What does it mean to be a “doer of the Word?”
Let’s take an honest look at what that means, by first starting with the prophets.
In the book of the prophet Isaiah, in Chapter 29 we read a very sobering truth about some of the prophets, rulers and seers. In verse 9, Yahuah says that these people are drunk, but not with wine; that they stagger, but not by means of a strong alcoholic drink.
Scripture often gives symbolic meaning that to be “drunk, but not with wine” is in reference to one being under a strong spiritual delusion. Every time we read about delusion, spiritual drunkenness or slumber, it is always BY the hand of Yahuah.
“For Yahuah has poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers he has covered.”
Isaiah 29:10
It goes on to say that the vision of all (i.e. the revelation of the Word) “has become to you as words of a book that are sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, ‘Read this’...and he says, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.’”
In other words, Scripture is saying that there is a lack of knowledge within these people, yet they claim to be “learned.” They probably had verses memorized, but they didn’t have it written in their heart—they didn’t really know it.
It’s very similar to the message Paul is sending to the churches today through 2 Timothy 3 and Romans 10. That there are people who have a form of holiness, but deny the power of it; that people are always learning but never coming to the knowledge of truth; that people have a zeal for Elohim but their zeal is according to their own understanding of righteousness and not Yah’s.
So, going back to Isaiah 29, in verse 13 Isaiah explains why there are people who are held in high positions, but are completely ignorant, unable to truly read and understand the Word, and it is because:
“Therefore Yahuah said: ‘Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips,but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.”
It’s important to know that it is very possible for the Most High to hide wisdom and understanding from people who are not really seeking Him with their whole heart. The very next verse, verse 14, illustrates this clearly.
Ezekiel also wrote the same thing:
“My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.”
Ezekiel 33:31
In fact, Yahusha quoted Isaiah 29:13 when he said in Mark 7:6:
“He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’”
It is within that same indictment that Yahusha is rebuking the people by saying that they worship in vain because they teach commandments of men rather than the commandments of Yahuah.
Why are we not taking our Messiah’s words to heart today? He couldn’t have been any clearer.
Unfortunately, Christianity is largely guilty of this same rebuke. They reject the commandments of Yahuah so that they can keep their own traditions (Mark 7:9). They have a zeal for “God” but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of Yahuah’s righteousness, have established their own version of righteousness, and have not submitted to the righteousness of Elohim (“God”) (Romans 10:1-2). And because of this reason, because they have been deceived by unrighteousness because they did not really love the truth enough to submit themselves to Yahuah’s righteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:10), Yahuah has sent them a strong delusion, so that even the most well-meaning, zealous Christians would believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11).
I’m not telling you anything new, though. I am reading the same letters that Paul wrote to the churches back in his day. He wasn’t writing these letters to unbelievers—he was writing to the natural branches, the wild branches, or both. The letters that Paul wrote still apply to the church (broadly speaking) today. Paul is telling us that Yahuah does not change. HE is the one who sends us a strong delusion. HE is the one who closes the eyes of hardened hearts and pours out a spirit of slumber on those who are all about lip service and living in total disregard to checking their own heart posture. HE is the one who holds the wine of the cup of Babylon and HE is the one who forces people to drink from it.
“Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations. I will also choose their delusions...”
Isaiah 66:3-4
Yahuah is all about justice. He wants us to turn to Him with all of our heart because He desperately wants to unveil our eyes from the deception of this world. He wants to wake you up from spiritual slumber. He does not take pleasure in anyone perishing, but wants all to come to repentance. But we must truly be willing to fully surrender to Him and bring your whole heart to Him.
In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul talks about the “mystery of lawlessness,” and that those who don’t love the truth are “deceived by unrighteousness.”
How is that the mystery of lawlessness could be at work by deceiving people unto unrighteousness?
One can only be deceived by lawlessness and unrighteousness if they don’t know what Yahuah’s standard of truth and righteousness is in the first place.
Scripture gives us those definitions:
“All your commandments are truth.”
Psalm 119:151
“All your commandments are righteousness.”
Psalm 119:172
These definitions are undebatable and not open to subjective interpretation. Lovers of truth must let Yah’s Word speak, no matter how uncomfortable it is or how much it challenges our current paradigms and presumptions.
James told us to “be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22).
Why did he tell us that hearers only deceive themselves?
He gives us that explanation in the following verses:
“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
James 1:23-25
The reason it is so important for us to understand the truth and be doers of the Word, is because if we don’t, we will have an identity crisis.
Keep in mind that any time the New Testament tells us to “do” the Word, “obey” the Word, or to “keep” the commandments, it is referring to the Old Testament Scriptures that the church tells us is not relevant to the life of a Believer today. James calls the law (torah) the “perfect law of freedom.” He says that if we aren’t “doers” of the Word, we will not know who we are as Yahuah’s people. We will be deceiving ourselves, as someone who looks in the mirror, but after walking away from it, forgets who he is.
In other words, he is telling us that the perfect law of freedom (talking about the Father’s torah/commandments) is not only what defines our work we are called to do, but also defines who we are!
Our congregations today are filled with a bunch of admiring, affectionate hearers, but not DOERS of the Word. But in all honestly, they’re not really being taught HOW to be doers of the Word, and many in the body aren’t really seeking it out for themselves, either.
Our congregations today are filled with a bunch of people who say that all you have to do is believe and you’ll be saved. But that’s not the entire gospel message. Like James said in verse 2:19, “You believe that there is one Elohim. Well done: the demons also believe and tremble.”
What makes us different?
Being a doer of the Word! Being a keeper of the commandments! It’s not about a list of rules to check off, it’s about a way of life! It’s not about being perfect—it’s a lifelong pursuit of it!
There is much the church must sit with today. There is an identity crisis in the body of Believers today that can only be restored when we truly understand what it means to be doers of the Word, to love Yahuah with all of our heart, and to realize that the commandments are a way of life that sets us apart from the rest of the world.
“But He said, ‘More than that, blessed are those who hear the Word of Elohim and keep it!’”
Luke 11:28
The Word that is relevant to the body of Believers today is the same Word that the majority of people call “old” today.
With Love,
Stephanie Green
The Old Testament is not so “old” after all, is it?