Torah Life

Exploring, learning, and living Torah

[torahlife-blog]

Why Satan is not “the god of this world”

I don’t think I need to substantiate how most of Christendom would agree that Satan is considered to be the god (little ‘g’) of this world, and that he strives at every turn to blind people to the truth of the gospel. Where does this idea come from? Typically, this passage is the source:

(2Co 4:3-4 KJV) 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Fair enough, at a surface glance, it is understandable how this conclusion could be reached. But is this conclusion a true and fair understanding of this passage?

If we begin to really dig in to this passage, we will find this statement by Paul does not just come out of the blue. As Paul is known to do, he has been building an argument over the past chapter (3) that is now reaching a culmination here at the beginning of this chapter. Of course, there are no chapter divisions in the original letter to the Corinthians, so any divisions are arbitrary.

This “blinding” and “hiding” of the gospel is a reference to a passage in (where else?) the Torah. Just about the entire chapter of 2 Cor 3 deals with Paul’s application of this Torah passage. Here it is from the WEB version:

(Exo 34:29-35 WEB) 29 And it came to pass when Moses came down from mount Sinai (with the two tables of testimony in Moses's hand, when he came down from the mount) that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone, while he talked with him. 30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come nigh him. 31 And Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. 33 And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. 34 But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out and spoke to the children of Israel that which he was commanded. 35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses's face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Ramesh DeSilva over at biblethingsinbibleways.wordpress.com has done a very detailed deconstruction of this passage, which is a worthy read for understanding the context of what the apostle is getting at. While Ramesh he does not address the Satan/god of this world aspect, the blinding and hiding is dealt with very thoroughly. Here is the gist of Ramesh’s argument in a nutshell:

What he [Moses] covered with a veil was the “Glory of God” that was temporarily manifest on his face. In verse [2 Cor 3:] 14, Paul compares this physical vail that covered the Glory of God that shone forth in Moses’ face to a spiritual vail which blocked the eyes of the Children of Israel from witnessing the fullness of God’s Glory. Paul exclaims that the same spiritual vail or blindness is still blocking their view, that even when they read the Old Covenant they cannot see God’s true Glory because of the spiritual veil which is blocking the light from shining forth. This spiritual vail can only be removed through Christ as per Paul. (It is important to note that the thing that is done away in Christ is not the Old Covenant or The Law, but the spiritual vail which covers their eyes). Paul continues in verse 15 saying, that even in his day, the vail is still upon their hearts when they read the 5 Books of Moses, which can only be removed when their hearts turn to God. In other words the majority of Jews of his day were reading God’s Word without seeing God’s true Glory.

Satan is not mentioned of “blinding” anyone or “hiding” anything in the Torah passage. The context of the “hiddenness” of the gospel that Paul speaks of in chapter 4 is that a spiritual veil is upon the hearts of the Jews when Moses is read. He comes right out and says it in chap 3:

(2Co 3:15 KJV) 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

The issue, then,is that their hearts are somehow “kept” from recognizing the truth of the gospel by this spiritual veil.

Now, some of you might say, “If there is some sort of veil or impediment to Jews understanding the gospel, let’s get rid of it so they can be saved!”, right? Well, it’s a little more involved than that, because it’s not a knowledge issue, it’s a heart issue. And where does this heart issue stem from? Apparently, from God Himself:

(Jhn 12:37-41 KJV) 37 But though he [Yeshua] had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

What?! God blinded their eyes and hardened their heart?! Apparently so. And if you think about it, this concept is all through the Bible, but maybe you haven’t really put it together in this way before.

(Exo 9:12 KJV) 12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

(Exo 10:1, 20, 27 KJV) 1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: ... 

20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go. ... 

27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.

(Exo 11:10 KJV) 10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

(Exo 14:8 KJV) 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.

Poor Pharaoh, he never stood a chance against those odds.

(Deu 2:30 KJV) 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.

(Deu 29:4 KJV) 4 Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. (Isa 63:17 KJV) 17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Poor Sihon, poor Israel...wait a minute, Israel had their collective heart hardened, too? Hmm. Well, of course, that was just “Old Testament” stuff, because now God is a God of grace and mercy...right?

(Mat 13:10-15, 34-35 KJV) 10 And the disciples came, and said unto him [Yeshua], Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. ... 34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

(Luk 8:10 KJV) 10 And he[Yeshua] said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

(Act 28:25-27 KJV) 25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Each of the gospel writers includes this reference to Isaiah 6 at least once. Yeshua taught that the rejection of the truth of the Kingdom of God was a fulfillment of this prophecy, orchestrated by God Himself! He said he specifically spoke in parables so that his message would be, in a sense, “veiled”; those who would get it would get it, those who wouldn’t, wouldn’t.

What does this teach us? That God is ultimately in control, and has a specific plan and purpose that will ultimately culminate in his glory, even if we don’t have a full understanding just yet. While we want everyone to understand the truth of the Kingdom message, God’s timing may not be right at that moment for that individual or group of people.

Now, what does all this have to do with the original premise about Satan not being the “god of this world”? I think you may begin to see where this is headed, but let’s revisit the 2 Cor 4 passage to draw some conclusions. We’ll need to start in v. 3:

(2Co 4:3 KJV) 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

Paul’s contention is that for some, the gospel is indeed kalypto: hidden, veiled, covered up. Remember the “veil” concept from Moses above. Those to whom the gospel is “veiled” are (present tense) perishing.

(2Co 4: KJV) 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Continuing the thought, those who are perishing, who have a veil upon their hearts, are now called “them which believe not”, literally apistos: faithless. But here is the good news already revealed in the last chapter:

(2Co 3:16 KJV) 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

All that is required is turning to the Lord, i.e., repentance, and the veil is lifted. But who is it that has typhlo-o: blunted their understanding, darkened their minds in the first place? Paul says it is “the god of this world.” And who is the god of this world?

Well, if you use a little “g” we must be talking about some other god than the one true God. The first problem is, the Greek phrase doesn’t allow for a little “g” god here, because it reads ho theos, i.e., THE God, not A god. But the most likely reason well-intentioned translators put a little “g” god there is because no one wants to think of the big “g” God blinding anybody’s minds to the light of the gospel. However, as we have seen, God can, has, and is doing this to accomplish his own purpose for his own glory.

The second problem is, he is called “the god of this world”, as if this is a little god ruling over territory that the big “g” God has allowed. This concept flies in the face of the most basic Torah principle of all: the Shema. There is only one God, and there is none other than he. 

If there is a little “god” ruling over this world, then there are at least two gods. This is a clear violation of Torah.

Going to the Greek again, we find the word is not kosmos: world, but aion: age. If we were to take the words and translate them in the same order into English, it would read: the-God-the-age-this.  Remember, it is a capital “g” God because of ho indicating THE God. Some might render this “the God of this age” which would not be entirely incorrect. However, we know that God is the God of every age, so it sounds a bit awkward. Also, when God is typically identified as ho theos (THE God) the word “the” is dropped in English because it is clear Whom is being talked about.

Smoothed out a bit, it might better be rendered “God, the/for this current age”. If we put that back into v. 3-4 as a whole, and highlight our revised words, it could be thus:

2Co 4:3-4) 3 But if our gospel be veiled, it is covered to them that are perishing: 4 In whom God, for this current age, hath blinded the minds of them which are faithless, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

This implies there will be an age where it is not veiled and covered for those who are currently choosing not to believe/have no faith. All of Romans chapter 11 speaks to this fact, where Paul emphatically declares that all of this will culminate in return of many of the original “olive branches” who have currently been “broken off, after God has completed working with the “wild branches”.

In the letter to the Corinthians, the verse that is typically not connected to this verse but ties it all together contextually is chap 4 v.6

(2Co 4:5-6 KJV) 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God [ho theos], who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

If it is THE God [ho theos] in v. 6 who shines in our hearts (i.e., removes the blindness/darkeness) then why is it unusual to think that THE God [ho theos] would also be the one veiling some hearts to accomplish his purpose? He can cover, he can reveal; that’s what He does!

The more important question is: why is Satan dragged into this passage in the first place? The context nowhere demands this, nor is it warranted by the Greek text itself. It is only the traditions of men and the unwillingness of our minds to recognize that THE God, the only God, can choose to do whatever he wants with his creation, and it is all good, and for his glory. We conclude with the thoughts of Paul:

(Rom 11:33 KJV) 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

[torahlife-blog]

The Grafting of the Nations

In the process of doing a word study today, I stumbled across (or, perhaps, was led to?) a rabbinical commentary from Boruch Adler (http://www.parshailluminations.com/convert.pdf) that speaks plainly of the “grafting” of the nations into the Klal Yisrael, the overall community of believing Hebrews. Here’s a quoted section:

“Hashem [God] promised Avraham that he would be the source of universal blessing.  “Through you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Bereishis 12:3).  The Gemara (Yevamos 63) interprets the root of "blessed" to also mean “graft.”  Hashem said to Avraham: “I have two boughs I wish to graft onto you: Rus [Ruth] the  Moabite and Na’amah the Ammonite.”  In order to realize the blessing, Avraham had to accept the graft. Obviously, in order to achieve  their full perfection, the seed of Avraham had to be supplemented with the positive attributes of  other nations. “The Rambam (Hilchos Bikkurim 4:3) underlines just how implicit the institution of geirus [conversion] is  to the success of Klal [overall community of] Yisrael. The very name of our founding father, Avram, was changed by  Hashem [God] to Avraham, in order to incorporate this very essential truth:  “I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (Bereishis 17:5). Just as Klal Yisrael was elevated from the family of nations to a higher level of holiness due to  the virtues of our fore-fathers, so too, the nations are able to elevate themselves to become joined  with us, through geirus [conversion]. The universal blessing bestowed upon Avraham can now be interpreted  as:  “All the families of the earth shall be grafted upon you . . . .” (Bereishis 12:3). “What Hashem actually assured Avraham was that all the families of the earth will wish to  become part of his nation. This is an underlying, latent, universal truth of which the nations may  not consciously be aware; it is nevertheless realized by the select few who do undergo geirus [conversion] (see  Igeres Harambam to Reb Ovadiah Geir Tzedek).”

I couldn’t believe what I was reading! This is not a messianic commentary; this is a conservative Jewish rabbinical commentary that is essentially saying the very same thing that shaliah Tsuar (the apostle Paul) says in Romans 11:

(Rom 11:16-17, 24 KJV) 16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; ... 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

To see this concept agreed to in the Gemara and substantiated by Rambam (Moshe Maimonides, a pillar of Jewish commentary and thought) is nothing short of amazing. I can only see this as another solid indicator of how soundly the K’haS (New Testament writings) are squarely built on the principles of Torah, and how they can best be properly interpreted in the light of Hebraic thinking. This is only one place in hundreds I have personally found where these types of parallel thinking occur, and yet the Jewish writer is unaware that what he is writing is a clear principle advocated in the New Testament writings! It is apparent the Father is continuing to create one new man out of the two (Jew and Gentile). Oh that the veil of spiritual blindness would continue to be removed from both “flocks”, that we may enjoy the mutual richness of completion in Messiah Yeshua! 

[torahlife-blog]

Teshuvah (Repentance)

“...repentance must be deep and lasting; a moral revolution, not merely an acknowledgment of God, or a desire for His benefits.” - J.H. Hertz

“ The rabbis have a saying that a man should repent the day before he dies. The man who coined this phrase was Rabbi Eliezer of the late first and early second centuries. His disciples asked how a man can repent the day before he dies since no one knows the day of his death. His reply was that one should repent every day.” -David ben Avraham

[torahlife-blog]

An Obedient Heart for God

In speaking of the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant Rabbi Hertz writes “the two stone tablets of the decalogue were placed inside the ark and were a testimony that the Divine Presence dwelt in Israel.”

How much more is the new covenant a blessing! Through his prophets, Yhwh promised his eternal Torah would no longer be locked away in a place where there is no common access.

Jer 31:33: ““But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the LORD: I will put my law in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Ezek 11:19-20: “I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”

The testimony that the Divine Presence lives in us is when we reverently and obediently follow his Torah from the heart.

Yeshua had much to say about heart-attitude:

Mat 15:8: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

Mat 22:37-38: “Yeshua said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

Mat 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

As new covenant believers, if what is in our heart is Torah purity, we will draw nigh to God, honor him, demonstrate our love for him, and ultimately we will see him.

[torahlife-blog]

When Chance Rules the Universe

Lev 26:21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

Yhwh is a faithful accountant. As willing and able as he is to bless obedience, he is equally faithful to distribute consequences for disobedience.

What does it mean to walk contrary to God? According to J.H. Hertz in his Pentateuch and Haftorah commentary, it means “acting perversely, and wilfully doing the opposite of what God wishes.” And then he adds this Hebrew nuance  from S.R. Hirsch that is missed in the English:

“The Hebrew [for contrary] also means ‘accident’. In defiant opposition to God, they would despise God’s laws, and act as if accident ruled the moral and spiritual universe.”

Indeed, Strong’s definition for the Hebrew root-word used here is qârâh:

kaw-raw'; a primitive root; to light upon (chiefly by accident).

This concept of an “accidental universe” principle strikes me as being the dominant moral philosophy of the non-believing generation in our American culture. Things “happen” by “chance” or “fortune”, good or bad, and people wonder why life circumstances appear so arbitrary. Superstitions abound in the fertile soil of an accidental morality. Even worse, sometimes a form of this philosophy creeps in to the believer’s mentality, and we question God’s purpose behind certain events in our lives. 

True faith is understanding that God is not arbitrary. Everything is not only totally under his control, but absolutely intentional and specifically directed, divinely choreographed, for achieving a specific result within his overall purpose.

(Isa 46:9-10 KJV) 9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure...

(Rev 22:13-14 KJV) 13 I am Alpha and Omega [better: the Aleph and the Tav], the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

[torahlife-blog]

Promises of Blessing for Obedience

(Lev 26:3-5 KJV) 3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; 4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

Reviewing these types of blessings of obedience in Torah, my first inclination is always to partition these blessings off in my mind as pertaining only to ancient Israel as a nation. If national Israel would have followed Torah faithfully, they would have been blessed in ways outlined in these passages, and the land itself was to benefit, as well. This is a fascinating aspect of Torah: that there is a real connection between the moral attitude of the people and the physical condition of the environment in which they live. This principle of connection is all throughout the Tenakh. 

In new covenant thinking, my first reaction, due to the years of conditioning in traditional interpretation, is to spiritualize any blessings as being representative of some future fulfillment “in the sweet by and by”. It’s a mentality that says believers are not guaranteed any physical blessings here in this world; it’s great if it happens, but we are merely called to be faithful, regardless of our station in life.

And yet, while it is not untrue that a wealth of blessings await us in the olam haba (the world to come), our master Yeshua echoes very similar physical blessings as those stated in Torah for the faithful here in this life:

(Mat 6:25-33 KJV) 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Both of these promises of blessings come on the heels of very important requirements:

Lev. 26:3 “If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them, THEN..”

Matt. 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness...”

Matt. 7:24 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them...”

Clearly, these “blessing passages” are pre-conditioned on obedience. However, where I think we get into trouble is when we follow either extreme: either ALL the blessings are here and now In the land of Israel (which is the typical Jewish view), or ALL the blessings are spiritual and future on a global and heavenly scale (which is the typical Christian view). 

But I now believe the message is the same throughout all of scripture, and it is very simple, which is this: no matter where or when the people of God are faithful, physical blessings always follow obedience. 

Let me be clear, in no way am I endorsing the “name it and claim it” or wealth and prosperity messages that are such perversions of biblical principle. But all throughout scripture, there are real, physical benefits (i.e., blessings of abundant provision) promised for those who are following God’s instruction (Torah).

And it has just occurred to me why some of the blessings pronounced by Yeshua may seem a bit more ambiguous, and are therefore typically spiritualized because of that apparent ambiguity. I believe it is because in his day there was a change on the horizon: the people of God would no longer be in one geographical area, but would be scattered throughout the world. And yet, wherever they were to live, if they remained faithful and obedient to Torah, they would be blessed in that place. If it was miraculous that God would bless the physical eretz Yisroel (land of Israel), then how much more is this is an even greater miracle: that God would selectively provide physical blessings for faithful individuals and groups scattered around the world, regardless of local economies or environmental conditions! Yeshua was not diminishing these promises of blessing for faithful obedience, he was expanding them!

This is the day and age in which we live, and these promises are as valid today as the day they were spoken! Why, because they are as timeless and consistent as the covenants of God, and he always keeps his promises!

[torahlife-blog]

Remembering to Whom our allegiance belongs

(Lev 25:55 KJV) For unto me the children of Israel [are] servants; they [are] my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God.

This portion of the Torah reading concludes with the process of redemption for those who have sold themselves into slavery. This slavery was not as harsh as our preconceived ideas of outright slavery might be. It was more like a form of forced servitude; a practical way of earning a living when one was overly indebted or poverty-stricken. The servant would be contracted to work until the next year of release: the shmita year (sabbatical year at seven-year cycles) or the next yobel (Jubilee year at 50 year cycles). If contracted to a foreigner, the servitude could be indefinite.

Into this economic system, Yhwh establishes that a close relative was allowed to redeem the servant for the price of the remaining years to the next release-year, or from indefinite servitude to the foreigner.

The primary emphasis of Lev. 25:55 above is that the Israelites were to remember that they could never be completely owned as slaves by anyone else other than Yhwh. Ultimately, no matter what their temporary circumstances, they were to remember how Yhwh was their ultimate redeemer, and deserves their unrestrained allegiance.

As believers in Yeshua, our attitude should be a similar one of unrestrained gratefulness to Yhwh for our redemption through his Messiah. He redeemed us and we are his people. We live here only in a temporary balance, a mere “sojourn” of existence. We demonstrate our gratefulness to Yhwh as our rightful owner as we strive for holiness in obedience to him, and as we refuse to continue in servitude to the worthless traditions of men.

(1Pe 1:15-19 KJV) 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

(1Co 7:21-23 KJV) 21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

[torahlife-blog]

The Rightful Owner of Eretz Israel

Lev 25:23: ““‘The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and live as foreigners with me.”

With all of the contention over the eretz, the land, of Israel, this statement of Yhwh lays to rest all doubt as to who the land actually belongs to.

It is reassuring to see recorded for us in Torah the fact that everything belongs to Yhwh. If this simple perspective was maintained by men, how much less contention, strife and war do you consider there would be?

Ps 24:1: “The earth is the LORD’s, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein.”

[torahlife-blog]

The Key to Right Relationships

Lev 25:17: “You shall not wrong one another; but you shall fear your God: for I am the LORD your God.”

People wonder why there is so much misery and evil in the world. If someone does not fear Yhwh, then there really is no other reason for them to treat people fairly or deal honestly with them.

In all of our relationships with others, the basis of righteous actions stems from the fear of Yhwh. We treat others in a morally consistent way because we believe there is ultimate justice and accountability.

[torahlife-blog]

The trust of “Letting Go”

“You've heard of "Shabbat"; Well, Shmita is Shabbat for Eretz Yisroel [the land of Israel]. Every seventh year we are forbidden to work the earth in Eretz Yisroel.

"Shmita" means to let go. When farmers "let go" of the land for the Shmita year they show trust that Hashem [God, i.e., “the Name”] will take care of their livelihoods. It also reminds farmers that Hashem, not the land, feeds their families.” 

- M. Shimanowitz

How much faith would it take for you to take a year off of work once every seven years, and just trust that Yhwh would provide for you and your family, and your local economy? But during that year, you could take the extra time to learn and teach Torah, and secure your family’s education and future. An interesting parallel for our culture was drawn by Englishman Frederick Verinder in 1911:

“To place within the reach of the English worker, once in every seven years, a year’s course at a University in science and law and literature and theology, would be something like the modern equivalent of one of the advantages which the Sabbath-year offered to the ancient Hebrew.” 

I do like the fact that the main reminder that comes from Shmita for us today is that Yhwh is our ultimate provider. As Yeshua prayed:

[Mat 6:11 HNV] 11 Give us today our daily bread.

[torahlife-blog]

…in this material world, [people] get blind to all that might eventually be beyond it. People simply refuse to see it, for it might have a disturbing effect on all this delightful illusion they are enjoying now. Whoever lives in illusion dislikes all interference, he dislikes suggestions of the unreality of the world which he conjures up before himself. People get dangerously aggressive when they are compelled to give up their illusions.

Friedrich Weinreb

[torahlife-blog]

The Everlasting Covenant

[Lev 24:5-8 KJV] 5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake. 6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD. 7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon [each] row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, [even] an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, [being taken] from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

Regarding verse 8, Dr. J.H. Hertz in his Pentateuch and Haftorah writes: 

“The bread remained on the table for a week, and was renewed each Sabbath. This phrase “an everlasting covenant” is applied to the Sabbath itself (Ex. 31:16); and this weekly offering from the Children of Israel typified the regular renewal of the covenant between God and His people, of which the Sabbath was ‘a sign’.”

[Exo 31:16-17 KJV] 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, [for] a perpetual covenant. 17 It [is] a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

[torahlife-blog]

Sukkot for strangers?

Lev 23:42 You are to live in sukkot for seven days. All the native-born in Israel are to live in sukkot...

Reading along in the Torah portion today, this verse jumped out at me as something I hadn't seen before when reading about the moedim (appointed times) of Yhwh. Verse 42 specifies only those who are "native-born" are the ones who are to live in sukkot (temporary shelters). All of the English versions I looked at carry the same or a similar meaning. Does this mean those of us in the dispersion should not be living in sukkot for the festival? Is this one of the commands that only applies to the land itself, and those who live in it? Was this a distinction only for the natural race of Hebrews, or was I missing something?

A quick word search determined the word translated as "native-born" in Hebrew is Strong's H249:

זְרָח ʼezrâch, ez-rawkh'; from H2224 (in the sense of springing up); a spontaneous growth, i.e. native (tree or persons):—bay tree, (home-) born (in the land), of the (one's own) country (nation).

Based on this description alone, it could be a determination of national distinction. However, doing a search on the Hebrew term soon clarified the principle of the term and the context of its typical use.

[Exo 12:49 KJV] 49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn,[H249] and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

[Lev 19:34 KJV] 34 [But] the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born[H249] among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God. 

[Lev 24:22 KJV] 22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country:[H249] for I [am] the LORD your God.

These are only a few of the examples in Torah that specify the same instruction applies to the sojourner, the ger toshav (faithful stranger) as well as the native-born Israelite. Those of us gerim toshav who are considered to have been "grafted-in" to the commonwealth of Israel through Messiah Yeshua (Romans 11:17) are indeed equally entitled, and commanded, to participate in the festival as described in Torah. 

[torahlife-blog]

Counting the Omer

Dr. J. H. Hertz, “The Pentateuch and Haftorahs”, writing on Leviticus 23:15:

“The paragraph dealing with the Feast of Weeks has no introductory formula of ‘the Lord spake unto Moses’ such as we find in connection with the other festivals because it was conceived as the complement of the Passover and not something independent of it. Its name in Talmudic literature is not Shavuot, but almost invariably ‘the concluding Festival to Passover’. 

'We count the days that pass since the preceding Festival just as one who expects his most intimate friend on a certain day counts the days and even the hours. This is the reason why we count the days that pass since the offering of the Omer, between the anniversary of our departure from Egypt and the anniversary of the Law-giving. The latter was the aim and object of The Exodus from Egypt,' (Maimonides). 

“In other words the deliverance from bondage was not an end in itself; it was the prelude to Sinai. Liberty without law is a doubtful boon whether to men or nations.”

[messianicjews]

Shavuot and Pentecost

[torahlife-blog]

This is a very succinct and meaningful summary of Shavuot for Messianics.

[torahlife-blog]

Divination and Self-improvement

I’ve always been drawn to the I Ching. The depth of its wisdom and the practical application of personal betterment can be very fulfilling. This particular copy that I had seen at a thrift store also contained a way of divining answers from this body of wisdom by tossing coins and cross-referencing passages of the book.

Certainly, divination is strictly prohibited by Torah:

[Deu 18:10-12 KJV] 10 There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth divination, [or] an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things [are] an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

However, it occurred to me how even the concept of philosophical self-improvement can also be at odds with Torah. This is quite ironic, when I can recall Christian stores and religious sections of bookstores carrying volume after volume on self-improvement tripe.

While self-improvement is certainly not a bad thing, it can, when it becomes an end in itself, be an impediment to obedience to Yhwh.

Hosea is a prophet who comes to mind, who was asked by Yhwh to do a very odd thing: to take a woman of “whoredoms” (KJV)  as a wife. The witness of scripture is clear on the influence of this type of woman.

[Pro 6:26 KJV] 26 For by means of a whorish woman [a man is brought] to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. [Pro 23:27 KJV] 27 For a whore [is] a deep ditch; and a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.

The word itself implies more than simply prostitution; it also carries with it the meaning of having a propensity toward idolatry and unfaithfulness. But that was exactly the point: Yhwh was trying to teach his people of their unfaithfulness by using Hosea as a living example.

Was marrying this type of woman in Hosea’s best interest? The real question is: does it really matter? Yhwh doesn’t always necessarily want us to be better (in our own eyes), but he does expect us to be obedient. It is in our obedience, no matter what he asks, that we demonstrate our love for him. 

Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son (his only true heir) when Yhwh had promised him that it would be Isaac who would carry the line of his seed; yet he was obedient. 

Moses left a life of royal Egyptian luxury to become a common shepherd who would ultimately lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Many times he had wanted to leave the people to their own wickedness, yet he was obedient and brought them through the wilderness.

Sometimes what we think is best and our self improvement disciplines get in the way of his plans. Philosophies such as the I Ching, while providing many profound personal insights, can still become a hindrance. Shaliah Tzuar (apostle Paul) writes:

[Col 2:8 KJV] 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Messiah.

[torahlife-blog]

An active priesthood

Levitcus 21:1 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Speak to the kohanim, the sons of Aaron…

This week’s parsha focuses on the practices and duties of the priestly tribe of Levi and the sons of Moses’ brother Aaron. A kohen is a priest; kohanim is the plural form of the word meaning priests. If the principle of priesthood has been done away with when Messiah came, then this portion of scripture has little relevance for believers today, other than historical lessons of the early Israelite practices. Yet, if the principle of priesthood has not been done away with, then these passages have great meaning for us.

Speaking to believers in Messiah, Kefa (Peter) writes:

1 Pet. 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house—a holy priesthood [kohanim] to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua…9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood [kohanim], a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 

If believers in Messiah Yeshua indeed comprise a spiritual kohanim, then we should not be so quick to dismiss the gravity of these commandments to the kohanim of old. We must remember that Yhwh took the Hebrew people out of Egypt to be a people for himself; a holy (separate) people who would be distinct from all of the other nations. This distinction would be necessary for them to faithfully be a light of the knowledge and instruction (Torah) of Yhwh to the nations around them.

Deut. 4:5 “See, just as Adonai my God commanded me, I have taught you statutes and ordinances to do in the land that you are about to enter to possess.6 You must keep and do them, for it is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples, who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’7 For what great nation is there that has gods so near to them, as Adonai our God is whenever we call on Him?8 What great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances that are righteous—like all of this Torah that I am setting before you today?

Again, Kefa (Peter) in the same passage where he mentions the believers as kohanim, writes:

1 Pet 2:12 Keep your conduct honorable among the Gentiles. Then while they speak against you as evildoers, they may—from noticing your good deeds—glorify God in the day of visitation…15 For this is God’s will, that you silence the ignorance of foolish men by doing good.

This admonition for our conduct to match our beliefs is all throughout Scripture. Even shaliah Tzuar (the apostle Paul) writes:

2 Cor 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Messiah and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.19 That is, in Messiah God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them; and He has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us.20 We are therefore ambassadors for Messiah, as though God were making His appeal through us.

These instructions to the kohanim in our parsha this week illustrate how seriously our conduct affects how we are viewed by non-believers. The greater damage is when we dishonor ourselves, we also dishonor the name of Yhwh, whom we represent for our brief time in this world.