Category Archives: Scripture

Scripture Studies

Elisha: the Non-Profit Prophet

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2 Kings 5:5, Ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing. According to the NIV Study Bible, this equates to 750 lbs. of silver and 150 lbs. of gold. By comparison, King Omri of Israel paid only two talents of silver for the hill of Samaria upon which he built the capital of his kingdom (1 Kgs 16:24).

In today’s market, that is $360,000 in silver (at $30 per ounce), and $4,080,000 in gold (at $1700 per ounce).

This raises two questions: First, what will a person pay to have good health? This is something that sometimes all the money in the world cannot purchase. If you are healthy, how thankful are you for it?

Second, how many ministers or ministries in the church are there who would turn down a $4.5 million charitable donation if YHVH said to do so? Would you?

Maybe such a heart of obedience and such ambivalence to wealth and materialism is what contributed to the prophet Elisha having such a powerful prophetic and healing anointing in the first place. What can we learn from this if we are seeking to be used of YHVH in a greater capacity in the ministry?

 

The Age of Accountability—a Second Chance?

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Exodus 30:14, From twenty years old and above. This passage gives us the first indication that the Torah viewed the age of accountability to be 20 years old (see also Num 1:3,18,20; 26:2). That is to say, those who died prior to age 20 were not held eternally accountable for their sins, and presumably might be given a second chance to live out their lives at some later date, although there is no clear scriptural reference to confirm this notion.

The idea that YHVH held one accountable for their sins after the age of twenty is supported by the fact that all Israelites over age of 20 (with the notable exceptions of Caleb and Joshua) died in the wilderness prior to entering the Promised Land because of sins they had committed during their wilderness journey, while those under age 20 were allowed into the land, presumably because YHVH considered them to be guilt free (Num 14:29; 32:11).

If 20 is the age of accountability, then this begs the obvious question: What will happen to those who died before age 20?

It is generally accepted by many in the church that babies or young children who have died before having had a chance to “accept Yeshua” will be given a second chance to do so. But what about those who died “unsaved” prior to age 20? Some have speculated that they may be resurrected at some time in the future and be allowed to live out their lives during the Millennium (see Isa 65:17–20).

Perhaps the reason Satan will be released at the end of the Millennium from the pit where he was held captive will be to give all those living on the earth at that time (including those who died under the age of accountability) a chance to accept or reject Yeshua. YHVH will use the devil to test the loyalties of this new crop of potential saints (Rev 20:7–10). Those who remain faithful will inherit eternal life, while those whom Satan seduces into rebellion will have their part in the second death (Rev 20:11–15).

Care to add your speculations to this discussion?

 

Blog Scripture Readings for 2/26–3/2/12

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Exodus 7–14; 1 Kings 15–22; 2 Kings 1–6; and Luke 13–19

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages.

If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those comments. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.

 

Swimming Upstream

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In Luke 14, Yeshua teaches the virtue of taking the lowly place at a wedding feast, and the priority that should be given to the outcasts and rejects of society (verses 7–14).

Then in the Parable of the Great Supper (verses 15–24), Yeshua shows how the rejected and outcasts make it into the great supper over those who are attached to their materialistic pursuits.

Perhaps these passages are best summed up by the following statement:

YHVH acknowledges as guests in his kingdom only those who acknowledge their own poverty.

Selah. Please pause and reflect on this.

In our modern world (including in much of the church world as well!) where riches, material possessions, physical beauty, outward appearance, sex appeal, head knowledge, power, influence and physical talent are idolized, do you find it hard to focus on, much less embrace, the iconoclastic values that Yeshua promotes in his teachings? For him less is more, you have to die to live, give everything away to become rich, go low in order to be elevated to a position of status, and serve in order to lead.

I see Yeshua’s teachings as revolutionary and against societal currents in every way. Aren’t they as radical now as they were then?

How are we as disciples of our Master Yeshua to swim upstream successfully against the swift current of secular society whose values are so antithetical to those of Yeshua?

 

Personal Prophecy or Fortune Telling?

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1 Kings 14:1–17, Here the evil King Jeroboam who had turned his back on Elohim when he introduced idolatry into the northern kingdom of Israel, in his time of personal need, sought a word from the prophet of Elohim. He wondered whether his sick son, his only heir, would recover or not. He sent gifts via his wife to the prophet Ahijah hoping to “purchase” a word from the LORD. Instead, Ahijah pronounced judgment upon the child and upon Jeroboam.

We see a similar situation in 2 Kings 8:7–9 where the wicked king of Syria attempted to hire Elisha the prophet for money to find out whether he would recover from his illness or not. Instead, the man of Elohim pronounced judgment on the king.

Finally, Saul, sought to hire the prophet Samuel to give him a word regarding his lost donkeys (1 Sam 9:6–9). Saul’s penchant to divine the future remained unabated, for later in his life he sought to consult Samuel via the witch of Endor in an effort to know his future fate (1 Sam 28:7). Again judgment was pronounced on Saul.

What do these examples all have in common? Individuals were seeking to know the future by those they deemed to have prophetic capabilities. Does the Bible condone this practice? From the examples cited, it would seem not. This is not to denigrate in any way the true role of the biblical prophet. However, the biblical norm is that the prophet of Elohim came to you with a word; you didn’t go to him seeking a word—or to divine your future. And no money was ever exchanged!

In certain areas within the church, prophets and prophecy have became a fad. Many “prophets” have almost a cult following. Many of these “prophets” profit handsomely as they peddle prophetic words and personal prophecies. The problem is that these “prophets” are hard-pressed to find biblical examples to justify their activities. For many of them, it seems that their subjective experiences determines what they believe, teach and practice rather than the objective truth as recorded in Elohim’s Word.

Would you care to open this can of worms and share your insights and experiences in the area of “personal prophecy” and your experiences with church “prophets”?

 

The Burning Bush, Yeshua and You

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In Exodus 13:21 we read,

“And YHVH went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.”

Then in Exodus 14:19 it is written,

“And the angel of Elohim, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them.”

Who is this “Angel” of Elohim (elsewhere he is called “the Angel” of YHVH)? Angel is an unfortunate translation. The Hebrew word for angel is malak/מלאך and simply means “a heavenly or a human messenger.” Prophetically this word can refer to human messengers such as the one coming in the spirit of Elijah prior to Messiah’s coming, as well as to the Messiah himself (as in “the Messenger/Malak of the covenant” in Malachi 3:1). In Genesis 32:22–30 Jacob wrestles with a man Scripture identifies as the Malak of YHVH (Hosea 12:3–5) and whom Jacob called Elohim (verse 30). This same Individual redeemed Jacob (Gen 48:18) and is identified with the Malak of Elohim … the Elohim of Bethel (31:11 and 13) and appeared to Moses at the burning bush (Exod 3:2). Now he is leading Israel in the wilderness. Again who is he? Stephen in Acts 7:37–39 identifies the Messiah (i.e. “that Prophet” Moses mentioned in Deut 18:15) with the “Angel” or Heavenly Messenger that spoke to the children of Israel from Mount Sinai and who gave them the “living oracles,” who the Israelites later rejected for pagan gods. Paul elsewhere said of that same Personage that the Israelites did “all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Messiah” (1 Cor 10:4).

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A Popular Subject with Yeshua—Not So With the Church

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Luke 8:10, The mysteries of the kingdom. The Greek word for mystery is musterion meaning “hidden thing, secret, mystery; religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to ordinary mortals; a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding.”

Of the some 136 subjects recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and John pertaining to the life and words of Yeshua, there are 144 verses dedicated to Yeshua speaking about the kingdom of Elohim (or heaven). In fact, it was the fourth subject he talked most about (after himself, his Father and the hypocritical religionists of his day). In the four Gospels, there are 109 direct references to the kingdom of Elohim (or heaven).

This being so, why do we not hear much about this subject in churches? What is the kingdom of God/Elohim (or heaven)? What are the mysteries of the kingdom? Matthew 4:23 characterizes the message Yeshua preached as “the gospel (good news) of the kingdom.” Just prior to this (verse 17), we read that Yeshua preached saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Again, is this message preached in the church? If not, why not?