The Beatitudes 5

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”

Barnes suggests:

That is, those who are so affected by the sufferings of others as to be disposed to alleviate them. This is given as an evidence of piety, and it is said that they who show mercy to others shall obtain it. The same sentiment is found in Mat_10:42; “Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward.” See also Mat_25:34-40. This should be done with a wish to glorify God; that is, in obedience to his commandments, and with a desire that he should be honored, and with a feeling that we are benefiting one of his creatures. Then he will regard it as done to him, and will reward us. See the sentiment of this verse, that the merciful shall obtain mercy, more fully expressed in 2Sa 22:26-27; and in Psa 18:25-26.
Nowhere do we imitate God more than in showing mercy. In nothing does God delight more than in the exercise of mercy, Exo 34:6; Eze 33:11; 1Ti 2:4; 2Pe 3:9.

It has been said that when God created the World, He did so by combining Justice and Mercy, saying that created through Justice alone it would be impossible to live in and through Mercy alone it would be thrown into utter anarchy. Therefore The World was created through Justice and Mercy, and neither can exist without the other.

Connecting this Beatitude to the previous (Matthew 5:6), Mercy is easily put in context of the Justice we are commanded to hunger and thirst for. God’s Justice-Mercy is Absolutely Perfect, which means that His Mercy is Justice and His Justice is Mercy, so that when He deals with us He sees the entire picture, all the little details, and He judges us from that perspective. In this Beatitude Christ is asking us to do exactly that. However, as we are not perfect, cannot see the entire picture and do not know all the details of the reality of another, we cannot deal with others in perfect Justice-Mercy. Thus we are told to dispense with the Justice/Judgment and focus on Mercy/Compassion in our dealings with each other, including ourselves.

This is really a matter of Newton’s 1st Law. “For every action there is an equal and opposite re-action”. Meaning that if we are Merciful and Compassionate, we will be treated with Mercy and Compassion.

Blessings,
Henry

Matthew 10:14

Matthew 10:14 “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.”

This verse has a personal application as everything in Scriptures.

We usually read it from its traditional perspective: “shake off the dust of your feet” was a Jewish expression of contempt by those shaking off the dust for those they are leaving. It means that you considered the people or place that you were leaving “Unclean”.”

However I suggest that we look at it from a slightly more “positive angle”. That of realizing when it’s time to leave people be in general.

I also suggest that we widen the meaning of “receive you or listen to your words,” from narrowly meaning “receive you as a Christian or listen to the Gospel” to a broader “receive you as a person or listen to your words of opinion”.

This is a message that says “don’t try to change people” and “know when you have out-stayed your welcome”.

Nothing can be more stressing on human relationships than speaking and not being heard. Although Christ in this passage is admonishing His Disciples to give an expression of contempt towards those who did not receive the Gospel He makes a very good point on the nature of human interactions: Don’t waste your time trying to change another’s opinion or force them to accept your opinion, because in the end all it will accomplish is strife and resentment. On both sides. You will resent people for not “listening and accepting” and people will resent you for what they see as “shoving your opinion down their throats”.

Once you have shared your opinion, your beliefs or whatever ONCE and have met with non-acceptance, don’t repeat your share. All you will get for your troubles is frustration and ill-will.

Another aspect of this is that of personal serenity and peace of mind. Constantly trying to change another’s mind or “leading them to Jesus” borders on obsession and robs you of your functional faculties. You might think that it brings you closer to God (in the case of Witnessing), but in reality it brings you further away from Him. Those inner channels that you have to connect with God will be blocked by the “idea of bringing this particular person to Christ” and instead of doing good you end up doing evil. To you and to the other.

So, when you are not received, not heard after having tried ONCE, shake that mental dust of your mental feet and move on.

Blessings,
Henry

The Beatitudes 4

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Barnes suggests:

Blessed are they which do hunger … – Hunger and thirst, here, are expressive of strong desire. Nothing would better express the strong desire which we ought to feel to obtain righteousness than hunger and thirst. No needs are so keen, none so imperiously demand supply, as these. They occur daily, and when long continued, as in case of those shipwrecked, and doomed to wander months or years over burning sands, with scarcely any drink or food, nothing is more distressing. An ardent desire for anything is often represented in the Scriptures by hunger and thirst, Psa 42:1-2 Psa 63:1 A desire for the blessings of pardon and peace; a deep sense of sin, and want, and wretchedness, is also represented by thirsting, Isa 55:1

They shall be filled – They shall be satisfied as a hungry man is when supplied with food, or a thirsty man when supplied with drink. Those who are perishing for want of righteousness; those who feel that they are lost sinners and strongly desire to be holy, shall be thus satisfied. Never was there a desire to be holy which God was not willing to gratify, and the gospel of Christ has made provision to satisfy all who truly desire to be holy.

See Isa 55:1-3 Isa 65:13 Joh 4:14 Joh 6:35 Joh 7:37 Psa 17:15

What an utterly selfish, egotistical interpretation of “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”! This is the first time I utterly disagree with Albert Barnes. It makes no sense to focus this text on US, you and me, and have it somehow imply our personal status before God. For one, it wouldn’t be the perspective Jesus had. He would have come from the perspective of Deuteronomy 16:20: “Justice, justice shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” ‘Justice’ here is Tzeddeq, the same word used about Noach and Abraham (Genesis 6:9; James 2:23). ‘Tzeddeq’ means “that which is right and just”. “Follow”, ‘radaph’ means “pursue, run after” by implication with a passion. So it’s unlikely Christ was referring to OUR justifaction before God, and almost certain that He was referring to us being PURSUING Justice, righteousness and that which is right ON BEHALF of others, and that this Justice, Righteousness and Right has nothing to do with spiritual justification, status or appearance. It is all a matter of PRACTICAL application. When Christ talks about righteousness, justice, as with everything else He says, He makes it a hidden command for us to follow. What’s more, His audience would, like me, immediately have Deuteronomy 16:20 in mind, and they would have heard Him say that “Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for the implementation of Righteousness and Justice for all… for you shall be satisfied.” As with the other Beatitudes already covered here, the satisfaction comes with OUR practical work to implement God’s Will. When we fight for what is right, just and ethical from the perspective of the Sermon on the Mount, we will see Right, Justice, and Righteousness sown, sprout and grown. THAT will in turn be counted us a Righteousness before God, as it did with Abraham.
Blessings,
Henry

The Beatitudes 3

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

Barnes suggests:

“Meekness is the reception of injuries with a belief that God will vindicate us. “Vengeance is his; he will repay,” Rom 12:19. It little becomes us to take his place, and to do what he has promised to do.

Meekness produces peace. It is proof of true greatness of soul. It comes from a heart too great to be moved by little insults. It looks upon those who offer them with pity. He that is constantly ruffled; that suffers every little insult or injury to throw him off his guard and to raise a storm of passion within, is at the mercy of every mortal that chooses to disturb him. He is like “the troubled sea that cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.”

I’d like to add to this: Meekness is an attitude of “Live and let Live”, of realizing that we are all equals, not only before God, but over all, and that whatever is happening is it exactly as God intended it at that very moment. This doesn’t mean that we should adopt an manner of living that is defaitist, as if nothing can be changed in the world. It means that we strive not to let every-day ordinary or extraordinary events, meetings and circumstances rob us of our serenity.

The Cardinal Bible Passage for the Meek is Micah 6:8.To do justly and walk humbly with God.

Meek, in my opinion, also means that we treat ALL of Creation with respect, a sense of marvel (reflected in Psalm 8 ) and an inner conviction that not only all Mankind are our Brothers and Sisters, but all Animal and Plantkind as well. After all doesn’t God know each time a sparrow falls to the ground? Didn’t Christ tell us to look at the flowers and the birds, and emulate their attitude of acceptance on a daily basis, for their needs? Indeed He did. So they too are God’s Children, and it is my belief that it is first when we realize this, and LIVE it in Truth, that we have a chance at what my Jewish friends call Tikkun Olam, “Mend the Earth”, and keep it for our children as an inheritance. An inheritance that is promised to the Meek.

Blessings,
Henry

The Beatitudes 2

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Barnes suggests:

“This is capable of two meanings: either, that those are blessed who are afflicted with the loss of friends or possessions, or that they who mourn over sin are blessed. As Christ came to preach repentance, to induce people to mourn over their sins and to forsake them, it is probable that he had the latter particularly in view. Compare 2Co 7:10. At the same time, it is true that the gospel only can give true comfort to those in affliction, Isa 61:1-3; Luk 4:18. Other sources of consolation do not reach the deep sorrows of the soul. They may blunt the sensibilities of the mind; they may produce a sullen and reluctant submission to what we cannot help: but they do not point to the true source of comfort. In the God of mercy only; in the Saviour; in the peace that flows from the hope of a better world, and there only, is there consolation…”

I’d like to suggest a third meaning; that of this being a “hidden command” to us. To visit those who are stricken with grief, depression, pain and misery and just BE with them in their circumstances, without doing anything else but in stillness be their companionship. It is so easy to be like the people admonished in James 2 “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? (James 2:15-16) Sitting with the grieving, the sick, the depressed, the pained and the miserable without imposing our thoughts and beliefs on them is not something we are encouraged to do in our society. One thing most mourners have in common, is a feeling that people avoid them, avoid talking and listening to them about normal everyday things that are on their minds, including that which they mourn. Yet that is what most of them LONG for! This is a an exhortation not to Preach the Gospel, but BE the Gospel. So those who meet us may have a sense of the Blessing given to them in their mourning. To be heard, to be taken seriously and eventually to come out on the other side of grief, fear, depression, pain and misery with a new feeling of Hope and Comfort. Not because they “confessed their sins and accepted Jesus”, but because they were treated kindly and genuinely. Because we had the courage to stay close when Life had sucker-punched them real bad.

Blessings,
Henry

The Beatitudes 1

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3

“To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God; to be willing to be where God places us, to bear what he lays on us, to go where he bids us, and to die when he commands; to be willing to be in his hands, and to feel that we deserve no favor from him. It is opposed to pride, and vanity, and ambition. ” (Albert Barnes)

I like Barnes’ explanation of what “poor in spirit” means. To accept that we are in need, spiritual need, that we NEED God, we need a functional relationship with God on an every-day basis, because whatever else we are, we are de facto spiritually destitute without His Presence. I suppose this is the closest I get to a traditional interpretation of “poor in spirit”. There are others though…

We have to remember that Jesus was addressing a Jewish Community from within Jewish Tradition and Scriptures. From that perspective, it is reasonable to think that He compared the “rich in spirit” i.e the Theologians and Educated of His day to the ordinary people, who had only the most basic knowledge of the Law, which he called “poor in spirit”. “Poor” not as in “lacking means” but as in “simple and child-like”. This would correspond very well with what He says in Matthew 18:3-4 “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Children are not conceited, pretentious, arrogant, narrow minded and judgmental. Children see the World as it is, not as they would have it, and to what they see they add marvel and inquisitiveness. To children the World is full of wonders and fantastic new things each day. Children will be equally enthusiastic over a butterfly chasing from flower to flower and a star glittering in the night sky, reflecting on the words of Psalm 8 without missing a step. Poor in spirit means lacking self-consciousness and pretense, but having curiosity and playfulness in abundance. Children don’t cower, they don’t lack courage to Believe in that which they cannot see. Children are naturally spiritual, and in my opinion have a built-in relationship with their Maker. A relationship adults have to re-discover and re-establish. Admitting that we, as adults have this need for unpretentious spirituality and direct contact with God is a chunk of being “poor in spirit”.

Someone called the Beatitudes the BE-Attitudes. I like that too. To be. To have an attitude of “I am here and now” whatever meets us, and accept that it is just as God intended it to be in that very moment. This is something we are very bad at as humans. We flitter endlessly from past to future without paying much attention to the PRESENT. Yet, as Jesus points out later in this 3 chapter sermon, all that we need is what today gives. Nature is not occupied with regretting the past or fearing the future, making plans or trying to change that which is history. God is NOW. There is a reason that when God introduces Himself to Moses in the burning bush, He uses a verb-form that encompasses ALL known temporal forms, in reality laying claim to NOW. He wants us to relate to Him as He is in every possible moment. We cannot do that if we are busy fiddling with every temporal gap except that in which He actually reside in relation to us.

“Blessed” – sanctified, holy, fortunate, sacred, lucky, happy…if we maintain a status of “poor in spirit” we are all those, and The Kingdom of Heaven is ours.

Blessings,

Henry

Yosef…

It has struck me that we focus a lot on Yeshua and Miriam at Christmas but forget to look at Yosef as an example. Yet he is in many ways much more involved than either Yeshua or Miriam. Yeshua is just born, and Miriam is basically just giving birth to him. Yosef on the other hand is faced with what might be the hardest task a Jewish man at that time could face.

Let's look at the text:

Matthew 1:18-19 "Now the birth of Yeshua Christ took place in this way. When his mother Miriam had been betrothed to Yosef, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Yosef, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly."

How kind and considerate, what a righteousness he displays! For all Yosef knew, Miriam had been playing around with another man and betrayed him and the promised marriage. We now have the knowledge that The Holy Spirit is the "culprit". Yosef didn't know. By any reading of the Law, he would be in his right to divorce Miriam, publicly denounce her and turn her over to the authorities as an adulteress. At which point she would be stoned, unless she could produce evidence that she had been raped "in the field". But Yosef does none of this. He resolves to divorce her quitely. To spare her the shame of public exposure and ultimately her life. He must have loved her. He also must have understood the Core of the Law Leviticus 19:18. Yosef's ordeal isn't over:

Matthew 1:20-23 "But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Yosef, son of David, do not fear to take Miriam as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Yeshua, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us)."

His faith and understanding of Scriptures is further put to the test: He has a dream in which he is required to believe a completely mindblowing idea. The idea that HIS wife is about to give birth to a fullfillment of prophecy.

Put yourself in Yosef's shoes for a moment. Just imagine that YOU are Yosef – what would you think, do, feel? What would you do?
Personally I am glad I am not Yosef, because put in the same position I would have freaked. Yosef doesn't freak, he accepts.

Matthew 1:24-25 "When Yosef woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Yeshua."

This is fantastic story! The thing is that it isn't over. Yosef accepts responsibility for a boy who isn't his, as if the child was his:

Luke 1:21-24 "And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."

Jewish Law requires the FATHER to make sure that his sons are circumcized, and if it is the first-born, he also has to redeem him through the offering of Pidjon Ha-Ben "redemption of the son". Yosef does all this, that's how we know that he assumed responsibility for the up-bringing and well-being of Yeshua. From Scriptures we also know that Yosef was well educated in matters of Torah, because when Yeshua appears before the Priests and Scribes at what was his BarMitsvah, he impresses the Teachers deeply with his knowledge of Torah.

It is quite unfair that Yosef is not focused on more in the Church and in the lives of Christians, as an example of a Father for other Fathers to emulate. His kindness, his righteousness, his adherence to the Law, his love for his wife and his child. His efforts to educate his son in matters of Scriptures. I am not Catholic, but if I were, I would make Saint Yosef's Feast Day a day of all Fathers and if I was the Pope, I would make Yosef the Patron of all Fathers.

Merry Christmas,
Henry

 

The blessing of Baby-purple Eyes

 

 

December 20 “It is more blessed to give than receive.”

It is also a whole lot easier.‘Tis the season! I don’t bemoan the tinsel and the twinkling lights, the commercial hype or the self-induced hysteria. I love this time of year.I do, however, mourn the loss of one important element of the Christmas season. It is the gift of receiving gifts with grace. It has become more and more apparent to me that many of us have lost the ability to gracefully accept the gifts of others.Have you noticed?Someone gives you a gift and immediately you are frantically trying to decide what to buy them in return. Someone else invites you over to their home for dinner and before you finish the appetizer you have already made plans to return the favor. The very thought of receiving a gift has become overshadowed by the heavy burden of obligation.This sad state of affairs has permeated every aspect of our lives…including our faith.”I don’t take charity!” is a statement of pride in our society.”There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” we piously tell our children.”God helps those who help themselves!” we claim with certainty.
We continue to teach and to believe that we must not be beholden to anyone. We cling to the American ideal of rugged individualism. We pull our own weight and need help from no one.Yet Christianity is based on the grace-filled gift of God in Jesus Christ. Unmerited and undeserved, this gift comes to us without any strings attached. The God who is love simply seeks to share that love with each of us. It is a gift, in the true sense, without obligation.That makes us very uncomfortable. It goes against what we really believe.Nothing can be that good.The Good News is too good to be true.But that is what the Christmas season is precisely about. It is the reason that gifts are offered. They are symbols of that most precious gift, symbols of grace.How wonderful it would be if this Christmastide we could all capture the true spirit of this special time and allow ourselves to accept with grace and not guilt, with words of rejoicing and not reciprocity.How wonderful it would be to put Christ back in Christmas.

A note on receiving gifts. Ever noticed how hard it is to accept positive attention? Like compliments either on your person or on your apparel? How you start mentally scraping your feet, embarrassed, if someone gives you attention that is not negative?

Christmas is a matter of positive attention, of God saying “I see you, and what I see is good, very good”. Christ didn’t come to be adored, have a baby shower with foreign guest and cause a ruckus among the shepherds. Christ came to look at you with the all-wise purple eyes of a baby, imprinting you with an eternal “I see you, and what I see is Good, very Good”. That is the message of Christmas.

Unfortunately, for you, the majority of Christians, rather than understanding and proclaiming this, will give you all the negative attention that you are already accustomed to. That’s because they too have trouble receiving positive attention, so they will give you the best they have and all they have received is negative attention. They will focus on how sinful, depraved (have you noticed how they just love to use words like “depravity”, “debauchery”, “perversion” etc when describing human life?), corrupt and evil you are, simply because you were born (as if you didn’t already feel that in your bones). Then they will tell you that because of this “depravity”, “debauchery”, “perversion” which God, (or really their idol of Him) according to them wallows in hate of (they seem to be wallowing along with their idol of Him too), you need to be celebrating Christmas and sing “Come let us adore Him…” You know, I’d go crazy if people came to my Birthday Party and sang “Come let us adore Him…” or some such musical expressions. Don’t believe them. God and Christ isn’t like that. Trust me I have been around them for a very long time.

Look into the all-wise purple eyes of a baby, any baby, and accept its message of “I see you, and what I see is Good, very Good”, then go home, put some tinsel in the window, light a candle….write a letter to someone you care about, read a passage from your favorite book, have a snack and a long conversation with those baby-purple eyes that looks deep into you and says “I see you, and what I see is Good, very Good”, then accept this positive attention with a simple “thank you…”

May the Blessing of Baby-Purple Eyes be with you forever,

Henry

Magnificat in Stereo

Luke 1:46-55	1Samuel 2:1-11
46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,	1 And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoices in Adonai, my horn is exalted in Adonai. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice in Your salvation.
48 For He looked on the humiliation of His slave woman. For, behold, from now on all generations shall count me blessed.	3 Talk no more so very proudly. Remove arrogance out of your mouth, for Adonai is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.
49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.	4 The bows of the mighty are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.	5 They that were full have hired themselves out for bread, and they that were hungry ceased; yea, while the barren has borne seven, and she who had many sons has languished.
51 He has worked power with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.	6 Adonai kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol, and brings up.
52 He has put down rulers from their seats and exalted the lowly,	7 Adonai takes away, and He gives riches; He brings low; yea, He lifts up high.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and He has sent away the rich empty.	8 He raises up the poor out of the dust; He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to set them among princes; yea, He causes them to inherit a throne of honor; for to Adonai are the pillars of the earth; and He sets the habitable world on them.
54 He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,	9 He keeps the feet of his saints, and the wicked are silenced in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
55 as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.	10 The foes of Adonai shall be broken to pieces. He thunders in the heavens upon them. Adonai shall judge the ends of the earth. And He shall give strength to His king, and exalts the horn of His anointed.

 

I have to admit that I like Hannah’s Song better than I like Mary’s Magnificat. Hannah is expressive and personal, while Mary is brief and impersonal. Being Jewish and a woman, Mary (Miriam) would have been intimately familiar with Hannah’s Song. Alongside Miriam’s Song from Exodus 15 and Deborah’s Song in Judges 5 it was something every Jewish girl knew by heart. The fact that Mary’s song is scant and impersonal speaks volumes to me. My guess is that “Magnificat” was put into her mouth. Hannah refers to both in her Song by parallelism and allusions, something Mary’s Song doesn’t. Mary refers to herself in various positive ways, in a manner Miriam, Deborah and Hannah don’t, and wouldn’t. This is very telling. There’s a little story about how and possibly by whom it was created hidden in this literary fact.

 

Luke was Greek. He had no direct knowledge of Jewish customs, especially not Jewish Women’s customs, so whatever he wrote would be lacking in that aspect. My guess is that Luke picked bits and pieces from the Book of Psalms and redacted those bits and pieces into what we know as the Magnificat or that his “sources” did prior to passing it on to him.

 

This, imo, doesn’t detract from the Magnificat as a source of prayer for women. However, to me it is important to know and understand this. To me it’s important to understand WHY the Greek Scriptures seem to be marrow-less patchworks, rather than the full bodied narrative and poetry of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Psalms on Eternal Life

Psalm 119: 159 “Consider how I love your precepts; revive me and give life to me, O Lord, according to your loving kindness.”

“The term “loving kindness” is chessed in Hebrew, and is the equivalent of the word grace in the “New Testament.” David knew he was saved by God’s grace — NOT by keeping all the commandments perfectly, but rather by what he says at the beginning of the verse; “Consider how I love your precepts …”

“An interesting question to ask is, “Why does God save us?” The typical reply might be, “So we won’t go to hell.” That may be true, but it’s an incomplete answer. In fact, God saves us so that we can perform the commandments (mitzvot) of His Torah in this lifetime. Our performing God’s mitzvot is part of His desire to return us back into a correct relationship, the purpose and intent of mankind, as first seen in the Garden of Eden (Gan Eden).”

Psalm 119:174-176 “I have longed for Thy salvation, O LORD; and Thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise Thee; and let Thine ordinances help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant; for I have not forgotten Thy commandments.”

A trick of the trade in the Book of Psalms is parallelisms and repetitions of concepts within the same verse. Thus when Psalm 119:174 says “I have longed for Thy salvation…” and thy Law is my delight, it is in reality equating “salvation” with “Law”, or at least connecting them intimately. If we them look at the following two verses, we see this idea emphasized, where “life” is equated with or logically followed by “praise”, and “seek Thy servant” with “for I have not forgotten…”

There is a logical red thread here “salvation”, “life” and “lost sheep being sought” are logically followed by “praise” “ordinances” and “commandments”. David fully expects to be sought out, saved to life by God and THEN he will praise and obey…quite the contrary to what is traditionally taught about how salvation in the Hebrew Scriptures was attained. This “order of procedure” is confirmed by Psalm 51:1-4; 6-9

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions; 2. wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3. For I know my transgressions, my sin is ever before me. 4. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. 6. You desire truth in the inward being, therefore, teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.”

Note: 10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and a new and right spirit within me.”

Spurgeon suggests: “Only God can bring the newness that the word “create” suggests. Here there is no idea of washing the old heart and trying to remove the contamination of sin. In verse 10, the psalmist abandons the priestly language of forgiveness and begins using the language of transformation. The psalmist is no longer simply praying for continued forgiveness, but for a radical change in who he is.”

As we can see, David clearly expect a transformation to take place as a result of his supplication for forgiveness and removal of his sins. This is the same procedure as was suggested by Jesus to Nicodemos when He tells Nicodemos that he needs to be “born again”.

Salvation in the Hebrew Scriptures is granted by Grace (chessed) and is followed by renewed Obedience. The result?

“In the way of righteousness is life, and in the pathway thereof there is no death.” (Pro 12:28) Eternal life. Period

lest anyone should boast

December 10

Give, the Language of Grace
I have written more boldly to you on some points . . . because of the grace given to me by God . . . I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus. (Rom 15:15 and 1Co 1:4)
The grace of God (which produces boldness in those who live by it) is a gift from God. “I have written more boldly to you on some points . . . because of the grace given to me by God.” In fact, “give” is basic to the language of grace.
When Paul began his first letter to the believers in Corinth, he emphasized this truth. “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus.” This is the starting point for all of the work of God in human hearts. The initial work of salvation is by the gift of God’s grace. None of it is produced by the work of man. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8-9). This same pattern of the giving of grace is true concerning every good thing that God wants to accomplish in man. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (Jam 1:17).
Whatever God wants to do in the family of man is by His grace, which must be given to us by Him. This is true concerning eternal life. “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” (Joh 10:28). This also pertains to the Holy Spirit in our lives. “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” (Joh 14:16). It is true concerning spiritual gifts. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all . . . But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (1Co 12:7 and Eph 4:7). This pattern applies to spiritual rest and peace as well. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest . . . Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (Joh 11:28; Joh 14:27). When it comes to the greatest matter of all (getting to know the Lord better), God must give to us what is required for such growth: “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Eph 1:17). All of these precious benefits from God are a result of His giving of His grace into our lives.
Will the giving heart of God ever cease toward us? We need never fear that God will be tire of giving us grace. “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luk 12:32).

Lord God, giver of every gift of grace, I thank You for the rich and extensive grace that You have given to me. Help me to understand that all of Your kingdom is brought into my experience by the giving of Your grace, in Your Holy Name, Amen. (From Bob Hoekstra’s Devotions)

All the What Ifs

“I am looking forward to understanding the conclusion of this author, but I am certain that the Torah was insufficient for total salvation, otherwise the Cross would have been unnecessary. And, Hebrews does tell us that if the blood of bulls and goats were sufficient, Yeshua would not have needed to die and be resurrected.”

Can I pose a couple of provocative questions? I don’t expect you to answer them, I am just posing them for contemplation.

“…the Torah was insufficient for total salvation…”

What if Torah was sufficient? What if Yeshua was basically just another Prophet in a line of Prophets calling Israel to repentance, and along with her the Gentiles too? What if Yeshua was God’s final attempt at getting a pretty complacent Israel to SHARE the Revelation on Sinai with the World?

“…otherwise the Cross would have been unnecessary.”

So, what would happen if it was? Or if it wasn’t what the Greek Scriptures claim? What if His death was what historians claim – an execution of another Jewish Rebel against the Roman Empire? What if Yeshua was just another man, and that God in His incomparable Mercy USED those events to reach Humanity?

“Hebrews does tell us that if the blood of bulls and goats were sufficient, Yeshua would not have needed to die and be resurrected.”

What if there is no direct connection between Hebrews and those events, but God allowed the connection be made so we’d CONNECT to Him beyond bulls and goats?

Those are certainly questions that arise from the clash between Hebrew Scriptures and Greek Scriptures. Between Judaism and Christianity, between Yeshua and Paul, between Paul and James, between the Gospels and the Letters, the Letters and the Prophets.

“From Chapter 2 In Hebrews chapter 11 — the “Faith Hall of Fame” as some have called it, we find three interesting names from the Tenakh — Moses, David and Samuel. The book of Hebrews says they were saved by faith, even though they were well known for following the Torah. In writing Psalm 119, David can’t say enough about following the Torah. But, according to Christian theology, there is a dilemma with regard to what he writes. David writes the following about himself: Psalm 119:22 — “Take away from me reproach and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.” Psalm 119:51 — “… yet have I not declined in my interest or turned aside from your Law.” Psalm 119:56 — “I have kept your precepts …” Psalm 119:102 — “I have not turned aside from your ordinances …” Psalm 119:121 — “I have done justice and righteousness …” Is this the same David that committed adultery with Bathsheba and had Uriah murdered? Not to mention a number of other documented violations of the Torah. According to Christian theology, David is clearly a liar. How can he claim to have followed “the Law,” when we all know how he broke it in some terrible ways? To add to the “confusion,” God Himself calls David, “a man after His own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14) So is David a liar? Perhaps God is making an “exception” for him? There is a hint of the answer found in Psalm 119 itself: Psalm 119:159 — “Consider how I love your precepts; revive me and give life to me, O Lord, according to your loving kindness.”

I know, it all seems and sounds heretical, but if we look at what the Tanakh says, repeatedly, there is at least reason for us to suspect that not only have we been thoroughly Greekenized, but we have utterly misunderstood the message Yeshua came to deliver.

One question that keep popping up for me is: Throughout Tanakh God tells us that 1. He abhors human sacrifice; 2. He’d rather have the offerings of our lips and obedience than sacrifices; and yet we are to believe that He demands a human sacrifice to save us, to forgive us – a gift He has offered for free throughout human history? You don’t need to answer that either, I am just posing it, because more than the Greek Judaism (traditional) Christianity presents, this has me puzzled. It defies all logic that God, Who is unchangeable would undergo such a change in character over 400 years.

Ok, I have rambled.

My suggestion is that we take a look at those passages from Chapter 1:

• Romans 7:1-6: “Freed from the Law”
• Romans 14:1-13: “The Law of Liberty”
• Galatians 3:10-14: “The Law Brings a Curse”
• Galatians 5:7 -15: “Love Fulfills the Law”

and ponder “if they do not mean what traditional Christianity teaches, then WHAT do they mean?”

Blessings, Henry

Righteousness by Faith through Obedience

“we must realize that the psalmist was speaking to a people that could never experience the life altering grace of Christ’s shed blood.”

Yet, it must have been enough for the people living at that time, or the Psalmist would not have said what he said in verse 3. Don’t get me wrong, I am not scrapping Christ or what was done by Christ, I am just pointing out that meditating on the Law of God and living by it in Faith and Obedience, as God intended DID have a life altering effect, it DID make them righteous before God. We cannot scrap the entire Hebrew Scriptures, what God has said and God has promised and what God has given, and say that it was for nothing for 2000 years. Let’s not make God a liar. If God says that someone is righteous, is His friend, walks with Him, believes in Him and does His commandments, then that is absolutely true. We can’t say “Christ came, and NOW all people can be righteous”, because that would be a lie. Being redeemed through Christ isn’t enough. It’s merely a starting point of a life-long process of bettering ourselves through faith, understanding and practice of what Scriptures teach. There are devout believers in Christ out there who are no more righteous than an Amalekite, because they constantly violate the Word of God and what Christ taught, piling burdens on people and self-righteously boast of their faith. I say like James:

Jam 2:1-26 : “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

“Tracking along on Henry’s thoughts we must consider that in the OT, righteousness and salvation were a process of practice and effort that never quite succeeded in the goal.”

What was the goal? To be righteous before God. To “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God…” Micah 6:8. No more, no less. Why did they so often fail? Because 1. they were human, like us, struggling with the impulse to do good and to do evil, as described by Paul in Romans 7, and they were no worse than us at it. However, if jolting us into realization that God loves us, and wants us to walk with Him, righteous in Faith AND Works, as James teaches, takes God making a drastic effort, then that is what God will do. But claiming that there was no success before Christ isn’t quite accurate.

As I wrote this, a thought kept poking my mind: Don’t we claim that God and Christ are One and the Same? Then those who lived in Faith and Obedience during the times of the Hebrew Scriptures were as much justified through Faith and Obedience in Christ as we are…?

In spite of their devotion to following God, in spite of their wanting to do His Will, they failed time after time.

Yes, that is correct. Then so do we. We are not done, just because we accept Christ. As I said, to me that is the starting point. We still have to return through repentance every time we fail, and fail we will, as did David. No amount of Holy Spirit or Christ dying on the Cross can change that. The Covenant of Faith and Obedience is the same now as it was then, it never changed. It never will.

The problem never was that we fail, but that we don’t repent when we do. Israel had that problem, we have that problem. The remedy is the same forever. Repentance and return to Faith and Obedience.

If this wasn’t true there wouldn’t be two equal passages in Scripture both speaking of Abraham as on the one hand a model of Righteousness through Faith and on the other hand as a model of Righteousness through Obedience.

If we look at both those models superimposed one over the other, we will most likely see that they are indeed identical, and that we cannot claim one without the other.

Christ highlights this, draws us towards Faith and Obedience, and Illustrates this indivisible Unity between Faith and Obedience for us, so that we can SEE how it’s done. When He says in Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” He is actually stressing this idea. This is further accentuated in Luke 6:46 “…but DO not what I say?” I can pray, and believe and speak all I want, but unless I DO, my prayers, beliefs and words are absolutely worthless to God.

If we say that God and Christ is one, we have to accept both the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures without picking and choosing what to DO claiming that we only have to do that which is “repeated” in the Greek Scriptures.

We either accept ALL of Scriptures in its entirety as God’s and Christ’s Word and Command or we don’t. If we don’t, then we cannot claim the gift of Christ, because He spoke just as much in the Hebrew Scriptures as He did in the Greek Scriptures.

Matthew 23:2-3 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practise what they preach.”

I am sorry but HE actually said that, and He didn’t say it just to “the Jews”. James, his brother confirms it.
H

This was written in connection with my post on Psalm 1

Psalm 6

Psalm 6:1-10 To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD–how long? Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.”

 

Spurgeon says about this Psalm:

“This Psalm is commonly known as the first of The Penitential Psalms, and certainly its language well becomes the lip of a penitent, for it expresses at once the sorrow (Psa 6:3, Psa 6:6, Psa 6:7), the humiliation (Psa 6:2 and Psa 6:4), and the hatred of sin (Psa 6:8), which are the unfailing marks of the contrite spirit when it turns to God. O Holy Spirit, beget in us the true repentance which needeth not to be repented of.”

Yes, I agree. But as is my usual want, I’ll also go beyond this idea and suggest that it is a prayer of a contrite soul who does not FEAR God’s anger, only acknowledges it. What’s my basis for such an assertion?

“Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.” verses 8-10

Those are the words of a man who knows that all that is needed is sincere regret and prayer for forgiveness for God to blot out any transgressions. So certain is he that he tells any thoughts, inside or outside claiming different to shut up.

This is Isaiah 1:18 in practice. This is a man bringing his case to God and having the issue resolved in a contrite heart-beat.

Amen,
Henry

The Good Samaritan – A Lesson in Spiritual Purity

The Good Samaritan – Luke 10:30-35

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’”

I don’t know how many times I have heard this story, and never realized that not only is this a story about helping one’s neighbor no matter what it might cost. It is actually a story about spiritual purity.

You know the setting. The Samaritans were despised by the Judeans, which is part of why Christ picks a Samaritan as a role model. Any person, including Levites and Priests would be considered ritually impure until nightfall if they touched anything that was dead. That same Law was adhered to by the Samaritans, so the Samaritan risked the same ritual impurity. The Priest and the Levite couldn’t know if the man was dead, so they didn’t do anything. But they were so stuck up that they didn’t even stop to check if the man was dead. Their spiritual purity was more important to them than the safety of another, so they walked by.

Not so the Samaritan. Why? What’s the point he is making? The point that spiritual purity comes from the in-side, not from the out-side. We don’t maintain our spiritual purity by socializing with those within our own group only, we maintain spirtual purity by obeying the command given to us: “love thy neighbor as thyself…” (Leviticus 19:18).

“If you resist reading what you disagree with, how will you ever acquire deeper insights into what you believe? The things most worth reading are precisely those that challenge our convictions.”

How are you going to know what mettle your faith is made of if you never step out and interact with that which challenges it? How can you profess spiritual purity if you believe you will be “contaminated” if you see all people as equally your brothers and sisters regardless what THEY profess, how THEY live, what are their status before God?

Blessings,
Henry