Musing - Is it possible to have ears and still not hear?

Hebraic Musing - Is it possible to have ears and still not hear?

Our first apartment in Berwyn, IL, was only about 100 yards from the busy railroad tracks with trains passing and/or stopping at the station at all hours.  After a while we learned to not hear the trains.

I wonder if it is possible to have God’s Word in our heads, but not to be sensitive to God’s Spirit to apply the Word in specific situations?  We hear, but we don’t hear.  We “heard” the trains constantly, but we really didn’t “hear them.”  We had become so used to the sound that we ignored it subconsciously; we didn't hear it anymore.

Might we do the same thing Spiritually?  We develop the capacity to block out the Word from certain areas of our lives.  We hear what we want to hear and block out what we do not want to hear.  We read it, or hear it preached, but we don’t really hear it anymore; we stopped listening.  Why?  Maybe some habits, routines, doctrines or customs have been tolerated for so long and so frequently we've forgotten to check with God?  Maybe we don’t want to hear it because it reveals major changes that need to take place in our lives. 

This discussion reminds me of the scariest admonition in the Bible – “having their conscience seared with a hot iron,” 1 Tim 4:2 KJV    Why do I find this to be so scary?  How will I know when my conscience has been seared?!?!

That’s why as Jesus taught He often had to say, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Luke 8:8; or  “consider carefully how you listen.”   Luke 8:18.  Those are just two examples.  The word “Hear” appears 379 time in the NIV; “Ears” appears 84 times; “Listen” appears.352 times (frequently pointing out that “they did not listen”).

Abram, Moses and many other “men of God” heard God’s word and obeyed.  Obedient faith hears God’s Word with a desire and willingness to yield to the Lord, sometimes in areas where He asks us to make a significant change.

Points to ponder

Is there something God is telling me to do, but I’d rather not listen?

What is God telling the church to do, but…?

“My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.”  Proverbs 4:20

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                   June 28, 2016

Musing – Do we really appreciate the world we live in?

Hebraic Musing – Do we really appreciate the world we live in?

After God created man He placed man (us) in the garden of Eden “And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;” Gen. 2:16 NIV   Early in the creation process God gave us freedom and the ability to enjoy and eat from all that good stuff He placed in the garden (the world) for us.  I’ll bet that garden was and is beautiful!  

I enjoy the view from our patio window while eating breakfast.  A deck with two bird feeders attracting at least 14 varieties of colorful birds, a variety of trees that change colors throughout the year, animals parading through the yard – deer, squirrels, ground hogs, chipmunks, fox, cats, etc.  And then I look up at the furnishings in our home – all the stuff made by man’s creative God-given powers – furniture, technology, information, transportation alternatives, foods, snacks, photo memories, pictures/plaques/paintings, etc. – Truly a myriad of wonderful things bringing enjoyment to my life.  Inevitably I’ll need to stock the cupboards with a trip to Walmart and see an amazing array of products available for our health and enjoyment. 

What a crime or sin it would be to not appreciate the source of all these gifts that bless our daily lives!?!?   Father God could have placed us in a strictly functional, black/white world, to exist.  But no!  He wants us to live life!  That’s why God has given us a wondrous world; He doesn’t want to us merely get through life by existing; He wants us to enjoy our lives and celebrate each day He has given us.

The Nazirite vow is introduced in Numbers 6.  “If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the Lord as a Nazirite, he must abstain…”   and the list begins of abstinences and deprivations from pleasures of life.  But why then is a sin offering required of the Nazirite when it would seem he was trying to reach a higher level of righteousness?   What sin did the Nazirite commit?   Could it be that by taking the vow the Nazirite is depriving himself of some of God’s wonderful gifts?  Some Jewish sages view it that way.  

Is it a sin to not say thank you when receiving a gift?  How does a parent feel when their child does not thank them for a gift?

Point to ponder

Look around.  What did God give you today?

♫  Give thanks with a grateful heart  ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,                                  June 21, 2016

Musing – As Priests, what do we get?

Hebraic Musing – As Priests, what do we get?

I frequently point out our role as priests by referencing Peter’s declaration of who we are – “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Pet.2:9 NIV

As redeemed, righteous believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, or Yeshua HaMashiach, we begin to recognize that we are aliens in a foreign land; we are Christ’s Ambassadors here on earth.  Paul described his role (and our role?) in Eph. 6:19-20   “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains.”    Our citizenship is in heaven. 

The OT teaches us about the unique role of the Levitical Priests – “I (God) am to be the only inheritance the priests have.  You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession.” — Ezekiel 44:28    Whether we are age 2 or 92, we want things that are not necessarily good for us.  I’ll bet the Levitical Priests bristled when they heard Ezekiel give them this word from God; after all, the other Israelites get land but the members of the tribe of Levi who would serve as the priests would not be given any land in Israel.  Doesn’t that seem a bit unfair?  The priests served God more than anyone else. They dedicated their lives to service and in return they were the only ones who were not allowed to possess land!  One could argue that they should be compensated with a double portion of land.

The Levitical Priests as-well-as we members of the “Royal Priesthood” receive something even better than land.  We have received God in our hearts and the benefit of being in the Family of God eternally.

On a practical level the Levites did not have to be distracted with the worries and toil of owning and caring for land. They were provided with places to live and sustenance to live on; and this freed them to be completely dedicated to God without all the concerns of the material world.  Do we often find ourselves distracted by the things that own us?

Priests serve as intercessors between God and man.  That is our role, but when a person accepts Christ, they do not need us as their intercessor anymore; and their new relationship allows them to become intercessor for the unsaved in the world around them.

On a spiritual level, both the Levites and we Christian believers have been given the gift of a connection with God in a deeper way than the rest of the peoples of the world.  This spiritual connection is one we will enjoy for all eternity.

Points to ponder

When we don’t get what we want,
could it be that God has something much better to give us?

Could it be that the “something better” is God Himself!
What could be more valuable than that?

“We are therefore Christ's ambassadors,… “ 2 Cor. 5:20   

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,                                  June 14, 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

Inspired by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein’s   “Something Better”   May 20, 2016