Freedom Within the Law (Torah)

TORAH

Gen. 12:1-17:27

HAFTORAH

Isa. 40:27-41:16

B’RIT HADASHAH

Acts 7:1-8; Rom. 3:19

Gal. 3:15-18; 5:1-6

Col. 2:11-15; Heb. 7:1-19; 11:8-12
 

Gal. 5:1-6; Col. 2:11-15

The letter to the Galatians was writen to Gentiles, not Jews. This is indicated partly by extrabiblical historical and archaeological evidence, but also by the text itself, in verse 2: “if you accept circumcision.” Jews of course are and were circumcised on their eighth day; it is not a question of “accepting” circumcision. So the admonitions we find in Galatians are not directed at Jews, but rather Gentiles.

Judaizers within the early church (including the Galatian congregation) maintained that salvation was only possible by accepting the Torah including not just its moral requirements but its ceremonial requirements as well, of which circumcision was the most powerful symbol. In fact, circumcision is the fundamental condition that defines a Jew. Circumcision was the one condition of God's covenant with Abraham, which covenant created the Jewish people. Quoting Dr. David Stern, from his Jewish New Testament Commentary (Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, 1992, p. 561) “Circumcision is part of an initiation rite which makes a Gentile part of the Jewish community. At that point he ceases to be a Gentile, becomes a Jew and voluntarily obligates himself to do everything a Jew is expected to do. And what is a Jew expected to do? Obey the Torah.” Therefore, when a non-Jew allows himself to be circumcised, he is in effect putting his hope and trust in all the laws of the Torah and consequently turning his back on the grace provided in Christ Jesus. These Judaizers were in effect pressuring the Gentile members of the congregation to become Jews.

Therefore, “the yoke of slavery” (which is better translated as “a heavy burden”) and which the Galatians were in danger of submitting to again, does not refer to the Torah per se (which the Gentile members had not yet submitted to, though they were apparently tottering on the brink). It refers rather to the Gentile Galatians’ personal willingness to be governed by external rules and regulations as a method for obtaining justification or righteousness. So that when Paul wrote this letter, they were in jeopardy of submitting to the legal, ceremonial demands of the Torah—“the yoke of slavery”—instead of their old pagan rules and regulations (and to which they could never again return). For Paul, the crucial point is justification, as he makes plain in Rom. 2:17, “as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” quoting from the OT prophet Habakkuk (2:4b).

But Paul makes it clear that accepting circumcision was accepting the yoke of slavery, and by this he meant the ceremonial obligations of the law, not the moral injunctions. Christ came to earth partly in order to meet the ceremonial aspects of the Torah by His willing and atoning death on the cross. By this, He nullified the yoke of slavery.

In Colossians, justification (or righteousness, a parallel word, see Gal. 2:16) is here described as being “made alive together with him” and this through our faith (Eph. 2:8) and witnessed by our baptism—which is a work of sanctification not justification. God’s forgiveness is manifested and made possible by His wiping away, obliterating our “record of debt.” This record of debt is in the Greek “adverse handwriting” (hypenantion cheirographon). It is like an I. O. U. except in reverse, i.e. it is really a U. O. Me. That is to say, it is a record of the sin of every person since Adam and the penalty imposed by God for such sin. This record of debt has now been fully paid by Christ. The legal demands are not the demands of the Ten Commandments i.e. the moral law, but rather what David Stern has phrased as, “legalistic observance of Torah commands” (Stern, 1992, p. 537).

What do we take from this? The keeping of the moral law is still binding as a standard of acceptable conduct, as we see exemplified for instance in Eph. 4:1-2, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” The moral aspect of the Torah—necessarily including the fourth commandment—is perfect, as David says,
“The law of the Lord is perfect,

    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes.”

Paul assures us that the law is still in effect—“We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law” (Rom. 3:28, 30-31). The “law” upheld by Paul is the moral law—not the ceremonial law. But the law cannot justify, it can only point out our sin; until the coming of the Holy Spirit, it alone was able to convict us of our sin and to encourage us in our endevours. But now, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, we are given the justification through faith that the law could not provide but clearly pointed too nevertheless. The Holy Spirit uses the moral law as the witness of our sanctification, while our justification has been provided for by the righteousness of Christ. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, now enables us to live by the standard set by God for our blessing.

What does all this mean for us? It means that God’s moral law, as summarized in the Ten Commandments, is still operative in our walk as believers (“walk in a manner worthy of your calling”) both Jew and Gentile. The “calling” we have is eternal and permanent and has relieved us of the torments of Hell and given us an inexpressible joy. Our only fitting response is a life dedicated to honouring this call, bestowed entirely through grace. By following the commandments given for our blessing, we are worthy of the calling we have received.

AMEN

Christian Vigilance

TORAH

Gen. 6:9-11:32

HAFTORAH

Isa. 52:13-54:1-10

B’RIT HADASHAH

Matt. 24:36-44; Luke 17:26-37

Acts 2:1-16; 1 Peter 3:18-22

Luke 17:26-37

Noah & Lot and their families provide us with the background context for this passage. Noah, Lot and their respective families were “taken” by God. That is, God provided them with an escape from immanent destruction. The episodes concerning Noah and Lot can be understood as pictures of personal salvation but more so as of Christ’s second coming (Parousia) and rapture of the Ekklesia then in existence, of which assembly Noah, Lot and their respective families are symbolic. As in the cases of Noah and Lot, the people being described in Luke (and in Matthew’s parallel passage) were merely conducting themselves in normal ways, being engaged in everyday activities, but were suddenly “taken”: one from the housetop, one from the field, one from the bedroom and one from the kitchen. Those who are taken are those who are raptured by Christ, those left behind are those who experience the destruction, as did Lot’s wife. In our context, the destruction is the destruction of the whole world as God purges it and purifies it from its evil. However, this passage is also a picture of the moment just preceding the last judgment.

Paul’s first letter to the Ekklesia in Thessalonica paints a vivid picture of that moment,

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up [raptured] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:16-18).

 The Apocalypse of John gives us a different perspective in Rev. 19:17-21,

“Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, ‘Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.’ And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.”

In our parsha for this Sabbath, the Lord warns us that we must be ever mindful of the inescapable predicament. Because this prophecy will most surely happen, we must be ready at all times. While we must never take our personal salvation for granted, even though we hold to the doctrine of the “Preservation of the Saints”, yet at the same time, we should also take heart and be encouraged, knowing that all true believers, those whom John describes as the “overcomers” will not be taken by surprise or unexpectedly, as Paul assures us in Thessalonians, “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake” (1 Thess. 5:1-6).

So believers in Yeshua are called to live in dynamic tension, to be cognizant that God’s perfect plan includes the cataclysmic end of the world as we know it, that it is surely coming and that some there will be who must endure the experience. Nevertheless, God’s Word assures us of ultimate salvation and final reward. God calls us to live a life that is equal to, or corresponds with, His ultimate and effectual call (Eph. 4:1-3; Rom. 8:28-30). This is the tension we experience and this is the way of all overcomers. And too, we know that in ourselves, this will not be possible, but the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is not only our teacher but also our helper, will encourage us and strengthen us for the coming trial.

AMEN

The Servant

TORAH

Genesis 1:1-6:8

 

HAFTORAH

Isaiah 42:(1-4) 5-21

Isa. 42:(1-4), 5-21

Isaiah 42:1-4 is not included as part of the traditional Jewish parsha for this passage, yet without those four verses, the meaning of the chapter becomes problematic indeed. Of course, the reason that these preliminary verses are not included is that they introduce qualities of the Messiah that Jews found repugnant, qualities embodied by Yeshua, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:29-30). In this passage, Messianic Jews and Gentiles see a clear prophecy of Yeshua haMassiach—God’s Messiah.

The picture that our Haftorah reading (Isaiah) gives us is of one who is gentle, meek, and self-effacing but at the same time resolute, determined and unwavering—indeed one who is gentle as a breeze in the cool of the day but at the same time as firm and indomitable as a massive rock.

Rabbinic Israel did not (and still does not) want to accept such a Messiah. She wanted one like the priest Judas Maccabeus, known as the Hammer, the successful guerrilla fighter who with his brothers won Israel’s political freedom from the Greek Seleucid Empire in 160-167 BCE.

It was this kind of “saviour” Israel demanded from God and in her spiritual blindness refused (or was prevented) to accept the message that God was giving her. Indeed, through Isaiah, God is once again prophetically announcing a new reality. He declares, “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.

God says of this one, “He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear” meaning by this that the Servant will not condemn anyone unnecessarily (even though He will “by no means acquit the guilty”). Vengeful retribution is not the end or purpose, “a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench.” Instead He offers all people the opportunity for repentance, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). The word “observe” in this verse actually means to hold onto, to consider accountable, or to keep. So Jesus—through sovereign grace—will not hold accountable—will not observe—the sin of those who in willing submission come to repentance. His mercy is sufficient for all people. “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do’” (Luke 23:34).

AMEN.

Zealousness for God

TORAH

Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12

HAFTORAH

Joshua 1:1-9

B’RIT HADASHAH

Mt 17:1-9; Mk 9:2-10; Lk 9:28-36 Yd 3-4, 8-10

Our comments today are on Deut. 33:8-11

The Thummim and Urim were small, flat stones or wooden plaques, perhaps of different colours or shapes, used for purposes of divination, that is, to learn the will of God in any given matter. The High Priest alone kept them on his person (under his breastplate, in his ephod) and normally, by dint of his position, he alone had the sanctioned authority to use them. In a larger sense, however, they were apt symbols for the duties and position of the whole priesthood—and by further extension—the entire tribe of Levi, of which tribe came the Aaronic priesthood.

Back in Genesis 49:5-7, Jacob blesses Simeon and Levi:

“Simeon and Levi are brothers;
    weapons of violence are their swords.
Let my soul come not into their council;
    O my glory, be not joined to their company.
For in their anger they killed men,
    and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.

Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,
    and their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
    and scatter them in Israel.

In their rage, the brothers Simeon and Levi slaughtered a whole town for the gang rape by a few men of their sister Dinah. Their anger was willful, extreme and unjustified. Consequently, Jacob their father said that they would become divided and scattered, and according to the books of Numbers and Joshua this is exactly what happened. Simeon became the smallest and least important tribe even though its progenitor was the second of Jacob’s 12 sons. And while the dividing of the two tribes was a curse for Simeon, it became a blessing in disguise for Levi, the third son. Because of the faithfulness of this tribe during the rebellion of the golden calf (Exodus 32:26-28), it was scattered as a blessing throughout the whole nation of Israel. They received no large tract of land or holdings, for the Lord was their inheritance (Joshua 13:33). Rather, it became their privilege and honour to attend the LORD God as ministering priests and servants. The Levites were always the most ardent defenders of God’s honour; Phineas is a very good example (Numbers 25). Simeon and later Simeonites such as Zimri were never able to overcome the “blessing” of Jacob. Or rather, they were never able to overcome or transmute their self-willed anger that Jacob’s blessing targeted.

From the examples of Simeon and Zimri, we see that that emotion we call anger—being self-willed, self-important, or self-focused, in other words stemming from pride—is also self-destructive. When that strong emotion has self as its object as well as its subject, God will ultimately turn it against us for our chastisement, perhaps even for punishment, if we are not in the Lord. In contrast, we see from the example of Phineas that anger outwardly focused—that is, anger that has God as its object/subject, may be transmuted by Him into something else: spiritual zeal, commitment or passion. God-focused anger is an aspect of righteousness because God is thoroughly righteous, therefore—to the degree that God is its object and its subject—such transmuted “anger” can never be destructive. Men like Phineas were praised for their zeal, their ardent love for the honour of God. Moreover, of course, we have the perfect example of our Lord in John 2:17, “His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’” in which He fulfills the OT in such places as Psalms 119:139 “My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words” and 132:1-5, “Remember, O Lord, in David's favor, all the hardships he endured, how he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, ‘I will not enter my house or get into my bed, I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.’”

These passages illustrate a fundamental quality of the truly faithful—a symbol of which is the tribe of Levi, the ministers of God in the OT. But as elect gentiles have now, because of Christ, been grafted into the olive tree of the remnant of Israel, and as we consequently have been designated as the equivalent of the Levitical ministers of God by such verses as 1 Peter 2:9—^“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”—it seems that we have a solemn duty not to give in to self-righteous anger but to let God—through His Word and the intersession of the Holy Spirit as well as our own effort—transmute our self-willed anger into the pure and holy zeal and passion for God, His Kingdom and His glory.

AMEN.