Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Shalom,
What Can Be Known About God? Part 1 – Romans, part 12
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. In unrighteousness they suppress the truth, 19 because what can be known about God is plain to them—for God has shown it to them. 20 His invisible attributes—His eternal power and His divine nature—have been clearly seen ever since the creation of the world, being understood through the things that have been made. So people are without excuse—
There it is, in verse 19 of Romans 1… “what can be known about God….” That verses uses it as a statement, “…what can be known about God is plain to them…,” but I want to use it as a question. What can be known about God? Verse 20 starts to answer the question… His invisible attributes. God’s invisible attributes are further described as “His eternal power and His divine nature.” Let’s dig even deeper.
The Rambam (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maimonides) famously wrote the Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith, which became reduced to the “Yigdal,” a hymn. (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-to-say-yigdal/)
Rabbi Trail: It might seem strange for a Messianic Rabbi (me) to be espousing the Rambam’s Thirteen Principles (I’m not espousing, but simply referencing) because numbers 2 and 3 were written to make it difficult for Jewish people to believe in Yeshua. Number 2 is that there is only one God and number 3 is that God cannot have a body.
As for number 2, there is but one God, (3 in 1). Part of His oneness is His Son, Yeshua. As for number 3, God had a body when He visited Abraham and when He wrestled Jacob, and in many other places of Scripture. See Asher Intrater’s book “Who Ate Lunch With Abraham?” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13581201-who-ate-lunch-with-abraham
Besides, why is the virgin birth so hard to believe. Can’t God, the Creator of the Universe, bring forth His own Son, without a natural man? The harder thing to believe is Abraham and Sarah having a son while in their 90s, but Jewish people don’t struggle with that. End RT.
The Rambam’s Thirteen Principles are a great start to understanding the invisible attributes of God. He is all powerful, all knowing, and omni-present. There is but one thing He cannot do. God cannot lie. This is Satan’s great assignment, to make God out to be a liar. It was the basis of his initial discussion with Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Yeshua is that promised seed, (Women don’t have “seed,” men have seed, women give birth.) Who will bruise the head of the serpent. That is the promise of God. God has provided testimony of His truthfulness through creation. This leaves mankind without excuse.
So, what’s your excuse? Too many liars in church? Don’t let their lies keep you from God’s promises. Too many rabbis don’t believe in Yeshua? (After all, how could they all be so wrong?) This is too important to allow some long dead rabbis’ mistake govern your future. Better agree with the Scripture, people (including you and me) truly are without excuse.
What can be known about God? More than I wrote in this short RR, so let’s pick this up again tomorrow.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Wed 25-Jan-2023 3rd of Sh’vat, 5783
Ex 11:4-12:20 1 Ki 13 Ps 115 Lk 23:26-56 (Col 1)