Wrestling with the Scriptures

Question - What is your faith rooted in? Let me suggest that your faith is not in your Bible. Your faith is in the risen Messiah. If Messiah did not rise from the dead then it does not matter which Bible you are reading. The whole exercise would be pointless. Thus knowing that our faith is in the risen Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) it should not overtly concern us then which Bible we prefer to read. As our faith is not in the Bible, it's in Jesus. As a very smart man, Jaroslav Pelikan, once said, ‘If Christ is risen, nothing else matters and if Christ is not risen, then nothing else matters’. Recalling that the disciples did not have a Bible, they show us how they secured their faith in the risen Messiah to the point of martyrdom. 

What is the nature of the Bible? It is unlike any other book. We call it the Holy Bible because indeed that is its nature, it is Holy and Special in more ways than we know. It is also Divine Language. God's language is not like our language. His words create, they are eternal, they change the present and future in ways our language cannot. In Jewish thought the Bible is Divine Language. God does not speak with any superfluous words. He does not talk for the sake of talking. So the words that God chooses to speak are important, moreover even the sounds of those words are important, and just as important are the words that are not chosen or not said. The nature of the Bible, the Divine Language, then demands the reader to delve deeper. To look for more meaning and to search every possible corner of the text for extra details and information. If it’s so special, it needs special attention. The Hebrew tradition is to wrestle with the Bible. 

When the Hebraic mindset thinks about wrestling with the Bible, it does not mean it in a negative way. Such as ‘For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood …’ Ephesians 6vs12. Here Paul refers to a spiritual battle involving a struggle against angelic powers. Instead the picture of wrestling with the text comes from the Patriarch Jacob, who wrestled with God and as such is tied into the meaning of the name Israel. 

A friend of mine, a Jewish Believer, Alan Gilman has a teaching ministry based out of Ottawa. He writes an insightful teaching called TorahBytes. Alan follows the Torah portion of the week and recently wrote on Jacob wrestling with God. In that article he highlighted that while seemingly the concept of a mere human wrestling with God would be preposterous, but indeed it took place, Jacob knew there was something important to be gained, a blessing that he would not let go of until he had it. For all of Jacob’s faults he had a deep sense of the important things of life and Jacob’s tenacity was commended by God with a blessing. 

To read more from Alan follow the link here, and to subscribe to his weekly portion you can email him at info@torahbytes.org 

It is in that same tenacity that wrestling with the Scriptures is paired. The Bible as Divine Language contains within it deeper meanings and countless blessings. Tenaciously we wrestle with the text, searching for more of God, another meaning to the Words of the Lord, and not letting go until we have received that blessing of wisdom.  

An example of wrestling with the Divine Language by focusing on the importance and choice of words used by the text. In the famous narrative of the Akedah, the Binding of Isaac in Genesis 22, we find Isaac and Abraham journey up a mountain to make a sacrifice to the Lord. Isaac asks his father ‘I see the wood, the knife and the fire, but I don't see the lamb. Where is the lamb?’ Abraham replies that ‘God Himself will provide the Lamb’. After Abraham has been tested and passed that test he looks up and sees a ram caught by its horns. He goes and takes the ram, sacrificing it in place of Isaac. In wrestling with the text, looking for more in the details, we see that Abraham told Isaac that God would indeed provide a Lamb, but God did not. Instead God provided a Ram. The words Lamb and Ram are very different in Hebrew. The Bible specifically states that God will provide a Lamb, And so it is assumed then that God will indeed do this. Thus from the time of Abraham the promise remains that at some point in time God will indeed provide a Lamb and the wait for the Lamb of God begins. Messianic aspiration is met with expectation when John the Baptist greets his cousin and declares Yeshua (Jesus) to be the Lamb of God. 

Starting the Journey....

Shalom from Jerusalem. My name is Aaron. I am the deacon of Christ Church in the Old City of Jerusalem. Christ Church is the oldest Protestant Church in the Middle East and it is part of an Anglican Mission called CMJ. (Church’s Ministry among Jewish People, started in 1809). Christ Church was established 1849.

Jerusalem is an interesting city. It is often described as the centre of the Universe. Its history, archeology, and spirituality attract people from all faith traditions and those of non-belief also. It is often said that the world comes to Jerusalem and yet conversely it is God who declares the Word to go forth from Zion. 

I have lived the past 17 years in Jerusalem with my family. Michelle (my wife of 21 yrs) and I have three children. Micah (14yrs son born in Bethlehem) and two daughters born in Jerusalem, Atarah (12yrs) and Tirzah (6yrs). I have watched much of the world come to Jerusalem. I have studied at Hebrew University and then continued to study with Rabbis post-grad. In recent years I have become somewhat of a teacher of the Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith. I have travelled internationally and taught, constantly being asked by my fellow Christians - This is very interesting, How do I learn Hebraic Roots? Have I written a book? Where can I get more information? 

This blog endeavours to share those Hebraic Roots of our Christian Faith. With God’s Grace this journey may end in several books, online seminars and such. So let the adventure begin, starting with a question. The Hebraic mind loves questions. It's in the asking of questions that brings to light an answer and more questions. Never ending. A famous Rabbi (Avraham Heschel) once said ‘You are closest to God when you are asking questions, then when you think you have answers’. Often when asked a question, Jesus would respond with a question. If you think you have all the answers then Pride might set in and we might begin to think we had no need of God or His Messiah. 

Question - Why are the Hebraic roots of the Christian Faith important? It's a good question. So to answer it I will lead with another question. Just following the model of the Messiah! 

Do you need to read the Bible to be saved? Think about it, the obvious answer is No! You don't need to read the Bible to be saved. Well, that's me out of job … and the rest of the bible teachers out there. Time to go fill out the unemployment form. If you don't need to read it, why do we read it at all? Lots of other good books out there. So why read this particular one. Why should we read the Bible? 

In relationships we usually like to get to know the other person we have a relationship with. I am in a relationship with my God, and I would like to get to know Him better.  He has provided me with that opportunity, the Word of God. In it I find out what God likes, what He doesn't like, what ticks Him off, what makes Him happy, what He has done and what He is going to do. My relationship is deepened by getting to know God better through His Word. So I read it. Do I have to? No! However, once in the relationship it's time for maintenance and development of that relationship, and the Bible comes in very important here. 

Hebraic Roots of the Bible puts the Word of God into its context. Historical, Cultural and Theological context. It takes the Word of God and goes deeper, helping me learn more about my God and Messiah. It opens up the teachings of Jesus and helps me hear what the disciples heard when He taught them. It deepens the relationship and that's why it's important! I hope you would agree.