Core Values of Adonaism

Faith –

Adonai comes first in our lives. In fact, He comes BEFORE our lives. Examination of humanity’s sordid history reveals that every time we move away from the life principles He has given us, we move toward our own destruction. His wisdom, therefore, must lie at the very heart of all our endeavors.

• Proverbs 1:7 HCSB The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
• 2 Chronicles 7:14 HCSB and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Humility –

It takes humility to admit when we have messed up. It is required to learn from our experiences or from the life-lessons of others. It is a God magnet. Adonai draws near to the humble and He resists the proud. Therefore, we consider humility to be the most fundamental of all virtues and to be the root of every righteous act.

• Proverbs 16:18 HCSB Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
• Proverbs 29:23 HCSB A person's pride will humble him, but a humble spirit will gain honor.
• Matthew 23:12 HCSB Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
• 1 Corinthians 10:12 HCSB Therefore, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall!
• 1 Peter 5:5-6 HCSB Likewise, you younger men, be subject to the elders. And all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (6) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time,

Peace –

Since the dawn of human history, when the first man damaged his relationship with his spouse and his God, Adonai has sought to re-establish that connection. He began with a single man, our father Abraham, and then extended His peacemaking to Abraham’s family. The family became a tribe and soon developed into a nation. Through this nation, Yahweh spoke to humanity. He gave us the Scriptures and ultimately became flesh and dwelt among us. He extends His reconciliatory efforts towards all of mankind. When we join in these efforts, we become just a little more like Him.

Therefore, we do not want to merely survive dark days. We want to save as many as possible too. Like Rahab of the Old Testament, we want to cram as many people in our little shelters so that when the walls of society come tumbling down, we will not be alone. This will only be accomplished through peacemaking and cooperation.

• Matthew 5:9 HCSB Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God.
• Romans 12:18 HCSB If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.

Stewardship –

Adonai is the sole Master of this world. He is not only its Creator but its Redeemer. We are mere tenants and we are required to take care of the Master’s things. God granted humanity “dominion” over His creation, but we see this “dominion” as a sacred responsibility, rather than as a license to do whatever we want with the biosphere. If we fail to show love for His creation or mercy for God’s creatures, should we expect God to protect us from the consequences of our own heartlessness and self-indulgence?

The Scriptures have a well-developed ecotheology for those who are looking for it. A term Adonaists could use to describe themselves is “ikkar” which is “husbandman” or “farmer” (2 Chronicles 26:10; Isaiah 61:5; Jeremiah 51:23; Joel 1:11; Amos 5:16). Like Uzziah, we are “ahavim adamah”, lovers of the soil, and that love is reflected in our mussar – our ethic.

Adonaists believe our dominion over God’s creation should be patterned on El Ch’uwl’s loving, compassionate dominion over us. He graciously allows us to live and profit off of His things, but we dare not abuse His property. We must not “lord it over God’s creation”.

• Matthew 25:19, 28-29 HCSB "After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them… (28) "'So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. (29) For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

• Revelation 11:18 HCSB The nations were angry, but Your wrath has come. The time has come for the dead to be judged, and to give the reward to Your servants the prophets, to the saints, and to those who fear Your name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.

Self-sufficiency –

As our father Abraham rescued his nephew Lot from the wicked kings using only his own family and servants and then refused to take so much as a shoelace from the king of Sodom (Genesis 14), so we too do not rely on the world. We do not bring our conflicts to the worldly courts (1 Corinthians 6:1-8). We do not wait for the government to take care of us. Each of us takes responsibility for ourselves, our biological and our spiritual families. We work hard, save our money, pay off debts and try to have some extra to take care of the poor. Self-sufficiency is such an intrinsic part of the Adonaic mindset that it becomes simply a part of the background; it’s just how we think.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 HCSB to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, (12) so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:12 HCSB Now we command and exhort such people, by the Lord Jesus Christ, that quietly working, they may eat their own bread.
• 1 Timothy 5:4 HCSB But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they should learn to practice their religion toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God.
• 1 Timothy 5:8 HCSB Now if anyone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially for his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.