January - Reading 12

Sometimes I think that people neglect their relationships, causing the church to be lethargic. They don't leave their gifts at the altar and reconcile with their brother as they should. And this is baseline Christianity.

 

In Genesis tonight, we see the jealousy of Isaac and Esau reflected in Jacob's wives, Leah and Rachel. To be honest, I feel very sympathetic toward Leah in the beginning. Even the names "Leah" and "Rachel" mean "cow" and "ewe" respectively, according to my NIV study notes. Leah feels rejected and takes the attitude, "If I give Jacob a son, he'll finally love me!" How many times have we all seen this same scene played out in modern times? Not to ruin the story for anyone, but it is actually Leah's child, Judah, who is the direct ancestor of David, and eventually Christ.
The treachery and deceit in the readings tonight are numerous and the jealousy of the sisters is immense. The competition between Leah and Rachel becomes almost comical. They even bring in servants to outdo each other with their fertility endeavors! This jealousy will be reflected in the story of Joseph yet to come. Perhaps it's good that Abraham had already passed so that he did not have to bear witness to all of this.

In Acts, we see Stephen's speech to the pharisees take an attacking turn. In verse 48, Stephen reiterates what Christ told the woman at the well in the Gopel of John, 4:23:

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> In verse 51 he mocks their covenant of circumcision. They may have kept a covenant with their foreskins, but their hearts held no pledges to God. A bold and fatal statement of truth for the martyr.
Notice the introduction of the new character in verse 58 and again in the first half of the first verse in chapter 8. Saul is immediately set up as one who revels in the pharisee's evil. This is an important level of character devlopment before we go to the road to Damascus.

In Matthew I would point out the need for forgiving those with whom you have a grievance. Having a forgiving heart is a requirement that Christ makes of us several times. Much of this passage until the end of the chapter are dealing with reconciliation rather than retribution, as the Jews seemed quite fond of retribution.
The sermon on the mount at this point is not abolishing the laws of Moses, rather it is setting forth the intent of the laws as the believer should take them. I have wrestled with the article on divorce personally many times in that this is the second marriage for both my wife and me. We discussed this passage and came to our own peace with it but I am interested in what the other believers on this board feel about it. It is the exception clause that interest me, "except for marital unfaithfulness." I know that Paul also addresses this issue, but for the most part, I worried about Christ's proclamation.

I hope Helen's migraine subsided. I missed her comments yesterday. May God bless all of you

- Clint

 

"Ye have heard that it hath been said..."

In our last Reading Jesus said, "Think not that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets," yet here most commentators say Christ is doing just that by adding to them. "But that's okay," they say,"the prohibition was just that men could not add to or take away from the Scriptures. Jesus is the Author of the Law, so He can do that." (This is not an actual quote, just a summary of the arguments I've heard.)

But the matter is clear once it is understood that Christ is not here commenting upon the Law per se, but upon the abuses of centuries of rabbinical tradition. This will be at once evident when we get to verse 43, which says "Ye have heard that it hath been said thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy." But no where is that command found in the OT. Quite the opposite actually: Ex 23:4, 5; Prov. 24:17, 18; Prov. 25:21.

When the rabbis of old were teaching, they would quote the traditions of the elders like this: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Eleazar ben Hananiah ben Hezekiah ben Garon says, "'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.'

"You should remember it from Sunday, so that if something nice comes to hand, you should set it aside for the sake of the Sabbath." (Mekhilta Attributed to Rabbi Ishmael LIII:II.7. Quoted in A Rabbi Talks with Jesus by Jacob Neusner.)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

So when Jesus said, "by them of old time," He was not speaking of Moses and the Prophets, but of the rabbi's. His teaching here actually restores the commandments to their intended meanings. He doesn't add a jot or a tittle.

Thou shalt not kill always meant don't even kill in your heart.

Thou shalt not commit adultery always meant not even in your heart.

It was rabbinical tradition that robbed them of their meanings and made them of none effect. Many, many men can go through life witout physically murdering someone or physically committing adultery. But who has never in his heart?

None but Christ.

[ January 12, 2002: Message edited by: Aaron ]

 

Our Scriptures for 1/13 are:

Matthew 5:33-48

Acts 8:1-25

Psalm 13

Genesis 31

 

Our Scriptures for 1/13 are:

Matthew 5:33-48

Acts 8:1-25

Psalm 13

Genesis 31

 

Our Scriptures for 1/13 are:

Matthew 5:33-48

Acts 8:1-25

Psalm 13

Genesis 31

 

Our Scriptures for 1/13 are:

Matthew 5:33-48

Acts 8:1-25

Psalm 13

Genesis 31