"Lech Aharai" is Hebrew for "Follow me". That is what the Jewish student or "talmid" (disciple) would do. Literally pack up his belongings and follow the Rabbi wherever he went.
Recently, I had a "revelation" about just this. In other words a "light bulb" went off in my head. I was laying in bed thinking about my "journey" back to the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and my relationship to Yeshua. I was pondering how difficult yet wonderful a travel this has been. You see I started off as a Christian. Actually as a Catholic. I didn't read a Bible until I was 30, I am now 64. And once I opened it, I couldn't put it down. I have attended (and taught) numerous Bible studies and even attended a Bible School. But, then in 2008 something happened to me. Something monumental.
A good friend of mine gave me a book about the Ten Commandments. Really this book was about the neglecting of the fourth Commandment "Observe the Sabbath Day and keep it holy." Deuteronomy 5: 12. This writing taught that the Sabbath was not actually Sunday - it was Saturday - the seventh day of the week. How could this be? I found through additional research this was true. That the "church" had actually changed this Commandment - and made the Sabbath Sunday!
As I began to study this a whole new world opened to me, actually a whole new G-d. I began to realize that the "Christian Jesus" was someone the church had made up. That if you studied the gospels, clearly there was no Christian Jesus. But, what I found was that there was a Jewish Rabbi called "Yeshua"(Jesus, His Name in Hebrew). He was G-d, made man, and came to save the lost sheep of Israel. And I believe the way He had planned to do this was to teach them the Torah (Scriptures) correctly.
In fact He says this in Matthew 5:17 "Do not think I came to destroy the Law (Torah) or the Prophets (Writings). I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." One word for "fulfill" in Hebrew is "qum" pronounced "koom". Strongs Hebrew 6965 defines it as "arise, build, confirm, establish.". Interesting. The opposite of "destroy" is to "establish". And that is what Yeshua came to do, as a Jewish Rabbi, to establish the Torah. Ans in every generation, we tend to stray from the heart of Torah, as was in His day. He task was to bring His people back to the Truth, the Torah.
Continuing with my revelation. I have been looking so hard to find the Truth. To go back and study what Rabbi Yeshua was teaching - the Law, Torah. And frankly, it has been really hard. As I have written in previous blogs - I have been searching for "who I am, in Him". Am I a Jew because I have attached myself to Israel? Am I a "stranger" who supports and follows Torah, but not fully a Jew? And how can I become a Jew if presently, the Jewish Rabbis would not allow me to "join" with them because of my belief as Yeshua as the coming Messiah
In one of my old blogs ("Being Ruth with Israel") I wrote that "I can be a 'Ruth'". And do exactly what she did:
"Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people (the Jews) shall be my people. And your Elohim, my Elohim (G-d)." Ruth 1:16
But, still - who does that me? Am I a "Ruthite"? We as humans do desire to "identify" with a group of peoples - right? This is truly what I want to be - like Ruth. Having that kind of faith, that "will" and courage to follow the Jewish Rabbi Yeshua, like Ruth followed Boaz.
Still that does not feel like enough. It seems like there is more.
And maybe there is. Maybe the revelation I received this morning is truly simple. Just this:
"Follow Me" - Lech Aharai.
HaShem (G-d) in all His mercy, came back to the earth, manifested Himself as a Jewish Rabbi to fulfill or "qum" the Torah. What a loving Elohim to do this for us. Throughout Scriptures He has given us so many, many chances to "teshuvah" or return back to Him. We do, and then we fail. But, He loved us so that so much that He believed a personal appearance would be the best He could do.
After all, who could better teach His Torah, then the Torah Himself? (John 1:1) And all we have to do is lech aharai. Follow Him. Not just read about Him, but actually try our hardest to be like Him. In all His ways. Which means to follow His Torah. Live His Torah. Love Him and love others.
So, maybe I can not become Jewish. Maybe I can not join a synagogue. But, I can study and follow a Jewish Rabbi. He has given me His Book. And He has given me prayer to communicate with Him. And He has given me a group of friends, a community, to do this with.
It really isn't complicated. It has been there all the time. He has been teaching me my whole life how to follow Him. Only I didn't know He was a Jew. I didn't realize He was a Rabbi. And I didn't know about His Torah. Now I do. Now I am learning and growing.
It's all about this:
Matthew 16:24 "Then Yeshua said to His disciples (talmidim), 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and lech aharai (follow Me).'"
That's the path we are to take. The only path. To follow the Jewish Rabbi. It is a path will lead us to eternity - continuing with Him. I am praying that He will return soon - to His New Temple in Jerusalem, where the Law will go forth and every knee will bow. There we will have no questions about our identity. It will all become clear. And wonderful!
One last thought. Rabbi Yeshua is our "link" to Israel. He is the way we are joined to the olive tree and grafted in. I can think of no other way. And I believe that is exactly the way He intended it. We can only become a part of Israel, if we become disciples under the Jewish Rabbi Yeshua and “lech aharai”.