For the Kingdom of Heaven is Like…

20 11 2008

Our pastor has been preaching a sermon series on what the kingdom of heaven is like, using as his text, inter alia, the parables in the book of Matthew. At the end of one of his sermons, he asked us to write our own parable using our occupations, capacities as parents, or grandparents, etc. as the basis for our own parable.

For example, a teacher’s might begin, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a classroom…” Naturally, I thought, “Church assignment…blog post.” And thus, a snippet of the gospel according to Peter (red-letter edition):

Satan Smiting Job, William Blake

Satan Smiting Job, William Blake

…and Jesus said, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a court of law, where the accuser very thoroughly and convincingly builds a case against the accused. He presents the evidence to the jury bit by bit, witness after witness.

Pointing to the one on trial, the prosecutor boastfully argues to the jury:

‘Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this poor excuse for a human being has committed heinous violations of the most holy law.

He has placed other gods before the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

He has made idols of innumerable persons and things.

He has taken the Lord’s Name in vain countless times.

He has never kept the Sabbath holy, defiling it at every opportunity.

He has dishonored his father and mother all of his life.

According to the very words of God’s own Son, he has committed murder and adultery. Repeatedly!

This man is a thief, a liar, and a coveter. A worse human being has never been created. This man is guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

And justice requires that he be punished!’

There is no defense to present. The jury, horrified by the actions of the accused, quickly returns a verdict of ‘guilty,’ fully expecting the Judge to impose the stiffest sentence possible: an eternity in the lake of fire.

The Judge turns to the accused and says, ‘Is there anything you have to say for yourself before sentence is imposed?’

The accused, still bound and shackled, bows his head in shame knowing there is nothing he can say in defense of these accusations.

But, quietly and confidently, the advocate for the accused stands, and, placing his hand on the accused’s shoulder, says:

‘Your Honor, I stepped out of heaven and became flesh. I was born to a human mother. I was raised by a human father. I spent my life teaching humanity about You.

I was hated. Mocked. Spat upon. I was imprisoned, scourged, and tried before a sham court. I was convicted, sentenced to death, and crucified, all so that this man and others like him would not have to endure the same.

Three days later I rose again, having paid in full the price for all human sin. It is true, this man is guilty of all of those things. And more.

But, what you have required of this man is this: that he believe in Me and what I did for him and others like him, that it would not have been done in vain.

Your Honor, the only thing I can say in defense of this man is that he believes.

I have paid his debt. I have endured his punishment. His sentence has been imposed, his time has been served.

Ought not this man, being a son of Abraham, whom this accuser has bound, be acquitted and loosed from this bondage? Ought not this man be set free?’

The Judge, robed in pristine white, leans forward, looks at the accused, smiles, and says, ‘You are free.’”


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags : , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Bible, Christianity, God, Grace, Heaven, Jesus, Sin

Scofield Study Bible - An Oldie But Goodie

6 11 2008
Scofield Study Bible

Scofield Study Bible

I just recently acquired an Oxford University Press Scofield Study Bible (KJV). It is black bonded leather with the 1917 notes. It’s really quite lovely.

I don’t want to get into a whole debate about dispensationalist theology - I’ll leave that to others - suffice it to say, I am not a dispensationalist, although there are elements of dispensationalist theology worthy of more exploration (on my part). And, if the fact that the Scofield Study Bible is unashamedly dispensationalist causes you grief, I understand. I also understand that a lot has changed since 1917, and our understanding of history, archeology, and science are completely different than it was nearly a century ago. But I do want to share a part of what is written in the introduction.

I know most people don’t bother to read the xx or so pages of introductory material at the front of their Bibles. Translation philosophies, explanatory essays, and dreadful lists of acknowledgments are for the truly hard core.

I, however, happen to fall into this category, ask my wife. She will testify that the first thing I do when we check into a hotel room is read the over-sized hotel binder cover-to-cover. I want to know about the facilities, amenities, services, attractions, etc. (you never know when you might need an aspirin at 3 a.m., and I want to know if I will have to leave the hotel, trek down to a “gift shop,” or call for room service). The same goes for my Bibles.

On page v of my new Scofield Study Bible, there is a section of the introduction entitled “A Panoramic View of the Bible.” Without going into the whole thing, one of the sections struck me:

First. The Bible is one book. Seven great marks attest this unity. (1) From Genesis the Bible bears witness to one God. Wherever he speaks or acts he is consistent with himself, and with the total revelation concerning him. (2) The Bible forms one continuous story - the story of humanity in relation to God. (3) The Bible hazards the most unlikely predictions concerning the future, and, when the centuries have brought round the appointed time, records their fulfillment. (4) The Bible is a progressive unfolding of truth. Nothing is told all at once, and once and for all. The law is, “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn.” Without the possibility of collusion, often with centuries between, one writer of Scripture takes up an earlier revelation, adds to it, lays down the pen, and in due time another man moved by the Holy Spirit, and another, and another, add new details till the whole is complete. (5) From beginning to end the Bible testifies to one redemption. (6) From beginning to end the Bible has one great theme - the person and work of the Christ. (7) And, finally, these writers, some forty-four in number, writing through twenty centuries, have produced a perfect harmony of doctrine in progressive unfolding. This is, to every candid mind, the unanswerable proof of the Divine inspiration of the Bible (italics in original).

If there is a better, more succinct apologetic for the divine nature of scripture in print, I am unaware of it. Perhaps some of you will enlighten me. Thoughts?


Comments : 7 Comments »
Tags : , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Apologetics, Bible, Bible Translations, Book Reviews, Christianity, Faith, God, Jesus

Hebrew - The Divine Language

3 11 2008

I have spent a lot of time lately contemplating the Hebrew language (even more than usual). I simply cannot escape the conclusion that the language is supernaturally composed. It almost makes me wish I was a statistician so that I could calculate the odds of a human or group of humans developing a pictographic language such as that of the Hebrews.

I hope I never become one to recycle posts (because one of my very first posts was on The Language of God), but I do want to share this again now that all (for now) of the posts on Genesis 1:1 are finished. I will compile them in a single post soon for easy reference. But, more fundamental that that…

The word “Hebrew,” or Ibrit (pronounced ee’vreet, please forgive my phonetic spelling), is derived from the word Ibri (pronounced ee’vree, which is also “Hebrew” in English). Ibri means to pass over or sojourn. Abraham was first called the Hebrew (Ibri) in Genesis 14:13 because he was a sojourner in the land, or he was one who “passed over” the land. It’s certainly no coincidence that one of the chief Jewish holidays is Passover, perhaps just a great foreshadowing.

In many ways, all believers are called to be “Hebrews,” sojourners in this world. So, what of this word, “Hebrew,” that would ultimately become the name of the language spoken by the descendants of Abraham? Ibrit is spelled using the Hebrew letters AYIN, depicted in the ancient Hebrew pictographs as an eye and meaning to see, as by revelation; BET, pictured as a house or tent and meaning a house or lineage; RESH, pictured as a man’s head, meaning the first or highest person; YOD, pictured as a hand or arm from the elbow to the fist, meaning my or my hand/works; and TAV, pictured as two crossed sticks and meaning a mark or covenant.

Before I get to the breakdown of the individual letters that make up Ibrit, I want to point out that brit is the Hebrew word for covenant. Thus, Ibrit can be fairly seen as TO SEE or a REVELATION of the COVENANT. The conclusion that I have reached is that we will SEE, or the REVELATION of, God’s COVENANT will be in and within HEBREW. Both within the word “Hebrew” itself and generally though the Hebrew language.

Now, “Hebrew.” Recall from earlier posts that the Hebrew letters BET and RESH form the Hebrew/Aramaic word bar, or son, so in Ibrit we SEE the SON with his HANDS/ARMS on a CROSS. Here’s the visual (remember, Hebrew is read right to left):

Hebrew

Hebrew

Related Posts:

God Speaks: The Origin of the Alphabet

My Covenant

The Language of God


Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags : , , , , , , ,
Categories : Ancient Hebrew, Bible, Christianity, Genesis, Hebrew, Jesus, Old Testament

The Salvation of “the earth”

19 08 2008

When I first began writing this blog, I began by showing Genesis 1:1 in the ancient Hebrew pictographs and the beauty revealed therein. I showed that Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross was revealed from “In the beginning…” The last such entry was about “the heavens” and the various revelations made about Noah, Moses, etc. There is much more in “the heavens,” but I will develop that more later.

For those who began reading since then, and for a quick recap here is a brief summary of what we have seen in Genesis 1:1 to this point (and the links to those earlier posts):

In the beginning - The Son of God would be destroyed on a cross.

God - Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd…

created - Jesus as the creator.

the heavens - Noah and the flood (Part 1).

the heavens (cont.) - The story of Moses (Part 2).

Now, “and the earth.” I realize it has taken several months to conclude what I began several months ago, but that is, in part, because I wasn’t satisfied that I had finished “the heavens” or “the earth.” Well, there is plenty more in “the heavens,” and I know there is more in “the earth,” but I doubt I will ever be able to exhaust either. That is no reason to prolong sharing what I know is there, so here it is.

Believe it or not, the “and” is quite significant on its own and probably deserves its own post, but for sake of time, I will combine the two. The Hebrew word v’at translated “and” is comprised of the Hebrew letters VAV, ALEPH, and TAV. If you will recall from earlier posts, the ancient Hebrew alphabet was made up of pictographs that represented a letter of the alphabet, a number, and had a symbolic meaning.

The letter VAV was pictured as a tent peg, hook or a nail. Specifically, the VAV was the tent peg or hook that held the curtains of the tabernacle of Moses together. The symbolic meaning of the VAV was to bind together or hook, and represented the connection between heaven and earth. The ALEPH was pictured as the head of an ox and symbolized strength or God, as in the Lord is my strength. The TAV was pictured as two crossed sticks and symbolized a cross, mark or covenant.

Interestingly, the VAV in v’at (and) is the first VAV in the Bible and connects “the heavens” and “the earth” as is symbolized by VAV. As I have written before, I believe “the heavens” symbolically represent God’s Old Testament Covenants. I also believe “the earth” symbolically represents God’s New Covenant in Christ Jesus. The “and” reveals this relationship. The NAIL or VAV is GOD’S COVENANT.

v'at / and

The “and” also is a reassurance that GOD is BOUND by His COVENANTS. Without this reassurance, what is revealed in “the earth” would be meaningless. “The earth” is comprised of the Hebrew letters HEY, ALEPH, RESH and TSADE. The letter HEY was pictured as a man with outstretched arms and means to behold. The letter HEY is also representative of God’s gift or grace. The ALEPH, as I mentioned before, was pictured as an ox head and represented strength or God. The letter RESH is pictured as the head of a man and means the first or highest man, or first born. The TSADE is pictured as a man lying on his side or bent at the knees, or pictured as a fish hook. The symbolic meaning of the letter TSADE was to hunt or fish.

Therefore, GOD’S COVENANT by which He is BOUND is the GRACE or GIFT of GOD which is His FIRST BORN. The conclusion, or TSADE, is even more remarkable. It is our great commission, to GO FISHING/HUNTING. This was and is God’s promise to the world, “Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares the LORD, “and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks…” Jeremiah 16:16. Moreover, Jesus first chose fishermen to be His disciples, and He told them He would make them fishers of men.

Let’s go a little deeper. There are five Hebrew letters which have a sofit form which is used when one of these five letters concludes a word, such as the TSADE in “the earth.” The traditional form of the TSADE is a man on bent knees or laying down, representing humility, as in to kneel before or to lay down one’s life. The sofit form is the righteous man upright with hands held high (the Hebrew word tzadik means righteous person). If this is not a picture of Christ Jesus, I don’t know what is. The humble servant laying down his life and rising again. So, “the earth” is the GRACE of GOD in JESUS (HIS SON) who died and rose again, now go FISHING.

As rich and full as some literature is, the beauty of the Bible is beyond human capability and comprehension. Genesis 1:1 alone is fuller and richer in symbolism and meaning that any written work of man…and this is without touching on the numbers and gematria, which I will leave to others far more qualified than I. I used to think that you could devote a lifetime to studying the Bible and never get it all, and I still believe that, but I now think you could spend a lifetime studying Genesis 1:1 and still not get it all.

But it’s going to be fun trying.


Comments : No Comments »
Tags : , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Ancient Hebrew, Bible, Christianity, Faith, Genesis, God, Grace, Hebrew, Jesus, Religion

Belief vs. Believe Part 2

14 08 2008

This is the follow up to Belief v. Believe where I discussed the difference between a belief in God and believing God. I apologize for the post in between, but I couldn’t resist tossing a little Kudos to the ESV and the ESV Bible Blog for acknowledging my post on Bible Translations.

So, how do you believe God? What does it mean to believe God? If you believe God, what should you believe?

First, these are not theological questions I am asking and attempting to answer. I will leave the theological questions for another day, time, writer, blogger, preacher, priest, or, better yet, you. These are very practical questions, with a surprisingly practical, if sometimes complicated, answer. Answer: You believe God’s Word/word.

For the time being, I see three ways this can be expressed. There may be others, and I have no intention of trying to limit God, but these three seem obvious (which is probably why they are so often difficult).

First, believing God’s Word. This is often complicated because there are so many competing interpretations and teachings about scripture that it can be a mess trying to sort them all out. I’m certain this was never intended, and it is quite an effective tactic of the enemy. However, there is an ultimate authority on the matter who we have available to us for guidance, the Holy Spirit. Does this mean we can never be wrong theologically? Absolutely not. I find that I am wrong frequently. But, yielding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit will always get you back on track, even if you have to learn a few lessons along the way. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

John begins his Gospel this way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This is quite a remarkable statement because the “Word” John is talking about is the Greek word logos, which is God’s inspired and written Word (the Scriptures). So, the entire Word was completed before a single Hebrew letter was written down, before there were humans to write. The entire manuscript or scroll of human history was completed before it began. The Word is not just what a bunch of Jewish guys wrote down a long time ago, it is one of the many expressions of the living God.

Just as Jesus is God in human form, the Word is God in creative form. The declared word of God is the most powerful thing in the universe. God speaks things into existence. God’s prophets determine the destiny of nations. A simple word of knowledge or wisdom can heal bodies and change lives. God’s creative word is responsible for our very existence.

The Bible is not inerrant because of how accurate Hebrew scribes were and are, or how historically accurate it is, or because the human authors were inspired by God. The text we have is a way for God to reveal Himself to us is a way we can comprehend, and we can barely do that. The Word is inerrant because it is God, one of His infinite number of expressions. I look forward to the day when we no longer are limited by language and are better able to appreciate the magnitude of this.

The second and third way to believe God is to believe the rhema of God, also translated “word.” The rhema is the “word” given to you by the Holy Spirit. A scripture recalled at a precise moment, an instruction regarding a particular matter, a prompting to pray for someone or something, or a word of wisdom or knowledge for someone, are all examples of God’s rhema. I have found that it is in trusting God’s rhema that I learn the most.

The Holy Spirit is a miraculous teacher, truly a wonderful counselor. How better to illustrate a theological question than through on-the-job training. Very often the Holy Spirit will answer questions by walking you through the answer. Is this a divine teaching method? Was the question presented in anticipation of the circumstance? Can you miss the question/answer? I’m sure the answer to all of these is “yes,” but the only way to know for sure is to believe God’s word to you.

Thirdly, and similarly, you should believe the word God has for you through someone else. God will give you a word for someone else, why shouldn’t He give someone else a word for you? Admittedly, this can be dangerous, and John warned us to try the spirits whether they are of God, but the body of Christ is purposefully intertwined, and no individual part can operate better than the whole. In fact, I believe there are many instances where God purposefully gives an answer you need to someone else specifically to make us all co-dependent. I think this is especially true for family relationships (husbands and wives, parents and children, etc.).

This is hard, I know, because you’re not entirely sure you can hear God clearly for yourself, and now you’ve got to trust that someone else can. This is absolute faith and surrender. I’m not suggesting that you blindly take people at their word every time they tell you the word is from God, but this is where the Holy Spirit will counsel you…if you let Him.

In short, believe His Word (the Bible), His word to you, and His word for you from others. Why? Because you will find that His Word/word is worth believing.


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags : , , , , , ,
Categories : Belief, Bible, Christianity, Faith, God, Jesus, Religion

Belief vs. Believe

28 07 2008

Without trying to define or redefine faith, I do think it is imperative that Christians appreciate at least one distinction in the whole discussion of faith: the distinction between belief in God and believing God.

It seems that too many of us get caught up in whether someone believes in God. And, if that someone happens to believe in the same God we believe in and generally displays that belief in the same way we do (church attendance, cross or fish paraphernalia, political alignments, etc.), we deem them to have faith.

However, the only place in scripture where I have come across this concept of faith is in the book of James.

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! James 2:19 (NKJV).

Yet, it seems our preoccupation is in persuading non-believers to attain only this level of faith which James mocks. In fact, throughout scripture, this level of faith is assumed. I have yet to come across a character in my Bible who doubts the existence of God. So, why are we content to persuade non-believers to attain this belief?

They key is in distinguishing between a belief in God and believing God. Belief is mocked, believing is praised. “For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ ” Romans 4:3. Abraham not only believed in God, but he believed God, and it was his believing God that was credited to him as righteousness. Why? Well, that’s a good question.

Faith is about believing God and not believing in God because human faithfulness is flawed, God’s is not. The issue is not whether we believe in God because our beliefs can change from day to day. Even devout believers might subscribe to one theological stance one day and another the next. This is particularly true with doctrinal questions pertaining to spiritual gifts, baptisms, law keeping, the list is endless. I doubt that any one theology is exactly right, no more so than any one theologist is right. I don’t mean to criticize believers who cross denominational or theological lines, I have myself. I only mean, however, to show the frailty of human belief.

True faith, on the other hand, is not belief in God, but rather believing that God is faithful. This distinction very appropriately resembles one of the theological questions mentioned above. Not only was humanity unfaithful in keeping the law, humanity is incapable of it. Fortunately for us, God IS faithful. And we are made righteous not through our faithfulness, or lack thereof, but through our believing in His.

So, you believe in God, you do well. You believe God, you become the righteousness of God.

What does believing God mean? I will try my best to answer that in my next post.


Comments : 16 Comments »
Tags : , , , , , , ,
Categories : Belief, Bible, Christianity, Doubt, Faith, God, Jesus, Religion

Sharing in Spiritual AND Material Things

28 07 2008

As many of you may know, I also write guest posts for Eved of Hashem, the blog of Gilal Burgos, a Messianic Sephardi Jew from New York. Gil is the founder of the Lion of Judah Fellowship (LOJF) which ministers in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Florida.

I recently published Sharing in Spiritual AND Material Things wherein I wrote about Romans 15:27, and Paul’s reminder that we as Gentiles are indebted to the “poor among the saints in Jerusalem.”

If you have a minute, I encourage you check it out and respond however the Spirit leads you.


Comments : No Comments »
Tags : , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Bible, Blessing, Christianity, Genesis, God, Grace, Israel, Jesus, Messianic Jews, Religion

« Previous Entries