Zeal for the Lord 🇬🇧
Zeal for the Lord (Bible verses and names are taken of the english Version of the Bible of Yehoshua Mashiah) „But his disciples remembered that it is written: the zeal of your house has consumed me“ (John/Yohanan 2:17) 1) What is zeal? The dictionary defines zeal as earnest endeavour, pursuit of a goal enthusiasm for a cause excited haste [1] The ancient Greek word for „zeal“ is zelos. This word originally meant caring so passionately about a cause or a person that it resulted in heated excitement, whether in a positive meaning as zeal or a negative meaning as jealousy. This heat or fervour in a positive sense is the enthusiasm and passion of the spirit, when fighting for something or someone. This can also be called enthusiasm. In another sense, zelos can also mean jealousy, either of people, but also Elohim’s (God’s) jealousy. „14 And he found in the temple the sellers of oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers sitting. 15 And having made a whip out of small cords, he cast them all out of the temple with the sheep, and the oxen. He poured out the small coin of the money-changers, and overturned the tables. 16 And he said to the sellers of doves: Take these things away! Do not make the house of my Father a house of merchandise. 17 But his disciples remembered that it is written: the zeal of your house has consumed me“ (John/Yohanan 2:14-17) 2) The consuming zeal The people at that time surely thought that this man who whipped the merchants out of the temple was mad. But it was zeal for the Lord, indeed, the zeal of the Lord. The concern that the temple was being defiled was too great! But where is this zeal to stand up for the Lord in us? Zeal must be like a fire that cannot be stopped. „26 For if we sin voluntarily after receiving the precise and correct knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain terrible expectation of judgement and a fierceness of fire, which is about to devour the adversaries„ (Hebrews 10:26-27) 3) Judgment The greek word zelos mentioned above is translated as „fierceness“ in this Bible passage. The zeal of the Lord is thus compared to an ember, a fiery flame that consumes everything that stands in its way. This was the same zeal that drove Yehoshua to cleanse the temple. This zeal judges the works of darkness. However, it must be clearly distinguished from the false zeal we read about in the following verses. „13 Who is a wise man and intelligent among you? Let him show out of a good behavior his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter zeal and partisanship spirit in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descends not from above: But is earthly, animal, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and partisanship spirit is, there is disorder and every evil work“ (James/Yaakov 3:13-16) 4) Bitter zeal There is a false, malicious zeal. This begins in the heart, because Mark, chapter 7, says that all things come from the heart. The person with bitter zeal has a problem in his heart; he is trapped and needs deliverance, but he doesn’t know it. Paulos, for example, also had zeal for the Torah, the Jewish law, even before his conversion to Christ. He was 100% zealous and had enormous passion for his cause, but in the wrong direction. There was no wisdom, no love to be found there. „1 Brothers, indeed my heart’s desire and supplication to Elohim on behalf of Israel is, for salvation. 2 For I testify to them that they have a zeal for Elohim, but not according to precise and correct knowledge. 3 For, not knowing Elohim’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, did not submit themselves to the righteousness of Elohim“ (Romans 10:1-3) 5) Our own righteousness or Elohim’s righteousness? If we search our hearts carefully, we will discover whether we want to establish our own righteousness or Elohim’s righteousness. When we want to tell someone the truth, let us ask ourselves: Are we speaking to justify ourselves and to show off, or are we speaking to defend the Lord’s cause? If one has bitter zeal, one does not shy away from hurting others in order to defend the own cause, the own reputation, the own position. (Yes, it is true that several people will feel hurt in their feelings , even when someone tells them the truth. That’s not what we’re talking about here.) However, in order to distinguish true zeal from false zeal, one must examine whether it is about the Lord’s cause or the own ego. There are people who are zealous to expose others. They do what they do not out of love for the Lord, but only to show that they are right and the other person is wrong. This is precisely what is meant by „bitter zeal“. This kind of zeal causes division because it is a partisan spirit. Bitter zeal is also racist, for example. It presents itself as better. Let’s watch our hearts! „15 But if your brother sinned against you, go and convict him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. 17 But if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly, and if he also refuses to listen to the assembly, let him be to you as a pagan and as a publican“ (Matthew/Mattithyah 18:15-17) 6) Winning back your brother These verses show us how to win your brother, that is, to
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