CONGREGATION MELECH YISRAEL OF TORONTO

It is interesting to note that the priests of Dagon wore hats shaped like the mouth of a fish, identical to the hats worn today by priests in the Catholic Church. But what is even more interesting is that they also worshipped a god know as Baal-zebub, later worshipped by the Greeks as Beelzebub. It was to this god the Pharisees attributed Yeshua's miracles. This accusation by the Pharisees was the unpardonable sin. The Mashiach (Messiah) was in their midst. He was performing miracles by the power of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) but they attributed those miracles to the demon god Beelzebub.

The judgement for the unpardonable sin was the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

For those of us reading this D'var Torah who are born-again, saved and redeemed by the blood of Messiah, I would like you to remember back to when you were first saved. Did G-d immediately put you into spiritual battle with the enemy, the likes of Beelzebub, or did He, as in my case, give you a grace period where you experienced His love and His wonderful miracles in your life? Time and time again I have said, "if you want to know how G-d is working or going to work in your life, all you have to do is read how He worked with Israel." Israel was not yet prepared for spiritual warfare; they did not yet fully know the wonders, power and love of their G-d, Redeemer and Saviour. They needed to be trained spiritually.

During this two-year period, which I call my honeymoon with G-d, I was constantly being confronted with the sin in my life, yet at the same time I felt cradled in the loving arms of my L-rd and Saviour, experiencing His miracles as never before. Once saved, Israel too had to be confronted with her sin. In this case they had to face the biggest and most obvious one first, their attachment to Mitzrayim. For this reason I believe, G-d led them away from the Philistines and a spiritual battle that would have led them back into the slavery of sin. Instead He led them to confront their sin at the Red Sea. It is amazing how our eyes are opened when we are confronted with our sin as a redeemed person. We see ourselves as we never saw ourselves before and we are drawn closer to G-d not farther from Him. Seeing the Mitzrayim rushing towards them in full battle array must have been a real eye-opener for bnei Yisrael. They saw with their own eyes to whom they were in bondage and from where they came. Then and only then was G-d able to show them to whom they were going. As we are confronted with our sin, G-d miraculously peels away the layers of sin in our lives one sin at a time, showing us from where we came and where we are headed.

Shemot {14:13} Moshe said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of HaSHEM, which he will work for you today: for the Mitzrayim whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again. {14:14} HaSHEM will fight for you, and you shall be still."

There is something I would like us all to understand from this D'var Torah. The G-d of the Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures) is the same G-d of the Brit Chadash (New Covenant). The spiritual salvation process He used with bnei Yisrael is the same process He used throughout the Scriptures, and it is the same process He uses today. Our G-d is consistent, that is why we can rely on Him that is why we can trust the entire Bible. He works the same yesterday, today and forever.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber