11 As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of YHVH was to appear immediately. 12 So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. 13 He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds,a and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’ Luke 19:11-13
This parable goes on to explain what the ten servants did with their patron’s money. Please, read the whole parable to get an idea of how serious this chapter is. What I want to focus on this month is verse thirteen. The patron, or master, tells his bondservants to do business. Other versions say “occupy until I return”. I hadn’t paid attention to this word very much in the past. It is evident the days in which we live are growing darker and darker. Many believers are looking for ways to run away and hide in order to save their lives, and this verse is an admonishment NOT to go down that path.
I will say that with all the crazy things taking place I, too, would like to run to the mountains and have lots of food stored up and hang out until Y’shua returns. That is a selfish fleshly thought in my opinion.
15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:15-16
The affairs of the world should not cause believers to want to withdraw but to engage. How can we let our light shine enclosed in a cave hiding? How can we occupy and do business for the Kingdom if we aren’t present? Most Hebrew Roots believers don’t agree with the pre-tribulation rapture. I would agree with that thought. Why would Elohim remove the ones who have His light? Why would Elohim take away those who are to be his instruments displaying and demonstrating His glory during the tribulation? Why would Elohim want us to remove ourselves or flee to a cave where we have no contact with a lost and dying world? My point is that many Hebrew Roots believers condemn the pre-tribulation doctrine and don’t even realize they’re guilty of the same error. In other words, running to hide out in a cave and waiting out the tribulation until Y’shua comes, in my opinion, is the same as wanting to be raptured out before the tribulation.
Let’s look at the word occupy. In the Greek and Hebrew, this word carries pretty much the same meaning. Occupy means to trade, do business, be busy or exert oneself, and to work. From this definition, it is clearly an action verb. I found it interesting that the first place this word was used in Hebrew is at the story of the tower of Babel.
6 And Elohim said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; Genesis 6:11
The word “do” in that verse refers us back to occupying or doing business. We know that YHVH had to come down and put a stop to their doings. This is how powerful unity and harmony is. What I gain from the tower of Babel story is that if we come to a place where we walk united and in one accord then what we “do” can’t be stopped. Are we occupying to the point where even the enemy can’t stop us? If not, are we obeying what Y’shua commanded us in the parable to do business, or occupy, until He comes? I feel this is something that we as believers should think about frequently.
19 No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of Elohim by doing righteousness and justice; so that Elohim may bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” Genesis 18:19
This is another passage that uses the word in Hebrew related to doing business, or occupying. This is one of my favorite verses in scripture because it points to Abraham keeping the way of Elohim by DOING righteousness and justice.
This is a verse we need to focus on as believers. Many times, we are caught up in trying to keep this commandment or that commandment perfectly. I’m not against keeping commandments, but I think it has become a religious act in the lives of many believers.
In the life of Abraham, it was the path that he used to testify of the Creator of the Universe. When we do acts of justice and righteousness, we teach others the WAY of YHVH. Keeping the way of YHVH begins with faith that leads to ACTION that is based on PURPOSE focused on ETERNITY.
This brings me to my next question. What is our purpose as commandment keepers and believers in Y’shua?
I believe that Y’shua summed it up very well in Matthew 23:23.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of Torah: justice and mercy and faith.
The weightier matters of Torah is what Abraham strived to DO in his lifetime. I must say that I believe he was very successful because he had kings wanting to give him money and material things, not only because of who he was but also because of Who he served. Do we have this kind of anointing in the Hebrew Roots movement? Maybe we do, but as a whole I think our movement is lacking.
We need to refocus and get out of the ditch. I sadly say that we need a restoration in the restoration movement. Keeping commandments isn’t just enough. If we would return to the weightier matters of Torah, we could change the world like Y’shua’s disciples did in their town and region. The world needs your gift and it needs your purpose. More importantly, your generation needs your gift and purpose.
There will be a generation that walks out the promises of YHVH and enters the land just like Joshua’s generation did. I want to be in the generation that walks this out, but if I am not, at least I will die trying to serve my gift to the next generation so that they can go into the land. Joshua’s generation redeemed the failure of Moses’s generation. The other side of the sword is that even though there was redemption that redemption turned into a judgment because Moses’s generation was given the task of entering into the land. They failed and died in the wilderness and will have to give an account for their disobedience.
When we don’t walk out our purpose and serve our gifts to our generation, we fail our generation and the next. We will have to give an account for this failure, but the good news is that we still have time to deliver our gift to the next generation. We still have time to refocus and begin to walk out our purposes by doing the weightier matters of Torah. We still have time to keep the way of YHVH by doing acts of justice and righteousness.
Will we be an Abraham or will we be an Israel dying off in the desert? It’s our choice!!!
