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Transcript of Issue 17.6
Glad TidingsGlad TidingsGlad TidingsGlad Tidings
Volume 17, Issue 6 November/December 2013
2
Something To Consider ............... p.3
by Vince Finnegan
Seek Yahweh:
Aramaic-Part 1 .............................. p.4
by John Cortright
Approachable Lord ....................... p.6
by Vince Finnegan
Study The Word And Experience
The Word in Action .................... p.8
by Mary Ann Yaconis
Renewing The World To
Its Original Glory ........................ p.10
by Sean Finnegan
Glad TidingsGlad TidingsGlad TidingsGlad Tidings
November/December 2013
Glad Tidings Glad Tidings Glad Tidings Glad Tidings is published six times per year by
Living Hope
International Ministries
458 Old Niskayuna Road,
Latham, New York 12110
USA
Office 518.785.8888
Fax 518.785.1990
E-mail [email protected]
Website www.LHIM.org
Glad Tidings is mailed free to anyone who
requests it. Scriptures are taken from the New
American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted.
Mark these important dates on your calendar!!Mark these important dates on your calendar!!Mark these important dates on your calendar!!Mark these important dates on your calendar!!Mark these important dates on your calendar!!Mark these important dates on your calendar!!Mark these important dates on your calendar!!Mark these important dates on your calendar!!
December 27December 27December 27December 27----30 30 30 30 ���� Winter Teen Advance Winter Teen Advance Winter Teen Advance Winter Teen Advance ���� Evangelical Christian CenterEvangelical Christian CenterEvangelical Christian CenterEvangelical Christian Center
January 3January 3January 3January 3----5 5 5 5 ���� Revive (Young Adult Weekend) Revive (Young Adult Weekend) Revive (Young Adult Weekend) Revive (Young Adult Weekend) ���� WoodstockWoodstockWoodstockWoodstock
January 24January 24January 24January 24----26 26 26 26 ���� Men's Advance Men's Advance Men's Advance Men's Advance ���� Frost ValleyFrost ValleyFrost ValleyFrost Valley
3
As the sun was setting, we launched from our Lake George island campsite in a two-man boat
with a sail. Jerry had pleaded with his father to trust us since we were “seasoned sailors”
already (at the age of 15)! “We will be gone only for a short time,” he bartered. Lake George
has huge rocks right under the surface of the water that are marked with colored buoys. The
danger is easily recognizable and avoidable for those with half a brain. However, we did hit
some rocks; the wooden stabilizers that were on each side of the boat popped up out of the
water; and we immediately flipped upside down. The sail went under water, and the two of us
held onto the bottom of the boat until hours later when Jerry’s father found us. Before the
rescue, that night seemed long, and after, it seemed even longer. Jerry’s father was not happy.
Gratitude and compassion are the two stabilizers that keep us afloat as we journey with God
in this world. The rocks are always right under the surface, but if we see the warning signs and
respond quickly, we can avoid the consequences. Feelings of entitlement revealed by
statements such as: “I deserve it;” “Why is this happening to me? I deserve better;” “Why am I
always the last one to get the blessings;” oppose gratitude and compassion. Look to the cross
to see what we deserve. What Jesus received for our sin is all that we deserve, and by God’s
grace and mercy, we do not get what we deserve. We have every reason in the Word to be
thankful all of the time.
Indifference, coldness, and lack of involvement in the face of humanity’s suffering indicate
that compassion is waning if not completely gone. Kindness, concern, and involvement are
normal for the compassionate one. When people failed to respond rightly to the care and love
Jesus shared, he never soured or grew cold because his acts of compassion were motivated by
love from and for God.
As we head into the holiday season, keep your stabilizers in the water so that you can float
through with gratitude and compassion.
God’s blessing to you,
Vince Finnegan
SOMETHING
TO CONSIDER:
Gratitude and Compassion
4
S cholars have debated
about the importance of
Aramaic in New
Testament Studies. While a
majority side with the idea that the
New Testament was originally
written in Greek, there is a faction
of theologians who subscribe to an
Aramaic primacy. They believe
that the New Testament was first
written in Aramaic and later
translated into Greek. The division
among these camps is often
riddled with statements of
absolutism. An example of such
extreme views which can be seen
is this statement from the head of
the Catholic Church of the East.
"... as the Patriarch and Head of
the Holy Apostolic and Catholic
Church of the East, we wish to
state, that the Church of the
East received the scriptures
from the hands of the blessed
Apostles themselves in the
Aramaic original, the language
spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself, and that the Peshitta
is the text of the Church of the
East which has come down
from the Biblical times without
any change or revision."
His Holiness Mar Eshai
Shimun, Catholicos
Patriarch of
The Holy Apostolic Catholic
Church of the East.
April 5, 19571
The truth is nobody knows for
certain, since there are no
surviving first century New
Testament manuscripts. However,
extant Greek texts are older than
known Syriac/Aramaic versions.
What do we know about the
Aramaic Language, and how is the
name of God handled in the
surviving texts?
The term “Aramaic” refers to the
ancient language of the Assyrians
and Babylonians. At the time of
Hezekiah, around 700BC, the Jews
requested Rabshakeh speak in
Aramaic (Hebrew word Aramiyth)
and not Judean (Hebrew word
Yahhudith). At the time, the
common people didn’t understand
Aramaic, and they didn’t want the
people to hear the Assyrian
propaganda (2 Kings 18:26). This
verse shows there is a difference
between Aramaic and Judean
(Hebrew), even though both
languages have Semitic origins.
When the Judeans were taken into
captivity in Babylon, they became
subject to a nation where Aramaic
was the dominant language.
Before the time of Alexander the
Great, Aramaic was the lingua
franca of the Middle East.
However, the Jewish language
continued to be taught among the
exiles. After the return to the land
of Israel, Nehemiah strongly
reproved Jews who had married
foreign women. Their children
knew the languages of “Ashdod,”
but they did not know Judean (Neh
13:24 – Again, the Hebrew word
Yahhudith). Nehemiah then
purified the people from this
foreign influence (Neh 13:30). A
few centuries later, the Greeks
ruled the known world, and there
was a strong push to Hellenize the
Jews. This finally resulted in the
Maccabean revolt, and from about
140BC to 63BC, Israel was again an
independent nation under the
Hasmonean dynasty. Evidence
suggests that Hebrew was the
primary language of the Jews living
in Israel at this time in history.
Also, it seems that the Hebrew
language continued as a vital
language in Judea until the time of
Christ. The vast majority of
manuscripts found at Qumran
were Hebrew, not Aramaic.
There are a few surviving Old
Testament Aramaic documents.
These are referred to as
“Targums.” As well, some sections
of the books of Daniel and Ezra are
written in Aramaic, not Hebrew.
However, none of the New
Testament manuscripts surviving
today are truly this ancient, biblical
“Aramaic.” Rather, the proper
term for these translations is
“Syriac.” Syriac is a dialect of
Middle Aramaic, which didn’t come
around until late first century AD.
Syriac became a major literary
language from the 4th to the 8th
centuries among Christian
communities in the Middle East.
The Syriac/Aramaic script used at
this time was Estrangelā.
Aramaic and Hebrew share the
same alphabet. Biblical Aramaic
from the first century (and earlier)
is very similar to Hebrew
characters. However, Estrangela
Syriac script is very different. This is
(Continued on page 5)
Seek Yahweh: Aramaic-Part 1 By John Cortright
5
the Aramaic that was popular from
the 4th
to the 8th
Century AD. This
chart shows a comparison of these
different styles of the Aramaic,
Hebrew, and Estrangela scripts.
* See Chart Below
Before we consider Syriac New
Testament translations, what
about Aramaic Targums? How
was the name of God used in
Aramaic Old Testaments? From
the over 900 manuscripts found in
the collection known as the Dead
Sea Scrolls, there are only a few
fragments of Aramaic Targums of
the Hebrew Bible. One is from the
book of Leviticus (Lev 16:14 and
16:20). There are no usages of the
name of God in these verses. The
other Targums found at Qumran
are from the book of Job. There
are six usages in these Targums
where the Hebrew text has a
corresponding usage of Yahweh.
The following chart shows the
Aramaic translation.2
* See Chart on page 7
The Aramaic word for God is hla (Alah). In these Targums, the
letter alaph (a) is added to the end
of the word or “Alaha” when the
equivalent word “Yahweh” is used
in the Hebrew. Perhaps this is an
emphatic form of the Aramaic
word for God and as such is a
designation for Yahweh in old
Aramaic. It is interesting to explore
the use of this four-letter word in
the Aramaic sections of Daniel and
Ezra in the Hebrew Bible. In the
translation of the Jewish Tanakh,
Daniel 2:4 – 7:28 is written in
Aramaic. Also, Ezra, chapters 4:8-
24; 5:1-17; 6:1-18, and chapter
7:12-26 are all in Aramaic. There
are no Hebrew versions of these
sections of Scripture, and the
name of God does not appear in
any of these verses. There are two
uses of the Aramaic word for Lord
(mari) in the book of Daniel (Dan
2:47; 5:23). The word mari is
simply a title meaning Lord,
Master, or ruler. The practice of
using the title “Lord” as a
surrogate for the name of God
does not occur in any of these
Aramaic sections of the Old
Testament. Nor is it ever used as
such in ancient Aramaic Targums.
This practice does not show up
until the late second century AD in
Greek Old Testaments produced by
Christians. The Aramaic word for
God (hla) occurs 79 times in
these Aramaic sections of the Old
Testament, and 28 times the use of
Aramaic Alaha occurs with added
letter “a.” Could these 28 uses be
understood as an Aramaic
surrogate for the name of God?
Comparing the Aramaic Targums
from the Dead Sea Scrolls with
these Aramaic sections of Ezra and
Daniel is very interesting.
However, this author does not
have sufficient understanding of
the Aramaic language to make
much more than an observation.
To my knowledge, there has not
been much written on this subject,
but this could prove to be a very
interesting research topic.
Syriac, or middle Aramaic, came
around after the beginning of the
Common Era and offers additional
insight into a study of God’s name.
The Peshitta version, written in
Estrangela Aramaic script in the 5th
century AD, sheds tremendous light
on this subject. This will be explored
in part II of this study on Aramaic. �
(Continued from page 4)
1 Preface of the Holy Bible From the
Ancient Eastern Text (A.J. Holman Co,
Copyright © 1968), pg ii.
This chart lists the first seven letters of the Aramaic, Hebrew,
and Syriac Alphabet. Both the Aramaic and Hebrew letters
are similar in style. This style of classical Aramaic dates to the
first century and earlier. However, Syriac is quite different.
Syriac Estrangela script was not used until late first century
and was popular between the 4th
and 8th
centuries. New Tes-
tament manuscripts which are called Aramaic are not written
in the “Hebrew” style script, but rather are in Estrangela and,
as such, are from a much later date.
2 This chart was compiled by viewing
information from the NASB Bible; the
chapter on “Aramaic Bible Translations
(Targums)” by Geza Vermes, The Dead
Sea Scrolls in English (Penguin books,
London, 1962), pgs 463-471; and an
article called “The Tetragram and the
New Testament,” by George Howard in
the Journal of Biblical Literature, 1977,
pg 69 and 70.
6
Approachable LordApproachable LordApproachable LordApproachable Lord By Vince Finnegan “S top clowning
around!” he
yelled again.
Shortly thereafter, Father De-
laney’s tone and volume intensi-
fied as he barked out his final
reprimand, but this time it fol-
lowed with, “Finnegan, get over
here!” Delaney was the supervi-
sor for the Catholic boys gathered
at the gym for a fun night. Like a
guilty dog to its master, I slowly
and cautiously creep over to him,
muttering to myself, “Oh crap! I
am going to get it now.” I knew
all too well Delaney’s physical
reactions from past encounters.
To me, this man with the typical,
black-hair, Irish features was a
giant, the meanest priest in our
church, and maybe the meanest
adult in my life. When I got near
enough, he lunged at me like a
lion on its prey. Grabbing my
shirt, he swiftly pulled me closer,
then he wrapped his huge hands
over each of my ears, squeezed
my head, lifted me off the
ground, and shook me back and
forth as I went up. I held onto his
forearms endeavoring to ease the
pain as I hung in the air with my
legs dangling until he made his
point. The remainder of the eve-
ning, I timidly obeyed.
The priests’ everyday attire of
black pants, shirt, and coat with
the starched white collar slightly
showing under the Adam’s apple
and the religious flamboyant
robes worn during Mass along
with their usual austere manner
to many appeared fitting for
those in the exalted station as a
representative of Christ. How-
ever, for this impressionable boy,
I always felt fearful, intimidated,
and certainly inferior in their
presence. Tragically, this view-
point carried over into my rela-
tionship with Jesus. I believed
that they as Christ’s ambassadors
on earth represented him well;
therefore, I concluded that Jesus
must be like them.
My experience howbeit unique to
me is not unlike the impressions
many hold about Jesus formu-
lated by their experience and not
Scripture. The Gospels present
Jesus in a much different light. He
is gentle, approachable, forgiving,
and compassionate to those who
sincerely seek him. His manner
with the religious hypocrites was
indeed severe and stern but not
so with the lost, genuine, peni-
tent sinners. He is a complete
contradiction to the religious
pharisaical way.
His consistent dealing with chil-
dren illustrates his gentle way. In
Matthew 18:1-6, we see him em-
bracing and exhibiting a child as
the standard for the disciples to
follow. Additionally, he warns
them of the consequences for
those who harm children and disci-
ples who have become childlike.
Another time, the disciples re-
buked the children that were
brought to him, according to Mat-
thew 19:13-15, but Jesus said, “Let
the children alone, and do not hin-
der them from coming to me; for
the kingdom of heaven belongs to
such as these.” Jesus was en-
deared, not annoyed, by the oft-
foolish tendency of children to
invade private space. I imagine
they stuck their faces in his and
received a smile with a kiss. The
Bible holds no historical records of
Jesus lifting wayward children off
the ground by their ears!
Three distinct incidents with
women anointing the Lord exem-
plify his gentleness and approach-
ability. When I first read the
many occurrences of our Lord’s
dealing with sinners, my impres-
sion of him radically changed
causing my heart to rejoice with
acceptance and loving possibili-
ties for me a sinner.
The woman of Luke 7, a known
sinner in the community, appar-
ently was deeply moved by Jesus.
She entered Simon the Pharisee’s
home while he entertained Jesus
so that she could honor and love
him. Luke 7:38 states, “Standing “Standing “Standing “Standing
behind behind behind behind himhimhimhim at his feet, weeping, she at his feet, weeping, she at his feet, weeping, she at his feet, weeping, she
began to wet his feet with her tears, began to wet his feet with her tears, began to wet his feet with her tears, began to wet his feet with her tears,
and kept wiping them with the hair of and kept wiping them with the hair of and kept wiping them with the hair of and kept wiping them with the hair of
her head, and kissing his feet and her head, and kissing his feet and her head, and kissing his feet and her head, and kissing his feet and
anointing them with the perfume.”anointing them with the perfume.”anointing them with the perfume.”anointing them with the perfume.”
The courage, determination, and
humility of this woman were ex-
ceptional. The willingness of Jesus
to allow her to touch him in this
way is likewise remarkable. The
spiritual arrogance and dullness
of Simon to judge them critically
also stand out. Jesus stood up for
(Continued on page 7)
7
Seek Yahweh: Aramaic-Part 1 Continued...
her when Simon condemned. The
sinner (me) had access to him
while the religious one excluded
himself from intimacy with him.
Mary, the sister of Lazarus
and Martha, anointed his
feet with oil according to
John 12, and the unnamed
woman of Matthew 26 in
Simon the leper’s house
anointed his head. Both
women were criticized for
their actions, and Jesus stood
up for them. He allowed
these women to love and
touch him.
According to Luke 8:1-3, he
allowed the women to minis-
ter unto him, and in Luke 10,
we see Mary sitting at his feet.
At the last supper, according
to John 13, one of his disciples
is leaning on his bosom as
they sat and ate together.
Our Lord encouraged his disciples
in Matthew 11:25-30 KJV “to come “to come “to come “to come
unto me, all unto me, all unto me, all unto me, all yeyeyeye that labor and are that labor and are that labor and are that labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Jesus is nothing like the childhood
priest who wrongly dealt with
me. Jesus has always been
approachable − far more so than
those who represent him. He
cares for all of God’s children
with a gentleness and indeed
at times sternness but always
with love and compassion.
Hebrews 4:14Hebrews 4:14Hebrews 4:14Hebrews 4:14----16161616
Therefore, since we have a Therefore, since we have a Therefore, since we have a Therefore, since we have a
great high priest who has passed great high priest who has passed great high priest who has passed great high priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus the through the heavens, Jesus the through the heavens, Jesus the through the heavens, Jesus the
Son of God, let us hold fast Son of God, let us hold fast Son of God, let us hold fast Son of God, let us hold fast
our confession. For we do not our confession. For we do not our confession. For we do not our confession. For we do not
have a high priest who cannot have a high priest who cannot have a high priest who cannot have a high priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, sympathize with our weaknesses, sympathize with our weaknesses, sympathize with our weaknesses,
but One who has been tempted but One who has been tempted but One who has been tempted but One who has been tempted
in all things as in all things as in all things as in all things as we are,we are,we are,we are, yet with-yet with-yet with-yet with-
out sin. Therefore let us draw out sin. Therefore let us draw out sin. Therefore let us draw out sin. Therefore let us draw
near with confidence to the near with confidence to the near with confidence to the near with confidence to the
throne of grace, so that we may throne of grace, so that we may throne of grace, so that we may throne of grace, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to receive mercy and find grace to receive mercy and find grace to receive mercy and find grace to
help in time of help in time of help in time of help in time of needneedneedneed. �
(Continued from page 6)
Qumram
Manuscript ID
Verse Reference Name of God
in Hebrew text
Aramaic
Equivalent
English Translit-
eration
English
Translation
11Q10 Job 42:9 (1st) hwhy (Yahweh)
Aahla Alaha God
11Q10 Job 42:9 (2nd
) hwhy (Yahweh)
Aahla Alaha God
11Q10 Job 42:10 (1st
) hwhy (Yahweh)
Aahla Alaha God
11Q10 Job 42:10 (2nd
) hwhy (Yahweh)
No usage No usage No usage
11Q10 Job 42:11 hwhy (Yahweh)
Aahla Alaha God
4Q157 Job 40:6 hwhy (Yahweh)
Aahla Alaha God
4Q157 Job 42:1 hwhy (Yahweh)
Aahla Alaha God
8
M y mother was a
great cook. She
and my grand-
mother taught me a lot about
cooking terms and how to prepare
different kinds of foods. When I
was eight years old, I decided to
help my mother by making dinner
for the family. She was running
late getting home from errands,
and we always had dinner at 5
o’clock sharp. So I decided to
make a tuna and noodle casserole.
We had the ingredients except for
the noodles mom usually used. I
found a box of spaghetti, so I fig-
ured that would work just fine.
After mixing the tuna and canned
soup together, I put all the ingredi-
ents into the casserole dish mom
always used and plunked it right
into the oven at 350 degrees.
Yum. Couldn’t wait. When mom
arrived home, she was quite sur-
prised that I made the dinner. We
smelled something that was a bit
like something burning but figured
it was residue on the bottom of
the oven. Well, when we opened
up the oven, there was my beauti-
ful casserole with the ends of the
spaghetti stuck up like a broom
and lit up like candles. What a
mess. I did not know that I was
supposed to boil the spaghetti first
and then put it in the casserole.
The family ate the rest of the dish
with great gusto and applauded
my first attempt as a solo cook.
The burned spaghetti found its
way into the trash can, and all was
well. I learned it is one thing to
read a recipe and watch someone
do a task, but until I experienced
doing the task, I really didn’t “get
it.” I studied home economics for
four years in college and had a lot
of head knowledge about differ-
ent foods and how to prepare
them. Until I actually accom-
plished the task in the laboratory
setting, I did not have a true un-
derstanding of how to apply my
knowledge. It is important to
have accurate knowledge AND
apply it in order to experience the
knowledge in action.
Christians in general tend either to
be most interested in knowledge
of the Word or become convinced
that experiencing God is the only
way to know God. Neither end of
the continuum is what Scripture
teaches us. We need to follow the
example of Jesus Christ and apply
knowledge to our lives so that we
experience the power of God.
Jesus referred to the Old Testa-
ment Scriptures on a very consis-
tent basis. Utilizing the Scriptures
as a foundation, he taught the
Jews a new way of living. The
book of Acts contains chapter af-
ter chapter of taking this new way
of living and experiencing the re-
sults. The believers had faith in
the words Christ spoke and the
application of them, resulting in
the experience of healing, deliver-
ance, joy, and comfort. It is clear
we are to know precisely what the
Word instructs us to do. We are
also taught to apply it and experi-
ence the goodness.
Romans 10:17 So faith Romans 10:17 So faith Romans 10:17 So faith Romans 10:17 So faith comescomescomescomes from from from from
hearing, and hearing by the word hearing, and hearing by the word hearing, and hearing by the word hearing, and hearing by the word
of Christ.of Christ.of Christ.of Christ.
When we read the Word, we
“hear” it in our minds. As we re-
hearse that Word in our minds,
we take it in as true, believe it,
and have faith that what those
words mean is absolutely true.
Then, with faith, we act upon the
Scriptures and experience the
power of God in our lives.
Our lives are not mature Christian
lives if we are stuck in just hearing
the Word or, on the opposite end,
in eagerly looking for signs or ex-
periences to prove God loves us.
Our lives are mature Christian lives
when we hear the Word, have
faith that the words are true, and
then act on it to experience spiri-
tual matters. It is a whole package.
As an example, our thoughts can
appear to get the better of us.
Someone may say, “I can’t stop
thinking about ______ [fill in the
blank].” The Word tells us that
we are able to keep every thought
obedient unto Christ.
(Continued on page 9)
Study The Word And Experience The Word In Action
By Mary Ann Yaconis
9
2 Corinthians 10:5 2 Corinthians 10:5 2 Corinthians 10:5 2 Corinthians 10:5 We areWe areWe areWe are destroy-destroy-destroy-destroy-
ing speculations and every lofty thing ing speculations and every lofty thing ing speculations and every lofty thing ing speculations and every lofty thing
raised up against the knowledge of raised up against the knowledge of raised up against the knowledge of raised up against the knowledge of
God, and God, and God, and God, and we arewe arewe arewe are taking every thought taking every thought taking every thought taking every thought
captive to the obedience of Christ,captive to the obedience of Christ,captive to the obedience of Christ,captive to the obedience of Christ,
We can experience the
power of God when we
pray and ask God to help us
with keeping our thoughts
captive so as to think His
thoughts, not the world’s
thoughts. How do I do
that? I can’t keep the
thoughts out!! Well, the
Word says we can stop
thinking about the things
that are evil and think on the
good things. It is supposed to be
a freewill choice we have. So, I
have faith that I can do this with
Christ. Then, I do “thought stop-
ping.” A thought comes in; it isn’t
godly; I recognize that; I stop that
thought and pray for help. Then, I
(with the help of the holy spirit)
take my mind and make it think
on godly things. After all, our
minds are a muscle that we are to
be in control of. (If you are saying
that the author is “nuts” at this
point, please go back and read 2
Corinthians 10:5 again and medi-
tate on it.)
As I experience 2 Corinthians
10:5, I am more and more con-
vinced that the Word IS true. The
more I practice other Scriptures,
the more I will experience the
power of God in my life. Taking
one verse, meditating on it, and
applying it in everyday situations
give us a well-rounded mature
Christian life.
As some become obsessed with
just reading and studying the
Word, we can be tempted to
worship the experience and
make that an idol. Israel fell into
this trap.
Numbers 21:6Numbers 21:6Numbers 21:6Numbers 21:6----9 The 9 The 9 The 9 The LLLLORDORDORDORD sent sent sent sent
fiery serpents among the people and fiery serpents among the people and fiery serpents among the people and fiery serpents among the people and
they bit the people, so that many they bit the people, so that many they bit the people, so that many they bit the people, so that many
people of Israel died. So the people people of Israel died. So the people people of Israel died. So the people people of Israel died. So the people
came to Moses and said, “We have came to Moses and said, “We have came to Moses and said, “We have came to Moses and said, “We have
sinned, because we have spoken sinned, because we have spoken sinned, because we have spoken sinned, because we have spoken
against the against the against the against the LLLLORDORDORDORD and you; inter-and you; inter-and you; inter-and you; inter-
cede with the cede with the cede with the cede with the LLLLORDORDORDORD, that He may , that He may , that He may , that He may
remove the serpents from us.” And remove the serpents from us.” And remove the serpents from us.” And remove the serpents from us.” And
Moses interceded for the people. Moses interceded for the people. Moses interceded for the people. Moses interceded for the people.
Then the Then the Then the Then the LLLLORDORDORDORD said to Moses, said to Moses, said to Moses, said to Moses,
“Make a fiery “Make a fiery “Make a fiery “Make a fiery serpentserpentserpentserpent, and set it on , and set it on , and set it on , and set it on
a standard; and it shall come about, a standard; and it shall come about, a standard; and it shall come about, a standard; and it shall come about,
that everyone who is bitten, when he that everyone who is bitten, when he that everyone who is bitten, when he that everyone who is bitten, when he
looks at it, he will live.”looks at it, he will live.”looks at it, he will live.”looks at it, he will live.”
Yahweh provided the figure of a
serpent on a standard for the
Israelites to look at for healing in
this instance. Yahweh never in-
tended for them to worship the
serpent standard because of the
experience. But, they did.
2 Kings 18:4 He [Hezekiah] re-2 Kings 18:4 He [Hezekiah] re-2 Kings 18:4 He [Hezekiah] re-2 Kings 18:4 He [Hezekiah] re-
moved the high places and broke moved the high places and broke moved the high places and broke moved the high places and broke
down the down the down the down the sacredsacredsacredsacred pillars and cut down pillars and cut down pillars and cut down pillars and cut down
the Asherah. He also broke in the Asherah. He also broke in the Asherah. He also broke in the Asherah. He also broke in
pieces the bronze serpent that Moses pieces the bronze serpent that Moses pieces the bronze serpent that Moses pieces the bronze serpent that Moses
had made, for until those days the had made, for until those days the had made, for until those days the had made, for until those days the
sons of Israel burned incense to it; sons of Israel burned incense to it; sons of Israel burned incense to it; sons of Israel burned incense to it;
and it was called Nehushtan.and it was called Nehushtan.and it was called Nehushtan.and it was called Nehushtan.
They originally experienced
the power of God through
having faith that what Yah-
weh said was true. They
were instructed to look at
the standard and be healed.
When they believed that
the words of Yahweh were
true, they looked on the
standard and indeed were
healed. Those who did not be-
lieve the words, were not healed,
and many died at that time.
Later, this experience was made
into a “god,” and Israel burned
incense to this standard. The
experience became the object of
worship or a god. The take-home
message of the standard was that
God heals and provides. They
experienced the words as truth.
Every day, we think thoughts,
good or evil, and we have experi-
ences, good or evil. Our thoughts
and experiences must be founded
on the Scriptures. A godly
balance of having faith in the
Word, acting upon it, and thereby
experiencing the power of Yah-
weh will assist us greatly in living
for Yahweh now and having en-
trance into the Kingdom when
Christ returns. �
(Continued from page 8)
“When we read the Word, we “hear” it in our minds. As we rehearse that Word
in our minds, we take it in as true, believe it, and have faith that what those words mean is
absolutely true.”
10
T he Bible opens with audacity
and gusto, “In the beginning
God created the heavens and the
earth.” The statement is as terse as
it is powerful—God made the uni-
verse. This one grandiose proposi-
tion undergirds the faith of all Jews,
Christians, and Muslims. As God
speaks, water separates, land ap-
pears, vegetation sprouts, animals
multiply, and humans take shape.
Five times over, the magnificently
crafted creation poem resounds
with the refrain, “it was good.”
Then, on the sixth day, God surveys
all of His work and concludes “it was
very good.” The reader of Genesis
finds himself compelled to affirm
the inherent and primal goodness of
the universe. From the shining stars
to the flowing seas, all is the prod-
uct of a brilliant and beneficent
Creator who lovingly and powerfully
spoke them into existence.
Let us take a moment to consider
some of the elements of God’s
created order. Where do plants
come from? What is a seed? Is it
alive or dead? On the one hand,
seeds appear to be dead because
they can be stored for years in a
package and never change a bit; on
the other hand, they can begin
growing into massive trees just as
soon as they are activated. But,
how do we unlock the incredible life
-producing power of a seed? Do we
swallow it, crush it to pieces and
form a paste, hang it on an existing
plant, or affix it to the skin of an
animal? No, the mysterious gen-
erative force is unleashed by
putting it in dirt. Dirt. We put a
semi-dead husk in dirt and sprinkle
some water on it—which makes
mud—and that somehow trans-
forms an inanimate pod into a
growing baby plant. The plant
feeds on dirt, water, sunlight, and
carbon dioxide—four of the most
plenteous and un-endangered
resources on the planet—and grows
taller, produces leaves, emits
oxygen, and brings forth many more
seeds. If we take a moment and
really ponder this utterly common
and mundane process, we cannot
help but wonder how bizarre it
really is. What is more, God’s ingen-
ious seed idea is incredibly resilient.
Plants spring up everywhere, from
the spaces between sidewalk slabs
to the tiny cracks in asphalt parking
lots. If a road is not constantly
traveled by cars and repaved every
few years, weeds will quietly and
steadily spread the asphalt apart, bit
by bit, until the way becomes impas-
sible. This is just one aspect of
God’s creation, but it teaches us
something about the inherent good-
ness of God’s handiwork. When
God says, “let the earth sprout vege-
tation: plants yielding seed” the
result is a fantastic panoply of
resilient and stunning organisms
that continue their cycle of life eon
after eon. From massive redwoods
to little clovers to colorful roses,
creation resounds with God’s
creative genius.
The book of Genesis places God’s
shaping of the human body at the
end of His creative activity.
Although the Creator makes plants
and animals with a mere word,
Genesis uses different terms to
describe God’s act of making
humans. He formed us from the
dust and breathed into our nostrils
the breath of life (Genesis 2:7).
These words convey intimacy, as if
God bent over and blew our first
breath directly into our nostrils. The
scene bespeaks the care with which
God fashioned humanity. As medi-
cine and technology have improved
over the centuries, we have increas-
ingly come to understand just how
minutely crafted and magnificently
complicated we are. Containing
approximately 22 square feet of
skin, 206 bones, 25 feet of intes-
tines, 45 miles of nerves, and
100,000 miles of blood vessels, the
human body is nothing short of an
engineering marvel.
The human body is a masterpiece
capable of extraordinary versatility.
Humans live all over the globe from
icy regions where the snow never
melts to the tropical islands where
snow has never landed. Our skin
provides us with a waterproof bar-
rier against the external world,
temperature regulation, and
sensory input. Our fingers are capa-
ble of both finely-tuned maneuvers
like using a mouse as well as feats of
strength like swinging a hammer.
Our wrists enjoy 160 degrees of
motion, enabling our hands to
accomplish complex tasks like
catching Frisbees and riding motor-
cycles. The ball and socket joint in
our shoulders enables 360 degrees
of motion, allowing us to lift objects
from the ground over our heads in
one fluid motion. Our hearts are
exceptional pumps, capable of
displacing 2,000 gallons of blood
each day without rest. Our stom-
achs produce hydrochloric acid so
powerful that it could literally digest
(Continued on page 11)
Renewing The World To Its Original Glory By Sean Finnegan
11
solid metal. Our bipedal design
enables marathon runners to
traverse great distances and balleri-
nas to achieve impeccable balance.
Our ears pick up sounds from the
quiet gurgling of a creek in the
distance to the raucous jamming of
an indoor rock concert. We are
capable of whispering, speaking,
yelling, and singing. Having two eyes
ensures depth perception and makes
available nearly 180 degrees of hori-
zontal vision. Our brains process the
sensory input of our skin, the
sounds our ears pick up, the
visual picture our eyes take in,
and the tastes and smells our
mouths and noses detect.
We are capable of advanced
cognitive functions like lan-
guage and love, comprehen-
sion and compassion, invention
and imagination. Humans have
produced gripping adventure
novels as well as precise legal
tomes. We have accomplished
architectural feats from the
Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper in
Dubai more than a half mile
high, to the Danyang-Kunshan
Grand Bridge in China, span-
ning more than a hundred miles.
We have mastered terrestrial travel
via bicycles, automobiles, and trains.
We traverse the high seas with sail-
boats, transport barges, and aircraft
carriers. We fly through the air in
balloons, helicopters, and jets. We
float through space on rockets,
shuttles, and space stations.
Humans have charted nearly a
billion stars, over a million species of
animals, and almost half a million
plant species. We write books,
paint canvasses, play sports, listen
to music, invent machines, make
love, explore creation, decipher
codes, build relationships, and think
abstractly. Humans have written
nearly 130 million books, composed
well over 28 million songs, and
produced more than two million
movies. We have penetrated the
vast distances of empty space with
powerful telescopes and peered
deep into the world of cells and DNA
with electron microscopes. What-
ever someone may think of our
origin, everyone must admit that
humans are remarkable creatures,
nearly unlimited in our potential.
One’s understanding of beginning
influences one’s belief about the
end. For example, consider the
Gnostics. They believed that physi-
cal creation was a demi-god’s act of
cosmic rebellion against the
supreme God. The true believers,
they said, were indwelt with a spark
of the divine that originated from
the pleroma beyond this physical
universe. The goal in this system
was to gain proper knowledge
(gnosis) so that one might ascend
beyond this realm at death. Thus,
the Gnostics believed all of history
would come full circle with the anni-
hilation of all matter so that the
chosen people could reunite with
the spiritual realm. The Bible,
however, offers a significantly differ-
ent storyline. Rather than beginning
in heaven, humans originate from
the dust of the earth. Rather than
the fall happening prior to creation,
it happens after creation. This one
fact is extremely significant. In the
Gnostic scenario, creation itself is
the consequence of rebellion,
whereas in the biblical narrative,
creation is God’s choice. Both
systems account for the rampant
wickedness and brokenness of
our present world, but their
ultimate solutions are very differ-
ent. Whereas the Gnostics seek
escape from the corporeal world,
the Christian Bible looks forward
to a future much like the paradise
enjoyed by Adam and Eve prior to
the fall. For this reason, the last
book of the Bible parallels the
first book in that once again we
see humans living in paradise on
earth, complete with the tree of
life and the presence of God—
just like it was in the beginning.
Between the first and last books
of the Bible, we find a winding
narrative, involving many significant
events whereby God eventually
works within His creation to restore
it back to its original glory. Isaiah
declares, “He established it [i.e. the
universe] and did not create it a
waste place, but formed it to be
inhabited” (Isaiah 45:18). God’s
design is not to evacuate the planet
but to fill it with people. He does
not intend for it to become a waste
place, but a thriving world teeming
with life.�
(Continued from page 10)
“...God eventually works within His creation
to restore it back to its original glory.”
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