Tanakh portion for 25 June 1005

The fourth commandment:
Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. You have six days to labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work, not you, you son or your daughter, not you male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. For in six days Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself. (The Jewish Bible)

This is the longest of the Ten Commandments and one referred to quite often in the Tanakh (Old Testament). We are told in fact that Israel was to remain in captivity until the land had celebrated its Sabbaths, which the Jewish people had not celebrated. The commandment is quite straightforward. It applies to both to the Jews and the foreigner. It applies to animals and slaves and all the family. It is a commandment to be remembered.

In this commandment, we learn first that the Sabbath Day is a day of rest, when no work is to be done. It is a day in which we are to remember the creation, and in the Siddur (basically the Jewish Prayer Book), we are told it is also the first of the Holidays which are to remember the Exodus from Egypt. In other words, the Sabbath is a special day of remembrance to remember the mighty acts of God. For those of us who are Christian and who have come to celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday, it is a day to remember another great act of God, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, which is the true completion of the Passover or Exodus event.

Should Christians then celebrate Sunday as a day of rest? Without going into too much history, Christians at first (being mostly Jewish as well) celebrated the Sabbath, followed by celebrating the resurrection. We can see this clearly in the book of acts where the disciples return to their homes to celebrate the Eucharist, early on Sunday with their disciples (remember, for the Jews, Sunday starts the minute the Sun sets on Saturday evening). Officially the Orthodox church recognises Saturday as the day of rest and Sunday as a day of worship. Here in the United States and in Protestant Europe, Sunday developed into the day of rest.

Is it necessary? Jesus tells us, the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath which suggests that the Sabbath is more that a religious holiday meant to remember God, but something that will benefit us. Just as eating Kosher lowers our fat and cholesterol intake, keeping the Sabbath allows us much needed rest. In many non Christian societies, the day of rest or day off still does not exist, and the people are worse off for it. The day of rest was a wonderful present given to us by a loving God, who knows we need the rest for our own physical and mental well being..

Is it not interesting that the Protestant countries which keep (or kept) the Sabbath are among the most prosperous? Is that a blessing from God, or are people who get a day off more productive because they have had more rest? Many years ago, I was here in the USA on Sabbatical from missionary work in Honduras. Matters being what they were, I did not have money for a real Sabbatical and had to work. It was very hard to find a job for a young man who only wanted to work for one year, and so I found myself in a car wash. I told the man up front that I would not work on Sunday, and did not. Strangely enough, I who cut myself off for one day of the week, consistently worked more hours than those who were willing to work seven days a week. Coincidence? I doubt it.

Today we rob ourselves. Various businesses now open seven days a week, and spend more money to make the same amount of salves. Is being open seven days going to allow a store to sell more groceries? Probably not. As blue laws have been rolled a way, we now spend more money for the same amount of things. To pay people seven days per week costs more money. The consumers have become lazy and do not plan any more, because they can always depend on the store being open. Our young people are robbed of the opportunity of a day of rest (because of school) and many people are robbed of the ability to go to church.
Do yourself a favour. Take a rest this Sunday. Remember the mighty acts of God. Go to church and praise him and rest in him.

Shalom and blessings in the Name of Yeshua

+Mar Michael Abportus
mjthan@quik.com

18 June 2005

I apologise for missing last week. I spent last Thursday through Sunday with my family at a family reunion and vacationing. We worshipped together with the King of Glory Fellowship in Dallas with whom our church is in a companion relationship, as their Bishop (now Archbishop), Mark Camp was a co-consecrator in the consecration of Bishop Chuck and myself to the episcopacy.

The third Commandment: You are not to use lightly the name of Adonai your God because YHWH will not leave unpunished someone who uses his name lightly.

I like this particular translation. It really captures what the Hebrew is conveying in a way that many traditional translations do not. This is a commandment, which may be subject to legalism, and has been by the Pharisees since the time of Yeshua (Jesus). Today, in most Jewish documents you will not see the word God printed out but you will see G’d, so as not to write God and subject the words to desecration (say being thrown in the garbage. Similarly you might see L’rd, and other such things, but what is most popular is to us HaShem, which means the name. This kind of thing is nothing new. This is the reason that we are not quite sure what to do with YHWH, which stand for the four Hebrew letters which name G’d. Most modern writers including the translators of the Jerusalem Bible think the rendering is YahVayh, (go gutteral on the h), which is as reasonable a guess as any. We don’t really know because for many years Hebrew was written with no vowels, and because HaShem’s name was so holy that it was never spoken. In fact when vowels finally were added to the Tanakh (Old Testament), the vowels for Elohim (oftern translated as L’rd) were placed over YHWH to remind the reader to say Elohim. Take YHWH with eoi and you get Yehovih, usually anglicised to Jehovah. (I might also add that the only difference between camel and rope is one vowel, which might make one question how a certain Gospel passage is translated, but that is another story)

Enough history and linguistics, well, actually not. What does it mean to use lightly the Name of the Lord our God? Why is it even important? Names to the Hebrew mind were very important. Apparently they were also important to YHWH. Names say something about people, after all YHWH renamed Abraham, Sarah and Jacob. Knowing someone’s name could even give you a power over him. Adam names all the animals in Gan Eden which demonstrates that he has power over them. So how should we view this commandment? All too often, people see this commandment as forbidding such expressions as G’d D_____, and while I will not say that this is not so, I feel there is a much more subtle message being delivered here.

How many of us use the expression good bye? How many of us, when we use it even think about what it means? The original expression come from G’d be with ye, but over the years has been shortened and mispronounced. And lest we think we are worse than all other peoples, the same basic thing has happened with Adios (yo te encomiendo a Dios, I commend you to G’d) in Spanish, and with Adieu, (similar to the Spanish, sorry, I only read French, I cannot speak it). Most people who speak English, French or Spanish do not even know that they are talking about God when they bid someone “good bye,” which is true carelessness of language.

Today we see this in expressions such as “Oh my G’d.” How many people, when they use this expression are even thinking of G’d. It has become just an expression, using G’d’s name lightly. We see the same thing in Spanish, where many people will say “si Dios quiere,” (if G’d desires) which has been used so much, that it no longer has any meaning, for example, “Are you going to Church Sunday?” is answered by, “If it is G’d’s desire.” The facetiousness of such a response is truly sad.

Some Christians fall into the same trap when they use the expression, “G’d bless you.” I have myself made a commitment not to use this expression unless I am prepared to pray for that person at the moment, not necessarily aloud, but in such a way that I truly bring G’d into the situation. In other words, if we are going to say, “G’d” or “J’s’s” or “Chr’st,” then we should be thinking what we are saying and whose name we are invoking.

In the same way we need to be careful when we decide we are Christians (i.e. little Chr’sts). Do we truly live up to that title? According to Barnum, about 70% of the people in the USA refer to themselves as evangelical Christians, but when asked three key questions about their evangelical lifestyle, give answers which indicate that they may not be evangelical Christians. In fact the divorce rate of Evangelical Christians is the same as non-believers. It seems to me that if Evangelical Christians were living up to Biblical norms then divorce would be very rare (I realise that we are imperfect, and occasionally divorce is necessary) among them, as would abortions. When we as Christians live as the world lives, then we are bringing shame on the name of Yeshua.

I would invite you then, this week to pay attention to two things. First of all, your language. Does your language, and do your expressions convey the holiness of God? Secondly, when you allow the title Christian to be applied to you, are you truly representing Christ to the world? I fear many of us will be found wanting in one or both of these areas. The good news is that when we repent and ask God to show us our sins, and we truly desire to change, then God will give us the power to do so.

Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of your faithful and transform us with the power of your love.

Shalom and blessings in the Name of Yeshua
+Mar Michael Abportus
mjthan@quik.com

Tanakh 5 June 2005 the Second Commandment

You are to have no other gods before me. You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline. You are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I YHWH your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the parents in the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but displaying grace to the thousandth generation of those who love me and obey my mitzvoth. (Gen; 20:3-6). (The Jewish Bible)

The second commandment is very specific. No gods beside YHWH our God, and we are not to make an image. We are told in other parts of the Tanakh that we are not even to take the names of other gods upon our lips, because YHWH is a jealous God, i.e., he has made us for himself. In traditional Jewish life, this commandment was very much held to. Even today, synagogues has no representation of people or animals. In the temple, the only representations of animal life were the cherubim on the mercy seat of the ark of the testimony, and the bulls which held the bronze sea.. Coins usually showed a menorah or plants. In fact what people actually wore is purely conjectural because there are no pictures. The church of the East, also is very sparse in icons in reference to this commandment.

What does this commandment mean for us then. We like to think of ourselves as an enlightened society, one with no idols, one with no false Gods, but actually in our more and more intercultural USA, some of the old problems are surfacing again, many of which haunted the New Testament Church of the first centuries. Idolatry has once again invaded, in the forms of false religions, and in other forms. We once again need to read what St. Paul says about food and other things sacrificed to idols. Should we eat in restaurants with images of the Buddha, or Shiva, or should we flee from such things. In my case, if the item is obviously decoration, then I have no problem, but if it is used religiously, then I feel I should not support that business. How do I make the distinction? It is usually obvious, when there are incense sticks, cigarettes, flowers, food money etc. given to the idol. But these are actually very minor in the scheme of things.

For the most part, we put many idols and “Lords” before the Lord our God. Some of them are idols such a Mustang, Mercedes Benz, the latest electronic gadget, the internet, alcohol or the human body. St. Paul tells us that homosexuals have fallen into their homosexuality as a result of their idolatry. I have found in years of counselling homosexuals that the idolatry is usually related to lack of forgiveness (when we cannot forgive, it is usually idolatry of self). Womanising and drunkenness are also often related to this form of idolatry. In Latin America, mothers are often the main false God. In the United States, our children are often our main false God. We do not want them to suffer, but we do not bring them up to a Godly life, because we are afraid to hold up the standard of holiness. They might not like it. For some of us (especially Anglicans and ex-Anglicans) church itself becomes that false God.

How should we recognise if something in our life is an idol or false god? How much time do we spend on it? How much time do we spend on the things of God? Do you read your Bible every day? Most of us eat at least three meals a day, would it not help to nourish our souls several times a day. Do we occasionally snack on Christian radio during the day? How much time do we spend on the internet. Depending on your family situation more that an hour or two per day is too much, unless it is needed for work as well. Is Sunday a time we spend with God and family in relaxation, or do we head for a fix on our favourite false God (Tennis anyone, after all, five hours a week isn’t enough).

What do you spend your money on? Does God get the first priority, or do you like many rush out to buy the newest _____________?

In all of these things there should be balance, but God must be the focus. When he is not the focus, then we are involved with false gods, which must be rooted out of our lives!
Look again at the commandment. False Gods not only bring misery to our children, and us but even to the third and fourth generation. My family is a good example. Of my great great uncles and aunts, no divorces. Of the next generation my grandparents and one great uncle divorced. Of my parents generation two out of three divorced. Out of my generation, five out of seven divorced. Other examples can be used. Children of alcoholics tend to be alcoholics (forgiveness issues here). Abused children tend to be abusive parents. People who abuse drugs or alcohol during pregnancy mess up the minds of their children, often in permanent ways. Do we really want to lay this burden on our children?

Many children in the USA have been branded with many false gods. Materialism is probably the worse, but self-sufficiency is another. The self-sufficient person has no room in his life for “my grace is sufficient for you. They have to do it all. Our society also worships sex. Viagra is being promoted for older people who are getting the message, that some things should never change. As a consequence, AIDS/HIV is increasing among those sixty-five years and older faster than any other group as they learn to worship sex.

Are their false gods in your life? Root them out and do not let them take hold! Make Jesus your primary focus.

Shalom and blessings in the Name of Yeshua
+Mar Michael Abportus
mjthan@quik.com