Jehovah's Witnesses - Origin of the Name, Part 2

The following statements in the first two paragraphs are either direct excerpts or paraphrased from the Encyclopedia Britannica, aka, Britannica, online edition, or referenced there.

The "millennialist denomination" known as Jehovah's Witnesses, grew out of the 19th century Adventist movement in the United States, and has since spread worldwide. The organization was founded by Charles Taze Russell in 1872 under the name the International Bible Students Association. Russell was a controversial Adventist teacher who rejected belief in hell as a place of eternal torment and adopted the theology of Arius/Arianism which denies the divinity of Jesus or His personhood of God. He had predicted that God's kingdom would come on earth in 1914; that misfire was later changed to a belief that in 1914 the last days began. Russell would found the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in 1884 in Pennsylvania, making himself president. The headquarters of the Society would transfer to Brooklyn, New York in 1909. In 1917, Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford would succeed Russell as president of the Society. 

It was Rutherford who would, in 1931, change the group's name to Jehovah's Witnesses in order to emphasize its members' belief that Jehovah (or Yahweh)- a transliteration of the Hebrew tetragrammaton (יהוה), which is the sacred covenant name of God in His covenant relationship with the nation of Israel, is the only true God and that the people formerly known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society were his specially chosen followers. The Hebrew people would later come to consider the name, "Yahweh", too sacred to utter by human lips, and would refer to Yahweh (or Jehovah adapted to English) as The Name (HaShem). 

Below is a copy of the text of scripture from which Judge Rutherford adopted the name Jehovah's Witnesses. The translation used here is the Names of God version which translates the Hebrew tetragrammaton and which also uses the anglicized Hebrew names and titles used for God. 

In nearly all other versions of the Bible found on Biblegateway.com, the name of Yahweh or Jehovah is rendered "LORD". A couple of translations inaccurately render the tetragrammaton as "Adonai" - which may be a fallback on the use of the word "LORD" which shows up in some translations as "Lord". Adonai is a Hebrew title and name of God which refers to His supremacy and Sovereignty over all things, identifying Him as the only true God. Other names and titles of God in the passage below are "Elohim", which is a name that conveys God to be the Creator, but does so with the suffix "him" - a plural identifier - to show His superlative primacy, His fullness as Creator, Sustainer. ("El" is the Hebrew word for God that either stands alone or is joined to or is a contraction of God and other names and titles, e.g., El Roi, El Shaddai, etc. The Hebrew language uses the plural of "El", i.e., "Elohim" to point to His supremacy and that there is none above Him.) "Qedosh Yisrael" means "The Holy One of Israel."  

The message in Isaiah 43 is a continuation of Isaiah 42, where we read of God's charges against Israel for its unfaithfulness and idolatry - worship of other gods, as well as His judgment. Probably not a coincidence, yet curious, that "Judge" Rutherford selected this passage where Yahweh or Jehovah is holding "court" with His people Israel in not very flattering edicts. As the dialogue continues in chapter 43, He reminds them of their covenant with Yahweh, His desire to have them be His people exclusively. Because they violated the covenant with Yahweh, we see Him in this trial reiterating the vow to reclaim them, because they will be dispersed to various countries as a result of His punishment for their sins. He will gather them together again. This was demonstration both of God's unexplicable love for the nation which He created, and the fact that the Savior and Redeemer Messiah and Christ would come through God's nation of Israel. He does not abandon them but allows them to feel the heat of His wrath which He warned them about more times than one can count. In His covenant with the nation, in the Bible book of Deuteronomy, He lays out the rewards and punishment that would result in consequence to how they pursued or failed to pursue Yahweh, who delivered them from Egypt. Yahweh calls them as "witnesses" who are fully aware of what they have done, to testify to the fact of their unfaithfulness - in other words, God calls them as witnesses in this court scene - witnesses against their own wickedness and the truth of God's reiteration of the Law and covenant which they had broken. That is, they are witnesses for the Prosecution. 

Israel had ins and outs with Yahweh; there were some years that they were faithful, but many more where they threw Him over to worship the gods of the surrounding nations (i.e., be like the world around them), and offer blood sacrifices to them - sometimes even sacrificing their own children. Yet, Yahweh declares that He will not cast them aside forever despite their wickedness, but that a remnant, whom He would preserve, will be faithful to Him. 

In the verses previous to verse 10 where Yahweh declares Israel as His witnesses to all He had been and done, He also calls to the stand all of the nations to be witnesses to all He had been and done to the nation of Israel. There was a time when the surrounding nations greatly feared the god of the Hebrews because of the amazing conquests and provisions He made on behalf of His covenant people - especially the miraculous deliveries from the hands of their enemies. But as Israel's sins multiplied, Yahweh - according to the covenant He made with them - would gradually withdraw His protection and favor, making the nation of Israel vulnerable to those same nations they once emulated and others who would eventually overpower Israel and take them captive. In the course of the trial, Israel would have to relent and testify that all that Yahweh Elohim, their Creator and Covenant God, said was true. Chapter 44 continues the trial. Then Yahweh testifies against the idolatry that Israel practiced. 

Again, it is very curious that Judge Rutherford would pull out from all of scripture this  singular designation. Maybe he only read the one verse and took it out of context? Was it a self-righteousness or perceived justification of his position that Jesus was not co-equal to their God? Perhaps it was a proof for him of the Arianism advocated by the denomination, a testimony for him that the "Old Testament" God of Creation was perceived to be a God separate from the Son who Rutherford and Russell said was created by God and thus a creature, and the Holy Spirit, whom the denomination claims only to be a force or a power and not a person (again, scripture knocks out those claims, too). Even further, the very first chapter of the Old Testament decries that position, as does the proper translation of John 1 and Colossians 1. 

The nation of Israel as a people did not grasp the fullness of God, but rather put Him on an equal footing with the gods of the nations round about them. If only they had gained the intimacy with Yahweh that He desired with them, O what riches and revelations they could have enjoyed! They were stuck in the narrow monotheistic mindset of a single personhood rather than the revealed Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, never having grown beyond that place. That is why Jesus was foretold as a stumbling block for Israel, because His coming topples the narrow mindset as He fully identifies the relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17-18; Acts 4:11; 1 Corinthians 1:23) Thus, the first century Jewish Pharisees and religious leaders saw Jesus' claims to co-equalness with God as blasphemy - because they had never grasped the fullness of who God is.

I have written this not out of meanness, revenge or another motive meant to disparage. I am solely endeavoring for things to make sense in light of what God's Word says. (see also Part 1 of my searching here.)

So, without further ado, here is chapter 43 from the Names of God version:

Isaiah 43

 Names of God Bible Translation                                                                               
43 Yahweh created Jacob and formed Israel. Now, this is what Yahweh says:

 Do not be afraid, because I have reclaimed you.

    I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through the sea, I am with you.
    When you go through rivers, they will not sweep you away.
    When you walk through fire, you will not be burned,
    and the flames will not harm you.
3 I am Yahweh your Elohim, Qedosh Yisrael, your Savior.
    Egypt is the ransom I exchanged for you.
    Sudan and Seba are the price I paid for you.
4 Since you are precious to me, you are honored and I love you.
    I will exchange others for you.
        Nations will be the price I pay for your life.

5 Do not be afraid, because I am with you.
    I will bring your descendants from the east
        and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
    and to the south, “Do not keep them.”
    Bring my sons from far away
    and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
7 Bring everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.
8 Bring the people who are blind but still have eyes,
    the people who are deaf but still have ears.
9 All nations have gathered together, and people have assembled.
    Who among them could have revealed this?
    Who among them could have foretold this to us?
        They should bring their witnesses to prove that they were right.
            Let the people hear them. Then they will say that it is true.

10 “You are my witnesses,” declares Yahweh.
    “I have chosen you as my servant
    so that you can know and believe in me
        and understand that I am the one who did this.
    No god was formed before me,
    and there will be none after me.
11 I alone am Yahweh,
    and there is no savior except me.
12 I have revealed it to you, I have saved you,
    and I have announced it to you.
        There was no foreign god among you.
    You are my witnesses that I am El,” declares Yahweh.
13 “From the first day I was the one who did this.
    No one can rescue people from my power.
    When I do something, who can undo it?”
14 This is what Yahweh, your Go’el, Qedosh Yisrael, says:

For your sake I will send an army to Babylon.
    I will bring back all the Babylonian refugees
        in the ships that they take pride in.
15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One,
    the Creator of Israel, your Melek.

Despite the People of Israel’s Past Sin, the Lord Will Forgive Them

16 Yahweh makes a path through the sea
    and a road through the strong currents.
17 He leads chariots and horses, an army and reinforcements.
    (They lie down together and do not get up again.
    They are extinguished and snuffed out like a wick.)

This is what Yahweh says:

18 Forget what happened in the past,
    and do not dwell on events from long ago.
19 I am going to do something new.
    It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it?
        I will clear a way in the desert.
        I will make rivers on dry land.
20 Wild animals, jackals, and ostriches will honor me.
    I will provide water in the desert.
    I will make rivers on the dry land for my chosen people to drink.
21 I have formed these people for myself.
    They will praise me.

22 Jacob, you have not prayed to me.
    Israel, you have grown tired of me.
23 You did not bring me sheep for your burnt offerings
    or honor me with your sacrifices.
    I did not burden you by requiring grain offerings
    or trouble you by requiring incense offerings.
24 You did not buy me any sugar cane with your money
    or satisfy me with the best part of your sacrifices.
    Rather, you burdened me with your sins
    and troubled me with your wrongdoings.

25 I alone am the one who is going to wipe away your rebellious actions
    for my own sake.
        I will not remember your sins anymore.
26 Remind me of what happened.
    Let us argue our case together.
        State your case so that you can prove you are right.
27 Your first ancestor sinned,
    and your priests rebelled against me.
28 That is why I will corrupt the leaders of the holy place.
    I will claim Jacob for destruction.
    I will set up Israel for ridicule.                   

 

 *the faith choir known as The Pentecostals of Alexandria, speak to God's faithfulness in the testimony at verses 1, 2 and 4. "I Am Not Afraid"

Be - Atta - What? The Nine Beatitudes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount

Our youth group had this assignment recently - to understand the Beatitudes or the statements of promised Blessings by Christ that He spoke during what would be called His Sermon on the Mount. 

Here they are listed as they occur in Matthew's Gospel. The Bible version is the New Revised Standard Version.

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

           A view from a mount near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus preached His Sermon on the Mount
                on a hillside near the Sea.

Here is the initial and general write up I provided:

Many of us are growing up in households where we are told the “do-nots” and the “dos” of behavior by our parents, and then when we go to school we are given more! Things like, “say thank you, say please, don’t read in the dark – turn on some light, don’t hit your brother/sister, don’t watch tv – do your homework, don’t chase a ball into the street, don’t eat so many sweets, don’t push the swing too high, don’t touch the stove, don’t run with scissors – even as you read this you are remembering some of those and other “do-nots” and “dos” from your parents, uncles, aunties, and grandparents. Sometimes we are kind of ‘bribed’ (clearing my throat) – I mean, taught that we could be rewarded for good behavior; consequently, the reward became our goal for “obeying the law”. So the standards were “do-not, do this” and you receive a reward for obedience. From time to time the parents or other authoritative figures would explain to you the “underpinnings” [look this up if you don’t know what it means] of those household laws – that is, why they were important, how they would protect you and keep you safe, how they would help shape you into a responsible adult, how it involved a closer relationship with your parents and one another in your family and with your friends. Maybe even how does God feel by the way you act. And maybe we didn’t want to hear the explanation and just focused on the rewards! 

Something similar happened with the ancient nation of Israel. When God gave them the Law at Mount Sinai through Moses (found in Exodus, Leviticus and emphasized in Deuteronomy), after He saved and delivered them from bondage in Egypt, it was His follow-up to what Moses told Pharaoh several times – God wanted to bring the people out of Egypt to bring them into relationship with Him, so that they could serve and worship Him according to His promise. God created the Law to teach His people how to worship, to teach them the proper way to depend upon Him, to reveal to them who He was (for 400 years they lived in a society that worshiped animal spirits, humans, Pharoahs, idols and images, things of nature and magic; they only had stories of this God of Abraham and who He was; now He was there, showing them that He was the true God, that no power – not even the mighty Egyptian Pharaoh and his armies which kept them in bondage and fear for hundreds of years – could trump this God of Abraham). God wanted them to learn that He was their true reward, their true Promised Land. That a relationship with God was the best; that treating family members and neighbors/others with a new level of righteousness, i.e., being fair and respectful, would reflect their LORD’s character and bring them peace and joy – the ‘side effects’ of worshiping the true God. This God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would reward them with lands full of crops, the rain to keep their crops alive and flourishing, the fruit of the womb, no shortage of livestock and other animals that would give provisions to the people, that He would protect them from their warring neighbor countries, would provide healthcare and all needs - when and only if they obeyed Yahweh, the Great I Am. They would be the most prosperous and the strongest nation in all of that known world - if they obeyed Yahweh. Readers of Israel’s history know that, despite all of what God had done and provided, the people still rebelled. For centuries. The rewards of obedience were not enough for them!

Religious leaders sought to “improve the law” by adding interpretations that would require  more duties and create burdens on people to try to keep them in line, but mostly in line in ways that benefited the rich, the king, and the religious establishment. Only a small few grasped the essence of the Law of Moses God had given  them – that God was not only a Rewarder, but that He was a Father to them who wanted a reciprocal [look it up if you don’t know what that word means] relationship. By the time Jesus came, the religious establishment had enlarged the Law – adding various rules and regulations that had little to do with relationship with God.

For example, the sabbath law which was a simple, concise Word from God in the Ten Commandments that would give His people an opportunity for true rest from labor and to enter more deeply into relationship with God, where they learned how to trust and depend on Him for their lives and livelihood, that law had become polluted and expanded to hundreds of regulations by the religious establishment: how many steps you could walk on the sabbath; that you were not allowed to pick up sticks to keep the fires going – in fact, they iterated all the things you could not do. They were very big on not even getting medical attention on the sabbath – you’d have to wait until the next day. The laws were strict and restricting; much of the essence, i.e., the things of God, had faded from the law and now it was all about being legally right. Instead of drawing people to God, the religious establishment was seeking to be more important than God, in fact, to be a god to be obeyed, or else.

So, for hundreds and hundreds of years, the people of Israel/Judah were subjected to religious teachers who did not teach the essence of the law of Moses, only the legal demands – adding rules and regulations that created burdensome obligations. These superfluous additions took the focus off the true God and Father, rather than encouraging a relationship with God. The leaders exalted Abraham as Father – claiming their worth and righteousness in his name; they would even make it wrong for a person to say the LORD's name. It seemed like the “dos” and “do-nots” – those legal burdens on the people that had little to do with God or had a "God flavor", would continue to be the norm for His people.

In Jesus’ first advent, His commission was two-fold: He came as the Lamb to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29, 35-36), not just the sins of Israel. He also came to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let those long oppressed by burdens and taxes to be set free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:16-21). He would teach the truth about the kingdom of God and be a revelation of the God of Moses and Abraham. (Matthew 4:12-17,23;Matthew 5-7; 13:1-53).

Jesus would reframe the true Law of Moses through teaching the true essence of God’s law. In interpreting the Law and God’s intent behind it – for the religious establishment had failed in their obligations to do that, Jesus taught the people the fundamentals of worship that the Law was intended to bring to people – the essence and underpinnings of the Law to instruct the people what a real relationship with God was about. One of the most notable and recognizable of Jesus’ teachings of such are found in the Sermon on the Mount; Matthew's Gospel reports the Sermon in three consecutive chapters - 5,6,7. In the opening part of His sermon, Jesus speaks to the “blessings” (also referred to as the “beatitudes”) inherent in true worship of God. He contrasts the legalistic structure that the religious leaders had created and substantially voided out the essence of the Law; Jesus speaks to the spirit of the Law, which was that of relationship with the true God. As we examine these blessings - all 9 of them - that help us to see how they support God's covenant with Israel, and which transcend to those covered by God's New Covenant through Christ, we will consider what good news Jesus is intentionally teaching to them and to us today. 

It is important to reiterate:  The Beatitudes and the teachings contained in the Sermon on the Mount were not just an 'event', a one-and-done and solely historic episode, nor were they given to be a palliative or a salve on our human condition; instead, these are to be fundamental means of growing in relationship with God; they were to become integrated, even renewed, into our daily faith walk. They are a continual awareness of who we are in Christ. Jesus' initial listeners of this Sermon - persons of Jewish heritage - understood the phrases "blessing of God" or "blessed by God" differently than how it is most often used now. For the Jewish person, to be blessed or receive a blessing meant for them to be called into the presence of the LORD, Adonai, Yahweh - to experience God's shalom peace and uniquely commune with Him. Today, though, we most often equate the "blessing of God" to mean a material reward or position of some type that lasts for a little while, brings us a temporary pleasure or happiness, or easing of our situations - something which would essentially aggrandize the human and his/her circumstance. The human satisfaction is the desired focus, rather than having the most incredible experience a human can have - the privilege of uniquely communing with the Sovereign of the universe, the sanctified person's Abba Father, having an experience of eternal reverbrations. As one reads through the Beatitude expositions found at the links below, the recurring theme will be a God-centered awareness and relationship.  (Psalm 34:8; Psalm 65:4; Romans 6:4,11)  This and the following papers were written so that we may bathe in the Light of His wisdom and power, as our knowledge of God grows deeper and more rooted.

The promised Blessings of Jesus (the Beatitudes) in His Sermon on the Mount are posted individually, showing us the relationship with God which He continues to desire.

Bonus: "Order My Steps in Your Word," feat. HCC Choir

EXPOSITION/EXPLANATIONS OF THE BEATITUDES ARE AT LINKS BELOW. (The series is designed to be used as a small group Bible study.) 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

My First Public Video - A Dramatic Reading of Isaiah 40

 Bible readers may know what I'm talking about - sometimes a passage benefits the reader more when it is read aloud. I was doing that today as I studied for this evening's Bible study. As I talked out loud about the background of the Bible book, and then did the reading (I like reading scripture out loud with what many call drama; to me it is trying to capture the essence of what the writer and Holy Spirit were feeling as words went onto the scroll.  That was when a kernel of an idea (maybe Holy Spirit inspired?) came to me:  make a video. It was impulsive decision, whim, but why not? Definitely not a professional product in a studio lol, but it is a start. So, I put up my room divider, tried to make myself somewhat presentable, hooked up the camera and started talking. See the result below. Your feedback is welcomed! God bless!

https://vimeo.com/636636203 

Patient Waiting

Living our Faith

Ours is an ‘instant everything’ culture, where patient waiting is a challenge even for Christians. Psalm 130 and Mark 5 intentionally offer us a stark contrast. 

Stepping into those readings, we first witness the incessant striving of the people – the psalmist cries out to God repeatedly from the depths of his soul; the synagogue leader and the woman with the chronic illness have both been praying for what seems like an eternity for healing. Then we note that the psalmist has learned to wait for the LORD, the Sovereign God, the Living God, in whose hands is all of time. He finds deepening trust and hope in God’s word of promise, and profound grace, mercy and forgiveness. The synagogue leader Jairus in the Mark passage has by career and heredity known of God, prayed to God the regular prayers of his people, however, in this season his prayer life changes. His relationship with Yahweh in this time of waiting on His mercy has grown more personal because of his daughter’s illness (do you think Psalm 130 was a continual prayer for him?). The woman in the Mark passage has endured a devastating illness that her culture and the law exacerbates so that she is forced to live in the shadows, to abandon meaningful relationships, and is bankrupted by medical bills. She awaits God’s healing, doing all the law allows, crying out to Yahweh incessantly for twelve lonely, painful years. God answers both of their prayers in an unexpected, personal way in Jesus. 

At the beginning of Mark 5, Jesus’ healing of a demoniac initiates a groundswell of proclaiming of the Gospel throughout the region by those who witnessed the miraculous healing  – the telling of the good news of God coming to His people. Jairus and the woman hear about what Jesus has done and believe He is the answer God has sent in response to their pleadings. For Jairus his seeking Jesus could mean a loss of job and reputation, but he knows doing nothing could cost him more. His faith pushes him to boldly go to Jesus and fall at his feet, seeking mercy and redemption. The woman knowing that her willful violation of the law could cost her her life, nevertheless walks stealthily in faith for just a touch from Jesus. And look how Jesus uniquely answers each one! 

Can't you feel the woman’s fear, then divine joy, as Jesus restores her publicly, Jesus who has seen and known her true value to the Father and by grace and in mercy forgives and redeems her life? Can't you feel Jairus’ complex emotions as he hears his daughter has died, but is immediately reassured by the same Jesus who redeemed the woman known throughout the community as a lost cause? Can't you feel your heart pound as you walk into his house where his dear child is laid out in death until that same Jesus calls her back to life right before your eyes? 

Had both Jairus and the woman not waited in faith, would they have experienced these outcomes? As the psalmist explains, their waiting was purposeful. The waiting on the God of all Creation, the anticipation that He would act based on His word, was an opportunity for each of them to grow in faith and trust. They could see with eyes of faith God’s answer was certain in Christ, and found not just physical restoration, but a divine revelation of God himself and an eternal blessing. What blessings have we missed because of impatience? What if we see waiting as an opportunity to trust our Sovereign God, to let Him use our seasons of waiting to uniquely act in our lives to push our faith forward?

It's 6:30 a.m. on a weekday, and I know I should be packing lunch or doing some kind of morning ritual, but I wanted to share this before I forgot it again...

When we were talking at Bible study about what Moses was doing or better yet, what God was doing with Moses for 40 years, I was again reminded of an encounter I hope I don't forget... I was dropping off a rental car and one of the gentlemen was assigned to get me to the Metro station. Mind you, it was a 10 minute or less trip...I can't remember how we got around to praising God but in retrospect the conversation must have gone from 0 to 60 in Christ. The gentleman was giving testimony that before he came to Christ he lived like there was no god but himself. And then the tugging began, and he finally answered God's call. He said that he asked God, why LORD did you wait 40 years before you called me? He said that the response was, 'because you didn't know anything yet 40 years ago.'

Even in our fleeing from God, He is working everything out for good. What the gentleman brought to the Body of Christ was compassion, understanding of what it is to be outside of God's will - in other words, a platform for reaching others based on his own experience that God allowed in his life. As we continue the account of Moses (next time Exodus chapters 4 and 5) let us each consider the episodes and circumstances God allowed in our lives  before we fully gave ourselves to him and ask God how he wants us to use those 'dark' days to his glory.

(ok so I was just about to sign off and my hands hit the keyboard in such a way that these references to Jesus' I AM statements jumped onto the screen. So, I located the references from Isaiah and added them too! - these are in reference to God's revelation to Moses - one of the most incredible episodes in the Bible - as to who He says He is; a look at the Hebrew for those words point not to the personal name Yahweh but to another name!)
John 6: 35, 48 I am the bread of life
John 8: 12, 9:5 I am the light of the world
John 8: 58 Before Abraham was, I am
John 10:9 I am the door
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd
John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life
John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life
John 15:1 I am the true vine

The I AM statements in Isaiah
41:4, 10, and 13
42:8 I AM Yahweh (the LORD)
43:3, 10, 12 – I AM Yahweh your Elohim, Qedosh Ysrael (Holy One of Israel), the one who saves you
44:6 I AM the First and the Last
45:5, 6 18, 22
48:17 -  I AM … teach you what is best
49:26 I Am … that saves you
60:16 – I AM – Go’El your kinsman redeemer

"For the LORD (EloHim, Yahweh) is a Jealous God" part 2

The Israelites had now experienced a great time of growth and prosperity and had gained considerable victories in the land to which God had brought them. They were living large. Their 'modern times' were in full swing! Modern housing - they no longer had to live in tents. A marketplace close to their settlements, social activity and times of celebration.  The 'latest' in fashionable clothing, meaningful work - this was living! There were still Canaanites living nearby who for some reason did not get removed from the land - some were kind of nice and kept their properties up and sometimes you would come across a marketplace that the Canaanites owned or visited. They looked different from the Israelites in some respects, and dressed and lived differently. They definitely worshiped differently ... 

A people of promise. God in His grace and providence had anointed/ordained a man named Abraham, who could trace his origins to the family of Shem, son of Noah. Because of his demonstrated faith and the grace of God, God promised Abraham that his descendants would become as numerous as the stars and the grains of sand. The people who would first be identified with this promise was the nation of Israel, descending from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As the Genesis record continues to show, the people of Jacob moved from Canaan during the famine to Egypt when one of Jacob's (aka Israel's) youngest sons had been elevated to the governor and second in command of the region and who administered the plenty that God had provided for that purpose in His providence. After 400 years in Egypt, according to God's divine timing, He redeemed the people from the bondage of slavery for the purpose of bringing them to a place where they could worship Him according to His determination outlined in the 10 commandments and laws that He would give the people to guide them to true blessings as He restored them to the land of their forefather Israel. 

The people of Israel did eventually occupy the land - God assigned areas for each tribe according to His will for them. (It is interesting who was given the northern region and who was given the southern region.) God did give them victory over those interlopers who had claimed the land for themselves and warred against God's purpose. However - and this is important to know - not all of the Canaanites were driven out, due in part to the unfaithfulness and disobedience of the Israelites to carry out God's command to drive the wicked from their midst.

Additionally, the Israelites, after re-inhabiting the land - were straightforwardly instructed not to intermingle with the people of the land - primarily because they were pagans who did not worship the true God, the Savior of Israel. The peoples of Canaan were not ignorant of who this God was, which is why God allowed for the proselyte (a converted Canaanite; also called stranger in some Bible translations) to become part of the blessing and not be annihilated with those rejecting God. (compare Romans 1:18-23; Exodus 12:9; 1 Chronicles 22:1-3; 2 Chronicles 2:16-18; 2 Chronicles 30:24-26; Ezekiel 14:6-8) 

Years would pass, and the initial generations of Israelites returning to the land would pass away. Judges 2 indicates that eventually generations were born who did not know the God of Israel, i.e., folks had turned to the pagan gods of their neighbors. Why would they do that - after all these were the people, or at least their grandparents and great grandparents were the people whom God had brought from captivity in Egypt after miraculous signs were performed to demonstrate God's glory and sovereignty. They and their parents and grandparents had witnessed God's saving hand against their enemies. They had witnessed and enjoyed the blessings of abundance in a land God had given to them. (compare Psalm 77-80) Why, then, would they turn their backs on God?

For the same reasons essentially that Adam and Eve, and us today, do so. To satisfy our own desires for dominance, self-rule and worship. To feel good and enjoy the fleeting pleasures disobedience gives. 

But our God is a Jealous God who will not tolerate forever the wandering away of His chosen people. (compare Exodus 20:4-6; 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:23-25; 5:9; 6:15; Joshua 24:18-20) His perfect Jealousy, born of a sovereign right to command obedience and worship, is not to be toyed with. As in the example of the wayward child in Part 1 of this blog, God knows what is best for His created beings, despite what the lust of our hearts tell us. He has the right to chastise His people and set up the necessary guardrails to protect them and command their exclusive worship. He has provided the means and instrument to restore His people - which He provides at great cost. He has redeemed or purchased His people at great cost, in His grace and providence. HE HAS THE SOVEREIGN RIGHT and is worthy above all things to be praised and worshiped. 

We, too, are the people of the promise through the seed of Abraham - in the person of Jesus Christ. We thus need to recall that the reason that God had faithful men record the accounts of His chosen people, of His salvation plan and process, is for us, for those who would follow those generations. (compare 1 Corinthians 10:1-11) We, too, are chosen people in a 'promised land' - a place of relationship with God where we are to worship Him exclusively. God's holy Word, His record of the actions and consequences of His people in past days, are for our benefit so that we can discern and make choices in line with God's will for our lives through a careful review and consultation of those accounts. (compare 1 Corinthians 10:12-15; Psalm 119:66; Proverbs 1:1-2; 2:3-9; Philippians 1:9; Hebrews 5:13-14) Will we be enticed by or lured to the practices and culture of the world? Yes. Will we be tempted to think like the world? Yes. Jesus tells us that in His Gospels and we are warned about it in the letter of Revelation. We are still flesh, therefore, our divine 'war' is with those fleshly desires to subdue them by following the Holy Spirit's direction in our lives. Is it easy? No, nor was it easy to live in the culture and sensual environments in which God's people in the past lived. They, too, were tempted with sexual immorality, greed, and idolatry and many succumbed, just as many of God's people fall to those desires today, and become subjected to God's correction. We must take care to seek God's will in all things, or suffer the same consequences suffered by those in the past who chose to go their own way. 

For our God is still a Jealous God, who is jealous for the people whom He chooses! Let us 'work out our salvation', i.e., follow the course God has set for us with all determination, with fear and with trembling, as before a Great and Loving God, who has our best in mind at all times. (Philippians 2:12-13)

"For the LORD (EloHim, Yahweh) your God is a Jealous God..."

Can you ever remember a time when your mother warned you about taking a certain course of action? "Don't go over there to play, there are bad weeds there!" But, so-and-so was playing over there last week and nothing happened to him, you said to yourself. So off you go to play in the weeds. Only a few hours later you are itching and scratching your legs because there was poison ivy mixed in with the weeds. "If only you had obeyed me," your mom later says, "you wouldn't have to suffer like this." And she puts gobs of stuff on your legs to help reduce the itching. Or, "don't go across the street to so-and-so's house - there's something funny going on over there/I haven't met the parents yet." But so-and-so goes to your school and you played with him or her at recess. He/she is o.k. Your mom just doesn't know him/her like you do. So off you go across the street and play with so-and-so. You have had fun. Your mom wasn't right this time! You keep on going over there and playing with so-and-so in the yard and all is great. One day it starts to rain just as you all were getting your game on and so-and-so says come on - dash into my house so that we don't get wet. You hesitate for a second because you hear your mother's words in your head, but then again, you're getting soaked and it is easier to go into his/her house than go way across the street to your house. When you get inside, it is kind of dark, and smells of funny smoke. Some guy is chillin' in a chair looking at TV and when he hears you all running into the house, yells some very pithy foul language at the two of you for making noise. Your friend does say bad words from time to time, but you have never heard anyone say what the guy said, nor the threats he made to you if you made any more noise. He looks like the kind of person who would do what he says. You tell your friend that you've got to go home and, um, do your homework (you just make up anything at that moment), and run out of the house and when the door slams you can hear the guy cussing. 

Scary stuff.

Well, the above may not have exactly been your experience. But I can almost guarantee that you, someone of your acquaintance, or even someone in your group of siblings or extended family have had something kind of close to that. I can think back to some of my childhood and adolescent years when I wanted to be independent of my mother's judgment and rules. I thought that some of them were kind of out there, or that she couldn't understand how things were 'nowadays'. So when I finally began to take the Bible seriously, I couldn't believe how much I could see real life in it and episodes that mirrored some of the things that happened to me! The stories and principles were like right now, instead of old timey stories for bedtime. I saw those little scenes of a wise and experienced person giving sound advice so that people could have victory and success in their lives, and saw it being played out over and over and over again in the lives of the people who lived in the nation of Israel. And over, and over again even when the God who made all the universe, who could see into every nano-molecule, gives warning after warning about the consequences of certain behaviors and activity, the children of Israel dis it, and wind up getting in big trouble. Each and every time - it might vary in the amount of time each time the problems start due to disobedience, but they always come. And each time, the disobedience impacts not just the ones doing the disobeying, but also their children and grandchildren. [Exodus 20:3-7; Deuteronomy 4:1-40; 6:1-19]  

So how did these 'Bible people', these Israelites, get started? We all know the story about the Exodus from Egypt, with Pharoah and the 10 plagues and all of that, but how many of you know the backstory - the story behind the story? Why was a nation of Jews living in, of all places, Egypt? Why did God have such an interest in them? Was He God only of the Jews? Why would God tell the Israelites to move out of Egypt - the only place they've known for all of their lives, and go mostly on foot into a land a few hundred miles away that they have never lived in, and then to war against the folks who were living there so as to make it their home? (some people today will call what happened a kind of genocide and call God a murderer) So, is God guilty of wrongdoing? Why would this God, this Yahweh, have the Israelites traipse through the desert and wilderness for years instead of going directly to the land of Canaan? Who were the Canaanites and where did they come from? Why did God want them destroyed?

These are hard questions - especially for those of us who do not know the true God, His character, and especially his sovereignty. We seldom get a full picture of the LORD God -  EloHim, Yahweh - in every Sunday corporate worship experience, but we get enough sometimes to be curious about who He really is and why He made the statement above? Like your parents - and moms are usually the more vociferous when it comes to household rules - He has a right to direct our lives and provide boundaries and guardrails to help protect us and to enable us to thrive. He wants all of our worship, that is, our obedience (which is the foundation for worshiping God). He is still a Jealous God, i.e., He rightly deserves every creature's worship, obedience, service - He does not want to share with idols or other so-called gods. And yet, like the youths pictured above, we do it - ignore God anyway when it looks like we can't get our 'play on'. And then we have to suffer the consequences.

As the story behind the story unfolds and we get answers to the above questions, we'll get to see why this is so and what was going on those thousands of years ago that still impact our daily lives and serves as warnings still for us today.

Tease for next time... 

The Israelites had now experienced a great time of growth and prosperity and had gained considerable victories in the land to which God had brought them. They were living large. Their 'modern times' were in full swing! Modern housing - they no longer had to live in tents. A marketplace close to their settlements, social activity and times of celebration. The 'latest' in fashionable clothing, meaningful work - this was living! There were still Canaanites living nearby who for some reason did not get removed from the land - some were kind of nice and kept their properties up and sometimes you would come across a marketplace that the Canaanites owned or visited. They looked different from the Israelites in some respects, and dressed and lived differently. They definitely worshiped differently ...