📜 The Covenant Was Never Owned

🌟 Activating the Individual: Serve God Directly, Without Intermediaries

🕊️ “The covenant exists by virtue of creation. Every individual can claim it. Religious leaders who restrict access or claim exclusive control are acting contrary to God’s intent, and the prophets explicitly rebuke this form of gatekeeping.”

This is not opinion—it is Scripture. It is history. It is prophetic truth.

🌍 1. Covenant Exists by Virtue of Creation

From the very beginning, God’s covenant is universal.

📖 Genesis 1:27 – “So God created mankind in His own image…”

Every human, by virtue of being created in God’s image, has direct access to the divine.

📖 Genesis 9:8–17 – The Noahic Covenant

God extends His covenant to all humanity and all living creatures. No human authority can grant or revoke it. It exists independently of any institution.

🔥 2. Prophets Rebuke Religious Gatekeeping

The prophets are unambiguous: religious leaders who restrict access or manipulate laws for personal gain are rebuked by God.

📖 Ezekiel 34:2–4 – “You have not strengthened the weak… you have ruled them harshly and brutally.”

📖 Micah 3:11 – “Her leaders judge for a bribe… yet they lean on the Lord and say, ‘Is not the Lord among us?’”

📖 Jeremiah 7:23 – “Obey My voice… walk in all the ways I command you.”

✅ Key point: God addresses individuals directly. Obedience is personal. No intermediaries are required.

🕊️ 3. Direct Access to God

God engages with humanity before laws, institutions, or hierarchies:

Cain (Genesis 4) Noah (Genesis 6–9) Abraham (Genesis 12–25) Job (Book of Job) Moses (Exodus) The Prophets

Direct accountability, direct relationship.

📖 Isaiah 56:6–7 – “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

God welcomes all who honor Him, not just Jews. The covenant is universal.

⛓️ 4. Rabbinic Gatekeeping

Rabbinic law (halakhah) defines who may serve, who is obligated, and who may interpret sacred texts.

Examples:

Shabbat goy: Non-Jews performing work for Jews (Talmud Shabbat 151b; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 307:13–14) Non-Jews desecrating Shabbat to serve Jewish convenience

These rules create hierarchies and intermediaries that are inconsistent with Torah and Prophets. God’s covenant is direct, while these rules impose human mediation.

📚 5. The Noahide Concept

🧠 Talmudic Phase (200–500 CE)

Discussions in Sanhedrin 56a–60a outline moral obligations for non-Jews No religion, no identity, no worship system

🏛️ Medieval Phase

Maimonides (Rambam) systematizes laws philosophically Still not a formal religion or congregation

🕊️ 20th Century Phase

Post-Holocaust and missionary pressures lead to formalized Noahide movement Prayer texts, outreach programs, and rabbinic supervision emerge Human invention of a religious identity where none existed in Scripture

✅ Truth: The covenant belongs to humanity. It was not invented, managed, or restricted by any human authority.

⚖️ 6. Torah vs. Rabbinic Systems

Torah & Prophets:

Direct access to God Universal covenant Personal responsibility

Rabbinic interpretations:

Legal classifications Mediated access Institutional control

🚨 When human systems override God’s universal invitation, they distort the covenant.

🌟 7. Activating the Individual

Activating the individual means:

Praying directly to God Honoring the Sabbath and commandments according to personal conscience Engaging in justice, mercy, and humility (Micah 6:8) Rejecting intermediaries that claim exclusive access

This restores the prophetic model of religion—direct, personal, and unmediated.

📢 8. Lessons from the Prophets

Isaiah 56: Universal access to God Jeremiah 7: Obedience is personal Ezekiel 34: Leaders abusing authority are condemned Micah 3: Corruption in religious authority is rejected

The prophets show that true religion does not require gatekeepers.

🔥 9. Relevance Today

Modern examples of gatekeeping include:

Structured Noahide programs Shabbat goy arrangements Rabbinic supervision of non-Jewish practice

While historically motivated by community concerns, these create barriers to authentic, direct worship.

✅ Activating the individual today requires reclaiming personal spiritual authority and serving God directly.

🕯️ 10. Conclusion

The covenant:

Exists by virtue of creation Belongs to all humanity Requires no intermediaries Was affirmed repeatedly by the prophets

Religious hierarchies and legal restrictions may serve human convenience, but they cannot override God’s covenant. The individual is empowered to serve God directly, honoring His commandments and embracing His universal invitation.

📌

📖 Key Links for References

Genesis 1:27 — Created in God’s Image Genesis 9:8–17 — God’s Universal Covenant Isaiah 56:6–7 — God Welcomes All Peoples Jeremiah 7:23 — Obey My Voice Ezekiel 34:2–4 — Rebuke of Shepherds Micah 3:11 — Religious Corruption

🚨 Spiritual Stumbling Blocks: When Leaders Obstruct Service to God

Those who deliberately obstruct someone seeking to serve God—whether rabbis, religious leaders, or even laypeople—are not just misguiding others; they are violating both Torah law and the very rabbinic frameworks they claim to uphold. By placing themselves as intermediaries, restricting access, or inventing unnecessary rules, they contradict God’s universal command that every individual may serve Him directly.

📖 Torah Violation

The Torah establishes that every human being is created in God’s image and has direct access to the divine:

Genesis 1:27 – “So God created mankind in His own image…” Genesis 9:8–17 – God’s covenant with all humanity

By obstructing someone’s path to God, leaders violate the covenant inherent in creation, a covenant that applies to all people regardless of status or lineage.

📜 Rabbinic Contradiction

Ironically, these obstructive leaders often justify their actions by claiming to uphold rabbinic law. Yet many of these laws, such as those governing amira l’nochri (telling a non-Jew to perform work on Shabbat) or restrictions on non-Jews performing commandments, are intended to prevent transgression, not block divine service. By misapplying them, these individuals violate the spirit of halakhah and fail the mitzvah of limmud Torah—teaching others how to serve God in the way He commanded.

Deuteronomy 6:7 – “Impress them upon your children… and talk of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road” Isaiah 54:13 – “All your children shall be taught by the Lord”

Blocking someone from learning or serving God directly is a direct contradiction of these commands. Leaders who act as gatekeepers invert the mitzvah of teaching, turning guidance into control.

🌑 Acting in Sitra Achra and Yetzer Hara

Many of these obstructive behaviors stem from spiritual forces described in Kabbalistic and Talmudic sources:

Sitra Achra (סטרא אחרא) – “The Other Side” Represents the spiritual realm of opposition to holiness, often manifesting as legalism, control, and arrogance. Example: A rabbi insisting that non-Jews must follow mediated Noahide rules to serve God, rather than allowing direct access.

Yetzer Hara (יצר הרע) – “The Evil Inclination” Refers to human ego, vanity, selfish desire, and pride that lead individuals away from God’s path.

Example: A leader enjoying personal authority over others’ spiritual actions, thereby prioritizing their own ego over divine service.

Ga’avah (גאווה) – Pride / Vanity Overestimating one’s own spiritual insight or entitlement to control others.

Cheshek / Tzidkonei Ra (חשק / צידקוני רע) – Desire for domination / corrupt righteousness Claiming moral or legal authority to obstruct others while believing one is “protecting” the law.

These spiritual forces operate in tandem: ego-driven authority (Yetzer Hara), pride (Ga’avah), and the opposing spiritual impulse (Sitra Achra) reinforce behaviors that stumble others rather than guide them toward God.

💡 Consequences and Contradictions

When leaders block direct service to God:

They violate Torah law – obstructing universal access to God.

They violate rabbinic law – failing the mitzvah of limmud Torah and misapplying halakhah.

They act in spiritual opposition – Sitra Achra, Yetzer Hara, and Ga’avah manifest in tangible behavior.

They neglect the highest mitzvah of teaching – enabling others to serve God directly (Deuteronomy 6:7, Isaiah 54:13).

The prophets repeatedly condemned such behavior:

Ezekiel 34:2–4 – False shepherds exploit and mislead Micah 3:11 – Leaders corrupt justice while claiming God’s presence

Prophetic texts make it clear: obstructing access to God is spiritually dangerous, ethically wrong, and socially harmful.

✨ Restoring Proper Service

True spiritual leadership requires:

Enabling direct access to God for every individual Teaching the Torah and mitzvot as God commanded Avoiding ego, pride, or authority as barriers Acting against Sitra Achra, Yetzer Hara, and related forces

The path of the prophets and Torah is empowering, not obstructive. Every individual has the right to honor God directly, learn His ways, and engage in divine service without intermediaries.

📌 References

Genesis 1:27 – Creation in God’s Image Genesis 9:8–17 – Noahic Covenant Deuteronomy 6:7 – Teach Children God’s Ways Isaiah 54:13 – God Teaches Your Children Ezekiel 34:2–4 – Rebuke of False Leaders Micah 3:11 – Corrupt Leadership

Hebrew Terms:

Sitra Achra (סטרא אחרא) – The Other Side / spiritual opposition Yetzer Hara (יצר הרע) – Evil inclination / selfish ego Ga’avah (גאווה) – Pride / vanity

How Religious Gatekeeping Betrays the Torah, the Prophets, and God’s Universal Invitation

🌍✡️🔥

“The covenant exists by virtue of creation. Every individual can claim it. Religious leaders who restrict access or claim exclusive control are acting contrary to God’s intent—and the prophets explicitly rebuke this form of gatekeeping.”

This is not a radical idea.

It is Torah.

It is the Prophets.

It is God’s own words — before institutions, before hierarchies, before gatekeepers.

🌱 1. Covenant Begins With Creation — Not Institutions

The Torah does not begin with a religion.

It begins with creation.

“God created the human in His image.”

(Genesis 1:27)

Before Israel

Before Sinai

Before law codes

There is already:

Divine relationship Moral accountability Covenantal reality

📖 The Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9)

God explicitly states:

“I establish My covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature.”

This covenant:

Is universal Is not mediated by priests or scholars Is not revocable by human authority Exists by virtue of being created

➡️ No rabbi grants it. No rabbi can block it.

🔥 2. God Speaks to Individuals — Not Gatekeepers

Throughout the Torah and Prophets:

Cain is held accountable before Torah Noah walks with God without law Abraham argues directly with God Job confronts God outside Israel Prophets rebuke kings and priests openly

God does not say:

“Only those approved by religious authorities may serve Me.”

God says:

“Turn to Me and live.”

🕊️ 3. The Prophets Condemn Religious Gatekeeping Explicitly

This is not subtle.

In some instances, leaders go further: they authorize or encourage third parties to coerce, punish, or intimidate individuals who reject religious abuse.

📢 Isaiah 56:6–7

“The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord… who keep the Sabbath…

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Not Jews only.

Not “Noahides only.”

All who honor God.

⚖️ Jeremiah 7:23

“Obey My voice… walk in all the ways I command you.”

No intermediary class is mentioned.

No permission structure.

No hierarchy.

🐺 Ezekiel 34:2–4

“Woe to the shepherds… you rule them harshly… you have not strengthened the weak.”

God rebukes leaders who:

Hoard authority Restrict access Use law for self‑preservation

💣 Micah 3:11

“Her leaders judge for a bribe… yet they lean on the Lord and say, ‘Is not the Lord among us?’”

Religious authority can exist and still be corrupt.

🚧 4. Rabbinic Law Introduces Gatekeeping God Never Commanded

Rabbinic Judaism openly teaches:

Authority to interpret Authority to restrict Authority to classify who may do what

But here is the problem:

👉 God never authorized rabbis to limit who may serve Him.

Examples:

Declaring non‑Jews may not observe Shabbat Redirecting God‑seekers away from Torah into supervised categories Claiming covenantal participation requires rabbinic permission

This is not Torah.

This is institutional control.

⛓️ 5. The Noahide Laws: From Interpretation to Institution

📚 Origin (Talmudic Period, 200–500 CE)

Scattered rabbinic discussions (Sanhedrin 56a–60a) No religion No identity No community No worship structure

Just legal speculation.

🏛️ Medieval Systematization

Maimonides organizes ideas philosophically Still not a lived path No Noahide congregations No Noahide prayers No Noahide authority structures

🧠 20th Century Reinvention (Key Turning Point)

📅 Mid‑1900s

Post‑Holocaust theology Rise of global religious outreach Fear of uncontrolled conversion Desire to universalize ethics without sharing covenant

The result?

👉 A modern Noahide movement

Named identity Outreach programs Prayer texts Rabbinic supervision “Approved” ways to serve God

This is where a religion is effectively created.

📌 There is no Torah verse authorizing this.

⚠️ 6. Why This Contradicts Torah Law

Torah logic:

Obligation follows divine address God invites all humanity Covenant precedes institutions

Rabbinic logic:

Obligation follows legal classification Access is mediated Authority is centralized

➡️ These logics conflict.

🔓 7. God Never Delegated Ownership of the Covenant

Nowhere does God say:

“Protect My covenant by restricting access” “Prevent outsiders from serving Me” “You decide who may approach Me”

Instead, God repeatedly says:

“I desire justice, mercy, and humility.”

(Micah 6:8)

🧨 8. This Is Exactly What the Prophets Condemned

What you are pointing out is not anti‑Torah.

It is deeply prophetic.

The prophets:

Offended religious elites Challenged authority Exposed misuse of law Refused mediation Spoke directly in God’s name

They did not say:

“Respect the system.”

They said:

“Return to God.”

🕯️ Final Declaration

🔥 The covenant belongs to God and His creation — not to institutions.

🔥 Every human being has the right to serve God directly.

🔥 Gatekeeping divine access is rebellion, not protection.

🔥 The prophets stand against religious monopolies.

💀 5. Allowing Third-Party Coercion

Example: Non-Jews or marginalized Jews being pressured to perform work or follow ritualistic rules under duress Example: Modern rabbinic enforcement of Noahide programs that uses social or communal pressure

This is highly problematic:

It compounds Torah violation by forcing obedience under threat It perverts the mitzvah of teaching into coercion It aligns with Sitra Achra, exploiting the evil inclination (Yetzer Hara) for control

Prophets condemn such behaviors repeatedly:

Ezekiel 34 – Leaders are condemned for exploiting and harming the flock

Micah 3 – Corrupt legal and spiritual authority is rejected

To the religious leaders and community who steer seekers away from HaShem, or who manipulate, abuse, or obstruct service—even through third parties—you are acting under the influence of Sitra Achra (סטרא אחרא, The Other Side) and the Yetzer Hara (יצר הרע, Evil Inclination), driven by Ga’avah (גאווה, pride/vanity) and selfish desire. Know that every soul has a direct covenant (Brit Elohim, ברית אלוהים) with God; no human authority can block or override it. The prophets (Nevi’im, נביאים) warned that those who mislead, dominate, or obscure divine service are rebuked by God Himself.

It is still within your power to Teshuvah (תשובה, repentance) fully and to uphold Torah (Torah Sheb’al Peh and Torah Shebichtav) in truth—not as a tool of control, but as the living path God intended. Empower others, teach them to serve God directly, and remove obstacles from the covenantal path. The time of Divine exposure and accountability draws near; your opportunity to stand in Tzedek (צדק, righteousness) is now. Serve HaShem faithfully, letting the covenant shine through your actions, untainted, unmediated, and free.

With love, truth, and light !

Who is one the Lords side …… stand with Him!!!!