Musing – What is Your Greatest Power?

Hebraic Musing – What is Your Greatest Power?

My favorite OT passages starts in Deut. 28  “If you fully obey the Lord your God…”  followed by 11 verses of blessings.  Then Deut. 28:15 starts with “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 there are 53 verses following which describe the resulting curses. 

Then in Deut. 30:15-20  God asked Moses, and He is probably asking each of us “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.”  Then God tells us to “Keep his commands, decrees and laws…But if your heart turns away… This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live…”  NIV

When we think of what we have, our possessions usually come to mind?  Stuff like money, health, wisdom, possessions, abilities, etc.   God asked Moses in Exod. 4:2 "What is that in your hand?" Moses replied simply "A staff,"   According to Jewish tradition, at that point Moses was already considerably wealthy; and he was wise and strong. So why did Moses answer that the only thing he had was a staff?  Moses acknowledged that his wealth, his health and even his strength were not truly his own. All the things Moses had could be easily taken away by God or the world.

So why was the staff so important?  The staff in Moses’ hand represented his ability to make choices.  The staff, which could be turned in any direction and lead Moses and the people on any path, was all he truly had.

In the late 60’s I read a little self-help book “Your Greatest Power” authored by Martin Kohe.  It is an easy 45 minute read and builds curiosity and then reveals the secret of your greatest power.  Your greatest power is Your Power to Choose.  And the results of the choices are spelled out in the blessings and curses promised in Deuteronomy 28.

The power to choose is the only power you have.  So pray to God for the courage to choose wisely. 

Points to Ponder

How many choices do we make in a day?

How do each of your daily choices affect your future?

How do others view you based on the choices they observe?

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ….
               but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."   Joshua 24:15

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                   November 1 2016

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

Note:  Inspired by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein’s  “All that We Have”   Sept.29, 2016

Musing – Ever notice the "If" in front of favorite verses?

Hebraic Musing – Ever notice the "If" in front of favorite verses?

One of many favorite verses, after John 3:16, is another explanation of God’s love for us as expressed by Jesus Himself in John 15:9-10 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love,…”  NIV   The “If” is extremely important and often overlooked.  In fact, the word “If” appears 653 times in the NT alone!  And in John chapter 15 alone “if” is used 11 times qualifying statements about the vine and branches; fruit bearing; Father’s love; Jesus’ love; friendship with Jesus; belonging to the world; belief in miracles…to name a few.

So Jesus put a condition on remaining in His love by saying “If you obey my commands…”  What did Jesus mean by obeying commands?  Most NT readers assume we need to obey the Ten Commandments which used to be on the walls of our schools back when I was in grammar school. And we’ve been taught that Jesus kept the commandments; however it is more accurate to say that Jesus kept Torah.  Jews who have accepted Yeshua as Messiah recognize that Jesus kept Torah, obedient to the precepts in all five books including the 513 mitzvot (commands or good deeds) in the Torah.

In  John 8:31 “… Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”   NKJV   He expected them to be abiding in the Torah, the Word which Jesus authored and lived.  Remember   “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  John 1:1   And thus we know that Jesus was the living Torah.

The word “If” has the power to change everything and makes the outcome dependent on our actions.  Yehovah is saying, "if" you do such and such, I will do this. 

How many times have we heard “ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” And that is stated as a promise like a blank check.  BUT, the sentence starts with “If you remain in me and my words remain in you,” before promising “ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”  John 15:7  NIV

To really understand the Bible, every time we come across the word law in the NT, cross it out and write in Torah or teaching.  Torah is not law; it is our instruction manual, a guide to abundant life.   Then take note how many times in the New Testament we are urged to keep Torah.  We have to have the love first, then the desire, then we follow through with doing the teachings or instructions. 

Remember, Yeshua said in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”  In biblical days they heard “IF you love me, keep the Torah.” 

Points to Ponder

What’s the difference between keeping Ten Commandments vs. keeping Torah?

How to reconcile Agape Love with the conditions described above?

“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                   October 25, 2016

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

Note:  Inspired by Johanna Shager Hocker, FAITH MINISTRIES INT.  9/27/16

Musing – “I’ll play it safe and just go along with it”

Hebraic Musing – “I’ll play it safe and just go along with it”

But God is weighing our hearts according to Proverbs 24:12.  If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?  Does not he who guards your life know it?  Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

Do we find ourselves shrinking from action, from doing something, because…no one else is doing it; I was told not to do it, I might get hurt, etc.   OR  I find myself doing something because…everyone else is doing it, I was told to do it, the new laws say it is okay.   And then we do or don’t do despite what our heart and the Holy Spirit are telling us to do, or not do.

The defense used by Nazis and many citizens was that they were “only following orders.”  That excuse did not prevent or justify the murder of millions of innocent men, women, and children.  Those people knew what they were doing and should have known in their hearts it was wrong.

We all face pressures to do things, or support things, that we know to be wrong.  What to do?   We can yield to pressure by being silent, going along, avoid trouble with the law, save our own neck, keep our job, etc.   How many injustices do we witness that we say or do nothing about?

Solomon warned us: “If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?”  God is weighing each heart.  This verse declares that it is not OK to turn the other way when we know something wrong is going on.  Whether it’s happening in our neighborhood, our office, school classroom, or halfway around the world, we cannot say, “We did not know, and so we did not act.”  God knows if we know, and He expects us to act, to take a stand.

There is a thought process that goes “if no one else is taking care of this problem, why should we do anything?”  It doesn’t matter if no one else is standing up for what is just and right, remember that God expects more from us. He expects us to take action even if we are the only ones doing so.

Another attitude taken by many is that there is nothing they can do. How can one person solve the world’s problems?  But, there is always something we can do.  We can take the first step.  Who knows who is watching or who will be inspired by our actions?  In any case, we will be held accountable by God for what we do; not for what someone else did or did not do.  Remember what Jesus said in red letters – “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:10

Rabbi Eckstein expounded:  “One way to understand these verses is that we will be held accountable for the evil others have done if we knew about it and did nothing. (Does this sound like the “Watchman’s responsibility” in Ezekiel 33?)  But there is another way to understand the verse. When we stand up for what’s right, it’s scary. We may pay a price for doing so by losing friends, money, or perhaps our reputation. However, God will ‘repay everyone according to what they have done.’ God will reward us for our moral clarity and willingness to act.”

Points to ponder

How many injustices have we witnessed recently?

Recall two recent “Musings”- “I will not be Silent” and “The Privilege of Serving God”
Did they also call us to do what is right regardless of…?

We can always pray, but is that a substitute for action?

God knows our heart, so when He weighs our heart, what will He conclude?

“Stand firm”

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                   October 11, 2016