thee in the assembly of the qadashym. 20 Wherefore we are they whom he has brought into that good land.

21 But what signifies the milk and honey? Because as the child is nourished first with milk, and then with honey; so we being kept alive by the belief of his promises, and his word, shall live and have dominion over the land. 22 For he foretold above, saying, increase and multiply, and have dominion over the fishes, etc. 23 But who is there that is now able to have this dominion over the wild beasts, or fishes, or fowls of the air? For you know that to rule is to have power, that a man should be set over what he rules. 24 But forasmuch as this we have not now, he tells us when we shall have it; namely, when we shall become perfect, that we may be made the inheritors of the covenant of Yahuah.