{Disclaimer: these are my rough teaching notes I use in my Mishkan Katan weekly broadcasts. There will be "typos". Proceed at your own risk, lol. You can find all my Mishkan Katan video teachings on my YouTube channel: genahood2818 Look on the playlist called Messianic LAMB TV Network.} Today, we will continue our study of Psalm 23, which we began in our last session together here at Mishkan Katan. I want to again apologize for the technical difficulties you may have experienced here at the live broadcast last week. Hopefully, all that is straightened out and we won’t have those issues, going forward. Go ahead and turn in your translation of the Scriptures to Psalm 23, and while you are getting there, let me add a personal note.
This is the seasons of graduations, and it so happens that I have been celebrating with friends their loved ones’ graduations this past week. However, not many know that I “graduated” last week as well. For over four years, I have been studying Sephardic Biblical Hebrew with a private teacher. This past week, I finished the second course in her line-up of course study. It took me about 3 years to finish the primer course, and one year to do the reader course. I’m not finished pursuing this beautiful language, but am happy to share this milestone with you. When I read the Old Testament now, I don’t initially read it in the original Hebrew, especially if I am reading a longer passage. The main reason for that is speed. My speed and fluency can still use a good deal of work, as you can probably tell when I read Hebrew to you on this program. But, it IS a joy to be able to read the Tanakh, the Old Testament, in its original language, and to gain deeper understandings from that practice. Ok, enough about all that.
Let’s begin with verse 4. Here it is in the Hebrew:
גַּם כִּי־אֵלֵךְ בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת לֹא־אִירָא רָע כִּי־אַתָּה
עִמָּדִי שִׁבְטְךָ וּמִשְׁעַנְתֶּךָ הֵמָּה יְנַחֲמֻנִי׃
Transliteration: Gahm kee ay-LAKE b’gay ahl-MAH-vet lo ee-RAH rah kee ah-TAH
ee-MAH-dee sheev-t'KAH oo-meesh-ahn-TEH-kah
And, the literal translation: Also, because I will walk in the valley of the death shadow, NOT I will fear. Because you are with me. Your rod and your staff they will comfort me.
What is “the valley of the death shadow”? Some of the Jewish scholars, writing in the Targum, say that this refers to the “galut”, which means “the exile”. In other words, anytime God’s people are not living in their land, given to them by Father Yahweh, they are living in the valley of the death shadow. Radak says that this is a place of danger, one that is as fearsome as the grave. The sage, Rashi, believed that David had a specific place in mind here, namely the Wilderness of Zif. It is recorded in I Samuel 23:19-29 that it was there David had a near-death experience of sorts at the hands of King Saul. It was there he was treacherously betrayed. Let’s look at that passage for just a moment. Again, that passage is 1 Samuel 23:19-29.
19Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon? 20Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.”
21“May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me. 22Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. 23Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.”
Inconceivably, the Ziphites betrayed David a second time, as recorded in 1 Samuel 26, and you may be wondering, as I was, “did David ever exact revenge on this people group?” The answer is “no”. He didn’t.
So, was this the meaning behind David’s reference to “the valley of the death shadow”? We truly don’t know. But, it IS feasible that was the case.
WHY did David not fear, when faced with the very real probability of death? Because He knew, for a certainty, that God was with him.
One of the earliest Jewish books of ethics, called Chovot HaLevavot, translated “Duties of the Heart” tells this story of a devout man who found himself having to sleep alone out in the middle of a fearsome wilderness. He was asked if he was afraid of the many wild animals that roamed there. He essentially replied, and this is a paraphrase, that he was too overwhelmed by his fear of God to have any room to be afraid of anything else. He knew that God was constantly with him.
I think of the story of Daniel in the lion’s den and/or Shadrach, Meshach and Abedneggo, in the fiery furnace. They were the very definition of men who feared God so much that their holy awe and fear of The One contradicted any fear they could possibly have had of anyone or anything else. They knew that they would not be going through anything alone, because they WERE never alone. No matter the dark trial, no matter the distressing dilemma.
What do many animals and most humans do when the weather gets too hot? We seek cooler temps, of course. Humans like to leave the heat behind and “go on vacation”, often to cooler climates, although some like to “flock” (I know, bad pun) to the beaches. This coming weekend, I am headed to higher altitudes for a family get-together with my mother, siblings, nieces and our own children. It is supposed to be unusually cold this weekend, in that area. Not sure I’m looking forward to the colder weather, but it is what it is. Regardless ...
It was and is a common practice in sheep-raising areas to “drive” the sheep up to higher altitudes for the summer months. Why? Because it was cooler in the higher altitudes. The sheep would meander along, at the direction of the shepherd, grazing as they went. They would stay there until autumn approached, when the autumn snows would force the flock back down to more temperate climes at lower elevations. Eventually, they would end up back on the family lands, the ranch, so to speak, to spend the winter.
In his book, Phillip Keller, says that it is this last half of the year, summer/autumn into winter that is described in the latter half of Psalm 23. During this time, it is just the shepherd and the flock, no one else. He is utterly responsible for them, day and night, and they are in complete and total contact with him. This explains the intimacy of the language of these last 3 verses.
You may recall the story of when the prophet, Samuel, journeyed to the home of Jesse, to inspect his sons and anoint one of them king over Israel. David was not “home”. Now, you and I may have thought, “Oh, he was ‘out on the back 40’ acres.” But, no, he was high up in the hills with the flock. One of the other brothers had to go fetch him home, which probably took several days.
Have you ever wanted to go to “higher ground” with God, to experience “mountain-top experiences” with Him? Well, the believer doesn’t get “air-lifted” to the mountaintop. He or she must trudge through valleys, including some which look suspiciously like “the death valley”. We must walk THROUGH, led gently by our Good Shepherd. There is no connotation here of pitching a tent in the death valley, or stopping to linger there.
This verse is often used to comfort those who are approaching death. But, even so, death is not the end for the one who knows the Good Shepherd. That dark valley opens up into an eternal vista, an eternity of delight with Him. Death, for the believer, is the ultimate “moving on up - - to the top” (to quote a 1970s TV sitcom), or more appropriately the ultimate moving up to “higher ground”. In his last book in the Narnia series, C.S. Lewis described it as “further up and further in”, a phrase that repeated often throughout the book. The phrase signified moving into both deeper physical and spiritual realms. Perhaps he was thinking of Psalm 23 as he wrote.
Of one thing we can be sure, our Shepherd is going to lead us through those dark valleys with the utmost compassion, with the greatest care and gentleness, despite how awful things may seem at the time. We should thank Him through it all, because He told us through the apostle Paul to give thanks “in everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). When we can give thanks and quietly accept adversity, it is then that we have moving to higher ground. I can’t say that I always do that. Most of the time, I merely want to escape the adversity of the valley entirely. That’s not always possible, though, is it? Staying with our sheep analogy, it’s not even advisable to want to do that.
A second reason it is best to take the sheep through the valleys on their trek to the mountaintops is that it is in the valleys where the best grazing and the purest watering holes are located. The trek up the mountain is hot and tiresome. The sheep get very thirsty. Similarly, during our valley experiences, we get parched, and the water of the Word of God will refresh us. Although only God Himself can best refresh and restore our souls, other like-minded believers can uplift us during these times. Our Good Shepherd takes us through the dark valleys of life so that we can encourage others who are going through similar experiences. When each of us is “going through something”, we think that no one else can understand. Of course, our Heavenly Father understands, but it also very comforting to be comforted by someone who has gone through the same thing.
Here’s an example from the day I was writing this lesson. Sadly, I learned that a friend’s sweet dog, Sugar Bear, had died. This dog had lived in the house with their family for years. Well, as I was growing up, we had family pets, but they did not live in the house with us. It was not until I had been married to my husband for over 20 years that we got a dog we allowed to live in our house with us and our boys. Charlie lived for only 9 years before he died of cancer. He helped us through the boys leaving home for college and on to independent living, and he died just before covid hit. We were so bereft that it was like losing another child, and I NEVER would have predicted the depth of my grief, before Charlie. My husband and I have decided to not have any more pets, because we were just so sorrowful over losing that dog. Now, before I had become to attached to Charlie, I could not empathize fully with someone losing a pet who lived so closely with them. Now, of course, I can.
I thank God that those He allows to go through things like breaking addictions, surviving the loss of a child, surviving a severely traumatic attack, etc. go on to make it their mission to help others in similar circumstances.
He works through us to help others and in that way He is “with me”, as the verse says, “for thou art with me”.
Now to the last part of verse 4, those items of “comfort” - - - the rod and the staff.
Although the Jewish sage, Radak, believes these two items were actually one, used for two different purposes, if you look at the behaviors of shepherds over the millennia, there were actually two separate, distinct tools. Let’s look first at the rod.
Even young shepherd boys receive a rod that is specially crafted for their size and strength. Most of these rods looked like the “club” you may have seen in cartoons, large and round at the end, and tapered to fit perfectly the grip of the young man who would wield it. After the rod would be fashioned, the boy would spend hours and hours learning to use it, especially how to throw it across great distances. The rod had to serve as an extension of the shepherd’s own power and authority. It was used to safeguard both himself and his flock. The rod had four primary purposes:
To comfort, bring peace to the sheep
I’ve already mentioned that the presence of the Shepherd immediately calmed the sheep in the flock. Seeing the shepherd’s rod present with him and knowing how it had been used in the past, surely played a part in comforting the sheep, helping them to know they were safe and cared for. To the believer, the Good Shepherd’s “rod”, His symbol of authority and power are the Scriptures, as these are the extension of God’s mind, His will and His intentions to mankind.
To discipline the sheep
The rod was often used to discipline the sheep. Keller says this purpose was used more than any other. If a sheep was seen “heading for trouble”, the rod would go sailing through the air to send that foolish sheep back to the flock. Aren’t you thankful that the Word of God comes swiftly to our hearts to correct us when we are going astray?
To examine and count the sheep
We’ve already learned together that the shepherd had to keep careful count of the sheep. There is a reference in Ezekiel 20:37 to “passing under the rod”. This goes a step further than being under the shepherd’s authority to receiving a careful examination by him. From time to time, the shepherd would examine his sheep by letting them through the gate one by one, stopping each one with his rod and then using that rod and his skillful hands to feel through the wool and examine the sheep’s body for any sign of trouble. In this way, a sheep’s hidden problems can be revealed and corrected. Perhaps David was thinking of this process when he wrote verses 23 and 24 of Psalm 139. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts, etc.
If we will allow Him to do so with His Holy Word, he will get below the surface of our carnal natures and expose areas we need to let Him correct in us. There is no ‘pulling the wool over his eyes’. He does this with great concern for our welfare, and we should not shrink away from this examination process.
And, finally, the fourth purpose for the rod: To protect the sheep from dangers, as a defense and deterrent from/to enemies from outside the sheep fold.
The rod can be used to kill poisonous snakes, to drive off predators such as wolves, coyotes cougars, wild dogs, etc. David even used his club to attack a lion and a bear. He was so fearless!
But here’s the thing: the sheep who were the most vulnerable to attacks were the ones who roamed away from the flock, the wanderers. They were the first ones to be picked off by predators. Keller compared Satan’s attacks to cougar attacks in his book. Any follower of Yeshua who pooh-poohs Satan is leaving him or herself open to attack. He is a cunning adversary. So, in Keller’s experience, were cougars. He said that he never actually saw one on his range. They were that cunning and skillful. Yet, the devastation they left in their wake was extensive. The lesson for us is clear: we must take care to stay near the Shepherd, having intimate conversations with Him, reading His Word.
Now, let’s look at the other indispensable tool of the shepherd, the staff.
This is the one that looks like the traditional “shepherd’s crook”. This tool is only used in sheep herding. It is peculiar to this animal husbandry, and is not used for the care of cattle, hogs, horses or other animals. Again, this tool was fashioned specifically for each shepherd, to get the height, weight and circumference just right. Shepherds would use these as walking sticks, lean on them to rest and regain strength. The staff was of particular comfort to the shepherd. Keller says that as the rod was analogous to the Word of God, the staff is emblematic of His Spirit. Its focus was on kindness and compassion as it fulfilled four purposes.
The first was to draw the sheep together in intimate relationships. Keller tells of how, during lambing season, the shepherd can be seen using the crook of his staff to lift a newborn lamb and bring it closer to its mother, if they become separated. This tool prevents the shepherd’s smell from transferring to the lamb and place it in danger of rejection by its mother.
The second was to use the crook to draw individual sheep who were a bit shy or fearful closer to the shepherd.
The third was to use the staff to extricate a sheep from a mess it could not get itself out of. Sheep can get themselves into the most preposterous messes (we’ve already talked about being cast, in the previous teaching). For instance, in order to get that last succulent mouthful of grass, they will get too close to a bramble bush or wild rose bush, where their wool will get so enmeshed in the thorns they cannot get themselves out. Or, they might tumble into a ravine because they were reaching for that last morsel of grass. In these types of situations, the shepherd’s crook is indispensable for getting them set free.
The fourth was to use the staff to apply gentle pressure on a sheep so that it will go where the shepherd wants it to go, as if the shepherd is saying “This is the way - - walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)
Like the sheep, we get ourselves into messes of our own making, and when we do, if we belong to the Good Shepherd, He draws us near and tenderly lifts us by His Spirit out of the danger zone. His long-suffering and compassion console and comfort us.
All of these purposes for the staff foster better relationships between the sheep AND between the sheep and the shepherd.
About 11 years ago, my husband and I took a road trip out west. On my birthday that year, we visited Mesa Verde National Park, in Arizona. It was an amazing place. Do you know what a mesa is? It is essentially a table top, high on the top of a mountain, a wide, flat expanse of pasture grass on the summit. “Mesa” is the Spanish word for “table”. Interestingly, the word “mesa” also appears in some African languages and has the same meaning.
Early in the spring, before the shepherd would begin to take his sheep on the summer drive to the mountains, he would make a survey trip on his own, to take stock of the “lay of the land.” Then, shortly before he would begin the drive, he would journey there again, to the eventual mountaintop destination, to prepare the tableland, the mesa, for the sheep’s arrival. Here are some of the things he would do:
Distribute over the area key minerals and nutrients to “seed” the pastures
Decide which areas can be grazed more heavily and which ones would need shorter grazing periods
Determine where his camps would be located
Remove from the area poisonous weeds
Keller tells the story of a weed on his first sheep ranch called white camma. He and his children spent days and days preparing a pasture by eradicating just that one kind of poisonous plant. If they had not done so, many lambs would have been lost, because even a few nibbles of the white camma would paralyze the lamb and bring certain death.
Now, look at verse 5 of Psalm 23.
In Hebrew first:
תַּעֲרֹךְ לְפָנַי שֻׁלְחָן נֶגֶד צֹרְרָי דִּשַּׁנְתָּ בַשֶּׁמֶן רֹאשִׁי
כּוֹסִי רְוָיָה׃
Transliterated: Tah-ah-ROHK L’fah-NAI. Shool-KAHN. NEH-ged TSor-RAI Dee-SHAN-Tah
Vah-SHEH-Mehn Roh-SHEE Coh SEE R’vah-YAH
Literal Translation: You will arrange to the faces of me a table across from (opposite from, against) my oppressors (those hostile to me). You made fat (saturate abundantly) in the oil my head. My cup is overflowing.
Don’t we as parents try to do this with our children, to “prepare a table before them, in the presence of their enemies”? We warn them and do our best to remove from their paths any “enemies”, any sharp stones, any poisonous philosophy or substance they might be tempted to try. Like young, naive lambs, they feel they need to experience anything that crosses their path.
My younger son went camping about 3 weeks ago, down in the Florida panhandle. He took his dog and fiancée with him. No sooner had they arrived that they sent us a video of a five-foot long Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, as it slowly “snaked” its way across the road in front of their truck, at the campground. Our son was out of the truck making the video, while his girl sat in the truck, holding the dog back. Had she not, that sweet, young, energetic brown lab mix would have had his nose all over that snake, probably with disastrous consequences!
Let’s look at the phrase of this verse now, from the experiences of the shepherd. In the KJV it says, “Thou anointest my head with oil”. It sounds like the table lands of the high mountains might have been a sort of “sheep’s paradise” in many ways, but in one way, the summer season in the high mountain mesas was not ideal. This habitat was not immune from insects, specifically various types of flies, which had the capacity to cause serious problems for the sheep. The worst of these pests was the nose fly. At the very first sign of these flies, the diligent shepherd would apply an antidote to the head of the sheep. Sheep would injure themselves, trying to escape the flies, or after infestation, to rid themselves of the awful symptoms. This pest could devastate an entire flock if the sheep were untreated. Keller liked to use a mixture of linseed oil, sulphur and tar, which he applied to the sheep’s nose and head as protection. In Israel, they used olive oil, sulphur and spices. Immediately after treatment, the sheep would calm down, start to quietly feed again and then soon lie down in peaceful contentment.
When we have “pesky flies” in our own lives, what is our antidote? I had a supervisor once who told us aspiring leaders, “It’s not the bears and the alligators that will get you; it’s the pesky mosquitoes!” She was right! The insects of petty annoyance or niggling distraction can just wear you down, wear you out, cause you to lose your focus on keeping the main thing the main thing, etc. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the antidote, that is, to form within us the mind of Yeshua. Oil is often used in Scripture to picture the Spirit of God. We receive Him at the outset of our relationship with Father Yahweh, through the work of His Son. But, throughout our halacha, our walk with Him, we are in constant need of greater indwelling, infilling of His Spirit. The same was true of the sheep. One application of the antidote was not sufficient to last the whole summer. It was a process that had to be repeated in order for it to remain effective, and as the original Hebrew says, the head needed to be “saturated abundantly.”
Scab was another malady that affected the sheep. It was a disease spread from sheep to sheep when they would affectionately rub their heads together. Again, soon an entire flock would be affected. When we read in the Bible about the sacrificial lambs needing to be free from “blemish”, the “blemish” most often meant was scab. This illness represented contamination, sin, evil. The remedy for this involved dipping the sheep, one by one, in a large tank of solution, similar to what was used to treat for the flies. But, a particularly difficult place to clear of scab was the head. The shepherd had to take great care to see that the head was entirely free of scab, or the process would have to be initiated all over again. Sometimes, the head would have to be submerged repeatedly in the solution. Saturated abundantly.
Isn’t this a picture of what we struggle with as believers? Most of our spiritual problems start in our heads, do they not? Specifically, through our minds. Often, it is when we “rub heads” with someone who does not necessarily walk according to the Spirit that we come away with spiritual scab, ideas that may be damaging to our relationship with our Good Shepherd.
The male sheep, as the weather turned to autumn, “rubbed heads” in a different manner. The pests had died off, the weather became cooler, the leaves turning, the “former rains” of autumn began to fall. This was mating season for the flock, which led to the male rams to “butt heads” in order to compete for the attentions of the ewes. Unfortunately, serious damage could occur among the males during these jousting matches. To prevent most of the damage, the wise shepherd would apply to the heads and noses of the rams a rich mixture of axle grease, of all things! That way, when they would purposefully collide, they would simply slide off of one another in a rather ludicrous manner, with little injury.
Often, spiritual axle grease is needed in our congregations, because we tend to knock each other about for a number of reasons, all of them carnal reasons. If we don’t see eye-to-eye with someone, we can with our tongues spread discontent, suspicion, rumor, even slander, leading some to leave congregations entirely. Pride is often the motivator here, someone wanting to be the “top sheep”, so to speak. When the Spirit of God has control of a man or woman, though, that person is contented, not given to pettiness or jealousy.
And, now the last part of verse 5 - - again, from the original Hebrew - - my cup is overflowing. The cup is a metaphor in the psalms for physical sustenance, deliverance and salvation. We can see similar references in Psalm 16:5 and in 116:13. The sage, Rashi, says that this is a metaphor for contentment. The midrash likens this metaphor to the never-ending waters of Miriam’s well, when the Hebrew people were in the desert. Another sage, Siach Yitzchak compared this cup to God’s cup of justice, filled to the brim with exactness, as justice is always evenly measured out by God. But, when God’s chesed is factored in, the brim of the cup overflows, that is when He acts generously, beyond the letter of the law. Therefore, the precisely measured cup of justice overflows with God’s mercy. And finally, some believe this cup refers to David’s grateful heart, overflowing with love and appreciation of His Heavenly Father God’s blessing and infinite goodness. David had a unique capacity for this, as evidenced in his psalms, whereas most people tend to allow bitterness or disillusionment to creep in, causing them to lose appreciation for the goodness showered upon them.
As we head toward the end of our time together today, we are at verse 6. Here it is in the Hebrew:
אַךְ טוֹב וָחֶסֶד יִרְדְּפוּנִי כָּל־יְמֵי חַיָּי וְשַׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית־יְהוָה לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים׃
Transliteration: Akh tov v’chesed. yeer-d'FOO-nee. kohl y’MAY. kai-YAI. v’SHAV-tee
b’VAYT YAHWEH. l’O-rek. yah-MEEM.
Literal Translation: Only good and lovingkindness they will pursue me
All the days of my lives (chaim is always plural)
And I will (ongoing) returning in the house of Yahweh
For the length of days.
Let’s look at the literal translation’s first word: “only”. It is usually translated, “surely”, but the actual word is “only”. The two are very similar to be sure. But, “only” is exclusionary. Fear and harm won’t pursue David, nor will pestilence or loss. No, ONLY good and lovingkindness (chesed) will PURSUE him. Many translations say “follow”, as a puppy might follow after its master, sometimes wandering off to smell a bug or take off after a squirrel. “Pursue” is like “chasing after”; these are relentless terms.
And, for how long with these blessings pursue David? All the days of his LIVES. The Hebrew word, “chaim”, as it ends in “im” is a plural. It’s not just a plural in this case. There is no word “life”, singular, in Hebrew. It’s always plural. This points to “this life on earth and the next”. I love that about the word “chaim”.
The Jewish sage, Ibn Ezra, believed that “goodness” here referred to personal holiness and enrichment of the spirit, whereas “lovingkindness” referred to the spiritual well-being of others, practiced as teaching them the ways of Torah, of God. Ezra emphasized that these two activities should be a constant way of life for the righteous person. Thus, these two noble inclinations would “pursue” David (and the righteous one) relentlessly.
Keller says these two adjectives perfectly sum up the loving care of the Shepherd for the sheep. The psalmist here is making a bold declaration of faith. That no matter what Father allows into his life, it is goodness and mercy. Even when the “chips are down” - - goodness and mercy. Whether we can “see” the beauty of the Shepherd’s management - - goodness and mercy. Believing/trusting is seeing, you know, for the believer, not the other way around.
And, as He bestows mercy onto our lives, we should leave goodness and mercy in our wake as well, touching and transforming the lives of those He brings into our circles. Keller points out again that sheep mismanaged can be the most destructive animals. They can ravage land beyond repair. But, properly managed, they leave the land the better for having fed them. Sheep eat all kinds of vegetation, clearing pastures of otherwise noxious weeds. Plus, they have the richest manure of any domestic stock, which is of enormous benefit to the soil. They leave behind beauty and abundance, if they submit to the care of a Good Shepherd. May the same be said of our lives, as bearers of the name of Yeshua.
Have you ever enjoyed being somewhere that you did not want to leave, when the time came to go, (as it inevitably does...) A contented, well-loved sheep never wants to leave the care of its shepherd, and as part of the “flock of God”, the “household of The One”, we don’t have to. David ends his psalm by thankfully, triumphantly proclaiming that he will be in the process of returning in God’s household, all the length of his days. Some translations confuse two Hebrew verbs here, when they use the English word “dwell”. Dwell or reside is the chief meaning of the Hebrew verb “yashav.” However, the verb used in the original Hebrew is “shavav”, a similar verb in spelling. But, the meaning of “shavav” is “return”. It’s the same verb from which we get “shuv” and “teshuvah” (repentance).
So, what David is affirming here is that all the days of his life, as he is pursued by Father Yahweh’s lovingkindness and mercy, he will be returning to who he was originally created to be, until that day he steps into the next life and is fully at home with his heavenly Father.
And, honestly, doesn’t that typify the life of the one who worships The One, the Divine, Mysterious Majesty? We are thoroughly born into sin, overwhelmed by the curse brought upon us by our father, Adam. We are enlightened by God’s Spirit and drawn into a salvation relationship with Father Yahweh’s “one, unique Son”, Yeshua who, again using a sheep analogy, declared in John 10:9 - -
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
And then the Spirit of Yeshua/God comes to dwell, to yashav, in our hearts, doing His work of sanctifying us through the commandments of the Lord God, given in the Tanakh and Brit Chadasha, forming us more and more into the image of our Redeemer, returning us to who we would have been had we not been born into sin. Finally, the culmination of this process is when this life transforms into the next (chaim), where we will forever be with our God.
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