May-June 2014 Messianic Perspectives

7/21/2019 May-June 2014 Messianic Perspectives

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God has not forgotten the Jewish people, and neither have we.

A Publication of CJF Ministries and Messianic Perspectives Radio Network

MessianicPerspectives

Post Office Box 345, San Antonio, Texas 78292-0345 Iyyar Sivan Tammuz 5774 / May June 2


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Messianic Perspectives

Dr. Gary Hedrick,Editor in Chief

Erastos Leiloglou,Designer

Messianic Perspectives is published bimonthly by CJF Ministries, P.O. Box 345, San Antonio, Texas 78292- 034a 501(c)3 Texas nonprofit corporation: Dr.Gary Hedrick, President; Brian Nowotny, Director of CommunicationErastos Leiloglou, Designer. Subscription price: $10 per year. The publication of articles by other authors donot necessarily imply full agreement with all the views expressed therein. Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptuquotations are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishe1982). Visit us online at cjfm.org. Toll-free OrderLine: (800) 926-5397. 2014 by CJF Ministries. All rights reserved.

2 MESSIANICPERSPECTIVES MAY/JUNE 2014

The Torah refers repeatedly to Israels status as thechosen People of God, but some find such a notiontroubling. After all, doesnt the Bible say that God is norespecter of persons (Acts 10:34)? How, then, can Hechoose one nation over another?

Yet, that is precisely what the Bible says He has done:For you [i.e., Israel] are a holy people to the LORD yourGod; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people

for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on theface of the earth (Deut. 7:6).

Its clear that God has treated Israel differentlyandif anyone considers that preferential, so be it.1 Theyhave had blessings and privileges that other nationshavent had. But they have also borne the heavy burdenof responsibilities and obligations that has accompaniedthose privileges.

In fact, some of our Jewish friends would maintain thatthe responsibilities and obligations have far outweighed

the blessings and privileges! And who can blame them forfeeling that way? Their unique role in Gods plan has putthe Jewish people squarely in the crosshairs of sinisterand diabolical forces for thousands of years.

Gods choosing of Israel wasnt arbitrary or based on somedivine whim. He chose the children of Abraham, Isaac,and Jacob for a very specific mission: to be a blessing tothe whole world.2So in that sense, the nations (Gentilesor Goyim) are beneficiaries of Israels divine calling justas much as Israel is!

When God first called Abraham, the father of the Jewishnation, He told him, And in you, all the families of theearth shall be blessed(Gen. 12:3b).3

So how, exactly, does this work? How has God used (and

how does He continue to use) the descendants of Abra-ham, Isaac, and Jacob to bless the nations? Isaiah 61helps us answer that question.

Israels Messiah and the Nations (vv. 1The prophet begins by declaring, The Spirit of the LGOD is upon Me(v. 1a).

This is one of those places where Isaiah seems to stepthe Anointed Servants sandals.4This also happens inServant Songs (e.g., Isaiah 49:1-13 and 50:4-11), wthe Messiah sometimes speaks through Isaiah in the person (I and me).5Thats what Hes doing here.

The Anointed Servant is the Messiah, and He says

Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Him. That is, He is guand empowered by the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodThis form of the divine name, Lord GOD (Adonai weh, ), only occurs a few times in the Bible. It binesAdonai(a title reflecting deference and respect)Gods promise-keeping name Yahweh (in Hebrew, hey-vav-hey), together pointing to His sovereignty, poand authority. Some English translations renderAdYahwehSovereign Lord.

And thats exactly what He issovereign! TheDictionary defines sovereign as self governing, ipendent . . . having supreme rank or power . . . [or] pmount, supreme.6The bottom line here is that somwho is sovereign doesnt answer to anyone else. Finalultimate authority resides with him.

So whatever Gods Servant is going to do for the natof the world, He will do by the power and authority oSovereign Lord of Heaven and earth. Gods attributsovereignty means that He rules the universe (haOl

and no one tells Him what He can or cannot do. As thesays, He is King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6cf. Psalm 72:11).

This article is based in part on a ShabbatmessageGary delivered at Light of the Galilee congregation inNahariya, Israel, on Friday evening, June 27, 2014.

PeteWill

Aerial view of the Mount of Olives. Godot13


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MESSIANICPERSPECTIVES MAY/JUNE 2014 3

The Lord GOD isnt the King of Israel only. One day,He will be king of all nations (Dan. 7:13-14). Yes, itstrue that He is sovereign over the nations even now ina spiritual sense (just like the Kingdom exists now asa spiritual reality), but these spiritual, heavenly reali-ties will one day explode into literal, earthly realities.

Yeshua prayed, Your kingdom come. Your will be doneOn earth as it is in heaven(Matt. 6:10). Note what theSteve Green song says:

Kings shall bow and adore

And nations kneel down before HimAnd every tongue confessThat Jesus Christ is Lord.7

Already, in just these first few words of Isaiah 61, we seethe divine TriunityFather, Son, and Holy Spirit. TheLord GOD is the Father, Me is the Son (or the Mes-siah), and the Spirit is the Holy Spirit (Heb., RuachHaKodesh).8

The Anointed Servant continues, Because the LORD hasanointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor(v. 1b).

The Messiah was anointed to preach Good News.9Beforewe can fully appreciate the good news, however, we mustfirst know the bad news. Its a bit like the farmer in Kansaswho phoned his neighbor one stormy afternoon and franti-cally said, We have an underground, steel-reinforced bun-ker with concrete walls two feet thick and you are welcometo join us therebut youd better hurry. The neighbor wassomewhat nonplussed until he peered outside and saw a

towering, ominous funnel cloud headed straight for hishouse. Suddenly, the farmers offer became the most wel-come news he had ever heard! He quickly gathered up hisloved ones and ran next door to the shelter.

Contrast can provide context. Just as darkness helps usappreciate light, the bad helps us appreciate the good.

And in the Bible, the bad news is that were all membersof a fallen race of sinners who are in need of redemption.10We cannot work our way to Heaven.11 Theres nothingwe can do to save ourselves. And yes, theres a real placecalled Hell, where the devil and all who follow him willspend eternity (Rev. 20:10).

The good news12is that we can choose to follow God, ac-cept His Son as Savior and Messiah, and be deliveredfrom judgment. This is possible because the Lord Jesus(HaAdon Yeshua) took our punishment upon Himself andpaid the penalty for our sins (1 Cor. 15:1-3).

The bad news of our lost and tragic condition is what makesthe Messiahs work of redemption such good news for Jewand Gentile alike! And He says here that its good newsfor the poor. The poor in spirit are the ones who have anacute awareness of their need for the Good News. They arein dire straitsand they know it.13

The verses that follow explain why the Messiahs missionis such good news for Israel and the nations. Isaiah enu-merates six things Gods Servant will accomplish.

Justin Hobson


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First, Isaiah (quoting the Messiah) says,He has sent Meto heal the brokenhearted (v. 1c).

God knows how we feel in our darkest times because Hisheart has been broken, too. His first two children (Adamand Eve) rebelled against Him, even though He had provid-ed them with every conceivable blessing and advantage.14

So the Lord sympathizes with brokenhearted people,and He sent the Messiah to heal them. Sometimes, whenwe feel that our hearts are smashed to smithereens andwe think theres no hope, we can experience healing if

were patient and willing to trust Him. Never forget thatGod can put a broken heart back together if we give Himall of the pieces!

Second, He was sent To proclaim liberty to the cap-tives, And the opening of the prison to those who arebound(v. 1d).

The immediate referent here is the Year of Jubilee (HaYovel), which occurred on the ancient Jewish calendaronly once every 50 years (Lev. 25:10). At the beginning ofthis special year, priests would fan out over the Land ofIsrael blowing trumpets to signal the forgiveness of debts,the freeing of slaves, and the return of parcels of propertyto the original owners.15

So here the Messiah says that His work is similar to what

happened during the Year of Jubilee. He would come to re-store what the Enemy took from us (cf. John 10:10). In Hisrole as Redeemer, Yeshua sets people free from the bond-age and condemnation of sin.16

God wants His children to be free: Therefore if the Sonmakes you free, you shall be free indeed(John 8:36).17

Third, the Messiah will come To proclaim the accept-able year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of ourGod(v. 2a).

The acceptable (or favorable) year of the LORD isanother allusion to the Year of Jubilee.18But its juposed here with a reference to apocalyptic judgment: day of vengeance of our God.

Prophetically, the Year of Jubilee foreshadows the cing Messianic (or Millennial) Age. But before the Mesassumes His place as ruler of the nations, the earthendure a baptism of firea protracted, seven-year peof horrible cataclysms and judgment.19

Curiously, when Yeshua the Messiah stood up to rfrom Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth, He conced the reading in the middle of this verse. After He s. . . the acceptable year of the LORD (Luke 4:19)abruptly stopped, rolled up the scroll, handed it bacthe attendant, and sat down (v. 20).

Every eye in the synagogue was riveted on Him. Tknew He had interrupted the passage. But why?

In retrospect, the explanation is simple. After letting Hiteners in Nazareth stew in their curiosity for a few anxmoments, Yeshua finally looked up and said, . . .TodayScripture is fulfilled in your hearing (v. 21). Everythinhad read to them up to that point was fulfilled at His coming. They were eyewitnesses!

But the day of vengeance of our God (Isa. 61:2) is asated with the ramp-up to His Second Coming. So thea 2,000-year interlude between those two phrases (acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengeaof our God).

He couldnt say that the prophecy about the Tribulawas being fulfilled in their hearing, because it wouhappen for another 2,000 years or more! Thats whystopped reading at that precise point in the text.


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Fourth, God sends the Messiah To comfort all who mourn(v. 2b).

In its piel (active) form (as it is here), the Hebrew verbnacham() means to comfort or console. Ministers ofthe Gospel are sometimes called on to break the news topeople that something bad has happened to a loved one.When we tell them what has happened, they react strong-ly, which is normaland we do our best to bring themsome comfort. But no matter what we say or do, a brokenheart doesnt heal overnight. Very often, nothing seems to

help, other than the passage of time.Even animals can grieve. A few years ago, a Navy Sealwas killed in Iraq. At the military funeral in Iowa, hisLabrador retriever refused to leave the side of the casket.The YouTube video of the soldiers grief-stricken dog wentviral. Have you ever heard the cry of a dog in mourning?The wail is eerie and almost otherworldly. Once youveheard it, youll never forget it.

God hears our cries. He feels our pain. And yes, if (as Je-sus said) God knows when a sparrow falls from the sky, 20He was almost certainly moved by that grieving dogsaching heart. In our darkest times, the Lord reaches outto touch and provide strength and hope. It is His natureto do so. Thats why one of the Messiahs ministries is tocomfort all who mourn.

Fifth, the Messiah comes To console those who mournin Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy

for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heavi-ness(v. 3a).

In the previous verse, He was comforting all who mourn.

All includes anyone, anywhere. But here, its more spe-cific: The Anointed Servant consoles those who mourn inZion. Zion, of course, is the Land of Israel.

After the Babylonian Exile in ancient times, there wasplenty for the returning Israelites to mourn. Their coun-try had been overrun and its cities destroyed. Familieshad been devastated. To make matters worse, only a rem-nant came back to Israel. Everyone else stayed behindin Babylon. After 70 years, they had become comfortablethere. Their children and grandchildren had been born inBabylon. Only the old people remembered Israel.

If the day of vengeance of our God (v. 2a) is an apoca-lyptic reference to future divine judgment (and I believe itis), then this verse is talking about Gods comfort of Israelafter the coming Tribulation Period (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1;Matt. 24:15-25) rather than after their return from Baby-lon in the 6thcentury BC.

Notice the principle of exchange here: consolation formourning, beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and praisein place of heaviness. The Lord never takes anythingaway from us unless He has something better with which

to replace it.Sixth, the Anointed Servant brings glory to God: Thatthey may be called trees of righteousness, The planting ofthe LORD, that He may be glorified (v. 3b).

Again, if we carry forward the apocalyptic sequence (whichis consistent with the context), Hes talking here about Is-rael after the future Tribulation. The imagery here is thatof trees being planted.

The tree-planting metaphor is powerful because its sucha graphic depiction of Israels experience. She has beenplanted in the Land so many times before, only to be up-rooted when she came under divine judgment. The fa-miliar sinbondagerepentancerestoration cycle wasrepeated over and over throughout the course of Israels

ancient history.

Today, sadly, the people of Israel cannot yet be calledtrees of righteousness. The Jewish nation is fraught withmany of the same problems that plague the non-Jewishworldincluding political corruption, moral decadence,and religious apostasy. Israels abortion rate is higher thanmuch of Europe and North America. Some estimates saythe number of Jewish babies killed by abortion since 1948is well over two millionroughly one-third the number ofJewish people killed by the Nazis during HaShoah.21

However, the ancient prophets foresaw a time when thesinbondagerepentancerestoration cycle will final-ly be broken. The Jewish people will come to faith intheir Messiah (Rom. 11:26) and be planted in their Land

permanently, never to be uprooted again: I will plantthem in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled upFrom the land I have given them, Says the LORD yourGod(Amos 9:15).

In that future Day of the LORD, the nations will glorifyGod when they see what He has done for His people Israel.

Israels Mission to the Nations (vv. 4-9)God called Israel to be a beacon of truth, hope, and righ-teousness, showing the nations the pathway to a newworld. In the previous chapter, Isaiah had said, Nationswill come to your light, and kings to the brightness of yourdawn(60:3 NIV).

This is the worlds millennial hopewith Israel leading

the way. After the Tribulation, the Jewish nation comesto faith and her Messiah returns to establish His earthlyKingdom. For a thousand years, Gods Anointed Servantwill preside over a transformation of this world. The seatof His global government will be in Jerusalem. It will be atime of unprecedented peace, plenty, and prosperity.

And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise upthe former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cit-ies, The desolations of many generations. Strangers shallstand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreignerShall be your plowmen and your vinedressers(61:4-5).

Lisa Pembleton


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Rebuilding the Land of Israel (and much of the rest of theworld) after the devastation of the Tribulation wars willbe a lot of work for the saints and the survivors.

Since there will be no more need for extravagant mili-tary or law enforcement spending during the Kingdom

Age, saving literally trillions of dollars worldwide, fund-ing for repairs, and rebuilding shouldnt be a problem.22The radical reshuffling of economic priorities during thisthousand-year period could account for the universalprosperity described in the Bibles millennial passages.

Note that non-Israelites (the sons of the foreigner) will beemployed in Israel during this time (v. 5). Non-Jews havealways played an important role in Israeli society (cp. Ex.22:21).23The references to flocks, plowmen, and vine-dressers could indicate that the millennial world will havea largely agrarian (farming/ranching) economy.

But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shallcall you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches ofthe Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast(v. 6).

A priest (Heb., cohen) in ancient Israel was someone whoserved as an intermediary between God and man. Priest-ly duties were shared by the high priest (cohen hagadol),priests (cohanim), and Levites (Leviim). Most religions inthe ancient world had a priestly order of some sort, but

priests in Israel were specifically priests of Yahweh, theGod of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The reference here is not merely to individual priests, how-ever, but to a nationof priests. Israel as a people wouldserve in a priestly role for the rest of the world, showingthe nations the way to God: Now therefore, if you willindeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shallbe a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earthis Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and aholy nation. These are the words which you shall speak tothe children of Israel(Ex. 19:5-6).

Note that the primary requirement for this nationalpriesthood was holiness. Gods people were called to bea holy nation. We dont hear much about holiness these

days, but we should remember that God hasnt loweredHis standard. His character hasnt changed. Holiness isthe quality of purity and wholeness that reflects Godsown identity, defines who He is, and sets Him apart fromHis creation.24

The OT priesthood required holiness; and God calls NewTestament believers to holiness, as well: But you are achosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Hisown special people, that you may proclaim the praises ofHim who called you out of darkness into His marvelouslight(1 Pet. 2:9).

Supersessionists will say that the OT priesthood (incient Israel) has been replaced by the NT priesthoodthe Church). Like so many other similar issues, howeits not either/or but rather both. In the MessiCommunity (i.e., the Church), each individualbelieva priest in the sense that we all approach God uponbasis of the merits of Jesus the Messiah, without anyelse serving as a go-between. But that doesnt meanLevitical priesthood cant function in worship (muchit did in the OT) in the future Millennial Temple.25

Then Isaiah says that Israel will feed on the riches oGentiles and boast in their wealth (61:6b). The natiothe world will show their appreciation by funneling lamounts of wealth into Israel.26After thousands of yeablessing the nations in countless ways, Israel will finbe on the receiving end during the coming Kingdom A

And remember: This will be believing (post-Romans 1Israel. Virtually the entire nation will consist of beliein Yeshua, or what Paul called the Israel of God (6:16). What an amazing reversal! Today, the beliecommunity in Israel is one of the most economically clenged groups in the whole country. With a few notexceptions, they and their families eke out a meagering by working multiple jobs and cutting corners wherpossible. Many Messianic congregations in Israel strufinancially. But during the Millennium, the wealth onations will pour into believing Israel!

Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, Anstead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Th

fore in their land they shall possess double; Everlastinshall be theirs(v. 7).

After millennia of shame and humiliation (mucwhich the Jewish people brought on themselves inform of Gods judgment at various stages in their histIsrael will rejoice and have everlasting joy under Msiahs loving and benevolent rule.

Also, note the phrase in their Land. Composed of three words in the English text, this phrase is rich innificance. Israel isnt just a piece of real estate. Its mthan mere rocks, sand, and soil. Its the territory thatpromised to Abraham and his descendants throughline of Isaac and Jacob (Gen. 50:24; Ex. 33:1; Num. 32Deut. 1:8, 6:10). When those men or their descendtilled the ground and got dirt under their fingernails, dirt served as a reminder of Gods covenant promisemeant that God had not forgotten lost humanity antragic plight. His redemptive plan was still intact.

In fact, even at that early stage of salvation historyLORD had already set a plan in motion that would rits apex in the coming of the great Deliverer (YeshuaMessiah) who would save anyone willing to turn fromand trust in Him. And God gave the Jewish people aible, tangible token of those promisesthe Land of Is(and the dirt under their fingernails!). Thats why we ocapitalize the word Land (making it a proper noun) w

its used in reference to the geographical Land of Israe

For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for boffering; I will direct their work in truth, And will mwith them an everlasting covenant (v. 8).

This is why the world must be transformed. The LOhates things the way they are nowa broken wstricken with warfare, hatred, conflict, heartache, pmisery, injustice, wickedness, and the resultant suffeof masses of humanity. Evildoers seem to prosper andaway with their wicked deeds.

1897 Bible Picture


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YOU SHALL BE A BLESSING

JEWISH INVENTIONS AND INNOVATIONS

Jewish blessings arent just the high and lofty things like the Messiah,the Scriptures, and the promises of Godalthough those blessingsare certainly important. Sometimes theyre the little things we neverstop to consider!

Heres a brief summary of how Jewish pioneers in science and industryhave made the world a better place for the rest of us.

THINGS YOU MAY USE EVERY DAY:Denim clothing (Levi Strauss),

lipstick, the ballpoint pen, instant coffee, television remote control,traffic lights, Scotchguard, the Flexi-straw (the drinking straw thatconveniently bends)

REALLY BIG INVENTIONS:Genetic engineering, the nuclear chain

reactor, digital virtual reality, nuclear power and defensive weaponry

CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS:Hollywood sit-coms (situationcomedies), the LP (long playing) record, sound movies, home videos,color TV, instant photography, holography, the wedding processional(Felix Mendelssohn)

GAME CHANGERS:Monotheism, the theory of relativity, quantum

mechanics, the weekend (Shabbat)

NEVER BUY RETAIL:Discount stores, pawnshops, the shopping

cart, and the ready-to-wear clothing industry

I FEEL BETTER ALREADY:The polio vaccine, local anesthesia,

X-rays, antibiotics, radiation treatment for cancer, chemotherapy,the kidney dialysis machine, defibrillators, cardiac pacemakers, thevaccination against the deadly Hepatitis B virus, the vaccinating

needle, laser technology

CHAI TECH:Google, Facebook, direct marketing of computers

(Dell), the wire transmission facsimile (FAX), the microphone, theGramophone (phonograph), radios and wireless technology, themicroprocessing chip, optical fiber cable, laser, cellular technology,the videotape recorder (VCR) that revolutionized home entertainmentin the 1970s and 80s.

HOW DID WE LIVE WITHOUT THESE?:Meals in a box (Kraft

macaroni and cheese), drip irrigation, scale model electric trains, thepager, walkie-talkies, the refrigerated railroad car, high-vacuum electrontubes, the incandescent lamp, Kodachrome film, the blimp, the addingmachine, stainless steel, tapered roller bearings

Adapted from An Informal List of Jewish Inventions, Innovations andRadical Ideas by Kathryn Bernheimer in The Boulder Jewish News(www.boulderjewishnews.org), October 23, 2009.


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But Judgment Day is coming! God will put the wicked intheir place (literally), and He will reward His people anduse them to usher in a radically new world order.

The opposite of an everlasting covenant is a temporaryor conditional covenantand God makes it clear herethat His covenant with His people never ends. EverythingHe has promised will come to pass. Not one word of Hispromises will fail (cf. Josh. 23:14).

Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles,

And their offspring among the people. All who see themshall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whomthe LORD has blessed (v. 9).

This is precisely why the LORD will keep His promisesto Israel. No one will ever accuse God of being a promise-breaker and make the charge stick. Theyll never look downon the dry, dusty bones of a defeated and decimated Jewishnation and cackle, So what happened to all of those prom-ises? Ha! It looks like those lifeless skeletons are doomed toremain in their graves forever!

On the contrary, the nations will look at a revived andregenerated Israel during the Millennium and say, Theyare the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob whomYahwehhas blessed! It will be a modern-day miracle! Inthe words of the Apostle Paul, it will be, quite remark-

ably, life from the dead (Rom. 11:15).27

Israels Message for the Nations(vv. 10-11)I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyfulin my God; For He has clothed me with the garments ofsalvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteous-ness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, Andas a bride adorns herself with her jewels(v. 10).

Educators use repetition for emphasisand thats what wehave here. The English text correctly says, I will greatlyrejoice in the LORD; however, the Hebrew literally says,To rejoice, I will rejoice in Yahweh. The point is clear: TheLORD wants His people to greatly rejoice in Him.

Note, too, that this isnt some passive, quiet, introspectiveform of rejoicing. Scholars whove studied the etymologyof the Hebrew word say it comes from a root meaning toleap or to spring for joy.28

This principle of rejoicing can apply to all believers, ofcourse, whether Jew or Gentile; but in this context its areference to national Israel (who will have recently come tofaith in her Messiah) during the future Kingdom Age. TheJewish people will be joyful in their God (Heb., Elohi).

For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causesthe things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the LordGOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forthbefore all the nations(v. 11).

Its important to realize that true righteousness isntmerely a matter of following someones list of dos anddonts. Its not something we have to struggle to conjureup in our own strength. Rather, it should come natural-lylike a kernel of wheat thats planted, then germinatesand grows into a tall, strong stalk of wheat with manykernels on it. That seed didnt have to work at becominga stalk of wheat. It was just doing what came naturally,because thats what it iswheat.

Do we struggle at times as believers to do whats right?Of course we do. No one ever said that living a godly life

would be easy! Our old and new natures coexist in eaus. So we have to decide which of those natures (i.e.carnal or the spiritual) we will nurture and embrace.

The coming, earthly Kingdom will not be a perfect timin fact, it ends with a vast rebellion and one of the mdevastating wars in history (Rev. 20:8).29It will also time when the Lord GOD will cause righteousness praise to spring forth before all the nations. It wilGods workand it will be infectious. Israel will leadwayand itll spread to the Gentiles.

How remarkable! The most pervasive epidemic in thetory of Planet Earth will be one of righteousness! Nowill be able to contain or control it. It will begin with Iel and spread everywhereraging, relentless righteness! Can you imagine such a thing?

ConclusionTheres a powerful bond between Israel and the natbecause neither one can fulfill its God-appointed deswithout the other!

We needeach other. Israel needs the nations becauseexists to bless them and to show them the way to GThats the nature of Gods calling on the descendof Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Without the nationsJewish people could never fulfill that calling.

Many years ago, a friend in Illinois showed me a poful, 700-horsepower racing engine that he had just sthe better part of a year building from the ground uphad poured tens of thousands of dollars into the partsmachine work. Now it was finished and sitting on blin his shop.

He stepped back and said, Just think: All of that hopower, but all it can do right now is sit there.

I asked him what he meant, and he explained thatengine needed a car. That big, high-torque engine built to power a car that would compete on a track, raagainst other cars. This mans new engine needed a and the car would need an engine.


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1We would say it another way. God has gifted and equipped Israel differently becauseof her unique calling. Its not so much a matter of privilege as it is simply one of equip-ping Israel to fulill her callingnamely, to be a blessing to the entire world.2Even verses like the one in Zechariah 2:8, which says that Israel is the apple of [Gods]eye, must be properly interpreted. The prophet isnt talking about some mushy, emotion-al attachment the Lord has to Abraham, Isaac, and their descendants. Rather, hes sayingthat they have a special place in Gods plan because He has called them to do somethingspecial for Him. His protection and preservation of the Jewish people, then, is part ofa divine strategy to see His plan through to its completion. Abrahams role in that plan

came to fruition in a twofold fulillment beginning with the irst coming of the Messiah.That irst coming blessed the world because it made spiritualrenewal possible: For Godso loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shouldnot perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The second aspect of His coming (theSecond Coming) will likewise bless the world by bringing about the long-awaitedphysicaldeliverance from the effects of the Edenic curse (cp. Rom. 8:18-22). Biblical Redemption,then, is effective in both the spiritual and physical realmsnow and in the future.3In Genesis 12, God called Abram (whose name was later expanded toAbraham, mean-

ing father of a multitude) to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldeans and go to a Landthat He would show him (v. 1). Abram obeyed without even asking (as far as we know)where God was taking him (v. 4).4The Anointed Servant, of course, is the Messiah (the Hebrew Mashiachmeans Anoint-ed One). In Isaiah 42, one of the four, famous Servant Songs in Isaiah, the LORD saysHe has put His Spirit upon this divine Servantand He will use Him to bring forthjustice to the Gentiles (v. 1).5The Book of Isaiah includes four Servant Songs in which the Messiah is portrayed asGods Anointed Servant. These remarkable passages are found in 42:1-9, 49:1-13, 50:4-11, and 52:1353:12.6Based on the deinition in The Free Dictionaryat www.thefreedictionary.com.7Words and music by Gary Driskell and Marty Hennis. Copyright 1994 Word Music/

Ariose Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved.8Some people object to reading trinitarianism into this phrase. They point out that Yah-wehcan refer to the Son, Yeshua (Jesus), rather than to the Father. While its true that theNT closely associates Yeshua and Yahweh(see Sam Shamouns helpful summary entitledJesus is Yahweh at www.answering-islam.org), it doesnt necessarily mean they are oneand the same. More likely, as Mr. Shamoun suggests, it means that the NT writers clearlybelieved that the Lord Jesus Christ was the incarnation of YahwehGod, i.e., they believedthat YahwehGod Almighty had become an actual human being in the historical person ofthe Lord Jesus. The Apostle Paul said essentially the same thing: He[Jesus of Nazareth] isthe image of the invisible God, the irstborn over all creation(Col. 1:15). The invisible Godcannot be Jesus, because He (Jesus) possesses physicality and is clearly visible, even tothe point where at the climax of history, every eye will see Him (see Revelation 1:7).9The Hebrew word Mashiach means Anointed One. The word derives from the an -cient custom of smearing oil on someone who was set aside for a special ministry orpurpose.10For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God(Rom. 3:23).11For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the giftof God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2:8-9).12The Greek word for gospel is euangelion, which literally means good news.13Gods good news only has meaning to those who know they need it. In the Sermon onthe Mount, the Messiah said, Blessed are the poor in spirit. For theirs is the kingdom ofheaven (Matt. 5:3). He also said, . . .Those who are well have no need of a physician, butthose who are sick(9:12).14See Genesis 3:1-24.15Interestingly, the Jubilee Year didnt begin on the irst of the year, like a year-longobservance normally would, but rather on the Day of Atonement ten days later. Thisreminds us that freedom from sin and oppression comes only through the shed bloodof our Messiah (Heb. 9:7-25; cp. Rom. 3:25). Freedom, then, isnt free; its very costly.16The NT consistently sees many facets of the OT narrative as foreshadowing futureevents and spiritual truths, and that is no less true of the Year of Jubilee.17Biblical freedom isnt the right to do whatever we wantto do, but rather the power todo whatever we oughtto do. Theres a certain irony in the fact that the devil entices uswith offers of freedom, but the end result is always some form of bondage.

18The prophet uses similar language in 49:8-13, where the acceptable day of redemp-tion and restoration (v. 8) foreshadows the future Messianic Age, when the heavenswill shout for joy and the earth will rejoice (v. 13).19This coming seven-year period of Tribulation is called the Time of Jacobs Trouble(Jer. 30:7). A pregnant woman endures great pain and agony before she gives birth,and likewise the world (and Israel in particular) will endure a period of great trials andconlicts before a new world (the Millennial Kingdom) is born. Jeremiah says the pro -cess is like a woman in labor (v. 6). This pains of childbirth analogy for the arrivalof the Messianic Age is common in ancient Jewish sources. For instance, see the discus -

sion of chevlei Mashiach(i.e., birthpangs or world travail preceding Messiahs coming)in Sanhedrin98 (a and b), as well as Bereshit Rabbah42:4, where the Genesis Midrashcomments, When you see the Powers ighting each other, look for the coming . . . of theKing Messiah.20Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the groundapart from your Fathers will (Matt. 10:29).21According to Rick Ridings in The Root of Worldwide Abortion (Reformation PrayerNetwork at www.usrpn.org), every fourth pregnancy in Israel is terminated by abor-tion. Its a national epidemic and an unimaginable catastrophe.22According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI, head-quartered in Sweden), the nations of the world laid out roughly $1,756,000,000,000 inmilitary spending during 2013or almost two trillion US dollars. This igure doesntinclude law enforcement expenditures worldwide. New York City alone, for example,spends almost $5 billion annually on its immense police force (the storied NYPD).23The Lord gave speciic instructions about how non-Jews should be treated in Israel:The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shalllove him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God(Lev. 19:34).24In Hebrew, the word qadosh(holy) comes from a root meaning to divide or to setapart. Something (or someone) that is holy, then, is turned over to God and becomes

uniquely Hisand therefore should relect His character.25The Book of Hebrews in the NT goes into some detail about the superiority of theNT (Melchizedekan) priesthood over the OT (Aaronic) priesthood. But that doesntnecessarily mean one has permanently done away with the other. For instance, onecould easily saywithout much fear of contradictionthat a Maserati Alieri is su-perior to a Chevy Impala; however, that doesnt mean the two cars cant coexist. TheMaserati is demonstrably superior and can perform in ways the Chevy cant; but theChevy can still serve a useful purpose. When the writer of Hebrews says, He[the suf-fering Messiah] takes away the irst that He may establish the second(10:9b), he mayhave been forecasting the impending destruction of the Jerusalem Temple which tookplace in AD 70 and in effect took away the Levitical system, thereby helping to es-tablish a new and living way to approach God (cp. 8:13). When the Levitical systemresumes in the Millennial Temple (as anticipated in Ezekiel 4048), it will celebratethat new and living way! The millennial system of sacriices will be commemorativerather than salviic (that is, the millennial sacriices will recall the once and for allsacriice of Messiah Yeshua on Calvary rather than possessing saving eficacy of theirown). In reality, there has been only one way to approach God all along (i.e., by grace,through faith) because it has never been possible that the blood of bulls and goatscould take away sins (Heb. 10:4). Perhaps surprisingly, the new way is actually theoldest way! That is, its traceable back to Abraham and therefore actually predatesthe Mosaic system of sacriices (cf. Rom. 4:1-18).

26There is no mention here of the nations being forced or coerced to transfer theselarge amounts of wealth to Israel. As far as we can tell, the free-will offerings men-tioned in this text will be prompted by love and gratitude.27These allusions to a latter-day resurrection of national Israel are based on the imag -ery of Ezekiel 37, where the Jewish nation appears as dead, dry bones illing an openvalleythat is, a huge, open grave (v. 2). Gradually, in several stages, the once-deadbones are resurrected while the wide-eyed prophet beholds the unfolding of this jaw-dropping miracle. Finally, to Ezekiels utter amazement, the reassembled skeletonsstand to their feet, an exceedingly great army (v. 10).28See Gesenius Hebrew-Chaldee Lexiconat the entry for .

29Perfection will have to wait until after the Millennium, when the world transitionsinto the Eternal State and the old order of things passes away (Rev. 21:4).30The Hebrew phrase for Light of the Nations is Or LGoyim.

ENDNOTES

Israel is like that engine, and the nations are like the car.Israel needs the nations in order to fulfill her calling. Godgave Israel the fathers, the Scriptures, the covenants, andthe Messiah all of which she has shared with the world.

And the nations need Israel. Her moral and ethical guid-ance has been invaluable. Jewish cultural and scientificcontributions to civilization are immeasurable. But theworlds greatest need is to know God. People need the Lord!

So, then, in a world thats cluttered with thousands of pur-ported ways to reach God, how are we supposed to knowwhich one is right? The famous Jewish rabbi from Naza-reth brought clarity to this critical issue when He declared,. . . I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to theFather except through Me (John 14:6). He also said,. . .I am the light of the world . . . (8:12).

And someday, after Israel comes to faith in her Messiah,she will light the way for the nationsnot just morally,ethically, and culturally, but also spiritually: The Gentilesshall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of

your rising(Isa. 60:3).30

After all, that is why God chose Israel in the first place!

Dr. Gary Hedrick

is president ofCJF Ministries.


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We have already learned from Verse 1 of Psalm 110 thatJehovah-YHWHexalted His own Son, Davids Lord,the man Yeshua the Messiah, by placing Him as man (inHis humanity) at His right hand. Why is it? Because Hewas that one Man who completely satisfied Gods righteousindignation against sin through His own death, burial, andresurrection. In Verses 2-3 we read: The LORD shall sendthe rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst ofYour enemies! Your people shall be volunteers In the day of

Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb ofthe morning, You have the dew of Your youth.

In Verse 2 we learn the reality of the kingly rule of Da-vids Lord. He is now sitting at Gods right hand yet stillrejected by the vast majority of this world. The kings andthe leading rulers are against Him. He is despised and re-

jected by men. Those who rejected Him are His enemies,and His name is still dishonored in this world. David al-ready pointed out in Psalm 2:1-2 his Lord the Messiahsenemies: Why do the nations rage, And the people plota vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, Andthe rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD, andagainst His Anointed, . . . Notice, the people, the kings,and the rulers set themselves against YHWHand againstHis Messiah. This is the condition of Messiahs enemies.

They are againstHim. Even Messiahs people, our breth-ren the people Israel, are still blindedto His Lordship.They have become enemies of the Gospel for the benefitof the Gentile world, as we read in Romans 11:28a:Con-cerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake. So ourLord YHWHin His eternal wisdom and plan, assured Da-vids Lord, Jesus the Messiah, that He would send Hisrod of strength out of Zion: The LORD shall send the rodof Your strength out of Zion. The Hebrew word for rodis matteh. This word for rod is not the same word as therod of the shepherd, shivtecha, spoken of in Psalm 23:4b,which comforts Gods flock: Your rod and Your staff, they

comfort me. But this rod, matteh, is the scepter of a who has leadership, authority, and rule. We read of scepter-rod in Genesis 49:10a: The scepter shall no

part from Judah. Our Messiah Jesus, the One who from the Tribe of Judah, Davids Lord and Davids soyet to receive from YHWHcomplete authority, power,strength in order to reign as Israels king and worlder out of Zion. The name and place that is called Zioknown to be the City of David (see 2 Samuel 5:7). Zion

Jerusalem are names of the same location: Both speathe very same city. Jerusalem is the larger, extended of Davids city Zion, the city where God set His name

Many passages in our Hebrew Scriptures use both nainterchangeably: Jerusalem and Zion, as shown here

good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build thou the waJerusalem(Psalm 51:18). And again: To declare the nof the LORD in Zion, And His praise in Jerusalem (P102:21). And: The LORD bless you out of Zion, And maysee the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life (P128:5). Israels Prophet Isaiah wrote: For out of Zion s

go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusa(2:3b). This promise from YHWHis yet to be fulfilled incoming Messianic Kingdom, when Yeshua, Davids Lwill rule this world with YHWHspower. Obviously

promise of Messiahs rule has not yet come to pass. does not need to be a great observer to understand fact. Just look around; 2,000 years have passed sinceLord Jesus was exalted to YHWHsright hand. Yet, mof Gods earthly people Israel still do not accept Yesas their Messiah; the vast majority of the Gentile wrefuses to acknowledge Yeshuas Lordship; and the facthe world is in continual, ongoing disobedience to Godto His glorified Son, King Messiah. From this verse,these facts, we understand that this promise of the Msianic Kingdom is yet to be fulfilledin the soon-comfuture. We long for that day!


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Having said this, we immediately notice that YHWHdoesnot wait for the future rule of the Messiah. He announcedHis present rule to the risen and glorified Messiah whenHe proclaimed in Verse 2b: Rule in the midst of Your en-emies. The enemies of God and His anointed One are stillin this world. They continue in their own sinful ways, notrecognizing that this same Jesus whom they have rejectedis now ruling in His absence over the affairs of this world.He has authority in the midst of His enemies and is in fullcontrol of all that is going on in this world. Nothing is hid-den from His eyes. Hebrews 4:13b reads: but all things are

naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must giveaccount. This is what our Lord Jesus the Messiah is doingnow, while He is at YHWHsright hand. To stress again:He is a rejected king and is yet ruling in the midst of Hisenemies. This is an amazing truth that must fill the heartof every believer with joy. In this Church Age, there areindividual believers who through simple faith have trust-ed in the glorified Messiah, redeemed individuals out ofmany peoples, tongues, and nationsboth Jews and Gen-tiles, even now in the days of His rejection. For those of uswho believe on Him now, Yeshua has become a ruler-kingwho reigns over our hearts in the midst of His enemies.We read in Hebrews 2:8-9 these words: You have put allthings in subjection under his feet. For in that He put allin subjection under him, He left nothing that is not putunder him. But now we do not yet see all things put under

him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower thanthe angels, for the suffering of death crowned with gloryand honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death

for everyone. These words were written to our brethren,Jewish believers of the first century, who needed encour-agement to continue in following after their rejected Mes-siah. Note again: To them the Apostle wrote in Verse 9,saying, But now we do not yet see all things put underhim. Look around and see: He is still rejected, yet in duetime all things will be put under His feet. This sure prom-ise is still in the future, but we who know Him throughfaith see Yeshua crowned as king and seated on Godsright hand with glory and honor.

Verse 3 of Psalm 110 presents us with the wonderfulpromise that YHWHmade to Davids Lord Yeshua. Your

people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In thebeauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, Youhave the dew of Your youth. Messiahs people Israel didnot accept Him at His first coming; they did not receive

Yeshua as Israels Messiah when He came in humiliation.He came at first to make atonement, to die for the sinsof the world. At that time, His own nation Israel did notreceive Him. This is what John wrote in his Gospel, John1:11: He came to His own, and His own did not receiveHim. Notice, John calls his Jewish brethren Messiahsown people. He called the Jewish people His own, evenwhen they did not receive Him!

Scripture presents our people Israel, on earth, as Godschosen people, even though as a whole they are still in anunregenerated state. Gods chosen people does not mean

that all Jewish persons are saved, even if they are descen-dants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Every Hebrew, Is-raeli, Jewish person, must receive the Messiah Yeshua ashis own Lord and Savior. So John calls Israel His own.Paul, in Romans 11:1a, points to Israel as Gods people aswell when He says: I say then, has God cast away His peo-

ple?Paul and John both knew their Hebrew Scriptures.They spoke of that which Israels prophet prophesiedabout the Messiah in Isaiah 53:3 some 750 years earlier:He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows andacquainted with grief. And we [Israel] hid, as it were, our[Israels]faces from Him; He was despised, and we [Israel]

did not esteem Him. Isaiah wrote of the Messiah and ofthis rejection, which happened in His first coming. Butnow we read of His second coming, in the days of Hispower, when our Lord Yeshua will come again. This timeHe will come in power to judge His enemies, which are inthe world. We read in Revelation 1:7:Behold, He is com-ing with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who

pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mournbecause of Him. Even so, Amen. Every eye of every personin the world will see Him. Israel as a nation shall mournover Him, as we read in Zechariah 12:10b: Yes, they will

mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grievefor Him as one grieves for a firstborn. We read that onlythen will Messiahs people Israel be willing, nedavot.It speaks of Israel as a nation, who will be willing to of-fer themselves as a free-will and voluntary offering untoYHWHjust as in days of old when our people Israel of-fered unto YHWHa free-will offering for the building ofGods house, the Tabernacle. We read in Exodus 35:29a:The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to theLORD. Our people Israel, in a day to come, will be fullyrestored to a love relationship with their YHWHand theirMessiah, Davids Lord.

We stress again: They will be willing to offer themselvesas a nedavot, a free-will and voluntary offering unto theirMessiah, whom they rejected at His first coming. What a

day that will be, not only for Israel but also for the heartof Yeshua the Messiah. At that future time when our Mes-siah Jesus, DavidsAdon, will come in power, His peopleIsrael will not only be a willing people, but they will alsobe a holy nation representing Davids Lord, Yeshua theMessiah, in holiness and in splendor, In the beauties ofholiness, from the womb of the morning (see Verse 3 ofPsalm 110). The people of Israel will be a beautiful or-nament for the glory of God, a holy nation unto YHWH,clothed with Messiahs righteousness, ready to representHim just as the high priests garments were made forglory and beauty: And you shall make holy garments for

Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty (Ex. 28:2).At that coming day, as in days of old, Israel will be much,much more than when YHWHremembered His relation-ship with His people Israel. Note what YHWHsaid in Jer-

emiah 2:3a: Israel was holiness to the LORD,. . .

Israel will receive a new life. Israel will be a born-againnation, as Ezekiel 36:26a reads: I will give you a new heartand put a new spirit within you. Israel will have a freshstart, a new beginning, as we read in Verse 3 of Psalm 110,a people. . . from the womb of the morning, . . . Just as a newbaby comes out of his mothers womb, starting new life, soalso will Israel, Messiahs people, be born again into a newlife, out of the womb of the darkness, sorrow, and pain oftribulation days. The Prophet Isaiah wrote in his last chap-ter, 66:8-9: Who has heard such a thing? Who has seensuch things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in oneday? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zionwas in labor, She gave birth to her children. Shall I bring tothe time of birth, and not cause delivery? says the LORD.

Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb? says yourGod.At Messiahs second coming, Israel will also reflecttheir King Messiah as the dew reflects the sun when itrises. You have the dew of Your youth(Psalm 110:3b). Theword for dew is tal, that dew which rises out of the groundat the beginning of a new day. Israel will reflect the gloryof our Lord Jesus, which He will shed upon them throughthe Holy Spirit. We see this picture in Psalm 133:3: It islike the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountainsof Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessingLife

forevermore. What a wonderful future is waiting for Israeland for the world! May the Lord hasten that day.


12/16


As we continue in our study of Psalm 110, we read inVerse 4 an additional proclamation. David, by divine in-spiration, heard Jehovah making an oath to his Lord, his

Adon, his Master, saying, The LORD has sworn And willnot relent, You are a priest forever According to the or-der of Melchizedek.This verse is very important, becausethrough this proclamation we learn about the eternalpriesthood of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. He is a di-vine person, according to Verse 1. He is a king, accordingto Verses 2 and 3. But now, from Verse 4, we learn that

Yeshua is also a priest. In the first part of Verse 4 we read

that God made an oath: The LORD has sworn. In Hebrewthe word is nishbah. To make an oath, or to swear, is tomake a committed promise that one will stand behind hisword, making sure that what was said will certainly cometo pass. This is precious to our hearts, because we knowthat if God makes a promise He will fulfill it. Man failsin keeping promises, but God never fails to fulfill everypromise He makes. He, YHWH, swore in the past that Hewould bless our father Abraham and his seed after him,long before David was born: . . . By Myself I have sworn,says the LORD, . . . blessing I will bless you, and multi-

plying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of theheaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and yourdescendants shall possess the gate of their enemies(Gen.22:16-17). So now, in Psalm 110:4, He, YHWH, the Godwho cannot lie (see Titus 1:2), makes an oath to Davids

Lord, assuring David and the people of Israel that theMessiah is a priest forever. YHWHadds these words: Iwill not relent. The Hebrew word yeenachemmeans tobe comforted. God is simply saying, I will not change mymind or find comfort in any other person. No matter whatany may say, I will not change my promise. YHWHwillnot change His plan and purpose for His Son. To repeat:He is sealing His proclamation concerning the Messiahspriesthood by saying, I will not relent. I will not be com-forted in anyone else. This wordyeenachemis found else-where in the Hebrew Scriptures. In Genesis 6:6 we readthat God saw the wickedness of men on the face of theearth, and He was grieved in His heart because of menssinfulness. Thus we read:And the LORD was sorry thatHe had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in Hisheart. Because of mans wickedness, a holy God could only

be comforted by the destruction of this dishonoring, sinfulcreation. This is why we read in Verse 7a: So the LORDsaid, I will destroy man whom I have created, . . . ButGod did not destroy all men, because of His grace towardthem. We read in Verse 8:But Noah found grace in theeyes of the LORD. Noahs Hebrew name means comfort.

God found rest and comfort in Noah, a man who pleHim, a man who was a picture of the coming MessTherefore, God did not destroy all men. Noah andfamily were saved from Gods wrath.

Next, we learn from Verse 4b of Psalm 110, YHWHsaming statement concerning Davids Lord: You are a p

for ever according to the order of Melchizedek. Paytention to the three things that YHWHproclaimed athe Messiah. First, the Messiah is declared to be a pr

You are a priest. Second, Messiah is proclaimed to b

eternal priest, forever. Third, we notice that Messpriesthood is not after the order of Levi but accordinthe order of Melchizedek.

One may ask the question: How is it possible for DaLord, who is a ruling king, to be a priest at the same tiNo one in Israels history had both offices at once. reason is simply this: No one could be born to two dient tribes. Our Lord Jesus the Messiah was born tokingly tribe of Judah and not to the priestly line of LGods Word clearly teaches us that the kings of Israelbe descendants of only the tribe of Judah. First, J(who was also called Israel) blessed his sons, pronounbefore his death by divine inspiration in Genesis 49:that The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a

giver from between his feet, . . . God himself promKing David in 2 Samuel 7:16 that His kingdom wi

eternal. Matthew, in his Gospel, also records the kiline in Chapter 1, showing the genealogy of YeshuaMessiah, that He is a descendant of the tribe of JuThe book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son ofvid, the Son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac

got Jacob, and Jacob begot Judas and his brothers1-2). So it is clear that Israels kings were of the tribJudah. On the other hand, Israels priests were to conly out of the tribe of Levi, as the Lord commandedses in Numbers 3:5-6:And the LORD spoke to Moses,ing: Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them be

Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.In Verse read: And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sthey are given entirely to him from among the childreIsrael.And once again we read in Verse 12: Now behI Myself have taken the Levites from among the child

of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the wamong the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shaMine.In light of this, it is clear that Davids Lord Yescould not be a priest after the Levitical order since Heborn to the tribe of Judah. But YHWHdeclared Him ta priest (kohen) after a completely different order. N


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again: You are a priest forever According to the order ofMelchizedek(Psalm110: 4b). This expression, accordingto the order, in Hebrew is al-debratee. It actually meansbased upon My word. In actuality, God said to His Son:Based upon my sure word, you are a priest forever likeMelchizedek. Well, who is this person Melchizedek? Andwhy is his name mentioned in connection with DavidsLord? To understand this, we must look into the eventfound in Genesis 14.

Melchizedeks name is mentioned only two times in the

Old Testament, the Tanakh: Here in Psalm 110:4 and inGenesis 14:18. In Abrahams day there was a war of fourkings against five kings. The five kings rebelled againstChedorlaomer, king of Elam, one of the four kings. In thewar between those two companies, Chedorlaomers groupdefeated the five kings. One of the five defeated kings wasthe king of Sodom. Verse 11 states: Then they took allthe goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provi-sions, and went their way. Sodom and Gomorrah, there-fore, were two cities of the five which were defeated by thecompany of four, led by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam. Lot,

Abrahams brothers son, lived in Sodom. Chedorlaomersgroup also took Lots goods and provisions, as explainedin Verse 12: They also took Lot, Abrams brothers son whodwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. Someonetold Abraham the Hebrew about it. (Note: This is the first

time in the Bible we read the word Everee, Hebrew.)Abraham was called by this name because he had crossedoverAvar, crossed over Mesopotamia, and settled in thePromised Land. So Abraham, as a military man, tookwith him 318 of his servants, and they pursued thosefour kings. He apprehended them and brought back allthe goods that had been taken from Sodom and Gomor-rah, including his brothers son Lot, and all his goods,the women, and the people. He returned them to Sodom.Here, in Verses 17 to 24 of Genesis 14, is where we areintroduced to this man called Melchizedek. Hes men-tioned one time here in Genesis, and not again until wecome to Psalm 110, and then numerous times in the NewTestament. Upon Abrahams return from defeating theenemies of Lot, two individuals appeared unto him: First,the king of Sodom came offering him many goods, which

Abraham refused to receive; then we read about the mancalled Melchizedek, the king of Salem, in Verse 18: ThenMelchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine;he was the priest of God Most High. His name means MyKing Is Righteous. He appeared to Gods servant Abra-ham unexpectedly, bringing bread and wine to him.

We must take note of how Gods Holy Spirit presents thisperson named Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18-20). First, we readthat He was a king: king of Salem, Melech Shalem(Salemis Zion, Jerusalem, see Psalm 76:2). Second, we read thathe is a priest: the priest of the God most high,Kohen Le-ElElyon. Melchizedek was both a king and a priestat thesame time. Third, we read of what Melchizedek did. Hebrought bread and wine, refreshment, for Abraham andhis troops. Fourth, we read that Melchizedek representedGod as a priest by blessing Abraham: And he blessed himand said: Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor

of heaven and earth(v. 19). Fifth, we read that Melchize-dek worshiped God: And blessed be God Most High, Whohas delivered your enemies into your hand(v. 20). Sixth,we read that Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe, a tenthof his belongings:And he gave him a tithe of all(v. 20b). Inthese three verses of Genesis 14, we have all that we knowof Melchizedek. Old Testament Scripture does not recordthe name or the activities of this priest again until we readthe account in Psalm 110:4. This event speaks volumes toany student of Gods Word. Melchizedek appears as Godsservant, and immediately disappears from the scene.He blesses Abraham by his God, he refreshes him withbread and wine, and he receives from Abraham a tithe ofall that Abraham had, and immediately disappears. TheHoly Spirit referred to this event of Genesis 14 when heallowed David to hear YHWHswords to His own Master.

God declared to the Messiah: You are a priest forever Ac-cording to the order of Melchizedek(Psalm 110:4b). Godannounced that the Messiah is a priest like Melchizedek,who existed and served God and men long before Jacob andhis twelve sons were bornand long before Aaron and thetribe of Levi were born. This Melchizedek was a priest ofthe God Most High whom Abraham recognized as the onefrom whom he could receive blessings, and through whomhe could give his tithe to God.

Gideon Levytam is director

of International Ministriesfor CJF Ministries.

To be continued


14/16


by Violette Berger

Fruitthe

Harvest

from

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A Mardi Gras MessageWith the help of eight volunteers, Michelle Beadle, CJFMSoutheast representative (New Orleans), organized a MardiGras outreach on the streets of New Orleans and Metairie, LA,using a tract quoting Isaiah 53, as well as a specially designedtract for Mardi Gras. After seven sorties, Michelle writes, Wehanded out 4,000 pieces of literature, shared the Good News with51 people, and prayed with sevento receive Jesus as their Mes-siah. GREAT news!

Light on a College CampusRichard Hill, CJFM representative (Las Vegas) and pas-tor ofBeth YeshuaMessianic Congregation, is fascinat-ed this year to see how the Lord is working in our outreachon the UNLV campus, despite the efforts of the Adversary to

stop us from being the light on campus. Mark, a volunteer,has led a few students to the Lord, and recently Rich led ayoung woman to the Lord. An additional blessing came fromanother young woman who told Richs group to Keep up thegood workyou are having a positive effect on people. Shetold them that she accepted a Bible from them four years agoand finally began reading it during the past semester, whichresulted in her salvation. Rich adds, She is on fire for theLord and is attending a local church. I cannot tell you howexcited our team was to hear these encouraging wordspraiseHis name!

Passover BlessingsBarry Berger, CJFM Director of Missions Emeritus(Phoenix), was especially blessed (while recovering from his re-cent stroke) during our 21stAnnual City-Wide Messianic Pass-over Seder this year; 280 people attended, and nineprayed withBarry to receive Yeshua as their Lord and Savior.

Richard Hillhad the privilege of baptizing a couple, Mike andMarsha, new believers and recent congregants ofBeth Yeshua,during the Passover season. Rich explains, Water baptism isnothing new in Judaism and actually dates back to Tabernacleand Temple times. The priest would perform tevilah(full bodyimmersion) in the mikveh (pool of water; we call it a baptis-mal). This would take place just prior to the priests minister-ing unto the Lord inside the Holy Place. Please pray for Mikeand Marsha as they live their new lives for the Lord.

Locked Up but Not ForgottenCJFM Southwest representative John Kanter (Darejoices in the recent blessings of his prison ministry at BCole State Jail (Bonham, TX). A good friend of Johns acconied him and shared his testimony and a biblical devotionthe inmates. John followed up with a teaching that highligthe prophetic significance of the Feasts of Israel. He wIn response to the concluding Gospel invitation, 12 inmprayed to receive the free gift of eternal life by placing their hope, and confidence in the finished redemptive work of YeHaMashiach(Jesus the Messiah). We join John in praisinSavior, who unlocksthe door to the heart. I am the door. Ifone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out andpasture (John 10:9).

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QuestionsBible

Answers

AND

by DR. GARY HEDRICK

QUESTION:Some churches say we shouldnt have anything inour worship services that isnt found in the Bible. They say thatanything thats not biblical is strange fire, and as such is dis-pleasing to God. Do you have a position on this?

ANSWER:The term strange fire comes from the OT story aboutthe two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu. They tried to steal Godsfire so they could use it for their own purposes: Then Nadab andAbihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, putincense on it, and offered profane [strange]fire before the LORD,which He had not commanded them(Lev. 10:1).1

Even though the fire originally came from God, it became strange(i.e., profane or unauthorized) when Nadab and Abihu tried totake control of it. They may have thought it was cool (no punintended) that God had sent fire to consume the earlier sacrifice(9:22-24). It must have been a spectacular scenelike something

out of an Indiana Jones moviebecause the text says the peoplefell on their faces when they saw the fire come down. The twoyoung priests evidently wanted that power for themselves, so theyused Gods fire from the altar to ignite the kindling in each of theirown pans.2They also sprinkled incense on itsomething God hadnot told them to do. Maybe they thought the aroma of incensewould mask the stench of a prideful and misguided act. But ofcourse they were woefully and tragically wrong!

God is invariably offended when religious charlatans seek to har-ness His power for their own purposes. Nadab and Abihu had noidea what they were dealing with. Through their arrogance, theyplaced themselves in great peril. The Bible says that Gods fireincinerated them (10:2).

Sin is essentially destructive and therefore often comes with its

own built-in penalty. There are times, then, when what lookslike divine judgment in the Bible is really more a matter of Godsimply letting someone have his own way. In this instance, thesetwo men thought they wanted Gods fireso He let them have it!

Now lets move on to the next part of your question. That is, if wedo anything in a worship service thats not found in the Bible, arewe guilty of offering strange fire? I dont think so. After all, God isa God of infinite creativity and variety. Just look at His creation.

In Israels history, worship wasnt static but changed and devel-oped over time. For instance, Temple worship in Jerusalem wasmore regal and complex than Tabernacle (mishkan) worship in

the wilderness. David and Solomon generally followed the Exo-dus patterns and directives, but they did exercise some creativelicenseand there is no evidence that it offended the Lord. Forinstance, they greatly expanded (beyond what God told Mosesthat He required) the assortment of vessels and furnishings thatwere used in Temple worship.3

In ancient Israel, they even added observances to the seven basicmoedim (festivals) outlined in the Torah (Lev. 23). Perhaps themost notable of these additions is Hanukkah or the Festival ofLights. Hanukkah isnt mentioned in the OT, but it nonethelessbecame a major national observance. Yeshua himself used thesetting of Hanukkah to talk about His essential unity with Godthe Father (John 10:22-30). And again, there is no indication any-where that God was displeased with the observance of Hanukkah.

So what about the NT era? Well, even if we wanted to duplicate

the Early Churchs worship exactly, it would be hard to do be-cause the NT gives us few specifics about the music or forms ofworship in the Early Church. The first believers were Jewish, ofcourse, so they participated in Temple worship (e.g., Acts 3:1).They also met daily in homes for fellowship, Bible study, andprayer (Acts 2:46, 6:4, 20:7-12). But beyond those basics, we dontknow very much.

Charles Spurgeon, the famous 19thcentury British pastor, talkedabout how, even in his era, there was a great diversity of opin-ion among Christians about the true form of worship.4He saidsome people thought that the simpler and plainer worship is, thebetter. Others, however, advocated the more resplendent wor-ship of the cathedral with its booming pipe organ and carefullychoreographed services. So is one better (or more biblical) thanthe other? Spurgeon says were missing the point when we argue

about outward forms of worship:

God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worshipHim in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to wor-ship Him. Let there be good music, by all means, and noblewords, for these are congruous to noble thoughtsbut oh, letthe thoughts be there! Let the song be there! Let the flames oflove burn on the altar of the heart! Be the outward expressionwhat it may, let the praise be winged by the ardent affectionsof the soulotherwise far from you be the thought that youhave worshipped God when you have used solemn words with

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CJF Ministries

Post Office Box 345

San Antonio, Texas 78292-0345

INTHISISSUE

Israel and the Nations(Isaiah 61)

by Dr. Gary HedrickPage 1

Psalm 110:1-7"The Lord Said to My Lord"

Part 2by Gideon Levytam

Page 10

Fruit from the Harvestby Violette Berger

Page 14

Bible Q&Aby Dr. Gary Hedrick

Page 15

continued from page 15

thoughtless hearts! Does not this touch some of you? You havenever prayed in all your lives! You have said a prayer, but nev-er talked with God. You have been to the House of God, per-haps, from your infancy, but never worshipped God! Thoughoftentimes the preacher said, Let us worship God, yet youhave never done so. O Sirs! What? All these formalities, allthese routines, all these outward forms and yet no heart, nosoul?nothing acceptable with God? Alas for you! And will

you go on so forever? You will, so long as you rest contentedwith the outward! I pray that God may put in you a sacred dis-content with the merely outward worship and make you longand cry that you may offer unto Him the sacrifice of a brokenand a contrite heart through Jesus Christ the Savior, by thepower of the Eternal Spiritfor that will the Lord accept!5

Sometimes what people call worship is really nothing morethan shallow self-indulgence (not unlike the euphoria a fan expe-riences at a rock concert, for instance) or heartless, rote tradition-alism. True worship, though, is more than just words, euphoria,or outward forms. Its approaching the Lord with a humble andgrateful heartand joyfully exalting Him and Him alone. Yesh-ua (Jesus) condemned the hypocrisy of mindless, manmade tradi-tion in worship: . . . This people honors Me with their lips, Buttheir heart is far from Me (Mark 7:6).

So can we be creative in worship? Yes, I believe we canwitreasonable and biblical parameters. Worship should never come a free-for-all with fleshly displays and people doing whever they feel like doing. Our desire to be creative shouldbalanced with careful attention to prudence and reasonastructure (but not necessarily predictability!), so that Godglorified. The late Adrian Rogers, in his signature alliteratstyle, summed it up like this:

Dont think that worship is something that you create athat you have a right to worship God any way that you pleaGod requires, reveals, and regulates worship. You see, wship must have the right mandate, following the commandGod. It must have the right motive, giving glory to God. Ait must have the right method, being based on the shed bloof Jesus Christ.6

Strange fire, then, describes the sinister work of religious ceivers who portray themselves as Gods vessels when in fthey are promoting their own interests. Theres a lot of it across the religious landscape in the 21stcenturyand its dagerous. But lets not assume that anything thats not traditionor thats different from what were accustomed to, automaticafalls into that category.

1 [Nadab and Abihu] acted in utter disregard for the deity. God intended that the mani-festation of His Presence would ignite the altar ire, marking His acceptance of His peo-ples devotion. Their intent was for the divine ire to ignite their own pans; that is, theywere attempting to arrogate control of the deity to themselves ( The Jewish Study Bible,Berlin and Brettler, editors [Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2004], 227).

2Fire, Heb. esh here means kindling material; see also Numbers 17:2, 11. The brothersplaced unlit coals (or wood for kindling) in the pans, in order to attract the divine ire tolight them (see 1 Kings 18:38) . . . alien ire, unauthorized coals. They thus prepared anincense offering upon kindling of their own (Ibid.).

3 David enlarged the number of vessels and furniture to be used in the Temple. Forexample, he designed not one lampstand, but 10, as well as 10 tables of showbread and10 lavers. He also designed vessels that were unique to this Temple [and were not found

in the Tabernacle]. He made special carts which transported the lavers from placeplace within the Temple. The brazen sea, a large reservoir of water resting on tweloxen, was one of the wonders of the ancient world. This water was used by the prieto purify themselves before attending to their sacred duties (The Service of the Priesand Levites by Stephen Tam on The 3-D Bible Projectwebsite at www3.telus.net/pulic/kstam/en/default.htm).

4True Worship, a sermon delivered by Charles H. Spurgeon at Metropolitan Tabernain London on September 1, 1870.

5Ibid.

6Dont Play with Fire from The Adrian Rogers Legacy Bible(Memphis, TN: Love WorFinding Ministries, 2009), 123.

ENDNOTES

May-June 2014 Messianic Perspectives

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