Musings

Matters of the Heart Part I

Posted on August 17, 2014 by K. Gallagher

 

                          © Metin Uluer | Dreamstime.com

 We all have our own ideas of what we mean when we say things like:

“God knows my heart.”

“My heart just isn’t in it.”

“She has a good heart.”

“My heart is breaking over this issue.”

“His presence makes my heart skip a beat.”

“Just accept Jesus into your heart.”

 

Heart Defined

But what exactly is our heart, biblically speaking? Is it merely the blood pumping organ in your chest? Is it just an idiom for your deep seated emotions and convictions? How does the heart differ from your mind? Is our heart deceitful or has Messiah given us a new heart?

The Hebrew word most often translated as heart is “lev or levav.” These Hebrew words are also used to refer to the mind, reasoning, will, and understanding of a person. As a matter of fact, there isn’t a single Biblical Hebrew word to express the western idea of the “mind” or even the brain. When you see the English word “mind” in your Bible translation, it is usually the Hebrew word lev or levav.

Why does this matter? According to Jeff Benner’s Hebrew pictograph’s, the lev, depicts the staff or authority (lamed) with the tent or house (vet). In other words, the lev is a pictograph of “the authority within.” The question becomes one of authority. Who is on the throne of your life? You or the Creator?

What about those times when you feel pulled in two different directions? Could this be an indication that you are fighting YHWH for the throne? For example, have you ever been faced with a decision where you truly felt like you knew the obvious answer in your mind, but your heart didn’t want to follow your own sound reasoning? The heart wants what the heart wants, right?

You might have felt like your heart and mind disagreed in these instances. But in Hebrew, the heart and the mind are of one and the same. Thus, what is perceived to be a conflict between one’s heart and mind is really a matter of being “double-minded.” Ouch. Perhaps the sound instruction you knew to be true (God’s Word) or even good common sense, just wasn’t what you desired.

James’ answer is to SUBMIT to God. Apparently that inward struggle is one trying to take the reins (control) and have one’s own way. We are told to resist the “devil” or the enemy (which can very well be our own flesh) and the “feeling/drive” will flee.

Jam. 4:7-8 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (8)  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Circumstances such as these are indicators that our lev needs to be purified, because we are suffering from double-mindedness. You see, the real battle you are experiencing is between your “renewed” mind/lev and your flesh or nephesh. The nephesh or flesh includes one’s mind or intellect. Like the other aspects of the nephesh (emotions, feelings, desire, appetites, will, etc.), one’s mind and intellect must also submit to the authority of Adonai – His Word.

I don’t know about you, but when I’ve been faced with inner conflicts, I KNEW what I SHOULD do (my renewed mind); it’s just that my DESIRE was to do to the opposite (my heart). My nephesh wanted what it wanted, regardless of the truth of the Word of God. This is why James calls a double-minded person “unstable.” (Jam. 1:6-8) An unstable or double-minded person has not learned to master their nephesh with the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Instead, they are tossed to and fro by their emotions and random thoughts. They don’t have a legacy of overcoming the desires and thoughts of the flesh, making them more akin to a beast than a human. The beast (flesh) must be placed on the altar every day, which is something learned through persistent practice and willful submission.

The Occupied Mind (Lev)

Knowing that we each have this warring nature within, YHWH gives us the remedy.

Dt. 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! (5) You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart (lev) and with all your soul (nephesh) and with all your might (meod).

Loving Adonai begins in the mind (lev) which encompasses our emotions and will. This leads to one making their flesh/nephesh come into obedience (self-control). The more we exercise this type of submission, the stronger we become spiritually. But, the key is the lev as the next verse attests that the Word/commandments of God are to be UPON our lev. (Dt. 6:6) We must purposely choose to meditate on the Word of God day and night. This will strengthen our lev (mind) and we will have much better chances of overcoming our greatest enemy, our flesh. Paul calls this “renewing your mind”:

Romans 12:1-2 (NASB) Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

So far, we have discovered that:

  1. The lev is more than our heart; it is our MIND.
  2. The lev involves thinking, planning, feeling, imagination, knowing, remembering, intent, etc.
  3. The lev can listen to your nephesh (flesh/desires) or the truth (Word of God).

Now let’s consider some verses that use the Hebrew lev and read them with this fuller understanding. There are hundreds of verses to choose from; I encourage you do to your own concordance search for more detail.

It searches:

Dt. 4:29 “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

It speaks to you:

Dt. 8:17 “Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’

It’s in need of circumcision:

Dt. 10:16 “So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.

Ps. 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

It can be changed and enlarged:

1 Sam. 10:9 Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day.

Ps. 119:32 I shall run the way of Your commandments, For You will enlarge my heart.

It can carry you away:

Job 15:12  “Why does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes flash,

It can rejoice:

Ps. 13:5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

It can meditate and be taught:

Ps. 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Ps. 86:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.

It has a tablet or record that must be guarded:

Pr. 3:3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Pr. 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

It can deceive you:

Jer. 17:9 The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Our hearts/minds must be guarded and “fed” a healthy diet of God’s Word in order to stay steadfast and righteous. It truly is a well spring of life… or death. Thoughts are like seeds. They have the power to produce fruit/deeds. Our natural inclination will be to produce death. This is because a sinful person is really sick. The virus wants to reproduce itself. The only remedy we have is the Living Word of Adonai.

The good news is that Adonai is not only willing, but desires to renew our minds. But, it will require us to relinquish ourselves to Him. This reminds me of a quandary that I often meditate upon (a faculty of my lev).

Does Adonai supernaturally place or write His Word and Commandments on our heart (lev) upon receiving Yeshua? Or is this a “process” that we must choose to allow by the washing and watering[1] of His Word? My meditations have caused me to consider that this isn’t a real either/or question. Both are true, if you can take off the Greek/western lenses. Let’s look at a familiar story in the Scriptures that forces us to look at the “heart of the matter.“

Pharaoh’s Hard Heart

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The passages concerning the Passover and exodus from Egypt are read every year in the Torah cycle and are commemorated each spring with the first moed (feast) on Adonai’s calendar. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that Pesach (Passover) is FIRST feast. This story is about the Israelites redemption and release from slavery. Followers of Yeshua also understand that He is our Pesach Lamb year after year. Like Israel of old, we are redeemed and saved by the blood of the Lamb. We are released from the bondage of Egypt and Pharaoh -not because we deserve it, worked for it, or earned it. Adonai’s great compassion, mercy, and loving-kindness moved Him to act on our behalf.

But after our release, we must get to know our Redeemer. We must choose to trust and follow Him. We will all face the wilderness. In the wilderness we will be tested and tried, so that our true lev or heart/mind will be revealed (to us). This is life, folks. Will we die in the desert or move on to the Promised Land?

Dt. 8:2 “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

Each year as we commemorate Israel’s freedom (and ours), we are faced with a seeming paradox in regards to the heart. In the account of the plagues of Egypt, sometimes we see the LORD hardening Pharaoh’s heart and sometimes Pharaoh hardens his own heart. These verses were most confusing to me in the past. How could Pharaoh be held accountable for his resistance to God’s Word if Adonai was pulling all the strings? You might have asked the same question. Adonai loves an honest question, because it requires us to exercise our mind. Let’s look at this “hardening.”

The Hebrew word for hardened is chazak. This word may be familiar to you if you have a Jewish Bible. There is a traditional phrase that is chanted at the completion of each book of Torah in the reading cycle. It is: “Chazak, chazak, v’nit’chazek!” It means, “Be strong! Be strong! And let us be strengthened!” Thus, what should our lev be strengthened by? The Torah! Isn’t this what the Shema and V’ahavta are all about? (Dt. 6:4-9)

When I looked up the Hebrew word chazak, I was rather amazed by the fact that this word is only translated as “hardened” in reference to Pharaoh’s heart. It is most often translated as “be strong.” It literally means to seize, to grab hold, to strengthen.

What actually occurred was that Pharaoh’s mind (lev) was strengthened. He had convinced himself or “set his mind” to keep Israel subjugated. He wouldn’t even allow the evidence of miracles and plagues to change his mind. He wanted what he wanted. Unfortunately, this strengthening was against the will of God. If you look closely at the text, Pharaoh hardens his own heart toward Israel throughout the first five plagues. And then, Adonai hardens Pharaoh’s heart during the last five. It seems that YHWH eventually turned Pharaoh over to his own desires. Paul tells us that this is very possible:

Eph. 4:17-19 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, (18)  being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;  (19)  and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

Sadly, if we continue to resist the Holy Spirit’s direction to stop appeasing our flesh, God will let us have our way. Paul urges us to lay aside the “old self” or the evil inclination and be RENEWED in the spirit of our mind.

Eph. 4:20-24 But you did not learn Christ in this way, (21)  if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,  (22)  that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,  (23)  and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,  (24)  and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Paul continues in the Book of Ephesians by advising Believers to be imitators of God. The process of laying aside the “old man/self” and taking on the “new self/man” is often called sanctification. This is NOT about salvation. It is a process. A journey. A walk. A way of life. This is the wilderness experience.  But how do we know what to kick aside and what to take on? Paul again exhorts us:

Eph. 5:8-11 For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (9)  (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),  (10)  trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.  (11)  Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them…

Eph. 5:15-17 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, (16) making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  (17)  So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

We must be careful and diligent as we follow the Lord. We must seek God’s will and learn what is pleasing to Him. This is much different than pleasing men, their tradition, or their theology. Nevertheless, we can do this without sinning in anger or speaking evil of those that aren’t in the exact place we are on the path. In other words, our lev must become obedient to Adonai.

The Bible is our instruction. Thus, the Words of Life are contained within its leaves (pages). I can either reject them or follow them. But this is where the controversy arises. Is the whole Book meant for my instruction or are there parts I should ignore? When I stand back from all the theological arguments and the thoughts of men, the answer seems rather simple.

Ecc. 12:13-14 The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man (adam). (14)  For God shall bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. (JPS)

A whole (restored/complete) adam (man/woman) will fear God and keep His commandments, because he has a mind (lev) set on serving the Creator. This is a person that has given his inner authority (lev) over to the ultimate Authority of the Universe.

 

Continued in the Matters of the Heart in Part II.

 

 

[1] Eph. 5:6

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Categories: Messianic Issues, Musings | Tags: , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Devouring Lion

Posted on February 18, 2014 by K. Gallagher

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In Crate Trained Believers, I submitted that as Believers, we should reflect the attributes of a lion and a lamb, because that’s who Yeshua is. When one’s self-image is out of kilter, it skews one’s true identity, and the image of Elohim in the earth. If we could really grasp the reality of who we are, our lives and impact on the world would be changed for the better. Many of think of themselves as weak, powerless, and vulnerable. These are NOT the traits of a lamb of Elohim. The problem seems to come from a false view of humility, which was the focus of the previous post.

Our Messiah is returning for a Bride of like kind. She will be both gentle (like a lamb) and fierce (like a lion), not one or the other. In order to be a spotless Bride, we must know how to be both. If we carefully follow the example of our Messiah, we can do just that. I have witnessed many that are gentle like a lamb, to a fault. They are proverbial doormats, and the host or hostess of the best pity parties. Their poor self-image renders them ineffective. Who would ever what to join the ranks of the Kingdom if this is the nature of its subjects?

On the other hand, I have also witnessed many that have become nothing more than a devouring lion. Mercy, grace, and compassion are exchanged for severity, strictness, and judgment. These prideful ones have forgotten how to be a lamb. Balance is the key to most issues of life and this is no exception.

Over the past decade, I have watched the Father gently awaken His people to His Torah. (I was one of them!) When our eyes begin to open, there is a rainbow of emotions that flood our lenses. Unspeakable joy, elation at answered questions, and a renewed hunger to seek after the Kingdom are some of the positive ones. But there are also some negative emotions like deep regret, guilt, shame, and immense anger. Truth sets one free, but it also sheds light on areas that we didn’t even know were dark. Therefore, repentance takes on a whole new meaning, and accountability skyrockets. Awakening to the Torah with Messiah is a hard place to stand in the beginning, and many have difficulty finding balance. Weeding through truth and lies is not for the weak hearted.

Those that come out on the other side usually take one of two forms. They are either humbled by the mercy of the King, determined to show His truth and mercy to the masses. Or, they become rigid and cold, resolute on scaring the masses into submission (their idea of righteousness). Many have been party to both sides as their internal pendulum swings, seeking balance.

Hear Me Roar

Sadly, many that have “awakened” to the Torah of YHWH have become a roaring lion without the restraint and gentleness of the lamb. I see and definitely hear them growling at any and everybody, but they are not tempered with mercy, grace, or compassion (lamb traits). While their zeal is commendable, they have forgotten their first love and the mercy that the Lamb extended to them. They forego righteous judgment for self-righteous judgment. They become the very thing they claim to hate: sanctimonious bigots.

They can’t meet with so-in-so because they don’t agree on this teaching, doctrine, etc. They isolate themselves from family that remains in the church (and smugly call them pagans); they burn bridges and create enemies at every turn all in the name of righteousness. If they would simply turn around and look at the destruction they have caused along the way, they would see that instead of planting, they are uprooting. They have no legacy of fruit and increase, only decay and death. All they can say is, “But I’m right! I read it on the internet or studied it out for myself.”

They are the image of the roaring lion seeking someone to devour, not the Lion of the tribe of Judah!

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1Pet. 5:8)

There is a fine line here. The verses just before this have this to say:

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. (1 Pet. 5:6-7)

We must understand and practice humility. A humble person puts another BEFORE himself, even if that person is less mature, imperfect, ignorant, and far from deserving it. This requires immense strength, compassion, and real sacrificial love. If your motive is to be “right” or even “holy,”[1] you are the weaker vessel operating in pride.

OUCH! I sadly have been this roaring lion when confronted with various issues and people in the past. I never want to make these mistakes again. Jacob is a lioness, but within that lioness is a gentle lamb, like Yeshua. We must be both, because He is both. There is a time for the lamb and time for the lion.

How do we discern the difference between the Lion of Judah and the Devouring Lion? The name tells us everything we need to know. Judah means “praise,” while devour means “to ravenously eat or destroy.” Does your life have a legacy of praise or better yet, do the people you influence have a legacy of praise? Or do you and they have a spirit that constantly divides brothers, condemns the ignorant, and gobbles up the faith of the immature? In other words, does your faith cause the weak to praise YHWH? Or does your faith sentence the weak to the pit?

As I surf the web, blogosphere, and social media, I “hear” many roaring lions that claim to keep Torah and follow Messiah. But they have no traits of a lamb whatsoever. When one realizes the depth of the lies we were taught and believed, it often invokes a spirit of anger. In fact, it makes many furious. If this strong emotion is not tempered with the cool and loving Holy Spirit, destruction is sure to follow.

Is this the heart of the Lion of Judah? Is His judgment ever NOT tempered with mercy, compassion, long-suffering, and love? If He still lends mercy and compassion to the masses, shouldn’t we? Can we leave our vengeful anger to Him? Can we instead be profoundly grateful for the long-suffering mercy He extended to us and offer that same compassion to those in ignorance, or even rebellion?

Who are you following: 
the devouring lion or the Lion AND the Lamb?

[1] Separation or holiness is necessary, but if separation fails to lead to gathering, it is a love a death, not life. The fruit will be rotten, and so will relationships. Dr. Hollisa Alewine’s Creation Gospel explores this fully; thecreationgospel.com

Categories: Messianic Issues, Musings, News Flash | Tags: , , , , , | 10 Comments

Crate Trained Believers

Posted on February 17, 2014 by K. Gallagher

               © Ian Dyball | Dreamstime.com

Secondhand Lions is one of my all-time favorite movies.[1] It was produced in 2003, starring Robert Duvall and Michael Caine. At one point in the movie, two old eccentric brothers have grown restless in their calm retired life and decide to break up the monotony by purchasing a lion to release and then hunt. Instead of taking off to Africa as they would have in their younger days, they decide to bring the safari to their own backyard. The scene begins with a truck winding up the driveway carrying crates. The long neck of a giraffe extends high in air, far above the brush that lines either side of the driveway.

The brothers had been “forced” into caring for their precocious nephew, when his desperate mother had abruptly dropped him there one summer afternoon. Though she promised to return, the boy and his uncles soon realized that this was unlikely. The curious boy was quite mesmerized by the truck load of mysterious creatures and his quirky uncles. While the truck drivers are unloading one of the crates, the men go into the house to get their rifles. They are long overdue for some excitement and danger, and so they impetuously allow the captivated young boy to open the flimsy crate that houses the fierce and majestic lioness.

But when the door of the crate is finally flung open, the beast doesn’t charge, roar, or even appear to be moved by the prospect of freedom. What should have been intimidating and dangerous turns out to be calm and tame. The men quickly realize that they had purchased an old and worn out lioness. They actually call her “no good” and “defective.”

She had been caged and confined her entire life, and now she was old. She had never laid eyes on a real jungle, nor had she ever had to hunt for prey. Her life had been spent in bondage; and though she was a lion, she had not the slightest clue as to how to be one. She was truly an old, secondhand lion.

I wonder how many of us are like Jasmine (the name the boy eventually gave to the lioness)? Have we been crate trained into relinquishing our great authority and power? Have we forgotten how to be a lioness?

Most of us haven’t had any experience with a caged lion, but have you ever tried to crate train a puppy? At first, they resist the crate because they have an overwhelming feeling of being trapped, restrained, and alone. It is important to slowly introduce crate exposure and associate only positive actions and emotions with its usage. Over time, what originally caused the puppy great anxiety will become a source of security, safety, and comfort. We can only imagine that this process would be even more dramatic and unnatural for a king or queen of the jungle.

While followers of the Messiah aren’t likened to dogs, they are certainly likened to lambs (sheep) and lions, among other creatures.  For many Believers, the image of a lion and a lamb invokes visions of the Messiah. As His Bride, it’s not surprising that these same symbols reference us. Consider these verses from the Book of Numbers.[2]

“For there is no omen against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel; At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what God has done! “Behold, a people rises like a lioness, And as a lion it lifts itself; It will not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain.” (Num. 23:23-24) 

 Jacob (Israel) is like a mighty lioness. She, along with the lion, rules the entire jungle. Every other creature has a healthy fear and great respect for this pride. But something else caught my attention in these verses from Numbers. “At the proper time it shall be said…” There is an appointed time when this correlation will be true. Thinking Hebraically or cyclically, this “time” can have multiple fulfillments. Are these allusions to the millennium reign? Isn’t the Kingdom in which we have been engrafted, the Kingdom of all kingdoms? Are we not learning how to rule and reign with Messiah?

Do we really get this? You are a king or a queen of THE Kingdom. You have far more authority and power than you realize. We will one day rule the earth! But we will not be tyrants; we will be servants. Strong and fierce, yet loving and gentle. We will be like our One only King: a Lion and a Lamb.

There is an unquestionable premise given in the first chapter of Bereshit (Genesis). That is, that like kind produces like kind. Birds produce birds. Whales produce whales. Dogs produce dogs. Therefore, male dogs go with female dogs, male whales go with female whales, and male birds go with female birds. Do we expect a different pattern when the Father likens us to His bride? Are we not made in His image (male and female)?

Within each of us is a divine spark. It is the very breath of the Creator and it is what makes us undeniably His. This must be true in order for us to not only be likened to His children, but even more intimately as His wife or bride. Therefore, we are the lion/lamb counterpart to His Lion/Lamb. I think we have far more potential and influence than we realize.

We think we understand how to be a lamb. After all, a lamb is weak, defenseless, and in need of a care taker. We don’t have a problem realizing our vulnerability. We know where our weak spots are located. We usually protect these areas quite fiercely. So much so, that we often have a hard time even releasing them to our Abba, even though He greatly desires to heal these areas. Perhaps, we are too ashamed to allow Him to speak to these issues. Maybe, we don’t trust that He will actually heal us, because we certainly know we don’t deserve it.

My point is that Believers have no problem identifying themselves with weakness, shame, guilt, fear, depression, anxiety, worthlessness, and the like. Sadly, many even believe these are desirable traits because they equate them with humility. Dear friend, this is NOT true humility. And, this is not the picture of a Lamb! There is nothing holy or good about this kind of thinking.

A real lamb in the image of Elohim is not weak; it is strong! It freely offers its life. It is without spot or blemish. It is not guilty, but innocent! It has full trust in its Shepherd. Likewise, real humility is strength, not weakness. Keep the image of a lion and lamb in your mind and consider these most humble of men.

Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth. (Num. 12:3)

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. (Mat. 11:29)

Both Moses and Yeshua were humble or meek. Would you consider them weak or even self-dejected? Of course not! A humble person is willing to put other people before himself. They submit without resistance to the will and desires of someone else. This requires great self-control. It’s not that they aren’t able or capable to perform; rather, it is that they restrain their ability and channel it to lift up someone else. Humble people possess the strength of a mighty lion. This is a very “regal” trait or virtue.

Moses and Yeshua certainly display the imagery of the lion and the lamb! These are our role models. Do you believe you possess both the strength and restraint of a lion or lioness? According to Scripture, these virtues have already been given to you when you became a Believer. This is the legacy of Israel, but sadly, like us, they possessed an ungodly self-image. Do you remember the bad report of the 10 evil spies? They envisioned themselves to be tiny insignificant grasshoppers in the eyes of the Canaanites. Believing this lie cost the Israelites more than they could have ever imagined. What have we given up to cling onto our poor self-image?

Joshua and Caleb reported the truth, but the people PREFERRED the lie. Keep in mind that this lie was about WHO they were. YHWH’s people are not insignificant. They are the mightiest people on the planet! We are the light of the world, not the scum of the earth! When we deny our real identity, we are in effect denying the majesty, power, and might of our Creator and King. In other words, it’s blasphemy.

I had never really considered this until the other day. My view of who I am is a direct reflection of my Maker. I cannot separate the two. When my self-image is unhealthy, it is because I don’t really believe or trust YHWH. In fact, it’s worse than that. If I claim out of one side of my mouth that I am His and out of the other that I’m worthless, what I’m really saying is that He is not worthy. How many of us need to repent of this? How many of us are sick because we are inadvertently blaspheming the King of the Universe in this manner? By the way, this is also the case when we oppress, slander, or speak against our brothers and sisters. They, too, are made in the image of Elohim.

Sleeping Lion

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Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb understood this fact. Notice their words to the people.

“Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” (Num. 14:9)

The Canaanites would be the prey of the lions and lionesses of Israel! If only the people could see this truth. If only WE could see this truth! Instead, the people would rather stone the messengers.

But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel. (Num. 14:10)

Beloved, we are worthy because He is worthy! We are mighty because He is Mighty! We are kings and queens of the earth because He is the King of kings. If we got up every day really believing that we have the authority and power to change the world and overtake our Canaanite enemies what a different world it would be. What a different view the world would have of us.

The world should fear us as we fear our King. Instead, we have allowed our fears, the world, and the enemy to chain us to feelings of helplessness and powerlessness. We longingly speak of a future where our strength and impact are restored. Sadly, we think that future can never happen this side of Kingdom Come. Where did we get this idea? Have we bought a lie and forfeited our birthright for the here and now?

Bondage, burdens, sins, fears, and the like are very real CAGES. Pet doctrines and traditions can also be a stronghold of false security. Like the puppy or the lion cub, we at first resist our confinements. We have an innate knowing that they are unnatural — that they are keeping us from being free to be exactly what YHWH designed us for. But somewhere along the way of life, we lose our resolve. Do you know how many of us are sick, dying, depressed, dejected, lonely, disappointed, discontent, restless, insecure, and needy?

The door of the cage has been swung wide open, and we are like Jasmine, the secondhand lion, tired and worn-out. The fight left us long ago. We have been entrapped for so long that the steel cage walls seem comfortable, safe, and peaceful. Many no longer have the desire to run, chase, hunt, or explore. What a pitiful bunch we have become. How did we get here?

I believe we are like the ten virgins that fell asleep before the bridegroom arrived. There are numerous passages that liken our apathy and indifference to slumber. For too long, western Believers have hit the snooze button. We have grown fat, lazy, and diseased. We need to WAKE UP!

Just as importantly, we need to be rousing our brothers and sisters to this truth. How much greater would our impact be in our circumstances, relationships, and the world if we received this message? A poor self-image cost an entire generation the Promised Land. My prayer is that we will start walking in the mightiness of our calling.

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2Th. 1:11-12)

 What kind of crate do you find security in? Let’s break out together!

There is another side to this coin revealed in Part II, The Devouring Lion.

[2] Lisa Bevere has written an excellent book called Lioness Arising that speaks about the imagery of lions and the believer. Her focus is on the role of women as the lioness. I highly recommend it!! http://www.amazon.com/Lioness-Arising-Wake-Change-World/dp/0307457796

Categories: Messianic Issues, Musings | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Slaves

Posted on December 18, 2013 by K. Gallagher

                  © Vchalup | Dreamstime.com

In my previous two posts, A Parable and Masters, we discovered the close relationship between a parable and dominion. This foundation inspires my conclusions in this post. If you haven’t read those articles, please do so for context.

To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.” (Gen. 3:16 NASB)

“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Gen. 4:7)

In the Biblical Role of Women, we explored Genesis 3:16, where YHWH revealed the consequence of Chavah’s (Eve’s) disobedience. While some treat this descriptive account as prescriptive commandment, Adonai was clearly speaking to Chavah, not Adam in Genesis 3:16. In other words, God’s original design didn’t include a hierarchy among the sexes or a mandate that men would rule over women. The text is clear that Chavah was designed to be Adam’s ezer kenegdo (helpmeet); which is an aid, protector, rescuer, boundary setter, and guide. The consequence of her actions would be a husband that would mashal her. This is a result of the fallen nature, sin, not the perfect design of the Creator.

Adonai designed the male and female to work in tandem as one flesh to display His imagine in the earth. Only by submitting one to another, and ruling together, are they effective in accomplishing YHWH’s will for their lives and the world. Sin frustrated this design for both Adam and Chavah. Each of their purposes were distorted due to the fall. Through toil and sweat Adam will  strive to cultivate the ground. Chavah’s role to be Adam’s ezer is also problematic. Just as the ground will not effortlessly yield to Adam’s labor, Adam will not easily relent to Chavah’s role as his ezer, which frustrates a completely different kind of harvest, the fruit of the womb.

The tension between men and women are as thorny as the cursed ground. Eve’s consequence reveals the heart of the issue. There will now be a power struggle as fallen Adam seeks to subjugate Chavah in self-preservation.

We see virtually the same phrase in Hebrew when YHWH speaks to Cain before he kills Abel. The difference, as I pointed out in the Biblical Role of Women, is that YHWH commands or explicitly states to Cain that it is possible to master sin and that this IS the will of YHWH. In other words, man was NOT created to be ruled or mastered by their nephesh or basic animal drives. Humans are meant to be ruled by the Word of Elohim (God). We live by His words, not our fears or fleshly appetites.

To summarize, let’s look at what we’ve covered so far. (Some of these conclusions are drawn from the Role of Women series.)

  1. Adam ruling over Eve is a curse, not a commandment. Chavah’s desire to be Adam’s ezer kenegdo isn’t evil or sinful. This purpose and function is at the core of every woman redeemed or not. However, all men will resist this function of their wife. This isn’t the design or will of the Creator. This is why a redeemed man is expected to love his wife sacrificially. He must master his desire to resist his wife’s role. Likewise, a woman must not let her desire to be the man’s ezer control or undermine the relationship. She must allow the Spirit of YHWH to bring healing in His timing.
  2. Cain is told that he SHOULD master sin. Unbridled passions, desires, and beastly urges cause one to sin. These urges aren’t evil or sinful in and of themselves; however, if they control or rule one’s life, they lead to sin. These impulses are only concerned with self. This is why the Word of God is needed. It sets the proper boundaries for living as a human created in the image of Elohim.

A parable or a proverb is a comparison of two things; there will be similarities and there will be differences. Our job is to discern the heart or point of the story or saying. The message should cause a change in one’s thinking, which leads to a change in behavior.

In both Genesis 3:16 and 4:7, teshukah (desire) is present. Chavah has teshukah for Adam and sin has teshukah for Cain. YHWH doesn’t call teshukah evil or sinful. In fact, it was YHWH that created teshukah! Teshukah is one’s inborn desires and appetites that motivate one to live and survive.

The first thing that should stand out is that Chavah and all women after her have an additional teshukah that men do not have. All of mankind (men and women) have the desire to eat, sleep, procreate, and expand their territory. But, women have an additional teshukah for their men; that is to be the ezer kenegdo. This is the way women were wired, before sin and the fall. A woman is an ezer kenegdo whether a man allows YHWH to work through her or not.

Mashal (to rule/master and a parable/proverb) is also present in both of these verses. There is a message to be received in these accounts. Who rules who or what is the real question here. If Adam (man) is ruled by his nephesh, he will walk  in the curse and subjugate his wife in tragic animalistic fashion. A nephesh craves power to benefit only ones’ self. We see the epitome of this when Cain takes the life of his brother. There can be no self-sacrificing love or protection given by a nephesh ruled person since his heart is only focused on numero uno.

However, a redeemed man has relinquished himself over to the Creator. He is no longer guided by his ungodly fear and the flesh (nephesh); therefore, he is free to forgive and love his wife, even sacrifice himself for her. Any authority granted to him is used to benefit his wife, not control her. This is how a restored and redeemed relationship functions. This is unity and oneness. Both the man and the woman are free to fulfill their purpose within the clear and protective boundaries of the Word of Elohim.

As a result, the curse is reversed for Adam and his purpose. Any time we are obedient, we bring restoration not only to our relationships, but also to the creation itself. The Jewish sages call this tikkun olam, repairing/healing the world. We know that creation is enslaved by the corruption of sin and death just as we are; and like us, it desires to be set free.[1] This happens as the sons of God are revealed. We are a son/daughter of God as we are conformed to His image.

I submit to you that the parable presented in Genesis 3:16 and 4:7 is a story about slaves and masters. In the beginning, man (man and woman) were given joint authority over the earth and all the living creatures (the beasts).

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Gen. 1:26)

What YHWH declares to Cain is simply a reiteration of His original purpose for mankind. You rule the beast (nephesh), not the other way around. Adam and Chavah were meant to be coheirs[2] of the creation and image bearers of Elohim.[3] In other words, they were meant to master the creation together as godly stewards, not as tyrants. Ultimately, YHWH is the only righteous Master, Ruler, and King. We are His emissaries carrying forth His loving instruction and order in creation.

We must choose whom we shall serve. Will it be YHWH? Will it be some false god? Or will we serve ourselves? As I mentioned in my last post on Masters, there is real irony when we choose to serve anything other than YHWH. While we may believe that serving another god or that satisfying our own fleshly desires is “freeing,” it is actually the very thing that enslaves us to sin. In other words, our real choice is to be slaves of death!

The parable teaches that there is one Master, YHWH; but our nephesh (soul/flesh) will try to usurp His authority and rule instead. If we allow this to happen, we are nothing more than a beast. By trying to “rule,” we only enslave ourselves to death and destruction, a curse.

We must also be mindful of whom we try to master. For example, I don’t believe it was YHWH’s design or will that people enslave people. Slavery is a perversion of servant-hood. We have destroyed the spiritual imagery of serving YHWH and the brethren with human abuse, oppression, bondage, and slavery.  In other words, forced captivity and servitude is a perversion of the protective and free will service of the heart we should have for the Master of the Universe.

This is why it is so hard for us to relinquish our whole being over to YHWH. Like an oppressed slave, we fear that YHWH is going to withhold real “goodness” from us. This is why many people drag their feet in coming to repentance. They think true followers no longer have any “fun.” Do you see the irony in that?

Real Slavery

But there is another reason that we need to understand Chavah’s curse. The rule of Adam in the curse isn’t godly. It is oppressive. And if you think I’m wrong about that, perhaps you should take some time to look at world statistics[4] on the plot of women. If you think women are only oppressed in third world countries, you are flat dead wrong. While the hardest hit regions for victims (where slaves are picked up) are South and Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa, the destination countries (where they are bought!) include Europe, USA, Japan, Australia, India, Israel, and the Gulf States.[5] In other words, western countries are providing the “demand” for this horrendous practice. Many end up as forced prostitutes or on internet pornography sites.

“More girls were killed in the last 50 years, 
precisely because they were girls,
than men killed in all the wars in the 20th century. 
― Nicholas D. Kristof, Half the Sky

Yes, women are a hot black market commodity in today’s “progressive” world. In the US, human trafficking generates $9.5 billion a year.[6] It is estimated that annually 200,000 US women are forced into the sex trade. The majority of these women are American, not imported from other countries. The largest annual human trafficking event in the US is believed to be the Super Bowl.[7]

Where women are oppressed the most, they are educated the least.[8] This is one way men maintain control and power over women. In less developed countries, as many as 87% of women are illiterate. If you don’t believe that this twisted mindset has infected Judeo-Christian doctrine and tradition, you haven’t read history. In every century since the dawn of mankind, women have been subdued by men the world over. Bible believers have justified this behavior with the Scriptures with Chavah’s curse standing out as the “precedent.”

These facts should at least cause one to pause and consider their current paradigm or belief about God’s role for women. Has our view of women in marriage and the assembly been colored by the beast? Where do you think such ideas as “women shouldn’t even be taught the Torah” originate? The answer can only be found in fallen man. By the way, all these things should also cause one to rethink what Paul is saying about women in his letters. We have a very long secular and spiritual history tainted by the curse. We must separate truth from tradition, and remove these tainted lenses. Silencing half of our assemblies is a serious matter; especially since women are a metaphor for the Holy Spirit.

“One reason why trafficking has been ignored 
     is that the victims are voiceless.” 
- Nicholas D. Kristof, Half the Sky (Emphasis mine)

There is only one answer to our plot. . Rule the beast (nephesh/flesh); do not serve your lusts, desires, and appetites. Serve YHWH by knowing and keeping His word. If YHWH blesses you with an ezer kenegdo, treasure this gift; there is no need to fear her or control her. Choose to walk in blessing instead of the curse. She’s perfectly suited to guide, nourish, and protect you (inwardly) just as you are perfectly suited to do these same things for her (outwardly).

Hear the parable of Genesis 3:16 and 4:7. The only thing we are meant to rule is the creation and its creatures, not each other. Likewise, the only thing we are meant to master is the beast within, the nephesh (flesh). If we fail to do so, we become a living curse, enslaved by futile appetites, devouring and trading other people like a commodity to feed an unquenchable stomach of need and desire, whose end is destruction.

Now go and read all of Romans 7 and 8 with fresh eyes.

 

[1] Rom. 8:18-23  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  (19)  For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.  (20)  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope  (21)  that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  (22)  For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.  (23)  And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

[2] 1 Peter 3:7

[3] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. (Gal. 3:28-29)

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