“Remove from you,” says he, “GRIEF; for she is the sister of doubt and anger.” “How, sir,” say I, “is she the sister of these? for anger, doubt, and grief seem to be quite different from each other.” “You are senseless, O man. Do you not perceive that grief is more wicked than all the spirits, and most terrible to the servants of ELOHIM, and more than all other spirits destroys man and crushes out the RUACH HA’KODESH (The Set-Apart Spirit), and yet, on the other hand, she saves him?”
Grief is defined by oxford dictionaries as deep sorrow, especially that is caused by someone’s death, misery, and sadness. Death isn’t the only thing that causes grief it can be the loss of someone’s job, house, car, or because of any reason something in their life did not go according to their plans. However, the part about death as mentioned in the definition and matches Sirach which was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Sirach 38:16-23
“My son let tears fall down over the dead and begin to lament, as if you had suffered great harm yourself; and then cover his body according to the custom and do not neglect his burial. Weep bitterly and make great moan and use lamentation as he is worthy for a day or two, for fear that they speak evil of you: and then comfort yourself for your sorrow. For from sorrow comes death and the sorrow of the heart breaks strength. In affliction also sorrow remains; and the life of the poor is the curse of the heart. Take no sorrow to heart: drive it away and remember the last end. Do not forget it for there is not turning again: you shall not do him good, but hurt yourself. Remember my judgment: for you shall also be so; yesterday for me and today for you. When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance rest; and be comforted for him, when his spirit has departed from him.”
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “I am senseless, sir,” say I, “and do not understand these parables. For how she can crush out, and on the other hand save, I do not perceive.” “Listen,” says he. “Those who have never searched for the truth, nor investigated the nature of the Divinity, but have SIMPLY BELIEVED ( Modern Christianity), when they devote themselves to and become mixed up with business, and wealth, and heathen friendships, and many other actions of this world, do not perceive the parables of Divinity; for their minds are darkened by these actions, and they are corrupted and become dried up. Even as beautiful vines, when they are neglected, are withered up by thorns and divers plants, so men who have believed, and have afterwards fallen away into many of those actions above mentioned, go astray in their minds, and lose all understanding in regard to righteousness; for if they hear of righteousness, their minds are occupied with their business, and they give no heed at all.”
Mathew 13:10-15
“And His disciples approached and said to Him, “Why do you speak in parables to them? And He (YESHUA) answered them, “To you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. For to him who has, it will be given to him and it will increase to him, and to him who has not, even that which he has will be taken from him. Because of this, I will speak in parables with them because they see, and they see not, and they hear and they do not hear, nor do they understand. And is fulfilled in them the prophecy of Isaiah which said that, ‘Hearing, and you will not understand what you will hear, and seeing you will see not know what you see.’ For hardened is the heart of this people, and with their ears they were hard of hearing, and their eyes are blinded that they should not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand in their heart and return and I heal them.”
These words are so true that the malach of repentace says because most of the world simply believes in YAHWEH and His Son YESHUA and say they are saved by grace and they stop there. They don’t seek out the heavenly things of YAHWEH to understand the truth which by definition is the Torah (Psalms 119:142) nor righteousness which is by definition the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:25). Most, believe they can go to church for one hour on Sunday (Skipping over the commanded 7th Day Shabbat/Saturday) and that is all that is required of them, instead they devote their time into the things of the world; therefore, they don’t understand heavenly things nor parables, they have eyes to see but are spiritually blind and ears to hear but are spiritually deaf.
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “Those, on the other hand, who have the fear of ELOHIM, and search after ELOHIM-Head and truth (Psalms 119:142), and have their hearts turned to YAHWEH, quickly perceive and understand what is said to them, because they have the fear of YAHWEH in them. For where YAHWEH dwells, there is much understanding. Cleave, then, to YAHWEH, and you will understand and perceive all things.”
Why is it that those who fear ELOHIM search out the ELOHIM-Head in truth and have understanding?
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (Aramaic)
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: FEAR YAHWEH and KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS; this is given by One Master to every man.”
Proverbs 9:10
“The fear of YAHWEH is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the righteous is understanding.”
CHAPTER 2
“Hear, then,” says he, “foolish man, how grief crushes out the RUACH HA’KODESH, and on the other hand saves. When the doubting man attempts any deed, and fails in it on account of his doubt, this grief enters into the man, and grieves the RUACH HA’KODESH, and crushes Him out.”
This is when someone goes into a situation DOUBTING from the very beginning and once it fails because of his/hers own doubt, they begin to carry grief in their hearts and crush out the RUACH HA’KODESH. Later in this message you will see why doubt which turns to grief causes one’s prayers to NOT be heard.
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “Then, on the other hand, when anger attaches itself to a man in regard to any matter, and he is embittered, then grief enters into the heart of the man who was irritated, and he is grieved at the deed which he did, and repents that he has wrought a wicked deed. This grief, then, appears to be accompanied by salvation, because the man, after having done a wicked deed, repented. Both actions grieve the Spirit: doubt, because it did not accomplish its object; and anger grieves the Spirit, because it did what was wicked. Both these are grievous to the RUACH HA’KODESH — doubt and anger. Wherefore remove grief from you, and crush not the RUACH HA’KODESH which dwells in you, lest He entreat ELOHIM against you, AND HE WITHDRAW FROM YOU.”
This is something that no follower of YESHUA should ever want to happen to them and David understood this perfectly well:
Psalms 51:11
“Cast me not away from Your presence; and take not Your RUACH HA’KODESH from me.”
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “For the Spirit of ELOHIM which has been granted to us to dwell in this body does not endure grief nor straitness (distress/stress). Wherefore put on cheerfulness, which always is agreeable and acceptable to ELOHIM, and rejoice in it. For every cheerful man does what is good, and minds what is good, and despises grief; but the sorrowful man always acts wickedly. First, he acts wickedly because he grieves the RUACH HA’KODESH, which was given to man a cheerful Spirit. Secondly, Grieving the RUACH HA’KODESH, he works iniquity, neither entreating YAHWEH nor confessing to Him. For the entreaty of the sorrowful man has no power to ascend to the altar of ELOHIM.” “Why,” say I, “does not the entreaty of the grieved man ascend to the altar?” “Because,” says he, “grief sits in his heart. Grief, then, mingled with his entreaty, does not permit the entreaty to ascend pure to the altar of ELOHIM. ,”
Psalms 141:1-2
“YAHWEH, I cry to You; make haste to answer me; give ear to my words and accept them. Let my PRAYER be set forth before You as INCENSE, and the gift of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
Revelation 5:8
“And when He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls filled with INCENSE, which are the PRAYERS of the set-apart ones.”
Romans 8:26-27
“So also the Spirit aids our weakness. For we are not cognizant of what to pray for in a proper manner; but the Spirit prays for us with groans beyond description. And the searcher of hearts, He knows what is the mind of the Spirit; because He prays for the set apart believers, agreeably to the will of ELOHIM.”
THE RUACH HA’KODESH intercedes for us in prayer, but as we see the malach of repentance says if your heart is filled with grief that is sitting in your heart, which is the most wicked spirit of all, then it crushes out the RUACH HA’KODESH and is equivalent to mixing wine with vinegar; therefore, be cheerful and the RUACH HA’KODESH will intercede for you without the grief, this in return will increase the power of your prayers and they will ascend pure to the altar of YAHWEH as incense.
Shepherd of Hermas continued: “For as vinegar and wine, when mixed in the same vessel, do not give the same pleasure [as wine alone gives], so grief mixed with the RUACH HA’KODESH does not produce the same entreaty [as would be produced by the RUACH HA’KODESH alone]. Cleanse yourself from this wicked grief, and you will live to ELOHIM; and all will live to ELOHIM who drive away grief from them, and put on all cheerfulness.”
As always may our Father YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!