AFTER THE PATTERN OF ADAM
Adam’s sin did not automatically condemn his descendants to death because the Bible tells us, “everyone will die for his own iniquity,” (Jer 31:30). Instead, Adam’s descendants inherited a greater tendency toward sin, as it is written, “He (the LORD) punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation,” (Ex 34:6). In the words of Jesus, “Flesh gives birth to flesh,” (John 3:6). Instead of being born balanced between the flesh and spirit, the flesh came to dominate the thoughts and actions of Adam’s descendants.
Whereas Adam had been created “in the image of God,” (Gen 1:27), his son, Seth, was said to be created in the likeness and image of Adam (Gen 5:3). The fact that the Bible says Seth was created in Adam’s image, and not the image of God, indicates to us that the nature and character of Adam’s descendants were altered because of Adam’s sin. After Noah, man is not again said to be created in “the image of God” until the New Testament, (1 Cor 11:7).
Since Jesus came after the pattern of Adam (Rom 5:14), He possessed an evil inclination which made it possible for Him to be, “tempted in every way, just as we are,” (Heb 4:15). This idea runs contrary to the common belief that the “God nature” of Jesus made it impossible for Him to sin. If Jesus was only God, He could not be tempted because, “God cannot be tempted by evil,” (James 1:13). However, Jesus was made “lower than the angels” (Heb 2:7), and then “emptied Himself” of His God nature, “taking the form of a bond-servant being made in the likeness of men,” (Phil 2:7). As a man after the pattern of Adam, Jesus became an example to all believers of the life that can be lived.
Satan understood that sinning was possible so he tempted Jesus repeatedly, yet Jesus did not succumb to the overtures of Satan, as Adam had. Instead, Jesus “learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Heb 5:8-9). Having experience real temptations, Jesus became a high priest who can “sympathize with our weakness,” (Heb 4:15).
If Adam could have resisted the temptation of Satan in the Garden, Adam would have merited rewards, become perfect, and possibly brought about the perfection of the entire world for the descendants of Adam. However, the decision of Adam to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil forever tilted his nature, and that of his descendants, toward the flesh, as it is written, “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin,” (Rom 5:12). It was left to the second Adam to prefect the creation.
THE PROMISED REMOVAL OF THE EVIL INCLINATION
The struggle with the flesh will not persist in man forever. The New Testament quotes Jeremiah speaking of a future time when God will write His law on the heart of believers, effectively removing the evil inclination, leaving only the good inclination.
“I will put my laws into their minds and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of the to the greatest,’ declares the LORD.” (Heb 10:10)(Jer 31:33).
In the future, when “the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants” (Deut 30:6), the evil inclination will cease to exist. Only the law of the LORD will remain written on our heart “to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” (Deut 30:6). Ezekiel spoke of this future time quoting the LORD Who said, “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances,” (Ezek 36:26-27).
“Our Sages write (Succah 52a) that at a future time, God will take the evil inclination and slaughter it before the righteous and the wicked. The righteous will view it as a great mountain; the wicked as a thin hair. Both will weep. The righteous wondering how they were able to conquer such a lofty mountain and the wicked wondering how they were unable to conquer such a thin hair.” (The Twelve Prophets, Vol. 2, ArtScroll, page 250)
(THE END)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
God's Providence, Freewill, and the Evil Inclination (Revised Part 3 of 4)
OVERCOMING THE EVIL INCLINATION
The design of man is unique among all of the creatures. While angels are only composed of the heavenly, and the animals are only composed of the earthly (Eccl 3:21), man is made of both the earthly and the heavenly. When God created man, He formed man out of the dust of the earth and then breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, (Gen 2:7). When a person dies, “the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit to God who gave it,” (Eccl 12:7).
When we appreciate that man is part earthly and part heavenly, we understand the certainty of the conflict that exists within each man. We also gain insight into the proper course of action to overcome the evil inclination. To become more like our heavenly Father, we need to set our “minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col:3:2). To enable men to dwell on “things above,” God gave mankind His word authored by the Spirit Who came down from the Father.
In scripture, the word is seen as the overriding force that enables man to resist the evil inclination, as David has written, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you,” (Psa 119:11). The Hebrew Talmud recorded this understanding,
“The scripture tells us (Psa 34:14), ‘Turn from evil and do good.’ By the word ‘good’ nothing is meant but Torah, as it is written (Prov 4:2), ‘For I have given you a good teaching, do not forsake my Torah,’” (b.Abodah Zarah 19b).
Jesus reinforces the ability of the word to overcome the flesh by saying, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life,” (John 6:63).
The rabbis identified a number of names in the Hebrew text associated with man’s sinful nature. The term “evil inclination,” as previously mentioned and referred to by James as the “evil desire” (James 1:14), is derived from the mouth of God who said of man, “every intent (yetzar) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil (hara) continually,” (Gen 6:5). Six other names in the Bible were seen by the rabbis as synonymous with the evil inclination:
“Uncircumcised heart,” as Moses said, “Circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer,” (Deut 10:16, 30:6)(Jer 4:4).
“Impure heart,” as David wrote, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me,” (Psa 51:10).
“Your enemy,” as Solomon wrote, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat: if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you,” (Prov 25:21-22)(Rom 12:20).
“Stumbling block,” as Isaiah wrote, “take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people,” (Isa 57:14, KJV)
“Heart of stone,” as Ezekiel wrote, “I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,” (Ezek 11:19, 36:26)
“Hidden one,” as Joel wrote, “But I will remove the northern (tsephoni) for you,” (Joel 2:20). Although the translation is not apparent, the Hebrew “tsephoni” is the same word used to refer to the hidden matzah in the Passover celebration seder.
Three of the terms associated with the evil inclination relate to the heart, a principle affirmed by Jesus. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slander,” (Matt 15:19). Ezekiel’s “heart of stone,” results from of an “evil unbelieving heart” that is “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin,” (Heb 3:12-13). Sin becomes a “stumbling block,” (Isa 57:14), as people “stumble because they are disobedient to the word,” (1 Pet 2:8).
“Create in me a pure heart,” (Psa 51:10), becomes the remedy for the "heart of stone." To accomplish this, Jeremiah tells the nation “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD and remove the foreskins of your heart,” (Jer 4:4). The call of Jeremiah is a reference to the words of Moses, “circumcise your heart and stiffen your neck no longer,” (Deut 10:16). Moses calls on the people to “circumcise your heart,” but later he tells them, “The LORD your God will circumcise your heart…to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live,” (Deut 30:6). Moses appears to be telling us that circumcision of the heart is initiated by man and then completed by God.
In scripture, it is the Spirit that circumcises the flesh and enables the believer to walk in the statues of the LORD. The LORD told Ezekiel,
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” (Ezek 36:26-27)
The promise of the Spirit is not simply as a guarantee of our future resurrection, but He is given as a helper to enable the believer to overcome the evil inclination and “walk in My statutes…and …observe My ordinances.” An individual cannot purify himself without the assistance of the Spirit, but his freewill must submit to the leading of the Spirit. This interaction between a man’s freewill and the Spirit is express by the rabbis in this manner,
“One who comes to purify himself (bal’taheir) receives Divine assistance (siyata d’Shimaya), and without Divine assistance it is impossible to withstand the evil inclination. As the Talmud states, ‘In the way that a person wants to go, he will led him.’” (The Power of Teshuvah, Rabbi Heshy Kleinman)
Divine assistance comes from the Spirit who is given as a “Helper” (John 14:26), to believers. The Spirit can work in an individual who subrogates his will to the leading of the Spirit, as Paul has written, “for when I am weak, then I am strong,” (2 Cor 12:10). At the same time, when individuals have elected to reject the grace that is offered, “God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts,” (Rom 1:24). The process of “giving them over” can be seen as the hardening of an individual’s heart due to their own sin, (Heb 3:12-13). “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me,’” (Heb 3:8).
The struggle to subject the flesh to the Spirit is seen as a continual battle within an individual. In this battle, the flesh is the enemy, even the enemy that Solomon was referring to when he wrote, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat: if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” (Prov 25:21-22)(Rom 12:20). An interesting interpretation comes from the rabbis by understanding that “your enemy” is a reference to the “evil inclination.” To overcome the enemy, we are instructed to “give him food to eat…give him water to drink.”
Bread and water are often equated to the word of God in Scripture.
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth…so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it,” (Isa 55:10-11).
In the Greek text, Jesus is called the “the living bread that came down out of heaven,” (John 6:51) and “living water” (John 4:11), and, at the same time, Jesus is referred to as the “Word,” (John 1:1).
Writing to the church at Ephesus, Paul said that Christ sanctifies the church “having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,” (Eph 5:26). The word of God is also connected to bread, as Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds of out of the mouth of God,” (Matt 4:4). The rabbis often equated the Torah to food and drink.
“The words of Torah are likened to water, wine, oil, honey, and milk. To water, ‘Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the water; and you who have no money come, buy and eat,’ (Isa 55:1)…As water is life to the world, so is Torah life to the world. As water descends from heaven, so the Torah descends from heaven. As water refreshes the soul, so the Torah refreshes the soul. As water cleanses man from defilement, so the Torah purifies the unclean (morally).” (Everyman's Talmud, Abraham Cohen)
Paul’s conclusion, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,” (Rom 12:21), can be interpreted as a call to overcome our own evil inclination through study, memorization, and application of God’s “good word,” (Heb 6:5). Moses indicated that a believer’s obedience is directly related to the degree that God’s word is imbedded in the believer, as he said, “the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it,” (Deut 30:14). A believer is capable of observing the word (obedience) when the word is in the mouth flowing from the heart. From this knowledge, Paul prescribes the following approach for believers to follow.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect,” (Rom 12:2)
(to be continued)
The design of man is unique among all of the creatures. While angels are only composed of the heavenly, and the animals are only composed of the earthly (Eccl 3:21), man is made of both the earthly and the heavenly. When God created man, He formed man out of the dust of the earth and then breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, (Gen 2:7). When a person dies, “the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit to God who gave it,” (Eccl 12:7).
When we appreciate that man is part earthly and part heavenly, we understand the certainty of the conflict that exists within each man. We also gain insight into the proper course of action to overcome the evil inclination. To become more like our heavenly Father, we need to set our “minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col:3:2). To enable men to dwell on “things above,” God gave mankind His word authored by the Spirit Who came down from the Father.
In scripture, the word is seen as the overriding force that enables man to resist the evil inclination, as David has written, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you,” (Psa 119:11). The Hebrew Talmud recorded this understanding,
“The scripture tells us (Psa 34:14), ‘Turn from evil and do good.’ By the word ‘good’ nothing is meant but Torah, as it is written (Prov 4:2), ‘For I have given you a good teaching, do not forsake my Torah,’” (b.Abodah Zarah 19b).
Jesus reinforces the ability of the word to overcome the flesh by saying, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life,” (John 6:63).
The rabbis identified a number of names in the Hebrew text associated with man’s sinful nature. The term “evil inclination,” as previously mentioned and referred to by James as the “evil desire” (James 1:14), is derived from the mouth of God who said of man, “every intent (yetzar) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil (hara) continually,” (Gen 6:5). Six other names in the Bible were seen by the rabbis as synonymous with the evil inclination:
“Uncircumcised heart,” as Moses said, “Circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer,” (Deut 10:16, 30:6)(Jer 4:4).
“Impure heart,” as David wrote, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me,” (Psa 51:10).
“Your enemy,” as Solomon wrote, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat: if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you,” (Prov 25:21-22)(Rom 12:20).
“Stumbling block,” as Isaiah wrote, “take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people,” (Isa 57:14, KJV)
“Heart of stone,” as Ezekiel wrote, “I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,” (Ezek 11:19, 36:26)
“Hidden one,” as Joel wrote, “But I will remove the northern (tsephoni) for you,” (Joel 2:20). Although the translation is not apparent, the Hebrew “tsephoni” is the same word used to refer to the hidden matzah in the Passover celebration seder.
Three of the terms associated with the evil inclination relate to the heart, a principle affirmed by Jesus. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slander,” (Matt 15:19). Ezekiel’s “heart of stone,” results from of an “evil unbelieving heart” that is “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin,” (Heb 3:12-13). Sin becomes a “stumbling block,” (Isa 57:14), as people “stumble because they are disobedient to the word,” (1 Pet 2:8).
“Create in me a pure heart,” (Psa 51:10), becomes the remedy for the "heart of stone." To accomplish this, Jeremiah tells the nation “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD and remove the foreskins of your heart,” (Jer 4:4). The call of Jeremiah is a reference to the words of Moses, “circumcise your heart and stiffen your neck no longer,” (Deut 10:16). Moses calls on the people to “circumcise your heart,” but later he tells them, “The LORD your God will circumcise your heart…to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live,” (Deut 30:6). Moses appears to be telling us that circumcision of the heart is initiated by man and then completed by God.
In scripture, it is the Spirit that circumcises the flesh and enables the believer to walk in the statues of the LORD. The LORD told Ezekiel,
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” (Ezek 36:26-27)
The promise of the Spirit is not simply as a guarantee of our future resurrection, but He is given as a helper to enable the believer to overcome the evil inclination and “walk in My statutes…and …observe My ordinances.” An individual cannot purify himself without the assistance of the Spirit, but his freewill must submit to the leading of the Spirit. This interaction between a man’s freewill and the Spirit is express by the rabbis in this manner,
“One who comes to purify himself (bal’taheir) receives Divine assistance (siyata d’Shimaya), and without Divine assistance it is impossible to withstand the evil inclination. As the Talmud states, ‘In the way that a person wants to go, he will led him.’” (The Power of Teshuvah, Rabbi Heshy Kleinman)
Divine assistance comes from the Spirit who is given as a “Helper” (John 14:26), to believers. The Spirit can work in an individual who subrogates his will to the leading of the Spirit, as Paul has written, “for when I am weak, then I am strong,” (2 Cor 12:10). At the same time, when individuals have elected to reject the grace that is offered, “God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts,” (Rom 1:24). The process of “giving them over” can be seen as the hardening of an individual’s heart due to their own sin, (Heb 3:12-13). “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me,’” (Heb 3:8).
The struggle to subject the flesh to the Spirit is seen as a continual battle within an individual. In this battle, the flesh is the enemy, even the enemy that Solomon was referring to when he wrote, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat: if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” (Prov 25:21-22)(Rom 12:20). An interesting interpretation comes from the rabbis by understanding that “your enemy” is a reference to the “evil inclination.” To overcome the enemy, we are instructed to “give him food to eat…give him water to drink.”
Bread and water are often equated to the word of God in Scripture.
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth…so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it,” (Isa 55:10-11).
In the Greek text, Jesus is called the “the living bread that came down out of heaven,” (John 6:51) and “living water” (John 4:11), and, at the same time, Jesus is referred to as the “Word,” (John 1:1).
Writing to the church at Ephesus, Paul said that Christ sanctifies the church “having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,” (Eph 5:26). The word of God is also connected to bread, as Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds of out of the mouth of God,” (Matt 4:4). The rabbis often equated the Torah to food and drink.
“The words of Torah are likened to water, wine, oil, honey, and milk. To water, ‘Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the water; and you who have no money come, buy and eat,’ (Isa 55:1)…As water is life to the world, so is Torah life to the world. As water descends from heaven, so the Torah descends from heaven. As water refreshes the soul, so the Torah refreshes the soul. As water cleanses man from defilement, so the Torah purifies the unclean (morally).” (Everyman's Talmud, Abraham Cohen)
Paul’s conclusion, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,” (Rom 12:21), can be interpreted as a call to overcome our own evil inclination through study, memorization, and application of God’s “good word,” (Heb 6:5). Moses indicated that a believer’s obedience is directly related to the degree that God’s word is imbedded in the believer, as he said, “the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it,” (Deut 30:14). A believer is capable of observing the word (obedience) when the word is in the mouth flowing from the heart. From this knowledge, Paul prescribes the following approach for believers to follow.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect,” (Rom 12:2)
(to be continued)
God's Providence, Freewill, and the Evil Inclination (Revised Part 2 of 4)
As I continued to read what I had written, I reordered and reworded the material so I thought it necessary to revise parts 2, 3, and 4. Sorry for the amount of verbiage.
PREDESTINATION AND THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN
Predestination is derived as a natural outcome from the doctrine of original sin. Simply stated, the sin of Adam was inherited condemning (predestining) all men to death. Only by God’s mercy are some predestined individuals given life, while the rest are condemned to death. The doctrine of original sin has been widely accepted by the protestant church, but is viewed as heretical by the Jew who does not find support for this belief in the Old Testament. In the Hebrew text, God specifically told the people, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin,” (Deut 24:16).
Did God change His mind after he spoke to Moses because that is what the doctrine of original sin argues? Not likely, the words of Paul to the Romans support the passage from Deuteronomy and demonstrate the unchanging nature of God. “Just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned,” (Rom 5:12). It is not Adam’s sin, but the sin of each person that results in death.
According to Abraham Cohen, the Hebrew understanding is “far removed from the doctrine that man inherits sin. He may be burdened by the consequences of the wrongdoings of his forefathers; but no Rabbi of the Talmudic age would admit that any human being committed a wrong for which he or she was not personally responsible. Such an admission would have been at variance with the dogma of free will.” (Everyman's Talmud, page 96).
The Hebrew understanding does not condemn an individual for the actions of Adam, but submits that Adam’s action flowed from the “evil inclination” that exists within each individual. Adam was sinless at creation, but he was not perfect. If he had been perfect, he would not have been tempted, like God who cannot be tempted by evil, (James 1:13).
Predestination also argues that once saved, a person cannot fall into an unsaved condition. For once God elect’s to save a man predestined to destruction, He will not permit that man to revert to destruction. This position runs contrary to the words of Jude who wrote, “After saving a people out of the land of Egypt, (the LORD) subsequently destroyed those who did not believe,” (Jude 5).
Jude’s words are consistent with the Hebrew rabbinical position that, “A person’s guilt is not established until he deliberately and of set purpose removes the lesson from his heart” (Everyman's Talmud, page 128)
The lesson on the heart implies a saved condition (Deut 10:14), while removing the lesson implies a willful election to ignore the grace that is offered by God. Just as the Hebrew writer has warned believers, “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit…and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame,” (Heb 6:5-6).
THE TWO OPPOSING FORCES THAT WAR WITHIN EACH MAN
The Hebrew understanding holds that God created two opposing forces within each person that seek control. One force leads men toward good works and love for our fellow man is often referred to as the “good inclination.” The good inclination, in Hebrew “yetzer hatov,” is the “spirit,” the part of man made in the image of God that both gives the individual value, instills purpose in life, and seeks a closer relationship with the creator. The evil inclination, referred to in Hebrew as the “yetzer hara,” is an opposing force that leads men toward sinful acts of self-indulgence. The first century rabbinic term for the evil inclination was “the flesh,” and appears frequently in the New Testament. God created Adam in balance, but imperfect, between both inclinations.
Why create Adam in this condition? In his imperfection Adam might seek God by choice and not by nature, as Paul has written,
“From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:26-27).
Scripture tells us that God “is the rewarder of those who seek Him,” (Heb 11:6), but this aspect of the Christian faith is often minimized. Much more than in the Christian faith, Judaism sees the imperfection of man as the opportunity given by the creator to pursue perfection. The pursuit of perfection results in merit (reward) being credited to the individual believer.
“He (The LORD) created them imperfect so that they should perfect themselves and so that their perfection be their reward in the merit of their having labored for it – all this in His desire to bestow complete good.” (The Knowing Heart, Moshe Chayim Luzzatto)
The ultimate example of earning merit through struggle is in Jesus who “learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Heb 5:8-9). The “complete good” or merit Jesus gained through His perfection, became the source of salvation for all believers.
The consequences of Adam’s sin were his personal death and descendants born in the image of Adam (Gen 5:3), no longer with balanced inclinations, but tilted toward a sin nature. As the descendants of Adam committed sin, each succeeding generation became more sinful until the thoughts of their hearts “was only evil all the time,” (Gen 6:5). It took 2000 years, but only ten generations, for man to go from being created in the image of God to total depravity and wickedness, except for Noah. In His mercy, God saved the world through the righteousness of a single person, Noah (Gen 7:1)(Ezek 14:14). Although wickedness was removed from the earth by the flood, the evil inclination remained in the descendants of Noah. As Paul observed,
I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. (Rom 7:21-23)
Jesus reflects the terminology of the first century rabbis identifying the two natures within man as, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” (Matt 26:41). The “flesh,” or “flesh and blood” (1 Cor 15:50), was the New Testament answer to the question of why men often do not do good, but rather act in a manner they later despise. In the words of Paul, “the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things you please” (Gal 5:17).
The Rabbis developed their theology to a point where they came to believe that the sinful nature physically resided in the flesh. For this reason even today, the Orthodox Hebrew does not attempt to preserve the body for burial, as is the Western custom, but desires the decay of the flesh from the bones to occur as quickly as possible to facilitate the final and permanent removal of sin from the body. The concept is echoed in the words of Paul who referred to our flesh as, “our body of sin,” (Rom 6:6), and said, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh,” (Rom 7:18). Notice that Paul’s “nothing good” is specific to “my flesh,” and not the complete nature of his make-up. In the understanding of Paul, the “spirit” of man still retains a goodness from the divine spark that breathed life into man, although the spirit is often overshadowed by the flesh.
(to be continued)
God's Providence, Freewill, and the Evil Inclination (Part 1 of 4)
One of the great stories of faith that comes from the Hebrew text is the story Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who refused to bow before a statue of the Nebuchadnezzar the king. The three replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up,” (Dan 3:16-18).
The response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego angered the king so he gave orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. So hot was the furnace that the warriors carrying the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego perished and the three fell into the furnace still tied up. To Nebuchadnezzar’s astonishment, the three faithful men survived and there appeared a “fourth like a son of the gods” (Dan 3:25), walking in the midst of the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Many great lessons that have been given from the pulpit based on the miracles contained in this story.
One aspect of the miracle that makes it unique in the Hebrew mind, God intervened to override the free determination of an individual, King Nebuchadnezzar. To quote the Artscroll commentary on the Book of Daniel,
“Alshich cites the view of Zohar that even though God intercedes to save someone endangered by the forces of nature – e.g., drowning or wild animals – He does not interfere if the person is threatened by another human being. To do so is to tamper with the principle of free determination, the cornerstone of God’s purpose for this world; it is His intention that humans, with their gift of their own, should recognize His Presence in the world and submit to His will.” (Artscroll Tanach Series – Daniel, page 122)
CREATED WITH FREEWILL
When the LORD made man, He could have preprogrammed man to operate in a robotic condition, performing only the will of the creator. In this condition, man would be obedient to the LORD out of obligation, not out of love. Instead, the LORD made man with a freewill, sometimes referred to as “Free determination.” Free determination is a fundamental principle in Judaism as expressed in the words the first century historian Josephus, “It has pleased God to mix up the decrees of fate and man’s will, so man can act virtuously or viciously,” (Antiq. Xviii.i.3).
According to Abraham Cohen author of Everyman’s Talmud,
“The conviction that man’s will is unfettered is therefore seen to be the foundation of Rabbinic ethics. The nature of his life is molded by his desires. He can misuse life’s opportunities if he so wishes; but in no circumstance would it be agreed that he must misuse them. The evil impulse constantly tempt him; but if he fall, the responsibility is his and his alone,”
Scripture is filled with passages where individuals are seen as having the opportunity to act righteously or wickedly, apart from providence. The LORD held Cain as responsible to control his own behavior, saying, “Sin is crouching at your door and its desire is for you, but you must master it,” (Gen 4:7). Other often-quoted examples of scripture that support freewill include:
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them,” (Deut 31:1)
“Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD,” (Josh 24:15)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matt 28:19-20)
“In Judaism, ‘choosing life’ refers to the free-will choice to keep God’s commandments, including the commandments of holiness, which leads to (eternal) life in the world to come.” (Everyman's Talmud, page 95). The believer’s ability to respond to the Spirit, the calling to preach the gospel to the world, the accountability of those who hardened their hearts, the opportunity to earn merit through righteous actions, and the future judgment of mankind are all consistent with the concept of freewill that operates within the boundaries of the providence of God.
Freewill offers the best explanation as to why bad things happen to good people. Bad things happen as the consequence of sinful acts perpetrated by the freewill actions of individuals. These actions may seek deliberate harm against another, such as that by Nebuchadnezzar, or more often result from the general and cumulative sinful acts of individuals and communities that effect the world at large, i.e., drunk drivers. Why did God permit terrorists to crash planes and kill innocent people on September 11, 2001? God has given men freewill and commanded them to “choose life,” but there are people who “love death” because they hate God, (Prov 8:36).
Choice, consequences, and judgment go hand-in-hand with freewill. If freewill does not exist, then we must conclude that God creates individuals predetermined for destruction. Creating individuals for destruction runs counter to the word of God Who said, “’As I live!’ declares the LORD GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live,’” (Ezek 33:11). Paul wrote that “God our Savior…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth,” (1 Tim 2:4). Further, Paul’s statement that salvation “appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11), would seem to preclude that any individual is predestined for damnation at birth. The statement of Paul appears to allude to the events in the wilderness when God appeared in the cloud and fire before the entire nation. Nevertheless, “the LORD, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe,” (Jude 1:5).
Scripture holds the concept of freewill in tension with the acknowledgment of God’s providence. For example, no individual chooses his parents, the day he was born, the nature of his physical attributes, or the country of his birth. Further, the greater plan of God’s will for the redemption of the world, His coming kingdom, and the judgment of mankind at the end of days are not subject to the freewill of individuals, but will be accomplished in the “times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority,” (Acts 1:7). This tension is expressed in the often-quoted Jewish Talmudic saying, “Everything is in the power of Heaven except the fear of Heaven,” (Ber. 33b). This statement is interpreted to indicate that God determines the fortunes of the individual, but not whether or not he will be God-fearing.
The Hebrew sages did not attempt to resolve this tension between God’s providence and man’s freewill, but offered this perspective, “Everything is foreseen (by God), yet freedom of choice is given,” (Aboth III.19).
The opposite of permitting individual choice would be to predestine the actions of every individual. Many believers hold this position, but when scripture talks of predestination it is based on the foreknowledge of God. “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,” (Rom 8:29). God’s predestination comes from His foreknowledge of an individual’s free will, not a predetermination of an individual’s will. In the words of John, the Father seeks individuals that out of freewill worship the Father “in spirit and truth,” (John 4:23).
(continued)
The response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego angered the king so he gave orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. So hot was the furnace that the warriors carrying the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego perished and the three fell into the furnace still tied up. To Nebuchadnezzar’s astonishment, the three faithful men survived and there appeared a “fourth like a son of the gods” (Dan 3:25), walking in the midst of the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Many great lessons that have been given from the pulpit based on the miracles contained in this story.
One aspect of the miracle that makes it unique in the Hebrew mind, God intervened to override the free determination of an individual, King Nebuchadnezzar. To quote the Artscroll commentary on the Book of Daniel,
“Alshich cites the view of Zohar that even though God intercedes to save someone endangered by the forces of nature – e.g., drowning or wild animals – He does not interfere if the person is threatened by another human being. To do so is to tamper with the principle of free determination, the cornerstone of God’s purpose for this world; it is His intention that humans, with their gift of their own, should recognize His Presence in the world and submit to His will.” (Artscroll Tanach Series – Daniel, page 122)
CREATED WITH FREEWILL
When the LORD made man, He could have preprogrammed man to operate in a robotic condition, performing only the will of the creator. In this condition, man would be obedient to the LORD out of obligation, not out of love. Instead, the LORD made man with a freewill, sometimes referred to as “Free determination.” Free determination is a fundamental principle in Judaism as expressed in the words the first century historian Josephus, “It has pleased God to mix up the decrees of fate and man’s will, so man can act virtuously or viciously,” (Antiq. Xviii.i.3).
According to Abraham Cohen author of Everyman’s Talmud,
“The conviction that man’s will is unfettered is therefore seen to be the foundation of Rabbinic ethics. The nature of his life is molded by his desires. He can misuse life’s opportunities if he so wishes; but in no circumstance would it be agreed that he must misuse them. The evil impulse constantly tempt him; but if he fall, the responsibility is his and his alone,”
Scripture is filled with passages where individuals are seen as having the opportunity to act righteously or wickedly, apart from providence. The LORD held Cain as responsible to control his own behavior, saying, “Sin is crouching at your door and its desire is for you, but you must master it,” (Gen 4:7). Other often-quoted examples of scripture that support freewill include:
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them,” (Deut 31:1)
“Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD,” (Josh 24:15)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matt 28:19-20)
“In Judaism, ‘choosing life’ refers to the free-will choice to keep God’s commandments, including the commandments of holiness, which leads to (eternal) life in the world to come.” (Everyman's Talmud, page 95). The believer’s ability to respond to the Spirit, the calling to preach the gospel to the world, the accountability of those who hardened their hearts, the opportunity to earn merit through righteous actions, and the future judgment of mankind are all consistent with the concept of freewill that operates within the boundaries of the providence of God.
Freewill offers the best explanation as to why bad things happen to good people. Bad things happen as the consequence of sinful acts perpetrated by the freewill actions of individuals. These actions may seek deliberate harm against another, such as that by Nebuchadnezzar, or more often result from the general and cumulative sinful acts of individuals and communities that effect the world at large, i.e., drunk drivers. Why did God permit terrorists to crash planes and kill innocent people on September 11, 2001? God has given men freewill and commanded them to “choose life,” but there are people who “love death” because they hate God, (Prov 8:36).
Choice, consequences, and judgment go hand-in-hand with freewill. If freewill does not exist, then we must conclude that God creates individuals predetermined for destruction. Creating individuals for destruction runs counter to the word of God Who said, “’As I live!’ declares the LORD GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live,’” (Ezek 33:11). Paul wrote that “God our Savior…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth,” (1 Tim 2:4). Further, Paul’s statement that salvation “appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11), would seem to preclude that any individual is predestined for damnation at birth. The statement of Paul appears to allude to the events in the wilderness when God appeared in the cloud and fire before the entire nation. Nevertheless, “the LORD, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe,” (Jude 1:5).
Scripture holds the concept of freewill in tension with the acknowledgment of God’s providence. For example, no individual chooses his parents, the day he was born, the nature of his physical attributes, or the country of his birth. Further, the greater plan of God’s will for the redemption of the world, His coming kingdom, and the judgment of mankind at the end of days are not subject to the freewill of individuals, but will be accomplished in the “times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority,” (Acts 1:7). This tension is expressed in the often-quoted Jewish Talmudic saying, “Everything is in the power of Heaven except the fear of Heaven,” (Ber. 33b). This statement is interpreted to indicate that God determines the fortunes of the individual, but not whether or not he will be God-fearing.
The Hebrew sages did not attempt to resolve this tension between God’s providence and man’s freewill, but offered this perspective, “Everything is foreseen (by God), yet freedom of choice is given,” (Aboth III.19).
The opposite of permitting individual choice would be to predestine the actions of every individual. Many believers hold this position, but when scripture talks of predestination it is based on the foreknowledge of God. “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,” (Rom 8:29). God’s predestination comes from His foreknowledge of an individual’s free will, not a predetermination of an individual’s will. In the words of John, the Father seeks individuals that out of freewill worship the Father “in spirit and truth,” (John 4:23).
(continued)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Paul: The Great Math Teacher
Jewish midrash is a technique the rabbis used for linking truths in scripture that have a commonality of thought or word to develop a new truth or expound on an existing truth. It is safe to say that expansive commentary on midrash is beyond my ability. What I do understand is that midrash requires a thorough understanding of the underlying Hebrew text and is a techinque used to reveal truths in the New Testament.
Among the apostles, Paul is probably the master of midrash, which helps explain the difficulty believers have in understanding some of Paul's logic. Believers rarely question the truths that Paul states, accepting his words as a direct revelation from Jesus. While this is true (Gal 1:12), Paul often derives these truths from passages in the Hebrew text using midrash. Like a math teacher skilled in the subject matter, Paul derives a new equation (new truth) from one or more existing equations (existing truths).
In his letter to the Romans, Paul quotes Moses who told Israel, “The word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it,” (Deut 30:14)(Rom 10:8). He quotes this passage to support his position that the confession, “Jesus is Lord” (Rom 10:9), results in “the righteousness that is by faith,” (Rom 10:5). The logic of this connection is not apparent to the average reader.
To follow Paul’s logic, the reader must turn back to the Book of Deuteronomy. Moses told Israel that life and prosperity are possible through the commandments, (Deut 30:15). Paul acknowledged that there is “the righteousness that is by the law (because) ‘The man who does these things will live by them,’” (Rom 10:5). So how does righteousness that come from the Law transfer to the believer?
Paul connects the statement of Moses “the word is near you; it is in your mouth” (Deut 30:14)(Rom 10:8), to the words of Joel “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved,” (Joel 2:32)(Rom 10:13). Paul reasons that the “word…in your mouth” is “calling on the name of the LORD.” Paul then connects “in your heart” to the words of the Palmist, “Anyone who trusts in him (i.e., faith) will never be put to shame” (Psa 28:7)(Rom 10:11).
From this logic, Paul derives the position that "the word..in your mouth" (Rom 10:8), to which Moses refers, is our confession of "Jesus as Lord" (Rom 10:9), and the word "in your heart" (Rom 10:8), is our belief that "God raised Him from the dead," (Rom 10:9). Paul draws all these passages together to write, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved,” (Rom 10:9-10).
In the original passage, Moses did not say that confession in the Messiah brings forth righteousness. Paul derived a sophisticated midrash to connect the statement of Moses to two other passages in scripture to demonstrate a new truth, “righteousness” (Rom 10:5) results from the confession of “Jesus as Lord” (Rom 10:9), and the belief “that God raised him from the dead,” (Rom 10:9). Like any math teacher worth his salt, Paul has used several accepted truths to derive a new truth.
To follow Paul’s logic, the reader must turn back to the Book of Deuteronomy. Moses told Israel that life and prosperity are possible through the commandments, (Deut 30:15). Paul acknowledged that there is “the righteousness that is by the law (because) ‘The man who does these things will live by them,’” (Rom 10:5). So how does righteousness that come from the Law transfer to the believer?
Paul connects the statement of Moses “the word is near you; it is in your mouth” (Deut 30:14)(Rom 10:8), to the words of Joel “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved,” (Joel 2:32)(Rom 10:13). Paul reasons that the “word…in your mouth” is “calling on the name of the LORD.” Paul then connects “in your heart” to the words of the Palmist, “Anyone who trusts in him (i.e., faith) will never be put to shame” (Psa 28:7)(Rom 10:11).
From this logic, Paul derives the position that "the word..in your mouth" (Rom 10:8), to which Moses refers, is our confession of "Jesus as Lord" (Rom 10:9), and the word "in your heart" (Rom 10:8), is our belief that "God raised Him from the dead," (Rom 10:9). Paul draws all these passages together to write, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved,” (Rom 10:9-10).
In the original passage, Moses did not say that confession in the Messiah brings forth righteousness. Paul derived a sophisticated midrash to connect the statement of Moses to two other passages in scripture to demonstrate a new truth, “righteousness” (Rom 10:5) results from the confession of “Jesus as Lord” (Rom 10:9), and the belief “that God raised him from the dead,” (Rom 10:9). Like any math teacher worth his salt, Paul has used several accepted truths to derive a new truth.
Believers could make another midrash by connecting the passage of Moses to the words of Jesus who said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good” (Luke 6:45). From these passages (Moses and Jesus), we can suggest that a man is capable of obedience to the word if the word is "in your heart." How does a man commit the word to his heart, by learning and speaking the word of God, as it says, “the word is…in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.” In the words of David,
“Your word I have treasured in my heart that I might not sin against You,” (Psa 119:11).
Bible Math 101: Scott
Friday, September 9, 2011
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, A CALL TO REPENTANCE
The date of September 11, 2001, is the Hebrew date of Elul 23, 5761. This date is just seven days before Rosh HaShanah (1st day of Tishrei) and the beginning of the Days of Awe. “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near” (Isa 55:6), is seen by many Hebrews as a reference by Isaiah to the Days of Awe because God is nearest to man during these days of the year.
A focus on repentance actually begins on the first day of the prior month, Elul. Repentance then proceeds for forty days from the first day of Elul to the tenth day of Tishrei, “Judgment Day” known as “Yom Kippur” in Hebrew. The forty days of repentance are somewhat comparable to the forty days of lent observed by some believers leading up to the day of the crucifixion.
September 11, 2001, fell near the middle of this time of repentance. In fact, September 11th always falls within the 40-day period of repentance. Coincidence? Maybe, but no one should dispute that 9/11 is a call for personal and national repentance. The question is, “Will we individually and the nation as a whole heed and respond to the LORD?” Only time will tell.
Of the many commentaries on the terrorist attack of 9/11, an enlightening viewpoint comes from Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, author of the book, Life Is A Test.
“Soon after 9/11, a letter was circulated on the Internet asking people to give thought to the number eleven, starting with the date, 9/11 – nine plus two equals eleven.
Our young people at Hineni asked if this had any application in Judaism. My natural inclination was to say, “It’s hokey! You can’t take anything like that seriously.” Besides, 9/11 was not the date on the Jewish calendar, so what was the point of searching for Jewish answers?
But then I began to think about it and I realized that the corresponding Hebrew date to 9/11 was the twenty-third of Elul, and that also added up to eleven, Since Elul is the sixth month of the Jewish calendar year and six plus two plus three equals eleven!
I turned to the portion of the week that we read during 9/11 and combed the pages to determine whether the number eleven came up in that parashah. Sure enough, there it was! “The hidden things are for Hashem, our G-d, but the revealed things are for us and our children” (Deut 29:28). And over the words “to us and our children” are eleven cantillation dots! What does it all mean? I was determined to dig deeper.
In the Hebrew language, each letter of the alphabet has a numerical value. Aleph is not just “a,” but is also the number one. Beit in not just “b,” but it is also the number two, and so on. Thus, we can gain greater understanding of the meaning of words through their numerology. The Hebrew word for repentance, return to G-d, is teshuvah, the numeric value of which is seven hundred thirteen, (seven plus one plus three), once again adding up to eleven.
I started to examine other elevens in the Torah, in our prayers, and in our literature, and discovered that they were all somehow connected to teshuvah – repentance. Can these elevens be wake-up calls imploring us to re-examine our lives, our priorities? Is it not written in the Talmud that in every catastrophe that is visited upon the earth, there is a message for us?
In the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the priests offered a special incense service on the Golden Altar. The incense had eleven spices, and was offered every morning and evening. The service was so sacred that we still recall it in our daily prayers and enumerate all eleven spices.
The Book of Psalms was written by King David, but what is less well know is that Moses also composed psalms, and David included them in his book. How many psalms did Moses write? You guessed it – eleven! Moses imparted his last will and testament to the people in the eleventh month and reminded the nation that the journey from Mount Sinai to the Promised Land normally takes eleven days (Deut 1:2-3).
Joseph is the Biblical figure who paved the way for the descent of his brethren to Egypt. He was the eleventh son of Jacob, and in his dream, he saw eleven stars that foretold the future. According to our tradition, that which befell our forefathers is bound to recur in the lives of their children. At the end of days, someone from the House of Joseph will once again pave the way for the messianic period.
There is a Kabbalistic teaching that the force of evil in the world is symbolized by Amalek, and we are commanded to obliterate all traces of this evil. Only thus can Messiah come. When Moses imparted this teaching (Ex 17:14-15), he referred to the Throne of G-d as “Kes” rather than “Keesey” and to G-d’s Holy Name as Y-H, rather than Y-H-V-H. Thus, he omitted a letter from G-d’s Throne and two letters from His Name. This teaches that as long as evil prevails, G-d’s Name and Throne are incomplete. The two letters that Moses omitted from G-d’s Name are the Vov and Hey (6+5=11). Can all these elevens be attributed to mere coincidence? Even if we are skeptics, shouldn’t it all give us pause?”
Shabbot Shalom Scott
A focus on repentance actually begins on the first day of the prior month, Elul. Repentance then proceeds for forty days from the first day of Elul to the tenth day of Tishrei, “Judgment Day” known as “Yom Kippur” in Hebrew. The forty days of repentance are somewhat comparable to the forty days of lent observed by some believers leading up to the day of the crucifixion.
September 11, 2001, fell near the middle of this time of repentance. In fact, September 11th always falls within the 40-day period of repentance. Coincidence? Maybe, but no one should dispute that 9/11 is a call for personal and national repentance. The question is, “Will we individually and the nation as a whole heed and respond to the LORD?” Only time will tell.
Of the many commentaries on the terrorist attack of 9/11, an enlightening viewpoint comes from Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, author of the book, Life Is A Test.
“Soon after 9/11, a letter was circulated on the Internet asking people to give thought to the number eleven, starting with the date, 9/11 – nine plus two equals eleven.
- The Twin Towers, standing side by side, resembled the number eleven.
- The towers had one hundred and ten floors – drop the zero, and we have eleven.
- September eleventh was the 254th day of the year – two plus five plus four equals eleven.
- The flight number of the first plane to hit the towers was eleven; ninety-two passengers were aboard – nine plus two equals eleven. The flight had eleven crew members – two pilots and nine flight attendants.
- Sixty-five passengers were aboard the second flight – six plus five equals eleven.
- The American Airlines flight, which crashed into the Pentagon, was airborne for 92 minutes before it crashed – nine plus two equals eleven.
- The United Airlines flight, which crashed in Shanksville, Pa., had 38 passengers – three plus eight equals eleven.
- Shanksville, the site of the crash, has eleven letters.
- New York City has eleven letters.
- Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Bin Laden, has eleven letters.
- “The Pentagon” has eleven letters.
- 911 is an often-used call for help.
Our young people at Hineni asked if this had any application in Judaism. My natural inclination was to say, “It’s hokey! You can’t take anything like that seriously.” Besides, 9/11 was not the date on the Jewish calendar, so what was the point of searching for Jewish answers?
But then I began to think about it and I realized that the corresponding Hebrew date to 9/11 was the twenty-third of Elul, and that also added up to eleven, Since Elul is the sixth month of the Jewish calendar year and six plus two plus three equals eleven!
I turned to the portion of the week that we read during 9/11 and combed the pages to determine whether the number eleven came up in that parashah. Sure enough, there it was! “The hidden things are for Hashem, our G-d, but the revealed things are for us and our children” (Deut 29:28). And over the words “to us and our children” are eleven cantillation dots! What does it all mean? I was determined to dig deeper.
In the Hebrew language, each letter of the alphabet has a numerical value. Aleph is not just “a,” but is also the number one. Beit in not just “b,” but it is also the number two, and so on. Thus, we can gain greater understanding of the meaning of words through their numerology. The Hebrew word for repentance, return to G-d, is teshuvah, the numeric value of which is seven hundred thirteen, (seven plus one plus three), once again adding up to eleven.
I started to examine other elevens in the Torah, in our prayers, and in our literature, and discovered that they were all somehow connected to teshuvah – repentance. Can these elevens be wake-up calls imploring us to re-examine our lives, our priorities? Is it not written in the Talmud that in every catastrophe that is visited upon the earth, there is a message for us?
In the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the priests offered a special incense service on the Golden Altar. The incense had eleven spices, and was offered every morning and evening. The service was so sacred that we still recall it in our daily prayers and enumerate all eleven spices.
The Book of Psalms was written by King David, but what is less well know is that Moses also composed psalms, and David included them in his book. How many psalms did Moses write? You guessed it – eleven! Moses imparted his last will and testament to the people in the eleventh month and reminded the nation that the journey from Mount Sinai to the Promised Land normally takes eleven days (Deut 1:2-3).
Joseph is the Biblical figure who paved the way for the descent of his brethren to Egypt. He was the eleventh son of Jacob, and in his dream, he saw eleven stars that foretold the future. According to our tradition, that which befell our forefathers is bound to recur in the lives of their children. At the end of days, someone from the House of Joseph will once again pave the way for the messianic period.
There is a Kabbalistic teaching that the force of evil in the world is symbolized by Amalek, and we are commanded to obliterate all traces of this evil. Only thus can Messiah come. When Moses imparted this teaching (Ex 17:14-15), he referred to the Throne of G-d as “Kes” rather than “Keesey” and to G-d’s Holy Name as Y-H, rather than Y-H-V-H. Thus, he omitted a letter from G-d’s Throne and two letters from His Name. This teaches that as long as evil prevails, G-d’s Name and Throne are incomplete. The two letters that Moses omitted from G-d’s Name are the Vov and Hey (6+5=11). Can all these elevens be attributed to mere coincidence? Even if we are skeptics, shouldn’t it all give us pause?”
Shabbot Shalom Scott
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Faith Increased By Works
Since the “righteous will live by faith” (Rom 1:17), the disciples of Jesus asked the Master to “Increase our faith,” (Luke 16:5). Jesus responds by telling the disciples that they only need the faith “like a mustard seed” to move mountains, (Luke 16:5). Then the translators of the Ryrie New American Standard decide to interject their opinion by adding a subject heading, “Concerning Service,” prior to verse seven of the sixteenth chapter.
In the next four verses, Jesus goes on to tell the story of how a servant should live relative to the master of the house. Jesus concludes by saying, “He (the Master) does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves, we have done only that which we ought to have done,’” (Luke 16:9-10).
Rather than being two separate stories as Ryrie suggests, I propose that they are one in the same story with the latter being an answer to the former. In the words of Jesus, how does a person “increase their faith”? By doing, “all the things which are commanded.” In other words, faith is strengthened by obedience to the commandments and not the reverse. God rewards obedience by giving us increasing faith.
I find this principle true in giving. Sometimes the desire to give comes after the giving. I know that sounds upside down, but its true for me. Sometimes I feel good about a gift after it is given and I see the blessing it produces. This leads to a desire to give more, which reinforces the giving desire.
Jesus seems to suggest the same principle in faith. It is obedience that leads to increased faith, which in turn, leads to greater obedience. For this reason, faith and works become inseparable. “Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works,” (James 2:18).
Happy birthday Holly. Dad
In the next four verses, Jesus goes on to tell the story of how a servant should live relative to the master of the house. Jesus concludes by saying, “He (the Master) does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves, we have done only that which we ought to have done,’” (Luke 16:9-10).
Rather than being two separate stories as Ryrie suggests, I propose that they are one in the same story with the latter being an answer to the former. In the words of Jesus, how does a person “increase their faith”? By doing, “all the things which are commanded.” In other words, faith is strengthened by obedience to the commandments and not the reverse. God rewards obedience by giving us increasing faith.
I find this principle true in giving. Sometimes the desire to give comes after the giving. I know that sounds upside down, but its true for me. Sometimes I feel good about a gift after it is given and I see the blessing it produces. This leads to a desire to give more, which reinforces the giving desire.
Jesus seems to suggest the same principle in faith. It is obedience that leads to increased faith, which in turn, leads to greater obedience. For this reason, faith and works become inseparable. “Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works,” (James 2:18).
Happy birthday Holly. Dad
The Faithful Eliezer (Lazarus)
A good example of how the translation of a name affects the understanding of scripture comes from the story of the rich man and Lazarus, (Luke 16:19-31). Readers should notice that in the story the rich man has no name, but the poor man is given the name “Lazarus.” Since the poor man is given a name, the reader should appreciate that the name must have some significance. Apart from the story of the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:1-45), which is not considered the same man by most scholars, there is no other “Lazarus” in scripture. However, if we realize that the Hebrew name for Lazarus is Eliezer (sometimes Eleazer), the story takes on additional meaning.
Eliezer was the faithful servant of Abraham who would have received the estate of Abraham if Abraham had no offspring, (Gen 15:2). After the death of Sarah, Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac. Both Greek and Hebrew commentators universally believe this servant to be Eliezer. If Eliezer is successful in finding a wife for Isaac, Abraham’s primary inheritance will go to Isaac and not Eliezer. Yet, against personal gain, Eliezer is seen as Abraham’s faithful servant acting in the best interest of Abraham. Eliezer found Rebekah for Isaac (Gen 24:15), and the rest is history.
In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Lazarus dies and “was carried away by angels to Abraham’s bosom,” (Luke 16:22). “Abraham’s bosom,” along with “paradise” (Luke 23:43), “Garden of Eden,” “under the altar” (Rev 6:9), etc., is one of the Hebrew metaphors for the place where the righteous souls of the departed dwell. Since the original Eliezer was a faithful servant, the hearers of Jesus’ parable would naturally expect someone with the name Eliezer to end up in Abraham’s bosom.
This becomes a pattern for the expectation of the believer. Just as the faithful Eliezer died and went to the dwelling place of his master, the faithful servant of Jesus is promised a dwelling place with the Master.
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also,” (John 14:2-3).
Shabbot Shalom Scott
Eliezer was the faithful servant of Abraham who would have received the estate of Abraham if Abraham had no offspring, (Gen 15:2). After the death of Sarah, Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac. Both Greek and Hebrew commentators universally believe this servant to be Eliezer. If Eliezer is successful in finding a wife for Isaac, Abraham’s primary inheritance will go to Isaac and not Eliezer. Yet, against personal gain, Eliezer is seen as Abraham’s faithful servant acting in the best interest of Abraham. Eliezer found Rebekah for Isaac (Gen 24:15), and the rest is history.
In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Lazarus dies and “was carried away by angels to Abraham’s bosom,” (Luke 16:22). “Abraham’s bosom,” along with “paradise” (Luke 23:43), “Garden of Eden,” “under the altar” (Rev 6:9), etc., is one of the Hebrew metaphors for the place where the righteous souls of the departed dwell. Since the original Eliezer was a faithful servant, the hearers of Jesus’ parable would naturally expect someone with the name Eliezer to end up in Abraham’s bosom.
This becomes a pattern for the expectation of the believer. Just as the faithful Eliezer died and went to the dwelling place of his master, the faithful servant of Jesus is promised a dwelling place with the Master.
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also,” (John 14:2-3).
Shabbot Shalom Scott
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Response of Hillel and Shammai to Gentiles
The Talmud records three encounters of Hillel with a Gentile, although there were probably many more. In each of the encounters, the Gentile first seeks out Shammai to become a convert to the Hebrew faith. Each Gentile presents Shammai with a seemingly impossible task. The first Gentile asks to be taught the entire Torah while the teacher stands on one foot. The second Gentile asks to be taught only the Written Law, but not the Oral Law. The third Gentile asks to be converted on the condition that they he be made High Priest, an office only reserved for the sons of Aaron. In each case, Shammai responses to the request by chasing the Gentile away with the measuring stick he uses in his daytime occupation as a builder.
Hillel’s responses are much different and have become the substance of legion. In the first encounter, Hillel responses by saying, “Whatever is hateful unto you, do not do unto your neighbor. This is the whole Torah, all the rest is commentary. Now, go and study.” In the second encounter, Hillel converts the Gentile and begins to teach him the Hebrew alphabet. On the second day, Hillel reverses the order of the letters. When the Gentile protests, Hillel responses, “If you rely upon me to recognize the letters of the alphabet, then rely on me also about the truth of the Oral Law.”
Hillel also converts the Gentile who wishes to become High Priest and then instructs him saying, “Can we appoint anyone as king unless he is familiar with the ceremonies of royalty? Go and learn about the ceremonies of the priesthood.” The man soon discovers and accepts the fact that only Aaron’s descendants can be High Priest. He praises Hillel for his training saying, “Let blessings come to rest upon your head, for through your guidance you brought me under the wings of the Divine Presence.”
In all three examples, Hillel’s responses demonstrate a willingness to accept converts with minimum prequalification in the belief that these converts would grow to become faithful followers after they had received proper instruction. Different explanations have been offered for Hillel’s compassionate attitude toward Gentiles. Chief among the explanations, the two primary rabbis that taught Hillel both descended from Gentile converts to the Hebrew faith. This may have opened the eyes of Hillel to the potential of some proselytes or Hillel may have just been more compassionate toward Gentiles, having witnessed some of the reported prejudice by some Hebrews against his teachers.
It appears to me that the attitude of Hillel, which bends toward the side of allowing Gentiles access to the teaching of Hebrew scholars, is reflected in the ruling of the apostles at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. The Apostle James and other members of the council thought it appropriate to apply only the minimum standards required to allow Gentiles into the faith. It was understood that these Gentiles would grow to become faithful followers as they became properly instructed. After all, “Moses…is read in the synagogues every Sabbath,” (Acts 15:21).
Although Hillel and Shammai are seen in history as contemporaries, Shammai was born sixty years later and lived twenty years longer than Hillel. Shammai died close to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. As a consequence, the influence of Shammai was rising in the days preceding the ministry of Jesus. The majority of Pharisees Jesus encountered were probably prone to the less compassionate position of Shammai invoking the statement of Jesus, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves,” (Matt 23:15).
Hillel’s responses are much different and have become the substance of legion. In the first encounter, Hillel responses by saying, “Whatever is hateful unto you, do not do unto your neighbor. This is the whole Torah, all the rest is commentary. Now, go and study.” In the second encounter, Hillel converts the Gentile and begins to teach him the Hebrew alphabet. On the second day, Hillel reverses the order of the letters. When the Gentile protests, Hillel responses, “If you rely upon me to recognize the letters of the alphabet, then rely on me also about the truth of the Oral Law.”
Hillel also converts the Gentile who wishes to become High Priest and then instructs him saying, “Can we appoint anyone as king unless he is familiar with the ceremonies of royalty? Go and learn about the ceremonies of the priesthood.” The man soon discovers and accepts the fact that only Aaron’s descendants can be High Priest. He praises Hillel for his training saying, “Let blessings come to rest upon your head, for through your guidance you brought me under the wings of the Divine Presence.”
In all three examples, Hillel’s responses demonstrate a willingness to accept converts with minimum prequalification in the belief that these converts would grow to become faithful followers after they had received proper instruction. Different explanations have been offered for Hillel’s compassionate attitude toward Gentiles. Chief among the explanations, the two primary rabbis that taught Hillel both descended from Gentile converts to the Hebrew faith. This may have opened the eyes of Hillel to the potential of some proselytes or Hillel may have just been more compassionate toward Gentiles, having witnessed some of the reported prejudice by some Hebrews against his teachers.
It appears to me that the attitude of Hillel, which bends toward the side of allowing Gentiles access to the teaching of Hebrew scholars, is reflected in the ruling of the apostles at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. The Apostle James and other members of the council thought it appropriate to apply only the minimum standards required to allow Gentiles into the faith. It was understood that these Gentiles would grow to become faithful followers as they became properly instructed. After all, “Moses…is read in the synagogues every Sabbath,” (Acts 15:21).
Although Hillel and Shammai are seen in history as contemporaries, Shammai was born sixty years later and lived twenty years longer than Hillel. Shammai died close to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. As a consequence, the influence of Shammai was rising in the days preceding the ministry of Jesus. The majority of Pharisees Jesus encountered were probably prone to the less compassionate position of Shammai invoking the statement of Jesus, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves,” (Matt 23:15).
Scott
Saturday, March 5, 2011
In Your Everyday Going Make Disciples (Part 2 of 2)
IN THE DUST OF THE RABBI
“Sitting at the feet” is a Hebrew idiom to denote a student’s position while learning from the rabbi. Jesus normally sat down to teach his disciples and the crowds, (Matt 5:1-2)(Matt 13:2). Another phrase, “in the dust of the rabbi,” comes from the first century statement, “Let your house be a meeting place for the rabbis, and cover yourself in the dust of their feet, and drink in their words thirstily.” To be in the dust of the rabbi was to have such a close relationship with the rabbi so as to have the dust of his steps fall on you. When following a rabbi, it was not uncommon for the disciple to step in the same footprint as the rabbi so that the disciple would experience what the rabbi was experiencing.
Disciples followed their rabbi wherever he went, even into the latrine. Why such fervency? Because the rabbi often recited a blessing thanking God for the proper functioning of his body and the disciples wanted to become like the rabbi in all aspects of life, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples,” (Luke 11:1). It is even reported by the Hebrew Sages of a disciple who hid under the bed of his rabbi, while his rabbi was having relations with his wife. When discovered and chastised, the disciple explained that he wanted to know the blessing recited at the conclusion of the act so that he might become like his rabbi in all aspects of life. This act was not condoned, but recorded to demonstrate the desired fervency of disciples.
The apostolic text does not record an incident like the one just described, but it does record the actions of a disciple who wanted to be just like his master. When Jesus passed by his disciples walking on the water, Peter asked the Lord to command him to leave the boat and to do the same. Jesus called out to Peter, “Come,” and Peter left the boat and began to walk on the water, just like Jesus. We all know the rest of the story. Peter was not just like his rabbi in all aspects and he began to sink until Jesus reached out and saved him. Rather than criticize Peter, we need to applaud his effort. Peter wanted to be just like Jesus and we should desire the same. In the end, Peter did die at the hands of the Roman on a cross just like the Master, although tradition has Peter being crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to be crucified in the identical manner as Jesus.
The type of dedication a disciple had for his rabbi might require him to leave his home, his family and his wife, although he needed permission from the latter for extended departures. The example of this dedication is found in the relationship of the teacher Elijah and the student Elisha. The Bible tells us that when Elijah found Elisha he was plowing with twelve pair of oxen, (1 Kings 19:16).
“He (Elisha) left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, ‘Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.’ And he said to him, ‘Go back again, for what have I done to you?’ So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him,” (1 Kings 19:20-21).
Elijah seemed puzzled that Elisha wanted to return and say good-bye to his parents. But Elisha demonstrated his dedication by sacrificing his oxen so there could be no turning back. This story may be alluded to by Jesus when he said, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God,” (Luke 9:62). In the case of Elisha, he did not return to the plow, but followed Elijah wherever he went.
We see the dedication of Elisha to Elijah in the story of Elijah’s departure. If he had not been dedicated, we might never have had this account in scripture.
“Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho.’ And he replied, ‘As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went to Jericho…Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.’ And he replied, ‘As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them walked on…When they had crossed (the Jordan River), Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?’ ‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,’ Elisha replied. ‘You have asked a difficult thing,’ Elijah said, ‘yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise not.’ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father! My father! And Elisha saw him not more.” (2 Kings 2:4-12)
The dedication of Elisha to follow Elijah wherever he went is an example of the dedication a disciple of Jesus should have for the Master. A rabbi is loved by each disciple and placed in priority above his parents, as a popular saying from the Talmud goes, “the parent only brings the child to the life of this world, whereas the teacher brings him to the life of the World to Come,” (BM 2:2). Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple,” (Luke 14:26). The terms “love” and “hate” are often used as Hebrew idioms to denote priority. Matthew records the same concept, but in words we more easily understand, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me,” (Matt 10:37).
Peter testified to the sacrifice of following Jesus when he said, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” (Matt 19:27). “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.’” (Matt 19:28-29). Leaving houses, family, and even fields is what Elisha did to follow Elijah. It is also what Abraham did when the LORD called him to “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house to the land which I will show you,” (Gen 12:1). Elijah received twice the Spirit of Elijah and Abraham received the covenant and blessings from God for his faithfulness.
In the epistles, Paul taught the churches he established exhorting them as disciples to “be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ,” (1 Cor 11:1). In particular, Timothy is seen as a disciple of Paul (Acts 15:1), who accompanied Paul on many of his journeys, and to whom Paul referred to as “my true son in the faith,” (1 Tim 1:2)(2 Tim 1:2). It is to Timothy, and not to a church that Paul writes his last epistle that is preserved in scripture.
THE TEACHING MOMENT
A popular term with parents is the phrase, “teaching moment.” This term implies that no opportunity should be passed over which can produce a lasting lesson in our children. For the Rabbis, this was the standard operating practice. Rabbis were rarely confined to the classroom, but used everyday life experiences as the background for the opportunity to teach. Many of the lessons taught by Jesus probably originated from daily events witnessed by the disciples. One day when Jesus was leaving the temple, his disciples commented on the magnificence of the temple buildings. Jesus took the opportunity to tell his disciples, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down,” (Matt 24:2).
At other times, Jesus took his disciples to specific locations to teach such as the time he went to Caesarea Philippi to confront the “gates of hades” and teach his disciples that his kingdom will overcome even the strongholds of the enemy. At other times, the backdrop of the seaside town of Caperanum provided the opportunity to make his disciples “fishers of men,” (Mark 1:17). One of the products of Capernaum was the production of basalt stones used in the grinding of wheat and barley into flour. Basalt was harder than other stones found in Israel reducing the amount of the stone that ended up in the flour. When Jesus talked about a millstone being hung around the neck of a person who caused a little one to stumble, he probably pointed to a nearby grinding stone and then to the Sea of Galilee as he said, “it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck; and to be drowned in the depth of the sea,” (Matt 18:6).
The ability of disciples to learn was classified by the rabbis as falling into one of four categories.
“He who quickly understands and quickly forgets, his gain disappears in his loss; he who understands with difficulty and forgets with difficulty, his loss disappears in his gain; he who understand quickly and forgets with difficulty, his is a good portion; he who understands with difficulty and forgets quickly, his is an evil portion,” (Aboth 5:15).
The best disciple is the one who learns quickly and forgets with great difficulty, while the inverse is the worst disciple; the one learns with difficulty and then forgets quickly. James said it this way, “But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God,” (James 1:19).
The rabbis also classified their disciples based on a disciple’s ability to receive and process the teachings of the rabbis. A disciple was said to be either a sponge, a funnel, a strainer, or a sieve.
“There are four qualities among those that sit before the Sages: they are like a sponge, a funnel, a strainer, and a sieve: a sponge, which sucks up everything; a funnel, which lets in at one end and out at the other; a strainer which lets the wine pass out and retains the lees; a sieve, which lets out the bran and retains the flour,” (Aboth 5:18).
The desired disciple is like a sieve that retains the good teaching (flour), while letting out the bad (bran). The sponge absorbs all, the bad as well as the good. The funnel lets all pass through retaining none of the rabbis’ teaching. The strainer lets the good wine pass out, while retaining only the bad. Paul said it this way, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world,” (1 John 4:1). Breaking down into four categories was a common practice of classification by the rabbis to reflect the spectrum from the good to the bad. Jesus used this approach when he spoke of the four types of ground that received the seed of the sower, (Matt 13:3-9 & 18-23).
At the completion of his training, a disciple was expected to be an exact copy of the master, able to walk and teach as the master had done. Discipleship is not about information, it is about transformation, the molding of a life into the exact pattern of the teacher. Years later, long after the original rabbi was gone, people could come to understand who the rabbi was based on the actions and teachings of his disciples, as it is written, “Everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher,” (Luke 6:40). If the disciples were not faithful to the original teachings of their master, they effectively perverted the image of their rabbi. When the lives of believers who call themselves disciples of Jesus do not accurately reflect the teachings of the master, they bring dishonor and scorn instead of glory and praise to the one who came to redeem mankind.
After a rabbi had completed training his disciples, he would turn to them and say, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” (Matt 28:20). The Great Commission is not simply a call to add sheep to the sheep pen, but a command to make disciples into the pattern of the Master, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matt 28:20). This commandment is the responsibility of all disciples, not just those in some distant land. In every disciple’s daily walk, make disciples of all nations.
“Sitting at the feet” is a Hebrew idiom to denote a student’s position while learning from the rabbi. Jesus normally sat down to teach his disciples and the crowds, (Matt 5:1-2)(Matt 13:2). Another phrase, “in the dust of the rabbi,” comes from the first century statement, “Let your house be a meeting place for the rabbis, and cover yourself in the dust of their feet, and drink in their words thirstily.” To be in the dust of the rabbi was to have such a close relationship with the rabbi so as to have the dust of his steps fall on you. When following a rabbi, it was not uncommon for the disciple to step in the same footprint as the rabbi so that the disciple would experience what the rabbi was experiencing.
Disciples followed their rabbi wherever he went, even into the latrine. Why such fervency? Because the rabbi often recited a blessing thanking God for the proper functioning of his body and the disciples wanted to become like the rabbi in all aspects of life, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples,” (Luke 11:1). It is even reported by the Hebrew Sages of a disciple who hid under the bed of his rabbi, while his rabbi was having relations with his wife. When discovered and chastised, the disciple explained that he wanted to know the blessing recited at the conclusion of the act so that he might become like his rabbi in all aspects of life. This act was not condoned, but recorded to demonstrate the desired fervency of disciples.
The apostolic text does not record an incident like the one just described, but it does record the actions of a disciple who wanted to be just like his master. When Jesus passed by his disciples walking on the water, Peter asked the Lord to command him to leave the boat and to do the same. Jesus called out to Peter, “Come,” and Peter left the boat and began to walk on the water, just like Jesus. We all know the rest of the story. Peter was not just like his rabbi in all aspects and he began to sink until Jesus reached out and saved him. Rather than criticize Peter, we need to applaud his effort. Peter wanted to be just like Jesus and we should desire the same. In the end, Peter did die at the hands of the Roman on a cross just like the Master, although tradition has Peter being crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to be crucified in the identical manner as Jesus.
The type of dedication a disciple had for his rabbi might require him to leave his home, his family and his wife, although he needed permission from the latter for extended departures. The example of this dedication is found in the relationship of the teacher Elijah and the student Elisha. The Bible tells us that when Elijah found Elisha he was plowing with twelve pair of oxen, (1 Kings 19:16).
“He (Elisha) left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, ‘Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.’ And he said to him, ‘Go back again, for what have I done to you?’ So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him,” (1 Kings 19:20-21).
Elijah seemed puzzled that Elisha wanted to return and say good-bye to his parents. But Elisha demonstrated his dedication by sacrificing his oxen so there could be no turning back. This story may be alluded to by Jesus when he said, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God,” (Luke 9:62). In the case of Elisha, he did not return to the plow, but followed Elijah wherever he went.
We see the dedication of Elisha to Elijah in the story of Elijah’s departure. If he had not been dedicated, we might never have had this account in scripture.
“Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho.’ And he replied, ‘As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went to Jericho…Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.’ And he replied, ‘As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them walked on…When they had crossed (the Jordan River), Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?’ ‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,’ Elisha replied. ‘You have asked a difficult thing,’ Elijah said, ‘yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise not.’ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father! My father! And Elisha saw him not more.” (2 Kings 2:4-12)
The dedication of Elisha to follow Elijah wherever he went is an example of the dedication a disciple of Jesus should have for the Master. A rabbi is loved by each disciple and placed in priority above his parents, as a popular saying from the Talmud goes, “the parent only brings the child to the life of this world, whereas the teacher brings him to the life of the World to Come,” (BM 2:2). Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple,” (Luke 14:26). The terms “love” and “hate” are often used as Hebrew idioms to denote priority. Matthew records the same concept, but in words we more easily understand, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me,” (Matt 10:37).
Peter testified to the sacrifice of following Jesus when he said, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” (Matt 19:27). “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.’” (Matt 19:28-29). Leaving houses, family, and even fields is what Elisha did to follow Elijah. It is also what Abraham did when the LORD called him to “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house to the land which I will show you,” (Gen 12:1). Elijah received twice the Spirit of Elijah and Abraham received the covenant and blessings from God for his faithfulness.
In the epistles, Paul taught the churches he established exhorting them as disciples to “be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ,” (1 Cor 11:1). In particular, Timothy is seen as a disciple of Paul (Acts 15:1), who accompanied Paul on many of his journeys, and to whom Paul referred to as “my true son in the faith,” (1 Tim 1:2)(2 Tim 1:2). It is to Timothy, and not to a church that Paul writes his last epistle that is preserved in scripture.
THE TEACHING MOMENT
A popular term with parents is the phrase, “teaching moment.” This term implies that no opportunity should be passed over which can produce a lasting lesson in our children. For the Rabbis, this was the standard operating practice. Rabbis were rarely confined to the classroom, but used everyday life experiences as the background for the opportunity to teach. Many of the lessons taught by Jesus probably originated from daily events witnessed by the disciples. One day when Jesus was leaving the temple, his disciples commented on the magnificence of the temple buildings. Jesus took the opportunity to tell his disciples, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down,” (Matt 24:2).
At other times, Jesus took his disciples to specific locations to teach such as the time he went to Caesarea Philippi to confront the “gates of hades” and teach his disciples that his kingdom will overcome even the strongholds of the enemy. At other times, the backdrop of the seaside town of Caperanum provided the opportunity to make his disciples “fishers of men,” (Mark 1:17). One of the products of Capernaum was the production of basalt stones used in the grinding of wheat and barley into flour. Basalt was harder than other stones found in Israel reducing the amount of the stone that ended up in the flour. When Jesus talked about a millstone being hung around the neck of a person who caused a little one to stumble, he probably pointed to a nearby grinding stone and then to the Sea of Galilee as he said, “it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck; and to be drowned in the depth of the sea,” (Matt 18:6).
The ability of disciples to learn was classified by the rabbis as falling into one of four categories.
“He who quickly understands and quickly forgets, his gain disappears in his loss; he who understands with difficulty and forgets with difficulty, his loss disappears in his gain; he who understand quickly and forgets with difficulty, his is a good portion; he who understands with difficulty and forgets quickly, his is an evil portion,” (Aboth 5:15).
The best disciple is the one who learns quickly and forgets with great difficulty, while the inverse is the worst disciple; the one learns with difficulty and then forgets quickly. James said it this way, “But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God,” (James 1:19).
The rabbis also classified their disciples based on a disciple’s ability to receive and process the teachings of the rabbis. A disciple was said to be either a sponge, a funnel, a strainer, or a sieve.
“There are four qualities among those that sit before the Sages: they are like a sponge, a funnel, a strainer, and a sieve: a sponge, which sucks up everything; a funnel, which lets in at one end and out at the other; a strainer which lets the wine pass out and retains the lees; a sieve, which lets out the bran and retains the flour,” (Aboth 5:18).
The desired disciple is like a sieve that retains the good teaching (flour), while letting out the bad (bran). The sponge absorbs all, the bad as well as the good. The funnel lets all pass through retaining none of the rabbis’ teaching. The strainer lets the good wine pass out, while retaining only the bad. Paul said it this way, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world,” (1 John 4:1). Breaking down into four categories was a common practice of classification by the rabbis to reflect the spectrum from the good to the bad. Jesus used this approach when he spoke of the four types of ground that received the seed of the sower, (Matt 13:3-9 & 18-23).
At the completion of his training, a disciple was expected to be an exact copy of the master, able to walk and teach as the master had done. Discipleship is not about information, it is about transformation, the molding of a life into the exact pattern of the teacher. Years later, long after the original rabbi was gone, people could come to understand who the rabbi was based on the actions and teachings of his disciples, as it is written, “Everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher,” (Luke 6:40). If the disciples were not faithful to the original teachings of their master, they effectively perverted the image of their rabbi. When the lives of believers who call themselves disciples of Jesus do not accurately reflect the teachings of the master, they bring dishonor and scorn instead of glory and praise to the one who came to redeem mankind.
After a rabbi had completed training his disciples, he would turn to them and say, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” (Matt 28:20). The Great Commission is not simply a call to add sheep to the sheep pen, but a command to make disciples into the pattern of the Master, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matt 28:20). This commandment is the responsibility of all disciples, not just those in some distant land. In every disciple’s daily walk, make disciples of all nations.
Scott
Friday, March 4, 2011
In Your Everyday Going Make Disciples (Part 1 of 2)
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:19-20)
The above passage is often read to emphasize the need for believers to carry the gospel to all nations or the call for every believer to be baptized. While both aspects are fundamental to the Christian faith, the original Greek imperative emphasizes neither baptism nor the call to go to all nations. More than anything else, this statement of Jesus is calling all believers to make disciples in our daily walk. A more accurate rendering of the passage might read, “in your going, make disciples of all nations.” The responsibility of making disciples is not delegated to the few. Every believer must “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have,” (1 Pet 3:15). According to the Talmud, “Who teaches Torah to the son of his fellow-man has it ascribed to him as though he had begotten him,” (Sanh 19b).
Believers are called to become disciples and to make disciples, but most believers have no idea of what discipleship means. Like many concepts in the Bible, the term disciple has been watered down in our culture to the point where it means a part time student or novice, and not the biblical life changing call of dedication to walk as Jesus did in all aspects of life. The goal of discipleship is best defined by Jesus, “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master,” (Matt 10:24-25). The goal of discipleship is to become like the teacher in all aspects of life, “to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6), and to teach others to become like us after we have become like Jesus. Paul told his followers, “I pray that not only you but all who are listening become what I am,” (Acts 26:29). Paul could only make this statement as he became transformed into the pattern of Jesus.
The concept of disciples is not unique to the ministry of Jesus. Most rabbis in the first century had disciples, (Mark 2:18), in Hebrew called “talmidim” or “talmid” for a single disciple. John had disciples that left him to become disciples of Jesus, (John 1:37)(Acts 19:1-7). Some of the early conflicts in the ministry of Jesus were actually disputes arising between the disciples of Jesus and the disciples of John. The disciples of John were concerned that Jesus was becoming more popular that John, (John 3:25-26). It was the disciples of John who asked Jesus, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” (Matt 9:14). When scripture speaks of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law questioning Jesus, it was probably the disciples of other rabbis who did the questioning.
By the beginning of the first century, the rabbi/disciple model of teaching was highly developed from centuries of refinement. When Ezra and the men of the Great Assembly began returning to the land of Israel around 500 BC, they sought to instill a method of teaching that would protect the hearts of the people from turning back to idolatry. What they did is detailed elsewhere, but summarized by three overriding principles that they gave to those who followed after them:
• Be deliberate in judging,
• Raise up many disciples, and
• Make a hedge for the Torah.
The call to “raise up many disciples” is a principle that most believers recognize in the earthly ministry of Jesus.
THE FIRST CENTURY HEBREW EDUCATION SYSTEM
Discipleship was a natural extension of the education system of first century Israel that sought to infuse knowledge of the Torah into every individual so that the name of God would be remembered; “Where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you,” (Ex 20:24). In the words of Boaz Cohen, “To study the inspired Writings, to meditate upon them, to extract from them all they could be made to produce was, accordingly, the chief privilege…the greatest duty of the Jew.” (Everyman’s Talmud, page 125). The study of God’s word is more than an intellectual pursuit, study brings life, as the common saying goes, “The more Torah the more life.” This concept carries into the apostolic text where John referred to scripture as the “Word of life,” (1 John 1:1), and Jesus said, “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life,” (John 5:24). The pursuit of understanding scripture is a lifelong journey. In the words of the Talmud,
“Turn it (the Torah) and turn it over again, for everything is in it; and contemplate it, and wax grey and old over it; and stir not from it. You can have no better rule than this.”
When a Hebrew child was five years old, they began to memorize the scripture. This may have occurred in the home or possibly in a Yeshiva (school), adjacent to or part the local synagogue. Girls generally learned the Psalms, Proverbs, and Deuteronomy. Boys memorized all scripture beginning with the Book of Leviticus as it is written, “Since the children are pure and the sacrifices are pure, let the pure come and occupy themselves with things that are pure,” (Lev R 7:3). Scripture memorization was important for two reasons. From a practical standpoint, most towns could only afford a single copy of scripture that was kept at the synagogue. For this reason, the public reading of scripture was fundamental to the teaching of individuals who otherwise had no access to scripture, (1 Tim 4:3). Further, since chapter and verse notation did not exist until the Middle Ages, scripture references where given by reciting the first few words or sentences of the intended passage. The listener had to be familiar with the passage being quoted to gain the deeper understanding of the principle message being taught.
The typical method of quoting only a portion of scripture is used in the apostolic text. Often the Hebrew text being quoted is just a partial reference and the reader is expected to be familiar with the greater content of the passage. The reader who does not know scripture will miss many of the deeper truths being taught. In the present age, we have the luxury of looking up the quoted passage. Although convenient, chapter and verses references remove the responsibility of the reader to be familiar with the context of the passage. In the first century, the listener had to be able to fill in the blanks by memory or he would miss a significant portion of the rabbis’ teaching.
Memorizing scripture also molded the believer into a life of obedience to the commandments, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you,” (Psa 119:11). The Sages summarized the importance of knowing scripture in order to put scripture into practice.
“Where there is no Torah, there are no manners; where there are no manners, there is no Torah. Where there is no wisdom, there is no fear of God; where there is no fear of God; there is no wisdom. Where there is no knowledge, there is no understanding; where there is no understanding, there is no knowledge. Where there is no meal, there is no Torah; where there is no Torah, there is no meal,” (Everyman’s Talmud, page 128).
Around the age of ten, boys began to the study the Mishnah, the Oral Traditions of the Rabbis first handed down to Moses at Mount Sinai. Somewhere between the age twelve and fifteen, the student entered the Beit Midrash (House of Interpretation) to study the rabbinic commentary on the Bible and Oral Traditions (Gemara). The Hebrew Talmud is the combination of both the Mishnah (Oral Traditions) and the Gemara (Rabbini Interpretations). For the average student, his formal education was complete around the age of fifteen and he began to learn an occupation, while the average girl became eligible for marriage sometime around this age. The fact that Jesus found most of his disciples already pursuing worldly occupations, tells us something about their ability as students. The disciples of Jesus were not exceptional scholars, they were “uneducated and untrained men,” (Acts 4:13), who had given up their educational pursuits to learn a profession until they met Jesus.
The few students who were blessed to have an exceptional ability to memorize scripture and learn the related oral teachings sought out a fulltime teacher (rabbi) to further their study of the Torah. The more prestigious the rabbi, the more difficult it was for a student to find acceptance “sitting at the feet” (Luke 8:35), a Hebrew idiom for studying under a great scholar. Paul stated that he was, “brought up…at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers,” (Acts 22:3, KJV). Since the student became a reflection of the teacher, the rabbi only sought out individuals who were in the image of the teacher possessing the greatest ability to learn and the best demeanor to teach others.
Somewhat analogous to applying to a prestigious university, only the best found acceptance, while the remaining were saddled with rejection. Many of Jesus disciples were not seeking him because they felt intellectually inferior or spiritually inadequate; after all they were called tax collectors, sinners, and fisherman. Jesus called his disciples, contrary to the normal process, and later reminded them “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last,” (John 15:16). In choosing his disciples, Jesus was conveying their sufficiency or more likely, the ability of Jesus to overcome their insufficiency. To a group of individuals who had been rejected and come to terms with their rejection, their acceptance by a rabbi who had already performed several miracles must have seemed like a miracle in itself. Yet the same statement is made about all believers, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him,” (Eph 1:5). Jesus chose us because he knew we could be just like him, “holy and blameless.”
NOT YOUR TYPICAL DISCIPLES
Why did Jesus choose those men and women he did to be his disciples? These individuals were probably not gifted with the greatest natural abilities. Men who had been gifted studied under the greatest rabbis of their day like Gamaliel the Elder. Paul was his disciple, but Jesus did not initially choose Paul and we might wonder why not? Paul was actually handicapped by being too studied, too indoctrinated in the ways of the Pharisees, unable to be retrained in the wisdom of Jesus. Even after Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, it took an additional seventeen years in the desert to retrain Paul’s thinking. Jesus did not have seventeen years to teach, he only had three and one-half years. He did not have time to retrain, only time to train. Jesus needed disciples who had not been preprogrammed in the dogma of the day.
There were probably many individuals trained in the Yeshivas of the Pharisees who wanted to learn under Jesus, but these were rejected. When asked why his disciples did not follow the traditions of the other rabbis, Jesus responded by telling a parable.
"No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.'" (Luke 5:36-39)
In this parable, Jesus is equating the dogmatic teaching of some Pharisees to the old wine, while his teaching is the new wine. People who have been indoctrinated into a certain way of thinking do not easily gravitate to a new teaching even when the new teaching is closer to the original truth. The modern vernacular for this phenomenon might be expressed in the saying, “you can not teach an old dog new tricks.” The rabbis of Jesus day told held a similar view.
“Elisha ben Avuyah said, ‘He who studies as a child, unto what can he be compared? He can be compared to ink written upon a fresh sheet of paper. But he who studies as an adult, unto what can he be compared? He can be compared to ink written on a smudged (previously used and erased) sheet of paper.’” (m.Avot 4:25)
In the words recorded by Luke (Luke 5:36-39), Jesus is not arguing against the words of Torah spoken by the mouth of God or demonstrating the supremacy of grace over the Law. Jesus argues the limitations of those already indoctrinated in the interpretations of men (old wineskins) because they often do not accept the original intent behind the word, “but from the beginning it has not been this way,” (Matt 19:8). Because the apostles were largely “uneducated and untrained men,” (Acts 4:13), they were not burdened with the existing dogma of their day. They were fresh sheets of paper, blank pages, if you will, that the Master could write on and the disciples would receive. The great news is that you and I can also be fresh sheets of paper for Jesus to write on if we do not hold fast to the religious dogma of this world.
The disciples of Jesus were probably a mixture of younger and older men. Younger men had the advantage of being fresh sheets of paper with fewer preconceived notions and did not yet have the obligations of family and work. “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these,” (Mark 10:14). Most disciples of rabbis began their study around the age of fifteen and would potentially study until they reached the age of thirty. By that age, a disciple would be sufficiently learned to become rabbis himself capable of teaching his own set of disciples, “Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry,” (Luke 3:23).
Unfortunately, Jesus did not have fifteen years to teach his disciples. He was only among them in the flesh for a little more than three years. This necessitated the need to have older disciples capable of teaching after the departure of the Master. Although we do not know the specific ages of the disciples, Peter was at least old enough to have a wife and pay the temple tax (Matt 17:24-27), which was required of every Hebrew male living in Israel who was twenty years and older, (Ex 30:13).
Although we generally think of disciples as being male, a few first century rabbis allowed women to be disciples, including Jesus. Mary was said to be “seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word” (Luke 10:39). Some of the women who followed Jesus were major supporters of his ministry. Luke tells us, “The Twelve were with him, and also some women…Mary (called Magdalene)…Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means,” (Luke 8:1-3).
Scott (to be continued...)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Why Measure the Temple?
I want to write about Revelations, but the material is so vast I never know where to start. I asked Paul to begin a dialogue with me; he will ask a question about Revelation and I will try to respond. This is a rewrite of a Dusty Disciple article from July 2009. Hopefully, time has added to the original understanding.
I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. (Rev 11:1-2)
QUESTION: Why is John told to measure the temple of God and why is the Court of the Gentiles excluded from this measurement?
DISCUSSION: Before the question posed can be answered, a more basic question must be addressed. Will a third temple be constructed before the return of Jesus Christ? Not only is the answer important in responding to the original question, the answer can give us some insight into the signs that will precede the return of Jesus. If the answer is “yes,” then we can fix the return of Jesus with relative certainty once construction of the temple begins. After we have answered the basic question about the temple, we can answer the original question about the significance of John’s call to measure the temple of God.
A FUTURE TEMPLE: A number of passages in the Bible suggest that a future temple will be constructed. When Paul warned of the coming antichrist, he wrote, “the man of lawlessness…the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God,” (2 Thess 2:3-4). The words of Paul indicate a temple that is required for the man of lawlessness to fulfill the prophecies written about him. Daniel has a similar prophecy that implies the existence of a temple.
“the prince who is to come…will make a firm covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering,” (Dan 9:26-27).
Sacrifice by itself does not require a temple. After Israel returned from Babylon, Ezra and the priests offered sacrifices on the altar (Ezra 3:3-4), for approximately twenty years before the second temple was completed. From the days of David, sacrifice on the Temple Mount was always associated with the Tabernacle, the Temple, or during the days when the Temple was being constructed as in the days of Solomon and Ezra. Further, with very few exceptions (Elijah), sacrifice and offering can only occur on the Temple Mount. Therefore, if sacrifice and offering are permitted in the prophecy of Daniel, then the Jewish people have access to the Temple Mount. If they have access and control of the Temple Mount to offer sacrifices, a temple will be constructed to fulfill the commandments of the Law given through Moses.
The Book of Ezekiel dedicates five chapters (40-44) to the description of a future temple that has never been constructed. The description was given by God to provide hope for the Jewish people who were about to go into exile for seventy years. If this prophecy is to be fulfilled, sometime in the future the temple described by Ezekiel will be built. The one who is prophesized to build the temple is the Messiah, also referred to in scripture as “the Branch.”
“Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.'” (Zech 6:12-13)
“The Branch” is a title of the Messiah who is referred to in scripture as “a righteous Branch sprout(ing) from David's line” (Jer 33:15), “a Branch (that) will bear fruit” (Isa 11:1), and “a shoot…from the stump of Jesse,” (Isa 11:1).
Construction of the third temple will be one of the signs given to demonstrate that an individual is the Messiah. For this reason, the man of lawlessness will not only be compelled to construct the temple, but will use its construction to foster his Messianic claim. To further demonstrate that he is the Messiah, John tells us that he performs “great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heave in the full view of men,” (Rev 13:13). Fire from heaven is the quintessential sign from God who sent fire down from heaven at the dedication of the first temple and the offering of Elijah. The LORD also rained down fire in judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah and in the future will cause fire to come down from heaven and devour the enemies of God, (Rev 20:9).
Jesus warned of a future time when the man of lawlessness would take up residence in the temple.
“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.” (Matt 24:15-16)
The phrase “Abomination of Desolation” originates in the Book of Daniel who wrote, “Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation,” (Dan 11:31). This prophecy received partial fulfillment in the days of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (215-135BC), a ruler of the Seleucid Empire who, “profaned the temple in Jerusalem and dedicated it to Olympian Zeus,” (2 Maccabees 6:2). Antiochus prohibited the keeping of the Sabbath, celebration of the traditional feasts, and even the acknowledgment that a person was a Jew. In addition, he gave himself the name “Ephiphanes,” which means “God Manifest.” The desecration of Antiochus IV Epiphanes lasted approximately 3-1/2 years until his death in 163 BC.
Jesus refers to this history, “let the reader understand,” as a pattern of what will be repeated in the future by the coming antichrist. Like the man of Daniel’s prophecy, John tells us that the beast (the man of lawlessness, the antichrist) will open…
“his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast — all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Rev 13:6-8).
The duration of the beast’s authority will be approximately 3-1/2 years (1,290 days, Dan 12:11), from the middle of the seven year covenant to the end of the seven years, (Dan 9:27). Thus, the Gentiles “will trample on the holy city for 42 months,” (Rev 11:2).
In the days of Jesus, Herod the Great became a pattern of the antichrist. In order to win the favor of the Jewish people and solidify his clam as king of the Jews, Herod upgraded the second temple complex into one of the great wonders of the ancient world. He spared neither marble nor gold as his workman decorated the temple. He is reported to have hung a solid gold grapevine with three-inch thick branches from the front of the temple that was subsequently enlarged by wealthy donors. The rabbis referred to this object as the "true vine." Some scholars speculate that Jesus was at this location when he made the proclamation, "I am the true vine," (John 15:1).
Certainly the weight of scripture, including the words of Jesus, Daniel, Ezekiel, and Paul, indicate the existence of a future temple. Now we can return to the original question, “Why is John told to measure the temple of God and why is the court of the Gentiles excluded from this measurement?”
JOHN’S CALL TO MEASURE THE TEMPLE
In the Book of Revelations, we are told that John is given a measuring rod like a stick and instructed to "Go and measure the temple of GOD and the altar, and count the worshipers there." (Rev 11:1). This passage seems to pronounce the existence of the temple, but it is interesting to note that no measurements are recorded by John. The dimensionless measuring by John is contrasted with a story later in Revelations where an angel used a rod to measure Jerusalem and reported its length, width, and height to be 1200 stadia, (Rev 21:16).
Since no measurements are given, the reader must conclude that the act of measuring is the important principle being conveyed. Measuring is sometimes used in scripture to foreshadow the coming judgment of God, such as in the case of Daniel to Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting,” (Dan 5:27). (Other examples include: 2 Kings 21:12-14 and Isaiah 34:11.) However, since the temple is referred to as “the temple of God” and the altar and worshipers are included, it seems unlikely that destruction is being foretold. In scripture, measuring is also used to foreshadow the future movement of God to take possession of what belongs to Him.
The prophet Zechariah recorded the following vision given to him by God, “Then I looked up — and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, ‘Where are you going?’ He answered me, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.’" (Zech 2:1-2). As in the eleventh chapter of Revelations, no subsequent dimensions are given by the angel to Zechariah. The action is symbolic. Zechariah continues,
“Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him and said to him: ‘Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be its glory within.’” (Zech 2:3-5)
The words of Zechariah look forward to the time when the nation of Israel will be placed in the land to dwell with the LORD forever. Further, “Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem,” (Zech 2:11-12). The measuring seen by Zechariah is a picture of the LORD taking Jerusalem and Judah to be His own possession. The measuring seen by John may constitute the initial portion of the larger measuring seen by Zechariah.
In scripture, the Temple Mount is a unique and special place to God. According to Hebrew tradition, before a temple ever existed, God placed His name at this location, (Deut 12:5-7). From this passage and several similar, the Hebrews held to a belief that the LORD literally carved His Name into the ground surrounding the Temple Mount. They point to the convergence of the Kidron Valley (east of the temple mount), Tyropean Valley (west of the temple mount), and Hinnom Valley (west of the upper city), which form the Jewish letter “Shin,” ש . Shin is the first letter of the word “Shaddai” (El Shaddai – God Almighty) and “Shem” (HaShem – His Name). So whether or not a temple currently exists in this location, the LORD has, from the time of creation, put His mark, and therefore, His claim on this property. As the LORD told Ezekiel during his discourse on the future temple,
"Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever.” (Ezek 43:7)
The importance of this location is reinforced by the numerous miraculous events that transpire between heaven and earth at this very place. According to the Bible…
• Abraham offered Isaac at the commandment of God on Mount Moriah at the location where the temple was ultimately constructed.
• Jacob saw his vision of a stairway to heaven with angels ascending and descending at this location. He called the place “Bethel” (House of God) and said that it was the “gate of heaven.” (Gen 28:17)
• At the instruction of the LORD, David built an altar on this location.
• The Spirit of God was poured out on this location when the first temple was dedicated by Solomon.
• The Spirit of God was seen leaving this location and ascending east of the temple (Mount of Olives) by Ezekiel.
• Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives just east of the temple.
• The Holy Spirit descended onto the temple and then was given to each and every believer.
• In the future, Jesus will return to stand on the Mount of Olives according to Zechariah.
GOD RECLAIMING HIS OWN POSSESSION
It should come as no surprise that Satan, the great enemy of God, desires to control this place that has God’s Name written upon it. The antichrist will use the same approach when he requires people to write his name on their hand or forehead, (Rev 13:16).
Measuring is the symbolic act of God reclaiming His own possession, whether the temple exists in John’s vision or is under construction. God is also coming to take possession of true believers, as John was told to “count the worshippers,” before the coming rapture, (Rev 11:12). In this context, measuring the “temple of God,” could also be an allusion to the greater body of believers referred to by Paul as, “the temple of the living God,” (2 Cor 6:16). The altar may refer to deceased believers since John “saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained,” (Rev 6:9).
The rest of the world, “the outer court,…has been given to the Gentiles,” (Rev 11:2). John is told to “Exclude” (NIV) and “Leave out (NAS), but the Greek is more emphatic, “Cast out” the outer court, the same Greek used in “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman,” (Gal 4:30). While a Court of the Gentiles existed for God Fearers during the second temple to fulfill the words of scripture (Mar 11:17), it was not part of the original design given from God. The larger context implies that the majority of Gentiles are not worshiping the true God since “they (Gentiles) will trample on the holy city for 42 months.” This irreverence includes the greater area of Jerusalem that is “figuratively called Sodom and Egypt,” (Rev 11:8). Therefore, the area and the people that are not part of God’s possession are not included in John’s measuring and will be rejected.
Along with Jerusalem, the world’s wickedness will merit the judgments of the two witnesses who, “strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want,” (Rev 11:6). After the death of the two witnesses, the LORD will hand the holy city over to the Gentiles to be trampled upon for 42 months, “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,” (Luke 21:24). This period marks the peak of the antichrist’s power that will be exercised over the last 3-1/2 years of the seven year period. The reign of the antichrist will be brought to an end by the return of Jesus who will reign as king and will take back the possession of Israel for the LORD. Never forget, “Whoever touches you (Zion) touches the apple of his (the LORD’S) eye.” (Zech 2:8).
WHAT WILL CAUSE THE TEMPLE TO BE CONSTRUCTED?
The current political environment in the Middle East currently precludes any peaceful attempt to construct a third temple. No secular Jewish government would even attempt to propose such an idea. In 1996, over one hundred people died during Muslim rioting that resulted from the construction of an additional exist to the Hasmonean Tunnel that runs along the inside of the western wall. Even though the archeologists had taken great care to brace the interior of the tunnel to protect surface structures, Muslims saw this as an attempt to undermine the foundations of their sacred structures. Since that time, most Israeli archeologists are relegated to sifting through the debris from the permitted excavations of Muslims on the temple mount.
Further, no one knows for sure where the temple should be located. There are a number of theories, but any theory would have to be supported by archeological evidence. At least two locations have been proposed south of the Dome of the Rock. If one of these locations could be supported by archeology, it opens up the possibility of two temples on the Temple Mount. In that scenario, the outer court of the Gentiles (Rev 11:2), would be a reference to the area containing the Dome of the Rock. A temple for the Jews and one for the Muslims would be somewhat analogous to the time Elijah built an altar to God adjacent to the altar built by the priests of Baal.
All this talk is mere speculation until some catalyst leads to the building of a third temple. Among many, there are three possible catalysts.
(1) A natural phenomenon such as an earthquake could destroy the Dome of the Rock and reveal foundations from the temple of Ezra or possibly even Solomon. Some believe these foundations still exist and were buried by Herod when he enlarged and elevated the Temple Mount. The evidence of the original temple foundations might offer sufficient proof to some and a sign that inspires others to rebuild the temple even in the face of opposition.
In scripture, earthquakes are often associated with the movements of God: (1) When the LORD descended on Mount Sinai, “His voice shook the earth,” (Heb 12:26), (2) When the LORD left the temple in the vision of Ezekiel, there was a great earthquake in the days of King Uzziah, (Zech 14:5), (3) At the crucifixion there was an earthquake, (Matt 27:54), and (4) An earthquake will accompany the return of the Messiah, (Zech 14:5)(Rev 11:13&19), “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” (Heb 12:26)(Hag 2:6).
Earthquakes occur with regularity in this part of the world since the Temple Mount lies just 15 miles west of the great Rift Valley where the Arabian and Africa tectonic plates move against one another. Several great earthquakes have happened along this fault including the great earthquake of 749 CE, which destroyed several Decapolis cities in the region east of Jerusalem. An earthquake hit the temple mount as recently as February 18, 2008, causing minimal damage to structures on the Dome of the Rock.
(2) A world leader could use the existing Dome of the Rock as a launching pad for proclaiming himself as a Messiah to the Jews and the Twelfth Imman to the Arabs (the Muslim world’s version of the Messiah). The increasing financial clout of the Arab nations in the face of a world struggling with a continuing financial crisis increase the potential of an Arab world leader. The Arabs have been looking for centuries for one who could unite all the Arab nations and force fundamental laws on the people.
An Arab leader would be rejected by all orthodox and many religious Jews, but some secular Jews might accept him if they thought peace would follow. If he could establish worldwide peace, he would have the foundation to declare himself to be god. He then could solidify that claim by making the Temple Mount his dwelling place.
(3) The Bible and history would lead the believer to consider some terrible confrontation, possible nuclear, between Israel and their Arab neighbors as the catalyst necessary to construct the temple. Israel will most likely be victorious in this war, possibly the battle prophesized in Ezekiel 38-39. Clearly the hand of the LORD will be seen in the victory of Israel (Ezek 39:7), and the nation will rush to bury the bodies of the dead in seven months in order to cleanse the land, (Ezek 39:12). This cleansing is required to prepare the nation and the people for a return to sacrifice and offering. As in the days of Ezra, construction of the temple will begin once the workers are purified by the offerings at the altar.
Construction of the temple could be one provision in a broader seven-year peace covenant referenced by Daniel, (Dan 9:27). As part of the peace agreement, Israel will burn weapons of war for seven years, (Ezek 39:9). In modern terms, this treaty involves a general disarmament of the world. In reality, only Israel will be disarming while the antichrist is rearming. How could Israel, after seeing the hand of God in victory, seek the trust and assurance of other nations? This is unfathomable, but prophecy would seem to indicate this is the case. Like any previous peace accord in history where Israel put their trust in a foreign power, God will not be pleased and will send two witnesses to prophesize against the nation of Israel, its rulers, and the world at large.
The principle architect of the peace agreement that leads to construction of the temple will have claim to the fulfillment of two major Messianic prophecies. Add a few miracles from the Book of Revelations, like causing fire to come down from heaven (Rev 13:13), and the antichrist will take his seat in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God, (2 Thes 2:4).
Scott
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)