Hebraic Musing – What has Almighty God called you to do?

Over 30 years ago I was challenged to come up with my “Personal Core Purpose” and that launched a study of the “Mission Statements” of highly successful businessmen.  But, as a Christian, my “Personal Core Purpose” had to relate to my service to the Lord and His Kingdom.  There are questions at the end to help you identify your “Personal Core Purpose.”  (When you tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine.)

Successful Churches have a “Mission Statement” in their promo literature.  Here’s a few examples:
•  A Church in Michigan                                 “Where the Word is preached and lives are changed.”
•  A Baptist Church in Rogers, AR                 “ELEVATE”
•  Grace Point Church in Bentonville, AR      “Know God”    “Love People”    “Live Sent”
•  Immanuel Baptist Church in Rogers, AR    “to proclaim the gospel to NW Arkansas  and the World”
       Visually – The big Globe in the lobby identifies the church as the “GoCenter”.
•  New Beginnings Church of Chicago is a nondenominational church, on the South Side of Chicago. -
      "To Turn People from Chicago, America, and World into Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus Christ". 

Ministries are inspired and driven by a stated “Purpose”.  Popular examples:
•  Rick Warren’s best seller,                            “The Purpose Driven Life” 
•  Emerson Eggerichs’                                    “Teach couples about Love and Respect”
•  Sight and Sound Theater in Branson, MO  “Where the Bible Comes Alive”

Our familiar heroes had Purpose, Holy Discontent or Inspirational Dissatisfaction.  Few examples:
•  Moses – in Exodus 2:11-13  “Moses could not stand seeing his people mistreated.   And he took action…”
       Moses hated seeing hostility growing in his own people.  He had to leave; but came back with purpose.
•  Popeye, Olive & Brutus – “When Popeye finally had seen enough harm done to Olive, he would say
       “I can’t stand no more!” He eats spinach; muscles grew and he took action.
•  David, the shepherd boy - heard Goliath trash talking the God of his forefathers and he said
        “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" 1 Sam 17:26
•  Nehemiah                            -- Came back to find the walls broken down and neighbors laughing!
•  Martin Luther King             – “I have a dream”
•  Schindler                             -- “I didn’t do enough…”   In the movie – ‘Schindler’s list’
•  God told Paul                      – “Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” Acts 22:21

Jesus had a “Personal Core Purpose”  -  Luke 4:18
       "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.”

Do you want to identify YOUR “Personal Core Purpose”?         How to find it?
  The questions in the Addendum are designed to help identify your “Personal Core Purpose.

Points to Ponder

What has Jesus called you to do?

What do you want your epitaph to read?

“’For I know the plans I have for you…,’ declares the LORD,” Jeremiah 29:11

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                         February 17, 2026      
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

 

Addendum –
How to find your “Personal Core Purpose”?

 1.. Who have been/are your heroes?
            - What about them was/is heroic?
            - What did you learn from them?
            - In what ways are you heroic?

2. Draw a lifeline that marks your peak experiences; and major disappointments. 
            - Let your mind drift chronologically.    What made these valuable, memorable experiences?

  3. What do you want your epitaph to read?

  4. What is your gift?   Your Passion?
            - What have you always enjoyed doing?       And, what can’t you tolerate?

  5. Create an ideal image of your world; picture key people in your sphere of influence around you.
            - Devise a quote from your friends that describes you.
            - Then place yourself in the center and friends around you.
            - Then devise a quote from each satisfied friend or relationship.

  6. What are you bartering your life for? - _______________

  7. Finish the following sentences
            - I am  _________
            - The thing that has given my life most meaning until now is _________
            - I stand for _________
            - The real source of my inspiration is _________
            - The thing I miss not having gotten out of life thus far is __________

  8. What is your favorite Bible verse?   Examples:
   - Be shepherds of God’s flock…                                         (1 Pet.5:2)
   - As irons sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another       (Pr. 17:7)
   - Dear friends, let us love on another                                  (1 John 4:7)
   - My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge            (Hosea 4:6)
   - Go into all the world and ...   __________                        (Mark 16:15)
   - He sent them out two by two and gave them authority...  (Mark 6:7)
   - I urge you to live a life worthy of your calling…             (Eph. 4:1-2)
   - I will make you fishers of men                                          (Mark 1:17)
   - (What’s your favorite Bible verse?  And why?) - __________________________

10. What do I miss not having gotten out of life so far is. ____

       My Personal Core Purpose is _____________________

           When you tell this to a close friend, will they exclaim “Yep, that’s you!”?

(RSVP – Tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine).

Musing – What were the Rabbinic teaching methods of the Pharisees?

 Hebraic Musing – What were the Rabbinic teaching methods of the Pharisees?

I find it interesting that the four Gospels are each written mainly in one of the four specific Pharisaical teaching styles or methods.  Let’s look for the prevailing teaching method and or layers of meaning(s) in each of the four Gospels?  Does each Gospel message become more meaningful when we recognize the unique status/relationship of each author? 

Matthew is clearly one of the Apostles and he composed in the derash style which “seeks moral and legal lessons, often through similar occurrences in the text by inquiries that seek and look for the comparisons between word usages.”  Commentaries call this midrash in which we often find moralistic tales in parables derived from rabbinical legal rulings based on Pharisaical teachings.  We see this in Chapter 1 describing the genealogy of Jesus justifying His moral and legal standing.

Mark was a companion of Peter, so his Gospel was the first one written and his writing style is called peshat, a “plain or simple, primary level of interpretation of the words and the context.”  Mark starts by recounting the beginning of Jesus’ ministry with John the Baptist’s ministry foretold by the prophets.  “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’” Mark 1:1-3 NIV   We find another example in Mark 14:3-9 tells a simple story of Jesus being anointed by a women with costly perfume and people were being critical.  Jesus is reported as responding in simple direct terms – “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me…” and “She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.”

Luke was a physician and traveling companion of Paul, and thus, interested in healings!  A lot of his teachings were based on Paul’s ministry; in fact, the first two chapters in the book of Acts is a sequel to this Gospel which his also addressed to Theophilus!  Luke’s opening verses acknowledge that his goal “to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us” from eyewitnesses.  His Gospel message is written in remez, a “hinting, allegorical and hidden or symbolic language with deeper insights to suggest hints or metaphors.”  We are expected to find deeper meanings which enable a person with sufficient knowledge of scripture and Rabbinic teachings to understand the intended meaning or interpretation.  For example, he starts with the genealogy of Mary back to Adam to introduce the predicted Messiah.  And in Luke 19:10 - “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” and that fulfilled Ezekiel 34:11-12 – “For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.  As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them…”

John was one of the Apostles, in fact, he was young and is referred to as the “beloved disciple.”  His Gospel is distinct and theological and therefore begins with the sod of sod in which we find “esoteric or mystical meanings that reveal hidden truths through inspiration or revelation.“  We see this in the opening verses – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word… without Him nothing was made that was made…. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” excerpts from John 1:1-5.   Another mystery in vs 14 which says “the Word becoming flesh…”    And John speaks of Light that can’t be comprehended, and with the Word dwelling amongst men!  We might call some of his teachings tantalizingly “mysterious”, especially John 3:16 through 21 where Jesus equates good and evil to light and dark. 

Points to Ponder

How does the differing authorships of each Gospel confirm their validity? (Four eye-witnesses!)

When we read each of the Gospels, does it help to identify the differing teaching styles?

Does each of the Gospels minister to different people groups in differing ways?

Thank you, LORD, for four Gospels, each with their own message and perspective.

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                       February 10, 2026            
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Note – Inspired by “Jesus, the Pharisee Messiah” Chap. 6, by Roy Blizzard III & John Ingle.

 

Also note that the style of the OT is Pardes, a method of biblical interpretation in Judaism, consisting of four distinct layers of meaning.  Pardes is also a cognate of our English word Paradise, Orchard or Garden, a place to glean the fruit of knowledge.

 

 

 

The Pardes writing style refers to a method of biblical interpretation in Judaism, consisting of four distinct layers of meaning:

Peshat (Peshat): The literal or plain meaning of the text, focusing on the straightforward interpretation of the words and context.

Remez (Remez): The allegorical or hidden meaning, where deeper insights are suggested through hints or metaphors.

Derash (Derash): The interpretive layer that seeks moral and legal lessons, often through similar occurrences in the text.

Sod (Sod): The esoteric or mystical meaning, revealing hidden truths through inspiration or revelation.

 

What is the synoptics in the Bible?

AI Overview

In the Bible, "synoptic" refers to the first three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) because they present similar accounts of Jesus' life, often in the same sequence and wording, allowing them to be "seen together" (from the Greek synopsis) for comparison, unlike the Gospel of John, which has a different focus and style. The term comes from Greek words meaning "to see together," reflecting their shared perspective and content, with scholars believing Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source. 

Key aspects of Synoptic Gospels: 

• Matthew, Mark, Luke: 

These are the three Synoptic Gospels. 

• Shared Content: 

They cover many of the same stories, events, and parables of Jesus' ministry. 

• Similar Structure: 

The events are often presented in a similar order, making them easy to compare side-by-side. 

• Origin of the Term: 

"Synoptic" comes from Greek synopsis, meaning "seeing together" or "general view". 

• Contrast with John: 

The Gospel of John is distinct, offering a different perspective, timeline, and largely unique material. 

• Literary Relationship: 

Their similarities suggest a literary connection, with most scholars believing Matthew and Luke drew from the Gospel of Mark, which was likely written first. 

Musing – How do we know that Jesus was a Pharisee?

 Hebraic Musing – How do we know that Jesus was a Pharisee?

And how do we know He was not a Sadducee, Essene, or one of the other sects?  Let’s look at the four styles of Pharisaical teachings.  The Pharisees understood their Biblical mandate was to urge parents to teach their children in the ways of YHWH.  “These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess,  so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.” Deut. 6:1-3 NIV and stressed “on your hearts… talk about… sitting… walking…lying down… getting up… tie symbols, etc.”   And we know Jesus was keeping that basic family-oriented command as He taught and mingled.  This was an educational mandate to ensure righteousness from Pharisees’ leadership.  And Jesus was born into a Pharisee family!

The Pharisees were quite different from the Sadducees in belief and in practice.  The Sadducees accepted only the first five books of the Bible; and they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, angelic beings, Satan/demons, prophecy or a messiah.  The Sadducees only believed that proper observance of Temple Rites can impart righteousness!  Isn’t that like our “Sunday go to meeting Christians”?  Observance of the Temple rites was all they thought they needed to be considered righteous, blameless before God.  They had no afterlife as a reward, so money and political power became their focus in life; and possession of those things was considered evidence of being favored y God.  And the Sadducees had no messianic views or perspective because their only messiah would be a national on because they could not see any possibility of defeating Rome!  Isn’t this like the politicians and others today who claim to be Christians but not doing what Jesus taught?

Pharisees, by contrast, felt observance of the traditions of the fathers to be important.  And thus, they tended to have “fence” laws to avoid breaking the traditions and temple rules.  Mark 7:2 is a classic example – “Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.”

In the first century, Pharisees were the authority on matters of Scripture interpretation and doctrine; Sadducee priests were focused on Temple matters.  Meanwhile, the Pharisees were more eclectic, popular, and more democratic.

Another perspective, in the Sanhedrim, the Sadducees were the aristocratic monarchists; most were political appointees of Rome!  Apostle Paul knew these significant differences and he used them to his advantage in Acts 23:6-7 – “But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, ‘Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!’ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.” And the Commander had to take over!

There are many examples of Jesus correcting the Pharisees around Him, but if we read carefully, we see that He was condemning their actions and not their personage.  It is a very typical Rabbinic style only used by the Pharisees.  Jesus was not concerned about the general teachings of the Pharisees, but only their prioritizing traditions over the priority of Scripture.

Points to Ponder

Jesus quoted nothing from the Sadducees, Essenes or any other group, just the Pharisees!

Was Jesus in favor of Home Schooling?

BTW – In which group was the apostle, Paul?
Acts 23:6 “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee”

The Sadducees did not believe in an afterlife, that is why the Sadducees were “sad you see”. (>:

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                       February 3, 2026            
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Note – Inspired by “Jesus, the Pharisee Messiah” Chap. 3, by Blizzard III & John Ingle.