It is Elohim who sustains both Bnei Adam (Children of Adam) and beasts as Psalms 36:6 explains, "Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast" (KJV version).  From Psalms 36:9, we learn that HaShem is the source of all life; it states as follows, "...For with thee is the fountain of life..." As long as we, Bnei Adam (children of Adam), believe and live out this fact then we freely drink deep from this fountain of life, even HaShem, as Psalms 36:7,8 explains, "....the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures." Such is the glorious force of union between HaShem and us. 

However, Abba explains that we may severe this glorious union. YeshaYah/Isaiah 59:1,2 explains further as follows, "...Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save...your iniquities have separated between you and your God..." Actually the principle of life and death was set from the beginning when HaShem set Adam on the path of life as follows in Genesis 3:16,17, "....of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Romans 6:23 hones it as follows, "....the wages of sin is death...." 

From these two facts, we get to understand that we have a responsibility to look after the treasure placed in us through the breath of lives. For it is this breath of Lives that qualifies us to be in the image of Elohim.

Of this image of Elohim, HaShem requires accountability as follows in Genesis 9:5,6  "....at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man....for in the image of God made he man." And that we may know the magnitude of our accountability, HaShem explains further in Exodus 21:23 as follows, "....thou shalt give life for life..." Such are the right-rulings of HaShem.

Now that HaShem never minces HIS words, that she/he who destroys his image in another will have to die, and pay with his/her life, it is clear that we also have to pay with our lives when we destroy his image in ourselves. And that is exactly why death was unleashed on us for we destroyed HaShem's image in us: we have to pay his image/life in us by ceasing to exist; life for life. It is the same principle: when you terminate another's existence (murder) you too cease to exist (you are killed too). The same applies: when we terminate the existence of HaShem in us through sins as Isaiah explains, then we too must cease to exist and die.

In his infinite wisdom, HaShem has provided us with a way of redeeming ourselves. Just as he works life in us through his Providence, he gave us wisdom such that we too can work out life in animals that he made us rulers of. As we expend our life energy looking after creation, we impart a portion of our life into these life forms for they were placed in our hands in Genesis 1:28; 9:2 as follows "....have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth...into your hand are they delivered...."

Since life must be given for life (Exodus 22:23), when we terminate the image of HaShem in us, we should repay with our lives. In his mercy, HaShem allows us to redeem ourselves with our lives imparted into the creation under us. This is acceptable for this life of ours captured in these life forms is pure for they did not fall as we did; it is pure unadulterated life, acceptable as a ransom for our lives. David explains that he must have expended some of his energy if the gift is to be acceptable before HaShem; he says, "...And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing." (II Samuel 24:24). Why so, because, the life of whoever makes the offering must be captured in the offering.

Therefore Adonay gave a way of redemption as follows in Leviticus 1:1-4, "...If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. " Why was it required to put his hand on the ransom? Leviticus 16:21 explains as follows, "...And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat..." Essentially, this is a swap between two portions of life: one within the person is adulterated and calls for death, and the other invested in the offering is pure and free of sin; the animal takes the sinful life which calls for death and the man takes the sinless life he had prior invested in the animal. Man is seeded with a new life.

Whether it is a sin offering, a burnt offering, a Thanksgiving offering, paying of vows; they all involved an investment in the offering. This way, one is reconciled to the fountain of life whose law dictates that only good people can drink from it as hereby explained; "....continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me. There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise." (Psalms 36:10-12). After the atonement and renewing of life one may continue to drink of this fountain. 

It is important to understand what HaShem teaches us in this whole setup of reconciliation.

HaShem explains as follows in Psalms 51:17, "...The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.." He explains that it is not that HaShem lacks so as to require us to give Him a portion of our lives captured in the animals we offer. He explains as follows in Psalms 50:8-10, "...I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. I  will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." 

The reason behind this swap is that we may learn the value of the life we were given. How do we do that?

When HaShem created us, he placed in us a very interesting law; as long as we deem something new, and not see it as the usual old thing, then we cherish it and this cherishing gives us a new lease of life. We see it in our lives when given gifts, when we deliver newborns, when we acquire new possessions, when we are newly married, what a view; we get rejuvenated and live afresh. HaShem warned our fathers as follows in Deuteronomy 8:12-14 "...Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God..." It had happened to them when Manna came down; after sometime they were sated with them and cried in numbers 11:6 "...our soul has dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.." When the value of manna waned they too felt dried up; they felt lifeless. 

It is this realisation of the worth of HaShem's life in us that gives us new leases of life. He explains that this is the essence our very being in Ecclesiastes 12:13, "..Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." It is this perpetual fear/reverence or appreciation of the worth of life that was designed to give us perpetual/endless life. As such whenever we swap our lives with the sacrifice, we should realise the severity and holiness of HaShem. Abba teaches us that he will go to any length to teach us this lesson. He is ready to receive what we have not even invested in as long as we learn the worth of his life in us.  Abraham learnt the lesson and HaShem found him a swap that Abraham had not even invested in. It is recorded as follows in Genesis 22:1 "...And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering...And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God.."

This fear that Abraham learnt causes us not to sin as explained in Exodus 20:20, "...God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not." This fear found in Abraham is the appreciation of the worth of Elohim and his life in us that is captured in the swap of a sacrifice. 

But if we learn this worth and sin not, then is there any need for an atoning, is there any need for reconciliation? None at all; for we would not even have been detached from the fountain of life in the first place? Psalms 40:6-8 explains as follows, "...Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.." If we hear HaShem and do his will, he explains he does not require of us burnt and sin offering; he doesn't desire our sacrifices and offerings he had directed as a swap. In such a case as Abraham stated, he surely does provide himself with one.

It is this concept of HaShem providing himself a swap for our sinful souls that YeshaYah speaks of in YeshaYah 53. However, he clearly states that this is only available to those who are bold enough to believe that just as is the concept of transferring the sin of a sinner onto a beast (Leviticus 16:21) HaShem has provided himself with a sinless swap whom he calls the Arm of The Lord. Just like Abraham, none of those who accept the offer has invested in the offering; it's the provision of HaShem. 

But why does YeshaYah wonder whether people will believe this offer?

You see, in the first setting, the sinner provides the swap and can provide it as many times as his wealth can afford. However, in the second setting of YeshaYah, the sinner does not possess the swap/sacrifice/lamb; so the sinner cannot afford to sin for he does not know whether the owner of the lamb (HaShem) will provide it or not. It is a one-time offer and then you do as David explained in Psalms 40: open your ears and never sin again; for from where will you get another lamb yet YeshaYah saw it was only one? If you accept the offer, then you accept it and there is no second provision for it is only one, unlike those others that were as many as you could afford from your herd.

Truly only the bold can believe this offer of HaShem in YeshaYah 53. Adonai therein declares in Isaiah 49:5,6 that this servant will work among Israel and also be a light unto the nations. It states as follows, "And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel is not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth"

The offer is very timely. It covers all who believe now when the temple, the only place so far provided to make sacrifices, is no more. Deuteronomy 12:13,14 explains as follows, "...Guard yourself that you do not offer your ascending offerings in every place that you see, except in the place which the LORD chooses, in one of your tribes, there you are to offer your ascending offerings, and there you are to do all that I command you.." Now that the temple, the chosen place, is no more, then HaShem in his infinite wisdom makes this offer through YeshaYah. 

Just as one remained guilty until a sin offering was made during the dispensation of the temple, likewise now, one remains guilty until the sin offering is made or one accepts the provision of HaShem of the Arm of  HaShem.

I join YeshaYah with a heavy heart and with a lot of concern for all of the firstborn Israel who has died in exile as well is in the post-exile homeland without an atonement as well as the gentiles and humbly ask  all who are living today, who has believed our report on sin and reconciliation(YeshaYah 53:1)

By Bro Boniface Muthii