Obeying YHWH = Doctrine of Devils?
Published by Rob Skiba May 18, 2014 at 3:52 PM
Let me start this off by saying, I have no desire to be at war against any of my brothers in the faith. That is not what this is about. But it has been brought to my attention that a well known self confessed “Bible scholar” (that many of you know) recently posted the following on his wall:
First of all, his take on this comes from a GROSS DISTORTION of Colossians 2:15-17. For more on that see:
Twising and Distorting Colossians 2:16
Second, you need to seriously consider what this person is saying. Particularly in the last paragraph:
“Implicit in Paul’s argument is that demonic powers use the dietary restrictions, sabbath and feast observance as a tool to judge believers. This should give HRMers serious pause as to the origin of their theology.”
Later in his comments on that thread, he says,
Now it should be noted that there is a SERIOUS flaw in his reasoning, right up front. They are not the OT Sabbath/Feasts of Israel!
Leviticus 23:
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.
4 These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
Aside from that glaringly obvious mistake, he then goes on to say, “Paul implies the demonic powers are responsible for trying to put Christians under those old covenant stipulations.”
Uhmmmm, so… now (according to this “scholar” in modern “educated Christianity”) to follow YHWH’s commandments, it is akin to coming under the influence of demonic powers?? WOW! And he calls me a heretic. Un-be-flippin’-lievable! Normally, I’d do my best to try and ignore such nonsense, but I just can not let this one pass.
Basic Bible 101: The fallen ones always try to get us to DISOBEY YHWH not obey Him!! Hello???
Lest you are tempted to go along with this person’s doctrine and “Like” what he has to say concerning this matter, please consider what the BIBLE actually has to say about YHWH’s perfect Laws:
Deuteronomy 10:
12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, {How does one do this?}
13 To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
They are for our own good! They bring life (to those who do them):
Deuteronomy 30:
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
16 In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, {How?} to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.
19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, {How?} and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
The “curse of the Law” only comes upon those who disobey it. Those who obey it not only show their love for YHWH, but they also live and may prosper as a result:
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Why? Because they are GOOD!
Nehemiah 9:13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:
So good it is declared “perfect” by the man after God’s own heart:
Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
David loved and cherished the Law of YHWH.
Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psalm 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Psalm 119:70 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.
Psalm 119:77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.
Psalm 119:174 I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight.
He passed that idea along to his son (who unfortunately didn’t live it out):
Proverbs 4:
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Proverbs 12:28 In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the wholedutyofman.
Indeed delighting in YHWH’s Sabbath and His Law is ALL OVER the Bible! And it comes with rich reward:
Isaiah 58:
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”
Even the Apostle Paul delighted in the Law of YHWH, though like all of us, sin (which is transgression of the Law) warred within him:
Romans 7:
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Paul understood that the Law was holy, just and good:
Romans 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
But today’s modern theologians would have us believe it is a doctrine of devils? Incredible! Please note what the Apostle John says here:
1 John 2:
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not {Note: 1 John 3:4 defines sin as transgression of the Law}. And if any man sin {transgress the Law}, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins {transgression of the Law}: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. {Here is a good litmus test for determining who we should and should not be listening to btw}
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
How did Yeshua walk? In perfect love and obedience to His Father. No good fruit can come from teaching that obedience to YHWH is akin to being under the influence of demons!
Matthew 7:
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
What every believer should take serious note of is who are they that are cast into the fire in the context of this same story?
Matthew 7:
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The word “iniquity” there comes from the Greek word, “anomia” which means lawLESSness, iniquity, disobedience, sin. Thus, those who THINK they know Christ and THINK they are serving Him, but yet advocate against the Law of YHWH are in for a terrible surprise. I didn’t say it – Yeshua did. And the Apostle Peter warned against twisting and distorting Paul’s writings to fall into the error of lawlessness:
2 Peter 3:
14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist [Greek: strebloó: pervert, twist] to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand,take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless [Greek: athesmos: lawless] people and lose your own stability.
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Peter says that we are to beware of the “ignorant and unstable” who “twist” the Scriptures causing others to go into the error of lawLESSness. Now, I fully understand that our salvation is by Grace through Faith in Christ alone (Eph. 2:8), so I believe obedience is a FRUIT of our salvation and not the ROOT of it. And concerning fruit Yeshua also said…
Matthew 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
In the Scriptures, I can see absolutely no “good fruit” coming from disobedience to YHWH. Yet, today’s modern “educated Christian scholar” (and I’m not just referring to the above individual) consistently tries to tell us that we no longer need to be concerned with what YHWH says over and over and over again all through the Bible.
Perhaps there is a reason why the last book of what we now call the “Old Testament” concludes with:
Malachi 4:
4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
The “curse” always came from disobedience to the Law not from following it. Sin brings death. Sin is transgression of the Law:
1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Do you really believe Paul taught us to sin – i.e. transgress the Law?? I don’t.
Romans 6:
12 Let not sin {which is transgression of the Law} therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin {transgression of the Law}: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin {lawLESSness} shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. [NOTE: We cannot be UNDER the Law if the Law is now IN us as Hebrews 8:10 states that it is if we are in the “New Covenant”]
15 What then? shall we sin {transgress the Law}, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin {transgression of the Law} unto death, or of obedience {of the Law} unto righteousness?
Paul himself was repeatedly accused of teaching against the Law, but we see from Scripture itself that it was a LIE:
Acts 24:
13 Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.
14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
Romans 3:8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
Going back to my favorite personal slanderer, I will remind you of what he said once again:
In the above passage Paul implies the demonic powers are responsible for trying to put Christians under those old covenant stipulations. This has serious implications for the Hebrew Roots Movement.
I would say that what he is saying has serious implications for him and his followers because Isaiah has something quite sobering to say about those who teach against obeying YHWH:
Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Just some seriously sobering food for thought. Of course this is what he says about me:
You can judge for yourselves the validity of that. All I can say is I can not emphasize enough how so very grateful I am that I never went to seminary. If this is the sort of idealogy that comes out of “training in biblical languages, hermeneutics and exegesis” you can keep your “higher education” brother! I’m going with…
1 John 2:
24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
In closing:
Beware of doctrines and “scholars” teaching us that obeying YHWH is akin to being influenced by demons!
Looking at the above posting, I don’t honestly don’t know what is more scary:
A) The fact that someone can read “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.“ and somehow think that applies to observing the Feasts and Sabbaths of YHWH or that
B) a Bible “scholar” will persist in promoting the idea that obedience to YHWH is akin to becoming a slave demons… or that
C) 43 “Christians” would “Like” such a post.
This is terrifying indeed. I supposed I’d have to go with…
D) All of the above.
That said, I sincerely pray for my brother that his eyes will be opened to the truth that there is life in obeying the words of YHWH, and there is much to be gained by abiding in the “shadow” (Col. 2:17) of the Almighty that leads to and proceeds from Yeshua.
If the Feasts ALL point to Yeshua and give us TREMENDOUS details concerning who He was/is/and is to come I cannot for the life of me understand why Christians would not want to learn all they can about them and joyfully partake of them. Personally, I’ve learn more about my Messiah from understanding and observing the Feasts of YHWH than I ever did from any book of the New Testament.
If the Sabbath was established LONG before the Law of Moses (at Creation) and it was specifically made FOR us, I can’t for the life of me understand why so many are so resistant to “Remembering it and keeping it holy.” Personally, my wife and I have been RICHLY blessed since we’ve started observing and participating in the keeping of the 4th Commandment.
If even modern science has proven that the “unclean animals” are BAD for us, I can’t for the life of me understand why Christians are so resistant to following YHWH’s dietary laws. Personally, I’d rather trust in the wisdom of the Creator as to what is good and what is bad for my body and eat accordingly.
I can go on and on. Seems to me that the true doctrine of demons is anything that teaches against that which YHWH calls good, holy and full of life and anything that promotes that which He calls bad, evil and an abomination that leads to death.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
– Rob Skiba
That is a scary place to be in and I was there previously. Praise YAH that his ruach revealed this truth to me and I put religion to rest. I know that brothers fate is already determined but keep doing what YAH has called you to do brother. I pray that more and more will have eyes to see this truth as time seems to be running out. Bless you and your family as well for the hard work you do. May YAH give you strength for the persecution you go through as well.