Our Father 6: Hallowed by your name

In Matthew 6:9, Yeshua taught his disciples to pray, “Hallowed be your name.” To hallow means to honour as holy. That is, to set something apart from the ordinary, to regard and treat it as holy—to sanctify it. So, an alternative translation is, “Let your name be sanctified.”

In biblical culture, one’s name is one’s reputation. Your name represents all that you are—your “essence and character,” as Toby Janicki says[1]. So, we sanctify God’s name by behaving in ways that bring him honour and glory; or we profane his name by rebelling against him. In Leviticus 22:32, God commanded Israel not to profane his holy name, “so that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Israelites.” Then he says that he is the one who sanctifies them. Kiddush HaShem (sanctification of God's name) takes place either by someone glorifying God publicly or being martyred for the sake of the Name [2].

Like the Our Father, the weekday Amidah prayer also sanctifies God's name (in its third blessing, the kedushah) before making petitions for earthly things.

[1] Janicki, Toby. The Way of Life. Jerusalem: Vine of David, 2017:317.

[2] Eby, Aaron, and Toby Janicki. Hallowed by Your Name. Mayim Chayim. Marshfield, Missouri: First Fruits of Zion, 2008:208.

Our Father 5: Who is in Heaven

Why does Matthew (Mat 6:9) include the phrase, “who is in heaven” when Luke (Lk 11:2) leaves it out? I suggest it may be on account of the different audiences these two evangelists were addressing. Matthew’s audience was certainly Jewish, and Jews often refer to Abraham as “our father.” So perhaps that’s why Yeshua clarifies whom he is addressing right from the outset, as recorded in Matthew's gospel. Maybe Luke left it out it because it is obvious for his audience.

Theologians speculate about the location of God's presence. The Our Father keeps it simple: he is “in heaven.” It's not an abstract theological claim about God's transcendence (his otherness, being distinct from everything created); it's just a clarification of whom the prayer is addressed to. But it does remind us of that quality of God—he is holy, completely set apart from creation. Just because we are, in some sense, his “children” does not mean that we may be casual with him. Our love for our heavenly father must be matched by our fear of him.

Our Father 4: Compassion and community

The creator is not just an impersonal deity, “the god.” He is God, but he is a personal being and his role as Father in the relationship indicates that he has a stake in our lives: our pain is his pain; our success is his success. (Success is to be, or become, like God's unique son, Yeshua, and to fulfill his purpose for your life.)

The title for God used in a prayer typically highlights the particular attribute of his which is most relevant for that prayer. “Father,” as a title, brings to mind God’s compassion [1]. In Psalm 103:13, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.” Note the intimacy in the relationship, yet the objects of the LORD’s compassion are especially those who fear him.

The address (“Our Father”) also shows that the relationship is not individual but communal, even when the prayer is said alone, "in secret.” The relationship is one-to-many: one Father, many children. Being children, we are to live as a family—a community set apart (sanctified/made holy) for our Father God. Psalm 133:1 says, “Look, how good and pleasant it is when brethren dwell in unity!”

[1] Eby, Aaron. First Steps in Messianic Jewish Prayer. Marshfield, Missouri: First Fruits of Zion, 2014:107.

Our Father 3: Address—Avinu Shebashamayim

The address that Yeshua (Jesus) uses to invoke God is meaningful in itself: Avinu Shebashamayim—Our Father.

“Our” instantly speaks of some relationship, and “Father” indicates the kind of relationship it is: very personal, but not one of equality. There are senior and junior partners in it, with the Father being the authority. As children, we must show respect for our Father. (Incidentally, Luke 11:2 omits “Our” in the address.)

It’s not a casual address, like “Dad”. In fact, as Toby Janicki [1] points out, early Christians took it formally: the Apostolic Constitutions (an early Christian writing) instructs believers to prepare before reciting the prayer, “that you may be worthy of the adoption of the Father.” It draws on a warning from Malachi 1:6 where God asks Israel—his “firstborn son”:  “If I am a father, where is my honour?” The Constitutions go on to say, “the glory of the fathers is the holiness of their children.” Just think about that—our holiness brings glory to our father!

[1] Janicki, Toby. The Way of Life. Jerusalem: Vine of David, 2017. (See my endorsement of the book here.

Our Father 2: Language and Title

As we turn our attention to the words of the Our Father, keep in mind that the tradition of the time was to pray in Hebrew—“the holy language.” Both prayers and parables were always said in Hebrew, even if day-to-day language was in Aramaic. As Matthew (6:9-13) records it, Yeshua (Jesus) said,

Pray then like this:  “Our Father in heaven,  hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come,  your will be done,  on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread,  and forgive us our debts,  as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation,  but deliver us from evil.”

Ancient Jewish tradition names a prayer or reading from its first word or two it contains. Thus, the Lord’s prayer is often suitably called the Our Father, or Avinu (one word in Hebrew). It’s not uncommon to find this word in Jewish literature, e.g. Avinu Malkaynu (our Father, our King) or Avinu Shebashamayim (Our Father who is in Heaven). Its usage continues even in our day. In fact, the same address was used in 1948 by Rabbi Isaac Hertzog when he composed a prayer for the new state of Israel. It starts like this:

“Our Father, who is in Heaven,
Rock of Israel and his Redeemer,
bless the State of Israel,
the first flowering of our redemption.”

Our Father 1: How and how not to pray

As we approach a study on prayer, we should consider Matthew's approach to the Our Father (or the Lord's Prayer): he first recorded some of Yeshua's instructions on prayer, including both negative mitzvot and positive mitzvot. We read them in Matthew 6:5-8:

And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, in order that they may be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! But whenever you pray, enter into your inner room and shut your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. But when you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the pagans, for they think that because of their many words they will be heard. Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Who are the hypocrites?

The Greek word used in Matthew 6 is hypokrites. To some extent it is what linguists call a “false friend;” we should not presume to know what it means because of the similar word, hypocrite, in English—even though it derives from the Greek hypokrites! In modern English, “hypocrite” indicates a person who tells others how to behave and live rightly, but does not do so himself. In the first century, the word primarily denoted a pretender, an actor or stageplayer: someone who puts on a performance by faking particular behaviour.

We see this in Matthew 6:2, where the hypocrites make a public fanfare of their giving; in Matthew 6:5, where they stand in prominent places (both in houses of worship and on street corners) to pray where they can be noticed; and in Matthew 6:16, where they deliberately look somber and  unkept to show they are fasting. It’s all an act! Even if they are giving, praying and fasting, they are doing it for human recognition, not to magnify the Father in heaven.

How should we pray?

We should pray:

1. Not like hypocrites—like actors, “in order that they may be seen by people.”
2. In private—in secret! (This does not prohibit public, communal prayer, as the Bible clearly demonstrates. However, private prayer is commanded.)
3. Without repetitious babbling (like the pagans)—“because your Father knows your needs before you ask.”

Book review: Converging Destinies

Earlier this year, Stuart Dauermann published Converging Destinies: Jews, Christians, and the Mission of God. I reviewed it in Conspectus 24 and came to this conclusion:

Converging Destinies is a stimulating read and a valuable addition to several fields, including missiology, Jewish-Christian relations, postsupersessionism and Messianic Judaism. Dauermann prompts theological thought and praxis in his own idiosyncratic way, and he deserves to be read by the Evangelical audience targeted by this journal. Though the book has its flaws, they do not detract from the validity of the message itself—the convergence of Jews and Christians in the mission of God. May it come speedily and soon, and in our day!

Click this link to download the full review from SATS.

Kiddush: Sanctification of Shabbat

Every erev Shabbat (Sabbath eve) is sanctified (made holy) with the recital of kiddush (sanctification): a piece of liturgy that includes a few verses of B'resheet; a blessing recited over the wine; and a blessing for Israel's sanctification, inheritance of Shabbat, and election (chosenness).

Traditionally, the biblical quote often includes B'resheet/Genesis 1:31b-2:3. The narrative tells of the original Shabbat observed by HaShem upon completion of creation. At this point of the text, the creator is still anonymous; he is simply referred to as Elohim (God). The quote says that God shavat (he rested) from his work of creation. In Hebrew, the letter v is the same as the letter b, so it is easy to see that the word Shabbat is related to shavat. It was on account of this rest that God "blessed the seventh day and made it holy"—the first time anything (or anyone) in the Bible is referred to as holy.

Rosh chodesh: New moon

Rosh chodesh means new moon (lit. beginning of the month). Isaiah 66:23:

“Every month on Rosh-Hodesh and every week on Shabbat, everyone living will come to worship in my presence,” says Adonai.

In Colossians 2:16-17, Sha’ul/Paul wrote,

“So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh-Hodesh or Shabbat. These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah.”

Key texts used to interpret this in Christian tradition are Isa 1:13-14 (with no regard for the context) and Gal 4:10 (which speaks of the Galatians’ former pagan practices). So, participation in rosh chodesh is widely viewed by Christians as wicked. But Sha’ul was warning his readers about asceticism; see Col 2:20-23. Ascetic disciplines have no value in restraining indulgence of the flesh (Col 2:16-17; also see 1 Tim 4:1-9). Does Sha’ul’s instruction in Col 2:16 suggest his readers were or were not engaging in these things? They were! What does the Torah prohibit on rosh chodesh? Nothing!

A shadow leads us to the body that casts it—the body of Messiah. As shadow helps us to picture what the body is like, the festivals help us to foresee the age of Messiah. Shadows don’t fill in the details of depth, colour and texture; festivals are just a foretaste of the “things that are coming”. Things that have not come yet! What things? The Messianic era!

Gen 1:14 tells us that God made the sun and the moon for the purpose of setting up a calendar for signs and appointed times (mo’edim). Similarly, Ps 104:19 says, “You made the moon to mark the mo’edim.” Signs for what? Times appointed for what?

The Bible and Apocrypha present people who celebrated rosh chodesh as righteous (e.g. the anonymous woman from Shunem and Judith). Those who despise rosh chodesh are presented in Amos 8 as wicked. Worse are those who do evil but superficially observe Shabbat and rosh chodesh just to make a good impression (Isa 1). But worst of all are those who seek to annul the mitzvot altogether and to prohibit others from keeping them (1 Maccabees).

Now that there is no temple, Jews may not offer animal sacrifices; they can only offer t'fillim/t’fillin: prayers in place/remembrance of the offerings. Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles can participate in Jewish customs regarding rosh chodesh, and even develop new ones.

When the temple is rebuilt, offerings for rosh chodesh will continue (Eze 45:17). The Prince of Israel—Yeshua—and all the people of the land will give special devotion to HaShem each rosh chodesh (Eze 46:1-3).

Why observe rosh chodesh now?

1.    Eze 45:17 tells us that the offerings atone for the house of Israel.

2.    In observing rosh chodesh, we celebrate God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel—see Jer 31:35-36.

3.    Rosh chodesh speaks of the renewal! Isa 66:22-23 speaks first of the renewal of creation (tikkun olam), and then worldwide observance of rosh chodesh and Shabbat. Peter stated explicitly that Messiah’s return will bring about the renewal, (Acts 3:21).

Usually, Col 2:16 is read backwards, as though the Colossians were being judged for abstaining from the festivals, Shabbat and rosh chodesh. But Sha’ul’s wording implies the opposite: believers were being judged for keeping these practices. Sha’ul forbad such judgement; non-Jews are free to participate in them. They are a shadow of what has not come yet! Though the reality is Christ, Sh’aul does not say they are obsolete; they point to a future fulfilment. The Bible presents those who keep rosh chodesh rightly as righteous, and provides good reason to celebrate it—including eager anticipation of Messiah’s return to renew all things.

The Way of Life (approbation)

In The Way of Life, Toby Janicki has authored a unique commentary on the Didache. Like the Didache itself, The Way of Life is written primarily for Messianic Gentiles and focuses on the practical application of Torah in their everyday lives. The Way of Life expounds the Didache’s instructions on how to demonstrate one’s love for Yeshua by keeping his commandments. The book is packed with precious gems selected from the recent surge in Didache studies as well as ancient Jewish sources and early Christian history, yet Janicki excels at making this academic material accessible for all practitioners of the faith. Moreover, the bulk of the book is commentary, much like a comprehensive study Bible. And Janicki looks beyond the Greek text of the Didache, relating key terms to the Hebrew words and concepts from which they were probably derived.

I found myself eagerly skipping ahead to problematic verses, seeking an explanation. What does water temperature matter for baptism? What is “the whole yoke of the Lord”? Why are some weekdays preferred to others for fasting? Why should believers offer ransom for their sins, since Yeshua has already done so? Why is the blessing for the wine given before that for the bread? What is “the day of the Lord”? Janicki has expertly provided answers to all these questions, and countless others, in The Way of Life.

I expect this book is going to reach many people who would never otherwise have read the Didache, and change their lives forever. I strongly recommend it for all Christians wanting a deeper grounding of their faith, and especially for Evangelicals pondering the Jewish Roots movement. Certainly every seminarian should read it. It’s also essential reading for informal churches in the developing world, where the instruction of Chapter 11 (on teachers, emissaries and prophets) is desperately needed to protect them from false apostles, teachers and prophets.

The Way of Life is beautifully formatted, with helpful navigational aids in the margins of the commentary sections. Each chapter has a convenient overview, a thoughtful section on practical application, and a detailed commentary.

(Published in Messiah Journal 127, 2017.)

Prayer for the removal of the Wittenberg Judensau

Father in Heaven,

You created people of every nation, and set Israel apart from all other nations for your purpose of world redemption. From Israel, you brought forth Jesus the Messiah for the salvation of all, Jew and Gentile, who entrust themselves to him. He is our shalom, having removed the hostility between us and united us in himself.

Therefore, we call upon you, O God, to bring about the removal of the Judensau in Wittenberg, and others like it in Europe, by the hand of Protestant Christians as an act of repentance. We ask for forgiveness for the severe offence which the Protestant church has committed in the name of Christ against the Jewish people. As belonging to Messiah, we are humbly grateful to be counted as descendants of Abraham, and we sincerely pray for reconciliation with the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: the Jewish people, whose divine election is irrevocable and who have yet a particular, noble purpose to fulfil in the age to come.

Blessed are you, O LORD our God, who reconciles Israel and the nations in Jesus the Messiah.

Amen

(Originally written on 11 January 2017 and shared on a petition to remove the Wittenberg Judensau; updated post here.)

Those God Chose: Simeon, the Archetypal Disciple

Introduction

Through my studies I’ve become fascinated to note the characteristics of those God chose. Did he simply show more grace to some people by randomly electing them for honour in his service, or did they make themselves more eligible than others by their virtuous lives?

When Jesus was presented in the temple as a baby for redemption, Simeon was among those God chose to use. Let’s look at the short encounter recorded by Luke.

Reading

Luke 2:25–32 (ESV):

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the LORD’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,and for glory to your people Israel.”

Comments

Simeon, or Shimon in Hebrew, was likely named after his great ancestor, born to Jacob and Leah. His name seems to mean “He heard.” That is, God heard Leah’s prayer for a son. Perhaps Simeon’s mother, like Leah, had felt unloved by her husband and the LORD had heard her prayer.

Simeon was in the temple at the time of Jesus’ consecration and redemption (as firstborn son), and so we can be sure that Simeon was a worshipper. In his frail old body, close to death, he put up with the discomfort of walking up to the temple, immersing himself in a ritual bath, and then climbing the many stairs to the temple courts so that he could serve and worship the LORD.

Luke describes Simeon as “righteous and devout” (or “just and pious” in some translations.) Jews have a special word for righteous people; the say that this or that person is a “tzaddik,” literally, “a righteous.” It’s not a term used lightly, so we can be sure that Luke was emphasizing that Simeon lived carefully in obedience to the Law. He kept God’s commandments. That doesn’t mean he was just doing dead works and didn’t have a personal relationship with God; on the contrary, his devoted observance was evidence of his relationship with God. I’d also say that, in order to keep God’s commandments, Simeon must have studied God’s Word very carefully to know what he required, thus offering what Jewish tradition considers the highest form of worship.

Jews also have a word for the devout, or pious: hasid. In rabbinical literature, the word was used of those who went above and beyond the requirements of the various forms of Jewish Law. It comes from the word hesed, a faithful loving kindness expressed toward God and fellow man. This suggests Simeon knew very well that keeping the commandments outwardly isn’t enough; as Jesus taught, the underlying motive for observance is crucial.

How often modern society scorns righteous living and devotion to the Lord, but Simeon is among those God chose, so we should see him as a role model. Some Christians have re-defined these words, such that “righteous” is read as “self-righteous,” and therefore wicked, and “devout” or “pious” is taken to mean “seeking to earn one’s salvation.” But that’s not what Luke meant. It’s our language that needs to be redeemed, not Simeon’s soul.

I believe God chose Simeon because he was righteous in his lifestyle, and devoted to the LORD. His righteous acts were not devoid of faith. Luke referred to the Messiah referred to as “the consolation/comfort of Israel.” Since long ago, rabbis have referred to the Messiah as the Comforter (or Consoler) based on the Isaiah’s kingdom-era prophecies that God would console Zion and his people, Israel. Simeon’s waiting was not passive; he was expecting, anticipating, praying for and trusting in God’s promised salvation in the person of Messiah.

So, we see in this passage that Simeon had great faith in two of God’s promises in particular. The first was faith that the LORD would send his Christ—his Messiah, or Anointed One—to establish his kingdom; and the second was that Simeon would live to see the Messiah himself. No wonder Simeon wanted to hang around in the temple as he realized his days were running out! The alternative was to doubt, give up on God’s promise, and stay in the comfort of his home. Instead, he mimicked his father, Abraham, trusting the LORD to keep his promise, even as he grew very old. Rather than becoming anxious, Simeon understood that he must “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” which is precisely what Luke tells us that he did. That’s why I call Simeon, “the archetypal disciple.” Simeon’s righteous and devout living was inspired by his great faith in God to send Messiah to establish his kingdom, as the Jewish prayer goes: “in your lifetime and during your days.”

In the same sentence which Luke tells us that Simeon was righteous and devout, he also mentions that Simeon was filled with the Holy Spirit. There seems to be a cycle in which God calls, man obeys, God draws near, man worships God, and so on. The more we obey the LORD, the more of his presence we can enjoy as the Holy Spirit comes upon us. Luke tells us that three times in quick succession:

Luke 2:25: “the Holy Spirit was upon him;”
Luke 2:26: the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would live to see the LORD’s Messiah;
Luke 2:27: he came to the temple “in the Spirit.”

We need to take special note when the Bible repeats something three times. As for Simeon, it’s safe to say that he was motivated by faith and led by the Holy Spirit. That is why he is among those God chose. The closing verses of Psalm 92 make a fitting tribute to Simeon(ESV, emphasis added):

12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the LORD;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
15 to declare that the LORD is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.