Hebraic Perspectives and the Gospel, part 18.
Updated: Nov 12, 2021
In order not to gum up this site, I am including only my better posts on a day-to-day basis. Not everyone is going to like my penchant for "wringing that thing" until it bleeds, I mean until it reveals the macro seeds of truth so to speak. I am reading the third book by Brad Young on Jewish Perspective, and this one is entitled, The Parables, Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation. I figure that reading his four main books will put me in EXPERT category as to my own entitling here or entitling in general, or whatevers. In any case he said that parables for the Jew gives ‘handles’ on God’s own nature. And here he defines ‘nature’ not as the ontology of YHWH (as wayward philosophers will do and did during the Christological controversies), but as…God’s characteristics. This brought up a thought about Dispensationalism in general. Why would God have DIFFERENT Covenants for different generations of Israel (ideal) if His nature never changes? Thus even the simplistic covenant to Adam would have eventually lead to the Integral Core. The Shema: to love this Character and characteristic (the adjectivizing comes by Text and wisdom) God with all of our heart soul and might. That is…if Adam was growing in his faith from that original Command not to eat of the Tree of Good and Evil. Remember, it was not his own faith that was accomplished. And…his PUNISHMENT was a further hindrance TO FAITH from that point forward, when he sinned, even for us all. Thus my view: his faith also would have lead to Shema, to love his God with all. And my pet Deut 30 verse must be repeated, since it is the Key to Understanding. 6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. For a pentecostal, this verse is not in the mainstream recalled. We (they) will go to other ones in order to get their ducks in a row: Jer 31: 31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. A few years after Jeremiah, Ezekiel said it much the same way: 23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Is it by accident Jesus refers to himself as…the Son of Man, when God refers to EZEKIEL with the same title 93 times? What is this connection but the LINK to the MESSIANIC PROPHESIES of said man? Both were beloved, and given the Word of their Maker. Jesus however was the PRODUCT and SUBJECT of said Prophetic Thread. That which we must get a HANDLE on. And…with the Deuteronomy passage in mind, now do we connect all things? Note THE MESSIAH is also vacant in the Jeremiah passage AND the Ezekiel passage above. AND the Deuteronomy passage as well. But…only BY MESSIAH does all things come together. So too for pentecostals, only by FAITH IN JESUS does the Spirit come and indwell us. Is that right? And…is my original contention that God does NOT change, but has the same CHARACTER from start to finish throughout the ages…true? Here googling has some merit. Googled, the (top 13) verses which say God does not change: https://everydayservant.com/top-13-bible-verses-god-never-changes/ 1)Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
WHOOPS. Nix this one, although it does reflect Jesus’ own state of…SUBORDINATED divinity. 2) Malachi 3:6
“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
3) James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. WOW, “Father of Lights.” This is a proof-text imo regarding the Spirit having different modes or even men of righteousness inhabiting Spirit in some way shape or form, i.e. Jesus to us, and Elijah to John the Baptist. 4) Numbers 23:19
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
5) Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
Uh, this one is not exactly depicting YHWH never changes. Nixxit. 6) Psalm 102:25-27
Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.
If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
8) Isaiah 40:28
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
Um…a stretch. Nixxit. Nixon lives. 9) Psalm 119:89
Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.
Nixxit AGAIN. Trin-doc is pervasive. Although it is true that if God's spoken forth Word does not change, this is a valid reflection of...God Himself. 10) Psalm 33:11
The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
DITTO. Counsel, Word. The difference in JEWISH VIEW is that the Word is dominantly what YHWH SPEAKS FORTH. This created our universe, but also comprises the commands to us, also informing us of God’s Intent and…nature. See Memra, Jewish Encyclopedia. 11) Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Uh okay… 12) Psalm 119:90
Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
Shows a direct link to GOD’s faithfulness to us. Thus the word FAITHFUL in the Jewish sense is highlighted and reinforced once again. Faith, Jewish Sense: Love. 13) Jn 3:16. Nuh. 14) 1 Timothy 1:17
To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Rrrupp. This is a reference to God the Father and not…Jesus. BUT, guess what? My Shema THEORY holds true by the mind of Paul here:
Same chapter:
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
Replace CHARITY with the agape love of God, which REFLECTS the great and faithful love of the UNCHANGING GOD, and what have we here? Shema?
What I have said about the First Command of our Faith still holds true and is again and again REINFORCED by the Text. Shema is the OUTLINE of our faith, and New Covenant, and the UNITY of our love.