Revisiting the Shemitah Judgment

The completion of the Shemitah has occurred without too much of a disruption.  I have not published a post for some time due to other obligations but wanted to post on this subject. 


Various notable events in history have occurred during the Shemitah.  It has been proposed by some that a major judgment occurs during this year. In a post, that I posted last year I suggested judgment may occur during this year because of a lack understanding and misapplying its purpose.  Perhaps judgment was held off this last year because of considering the seventh year of debt release.  Perhaps several congregations have dropped their unscriptural teaching of the continual annual tithing and repented. Perhaps some creditors became soft on insisting debts to be paid.  I am sure that things like this did occur.  Wouldn't it be possible that a discipline to occur on me if I held a debt over a brother in a Shemitah year?  Perhaps by some with understanding repented and held off a major judgment. Something to think about.


And by the way there was something major that did occur, the stock market averages incurred a significant drop of 9.75% in the last three months of the Shemitah.

Why Not Pray in Joshua's name then?

I know that I may be getting technical here but humor me if you are one of the slim few that happen to visit this blog. I have a question.   Why is that English speaking people do not use the name, Joshua, when praying to Jesus?  Just follow me on this,  the typical argument in this is that perhaps I am being too technical in this endeavor and request but if this is the case then I would have asked why we don't pray in the Hebrew name of Christ, Yeshua, that is. To go on a bit further, you don't hear Spanish speaking people saying Jesus but rather the name that is closer to the Latin form for Jesus.  So again,  why do English speaking people don't use the English form of Jesus, Joshua, and instead use the Greek form.  I will close this post on a final note on this and I think that this may please those who read this post.  The meaning of His name means, "salvation" and that although I do pray to Him addressed in Greek at times, I do use at times use the Hebrew form. Above all, Jesus saves.

The Marathon of Life

As the Apostle Paul engages in explaining discipling concerning Hebraic things to Greeks, he brings up what I believe is the most beautiful segue into a matter relevance for them.  As a marathon was a major celebration for the Greeks to watch and be a part of, Paul uses this analogy of the marathon to provide a platform to live out the Christian life.  As the course of this life can be long so is a marathon.  Also, the use of the marathon designates the idea of getting into motion not a static position.  It also designates an idea for a runner to carefully pace themselves so as to not ware out to quickly and to give careful prudence to the course of action that they need to take in order to finish strong.  I have to admit that in being deeply enriched of the Hebraic Roots movement, I must not lose sight of life's marathon and to give careful consideration course I need to take in ministry and life in that grace Christ gives for motion and running it out.


The illustration of the marathon is one of motion where the rewards on at the end not during the present course of a race.  It avoids the inclination of seeking any type of celebrity status presently,  Also, as the writer of Hebrews also points out about the cloud of witnesses where the runner is to remember of those who have gone before and have finished the race by faith. There is such inspiration in doing this during the difficult times of life's marathon.   The link to the video below illustrates this well. 

Concerning Christ on Planks and Splinters, It's Not Quite What You See

Something to consider when Jesus makes the statement on judging "the splinter in a bother's eye and ignoring the plank in our own eye."  The illustration is not quite what may a Calvinist maybe actually observing concerning one's own depravity and needs some clarification.  In considering the passage, Jesus does not use dirt or mud indicating that this is about personal sins or uncleanliness. He does not use any type of illustration of examining innate personal sins before examining a brother's sins. Actually, by a careful examination of illustration, the lesson is in about examining a brother's contribution toward another brother's sins.  To make the point further, ever get a splinter in your hand?  You have to brush up against another piece of wood or plank.   They don't casually occur.  


As Christ constantly clarifies matters concerning the Torah, he makes the point clear concerning Torah as well, "be careful in judging a brother's behavior, when you may actually contributed in this."  To paraphrase, if one examines the source in their own life then they will be able to clear up the matter.  Furthermore, it does not mean that in ALL situations the source is you either.  Jesus constantly dealt with Torah matters to bring clarity.  There was no eradication or only two laws governing Christians.   For examine, I can't declare that just because I am hard with myself that I can be hard in expectations toward others.  I need to examine my demeanor that may have provoked the matter.

The Apocrypha and the Hobbit

In watching the last of the Hobbit trilogy last night and reading about a book about the Maccabees story and what Hanukkah was about I was struck by the thought as to why more Christians don't read the Apocrypha and the story behind the Hanukkah.  It is quit an amazing story,  Then in the spirit of thinking about how much C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien has influenced the Christian faith, I am left with the question as to why some Christians will belittle the other stories of the Apocrypha as not needing to be read along with the Bible.  Some will fervently say, "They are not part of the Canon, don't you know!" I am not say that such works as The Song of the Tree Children and The Story of Bel and the Dragon are anywhere on equal terms with the Torah but there is something to be said about good stories and their purposes.  Good stories inspire and reminds its readers definition of right and wrong and to develop solid moral reasoning,  It is the reason as to why I believe Judah, the brother of Jesus uses a quote from Enoch as well in his letter to the assemblies.  It was to underline a point made in the letter. 
If you have never read at least The Maccabees in The Apocrypha please due so...

Rambam's musings on Tithing

The Mishneh Torah is a code of Jewish religious law (Halakha) authored by Maimonides, or otherwise known as Rambam), a notable Rabbi of Judaism in the Middle Ages about the time of Thomas Aquinas.  I wanted to post this section of the Mishneh by Rambam.  Notice what he writes in the Teramot section of the Mishneh about tithing, that is that it is primarily connected to the land of Israel. 

 

Halacha 1

According to Scriptural Law, [the obligation to separate] the terumot1 and the tithes2 applies only in Eretz Yisrael.3[It applies] whether the Temple is standing or not.4 The prophets ordained that these obligations should be observed in Babylon as well, because it is adjacent to Eretz Yisrael and the majority of the Jewish people journey to and from there.5 The Sages of the early generations6 ordained that they also be observed in the lands of Egypt and the lands of Ammon and Moab, because they are on the peripheries of Eretz Yisrael.

 

Yes there is a reason why Hebrew Roots of the faith is important to understand. If someone tries to apply Galatians 1 & 2 to a Christian that is left the true Gospel for another then he does not understand Galatians at all.  Galatians was about a heresy in true conversion of the faith and never does not teach an abrogation of the tutor (the Torah).  Also, when one is strict to the teachings of the Torah they will apply them correct as it relates to the Gentile assemblies.  If a pastor teaching tithing especially THIS YEAR not only is he misapplying passages like Malachi 3, the pastor is misapplying the principles in tithing AS STATED IN THE TORAH.  Not only is there an issue of timing but also there is also by Rambam's instructions a geographic consideration to take into account with instructions on tithing.  By analysis of Rambam's teaching, this teaching on tithing is clearly associated with the land of Israel. 

Would Adolf Really Have Wanted the Ark?

I was thinking earlier this morning that if a Gentile fails to recognizes the types and shadows of the Torah they run the risk of becoming anti-Semitic and become a proud tree branch which Paul warns about in Romans 9.   As I was about to post the video below, I was reminded of the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark where the plot line was the Nazi quest for the Ark of the Covenant.   The irony of the movie is most likely when one examines the history of Nazi party and Adolf Hitler there was an actual despising of Jewish things not an admiration, for Hitler gave speeches often in front of a pagan altar of Zeus at the Berlin museum that was transported from Turkey in the late 1800's.