Matthew 5:9
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Aaron was the High-priest. From him and his children descend the High-Priesthood of Israel. It stands therefore to reason that since believers are to model themselves according to character of Aaron, the high priest (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5, 9).
Aaron’s character is unveiled for us in Psalms 133. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity (V. 1)! Aaron was known in Jewish literature to be a man active in solving conflicts between brothers, avidly working towards the unity of the spirit. The Master also encouraged His disciples to be ‘peacemakers’ (Matthew 5:9). It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes (V. 2)! In ‘brothers dwelling together in unity’ the psalmist sees the fragrant golden anointing oil flowing from the head of Aaron down to his face and beards and clothing. The high-priest foreshadows Mashiach; he is an ‘anointed one’. And David who is a soldier and a man of many passions envisions in Aaron’s anointing the peace, unity and harmony of the Messianic era when Messiah will reign on the earth as the ‘Anointed One’ of God.
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion (V.3a)! Mt Hermon is far North of Israel, and its water shed does not reach Mt Zion in Judean Jerusalem. The description is midrashic, it is a Talmudic analogy. In Talmudic texts, because dew seems to emerge from the ground, it is used as an illustration to the resurrection. Again the writer longs for the peace of the messianic of Messiah on earth, the time of the resurrection of the dead that will initiate from Mt Zion. For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore (V.3b). Amen!
As priests of the Most-High God, as disciples of the Master (Exodus 19:6; Mathew 5: 9; 1 Peter 2:5, 9)., may the same be said of us. Peace is not the absence of conflict but the conquest of conflict, of conflict within and without. When we hate, we become like the enemy and have lost the battle for our soul. Smart sounding people have often mocked and criticized the Master for the idea of ‘turning the other cheek’ making it look weak and pacifistic, but that was far from the idea. What Yeshua was promoting was something akin to civil resistance: standing your grounds while not giving an inch of land, morals, or ideals to the enemy while he tires and exhausts his own resources in beating us down. He was teaching the Torah concepts of not giving in an inch to hatred and desire for revenge because it is forbidden in the Torah; that my friend is real strength coming from above; anyone can weaken into hatred and anger; only the strong can conquer them.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Aaron was the High-priest. From him and his children descend the High-Priesthood of Israel. It stands therefore to reason that since believers are to model themselves according to character of Aaron, the high priest (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5, 9).
Aaron’s character is unveiled for us in Psalms 133. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity (V. 1)! Aaron was known in Jewish literature to be a man active in solving conflicts between brothers, avidly working towards the unity of the spirit. The Master also encouraged His disciples to be ‘peacemakers’ (Matthew 5:9). It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes (V. 2)! In ‘brothers dwelling together in unity’ the psalmist sees the fragrant golden anointing oil flowing from the head of Aaron down to his face and beards and clothing. The high-priest foreshadows Mashiach; he is an ‘anointed one’. And David who is a soldier and a man of many passions envisions in Aaron’s anointing the peace, unity and harmony of the Messianic era when Messiah will reign on the earth as the ‘Anointed One’ of God.
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion (V.3a)! Mt Hermon is far North of Israel, and its water shed does not reach Mt Zion in Judean Jerusalem. The description is midrashic, it is a Talmudic analogy. In Talmudic texts, because dew seems to emerge from the ground, it is used as an illustration to the resurrection. Again the writer longs for the peace of the messianic of Messiah on earth, the time of the resurrection of the dead that will initiate from Mt Zion. For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore (V.3b). Amen!
As priests of the Most-High God, as disciples of the Master (Exodus 19:6; Mathew 5: 9; 1 Peter 2:5, 9)., may the same be said of us. Peace is not the absence of conflict but the conquest of conflict, of conflict within and without. When we hate, we become like the enemy and have lost the battle for our soul. Smart sounding people have often mocked and criticized the Master for the idea of ‘turning the other cheek’ making it look weak and pacifistic, but that was far from the idea. What Yeshua was promoting was something akin to civil resistance: standing your grounds while not giving an inch of land, morals, or ideals to the enemy while he tires and exhausts his own resources in beating us down. He was teaching the Torah concepts of not giving in an inch to hatred and desire for revenge because it is forbidden in the Torah; that my friend is real strength coming from above; anyone can weaken into hatred and anger; only the strong can conquer them.
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