Purifying Ourselves

Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone to battle, “This is the legal statute the Lord commanded Moses: Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead— everything that can withstand fire—you are to pass through fire, and it will be clean. It must still be purified with the purification water. Anything that cannot withstand fire, pass through the water. On the seventh day wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.” Numbers 31:21-24

There are times when I would love to put all my gold, silver and bronze, through the fire of purification, if I had any gold, silver and bronze. I do have lots of iron, tin and lead, though. However, I’m afraid of what the fire would do to them. So, this is a facetious comment, as I am sure you realize; however, there are moments when I feel the need to be purified, after having violated Torah.

In the days of ancient Israel, there were ways of self-purification, such as entering the mikveh, the pool of water designed for just that purpose. The Israelites immersed themselves often, during the week, for a variety of reasons, so their mikvoth were always full. What about us, today? Those of us, who follow Torah and who have a mikveh readily available, will have no difficulty immersing ourselves, in order to spiritually clean the outside. But is that that needs to be clean?

On many occasions, in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, we read of Adonai Elohim, the Lord God, being the source or Living Water. He is the only One who will cleanse us of our sins, that which makes us unclean. Our immersion in a mikveh, river or lake, only symbolizes His cleansing us of our sins. For example, in Jeremiah 2:13, we read – For my people have committed two evils: they have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. And then, in Jeremiah 17:13, we also find – Hope of Isra’el, Adonai!
All who abandon you will be ashamed, those who leave you will be inscribed in the dust, because they have abandoned Adonai, the source of living water.

Adonai Yeshua, the Lord Jesus, shared with us, more than once, He is the source of Living Water. For example, in John 4:13,14, we read – Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water inside him, welling up into eternal life.

We have also been informed Living Water is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit of the Living God, as we find in Acts 2:38 – Kefa answered them, “Turn from sin, return to God, and each of you be immersed on the authority of Yeshua the Messiah into forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh! (the Holy Spirit). But who is Adonai Yeshua, in relation to God?

This may seem like a very simple question, knowing all believers, or at least most of them, understand Adonai Yeshua is the Son of God. But there is more. In John 10:30, we are informed, by Adonai Yeshua, I and the Father are one. This one verse has caused a great deal of turmoil, even amongst believers. It is not my intention to delve into this debate, but to share with you my perception of the question: Who is Adonai Yeshua?

In Isaiah 9:6, we are told – For a child is born to us, a son is given to us;
dominion will rest on his shoulders, and he will be given the name Pele-Yo‘etz [Wonder of a Counselor ] El Gibbor [Mighty God ] Avi-‘Ad [Father of Eternity ] Sar-Shalom [Prince of Peace ]. If we take nothing else from Scripture, then we are given a very clear understanding of the uniqueness of the relationship between Adonai Elohim, Lord God, and Adonai Yeshua, Lord Jesus – they are One!

Now, to return to the question of cleansing, I am obliged to state very clearly my perception is we must do much more than cleaning the outside. Rather, we must spend more time cleaning the inside of the vessel, our bodies. When faced by the constant testing by the Pharisees and Sadducees, Adonai Yeshua admonished them Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. Blind Parush! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may be clean too. (Matthew 23:26) How many of us neglect to ask Yahveh for forgiveness, after living our day? Have we inadvertently sinned? Have we deliberately sinned?

As believers, we have the obligation to keep our bodies clean, on the inside, in our minds and hearts, as this is where the Blessed Holy Spirit of the Living God abodes. As Rav Sha’ul, the Apostle Paul, informs us, in 1 Corinthians 3:16 – Don’t you know that you people are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

Beloved, I pray you will go to Him this night, and every night, to thank Him for the events of your day and to ask Him for forgiveness of your inadvertent and intentional sins.

CONSIDER: Do you, on a continual basis, ask Yahveh to cleanse you of your sins? Or, do you believe He will automatically cleanse you, without your asking? If you believe the latter, then it may be important for you to read in 1 John 1:8-10 – If we claim not to have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, then, since he is trustworthy and just, he will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing. If we claim we have not been sinning, we are making him out to be a liar, and his Word is not in us.

ACT: Beloved, I urge you to take your day to Him each night. Ask Him, the Source of Living Water, to purify you of your sins, and thanking our Lord God for then events of our day, good and bad. Remember, everything that happens to us has a purpose.

PRAY: Abba B’Shamayim, Holy Father, You are the sovereign of the universe and the Lover of my soul. Everything happens through you and nothing comes to us, without your knowledge and wisdom. Thank you for this day and for all you have allowed to occur within my life. Thank you for teaching me what I need to know, in order to move closer to your ideal, Adonai Yeshua. I pray, Abba, You will forgive me of the sins I have committed this day. I pray You will cleanse my soul of all the transgressions I have inadvertently committed against You and against others this day, B’Shem Adonai Yeshua, Mashichainu, in the Name of our Messiah, Lord Jesus, Amen.

May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you fully and richly.