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Prayer Request (for site updates, see below)
I was laid off from my full-time job several years ago when -- after a lot of prayer, soul searching and discussion with my wife -- we decided to operate the Hebrew for Christians ministry entirely by faith in God's provision through the love and kindness of His people. I am not paid for doing this work, and therefore I ask you to consider supporting us. If you can help, please offer a donation or purchase some of the Hebrew study materials offered here. Encouraging other web sites to link here also helps us become more visible on the web. Above all, agree with us for the Lord's will to be done in our lives. Todah, chaverim.
    
Note: My wife and I have have three young children (Josiah, Judah, and Emanuel David ). The LORD has graciously provided for us as Adonai Yireh (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה), "the One who sees [our need]." We are living one day at a time by the grace and mercy of God, and I want to publicly praise Yeshua and acknowledge His faithful love in caring for my family -- despite the trials during this time. The LORD God of Israel is faithful and true! And to those of you who have sent us a word of encouragement or donation during this difficult time, please accept our heartfelt appreciation! Your chesed truly helps sustain us.
יהי שׁם יהוה מברך - "May the Name of the Lord be blessed."
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I want to offer a word of thanks for all your kindness and encouragement over the last 20+ years, chaverim... I could not be in ministry apart from the grace and love you have shown to me and my family. Thank you so much and may the great and unsurpassable blessings of the LORD God of Israel be upon you always. -John
Jewish Holiday Calendar
Note: For site updates, please scroll past this entry....
The Torah divides the calendar into two symmetrical halves: the Spring and the Fall, indicating the two advents of Messiah. The Biblical year officially begins during the month of the Passover from Egypt (called Rosh Chodashim, see Exod. 12:2), and the spring holidays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits both recall our deliverance from Egypt and also our greater deliverance given by means of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah, the great Passover Lamb of God. Yeshua was crucified on erev Pesach, buried during Unleavened Bread, and was resurrected on Yom Habikkurim (Firstfruits). The holiday of Shavuot (i.e., "Pentecost") both commemorates the revelation of the Torah at Sinai as well as the revelation of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) at Zion, in fulfillment of the promise given by our Lord....
The intermediate months of summer end with the advent of the sixth month of the calendar, called the month of Elul, which recalls the time Moses interceded on behalf of Israel after the sin of the Golden Calf. To commemorate this time of our history, we likewise focus on teshuvah (repentance) in anticipation of Rosh Hashanah and especially in anticipation of Yom Kippur, the great "Day of Atonement." In Jewish tradition the 30 days of Elul are combined with the first ten days of the seventh month (called the "Days of Awe") to set apart "Forty Days of Teshuvah" leading up to the Day of Forgiveness for Israel. Immediately following Yom Kippur, the mood changes as we begin preparing for a joyous week-long celebration called Sukkot (i.e., "Tabernacles") that concludes with the holiday of Simchat Torah.
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The Fall Holidays:
The fall festivals prophetically indicate the Day of the LORD, the second coming of Yeshua, the great national turning of the Jewish people, and the establishment of the reign of the Messiah upon the earth during the Millennial Kingdom in the world to come.
Note that in accordance with tradition, holiday dates begin at sundown. Moreover, some holidays may be postponed one day if they happen to fall on the weekly Sabbath:
1. Month of Elul (Mon. Sept. 2nd [eve] - Wed. Oct. 2nd [day])
2. Month of Tishri (Wed. Oct. 2nd [eve] - Thur. Oct. 31st [day]) - Fall holidays begin
3. Month of Cheshvan (Thur. Oct. 31st [eve] - Sat. Nov. 2nd [day])
- Five Sabbaths: Noach, Lekh-Lekha, Vayera, Chayei Sarah, Toldot
- Yom Ha'Aliyah - Honoring Israel's immigrants (Thur. Nov. 7th; Cheshvan 7)
- Sigd - 50th day after Yom Kippur; Ethiopian Jewish holiday (Tues. Nov. 26th)
4. Month of Kislev (Sat. Nov. 2nd [eve] - Mon., Dec. 30th [day])
- Four Sabbaths: Vayetzei, Vayishlach, Vayeshev, Miketz
- Winter Solstice: Fri. Dec. 20th, Kislev 20)
- Dates for Chanukah 2024 (5785):
- 1st Chanukah candle - Wed. Dec. 25th [i.e., Kislev 25] Christmas
- 2nd Chanukah candle - Thur. Dec. 26th [i.e., Kislev 26]
- 3rd Chanukah candle: Fri. Dec. 27th [i.e., Kislev 27]
- 4th Chanukah candle: Sat. Dec. 28th [i.e., Kislev 28]
- 5th Chanukah candle: Sun. Dec. 29th [i.e., Kislev 29]
- 6th Chanukah candle: Mon. Dec. 30th [i.e., Kislev 30]
5. Month of Tevet (Mon., Dec. 30th [eve] - Wed. Jan. 29th [day])
- Dates for Chanukah (continued):
- 7th Chanukah candle: Tues. Dec. 31st [i.e., Tevet 1]
- 8th Chanukah candle: Wed. Jan. 1st 2025 [i.e., Tevet 2] Zot Chanukah
- Secular New Year: Wed. Jan. 1st, 2025 (Tevet 1, 5785)
- Four Sabbaths: Vayigash, Vayechi, Shemot, Va'era
- Asarah B'Tevet - Fri. Jan. 10th (dawn); fast over the seige of Jerusalem
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Note: For more about the dates of these holidays see the Calendar pages....
December 2024 Site Updates
Note: Please refresh the page (or press F5) to see the latest updates...
Knowing God's Name...
12.25.24 (Kislev 24, 5785) You may feel anxious about knowing God, about how to relate to him or how to understand or interpret the Scriptures, though the heart can only know the essential meaning of God in the state of its need, as its ultimate concern, and therefore unless you cry out "from the depths" of your being, you are merely intellectualizing or playing games... After all, the inner heart asks "How can I find God?" "How can I relate to God?" "How can I find hope and life?" but the answers to such questions are found by personal encounter with the reality of the Spirit of God, not by theological rationalizations.
It is one thing to say "Lord" or "Master" but quite another to say "my Lord," or "my Master..." The Torah teaches that the name of God refers to that which God alone is, namely, the "I am that I am"(אהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה) which is unknowable apart from the miracle of further disclosure within the heart. That is why we find so many different names and titles for God in Scripture, for these are additional disclosures to the heart in a time of its need.
For instance, to know God's name as "Savior" (מוֹשִׁיעַ) means experiencing deliverance from your struggles, pains, and fears by the agency of God's victory, comfort, and consolation as given in Yeshua. To know God's name as "the Rock" (הסלע) means experiencing his strength during times of upheaval or crisis.
However, unlike the experience of worldly education that might enable you accomplish certain tasks, spiritual education often leads to a "dark clouds of unknowing" where you must regularly confess your weakness and your need for divine connection.
God's name is therefore bound up with the quest within the heart for meaning, healing, and the desire of unconditional love. Knowing the name of God is an ongoing process as you struggle to accept and trust your life to be a blessing, and as you are enabled by the Holy Spirit to say "yes" and "amen" to life despite your failures, pains, fears, sorrows, and even your unanswered questions... It means opening your heart to life and believing that you are loved, that you are accepted, that you will be okay, and that God is holding you in his everlasting arms. Amen.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 63:3 Hebrew reading (click):
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Thomas Aquinas' most significant work was his Summa theologiae or 'Summary of Theology,' a massive book that attempted to "systematize" all of Christian theology. He worked on it for many years, but when he was nearly finished he underwent a spiritual experience that, as he himself explained, made everything he had written "seem like straw." He thereafter gave up writing about "theology" after he encountered the Reality itself. Aquinas apparently moved from the realm of theoretical emunah (i.e., cognitive faith) to the realm of heartfelt bittachon (i.e., existential trust). Similarly, toward the end of his life and career someone asked the prolific theologian Karl Barth if he could sum up all that he had learned and written. Barth thought a bit and then replied, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
Wounds of Loneliness...
12.24.24 (Kislev 23, 5785) The late Henri Nouwen said that there are two great fears (or wounds) that we all face. The first is the fear that we were not wanted at the time of our birth into this world, and the second is that we will not be wanted at the time of our death. "Not being welcome is your greatest fear. It connects with your birth fear, your fear of not being welcome in this life, and your death fear, your fear of not being welcome in the life after this. It is the deep-seated fear that it would have been better if you had not lived" (Inner Voice of Love). If you carry a wound of abandonment within your heart - if you live in dread over your worth as a human being, seriously wondering whether it would have been better had you never been born, then you know the taste of hell itself - the emotional prison of feeling lost, defective, rejected, shameful - unable to love or to be loved...
Is not the lament of the lonely heart to find a sense of welcome, or acceptance, or peace within? Is it not the heart's cry for connection? Yet even the very gospel message cannot make traction within a heart lost to its own shame... Therefore the miracle of salvation is profoundly connected with faith that you are loved and lovable - despite yourself - and that this love derives from the core of all that truly exists. Is this not "home" in the spiritual sense? Is this not "Zion, the perfection of holiness?" That God prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemies, yea, those enemies of self-rejection, abandonment, fear, and shame? And that there - in the midst of your lost and forlorn condition you are found, treasured, and celebrated? Is not that "place" God's very heart - Jesus dying upon the cross, gasping for each breath - knowing everything about you and loving you anyway?
In our Torah reading this week (Eikev), Moses asks us to "soften our hearts" by remembering that we are beloved of God (Deut. 10:12-16). He reminds us that the though Lord is "the God of gods" (אֱלהֵי הָאֱלהִים) - the power that transcends the gods of our idolatry (i.e., our fears, our disordered attachments, our shame), and the "Lord of lords" (אֲדנֵי הָאֲדנִים) - the Center and Authority of what is most real, he nevertheless cares for the lowly orphan and the grieving widow - he reaches out to the needy and the abandoned - and he desires to console the "stranger," the one shattered of heart, who has no sense of belonging, no pride of tribe, nor place to lay his head (see Deut. 10:17-18). God cares about those who are lost, hurting, and alone: He came to save all such from their despair.
But how does God reach the bound soul that walks alone among the tombs, cutting himself in his torment? How can he heal the deep trauma, the disassociated and broken of heart? How else but by the miracle of his intervention, quickening an otherwise numb and dead heart to come alive, to breathe in hope, and to begin to believe that - despite everything that has happened - he was wanted all along, from the very beginning, and that the wound of his sorrow was given so that he could find out who he really is and where he really belongs... The wound you were given is part of your story, and healing comes from accepting God's love for you -- and understanding how the Lord goes through the wound with you and for you...
Life in this fallen world is likened to a vapor or a passing shadow (Psalm 144:4). Nothing abides; good things here never last; and we labor under the unmentionable anxiety that death will separate us from everyone and everything we love. However, death is not the end for the us, for "love is stronger than death, passion fiercer than the grave; its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD" (Song 8:6).
"What will death be like?" they asked the Master. "It will be as if a veil is ripped apart and you will say in wonder, "So it was you all along!" (De Mello). Death is a most poignant homecoming, a place of joyful welcome, wherein all shall be well for ever. The righteous have an everlasting foundation in the faithful heart of God. Faith in the LORD believes that a single supreme, all-knowing, all-powerful and benevolent spiritual Power directs all things, and that Messiah is the beginning, middle, and end of all conscious meaning, truth, and substance, as it is written: כִּי הַכּל מִיָּדוֹ הַכּל בּוֹ וְהַכּל לוֹ הוּא, "For from him and through him and to him are all things" (Rom. 11:36). A life of faith in the one true God imparts the blessing of shalom (inner peace) and assures the heart that all shall be made well by the love of God. So then, "if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we belong to the Lord" (Rom. 14:8). For the believer in Messiah, death does not define us, and indeed, we trust that God will attend to us in the moment of our utmost extremity (John 5:24; 11:25-26). If we desire eternal life with all our hearts and remember our end before the Lord, we will be free of the fear of death. Amen v'amen.
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The focus of Christmas:
He was born to Die...
12.24.24 (Kislev 23, 5785) Though the promised birth of Yeshua may have occurred during the holiday of Sukkot (Tabernacles) with the incarnation occurring during Chanukah (the Festival of Lights), other people of good faith observe the traditional date of December 25th, for reasons that I have explained in some detail elsewhere. Regardless of your particular conviction regarding the date of Yeshua's birth, however, the most important thing to remember is that He was born to die (Heb. 10:5-7). The story of his birth is only significant in relation to His sacrificial death (Mark 8:27-33).
This is of "first importance" (1 Cor.15:3-4). The "manger" scene leads directly to the Cross at Moriah. Indeed, in Jewish tradition the day of one's death is more important than the day of one's birth, since death summarizes the meaning and significance of a person's life in this world. Birth represents potential, whereas death represents inheritance... Therefore the Jewish custom is to commemorate the anniversary of a person's death (i.e., yahrzeit: יארצייט) rather than the date of birth (though the date of birth is also important, especially with regard to matters of circumcision, naming, etc.). Nevertheless, the custom of honoring the day of death is derived from the Scriptures: "A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death (is better) than the day of birth" (Eccl. 7:1).
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The day of Yeshua's death (on Erev Pesach) represents the essential message of the Gospel story itself: "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). This is of "first importance": Yeshua was born to die for our sins, to make us right with God, and was raised from the dead to vindicate the righteousness of God (1 Cor. 15:3-5). "For our sake God made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21). The birth of the Messiah (or rather His incarnation) was the "first step" toward His sacrifice for our deliverance (Heb. 2:9-18). As Rabbi Paul said, "I decided to know nothing among you except Yeshua the Messiah - and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2).
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Yeshua came to earth and emptied himself (κένωσις) of His regal glory and power in order to be our High Priest of the New Covenant. The life he lived in complete surrender to the Father was meant to demonstrate that He alone is the efficacious Healer and High Priest (Mediator) of us all: "But [He] made himself nothing (εκενωσεν), taking the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men; and being found in human form, he brought himself low by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:7-8). "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Yeshua the Messiah. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Yeshua the Messiah from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1-4).
Though Christmas is customarily the time that many people observe the birth of the Messiah and Savior, it is surely appropriate to celebrate Yeshua's glory as our risen King and Lord every day of our lives.... Therefore I sincerely wish each and every one of you a wonderful Christmas (and Chanukah) season. May we all take time to reflect upon the profound gift of the One who was so great that He emptied Himself (κένωσις) of all His regal glory and power to be clothed in human flesh in order to die as our sin offering before the Father.
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By putting our trust in Yeshua, Light of the World (האור העולם), we partake in His chayei olam - eternal life - sharing in His invincible love. He is faithful and true, our Prince of Peace and Beloved Savior. Yehi Shem Adonai mevorakh: יְהִי שֵׁם יְהוָה מְברָך - "Blessed be the Name of the Lord."
Addendum:
Let me add that it's one thing to speculate on the anniversary of the birth date of Messiah, and quite another to submit to His rule in your heart at this present hour... We must be careful. "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor is he able to know them because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14).
Note that the "natural person" mentioned here is not carnal or bodily-focused (σαρκικός), but is "soul-focused" (ψυχικὸς), emphasizing the life of the intellect and rationality. The "soulish" person may find the idea of God or matters of religion "interesting," but not as a matter of life and death.
The Spirit of God must first awaken a person to reveal their need for a healing so radical that everything will be transformed, and a new "spiritual person" (πνευματικός) will be quickened to receive the truth of God. The Scripture says we are to ask in order to receive, but we do not know enough to truly ask until we accept the reality about our condition. When we ask according to God's will, however, God sets in motion the miracle and the answer to our heart's cry.
Regarding these matters, I quote Augustine of Hippo:
In necessariis unitas (in essentials unity),
In dubiis libertas (in doubtful things liberty),
In omnibus autem caritas (but in all things love).
How I make the Hebrew Graphics...
I was very happy to work on the Hebrew (and Greek) for John 3:16 tonight. It took awhile because the Hebrew is a translation from the Koine Greek, and I had to work backwards and then forwards to get the language correct.
In matters of the Torah and Tanakh, I always work with the Hebrew first and then check the ancient Greek for translation help, but in matters of the New Testament, I first work with the Greek text and then work on how it would be translated into Hebrew, cross-checking the Torah's usage of words with the Greek usage of their translation (I never consult the Syriac or Aramaic translations except if they concern the Torah, but for the NT, the ancient Greek preceeds those versions). It's a real yo-yo of exegesis -- and that has to be done before doing any commentary and translation into English!
These language charts I make might not seem like much, but they are time-intensive! I create them using Word, then type all the Hebrew (and Greek) myself, including all the grammatical information I look up in various lexicons to ensure accuracy. Sometimes I recheck my translations if I am in doubt of a particular syntax... Then I'll record the passage on my computer using a mic on my desk, reading very slowly, then a bit more fluently, and I often need a few passes to get the audio just right. When it's pretty clean I export it as an mp3 file and upload to the H4C site.
After that I create the JPG file (of the Hebrew table with the translation, grammar info, etc.) using an illustrator program and then make the Hebrew Lesson page using a PDF creator tool. I add graphic art touches if I have the time too.
I do this process countless times a day and add commentary to make my posts... FINALLY I upload them first to the H4C site and then to Facebook (and sometimes Substack). Each one of these Hebrew graphics are unique pieces that can be helpful tools to learn "the language of the Kingdom." The PDF files I create allow you to print your favorites and then review them in a Hebrew notebook you are using to learn Hebrew. Reviewing them regularly will help you read (and hopefully understand) the Hebrew more fluently...
I hope some of you are being helped by them, as I have found the best way to learn Hebrew is to read meaningful things from the Scriptures!
My eyesight (and backside) has suffered over the years because of dealing with the meticulous and often tiresome details of the various languages and their interpretation and exegesis. I certainly believe it's worth the effort, however, because there is NOTHING more precious than God's word... nothing!
Shalom and happy holidays chaverim.
Yeshua our Philosopher...
12.24.24 (Kislev 23, 5784) I can sympathize with those of you who may feel "unsettled" during this season - whether it's because of the crass commercialism and trivialization of the message of the birth of Yeshua, or because of the Hollywood caricatures of the gospel as a "Santa Claus" fairy tale intended to beguile children, or, on the other hand, because you feel the original message has been so compromised by godless culture that it needs to be "retooled" for our generation, and through careful study of Scripture you are assured that Yeshua was actually born during Sukkot, when God "Tabernacled" with us (John 1:14).
I understand the tensions, but I want to remind you that Yeshua calls us to be "philosophers" of sorts -- those who see the "big picture" and understand the deeper meaning of things. Often he chided his disciples for missing the analogical meaning of his teaching, that is, missing the spiritual point of his message (Matt. 16:6-12; Mark 8:15-21). He summarized this several times by saying things like "Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man," thereby putting human need above ritual and religious observance, and he repeatedly taught that the "essence" of the law is mercy, not justice (Matt. 23:23).
Yeshua regularly spoke in stories and parables rather than "straight-line" thinking to help us get past our biases and predispositions (Matt. 13:13; Matt. 23:24). He sometimes used irony (John 9:40-41; John 10:31-32, Luke 7:35; Luke 12:16-20) and hyperbole (Luke 14:26; Matt. 18:21-22; Matt. 23:24) to make his points. He spoke in paradox (Matt. 10:39, Mark 9:35; Luke 12:49-51 ). He used similes (Matt. 10:16; Matt. 13:43; Matt. 24:27) and metaphors (Matt. 5:14-16; 12:34; John 6:35; John 10:7-9; 1 Cor. 2:13). He spoke in proverbs (Matt. 6:21; Matt. 15:14) and often used wordplay (Matt. 16:18; John 3:8). Yeshua was a philosopher in the truest sense -- a "lover of wisdom," and indeed, He is the very embodiment of all wisdom and truth (Col. 1:16-19; Heb. 1:3; John 14:6; John 17:3).
I say all this just to remind you to take the "high road" and to remember that it is the glory of a man to pass over an offense (Prov. 19:11) and to recall that we are to follow peace with everyone - and holiness - for without such no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). Remember that the central reason for the conception and birth of Yeshua was for Him to die as the great Lamb of God who offered himself up to save lost humanity. This is of "first importance," and if we miss this point we miss it all (1 Cor. 15:3-4; 1 Cor. 2:2). Shalom chaverim!
Hebrew Lesson
John 14:6 reading (click):
Sanctifying the Name...
"God, Who is everywhere, never leaves us. Yet He seems sometimes to be present, sometimes to be absent. If we do not know Him well, we do not realize that He may be more present to us when He is absent than when He is present." - Thomas Merton
12.23.24 (Kislev 22, 5785) The reason for what happens in our lives is often (always?) beyond our understanding and control, and therefore we must trust God for whatever happens in our lives, and especially in times of trouble...
When Job was tested with trouble and suffering he said, "The LORD gives; the LORD takes away; blessed is the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21), and he later reaffirmed his conviction that God was to be trusted, despite the darkness and pain he was experiencing: "Should we receive what is good from God, but not receive what is evil?"he asked (Job. 2:10).
Job teaches us that all things - both the good and the evil - are under the sovereign control of the LORD, and since "all things work together for good" (Rom. 8:28), we trust God and bless Him for perceived evil as well as for perceived good. Despite appearances that sometimes seem to the contrary, we believe in an all-powerful, supreme LORD who has not abandoned the world, but who actively sustains and upholds it with benevolent intent. "We walk by faith and not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7).
When bad things happen to the righteous, we trust in God's care for their ultimate good, despite their present troubles (Jer. 29:11). As Job further said: "Though he slay me, I will trust in Him" (Job 13:15). This is the heart behind the Kaddish, the mourner's prayer, that expresses acceptance of God's world, despite the pain, sorrow, loss, and so on....
In this life we "see through a glass darkly" and therefore we must surrender our need to understand God's sovereign purposes: "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa. 55:9). There is danger here, for if we refuse to accept what we cannot understand (or change), we will find ourselves in further pain and exile. Indeed exalting our need to "understand" or justify suffering is a hopeless venture, and it is also a category mistake -- as if an intellectual "answer" could assuage the emotional pain and loss we experience...
Faith goes beyond the realm of reason to trust in God's goodness and care, especially when we are enshrouded within a "dark cloud of unknowing." Surely our Lord understands the test (i.e., our need to practice trust) and therefore Spirit encourages us: "Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God" (Isa. 50:10).
There are many people who find it difficult to accept the idea of God -- not because of the "problem of evil," that is, the puzzle of why an all-powerful and all-loving God would allow so much suffering and pain to be present in the world, but rather because of the problem of their own secret fears, their own personal heartaches, their own searing disappointments... A person who was abused or mistreated as a child might reason that if God wasn't there for them when they needed him most, that is, when they were in such a helpless state, how can they trust in him when facing the abandonment of their own death? The question is not intellectual but emotional; a matter of trust, not of rationalization. Comfort is what is needed, that is, the assurance that God is nevertheless for you, that he is your friend, your good shepherd, even if you were to be thrown into a fiery furnace...
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a prisoner in the death camps of WWII, trusting God for deliverance. He never gave up hope, even in the midst of all that darkness. He was hanged on April 9, 1945 during the collapse of the Nazi regime. Bonhoeffer died kiddish HaShem, sanctifying the Name of the LORD: Adonai natan, va'Adonai lakach; yehi shem Adonai me'vorach (Job 1:21).
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It is written, "Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence" (Psalm 139:16). In light of God's providential ordering of our lives, Blaise Pascal asked, "What is left for us but to unite our will to that of God himself, to will in him, with him, and for him the thing that he has eternally willed in us and for us." The Mishnah says it this way: "Do His will as if it was your will that He may do your will as if it was His will" (Avot 2:4). In other words, what else can we do but learn to trust, accept, and to say "yes" to life -- even if at times we may feel like orphans, lost in a fatherless world... All our days (and tears) are recorded in God's scroll.
Again, where it says, "Ve'ahavta et Adonai be'khol levavkha" – you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart" (Deut. 6:5) that includes both your "good heart" and your "bad heart" – that is, all of you, all of your being, all of your soul. So come as you are - broken, fragmented, divided within - and ask God to restore your heart by the miracle of his grace...
Hebrew Lesson
Job 2:10b reading (click):
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Love not the World...
"You and I have need of the strongest spell that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment of worldliness." -- C.S. Lewis
12.23.24 (Kislev 22, 5785) Regarding the portentous verse, "And the earth was without form and void (תהוּ וָבהוּ), and darkness was upon the surface of the deep" (Gen. 1:2), the midrash comments: "Darkness – these are the Greeks who darkened the eyes of the Jewish nation with their evil decrees." The utter darkness of Hellenistic thought came disguised as an angel of light, as "enlightened" thinking, but whenever such humanism usurps the authority of divine revelation, the result is exile and darkness. Indeed, the very worst kind of exile is to be unaware that you are in exile, to be so blinded that you do not see that you do not see... As Yeshua said, "If the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matt. 6:23); and "be careful lest the light in you be darkness" (Luke 11:35). In the end, the world and its blind lusts will pass away, for it is "tohu" (תּהוּ) - confusion and unreality - but whoever does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17).
The realm of this "fallen world" -- understood in terms of the "fellowship" (κοινωνία) of darkness -- is something from which we are delivered and of which we are no longer to be enslaved. As it is written, "God has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son" (Col. 1:13). Likewise Yeshua said, "If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own" (John 15:19). In other words, we are "in" but not "of" this world (John 17:15), and though we physically coexist with others in this time-space, we are no longer citizens of this fallen world and its underlying value system. We are not to love this world, nor the things this world values, since doing so embraces a philosophy of life that is at war with the Father and contrary to the truth of eternity (1 John 2:16; James 4:4). The fallen world values "the flesh" and the "desire of the eyes" that is patterned according to the "arrogance of life." In other words, it is a "beauty pageant" that esteems others based on their accidental qualities instead of their inner and essential qualities. In this connection, let me quote from Henri Nouwen regarding slavery to the world and its perverse value system:
At issue here is the question: "To whom do I belong? God or to the world?"... As long as I keep running about asking: "Do you love me? Do you really love me?" I give all power to the voices of the world and put myself in bondage because the world is filled with "ifs." The world says: "Yes, I love you if you are good-looking, intelligent, and wealthy. I love you if you have a good education, a good job, and good connections. I love you if you produce much, sell much, and buy much." There are endless "ifs" hidden in the world's love. These "ifs" enslave me, since it is impossible to respond adequately to all of them. The world's love is and always will be conditional. As long as I keep looking for my true self in the world of conditional love, I will remain "hooked" to the world - trying, failing, and trying again. It is a world that fosters addictions because what it offers cannot satisfy the deepest craving of my heart." (Nouwen: Return of The Prodigal Son; p42-43)
"Love not the world, neither the things of this world" (1 John 2:15). We see then the connection between worldliness and idolatry, since idolatry essentially involves trying to find your identity, your worth, your satisfaction, and your ultimate fulfillment in the realm of the transitory and the finite rather than in God.... We are (rightly) warned against the vices of "worldliness" and are admonished to abstain from popular culture and its spurious values, but note well that worldliness extends well beyond all this, since it concerns understanding the identity and nature of the person as a whole. The fruit of worldliness is the result of being rooted in this world rather than in God's kingdom. The various desires of the human heart - even the desire for "normal things" like personal happiness in this world - may be regarded as entirely "worldly" if they are devoid of submission to God and His rule....
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A principle of spiritual life is that the "inner is not the outer," and vice-versa. People are easily deceived by mere appearances, yet the eye of faith must be trained to look beyond surface phenomena to discern the underlying Reality that upholds the world. This is perhaps most evident in the case of the cross of Yeshua, which the carnal eye regards as a matter of shame and defeat, but the eye of faith regards as the very wisdom, power, and love of Almighty God Himself... Of Yeshua it is said, "he [Messiah] grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him."
Those who rely on mere appearances will invariably find themselves confounded. The LORD therefore commissioned the prophet: "Go, and say to this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive'" (Isa. 6:9). Where it is written, "God gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own devices" (Psalm 81:12; Rom. 1:24); and "they went backward and not forward" (Jer. 7:24), we learn there is no place of "neutrality" or studied indifference toward God... We are either going forward with Him or going backward; we are either drawing near or pulling our hearts away (Rev. 3:16).
Why Chanukah Matters...
The eight day holiday of Chanukah begins Wednesday, Dec. 25th at sundown...
12.23.24 (Kislev 22, 5785) Many Bible scholars infer that the prophet Daniel (6th Century BC) foresaw the rise of Alexander the Great centuries beforehand in the vision of a "male goat running from the west" that had a conspicuous horn between its eyes (see Dan. 8:1-12; 21-22). This goat destroyed the power of the kings of Media and Persia (symbolized by two horns on a ram, see Dan. 8:20). Though the "goat" (Alexander) became exceedingly great, eventually its horn was "broken into four [kingdoms]," and out of these four horns arose a "little horn" (i.e., the Seleucid king Antiochus "Epiphanes," c. 175-163 BC) who had authority over "the glorious land" (i.e., Israel). This "little horn" (קֶרֶן מִצְּעִירָה) greatly magnified itself, cast down some of the stars (i.e., righteous souls), took away the sacrifices, and defiled the very Sanctuary in Jerusalem. As we will see, Chanukah ultimately is a prophetic message regarding the End of Days and the victory of our Messiah...
Antiochus is perhaps most notorious for setting up an altar to Zeus over the altar of burnt offering in Temple compound and sacrificing a pig within the Sanctuary of the Temple itself. This sacrilege is otherwise known as the "abomination of desolation" (שִׁקּוּץ מְשׁמֵם) that was decreed to occur 2,300 days into Antiochus' reign (Dan. 8:13-14). Notice, however, that Daniel's prophecy has a "dual aspect" to it, and the description of the rise of the "little horn" (in Dan. 8:9-10) suggested something far more portentous than the reign of a local tyrant. This horn "grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them."
In light of other New Testament scriptures, it is clear that this "exceedingly great horn" refers to future world leader (sometimes called the "Antichrist") who would one day attempt to "assimilate" all of humanity into a "New World Order" (Dan. 9:26-27, 2 Thess. 2:3; Rev. 13:7-9, etc.). It is likely that it was this sense of the "abomination that makes desolation" that Yeshua referred to in Matt. 24:15 and Mark 13:14, and it is this "abomination that makes desolation" that will be overthrown by Yeshua at the end of the Great Tribulation period (Dan. 8:23-25; Matt. 24:30; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:2, etc.).
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The intertestamental Book of Maccabees (c. 2nd Century BC) tell us more about this "little horn" and his vicious oppression of the Jewish people. Antiochus installed Hellenistic Jews to the priesthood and demanded the adherence to Hellenistic cultural ideals. He established edicts that prohibited observing the weekly Sabbath and the other biblical festivals. The reading of the Torah was outlawed and all copies of it were ordered to be burned. Temple sacrifices were forbidden; circumcision was outlawed and the penalty for disobedience was death. Women who disobeyed the edict by circumcising their sons were paraded about the city with their babies hanging at their breasts and then thrown down from the top of the city wall (2 Macc. 6:1-11). Many Jews fled and hid in the wilderness and caves and many died kiddush HaShem - as martyrs (see Heb. 11:36-39). Eventually Jewish resistance to this imposed Hellenization meant war. In 164 BC, in Modin, a small town about 17 miles from Jerusalem, Mattityahu (Matthias), a Hasmonean priest, and his five sons took refuge. When Antiochus' soldiers arrived at Modim to erect an altar to Zeus and force the sacrifice of a pig, Mattityahu and his sons rose up and killed the Syrians. They then fled to the Judean wilderness and were joined by other freedom fighters. After some organizing, they soon engaged in successful guerrilla warfare against their Syrian/Greek oppressors. The three-year campaign culminated in the cleansing and rededication of the Temple (for more on this subject, see Chanukah and Spiritual Warfare).
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Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 60:1 Hebrew reading (click):
Note: For more on this subject, see "Why Christians should celebate Chanukah."
Happy Chanukah!
Parashat Miketz - מקץ
The eight days of Chanukah run from Wed. Dec. 25th (i.e., Kislev 25) at evening until Wed. Jan. 1st this year. The weekly Torah reading is not suspended for Chanukah though additional Torah readings are read for each of the days of the holiday...
12.22.24 (Kislev 21, 5785) In our Torah portion for Chanukah week, parashat Miketz (i.e., Gen. 41:1-44:17), we will read how imprisoned Joseph successfully interpreted Pharaoh's dreams and suddenly rose to power in Egypt. Because of a famine in the land of Canaan, however, his brothers (who had earlier betrayed him) came to Egypt in search of food. A disguised Joseph then tested his brothers to see whether they were the same people who had callously sold him into slavery, or whether they had undergone teshuvah (repentance).
The eventual revelation of Joseph and his reconciliation with his brothers is a prophetic picture of acharit ha-yamim (the "End of Days") when Israel, in Great Tribulation, will come to accept Yeshua as Israel's true deliverer. Presently, the veil is still over the eyes of the Jewish people and they collectively regard Yeshua as an "Egyptian" of sorts. In this connection, I list some of the ways that Joseph is a "type" or foreshadowing of the coming Yeshua as the Suffering Servant (see "Mashiach ben Yosef").
Hebrew Lesson
Genesis 41:1a reading (click):
Beyond Understanding...
12.21.24 (Kislev 20, 5785) I am glad that the Lord gives us "peace beyond our understanding," because if my inner peace depended on what "made sense" to me, I would be most miserable and sad, since nearly everything is inscrutable and beyond my cognitive reach (let alone my ability to control).
Oh we make try to give explanations (i.e., tell ourselves stories) to help us cope with what is unknown, but deep down we realize that we walk in the dark.
Yea, sometimes even God Himself may seem inscrutable to us, especially when we go through trials that appear senseless and even cruel. But I have found that even in the deepest pitch of darkness there is a holy glimmer that outshines it, and, when we are sufficiently stunned into silence, the inner voice of Yeshua may be heard assuring us that He is present even in our loss and confusion... May God help us attune our hearts to him.
And He is all we really need anyway. Is heaven a place with golden streets and joyous celebration? Perhaps it is so, but that means nothing to me apart from Yeshua's heart for me -- his love that knows me in my depths and who loves me anyway. That is heaven for me, locking eyes with my Savior whose face is aglow with compassion and love for me, and my heart made forever sure in him. Amen and Shabbat Shalom chaverim.
Hebrew Lesson
Proverbs 3:5-6 reading (click):
Matters of First Importance...
"A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats" (Spurgeon). The following article, I hope, moves in the way of the Shepherd who offers the bread of truth for his sheep...
12.21.24 (Kislev 20, 5785) The Apostle Paul summarized the message of the gospel by means of four empirical propositions, namely: 1) that Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures; 2) that he was buried; 3) that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures; and 4) that he was seen alive by various eyewitnesses after his death (see 1 Cor. 15:1-8). Paul went on to argue that the reality of the resurrection is the center of salvation, for if Yeshua had not been raised from the dead, his repeated declarations that he would suffer, die, and come back to life would be untrue, and therefore we would still be captive to our sins. The great fact that Yeshua was indeed raised from the dead, however, demonstrates that his mission to redeem humanity was successful, and that death has been "swallowed up" by means of his victory over the curse of sin (1 Cor. 15:36). This is the core message that Paul regarded as being of "first importance" and essential to salvation.
Now if we take a moment to reflect on Paul's summary, we soon realize that he had made certain assumptions that were presupposed in his description of the essential gospel message. First, of course, is that his summary declaration appeals to the reliability and trustworthiness of the Jewish Scriptures (as clearly indicated by the repeated phrase "according to the Scriptures" (κατὰ τὰς γραφάς). If someone were to question why they should believe what the Jewish Scriptures say, Paul would have had to provide "evidential reasons" for their authenticity, veracity, and credibility, since he couldn't just appeal to the Scriptures to establish their truth without begging the question. This in turn would have implied appealing to the historical experience and traditions of the Jewish people, including their origin as the descendants of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, their 400 year enslavement in Egypt, their deliverance from bondage during the Exodus, the awesome revelation of the Torah given at Mount Sinai, and so on.
As one trained in the learning of the Pharisees (Acts 22:3), it is likely Paul would have retold the "grand narrative" of the Jewish Scriptures, beginning with the creation of Adam and Eve, their transgression and exile from the original paradise, and the subsequent degeneracy of the human race. Paul would have explained the deliverance of Noah from the worldwide judgment of the flood and the subsequent genealogy of Noah's sons culminating in the advent of Abraham, the first patriarch of the Jewish people. The history of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would be retold particularly in relation to the oath of blessing and the divine promise regarding the coming "Seed" (i.e., descendant) who would be the Heir and Savior of the world. Paul would then have reviewed the history of the Israelites and their deliverance from slavery in Egypt under Moses, the giving of the law code and the covenant at Sinai, the vision and establishment of the Tabernacle (and later the Temple in Jerusalem), and so on.
Throughout his historical review Paul doubtlessly would have focused on how Yeshua fulfilled the prophetic promises of God regarding the coming of the Messiah, quoting from the Torah, the Writings, and the various prophets of Israel. Moreover Paul would have appealed to the great oral tradition of the tzaddikim, the faithful ones of Israel, who were eagerly awaiting the coming of the Messiah.
If someone persisted to question the truth of the testimony of Scripture, it is likely Paul would have appealed to the meticulous scribal traditions of Israel, how the texts were scrupulously preserved for millennia using the most rigorous of standards of scribal transmission (soferut), and so on. Regarding the identity of Israel's promised Messiah, Paul would have appealed to the various prophetic witnesses recorded in Scripture, words from Abraham, Jacob, Moses, King David, Isaiah, Jeremiah (among others), as well as eyewitness reports regarding the miracles of Yeshua, including his own personal encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-19; Acts 26:12-18; Gal. 1:11-16; Phil. 3:3-7; Acts 17:17). Paul also would have appealed to extra-biblical sources of confirmation of the testimony, such as historical accounts of the life of Yeshua by his contemporaries, including accounts provided by the Jewish Sanhedrin and Roman officials regarding his crucifixion. In addition, Paul would have provided logical reasons for faith, including the argument from creation (Acts 17:24-28; Rom. 1:20), arguments from moral experience and conscience (Rom. 2:14-15; 2 Cor. 5:11), and arguments from intuitive awareness of God's existence as the first cause of existence (Rom. 1:18-20; Acts 17:28). It was Paul's custom to reason with his fellow Jews from the Scriptures regarding the truth of the gospel message (Acts 17:2, Acts 18:4), but to Gentiles who did not know the Torah he used logic, appeals to empirical fact, common religious sentiment, and sometimes philosophical reasoning (including quotations from pagan philosophers and poets) to make his case for the veracity of special revelation (Col 2.8; 1 Cor. 9:22; Eph. 4:17-24).
Concerning the more philosophical approach, Paul would have argued on behalf of basic monotheistic personalism, that is, the idea that there is one (and only one) God who is a omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), omnibenevolent (all-good), and who is the Source of all moral truth (Deut. 6:4-6; Psalm 139:17; Psalm 78:41, etc.). As the Supreme Being, God is One (not two or more) and the universe is a "creature" brought into existence yesh me'ayin, "out of nothing," that is, by an act of God's sovereign will. God is transcendent over creation yet immanent within its sustenance (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:16-17, John 1:3; Rom. 11:36). This implies that reality is "two-tiered," composed of both material and spiritual dimensions, though humanity is thought to bridge both realms by being a physical creation endowed with a spiritual soul. God is reveal in "anthropomorphic" terms because human beings are made in the divine image and likeness (Gen. 1:26), and the spiritual is discerned through analogy with the physical (2 Cor. 2:11-13).
The spiritual realm is revealed by God in two primary ways: 1) by general revelation (i.e., intuitive awareness of first principles of reason and logic that God exists and is the source of reality, see Rom. 1:19-20; Acts 14:17; Psalm 19:1, etc.) and 2) by special revelation (i.e., God interacting with select individuals in history who were entrusted to preserve and proclaim his message to others, see Deut. 4:7-8; Psalm 103:7; 147:19-20; John 4:22; Rom. 3:1-2; 9:4, etc.). Those narratives and words of special revelation esteemed as Scripture provide a semantic matrix for understanding the human condition of alienation, suffering, and the problem of death, apart from which the gospel message cannot be understood or proclaimed. For instance, the revelation at Sinai to the Jewish people distills and enshrines both the moral imperatives of human conscience as well as the need for blood atonement and deliverance from the guilt of sin (Lev. 17:11). The "korban principle" of "life-for-life" vicarious substitution was prefigured in the primordial garden (Gen. 3:21), symbolized in the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22; Heb. 11:19), foretold in the Passover sacrifice of the lamb of God (Exod. 12:21-27), enshrined in the sacrificial system of the Mishkan by the "korban tamid," or daily offering, of the lamb (Num. 28:1-8); dramatized in the elaborate Yom Kippur ritual that culminated with the sacrificial blood being put over the broken tablets of the law in the holiest place (Lev. 16; Heb. 9), and so on. All of these special revelations signified the coming Redeemer of Israel, the great Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
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The advent of "God in the flesh," that is, incarnation of Yeshua, however, is the climax of all special revelation, the ultimate "Word of God" (John 1:1-14). Yeshua, who is fully God and the Creator of the universe (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 1:3; Isa. 44:6; Rev. 22:13, etc.), emptied himself of all regal glory by clothing himself in human flesh to become the "Second Adam" and the atoning sacrifice for the fallen human race (Phil. 2:7; 2 Cor. 8:9; Rom. 8:3). Yeshua was "born to die" as humanity's exchange (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 5:21). The "deeper truth" of grace is thereby revealed: because of Yeshua's intercession, the verdict of the law is overcome by God's mercy and yet God is both fully just (in upholding the verdict of the law) yet the justifier of the ungodly who trusts in the divine work of deliverance given in Messiah (Rom. 3:26; Psalm 85:10; John 1:17). The resurrection further reveals not only that Yeshua died for our sins but that his sacrifice was fully accepted for our atonement. Faith in his sacrifice for your sins means you trust that his blood was shed for you, that his resurrection means that he is alive, your Living God, Redeemer, and Savior.
For more on this topic see the full article here:
Humility of the Messiah...
12.20.24 (Kislev 19, 5785) Though the world system profanes the message of the birth of Messiah for the sake of avarice and greed, let us take a moment to reflect on its ongoing spiritual significance, namely, that God emptied Himself (κένωσις) of His regal glory and power to become your Savior and High Priest, able to fully sympathize with our weakness, frailty, shame, and chronic sinfulness (Heb. 4:15-16; Phil 2:7-8). Almighty God, the Presence of Love, the Heart of Reality, clothed himself in human flesh and bone to become Immanu'el (עִמָּנוּ אֵל) - "God with us" - so that we could be touched by Him, healed by Him, and redeemed by Him... In light of this, it is only fitting we should join the refrain of heavenly host: "Glory to God in the highest, and upon earth peace, good will among all people!" (Luke 2:14). Amen! Yeshua is the Eternal Sign and Wonder of the LORD God Almighty...
Hebrew Lesson
Luke 2:14 reading (click):
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Consider the absolute humility of God as He chose to enter into this world as "baby Jesus." Meditate on the glory and sheer paradox of God's love! "Baby Jesus" is the perfect disguise to hide the truth from the proud eyes of the flesh, though the humble of heart can see... "For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching" (1 Cor. 1:21). For "who comprehends the mind of the LORD, or gives him instruction as his counselor?" Through his great plan to redeem people from the dominion of Satan and his agents in this evil world, God emptied Himself to become clothed in the frailty human flesh, born in a manger as the great Lamb of God, and born to die as the ransom for all who will believe. Ah, what would we do without the gift of God, friends? What hope would we have? Regardless of the exact date of his birth of His birth, let's thank God that our Moshia (Savior) was willing to be born into this dark world to offer Himself as our sacrificial Redeemer! "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen" (Rom. 11:36).
But what are you to do, then, if you sincerely want to follow the Torah's calendar in light of entrenched Christian customs? Well, we certainly may commemorate the birth of Messiah during the holiday of Sukkot (or Shavuot, etc.), though we must be careful to show charity and use the "good eye" toward those who may adhere to the traditional date for "Christmas." Likewise we commemorate the death and resurrection of Messiah during Passover and Firstfruits, respectively, though we do not begrudge those of good faith who honor these great events of salvation during what they call the "Pascha" or even the "Easter" season. Often we are tested in exactly this way, chaverim! We must not miss the "weightier matters" of extending grace to others, as Yeshua clearly taught (Matt. 23:23). As it is written, "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Rom. 14:5; Col. 2:16).
Friends, we must test the spirits -- and that particularly includes our own! How do we treat the "stranger" among us? How do we regard the "weaker brother?" Do we demand that our doctrine be esteemed, or do we allow room for others to seek the Lord and his wisdom? Ask yourself: Does this person (or group) honor Yeshua as God the Son, the Redeemer of Humanity who died for our sins and rose from the dead? If so, then keep your heart warm and soft toward him or her, even if he or she has yet to discover the Jewish roots of their faith. "Strive for peace with everyone" (Heb. 12:14). "Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you" (Phil. 3:15). Though we desire unity with one another (John 17:11), we cannot reasonably insist on doctrinal uniformity, especially in light of the frailty of our shared human condition... The truth of God is known in humility and love.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 8:2a reading (click):
Birth Date of Jesus Revisited...
12.20.24 (Kislev 19, 5785) Was Jesus (Yeshua) really born on December 25th, as Western Christian Tradition maintains, or does the careful study of Scripture allow us to infer a different time for His advent here on earth? Two cases can be reasonably made: one case for a Tishri (Sukkot) birth, and the other for the traditional late December (or early January) date. As I hope you will see, the crux of the arguments both for and against the late December dating of the birth of Yeshua depend upon when we think Zechariah (John the Baptist's father) was in the Temple when he was visited by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:5-80).
First we need to understand that King David divided the sons of Aaron (i.e., the priests) into 24 "courses" or groups to create an orderly schedule by which the Temple of the LORD would be staffed for the given year (1 Chr. 24:1-4). Once these courses were established, lots were drawn to determine the sequence each group would serve in the Temple (1 Chr. 24:7-19) beginning with the first course in the Spring on Nisan 1 (i.e., Rosh Chodashim). According to the chronicles each of the 24 courses of priests would begin and end their service on the Sabbath day for a tour of duty of one week (2 Chr. 23:8, 1 Chr. 9:25).
The Jewish calendar begins in the spring (i.e., Nisan 1), so the first course of priests would serve for seven days, and then on the following week the second course would serve. The third week would mark the festival of Passover when all priests would be present for service, so the schedule would be suspended until the following week when the third course of priests would serve. The weekly arrangement would then resume until the next major holiday of Shavuot (Pentecost) arrived, and then the schedule was suspended again for the ninth week. By the tenth week the eighth course (of Aviyah, meaning "My Father is Yah") would be called for Temple service and the courses would continue without further interruption until the 24th course was completed (see the table below). Note that after the 24th course served, the first half of the calendar would be complete and the schedule would then reset for the second half of the year. By means of this arrangement each group of priests would serve in twice per year (in addition to the three major festivals of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot).
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This weekly schedule of the Temple service allows us to infer the birth date of both John the Baptist and thereby the birth date of Yeshua the Messiah. Of particular interest is the eighth course of the priests, called the "Course of Aviyah" (mentioned in 1 Chr. 24:10) which was the course that Zechariah served (see Luke 1:5). Now since the eighth course would serve either during the month of Sivan or later during the month of Kislev (see the table above), we have two possibilities regarding establishing the birth date of Yeshua the Messiah.
First, if the visitation of Gabriel occurred during Zechariah's first course of service (i.e., the 10th week), then John would have been conceived sometime during the month of Sivan (Luke 1:23-4), and adding 40 weeks to this (the normal time of human gestation) John would have been born sometime in the month of Nisan, perhaps around the time of Passover. Furthermore, since Yeshua was conceived six months after John was conceived (Luke 1:24-27, 36), adding six months (or 24 weeks) to the end of Sivan implies his miraculous conception would have occurred in mid to late Kislev (near the time of Chanukah). Adding 40 weeks to this (again, the approximate time of human gestation), Yeshua then would have been born sometime in the month of Tishri, during the season of Sukkot (i.e., "Tabernacles").
On the other hand, if the visitation by Gabriel occurred during Zechariah's second service (i.e., 35th week), then John would have been conceived after Yom Kippur (Luke 1:8-23) and born 40 weeks later during the month of Tammuz. Again, since Yeshua was conceived six months after John was conceived (Luke 1:24-27, 36), adding six months (or 24 weeks) would imply he was conceived during Passover and was born later during the month of Tevet, that is, sometime in late December. According to church historians, this was the original view of the early church.
So there you go. If you have followed my reasoning, it is clear that Yeshua could have been born either near the holiday of Sukkot to celebrate God "tabernacling" with humanity, or he could have been born in late December, perhaps near the Fast of the Tenth of Tevet which remembered the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. There are perhaps other options as well, but I believe God meant for the issue to be a bit obscure because He came into the world in disguise -- the Lord of Glory given in swaddling clothes... Hallelujah!
For more reasoning about this topic see the H4C article: "Christmas Day: Was Jesus Really Born on December 25th?" or download the printable version here:
Concluding Addendum
The fact that various church groups have chosen different dates to memorialize certain historical events (such as the birth date of Jesus) is something we must tolerate, especially because the Scriptures do not provide enough information to conclusively determine the matter, and therefore we must exercise "epistemic humility" and follow peace (Heb. 12:14).
It should be noted, however, that the early church recognized the later December dating (rather than a Sukkot date), though assuredly not because of any pagan influences (such as Saturnalia or Roman sun worship). Indeed the early church suffered terrible persecution from the pagans in Rome and there is no historical evidence that they sought to assimilate with any of the pagan customs of that time. The suspicion that Christianity "appropriated" pagan culture to celebrate the birth of Christ actually first arose during the so-called "Age of Enlightenment" (17th century) when the use of human reason and the scientific method were dogmatically declared to be the only way to truth...
The question of the date of Jesus' birth is not one regarding his empirical reality and the historicity of the gospels, since these are not seriously questioned by honest historical scholars. However the Scriptures accommodate divergent convictions on such matters, as Paul gave the principle: ῝Ος μὲν κρίνει ἡμέραν παρ᾽ ἡμέραν, ὃς δὲ κρίνει πᾶσαν ἡμέραν. ῞Εκαστος ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ νοῒ πληροφορείσθω - "One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind" (Rom: 14:5). "So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding" (Rom. 14:19).
You might not agree with my thinking on the subject here, but if you want to make a case for a different date, then do your own careful research on the question. Read the relevant Hebrew texts, do the math, consult the Jewish calendar, read the New Testament, check the Greek, and then determine whether you think Zechariah was serving at the Temple during the month of Sivan or later, during Tishri, perhaps during the time of Yom Kippur. Shalom!
Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 9:6 Hebrew reading (click):
A Closing Comment
This topic sometimes brings up contention, probably because many sincere Christians are turned off by the commercialism and phony glitz of "Hollywood-style" Christmas which completely disregards the tremendous significance of God becoming a man and giving up His life for our redemption... I get it. However, if you want to "push back" against the world, you ironically run the risk of disregarding the miracle of the story of Yeshua and His birth as well!
Even though the world has "culturally appropriated" Christmas and made it into a farcical "feel-good" holiday, those who truly love the Lord want to honor the blessing of His life, and it is therefore good to give thanks to God for the advent of Yeshua at this time (and during other times as well, including Passover, Shavuot, and of course Sukkot). Redifat Shalom!
The War for Truth...
12.19.24 (Kislev 18, 5784) The holiday of Chanukah reminds us that we must remain committed to Torah truth in a godless, and therefore insane, world. After all, since reality is the "handiwork" (i.e., conscious design) of an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, morally perfect, purposive, personal, and spiritual Agency who has been revealed in the Jewish Scriptures, those who deny this reality are living in a state of ongoing delusion. In a sense, the history of humanity - especially as it has been expressed philosophically and politically -- has been nothing less than the conscious design to redefine reality as something that it isn't. "The kings of the earth station themselves, and the dignitaries take counsel together against the LORD and His Messiah" (Psalm 2:1-3). Spiritual warfare is therefore the fight for sanity and truth in a world that prefers madness and self-deception.
In a prophetic sense the story of "Epihpanes" foreshadows the coming time of the "Messiah of Evil" (antichrist) who will one day attempt to "assimilate" all of humanity into a "New World Order" (Dan. 9:27, 2 Thess. 2:3; Rev. 13:7-9, etc.). At first he will appear to be a "world savior" who will broker peace for Israel and the Mideast, but after awhile, like his archetype Epiphanes, he will savagely betray the Jewish people and set up a "desolating sacrilege" in the Holy Place of the Temple (Matt. 24:15). His satanic rise will occur during acharit hayamim - the "End of Days" - otherwise called the period of the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24). The Final Victory of God will be established when Yeshua returns to destroy this Messiah of Evil at His Second Coming. The Holy Temple will then be rebuilt and dedicated by the hand of the true Mashiach of Israel.
The Gemara says that Javan, the descendant of Noah's son Japheth (Gen. 10:2), became the founding father of ancient Greece who inherited Japheth's blessing: "May God give beauty to Japheth (יַפְתְּ אֱלהִים לְיֶפֶת) and let him dwell in the tents of Shem" (Gen. 9:27). This blessing gave him the special ability to found the arts, philosophy, and science, though if these were exercised apart from the influence of Shem, that is, apart from a Torah perspective, such pursuits would ultimately become vain and even dangerous. In other words, even though "all truth is God's truth," human learning must be contextualized in light of the divine revelation. The humanistic mindset deifies knowledge and technique; it understands to believe, instead of believing to understand. For this reason, among others, the spiritual war between Zion and the secular world rages to this hour...
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 27:1 reading (click):
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Note: Chanukah is not "Jewish Christmas." Nor should we conflate the holiday of Chanukah with Christmas to make "Christnukah" or "Messiahmas." Chanukah is a holiday that celebrates the victory of God over the powers of darkness (i.e., Greek humanism), and while the "Christmas" message also concerns victory over darkness, the focus is more on the advent of the Lord as our Redeemer and Savior. I will post more about these distinctions later this week, including a discussion about whether Yeshua was born in December or during Sukkot, so stay tuned! Meanwhile see "Chanukah and Spiritual Warfare" for more on this topic.
Celebrating Chanukah...
The eight-day Festival of Chanukah begins at sundown on Wednesday, Dec. 25th this year...
12.19.24 (Kislev 18, 5784) Celebrating Chanukah is an easy and enjoyable experience that does not require a lot of cost or effort. All you will need is a Chanukah menorah, a box of 44 Chanukah candles, and a blessings sheet (available free from Hebrew for Christians). Optionally you can get a dreidle to spin for amusement and some Chanukah decorations. Traditionally we eat some simple foods that are cooked in oil, such as potato latkes, kugel, jelly donuts, etc. Overall the mood of the holiday is festive and joyful - a time to remember how God performs miracles for his people as he did for Israel when the holy Temple was recaptured and restored from Greek-Syrian oppressors during the second century B.C.
For each of the days of Chanukah we light candles, kindling one for the first day, two for the second, and so on until we reach the climactic eighth day, when all shine together. Some of the sages say the word "Messiah" (i.e., mashiach: מָשִׁיחַ) may be regarded as an acronym for the phrase "we light throughout the eight days of Chanukah," i.e., מַדְלִיקִין שְׁמוֹנָה יְמֵי חֲנוּכָּה: madlikin (מ) shemonah (שׁ) yemei (י) Chanukah (ח). Indeed, the central lamp of the Chanukah menorah is called the shamash (שַׁמָש), the "Servant" that bears the original flame that kindles all the others. The salvations, wonders, and solace that God performed for us "in those days, at this time" therefore prefigure the greater deliverance we have in Yeshua, the Suffering Servant and Light of the World...
Hebrew Lesson:
Psalm 36:9 Hebrew reading:
The Word Made Flesh...
This time of year provides an opportunity to one again focus on the truth of incarnational theology, to celebrate the revelation of God in Yeshua, and to proclaim the miracle that God "emptied Himself" by being clothed in human flesh as the great Lamb of God....
12.19.24 (Kislev 18, 5785) At Mount Sinai we heard the voice of God (קוֹל אֱלהִים) speaking from the midst of the Fire (Deut. 4:33), an event that foreshadowed the great advent of the King and Lawgiver Himself, when the Eternal Word (דְבַר־יְהוָה) became flesh and dwelt with us (Phil. 2:6-7; John 1:1,14). Any theology that regards God as entirely transcendent (i.e., God is beyond any analogy with the finite) will have a problem with divine immanence (i.e., God is inherent and involved within the finite), since the highness, holiness, and perfection of God will make Him seem distant, outside of us, far away, and unknown...
Incarnational theology, on the other hand, manifests the magnificent humility and nearness of God to disclose the divine empathy. Indeed, the LORD became Emanu'el (עִמָּנוּ אֵל), "God with us," to share our mortal condition, to know our pain, to experience the wounds of sin, and to be abandoned, alienated, forsaken. It is God's own bittul hayesh (בִּטּוּל הַיֵּשׁ) - his "self-nullification" for the sake of love and truth. The "Eternal made flesh" bridges the gap between the realm of Ein Sof (אין סוף), the "infinitely transcendent" One, and the finite world of people lost within their sinful frailty. Of course we believe Adonai Echad (יְהוָה אֶחָד) - that the "LORD is One" - both in the sense of being exalted over all things but also in the sense of being compassionately involved in all things (Rom. 11:36). We therefore celebrate the giving of the Torah both at Sinai and especially at Bethlehem with the birth of Messiah. We celebrate that God is indeed the King and Ruler over all, but we further affirm that God's authority and rule extends to all possible worlds - including the realm of our finitude and need...
As I've mentioned elsewhere, the climax of Sinai was the revelation of the Sanctuary. The two tablets of the law, summarizing the Ten Commandments, were stored inside the famous Ark of the Covenant (אֲרוֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָה), a sacred "three-in-one" box placed in the innermost chamber of the Tabernacle called the Holy of Holies (קדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים). As such, the Ark served as kisei ha-kavod (כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד), the Throne of Glory itself. Upon the cover (or crown) of the Ark (i.e., the kapporet) were fashioned two cherubim (i.e., angel-like figures) that faced one another (Exod. 25:17-18). According to the Talmud (Succah 5b), each cherub had the face of a child - one boy and one girl - and their wings spread heavenward as their eyes gazed upon the cover (Exod. 25:20). It was here that God's Voice would be heard during the Yom Kippur service, when sacrificial blood was sprinkled upon the crown to symbolize the atonement of sin secured through Messiah, the Word that became flesh for us... In the very heart of the Sanctuary, then, we see the Word of God and the sacrficial blood.
The LORD God Almighty was clothed with human skin: our flesh, our bones... The miracle of the incarnation is the "Absolute Paradox," as Soren Kierkegaard once said, wherein the infinite and the finite meet in the inscrutable mystery of the Divine Presence. Here God "touches a leper," eats with sinners and prostitutes, sheds human tears, and suffers heartache like all other men... The gloriously great God, the very Creator of the cosmos, has "emptied Himself" to come in the form of a lowly servant (δοῦλος) - disguised to the eyes of the proud and hardhearted, but is revealed as High Priest to those who are genuinely broken and in profound need. The LORD God is God over "all possible worlds," and that includes both the celestial realms of the heavens but also the world of the fallen, the ashamed, the alienated, and the lost... God's infinite condescension reveals and augments the majesty of His infinite transcendence. There is no world - nor ever shall there be such - where the LORD God Almighty does not reign and have preeminence.
Do not suppose for a moment that the Torah of Moses does not teach "incarnational" theology. Since God created human beings in his image and likeness, the "anthropomorphic language" of Scripture is meaningful. The LORD reveals himself in human terms - using human language, expressing human emotions, and so on, as it says: Moses spoke to God panim el panim - "face to face" (Deut. 34:10). The Torah always has to take on human form - the Word made flesh - for the sake of human beings who live in flesh and blood reality...
The greatest expression of God's word is found in the Presence of Yeshua. This is the Word of God that "tabernacles" with us, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Yeshua is the "Living Torah" who empties himself to enter our world to rescue us from death. Our Scriptures state that "in these last days God has spoken to us by his Son, whom He appointed the Heir of all things, through whom also He created the worlds" (Heb 1:2). Note that the Greek construction for the phrase translated, "by his son" is ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν υἱῷ, which literally means "he spoke to us in Son" -- that is, in the language or voice of the the Son of God Himself... God speaks the language "of Son" from the midst of the fire revealed at Zion. "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe (μετὰ αἰδοῦς καὶ εὐλαβείας) - for our God is Esh Okhelah - a Consuming Fire" (Heb. 12:28-29).
Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 7:14b Hebrew reading:
Addendum: Consider further the metaphorical and anthropomorphic language of the Scriptures: God "sees," God "hears," the "hand of the LORD" saves, etc. Without an implied incarnational theology, there would be no language that we could comprehend about God who is the Infinite One that transcends all things... God gets angry; God feels sorrow; God is jealous; God is a lover, etc. all these metaphors bring the language of heaven into the world of humanity... The Spirit that imparts revelation does so inside a human brain and is translated into human apprehension. Yeshua is the Substance of the shadowy talk of analogical language; he embodies God-life before us.... Yeshua is the Word of God made flesh -- able to touch us, know us, share in our suffering, heal us of our sin-sickness, etc.
H4C Podcast:
Crying out for Healing...
"I saw a great oneing between Christ and us, because when he was in pain, we were in pain. All creatures of God's creation that can suffer pain suffered with him. The sky and the earth failed at the time of his dying because he too was part of nature." - Julian of Norwich
12.18.24 (Tevet 17, 5785) Where it is written in our Scriptures: "O LORD my God, I cried out to you, and you healed me" (Psalm 30:2), the sages comment that the heartfelt act of crying unto God is in itself a source of healing for spiritual ailments, and that the promise, "I am the LORD who heals you" (אֲנִי יְהוָה רֹפְאֶךָ, Exod. 15:26) means the knowledge that "the LORD is God, and there is none other" (הוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים אֵין עוֹד מִלְבַדּוֹ, Deut. 4:35) is the true cure for troubles of the heart and mind.
Often, however, we resist turning to the LORD God for healing... Like Jonah we first must be "swallowed up" in the consciousness that we are undone and without remedy apart from His direct intervention and deliverance. עָקב הַלֵּב מִכּל וְאָנֻשׁ הוּא מִי יֵדָעֶנּו (Jer. 17:9). Often we find ourselves there - in the "belly of the fish" - and later are resurrected to go forth by God's mercy and grace. Likewise we first see ourselves as dying and go to the cross, finding pardon and given the power of the ruach HaKodesh to live unto God according to the truth.
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The sages say the reason the matriarchs of Israel were barren was so that he could hear their prayers... The same may be said for our afflictions. I have been sick recently and today I am again sick. This provides another opportunity for me to go deeper into prayer and speak with the Lord.
The Star Still Leads...
12.18.24 (Kislev 17, 5785) During the holiday season we may recall Balaam's enigmatic prophecy: "There shall come a star out of Jacob..." Amazingly, this ancient Aramean seer – who may have been the forebear of the "magi of the east" (Matt. 2:1-2) – foresaw the coming of the Messiah: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob (כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקב), and a ruler shall arise out of Israel" (Num. 24:17).
Balaam's prophecy described the coming of the Messiah and his reign in two distinct aspects: "A star from Jacob shall lead the way (i.e., דָּרַךְ)," this refers to Messiah's first coming as the way of life (John 14:6), "and a scepter shall ascend (וְקָם שֵׁבֶט) from Israel," this refers to Messiah's second coming to establish the kingdom after the final redemption.
The story of Balaam took place "out of view" of the Israelites, which teaches us that the LORD our God is always at work - even among our enemies - for our blessing and confessing our ultimate good... No weapon formed against God's people shall prosper, and every tongue that speaks in judgment shall be made to stammer out praise.
"He who vindicates us is near; who will contend with us?" Indeed, "who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Yeshua the Messiah is the one who died -- more than that, who was raised -- who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us" (Rom. 8:33-34). Those of faith understand that history - including the "End of Days" - as the expression of God's sovereign and providential hand. The Savior always works "all things together for the good" of those who are trusting in Him. The Star of Messiah still shines and reveals the way of life to those willing to believe...
Hebrew Lesson
Numbers 24:17 reading (click):
obscure -- to test our hearts....
No Followers at Secondhand...
12.17.24 (Kislev 16, 5785) Soren Kierkegaard reminds us that there are no followers of Yeshua "at secondhand," and that all of us are therefore truly "contemporaries" of the resurrected Messiah. God is not a "respecter of persons," and there remains the same proximity between Yeshua's contemporaries and those of us who are living today, near the end of this age. No one can "follow Jesus" by reading the abstract speculations of theologians, just as no one can learn about Him as an archaeologist might study a relic of the past... No, the Name of God, the Tetragrammaton (יהוה), means: "God is Present" (i.e., it is a play on the Hebrew verb hayah [הָיָה], "to be"), and therefore we only come to know God through living faith - just as Yeshua's first disciples came to realize who He was...
The same may be said regarding our spiritual "adoption" in heaven: Each person, whether Jew or Gentile, must be adopted into God's family... Our identity is a matter of faith in God's promises, not on race, DNA, or family lineage. This is the reason Abraham is called the "father of the faithful" (see Rom. 4:11-16). If you are truly one of God's children, understand that God is your Heavenly Father and that relationship takes priority over the seeming way of the flesh in this world... Just as there are no "secondhand" disciples so there are no secondhand children. God doesn't have any grandchildren in heaven, only children: He is not your "heavenly grandfather" but your heavenly Father (אֲבִיכֶם בַּשָּׁמַיִם).
Dwight Moodly once said, "God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves." Similarly, Matthew Henry observed that "many ask good questions with a design rather to justify themselves than inform themselves, rather proudly to show what is good in them than humbly to see what is bad in them." It is rarely the "professor" or even the "admirer" who evidences real faith, since they are often moved by motives that disclose something other than the heart of the Father:
"Loftiness is naturally an easy thing, and to feel oneself drawn to it is easy enough. But Christ who from on high draws all men to Himself does not take them out of the world where they live, and therefore to everyone who is drawn unto Him in the heights will experience lowliness and humiliation as a matter of course.
This Christ knows very well; and He knows also that the permission to begin with the easiest, or with what seems the easiest, is a necessary deceit in the process of education, and that the fact of it's becoming harder and harder is in order that life may become in truth a probation and examination… A man has to be handled carefully, and hence it is only little by little that his task is made clear to him, little by little he is screwed tighter and tighter by the greater and greater and greater effort of probation and examination. So little by little it becomes for the individual a serious truth that to live is to be examined, and the highest examination is this: whether one will be in truth a Christian or not." (Kierkegaard, Training in Christianity)
While many people may "admire" Yeshua's ethical teachings, they stumble when they are confronted with His cross... Yet this is the heart of the message of God's love: the greatest good is revealed in the suffering of Yeshua for our sins (1 Cor. 2:2). The Master of Life was "despised, rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquinted with sickness" from whom people turned away their faces in disgust (Isa. 53:3) -- and we are called to take up the cross and follow Him... "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die..." We identify with the mission of God's love and smolder through the days and nights under constant self-examination our heart's motivation. Following Yeshua means being a witness to His truth, and retaining the message of His love in a world of ambiguity, pain, and testing....
For those who are God's children, testing in this age is designed to impart the character and image of God's son within our hearts. As C.S. Lewis once remarked, "God doesn't love you because you are good, but He will make you good because He loves you." He shows us a "severe mercy..." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God (אֱלהִים חַיִּים), though I would rather be corrected by our LORD than to be judged along with this world.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 143:8 reading (click):
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Israel's Rejected Prince...
12.17.24 (Kislev 16, 5785) From the beginning of this week's Torah portion (Vayeshev) until the very end of Sefer Bereshit (the Book of Genesis), the focus shifts from the patriarch Jacob to his twelve sons, and particularly to his beloved son Joseph (יוֹסֵף). Recall that Joseph's jealous brothers had stripped him of his "coat of many colors" and then mercilessly threw him into a pit -- a providential event that eventually led to the deliverance of the Jewish people by the hand of a "disguised savior." Indeed, story of Joseph's ordeal is a story of divine hashgachah (providential supervision) that foretells the glory of Yeshua our Messiah, both as the Suffering Servant and as a national deliverer of Israel.
Parashat Vayeshev begins, "Jacob settled (vayeshev Ya'akov) in the land of his father's sojourning, in the land of Canaan" (Gen. 37:1), but then immediately turns to the story of Joseph, who was seventeen years old at the time: "And these were the generations of Jacob: Joseph being seventeen years old..." (Gen. 37:2). Why does the toldot (genealogy) of Jacob begin with Joseph rather than Reuben (the firstborn son of Leah) here? Was the Torah suggesting that Joseph was regarded by Jacob as his (chosen) "firstborn" son?
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Jacob and Joseph undoubtedly shared a lot in common, and this surely caused Jacob to prefer his firstborn son (of Rachel) over his other sons. For instance, both men had infertile mothers who had difficulty in childbirth; both mothers bore two sons; and both were hated by their brothers. In addition, the Torah states that Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons since he was the son of his old age, and was the firstborn son (bechor) of his beloved wife Rachel. Indeed, Jacob made him an ornamented tunic (ketonet passim) to indicate his special status in the family.
At any rate, the Talmud (Sanhedrin 106a) notes that whenever the word vayeshev (וַיֵּשֶׁב) is mentioned in Torah, it introduces a painful episode. Immediately following the statement that "Jacob settled (vayeshev Ya'akov) in the land of his father's sojourning," the Torah states that Joseph brought an "evil report" about his brothers to his father. This act ultimately led to the selling of Joseph into slavery and to further heartache for Israel. The Jewish sage Rashi notes that whenever someone called by God wants to "settle down" and live at ease, God orchestrates events to keep him free from complacency. This certainly happened in the case of Jacob, where sibling rivalry and baseless hatred (called sinat chinam: שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם) so disrupted the peace of the family that his children were eventually led into exile and slavery.
But there is redemption and healing, even in the midst of betray and loss... We note that Joseph was sent by his father from the "depth of Hebron" (מֵעֵמֶק חֶבְרוֹן) to seek the welfare of his brothers (Gen. 37:14). Hebron (חֶבְרוֹן) is one of the very first places Abraham lived after he entered the Promised Land (Gen. 13:18). The word itself comes from a root (ח.ב.ר) that means "union," or "friendship," suggesting that from the depth of family union would come struggle but eventual deliverance. The "depths of Hebron" therefore suggests that Joseph's assignment was ultimately redemptive in nature - to restore love to the family by means of God's providential salvation...
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 130:1-2 reading (click):
Teshuvah's Sweet Sorrow...
12.17.24 (Kislev 16, 5785) While it's true that we express sorrow and regret for our sins - we mourn over our lives - this is an essential part of the healing process, with the end result of obtaining comfort from God (Matt. 5:4). Mere regret over sin is not enough, however, since the motive may be from shame (pride) or disappointment over some selfish loss. Esau "repented" with tears, but his wasn't true repentance since he didn't lament the loss of his heart to God's love (Heb. 12:14).
True repentance always leads to healing and life. When the woman from Magdala wept and washed Yeshua's feet with her tears, he said, "I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven -- for she loved much" (Luke 7:44-48). In other words, she was lavish in her love because she deeply regretted that she had missed what was most important, what she desperately needed all along... She saw her sin as blindness to God's love... After all, why would she weep over her sins unless she loved him? And how could she love him unless he first revealed his love to her? (1 John 4:19)
"For grief (λύπη) as intended by God produces a repentance (תְּשׁוּעָה) that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly grief produces death" (2 Cor. 7:10).
Hebrew Lesson
Click to learn to read the Hebrew text:
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Echoes from the Future...
12.17.24 (Kislev 16, 5785) Yeshua forewarned of the alienation and moral sickness that would pervade mankind just before the time of his return: "Because lawlessness (i.e., ἀνομία, from -α ('not') + νομος, 'torah') will be increased," he said, "the love of many will grow cold (i.e., ψύχομαι, 'be extinguished')" (Matt. 24:12). Note the link between Torah and love: true love requires respect for God's authority, for without that the divine image is disfigured.
Likewise the Apostle Paul foresaw that the "End of Days" (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים) would be a time of peril (καιροὶ χαλεποί) because people would become increasingly narcissistic, self-absorbed, infatuated with their own sense of self-importance, abusive toward others, disrespectful to elders, ungrateful, heartless, unforgiving, without self-control, brutal, treacherous, and so on (2 Tim. 3:1-4).
Therefore, in light of the spiritual war that rages all around us, it is essential that we are firmly rooted in what is true by taking hold of our identity and provision as children of God. God gives us courage to by the Holy Spirit. As it says, "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power (גְּבוּרָה / δύναμις) and of love (ἀγάπη), and of a "sound mind" (σωφρονισμός), i.e., a "delivered" mind -- centered and "healed" from inner chaos (2 Tim. 1:7).
The very Name of the LORD (i.e., יהוה) means "Presence," and in Him "we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). He is as close as our heart and our very breath (Rom. 10:8; Deut. 30:11-14). Nothing can circumvent his promise given to us. We are not to be troubled like the world that lives in terror of man, nor are we to crave security from the vain devices of mere men. No - we look to the LORD God Almighty, the Master of the Universe. He alone is our Refuge and Defense, the One who gives us steadfast love in the midst of these storms. "Let not your heart be troubled" - God is in control of the whirlwind, friends...
According to some orthodox Jewish eschatological tradition, the period of time immediately before the Messiah's arrival is sometimes called ikvot meshicha (עִקְּבוֹת מְשִׁיחַ), the time when the "footsteps of the Messiah" can be heard. Some of the "signs" of this period include the rise of various false prophets, numerous wars and "rumors of wars" (including the rise of Magog: Iran), famines, earthquakes, worldwide apostasy from the faith, persecution, and a globalized sort of godlessness that is revealed in unbridled selfishness, greed, chutzpah (audacity), shamelessness, and a general lack of hakarat ha-tov (gratitude). The greatest sign, however, will be that Israel will exist once again as a sovereign nation, despite the prophesied exile among the nations (Deut. 4:27-31; Jer. 30:1-3). The time draws near...
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 30:10 reading (click):
The Way of your Life...
[ "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." - Lewis Carroll ]
12.16.24 (Kislev 15, 5784) The Hebrew word derekh (דֶּרֶךְ), often translated as "way," can refer to a physical road or pathway, but metaphorically it often refers to the journey, manner, or course of one's life.
Everyone who is alive and conscious is "on the road," and every day presents us with choices about how we will walk down that road. If you are reading these words, you are presently on the way, and there is no escape from this journey you are on...
Walking a road implies decisions. You simply cannot walk anywhere without having a "where" or destination in mind (even the decision to be aimless is itself a decision). When we make decisions, consciously or not we are choosing what we believe will bring us nearer the goal or end or our journey.
Along the way we will always encounter "forks in the road" – junctions where we must decide whether to turn to the left or the right, or to go backward in our journey. Such decisions are unavoidable, though many will choose to become victims of their own unreflective consciousness by choosing the path of "least resistance." People choose this path because they do not know "the end thereof" they walk…
So there is a way, or road, that you are walking, comprised of a (finite) series of choices you have made, are making, and will make, which are leading you somewhere. You cannot get off this road, and no one can walk it for you.
Since this road represents the way of your life, you are ultimately responsible for how you choose to walk it. You are not free to choose the "what" of your journey (which is a brute fact), but you are free to choose its "how." The LORD offers wisdom to all those who wish to make their days count for eternity...
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 25:4 Hebrew reading (click):
Note: For more on this topic see: "Derekh HaYashar: Finding the Straight Way."
The Torah of Wresting...
12.16.24 (Kislev 15, 5784) Yeshua warned those who professed faith: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness'" (Matt. 7:21-23). "I never knew you..." Despite the practice and profession of their faith, these people were actually strangers to God... They had a false sense of assurance, believing that they were "serving God" when in truth they were not... So the all-important question here is whether Yeshua truly knows you. You may know a lot about God, religion, spirituality, and yet you may remain unknown by him... So where do you find life? What are you loving? Where are you going?
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). Yet what is the will of the Father but to trust in Messiah for life (John 6:40)? Yeshua was asked:"What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" and he answered: "This is the work of God (Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεου), that you believe in the One whom he has sent" (John 6:28-29). The Torah of salvation centers on trusting the Messiah (Titus 3:5-7).
On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not ... do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I say to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness' (Matt. 7:22-23). From this we see that good works - even those done in the name of Messiah - are insufficient for life, and that something more is needed... That "something more" is the reality of authentic relationship with him. However, even Yeshua's sacrifice on the cross can't bring you into relationship with him apart from receiving it for your healing... By faith you encounter Yeshua clothed in your flesh, your sin, and suffering death for you. "As long as Christ remains outside of us we are separated from him."
Some people feel frightened when they consider all this, but the fear arises only if we miss Yeshua's point... Good works can't save you, even those performed in the Savior's name... What saves you is trusting in God's great love for your life. Again, "this is the work of God, to trust in the One whom God has sent [for you]" (John 6:28-29). Genuine salvation is "from the LORD" (יְשׁוּעָתָה לַיהוָה) that is, comes as a result of his loving intervention on your behalf (Titus 3:5-7; Eph. 2:8-10). It is his righteousness that saves, not our own... This is the will of the Father, the Torah of the LORD (תורת יהוה), namely, to honor the Messiah and know him by faith... You trust him for eternal life, you believe that he bears your sins, you seek to know his heart, and you desire to share your life with him. It is lawlessness to reject the Torah of the LORD that commands us to follow Messiah and know him in all our ways - including the ways of our struggles, our fears, and so on...
Each of us must wrestle alone, in the dark places of fear, to find our new name from God (Gen. 32:24). Is the blessing for you or not? The essential thing is to know (and more importantly) to be known by Yeshua.... It is a matter of trust, of sharing your heart, being real with him, walking with him, loving him... "This is the work of God, to trust in the One whom God has sent [for you]." Trusting in the Lord means accepting that you are truly loved (and made safe) because of who God is...
The gospel is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Rom. 1:16). It is a miracle of being in a right relationship with God. We are pursued by his love, and he haunts us until we surrender to his will (John 6:44)... Like Jonah we first must be "swallowed up" in consciousness of our own rebellion before we realize we are undone, that we are without remedy apart from God's intervention and deliverance. We start there - in the "belly of the fish" - and later are resurrected to go forth by God's mercy and grace. As we look to Yeshua, as we lean on him, he reveals more of himself to us. He gives us the grace and strength we need; he is always enough...
Whether Yeshua is living in you (and you are living in Him) is the most important question of your life upon which everything else turns. The great mystery is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). As Ravenhill once said, "I don't ask people if they're saved anymore; I look them straight in the eye and say, "Does Christ live inside you?" Indeed, He is present right now -- for you -- in this very moment... Are you connected with Him in the truth? Are you drawing life from His life? Do you really live in Yeshua? "God is making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Messiah, be reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20).
Again, each of us must wrestle alone to receive our new name from God, and again I ask: Is the blessing for you or not? Are you willing to be loved and accepted by him? Are you willing to surrender your soul to him? What is your name? What do you call yourself? You cannot know God apart from his love, yet for some people that is exactly where the struggle lies... Look within your heart; test yourself; do you believe God cares for you? Take hold of the promise and do not let go until you know who you are in his love. "To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it" (Rev. 2:17).
Affirmations of Faith:
The blessing is there for you, though you might need to wrestle in faith to fully take hold of your identity in Christ. May God help you answer to the new name he calls out to you...
Audio Podcast:
The Present Hour...
12.16.24 (Kislev 15, 5784) Rabbi Elazar in the Mishnah says, shuv yom echad lifnei mi'tatakh (שׁוּב יוֹם אֶחָד לִפְנֵי מִיתָתְךָ): "Repent one day before you die" (Avot 2:10). Yes of course, but who knows the day of one's death in advance? Perhaps your name will be called today, ending your "lease on life" in this world. Are you ready? Are you prepared to appear before the LORD God your Creator and Redeemer to give account for your life?
In light of our existential uncertainty, we are counseled to live each day as if it were our last, making sure we are attending to the things that really matter... But "watch -- for you know neither the day nor the hour..." (Mark 13:33). As C.S. Lewis wrote: "The Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most temporal part of time -- for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays, the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which [God] has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them. God would therefore have us continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present — either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself" (The Screwtape Letters).
It takes awareness of the brevity of our days to realize that life is a great gift. Sometimes we are awakened at the death of a loved one; other times we have our own "near death" experiences... The scarcer a resource becomes, the more it is valued. So too with time. If we had thousands of years to live, it is likely that we would disregard or postpone the most essential questions regarding the meaning of our lives. Therefore we pray to be aware of how fleeting our days are -- so that we will attend to matters of eternal significance!
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 39:4 Hebrew reading (click):
Parashat Vayeshev - וישב
Our Torah reading for this week tells how Joseph's jealous brothers stripped him of his "coat of many colors" and threw him into a pit -- a providential event that eventually led to the deliverance of the Jewish people by the hand of a "disguised savior." Indeed, the life of Joseph foreshadowed the two advents of Yeshua our Messiah: first as Israel's Suffering Servant and second as the national deliverer of the Jewish people during the time of great tribulation...
12.15.24 (Kislev 14, 5784) Last week's Torah (i.e., parashat Vayishlach) recounted how Jacob had wrestled with a mysterious Angel before returning to the Promised Land to be reconciled with his brother Esau. This week's portion (i.e., parashat Vayeshev) begins with Jacob living back in the land promised to Abraham and Isaac with his 12 sons, but the narrative quickly turns to Jacob's favorite son Joseph, who was seventeen years old at the time. The Torah states that Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons since he was "the son of his old age," and he was the firstborn son of his beloved wife Rachel. Indeed, Jacob made him an ornamented tunic to indicate his special status in the family.
As the favored son, Joseph's job was to oversee the activities of Jacob's concubines sons (Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher) and to bring "reports" about their activities back to Jacob. However, this role as the overseer and "favored son" was too much for the other brothers, and they became jealous of him and hated him. To make matters worse, Joseph related two dreams to his brothers that foretold that he was destined to rule over them, increasing their envy and hatred of him (the implication of the dreams was that all of Jacob's family would become subservient to him). Jacob rebuked Joseph for arousing his brothers' hatred, but he inwardly took note and waited for the fulfillment of the dreams.
The portion records that one day the brothers went out to pasture their herds, but when they saw Joseph coming to check on them, they conspired to kill him, though later they decided to sell him to some slave traders instead. The brothers then staged Joseph's death by dipping his special tunic into goat's blood and bringing it to their father, who was deceived into thinking that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.
Meanwhile Joseph was purchased at a slave trade by Potiphar, a captain of Pharaoh's guard. The LORD was "with Joseph," however, and blessed everything he did. In fact, soon he was promoted to be the head of Potiphar's entire household affairs. Potiphar's wife then began enticing Joseph to have an affair with her, and though he steadfastly refused her advances, she later falsely accused him of attempted rape. Potiphar was understandably outraged (at his wife?) and threw Joseph into the royal prison, but again God showed him favor there and soon was appointed to a position of authority in the prison administration.
The portion ends with two prophetic episodes in Joseph's life that eventually would bring him to the attention of Pharaoh himself. While in prison, Joseph met Pharaoh's wine steward and chief baker, both incarcerated for offending their king (according to Rashi, a fly was found in the goblet prepared by the butler, and a pebble in the baker's confection). Both men had disturbing dreams which Joseph correctly interpreted; in three days, he told them, the wine steward would be released but the baker would be hanged. Joseph then asked the wine steward to advocate for his release with Pharaoh. Joseph's predictions were fulfilled, but the wine steward forgot all about Joseph.
Hebrew Lesson:
Genesis 37:1 Hebrew reading:
Holiday Alert: Chanukah...
This year the eight days of Chanukah begin on Wed. Dec. 25th [i.e., Christmas day] after sundown (1st candle) and will run until Thurs. Jan. 2nd until sundown. The tradition is that on the first night of Chanukah one flame is lit, on the second night two, and so on until the eighth night when eight flames are lit. In this way we remember the 'growth' of the miracle.
The Nearness of God...
12.13.24 (Kislev 12, 5784) "When I thought of nothing but to end my days in these troubles (which did not at all diminish the trust I had in God, and which served only to increase my faith), I found myself changed all at once, and my soul, which till that time, was in trouble, felt profound inward peace, as if she were in her center and place of rest." - Brother Lawrence
When he came to accept life on God's terms rather than his own, Brother Lawrence found peace within his soul. This epiphany, or moment of revelation, changed everything, because accepting life on God's terms meant that God was involved in every detail of his life, and therefore God was present and near at all times...
We cannot change ourselves, at least not our deepest self. True transformation comes from God, and change will take place by itself, that is, by God's inner work within you. The process of spiritual growth is ultimately mysterious and divine: "The Kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. By itself (αὐτομάτη, "automatically") the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. And when the grain is ripe, he comes in with his sickle because the harvest has come" (Mark 4:26-29).
God is doing the work of salvation within you, and all you can do is accept yourself as you are. As the apostle Paul wrote: χάριτι δὲ θεοῦ εἰμι ὅ εἰμι - "by the grace of God I am what I am." The great "I am" of the LORD is the Source of your life, from the beginning to the end. And it is because of the grace of God that Yeshua tasted death for everyone (Heb. 2:9).
When we come to faith and undergo "regeneration," or spiritual rebirth, the seed of His life is planted within us and the divine life begins to grow. Just as you did nothing to bring yourself into this world, so you can do nothing to bring yourself into God's kingdom. Regeneration (and sanctification) is a miracle that comes "of the Spirit" (John 3:5, 8).
We are witnesses of God's miracle within us, and our only need is to trust in his plan for our lives, regardless of our present circumstances (Isa. 26:12; Jer. 29:11; Prov. 3:5-6). God's plan includes the promise of heaven, but it also includes our inner struggles, our troubles, and our need. His plan includes a personal heart connection with you so that you come to know his love for you.
"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah" (Psalm 62:8). Pouring your heart out to God in an honest, spontaneous, and intensely personal way is called "hitbodedut" (הִתְבּוֹדְּדוּת) in Hebrew. We "pour out" (שׁפך) whatever is within us, both the bad and the good. We confess our temptations and failures, our need for his deliverance, our yearning for life, our sorrows, our joys, our fears and our hope. We show God what's inside us, our intimate secrets, our "kishkes," and hold nothing back...
After we "talk our hearts out" before the Lord, in our emptiness we can begin to truly listen, as it says, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength" (Isa. 30:15). Only after we sigh deeply and surrender are we receptive to the voice of the Spirit's whisper. אַשְׁרֵי כָּל־חוֹכֵי לוֹ - "Blessed are all those who wait for Him" (Isa. 30:18). We wait, we abide, we persevere -- even when God seems to "take his time" or does not immediately intervene in ways we might apprehend. We do not lose heart, for we find strength when we trust in God's love... The Light of the world still shines: Yeshua, be my inner word, my heart, and my groaning for life today, and forevermore: Amen.
I've mentioned before that there are two relationships you will always have in your life: one with yourself, and the other with God. The "self" is really an inner dialog within the heart and ultimately it is a conversation with God. You cannot know who you are apart from God, though tragically people can suppress God's presence and live a life of madness.... Sanity comes by the miracle of rebirth. Knowing God's presence transforms the heart forever.
Open your heart and look to the Lord. Hide nothing and trust in mercy that changes you. "Come unto me," Yeshua says. Come as you are. If you hear the inward call, he will give you the means and courage to come; he will impart grace to trust him that redeems you by his love. As you open your heart in trust, the Lord becomes your Refuge, and you will know Him in all your ways.
"I can't change myself... you surely know that. Or I won't change, because I don't know how or I can't find the willingness. You know this too. I am all emptiness; apart from you I am nothing. My heart pants; it's hard to breathe; I am a troubled vapor. I ache in my powerlessness and in my hope. There is no good within me; I come to you, just as I am, and I am set free from myself, because you alone are the substance and heart of my life. Though I don't understand whatever happens, and often I feel anxious and afraid, I find peace in you. Beloved. Accepted. Redeemed. Healed. I find my life in your presence, O LORD. Hold me fast and keep me close to your heart always. Amen."
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 62:8 Hebrew reading (click):
The Victory of Grace...
"The unwounded life bears no resemblance to the Rabbi." - Brennan Manning
12.13.24 (Kislev 12, 5784) You've likely have heard the saying, "hate the sin, love the sinner," and while it is true that we should hate sin (most of all, our own sin), it is contrary to the gospel to hate the sinner. After all, Christ died for the ungodly; he came to seek and to save those who are lost (Luke 19:10). "God demonstrates his love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Yeshua died for us - the just for the unjust - that we may reconciled with him (Rom. 5:8; 1 Pet. 3:8; 2 Cor. 5:21). Indeed Yeshua was maligned by the self-righteous of his day by being called "a friend of tax collectors and sinners" (Luke 7:34, 15:2). So it is a spiritual misstep to hate the sinner because we hate their sin.
On the other hand the sages have repeatedly taught that love cannot take root within our hearts unless there is a hatred of the enemy, that is of the devil and sin. Indeed to hate sin indicates love for the sinner because sin inevitably yields suffering and loss (Psalm 97:10). So how is it possible to love others - including ourselves - if we do not hate evil? How can we exist within this state of inner contradiction? Doesn't "holiness" mean separation from what is evil and to no longer partake of "works of darkness" that mark a godless life? (Rom. 13:12; Eph. 5:11; 1 Pet. 4:1-3). Is that not the meaning of "sanctification"?
How can we love someone who does evil? Well, it's not really that difficult. Indeed, as C.S. Lewis once observed, we love someone who does evil all the time - namely, ourselves! "You dislike what you have done, but you don't cease to love yourself. You may even think that you ought to be hanged... Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained." The point Mr. Lewis makes is simple. If we are able to love ourselves despite our shortcomings and faults, surely we ought show the same compassion to others. "Forgive us our sins as we forgive others," Yeshua said, for if we do not forgive others, we ourselves remain unforgiven (Matt. 6:12-15).
It's easy enough to love goodness; it's no struggle to desire or cling to our supposed ideals. Even the pagans do as much. But Yeshua wants us to go beyond these sorts of natural affections to the realm of the divine, that is, to love our enemies and to care for them (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27). But how is that love possible if it is not a decision, an act of will to unconditionally give goodness to others (including ourselves)? When we pray and ask God to forgive us, our spirit cannot say "amen" and receive pardon unless we trust in God's unconditional love for us. And this is the very love he wants us to give to others...
Still, there is this tension within us - the "demand" to be perfect alongside the reality of our daily imperfections.... Since we must, however, coexist with evil, what is essential is for us is to remain righteous by holding God's goodness close to our hearts. This is the goodness of God's unconditional love, his grace that overcomes all the evil in ourselves and others.
The devil seeks to steal, kill, and destroy; he wants to steal goodness from our hearts. He tempts us to judge ourselves and others as being no good, unworthy, sinful - and therefore unlovable. To overcome this temptation is a work of faith wherein we reaccept that we are accepted by God on account of his great love. That is the meaning of the redemption, after all, that God so loves you that he bears your evil and loves you in spite of it all. Yes, the Lord will help us and transform us so that we will learn to walk in love and stop being evil, but we love God because he first loved us. Or as C.S. Lewis again said, "the Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.
The only way we can overcome evil is by the power of faith, seeking God in all things, and understanding that his redemptive love is our salvation. Practically speaking this means learning to see the good in all things, and especially in others. We have to overlook much, to forgive much, and so on, but that is what Yeshua meant when he said "judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24). Such righteousness "sees beyond" superficial appearance to discern the underlying good. It is seeing by the truth of mercy and by the truth of hope more than "factual" seeing... The Hebrew word for "righteousness" is tzedakah (צְדָקָה), which is a kind of giving to others than goes beyond natural measures of justice, such as "eye-for-eye" retribution or even the reward for doing good.
"Judge righteous judgment." Don't be holier-than-thou, damning others for their sinfulness. If we are not willing to overlook imperfections in ourselves and others, we will be miserable, angry, and hateful people. As Friedrich Nietzsche once cautioned those who "true bleievers" in themselves: "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster, and if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." Again, we overcome the power evil by means of the greater power of the good. And that's really the message of the cross, after all: God overcomes evil by means of love. Focusing on the good does not deny that sin and evil are real problems, but it ensures that our response to such is grounded in God's love that overcomes the darkness.
Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 53:5 Hebrew reading (click):
Dates for Chanukah 2024
12.12.24 (Kislev 11, 5785) On the Biblical calendar the month of Kislev (כִּסְלֵו) is the ninth of the year (counting from Nisan), and also one of the "darkest," with the days progressively getting shorter and the nights getting longer. Indeed, the Winter Solstice often occurs during the last week of Kislev, and therefore the week of Chanukah (which straddles the months of Kislev and Tevet) often contains the longest night of the year. It is no wonder that, among other things, the holiday of Chanukah represents an appropriate time to kindle the lights of faith - and to remember the Light of the World in the Messiah's advent to earth...
The Hebrew word Chanukah (חֲנוּכָּה) means "dedication" (from the root חָנַךְ) and marks an eight day winter celebration that commemorates the victory of faith over the ways of speculative reason, and demonstrates the power of the miracle in the face of mere humanism. Although it is customarily observed as a "Festival of Lights," Chanukah is a "fighting holiday" -- a call to resist the oppression of this world and to exercise faith in the LORD (Rom. 13:12).
This year the eight days of Chanukah will begin on Wed. Dec. 25th [i.e., Christmas day] after sundown (1st candle) and will run until Wed. Jan. 1st until sundown. On the first night of Chanukah one flame is lit, on the second night two, and so on until the eighth night when eight flames are lit. In this way we remember the 'growth' of the miracle.
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Wresting the Blessing...
"And now brothers, I will ask you a terrible question, and God knows I ask it also of myself. Is the truth beyond all truths, beyond the stars, just this: that to live without him is the real death, that to die with him the only life?" - Frederick Buechner
12.12.24 (Kislev 11, 5785) In our Torah portion for this week (i.e., parashat Vayishlach), we read how Jacob (i.e., "Ya'akov," whose name means "he will follow" יעקוב), wrestled with a mysterious "Man" until the break of dawn, but refused to let go until he had secured God's blessing (Gen. 32:24-26). This climactic moment marked a "rebirth" experience for Jacob as signified by his new name "Israel" (יִשְׂרָאֵל), meaning "one who has striven (שָׂרָה) with God (אֱלהִים) and prevailed" (Gen. 32:28).
It is important to notice that Jacob was not renamed "God-fearer," or "God-lover," or even "Man of faith," but rather "God-wrestler" – one who struggles (or wrestles) with God until the blessing finally comes... As Yeshua said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" – that is, for those who struggle and search for truth – "for they shall be filled" (Matt. 5:6).
The blessing comes with a wound, however: The limp that Jacob acquired constantly reminded him of his ongoing need for God's help as he walked through this life. Though he was named Israel, he was called Yaakov even until the day of his death (Gen. 49:33), and this teaches the fight of faith continues until the very end. "The one who falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on anyone, it will crush him" (Matt. 21:44).
So how are you struggling? And how does your need feed your hunger for God? The characteristically Jewish approach to life is to struggle, to fight, and to ask hard questions until we find out who we really are and what we call ourselves... We can change what has happened in our past by changing what is happening in our present: "For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: dirshuni vichyu (דִּרְשׁוּנִי וִחְיוּ) - "Seek me and live" (Amos 5:4).
Hebrew Lesson:
Amos 5:4 reading (click):
Seeing with Wonder...
"To become sober is: to come to oneself in self-knowledge and before God as nothing before him, yet infinitely, unconditionally engaged." - Soren Kierkegaard
12.11.24 (Kislev 10, 5785) The commandment not to take the Name of the LORD "in vain" (Exod. 20:7) implies that we must affirm the sanctity, meaning, significance, and worth of life itself. We must never live as though God does not exist, or, to state this positively, we must "set the LORD" always before us (Psalm 16:8). It is therefore forbidden to ignore the miracle of existence, to scoff at the value of life, or to debase ourselves by refusing to receive the truth. We are to take every thought "captive" to the reality of the Messiah (2 Cor. 10:5). Everything belongs to God, and every moment we have is beholden to Him...
שִׁוִּיתִי יְהוָה לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד
כִּי מִימִינִי בַּל־אֶמּוֹט
shee·vee'·tee · Adonai · le·neg·dee · ta·meed
kee · mee·mee·nee · bal-e·moht
"I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken."
(Psalm 16:8)
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Finding deliverance from profane thinking requires concentrated focus, or "kavanah" (כַּוָנָּה). As it is written: "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Messiah" (2 Cor. 5:10). We are instructed to "bring down reasonings" (λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες) and every high thing that is lifted up against the knowledge of God (κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεου) and to bring every thought "as a captive" to the obedience (ὑπακοὴν, from ὑπό: by, under, + ἀκούω: hear, obey) of Messiah. We can do this negatively by fighting against evil thoughts and censoring the inner evil of our hearts, or we can do this positively by being "captivated" by the words and love of Yeshua, and often we have to do both! This is the deeper meaning of "profanity" - to deny reality, to live in willful ignorance, and to miss the wonder of God's presence. If we sanctify God in our hearts, we will be far less likely to use God's name in vain, of course.
God invites you to come to Him for relationship... Since the LORD is a Person, He wants to know you as a person. He is not interested in formulaic prayers, religious rituals, or your membership at a particular religious organization. God wants to know your inmost thoughts and heart. Drawing near to God is God's way of drawing near to you... In other words, as you draw near to God, He will draw near and touch you (James 4:8; Psalm 145:18; Isa. 55:6).
Hebrew Lesson
Exodus 20:7a Hebrew reading (click):
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Truth and Passion...
12.11.24 (Kislev 10, 5785) During the prophesied "end of days" (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים) many people will have an outer "form" (μόρφωσιν) of godliness but will deny its inner power, since their hearts will be turned away from the truth: "And because lawlessness (i.e., ἀνομία, lit. a=without; nomos=Torah) will be increased, the love of many will grow cold" (Matt. 24:12). In this connection we note that the Hebrew word for "falsehood" (or "lie") is sheker (שֶׁקֶר), which can also be read as shekar (שֶׁקַר), meaning "that which" (-שׁ) makes you cold (קַר).
The truth of God can't be known apart from His passion, inner fire, desire. Indeed, the Hebrew word for "sin" (חֵטְא) means "missing the mark," though that essentially means missing the revelation of God's glory because lesser fears consume the heart and cool the passion for the truth...
"Be still and know that I am..." Prayer is a type of listening (shema), a turning back to heed the message of God's love and hope in Messiah. Indeed, the word "teshuvah" (תְּשׁוּבָה), often translated as "repentance," also means an answer or response to a question. God's love is the question, and the heart's response is the answer.
Some of us may find it difficult to trust, to open our heart to receive grace and kindness. For those of us wounded by abandonment, it can be a great struggle to hear the voice of God calling you "beloved," "worthy," "valued," and "accepted." When you find faith to receive God's word of love, however, your heart comes alive and you begin to heal...
Amen. Let us ask the LORD to better know His heart by kindling his fire within our hearts!
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 46:10 reading (click):
Raised from the Dust...
The following is related to our Torah reading for this week, parashat Vayishlach...
12.11.24 (Kislev 10, 5785) In his appeal to God for help before confronting his estranged brother Esau, Jacob prayed: "I have been diminished (קָטנְתִּי) by all the kindness and all the truth you have done for your servant" (Gen. 32:11).
Jacob was "made small" through the revelation of God's love and truth, and the focus shifted away from himself to God: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
Jacob's subsequent wrestling with the angel pictured birth pangs, the throes of his spiritual rebirth. Rashi notes that the word translated "wrestled" (i.e., va'ye'avak: וַיֵּאָבֵק, Gen. 32:24) is related to the idea of "raising the dust" (i.e., avak: אָבָק), which suggests resurrection from the dust of death. The struggle – the death match – was to bury the old Jacob and to raise him up as "Israel," a prince of God the King.
קָטנְתִּי מִכּל הַחֲסָדִים וּמִכָּל־הָאֱמֶת
אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ אֶת־עַבְדֶּךָ
ka·tohn'·tee · mee·kohl · ha·cha·sa·deem · oo·mee·kohl · ha·e·met
a·sher · a·see'·ta · et - av·de'·kha
"I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of love and faithfulness
that you have done for your servant."
(Gen. 32:10)
Yeshua taight that we must "forget ourselves" in order to discover what really matters: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matt. 16:24-25). Note that the phrase translated "deny himself" comes from a Greek verb (ἀπαρνέομαι) that means "to affirm that you have no acquaintance or connection with someone," and is the same verb used when Peter denied the Messiah (from α-, "not," + ῥέω, "to speak").
To deny yourself, then, means to be willing to disregard your own personal interests in a given moment -- to "betray" the selfish impulse that seeks to rule the ego in your daily life. It is a "putting off" of the old nature and a "putting on" of the new (Eph. 4:22-24). Put positively, denying yourself means "forgetting yourself" because you are overwhelmed with God's great love for your soul, and therefore you no longer "know yourself" according to the flesh but according to the Spirit of God (2 Cor. 5:16-17).
Amen. And may the Lord make this real to us all...
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 30:5 reading (click):
Telling God your name...
The following entry is related to this week's Torah reading, parashat Vayishlach...
12.10.24 (Kislev 9, 5784) Some people make it the business of theology to know God's Name, but God begins by first asking for our name instead. Recall that Jacob had disguised who he really was in the hope of obtaining the blessing (Gen. 27), though his duplicity forced him into an exile that lasted until he was finally willing to be honest with himself. And like Jacob, each of us must answer God's question: "What is your name?" (Gen. 32:27).
When we "wrestle through" this question to face who we really are, we encounter God and find our blessing, that is, our true identity. Each of us has to go through the process of being renamed from "manipulator" (i.e., Yaakov) to "one in whom God rules" (i.e., Israel). But note the order: it is only when we "tell God our name," that is, own who we really are, that He meets with us "face to face" (Gen. 32:30). You will not be able to say, "I will not let you go unless you bless me," until you are willing tell God your name (Gen. 32:26-27).
Let me add that while "telling God your name" can be painful and even frightening, it is not the last word about who you really are. We are faced with an inner dualism as we struggle to take account of our lives. On the one hand, we need to confess the truth of our sinfulness, brokenness, and so on, while on the other we must endure ourselves and find faith that God's blessing nevertheless belongs to us, despite the mess we've made of our lives....
We have to be willing to accept God's new name for us and to believe that God will miraculously transform our inner nature for good. We are renamed from Yaakov to Israel, though we still know ourselves as both. Jacob was renamed "Israel" but afterward he walked with a limp, seeing both the new and the old natures within him. Jacob still struggled, though his struggle was now focused on walking as God's beloved child in this world: the limp was given to help him lean on the Lord for support.
Part of spiritual growth involves learning to "endure yourself." Many are able, it seems, to receive the hope that they are forgiven for their past sins, but they are subsequently scandalized by encountering their own inner struggles, and they eventually despair over their ongoing weakness... Tragically, some are even tempted to regard the warfare within the heart as a sign of being devoid of all saving grace! We must remember, however, that there is a real struggle between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit (Gal. 5:17). We must never move away from simple trust in the message of God's unconditional love demonstrated at the cross; we must never seek to legitimize our place in God's heart.
When we walk by the Spirit, we are no longer under the law (Gal. 5:18), which is to say, we no longer need to justify ourselves but instead trust in God's power to transform us. Just as we are saved by the love of God, so are we changed, so do we grow.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 116:1-2 reading (click):
Do you now believe?
12.10.24 (Kislev 9, 5785) "Do you now believe?" (John 16:31). Some people are scandalized by what they call "easy believism," or the idea that we only need to believe in Yeshua to be saved. Sometimes they disparage this teaching by calling it "cheap grace" or "sloppy agape," though in fairness it must be stressed there is nothing easy about truly believing. What is easy, however, is merely professing that you believe without it having any real effect on your life. But believing in God is not a tautological truth like 2+2= 4, nor is it an abstract theological supposition used to explain why the universe exists. Nor is it the passive acceptance of a church creed that confesses faith in Christ as the Savior of the world...
No, believing in God, and particularly in Yeshua, is life-transformative, for there is no greater truth than the living presence of Christ experienced within the trusting heart, for this reality changes and recreates everything. It makes "all things new."
Anyone can say the words, "I believe in Jesus," but the real test is whether He is alive within your heart. Is he the source of your life? Do you draw life from Him? Anyone can claim they are saved, but it is a miracle greater than splitting the sea to undergo divine metamorphosis, to be given a heart that loves unconditionally, that dies to pride, and that lives as the servant of all. Yeshua asks, "Do you really believe? Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord...' but I will say to them, 'I never knew you...' (Matt. 7:22-23). It's not just hard to believe (obey), it's impossible apart from God's radical intervention. It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is no help at all (John 6:33).
Living by faith does not mean we merely profess that Christianity is true or that we "talk theology" like some college professor. It's one thing to believe that, and another to believe in... Human reason can rightly infer that a morally good, all-powerful Creator exists, for example (Rom. 1:20), but it is unable to know God's compassion and love that way... Love requires trust, "taking to the heart." We are to "know this day and turn to your heart (והֲשֵׁבתָ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ) that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other" (Deut. 4:39). We need to know truth (cognitive) and to be moved by the heart (emotional); we need both Spirit and Truth (John 4:24). "For all things come from You (כִּי־מִמְּךָ הַכּל), and from your hand we give to you" (1 Chron. 29:14). Teshuvah centers on Yeshua our Savior: turn to believe in Him!
Regarding the question of faith, Kierkegaard once wrote, "The easiness of Christianity is distinguished by one thing only: by the difficulty. Thus the Master's yoke it easy and its burden light -- yes, for the person who has cast off all his burdens, all of them, the burdens of hope and of fear and of despondency and of despair -- yet it is difficult." The issue here has to do with certainty of faith, the "infinite certainty" that is faith's passion, versus the "probabilistic" apprehension or acceptance of truth that comes from historical or rational investigation... Yes, the difficult thing is to truly believe in the "for-you miracle" of God's love.
Sins can be like great possessions that are difficult to give up. Among other things, we must forgive ("give away") our sins (both our own and those against us), and that means trusting God enough to bear our wounds (and our sicknesses) for us. Forgiveness allows us to move on with our lives by letting go of the pain of the past (2 Cor. 5:16). The atonement of Yeshua cost God everything, and yet is of no spiritual value until it is accepted into the heart. It is "easy" to understand this, but it is difficult to genuinely live it.
Thank the Lord there is a special prayer for those of us who sometimes struggle with the struggle to surrender everything to God's care: πιστεύω· βοήθει μου τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ - "I believe, help thou my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). Amen.
Hebrew Lesson
Deut. 4:39 reading (click for audio):
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The Breath of His Life...
12.10.24 (Kislev 9, 5785) The Holy Spirit is called "Ruach HaKodesh" (רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ), the "breath of the Holy One" (נשימתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא). The Spirit is metaphorically likened to our breath to indicate how intimate and essential God is to our own lives.
By ourselves we are nothing (כְּלוּם), without substance or breath, for the Lord is our Maker and the one who imparts nishmat chayim (נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים), the "breath of life" (Gen. 2:7). If this is true of the natural, how much more so is it of the spiritual? We are as powerless to give pulse to our natural hearts as we are to give life to our spiritual existence. How does the natural heart receive its secret pulse? What is the origin of this "spark" of life within the body? As the lower, so is the higher...
We must be reborn to be made alive in the realm of the spirit. Such rebirth originates "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13). It is the Spirit of God (רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים), the Breath of the Holy One (נשימת יהוה), that quickens us to the truth of spiritual reality. Yeshua said this life was as mysterious as the motions of the wind: "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). Just as the origin of the pulse of our physical life is a mystery to us, so is the origin of life from above. Just as we received nishmat chayim (נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים) to partake of the atmosphere of this realm, so we need receive nishmat chayim chadashah (נשמת חיים חדשה), a new breath of life to partake of the atmosphere of the heavenly realm of the Spirit.
The life of the Spirit of God imparts the "fruit of the Holy Spirit" (פרי רוח הקודש) that is, supernatural qualities of heart (i.e., middot ha'lev: מידות הלב) that are evidence of newness of life. These fruits are spiritual in nature, derived from the heart of God: "love, joy, peace, patience, good will," and so on (see Gal. 5:22-23). Yeshua explained that a transformed life is a miracle of God: "The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life" (John 6:63).
Hebrew Lesson
John 6:33a reading (click for audio):
If you feel breathless and filled with anxiety, ask the Father for the comfort of the Holy Spirit. "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" (Luke 11:13). By faith may you "receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22).
Honesty and Deliverance...
12.09.24 (Kislev 8, 5785) "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:31-32). Every one of us has a "dark side" or a "shadow self" that has destructive and selfish urges. We try to conceal this truth from others (and even ourselves) but such denial doesn't change the reality within our hearts (Matt. 5:19; Jer. 17:9; Eccl. 9:3). Indeed, when we pretend to be something we are not we are more likely to be overwhelmed by dark forces hidden within us. Paradoxically we most vulnerable when we think we are well, that is, when we deny our sickness our heart and minimize our need for deliverance.
The way of healing is to "own" or confess the truth of our inner condition and to acknowledge the dark passions that sometimes overmaster our best intentions. We must give ourselves permission to allow the hurt, angry, and fearful voices to be heard and sanctioned within us - and then to bring these dark and hidden aspects of our selves before God for healing. The failure to do so will split the soul and cause the hidden aspects of the self to seek "revenge" upon the "parent self" that censors their message. The struggle within our hearts is real and we should attend to it seriously. Denying evil by pretending that we are okay, or by blaming others, blinds us to the truth of our ongoing need for deliverance. May God help each of us to be honest with ourselves and to confess our great need before our Heavenly Father.
Why do we have such difficulty being genuinely honest with ourselves? Despite the fact that we may profess that we are "sinners saved by grace," we often make excuses for our failures, rationalizing that we are not "that bad," and therefore we postpone genuine teshuvah (repentance) and trifle with our spiritual lives. We do this because we feel an almost irresistible desire or "need" to justify ourselves, to "save face" by pretending that we are not "incurably sick," or by attempting to find something about us that makes feel valuable and worthy. As H.L. Mencken once wittingly noted, "the 'truth' that survives is simply the lie that is pleasantest to believe."
The LORD wants us to be truthful in the "inward being" (Psalm 51:6), though that truth will cost us something, namely whatever worldly gains we might find through self-deception... Opening our hearts to divine examination eventually means colliding with the world of men and their conspiracies, since the godly man no longer abides their presence (Psalm 1:1-2). The Apostle Paul said there was an exclusive disjunction between seeking the approval of men and of the approval of God: "Do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of the Messiah (Gal. 1:10). Likewise we are told not to deceive ourselves (lit., "reason around" the truth, from παραλογίζομαι, from παρά, "around, beside" and λογίζομαι, "to reason") by merely hearing the truth of Scripture and not living it (James 1:22). God is not interested in "lip service" any more than he desires heartless sacrifice (Isa. 29:13; Hos. 6:6; Matt. 15:9). "Let your love be genuine (ἀνυπόκριτος, without a "mask" put on), abhor what is evil; cling to what is good (Rom. 12:9). God abhors those who pretend to know Him but who are really spiritual impostors (Matt. 7:21-23; 25:11-12; Luke 6:46).
Tragically (and paradoxically) many people can talk themselves into believing something without really believing it, and that is perhaps the most dangerous thing of all (Matt. 7:22-23). On the other hand, some people can talk themselves into believing (or accepting) something that they know is untrue (or morally wrong), and that self-deception leads to inner fragmentation, chaos, and dissolution of character. A "double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8). As I have said before, the word translated "double-minded" is dipsuchos (δίψυχος), a word formed from δίς, "twice" and ψυχή, "soul." The word describes the spiritual condition of having "two souls" that both want different things at once -- a state of inner contradiction and ambivalence.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 51:6 reading (click):
Thank the LORD our God that there is real healing for our inner dividedness, ambivalence, and double-mindedness, but that healing demands rigorous honesty. As Kierkegaard rightly observed: "No person is saved except by grace; but there is one sin that makes grace impossible, and that is dishonesty; and there is one thing God must forever and unconditionally require, and that is honesty." Therefore we are instructed to confess our faults one to another, and pray for one another, that we may be healed (James 5:16). May the LORD our God help each of us to be wholehearted in our devotion to Him.
Finally, friend, a closing thought. Do not despair by thinking that you will never change. Simply enter into the presence of God in Yeshua. That is what "self-denial" means. Turn to God and know his heart. When you do, you receive a heart to know him in return... Believe to see the goodness of the LORD in your midst. Amen.
The Grace of Torah...
12.09.24 (Kislev 8, 5785) It's been rightly said that God doesn't have any grandchildren in heaven, only children: He is not your "heavenly grandfather" but your heavenly Father (אֲבִיכֶם בַּשָּׁמַיִם). And just as a good father disciplines his children for their own good, so does your Father in heaven (Prov. 3:11, Heb. 12:5-7). The discipline of God leads you to do teshuvah for your ultimate good (Rom. 2:4). As C.S. Lewis once remarked, God doesn't love you because you are good, but He will make you good because He loves you.
The Hebrew word derekh (דֶּרֶךְ), often translated as "way," metaphorically refers to the journey, manner, or course of your life. Because God is tov v'yashar (good and upright), he teaches his children to be yesharim (יְשָׁרִים), i.e., those who walk uprightly. Indeed, the way of the LORD (דֶּרֶךְ יהוה) is "to do acts of charity and justice" (לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט) (Gen. 18:19). This is the "straight way" (derekh ha-yashar), or the "narrow path" that leads to life (Matt. 7:14). The yesharim are known by the good fruit of their lives (Matt. 7:15-23).
Note that the verb used in this verse (יוֹרֶה) comes from the root yarah (ירה) -- the same root used in the word Torah (תּוֹרָה). Because the LORD is good and upright, He gives us Torah for our lives. God educates us for eternity by imparting to us moral and spiritual truth. As King David taught, "Happy is the man who delights in the Torah of the LORD and meditates upon it day and night" (Psalm 1:1-2).
Surely followers of Yeshua the Messiah should likewise love and study the Torah. After all, Yeshua was the Angel of the LORD (מַלְאַךְ יהוה) who spoke at Sinai when the Torah was given to Israel (Exod. 3:2, Deut. 4:12), and he is the same "yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8). During his earthly ministry, Yeshua studied Torah and clearly taught us to keep the ways of the LORD (Luke 4:16, Matt. 7:12). He repeatedly affirmed the central teaching of the Torah – the Shema –putting the duty to love God above all else (Deut. 6:4-6; Mark 12:29). Indeed, the "New Covenant" itself promises that the Torah would be written "upon our hearts" (Jer. 31:31-33, cp. Matt. 26:28) and is inscrutable apart from it – just as Yeshua himself clearly taught (Luke 24:27; see also: Matt. 5:17, Rom. 15:4, 1 Cor. 10:11, 2 Tim. 3:14-17, etc.).
Our Lord Yeshua is called derekh ha-chayim (דֶּרֶךְ הַחַיִּים), the way of life (John 14:6). He is the Wonder of the Torah, its living expression and goal. With the psalmist, therefore, we earnestly pray: גַּל־עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ / gal einai v'abitah nifla'ot mi-Toratekha: "Uncover my eyes and I will behold wonders from your Torah" (Psalm 119:18). Amen.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 25:8 reading (click):
It's important to keep in mind that by the word "Torah" I am not referring to the Rabbinical traditions of post-Temple Judaism but rather to the "instruction" or "teaching" of the LORD God of Israel. As I've repeatedly explained in my writings, Torah is always a function of covenant -- as man's responsibility -- and therefore Torah has changed in light of God's different covenantal actions in history (Heb. 7:12). Followers of Yeshua abide by the "law of Messiah" (תּוֹרַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ), that is, the teaching of Yeshua the Messiah (John 14:15, Gal. 6:2, 1 John 5:2, 2 John 1:6). For more information about this subject, please see the article entitled "Olam Ha-Torah" as well as various other articles on this site.
This week's Torah:
Parashat Vayishlach...
We always read parashat Vayishlach a week or two before Chanukah when we connect the vision and ministry of Joseph with that of Yeshua, the Suffering Servant Savior of the world...
12.08.24 (Kislev 7, 5785) Our Torah portion this week (i.e., Vayishlach) contains the famous account of how Jacob "wrestled" with the Angel of the LORD (מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה) just before he encountered his estranged brother Esau. During the "grappling" session (recall the meaning of Jacob's name), the Angel injured Jacob's thigh, but Jacob refused to release his hold until he received the blessing (הַבְּרָכָה). The LORD then asked him, "What is your name (מַה־שְּׁמֶךָ)?" And he said, "Jacob" (i.e., Ya'akov: יַעֲקב). The Angel then replied, "Your name shall no longer be Ya'akov (i.e., "heel holder" [of Esau]) but Yisrael (i.e., "contender with God"), for as a prince (i.e., sar: שַׂר) you have contended (i.e., sarita: שָׂרִיתָ) with God and with men and have prevailed" (Gen. 32:28). This encounter teaches that Jacob finally received the blessing when he refused to let his past determine his spiritual identity and destiny. With God's help he overcame the pain and shame of his past through faith.
Likewise each of us must "go to Peniel" to wrestle with the Angel, just as each of us must be renamed from Ya'akov ("a supplanter") to Israel ("a prince with God"). When the Spirit of Truth asks, "What is your name," may the LORD God grant you the courage to refuse to "let go" until you receive the divine blessing of love and acceptance...
The word vayishlach (וַיִּשְׁלַח) means "and he sent" (from shalach, שׁלח, "to send"). The sages comment that like Jacob, each person of faith is a shaliach (שָׁלִיחַ), or an "emissary" sent out to bear witness to others of the reality and true blessing of God. And may the LORD God of Israel help you, friend, serve as an extension (שְׁלוּחָה) of His loving and gracious Presence to all you may encounter this day.... L'shavuah tov b'Yeshua Adoneinu, chaverim...
Hebrew Lesson
Genesis 32:3a reading (click):
The Language of Pain...
"Your place in heaven will seem to be made for you and you alone, because you were made for it -- made for it stitch by stitch as a glove is made for a hand." - C.S. Lewis
12.06.24 (Kislev 5, 5785) Regarding the "language of pain," the Talmud discusses how the bleeding of a stubbed toe corrects the relationship between man and God as if it were an "olah sacrifice" (whole burnt offering). They elaborate that this would be the case if it was the second time the toe was injured before recovering from its first injury, and that it had occurred on the right toe when the person was on a mission to perform a mitzvah.
The reference to the right toe recalls the anointing of the priest for service (Exod. 29:20) as well as the healing of a leper (Lev. 14:25). The sages note that this signification of the blood is not the result of a punitive measure but instead indicates a wound that brings the heart closer to God. In the case of an injury to the toe while doing a mitzvah, the sufferer is brought to teshuvah (repentance), not because of disobedience, but in order to learn compassion, and to affirm that everything comes only from the Lord (Psalm 136:25-26). "Let this suffering be for atonement," by which is meant, may this too bring my heart closer to God's love... The sages brought this case up as a counterexample to the notion that all suffering or pain is some form of punishment from heaven, and argue that on the contrary, some suffering is the result of God's decree. This is the message of the Book of Job as well.
A pain-free life is not necessarily a sign of blessing, of course, since it might indicate that the person is no longer being "educated for eternity," and therefore that God no longer talks to him anymore. This is one way to understand the irony of why the wicked prosper in this world, for they shall have received their reward here, but nothing in the world to come (Matt. 6:5; Job 27:8). On the other hand, pain can "goad" the soul to draw near to God for healing, which is the essential and consummate blessing, after all... Pain also teaches us to be humble, to consider our own frailty and need, and to learn compassion by extending that consciousness to people as well. The greatest example of this is found in our Savior Yeshua, who emptied himself and suffered in wholehearted service to his heavenly Father (see Isa. 50:6; Phil. 2:7-8; Heb. 2:10, 4:15; 5:8-9. 7:25, etc.).
The focus of spirituality is not about finding comfort through fulfilling our desires as much as it is devotion to the truth by exercising faith in the divine ideal. We come to God to conform to his will, not because religion is a form of therapy or another self-improvement project. Stoicism has made a come-back in the "postmodern" world, offering people a variety of philosophical diversions meant to diminish the significance of what happens in this world and to direct the mind to a "nirvana-like" equanimity (ataraxia), as if the final reconciliation has already taken place. Such detachment from the world, however, is incompatible with faith in God's omnipotence and love, since it assumes that this age is not meaningful or offers no blessing. Genuine faith in God allows us to mourn when sorrow is called for and to rejoice in times of joy; it does not negate the reality of history nor deny God's providential love in the temporal realm. This is part of the tension we have in a "two-tiered" reality, which requires us to both affirm the reality of life in this world - the mixed bag of sorrows and joys we experience in our sojourn - and the promise of the substance to come, when all tears will be wiped from our eyes and our love will be unhindered by sin... The tension is dialectical and complex: we stand in relation to God not only when we are confronted by his truth, but in our seeking and in the ordinary ups and downs of our everyday existence. As C.S. Lewis said, those who choose a life of truth over happiness often acquire both, whereas those who seek happiness over truth often acquire neither... Therefore as we walk with God, whether in the high places or in the shadow of death, we experience blessing and grace in our lives.
The temptation behind suffering is to regard it as a sign of divine rejection or abandonment. Even when suffering is interpreted to be an invitation to do teshuvah, however, it does not unambiguously indicate where we stand in relation to God... This is true even in light of the work of salvation secured in Yeshua at the cross. Is our suffering a means of correction or "chastening" (Psalm 94; 119:71)? Or is it the result of the common affliction our fallen human nature (Gen. 3:17-19; Job 5:7; 14:1; Rom. 8:20)? Or is our suffering somehow for the sake of the glory of God (John 9:1-3, Matt. 5:11-12)? The writers of the New Testament repeatedly mention fiery trials and tests that would befall God's children (1 Pet. 4:12-13; Rom. 8:17; Phil. 3:10; Matt. 5:11-12; Col. 1:24; 2 Tim. 2:12).
Some have said that this ambiguity makes teshuvah impossible, for you can't repent unless you know what you have done wrong... This raises the question of how much we are able to know of ourselves and our "secret sins," and how these affect us spiritually. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and incurably sick-- who can know it" (Jer. 17:9). The heart is the source of the problem (Mark 7:21) and yet how is it possible to overcome itself? In other words, how can a person be saved from himself, after all? If we are incurably sick, healing must come from a source outside of ourselves... by means of the miracle of regeneration.
We do not relate to God in terms of the "law" but rather in personal terms, by having faith in God's love and grace given in Yeshua (Heb. 4:15-16). The problem of our sin therefore goes beyond "forensic judgment" to that of relationship... Instead of reciting a litany of our sins against heaven, we reach out for connection, for God's mercy and touch, even if we are in darkness about what went wrong or how we lost our way. How have I broken my connection with the Lord? How have I allowed myself to harden and thereby become lost to my true heart? How have I misunderstood? How have I been blind? How have I doubted God's love for me? To "renew our days as of old" we must first understand our need for renewal - for our need to "return to our first love." We return to the Lord in trust that his love is all we need, and that he welcomes us with blessing (Luke 15:11-32).
As Kierkegaard explained, the "self" is really an inner dialog within the heart (a "relation which relates itself to itself"), that is, a self-transcendent relation that witnesses the inner dialog, though we cannot have a true "self" apart from a relationship with what Buber called an "I-Thou" connection. These two relationships are eternal - the one we have with ourselves, and the one we have with God who is the ground of our existence, and therefore we cannot really exist with ourselves apart from having a right relationship with God who establishes who we are. Paradoxically, if all we have is ourselves, we do not have a self at all, and those who seek to have a self must first lose themselves to find themselves.
God's thoughts are not our thoughts nor are our ways his ways (Isa. 55:8), and there is no "recipe" or "formula" to know Him apart from the messy business of struggling within our hearts, seeking and finding, and seeking again, lamenting and praising, and then lamenting again, by living out our evanescent lives in the depths of our needs and our dearest hopes. In times of incomprehensible suffering, a heart connection with God can indeed be quite unsettling, but we must press through the fear, we must "see through the glass darkly" and confess that "God is with us" - even in the midst of this trouble. Faith apprehends God's heart before all else - it trusts that there is unseen good that transcends and constrains the travail of the present hour. Our father Jacob was renamed "Israel" when he surrendered to God's Presence despite everything wrong he had ever done...
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 55:8 Hebrew reading (click):
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Faith not only affirms that God is with us in the present, however, but in the pain of our past as well. In response to the intellectual question, "Where was God in times of our sorrow, our abandonment, our nightmare?" Faith answers: "He was with us." But faith not only affirms that God was with us in the harrowing past but will be with us in the future, in the substance of our yearning for deliverance and for life. Faith "remembers the future" by holding to the promise of God, even in the wake of the past and in the ambiguity of the present...
God is involved in all our sorrows because of his greatness, and his pathos knows when "the flower fadeth and when the sparrow doth fall." As David said: "telleth our wanderings, he collects our tears and stores them in his bottle; the story is written in his book" (Psalm 56:8). The heart of the Lord spans "the breadth and length and height and depth" Messiah, a love that surpasses knowledge (Eph. 3:17-19). "It is higher than heaven-- what can you do? Deeper than Sheol -- what can you know?" (Job 11:8). Despite the sorrows and anguish we sometimes experience in this life, we trust that God will fulfill his promises to us and perfect our salvation at the appointed time. Our exile will then be over and then we will experience the consummate glories and wonders of heaven itself.
Hebrew Lesson
Job 19:25-26 Hebrew reading (click):
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Why we Study Torah...
"The word of God is always most precious to the man who most lives upon it." - Spurgeon
12.06.24 (Kislev 5, 5785) Where is it written, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the godly one may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17), it is to be noted that "the Scriptures" referred to here are the Jewish Scriptures (i.e., the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings), since they are the foundation, the context, and the overarching matrix for the later New Covenant revelation... These were the Scriptures Yeshua used to contextualize and explain his ministry to his followers: "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27). Indeed when Paul wrote these words to Timothy the "New Testament" Scriptures had not yet been compiled by the leaders of the first-generation followers of Messiah.
How important is the Torah, friends? It is essential as the foundation for all that follows, including the very meaning of the gospel message! In other words, the Torah has both a logical, a linguistic, and a theological priority regarding our understanding of the New Testament, and the failure to read in context invariably leads to faulty interpretations and doctrinal errors of various kinds. "To the Jew first, and [then] to the Greek" (Rom. 1:16) is a principle not only of how the gospel message would transcend ethnic Israel to be offered to all the nations, but also about how we should approach the subject of Biblical hermeneutics. God "breathed out" (θεόπνευστος) his revelation in order, and the message itself must be understood in light of that order (Gal. 4:4-5). Moreover, since all of the New Testament finds its semantic roots in the Torah of Moses and the other Hebrew Scriptures, it is important to study Biblical Hebrew first before studying the Greek New Testament, since the Greek words were translated from the ideas originally given in the Hebrew texts of the Torah.
All of the Torah is amazingly wonderful; it is an inestimably great blessing! After all, what would we know of the creation of the universe and of humanity apart from its pages? What would we know of the reason for sin, sickness and death -- and therefore our need for salvation itself apart from the account of the fall of man as described in Book of Genesis? Or what we know of God's moral truth apart from the revelation of the law at Sinai? Or how could we understand the need for sacrificial blood atonement apart from the sacrificial laws given in Leviticus? Or how would we understand the struggle of the journey of faith apart from the Book of Numbers? Or how would we appreciate the essential duty to love God with all our hearts -- the great Shema -- and the corresponding duty to love others as we love ourselves apart from the Book of Deuteronomy?
So the Torah provides the framework by which we read the Gospels, and apart from this framework we miss much of the original intent and meaning of the Bible... Again, that was Yeshua's approach to the Scriptures, after all. He repeatedly explained to his followers that would have to suffer and die, according to the Scriptures (see Luke 9:22, 9:44; Matt. 16:21; Mark 8:31). He told the disciples on the road of Emmaus: "All things had to be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me (Luke 24:44). Indeed Yeshua chided the rabbis of his day saying: "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; but it is they that bear witness about me" (John 5:39), and he also said, "If you would have believed Moses, you would believe in me, because he wrote about me" (John 5:46).
So love the Torah, friends; learn its message and study its passages carefully. That's good New Testament theology, after all: "For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we may have hope" (Rom. 15:4). The Holy Spirit still speaks to the heart of those who love Yeshua, the everlasting King of the Jews: "Oh how I love your Torah (תּוֹרָה); it is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97). For more on this topic, listen to the audio (link below) and read the various articles on Torah here on the Hebrew for Christians website.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 119:79 commentary (click to listen):
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The Sigh of Faith...
"The now that passes produces time; the now that remains produces eternity." - Boethius
12.06.24 (Kislev 5, 5785) "We groan inwardly as we eagerly await our redemption..." (Rom. 8:23). We sigh deeply because we are suspended between two worlds, living in the ambiguity of an already-not-yet expectation, enduring ourselves as imperfect vessels longing for perfection, trapped between what is and what will be, seeing the unseen, yearning for healing, believing that we shall never die, even as we die (John 11:26). We are restless for our eternal home and long for God's presence as we walk through shadowy vales, facing various temptations, whispering our prayers in the dark. And though we must learn endurance and trust in God's sovereign purposes, our faith nevertheless compels us to cry out, "How long, O Lord?" and "Come, Lord Yeshua" (Rev. 22:20). Our challenge is to keep a positive attitude despite the struggles we face, and therefore we inwardly pray: "Renew within me ruach nachon (רוּחַ נָכוֹן) - "a spirit that says Yes" (Psalm 51:10).
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 51:10 Hebrew reading:
Surrender means accepting God's will for our lives -- saying "yes" to his promise of love, even if we presently feel empty inside and wonder how long we can hang in there... Saying "yes" implies saying "no" to other things - no to fear, anger and doubt, for example. Tragically there are people who have given up hope for bitterness and despair. Asking the Lord to give us a spirit of "yes" is really a prayer for focus, direction, and the willingness to keep pressing on to our heavenly destiny, especially when the way seems dark and hope seems distant.
Though life is a struggle, we do not lose heart or faint, since even though the outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed (i.e., ἀνακαινόω, "raised up") day by day. "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, that is, substance and reality..." (2 Cor. 4:16-5:3). Meanwhile we must endure ourselves, deal with our resistance to mortification, and ask God for the great blessing of keeping us from evil so that we are not consumed by grief....
Hebrew Lesson
1 Chronicles 4:10b Hebrew reading:
Finding Inner Peace...
12.06.24 (Kislev 5, 5785) The Hebrew word for peace is shalom (שׁלוֹם), a word that means "wholeness," "completeness," "well-being," and "healing" -- not merely the absence of strife. People often fight with others because they are not made whole within themselves. Just as we cannot really love others until we first learn to love ourselves, so we cannot have peace with others until we first find our own inner healing and peace. Often this means learning to forgive both ourselves and others (including God) so that we can let go of whatever troubles our heart. As we accept ourselves and let go of our fear, we learn to accept others and give up the need to defend ourselves. As Yeshua said, "Blessed (happy) are those who love peace - for they shall be called the children of God" (Matt. 5:9).
אַשְׁרֵי עשֵׂי שָׁלוֹם
כִּי בְּנֵי־אֱלהִים יִקָּרְאוּ
"Blessed are those who love peace,
for they shall be called the children of God."
(Matt. 5:9)
Hebrew Lesson
Matthew 5:9 reading (click):
In most English translations we read, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." Note, however, that the Greek word translated as "peacemakers" (εἰρηνοποιοί) can also mean "those who love peace," that is, those who long for peace and pursue it (see Psalm 34:14). In Jewish ethical teaching, seeking peace is called redifat shalom (רְדִיפַת שָׁלוֹם) and is considered a primary heart quality. Rabbi Hillel is attributed as saying, "Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace" (Pirke Avot 1:2). Before we can hope to make peace among others, however, we must first know inner peace. If we threaten this peace, we rise up against God, and thereby undermine his will in our lives. Those who love peace will be called the children of God.
Peace is the foundation of God's great work of deliverance in our lives. Yeshua is called Sar Shalom (שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם), the "Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6), since salvation brings reconciliation (i.e., peace) between God and man (Rom. 5:1) and sets us free from the fear of condemnation. When we walk in the peace of God (שְׁלוֹם הָאֱלהִים) that "surpasses all our understanding," we are empowered to be a blessing to others in your life. "The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:18).
We understand the Torah commandment, "Thou shalt not steal" (לא תִּגְנב) to imply more than being forbidden to steal from others, but also to include the prohibition against stealing from ourselves by failing to practice inner honesty. When we lie to ourselves, we "steal" from the truth, we rationalize what is unjust, and we thereby rob from ourselves the great blessing of inner peace. Indeed, the traditional sages say that every sin essentially constitutes theft from God. For instance, in his discussion of teshuvah (repentance), Maimonides notes that confession of sin is connected with theft (Num. 5:7). Rabbi Yitzchak of Gur asks, "Inasmuch as there are 365 prohibitions in Torah, why does Torah choose to specify the need to confess sin in regard to theft?" He goes on to answer by explaining that if someone borrows something for a specific use, he is not permitted to use it for any other purpose other than that specified, lest he abuse the privilege and "steal the use" of the item. Likewise, God lends the soul the ability to speak, hear, see, and so on, for the sake of living a godly life. If we abuse these things, for example, by using our lips and tongue to speak evil about another, we are using our faculties for a purpose other than God intended, and that constitutes theft. Therefore every sin is a form of theft, an act of "breaking faith with the LORD," and that is why Torah mentions confession of sin in connection with it.
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The Ladder to Heaven...
Our Torah reading this week (Vayetzei) includes the famous vision of Jacob wherein he saw the angels of God ascending and descending a ladder that reached from earth toward heaven.
12.05.24 (Kislev 4, 5785) Recall that after Jacob had received the (second) blessing from his father Isaac, he fled for his life to escape the wrath of his brother Esau. He then came upon a certain place (וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם) and stayed there for the night because the sun had set. Jacob then "took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep" (Gen. 28:11). And so began Jacob's journey from his homeland to attain the promise of God, and such is the way for us as well, as we first receive our Father's blessing but soon are consigned to desolate places to await things yet unseen. For the way of blessing comes not from the "fatness of the earth" but from the more rarefied "dew from heaven," which descends in mystery, after the sun has set (Gen. 27:28, cp. Gen. 27:39).
The faithful "descend in order to ascend," which means they first suffer and then they are glorified. This is the pattern of Yeshua, who emptied himself and suffered before he was raised up in everlasting glory. "Unless a seed of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24; 1 Cor. 15:36). God humbles and tests those whom he loves so they may learn to trust in his promise - his word - and to demonstrate his faithfulness in the end (Deut. 8:3; Rom. 11:36).
Note, then, that after being driven from his homeland Jacob dreamed of the ladder with the angels ascending and descending as the LORD himself announced his blessing over his seed (Gen. 28:12-14). Yeshua, as we learn from the gospel (John 1:51) explained that the vision ultimately referred to him - about how the angels followed him during his ascent and descent as the ladder or "bridge" between God and man. The descent refers to Yeshua's incarnation wherein he entered the realm of this world, clothed in human flesh as the Promised Seed, the "Son of Man" who would restore the lost dominion of Adam; whereas the ascent refers to Yeshua's resurrection - the redemption and return of fallen humanity by means of ascension and glorification as LORD over all. Luther understands the angelic host descending and ascending to reveal how the angels love and follow after their Lord -- whose face they do always behold -- eager to behold His advent as our Savior and Redeemer (see Matt. 18:10; 1 Pet. 1:12; 1 Tim. 3:16). Yeshua is Emanuel (עמנו אל), the Heralded Seed through whom all the families of the earth be blessed (Luke 2:8-15).
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Returning to the account of the Torah, after Jacob received this dramatic vision, he awoke from his sleep and exclaimed: "Surely God is in this place, but I did not know!" And he was afraid, and said, "How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God (בֵּית אֱלֹהִים), and this is the gate of heaven" (וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם, Gen. 28:16-17). Amen, Yeshua is ha'makom (המקום), the appointed "Place" of God, the very "House" of His presence; he alone is the way that leads us back to the Father (John 14:6). Yeshua is the Bridge to the Father, the narrow way of passage that leads to life. He has healed us from the sting of death. He calls out to us in the storm saying, "Take heart. It is I; be not afraid" (Matt. 14:27). Amen.
Hebrew Lesson:
John 14:6 Hebrew reading (click):
Stairway to Heaven....
I haven't slept in 24 hours due to serious breathing problems and a bad cough. Please offer a prayer for my recovery.... I don't want to go to the hospital. Thank you friends. - John
12.04.24 (Kislev 3, 5785) The revelation at Sinai and Jacob's vision of the ladder share something in common. Just as Yeshua was the "Voice of the Living God (קוֹל אֱלהִים חַיִּים) speaking (davar) from the midst of the fire" at Sinai (Deut. 5:26), so He was the Ascended LORD standing above the ladder speaking the word of promise (Gen. 28:12-15). In this connection we note that the words for "ladder," (i.e., sullam: סֻלָּם), "voice" (i.e., kol: קל), and "Sinai" (סִינָי) have the same numerical value, which suggests a connection between the two great visions. Yeshua is the Ladder to God, the means by which the Living Torah both descends and ascends for the sake of our deliverance (see John 1:51). The "ladder of Sinai" is not meant for us to ascend but rather is for the LORD our Savior to descend and ascend on our behalf. Yeshua is the way, the truth, and the life (הדֶּרֶךְ וְהָאֱמֶת וְהַחַיִּים): no one can draw near to the Heavenly Father apart from Him (John 14:6).
Hebrew Lesson
Proverbs 30:4 reading (click):
Dealing with the Demonic...
"I feel like crying all the time. I don't want to die, I just don't want to live anymore, if that makes sense. I hate who I am, I can't change it though..." - anonymous teen in a discussion group
12.04.24 (Kislev 3, 5785) Though the Scriptures teach that the realm of the demonic exists, we encounter its presence most usually in thoughts and feelings that entice the soul to act selfishly and to entertain evil imaginations. That is where the battle begins. In the mind. The monster that tempted Eve in the Garden got into her head long before she bit into the fruit from the forbidden tree. And unless we are on guard against the variegated insinuations of godless insanity, we are liable to be under its influence as well...
You might think that demonic oppression is something extraordinary that requires the ministrations of an exorcist, but before any such intervention may be necessary, the mind has been captivated by evil and deranged thinking. Such thinking may have its origins with a demons named "worry," or "shame," or "unworthiness" or "anger." Or they may come from rationalizations or excuses that attempt to console the ego. But a common strategy of the devil is to supply plausible ideas that are designed to deceive us and lead us astray.
Everyone is a theologian of sorts. The difference, however, is whether you are a good theologian or one who is swamped with muddled thinking about what is real. As C.S. Lewis once said, "Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered. The cool intellect must work not only against cool intellect on the other side, but against the muddy heathen mysticisms which deny intellect altogether. Most of all, perhaps we need intimate knowledge of the past."
The devil doesn't care if it is a "holier-than-thou" theology, or a murky mysticism of "absolute tolerance," or a smarmy disavowal of faith in God altogether --- he is equally pleased with the sensualist as well as the atheist, indeed, he is content with any distortion of the truth, for this enables him to "feed" his deluded ego as the "Prince of Darkness." His goal, however, is the same: to devour his victims in darkness and to enslave their hearts in a nightmare...
In a way, dealing with evil thinking is unremarkable. After all, the airwaves of mass media continually disseminate lies, disinformation, and godless thinking in countless formats and by various diabolical stratagems. Whenever we encounter the demonic affecting us, then, we should not panic or be scandalized, but must instead reaffirm the truth of God and resolutely submit to his will (James 4:7). Sometimes this means contradicting the lie by quoting Scripture, offering praise to the Lord, and asking our Heavenly Father for deliverance. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to command the evil spirits to silence their blasphemies and to cease their intrusions. If we find ourselves going out of control emotionally, we are giving ground to the devil. The best tactic is to stay calm and re-center our focus on the Lord who is always present. There is shalom - that is, healing, wholeness, and soundness of mind - as we regain awareness of the greatness and the beauty and the glory of our God.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 3:3 Hebrew reading (click):
Jacob's Great Awakening...
"We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground." - Brennan Manning
12.03.24 (Kislev 2, 5785) In our Torah portion this week (Vayetzei) we read: "Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, akhen yesh Adonai ba'makom ha'zeh, ve'anokhi loh yada'ti: 'Surely the LORD is in this place, but I did not know it'" (Gen. 28:16). Jacob had been asleep but was jarred awake. He found himself in awe, sensing the presence of the gateway to heaven. The sages note the grammar here is emphatic, suggesting that Jacob said: "Surely the LORD is in this place -- but am I (וְאָנכִי)? I do not know! (לא יָדָעְתִּי). Jacob had awakened from his dream to realize that he had been dreaming his life away, living in a fantasy world. God is present in this place – but am I? Have I awakened to be present before God?
All religious reality begins with what biblical religion calls the 'fear of God.' It comes when our existence between birth and death becomes incomprehensible and uncanny, when all security is shattered through the mystery. This is not the relative mystery of that which is inaccessible only to the present state of human knowledge and is hence in principle discoverable. It is the essential mystery, the inscrutableness of which belongs to its very nature... Through this dark gate (which is only a gate and not, as some theologians believe, a dwelling) the believing man steps forth into the everyday which is henceforth hallowed as the place in which he has to live with the mystery. He steps forth directed and assigned to the concrete, contextual situations of his existence. That he henceforth accepts the situation as given him by the Giver is what Biblical religion calls the 'fear of God.' - Martin Buber, Eclipse of God
An honest theology must find a place for mystery, for "seeing through a glass darkly," and for the apprehension of awe and wonder. Philosophy (not science) asks the question: "Why is there something rather than nothing at all?" This is a question regarding the "why" of existence itself, the profusion of life as it surrounds us. Is there a reason for existence, a purpose, a direction, a radical meaning? Faith "sees what is invisible" by experiencing reality as revelation: the mystery of life points beyond itself to God's creative and sustaining presence: "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28; Rom. 1:20). Cut open a seed and what do you see, but "the hidden power that makes the fruit grow toward the sky." Likewise what is most real about us is shrouded in profound mystery. We are finite, our lives are short and bounded by darkness, yet we sense God's Spirit, the hidden power that upholds our souls, and we trust that we will indeed live forever because of God's love. As theologian Paul Tillich wrote: "The question of being is not the question of any specific being, its existence and nature, but it is the question of what it means to be. It is the simplest, most profound, and absolutely inexhaustible question – the question of what it means to say something is. The word "is" hides the riddle of all riddles, the mystery that there is anything at all." Though we might try to explain God by way of logic and doctrine, in the end it is the mystery of "Messiah in you - the hope of glory."
When God said, "Let there be light, and there was light" (Gen. 1:3), He seemed to put on light as a robe of the Divine Majesty and Kingship: He wrapped Himself with radiance as a tallit gadol... Da lifnei mi attah omed (דַּע לִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עוֹמֵד) – "Know before whom you stand." The whole earth is lit up with God's glory, and every bush of the field is aflame before us -- if we have eyes to see (Isa. 6:3). May it please the LORD to open our spiritual eyes so that we can behold more of His glory and majesty in this hour... Amen.
Hebrew Lesson
Gen. 28:16b Hebrew Reading:
The Fight for Love...
12.02.24 (Kislev 1, 5785) It is written in our Scriptures: "Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23). This teaches us that sin is not so much disobedience to an external code of behavior as it is abandoning your trust, your identity, and your hope as a beloved child of God. As you believe so you will behave, and as you behave so you believe... Therefore the greatest of sins is to forget the truth of who you really are – a beloved and redeemed child of God! The great temptation of sin is rooted in the lie that we are unworthy people, that God does not really loves us (just the way we are), that He is disappointed in us, and so on. "Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the "Beloved." Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence" (Nouwen). Forgetting who you are leads to forgetting who the Lord is, just as forgetting who the Lord is leads to forgetting who you are.... Therefore the Lord constantly tells us to remember and not to forget the call of his heart, the message of his love.
Sin seduces people to destroy themselves, since it first of all seeks to disown, impugn, and reject what is most important for spiritual life. The devil seeks to murder and destroy all that we need to be eternally healed... And though we might want to escape from this conflict (or to pretend that it's not really here), the battle is intractably real and must be fully engaged until our redemption is complete (1 Pet. 5:8-9). Meanwhile, spiritual struggles can be downright ugly. Would any one deny that the cross of Messiah was a sacred space - and yet it was precisely from there, from the place of blood and suffering and pain and terror, that the grace, beauty, and strength of God for us would shine forth.
To effectively combat the devil, let us first of all pray to the LORD God Almighty and ask for His power, wisdom, and grace to deal with the evil one's devices and strategies used against us (Eph. 6:11-18; Rom. 13:12, 1 Thess. 5:8; 2 Cor. 10:4-5). Since we are not to be ignorant of the devil and his devices (2 Cor. 2:11), let us particularly ask God to remind us of who we really are in the Messiah, and to give us the power of the Holy Spirit to genuine walk in the truth of our sacred identity as his beloved. Let us ask God to help us practically apply the victory given to us in the resurrection of Yeshua. With God's help, may we be bold to take our place at His banqueting table, assured that we are indeed His dear children...
Hebrew Lesson
Proverbs 4:23 reading (click):
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His Prevailing Love...
[ The following is related to this week's Torah reading, parashat Vayetzei... ]
12.02.24 (Kislev 1, 5785) Recall that when Isaac "was old and his eyes were dimmed from seeing," he thought to bless his son Esau as the family heir before he died (Gen. 27:1-4). When Rebekah learned of his intention, however, she decided to take matters into her own hands by tricking her husband into conferring the blessing upon his son Jacob instead of Esau. Rebekah likely felt justified in her actions; indeed, had not the LORD himself proclaimed that "the elder would serve the younger" before the twins were born (Gen. 25:23)?
Regarding his role in Rebekah's scheme, Jacob was left with a terrible dilemma: Either he had to defy his mother or to deceive his father. To complicate matters, Rebekah realized that Isaac would discover the charade after the fact, though she may have reasoned that her ruse exposed his gullibility regarding the choice of Esau to be the chosen heir. It was not a real deception, then, but an object lesson for Isaac to wake up before it was too late! Rebekah's plan was to "open the eyes" of her blind husband, revealing to him that he had been guilty of sacrificing the righteous son Jacob for the sake of deceptive Esau.
The duplicity proved to be tragic, however, for everyone involved. Jacob desperately wanted the blessing of his father, but he agreed to get it through false pretenses. "Come close and kiss me my son..." (Gen. 27:26). This was Jacob's deep desire, and yet after "grappling" the blessing from his father he ironically lost his father's embrace. Indeed, Jacob lost not only his father's embrace, but his mother's as well (after fleeing to Haran, Jacob never saw his mother again). Moreover, Jacob's pathetic attempt to "be Esau" severed any hope of a relationship with his twin brother, who afterwards regarded him as his sworn enemy...
So it all went down: Isaac "conferred" the blessing to Jacob, and Esau was understandably enraged over his brother's (and his mother's) rejection of him as the chosen heir of the godly family and steward of the divine promise given to Abraham. When she overheard Esau's plan to exact revenge for his betrayal, however, Rebekah devised the idea to send Jacob to her brother Laban who lived in the city of Haran, some 500 miles northeast of Canaan. To his credit, Isaac finally listened to his wife and reaffirmed the blessing over Jacob (Gen. 28:1-5). And Rebekah's faith in the original prophecy was finally vindicated. Nevertheless, as Jacob fled from his family home in Beersheva, he was confused and uncertain, though God mercifully intervened by giving him the great "vision of the Ladder" and then ratifying the covenant blessing of Abraham and Isaac with him at Bethel (Gen. 28:11-22).
Jacob then continued his journey to Haran. When he finally arrived there, he went to the gathering place of the city well to learn where his uncle Laban (i.e., the grandson of Abraham's brother Nahor) lived and to inquire of his welfare. When the shepherds there told him that Laban was well, they then pointed to a young woman and said "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep" (Gen. 29:6). As a gesture of good will, Jacob then rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well and began watering Rachel's flock. He then excitedly informed her that he was her close relative, her aunt Rebekah's son, who had come from the land of Canaan.
So prophetically and providentially, when Jacob first arrived in Haran he beheld beautiful Rachel who welcomed him in his distress and embodied his hope. It was love at first sight for him. Rachel represented the promise of his blessing to become the patriarch of a multitude of people, and that through his offspring all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 28:14). Because of this, Jacob made haste and soon bartered with his uncle Laban to work seven years for the right to marry his daughter. "So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her" (Gen. 29:20).
The sages marvel over the perseverance that enabled Jacob to wait seven full years before marrying Rachel, and they ascribe his fortitude to divine grace that made "space shrink and time fly" (Sanhedrin 95b). By this they meant that Jacob's great love overcame the distance of time and space, that is, the sense of the exterior world, something which Jewish philosopher Martin Buber called the world of "It." The world of "It" is objective, outside of you, existing in its own independent modality. The world of "Thou," on the other hand, is that of personal relationship and inwardness, a realm distinct from the world of "It" with its objective categories and relationships. In other words, Jacob's great love made time "stand still" and drew Rachel close to him, despite the passing of years and the distance that separated them. The "math" of this passion made seven years - over 2,500 sunrises and sunsets - seem "as a few days," since the relationship they shared did away with physical and temporal barriers that separated them. Likewise we can endure the "It" of this world and regard it as quickly passing, "as a few days," when we are in loving "I-Thou" relationship with the Lord and with one another. We lose sight of worry, stress, and isolation, and rise above our present circumstances in our communion and in our hope. "For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:4).
When we feel afraid or lonely, the world looms large, threatening, and cold. We feel trapped in its contours and alienated from our own hearts. On the other hand, when we befriend others and engage in honest conversation with them - when "two or three are gathered in My Name" - the miracle occurs and the Lord is present in our midst - timelessly alive, full of welcoming grace, kindness, and love (Matt. 18:20). Moreover, since the Lord is always with us, whenever we sincerely turn to Him we are drawn into his love. As we open our hearts to him, as we engage him in trust, we lose sight of the outer world that confines and defines us, and we find our place in his love and in his blessing. We find our home in Him.
Hebrew Lesson
Jeremiah 31:3b reading (click):
Parashat Vayetzei - וַיֵּצֵא
12.01.24 (Cheshvan 30, 5785) Our Torah for this week (i.e., Vayetzei) includes Jacob's dream of a ladder (i.e., sullam: סֻלָּם) extending from earth to heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending, and the LORD Himself standing above assuring Jacob of his safe return to the land he had fled. Jacob awoke and responded to the dream with awe: "Surely the LORD is in this place (בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה), and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." And he called the name of that place Bethel (בֵּית־אֵל) i.e., "the house of God."
The sages interpret ha-makom (הַמָּקוֹם), literally "the place" that Jacob saw, as Mount Moriah, the exact location where Jacob's father Isaac was bound as the "sacrificed seed" and which later became the site of the Holy Temple. Indeed the word makom comes from a verb (קוּם) meaning "to arise," suggesting resurrection and ascension. In later Rabbinical thought Ha-Makom became synonymous with the Name or Presence of God Himself ("God is the place of the world, but the world is not God's only place").
Yeshua referred to Jacob's dream when he said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man" (John 1:51). Just as Jacob saw the ladder ascending to heaven with the angels of God ascending and descending upon it, so Yeshua told Nathanael that He was the Ladder to God, the sha'ar ha-shamayim (שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם) - the way into heaven (John 14:6). Indeed, Yeshua is the true Place or "house of God" and its Chief Cornerstone (Rosh Pinnah, Matt. 21:42). The LORD is the resurrection and life, the One who prepares a place for you (John 11:25; 14:2).
A Double Blessing for Jacob...
12.01.24 (Cheshvan 30, 5785) When we think of Jacob as a young man, we tend to recall the dramatic episode when he disguised himself as his twin brother Esau to "steal" the bequeathal of the Abrahamic blessing from his father Isaac. However the Torah tells us that Jacob actually received two blessings from his father. The first blessing was given to a disguised Jacob and it focused on material blessings: the "dew of heaven," the "fatness of the earth," "plenty of grain and wine," political power and hegemony (Gen. 27:28-29), whereas the second blessing was given to an undisguised Jacob and it focused on his role as God's chosen patriarch of the people of Israel (Gen. 28:3-4).
The difference between these blessings turned on Isaac's restored vision. His first blessing was addressed to the character of Esau as his "natural choice," whereas his second blessing looked beyond mere appearances to behold the vision that was originally given to his father Abraham: "Now may El Shaddai bless you, make you fruitful and multiply you so you become an assembly of peoples. And may He grant the blessing of Abraham to you and your offspring" (Gen. 28:3-4).
וְאֵל שַׁדַּי יְבָרֵךְ אתְךָ
וְיַפְרְךָ וְיַרְבֶּךָ וְהָיִיתָ לִקְהַל עַמִּים
וְיִתֶּן־לְךָ אֶת־בִּרְכַּת אַבְרָהָם
לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אִתָּךְ
ve·el · Shad·dai · ye·vah·rekh · oht·kha
ve·yaf'·re·kha · ve·yar·be'·kha · ve·ha·yee'·ta · leek·hal · a·meem
ve·yee·ten · le·kha · et · beer·kaht · Av·ra·ham
le·kha · ool·zar·a·kha · ee·takh
"Now may El Shaddai bless you,
make you fruitful and multiply you so you become an assembly of peoples.
And may He grant the blessing of Abraham
to you and your offspring"
(Gen. 28:3-4)
- Isaac's second blessing to Jacob
In a sense, the self-effacing, disciplined, and strong-willed Isaac abandoned his "natural vision" that sought to install Esau as the next patriarch -- despite the objection from his faithful wife Rebekah -- by finally surrendering to the vision of his father Abraham. Isaac's entire life was a sort of overreaction to his father - an "antithesis to Abraham's thesis." By choosing to bless Jacob a second time -- this time with his eyes wide open -- Isaac revealed that he had finally accepted the grace of God that was revealed to his father Abraham.
Recall also that after Esau had discovered that the blessing was given to Jacob, he lamented and pleaded with his father to bestow upon him a blessing as well. It is interesting to note that the "residual" blessing that Isaac gave to Esau was the exact inverse of that given to Jacob: the "fatness of the earth" was put before the "dew of heaven" (compare Gen. 27:39 with Gen. 27:28), indicating that receiving sustenance from heaven is of greater value than finding earthly prosperity.
And indeed, Jacob was "blessed with earthly trouble" his whole life, which caused him to rely on the "dew from heaven," whereas Esau was "blessed" with prosperity (and trouble) that came from trafficking in this world. Regarding Esau it may aptly be said: "Be careful what you wish for -- you just might get it!" (Heb. 12:17).
Hebrew Lesson
Genesis 28:3 reading (click):
Note: Isaac was 60 years old when his two sons were born (Gen. 25:24-26), and according to Jewish tradition, Jacob and Esau were 63 years old at the time of the blessings (Yevamot 6a), making Isaac 123 years old at the time. He later died at the age of 180 (Gen. 35:28-29), making him the longest living of the three patriarchs. The Talmud further states that Jacob first fled to the School of Shem (i.e., Malki-Tzedek) before proceeding to Padan Aram, so that he actually arrived at Laban's home when he was 77 years old.
November 2024 Site Updates
Isaac's Troubled Family..
11.29.24 (Cheshvan 28, 5775) Like Abraham's wife Sarah, Isaac's wife Rebekah (רִבְקָה) had trouble getting pregnant, though Isaac determined never to resort to the use of a concubine as did his father. Indeed, the story of Hagar and Ishmael apparently haunted Isaac throughout his life. Therefore the Torah records that Isaac "entreated" (יֶעְתַּר) the LORD on behalf of his wife. The sages note that this verb (עתר) means to slaughter, alluding to sacrifice, and the midrash explains that Isaac ascended Mount Moriah, pitched a tent, and there offered a lamb during his prayers. This must have been terribly difficult for Isaac, since the trauma of the Akedah never left him. Nevertheless, Isaac's intercession for his wife proved fruitful, and Rebekah later conceived twins (Gen. 25:21).
Rebekah's pregnancy was not an easy one, however, and the children "struggled within her" (the Hebrew verb used here (רָצַץ) comes from a root that means "to run," suggesting that the children were "running in different directions" within the womb; see Rom. 9:11-12). According to Jewish tradition, Rebekah feared she might miscarry and decided to go to the School of Shem (i.e., Malki-Tzedek) to inquire of the LORD. There she was told that "two nations" were in her womb, and "two peoples from within you shall be divided"; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger" (Gen. 25:23; cp. Rom. 9:11-12). When the children were born, the first came out hairy and was named Esau (perhaps from the Hebrew word esev (עֵשֶׂב), "grass"), whereas the second came out with his hand on his brother's heel, and was named Ya'akov (יַעֲקב, "grappler," from the word ekev (עָקֵב, "heel"). When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman, while Jacob was a quiet man, studying Torah in the tents of Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 25:27). In later Jewish tradition, Esau represented the nation of Rome (and especially Roman Christianity), whereas Ya'akov represented the nation of Israel.
Perhaps opposites attract. The Torah states that Isaac loved Esau whereas Rebekah loved Jacob (Gen. 25:28). Isaac grew up as the quiet, disciplined, and dutiful son of Abraham, and he perhaps saw something in his son Esau which he himself lacked. Rebekah, on the other hand, grew up adventuresome, strong, and outgoing, and she perhaps saw something in her son Jacob which she lacked. At any rate, the sibling rivalry was deep and abiding in the family, and perhaps reflected the problematic differences between the parents themselves. As we will see, Isaac and Rebekah were opposites, just as were their twin sons.
The Torah gives an episode in the lives of the two boys to indicate something of their respective characters. Once when Jacob was cooking lentil stew, Esau came in from the field quite exhausted. Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!" (Gen. 25:29-30). Some scholars note that Esau's words should be rendered, "Let me swallow from that red-red" (הַלְעִיטֵנִי נָא מִן־הָאָדֹם הָאָדֹם הַזֶּה), suggesting that he was in such a hurry to meet his bodly needs that he didn't even bother calling it "stew" (the Torah parenthetically notes here that this was the reason Esau was later known as "Edom" (אֱדוֹם, "red")). Jacob, however, decided to take advantage of his brother's carnal weakness by manipulating Esau into "selling" him his birthright. The Torah gives a realistic view of this exchange: while Esau "despised" his status as the firstborn son, Jacob was cunningly manipulative and exploited his brother's weakness.
Some time later, when Isaac "was old and his eyes were dimmed from seeing," he sought to bless Esau as the family heir before he died (Gen. 27:1-4). The midrash states that Isaac's eyes were dimmed on account of the ordeal of the Akedah. When he was bound to the altar, Isaac looked up and saw the Throne of Glory with the angels of God circling about. Some of the angels' tears fell on Isaac's eyes, and from that time his eyes had begun to darken. Perhaps Isaac "saw" God as Elohim (אֱלהִים) - the Judge and Ruler of the Universe - but became blind to God as YHVH (יהוה), the Source of Compassion and mercy. The "afterimage" of the Akedah never left him - despite the divinely supplied substitute of the ram - and haunted him later as a form of blindness. Isaac revealed that he was "blind" to the character of Esau, "blind" to his wife's vision regarding Jacob, and so on.
When Rebekah overheard Isaac's plans, she decided to "trick" her husband into conferring the blessing upon Jacob instead of Esau. For his part, Jacob was left with a serious dilemma: Either he had to defy his mother or else deceive his father. And of course Rebekah knew that Isaac would discover the deception after the fact. Rebekah's deception of her husband was intended to show him that he was gullible and thereby easily deceived by Esau's hypocrisy. It was an object lesson, if you will, rather than a outright case of lying. After all, Esau was soon to arrive - venison in hand - and the charade would be exposed for all to see... Apparently Rebekah's plan was to "open the eyes" of her myopic husband, revealing to him that he had been guilty of sacrificing the righteous son Jacob for the sake of deceptive Esau (for more on this, see the "Deception of Esau").
The trickery proved to be tragic, however, for everyone involved. Jacob desperately wanted the love and approval of his father, but he sought to get it through false pretenses. "Come close and kiss me my son..." (Gen. 27:26). This was Jacob's deep desire, and yet after "grappling" the blessing from his father he ironically lost his father's embrace. Indeed, Jacob lost not only his father's embrace, but his mother's as well (after fleeing to Haran, Jacob never saw his mother again). Moreover, Jacob's pathetic attempt to "be Esau" severed any hope of a relationship with his twin brother, who afterwards became his sworn enemy. Away from home and on the run, Jacob's life was also marked with painful irony. He was later deceived by his father (in-law) Laban, his wife Leah, his firstborn son Reuben, and even by his own children (regarding the death of Joseph, his firstborn son from Rachel). And Rebekah's subterfuge cost her dearly, too: after the charade was exposed, Esau turned against her (Gen. 27:45), Jacob was lost to her forever, and her marriage undoubtedly suffered as a result of the duplicity....
When Esau returned from his hunting expedition to receive the blessing, the truth came out, but Isaac tremblingly acknowledged to his son: גַּם־בָּרוּךְ יִהְיֶה / "... he (Jacob, not Esau) shall be blessed" (Gen. 27:33). Isaac "trembled exceedingly" because he realized that he had been laboring under an illusion all these years. He now finally understood the truth about his sons and ratified heaven's decision. It is ironic that when Isaac had his sight, he favored Esau, but when he lost his (physical) vision he was enabled to give Jacob the blessing as the patriarch of Israel.
After Esau realized the implications, he used wordplay used to vent his anger: When he learned that Jacob had taken away his blessing, he exclaimed, "Is he not rightly named "heel holder" (i.e., יַעֲקב, "Jacob," from the word עָקֵב, "heel")? For he has taken me by the heel (יַּעְקְבֵנִי) these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing" (Gen. 27:36). Then he cried out, "Have you only one blessing, my Father? Bless me too, my Father!" And Esau wept aloud." This was a terribly poignant moment. Esau didn't accuse his father of being gullible or foolish, but simply implored him for his blessing all the more. Tragically, Esau learned the value of the blessing too late. Despite his many tears, he could not reverse the decree from heaven (see Heb. 12:16-17).
The sages talk about the "voice of Jacob" (קוֹל יַעֲקֹב) and the "hands of Esau" (יְדֵי עֵשָׂו) (Gen. 27:22). Both sons were counterparts of one another, though each needed the qualities of the other to be complete. Esau needed to learn the ways of Jacob - to love Torah, to respect the call of the family to be God's agents in the world, to value the things of heaven, and so on, whereas Jacob needed to learn the ways of Esau - to be a man of action, to work with his hands, to deal with the rough-and-tumble world at large. After Jacob fled to Haran to escape the clutches of his aggrieved brother, he learned to be a shepherd, a husband, and a father. In this way Jacob also learned the value of the blessing given to Esau, although this too was discovered needlessly late in his life.
In Jewish tradition, Abraham is known primarily for the quality of chesed (חֶסֶד), "kindness," "openness," "expansiveness," hospitality, and generosity. His tent flaps were always open to all who happened to come his way. He was outgoing, welcoming, and solicitous for the welfare of others. His son Isaac, on the other hand, is known primarily for his quality of gevurah (גְּבוּרָה), "strength," "focus," concentration, and discipline. Isaac meditated alone in the fields, stayed close to his tent, and never ventured outside the Promised Land. The sages note that chesed unrestrained by gevurah is unbalanced (leading to indiscriminate leniency and gullibility), whereas gevurah unrestrained by chesed is also unbalanced (leading to stern judgmentalism or cruelty). Whereas Abraham was willing to sacrifice his beloved son at Moriah (chesed), Isaac was willing to be sacrificed (gevurah). The ideal is to have both chesed and gevurah function together (חסד וגבורה) to create an inner balance. This ideal is sometimes called tiferet (תִּפְאֶרֶת) and is thought to have been the characteristic later evidenced by Jacob (i.e., after he was renamed "Israel" at Peniel). The enmity of Esau (the extreme of gevurah) haunted Jacob for years, even to the point of wrestling with the Angel of LORD over the issue (Gen. 32:24-29). From such wrestling (i.e., between the ideal of justice and the ideal of chesed) came an inner resolution -- the true blessing from God that resulted in a "limp" -- and the new name of "Israel" (יִשְׂרָאֵל, Gen. 32:28).
Some have speculated what it would have been like for the twins if Isaac and Rebekah had a better relationship. Was their marriage mirrored in the lives of their sons? Why didn't Rebekah tell Isaac about the prophecy about the "elder serving the younger" -- or if she had told him, why didn't Isaac listen to her? And why didn't Isaac tell Rebekah about his plan to bless Esau as the heir of the family? Was Rebekah justified deceiving her husband? Was Jacob justified for believing the promise God had made to his mother that he would be the heir of the family? And why did each parent favor a different child, thereby creating a ferocious sibling rivalry? Rebekah perhaps encouraged Jacob's duplicity because she felt ignored or disrespected by her husband. She therefore found an ally in her son -- a "tool" she could use to find leverage and a voice in the family. But Isaac perhaps encouraged Esau's profanity because he never resolved his inner turmoil regarding the Akedah. Perhaps he inwardly chafed at the ideal of strict justice and wanted to be set free.... After all, Isaac was wounded and left nearly blind from the encounter of God as Judge, but somehow he could not embrace God's sacrificial love for himself...
It's clear that the families of the patriarchs had serious struggles and were often quite dysfunctional. When we idealize these people, however, we tend to forget their humanity, and they may appear disconnected from us - on a higher spiritual level. For example, Isaac is often characterized as the obedient son who was willing to be sacrificed at Moriah at the hands of his loving father, whereas Abraham is characterized as being so "sold out" to God that he was willing to sacrifice the son he so dearly loved. Now while it is gloriously true that the sacrifice of Isaac presents a clear foreshadowing of the greater "Akedah message" of the Gospel (John 3:16), there is a human side to this story that is sometimes overlooked. Jewish tradition states that Sarah died from the shock of the Akedah, leaving both Abraham and Isaac bereaved. Isaac's "personal holocaust" at the hands of his father caused him to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder that profoundly affected him for the rest of his life: He struggled as a son (he fled from his father Abraham after the Akedah), as a husband (he seemed unable to communicate with his wife), and as a father (his preference of Esau over Jacob caused a terrible rift in the family). Most of all Isaac struggled to understand God's love, despite God's justice...
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The story of Isaac's family is ultimately one of hope for us all. Isaac was deeply wounded but ultimately found healing, just as his son Jacob later wrestled through his family issues to become "Israel." Take heart, chaverim: God can use us for His kingdom purposes despite whatever dysfunctionality might be in our family backgrounds.
Hebrew Lesson:
Proverbs 11:27 Hebrew Reading (click):
Prayers in the dark...
11.29.24 (Cheshvan 28, 5775) "I believe that you have complete power and authority over the world and its evil, Lord, but I am unsure how that operates in light of its seeming absence.... You stop the mouth of lions, yet the lion's den is astir; you heal the sick, yet we bury our dead; you say we are saved, yet much within us remains broken... My faith tries to see beyond the pale of this temporal world and its shadows, yet I am still bound by it, still subject to its vanity, still in a place of exile. When I look for you here, in this moment, I find my heart homesick and yearning; I seek your face... I call you Father but I feel orphaned in this world... It is not why I suffer that I want to know, Lord, but whether I suffer for you."
"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation (אֱלהֵי יִשְׁעִי), literally, "the God my Jesus" (Hab. 3:17-18). In Your light may we see light...
Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 12:2 reading (click for audio):
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Broken and Remade...
The following is related to this week's Torah reading, parashat Toldot...
11.29.24 (Cheshvan 28, 5785) "See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness (שׁרֶשׁ פּרֶה) springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is immoral or profane like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears" (Heb. 12:15-17; Gen. 27:38).
The LORD says, "my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters (מְקוֹר מַיִם חַיִּים), and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jer. 2:13). Spiritually speaking, there are two basic sorts of breaking. One is to be broken by the inevitable sin and ruin of this world, and the other is to be made lev-nishbar (לֵב־נִשְׁבָּר), a broken heart, before the LORD. The former breaking comes from the vain attempt to find life in the broken vessels of this world, and "repentance" is expressed as remorse over perceived temporal loss. This sorrow eventually leads the soul to death (2 Cor. 7:10). To be inwardly broken, on the other hand, requires mourning over your life and returning to God for deliverance (Matt. 5:4). In hunger and thirst for God's righteousness the soul finds eternal satisfaction, since God alone provides the vessel of "living water" we need to live (John 4:14; 7:38). We all must drink from God's fountain of life (מְקוֹר חַיִּים), lest we suffer spiritual dehydration and death....
Are you haunted by an inner ache for love, joy, peace, and life? "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matt. 5:6). Our inner poverty and need is a disguised grace; our desire for healing reveals the Spirit's invitation. Faith begins with the recognition of our need, since only then will we come to Yeshua for the "Bread of Life" (לֶחֶם הַחַיִּים) and the "Living Water" (מַיִם חַיִּים).
Everything we truly need is found in him, though we must reach out in faith: "For without faith (אֱמוּנָה) it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who seek him" (Heb. 11:6). God rewards those who seek him; he answers the heart's cry; he responds to all who trust in his love and salvation. Therefore "ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened" (Matt. 7:7-8). We are not saved by faith in our own faith, but in the Reality and Power of the LORD God who alone can raise the dead to new life... He gives to the trusting heart a new song of praise for the blessing of His salvation.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 40:3 Hebrew reading (click):
Beans for Blessings...
"How can you expect to dwell with God forever, if you so neglect him here?" - Jonathan Edwards
11.29.24 (Cheshvan 28, 5785) From our Torah this week (i.e., parashat Toldot) we read: "Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew (לֶחֶם וּנְזִיד), and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised (בָּזָה) his birthright (בְּכרָה)" (Gen. 25:34). Esau esteemed the honor of being the firstborn son (i.e, bechor: בְּכוֹר) – the high priest of the family – as worth a "bowl of beans" when compared with the drive of his lower nature, and so he tragically forfeited the blessing of God...
Far from regarding service to God as a divine privilege and wonderful opportunity to benefit his family, Esau wanted to be free of such responsibilities and therefore discredited the meaning and promise of faith. Note that the Hebrew word for "lentil stew" (or pottage) is nazid (נָזִיד), which comes from a Hebrew word that means "to boil up" in pride (i.e., zid: זִיד). Sadly, Esau was consumed with his own interests and regarded them as more important than the things of God.
Note further that most English translations of the Hebrew text (i.e., Gen. 25:34) seem to suggest that because he bartered his birthright, Esau had therefore disparaged it, but the text implies continuity: in other words, after he ate, drank, and went his way, then Esau rationalized (or justified to himself) his bad decision by discounting its importance.
Hebrew Lesson
Jonah 2:8 reading (click):
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Hakarat Tovah - הַכָּרַת-טוֹבָה
11.28.24 (Cheshvan 27, 5785) The Hebrew word hakarah (הַכָּרָה) means to recognize or to be conscious. Hakarat tovah means recognizing or being conscious of the good, i.e., gratitude. Hakarat tovah is one of the middot ha-lev (qualities of heart) that should mark the lives of those who are grace-based and focused. Gratitude is the product of joy (χαρα) obtained from the gift of being conscious of God's grace (χαρις).
When the firstfruits (i.e., ha'bikkurim: הביכורים) were offered at the Temple, a declaration of "hakarat tovah" was made that expressed thanks for the good the LORD has done for the Jewish people since the days of Ya'akov (Jacob) to the present hour (Deut. 26:3-11). The declaration was intended to raise consciousness by giving voice to the heart and sanctifying the act of giving. It's not enough to "go through the motions" of a ritual: We must become conscious of the good we have received by engaging the heart's response.
Some of the sages have said that hakarat tovah is the foundation of our service to the LORD, called avodat Adonai (עובדת יהוה). Gratitude is the basic response to being conscious of reality -- the reality of God's unending care and sustenance..... Being ungrateful, or kefuy tovah (כְּפוּי טוֹבָה) is a sign that you are not seeing reality correctly. It is an insincere way of seeing, a spiritual impairment, a sickness of heart, that leads you into darkness...
With all that said, please know that I sincerely appreciate that many of you have shown us kindness and mercy over the years of doing ministry. I am deeply touched by your love. We cannot be here without one another, and you are sustaining us. Thank you. - John
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 100:4 reading (click):
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Rebekah's Struggle...
11.28.24 (Cheshvan 27, 5785) When the twins fought within her womb, Rebekah asked, lamah zeh anochi ("Why do I exist?"), and then the LORD gave her the prophecy: ve'rav ya'avod tza'ir – "the older (or "stronger) shall serve the younger" (see Gen. 25:23). God had chosen one of her two children to become the heir of the covenantal promise, and she therefore may have thought it was her purpose or mission in life to help make that happen...
Rebekah's elaborate scheme to trick her husband by exchanging the twins for the blessing was doomed from the outset, since God needed to open the blind eyes of Isaac to truly bless Jacob as the family heir (Gen. 28:1-4). Rebekah's mistake was that she thought it was her job to intervene, or to "help God" by resorting to human intervention – somewhat like her mother-in-law Sarah earlier had sought to "help God" by giving Hagar as a surrogate wife to Abraham to produce the heir. It is a difficult thing to let go and to trust that the Lord will take care of everything. Lamah zeh anochi – Why do I exist, except to bear witness to God's providential plan and to trust in God's power to work all things together for good?
Such a plaintive question, lamah zeh anochi (לָמָּה זֶּה אָנֹכִי) – "Why do I exist?" When she was young, Rebekah seemed strong, secure, and courageous. For example, after meeting Eliezer she unhesitatingly declared her willingness to leave all that she knew to go to a strange land and to marry an unknown man -- all for the promise of an unseen good.
Nevertheless Rebekah was tested. First, she (like Sarah) was barren and for 20 years ached for a child with Isaac. Second, her pregnancy was difficult and the Lord foretold her that though she would have twins, there would be an ongoing conflict between them that would trouble their lives. Third, after bearing the children, Rebekah's turmoil continued: her husband discounted her faith; her sons pathetically competed for the approval of their father; and she was torn to choose to stand with Jacob even if that jeopardized her relationship with both Esau and Isaac. And later, after the scheme to exchange Jacob for Esau was exposed, her worst fear was realized: she indeed lost both of her sons (Esau because of her betrayal, and Jacob after he fled to Mesopotamia).
Struggle after struggle: lamah zeh anochi? Why is this happening to me? Why did I deserve such a fate? Why, but to partake of the truth – to suffer for the sake of the deliverance of God's ultimate blessing for the world. Like Rebekah, we have an important part to play, though assuredly we will be tested and experience challenges along the way. Lameh zeh anochi? To learn to trust God for all that happens in life... Amen.
Hebrew Lesson
Proverbs 3:5 reading (click):
Note that the children "struggled" within her - the Hebrew verb means they collided and ran into one another. Rebekah's was in the midst of an inner battle, and her question was spiritually focused. She first affirmed that life is a blessing (אִם־כֵּן) and then asked why she was in such a state (לָמָּה זֶּה אָנֹכִי). She first sought God for answers, and then God told her that something wonderful was to come, though it would not come without a struggle...
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