Category: More Manna
Extra Helpings
Born Into This World
It’s time to remember
the real reason
and absolute truth
for the season.
So many of the images and songs seen and heard this week are focused on the birth of our Messiah. Amid the food, décor, gifts and commercial festivities, there is nothing wrong with remembering that He came as an infant; as long as we remember that He came for one purpose
and that was to die.
John 12:32
He said Himself and I if I am lifted up …
I will draw all peoples to Myself.
Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ/Yeshua Hamashiach died. If sympathy is all that people need then the cross of Messiah is ridiculous, redundant and there is no need for it. What the world needs now is not emotional, sentimental, ‘love sweet love’ feelings, but major surgery. In the moments we find ourselves face to face with those who are lost spiritually, we should recall the image of the reality of Jesus/Yeshua on the cross. If a lost soul can reach our Heavenly Father by any other means, then His death on the cross was pointless and unnecessary. If we think we are helping lost souls only with sympathy, understanding and nothing else, are we not traitors to the truth of why He came?
Each of us must have a right relationship with our Heavenly Father through Messiah; and pour out our lives in helping others in His Way, not in the ways of humanity that ignores the Father and the Cross of Messiah. The foundation and ways of so many of the religions of the world are, to serve in a pleasant attitude with a nonconfrontational manner.
However according to the scriptures, our only priority must be to present Messiah crucified and to lift Him up all the time.
I had made up my mind not to think about anything while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and to preach him as crucified. 1 Cor. 2:2.
The truth is, that every belief that is not rooted and grounded in the cross of Messiah will lead people in the wrong direction. Our words will be compelling to those with whom we are speaking only if we ourselves believe wholeheartedly in Jesus/Yeshua and are trusting in the reality of redemption through His shed blood at the cross. Our usefulness to our Heavenly Father depends entirely on an honest, truthful relationship with Messiah that is strong, and continually growing and bearing fruit.
All believers are called to expose sin and to reveal Jesus/Yeshua as Savior; and because of this we cannot always be over friendly nor be given to compromise. There are times and situations that call for strong correction in order to accomplish major spiritual surgery. Our Heavenly Father has not called us us to give great talks but to lift up Jesus Christ/Yeashua HaMashiach and Him crucified.
The Lord has dealt with us in a deep way and similarly we must be willing to help others, being ready with pertinent scriptures and not be afraid to apply those which will make the truth undeniable.
Within the first verses of the New Testament we read:
Behold a virgin shall be with child and bear a Son and they shall call His name Immanuel which is translated God with us.
Matthew 1:23
His Birth is history to us…
that Holy One who is to be born
will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35.
Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach was
born INTO this world not FROM it.
He did not emerge out of history, He came INTO history from the outside. Messiah is not the best human being the human race can boast about, He’s a being for whom the human race can’t take any credit at all. He’s not man becoming God but God incarnated into our physical likeness. God came into human flesh from outside of it. His life/chaim, is the holiest and the highest, entering through the most humble of doors, a baby. Messiahs birth was the advent, the appearance of our Heavenly Father God in the form of a physical human being.
Galatians 4:19 concerns His birth in us My little children for whom I labor in birth again until Messiah is formed in you.
In the same way Messiah came into human history from outside of it, He must also come into each and every one of us from outside. The question we must ask ourselves this season is:
Have we allowed our own lives to become a Bethlehem for the Son of God to be Immanuel to us? Have I opened the door of my heart for Messiah to be a House of Bread through me?
The town of Bethlehem was prophesied to be where Messiah would be born. Micah 5:2
Beit lechem in Hebrew means House of Bread. Laid in a feeding trough, He was and is the Bread of Life and He dwells in our house/ our physical self where He can feed us spiritually.
We cannot enter the realm of the kingdom of God unless we are born again from above by a birth unlike physical birth. John 3:7 You must be born again from above.
Yeshua/Jesus’ words are not simply a command but a fact based on the authority of His Father. The evidence of this new birth is that we have yielded ourselves so completely to the Father that Messiah is formed in us and His nature begins to work through us. The fact that God came, and the evidence was there in the flesh; is what made redemption possible for each one of us, for whosoever will receive Him.
Although we have clear scriptural references that Messiahs birth was not exactly on 25th December, religious traditions give us the perfect opportunity to tell people the real reason for the season, lets’ make the most of it. Previous posts on related themes with many more insights are listed below for new readers. Hannukah was a time of dedication and lighting lights to lift up the light of our world – Jesus/Yeshua Messiah, Lord and soon returning King.
https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-lambs-tale-and-a-mysterious-tower/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/because-he-came/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/truth-vs-traditions/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/is-emmanuel-also-in-us/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/is-el-eem-anu/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-missing-piece/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/who-lights-up-your-life/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/may-this-be-a-shannah-of-shalom-a-year-of-peace/
However we celebrate, let’s keep our eyes on Him, the author and finisher of our faith, and keep looking up for our redemption is closer now than when we first believed.
One day soon there will be true shalom, peace on earth!
Soon and very soon we are going to see the Sar Shalom – Prince of Peace and King of kings. There have been many babies born that became kings but only one King that became a baby!
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
It’s Time For A Breakthrough!
We know of many names for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the scriptures, and also that they are not mere titles; but they tell us of our Heavenly Fathers character, His attributes, describing Who He is. As well as us knowing Him by His names, we are also better able to understand how He protects, sustains us and intervenes in our situation when necessary.
This reinforces that He is faithful – emeth – אֶמֶת
He is the One Who will bring us through to victory.
The Hebrew word translated faithfulness
means: steadfastness, firmness, fidelity.
The faithfulness of God means that our Heavenly Father is: unchanging in His nature,
true to His Word,
has promised salvation to His people, and
will keep His promises forever.
Strong’s Hebrew: 571. אֱמֶת (emeth) — firmness, faithfulness …
faith (1), faithful (2), faithfully (6), faithfulness (10), lasting (1), nor* (1), right (1), true (18), truly (4), truth (80), truth that you may correctly (1), truthful (2)
Transliteration: emeth
Phonetic Spelling: (eh’-meth)
אלוהי הנאמנות
God of faithfulness
Faithfulness in Hebrew is the word
emet.
This word emet
can also translate as the word for
truth.
Genesis 32:10
HEB: הַחֲסָדִים֙ וּמִכָּל־ הָ֣אֱמֶ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתָ
NAS: and of all the faithfulness which
KJV: of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed
INT: the lovingkindness all the faithfulness which have shown
One name we know very well from Psalm 23 is
the Lord our Shepherd.
Shepherd in Hebrew is Rohi.
Yahweh Rohi means: The Lord My Shepherd.
In Psalm 23, David calls upon his Shepherd to be his guide through both the good and the dark places in life. A shepherd feeds his flock and leads them to green pastures. Ezekiel 34:11-15. Yeshua/Jesus – our Good Shepherd is leading us, protecting us, delivering us, hearing us, feeding us, and so much more. When we allow Him to be all of these things to us, really allowing the Lord to be our Shepherd, then David’s words I shall not want will be ours too.
If the Lord is our Shepherd, then we are His sheep. Psalm 100:3 says Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
In Micah chapter 2 there is another reference to His people being as sheep:
Micah 2:12-13: “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make a great noise by reason of the multitude of men. The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.”
The Hebrew imagery and tradition gives us a great picture of a shepherd making an overnight place of protection for his sheep by building a makeshift rock wall up against the hillside.
When he lets the sheep out in the morning, the shepherd makes a hole/ a break, in the fence/wall by removing some of the stones. Then he steps through the break/gate and the sheep follow after him. They have been tightly corralled all night and the sheep push one another, all trying to get through at the same time, which in their eagerness to get out breaks the wall further, widening the opening. Finally they all break through out into the pasture and run after their shepherd.
In this passage the breaker and the king are one and the same person but, as the rabbis interpret it, the breaker is Elijah, and their king is the Messiah.
In the New Testament we can relate this to Matthew 17:12/13 where Yeshua/Jesus says But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. ….….Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them concerning John the Baptist.
The rabbis teaching on this passage in Micah 2 is that Elijah would come first as the breaker, the one who would make the first hole in the rock. He goes before the Messiah to prepare the way for Him.
The Messiah is the king who follows Elijah and leads the sheep through the gate to the kingdom of God. The ones following the Messiah will be so anxious to pass through the gate, that they will deliberately widen the gate, like the sheep, ready to get out of their pen and into green pastures.
in Matthew 11:12:it reads “And from the days of John the Baptist until the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”
The word violent in the Matthew passage in the Greek is biastes which carries the idea of breaking forth.
In the Aramaic the word used is qetira which has the idea of breaking away from a restraint.
In Jesus/Yeshuas day the teaching in Micah was well known and He was possibly referring to this passage in Micah when He spoke in Matthew 11:12 of taking the kingdom of God by breaking out or removing any restraints.
The translation of the Greek word biastes or of the Aramaic word qetira as violent, gives the impression of aggressive anger rather than the idea of an eager desire to be near the Messiah and unfortunately can be misleading.
What seems clear is that John the Baptist is the breaker here. He makes the breach/hole in the rock wall/gate and goes forth as he has opened the way. He is the Elijah that the rabbis suggest in their teaching on Micah 2. Now as the King, Yeshua/Jesus leads the people/sheep through, and they are so eagerly desiring to enter into the kingdom, like the sheep they break through the gate rushing to the Messiah and the kingdom of heaven.
if in this instance, Yeshua/Jesus is referring to the rabbis, then He is not talking about taking the kingdom by aggression and violence, but is referring to this imagery. This picture was one, which every one listening to Him knew from the old testament. This being, that the people/sheep will be so eager and excited to break out of their old traditions in order to follow the Messiah and enter the kingdom of Heaven; that they will biastes or qetira, that is, they will break down the narrow gate and widen it so that more and more can quickly break through.
In 2 Samuel 5:20 there is another picture of the Lord and of breaking through:
And David came to Baal-perazim, and he smote them there, and said, The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like the bursting out of great waters. So he called the name of that place Baal-perazim [Lord of breaking through].
He hath overpowered and scattered them, as waters, when they make a breach in a bank, overflow and carry all before them.
20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.”
Strongs 1188
Baal Peratsim: “possessor of breaches,”
a place in Palestine
Original Word: בַּעַל פְּרָצִים
Transliteration: Baal Peratsim
Phonetic Spelling: bah’-al per-aw-tseem’
From ba’al and the plural of perets; possessor of breaches;
2 Samuel 5:20
HEB: דָוִ֥ד בְּבַֽעַל־ פְּרָצִים֮ וַיַּכֵּ֣ם שָׁ֣ם
NAS: came to Baal-perazim and defeated
KJV: came to Baalperazim, and David
INT: came David to Baal-perazim and defeated there2 Samuel 5:20
HEB: הַה֖וּא בַּ֥עַל פְּרָצִֽים׃
NAS: he named that place Baal-perazim.
KJV: the name of that place Baalperazim.
INT: place he Baal-perazim1 Chronicles 14:11
HEB: וַיַּעֲל֥וּ בְּבַֽעַל־ פְּרָצִים֮ וַיַּכֵּ֣ם שָׁ֣ם
NAS: So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David
KJV: So they came up to Baalperazim; and David1Chronicles 14:11
HEB: הַה֖וּא בַּ֥עַל פְּרָצִֽים׃
NAS: they named that place Baal-perazim.
KJV: the name of that place Baalperazim.https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1188.htm
Strong’s Hebrew: 6559. פְּרָצִים (Peratsim) —
a mountain in Isr.
1 Chronicles 14:11
HEB: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֔יד פָּרַ֨ץ הָֽאֱלֹהִ֧ים אֶת־
NAS: God has broken through my enemies
KJV: God hath broken in upon mine enemies
INT: said and David has broken God enemies
1 break or burst out, from womb Genesis 38:29 (J; with accusative of congnate meaning with verb); from enclosure Micah 2:13.
break or burst out, from womb with the breaking of the waters just prior to giving birth.
1 chronicles 14:11 Baal-perazim. — Lord, or owner, of breaches, or breakings forth. “Baal” may refer to Jehovah ( comp. 1Chronicles 9:33, Note); and perāzîm may have also meant the fissures or gullies.
God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood.
So David and his men went up to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, God has burst out against my enemies by my hand.”
2 Samuel 5:20
HEB: דָּוִד֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר פָּרַ֨ץ יְהוָ֧ה אֶת־
NAS: The LORD has broken through my enemies
KJV: The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies
INT: David said has broken the LORD enemies
Strong’s Concordance 6555
parats: to break through
Original Word: פרַץ
Transliteration: parats
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-rats’)
Definition: to break throughNAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to break through
NASB Translation
became…prosperous (1), breaches (1), break (2), break their down (1), break down (1), break forth (1), breaker (1), breaking away (1), breaks through (2), broke (1), broke down (1), broken (3), broken down (5), broken through (2), destroyed (1), distributed (1), employ violence (1), everywhere (1), increase (1), increased (3), infrequent* (1), made (1), made an outburst (1), outburst* (2), overflow (1), sinks (1), spread (3), spread abroad (1), tear down (1), through (1), tore down (2), urged (4).
Strongs 6559
Peratsim: a mountain in Isr.
Original Word: פְרָצִים
Transliteration: Peratsim
Phonetic Spelling: (per-aw-tseem’)Perazim -p’tzim
Plural of perets; breaks;
פְּרָצִים֙ פרצים pə·rā·ṣîm pərāṣîm peraTzim
The breaking out of the sheep – the place of the breaches.
This is the place they left their gods and they were burned up completely. It’s a place of a spiritual battle.
David had a similar experience when he encountered the Lord fighting for them in 2 Samuel and 1chronicles. He described it as like a river bursting over its banks and overwhelming his enemies, a similar scene to the sheep rolling out over the stone walls, pictures the rush and flow or the breaking through.
Yeshua/Jesus our shepherd, our Messiah – our breaking through. He is Lord of breaking through.
Whatever prison we are in, whatever situation seem to have us penned in, He is the Way out, He is the breach that leads to our freedom. He is Lord of breaking through. Just like a river bursting over its banks, after the water has risen to the point beyond capacity, our Heavenly Father promises that we will never be tested beyond what we can handle and then the break through comes!
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
1Corinthians 10:13
He is the Lord our Shepherd, the One who makes a breach in the wall for us to rollout over the wall and follow Him like a overflow of rushing water eager to enter into His kingdom!
He is the Lord of the Breaking through. He is the place of the breaches. He is baal Perazim, He is the spiritual break through and the natural breaking through in our situation and circumstances.
Ba’al P’ratzim – Lord of breaking through.
Baal Peratsim: possessor of breaches.
It is time to burn our idols and any thing that we put before the Lord in our lives. David said God has broken through my enemies by my power like a river breaking through its banks. Because he obeyed the Lord’s command… the victory was assured.
Its time for us to paratz – to break through. John went before Messiah and Messiah has gone before us and opened the WAY. He knows where you are and your situation, He has not forgotten you… the Lord of breaking through has made a Way for you. Keep your eyes on Him, your Good Shepherd is about to call you out by name.
Read Micah 2:12,13 again…..
We are grafted into Israel through Messiah, Who is The breaker.… Who has come up before them: and passed through the Veil, the Gateway, the Dalet, the Door to the Father.
He is the King who has passed before us… the prison door is open wide what are we still doing inside?
He is the Lord our breakthrough,
believe it,
receive it
and see the salvation of the Lord today.
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
To Coin A Phrase.
What is meant by
a graven image?
In Hebrew the word
for image is pesel
translated in modern Hebrew as sculpture.
We are familiar with the term from
the 10 Commandments found in
Exodus 20:4.
HEB: תַֽעֲשֶׂ֨ה־ לְךָ֥֣ פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ ׀ וְכָל־ תְּמוּנָ֡֔ה
NAS: You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any
KJV: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness
INT: shall not make an idol any likeness
Strong’s Hebrew: 6459. פֶּ֫סֶל (pesel) — an idol, image
pesel: an idol, image
Original Word: פֶסֶל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: pesel
Phonetic Spelling: (peh’-sel)
Definition: an idol, image
This commandment is once again brought to our attention by Messiah Jesus/Yeshua in Matthew 22:15-23
In this passage the Pharisees and the Herodians really thought that they had Him trapped when they questioned Him about paying taxes.
Who were the Herodians?
The Herodians (Herodiani) were a sect of Hellenistic Jews. Herodian, one of a party of influential Jewish supporters of the Herodian dynasty (c. 55 bc–c. ad 93), which ruled in all or parts of Palestine and neighbouring areas.
At the time of Yeshua/Jesus, there were certain groups—the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees—that held positions of authority and power over the people. Other groups were the Sanhedrin, the scribes, and the lawyers. Each of these groups held power in either religious or political matters. The Herodians held political power, and most scholars believe that they were a political party that supported King Herod Antipas, the Roman Empire’s ruler over much of the land of the Jews from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39. The Herodians favored submitting to the Herods, and therefore to Rome, for political expediency. This support of Herod compromised Jewish independence in the minds of the Pharisees, making it difficult for the Herodians and Pharisees to unite and agree on anything. But one thing did unite them—opposing Yeshua/Jesus. Herod himself wanted Him dead (Luke 13:31), and the Pharisees had already hatched plots against Him (John 11:53), so they joined efforts to achieve their common goal.
The first appearance of the Herodians in Scripture is Mark 3:6, “Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” Messiah had been doing miracles, which caused some of the people to believe in Him for salvation, and that threatened the power and position of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians. The Herodians again joined with the Pharisees to challenge Him, to see if they could trap Him in His words by a trick question, to either discredit Him or to get Him to stop preaching (Matthew 22:16).
Jesus/Yeshua regarded the two groups as in unity against Him and warned His followers against them. “‘Be careful,’ Jesus warned them. ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod’” (Mark 8:15). Yeast in this context is false teaching, the rejection of Yeshua/Jesus as the Messiah, and hypocrisy. Many scholars believe that the Herodians looked to Herod as a messiah, a savior of sorts who would put the Jewish land in favor with the Roman Empire and bring blessings to them. His presentation of Himself as the Messiah was a threat to the Herodians’ attempt to make Herod the influential political power in the land.
In the future, the Bible tells us that many will be deceived by the antichrist and will view the antichrist as a “messiah.” He will be a political leader as well as a false religious leader, and he will promise peace and prosperity through his political programs. The Herodians at the time of Jesus/Yeshua were also focused on political goals rather than the eternal goals that Messiah proclaimed. They thought Herod might bring temporary peace politically. But Messiah came to bring us eternal salvation, by dying on the cross to pay for our sins. The lesson we learn from the error of the Herodians is that we are not to trust in man, as they trusted in Herod (Psalm 118:8). We are to put our trust in the Messiah Yeshua/Jesus and let His will be done in our lives and on the earth.
If He said yes, the Jewish leaders would stand against Him for supporting a pagan government and probably bring Him before the Sanhedrin for breaking the law.
Paying tax to a foreign government was considered paying a tithe to the government. This was not forbidden by Mosaic law but it was by the oral traditions of the fathers, which were written down later and became the Talmud. The Talmud was not considered to be inspired but it was authoritative; and to violate the teachings of the tradition of the fathers was a chargeable offence to be heard before the religious court or Sanhedrin.
Had Yeshua/Jesus said no, and agreed with the teachings of the tradition of the fathers, the Roman government would have arrested Him for treason.
For this seemingly no win situation, His response was very wise as well as interesting, when He says render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is Gods’.
Why did this really embarrass the Pharisees and Herodians?
On the surface it sounded like He was basically saying that it was alright to pay the taxes, in other words to pay them with Roman money and not the coins issued by the Temple. We must remember that there were both types of coins in circulation at that time. The temple tax was required of Jewish males over age 20, and the money was used for the upkeep and maintenance of the temple.
In Exodus 30:13–16, God told Moses to collect this tax at the time of the census taken in the wilderness.
In 2 Kings 12:5–17 and Nehemiah 10:32–33, it seems the temple tax was paid annually, not just during a census. This half-shekel tax wasn’t a large sum of money, but roughly equivalent to two days’ wages. According to the tractate Shekalim in the Talmud, the temple tax was collected during one of the these Jewish festivals: Passover, Pentecost, or Tabernacles.
The Temple Tax is also mentioned in the New Testament in Matthew 17:24–27.
After Jesus/Yeshua and His disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” The leaders may have been attempting to prove Yeshua/Jesus’ disloyalty to the temple or His violation of the Law. Peter affirmed that Jesus/Yeshua did pay the temple tax.
Yes, he does,” he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Messiah was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked.
“From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” Peter replied that kings collect from others because their children are exempt. Yeshua/Jesus’ point was that, since the
Temple was His Father’s House, He was exempt.
Why should the Son of God pay a tax to His own Father?
Even though Yeshua/Jesus, as the Son of God, and His disciples were exempt from paying the temple tax, they would pay it in order to not offend the Jewish leaders Matthew 17:27. “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us. and you will find a shekel.
Yeshua/Jesus then instructs Peter to throw out a fishing line, which would result in a catch. When Peter opened the fish’s mouth, he found a coin that happened to be the correct amount for the temple tax for them both.
Messiah used the question about the temple tax to teach a lesson. True Christians are free, but they must sometimes relinquish their rights in order to uphold their witness and not cause others to stumble. True freedom is not serving ourselves but others. Galatians 5:13.
Going back to Messiah’s reply to the Pharisees and the Herodians, we have no doubt heard many sermons on how clever this response was but was it ever explained why it was so clever? On the surface it seems like His enemies had Him right where they wanted Him.
Messiah Yeshua/Jesus calls them hypocrites in verse18.
Why did He call them hypocrites?
Jewish literature contains information about the second commandment that may explain in more detail and offer a possible answer to this question to help us to understand.
We saw at the start of the post that the second Commandment in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-2 says that you shall not make any graven image.
The word for make in Hebrew is ashah
this is followed by the word leka which means you.
Ashah leka has the idea of:
taking something to ourselves.
We are not to take for ourselves any graven image.
As already noted this word for
graven image is pesel
which means
to carve out or fashion something that is seen.
This carving or engraving may be of wood or metal.
We are not to take upon ourselves anything that is fashioned or to take on the representation or the mun/temunah, which is a likeness or physical manifestation of anything in the heavens above or the below or in the sea.
Mun -mun מ ו נ
Strong’s Hebrew: 8544.
תְּמוּנָה (temunah) — likeness, form
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. image, likeness, similitude.
Or tmunah {tem-oo-naw’};
from miyn; something portioned
(i.e. Fashioned) out, as a shape,
i.e. (indefinitely) phantom, or 4327
min: kind, species
Original Word: מִין
Transliteration: min
Phonetic Spelling: (meen)
‘Show Me the coin of the tribute.’ And they presented to Him a denarius. Matthhew 22:19.
Obviously the Jews were aware that a metal coin had an image engraved upon it. If that image was in the likeness of someone who was considered a god, which Caesar was in those days, then to process or to even carry such a coin was in violation of the second commandment. With this in mind when Messiah Jesus asked the Pharisee to produce a coin he pulled out a coin with Caesars likeness on it. These particular coins were called the tribute coin. It has the picture or image of Caesar Augustus Tiberius and the inscription Caesar Augustus Tiberius son of the divine Augustus.
To any Jew this was blasphemous as it claimed that Caesar Augustus Tiberius was a god. Because carrying this coin was in violation of the second commandment, Yeshua/Jesus used their own oral traditions to point out their hypocrisy. In his over zealous attempt to prove Yeshua/Jesus wrong the Pharisee may have overlooked the fact that he was admitting to idolatry by having such a coin in his pocket. The teaching they followed and understood was that to carry such a coin meant that he worshipped that god so by possessing that coin he was declaring that he worshiped a Roman god which was also Roman money.
Their attempts to trip Messiah up were exposed and He reversed their trap back on them. However during this exchange, Messiah put this commandment into its proper perspective.
Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s is not simply a reference to paying taxes with Roman currency, it was speaking of worship. The reason this Pharisee had Roman coins was probably because he was involved in business deals with the Romans which was not against the law, however Jesus/Yeshua knew his heart and what was not alright was that in his heart, money was his god.
Similar to the story of the rich young ruler. This Pharisee had broken the second commandment to make money, the Lord God King and creator of the universe was not first and foremost in his life, money was.
What Messiah was pointing out was that they were accusing Him of breaking oral law, traditions of the fathers, which was not Torah, when they were breaking the second commandment by having such a coin in their possession.
This was what He was referring to as being hypocritical and we must remember that Messiah knew their thoughts Matthew 9:4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?
And Jesus knew their thoughts, Matthew 12:25-30
Luke 5:22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
John 2:25 No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.
The question we should ask ourselves is:
are there any graven images in our possession?
As we approach the ‘Christmas season’, our thoughts turn to gifts and lighting decorations and maybe less towards the greatest gift ever given, Who became the Light of the world. Let’s make certain our Heavenly Father /Messiah are first and foremost in our thoughts and the direction of our lives and that we are not carrying any pesels or coins of hypocrisy.
Though not one of the 7 festivals Moedim/ Appointed Times of the Lord, Chanukah began last evening and concludes 15th December.
As we light the lights of Chanukah let’s focus on Messiah, the light shining into this dark world and allow His Spirit in us to draw the lost to His saving grace.
Whether lighting the lights or not, Happy Hanukkah to every reader!
Below are links to posts on chanukah.
https://www.minimannamoments.com/who-lights-up-your-life/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/hanukkahchanukah-believers-today/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/chanukah-or-hanukkah/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/lhahd-leek-ner-shel-chahookah-to-light-the-lights-of-chanukah/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-miracle-of-the-hammer-men/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/chanukah-or-hanukkah/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-the-fourth-candle/
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