Ephesians 2:1-2 LSB ~ And you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,

The phrase “We were” begins the division introduced in the Bible’s structure, specifically in the letter to the Ephesians, chapter 2, authored by Paul.

When Paul uses the pronoun “you” in his letter to the Ephesians, he is primarily addressing “us Gentiles.” Conversely, when he employs “we” or “us,” he is referring to the chosen people of Israel. This distinction is not intended to be negative but is an important nuance for readers to recognize and highlight as they study this epistle. Understanding this distinction enhances our comprehension of the message Paul conveys.

Yahweh chose Israel to initiate something remarkable, a divine plan that was not meant to remain concealed. It is through God’s grace, bestowed upon us through Messiah Yeshua, that “we” have willingly chosen to follow Yahweh and participate in this extraordinary purpose.

Due to the corruption of our hearts, often symbolized in the Bible as having a “hardened heart,” Yahweh allows us to be surrendered to the forces of nature.

^{Colossians 2:8 LSB}
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

^{Deuteronomy 4:15-20 LSB}
“So keep your souls very carefully, since you did not see any form on the day Yahweh spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth, and lest you lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which Yahweh your God has apportioned for all the peoples under the whole heaven. But Yahweh has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own inheritance, as today.

Through Yeshua, we—”the Gentiles”—have been liberated. But free from what, you might wonder? From the chains of sin. What exactly is this bondage?

^{Deuteronomy 4:19}
lest you lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them

We are spiritual beings—elohim—encased in material bodies. Our innate longing for the spiritual realm stems from this divine essence within us. When Yahweh created us, He breathed His Holy Spirit into our very being; however, this divine presence was withdrawn when we chose to take matters into our own hands.

That is why we are all born in sin and do not possess Yahweh’s “Ru’ach Ha’Kodesh” (Holy Spirit) within us until Yeshua promised to restore it. When Yeshua breathed His last human breath on the cross, He was completely separated from the Father and the Holy Spirit. Exactly the same way the Holy Spirit was taken away from Adam and Eve. Why He screamed from the cross Psalm 22:

^{Psalm 22:1 LSB}
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

On the third day, Yahweh reanimated His mortal body and was able to breathe back the Spirit of life. To dead means to live a life without the Spirit of Yahweh; but in His resurrection, Yeshua rose filled entirely with the Holy Spirit, back in full Unity with The Father.

On Shavuot, also known as Pentecost, there was a powerful breath—a divine exhalation from Yahweh. He releases His Spirit upon those gathered in the upper room, empowering them to receive eternal life. Once again, they are guided by the Holy Spirit, renewed and strengthened in their faith.

^{Deuteronomy 4:20}
But Yahweh has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own inheritance, as today.

Yahweh chose Israel to demonstrate how to live under His Kingdom—free from the bondage of sin and guided by His Spirit. Before, we lived without the Spirit of God, relying solely on our limited, perishable understanding. We were unfamiliar with His traditions because, as Gentiles, we were not initially included, nor did we constitute a nation. However, through God’s grace, we have now become a part of the Kingdom of Heaven, a new nation unified under His divine sovereignty.

^{Ephesians 2:19-22 LSB}
So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

We are called to stand apart from this world, which has fallen under the sway of its own passions and influences, hardened by the state of our hearts. As followers of Yahweh, we are to be distinct in our customs and traditions—traditions that honor Him through Yeshua. So, why then did Paul said:

^{Colossians 2:16-19 LSB}
Therefore, no one is to judge you in food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, going into detail about visions he has seen, being puffed up for nothing by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

We are committed to following Yahweh’s commandments, the Torah, and we will not allow others to shame us for doing so. Our love for Elohim is unwavering, and we have embraced Yeshua as our Lord and Savior. To live under His guidance and protection is to walk in accordance with the Torah.

We do not follow the Torah simply because it seems logical to us or because it promotes good health. Our motivation is rooted in the desire to adhere to the Torah under the perfect guidance of Yeshua.

Shalom, May Yahweh bless you and keep you.

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