The combination of the two words “my Elohim” appears 14 times in the New Testament – the first time (in John 20:17) it is used by Y’shua (“I will ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My Elohim and your Elohim”) and the last time (In Rev 3:12), it is also used by Y’shua. In fact, in Rev 3:12 it is used 4 times by Y’shua, in one single verse (when He speaks about the temple and the name and the city and the heaven of his Elohim). In between these two verses, the words “my Elohim” are used by people like Thomas and Paul (several times). Moreover, the words “OUR ELOHIM”, as a combination, is used more than 30 times in the New Testament, and “your Elohim” at least 10 times, mostly when the well known principle of the Torah is quoted, “You shall love Yahweh, YOUR ELOHIM, with all your heart.” What stands out, however, is that Y’shua used the words “MY ELOHIM” Himself. There was no confusion in his own mind about the simple and straightforward fact that Yahweh, the Creator of heaven and earth, the One who chose Israel as his set-apart nation, was HIS ELOHIM, too. He looked up to Yahweh as his authority. He trusted Yahweh as his provider. He prayed to Yahweh in times of distress. He pleaded with Yahweh for the removal of suffering. But He also preferred the desire and plan of Yahweh, above his own desire and need. He thanked Yahweh for the gift of food and drink. He refused to receive the honour that was due to Yahweh only. He was not prepared to speak a word, other than the words of Yahweh. There are many more examples like this.
The fact that He said specifically, “Yahweh is my Father and your Father” and “Yahweh is my Elohim and your Elohim”, suggests that He was setting an EXAMPLE, for his followers to imitate. We call ourselves followers of Y’shua. Do we realize that, when we follow Him, we are also following the One He followed and we are honouring the One He still honours? Y’shua’s authority, his Mighty One, his Elohim, is also OUR Elohim and our authority. Many of us have come to the understanding that if Y’shua truly said that Yahweh was HIS Elohim, then it is impossible for Y’shua to be equal to Yahweh. But that is only one half of the truth what we are supposed to understand. We should also understand that by honouring Yahweh as HIS Elohim, Y’shua was telling us, no, TEACHING us, both by his words and by his example, that we should also honour Yahweh as OUR Elohim. We should comply with that great commandment, saying, Love Yahweh, YOUR ELOHIM, with all your heart and soul and mind. We should recognize that the introduction to the Ten Commandments were these words: I am Yahweh, YOUR ELOHIM, who brought you out of Egypt. And we should listen to the third commandment (to mention just one) in which these words were written with the finger of Yahweh: “You shall not bring the Name of Yahweh, YOUR ELOHIM to naught – meaning: you shall not wipe it out, you shall not neglect it, you shall not hide it, you shall not falsify it. And we should constantly remind one another about verses like Deut 6:17, where it is said: “Diligently guard the commands of Yahweh YOUR ELOHIM!”
During the past SHAVUOT celebration we looked at seven declarations that were hidden within the sermon that Kepha (Peter) delivered on that famous Shavuot meeting that we read about in Acts 2. The last declaration was this one: WE REJOICE IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF BEING CALLED BY YAHWEH AND FILLED BY HIS SPIRIT, based upon Acts 2:38-39 “You shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit … this promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, as many as Yahweh our Elohim shall call.” So, Yahweh is in the process of calling people to Himself. For what reason? So that they may also come to know Him as THEIR ELOHIM. But whom did He call, first of all? According to Scriptures, He called Israel, out of Egypt. Sometimes he refers to Israel as his son, and sometimes his servant. But there was another One that He called, when it became clear that Israel was a rebellious son and a disobedient servant. Therefore He called and anointed and appointed One, from among his own people, who was going to bring forgiveness and healing and restoration. Sometimes He refers to this One as his son, and sometimes as his servant, similar to the way He spoke about Israel, his people. The calling of this One is described in ISAIAH 61, where it says, among other things, “The Spirit of the Master Yahweh is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to bring good news to the meek. He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh.” When Y’shua went into a synagogue, one day, he opened a scroll and read these exact words, and proclaimed in the hearing of all the people: “Today, this word has been fulfilled in your presence.”
So, the calling of people in OUR OWN TIME and the miracle of these people being filled with Yahweh’s Spirit, is part of a much bigger picture, in which Y’shua of Nazareth played a vital role. As Y’shua was called to be a servant of Yahweh, we are also called to be servants, in the sense of bringing good news to the meek, binding up the broken-hearted and working towards release of the captives. Calling and sending out are always two sides of the same coin. When Yahweh called his prophets, it was always to equip and send them out, straight away. One of the last things that Y’shua said to his disciples, was this: As the Father has sent me, I also send you. And then, to illustrate the pattern that would be repeated on the day of Shavuot, a few weeks later, He blew on them right there and said: Receive the set-apart Spirit! (John 20:21-22).
Not only are we called to be SERVANTS of Yahweh, in the same way as the promised Messiah was repeatedly called a servant of Yahweh by the prophets. We are also called SONS AND DAUGHTERS of Elohim, in the same way as Israel was called the son of Elohim and Y’shua was later revealed as the Son of Elohim. One of the main reasons why Yahweh revealed Y’shua of Nazareth as his Son, was for us, who would also become sons and daughters, through believing in Y’shua, to have a perfect example to follow. Because of Y’shua, we would be able to grow in our understanding of what it truly means to interact with the Almighty and to be faithful to Him as our Father and our Elohim. Many believers who claim to be faithful followers of the Messiah, have not yet come to fully understand this aspect of Y’shua as the One we need to set before us as Leader, Role model and Master. They are saying, in all honesty, that they are true and obedient followers of the Messiah, but their honesty seems to be selective and limited, as they are still not following Him in keeping the Shabbat, or observing the feasts, or including into their lifestyles some of the other aspects of Torah that were part and parcel of Y’shua’s obedience to Yahweh as HIS ELOHIM.
We have looked at the words “YOUR ELOHIM” and how this formula was often a reminder to the people that if they regarded Yahweh as THEIR ELOHIM, they needed to take his words seriously. But Him being THEIR ELOHIM, was not only about obedience. It was about protection. It was about feeling safe and cared for. It was about being on the receiving side of all the compassion and goodness of the One who is described in Exodus 34:6 as the compassionate, patient and truthful One, great in loving-commitment and always ready to show favour. In the Tanak or the Pre-Messianic Scriptures alone, the phrase “YOUR ELOHIM” is used more than 500 times and the clear message through all of these, is that those ones who know that Yahweh is THEIR ELOHIM, are privileged above all others, because (among other things) He promised that He would remove sickness from them (Ex 23:25); that He would give them a land to possess (Lev 20:24); that He would walk in their midst (Lev 26:12); that He would remove their yokes and cause them to walk upright (Lev 26:13); that He would save them from their enemies (Num 10:9); that He would go before them and fight for them (Deut 1:30); that He would bless the work of their hands (Deut 2:7) and that those who seek Him with all their hearts, would find Him (Deut 4:29). These are just a few of many more promises that are directly connected to the words “YOUR ELOHIM” in Scriptures.
There are many truths and promises and statements throughout Scriptures that serve as a CONNECTING POINT between Y’shua the Messiah, and ourselves. But few are as powerful and meaningful as the words spoken by Y’shua, shortly before his death and resurrection: “I will ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My Elohim and your Elohim”. Let us take another good look at the One that Y’shua always honoured and acknowledged. Let us remember how this One took care of his beloved Son, even in the midst of severe difficulty and suffering. Let us remind one another of the way Y’shua was raised from the dead and exalted to a position at the right hand of HIS ELOHIM. And let us encourage one another with the words of our Master: I am going (to my Elohim) to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I shall come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may also be (John 14:2-3).
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