I love that in the New Testament when Yashua provides parables they are usually surrounded with the interesting saying “for those that have ears to hear let him hear.” Obviously, we all have ears but we all don’t necessarily have the capability to listen and understand. Yashua spoke in parables for most of his ministry and I think it is safe to say that even those closest to him did not understand or know the significance of who he was or what was happening around them until after the resurrection. How can this be? I have a theory that needs almost the whole of scripture to support, however we will focus on a few key characters; Paul and Moses.
The material in this section comes from my own thoughts in college from a study I did in Brown Hall at SDSU with Todd Skalbeck and Steve Harmon. I owe them some credit for the ideas. I ran into the same ideas fully developed while at Frontiers candidate school. A man by the name of Bob Sjogren came and spoke to our class and I felt a connection immediately with what he was saying so I bought his book and video series. It is entitled “Destination 2000” or “Unveiled at Last”. I do not know if either one of them are in print anymore.
I was struggling internally with myself regarding the holiness of Yah and the depravity of man. I could not understand why Yah put up with so much grief from man and why Yah just didn’t destroy us again as in the days of Noah. Our generation is wicked and I have come to believe that all generations have lived in wickedness; it was just particularly obvious to me at that point in my walk.
I have made a poor attempt to graph some of these thoughts freehand in paint, so please forgive the unprofessional appearance but in this case a picture will be worth a thousand words for sure. This concept can be difficult to grasp but as a visual person pictures help me immensely as I hope they will help you.
Paul speaks of a hidden mystery in Ephesians and Colossians. Nothing is known to mankind that hasn’t been revealed by the one who is omniscient. Yah chose to reveal this secret to Paul the learned scholar and dramatically converted person chosen to carry this revealed truth to the world.
“In past generations it was not made known to mankind, as the Set-Apart Spirit is now revealing it to his emissaries and prophets, that in union with the Messiah and through the good news the gentiles were to be joint heirs, a joint body and joint sharers with the Jews in what Yah has promised. I became a servant of this good news by Yah’s gracious gift, which he gave me through the operation of his power. To me, the least important of all Yah’s people was given this privilege of announcing to the gentiles the good news of the Messiah’s unfathomable riches, and of letting everyone see how this secret plan is going to work out. This plan, kept hidden for ages by Yah, the Creator of everything, is for the rulers and authorities in heaven to learn, through the existence of the Messianic Community, how many-sided Yah’s wisdom is. “ Eph 3. 5-10
“I became a servant of the good news because Yah gave me this work to do for your benefit. The work is to make fully known the message from Yah, the secret hidden for generations, for ages, but now made clear to the people he has set apart for himself. To them Yah wanted to make known how great among the gentiles is the glorious richness of this secret. And the secret is this: the Messiah is united with you people! In that rests your hope of glory.” Col 1: 25- 27
Both of these passages present the truth that the gentiles were always intended to be joint heirs with the jews in the promise of salvation through the Messiah. What they also say is very intriguing to my mind. This truth is touted as being a hidden secret. Does Yah keep secrets from us? Can all truth be known? What are the parameters surrounding the reasons for revealing certain truths? If this secret has been hidden, what else has been hidden from mankind? These questions do not have simple explanations, as I said earlier it takes a global look at all of scripture to see a pattern emerge.
Let us remember the story of Exodus 32 and the “stiff-necked” people recently delivered from Pharaoh. Moses was on the Mount meeting with Yah himself receiving the two stone tablets. The people at the bottom of the Mount got tired of waiting and asked Aaron for something to worship. He conceded and had a golden calf created.
Yah’s anger blazed as this “stiff-necked” people and told Moses to go down to them so that he could put an end to them and start over with a new lineage from Moses alone.
What happens next is one of the most amazing passages as Moses actually enters into a seemingly bargaining or courtroom session with Yah himself pleading with him to give them another chance.
Moses uses a two fold argument that kind of goes like this. First, remember your promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to make of them a great nation more numerous than the sands of the seashore or stars in the sky. Yah does not break his promise. Second, don’t give Egypt the satisfaction of knowing that you delivered the people of Israel only to destroy them yourself. Basically Moses is imploring Yah to not ruin the reputation He has taken generations to develop in full view of believers and non-believers alike.
Yah relents and Moses goes down the Mount. He is so shocked at what he finds he throws the tablets to the ground and they shatter, he melts down the calf and pulverizes it into powder that he throws into water and makes the Israelites drink it!! Next Moses called out those who were for Yah and had them slaughter those who were not. Scripture reports over 3000 men were killed that day. In the morning Moses told those that were left that he would go back up the Mount and plead with Yah for an atonement for their sin.
What follows are some of the most dramatic parts of scripture. Moses heads back up the Mount for 40 days and gets some new stones and starts glowing with Yah’s presence. Israel as a nation will never be the same.
First we read in chapter 32 verse 35 that Yah struck them with a plague but does not say what plague.
Second we read in chapter 33 verse 3 that Yah will not go with them because Israel is a stiff-necked people and Yah might destroy them.
Then we read of the tent of meeting the only place that Yah would come down with a pillar of cloud and speak with Moses. We go on to read how Yah show himself to Moses in the cleft of the rock, how Moses went back to the Mount and received a second set of stone tablets, how Moses face shown with the glory of Yah, and finally the directions for the construction of the tabernacle.
In Ezekiel chapter 20 there is a recounting of this story. It is difficult for me to clearly understand as it is probably allegorical, poetic, literal, and prophetic all at once. There are 2 verses in particular however that are pertinent to our discussion. The chapter is generally divided into 4 sections and 2 of these sections contain the verses I will use.
Verse 9 “But for the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the sight of the nations of whom I have made myself known.”
Verse 22 “Nevertheless, I withdrew my hand and allowed concern for My Own reputation to keep me from letting it be profaned in the sight of the nations who had seen when I brought them out.”
What is clear to me is that the relationship between the nation Israel and Yah was clearly strained. What is unclear to me is to what extent Yah punished them. What is also clear is that Israel continued in their disobedience in their desert that eventually got them and Moses himself banned from entering the land flowing with milk and honey.
I would like to propose a theory. For the sake of Yah’s name among the nations and to uphold His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob He spared the nation Israel from his wrath by limiting their understanding to lower their level of accountability. Let me explain using a picture a graph if you will of the theory.
The material in this section comes from my own thoughts in college from a study I did in Brown Hall at SDSU with Todd Skalbeck and Steve Harmon. I owe them some credit for the ideas. I ran into the same ideas fully developed while at Frontiers candidate school. A man by the name of Bob Sjogren came and spoke to our class and I felt a connection immediately with what he was saying so I bought his book and video series. It is entitled “Destination 2000” or “Unveiled at Last”. I do not know if either one of them are in print anymore.
I was struggling internally with myself regarding the holiness of Yah and the depravity of man. I could not understand why Yah put up with so much grief from man and why Yah just didn’t destroy us again as in the days of Noah. Our generation is wicked and I have come to believe that all generations have lived in wickedness; it was just particularly obvious to me at that point in my walk.
I have made a poor attempt to graph some of these thoughts freehand in paint, so please forgive the unprofessional appearance but in this case a picture will be worth a thousand words for sure. This concept can be difficult to grasp but as a visual person pictures help me immensely as I hope they will help you.
Paul speaks of a hidden mystery in Ephesians and Colossians. Nothing is known to mankind that hasn’t been revealed by the one who is omniscient. Yah chose to reveal this secret to Paul the learned scholar and dramatically converted person chosen to carry this revealed truth to the world.
“In past generations it was not made known to mankind, as the Set-Apart Spirit is now revealing it to his emissaries and prophets, that in union with the Messiah and through the good news the gentiles were to be joint heirs, a joint body and joint sharers with the Jews in what Yah has promised. I became a servant of this good news by Yah’s gracious gift, which he gave me through the operation of his power. To me, the least important of all Yah’s people was given this privilege of announcing to the gentiles the good news of the Messiah’s unfathomable riches, and of letting everyone see how this secret plan is going to work out. This plan, kept hidden for ages by Yah, the Creator of everything, is for the rulers and authorities in heaven to learn, through the existence of the Messianic Community, how many-sided Yah’s wisdom is. “ Eph 3. 5-10
“I became a servant of the good news because Yah gave me this work to do for your benefit. The work is to make fully known the message from Yah, the secret hidden for generations, for ages, but now made clear to the people he has set apart for himself. To them Yah wanted to make known how great among the gentiles is the glorious richness of this secret. And the secret is this: the Messiah is united with you people! In that rests your hope of glory.” Col 1: 25- 27
Both of these passages present the truth that the gentiles were always intended to be joint heirs with the jews in the promise of salvation through the Messiah. What they also say is very intriguing to my mind. This truth is touted as being a hidden secret. Does Yah keep secrets from us? Can all truth be known? What are the parameters surrounding the reasons for revealing certain truths? If this secret has been hidden, what else has been hidden from mankind? These questions do not have simple explanations, as I said earlier it takes a global look at all of scripture to see a pattern emerge.
Let us remember the story of Exodus 32 and the “stiff-necked” people recently delivered from Pharaoh. Moses was on the Mount meeting with Yah himself receiving the two stone tablets. The people at the bottom of the Mount got tired of waiting and asked Aaron for something to worship. He conceded and had a golden calf created.
Yah’s anger blazed as this “stiff-necked” people and told Moses to go down to them so that he could put an end to them and start over with a new lineage from Moses alone.
What happens next is one of the most amazing passages as Moses actually enters into a seemingly bargaining or courtroom session with Yah himself pleading with him to give them another chance.
Moses uses a two fold argument that kind of goes like this. First, remember your promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to make of them a great nation more numerous than the sands of the seashore or stars in the sky. Yah does not break his promise. Second, don’t give Egypt the satisfaction of knowing that you delivered the people of Israel only to destroy them yourself. Basically Moses is imploring Yah to not ruin the reputation He has taken generations to develop in full view of believers and non-believers alike.
Yah relents and Moses goes down the Mount. He is so shocked at what he finds he throws the tablets to the ground and they shatter, he melts down the calf and pulverizes it into powder that he throws into water and makes the Israelites drink it!! Next Moses called out those who were for Yah and had them slaughter those who were not. Scripture reports over 3000 men were killed that day. In the morning Moses told those that were left that he would go back up the Mount and plead with Yah for an atonement for their sin.
What follows are some of the most dramatic parts of scripture. Moses heads back up the Mount for 40 days and gets some new stones and starts glowing with Yah’s presence. Israel as a nation will never be the same.
First we read in chapter 32 verse 35 that Yah struck them with a plague but does not say what plague.
Second we read in chapter 33 verse 3 that Yah will not go with them because Israel is a stiff-necked people and Yah might destroy them.
Then we read of the tent of meeting the only place that Yah would come down with a pillar of cloud and speak with Moses. We go on to read how Yah show himself to Moses in the cleft of the rock, how Moses went back to the Mount and received a second set of stone tablets, how Moses face shown with the glory of Yah, and finally the directions for the construction of the tabernacle.
In Ezekiel chapter 20 there is a recounting of this story. It is difficult for me to clearly understand as it is probably allegorical, poetic, literal, and prophetic all at once. There are 2 verses in particular however that are pertinent to our discussion. The chapter is generally divided into 4 sections and 2 of these sections contain the verses I will use.
Verse 9 “But for the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the sight of the nations of whom I have made myself known.”
Verse 22 “Nevertheless, I withdrew my hand and allowed concern for My Own reputation to keep me from letting it be profaned in the sight of the nations who had seen when I brought them out.”
What is clear to me is that the relationship between the nation Israel and Yah was clearly strained. What is unclear to me is to what extent Yah punished them. What is also clear is that Israel continued in their disobedience in their desert that eventually got them and Moses himself banned from entering the land flowing with milk and honey.
I would like to propose a theory. For the sake of Yah’s name among the nations and to uphold His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob He spared the nation Israel from his wrath by limiting their understanding to lower their level of accountability. Let me explain using a picture a graph if you will of the theory.
No comments:
Post a Comment