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1 Corinthians 10:14
… flee from idolatry. IDOL SOUP RECIPE: You will need: 1 freshly worshipped golden calf; 1 angry prophet; a large rock; a big stick; a pestle and mortar; 1 blazing open-flame fire; a generous supply of water. Remove idol from its elevated platform; meanwhile, heat open fire to full strength. Handling roughly, toss idol into open flames. Allow image to thoroughly melt. Wait till gold has assumed a shapeless mass. Poke with stick to make sure it is completely melted before extinguishing fire. Allow gold to cool. Once cold, crush gold with big rock into medium size chunks. Thoroughly grind gold chunks with pestle and mortar until they reach a powder-like consistency. Spread powder over surface of the water. Serve cold. Serves 603,550. (Courtesy of First Fruits of Zion Ministries). In the incident of the golden calf, God treated the Israelites like the woman suspected of adultery (emphasis on ‘suspected’). Here is the passage about it, And if the spirit of jealousy comes over him (the husband) … the man shall bring his wife to the priest … And the priest shall take holy water … and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. … And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself … the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, … But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children (Num. 5:14-28). In the last part of the section the Hebrew says, "she shall bear seed". I believe that Hashem is knowledgeable of human biology and that he knows that women do not bear seed. We also find the mention of a woman bearing seed in I will put enmity between … your offspring and her offspring (Hebrew text for offspring: seed) (Gen. 3:15), so this is not the first time that the Tanach תנך conceives the idea of the ‘seed’ of the woman. Both these references about women bearing seed are formidable Messianic expressions. The first one speaks of the final demise of the devil by the only woman (Miriam) to ever conceive seed without the agency of a man (Mat. 1:18—20), while the other speaks of the future destiny of Israel. How does that work? The woman in question is merely suspected of adultery; she has not been caught in the act. If she had been, she would be stoned right away, but she is only suspected of adultery and that probably because of uncomely behavior. She shall then be put to the bitter water test; if she really is guilty she should become deadly sick and a curse to her people. Israel as a nation has been put through the bitter waters tests of Sinai, and of exile, but in the end has come out victorious. Looking at the full story, we see Israel again, the Israel of the believers, in the woman of Revelation 12 bearing seed from among the gentiles as a sign of her restoration. Sometimes the Father allows us to go though bitter times. If our heart is pure towards him, these passing moments of our lives only enhance our station. Bitter times are coming to test all those that live upon the earth (Rev. 3:10). As in Horeb, these bitter times will also take the shape of an idolatrous image (Rev. 13:14). May we keep our heart pure from the world, that we may be found guiltless and bear ‘seed’ unto him.
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1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. The sages teach us that when Moses was on the mountain God asked him to make an earthly replica of what he saw (Exodus 25:40). When Moses argued that it was impossible to replicate on earth the greatness of Heaven, God told him about a mirror, a mirror that shows what is, even a large space, but within a small area. As a 'mirror' to what he saw on the mountain, Moses was instructed to build the tabernacle. This mirror returns in the writings of the sages as they explain the difference between Moses' prophetic gift and that of other prophets. Using Ezekiel 43:3, the sages say that any prophet's vision comes through nine mirrors, nine mirrors because according to the Hebrew text, the verse has nine inflections of the verb 'to see' which also include the word 'vision'. Mirrors in those days were made of brass and even when polished the image reflected was not clear as in that of today's mirrors. This very much conveys to us the idea that in this age, prophecy is an unclear business; it is very subjective and should be considered more an 'art' than a perfect 'science'. Clear infallible prophecy requires a supernatural sign (1 Kings 13:3) to obtain credence. People criticize Thomas for 'doubting', but what was at stake was very important and his request only denotes of his seriousness about the matter. Thomas' request for confirmation was not out of line. We should even in our own congregation prove and test those who come to us with 'prophecy'; we are required to do so (1 John 4:1) as well as to examine prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:29). Thomas actually went on to be a very faithful witness who was martyred in India. The name 'Thomas' comes from the word 'The'um' meaning 'twin' which tells us that Thomas probably had a twin. With twins one can be deceived into seeing someone who is not who he claims to be. This should help us understand Thomas' concerns. Paul knew of Ezekiel's 'mirror'; he speaks to us about it. When teaching about the imperfectness of our present gift of prophecy he says, For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away … For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face … (1 Corinthians 13:9-12). In essence, he is telling us that in the World to Come we will perfect our prophetic gift to the level of 'face to face' communication with God, which Moses already had (Numbers 12:8). Paul's statement about prophecy comes to us at the end of a teaching about the imperfectness of present-day spiritual gifting including that of prophecy against the superiority and perfection, the 'better way' he called it, of having love one for another as taught by the Master (I Corinthians 12: 31; 13; Matthew 5:44-48). May we apply this advice to our lives and rather seek the perfectness of being known as the Master's disciples for our love towards one another rather than by our trying to be prophets. Luke 21:19
By your endurance you will gain your lives. The episode of the golden calf finds a parallel in the days of the Kings of Israel. In the ninth century B.C.E. Ahab marries the Tyrian princess Jezebel who reintroduces devotion to Baal worship. Before long Israel is deep in apostasy and God sends Elijah the prophet to minister to the wayward Northern Kingdom. Elijah’s efforts culminate to the test on Mt Carmel where again we have as in the golden calf incident, Israel worshipping a false god in a wild dancing party (Exodus 32; 1 Kings 18). The events on Mt. Carmel ended a three year drought. Rabbinic historians say that the drought only lasted fourteen months; why then did both Yeshua and James mention that it lasted three and half year (Luke 4:25; James 5:17)? Joseph Fitzmyer explains that the drought lasted fourteen months straddling over a three and half years period, and that this duration of the drought paralleled the length of the period of distress in apocalyptic literature (Daniel 7:25; Revelations 12:6). In both the golden calf and the Mt Carmel episode we have an impatient people turning to a wild idolatrous party. In the one they wait for Moses to return with the Torah, in the other they wait for the rain (the Hebrew words for ‘rain’ and ‘Torah’ are of the same etymological family). Will it be the same at the end of time? Hear these Words of warning from the Master, For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:37-39). Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 24:46-51). These last 2,000 years of waiting for the return of the Master may seem long, but not as long as to those from whom the Gospel has been withheld. We have the assurance that, After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him (Hosea 6:2) (a day is as thousand years to the Lord (Psalms 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8)). May we patiently wait for Him, each day doing our best to follow in His footsteps and shining the light of His Torah to all around us. May he find us and ours doing so at his return. May it be soon, even in our days! |
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