The other day I was responding to a friends Facebook post, after one of my responses my friend sent me a private message requesting that I try to refrain from “diatribe” others. Well I needed to look this word up. Well here was the definition “A forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something”.
So as I sit here writing this the though that came to my mind was how Jesus reacted at the Temple and if he were to come today what would his reactions be towards those who claim he is the “New Covenant”
Let me step back and explain what started this, entire thing one person made a reference to the Jewish people wearing a Veil of non acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah and try as she might my friend was not going to remove this Veil from their eyes. In my attempt to explain to this person that Jesus did not come to save the Jewish people but to bring the words of the Living God to the rest of the Gentile world and that Jesus himself followed the Torah taught and preached it to his death, although I may have overreacted a little (yes read Sarcasm). This person then made the response that he has never read the Torah. (Read LMAO).
The more I though about that comment I though how sad for several reasons, that I must explain what the Torah is. First that in your many years of attending Church or Sunday school he has never received any knowledge of what the Torah actually is or even the word, and secondly you are sitting here writing a response to someone on FaceBook and refuse to not at least do a Google search on the word Torah.
So after a lengthy explanation of just what the Torah was and for those of you who think they may have never read it (read Sarcasm) it is the First 5 Books of the Bible. He responded back to me with well that was what happened then and now we are under a “New Covenant”, Paul being the Apostle to the Gentile told us we didn’t have to follow the Torah Law, that in Jesus offering for our Sins he completed the Covenant of Torah.
Well I got to thinking about that statement; those of you who know me or have read any of my material can imagine what I was then thinking of this person’s ignorance. All that aside I called Rick who I count on when I seek information from the New Testament because he has read thought the Bible many times beginning to end, something I will admit I am guilty of not completing. Like Rick I am a RED letter person, although the writings of Peter, James, and yes even Paul’s have there place. They are not the words of Jesus.
Now that I have established the reason let me then try to expense just what this so called “NEW COVENANT” is really all about. Let’s start with defining what a Covenant is. “A covenant is a solemn agreement to engage in or refrain from a specified action. It is commonly found in religious contexts, where it refers to sacred agreements between God and human beings. It may also refer to a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general. An example of a covenant relationship in Judaism and Christianity is that between Abraham and God, in which God made a covenant with Abraham that He would bless Abraham's descendants making them more numerous than the stars:
In doing my research for this Article I did a Bible search for the word Covenant the search raveled that the word Covenant appears 250 times in the King James Version. Of those 250 appearances not once does this word appear in the New Testament. That being the case how then does Christianity arrive at the theology of this New Covenant theory?
In order to rebuke this Theology I will start with the second Covenant God made with Man. This man was Abraham. Beginning with Chapter 15 through the end of Chapter 17, In Chapter 15 we see God telling Abraham to bring before him a three year old heifer, a three year old she goat, a three year old ram, a turtledove, and a young bird. Abraham then cuts the animals in 2 pieces God comes down with fire and consumes them. Thus we see the first Sacrifices to God, creating the covenant of Physical Sacrifice for all time between Abraham’s entire household both Home born Slave or bought were circumcised on that day.
So two things unfold in this covenant, the ritual of Sacrifice and the Circumcision both parts are required for any man who desires to be considered as part of the Covenant of Abraham. God also reveled to Abraham in Chapter 15 that his descendants will be enslaved and he would redeem them form there captives, and bring them forth to live in the land he promised to Abraham.
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our Articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/ also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday, October 28, 2010
What Do We Miss? 1
Last time I left off with some serious questions about how you live and whose directions you follow for that life. Reading the letters from Paul I can see the confusion he must create in some Christians lives who see the contradictions within those words.
I would like to take a closer look at the disciple’s lives and their teachings. First of all, do you ever stop to think about why Jesus would have chosen the 12 men he choose? Why 12 normal under educated Jewish men? Why didn’t he choose 12 Pharisees or Sadducees? There are greater soulful reasons than I will get into today.
What I do wish to discuss here is how they lived their lives, they followed the Torah, raised in its word, wore tzitzit on the corners of their garments (Tallis or Prayer Shaw) followed the Shabbat did no work on the Lord’s Day, praised him and gave to those who were needy. Three times a year went to the Temple with there Sin offerings. Lived a life of simple means like you and I do going to work to provide for our families needs while helping those who are less fortunate then us I hope. Gave their 10% to the Levites as prescribed in the Torah and every seven years released those who owed them anything.
In addressing the differences we go to the book of Acts. First look at Peter’s vision about the issue with food. Peter had never dined with the Gentiles in his life. He had never eaten any of the foods that were no clean as denoted by the Torah. It is considered a Sin to eat Pork, Shrimp or of any animal that does not have a split hoof or crawls across the bottom of the sea. Jesus explains to him in this vision that through his Sin offering he has returned us back to the words in Genesis where God told Adam he created all animals for our consumption. I have always had questions over this conflict. First we are given the direction we are able to eat of any animal. Then when we get to the desert God had changed the game plan. So hear we see God separating the People of Israel from the rest of the world through all these directions.
Here’s the conflict, Jesus informed Peter in this vision that in His Sin offering these items are now clean again. Paul on the other hand claims that Peter is a hypocrite because he requires Gentile converts to follow Torah scripture by wearing Tzitzit on the corners of their garments, and binding them for a sign upon their hand and for frontlets between thine eyes (Tefflin) and becoming circumcised.
Peter and John still continue to follow the directions of Jesus given during their years spent with him. We have no way of knowing just all the things Jesus taught the disciples during his time with them all we have to go on are the words that were written and published in the texts that were left behind.
Paul on the other hand not having spent any time with Jesus during his life time takes the opposite direction, and educated man and he goes on to preach that since he is a Jew he must follow these commandments and Gentiles only being graphed in to the family of God need not follow the Torah Commandments. Acceptance of Jesus as your Sin offering then releases you of those Commandments.
Like today it is the general consensus and belief that when Moses received the written word from HaShem he also received the Oral Law (Talmud) Paul was one of these Jewish men who was raised that the Oral Law was as much a part of the Torah as the written words. When I attempted to post this question “Why do we follow the Talmudic Law which relieves us from giving our 10% to the Levites, there is justification by the Rabbi’s written in the Talmud that we not continue this practice. Yet the Torah states 3 times that it is considered a Sin if we refuse to care for the Levite amongst you”. HaShem didn’t tell Moses by the way this only pertains if you’re in the Land I will give to you, no he was quite clear that this was to happen where ever they carried the name of HaShem.
So the Rabbi’s way around that was to honor the Levite with the first and last readings of the Torah during the services. It is the Levite that is given the Honor to remove the Torah from the Ark, carry it around and return it to the Ark. This is how the Talmud gives tribute to the Levite that’s a far stretch from handing over 10% of your income to this group of people.
Isn’t that the same way of thinking Paul uses in his justifications, because I am a Jew I must do these things but you as a Gentile believer who have Accepted Jesus as your Sin offering are relieved from doing so?
Yet my question from a past article still stands, doesn’t one need to know what a Sin in God’s eyes was in order to be released from it an offer a Sacrifice to the Adonai for it?
So I pose this to you, the reader, open your eyes and step back look at Paul’s writings from the perspective I have just offered draw your own conclusions with the help of the Holy Spirit. Go to the Torah and find out what HaShem considers a Sin, find out just what you have agreed to accept Jesus to cleanse you from.
The Lord Bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX
I would like to take a closer look at the disciple’s lives and their teachings. First of all, do you ever stop to think about why Jesus would have chosen the 12 men he choose? Why 12 normal under educated Jewish men? Why didn’t he choose 12 Pharisees or Sadducees? There are greater soulful reasons than I will get into today.
What I do wish to discuss here is how they lived their lives, they followed the Torah, raised in its word, wore tzitzit on the corners of their garments (Tallis or Prayer Shaw) followed the Shabbat did no work on the Lord’s Day, praised him and gave to those who were needy. Three times a year went to the Temple with there Sin offerings. Lived a life of simple means like you and I do going to work to provide for our families needs while helping those who are less fortunate then us I hope. Gave their 10% to the Levites as prescribed in the Torah and every seven years released those who owed them anything.
In addressing the differences we go to the book of Acts. First look at Peter’s vision about the issue with food. Peter had never dined with the Gentiles in his life. He had never eaten any of the foods that were no clean as denoted by the Torah. It is considered a Sin to eat Pork, Shrimp or of any animal that does not have a split hoof or crawls across the bottom of the sea. Jesus explains to him in this vision that through his Sin offering he has returned us back to the words in Genesis where God told Adam he created all animals for our consumption. I have always had questions over this conflict. First we are given the direction we are able to eat of any animal. Then when we get to the desert God had changed the game plan. So hear we see God separating the People of Israel from the rest of the world through all these directions.
Here’s the conflict, Jesus informed Peter in this vision that in His Sin offering these items are now clean again. Paul on the other hand claims that Peter is a hypocrite because he requires Gentile converts to follow Torah scripture by wearing Tzitzit on the corners of their garments, and binding them for a sign upon their hand and for frontlets between thine eyes (Tefflin) and becoming circumcised.
Peter and John still continue to follow the directions of Jesus given during their years spent with him. We have no way of knowing just all the things Jesus taught the disciples during his time with them all we have to go on are the words that were written and published in the texts that were left behind.
Paul on the other hand not having spent any time with Jesus during his life time takes the opposite direction, and educated man and he goes on to preach that since he is a Jew he must follow these commandments and Gentiles only being graphed in to the family of God need not follow the Torah Commandments. Acceptance of Jesus as your Sin offering then releases you of those Commandments.
Like today it is the general consensus and belief that when Moses received the written word from HaShem he also received the Oral Law (Talmud) Paul was one of these Jewish men who was raised that the Oral Law was as much a part of the Torah as the written words. When I attempted to post this question “Why do we follow the Talmudic Law which relieves us from giving our 10% to the Levites, there is justification by the Rabbi’s written in the Talmud that we not continue this practice. Yet the Torah states 3 times that it is considered a Sin if we refuse to care for the Levite amongst you”. HaShem didn’t tell Moses by the way this only pertains if you’re in the Land I will give to you, no he was quite clear that this was to happen where ever they carried the name of HaShem.
So the Rabbi’s way around that was to honor the Levite with the first and last readings of the Torah during the services. It is the Levite that is given the Honor to remove the Torah from the Ark, carry it around and return it to the Ark. This is how the Talmud gives tribute to the Levite that’s a far stretch from handing over 10% of your income to this group of people.
Isn’t that the same way of thinking Paul uses in his justifications, because I am a Jew I must do these things but you as a Gentile believer who have Accepted Jesus as your Sin offering are relieved from doing so?
Yet my question from a past article still stands, doesn’t one need to know what a Sin in God’s eyes was in order to be released from it an offer a Sacrifice to the Adonai for it?
So I pose this to you, the reader, open your eyes and step back look at Paul’s writings from the perspective I have just offered draw your own conclusions with the help of the Holy Spirit. Go to the Torah and find out what HaShem considers a Sin, find out just what you have agreed to accept Jesus to cleanse you from.
The Lord Bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX
Sunday, October 24, 2010
What Do We Miss?
I have been having somewhat of a dilemma lately, I have been wondering and contemplating on why most people place so much emphasis on formal Education.
As I have been looking into many aspects of this it has come to my attention that in Paul’s letter to the Church in Philippi Chapter 3 he makes a compelling argument over Formal Education vs. Knowledge of Torah and what it means to be educated in the following of the Lord’s directions.
Verse 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. The Law that Paul is referring to is the Oral Laws along with the Torah Laws. A good example of how he was unable to separate the two.
8) Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith
The statements Paul makes here are very telling about his feelings towards the Education he had received. In his formal training he was taught that there is no separation between the Oral Laws (Talmud) and the Torah (Written Laws). Much like it is taught to this day when obtaining a formal Jewish Education that there is not separation between the Written and Oral Laws.
In the absence of the Temple Jewish Culture today takes it’s directions from the Oral Law (Talmud). A Rabbinical set of Directions based on the Oral Law (Talmud) which is a derived set of instructions based on mans interpretations of the Written Law (Torah).
If we look back on the argument Paul had with Peter and John in Acts over circumcision he portrays this same way of thinking, it is not the law that makes a man righteous but his actions. Let us look back at the people of Israel in the desert the only thing the Lord asked of them was to follow his directions faithfully. First of all let’s look at why they were required to walk the desert for 40 years. Moses sends out 12 spies and they report back to him that the land is filled with people who will destroy them. So this is the first place where the people loose faith in God. He has just brought them out of bondage from Egypt and they still question his power. So they are forced to wonder the desert till that whole generation is gone, then a faithful new generation one who has lived a life solely dependant on God, are now allowed to enter into the promised land.
In the end of Verse 9 Paul admits that our righteousness can only be found through our Faithfulness to God.
Let’s look at Peter and John now. Not Pharisees fishermen by trade, Jewish men who had been raised in the word of Torah. To me these men represent the generation allowed to enter the Promised Land a generation who had faith in God and followed his directions through Torah.
When Jesus is questioned about the greatest commandment his answer was to Love the Lord your God with all you heart, this is a direction found in Deuteronomy 6.5. He also instructs them to Love thy Neighbor as thy self. Another direction found in Torah Why do we not see these as necessary directions we need to be following? The Torah is God’s directions for our lives we don’t have the right to pick and choose which ones we will follow and which to disallow.
A good example of this might be the story of the men who were about to stone the women, Jesus’ response was let he who is without sin cast the first stone, all then left. So the Torah tells us to stone those who commit a sin against the Torah, yet how do we follow through on these directions if we are yet sinful? I think the point Jesus made was a perfect example of literally following the Torah, how do we humans condemn others when we are sinful ourselves. Condemnation is God’s and his alone. God set out Guidelines for us to follow, and in our sinful nature he has given us a way to seek his forgiveness for our actions towards others.
So I leave you with these questions today. What do you Miss if you accept the Torah and God’s direction contained within the Torah as rubbish and follow Paul’s logic that in Jesus the Law is complete? Do you know what the Disciples knew pertaining to what a Sin Sacrifice was in a Jewish persons Life?
Are you trusting God in Faith and doing as he has instructed in Torah?
The Lord Bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/. Also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
As I have been looking into many aspects of this it has come to my attention that in Paul’s letter to the Church in Philippi Chapter 3 he makes a compelling argument over Formal Education vs. Knowledge of Torah and what it means to be educated in the following of the Lord’s directions.
Verse 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. The Law that Paul is referring to is the Oral Laws along with the Torah Laws. A good example of how he was unable to separate the two.
8) Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith
The statements Paul makes here are very telling about his feelings towards the Education he had received. In his formal training he was taught that there is no separation between the Oral Laws (Talmud) and the Torah (Written Laws). Much like it is taught to this day when obtaining a formal Jewish Education that there is not separation between the Written and Oral Laws.
In the absence of the Temple Jewish Culture today takes it’s directions from the Oral Law (Talmud). A Rabbinical set of Directions based on the Oral Law (Talmud) which is a derived set of instructions based on mans interpretations of the Written Law (Torah).
If we look back on the argument Paul had with Peter and John in Acts over circumcision he portrays this same way of thinking, it is not the law that makes a man righteous but his actions. Let us look back at the people of Israel in the desert the only thing the Lord asked of them was to follow his directions faithfully. First of all let’s look at why they were required to walk the desert for 40 years. Moses sends out 12 spies and they report back to him that the land is filled with people who will destroy them. So this is the first place where the people loose faith in God. He has just brought them out of bondage from Egypt and they still question his power. So they are forced to wonder the desert till that whole generation is gone, then a faithful new generation one who has lived a life solely dependant on God, are now allowed to enter into the promised land.
In the end of Verse 9 Paul admits that our righteousness can only be found through our Faithfulness to God.
Let’s look at Peter and John now. Not Pharisees fishermen by trade, Jewish men who had been raised in the word of Torah. To me these men represent the generation allowed to enter the Promised Land a generation who had faith in God and followed his directions through Torah.
When Jesus is questioned about the greatest commandment his answer was to Love the Lord your God with all you heart, this is a direction found in Deuteronomy 6.5. He also instructs them to Love thy Neighbor as thy self. Another direction found in Torah Why do we not see these as necessary directions we need to be following? The Torah is God’s directions for our lives we don’t have the right to pick and choose which ones we will follow and which to disallow.
A good example of this might be the story of the men who were about to stone the women, Jesus’ response was let he who is without sin cast the first stone, all then left. So the Torah tells us to stone those who commit a sin against the Torah, yet how do we follow through on these directions if we are yet sinful? I think the point Jesus made was a perfect example of literally following the Torah, how do we humans condemn others when we are sinful ourselves. Condemnation is God’s and his alone. God set out Guidelines for us to follow, and in our sinful nature he has given us a way to seek his forgiveness for our actions towards others.
So I leave you with these questions today. What do you Miss if you accept the Torah and God’s direction contained within the Torah as rubbish and follow Paul’s logic that in Jesus the Law is complete? Do you know what the Disciples knew pertaining to what a Sin Sacrifice was in a Jewish persons Life?
Are you trusting God in Faith and doing as he has instructed in Torah?
The Lord Bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/. Also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
Loving your neighbor as Thyself
Today being 2 days before Yom Kippur the Day of Atonement I was reading an Article written by a Rabbi about how this day can effect our life. A very interesting point came to mind through his words, he explained as most of us know that Jesus’ biggest point was to “Love your neighbor as Thyself”
Well that got me thinking about how we Love ourselves, in all that it means for us to love each other. I got to thinking of all the time I spent in therapy trying to figure out what went wrong with my first marriage. I realized that most of what had happened was because I had this screwed up idea of what it was to love me. What I learned through that experience is that you need to Love who you are before you can Love anyone else.
So now it comes down to how we love ourselves, in our culture today we effectively try to buy our way into happiness. Most of us are of the belief that if we have this House, Car, Computer, or Cell Phone these thing will make us happy. This for a lot of us has become the way we show Love for ourselves. What are we thinking?
This is our mindset when we go about the task of Loving our Neighbor as Ourselves. We then start to think of this in those terms.
Even if we look at this during the time of Jesus, what was so different? The people of that time period were still all about what they could gain from others.
Today in the United States we have Politicians who are trying to take money from one group and share it with those who have less. This to them is there twisted concept of Loving our Neighbor as Ourselves. The problem with those people is the wealth they have generated is kept for them. They are instant that we share ours with other, while refusing to practice that which they preach.
One of the things Jesus made a point of was that it was important not to just give someone some thing but to teach them how to earn it themselves. Most people in this world are very proud and it really takes a lot to swallow that pride and seek help, they are not looking for hand outs but a way to feel productive and earn for their own benefit. All they wish for is a way to earn the support to provide for their own needs. In the United States we have created a culture of Children who would rather collect a check from the government then go out and earn an honest days pay. How sad of a statement when all we are doing is breading a group of people that feel they are entitled to reap the benefits of another’s hard work.
So in all this maybe, this Yom Kippur we really need to take a good hard look at our own personnel way we Love ourselves, so to better qualify ourselves to Love our Neighbor truly as Thyself.
The Lord Bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/. Also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
Well that got me thinking about how we Love ourselves, in all that it means for us to love each other. I got to thinking of all the time I spent in therapy trying to figure out what went wrong with my first marriage. I realized that most of what had happened was because I had this screwed up idea of what it was to love me. What I learned through that experience is that you need to Love who you are before you can Love anyone else.
So now it comes down to how we love ourselves, in our culture today we effectively try to buy our way into happiness. Most of us are of the belief that if we have this House, Car, Computer, or Cell Phone these thing will make us happy. This for a lot of us has become the way we show Love for ourselves. What are we thinking?
This is our mindset when we go about the task of Loving our Neighbor as Ourselves. We then start to think of this in those terms.
Even if we look at this during the time of Jesus, what was so different? The people of that time period were still all about what they could gain from others.
Today in the United States we have Politicians who are trying to take money from one group and share it with those who have less. This to them is there twisted concept of Loving our Neighbor as Ourselves. The problem with those people is the wealth they have generated is kept for them. They are instant that we share ours with other, while refusing to practice that which they preach.
One of the things Jesus made a point of was that it was important not to just give someone some thing but to teach them how to earn it themselves. Most people in this world are very proud and it really takes a lot to swallow that pride and seek help, they are not looking for hand outs but a way to feel productive and earn for their own benefit. All they wish for is a way to earn the support to provide for their own needs. In the United States we have created a culture of Children who would rather collect a check from the government then go out and earn an honest days pay. How sad of a statement when all we are doing is breading a group of people that feel they are entitled to reap the benefits of another’s hard work.
So in all this maybe, this Yom Kippur we really need to take a good hard look at our own personnel way we Love ourselves, so to better qualify ourselves to Love our Neighbor truly as Thyself.
The Lord Bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/. Also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
THE BLESSINGS
I had a conversation with a young friend a few weeks ago over a commentary written in the Zohor by the author of the sacred writings. In this conversation, the commentary spoke of the Levites and how they were supposed to keep their hair, neat and clean cut. This commentary expressed that, as the connection between the people and the Lord, Levites were the connection from the left and center, or Spiritual non-physical, and man being on the right or the physical side.
As I sit here in my time of prayer it has been brought to my attention that it was the purpose of the Levite to maintain that connection to the Spiritual side for all the people of Israel. My young friend brought this to my attention as he felt that since I chose to allow my hair to grow that this might be a reason why I was having trouble gaining blessings from the Lord.
Then it hit me that this was not the design of the Creator. Let’s look at what assignment the Creator has bestowed upon the Tribe of Levi. The Creator has separated them from the general body of the people of Israel for service to Him. What was that service, and how were they to be compensated for their service?
Throughout the book of Numbers, directions for the Levites is given, their duties to the Tabernacle and their responsibilities to the people of Israel. Their compensation is to be a portion from all the remaining 12 Tribal Offerings to the Lord. Upon entering into the Land promised to them by the Creator, it was then separated by tribe, each tribe being given its own land to inhabit as their own. Into each of these lands, one section was set aside for the Levites use.
It is my belief that most people who read these sections of Torah assume that the Levites were given these lands to live on…let me say that again, to live on. I will put this into a perspective in our society today that most can understand. Modern day churches often provide a home for their pastor to reside in while ministering to their church, with the building and the land owned by the church. That is how the Levites’ land was directed and set aside—it was the Creator’s land, and when they moved to a different area, they were to receive property to reside on from a portion of the Levities land in the new area. An example of this would be if a Levite whose family resided within the Tribal land of Reuben, decided he was going to relocate his family to the Tribal lands of Judah.
He was allowed to sell off the land he had resided on in Reuben, and only was able to take his personnel passions with him, moving to the Tribal Lands of Judah. He would then contact the Levitical elders upon his entry and be given a portion of the Land that was theirs for his family to reside on. Thus receiving his portion out of the contributions from the Tribe of Judah and no longer receiving gifts from Reuben.
Anyway moving back to my point, it is the responsibly of the members of the Tribe of Levi to maintain a connection on behalf of the people of Israel. The blessings for the people were to come through the intervention of the Levite.
Based on the conversation I had with my friend and the commentary he read to me, I can understand why people tend to believe that the Levite no longer matters in the community of the Jewish believer. Today’s Jewish culture is based on Rabbinic Law which is referred to as the Talmud.
Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. The Levite is still gifted a certain amount of respect within the Jewish community. If one was to go to any Synagogue today for a Torah Reading service, the Levite is granted the position of the first and last reading as well as the removal and replacement of the Torah Scroll in and out of the Ark.
As mortal men/women we look at those less fortunate then us as maybe they are not doing right by the Lord and he is withholding his blessing from them. I tend to view it as maybe we as a society have decided to change the rules, in order to best suit our own human desires by extrapolating authority from the Torah, that which is not ours to take.
The conclusions that I draw from all this is the blessing the Levi receives does not come from the Lord, he has already blessed them and taken them for service to him. For the performance of that service to him they were to receive their wages from all the people. We each need to ask ourselves where will we go the next time we seek a blessing in our life and what do we do in order to receive such a blessing.
Go look to the Book of 1 Samuel and see what Hannah did when she asked Eli the Levitical priest for his blessings to open her womb. How did she repay the Lord for granting that request?
The Lord bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/. Also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
As I sit here in my time of prayer it has been brought to my attention that it was the purpose of the Levite to maintain that connection to the Spiritual side for all the people of Israel. My young friend brought this to my attention as he felt that since I chose to allow my hair to grow that this might be a reason why I was having trouble gaining blessings from the Lord.
Then it hit me that this was not the design of the Creator. Let’s look at what assignment the Creator has bestowed upon the Tribe of Levi. The Creator has separated them from the general body of the people of Israel for service to Him. What was that service, and how were they to be compensated for their service?
Throughout the book of Numbers, directions for the Levites is given, their duties to the Tabernacle and their responsibilities to the people of Israel. Their compensation is to be a portion from all the remaining 12 Tribal Offerings to the Lord. Upon entering into the Land promised to them by the Creator, it was then separated by tribe, each tribe being given its own land to inhabit as their own. Into each of these lands, one section was set aside for the Levites use.
It is my belief that most people who read these sections of Torah assume that the Levites were given these lands to live on…let me say that again, to live on. I will put this into a perspective in our society today that most can understand. Modern day churches often provide a home for their pastor to reside in while ministering to their church, with the building and the land owned by the church. That is how the Levites’ land was directed and set aside—it was the Creator’s land, and when they moved to a different area, they were to receive property to reside on from a portion of the Levities land in the new area. An example of this would be if a Levite whose family resided within the Tribal land of Reuben, decided he was going to relocate his family to the Tribal lands of Judah.
He was allowed to sell off the land he had resided on in Reuben, and only was able to take his personnel passions with him, moving to the Tribal Lands of Judah. He would then contact the Levitical elders upon his entry and be given a portion of the Land that was theirs for his family to reside on. Thus receiving his portion out of the contributions from the Tribe of Judah and no longer receiving gifts from Reuben.
Anyway moving back to my point, it is the responsibly of the members of the Tribe of Levi to maintain a connection on behalf of the people of Israel. The blessings for the people were to come through the intervention of the Levite.
Based on the conversation I had with my friend and the commentary he read to me, I can understand why people tend to believe that the Levite no longer matters in the community of the Jewish believer. Today’s Jewish culture is based on Rabbinic Law which is referred to as the Talmud.
Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. The Levite is still gifted a certain amount of respect within the Jewish community. If one was to go to any Synagogue today for a Torah Reading service, the Levite is granted the position of the first and last reading as well as the removal and replacement of the Torah Scroll in and out of the Ark.
As mortal men/women we look at those less fortunate then us as maybe they are not doing right by the Lord and he is withholding his blessing from them. I tend to view it as maybe we as a society have decided to change the rules, in order to best suit our own human desires by extrapolating authority from the Torah, that which is not ours to take.
The conclusions that I draw from all this is the blessing the Levi receives does not come from the Lord, he has already blessed them and taken them for service to him. For the performance of that service to him they were to receive their wages from all the people. We each need to ask ourselves where will we go the next time we seek a blessing in our life and what do we do in order to receive such a blessing.
Go look to the Book of 1 Samuel and see what Hannah did when she asked Eli the Levitical priest for his blessings to open her womb. How did she repay the Lord for granting that request?
The Lord bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/. Also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
Monday, May 3, 2010
A Soul’s Purpose
As a former United States Marine, I took an oath to serve and protect this country. Friday night I was asked by a friend to listen to a study given by Michael Berg, in which he gave a lesson on the Torah Portion for this week. May 2, 2010, was the 33rd day between Passover and Shavuot, for those who may not under stand this, it is written for us to count the days between when God delivered the Jewish people from Bondage in Egypt, to when He provided them with the Torah. On both of these great days, the people were to give thanks and provide a sacrificial offering unto Adonai (The Lord God Most High).
If you think Christians don’t follow this practice, well your wrong. Instead of counting the Omar, today’s Christians count the days of Pentecost. Interestingly, it’s the same number of days for the same events. God removes the people from bondage and then returns to give them instructions on how to live their lives in service to Adonai. In the case of Christians, Jesus died on the cross for their sins, then returned to instruct them further on living a godly life and on the message they were to bring to the Gentile world.
One must not forget that we are speaking of Jewish people here that were witnesses to these events. Once again he comes to the Jewish people to redeem them from the man-made bondage they had chosen to create. Yes you heard me right—man-made bondage they have chosen to create.
How then, you might ask, is following the Torah a man-made bondage?
Well that is a good question. See, the Jewish people who were in control of the land of Israel (and not the Romans) were a corrupted line of scholars who, in their quest to live like the societies around them, had forsaken Adonai. They created these rules and regulations based on men’s interpretations of the Torah and what they were supposed to do. Those Jesus taught understood he was the perfect sacrifice for our sin offering in the Temple, meaning there was no longer a need to bring a sacrifice before the Lord at these appointed times during the year, but it didn’t mean we should stop observing those days or create different ones for the same purpose.
Jesus, the sacrifice for our sins, removed the corruption from those whose decision it was to use the Torah in order to achieve their own desires.
So then why is it that we still refuse to listen and follow his directions? I would like those of you who are reading this to step back and really listen to this closely. Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, didn’t come 2,000 years ago to save the people of Israel! Sorry, but I need to say this yet again. Jesus didn’t come 2,000 years ago to save the people of Israel! He came, in fact, to awaken the souls of the rest of the world to the Laws and Light of the Torah and the Creator Adonai (The Lord God Most High). What is this you say? Wasn’t one of Jesus’ statements, “first to the Jew then to the Greek?”
Yes, let us look a little deeper into that statement made by Jesus, “first to the Jew then the Greek.” Does the Greek know of or have any understanding of Torah and Adonai? The answer is NO.
So then doesn’t it stand to reason that Adonai would use the Jews to bring his Torah and message of salvation to them first? He chooses them first to show his mighty power in bringing them out of bondage from Egypt.
Ok so back to my point. In Michael Berg’s lesson, he teaches of the understanding that when our soul enters this physical plane it is only but a small portion that enters a human body, and that the rest of our soul remains in the perfect world of the Lord Adonai and that, through our service and spiritual work, we connect to the rest of our soul remaining in the world of Adonai.
The sacrifice requirements were then used to open ourselves and receive from the part of our soul that reminded in the world of Adonai. This means that, in following a spiritual path and following the Torah or (Old Testament), we bring to ourselves the part of our soul that has remained with Adonai (The Lord God Most High). We are then enabled to gain a greater understanding of that which we have come to fulfill in this present lifetime.
The whole point of our soul’s purpose is to serve Adonai (The Lord God Most High) and to provide for those He has instructed us to care for. Jesus himself has instructed Christians to care for those same people that the Lord instructed the people of Israel to care for upon receiving the Torah from His own words on Mt. Sinai. It is written that the Lord Himself came to the people and instructed them with the Torah on Shavuot.
The Lord bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/. Also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
If you think Christians don’t follow this practice, well your wrong. Instead of counting the Omar, today’s Christians count the days of Pentecost. Interestingly, it’s the same number of days for the same events. God removes the people from bondage and then returns to give them instructions on how to live their lives in service to Adonai. In the case of Christians, Jesus died on the cross for their sins, then returned to instruct them further on living a godly life and on the message they were to bring to the Gentile world.
One must not forget that we are speaking of Jewish people here that were witnesses to these events. Once again he comes to the Jewish people to redeem them from the man-made bondage they had chosen to create. Yes you heard me right—man-made bondage they have chosen to create.
How then, you might ask, is following the Torah a man-made bondage?
Well that is a good question. See, the Jewish people who were in control of the land of Israel (and not the Romans) were a corrupted line of scholars who, in their quest to live like the societies around them, had forsaken Adonai. They created these rules and regulations based on men’s interpretations of the Torah and what they were supposed to do. Those Jesus taught understood he was the perfect sacrifice for our sin offering in the Temple, meaning there was no longer a need to bring a sacrifice before the Lord at these appointed times during the year, but it didn’t mean we should stop observing those days or create different ones for the same purpose.
Jesus, the sacrifice for our sins, removed the corruption from those whose decision it was to use the Torah in order to achieve their own desires.
So then why is it that we still refuse to listen and follow his directions? I would like those of you who are reading this to step back and really listen to this closely. Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, didn’t come 2,000 years ago to save the people of Israel! Sorry, but I need to say this yet again. Jesus didn’t come 2,000 years ago to save the people of Israel! He came, in fact, to awaken the souls of the rest of the world to the Laws and Light of the Torah and the Creator Adonai (The Lord God Most High). What is this you say? Wasn’t one of Jesus’ statements, “first to the Jew then to the Greek?”
Yes, let us look a little deeper into that statement made by Jesus, “first to the Jew then the Greek.” Does the Greek know of or have any understanding of Torah and Adonai? The answer is NO.
So then doesn’t it stand to reason that Adonai would use the Jews to bring his Torah and message of salvation to them first? He chooses them first to show his mighty power in bringing them out of bondage from Egypt.
Ok so back to my point. In Michael Berg’s lesson, he teaches of the understanding that when our soul enters this physical plane it is only but a small portion that enters a human body, and that the rest of our soul remains in the perfect world of the Lord Adonai and that, through our service and spiritual work, we connect to the rest of our soul remaining in the world of Adonai.
The sacrifice requirements were then used to open ourselves and receive from the part of our soul that reminded in the world of Adonai. This means that, in following a spiritual path and following the Torah or (Old Testament), we bring to ourselves the part of our soul that has remained with Adonai (The Lord God Most High). We are then enabled to gain a greater understanding of that which we have come to fulfill in this present lifetime.
The whole point of our soul’s purpose is to serve Adonai (The Lord God Most High) and to provide for those He has instructed us to care for. Jesus himself has instructed Christians to care for those same people that the Lord instructed the people of Israel to care for upon receiving the Torah from His own words on Mt. Sinai. It is written that the Lord Himself came to the people and instructed them with the Torah on Shavuot.
The Lord bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/. Also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
Monday, February 15, 2010
What do we Sacrifice for Adonai (The Lord God Most High)? 4
A good note here to consider is that from the time God brought this people from the Land of Egypt he had provide them one main Spiritual leader to guide them Moses Joshua, the Judges, Eli now Samuel, but this still didn’t satisfy the desires of these people, they wanted a more tangible form of Government, one that was more inline with the outside Society. It wasn’t enough to have the Torah and a group of 70 Elders with the guidance of the Lord upon the High Priest who over saw this Court. Their desire was for a Physical King of whom they could see, touch, and feel.
In Samuel Chapter 8 we see the Lord giving his people consequences for their choice to forsake him by requesting a Physical King. The consequence for their choice is they would be giving up their children and their land to whom ever was chosen as there Physical King.
At this point let’s take a look at Chapter 13:8 here we see Saul loosening faith because he refused to wait for the arrival of Samuel. So he takes Authority upon himself that was never his to claim, he then proceeded to offer the burnt offerings before the Lord as Samuel arrived shortly after Saul had completed the offerings. Samuel asks Saul why he has done this foolish thing taking Authority upon himself to perform duties of the High Priest? He we see the consequences for his actions in doing so, “13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.”
I recently had a discussion with a Rabbi over the subject of Authority in forsaking the Torah to follow the Talmudic or Rabbinic Laws, this was his response to my question of Authority, “The Five Books of Moses--and really, all of the Bible--gives a tremendous amount of authority to the "wise men in your gates"--to the point that "you shall not turn from their words to the right or to the left." Keep in mind that the Torah was not given in a vacuum”. So today we Jew and Christian continue on this path started when the people decide to replace the Lord as King and ruler over us, with our desire for the Physical, rather than the spiritual.
The point I am making here is Samuel raised in the Tabernacle by the High Priest Eli, being chosen by the Lord to speak his words, we should understand that Samuel was the “WISE MEN IN YOUR GATES.”
This all sounds so simple but when do we really look at the past as a picture for our future? We are here to learn and grow yet instead of changing our ways some of us continue to justify our choices and remain in a state of justification of these actions. Most of these choices are because of men who know better but chose to claim authority which was never there’s to claim.
Moses never Claims Authority for his actions, but when he messed up by striking the rock for water he sure took responsibility for those actions. Jesus never left us with the Authority to create a new church or faith; he left us with the Authority to ask of all things through him to Adonai “The Lord God Most High”. Much like Moses before him leaving us with the Torah as directions to live while releasing the need for our physical sacrifice before Adonai.
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX
In Samuel Chapter 8 we see the Lord giving his people consequences for their choice to forsake him by requesting a Physical King. The consequence for their choice is they would be giving up their children and their land to whom ever was chosen as there Physical King.
At this point let’s take a look at Chapter 13:8 here we see Saul loosening faith because he refused to wait for the arrival of Samuel. So he takes Authority upon himself that was never his to claim, he then proceeded to offer the burnt offerings before the Lord as Samuel arrived shortly after Saul had completed the offerings. Samuel asks Saul why he has done this foolish thing taking Authority upon himself to perform duties of the High Priest? He we see the consequences for his actions in doing so, “13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.”
I recently had a discussion with a Rabbi over the subject of Authority in forsaking the Torah to follow the Talmudic or Rabbinic Laws, this was his response to my question of Authority, “The Five Books of Moses--and really, all of the Bible--gives a tremendous amount of authority to the "wise men in your gates"--to the point that "you shall not turn from their words to the right or to the left." Keep in mind that the Torah was not given in a vacuum”. So today we Jew and Christian continue on this path started when the people decide to replace the Lord as King and ruler over us, with our desire for the Physical, rather than the spiritual.
The point I am making here is Samuel raised in the Tabernacle by the High Priest Eli, being chosen by the Lord to speak his words, we should understand that Samuel was the “WISE MEN IN YOUR GATES.”
This all sounds so simple but when do we really look at the past as a picture for our future? We are here to learn and grow yet instead of changing our ways some of us continue to justify our choices and remain in a state of justification of these actions. Most of these choices are because of men who know better but chose to claim authority which was never there’s to claim.
Moses never Claims Authority for his actions, but when he messed up by striking the rock for water he sure took responsibility for those actions. Jesus never left us with the Authority to create a new church or faith; he left us with the Authority to ask of all things through him to Adonai “The Lord God Most High”. Much like Moses before him leaving us with the Torah as directions to live while releasing the need for our physical sacrifice before Adonai.
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX
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