Daily Bible Portion (Sunday)
Daily Bible Portion – 1 of 7
"DESTROYER"
(Weekly Reading>>Numbers 22:2 to 25:9, Micah 5:6 to 6:8, Jude 1-25, 2 Peter 2:1-22, Revelation 2:14-15)
The church does NOT teach that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. There are some in the church that would immediately take issue with this statement. In fact, I would hope that all brethren would take issue with the statement, but we need to address a critical issue that is affecting every one of us in the faith. So, lay down your armor plate, sheath your sword, and let us consider together a criticism of the church by the Messiah Himself.
We are not going to split hairs between the Greek derivation of Christ and the Hebrew derivation of Messiah. Let us agree for the sake of this discussion that they are the same title for the Anointed One.
Do you recall Jesus/Yeshua’s particular complaint against the church of Pergamum?
In particular, Jesus speaks of a teaching of Balaam that is a stumbling block before the sons of Israel. What exactly is the teaching of Balaam and how is it a stumbling block before the sons of Israel? Who exactly are the sons of Israel He is referring to?
If you recall, Balaam was a prophet hired by Balak to curse the children of Israel under the leadership of Moses. The children of Israel were approaching the Promised Land and Balak didn't want Israel to be around. So, he hired Balaam (a real prophet of God) to set up altars and speak a curse from God upon Israel. Balaam tried to explain to Balak that he could only speak what God said. On several occasions, Balaam spoke, but only blessing came forth. Balak was angry that a curse was not spoken. It was at this point that Balaam offered a different counsel [Numbers 22:2 to 25:9].
If you want to harm Israel, Balaam counseled, you can do it another way. The teaching of Balaam was to get the sons of Israel to marry foreign daughters. This would cause Israel to lose their distinctive definition as being the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This would mix other customs with theirs and thus diminish the value of their heritage. This would change the teaching so that Moses was just one of their teachers and move them gradually to a different point of view. In the end, the counsel was to assimilate Israel and make them just like anyone else, by separating them from one another and removing their identity.
The teaching of Balaam is to tell the sons of Israel that they no longer have a covenant with God through Moses. The teaching of Balaam diminishes and removes the Torah (the teaching of Moses).
Today, the teaching of Balaam is rampant in the church. It comes in the form of the following precept: Jesus Christ came with the purpose to do away with (fulfill?) the temple service, the Torah (Law), and alter the customs of Moses. The teaching of the church is to replace (at a minimum to diminish) Israel's identity as the chosen people, the teaching of Moses in the Torah, and to alter the customs of Sabbath and Biblical holidays. The church has done a pretty good job of doing this. Today, a Messianic believer will run right into these stumbling blocks with churchmen disputing Sabbath, holidays, and the idea of keeping the Torah. In fact, this is the focal point of discussion for many brethren as they wrestle with the disappointment and shock of being rejected by church brethren for the ‘sin’ of seeking the truth.
The spiritual reality is that holding to Moses and the Torah is in direct conflict with the teaching of the church (the teaching of Balaam). It follows that the church's dispute even takes issue with the Messiah when He speaks of Moses and the Torah.
The Messiah has said that the Torah is still with us and valid. However, this is not enough to convince the church, because of the teaching of Balaam. They dispute the meaning of the word fulfill. However, it is clear from the context and any basic dictionary that the word fulfill is not a synonym for abolish. The church teaches the opposite of Messiah Yeshua and forms new meanings for words on this point.
Jesus emphasized that not one part, down to the letters and strokes of letters, would diminish prior to heaven and earth passing away and ALL things being acomplished. I would remind everyone that heaven and earth are still with us, therefore, every part of the Torah is still valid and with us. All has not been accomplished yet. That is clearly evident with the subject of the second coming. There is more Scripture about the second coming in the Old Testament than in the New Testament. All has not yet been accomplished.
continues tomorrow...
"DESTROYER"
(Weekly Reading>>Numbers 22:2 to 25:9, Micah 5:6 to 6:8, Jude 1-25, 2 Peter 2:1-22, Revelation 2:14-15)
The church does NOT teach that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. There are some in the church that would immediately take issue with this statement. In fact, I would hope that all brethren would take issue with the statement, but we need to address a critical issue that is affecting every one of us in the faith. So, lay down your armor plate, sheath your sword, and let us consider together a criticism of the church by the Messiah Himself.
We are not going to split hairs between the Greek derivation of Christ and the Hebrew derivation of Messiah. Let us agree for the sake of this discussion that they are the same title for the Anointed One.
Do you recall Jesus/Yeshua’s particular complaint against the church of Pergamum?
“But I have a few things against you [believers], because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality” (Revelation 2:14).
In particular, Jesus speaks of a teaching of Balaam that is a stumbling block before the sons of Israel. What exactly is the teaching of Balaam and how is it a stumbling block before the sons of Israel? Who exactly are the sons of Israel He is referring to?
If you recall, Balaam was a prophet hired by Balak to curse the children of Israel under the leadership of Moses. The children of Israel were approaching the Promised Land and Balak didn't want Israel to be around. So, he hired Balaam (a real prophet of God) to set up altars and speak a curse from God upon Israel. Balaam tried to explain to Balak that he could only speak what God said. On several occasions, Balaam spoke, but only blessing came forth. Balak was angry that a curse was not spoken. It was at this point that Balaam offered a different counsel [Numbers 22:2 to 25:9].
If you want to harm Israel, Balaam counseled, you can do it another way. The teaching of Balaam was to get the sons of Israel to marry foreign daughters. This would cause Israel to lose their distinctive definition as being the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This would mix other customs with theirs and thus diminish the value of their heritage. This would change the teaching so that Moses was just one of their teachers and move them gradually to a different point of view. In the end, the counsel was to assimilate Israel and make them just like anyone else, by separating them from one another and removing their identity.
The teaching of Balaam is to tell the sons of Israel that they no longer have a covenant with God through Moses. The teaching of Balaam diminishes and removes the Torah (the teaching of Moses).
Today, the teaching of Balaam is rampant in the church. It comes in the form of the following precept: Jesus Christ came with the purpose to do away with (fulfill?) the temple service, the Torah (Law), and alter the customs of Moses. The teaching of the church is to replace (at a minimum to diminish) Israel's identity as the chosen people, the teaching of Moses in the Torah, and to alter the customs of Sabbath and Biblical holidays. The church has done a pretty good job of doing this. Today, a Messianic believer will run right into these stumbling blocks with churchmen disputing Sabbath, holidays, and the idea of keeping the Torah. In fact, this is the focal point of discussion for many brethren as they wrestle with the disappointment and shock of being rejected by church brethren for the ‘sin’ of seeking the truth.
The spiritual reality is that holding to Moses and the Torah is in direct conflict with the teaching of the church (the teaching of Balaam). It follows that the church's dispute even takes issue with the Messiah when He speaks of Moses and the Torah.
Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until ALL is accomplished.”
The Messiah has said that the Torah is still with us and valid. However, this is not enough to convince the church, because of the teaching of Balaam. They dispute the meaning of the word fulfill. However, it is clear from the context and any basic dictionary that the word fulfill is not a synonym for abolish. The church teaches the opposite of Messiah Yeshua and forms new meanings for words on this point.
Jesus emphasized that not one part, down to the letters and strokes of letters, would diminish prior to heaven and earth passing away and ALL things being acomplished. I would remind everyone that heaven and earth are still with us, therefore, every part of the Torah is still valid and with us. All has not been accomplished yet. That is clearly evident with the subject of the second coming. There is more Scripture about the second coming in the Old Testament than in the New Testament. All has not yet been accomplished.
continues tomorrow...