Musing – Is this a Coincidence? God-incidence? or Foreshadowing?

 

Hebraic Musing – Is this a Coincidence? God-incidence? or Foreshadowing?
(Edited version of March 11, 2014 HM)

Chapter 2 in the book of Number contains counts of each of the tribes (12 sons of Jacob) and their God-given positions around the tabernacle.  Numbers may be hard to read because it is just a bunch of numbers.  But what is the significance of all that information?  Here is a drawing to scale of each tribe’s count and their position around the Tabernacle, from Numbers chapter 2:

Recognize the shape?  Is this a Coincidence? God-incidence? Or Foreshadowing?  Facing East!!!

And if you explore further, you will note the arrangement of each tribe in relation to the adjacent neighbor is arranged for compatibly!  The sons, now leaders, were raised by same midwives?

Points to Ponder

How many other subtle truths are tucked away in God’s Word,
waiting for us to study more and appreciate Him more?

Asking again – Is this a Coincidence? God-incidence? Or Foreshadowing?

Maybe this is why I love Bible studies.

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                 July 30, 2024

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of Christian Faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Musing – How can a Youth Pastor complement the Parent’s Role?

 

Hebraic Musing – How can a Youth Pastor complement the Parent’s Role?

First, let me defend the need for “Youth Pastors”.  There are more and more youth growing up in single parent and broken homes.  I authored “Biblical Marriage” years ago in my feeble effort to reverse that trend.  (Amazon search “Biblical Marriage Yosef”)  Meanwhile, the vast majority of youth available to attend church are not being raised in the home of both of their original parents.  Thus, there is a need for special guidance for that large segment of the population.

I accepted Christ while attending St. Raphael’s Catholic Church and they stressed a strong “Marriage Encounter” program.  One day I asked our Pastor “Why do we not have a youth program?”  Pastor Bill’s response: “If we take care of the parents, they will take care of their children.”

How can a “Youth Pastor” support the parents and their role in raising their own children without usurping that role?  To whom did God give the responsibility to raise children?    “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”  Deut 6:6-9   NIV   Biblically, the original Youth Pastors were called Parents.  

But as with many elements of the child rearing process parents have abdicated their responsibility to the “experts”.  We see that in –
 - Education (public schools instead of the biblical home-schooling)
 - Value systems (taught in public schools and entertainment media instead of the home)
 - Faith (relying on the “youth or children pastor” instead of discipleship by parents).  

If parents can’t articulate or live out their faith in their daily Christian Walk, then the parents need to step up to their responsibility.  How often have we seen that responsibility abdicated to the “Youth Pastor” rather than Parents?  Are parents being taught, encouraged, prepared, supported in their efforts to fulfill their responsibility for the discipleship of their children.  I’ve often heard a truism – “Rule without relationship breeds rebellion.”  To what extent is a diminished relationship between parents and their children contributing to the “rebelliousness” we attribute to ‘Teen-ager-hood”. 

In perspective – I recognize that “t the vast majority of youth available to attend church are not being raised in home of their two original parents.”  And I have to recognize that my own children were Spiritually raised by “Youth Pastors” before I “Got Smart”.  Thus, there is a clear and important role for “Youth Pastors”!

 Points to ponder

How can we support our “Youth Pastors” biblically?

How can Youth Pastors or church leadership support the parents’ role,
instead of potentially undermining it?

Let’s recognize the underlying problem is the breakdown of “Biblical Marriage”.

♫  Faith of our fathers!  Holy faith!  We will be true to thee…♫   or  ♫  Jesus loves the little children…♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                     July 23 2024

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com

PS – At a recent Awana Baptist youth program awards presentation I witnessed many Godly men and women leading bus-loads of age grouped children.  Children in those groups were not from their family but they were of God’s family.  Beautiful picture of Saints fulfilling pastoral/parenting roles!

PPS – An opinion worth considering:   “Much the same way welfare state robs people of their self respect.  So does the understanding of the modern idea of the “Youth Pastor”.  Too often their very presence facilitates a natural tendency to be lazy and not step up to the responsibility of “raising up the child in the way he should go”.  If the parent has never taken responsibility for learning to be obedient to Jesus, it is highly unlikely a youth pastor can.  When we help someone with a need, we may be inadvertently absolving the person with the primary responsibility of fulfilling the need.”  Psychologists call that “Enabling”.

Response from Chris Cooper, Youth Pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church:

Joe, great thoughts. Certainly, youth and children’s pastors should not attempt to replace parents and parents should not rely on them for that. We get to teach them for around a grand total of 3-4 hours a week. I see my role as providing another spiritual resource for them and parents, for providing a Godly atmosphere for fellowship and worship, for being a shepherd through a phase of life and really lifelong since I never stop being their youth pastor :)

Response from Jason Buss, Children’s Pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church:

I'm not sure anyone in ministry would consider themselves as trying to usurp the authority or spiritual leadership of the home knowingly or unknowingly. Our role within the body of Christ is to come alongside parents and compliment what they are doing at home. Yes many parents do little to nothing in regards to spiritual leadership and so the only real spiritual influence can be a youth or children's pastor. I see part of my ministry as equipping parents to lead which in turn will strengthen families (one of the 4 main goals of our children's ministry). 

I do agree that many parents abdicate their role to the church but that is not the fault, intention, or desire of the church or those who serve in ministry. I believe that the word undermining, by definition, shouldn't be used because it implies something intent that simply isn't there. The role of children's ministry and youth ministry is simply to come alongside parents and serves as a place for kids and youth to grow in their faith with their peers. It allows for the iron sharpening iron that Soloman talked about. 

I would approach the article from the standpoint of why it is important for parents not to abdicate their biblical responsibility to the church. That is what I have seen all too often. And then when their child makes a poor decision  or has a crisis of faith they blame the church for not preparing their child. The very child that they are biblically responsible to train up. No one in ministry is putting parents down or trying to usurp their authority. 

And biblically we are called to spur one another on, hold one another accountable, confess sins to one another, pray for one another, fellowship with one another, study the word together, etc. These things take place in various forms in the church. Children and Youth Ministries just do that in an age specific way. 

Those are just some quick thoughts

Musing – Truth comes in Forties

 Hebraic Musing – Truth comes in Forties   

(Hebraic Insight #2, originally published Oct.7, 2010)

You may have noticed many references in your bible to ’40 days’ and ’40 years’.  The word ‘forty’ is mentioned 157 times in the NIV.  Why is ‘Forty’ so prevalent and mentioned so often?

‘Truth’ in Hebrew is symbolized by ‘water’ – cleansing, flowing, clean, pure, etc.  And ‘truth’ is revealed as we go through periods of trials, probations, and testings.   The Hebrew letter Mem is a symbol of ‘water’ and therefore represents or symbolizes ‘truth’.   The Hebrew letter Mem has two forms.  The normal Mem is written  m which is open at the bottom, therefore represents ‘truth revealed’ AND its numerical value is 40.

In Hebrew each letter has a numerical value; and letters also serve as numbers by which one counts, etc.

Where is ‘forty’ mentioned in the bible, and how does each use of ‘forty’ represent truth revealed by trials, probations, testings, etc.?

Why is 40 days a significant time period?

1^st mention! – God told Noah… “I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights,” Genesis7:4 NKJV  Thus the first ‘cleansing’ was dramatically revealed – using WATER!!!

Do you see the revealing of truth through trials, probation, and testing in these example passages?

·      Gen. 25:20…Isaac was forty years old… Gen 26:34…When Esau was forty years old…  

·      Joshua 14:7  I (Caleb) was forty years old when Moses … sent me … to explore the land…

·      Exod. 16:35 The Israelites ate manna forty years; …  

·      Num. 13:25  At the end of forty days they (12 Spies or Explorers) returned from exploring the land. 

A concordance search will find even more references to ‘forty’, each with a revelation – Moses, Goliath, Elijah, Ezekiel, etc.   

And, in the Renewed Covenant we find:

• Jesus was empowered for his public ministry of miracles by a 40-day experience in the wilderness.

• The disciples were transformed when Jesus spent 40 days with them after His resurrection.”

In the introduction to The Purpose-Driven Life, Rick Warren explains the scriptural basis for the 40 Days of Purpose Campaign:

“The Bible is clear that God considers 40 days to be a spiritually significant time period.  Whenever God wanted to change someone's perspective and prepare them for His purposes, He often took 40 days:

• Noah’s life was transformed by 40 days of rain.

• Moses’ life was transformed by 40 days on Mount Sinai.

• David's life was transformed by Goliath's 40 days of challenging Israel.

• Elijah was transformed when his strength lasted 40 days on a supernatural meal God provided.

• The entire city of Nineveh was transformed when God gave it 40 days to change.

May we never read or hear the word forty again without reflecting on the Hebraic Insight of the meaning of Mem - Water bringing cleansing, trials, testings and ‘revealed truth’.

Points to ponder

What might happen to us if we were to fast 40 days?!?!

Could we use some cleansing by trials to reveal truths?

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for revealing truths.

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          July 16, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”    Weekly “Hebraic Musings” at   InsightsByYosef.blogspot.com

Musing – God is Love; but what is Love?

 Hebraic Musing – God is Love; but what is Love?

English use of the word “Love” is broad and used too freely without consideration as to what is really meant. The Greek language is known for specificity, and that’s especially true when we look at the seven different but specific words Greeks use to describe what we simply call “Love.”  They would have been shocked to hear us use a single word to whisper “I Love you” over a candlelit meal or to sign an email “lots of love” or to say “I love pizza” or “going to bed to make love”!  BTW – “Love” appears 509x in the NIV with a variety of meanings!  Maybe we should be more specific in our word choice(s)?  Here’s the first four Biblical meanings:

1. Eros, or sexual passion.  The first kind of love was Eros, named after the Greek god of fertility, thus it represents the idea of sexual passion and desire.  This can be a dangerous, fiery, and irrational form of love that could take hold of you and possess you.  That loss of control frightened the Greeks.  That’s odd, losing control is precisely what many people now seek in a relationship.  They want to fall “madly” in love.  Eros in the Bible is what we call romantic love, like the love found in a bride’s profession of passionate love for her husband in Song of Solomon 1:1-2 -- “For your love is more delightful than wine”.   Eros love is the only type of love that when practiced without restraint becomes sin or sexual immorality and idol worship. (1 Corinth.6:18 & Galatians 5:19) 

2. Phileo, or deep friendship.  The second variety of love was Phileo or brotherly friendship, which Greeks valued far more than the sexuality of Eros.  Phileo is the deep brotherly comradely friendship that developed between brothers in arms who had fought side by side on the battlefield.  How much of this comradely love do we have in our lives?  Phileo love is seen in the account of the death of Lazarus when a witness pointed out the depth of Jesus’s love using the word Phileo to exclaim, “See how He loved him!” (John 11:36)  Philadelphia is known as the city of “Brotherly Love.”  We are expected to extend Phileo love for our neighbor.  “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (John 13:35)   Are we really practicing Phileo Love when amassing “friends” on Facebook?

3. Agape, or Love for everyone.  The most radical form of love is Agape the highest form of Christian love.  It’s a selfless love or Unconditional Love we should extend to all people.  C.S.Lewis called it “gift love.”  Do we need to revive our capacity to care about strangers?  Perfect Agape Love is famously described by Paul as “Love is patient, Love is kind…” in 1 Corinth.13:4-8.  It’s the highest and most noble form of love, the love that God has for us.  Jesus demonstrated Agape Love for us on the cross by sacrificing his life for the sins for all mankind.

4. Storge is the Familial Love between family members.  How many examples of familial love are in the Bible?  Examples: Noah and his children, devotion to children, Ruth and Naomi, Jairus for his sick daughter to name just a few.  Some Biblical figures displayed notable absence of Storge Love – Cain’s hatred for and murder of his brother Abel (Genesis 4:1-11); and Joseph’s jealous brothers sold Joseph into slavery (Genesis 37:18-36).

Greeks had three more words for love which God understandably did not use in His Word:

5. Ludus, or playful love.  This form of love concerns the playful affection between children or casual couples; like when flirting, teasing and dancing with strangers; such adult frivolity is frowned on by Biblical morality.

6. Pragma: Enduring Love.  The Greek root word “Pragma” applies to a form of mature, realistic love more commonly found amongst long-established couples.  Pragma is about making compromises to help the relationship work over time by showing patience and tolerance.  Do we expend too much energy on “falling in love” and not enough effort to “stand in love”?  Is there enough effort to give love rather than just receiving it.  About a third of marriages end up in divorce in the first 10 years.  Do we need more Pragma Love?

7. Philautic, or self-love.  Aristotle recognized two types of self-love.  The unhealthy variety is associated with narcissism, self-obsession and a focus on personal fame and fortune.  The healthy version enhances your capacity to love – if you like yourself and feel secure, you will have plenty of love to give others.

Points to ponder

Have you ever said “I love something” when you should have said “I like him, her or it”?

Are we too casual or sloppy when we use the word “Love”?  What word(s) should we use?

♫  And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,…  ♫

Brother Joe   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                        July 9, 2024   (Re-edited from August 24, 2021)
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of Christian Faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Musing - What does Yehovah want from us?

 Hebraic Musing - What does Yehovah want from us?

According to Johanna Hocker,* there are 143 references to our being obedient in the Bible, all translated from the Hebrew word “Shema”.  We usually think of “Shema” translated as hear or listen, but Hebrew words also expect an action or follow-through, which in this case would be obedience.  The well-known use of “Shema” is typically translated as “Hear” in Deut. 6:3-9.   “Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.  4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 

And if you hear Him, then you are expected to … 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (NIV)

This is also the best known Hebrew prayer, prayed at minimum three times a day from Deuteronomy 6:4.  “Sh’ma Israel, Adonai Elohenu, Adonai Echad” or “Hear, O Israel: The L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is one.”  A student assured his Rabbi that he recited the Shema three times a day.  The Rabbi replied disappointedly “You mean you only accept the ‘yoke of His Kingdom’ three times a day?!?!”

Moses first spoke these words because the Israelites were surrounded by the false gods of other nations.  Hmm… Does that sound like our situation today?  As God’s people, we need frequent (or constant) reminders of who we serve and to whom we belong.  Since we too are constantly hearing competing claims from false gods, we too need to constantly affirm our loyalty and devotion to the one true God.

In Deuteronomy 6:3, I hear the Lord telling us to hear Him and listen to Him and obey Him “so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey”.  When are we to be listening?
 - While using my heart, soul, and strength  v5
 - Listening to my heart  v6
 - Talking to my children  v7
 - Talking while sitting at home
 - Walking down the road
 - When lying down
 - When getting up
 - Putting symbols on my hands  v8
 - And symbols on my forehead 
 - Seeing them as symbols on my doorposts, v9

Years ago, I decided to obey v9 by affixing a Mezuzah to the doorposts of our home, which I touch & kiss when I enter the house AND also as I leave the house - going out into the world saying, “Thank you Jesus for your commandments”.

Just as we Americans recite our “Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America”, the Jews say their pledge of allegiance by reciting the Shema three times a day. 

Points to ponder

To whom do we pledge allegiance?  How often?

If we are listening and hearing the LORD, shouldn’t we also be obeying Him?.   

How much time and effort do we expend listening to the Holy Spirit’s guidance?

Does Deut.6:3-9 tells us to be listening and talking about the LORD all the time?

“He who has an ear, let him hear.”  Revelation 13:9 NIV

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                     July 2, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

*  Excerpted from Johanna Hocker’s June 17, 2024 message – “What does Yehovah want from us?”