Talking back to the "intellects" who are poking fun at those of us who "fear" exposure to COVID-19!

 WHY IT IS WRONG TO PASS AROUND MEMES LIKE THIS:

 

This meme is being passed around on Facebook as “truth” (including by some anti-mask, anti-social distancing Hebrew Roots teachers who have been pushing the falsehood that “COVID and everything about it is a hoax”; that “the government is trying to control us” by supposedly “forcing” us to wear masks; and that if you “fear the virus” then you don’t “trust God”).

What lunacy!

YES, we should “trust God” in all things; but WE also have a responsibility to “fear” (respect) something that can KILL us - doing everything in our power to keep that particular thing FROM killing us! Instead, many arrogant, self-centered people are going ballistic because they believe their precious “rights” are being violated, and poking fun at those who DO “fear” exposure to a deadly virus.

Truth is, not only are those types NOT afraid of COVID-19; but they obviously don’t “fear” YHWH enough to OBEY Him and do things HIS way, so that all will go well with them (as Torah teaches) – even DURING a pandemic!

Torah tells us that people with diseases and even “discharges” had to live “outside the camp” until they were healed! (See Leviticus 13:46; Numbers 5:2.) Menstruating women had to live “outside the camp” because they had no real way of “keeping clean” during that time and could potentially spread disease. Did they do that because they “didn’t trust God?”

And yet, these rebellious, know-it-all “intellects” (including some Messianic Rabbis) want to tell us that we, those of us who “fear” (RESPECT) this deadly disease, don’t trust God?

Isn’t it kind of pathetic that NOTHING has caused the rebellious types to turn to YHWH/Yeshua/Torah – not even the CONTINUING pandemic of AIDS/HIV (which began BECAUSE of something YHWH calls “an abomination”) which He was using as a tool to warn us about the sin of misusing our ELOHIM-created bodies, which are made in His Image! (See Genesis 1:27; Leviticus 18:22; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Revelation 22:14-15; and 1 Thessalonians 4:3.)

Men seemingly never learn, and the Bible says there will come a point where humanity WILL see His wrath! I personally believe the COVID-19 pandemic is one of those dire warnings. Anyone with a God-given brain SHOULD know to have a healthy respect (fear) of someone or something that could KILL you! That does NOT mean you don’t “trust God!”

Anyway, the “hyper-religious” types who create memes like this (and those who post and forward them) apparently have not yet realized that ADONAI likely sent this plague to teach an arrogant, decadent, rebellious, irresponsible, self-centered and downright reprehensible humanity that HE is in charge and He’s tired of our silly nonsense!

(See all of Deuteronomy 28; Isaiah 26:21; Nahum 1:2-6; Romans 1:18, 1:28, 2:5 and 13:4; Ezekiel 25:17; Revelation 19:11-21; Hebrews 10:26-31; Matthew 7:13-14. See also the seal and bowl judgments of Revelation!)

So, YES, “trust YHWH” – but use some common sense! If you “test” Him by purposely ignoring a dangerous virus that He ALLOWED into this world, then it’s highly likely that, at some point, YOU WILL become “collateral damage” … as ignoring COVID and YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES concerning this deadly virus, is just as ridiculous as a life spent abusing your body via sexual promiscuity, cigarette smoking, drugs, alcohol and all the “wrong” foods; and then, when you suddenly end up with lung, stomach, liver and pancreatic cancer and 15 strains of incurable STD’s, you expect Him to “just heal” you….

Just for kicks, let’s examine the passage mentioned on the meme:

2 Timothy 1: 7. For Elohim has not given us a spirit of fear,[*] but of power and of love and of instruction. (AENT)

[*] A spirit of fear here refers to the fear of man, fearing things in every day life, or anything other than Fearing YHWH.

Let’s dig deeper for a clearer picture:

1 Timothy 6: 3. But if there be anyone, who teaches a different doctrine and does not agree to the foundational Words of our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach and to the doctrine of the Fear of Elohim,[*] 4. he is one that exalts himself while he knows nothing; and he languishes in the search and inquiry about words from which come envy and contention and railing and evil suspicions 5. and the constant arguing of men whose minds are corrupt and devoid of the truth, and who suppose that gain is without Elohim. But from these stand away. 6. But great is our gain which is the Fear of Elohim, with the use of our competence. (AENT)

[*] Isaiah 11:2-3 “And the Spirit of YHWH shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Yirah (Fear) of YHWH; And shall make him of quick understanding in the Yirah (Fear) of YHWH:” A picture of the Menorah is seen here with its seven branches. The center is the Spirit of YHWH while the six other attributes are joined into the center pillar. These seven Spirits also signify perfection or completeness.

The Fear of YHWH Elohim is a “Spirit” of YHWH; it is a vital spiritual quality for Life in Mashiyach. The Fear of YHWH is a personal guide; Hebrew yirah means fear, as in fear/awesome/terrifying contrary to Christian teaching that the Fear of YHWH is not really “fear” but love and respect. Isaiah 29:13 reveals how “the Fear of YHWH is taught by the commandment of men”; in other words, man’s religious theology and tradition has made void the Fear of YHWH.

Many Christians prefer the term “reverence” over “fear”; Christians also use a title of “Reverend” for their clergymen and ministers; therefore, the term “Fear of YHWH” was first negated and then given a theological/semantic twist to apply to their own leadership, as in the case of “reverend.”

The Fear of YHWH is noted throughout Scripture; B’resheet/Genesis 20:11; 42:18; Shemot/Exodus 9:30; 18:21; Vayikra/Leviticus 25:17; D’varim/Deuteronomy 10:12 and in more than a hundred places. Without the Spirit of the Fear of YHWH, people will fear man, materialism, relativism and all form of idols, including their religious leaders.

….And there you have it, folks! If you truly feel that you can ignore the prudent behavior to wear a mask and do some social-distancing and generally exercise YOUR personal responsibilities during a GLOBAL PANDEMIC, then you not only don’t have a “fear of YHWH,” but you have no common sense, either. That’s just the bottom line.