Called to disciple by traveling, teaching Torah, and immersing in the essence of the YHWH/God, Yahushua/Jesus, and the Set-Apart Spirit.
We are collecting all the things YHWH/God said into less than 1 min videos. Follow our youtube Playlist to see all the shorts as they drop. The first will drop tomorrow at 10 am EST. Hope you enjoy them and learn something too!
We also have a Jesus said Playlist, those videos drop at 12 pm EST.
Hope you check them out!
Before getting into this, most of what is to come is opinion. There isn’t any scripture which says, “This is why there is a second Sabbath Feast at the end of Unleavened Bread.” However, there is history written and events which occurred. Maybe as you learn of these events something more personal will come to you. Let’s take a look and see what jumps out shall we?
Let us set the scene, put our mindset in line with the Israelites and the mixed multitude with them at that time. In just a matter of days they went through several disastrous plagues – some they literally experienced, some they watched as their Egyptian neighbors experienced them. They acted in faith as instructed by Yah/God by sacrificing a lamb and putting the blood on their doors. Then they sat in their homes as there was wailing and screaming all over the land as mothers found their first born sons dead. Exodus 12 tells us the Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave. When the Israelites asked them for silver and gold and clothing, they gave it – here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?! Scripture says, “they plundered the Egyptians.”
Off they go, try and put yourself in that mindset – and you are off. From slaves for 430 years to escapees just like that. Imagine the thoughts as they first set out, their minds racing, maybe their hearts as well. One foot in front of the other, no idea where you are going, maybe looking over your shoulder expecting to see an army coming after you. How long before the terror of what was behind turned into the terror of what was ahead? One day, two day, three day … Exodus 13 says, they traveled by day and by night. And where do you end up? An Egyptian military outpost – that is what history records. There is said to have been an outpost on the Red Sea, which makes sense since across the sea is an enemy. This isn’t recorded in Scripture though, what is recorded is Yah told Moses to tell the people … they are coming after you.
There they are, Exodus 14 says they lifted up their eyes and the Egyptians were marching after them! They were terrified and cried out to Yah. What did God say about that? He said, “Why are you crying to Me? Tell the people to go forward.” Yeah, not quite the response we want to hear is it? Is there a message in that for you?
Jewish history records the Red Sea split on the eve of the seventh day after the Exodus. This would be the last day of unleavened bread, a Sabbath day. The first vision which came to my mind is child birth. The Passover meal was the beginning of labor pains, crossing through the Red Sea was the birth.
Then I thought about the foreshadowing of these Set Apart Appointed Times of God and how Jesus fits in and what they mean to a Christian. Each of us have experienced this journey in different time frames, minutes, days, years, it’s a personal journey.
This is the Matthew and Mark version of events. And this is where the Christians who actually cross over the Red Sea stop and make camp. But that isn’t were the stories ends in the Bible. The Red Sea and Jesus are not the end, they are just the beginning. Typically, verses 24-25 in Exodus 14 are skipped over along with the events recorded by Luke and John.
“Now it came about during the morning watch that Adonai looked at the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud (Exodus 14:24) … Traveling the seven miles to Emmaus and Jesus came and walked with them and beginning with Moses and all the Prophets he explained to them about himself. (Luke 24) (TLV)
“… and caused the army of the Egyptians to panic. He took off their chariot wheels and caused them to drive heavily, so that the Egyptians said, “Get away from the presence of Israel! For Adonai fights for them against the Egyptians!” (Exodus 14:24-25) … As the disciples were behind locked doors, Jesus came and said “Peace be with you.” And asked, Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds, I told you about this, it is what is written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms? (Luke 24, John 20) (TLV)
Moving into the Seventh Day Sabbath of the Unleavened Bread Feast journey.
“But Bnei-Yisrael had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were like walls to them on their right hand and on their left. Adonai saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. When Israel saw the great work that Adonai did over the Egyptians, the people feared Adonai, and they believed in Adonai and in His servant Moses. (Exodus 14:31 TLV) … Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe!” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Yeshua said to Him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed? Blessed are the ones who have not seen and yet have believed!” Then Yeshua led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands[e] and blessed them. … And while blessing them, He departed from them and was taken up into heaven. After worshiping Him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the Temple, praising God. (John 20:27-29, Luke 24:50-53 TLV)
Where are you in your Exodus from Egypt story? Where are you in the Feast of Unleavened Bread?
In the Exodus story, we are counting the days until the giving of the Testimony at Mt. Sinai, Shavot. In the Jesus story, we are counting the days until the giving of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost. It’s a great time to evaluate where you are in You Story.
Yah/God set apart specifically appointed time to celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. He put them in place thousands of years ahead of time, as signs, foreshadowings, of what was to come. They have been set aside for counterfeit man made traditions.
Jesus most likely rose at twilight Saturday night. During the in between time just before the first day of the week, Sunday, started. If he had remained in the tomb through the night, it would have been four nights in the tomb instead of three.
Become a Disciple: As we observe this appointed time, we are to remember what Jesus has done for us. Without him going first, and making the way, we would not be able to follow. He was offered up first so the rest of the harvest that follows can also be accepted. As his disciples we surrender our lives and walk in his ways. On this day we remember his resurrection – the original Easter.
Yah/God set apart specifically appointed time to celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. He put them in place thousands of years ahead of time, as signs, foreshadowings, of what was to come. They have been set aside for counterfeit man made traditions.
Doesn’t mean a Christian can’t take some time to get to know more about them. Check out our Scripture Survey on Passover as well.
Called Out of Captivity: As we observe this appointed time of YHWH/God’s, we are to remember we were once captives to lawlessness (sin), separated from God, just like the Israelites were in the land of Egypt. In order to get back in right relationship with God, there must be a sacrifice made because the law of sin requires a death. We are to remember he chose to bring us out of captivity through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus and set us free from lawlessness (sin). On this day, we remember his crucifixion, the original Good Friday.
*Passover and Unleavened Bread are one appointed time
Called into Righteousness: As we observe this appointed time of God’s, we are to remember God provides for us. We are to clean out all the lawlessness (sin) in our houses. Just as he prepared a way through the wilderness into the promised land for the Israelites, he has prepared a way into righteousness and the Holy Place through his son, Jesus. Jesus has paid the ransom for those have faith in him and obey. On this day we remember his triumphant descent – the original Holy Saturday.
*Passover and Unleavened Bread are one appointed time
Let me tell you a little bit about some things which happened in history between twilight last night and twilight tonight. Just like Easter – Passover moves around because it is based off the barley harvest and the moon cycle. But today isn’t Passover, today is Palm Sunday, err, well, sort of but not really. Hang with me for a few, would you please?
For the Jews, today is the 10th of Nisan – it started last night at twilight. Unbeknown to Christians, today is kind of the actual “Palm Sunday.” Keep reading, you’ll see the connection.
Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month, each man is to take a lamb for his family one lamb for the household. … Your lamb is to be without blemish, a year old male. … You must watch over it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Exodus 12 TLV
Today is the day the Israelites picked out their lamb. Then they took it into their homes and cared for it for several days before sacrificing it on Passover. Can you even imagine doing this? It was this lambs blood they put on the doors. There was no proof bringing a lamb in and caring for it would do anything, they were preparing in faith. They were acting out of faith in obedience. They couldn’t have faith and no obedience – that would have meant death.
In Joshua 4, we read about the people coming up from the Jordan to Gilgal on the border of Jericho. The fascinating part about this is Yah/God dried up the waters of the Jordan so they could cross, just like he did when they were leaving Egypt, 40 years prior. This crossing happened on the 10th of Nisan. The people crossing over the Jordan at best were very young when the initial crossing happened. Three days prior they had lost the only leader they had ever known, Moses. Here is Joshua, three days into leadership, facing the Jordan river. Yet we see in Joshua 3, everyone consecrating themselves as they had been told to do, no proof of anything, they are prepared in faith. They were acting out of faith in obedience. What would have happened if they had faith and no obedience?
What most Christians do not know is this is the same day Jesus road the donkey into town. The tradition of modern Christianity refers to this as Palm Sunday and celebrate it the Sunday before Easter. However, that just isn’t the case, we can see this as we read through John 12, Mark 11, and Matthew 21. (You can look this up, there are many teachings in this regard.) God had appointed this time thousands of years ago, it was the 10th of Nisan, it was a Saturday, and it was the day everyone was choosing their lamb in preparation for Passover. When Jesus rode in and they were praising him, they thought they were choosing their king. Zechariah 9 says this king “is just and having salvation.” They didn’t know it at the time, but they were choosing their lamb, an unblemished lamb, for their sacrifice.
His disciples did not understand these things at first. But when Yeshua was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that the crowd had done these things for Him. John 12 (TLV)
This day is a day of acting out of faith in obedience. Do you have your lamb chosen? Are you prepared to cross over into the promised land? Is your lamb also the king who is just and has salvation?
If you haven’t chosen Jesus as your Lamb, your King, your Lord and Savior, you don’t have to wait. Here’s a link for more information on how to.
If you have already chosen Jesus, it’s a time to reflect on your faith. Are you acting out of the faith in obedience? If so, then in obedience to what? Are you following in Jesus’s footsteps? Are you doing what he did? Are you judging your obedience by what man has said, or by what Jesus has said? It might be a good time to dive back into the Word and reconnect – consecrate yourself.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. He was in the beginning with Elohim. All came to be through Him, and without Him not even one came to be that came to be. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1 (TS2009)
If you have ahavah for me, you will be shomer mitzvot regarding my commandments. John 14 (OJB)
*links are given to give a Jewish understand of the word, it does not mean agreement with everything expressed on the site.
It’s amazing when you look into it, how many cultures used to set the New Year according to the Spring Equinox. At one point some countries started the new year in July, other’s in March, and Christianized Europe started on December 25th. January wasn’t a part of the start of the new year until around 45 BC by Julius Caesar of Rome, even then, it was randomized.
The Julian calendar was off, so in the 15th century the Catholic Church aimed to fix it thus giving us January 1st as the New Year on the Gregorian Calendar.
However, Yah/God, the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob set when the New Year in Exodus 12 long before any of these.
Now Adonai spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, “This month will mark the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year for you.
Exodus 12:1 TLV
This doesn’t really tell us when that was though, lets dig a little deeper.
In Ester 3, we see it states, “In the first month (this is the month of Nisan) …” (TLV).
We also see in Numbers 18, “On the fourteenth day of the first month is Adonai’s Passover …” (TLV).
This leads us to Deuteronomy 16, “Be shomer of the month of Aviv and perform the Pesach …” (OJB). Aviv is Springtime. Pesach is Passover.
But why would Yah set the beginning of the year then? In Deuteronomy he tells us why, “he brought you out of Egypt by night.” It is at this time the exodus from Egypt occurred for the nation of Israel. They were brought out of bondage, set free.
The Tabernacle was first put up on the first day of the first month – Exodus 40.
Jesus was crucified in this month. Matthew 26, “Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread (Passover Week) the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” (AMP)
Jesus’s sacrifice brought freedom to captives as foreshadowed in the exodus from Egypt. Romans 6: “But now, having been set free from sin and having become enslaved to God, you have your fruit resulting in holiness. And the outcome is eternal life. For sin’s payment[a] is death, but God’s gracious gift is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.“
There are other events which happened during this month. Many believe this is also when the heavens, earth, and man was created. Some believe Abraham was born during this month. This month has become associated with Redemption.
This year, the new year set in place by Yah/God started on Monday, April 8th of this year, 2024.
So let’s celebrate that freedom provided by THE Messiah, Jesus/Yeshua and proclaim we are Blessed! Happy New Year! New Life!
We are collecting all the things Jesus said into less than 1 min videos. Follow our youtube Playlist to see all the shorts as they drop. A new one will drop daily around Noon EST. Hope you enjoy them and learn something too!
Have you heard of Lent? How about Palm Sunday? Good Friday? I’m not even going to ask if you have heard of Easter. Or maybe it’s not called Easter, it’s called Resurrection Sunday? Did you know you won’t find any of those terms in the Bible? Did you know these are cheap knock offs, imitations, fake, and counterfeits of God’s original designs?
Most Christians have probably heard Jesus called the Passover Lamb. And quite a few may even have heard Jesus called the First Fruit. But do you know why?
When we dig into what the Bible says about these holiday’s, we find nothing. This leads us to dig even deeper and discover a whole lot of what we have come to accept as truth, is in fact not.
What you will find while reading the events during so called “Holy week” will be terms such as Passover, Preparation Day and Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. He was called the Passover Lamb, because he was crucified on Passover. He was called the First Fruit because he resurrected on First Fruits.
If we look deep enough, we discover Yah/God’s Holy days, set aside more than 4000 years before Jesus came to the earth. The appointed times/moedim also called YHWH’s SabbathS, were foreshadowing what Jesus would come to do. They were meant to be a dress rehearsal so when he showed up, everyone would know what was happening. Just like today, many of that time missed it because they too, had replaced God’s ways with man’s traditions. It is well worth your time to investigate these Holy Days – the reward is out of this world!
While Passover (Good Friday) and First Fruits (Easter/Resurrection Sunday) are all well and good, lost to the in between is the Feast of Matzot/Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12, 23, 34). This particular time probably has the most application and carries the most responsibility on our part. It was set aside to remember how God brought the captives out of Egypt.
On Preparation Day for Unleavened Bread, everyone went through their homes and got rid of anything containing leaven. The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts for seven days, and starts and ends with a rest day. During the seven days, only things which do not have leaven in them are eaten. Most Christians are familiar with the term, ‘leaven,’ and even understand the tie between leaven and sin. Hopefully, at this point, you are understanding it really isn’t about the leaven (1 Corinthians 5). This is a time to reflect on what else you have in your life which needs to be removed. How can you become more aligned with how Yah/God wants you to live? What can you take away from your life so you are walking more like Jesus?
Don’t let this in between day slip away like any other day. Take some time to reflect, actually open your Bible and read what happened. Make some changes in your life to bring you more in step with what Yah/God sees as good and bad – not someone else, not even yourself.
It’s time to stop settling for the cheap knock offs, imitations, fake, and counterfeits of God’s original designs! You have access to the authentic and genuine designs by the One True God, Alpha and Omega, God of all gods, all you have to do is accept it.
The fake holidays happened this weekend. But you still have time to observe the authentic Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits which occur in April this year (2024).
Exodus 31: ‘Surely you must keep My Shabbatot, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so you may know that I am Adonai who sanctifies you. LTV
Ezekiel 20: Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy. NIV
Isaiah 56 (TS2009) (emphasis added)
Thus said יהוה, “Guard right-ruling, and do righteousness, for near is My deliverance to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who becomes strong in it, guarding the Sabbath lest he profane it, and guarding his hand from doing any evil. “And let not the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to יהוה speak, saying, ‘יהוה has certainly separated me from His people,’ nor let the eunuch say, ‘Look I am a dry tree.’ ” For thus said יהוה, “To the eunuchs who guard My Sabbaths, and have chosen what pleases Me, and are holding onto My covenant:
5to them I shall give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters – I give them an everlasting name that is not cut off. “Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to יהוה, to serve Him, and to love the Name of יהוה, to be His servants, all who guard the Sabbath, and not profane it, and are holding onto My covenant – them I shall bring to My set-apart mountain, and let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their ascending offerings and their slaughterings are accepted on My slaughter-place, for My house is called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
Matthew 28:19 Go and teach the peoples, immersing them in the character, reputation, authority, and purpose of Yah/God …
Jesus continues his instructions in verse 20. Teaching the nations to … here’s were we find out what is to be taught, what do you think it is?
To observe … for us today, this word doesn’t quite portray the meaning. We can observe something from afar, and when we think of observing something, we do not necessarily think of participating in that something while observing. However, this word, tēreō, is also translated as keep, reserve, watch, preserve, hold fast, to attend to carefully, take care of, to guard (Strong’s and Thayer’s).
To keep and guard what? All things whatsoever I [Jesus] have commanded. Couple of things to consider when determining what are the commandments Jesus commanded?
We aren’t going to list out the actual commands here, if you know you should go, teach, and immerse people in the character, reputation, authority, and purpose of Yahweh/God, then this is something you should dive into the scriptures to discover.
Teaching the people to keep and guard what Jesus commanded, and Jesus will be with you always, even unto the end of the world.
We see a similar line to this in Jeremiah 7:23
23 but I explicitly commanded them: ‘Obey My voice and I will be your God to you and you will be My people. Walk in all the ways that I command you that it may go well with you.
TLV
Now go and teach the peoples, immersing them in the character, reputation, authority, and purpose of Yah/God. Teaching them to keep and guard all that Jesus has commanded. Then Jesus will be with you always, even unto the end of the world.
We are putting up videos which follow the Torah Portions schedule for the week. We will also be working through the New Testament as well. There is no commentary, just some background music working through word for word and using the Inductive Study Highlighting and Marking Method in the Logo’s Bible Software. We do not strictly follow the Inductive Method, but we catch the important things.
Pull up a chair, a cup of coffee/tea, sit back and read through the scriptures with us!
New ones will drop through out the week, depending on how many chapters there are in the reading plan. The first one dropped yesterday and it is on Leviticus 1. Leviticus 2 and John 6 part 1 will drop later today.
Enjoy!
Baptizing is a very familiar term in the general Christian vocabulary. There is usually two forms of baptizing referenced. Water baptism and Spirit baptism, each bringing with them a whole host of controversary. Generally, this part of Matthew 28:19 is most associated with the water baptism. But does it really have anything to do with water?
Let’s focus in on just the highlighted words above. We know who ‘them’ is, it’s the people/nations – which we learned last week means a people group – not a specific country. This takes care of the WHO of this thought.
‘In the name’ is the what the people are being immersed in. Huh? How do you immerse someone in a name? Most will keep reading and go – OHHH I see, so when we submerge them in water we say, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Yeah – but – no.
To Hebrews, a name is not simple something we use to identify someone. There is a similar Hebrew word, “neshama,” it literally means ‘breath.’ If you look into neshama, you will find it fascinating as it is one part of our soul. Yah/God’s exhaling. It is the seat of ones character. So a name to Hebrews, ‘shem’ denotes character, reputation, authority, and purpose of an individual, it makes up an identity. Yah/God told Moses his name was YHWH- “the one who exists”. The ‘I am.’ See how His name denotes His identity?
If we choose to walk as a Christian, then by His name we identify. We take our oaths in His name (Deu 10:20). Abraham walked in YHWH’s name. He preached in the name of YHWH (Gen 13:4). What does this mean? It means he preached in the ‘authority’ of YHWH. Remember, name doesn’t mean name (as in modern day meaning), it denotes an identity = character, reputation, authority, and purpose of an individual.
Take note, this word here is SINGULAR – it doesn’t say in the nameS of, it is purposefully a singular name. In Matthew 12 we see a quotation from Isaiah 42. But it intriguing when we look closely at the two side by side we see there is one difference:
In Matthew, the nations hope in ‘His Name.’ In Isaiah 42, the nations wait for ‘His Torah’. Torah means teachings, in this case the general consensus is a specific reference to the first five books, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In most Christian realms, this would simply be referred to as “The Law.” Further down in Isaiah 42 we see things like, “I am Yahweh,” “I am Yahweh – that is My name.” Go read through Isaiah 42, you can’t miss the connection here!
Now that should paint a whole different picture when you read “Immersing them in the name.” The concept here isn’t about water baptism, it is about teaching people the essence of who Yah/God is. What his character is. What kind of reputation he has. What authority he has. And what his purpose is. Not just a little here and there but a full on immersion into all that God is!
Matthew 28:19 Go and teach the peoples, immersing them in the character, reputation, authority, and purpose of Yah/God … you don’t have to make anything, you don’t have to be “called”, you don’t have to be a pastor, you don’t have to have water, you just have to go and follow the example set by Jesus – touching the peoples Yah/God puts in your path.
Most believe this is a command to do “missions,” as it relates to being a missionary. Or going on missions trips to foreign nations. However, this isn’t the idea the text is conveying.
The Greek translation shows the word as ‘ethnos’ which according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon means:
In the KJV version, we see this exact same word translated as Gentiles (93x), nation (64x), heathen (5x), people (2x).
In Hebrew the word is עַמִּים, simply translated, peoples. More than one person.
Basically, if you are disciple of Jesus, he has told you to go and teach people. You don’t have to fly across the world, become a missionary, nor go on missions trips, you simply have to teach the people around you. If you have the means and the time, go as far away as you can, nothing against this. Some may even be called to specifically be missionaries. But if you do not or are not, nothing is stopping you from accepting this great commission to go and teach all people.
This is not the same as ‘testifying’ or ‘giving a witness’. This also is not about getting people “saved.” There is nothing against either of those either, but that is not the context here. How do we know this? Because this teaching is directly tied to the word disciple – a student, a follower, a learner. It is about giving instruction. In Jesus’s time, a disciple wanted to become as much like their teacher as possible. The idea was also, a disciple would one day go out and teach as well.
Are you doing what Jesus told his disciples to do? Are you teaching people?
It might be surprising, but the next part, baptizing, has nothing to do with water. Stay tuned!
Matthew 28:19 and 20 are rich in their connection to the Old Testament, which is very well hidden in the English Translations. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the words found in Verse 19.
Make Disciples vs Teach
Right off we see something we should explore because when we do a comparison of translations we can see a significant difference right away. We all know there is a difference between making something and doing something. Thinking in a school setting.
Let’s hold those thoughts for a moment and see what else we can find out.
If we read the Hebrew Gospels translation we read the word ‘preach’.
Teach, make, and disciple are all verbs. Teacher, maker, and disciple are nouns. Notice the word disciple can be both a verb and a noun? Let’s look at the concordance to see which this word is – a verb or a noun. Using Blueletterbible we see the word translated as either teach or make disciples (mathēteuō) is a verb. We can also see there isn’t any word after this verb – it goes straight into “all nations.” There isn’t any word for word match to disciple, it seems to be an added concept which can significantly change the goal or focus of those being told to go – doesn’t it?
Back to mathēteuō – we see where this word is used 4 times in the NT. The only time it is kind of translated in a manner close to “make disciples” is in Matthew 27, and there is a special note there. But this note is not on Matthew 28.
If we look at the Hebrew word, we see its (לְהוֹרוֹת) meaning is to teach, to lead, to instruct. When we make our way back to the Hebrew, it helps us make some connections back into the OT. One of those such places is Exodus 24:12. If we look at all the different translations here, we see it as either teach or instruct. When we start breaking this down, we see where Matthew 28:19-20 matches up with Exodus 24:12.
This word is yārâ, in our English translations we see it translated many ways.
The KJV translates Strong’s H3384 in the following manner: teach (42x), shoot (18x), archers (5x), cast (5x), teacher (4x), rain (2x), laid (1x), direct (1x), inform (1x), instructed (1x), shewed (1x), shooters (1x), through (1x), watered (1x)
If you listen to the Bible Project’s video on Salt of the Land, you will see how they make a connection between Torah, Orh, and Yara.
They said, underneath the noun Torah is y, but you can hear the rhyming of Ohr=light, and Tor. Torah comes from the Hebrew verb Yar. In the Yar form it means to give instruction or to teach someone. In the form of Torah, it means instruction. God will yara/teach them so that God’s Torah/instruction will go out to the nations. God’s orh/light to the nations is people walking in his Torah/instruction.
Bible Project’s video on Salt of the Land
When we dive into this we can see the idea here is to teach and instruction all the nations/people. Our focus should be on the teaching, not on the making. By learning God’s instruction, living by them, and teaching them, we are fulfilling this part of what Jesus has told his disciples to do.
This is exactly what his disciples at that time did and they changed the world. Those who believed in and wanted to become followers of Jesus went into the synagogues each week and learned from the Old Testament. No one had their own copy, they had to work to memorize it so they could then share it. The disciples would keep up with those communities they couldn’t be at in person through letters. Some of those letters are preserved in our NT as examples of some of the questions these communities had as they were trying to adjust from their previous Jewish and pagan/gentile traditions. For both traditions they had to overcome the requirement to provide blood sacrifices because Jesus was their forever blood sacrifice. They both had to overcome the idea of working their way back into righteousness through repetitive traditions. Jesus came and brought it back to the heart of things and not the doing of things as was taught by man.
Jesus’s disciples used the Old Testament to teach what Jesus had done by providing a blood sacrifice which covers the penalty of death from sinning. Jesus set everyone back into right relationship (righteousness) with YHWH so they can draw near to him. If you love YHWH with all your heart, mind, and strength, then you will follow his ways.
There is nothing against “making disciples,” however, this particular part of the ‘Great Commission,’ is about teaching. We are only a few words in, we have more to discover.
Go and teach … next we’ll look at who we teach.
Starting in Genesis and working our way to Revelation looking up the Christian Spring Holidays of Lent, Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter.
This is a companion to the The Scripture Survey on Passover
Matthew 4:1
Then Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil,
Matthew 21:8
And a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.
Matthew 26:26
Now while they were eating Jesus took bread and, after giving thanks, he broke it, and giving it to the disciples, he said, “Take, eat, this is my body.”
Matthew 27:45–46
45 Now from the sixth hour, darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)
Matthew 28:1
Now after the Sabbath, at the dawning on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to view the tomb.
Acts 12:4
After he had arrested him, he also put him in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:52 PM February 17, 2024.
A survey from Genesis to Revelation on Passover
Passover/Pesach
Ex 5:1; 10:9; Ex 12; 13:3; 23:14–15; 34:18–25; Le 23:5; Nu 9:1–14; 28:15–16; 33:3; Dt 16:1–6; Jos 5:9–11; 2 Ki 23:21–23; 2 Ch 8:13; 30:1–5, 15–18; 35:1–19; Ezr 6:19–20; Eze 40:1–2; 45:18–21; Mt 26:1–2, 17–19; 27:15; Mk 14:1, 11–16; 15:6; Lk 2:41–42; 12:35–38; 22:1–15; 23:17–18; Jn 2:12–25; 4:45; 5:1; 6:4; 11:55; 12:1, 12, 20; 13:1, 29–30; 18:27–28, 38–39; 19:14; Ac 12:1–4; 20:6; 1 Co 5:6–8; 10:16; 11:23–28; 15:3; Ga 5:1; Heb 11:28; Re 9:18
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:33 PM February 10, 2024.
Bible version: LSV
Companion article to: Scripture Survey: Christian Spring Holidays
Passover/Pesach – LSV Version
And afterward, Moses and Aaron went, and they said to Pharaoh, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel, ‘Release my people so that they may hold a festival for me in the desert.’ ”
And Moses said, “With our young and with our old we will go; with our sons and with our daughters, with our sheep and goats and with our cattle we will go because it is the feast of Yahweh for us.”
1 And Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month will be the beginning of months; it will be for you the first of the months of the year. 3 Speak to all the community of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month, they will each take for themselves a lamb for the family, a lamb for the household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, he and the neighbor nearest to his house will take one according to the number of persons; you will count out portions of the lamb according to how much each one can eat. 5 The lamb for you must be a male, without defect, in its first year; you will take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 “You will keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and all the assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter it at twilight. 7 And they will take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel on the houses in which they eat it. 8 And they will eat the meat on this night; they will eat it fire-roasted and with unleavened bread on bitter herbs. 9 You must not eat any of it raw or boiled, boiled in the water, but rather roasted with fire, its head with its legs and with its inner parts. 10 And you must not leave any of it until morning; anything left from it until morning you must burn in the fire. 11 And this is how you will eat it—with your waists fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you will eat it in haste. It is Yahweh’s Passover. 12 “And I will go through the land of Egypt during this night, and I will strike all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human to animal, and I will do punishments among all of the gods of Egypt. I am Yahweh. 13 And the blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and I will see the blood, and I will pass over you, and there will not be a destructive plague among you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 “And this day will become a memorial for you, and you will celebrate it as a religious feast for Yahweh throughout your generations; you will celebrate it as a lasting statute. 15 You will eat unleavened bread for seven days. Surely on the first day you shall remove yeast from your houses, because anyone who eats food with yeast from the first day until the seventh day—that person will be cut off from Israel. 16 It will be for you on the first day a holy assembly and on the seventh day a holy assembly; no work will be done on them; only what is eaten by every person, it alone will be prepared for you. 17 “And you will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this very day I brought out your divisions from the land of Egypt, and you will keep this day for your generations as a lasting statute. 18 On the first day, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you will eat unleavened bread until the evening of the twenty-first day of the month. 19 For seven days yeast must not be found in your houses, because anyone eating food with yeast will be cut off from the community of Israel—whether an alien or a native of the land. 20 You will eat no food with yeast; in all of your dwellings you will eat unleavened bread.” 21 And Moses called all the elders of Israel, and he said to them, “Select and take for yourselves sheep for your clans and slaughter the Passover sacrifice. 22 And take a bunch of hyssop and dip it into the blood that is in the basin and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts. And you will not go out, anyone from the doorway of his house, until morning. 23 And Yahweh will go through to strike Egypt, and he will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and Yahweh will pass over the doorway and will not allow the destroyer to come to your houses to strike you. 24 “And you will keep this event as a rule for you and for your children forever. 25 And when you come into the land that Yahweh will give to you, as he said, you will keep this religious custom. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What is this religious custom for you?’ 27 you will say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice for Yahweh, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when he struck Egypt; and he delivered our houses.’ ” And the people knelt down and they worshiped. 28 And the Israelites went, and they did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron; so they did. 29 And in the middle of the night, Yahweh struck all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the prison house and every firstborn of an animal. 30 And Pharaoh got up at night, he and all his servants and all Egypt, and a great cry of distress was in Egypt because there was not a house where there was no one dead. 31 And he called Moses and Aaron at night, and he said, “Get up, go out from the midst of my people, both you as well as the Israelites, and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said. 32 Take both your sheep and goats as well as your cattle, and go, and bless also me.” 33 And the Egyptians urged the people in order to hurry their release from the land, because they said, “All of us will die!” 34 And the people lifted up their dough before it had yeast; their kneading troughs were wrapped up in their cloaks on their shoulder. 35 And the Israelites did according to the word of Moses, and they asked from the Egyptians for objects of silver and objects of gold and for clothing. 36 And Yahweh gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they granted their requests, and they plundered the Egyptians. 37 And the Israelites set out from Rameses to Succoth; the men were about six hundred thousand on foot, besides dependents. 38 And also a mixed multitude went up with them and sheep and goats and cattle, very numerous livestock. 39 And they baked the dough that they had brought out from Egypt as cakes, unleavened bread, because it had no yeast when they were driven out from Egypt, and they were not able to delay, and also they had not made provisions for themselves. 40 And the period of dwelling of the Israelites that they dwelled in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, on this exact day, all of Yahweh’s divisions went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night of vigils belonging to Yahweh for bringing them out from the land of Egypt; it is this night belonging to Yahweh with vigils for all of the Israelites throughout their generations. 43 And Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: No foreigner may eat it. 44 But any slave of a man, an acquisition by money, and you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45 A temporary resident and a hired worker may not eat it. 46 It will be eaten in one house; you will not bring part of the meat out from the house to the outside; and you will not break a bone of it. 47 All of the community of Israel will prepare it. 48 And when an alien dwells with you and he wants to prepare the Passover for Yahweh, every male belonging to him must be circumcised, and then he may come near to prepare it, and he will be as the native of the land, but any uncircumcised man may not eat it. 49 One law will be for the native and for the alien who is dwelling in your midst.” 50 And all the Israelites did as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron; so they did. 51 And it was on exactly this day Yahweh brought the Israelites out from the land of Egypt by their divisions.
And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day when you went out from Egypt, from a house of slaves, because with strength of hand Yahweh brought you out from here, and food with yeast will not be eaten.
14 “ ‘Three times in the year you will hold a festival for me. 15 You will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you will eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you at the appointed time, the month of Abib, because in it you came out from Egypt, and no one will appear before me empty-handed.
18 “You will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you will eat unleavened bread, which I commanded you, at the appointed time of the month of Abib, for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt. 19 Every first offspring of a womb is for me—all of your male livestock, the first offspring of cattle and small livestock. 20 But the first offspring of a donkey you will redeem with small livestock, and if you will not redeem it, you will break its neck. Every firstborn of your sons you will redeem, and you will not appear before me empty-handed. 21 Six days you will work, and on the seventh day you will rest; in the time of plowing and in the time of harvest you will rest. 22 And you yourself will observe the Feast of Weeks—the firstfruits of the wheat harvest—and the Feast of Harvest Gathering at the turn of the year. 23 Three times in the year all your males will appear before the Lord, Yahweh, the God of Israel, 24 because I will evict nations before you, and I will enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up to appear before Yahweh your God three times in the year. 25 “You will not slaughter the blood of my sacrifice on food with yeast, and the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover will not stay overnight to the morning.
In the first month, on the fourteenth of the month at the evening is Yahweh’s Passover.
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the second year after they came out from the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying, 2 “Let the Israelites observe the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month at twilight you will perform it at its appointed time according to all its decrees; and according to all its stipulations you will observe it.” 4 So Moses spoke to the Israelites to observe the Passover. 5 And they observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight in the desert of Sinai. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, thus the Israelites did. 6 And it happened, men who were unclean by a dead person were not able to perform the Passover on that day. And they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 And those men said to him, “Although we are unclean by a dead person, why are we hindered from presenting the offering of Yahweh at its appointed time in the midst of the Israelites?” 8 Moses said to them, “Stay. I will hear what Yahweh commands to you.” 9 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘Each man that is unclean by a dead person or is on a far journey, you or your descendants, he will observe the Passover of Yahweh. 11 On the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they will observe it; they will eat it with unleavened bread and bitter plants. 12 They will leave none of it until morning, and they will not break a bone in it; they will observe it according to every decree of the Passover. 13 But the man who is clean and not on a journey, and he fails to observe the Passover, that person will be cut off from the people because he did not present the offering of Yahweh on its appointed time. That man will bear his guilt. 14 If an alien dwells with you he will observe the Passover of Yahweh according to the decree of the Passover and according to its stipulation; thus you will have one decree for you, for the alien and for the native of the land.’ ”
15 And one male goat as a sin offering for Yahweh; it will be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation. 16 “ ‘On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover for Yahweh.
They set out from Rameses on the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the next day after the Passover the Israelites went out boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians
1 “Observe the month of Abib, and you shall keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, for in the month of Abib Yahweh your God brought you out from Egypt by night. 2 And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to Yahweh your God from among your flock and herd at the place that Yahweh will choose, to let his name dwell there. 3 You shall not eat with it anything leavened; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread of affliction, because in haste you went out from the land of Egypt, so that you will remember the day of your going out from the land of Egypt all the days of your life. 4 And leaven shall not be seen with you in any of your territory for seven days, and none of the meat that you will slaughter on the evening on the first day shall remain overnight until morning. 5 You are not allowed to offer the Passover sacrifice in one of your towns that Yahweh your God is giving to you, 6 but only at the place that Yahweh your God will choose, to let his name dwell there; you shall offer the Passover sacrifice in the evening at sunset, at the designated time of your going out from Egypt.
9 And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. 10 And the Israelites camped at Gilgal, and they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, on the plains of Jericho. 11 On the next day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate from the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted corn.
21 Then the king commanded all of the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as has been written on the scroll of this covenant.” 22 For they had not kept this Passover from the days of the judges who had judged over Israel or during the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was kept for Yahweh in Jerusalem.
as was the daily requirement, to offer up according to the commandments of Moses for Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and the three annual feasts: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.
1 Then Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, to come to the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem to make a Passover feast to Yahweh the God of Israel. 2 Now the king and his princes, and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to make the Passover feast in the second month—3 but they were not able to make it at that time, for the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, and the people had not been assembled in Jerusalem—4 and the plan seemed right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly. 5 So they let the decree stand, to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, to come to make a Passover feast to Yahweh the God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed.
15 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were disgraced, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of Yahweh. 16 Then they stood at their positions according to custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests were sprinkling the blood from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who did not consecrate themselves, so the Levites were over the killing of the Passover sacrifices for all who were not clean, to consecrate them to Yahweh. 18 For a majority of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves. But they ate the Passover sacrifice otherwise than prescribed, but Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Yahweh make atonement unto
1 Josiah kept the Passover to Yahweh in Jerusalem. And they slaughtered the Passover sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 And he set the priests at their posts and encouraged them in the service of the house of Yahweh. 3 And he said to the Levites who were teaching all Israel, who were sanctified to Yahweh, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. There is no need to carry it on your shoulders. Now serve Yahweh your God and his people Israel. 4 And prepare yourselves according to your families, according to your working groups, according to the decree of David king of Israel and according to the decree of Solomon his son. 5 And stand in the sanctuary according to the clans of your families for your brothers, the lay people, and a part of the family of the Levites. 6 And slaughter the Passover lamb and consecrate yourself and prepare for your brothers to do according to the word of Yahweh by the hand of Moses. 7 Then Josiah provided for the lay people sheep, lambs, and young goats, all for the Passover for all who were found there, to the sum of thirty thousand, along with three thousand bulls. These were the possession of the king. 8 And his officials contributed a freewill offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, commanders of the house of God, gave to the priests two thousand six hundred Passover lambs and three hundred bulls. 9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jehozabad, commanders of the Levites, contributed to the Levites five thousand Passover lambs and five hundred bulls. 10 And when the work had been completed, the priests stood at their positions and the Levites in their working groups according to the command of the king. 11 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hand, and the Levites flayed the sacrifices. 12 And they set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the clans of the families for the lay people, to offer to Yahweh according to what is written in the scroll of Moses. And thus they did with the bulls. 13 Then they roasted the Passover lamb in the fire according to the ordinance. And they boiled the holy offerings in pots, in kettles, and in dishes and brought it quickly to all the lay people. 14 And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, since the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were busy with offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night. So the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron. 15 And the singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the decree of David and Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, the seer of the king. And the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites had made preparations for them. 16 So all the service of Yahweh was prepared on that day to keep the Passover and to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar of Yahweh, according to the command of King Josiah. 17 And the Israelites who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. 18 And there was no Passover like it kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. And none of the kings of Israel kept a Passover like that which Josiah and the priests and the Levites, and all of Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, kept. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.
19 On the fourteenth day of the first month the returned exiles observed the Passover feast. 20 For the priests and Levites together had consecrated themselves; all of them were clean. And they slaughtered the Passover sacrifice for all of the returned exiles, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.
1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was destroyed, in this day exactly, the hand of Yahweh was on me, and he brought me there 2 in visions from God. He brought me to the land of Israel and put me on a very high mountain, and on it was something like a structure of a city to the south.
18 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘On the first month on the first day of the month, you shall take a bull, a calf without defect, and you shall purify the sanctuary. 19 And the priest shall take from the blood of the sin offering, and he shall put it on the doorframe of the temple and on the four corners of the ledge of the altar and on the doorframe of the gate of the inner courtyard. 20 And so you shall do on the seventh day in the month for anyone doing wrong inadvertently or due to ignorance, and so you must make atonement for the temple. 21 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the Passover, a feast lasting for seven days, when you shall eat unleavened breads.
1 And it happened that when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover takes place, and the Son of Man will be handed over in order to be crucified.”
17 Now on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came up to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 And he said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I am celebrating the Passover with you with my disciples.” ’ 19 And the disciples did as Jesus directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
Now at each feast, the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd—the one whom they wanted.
Now after two days it was the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how, after arresting him by stealth, they could kill him.
11 And when they heard this, they were delighted, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how he could betray him conveniently. 12 And on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare, so that you can eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ 15 And he will show you a large upstairs room furnished and ready, and prepare for us there.” 16 And the disciples went out and came into the city and found everything just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
Now at each feast he customarily released for them one prisoner whom they requested.
41 And his parents went every year to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the feast.
35 “You must be prepared for action and your lamps burning. 36 And you, be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that when he comes back and knocks, they can open the door for him immediately. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he returns! Truly I say to you that he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come by and serve them. 38 Even if he should come back in the second or in the third watch of the night and find them like this, blessed are they!
1 Now the feast of Unleavened Bread (which is called Passover) was drawing near. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they could destroy him, because they were afraid of the people. 3 And Satan entered into Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers of the temple guard how he could betray him to them. 5 And they were delighted, and came to an agreement with him to give him money. 6 And he agreed, and began looking for a favorable opportunity to betray him to them apart from the crowd. 7 And the day of the feast of Unleavened Bread came, on which it was necessary for the Passover lamb to be sacrificed. 8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it. 9 So they said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare it?” 10 And he said to them, “Behold, when you have entered into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house which he enters. 11 And you will say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ 12 And he will show you a large furnished upstairs room. Make preparations there.” 13 So they went and found everything just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 14 And when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
But they all cried out in unison, saying, “Take this man away, and release for us Barabbas!”
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, and his mother and brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days. 13 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And he found in the temple courts those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated. 15 And he made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple courts, both the sheep and the oxen, and he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 And to the ones selling the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 So the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign do you show to us, because you are doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up!” 20 Then the Jews said, “This temple has been under construction forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the saying that Jesus had spoken. 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name because they saw his signs which he was doing. 24 But Jesus himself did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people, 25 and because he did not need anyone to testify about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem at the feast (for they themselves had also come to the feast).
After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
(Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.)
Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the surrounding country before the Passover, so that they could purify themselves.
Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
Now some Greeks were among those who had gone up in order to worship at the feast.
Now before the feast of Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, and having loved his own in the world, loved them to the end.
29 For some were thinking because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him, “Purchase what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.) 30 So after he had taken the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night.
27 So Peter denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed. 28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s residence. Now it was early, and they did not enter into the governor’s residence so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover.
38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no basis for an accusation against him. 39 But it is your custom that I release for you one prisoner at the Passover. So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?”
(Now it was the day of preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour.) And he said to the Jews, “Behold your king!”
1 Now at that time, Herod the king laid hands on some of those from the church to harm them. 2 So he executed James the brother of John with a sword. 3 And when he saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (Now this was during the feast of Unleavened Bread.) 4 After he had arrested him, he also put him in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread and came to them at Troas within five days, where we stayed seven days.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven in order that you may be a new batch of dough, just as you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. 8 So then, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old leaven or with the leaven of wickedness and sinfulness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and after he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 Likewise also the cup, after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a person examine himself, and in this way let him eat from the bread and let him drink from the cup.
For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, in order that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.
By these three plagues a third of humanity was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the sulphur that came out of their mouths.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 8:37 PM February 10, 2024.
The lamp of the body is the eye, if therefore, your eye may be perfect all your body will be enlightened
The word lamp here is the same word translated as candle or lamp in Matthew 5:15. Disciples are to be the lamp which shines to the world. The eye of the disciple is the lamp for the disciples body.
The 1536 William Tyndale translates this as “Wherefore if thyne eye be single.” The TS2009 translates it as, “If therefore your eye is good.” The Literal Standard Version translates single or good as perfect. The word here has to do with being mature, of full age, complete. We might use the phrase ‘grown up’ today.
The Hebrew Scripture version translates the whole phrase as “All your body must be a sojourner, for if your eye is complete, all the body will be bright.”
As a disciple, we become mature, grown up when we set our eyes upon YHWH/God’s ways. Then our lamp will shine brightly into the rest of the world.
But if your eye may be evil, all your body will be dark, in you is darkness
This is all referring to an idiom. If you had a good eye, you were a blessing. You gave generosity to the poor and you looked out for the needs of others. You can see how this can related to the theme Jesus has been working through about treasures when you understand the idiom.
If you had an evil eye you were a curse. You were thought to be stingy, looking after your own needs, blind to the needs of those around you. You were greedy and held tight to what was yours.
None is able to serve two lords … you are not able to serve God and wealth.
Some translations use money or mammon in place of wealth.
Carrying forward what we’ve already learned and connecting this with what Jesus was saying about the religious leaders of the day wanting to be seen my man and our rewards and treasures, we can easily see the point here is not just about dollars and cents. It’s about who are you trying to please?
This is the theme from the time Jesus sat down and began to teach isn’t it?
If you please Yah/God, then you get rewards from him and treasures where he is. If you are trying to please man, then you get rewards and treasures where man is. It’s about the choices we make on whether we want to live in the Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of Earth.
What choice do you make?
This passage is pretty straight forward. It comes right after several statements from Jesus regarding rewards from our Father who is in and sees in secret. In verse 18 he said our Father who is seeing in secrete will reward manifestly or openly. Could those rewards be the treasures we can store up in Heaven/where God is?
Otzarot/Treasures are spoken of throughout the Scriptures as both the tangible as well as intangible.
Jesus says where these treasurers are, that is also where our hearts are. When our heart is in Heaven/where God is and focused on the Kingdom of Heaven/where God Reigns, the things which are pleasing to God will manifest outwardly. Those things, man can not destroy.
If we look back through Matthew 5 and 6 thus far, Jesus has pointed out several things we should be focused on storing up as treasures. He has also made it clear we shouldn’t be focused on the things of man. Matthew will bring up the them of treasurers several more times in his writings.
What treasures have you stored up?
Again, keeping this in context with what has come before. Remember, we learned there was a belief that by giving alms, praying, and fasting, atonement was made for sins. Jesus is teaching those are man made ideas. And he is teaching how Yah/God sees things.
And when you //disciples// fast – this makes it a given disciples will fast. What is fasting?
Do not be like the hypocrites, of sour countenances, disfigured faces, THAT men may see.
When you //disciple// fast anoint your head, wash your face, so you do not appear to men be fasting.
BUT/AND to your Father who is in secret and your Father who is seeing in secret, will reward you.
Head on over to our youtube and check out the shorts we are dropping daily. We’ve taken one long video and broken it up into Shorts – less than 60 seconds each. You can find them all on the shorts playlist.
Click here to go to Sabbath play list and skip to the first Shorts.
Or click here for the long video Scripture Survey: Sabbath and Seventh Day Rest.
This is a video covering all the scriptures referring to the Sabbath or Seventh Day Rest. It is a long one and may need to be a couple cups of coffee or tea over a couple days. But if you’ve wanted to see what was said about the Sabbath Day, this is the one to watch. Wondering who the Sabbath day was given to – was it just the Jews – this is the one to watch. Did Jesus keep the Sabbath? Did the disciples or Paul? Is the Sabbath day mentioned in the New Testament? This is the one to watch to get those answers. Remember, in a Ceasefire Moment we have to be willing to set aside all our pre-conceived ideas and seek to understand – not necessarily to agree.
Ge 2:2–3; Ex 16:23–30; 20:8–11; 23:12; 31:13–17; 34:21; 35:1–3; Le 19:3, 30; 23:3–39; 25:2–8; 26:2, 34–43; Nu 15:32; 28:25; Dt 5:12–15; Ne 9:14; 10:31–33; 13:15–22; Is 1:13; 56:2–6; 58:13; 66:23; La 2:6; Eze 20:12–24; 22:8, 26; 23:38; 44:24; 46:3; Ho 2:11; Mt 12:1–12; 24:20; 28:1; Mk 1:21; 2:23–28; 3:2–4; 6:2; 15:42; 16:1; Lk 4:16, 31; 6:1–9; 13:10–16; 14:1–5; 23:54–56; Jn 5:9–18; 7:22–23; 9:14–16; 19:31; Ac 13:14, 27–44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4; Col 2:16; Heb 4:4–9
Working on a new series, but it can’t be done without you. Let’s work on perceiving doctrine of the Christian Church together. You pick the doctrine and let’s work through scripture on that doctrine. We can meet online, audio or text chat, exchange emails, or I can do a scripture survey about it. You choose the doctrine and the method. As always the purpose of a Ceasefire moment is seek to understand, not to agree. Perceiving scripture goes even deeper than understanding. Let’s perceive together!
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Isaiah 6:9 He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Matthew 13:14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Mark 4:12 so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Acts 28:26 “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Building on the previous blogs – keep carrying the concepts from one to the next, be careful not to drop them. 🙂
As tempting as it might be to fly through this because every Christian knows what it says – take time to read through. There are concepts in this prayer we do not naturally know.
Therefore pray thus: Our Father who is in the heavens, hallowed be your Name …
Heaven – the concept of heaven is “where God is,” or because he is a god, it was believed he would have to be “above” everything.
Hallowed – Strong’s defines hallowed as: to make holy, i.e. (ceremonially) purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate:—hallow, be holy, sanctify.
Name – God does have a name, although it is rarely used now. ‘I am what I am’, Ehyeh (I Am), and El Shaddai is what he told Moses. But he also told Moses, “YHWH (the tetragram representation of the four Hebrew letters יהוה) would be his name forever. No one really knows exactly how to pronounce it, Yahweh or Yehovah, depends on where you put the vowels which didn’t exist in Hebrew writing. There is also another name used in Scripture which is Yah (יה). Many times he uses a phrase to distinguish himself from other gods, in English it would be, “I Am the god of Israel.’
It for sure is not “God”. God is a type of being. It’s equivalent to the word “human.” Wait, it would be “Human” with a capital ‘H’ right? That makes it much more important than the humans with a small ‘H’. Except, there aren’t any capitals in the Hebrew language.
It is interesting in most English translations, all the other gods have their names, but YHWH is typically referred to as Lord or God – neither are names. This comes out of the Jews seeing his name as so sacred and holy, they wouldn’t use it. This is why no one really knows how it was pronounced. So in doing this, his name has pretty much been lost forever. Now the way people reference this most sacred and holy being is with a generic term used for a type of being. Maybe something to think on? Or maybe it doesn’t matter at all?
Names were very important to God. In the Hebrew thought process a Name was more about the essence of someone. This is why God is famous for changing people’s names. When he wanted them to be someone else (their essence) he called them into it with their name. Many are familiar with phrases like Jehovah-Jirah, Jeohova-Rapha, what is happening here is YHWH is being combined with another word to describe who God is. If we were to translate it into English today it would be ‘I Am Provides,” or ‘I Am Heals.’
It struck me while thinking through what Hallowed and Name means, as well as realizing how important a name is to YHWH/God, as often as this is recited, we generally do not make holy the essence of who he is when we reference him simply as God. It would be like someone saying, ‘You are very valuable to me and I highly respect you.’ And then only refer to you as human – or when writing, ‘Human.’ This is one of those things which would take work to adjust because of the familiarity of saying ‘God.’ It is also important to recognize when speaking in unfamiliar circles, the god they serve may not be the god you serve. It might be worth defining which god is being spoken about. This is the main reason for the use of YHWH/God when writing. Jesus is more universally understood to be a specific person. God however, is not. In fact, In Arabic, when they say ‘Allah’ that is their word for god. Allah Akbar is God is Great!
If you google ‘God’ = “A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheistic religions.”
If you google ‘Yahweh’ = “Deity and national god of the Israelite kingdoms of Israel and Judah.” Like YHWH/God referred to himself, “I Am the god of Israel.’ Worth pondering …
Your //YHWH// Kingdom come, Your //YHWH// will be done, as in Heaven, also on the earth …
Kingdom = the word kingdom here is better thought of as “where Yah/God reigns.” Heaven is where ever God is. And earth is where man is.
So to understand more plainly what is being said here, “May your (YHWH) reign come, your ways be done, where man is, as it is where you are.” It is well worth considering what we are saying when we recite this. We are saying we want to give up our own ways for God’s ways. We want him to reign in our lives and decide what is good and bad in HIS eyes, not in our own.
Give us today our appointed bread
This is explained by Jesus very well in John 6:31-59 – Yah/God gave manna to the Israelites as he brought them out of bondage. Now he gives us the “true bread from heaven,” which is Jesus to bring us out of bondage. Jesus said he is the bread of life. The people who ate manna, died. But whosoever comes and believes in him will never hunger or thirst, and will live forever.
And forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors.
Forgive us our debts – We do not often see this line connected to the previous, however, it is very connected. The way Yah/God brought us out of bondage was by releasing us from the penalty of sin – death. The Israelites also received this same freedom in that instead of paying the penalty themselves, they had to bring a sacrifice to the Tabernacle to atone for the penalty of their sin – death. God brought us out of the bondage of having to bring a sacrifice to the Tabernacle or Temple and provide for us a once and for all sacrifice of an unblemished Passover Lamb in sending us Jesus. He provide a way for atonement – forgiveness of sins.
Because Jesus has provided a way for atonement, and he is the bread of life, we will live forever. Without that way, we die.
We also forgive – As he has provided a way to forgiveness, we also should provide a way of forgiveness.
And lead us not into temptation
This line has sometimes bothered me – why would Yah/God lead us … in to temptation? Was this saying like he was leading Job into temptation? Is that the idea here? Or is this what happened when Jesus was taken to be tempted by the adversary? Let’s dig into this one.
Lead us – the meaning to this word is carrying into a situation. This same word is used a few other times and is translated as carry and bring. The one in Hebrews 13 is interesting, it refers to the animals “blood was brought” (lead us). The blood was brought as a sin offering to make atonement in the Holy Place. Jesus gave his own blood as a sin offering.
Temptation – the meaning of this word has to do with testing or an examination. Jesus used this word when he would later tell the disciples to watch and pray so they would not enter into temptation. It is also the same word used of Jesus when he was carried into the wilderness. In 2 Peter 2 we see Yah/God knows how to deliver the righteous out of temptations. And in Revelation 3, he keeps people from the hour of temptation. Just as he gave a sin offering for both the Israelites and us through blood, he makes away through temptations.
The connection to 1 Corinthians 10 is very intriguing. Here we see how the Israelites “all ate the same spiritual food” – the manna or bread (give us our daily bread). And yet, Yah was not pleased with them and how this happened as examples to us. If we look back to Exodus 16, we will see how Yah/God says why he gave them manna for only six days. He did it so he could “test” them to find out whether they would walk in his Torah (today Christians call this “the law” or “commandments”) or not. What did they do? They failed.
“No temptation has taken hold of you except what is common to mankind. (TLV)” But God …
There is always a But God moment available, he will always provide a way out, the question is, will we take it? God tried to tell the Israelites, but they didn’t listen. Jesus tried to tell the disciples to stay awake and prayer – but they didn’t listen. So they ended up being carried into the testing and temptations and dealing with all the issues that came from those decisions. When Jesus was carried to his testing, he took the way out God provided – so he didn’t have to go through all the testing and temptation which would have come had he not.
But deliver us from the evil one
Deliver us – Yah/God may bring you to a test, but he also gives you the answer key. What we do with that is up to us. Follow his ways, and all goes well, as it did with Jesus. Follow our ways, and we go through the consequences of that choice.
Evil one – this is flashing back to Matthew 4 where Jesus is tested by the “devil”. The words satan and devil do not refer to one specific being. The words are more like a job description or an office held, like our word secretary or administrative assistant. Satan refers to an adversary. In this case, devil refers to a slanderer, a false accuser. Jesus referred to Judas with this same term.
Verse 13-14 For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you.
Verse 13: For yours is the kingdom … – This part doesn’t show in any of the earlier versions. And Luke doesn’t include it in his. Most believe it came out of an extrabiblical document called the Didache which was a 2nd Century work of the early church fathers.
Verse 14: For if you forgive … This verse was never in the original text. It was written in the margin as a note in one of the old texts, and over time was added in as a verse. The meaning is conveyed and supported in other scriptures, which is probably why the person wrote it in their margin. The important thing to remember is we don’t get forgiven of our sins BECAUSE we forgive someone else. We get forgiven because of having faith and believing in Jesus.
But/And if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
First observation – why was this dropped from “this is how you should pray?” It does seem to have a change from the we/us to the you format. But oh, can you imagine if every time we recited the Lord’s Prayer we had to say something like, “If we do not forgive, our Father will not forgive us.” OUCH!
Second observation – it kind of is in there when we say forgive our debts and we forgive our debtors. This means it was more of a reiteration of what was said before. There has to be a reason Jesus added this AGAIN right? Maybe we should give this one a second thought as well.
As I finished this up, I noticed correlation to something from the previous blog, prayer is about participation of the heart, the body, and the mind in connecting with God. We could break this prayer down into three parts as well
The heart: recognizing Yah/God is holy and wanting his reign to come, to walk in his ways and not our own.
The body: learning to rely on God as he has given us our daily bread in Jesus, freed us from bondage as we also free those in bondage to us.
The mind: choosing the path he has provided in order to avoid temptations and to deliver us from the consequences.
It could be a stretch maybe? Regardless, if we walk in oneness with Yah/God, all goes well with us. Jesus was giving us a way to remember this, and a way to keep a map before us as we walk daily. Now the question is, how often do we use this map?
And when you //disciple// pray …
Pray – the concept those standing around would have had when Jesus was talking about praying is deeper than what we practice regularly today. In their mind it was the joining together of ones mind and spirit, getting into our deepest thoughts. It was about a very intimate union with YHWH/God. True tefillah/prayer involved the heart and the deep love inside. It was nothing like anything we see on a general basis today.
They believed the commands/laws were YHWH/God’s way of connecting with his people. And tefillah/prayer was his people’s way of connecting with him. Keeping this understanding in mind moving forward in this verse can be key to understanding what Jesus was saying to his disciples.
do not be as the hypocrites because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the broad places so that they may be seen of men
The hypocrites – those are the religious leaders of the day. Giving of Alms, Praying, and Fasting which are grouped together here was seen as a way of atoning for sins. The more you could be seen the more people knew you were righteous. They sat in the best seats in the “church” and went out into the market places and prayed so everyone could hear them. They didn’t do it from their heart – they did it SO THAT other people would see them. It was a show, all the intimacy was gone. They weren’t concerned about whether God heard them, just how many seen them.
In Luke 18, Jesus tells a parable about a Pharisee and a Publican (tax collector). Keep in mind a tax collector was believed to be so unclean, he was unredeemable, he couldn’t even give a testimony in the courts. Jesus tells how they are going to the temple to pray. In the end, the Publican was justified, not the Pharisee. Ponder on that one for a moment or two.
BUT/AND you //disciples// when you pray, go into your chamber and shut the door and pray to your Father in secret …
First he says what not to do – don’t pray out so man can see. Then he says what to do – pray inside where God can see. This may or may not be about a physical location. Just like most of what Jesus teaches, the major idea is about what is inside a person, it’s all about the heart.
In the Hebrew Bible Translation it reads: “But you, when you pray, prepare it in your inner room, and pray unto YHWH in privacy, with a closed door.”
It is worth noting, if you look into Jesus’s prayer life, it tends to typically be done away from people. That’s probably why the disciples had to ask how to do it. Everything else they could watch, listen, and learn, but not prayer. There are only a few times Jesus prays out loud. Even then, before he does, he explains why he is praying out into the world for everyone to hear.
Personally, just my opinion, it may be because prayer, as it was understood at that time, is different than it is today. When Jesus went to talk to the Father, he hallowed God, he gave God his undivided attention. He communed with God. It was a personal conversation. When he left those times, he carried that communion with him. He was one with God. He didn’t need to “pray” for someone to be healed as if God wasn’t there already, he simply extended that communion and the person was healed. Just like the disciples shadows healed people as they walked by. But, again, that’s just a thought being processed out loud. What do you think?
and your Father who is seeing in secret will reward you.
Jesus said getting away and communing with God results in a reward, based on what he said earlier, that reward is most likely not received here on earth – but who knows? It’s possible right?
Wonder what we are missing out on as we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life? Jesus had his own hustle and bustle to deal with, but he still found a way.
Or when all we do is pray in groups, thinking about each word and what others will think? Or because we only pray when we have a request to make, burden to share, food to be blessed? Can we break our concept of prayer and our pray habits and get back to an ability to truly commune with the Father like Jesus did?
And praying, you //disciples// may not use vain repetition like the nations //people// for they think that in their speaking much they will be heard.
It doesn’t seem to be about the length of the prayer because in Luke 6, he records Jesus prayed all night. It also doesn’t seem to be about asking more than once, as Jesus returned again in the Garden. So the repetition concept here can’t be about the length of prayer time nor the number of times.
Repetition – the word carries a meaning of babbling, chattering, uttering empty words, repeating the same things over and over, stammering, speaking with little purpose. The word here comes from the same root word used in Matthew 5, Let your yea by yea, nay be nay.
Again, it seems to be about the connection of the heart. If one is just babbling along, disconnected from what is coming out of the heart into the mouth, there isn’t any connection between the person and God. This is probably the connection Paul was making in 1 Corinthians 14, when he said he would pray with words he understands.
Prayer is about participation of the heart, the body, and the mind in connecting with God. Oneness.
Do not be like them for your //disciples// Father knows those things that you need before your asking him.
Do not be like them – thinking in speaking much you will be heard.
Those standing there hearing this had to have had a flash back to 1 Kings 18 and the battle of the gods. Elijah said the people had abandoned YHWH/God’s commands and were following the Baals. He told the people, if YHWH is God, follow him. But if Baal is God, follow him. The people couldn’t decide. The followers of Baal and Asherah (Easter) called the gods from morning till evening, they got louder and louder and danced around. They thought if they keep pleading and praying their god would answer. Elijah then stepped up and said around 50 words and YHWH answered.
Knows before you ask – As the scene took place between Elijah and the prophets of Baal and Asherah, YHWH/God was fully aware of what was needed. But Elijah still had to make the preparations and ask. Sometime we have prayers that are like our emergency calls. We are in a moment, we dial up and say, ‘Help’. There is a sort of connection made when someone says the word help. Not a lot of words or time needed, the communion is instant and can be very deep.
However, on a general, every day basis, maybe its about the purpose of our prayer. Are we praying for man to hear? Are we focused on what we want, Jesus says our Father already knows? Or are we just coming to meet with YHWH/God and have some good quality time with our Father? In that quality time, both God’s and our needs, wants, and desires are expressed and heard.
Remember, the concept of prayer here is communion – meeting with God. It takes two. He is waiting for you.
Next well break down how Jesus told his disciples to pray …
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently? This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
Testing in Resting: The weekly Sabbath is a day to rest and reflect. It’s a time to remember God has provided all we need. He sent his son, Jesus to become our sacrifice and our high priest – all we have to do is have faith in him and he will do the rest. Our reconciliation is promised through our faith. However, Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my Torah.” He specifically talks about the “Torah” and keeping the smallest marks in it. As we seek to understand more fully, we learn there are laws to keep, ordinances dependent on circumstances, recommendations for getting the best out of life, and right-rulings for making judgements. We don’t keep them because we have to, we keep them because we want to obey. All throughout God Sabbaths/appointed times has referenced or alluded to having faith and obeying him – the original day of worship.
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently? This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
All are One: During this time we remember, Jesus said a prayer for those who have faith in him. He said, “Just as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, so also may they be one in Us, so the world may believe that You sent Me.” God tabernacled among his people in a temporary dwelling place. And Jesus temporarily tabernacled among us in flesh. And now our body is a tabernacle to the Holy Spirit. Jesus has went to prepare our forever home and one day, we will once again be with Immanuel – God with Us when he returns to reign forever and ever. ““Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” – the original Christmas
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently? This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
Forgive as You are Forgiven: During the time between Trumpets and Day of Atonement is a time to consider our ways and make correction as needed. Just as the priests were ordained and consecrated by the atonement sacrifice, so Jesus has been our atoning sacrifice. We are the one who deserves death but instead we will be set free because Jesus takes our place. Forgive others, just as Jesus forgave those who persecuted him. The original Ash Wednesday/Lent.
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently? This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
Become One Who Disciples: On this day we remember while Jesus was in this world he was the light, whoever follows him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light in them. Jesus said his disciples are the light of the world and should not be hidden. We remember when we walk in his ways and let our light shine we have fellowship together. Shout for joy because Jesus has destroyed death, brought life and immortality to light through the good news. One day he is returning and will reign forever and ever! A day to remember to keep watch for one day he is returning – the original Advent.
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently? This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
Receive Jesus’s Testimony and Baptism: On this day we remember the free gift given to both Jew and Gentile. The Holy Spirit is Jesus’s baptism(Acts 2:38) and his witness testifying to the whole earth. The Spirit writes his commands on our hearts. The Spirit baptizes in the Name (the essence) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – the original Pentecost.
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently? This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
Become a Disciple: As we observe this appointed time, we are to remember what Jesus has done for us. Without him going first, and making the way, we would not be able to follow. He was offered up first so the rest of the harvest that follows can also be accepted. As his disciples we surrender our lives and walk in his ways. On this day we remember his resurrection – the original Easter.
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently? This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
Called Out of Captivity: As we observe this appointed time of YHWH/God’s, we are to remember we were once captives to lawlessness (sin), separated from God, just like the Israelites were in the land of Egypt. In order to get back in right relationship with God, there must be a sacrifice made because the law of sin requires a death. We are to remember he chose to bring us out of captivity through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus and set us free from lawlessness (sin). On this day, we remember his crucifixion, the original Good Friday.
*Passover and Unleavened Bread are one appointed time
Called into Righteousness: As we observe this appointed time of God’s, we are to remember God provides for us. We are to clean out all the lawlessness (sin) in our houses. Just as he prepared a way through the wilderness into the promised land for the Israelites, he has prepared a way into righteousness and the Holy Place through his son, Jesus. Jesus has paid the ransom for those have faith in him and obey. On this day we remember his triumphant descent – the original Holy Saturday.
*Passover and Unleavened Bread are one appointed time
Part 3 – When Did Things Change? This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
NEXT UP: Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
COMING SOON: Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
The only god listed in Part 1, who has had major changes in how and when his followers celebrate him is the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (YHWH), and his Son, Yeshua/Jesus. There is no contention that Jesus was not born in December. The only doubt surrounding when he was born is the debate about which of YHWH/God’s Sabbaths he was born on.
Ever hear of the Penalty for Keeping Christmas Law? Yeah, me neither. But in Massachusetts Bay Colony there was such a thing in 1659. They felt it was a “great dishonor of God and offence of others.” If that were in effect today – we’d be paying almost $50 bucks per violation! It was removed in 1681. Of course, in Massachusetts’s they also arrested “witches” (1692-1693) as well! Many held the line, and Christmas did not become a publicly accepted holiday until 1856. In 1870, Christmas was declared a national holiday.
How about an ordinance in England banning Christmas and Easter? Yep, there was one there too. Passed by Parliament in 1647. They had fines there too! Ended up causing riots. They removed it in 1660 because it was too hard to enforce.
Exactly when it all changed? No one really knows, it has been lost in time. We know during the time of Constantine, many Christians switched the date and traditions. And then it seems sometime between the late fourth century and the sixteenth century, Christians pushed back against Christmas altogether. And then in 1870, December 25th and all the traditions with it, became a USA National Holiday.
There isn’t even any contention the early church did not celebrated his birth in December. Nor is there any contention about the early followers observing YHWH/God’s Sabbaths. And we know Jesus and the disciples observed the Sabbaths of YHWH/God.
So here we are in modern times with a tension once again between whether Christians should be celebrating Christmas or not. And whether Christians and Messianic Jews should observe the Sabbaths.
YHWH set up his Dwelling place with elements representing his Sabbaths. He is the only god who uniquely designed his Sabbaths to remained relevant to each generation who kept them. They were meant to be rehearsals, preparing us for what is to come.
Jesus’s birth, death, and resurrection all line up with one of God’s Sabbaths. There is some leaning to his birth being during Passover in the Spring. However, the strongest evidence is for his birth being during one of the fall Sabbaths which would be either Feast of Trumpets or Feast of Tabernacles. We read about one of them, the Feast of Tabernacles, in John 7.
The Tabernacle was where YHWH/God’s temporary dwelling place was among the people during the Exodus out of Egypt. There are scripture which can bridge Jesus to the other Feasts, but here are some bridging the Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot to Jesus:
There is a Hebrew scripture in Zechariah 14 talking about the day of the Lord. It fits very well with Jesus’s first coming. Starting in Verse 16 is a foreshadowing of the Millennial Reign of Jesus – and the Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot is being kept by all, with a consequence if people choose not to.
Isaiah talks about the new heaven and new earth and the observant of one Shabbat to another.
22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“so your descendants and your name will endure.”
23 “And it will come to pass,
Isaiah 66
that from one New Moon to another,
and from one Shabbat to another,
all flesh will come to bow down before Me,”
says Adonai.
God said it was a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. However, for the Christians this is no longer the case. Because of this it may surprise some Christians, the same Good News message told in the New Testament was also given to the people in the Old Testament. We’ll look at that next time.
19 I am the Lord your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and observe them. 20 Sanctify My Sabbaths and keep them holy; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord your God.’ 21 Yet the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, which, if a man keeps, he will live; they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I decided to pour out My wrath on them and finish My anger against them in the wilderness.
Ezekiel 20 AMP
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently? This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
The most accurate and quick answer would be: Because YHWH/God said to. God said to be set-apart. He said he doesn’t want what is given to other gods. He gave us ways of celebrating and worshipping him.
Sometimes the most appropriate question doesn’t start with can or could, but instead starts with should. Can I rob a bank? Yes. Should? No. Can I drink pop all day long? Yes. Should? Probably not. Can Christians celebrate Easter and Christmas? Yes. Should? Isn’t that the question? Do Christians have to learn about God’s Sabbaths? No. Should? Probably should. Jesus did, the disciples did, Paul did, the early church father’s did, the church did up until at least the late fourth century.
So why not? Why would Christians want to be the only god worshippers who are willing to change how they celebrate YHWH and Jesus because the government and a bishop said to? Why would Christians want to be the only ones who changed their date, abandon YHWH’s ways, and adopt those of other god worshippers? Do they fear their gods more than Christians fear theirs?
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.
Hebrews 4 NIV (Emphasis added)
“Faith and obeyed.” This implies there was an expected action in addition to having faith.
This may take a bit to digest, don’t try and take it all in at once. Take it section by section, look at each element separately. God designed this so through the Holy Spirit, it would be easy to understand and comprehend. Scripture references are left off in most cases – test everything – look them up. Enough of the words are used you can easily google them and find the scriptures. You may be surprised at other treasures you will turn up, if you are seeking knowledge and wisdom, your mind will be blown at least once!
God tells the good news of Jesus through observance of his Sabbaths (appointed times). He also tells it through his Tabernacle which was a copy and shadow of what is in heaven (where God is). He designed them as a testimony for his followers to live out and be set apart from the rest of the world. Don’t skip over this scripture we all think we know, take time to read it.
10 Yeshua answered him, “You’re a teacher of Israel and you do not understand these things? 11 Amen, amen I tell you, We speak about what We know and testify about what We have seen. Yet you all do not receive Our testimony! 12 If you do not believe the earthly things I told you, how will you believe when I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has gone up into heaven except the One who came down from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,[c] so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life!
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18 The one who believes in Him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not put his trust in the name of the one and only Ben-Elohim.
19 “Now this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world and men loved the darkness instead of the light,[d] because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 21 But whoever practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be made known that his deeds have been accomplished in God.”
John 3 (TLV)
Called Out of Captivity: As we observe this appointed time of YHWH/God’s, we are to remember we were once captives to lawlessness (sin), separated from God, just like the Israelites were in the land of Egypt. In order to get back in right relationship with God, there must be a sacrifice made because the law of sin requires a death. We are to remember he chose to bring us out of captivity through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus and set us free from lawlessness (sin). On this day, we remember his crucifixion, the original Good Friday.
Called into Righteousness: As we observe this appointed time of God’s, we are to remember God provides for us. We are to clean out all the lawlessness (sin) in our houses. Just as he prepared a way through the wilderness into the promised land for the Israelites, he has prepared a way into righteousness and the Holy Place through his son, Jesus. Jesus has paid the ransom for those have faith in him and obey. On this day we remember his triumphant descent – the original Holy Saturday.
*Passover and Unleavened Bread are one appointed time
See the detailed testimony of God through Passover and Unleavened bread here …
Become a Disciple: As we observe this appointed time, we are to remember what Jesus has done for us. Without him going first, and making the way, we would not be able to follow. He was offered up first so the rest of the harvest that follows can also be accepted. As his disciples we surrender our lives and walk in his ways. On this day we remember his resurrection – the original Easter.
See the detailed testimony of God through First Fruits here …
Receive Jesus’s Testimony and Baptism: On this day we remember the free gift given to both Jew and Gentile. The Holy Spirit is Jesus’s baptism(Acts 2:38) and his witness testifying to the whole earth. The Spirit writes his commands on our hearts. The Spirit baptizes in the Name (the essence) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – the original Pentecost.
See the detailed testimony of God through Pentecost here …
Become One Who Disciples: On this day we remember while Jesus was in this world he was the light, whoever follows him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light in them. Jesus said his disciples are the light of the world and should not be hidden. We remember when we walk in his ways and let our light shine we have fellowship together. Shout for joy because Jesus has destroyed death, brought life and immortality to light through the good news. One day he is returning and will reign forever and ever! A day to remember to keep watch for one day he is returning – the original Advent.
See the detailed testimony of God through the Feast of Trumpets here …
Forgive as You are Forgiven: During the time between Trumpets and Day of Atonement is a time to consider our ways and make correction as needed. Just as the priests were ordained and consecrated by the atonement sacrifice, so Jesus has been our atoning sacrifice. We are the one who deserves death but instead we will be set free because Jesus takes our place. Forgive others, just as Jesus forgave those who persecuted him. The original Ash Wednesday/Lent.
See the detailed testimony of God through the Day of Atonement here …
All are One: During this time we remember, Jesus said a prayer for those who have faith in him. He said, “Just as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, so also may they be one in Us, so the world may believe that You sent Me.” God tabernacled among his people in a temporary dwelling place. And Jesus temporarily tabernacled among us in flesh. And now our body is a tabernacle to the Holy Spirit. Jesus has went to prepare our forever home and one day, we will once again be with Immanuel – God with Us when he returns to reign forever and ever. ““Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” – the original Christmas
See detailed testimony of God through the Feast of Tabernacles here …
Testing in Resting: The weekly Sabbath is a day to rest and reflect. It’s a time to remember God has provided all we need. He sent his son, Jesus to become our sacrifice and our high priest – all we have to do is have faith in him and he will do the rest. Our reconciliation is promised through our faith. However, Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my Torah.” He specifically talks about the “Torah” and keeping the smallest marks in it. As we seek to understand more fully, we learn there are laws to keep, ordinances dependent on circumstances, recommendations for getting the best out of life, and right-rulings for making judgements. We don’t keep them because we have to, we keep them because we want to obey. All throughout God Sabbaths/appointed times has referenced or alluded to having faith and obeying him – the original day of worship.
See the detailed testimony of God through the Weekly Sabbath here …
10“Because this is the covenant that I shall make with the house of Yisra’ĕl after those days, says יהוה, giving My laws in their mind, and I shall write them on their hearts, and I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.
11“And they shall by no means teach each one his neighbour, and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know יהוה,’ because they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
12“Because I shall forgive their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawlessnesses I shall no longer remember.”
13By saying, ‘renewed,’ He has made the first old. Now what becomes old and growing aged is near disappearing.
Hebrews 8 TS2009
Part 4 – Where is the Good News in the Old Testament? This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
NEXT UP: Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
You won’t find the good news or gospel in the Hebrew Scriptures (OT) in the manner in which most Christians have become accustom to sharing it. But the good news is there, outside of the prophesies, if you know what to look for. We are told over and over in the New Testament the good news was proclaimed in the Old Testament.
Just as they did – the Israelites had the good news proclaimed to them – but some did not have faith and did not obey.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever trusts in Him will not be put to shame.” [g] 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all… As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!” [i] 16 But not all heeded the Good News. For Isaiah says, “Adonai, who has believed our report?” [j] 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Messiah.
Romans 10 TLV (Emphasis added)
If we look backward at this reference, this is what we find:
Behold, upon the mountains
Nahum 1/2 TLV
are the feet[a] of him bringing good news,[b]
proclaiming shalom.
O Judah, celebrate your festivals!
Fulfill your vows!
For never again will Belial pass through you.
He has been utterly cut off.
YHWH/God gave the good news – thousands of years before it was fulfilled. He gave the good news as an ordinance to be followed throughout the generations. Generations of who? His followers. It was not for the Israelites, it was not for the Jews, it was for anyone who wanted to follow Him. God says over and over in the Hebrew Scriptures (OT) “same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.”
Even in the Old Testament, it was for “whosoever,” but over time, it became exclusive to the Jewish religion. It is part of what Jesus came to refurbish, restore back to its former glory. (In a previous blog we learned the meaning behind the word ‘new’, as in New Covenant was refurbish, restore).
In Nahum – Judah had been held captive and was not allowed to keep the appointed times of their God, YHWH. God is bringing them back to the good news, to the peace/shalom. He is freeing them to once again celebrate the Shabbats, also called festivals, feasts, or appointed times.
The way God laid out the Good News, thousands of years in advance, makes it an ever lasting good news. He gave it in such a way it was a rehearsal for all generations, for whosoever wanted to be his follower. It proclaims I AM WHO I AM!
God laid the Good News out in his Tabernacle and his “moedim”.
Moedim – it means appointed time, place or meeting. In our English translations we might read Sabbaths, feast, festivals, season, set apart time, appointed sign, and a few others. In addition, some of these times have two and three names. This can make it difficult to follow the theme the whole way through the Bible from beginning to end. It takes quite a bit of study. Even when you think you have it all figured out, he drops another truth to blow your mind.
Today, we can easily forget there are other gods and they have followers. But throughout the Bible times, everyone was well aware of the other gods. Their temples lined the streets. God gave his people a way to be set apart from all the followers of all the other gods. He gave his moedim/Sabbaths as a sign between his followers and him that he was their God (Exodus 31, Ezekiel 20).
If all Christians and Messianic Jews kept the Appointed Times, they would be a witness to everyone around them throughout the year, not just two times a year. It would also make YHWH/God set apart from all the commercialization of the current holidays. He gave them as a way to remember the good news – we were once in bondage but he set us free. Next, we will walk through the Good News God gave us – his testimony about Jesus.
Maybe it is time we test ourselves and hold to what is true?
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[d] from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1 ESV
5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!
Romans 3 – NIV
Part 2 – What are the Traditions? This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
NEXT UP: Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
COMING SOON: Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
COMING SOON: Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
While many simply decorate because its the thing to do for the season. Others are decorating as a celebration of their god and many of the traditions originated as rituals used in worship gatherings. Regardless of their origin, the meanings attached to them have become the same, irrelevant of the god being celebrated. It is interesting to look at the various sites explaining why they believe their symbol means what it means – not even realizing, all the other god worshipers are saying pretty much the same thing, here are just a few:
If someone took a snapshot of all the homes on a city block, it would be difficult to tell the pagans, witches, wiccans, Christians, and non believers from one another. Even the fruit cakes could get involved. *read with slight sarcasm…Raisin/Grape cakes were used in Ashtoreth worship (Hosea 3:1)*
One of the main reasons everyone is celebrating in the same way – if you read the last blog you already know what is going to be said – has to do with the Roman Emperor Constantine. He and the bishops of the Roman Catholic church “Christianized” all the celebrations. Basically, they didn’t change anything. They mashed all the gods, believers, and traditions together. So even though they remained separate in what god they worshipped, the details of when and how merged together.
All the gods, except Jesus, have been honored for 2,500-3,000+ years with at least one day in December to remember their birth and their miraculous feats.
It is highly unlikely Jesus’s birth was celebrated by any of the disciples, nor the early church fathers, as it was not their custom at that time. There is no contention the early church observed YHWH/God’s Sabbaths well into the fourth century. In observing the Sabbaths they would have indirectly celebrated Jesus, as his birth was foretold thousands of years ahead of time through the Sabbaths.
The tradition of observing God’s Sabbaths eventually changed after Constantine began persecuting anyone observing anything which had to do with the Jews. As the Christians distance themselves from the Jews they began assimilating the Sabbat traditions of the pagans, witches, and wiccans into their celebration of YHWH and his son, Jesus. Eventually it became more and more difficult to tell the celebration of a god born in December apart. As time went on, the Christians began believing they did not have to nor should they keep the Sabbaths of the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (YHWH), seeing them as strictly for the Jews. The fact YHWH built the message of Jesus into his Sabbaths, spanning thousands of years before his birth, is now completely lost to the Christians.
Constantine was successful in merging all the traditions. Celebration of Jesus became the same day as all the other gods, as well as the same traditions in honoring him.
At some point after Constantine, certain denominations of Christians and Messianic Jews began to recognize the pagan ways of the celebrations and refused to continue their observance well into the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. They found observing Christmas as dishonoring to the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – YHWH and Jesus. They may have measured these traditions against what YHWH/God said in Deuteronomy.
Some modern day Christians are again, foregoing traditions they believe are rooted in pagan ways and turning back to the Sabbaths of YHWH/God. Many site Jeremiah 10, as a reason to not have a Christmas tree, however, as much as this text sounds exactly like our modern Christmas tree, it was talking about the figurines they would whittle out of the wood (or stone), paint them, and put them together with nails and set them under a tree. The tree was called an Asherah pole, a tree or pole in the shape of a tree, used in worship to the goddess Asherah. These trees/poles are spoken of 32 times in the Hebrew Bible (OT), each time the followers are being told to cut them down and burn them and the figurines under them. Asherah (also known as Ishtar/Easter) is a sun goddess referred to several times, along with Baal, two gods YHWH/God had the most contention with. She was the lover of Nimrod/Tammuz also being celebrated on December 25th.
However, today, main stream Christianity continue with their celebration of God and Jesus with the date and traditions developed during the era of Emperor Constantine. They are no longer concerned with the pagan origins as they focus on what is in their hearts: celebrating the birth of Jesus as the reason for the season and the traditions which bring families together.
One thing that is very different is Christians are the only ones with a tradition, at this time of the year, including a Nativity Scene. Nativity literally means occasion of a birth. The Nativity Scene of Jesus is publicly displayed all around towns and the country side. Entire plays and dramatizations are centered around this scene. Although there are figurines, shapes, and art depicting other gods, none are typically used as a nativity/birth scene, nor are they publicly displayed during their celebrations in December.
The Smithsonian says the first Nativity Scene was set up in 1223 by a Franciscan monk (Roman Catholic) – St. Francis of Assisi. There is a story out there going something like this, he set up a scene, and invited everyone to come and see. While they were looking, he preached about Jesus – no wait – “the babe of Bethlehem,” because he was so overcome with emotion, he just couldn’t say Jesus.
Side track note: What is up with that? Not saying this is pertaining to this instance, but there is a verse about someone who does not say Jesus came in flesh.
The scene we typically see today, at least in America, includes:
We’ve covered who is celebrating, who is being celebrated, and what traditions there are. Generally, the pagans, witches, wiccans, and even the Jews have stayed true to their time honored traditions in celebration of their gods for thousands of years. The Christians and the Messianic Jews however have made major changes in the last 1,600 years, some in just the last 300+ years. We’ll take a look at just when did things change for them next.
Micah is a book written around 700 years before Jesus’s birth. The Prophet speaks about the coming birth of a Messiah, Jesus, and the millennial kingdom to come. Nimrod/Tammuz, Asherah, and several other gods are spoken of throughout Micah.
As you read scripture such as Micah, consider, what could the things he refers to be a symbol or representation of in our time? For example, obviously, we no longer have chariots – what might those represent?
The final verses of Chapter 5, :
10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will destroy your horses from among you
Micah 5 TLV (emphasis added)
and demolish your chariots.
11 I will destroy the cities of your land
and tear down all your strongholds.
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.
13 I will destroy your idols
and your sacred stones from among you;
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[e]
when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance in anger and wrath
on the nations that have not obeyed me.”
We are wrapping up (pun intended) The Holiday Season of Christmas as well as the Sabbats of the Winter Solstice, Yule, and Saturnalia.
This is a five part series looking at the Celebrations of the Birth of a God in December.
Part 1 – Who is Celebrating? Who is being Celebrated?
UP NEXT: Part 2 – What are the Traditions?
COMING SOON: Part 3 – When Did Things Change?
COMING SOON: Part 4 – Where is The Good News in the Old Testament?
COMING SOON: Part 5 – Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Differently?
The pagans, witches, and wiccans refer to their set aside times of celebrations as Sabbats. There are typically eight, and the celebrations usually last several days. In December, the dates range from the 20th-28th depending on how things fall. The dates are driven by the shortest and longest days of the year. It is a time to celebrate the return of light. They are celebrating their gods and mother earth.
The Jewish religion has Shabbats which may or may not be the same word as Sabbats used by the pagans, witches, and wiccan – there is much debate on this. The Jews celebrate seven appointed times by the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (YHWH), none of which occur in December. However, they do celebrate Chanukah/Hanukkah for eight days sometime between November and December – with the dates changing each year. They are celebrating their god, the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They do not celebrate the birth of Jesus.
There are also some Christians and Messianic Jews who have Sabbats and celebrates the appointed times of YHWH. However, most Christians who celebrate Christmas do not celebrate Sabbats. Different Denominations have different Holy Days. Generally, in the month of December, there are a few celebrations centered around their god, the same god as the Jews – the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (YHWH), and his son called Yeshua/Jesus:
People who have no religion or god, generally celebrate the Christmas Season which can start anytime after Thanksgiving and ends around New Years. They typically gather with family and friends on either Christmas Eve (24th) or Christmas Day (25th).
Other gods are accepted and worshipped among many religions. Even the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (YWHW) is accepted in them. However, the acceptance of his son, Jesus, is not always the case.
Christians do not tend to think about there being other gods. Yet, other gods are referred to throughout the Bible and is frequently a contention between YHWH and his people/followers. YHWH/God is referred to as being a “great God and great King above all gods,” “presides in the great assembly,” rendering “judgment among the gods”.
“It was a custom of the pagans to celebrate on the same Dec. 25 the birthday of the sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity …Accordingly, when the church authorities perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnized.
An unknown 4th-century scribe, Scriptus Syrus (The validity of this statement is debated, some see it as authentic, some do not.)
The actual birth date of all of those listed above is generally unknown. There are lots of stories about how each of the births came to be recognized in December. However, one of the main reason everyone is celebrating on December 25th and worshipped weekly on Sunday, has to do with the Roman Emperor Constantine. You can explore the vast amount of information about Constantine and his conversion on your own. But once he chose Christianity as the religion he wanted to follow, he and the bishops of the Roman Catholic church sought to “Christianized” all the celebrations.
Based on my research my opinion became he didn’t want to leave anyone out but he wanted it all to be called Christianity. They basically wanted to merge everything under the title of Christianity because that’s the one he chose. His biggest competition in making this change were the Jews so he outlawed Judaizing. They did things like replace the word Sun – as in sun god to the word Son – as in Son of God. And outlawed worship services on Saturday and made everyone switch to Sunday. Prior to that the Jews and the Christians worshiped on Saturday. And most of the pagans worshiped on Sunday. Eventually this took hold and became the norm for most of the world.
Because of the changes Constantine made, the traditions and origins of the dates and the celebrations have become so entwined, there’s plenty of debate on who started what first. Whether it started with the pagans, witches, wiccan, Christianity, or even the Jews can be highly debated and left unreconciled. We’ll take a look at the traditions next.
1In the sight of Elohim and the Master יהושע Messiah, who shall judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His reign, I earnestly charge you: 2Proclaim the Word! Be urgent in season, out of season. Convict, warn, appeal, with all patience and teaching. 3For there shall be a time when they shall not bear sound teaching, but according to their own desires, they shall heap up for themselves teachers tickling the ear, 4and they shall indeed turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to myths. 5But you be sober in all matters, suffer hardships, do the work of an evangelist, accomplish your service completely.
2 Timothy 4 TS2009
Let’s take a look into Scripture to see what we can find related to the Christian Winter Holidays:
Youtube: https://youtu.be/P0SDT18ydcQ
Rumble: https://rumble.com/v42165t-scripture-survey-video-christian-winter-holidays.html
This is a video covering all the scriptures referring to the Lord’s Day and First Day of the Week, as well as references in the New Testament in regard to gathering or meeting together. You may be surprised by what we see.
Remember, in a Ceasefire Moment we have to be willing to set aside all our pre-conceived ideas and seek to understand – not necessarily to agree.
Lord’s Day and First day
Re 1:10; Mt 28:1; Mk 16:9; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1, 19; Ac 20:7; 1 Co 16:2; Ac 2:46; Heb 10:25; Ac 12:12; 14:27; 15:30; 1 Co 11:34; Ac 2:1, 11; 5:12
Youtube: https://youtu.be/viUnZMz0Qho
Rumble: https://rumble.com/v41rmi5-sabbath-and-seventh-day-rest.html
This is a video covering all the scriptures referring to the Sabbath or Seventh Day Rest. It is a long one and may need to be a couple cups of coffee or tea over a couple days. But if you’ve wanted to see what was said about the Sabbath Day, this is the one to watch. Wondering who the Sabbath day was given to – was it just the Jews – this is the one to watch. Did Jesus keep the Sabbath? Did the disciples or Paul? Is the Sabbath day mentioned in the New Testament? This is the one to watch to get those answers.
Remember, in a Ceasefire Moment we have to be willing to set aside all our pre-conceived ideas and seek to understand – not necessarily to agree.
Sabbath-Seventh Day Rest
Ge 2:2–3; Ex 16:23–30; 20:8–11; 23:12; 31:13–17; 34:21; 35:1–3; Le 19:3, 30; 23:3–39; 25:2–8; 26:2, 34–43; Nu 15:32; 28:25; Dt 5:12–15; Ne 9:14; 10:31–33; 13:15–22; Is 1:13; 56:2–6; 58:13; 66:23; La 2:6; Eze 20:12–24; 22:8, 26; 23:38; 44:24; 46:3; Ho 2:11; Mt 12:1–12; 24:20; 28:1; Mk 1:21; 2:23–28; 3:2–4; 6:2; 15:42; 16:1; Lk 4:16, 31; 6:1–9; 13:10–16; 14:1–5; 23:54–56; Jn 5:9–18; 7:22–23; 9:14–16; 19:31; Ac 13:14, 27–44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4; Col 2:16; Heb 4:4–9
Youtube: https://youtu.be/-6fYhyNBjNU
Rumble: https://rumble.com/v41rmi5-sabbath-and-seventh-day-rest.html
Although we’ve come to what has been labeled as the end of a Chapter, it is not the end of the Torah/Teaching Jesus is giving. We can’t set everything he’s said to this point aside just because we are moving into Chapter 6.
Let’s keep these things in mind:
Heard it said – Love your neighbor, … Love? The Greek word is agape. It is also used later in Matthew 22 when Jesus says to Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This means we should know this kind of love is something of importance. If we look up agape in a concordance, we’ll see meanings such as to welcome, wish well, entertain, show preference for. But in the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament, we see the phrase ‘v’ahavta’.
“Do not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the children of your people. And you shall love (v’ahavta) your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.
Leviticus 19:18
This kind of love is active and requires actions. We can’t just wish a neighbor well, we do well to a neighbor. We don’t just say they are welcome, we do things to show they are welcome. This isn’t about a feeling, it’s about a doing.
Heard it said – Hate your enemy … This is an example of why Jesus is so against the religious leaders of the day, because they made up man made laws and taught them as though they came from YHWH/God. There isn’t anywhere in Torah/Law of Moses, that says to hate your enemy. You won’t find those words, look it up.
And/But I/Jesus say – love your enemy, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you,
We see several verses in the Torah such as if your enemy is hungry or thirsty give him bread and water – Proverbs 25; Set bread and water before them 2 Kings 6; If you meet your enemy’s ox – bring it back to him. Exodus 23. None of these things sound like hateful actions, do they?
pray for those accusing you falsely, those persecuting you. … this one can take on a whole new meaning if you truly understand what the word here tefilla/prayer means to the people Jesus is speaking to. A lot could be learned in looking into this word but for content sake, telfilla is about changing the person doing it. On the tefilla project page they say:
Tefilla, then, is the balance between receiving exactly what we deserve, and on the other hand, providing us the opportunity to grow and elevate ourselves to another level, beyond our current state.
The Tefilla Project / Rabbi Ariel Tal
(Adapted from the lecture on Prayer by Rabbi Akiva Tatz on simpletoremember.com)
Once again, God has a flipped reality from what we think. We think we are praying for our enemy, but it really is about changing ourselves.
So you will be sons of your Father in the heavens/where God reigns … We love our enemies in order to benefit ourselves. By loving our enemies, we show the essence of our Father. We also are showing just how much we trust our Father. We have to trust he is just.
As sons of your father in heaven, you will do what he does and he causes His sun to rise on evil and good and he sends rain on righteous and unrighteous … Remember tov/good and ra/bad from previous blogs? Here it is shown as plural: the tovim/good and tzaddikim/righteous ones compared to the raim/bad and reshai/unrighteous ones. All too often we forget we can also be considered someone’s enemy. Justifiably or not, it is highly likely at one point or another we will be someone’s enemy. And don’t forget, Jesus sacrificed for “whosoever” and “while” we were still in sin. Thankfully, he didn’t wait for us to become his neighbor or his brother before he loved, blessed, and did good to us.
If you love those loving you – what reward do you have? … The literal Hebrew translation would be “what wages will reach to you?”
Tax Collectors love those loving them. … the literal Hebrew translation would be wicked ones – not necessarily tax collectors. Stop for a moment and consider – what if you were a Tax Collector sitting and listening to Jesus. What if you were the writer, Matthew, recording this?
If you greet your brothers only, what do you do abundant? … Basically, what are you doing different then those you don’t want to be like?
[blank] also greet their brothers … there are several translations used where the blank is: nations, pagans, gentiles, tax collectors, publicans, etc. We can get the picture here – just think of someone we don’t want to be like and realize if we only greet the people we like, we are just like the one we don’t like.
Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is perfect … there was an Aramaic idiom at that time meaning to know all about a trade, to be all inclusive which was very similar to what Jesus said here.
Yet, if we knew the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament as well as those listening did, when he spoke these words, there are two torah/teachings which would have jumped to the front of our minds.
But let’s talk about the word perfect here, you might want to sit down for this one, let go of everything you thought you knew about perfect.
Shlemim (שְׁלֵמִים) – in general it means whole, complete, restore. We see this word used in several places which can help us understand more clearly:
If we understand how the word perfect, besides being whole, mature, and complete, also has to do with payment, restitution, and restoring, we can understand how it is not an out of the blue statement following Jesus’s rhetorical questions in Verses 46 and 47.
I can see some struggles with the concept of loving, blessing, and doing good to those hating you, due to the picture of a mean God we have when reading the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament. We all know what he has done to some of his enemies, and if he does that, what is a little bit of “hate” for our enemies in comparison right?
God IS a just, kind, merciful god. He gives unsparingly to those we would say should not be given to, he let’s the sun rise and the rain come, even on the despicable. In fact, if you read more closely, he is much harsher on those who call him Father, than those who do not. And he is most harsh on those who intend to do harm to those who call him Father.
Because God is kind, merciful, and just, even to the evil people, it doesn’t mean he hates them. And as his children, we should not become like them (hating and being evil), we should become more like Him. It doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences for our enemy’s actions. This again, is Jesus taking what was seen as a physical sin and turning it into a heart sin. There may be punishment to dish out – but it shouldn’t come from an angry, hateful feeling in your heart.
This one can sure be a tough one to walk out. Imagine the impact of applying these verses to today’s world. Oh, how different it would be.
You have heard it said: Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth … Exodus 21 records if there is an injury, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, etc. This is in a long discourse on masters, servants, animals, and the like. Interesting enough, this particular verse is at the end off what starts of with talking about two men fighting and striking a pregnant woman and the baby is born with no injury, then the husband is paid a fine as determined by the judges. BUT if there is an injury to the baby, then give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
In Leviticus 24 it is about injury to a neighbor, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, as he inflicts the injury upon him, so it is done to him.
But the one that fits best in what Jesus was just talking about (go back a blog) is Deuteronomy 19, which is about a malicious witness making an accusation. The judges were to diligently check to see if the witness was a false witness, and if he was, they were to purge the evil from their midst. And let the rest hear and fear, and never again do the same thing. An eye should not pity, life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
The key to all this is, it wasn’t about getting retribution, the message wasn’t to the person being injured – it was given to keep everyone from doing any of these actions out of fear of the consequences.
In addition, everything was brought to the judges who would bring the punishment against the guilty.
But Jesus says, do not repay evil with evil but good for evil. Most translation read do not resist the evil but the Hebrew version echoes Leviticus 19:18 not to avenge or bear any grudges but to love your neighbor.
Whoever shall slap you on the right cheek, turn to him the other. What? Yeah, no one likes this. It could be acceptable not to get revenge and retaliate, but really? Let them do it again? This is actually an Aramaic idiom which meant be humble, don’t start a fight. It would be like us saying today, if someone is shouting at you, zip your lip. We don’t mean to literally zip your lips, we mean, keep quiet, let it go.
To further understand this, in the culture at the time Jesus is saying this, striking someone on the cheek was about inflicting shame on a person, it wasn’t about the physical pain of the slap, it was about the insult of the gesture.
Giving this a more modern take would be something more like, if someone insults you and tries to humiliate you, remain humble and don’t start a fight about it.
If someone takes you to court to get your shirt, give them your coat too. Chew on that one for a moment. The Hebrew translations is:
And whosoever tears away from you the garment by force, allow to him the cloak.
And whosever compels you to walk a thousand steps, walk with him two thousand.
And whosoever asks of you – give to him and you must not argue with whosoever wants to borrow from you.
Matthew 5 – The Hebrew Gospels
These are some hard ones to swallow aren’t they? The Torah teaches in Deuteronomy 15, if there is poor among you – not to harden your heart and shut your hand to them but give to them and lend to them.
Jesus is asking us to go above and beyond what is asked of us. Not to hold on so tightly to things to the point of covenanting them. Not to put things over people.
Most of what Jesus taught in these few verses are contrary to what is taught in today’s world. And contrary to the way most people think and act. People would almost rather go back to what they thought an eye for an eye and tooth for tooth meant. But Jesus says, no, that isn’t what it meant, it’s about what is in your heart. It starts with what is in your heart. Jesus requires more of those who want to follow him.
When we understand what Jesus is saying in this portion of his teaching/torah, it makes sense it would follow after the portion on breaking the covenant relationship of marriage. The connections are there when we understand the original contextual meaning of what is being said.
I would also imagine, of all the teaching found here in Matthew 5, this one is likely taken most lightly – its not something we consider to be significant. However, to God, it was seen as very significant.
You have heard it was said to those of old you do not swear falsely … In Leviticus 5, YHWH/God tells Moses, if someone sins and commits a faithless act against Adonai by … stop and recognize, whatever he is about to say is considered an act against God … by dealing falsely with his neighbor in a matter of deposit or pledge of hands, or robbery or extortion, or has found what was lost and lied about it, swearing falsely. All those God considers as acts against him. To swear falsely takes us back up a few verses to the teaching/torah about bringing our kohen/gift to the altar (click back a few blogs).
In Leviticus 19, we find several teachings/torahs in regard to how we are to treat others. Among these are famous ones like honor mother and father, no idols, no stealing, etc. Here we are also told not to swear falsely by God’s Name – so profaning the Name of God.
In Numbers 30 there is an entire outline on oaths.
In Jeremiah 7 we see the flow of what Jesus is teaching here, “Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer incense to Baal and walk after other gods whom you have not known – and then come and stand before Me in this house that bears My name, saying, ‘We are saved!’ – so that you may keep doing all these abominations?
I think we can get the drift of exactly how God feels about all these things, and why he considers swearing falsely as an act against himself.
You will pay to the Lord your oaths … In Deuteronomy 29, the scene is all of Israel is standing before God … note who all of Israel is – the heads of your tribes, your elders, your officials, all the men of Israel, your children, your wives, and the outsider within your camp – has crossed over into the covenant with God.
God is cutting this covenant with them and giving his oath, that he will be their God. God specifically states, not with you alone am I cutting this covenant and this oath, but with whomever is standing here with us today, before God and with whomever is not here with us today. Interesting the specifics provided isn’t it? So this covenant isn’t just with Israel, it’s with the outsider within the camp – later known as a Gentile. And it isn’t just with those who were “there back then” it is also with those who are not there.
Reading things like this in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament makes me wonder, just when was such a division made between Gentile and Jew. God tends to make it clear he sees anyone who wants to walk in his ways and have him as their one God as a part of Israel. There are times when an Israelite is defined exclusively by bloodlines but not all the time.
He goes on to say, anyone who hears the words of this oath and in his heart considers himself blessed, thinking “Peace/Shalom will be mine, even though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart’ – God will be unwilling to forgive him. So all the oath that is is written in this scroll will settle on him and God will blot out his name from under the heavens. We can see where James got ‘may not fall under judgement.’
In James 5, he finishes this statement with not to swear falsely so that you may not fall under judgment.
The secret things belong to God but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever – in order to do all the words of the Torah.
Keep reading in Deuteronomy 30, the vocabulary is the same vocabulary used in what we call the New Testament.
And/But I/Jesus tell you:
I think he has made him self clear – just don’t do it – it seems his point is the ramifications of swearing falsely are so significant, just don’t swear so you don’t have to be concerned with it ever happening.
When Jesus says this, he is right in line with what we find in the Torah of Deuteronomy 23, if you make a vow to God, he will require it of you and you will be guilty of sin. If you refrain from making an oath, you will not have sin on you, so be careful what passes from your lips.
Let your yes be yes and your no be no … Yet, once again, Jesus is stepping us up a notch. He says, you shouldn’t have to swear you will do something, you should just do it. You shouldn’t have to say you won’t do something, just don’t do it. It’s as simple as Yes or No. And when you say something, people shouldn’t need you to swear you are going to keep your word, they should already know you will.
Today, we might refer to this as having integrity. If people can’t trust what you are saying and know you will always be honest, then you have no integrity.
The same root word is used here as the word repetitions we will see later in Matthew 5 – chatter, long winded, utter empty words, repeating the same things over and over, stammering.
Jesus doesn’t stop there, he says, anything more than your yes being yes and no being no is from the evil one. In the Jewish wording, lashon horah a literal translation would not be from the evil one but evil speech. The same wording was used back in verse 11 – all kinds of lashon horah against you.
This ought to be an interesting one. Let’s see what we can learn. Set aside any preconceived notions and let Jesus teach you.
You heard it said … thou shalt not commit adultery – This is part of the Ten Words/Witness/Testimony otherwise known as Ten Commandments today. Adultery is considered a work of the flesh – the sum up of this would be sexual relations outside a covenant relationship with the opposite sex. Regardless of what you want it to be, this was the definition at the time Jesus is speaking these words. A man “being with” a woman he is not in a covenant relationship/marriage with. Or a women who takes strangers instead of her husband.
A marriage in Biblical times was between a man and a woman, a woman and her father would consent to the man and the woman living together and creating a family. Usually, the man would give an agreed upon “price” to the father for the woman. A couple was considered in a covenant relationship once agreeing to the covenant. At that point, they would be called husband and wife, even if they didn’t live together right then. They may even be apart and not see each other for up to a year.
A covenant relationship/marriage started with an agreement between the man and the woman. At that moment, they were husband and wife. They did not have to see each other, live together, have a ceremony, or have sex in order to be called married. It was about giving your word and honoring it. Sex did not define when someone was a husband or wife, their word did.
However, any sex outside of the covenant relationship was defined as fornication or adultery. You were either in a covenant relationship with a member of the opposite sex and having sex with that covenant partner, or you were fornicating (as a single person) or committing adultery (as a married person).
If they wanted to break off the covenant relationship, or what we today would call an engagement, the man would have to “divorce his wife.”
Adultery could also be someone who is worshiping in an idolatrously way and being drawn away from YHWH/God.
Once again, Jesus is about to up the game. He’s going to take what was generally considered a physical sin and make it a heart sin.
And/But I [Jesus] say … every one who is looking – looking – this word doesn’t mean a quick glance where you notice the beauty of a woman. This word means a stare, gawking, a lingering look. This kind of look would most likely make the woman uncomfortable if she were to notice it.
Staring at a woman with desire … a sexual desire. This same word is also translated as coveting and lusting. It means to long after and yearn for.
Has already committed adultery with her in his heart … And there it is, it is now a heart sin. Also note, Jesus is specifically talking to the men on this one. I wonder if he would have singled out just the men today? Just like with anger, once lust takes hold of your heart, Jesus doesn’t expect it to be long before it manifests into a physical sin. He also knows you can use people in your mind for sexual pleasure without anyone ever knowing.
If the right eye causes stumbling – pluck it out … the “right eye” was a common Aramaic idiom referring to being envious or jealous. This idiom would be followed with cut it out – like we say today – cut it out, stop doing that, quit it!. It didn’t mean to literal pluck out the eye it means, you know what you are doing, get control of it, and stop it.
If the right hand causes stumbling – cut it off. The right hand was a common Aramaic idiom about stealing. If you have a habit of stealing, stop stealing.
I find it interesting the two idioms he chooses to reference had to do with envy or jealousy, and stealing. At that time, if a woman wasn’t married, she still belonged to her father, or she could have been a widow. In any event, she would be attached to a man. In essence if you are looking on a woman with sexual desire – you are looking at another man’s woman – you are stealing his woman, you are envious and jealous of him.
It is good if one of your members may perish and not your whole body be cast into gehenna. First, remember gehenna was an actual place at that time, it was a horrible place where horrible things happened. This is such a severe transgression to Jesus, he’s saying it would be better to loose a body part, than to end up in the most horrible place there is. Think on that for a moment or two. This is serious stuff Jesus is talking about here, and it doesn’t require participation by a second person – it only takes one. Also notice, there isn’t a BUT if she is dressed inappropriately. He is expecting a disciple of his to be in full control of their thoughts and desires and to treat others in an appropriate manner.
It was said, whoever put away his wife, let him give to her a writing of divorce … ‘Put away a wife,’ he is still speaking to the men because only a man could have a wife. Moses allowed a man to break their conventual relationship with their woman. However, God says in Malachi 2, a man who hates and divorces his wife does violence to the one he should protect, be on your guard and do not be unfaithful. He sees this as breaking a covenant. The Torah in Exodus 21 says that a man who divorces his wife has broken faith with her or deceived her.
And/But I [Jesus] say whoever puts away his wife, except for her committing adultery, ends up making her and whoever marries her commit adultery.
Later in Matthew 19, Jesus will also say if a man divorces his wife and marries another woman, he commits adultery. He says, God joined the man and woman together as one, and no one can separate them. He will also say Moses allowed it because of hearts which were hard or stubborn.
What is a hard or stubborn heart? It is a heart which is cruel, severe, difficult, harsh, stiff necked.
But they refused to pay attention. They stubbornly turned their backs and stopped their ears from hearing. Indeed, they made their hearts as hard as flint preventing them from hearing the Torah or the words that Adonai-Tzva’ot sent by His Ruach (Holy Spirit) through the former prophets. Consequently, great wrath came from Adonai-Tzva’ot. It came about that just as He called and they did not listen, so they would call and I would not listen,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
Zechariah 7 (TLV)
The beginning of this thought line is here: Matthew 5:21-22 Jesus: Murder and Anger.
However, this isn’t a new conversation, we have to keep tracking with everything Jesus has said previously this chapter.
Right off, because of where we stopped, we have a ‘therefore’ – which means we have to go back to make sure we understand what ‘therefore’ is pointing to before we can move forward.
The over arching concept in verses 21-22 is being in danger of judgment, in this case, it’s due to harboring a fixed anger, wanting to see unjust punishment, and carrying an on-going feeling of utter contempt, a strong feeling of disliking or despising for someone.
Therefore=Because you are in danger of mishpat/judgment … if you bring your gift to the altar … Notice, this is someone who is bringing a gift to YHWH, this means they are someone who worships God. What kind of gift would they bring? The Hebrew word is korban/gift. In the first few chapters of Leviticus God describes what a korban/gift should be.
Watch for a connection between the korban/gift, the law which was being practice at the very time Jesus is speaking, and what he says next.
If you remember a brother has something against you … These disciples understood fully. They understood not being right with man was not being right with God. All their lives they knew if they didn’t deal right with a brother, they would have to bring a Trespass or Guilt Offering to the Temple in order to atone for their sin and get right with God.
Jesus just took murder from a fleshly “trespass” and made it a heart “trespass”. It’s no longer about an act but an attitude. And then he tells them how to bring a trespass offering for this heart trespass. Leave your offering …
Bring your gift … When you have made things right with your brother, come back and give your offering to God.
Here’s a few good pictures of this playing out. The Old Testament scenes probably came to the disciples minds.
Saul thought he had obeyed the Lord but comes to realize he didn’t listen to Samuel nor God – he needed to reconcile with Samuel so he could come back to the altar and worship God:
But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”
1 Samuel 15 (NIV)
The same idea can be found in Hosea 6 and in the New Testament in the story of Zacchaeus. And here in Mark 11:
For this reason I say to you, whatever you pray and ask, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your transgressions.”
TLV
Korban/gift is also found in Revelation 1:5, Jesus “freed us from our sins by his blood.” In Hebrew it would read, “ransom korban/gift of his nefesh/spirit the dahm/blood of him”. Interesting huh?
We can not bring our gifts to God if we aren’t right with others. We can not be forgiven if we don’t forgive others.
Jesus isn’t doing away with the law, he is setting the definitions back to their original intent. It wasn’t about actions, it was about attitudes and feelings inside.
God did not like the offerings being brought over and over again, blood applied over and over again. To obey in the first place so we don’t need to bring a sacrifice is better. To listen and heed what he says is better than bringing blood to cover a sin.
The animal sacrifices and the sacrifice Jesus made for us was not meant as a standard way of practice, it wasn’t meant to be a daily sacrifice, it was meant for use as an exception. Jesus became our Trespass/Guilt offering to cover for what we didn’t know, wipe our slate clean. It was so we could be in the presence of God. And on those occasions when we slip up and do something God told us not to do, we can bring Jesus’s blood to cover the penalty of death and be restored to the presence of God.
For if we sin purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a slaughter offering (korban (gift))for sins, but some fearsome anticipation of judgement (mishpat) and a fierce fire which is about to consume the opponents.
Anyone who has disregarded the Torah (law) of Mosheh (Moses) dies without compassion on the witness of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think shall he deserve who has trampled the Son of Elohim (Jesus) underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was set apart as common, and insulted the Spirit of favour?
For we know Him who has said, “Vengeance is Mine, I shall repay, says YHWH (God).” And again, “YHWH (God) shall judge His people.” It is fearsome to fall into the hands of the living Elohim (God).
Hebrews 10 (TS2009 emphasis (Hebrew and English words added)
Before we dig into this one:
Now, are you ready for what is about to be taught by Jesus? Put away your preconceived ideas and let Jesus teach you.
You (the disciples) heard that it was said to the ancients … The ancients, the first ones, the leaders, people long ago – who are they talking about? Most would answer “the Jews,” or “The Israelites,” but these would not be correct. We would all associate the do not murder with what we call the Ten Commandments. Who were those given to:
Do not murder … Let’s talk about murder. The concept of murder in the Old Testament is something which can not be done accidentally. It means taking a life willfully – on purpose. The only “accidental” taking of life which carried the same penalty of a life taken willfully is in Exodus 21 when people are fighting and a pregnant woman is struck and gives birth prematurely and there is serious injury resulting in death. It also is not an offense to murder during war. If a life was taken by accident, they could run to a sanctuary city so the family of the deceased wouldn’t kill them.
subject to, fit for, in danger of, judgment – There was a requirement of at least two witnesses in order to convict someone (Deut 19) making them fit for judgment. You have to remember, at this time, the people had seen mighty acts of God, entire people groups swallowed up, a physical presence of God. They did not need to be convinced he would know if they had done something wrong. There real struggle was grasping what God found wrong, their draw to return to their old ways from living in Egypt. Don’t cha think we have the same issues today?
The Hebrew word used here for judgement is mishpat. It is translated a variety of ways making it hard for us to see connections in our English Bible translations. We see this word in Genesis 18, Abraham and his household shomer/keep to do tzedakah/right and mishpat/just. We find a list of mishpatim/ordinances (plural of mishpat) in Exodus 21 a long list begins and the Israelite camp agrees to them in Exodus 24. We find mishpat/laws about personal injury and murder in this list.
As Christians we try to lump everything under “the law” or “the commandments” but this is not the way the Hebrew Bible is laid out. The Torah has many different recommendations just like we have today. There is a difference between a civil and criminal crime, we have guidelines, mandates, ordinances, laws etc. Not all are prosecutable and not all carry jail time. Its the same in the Torah.
God tells his chosen people, shomer/keep my chukkot/decrees and mishpatim/laws, in Exodus 18. This is a phrase he repeats over and over.
We see this same word in John 12 along with some other words we’ve been looking at:
As Ohr/light I have come into the Hazeh/world (earth), so that everyone who trusts in Me should not remain in choshech/darkness.
“If anyone hears My dvarim/words but doesn’t shomer/keep them, I do not judge him; for I came to save the Hazeh/world, not to mishpat/judge the Hazeh/world. The one who rejects Me and doesn’t receive My dvarim/words has a Shofet/judge; the dvar/word I spoke will judge him on the last day.
TLV (emphasis and Hebrew words added)
Are you getting what Jesus is putting down there? Hear and keep or hear and be judged. His words will save us from judgment. This is the whole works/faith concept. If you love him (faith), you will keep (works) his words. If you don’t keep (works) his words you must not really love (faith) him. If you don’t keep (works) his words, you open yourself up to be mishpat/judged by those very same words.
But – And … In each of these statements, most translations use the word ‘but’ here, however, it is worth noting, this same word is also translated as indeed, and, and also, for, then, so, however, because … you can see the range of available options here. Many Hebrew scholars lean toward the ‘and’ as opposed to the ‘but’. It was a well known saying, “you have heard it said, but I say …” with a meaning of, let me add to what you’ve already heard to give a deeper understanding. Take that as you may.
who is angry … Well, this one sounds like it’s going to get us all in trouble! Literal translations have a bit some clarifying statements like: Angry without cause, hates, wroth (has wrath). The Greek word carries a meaning of manipulation with it. It also is a fixed anger, it’s an attitude toward someone as an opponent and fixed on punishment. This isn’t about being mad at someone for a few minutes. Its a feeling toward someone you carry with you. Leviticus 19 says do not hate your brother in your heart.
Jesus says, you think God’s command is about taking a life, it isn’t, it’s about your heart toward others, especially when it’s negatively fixed on punishment and without cause. Not murdering may keep the letter of his mishpat/law, but it doesn’t keep the heart of the mishpat/law. If you live like this, you have placed yourself in danger of judgement.
AND … this is from Logos Bible Software – the word highlighted in yellow – is this word, the word highlighted in green, is the word used for But above. However, these are chosen Greek words. It was a matter of a choice by the interpreter.
Hold on now, we are about to hit some tough bumps.
Whoever says raca … Well, thank goodness we don’t ever say raca right? Do you say ‘Peti!’? Yeah probably not. How about any of these? Empty fellow? Easy to Seduce? Stupid? Ouch, I’m guessing that one got most of us. Some other’s that could apply here: Empty headed, senseless, worthless, good for nothing. This is the only place in all of scripture this word appears. At that time, it was a very strong insult and usually said with utter contempt, a strong feeling of disliking or despising. It was so offensive because everyone is created in the image of God. This was saying they had no spiritual connection to God, a mistake. Just like the anger, this seems to be an action out of a feeling which is on-going. This might be something we’ll all be thinking on later, or at least we should.
If a disciple does that he is in danger of the Sanhedrim. This basically means judgment again. The Sanhedrin were the judicial council of the Jews. These are the people who tried Jesus, Paul, and several of the disciples.
And … whoever says … this one is going to get us all … moron, rebel, fool. This is the noun form of the word used earlier in Matthew describing the salt loosing it’s taste. It refers to someone not functioning properly. It is used later in Matthew 25:3. There is more to this than just calling someone a fool. Jesus says anyone hearing his words and not doing them is a fool in Matthew 7. And he calls people fools in Matthew 23. In 1 Corinthians 1, we read God has chosen the fools of the world. But this is talking about someone who is falsely or incorrectly accusing someone of doing something wrong.
In the Hebrew scriptures found, the part about the Sanhedrim and the moron do not appear. It indicates whoever says raca is in danger of fire of Gei-Hinnom.
In danger of fire of Gei-Hinnom – this was a literal place at the time. It was a very nasty place, full of darkness. It was called the Valley of Hinnom, well, it is still called that today, it just isn’t so nasty anymore. This is where The adversary/satan and his messengers will be put. So, yeah, not a place you want to be in danger of going.
Jesus is making this old law new – back a few blogs we discovered the Hebrew meaning to new is like our words refurbish or renovate. Restoring something to it’s former glory. He isn’t creating a brand new command, he is refurbishing the original which has been beaten up, distorted, and doesn’t look much like it did when it was first created. This is YHWH/God’s law found in the Torah/First Five Books of Our Bible.
Let’s refresh before moving forward, Jesus is talking about someone:
It seems Jesus is more concerned about the heart than the action. Yet, it seems, if someone carries these kind of feelings, over time, given the wrong situation, it could very easily become purposefully killing someone.
Purposefully killing someone … hmmm … if we continually have an unjust anger, see someone as an opponent, are fixed on them receiving punishment, and have an utter contempt, disliking, or despising for them, could our actions, words, posture, and demeanor toward them slowly and purposefully kill them inside?
Could carrying all these feelings around purposefully kill us from the inside?
We are going to stop right here. Take some time to evaluate your heart. Does this describe you? Is there someone you hold these kind of feelings toward? Are you carrying an unjust anger toward someone? Do you want to see someone punished for a reason not worthy of punishment?
Do you have these kind of feelings about yourself? That can’t be good either, right?
Just like God said to the first human murderer, Abel:
Is it not if you do tov/good, you are to be accepted? And if you do not do tov/good, towards the door is a sin.
Genesis 4 (TS2009)
Read Matthew 5:14-16 Light of the World and
Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus – the Law and the Prophets first
There seems to be a connection between Genesis 1 and 2 and Revelation 21 and 22 to Matthew 5:13-20 passages. It is fascinating and worth peeking at and appreciating before we move on …
In the beginning God created the hashomayim/heavens and the haaretz /earth. Now the earth was chaos and waste, darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Ruach Elohim was hovering upon the surface of the water. Then God said, “Let there be light!” and there was light. God saw that the light was tov /good. So God distinguished the ohr/light from the choshech/darkness.
Then Adonai Elohim formed the man out of the dust from the ground and He breathed into his nostrils a breath of life—so the man became a living being. Then Adonai Elohim planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there He put the man whom He had formed. Then Adonai Elohim caused to sprout from the ground every tree that was desirable to look at and good for food.
Now the Tree of Life was in the middle of the garden, and also the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden. From there it divided and became four riverheads.
Then I saw a Shomayim Chadashim/new heaven and a Eretz Chadasha/new earth; for the shomayim harishonah/first heaven and the haaretz harishonah/first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city—the New Jerusalem—coming down out of Shomayim /heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is among men, and He shall tabernacle among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God.
I saw no temple in her, for its Temple is Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot and the Lamb. And the city has no need for the shemesh /sun or the levanah /moon to shine on it, for the glory of God lights it up, and its menorah /lamp is the Lamb. The nations shall walk by its Ohr/light, and the kings of the ha’aretz /earth bring their glory into it. Its gates shall never be shut by day, for there shall be no night there! And they shall bring into it the glory and honor of the nations.
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life—bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the city’s street. On either side of the river was a Etz HaChayyim/tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in the city, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. Night shall be no more, and people will have no need for ohr/light menorah /lamplight or shemesh/sunlight—for Adonai Elohim will ohr /shine on them. And they shall reign forever and ever!
TLV (Emphasis and Hebrew words added)
The New Heaven and New Earth are a picture of Eden. Revelation comes full circle back to Genesis.
Do you remember a few blogs back when we learned what the word New actually meant? This word in Hebrew is slightly different than what we think of when we think new. It typically means, ‘to restore to a previous condition.’ Another word we might use today is refurbished. Revelation is a picture of a New Eden, where Heaven and Earth co-existed. It is being restored to it’s previous glorious condition.
Back in Genesis, Man and Woman were supposed to rule over the earth. Here is Revelation, we see Man and Woman are reigning with God forever in New Jerusalem!
And Yeshua said to them, “Amen, I tell you, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne in the new world, you who have followed Me shall also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for My name’s sake, will receive a hundred times as much, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Matthew 19 (TLV)
We’re going to step through this one, one thought at a time. Set aside your preconceived ideas and just let Jesus tell you what he wants to tell you.
Do not suppose – do not – whatever comes next we are not to do.
Do not suppose I [Jesus] came to throw down – thrown down – the original wording carries the idea of dissolve, disunite, destroy, overthrow, loosen, undo.
Do not suppose I [Jesus] came to dissolve, destroy, loosen, undo the Torah/law or the Neviim/prophets. What is the Torah/law or the Neviim/prophets? To the disciples he is teaching they would know instantly what this meant. For us today, we would generally say, “the Old Testament.” They would have been a little more specific but for now, lets just go with “the Old Testament.”
Do not suppose I [Jesus] came to dissolve, destroy, loosen, undo what was written in the Old Testament. I [Jesus] did not come to dissolve, destroy, loosen, undo – did you see that there? Just in case they missed it, it’s repeated – let’s get this perfectly clear now, I [Jesus] did not come to dissolve, destroy, loosen, undo what was written in the Old Testament. Got that thought?
Then he tells us why he came. I [Jesus] came to fulfill the Old Testament. Here’s where things can get a bit controversial. Remember, we are in a ceasefire moment, which means you are listening to understand, not necessarily to agree. Lets really look at the word typically translated as fulfill. The Hebrew concept is to confirm. The Greek concept is to complete.
Set aside your preconceived ideas on this word – let’s pretend we have no idea what it means because it’s another language. We have English all around this foreign word, let’s see what we can know about it – without knowing the word.
Let’s keep going to see if anything else Jesus says will help us out.
Let’s first look at that word translated as ‘until‘. In Greek the word is eōs and in the King James version of the bible, it has been translated as: till (28x), unto (27x), until (25x), to (16x), till (with G3739) (11x), miscellaneous (41x). Whoa! Miscellaneous 41x? Interesting. This same word is used in:
Not sure this gives us a very definitive answer, but we have an idea.
We could make note that in Matthew 24, Jesus alludes to it being a specific day – “about that day or hour no one knows.”
Jesus says, until the Shamayin/heaven and the haretz/earth pass away. Pass away – perish, disappear. Heaven is generally seen as where YHWH/God is – the word Shamayim can also refer to the sky. Earth is where man is. In the beginning, Elohim created the shamayin/heaven and the haretz/earth. We could then understand it to say either:
At this point, there are only two options:
According to Jesus, both can not be true at the same time. This may be a bit of a struggle for you at the moment. You are either thinking, “How could heaven and earth have passed away?” Or you are thinking, “We are not under the Mosaic law, that’s what I’ve always been taught.” Or maybe you are having both thoughts at the same time! Take a breath, relax, and lets read on to see what else we might learn.
There are a few thoughts out there on heaven and earth passing away:
At this point, maybe you aren’t sure which one you subscribe to, that’s okay, just keep reading and then come back to that thought later on.
One literal Hebrew interpretation reads this way, “I say unto you in truth, that not one word will be diminished from the Torah – that it would not be performed until the end of the world.” This could help take away many questions as to whether heaven and earth have passed away.
If you subscribe to the first or fourth thought process, then heaven and earth have not passed away.
Jesus says, If heaven and earth have not passed away, then:
neither will pass away, disappear, perish from the Torah/Law until everything is accomplished.
In Ezekiel 36, God said he would give a new heart and put in a new spirit and put his Spirit in which would move his people to follow his chukkot/decrees and be careful to shomer/keep his laws.
Jeremiah 31 records God saying he would put his law in their minds and write it on their hearts. He would be their God, and his people.
Luke 16 records, “It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Torah/Law.”
God’s spirit is an Old Testament concept, not a New Testament one. And His spirit brings people to the Torah/Law. So the Spirit’s coming doesn’t seem to indicate the Torah/Law going.
We come to another questionable phrase “everything is accomplished.” What is everything? Literal Hebrew translated this as “until the end of the world,” or “until all may come to pass.” Literal Greek translates as “all it might become.” The Greek word is γινομαι (ginomai) and it means to be, begin to be, or begin to be in a certain state or condition. It’s where we get our words gene and generation. It does not indicate the completion or accomplishment of something, but rather the beginning of something happening.
When the disciples heard this, they may have thought back:
14 “Now today I am about to go the way of all the earth. You will know with all your heart and with all your soul that not one word of the good things which Adonai your God spoke concerning you has failed to happen. All of them have come to pass for you; not one word has failed. 15 Now it will be that just as all the good things which Adonai your God has spoken to you have come upon you, so all the evil things will Adonai bring upon you, until He has wiped you off this good land which Adonai your God has given you. 16 When you transgress the covenant of Adonai your God, which He commanded you, and go and worship other gods and bow down to them, then will the anger of Adonai burn against you, and you will perish quickly off this good land which He has given you.”
Joshua 23
What do we know so far?
Moving on …
Jesus goes on to say, because I have not come to dissolve, destroy, loosen, undo what was written in the Old Testament and because none of the Torah/Law will pass away until where God is (or the sky) and where man is passes away, whoever breaks one of the least of these mitzvot/commandments OR teaches …
The Greek word translated as breaks means to loose, unbind, or disintegrate of what was previously tied, bound, or integrated. The same word is used when John the Baptist talked about untying a sandal, when Jesus told the disciples they would find a colt and untie it. And when Jesus said “destroy (disintegrate) this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
Interesting, it is also used in this passage:
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.[j] On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will melt and disintegrate, and the earth and everything done on it shall be exposed. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Live your lives in holiness and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. In that day the heavens will be dissolved by fire, and the elements will melt in the intense heat. [k] 13 But in keeping with His promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.[l]
2 Peter 3 TLV
What is the least of the mitzvot/commandments? The mitzvot to the disciples being taught would have referred to the 613 WRITTEN commandments we would find in the first five books of our Old Testament. There could have been some among them which would have considered the Oral traditions as well. As far as which is the least? It really doesn’t matter does it, if they break it, they are least Where God Reigns/Kingdom of Heaven right?
And then Jesus says the opposite is true as well. If a disciple keeps and teachs the mitzvot/commandments, they shall be called great Where God Reigns/Kingdom of Heaven. If we pause here, we would say – well, they both end up in the same place, it’s just one is least and one is greatest right?
As if Jesus has read some of their thoughts he goes on to say, unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees and Torah scholars, …
Righteousness – we have a few blogs on here talking about that. Basically righteousness is being in right relationship with YHWH/God and others. To be in right relationship with God, you have to follow his laws. By keeping his laws, you will remain in right relationships with others as well. Hey, is this sounding like something else Jesus said when asked what was the greatest commandment … yeah, not a coincidence for sure. If you break a law, and get out of right relationship, you have to bring a sacrifice, aka Jesus to put you back in right relationship.
Pharisees and Torah scholars – people would have thought WHOA! at this point. These people thought themselves to be the most high and mighty when it came to spiritual things. However, many times Jesus has rebuked them, said they don’t even do what they teach. Which is the point here. Don’t be someone who knows what is right but doesn’t do it. Don’t be hearers of the Word – be doers of the Word.
And what happens if they are not in right relationship with God and others? Jesus says, they will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Kingdom of heaven is Where God Reigns. So if you aren’t following God’s ways, then you aren’t really under his reign now are you?
I saw this somewhere, don’t remember where, “Are we to believe that God punished Israel for not obeying the laws of God so he sent his Son to die so that they did not have to follow the law?” That one will get you thinking a bit, no?
There is a lot here to take in, especially since it brings a bit of tension to some well established beliefs. This is exactly how his disciples probably felt. Regardless of whether you want to agree with what Jesus said or not, it is what he said. Jesus is our foundation or cornerstone. If this was his teaching, then anything taught after this should line up with it. If it doesn’t? Either there is a mis-interpretation or a false teaching.
As Christians we tend to flip through the pages of the New Testament to verify what we are reading. But for the disciples Jesus is teaching, there is no such thing as a New Testament. They would listen intently to the teacher, listening for hints to other scriptures, and when they heard it, they would have a flashback and recall the part of the scroll it was in. Read through Jeremiah 4, you should see imagery and wording hinting at what Jesus said about the Light and Heaven and Earth. If you were a disciple back then, and you knew this passage, you would surely see the similarities.
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Either heaven and earth have passed away or the Torah/Law still stands. ** There are teachings on this platform about the Tabernacle. Understanding the Tabernacle and how it was used can help us understand how the Torah/Law can still stand AND the followers of Christ be under grace. It can help us get a clear picture of what Jesus came to do – he said he came to fulfill the law.
There were two things which stood between YHWH/God and his people. Only the High Priest could enter where God dwelled (Holy of Holies) and only on one day a year. He had to be ritually clean through the blood of an animal sacrifice. The only way to enter through the veil into the Holy of Holies where God dwelled, was as a High Priest and as a sacrifice.
Jesus fulfilled the laws of the High Priest and the Sacrificial mitzvot/commandments. In doing so, not one yod or tittle has passed away from the Torah/Law. However, the veil has been torn down. Because we now have a High Priest who has also made us ritually clean through his blood, we can enter where God dwells.
This is why the Temple is no longer needed. He is the High Priest which made the once and for all Sacrifice to atone for sin. Anyone willing to take the offered grace of Jesus’s sacrifice, is covered.
If you are reading the Old Testament and it says ‘the High Priest’, you can replace that with Jesus. If it says to bring an animal sacrifice or the blood of an animal, you can replace that with bring Jesus or the blood of Jesus. Sin is still defined as not following God’s laws. Those laws can still be found in the Old Testament. When those laws are broken, the penalty is death. Instead of bringing an animal sacrifice (old covenant), we bring the anointed one/Jesus the Christ and his blood covers the penalty (new covenant).
Ultimately, each of us has the same choice Adam and Eve had. We can chose to either live:
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Would love some comments attempting to answer any of the questions below.
If you subscribe to the second thought that heaven and earth have passed away because God now resides in the new Temples (believers):
If you subscribe to the third thought that heaven and earth have passed away because the temple was destroyed:
Literal Hebrew Translation: The light of the world is not able to hide the city that rests on the mountain.
YOU – who is you? The disciples of Jesus, because back up in verse 1 we are told Jesus is teaching the disciples who came to him.
In this passage it seems light has something to do with others seeing our good works and glorifying YHWH/God.
We don’t hid it. In fact, the literal translation implies we are not able to, nor would we want to. We are to let it shine because we want others to see our good works and glorify YHWH/God.
A city is stationary, but it’s light shines beaconing people to it. A lamp shines and provides vision.
Lampstand, especially one in “the house” typically has some kind of connection to the lampstand in the Set Apart/Holy Place in the tabernacle, it’s light never went out – it was tended to daily. There are many, many times the word light is speaking about this lampstand. Sometimes it represents the Tree of Life found in the Garden of Eden. It is also points to Jesus, who is the Light of the World. The seven churches in Revelation are referred to as lampstands.
God says he will keep the servant of the Lord and will make the servant of the Lord to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeons those who sit in darkness. Matthew tells us in Chapter 12 Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy. Being a light for Gentiles is also mentioned in Isaiah 49.
Compares evil with rah/darkness and tov/good with light. The word used for good is tov, the plural of this is tovim. In Genesis, every time we see ‘God said it was good‘ – the word is tov. The very first thing God said was tov was the light in verse 4. It was then when he divided the light and the darkness. Cool huh?
— An interesting little tid-bit about tov and tovim, in Hebrew, good morning and good night use tov, but good afternoon uses tovim. It is said this is because it is only at the noon time when there is only light and no shadow – thus, both sides of the east and the west are light. —
David sang about the Lord being his lamp and turning his chosheck/darkness into light.
Other than in the Psalms, the most references to light in one scroll/book is in Job, 31 times. Almost all of them are contrasting light and darkness – light walking in His ways, darkness not.
We see where Adonai sets apart the godly for his own. Many ask, “Who will show us some tov/good? May the light of Your face shine upon us Adonai! You have put joy in my heart.
Moses’s face shined after being in the presents of YHWH/God. I think we are starting to see a pattern here. Out of the 129 references to light in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, 34 of those also reference darkness in the same sentence. Light represents good and walking in God’s ways. Darkness represents bad and not walking in his ways. Who will show us some tov/good. Matthew tells us the light will shine on our good works. Let’s look at what God sees as good.
We see where it is talking about the Exodus when God led them through the wilderness. Nehemiah write, you led them by a pillar of fire to give the ohr/light on their way were to take. Nehemiah is talking about when God descended on Mt Sinai …
-- time out: when we first started in verse 1, we talked about how Matthew was tying what happened on Mt. Sinai to this sermon "on the mount." Go back and look if you didn't read that one, it's a few posts back. --
… He goes on to record, “You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are tovim/good. You made known to them your holy Sabbaths and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.”
— timeout: don’t miss those hunger and thirst references here as well. this might be a really good chapter to read in tandem with Matthew 5 – what do you think?
Regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are tov/good … words used here are mishpatim yesharim, torot emes, chukkim mitzvot, and torah. We as Christians have decided to lump everything into one word and call all of these either “laws,” or “commandments.” Neither of these can successfully convey what was actually put forth at Mt. Sinai. In fact, God referred to some of them as his Testimony or Witness – think on that one for a bit. Some of those still stand, some of those no longer apply. But that is a later topic. For now, to sum these all up, we would say you gave them your laws and/or commandments.
Adonai says when you remember your ra’im/evil ways and your deeds that were not tovim/good, you will be disgusted with yourselves because of your iniquities and your to’avot/lusts.
That passage is right after God says he will sprinkle clean water on them and they will be clean. He will give them a chadash/new heart and a chadashah/new ruach/spirit within them. That he will put his Ruach Hakodesh/Holy Spirit with in them. He will cause them to walk in YHWH/God’s chukkot/laws, so they can shomer/keep his mishpatim/rulings and do them. They will be his people and he will be their God. Are you getting the picture here? Did you think this was a “New Testament” concept?
Chadash – we simply read the word ‘new’ but this word in Hebrew is slightly different than what we think of when we think new. It typically means, ‘to restore to a previous condition.’ Another word we might use today is refurbished. When you take something old, and bring it back to its better days. God says he will refurbish or restore our heart and our spirit by putting his Holy Spirit with in us. Once he does that, we will shomer or keep guard, be watchful over his laws and do them. It isn’t a “new covenant” it is a refurbished or restored covenant. I’m sure you will be wrestling with that one for a bit.
Back to Ezekiel 36, just after that passage he says, I will cause the cities to be inhabited. They will say, ‘This land that was a wasteland has become like the garden of Eden.’ He says, the nations left around them will know that he is Adonai who has rebuilt the ruins and replanted the desolate. Now that is a picture that lines up with Matthew 5, and the city, the light, the good works, isn’t it?
Ephesians 5, says live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord. The fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth. To have nothing to do with fruitless deeds of darkness but to expose them. This right here is sounding a little like being the salt earlier in Matthew 5. Although, at the time Jesus said these words written in Matthew, our current Second Writings/New Testament didn’t exist, not everyone at that time would have made the connection we can today. John records Jesus calling himself the light of the world so we know he spoke about the light in other teachings.
It may also be worth noting, nothing in this passage implies that being the Light of the World has anything to do with going out and preaching the Gospel or Good News. It says our good works will glorify the Father who is in the heavens. To be the light of the world means to walk in his regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees commands (I think you get the idea). Your good works will be the light so the world SEES the Good News of Where God Reigns/Kingdom of Heaven come to earth.
There are actually a whole lot more connections between the Spirit, Light, Laws, and Sign when you look for them, but here is a flow from beginning to end to get your thought processes going:
To Jews, this is the most holiest of days. But many Christians have barely heard of the Day of Atonement, unless in relation to Jesus’s second coming, yet it has many connections to Jesus The Anointed One/Christ and exactly what he has done and will do.
Do you remember when they cast lots over Jesus’s garments? There are only two others who had lots cast for them, the scapegoat and Jonah.
On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest, who was anointed and consecrated to be the High Priest in his father’s place, put on the holy linen garments, and made the atonement. He made atonement for the Most Set-Apart Place/Holy of Holies, the Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle, the priests, and all the people of the assembly. The High Priests served at a sanctuary that was a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.
He would bring a sin offering and a ram offering. The Sin offering was to make atonement for the High Priest and his house. Then two goats would be presented at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle. The High Priest would cast lots for the two goats – one for YHWH/God and the other for the scapegoat. The goat which the lot for YHWH/God fell on would be made as a sin offering. The goat which the lot fell as the scapegoat would be presented before YHWH/God to make atonement upon it by sending it away as the scapegoat into the wilderness.
The sin offering goat would be for the people, it’s blood would be brought before and sprinkled upon the atonement cover/mercy seat. It was because of the uncleaness of Israel and their transgressions, all their sins.
The High Priest would lay his hands on the head of the scapegoat and confess all the iniquities of Israel, all their transgressions, all their sins, placed on the head of the goat and then the goat would be sent away into the wilderness. The goat would carry all those things into the wilderness.
This was to be a statue forever, they were to do no kind of work – both the native born and the outsider dwelling with YHWH/God’s chosen people. On this day, atonement was made for all, they would be clean before YHWH/God.
The scapegoat was for Azazel. Azazel in Hebrew can be translated as “the goat that goes away,” now shorted to scapegoat. Azazel is found no where else in the Biblical Canon we have today. Some scholars connect Azazel with Moc, the god of death. There is also a story of Azazel in Enoch. It tells that Azazel was the name of the leader of the angels who came down and sinned in Genesis 6:1-4.
Azazel taught men all iniquity. YHWH/God told Raphael to bind Azazel and throw him into darkness and to write against him: ALL SIN. Thus the scapegoat takes all sin out of the Holy Place, into the wilderness, back to Azazel.
Whatever the story behind the Azazel-scapegoat, the goat would carry away the sins.
If you haven’t already seen them, references to Jesus are all over the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.
There is repentance – they confessed their sins and symbolically placed them on the scapegoat which was turned out into the wilderness, removing the sins. Jesus suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. God put his laws in their minds and wrote them on their hearts.
There is a sin offering – this symbolically covered the wages of sin – death. Instead of the people being put to death, the animal took their place. But then Jesus came. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to give his life as a ransom for many. Since the children have flesh and blood, Jesus shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death. He died as a ransom to set free from sins committed under the first covenant.
There is cleansing – the blood symbolically cleansed the mercy seat, the tabernacle, and the other elements throughout the tabernacle – YHWH/God’s dwelling place. The Blood of Jesus cleanses our consciences from acts that lead to death. Jesus did not enter by blood of goats and calves, he entered by his own blood, obtaining eternal redemption.
There is a restoration of right relationship – all of the symbolism is a representation of YHWH/God’s love for them and once sin is removed from the temple, YHWH/God can dwell with them, and they can be in right relationship with him again. Jesus had to be made fully human in every way so he might become a merciful and faithful high priest, that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Now, you are God’s temple and God’s Spirit dwells within you.
Once Jesus The Anointed One/Christ’s mission was accomplished on the cross, the Veil between the Set Apart Place/The Holy Place and the Most Set Apart Place/The Holy of Holies was torn in two, from top to bottom. We have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus, the Son of God, who has entered the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever.
So Jesus was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Do no harm to the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.
A vast multitude that no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues – was standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The One seated on the throne will shelter them. Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. He sacrificed for their sins, once for all, when he offered himself.
There is no temple in the city because God and the Lamb are its temple. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.
The third book contained the wicked deeds of the people. God said to the Adversary, these are yours, take them. The Adversary took them away, into a waste land.
As a Christian, on this Day of Atonement – It was meant to be a day of rest (no work) and fasting.. Take time to repent, give thanks, and rejoice for all that YHWH/God and Jesus have done! Maybe take some time to read Hebrews Chapters 6-10 with some of these pictures in your mind – you may be surprised at what jumps out at you now. Take some time to read some of the scriptures referenced below. And be watchful!
5 Yeshua began to tell them, “Watch out that no one leads you astray! 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed, for this must happen but it is not yet the end. 8 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These things are only the beginning of birth pains.
33 “Keep on the lookout! Stay alert! For you do not know when the time is.
36 So watch in case, coming suddenly, he finds you asleep. 37 What I say to you I say to all: ‘Stay alert!’”
Mark 13 (TLV)
Leviticus 16, Leviticus 23, Enoch 1-16, Hebrew 13, Mark 10, Hebrew 2, 4-10 1 Corinthians 3, Matthew 27, Revelation 7, Ezekiel 9, Revelation 19, Revelation 21, Gad 14
Matthew 5 is rich with instruction from Jesus. In this next section, He talks about Christians as the salt and light of the world. If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’ve heard this saying a time or two, I’m sure. But what did He say exactly, and what does it mean? Let’s find out.
13 “You are the [d]salt of the earth; but if the salt has [e]lost its taste (purpose), how can it be made salty? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and walked on by people [when the walkways are wet and slippery]. Matthew 5 (AMP)
Salt is an interesting mineral. I wrote about it many years ago.
What I discovered in my investigation into salt:
You can see there is a lot to learn about salt. How do we apply these salt principles to our Christian walk? Here are a few I’d like to suggest derived directly from what we know about salt:
We are here for a purpose, without that purpose, we are of little use to the Kingdom.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus referred to his followers as the “salt of the earth”. The apostle Paul also encouraged Christians to “let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). And I’ve heard about people putting salt in a wound, and I know it stings, and stuff like that. So I did a little more research on it. It’s times like these, where you HAVE to acknowledge there is a God because everything works in harmony. Everything can end up pointing back to stuff in the Bible and ultimately to God. Like – SALT. Check it out:
SALT FACT: Many micro organisms cannot live in an overly salty environment. If you put salt on a slug, it kind of evaporates. The hypertonic solution sucks all of the fluid out of the body and it dies.
CHRISTIAN APPLICATION: hmmmm Think about that one for a minute. Think of salt as the things we communicate, things we believe, things we see in others, things we say to others. I guess that tells us that we need to be careful WHO we pour our salt on. As Christians, we don’t get to just go and dump our salt on whomever we please. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, He will let us know if that specific person is ready for our Christian salt. On the other hand, it could tell us something about ourselves and how we react when salt is poured on us. If every time a brother or sister in Christ tries to give us a little salt we get all bent out of shape and offended, then we better check ourselves. We can’t live without fellowship, encouragement, and admonishment from fellow Christians and the Holy Spirit. Truth may hurt sometimes, but it shouldn’t kill us.
SALT FACT: Sodium chloride (Salt) is sometimes used as a cheap, safe, effective method of food preservation historically; as it draws water out of bacteria through osmotic pressure preventing them from reproducing and causing food to spoil. Even though more effective desiccants are available, few are safe for humans to ingest. Since at least medieval times, people have used salt as a cleansing agent rubbed on household surfaces. It is also used in many brands of shampoo, and popularly to de-ice driveways and patches of ice. It also lowers the freezing point.
CHRISTIAN APPLICATION: Soooo, When salt is applied to the right things, it can help to preventing REPRODUCTION and SPOILING. Salt should be applied to SINS, not people. When we use it on the right SINS (never on people!) it could help get rid of them or it might just start a melting process that subsequently will take longer to refreeze. In other words, we might help them to see their sin and start a process where they move out of that sin. If used correctly, it can set up a situation where moving back into that sin will be less likely. We don’t get to choose what to apply the salt to, we need to check in the Bible to see where to use it. It isn’t about our wants and needs, it’s about God’s wants and needs.
SALT FACT: Chloride and sodium ions, the two major components of salt, are necessary for the survival of all known living creatures, including humans. Conversely, overconsumption of salt increases the risk of health problems, including high blood pressure.
CHRISTIAN APPLICATION: LOL I think we all know what this tells us. We need to go a little easy on our salting or suffer the consequences. If we are continually having people become offended or upset by us, then we need to check how salty we have become. This doesn’t mean that one or two people are upset with us, that is more than likely an issue within them. This would be where you have several people at different times upset with you and something you have said or done. If we make numerous people’s blood pressure rise, then we are being way to salty.
SALT FACT: All four cationic electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium) are available in unrefined salt, as are other vital minerals needed for optimal bodily function. Too much or too little salt in the diet can lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, or even an electrolyte disturbance, which can cause severe, even fatal, neurological problems. The risk for disease due to insufficient or excessive salt intake varies because of biochemical individuality. Drinking too much water, with insufficient salt intake, puts a person at risk of water intoxication (hyponatremia).
CHRISTIAN APPLICATION: mmmmmm So as part of the body, we need to make sure that we are not too Salty. It’s a balancing act. Knowing when, what, and how much to salt. Too much – not enough – either way, it’s fatal. If we are leaving a path of hurting people behind us, then our mixture isn’t right. More than likely we are salting based on our own feelings and not on those directed by the Holy Spirit. Another thing is dumping our salt on people who really aren’t filled with the Holy Spirit (living water) can be fatal as well. We should save most of our salt for fellow brother’s and sister’s in Christ, not those in the world. The reverse of that is that if we are filled with the Spirit, we can not be upset when fellow believers try to offer us some salt from time to time. It is how we grow, how we survive. Too much Spirit with little salt is just as fatal as too much salt with very little Spirit.
SALT FACT: Sea salt (an unrefined form of salt made by evaporating sea water) is often sold for use as a condiment. Sea salt contains trace amounts of other minerals which are removed in the refining process. Sea salt is produced through evaporation of seawater, usually with little processing, which leaves behind some trace minerals and elements depending on its water source. These insignificant amounts of minerals add flavor and color to sea salt, which also comes in a variety of coarseness levels. Table salt is mined from underground salt deposits. Table salt is more heavily processed to eliminate trace minerals and usually contains an additive to prevent clumping. Most table salt also has added iodine, an essential nutrient that appears naturally in minute amounts in sea salt. Sea salt generally is far from pure. Iodized table salt — it comes from underground mines and is treated with aluminum to prevent caking. (Sometimes it’s even bleached to make it whiter.
CHRISTIAN APPLICATION: So, salt, is better when it come from nature with no additives. If we are going to use our Salt, it’s better if it come from the Holy Spirit and not from us. The more we dilute and add to what the Spirit is trying to do, the more we will mess things up and the less nourishing and beneficial it will be to the other person.
SALT FACT: Salt, an essential chemical for life and well-being, is ironically the combination of two of the most deadly chemicals known to man—sodium, an unstable metal that will burst into flame if exposed to air or water, and chlorine, one of the deadliest known gases.
CHRISTIAN APPLICATION: Yeaaah, just another reason to make sure it’s from the Holy Spirit. We all know that when we use our salt in our own way, explosions and deadly gases happen! Guess that’s a sign to look for. If there are a lot of explosions when you’re using your salt, it’s not mixed right. On the other hand, if you are one that explodes every time someone puts a little salt on you, well, maybe you’re not mixed right.
SALT FACT: Although the famous expression “putting salt in the wound” has a negative connotation because salt tends to sting when placed in an open sore or cut, salt is beneficial in the long run. Because salt tends to be abrasive, it is best that you dilute it in a water solution. Salt water is most effective when 1 Tbsp. of salt is added to 1 cup of warm water. Stir the salt into the water until it dissolves, and then soak your wounds in it. Although salt-water treatment is not ideal as the primary treatment for all wounds, it is an excellent initial treatment to disinfect a wound. Do not use a salt-water bath if your wound is bleeding. You may dab your wound gently with salt water, but do not soak it until your wound has clotted completely. Treating a wound in salt water is an excellent preventative measure against germs and infection, but it will not heal all wounds. Your wound may require stitches or other medical attention before soaking your wound in salt water will be effective. When in doubt, always contact your doctor and ask her what to do about your injury.
CHRISTIAN APPLICATION: So what is this telling us as Christians? Think of salt as your thoughts, beliefs, advice, Bible knowledge, etc. Let’s look at that again,
Although expressing our thoughts, beliefs, advice, and Bible knowledge (salt) to someone who is not a Christian, or someone who is hurting (a wound) can sting, it is beneficial in the long run. Because our thoughts, beliefs, advice, and Bible knowledge (salt) can be abrasive, we need to make sure it is diluted by God. It is most effective when there is a lot more Holy Spirit (water) than there is our thoughts, beliefs, advice, and Bible knowledge (salt) in the mixture. Make sure that every part of your needs and wants have been dissolved before approaching and talking with a non Christian or person who is hurting (a wound is soaked). Sometimes, sharing our thoughts, beliefs, advice, and Bible knowledge (Salt-water) is not ideal for every person (wound), but can be a good initial treatment as a eye opener, or attention getter (disinfectant). Don’t try to share your thoughts, beliefs, advice, and Bible knowledge (apply the salt) to someone who is really hurting or experiencing a fresh hurt (an open, bleeding wound), it needs different treatment. Treat that type of wound gently, maybe a little dab here and there, but don’t dump on it, use lots of love, kindness, and caring. Make sure you wait until you can see some healing in the wound before you try to apply your thoughts, beliefs, advice, and Bible knowledge (any kind of salt). Rinsing an open, bleeding wound with the love of Christ and the healing of the Holy Spirit (with clean, fresh water) is the best thing.) After the wound shows signs of healing, then sharing your thoughts, beliefs, advice, and Bible knowledge (treating with salt) can be an excellent help in preventing more hurt, more wrong actions, and more sinning (germs and infections from infecting the wound). When in doubt about how to treat the wound, ask God (the doctor), see what He says to do about the injury.
So if you are wanting to become a more mature Christian or you are professing to be a mature Christian – you should be saying – please pass that salt!
Comments welcome!
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