Hello Old Friend, part 5.

next in a series of [somewhat edited] letters sent to a friend, giving him an update on how life with the Hazys has changed 

Hey brother!

Here we go…let’s continue the “from there to here” conversation, this time regarding food.  To properly set up what I want to say, I’m gonna talk about war machines, the first BIG failure in my marriage, and then reference my bus-driving days…

While I was studying recently, I wound up coming back to one of the better kings of Judah (after the divided kingdoms).  Now I don’t want to say he was a “good” king; I’ll say he was one of the better kings, that he accomplished some good  stuff, and that he was successful as a king.  But he also made some crucial mistakes, and they came at a cost.  (I can sure relate to that)  In 2nd Kings 14-15, he was known as Azariah (“God has helped”); in 2nd Chronicles 26 - and a rather famous story in Isaiah 6 - he was known as Uzziah (“God is my strength”).  Same dude, though.

Anyway, God really did help out King Uzziah - seems like the king was given a certain kind of wisdom and insight that he put to use in his kingdom. He established a seaport town, built other cities, beefed up Judah’s military infrastructure and army, and also improved resources for herds & crops.  2nd Chr. 26:15 tells about war machines that were built for the defense of Jerusalem, which would shoot arrows and catapult stones at opposing forces…that’s pretty impressive.

The reason I bring this up is because of the action those machines were designed to perform.  The English word used in pretty much every translation is…[the machines were designed to]…”shoot”…  That word is a form of the Hebrew word יָרָה / yara.  In addition to communicating “shoot”, that same word (pronounced yaw-rah) is also translated “teach”.  Psalm 25:12 tells us that the Lord “teaches” those who fear him the right path to choose; Psalm 32:8 says pretty much the same thing.  These are two examples of how the Most High directs his people - he shows us the way, as if he were launching us at the target, the goal.

Want to know something interesting?  There’s a word that describes when you miss the target: חָטָא / chata.  (Judges 20:16 gives an example of this word - feel free to read the whole story if you want the account of one of the really dark chapters in Israel’s history)  That same word for “miss” is also used for “sin”, just like the Greek counterpart ἁμαρτάνω / hamartanó.  So, the concept of sin in the Bible is to miss what we’re aiming for.  But what is our target?

Well, in 1st John 3, the apostle defines sin as lawlessness.  As you know, John was Jewish, and it’s safe to assume that he would be thinking of Torah here, from the Old Testament, usually translated “Law”... but the word more properly means “instructions”.  So sin is not following the instructions we’ve been given - we missed what God was aiming us toward when he gave us the instructions.

Speaking of missing the instructions, I’ve got another story for you, about an early failure I committed in my marriage - a big one.

For the first few months of our marriage, Shannon and I lived with my mom.  We had only recently returned from overseas - we were back in the states less than a month when we got married - and the plans we made for our new life stateside had fallen through.  No jobs, not  a lot of money or resources, and no plan, either.  A bit of a stressful time, you might say.  We did have a (borrowed) car, a few hundred bucks, and typical wedding gifts - stuff like dishes / pots & pans / cups & silverware / towels & bedding (maybe bedding; can’t remember for sure) - and we had a church home, and a support network of friends & family.

…and a few job prospects.  Shannon reminded me last night that was probably what we were arguing about when it happened.

You see, even though were were older than the average newlyweds, we weren’t any more emotional prepared to shift from “me”-focused living to “we’re in this together”.  I don’t mean to say we weren’t born-again or didn’t love each other; it’s just that both of us were coming off about a decade of living on our own, making our own way, making all the decisions (usually unchecked and unchallenged), and it was a whole new ball game to negotiate every decision with someone else - even if she was the most amazing gift the Lord has ever given me.

So we were, um, negotiating what to do next, and I wasn’t doing very well.  I got my feelings hurt because Shannon didn’t see something the way I did, and I was getting angry.  I got more angry because of the way she was talking to me (her tone of voice, mostly, and probably her choice of words, too) - and suddenly in my mind the argument shifted from an issue to “the rules of engagement”.  So I rather foolishly decided to teach my wife a lesson.

I was going to show her how mean-spirited and disrespectful her behavior was; I would say exactly the same thing she just said, exactly the same was she said it.  I knew this was also mean (and petty, too), but I decided she needed to experience - to feel - what it was like to be on my side, and I was just the man to do it.

I took a breath, turned my head to face her, and then something rather unexpected happened.  Just as clearly as he had ever done anything in my life, the Lord - the Holy Spirit - spoke very clearly, very gently, very firmly to my spirit: he simply said, “no.”  He knew what I was intending to do, and then he

[instructed] and [taught me] in the way [I was] to go; [he gave me] counsel; [his] eyes will be watching [me].

Psalm 32:8

The Most High wanted to “shoot” me in a certain direction, to “teach” me not to respond in ugliness and anger…and I missed the mark.

I chose to not follow the Lord’s direction, and to instead execute my own plan.  I did say what Shannon said, the way she said it, right back to her.  Her look changed form anger to hurt, and she burst into tears in response to my childish, mean, foolish behavior.  In my pride and anger, I decided to ignore God’s instruction to me, and that wounded my bride (and our relationship) in a way that took a looooong time to fully recover from.  I can’t think of a better example in my life of choosing to ignore clear instruction, and seeing the damage that comes afterward.

Reaching back to the “bus driver” story from my last latter, sometimes we “miss the target” that God has for us because we may not be aware of his instruction; instead we’re focused on what we want to do.  “…how about here, Lord?…how about this…can I go this far, do this thing?…we’re still OK, right?”

Other times we know - we’ve received instructions and we understand the direction he wants us to go with our thoughts, our words, our actions - our lives - and we just don’t want to do it his way.  Both ways - either by willful ignorance or willful choice - we miss the mark;  we chata…we sin.

…and now I’ll explain my position on the food issue.

Throughout Scripture, God is laying out a concept for us to embrace: he wants us to be a different kind of people.  He wants us to “come out” of the world, to “come away” and live with him - set apart from what everyone else pursues and what they value.  He wants us to be holy, set apart, different.  (Even the name “Hebrew” carries that implication: it means something like “cross over”)

Here’s the thing: holiness is not some loose concept of taking the moral high ground, or pure motives, or noble self-sacrifice.  These things may be involved here, but that’s not the whole picture.  In the Apostle Peter’s letter to the believers scattered across the nations, he said that they (we!) should be holy, because God is holy.  Peter is not merely encouraging a better, God-focused attitude and character… he’s quoting.

Most translations will say “it is written” there in 1 Peter 1:16.  A few might say something like “the Scriptures say”.  Either way, this is a reference to what we know as the Old Testament.  The concept of “being holy” or “set apart” or “separated” or “consecrated” is a theme that certainly runs throughout the whole Bible, but there are three instances in Leviticus with the same wording Peter used, and a fourth time (in the same chapter as reference no. 3) that the wording mostly matches.  There’s also a fifth time that is also a pretty close match.  Here they are:

Reference Topic

Leviticus 11:44 Food - animals we should.should not eat

Lev.19:2         how we act towards people and towards God

Lev. 20:7          consequences for rejecting God’s instructions

Lev. 20:26 clean / unclean animals again

Lev. 21:8         consecrating the priest(s)

As you know, there wasn’t a published Bible at the time of Peter’s letter.  Scripture had not yet divided into the Old and New Testament(s), and there were no chapter-and-verse designations, either.  So when Yeshua and his followers wanted to communicate references to Scripture, they would quote either the first few words or the summary or the well-known phrase …like “Sh’ma [Israel], Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Ehad” - listeners in Peter’s day who knew Scripture would recognize that as a quote from what you and I know as Deuteronomy 6, and they would also know what came next - making our committed love to God the great priority in our life, teaching that same way of life to our kids, and displaying and demonstrating that all the time, in every context we’re living, keeping God and his instructions in focus as we live.

…anyway, that same concept is on display in 1st Peter as he encourages the followers of Yeshua Messiah to be different, to be set apart from the culture(s) in which they live.  Let’s not forget, as he’s communicating this concept, he does so by quoting.  In verse 15, he encourages them to not return to a sinful (that is, a “not following the instruction”) way of living that they used to do before they became followers of the Way.  In verse 15, Peter continues the thought, reminding the students to follow their rabbi’s example.  (Remember, Yeshua Messiah is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that means he’s still a rabbi who expects his students to follow his teachings and his way of living.)

…and then in verse 16 Peter quotes Torah - which is Scripture, the recognized revealed Words of God they would be familiar with.  His quote would remind them of specific examples of how to be set-apart from a culture that went all kinds of directions away from the One True God.  Peter was calling them to action (v.13), to follow their leader who followed his Father’s instructions on how to be a set-apart people, no matter where they lived or who they lived among.

• eat differently.     Lev. 11:44 and 20:26
• treat people and God differently.     Lev. 19:2
• understand that not being different, not following the instructions - that will have consequences.       Lev. 20:7
• there’s even a specific way to set apart the set-apart priests.      Lev. 21:8

So, to sum up my position on the food thing...

• Since the beginning - and I’m talking about the early chapters of Genesis here - God established there were things that are “ok” to eat, and things that are not “ok” to eat.
• He does have reasons for the instructions he gives.  Sometimes he shares those reasons, and sometimes he doesn’t.  The reasons are not really the point; living life according to his instructions is the more important thing.
• When we get touchy or stressed or hung up on the “whys” and “wherefores” of the instructions, that reveals at least two things about us:
• we’re more oriented toward what we can get away with then being as close to Him as possible
• we’re evaluating whether or not to follow his instructions on if we agree with his reasoning behind those instructions
• He told his people very plainly what they could and could not eat; was was and was not to be considered food.  He also said, while giving the “how to be set apart people” instructions, that there was one set of instructions for all who wanted to be His set-apart people, whether they (or we) are descendants of Jacob or not.
• Jesus / Yeshua himself said plainly and explicitly that He has not invalidating or changing these instructions in the smallest way.
• Peter wrote to a group of believers living as “strangers” in “foreign cultures” that they are supposed to be called out from the rest of the world, separate in their behavior, following the example and teaching of their Rabbi, who plainly said that he’s still keeping the instructions as given.
• Peter specifically quoted two passages that plainly list what is and is not food, what we are and are not supposed to eat.

Now, to be sure, there are lots and lots of folks who disagree with me on this.  I bet it would be hard to find a Christian you know who thinks it’s disobedient to eat catfish or shrimp or bacon or a whole bunch of other things on the “not food, don’t eat” list.  But you won’t find a place in the Bible what says it’s OK to eat what the Father and His Son say is off limits.  And anyone who does quote Bible verses to support not living according to the instructions…well, either they don’t understand the context/meaning of those passages…or they’re manipulating the Bible to support what they want to do.

In regard to the food thing, as with all areas of my life, I’m trying to let God’s instructions direct hr course of my life, and I’ll do my best to hit the mark he sets for me…instead of going my own way or seeing what I can “get away with”.  (Again, Psalm 32:8 is helpful here)  As time goes on I’m trying to come back from “the edge of the stage”, so to speak, and get as close as I can to the center of it all.

There are things I used to eat and really enjoy…before I started eating according to his instructions.  But I’ve got to be honest with you, buddy: I don’t miss eating things that are “off the menu”.  And I’m not living this way to check a box or prove my goodness or anything of the sort.  I’m doing it because I love my Daddy, and I want to live my life in ways that delight him.

There’s more to say on this subject - there always is with this stuff - but I think this gives you a decent picture of where I stand, how I got here, and what the motivating factor is at the bottom of it all.

I love you, buddy.  Please pray for me, that I’ll continue to live well before our Father - not just in action, but in attitude, too.  I’ll do the same for you!

Hello Old Friend, part 3.

 next in a series of [somewhat edited] letters sent to a friend, giving him an update on how life with the Hazys has changed 

I trust that you’re doing well, brother.  I know that you mentioned you’ve always got one thing or another going on…it’s the same on my end.  With a crew this size, we’re always planning something, doing one thing or another, or recovering (and maybe cleaning up, lol) from something we’ve done.

It’s the same at work: there’s always more to do than there is time to get it done, and the list keeps growing - sometimes every day.  My boss likes to call it “job security”.  lol, again.

When I consider all that I’m responsible for, and all the people depending on me, and all the expectations, it can get…a little overwhelming.  maybe a lot.  We’ve talked about this, and I know you can relate to where I’m coming from.

When I feel the pressure rising, there are several truths that help me to manage the stress, take a breath, and tap into that hard-to-explain shalom that Paul wrote to the family at Philippi about.  Here are two examples:

• I’m adopted.  That means quite a few things, but I’ll just highlight one: learning the house rules.  There’s no instinct or genetic default in me that just [understands] God’s way automatically.  I’m not missing something that should’ve come naturally, something I should have known right from the start.  Thankfully, I have a loving father who teaches me, and an (adopted) big brother who is the perfect example - and, by the way, a professional teacher/trainer himself.  (Don’t forget, his followers knew him as “rabbi”).  ***Disclaimer: just because I, you, and everyone else all the way back to Abraham were adopted and have to learn it all doesn’t mean we get a pass on what we’ve already been taught and trained on.  end disclaimer***
• Next, I’ve got the company card.  As part of my 9-5 (so to speak) job working for this oil/gas company, I have a company-issued credit card.  As long as I get permission, and it’s for company business, I can use that card to get what I need.  And I don’t have to pay it back.  And my company’s pockets are a lot deeper than mine.  Why am I telling you this? You already know why.

When I’m on “God’s time”, doing things his way, taking care of his business…he’ll pay my way.  He’ll provide what I need.  But, just like my employer, God does it according to his business plan, in keeping with his policies, according to his “employee handbook”.  Just because I get into a certain situation or rack up a certain kind of debt behind my own “bright ideas” doesn’t mean the Most High will pick up the check or bail me out.  He can do that, and if he does, that’s a grace/mercy kind of thing.  But he doesn’t have to fix my mess.  (I suppose that last part was another disclaimer)

Coming back to my point: When the pressure of life comes on, it’s a peace-building comfort to know that our God has the resources and ability to fix situations that are hopeless without him.

You know what?  That’s not even what I planned to write you about; I guess it falls more under “here’s what God is reminding me about lately.”

Family matters.

…and speaking of not what I planned to write, I also wanted to share something else related to your growing friendship with this people you know from “another” faith.  This same thought is also related to the Hazys' former church

• Not all families are the same family  First John comes to mind a lot as I think about the “other faith” situation.  He paints a pretty clear picture of who has eternal life (and, by implication, who doesn’t).  Chapter 5:11-12 are pretty explicit, and the rest of the letter also describes correct theology regarding who Yeshua is, how he came, what he did, what that accomplished, and how all that that affects his people and how we live.

    It’s the same with these “other” folks as it is with you, me, and everyone else.  What do we do with Yeshua?  Do we believe he is who he says he is, that he did what he says he did?  Either we believe in the God of the Bible or we don’t.  A person can believe in a completely different - or even similar god and call him “Jesus”, but that doesn’t get them eternal life.  Only a right relationship with the God of the Bible on his terms will get us there as members of his family.

• Sometimes, families have…issues.  Even though my crew no longer attends that church we were a part of for over a decade, we’re still family,  At least the Hazys still consider us all family.  During and since the parting, there have been several conversations, a few social media interactions, and occasional text messages.  I even emailed one friend back and forth a bit.  Most of those interactions have been polite (a few, less so), but all have highlighted the disagreement over how to believe and live according to Scripture.  For reasons I mentioned above when writing about 1st John, we still consider them family.  We get the impression they might not all feel the same way.

    Not long after “the parting”, I had breakfast with an old friend from there.  I think we both saw it as a way to say “I love you, man; I’ll see ya around…” I told him there’s a reason Presbyterians don’t attend Baptist Church, and why Catholics don’t go to Methodist, etc., etc.. What folks believe and how they live out that faith, well, it matters to them, and…sometimes it’s just easier to catch up with family at events like weddings, birthdays, reunions, etc., instead of sharing day-to-day life.

    I’ll just leave the metaphor there, with an appreciation for concepts given in Romans 12 and Matthew 7.  We’re family, I love them, and we mostly get along with just about all of them, though we do it from a certain distance now.

The other thing I wanted to circle back around to is this concept: I have discovered over the past few years that the God of the Bible - the Most High, the One True God as revealed in Scripture - he’s not quite the same as I once thought he was.

My family has discovered a different, more peaceful, more consistent living out of our faith, (some people might call this orthopraxy) and it came about like I have mentioned before: as we read the Bible, we do it with an intention to obey what we’re hearing God say through Scripture.

שָׁמַע

That intention to obey is the beginning of the “first commandment” Yeshua quoted in the Gospels.  Every practicing Jew who heard him would automatically think of the passage he was quoting from (which is Deuteronomy 6:4-6), and didn’t need the complete wording - kind of like if I was talking about that verse describing how “…God created the heavens and the earth.” - most folks familiar with their Bible know the first phrase of Genesis 1:1 without me saying it, and their mind automatically “fills in” that wording and the meaning connected to it.

Anyway, somewhere along the way, folks stopped following the latter part of that command from Deuteronomy 6 (“…teach your children…all the time, in every context, all that I’ve instructed you..”)  I can’t say for sure why this happened, but I can tell you this much: it’s a rare person who comes to the Bible these days with the attitude of “Okay, Lord, I have decided to make any adjustments necessary to live right with you: I will stop doing what I need to stop, and start doing what I ought to do.  Just tell me what you want, and I’ll do it.”  That’s the concept, the meaning of Sh’ma (שָׁמַע), the Hebrew word translated “Hear” at the beginning of verse four.  In the following verses, we’re given the prescribed way to make disciples and pass along the faith, and to give ourselves reminders of that faith.

People don’t do that anymore - not all of it.  Most folks skip the agreement before the beginning - the yes, I’ll do whatever you want, tell me what that is attitude.  Many people who read Jesus talking about the great command may not even know he’s quoting from Deuteronomy - let alone know the “hear-to-obey” prerequisite - because they don’t read that part of the Bible.  Maybe because they’ve been taught (incorrectly) that that’s not for us, or maybe they’ve made that choice on their own.

“Me-” vs. “God-” Centered Faith.

In my first “from there to here” letter, I wrote to you about how Shannon and I bend our religious thought, beliefs, and activity to Scripture, and not the other way around.  In the last letter, I wrote about how our faith should be focused on God and others, not our own development and self-realization.  Both of those represent a shifting in us from a Greek (or western) mindset back to a Hebrew mindset.  I’ve included a graphic describing these different approaches in some detail. [click here if you'd like to see it] I got this thing from the same ministry (website) where we got our Bible reading plan.  (That plan, as I told you before, is basically read it from Genesis to maps.)  Hoo boy, if you want to get the leadership at my old church fired up, just mention that ministry.

Anyway, this comparison highlights the difference between a “me focused” starting point where everything (including the Gospel) is added to the individual if they accept it…and a “God focused” starting point where I sh’ma - I agree to do things his way, then find out what that is and how to do it.

Immutability.

One last related thought that I’ll introduce to you now and elaborate more on next time:  The God of the front of the book is the same God in the back of the book.  He’s One God, and the Bible is telling us One Story.  Same God, same story.

A website that [my old pastor] does endorse is gotquestions.org.  It defines this concept (theologians would call it the immutability of God) as His quality of not changing.  In Malachi 3, the Most High declares…”I do not change.”  And the writer of Hebrews says the same thing about Yeshua the Messiah, telling us he’s “…the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

In the next letter I’ll highlight some disconnects between what I used to say I believed (as a modern, western, evangelical, theologically reformed Christian) and how I disobeyed and explained away parts of the Bible…and how things began to change when I applied “One God, one story; same God, same story” to the Bible, and then approached it with a “hear-to-obey” mindset.

…and I’ll also write to you about the “set apart” times, and how we observe them...