Rabbi’s Reflections – Friday, August 9, 2019
(Early) Shabbat Shalom,
This is the 5th installment of the teaching on The Millennial Hope. Let’s immediately go to John 9. In verse 39 Yeshua says something very profound.
John 9:39 Yeshua said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who don’t see may see, and the ones who do see may become blind.”
That is going to require some unpacking (unless you’re smarter than the rest of us and already understand His meaning.) The whole chapter is the story of Yeshua healing the blind man.
The amazing story is how the characters dealt with Yeshua’s miracle working power. The Pharisees were angry Yeshua healed on the Shabbat. The man’s parents were afraid of the Pharisees. The people who knew the man doubted it was really him even though he said, “It’s me.” The blind man, himself, had to defend his healing. If you don’t know the story, read it in John 9.
The Pharisees threw the man out, but Yeshua heard about it and found the man he healed. Some of the Pharisees were staying close to see what happened next. They exchanged these words with Yeshua…
John 9:40 Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this and asked, “We’re not blind too, are we?” 41 Yeshua said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, ‘We see.’ So your sin remains.”
Wait! This isn’t getting clearer, it is getting harder to explain. I’m going to try to explain this by referencing 3 Scriptures. Although it is popular these days to think so, the truth is that ignorance of the law does not excuse us from obeying the law. God’s law is universal truth. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Even the ignorant.
But concerning accountability for sin we read this. Romans 4:15 For the Torah brings about wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there a violation. And this is backed up in the next chapter. Romans 5:13 For up until the Torah, sin was in the world; but sin does not count as sin when there is no law. And two chapters later another confirmation. Romans 7:9 Once I was alive apart from the Torah; but when the commandment came, sin came to life….
The sin of Adam does not send anyone to hell. I know that’s a shocking statement to many, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Only the sin of not believing in the One who redeemed us from all sin will do that. John 16:8 “When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
All sin has been placed upon Yeshua HaMashiach. He is alone as the once for all time sacrifice. 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Isaiah wrote of this too… Isaiah 53:6 We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us turned to his own way. So Adonai has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Tomorrow I’ll write about this again. Then we will discuss how the Bible speaks of two types of sin, the sin in Adam of breaking the law of Moses (forgiven) and then there is the sin of rejecting the Holy Spirit (not to be forgiven).
Week 32
Memory Verse: Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
156 8/05 Monday: Matthew 3-4
157 8/06 Tuesday: Matthew 5
158 8/07 Wednesday: Matthew 6
159 8/08 Thursday: Matthew 7
* 160 8/09 Friday: Matthew 8
The question of the day: What does it mean to be a person under authority?
Answer: The Roman Centurion spoke these words to Yeshua. Matthew 8:9 For I also am a man under authority. Yeshua marveled at the man’s faith and honored his request by healing his soldier. (Read the context if you’re not familiar.)
We all have a calling to be under authority. Even Yeshua (who is our example so often and in so many ways), to whom all authority was given (see Matthew 28:18) in the resurrection, was under authority while on earth before the crucifixion.
But being under authority is another one of those strange and elusive commodities that you never know if you have it (or how much you have) until you need it. Faith is the classic example (but there are many others). You never know if you have faith until you need faith.
In fact, we can’t have authority (remember, all authority is Yeshua’s) unless Yeshua lends it to us, and He’s not lending it to us unless we are, in fact, under His authority. Don’t doubt me on this. Most people are pretending to have authority, but because they are not submitted to Yeshua, they’re faking it. Satan is the classic example of one who is faking it.
And, no one is under direct authority to Yeshua. God works through flesh and blood humans. We are to be submitted one to another. And don’t get the idea that I want to be the authority or even an authority in your life. In the best relationships there is mutual submission one to the other.
Did someone say “verse me?” That means do I have biblical proof for what I’m teaching? These two thoughts are in the same chapter and connected, but I’ve never seen them connected in this way. Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved children; 21 Also submit yourselves to one another out of reverence for Messiah—