“ Je vous ai compris!”
(“I understand you!”).
Some of you will maybe remember this famous sentence pronounced by the
French President, General De Gaulle in 1958.
He was probably the only one who understood himself!
But most of his listeners didn't understand him at all!
Most people on earth, including many believers are in the same
situation of misunderstanding towards
the Lord Elohim and His son Yeshuah!
What about you? Could you tell to our Father:
"I understand you, Father? "
It is indeed very
important to try to understand our Lord. By not understanding what our Father is
telling us, we risk to slide easily on the path of
error as Yeshuah si explaining
in Matthew, chapter 22, verse 29:
" Yeshuah answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the
Scriptures nor the power of Elohim. "
If we too are mistaken, it is
because we do not understand our Father in heaven or His words.
It is therefore
very important to know what the word understand means. What exactly do we
understand, how do we understand and how do we use what we have understood?
These are
questions to which we must find answers if we want to improve ourselves and
become better believers.
What is the meaning of the word UNDERSTAND?
Another word for UNDERSTAND is
COMPREHEND that comes from the Latin "cum prehendere"
whose meaning is
TO TAKE WITH YOU
Understanding has therefore a sense of
AN ENRICHMENT of our knowledge that we take with us: the more we take
with us (in other words: we understand), the wealthier we become!
For believers, understanding must be
a prerequisite before taking any action. Understanding should be used as a preparation
and an education in view of actions we will undertake during our lifetime.
Our life as a believer is like a
journey through many stages before reaching the ultimate goal
of the new world being built by the Lord. Yehoah
Elohim will give us access to a next step of understanding only if we have
understood what was tought by Him during our previous
part of our journey on earth! The understanding of the believer must grow
throughout the journey, at the risk, otherwise, to be barred from the new world
to come, a world so much hoped for by all the creatures still subjected today to
the destructive power of the Devil and the human beings seduced by him.
Our Father acts with us as we should
act with our children, if we have some, when we are teaching them step by step
the things of life. How many times are we asking children if they understood
before continuing their education? Likewise, our Father is repeating in the
Bible a topic several times to be sure that we have understood. He does this to
avoid the risk of getting lost along the way, due to a misunderstanding, and
finding ourselves in a wrong direction rather than en
route to the kingdom of the Lord. This is the same warning that was given to
the Church of Ephesus in Revelation chapter 2, verse 5:
“Remember therefore from where you
have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly
and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. "
Cultivate what
is understood!
Whatever we are able to understand
with the help of our Father, we must learn to cultivate it so that it becomes
part of our daily andlife from now on. Remember that understanding
means taking with you for life, if possible, for eternal life.
Understanding is therefore a series
of discoveries which enriches us provided that we
persevere in their use till the end. We must keep these goods with us, as the Yeshuah, the Savior, is encouraging us to do, in Revelation
3, verses 10 and 11:
" 10 Because you
have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial
which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11
Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your
crown. "
What should we
understand?
The western world spends a lot of
time trying to understand its own behavior and it is q good job for many
psychiatrists and other gurus! People are also trying to understand each other,
to understand each other's reasoning. But unfortunately
the number of wars is far from decreasing. Scientists try to understand the
universe, its origin and its future. But all these attempts to understand
things are based only on know-how produced by men and are centered on him.
Is this the only kind of
understanding to which the believer should aspire? Let us listen to the
response of our Creator in Ephesians, chapter 5 and verses 15 to 17:
“15 See then that you
walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time,
because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, BUT
UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WILL OF YEHOAH IS. "
The answer is therefore very clear:
the believer must seek to understand all the will of his Father. By the way, let
us already listen to the advice given by Paul that you have just read so that
we will be able to understand this will:
• Watch your step and be always spiritually
awaken
• Behave cautiously
• Redeem time and do not waste it,
always keeping in mind that one day this time will run out!
Understanding the will of our Lord
is not limited to a surface understanding, no, you have to
learn in depth, down to the last detail. Nothing of Yehoah’s
wishes should be misunderstood. We must not adopt a light attitude either and
believe that some of the content of the Bible has become obsolete today or
should not be applied to us simply because we do not understand them. On the
contrary, we are invited to imitate Josiah’s exemplary attitude when he
discovered his Lord’s book of the law. Let's read this in the second book of
Kings, chapter 22, verses 11 to 13:
“11 Now it happened, when
the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes. 12
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam
the son of Shaphan, Achbor
the son of Michaiah, Shaphan
the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying,
13 “Go, inquire of Yehoah for me, for the
people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been
found; for great is the wrath of Yehoah that is
aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book,
to do according TO ALL THAT IS WRITTEN concerning us.”
Note the insistence of Josiah on the
WHOLE of the law!
How should we
try to understand?
To ensure a good and perfect
understanding of Yehoah's will, there are three
essential steps:
• Explore with
the aim to make discoveries.
First of all, a research is needed to find something new that we have never
seen before. This discovery is the source of our enrichment. But let us be
on our guard as Paul is recommending to us because the discovery goes hand in
hand with an attentive watch and observation. You have to look and search
trying to find pearls like
the pearl merchant given as an example given by Yeshuah
in Matthew 13:
“45 “Again, the kingdom
of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when
he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought
it. "
The Savior also promised us in
advance that whoever seeks will find. So a word to the
wise, hi! This means that whoever, like Josiah, seeks to do the will of the
Lord, will find what is the will of the Lord, as Josias found the scrolls of
the law. It also means that if we seek our Father's kingdom, we will find it.
• Have a good
judgment in order to take the right decisions.
The second step in ensuring healthy
understanding is the use of our judgment in all of our
discoveries. We must use our judgment to know how to discern whether these
discoveries are indeed those which our Lord wants us to find and take with us (“cum
prehendere”). Not everything we seek and discover is
good. Our judgment, if based on a comprehensive analysis, will allow us to
reject what is bad and keep what is good. To make good choices, we will have to
use our heart which is the seat of our understanding. Our heart is also the
place where all our thoughts are born. Already at the time of his first appearance
on earth, Yeshuah made clear that the degeneration of
his contemporaries was such that their hearts could not understand him; let's read that in
Matthew, chapter 13, verses 10 to 15:
"
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them
in parables?”
11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to
know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have
abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from
him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they
do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14
And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
‘Hearing you will hear and
shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not
perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and
turn, so that I should heal them.’ "
Unfortunately, this attitude of
incomprehension of people because of the hardening of their heart automatically
puts them under the influence of the Devil, the prince of this world as we
understand John, in chapter 8 of his gospel, verses 42 to 45:
“42 Jesus said to
them, “If Elohim were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and
came from Elohim; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why
do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to
My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires
of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning,
and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he
speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father
of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. "
But what about you who, reader? You
may claim that Yehsuah, the Christ, is your Lord, but
are you sure? Remember that Satan can disguise himself in an angel of light! In
any case, for the little number of believers who have received the Holy Spirit,
although they did not deserve but it is received as a free-gift,
these people are enabled to understand with their hearts. But remember that the
heart is tortuous above all. It is for this reason that
we must always judge with extreme caution. Otherwise we will be made like the
shepherds of Israel that Isaiah describes in chapter 56, verses 10 to 12:
"
10 His watchmen are blind, They are all
ignorant; They are all dumb dogs, They cannot bark; Sleeping, lying down,
loving to slumber.
11 Yes, they are greedy dogs Which never have enough. And they
are shepherds
Who cannot
understand; They all look to their own way, Every one for his own gain, From
his own territory.
12 “Come,” one says, “I will bring wine, And
we will fill ourselves with intoxicating drink; Tomorrow will be as today, And
much more abundant.”
All these shepherds are the
religious leaders of our time who far from seeking to spread the knowledge of
the will of Yehoah do on the contrary everything to
hide it and they replace it by their flesh interest. In doing so, these
religious leaders will cause the loss of their flocks and that is why the Lord
will have to gather His people by Himself as we are told in verse 8 of the same
chapter.
It should come as no surprise to see
all these religious leaders understand nothing, since they do the complete opposite of what the Bible says. We must take
for ourselves the serious warnings that Yeshuah gives
us, in Mark, chapter 13, verses 32 to 37:
" 32 “But of that
day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only
the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when
the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left
his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and
commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do
not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at
the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36 lest, coming
suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And
what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
Let us read yet another warning from
the apostle Paul that the shepherds of Israel also do not understand, in
Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 17-18:
“17 Therefore do
not be unwise, but understand what
the will of Yehoah is. 18 And do
not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
"
Good judgment is therefore only
possible by properly using the Holy Spirit and his power which is in us. You
also have to behave like a wise man according to
Paul's advice. We must also use our five physical senses of perception from the
start so as not to miss any of the information that our Father makes available
to us. This is well illustrated by Proverbs, chapter 2, verses 1 to 15:
"
1 My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And
apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And
lift up your voice for understanding,
4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden
treasures;
5 Then you will
understand the fear of Yehoah,
And find the knowledge of Elohim.
6 For Yehoah gives wisdom; From His mouth
come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those
who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice, And
preserves the way of His saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and
every good path.
10 When wisdom enters your heart, And
knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks
perverse things,
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To
walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the
wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked, And who are
devious in their paths; "
• Treasure the commands of Yehoah
Elohim within you!
And so we
naturally come to the third step for a good understanding, which is stated at
the beginning of chapter 2 of the book of Proverbs:
Treasure My commands within you!
We must keep preciously within us
our discoveries which are a part of our Father's will. It is like living
constantly with His will before our eyes. It is obvious that all new knowledge
requires a break-in period during which we stumble and get up constantly. But
with this repeated practice, we exercise our judgment.
Understanding without keeping within you the treasures acquired
from our Creator amounts to building on a foundation of sand.
This is what Paul wants us to
understand in Hebrews, chapter 5 and in verses 11 to 14:
" 11 of whom we
have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of
hearing.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone
to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of Elohim; and you have
come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who
partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a
babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age,
that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern
both good and evil. "
So let's go without any delay!
But do not believe that you are
going to walk on a royal and spacious path, on the contrary, you are going to
realize how much you are going to need to progress to fully understand our Lord.
We will have to show a great humility and we must not believe that we already
have all the knowledge in us. Let's go back to the example of Josiah and look
at his behavior when he hears the words of the prophetess Hulda,
in II Chronicles, chapter 34, verses 23 to 28:
" 23 Then she
answered them, “Thus says Yehoah, Elohim of Israel,
‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, 24 “Thus says Yehoah:
‘Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the
curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of
Judah, 25 because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other
gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands.
Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.’ ” ’ 26
But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Yehoah,
in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says Yehoah,
Elohim of Israel: “Concerning the words which you have heard— 27
because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before Elohim when you
heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled
yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have
heard you,” says Yehoah.
28 “Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be
gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity
which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.” ’ ” So
they brought back word to the king.”
Josiah's exemplary behaviour will bear fruist as all
his people will follow him in the preparation and observance of one of the most
exceptional feast of Passover in the history of the Children
of Israel. Let us read this in II Chronicles, chapter 35, verses 1 and 16 to
18:
" 1
Now Josiah kept a Passover to Yehoah in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover
lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month…
16 So all the service of Yehoah was
prepared the same day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the
altar of Yehoah, according to the command of King
Josiah. 17 And the children of Israel who were present kept the
Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18
There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel
the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah
kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present,
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. "
Here is another example to encourage
us to be humble: it is the one told to us in Nehemiah, in chapter 8, verses 1
to 3:
" 1
Now all the people gathered together
as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they
told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which Yehoah had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the
priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who
could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3
Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate
from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could
understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of
the Law. "
The people, thanks to their
attentive listening, understood how heavy and numerous their sins were. They
cried just like Josias!
Let's read Nehemiah, chapter 8,
verses 7 to 14:
“7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai,
Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites,
helped the people to understand the Law;
and the people stood in their place.
8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of Elohim; and
they gave the sense, and helped them
to understand the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe,
and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy
to Yehoah your Elohim; do not mourn nor weep.” For
all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet,
and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy
to our Yehoah. Do not sorrow, for the joy of Yehoah is your strength.”
11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the
day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their
way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly,
because they understood the words
that were declared to them.
13 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the
people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in
order to understand the words of the Law. 14 And they found written
in the Law, which Yehoah had commanded by Moses, that
the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh
month, …”
These people wanted to do only the
will of their Elohim and the result of this admirable attitude is once again an
exceptional feast of Tabernacles (called Sukkot in Hebrew), as was the case in
Josiah's time for the feast of Passover. Let us read this in the rest of the
book of Nehemiah, chapter 8, verses 17 and 18:
" 17 So the whole
assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under
the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the
children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness. 18
Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the
Book of the Law of Elohim. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the
eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner."
And during these festive days, we
should also note by the way that these people had eyes, ears and deeds only for
their Elohim Who agreed being in their midst as an outstanding privilege!
Now the question is for us: Are we ready
to do the same? Are we ready to try to UNDERSTAND the word of our Father
every day of the week? If this is the case, we will reach the Sabbath day with
our entire mind imbued with what concerns the affairs of our Creator. On this
subject, remember what Isaiah writes in chapter 58 and in verses 13 and 14:
" 13 “If you turn
away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and
call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of Yehoah
honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own
pleasure, nor speaking your own words,
14 Then you shall delight yourself in Yehoah;
and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of Yehoah has spoken.”
Thus by so doing, we will also be invited to the feast of Sukkot, in
the seventh month of the sacred year, like the sons of captivity, if our Father
agrees to join us. This celebration can be exceptional for us if when we
present ourselves there, we can say to our Father:
MY FATHER, I UNDERSTOOD YOU!
With this behaviour,
one day we might be among those who
WILL UNDERSTAND
very clearly the order that Yehoah is giving us in Isaiah, in chapter 48, verses 20 to
21:
" 20 Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of
singing, Declare, proclaim this, utter it to the end of the earth;
Say, “Yehoah has redeemed His servant
Jacob!”
21 And they did not
thirst when He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from
the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out... "
We will also be like the man who
received seed in a good ground:
" But he who
received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”… ”(Matthew 13:23)
LET US BLESS OUR FATHER!