Needed Literature for Messianic Judaism: A Proposal

Imagine a publisher for Messianic Judaism where much of the content is available free for download or at low cost for print.

Imagine a publisher of Yeshua-Centered materials for Jewish living.

It’s an idea that has been forming in my head for months. It’s not about profit (though it is not a non-profit). It is, however, about maximizing readers and users.

My experience in publishing (not vast, but nothing to scoff at either) and in the emerging reality of online communities tells me that content isn’t worth what it used to be. There is so much out there, most can get it for free.

But people do want quality. So why not publish with a partially free and the rest on the cost-effective side philosophy?

I’d like to try it (in my “spare” time) and I’d like to find qualified people who want to contribute (not for free, but not for maximum profits either).

I may end up with egg on my face and fail completely at this. But great things are worth trying.

I just posted a website with more details. You can even donate if you want (I know, but somebody just might).

Here is the link: mountolivepress.com

Grace: Uses, Misuses, and the Bliss of the Real Thing

For years I have avoided using the perfectly good word grace. It’s not just a cliché in some religious circles, it’s also a catch-all for a thousand undefined and sketchy notions about why we are somehow excused in our laziness and moral laxity.

I am all in favor of the true notion of grace and as aware as anyone that it is the only way I stand.

I’d like to think this little essay might help recapture the idea of grace for some who read it, and for myself most of all. It is too good an idea to throw away due to misuse.

Grace gets used as an excuse for many things, thrown into a sentence with unspoken parameters and presuppositions. If we were to spell out what many religious people mean when they throw the word grace around, we might get some sentences like the following:

It’s alright that we give the Old Testament short shrift because we are under grace.

Don’t tell me I need to be involved with the poor and widows and orphans; grace, man.

He has never shown any sign at all of following Jesus, but he is a Christian by grace.

You’re disappointed at my (laziness/laxity)? Have a little grace! (I deserve it).

I think she is a little too busy with her religion; like she doesn’t understand grace.

Most people don’t really know what grace is. By grace, I mean the Biblical term in its full range of meaning. Even in English usage some people have no idea what grace is. The non-religious definitions in Merriam-Webster are interesting:

A temporary respite (as from the payment of a debt).

Approval, acceptance (in his good graces).

Charm.

Attractiveness, beauty.

Fitness or proportion of line or expression.

Ease of movement.

In my early days in a church, I learned the following definition, which has theological merit, but is completely inaccurate as a definition of grace:
God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense.

I trust you figured out that the first letters of those five words spell grace.

What does grace mean in terms of its Biblical usage? The first thing to say about this may come as a surprise: grace in the Bible refers to favor, both the earned and the unearned kind.

For example, the word for grace in Hebrew is khen. It is used in sentences such as:

Esther found grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, Esther 2:17.

Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord, Genesis 6:8.

This very thing that you have spoken I will do; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name, Exodus 33:17.

In none of these usages does grace mean “unearned favor.” Esther was not chosen by king Ahasuerus for no reason, nor were Noah and Moses favored randomly. In the Hebrew Bible, perhaps the greatest example of grace as unearned favor is about election, God’s choosing Israel as his people without condition: “I will take you for my people, and I will be your God” (Exod. 6:7).

Neither in the New Testament does grace always mean unearned favor. The Greek word is charis, favor or grace. As Yeshua grew up, we read that he “increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).

It is a myth of the casual and unexamined use of the word grace that only unearned favor matters. In the Bible, both earned and unearned favor with God matters. Hear that again, because I’ve read in many books and heard many speakers where the idea of earning God’s favor is denounced.

I say thank God for unearned favor, free grace, by which I stand before him who is holy. Yet I also admire and want to live up to the call of discipleship and following our Messiah and our God, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, of whom it was said: “they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). I want to have the extraordinary favor of Cornelius whose prayer was heard BECAUSE of his faithfulness and deeds: “a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God” (Acts 1o:2).

Even the idea of earned favor with God inspires me. Yet, I do confess, in spite of all the misuses and fraudulent squandering of the word grace in religious language, that I am moved to speechless bliss by the thought of unearned favor.

“Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand,” says Paul (Rom. 5:2). “He gives more grace . . . [God] gives grace to the humble,” says James (4:6).

Like Israel, chosen by the grace of God, by his unearned favor, we too stand without merit. In fact, earned favor with God is grace also, since he has no need to be impressed by things like almsgiving or helping widows and orphans. In his goodness, these things would happen without question, as we will find out in the World to Come, when we understand perfect righteousness. Yet we are able to earn favor by following and serving because he gives favor easily and has mercy readily.

So, I think I will again use the word grace, though my life straddles two worlds, Jewish and Christian. And grace is more a word in one of those worlds than the other. I can’t remember a time I’ve heard the word grace used in a religious sense in Jewish conversation. Judaism is not unaware of the concept of grace. We sing about it in the Avinu Malkeinu (“no good deeds do I bring”). We mention the concept often in our liturgy (“who brings a redeemer to their children’s children, for his Name’s sake, with love”). Still, the word grace just does not flow naturally from Jewish lips. But this should be a leading example of Messianic Judaism bringing something new and paradigm changing into Judaism.

I do not nullify the grace of God. Rain grace on me, Lord of the World, and on all who ask for it.

Shavuot (Pentecost): Basics and Beyond

As I write this, we are counting down the days to Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, or as it is known in the New Testament and other Greek writings: Pentecost. Tonight, after sundown, we counted the 19th day of the Omer, the 50-day countdown from the “day after the Sabbath” during Passover until Shavuot.

Many readers are already familiar with the basics of Shavuot, and so I will go beyond and share resources to help everyone prepare for the coming festival of Adonai. But for beginners, be patient while I share a few basic facts about Shavuot:

– Scripture #1: Shows the beginning point of the 50-day count, Leviticus 23:10-11. This is the day of offering Barley Firstfruits during Passover. As you will see in future postings, there was controversy over what “day after the Sabbath” means.

–Scripture #2: The basic regulations for Shavuot, Leviticus 23:15-21. Count 49 days and on the 50th, it is Shavuot. This is the Firstfruits for wheat.

–Scripture #3: Shavuot as one of the three pilgrim feasts, Deuteronomy 16:16.

–Tradition #1: Shavuot is the day God gave the commandments from Sinai. This is based on Exodus 19:1 and following. The third month would start about 44 days after Israel left Egypt (months alternated 29 and 30 days and Israel left on Nisan 15, journeyed the 14 days left in that month, plus the 29 in Iyyar). Figuring in the three days of sanctification mentioned in Exodus 19 plus a delay or two, it is reasonable to say God gave the commandments within a day or two of Shavuot. Tradition says it was exactly on Shavuot.

–Tradition #2: Reading the book of Ruth, which features grain harvest (mostly barley).

–Tradition #3: Staying up all night on Shavuot Eve and reading scripture (traditionally there is a Tikkun Lel Shavuot book to follow which includes the beginning and ending of all portions of the Torah, small excerpts from each Mishnah and Talmud section, and the entire book of Ruth).

–Tradition #4: Decorating with flowers and eating dairy dishes (yay, cheese blintzes and cheesecake!). Some say this is to remind that God’s revelation is like milk sustaining us.

–New Testament Significance: Acts 2 tells the story of a certain Shavuot (Pentecost) when God gave the Holy Spirit. It is beyond interesting that the Spirit was given on an anniversary of the giving of the Torah. Sermons about the Law and the Spirit await!

BOOKS TO PREPARE FOR SHAVUOT
We have a Haggadah for Passover and it makes for a wonderful evening of food, stories, and fun. Sadly, Shavuot often gets little attention. I would love to see a Shavuot Haggadah come into use, and especially one for Messianic Judaism (hmm, perhaps I should write one and make it available free online).

Meanwhile, I would like to share two good resources for Shavuot preparation and study. One is out of print (sorry), but available used online. I am referring to Philip Goodman’s Shavuot Anthology, a collection of readings about Shavuot from the Bible, Jewish literature, Philo and Josephus, modern prose and poetry, liturgical hymns (piyyutim) of Judaism, children’s stories, recipes, ideas for celebration, and more. This book is about 400 pages packed with Shavuot goodness. It is so good I bought his anthology of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur online as well from used booksellers.

Still available and very useful for serious study is Artscroll’s Shavuos: Its Observance, Laws, and Significance. Artscroll books are Orthodox, of course, and always include kabbalistic and mystical ideas. At times I find some objectionable ideas in these resources, but I overlook them for the greater value of having so much knowledge condensed into one volume. The Shavuos (the Ashkenazi way to say Shavuot) volume has insights from modern rabbis (with a Hasidic bent) and detailed information about observance of Shavuot.

Beyond these two resources, I could also recommend any good book on the holidays, including one Messianic Jewish book, God’s Appointed Times by Barney Kasdan, available on amazon.com

In days ahead, we will be talking about Shavuot several times a week, so stay tuned. And write in with your thoughts and ideas about Shavuot as we go along. Any great books on Shavuot we should know about?

#3 in The Hebrew Bible Speaks: Introduction

Starting April 1, I began posting chapters for a book I am writing online. Perhaps when I have more material, I will create a site just for this book. Meanwhile know that the postings are not in order. This third posting, for example, is the introduction.

For the two earlier postings click on #1 or #2.
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Introduction

To say that the Hebrew Bible speaks is to reject simplistic ideas about the Bible. It is not a book which simply confirms religious institutions in their complacent activity. It is not either a rolled, leather scroll or a black, leather book functioning as a holy symbol for Judaism or Christianity. It neither confirms a simplistic Jewish message — just say your prayers and be a good person — or a naive Christian message — have faith and attend church.

To say that the Hebrew Bible speaks is to have progressed on a journey, since few of us understood much about it the first decade or so we read from its pages. It is not merely a book that has spoken, has been absorbed by the clergy and scholarly community and condensed to us in comprehensible form. It is a book that speaks because its voices are varied and complex and its challenges unmet.

To say that the Hebrew Bible speaks is to participate in a shared conviction that the messages contained herein stand over us and not we over these messages. Some would demand proof before allowing the voices of the Hebrew Bible to judge and compel them. To a degree something like proof is wanted in the beginning, or at least evidence to make it worthwhile to begin. Yet over time these voices become a part of you and your experience brings you down paths you would not want to return by. The authority of these voices only grows over time.

Doubt or skepticism is, however, only one obstacle to allowing the Hebrew Bible to speak. An equally common one is complacent acceptance of religious paradigms which render the Hebrew Bible itself mute. It is not that most religious denominations and communities have completely missed the voice of the Hebrew Bible. Much is good and right in these communities. It is the loss of a voice calling for more, of many voices urging unceasing questioning of paradigms and frequent repentance of thought and deed that is lamentable.

In addition to these considerations, realizing that the Hebrew Bible has voices is a model for interacting with it. The Hebrew Bible is not merely a collection of stories and prayers and poems. Neither is it simply a piece of literature to be dissected and explained — though such detail work is crucial — but is more than that. It is an unfolding compendium of ideas and voices which challenge us at the roots. That is, the Hebrew Bible is not merely the sum of many little parts. It is filled with ideas and voices and lends itself to theological inquiry and conversation.

It is insufficient to learn the parts of the tabernacle or know how to compare Israel’s system of animal sacrifices with those of their neighbors. The Hebrew Bible is more than literary or historical categories can illuminate. The Hebrew Bible speaks of God and life and wisdom and death. It is in the realm of ideas, ideas which challenge humankind, that we find the full worth of this ancient but unmuted text.

These are ideas that shaped the course of the world, revealed to Israel and spread largely via Christianity. Some of these ideas are well-known and have been examined from many angles and differing interpretations. Others are lesser known including a few discussed only by academics, relegated to the slush-pile of humanity’s numerous philosophies.

Religion has a domesticating tendency. This is due to the alarming implications of allowing a community to continually be shaped by interaction with the voices of revealed texts. It is only natural that over time these voices will be muted and tamed. Yet there will also always be those who, while lovers of the communities and denominations that mediate the divine words, will want to keep listening. No book, including this one, can do the voices of the Hebrew Bible justice. Yet the joy is in the conversation and not in imagining that we have learned all.

Messianic Jewish Musings Featured on Jesus Creed

I am a regular reader of North Park University’s Scot McKnight’s blog: Jesus Creed. I am also a fan of many of Professor McKnight’s books (though we don’t see eye to eye on everything — but who does?).

Anyway, it was an honor to be featured as a guest blogger on Jesus Creed on Friday (I just found out tonight, late Saturday, since I submitted the piece a few weeks ago and had no idea when it would be posted).

If you’d care to see me featured on Jesus Creed, check here.

A Recent Comment and a Response to a Book Review

I got a comment from a reader named Jeff by email. He says:

I enjoy your blog, and many of the books you review end up in my Amazon wish-list. Reading your blog has become a little expensive :-)

That was so nice, I had to post it.

Also, an employee at Jewish Publication Society saw my review of The Commentator’s Bible: Exodus (which you can read here). Here is what she had to say:

Great review! I actually work at the Jewish Publication Society, and couldn’t help but notice your comment that “a quick search on the internet turned up no information about the possibility of future volumes.”

Well, I thought you might like to know that the next book in the series, Leviticus, is set to be released in October (http://www.jewishpub.org/product.php?id=327). Translating all of Miqra’ot Gedolot is a big project, but Michael Carasik is making his way through it steadily.

That is great news and thanks to Michael Carasik and JPS for investing in this commentary.

Is Your Messianic Judaism Too Small?

What is the future vision of your Messianic Judaism?

I ask this because it seems to me that some people and groups I run across don’t have a very inspiring model for tomorrow.

The Messianic Judaism that inspires me is about the greater purpose of God in redeeming Creation and bringing it to a perfect consummation in a glorious World to Come. That purpose of God works itself out in the unexpected and counter-intuitive providential thread of history. You will find this providential thread in Genesis and continuing in the story arc of the Bible.

The providential thread is centered on a people, selected by God through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and confirmed in their election at Mt. Sinai. Through this people God will bless all the other peoples and this people never loses its centrality in the purpose of God working itself out in the world.

In the Messianic Judaism I became part of 20 years ago, there was less an emphasis on the continuing role of Israel in the working out of redemption and consummation. Israel had, in essence, played its part and was on the shelf for a while, until the very end of the age. Israel had been the vehicle to bring us the Bible and the Messiah. They were in stasis, and a very unpleasant stasis, until the time of Messiah’s return was near. Anything that happened within Israel between the advents of Messiah was irrelevant.

In the Messianic Judaism I encounter in many groups, it seems to me that Israel is irrelevant in different ways. A large segment of people labeling themselves Messianic are individualistic in their outlook and don’t appear to have a communal vision of being part of a divine movement in history. Israel is irrelevant because the gifts and calling of Israel become in Messiah the gifts and calling of every person from every tribe and nation. The Torah is for all of us, they say, and Israel did its part long ago. Israel is on the shelf having delivered the great vehicle of Torah to us. Thank you very much, Israel, and see you in the time of tribulation.

I have been now a student at MJTI (mjti.com) for several years and just in 2009 began working as the Media Coordinator. I have been growing for about five or six years through Hashivenu and the UMJC and my connections to MJTI.

The vision and model for Messianic Judaism that inspires me is encapsulated in MJTI’s vision statement: teaching and living a vision of Jewish life renewed in Yeshua.

There are a few things to note about this outlook:

1. It points to a future well-documented in the promises of God, a future in which Israel is renewed at the drawing together of all things toward the days of Messiah on earth.

2. It points to a past that is not only about Israel’s election via Abraham and at Mt Sinai, but also takes seriously the working of God in Israel in between the advents of Messiah, in the movement we call Judaism. Jewish life has been growing and adapting since the time Yeshua was here and this is not irrelevant to God’s purposes.

3. It points out Yeshua as the great hope of Judaism to fulfill God’s purposes and suggests that Judaism without Yeshua has not reached the goal. He is the end and goal of everything God wants Israel to be and Judaism ultimately must find its renewal in him.

Is your Messianic Judaism too small? Does it encapsulate the story arc of the Bible and look to God’s purpose working itself out as the prophets and apostles foretold? Or is it me-focused, about my right to Torah and to correct the allegedly errors of Christendom by reviving Torah? Or is it lopsided and focused on a New Testament people of God to the exclusion of God’s people whom he called the center of his purposes? Is your Messianic Judaism teaching a vision of Jewish life renewed in Yeshua?

Ancient Inscriptions Bearing on the Hebrew Bible

Epigraphy is not a word you toss out over a Starbucks. It’s one of those specialty words, a bit of academic jargon in Biblical studies and archaeology. It is the study of inscriptions (epigraphs), which means ancient writing usually on materials that last through the ages: stone, metal, clay tablets, etc.

There are a number of ancient inscriptions that have bearing on the Hebrew Bible. Some teach us about languages related to Biblical Hebrew. Others fill in our knowledge of culture and customs in times and places near to Ancient Israel. Still others do more than that — they provide some corroboration for or even information about the history of Israel and the Biblical stories.

What sort of epigraphic evidence (evidence from ancient inscriptions) might we expect for the Hebrew Bible? Will we find a hieroglyphic account of Pharaoh’s chariots drowning in the Yam Suf (Sea of Reeds/Red Sea)? Will we have a missive from Jericho asking for help from the Egyptians as Israelites march around their walls for seven days?

No.

The archaeological record is sparse. Civilizations are built over the same spot and older evidence is erased by new cultures as they obliterate precious remains we only wish we could find.

But consider some things we do have:

–A mention in 1220 B.C.E. (very close to a leading possibility for the date of the Exodus in 1250) of Israel in an inscription commissioned by a Pharaoh, and this inscription mentions Israel in a form suggesting they are a distinct people group.

–A mention of the “House of David” c. 850 B.C.E. by a Syrian ruler (probably Hazael) and references to Joram of Israel and Ahaziah of Judah.

–Two early uses of the Aaronic benediction (Num. 6:24-26) in abridged (in one case in slightly altered form) from c. 800 and c. 600 B.C.E. — the earliest examples of any written scripture from the Hebrew Bible!

That is just a taste of the good things we find in the inscriptional record. In this post, I will list a few of the finds and give a little information and ask a few questions (the questions are partially intended for me to do further research myself, since there is more material about these finds than I have access to as I am writing this post).

The information here is drawn from the second chapter of The Face of Old Testament Studies (ed. David Baker and Bill Arnold). This chapter is written by Mark Chavalas and Edwin Hostetter. It is poorly written in the sense that it reads more like a grocery list than an article explaining the significance of these finds. Nonetheless, it is a place to find a lot of information distilled in a short form.

The Merneptah Stela
Also spelled Merenptah Stela, this stone is carved with a hieroglyphic account from 1220 B.C.E., commissioned by Pharaoh Merneptah to boast of his conquests. This stela mentions Israel specifically. Moreover, the Israelites are mentioned in a form that indicates a foreign people. This is the earliest mention of Israel outside of Biblical texts. It suggests that the Israelites were already seen as a distinct people (and that 1250 may be too late a date for the Exodus if the account of 40 years in the wilderness is accurate). QUESTIONS: What more do we know about Merneptah? Are there any geographical indicators where his encounters with Israelites happened? Why don’t the minimalists (who say the Exodus and conquest stories of the Bible are fiction) accept this as evidence?

The Tel Dan Stela
Three pieces of basalt with some of the original text lost due to breakage, these inscriptions from c. 850 B.C.E. mention the “House of David” by name and corroborate the idea that the Judahite monarchs derived their authority from their connection to the dynasty of David. The likely source behind the inscriptions is Syrian king Hazael and the kings referred to are likely Joram and Ahaziah, reflecting perhaps the events of 2 Kings 8:28-29. QUESTIONS: Are Joram and Ahaziah mentioned by name? Why don’t minimalists accept this as evidence? Do they say that “House of David” as a title for the dynasty of Judah is a fiction these monarchs propagated to give themselves authority?

The Ketef Hinnom Scrolls and the Kuntillet Ajrud Fragments
Imagine finding small silver leaf mini-scrolls with the Aaronic benediction written on them from c. 600 B.C.E. These scrolls were worn rolled up and attached to a necklace like pendants or amulets and are known as the Ketef Hinnom scrolls. The words written on them are like a short and slightly altered form of the Aaronic Benediction. Even earlier are the Kuntillet Ajrud fragments, plaster fragments fallen off of a wall, which refer to Adonai of Teman and Adonai of Samaria (an idea of God having local forms like Baal?). One of the fragments has part of the Aaronic blessing, “May he bless you and keep you,” and is from c. 800 B.C.E. These could be regarded as the earliest written scriptures ever found. QUESTIONS: What exactly is the form of the benediction on the Ketef Hinnom scrolls? Is this evidence of Numbers existing already by these dates or an early recension of a still-developing text of Numbers? Why do we hear little about this as evidence of the antiquity of Torah?

Quick Summary of a Few Other Finds
In the Arad ostraca (pottery sherds with writing on them) we find one that mentions Adonai’s temple in Jerusalem in 597 B.C.E. Why is this given little press when people deny that Adonai had a temple at that time? The Deir Alla texts found in Jordan mention Balaam the Seer in stories told centuries after the fact (c. 750). These prove nothing and could be local legends about a figure known from Israelite history. Nonetheless, it is interesting to note them as possible evidence. The Khirbet al-Qom inscriptions mention Adonai’s consort (wife, concubine) Asherah, confirming the idolatry said to be rampant in Israel and Judah (c. 760 B.C.E.). The Lachish letters (c. 589) confirm the general Biblical picture of Babylon’s campaign against Judah which led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The Siloam Tunnel inscription confirms Hezekiah’s building project (c. 702).

Hell in the New Testament

Part of my journey in the past five years has been re-assessing what I think I know about life, God, the Bible, and theology. It has been a particularly fruitful time, this half decade. Paradigms should be questioned and knowledge continually re-evaluated.

The greatest trend in my own re-evaluations, I have discovered, is a realization of ambiguity and complexity. Much that was once simple to me I find was based on too little and even on tradition instead of solid evidence.

I remember reading some Catholic graffiti in Chicago some time back. There were a number of slogans written on the walls in a downtown area about Mary and the Church and so on (that’s how I know it was Catholic graffiti). One slogan which appeared often was something like, “Don’t be like those who fail to attend church weekly and who will burn in the fires of hell forever in conscious torment.” I may have the wording wrong, but I do not exaggerate the intensity of the message.

Much of my old view of hell was based on tradition more so than Biblical theology. A certain view of hell was formative for me in my own turning to God in the late 80’s. And that view certainly was not based on the Bible, since I did not yet read it.

To put it bluntly, my view of hell was something like this: immediately upon death people would wake up in burning flames which would hurt every bit as much as flames in this life and the pain would never diminish for eternity without end.

I cannot imagine a greater torture.

Having reviewed the New Testament on this matter, I am no longer so certain that this is how it works. In fact, I find that the New Testament’s images of the afterlife for those excluded from God’s presence is ambiguous and leaves much to mystery. I wrote a chapter about it in my recent book, The World to Come.

The New Testament and Hell (excerpted from The World to Come)
If you try to find the Bible’s teaching on hell, you can easily be led astray. Don’t use a concordance to search for the word. Some translations of the Bible use the word hell where only the grave is meant, the Hebrew sheol.

If by hell we mean a place of judgment after this life, then we only see this concept in one or two places in the Hebrew scriptures. The first is less than certain and it comes at the end of Isaiah. As Isaiah sees the time when God will perfect the world, he sees two groups. One group trembles at God’s word. The other group, chooses their own way, even though they are religious. It’s interesting that the first group consigned to judgment in the Bible are religious hypocrites!

Isaiah’s prophecy, rather difficult to understand, goes on with a contrast between the blessedness of the first group and the doom of the second. At the end, the blessed group goes out to look on the dead bodies of the doomed. Isaiah says, “For their worm will never die, and their fire will never be quenched; but they will be abhorrent to all humanity” (Isa. 66:24). Later, Yeshua himself uses this imagery to describe hell (Mk. 9:48).

The second place in the Hebrew scriptures that describes a place of judgment after this life is far more certain. In Daniel 12:2, we read again of two groups. Both groups are raised to life. Yet the first is raised to life while the second is raised to “shame and everlasting contempt.” It is significant that the first idea of hell being everlasting is from the Hebrew scriptures.

When we turn to the New Testament, what sort of picture do we get of hell? We find that Yeshua, Paul, and other New Testament teachers speak of a time of judgment after this life. Yeshua puts it unequivocally in one place, “They will go off to eternal punishment, but those who have done what God wants will go to eternal life” (Mt. 25:46).

As Christopher Morgan puts it in Hell Under Fire, there are three aspects to the New Testament picture of hell: punishment, destruction, and banishment.

The punishment aspect of hell is very common and can be found in scriptures such as: Mark 9:42-48; Matthew 5:20-30; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Hebrews 10:27-31; James 5:1-5; 2 Peter 2:4-17; Jude 13-23; and Revelation 20:10-15.

The theme of hell as destruction might incline us to believe that hell is not eternal punishment. If the doomed are destroyed, then they will not exist any longer, right? Yet the picture of destruction was seen by biblical authors in harmony with hell as suffering. Something can continue to exist in a destroyed state. References to hell as destruction include: Matthew 7:13-14, 24-27; Luke 13:3-5; John 3:16; Romans 9:22; Galatians 6:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:13; 1 Timothy 6:9; Hebrews 10:27; James 5:20; 2 Peter 2:6; and Revelation 21:8.

Finally, hell is also a banishment from the presence of God. References include: Matthew 7:21-23; 8:12; 13:42, 50; 25:10-12; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; and Revelation 22:14-15.

Aside from punishment, destruction, and banishment, what is hell like? The Bible uses two primary images. The first and best known is fire. Yeshua calls it the eternal fire in Matthew 25:41 and speaks of fire that will never be quenched in Mark 9:48. The second and lesser known image is darkness. Yeshua speaks of some being cast into the outer darkness where there is gnashing of teeth in Matthew 8:12; 22:13; and 25:30.

It is evident from these varying descriptions, fire and darkness, that hell is being described in images. Is hell truly a place of continual immolation in fire? We cannot say, but we know that images often communicate something different than the image. You would not find fire and darkness in the same place here on earth, so perhaps we should not be so literal about the fire in hell. We can take literally, however, the ideas of hell as punishment, destruction, and banishment.

Textual Criticism and the Hebrew Bible

I have five loves in terms of study and scholarship: theology, rabbinics, New Testament, Second Temple Jewish literature, and Hebrew Bible studies.

You might not know it from Messianic Jewish Musings, but my greatest area of competence is actually in Hebrew Bible. It was my field of graduate study (M.T.S. from Emory University), the concentration of my undergraduate studies (I started at Georgia Tech in engineering but moved on to Moody Bible Institute for a B.A. in Bible and Theology), and I have a published thesis in the field of Hebrew Bible (“Elisha and the King: The Elisha Narratives and Prophetic Authority,” 1998, Emory University).

Well, my old love is back. In fact, it looks like it will be my future in many ways — I have a goal to start doctoral work in Hebrew Bible in a few years.

In order to prepare, I am doing a lot of reading in the next year or two to catch up on a general survey of the field. My specialization is literary or poetic analysis of narratives. Yet I am interested in archaeology, textual criticism, historical studies, and theology of the Hebrew Bible. So today I am writing a small bit about a chapter I just read in The Face of Old Testament Studies, ed. David Baker and Bill Arnold by Baker Academic Press.
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Al Wolters writes the first chapter in The Face of Old Testament Studies (ed. David Baker and Bill Arnold by Baker Academic Press, 1999). The issue is “The Text of the Old Testament” or textual criticism.

Textual criticism is the art (not science) that “deals with the history of the transmission of the Hebrew Bible” and “the recovery of an authoritative starting point” for translating and interpreting it.

This definition is important and it points to a major issue. When I first started learning about textual criticism, I was told the goal was to get back to what the author wrote and exactly what he wrote. Yet, when you get into the details of textual criticism (which I rarely do), you find that this is an overly optimistic goal. There is far too much uncertainty.

Now it should be obvious to everyone that we do not possess a perfect copy of the Bible as written by the ancient authors (there is debate in many parts of the Bible about who those authors are and what time period they lived in). No matter how fundamentalist your leanings, even the Hebrew Masoretic text taken from the Leningrad Codex has variations called the written (ketib) and the read (qere) and no two Masoretic texts are perfectly matched either. And in that Masoretic text, some verses are missing a word or a number in obvious ways, such as in 1 Samuel 13:1 which most versions other than the King James admit has a missing number.

And then there is the fact that we have so many manuscripts with differences. Most of the differences are minor, things like spelling which can be explained by later scribes in different periods of the development of the Hebrew language. Occasionally they are major. The LXX (Septuagint, Greek version) of Jeremiah is a great deal shorter than the Hebrew Masoretic text version.

This is all coming to a happy point . . . I assure you.

Wolters’ article is helpful in explaining a few different camps of thought about the development of the Hebrew text from its earliest days (the time of Moses for some but others would say later during the monarchy of Judah) until the manuscripts we possess. To be clear, here is a partial list of what we have:
(1) The Dead Sea Scrolls (c. 200 B.C.E. and later) — some complete books and fragments of all but Esther with most books having multiple witnesses.
(2) The LXX in various stages of development (mostly the late stages).
(3) The Samaritan Pentateuch with some copies older than the oldest Masoretic texts we possess.
(4) Other ancient versions such as the Syriac and the Latin versions.
(5) The Masoretic text preserved by the rabbis and scribes whose earliest complete example is late indeed at about 1000 C.E.

The Evidence from the Dead Sea
Wolters considers a number of different theories about the texts found at the Dead Sea. Some say these texts represent three families: (1) the proto-Masoretic, (2) the proto-Septuagint, and (3) the proto-Samaritan. Other see two additional categories: (4) a Dead Sea family and (5) miscellaneous texts not belonging to any of these. Finally, some believe these are not families but represent unlimited diversity that scholars erroneously lump into families.

Those who believe in five families of the Hebrew text see this as the rough distribution:
(1) 60% Masoretic
(2) 20% the Dead Sea family
(3) 15% miscellaneous (in no family)
(4) 5% Proto-Septuagint and Proto-Samaritan combined

Note that by the time the Dead Sea Scrolls were written, we might say that this community valued the Masoretic tradition most highly or at least had the most access to it for some reason. One hypothesis, unprovable, is that the priestly-temple community valued and sought to preserve this family above others.

The Predominance of the Masoretic Text
It is not because the Masoretic text is the smoothest or has the least problems that is has been valued since the days of the Dead Sea community as the text par excellence. In fact, the Masoretic text has many issues which other versions harmonize and resolve (especially the LXX).

Rather, it is perhaps because the Masoretic text seems more ancient and untouched by harmonizers that it appeared more genuine to the keepers of the text in antiquity.

There is further evidence, as Emmanuel Tov has written about, that the Old Greek versions over time came more and more to be corrected to and harmonized with the Masoretic text. A.S. van der Woude theorizes:

. . . there was always a relative uniformity of textual tradition in the religious circles around the Temple of Jerusalem . . . only the proto-Masoretic textual tradition was passed on in Jerusalem, where as elsewhere also biblical manuscripts circulated which bore close resemblance to the text of the Septuagint or the Samaritan Pentateuch . . .

Good News About the Masoretic Text We All Read From
All of this means that scholars are now more likely to accept the form of the Masoretic text, which our English Bibles are all based on, and much less likely to think that the LXX or other versions could provide a more authoritative reading.

This does not mean that we have a perfect text or that somehow we have the exact words penned by Moses or other authors (hardly anyone thinks Moses wrote much if any of the Torah in the academic world, though I continue to find Mosaic authorship viable).

What Should the Goal of Textual Criticism Be?
Every reader of the English Bible should appreciate the value of textual criticism. Readers of the New Testament in particular are familiar with advances that have clarified the position of some texts (John 8, the ending of Mark, etc.).

At the very least, we want to know if there is evidence that any passage of the Bible has been badly edited by a later scribe in a way that harms our understanding.

But exactly what should be the goal of textual criticism? Wolters lists five options:
(1) Restore the original composition (what I was trained to think best).
(2) Restore the final text (maybe in many cases we cannot get to the “original” but would want to get to the final stage of editing).
(3) Restore the earliest attested text (replacing Masoretic readings with older ones from the Dead Sea Scrolls).
(4) Restore accepted texts (finding forms supported in Jewish and Christian history).
(5) Reconstructing final texts (ending up with multiple versions that separate layers of editing).

The Bottom Line
We have to admit that our copies of the Hebrew Bible have problems. Things like numbers are questionable (600,000 Israelite men? Why then were they afraid of the Egyptians or Canaanites?).

Believing the Bible does not mean thinking with our head in the sand. We need to take into account uncertainty in our readings.

In the end, we find that these matters about variations and details do not affect much in the way of theology. Yet textual criticism is important work which clarifies details about history and chronology among other things.

God does not appear to have been hung up on preserving a verbatim text for us and I would venture to say we shouldn’t worry either.

Update to Omer Prayer Calendar

For any who are praying and have been following the prayer topics added by the UMJC for the Omer counting, I’ve posted the new week at tikvatdavid.com on the bottom of the home page.

A.N. Wilson: Critic of Jesus, Now a Follower

Wow! I just saw this on Scot McKnight’s blog (a favorite hangout of mine).

A.N. Wilson, British writer and formerly a fervent critic of Christianity and religion, and author of a book which dismisses Jesus, is not only a believer, he has written a sharp rallying cry against the drift away from God in England:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1169145/Religion-hatred-Why-longer-cowed-secular-zealots.html

Seventh Day of Passover: Happy Yom Tov!

And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.” –Leviticus 23:5-8

Today is a day of rest and according to tradition this is the day God parted the Yam Suf (Sea of Reeds, Red Sea) when Pharaoh chased Israel with murderous intent.

There is also a custom from Hasidic Judaism of having a Messiah feast on this day, or as it is called in Hebrew a Seudat Mashiach. My friend Sean Emslie has been working on a Seudat Mashiach for Messianic Jews. I don’t believe he has posted this on his blog, but you can find him at …toward a Messianic Judaism.

At the very least, this is a day for resting, perhaps rereading the Exodus story, extra study and prayer, family relaxation, and counting the omer for its 7th night after sundown.

I can’t help but wonder what it was like for those families who kept the festivals at the temple according to God’s Torah. It is doubtful that God’s ideal was ever realized with all of Israel’s families lodging or camping near Jerusalem the whole seven days. But we do read in Josephus of many families who did follow the festival laws. And even if it wasn’t everyone, still we get the idea from Josephus the crowds were huge (some say he exaggerates the crowds).

What would it be like to be staying near Jerusalem and enjoying a seven-day communal feast with psalms and temple ceremonies, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of fellow pilgrims? I think we will find out on an even larger scale in the Days to Come with Messiah.

Sefer Ha-Aggadah, The Book of Legends

Imagine having a book which organizes all or most of the midrashic stories and legends into one volume ordered thematically to follow the Bible and important topics. Wouldn’t that be a resource too good to be true?

Well, its not because it is true and it does exist.

Hayyim Bialik (1873 – 1934), the national poet of Israel and perhaps the best known Hebrew poet in history collaborated with Y.H. Rawnitzky in 1911 to compile most of the rabbinic stories and legends and homilies into one volume organized so the non-expert can access them.

This is a monumental achievement when you realize the staggering breadth of rabbinic literature and the years and commitment it takes to master this literature. The Book of Legends is a shortcut worth knowing about. It won’t make any of us experts, but it will enable us to read with context and some clarity pieces of rabbinic thought which illuminate Jewish thought and often add dimension to our biblical understanding.

Schocken, a Jewish press, publishes the book in English only, and it is available on amazon for $50.37 — not bad considering the book has 984 pages of fairly small type.

In the beginning are short chapters explaining the meaning of aggadah and parables. The chapters from there are organized according to the Bible and topics with detailed headings and subheadings. The major headings include:
2. The Work of Creation and the First Generation
3. The Deeds of the Fathers
4. Israel in Egypt and the Departure from Egypt
5. Israel in the Wilderness
6. Judges, Kings, and Prophets
7. The Destruction of the First Temple
8. The Era Between the First and Second Temple
9. The Second Temple — Its Structure and Its Service
10. The Destruction of the Second Temple and the Land
11. The Deeds of the Sages
12. Israel and the Nations of the World
13. The Land of Israel
14. Language
15. Exile
16. Redemption and the Days of Messiah
17. In the Time to Come
18. Torah
19. Wisdom, Prophecy, and Song
20. Sabbath, Feasts, and Fasts
21. The Holy One, Blessed Be He, And Relations Between Human Beings and Him Who Is Everywhere
22. Good and Evil
23. Man and His Needs
24. A Man’s Household
25. Between Man and Man
26. Traits and Attitudes
27. The Community, the State, and Their Requirements
28. The World and All That It Holds
29. Matters Pertaining to Divination and Healing
30. Parables, Proverbs, and Sayings
31. A Miscellany

The Forgotten Holiday and a Shavuot Book

Shavuot (Christians call it Pentecost) is sort of the forgotten holiday. It is not mystical and storied like Passover. It is not outdoorsy and decorative like Sukkot (Tabernacles). It is only one day (traditionally two in the diaspora) and not seven like the other two pilgrim feasts. Its main observances are more suited to a temple festival than home observance (although some of the traditional customs are in fact very suited to home observance).

I will have plenty to say about Shavuot as we continue through the counting of the omer (we’re on day 4 and count day 5 tonight).

But for now, I want to mention a great book I found about Shavuot. The book is out of print though you can find it used on amazon and other places. It is called The Shavuot Anthology and it is part of a series by Philip Goodman. I got mine used from amazon last week and have on order from an ebay store Goodman’s Rosh HaShanah Anthology and Yom Kippur Anthology.

What is so great about these books?

They contain in organized form not only the laws of Shavuot and the other holidays, but also readings from post-biblical literature, rabbinic literature, recipes, children’s stories, poetry, literary references, the customs of Jews from different lands, jokes, family projects, and so on.

I don’t mean this book has a dozen or so in each category. It has oodles in each category, coming in at a whopping 369 pages. That’s a lot about Shavuot, the often forgotten holiday.

Where else can you read the laws of Shavuot and also find a recipe for cheese strudel and a short story called “Shavuot” by Charlotte Bronstein?

Holiday lovers, hurry and order, because there are only 8 available on amazon.