Tag Archives: Yeshua

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?

 

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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Did Yeshua Heal Everyone All The Time?

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Luke 5:17, The power [Gr. dumanis] of YHVH was present.

Let’s explore the healing activities of Yeshua. The Greek word dunamis means “strength, power, ability” or as often used in the Testimony of Yeshua, “miraculous power.” This is an interesting statement pertaining to the dynamics of Yeshua’s healing activities. Did Yeshua heal all people all the time, or only when the power of Elohim was present for him to do so? This verse, at least in this case, would indicate the latter. Elsewhere, we read that Yeshua “healed many that were sick” (Mark 1:34), but not all that were sick. On other occasions, the Gospel record implies that Yeshua did in fact heal all the sick who were brought to him (Matt 4:23–25; 9:35).

The Gospels reveal some other interesting facts about Yeshua’s healing activities that we often pass over. On at least one occasion, Yeshua prayed to heal someone and they were only partially healed. After he prayed for them the second time, they were completely healed (Mark 8:22–25). Often Yeshua healed people after he was “moved with compassion [love and pity]” for someone who was sick (Matt 14:14; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13–15). The Greek word for compassion, literally means “to be moved in one’s bowels,” or in the deepest areas of one’s emotions. Some people simply touched Yeshua’s clothing as he was walking by, and the miraculous power (Gr. dunamis) of Elohim flowed from him and healed them (Matt 9:20; Mark 6:56; Luke 8:44).

Elsewhere, it appears that Yeshua’s healing activities were hampered by the presence of those who ridiculed him and exhibited doubt and unbelief, which is why, on one occasion, he put the unbelievers out of the room and closed the door when he raised the little girl from the dead (Mark 5:40–42). Similarly, in his hometown of Nazereth, Yeshua “could do no mighty works there” except for healing a few sick people, “because of their [the townspeople’s] unbelief” (Mark 6:5–6; also Matt 13:58). Matthew’s account adds that the people of Nazareth were offended (literally, scandalized, stumbled over, judged unfavorably, distrusted) by Yeshua. Because of their low esteem for him, they lacked the faith to receive healing, which is why he healed so few people in that town.

What can we learn from the example of Yeshua about healing the sick? Do you have some personal experiences that would correlate with what we read in the Gospels about Yeshua’s healing activities?

 

On Shiloh, Donkeys, the Vine, the Blood of Grapes and the Messiah

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Genesis 49:10–12, The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

This passage is a clear reference to the Messiah and the Messianic Age (the time when Messiah would come) and has been so recognized by the Jewish sages from time immemorial (ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash, p. 279). “The general consensus (with few exceptions) of Rabbinic interpretation is that this phrase [Until Shiloh arrives] refers to the coming of the Messiah …” (ArtScroll Bereishis/Genesis Torah Commentary, Vol. 1b, p. 2152). In fact, Onkelos [a second-century scholar who translated the Torah (Pentateuch) into Aramaic] in his Aramaic version of the Torah translates this version as follows: “Until the Messiah comes, to whom the kingdom belongs” (Ibid.). Rashi (b. 1040 and recognized by Jewish scholars as probably the preeminent Torah commentator of the modern era) “concurs and similarly comments: Until the King Messiah will come…, to whom the kingdom belongs. According to the Midrash, shiloh is a composite of the Hebrew words shi  and lo meaning “a gift to him” — a reference to King Messiah to whom all peoples will bring gifts. See Isaiah 18:7; Psalms 76:12” (Ibid. p. 2153). It should not be difficult to see the fulfillment of this rabbinic understanding in the magi’s giving of gifts to the young child Yeshua (Matt 2:11).

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“Not Far” from the Kingdom Vs. “Not in” the Kingdom

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Mark 12:34, You are not far from the kingdom. Yeshua makes this complimentary statement to the scribe who had correctly and succinctly summarized the message of the Torah (both its letter and spirit intent) in verses 32–33.

However, note that Yeshua didn’t say, “You are in the kingdom of Elohim (i.e., you have eternal life).”

What was the one thing that kept the scribe from being in the kingdom? It was doubtless the same thing that kept the rich young ruler from obtaining the eternal life that he sought (Matt 19:16). After having obeyed the Torah the best he could, the young ruler still needed to surrender all to Yeshua the Messiah, and to follow him unreservedly (Matt 19:18–22).

Not only is it difficult for humans to surrender all to the Master, and then to follow him wherever he leads, but having followed the Torah the best we can, we must still humbly recognize that without the righteousness of Yeshua in the equation, our best efforts at Torah-obedience will still miss the mark of YHVH Elohim’s acceptable standard of righteousness, thus leaving us maybe not far from the kingdom, but definitely not in the kingdom of Elohim.

 

“Hosanna in the Highest”: You know the words, now what’s the meaning?

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Mark 11:10, Hosanna in the highest. The simple Hebrew phrase hoshana rabbah has more depth and spiritual significance than first meets the eye. Let’s explore it.

First of all, it was this phrase—hosanna in the highest—(Heb. hoshana rabbah) that the crowds of Jews exclaimed as Yeshua entered Jerusalem riding a colt in Matthew 21:9 (also Mark 11:9; Luke 19:38). This event has become known as Yeshua’s “Triumphal Entry.”

Hoshana rabbah, in part, derives from Psalm 118:25, a psalm that is called the Great Hallel (Heb. meaning “praise”), and was the climax of a series of psalms that the priests would proclaim or sing from the temple in Jerusalem on various feast days including the Feast of Tabernacles.

Psalm 118 is a prophetic psalm, which speaks of the coming Messiah who was the hope of the Israelite people. The words of this psalm prophetically point to Yeshua the Messiah in every way. That’s why the crowds proclaimed “hoshana in the highest, ” at Yeshua’s entry into Jerusalem, for upon him, they had pinned their highest hopes of a Messianic figure who would deliverer them from their oppressors (in this case, the Romans).

The actual Hebrew words in Psalm 118:25 are ana YHVH hoshiah na, which can be translated as “I beg you YHVH save now,” (Green’s Interlinear), “Save now, I pray, O YHVH” (KJV), or “O [YHVH], please save us!” (ArtScroll Stone Edition Tanach).

The phrase “Hosanna in the highest” was an added exclamation of the people, and is not a quote from the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanakh). In Hebrew it would be hoshiana rabbah or hoshana rabbah, which, according to Jewish tradition, is the name of the seventh or last day of the fall biblical Feast of Tabernacles (or Sukkot).

It was on this “last great day” of the Feast that the joyous water pouring ceremony occurred, and when the Jews prayed to receive rain from heaven to water their crops including the latter (spring) rains and the former (fall) rains. In the arid region of the land of Israel, rain was received as a gift and a favorable blessing from heaven, since it meant that the crops would flourish and famine would be averted.

Prophetically, the rains of Hoshana Rabbah speak of a time when during the Millennium (of which Sukkot is a symbolic picture) YHVH will pour out the rain of his Spirit (along with his Torah and his glory) upon the world, thus spiritually cleansing and refreshing mankind resulting in a great harvest of souls into the kingdom of heaven.

Similarly, it was on Hoshana Rabbah (“the last day of the feast,” John 7:37–39) that Yeshua encouraged his followers to come to him as the spiritual River of Life. This would result in the dry ground of their spiritual lives being quenched, and in their becoming a river of life like him resulting in abundant spiritual fruits of salvation of lost souls coming to Yeshua (i.e., the regathering of the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matt 10:6; 15:24).

This phrase hoshana rabbah can also mean, “save us O great one,” since the Hebrew word rabbah can mean “great one.” The term rabbi (the title for a Jewish Bible teacher) originates from this word. Rabbi literally means, “my great one,” which is why Yeshua forbad his disciples (and us) from taking this word as an ecclesiastical title for themselves, or from calling someone else by that title (Matt 23:8). This is title that should be reserved only for Yeshua himself (Matt 23:10)!

Hoshana rabbah in its fullest sense means “I pray, I beseech thee to open wide, free, succor, deliver,help, preserve, rescue, bring salvation, bring victory, save greatly, in abundance, increasingly, or please deliver us Great One.”

 

Pick Up Your Cross??

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Mark 8:34, What does it mean to “pick up our cross and to follow Yeshua/Jesus”? Over the years, like you, I’ve heard many interpretations as to what, in practical terms, Yeshua meant here.

What insights from the verses surrounding this passage can we gain that will help us to understand what Yeshua was trying to convey to us by his statement?