Numbers 15:15-16
For this community there will be the same law for you as for the foreigner living with you; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations; the foreigner is to be treated the same way before ADONAI as yourselves. The same Torah and standard of judgment will apply to both you and the foreigner living with you.’”
Matthew 16:13-17 records this exchange between Yeshua and His disciples:
When Yeshua came into the territory around Caesarea Philippi, he asked his talmidim , “Who are people saying the Son of Man is?” They said, “Well, some say Yochanan the Immerser, others Eliyahu, still others Yirmeyahu or one of the prophets.” “But you,” he said to them, “who do you say I am?” Shim’on Kefa answered, “You are the Mashiach , the Son of the living God.” “Shim’on Bar-Yochanan,” Yeshua said to him, “how blessed you are! For no human being revealed this to you, no, it was my Father in heaven.
When Yeshua asked about His reputation among the people, the answers were varied. However, when He asked about His disciples’ perception of Him, only one answer is recorded: you are the Messiah.
I’m under the impression that many present day believers are unaware of the significance of this declaration–which, by the way, Yeshua emphatically affirmed. Why do I think this? In my, albeit limited, observation (1) present day believers don’t see themselves having a connection to the physical descendents of Israel; and (2) present day believers don’t see themselves having any relationship with Torah beyond it being a historical reference point. In fact, on the latter, many seem to believe Yeshua inaugurated the departure from Torah.
The irony in this is that (1) the Messiah is specifically Israel’s Messiah; and (2) any person who would turn followers from Torah specifically could not be the Messiah. Although the practical implications of the Messiah being Israel’s Messiah may be lost on some, I don’t think that fact itself would be called into question. On the other hand, the idea that turning from Torah categorically disqualifies a person from being Messiah is probably worth further consideration.
For that, I invite your attention to Deuteronomy 13:1-5:
“If a prophet or someone who gets messages while dreaming arises among you and he gives you a sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder comes about as he predicted when he said, ‘Let’s follow other gods, which you have not known; and let us serve them,’ you are not to listen to what that prophet or dreamer says. For ADONAI your God is testing you, in order to find out whether you really do love ADONAI your God with all your heart and being. You are to follow ADONAI your God, fear him, obey his mitzvot , listen to what he says, serve him and cling to him; and that prophet or dreamer is to be put to death; because he urged rebellion against ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from a life of slavery; in order to seduce you away from the path ADONAI your God ordered you to follow. This is how you are to rid your community of this wickedness.
Did you catch that? Even a prophet whose predicted sign or wonder comes to pass is to be rejected–in fact, killed– if he says let’s follow other gods.
Now, I already now what I would say to this: ‘Jesus was not asking people to follow other gods. He was showing people a better way to serve the same God.’
The problem with that argument is, if you’re telling people to do something contrary to what the LORD our GOD said do, you’re not teaching them to follow Him.
But, I might say, Jesus is God. Therefore, He can change His mind if He wants.
That argument has merit from an authority standpoint. However, it fails from an integrity standpoint. Think about it: if the LORD our GOD ends something He said was eternal, what confidence can we have in the next promise?
The good news we don’t have to ponder that. For the true and living eternal God has given us His true and living eternal Word. He has pardoned our failings through His true and living eternal Son. And, He empowers us by HIS true and living eternal Spirit.
One of the gospel songs in heavy rotation declares, “It’s not about us. But it’s about Jesus.” The song is about praise, and in that regard it is spot on. When we think of why we praise him, however, we realize that it was and is all about us.
But, what is it about us? It’s an age old question. The composer of the 8th psalm quipped, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place - what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them; humans, that you watch over them with such care? You made him but little lower than the angels, you crowned him with glory and honor, you had him rule what your hands made, you put everything under his feet - sheep and oxen, all of them, also the animals in the wilds, the birds in the air, the fish in the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas.”
Those of us living in the last days have the benefit of hindsight, and the benefit of being able to read what the psalmist and other inspired authors wrote. We can more fully appreciate that the LORD our GOD invested HIS image and likeness in us and intends to protect HIS investment. We can appreciate that HE continuously sees us as HE created us and as we will soon be–not as we’ve become and presently are. Also, we can appreciate what lengths HE went to to ensure that outcome.
In his letter to the brethren at Rome (5:6-8), Paul notes, “6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, the Messiah died on behalf of ungodly people. 7 Now it is a rare event when someone gives up his life even for the sake of somebody righteous, although possibly for a truly good person one might have the courage to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in that the Messiah died on our behalf while we were still sinners.”
When we consider those realities, we know it is, indeed, all about us. It seems, however, to this writer anyway, that what we don’t appreciate is that it is only about us–not about me.
Have you ever noticed that the often-named and often-claimed blessings of Deuteronomy 28 were made to a nation, not to each citizen? Did it ever occur to you that the promises made to Abraham were not limited to him but were for the totality of his collective “seed”? Are you mindful that Yeshua will return for His Church, not her members?
Brothers and sisters, we are in this together. When you hurt, the body hurts. When I lack, the body lacks. When you excel, the body excels. When I fail, the body fails.
Our forefathers in the faith understood this, and therefore “They continued faithfully in the teaching of the emissaries, in fellowship, in breaking bread and in the prayers. Everyone was filled with awe, and many miracles and signs took place through the emissaries. All those trusting in Yeshua stayed together and had everything in common; in fact, they sold their property and possessions and distributed the proceeds to all who were in need. Continuing faithfully and with singleness of purpose to meet in the Temple courts daily, and breaking bread in their several homes, they shared their food in joy and simplicity of heart, praising God and having the respect of all the people. And day after day the Lord kept adding to them those who were being saved. ” (Acts 2:42-47)
Did you see the result? The LORD added to them day after day.
Now, more than ever, we need this manner of commUNITY. Our most difficult days are ahead. The days fast approach wherein we will have opportunity to “Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great” realizing that “they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.” The days fast approach when we’ll realize the foresight inherent in Hezekiah Walker’s declaration, “I need you to survive.”
Family, as it has always been, and especially is now, it is about US.