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
Thursday, October 28, 2010
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.
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