"It is written"

After being baptized by John son of Zacharias, Matthew records that "the Spirit led Yeshua into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." This temptation is one of the critical moments in the earthly ministry of God the Son. Here we find a confrontation like no other, the devil himself going after God, trying to trip Him up. Thankfully, Yeshua did not use His divinity to over come Satan, but the divine authority of Scripture so that believers might have hope of withstanding temptation. Indeed, this narrative is often used rightly to exhort believers to memorize Scripture. However, it is an unfortunate teaching that has circulated that only looks at the direct quotes that Yeshua makes in this confrontation, implying that He was proof texting or just using isolated passages. However, assuming the He followed the pattern and customs of the rabbis of His day, the potency and/or message of the quote is not necessarily within the quoted verse itself, but in the surrounding context. Consider the examples from the temptation:


And the tempter came and said to [Yeshua], "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But [Yeshua] said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:3-4)

A simple reading of this passage that only uses Yeshua's quote usually comes to the conclusion that God's word sustains us and keeps us going, not merely food; therefore, we must memorize Scripture. I am not disagreeing with this conclusion by any means. Memorize Scripture! Let it be your sustenance for life, and dwell on it and take of it as much as you do food! However, there is a deeper spring than this in Deuteronomy 8, where the quoted passage is taken from; there it is written, starting from verse 1,

All the commandments that I [Y--H] am commanding you today you shall be careful to do. . . You shall remember all the way which Y--H your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of Y--H. (Deut. 8:1-3)

I hope you see how profound this response has become. Matthew even taps into this passage when he writes that the Spirit led Yeshua into the wilderness to be tempted. What does this mean then? 1) When in the wilderness of life it is often because God is working on His child so that the child learns to obey Him in the hardest times. He is developing that total dependance and trust on Him that you need to survive. 2) And this might be wrong, but I trust you to check my work, when you see an easy way out or an easy way to alleviate your suffering, trust God's provision and His faithfulness to sustain you instead of what would be naturally filling. When you have been working hard in a company and the debts are overwhelming, don't embezzle money, even if you intend to put the money back. When you are exhausted and stressed, don't turn to gambling, drugs, food, liquor, sex, porn, etc. for relief. Don't fall into the notion that "nothing is inconsistent which is expedient" (Thucydides 6.85). Take the harder road, relying on God's daily provision and trust in His faithfulness and love. It is not easy, it lacks the gratification that the expedient way offers, but it will take you away from God's way, no matter how small and unseen of an act it is. Who would have known any different if Yeshua had turned the stones to bread? And he had been without food and drink for forty days.


And [he] said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command His angels concerning you'; and 'on their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Yeshua said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'You shall not put Y--H your God to the test.'" (Matt. 4:6-7)

It is important to note that the devil himself is quoting Psalm 91, a Psalm of God's protection of those who are His, and he does not seem to be twisting it at all (though omitting the clause "to guard you in all your ways.").  So what is Yeshua's response to Satan's temptation, rationalized by Scripture (and don't we often rationalize our sins with biblical truths)? Some might say that this is where Yeshua is pulling "the God card" or else that he is saying that it is wrong to put God to His promises. However, how does the latter reconcile its conclusion with Isaiah 7 where Ahaz is rebuked for refusing to "test Y--H" (7:12)? Again, a closer look at the quote provides insight.

Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah. (Deut. 6:10-16)




A couple of important notes must be made here. 1) Massah is the place where the events of Exodus 17 took place. It was there that the people tested Y--H (see v.2 and v.7) by complaining about the lack of water (for more insights, see post "Is the Lord among us or not?"). 2) this passage follows shortly after the great shema, which is called by Yeshua "the greatest commandment" (Mark 12:29-30). So what is being said here? Again, it is a command to faithfully follow God's commands and His plan. It was not the Father's plan for the Son to come to earth and instantly establish the kingdom. The Servant first had to suffer and die on behalf of the wicked before being exalted (Isaiah 53). But there is also an interesting connotation in this command. Unlike the passage quoted above from Deuteronomy 8 where the command to obey was in the context of suffering and hardship, the command to obey from Deuteronomy 6 was to be carried out in the context of abundance. Therefore, when life is going well and you are at ease, do not slack off or let down your guard; be as diligent and faithful and dependent on God in your abundance as you need to be in your wilderness.


And [Satan] said to Him, "All these things [all of the kingdoms of the world and their glory] I will give you, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, " Go, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship Y--H your God, and serve him only.'" (Matt. 4:9-10)

This passage is again from Deuteronomy 6 and tied with the shema. However, this is also found in Deuteronomy 10 where it says,

Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day. So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer. For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. (Deut. 10:14-17)

This passage is loaded, so I shall pull out a couple of main points and leave the others for another time or greater authorities. First is the blatant declaration that no matter what anyone says, be that "God is dead. We have killed him and must justify ourselves by becoming god" (Nietzsche, The Gay Science. Section 125 "The Madman") or the coming voice of the antichrist "I am god", Y--H is the Master of all things and all things belong to Him, no one can claim rights to anything other than the Creator of all things Himself. Secondly, no matter how dark things become, no matter how unjust or how great Satan's influence appears to be, Y--H is still the Almighty, Y--H of armies/war and He will judge (see Deut. 10:17 and following). So what is our response to these? Cut the pride and arrogance, you are not "the captain of your ship, the master of your fate," humble yourself and worship and serve God alone, not yourself, not the powers that be in life, or even the unseen powers and forces of this dark world.



What is the end application from all of this? Memorize Scripture, but not just individual verses. Devote yourself to the study of the entire Bible. Let it be your life, as vital as food, if not more so. And most importantly, live it out daily in every aspect of your life. As the shema says: "Hear Israel! He-who-is our God, He-who-is is one. You shall love He-who-is your God with all of your heart (which to the Jew includes the mind) and with all of your beingness and all of your strength." (Deut. 6:4) ("He-who-is" being a careful and reverent translation of Y--H, commonly translated "the LORD")




Note: all passages from the New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995) with only minor editing by the author (i.e. "the LORD" to "Y--H" or "He-who-is", "soul" to "beingness", and "Jesus" to "Yeshua")

Overcoming By Grace

It is often perceived and understood that we are saved by grace. This much is clear from Romans 3-5, Galatians 3, Ephesians 2:5-9, and other passages. However, we often leave grace here and start living on the power of Christian teachings, prayer, and , primarily, our redeemed will-power; if not in our expressed beliefs we do so practically in our lives. We, believers everywhere in this universe, still struggle with sin, knowing that it ought not be in our lives and that we often combat it with our "new creation" (II Corinthians 5:17) will. We read the Bible and pray for the sin to be removed - though, more often than not, after committing the sin - but in the heat of battle of temptation we charge in our own will power and determination, only to fall flat on our faces. The problem is that our own will, the one supplying our charge, is the very source and head quarters of the temptation we are trying to overthrow (James 1:14-15).
No one is more personal and transparent about  this war in the New Testament than the apostle Paul. In Romans 7:13-8:30 we find him lamenting his inability to live as he desires, holy and acceptable to God; yet he concludes by rejoicing in Christ's work that defeats death and provides the Holy Spirit to overcome sin. Again, in II Corinthians 12:7-10 we find Paul humbled by a "thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan."1 We sense his agony and weariness of struggle as he "implores the Lord" to remove it; but the passage crescendos in verse 9 where God says "My grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in weakness." Thus Paul is comforted and content with his limits.
Notice this, in each circumstance Paul appeals to God's grace. If we remain with our understanding of grace as only within the context of salvation we are left with a mere assurance of the security of our salvation (something we are given in Ephesians 1) at best and a license to sin at worst (which is in direct conflict with Romans 6:1ff).
Therefore we must broaden our understanding of grace. Turning back to Galatians 3 we find the Spirit and grace as the means of our salvation and the means of our sanctification. Building upon Romans 7, it is seen that even a redeemed will is incapable of overcoming sin on its own.2 It is only by the Holy Spirit we can overcome. Grace is our daily means of sanctification, our spiritual manna.
Back to our starting scenario. We struggle, we pray, we read, we may even fast, but God does not instantly remove the sin - though sometimes He does - or give the automatic, painless, and effortless will to overcome the sin. Often times He seems to respond with "My grace is sufficient." Not giving us a license to sin or a mere assurance of salvation, but a promise that every day, every moment, every temptation He has and gives enough grace for us to overcome the sin; though we shall do it panting, sweating, bruised, and exhausted in our strength, but victorious and rejoicing in His strength. God is removing the sin, but not by the effortless and instantaneous work of Christ we experienced at salvation and often expect sanctification and/or grace to be, but by the gradual, grueling, and seemingly mundane work of the Holy Spirit. This, I believe, is the comfort and hope that Paul was given in II Corinthians 12; he was spent (II Cor. 1), but God assured him of the daily supply to live a disciplined and godly life. In the end it is by grace you are saved and sanctified, not by your redeemed will and power.
Perhaps this image might be helpful: It is through the cuts, bruises, scorch marks, piercings, lacerations, broken bones, stinging eyes, and pulled hair of our total war, our no-holes barred brawl with sin that our sinfulness is hacked and torn away, leaving only the image of Christ.
May you grow and take every step mundane and momentous that God directs in overcoming, ever looking to the Author and Perfecter of our Faith, setting your mind on things above and not on earthly things.


Notes:
1. There are many views as to who/what this was in Paul's life, but that is not important to this discussion and I leave the reader to come to his or her own conclusion on the matter. I will take a moment to denounce the notion that it was poor eyesight as based on Galatians 6:11. This view completely disregards the rest of the entire letter which was written in a righteous rage. The very next verse itself is an angry denouncement of the false teachers in Galatia.
2. This is assuming that Paul is using a normal sense of the present tense and thereby writing about his condition even after salvation; but this is a disputed matter.

"Is the LORD among us, or not?"

     In Exodus 17 one will find the Hebrews traveling through the wilderness of Sin and stopping at a place called Rephidim. Here they find that there is no water to be found to refresh themselves after the day's journey. The people then turn on Moses, grumbling and demanding that he give them water and eventually longing to be back in Egypt where they lived on the banks of the great Nile river and had no lack of water. Here Moses famously strikes the rock as God commanded and water comes forth.
     Many take this account and accuse the Hebrews of lacking faith and put them down since they had already witness the parting of the Red Sea, the miracle of waters of Marah, and the miracles of the manna and quail. How foolish and stubborn the Hebrews were to not trust God to provide for them. However, note the following observations: the Hebrews had seen God turn water to blood, part the sea, and turn bitter water sweet, but they had never seen God provide water from nowhere in a barren and parched wilderness. Also, given the chronology in chapter 16, this event took place roughly two and a half months after leaving Egypt, and consequently the same time from Passover. Thus, with Passover usually taking place in March or April, this places this account around late May or June. The normal temperature for that time of year just North of that location in the hill country of Israel is well above 90 degrees. Therefore, this multitude of over 600,000 people on foot (see Exodus 12:37) had been walking from early in the morning, if not from during the night,  until early afternoon when temperatures were near, if not above, 100 degrees and were finally stopping to rest and refresh themselves. Consider the fact that them stopping and setting up camp did not mean that they just pulled over and got out of the cabs of their trucks and RVs and went into the back to their campers; making camp meant unloading the pack animals, stretching out the tents, putting up the poles, driving the stakes, and then moving the belongings inside, which did not have fans or AC. The point being, the situation was not as if they had been gently walking along fields or valleys with a gentle breeze in comfortable temperatures and then started complaining because they could not find water. Rather, everyone was exhausted and battling heat exhaustion, maybe even heat stroke in some cases, they had journeyed for miles with little shade in the heat, and ended their exhausting day with setting up camp only to find there was no water to be seen. In light of this it is little wonder that they turned on Moses. However, God is merciful and miraculously gives them the water they need to recover from the day's journey and prepare for the day ahead.
     Compare this with the following experience in a believer's life: The believer has gone through a seemingly endless trial - looking for work, a divorce, family issues, loss of a loved one, health issues, conflict in the church, financial troubles - and there is finally a moment where the believer stops and tries to get rest, maybe it is on Sunday and he/she has gone to church hoping to get refreshed from the services or by being with other believers, or just simply it is mid-week and there is a moment where the believer is alone. However, there is no rest, no end of the trial in site, and no one around to help. Some may like to believe that they would face such a situation and just push through it, but too often we react like the Hebrews and ask God if He is still with us and looking out for us. We have seen God at work in our lives in the past, but where we are at it is completely parched without even a hint of moisture; it is just dust and solid rock. We are children of doubt, questioning His presence and goodness, begging for the "good ol' days" when there was no struggle and no need to depend on God's provision. However, we are called to be children of faith. This does not mean that we pretend that there is water there when the ground is dust and rock, but it means that instead of wondering if He is with us, we ask Him to provide the water, knowing He is always with us and that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Consider the comfort of Matthew 7:7-11 where Jesus tells us to ask of God and He will answer, and that He knows how to give good gifts to His children. It is not wrong to ask for water, but there is a difference between trusting God and asking God for it out of weakness and complaining and doubting God's presence due to the absence of water.
     Just as God knew what the Hebrews needed at the end of their day of traveling across the wilderness, He knows what you need, and He will provide for you. Interestingly enough, God actually knew what the Hebrews needed more than they did. He not only knew they needed water after their long journey, but that they needed water before going into battle with the Amalekites, who were already on their way to wipe them out. In the same way God knows you need refreshment from your journey through the wilderness and for what is coming ahead that you are completely unaware of. Therefore, do not ask God if He is there, but ask Him to provide, knowing that He is present and will answer. This principle is exactly what James talks about in verses two through eight of the first chapter of his letter, especially in verse six where he says, "But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." Do not think that I have this perfectly, for I too must work to live this out. However, this is how we must live, this is who we must be, as children of the LORD who sees and provides, Y--H Yireh.

When God Goes Weeding

     There are different weeds in gardens. Some have beautiful leaves and flowers, but strangle and kill the plants; others, like dandelion, are good and edible, but are not what one wants in the garden; still others are great trees providing shade and good produce and beautiful wood after they have fully grown, but would disrupt the entire garden. Thus the good gardener will remove these weeds in spite of how much the gardener likes the plant. Though he/she enjoys the taste of apples, he/she will remove such a sapling from the strawberry bed, or a grapevine from the corn rows, or wheat or hay from among the bean bushes. This past weekend I regretted having the task of taking up maple trees from among someone's bushes.
     However, this is the way life is. Our lives are like gardens in which we are to be diligent to remove anything that would diminish the crop. Often we are like young children in our little gardens not knowing our plants from the weeds. This is where our Father, the Master Gardener, comes and helps us; He shows us what plants are not wanted in the garden and helps pull them out. Though at times He will remove plants we have cared for. However, they must be removed because they were not planted properly, or it is not the right season for that plant, or they are not in the right place. These can be the hardest plants to pull out of the garden; good plants that must go simply because it is not the right season, they were planted incorrectly, or they are the wrong plant for the garden. So too good things in life can be weeds: a spouse, a home, a job, a car, money, or even a ministry.  This is not to say that one should quit a job or ministry or get a divorce because he/she feel that it is a weed in his/her life. Do your best to honour God where you are at and He will reveal how you are to proceed, one step at a time (I Corinthians 7:17-31). But especially in the case of divorce, two wrongs do not make a right (see Matthew 19:1-9 and I Corinthians 7:10-16).  
     God may keep these things (a marriage, job, or ministry) back or even remove them from your garden for something better or for the soil, which is yourself, to be made ready for it at another time, for the soil of a garden must be prepared before it can yield a harvest. Your life must also be worked and prepared in order to receive that which God has in store. "Therefore. . . let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1-2a).

End of Week 1 Update

Greetings from the Holy Land!

It is now the conclusion of the first week of digging at El-Maqatir. Thankfully, God has been good and has kept everyone safe, even in spite of all of the hard work being done. Consequently I wish to thank everyone who has been praying for this work to help provide facts for those seeking to defend the faith which is perceived to be mere fantasy and myth and all of the volunteers helping to achieve that goal.

This first week has been a very productive week that has pleasantly surprised the supervisors by putting us ahead of schedule. Through all of this work and the help from our expert with the metal detector we have found over one hundred coins. In addition to this, we have also found a storage pit with large pieces of pottery within. While these pieces of pottery only date back to the first century, other discoveries have included pottery from the Iron Age, the era of the judges shortly following the conquest under Joshua. Pictured to the left is the handle of such a storage jar, the key indicators of its age being the darker shade of red and the white specs throughout. Also, this dig has delivered a uniquely striped seal for a storage jar. This is pictured right after cleaning where the red stripe around the top and the lighter bottom.

 

Just as exciting as these discoveries are the visits of various people ranging from local tour guides to representatives from the Israeli Antiquties Authority (IAA). This past week Peretz Reuven, the leading authority in Israel in typology joined us for pottery reading after a day of digging. In addition to this, a local tour guide, who is strongly connected with the work in Shiloh came in for a visit and admiring the work we had achieved. Lastly, though certainly not least of all, a couple of representatives from the IAA stopped in and were greatly impressed with the work that ABR is doing at the site of El-Maqitir. According to them, this dig is now the largest excevation project in Israel and they are thrilled with our progress and exceptional quality of work.

Within square two, where I am personally working with a great team, we have made great progress in making our way down to bedrock. To the right is a picture of our square at the end of the week. Also our team is developing a good relationship with our local worker, who is learning English from us while we are learning Arabic from him. Lord willing, this will develop into an open door to share the testimony of God’s Word through communication and our lives.

      

Arcaeological Trip to Israel '14 Days 1 and 2

While this update is different from my usual posts, this is related due to the fact that God has permitted me to go on an important dig in Israel, relating to the biblical account of Joshua's conquest of Canaan.

     Dr. Bryant Wood, from the Associates for Biblical Research, is overseeing a dig in the land of Israel a few miles from Betin and Et-Tel (the traditional site for the city of Ai). Dr. Wood has found the ruins of a small fortified city with a topographical layout that matches the criteria of Joshua's Ai in Joshua 7 and 8. Therefore, the proposal is that the Ai at Et-Tel, which is notably a rather large settlement, is the Ai of Abraham's day and after nearly a millenia a later group settled one hill over and took the name Ai for their fortified settlement. This fortified settlement served as the North most outpost for the city state of Jebus (modern day Jerusalem), on the edge of the Southern border of the city state of Shechem. If proven to be the city of Ai, this will help to refute those who claim the Bible is inaccurate, using the example that the ruins of Et-Tel does not show any evidence of Joshua's conquest.

     To the right is a view of the hill on which the site rests. At the very top are the remains of a Byzantine monastery (pictured below) erected to
commemorate a biblical event; which could either be the events of Abraham's life as he pitched his tent there between the ruin of Ai and the city of Bethel, or it could be for Joshua's conquest of the city of Ai after pruging the camp of Achan's sin.

     To the left is the view of the dig from the top of the hill. The settlement rests on a small rise off the Eastern side of the hill, probably due to a closer proximity to a water source while still maintaining a strategic and defensible position. This location also allows for the protection of the main route going from the North to Jerusalem, which is just on the other side of the hill and passes below the settlement on the South side.

     Having found the ancient outside walls of the settlement, the supervisors have chosen to excavate the ruins from the first century and the Hasmonean era before then, in the hopes of having further findings of the Ai from Joshua's day underneath these ruins. Also to the left is a picture of the site where our square team is excavating alongside an outer wall of what appears to be a house. So far the site has yielded a bountiful supply of pottery sherds from the Roman era, and some dating even further back, probably to the Hasmonean era. These findings also include the mouth of a clay lamp from the first century as well as several small coins.
     So far these have been unveiled after two days and merely clearing the surface of the site, with hopes of more and greater things to come with the lower levels. Thankfully, God has provided good weather that has stayed in the 70's the past couple days, sparing us both intense heat and the need to spend time setting up canopies; this in turn has allowed us to accomplish much, not being worn down by the heat. Lord willing, as the days continue over the next couple of weeks I shall be able to provide updates and more pictures.

Every Spiritual Blessing

      Yet again my naïve belief of regularly producing posts on my blog has collapsed upon itself. Oddly, moving to a different state, pursing a master’s degree, and working near full time has a way of filling up the calendar. Consequently, “down time” has been rare. However, I was blessed, through my forgetfulness of a class cancelation, with some time to meditate on God’s word and make some notes which resulted in this post. The following is a meditation on the opening chapter of the letter from Paul to the church in Ephesus.

"Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."[1]

     In a society characterized by discontent, greed, jealousy, consumerism, and materialism, it has become difficult for the believer to avoid these vices and learn the secret of contentment as the apostle Paul had.[2] Contrary to what some “experts,” “teachers,” or even “preachers” say, there is no lack, no insufficiency in the work of Christ and the provision of God the Father. This does not merely refer to the saving work of Jesus the Anointed One, but refers to all of His work, including His service as the mediator between God and humanity and Ruler of all creation, as well as God’s provision on a daily basis for those who are His own. With this in mind, God has given all that is needed and then some to those who believe and follow Him. The text does not say that God has blessed believers with some or even most of the spiritual blessings, but it says that He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. He has not held back, but has opened the floodgates of spiritual blessing. Note that God has not spoiled His children with every earthly or material blessing, which will spoil and pass away.[3] Rather, God the loving Father has graciously blessed an undeserving people with spiritual blessings, the imperishable blessings, enabling and including a reconciled and personal relationship with the Father; such blessing, though often invisible, only materializing in its fruit, does so much more to make this life not only bearable, but actually enjoyable, than any material blessing ever could. There is no comfort that matches the security of resting in the care of the Almighty Lord with Whom the believer may talk at any point and time at any level, even when left speechless.

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world… In love He predestined us to adoption… we have obtained the inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose…”[4]

     These spiritual blessings are not a mere reaction to one’s belief or some “sales pitch” to attract people to believe in Jesus and the Gospel. On the contrary, the giving of every spiritual blessing was premeditated, having been orchestrated while creation was still “formless and void.”[5] It is like a Christmas gift that has been purchased during the summer. It lies in a secret place, hidden from all except the giver until the appointed time. These blessings have long awaited being poured out upon God’s children, not in response to godliness, but in order to foster and make possible godliness. How great indeed is the love of God!

---

[1] Ephesians 1:3b New American Standard Bible.  La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

[2] See Philippians 4:11-13

[3] See Matthew 6:19-21; 2 Peter 3:10-13

[4] Eph. 1:4ff

[5] Gen. 1:2