pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: Hebrew


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Hell? Heaven?

Readings: Psalm 92:5-8, Malachi 4:1-3, Daniel 4:9-11, and 12:1-3

Malachi 4:2 – “The sun of righteousness will rise on those revering my name; healing will be in its wings.”

This week we wrestle with the question of heaven or hell. We begin today in the Old Testament. The rest of the week will be in the New Testament. This “imbalance” is because there is no direct mention of hell in the Hebrew scriptures. There are references to a place we would call “hell,” but this concept did not have a place in Hebrew thought prior to Jesus’ days.

Psalm 92:5-8 is representative of Hebrew thought in the Old Testament. God is awesome. The ignorant, the wicked, the evildoers – while they “seem to blossom,” in the end they will be destroyed. Running throughout the Old Testament is the idea that the good will be rewarded and the evil will be punished.

This idea is echoed in Malachi 4. The prophet writes that the day is coming when the arrogant and evildoers will burn like straw, consuming them. But for those doing good? “The sun of righteousness will rise on those revering my name; healing will be in its wings.” The wicked will be crushed like dust, but the righteous, the godly, they will be filled with joy.

Even foreign kings experience this cycle of punishment and redemption. In Daniel 4, Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar calls upon Daniel, the one who has “the breath of the holy gods” in him, to interpret his dream. Daniel, with God’s help, explains the dream. All unfolds exactly as Daniel foretold. In the end, redeemed by God, Nebuchadnezzar worships, magnifies, and glorifies the goodness of God.

Turning to Daniel 12 we find the Old Testament passage that best connects to our understanding of heaven and hell. Speaking of the end times, Daniel writes that those whose names are in the scroll (of life) will be rescued, entering “eternal life,” shining like stars forever. Others – those not in the scroll – they will go to “shame and eternal disgrace.” So it will be.

Prayer: Lord God, lead us today to be people who do good and who seek to live holy and righteous lives that bring you honor and glory. Guard us from the temptations of this world, keeping evil and arrogance far away. In all that we do and say and think may our lives magnify and glorify your name. Amen.


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Applying the Way of God

Reading: Matthew 5:17-20

Verse 19: “Whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

After beginning the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes and an encouragement to be salt and light, Jesus connects back to the Hebrew scriptures. After painting a picture of what the community of faith should look and be like, Jesus goes back to the roots of the faith. In verses 17 he says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets.” In and of themselves, these are good things. No, Jesus says, “I have come to fulfill them.” He has come to show what it means to really live out the way of God. Next week we will delve into some of what this means as Jesus says again and again, “But I tell you…“

In the second half of today’s reading Jesus addresses the overall application of the Law and prophets. Focusing first on the goal, Jesus says, “Whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” These words connect to the call to be salt and light, to the calls to comfort and make peace, to the calls to hunger and thirst for God and for righteousness. Jesus applied the way of God to all of his life, to all of his relationships, to all that he said and did. Jesus lived a wholeness of faith and he calls his followers to do the same.

The contrast comes in verses 20, where Jesus informs us that our faith must surpass the surface level faith of the religious leaders of his day. They know the Law and prophets and they work hard at checking the boxes they’ve constructed. They just don’t allow the Law and prophets to affect how they live their lives. This is a call to let our light and love show in real and tangible ways, to let our faith impact and change lives, beginning with our own. May this be the faith that we live and breathe.

Prayer: Lord God, lead me today to live a faith that shows, that reveals you, that draws others into your presence. Amen.


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A Special and Chosen People

Reading: Exodus 12: 11-14

Verse 13: The blood will be a sign… I will pass over you.

The Hebrew people are the chosen people.  They stand in a special place because of their relationship with God.  As God is preparing to set them free from their long years of bondage in Egypt, there must have been some anticipation building up amongst the people.  God instructs them to mark their doors with blood and says, “The blood will be a sign… I will pass over you”.  Others will not be passed over.  Death will come to their houses.  The Hebrews are indeed a special and chosen people.  God also instructs them to eat a special meal in a specific way, all the while ready to go.  As a child we experience this same thing when Mom or Dad excitedly yells,”Everyone, get your shoes and coats on!”  We would know something special was coming our way.

It has been many years since the first Passover.  Yet generation after generation has celebrated the Passover meal each and every year.  The words have been the same almost forever; they are memorized at the earliest of ages.  The youngest one present always asks the same question about the special night.  The story and the words and the meal are passed on generation after generation so that the Israelite people can remember.  The Passover celebration tells them over and over that they are a special and chosen people who stand always in God’s presence.

When Jesus instituted the sacrament of communion, He too used similar words.  He wanted us to always remember that that we are a special and chosen people.  In the Gospel of Luke we read these words: “do this in remembrance of me”.  Each time we gather and celebrate Holy Communion we remember what Jesus did for each of us.  We tell the story over and over so that we remember and so that we are reminded that Jesus made His sacrifice for each of us.  Yet He also did it for all of us – to forgive the sins of the world.  What great love!  We are indeed a special and chosen people, dearly loved by our Lord and King.  May all we do and say this day bring Jesus all the glory and honor, reflecting a love that draws others into this special and chosen people, the church.