Shabbat Bible Study for December 30, 2017
©2017 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries
Vayikra 21.1-24; Yechezkel 44.15-31; Tehillim 85; Timotheus Bet (2 Tim) 3.1–17
Links:
http://tzion.org/Tree_Sefiroth.htm
Vayikra (Leviticus) 21.1-4 – The priests, the sons of Aharon – the kohen Gadol, were not to defile themselves with dead bodies, unless it was an immediate family member. This is a little different from Lev.10, when Aharon and his remaining sons were told NOT to mourn for Nadav and Avihu.
“Aharon, El’azar and Ithamar were told NOT to mourn. Y’hovah’s judgment was just, though a shock to all the people. Aharon and the boys were Y’hovah’s representatives to the people, as well as the people’s representatives to Y’hovah. They needed to reflect Y’hovah’s justice and righteousness. As we’ll see later, this was difficult to do, and affected them physically and emotionally, but they needed to stay fixed on Yah before the nation, not their personal circumstances.”
It is for this reason that the priests were only allowed to defile themselves with a dead body in the case of an immediate family member; wife, child, brother, mother, father or virgin sister.
5-6 – The priests are not allowed to mark their bodies in any way that would cause someone to mistake him for a pagan priest of Molech/Asherah. This is profanity to Y’hovah. To do any of these things is to profane the Name Y’hovah. Natural baldness in itself is not defiling, but to shave ones head or a part thereof was, as this was a practice of the pagan Molech/sun-worshippers, who would shave the crowns of their heads to approximate the ‘nimbus’ or ‘halo’ seen depicted in Medieval and Renaissance art. This was also the practice of certain orders of RC priests and monks, and ALL high-ranking RC prelates. I think the kippa/Yamulke and the skullcaps of high-ranking Catholic prelates have their origins in this same pagan custom. With these kippot/skullcaps, I think the wearer is either knowingly or unknowingly syncretizing with Molech worship. Syncretism is NOT good. I think I may have just stepped on some toes (perhaps in this room), and I am ready for the hate mail. You can contact me at mark@pitrone.net to make your objections known.
The reason they were not to mark themselves was because they were already marked as Y’hovah’s by their 1) keeping Shabbat and the Commandments of Torah and 2) offering the burnt offerings. Offering the burnt offering and eating the showbread in his presence in this defiled condition could risk their lives. They were to set themselves apart from the people of the land and unto Y’hovah, their mark being spiritual and evidenced in their obedient lifestyle.
But sanctify Y’hovah Eloha in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: [16] Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Messiah. (1Pe. 3:15-16)
Syncretism is Double-plus un-good.
7-8 – The priest was also to take only a virgin to wife. He could not take a divorcee, for he is a representative of Y’hovah, who could not take a divorcee as his bride (one reason Yeshua had to die to redeem his bride, Yisrael) nor a widow. They were not to take a ‘profane’ or common wife – that is, a common, garden variety, non-Levite Yisraelite wife. A heathen/pagan wife was not even a question, much less out of it. One who is set apart to Y’hovah must take a wife who is also set apart unto Y’hovah. There is not to be any unequal yoke. For a Kohen to take a common wife would look spiritually like a Belgian horse yoked to a Shetland pony. This is not due to the Levites/Kohanim being intrinsically of a higher spiritual order than any other Yisraelite, but because the Leviim came en masse to Y’hovah’s side at the foot of Sinai. And WE are to sanctify, consider the High Priest set apart unto Y’hovah FOR us. He is the one who appears in Y’hovah’s presence to represent us to him, as he also appears in our presence to represent Y’hovah to us. Y’hovah, who sets US apart, is set apart. Therefore, we are to set the High Priest apart. Q&C
Vv.9-15 – As I went about my normal scripture reading/study on 3rd day this week, I came across an interesting passage that I think correlates to v.9.
When Judah saw her (Tamar), he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. [16] And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? [17] And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? [18] And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. [24] And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. (Genesis 38:15-18, 24)
Judah knew that he was a priest of Y’hovah as an heir of Ya’acov, the Melech-Zadik, so this was a good application of this Torah requirement.
Now, as an aside, I don’t know about you, but I have become acutely aware recently that the Patriarchs knew Torah long before it was codified by Moshe. The church never taught me that, even at Cedarville or Xian Heritage Colleges (perhaps especially not there) – it doesn’t fit their anti-nomian tradition or replacement theology to acknowledge that Torah commandments were known and applied before they were given from Sinai. The first time we see Torah being kept is in Gen.6, where Noach was told to bring 2 pairs of unclean animals and 7 pairs of clean animals aboard the ark (Lev.11). Another instance is in Gen.32.2, where Ya’acov has his entire entourage get rid of their idols in compliance with Ex.20.3-6. Interestingly, this was shortly after the incident of Lavan’s household elohims, stolen by Rachel, and her subterfuge in hiding it. When I read that passage, I can’t help but think that both Lavan and Ya’acov KNEW who had the idol, but for love of Rachel they BOTH kept their opinions to themselves. It isn’t more than a few days/weeks later when Ya’acov gives the order to bury the idols under a tree in a grove, presumably including Lavan’s. They weren’t destroyed, just buried. Yisrael has ALWAYS had a problem with idolatry, and still does. We go after false elohims, and try to excuse ourselves about what they are. We all know what our favorite false elohims are. We need to be rid of them before we take up residence in the land.
V.10 – The high priest is not to uncover his head. Remember what I said a few minutes ago? Still goes. The kippah/skullcap is a compromise with paganism, in my not so humble opinion. I think the high priest did not wear this type of headwear. The word uncover = H6544, para, a primitive root that literally means ‘to loosen’. The same Hebrew Word is used in Le.10.6. If Aharon had uncovered his head in 10.6, he would have been shirking his duty as high priest. I think the head covering the high priests wore had to be loosened from the head like a turban, not just picked off the top. When he was officiating he was not to remove the turban from his head. Please notice that this is a command to the Kohen haGadol, not the Levites. Our Kohen haGadol probably is wearing a head covering as we speak. I don’t see where this is a command to us as lesser priests of Y’hovah. In the Restoration Scriptures on pg. 108, note 1, Moshe Koniuchowski says:
Yisraelite men are eternally called to wear head coverings, if they claim to be a royal priesthood of the chosen nation of Renewed Covenant Yisrael.
I respectfully disagree for the above stated reasons. High Priests, Yes. Rank and file, No.
This whole chapter deals only with the Kohen haGadol during his service in the Kodesh place and Kodesh Kadashim, not the common Yisraelite or the lesser Levitical priests, and that is proven in vv.10 and 12. Only the priest on whom the anointing oil had been poured is addressed. While they were anointed upon assuming the office in their 30th year, they were anointed again each time they went into their weeks of service, especially for Yom Kippur.
Vv.16-24 – The Kohen HaGadol must be as without blemish as the sacrifices he offered. The inspection process was every bit as intensive as the inspection process for the Pesach or Kippurim. He must be physically perfect. To have a ‘flat nose’ means to have any disfigurement. ‘Superfluous’ here means to have any deformities – 6 fingers or toes, for example. If a Kohen ever broke a bone (or anything else), had a disfiguring disease or scars, or anything else that would mark him as physically blemished, he could not perform the duties as Kohen, though he still could serve as a Levite and partake of the benefits of being a Kohen. The priests were set apart by reason of their faithfulness at Sinai, no matter the physical blemish. That is mercy and gracious provision from Y’hovah. This is how we get to partake of the benefits of a believer. If we are in Messiah, we are therefore set apart unto his service, even if we are physically unable to perform the service. Y’hovah looks upon a man’s heart to set him apart for service, not his physical pulchritude. (And that’s a GOOD thing, in my case). Q&C
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 44.15-31 – It is important to set context here. No stranger, or uncircumcised may enter Y’hovah’s sanctuary. The priest who officiates over the Millennial Temple must be a son of Zadok, and be circumcised in heart and flesh – no excuses or substitutes. No Levite, no matter the branch of the tribe (even sons of Aharon), who did not stay faithful to Y’hovah’s Word during Yacov’s Trouble, even if he repents upon seeing Yeshua, saying Baruch haba b’Shem Y’hovah, is allowed to officiate in the sanctuary, but he IS allowed to do his service in the outer court. This is absolutely the rachamim v’chesed of Y’hovah, since he has divorced Yisrael for less egregious idolatry. There is no divorce for unfaithful Levites. Y’hovah Yeshua has already died to renew his bride, Yisrael, to himself. He cannot die again to renew a Yehudi or Levite to himself, as it is appointed to man but once to die. They will either repent, or die in their sin.
This is the Kingdom Temple, not just any Temple. When the people went after strange elohim in the time of the trouble, the sons of Zadok stayed faithful to their charge. In other words, as the whole tribe of Levi at Sinai, so will be the sons of Zadok when Chol Yisrael goes after another elohim in anti-Mashiach. The reward for this is the family’s continued service in the table of the Presence. Keep my charge – charge = mishmerath, a watch, sentry post. It looks like the sons of Zadok will be keeping watch over the table of the bread of the presence, exactly what the priests had stopped doing toward the end of Judah’s kingdom according to
Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of Y’hovah is contemptible… 12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of Y’hovah is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat (food), is contemptible. (Malachi 1:7, 12)
They had no regard for the table of Y’hovah because they had profaned Y’hovah in their hearts. No such thing will occur in the Kingdom, as there will be ever-present proof that Y’hovah lives – the Melech haOlam will be sitting on David’s throne. From my midrash from Oct. 8, 2005:
Was there a different standard for the priests than for the people? Or was their lifestyle as kohanim that different from the people’s? I think there WAS a different standard because they were always in close proximity to the Mishkan with its continuous reminders of the set-apartness of Y’hovah. Also, the kohen that is anointed is כהן םשיך, kohen Mashiach. So there is most definitely a different standard for this priest.
I think there will be a different standard for the sons of Zadok in the Millennial Beit haMikdash, too. He won’t just have reminders of the set-apartness of Y’hovah, but our Saviour and MelchiTzadik, Y’hovah Yeshua, a few yards away sitting on the throne.
They are set apart, as were the Kohanim in the wilderness, etc. They had different standards for clothes (linen) for service, grooming, their food, and whom they could marry. The reason was so that they could BE an object lesson in their primary purpose as concerned the people – they were to teach the people the difference between holy and profane (common), clean and unclean by their lifestyle – as are we.
When they stand in judgment, they are to use the Torah as their standard, not their feelings or opinions. Wouldn’t it be great to have judges who would judge righteously instead of the manner of judges today? During the Alito confirmation hearings, the senators kept asking him about previous decisions and how he’d view matters that come before him in their light, and he kept saying that he’d use the standard of ‘stare decisis’, or legal precedent. It doesn’t matter if the legal precedent is wicked or just plain wrong, all that matters is that the precedent stands at the time he is deliberating. We need justices on the Supreme Court that will decide according to Y’hovah’s law and the Constitution that is based in it, not the political, stick-your-finger-in-the-wind, view du jour.
Notice that there is no sin offering for the sons of Zadok, except when he has to defile himself due to the death of a close relation. Then he is to bring his sin offering and offer it so that he can once again keep Y’hovah’s charge. Y’hovah and the sanctuary is their inheritance, and all the things that pertain to it, like the sin, trespass and grain offerings. Where it says the ‘first of your dough’, the word dough is H6182, ariycah, literally to comminute. Yeah, I had to look it up, too. W1828 says
COMMINUTE, v.t. To make small or fine; to reduce to minute particles, or to a fine powder, by breaking, pounding, rasping, or grinding; to pulverize; to triturate; to levigate (to make like dust). It is chiefly or wholly applied to substances, not liquid.
I ‘comminute’ my coffee beans to either espresso or Turkish powder. So ‘dough’ should actually read ‘fine flour’ today. The first of the flour that the regular guys grind is to be offered at the Mishkan, and is for the use of the sons of Zadok. When we bring the offering, Zadok is to give us Y’hovah’s blessing, the Aharonic blessing.
I find it interesting that the Kohen is not allowed to eat anything that dies of itself or by injury, but that restriction does not apply to just a guy. It applied to chol Yisrael BEFORE the transgression at Sinai
31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat flesh torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs. (Ex.22.31),
but Y’HOVAH only specifies it for the Kohen haGadol and his family afterwards. Just more proof that the transgression of the golden calf caused additional laws to be applied to Yisrael, namely the laws of sacrifice for trespasses and the Levitical priesthood that administers them. Q&C
Tehillim (Ps.) 85 – A Psalm of Restoration. The sons of Korah had firsthand knowledge of Restoration, since their chief father, Korah, was a part of the rebellion with Dathan and Aviram. Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary has this, in part:
The descendants of the sons of Korah who did not participate in the rebellion afterwards rose to eminence in the Levitical service.
The Korahites that stayed loyal were used in the tabernacle service as singers (2Chron.20.19), porters in the Temple at the king’s door (1Chr.9.17-19), and one, Mattithiyahu, was a baker (of showbread) in the service of Y’hovah (1Chr.9.31). It is to these sons of Korah that the Psalm is dedicated. I am assuming it was meant for ‘The Singing Korahites’, the hottest group on the Temple tour.
The psalm opens with praise to Y’hovah for turning the captivity of Yisrael, and returning us to the land. Y’hovah was favorable to the land by bringing back the captivity of Ya’akov. He forgave our iniquity and covered our sins. Is there a difference between iniquity and sin, between forgiveness and covering? Iniquity = H5771, avon (not the cosmetics company) = perversity; sin = H2403, chattahah, = offence, habitual sin. Perversity, as far as I can tell, speaks of what goes on in our minds, twisting and rending scripture from its intended meaning and context. Offence indicates active works against Torah. I think iniquity begets sin. Y’hovah forgives our iniquitous thinking, but has to cover our overt actions. Forgive = H5375, nasa = lift, carry off; cover = H3680, kacah, = cover with clothing or secrecy. He lifts and carries our perversity from us and hides our offences from his view. Consider that for a few seconds.
He turns away his wrath and repents of the anger he purposed for us. Our response is to ask him to turn us to his way. There is no way we could turn ourselves to His way, we need him to perform it for us and we gratefully acknowledge his willingness to do so. Elohim our Saviour = elohai yeesh’enu. That is none other than Yeshua. Restoration Scripture says “elohim of our Yahshua” without a ‘lamed’ prefix to yeesh’enu, or any support for the preposition ‘of’.
Vv.5-6 ask rhetorical questions, presuming the answers to be, “Of course, not!” Y’hovah will absolutely cause his anger to cease, He will not hold a grudge forever, He WILL revive us that we may rejoice in him. He will do so because of the supplication of v.4 to ‘turn us.’ He longs for us to ask him to bring us back into his fellowship. He’s made the way of escape from our natural end by the blood of his own Son, Yeshua. He WANTS us to turn to him and he’ll do everything he can to help us, if we’ll only understand our lot and ask him to grant us ‘yesh’acha’, ‘thy salvation’.
When he grants us his salvation, he speaks peace with us. What has the gospel been ever since there’s been a gospel? It’s always been the same, and will never change until there won’t be a need for it anymore. What?!? Not need a gospel?! Correct! After the GWT and the dissolution and re-creation of all things, we will always have peace with Y’hovah. There will never be enmity between us again. THAT is and always has been the gospel. Y’hovah wants us to have peace with him and with each other – especially (in this day) between the brethren Yehuda and Yoseph/Ephraim. All the stuff about Yeshua on the tree and rising from the grave is merely the vehicle by which Y’hovah delivered/granted his peace to us.
8-9 – He’ll speak peace to his people and his saints – another parallelism, for his people = his saints. And we are his people if we don’t turn back to our folly. What was our folly? What is it that got us exiled from Y’hovah’s presence in the first place? V.9 tells us that his salvation is near to them that fear him. What does it mean to ‘fear’ Y’hovah? Do you suppose that fear, as in abject terror, has anything to do with it. H3373, from H3372, both pronounced yare and each deals with both reverence and terror. Morally, it means to revere, but that reverence should CAUSE us to fear what he can do to us, namely exile us from his presence forever. Why is his salvation so near those who fear him? So that his glory can dwell in our land. So HE can dwell on Earth! Among us!
10-13 – The rest of the Psalm is a parallelism. Look at how the psalmist built this in vv.10-11; look at the parallel words and how they fit. See the illustration at http://tzion.org/Tree_Sefiroth.htm. Mercy and truth are different, as they meet; righteousness and peace are different, as they kiss in Mashiach. Truth and Righteousness are synonymous, as are Mercy and Peace. Elohim is the Almighty’s Truth and Righteousness, Y’hovah is the Almighty’s Mercy and Peace. Y’hovah is going to give us all the good stuff, and Elohim is going to settle us in the way of his righteousness, so we can handle it. Now let’s discuss this psalm in that light. Q&C
Timotheous Bet (2Tim.) 3.1-9 – Know this also? What had he just told them that they needed to know? I think it may be 2.4, “No man that warreth entangleth himself in the affairs of this life.” That is the main emphasis of ch.2 and the entire epistle, stay separated unto Y’hovah because there comes a day, which is described in ch.3. Sha’ul has already told Tim how to stay ready for the coming days of trouble of which he is about to warn him. The litany of wickedness he describes in vv.2-5 are of the same type as they were in Sha’ul’s day except on a grander scale. The thing that was different was that Sha’ul was talking about men in the assemblies of Y’hovah, not just in the world. Is this not exactly what we see today in the worldly ‘church’? This phenomenon existed in Timothy’s day, but not on the scale it does today, when we have super-rich churches with 10-20-25,000 members, of whom a very small remnant MAY be born-again. There may not be an overcomer in the lot.
The need for revival is blatantly obvious to everyone outside these churches, but not within them. The pastors have taken to tickling ears, rather than equipping the saints for the ministry of service to Y’hovah in the highways and byways of life. One of the listed sins that has always caught my attention is “disobedient to parents’. Disobedient = G545, apeitho = contumacious. Yeah, I had to look it up, too. W1828 says:
CONTUMACIOUS, a. [L., to swell.]
-
Literally, swelling against; haughty. Hence, obstinate; perverse; stubborn; inflexible; unyielding; disobedient; as a contumacious child.
This disobedience has the flavor of refusal to recognize the authority of the parents, and is a direct violation of the 5th Commandment to honor our parents. It says that these have a form of godliness, but deny the power of it, and that we should stay away from such men. Godliness = G2150, eusebeia = piety. W1828 says this for
PI’ETY, n. [L. pietas, from pius, or its root, probably a contracted word.]
1. Piety in principle, is a compound of veneration or reverence of the Supreme Being and love of his character, or veneration accompanied with love; and piety in practice, is the exercise of these affections in obedience to his will and devotion to his service.
Piety is the only proper and adequate relief of decaying man.
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Reverence of parents or friends, accompanied with affection and devotion to their honor and happiness.
So, these look to be pious externally (keeping Torah in public, for example), but refuse to really live in obedience to Y’hovah’s will. They creep into houses – these houses are assemblies of Y’hovah’s own. Creep = G1746, enduo – to sneak. The reason they put on the form of piety is to sneak in among real believers to draw out those who are not well grounded in the faith, or who are just spectators after a thrill. Silly women = G1133 gunaikarion, which sounds like what they are soon to be – a dead female that this vulture can devour.
Notice the description of these silly women in vv.6-7; laden with sins, led by lust, ever learning, but never learning the truth. This describes so many in churches and synagogues today that it is frightening. When scripture says ‘keep’, it means guard. We need to keep our hearts and minds pure in Torah – GUARD them, as Yeshua is the living Torah and is our defense.
Jannes and Jambres are the priests of On who counterfeited Y’hovah’s miracles a couple of times, but finally had to acknowledge that Moshe was wielding the power of Y’hovah, not of some lesser elohim. As those guys withstood Moshe, so do these men that Paul is referring to withstand the truth of Torah. Reprobate = G96 adokimos – unapproved, rejected. They are rejected concerning the faith. This does not say that they have rejected the faith, but that the faith has rejected them. Saving faith has never been ours. Saving faith has always been Yeshua’s, gifted to us by the unmerited favor of Y’hovah Elohenu.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: the gift of Elohim: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph.2.8-9)
22 Even the righteousness of Elohim by faith of Yeshua haMashiach unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Rom.3.22)
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Yeshua haMashiach, even we have believed in Yeshua haMashiach, that we might be justified by the faith of Mashiach, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Gal.2.16)
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Yeshua haMashiach might be given to them that believe. (Gal.3.22)
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: (Rev.14.12).
What is the faith of Yeshua?
Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, [8] I delight to do thy will, O my Elohim: yea, thy Torah is within my heart. (Psalm 40:7-8)
The faith of Yeshua, the faith with which he’s gifted us, is to do the will of Y’hovah Avinu. His will is written within Yeshua’s heart and ours, if we are in Him.
But these reprobates will not be able to get any further than the silly women, drawn by lusts, because the well grounded in the faith of Yeshua will not follow after them, as we’ll see after the Q&C
Vv.10-17 – Sha’ul contrasts the Laodicean he described in the first 9 verses with his own life. He goes through another litany, this time of things he got to suffer for Yeshua’s sake. Since he got to suffer, we can assume the Laodicean was living the life of Riley. The guy may have started out well, but at the first sign of persecution took to playing close to the world system, and eventually just went all the way over. If any of you in the audience in the wide world have any illusions about the easy believism of the ‘Once-Saved-Always-Saved’ heresy, you may put them to rest. The overcoming saints will persevere unto the end, but in their free will they can most definitely turn away from Y’hovah, as did Israel. I think this describes our Laodicean friend in vv.1-9.
By contrast, Paul was persecuted for his testimony to Y’hovah’s unmerited favor, by which he was able to persevere through the trials.
6 But without faith impossible to please, for he that cometh to Elohim must believe that he is, and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb.11.6)
5 Who are kept by the power of Elohim through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Yeshua haMoshiach: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of souls. (1Pe.1.5-9)
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Mashiach’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (1Pe.4.12-13)
He makes it a point to tell the audience to count the cost, for if you will live piously in Mashiach Yeshua – combining reverence for Abba and love for him, you may COUNT on being persecuted.
Men like the ones in vv.1-9 will get worse towards the end, deceiving and being deceived, but if we continue in Torah observance by the power of Y’hovah in us, we will overcome the world. It is our love of scripture and our knowledge of it that assures our salvation, for it is the very Word of Yeshua, who is Yeshuenu – our salvation.
All scripture – remember that Sha’ul was speaking of Tanakh here. There was no Brit HaDashah at the time. So he’s telling us that the Tanakh/OLD TESTAMENT “is profitable (that is SO hard to get across to most in the ‘church’ today) for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Most in the ‘church’ only go to the Tanakh as support for something they believe from the Brit. However, their understanding of the Brit is more colored by their traditions than the scriptures upon which the Brit is founded. They fail to see that they cannot properly comprehend the New without a thorough understanding of the Old. It’s like building a house on sand, instead of rock. Tanakh is the foundation upon which the Brit HaDashah is built. If the foundation isn’t secure, the house MUST fall in time of trouble and storm. When tribulation comes, they will be totally unprepared for it. We who know we must endure it will not be prepared for it, but think of those poor souls who believe that they will be ‘taken out’ before the storm. They’ll be even more like deer in the headlights than we will. And right now, they won’t hear any of it. They are like that guy in vv.1-9, contumacious – inflexible, unyielding.
Profitable for – here comes a progression. You MUST have the 1st before you can grasp the 2nd. Sound doctrine is needed to be able to receive reproof. What do you suppose Bill Clinton’s major obstacle to understanding his sin was? He had no basis of belief in sound doctrine. Therefore, he could not receive reproof. And since he couldn’t receive reproof, he could not be corrected, for he had no doctrine on which to build a pious life. And since he could not be corrected, not knowing he’d done something wrong, all the instruction in the world would have been wasted – pearls before swine.
In v.17 we see a curious thing in the KJV. In some editions it says ‘thoroughly furnished’ and in others it says, ‘throughly’. Even my spell checker points out a problem with throughly. But is there a problem with that word? The way I see it, the difference in these words is that when I am thoroughly furnished, my outward needs are met, but when I am throughly furnished I have all I need both within and without. What I am throughly furnished for is tov mitzvoth, which is observing to do Torah. Q&C
End of Shabbat Bible Study.
fulfillingtorahdotorg 