Zion's Voice

Brit Hadashah Reflections       27  

Torah portion                      Leviticus 16 : 1  – 20 : 27

Haftarah portion               Amos 9 : 7 – 15

Brit Hadashah                     Luke 16 : 1  - 17 : 37

Hebraic understanding of the Gospel of Yeshua

​

The teaching parables continue. Firstly the parable of the ‘unjust steward’. Having been charged with deceit, he compounded that in his attempt to ingratiate himself with the owner’s debtors, and at the owner’s expense. The owner commended him for his shrewdness!! But that was not all good. The owner explained that his shrewdness had only served to make friendships with equally devious men. In so doing he had abandoned the security which was available to him had he dealt justly with the owner. The lesson was obvious to the disciples who heard it. The unjust steward had forsaken God (the owner) with His promise of eternal life, for the present transient offerings of men. A poor exchange. “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men (his shrewdness) is an abomination in the sight of God”.

Yeshua says that up to John the Baptizer, people were encouraged to ‘draw near’ to God with gifts and offerings according to the Torah of Moses. Now, the message is that the “kingdom of God” is with us. Time is short. Act whilst you can. So Yeshua followed that up by telling another parable about the rich man and Lazarus, the poor beggar. What is portrayed is a distressing account of that which awaits those who die not having faith in Him who died for us. We read in Hebrews 9:27 that “it is appointed unto man once to die, and after death, the judgment”. It is a solemn warning. Nothing has changed since the day it was first spoken. In this parable, when the rich man asked that the poor beggar be sent to warn his five brothers where they were heading, the blunt message of Yeshua was “They have Moses and the Prophets, they must listen to them”. As the rich man argued that his brothers would only listen if someone returned from the dead to warn them, Yeshua re-affirmed the status of Moses and the Prophets as His emissaries.

How sad that today, in many of our churches, Moses and the Prophets have been consigned to antiquity! Irrelevant. Of no consequence. Did Yeshua know something that the rest of us do not? It is incumbent on each of us to discover that truth for ourselves. It is that important.

The Pharisees were likened to ‘obstacles’ to faith in Yeshua. In life, these obstacles will continue to appear and in all sorts of guises. Regrettably, even within some modern church denominations there are obstacles to truth. Yeshua’s message is clear. At the end, it would be better for those who create those obstacles to have a millstone put around their neck and be cast into the sea. Because the alternative is as described in the parable of the rich man and the beggar.

Please note the language of Yeshua. There is no attempt to “guild the lily”. To make it easy. To provide an alternative. He tells it like it is. There is no ‘grey’. There is ‘black’ and there is ‘white’. Make a choice.

Later, as Yeshua was journeying between Samaria and Galilee, He was passing a village and met with ten men who were ‘lepers’. The law required that they be separated from the main populace, hence they called to Him from a distance. Yeshua told them to “Go and show yourselves to the priest” (As described in Leviticus 14) As they did so they were all miraculously healed. But only one returned to give thanks to the Healer, and he was a Samaritan, a foreigner to Israel. I am reminded of times when prayer meetings are called to intercede before God for some community or National need or disaster. It is rare for such a meeting to be called to give thanks, and to praise God for Who He is.

Finally, an interesting observation about the Haftarah portion this week, Amos 9 : 7 – 15. When David ben Gurion declared Israel an independent Nation again on Friday May 14 1948, the Torah readings for the Shabbat which began at sunset that very day included Amos 9 :10-11.

“All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, who say ‘the calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’

On that day I will raise up the Tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old”

The modern State of Israel was born. And history records that on that very day, the Arab world declared what has become known as the ‘war of independence’ for Israel. It lasted 10 months. Israel prevailed, with the miraculous help, deliverance, and grace of Almighty God, and was forged in the process into a strong independent nation. Israel’s population of about 7 million, comprises just under half of the world’s Jewish people.

What a might God we serve.          

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Brit Hadashah Reflections      26

Torah portion                     Leviticus 12 : 1  – 15 : 33

Haftarah portion              2 Kings 7 : 3 – 20

Brit Hadashah                    Luke 13 : 1  - 15 : 32

Hebraic understanding of the Gospel of Yeshua

​

We need to know a little of the history to appreciate the opening verse of our reading today. Acts 5: 37 provides the clue. There were dissident followers of Judas Gaulonitus of Galilee who opposed the payment of taxes to Caesar. They travelled to Jerusalem for one of the pilgrimage festivals, making their gifts to the Temple. Pilate treacherously sent a company of soldiers, who murdered them so “mingling their blood” with their sacrifices. Yeshua posed the question to the multitude “Do you think they were any worse sinners than other Galileans?” Then He told them that “unless you repent you will all likewise perish”. This was not a threat. It was a clear statement of fact for ALL who do not repent of sin and turn to Yeshua for salvation. It is a message for today, as it was for those who heard the words at first hand.

Then He spoke a parable of the fig tree. The interpretation is clear. The fig tree was given time to ‘bear fruit’. Those who hear the gospel are given time to consider and respond, to ‘bear fruit’. But that time is not limitless. It has a finite end. That was Yeshua’s message in the parable.

He then launched into another rebuke of the Pharisees in the synagogue because they objected to His healing of a crippled lady on the Sabbath. The dear lady ‘glorified God’, the Pharisees criticized Him. But they were shamed at their attitude as the multitude of ordinary people rejoiced at His actions and words. Then Yeshua taught them about the ‘kingdom of God’. How from little things, big things grow. The mustard seed, so small and yet grows big enough to have birds nesting in its foliage. Like leaven, wherein such a small amount, over time, leavens of large mixture of dough. The lesson for us is to remain faithful to what we have learned of Him, because even though we may not be aware of it, many others of our acquaintance notice how we behave, what we say, how we live our lives. The problem is that they see everything. So there is a downside if we are not projecting the love we claim to have received when we came to faith. Yeshua said, in Matthew’s gospel “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”. So there is a message and a challenge for us right here. It is how the Kingdom of God increases in the earth. In another place we who are disciples of Yeshua are described as ‘salt’. But later in our reading Yeshua says “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land or for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear let him hear!”

At this point in His ministry, Yeshua had turned to the use of many parables in order to bring His message. The man who gave a great supper for his friends, who all made excuses for not attending. So the host instructed his servants to go to the poor, the disadvantaged and any other who would accept the invitation. A picture of His rejection by His own, and the blessing which has been made available to non-Jews. But He then warned the multitude that to follow Him would be costly. It involves a complete change in lifestyle, habits and even friendships. How often do we hear that message preached in our affluent churches today?

The parable of the lost sheep, only one out of one hundred, but the Shepherd does not rest until that one lost sheep is safely in the sheepfold. In fact, He carries the wayward sheep on His shoulders to the place of safety. It speaks of the boundless love of Messiah Yeshua for those who are His. The parable of the wayward son who squandered his inheritance on selfish pursuits. The jealousy of the older brother. A parable often taught as the relationship between the Jew (the older brother) and the pagan who comes to the Father. It speaks of the warmth of welcome awaiting ALL (represented by the wayward son) who come in repentance to seek the safety of the Father’s home.

So again this week, we find Yeshua in conflict with the religious people, more intent with their legalistic observances than they are with the compassion exhibited in all of Yeshua’s actions. Is there a parallel here? Our church attendance is often perceived to be more important than living the life of faith in our neighbourhood. It is within the church where these principles of righteous living are taught. Or should be. Most of us were introduced to Yeshua in a church environment, but the life of faith is illustrated to our fellow ‘travellers’ in life, out in the community. It is not what we say, it is what we DO that counts,    

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Brit Hadashah Reflections       25

Torah portion                    Leviticus 9 : 1 –11 : 47

Haftarah portion            2 Samuel 6 : 1–7 : 17

Brit Hadashah                  Luke 10 :1 -12 : 59

Hebraic understanding of the Gospel of Yeshua

​

The reading today opens with the appointment of seventy disciples who were given the task of visiting towns and villages in the land where Yeshua Himself planned to go later. Sounds like a pretty easy task, but then came the conditions. “You go just as you are! No money, no food, no change of clothes, no extra shoes, no prior accommodation bookings, and don’t dilly dally on the way!” Then just to make it more interesting “You will be going as lambs among wolves!”

The message was that having shown faith enough to be entrusted with the assignment, it was now time to put that faith into action. Yeshua was saying “Trust Me”. He also gifted them with the power to heal the sick in places where their message was willingly received. They were expressly told not to seek accommodation, but rather to accept hospitality where it was willingly offered. Those were to be told that “The Kingdom of God has come near you”. Where they encountered rejection, the message was blunt. ‘The Kingdom of God has come near you, but it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for your city” Wow!

Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum formed the corner point of a triangle in Northern Galilee. Within this triangle Yeshua performed many miracles. They had seen the Messiah of God with their own eyes, and yet many had wilfully rejected His deity. In my research for this ‘reflection’ I discovered an organization called  “Associates for Biblical Research”. Some of their notes in advertising a proposed study trip to Israel included the following, which I print without edit.

“Many people personally witnessed his divine power, authenticating his claims to deity and the office of Messiah. They willingly and purposefully chose to reject him and remained unrepentant. Note the serious nature of the sin: it would be worse for these three cities than it was for Tyre, Sidon and Sodom. Space limitations do not allow for a discussion of these previous judgments in detail, but one thing should be noted: God himself visits Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum and is summarily rejected. The depth of the sins at Tyre, Sidon and Sodom were quite egregious…the sin in the triangle was even worse.

The modern church often tends to focus primarily on the pleasant and appealing parts of God's character: grace, mercy, peace, love, etc. While these aspects of God's character are attractive, it is improper for the church to focus solely on these characteristics. To ignore the holiness, wrath and judgment of God is to ignore the entirety of his being. A balanced view of God as presented in the Scriptures and understood in the context of orthodoxy should lead the church to appreciate the love and grace of God even more. Sin is a serious matter. It is an offense against a just and righteous God who reigns supreme in perfection.

Let us all take a great lesson from the residents of the triangle: embrace the full character of God so we can appreciate his love, mercy and grace in a much more profound way. Only understanding the bad news about sin and God's authority to judge us can we better grasp the good news of the Gospel.”

The observations above, relating to the church, are equally applicable to the individual. We should all take heed to these warnings of Yeshua to the cities ‘in the triangle’. In chapter 11 of our reading, there is another “woe” directed at the religious Pharisees. “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness”. Harsh criticism indeed, but striking at the very heart of the matter. It is easy to be deflected from our own pious shortcomings by focussing on the legalistic Pharisees who practised the ‘traditions of men’.  But a moment or two of reflection about ourselves might reveal that the charge has a much wider application.

This is highlighted again as we read chapter 12. The challenge of the Scripture is unmistakeable. Look at the words directed to His disciples in the first instance. “Beware of the leaven (sin) of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops”.

I pray that as you read this Scripture passage this week, the Lord will speak into your heart, as He has mine, the things that need to be learned that we all, who love Him, may be good witnesses in the places to which we are sent .. daily.        

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections     Pesach 2

Torah portion            Exodus 13 : 17 - 15 : 26                                                                                                   

Haftarah portion     Numbers  28 : 16 – 25

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

We come to the last day of the celebration and remembrance of “Pesach”.

The parashah narrative begins with the statement of fact that the Pharoah had finally agreed to “let the people go”. It continues with the story of the journey of escape from Egypt, and the drowning of the pursuing Egyptian army, and it ends with the provision of “sweet water” to drink out of the bitter waters of Marah.  A fascinating story.

These events are well known. Even non-Christian sceptics are familiar with the story, so we do not need to re-visit the detail. But we need to find the lessons for ourselves as the story unfolds.

Last week we focussed on the prophetic significance of the whole season of the three Pesach festivals. This week we learn of the detail of the way the event unfolded for them in practical terms. In fact, as we arrive at the very end of the “Feast of Unleavened Bread” in our study this week, we see the hand of Almighty God, and a picture of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach in this parashah.

We could look at the provision of food, which rained down from Heaven each night, sufficient to satisfy each family for the whole day ahead. And that which was not eaten that day rotted before the next day! It was to be gathered and eaten FRESH each day (Miraculously, the same food lasted TWO days when the weekly Shabbat came around).

The Apostle John, in Chapter 6 from verse 32, records the words of Yeshua when He described Himself as “the Bread of Life”. He goes further by relating the “bread from Heaven” in Moses time with Himself.

“Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

It is not going too far to equate the Israelites need for a daily gathering of that bread, with our need today for a ‘daily gathering’ of the bread which Yeshua is. He taught us to pray ‘give us this day our daily bread’. I believe that this phrase has both a literal and a spiritual meaning. We need to gather our ‘bread’ DAILY, just as those Israelites did in our parashah.

We could look at the provision of water. Moses was told to strike the rock, out of which poured an abundance of clean fresh, life-giving water. Our beloved Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Corinth used a most interesting description of this water.

“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food,  and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ”    1 Corinthians 10 : 1- 4.

Paul is suggesting here that the miracle of the provision of water from the Rock extended to that Rock actually following them around!!  The plain sense of this is that it was Yeshua Himself, there with the Israelites on their journeying’s in the wilderness who sustained them with life giving water. On another occasion, when Yeshau was attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, at the time of the water libation Ceremony in the Temple He said:-

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."”  John 7 : 37,38

So then, as the “mo’ed” of Pesach concludes for another year, we remind ourselves that the Passover Seder which starts the celebration of this season always ends with the participants saying “Next Year in Jerusalem”. An anticipatory statement about the coming of Messiah. So we who are believers in Yeshau, can see the way in which this “appointed time” of Pesach not only speaks of Yeshau perfectly fulfilling His role as the ‘Lamb that was slain’, but also throughout the whole parashah we have reminders of His role in our lives as the sustainer of our life.

For the believer, without Him there is no hope of life. With Him we have abundant life …. IF we choose to access it.  Praise be to Him.

Shabbat Shalom

RS