- How “horizontal love”, love exercised “horizontally”, that is towards others, imitates and honors the horrifically horrific suffering of the Suffering Servant – our Mashiach Yeshua.
- Does Yeshua teach that love consists of “love” of a denomination, a set of Greco-Roman-English language based “doctrinal positions”, “definitions” of God, or the pursuit of “tongues”, “signs and wonders”, and healings?
- What if we took a Hebrew based approach and saw the Cross in “wholistic” terms, rather than as post-Biblical emphasis on the Cross in more individualistic terms?
- What if regarding Yochanon 3:16, instead of rushing past Yeshua’s Hebrew heart opening of Yochanon 3:16 to focus on the individual, we first look at more – as Yeshua does?
- What if, as Yeshua teaches – and Paul very directly states in Col. 3 – we put our Self to death, and sought the interests of others above ourselves, Phpns. 2?
Would we not be heard in our cries to the LORD because we cry out for the Body, our Jewish brothers, the Jewish People and our fellow members of the Body, before our Self, our “Building” and “our denomination”?
- If we strive to “be and do” more like Mashiach would we not be drawn closer to the LORD?
- What if the application of the attribute of love helps “create” so to speak a “time of desire-favor”? What if during our time of difficulty or illness we asked that we be enabled to exercise “abounding overflowing royal loving-kindness mercy, mercy translated into action” for others? Would things not be better for us if we seek to do the will of the Father cf. Mt. 7:21-24?
- Can doing the will of the Father “enhance”, so to speak, our time of desire-favor Ps. 69:14 H?
- What if we embraced the Messianic Shine Forth Songs of Praise Ps. 69 about Mashiach more as David did?
That is, that ultimately we seek to be able to rise above trials and tribulation and enemies and illness and difficulty; not for Self but that we might be a “vessel” to serve our people?
- What if, cf. Ps. 69, with David and with Mashiach, we ultimately move beyond our own affliction and pain, to in Hebrew, “radiate out like the sun’s rays, praise to the LORD” and the well-being of “Excellence”, the Hebrew meaning of Zion?
- What if we focused more on the last verse of Ps. 69 and or concern for our “Big Picture” place of where we ultimately (in Hebrew) “dwell like a neighbor”?
Two “Key” Notes To Aid Us:
- It is extremely extremely “key” to keep in mind that David does not understand, think, will or act from an English language-based mind but rather a Hebrew heart.
English is as far from David’s understanding, thinking, and expression as London or the American Bible Belt is from Jerusalem (or Sydney Australia for that matter).
- David is not Augustine or Luther!
- Meaning, David speaks personally; but in context David is inspired by the Ruach Hakodesh to write the Shine Forth Songs of Praise as King of Israel.
David is not focused “inwardly” on his own individual spiritual condition as Augustine and Luther. Luther remember, began his spiritual career as a monk in an order of Augustine.
David has no “that’s it” moment for his Self as Martin Luther did, when he read a Ruach Hakodesh inspired word from a Jew who drew directly from a Jewish Prophet the LORD spoke through. (Paul in Rom. 1:17 from Habakkuk 2:4).
Luther championed the Institutional Assembly on Earth over the place of Excellence, “Zion” in Hebrew, and the “cities of Judah” Ps. 69:36 H. As we have had to succinctly chronicle elsewhere, Luther turned on the People through whom he was brought the Word that brought relief to his personal turmoil and great emotional angst. That turning on the People and brothers through whom he received the Word, continued and continues to impact the followers of Yeshua today. As we have pointed out, it has yet, unfortunately to be removed. Would not a heart more like David’s lead to “times of refreshing” cf. Acts 3:19, etc.?
As we have had to succinctly chronicle elsewhere, Luther’s choice to turn on the very People and brethren through whom he received the Word – the Word, by the way, that brought great relief to Luther’s personal turmoil – left an unfortunate legacy among many followers of Yeshua both then and today.
The “key” is David’s heart for the cities of Judah and the place of Excellence, his beloved Jerusalem.
A “key” is the Hebrew of the last verse of Ps. 69. David speaks of in the second half of Ps. 69:37 “and – connected to what just said – those, plural, (who) love His Name will dwell without completion of it being in action, in an encompassing way within it”. Let us open up our rendering of the Hebrew.
Hebrew as we have Hebraically repeatedly repeated, is completely different, than English; completely. Hebrew does not really have past-present-future tense per se, as English. Hebrew sees things either as “in motion” or “at rest”. An action is either “complete”, that is it has been completed, or it is seen as “incomplete”, not yet completed. (These used to be called perfect or imperfect).
Hebrew can see an action as so to speak “in motion, engaged, without stopping”. This is the form David uses in Hebrew in the last verse of Ps. 69 about those – plural – who love His Name, “will dwell in it”.
David in one sense sees this as “future” however he speaks really of “dwell without the movement of doing so, being at rest”. In other words, it will not stop, it will not end, it will not be “completed” in the sense of “it is now complete, and so now stops”.
This is basically David’s Hebrew way of expressing what his Hebrew thinking has no concept of, that of an open ended “forever” or “eternity” as is said in English.
The second “key” similar to this is David’s Hebrew at the end of the best known of the Shine Forth Songs of Praise, Ps. 23 “The LORD is my Shepherd”.
What is translated “I will dwell in the House of the LORD forever” is expressed by David more concretely as “to-for-benefit of length of days”.
Hebrew is not a language of “abstractions” and “concepts” but rather the “concrete and action”.
In the same way Yeshua too does not speak of abstract concepts he expects to be embraced. That is not Yeshua; that is Yeshua post-Biblically “re-cast” as “JC”. Yeshua speaks as a whole in terms of the concrete – my Father’s house with many rooms, a physical metaphor to illuminate great spiritual truth. Sheep, shepherds, bridesmaids, oil, lamps, houses, a great banquet in Heaven rather than a concept of one’s position in Heaven, etc.
David at the end of Ps. 69 does not speak of loving His Name as a “concept of love” but rather that love is active, “actively” done. Yeshua does not speak of “love in the abstract” or speak philosophically about love. Yeshua expects it to be exercised; Yeshua sees it in terms of the Torah’s “fulfilling of which leads to fullness of life”, etc. as we have opened up elsewhere. Cf. Yochanon 13-16; cf. 1 Yochanon.
Our concern is that some may love Him personally but may have something less than love for the real name of Mashiach. We described elsewhere the stunning and very sad true story of a major denomination pastor who literally yelled at us “he’s not Yeshua, he’s JC”, not once but twice.
Again, our concern is not theological; it has to do with a fundamental and foundational question of praying to the LORD in the Son’s name. Are we hoping or wishing or expecting a positive response if the heart says, “we deny Hebrew and Jewish based truth and only accept Greek-Latin-English denominational based truth”?
It is not our place to decide or judge what the LORD accepts for prayer or in what name it is based. That is not for us to be concerned with. That is up to the real Judge. Our concern is whether it is helpful or lacking a better way, “beneficial” if the heart is numb or says, “he’s not Yeshua, he’s JC”.
Some years ago, the then head of the Southern Baptists caused a furor when he said, “God doesn’t hear the prayer of the Jews”. Again, that is best left to the Judge. The question could be asked “what about the prayers of those who deny or even denigrate the language and the People and the brethren the LORD chose to bring to the Nations”?
Is there somewhere in Scripture that only the prayers of such and such a “denomination” are heard? Is there somewhere in Scripture in which Heaven is described in terms of an American Bible Belt “city” or “mega-assembly building”?
Before we engage the use of the Shine Forth Songs of Praise we should examine our hearts and see “where it is at” regarding where we expect to dwell for length of days; dwell, an action that is set in motion and not “completed”.
“Dwell” in Hebrew has the deeper meaning “to dwell like a neighbor” and in Hebrew is different than “reside”. “Reside”, literally based on “sit” is David’s Hebrew at the end of the 23rd Psalm.
Who are our “neighbors” going to be in Heaven?
Again, we should note Mashiach’s illumination in Yochanon 14:2-4; the Father’s house with many rooms; not “many one room houses”.
The rugged American frontiersman or the European intellectual seeking to dwell alone and away from others may be suitable in and of itself; as long as we realize this is not Yeshua’s description of the Heavens! Nor is it the “pulling back of the curtain to reveal what “is behind it” “apocalypse”. This Yochanon experiences in Rev. 4-5, what he hears in Rev. 19:1-10 and what he sees in chapters 21-22. It is not the experience of Isaiah in Ish. 6 either, as we have opened up elsewhere. That his, there is no “sxisma” in KG “split-division” or separation and compartmentalization in Heaven on the basis of “denomination” and “doctrinal positions”. Nor does Isaiah experience the individualistic “ecstatic experience” that characterizes a major segment of Western Tradition today.
What if we fully embraced Yeshua Hamashiach’s life of love in action by our action? What if we see the Cross not only as a symbol of the death and resurrection of the Mashiach but also as a symbol of love that is sent down from the “vertical”, the Heavens, to be sent “horizontally” out to the World?
As we have pointed out elsewhere in our teaching on Love And The Cross, the Cross does not – and cannot – consist of a vertical piece of wood that is separate from the horizontal.
What began as two separate pieces of wood were and had to be fastened together. We should and must note that the Cross did not begin as either a whole piece of wood that was split into two separate pieces or two fastened together pieces that were then separated.
In addition to what we have tried to open up in our teaching on the Ark cover in the Source Place of the Presence that Dwells Like A Neighbor (“Tabernacle”), the Ark cover over the Tablets was a whole square of gold.
In Ex. 25 the LORD does not reveal and instruct to Moshe to have the “Tabernacle” built according to a model-pattern that consists of individual, separate pieces that are fastened or attached together. Cf. Ex. 25:9.
In Ex. 25:9 in Hebrew the LORD says “Like as a model (the) totality that, (i.e.) positively going forward and summing everything up on this I (as the Source from) show-appear it to you, directly (as I as the subject view it) the essence and substance and everything connected with (the) model-pattern of the positive bearer of existence-actuality, to serve as an agent, the Source Place of the Presence that dwells like a neighbor; and – in connection – directly (as I the subject view it) the essence and substance and everything connected with (the) pattern, totality in an encompassing way (of the) vessels and – connected – yes (all of) you will do”.
Stunningly in Hebrew; this is exactly 14 words. Why is it stunning? What is the significance of Ex. 25:9 being 14 words in Hebrew?
First we must point out The Source Place of the Presence is to be built by the Israelites. The LORD is not telling them He will send it down from Heaven or He will cause it to appear. The Israelites are to build it.
However, the “key” is that “like as a model (the) totality that positively going forward I (as the) Source from which “appear it” to you, i.e., I will cause it to appear. Here is its appearance as a pattern – model – plural – take the materials I specifically specify to you and assemble – build it.”
How does this relate to love? In the same way the “Tabernacle” is modeled after the pattern that the LORD gives to Moshe, the Israelites are the ones to build it. Yeshua models and gives a model-pattern of love which his followers then have to build according to the model he showed them. Cf. Yochanon 13:34-35. The “Tabernacle” is clearly to be a literal model of in Heaven and on Earth. Cf. Mt. 6:8-10. (In the original it is “in Heaven and on Earth” rather than “on Earth as it is in Heaven”). It is not about bringing Heaven down to Earth, it is about elevating the Earth to reflect the model of Heaven. Regarding love, in the same way love between followers on Earth of Yeshua should follow the model of that of the Father and the Son as seen in Yochanon 17:20-23, etc. Cf. Yochanon 13:15. One of the things about the “Tabernacle” in Hebrew in short for here is it is not comprised of many different parts, but rather seen as “whole”. In Hebrew the “Tabernacle” is seen in terms of its wholeness, totality, and connectedness. There is absolutely no “separation and compartmentalization” into different parts as would be seen through Western eyes.
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