The Fitbit Craze (Part 4)

HALAKHAH:  INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO WALK

The other primary form of teaching in first century Israel is called Halakhah.  Halakhah comes from the Hebrew word, “halakh” which means “to go” or “to walk.”  In the Bible, the righteous life is frequently spoken of as a way in which men are “to go,” e.g., “teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do,” (Ex 18:20).[1]  The original term “halakhah” was associated with the particular laws or decisions given by Moses, but “halakhah” later came to be understood as a generic term for the whole legal system of Judaism.  The concept of a person’s “walk” has a much more legalistic connotation than simply acknowledging a “faith” in Jesus.  It is safe to say that scripture is concerned with how a person lives, not simply with what a person believes.

In simple terms, Halakhah attempts to teach an individual the specific steps required to “walk after the LORD your God,” (Deut 13:4, KJV).  At a very foundational level, walking after the LORD means keeping the commandments of the LORD, as it is written,

 

“You shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him,” (Deut 8:6), and “Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD you God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statues which I am commanding you today for your good,” (Deut 10:12-13).

The close connection between the commandments as the way a believer is called “to walk” is reflected in the Greek text by the apostle John,

“This is love, that we walk according to His commandments.” (2 John 6)

The passage, "We love, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19), can be interpreted as a call to obedience just as the obedience of Jesus enabled Him to become the perfect offering for sin.

 

Added to the written commandments were the oral traditions that came to define how the commandments were fulfilled.  The oral traditions defined what was specifically required to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” (Ex 20:8).  The traditions, in addition to the commandments came to defined how a person was to walk.  This understanding is expressed in the encounter between the disciples of Jesus and the Pharisees.

“The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, ‘Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?’” (Mark 7:5)

In this example, the traditions of the elders defined the washing of the hands before eating as part of the way to walk.  However, traditions should never take priority over the commandments of God, (Mark 7:8).

From Paul’s perspective, how to “walk” was also defined by the instructions and the examples of the apostles.  To the Thessolonians, Paul wrote,

“Brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.” (1 Thess 4:1)

Paul told the Philippians, “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us,” (Phil 3:17).  The goal of learning to walk is to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling.”

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph 4:1-3)

Lake Travis has gained 15' since Saturday night and it is raining hard as I type - Scott

 

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[1] Ibid, Volume 8, page 251

The Fitbit Craze (Part 3)

FIRST CENTURY TEACHING TECHNIQUES: AGGADAH AND HALAKHAH

 

If believers were to define “walk” they might come up with a number of possible explanations.  Some might be close to the original intent, but Paul has a specific understanding in mind when he tells believers to “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.”  Paul’s understanding, and that of the John and the other apostles, is rooted in the teaching techniques of the rabbis. 

In biblical first century Israel, the two primary rabbinical teaching techniques were known as “Aggadah” and “Halakhah”.  Although most believers have probably never heard these words before, any person who has read the New Testament gospel accounts and the epistles has been exposed to both teaching techniques.  Before we discuss "Halakah", which means "to walk", let's briefly discuss "Aggadah." 

Aggadah is a form of teaching that frequently used analogies to illustrate a truth about God in order to teach the audience a moral principle.  Aggadah teaching can sound like this,

“A man had two sons.  The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me,” (Luke 15:11).  Aggadah can also sound like this,

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away,” (Matt 13:24). 

Parables are a common form of aggadah where an easy to remember story is employed to teach a moral lesson.  Aggadah can end with examples such as, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matt 7:11), and like, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night,” (Luke 18:6).

It is easy to understand why parables were a popular form of aggadah teaching among the rabbis.  A parable offers an easy to remember story with a lesson that can be recalled and applied.  Jesus was the Master of this form of teaching.  Depending on how they are counted, scholars have identified between 31-57 parables recorded in the gospel accounts.  Outside of scripture, there are over 1500 parables that exist in the rabbinical literature of the Talmud and Midrash including 300 parables that use animals.[1]  Many rabbinic parables contain themes common to the parables of Jesus such as kings, weddings, and feasts.  Study of the rabbinic parables can sometimes offer light to understanding the words of Jesus.  Here is one parable example I recently read,

“And Solomon too said in his wisdom, 'Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack ointment.' (Eccel 9:8).  R. Johanan b. Zakkai said: This may be compared to a king who summoned his servants to a banquet without appointing a time. The wise ones adorned themselves and sat at the door of the palace. ['for,'] said they. 'is anything lacking in a royal palace?'  The fools went about their work, saying, 'can there be a banquet without preparations'?  Suddenly the king desired [the presence of] his servants: the wise entered adorned, while the fools entered soiled. The king rejoiced at the wise but was angry with the fools. 'Those who adorned themselves for the banquet,' ordered he, 'let them sit, eat and drink. But those who did not adorn themselves for the banquet, let them stand and watch.'” (Talmud – b. Shabbat 153b)

In the parable above, the king summoned his servants to a banquet, but did not tell the people when the banquet would occur.  Those who were wise prepared themselves for the banquet believing that nothing was lacking in preparation in a king’s palace.  Those who were fools believed that some activity of preparation would precede the banquet which would give them time to prepare.  As it turned out, the wise were correct and the fool was forced to enter unprepared.  As a result, the wise sat down at the banquet to eat and drink, while the fool had to stand and watch, as it is written, “In that place there will be gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves being thrown out.  And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God,” (Luke 13:28-29).

The rabbinic parable above reminds us of Jesus’ parable of the king who gave a wedding feast, “But when the king come in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” (Matt 22:12-13).

When reading Jesus’ parable of the man not dressed in wedding clothes, I have often wondered why the king was so harsh since we perceive that the man came in a hurry and did not have time to dress.  However, when we overlay the parable of Jesus on top of the parable from rabbinic literature, we understand that the man had not prepared himself in advance for such an occasion and was considered a fool by the king.  The moral of Jesus’ parable is that His return will come quickly, “just like a thief in the night” (1 Thes 5:2), and a believer must prepare in advance for the return of Jesus, “as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work,” (John 9:4).

Thanks for all your recent prayers both for my father and my trip on business matters.  I am still not home, but hope to be there later today by the grace of the LORD.  Scott 

 

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[1] Encyclopaedia Judaica, Second Edition, Volume 15, page 621

The Fitbit Craze (Part 2)

WALKING IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD

Walking in the ways of the LORD is not a concept that is new to Paul and the Greek text.  Paul utilized a concept reflected in scripture nearly two thousand years earlier.

“Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘Walk before Me, and be blameless,” (Gen 17:1)

Five hundred years later, the LORD said to Moses in the wilderness, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction,” (Ex 16:4).  If a person searches the Hebrew text using the combination words “LORD” and “walk”, he will find over fifty references like the following:

 
“How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD,” (Psa 119:1), and “I am the LORD your God; walk in My statues and keep My ordinances and observe them.” (Ezek 20:19)

By the time of the apostles, walking in the ways of the LORD was an established concept.  The rabbis speaking through the Babylonian Talmud (~500 A.D.) recorded the following discussion in reference to “walking after the LORD your God.”

“What does the text mean, ‘You shall walk after the LORD your God’ (Deut 13:4)? Is it then possible for a man to walk after the Shechinah of which it is written, ‘The LORD your God is a devouring fire’ (Deut 4:24)?  But the meaning is to follow the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He: as He clothed the naked (Gen 3:21), so do you clothe the naked; as He visited the sick (Gen 18:1), so do you visit the sick; as He comforted mourners (Gen 25:11), so do you comfort those who mourn; as He buried the dead (Deut 34:6), so do you bury the dead” (b. Sot. 14a)

In the Hebrew understanding, the LORD does not call a man to perform a task unless He has first demonstrated how to perform the task.  Believers seek to cloth the naked, as God clothed Adam and Eve.  Believers see burying the dead as scriptural because God buried Moses.  Within the framework of this understanding, the life and ministry of Jesus can be seen as the ultimate pattern and example for the life that a believer is called to live, as John has written,

“The one who says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). 

A person’s “walk” refers to the specific actions a believer undertakes to mirror the life of Jesus, as we might say to our children, “Walk in my footsteps”, meaning follow the pattern of my example.  Paul gave this instruction to believers,

“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” (Col 2:6-7).

It is my understanding that the disciples of a rabbi often placed their feet in the exact location as their rabbi had walked so they could experience what their rabbi had experienced.  This was all part of the process to become like the rabbi, to “walk in Him.”  Every time a believer takes communion, participates in a festival, or performs any activity that Jesus performed, that believer participates in a common experience of Jesus and becomes more like the Master.  So what will each of us do today to become more like Jesus?

 

Scott

 

The Apostle Paul and the Fitbit Craze

About 18 months ago, my son Paul gave Teresa and I a “fitbit”, a wristband device that monitors the steps a person takes in a day.  All this and more are then accessible through an app on a person’s cell phone.  Tracking a person’s steps causes them to consider walking more.  One person recently told me that his company now monitors the steps employees take in a day because their health insurance company will reduce the rates charged for all persons who average over 6,000 steps a day.  I can now see where the future is headed.

 
Almost two thousand years before the invention of the fitbit, there was an apostle who was also interested in the walk of believers.  Paul may not have been the first proponent of the modern “fitbit” technology craze, but he did understand the importance of the proper lifestyle.  More often than most of us realize, Paul told believers to, “Walk…”
 
“…in newness of life.” (Rom 6:4)
“…according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:4)
“…according to love.” (Rom 14:15)
“…by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7)
“…by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16&25)
“…in good works, which God prepared beforehand,” (Eph 2:10)
“…in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,” (Eph 4:1)
“…in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us,” (Eph 5:2)
“…as children of Light,” (Eph 5:8)
“…in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects,” (Col 1:10)
“…in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom,” (1 Thess 2:12)

At the same time, Paul warned against, “Not walking…”

 
“…according to the flesh,” (Rom 8:4)
“…like mere men.” (1 Cor 3:3)
“…in craftiness or adulterating the word of truth,” (2 Cor 4:2)
“…according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of that spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,” (Eph 2:2)
“…as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,” (Eph 4:17)
“…not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time,” (Eph 5:15-16)

Just in case believers do not know how to program and operate their fitbits, the apostles have provided the following instructions, “Walk…”

 
“…according to the pattern you have in us (Paul, the apostles, and disciples)” (Phil 3:17)
“…as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” (Col 2:6)
“…as you received from us as to how you ought to walk and please God,” (1 Thes 4:1)
“…in the Light as He Himself is in the Light,” (1 John 1:7)
“…in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:6)
“…in truth, just as we have received the commandment to do from the Father.” (2 John 1:4)
“…according to His commandments…just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk,” (2 John 1:6)
“…in truth.” (3 John 1-3-4)

In the end, everyone will catch the craze, as it is written, “The nations will walk by its light (light from God and the Lamb),” (Rev 21:24)

(Scott)