Musing – Is love expensive? Is it worth it?

Hebraic Musing – Is love expensive?  Is it worth it?

Love is a double-edged sword. And our loving God has put that weapon in our hands.  What is Psalm 149:5–6 trying to say to us?  “Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,…” NIV

In the opening phrase of Psalm 149 we are invited to sing our praises of honor to God for all the joy He has given us and for the joy He continues to give us. We are encouraged to praise the Lord with dance, song, and musical instruments. Why were they told to “sing for joy on their beds”?  Could it be that that is a reflective time at end of day?  Or…in Jewish tradition there is a special prayer called the Shema that is said every night.  It is right from Deut. 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” This prayer expresses one’s love and commitment to God as He is worthy of all our praise. So these are the words that the faithful saints would “sing for joy on their beds.”

But then the psalmist changes gears and seems to remind saints of “a double-edged sword in their hands.” What is it for, and what does it have to do with words of praise?  Three perspectives:

1.   Sages explain that when we express our love to God, He returns that love by giving us “double protection.” We receive the blessings of both physical and spiritual protection from all harm. We receive extra guidance, care, and shelter from above.

2.   But there is more. As Psalm 149 goes on in verses 7-9 we hear of vengeance and judgement being carried out as a result of His relationship with the Saints – “…to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints.”

3.   With this lesson of how much God loves and supports us, Sages go on to explain that we have to be willing to give up valuable things, like our time and money, for God’s purposes. When you love someone you are willing to move mountains for them?  As we express our love for God wholeheartedly we will experience His boundless love for us too; just as he has moved mountains for us.

As He has served us, we are called to serve Him.  And since a sword is used to cut a covenant, does this mean that the covenantal relationship we have with God has another half – a covenantal relationship with our neighbor?

Points to ponder

Is it possible to love both God and our neighbor
with all our heart, soul and strength?

How would the world’s systems change
if we all loved our neighbor as ourselves?

Shalom Neighbor                                                        May 26, 2015

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd     Author::

“Hebraic Insights” Republished March 2015
“Biblical Marriage”
“Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
“Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament”  New - March 2015
Weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings”   or  www.InsightsByYosef.com

Musing – Was Jacob unfair to Esau?

Hebraic Musing – Was Jacob unfair to Esau?

Preface: Are banks unfair when they loan you money?  Is Visa and Master Charge unfair when they let you run up your account balance so high that paying it back all those charges is well-nigh impossible?

Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” Gen.25:32   What was Esau thinking?!?!  Why would he trade his birthright for a bowl of soup?  Let’s look at how the scene develops.  Esau had just returned from an exhausting day. He was utterly famished. He saw his brother Jacob making some red lentil soup, and he wanted some badly.   Esau: “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!”   Jacob: “First sell me your birthright”   Esau: “Look, I am about to die . . . What good is the birthright to me?” Gen. 25:30-32    And so the deal was done.

Now, was Jacob being unfair? Was he taking advantage of a dying man?  Esau wasn’t about to die; he was explaining his philosophy on life.  Esau’s attitude toward life was all too similar to the attitude of many people to this day.  Esau effectively was saying – “Life is short, so let’s eat, drink, and be merry. What good does a promise of a future reward do for me now?  I am hungry now.  I want soup now.  The birthright is of no use to me right now.”   He clearly viewed his birthright as a future reward and this is the reason Scripture says “So Esau despised his birthright.” Gen. 25:34  

This scenario should speak to all of us as a constant challenge we all face – the lure and desire for instant gratification despite the lurking consequences down the road.  The desire for instant gratification is not exclusively a problem for children. We face this challenge daily.  The allure of the here and now is blinding.  In this passage we can see the foolishness of Esau’s penchant for instant gratification.  He sacrificed his entire future for a few moments of pleasure.  Not a smart decision, but then again, how often are we tempted to do the same thing?  hmmmm….

·         That big dessert!  Well I’ll start my diet tomorrow.

·         I just have to have that ______, and I’ll pay for it with next month’s (or year’s) paycheck.

·         I can’t afford it right now so I’ll charge it on my “Master” card.  (Prov. 22:7  The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.  No wonder it is called a “Master” card!)

·         I’ll call that friend tomorrow. I haven’t got time today.

·         I’ll start giving to missions after I get that big raise.

·         It will feel so good now; but ignoring or not thinking of the horrible consequences to my future.

·         (Any more examples?)

Somehow we know the right thing to do but all too often we sacrifice the future for the sake of what we want now.  We tend to forget that the here and now is nothing compared to eternity.

Point to ponder

Do we really have faith for future rewards; or do we just not think ahead?

 Are banks unfair when they loan you money? 

Are we debt free?    ♫ He paid a debt He did not owe…♫

I don’t want to life my live in Debtors Prison                        May 19, 2015

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd               Author::                             (Hyperlinks are now available!)     

“Hebraic Insights” Republished March 2015
“Biblical_Marriage”
“Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
“Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament” New - March 2015
Weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings”   or  www.InsightsByYosef.com

Musing – What does it mean to be Righteous?

Hebraic Musing – What does it mean to be Righteous? 

What is “Righteousness”?  This is one of those “Church-ese” words for which we all have differing understandings.  Let’s start with definitions from the traditional Merriam Webster dictionary for both “Righteous” and “Righteousness”, the adjective and the noun respectively.

“Righteous”   1:  Adjective – Acting in a just, upright manner; doing what is right; virtuous; acting in accord with divine or moral law; free from guilt or sin.   2:  morally right or justifiable  

“Righteousness” 1: Noun – The quality or condition of being righteous or just; Conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong; a righteous act, quality… 2 - Faithfulness to high moral standards.

Someone who is unchurched could easily consider their behavior as being right or justifiable or at least okay, whereas God’s Word might say otherwise.  I find the definition’s reference to divine or moral law to be fraught with possible differences of understanding because many people today consider abortion, alternative lifestyles, euthanasia, political correctness, etc. to be morally acceptable, right and justifiable.

Years ago in Bible College I had to interrupt the class because my head was spinning with “church-ese”. So I asked the professor “What do you mean by ‘righteous’”?  And the answer has stuck with me to this day.  His simple answer was “Being righteous is being in right standing with God.”

Let’s look at the Biblical use of these words.  In Hebrew the word for righteousness is Tzedakah* which has to do with God's gracious, covenantal relationship with his people and the appropriate behavior of the covenant partners (Yahweh and Israel) toward each other.**   

The KJV Dictionary gets wordy but I like the final, fifth definition  –

Righteousness: 1: Purity of heart and rectitude of life; conformity of heart and life to the divine law. Righteousness, as used in Scripture and theology, in which it is chiefly used, is nearly equivalent to holiness, comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life to the divine law. It includes all we call justice, honesty and virtue, with holy affections; in short, it is true religion….  5: The cause of our justification.

Who decides what is right?

Point to ponder

Might a person consider themselves to be righteous
but still not be in right standing with God?

If so, then what does it take to be in right standing with God?

Shabbat Shalom!                                             May 5, 2015

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd    

Author::                       (Hyperlinks are now available!)     
Hebraic Insights                                  Re-Published – March 2015
Biblical_Marriage                               May 2012
Musings: Vol.1 – A Victorious Life     Sept.2014
Vol.2 – The Torah and New Testament Published – March 2015
Weekly e-mails Hebraic Musings   or  www.InsightsByYosef.com

*   Tzedakah in Hebrew is qudx  spelled  Tzaddi Dalet Ayin Kof. 
      The symbolic picture of each character is -- Kneeling man, Tent door, See & know, Palm (of God)     

** One of God’s names is Jehovah Tsidkenu, The Lord is our Righteousness.