TorahBytes: The Blessing of God's Name (Naso)

So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them. (Bemidbar / Numbers 6:27; ESV)

This week's parsha (Torah portion) contains the well-known blessing that God entrusted to Moses' brother Aaron and his descendants, the cohanim (English: priests). Through this blessing they were to put God's name on the people of Israel.

When we read of God's name, we need to keep in mind that in that culture a name communicated something of the nature of the person or thing being named. Names were not simply a label in the way names are used today, where it is not uncommon for a person to be given a name because their parents like the sound of it. It is interesting that many if not most people today don't even know the meaning of their own names.

So when the cohanim were to put God's name on the people, it was not about the sounds of the consonants and vowels. The pronouncement of this blessing was not a magical formula that in itself caused things to happen to the hearers. It was what the blessing signified; its meaning made the difference. This is not to say that they could have used any words they wanted, since meaning is conveyed through words. Yet at the same time, saying the right words in themselves has no power.

The name that the cohanim were to put on the people is signified by the four Hebrew letters "yod", "hey", "vav", "hey" and is derived from the concept of "to be" or "existence". Its meaning is probably best explained when God referred to himself as "I am who I am" (Shemot / Exodus 3:14). Unlike anything else in the universe, God is the great Being or Self-Existing One. All existence is derived from him, while he is derived from nothing but himself.

The concept of blessing flows from God's self-existence. Blessing is the act of filling something or someone with life. For example, when a tree is fruitful, life, which is derived from God alone, has flowed into the tree resulting in abundant fruit. That process is called "blessing."

The cohanim were God's chosen channels through which blessing flowed. By pronouncing these words, or rather what these words signified, they brought life to the people of Israel.

Interestingly the blessing they were to say, used the singular when speaking to the nation. While God instructs the cohanim to speak to "them", the nation (vv. 22, 27), every use of the word "you" in the blessing itself is singular. God's intention for his people is that each of us individually would receive life from him.

Through the Messiah, we can receive that life. Yeshua is the Cohen HaGadol, the Great High Priest, through whom we can receive the power of God's name. Just as the cohanim of old reminded us that we cannot derive God's blessing on our own, it is through the life, death and resurrection of the Messiah that we can truly know God and be filled with his life.

TorahBytes: God's True Identity (Bemidbar)

And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me "My Husband," and no longer will you call me "My Baal." For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. (Hosea 2:18, 19; English: 2:16, 17; ESV)

My family and I are fans of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, a popular series of children's fantasy books. In these stories people from our world have adventures in a parallel world. Masterfully written, Lewis weaves spiritual insights throughout these books, some of which have helped me to better grasp certain biblical concepts.

However, there is a viewpoint which Lewis illustrates that I take exception to. In the last book of the series, entitled The Last Battle, Lewis paints a picture of the transition from life as we know it to the age to come. The allegiance of the book's characters is split between the messianic figure Aslan and an evil god, named Tash. It is only those who have served Aslan who will inherit eternal life in the age to come.

There is one individual who, as far as everyone knows, including himself, served Tash his whole life, yet is welcomed into the new creation. It is explained that those who have served Tash with noble and good deeds were, without knowing it, actually serving Aslan; while those who, albeit in Aslan's name, lived cruel lives, were actually serving Tash.

If this is indeed Lewis's understanding of who, in the end, is truly accepted by God, then he clearly expresses one biblical truth, while denying another. Throughout history there have been many who have abused the name of the true God for their own evil purposes. Some of these people have put on a good front and others have not. Lewis is right that those who do evil in God's name are actually standing against him. These people should not be surprised when they are rejected by God in the end.

But Lewis has erred in his assertion that allegiance to the true God will be judged solely on the basis of people's intensions, faithfulness and good deeds. Whether or not people consciously profess faith in Yeshua is irrelevant according to "The Last Battle."

According to Scripture God is more than simply a spiritual concept; he is a personal being with whom we need to be in proper relationship. God's identity is revealed to us very specifically. He is the God of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob - the God who led his people out of slavery in Egypt. It was essential that his people learn to in no way confuse him with other gods. He knew that if they made that confusion, they would be disloyal to him and engage in all sorts of destructive behaviors.

This week's Haftarah is taken from the writings of the prophet Hosea. Through him God foretold of a time when this confusion would be no more. The people of Israel in the Hebrew Scriptures regularly integrated the spirituality of the nations around them with their service to the true God. Baal was a popular false god in those days. Throughout Israelite history the people were drawn into Baal worship. Through the passage quoted above we see that the true God was being called by the name of "Baal." To the people of that day, they were one and the same. The day would come, however, when this confusion would be broken for good.

God's true identity is found in who he really is and not simply through our intentions. Our acknowledgement of his true identity is an essential part of being in right relationship with him. While true faith is not just a matter of using correct religious labels, to disregard the way in which God has revealed himself is to disregard him.

TorahBytes: You Don't Have To Be Afraid (Be-Hukkotai)

I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. (Vayikra / Leviticus 26:6; ESV)

Like many others I was deeply moved and impressed by this past year's Academy award-winning film, "The King's Speech" (minus the crude language). The line that affected me the most was when speech therapist Lionel Logue said to King George VI, "You don’t need to be afraid of things you were afraid of when you were five." This simple statement captures the depths of the kind of debilitating fear that continues to control so many of us. Logue is right. The traumas we experienced at a young age need not affect us now. But they do. They affected King George. They affect us. I appreciate how the movie doesn't cheapen the pain of childhood trauma by giving the impression that after Logue's statement, everything was okay. That the King was greatly helped by Logue and was able to give his historic speech in spite of his impediment is highly instructive and wonderfully encouraging. Yet, according to the film, the King's fears rooted in his childhood continued to plague him.

It was deplorable to hear of how the King was abused as a small child. No doubt many readers and listeners of TorahBytes have similar tragic stories to tell. Abuse and other types of hardships have profound effects on us. People who somehow escape such painful experiences are often surprised by how common such things are. Our desire to imagine that life is basically good clouds the reality of the brokenness of human existence due to our rebellion against God.

One of the reasons for God's choosing the people of Israel was to reveal the truth about human existence. In this week's Torah portion we read of God's blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Israel was to experience peace, security, and a sense of well-being as a result of following God's instructions, but devastating mental and physical anguish if they rejected God's ways. The result of rejecting God is not the story of Israel alone. Israel's story was designed to instruct the whole world concerning the truth about God and life, so that we could look at the overall human condition and realize that the cause of our brokenness is alienation from God.

The bad fruit of brokenness is different from person to person, nation to nation, but all of us can find ourselves in the terrible list included in the Torah portion. For some of us, like King George, fear is the predominate outcome of our alienation from God.

It is next to impossible for people who are controlled by fear to imagine that freedom from its clutches is a possibility. But it is. Not only was a lack of fear a promise of God to ancient Israel should they have been true to him, which they were not, but it is now a benefit for those who are restored to God thought the Messiah. This subject is much bigger than what we can cover in a short message, but let's be reminded of the great sense of security and lack of fear available to those who love God through the Messiah:

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:16-19; ESV).

"There is no fear in love"; "Perfect love casts our fear"; "Whoever fears has not been perfected in love." Followers of Yeshua who still struggle with fear need to accept that we don't yet fully grasp the reality of God's love as we should. The residue of fear that continues to choke us is a sign of our need to know God and his love better.

As one who continues to struggle with fear due largely to childhood trauma, I know the difference Yeshua has made in my life. Before coming to know him, fear was absolutely crippling and destructive. I am so grateful to God for the great level of freedom I have enjoyed due to his deep work in my life. Like King George getting to the place where he could deliver his speech, so God has enabled me to live an effective and blessed life. But at the same time I believe there's more for me. I need not put up with the remnants of the chains of fear that continually threaten to choke my life. I need to look to God to perfect his love in me, so that fear will be cast out once and for all.

TorahBytes: Slavery (Be-Har)

As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you. You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly. (Vayikra / Leviticus 25:44-46; ESV)

For many people, one of the most troubling issues in the Bible is slavery. How could God view slavery in the way it appears to be presented in the Scriptures? The passage I just read from this week's parsha (Torah portion) seems to be clear that the people of Israel were permitted to own slaves.

Looking back from our day to ancient times, we expect the Bible to share our perspective on slavery. Most of us are deeply offended at the thought of owning other human beings and treating them like property, and therefore find it very disturbing that the same God through whom we learn an otherwise high standard of morality would condone such an evil institution.

But does God truly condone slavery? I cannot deny that our passage give this impression, but a more thorough reading of the entire Bible suggests otherwise. It is true that we do not find in the pages of Scripture the abolitionist language of modern times. Yet what we do find is a clear undermining of this oppressive man-made institution.

God's actual view of slavery is dramatically illustrated in his deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt. He had no qualms about disrupting Egypt's economy by removing their forced labor system.

That slavery is a negative condition is also evident by the distinctions in our passage. While foreigners could be owned as slaves, fellow Israelites could not be. There was something about how nations viewed one another that allowed for the toleration of slavery. But since Israel was to view their own people as family, they were not to enslave each other.

But what if we viewed all people as brothers and sisters? What would happen to slavery then? This is what we see in the New Covenant letter of Philemon. Philemon was a wealthy man and slave owner, who had come to know the Messiah through Paul the sheliach (English: apostle or emissary). One of Philemon's slaves by the name of Onesimus had run away, but eventually also turned to Yeshua, through Paul's teaching. Respecting Roman law, Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon along with the letter bearing his name. On the basis of the new brotherly relationship between Philemon and Onesimus, Paul shrewdly undermines the institution of slavery. He writes:

For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother - especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord (Philemon 15, 16; ESV).

As more and more masters and slaves became followers of the God of Israel through the Messiah and thus brothers through the same heavenly Father, slavery was doomed.

It would be the dissemination of biblical teaching that would challenge the world's understanding of how we should treat our fellow human beings. It would take centuries for the worldwide human community to recognize our commonality across national and ethic boundaries - a commonality that would make the condoning of slavery impossible.

You might be surprised to learn that slavery still exists. In fact there are more slaves in the world now than any other time in history. The UN estimates that there are over 27 million slaves today. According to "Slavery in the Twenty-First Century" by Howard Dodson (http://www.smfcdn.com/assets/pubs/un_chronicle.pdf), "All racial groups are objects of the trade. Though women and children are its principal victims, those who are bought, sold and enslaved come from almost every continent and are sold into slavery in virtually every country." You may be surprised to learn how we benefit from the continued existence of this oppression.

As we seek to grasp a comprehensive understanding of the Bible's view of slavery, may God open our eyes to the reality of modern slavery and guide us in his mandate to set the captives free.

TorahBytes: Blemishes (Emor)

You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. (Vayikra / Leviticus 22:20; ESV)

The God of Israel was very particular with regard to the physical condition of the cohanim (English: priests) and the sacrifices. He gave Moses lists of physical deformities which would have disqualified people and animals from his service.

These high standards were not legislated because of God's personal preferences, but rather to cause the people to reckon with the seriousness of human imperfection. Human beings were originally designed to be God's representatives on Earth. The rebellion of our first parents in the Garden of Eden drastically altered our nature, rendering us unfit to serve God. The sacrificial system of the Torah drives home the separation that exists between humans and God. On one hand the people of Israel were privileged to engage in the service of God through the sacrificial system and were instructed in God's ways and holiness. On the other hand they were continually reminded of their inability to enter true intimacy with God.

That anyone would be disqualified on the basis of blemishes goes against much popular thought that tries to convince us that there is nothing wrong with us at all. We are continually told that biblical concepts of sin and guilt are concoctions of power-driven religionists. By freeing our minds of such things and recognizing our innate goodness, we can reach our full potential and live successful lives.

Yet there has probably never been a day when we have been so obsessed with blemishes. Vast amounts of time and money are spent on tweaking our appearance. While neglecting the moral and spiritual aspects of our lives, we strive for some semblance of physical perfection that we find acceptable.

The drive for physical perfection is a lost cause, however, due to the mortality of our bodies. No matter how hard we try to remove or hide our blemishes, they will return or others will show and then eventually we will die anyway.

But it's not our physical blemishes that should cause us concern. Our moral and spiritual blemishes are not imaginary, but real. The Torah, as the mirror of our soul, reflects the gross imperfections which are part of us all. God's Word clearly reveals to us that we don't match up to God's standards, thus rendering us unable to come to God as we so desperately need to.

Thankfully God does not leave us in this condition. Having pointed out our spiritual blemishes, the Scriptures give us hope of being restored to right relationship with God. Over 600 years before the coming of Yeshua Isaiah prophesied:

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5, 6; ESV)

Isaiah foretold how the Messiah through his suffering and death would effectively deal with the transgressions and iniquities that have caused us to be alienated from God. As Yeshua took on himself our blemishes, he makes us fit to truly enter God's presence and to serve God in this world as he intended.

TorahBytes: A Real Solution to a Real Problem (Kedoshim)

And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them. (Vayikra / Leviticus 20:23; ESV)

The great author G.K. Chesterton wrote, "It isn't that they can't see the solution. It's that they can't see the problem." Many voices today offer all sorts of solutions for successful living, but very few accurately identify the problems we face as human beings. This is also the case among those who claim to offer biblically based solutions. That the Bible offers effective solutions many agree: abundant life, everlasting life, freedom, forgiveness, acceptance, healing, hope, joy, peace, love, goodness, stability, wisdom, and so on. These rightly presuppose the common lack of such things as many of us are oppressed, sick, worried, fearful, guilty, depressed, and lost.

In order to resolve the human predicament and experience the wonderful blessings of God in our lives, we need to come to grips with the underlying problem. Otherwise we will only be treating the symptoms and not the problem itself.

It is in identifying the problem that many proponents of the Bible fall short. Many of us agree that the fundamental issue facing all people comes down to our relationship with God. Alienation from God manifests itself in human dysfunction. Where we differ is over how God views our alienation. Failure to correctly understand God's perspective on what's wrong undermines our understanding and application of his solution.

Many see God's perspective on the human condition as one of sympathy only. He feels so bad for us that he has gone to great lengths to convince us of his love. If only we could grasp this, then we could be everything we were meant to be.

It is not surprising that this kind of thinking has led many to wonder where those who believe differently from us or don't believe at all fit in. If God loves us so much and he  has the power to rescue us all, then what stops him from doing so? The weakness with this way of thinking is that it hasn't properly grasped the human problem and therefore fails to provide the biblical solution.

In the verse I read at the beginning we get a glimpse of the real problem. Contrary to popular misconception, God is displeased with the human condition. With regard to the nation living in the Promised Land prior to Israel's conquest, he detested them. God detested people? Doesn't he love everyone? God's love is a complex thing that cannot be truly comprehended apart from his righteous wrath. God is not like a sentimental grandparent, whose heart's desire is to spoil his grandkids with whatever suits their fancy. He is the Creator God and Judge of all, who made human beings in his own image to suit his own plans and purposes. Our rebellion against him is high treason against the only true King and is worthy of eternal punishment. God's love is expressed in his willingness to become like one of us and give himself in the person of the Messiah for the forgiveness of sins.

This solution presupposes a problem of such depth that few of us are willing to take seriously. Human depravity due to our rejection of God makes us detestable in God's sight. We may fool ourselves into thinking that our plight is not that bad as we go to great pains to cover up the evil that dwells in the hearts of us all. Yet we continue to offend our Creator through our self-serving greed and violence. We should wonder why God doesn't wipe out the whole lot of us.

The growing crisis among some Bible believers over how God could allow anyone to perish fails to accept the human problem. But once we see the problem for what it is, not only we can receive God's solution for ourselves, but we can also more effectively help others to do so as well.

TorahBytes: Favor with God (Pesach)

And the LORD said to Moses, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name." (Shemot / Exodus 33:17; ESV)

Moses found favor in God's sight. What a concept it is that a human being could enjoy the favor of the Master of the Universe: God - the Creator, Savior, King, and Judge. The Hebrew word for "favor" in this verse is "ḥen" (with an aspirated 'h' as in the "ch" in "Bach") which signifies in this context God's willingness to give help to Moses. So basically Moses is asking God for help and God is willing to give it.

The simplicity of this interchange should in no way undermine the overwhelming implications of what is going on here. People who believe in God and believe that prayer (speaking to God) is a valid exercise, claim also to believe that God answers prayer. But do we approach God with the assumption that we, like Moses, have found favor in his sight? Or in other words, do we really think that God is willing to give us the help we ask for?

To be able to answer that question, we need to determine what the basis for finding favor with God is. Moses knew that if God would be willing to help him, then he would get the help he needed. And because God was favorably disposed toward Moses, Moses' request was granted.

The Bible teaches that human beings are not naturally within the bounds of God's favor. Pesach (English: Passover), which begins this year on Monday evening, April 18, commemorates God's favorable act of the rescue of the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Yet the story of the Exodus illustrates the tension of the human experience before God. While on one hand Israel is delivered from a most terrible situation because of God's favor, their and the subsequent generations' inability to remain within God's favor is evident. Through the Hebrew prophets Israel gained the understanding that while God delivered us from physical bondage in Egypt, there was to be a greater spiritual deliverance one day through the coming of the Messiah. This is why the traditional Passover Seder (ceremonial meal) both looks back on the Exodus from Egypt and forward to Messiah's coming. It is the coming of the Messiah which marks the time when God's people will fully enjoy his favor.

This reality is wonderfully foreshadowed by how the people of Israel were directed on that first Pesach to smear the blood of the lambs on the door frames of their houses to protect them from God's judgment their last night in Egypt. God's favor was upon them as they remained under the protection of the sacrificed lamb. But sadly, as the nation of Israel left Egypt they failed to continue to live lives submitted to God's loving provision and protection, preferring rather to pursue life on their own terms, thus placing themselves beyond the bounds of God's favor.

Thankfully we do not have to remain outside of the bounds of God's favor. Like that first Pesach night we can again come under the blood of the lamb. For by trusting in the poured out life of the Messiah, we can experience the favor of God. As we read in the New Covenant book of Hebrews: "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16; ESV). Those who trust in Yeshua can confidently come before God with our needs and expect to find favor his sight.

TorahBytes: The Feel of Clean (Aharei Mot)

For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the LORD from all your sins. (Vayikra / Leviticus 16:30; ESV)

Do you enjoy the feeling of clean? You know, after working or playing hard on a muggy summer day and you finally have a nice long shower. There's nothing like that feeling of being free from the stickiness of sweat and dirt.

The Torah uses the terms unclean and clean to describe our state before God. The effect of sin in our lives makes us dirty in a very real sense. While this reality is not physical, but spiritual, it is no less real. Being dirty physically isn't bad in itself, yet it can prevent us from participating in certain situations. While grease and grime may be appropriate for a car mechanic at a service garage, it wouldn't do for that same person to be covered with dirt at his wedding. In the same way spiritual uncleanness makes us unfit to enter God's presence.

Our awareness or lack of awareness of being physically dirty is no indication of how dirty we may be. Human beings are quite adaptable and can get used to all sorts of things including dirt. Getting comfortable with dirt doesn't change the fact of dirt. It's the same spiritually. How aware we are of our uncleanness may or may not be an accurate reflection of our actual spiritual state.

The Torah assumes that human beings gets dirty spiritually, and provides cleansing through the sacrifices. This is a foreign concept for most of us today. In fact, we don't tend to think of ourselves as spiritually unclean. But this is the very reason for our alienation from God. Due to sin, we are unfit to be in God's presence, which in turn undermines human existence in every way.

Yet spiritual cleansing as prescribed by the Torah was only a partial solution in that it only maintained the Old Covenant Temple ritual by allowing the people to participate in the religious affairs of the nation. It never really made the people fit to be in God's presence. It actually served as a reminder of how terribly dirty we really are.

Pesach (English: Passover) is almost upon us for another year. When Yeshua celebrated his last Pesach with his disciples, he washed their feet to demonstrate among other things  the type of humble attitude we should have toward each other. As he was about to wash Peter's feet, Peter understandably reacted to the Messiah's performing the function of a common servant. Once he understood that this was essential for him to be truly part of the Messiah's life and mission, he asked that Yeshua might also wash his head and hands. To this Yeshua made a most profound pronouncement. He said to Peter "Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you" (John 15:3; ESV). While it is still necessary to deal with the uncleanness of daily living, signified by the need of foot washing, Peter was basically clean. Peter was clean but didn't know it. He didn't feel clean. He thought he was still dirty.

Do you feel dirty? Unlike physically cleansing, spiritual cleanness isn't naturally and automatically felt. But if you, like Peter, have turned to Yeshua as your Master and Messiah, then you, like Peter, are clean. Ah, the feel of clean!

TorahBytes: What Do You Hear? (Mezora)

For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army... (2 Melachim / 2 Kings 7:6; ESV)

We live in a day of information. In fact, I am probably correct in saying that we are inundated with more information than any other time in history. We are the object of more data, more opinions, and more claims than any generation that has ever lived.

Here in Canada, we are currently in the midst of a federal election campaign. We are being bombarded by all sorts of promises, criticisms, and commentary all vying for our attention. I have the impression that for many if not most Canadians, the political rhetoric, especially at election time, is nothing but empty showmanship designed to manipulate the public to garner votes and financial contributions.

Political game playing is just one example of the disconnect between information delivery and what we actually hear. Information experts understand this. They know that people don't necessarily hear what is being said. So they design the packaging and presentation of information to evoke a desired response regardless of the actual information content. That is why to communicate effectively, how we present something is just as important as what we say.

This week's Haftarah reveals another aspect of the dynamics of information delivery. In this story Samaria, the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, was in famine due to being under siege by the Syrian army. Four Israelite men, who had leprosy, decided they had nothing to lose by surrendering to the Syrians. But when they arrived at the Syrian camp, it was deserted. What had happened was that God caused the Syrians to hear what sounded like the coming of a great army. They freaked out thinking that Israel had hired other nations to come to their aid. So they abandoned camp and fled.

Now, I cannot say that this sort of thing happens all the time. But even one example of God causing people to hear something that wasn't really there in order to evoke a desired response should make us pause with regard to how we react to what we hear. Besides the communication issues of such things as hidden agendas, rumors, misconceptions, and outright lies that skew the accuracy of what we hear, once we realize that the God of the Universe may also be involved in information delivery, we need to be very careful about how we hear.

Note how the Syrian army didn't hear voices telling them that they were under attack. They only heard what sounded like an army. The reason why they believed they were under attack was because they were the enemies of Israel and God. If Israel would have heard the same sound, they likely would have believed that an army was coming to their aid instead.

How we hear what we hear is not primarily derived from the information itself, but from our understanding of our relationship with God. When we know that we are in good standing with him, that he loves us, and that he is always out for our good, then that becomes the filter through which we hear everything. We will no longer be victims of those who wish to manipulate us by their words. We will have patience for other people's inability to communicate effectively. We will not be alarmed by news of terrible atrocities in the world. And when we hear rumblings from God himself, we will know that he coming not to attack us, but to our aid.

TorahBytes: Giving Birth Is not a Disease (Tazri'a & Hahodesh)

And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, and he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. (Vayikra / Leviticus 12:6, 7; ESV)

The Torah does far more than provide lists of rules and regulations. Through the study of Torah we are drawn into seeing life from God's perspective. A fancy, popular term for this is "worldview." Most of us are not aware that we live our lives based on a worldview, but how we see the world controls the way we live. A worldview is something far more caught than taught in that, for the most part, how we see the world is unconsciously derived from our families of origin and the unstated values of the cultures in which we live.

The Torah is an expression of God's worldview. The explicit statements we encounter in the Torah arise from how God sees life. God's view of reality, which I accept to be the only true reality, is not always explained, but rather assumed. The reason for something is not usually given. After all God has no need to explain himself; he is the Creator and Master of the Universe. When he provides a directive, it is based on his correct understanding of life. But as we look closely at what he tells us, we can pick up on his perspective. As we do so, our understanding of life becomes enriched, which in turn puts his directives in their context, enabling us to fulfill them as God intended.

Before we look at a particular example, I want to point out that the context in which to best understand God's directives is that we live in the messianic age. Unlike the original recipients of the Torah who anticipated Messiah's coming, we live out God's directives in these days of messianic fulfillment. Yeshua's coming and the destruction of the Temple revolutionized how God's people conduct their lives. Yet the radical differences between the Old and New Covenants should not distract us from God's perspective on life which we encounter all through his sacred writings.

Now to our example of how the Torah provides us with God's worldview. This week's Torah portion begins with a section regarding the purification regulations of child birth. This is then followed by a lengthy section on infectious skin conditions. There are similarities and dissimilarities between these two sections. What these two conditions have in common is that special attention was to be given to their conditions and certain rituals were to be observed when the conditions were resolved. The state of being unclean in each case placed the person in a special relationship to the things of God and in the community. This was designed to protect the community and the individual during their time of ritual uncleanness. However, the port-partum mother did not pose a risk to the community in the way those who contracted an infectious skin disease did. If it was determined that a person truly had an infectious skin condition, they were to be placed in isolation. There was no such requirement for the specified time period following childbirth. While both the post-partum mother and the person with the skin condition were to be regarded as "unclean", whatever else unclean meant, childbirth is not a disease.

That childbirth is not a disease is, of course, rooted in God's overall perspective on children, which is that they are a blessing and a reward (See Bereshit / Genesis 1:28, Devarim / Deuteronomy 7:4, Tehillim / Psalms 127:3, Matthew 19:14). Yet even though many cultures correctly understand the differences between these two conditions and no one would outright say that giving birth is a disease, the amount of time and effort put in by so many people trying to prevent themselves from having children may expose a worldview very different from that of the God of the Torah.

TorahBytes: When Feeling Bad Is Good (Shemini & Parah)

Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. (Ezekiel 36:31, 32; ESV)

This week's Haftarah (reading from the Prophets) includes one of the Hebrew Scriptures' predictions of the physical and spiritual restoration of the people of Israel. These portions make it clear that while Israel will suffer serious consequences for rejecting God and his ways, he will not cast them off forever, but rather will restore them to himself and to their land. This restoration will not be a simple reset back to the way things were, but rather to the way God has always intended, though yet has never been experienced.

However this works out, God is the one who does it. The way the Bible references the work of God is not a poetic or metaphorical way of describing life at a human level alone. When we read, "Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt" (Ezekiel 36:33; ESV), God will really do it.

But the fact that God is the one who brings such things about doesn't mean that there isn't a human factor. The restoration of Israel is not something that just happens to the people. As God does what God does, so the people react and respond. In fact the reality of the restoration is that the people will react and respond in a very particular way.

One aspect of that response is contained in what was quoted at the start: "Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations" (Ezekiel 36:31; ESV). When God brings about the promised heart change in the people they will look at their bad behavior and feel terrible about it. And so God says to them: "Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel" (Ezekiel 36:32; ESV). In order to experience the restoration of God, the people first need to be ashamed.

That's not the kind of message I hear these days. What I most often hear is that God wants us to feel good about ourselves. What we're told is that the human problem is low self-esteem and if we only knew how God felt about us, everything would be okay (or, at least, a lot better than it is now). Our problem supposedly is that we haven't learned to accept ourselves. Since, according to this way of thinking, if God accepts us the way we are, then we should to.

But God doesn't accept us the way we are. The reason why the human situation is as bad as it is is because God rejects us in the state we are in. Our acceptance is based on his mercy and sacrifice on our behalf. The good news is that anyone who wants to return to God on his terms will be accepted. But it must be on his terms, which includes loathing ourselves because of our iniquities. Unless we see our sin for what it is, we will never receive the forgiveness necessary to be restored to God. How can we be forgiven if we think we have nothing that requires forgiveness in the first place? To claim to participate in the Messiah's sacrifice but deny its very purpose is to reject it.

It's not as if God wants us to live the rest of our lives feeling bad about ourselves. It's that seeing our wrongs from God's perspective is a necessary part of being restored to right relationship with him. Once we admit the truth about the nature of the evil that pervades our lives, we are in a place where we can receive his forgiveness and experience his acceptance.

TorahBytes: What Is Sin? (Zav & Zakhor)

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor or has found something lost and lied about it, swearing falsely - in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby -" (Vayikra / Leviticus 6:1-3; ESV).

This section of the third book of the Torah gives directions regarding what to do when a person did certain wrongs to another person. Notice that in the verses I read, doing such things are considered sins against God and not just against the offended party. The Torah, in this way, puts our behavior into proper perspective. Doing wrong to others badly affects our relationship to God.

Some may think that referencing God with regard to human behavior is simply a way to control a community's behavior. After all the Torah is a religious document. Of course it will reference God with regard to most things. But the God of the Torah is not just an impersonal rule maker. There is no sense that his commandments are designed as behavior modification tools. The Torah's morality is deeply rooted in the reality of a relational God.

God rescued the people of Israel from a horrible situation in Egypt. This redemptive deliverance created a unique eternal bond between the people and God. As a result their lives were to reflect the nature and character of God. Failing to do so constitutes what we call "sin." Sin is not the breaking of an arbitrary rule, but rather it is the denial of or the attempt to destroy an established relationship. Sins are not demerits or mistakes on an exam, where too many can lead to a final mark of "Fail." Rather they are the bad fruit that arise from a state of being out of sync with what was intended to be a most intimate relationship. Justice, equity, respect for property, and honesty are essential aspects of the nature and character of God himself. To ignore these things is to turn one's back on God. To do wrong to others breaks relationship with him, or in other words, it is to sin.

Until we understand that our misdeeds toward each other are first and foremost an affront to the God who made us, we will never effectively deal with them. Philosophy, psychology, and all sorts of religions attempt to resolve human dysfunction, but no amount of self-understanding, personal improvement, mind games, or behavioral techniques will ever resolve our inability to live rightly towards others, not to mention establish and maintain right relationship with our Creator.

It is only as we recognize our misdeeds for what they really are - sins against God - that we can begin to not only know the kind of relationship with God we were designed for, but we will also begin to experience the kind of relationship with each other we so desperately long for.

TorahBytes: The People of God (Yayikra)

This one will say, "I am the LORD’s," another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, "The LORD’s," and name himself by the name of Israel. (Isaiah 44:5; ESV)

The central theme of the whole Bible is God's plan to reestablish right relationship with human beings. Having been made "very good" by God in the beginning, our first parents rejected God's word and listened to the Tempter, thrusting the human race into a state of alienation from our Creator. God determined from that day to restore our broken relationship with him (see Bereshit / Genesis 3:15). One might wonder why God didn't fix things on the spot. Why has the reconciliation of mankind to God been so drawn out, difficult, and complex? The complexity of this solution underscores the complexity of the problem. The more I ponder this, the more I realize how terrible our rebellious state really is. God's approach to this problem is the exact appropriate and most effective solution there is.

It would be centuries between God's promise of restoration in the Garden of Eden and the real beginnings of the outworking of his restorative plan. This occurred when God promised blessing to the whole world through Abraham. While so much of the focus of the Hebrew Scriptures is on Israel itself, throughout its pages we see how God's work in and through Israel would result in great benefit for all peoples and the entire creation.

An example of this is found in this week's Haftarah portion. Through the prophet Isaiah, God speaks of a time when he would restore wayward Israel to himself. As this occurs even those who were not of Israel originally would consider themselves as such and regard themselves as belonging to Israel's God.

The turning of non-Jewish nations to the God of Israel is the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham - the fulfillment of God's promise in the Garden. Israel was not chosen as a holy nation for itself, but for global blessing.

How this was to work out was a major challenge to the early followers of Yeshua. It took a while for the first generation of Jewish believers to accept and embrace God's desire to make himself known to non-Jewish people. Then, once more and more non-Jews began to trust in the Messiah, it would be through controversy that the place of non-Jews within the community of believers would be adequately understood. In time, non-Jewish believers would be accepted as full members of the New Covenant community.

Through Yeshua all people, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, are restored to right relationship with God. As such, all believers are equally regarded as part of the people of God. God is equally Father to all who are reconciled to him through the Messiah by faith. We all have the same access to him. God has no favorites. How much one may benefit by their relationship with God and their particular calling and gifts may differ from person to person. Yet at the same time, all believers are equally part of God's family.

The establishment of the New Covenant community as a multinational gathering of people based on faith in the Messiah should not be confused with God's particular plans and purposes for the people of Israel, however. While Israel's tendency to see itself as the sole benefactor of God's blessings became an obstacle to its comprehending its call to be an instrument of those blessings to all nations, the incorporation of the nations as part of the people of God in no way undermines the particular aspects of God's plan that applies particularly to Israel.

This "both/and" of the one messianic people of God and God's continued covenantal faithfulness to Abrahams' descendents through Isaac and Jacob is an essential element of biblical truth. To fail to grasp the importance of these two essential aspects of God's overall plan of reconciliation is to disqualify ourselves from full participation in that plan.

Israel was called to be God's instrument of blessing to the entire world. Contrary to popular thought, this was realized through the Jewish Messiah and his early Jewish followers. The New Covenant (New Testament) writings is the legacy of Israel to the world. The temporary failure of the majority of Israel to embrace its messianic call in Yeshua in no way undermines God's plan for the world or Israel's own destiny, for God will yet fulfill his promises to them.

For more information regarding the identity of Israel in the New Covenant writings, please see my article, God Did Not Reject His People - The Identity of Israel in Paul's Letter to the Romans, Chapter 11.

TorahBytes: The Visibility of God (Pekudei & Shekalim)

For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. (Shemot / Exodus 40:38; ESV)

The Torah teaches us two essential factors about the nature of God. First, God is non-material. He is not made up of the stuff of creation. This is one reason why he is not to be represented by idols. Man's greatest attempt to represent God through man-made items is futile, for his fullness cannot be comprehended by our physical senses.

The second essential factor is that while God himself is immaterial, he makes himself known within the material world he has made. Even though he is unseen, what he does is clearly seen. The creation is prime evidence for his existence. The design of the universe from the smallest particle to the vastness of space shouts to us of the reality of the Designer. More than that, God also makes himself known through unusual acts of power. God's deliverance of Israel from oppression in Egypt is an example of this. The ten plagues were not natural disasters. They were intended by God to show to Israel, Egypt, and the world how powerful he was and where his allegiance lay.

During the 40 years of Israel's wilderness wanderings, God also showed himself through various miracles of protection, provision, and punishment. Israel was to learn that God was not just a concept or a power to manipulate. Though he himself could not be seen and no image could be concocted that could adequately represent him, he was very real.

Another way God communicated himself was through a cloud that stayed with them during their wilderness years. The cloud protected them and guided them in their journeys. The cloud itself wasn't God. They didn't worship the cloud. Yet the cloud was a visible representation of his presence.

How wonderful it would be to have such a visible representation of God's reality and presence with us today! How certain we would be of God's existence, love, and leading! But then again, would we? The visibility of God didn't actually make a difference to the majority within the nation of Israel. All the adults who were miraculously delivered from Egypt were judged by God for their unfaithfulness and died before ever entering the Promised Land. All these visible manifestations of God's reality made no difference in their lives.

The people's lack of faithfulness to God in no way diminishes the reality of God's visibility. This lack only testifies to the depth of human beings' alienation from God. For those who were faithful to God, his visibility was a great comfort and help. God's visibility doesn't produce right relationship with him. But for those who truly trust him, the various ways God makes himself known, make an enormous difference.

This is not to say that knowing God is a personal, subjective experience as if the visibility of God is dependent on faith. Just like the whole nation of Israel saw the cloud and was benefited by it, God makes himself known to all people in a variety of ways. The difference that trusting him makes has to do with the effect of his visibility on us. When we are in right relationship with him, then the ways he reveals himself enhances that relationship.

TorahBytes: You Are an Artist (Va-Yakhel)

Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded. (Shemot / Exodus 36:1; ESV)

Years ago I was at a business meeting and the featured presentation was given by an art-oriented company. At some point during the meeting everyone attending was to introduce themselves and say something about their artistic ability. I was struck by how many people began by saying they weren't artistic, but loved gardening or were an engineer or software developer. Almost every person who seemed to be somewhat embarrassed by not being an artist in the classical sense of the word, clearly possessed some sort of creative ability.

As products of intentional creative design, human beings should expect to find all sorts of creative abilities within ourselves. From our first task as gardeners in Eden, people are called by God to creatively interact with our environment. We don't have to be painters, dancers, or musicians to be artistic. From parenting to building construction to assembly line work to management to even politics, life requires the ability of the artist to effectively perform the vast number of tasks we face throughout our lives.

This week's Torah portion helps us to understand our artistic ability according to God's design. God gave Moses detailed directions regarding the construction of the Mishkan (English: Tabernacle). The Mishkan was to be the central location for the sacrificial system for the people of Israel. As we read, the people who were to be involved in this project were the "craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary."

The most important aspect regarding human artistic ability is that it comes from God. Believers in God may quickly agree, but do we really relate to our abilities this way? We may refer to our talents as "gifts", but do we really accept that they are fundamentally rooted in God and not in self? Do we relate to our abilities as if they have been bestowed upon us from our Heavenly Father? Or do we think of them (or the lack of them) as just the way we are? The Torah is clear: skill is something that God has put in us.

Once we grasp this, then we can begin to look at our artistic abilities as the gifts they are: gifts to treasure, gifts to care for. If our abilities have been entrusted to us by God, then it is easier to accept the second aspect that we find in what we read. The craftsmen were to "work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded." The artistic abilities we have been given are not to be used in any way we like, but rather they are to serve the purposes of God.

So much of human creativity today is self expression. Being true to oneself and serving oneself in almost everything we do is our highest value. My abilities exist to serve my desires and my purposes. Even the reward of benefiting others is often expressed in terms of self gratification. And if my abilities make me lots of money, all the better!

This is so far from our Creator's perspective. God created us to be creative for his purposes. His directive to us to use that which he has entrusted to us within the confines of his will is not an expression of his own selfishness as if he is just like us only bigger. It's that for us to truly reflect the One in whose image we are made, we need to express our creativity with the same generosity, attitude of service and moral integrity as him.

A note to the artistically challenged: When we realize that creativity is truly a gift from God, we no longer need to accept our own (or others') view of our abilities. Just ask God, the Creative One, for his creative gifts. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you will discover he has put in you.