(1) Creating Shalom Out of Chaos
(2) The Fall Brought Chaos Back Into Creation
(3) The Kingdom: God’s Plan to Restore Peace to the World
(4) I Was Sent for This Purpose
(5) What is the Kingdom? (Part - 3)
(6) Patterns of the Kingdom in Scripture (Part - 3)
- The Garden of Eden
- The Wilderness
- The Promised Land
- The Kingdom of Solomon
- The Days of the Apostles
(7) The Life and Ministry of Jesus
(8) Attributes of the Kingdom
- Prosperity and Joy
- Peace
- Righteousness
- Holiness
- Knowledge of the LORD
(9) The Believer’s Responsibility to Progress the Kingdom
(10) The Millenium Kingdom
WHAT IS THE KINGDOM?
Most believers acknowledge the existence of the kingdom, but not many see the propagation of the kingdom as central to the earthly ministry of Jesus. Fewer still can define the kingdom in a concise manner, which makes it difficult to fulfill the commandment, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" (Matt 6:33). This difficulty is due, in part, to the broad variation and seemingly contradictory scripture concerning the kingdom. Matthew records Jesus saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt 4:17), while at the same time, John records Jesus saying, "My kingdom is not of this world," (John 18:36).
Luke records Jesus saying, "The kingdom of God is in your midst" (Luke 17:21), while at the same time believers are told to pray, "Your kingdom come," (Luke 11:2). Paul adds to the confusion telling Timothy, "The LORD will rescue me…and bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom," (2 Tim 4:18). Even the words of the Hebrew writer, "since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken" (Heb 12:28), shade the kingdom as a future event and not a present reality. One time when Jesus was near Jerusalem, the people "supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately," (Luke 19:11). The words of Luke make us wonder what the people expected to appear. So which statements are correct? Is the "kingdom at hand" and "in your midst" or is the kingdom "not of this world" and in "heaven" requiring us to pray, "Your kingdom come"?
Matthew consistently refers to the kingdom as "the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 5:10), while the other gospel accounts almost universally refer to the kingdom as "the kingdom of God," (Mark 14:24)(Luke 9:60)(John 3:3). Although different in terminology, the phrases are one and the same in reference. Since Matthew was written primarily to a Jewish audience, the author elected to use a circumlocution to protect the Most Holy Name of the Creator. Jesus also employed this technique, substituting alternate names to avoid referring to the creator by His most Holy Name. The most common circumlocution Jesus used was "Father," but other examples He used include Most High, Heaven, and LORD.
The kingdom is confusing because it both exists in the present world, while at the same time, the kingdom is moving toward a greater and greater fulfillment to be witnessed at "His appearing and His kingdom," (2 Tim 4:1). Although the kingdom of God existed from the "foundation of the world" (Matt 25:34), the fullness of the kingdom has not yet been revealed. Such is the revelation of God’s plan to the creation, "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live," (John 5:25). Like the resurrection that occurred in the days of Jesus and will have a greater fulfillment at His return, so the kingdom was also revealed in the days of Jesus, while it awaits a greater fullness in the days of His return.
The most concise definition of the kingdom in scripture can be found in the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done," (Matt 6:10). From the words of Jesus, the kingdom can be understood to exist in any person or place where God’s rule is accepted as supreme. Contrary to what most believers have understood, the kingdom is not the church, though the church is a subset of the kingdom. The kingdom existed long before the church, but the church has been given a significant role in revealing the kingdom to the world in this present age. Paul summarized the kingdom in terms of the fruit it produces.
"For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men" (Rom 14:17-18).
Uniting the statements of Jesus and Paul leads the believer to understand that the kingdom exists where the submission to God’s will produces righteousness, peace, and joy. The words of Paul provide a framework to understand characteristics of the kingdom that we will explored later in this chapter. The greater these attributes are exhibited, the greater the presence of the kingdom.
One way to understand the kingdom is to examine patterns in scripture that foreshadow the fullness of the kingdom because these patterns contain characteristics of the kingdom. Examples include:
- The Garden of Eden
- The Wilderness
- The Promised Lane
- The Disciples After Receiving the Holy Spirit
- The Kingdom of Solomon
- The Life and Ministry of Jesus
PATTERNS OF THE KINGDOM: The Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden prior to the fall, "Paradise," stands as a picture of the fullness in the coming kingdom. Hunger was never a concern since the Garden was filled with the fruit of many trees. Although Adam had a responsibility to "cultivate" the Garden (Gen 2:15), we are given the impression that this was not a time consuming job until after the fall. Unhindered by the burdens of the world, Adam had frequent opportunity to fellowship with God. The characteristics Paul listed for the kingdom were all in the Garden prior to the fall: Prosperity, Peace, and Righteousness.
For all its bounty and proximity to the LORD God, the Garden appeared to have two striking deficiencies when compared to the future kingdom. First, Satan was permitted to roam in the Garden to tempt Adam and Eve. During Jesus’ coming reign on the earth, Satan will be bound in the abyss "so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed," (Rev 20:3). Before the "World to Come," Satan will be "thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone…and…will be tormented day and night forever and ever," (Rev 20:10).
Second, although the LORD God apparently walked with Adam in the "cool of the day" (Gen 3:8), scripture is unclear if Adam was always in the presence of God. Apparently Adam and Eve were not in the presence of God when they were tempted by Satan since Adam and Eve "hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God" (Gen 3:8). During the coming fullness of the kingdom, Jesus will be ever present ruling the nations with "a rod of iron" (Rev 19:15), until "all things are subjected to Him," (1 Cor 15:28).
Beginning in Genesis 2:4 and continuing through Genesis 3:23, the Creator is primarily referred to as the "LORD God," a name used in scripture for the totality of the Creator. The name also indicates the unique relationship that was offered to Adam and Eve by the Creator. After the fall, beginning in Genesis chapter four, the creator is more commonly referred to as "God." In fact, the Creator will tell Moses that "I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself know to them," (Ex 6:3). In other words, a revelation of the totality of God was lost to mankind after the fall. The future kingdom will restore that relationship, "’They will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD," (Jer 31:34).
In the garden, the serpent refers to the creator only as "God" (Gen 3:1), not the complete nature of the creator. Eve also refers to the creator in this manner, "God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die,’" (Gen 3:4). The fact that Eve does not refer to the creator as "LORD God" indicates that something was lacking in her relationship with the Creator, which exposed her to the tempting of the serpent. In the future kingdom, we will no longer "see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face," then we will "know fully," (1 Cor 13:12).
Finally, in the Garden, Adam and Eve had the evil inclination, which allowed them to be tempted and to sin. In the fullness of the kingdom, the evil inclination will be removed by the LORD Who will circumcise our hearts (Deut 30:6), and give us new hearts that are obedient to His will, (Ezek 36:27). In the New Jerusalem, "nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life," (Rev 21:27).
(to be continued - Scott)
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Seek First the Kingdom - Part 2
I have been doing alot of studying on the kingdom as of late and have tried to compile a concise list of scripture on the subject. So much that it seems appropriate to give an outline of where I might be headed over the next 10-12 parts. Whatever I try to cover will be grossly inadequate because the kingdom is a principle theme throughout the entire Bible. In the words of Jesus, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this very purpose," (Luke 4:43). Sounds like a pretty important topic in the Bible. Any input you have will be greatly appreciated. Here is the outline on what I am hoping to cover.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(1) Creating Shalom Out of Chaos
(2) The Fall Brought Chaos Back Into Creation
(3) The Kingdom: God’s Plan to Restore Peace to the World
(4) I Was Sent for This Purpose
(5) What is the Kingdom?
(6) Attributes of the Kingdom
- Peace
- Righteousness
- Prosperity and Joy
- Knowledge of the LORD
(7) Patterns of the Kingdom in Scripture
- The Wilderness
- The Promised Land
- The Garden of Eden
- The Days of the Apostles
(8) The Life and Ministry of Jesus
(9) The Millenium Kingdom
(10) The Progression of the Kingdom
CREATING SHALOM OUT OF CHAOS
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." (Gen 1:1-2)
The phrase “formless and void” is derived from the Hebrew words “tohu (to’-hoo)” and “bohu (bo’-hoo).” The Hebrew phrase attempts to convey a condition that is empty, void, undistinguishable, without purpose, without order, without meaning, a total ruin, utter and complete chaos. There is no English word that comes close to adequately capturing the concept of the phrase “tohu-bohu.”
Frustrated with the inability to convey this concept to his class, a professor ran to his office and brought back a blender. Into the blender he placed various fruits such as bananas, strawberries, and grapes. After operating the blender he still did not feel he was anywhere close to the concept of tohu-bohu. He proceeded to add water, turn the blender on high, and then he removed the cover to reveal chaos everywhere. Tohu-bohu, a difficult concept to convey.
Perhaps a better way to explain tohu-bohu is to offer the Hebrew word that is the exact opposite of chaos, that word is “Shalom.” Shalom is translated into English as “peace,” but its meaning is much richer and far deeper than simply “peace.” Shalom is the complete and total peace that proceeds from a condition of perfect order, harmony, wholeness, and purpose.
At creation, “tohu-bohu” is represented by the water, which has no form nor order. It was the Spirit of God moving over the waters that brings “Shalom” to the creation. When Jesus calmed the waters on the Sea of Galilee, it became a reminder to the disciples of the LORD’S hand at the time of creation, evoking the response, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water and they obey Him?” (Luke 8:25).
Every day of creation concludes with the statement, “there was evening and there was morning,” (Gen 1:5). The Hebrew day begins at dusk based on this pattern from Genesis, then moves from evening to morning, from darkness to light. Darkness is seen as chaos without God, while the light that follows is seen to reflect God’s order. At the conclusion of God’s work, the creation is called, “very good,” (Gen 1:31). The creation testifies to the work of God, that He is in the business of bringing Shalom out of chaos.
THE FALL BROUGHT CHAOS BACK TO CREATION
The creation remained in a state of Shalom for only a short time until the serpent tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden. When Adam succumb to the temptation and sinned, chaos was introduced back into the creation. Chaos (tohu-bohu) returned to the creation in the form of hard labor, hatred, violence, and murder. The contrast between God and Satan became evident in the Garden, God brings order into the world, but Satan introduces chaos.
After the fall, God could have chosen to wipe man off the creation map and start with a fresh creation and a new man. God did not choose that path, in part, due to His great mercy. In the words spoken to David, “God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from Him,” (2 Sam 14:14). God could have remade the creation and placed the fallen man in a new garden, removing the consequences of Adam’s sin. God did not choose that option either, nor did He relieve Satan of his ability to tempt mankind.
Some commentators suggest that man failed to comprehend the mighty work God performed to bring Shalom to the creation. If the world was going to be restored, God determined that man would participate in the restoration process. Through his participation, man would come to appreciate the work of creation and come to know and worship the creator.
The great Hebrew sage Hillel, born eighty years before Jesus, made famous the principle found in scripture that he called “tikkun olam.” The phrase literally means, “repairing the world,” although it is sometimes translated as “perfecting the world” or “bettering the world.” Hillel believed that in every task a person performs he has a responsibility to make the world a better place. In the words of Paul, to “overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21), just as the LORD God originally brought shalom to the world out of chaos.
THE KINGDOM: GOD’S PLAN TO RESTORE ORDER TO THE WORLD
“The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them…6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore.” (Isa 9:2&6-7)
The LORD brings “Shalom” back into the world through the propagation of His Kingdom, as it is written, “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of His peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom.” The Kingdom is not a concept unique to the New Testament, but one that has been prepared from the foundation of the world, (Matt 25:34). The first reference in scripture to the kingdom is seen in the Song of Moses (Ex 15:1-18), spoken after Israel crossed the Red Sea in safety, while they witnessed the destruction of their enemies. The song of Moses concludes by saying, “The LORD shall reign forever and ever,” (Ex 15:18). If the LORD is reigning, the rabbis concluded that there must be a kingdom, dominion or place of ruling authority, and servants who submit to the will of the king.
We come to learn about the kingdom through the words of Moses, the prophets, the apostles, and the life of Jesus Who began His ministry proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” (Matt 4:17). The ministry of Jesus revealed the kingdom to Israel through His parables that began, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” and through His miracles, “If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matt 12:28). Luke recorded Jesus as saying,
“I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose,” (Luke 4:42-43)
The gospel that believers preach should be “the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,” (Acts 8:12). The preaching of Jesus Christ should always be within the greater context of the kingdom of God. Since the kingdom was spoken about in the days of Moses, the writer of Hebrews could say, “For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also,” (Heb 4:2). The “good news” was the kingdom, “but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”
(to be continued - Scott)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(1) Creating Shalom Out of Chaos
(2) The Fall Brought Chaos Back Into Creation
(3) The Kingdom: God’s Plan to Restore Peace to the World
(4) I Was Sent for This Purpose
(5) What is the Kingdom?
(6) Attributes of the Kingdom
- Peace
- Righteousness
- Prosperity and Joy
- Knowledge of the LORD
(7) Patterns of the Kingdom in Scripture
- The Wilderness
- The Promised Land
- The Garden of Eden
- The Days of the Apostles
(8) The Life and Ministry of Jesus
(9) The Millenium Kingdom
(10) The Progression of the Kingdom
CREATING SHALOM OUT OF CHAOS
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." (Gen 1:1-2)
The phrase “formless and void” is derived from the Hebrew words “tohu (to’-hoo)” and “bohu (bo’-hoo).” The Hebrew phrase attempts to convey a condition that is empty, void, undistinguishable, without purpose, without order, without meaning, a total ruin, utter and complete chaos. There is no English word that comes close to adequately capturing the concept of the phrase “tohu-bohu.”
Frustrated with the inability to convey this concept to his class, a professor ran to his office and brought back a blender. Into the blender he placed various fruits such as bananas, strawberries, and grapes. After operating the blender he still did not feel he was anywhere close to the concept of tohu-bohu. He proceeded to add water, turn the blender on high, and then he removed the cover to reveal chaos everywhere. Tohu-bohu, a difficult concept to convey.
Perhaps a better way to explain tohu-bohu is to offer the Hebrew word that is the exact opposite of chaos, that word is “Shalom.” Shalom is translated into English as “peace,” but its meaning is much richer and far deeper than simply “peace.” Shalom is the complete and total peace that proceeds from a condition of perfect order, harmony, wholeness, and purpose.
At creation, “tohu-bohu” is represented by the water, which has no form nor order. It was the Spirit of God moving over the waters that brings “Shalom” to the creation. When Jesus calmed the waters on the Sea of Galilee, it became a reminder to the disciples of the LORD’S hand at the time of creation, evoking the response, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water and they obey Him?” (Luke 8:25).
Every day of creation concludes with the statement, “there was evening and there was morning,” (Gen 1:5). The Hebrew day begins at dusk based on this pattern from Genesis, then moves from evening to morning, from darkness to light. Darkness is seen as chaos without God, while the light that follows is seen to reflect God’s order. At the conclusion of God’s work, the creation is called, “very good,” (Gen 1:31). The creation testifies to the work of God, that He is in the business of bringing Shalom out of chaos.
THE FALL BROUGHT CHAOS BACK TO CREATION
The creation remained in a state of Shalom for only a short time until the serpent tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden. When Adam succumb to the temptation and sinned, chaos was introduced back into the creation. Chaos (tohu-bohu) returned to the creation in the form of hard labor, hatred, violence, and murder. The contrast between God and Satan became evident in the Garden, God brings order into the world, but Satan introduces chaos.
After the fall, God could have chosen to wipe man off the creation map and start with a fresh creation and a new man. God did not choose that path, in part, due to His great mercy. In the words spoken to David, “God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from Him,” (2 Sam 14:14). God could have remade the creation and placed the fallen man in a new garden, removing the consequences of Adam’s sin. God did not choose that option either, nor did He relieve Satan of his ability to tempt mankind.
Some commentators suggest that man failed to comprehend the mighty work God performed to bring Shalom to the creation. If the world was going to be restored, God determined that man would participate in the restoration process. Through his participation, man would come to appreciate the work of creation and come to know and worship the creator.
The great Hebrew sage Hillel, born eighty years before Jesus, made famous the principle found in scripture that he called “tikkun olam.” The phrase literally means, “repairing the world,” although it is sometimes translated as “perfecting the world” or “bettering the world.” Hillel believed that in every task a person performs he has a responsibility to make the world a better place. In the words of Paul, to “overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21), just as the LORD God originally brought shalom to the world out of chaos.
THE KINGDOM: GOD’S PLAN TO RESTORE ORDER TO THE WORLD
“The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them…6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore.” (Isa 9:2&6-7)
The LORD brings “Shalom” back into the world through the propagation of His Kingdom, as it is written, “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of His peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom.” The Kingdom is not a concept unique to the New Testament, but one that has been prepared from the foundation of the world, (Matt 25:34). The first reference in scripture to the kingdom is seen in the Song of Moses (Ex 15:1-18), spoken after Israel crossed the Red Sea in safety, while they witnessed the destruction of their enemies. The song of Moses concludes by saying, “The LORD shall reign forever and ever,” (Ex 15:18). If the LORD is reigning, the rabbis concluded that there must be a kingdom, dominion or place of ruling authority, and servants who submit to the will of the king.
We come to learn about the kingdom through the words of Moses, the prophets, the apostles, and the life of Jesus Who began His ministry proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” (Matt 4:17). The ministry of Jesus revealed the kingdom to Israel through His parables that began, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” and through His miracles, “If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matt 12:28). Luke recorded Jesus as saying,
“I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose,” (Luke 4:42-43)
The gospel that believers preach should be “the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,” (Acts 8:12). The preaching of Jesus Christ should always be within the greater context of the kingdom of God. Since the kingdom was spoken about in the days of Moses, the writer of Hebrews could say, “For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also,” (Heb 4:2). The “good news” was the kingdom, “but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”
(to be continued - Scott)
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Passover 2011
No, we didn't already have this year's Seder and you missed it.
This is from last year. The photos remind me how much I have grown to love celebrating Passover with the Dusty Disciples.
This is from last year. The photos remind me how much I have grown to love celebrating Passover with the Dusty Disciples.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Burial, Baptism, and Cremation
Several Sundays ago I had the opportunity to preach on “Baptism for the Dead,” a concept taken from Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church, (1 Cor 15:29). One particular religion has built an entire theology from incorrectly interpreting the words of Paul, while placing the passage in its proper historical and cultural context brings clarity to our understanding. In short,
1) Each person is created in the image of God. Human bodies retain their honor, dignity, and holiness even when the soul has left. The body of a person is not simply a container for holiness, rather it becomes sacred similar to a Torah scroll.
2) Burying a dead body is one of the 613 commandments, (Deut 21:22-23).
3) By example, Abraham bought the cave at Machpelah to bury Sarah (Gen 23:19), God buried Moses (Deut 34:6), and the disciples buried Jesus (John 20:42).
4) A body that is not buried is seen to be cursed (Deut 21:23) (Eccl 6:3) (Matt 24:29) (Rev 19:21). All that was left of the wicked Queen Jezebel when they went to bury her were her hands, feet and her head, (2 Kings 9:34).
5) Preparing a body for burial in considered a great mitzvah (good deed), but any person who touches a dead body becomes unclean making them unable to worship in the temple, (Num 19:13), i.e., approach the LORD.
6) Even walking over the grave of a dead body makes a person unclean, (Luke 11:44).
7) To be restored to a clean condition, a person must be baptized twice over seven days, (Num 19:11-12).
8) “Baptism for the dead” is simply the process of restoring those who have handled a dead body, in obedience to the commandments, back into a clean condition.
“Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?” (1 Cor 15:29)
- Who are the dead? = People who have died
- Who are baptized? = Those who have prepared a body for burial
- Why bother to prepare bodies for burial? = It is a commandment and a demonstration of faith in the resurrection.
A Demonstration of Faith In The Resurrection:
In addition to fulfilling a commandment, burying a dead body is a demonstration of faith in the resurrection. You might ask, “How is burial a demonstration of the resurrection?” In countries dominated by eastern religions that believe in reincarnation, such as Japan (Buddhists) and India (Hindus), cremation is the primary mode of handling a dead body, 90% and 70%, respectively. On the other hand, the Catholic Church banned cremation for over fifteen hundred years. “In general, burial followed the belief in one God and cremation followed the belief in multiple gods, or the weakening of belief in any god.” (Cremation or Burial?, Doron Kornbluth, 2010 Edition)
A belief that supports a return to life in a different body, does not require resurrection of the original body. Joseph is commended in the chapter of faith because he “gave orders concerning his bones,” (Heb 11:22). The orders Joseph gave were to return his bones back to Israel when the Exodus was over. Why back to Israel, because in Jewish belief the resurrection will begin in the land of Israel at the eastern gate of the temple.
In preparation for the lesson I gave at church, I ordered a book on Jewish burial practices, which, of course, arrived the week after the lesson. Doron Kornbluth, wrote the book “Cremation or Burial?” to argue against the current trend in America and Europe where 30% of Jewish deaths are being cremated. He argues effectively against all the typical non-religious myths: “Creation is not better for the environment, does not resolve mobility problems, and is often not significantly cheaper.” (Sentences shown in quotations are taken directly from the book.)
More importantly, Kornbluth argues the need for burial from a Torah perspective,
1) As already stated, burying a body is commanded by God (Deut 21:23), a body that is not buried defiles the land (Deut 21:23), and God demonstrated the importance of this commandment when He buried Moses, (Deut 34:6).
2) “Human beings contain a spark of holiness – and human bodies retain their honor, dignity, and holiness even when the soul has left…The body of a person is not simply a container for holiness…rather it itself becomes sacred…similar to a Torah scroll.” Jewish bodies are typically buried in a linen garment placed in a wooden casket. “Viewing the body is seen as disrespectful to the memory of the deceased.”
3) Kornbluth takes a page from Paul’s play book to say that “Judaism teaches that our bodies don’t actually belong to us. They belong to God and are on loan to us.” Since your body is not your own (1 Cor 6:19) , you do not have a say in how the body is handled after death. That decision is God’s call and He has commanded that a body be buried.
4) In Jewish thinking, the body and soul are united like husband and wife. Burying a body gives the soul of a person time to separate from the body. Some Jewish circles believe that the soul remains near the body until it sees the body start to decay (about the third day). Realizing that the body will not regenerate itself, the soul leaves the body to go toward the place of souls with God.
5) In scripture, the flesh is seen as the embodiment of sin, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh,” (Rom 7:18). The decay of the flesh is a natural process and seen by the rabbis as a picture of the final and complete removal of sin from a person’s life. When a person is embalmed, the natural process is slowed down and will greatly lengthen the time for removing sin. To cremate a person accelerates the process potentially bringing additional suffering to the soul.
6) The dead are a part of the community of the living because they laid the foundation of the world where the living reside. Cremating a body eliminates a person from the presence of the community. It’s a way of “sanitizing death,” making the dead as if they never existed. “Cremation reflects and promotes a worldwide view of death denial.” “By burying our dead together in communal cemeteries – rather than scattering one person’s ashes alone in nature – we declare to others and remind ourselves of the importance of community.”
7) “Eastern religions and ancient pagan Greeks viewed fire as a type of purifier…In monotheistic thought, it is water that purifies (mikveh). Fire punishes.” In scripture, fire is used for judgment: Moses commanded idols to be destroyed by fire, (Deut 7:25). Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire, (Gen 19), the prophets of Baal by fire on Mount Carmel, the future destruction of Babylon (Rev 17:16), the place of eternal torment (Rev 20:10). “Burning has historically been a primary means of eliminating Jews (the Inquisition and the Holocaust are only two examples.)” For the Jew, “Choosing burial declares that the forced cremations of the victims of the Holocaust were an unforgivable attempt to destroy the identity of millions of Jews, declaring that they – and thus we – had never existed.”
The question that naturally comes up, "What about the people who die in fires or where burned in the ovens of Auschwitz?" Like the thief on the cross who did not have the opportunity to be baptized, the exception should not be taught as the rule. Some individuals are not given the choice. To the ability we do have the opportunity, we should follow the pattern set forth for us in the Bible.
Scott
1) Each person is created in the image of God. Human bodies retain their honor, dignity, and holiness even when the soul has left. The body of a person is not simply a container for holiness, rather it becomes sacred similar to a Torah scroll.
2) Burying a dead body is one of the 613 commandments, (Deut 21:22-23).
3) By example, Abraham bought the cave at Machpelah to bury Sarah (Gen 23:19), God buried Moses (Deut 34:6), and the disciples buried Jesus (John 20:42).
4) A body that is not buried is seen to be cursed (Deut 21:23) (Eccl 6:3) (Matt 24:29) (Rev 19:21). All that was left of the wicked Queen Jezebel when they went to bury her were her hands, feet and her head, (2 Kings 9:34).
5) Preparing a body for burial in considered a great mitzvah (good deed), but any person who touches a dead body becomes unclean making them unable to worship in the temple, (Num 19:13), i.e., approach the LORD.
6) Even walking over the grave of a dead body makes a person unclean, (Luke 11:44).
7) To be restored to a clean condition, a person must be baptized twice over seven days, (Num 19:11-12).
8) “Baptism for the dead” is simply the process of restoring those who have handled a dead body, in obedience to the commandments, back into a clean condition.
“Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?” (1 Cor 15:29)
- Who are the dead? = People who have died
- Who are baptized? = Those who have prepared a body for burial
- Why bother to prepare bodies for burial? = It is a commandment and a demonstration of faith in the resurrection.
A Demonstration of Faith In The Resurrection:
In addition to fulfilling a commandment, burying a dead body is a demonstration of faith in the resurrection. You might ask, “How is burial a demonstration of the resurrection?” In countries dominated by eastern religions that believe in reincarnation, such as Japan (Buddhists) and India (Hindus), cremation is the primary mode of handling a dead body, 90% and 70%, respectively. On the other hand, the Catholic Church banned cremation for over fifteen hundred years. “In general, burial followed the belief in one God and cremation followed the belief in multiple gods, or the weakening of belief in any god.” (Cremation or Burial?, Doron Kornbluth, 2010 Edition)
A belief that supports a return to life in a different body, does not require resurrection of the original body. Joseph is commended in the chapter of faith because he “gave orders concerning his bones,” (Heb 11:22). The orders Joseph gave were to return his bones back to Israel when the Exodus was over. Why back to Israel, because in Jewish belief the resurrection will begin in the land of Israel at the eastern gate of the temple.
In preparation for the lesson I gave at church, I ordered a book on Jewish burial practices, which, of course, arrived the week after the lesson. Doron Kornbluth, wrote the book “Cremation or Burial?” to argue against the current trend in America and Europe where 30% of Jewish deaths are being cremated. He argues effectively against all the typical non-religious myths: “Creation is not better for the environment, does not resolve mobility problems, and is often not significantly cheaper.” (Sentences shown in quotations are taken directly from the book.)
More importantly, Kornbluth argues the need for burial from a Torah perspective,
1) As already stated, burying a body is commanded by God (Deut 21:23), a body that is not buried defiles the land (Deut 21:23), and God demonstrated the importance of this commandment when He buried Moses, (Deut 34:6).
2) “Human beings contain a spark of holiness – and human bodies retain their honor, dignity, and holiness even when the soul has left…The body of a person is not simply a container for holiness…rather it itself becomes sacred…similar to a Torah scroll.” Jewish bodies are typically buried in a linen garment placed in a wooden casket. “Viewing the body is seen as disrespectful to the memory of the deceased.”
3) Kornbluth takes a page from Paul’s play book to say that “Judaism teaches that our bodies don’t actually belong to us. They belong to God and are on loan to us.” Since your body is not your own (1 Cor 6:19) , you do not have a say in how the body is handled after death. That decision is God’s call and He has commanded that a body be buried.
4) In Jewish thinking, the body and soul are united like husband and wife. Burying a body gives the soul of a person time to separate from the body. Some Jewish circles believe that the soul remains near the body until it sees the body start to decay (about the third day). Realizing that the body will not regenerate itself, the soul leaves the body to go toward the place of souls with God.
5) In scripture, the flesh is seen as the embodiment of sin, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh,” (Rom 7:18). The decay of the flesh is a natural process and seen by the rabbis as a picture of the final and complete removal of sin from a person’s life. When a person is embalmed, the natural process is slowed down and will greatly lengthen the time for removing sin. To cremate a person accelerates the process potentially bringing additional suffering to the soul.
6) The dead are a part of the community of the living because they laid the foundation of the world where the living reside. Cremating a body eliminates a person from the presence of the community. It’s a way of “sanitizing death,” making the dead as if they never existed. “Cremation reflects and promotes a worldwide view of death denial.” “By burying our dead together in communal cemeteries – rather than scattering one person’s ashes alone in nature – we declare to others and remind ourselves of the importance of community.”
7) “Eastern religions and ancient pagan Greeks viewed fire as a type of purifier…In monotheistic thought, it is water that purifies (mikveh). Fire punishes.” In scripture, fire is used for judgment: Moses commanded idols to be destroyed by fire, (Deut 7:25). Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire, (Gen 19), the prophets of Baal by fire on Mount Carmel, the future destruction of Babylon (Rev 17:16), the place of eternal torment (Rev 20:10). “Burning has historically been a primary means of eliminating Jews (the Inquisition and the Holocaust are only two examples.)” For the Jew, “Choosing burial declares that the forced cremations of the victims of the Holocaust were an unforgivable attempt to destroy the identity of millions of Jews, declaring that they – and thus we – had never existed.”
The question that naturally comes up, "What about the people who die in fires or where burned in the ovens of Auschwitz?" Like the thief on the cross who did not have the opportunity to be baptized, the exception should not be taught as the rule. Some individuals are not given the choice. To the ability we do have the opportunity, we should follow the pattern set forth for us in the Bible.
Scott
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Seek First the Kingdom - Part 1
“The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:1-3)
The books of the prophets begin with a statement in Joshua on the Law of Moses, “ Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful where ever you go,” (Josh 1:7). The last book of prophecy concludes with a similar statement from Malichi, “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel,” (Mal 4:4). From these two passages, the sages understood that the purpose of the prophets was to illuminate and reinforce the teachings of Moses.
The Book of Acts begins with Jesus “speaking things concerning the kingdom of God.” Twenty-eight chapters later, Acts concludes with Paul, “preaching the kingdom of God” (Acts 28:30-31), from his rented quarters in Rome. Following the pattern of the prophets, we can suggest from the book of Acts that the primary work of the Church is to teach "the kingdom of God."
Despite this pattern in Acts, mainline Protestant denominations more often focus on "faith" and "belief" to the detriment of teachings on the kingdom and related principles conveyed in scripture. A simple word comparison from the NASB will show that the kingdom is mentioned in the gospel accounts far more often than salvation, faith, or even more than belief.
Subject________ Total_____ Gospels/Acts_______ Epistles
Kingdom_______ 165_________ 136____________ 28
Salvation________ 51_________12_____________ 39
Saved__________ 51_________ 30_____________ 21
Savior_________ 24__________ 5_____________ 19
Believe________ 245________ 124(81-John)______ 121
Faith_________ 308_________ 53_____________ 255
The word comparison suggests that a fundamental change of emphasis occurred in the Greek Text as the story moved from the gospel accounts to the epistles. “Faith” came to displace the prior emphasis of Jesus on the kingdom and obedience to the commandments that reveal the kingdom. In an effort to provide balance to the teachings of Paul James wrote, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead," (James 2:17).
The Church has long attributed the change in emphasis found in Paul's epistles to the atoning death of Jesus on the cross. While the death of Jesus on the cross stands as the pivotal event in history and fundamental to the foundation of the believer’s faith, it did not change the message spoken by Jesus Who continued “speaking…things concerning the kingdom.” The priority of Jesus remained unchanged after the cross as it had been before the cross, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” (Matt 6:34).
With great caution and inadequate research, I suggest the following. The perceived change in emphasis with Paul’s epistles might better be explained by a change in audience, not doctrine, as the Church moved from a Jewish audience into the Gentle world. While the average Jew had knowledge of God, having been “entrusted with the oracles of God” (Rom 3:2), Gentiles were largely “strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world,” (Eph 2:12). Many gentiles who heard the preaching of Paul simply had little or no prior foundation in the world of God.
The Roman world was far different than the world of the first century Jew. The Roman Empire was a polytheistic pagan world, which made the direct transition to faith in Jesus as the Messiah a much broader and more difficult step than for the Jew. A testimony to this difficulty is recorded in the book of Acts where Paul preached to the men of Athens about the one true God, the need for repentance, and the coming judgment, (Acts 17:22-31). Scripture does not record if Paul talked to the men of Athens about Jesus or the kingdom. I believe that such a discussion would have been to difficult in the beginning as some dismissed Paul after they heard him preach about the resurrection of the dead (Acts 17:32).
The books of the prophets begin with a statement in Joshua on the Law of Moses, “ Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful where ever you go,” (Josh 1:7). The last book of prophecy concludes with a similar statement from Malichi, “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel,” (Mal 4:4). From these two passages, the sages understood that the purpose of the prophets was to illuminate and reinforce the teachings of Moses.
The Book of Acts begins with Jesus “speaking things concerning the kingdom of God.” Twenty-eight chapters later, Acts concludes with Paul, “preaching the kingdom of God” (Acts 28:30-31), from his rented quarters in Rome. Following the pattern of the prophets, we can suggest from the book of Acts that the primary work of the Church is to teach "the kingdom of God."
Despite this pattern in Acts, mainline Protestant denominations more often focus on "faith" and "belief" to the detriment of teachings on the kingdom and related principles conveyed in scripture. A simple word comparison from the NASB will show that the kingdom is mentioned in the gospel accounts far more often than salvation, faith, or even more than belief.
Subject________ Total_____ Gospels/Acts_______ Epistles
Kingdom_______ 165_________ 136____________ 28
Salvation________ 51_________12_____________ 39
Saved__________ 51_________ 30_____________ 21
Savior_________ 24__________ 5_____________ 19
Believe________ 245________ 124(81-John)______ 121
Faith_________ 308_________ 53_____________ 255
The word comparison suggests that a fundamental change of emphasis occurred in the Greek Text as the story moved from the gospel accounts to the epistles. “Faith” came to displace the prior emphasis of Jesus on the kingdom and obedience to the commandments that reveal the kingdom. In an effort to provide balance to the teachings of Paul James wrote, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead," (James 2:17).
The Church has long attributed the change in emphasis found in Paul's epistles to the atoning death of Jesus on the cross. While the death of Jesus on the cross stands as the pivotal event in history and fundamental to the foundation of the believer’s faith, it did not change the message spoken by Jesus Who continued “speaking…things concerning the kingdom.” The priority of Jesus remained unchanged after the cross as it had been before the cross, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” (Matt 6:34).
With great caution and inadequate research, I suggest the following. The perceived change in emphasis with Paul’s epistles might better be explained by a change in audience, not doctrine, as the Church moved from a Jewish audience into the Gentle world. While the average Jew had knowledge of God, having been “entrusted with the oracles of God” (Rom 3:2), Gentiles were largely “strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world,” (Eph 2:12). Many gentiles who heard the preaching of Paul simply had little or no prior foundation in the world of God.
The Roman world was far different than the world of the first century Jew. The Roman Empire was a polytheistic pagan world, which made the direct transition to faith in Jesus as the Messiah a much broader and more difficult step than for the Jew. A testimony to this difficulty is recorded in the book of Acts where Paul preached to the men of Athens about the one true God, the need for repentance, and the coming judgment, (Acts 17:22-31). Scripture does not record if Paul talked to the men of Athens about Jesus or the kingdom. I believe that such a discussion would have been to difficult in the beginning as some dismissed Paul after they heard him preach about the resurrection of the dead (Acts 17:32).
Some of the men of Athens did believe at Paul's preaching, (Acts 17:34). Belief in the One True God became the necessary first step for Gentiles who had been immersed in a pagan world. Teaching about the kingdom and obedience to the commandments of the kingdom had to be proceeded by belief in the Father and Jesus as the Christ. Belief became the foundation on which the kingdom could be built.
Paul’s primary calling was to turn the hearts of polytheistic pagans into people who believed in the one true God. Once belief was achieved, it was reasonable to expect that new believers would begin to learn about the kingdom, “for Moses from ancient generations…is read in the synagogues every Sabbath,” (Acts 15:20-21). The words of James suggests that learning would continue. As strange as this suggestion might first appear, once a person believes, the emphasis of their study should move toward understanding the kingdom so that the principles of the kingdom might be lived out in their life.
An even more radical thought follows. Once a person comes to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, the the gospel accounts and Acts should be studied in equal measure, if not greater measure, than the epistles of Paul, which is not the case in most mainline Protestant churches today. The gospel accounts present a clearer picture of the kingdom, as it is frequently written, "The kingdom of heaven is like...." Paul himself demonstrated this priority of teaching the kingdom when he arrived in Rome and was received by an audience that was primarily, “the leading men of the Jews,” (Acts 28:17).
“When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.” (Acts 28:23)
As Paul had the opportunity and time to minister to the Gentiles, he preached the kingdom.
“He stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.” (Acts 28:30-31)
Notice the sequence of Luke’s words indicate that Jesus was taught by Paul, both to the Jew and the Gentile, in the context of the kingdom and not separate from the kingdom.
“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matt 6:13)
Scott
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Hillel and Shammai on How to Pray the Shema
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 " You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 " These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 " You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 " You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 " You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deut 6:4-9) (Shema)
Since Hillel and Shammai debated over 300 questions, it should not be surprising that some aspect of the saying of the Shema would be disputed. From the Book, "Hillel: If Not Now, When?"...
“The last words (of the Shema) serve as the basis for the law requiring Jews to recite the Shema daily. But when and how must they do so? The answer hinges on how one understands the words ‘when you lie down and when you rise up.’
The School of Shammai taught, “In the evening, everyone should lie down in order to recite (the Shema), and in the morning (each person) must stand, for it is written, ‘when you lie down and when you rise up.’” But the School of Hillel taught: “Each person recites the Shema according to his preferred manner (that is, one can do so while sitting or standing, while laying down or walking.”
The Mishnah, in which this dispute is recorded (Berakbot 1:3), asks how the Hillelites explained the Torah’s words, ‘when you lie down and when you rise up,’ and answers that they believed that the words were not meant to be understood literally. Rather, the Torah’s intentions was to establish the proper time to recite the Shema, once in the evening, the hours when people lie down for the night, and once in the morning, when they rise.”
(Hillel: If Not Now, When?, Joseph Telushkin, page 85, Edition 2010)
Since Hillel and Shammai debated over 300 questions, it should not be surprising that some aspect of the saying of the Shema would be disputed. From the Book, "Hillel: If Not Now, When?"...
“The last words (of the Shema) serve as the basis for the law requiring Jews to recite the Shema daily. But when and how must they do so? The answer hinges on how one understands the words ‘when you lie down and when you rise up.’
The School of Shammai taught, “In the evening, everyone should lie down in order to recite (the Shema), and in the morning (each person) must stand, for it is written, ‘when you lie down and when you rise up.’” But the School of Hillel taught: “Each person recites the Shema according to his preferred manner (that is, one can do so while sitting or standing, while laying down or walking.”
The Mishnah, in which this dispute is recorded (Berakbot 1:3), asks how the Hillelites explained the Torah’s words, ‘when you lie down and when you rise up,’ and answers that they believed that the words were not meant to be understood literally. Rather, the Torah’s intentions was to establish the proper time to recite the Shema, once in the evening, the hours when people lie down for the night, and once in the morning, when they rise.”
(Hillel: If Not Now, When?, Joseph Telushkin, page 85, Edition 2010)
Today "Hayom" If You Hear My Voice
I think what Sandi was asking can be heard on Dan Lancaster’s Hebrew series, Lesson 05, “Enter My Rest,” beginning around the 7:50 minute mark.
“Remember the story I told the children. In that story, Yehoshua Ben Levi, a third century Jewish Sage somehow encounters Messiah, according to him and asks, ‘When are you coming.’ Messiah says, ‘today,’ but then he doesn’t. So Ben Levi is ticked off and he goes to complain to Elijah.
Elijah explains and says, ‘What Messiah meant was, “Today.”’…Elijah said that the Messiah was quoting Psalm 95:7, ‘Today, if you would hear His voice,’ hayom. ‘Today if you hear my voice’ is ‘today,’ if you obey me, today if you repent. When is it “hayom,” when is it “today”? When is it that Messiah comes? When ‘you hear My voice.’ When you repent.” (Dan Lancaster, Hebrews Audio Lesson 5, Enter My Rest)
Scott
“Remember the story I told the children. In that story, Yehoshua Ben Levi, a third century Jewish Sage somehow encounters Messiah, according to him and asks, ‘When are you coming.’ Messiah says, ‘today,’ but then he doesn’t. So Ben Levi is ticked off and he goes to complain to Elijah.
Elijah explains and says, ‘What Messiah meant was, “Today.”’…Elijah said that the Messiah was quoting Psalm 95:7, ‘Today, if you would hear His voice,’ hayom. ‘Today if you hear my voice’ is ‘today,’ if you obey me, today if you repent. When is it “hayom,” when is it “today”? When is it that Messiah comes? When ‘you hear My voice.’ When you repent.” (Dan Lancaster, Hebrews Audio Lesson 5, Enter My Rest)
Scott
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