God Is Straight Forward

I am sure that most of you at some point has heard it said that G-d works ( or moves) in mysterious ways. Usually this is in reference to something miraculous, good or bad ,that happens that no one was expecting.

I know someone, who shall remain nameless, that was supposed to be on a plane going from Miami to Boston. The car that he was in, heading to the airport, broke down, and he had to get a cab to finish the journey. He was just late enough to the airport that his flight had left without him only a few minutes before and he had to take another flight. The plane that he had been scheduled to be on crashed and all but two people on board were killed, and one of them died a few days later.

Some might suggest G-d moved in a mysterious way to save that man, yet many more died. Were they any less worthy of life? No, I think G-d is much more open and blunt.

I have also heard the term used for the bible,especially the prophets, with people, usually in three piece,expensive, suits and mega churches, trying to suggest that there are hidden meanings or things that can't be understood by someone unless they are a brain surgeon and can dig out all the nuances of the scriptures.

I would say that there are a few things, such as “a wheel within a wheel” in Ezekiel that is kind of hard because the prophet is trying to describe something that is quite beyond his expertise in describing. Or sometimes the descriptive nature of the wording can get confusing,especially when the prophet is writing in such a way that might be more familiar to the listener of his day, but for the most part the scriptures are fairly straight forward and mean exactly what it says, G-d Himself says so.

Isaiah 42:9 “See, the things once predicted have come,And now I foretell new things, Announce to you ere they sprout up.

Isaiah 43:12 “ I alone foretold the triumph And I brought it to pass; I announce it, And no strange G-d was among you. ….”

Isaiah 44:8 “ Do not be frightened , do not be shaken! Have I not from of old predicted to you? I foretold and you are my witness.”

Isaiah 45:19 “I did not speak in secret, At a site in a land of darkness; I did not say to the stock of Jacob. Seek me out in a waste land. I the Lord who foretell reliably, Who announce what is true.

Isaiah 47:10 “I foretell the end from the beginning , And from the start, things that had not occurred...”

Isaiah 48:3, 5-8 “I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.... Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, My images brought them about;my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’ You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today So you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew of them.’ You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ears have not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth.”

One thing that is clear from these passages is that G-d is blunt and speaks right to the truth of the matter. He made it clear to Israel what would happen to them, for good or bad ,going right back to the days of Moses and He did just as he said. There was nothing hidden or mysterious about it.

So with G-d speaking so bluntly, and full filling prophecy just as fore told, why would He now decide hide, what would arguably be the most important of prophecies ever?

Why would he hide His “ plan of salvation” in obscure passages, that most would scan right over or even worse never hear or read in the first place?

By suggesting that it's hidden in obscure passages that can only be understood by those who study the deep mysteries and assign meanings that just aren't there or are taken out of context you are condemning billions to hell and you make G-d out to be a tyrant and a liar. Look at the this verse;

Deuteronomy 30:11-14

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

G-d told them then that His laws and ways were not difficult and, as the passages I shared earlier make clear, He proclaims things though the prophets and they come to pass. Nothing hidden,just straight out truth. Nothing mysterious about it.

In all fairness there is a savior mentioned in these passages but I don't believe that it means what many think it does, but that's a subject for the next post.

Shalom.

G-d is One

At the beginning of my last post I mentioned that there were two themes that were expressed over and over in the area of the servant song chapters. The first is that when the servant is spoken of it is always in reference to Israel. The second theme is that there is only one G-d and this is what I am going to address today.

Like many in the Christian world, I grew up with the idea of the trinity. The triune G-d of the Father , the son , and the holy ghost. Like many others before me, it also didn't make a lot of sense to me. Three parts of G-d separate and distinct yet somehow one all at the same time.

I once tried to explain it like this: I am a father, husband and a Marine. Three different parts of me but still one person. I came to learn however that this analogy doesn't work. Being a Marine I was obligated to do things that separated me from my family. I couldn't be a dad or a husband, I had to focus on being a Marine. If I was acting in the role of husband, I wasn't acting as a Marine or the daddy. In other words I couldn't do all three at once.

Now some might argue that G-d can do all this, be all things at once, if He wishes, and indeed, He could, however there is a problem with that idea. Lets look at Exodus 20:3-5 “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; You shall not bow down to them or serve them.

Given this train of thought, if G-d “created” ( however you care to look at that idea) a son ,to be worshiped, then He in effect broke one of His own laws by making an image of Himself or a likeness there of. So if G-d does not lie, as we have read in Numbers 23, then He wouldn't have created an image of Himself to be Himself on earth and He couldn't have honestly punished Israel for doing the very same thing. A sort of “do as I say not as I do” mentality in other words.

So why would G-d be that particular with the children of Israel ? First G-d is not a man (see Numbers 23:19) He is spirit, but He also knew that the nations around them,especially where they were heading, worshiped that which was created rather then the creator. They themselves created a golden calf as a god while waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain. He knew what was in them.

G-d is One

Deuteronomy 6:4 This is probably the one verse that anyone with any connection to Judaism can recite. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” NKJV

The JPV says “ the Lord alone” meaning “the only one.”

By the time we get to the time of Isaiah the children of Israel had rejected G-d so many times and so deeply that they were starting the punishment that they had been warned about before the death of Moses in the later chapters of Deuteronomy. Yet even then G-d was trying to reach them and tell them that He alone is G-d.

Isaiah 42:8-9 “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not yield My glory to another,nor my renown to idols. See the things predicted have come, And now I foretell new things, Announce to you ere they sprout up.”

Isaiah 43:3 “For I the Lord am your G-d, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Verse 10 “ Before Me

no god was formed, And after Me none shall exist.

Isaiah 44:6 “Thus said the Lord, the King of Israel, Their Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts; I am the first and I am the last, And there is no god but Me.” Verse 8 “ Do not be frightened , do not be shaken! Have I not from of old predicted to you? I foretold and you are my witnesses. Is there any god then but Me? There is no other rock; I know none.

Isaiah 45:5-6 “I am the Lord and there is none else; there is none else. Beside Me there is no god. I engird you, though you have not known Me, So that they may know, from east to west, That there is none but Me. I am the Lord and there is none else.

Israel was punished for a number of things but the worst of them was idolatry.

In my own humble view based on what I have shared with you, and other parts I have studied, there is only one G-d, and He is not divided up into separate pieces, He is alone and is unique. He is G-d of us all.

Shalom

The Servant Song

Today I am going to enter into the section of Isaiah that has been called by some “The servant song.” It is a section where two, very clear messages are relayed. The first is that Israel is the suffering servant mentioned in Isa. 53, and that G-d Himself makes very clear that He alone is G-d and there are no others.

I will start with the “suffering servant” first because so many Christians believe that this is talking about Jesus when in fact, read in context with verses and chapters that come before, it becomes quite clear that it is speaking of Israel.

Most people in the Christian world are only ever taught about chapter 53. They are told that it bears similarities of the things that allegedly happened to Jesus and that this is absolute proof that he is the messiah. Nope.

Let us go to Isaiah 41 which actually starts the “servant song” portion. Verses 8-9.

“But you Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham My friend- You whom I drew from the ends of the earth And called from it's far corners, To whom I said: You are my servant; I chose you I have not rejected you.”

First thing I have to say is that it's quite obvious who the servant is because G-d says it quite plainly, throughout this section. There is nothing hidden, G-d speaks quite plainly. He calls His servant, Jacob, Abraham, Israel and Jeshurun, which I understand to be a nick name of sorts for Jerusalem,but no where does it say that this servant is His son or anything about being the messiah as most Christians have been taught to understand it. In fact go to chapter 42 verse 1.

This is my servant , whom I uphold,My chosen one in whom I delight. I have put My spirit upon him, He shall teach the true way to the nations.

Remember that in the original Hebrew there were no brakes in chapters and verses so this is a continuation of the servant theme. Who is this servant? Israel. So what is it that this servant does? He teaches the “true way to the nations.” What is that true way? The ways of the people of Israel, in other words the laws and instructions of G-d handed to them at Mt. Sinai. See also verse 4.

Other verses:

Isaiah 43:10 My witnesses are you declares the Lord, My servant,whom I have chosen....

Isaiah 44:1-2 But hear , now, O Jacob My servant, Israel whom I have chosen...Fear not My servant Jacob, Jeshurun whom I have chosen,

Isaiah 44:21 Remember theses things, O Jacob For you O Israel, are My servant...

Isaiah 45: 4 For the sake of My servant Jacob, Israel My chosen one...

Isaiah 49: 3 And He said to me, You are My servant, Israel in whom I glory...

Do you see it? The message is quite clear. G-d is saying again and again that Israel is His servant. Now take the next logical step in thought.

What nation, what people, have suffered as much over the last 2000 years as the Jewish people? They have been hunted, tortured and killed. They have lost their homes, their families, and their nation, though they now have a small portion of the original back. They have been slaughtered whole sale by nations that no longer exist and yet some how they are still here despite all attempts to destroy them. Logically it makes no sense unless you look at it from the servant song perspective.

What I find really interesting is the response of the nations when Israel and the Jewish people are finally, openly, redeemed and blessed by G-d once again.

Look at chapter 52:13-15.

These verses lead directly into chapter 53.Verse 13 again speaks of His servant but it's verse 15 that clues you in to what is happening in chapter 53,

Verse 15 “ Just so he shall startle many nations. Kings shall be silenced because of him, for they shall see what has not been told them, Shall behold what they never have heard.”

This leads you to the opening of 53 which is the kings and nations speaking.

Who can believe what we have heard? Upon who has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

As you continue on into the chapter, it's the nations speaking of Israel, in total disbelief and shock.

There are other points to be made in chapter 53 but that will be for another day.

Just understand for now, that the “suffering servant” is not a man or demi god, it is the Jewish people, Israel.

Shalom

Comfort Together

Do you picture G-d as being compassionate? Many, particularly in the Christian world, seem to see G-d as a tyrant. Others like to give long and lengthy sermons on the wrath of G-d and the damnation that awaits your soul if you don't follow their particular brand of religion. I remember hearing a Christian band one time, back when I was still a Christian, spending their half time show, speaking of nothing but the “wrath of G-d” and essentially scaring people into “salvation.”

Truly I don't blame them for their message, after all that's what most Christians are taught, that G-d is a vengeful, wrathful G-d, who will utterly annihilate you for your sin ,without mercy, unless you believe in Jesus. Now I have stated in earlier posts that Jesus is not the messiah, and that the messiah is not coming to forgive anyone's sin, G-d Himself will do that, and he says so. Lets look at Isa. 40:1-2

Isaiah 40:1-2 “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.”

As someone once explained to me Hebrew is very sparse on words. The words as they are translated really convey a series of ideas and over the years some blanks have been filled in with words to give it a more modern understanding.

Just as an example verse one reads something like this: comfort you comfort you people of me he is saying Elohim of you.

What is interesting here is that the word “comfort you” is used twice in a row. Generally if it is repeated in Hebrew is has significance and is sincerely meant. So here you have a compassionate G-d wanting Isaiah to speak the following words as a way to bring them comfort and what is it that he says?

“That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned.”

Israel and Judah sinned greatly against G-d by following other so called “gods” of the nations around them. They were, at that time , in the midst of being scattered and punished, “ she has received from the Lords hand double for all her sins” yet even in the midst of this He has compassion on His people and tells them that they have been forgiven. They had turned their backs on Him and yet He forgives them before they even turn back to Him. No sacrifices, not even a repentance on their collective parts, Yet He forgives them.

Now look at verses 3-5

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Typically, in the Christian world, these verses are used to reference John the Baptist as being the coming of Elijah before the messiah, this is far from the truth. Read it carefully and in context and you just might find something in it that you hadn't read before.

First though, in those days it was quite common for someone of royal blood that was traveling, to have a crew going out ahead of them to smooth out the roads, filling in pot holes and scaring away bandits, so that said individual could travel in safety and relative comfort.

In this context though it is speaking of a much larger and grander event. We are looking at the removal of mountains and the up raising of valleys before G-d Himself arrives, and His glory is going to be seen by everyone TOGETHER. Not individually, not just one nation or religion, but to all of us. Just as He revealed Himself to the entire nation of Israel at MT. Sinai, He will, in the end , reveal Himself to all the world.

So not only is G-d a compassionate G-d, but He promises to show Himself to us all.

Shalom.

The Deaf And The Blind

In keeping with the theme of “In that day” in the time of the Messiah and G-ds kingdom lets look at Isaiah 29:18-20.

In the JPS ( Jewish Publication Society) edition verse 18-20 reads “In that day the deaf shall hear even written words ( another version adds of the scroll) And the eyes of the blind shall see, Even in darkness and obscurity. Then the humble will have increasing joy through the Lord and the neediest of men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. For the tyrant shall be no more, The scoffer will cease to be; and those diligent for evil will be wiped out...

One of the things missing in today's world is a true understanding of G-d's words. Many people don't speak or read Hebrew so they have to rely on faulty translations and, to be quite frank, faulty opinions of so called religious people. It has always amazed me how many times someones translations or their view of G-d often reflects their own personal view. What we are missing, and I know many are looking, and longing for, is a true understanding of Him and His word. I believe that the first part of theses verses is saying that day will come.

“The deaf shall hear even written words” and “the eyes of the blind shall see.”

Have you ever taken a walk in the woods, found a nice spot to sit and just listen? I have,especially during hunting season, and I can tell you that there is nothing any louder then the water in your canteen as it sloshes around when you are trying to be quiet. Then you find a good spot to sit and you settle in and things get very quiet, so quiet that you strain to hear anything, so quiet that a Squirrel sounds like a herd of deer coming through the trees.

This is what I believe is happening to those that are “deaf” in this passage. They are straining to hear the word of G-d and they are rewarded for it.

One time, while I was in Iraq, at the beginning of the war, I had to go out to look for something at about 2am. It was pitch black and there was a sand storm so I literally could see nothing. I waited for a few minutes to let my eyes adjust but still couldn't see much of anything. I was startled by a voice behind me asking if I needed something. I told him what I was looking for and he led me to it. The reason he was able to see was because he had on night vision googles but If I hadn't been looking he would not have asked. Can you see where this fits?

This ,of course, is just my humble opinion and speaking of humble....

Then the humble will have increasing joy through the Lord and the neediest of men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. For the tyrant shall be no more, The scoffer will cease to be; and those diligent for evil will be wiped out...

Who are these humble and neediest of men? I would submit to you that it is those who were once blind and deaf who have sought the word of G-d, and in the finding and hearing, it has brought them great joy. That's you and me because we are looking for and longing for the word of G-d. Plus,as indicated by the end of these verses, the tyrants and the scoffers will be destroyed, one translation going so far as to suggest that they will be no more, they will simply cease to exist.

The deaf will hear and the blind will see. Tyrants and scoffers will be gone. G-d's kingdom will rule. What a time that will be.

Shalom.

A Celebration With G-d

A friend, who is Jewish, once said that the typical Jewish philosophy of life could be summed up this way; “our enemies tried to kill us, G-d saved us, lets eat.” and it is true.

Consider the book of Esther; the feast of Purim came from a mighty deliverance of the Jewish people from their enemies because of the faithfulness to G-d of the queen and her uncle. Today it's celebrated with costumes, lots of adult beverage, games and food.

G-d Himself even ordered the people that when they are celebrating on their feast days that they are to do it with much rejoicing.

Deut.12:7 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you. See also verses 12 and 18 along with chapters 16:11, 26:11 and my personal favorite 14:26 which says; “Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice.”

In the world I grew up in wine and fermented drink were taboo and the idea of “celebrating” or even showing much emotion in a service was frowned upon, so Imagine my first time gathering with a Jewish congregation in Rhode Island and having Vodka and lemonade( after the service) with the Rabbi. It was quite an experience, that's where I started to learn about “rejoicing” and celebrating G-d.

G-d is into celebrations.

Continuing with the theme of the “in those days” and the time of the messiah there is a celebration coming that all of us will participate in and I can guarantee that all will be rejoicing as well.

Isaiah 25:6-9 NIV

6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. 9 In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

This is a celebration of all celebrations, this is telling us that G-d is going to remove the “shroud” from all of us. What is this “shroud”? It is the end of death! All of man kind, since the beginning of time has been cursed with death, but at this feast G-d will destroy death for all time! It gets better though he will even bring back those that have died and remove death from them as well.

Hosea 13:14 JPS

“From Sheol itself I will save them, Redeem them from very Death, Where, O Death, are your plagues?Your pestilence where O Sheol....

Those that have died before us will be returned to life and all death will be removed forever! The curse of death will be gone, all of the children of G-d will have their disgrace removed and all of us will rejoice in the salvation ,from death, by G-d!

G-d likes a celebration!

Shalom.

Israel : The Center Of The World

Israel: The center of the world.

It has been said that if space aliens were to come and visit this world and go to the UN they would discover that Israel, one of the smallest nations in the world, was the center of this world, and the source of all it's problems.

The UN ,on any given day, is condemning Israel for something, usually for defending itself from it's multitude of enemies and terrorists. The fact that no other nation would sit still for continuous attacks is irrelevant and ,in fact, since the rebirth of the nation of Israel 70 years ago, they have been attacked time and again by the surrounding nations who have vowed that they would wipe Israel and the Jews off the map.

There are any number of passages that have the prophets, through the words of G-d, declaring that the nations would abhor and be disgusted by the Jewish people because they were being punished for straying after other gods, yet He also says that “in those days” he will restore Israel, both Judah and Israel, to their former glory and that they would be respected around the world. It doesn't seem possible because we can't even seem to have peace in the middle east. But what if told you that there are passages that show a very different world in the time of the messiah and the establishment of G-ds kingdom?

Isaiah 19:19-25

In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a savior and a mighty one, and He will deliver them. Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. And the Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them.

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians.

In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

The first part of this passage speaks of the time of the messiah “in that day” and how the Egyptians will be saved from a great “oppressor” by G-d and that they will in turn worship the G-d of Israel just as the people of Israel do and the land of Egypt will be healed. Imagine Egypt restored to what it once was.

It is interesting to note that Egypt was the first country to make peace with Israel back in the late 70's, this despite much Arab and Islamic ugliness.

It's the second half of this passage though that really gives me some hope for the future.

It is saying that there will be a road going from Egypt through Israel and into Assyria “ in that day.”

Now some of you might be thinking that it's impossible because the Assyrian empire doesn't exist any more, and you'd be right, however it's not about the name of the nation, it's about the territory involved. That would include Jordan, Syria,Iran, Iraq,Kuwait, Saudi Arabia etc. In other words there will be peace in that neck of the woods once the time of the messiah has come. In some ways it's starting to happen,as some of the Arab nations have started to realize that Israel is not their enemy, so it is entirely possible for this to become a reality in our time.

I know for myself, I want to see that day. The thought of “peace in the middle east” no more war and a universal knowledge of G-d in the world has a great deal of appeal to this old warrior, I hope it is true for you as well.

Shalom