“And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."  John 8:32

Shabbat shalom dearly beloved:

This is the end of Pessach and the beginning of a brand new Biblical Year that started already on the first day of Nisan.

“Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.”  Exodus 12:1-2

As we end the Passover celebrations I find myself desiring to redefine the word “Freedom”. The Exodus story can be made unto amazing epic movies, it carries all the elements of great drama and yet there is one issue that must be understood fully in order to fulfill “Passover” in all of our lives. This issue is the very central subject of FREEDOM. Another name for Passover in Hebrew is the Feast of Freedom or Chag HaCherut. There are many words for freedom in Hebrew such as “Chofesh” like when one goes on holiday after lots of hard work. “Shichrur” like when one gets released from prison or from a hospital but the words chosen for Pessach is neither of those (though they certainly apply to the condition of the Israelites in Egypt). The word chosen for this Feast is CHERUT. So, what is CHERUT? Cherut is a freedom that does not depend on any circumstances at all- it is an inner freedom from all that hinders us to become God’s People, to become His worshippers in Spirit and Truth. It is a total freedom from heart attitudes that can hinder our relationship with YAH and with others.

"You shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now." Exodus 7:16

While the Israelites where released from slavery (shichrur) and they were freed to go out of bitter bondage on a “long holiday” (chofesh) they for the most part did not enter into CHERUT. They had no real freedom. For that reason they constantly complained against Moses and Elohim Himself. That is why they were never satisfied in spite of all the miracles that they witnesses and still doubted. They had “chofesh” and they had “shichrur” but they lacked CHERUT and that caused them to go around in circles for 40 years! They were constantly blaming Moses and their circumstances of why they were grumbling, murmuring and sinning. That lack of inner freedom caused them to expose the fullness of idolatry in their hearts by building and worshipping the Golden Calf. Though they were physically free from the bitter bondage and slavery of Egypt they were not emotionally free and in that condition Yah could not allow them into His Promised Land. They were physically free, yet slaves to their own “victim mentality”, selfish ambitions and self seeking passions. It is this bondage to their own thoughts, opinions and attitudes that caused them to die in the desert. For truly that kind of bondage can never inherit the Promises of God!
“And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.”    Hebrews 3:18-19

The difference between them versus Joshua and Caleb is that Joshua and Caleb had CHERUT. They never once complained about the dryness of the desert or about the imperfections of Moses. They did not even once complained about Moses at all but rather supported Him as Yah’s Servant all the way! That attitude of humility, faith and faithfulness earned them their rights to be the only ones to come into the Land while all their other peers from their generation died in the desert. Joshua and Caleb were truly FREE and lead the rest of the young generation in. They were the only “old ones” left!

“For the LORD had said of them, "They shall surely die in the wilderness" And not a man was left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.” Numbers 26:65

You are not a slave when you are in jail or bound to some other restricting circumstances; you are only a slave when you have no inner freedom. When your attitudes, opinions, thoughts and “victim mentality” (that make you feel sorry for yourself!) - have you bound. You are only a slave when you are full of excuses. Other than that you are FREE and no circumstances in the world can keep you a slave if you change INSIDE! You are free when you have NO ONE to blame about your misfortunes! You are free when you depend on no one to tell you “how great you are”. You are free when you can believe God even when you are going in circles! And you are free when you can submit under the authorities that Yah puts in your life without grumbling or judging them. You are free when you can love correction in your life, when you can drink the bitter waters (Waters of Marah) and still smile and praise Yah pointing no fingers. You are free when you can be faithful unto death and receive the Crown of Life!

“When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. And He said, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer." Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.” Exodus 15:23-27

May this year be a year of TRUE CHERUT for you that you may experience full healing and may move from Marah (bitterness, murmuring and defeat) to Elim (become Mighty displaying Elohim’s qualities)  and may you pray for all of Israel to enjoy true Cherut Freedom shortly. Please join us on our Purim 4000 program and help bring FREEDOM to Israel!

”And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "The deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob." "This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins." Romans 11:26-27

Your friends in Israel