Shalom everyone and chag sameach. Here is an article I wrote last Passover season and, for varying reasons, I decided to re-post this year. I hope you will read it (if you missed it last year) and that it will be an encouragement and blessing. Happy Passover!
Passover [pesach] is upon us and, with it, a reminder of who and what Y’shua was and is and, consequently, who we are supposed to be. He, in fact, admonished His followers to observe Passover in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19); to remember His death and, obviously, the subsequent resurrection. In commemoration of His death, the matzah we partake of reminds us of His battered body, bruised and stricken for our iniquities; the cup we drink speaks of wounds that poured out His blood on our behalf. Therefore, in celebrating this holy day, I am reminded that, not only is Y’shua the Messiah, the Word made flesh and the King of Israel but He is Redeemer and Savior because He is, as John declared, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
This acknowledgement is what I wish to emphasize today because, in consideration of this truth, I am prompted to remember that, in spite of my best intentions and efforts to keep His instructions, I will always, in some way, fall short of the Creator’s standards, that is, as long as I live in this house of mortal flesh, the epitome of corruption. So then, in observance of Passover, I am determined to do it in remembrance of Him – the Lamb who suffered for the sake of my redemption – and I invite all who read to do so as well. It is in that spirit that I also want to remind us all that the unleavened bread we partake of likewise serves as a challenge to us – to deny ourselves, to die to our wills, our passions, appetites, desires and our agendas.
I say this because, sadly, Passover, for some families and fellowships within the Hebrew Roots community, has become another occasion to argue about the specific details of the holiday. For instance, some fellowships will be at odds over if they should inquire as to whether all the males in attendance are physically circumcised. Other congregations will be arguing over the merits of slaughtering lambs and putting the blood on their doors. We also see, at this season more than at others, the debates as to exactly what Y’shua died for; that is, whether He atoned for all our sins or just the ones committed unintentionally. So, in some communities of faith, Passover – like so many other commandments given to us as a blessing – has become a chore, turning fellowships in battlefields and friends into foes. Something is terribly wrong with this situation.
A Corporate Form of Tzarat?
These theological eruptions and the ugliness that goes along with it, reminds me of something we read in the Torah in close proximity to the Passover season, that is, the portions that describe a skin disease rendered “leprosy” but, in Hebrew, called tzarat. The person stricken with this awful condition is called, again in Hebrew, metzora and is relegated to an existence outside the camp, entirely cut off from the rest of the community. It was, perhaps, one of the worst things that could befall an Israelite. In many respects, those stricken with tzarat were, quite literally, the equivalent of the “walking dead.”
Most theologians contend that tzarat was not what we call leprosy, today, but was some other type of affliction. Rabbinical commentary further suggests that this condition was not a disease so much as it was a consequence of slandering one’s neighbor. This is, in fact, what occurred to Miriam after she had made accusations against her brother Moses and his marriage to the Ethiopian woman (Numbers 12:1-2). The point is, then, that tzarat – whatever its medical classification – was essentially an external manifestation of an internal problem, one so severe that no man-made remedy could bring about a cure – only the Creator could remove this blight.
As a matter of fact, Jewish tradition stated that no Hebrew male had ever been cleansed of this condition (Na’aman was Syrian and Miriam was female) and, were that to happen, it would be a clear sign that Messiah had come. Therefore, when Y’shua healed the leper in Luke 5 and then healed the ten lepers in Luke 17, it was a demonstration of the fact that, as the physical manifestation of the Creator, He was empowered to heal and deliver people from their internal maladies as well as the external ones. Moreover, His instruction to those cleansed, that they offer the gift prescribed by Moses was, not so that they could be healed but, to bear witness to the priests in Jerusalem that they were already healed. Meaning their obedience to the Law wasn’t able to deliver them but their faith in Y’shua could.
Seeing that tzarat was a physical manifestation of an inner problem, is it possible that these contentious situations within our fellowships, consistently erupting and continually disrupting harmony within the Body, are an outward indication of our inner spiritual problems? In my estimation, it is indeed and, more often than not, our corporate tzarat is expressed in derogatory and accusatory manner and speech against those who are not in agreement with the parties initiating many of these arguments. The problem is further compounded by the fact that, while attacking one another, we often don our robes of self-righteousness and (presumed) zeal for the Law, concealing to some degree the foul condition of our body. Even now, I can hear a self-righteous Miriam saying, “Why can’t I speak against Moses? Doesn’t the LORD speak through us too?”
Let’s go back to the word, tzarat; its root, tzara’, means “eruption” alluding to the eruptions in the skin that were a sign of the affliction. That root word is, in turn, related to the root tzarah meaning “to squeeze” which, in my opinion, infers why God allowed the affliction and why He called special attention to it. It seems to me that the physical signs served to expose the inner problems – God’s way of squeezing someone – and, I believe, gave the individual the provocation to change their ways – to repent. Let’s put it this way: imagine taking a grape between your fingers and squeezing it until the skin pops; whatever is on the inside, good or bad, is going to erupt and be exposed for all to see. Interestingly enough, at the heart of the word tzarat is the word ra‘ or “wicked” and, so, as God’s people are being squeezed, are we seeing our wickedness exposed by all the community-wide dysfunction?
I do believe that the outbreak of contention and strife we see among God’s people, and especially at this time of year, is an indication of a very serious internal problem. If it is akin to the affliction called tzarat – this time on a corporate level – then perhaps the Creator is allowing this strife and division to erupt in order to expose the wickedness, the love of self and the need to be right that resides within our hearts. Might it be that He is allowing the ugliness in order to provoke us to true repentance, which is not only tithing mint cumin and anise but also embracing the weightier matters of the Torah – justice, faith and mercy?
Is it also possible that the divisive issues that arise every Passover season are allowed to do so that we might be brought to this realization: like the metzora (leper), we do not have a Mosaic protocol to follow in order to be cleansed of our guilt; Moses only prescribed what to do once the metzora had been cleansed of the tzarat. Meaning, it was not within his power to be healed or to remove the source of the problem, presumably his sin. No, if he was to be healed of his condition, both physically and spiritually, he first had to have a change of heart, and then, all was left to the mercy and compassion of God. Only the Creator could deliver him from his predicament and so it is with us.
What, then, do the actions and words that cause all of the division, strife, hurt and bitterness say about us? Let’s go to the Scriptures and see. Peter said:
“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Y’shua the Messiah.” – 1 Peter 2:1-5
If we are to desire the “pure milk of the Word” does that not suggest there may be a tainted milk of the Word? What would it be tainted with? According to Peter, it might be tainted with malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and evil speaking, obviously, all infecting and affecting the Body. Paul said that the envy, strife and division among God’s people were indicative of a carnal nature and childish behavior (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). If that be the case, it seems apropos to interject here what Scripture says about childish behavior:
“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.” – Proverbs 22:15
Furthermore, David made an interesting statement concerning foolishness when he said:
“My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness.” – Psalm 38:5
If we agree there is a problem, then there must be a solution. So, what seems to be the root of all this strife and division we see, today, among believers claiming to follow God’s instructions? What is the common denominator of all the broken relationships and splintered congregations? If we determine that, we might be able to plot a course to reconciliation. I personally think Paul has already alluded to the primary issue when he says:
“Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:23-24
Moreover, he said:
“Avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition.” – Titus 3:9-10
“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Y’shua the Messiah and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.” – 1 Timothy 6:3-5
Taking these statements into consideration and placing them within the context of our message here, might I deduce that a true servant of the LORD is going to teach others in humility, not with arrogance and disdain? Might I further conclude that there may be some among us who thrive on “disputes” and “strivings about the law”? Finally, within the context of Passover, if the emphasis of the season degenerates into wrangling over the meaning of words instead of the Creator’s devotion to our redemption, exemplified in the selfless commitment of the Messiah, might I be wise to avoid these types of people and situations? In extreme circumstances, might it be prudent to separate from them completely?
Removing the Leaven
An integral component of the Passover experience is predicated on removing the leaven [Heb. chametz] from our homes and, more importantly, our lives.
For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land.” – Exodus 12:19
It seems pretty cut and dry – don’t eat leavened bread during those seven days lest you be cut off from the rest of the community, much like the metzora. Yet, as with most of what is recorded for us in Scripture, the Creator gives us the physical instruction to teach us of the spiritual principle. Paul provides an example of this concept when he wrote:
“Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Messiah, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” – 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Here, Paul’s statements about leaven centered on the fact that some in the congregation at Corinth were engaged in sexual immorality, specifically, a man who had committed fornication with his father’s wife. Paul tells them, in adamant fashion, to put this person out of the congregation because the “leaven” the guilty personify will, in time, affect the whole lump (congregation). I have often said that the tares will more quickly cause the wheat to start acting like tares rather than the wheat positively influencing the tare. Paul seems to believe the same.
So what else do we glean from these statements? It is very clear that Paul equated the wicked and hurtful actions of some with the leaven or chametz that we, as a Body, are to abstain from during Passover. If these works of the flesh were allowed to remain in our midst unchecked, like leaven, they would spread and infect the rest of the Body to the detriment of us all. Reminding us of Messiah’s sacrifice as our Passover, we are therefore charged, not only to refrain from leavened bread at Passover but also, to discipline ourselves to abstain from the leaven of sin, in whatever form it takes, every day. That, I believe, is Paul’s primary point.
While the particular sin noted here is obvious and blatant, does that mean that other unholy deeds are any less invasive? Is not evil speech, envy, strife and malice just as seductive, just as pervasive, just as unholy and, therefore, just as deadly as this man’s adulterous behavior? In his letter, Paul made it clear that wickedness and malice – the desire to commit a wrongful act that will hurt another – are willing partners; there is no distinguishable difference when considering their source, thus he says, “let us not keep the feast…with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
Now the question becomes, is malice limited to a conscience desire to injure others through blatant aggression or could malice also include doing harm to others through hurtful words, attitudes and deceitful doctrines even while the offender wears robes of piety? It is my humble opinion that it would include such because the end result is the same and, therefore, leaven of every shade, color and category should be purged from the congregation, lest we all be leavened with contempt, anger, strife and bitterness. Otherwise our celebration of Passover would be equivalent to coming to the LORD’s table with Wonder Bread and pork chops.
The point is, what do we think matters most to our Creator? That we get all the technical stuff down without paying attention to how we are treating people who might be ignorant of some of these issues? If we insist on being right to the extent that we hurt or insult our neighbor, have we partaken of the matzah of sincerity and truth? Might it be that the Creator is more concerned that we enter into this celebration with circumcised hearts and a desire to purge our lives of unfruitful deeds, inclinations, thoughts and attitudes that end up hurting ourselves and others? Might He be more interested in us treating one another with kindness as we remember the kindness He extended to us through the Messiah?
Set Apart People
Most everyone understands that we, as the Body of Messiah, are to be a set-apart or holy people. This is a theme that we see in the beginning when God brought Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 19:5-6); it is reiterated time and again throughout Scripture and is underscored by Peter when he wrote:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10
Therefore, if we are to be a holy people, we can safely conclude that there are things, situations, deeds, attitudes and people that we can justly distance ourselves from. In Paul’s letter to Corinth, he made it clear that the young man who engaged in this immorality needed to be put out of the congregation, for the sake of the congregation. He went on to say:
I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist – not even to eat with such a person.” – 1 Corinthians 5:9-11
Wait a minute! What was that?
As believers, we shouldn’t keep company or eat with fornicators, slanderers, extortioners, those who covet or who are drunkards. (Okay, got it.) Obviously, if we aren’t to associate with such then we certainly shouldn’t participate in those types of actions. (That’s makes sense.) Yet, when he said that, you mean he wasn’t referring to the drunkards, slanderers and idolaters in the world but was referring to the drunkards, slanderers and idolaters who claim to be believers? That’s exactly what he said.
Though most of us recognize the call to be a set apart people, many don’t realize the reason we are called to be a set apart people. It’s not just for our benefit but also, potentially, for the benefit of those who are in the world. Abraham was not called from Babylon to be set apart for the sake of being set apart but to live a set apart life that he and his seed might be a source of blessing to all the nations on the earth (Genesis 12:3). So, for that reason, when Abraham left Babylon, a land of idolaters and pagans, God led him to and compelled him to dwell in Canaan – a land inhabited by idolaters and pagans. You see, he was there to be a light to the Amorites because, at that point, the “cup of the Amorites was not yet full” (Genesis 15:16).
So, not only did Paul encourage the Corinthians to excommunicate the young man for the sake of the congregation but, if we consider the function of the Body, he also compelled them to take this action in the hope that, if the young man suffered physically, he might be provoked to have a change of heart, come to repentance and be delivered from his sin and the destruction of his soul. Specifically, he said:
“Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Y’shua.”
Taking this into account, along with what he said in verses nine through eleven, Paul’s message is clear: we are in the world to be a light to the world, so, how can we do that if we are separated and isolated from those we are to be a light to? Does that mean we are to condone or, like the young man in Corinth, participate in their sinful deeds when we engage them? Certainly not! To the contrary, our commitment to live a set apart life is how those in the world are given the opportunity to distinguish light from darkness. We are obliged to “proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light” – but to who? Ourselves? No, but to those who are still in darkness.
Therefore, Paul is stressing that if we willingly permit detestable deeds and attitudes to be named among us – including but not limited to sexual immorality – it diminishes the light we are supposed to be. So, by putting separation between the congregation and this adulterous man, the light they were to be to those around them would not be compromised by willful cohabitation with flagrant sin from one of their own. In short, that we might be a light to the adulterers, drunkards and idolaters of the world, we should not tolerate that lifestyle from those who profess to be a brother in the faith. We are, indeed, called to be a set apart people and Messiah our Passover has been sacrificed for us that we might be freed from the works of the flesh. Furthermore, He has called us to be a “city set on a hill that cannot be hidden” and, as such, we are instructed to:
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
Understanding this, should we adopt the attitude of some and circle the wagons, so to speak, that we isolate ourselves from the wild savages outside our community of faith, either by word or deed…or attitude? (Granted, that position gives us a little better opportunity to take a shot at them as they ride by.) Should we delight in being a set apart people so intensely that we feel it necessary to segregate ourselves from the very ones we are here to bear witness of the Messiah and His instructions to? Should we present ourselves as so scripturally and spiritually arrogant that no one would want to investigate what we believe? Should we create an environment that is so hostile to those outside our community that we come to view them as nothing more than pagan, uncircumcised dogs? Just in case you think I’m being extreme and overdramatic in my wording here, you haven’t read some of the emails and letters I receive from time to time or heard some of the distressing conversations and situations that have prompted people to seek me out for advice.
When it comes to Passover and its emphasis, it is imperative that we see Messiah’s suffering was for the sake of the very people that some among us wish to distance themselves from. Some of these people will take great joy in sitting at the Passover table confident that they are truly separated from the world and its pagan practices and yet, at the same time, warmly embrace self-righteous attitudes and destructive doctrines that fester and boil. By their disposition and religious zeal, they have built walls between them and those Messiah charged us to reach out to. So I ask: who is really unfit to partake of the Passover and be part of the community? Is it the one who is uncircumcised in the flesh but who desires to partake of the holyday, recognizing his shortfall where our heavenly Father is concerned or the person I have just described above? The circumcised one who is so proud of his commitment to keep the Law but so calloused of heart as not to recognize the Father’s wishes where the uncircumcised world is concerned? Might Y’shua’s words apply here?
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”- Luke 18:9-14
Circumcision or Uncircumcison?
Now, I know what some are thinking about now – “Bill, the Torah says that no uncircumcised person is to partake of the Passover” (Exodus 12:48). I am fully aware of what the Scripture says about Passover and the requirement regarding circumcision, therefore, I am certainly not authorized to negate that instruction. If any man feels he should be physically circumcised that he may partake of the Passover with a clear conscience that is between him and the Creator. However, I do not believe it is anyone else’s business to pry into the matter. Do we really think God expects us to have circumcision inspection panels to make sure that no uncircumcised person partakes? By the way, these types of inspections were something the Nazis were infamous for.
On the spiritual side of the circumcision issue is the concept of circumcision of the heart; something that, in my view, often gets overlooked at this time of year. Remembering that God gives us the physical first that we may better understand the spiritual, obviously physical circumcision alone is not enough. Therefore, through Moses and the Prophets, He tells us we must be circumcised of heart.
“Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.” – Deuteronomy 10:16
“For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: ‘Break up your fallow ground and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and take away the foreskins of your hearts,’ ”
Paul, whose judgment I trust in this area, expounded a bit more on this issue saying:
“For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” – Romans 2:25-29
Remember, circumcision was the issue raised in Acts 15 when some claimed that the new believers weren’t really saved if they weren’t circumcised “after the manner of Moses” (Acts 15:1). It was Paul, along with Barnabas, who vehemently opposed such notions, resulting in the letter sent to those believers among the Gentiles. Thus, it was decided then that physical circumcision wasn’t a requirement to be in fellowship with the Creator. Granted, it was also suggested by James that, if these believers continued to come to the synagogue and hear Moses, they would grow in the faith and do what Moses wrote, perhaps, including being circumcised. Nevertheless, the point is clear – these new “uncircumcised” believers were to be considered as members of the community of faith.
So if I, circumcised in my flesh and zealous for the Law, eat the Passover but, yet, harbor arrogant disdain and contempt for the believer in Messiah who is not circumcised in his flesh, have I kept the Law? If I scoff at, ridicule and alienate those who have not learned all that I have learned, where the commandments are concerned, have I kept the Law? If I do not exhibit justice, faith and MERCY, have I kept the Law? If not, then what good is my physical circumcision? Or my knowledge of Hebrew? Or my tzitziot? Or my biblically-correct calendar? Or my Sabbath keeping – well, you get the idea.
Where this uncircumcised fellow is concerned, how does he, in fact, “keep the righteous requirements of the Law” if he is still uncircumcised? That would seem to suggest that physical circumcision, alone, is insufficient to fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law – there must be something more. If he, though uncircumcised in his flesh, opens his doors to whosoever will that he might share the love, compassion and Godly example of the, yes, Torah-keeping Messiah around his dinner table, has he not kept the Law?
Do not think that I am attempting to downplay the instruction given where circumcision is concerned – I have no such authority. Still, as I have stated, that is an issue that should be left to be deliberated between an individual and the Creator; it’s simply none of my business. My job is to discipline myself and faithfully and truthfully lead my family with a Godly example. So the point of all this discussion on circumcision has been to note that, at this and future Passovers, a great irony is likely to unfold: many physically circumcised will partake of the meal but will do so with malice, contempt and agitation in their heart for others who disagree with them on particular issues, or who have not come to their way of thinking at all, or who are ignorant to many of these things entirely, leaving some of these poor souls feeling unfit to join in the celebration. In the end, where the heart is concerned, is there truly a difference between those who would do that to others and that of the young man in 1 Corinthians 15? Should we not purge out this leaven as well that we might partake of Passover with the matzah of sincerity and truth?
So then, I want to make this statement: I have no intention of requiring proof of physical circumcision from those who come to my Seder table; I only ask that they be circumcised of heart and desirous to grow closer to their Creator and Messiah. You see, I am confident that He is well able to instruct and guide them in the path He wishes for them to take. Furthermore, while it is not my job to see to it they get circumcised it is my responsibility to bear witness of the Messiah, His death, burial and, more importantly, His resurrection. Isn’t that the emphasis, after all, of this season – His sacrifice and my redemption? If I don’t present this truth in everything I do, all my Biblical knowledge and keeping the Law is pointless.
As a matter of fact, it is my conviction that all the emphasis being placed on circumcision and whether we should be putting lamb’s blood on our doors is just another subtle attempt to diminish the role and significance of Messiah and His Blood! I’m sorry, but I still believe that His blood is the only blood that matters. To suggest that we need to slaughter a lamb and daub its blood on our doors, as far as I’m concerned, calls into question the power of Messiah’s atoning work. Did He not say, “It is finished”?
If we promote the idea that one is only justified before God if they are circumcised physically or if they are putting blood on their doors, that suggests – whether we admit it or not – that keeping the commandments is sufficient for eternal life. While I certainly believe that the commandments of God ARE life and that Y’shua said that, in order to live an abundant life, we are to keep God’s commands, He also made it very clear that even those who had kept the commandments from their youth still lacked something if they do not come to Him (Matthew 19:16-22, John 5:39-47). Coming to Him includes picking up our cross (execution stake or tree if you prefer), denying ourselves – purging the leaven from our lives – and following Him as He demonstrates, not only that we SHOULD keep the Father’s commandments but HOW we should keep the Father’s commandments all the way to the place in our lives where we have to say, “Not my will but yours be done.”
What is His Will? For me, it centers upon this statement: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes on Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Y’shua was so dedicated to that purpose that, not only would He associate and have dinner with the religious and the righteous but, He would often dine with harlots and publicans – or if you will allow me, the uncircumcised pagan. How do we reconcile His actions with these sinners and some of the attitudes we see today in the Body toward those who don’t believe as we do?
Who and What Did Y’shua Die For?
From childhood, most of us have known that Y’shua died that we might live; He paid the penalty for our sins and, if we place our trust in Him, we would have eternal life. Seems so simple and yet so profound. Of course, later, many of us came to understand that, because we are in covenant with the God of Israel, we should keep the commandments given to His people, Israel. Again, it seems simple enough to comprehend. Now, however, according to some who have analyzed these same commandments word by word, what Y’shua accomplished as our Passover might not have covered ALL of our sins. Specifically, some have promoted the doctrine that Y’shua died only for our unintentional sins – not our willful sins.
I want you to keep in mind that some of those that Messiah dined with from time to time had, in some cases, committed willful sins. For instance, consider the woman who was caught in the act of adultery: I think it is safe to assume she knew this activity was wrong and punishable by death – therefore, she was guilty of willful sin against others and against God. Yet, when humbled before Him, what did she hear Y’shua say to her? When all her accusers had dispersed – themselves being worthy of death – He told her, “I am not going to condemn you. Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Did He forgive her willful sin? It seems to me that He did.
Then there is the woman who came to the house of Simon the Pharisee; the one that bathed Y’shua’s feet with her tears as she sobbed in remorse for her sins. Messiah’s host, the religious Simon, questioned His authenticity as a prophet because He allowed such a woman – a presumed harlot – to touch Him. In response, Y’shua made it clear to Simon that her heart was circumcised where, perhaps, Simon’s was not. He then said:
“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” – Luke 7:47-48
Considering what the text reveals, I think it is safe to assume that, among this woman’s many transgressions, some of them were likely intentional, meaning that Y’shua forgave her of willful, intentional sin. Throughout the Gospels, Messiah makes it clear that He was and is authorized to forgive sin, intentional or otherwise, which says to me: Y’shua came to die for all and for all our sins.
When the paralytic was let down through the roof, He said:
“For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” – then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” – Matthew 9:5-6
And because He was authorized to forgive sin, He was given the right to grant eternal life.
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Y’shua the Messiah whom You have sent.” – John 17:1-3
Why was this authority over all flesh, the power to forgive sin and grant eternal life given to Y’shua? Because, “God so loved the world….” That means that those who are fornicators, thieves and murderers are given opportunity to be redeemed just as much as those who did something wrong out of ignorance. Remember the young man in Corinth? Even Paul said this person should be turned over to the Adversary for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit might be saved, telling me that his intentional sin had a recourse – Messiah our Passover.
To believe that Y’shua died only for unintentional sin implies, at least to me, that a) I’m doomed or b) my only recourse is true, heartfelt repentance, followed up by keeping God’s commands. Okay, so when it comes to option A, that doesn’t seem to be viable, especially when we consider all the notable personalities in the Bible who committed willful sin: Moses – murder; David – adultery and murder; Paul – persecution of believers and accessory to murder. So, that only leaves option B, if this doctrine is valid.
I agree that before we can be restored to the Father we must first repent. I also agree that, once forgiven, we are to live a life of obedience to His instructions. However, there is also the issue of, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). If Messiah’s shed blood only atones for my unintentional transgressions and if my only recourse for willful sin is keeping God’s commands with a repentant heart, that would strongly suggest that MY actions and MY will contains the power to cleanse me of things – the more sinister sins – that the blood of Messiah does not have the power to do. That suggests that I can, somehow, skirt around the issue of blood atoning for sin. Sorry but I don’t buy it for a minute.
Furthermore, given that Y’shua had the authority to forgive people of their sins – even if only the unintentional ones – and, if from that point on, all the forgiven ones had to do was to remain humble and to keep the commands of God to be absolved from their intentional sins, why then did He proceed to the Cross? If keeping the commands can absolve us of our willful sins why can’t that same obedience absolve us from our sins committed in ignorance? If this new wind of doctrine is true, why couldn’t Y’shua just continue to encourage everyone to turn from sin, keep the commandments, help your neighbor and avoid the shame of the Cross? Why did He need to pray, “If it were possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, your will be done”?
It seems pretty obvious to me that His death upon the cross signifies keeping God’s commands doesn’t absolve us of our past sins; it doesn’t grant us unrestricted access to the Creator, whereby we may stand before Him blameless; the commands are what we do because we are now in that relationship thanks to Messiah’s sacrifice. His was a necessary sacrifice that we might be restored to our Creator, not that I might gain a better grasp on the Hebrew language or that more men would grow beards or I might be able to figure out the proper pronunciation of the Sacred Name. Messiah came and died that my sins might be forgiven; that my guilt might be atoned for and that I might be redeemed, spirit, soul and body and that I might – along with all the righteous before Y’shua and those who have died in Messiah – dwell literally in the Presence of the Almighty. You and I do not possess the power, authority or will to accomplish that.
When John the Baptist sent emissaries to inquire as to whether Y’shua was the Coming One or “should we look for another?” Y’shua responded:
“Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” – Matthew 11:4-6
Let me put it this way: He didn’t say that, because He had come, more people were learning Hebrew or more were getting on the correct calendar but, in Bill’s translation, “people’s lives are being changed for the better.” They are being healed of their afflictions, including the lepers (metzora) and the gospel is being declared.” He didn’t say more folks are realizing they need to be circumcised in the flesh but more are realizing they need to be circumcised of heart. He declared that those who are being affected positively by the Kingdom of Heaven are not offended that, in Him and through Him, God is reaching, healing and changing people; He is desirous to forgive them of all their sins.
You see, to suggest that I, repentant though I may be, zealous for the commandments though I may be, have the power within me to take action that absolves me of my willful sin, without trusting in Y’shua for that forgiveness, is just another attempt to diminish the role, authority and identity of Y’shua the Messiah, the King, the Redeemer and Lamb of God “who takes away the sin of the world.”
In Conclusion
I believe it is important to learn of, walk out and experience all of God’s commands, Sabbaths and feast days, including, and maybe especially, Passover. Furthermore, I believe it is important to do so in the manner prescribed by our Father. Yet I also believe that all our knowledge of this Holy day and all the others becomes pointless if it doesn’t positively affect our lives, our family’s lives and the lives of others that we come into contact with.
What we know needs to influence what we do and, by that, I mean sharing with others the liberation from our guilt and the redemption of our inner man and, eventually our body as well, that comes by the power of the blood of the Lamb. Thus, it is my contention that our Lamb as already been slaughtered on our behalf and it is His blood that marks the doorposts of my home, my heart and my life. I am trusting in that blood, not any other.
Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?… Now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. – Hebrews 9:12-14, 26
I realize there are those who so intricately analyze these verses and passionately disseminate their interpretations so well that they might be able to convince my mind that Y’shua’s sacrifice addressed only unintentional transgressions – but they will never convince my heart. I may be simple minded but I do adamantly believe He died for all and for all our sins. Again, I do believe that we have an obligation to keep His commands, but I do so because I love Him and desire to please Him not because I believe my obedience alone is capable of erasing my past. Furthermore, concerning those who are not yet fully convinced that, as believers, we are obligated in this way but who do love God and strive to follow Messiah; I say there is a difference between those who willingly and blatantly engage in unlawful activities and those who are processing all of this in their heart and mind. If the latter is you, please know, you are welcome at my Passover table anytime. To those who hold contempt for such, well…
Let us keep in mind we are not to keep the Feast with malice and malice includes harboring resentment toward those we feel have wronged us or God. Maybe we would better serve our conviction about keeping the commands of the LORD if we did so with a joyful heart and a humble attitude; a hand extended toward our brother rather than a fist full of wrath for his ignorance. Yes, we are to be a set apart people and, particularly, during these Holy days but it is equally important to remember how it was made possible that we might be considered a set apart people.
Israel was charged with the responsibility to be that holy nation but was given the privilege of that call only because it pleased God to do so. He favored Israel in this way because He was faithful to the promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, not because Israel was a righteous people. The only thing Israel could do to enter that relationship was to commit their hearts to believe God’s promise and to trust in the significance and the power that the Creator had assigned to the blood of a blameless and spotless lamb. It was after that action, that He challenged them to “Obey my voice and keep my covenant” (Exodus 19:5). We, too, are that holy nation, Peter said, but we are assigned that status because we are those who were “not shown mercy but now have obtained mercy; those who were not a people but are now regarded as the people of God.” In other words, not because of what we did or can do but because of what the Lamb of God did and does to this very day.
We are powerless to affect our own forgiveness or redemption; we, too, must trust in the power of Y’shua’s blood. Pursuant to that forgiveness and being called “children of God,” should we not now show our gratitude by striving to please Him by obeying His voice and keeping His commandments? When Y’shua healed the leper in Capernaum and then the ten lepers, He instructed them to offer the gifts prescribed by Moses. The lepers, now cleansed, offered gifts indicating that they were to be welcomed back into the community of faith. Might I be so bold as to suggest that their gifts also expressed their gratitude at being cleansed and being welcomed back into the fold? As a footnote, I find it significant that, of the ten lepers Y’shua healed in Luke 17, only one – a Samaritan, a “foreigner” as Y’shua put it – came back to thank Him. For all of us Torah keepers, that would be the one who did everything wrong, who worshiped on the wrong mountain and who mixed true worship with false worship; yet, he appeared to be circumcised of heart.
Our keeping of His commandments is not the prescription for the healing of our soul, to the extent that we are forgiven of our past transgressions. Keeping His commands is what is prescribed for those who have been cleansed of the guilt of their sins – “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Only One has the power to forgive and eliminate the guilt and penalty of our past transgressions – intentional and unintentional – and that is the Creator. He has given that authority to His Son, Y’shua the Messiah because He is the only begotten of the Father, the Word made flesh and the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Finally, again I say that, with all our knowledge and Torah keeping, if it is not promoting that message and bearing witness to the resurrection of the Messiah, then it is pointless. If we isolate ourselves from the world and comfort ourselves with the notion that we do so because we are a set apart people then it will prove impossible for us to fulfill the very reason we were privileged to receive that call. We are in the world to positively affect the world.
On the eve of His crucifixion, Y’shua prayed this prayer to the Father:
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.”
Then He went and suffered – for all of us, that the Father’s will be done; that is, “For God so loved the world.” Dear reader, Y’shua is our Passover, sacrificed for us that we may partake of this holy day in sincerity and truth and that we might bear witness to all that He is alive forevermore. May we commit ourselves wholeheartedly to this instruction as well as His other commandments. Shalom and Happy Passover.
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