If I had been born in biblical times, I would have probably not have lived very well or very long

             If I had been born in biblical times, I would have probably not lived very well or very long, because of these things:

a.      Because of childhood ear infections and chronic tinnitus, I would probably have been deaf.

b.      Childhood tonsillitis, measles, or mumps, or any infection, could have led to death.

c.       My teeth would have been filled with cavities.

d.      Because of cataracts, Fuch’s dystrophy, and macular degeneration, I would have become blind.

e.      Because of insulin resistance I would have eventually suffered from diabetes.

f.        The bone spur which cut my rotator cuff would have rendered my shoulder useless.

g.      My osteo-arthritis would have frozen most, or all, of my joints.

h.      My damaged meniscus in my knee would have given me a limp.

i.        The stones in my gall bladder, which led to gangrene, would have killed me.

j.        The mycoplasma pneumonia would have killed me. Or any number of respiratory diseases.

k.    My bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome would have rendered my hands useless.

l.     My numerous pre-cancerous skin lesions would have eventually converted to full-blown cancer and led to my death.

m.   Chronic allergic rhinitis would have led to a miserable existence.

n.   You get the picture and you can probably add many of your own ailments to the list.

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            Television programs and movies about the Bible usually depict everyone as basically healthy. By our modern standards, they absolutely were not. The Bible names a few diseases and ailments, but does not touch on the common limitations the people of the time had to tolerate. It does encourage people to avail themselves of whatever medical treatments are available as a wise use of what God has provided.

            Medical knowledge during the biblical period was, by our modern standards, very limited and elementary. Paul advised Timothy to use a "little wine" for his frequent stomach ailments. Medicinal plants are mentioned, including a fig poultice for a boil (Isaiah 38:21) and the balm of Gilead for healing wounds (Jeremiah 8:22). Luke, the author of the books of Luke and Acts, was a physician (Colossians 4:14). God can work for healing by using doctors and medicine. We are never told to ignore medical advice or to indulge in strange fringe or extreme types of diets.

The concept of Christian bodily stewardship comes from the knowledge that we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and each of our bodies can be viewed as a Temple of the Lord. This implies that taking care of your body is a Christian obligation.  We do not own our bodies. We have been "bought with a price"— the blood of Jesus Christ.

Proper nutrition, physical activities, weight loss, proper rest, presenting a positive and healthy image to others, and avoiding the use of harmful substances are all biblically encouraged. There is a one biblical warning about the concern for physical health. It is possible to become so obsessed with fitness, appearance, or health that these things become idols and replace God in our hearts. He must be the focus.

 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 10:31; Romans 12:1; 1 Timothy 4:8; Proverbs 23:20-21; Exodus 20:8-10.

Find a Penny

 

Find a penny and pick it up and all the day you’ll have good luck. I heard this chant many times as a child in the southern portion of the United States but it is not restricted to the American South.

            The “lucky Penny” superstition has been known for thousands of years. Ancient peoples, just like many moderns, often believed in the power inherent in coins. Finding a coin was considered to be a sign of good luck, or of coming prosperity, because metals were considered to represent wealth and protection.

            Making a wish after throwing a coin into a fountain may have originated as giving a valuable offering to water deities.

            “A penny for your thoughts” carries the idea that your thoughts are valuable because the coin has value.

            After a coin flip, a coin landing with its head-side up (obverse) is considered to be a positive sign. A coin with the tails-side up (reverse) is considered to be negative. Some people will not pick up a coin from the street if the coin is in the tails up position. In American football, the referee determines first possession of the ball by the use of a coin flip.

            This may seem like a trivial and harmless holdover of an ancient superstition. Most people would view it in this way and, for the most part, it is. The children gleefully throwing coins into the fountain outside a restaurant and making a wish are totally innocent. Most adults have no idea of the origins of the superstition and have not given it a single thought, and probably never will. In its origins it is a demonstration of the use of Magick.

            Magick, as opposed to harmless stage magic (where you do not actually see what you think you see) is an ancient concept. The actual modern word, Magick, seems to have been originated by Aleister Crowley, an utterly evil and awful man who described himself as The Great Beast. His most famous quotation is “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.”

            Magick is the intentional attempt to control reality by performing certain actions or saying certain words. It is an attempt to impose one’s will on the universe. It is an assertion of self as the master. If you gave them a coin, the water deities were obligated to grant you a wish. If you rubbed the lamp, the genie was your slave. If you said the correct words in the correct sequence, a demon could be forced to obey you.

            Simony is the practice of buying or selling objects held to be religiously sacred. It does not include the selling of modern Christian merchandise which, of itself, is not inherently holy or sacred.  Simony would be the selling, for personal profit, of materials or items or powers used in the official functions of the church. The word originates from Acts 8:18-24, where a magician, Simon Magus, offered money to Peter in an attempt to purchase the power to perform miracles. Peter angrily rejected Simon’s offer of money.

            The Bible clearly says that we are to avoid the intentional use of magic and the occult. Deuteronomy 18:10-11, 18:2; Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:31, 20:6,27; Isaiah 19:1-4; Ezekiel 13:20-21; 2 Kings 21:6; Revelation 21:8.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

            Your innocent child can probably still enjoy throwing a few coins into a fountain.

The Rich Young Ruler

 

A pious and righteous rich young ruler (possibly a Pharisee) ran up to Jesus and asked him what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. He claimed to have kept all the usual rules but still felt that something was missing. Jesus said that he should sell everything he had and give the money to the poor. The young man sadly walked away.

Christians understand that you cannot "do" anything to earn salvation. It is a gift of God's grace. So what was this incident about? Jesus gently showed the young ruler what was wrong.

Some Christians would say we should not own private property since Jesus said to sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. They may be misreading what Jesus was saying. You are not saved by giving up something.

In Exodus 20:17, notice that the property belongs to the neighbor, not the community or the government. Nowhere does Jesus condemn ownership of private property. What he was saying on several occasions is "own your property, do not let your property own you." Use your property to help the homeless and the poor, to glorify the Lord, and to advance his kingdom.

The young ruler's real problem was that he loved his wealth and his position more than he loved God.  Loving your position and wealth is really about yourself.  All sin reduces down to the one real sin: SELF. We should love ourselves, because we are infinitely valuable. God spent the most infinitely valuable thing in the universe, the blood of his son, to save us, but loving self more than loving God is the essence of sin.

When you don't like what he says to you, it is a sign that you need to hear it.

Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-30; Ephesians 2:8-9.

Dog Poop in the Flower Bed

 

Recently I was on my walk when I noticed something which  made me shake my head in wonderment. Someone had taken the time to pick up their dog's poop into a bag, tie the bag shut, and then, they threw the bag into someone's flower bed. I guess at least they used the bag! The standard of dog poop etiquette is to carry the poop with you and properly dispose of it. This is a hot-button issue in many neighborhoods.

What does this have to do with this blog? Well, this is just a small demonstration of the fallen nature of man. It exhibits self-centeredness, laziness, and a disrespect for others and their property. 

We are told in 1 Peter 2:17 to "show proper respect to everyone..." Since we are all made in the image of God, to disrespect another person is to disrespect God. Abusing someone else's property is tantamount to stealing their ownership of that property. The owner has the right to say how their property is to be used.

Some Christians would say we should not own private property since Jesus said to sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. They may be misreading what he was saying. 

In Exodus 20:17, notice that the property belongs to the neighbor, not the community or the government. Nowhere does Jesus condemn ownership of private property. What he was saying on several occasions is "own your property, do not let your property own you." Use your property to help the homeless and the poor, to glorify the Lord, and to advance his kingdom.

Place Names of Religious Origin

Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch, Wales:

This 58 letter place name translates into English as “Parish [church] of [St.] Mary (Llanfair) [in] Hollow (pwll) of the White Hazel [township] (gwyn gyll) near (go ger) the rapid whirlpool (y chwyrn drobwll) [and] the parish [church] of [St.] Tysilio (Llantysilio) with a red cave ([a]g ogo[f] goch).” This is the longest place name in Europe but is only the second longest one word place name on Earth. The longest is an 85 letter Maori place name in New Zealand.

Judenberg,Austria: “Juden” in German means “Jews.” This name means “Jewish Mountain.”

Hissop, Alabama, USA: Hysoppus is a flowering plant mentioned in the Bible at Exodus 12: 21-22. It is a member of the mint family used in the Passover rites.

Lis Escop, Cornwall, England: “Escop” is the Cornish word for “bishop,” so this is the “court of the bishop.”

Donaghee, Northern Ireland: The name of this town reflects its origin as the Irish word “donhnach,” which translates in English as “church.”

Magic

After you read this post go back and watch this and this. You did not see what you thought you saw. Both are illusions. The first video is essentially an advertisement for a magic company's Floating Card Trick which they sell, with instructions, to stage magicians. The second is a video of illusionist Criss Angel.  I have no idea how he does this but it is an illusion and is not real supernatural magic.

The Egyptian priests in Exodus 7:8 - 8:7 were able to duplicate the miracles performed by Moses using what the Bible calls their "secret arts." Whether or not they actually performed supernatural acts or were merely skilled illusionists, we do not know. The effect, though, was to cause haughty unbelief in Pharaoh's heart. Because he did not believe, God hardened Pharaoh's unbelief.

Jesus does not appear to have been particularly impressed with His own supernatural powers. He expected belief because of who he was, not because he did "magic." He remarked that if the people did not believe Moses, why would they believe him? And he seems to have had what on the surface appears to have been a rather harsh attitude toward unbelief. Harsh unless he was who he clearly said he was.

“And he could do no miracle there except that he laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.” Mark 6:5 NASB®

"Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” Matthew 7:6 NASB®

"Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.” Matthew 10:14 NASB®

"And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” Luke 9:5 NASB®

There is no biblical record that Jesus ever returned to Nazareth after that day.

These two sites discuss whether or not the unbelief in Nazareth actually limited Jesus' ability to perform miracles.

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/872-was-christs-power-limited-by-mans-faith

http://home.earthlink.net/~ronrhodes/qjesusmiracles.html

Magic Squares in Christian Occultism, Part 1

I had to remove today’s post because it became corrupted by some sort of commercial spam. I am instead posting on another subject entirely. Before you read this, let me absolutely declare that I am not an occultist of any sort.  I reject the practice of magic. I am not speaking about stage magic, which is a form of entertainment based on sleight of hand and visual deception.  That is clearly not real and does not claim to be real.

What I am talking about is Magic (or more properly Magick). Magick is based on the belief that there is an underlying basis to reality which is not apparent to the normal human senses. Magick  believes that with knowledge of the correct words, phrases, or actions, one may influence, or even force, the universe to produce particular intended results. In other words, spells and curses. The traditional Christian understanding is that we should have nothing to do with any of this. Of course, some Christians, even some very learned Christians, have not abided by this understanding. Knowing about Magick and understanding how it crept into Christian use is not a violation of the proscription against it. It is necessary so that we do not do it again. (Sadly, some still do.) [Deuteronomy 18:9-13; Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:26, 19:31, 20:6, 20:27; Galatians 5:19-21.]

This will take several days to discuss, so bear with me and keep on reading. The subject of this series of posts is “Magic Squares” and how they have been used in Christian symbolism.

The simplest Magic Squares are, of themselves, merely mathematical constructs which consist of numbers arranged so that the addition of the numbers in a column in any direction (left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom to top, or diagonally from corner to corner) always add up to the same sum. Examples are:

                                    2 7 6                                    All the columns in any

                                    9 5 1                                    direction total to 15.

                                    4 3 8

                         8   58 59  5   4   62 63  1

                        49 15 14 52 53 11 10 56  

                        41 23 22 44 45 19 18 48            All the columns in any

                        32 34 35 29 28 38 39 25            direction total to 260.

                        40 26 27 37 36 30 31 33

                        17 47 46 20 21 43 42 24

                         9  55 54 12 13 51 50 16

                        64  2   3   61 60  6   7  57

These mathematical constructions were known in numerous cultures around the world from early in the history of mathematics.  

The mathematical process for producing the squares can be expressed in mathematical formulae. The earliest squares were based on addition, but later squares have been based on multiplication, complex numbers, shapes other than squares, hypercubes, primes, and even genetic algorithms.  The term “magic square” is also applied to word squares which read the same in any direction.   

The squares became associated with occultism through the practice of numerology. Numerology assigns number values to individual letters of alphabetic writing systems. Every word or name can be assigned a numerical value.

More in the next post: Magic Squares in Christian Occultism, Part 2

The Most Evil Curse Word in the World

The other day I was walking my dog when I saw a woman trying to get into her back door.  From the noise coming out of the house, it was obvious that her husband and his friends were having a wild party.  The woman was holding a case of beer in one hand and a grocery sack in the other.  She started kicking the door and then yelled out in anger, “JESUS CHRIST!”

She had turned the Holy Name of the Lord into a curse word.  She had turned it into a vile epithet full of venom.  The most precious Name had become the most evil curse word possible.

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11

Read what theologian John Piper has to say on this subject.

http://www.christianity.com/theology/what-does-it-mean-to-take-the-lords-name-in-vain-11600552.html

We can take God’s name in vain in numerous ways.

http://mindrenewers.com/2012/03/13/omg-and-other-ways-christians-take-gods-name-in-vain/

Female Images of God: Maintaining Clothing

"Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not." Nehemiah 9:21 In biblical times, weaving of fabrics was mostly a female occupation although there were men who were skilled embroiderers and engravers, such as Oholiab the son of Ahisamach (Exodus 38:23).  The fabrics were linen, flax, and wool.

When We Stumble

When Christians stumble, when we fall short, and we all do, even the Apostle Paul, God is right there, waiting to comfort us and set us on the right path again.  He knows what we have done, but He expects us to tell Him.  Once we do, He tells us to not do it again and then He “remembers it not” as if it never happened.  “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34, also Hebrews 10:17)

Christians are covered by the Blood of Christ.  When God sees His people, He sees the Blood.  “… when I see the blood I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13)

The Blood of Christ must be there and it is only there when we accept it as the gift that it is.

The Sins of the Fathers

Yesterday in the post on The Road to Perdition, I said that the film's story is based on the idea of the"sins of the fathers."  Here are the biblical references.

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;” Exodus 20:5

“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,” Deuteronomy 5:9

And the Christian promise:

“In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.

But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

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: 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: 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. 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.” Jeremiah 31:29-34

Honoring Your Father

The New York Yankees professional baseball team defeated The Baltimore Orioles 7-2 last Saturday night in the American League Division Series.  The team found out on Thursday from a newspaper report that manager Joe Girardi’s father died before the Saturday game. Girardi learned of his father’s death while on the team bus travelling from Yankee Stadium to Grand Central Station for a train ride to Baltimore for the game.  Why would Girardi have continued to manage his team and tell no one of his loss?

The answer: he was honoring his father.  One of the things his father taught him was to “finish the job.”  The father, Jerry Girardi, once illustrated the principle by finishing a home plumbing repair even though he broke his thumb during the repair.

“So I thought that’s what my dad would want me to do, so that’s what I tried to do.”

Honoring one’s parents means respect in what we say and what we do.  It is an attitude, a decision for action based not only on love but also on the position of authority into which our parents have been placed by God.  It is based not only on merit, what they “deserve,” but also on direct instructions from God.

What the Bible says about what Joe Girardi did.

“Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12

“Honor thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Deuteronomy 5:16

“Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matthew 19:19

“For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:” Mark 7:10

“Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;” Ephesians 6:2

“Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.”  Luke 18:20

“For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.”  Matthew 15:4

“Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.”  Mark 10:19

“And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: 19Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.” Jeremiah 35:18-19

“My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:” Proverbs 1:8

“A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.”  Proverbs 13:1

“Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.”  Colossians 3:20

Jesus practiced what the Bible taught.

“And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.”  Luke 2:51

“And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”  Matthew 26:39

Lamb of God

Lamb of God (originally named Burn the Priest) is a Grammy Award-nominated punk/speed metal/heavy metal rock music band from Virginia.  Their lyrics often include biblical references coupled with anti-religious messages and their fan base is called the "Congregation." Other themes include politics, misanthropy, and attacks on hypocrisy.  They do not wish to be thought of as a Satanist band.

On 27 June 2012, Czech police arrested Lamb of God lead singer Randy Blyth for manslaughter.  During a concert he pushed a fan off the stage.  The man hit his head as he fell and later died.  In early August, Blyth was released from prison after making a large bail payment.

(Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.)

Contrast Lamb of God with the real Lamb of God, Jesus. (John 1:29,36) The sacrificial lamb is the pure, unblemished, innocent sacrifice which takes away sin. (Exodus 12:3-6; Luke 9:31; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Isaiah 53:4-7)  Jesus pulls us towards Him rather than pushing us away.

The Rich Young Ruler

The incident in which the Rich Young Ruler asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life is familiar to many Bible readers. (Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30)  None of the gospel writers explains exactly who the young man was and none tell what became of him after he left the encounter with Jesus.

1.     He was a Jew because he declares that he knows the Commandments and has kept them all.

2.     He was a young man, probably in his twenties or thirties.  Neaniskos νεανίσκος (“young man”)

3.     The man is described as very wealthy.  The words sphodra σφόδρα  (“great,” “much”) and plousios πλούσιος (“rich,” “wealthy”) are used.

4.     He was either a Pharisee or a follower of the Pharisee party.  The Sadducees did not believe in life after death.

5.     He is said to have been an archon ἄρχων (“leader,” “official,” “administrator”).  This may imply that he was a member of the Sanhedrin.

6.     He was not a hypocrite; he observed all the commandments.  He really wanted to know how to gain eternal life.  He did not like the answer he received.

The young man had a works-based idea of salvation, “what must I do … ?”  and Jesus knew it.   Jesus gave the man a task which he could have performed.  The task pointed out the one stumbling block for the man: his refusal to give up his control of his own life, his refusal to submit to God.   He loved his position and his power more than he loved Jesus.  He worshipped a different god.  (Exodus 20:3)

Several comments with varying insights and viewpoints on the Rich Young Ruler.

http://www.jesuswalk.com/lessons/18_18-23.htm

http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/reformed/matt19.htm

http://thegourd.blogspot.com/2009/07/story-of-rich-young-ruler.html

http://www.whatsbestnext.com/2011/09/why-did-jesus-tell-the-rich-young-ruler-to-sell-all-that-he-had/

Typographical Errors

In my post yesterday on The Big Book of Church Jokes I made a typographical error, even though I check every post for spelling and grammar before I release it.  It is very easy to misspell a word, double your “ands” or your “thes, ” leave out “of,” or to  say something which seems logical when written but which really makes no sense.  In yesterday’s post, I spelled “silly” as “sily.”  I apparently totally missed the red underlining provided by my word processor’s Spell Checker program.

Knowing how easy it is to make a mistake when one writes, it makes it even more amazing to know that the first five books of the Bible (the Torah) have been preserved by the Jews at the LETTER level for thousands of years.

Each synagogue which can afford one owns as Sefer Torah, a handwritten copy of the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  This is in the form of a scroll which is used in formal religious ceremonies.  When not in use, the scroll is stored in the holiest spot in the synagogue.

Each of the scrolls is produced under extremely restrictive conditions, on a particular type of parchment using a particular type of quill pen by one specially trained rabbi.  The entire scroll must be produced by that one sofer (scribe)..

The number of letters must total 304,805 with each letter in its proper position, each one perfectly formed, sized, and placed.  The ink of a random imperfect letter may be scraped off the parchment and replaced by a perfect one.  If any error of any sort involves the name of God, that page must be cut from the scroll and a new perfect page must be sewn into its place.  The removed page is buried with respect.

A Sefer Torah can take as long as a year and one half to produce and cost as much as $10,000.  Parchment is a perishable material; still, the oldest known surviving are over 700 years old.

The Jews have done us a great service by their historical insistence on preserving the purity of the scriptures.

The Connection of the Bible Codes to Kabbalistic Thought, Part 2

It is important to us as Christians to understand the Jewish origins of our faith since Jesus and his followers were observant Jews and were, at first, recognized as such by other Jews.

One stream of Judaism is the ultra-orthodox, many of whom believe that God dictated the Torah letter by letter. This is one basis of the thought which has fostered the study of the Bible Codes phenomenon.

One Jewish school of thought, considered heretical by some Jews, developed from a mixture of mysticism and ultra-orthodoxy to become what is known as Kabbalism.  “Kaballah” in Hebrew means “receiving,” and is concerned with secret doctrines, hidden meanings, and commentaries about the relationship between an unchanging God and the ever-changing world.  The early Jewish mystics developed in the first and second centuries at the same time that the Gnostic sects were developing among the Christian community.

Kabbalism remains strong among modern Hasidic Jews.

The emphasis of the Bible Code researchers on the Torah reflects, at least in part, kabbalistic thought about the true nature of the Torah.  The Rambam (Rabbi Mosheh ben Maimon, b. 1135, Spain – d. 1204, Egypt) declared that “… the entire Torah is the names of the Holy One.”

The Zohar Yitro 87a declares, “We have already taught; The Torah in its entirety is the Holy Name, for there is no word in the Torah which is not included in the Holy Name.”  So, according to the Kabbalists, the Torah is God’s Name.

Kabbalism teaches that God created the universe by the manipulation of the letters of the Torah. In other words, He created the universe by the use of His Name.

The most that a Christian can say on this is what the Bible says. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1: 1-3.

As to the name of God, He has answered the question:

“And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”  Exodus 3:13-14.

I Didn't Recognize the High Priest

"And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people." (Acts 23:1-5) (Note: Here Paul paraphrases from Exodus 22:28)


"I didn't recognize him."  Of course Paul knew that Ananias was the High Priest!  In the next passage, Paul declares to the group that he is a Pharisee and a Pharisee would know the High Priest.  Paul was using the words in the same way we might today.  He was being sarcastic, telling Ananias that he did not recognize Ananias' authority.  He also was asking Ananias how he dared to judge Paul (Acts 23:3).  Paul knew exactly who he was, God's apostle, and he was not shy about exerting his own authority.

The Sign of the Fish

The Sign of the Fish?  Didn't I mean The Sign of the Cross?  The sign of the fish was one of the very early symbols used by Christians.  The obvious reference is to the biblical stories recorded in Matthew 14:13-21, 15:32-39, Mark 6:31-44, 8:1-9, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:5-15 where Jesus fed thousands using only a few fish and loaves of bread.  Also, several of Jesus' first disciples were fishermen and He promised them that they would become "fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17)

The fish symbol was often safer to use than a cross because the Romans knew the cross symbol but most of them would totally miss the significance of a fish.  The symbol became a sort of secret code so Christians could safely recognize others whom they had not yet met.  Also, a house with a fish over the door was a "safe house," an indirect reference to the Passover. (Exodus 12:12-14)

This was not the only meaning of the fish; it was also an anagram from the first letters of the phrase Ιησούς Χριστός Θεού Υιός Σωτήρ (Greek meaning "Jesus Christ God Son Savior).  The first letters of the five words spell out ΙΧΘΥΣ (Icthys, Greek for "fish,'" from which we derive the English word "ichthyology," the study of fish.)

Names in the Bible: Jesus

The English-language name Jesus is actually Yeshua  or Yehoshua from the Hebrew word "yasha (ישע)" which means "to bring out into a spacious place," "to deliver," or "to bring to safety."   The word calls up the idea of the Exodus, of God leading the Israelites from bondage in Egypt into the Promised Land, just as Jesus brings us out of the dead world system into the Kingdom of God.

Christian Marriage, Part 3

(This is the conclusion of the blog posted yesterday.)

The only personal name for Himself which God Himself gives us in the Bible is "ehyeh" (in English texts it is usually rendered as YHWH) which means something like "I am who I am" or "I will be who I will be"
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה תֹאמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶהְיֶה שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם׃
This is Exodus 3:14. The bold Hebrew text says "ehyeh asher ehyeh" which the Septuagint translated into Greek as ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν "ego eimi o on" ("I am the one who is.")  K.J. Cronin points out that the Hebrew word "ehyeh" is the first person singular of YHWH.  Cronin's discussion of Exodus 3:14 runs into many pages and is quite technical, but highly interesting.  His conclusion is that the name of god is I AM, in the traditional understanding as absolute and eternal being. 


God never changes (Malachi 3:6).  He does not want or need, he purposes to do.  He does not love, He is Love.  Active love, love which takes the initiative; He's the God who came to us.  We didn't go to Him.  This is where our Trinitarian understanding becomes important in Christian marital relationships; because God the Holy Spirit is in each one of us.


As Christians, we are to become increasingly like Jesus.  So we should do love (action) rather than love in an abstract sense (emotion).  Romantic love is not "wrong," it can be a wonderful and thrilling thing.  But, a marriage based on only romantic love can fail.  Look around you.  How many people explain their divorces with "we just don't love each other any more."?  Emotions waver and flutter, sometimes they are intense, sometimes lethargic.


Christian love is stable, active, and controlled by the mind of Christ.  Christian wives, would you rather be loved by a romantic man or by a man who is thinking the thoughts of God?  Christian husbands, would you rather be loved by a romantic woman or by a woman who is thinking the thoughts of God?