(This article reflects the viewpoints of another and does not necessarily reflect the understanding of Qumran Bet Community or AmYHWH. Perhaps truth would be better served if you also added your contribution to this piece.)

I, ETERNAL am your Saviour,

the Mighty One of Jacob, your Redeemer.

Ken Graydon

This quote from Isaiah 49: 26 follows a series of promises from ETERNAL [which you should read in your Tanakh] that He will protect and bless us, in the most amazing circumstances, if only we will be obedient to His word as spelled out in the Tanakh.

If ETERNAL has said “I am your Redeemer and your Saviour” – and He has said this many, many times through the Tanakh – how, or why, would anyone else claim, or be given, these titles? That question may be the most important question you have to face.

The man called Jesus, or Yeshua, is often given those titles, although there is no objective evidence that he ever really existed – or if he did exist as a wandering teacher, one of many, there is certainly no evidence that he was executed and then came back from the dead. Or, if the “new testament” is to be believed, that many other people rose from their graves. Surely someone would have noticed! If all these dead people were suddenly walking about the streets it would have been news. Yet a whole church enterprise has been built up based on this false belief that the CREATOR of the Universe did such a poor job with this world and us in it that He needed to make a son to retrieve the situation. The son could not get it done the first time so he has to have a second chance. In the cold light of day this seems a very poor basis for a faith to build your future on.

Contrast this with the Tanakh or “old testament”. ETERNAL has put in place a simple set of rules to conduct your life by, the Ten Commandments. They are all written down in the book. While He has chosen the whole Israelite people as His own [not just the Jewish people who are of the tribe of Judah] He has also provided for ‘strangers’ who will, by their obedience to the book, attach themselves and be accepted as part of His people.

These Commandments begin with ETERNAL saying “you shall have no other gods besides Me.” So, there is no son or other participant, in a god group. There is only One.

“You will not make images to bow down to or serve.” That does it for crucifixes, statues or images.

“You not take the Name of ETERNAL in vain”. No blasphemy, oaths or cries of ‘oh my god!’

“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” You have to keep the Sabbath, sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, as a time of worship and rest. Keeping ‘the day of the Sun’ [Sunday] as a day of worship is a gross insult to ETERNAL but then so is the religion that celebrates that day.

The other Commandments concern our relationship with others, honouring your parents, not stealing, not murdering, not lying, no adultery. Not coveting your neighbour’s wife or goods.

How good would the world be [or even our part of it] if we lived in a commandment keeping community? What is it like now with Sunday or Friday ‘believers’ running the place?

ETERNAL knows that many people will not follow His truth consistently. The role of the prophets is to spell out the Tanakh truth in their time. Remind the people of the works of ETERNAL and that He can be trusted to keep His word. Many people will not be able to break away from the popular beliefs of the day if they are more concerned about the attitude of their friends and neighbours than they are about obedience to the CREATOR of the Universe. Ask yourself the question ‘who can I rely on, the people in my neighbourhood or ETERNAL?’

Let me offer my testimony. I have found that my obedience to ETERNAL, limited and faltering as it is, has brought amazing blessings into my life, spiritually and materially. People living around me or who I work with are often saying stuff like “someone up there must really like you”. They are right, He does! This is not a calling for special people, just obedient people. I am pleased to say you do not have to be clever, or gifted, just able to take a simple truth and live it. You have to be sick to the stomach of being cheated, lied to and mislead by people selling their religions. When you have had enough of the hypocrisy, the abusers, the prosperity takers, the misleaders and the deviants – it’s time to call on ETERNAL.

Read His book. Begin to live by His words. Study, pray and listen. Your life can be the blessing it was designed to be if you accept that only ETERNAL is your Redeemer and Saviour.

kennygee@bigpond.com