The Bible Yeshua Read

Before I get into what I wanted to write about today, I thought maybe I should take a few lines to explain why I use 'Yeshua' instead of 'Jesus' most of the time. When I grew up, became a believer, and for most of my Christian life, I have known the LORD by the name Jesus Christ. I suspect that most of us have. And I believe that He understands and answers to that name. However, I have learned a thing or two over the past couple of years and one of those things is that Jesus was born a Jew, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. His parents, his brothers & sisters, the people He lived among, His disciples did NOT call Him Jesus and in fact, had never heard of such a name. His 'real' name, if you will, was Yeshua (or Yashua, Yahshua, Yahoshuah, depending on your preferred spelling and what you believe His name means). I have come to believe that I am to use 'Yeshua' when addressing Him, as that is what the Holy Spirit says to my heart. My own name is 'Cindy', not 'Cynthia.' My parents didn't believe in giving a child a name that would be shortened later. But in Greece or France, my name would be known as 'Cynthia.' Since I am neither Greek or French, however, I would still want to be called 'Cindy,' even if I were living in Greece or France. And you'd better believe that if you are a member of my family, you'd better be calling me 'Cindy' and NOT Cynthia! By calling 'Jesus' 'Yeshua, I am acknowledging His Jewish (the Lion of the tribe of Judah) identity. He was born to a Jewish mother, Miryam (Mary) and had a Jewish father, Yoseph (Joseph). He was born in Israel, the dwelling place of the Hebrews, including the Jews (descendants of Judah). Since I am a member of His family, it only seems fitting to call Him by the name He was known by when He walked among us. So enough of that...you do what the Holy Spirit tells you to do.

If you've been following my posts, you know that I've been reading the Bible every day for over 20 years. In that time, I have mostly focused on what we refer to as the New Testament. I think I assumed that since I was following Yeshua, I should focus on the Gospels and the other books of the New Testament because they were written after Yeshua was revealed. I didn't understand the importance of the Old Testament books. I did read them, especially Psalms and Proverbs, but didn't focus on them like I did the New Testament. But that has been changing in the last couple of years and here's why.

Using a study Bible, I began to notice how often Yeshua, Paul, Peter, and the other writers of the New Testament books referred to Old Testament references. I began to pay attention to what they meant when they talked about "the Law and the Prophets" or "the Scriptures." Then one day it hit me: they didn't have the New Testament! The 'Bible' that they read and quoted from was the Old Testament! What a revelation! When Yeshua told the story of Lazarus and the rich man, He says: Luke 16:31 (Amplified) He said to him, If they do not hear and listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded and convinced and believe [even] if someone should rise from the dead. Whoa! To me, this means that if I do not hear and listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will I be likely to hear and believe Yeshua, Who rose from the dead. This puts some of our favorite scripture memory verses in a new light, too. Think about these verses, in context of the Bible Yeshua and His disciples had to read and learn from:

2Timothy 2:15 (Amplified) Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.


2Timothy 3:15-17 (Amplified) And how from your childhood you have had a knowledge of and been acquainted with the sacred Writings, which are able to instruct you and give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ Jesus [through the leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

As a consequence, I have been reading and studying the Old Testament, particularly the first 5 books of the Bible, sometimes called the Books of Moses or the Pentateuch by those in the Church but known mostly as the Torah (the instructions of YHWH) to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You know, it is really amazing how interesting those books become when you read them as though they were written just for you and not just as ancient Jewish history! Because I am adopted into the family of Yeshua, have become engrafted into the olive tree of Israel and a spiritual offspring of Abraham, every word in the Torah and the rest of the Old Testament becomes my heritage and inheritance, too. And you know what else? Understanding the Scriptures that Yeshua, Paul and the others were referring to has helped me understand better what they were teaching in the New Testament. I've realized that the Old Testament is the foundation that the New Testament builds upon. The New Testament doesn't replace the Old Testament; it elaborates on it and explains it. I feel like an old gold miner who's stumbled across a really rich vein of ore in an old mine, one that somehow he'd missed in all of his forays into the different shafts. Suddenly everything I've been reading all these years is coming alive in a whole new way and it's just SO exciting! In closing today, let me share something I have written in my Bible, on one of those blank pages between the 'Old' and 'New' Testaments...

from Franklin Graham's The Name

The New Testament is contained in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament is explained in the New Testament.

The New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament.

The Old Testament anticipates the New Testament.
The New Testament authenticates the Old Testament.

In the Old Testament the New Testament lies hidden.
In the New Testament the Old Testament lies open.

The Old Testament foreshadows the New Testament.
The New Testament fulfills the Old Testament.

In the Old Testament, they were always seeking.
In the New Testament, they found.

The Old Testament predicts a Person.
The New Testament presents that Person.

That Person is the Lord Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach)...who fully validated the Old Testament.

The Psalms present the Feelings of Christ.
The Prophets present the Foretellings of Christ.
The Gospels present the Facts of Christ.
The Epistles present the Fruits of Christ.

My note: The Torah presents the Commandments of Christ.