More on: Rejecting Y'shua is blaspheming the Holy Spirit!

A comment on our blog article "Rejecting Y'shua is blaspheming the Holy Spirit!" of January 20th, resulted in a statement from "John", which required a reply which exceeded the permitted length of replies.  Therefore, the answer to John is here:

Taken from the bottom of  http://blog.therefinersfire.org/2015/01/rejecting-yshua-is-blaspheming-holy.html:

john February 11, 2015 at 9:34 AM
"nothing in that link that said that we need the holy spirit to understand the written word. It clearly says in the ot that it is not to hard for and we should do it." 

Reply:

John, I'm not at all sure you are understanding this right.  One does need the Holy Spirit to maintain the desire to stay holy and to know what scripture tells them so they can apply that knowledge in the real-world in which we live.  The written word, I hope you will agree, does NOT cover all events in our daily lives for which we must make decisions and act. We must know scripture well enough, and understand it enough to be able to apply it in ALL situations we face.  And we cannot do that without the Spirit of YHWH!    

Sure, anyone can "read" the written Word, but I guarantee not everyone can or will understand it! Though I'm guessing you do no believe in the New Testament, here is what Paul says about this: "For a man in his natural self does not receive spiritual concepts; for they are foolishness to him. Neither can he know them; for they are discerned by the Spirit." But since you probably don't want quotes from the NT, let me remind you how the OT says exactly the same thing: 

...I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, my blessing on your offspring. (Isaiah 44:3)

And Isaiah goes on to explain that not everyone has the Spirit and understands:

"All idol-makers amount to nothing; their precious productions profit no one; and their witnesses, to their own shame, neither see nor understand." (Isaiah 44:9)

"Such people know nothing, understand nothing. Their eyes are sealed shut, so that they can't see; their hearts too, so they can't understand."  (Isaiah 44:18)

And David, in his eloquent prayers to YHWH, often admits his own failures and sinful nature and pleads with YHWH to "Wash me completely from my guilt, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my crimes, my sin confronts me all the time." (Psalm 51:2-3)  But then he goes on: "Don't thrust me away from your presence, don't take your Ruach Kodesh away from me. Restore my joy in your salvation, and let a willing spirit uphold me." (Psalm 51:11-12)

Does the prophecy of Isaiah and the teaching of David sound like "it is not too hard for [us] and we should [just] do it"?  My goodness!  David knew he'd sin again if left to his own actions and pleaded that YHWH not take his Ruach Kodesh away from him!

When you imply that all we have to to is read the written word and "do it", you are, no doubt, referring to Deuteronomy 30:11 "For this mitzvah which I am giving you today is not too hard for you, it is not beyond your reach."  But let's read on a bit: "It isn't in the sky, so that you need to ask, 'Who will go up into the sky for us, bring it to us and make us hear it, so that we can obey it?' Likewise, it isn't beyond the sea, so that you need to ask, 'Who will cross the sea for us, bring it to us and make us hear it, so that we can obey it?' On the contrary, the word is very close to you - in your mouth, even in your heart; therefore, you can do it!" (vs 12-14)

Yes, absolutely, I agree with you that YHWH is clearly telling us that his rules for us to live are not hard.  But you must see that He is not saying that "all we have to do is read them and do them"!  He is saying they (His mitzvot) are right there within our reach, and that when they are in our mouths and in our hearts, we can do them!  But even YHWH, obviously understands that there are those who cannot and will not understand because they will not open their hearts.  And it is there we find the need for the Spirit of YHWH to become a part of us so we can live our lives in the holy way He expects of us.

This idea of the Holy Spirit is IN the Tanach, and in no way deviates from the requirement that "God is One".  The Holy Spirit (Ruach haChodesh), is not a "separate entity" or "another god", if that is the problem you are having.  The Holy Spirit is a part of YHWH right there with us, among us, in us if we don't rebel!  Let's go look at Isaiah again:

"For he said, 'They are indeed my people, children who are not disloyal.' So he became their Savior. In all their troubles he was troubled; then the Angel of His Presence saved them; in his love and pity he redeemed them. He had lifted them up and carried them throughout the days of old.  However, they rebelled, they grieved his Holy Spirit; so he became their enemy and himself fought against them. But then his people remembered the days of old, the days of Moshe: 'Where is he who brought them up from the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put his Holy Spirit right there among them, who caused his glorious arm to go at Moshe's right hand? He divided the water ahead of them, to make himself an eternal name; he led them through the deep like a sure-footed horse through the desert; like cattle going down into a valley the Spirit of ADONAI had them rest. This is how you led your people, to make yourself a glorious name.'" (Isaiah 63:8-14)

Is this so hard to understand?