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In the Likeness of Elohim

 

Creation of Man
   In Genesis 1:26 -28, we read,
  
Then Elohim said, "Let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness, and let them rule [Strong’s #7287, which means “to tread down” or “subjugate”] over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So Elohim created man in His own image, in the image of Elohim He created him; male and female He created them. Elohim blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Own Image
   Own Image – Strong’s # OT:6754, tselem (tseh'-lem); meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e. (figuratively) illusion [an impression, appearance], resemblance [similarity, having a relationship]; hence, a representative figure [an envoy, delegate or agent], especially an idol [an icon, statue].

Likeness
   Likeness – Strong’s #OT:1823, demuwth (dem-ooth'); from OT:1819; resemblance; concretely, model, shape; adverbially, like. Strong’s #OT:1819 damah (daw-maw'); to compare; by implication, to resemble, liken, consider .
   Now, I find it interesting that Elohim created mankind in His image, but He commanded us that we should not make an image of Him – or anything in Heaven; or upon the Earth or in the sea. And especially, we should not worship any image. It seems that there are a lot of things about us that are just like the Father, and some of those character traits are forbidden for us to express, such as:


Jealous
   You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your Elohim, am a JEALOUS El, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, Exodus 20:5.
   For you shall not worship any other el, for Yahweh, whose name [whose character] is JEALOUS, is a JEALOUS El, Exodus 34:14.
   What IS jealousy? Synonymously, it is envy, covetousness [greed, acquisitiveness, avarice, selfish, meanness, miserliness], resentment, protectiveness, suspicion, distrust.

Origin of Jealous
   Jealous -Strong’s #OT:7067, qanna', to be zealous, i.e., (in a bad sense) envious or angry and Strong’s #NT:2206, zelo’o; to have warmth of feeling for or against, heat, "zeal" (in a favorable sense, ardor; in an unfavorable one, jealousy, as of a husband [figuratively, of Elohim], or an enemy, malice); to be hot, i.e. (figuratively) be fervid (earnest).

Example of Jealousy
   Let me paint a picture of jealousy that may be closer to home, so we can understand some of the dynamics of this emotion. You remember when you were a teenager? Remember the first person you fell in love with? How you shared your deepest – and most cherished thoughts – with them? How you bared your soul to them about things that were important to you? How you fantasized about marrying this person? About devoting your whole life to this person? About raising a family, about all the plans to go to college, get a good job, play with your kids? Did you ever do that? What excitement we felt! Just thinking of our “one and only” brought a warm feeling.
   Remember when you saw your “one and only” flirting with someone else? Remember being turned down for a date because he or she was ... “busy”? Remember getting that “Dear John” letter? Remember that warm feeling that preceded those murderous thoughts? THAT’s jealousy. But, what exactly was going on in your mind? Were you not imagining that you were losing someone very valuable to you? Was it not a catastrophe for you? When we imagine any catastrophe, what do we FEEL?
   I remember seeing the images on the TV on September 11, 2001. What a catastrophe! Seriously, I began to pack my belongings to head for the hills. I felt afraid. Does Yahweh ever feel afraid? Are we valuable to Him? Is it a catastrophe for Him to lose us? Isn’t jealousy the fear of losing someone you love? Why should it be any different for the One Who created us in His image?


Yahweh’s People
   Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me [a treasured possession] above all people: for all the earth is Mine, Exodus 19:5.
  
For Yahweh’ s portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance, Deuteronomy 32:9 NASU.
  
Blessed is the nation whose Elohim is Yahweh, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance, Psalm 33:12 NASU.
  
Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; Yahweh of hosts is His name, Jeremiah 10:16 NASU.
   Many nations will join themselves to Yahweh in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent Me to you. Yahweh will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem, Zechariah 2:11 -12 NASU.
  
He also delivered His people to the sword, And was filled with wrath at His inheritance, Psalm 78:62.
  
For Yahweh thy Elohim is a consuming fire, even a JEALOUS Elohim. Deuteronomy 4:24
  
Thou shalt fear Yahweh thy Elohim, and serve Him, and shalt swear by His name. Ye shall not go after other elohim, of the elohim of the people which are round about you, Deuteronomy 6:13 -15 KJV.
   When Yahweh chose His People for His own BRIDE, and they vowed to honor Him, to keep His covenant, to be FAITHFUL to Him; and then they flirted with other peoples and made covenants with them and took up their ways; and they abandoned their first love and broke His covenants. Let me ask you, was Yahweh angry? Now, was He JUST angry? Or, did He imagine LOSING His inheritance? W as He catastrophizing? Did He feel betrayed? Discounted? Is it reasonable to believe that Yahweh FEELS? Afraid? Powerless? Yahweh?
   Remember when YOU felt afraid, powerless, discounted and putdown – and even ashamed – when the one you loved said, “Good-bye, I no longer love you, my heart belongs to another”?


Example
   I remember a couple who came in for marriage counseling. They came in together; she sat next to him; she had bruises on her arms, neck and face; a split, swollen lip. I knew what happened, nevertheless I asked the inevitable question, “What happened?” I knew what had happened, which they proceeded to explain; but I knew something that they didn’ t know, the answer to which their very presence was begging, “Why did this happen?” It happened for the same reason that Yahweh brought down destruction onto His own People. Why? Because He LOVED them! How similar we are to our Creator!
   “I AM! ... angry with you, My Bride, because I LOVE you, because I CARE about you; if you weren’t SO important to Me, if you weren’t My treasure, I wouldn’t be so upset! But, when you promise to love Me, when you say with your mouth that you will obey Me; and then you abandon Me and reject Me, I feel disconnected and alone. When you disobey Me, I feel powerless. When you leave Me for another and commit adultery, then it looks to Me like I’m not important to you and like you’re not in My LIFE, and I feel worthless and ashamed. It looks to Me like I don’t MATTER to you, and I feel discounted. And, when I believe that you will never be in My life again, I feel afraid to think that I’m losing you. And, I’m angry! Not to push you out of My life; but, LISTEN! I’m angry at you so you know how important you ARE to Me, so you will come back to Me, so you will once again set your heart to obey Me and honor the vows you made to Me, so we can be One, again; and live forever in the home which I have prepared for Us. And, I’m acting out My anger so that My anger will come to an end – so that I don’t destroy you com- pletely, so that, when you finally have nowhere to go but to return to Me, you will embrace Me. Then, will I feel the intimacy I long for. Then, will I feel honored and worthy. Then will there be peace between us. Then will I want you with Me.”
   When I spoke these words to the couple sitting in front of me, as the husband to the wife, they realized WHY the husband had done this horrible thing to his wife. ... And they cried for a while, understanding that they did love each other; and they had hope – to RENEW their vows and RESPECT each other. ... And, I cried, too, knowing the task now set before me. For, I knew that there would be setbacks. I knew they had a lot to learn about themselves, who they were, what a relationship requires, how to express anger so that the relationship is not destroyed but raised up. Now, did they live happily ever after? No. Did they continue to work on their relationship, discovering ways they could express their anger, openly and honestly, out of mutual respect, accepting the other’s right to think and feel according to their own process? Yes, they did. They came to realize that love is not to feel happy. Love is to feel safe and secure, satisfied, innocent, worthy, empowered, and bonded. These are the feelings of love.


Basic Requirements
   The keys to the creation of these feelings are: HONESTY and ACCEPTENCE. Honesty requires an understanding of how we create our feelings, especially our anger – to the extent that we simply cannot blame others or hold others responsible for it. Honesty is the process of describing to others how we are creating our anger at them.
   Acceptance of another person comes from understanding ourselves. Once we know that others don’t make us angry, we come to understand that we don’t upset others, either. If someone is angry with me, it is invariably something going on for them. Now, does that mean we can be as mean as we want to others and thereby avoid any responsibility for their pain? Yahweh forbid! We are commanded to sacrifice for others.
   Then Yahshua said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake [or, figuratively, “expose himself to death”], and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works, Matthew 16:24 – 27 NKJV .
   Honesty and acceptance are the two rules or qualities of good communication. Bad communication, contrarily, is filled with dishonesty and rejection; lies and judgment; threats and discounts and pride and silence. Honesty is manifested when we can display our anger devoid of the corporal attempt to cause the other to feel afraid, guilty, ashamed, disappointed, powerless, disconnected or guilty. In other words, without blaming, threatening, judging, guilting, shaming, commanding, demanding or removing the right for another to think, feel and act according to their own desires.
   Acceptance is manifested when we can listen to another, no matter how judgmental, threatening, blaming, sarcastic or demanding they may be acting – and NOT take it personally. I know. That’s asking a lot. But, is this not the ultimate respect we can pay to someone?
   It’ s interesting to me that we were created in the image of Yahweh. I see that we have all the same feelings and character of our Creator. And, we are commanded to love others to the degree that He loved us. I mean, He died for us! What on earth could be so important that we find ourselves making others’ lives miserable so that we can have OUR way? When we fight to have our ways, are we not saying that “Me, getting what I want is more important than eternal life”? In my professional opinion, that’s crazy!
  
He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal, John 12:25 KJV.
   However, there is ONE characteristic of Yahweh that we have been given, that we are forbidden to display: Condemnation, or, vengeance.
  
For we know Him Who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says Yahweh. And again, "Yahweh will judge His people," Hebrews 10:30 NKJV .
   And, here we are, mankind; puffed up with jealousy, pride, envy, anger and fury, standing before Yahweh, set-apart as His inheritance. Tell me! Just how merciful and longsuffering is our Elohim?
   After all the destruction He brings upon us, His people, there is yet hope.
  
Therefore thus saith Yahweh ELOHIM; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be JEALOUS for My holy name, Ezekiel 39:25.
  
Then will Yahweh be JEALOUS for His land, and pity His people, Joel 2:18.
  
Elohim is JEALOUS, and Yahweh revengeth; Yahweh revengeth, and is furious; Yahweh will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for His enemies, Nahum 1:2.
   Paul, speaking to believers, says in 2 Corinthians 11:2,
  
For I am JEALOUS over you with Elohim[like JEALOUSY]: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Messiah.
  
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of Yahweh; and every one that loves is born of Yahweh, and knows Yahweh. He that loves not knows not Yahweh; for Yahweh is love. In this was manifested the love of Yahweh toward us, because Yahweh sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved Yahweh, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if Yahweh so loved us, we ought also to love one another, 1 John 4:7-11 KJV .
   Praise Yahweh. In the name of His Messiah, Yahshua, HalleluYah!




-Elder John Fisher (deceased)

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