Musing – Is “April Fools Day” in the Bible?

 Hebraic Musing – Is “April Fools Day” in the Bible?

April 1^st is the day dedicated to the Foolish people of the world.  The Bible talks a lot about that day.  In fact, the Bible mentions “fool” 79 times, and “foolish” 49 times, and “fools” 41 times! 

Who is a “fool”?  Answer - Someone who refuses to listen to wisdom or to learn from discipline.

Psalm 14 should be read on April 1^st because it starts with “The fool says in his heart, there is no God”.  Here’s the whole Psalm 14 (NIV) to be studied on April 1^st:

v1 “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’  They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”  That’s mistake #1, to claim “There is no God.”  What is God’s reaction?

v2 “The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.”   The LORD is looking for the seekers amongst all the “sons of men.”

v3 “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”  Remember that “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” according to Romans 3:23 NIV    Remember that saying – “Misery loves company”?

v4 “Will evildoers never learn— those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD?”   Those evildoers are not concerned about what they do to “Others”.  Do they love their neighbor?

v5 “There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.”  Evildoers are not living a life of peace; whereas the Righteous have the peace of knowing they are pleasing Almighty God!

v6 “You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.”  The harm evildoers do to the “poor” (believers who don’t think like they do) may cause the poor to seek the LORD!

v7 “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!  When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!”   The LORD has provided a heavenly home for His people and “Salvation” is provided for them.

The way of a fool is also mentioned in Proverbs 12:15&16.  “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.   A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” NIV

Points to Ponder

How big is the difference between a wise man and a fool?

Who must make the choice?   How often?

Why does the Bible have to counsel the “fool” 79 + 49 + 41 times?

Please don’t be an April Fool. 

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      Monday, April 1, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Musing – Does the Lord speak to us like He did to Jeremiah?

 

Hebraic Musing – Does the Lord speak to us like He did to Jeremiah?

 I just finished reading the book of Jeremiah and realized he heard a word from the LORD well over 60 times in his 52-chapter book.  And then I also noted that the Holy Spirit ministered and guided His people about 100 times in the New Testament.  I wonder how often the Holy Spirit speaks to each of us each day?  Or each hour?  

Does the Holy Spirit have that much to say to each of us every day?  Let’s call on Him and find out!

♫ “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.” ♫   This song from Proverbs 18:3 is a reminder to us to call on the LORD.  Does the LORD really want us to “bug” him about everything?  In fact, it seems the good LORD is asking us to “bug” Him.  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 NIV

What might happen if we Christians heard from the Lord and shared what we learned with the world around us?  And to do so with Holy Spirit boldness!?!?  We believers were called to speak the Word boldly in Acts 4:31 “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”  We are told that the early church explained the word of God and told of their testimonies so boldly that the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, spread to the whole known world within 200 years!   And that was before internet, planes, autos, phones, etc.!!!

Are we to boldly proclaim the Gospel?  We enjoy singing… ♫ Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere.  Go tell it on the mountain, Jesus Christ is born. ♫   And, didn’t we learn to ‘Share’ good gifts in kindergarten?  And what’s the greatest gift you’ve ever received?  Does it need to be shared?

What might happen if we listen to the Holy Spirit?  Here’s one example of many.  “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’  So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.  The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”  Acts 8:26-29 NIV   What happened when Philip listened to the Holy Spirit?  As a result of obedience, in v.35… “Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”  And a baptism followed!  And the Gospel spread to Ethiopia!!!  PTL!

Have you ever followed the Holy Spirit’s prompting to speak to someone and the encounter resulted in their salvation?  ♫ It is joy unspeakable and full of glory; O the half has never yet been told! ♫ 

Points to Ponder

How often is the Holy Spirit speaking to us?

How often are we listening?

Why did God give us two ears and only one mouth?

Does the Holy Spirit prompt us to speak to people about their salvation?
or…
When might the Holy Spirit prompt you to speak to someone about their salvation?

Go tell it to your neighbor (on the mountain)… that Jesus Christ is born.

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      March 26, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”

“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings” 

Musing – How can we expect God to Bless America?

 Hebraic Musing – How can we expect God to Bless America?

In Isaiah’s and Jeremiah’s prophetic messages to Israel and Judah, they are calling out the ways Israel (North) and then Judah (South) are turning their backs and/or spurning God’s promises to these “Chosen” Jewish nations.  But God also promises to restore them as His Chosen Peoples.  

God described the many ways Judah was turning to worship of other gods so He had Jeremiah proclaim these to Judah.  “You have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.” Jeremiah 14:13  And that is why the LORD then orders His prophet, Jeremiah – “Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.”  Jeremiah 11:14 NIV  This pattern of identifying behavior contrary to God’s Word and condemning their future is repeated throughout the prophetic messages from Isaiah and Jeremiah.

One of the many examples of the LORD’s view is two chapters earlier in Jeremiah 9:13-14.  “The LORD said, ‘It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their fathers taught them.’”  Key Question – In how many times and ways is America’s culture, behaviors, and rules “forsaking God’s law”?  Could what the LORD said to Ezekiel also be said to America today?  “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.” Ezekiel 12:2 NIV

Us older Americans still remember how God blessed America right from our nation’s founding.  We grew up proudly singing ♫ “God bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her And guide her Through the night with a light from above”. ♫   We acknowledge that God blessed us by singing ♫ “America! America! God shed his grace on thee. And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!” ♫  We recognized the many blessings Almighty God provided when He founded our nation.  How often can we proudly sing “I’m Proud to be an American”?

Today we find America’s culture does not want to sing our National Anthem because it implies that God is the one who blessed us with our freedom.  ♫ “O! say does that star-spangled Banner yet wave, ⁠O'er the Land of the free and the home of the brave.” ♫   Why, in heaven’s name, are we hearing that the National Anthem is not to be sung at events?  Does somebody not like us recognizing that our historical foundation, uniqueness, freedoms, and blessings are from Almighty God?  Has our background of “Religious freedom” become a tool against our foundation of “Christianity”?

Do you see any reason why God should Bless America in the future?  The Bible refers to God’s Chosen People for restoration and He clearly means the Jews and Israel; BUT I do not find America mentioned.  And when I hear of the sacrifices and commitment of other people around the world accepting Christ at great costs, I get the impression Americans, and America as a nation, are turning their backs on Almighty God.

The America that I knew growing up has changed and maybe that’s why I can see the change more clearly.  The younger generation doesn’t feel the change.  Are they like the proverbial frog staying in water while it’s being heated to boiling?  How can we help fellow “Christians” to stand strong to the end?

Points to Ponder

What is America doing with the blessings granted to us by our founders?

How many gods are Americans being encouraged to follow?  or…
In how many ways is America going astray, defying Almighty God?    or…
How many Scriptural sins does our culture now deem to be okay, acceptable, forgivable, etc.?

When the going gets tough, what will happen to those who are “Christians” in name only?
What should we be doing about it?

Is America identified as His “Chosen” people, or even mentioned in the Bible? 

Dare to be a Daniel

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      March 19, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Musing – It’s Harvest Time; Is the Church Asleep?

 Hebraic Musing – It’s Harvest Time; Is the Church Asleep?

I wondered as I just read Proverbs 10:5.   “He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” Proverb 10:5 NIV   More wonderings…
 - Is the Church of Jesus Christ awake or sleeping? 
 - Is this a season in which we should be Harvesting? 
 - Is Harvest time coming to an end?
 - What did Jesus mean by “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”? Mark 16:15

Is the Church asleep?  Are the congregations asleep?  In the first couple hundred years after Jesus, the gospel was proclaimed and spread over all the known world!  And that was done before trains, planes, phones, autos, roads, broadcasting media!  The early church preached from quotes from the Old Testament, but primarily by sharing their personal testimonies.

A little later, in Proverbs 11:30b we find “and he who wins souls is wise.”  So, I wonder if today’s churches are “wise” if their emphasis is on feeding the poor, becoming Bible scholars, doing community services, and other “good” and friendly and neighborly things. 

During my exposures to foreign countries and missions work, I am always impressed with the dedication by the workers to the role of spreading the Gospel, even while encountering resistance; and we often hear that the resistance they face is rather personal – loss of life, comfort, family, homes, etc. 

On the other hand, when we in America take a risk by preaching the Gospel, we might run the risk of offending or losing a friend, neighbor, co-worker, etc.  Worst case, we might lose our job!  Hmmm – But let’s recognize that eventually that person will die and then… what good will our friendship with him/her be when they are suffering in Hell?  Is our short-term friendship more important than their future of eternity in Hell?

My prayers of thanksgiving and my personal testimony frequently recognizes the people in my life who went out of their way to preach Jesus to me.  How do I thank them?  I want to “pass it on”.  
♫ It only takes a spark to get a fire going, And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing. That’s how it is with God’s love. Once you’ve experienced it, You spread the love to everyone. You want to pass it on. ♫

And I like to thank the Lord for my salvation by singing… ♫ Thank you Lord, for saving my soul. Thank you Lord, for making me whole; Thank you Lord, for giving to me Thy great salvation so rich and free. ♫   

As early as kindergarten we are taught that “Sharing” is the way to show love to our neighbor.  What’s the best thing we can share to really show love to our neighbor?

Thank you for listening to my heart-felt concern for the long-term effect of our soft American Christianity.

Points to Ponder

What is the key role or purpose of the Church?  Of us Christians?

Where are our best and easiest opportunities to Harvest?

To evangelize, do we need to spend $2,000 for an airplane ticket to a foreign land?
Who is your “neighbor”?

What’s the most unselfish thing you can do for anyone?

Go love your “neighbor”, whoever that might be!

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      March 12, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Musing - How were Hebrew children able to memorize Scripture?

 Hebraic Musing - How were Hebrew children able to memorize Scripture?

Psalm 34 is entitled “Taste and See That the LORD Is Good”.  Hebrew children were fed honey so they would enjoy reading Scripture.  David wrote this Psalm when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away.   It is also one of the “acrostic” Psalms, each verse starts with or references a letter in the Hebrew alphabet.  For each verse, here’s the Hebrew letter & name; its symbolic meaning; and the verse in ESV italicized.

Praise God!  He Saved Me

v.1 a Aleph - Bull or strong leader; I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

v.2 B Bet – Family or house; My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.

v.3 G Gimel – Pride or walk; Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

v.4 D Dalet – Door, pathway; I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

v.5 h Hei – Window, breath of God; Those who look to him are radiant,

v.5b w Vav – Hook, peg; and their faces shall never be ashamed.

v.6 Z Zayin – Weapon; This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

God Delivers those Who Fear Him

v.7 j Chet – Fence, wall; The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

v.8 f Tet – Good/Evil; Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

v.9 y Yod – Hand of God; Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!

v.10 K Kaf – Open hand; The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Learn the Fear of the Lord

v.11 l Lamed – Prod, teach; Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

v.12 m Mem – Water, living truth; What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?

What is the Fear of the Lord?

v.13 n Nun – Seed, life; Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

v.14 s Samech – Thorn, support, protect; Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

God Delivers the Righteous

v.15 u Ayin – Eye, see & know; The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

v.16 p Pe – Mouth, speak; The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

v.17 x Tsadi – Hook, righteousness; When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

v.18 q Qof – Last, Holiness; The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

No Condemnation in Him

v.19 r Resh – Head, highest; Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

v.20 c Shin – Teeth, peace; He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

v.21 t Tav – Cross, covenant; Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

v.22 p Pe - Mouth, speak; The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Points to Ponder

Were you able to find that the Hebraic symbolism reflected in each verse?

It’s no wonder the Hebrew children memorized whole Psalms!  (Acrostics & Honey!)

Want to learn more Hebrew?    I can email three more acrostic analyses to you, if interested.

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      March 5, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”