The Holy Spirit’s seven lamps light up Christ through the Torah – the showbread whom we are to eat.
When we observe the Holy Spirit’s ministries,
Isa 11:2 The Spirit of יהוה shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding , The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of יהוה.
it is clear that He is teaching us… knowledge, understanding, counsel, wisdom, the fear of יהוה.
The things He is teaching are found in the Torah – God’s instructions for life. So the Lamps are illuminating Yeshua the Word (the Word in the flesh) who is in the Torah, the Word in written form.
We are commanded to meditate on the Torah
Josh 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Ps 1:1-2 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of יהוה, and in His law he meditates day and night.
Ps 119:148 My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word.
Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Heb 10:15-17 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, “THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS יהוה: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR HEARTS, AND IN THEIR MINDS I WILL WRITE THEM,” then He adds, “THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.”
1. The Holy Spirit gives us the Fear of יהוה, wisdom and understanding all of which comes from obeying the Torah
Psalms 111:10 The fear of יהוה is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all they that do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
2. The Holy Spirit teaches us righteousness (the opposite of lawlessness/torahlessness)
John 16:8-10 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin (transgression of the torah/lawlessness – 1 John 3:4 KJV), and of righteousness (obedience to the Torah), and of judgment (consequences of disobeying the Torah): of sin, because they do not believe in Me (the Torah); of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more (so we need the Holy Spirit to light up Yeshua the Torah so we know how to act righteously and be Christlike); of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged (we too will be judged by how well we follow God’s instructions – His Torah).
As the Holy Spirit lights up Torah we learn how to act righteously and become more Christlike.
Heb 1:8-9 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
We see from this passage that righteousness and lawlessness (torahlessness) are polar opposites.
We cannot be Christlike nor act righteously without being Torahlike
Everything else is lawlessness which Christ hates
Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness (obeying Torah) and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
3. The Holy Spirit teaches us how to be holy and sanctified (by keeping the Torah)
Lev 20:7 Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am יהוה your God. And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am יהוה who sanctifies you.
John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word (the Torah) is truth.
4. The Holy Spirit gives us assurance of our salvation through following Torah
1 John 2:3-6 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
1 John 3:24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
The Spirit lets us know we are in Him to the extent that we follow Torah, which is the extent of our Christlikeness.
5. The Holy Spirit helps us love God by teaching us His commandments in the Torah
2 John 1:6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning (i.e. the Torah), you should walk in it.
John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth (the Torah); for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
1 Cor 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ (who walked out the Torah as a perfect example for us).
6. The Torah is Spiritual so walking in the Spirit (vs walking in the flesh) is walking out Torah
When we are commanded to walk in the Spirit we are being commanded to walk out the Torah.
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh (carnally), but according to the Spirit (the Torah).
The carnal flesh is in constant opposition to the Spiritual Torah.
Gal 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit (the Torah), and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (walk out the Torah).
The Spirit helps us crucify our flesh and walk in His Torah.
Eze 36:27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
7. Walking in the Spirit (walking in Torah) is walking in liberty
2 Cor 3:17 Now יהוה is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of יהוה is, there is liberty.
Ps 119:44 So shall I keep Your law continually, forever and ever. And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts.
Gal 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Jas 2:12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word (the Torah), you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth (the Torah), and the truth (the Torah) shall make you free (liberty).”
8. The Spirit helps us find rest as we walk in Torah
Jer 6:16 Thus says יהוה: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way (the Torah) is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ ”
9. The more we walk in Torah the more we become like Christ
Eph 5:8-10 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in יהוה. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to יהוה.
- We are children of light, which means…
- We have the light of the Holy Spirit illuminating His spiritual instructions (the Torah which is good, righteous and true), which leads to…
- Finding what is acceptable to יהוה which is done by…
- Obeying His instructions and walking in the Spirit (the Torah which is good, righteous and true) which leads to…
- Us being more Christlike (good, righteous and true)…
- Which increases our light…
It’s a Spiritual virtuous circle.
The opposite is walking in darkness.
John 3:19-20 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
John 3:21 But he who does the truth (follows Torah) comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
10. If we aren’t obeying Torah we are spiritually dead
Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit in the body of Christ, without Him we are dead.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Likewise the Holy Spirit expects us to obey (do/work out) what He’s teaching us as He points to and illuminates God’s ways in Yeshua/the Torah.
Note: Works don’t save us, but no works = no fruit = no evidence of salvation = a dead faith
Jas 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Lev 18:4 You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am יהוה your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am יהוה.
11. The end result of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life is the fruit of the Spirit which comes from walking in Torah
Gal 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh (carnality) with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (walk out the Torah – Rom 7:14, 8:1).
The outworking of keeping Gods commands (obeying the Spirit of God) is His fruit. Let’s use His light to learn to live acceptably before God and produce His good fruit.
Eph 5:8-9 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in יהוה. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness (the Torah), righteousness (the Torah), and truth (the Torah)), finding out what is acceptable to יהוה.
Mat 7:18-20 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
In our next article we move on to the altar of Incense.