Shabbat Shalom. Please take your Bibles again. This ministry meeting is in the book of Galatians today, so I would like you please to turn to the book of Galatians. And we are studying, of course, in Galatians chapter 3, for this ministry meeting, this Saturday, the Shabbat meeting. I would like to read the first 14 verses of Galatians chapter 3, and we're going to follow up as we're continuing in that study of this wonderful book or letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the early believers in the region of Galatia. So I'm reading Galatians chapter 3 and verse 1. And Paul says, O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Christ, has been evidently set forth, crucified among you.

This only would I learn of you. Receive ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish, having begun in the Spirit? Are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain, if it be yet in vain? He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit and worketh miracle among you, doth he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Even Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So then, they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident. For the just shall live by faith. In Hebrew, ha-tsadik, b-emunato yichyeh. And the law is not of faith, but the men that doeth them shall live in them.

Messiah has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Yeshua HaMashiach that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. And I'm stopping here in verse 14. Well, brothers and sisters, we are continuing right now on our study of the book of Galatians, we continue now in the third chapter we have covered by the grace of God, the first two chapters of the book of Galatians. And we learn in the first two chapters of the book of Galatians that the Apostle Paul was so shocked, you might say, when he heard that the brethren in the region of Galatia, this assembly of believers, Gentile believers mostly, whom he led them to come to know that Yeshua is the Messiah.

And then later on, they were influenced by some who came from Jerusalem and told them that except they be circumcised and keep the law of Moses, they are really not saved. If you remember what he said in Galatians chapter 1 where he said in verse 6, I marvel, Galatians 1, 6, that ye are so soon removed from him that call you into the grace of Messiah unto another gospel, which is not another, but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ, the gospel of Messiah. But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be anathema.

In Hebrew, it's cherem, or accursed in English. In verse 9, it said, and we have said before, so I now say it again. If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which ye have received, let him be accursed. Let him be So the Apostle Paul began in the first two chapters to share with the Galatians in the region of Galatia the importance of the fact by presenting before them the truth of the gospel that they should appreciate the fact that they became believers and they were saved and forgiven not because they have kept any laws or not because they have been circumcised. And for us today, we can say not because they have been baptized or have been speaking in tongues or keeping any man-made rules or any rule posses, salvation is strictly on the basis of the work of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

And Paul himself, Jewish man, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, he shared with him in these two chapters, Galatians 1, Galatians 2, The fact that he himself initially rejected the message of the gospel, but eventually the Lord spoke with him, revealed to him that Yeshua indeed is the Messiah, and he was gloriously saved through the work that Yeshua had accomplished when he died for him on the shameful cross. Now in Galatians chapter 3 and chapter 4, it's very interesting, because now the Apostle Paul wants to share with the Galatian believers not only his own personal experiences how he became a believer now he's going back to the Bible back to the Hebrew scriptures he's going back to the Torah Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy to show the Galatians who were mostly pagan believers, Gentiles but to show them that in biblical days in days of all the Bible have already taught the way of salvation is only on the basis of faith and not on the basis of law keeping.

So you notice what he's beginning here in chapter 3 and I just want to highlight before you in Galatians 3 and Galatians chapter 4 Paul presents before the Galatians five arguments five arguments and is proving to them that God forgave sinners on a basis of faith and not by the works of law the law or any law even in the days of old that the basis of forgiveness was always by faith in the God of the scriptures and what he had promised to his own so he takes them back to the past history of the people of Israel and in chapter 3 and chapter 4 he based it upon scriptural argument in our passage that

we're going to study today chapter 3 verses 1 to 14 secondly in chapter 3 verses 15 to 29 he gave them a logical argument to show them that salvation is by faith and not by works thirdly in chapter 4 verses 1 to 11 he give them an historical argument pointing that even from history the olden people of old were saved on a basis of faith and not works fourthly he give them a sentimental argument in chapter 4 verses 12 to 18 and finally in chapter 4 verses 19 to 31 he present before them an allegorical argument to show them that salvation is entirely on the basis of faith in God and not of any human

merit or any law keeping or any circumcision or anything else to remind you that before we're going to move along here, that God's law is holy.

God's law is high and perfect. God's law, because who God is, is spiritual. God's law is not to be compared with any human merit. But the problem is not with God's law, but God's law revealed to us the human nature that we have, and only condemn us because we fail to submit 100% to the law of God. And that's why he gave us the sacrificial system, because when an Israeli individual of old have sinned and disobeyed the law, God gave in turn the sacrifice which made atonement for the sin of this Israeli, and he was forgiven. So the law was never given in order to save anyone, but it It was given to be presented before us the reality that we have in our own heart, the sin nature and that God is a holy and a righteous God who cannot look upon sin.

Paul said in Romans 7 that the law is just, the law is spiritual, the law is holy, but I am carnal and I am sold under sin. And so now notice, brothers and sisters, how interesting it is that parcel here in this chapter 3, verses 1 to 14, give us the spiritual or scriptural argument to show us from the Hebrew scriptures, from the law, Genesis, the book of Genesis, that Abraham our father was saved, was forgiven simply by believing God's word and accepting what he said. And so we read, before he began to even speak about it, he's puzzled. And he asked six questions in verses 1 to 5 from this Galatians.

He asked them those six questions that he wanted to know what made them, what caused them, instead of appreciating the grace of God, and instead of appreciating the forgiveness of God on a basis of faith, Now they were influenced, and somebody came and told them, no, no, no, no, you're not quite saved unless you are circumcised and keeping the law of Moses. Let me remind you, in Acts chapter 15 and verse 1, we read, And certain men which came down from Judea told the brethren and said, Except ye be circumcised, after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved. In verse 5, we find out in Acts chapter 15, but there arose a certain of the sects of the Pharisees, which believed, saying that it was needful to circumcise them and to commend them to keep the law of Moses.

This is the Gentiles from the Galatia area, from the region of Galatia. A little bit further on, we read in verse 11, we find out what Peter has said. He said, but we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, we shall be saved even as they are. Peter was saying in the city of Jerusalem, when there was the council gathering together about this matter. And even further, listen to verse 24, when James, Yaakov, was speaking in that council, he said in verse 24, For as much as we have heard that a certain which went out from us have troubled you, with words subverting your soul, saying, Ye must be circumcised and keep the law.

And notice what James said, To whom we gave no such commandment, James, Yaakov, said, We haven't told them to go down to say this to the Gentile believers. We Jewish, we are circumcised because God had given this to us as Jewish people in Abraham's days, in the law he had given to us, but the Goyim, the Gentiles, were not commended to be circumcised. It was a sign between God and the descendants, the physical descendants of Abraham. But it was never given for salvation. It was given to identify the Jewish people, to remind them that they belong to a living God and they are responsible to submit to his authority.

So now notice, brothers and sisters, in Galatians 3, verses 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, Paul asks six questions. He began by saying, notice verse 1, Galatians 3 and verse 1, Oh, foolish Galatians. That word for foolish Galatians, it's simply, in the Hebrew, we call it chasrei da'at. Chasrei da'at simply means they were spiritually dull. They were believers. They accepted Yeshua, the Messiah, but they were spiritually dull. Somebody come, tell them, listen, you've got to be circumcised, otherwise you're not saved. They say, oh, oh, oh, oh, I'm not quite saved. I've got to do this in order to be saved. Paul says, wait a minute, oh foolish Galatians. And then he began to ask the questions.

And when he said foolish Galatians, he doesn't pride himself, but he's concerned as a father, concerned for those who have accepted Yeshua the Messiah. He preached the message of the gospel. They became children of God. They have embraced Yeshua the Messiah. But now somebody came and told them that they are not quite saved and they began to listen. It is interesting because the Hebrew says chasrei daat you are lacking biblical knowledge. You are lacking biblical knowledge and today brothers and sisters we are not different in today. In fact it is even worse today. There are so many who are lacking biblical, scriptural knowledge. They are either lacking because they are willfully lacking it or they are lacking it because they are simply have been influenced by someone else.

And so he began by asking those six questions. Look at the question, the first question. He says in verse 1b, he says, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, has been evidently set forth, crucified among you? In other words, the first question he asked, he says, who bewitched you is there anybody is a witch here that came and kind of that word of bewitched here in verse one someone came and kind of caused you to be charmed or he caused you to be manipulated or influenced or tricked you into something it's even a common effect that if somebody give you a gift for free it's the same another person said no no you cannot get this free you got to earn debt what would you do would you say wait a minute no i don't want it for free let me work hard but it's not enough work harder it's not enough work harder it's not enough because we're never going to rise to the right standard that the holy and the righteous god demand so paul is saying to Who has bewitched you?

Somebody must have tricked you and caused you to divert from the simplicity of the gospel and to adhere to what they say to you, to influence you to go after their views and not to accept what God says in his word. You notice what he said? And it is interesting. In those six questions, he presents the whole triune God. God the Son, Yeshua HaMashiach. God the Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh. And God the Father, Elohim HaAba. He presents the whole triune God that was involved in the salvation of the Galatians. And so we read here, Who has bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth?

And he continues, before whose eyes Jesus, the Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach, has been evidently set forth, crucified among you. I just don't understand Paul, Shaul Paul is saying to the Galatians, what's going on with you? How can someone come and trick you? You who have already saw that Yeshua, by faith that is, you recognize that Yeshua had been crucified, he died on your behalf. You have already understood that. You have accepted him. You have embraced him as your Lord and Savior. But who had bewitched you? Who caused you to be in such a condition that you, don't you understand? Don't you remember before your eyes, Yeshua HaMashiach had been evidently set forth, crucified among you.

You know when Paul preached the message of the Gospel? He always directed the attention to the person of the Lord. He's exalted Yeshua the Messiah. When the world wanted to put him down and reject him, Paul, Shaul, understood that if there is a way for any sinner to receive salvation, it is only on the basis of the work of the Son of God who became a man and died on a shameful Roman cross for the sin of this world. You remember what he said in chapter 2, when we read last time together, in verse 20, I am crucified with the Messiah. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Messiah liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, the faith of Ben Ha'elohim, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Brethren, he's saying to them, I presented before you when I preached to you the message of the gospel, Jesus the Messiah and him crucified. No more and no less. I never come to you and told you you must keep that, you must do this, you must keep certain things. I never asked you, you have to repent from your sins and turn to the person of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah by faith not by works not by something that you do but simply believing he continued and he asked them the second question and you know there's a second question this time in verses 2 3 and 4 he's not only speaking about God the Son who became a man, Jesus, Yeshua, HaMashiach, and Him crucified.

But now he's speaking about God, the Holy Spirit of God, the person of Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit of God. And notice the second question in verse 2. He said to them, this only would I learn of you. I want to learn from you something. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? how did the Holy Spirit of God came to indwell in you? Did you gain the Holy Spirit of God that give you new birth, new life, on a basis of some good works that you have done, or keeping the law, or being circumcised? Is that how the Holy Spirit of God came to indwell in you?

You remember what we read in 1 Corinthians 12, verses 13 and 14, that by one Spirit we were all baptized into one, body. We all have been put under and placed into the body of Messiah by the Holy Spirit of God. And we did not receive the Holy Spirit of God because we have achieved some works that we have risen to such a height that I fulfilled perfectly the law of God. And only then I received the Holy Spirit of God. No. We received the Holy Spirit of God the moment that we say God be merciful to me a sinner I acknowledge that Yeshua is the son of God who loved me and died for me on the shameful cross that moment the Holy Spirit of God came to indwell in a believer so Paul is asking these Galatians he says oh foolish Galatians who has bewitched you you have seen the Messiah was presented before you who died for your sins and the second question it says really I want to learn something from you did you receive the Holy Spirit of God to indwell in you by the works of the law or simply by the hearing of faith you remember Romans 10 17 faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Paul presented the gospel of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to the Galatians the Galatians believed the scripture and the preaching of the gospel and they have acknowledged the Lord and they have received the Holy Spirit of God into their hearts you know what the Bible says to us in Romans chapter 8 and I'm going to read this verse for you Romans 8 and verse 9 Paul said it He says, listen to this very interesting verse.

He says in verse 9, But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. And then he continues. He says, if any man, or a woman, we can add, now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. In other words, what he's really saying, that if a person does not have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling him or indwelling her, he or she are really not born of the Spirit. They don't belong to the Lord. Maybe they go to meetings. Maybe they sit in the pew. Maybe they sing the song.

Maybe they even read the Bible. But if they don't have the Holy Spirit placed within them, they are not children of God. You see what Paul is saying to Galatians? Galatians, you have made a foolish move. You should not listen to the counsel of those who came and told you, no, no, no, you are not quite saved. You have to keep certain, you have to have a standard to get up there to get saved. Listen, you and I, brothers and sisters, know our hearts very well. Even after years of being believers, We violated the law of God in so many ways. I don't have to tell you.

You know your heart and I know mine. How many times we disobeyed the law of the Lord in so many ways. If our salvation depended upon our performance, we're in a poor shape. We will never be saved. We have no hope. But the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, died. and pay the penalty for my sins and yours, when he is the only one who fulfilled the law that God had demanded for man. But we failed, and he paid for that. And when we believed on him and acknowledged him as our Messiah, Lord and Savior, the Spirit of God came to indwell in us. So we have God the Son as man who died, And God, the Holy Spirit, the divine person, indwelled in the heart of true believers in Yeshua, the Messiah.

Notice the third question and the fourth question that I really link together. It is found in the next verse 3. You find two questions that Shaul Paul continued to ask. Notice in verse 3, he said, So are ye so foolish, having begun in the Spirit? And he continues in the next question. Are ye now made perfect by the flesh? See what he's saying? He's asking two questions here in verse 3. You began by the Spirit of God. Another one, you got justified and reconciled and redeemed. And the Spirit of God came to indwell in you. so you began and you got saved and the Spirit of God indwelt in you but now do you think that you're going to continue to live your life in the power of your flesh you see they were justified by faith and now they wanted to live their life to be as it says here to be sanctified in the power of the flesh so if I keep more of this I'll be holier but brothers and sisters it's a pleasure to seek to do the will of God but not for salvation and actually when it comes to all sort of law keeping and man made rules keeping that does not set us apart or sanctify us what sanctified us is when we are in communication with the Lord and submitting to his authority and living a life in fellowship with the Lord who said, without me, you can do nothing.

It's not sufficient just to try to work. You see, that's why in Elsewhere, Paul said, work out your own salvation. He didn't say work out for your salvation, but work it out in your life. Have fellowship with the Lord. Read your word, pray, Be broken before the Lord. Use your gift for the glory of the Lord. Use and minister to the people of God. Be a blessing to the people of God. Have fellowship with God. That is how we are being sanctified. That's why he said, Are you foolish, having begun in the Spirit? Are ye now made perfect or being sanctified by the flesh? You see why?

Because the flesh in us is so sinful. Now, I know we don't like to hear it. But that's what God says. God says that a heart is deceitful above all things. Who can know it? Jeremiah, through Jeremiah, he said to our own people Israel. Paul said, I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. When we say it, we recognize that we don't deserve anything. It is nothing but the grace of God. That's what Paul is amazed when he saw the Galatians. That's why he said twice, Oh, foolish Galatians. Verse 1 of chapter 3. Are ye so foolish? Verse 3. Why are you so foolish?

Meaning, are you so dull in your understanding, in scriptural and spiritual understanding? You are so dull.

In Hebrew it says, in the Greek it says in the Greek language simply means lacking a spiritual and scriptural understanding that's what he was saying to the Galatians so he asked them already four questions and you notice he's the fifth question notice how interesting because he's still speaking about the person of the Holy Spirit of God because in verse 4 he says in verse 4 he says have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be yet in vain he's saying to them in other words he said are you did you suffer you remember brothers and sisters when the Galatians became believers in Yeshua they suffered by their own people who were idol worshippers

just like Paul and the early Hebrew Messianic Jewish people suffered by our own people because they rejected their faith because of their faith in Yeshua the Messiah so the Galatians also suffered so in other words what we're really saying to them oh you suffered because you believe in Yeshua the Messiah and all this suffering was for nothing you live for the Lord your family have excommunicated you because you are no longer believing their idols and you made a decision to follow Yeshua the Messiah but now all of a sudden somebody come and tell you you are not really saved and you are not really forgiven he says so what's the point you mean all along

the last 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 years that you said that you by faith accepted the Messiah and you suffered from your own family members and your own people in the pagan world, I mean, all this was in vain.

All this was for nothing. You know, imagine if the Apostle Paul needed to be saved because he has to keep the law and the Apostle Paul kept much of the law and yet he was unsaved. He said, I never knew thou shalt not lust or covet unless the law said thou shalt not covet. He kept outwardly all that which was given by the Lord. If you read it in Philippians, I was blameless, he said. But I wouldn't know about coveting if the law would not say thou shalt not covet. That's come out of our hearts. Nobody sees it. But God does. Nobody knows about it.

But God does. And for this he will condemn us. And for this we needed the blood atonement of an animal which were temporarily covering our sins. And for this Yeshua came to die and put away our sins once and for all. And when we trusted in him, we have been forgiven. Now notice the last question. This is found in verse 5. And this time he brings God the Father into the subject that he is presenting. He presented God the Son in verse 1. He said, Jesus the Messiah has been evidently set forth, crucified before you. That's God the Son, as men. Then in verse 2, he presented the Holy Spirit and he said, I want you to know, this only I would learn of you.

Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, by the hearing of the faith? Here is God the Holy Spirit. He came to indwell in you. But now he's speaking about God the Father. It is very interesting because in verse 5, even though he doesn't mention Abba here, the Father, but he mentioned the person of God the Father, and says in verse 5, notice that he says, He, that's God the Father, He therefore that ministered to you the Spirit, it was God the Father who gave God the Spirit to indwell the believers. He therefore that ministered to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, does he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

So he twice used the word he here, and the reference here, of course, is the reference to Abba, God the Father. And if you remember in John, and I'm going to just go back to John for a moment, in John chapter 14 and verse 16, Yeshua said to the disciples, notice what he said, John 14 verse 16, I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with you forever. Verse 17, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it sees him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. In other words, Yeshua said to the disciples that he will pray to God the Father, Elohim Ha'abba, And God the Father will send the Holy Spirit of God to indwell everyone that believed in God the Son, Yeshua the Messiah.

And that's why in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 5 we said, He therefore that ministered to you the Spirit, the one that gave you the Spirit, this is God the Father, and worketh miracles among you, how did He do it? Galatians, He's saying to them, Did God the Father make miracles in your midst and given you the Holy Spirit of God? Does it do us by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? How did you receive the Holy Spirit? How did God the Father gave you the Holy Spirit of God and make miracles in the midst of you in the days where he sent his servants to preach to you the gospel?

How did he do it? Did he only do it, give you the Holy Spirit of God when you rose up to the climates to fulfill his law and never violated his law? Or simply he presented the Messiah Yeshua who died on a shameful cross for the sin of this world and introduced you to him and say, if you will only believe on him, you will be saved. It was not done because the Galatians fulfilled all the laws of God. They didn't. They failed. That's why they needed the grace of God. Now, that does not mean that now that they live their life, they're going to be lawless, you know, lest anybody will think for a moment, Brother Gideon said that now we can live in sin and everything is fine.

You never find me ever saying that, neither the Bible ever saying that. In fact, the Bible says in Romans 6, Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. In fact, the law of the Messiah is higher than the law that God had given to men on Mount Sinai. Because Christ, God the Son, became a man. And his demand from us is not to live loosely and do as we please. Oh, he says, listen, I'll forgive you. You carry on in your life. Do as you please. You never find ever the Lord taught that, nor the apostles ever taught that, neither will I ever teach that.

God is holy today as He was holy in the past. The problem is not with God. The problem is with us. And therefore, whenever we sin, 1 John 1, 9, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. On the basis of the shed blood of Yeshua the Messiah, not on the basis of some rules or any law keeping. Christ the Messiah become the object of the believer today. He fulfilled the law which you and I did not. He died, so you and I who deserve to die will never need to die. The son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

So six questions he asked in the first five verses. Very, very interesting questions that he asked them. But the sad thing that gripped the heart of Shaul Paul is that, look at it. I've labored for years. I ministered the gospel. But somebody else came in. And instead of grasping the truth of the message of the gospel, you allowed yourself to be influenced and to be bewitched by someone else. Who has bewitched you, he said. How is it possible that instead of, you must say, holding on to the truth of the grace of God, you want, no, no, no, it's not enough. I'm not quite saved.

I got to do something. God a little bit, and I a little bit. Jesus died, and my works. Yeshua paid the price, and I have to do something. He did 90%, and I'll do 10%. No, it is only him. The only thing that you and I brought to the table is our sins. He gave his life, a ransom for many. But now, beloved brothers and sisters, notice that he's moving along. Paul, Shaul Paul, is presenting before the Galatians a scriptural argument concerning the fact that salvation is by faith alone and not by the works of the law. And you know what he does? He goes back to the time when Abraham Avinu, Abraham our father, Long before the law was given to Israel, our people on Mount Sinai, after they came out of the land of Egypt.

And he goes back. And he showed the father of the nation of Israel, the father of the Jewish people, and the father of all believers, Avram. In Hebrew, it's Avram or Avraham. Later on, his name was changed to Avraham, and he's going all the way back. And you notice now, he asks six questions in the first five verses. And then in verses 6 to 14, he gives them six biblical scriptures to verify the fact that it is only by faith that one is saved and not by works. Six questions in verses 1 to 5 and six scripture, Bible verses that is found in the law in Torah Moshe to show us, to verify before us the fact that salvation is entirely on the basis of faith and not on the basis of law or circumcision or baptism of speaking in tongues or any other thing such as this.

So notice that in verses 6 to 14, the first verse that he's mentioning is found in verses 6 and 7 of our chapter, which takes us back to Abraham our father. You notice in verses 6 and 7, Shaul Paul is seeking to prove to the Galatians that even Abraham himself was declared just. He was saved because he simply believed what God said to him at that particular day. Look at it. We read verses 6 and 7. He continued and he said in chapter 3 and verse 6, Even as Avram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. He takes them back to the book of Bereshit, in Hebrew we call it Bereshit, in English it said Genesis, all the way down to Genesis chapter 15, which we have already read earlier, And I want to read it for you again, how God declared Abraham, Abraham our father, just without anything except believing what God says.

And I'm reading Genesis chapter 15 and verse 1. After these things, the word of the Lord came unto Abraham in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abraham, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. And Abraham said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless? The steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus. And Abraham said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed, and lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

And he brought him forth abroad, and he said, look now towards heaven and tell the stars if thou be able to number them and he said unto him so shall thy seed be so notice verse 6 beautiful and he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness notice how simple it was Abram waited for a child to be born out of Sarai, his wife but he didn't come he's waiting and waiting for the baby to be born but the baby was not born so what does he do as we read here in Genesis chapter 15 he says Lord you know what take Eliezer, he lives in my house you didn't give me any seed take Eliezer from Damascus make him the one who's going to be my heir you didn't give me a son I accept the fact make him the heir so God says no this man Eliezer of Damascus is not going to be your heir out of your own bowels will come one who's going to be your heir and so we read he took him out, he brought him abroad he says look toward heaven and Abram looked up toward heaven what did he see?

he sees so many stars and God says you see all these stars in verse 5 he says if you can number them he says so shall thy seed be Abraham you're going to have descendants so many if you only believe what I say and Abraham believed he said he believed the Lord and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Simple faith in God's word declare the believer righteous before God. He never gave him much information that you and I have today. God's saying to us today, you see Yeshua, the Messiah, my son? He died for your sin and sins. If you will only believe in him, you're going to be forgiven and you're going to have eternal life.

If you only accept him as your Messiah, lord and savior and if you believe in him you and i are reckoned to be righteous as before the lord it is so interesting brothers and sisters he abraham believed god he simply believed god and god reckoned to him this as righteousness now go with me for a moment to Romans chapter 4, just another verse to connect with it. This is very interesting because in Romans chapter 4 Paul took that same event, speaking about Abraham, to teach the Romans believers how Abraham was reckoned righteous by the Lord. Look at Romans chapter 4. Romans chapter 4, verse 1. What shall we say then that Abraham our father is pertaining to the flesh has found?

For if Abraham was justified by the works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. For what says the scripture? Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now listen to this brothers and sisters verses 4 and 5 now to him that worketh is the reward not reckon of grace but of debt if you earn your salvation you work for that you become a debtor it's now it's not coming to you because of the grace of god it's because because you have earned it you have done something to earn it but then notice verse 5 romans 4 verse 5 but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justified the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness you know God justified us who are ungodly by nature but when we believed in Yeshua the Messiah he declared us to be he counted for us for righteousness why?

because Yeshua paid for that Because he died in our stead. Because he was the supreme sacrifice that came to put away the sin of this world. God was satisfied with his life, not with yours and mine, but with his life, so if we believe on him, he declared us righteous. Abraham simply believed. He simply believed. And brothers and sisters, you and I are saved because we simply acknowledge by faith that Yeshua is the Messiah. That we have sinned and we could not rise to God's righteous requirement. And God declared us just because we believed in Yeshua the Messiah. So the first verse that he's quoting from the Torah was Genesis chapter 15 and verse 6, which we just read.

Now back to Galatians chapter 3. And now notice in the next verses, verses 8 and 9, here's the second quotation from the Torah. It's found in verses 8 and 9. the word of God always taught that the Gentiles will be saved by faith and faith alone just the same like our own people our own Jewish people we were never none of our people of Israel ever were saved on the basis of the law the law only show them how short they come from the demands of the law but they always have the sacrifice and by faith in God and believing what he said in giving the sacrificial animal to die and to shed its blood, then they were forgiven.

Because without the shedding of the blood, there is no remission of sins. So notice that. He's quoting now in verses 8 and 9, Genesis chapter 12 and verse 3, to show us that the Word of God always taught that the nations, the Gentile nations, will be saved by faith in God, in God's Word and God's teachings. So look what we read. And I'm reading now Galatians chapter 3, verses 8 and 9. And the scripture foretelling. Notice he's again going back to the Bible, to the Hebrew scriptures. The scripture foretelling that God would justify the heathen through faith. Preach before the gospel unto Abram, saying in thee. Listen, here's a quotation from Genesis 12 and verses 1, 2, and 3.

Especially the passage that says, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abram. Again, allow me to read Genesis chapter 12. When God called Abram to come out from where he was, he said and he gave a promise to Abram. He says in that verse 3, In other words, God is saying to Abraham, Abraham, look, in you, all the families of the earth that will believe in the one that is going to come, all the families of the earth will be blessed. Those, of course, that will believe. And you and I today are believers in the seed of Abraham, in thee and in thy seed.

That seed is really the Messiah who came out from among our Jewish people, the people of Israel, descendants of Abraham until he was born to the virgin Miriam. Lived a perfect life, died a substitutionary death, was raised for our justification, And now he is in glory waiting the day in which he's going to come to take us to be with him in heaven. This is the Messiah. So God already told Avram Avinu, Abraham our father. Oh, listen. Abraham, in you and in your seed, the one that will come, descendant of the people of Israel, ultimately the Messiah, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

They would only need to believe, to trust in my word. So you notice, beloved brothers and sisters, he goes back to the Bible, he goes back to the Hebrew scripture, to the time when God has spoken to our own people. This is Torah to Moshe. Moses wrote this book, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. He recorded the life of Avram. So, Genesis 15, 6, the first quotation. Genesis 12, verse 3, the second quotation. Go back to Galatians, chapter 3, now verses 10, 11, and 12, and listen to this. God's law is so holy that any who violated the law of God is under a curse. I didn't write it. The law says it. Notice, and I'm reading, verse 10, 11, and 12.

For as many as are of the works of the law, verse 10, they are under the curse. Why? You may ask. Then he's giving us the quotation from Scripture.

For it is written, he's going back to the Scripture, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them notice in all things not some things not 80% not 90% not 99% all things which are written in the book of the law to do them now you know if you ask the rabbis of Israel they collected together 613 laws which God has given to us in the Torah itself just read them go to the computer and read every one of these laws and check yourself there just check yourself put yourself okay God says don't do this or do this or don't do that

check if you have done that if you have done all the 613 fine you are in pretty good shape but if you haven't if you haven't, look what the scripture says cursed is everyone that continues not in all the things which are written in the book of the law, in the Sefer HaTorah to do them now brothers and sisters listen, I remember years ago there was a missionary who went to Israel and he went to the city of Jerusalem and he happened to go in the Jewish quarters in the city of Jerusalem and he went up the steps and there was a certain rabbi who were teaching the Bible in the Jewish quarters in the

city of Jerusalem and this person who went there took with him another Jewish friend who was a believer in Yeshua the Messiah and the rabbi found out that he is a believer in Yeshua and he asked him I don't mention his name did you keep the 613?

and this believer knew very well that he didn't and he asked him back Rabbi, did you keep the 613? and the Rabbi had nothing to say not a word why? because he didn't none of us did beloved brothers and sisters the Bible says in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 27 and I want to read it in verse 26 Deuteronomy chapter 27 Moses was told by the law to say to Israel listen, cursed be the man that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them listen to what the people of Israel said And all the people of Israel said, Amen. You know what they should have said?

God, we can't do that. We will know that we have failed, God. Even when Moshe went to bring the law from Mount Sinai, they already broke below the first commandment. Thou shall not have any other God before me. And you know, brothers and sisters, if you would have been there, you would have done the very same thing. We don't look at them and blame Israel because Israel failure, but Israel was an example to the world. A chosen nation that had been brought by the Lord into a relationship with Him, given the law. Will they submit to the law of God? Will they live a life in such a way that God is going to say, justify, justify, justify, justify?

No. None could. That's why the sacrificial system was provided. When they lied, the lamb had to die. When they coveted, the ram had to die. When they were angry, the goat had to die. Blood had to be shed. For us today, when we lied and cheated and done all the sins in this world, Yeshua paid for the price of our guilt. You look what James said in James, James mentioned this in James chapter 2, Yaakov, in the New Testament, the Brit HaChadashah, Yaakov was the writer of the New Testament.

Notice what he's quoting, exactly what Deuteronomy chapter 27 and was written by the law Torah Moshe James says in James chapter 2 and verse 10 or for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all he emphasized in James 2 and verse 10 the fact that even if you violated one single law you are guilty of them all so he quoted genesis 15 6 from the hebrew scripture the torah he quoted genesis chapter 12 and verse 3 he quoted the toanomy 27 in verse 26 now he continues beloved brothers and sisters just bear with me he continues and i'm reading galatian chapter 3 and we continue there

in verse 11 now he's noticed what he continued and he says in verse 11 he continues to quote the hebrew scripture to the Galatians believers who were so foolish that they had been bewitched by someone who told them that they are not quite saved because they don't keep the law of Moses he says in verse 11 but that no many justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for listen to this he quoting Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 4 for the just shall live by faith you know Habakkuk the Hebrew word Habakkuk comes from the word embracer we have a booklet called The Embracer of Israel he loved Israel so much

he embraced the people of Israel Lechabek to embrace them that he was puzzled when God said that he was going to bring the judgment upon the nation of Israel and he said how can you allow the unbelieving Gentile nation to come and destroy your own people.

And God said to Habakkuk, Habakkuk, the just, meaning the believer, shall trust me and live by faith. Habakkuk was under the law. He was living and ministering as a prophet of Israel during the days that Torah to Adonai was still given to Israel, long before the Messiah came. But Habakkuk was told by the Lord, Habakkuk, the just, shall live by faith. You and I today who became justified by faith in Yeshua the Messiah, we should also, like Habakkuk was told, should live our life by faith in the Messiah. Not only faith for salvation, but faithfulness and living our life, trusting him. The just shall live by his faithfulness and trust in the Lord.

This is a quotation number four from the Hebrew scripture. Notice we continue here now. And in verse 12, we read in Galatians 3 and verse 12, it says, And the law, listen, the law is not of faith.

but the man that doeth them shall live in them he says really the law is a code a high code that God had given to his people Israel but he never expected from Israel to live to this high code in order to be saved that's for sure not because they all broke it he gave them as a mirror we're going to talk about it later on to show them the holiness of God and the sinfulness of men and that they needed the Lord's help to submit to a life that will be honoring to Him that just shall live by trusting, believing God and ongoing faith in God not works not trying to have law keeping

you know oh I gotta be circumcised otherwise I'm not saved no but the just the law is not of faith you see clearly he said the law is not of faith the law is a holy document you might say that God had presented before the people of Israel to show them the high standard of life that they are called to live if they are going to please the Lord but when they fail introduce within the Lord the sacrificial system where the blood will be shed and forgiveness will be received trust in me believe on me the Lord was saying to his people and the people of Israel he never said to them that they gotta

keep the law in order to be saved no but they have to trust him and to live in the light of his submissiveness to him in order to live a life that is honoring to him.

But also, faith is that which gave them justification. Now, quickly, let's conclude here. And I didn't mention, but after quoting Habakkuk 2, verse 4, he also quoted Leviticus 18, and verse 5. And I just want to mention that because notice what it says in the verses here. He says, and I'm just going to read it again. For as many as are of the works of the law, they are under the curse. For it is written, a curse that is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Then we read in verse 11, but that no man is justified by the law.

it says here in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by faith and then he continue the law is not of faith but listen here is the quotation of verse Leviticus 18 5 the man that doeth them shall live in them see this expression at the end of verse 12 the man that doeth them shall live in them if you think that you can keep the law let's see it live it out in your life let's see if you can live it and I want to read this verse in Leviticus 18 Leviticus 18 and verse 5 look at this and I'm just reading it verse 5 ye shall therefore keep my

statutes and my judgment which if a man do he shall live in them I am the Lord in other words if you will not do it you will not live cursed is a man that fulfill not all the law that God had given then you will be cursed and therefore faith in God and trusting in his provision was necessary that's why the sacrificial system was provided for our people now let me sum it all up now in verses 13 and verses 14 this is the final quotation from the Torah that Paul is mentioning he says God's salvation comes through Yeshua the Messiah himself and him alone not through other ways notice verses 13 and 14

Galatians 3 verses 13 and 14 Christ, this is the Greek word for Christos in Hebrew it's Mashiach, Messiah Messiah has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Yeshua HaMashiach jesus the messiah that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith now these final words here is this messiah has redeemed us from the curse of the law how being made curse for us because it is written and again he's going back to the scripture to Deuteronomy chapter 21 verses 22 and 23 where it says cursed

is everyone that is hanging on a tree.

Now brothers and sisters let me tell you our Jewish people never crucified the death penalty never came in a way that the Romans did, crucifying when a Jewish man, when an Israeli man, when a Hebrew man violated the law of God he was stoned but after he was stoned he was displayed on a tree that everybody will see the consequence of sin and violation of the word of God that's why scripture tells us in quoting Deuteronomy chapter 21 cursed is everyone that hangeth on the tree when you pass by and you see someone is hanging on a tree after he was stoned or she was stoned that means that that person violated the law of

God deserved to die and they were hanging on a tree now in a very interesting in a very similar way the Apostle Paul give us to understand what happened when Yeshua paid for our sins you see the person who was hanging on the tree was a person who violated the law of God and deserved to die like you and I are deserved because we violated the law but when it's come to Yeshua he didn't deserve to die he was not placed on a tree because of his own sin he was placed on a tree because of my sins and yours so he was displayed if you will but the difference was this the man that

was displayed because he sinned and he was stoned and placed on a tree was guilty but Yeshua the Messiah was the Holy One of Israel who never sinned who willingly said I love my father I love my wife I love my children I will not go out free and he went to the cross to the shameful cross and there we find out notice that he has redeemed us from the curse of the law he became curse for us you know one day when we're going to be in heaven and he's going to display you might say before us the judgment seat of the Messiah all the guilt and the sins that we have committed and

all this he's going to burn he's going to send it away from the presence of the Lord we're going to realize what the price that he paid for our sins we will realize that the very fact that we are in the presence of God is not because we kept the law we have broken every law that God has given but Yeshua became a curse for us cursed is everyone that is hanging on a tree Christ the Messiah has redeemed us from the curse of the law and why and he concludes here in verse 14 they are the blessings of Avram might come on the Gentiles through Jesus the Messiah that we might receive the promise

of the Spirit through faith and faith alone by grace are ye saved through faith this is not of yourself it is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast Yeshua paid it so you and I will never need to pay the price for the guilt of the sins that we have committed may the Lord help us to see that and understand it and not be foolish not allow yourself to be beguiled who had bewitched you he said let's be careful and not allow ourselves to be bewitched may the Lord bless his word can we say amen to that