Into the Nations

Genesis 47:28-50:26, Vayechi, “And He Lived”

Moving into this week’s reading I am in a place of swimming in the depths of a perceived “understanding” that has helped me reconcile some questions that have been nagging at me for some time.  These questions are relative to traditional theology and the conflicts these theologies create in regard to what God “said” to and through Moses and how things operated within the context of the Mosaic Covenant.  The timing of these new perceived “understandings” fit perfectly into this week’s readings so, let’s dive in.

The challenge that sits before me is how to present this in a way that is streamlined, with continuity, not totally overwhelming, and makes sense.  The challenge is that the “questions” that led me to this ultimate understanding each pose their own struggle against traditional theology.  The image I have seen is that of taking a physical trip to Key West.  In an effort to get to Key West we must cross a series of bridges.  Ultimately, there is one final bridge that gets us from the second to last island to our final destination.  For me, I am feeling as if I have arrived at “Key West” although I know deep within this is still just another island along the way.  Regardless, this is how deeply this perceived “understanding” has rocked me and my view of the New Testament scriptures.  I will warn you; this is a long blog and you may want to break it up into a few readings.

So, let’s get started.  A few days ago, I was sharing this with my mom.  Because she has no attachment to, and only limited knowledge of, traditional theology, it was reasonably easy for her to follow along.  As such, we were able to take a boat ride from Miami to Key West without crossing over any bridges.  We simply set sail and landed on the beach where we spent some time basking in the sun.  The more attached people are to traditional theology the more time must be spent in crossing these bridges that ultimately lead us to where we are going.  I pray that I have found good balance in that regard.

In the context of this week’s readings, we can relate to the destination as Key West in that it isn’t exactly the physical destination that any follower of Christ should want to land except under the specific direction of the Lord for some work or purpose that He specifically has for us there.  This is a direct parallel to what we have been discussing in regard to the lives of Israel and his children as they were led through Joseph into Egypt where a purpose of “preserving life” ultimately became the enslavement of their future generations which God ultimately, in His amazing sovereignty, used for the purposes of “creating a nation”.

With all this considered, let’s look at some of the questions that led me to this perceived “understanding” that I find so monumental.  Each of these questions provided the foundation of the “bridges” that must be crossed in our journey to “Key West”, so let’s see where we go and how many of us are willing to travel this journey with me.  As you go through these you may find some that REALLY lead you into questioning if I have moved off into some heretical belief system that misses what Yeshua did for us on the cross or what He accomplished when He defeated sin and death and rose from the dead.  If your mind starts to go in these directions, trust me in how I am representing myself in your view of me; Nothing could be further from the truth!!

Here are the questions:

• What is the difference between a Gentile of the New Covenant and an “alien or foreigner who sojourns amongst you” in the Mosaic Covenant?
• If “aliens and foreigners” were welcomed into the “commonwealth” of Israel under the Mosaic Covenant, why do “gentiles” need the work of Yeshua on the cross for the same?
• If God expected the “aliens and foreigners” who sojourned amongst the people of Israel to honor Torah because it is “our wisdom” and “life”, why would He change that under the New Covenant?
• If God saw the Mosaic Covenant as “easy” and that He “should not have to send someone down from heaven or raise anyone from the dead” (from Deuteronomy 30) for the people to follow it, why do we believe that He had to do that very thing in Yeshua?  This is further emphasized when we consider that in Romans 9 & 10 Paul ties this scripture form Deuteronomy 30 to Yeshua.  He points out that the issue was that his brothers (The Jewish people) approached the Torah by works not Faith, and ties the “person” of Deuteronomy 30 to “Yeshuah” making it doctrine that God said, “I should not have to send Yeshua down from heaven or raise Him from the dead”.
• In Deuteronomy 30, what was God saying “should be easy, and in your mouth”?  Is it honoring Torah to the “T”, or walking in it in Spiritual relationship with Him, seeing the grace (Yeshua) in it, and leading the nations to His ways (wisdom and life) and to Him as outlined in what I would describe as the “first great commission” as revealed in Deuteronomy 4?
• If I am right in what I am proposing in the above, and the relationship between man and God, as outlined in the Mosaic Covenant, was complete and shouldn’t have needed the work of Yeshua coming down from heaven or being raised from the dead, why did God do it?  The theology of the Mosaic covenant foreshadowing or pointing to the work of Yeshua can’t exist in the light of Deuteronomy 30 and Romans 9 & 10.  So, what does Torah “foreshadow” and as such “point toward”?  Could it be “Yeshua” as He existed at the right hand of the father for all of eternity prior to His time on earth?  Could it be that this is the same Yeshua who He is at the right hand of the father right now?  In other words, could it be that both exist in the same context relative to the man/God relationship across both covenants?  Could it be that the first, prior to His coming, and the second, since His return, remain ultimately identical relative to who He is and His nature in what both the Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant are foreshadowing and pointing toward?  Him!!
• And, if this is true, for Jews who walk in Torah in relationship with Yeshua in the same form of faith as believers do, how does Yeshua’s work on the cross change that relationship?

There are a lot more questions, and a few more minor bridges that I had to cross to come to where I am, but these are enough to get us onto the same page.  Again, I can imagine that some of you are beginning to wonder if I am about to lead us down a road of heresy.  I assure you that I am not. 

So, to that point, let me answer the last question first.  Simply put, there is no way for anyone to honor the Mosaic Covenant and a relationship with Yeshua (at the right hand of the father) as outlined in Torah since the destruction of the Temple without accepting what Yeshua did on the cross.  The Mosaic Covenant requires sacrifices performed by priests to maintain the “man/mediator/God” relationship outlined in Torah.  As such, without accepting Yeshua’s work on the cross and His role as High Priest, there simply is no way to honor the Mosaic Covenant as outlined in Torah.  There is a lot more to it, but in its simplicity, Torah observance without Yeshua simply is not possible for the past 2,000 years.

From here, let me answer the first question.  Yes, there is a difference between a “Gentile” and an “alien or foreigner” in that the “aliens and foreigners” were people who were living amongst the nation of Israel and who were living in harmony with Torah.  Over time they had the opportunity to graft themselves into the nation through the circumcision of the man of the house at which point the family became “just like the natives” (Exodus 12:48).  “Gentles” on the other hand are people who are not only not blood relatives of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, but they are also people who are not living in harmony with Torah.  The interaction of the Nation of Israel with this group of people is not clearly defined within the context of the Mosaic Covenant.

I am going to take another minute to share a few more explanations before I come to the final conclusion of where I am going with this.  The first is to explain where I stand on the statement that God said that Torah “is easy and in your mouth” and that He said that we should be able to walk in it without His sending Yeshua down from heaven or raising Him from the dead.  I kind of reconcile this to a father handing the keys of the family car to his 5-year-old son.  Granted, some 5-year-old kids might be able to drive the car, but very few.  I kind of see those few as those summarized in Hebrews 11, those who approached the promises of God by faith.  When it comes to the “Time of the Gentiles” (the last 2,000 years) I see something very similar.  Yeshua said “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).  It is true, if we approach this relationship with Him by faith and not works, it is “easy and in our mouths” just like God said through Moses relative to Torah.  Sadly, the vast majority of the Christian world is stuck in a helpless battle of behavior modification.  Ultimately, just as God “shouldn’t” have had to send Yeshua the first time, He “shouldn’t” have to send Him the second.  At the same time, as a cumulative people, this would be like a father giving a thirteen-year-old the car keys along with the owner manual and the state’s driving regulations.  Some thirteen-year-old kids would read the manual, study the driving regulations and pull off driving with no problem.  But the reality is, most wouldn’t.  The point is, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit along with the Word of God can only help us navigate this world if we remain in relationship with them.  Even such, we are still limited by our flesh and all fall short of the glory of God.  Ultimately God will use all this in His final making of “a nation” and do what He “shouldn’t” have to as he continues to provide mercy instead of justice.

So, with all this said, here is the perceived “understanding” that I am proposing.  What I am seeing is that God, in His wisdom and understanding of what He was about to do, provided us with a way to walk in Torah outside the land.  In other words, the New Testament writings and what God did through Yeshua on the cross was all provided beforehand so that His people would be able to, and know how to fulfill, the commission of Deuteronomy 4 (leading the world to His ways and Him) from within the “nations” instead of from within the “nation”.  I am proposing that He put all this into motion prior to the destruction of the temple and the spreading out of the nation across the world.  In other words, He provided the instruments and all the instructions for walking out Torah in the nations even before sending us out into the nations knowing beforehand what He was about to do!!!!!  From what I am seeing, this is foundationally why we needed the New Covenant and the New Testament writings. 

What hit me is that, Torah (the Mosaic Covenant) is fully based on the nation being “in the nation”.  As such, the people who are not of “the nation” would be the minority living amongst the majority.  Walking in obedience to Torah would be what would be naturally expected for all the people.  This is very similar to what we expect when other people come to live in this country.  When they do, we expect them to learn English, right? 

With this thought in mind, consider that when God gave us Yeshua, it was already in His plan to disperse the Nation of Israel across the face of the earth.  We (as a natural seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) were about to have no access to the temple, no access to the priesthood, and no opportunity for annual sacrifices.  At the same time, we would be the minority.  We were about to become the aliens and the foreigners living amongst other people, in their lands, and in the atmosphere of their laws, and cultural traditions.  With this frame of reference, it is easy to understand that it would simply be unrealistic to expect all the nations to instantly come into Torah observance just because He sent His people to go live amongst them.  With this in mind, what I am seeing is that it was critical to re-establish Torah observance without re-defining it.

If we accept that Torah observance always had Yeshua at the center and has always been a faith-based covenant, we can then conclude that that allowing Yeshua to be a one-time sacrifice and a replacement for the High Priest provides the opportunity for Torah compliance during this dispensation (the last 2,000 years).  The only major exception to this would be in the laws surrounding how people who are not descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are to come into the fold (the commonwealth of Israel). 

What I came to see is that, Torah only provides instruction on this for those who have been living amongst the people of Israel, who have been walking in Torah observance, and who have taken on the mark of the covenant (circumcision).  These prerequisites are simply not realistic expectations when “the nation” is living “amongst the nations”.  As such, through the New Covenant and writings of the New Testament, God added a section to Torah that had previously not existed.  This section could be labeled “how to graft the nations who you are living amongst into the commonwealth of Israel without Torah compliance as a prerequisite”.  For the most part, how I see it, is that in nearly every other respect, things remain as they forever have always been.  Life is still life, death is still death, holy is still holy, unholy is still unholy.  Clean is still clean, and unclean is still unclean.  God doesn’t change and I don’t believe He changes the definitions of these things.  I believe God still desires the world to come to a Spirit led understanding of what He defines these things to be, to see this as “our wisdom”, and to walk with Him in faith as He grows us into His image.

With this understanding, let’s move back into the context of Joseph, Israel, and the people of God.  As noted in last week’s summary, God sent Joseph to Egypt to preserve life.  As I continued down this path it came to me that God distributed “His people” across the face of the earth for the very same reason.  Isn’t it through us that God is bringing “life” to the rest of the world?  When I first started pondering this, I missed that point. Then it hit me, it isn’t about us.  It is about them.  When we make it about us, we tend to miss our purpose in being in the world and what we see as blessings for us, ultimately enslave us.

For this I am going to take us back to the thirteen-year-old with the car keys, the vehicle manual, and the state’s driving regulations.  Just like most kids in this situation who wouldn’t read the instruction manual or the driving regulations and simply jump behind the wheel and give it a go, we too tend to do the same with the Word and the Holy Spirit relative to life.  This is the same thing we see in the lives of the biblical characters.

In this week’s readings we find Israel knowing where he belongs but unable to simply go there.  We see Joseph doing the same.  Both knew they belonged in the promised land, both wanted to be there in their deaths, but neither had the strength to pick up the family and go while they were still alive.  What was keeping them bound to Egypt?  Why couldn’t they just leave?  As far as we know it was nothing more than their flesh.  They knew where they belonged but they just couldn’t get up and go.  In David’s blessing of Solomon, we see David at his death bed telling Solomon to do what he had not been able to do.  Throughout Ecclesiastes, we hear Solomon giving us the wisdom that he spent a lifetime unable to follow.

Deep down inside we all instinctively know that we have been sent out into the world to offer life to those around us and that to do that we must put our faith in God and His ways, to demonstrate what He calls life as life, and what He calls wisdom as wisdom. We know we must lean into the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance, and that we must stay in the Word so that we do not lose our direction.  But, just like those that have come before us, we tend to allow the ways of the nations to overtake us.  We allow the influence of sin to lead us to death and what God calls foolishness to be our guide.  Deep down inside we know what is true.  And, deep down inside we know where we want to be after we are dead.  At the same time, as we walk out this journey in the lands where He has sent us the struggles are great and the temptations are strong.  Afterall, Satan does mascara as an angel of light.

The reality is, to some degree it is possible, and to the other, it is what He will use to make us what He has created us to be.  With His strength we can do this, it is easy and it is in our mouths.  We can hold on to life for ourselves and be a light shining in a dark world.  The darkness does not have to overcome the light because in Him, the light overcomes the darkness.  We just need to focus in on Him, remember who we are as His, and keep our focus on His Word.  As we spend time in relationship with Him, He will lead us, guide us, and most importantly, keep us free.  At the same time, we must accept that covenant observance is not defined by flawless perfection.  We must be willing to accept His forgiveness when we fail, and trust in Him as He inflicts our souls with truth.  In this, we can live in harmony with Him and His ways, fulfilling our purposes, preserving life wherever He sends us, and walking out Torah in the same Spirit led way it was intended to be understood.

As a final thought, and I know this has been long, but it is important.  In crossing his hands in the blessing over Ephraim and Manasseh I see something very special being said by Israel.  I believe that when Joseph named these children, he was making a statement of turning away from his identity, his calling, and his purpose.  These two children were gentiles based on their mother’s birth line.  And the prosperity that came to Joseph from Egypt was in harmony with the tribulations of his journey in Egypt. 

Israel on the other hand, when blessing these two, referenced his journey with God and how his wrestling with God through his life experiences of affliction had led him into the land of promise.  In crossing his arms and blessing the youngest then the oldest I believe Israel was reversing the order of the names from forgetting the promised land and the heritage and being prosperous in the land of affliction being Egypt (sin).  In this reversal, I believe Israel was saying, one day you two will leave this place, and when that happens, you will forget about this gentile life and embrace your new identity as my children, you two will wrestle with God, it will be a time of affliction, but you too will be prosperous in a new land, just like I was, just like my father, and just like his father.  But the land you are going into will be a land flowing with milk and honey and a land that will never enslave you.  This is the promise that Yeshua has for all gentles through our father Israel. 

Yeshua came first for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  We (speaking as a natural descendant of the covenant) were lost sheep in that we didn’t have a shepherd.  In Him, we have a shepherd.  We should be able to be in the nations without being “of” the nations.  And, in this we can be a great light and be used by Him to “preserve life”.  In this, those who grab ahold of that life and graft themselves to us as His become a part of what He is doing.  Most of you who are reading this are of that group.  This is the image of what it is to be His, let’s walk this out together, encouraging each other, and cheer each other on as we push on toward the day that each of us will ultimately see the journey of our affliction lead us to the land of our promise where during that age, He can bring the full redemption to the “nations” as promised in Deuteronomy chapter 4.

I pray this has been a blessing.

 

Time To Draw Near?

 Genesis 44:18-47:27, Vayigash, “And he drew near”

Again, this week I am feeling that the title of this Parsha really captures several key concepts that I have been contemplating over the past several days.  Coming off last week’s readings I found Joseph “drawing near to his new home” as he “pushed away from his past”.  As I read this week’s readings, I see Pharaoh encouraging Joseph’s family to do the same.  I see Israel and all his children “drawing near” to Joseph and all of them “drawing near” to Egypt and all it has to offer.  With all of this, the main concepts of where I feel led is in how God’s plan for our lives and the lives of the “nation” that He is creating takes into consideration who we are, and how He knows we will respond in particular situations.  How we respond in those situations is what ultimately leads us to “pushing away form the world” and finally “drawing near” to Him.  This is the process of becoming all that He has created us to be.  This process works on an individual basis and a corporate basis as we are all walking out this journey together.  In this week’s readings we see this in the lives of Joseph, Israel, and ultimately the “nation”.

Years earlier God showed Abraham that his descendants would end up in Egypt and that they would become slaves there.  In this week’s readings we find God telling Israel “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.”  “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.” (Genesis 46:3-4 NASB)

For me, there are a few key points to what God tells Israel:

• Of course, He lets Israel know that He is the God of his fathers,
• He assures him that there is nothing to be afraid of,
• He tells him that his family will become a great nation while in Egypt, and
• He tells him that ultimately, He will return Israel to his homeland.

When I read this my mind immediately goes to Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB) “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

When I overlay this with Luke 21:27-28, Mark 13:24-27, Matthew 24:29-31, and specifically Deuteronomy 30:3-5, I see a very similar overlay between what God showed Moses and clarified through Jesus with what God showed Abraham and clarified through Israel:

"that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you. "If [any] of you are driven out to the farthest [parts] under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you.  "Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.”  (Deuteronomy 30: 3-5 NKJV)

When I think about Israel taking his entire family and moving to Egypt it is a very similar image to God taking His “nation” and spreading us out over the face of the earth.  When God tells Israel that his family will become a great nation while in Egypt, it makes me think of how Jesus gave the great commission to go and make disciples across the face of the world.  And, when God and Jesus tell us that at the end of this age, He will re-gather us back to Him in the promised land, it parallels God telling Israel that He will bring him up again (to his homeland).

With all these parallels I think it is reasonable to consider that there are somethings that we can take from the experiences of Joseph and his family and apply those to our own lives while waiting on His return.  It is here where we will want to investigate the concept of “drawing near”.

Let’s read Genesis 45:5-7 and ask ourselves these two questions:  According to what Joseph heard from God, what is the purpose for his being brought down to Egypt, and how long would his family need to remain in Egypt to accomplish this purpose?

“Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.  “For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.  “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.”

For me, I would say that Joseph was led to Egypt to provide a reproof for his family from the famine which was to last another five years.  But, after making these points to his family, Joseph called his family to come live “near” to him in the land of Goshen, in the land of Egypt.  He then reminds them that the famine will last another five years.

From there a few interesting things take place.  In verse 13 we find Joseph telling his brothers that they must tell their father about all the splendors of Egypt.  Then it gets even more interesting when by verse 19 we see Pharaoh ordering Joseph to take wagons loaded with the best of the land back to Israel.  All of this could have been done in gratitude toward Joseph’s family.  At the same time, there could be some manipulation going on here.  In any case, the promise of prosperity is a strong enticement to leave “the promised land” and “draw near to Egypt”.

This is when Israel has his conversation with God and where God assures Him of the promises noted above.  As the story unfolds, the family arrives in Egypt and Joseph tells his brothers that he is going to go talk to Pharoah.  He tells them that during this conversation, he will tell Pharoah that his family are shepherds.  He then tells them that ultimately Pharoah will call upon them and ask them what their occupation is and that when this happens, they are to say that they are shepherds.  Joseph reasons that because Egyptians see every shepherd as loathsome, this would guarantee that they would be allowed to stay in the land of Goshen.  Ultimately, these meetings take place and Pharoah not only gives them the best of the lands of Goshen, he even asks that any capable men be put in charge of his personal livestock.

This week’s reading ends seventeen years later with a summary of how Joseph did business with the people of Egypt throughout the time of famine, how this led to Pharoah owning all the land of Egypt, and how through the transactions, how each family would owe Pharoah 20% of their harvest each and every year for all time.  Apparently, the only exception to this would be Israel and his family who acquired their own property, were fruitful, and become very numerous during this seventeen-year period.

So, here is my question:  How did an assignment of “preserving life for five years” become a reality of “acquiring land, being fruitful, multiplying, and remaining for seventeen”?  Ultimately, we know that seventeen years extended out to 430 where the future descendants of Israel and his family were deeply enslaved to the very system that this generation was enticed into.

I think the issue comes down to what happens when shepherds start acting like sheep.  In this case, Israel’s family was not just given a place to live for five years so that they could be safe and return to their homeland.  Instead, they were enticed to “draw near” to Egypt and all that Egypt had to offer.  In this, Pharoah got his shepherds who would ultimately become slaves of the Egyptian system.  There is no doubt that sometimes God move us out of an area of safety and protection for some greater purpose.  But the question we must always ask is, “Why”?  It is so easy to believe that God is simply blessing us, giving us a gift, that it is all about us, and as such, is what we are to “draw near” to.

In Matthew 6:24 we are reminded “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.“ (NASB)

At the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with the things of this world.  There is nothing wrong with enjoying the life that God has given us.  The problems come in when we allow our hearts to “draw near to those things” because when our hearts are “near them”, they can’t be “near God”.  Sadly, very often, the very things we “draw near to” are the very things that enslave our future generations.

Instead, in these times when God is providing wealth or some other opportunity to live in a more prosperous way, maybe He is challenging us to keep our hearts “near” Him, and not be “drawn” away to the things that He has given us.  Maybe we have just been given these things as an opportunity to shepherd others through our testimony so that they will “draw near” to Him.  Maybe we have been given some opportunities so that we can provide for others.  Maybe our character is being tested.  Maybe we have been “drawn” into a place that is full of temptations just so we can reach those who reside there.

This is the other aspect of the great commission that I see in this story.  You see, we have been called to live in the world, to be shepherds, and to lead others to Him.  At the same time, the world is just like Egypt.  The people are loathsome toward true shepherds, the entire system has been designed to entice us toward “drawing” our hearts away from God and “near” to the things that take us away from our assignment as shepherds.  As we allow ourselves to “draw near” to those things we set the stage for the powers of this world to enslave our children and our children’s children to those very things that we found so enticing.

 The interesting thing is that just like Israel and his family, God is with us.  He is the God of our fathers, and He knows that we will “draw near” to the things that the world will ultimately use to enslave us.  He knows that in and through this process we will learn, we will grow, and our character will be transformed.  In the end, by the time He returns, we will have been broken, we will be a great nation ready to return to the promised land, and we will be ready to rule and reign with Him as a mature bride.

So, with all this said, where are each of us in this process?  Are we working with God as He is using these things to make us that “great nation”?  Are we so ensnared that we can’t even hear Him?  Or, are we hearing but not paying any attention?  I guess this would be a good time to ask ourselves some hard questions. 

Are there some things that you have “drawn near” to that have in turn enslaved you?  Are you seeing some attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyle choices that you know will ultimately get passed down to your children where they will become even more deeply enslaved to the very same things?  Are there some beliefs and patterns that it is time to die to so that God can build your character and lead you one step closer to the “nearness” that He desires we all have with Him?

Becoming a part of a great nation isn’t something that happens overnight.  It is something that takes place one step at a time, one revelation at a time, one place of brokenness at a time, and ultimately, one victory at a time.  What has God revealed to you through this blog, and what victory is waiting for you today?

I pray that the Holy Spirit has shown you some things, that you are feeling a new power over them, and that you are resolved to push away from them and become free.  I pray that as you have the courage to push away from those things that you know you need to push away from that you feel Him drawing you near to those things that will truly satisfy, that will give you freedom, and return to you the liberty that the enemy tried to steal.  I pray that you remain strong on your journey, and that each day sees more victories, and that your victories today present the path to your children’s freedom on the future.  Amen Amen

Time For A Break?

Genesis 41:1-44:17, Miketz, “The End”

Once again, this week’s Torah portion is packed full of concepts and ideas that could lead to a wonderful discussion and challenging concepts that would facilitate an opportunity for God to speak into our lives.  As such, this has been a week of incredible opportunity for me as I have allowed the circumstances of life to reveal where I am at in relationship to each.  Because there are so many, I was really being challenged in where to go with this blog.  As I moved through my morning prayer time the concept of “breaking points” came to me.  Then I read the title “The End”.   This seems to be a good confirmation as “the end” and the point at which we are “broken” tend to come about at the same time.  Interestingly, there was another concept that I was feeling very led toward in my time of prayer and was contemplating the relationship between the two concepts.

The second concept stems from some emotions relative to how various characters of the bible are glorified to the point that their thoughts, beliefs, and actions are used as a road map for the lives of those who read about them.  I have talked with people who were justifying thoughts and behavior based on portions of the psalms being “Godly instruction” because “they are in the bible”.  In several instances, the scriptures referenced were simply the author expressing their own deeply human and flesh led feelings.  These psalms are wonderful and serve an amazing purpose.  It is a purpose that is fulfilled when we can see the fallen/flesh led nature of these characters to the point that allows us to relate to them.  On the other hand, it is an abuse of scripture when we allow the fallen/flesh led patterns of these individuals to become a road map that leads us deeper into our own fallen/flesh led lives.

Ultimately, the tying together of these two concepts comes in the brokenness.  The stories of the biblical characters, the psalms, and even the journey of Israel ultimately become an opportunity for us to relate and use their spiritual journeys toward brokenness (The End) to become a testimony that speaks into our lives.  The reality is, the vast majority of the “testimony” we find in the bible is NOT in the form of doing as they do, thinking as they think, or living how they live.  Sure, there are opportunities, but all in all, the greatest lessons for us come in seeing the points of change, the points of transition, and the points of brokenness.  Very often both lessons can be drawn from the very same experience.  If we are careful not to overly glorify the characters, but instead, pick up on the hints and clues that the bible offers, we can be led toward deeper insight into the mindset of the individuals.  In this case, we may see how to behave or respond in a particular situation through their example, while also learning how not to allow flesh led tendencies to be the driving factor in our decision to do good.

Overlaying the story of Chanukah (which just ended) with this week’s readings led me to seeing some very interesting parallels that have become the foundation of where I am ultimately going to go with this blog. 

As the Greek empire conquered the region, they imposed a Hellenistic way of life that is idol centered and flesh led.  As this influence increased, led by a physical and real pressure to acclimate, the vast majority of the nation of Israel fell to the pressures and were “broken” away from a life dedicated to Torah.  These “pressures” included the seductive nature of temptation alongside the threats of persecution, torture, and death. 

There were some who held out and were martyred through their resistance.  One of the these hold outs was an old priest by the name of Mattityahu.  Ultimately, he called his sons together to fight the Greeks and to defend God’s Torah.  One of the sons was named Judah.  He was known as “Judah the Strong” and “Maccabee”.  “Macabee” was selected to lead the warfare under the wise council of his brother Shimon.  (https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102978/jewish/The-Story-of-Chanukah.htm)

Through the revolt, the temple was liberated and re-dedicated to God.  This is when the miracle of Chanukah took place.  But this is not the end of the story. 

By the end of the war, Simon was the only one of the five sons who survived the conflict.  He and his family, called the Hasmoneans, claimed the throne of Judah and the post of High Priest.  “This assertion of religious authority conflicted with the tradition of the priests coming from the descendants of Moses' brother Aaron and the tribe of Levi.  It did not take long for rival factions to develop and threaten the unity of the kingdom. Ultimately, internal divisions and the appearance of yet another imperial power were to put an end to Jewish independence in the Land of Israel for nearly two centuries.”  (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/history-and-overview-of-the-maccabees)

In this story, I see a repetitive pattern being developed.  Let’s go back to the “pressure” that the Greek’s were imposing on the land.  One side of the “pressure” simply appealed to the flesh and as such was a temptation to follow where the flesh wants to go in its desire to be rebellious to the ways of God.  The other side of the “pressure” was a real threat of persecution including imprisonment, torture, and death.  These “pressures” also speak to the flesh, but in a way that is a bit less obvious.  In the first case, the temptations are obviously in opposition to the ways of God.  They are unholy, His ways are holy.  The second form of “pressure” also speaks to the flesh but not until we see the second level. At the first level we could argue that the threat of harm makes us run from what the flesh does not like.  But, if this is true, then isn’t the flesh still running toward what it does like?  In the threat of harm, it runs to where it is going to find peace, comfort, and well-being.  If the only place this can be found is in a life that is less than holy, well, so be it.  The flesh desire for comfort wins out at the sacrifice of the spirits dedication to God and His ways.

Ultimately where I am going with this, is to see how these two forms of “pressure” and “temptation” reveal themselves in the lives of the people of Israel, the Hasmoneans from the Chanukah story, the lives of Judah and Joseph in our Torah portion, and in other characters of the bible that we tend to glorify.  In and through this discussion we will resist the temptation to either demonize or glorify these characters.  This will allow us to find rest in our companionship with them in their humanity while we seek to allow the testimony of their “breaking point” moments, and the spiritual experience of those moments, to speak deeply into our being.

As noted above, the Chanukah story exposes us to several groups of characters.  We have those that allowed the simple temptation of fleshly living to “break” them from a dedication to holiness and “end” their lives of Torah observance.  Later we learn about those who, under the threat of persecution, “broke” and “ended” their journeys in the very same way as the first group.  At the end of the day, the reality is that this group really isn’t that much different than the group that came before them as the truth is, they too allowed a promise of flesh desires (safety and comfort) to “break” them.  The third group is those that held out and fought.  They remained strong and were used by God to “break” the enemies hold on the Temple.  However, in their victory, the Hasmonaeans allowed themselves to be appointed into positions of religious authority and priestly roles that they were not eligible for.  This ultimately led to the “breaking” up of the nation and the “end” of the Jewish independence forfeiting all that had been accomplished only a few years earlier.

As I think of these three groups, I can’t help but wonder what they each thought as different things unfolded around them.  How did those who chose the Hellenistic life feel when the revolt succeeded?  Did God use this to “break” them and lead them back to Him?  How did the Hasmoneans feel when God showed them that it was their own misappropriation of power that led to the destruction of everything they had worked so hard to restore?  Did God use this revelation to “break” them of some aspect of pride?

Looking back at last week’s reading we go back to Judah.  In all honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if Judah didn’t put much faith in the institution of marriage.  Afterall, he was one of Leah’s sons.  Leah was not favored by Israel who had children from two wives of his own choosing.  He also had children from two maid servants who were given to him as wives from Rachel and Leah as they competed with each other in the race to produce more sons for Jacob (Israel).  Ultimately, Judah reached his “breaking” point when he came to the “end” of the story with Tamar where he noted that “she is more righteous than I”.  By the end of this week’s parsha we see Judah willing to offer himself and all of his brothers as slaves to Joseph in exchange for letting Benjamin return to his father’s house.  I wonder what God showed Judah in that experience with Tamar that led him to such a dramatic change of character.  I wonder how many experiences God showed him where if he would have had eyes to see and ears to hear he could have been “broken” so much sooner?

As all this was going on, Joseph was going through his own journey.  Joseph’s story is somewhat unique in that he does have a deep relationship with God and as such he is one of those characters that is commonly glorified.  I have some issues with this and will share why.  For me, I think there is a lot of evidence that Joseph had a lot of growing up to do.  It is true that he loved God and that he did have a strong sense of morality and resolve.  At the same time, it appears to me as though he looked to use the gifts God gave him to bring glory to himself.  Again, just like I can understand why Judah lived the way he lived; I can understand why Joseph might have looked to use the gifts God gave him for his own glory. 

Ultimately, Joseph is given the opportunity to truly benefit from his giftings and he takes it.  Some would argue that he was only doing what he had to do.  This leads me back to the Chanukah story and the two groups that were led into the Hellenistic lifestyle.  Some were led by being tempted one way, the others were tempted another.  Ultimately, both groups were “broken” by the temptations and moved away from the life God had called them to by their flesh desires.  

I would argue that God gives us some real clues to Joseph’s heart.  In naming his two children Joseph tells us that he believes “God has made him forget all his toil and all of his father's house” and that “he has become doubly fruitful in the new land where he has come to live”.  Later, in his discussion with Judah, he reveals that he no longer credits God with his insights, but that he “practices divination”. (Genesis 44:15).  I would argue that the “toils” of his past were a set up that allowed his promotion under Pharaoh to become a “breaking” point in his life.  He married the daughter of the High Priest of a pagan culture, he completely assimilated, rode around in a chariot, had the people bow down to him, and allowed himself to be glorified by them as “savior”. 

Toward the end of this week’s parsha we find Joseph weeping (Genesis 43:30).  I would argue that this is another “breaking” point moment for Joseph.  I would argue that in the blink of an eye he was hit with all that he had not understood, that he had not understood what God was showing him in his dreams of a youth, that he had gone astray, and that he had fallen to the temptation of being led away from the very purposes God had destined for him and his life.  I wonder how much of this was in his mind when he told his brothers not to feel bad about what had happened because he had come to see that God had orchestrated the events for good, possibly understanding that he needed to go through the brokenness to become all that God had called him to be.

Ultimately, we can look at Solomon and all his wisdom and wealth in a similar way.  We can glorify him in all his accomplishments, accolades, psalms, proverbs, and wisdom.  At the same time, there is an opportunity to move into companionship with him and his testimony.  We can do this when we read Ecclesiastes and discover how God used all of those things that we use to glorify him as a catalyst to “break” him and move him into a deeper relationship with Himself.

We can do the same with King David.  There is no doubt that David was a great warrior, and that he was always willing to talk to God, to hear His voice, and to move into repentance and accept whatever rebuke God put before him.  At the same time, there are moments like when he was dancing and exposing himself to all the women and children, were we find an opportunity to see David in his fallen/flesh led nature.  We could argue that he was justified in praising God, or that his relationship with Michael was fractured and as such, she was rebuking him from a place of self-righteousness.  At the same time, we have to ask, how might have things been different if David would have been able to allow the rebuke, even if it wasn’t presented properly, to speak into his life and walk the long road of self-reflection.  Maybe he would have seen an aspect of his sexuality, been “broken,” and “ended” a cycle that instead was not dealt with until years later.  

I can't help but wonder how many lives would have been impacted if David could have moved beyond his personal feelings and allowed God to speak to him through Michael?  I wonder if God took him back to this experience when he was praying that Bathsheba’s first son would live?  Or, maybe when his own son violated his wives as Nathan told him would happen as a result of the affair with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of Uriah her husband.

Ultimately this is where I am going here.  The point isn’t to prove what each of these characters was thinking, where they were right, where they were wrong, if they were or were not of good moral character, or what discussions God had with them during these pinnacle moments of life.  The point is, if we move beyond demonizing those who were weak, or glorifying those who were strong, we can approach their lives in a new way.  As they walked through life, they had no ability to see where God would have to use later events to “break” them and “end” various patterns of brokenness in their lives.  We have the advantage of knowing the whole story and seeing what could have been.  We also have the advantage of an indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  If we allow ourselves to move into relationship with these people and open up our minds to the voice of the Holy Spirit, maybe we can see how we can tend to respond in the same ways they did.  Maybe we can let the Holy Spirit show us how the experiences that “broke” them are given as an example to “break” us, and maybe in and through this, we can protect our families and our loved ones from being the focal point of our future “breakings”.

I pray that each of us grow in our ability to have eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts that are willing to change.  I pray that we each continue to grow in our ability to become broken, and that in and through the process we each move beyond self-destructive patterns and into more wholesome and God honoring lives.  I pray that each of us grow in all these things to the point that none of us see a day where God uses the pain and suffering of others to “break” us of the patterns He is attempting to set us free from.  I pray that this has been a blessing and an encouragement.