Disciple of Jesus | Kingdom Zionist đŽđą | Advocating Bible Study with a Jewish Lens | Allied with Israel against Anti-Jewish News & Theology and Antisemitism
Missouri
Joined January 2024
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Whenever we talk on X, please understand all my words are bracketed by "as I currently understand." I don't say it on every post only to save word count.
I'm comfortable knowing that tomorrow, I will understand some things differently.
Paul testified to the Sanhedrin âI am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.â (Acts 23:6)
To insult Pharisees in general is to insult the Apostle Paul. To suggest this was anything other than true testimony given by Paul, who was under oath before the high court, is to accuse him of a grievous and willful sin of false testimony.
Paul never stopped being a Jewish man and a practicing Pharisee.
Most English translations obscure an important detail in 1 Samuel 15:4 that I only stumbled across this morning.
Saul counted his army using lambs.
Most English translations treat Telaim as a place name. However, the Hebrew word means lambs, and Jewish tradition understands the passage to mean that Saul counted his soldiers by having each man take a lamb and then counting the lambs rather than the men themselves.
Compare the Hebrew word for lambs in 1 Samuel 7:9, Isaiah 40:11, and Isaiah 65:25.
Why does this matter? Why would he count the people with lambs, and why would Scripture find it an important detail to preserve for your reading?
Because it introduces a juxtaposition between obedience and disobedience that runs throughout the entire chapter and your life of faith.
According to Scripture, the people of Israel are not to be counted directly. They must be counted through something that represents them. This principle is connected to Jacobâs declaration in Genesis 32:12 that his descendants would become so numerous that they âcannot be counted.â
We see this principle reflected in Godâs instructions to Moses in Exodus 30:12, where a half-shekel is required from each Israelite as the census token, lest a plague come upon the people. Later, when David conducts his census without proper protocol, the consequences include a devastating plague (2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21).
Now return to Saul.
At the beginning of 1 Samuel 15, Saul appears to be carefully observing Godâs instruction. He acts with alacrity when he hears the commands given through Samuel. He gathers his people for war. He prepares them to go to battle against Amalek. He takes care to perform the proper procedure for counting Israel by using lambs as the representative items for a census.
Then the story inverts.
Saul did not destroy Amalek, nor did he destroy the livestock. Obedience was not his primary endeavor.
The man who was careful to observe one commandment was willing to disregard others. Furthermore, when Samuel confronts him, Saul attempts to justify his flagrant disobedience by appealing to his religious intent. The animals, he explains, were preserved for sacrifice to the LORD.
Samuelâs response cuts through the rationalization: âTo obey is better than sacrifice.â (15:22)
The lesson I take from this is deeply personal. Saulâs lambs remind me that it is entirely possible to be scrupulous in one expression of faith while remaining dangerously selective in others.
This is something we all struggle with, Jew and Gentile alike. Itâs apparent on the surface in very common and ubiquitous theology in the Christian church. Itâs apparent at the heart level of each individual as well.
Finding this nugget sent me on a long mental exercise examining my own failings. King Saulâs census of soldiers is a major point we can all dwell on.
Aaron Rich retweeted
If you donât like Zionists, then you are REALLY not gonna like Jesus when He returns.
Aaron Rich retweeted
In the midst of the calamities be like strangers on the earth. Let him that sells be like one who will flee; let him that buys be like one who will lose; let him that does business be like one who will not make a profit, and let him that builds a house be like one who will not live in it; let him that sows be like one who will not reap; so also him that prunes the vines, like one who will not gather the grapes; them that marry, like those who will have no children; and them that do not marry, like those who are widowed. (2 Ezra 16:40â44)
I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:29â31)
Life passes by and all its desires with it. Even the sadness, mourning, sighs, and tears that melted our eyes and embittered our hearts have fled and passed away, never to return. However, the deeds that we have done while still living will always remain, whether good or evil.
â Chaim Yedidiah Pollak (Disicple of Yeshua)
Rabbi Daniel Zion was an amazing man! He remained completely Jewish as a disciple of Yeshua (Jesus) and continued leading his synagogue even when the community knew he was a disciple. He ignored Christians insisting he shouldnât be an observant Jew.
He saved myriads from the death camps of Hitler.
He led many to Israel in Aliyah.
He served his Master well.
The yahrzeit of Rabbi Daniel Zion begins this evening. This heroic chief rabbi of Bulgaria who saved 40,000 Jews in the Holocaust was an ardent disciple of Yeshua. vist.ly/5r4h5
Aaron Rich retweeted
The yahrzeit of Rabbi Daniel Zion begins this evening. This heroic chief rabbi of Bulgaria who saved 40,000 Jews in the Holocaust was an ardent disciple of Yeshua. vist.ly/5r4h5
Paul tells us to earnestly desire the spiritual gifts of God, but especially that we might prophesy.
Iâve heard numerous teachings on this subject, but most often I see disciples of Jesus understanding prophecy as grandiose proclamations from God foretelling future events.
In my reading today in 1 Samuel, I came across a footnote that better conveys what the Jewish-minded Paul was getting at.
The footnote says:
âThe Hebrew word for prophet literally means speaker. A prophet conveys the word of God; a seer foresees the future or directs people to lost or hidden property. The primary prophetic function of teaching and chastising had not yet begun in those days.â
This helps us better understand Paulâs instruction. He is encouraging us to earnestly seek to edify and build up Godâs community through teaching, rebuke, correction, and training in righteousness, the purposes he elsewhere attributes to Scripture.
Paul isnât calling us to aspire to become predictors of future events. He is calling us to earnestly desire the gifts that build up the community of Messiah, especially those that communicate Godâs instruction, bring correction, and strengthen the Body in righteousness. Just like Jesusâ kingdom message or repentance.
Prophecy is not about foretelling the future. It is about speaking the word of God to build up His people.
Something most Christianâs arenât taught. Our obedience to Jesus and *everything* He said isnât an option.
Hearing cheers at your baptism and then returning to your life as usual isnât discipleship.
Discipleship is radical life change - count the cost.
Jesus said, without carrying your cross, you cannot be his disciple. That is, without obeying him, you will not finish the race.
Read this article by @wscofield77 vist.ly/5pvrn
Aaron Rich retweeted
Shabbat shalom! This weekâs Torah portion is Lech Lecha.
HaShem calls Abram to leave his homeland and journey to a land He will show him. Abram obeys, traveling to Canaan. A famine drives him to Egypt, where Sarai is abducted. Returning to Canaan, Abram and Lot separate. Abram rescues Lot and receives the blessing of Melchizedek. HaShem makes a covenant with Abram, promising countless descendants. Abram fathers Ishmael by Hagar. Circumcision (brit milah) becomes the sign of the covenant. Abram becomes Abraham, a father of nations.
Click here for the Bible readings and commentary articles. vist.ly/5pn8n
Read Judges 6:24â27 and tell me whatâs wrong.
I spotted something this morning. Itâs a problem, and not a small one.
At first, I thought I must be misunderstanding the passage or that something was getting lost in translation. Iâve read over it all these years. So I started digging.
Turns out, the sages of Israel noticed the same problem centuries ago!
But hereâs the kicker: I only caught 1/8 of it! The sages identified seven additional issues I had completely overlooked.
Now Iâm curious to see who else catches it. Have you caught it before?
For my fellow Christians, Iâll give you a hint: Keep Acts 15 in mind as you read.
Read carefully. What do you see?
Kristallnacht in our day. By the grace of God not to that level, but synagogues and businesses suddenly get targeted in France.
The apostolic writings continue to speak authoritatively on matters of biblical faith and practice.
For a Christian to suggest, insinuate, or believe that the âNew Testamentâ somehow diminishes, supersedes, or abrogates the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings from which Jesus Himself taught is to undermine the very legitimacy of the apostles writings as Scripture.
If the apostles writings contradict the Scriptures that preceded them, they cannot themselves be Scripture.
If, however, they speak in harmony and concert with the Torah, Prophets, and Writings, they can stand as authoritative Scripture alongside them.
This is not a matter of theological preference or interpretation. It is a standard established in Godâs own law. No Christian theology, doctrinal tradition, or creative misreading of the apostolic writings has the authority to overturn Godâs law. Even Paul didnât have the authority to overturn Gods law.
Deuteronomy 13:1â5. Even a prophet who performs signs and wonders must be rejected if his message leads Godâs people away from the commandments He has already given.
Aaron Rich retweeted
Widespread support of violence. A tower reaching the heavens. The news continues to show startling parallels to the weekly parashah. #noach vist.ly/5njc7
When someone declares something a fact, take a moment to fact-check it yourself. Jesus is, was, and always will be Jewish. And âYeshuaâ was his name long before 1879.
The ancient Syriac Sinaiticus manuscript uses Yeshua in Matthew 1:21. Youâll need to brush up on your Old Syriac reading skills, but Iâll provide a link to the manuscript in the comments.
Since JDâs anti-Jewish rant claimed that calling Jesus âYeshuaâ began in 1879, here are a few more recent historical examples:
1181â1204: Maimonides referred to him as Yeshua ha-Notzri.
1529: Christian Sebastian MĂźnster used the name Yeshua in his writings.
1710: Caspar CalvĂśr published Kevod Yeshua Mashiach (Glory of Yeshua Messiah). (Link and picture below)
Franz Delitzsch was a brilliant scholar, but he certainly didnât invent the name.
Thereâs nothing wrong with calling him Jesus. But throwing a temper tantrum because someone uses his Jewish name, while pretending that name has no historical basis, is simply absurd.
Fun Fact: No Christian was foolish enough to call Jesus "Yeshua" until a Judaizing Hebraist named Franz Delitzsch, of Jewish descent, called him that in 1879 as a supposed evangelism strategy to Jews.
Jesus' name is Greek. The angel gave it in Matthew 1:21. Matthew quotes the original language when the word matters, and no word matters more than Jesus' name. And yet, Matthew says His name is ៸ΡĎοῌĎ.
Not Yeshua.
This is why He's called ៸ΡĎÎżáżŚĎ more than 90 times in the New Testament, and called "Yeshua" exactly zero times. Claiming that it does so because the New Testament is written in Greek does not work - the New Testament preserves Hebrew names most of the time, and when it doesn't, it always explains the original: "Tabitha, that is Dorcas" and "Thomas, called Didymus."
There is no "Jesus, that is, Yeshua." It's just Jesus.
Like half of His disciples, Jesus' name was Greek. The Lexicon of Jewish Names of Antiquity records the names given to Jewish babies in that era, and Jewish parents gave their kids Greek names.
Why? It was Greco-Roman Culture. The Bible of Jesus, the Apostles, and First-century Jews was the Greek Septuagint (LXX). Every New Testament citation from Jesus quotes the LXX. He preferred it, obviously.
Hebrew was dead as a common tongue for hundreds of years. By this point, the Jews had been acclimated to Greek culture for three generations. How many of you are naming your kids in Latin? Few. Because it's dead.
You might have even heard that "Jesus is Greek for Yeshua." No, it isn't. You've been lied to.
First, that implies His name was originally Hebrew, which as you can see above, is incorrect. Second, determining which Hebrew name ៸ΡĎÎżáżŚĎ should translate to is guesswork.
They might as well have pulled Yeshua out of a hat, because aside from Joshua (Yeshua) and Jeshu, Jesus is also translated as Yishwi, Abishua, and Yishwah. If their theory IS correct and Jesus' name is Aramaic or Hebrew, we would have NO IDEA which semitic form it was in, because the Bible doesn't tell us and neither does any written historical record.
So when Delitzsch called Him "Yeshua" in 1879, he might as well have called Him Yishwah. It's all poppycock.
And while the Jews did speak Aramaic (despite reading and speaking Greek), assuming Mary gave Jesus an Aramaic name because they're ethnic Hebrews is like assuming a family whose ancestors are from Mexico that has lived and multiplied inside America for a century must name their kid Juan instead of John. The logic does not follow.
It's called "assimilation" and the God-Man who preferred "the Son of Man" over "King of the Jews" was more than satisfied with a Greek name. And God the Father chose it.
Why was Jesus given a Greek name? Gentiles were THE ENTIRE POINT of Jesus coming. God saving Gentiles, not Jews, was the BIG REVEAL of Scripture.
Ephesians 3:4-6 says, âWhereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.â
So while God did plan to save some Jews, their salvation was not the mystery of God gloriously revealed in the gospel. Rather, it was that Gentiles would become heirs of Christ and partakers in Abraham's promise.
Jesus would come to be known as the Savior of the Gentiles. It's only fitting that Jesus should have a Gentile name. After all, Christ is OUR King.
Within Christianity we have made the soul a rudimentary concept and lost the mystery and awe behind it.
Gen 1:30 says animals have a × ×¤×Š ×××, a living soul. But thatâs only the surface of the mystery. The Jewish people understand 5 levels of the soul and not all are shared traits with animals. (Fascinating stuff to research!)
Whether or not animals have any presence beyond their physical bodies is an open debate and a mystery only God knows. Some ancient commentators believe there is an existence beyond the body, but not all agree. Hope is not lost, the mystery remains.
