Posted on 01/21/2011 3:01:25 PM PST by pastorbillrandles
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.(Psalm 2:1-3)
The first two Psalms go together. Perhaps it isn’t immediately apparent, because in some ways they are completely different, but I believe the Holy Spirit led those who placed them side by side as the opening of the Psalter.
Psalm one examines a lone individual, a God worshipping , scripture meditating disciple who has made a serious break with the thinking of his day. He is separate internally, he seeks other counsel than the prevailing opinions, he loves to be constantly re-oriented in his soul to the Word of God.
He is described in the singular, whereas the “ungodly”, the “sinners and the scornful” are pluralities in the Psalm. The assumption is that it is their worldview which is the prevailing thinking of the day. This one stands alone, and nourishes himself by a different fountain than everyone else.
The second Psalm, on the other hand, looks at the whole world. The entire planet is in a state of revolt, led by its political, educational, and religious leaders. The nations of the world are in turmoil, and their populations are gripped by an empty illusion,( A vain imagination). Traditional restraints are cast into the wind, a kind of social revolution is taking place, led by the elite on all levels.
I believe that though this Psalm has been fulfilled in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, involving the collusion of Pilate, Herod, and the corrupt high priests of Israel, (Acts 4:25-28) there is a further eschatological application of it as well. This Psalm is a prophecy of the geopolitical and cultural reality at the time of the coming of the Lord in Glory to Judge the world in Righteousness.
The nations are definitely in an uproar, indeed, “the heathen Rage“. Consider our times,
China rages, for it is awakening after two centuries of humiliating subjugation by western colonial powers,(the opium wars, etc), the harrowing World War 2 experience, a massive social upheaval , Communist revolution and the pragmatic decision to Capitalize their economy while remaining a totalitarian communist entity .
The perception is that it is time for China to take her place as a world power, increasing her presence in the competition for African resources, oil and gas, military dominance of the Pacific region , etc. China’s generals are bellicose in their pronouncements about their ability to reach cities like Los Angeles with their missiles. To the long remembering Chinese, there are definite scores to settle.
Russia also rages. The desire for the former glory as a world superpower has catapulted former KGB operative Vladimir Putin into a popular icon in Russia. The Russians have been newly empowered by oil money, they are re-arming at an alarming rate, and the brutal crushing of Georgia, in the final days of the Bush presidency was reminiscent of the worst of the old Soviet suppressions.
Russia also sees itself as a player in the middle east, arming Syria ,Hezbollah controlled Lebanon, and aiding Nuclear Iran in spite of world sanctions.
The Muslim World rages also, due to several converging factors. The rebirth of the State of Israel, and its successful repelling of invasions by combined Muslim armies has humiliated and inflamed the Moslem world. The existence of Israel, a modern, secular, western democracy in the very heart of the middle east is an affront to Muslim pride.
To make matters worse, the secularizing trend that swept the Moslem world after World War 1 has been seen as a failure in the Ummah, and perhaps even the cause of Islam’s failure to eradicate te Jewish state. As a consequence, Islamism has swept the world,in the form of Wahhabism, a puritanical Sunni version of Islam. It has been fueled by oceans of oil money , pouring out of Saudi Arabia, literally radicalizing once complacent Muslims from Indonesia to California, causing havoc.
When a Christian is revived and becomes more like Jesus, good things happen, people are helped, healed, encouraged, virtue is promoted and everyone benefits. When Muslims are revived to become more like the pirate and murderer that they consider to be ‘the perfect man’, bad things, terrible and even violent things happen.
The Nations of the World are in an uproar, Africa is turbulent, India and Pakistan are both Nuclear, and hate each other with a passion, Shia Islam has conducted the first successful modern Jihad, with the help of the Jimmy Carter administration, pulling the rug out from underneath the Shah of Iran. Europe is literally dying, due to birth control and abortion, and the Western democracies are going broke, thanks to the failed Socialistic policies that became widespread after World War 2.
This is the setting of Psalm 2, where the attention is turned to the leaders, the Kings of the earth, and the rulers.
This is what that Book has un-covered..The Gospel of Mark has been recorded in part of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Gospel of Matthew was written within a few years of Jesus’s death and resurrection..The accounts were an eye witness to
Christ..The language Jesus spoke was Hebrew and Aramaic he conversed with the Pharisees, as well as speaking Aramaic to people outside of Jerusalem....
There is no record at all that says a Gentile was involved in writng the Gospels...
Jewish Apocalyptic Writings:
The “Dead Sea Scrolls”
OF THE JERUSALEM TEMPLE, ZEALOTS & PELLA-BOUND CHRISTIANS
“7Q5 = Mark 6:52-53”
http://www.preteristarchive.com/BibleStudies/DeadSeaScrolls/7Q5_mark.html
<< Mark 6:52 >>
For they considered not [the miracle] of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
Mark 8:17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
Mark 8:21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Angels can become physical because they are finite.
“[B]efore committing to the path of the Torah, the non-Jew’s intellectual sefirot are subordinate to the emotional/behavioral ones. Or, in other words, the non-Jew is innately earthbound. It is exactly to correct this estrangement from all that is Divine and heavenly in nature, that the seven Laws of Bnei Noach were given.
A non-Jew that commits to the Bnei Noach commandments, experiences a refinement of the seven emotional/behavioral powers within the soul. The individual’s physical aspect will begin to serve his or her intellect, and this makes it possible to see through the three uppermost levels of the soul and envision the One.
Simultaneously, by adopting the seven Laws of Bnei Noach, the individual reaches the understanding that rectification comes only with subservience to the Torah and as defined by its parameters; this, as opposed to the notion that an untamed desire to ascend spiritually is what brings one closer to God. It is then possible to truly comprehend that God has created a world full of opposites in order that they may consciously be united by all people, thereby revealing God’s ultimate Oneness.
When all this happens—and quite often it happens most suddenly—a non-Jew experiences a profound spiritual transformation. But when it does not (and indeed a non-Jew is likely to neglect his or her God-commanded obligations), he or she remains unable to apprehend God’s true unity, and is apt to fall into idolatry. This often manifests itself in a distorted worship of some sort—such as the stars, nature, yogis, the pantheon of “gods,” money, etc. All are forms of idolatry which can be defined as the worship of anything or anyone other than the One God. Even the seemingly innocuous modern day movie stars, music stars, and sports stars all contribute to distorting one’s ability to commit to worshiping the Almighty.”
- Rabbi Yitzchak Ginzburg
Kabbalah and Meditation for the Nations
Chapter 3: The Mystical Symbolism of the Seven Laws of Bnei Noach, part 2
The religious leaders thought they could trip Jesus up on the Law, when they brought the woman caught in the Act of Adultery to him....
The scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.
But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
JOHN 8
Hate to tell you this, but John 8:1-11 are spurious. They are later insertions, they did NOT exist in the earliest manuscripts.
So much for profound.
What does this have to do with anything?????
Thank you for posting that.
All people have fallen into idolatry wether Jew or Gentile...
Another problem I have is with who you say is a Non-jew? I have jews in my family, I have friends who are Jewish by both parents but don’t believe in G-d...I know a Jewish person who turned to Buddhism..I know many Jews who are Messianic, so it seems that claim can not be isolated to who’s who in my opinion....
I appreciate your comments, but I don’t find anything you have written in Scripture or Torah? If I have missed something, please direct me to scripture validating your claims...
I agree anybody worshipping some other than 1 G-d creator of Heaven and Earth falls into idolatry....
But I would like to ask you, if Angels are finite, why didn’t G-d just destroy them and Lucifer when they rebelled in the Divine Realms?
If we go back to the time of the flood, when all the wicked perished and only the family of Noah survived, all the people that survived at that time were gentiles. The covenant made at that time, in Genesis 9, is known as the Noahic Covenant, and was for all people.
Later at Sinai another covenant was made, this time with those that became the Israelites. This covenant consisted of the same things as the Noahic covenant, but it had additional commandments as well. These additional commandments pertained to the Israelites because they were to be a light unto the nations. They were to be an example to the gentiles. The Israelites were to be a Holy nation. The extra commandments pertained to dietary guidelines for purity, they also contained commandments for their ‘priesthood’, and Sabbath keeping.
Now, back to Noah and his family. As people dispersed, they took the Noahic Covenant with them. This is why we see so many similarities between so many religions of the world. There are differences too. These differences are what we call today ‘traditions of man’. Remove these differences, and focus on the similarities and you find 3 things.
1. Belief in G-d
2. Instructions in moral conduct (we know them as the 10 commandments, but other religions call them other things, such as the 10 fold path, the negative confessions, the precious garland, the 10 charges, etc.)
3. The Golden rule, or Royal rule. We know this as ‘do unto others’.
Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence. (Confucianism - Mencius VII.A.4 )
Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. (Christianity - Bible, Matthew 7:12)
Tsekung asked, “Is there one word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life?” Confucius replied, “It is the word shu—reciprocity: Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.” (Confucianism - Analects 15.23)
Confucious predates Yehoshua (Jesus) by about 500 years.
Baptism is a man made tradition. G-d knows your heart, your every thought. He knows if you belong to Him or not. He doesn’t need baptism, an outward sign to know if you love Him. Your actions and thoughts will tell him all He needs to know.
There is One G-d, not two, not three. One.
G-d didn’t expect us to be ‘perfect’. He knew that we would at times fail. This is why He gave us repentance and prayer. When you fall, get back up, acknowledge your shortcoming and strive to do better next time. G-d forgives as often as necessary, all we have to do is repent and ask for forgiveness.
Proverbs 24
16 For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again, but the wicked stumble under adversity.
G-d/YHWH is our savior, there is no other. We do NOT need a mediator, G-d knows our hearts and thought before we even think them.
Be good to people, especially those in need. Help others.
It isn’t about labels. G-d didn’t give a name to the faith He wanted people to practice. He simply asked us to obey His instructions. Those instructions are more important than any label. You either belong to G-d, or you don’t.
When a gentile strays from the Noahic covenant, they stray back into paganism, but, they can return to G-d at any time.
In Jeremiah YHWH promises the descendants of Israel (who, through captivity, exile, and intermarriage with Gentiles became assimilated and inculturated Gentiles today) that they will find “grace in the wilderness” (verse 2).
They returned to YHWH.
The thing about the Noahic and Mosaic Covenants is that they are bound together by their Commandments, they complement each other, they strive for the same goal.
Yehoshua was Jewish. He was not ever a Christian.
That's because you are not separating Jewish the faith from Jewish the bloodline.
Maybe this will help a little.
These are the various types of people we are dealing with in the first century.
So let me put this simply if I can...
You see alot of *legalism* with the relationship between Mankind and G-d?
Does *works* enable *Man* to boast? Meaning one man can say I know G-d better or I have better favor with G-d because of my legalistic and spiritualistic knowledge and behavior of G-d?
Do you see Mankind spending an infinite time always trying to please G-d?
Of course not. By trying to keep His instructions we can be closer.
There is a mark of G-d, just as there is a mark of the beast. The mark of G-d is his Torah, Divine instruction.
Yes, that is why Yehosua told people to repent, to keep G-d's commandments.
Matthew 3
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 3:
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
What sort of fruits do you think he meant? Bananas, apple? WORKS!
Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 9:13
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Matthew 11:20
Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Mark 6
11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
Numbers 23
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
You know I have been reading all your posts, and something came to me that I would like to share with you.....
I speak on another site with many people who have abandoned G-d faith and religion and are really hostile to G-d, they blame religion for all the hate and War in the world, they could care less about Israel, and one of the main things they constantly tell me, is that the G-d of the Old testament is Cruel, Evil and hates people, as I always bring in the love of Christ, his Gospel teachings and his love of trying to reconcile Sinners to a Holy Just G-d.
YET:
They always throw scripture at me how YAWEH killed babies and children in Noah’s flood, how GOD has been punishing the Jews by letting them spend 40 years in the Wilderness, they go on about the Canaanites and on and on about the Monster they think the G-d is off the Old Testament.
They say many Atheist and Secular people do good things and do not need a G-d to be a decent human being and do the right thing, and other writings have taught on the Ten Commandments like the Code of Hammurabi ...
You seem to be or have a very legalistic idea of G-d as someone who just wants *Obedience* lastly you said: The thing about the Noahic and Mosaic Covenants is that they are bound together by their Commandments, they complement each other, they strive for the same goal.
What is that goal? and when will that goal finally be completed?
That goal is spiritual perfection as hlmencken3 mentioned, and someday, yeah I think it will.
By your own admission, the G-d of the OT is NOT the same as the god of the NT. That should tell you something. Things/people that are impure cannot be in G-d's presence. That's why we have to keep trying to improve ourselves.
Luke 18
19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
First off, Jesus is pointing out that he is NOT G-d. Second, keep the commandments.
Maybe we can see it this way...
The OT- Is Man’s Attempt to please GOD
The GOSPEL- Is GOD reaching down to Mankind...
One thing I have learned everyone will see the G-d the way they want and that is not going to change anytime soon...
It was nice chatting with you this evening...
:)
No...I guess i wasnt clear. G-d never appears in a form (Deut 4) because people would then worship the form and that is EXACTLY what G-d wants to never have happen. NEVER WORSHIP A FORM.
Yes, maybe tomorrow you can come back and actually address several of my posts to you.
More like the Torah is YHWH reaching down to mankind.
I really can’t think of any response to someone who thinks angels are infinite beings!
Except maybe, “Look up the definition of ‘infinite’ in a dictionary”?
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