The Name in Vain…

John J Parsons

The Third Commandment states: lo tissa et shem Adonai Elohekha lashav, “You shall not lift up (lit. “carry”) the Name of the LORD your God in vain” (Exod. 20:7). Note that the Hebrew word lashav (לַשָּׁוְא), usually translated “in vain” in English, means in an empty or thoughtless manner (the LXX translates it as ἐπὶ ματαίῳ, “worthlessly” or “thoughtlessly”), though the word might also be rendered as “for show,” that is, insincerely or for sake of others. Obviously “lifting up the Name” of God ‘lashav’ includes invoking the Divine Presence in profane and vulgar ways, but it also includes “lip-service” expressions of faith, mechanical confessions, heartless acts of service, and so on. “Lifting up the Name” should never be used as a “weapon” against others, nor should it ever be used to justify or practice violence. You cannot “call upon God’s Name” in the truth without first exercising genuine reverence by recognizing the sacredness of life, the value of other people, and the LORD’s all-consuming glory, love, and power…

Reverencing the Name of the LORD means being in a personal, vital, and all-important relationship with the truth. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth (רוּחַ הָאֱמֶת). This means understanding God’s character as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin” (Exod. 34:6-7). Since the Hebrew idea of word (דָּבָר) is coextensive with truth (i.e., “thing”), Yeshua is called the Word of God (דְּבַר אֱלהִים) who represents the Name of God to all who trust in Him (John 17:26, Heb. 1:3). Indeed Yeshua is the true Name of God, the “substance” (being) of God, the “exact imprint and representation of His nature,” and so on. “His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is ‘The Word of God” (Rev. 19:12-13).

Exodus 20:7a Hebrew reading lesson (click):

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Wholehearted with God…

John J Parsons

In the Torah we read, “Keep yourselves away from a false matter” (Exod. 23:7). In this connection note that the Hebrew word for falsehood (or lie) is sheker (שֶׁקֶר), which can be rearranged to spell kesher (קֶשֶׁר), meaning a band, gang, or group of people… The power of the lie is often found in the “group” rather than in the individual, and if enough people in a group repeat something untrue, eventually the individual’s conscience will be overruled and the truth will be lost… This is a common methodology regularly employed by mass media for purposes of political propaganda.

Regarding this commandment Abraham Twerski comments that it means we should act in a way that will not move us to “hide,” and that includes hiding within the anonymity of the crowd. “Think about what you are about to do. Is there a possibility that you may at some time have to deny that you did it? If so, then do not do it” (Twerski on Chumash).

Each of us must individually strive to be yashar (יָשָׁר) – upright and honest, and free from the complications and devious speech that attends to lies. We are to be “simple” (תָּמִים) with the LORD our God (Deut. 18:13), which requires that we are first willing to be rigorously honest with ourselves. A favorite quote of mine: “No person is saved except by grace; but there is one sin that makes grace impossible, and that is dishonesty; and there is one thing God must forever and unconditionally require, and that is honesty” (Kierkegaard).

Deut. 18:3 Hebrew reading lesson (click):

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Shrine of the Heart…

John J Parsons

The sages have said that salvation may be likened to rebirth that delivers us from the “narrow places of Egypt” (i.e., from mitzrayim: -מ, “from,” and צַר, “narrow”) into newness of life… The first step of lasting deliverance (יְשׁוּעָה) is to receive the great revelation: “I AM the Lord your God” (אָנכִי יְהוָה אֱלהֶיךָ) which begins our healing process (Exod. 20:2). We are set free from our bonds to surface appearances when we are made fully conscious of God’s Presence, since we then understand everything in holy relationship with Ultimate Reality, the Ground and Source of all life (Acts 17:28). As it says in our Scriptures: “We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen: For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). Therefore God says in our Torah, “Make for me a sacred place (מִקְדָּשׁ) so I can dwell within you” (Exod. 25:8). Each of us is created to be a “mishkan,” that is, a dwelling place for God. Making a sanctuary of the heart means choosing to stay connected with reality, attuning the heart to hear the Voice of the Spirit, and consciously walking before the Divine Presence.

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Choosing to Believe…

John J Parsons

The Torah describes Sukkot (“Tabernacles”) as a holiday of joy and gladness: “You are to rejoice in your festival…. for seven days you shall keep the festival… so that you will be altogether joyful” (Deut. 16:14-15). Nevertheless we may wonder how we can celebrate in a world filled with suffering, death, and misery? Since God commands us to be joyful, however, we must therefore understand joy to be something more than temporal elation or fleeting pleasure, but rather as the result of the decision to believe in healing and life despite the appearances of this realm. “The world to come, the perfect world, we at least believe in; but this material world, this one here and now, how can anyone believe in it? The only thing to do is to run to the refuge of God” (Nachman). The joy of Sukkot, then, is the joy of hope, the conviction that “all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” Darkness will be overcome by the light; evil will become undone; all that is untrue shall be made true; and every tear shall be wiped away… The sukkah symbolizes the “Clouds of Glory” that surround our way in the desert – the “Divine Presence” beheld in faith. We find joy as we choose to believe in the deeper reality of God’s sheltering love…

Song of Songs 2:4 Hebrew reading lesson:

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Getting Ready for Sukkot…

John J Parsons

On the Torah’s calendar, there is a quick transition from the somber time of the Jewish High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur) to the week-long celebration of the festival of Sukkot (called “Tabernacles” in the Christian tradition). If the High Holidays focus on the LORD as our Creator, our Judge, and the One who atones for our sins, then Sukkot is the time when we joyously celebrate all that He has done for us. Prophetically understood, the seven days of Sukkot picture olam haba, the world to come, and the Millennial Kingdom reign of Mashiach ben David. If Yeshua was born during Sukkot (i.e., conceived during Chanukah, the festival of lights), then another meaning of the “word became flesh and ‘tabernacled with us” (John 1:14) extends to the coming kingdom age, when He will again “sukkah” with his people during the time of his reign from Zion.

Since it represents the time of ingathering of the harvest, Sukkot prophetically prefigures the joyous redemption and gathering of the Jewish people during the days of the Messiah’s reign on earth (Isa. 27:12-13; Jer. 23:7-8). Indeed all of the nations that survived the Great Tribulation will come together to worship the LORD in Jerusalem during the Feast of Sukkot (Zech. 14:16-17). The holiday season therefore provides a vision of the coming Kingdom of God upon the earth, when the Word will again “tabernacle with us.”

The festival of Sukkot is celebrated for seven days (i.e., from Tishri 15-21) during which we “dwell” in a sukkah — a tent or “booth” of temporary construction, with a roof covering (schach) of raw vegetable matter (i.e., branches, bamboo, etc.). The sukkah represents our dependence upon God’s shelter for our protection and divine providence. We eat our meals in the sukkah and recite a special blessing (leshev Ba-Sukkah) at this time.

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Sukkot is called “z’man simchateinu,” the “season of our joy.” Indeed, in ancient Israel, the joy of Sukkot was so renowned that it came to be called simply “the Feast” (1 Kings 12:32). Sukkot was a time when sacrifices were offered for the healing of the nations (Num. 29:12-40), and it was also a time when (on Sabbatical years) the Torah would be read publicly to all the people (Deut. 31:10-13).

From a spiritual perspective, Sukkot corresponds to the joy of knowing your sins were forgiven (during Yom Kippur) and also recalls God’s miraculous provision and care after the deliverance from bondage in Egypt (Lev. 23:43). Prophetically, Sukkot anticipates the coming kingdom of the Messiah Yeshua wherein all the nations shall come up to Jerusalem to worship the LORD during the festival (see Zech. 14:16). Today Sukkot is a time to remember God’s Sheltering Presence and Provision for us for the start of the New Year.

 

Naming the Sacred…

John J Parsons

I had mentioned that on Yom Kippur the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and there present the sacrificial blood upon the cover of Ark of the Covenant to make atonement for Israel.

During this solemn ritual the priest would invoke the sacred name of the LORD (i.e., יהוה) while saying his prayers for the people. Since this was the only time the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and utter “shem ha’gadol,” the great Name of God, Yom Kippur also came to known as the “Day of the Name” (יום השם).

Perhaps because the Yom Kippur ritual is so mysterious and exciting, the question naturally arises as to how the priest would pronounce the sacred name YHVH (יהוה). Is YHVH pronounced “Yahveh”? or “Yahweh”? or perhaps “Yehovah”? (the morpheme YAH is clearly attested). Consulting the original manuscripts does not settle the issue because they were written without vowels, and the scribes who later added the vowel points (i.e., nekudot) changed the pointing for YHVH to avoid saying it in vain. Christians sometimes feel a bit frustrated or anxious when they consider this, especially because various religious cults claim to have discovered the phonetics of God’s “real” name and use it a sort of “shibboleth” or password for acceptance into their societies…

To seriously attempt to answer the question about God’s name, however, requires thinking a bit about the philosophy of language, and in particular understanding that a name (of any kind) is a symbol intended to point to a reality. Every name (spoken, written, or otherwise represented) is a sign that is intended to signify something. Names “point” to things, and every name (or term) encapsulates a cluster of ideas that summarize, describe, and define what that thing is as opposed to other things (genus and difference). The Name for God, then, would point to or signify the Reality the name stands for, though in the case of God who is the Supreme Being, no one name can fully express the Reality signified since God is Infinite and beyond our full comprehension. That is why Yeshua has a name that no one knows but himself (see Rev. 19:12). Indeed the name YHVH (יהוה) is derived from the Hebrew verb hayah (היה), meaning “to be,” which implies that the Reality signified transcends spatio-temporal categories and therefore is “ein sof” (אין סוף), beyond all reckoning and therefore ineffably mysterious (2 Chron. 6:18; Psalm 40:5; 145:3; Job 9:10, Rom. 11:33, etc.).

Read more “Naming the Sacred…”

Ha’azinu – Yom Kippur Podcast…

John J Parsons

In this special “High Holiday” audio presentation, I discuss the holiday of Yom Kippur and its themes, particularly in reference to the atonement given in the Messiah Yeshua, as well as parashat Ha’azinu, the Torah portion we always read between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The Ha’azinu is an amazing prophetic song (“shirah”) written by Moses just before he died. Written nearly 1,500 years before the advent of Yeshua, Moses foresaw the climatic events of Israel’s history — its past, present, and most notably its future, including the future time of redemption and atonement at the End of the Age.

I hope you find this podcast helpful, chaverim.  Shanah Tovah b’Yeshua!

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The Spiritual Danger…

John J Parsons

In this world of constant flux, change, and invariable dissolution, is it realistic to expect perfection? Are not our expectations often romanticized notions of how we think things ought be rather than what they really are? Don’t they often collide with the messy and unpredictable matters of life? The desire for elusive “perfection” leads to disillusionment and sorrow. Instead of gratefully accepting what we have, we ask “what if” or wonder about other possibilities that might bring us closer to our supposititious ideal.

The underlying assumption at work here is that everything should (or must) cohere with our desires and wishes. The doctrine that life should follow our own script not only leads to disappointment, however, but actually constitutes a form of idolatry. We must do teshuvah by revising our unrealistic expectations. Instead of seeking the “good life” in this dying world, we must turn to face reality by acknowledging the pervasive brokenness of the world. If we refuse to let go of our demand for personal happiness we will eventually be shattered and go on to blame God for our troubles. We may suspect that our suffering is a sign of God’s disapproval or rejection; we may begin to question whether God will ever heal us, give us his blessing, and so on. We must remember that God’s promises were never intended to give comfort to those who seek life and contentment in this world, or even to those who simply want a “happy ending” to a life of relative ease… No, the message of hope is delivered to those who have “ears to hear and eyes to see” – that is, to those who know they are dying, that life is beyond their control, and who understand their great need for divine intervention. Far from being a sign of God’s abandonment, our suffering indicates God’s near presence and the call to find eternal life in Yeshua our Savior…

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Read more “The Spiritual Danger…”

Return to Sanity…

John J Parsons

“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me…. Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds… Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners….” (Isa. 1:2-7).

“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not. Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? Therefore “hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my Torah, they have rejected it.” (Jer. 5:21-25).

Repentance is a return to sanity which begins with the resolution to question your presuppositions and to change your thinking… There are three requisites for genuine repentance, that is, for turning to God in the truth, namely: 1) seeing eyes; 2) hearing ears; and 3) an understanding heart, ready to be healed (Isa. 6:10). God alone does the miracle but it is nevertheless our responsibility to believe that the miracle is personally for us. Repentance is the first step of salvation, as Messiah said: “Repent and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15), and apart from repentance man has no real existence. As Yeshua said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Repentance is the expression of trust in God’s love, and by means of it we affirm: “I am ready to exist as a person of worth.” Come alive, friends!

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Blessing of Godly Wisdom…

John J Parsons

It is written in our Scriptures: “My child, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD (יראת יהוה) and find the knowledge of God (דעת אלהים). For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk wholeheartedly before Him” (Prov. 2:1-7).

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