Musing – How many times did God test Abram’s faith?

How many times did God test Abram’s faith before giving him a character from His own name, changing Abram’s name to Abraham?  This list of 10 tests is supported by familiar Bible passages:

1.      God tells Abram to leave his homeland to become a stranger in the land of Canaan.

2.      Immediately after his arrival in the Promised Land Abram encounters a famine.

3.      Egyptians take beloved wife Sarai, and bring her to Pharaoh.

4.      Abram faces incredible odds in the battle of the four and five kings.

5.      Abram lays with Hagar after not being able to have children with Sarai.

Note – Abram is 99 years old and God renews His covenant and give Abram an “H” and renames him Abraham.  See Hebraic Insight #20 reprinted below to understand the significance of the name changing in Genesis 17.  

But the testing continues…

6.      God tells Abraham to circumcise himself – at the age of 99!

7.      Abraham argues with God about Sodom and Gomorrah and rescues Lot’s family.

8.      Abimelech, king of Gerar captures Sarah, intending to take her for himself.

9.      God tells Abraham to send Hagar away after having a child with her.

10.  Hagar and Abraham’s son, Ishmael, have to be sent away.

11.  God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, upon an altar.

Thank you Lord for not testing me this much!  But On-the-other-hand, I heard that God only tests those He loves. 

Point to ponder

Has God tested us to this degree?

Did Abraham earn the title “Father of Faith”?

Consider the covenental significance of giving someone a part of your name?
Are you called a “Christ”ian?

Shalom y’all                                                                                        November 24, 2015   

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,   Author:                       

“Hebraic Insights”  “Biblical_Marriage” “Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
“Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament” Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   www.InsightsByYosef.com

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Insight #20 from: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of Christian faith” 
            by Yosef  March 2015   (Requires Hebrew font capability to fully appreciate)

20. Ha Shem (the Name) Yeshua
Or  Why is His name to be lifted up?    On the cross?

The special name of God is to be revered and is thus unpronounceable:

Yod Hei Vav Hei in Hebrew, h w h y (ßHebrew reads R to L)

We have heard it pronounced Yahweh or Jehovah.  The powerful symbolism says God’s hand, God’s breath, secured by, God’s breath. This name of God is so sacred that Jews refuse to pronounce it for fear of violating the third commandment. But then:

In Gen. 17:5 God gave Abram part of His name, an H, to become Abraham.
            (minus) Hei (breath of God)—h

In Gen.17:15 He gave Saria part of His name, the other H, to become Sarah.
            (minus) Hei (breath of God)—h

That left God with Yod ___ Vav ___    or   _ w _ y (ßR to L)

But man needed to have the original sin dealt with. The original sin was seeing and consuming from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So God took man’s sin into His name by replacing the missing letters with letters that represent the original sin.

·         Seeing the fruit with knowledge of good and evil.
       So He added to His name Ayin (eye, see, know)—u

·        Consuming from the tree of good and evil.
       (plus) Shin (teeth, consume)—v

Thus God’s name became Yeshua:
          Yod Shin Vav Ayin   or   u w v y (ßR to L)
which means salvation (in Greek “Jesus”).

Yod Shin Vav Ayin or the name Yeshua (Jesus) symbolically means God’s hand,   consuming teeth,   securing nail,   seeing knowledge.

Is this what it means to “pray in His name”?

Another thought, is this possibly what Yeshua meant when He said in Matt. 5:38 “You have heard that it was said,
            “Eye for an eye,  (Ayin (eye, see, know)  u ))   and a  tooth for a tooth (Shin (teeth, consume)  v )” ?

Points to Ponder

Consider the covenantal significance of giving someone a part of your name?

Are you called a “Christ”ian?

Musing - What might happen if we do not take the bypass?

Hebraic Musing - What might happen if we do not take the bypass?

Chapter 4 in John’s book describes a strange choice by Jesus that occurred right after John the Baptist testified about Jesus' identity.  Why did Jesus ignore the bypass and go through Samaria?  Was it because He was in a hurry, or was he on a memorable mission to talk to the Samaritan woman?

The word "bypass" often refers to a highway around the heavy traffic of a city, which is busy because of people, sights, cultures, churches, schools, historical attractions, etc.  So we take the bypass because we are in a hurry. Why are we always in a hurry?  Who gives us time?  Jesus bypassed the bypass because "Now he had to go through Samaria." John 4.4.  Maybe we should do what Jesus would do and talk to a Samaritan woman.  Notice that he developed a relationship by approaching, listening and letting her ask questions.

A little background will help us to appreciate the deep schism between the Jews (Southerners) and the Samaritans (Northerners). Note that these differences are not unlike differences we experience with "other people groups" in our daily walk, e.g. our continuing “civil war.”  Who are the Samaritans?

Because of their imperfect adherence to Judaism and their partly pagan ancestry, the Samaritans were despised by ordinary Jews. Rather than contaminate themselves by passing through Samaritan territory, Jews who were traveling from Judea to Galilee or vice versa would cross over the river Jordan, bypass Samaria by going through Transjordan, and cross over the river again as they neared their destination. The Samaritans also harbored antipathy toward the Jews (Lk 9:52-53).  

That the Samaritans were separated from and looked down upon by the Jews makes them important in the New Testament. Jesus indicated a new attitude must be taken toward the Samaritans when he passed through their towns instead of crossing the Jordan to avoid them (Jn 4:4-5).  He spoke with a Samaritan woman, contrary to Jewish custom (Jn 4:9).  He said a time would come when worshiping in Jerusalem or on Mount Gerazim would not be important (Jn 4:21-24). When asked whom to regard as our neighbor, Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan precisely because Samaritans were despised.

Source - Catholics.com  (I realize some may stumble over the message in this musing because I cite a Catholic source.  I could not bypass it.  It was the clearest statement found in the Google search.)

Do we find ourselves taking a bypass so as to avoid meeting and having to deal with  people of different dress styles, skin colors, languages, education, criminal pasts, body art, drinking habits, socio-economic status or (worst of all) denominations or belief differences?  They too are created by and loved by Almighty God.

Point to ponder

What Would Jesus Do?
Would He take a bypass and miss an opportunity?

P.S.  Years ago there were two young ladies in our church who attended every service but observed from a seat in the foyer.  I don’t think they felt welcome because of their wildly colored hair styles and enough body metal to fail a metal detector scan. 

One Sunday after completing ushering duties, I invited them to come and sit in our pew and be a part of our family.  They accepted, enjoyed and made new friends.  Shortly thereafter, we moved to Europe for three years.  When we returned those two ladies were in leadership roles in the church.

Shalom y’all                                                                                        November 17, 2015   

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,   Author:                       

“Hebraic Insights”  “Biblical_Marriage” “Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
“Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament” Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   www.InsightsByYosef.com

Musing – What kind of Christian are they?

Hebraic Musing – What kind of Christian are they?

Retail stores have procedures in place to identify counterfeit money, especially $100 bills. If you are caught trying to cash a counterfeit bill, the consequences could go well beyond losing the face value of the bill, like a day or more in jail.  Yeshua’s ministry frequently dealt with identifying the counterfeit-ness of the Sadducees and Pharisees.   So, with my tongue half in cheek, let’s ponder these questions which might be used to identify counterfeit Christians:

1.)    They feel guiltier about missing church than about hurting a neighbor?  As we stumble imperfectly through life it is so easy to offend, gossip about or take advantage of a “neighbor” in our daily walk.  Does God value attendance more than His people?

2.)    They find believing in the Bible to be more important than believing in Jesus?  It is easy to enjoy the competitive spirit of Bible study and forget to worship the main character!  Why did Jesus have to pleadingly remind people in John 39-40 (red letters)  “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”  NIV

3.)    They try to see how close they can get to sin without actually sinning?  Actually, if they have to ask that question, have they already sinned?  Hmmm…  Why don’t they ask how they can come closer to God?

4.)    Why do some Christians believe it is okay to hold a grudge against someone if he or she hurt them badly enough?  Aren’t we glad Yeshua HaMashiach doesn’t feel that way!!!

5.)    Some Christians believe that real Christians would never engage real sinners?  I am sure glad Yeshua was willing to go the house of Matthew, that horrible tax collector. And that He came to my house!!!

6.)    They believe God exists in a building, not in a group of people?  We know better because we’ve been taught that the “Church” is the people, not a building.  Yet how many times have we seen Christians having difficulty taking Sunday into Monday?   They’ve left God in the building.

7.)    (My favorite)  Too many Christians think maturity is about how much they know, rather than what they do?  I spent a few years in the agricultural business and we had a definition for “mature” as it applies to fruit and vegetables – “Mature means over-ripe and almost rotten.”  Jesus doesn’t want His people to “Sit, soak and sour.”

Yeshua did not come to earth, to preach, and be crucified in order that His people might study the Bible.  Study of His Word is important; but I wish the counterfeit Christians would not bypass the purpose of His coming – Love your neighbor and go into the world to…     

Do these points fit Yeshua’s answer in Mark 12:29-31?  He was asked  “Which is the most important (commandment)?”   "The most important one is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.   Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'  The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Musings like this I wind up preaching to me.   

Point to Ponder

At the end of Mark’s book He reminded us of something
we should have learned in kindergarten – “Sharing.”

Shalom y’all                                                                                        November 10, 2015   

Musing – Which of the Ten Commandments is the most important?

Hebraic Musing – Which of the Ten Commandments is the most important?

Three recent thoughts converged to raise this question. 

First, I heard of a survey asking “Assuming the cost of living remained the same in both scenarios, which would you prefer (a) To earn $100,000 while everyone else around you made $50,000, or (b) to earn $200,000 while those around you made $400,000?”  Logic would say that earning twice as much makes the most sense; however most people chose the second option!  Why?  Have we succumbed to the appeal of materialistic advertising feeding our own prideful nature?  Do we have a culture of covetousness in violation of the 10^th commandment?

My second thought reflected on the January 2013 musing which asked “Do you have Enough?  Or do you have Everything?”  That musing referenced the two similar, but interestingly different, statements from Jacob and Esau when they offered gifts to each other. 

·      Esau’s response was “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself” implying that he has plenty, therefore he has enough.  

·      Jacob’s response was “Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” implying “I am satisfied and have everything I could ever need”.

We concluded that having enough implies that I am satisfied for now but leaves room for wanting more at some later date to feed our covetous nature.  Whereas, having everything is living a life of satisfaction, freeing us from the need and desire to covet.

So, could we consider the 10^th commandment concerning coveting to be the most important commandment as it is the underlying cause of breaking the other commandments?

Third “on the other hand”, is the first commandment as numbered by the Jews the most important?  “I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you lived as slaves.”  Deut. 5:6 CJB

Could it be that covetousness triggers the breaking of each of the other commandments? 

Just cogitating?

Point to Ponder

Do you have Enough?     Or do you have Everything?

Even more important, do you really feel that you have everything?

So which is more important – commandment #10 or #1?

Wishing you everything and Shalom                                                              November 3, 2015     

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,   Author:                                                            

“Hebraic Insights”  “Biblical_Marriage” “Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
“Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament” Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   www.InsightsByYosef.com