Kings and Prophets

For the last 6 months I have been studying the books of the Kings and looking at the tension between the Kings and the Prophets. To every king there is a prophet. Sometimes there are multiple prophets to the same king. More often than not they are in opposition to each other. As too often occurs, the kings do not walk in the ways of the Lord and then the prophets appear on the scene to chastise them and return the people to the worship of the Lord. The one exception is Solomon, who does not have a prophet at all. Why not? Maybe he was too wise for a prophet? That might say something about the nature of wisdom. Perhaps if Solomon did have a prophet in his court to challenge him when the need arose, perhaps then his reign would not have ended in a divided kingdom. The Book of Kings shows us that in amongst the consistent idolatry of the northern Kingdom of Israel, the battles with foreign armies, and the clash of religions, God continues to warn and woo his people to return to Him. He never gives up on the North. 

The split of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah occurs following the death of Solomon. Several  attempts were made to repair the relationship, and in one occasion the kingdoms did reunite briefly. Ahab, the King of Israel, marries his daughter Athaliah to Jehoram, king of Judah. Athaliah is also the daughter of Jezebel and leads Judah into idolatry. The kingdoms were united ever so briefly, but it was pagan. We also note that for 6 years a non-Davidic king ruled in Jerusalem. After Ahaziah (who is a descendent of David) is killed by Jehu in 2 Kings 9 (because Ahaziah has an alliance with evil King Ahab whom Jehu has also killed) then Athaliah ascends to the throne in 2 Kings 11, slays the rest of her children and brings Baal worship to Jerusalem. She is, after all, the daughter of Jezebel. I guess it is what we would expect her to do. Athaliah, who is not a descendant of David, rules the Kingdom of Judah in Jerusalem for 6 years. Her end comes at the hands of the high priest Jehoiada and the return of Davidic kings with the enthronement of the 7 year old, Joash. 

2 Kings 3 depicts the transition of the prophetic role from Elijah to Elisha. Elijah is about to depart the world in a whirlwind and flaming chariot. In verse one Elijah is attempting to distance himself from Elisha who refuses to leave his masters side. So they travel together to Bethel. In verse two a company of prophets who were living in Bethel come out to meet them. We have to recall that Bethel is one of the major centres of Israelite idolatry. Golden calves had been established in the false temples of Dan and Bethel since the days of Jeroboam. Yet what we find in Bethel is not a mention of the false idolatry but rather of a school of prophets. This leads to many questions. Out of all the places to establish a school of prophecy in Israel, it’s in Bethel? What were they doing there? Why there? Did they challenge the false temple that was so obviously in front of them? The text doesn't give any details. We are left to ponder the role of this school of prophets. 

In verse four Elijah and Elisha travel to Jericho. Elijah, the great opponent to the prophets of Baal, now travels to a city that God had cursed through Joshua during the initial conquest of the Land. Why would he do such a thing, what was wrong with other cities in Judah? Joshua 6vs26 reveals a curse laid against the rebuilding of Jericho. A curse that ends up happening in 1 Kings 16vs34 when the city is rebuilt despite the prohibition to do so. In this cursed city, that God instructs not to be rebuilt, we find a school of prophets. Again, no information on their function and role in the community is given. 

Lastly, in verse 7, Elijah and Elisha journey across the Jordan. This sends them to the territory of their enemies, Moab and Edom. It is in this land that the chariot and whirlwind will come. It is here that the mantle of prophet moves to Elisha. All this does not occur in the Kingdom of Judah, or anywhere near the Temple of God in Jerusalem. Why not? What’s wrong with holding a religious prophetic transition ceremony amongst the Jewish people and in Jewish lands? Why travel to pagan enemy territory to do the hand over from Elijah to Elisha? 

Light shines brightest when the darkness is at its most dark. We see from these verses that God places His prophets where the darkness is at its greatest. Right next to the pagan false temples and the houses of rival worship are the prophets of God. In a cursed city that was forbidden He sends his heroes and establishes a prophetic school. Into the mortal enemy lands God will place his heroes. Elisha’s first miracle will occur in the lands of Moab. This describes something wonderful of the character of God. He never gives up on His people or the world that He created. And God is not afraid of the darkness, He will send His light to shine there all the more brighter. 

We have been taught by the Messiah to be Lights to the Nations and Salt of the Earth. Leviticus tells us to be Holy like God is Holy. So we should see what God does and then we should endeavour to try to imitate His character and behaviour. Wherever it is the darkest, God is shining His light. That’s where He sends His heroes and His prophets. It’s possible that is where He might send us. And if He does send us into the Darkness, we don’t need be afraid. God is already there shining His light through us all the brighter. 

The God of Jacob

Psalm 46 is a beautiful and comforting prayer. The Psalm begins with a powerful reminder that God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble (verse 1). Treasured words to pray and reflect when life throws us a curve ball. 

The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our Fortress (Psalm 46vs7). Here we see a common Hebrew parallel, where the Lord Almighty is paired with the descriptive title as the God of Jacob. Which begs a question: Out of all the people in the Bible for God to name Himself by, why choose Jacob? Are there not other characters whom might be better suited with better qualities in which to pair God’s Name with? Perhaps a good king like Hezekiah or Josiah the reformer. 

What is the character of Jacob? He is usually not one that we would hold up as a role model for ourselves. He is not an obvious hero type like David, someone who is noble and brave and stands up to the enemy? David faced giants and defeated them. He battled and stood against kings of all types. On a tender note, it is David who wrote psalms and prayed with heartfelt intent. After all, it is through David that we designate the lineage of the Messiah. Messiah is to be of the House of David, not the House of Jacob. 

Rather, Jacob is swindler, a liar and a charlatan. He steals a birthright from his own brother and then cowardly flees the family. Jacob lacks the courage to face his crime. To square the circle while Jacob is away serving his Uncle Laban, the deceiver himself gets deceived by Laban. Jacob is a fearful man, often paired in the text with the word fear, announcing his reasons for fleeing Laban as ‘I was afraid ..’ (Genesis 31vs31).

And yet, God identifies Himself as the God of Jacob. It is in that choice of Jacob against other Biblical figures that the we learn something of God’s character. We learn that He is not deterred by our failings or weaknesses. Instead it’s the reverse. It’s in those weaknesses that He is strong and can show His strength. When we are afraid we can hear the call of the Lord, “Do not Fear! For I am with you!”

Examining Jacob’s relationship with God in the Biblical text we discover that Jacob is not a compliant figure. In comparison to someone like Abraham, who obeys immediately the directions of the Words of Heaven, God doesn't give much direction to Jacob. God and Jacob wrestle together, however God does not communicate His intentions or directions to Jacob. Jacob is rarely saved out of his problems, he has to struggle though them, often without a rescue from God. And he has no great military victories like his grandfather Abraham. 

However, we see that God pursues Jacob, no matter how far he runs away, giving reassurance often in dreams and visions, often walking behind the scenes in Jacob’s life. We see that redemption sometimes works itself out in a lifetime and is not always instantaneous. 

To a character that is fearful, highly flawed and struggling, we find God drawing near, reassuring and boldly declaring, “I am the God of Jacob”. This reveals a great deal about the character of God. He is concerned with the struggler, the fearful and the burdened. He sees us in our weakness, loves and guides us anyway, and declares Himself proudly to be ours. Psalm 47vs4 declares, “He is the Pride of Jacob, whom He loved”. And that is a very comforting thought indeed. 

What is written and how do you read it?

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is unique to the Gospel of Luke (Luke 10). Often misunderstood as a story about helping the needy, the primary point of this parable was to define the ‘Neighbour’ that the Torah commanded one to Love (Leviticus 19vs8). However, before the parable is used to explain a teaching there is a discussion between Jesus and an expert in the Torah. These opening questions are almost always overlooked. 

As is common in the Jewish world of teaching, Jesus is asked a question. He is asked by the expert, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (עולם הבא ‘Olam HaBa’ the World to Come!). It’s a very important question, one that everyone on the planet should ponder. Seeings as how Jesus has been asked this, the most important of questions, now would have been a perfect opportunity to answer… “Believe in Me, the one who has come from the Father to save the World.”  After all, that is the message of the Church through the ages. 

Western Christianity, under the heavy influence of the early protestant reformers like Luther and Calvin, who were lawyers as well as theologians, has too often reduced Christianity to a legal transaction. That is, we are sinners, sinful from the womb, dead in our sins and we are saved and redeemed by the payment made through the blood of the Messiah. This is very true of course, but the transaction is only one part of the message and teaching of the Messiah. Christianity and the Faith in the Messiah is so much more. 

When asked how to guarantee a place in the World to Come, Yeshua responds with a very important question of His own. “What is written in the Torah and how do you read it?” (Luke 10vs26). That question is for all of us. How do you read what is written? How we read the Bible influences our behaviour in the world. The expert in the Torah responds by quoting the Greatest of Commandments, to love God and to love your neighbour. Jesus replies that he has answered correctly. So how do you love God and your neighbour? How do we read and understand the command to Love? 

After Paul reduces the Faith to three words, Faith Hope and Love, he declares that the greatest of these is not Faith, it’s Love. Absolutely, Faith in the Messiah is important, very much so, and yet Scripture declares that Love is even more important. How do we read what is written? We are commanded to Love the Lord our God with all our Heart, all our Soul and all our Strength. From this we can deduce that Love is a choice. It is not an emotion, not something beyond our control. If love was simply an emotion then the commandment makes no sense. God does not say, Love the Lord your God .. but only if you feel like it, only on weekends, only after two cups of coffee in the morning, only if you manage to fall head over heels in love with God. Love is a command and we can choose to obey that command or not. God Himself thinks we can do this and choose wisely, for He says in Deuteronomy 30vs11 “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.”

Faith may indeed be a gift from God, however Love is a choice and from the Parable we learn that too often we hide behind rules in choosing not to love, especially in not loving our Neighbour. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan the Priest and the Levite have excellent excuses as to why they cannot assist the beaten, bleeding man on the side of the road. They are going to the Temple. God has commanded that they be unblemished, untainted by death and disease.  They must be clean before the Lord. They choose not to assist, not to act in love and they have biblical reasons for not helping. Just like the Priest and Levite, we too often hide behind rules and Christian legalism. We chose not to love our Neighbour by convincing ourselves that “it’s not my department, that’s a job for another ministry but not mine, it’s not my calling or my ministry’s calling, God wants me to look after my family first…” 

Those are not the attitudes, nor choices, the Lord would have us make. Jesus uses the parable to teach in context of His initial question, “What is written and how do you read it?” Jewish preaching and teaching is always practical. We have been shown by the Messiah how to read the command to Love, the Greatest of Commandments.  Now we need to “Go and do likewise!"

Shalom, Peace.

The Bible is a very special book. Obviously! We call it the Holy Bible and that title is imprinted on the front of most Bible covers. In Jewish thought the Bible is indeed Holy. It’s even more than that, it’s Divine Language. The Language of God is so special and powerful, it can create worlds, speak blessings, demand wrath and prophesy the future. No word or sound in the Bible is superfluous. Words in the text of the Bible are not just there to fill up space on a parchment. They are chosen for a reason and interestingly the words that are not used are considered just as important as the words that are used. 

According to Jewish exegesis there are at least 4 ways to read every verse, text and word of the Hebrew Bible. The first level of reading Bible is called P’shat פְּשָׁט. This is the direct literal, or simple, plain meaning of the text. Simply what the basic text says is what it means. The rule to Hebraic understanding of Bible is that all other forms of exegesis are valid as long as they do not contradict the P’shat, the literal meaning of the text. 

The second level is called Remez רֶמֶז. This refers to the allegorical nature of the words, the symbolic meanings of things. While not often used in application by Paul, there is the example in Galatians 4 of allegorizing Hagar and Sarah into symbolic mountains of Sinai and Jerusalem. This never went against the fact that there was a real Hagar and Sarah. 

Following the Remez is the D’rash דְּרַשׁ from the verb ‘to demand’ which calls the reader to exegete the text and make it applicable in action. An example of a D’rash is when Paul quotes “Don’t muzzle the oxen while it is treading the grain.” in 1 Timothy 5vs18 from the book of Deuteronomy 25vs4. The plain text is an agrarian commandment for farmers but Paul applies this to the wages of a pastor. Paul’s use of the text does not undermine the P’shat, the literalness of the text, of what you do if you have a bovine grinding your wheat. 

Lastly, there is the Sod סוֹד, the mystery nature behind the text. The Sod is a part of understanding the Bible that only the Messiah will explain when He comes. We automatically begin all study of the Bible admitting that we will never know everything. A humbling beginning. We see Paul refer to this when he says, ‘Now I show you a mystery ..’ 1 Corinthians 15vs51. For Paul, who sees the post resurrection gospel, some of the mystery in the Hebrew text is explained in the person of Jesus. 

Enabled with this multi-layered background to the Biblical text, let’s examine one simple word of the Messiah. After His Resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples as they gathered behind locked doors (John 20) and says, ‘Peace’. One simple word, Shalom in Hebrew שָׁלוֹם. Now quite literally Shalom does indeed mean peace, but according to its Hebraic context also means so much more. Shalom comes from the verb ‘to pay’. שָׁלם (Shalem) means Paid, masculine singular in the past tense. שָׁלם (Shalem) also means whole. So when I go to the market in Jerusalem and want a whole roast chicken, I use the word שָׁלם.  That means the whole thing including the neck, and even some of the feathers still attached :)

Before Jesus was in that room with His disciples, they were scared, nervous, uncertain of current events and unsure of the future. Then He appears. It’s a miracle, the resurrection is true and certain. In that context Jesus proclaims שָׁלוֹם Peace! How did He bring Peace? He had Paid it, and He had Paid it in full, the whole amount. All of that wrapped up in one word. Shalom שָׁלוֹם

Unity Attracts God's Presence

The Jewish People have just finished celebrating Shavuot. Shavuot in the Hebrew Bible is a purely agrarian harvest festival that during the Second Temple Period become theologically attributed to the Giving of the Torah on Mt Sinai. It is at this time in the Jewish calendar that we ask ourselves this question: What was the purpose of the Exodus? If your first reaction is to say it was to get the Israelites to the Promised Land then you'd be mistaken. If the purpose of the redemption from Egypt was to get a bunch of Hebrews into Canaan, then God would have given better directions. He would have said to Moses, 'Get over the river, hang a left, when you come to the Mediterranean turn right and you can't miss it.' Pretty simple, turn left then right. The point of the Exodus is to bring the people to Mt Sinai. And what happened at Sinai? Pentecost happened (Shavout in Hebrew). Not just the giving of the Torah, but the fact that God revealed Himself to His people for the first time. 

What did the Hebrews know about God while they had been in Egypt for 430 years? To be honest, not very much. They had no Temple, they had no priests, they had no prophets and they had no Bible. What they had were a few campfire stories about the Creation of the world, then the world went bad and then there was some guy with a big boat and a rainbow, followed by a wandering nomad called Abraham and now they are all here. They knew they had a God but they didn't know much about Him. Then with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm He redeems His people from darkness and brings them to Himself at Sinai and reveals Himself. The first commandment isn't actually a commandment, it’s God’s business card. He says, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out the land of Egypt ...” Redemption always leads to Revelation. Notice the Israelites were saved from Egypt and then given the Torah. The Torah doesn't save you, they were already saved from Egypt. The same theology is in the New Testament. ‘While I was a sinner, Christ died for me.’ (Romans 5vs8). I didn’t hear about Jesus and then He died on the cross, He already had. 

We all have our personal Exodus stories of how God redeemed us from darkness, but He never left us there. That was never the end of our history. He always follows up revealing His character and Will to us.  

Thus if the purpose of the Exodus is revelation and an encounter with God, why does it take God 50 days before He actually shows up and reveals Himself? If it was that important, surely He would have come sooner. Good question I hear you ask. Exodus 19vs1-2 says that during the third month after they had left Egypt, the Israelites came to Sinai and made camp. What is interesting about verse 2 is that in the Hebrew text it says Israel made camp twice. 

Jewish people read the Bible with a fine tooth comb, so the question is raised, Why does the text mention they made camp twice? Is that not redundant? A closer look reveals that the first time they made camp the verb ‘to camp’ was in the plural. The second time they make camp the verb switches to singular. They camped as one, and only then does God show up. What we learn from this is that unity is something that attracts the Almighty. The Rabbis comment by saying that Israel finally stopped fighting amongst themselves, they stopped squabbling over who has which tent and who gets which portion of food, they stopped arguing with each other and got it together. They were united for the first time since they left Egypt, they were one, and unity is something that attracts God. This occurred at Shavuot (Pentecost in the Greek). 

Acts 2 and the Pentecost in Jerusalem similarly reflects the Pentecost of Mt Sinai. Acts 2 describes the disciples being all together and notes they were of one accord. Just as the people were in the desert, here the text is very careful to mention that the disciples were united. It’s in their unity that the Holy Spirit came and God showed up. 

If unity is so important to attracting the presence of God this begs the next question, What then is unity? Unity is not something theological or ideological. It’s not one-two-three everyone think like me. Unity in the biblical sense is behavioural. Colossians 3vs12-14 instructs us to clothe ourselves with compassion for each other, with kindness, humility and gentleness, and patience. To bear with each other despite the offence and to forgive each other. To wrap all this in love and this will be our unity. Unity is functional, practical, revealed in behaviour and a magnet for attracting God. When Jesus Himself prays for us it is so that we might be one, to be united. There is no force greater than a united community. And we will have the promise of Jesus that He will be with us, His presence, until the end of the age. 

Mystery and the Trinity

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honour of Kings to search a thing. Proverbs 25vs2

Mystery, the Hebrew Bible loves mystery and to hold things in tension. The Bible describes mystery as the Glory or Honour of God (the same word in Hebrew). Many times in the sacred texts a prophet speaks, or the Lord declares a thing or a prayer is prayed by one of the heroes of the Bible and then left unanalyzed and not expounded. The ancient Hebrew mind is content to dwell on the mystery and the Bible will often allow a mystery to pan out over thousands of years before it can be explained. King David says in the Psalms ‘I meditate on your Word, day and night’, he doesn't say he solves it. In contrast the Greek (Western) mind does not do well with Mystery. We have the constant compulsion to solve everything. The Western mind dislikes an unsolved mystery.

To highlight a difference between Hebrew and Greek thought, the Hebrew word for Womb is רָ֫חֶם Rechem, this is also the word for Mercy. By comparison the Greek word for Womb is  ὑστερικός Hysterikos, from where we derived the words hysterical and hysterectomy. One thought describes a mysterious secret place that is warm, compassionate and full of mercy, the other alludes to hysteria and suffering and something to be removed. So also is the difference in approach to Mystery. 

God is a mystery, and no greater concept of God is more mysterious than the concept of the Trinity. In the Christian calendar last Sunday was Trinity Sunday. The day assigned to the preaching of God and His mysterious trinitarian nature. Most preachers are happy that Trinity Sunday only comes around once a year. For if you talk about the Trinity for longer than 5 minutes it’s highly likely you are now entering into heresy. Describing the nature of God is not rocket science, it’s more difficult than that. We can put a man on the moon, but we can’t fully describe the majesty of God. The word trinity does not appear in the Bible and only first came into use in the 3rd Century by Tertullian of Carthage (present day Tunisia). While the word Trinity is not in the Bible the mystery of God’s nature is. The Apostle Paul reminds us that for us there is one God and one Lord in 1 Corinthians 8vs6. We only have one God, so what do we do with this Father-Son-Spirit thing? The nature of God truly is a mystery. And those early mysteries are indeed found in Hebrew Bible.

The opening verse of Genesis initiates the mystery. God (אֱלֹהִים Elohim) which is a plural subject whose actions are described by a singular verb Created (בָּרָא Bara). This is grammatically incorrect to have a verb in singular form in conjunction with a plural subject. Despite its grammatical incorrectness for most of the Hebrew Bible this is how God’s actions are described. But not always! In Genesis 20vs13 for example, Abraham declares that Gods (using a plural verb form הִתְעוּ) caused him to wander from his father’s house. One would think that if this was a mistake in the text it would have been corrected after several thousand years. And yet this example and others of plural verb forms have been preserved as the text has been copied and handed down, guarding the mystery but not explaining it. 

Yeshua (Jesus) tells his disciples in John 16vs12 that He has many things still to explain to them, but they cannot bear it at present and must be patient. 

One of my favourite allusions to the Mystery occurs in the Prophet Isaiah 48vs12-16. The passage begins with a powerful Hebrew word שְׁמַע ‘Shma’. Shma means listen or hear in the imperative form. Hebrew was predominately an oral language and when you heard the word Shma you thought of the Oath of Loyalty to the King of the Universe known as the Shma from Deuteronomy 6vs4. ‘Hear Oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord Alone’. It’s a powerful start to the passage and demands attention.

שְׁמַע אֵלַי יַעֲקֹב, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְקֹרָאִי:  אֲנִי-הוּא אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן, אַף אֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן 

(Listen to Me Jacob and Israel whom I called. I am He, I am the First I am also the Last) NASB

Here in Isaiah 48vs12 the person commanding us to listen then defines himself as the First and the Last. This begs the question: Who is the First and the Last? Well we know that Yeshua calls Himself that, but only at the end of Revelation. While Jesus was on the planet He titled Himself as the Son of Man, an allusion to the eschatological figure in Daniel 7. At the time of the prophet Isaiah we do not initially know who belongs to the title, the First and the Last. However this being continues to describe himself through to verse 16. The First and the Last laid the foundations of the world, ordered the universe, is supernatural in power, when He calls the Heavens and the Earth they stand up for Him. The answer to the question, Who made the Heavens and the Earth? is of course, God. In Isaiah the First and the Last creates the World and thus the First and the Last must be God. Case solved right? No! not so easy, the Mystery now begins to unfold.  

קִרְבוּ אֵלַי שִׁמְעוּ-זֹאת, לֹא מֵרֹאשׁ בַּסֵּתֶר דִּבַּרְתִּי--מֵעֵת הֱיוֹתָהּ, שָׁם אָנִי; וְעַתָּה, אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה שְׁלָחַנִי וְרוּחוֹ.

(Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place I was there, and now the Lord God has sent Me with His spirit) NASB

Isaiah 48vs16 starts softly with a call to ‘Come close and listen’, then the word Shma appears again, linking the passage together with the previous verses. לֹא מֵרֹאשׁ בַּסֵּתֶר דִּבַּרְתִּי ‘Not since the beginning have I spoken in secret?’ The question is asked! The word for Speak is the same word as Word, דִּבַּרְ, which is also the same word for Thing. So the Word is a Thing. Then in Hebrew we have מֵעֵת הֱיוֹתָהּ. Which literally means “from the time that was, or from the beginning”. שָׁם אָנִי means “I was there”. וְעַתָּה means “and I am there now”. אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה שְׁלָחַנִי means “My Lord Yahweh (God) has sent me. Suddenly we learn that the Lord God (Yahweh) is not the First and the Last. וְרוּחוֹ means ‘and His Spirit’ and is also sent’. 

We have multiple powerful personalities present in these few verses. The Mystery is that the First and the Last is not the Lord God, but instead it is Yahweh who sends Him along with the Spirit of God. The First and the Last is a supernatural being, capable of creating the world, existing before time and serves God. The Prophet Isaiah does not go on to elaborate who He is. The Mystery is the Glory of God to conceal and the honour of Man to seek. Yeshua could not explain it to us for we could not bear it, but when we see Him we will know Him as He is.

Did Yeshua ever declare He was Messiah?

Perhaps one of the more frustrating things about the Gospels is that Jesus never seems to tell people He is the Messiah. When people actually figure it out He often gives instructions to be quiet and not to tell anyone. Which on the surface seems incredibly self-defeating for your mission if your mission is to be the Messiah and for people to follow you as such. 

Linguistics is the scientific study of languages in three major aspects: language form, language meaning and language context. It is in the Hebraic context, the use of and meaning of the language of Jesus (Hebrew), that Jesus does indeed share His Messiahship and mission, and He does so at the beginning of His ministry. Right at the start! 

Luke 4 details the introduction to the ministry of Jesus, setting the scene in His hometown synagogue of Nazareth. Jesus (Yeshua), obviously a trained Bible reader, is handed the Isaiah portion for the Haftorah reading from the Prophets. After reading from Isaiah 61 He delivers His first recorded teaching, a one line sermon. Chapters and Verses were not introduced into the Biblical text until the 13th Century (for Chapters) and 16th Century (for Verses). In the English translation we can easily note that Yeshua, in reading Isaiah 61vs1-2, does not finish the last sentence, drops a sentence from the text and even adds a sentence altogether. If I stood up to read a portion from the Gospel of Matthew, and as I read I inserted some Psalms, a little bit of Pauline text and finished with a dose of Revelation, I might be asked to justify why I did not read the text as it was plainly written? What Jesus does though is perfectly applicable to His Jewish context and linguistic hermeneutic. He is ‘allowed’ to do what He did, due to the way Hebrew language is constructed and how it is used and applied to Biblical interpretation during the 2nd Temple Period, the time of Jesus. Remember, Jesus’ comment on this passage ‘Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’ (Luke 4vs21). The real question we should ask ourselves then is, what was fulfilled in the scripture? 

The prophetic portion begins with רוּחַ אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה עָלָי יַעַן מָשַׁח יְהֹוָה אֹתִי, ‘the Spirit of the Lord is on me’. Luke connects everything to the Spirit. Jesus is born of the Spirit, and now He is anointed by the Spirit, whereas Matthew focuses on the royalty of the Messiah. Matthew has the visit of the Magi, the majestic gifts and the proclamation as King. Luke presents the poorer side of Jesus, with more details of the Messiah at a younger age. Now after coming out of the desert, having been sent there by the Spirit, Luke presents the ministry of Jesus beginning with the Spirit of God on Jesus. 

Connecting the next portion of the sentence is the Hebrew word Ya’an, often translated as ‘because’. The literal Hebrew word for ‘because’ is ‘Ki’ and doesn’t sound anything like ‘Ya’an’. ‘Ya’an’ comes from an old root word, and is not often used, meaning to pay attention, implying the purpose of something important to be heeded. It is used linguistically to stress the importance of what follows. A modern day schoolteacher would make use of the word ‘Ya’an’ to inform the class that what follows in the instruction is fundamental and needs the class’ full attention. What follows in the Isaiah passage is quite important, which is מָשַׁח יְהֹוָה אֹתִי. Literally the verb L’Mashiach means to anoint/make a Messiah/make an anointed one. The Messiah is indeed an anointed one. Our translations express this sentence as ‘God has anointed me.’ All kings of Israel and some prophets were anointed. Each king is essentially a ‘little messiah’. However another way to say this in English is ‘God has made me Messiah’. After Yeshua reads this portion He sits down and as all the eyes of the synagogue are on Him, He states, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing’. Jesus did say that He was the Messiah. He was quite clear and He declared it right at the start! 

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.