God
has spoken many different ways throughout history. He has had living and
vibrant relationships with many men and women. Some of these have been recorded
in what we call the Scriptures; writing that has been deemed to be sacred
because of its significance. God continues to speak to us today through these
means, although He is not limited to them. He spoke directly to the prophets even
though they had “God’s written word” in the form of the Torah. God can and also
does speak today outside of the “Bible”. God never contradicts what He has
already said (the same held true when He gave the Prophets and the Writings).[1]
There is great reward in knowing the Scriptures, for it reveals more of the God
who speaks in them. If we don’t know what He has already said, how will we be
able to hear Him speak in the future?
Because
of the surplus of Scripture copies and accessibility to the biblical narrative
at our every whim and convenience, we just don’t know them all that well. Our
lives are so filled with “stuff” day in and out; even good things. If our adversary can keep us busy, even with good things, to keep our attention detoured from God’s greatest, he has done well.
Jesus
was born, raised and spent his life among people who knew their Scripture by
memory. Even today, “devout” Jewish people are light years ahead of the
“devout” Christians in this area. In 2006 a Jewish Rabbi named Yizchak Kaduri
died. He was known to have had the Talmud and the Tanakh (Old Testament)
memorized. This is not as uncommon as one would think. With our modern title
headings, chapter and verse markings, it has promoted breaking the Bible up in
segments and disregarding the letters and books as a whole. We don’t have need
to know the text well because we rely on pastors and theologians to do that for
us. If we want to know more, we just read the best commentaries and listen to expositors
that are reputable in our eyes, or watch a little YouTube.
The Scriptures
and the records they contain were transmitted orally for generations before
they were ever written down. They were written in song, and poetic form (such
as Genesis). They would be recited while walking, working or any type of
activity. It is a part of life, not like the Greek mentality of secular and
spiritual life segregation. God desires His words to be on the lips and hearts
of His people. The Shema, the creed of Israel (the statement that defines who
they/we are to be) says: “Hear,
O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! "You shall love the LORD
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."These
words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach
them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house
and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
"You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals
on your forehead."You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and
on your gates” (Deut 6). Jesus re-affirms
the importance of this in Mark 12.
It should be no surprise that the New Testament
records prominent Jews who practice this very thing. Sure, there is no “life”
in the Scriptures, without relationship it is just legalistic and religious
deadness (John 5:38-40). It is the Scriptures
that tell of our “bridegroom”, the one with whom we are in covenant
relationship. They tell of His working in the lives of our fathers before us. They
reveal to us the splendor of His plan and show us how that plan was unveiled at
specific times, and continues to unfold. There is no life in mere paper and
ink, but the Scriptures speak about life and shalom. Walking with God really
comes down to hearing what He wants from me in my life now, at this moment. It
may not look the same in a year, but with His help I will be listening then for
His Words, for that moment. A relationship with the God of Israel is not
scripted. It is played out as we listen to the Director's instructions for each
scene. The true Torah and Scriptures are inscribed in and on our hearts.[2]
Jesus being driven into the Judean wilderness is a
prime example of Scripture flowing out of the heart. In his temptation, he
quotes the text, Deut 8, 6, 10. As
mentioned above, it is not just the
text, because in this narrative the devil also quotes the text. If you look at
the context of the passage which Matthew records the devil quoting, it is a
self condemnation.
Think back to the Garden of God. Adam sinned and
blamed Eve. Eve then in turn blames the serpent; “And the Lord God said to the snake…there will be war between you and
the woman and between your seed and her seed: by him will your head be crushed
and by you his foot will be wounded” (Gen 3:14,
15). The promise to the serpent was that there would be perpetual war
between the woman and the serpent, between sons of the Devil and of man (Hebrew
– adam).
The Devil starts tempting Jesus by attempting to
persuade him to turn stone to bread. Jesus quotes Deut 8 and speaks of the
“true nourishment” which comes from the mouth of God. Jesus is then taken to
the temple where he is tempted to “jump”. The Devil quotes from the book of Psalms. He quotes a Psalm that some
feel was written by Moses. It does not really matter, but is interesting that
the Devil and Jesus are both possibly quoting Moses. The Devil quotes, (Psalm 91:11-12) “for He will give His angels charge
concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their
hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.” What I had never
seen in this passage, is its context. Whether the writer of the book of Matthew
devised it this way, or the Devil was just that ignorant, it is clear however,
that the prophecy from Genesis is at
work.
Right after the “verse” quoted by the Devil is
this, “You will tread upon the lion and
cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down. “Because he has
loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. "He will
call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will
rescue him and honor him."With a long life I will satisfy him And let him
see My salvation." Like many of the Psalms, the writer is speaking of two individuals in the third
person. There is Yahweh (LORD), and the other is un-named (Psalm 110:1 is a good example).
In the context of how Matthew has the Devil quoting
this passage (Psalm 91) (which I do
believe is correct), it goes like this: “For
He [Yahweh, the LORD] will give His
[Yahweh, the LORD] angels charge
concerning you [messiah], To guard
you [messiah] in all your
[messiah’s] ways. They [angels of
Yahweh, LORD] will bear you [messiah]
up in their [angels] hands, That you [messiah] do not strike your [messiah’s] foot against a stone. You [messiah, descendant
of Eve] will tread upon the lion and
cobra [enemy of Eve and her seed], The
young lion and the serpent [enemy of Eve and seed] you [messiah] will trample
down. "Because he [messiah] has loved Me [Yahweh, the LORD], therefore I [Yahweh, the LORD] will deliver him [messiah]; I [Yahweh, the LORD] will set him [messiah] securely on high, because he [messiah] has known My [Yahweh, the LORD] name. "He [messiah] will call upon Me [Yahweh, the LORD], and I [Yahweh, the LORD] will answer him [messiah]; I [Yahweh, the LORD] will be with him [messiah] in trouble; I [Yahweh, the LORD] will rescue him [messiah] and honor him [messiah]. "With a long life I [Yahweh, the
LORD] will satisfy him [messiah] And let him [messiah] see My [Yahweh, the LORD] salvation."
That is absolutely
amazing! Matthew has the Devil quoting a passage that condemns him and has a
descendant of Eve crushing his head, but you have to know the context of the
passage to see it! Right there in Matthew
4, if you know Psalm 91, then
you would know by the usage of that passage that the Devil is the looser. The
prophecy is true, her descendant is still crushing the head of his.
This passage harmonizes beautifully with not only
the other prophecies about the messiah (Isaiah
42, 49, 53), but also how the witnesses recorded him being “anointed” as
messiah. Being given a name that is greater than all other names, and being
elevated to the right hand of God, i.e. “placed on high”. We as his followers
will also share in his victory, “seated in heavenly places” (Eph 2:4-7). I wish I had the time to go
through all these passages that speak and perfectly compliment this Psalm 91 passage, for they are
absolutely incredible!
Another one of my favorite New Testament examples
of text recitation and Torah in one’s heart is Paul. Paul (in the tradition of
his Pharisaical order) would have most likely had the Tanakh (OT) and other
large portions of Jewish law (Mishnah) and literature (poets, philosophers, Acts 17:28) memorized.
There is one specific instance where Paul and his
traveling companion Silas, are locked up in Philippi after being stripped and
beaten (Acts 16:22-24). They had
been “proclaiming…the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17),
but when they touched the pocket book and money strings of the wrong
individuals, they found themselves sitting in prison bound. The passage specifically
says “at midnight” they “prayed and sang praises”. Why does the text specify midnight?
Does it really matter what time of day, or is there a deeper purpose? I believe
they did this because it is in the Text.
Paul is a Jew who knows his Scripture. Paul loves
the text and “delights” in it (Psalm
1:2, 22:8, 112:1). Take a look at Psalm
119, and see if there might be an answer as to why Paul and Silas did what
they did, and why God answered them in such a resounding manner. Remember the
context and the false accusation under which Paul and Silas find themselves. Psalm 119:
Remember the word to Your servant, In which You
have made me hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word
has revived me.
The arrogant utterly deride me, Yet I do not turn aside from Your
Torah.
I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O
LORD, And comfort myself.
Burning indignation has seized me because of the
wicked, Who forsake Your Torah.
Your statutes are my songs In the house of my
pilgrimage.
O LORD, I remember Your name in the night, And keep
Your Torah.
This has become mine, That I observe Your precepts.
The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep
Your words.
I sought Your favor with all my heart; Be gracious to me according
to Your word.
I considered my ways And turned my feet to Your
testimonies.
I hastened and did not delay To keep Your
commandments.
The cords of the wicked have encircled me, But I have not forgotten Your Torah.
At
midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You Because of Your righteous
judgements.
I am a companion of all those who fear You, And of
those who keep Your precepts.
The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O LORD;
Teach me Your statutes.
You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD,
according to Your word.
Teach me good discernment and knowledge, For I
believe in Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I
keep Your word.
You are good and do good; Teach me Your statutes.
The arrogant have forged a lie against me; With all
my heart I will observe Your
precepts.
Their heart is covered with fat, But I delight in Your Torah.
It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may
learn Your statutes.
The Torah of Your mouth is better to me Than
thousands of gold and silver pieces (Acts 16:16,19).
Is it possible that this is what was going through
Paul’s mind? We can’t say for sure, but it is an amazing similarity. God does
bless His people for using the words He has given.
God has given the Scriptures
for use to edify, strengthen and verify. They ultimately tell us of Him. The
more we know them, the more they flow through us. When we know what He has
spoken, we learn the way He speaks, and thus become hearers ourselves. Jesus
used the text because it was inside of him and flowed from his inmost being. He
quoted three times from the Torah in his confrontation with the Devil. Paul
used the text and delighted himself in the words and Torah of God. Should we do
any less? If we will immerse ourselves in that which He has given, God will use
it and bless us in more ways than we can possibly imagine. For Jesus and Paul,
it was strength in adversity that was the blessing.
1
The prophets and most of the writings came after the Torah had already been
given.
2
Torah means teaching, not law, (at least the most Christians would view it).
God’s “teaching” or Instruction/Torah is life. It is not just a collection or
list of rules. The Torah of God far exceeds paper and ink. Rom. 2:13-15 “For it is not merely
the hearers of Torah whom God considers righteous; rather, it is the doers of
what Torah says who will be made righteous in God's sight. For whenever
Gentiles, who have no Torah, do naturally what the Torah requires, then these,
even though they don't have Torah, for themselves are Torah! For their lives
show that the conduct the Torah dictates is written in their hearts. Their
consciences also bear witness to this, for their conflicting thoughts sometimes
accuse them and sometimes defend them.”
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