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. 

Kristallnacht

While some Christians may regard November 1^st as one of the greatest events in Christian by Martin Luther, they may forget that November 10^th will go down as the worst day for Martin Luther.  This was the day that he was born and a day regarded highly among Lutherans that is until the Socialist Party in Germany took over.   For it was on the night of Martin Luther’s birthday, November 9-10, 1938,    191 synagogues throughout Germany were set on fire, and 76 were completely destroyed. 815 Jewish-owned shops were demolished, 29 warehouses and 171 homes were set on fire or likewise destroyed.

On that night, which has become infamously known as Kristallnacht (“Night of the Broken Glass”), more than 30,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps, and 36 Jews were murdered. It was also a Shemitah year. 

So why was that day chosen?  It was in one of the very last publications of Martin Luther that he wrote a book on advice for leaders on how to handle Jews.  One thing of which was to burn their assemblies.  Needless to say was that Luther was not at all nice in how to treat Jews in what he wrote and so much that the Lutheran priests would bury his papers in the archives of the Lutheran church until when “higher criticism” liberalism took over in the late 1800’s.

Luther was so well versed on Paul’s doctrine of justification early in the campaign with Catholics and won so much of the approval of the magistrates of Germany that he left his legal reasoning behind.  Eric Gritsch notes in his book on Luther’s last book that it was against his better judgment. 

It serves to remind all ministers alike, to take heed to the ninth commandment on bearing a false testimony against thy neighbor and also that indeed Jesus earnestly contended not only for the lost sheep in Israel but also sought to provide true light to the handlers of the Torah in hopes that they may too understand the intentions of the Torah for Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees that did come to faith by the persistence of Christ.  What is one thing to learn about Luther’s demise is how his attitude to German comforts began to affect and cloud his better judgment.  The other thing is to be careful what you may write it and make sure it is fruitful in Spirit. 

Torah Readngs in the Early Church

I remember when I was reading the classic Greek myths as a young man and noted how the Greeks as contributed so many great ideas about democracy and through men like Socrates and Plato, that the question arose in my mind, "How is it that such a culture would worship many god and build altars to them?"  I think that often when we have these sincere questions in the back of our mind that God does answer these questions eventually and even under unusual circumstances.  But also the other question of late is, "What did the walk of repentance look like to the Greeks?"  Here is the crucial thing to remember when reading about the ministry of the apostles:  All of them were Jewish. 


One thing to consider in our Darwinist post-modern culture is that most of the Greeks did regard the advent of Creation as an event not a naturalistic process.  In fact most all pagan cultures do have some sort of flood myth. Even the Hopi Indians in Arizona being as far as they are from the Middle East have a flood legend in terms of creation.  What else is amazing is that as cultures are closer to the Ararat Mountain region that the stories are more in line with the story in the Torah.  So here is Paul and the apostles sharing about Christ to the pagan culture around them and they have received the message.  What are the weekend messages that they are hearing after conversion?  Simply the Torah readings are still kept going but know with the emphasis upon how it relates to Christ and their salvation experience.  The Creation story is being told in Genesis, the covenant to Abraham and his children, and then wilderness journey of the Israelites to the promise land is being told on every Sabbath (Acts 15:21).   The audience would connect to the story and also the apostles would relate how it also to that the promise land connects to the Kingdom of Heaven.


Somehow this point is missed when one reads Acts 15:21.  The council of Jerusalem is discussing requirements onto Gentiles coming to faith and what repentance looks like.  They also mentioned that the "the Law of Moses (the Torah) has been proclaimed in every city from the inception of the mission and is being read among the assemblies every Sabbath." Now you may say isn't that Judaizing to do this?  Really and truly the issue of actual Judaizing mentioned in Galatians had nothing to do with being Hebraic, actually it dealt with conversion of believers.  The council of Jerusalem is clearing matters that occurred in Galatians as Galatians was the earliest letter of the apostle Paul.  The Greeks would hear the Creation account and be encouraged in their walk with Christ.   They also would understand how the various cultures went astray.  Now obviously other matters were discussed and taught and the message was not limited to the Torah but the Sabbath readings were indeed preserved and even most likely connected to Christ.  I wonder if todays assemblies were to try a Sabbath services and taught this way how much more the Jews could be reached in a community.  The divide between Jews and Evangelicals is vast in the American landscape as both strongly identify mostly with political parties that are in opposition to each other.  Overwhelmingly over 75% Jews identify with the Democrat party as the majority of Evangelicals identify with the Republican party.  The divide is indeed vast and perhaps there needs to be more of Hebraic nature of Christianity better communicated to the Jewish people. Later tonight will be the beginnings of the advent of Kristallnacht an event that occurred 76 years ago which was the beginnings of the Holocaust in Germany in 1938. More will be posted on this in the next post.

Last nights post

When a person goes to bed thinking about certain Bible verses, they may find out that the LORD will confirm or clarify things in their sleep.  As I woke up the LORD led me to post this as I was still thinking of the Shemitah.  Here was impression that was laid on my heart.  The churches in America really need to wake up to God's instruction, theTorah, and understand how it applies to them and not misteach them,  No more teaching that it somehow has been abrogated while still firmly holding onto the understanding the foundation of God's grace in the scope of His salvation. Legalism is basically conversion by the flesh but to disregard His Torah is to disregard His instruction.   Here is one thing to remember and it will make all thing clear. When Paul wrote Timothy about "How all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, correction" there were no Gospels that had been fully written out and published quit yet to the churches.  So Paul was regarding the Torah, the Psalms, and the Prophets when he stated that to Timothy. 

Here is something to note and perhaps this can clarify matters.  Under the Orthodox teaching of Jews, they do regard that only about 313 laws apply to Jewish communities outside of the land of Israel because the rest of the Torah can only be applied while living in the land and with a Temple standing. 

So the question I have is how come some preachers are preaching Malachi 3:10 as a way to rebuke the devour?   This did not happen in 2008 did it? But yet I do know of a very prominent Baptist minister that did actually state in a sermon in the year following that such a collapse was due to people not tithing. 

Somehow I still hold out hope and change.  Revival is desperately needed and insight to truly understand your Scriptures, LORD.  This blogger prays for true change.

I end this post from a very popular rock song as it is raining outside today. 

And we both know hearts can change

And it's hard to hold a candle

In the cold November rain......Axl Rose

The Shemitah Mystery May Not Be So Mysterious

I was pondering over Cahn’s book, The Mystery of the Shemitah, recently, and it hit me, “Why are seminary students coming out of seminary preaching tithing and failing to note about how it connects to the Jewish Calendar. Russell Kelly states on his site on a poll taken about 10-12 years ago where about 3 out of 4 Southern Baptist ministers believed in tithing to the church directly (please note this trend may have changed).   Yet these staffed minister didn't follow the Jewish Calendar nor a requirement for Saturday Sabbath.   I had a Messianic friend of mine when I asked about ministers requirement on storehouse tithing and he asked those following questions to me like if the ministers advocates following the Sabbath, Passover, and the Calendar.  Here is the problem with tithing,  to teach it an assembly would have to follow the Calendar as well.  I am not saying a designation of a tenth is bad thing at all during this year.  But it is not at all a biblical command during this year. But I left with some thoughts on this.


Will over the next tenth months churches will have to tighten the budget because no biblical requirement for tithing exists?  I would not think that would be necessary.  Really and truly what concerns God in the time of the Shemitah is the releasing of financial burdens and debt.  Helping your local assembly would be such an act of carrying burdens.  Here is the thing and something to think about if you are Christian banker and still demanding debt this year wouldn't it make sense to release those burdens debtor somehow rather than worrying on tithing.  During the last Shemitah in 2008, banks and financial markets suffered.  That type of judgment during the Shemitah is not really a mystery if you really think about it.  I really don't think it about not tithing this year but rather. "What are you doing this year to help your neighbor to release them from debt and financial problems?"