ARE YOU STILL LOOKING BACK? Why would WE become unfit for the kingdom of YAHWEH Elohim?

But Yahshua said to him, No man places his hand upon the handle of a plough and looks backwards and is useful to the kingdom of Elohim†.

Messiah has a stern and strong warning to those people who put their hands on the plow and look back. He said in Luke 9:62:

What did Messiah mean by this statement? After all, our salvation might as well depend on upon this statement of Yahshua Messiah. He said that if we are guilty of looking back after putting our hands on the plow, we will not be fit for the kingdom of Elohim.

What does place his hand upon the handle of a plough mean?

Places your hands upon the handle of a plough is a proverbial expression that signifies undertaking a new business. In this case, putting our hands on the plow means that we have decided that we are going to commit our lives to YAHWEH Elohim (God). We believe that YAHWEH will save us when we repent of our sins, get baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands.

Yahshua Messiah lived in an agricultural age where His audience is very well familiar with what the Messiah exactly means. For a plowman to be successful in His work, he must concentrate on the job he started. He knows that the only way is forward and not being distracted by the things left behind.

In case the plowman starts to look back, his plow line would become crooked. If that happens, the field he is plowing will not yield a full harvest.

Why would he become unfit for the kingdom of Elohim?

We are commanded to bear much fruit. When we keep on looking back, we won’t be able to plow our field properly and because of that, we will not have plenty of harvests.

YAHWEH Elohim called us out of this world and once we responded to that call, we must never try to go back to the world. However, because of the many pleasures this world could offer – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – we tend to look back and be regretful of our calling.

When this happens, we are preventing ourselves from bearing much fruit. When YAHWEH Elohim calls us to His congregation to the body of Messiah, we are expected to give our whole heart. We are called to love Elohim (God) with all our hearts, soul, and mind. Looking back prevents us from doing this.

Worst of all, we might even let go of the plow and go back to our old sinful ways. A man who did not finish the job YAHWEH has given him will not be fit for Elohim’s kingdom. How can Elohim entrust the rulership in His Kingdom if we haven’t done our part?

The story of Elijah and Elisha

When Messiah made this statement, His audience knew that Yahshua was referring to the story of Elijah and Elisha.

Elohim commanded Elijah to anoint Elisha as a prophet who will be his successor. Elijah found Elisha “plowing with twelve yokes of oxen before Him” (I Kings 19:19). Elisha immediately let go of his physical plow and to hold the spiritual plow that YAHWEH Elohim has called him to do.

Elisha’s response was incredible. He “took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and became his servant” (verse 21).

In an agricultural society, it is unthinkable to kill your only source of income. Elisha is ready to forsake everything just to answer the call of YAHWEH! He made it clear to everyone that he doesn’t intend to go back to his “old life.”

This is the type of commitment Elohim (God) expects from us, Born Again Believers. We must be ready to let go of everything if we are to obey HIS will for us. The good news is when we put our complete trust in YAHWEH, He will never forsake us nor leave us. We can have the assurance that YAHWEH our Heavenly Father will supply all our needs.

Are you still looking back?

If we are still looking back at our old ways, we must reconsider our priorities in life. If we regret answering Elohim’s calling, then we might be in danger of being counted as unfit for the kingdom of YAHWEH.

We must fully be CONVINCED that the best way to live this life is doing HIS will and purpose. Yes, this world may entertain or give us pleasure, but these pleasures are only temporary. YAHWEH is the only Source of TRUE blessings – blessings that will last forever.

The point here is that if you have already thought it through and you know the right thing to do because it is obvious, but you continue to agonize over it, the opportunity will pass and you will have many regrets.

You should think things out carefully, and you should not make rash decisions that you might regret later on. However, as soon as you have thought it out and have decided for the Kingdom of Elohim (God), you have put your hand on the plow. Do not second-guess yourself into paralysis. If you look back, you’ll just mess the whole thing up.

If you have determined the right thing to do, do it! Second-guessing yourself when the path is clear only defeats you.

So let us not exchange our spiritual calling to something temporary and physical. Therefore, let us do our best in “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead!” (Philippians 3:13).