WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SAY “I BELIEVE...”? (PART II)
What does it mean to believe? We have already established that when a person decides to believe in Yahweh, it draws our attention to this person’s capacity to believe and to trust, but also to the fact that Yahweh has proven Himself to be faithful and trustworthy. Believing brings a permanency that goes beyond “feelings” of happiness and security. True believers in the Elohim of Abraham, Yitschaq (Isaac) and Ya’akov (Jacob) have always looked at, and trusted in the right hand of Yahweh - there where the Messiah will be found, the only way to the Father, the only Name given for our redemption. Those who truly believe, will all be subjected to a process of pruning and shaping - a process of purification so that the set-apart bride of the Messiah may be established - bringing esteem and honour to their set-apart Redeemer. Let us continue looking at what Scriptures reveal concerning this matter of belief which is of such utmost importance to each one of us.
One aspect of believing which often proves to be missing in the popular formats of faith found in our day, is the aspect of fear and reverence. Let us look at a few Scriptures in this regard.
Shemot / Exodus 4:31 The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Yisrael, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.
The word “believed” in this verse is the Hebrew word “aman” which we have already discussed in part 1. Notice that we find here a certain expression of belief, almost a demonstration of what happens naturally when people believe. As a token of their belief, these people “bowed their heads and worshiped”. This word “worshiped” is one of those religious cliches few people really understand. In this verse it is a translation of the word “shachah”. This word means “to prostrate, to bow down, to fall down.” Today, when people are said to worship, this posture of bowing down or falling (face) down, is hardly ever conceived of. No, “worship”, as it is generally understood today, is more a state of mind, a moving, singing, waving and canting “in the spirit “ which is often no more than the spirit of the popular masses.
To most people, today, worship has to do with ecstasy, euphoria and jubilation. Even when it is acknowledged that in worship one should focus on the Almighty - on his qualities and his greatness - only a few will feel compelled to bow down, let alone lie down, realizing that they have come in the presence of an awesome Elohim - that is: Someone so powerful and incomprehensible that one can only approach Him in awe and in fear and in reverence. One dictionary gives the following clarification for the word “prostrate”: to lie down flat, with the body extended on the floor, or lying in the posture of humility and adoration. I am not so sure if we really know this kind of worship. In Shemot / Exodus 14:31 we read:
Shemot / Exodus 14:31 Israel saw the great work which Yahweh did to the Egyptians, and the people feared Yahweh; and they believed in Yahweh, and in his servant Moses.
The aspect of believing is here once again connected to the aspect of fearing Yahweh. The Hebrew word for fear (yaray) means: “To revere, to dread, to be afraid, to respect, to stand in awe.” To believe in Yahweh is synonymous with fearing Yahweh. Those who fear Yahweh have such a reverence, such respect for Him that they will not even think of going against anything He has commanded. When they hear and read the words Yahweh has spoken and when they see the works Yahweh has done, it fills them with such awe that they are absolutely persuaded that He deserves nothing less than complete obedience. This same fear and reverence brings along a remorse and a grief over those acts, words and thoughts whereby they have transgressed against His laws and whereby they have grieved his set-apart spirit. It is a pity that this aspect of the fear of Yahweh is very much neglected among those who claim to be believers in the Almighty.
This fear of Yahweh is of course not the same as the fear of people, the fear of circumstances or the fear for the future. In a sense it is exactly the opposite. When we read in the Scriptures that perfect love casts out fear (1 Yochanan / 1 John 4:18), the intent is clearly that loving (and therefore believing) Yahweh will bring about a steadfastness and a sense of always being protected by Him. This mind set leaves no place for fearing things or fearing what people might do or say. The one who fears Yahweh has no reason and also no inclination to fear anything else. This is what is revealed in the following verse of Scripture:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 28:66 and your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you shall fear night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life.
What is being set forth in this verse is part of the curse that will rest upon those who refuse to obey the commands of Yahweh. Notice that they will continually experience feelings of “doubt” and that they will “fear night and day” and will have “no assurance” as long as they live. The word translated with “assurance” is, believe it or not, the word “aman”! It is impossible to have assurance or to believe when one has chosen not to obey the commandments of Yahweh! The effects of this curse is devastating - a never ending cycle of feelings of doubt, of fear, of concern for the things of this world and of anxiety over the uncertainties of this world. To believe, on the other hand (having chosen to obey the commandments of Yahweh), brings stability and assurance and contentment - qualities that the world and the things of this world cannot offer.
An interesting chapter shedding light upon what it means to believe, is 1 Samuel / 1 Shemu’el 2 where it is described how someone was sent to Eli to announce Yahweh’s punishment upon Eli and his sons for bringing disgrace to the priestly office. “I will raise me up a faithful (aman) priest ... and I will build him a sure (aman) house” is one of the things Yahweh said to Eli (verse 35). Clearly, the implication is that Eli and his sons were not faithful, and therefore not believing the way Yahweh expected them to believe. In what ways did they show their unbelief? Verse 29 reveal that they “kicked” at Yahweh’s offerings and sacrifices. The word translated with “kicked” means “trampled down” or “despised”. They did not appreciate the fact that Yahweh is a set-apart Elohim and that the things associated with Him should also be regarded as set-apart and special. Being a believer means that “ordinary” people leading “ordinary” lives are prepared to change their life-style in order to reflect the uniqueness and set-apartness of the One they seek to please.
Verse 29 furthermore reveal that they had honored their sons above Yahweh, and had made themselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Yisrael. This is the attitude that is most harmful to the “spiritual health” of a believer. Honouring and valuing our own above Yahweh. Putting our own interests above His. Doing more to keep people happy than to conform our lives according to His design. Placing our own priorities (our own families, our own ambitions, our own comfort, our own desires, etc.) one level higher than the One who has bought us with the blood of his own Son. The most extreme form of this attitude is the subtle way in which religious leaders “make themselves fat” with the offerings of the members of their “churches”. There is something within this attitude that is incompatible with being a believer. That is why Yahweh announces that the priests who are guilty of this practice will be “cut off” like an arm being cut off (verse 31).
Verse 30 reveal that they did not honour Yahweh in the sense that they did not perform their office the way Yahweh had put before them. Those who honour Him, He will honour (or: “make to weigh more” / kabod), but those who despise Him, He will despise (or: “make to weigh less” / qalal). Do we desire to be honoured by the Almighty? Let’s then honour Him by putting his ways and his desires above our own ways and our own desires. Do we desire to taste the favour of the Almighty upon our lives and to walk before the Anointed One (Mashiach) for ever (verse 35c)? Let’s then not do the things which are in our hearts and in our minds, but let us start doing according to the things that are in Yahweh’ heart and in Yahweh’s mind (verse 35b).