As I wrote in a previous post (On Worry, Pain and Anger) the word ‘worry’ comes from the biblical Hebrew word, ‘atzav’, which means “to carve an idol”.

Implied here is the idea that what we worry about may reveal an idol in our hearts. Don’t think ceramic statue. Think anything, or anyone, that you give more importance to than the One who made you.

Worry is also a robber, a dissipation, a temptation.

We are exhorted to flee temptation (yes, the context of that verse contemplates temptation to sexual immorality…but the principle is there!)

It’s time for a paradigm shift: To stop worrying and to start war-rying. That’s what we’re called to Biblically. That’s what gets practical results.

We are exhorted to fight the good fight of faith. Notice it’s a GOOD fight. (1 Timothy 1:18; 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7) Please note that these exhortations were given to Timothy, a young man and spiritual leader who struggled with fear.

It is a struggle/fight to walk by faith because so many past hurts, depressing thoughts, and current events cause us to walk by sight, and thus worry!

But, choosing to not engage in the good fight of faith will not protect you…and will block you from helping someone else find their eternal destiny!

Look at the language used here:

We are exhorted to gird up the loins of our minds. (1 Peter 1:13)
We are told to put on the helmet of salvation, guarding our minds. (Ephesians 6:17)

Worrying is passive. When ruminating we are not taking action.
War-rying is active. When we are war-rying, we are not worrying.

They are mutually exclusive! When you have one, you can’t have the other.

We are also called to war on behalf of others. Which war?

Scripture declares there’s a cosmic war…good vs. evil; The Holy One vs. the deceiver (satan).

The battleground? This world!

The stakes? The souls of men.

Every believer, that is, the ones already reconciled to the Master of the Universe through Messiah Yeshua’s (Jesus) atonement, are called to do battle…to do rescue work. We are called to fight in prayer for the souls of friends, family, and strangers. (Prov. 24:11-12)

We are also called to fight in prayer that righteousness might prevail in a given situation.

Replace the “toxic tune of worry” with the delightful song of Scripture. This is how to soothe your mind. Even as it was written three thousand years ago: “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul (mind, will and emotions).” (Psalm 19:7a)

That’s my ‘replacement theology’!

The believer is promised that the Lord fights for those that are in covenant relationship with Him, through the blood atonement of Yeshua. (Josh. 23:3 an example in the Hebrew Scriptures; Romans 16:20; 2 Timothy 4:17; Rev. 12:11a)

How is this for a promise? “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom.” (2 Timothy 4:18)

By the way, if you are not reconciled to the Heavenly Father, you are fighting on your own.

But, you can pick up your protective armor today, free of charge! That’s because Someone purchased it for you. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God in prayer, telling Him you need Him. Tell Him you’ve been doing ‘life’ on your own. Repent. Agree with Him that you have sinned against Him and others (be specific). Acknowledge Yeshua as the only means through which God Himself planned to reconcile you to Him (Isaiah 53).

He will then clothe you with robes of righteousness and equip you with the “full armor of God” (loins girded with truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the Gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit/Word of God, the gift of prayer). (Eph. 6:13-18)

In addition, He has arranged for angelic protection, as it says in Hebrews 1:14:

“Are they not all ministering spirits (angels), sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14)

Listen, life is a battle, whether you’re a believer or not — like it or not. That’s a given. How are you choosing to deal with it, by worrying or war-rying?

Before I share this amazing true story, which spans 26 years, let me first explain what a mezuzah is.

Three thousand five hundred years ago there was a commandment in the Torah:

“HEAR O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart
and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,
and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way,
and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand,
and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.
And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.”
(Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Jewish Publication Society translation)

The mezuzah, which means ‘doorpost’, is a parchment containing the words from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (The Shema) and 11:13-21. In order to protect the parchment and the holy words from the elements, decorative cases were made.

The passage from the eleventh chapter of Deuteronomy promises blessing, if we love and serve the LORD, as well as a warning that our hearts not be deceived and we turn and serve other gods. There is a reiteration of Deuteronomy 6:8,9 in the Deuteronomy 11 passage. In Scripture, things are not repeated randomly…rather for emphasis.

Obedience to the LORD’s commandment promised multiplied days (long life) for oneself and one’s children in the Land of Israel. There is also a promise of the LORD’s blessing and protection.

I received a Mezuzah necklace when I was a teenager. It was in the shape of a miniature mezuzah case. Incidentally, while some see such jewelry as a talisman for good luck and prosperity, I wore mine as a reminder of God’s commandments.

Talismen are forbidden in Scripture. It is idolatry to ascribe power to objects.

There is a strong connection between ascribing power to physical objects (idols, talisman, jewelry worn to ward off evil spirits) and demons. Deuteronomy 32:16-17 declares:

“They roused Him to jealousy with strange gods (idols/statues),
With abominations did they provoke Him.
They sacrificed unto demons, no-gods,
Gods that they knew not,
New gods that came up of late,
Which your fathers dreaded not.”

The Hebrew parallelism is clear; the strange gods the Israelites sought after, and sacrificed to, were actually demons.

BACK TO THE STORY:

In 1978, I worked with a man who had previously been a bouncer in the largest nightclub in New York City, and had also been a successful businessman and an anti-Semite. His life was dramatically changed when he found Yeshua as his Savior. He came to love the Jewish people after he read, and re-read, the Bible.

One of our associates, also a believer, apparently had become offended by something we had done. However, we had no idea what that could have been.

The Scripture exhorts us to speedily get reconciled with people.

So, the right thing to do was to call the offended party. As the person lived less than a mile away, I walked over. I spoke with him and his wife, and we cleared the matter.

Then he said, “I’ll drive you to the subway.” I thought to myself: Hey, it’s almost two in the afternoon. Who starts going to work at that hour?

But I let him drive me there.

If he had taken me home instead, I would have walked in on a robbery! Evidently three men had climbed through a sixth floor kitchen window into our basic middle class apartment. There was no fire escape and they got in through a hallway window that was catty-corner to the kitchen window. What they were looking for, I had no idea.

My mother came home to find the place completely ransacked and robbed. She didn’t know where I was.

They took three items…a sentimental, but not particularly valuable, necklace of my mother’s, an unusual gold heart that contained a tree of life with miniature gemstones, and my mezuzah necklace.

Fast forward twenty six years to 2004. The location changes 1,400 miles.

I was making a left turn onto a main road, when I had this thought: Pray for the Jewish people from a particular country, many of whom have come to the States.

I uttered a quick ten second prayer.

Then I thought: That’s an anemic prayer…God’s not going to answer that.

Four days later, my husband met a Jewish man in his late sixties from that country. He took a liking to us and we became friends. He came to love our family and considered himself a member.

Months later, he took us out to dinner for my birthday. He handed me a small box. I thought, what could be inside?

I opened it and gasped!

There was a mezuzah necklace on a beautiful gold chain.

“This had been my grandmother’s in _______,” he said (mentioning the same country whose Jewish population I had prayed for a few months before.) It was obviously very old, as he himself was about seventy.

It wasn’t any mezuzah necklace.

It was the exact replica of what had been stolen twenty six years prior, plus a beautiful gold chain, and was from a place of awesome history!

Every time I wear that necklace I am reminded of the power of prayer, even very short prayers. I also think about God’s promises of restoration.

When we intercede for others, even people and people groups we don’t know personally, we have no idea what is set in motion.

Have you come to a place in your life where you are involved with the most exciting thing in the world? Derek Prince said it best, in the title of his book on prayer: Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting!

Who are you going to pray for today? What are you going to set in motion?

We’ll find out in eternity…if not before, as I did!

Who really is chargeable for the death of Jesus (‘Yeshua’ in Hebrew)?

The New Testament makes clear who is responsible. However, people have either not consulted it, or simply ignored what is written. While we gratefully acknowledge the Catholic Church’s Vatican II, issued in 1962-1965, exonerating the Jewish people (of the responsibility); in a sense, it is shocking that this conclusion took almost 1700 years.

Meanwhile, the spiritual destiny of countless Jewish people has been undermined, and, in many cases, sabotaged forever.

Consider my husband’s ninety one year old aunt who just entered eternity, and who, eighty four years ago, as a little girl in New Jersey, was called a “Christ killer”. That erroneous, destructive, piercing vitriol, born out of centuries of ignorance regarding what the Scriptures say about this matter, appeared to permanently harden her heart and close her mind, from considering the true identity of Jesus: The Jewish Messiah and her only means of salvation.

What does the New Testament, which is authoritative on this event, say?

Notwithstanding Christendom’s nearly 1,700 year blindspot, the Apostle Peter, himself a Jewish man, set the record straight in Acts chapter 4. We know that Acts chapter 2, which records the major event of the giving of the Spirit of God on Shavuot/Pentecost, occurred exactly 50 days after the death of Yeshua (the Passover Lamb who was slain). Acts chapter 4 occurred shortly thereafter.

He declared:

“The kings of the earth set themselves in array,
And the rulers were gathered together,
Against the Lord, and against his Anointed (the word Messiah means ‘anointed one’):

for of a truth in this city (Jerusalem) against thy holy Servant Jesus,
whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate,
with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,

to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy council foreordained to come to pass.” (Acts 4:26-28 ASV)

This passage shouts the answer to who is responsible for the death of Jesus: FIVE groups/individuals were responsible–

Herod (Antipas)
Pontius Pilate, the prefect (governor) of Roman occupied Judea)
The Gentiles (non-Jews)
The peoples of Israel.

So yes, the Jewish leadership in the first century had their part by turning Jesus of Nazareth over to the Roman Pilate, who had authority to release Him. And yes, the people of the land had their part too, by calling out “Crucify Him, crucify Him.”  However, understand that crucifixion was a Roman form of punishment, not Jewish.

But, who is the fifth person responsible for the death of Jesus?

The God of Israel! Here, in the Book of Acts, it says that the first four were the tool to do what His hand and counsel predestined to occur.

Now, you might ask, are you saying God is responsible for the death of Jesus?

I am saying that very thing.

One of the best known verses of Scripture declares this: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NASB)

Isaiah prophesied about the Suffering Servant:

“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him;
he hath put him to grief:
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,
he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” (Isa: 53:10 KJV)

The LORD is speaking of this “Suffering Servant” in the same chapter, verse 12:

“Therefore will I divide him a portion among the great…
because he bared his soul unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Jewish Publication Society translation)

Thus, it’s really not a mystery who is responsible for the death of Jesus of Nazareth.
First cause is the God of the universe.

Let’s look at the very words of Yeshua that confirm this truth: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 NASB)

Yeshua knew why He came…to be the atonement for our sins, for both Jews and Gentiles.

Actually, there is a sixth person, and yes, even a seventh person responsible for the death of Jesus: You and I!!

Here’s the paradox: God purposed and gave the Messiah as an atonement for sin, AND yet, no one is off the hook. We are all responsible for His death because we have all sinned against the One to whom we will give an account someday, and in so doing, have all contributed to putting Him on the cross.

Look at Yeshua’s own words as he hung there:
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34 KJV)
Do you think Yeshua’s prayer was answered? His prayers were always answered. Yeshua clearly forgave His own people. Why have some people, who claim to know Him, taken up an offense that He forgave?

So, in 2009, if you think Jews should be singled out for the death of Jesus, consider,

the Jew, Jesus, died almost two thousand years before Jews living today were born; He knew he came to give his life for us all; and the Scripture makes absolutely clear that all human beings, together, are culpable. Fortunately, the Scripture makes equally clear the way unto forgiveness and salvation… “that if you confess with your mouth Yeshua as LORD (covenant keeping God), and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;…” (Rom. 10:9)

If you’re Jewish and have had the unfortunate experience of being called a ‘Christ-killer’, realize the perpetrator was ignorant of the facts, and obviously filled with hate in his/her heart. The LORD does not feel that way about you. Remember He purposed to have the Messiah be the ‘sacrifice lamb’. Don’t let someone else’s malicious words block you from coming to the One who so loved you that He gave His life to reconcile you to the Heavenly Father, who is Love.

If you were raised in a home hearing the gray noise that “the Jews killed Christ”, please examine the facts of Scripture, and purge this falsehood from your thinking, for the sake of truth and for your own blessing. “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” (Proverbs 28:13)

The Master of the Universe is the God of Israel. He takes the sin of Jew-hatred very seriously. For as the Scriptures declare in Numbers 24:9:

“Blessed be every one that blesseth thee (Israel), And cursed be every one that curseth thee (Israel).”

Old lies die hard…but the Truth sets free.

“What do you think that means?”

I was surprised by what came out of my mouth. I knew the biblical Hebrew word for ‘honor’ was ‘kavod’. It means “to be heavy, weighty”. I replied, “Since it means ‘heavy’, or ‘weight’, it follows that it means to give weight to their opinions.”

I continued, “In this way it will go well with you, as this commandment says, ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you.’” (Deut. 5:16)

He was stunned and had no reply! He is part of a generation that devalues the opinion of parents.

Leviticus 19:1-4 gives us an important progression:

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
‘Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them,’
You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
‘Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father,
and you shall keep My sabbaths; I am the LORD your God.

Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the LORD your God.”

1. Be holy (set apart) as the LORD is holy.
2. Reverence mother and father. The Biblical Hebrew word for ‘reverence’ is very strong. It is ‘yaray’, which means “to fear, be afraid, stand in awe, revere”. Also, notice the order: The LORD put mothers first in this passage!! And, it doesn’t say reverence your mother or father if they are scholars, successful, wealthy, ‘cool’, savvy… There is neither prerequisite nor exception to the command to reverence mother and father! However, obviously if a parent is encouraging wrongdoing, or something that violates God’s Word, then it is clear that that is not wise counsel (to say the least) and does not have to be heeded.
3. Keep the LORD’s sabbaths.
4. Don’t turn to idols.

Clearly, in the past two generations, the irreverence toward God, parents and the ‘weight’ of their opinions, and the virtual disappearance of honoring the Sabbath/Lord’s Day, has opened the door to widespread and multiple forms of idolatry…

Idols are weights choking our souls.
In fact, idolatry and disobedience to parents are two behaviors Scripture declares will be characteristic of the “difficult times in the last days”:

“For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. ” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NASB)

There has never been a more critical time for each of us to cut ties to the ‘weights’ in our lives that harm us and others, and honor the LORD and His word by “giving weight” to our parents’ thoughts.

It’s practical. It’s doable.
God promises that it will go well with us.
That’s heavy!

Songs bring us back to where we were, what we were doing, what we were FEELING.

There’s a song, also written by a British man, that changed my life.

During a protracted, devastating time in my family’s life, when I was seven years old, my mother bought me one of those box record players for a birthday present.  Some of you remember those primitive machines!  We would put a little plastic piece in the center of a 45rpm record, move the arm and place the needle on the record, and listen again and again.

My mother, raised in an Orthodox Jewish home, ‘inadvertently’ picked Abide With Me (along with Roll out the Barrel and another title I can’t recall.)  Someone in the Great Somewhere knew I needed the words.  Obviously my mother did not know that Abide With Me was a Christian hymn!

I have included all the words from the song at the end of this post.  All I remember from the 45rpm record were the words, “When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O Abide with me.”

As a seven year old, I already knew I was helpless.  My family was facing the humanly unsolvable problem of an incurable disease and certain death.  Looking back, knowing I was ‘helpless’ was a gift.  I did not have to wait until I was old, and hence waste a lot of time, before reckoning with that harsh reality regarding the human condition.  It was, as someone has described this type of thing, “a severe mercy.”

I did not know what the word ‘abide’ meant intellectually; however, I did know, intuitively.  I asked the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom I had heard about in Hebrew school, to “abide with me”.   A child’s faith is precious in God’s sight because it is unencumbered by attitude, pre-conceived notions or presumptions.   No demanding, no doubting, no sense of entitlement.  I simply asked.

His hand of mercy and blessing followed me.  I came to know this One, who not only was “holding my hand”, but also really wanted to hold my hand, through life’s difficulties.  He ultimately brought revelation knowledge to me when I was seventeen, showing me that Yeshua, Jesus of Nazareth, was my Messiah.

Yeshua said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”   (John 12:24)

It is tragic that Henry Francis Lyte died from tuberculosis three weeks after writing Abide With Me.  As the grain of wheat that died, he didn’t know that his creation bore much fruit. His hymn became a favorite of King George V and Mahatma Ghandi!  It was sung at the wedding of the future Queen Elizabeth II.  It was played at annual military services in India;  it is played at the annual Anzac Day services honoring  Australian and New Zealand troops who fought in World War I; the first verse of the hymn is played before the The Football Association Challenge Cup (FA) Cup finals, the oldest association football competition in the world, since 1871-1872; the famous jazz musician “Thelonious Monk recorded a simple yet remarkably elegant instrumental version of the hymn with his jazz septet under the title “Abide with Me” as start of the 1957 album Monk’s Music;”  Elton John had it on his Carnival Rainforest album;  it was on TV shows such as Lost and Touched By An Angel!” ¹

He didn’t know that 116 years after these simple, yet profoundly anointed words were birthed out of his suffering and impending death, the life of a devastated little Jewish girl in New York City would be powerfully impacted, and that they would be influential in introducing her to the Eternal One and a life of hope and comfort; and that she would, herself, go on to influence thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, with the same hope and comfort, all because of the outpouring of Henry Lyte’s heart in suffering.

I don’t think that 45rpm record contained the complete hymn.  It is clear that Mr. Lyte, suffering with TB,  was preparing for his possible death, as he quoted 1 Corinthians 16:55: “O Death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?”  Though this is a well known New Testament passage, its origin is in the Hebrew Scriptures:  Hosea 13:14!  “O Death, where are your thorns?  O Sheol, where is your sting?”

As a little girl, I knew that my loved one’s impending death certainly stung!  But no one told me what the Scriptures declare:  That death is an enemy, not just part of the life cycle.  The One Henry Lyte and I hope in “…must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.  The last enemy that will be abolished is death.”   (1 Corinthians 15:25-26)

Please note that the writer of 1 Corinthians was Rav Shaul (The Apostle Paul), a learned orthodox Jewish man who met his Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) in a life changing experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).  He was thoroughly familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures, and perhaps, when writing to the Corinthian believers, was thinking of this passage from the Hebrew Prophet, Isaiah:

“And on this mountain He (Yehovah Tzvaot-the LORD of hosts) will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples,
Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.
He will swallow up death for all time,
And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces,
And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth;
For the LORD has spoken.”  (Isaiah 25:7-8)

Whether you are facing death or disappointment, there is One who longs to hold your hand, to “abide with you”.

Ask Him to abide with you.  Know that He has made it simple to come to Him, because He already provided the Way, through  Messiah Yeshua, who gave His life as an atonement, that you might have life.

Abide With Me

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see—
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

¹ “Abide with Me.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 3 Jul 2009, 22:56 UTC. 3 Jul 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abide_with_Me&oldid=300134360>.

Likewise, when it comes to Kingdom “success”, no one “arrives” through their own efforts.

Those who are amazed at the zeal and knowledge of the Apostle Paul and the powerful impact that he made on his generation, and all subsequent generations, might be surprised to learn that he had “backing”!

We read in Romans 16:7:   “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Messiah before I was.”

So, there were relatives who were believers before Paul.

What do you think they were doing while their relative, Saul of Tarsus (Paul), was busy persecuting fellow Jews who simply believed Yeshua was the Messiah?

I suspect they were fasting and praying on behalf of their relative Paul; and asking the Living God, the God of Israel who alone works wonders (Psalm 73), to miraculously redirect Paul’s energy away from persecuting Yeshua (Acts 9:4-5; 22:7-8; 26:14-15), persecuting and destroying the church (Acts 26:11; Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:6), and even blaspheming God (1 Tim. 1:13), towards building up and furthering the Kingdom of God (Gal. 1:23)  Perhaps they even shared with him their faith and belief that Yeshua was the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures.

They haven’t received much press.  This little verse acknowledges them.  We who have read and been edified by these books:

Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Titus, Ephesians, Philippians, Galatians, Colossians, Philemon,  and 1 & 2 Timothy

have those obscure people to thank.  It has been said that the LORD does nothing without someone praying.  For some reason, in the divine economy, intercessory prayer is the catalyst for the “chemical reaction” which synthesizes God’s sovereign power and unfailing love with our needs, be they spiritual, physical or emotional, into His  marvelous works!

What if you have never had exposure to the Bible, and frankly couldn’t care less about this guy Paul and his relatives?

Well, you’ve heard, as Paul quoted Yeshua in Acts 20:35: ” ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

You’ve heard, “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” — again, Paul.  (1 Cor. 13:13)

Western culture and governments were strongly influenced at certain points in history by the Bible, including Paul’s writings.  Various social institutions were conceived:  Hospitals, hospices, orphanages, food banks.  His legal mind, as revealed in the Book of Romans, is an early example of Judeo-Christian ethics influencing judicial thought.

Paul’s writings are brilliant and extensive.   I encourage you to examine the following list of topics which he covered in his letters that were canonized as Scripture, to see which ones are relevant to your life:

How to find peace with God; the ‘why’ of evil in the world; the wisdom of man vs. the wisdom of God; making relationships work; marriage & family matters; love, money, philosophy, prayer and spiritual gifts; Israel and the Jewish people in God’s plan; the relationship between the Church and Israel; how to be free from sin; how to relate to government, to the poor, to the rich; how to resolve conflicts and deal with enemies; how to find freedom from fear & bondage to self and others; lawsuits; sexual boundaries; relating to food; Satan and the spirit realm; resurrection and the afterlife; dealing with emotional and life pressures; future judgment and accountability; giving to others; putting sorrow in perspective; predestination; Torah; purpose & destiny; the unfathomable riches that belong to every believer; how to find joy and victory; connecting to community; walking wisely in a crazy world; how young men are to relate to young women; description of the end times and remedy for related fears; requirements for leadership; how to not be deceived; and of course, the magnificence of the Messiah.

Andronicus and Junias, Jews who believed in Yeshua during frightful times under Roman occupation, probably had no idea how mightily their lives and prayers would impact humanity over twenty centuries.

What can we learn from them?

Do not underestimate the power of praying for others that you know and love.  This includes those who are hostile to you and your beliefs.

Think big.  Pray big prayers. Pray for those who despise the things of God.  They could be Pauls for this distressed generation.

“And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.
And the book (scroll; written in Biblical Hebrew) of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him.  And He opened the book (scroll) and found the place where it was written,

“THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”

And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’”   (Luke 4:16-21)

Yeshua of Nazareth had been reading from Isaiah chapter 61, a Messianic passage.

The Hebrew word for “Nazareth” is nitzehret, and it is not surprising that the modern Hebrew word for “Christians“–followers of Yeshua of Nazareth, is ‘notzrim’. (These words have the same Hebrew root consonants: nun, tsadke and resh–sounds like ‘n’, ‘tz’ and ‘r’.)

Did you know that ‘notzrim’, the modern Hebrew word for “Christian”, is found in the very powerful prophetic chapter, Jeremiah 31?

First, please note that this chapter in Jeremiah declares:

1. There will be a New Covenant made with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. (vs. 31-34)  This promise is repeated in the New Testament Book of Hebrews chapter 8!
2. The LORD’s everlasting love for Israel. (v. 3)
3. There will be a worldwide regathering of the Jewish people back to their land. (vs. 8-14)
4. The guarantee of Israel’s preservation as a nation. (vs. 35-37)

Sandwiched between these awesome promises,
we find the word “Notzrim” in verse 6:

כִּי יֶשׁ־יֹום קָרְאוּ נֹצְרִים בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם קוּמוּ וְנַעֲלֶה צִיֹּון אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ פ

I’ll transliterate the verse:  “Key yesh yom karoo notzrim b’har Ephraim koomoo vehnaahleh Zion el Adonai eloheinu.”

“For there shall be a day,
that the watchmen shall call upon the mount Ephraim:
‘Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion,
unto the LORD our God’.” (Jer 31:6 Jewish Publication Society translation [JPS])

There are three Biblical Hebrew (root) words for “watchman”:

natsar נצר; tsaphah צפה; shamar  שמר

The more common Biblical Hebrew (root) words for ‘watchman‘ are:

1. ‘tsaphah’ (Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary [SHD], entry 6822)–to look out, spy;
2. ’shamar’ (SHD, entry 8104) –to keep, watch, preserve.  By the way, the word used for God as the “Keeper of Israel” is shomer, which comes from shamar.

But, the word used in Jeremiah 31 for ‘watchmen’ is notzrim. As just stated, the modern Hebrew word for ‘Christians’ is notzrim. I asked an Israeli friend of mine about this and he was baffled.  I showed him the passage.  He did a double-take.  He said he would speak to someone he knew, who had been in the Ministry of Education in Israel, to see if it could be explained.  I have not received an answer.

So, the third (and less common) Biblical Hebrew (root) verb from which we get ‘watchmen’ is ‘natsar’ (SHD entry 5341) — which has a primary root meaning “to watch, guard, keep”; and out of which comes the word, notzrim.

(Not to bore some of you, but here’s a quick Hebrew lesson:  Hebrew verbs are based on a root system, where generally three consonants comprise the root of a particular verb.  When certain vowel points or a prefix and suffix are added, the verb becomes a noun.  For instance, the verb,’to guard’, and the noun,’watchman’, share the same root.)

“Notzrim” appears three times in the Hebrew text.  It’s found in Job 27:18, describing the temporary nature of the house of the wicked as being like “a hut which the watchman has made.”    It’s found in a negative context in Jeremiah 4:16 where “watchers (notzrim) come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.”

And, it is found in the Jeremiah 31:6 passage we have been discussing.

Another Biblical Hebrew word which is derived from ‘natsar’ (from which we get the word ‘notzrim‘) is ‘netser’ (SHD entry 5342).
It means “sprout” or “shoot”, literally “branch”.

So what’s the connection between “branch, sprout, or shoot” and ‘watchman’?  What does this mean to people of faith?

The prophetic Messianic passage in Isaiah 11: 1-6 (JPS Translation) declares:

“And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse (King David’s father),
And a twig (branch) (netsar, entry 5342) shall grow forth out of his roots.
And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and might,
The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD;
And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes,
Neither decide after the hearing of his ears;
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor…”

Netsar is only used two other times in the Hebrew Scriptures:

The first is in Isaiah 14:19, speaking of the demise of one fallen from heaven who had said in his heart that he would raise his throne above the stars of God and make himself like the Most High.  Most biblical scholars conclude that this is speaking of satan (Hebrew ’satan’–deceiver, adversary).

“But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch (netsar) …” (King James Version)

The other time we find netsar is in Isaiah chapter 60.  The context is Israel’s condition when Messiah returns:

“Thy people also shall be all righteous,
They shall inherit the land for ever;
The branch (netsar) of My planting,
The work of My hands,
Wherein I glory.
The smallest shall become a thousand,
And the least a mighty nation;
I the LORD will hasten it in its time.” (Isa. 60:21-22 JPS)

Immediately after this Isaiah 60 passage, we obviously come to Isaiah 61– the same section wherein Yeshua read in the synagogue in Nazareth (nitzehret)!

So, this unusual root Hebrew word (nun, tsadke, resh) is spoken of in the context of Messiah, Israel, satan, enemies of Judah,  and in modern Hebrew:  Christians!

Therefore, who are the watchmen -notzrim- mentioned in Jeremiah 31:6, who say: “Arise, and let us go up to Zion, unto Yahweh our God?”

Notwithstanding that in the Isaiah 62 passage,  “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem…” — the word for “watchmen” is from the root shamar; could the watchmen mentioned in Jeremiah 31 verse 6 prophetically be today’s Christians, who intercede day and night for the LORD to watch over Israel and make Jerusalem a praise on the earth?

Please note: This verse about watchmen (notzrim) saying “Arise, let us go up to Zion, unto the LORD our God”, is followed by a command to “sing with gladness for Jacob, and to announce ye, praise ye, and say, “O LORD, save Thy people, the remnant of Israel.“” (Jeremiah 31:7)

Is this remnant, which is described as weeping as it returns to the Land of Israel, the Holocaust survivors?

Who is commanded to rejoice with Jacob (Israel; the Jewish people) in verse 7?

How could it be Jacob that rejoices with a broken Jacob that is described in verse 9 as returning to the Land (v.8) with weeping?

That does not make sense.

I offer that it was Gentile believers in Yeshua, true Christians, who knew the Holy Scriptures and the promise of restoration for the Jews.  These are the modern day watchmen for Israel:  The ‘Notzrim’!

History notes that this modern regathering, which began in the late 1800’s, was preceded by Christian Zionists who spoke out, even before Theodore Herzl, about God’s promises to restore Zion!

We welcome your thoughts on the matter!

In other words, I found a way to compromise in obedience to what was my conception of Torah, since I thought God was my debtor.

Years later, after having been a believer in Messiah for about fifteen years, I evidently had still been carrying this spiritual chip on my shoulder!  Clearly a root of bitterness had been growing even during the time I was reading the Scriptures, praying, and telling others about His love.

I was very upset one day and I admitted to a friend that I had a root of bitterness.  She said, “No you don’t, you have an OAK TREE of bitterness.”

I had no response; she was right.

So how could I uproot this oak tree of bitterness from my heart?

I searched the Scripture and came to Job chapter 41.  Job, as most know, suffered immeasurable pain.  He had lost his health, his children, his wealth, his friends and his position of esteem.

In this chapter, the Lord was revealing His greatness to Job, while dealing with his attitudes.  He describes Leviathan, the great sea creature, to get his point across.  I was actually rebuked by what I read. Please take a moment to read from the text:

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook?
Or press down his tongue with a cord?
“Can you put a rope in his nose
Or pierce his jaw with a hook?…

“Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle; you will not do it again!…

“No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him;
Who then is he that can stand before Me?” (Job 41:1-2,8,10)

In a moment I knew that my sin of bitterness was a Leviathan in my life.

Even as Leviathan could not be pulled in with a simple fish hook, this sin of bitterness could not be removed by human means.

But, God gave me a “two for one”… The very next verse is:

“Who has given to Me that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.” (Job 41:11)

The Lord, in His rebuke to Job, stated emphatically:  “I AM NOT YOUR DEBTOR!”

This verse is so important that the Apostle Paul quotes it in Romans chapter 11:35!

The context of this passage (verses 11-27) has to do with the cycle of mercy:  That Jewish unbelief about the Messiahship of Yeshua opened the way for the Gentiles to receive mercy.  Now Gentiles have opportunity to come into the Kingdom of God.  Paul then exhorts the Gentiles to show mercy to the Jewish people, who have experienced a partial hardening until the full number of Gentiles come in (to the Kingdom).

Ultimately, the Holy One of Israel will again deal with the Jewish people as a nation in bringing them to Messiah.  He has always preserved a remnant of Jewish people who believed in Messiah Yeshua through the centuries, as promised in Romans 11:5 and Romans 9:27.

Paul continues to exalt the LORD’s greatness in verses 32 through 35:

“For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.”

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? (Paul quotes Isaiah 40)

Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?” (Paul refers to Job 41!)

Believer or nonbeliever, Jew or Gentile — The LORD, the Master of the Universe, owes us nothing.

Everything we are, everything we have or ever hope to be, is from His gracious hand.

So, if you are blocking your own blessing, as I had, through bitterness and thinking God is your debtor, please consider these clear truths of Scripture.  Whatever your “Leviathan” is, you can’t lasso it in.

Whatever expectation you have of God because of your suffering, or your good works, God owes you nothing.

But, God is full of grace and mercy.  Agree with Him that you are a debtor to Him (and not the other way around). In fact, you do owe Him — because if you have been living for yourself, you have been sinning against the One who made you for His glory and purposes, not your own.

Then find His heart of mercy and love by calling on the Name of Yeshua (Jesus), our intermediary.

“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Messiah Yeshua.” (1 Tim. 2:5)

(To my fellow Jewish readers who may think we have a ‘direct dial’ to the LORD: Moses served as an intermediary, and interceded for the people of Israel when the Holy One of Israel wanted to destroy them for their sin.)

For a more detailed understanding of how to come into a relationship with the Living God, who loves you, please consult these previous posts:  “How A Chinese Waiter Found True Fortune“, “He Has Set Eternity In Your Heart” and “No Passover Seder, But The Passover Lamb“.

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

In the “easier” days, many Americans had the emotional energy to be focused on personal improvement.  Now, increasingly, the concern is shifting to having basic needs met. Many are now weighed down by the false shame of need.

In one of my journals from the 1990’s, I found an entry I had written about a businessman who sat with my husband and me for one hour, wisdom pouring from his lips.  We had never met this man before that day.

He said many profound things.  One is relevant to this post, “Don’t be embarrassed by need.  Need is what God supplies. Fall in love with need, because this is where you will see God at work…giving to you lovingly out of His resources.”

But what about feeling ashamed because we are in need?  Psalm 25:3 tells us the only reason for feeling shame:  Willful sin.

Being in need may have come from poor planning, circumstances beyond our control, greed or coveting.  So, make practical changes in lifestyle.  Revise plans.  And, where repentance is due, let’s do it.  Then we must get “unstuck” and turn afresh to a powerful, loving, Heavenly Father, who is merciful to those who call upon Him.

The Psalmist gives this hope:  “Passing through the valley of Baca (Hebrew for ‘weeping’) they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings.  They go from strength to strength…” (Psalm 84:6-7a)

Notice, too, that the passage says, “they”. Others also are weeping from the strain of life.

Therefore, this is a key time to function as community…and certainly a vital time for individuals in the Body of believers to not harden their hearts, but to heed what is written in 1 John 3:16-18:

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

The term “knowing the LORD” is often used casually. This knowledge of God is often confined to the realm of personal devotion and knowledge of Scripture.

However, Jeremiah 22:16 clearly states the LORD’s gauge for measuring if we truly know Him, while speaking of the righteous:

“He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well. Is not that what it means to know Me?” declares the LORD.” It’s clear: How we care for the needy and afflicted that either cross our paths, or whom we seek out, is a litmus test of our knowledge of God.

“So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”  (Gal. 6:10)

To those in need: Perhaps your need is what the LORD will use to reveal His personal love for you.

You may ask, “Am I supposed to believe God loves me when I have these stressful and difficult circumstances?…and besides, He feels a million miles away.”

Thirty years ago I read a powerful book,  The Silence of God, by German theologian, Helmut Thielicke.  Thielicke lived during the Nazi regime.  The last part of the following paragraph has stayed with me.

“But now hear the great mystery of this silence.  The very hour when God answered not a word or syllable was the hour of the great turning point when the veil of the temple was rent and God’s heart was laid bare with all its wounds. … Even when we thought He did not care, or was dead, He knew all about us and behind the dark wings He did His work of love…Truly the silence of God is different from that of men…The silence of God and of Jesus (Yeshua) is not of indifference.  It is the silence of higher thoughts.  It does not imply a silent destiny.” (pgs. 14, 15)

The LORD is not indifferent.  He allows us to be in need because the needs we face cause us to give pause to consider our lives, the meaning to life, and the very real limit of our ability to solve our problems.

He wants to show us that He is the Source of life, the One “in whom we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

I still remember the comfort I received as a child when I heard the words from the song,  I Believe–  “I believe above the storm the smallest prayer can still be heard.  I believe that Someone in the great somewhere hears every word.”

That Someone has a name… In fact, He has many names that describe His person, magnificence and character: His name is Yehovah (Hebrew for ‘Jehovah’) or Yahweh (YHVH), which means “covenant keeping God”.

He is Yehovah our righteousness; Yehovah our redeemer; Yehovah our provider; Yehovah our rock, refuge, deliverer, sanctifier; Yehovah our healer, defense, banner, shepherd, etc.

By searching Topical Bibles online for the names of the LORD found in their Scriptural context, we can see clearly that the One upon whom we are calling for help is more powerful, more knowledgeable, more loving, and more personal than we can imagine.

The problem is we have often created God in our image (!) and relied on our thoughts about Him, rather than what His Word has revealed about Him.  Then we go about worrying and fretting, forgetting that He upholds the universe by His mighty Word of power! (Hebrews 1:3)

Sounds like who He IS answers to anything that could trouble our lives.

Listen, He knows you’re in need.  Nothing takes Him by surprise. You’ve got to pray–to entreat Him to lead you out of the dark forest of fear, despair and lack.  Humble prayer is the catalyst that activates divine activity.  Confessing unbelief in Him, and His ability and desire to act, will also remove static from your prayers.

Now, after sincere and humble crying out to Him, expect your path to cross someone or something that can help you, since He generally works through people (i.e. dollars and job listings don’t fall from heaven).

Perhaps you know the old story of the man who is drowning and the LORD sends a dinghy, a boat, and then a ship to save him.  He refuses to use them because he wants the LORD to act directly on his behalf, and he drowns.  Don’t resist receiving help from others, though this may be uncomfortable.  Our hyper-independent society has conditioned us to view dependency on others as almost a foreign concept.

I think those days are coming to a close.