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The time is the days of awe. Time for repentance and renewal. What do You want to clean out of me at this time, Abba?
Today, Abba has brought to me more revelation about how interpretation and tradition can counterfeit and/or compromise His Instruction - Torah - and rob us of its intent and essential power. There is an underlying intent in Torah, an attitude of the heart that is reflected in obedience to and reliance on its instruction, which brings us into fellowship with the Author of these instructions. Matthew records Yeshua’s clarification of the intent of Torah to the people on the mountain. Yeshua was absolutely clear about this when He spoke the words: “you have heard it said . . . but I say to you . . .” Time after time He explained that outward compliance and/or mental assent to the instructions does not produce the relationship to the God of the commands that is intended. It is as if we see the whole thing inside out or backwards. Tradition, custom, interpretation have put the doing first - relationship by works. I believe what Abba says is first, “Come to Me”, then, “Let Me love you and show you what pleases Me.” Again, Yeshua addressed the hypocrisy of the religious leaders when He declared them to be whitewashed tombs - shiny and impressive on the outside (doing all the stuff) but dead and stinking on the inside. Have I been more concerned about compliance to rules and less than diligent to draw near? Abba says, “Yes.” I am mortified. How does tradition and interpretation turn everything upside down? Torah is supernatural instruction designed to transform, not re-arrange. For example, the Hebrew word translated covet is chamad and means to take delight or pleasure in something. Delight and pleasure are aspects of our flesh (nefesh) that must be directed to operate within certain limits. Torah establishes the parameters of delight and pleasure. We are to delight and take pleasure in YHVH, the Sabbath, our own spouses, creation, even discipline. It also tells us what we must not take delight and pleasure in. Let’s look at the commandment on coveting from Exodus 20:17. You must not take delight and pleasure (covet) in your neighbor’s house, wife, servant, livestock or anything they own. When conformity to rules becomes the rule, it generally deteriorates into some sort of regulation of you to benefit me. Take the commandment on coveting, for instance. If we are not surrendering to YHVH’s intent to have a heart that loves our neighbor, the result is jealousy, envy, and coveting instead of delighting and taking pleasure in their blessing. Can we see this practically today? I will draw on personal experience here. I have been in fellowships where tradition and interpretation establish the parameters where certain behaviors are banned, certain dress codes must be adhered to, etc. Without exception, the rules are intended to alleviate sin triggers of those who made the rules, usually leadership. Take the purpose of veiling moslem women. It is to keep the men from lusting (coveting) after them. The men are not held accountable for controlling themselves so the women need to be regulated. What has just happened? The mind has ceased to focus on what is pleasing to YHVH, and is checking to see whether the person in front of me is dressed properly, behaving correctly, speaking in tongues, has the right bible version, is or is not smoking, ad nauseum. A counterfeit torah has been set up and there is no life in it. This is a time designed to get us back on track. Is the intention of Torah manifesting in your/my life? What aspect or aspects of your/my life are not about getting closer to YHVH? What needs to be confessed, repented of and forgiven during this time of Teshuvah - returning to the purpose and intent of the One who established righteousness for us. Father, instruct your children in the way of Your heart that we may bring glory to Your Holy Name. “For man sees the outward appearance, but YHVH looks at the heart.” Samuel 16:7  My father (daddy) passed away on June 1st. He shared the following with his grandson:
65 years Hard to believe. 65 years seems like almost a lifetime ago and yesterday at the same time. 1951 and the last place on this earth I wanted to be was fighting a war in Korea. I suppose there’s some comfort to be had knowing you were going to make it through this fight, this war. The innocence of youth, perhaps. Might have been knowing the men fighting with you were trained to do their job and fight for your life as I was theirs. We did our job, we fought the best we could, and most of us did come home. Who could have known 65 years later I’d be fighting again. Another damn war... I didn’t sign up for this fight. This time the war is one I knew full well going into I was not going to win. The men who fought with me 65 years ago aren’t here. This is something none of us were trained for. This war I have to fight alone. Cancer. I have lost most of my strength. I can't feel my legs. I know it will be over soon. I know that I've done my best and fought as hard as I could. I know that there is not much sand left in my hourglass. Ironic almost, how this being Memorial Day Weekend, 65 years has come full circle. I taught math all across the great state of Wyoming for 28 years. I've caught more fish at Pathfinder than most people have fishing stories. I've had a blessed life. I know a pretty good boy who has always been a much better writer than me, and I've asked if he wouldn't mind helping an old man out. 86 years is a pretty good run and soon the war will be over. Love you grandpa. Hope I've made you proud. Jeremy's Tribute Listening to the quiet. . . by Jeremy Rogers June, 2016 (Grandson of John B. Maher) The open road is a quiet and lonely place indeed. The desolate wasteland that was my trek this day, morphed into something unconsciously perfect. Southbound to nowhere, I approached mile marker 60 the eerily familiar sawed off plateaus began to appear. An upward tick pursed my lips as I recounted the legend of the buffaloes I’d been told a thousand times by an elderly gentleman who happened to pass a DNA strand or few my way. Mile marker 57 appears and in the jagged alcoves of the prehistoric rock formations the predatory raptors are circling effortlessly. Pausing, as if held by an invisible thread, before the descent. Using supersonic vision to find through the sagebrush any signs of vermin life. It is feeding time indeed. Mile marker 56 brings a trio of magpies. Pecking away at the corpse of a skunk who dared to tread too close to the white line to my immediate right. Mile marker 52 approaches and the silhouette of a cowboy on his horse begins to appear. Within seconds, his faithful dog becomes visible. Motionless they remain, as if frozen in time. Perhaps reflecting, as I am this day, about the tale of the herd of stampeding buffalo heading over the edge with the same speed and force as a locomotive. The smile that pursed my lips earlier turns. The quiet of the open road I’ve been listening to becomes deafening. My heart knows the next time I traverse this path, the man who told me about the buffaloes will be gone. This is long. I have had a lot of questions about generational sin and whether it is scriptural. Hopefully, this article will clear up some of those concerns.
Introduction: This paper is not about original sin in any way. I am not advocating the despicable doctrine propagated by the likes of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin, which is still a major tenet of many denominations today. We are not conceived as sinful beings. We are born into a world ruled by sin and sinful people. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by YHVH. Yet, from the moment of conception we are governed by both the physical genetics of our parents and also their spiritual history. Throughout the Word of Elohim, we are instructed to teach our children the ways of YHVH. We are also instructed about the consequences of not doing so. “I, YHVH your elohim am a jealous el, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the third and fourth generation.” (Ex 20:5; Ex 34:7; Deut 5:9; Num 14:18) The word translated “visiting” in English is the Hebrew word poqad - from the root paqad (פָקָד) meaning to number, visit, muster, appoint. It is the same word used twice in Numbers 4:49 for appointing as well as numbering or counting. Perhaps if we use the term counting or numbering instead of visiting, we would see a different picture. Is it possible YHVH is saying that He will number or count the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation? If so how is this different than what we normally associate with this verse? I am fighting, no - warring, to understand
This love, this connection This way of being that demands more of me than is there It is death of me Of my rights, needs, wants, perceptions It is relinquishing ownership But ownership of what? Something I only thought was mine - me. I have been bought with a price that I did not pay. Blood. Another death. The price for me. Who does this? Who buys my death? How does the exchange happen? A choice. A paradox. A contronym. Death is life. I only exist if I don’t. It hurts, this losing who I think I am. It's harder than the words imply And I am fighting, no - warring, to understand how to do it. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:16,17: as he (Paul) does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. Therefore be on guard and do not be carried away by the error of unprincipled men.
The last post on Paul dealt with the way men have mistranslated and misinterpreted certain words to suit a particular way of thinking, which seems to be exactly what Peter is talking about. According to Peter, Paul’s writing was difficult to understand for those who actually knew and conversed with him, let alone those of us who have a translation of a translation and absolutely no idea of the Hebraic mindset and culture, or any knowledge of the question letters Paul was answering. As a reminder, we must exercise a valid hermeneutic (process of interpretation) if we are to have the slightest clue as to what Paul was/is talking about. That means, first of all realizing who Paul was, where he came from, and the problems he was dealing with. According to Peter, he established or put Paul’s writing on a par with Scripture. That being the case, Paul cannot refute Torah or void parts of it without being a false prophet as established in Deuteronomy 13. Yeshua said he did not come to destroy the Law or the prophets (Matt 5:17). Paul claimed in Acts 24, as he spoke to Felix, that according to the Way, which they call a sect (of Judaism) I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law (Torah) and that is written in the Prophets. If this is true then Paul cannot teach that the Law is bad or that women are bad or that there is no longer a need for keeping Sabbath on the 7th day or physical circumcision is no longer required as a sign of the covenant. Doing so would disqualify him from teaching Truth as defined by the rules he claims to follow. Taking bits and pieces of Paul’s writings and twisting them to say what they do not, thus making them contradict huge chunks of what he has already written is absurd, but that is exactly what has been done. I ran across the following quote as I prepared for a teaching a couple weeks ago - yes, I teach and yes to both sexes! There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all argument, and which cannot fail to keep man in everlasting ignorance. That principle is condemnation before investigation. —Edmund Spencer We are told to search (investigate) the Scriptures to see if what we are being taught is True (Acts 17:11). That means Paul’s writings must align with the rest of Scripture for him to be considered an Apostle of Messiah. If Paul’s purpose was to change what had been established in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, then according to YHVH’s own words, Paul is a liar and a false prophet and NOT to be believed! I have not written in a while. The Father has been working on me. It has been rough. I believe I am coming out on the other side, though there is now the work of learning and operating in the new way of being. Whole. What does this mean?
As an adjective, whole is used to designate the full amount, the entirety of a thing, its completeness, undivided, unbroken, undamaged. In noun form, the word indicates something that is complete in itself, with all its components or elements operating as a unit. We know this idea from the teaching of Scripture on the body. Although, the physical body has many cells, organs, limbs, it operates as a unit, a whole. Similarly, we are told that the body of Messiah works the same. Many members, each with a specific function, all working together to produce something that the pieces parts on their own can never achieve. The Hebrew word echad relays a similar concept. Consider the declaration from Deuteronomy 6: Shema Israel, YHVH eloheinu, YHVH echad. Hear Israel, YHVH is our God, YHVH is one. In Genesis 1:26, YHVH refers to himself as a plural unity: Let us make man in our image. This is not the time or place to go into trinity theology. Suffice it to say that YHVH is not three gods in one, but rather uses manifestations of Himself for specific situations. He is One in different forms at different times. We have this word, echad, used in the shema, and indicates once again, the wholeness, completeness, perfection of the Creator of the Universe. This image we are created in, is used repeatedly as a metaphor in YHVH’s Word. Basar echad. One flesh. This is the term used to define marriage. Two people (of the opposite sex) coming together to become a new form of echad. Each on his/her own is echad, but coming together like this, they become echad in a different way. Two parts uniting for new purpose. This is a way of being that is intimately connected to the One who created all things. There is no room for independence. I listen to Voice of Israel Radio. Below is a link to a program about the Bat Melech (Daughter of the King) women’s shelters in Israel dedicated to providing safe haven for Orthodox Jewish women of abuse. Ari and Jeremy (the program hosts) can get a little goofy at times but, the program is eye opening and at around the 30 minute mark Amy Openheimer who is the spokesperson for Bat Melech gives a great synopsis of the woman’s role in a marriage relationship stated in Genesis (B’reishit) as ezer k’negdo.
Abuse is defined and I was especially intrigued by the concept of religious abuse, which is discussed and articulated. The focus of this blog, for a time, is restoring the true roles of men and women according to YHVH’s original intent. When one or other of the spouses is determined to use control over the other for any reason in any way, there is a high potential for abuse incidents. Emotional abuse is abuse, make no mistake about it. Verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse all have one thing in common - abuse. The program is about 50 minutes long, but worth every minute. I encourage you to listen and pray for this incredible ministry. Ashrei atah! http://www.voiceofisrael.com/religiously-battered-the-plight-of-abused-women-in-the-orthodox-world/?auto=1 Today, we will look into Paul’s texts that talk about who is the head, namely, 1Cor 11:3 and Eph 5:23.
Paul used the Greek word, kephale in these passages which has been translated as ‘head’ into English. Head can mean many things in English - the piece of our body that sits on our shoulders, the leader of an organization, an authority figure, the top of something as in head of the bed or beginning of something as in trail head, it can even mean the toilet. We have looked at Paul’s credentials. What exactly do these credentials mean for 21st century people trying to understand the teachings of the man with those credentials at the time Yeshua lived? If we do not see Paul for who and what he was, we will not be able to grasp even the most obvious of his words, let alone those which are filled with Hebraisms and come from a mindset foreign to all we know. The words have been translated into English, but must be seen through the eyes of those to whom they were originally written. Are you able to take off your Greek western glasses and “see” with the eyes of a Jew? Because then and only then can you begin to put Paul’s writings into context - to translate what he was saying to “them” into what it means to “us.”
These postings are primarily concerned with texts that have been used to promote theology and doctrine that has been used to legitimize the domination and degradation of women by men, particularly within the walls of the “church.” In Paul’s letters, he deals with issues he has been made aware of and which need to be corrected. Let’s look at Paul’s letters with some specifics in mind. Checking the Greek and digging a bit helped put Paul’s letters in context and settled some very real problems with how the church has traditionally viewed women by not regarding context. First, Paul’s letters are whole letters, not separate chapters and verses. This means that the entirety of what is covered must be seen, not just a sentence here and there lifted out of context to prove a point that isn’t supported within the rest of the letter (or Torah, for that matter, as Paul would never deliberately go against Torah). Second, we only have Paul’s answer letters, not the letters that contain the questions that he is answering. Remember that Paul begins his letters with salutations and greetings and uses language that presumes to address issues that have been presented to him for adjudication. Third, some of Paul’s writing is applicable for us, while some is written only for a specific situation happening at that time. Can we still profit from it? Absolutely, but only when we understand the reason for the instruction. When we say that women cannot teach men or that they must keep silent in church settings, we have disregarded other text clearly stating that EACH one is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the good of ALL, ALL can prophesy, and ALL must submit to one another. The traditional view, which lifts passages out of context, contradicts others making confusion rampant and requires volumes to explain away the discrepancies. How much better it would be to examine the specific bits that do not seem to fit instead of making them an awkward foundation that nothing else can stand on. |
AuthorNapoleon Dynamite makes me laugh. The mountains are home. I really hope there will be chocolate in eternity. I don’t have a lot of friends, but the ones I do have are spectacular! More than anything, I want to please my Creator. Archives
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