The Mind of Christ (Yeshua): Phil. 2:6-11

The Philippian believers were probably mostly Gentiles. There is no reference of a synagogue present in Philippi when Paul first visited them, nor is there mention of a Jewish presence. We can assume then that these believers had little background with the Tanakh (Old Testament). When Paul writes to them, he doesn’t directly quote any Old Testament scriptures. This is the only epistle of which this is the case. Instead, Paul cites examples of how they are to live. He begins with the example of Yeshua from 1:27 to 2:18, continues with the examples of Timothy in 2:19-24, Epaphroditus in 2:25-30, and concludes citing his own example in 3:1-16. Even though Paul does not quote the Old Testament, the epistle has the flavor of its Hebrew roots and Jewish author.

One place in particular that shows the Hebraic “flavor” is in the example of Yeshua. Paul exhorts the Philippians to be like minded with one another going on to describe that like-mindedness as having the mind of Christ.

Philippians 2:2-5 NKJV 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

Paul, then, breaks in Hebraic poetry in describing the mind of Christ. Hebraic poetry has the quality of “parallelism.” Each phrase is repeated using slightly different words but conveying the same meaning. A good example of this is Psalm 2 which begins with the stanza:

Psalms 2:1-2 NKJV 1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,

In this stanza, we see the following equivalences:

·         The nations rage = The people plot a vain thing

·         The kings of the earth set themselves = The rulers take counsel together

·         Against the LORD = Against His anointed

The passage in Philippians has this same quality of parallelism. Not only does this passage exhibit Hebraic parallelism, it exhibits the trait of chiasm (Ky’-az-um) a symmetric writing pattern in which the ideas are presented in reverse order around a central theme. While not unique to the Bible, this structure is pervasive in the Torah.

What, then, is this mind of Christ that Paul communicates through this piece of Hebraic poetry? We quote it here from Young’s Literal translation so we more readily see the form of the original writing.

Philippians 2:6-11 YLT 6 who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God, 7 but did empty himself, the form of a servant having taken, in the likeness of men having been made, 8 and in fashion having been found as a man, he humbled himself, having become obedient unto death--death even of a cross, 9 wherefore, also, God did highly exalt him, and gave to him a name that is above every name, 10 that in the name of Jesus every knee may bow--of heavenlies, and earthlies, and what are under the earth-- 11 and every tongue may confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Breaking this down to its chiastic structure and parallel phrases, the passage looks like this:

A: Being in the form of God = Not robbery to be equal with God

B: Emptied himself = Took the form of a servant

C: Made in the Likeness of men = Fashion as a man

D: Humbled Himself = Obedient unto death: death on the cross

C: God has highly exalted him = God has given him a name above every name

B: At the name of Jesus every knee should bow = Every tongue should confess

A: Jesus Christ is Lord = Glory of God the Father

Paul begins and ends by clearly stating the deity of Yeshua. His natural state is equal with God and His lordship is the glory of the Father. Yeshua then emptied Himself. Note that this is a voluntary choice. He is the one who empties Himself. Emptying oneself is to take on the form of a servant! Take a moment and just ponder this concept.

Yeshua then came in the likeness of men; He was fashioned as a man. The Greek words for “likeness” and “fashion” mean, respectively, “to resemble” and “the outward appearance.” This presents that mystery that Yeshua is both fully divine and fully human. He is like us but not entirely; He is much more!

Yeshua, who is much more than we are, demonstrates true humility to us. To be humble is to be obedient! In this era in which we emphasize God’s grace, we lose sight of God calling us to a life of holiness—a life of obedience. This word translated obedient is #5255.  hoop-ay'-ko-os from 5219; attentively listening, i.e. (by implication) submissive:--obedient. It is formed from two words, hupa meaning under and akouo meaning to hear.

#5219. hoop-ak-oo'-o from 5259 and 191; to hear under (as a subordinate), i.e. to listen attentively; by implication, to heed or conform to a command or authority:--hearken, be obedient to, obey.

The root word akouo is the Greek word used in the Septuagint to translate sh’ma, which means to hear and obey! Yeshua, who is equal to God, humbles Himself to hear and obey even to obedience on the cross! This is the central theme of this piece of poetry! This is the mind of Christ! This is the mind Paul exhorts us to have in us!

The result of Yeshua’s obedience, of emptying Himself and humbling Himself to death on the cross, is exaltation. God the Father has exalted Him and given Him a name to which everyone bows and confesses that He is Lord. This is the glory of God the Father!

Yeshua tells His disciples that those who want to be great in God’s kingdom will be those who humble themselves, emptying themselves of “self” and taking the form of a servant.

Mark 9:33-35 NKJV 33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?" 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

In our flesh, we resist this injunction. Surely, we don’t really need to empty ourselves; we don’t need to really become the servant. We think we can practice righteousness by following the rules; by outward appearance. But this only leads to weariness and resentment. Yeshua tells all who are burdened and weary to come to Him.

Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV 28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

This passage, like the one in Philippians, is Hebrew poetry in a chiastic structure.

A: All who labor = all who are heavy laden

            B: I will give you rest

                        C: Take my yoke upon you = Learn from Me

                        C: I am gentle = I am lowly in heart

            B: You will find rest

A: My yoke is easy = My burden is light

The central theme of this passage, like that of Philippians 2:6-11, is Yeshua’s humble nature. He is gentle and lowly in heart. But equal with that in the central position is our obedience, our total surrender to Him as we take on His yoke and learn from Him.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus

Shalom and be blessed,

Dan and Brenda Cathcart

Please visit our web site at www.moedministries.us

Torah Portion Vayera: The Eight Miraculous Mothers

Genesis 18:1 – 22:24; II Kings 4:1-37; Matthew 7-8

In this portion we find the story of the birth of Isaac to Sarah and Abraham.

Genesis 21:1-7 NKJV 1 And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him-whom Sarah bore to him-Isaac. 4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me." 7 She also said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age."

Sarah is the first of eight woman in the Bible often referred to as mothers, who were once barren and whom God had later opened their wombs and caused them to miraculously conceive a child.  The number eight, in the Bible, represents new beginnings and reflects the Hebrew concept of cycles.  There are seven days in a week, but the eighth day is the beginning of a new week; a new beginning.  

In the next generation, Rebekah became Isaac’s wife, but she was barren as well

Genesis 25:20-21 NKJV 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian. 21 Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Then we have Isaac’s son Jacob who was tricked by Laban into taking his eldest daughter Leah as his wife when all along Jacob desired to have Rachel.

Genesis 29:21-25 NKJV 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her." 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. 23 Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 24 And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?"

Even though Leah was not loved by Jacob, the LORD opened her womb and she conceived.

Genesis 29:31-32 NKJV 31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32 So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, "The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me."

In this passage we see that Rachel is also barren whom Jacob took as a wife in return for serving Laban another seven years.

Genesis 29:26-28 NKJV 26 And Laban said, "It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 "Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years." 28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also.

Rachel remained barren for quite some time but eventually God opened her womb and she gave birth to Joseph.

Genesis 30:25a NKJV  And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph…

Next we come across a man by the name of Manoah whose wife was barren.  Again the LORD opened her womb and she conceived a son.

Judges 13:2-3 NKJV 2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.

This son is none other than Samson.  It is interesting to note that the name of the mother of Samson is not recorded in scripture.  She is, in a way, hidden from us.  Her son Samson’s name means sunlight, but the source of “sunlight” is hidden.

#8123.  Shimshown,  shim-shone' from #8121; sunlight; Shimshon, an Israelite:--Samson.  #8121 shemesh,  sheh'-mesh from an unused root meaning to be brilliant; the sun.

The next barren woman we find in the Bible is Hannah

1 Samuel 1:5-6 NKJV 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb.

Year by year Hannah called out to God for the gift of a son.

1 Samuel 1:7-21 NKJV 7 So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat. 8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?" 9 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the LORD. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish. 11 Then she made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head."

Hannah made a vow and the LORD opened her womb and she conceived a son; a special son in Samuel.

The next time we see the mention of a barren woman is in the Gospels with Elizabeth, the wife of Zacharias the priest and cousin of Mary the mother of Yeshua.

Luke 1:5-7 NKJV 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

Again the LORD opened the womb of Elizabeth and she conceived a son whose name was Yochanan or John.

Luke 1:23-24 NKJV 23 And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months…

Yochanan is the seventh son to be born to a previously barren woman, and as such represents Spiritual Perfection and a complete cycle.  Just as the seventh day is the culmination of the week and being the Sabbath, brings a promise of rest, refreshment and renewal, so too the son of Elizabeth and Zacharias would be destined to point to rest, refreshment and renewal in the eighth Son to be born of a barren woman.  But in this case, it would be a different kind of barren, a virgin, and a different kind of son, the Son of God!  Mary, Elizabeth’s first cousin, who is betrothed to a man named Joseph from Nazareth, comes to Elisabeth’s home to reveal the news of her pregnancy.

Luke 1:26-33 NKJV 26 Now in the sixth month (of Elizabeth’s pregnancy) the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. (Hebrew = Yeshua) 32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

Yeshua is the light from God, the promised messiah, born of a virgin, a son of David, bringing to mankind a new beginning.  He is the light of the world, hidden from view in his first coming because of spiritual darkness and man’s separation from God.   Elizabeth’s son Yochanan reveals Yeshua as the Son of God to a darkened world.  In the seventh millennium, Yeshua will permanently occupy the Throne of David in Jerusalem and be a light for all nations to see. After this, the prophet Isaiah and John in Revelation record a new beginning for creation and mankind where Yeshua is the only light necessary.

Isaiah 65:17-18 NKJV 17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy.

Revelation 21:1-2, 23 NKJV 1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband… 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

Shalom and be blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

Volume 4 of our Bible study series “Shadows of the Messiah in the Torah” is now available.  See our website for details at www.moedministries.com

Torah Portion Lech-Lecha: Blessed and Grafted In

Genesis 12-17; Isaiah 40:27-41:16; Matthew 5-6

Genesis 12:3 NIV 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

The sages say that Abraham was a blessing to the nations through the souls he brought to worship God. As additional support for this position, the sages say that the phrase “will be blessed,” v’nivracu, is related to the term meaning to graft or to intermingle. So the text could be read, “All people will be grafted into you.”

The sages use this interpretation to explain how Ruth and Naamah could be the mothers of kings of Israel. Ruth was the great-grandmother of David and a Moabitess. Naamah was the mother of Solomon’s son Rehoboam and an Ammonite. Moabites and Ammonites were excluded from entering the congregation of the LORD to the tenth generation because they didn’t meet Israel with hospitality when Israel came out of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 23:3-4 MKJV 3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD. Even to their tenth generation they shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD forever, 4 because they did not meet you with bread and with water in the way when you came forth out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor, of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.

This would mean neither David nor Rehoboam would be considered an Israelite. Neither one would qualify for the throne! But if Ruth and Naamah could be considered as grafted into Abraham, then Ruth would no longer be a Moabite and Naamah would no longer be an Ammonite. We can see how Ruth can be considered grafted into Abraham. Her words as she leaves Moab with her mother-in-law Naomi reveal her heart.

Ruth 1:16-17 MKJV 16 And Ruth said, Do not beg me to leave you, to return from following after you. For where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.

Paul uses the same metaphor of grafting in Romans chapter 11.

Romans 11:17-21 MKJV 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and became a sharer of the root and the fatness of the olive tree with them, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you boast, it is not you that bears the root, but the root bears you. 19 You will say then, The branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. 20 Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, fear lest He also may not spare you either!

We are grafted into the olive tree that represents believing Israel. We are in that position because of faith. Paul equates the justification of the Gentiles by faith with the statement that all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

Galatians 3:8 MKJV 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations through faith, preached the gospel before to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all nations be blessed."

This is the gospel, the good news according to Paul. When Paul writes to the Ephesians from his prison in Rome, he says that he is in bonds for the “mystery of the gospel.”

Ephesians 6:19-20 MKJV 19 And pray for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in bonds; so that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

When we go back to Paul’s arrest as recorded in Acts, we see that he was arrested for proclaiming that God sent him to share the good news of salvation with the Gentiles.

Acts 22:21-22 MKJV 21 And He said to me, Go, for I will send you far away to the nations. 22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they lifted up their voice, saying, Take such a one from the earth! For it is not fitting that he should live.

Paul made it all the way through his story including his vision of Yeshua, his blinding and the restoration of his sight, his baptism and remission of his sins through the name of Yeshua. They were willing to believe that Paul had a vision of Yeshua but they were not willing to believe that God would send him with the message of salvation to the Gentiles. They did not believe that God would bless the Gentiles through the seed of Abraham as it says in the scriptures.  God will and has done just that.

יבורך שלום

Shalom and be blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

Please visit our web site at www.moedministries.com

Volume 4 of our Bible study series “Shadows of the Messiah in the Torah” is now available.  For a limited time we are offering the entire set, all 4 volumes at a special price.  Click on the link below for this special internet only offer.

www.moedministries.com/SOMSpecial.html

Men of Renown: Good Guys or Bad Guys?

What is a “man of renown?” Is it a compliment or an insult to be identified as a man of renown? Who are the men of renown in our culture? They are the sport stars, movie stars, musicians and the rich. To a lesser extent, they may be our national leaders. Some groups might identify a religious leader as a man of renown, but with few exceptions, it is unlikely that his name will be known among the broader population. In the time of Noah, God describes a group of men as men of renown. Is this a good quality to have or a bad?

Genesis 6:4 NKJV 4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

The Hebrew words that make up the phrase “men of renown” is msh isna: enoshe ha-shem from two Hebrew words #582 enosh which means mortal from a root word meaning feeble, frail, or sickly and from #8034 meaning name. A man of renown is a mortal whose name is known. In Hebrew, there are two other words that are also translated man. They are adam mda a term for mankind and any man in general, and iysh sia meaning a male person. The choice of the word enosh in this passage emphasizes the weakness of the men of renown and their inevitable death. The context of this verse is that God is describing how evil man has become. The next verse tells us that man’s thoughts were continually evil! So the men of renown in Noah’s time were not the “good guys!”

The next time this phrase is used is in Numbers to describe the leaders of Israel that rose up with Korah, Dathan and Abiram in rebellion against Moses and God.

Numbers 16:1-3 NKJV 1 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; 2 and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. 3 They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?"

Once again, this phrase “men of renown” is the Hebrew enoshe ha-shem. These men accused Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves above the rest of Israel. In reality, they were the ones who wanted to exalt themselves above the rest of Israel. They wanted to be great before the assembly. In contrast to their actions, Moses bows down before them and puts the decision of who is to be the leader and who are to be the priests up to God. He reminds Korah, the leader of the rebellion, of the exalted position God had actually given him.

Numbers 16:8-10 NKJV 8 Then Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi: 9 "Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; 10 "and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?

We know the end of the story. Korah, Dathan and Abiram are swallowed up by the earth when they attempt to usurp the duties of the priest by offering incense before the LORD. The two hundred fifty men of renown who followed Korah are consumed in the fire of God (Num. 16:34-35). Those known as men of renown were men desiring to be great in the eyes of man.

We jump ahead now to King Saul, the first king of Israel. King Saul, like the two hundred fifty leaders in the rebellion led by Korah, also attempts to take on the duties of the priesthood.

1 Samuel 13:9-11 NKJV 9 So Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me." And he offered the burnt offering. 10 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. 11 And Samuel said, "What have you done?"

Later, God instructed King Saul to wipe out the name of Amalek forever. He was to totally destroy all the belongings and even the livestock of Amalek. Most importantly, he was to slay King Agag of the Amalekites. This may sound brutal, but the reasons for this go back to Israel’s first days coming out of Egypt. King Saul, however, spared the best of livestock and King Agag. When questioned by Samuel, Saul stated that it was so they could bring an offering to God. As we read further, we see that that may have been Saul’s outward action, but his motivation was his own exaltation.

1 Samuel 15:26-31 NKJV 26 But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." 27 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. … 30 Then he said, "I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God." 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

Saul’s first words are an acknowledgement of sin, but his next words indicate that he is only thinking of himself. He pleads with Samuel to honor him in front of the people!

In the time of Noah, God repented that he created man.

Genesis 6:6 KJV 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Here in the account of King Saul, we read that God repented that He made Saul king.

1 Samuel 15:35 KJV 35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

In both verses, the Hebrew word for repented is nacham which means to sigh or breathe strongly. Other translations of Genesis 6:6 use the word grieve. We have an image of God grieving, breathing strongly, about man’s actions at the time of Noah and about King Saul elevating himself before the people.

King Saul was not the only king who sinned against God. In fact, the very next king, King David sinned in a much more spectacular manner, at least in our eyes. King David lusted after another man’s wife, got her pregnant, tried to fool the husband that the child was the husband’s child, and when that failed, he conspired to kill the man. In our minds Saul’s sin was a “white collar” crime; he stole a few goods and manipulated public opinion… just a typical politician. We would slap him on the wrist, fine him a few dollars and let him go. David’s sin on the other hand was murder by hire. We would send him away for life. Why didn’t God view these sins in the same way we would? It is all in the heart. Even after being confronted by his sin, Saul never truly repented. He didn’t understand that his sin was against God and he was only concerned with his image before the people. David on the other hand truly repented.

2 Samuel 12:13-16 NKJV 13 So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 "However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die." 15 Then Nathan departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became ill. 16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

David humbled himself before God acknowledging that his sin was ultimately against God and didn’t try to excuse his actions. He didn’t care what the people saw, he only sought God. (In case we think God didn’t punish David, read the rest of this account in 2 Samuel 12.)

The antichrist is like Saul. To outward appearances, he is not bad. But he exalts himself over all men even to the point of declaring that he is God.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NKJV 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

We need to look at one more example of a person of renown, that is, a person whose name is known. In the story of Ruth and Boaz, God blesses Ruth with a son who is the kinsman redeemer for Naomi.

Ruth 4:14-16 MKJV 14 And the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, so that his name may be famous in Israel. 15 And he shall be to you as a restorer of life, and one who cheers your old age. For your daughter-in-law who loves you has borne him, she who is better to you than seven sons. 16 And Naomi took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to it.

This son is described as Naomi’s kinsman redeemer not Boaz. Further, this son’s name will be famous not just in Bethlehem, but in Israel. The word famous is the Hebrew word “kara”, (Strong’s #7121) which means to call out.

The name of this son, this kinsman redeemer which will be called out in all Israel, is Obed. Obed means to serve (Strong’s #5744). Obed will not be famous for exalting himself above others, but for serving others.

Obed foreshadows another kinsman redeemer who comes to be a servant.

Philippians 2:5-11 NKJV 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

There is only one name that God exalts and that is the name of Yeshua who brings glory to God the Father. This name will be called out throughout the heavens and the earth.

We are to be like Yeshua, servants of God. On the night that Yeshua was betrayed, He washed His disciples’ feet.

John 13:12-17 NKJV 12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 "Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Don’t seek to be a man or woman of renown in this life, enosh ha-shem. Instead seek to be a person of renown in the world to come, adam HaShem, a person of His name.

יבורך שלום

Shalom and be blessed

Dan and Brenda Cathcart

Please visit our web site at www.moedministries.com

Volume 4 of our Bible study series “Shadows of the Messiah in the Torah” is now available.  For a limited time we are offering the entire set, all 4 volumes at a special price.  Click on the link below for this special internet only offer.

www.moedministries.com/SOMSpecial.html