Musing – Is the most important word in the Bible “If” or “But”?

Hebraic Musing – Is the most important word in the Bible “If” or “But”?

Is "If" - the most important word in the Bible?  This little, yet important word is used about 1,500 times in the Bible, usually alluding to possible situations depending on choices or behaviors.  One of many examples is found in Deut. 28:1-2   “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.  All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: “  NIV  And the blessings are spelled out in the next 10 verses.

And then the “If” word appears immediately following in verse 15 “However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:”   And the next 53 verses spell out the curses you will incur!

The word “But” appears about 1,000 times in the NIV.  It is also a small word but likewise important, and especially important when combined with the word “If”.  For example – Leviticus 26:14-16   "But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you:”  Note that this reference also contains the classic “if…, then…” logic!

Do we, as well as theologians, skip over these small words all too often and too easily? Do we fail to realize the conditional nature of the Bible's promises?   Which Promises?  Blessings and curses?  Salvation or damnation?   Good life or troubles?  Truth or consequences?  Life and death?

How often do we quote only half the equation, like when we say, "If you obey, He will bless you."?  

Points to ponder

How do we reconcile God’s use of conditional words like “If, Then & But”
with God’s unconditional, agape love?

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, …. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,                                  April 26, 2016

Musing – What is Jeremiah 29:11 really trying to tell us?

Hebraic Musing – What is Jeremiah 29:11 really trying to tell us?

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11  NIV   If we read this verse in context we may have to rethink its meaning and purpose and usage.  Is it possible it doesn’t mean what we thought it meant?

Jeremiah 29:11 is generally used to comfort us as we are suffering with the expectation God will end this trial soon and then we will flourish again.  But in context, that is not at all what God was saying and promising the Israelites; so maybe it is not what he’s promising us, either!  Jeremiah is confronting false prophets and a false prophecy claiming God will set Israel free in two years.  It was not to happen, and it did not happen.  Jeremiah calls out the false prophecy as a lie and then states the promise we read in 29:11. 

Let’s put the verse in context because the heart of the verse is not that we would escape our lot, but that we would learn to live righteously and to thrive in the midst of our trial or circumstance. The Israelites had gone into Babylonian exile as punishment from God as a direct result of their persistent disobedience.  Before Jeremiah recited the oft-quoted verse 11, he had given the Israelites a directive from God in preceding verses 4 to 7:  This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.  Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.  Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Jer. 29:4-7   In other words, apply yourselves and live righteously in your new circumstance.

When we have lost something because we are enduring the consequences of our sins or decisions, the last thing we want to hear is “…seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.”   This is not what the Israelites wanted to hear! They were freshly exiled and desperately wanted to be told that they were going to go home; that their suffering in exile was going to end; and that the false “two year” prophesy was true.  Instead, God tells them to stay right where they are and to help prosper the nation in which they are enslaved!  And if that wasn’t enough…

Then comes the biggest blow of all.  God had tells them in verse 10 when He would fulfill the “return” promise. This is what the Lord says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.”  Jer.29:10   The “seventy years” sentence was a blow -- none in the current generation would ever return to the Jerusalem. What a crushing thing to be told!  Don’t we all want our punishment(s) and consequence(s) to be over and get on with life as we knew it?   I know that because my mother always made me “stand in the corner” longer than I thought necessary.

Conclusion: God knows the plans He has for us and ultimately He wants to give His children a hope and a glorious future. But as we live out our lives on this crazy earth in a “world” system, let’s remember that the best growth and joy comes through persevering through trials, not by escaping them.

Points to ponder

In whatever you are currently going through
can you cling to Jeremiah 29:11 for the right reason?
… not in the false hope that God will take away your suffering,
but in the faithful confidence that He will give you hope and joy in the midst of it?

 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials…”  James 1:22

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,                                  April 19, 2016

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”  “Biblical Marriage”
“Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”   “Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament”
Weekly “Hebraic Musings”      www.InsightsByYosef.com

Musing – Should we be making Converts? Or Disciples?

Hebraic Musing – Should we be making Converts?  Or Disciples?

The word “Convert” only appears as a noun (in the NIV) and references someone who has already accepted Christ.  It’s interesting that there is no reference to Jesus “converting” people.  The only time Jesus uses the word “convert” is during a chastisement of the Pharisees, scolding them for producing knowledge-filled followers filled with pride and void of love. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.”  Matthew 23:15

Instead, Jesus discipled people.  How?  He shared his life, teachings, and meals. Could this be the model Jesus meant for His church to follow?  If so, what would discipleship look like? 

This sharing of life, teachings and meals reminds me of the good old days when I was conducting a series of breakfast and dinner meetings that included meals and sharing of testimonies.  Each man’s testimony revealed his life, the teachings he received and the change in life resulting from the teachings while the Holy Spirit revealed the reality of Jesus Christ.  Thus many were discipled into Salvation and attended future meetings where they enjoyed more life stories, teachings and meals which continued to minister to them.  A lot of Discipleship took place!?!?

Frank Powell* said “For me, making disciples meant making converts, leading non-Christians to Jesus. In fact, evangelism was so strongly emphasized, the Great Commission became a rallying cry to baptize people, rather than disciple them. Yes, that’s right. I was taught to focus on the word ‘baptizing’ rather than the first (and most important) phrase in the sentence, ‘Go into all the world and make disciples…’” So, according to Jesus, being a disciple and making disciples is not optional.

Frank Powell went on to distinguish some differences between Converts and Disciples:

• Converts follow doctrines and denominations. Disciples follow the life and teachings of Jesus and it is more than a program.  Discipleship fails if one’s private life doesn’t match his/her public life.
• Converts attend church. Disciples are the church.  The church Jesus modeled was organic, alive.
• Converts might not fully recognize Christianity comes with costs. Disciples believe their salvation costs everything.  Discipleship is intentional; not hit-and-miss, inconsistent exposure.  That’s why Discipleship dies in a busy culture.

·         Converts are filled with knowledge and information. Disciples are filled with devotion and love.

·         Converts measure growth externally using tangible variables like church attendance and good works.  Disciples measure growth internally based on intimacy with God and the fruit of the Spirit.

Discipleship is about being, not focused on doing; and that is so well portrayed in the story of the difference between Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42.

Points to ponder

So what is the best way to disciple non-believers?
And if you do it right you will find yourself discipling a “convert”!

 “Therefore go and make disciples…”

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,                                  April 12, 2016

Musing – What does the Bible say about the Law, Torah?

Hebraic Musing – What does the Bible say about the Law, Torah?

We are constantly told that "we live under grace, not the law".  While that may be true in one sense, should we ignore the “Law”?  What does the Bible have to say about the law, or the Torah.  When the Bible says “Law” it is more often than not a reference to and translation of the Hebrew “Torah”  

The “Torah” is the first five books of the Bible and the Hebrew is hrwT.   Symbolically translated it means “Covenant Secured by Head/Highest Breath of God.

Here are just a few examples showing the significance of the Torah, translated as “law” in the OT:

·      Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night. Psalm 1:1-2

·      The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. making wise the simple.
   …are right, giving joy to the heart.   … giving light to the eyes.   
     more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey,
      than honey from the comb.   Psalm 19:7-10

·      Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.  Psalm 119:18

·      The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. Psalm 119:72

·      Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. Psalm 119:77

·      Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.  Psalm 119:97

·      I hate double-minded people, but I love your law.  Psalm 119:113

·      Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.  Psalm 119:165

·      Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true. Psalm 119:142

·      It pleased the Lord for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious. Isaiah 42:21

AND in the New Testament the Torah is likewise commended. 

·      …the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.  Romans 7:12

·      For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;  Romans 7:22

·      We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.  1 Timothy 1:8

·      …whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it,,,  will be blessed in what they do..  James 1:25

·      … the law that gives freedom. James 2:12

Now you know why I have the custom, now a habit, of planting a kiss on the mezuzah* on the doorway of our home and saying a little prayer “Thank you LORD for your Commandments”.

Points to ponder

Can you say  “Thank you Lord for your commandments.”

Shalom 

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,                                  April 5, 2016

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”  “Biblical Marriage”
“Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”   “Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament”
Weekly “Hebraic Musings”      www.InsightsByYosef.com

*   The Mezuzah is a piece of parchment, often contained in a decorative case, inscribed with specified Hebrew verses from the Torah in Deut. 6:4-9.  Verse 9 instructs us to “Write them (commandments) on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”