“Hate” is a verb (and noun) that might seem somewhat out of place in Scripture — particularly the New Testament. Isn’t the NT all about love, humility, grace, forgiveness, and salvation?
Well, yes it is. But in 39 verses, from Matthew to Revelation, God inspired writing about “hate,” and in some places, with surprising messages.
In this sermon, I’ll examine all of the over-arching lessons about “hate” and “hating” found in the Gospels and the Epistles — why we shouldn’t, when we should (Luke 14:26?), and why. In addition, I’ll include a few complementary and instructive passages from the Old Testament, which will make us wonder if there are things, behaviors, or people that God hates — and question if someone who is “unloved” is actually “hated.”
And finally, do you know what the opposite of “hate” is? The Bible is fairly clear about this, and it may not be what you think. Head scratchers…
I am writing this on September 11, 2019. I was born exactly 50 years and 11 days before that dreadful day in 2001. This 50-year marker (the same length as God’s sacred calendar grouping) is just one of many reasons that 9/11 has especially deep meanings for me.
It has been 18 years since the heart-breaking tragedy, when terrorists attacked our country, killing 3000 people, injuring over 6000, and inflicting massive physical damage.
Those of us old enough to do so will remember watching the television coverage in agonized shock. We were stunned, and later that turned into terrible hurt and anger for all that we had lost. Many of our leaders sought to stand tall and speak bravely in order to console us. A President demonstrated American strength and courage, vowing retribution by assuring the world that “the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!” Nationalist fervor welled up in our leaders, and their continual rallying cry became “We will rebuild!”
After 9/11, the churches filled with people needing answers to their own pain and confusion. They prayed for those who had been killed; U.S. flag lapel pins were everywhere; and “God bless America” became a catchphrase. But it didn’t take long for the church-going trend to wither away, and attendance reverted back to pre-9/11 levels. There was no lasting “great awakening” or quickening of our spiritual fervor. There was no unified plea to God to forgive our national sins and to heal us as a people.
Time passed, and a new wave of leaders emerged. Another President assured us that, to heal our 9/11 wounds and to unify the country, all that was needed were “the smallest acts of service” and “the simplest act of kindness.” Others would seek to minimize the terror and the terrorist origins of 9/11 by describing it with such toss-off lines as “some people did something.”
And so, every 9/11, we Americans have a deep-seated need to memorialize it somehow. We flood social media with memes demanding that we “Never Forget,” but which fail to tell us how to deal with what we remember. We experience each 9/11 knowing that our response is somehow incomplete, but there have been precious few strong voices to tell us why we still feel empty and desolate. All we know is that we are unable to find our way back by minimizing the importance of the event, or by fist-shaking patriotic bravado — or even by rebuilding taller and better.
At least subconsciously, we kept trying to answer seemingly unanswerable questions. What is missing? What don’t we know or acknowledge? Why do we still feel empty and incomplete?
“We Will Rebuild”
Exactly 10 years after the bin-Laden-inspired attack, a book hit the market, written by Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Jewish Rabbi, of whom few had heard at that time. The book was titled The Harbinger, and it spent 100 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. Word of mouth won it a huge readership, particularly throughout the conservative and evangelical Christian communities and churches, and in Jewish Messianic congregations.
I had heard a little about the book, but I had not yet found a compelling reason to read it. But after it was strongly recommended to me by a cousin of mine and his wife (thanks, David & Joan!), I bought a copy and (to quote an old phrase) I couldn’t put it down. The author’s huge and important message centered around three main things: (1) 9/11, (2) a brief passage from the book of Isaiah, and (3) the author’s seemingly inexhaustible knowledge of Old and New Testament scriptures.
This is not a “book report” on The Harbinger, by any means. Suffice it to say that the book draws startling and undeniable parallels between events in the final days of the ancient kingdom of Israel and the 21st-century nation of the United States — up to and including 9/11.
I’ve had many conversations with people about the book in the intervening years, and they almost always have been very positive about it. Virtually every one of them, however, talked mainly or exclusively about the book’s prophecy content. “If ancient Israel had an event that mirrored our 9/11, and therefore was a kind of prophecy for it, then what happened to Israel afterward? Is that also a prophecy for what is going to happen to America??” And to be fair, there is no doubt that these are important questions that Jonathan Cahn wanted his readers to explore and take to heart.
But after my second reading of The Harbinger, I came away convinced that the prophetic teaching of the book, however large and captivating, is not its most important message. Here’s why.
As I mentioned above, author Cahn began by demonstrating the parallels between the terrorist attacks suffered by ancient Israel and those of 9/11 in this country. One thread of the book goes forward from there and fleshes out the prophetic meaning of those parallels. But there is a much more important thread (or so it seems to me) which explores how we as a nation can avoid the calamities suffered by ancient Israel after those terrorist attacks. That second thread is one concerning Prayer and Repentance.
After I separated those two threads in my mind, I began to notice that when Cahn was interviewed about the book, he was inevitably (and understandably) asked about its prophetic message. And he always found a way to turn the conversation back around to his book’s (and the Bible’s) call for our nation to turn to prayer and repentance.
The Second Thread
Here’s what that second thread comprises. If you have read any Old Testament history at all, you will remember that ancient Israel was warned by God’s Prophets that He would punish them severely if they did not stop their sinful, evil ways, return to Him, and keep His Covenant. The Prophet Isaiah tells us that, as a warning, ancient Israel was attacked by a terrorist nation that shook them as badly as 9/11 shook America. The early verses of Isaiah chapter 9 remind the reader of that event:
The Lord sent a message against Jacob; it came against Israel.
All the people — Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria — will know it. They will say with pride and arrogance:
“The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with cut stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.”
The people did not turn to Him who struck them; they did not seek Yehovah of Hosts. Isaiah 9:8–10,13
Did you notice in this passage the similarities to 9/11 and its aftermath? “We will rebuild” is not considered by God to be a statement of courage or strength — even though post-9/11 American leaders thought it was. God instead calls it “pride and arrogance” when they (we?) assert that “the previous building has fallen, but we will rebuild with better, stronger materials.” Why does God say that? Isaiah tells us in verse 13: “The people … did not seek Yehovah of Hosts.”
Here is how Cahn lays it out: God allowed the destruction of ancient Israel’s buildings (also a tower, as it turns out) for several reasons:
(1) to get their attention,
(2) to give them a reason to turn back to Him,
(3) to bring them to Him on bended knees, and
(4) to persuade them to ask for forgiveness of their national sins.
And here’s a truly astounding point, which we might easily read past without noticing. The first part of verse 13 (see above) says that it was God, Himself, “who struck them.” The attack was God’s will and He caused it to happen. In The Harbinger, Cahn makes the case that this is the same reason God allowed (caused) 9/11.
Isaiah 9:13 tells us that God purposefully caused the terrorist attack on ancient Israel, in order to accomplish His will for His people. Are we, today, less in need than ancient Israel of such a wake-up call from our Creator God?Did ancient Israel heed God’s wake-up call and turn back to Him in prayer and repentance? No.
Did America heed God’s wake-up call and turn back to Him in prayer and repentance? No.
Must we in America turn back to God in prayer and repentance, to avoid further punishment for our sins? Almost certainly, Yes.
After the “shaking” of the terrorist attack, God gave ancient Israel a time to listen to His prophets, to abandon their sinful ways, to return in humility to their Creator God, and to repent of the evil in the land. We must never forget that ancient Israel did not listen to God’s calling. In their “pride and arrogance,” they boasted that they would recover through their own strength, and they ignored God’s call to Prayer and Repentance.
And what happened? God caused the Kingdom of Israel to be destroyed and its people to be taken into captivity by the nation of Assyria as punishment.
If their terrorist attack was God’s wake-up call to them to prayer and repentance, is it possible that 9/11 was the same thing for America — a country which has long boasted of being a Christian nation, built on a Judeo-Christian foundation? And if we ignore this call to prayer and repentance, are we in danger of a national calamity equal in size, scope, and purpose for defying our Creator God?
A Day of Prayer and Repentance
I said above that our hearts and minds realize every year that our feelings about 9/11 are still uneasy and incomplete. God is trying to tell us that it is only through Him that our lives can be whole, complete, positive, and forgiven.
We must as a nation drop to our knees, bow our heads toward the ground, and humbly ask God’s forgiveness for our own individual sins and those of our nation. In the words of the king of Nineveh,
Everyone must call out earnestly to God. Each must turn from his evil ways and from the violence he is doing. Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish. Jonah 3:8–9
And so, it was to Jonathan Cahn that I turned today to find a prayer that would articulate exactly what we as a nation need to bring to our minds and hearts and, in humility, to say to God. Cahn used the phrase “Prayer and Repentance” in introducing his prayer, and I have borrowed it in my call to all of us to commit to making 9/11 A Memorial Day of Prayer and Repentance.
Actually, it should be our mission every single day. And in our heart of hearts, I think we all know it.
So below is the video Cahn made of a 4-minute Prayer for America on 9/11, exactly 5 years ago. It is my gift to you who read this, in the hopes that it will become your goal to bring these same petitions to our Creator God continually and fervently. I have also made a complete transcription of the prayer and appended it below the video, so that you can easily go back and re-examine it in detail.
God bless you, my readers, and may God find in us both genuine humility and abject repentance so that He will continue to bless the United States!
A PRAYER FOR AMERICA ON 9/11 — JONATHAN CAHN (4.22)
A PRAYER FOR AMERICA ON 9/11 Jonathan CahnLord, we ask for Your mercy on this land.
We ask for your hand upon this land.
Lord, we have sinned.
We have turned from You.
We have turned from Your ways.
We have ruled You out of this culture.
We have mocked Your name.
We have blasphemed Your name and the name of Your Son.
We have called what is evil “good.”
We have called what is good “evil.”
We have promoted immorality, not only here but around the world.
We were called to be a “city on a hill” and to spread Your light throughout the world.
But Lord, we confess on behalf of this nation, and we intercede on behalf of this nation —
Lord, we have turned from the light as a nation.
We have spread darkness and immorality, as well, around the world.
We have pursued idols.
We have served idols of greed and money and success over You.
Even in the Church, even among Your people, we have promoted prosperity over righteousness.
We have watered down the Gospel.
Father, we ask for Your hand upon this nation.
We ask for —
Your hand upon Washington, DC.
Your hand upon the White House, Lord; have Your way with the White House.
Your hand upon the Capitol; have Your way with Congress.
Your hand upon the Supreme Court; have Your way.
Your hand upon the governments of every state, every governor, every house of governing in every state; Lord, we ask Your hand.
We ask Your hand upon the cities; let there be revival.
Lord, whatever it takes, let there be revival in this land.
Lord, let there be revival in the cities.
Lord, let there be revival in the coastland.
Let there be revival, Lord, from New York City to California.
Let there be revival in the heartlands.
Let there be revival among the young, Lord; revival among the old.
Let there be revival in the churches, Lord.
Lord, let there be a move of holiness, a move of righteousness, a move of Your Spirit. Lord, let there be revival in us.
Lord, we cannot ask for revival for others, if we are not ourselves willing to live in revival now.
So, Lord, whatever it takes, have mercy on this land that was dedicated to Your Name and to Your purposes.
Have mercy on the “city on the hill.”
And, Lord, let it again shine with the light of Your glory, with the light of Your righteousness.
Lord, let the ones who have ears to hear, let them hear; let them be saved; let them turn.
Lord, let there be a massive outpouring of Your will.
We praise You, and we thank You for Your mercy, for your grace.
For we ask all these things in the name of Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah.
By His blood, by His atonement, in the mercy of that sacrifice, we ask that You have mercy on all of us and upon this nation.
And let there be revival, Lord.
Let there be the Gospel going forth to this world, to the nations, for an end-time revival.
And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the coming of Your Kingdom.
In the name of Jesus the Messiah, the Lord of all and the Hope of America.
Amen.
President Bill Clinton once said his goal was to have abortion become, among other things, “rare.” No matter how you read the statistics below, the one thing it has not become is rare.
As of today, it has been 16,972 days since the Supreme Court handed down its 7-2 verdict in Roe v. Wade. “Jane Roe” has repented of her decision, but the Supreme Court has not.
These sobering, chilling statistics I have calculated scream from the page, documenting the world’s modern holocaust.
Normalizing abortion and promoting it as acceptable public policy is nothing more than humanistic, cultural, ethnic, misogynistic, cynical, public health, political, judicially authorized, damnable, premeditated MURDER OF THE INNOCENTS. GOD HELP THESE MOTHERS AND HEAL OUR NATION!
I realize there are some people out there for whom abortion is permissible, commonplace, and natural. A few even profess to believe, in some few cases I’ve read about, that abortion is supported and endorsed by Scripture. As a way of reminding ourselves that abortion is a crime against nature and an insult to the God of Creation, let us prayerfully go through a Bible study on the subject of birth, babies, and beyond.
God invented, ordained, and blessed the bearing of children as part of His plan for us humans.
Genesis 1:28.God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”
1 Timothy 5:14.Therefore, I want younger women to marry, have children, manage their households, and give the adversary no opportunity to accuse us.
The giving of new life through human birth is understood as a joy-producing, direct blessing from God and a sign of His love and power.
Deuteronomy 28:10–11.Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by Yehovah’s name, and they will stand in awe of you. Yehovah will make you prosper abundantly with children, the offspring of your livestock, and your land’s produce in the land Yehovah swore to your fathers to give you.
Psalm 113:9.He gives the childless woman a household, making her the joyful mother of children. Hallelujah!
Psalm 127:3–5.Sons are indeed a heritage from Yehovah, children, a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born in one’s youth. Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them. Such men will never be put to shame when they speak with their enemies at the city gate.
John 16:21.When a woman is in labor she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world.
Scripture tells of the “in-the-womb” life of these tiny human beings.
Genesis 25:22–23.But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of Yehovah. And Yehovah said to her: Two nations are in your womb; two people will come from you and be separated. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.
Luke 1:41–44.When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: “You are the most blessed of women, and your child will be blessed! How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me!”
God has always made it clear that He knew, formed, and selected His people while they were still in their mother’s womb.
Job 31:15.Did not the One who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same God form us both in the womb?
Psalm 22:10.I was given over to You at birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb.
Psalm 139:13–16.For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.
Isaiah 44:2.This is the word of Yehovah your Maker who formed you from the womb; He will help you: Do not fear.
Isaiah 49:1.Coastlands, listen to me; distant peoples, pay attention. Yehovah called me before I was born. He named me while I was in my mother’s womb.
Jeremiah 1:5.I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
The parent-child relationship is holy (set apart) by God as special and as a teaching symbol of what our relationship with Him as our Father will be.
Exodus 20:12.Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that Yehovah your God is giving you.
Proverbs 1:8–9.Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching, for they will be a garland of grace on your head and a gold chain around your neck.
Proverbs 6:20.My son, keep your father’s command, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching.
Proverbs 13:24.The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently.
Proverbs 15:5.A fool despises his father’s discipline, but a person who accepts correction is sensible.
Proverbs 17:6.Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers.
Proverbs 22:6.Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 23:22–24.Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old. Buy—and do not sell—truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding. The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly, and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him.
Isaiah 49:15.[God asks:] “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you.
Romans 8:14.All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.
Ephesians 6:1–4.Children, obey your parents as you would the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Colossians 3:20.Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
1 John 3:1.Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him.
Jesus the Christ (Messiah) taught (1) that blessing children is a sacred act, (2) that harming children deserved death, and (3) that rescuing them is the natural and blessed act of a divine shepherd.
Matthew 18:12–14.What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray. In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
Matthew 18:5.And whoever welcomes one child like this in My name welcomes Me. Mark 9:36–37.Then He took a child, had him stand among them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever welcomes one little child such as this in My name welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me, but Him who sent Me.” Luke 17:2.It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
Matthew 19:13–15.Then children were brought to Him so He might put His hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them. Then Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this.” After putting His hands on them, He went on from there. Mark 10:13–16.Some people were bringing little children to Him so He might touch them, but His disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me. Don’t stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” After taking them in His arms, He laid His hands on them and blessed them. Luke 18:15–17.Some people were even bringing infants to Him so He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to Me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
The sacred cycle of conception, birth, and maturing is blessed by God as a method of both continuity and preservation through time of His word, His will, and His law.
Deuteronomy 6:6–7.These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 11:19.Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
God sanctified the process of human conception, gestation, and birth by having His own divine and eternal Son experience it as a human.
Isaiah 7:14.Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
Isaiah 9:6.For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Luke 1:30–33.Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.
And, lest we forget, God has reserved some of His fiercest anger for the pagan nations, and even for the peoples of Israel and Judah, because they murdered (by burning alive; incineration) their new-borns on the altar of Molech/Baal.
Jeremiah 32:35.[God:] They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I had not commanded them. I had never entertained the thought that they do this detestable act causing Judah to sin!
2 Kings 16:3.[The King of Judah] walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even made his son pass through the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations Yehovah had dispossessed before the Israelites.
2 Kings 17:16–18.They abandoned all the commands of Yehovah their God. They made cast images for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole. They worshiped the whole heavenly host and served Baal. They made their sons and daughters pass through the fire and practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to do what was evil in Yehovah’s sight and provoked Him. Therefore, Yehovah was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained.
Please…
Let us pray fervently that this sin will be wiped out of our society.
Let us pray with the greatest love and sympathy for women facing a situation which might end in the death of an unborn child. And when we encounter such a woman, let us—in love and humility—redouble our previous efforts to help her, and to give her the ability to see the larger picture and future consequences of her choices.
Let us pray with urgency for those men and women working tirelessly to offer safe and life-preserving alternatives for these women.
Let us pray for a strong resurgence of the Holy Spirit, to bring an end to the current epidemic of willful ethical blindness that seeks to remove God and His will from all the earth.
And let us pray that God will forgive each of us for what we failed to do in this life that has allowed us to come to this time.
As I sit here writing today, I am reminded that this Thursday (first Thursday in May, by law) is our National Day of Prayer. This year’s theme is “Love One Another.”
We should also make it a day for a refresher course in Biblical, God-like, Christ-inspired love. Our calling as Christians is not to love only the loving — or only the lovely, or only those of our tribe, or only our church friends, or only those in our political party, or only the rich and famous, or only the blessed.
The commandment to “Love one another” has no boundaries, no excuses, no man-made exceptions.
“If people sin against you and give you no cause to love them, that’s the cause! Love them! The person in your life who has given you no reason whatsoever to love them, that’s the one you have to love.” — Jonathan Cahn, “YHVH: The I AM Mysteries”
Scripture (and therefore God) is pretty clear who is included on the list of those you are commanded to love:
your enemies
those who hate you
those who persecute you
those who curse you
those who mistreat you
those with whom you are angry
those who abuse you
those who steal from you
those who are ungrateful
those who do evil to you
those who are wicked
everyone (past, present, future), including… those who are responsible for Your death, even as You hang on a cross.
As we go about the business of living our lives, if we encounter a conservative or a progressive — a White-supremacist or Black nationalist — a socialist or a capitalist — a fascist or communist — someone who voted as we did or someone who did not — in fact, anyone of any worldly ideology or religious affiliation — we are specifically commanded that everything we do to/for/with that person should be done with love.
I can hear the chorus of anguished replies even now. “But I simply cannot work up any love in my heart for Osama bin Laden or Adolf Hitler (or even Trump or Hillary)!” As it turns out, no one is asking you to do that.
“To Love” is an active verb — in both the grammatical and metaphorical senses. The good and Godly things we do for each other are the acts of love. And that’s what Scripture is talking about when it tells us to love one another. Don’t believe it? Look at what Scripture says about “doing” love:
whatever you want others to do for you, do it for them
do good to those that hate you
pray for those who persecute you
bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them
if your enemy is hungry, feed him
if your enemy is thirsty, give him drink
do not repay evil for evil, but on the contrary, bless
to him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also
from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic
give to everyone who begs from you
and, as He hung on the cross, He prayed, “Father, forgive them.“
Scripture tells us to do love (loving things). By doing, the “feeling” will come. It’s part of the process of building Christ-like character.
Most of us read the above commandments to do love and are overwhelmed by how enormously impossible they seem. Let us, instead, be overwhelmed by their enormous potential for good and Godliness and reconciliation in a hate-filled world. Let’s overwhelm the world by Doing God’s Love!
How will each of us Do God’s Love to everyone we meet today?
When we pray as a Nation on Thursday, may God bless us and help us always to Love One Another!
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Christ: “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35)
“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7–8)
“Your every action must be done with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)
Christ: “Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.” (Luke 6:31)
This weekend only, there is a documentary film in theaters nationwide that all Christians should see.
[Jesus, to the Jews who were persecuting Him:] “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me. But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” JOHN 5:45–47 (HCSB)
The words and teachings of Jesus the Christ — indeed, His claim to be the Son of God and our Messiah — stand or fall on whether Moses wrote the words of the Torah. Jesus plainly said, “he [Moses] wrote about me.” And if we cannot believe in the truth of the writings of Moses, how can we believe (or believe in) Messiah?
The film Patterns of Evidence: The Moses Controversy is showing Thursday and Tuesday nights and Saturday afternoon (March 14, 16, 19). It tackles the issue, hotly denied by many scholars, of whether it was even possible for Moses to have written the first five books of the Bible.
Both my wife Adrianne and I, and all with whom we have shared the first film in this series (Patterns of Evidence: Exodus), found it to be an amazing, absorbing, uplifting, intelligent, faith-affirming document. We fully expect this new sequel to be the same.
There is a possibility that the word “Hallelujah” is among the most overused and misused words that we ever got from the Judeo-Christian Bible. We’ll study aspects of that word in this article, and find out how big a mistake we may be making by how we use it. I’ll be interested to know your thoughts when we’ve finished our journey.
“Hallelujah” is a word of Hebrew origin, and is found 28 times in the Bible, in only two books: 24 times in Psalms 104-150 (well, actually 23 times plus one variation of the word) and 4 times in Revelation (confined to chapter 19, in which the residents of heaven sing and shout praises to the King of Kings).
It is a compound word, comprising the root “halal” (meaning, in this context, to give or sing praise) and “Yah” (the shortened version of YHVH, or Yehovah, the name of God).
If you go to the book of Psalms, looking to find the word “Hallelujah” there, your success will depend on which English translation you use. While the HCSB consistently transliterates it “Hallelujah,” in most other versions you will find it rendered “praise the Lord,” occasionally “praise Yah,” or (in the KJV) “praise ye the Lord.” However, just about all translations revert to the actual word “Hallelujah” when it appears in the book of Revelation.
The word “Hallelujah” in Hebrew (above, as used in the Psalms) and Greek (below, as used in Revelation).
Sports, Steaks, and Songs.
Perhaps because the true meaning of the word is not universally known (or we have forgotten it), let me suggest that we tend to throw it around far more often than we should. It does contain the name of God, after all, and the Third Commandment in Exodus 20:7 clearly tells us how God feels about our misusing His name or using it “in vain” or in a profane way. Yes, we sometimes rightly and joyfully use it in praise of our Creator (for example, Handel’s “Hallelujah” Chorus is replete with it). But there are times we’ll shout it when our sports team scores in a closely contested game, or when (after several failed attempts) the restaurant finally serves our steak cooked exactly right. (I’m not pointing fingers. I fear I’ve been known to throw the “H” word around too loosely at times myself.)
Pop songs that are seasoned with liberal sprinklings of the “H” word are often very fashionable, though they equally often contain quite dubious lyrics for Christians. A couple of them come immediately to mind. Leonard Cohen’s strange song of that name (“Maybe there’s a God above, but all I’ve ever learned from love was how to shoot at somebody who outdrew you“) and George Harrison’s doctrinally indefensible hit (“My sweet lord, Hallelujah. My my lord, Hallelujah. Mmmmm My lord, Hare Krishna. My my my Lord, Hare Krishna“).
We know that “Yah” is a name of God because of its use in the Hebrew scriptures. It is found 26 times (not including when it is used as part of the word “Hallelujah”) — in the books of Exodus (Moses sang, “Yah is my strength and my song,” 15:2), Isaiah (“Yah, Yehovah, is an everlasting rock,” 26:4), but mainly in the book of Psalms (“Praise Yah, for Yehovah is good; sing praise to His name,” 135:3).
So here’s a question to ponder: Imagine if we were actually in the presence of God the Creator, and we found ourselves in a situation (our team scoring, the perfectly cooked steak, etc.) where we might automatically shout the “H” word. Now that we’ve remembered that it contains the name of God, and we’ve re-read the Third Commandment, would we still be as willing to use that word so loosely in His presence?
Well, aren’t we always in the presence of our God? Doesn’t it follow, then, that we should reserve the use of His name in the word “Hallelujah” only in instances of sincere praise of Him, to Whom it is directed?
Maybe if we went back and read all 28 occurrences of “Hallelujah” in Scripture, we would see in what types of situations and for what reasons it was written for us, under inspiration from God, by the Psalmist(s) and John. It can be a very teachable moment, I have found.
With that in mind, I have copied out all 28 “Hallelujah” verses for you at the bottom of this article. As we read through them, we should try to coach ourselves to say or think “Praise God!” or “Praise Yehovah!” every time and in each context that we see the word “Hallelujah.” If we do that enough times, we will begin to see it for what it is — an exclamation of praise specifically for and directly to God — and not just another thing to yell out of habit when we are excited about other, less important things.
Misuse? In Vain?
And I think this might be a key to understanding why God gave us the Third Commandment in the first place. Stay with me, and let’s think this through.
Both Jesus (Sermon on the Mount) and Paul (1 Corinthians 9) gave us specific and highly enlightening instructions on how we should understand each of the Laws and the Commandments of the Bible. Both used examples to show that a rote, limited, methodical, literal (therefore “fleshly” or physical) interpretation will only take us so far.
Paul cited a law given in Deuteronomy 25:4 to make a point. It says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain.” Jesus gave several examples, which took this form: “You have heard it said, Do not murder… But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” Those who believe that the exact, limited, physical letter of the Law is all that is required of us might easily try to duck out of responsibility by arguing, “Well, I’ve never murdered anyone, and besides, I don’t own an ox!”
What Jesus and Paul have taught us is that for every rule, commandment, instruction, or law that God has given to us, there is a wider, more all-encompassing, elevating, and moral (therefore “spiritual”) plane to which we are expected to take every one of them. Paul said, “Is God really concerned with oxen? Or isn’t He really saying it for us? Yes, this is written for us.” Jesus was certainly not saying He was going to “do away” with the commandment against murder. Quite the contrary, He elevated it to the level of human feelings, emotions, character, and the spirit. If we are angry without cause, we will be judged as having broken that same law.
It’s a matter of developing character and conscience, it seems, that the Law and Commandments were given to us in the first place. After all, the Hebrew word “Torah,” most often translated “law,” is more accurately rendered “instruction.” The development of that Christ-like character, to which we all should aspire, starts at the lowest level. When basketball icon Michael Jordan was in junior high school, would anyone have expected him to perfect his “gravity-defying 360-degree lean-in dunk” at that age? Of course not. We start where we are, and we build. Starting with a law forbidding murder or mistreating livestock is part of that. If we recognize that refraining from murder and from muzzling the ox are behaviors that will make us better people, then obeying those laws (instructions) will build our character — but only to a certain basic degree. If we stop there, we will be able to live well, but at that level only. We probably won’t become a mass murderer, but we could easily become a misanthrope around whom nobody wants to be.
But if we ponder each commandment and ask, “What am I actually meant to learn from this? And how else can I apply it to other aspects of my life?” then we give ourselves the opportunity to increase the level of Christ-like character we build and live by every day.
Commandments Lead to Character.
So let’s end this journey by thinking for a moment about how the Third commandment fits into this character-development idea. God told us, “I am Yehovah, I do not change!” (Malachi 3:6) So when He tells us plainly that He considers it a serious offense if we misuse His name, we can assume that this instruction is for all eternity. But why has He commanded that? Is He so vain that He cannot bear any ridicule or satire or lightness made of His name? No. I think we can safely say that vanity is not in the character of the God of the Bible. So why is it not only a law, but one of the Ten Commandments? There’s far more at stake here than salving the feelings of some petulant deity.
So let’s agree to start at square one. What happens if we commit to meticulously avoiding saying God’s name (in any form) in a “vain,” light, off-handed, satirical, derogatory, or unsavory manner or purpose. No cursing using God’s name, no expletives using Jesus’s name, etc. After a while, what began as merely a rote obeying of the commandment becomes a part of our character. Yes, we started obeying the commandment because God was the One Who commanded it. But eventually, we move from “God said it so I will do it” to the burgeoning of respect for God’s name, which will have the effect of increasing our reverence for God Himself. We are coming to know (and to live as if we know) more about Him and to honor the greatness, holiness, majesty, righteousness, and power of the Creator of the Universe.
This action causes us to “set apart” God’s name from misuse. And what does the Bible call setting something apart for God’s use? It’s called “holiness.” Over time, the strength of our character grows so that more and more of our inward parts, our demeanor, our thoughts, our actions, everything becomes more and more attuned to God as the object of our worship. He is holy because He is God. To us, He becomes holy because we have obeyed, and that part of our character has become more and more Christ-like. In other words, we have increasingly set God apart as the most important Object in our lives, the One we know is to be worshipped.
So, I think there is a real lesson to be learned and growth into Christ-like character to be achieved here. What if we, in fact, take a relatively small issue like the word “Hallelujah,” which contains the name of God, and “set it apart” for use only for the praise of that God? And what if, as we do that, we do not do it in a grousing and rebellious manner, resentful that somehow we are being “forced” to do these things.
Rather, we should follow Christ’s (and Paul’s) principle of looking for the higher-level spiritual ways to keep each law or commandment and the lessons to be learned from each. The more we do that, the more other acts and forms of worship and holiness will almost certainly begin to develop. Even if at first we must force ourselves not to muzzle our ox as it treads out grain, if we are open to it and looking for it, we will begin to discover that we are doing a good thing for that ox. We are being generous, giving, yes even loving to this creature. As that becomes more and more a part of our character, that attitude can spread outward from each of us to the people around us, our family, our neighbors, our employees (which was what Paul was talking about), our leaders, and (gasp!) even our enemies.
We begin all of this with the premise that there is a Creator of the Universe and a Designer of the entirety of this thing we call a “human being.” It seems quite likely that this Creator could easily have predicted that, if we as humans want to be or do something, we can work our way toward that by imitating the actions of someone who already is or does that thing. Going through and discovering the hidden psychological and spiritual gems (and gifts) that can be found inside every one of the Laws and Commandments (which are instructions for the building of Christ-like character) is beyond the scope of this article. But everything starts with keeping each law or commandment, and working our way upward and outward from there. Maybe a place to start is the Third Commandment and the misuse of “Hallelujah.” What do you think?
FINAL NOTE: You can click the video below and listen to what is most likely the best known musical setting of the word “Hallelujah” (and certainly among the most Biblically based ever) — the “Hallelujah” Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. (I’ve put much more about the “Hallelujah” Chorus in my Additional Verses Bible Study.) At the end of his 259-page manuscript of the entire work, Handel wrote the letters “SDG” — Soli Deo Gloria, “To God alone the glory.” Let us approach the inspired words (most especially “Hallelujah” itself) and the glorious music with this same devotion.
Hallelujah: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
The kingdom of this world is become
the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ;
and He shall reign for ever and ever.
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Hallelujah!
The first performance of Handel’s Messiah was in the Musick Hall, Fishamble Street, Dublin, April 13, 1742. Shown here is a detail from the “Hallelujah” chorus, part book of Christ Church cathedral (RCB Library, Dublin).
BIBLICAL USES OF THE WORD “HALLELUJAH”
Old Testament:
Psalm 104:35 — May sinners vanish from the earth and wicked people be no more. My soul, praise Yehovah! Hallelujah!
Psalm 105:45 — All this happened so that they might keep His statutes and obey His instructions. Hallelujah!
Psalm 106:1 — Hallelujah! Give thanks to Yehovah, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 106:48 — May Yehovah, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah!
Psalm 111:1 — Hallelujah! I will praise Yehovah with all my heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
Psalm 112:1 — Hallelujah! Happy is the man who fears Yehovah, taking great delight in His commands.
Psalm 113:1 — Hallelujah! Give praise, servants of Yehovah; praise the name of Yehovah.
Psalm 113:9 — He gives the childless woman a household, making her the joyful mother of children. Hallelujah!
Psalm 115:18 — But we will praise Yehovah, both now and forever. Hallelujah!
Psalm 116:19 — in the courts of Yehovah’s house — within you, Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
Psalm 117:2 — For His faithful love to us is great; Yehovah’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!
Psalm 135:1 — Hallelujah! Praise the name of Yehovah. Give praise, you servants of Yehovah
Psalm 135:21 — May Yehovah be praised from Zion; He dwells in Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
Psalm 146:1 — Hallelujah! My soul, praise Yehovah.
Psalm 146:10 — Yehovah reigns forever; Zion, your God reigns for all generations. Hallelujah!
Psalm 147:1 — Hallelujah! How good it is to sing to our God, for praise is pleasant and lovely.
Psalm 147:20 — He has not done this for any nation; they do not know His judgments. Hallelujah!
Psalm 148:1 — Hallelujah! Praise Yehovah from the heavens; praise Him in the heights.
Psalm 148:14 — He has raised up a horn for His people, resulting in praise to all His godly ones, to the Israelites, the people close to Him. Hallelujah!
Psalm 149:1 — Hallelujah! Sing to Yehovah a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly.
Psalm 149:9 — carrying out the judgment decreed against them. This honor is for all His godly people. Hallelujah!
New Testament:
Revelation 19:1 — After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying: Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,
Revelation 19:3 — A second time they said: Hallelujah! Her smoke ascends forever and ever!
Revelation 19:4 — Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah!
Revelation 19:6 — Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying: Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, has begun to reign!
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I have seen several Facebook memes similar to the one shown here, all with the identical Christian message. Maybe you’ve run across them, too. They display what are called the seven “I AM” statements of Jesus:
• I am the bread of life.
• I am the light of the world.
• I am the door (or gate).
• I am the good shepherd.
• I am the resurrection and the life.
• I am the way, the truth, and the life.
• I am the true vine.
Each of the seven “I AMs” may be found in the Gospel of John, and of course — inescapably and profoundly — Jesus is most certainly each and every one of them. That knowledge is vital in our attempts to more completely understand Him, His earthly Mission, and His plan for our salvation.
But I can’t help it. Every time I see one of the “Seven I AMs of Christ” memes, my response is always the same: Yes, you’re right! Jesus is all of that. But you’ve left out His most astounding, and perhaps the most important, “I AM” claim of all.
That greatest “I AM” is also found in the book of John. In Chapter 8, Jesus is responding to increasingly virulent verbal questioning and accusations from a group of Pharisees (or “the Jews,” as John refers to them). As the replies from Jesus hit closer and closer to home, the Pharisees finally (metaphorically) throw down on the table their ancestral trump card: “We are the descendants of Abraham!” they cried. The implication was clear: “We are Abraham’s offspring! As such we are God’s chosen — and therefore we cannot possibly be guilty of the accusations You are making against us!”
It all comes to a head when Christ tells them that they are far from acting like God’s Chosen People. You are instead, Jesus tells them, “of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.” Their response to this is the classic playground bully retort, used by those who have no rational, legal, or (in this case) spiritual arguments to fall back on — “Yeah, well if we’re bad, you’re worse!”
The Jews responded to Him, “Aren’t we right in saying that You’re a Samaritan and have a demon?”
“I do not have a demon,” Jesus answered. “On the contrary, I honor My Father and you dishonor Me. I do not seek My glory; the One who seeks it also judges. I assure you: If anyone keeps My word, he will never see death — ever!”
Then the Jews said, “Now we know You have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste death — ever!’ Are You greater than our father Abraham who died? Even the prophets died. Who do You pretend to be?”
“If I glorify Myself,” Jesus answered, “My glory is nothing. My Father — you say about Him, ‘He is our God’ — He is the One who glorifies Me. You’ve never known Him, but I know Him. If I were to say I don’t know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him, and I keep His word. Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced.”
The Jews replied, “You aren’t 50 years old yet, and You’ve seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.”
At that, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple complex. [John 8:48-59]
I truly believe a strong case can be made that, of all the things Christ is quoted as saying in the Bible, this one statement packs the biggest explosive power. The Pharisees understood perfectly well what He was telling them. They needed no sages, commentaries, or apologists to explain it. But just in case the full meaning is not yet completely clear today, 2000 years later, here is what two highly respected New Testament Commentaries say about Christ’s “I am” statement and its profound message:
Jesus gave one of the most important answers to any question posed to Him in the entire Gospel of John. “‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’” What was Jesus saying? That He was God Himself! The only other time the phrase “I am” was used to describe someone was in Exodus 3:14, where God used that very phrase as His name. Here Jesus claimed that name for Himself. No identity statement could be clearer. Jesus claimed to be God Himself in human form.
[Holman Concise Bible Commentary]
The words rendered “was” and “am” are quite different. The one clause means, “Abraham was brought into being”; the other, “I exist.” The statement therefore is not that Christ came into existence before Abraham did, but that He never came into being at all, but existed before Abraham had a being; in other words, existed before creation, or eternally [John 1:1]. In that sense the Jews plainly understood Him, since “then took they up stones to cast at Him,” just as they had before done when they saw that He made Himself equal with God [John 5:18].
[Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible]
SOURCE: BIBLEHUB.COM
Now, don’t panic. I know you’re eyeing this chart with all the Greek writing in it with trepidation, bordering on fear and loathing. Don’t let your eyes (or your brain) glaze over. Breathe in; breathe out.
Understanding Greek is not in any way a prerequisite for continuing to read this article! I’ve only included this graphic because I want us to fully share and savor the meaning and import of every single word and phrase in Christ’s momentous declaration. Read through the English on the bottom line, and when you are finished, we’ll walk together on a journey through Christ’s amazing declaration.
On first reading, Jesus’ “I AM” statement (bottom line, in brownish-orange on the chart) might seem simple. But then you notice that, strictly speaking, it doesn’t make grammatical sense. (Past tense and present tense, in the same sentence?) By the time we’re finished, however, I hope you’ll agree that Jesus said it perfectly correctly and that it contains an infinitely powerful truth.
Scholars used to be unanimous in believing that Jesus spoke this sentence in the Aramaic language, but more recently (thanks in part to the finds in the Dead Sea Scrolls) some have come around to suggesting Hebrew was the language of dialogue and learning in first-century Judea. Either way, John’s translation of His statement into Greek comprises only 9 words. In order to understand the profundity inherent in the message of those few words, let’s take them word by word (or phrase by phrase) and see how Christ’s one-sentence reply to the Pharisees answered the one largest question about who Jesus was — and at the same time raised a huge number of other questions.
A Walk Through John 8:58. Each of the five large text blocks below tackles one word or phrase from Christ’s sentence. In a box in the upper left of each text block, I have mirrored the Interlinear graphic above, putting John’s actual Greek word(s) on the middle line, the English transliteration on the top line, and the English literal translation at the bottom in red type. *
My commentary, inside each larger text block, attempts to reflect the thoughts that might have rapidly gone through the mind of someone present at the time Jesus had this confrontation with the Pharisees. As such, the phrases and sentences are often fragmented and jump quickly to new considerations. They are also repetitive, as one might go back to a previous thought in order to add a new insight gained and see if total meaning is emerging.
Just read the following in a flow, and with luck and God’s guidance, we’ll trust that His meaning will become clear.
Amēn amēn Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν Truly, truly
Did you know that every time Jesus began a sentence “Truly” or “Verily, verily,” He was using the Hebrew word “Amen”? It’s true. It means “Truth.” (The English equivalents most often given by NT Greek Lexicons for “amen” (pronounced “ahm-AIN”) include truly, verily, surely, certainly, of a truth, it is the truth, and so be it.) Using it to precede a statement of fact or an announcement was a common idiom at the time, indicating not only its veracity but also that it was of some significance. We do a similar thing in English when we start a sentence like this: “I’ll tell you the truth, that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done!” or “In all honesty, I think his new haircut looks silly.” [We even have a way of doing that in the vernacular (slang) when we start a sentence with “Seriously.” “Seriously, dude, where’s my car?” However, I don’t think I would use it to translate a statement made by Jesus!] That Christ used the word “Amen” twice to begin this sentence signified major emphasis. He was calling attention to the fact that what He was about to say was not only true, but also important. When we get to the end of Christ’s sentence, that will seem like an understatement.
legō λέγω I say
Time is important and will play a large role in the meaning of this sentence. We’ve already gotten the message that the sentence is true and important, and now this single simple word communicates both subject and verb — “I say” (or “I am saying”). We can read a clear subtext in this one word: We start with “Truth. Very important.” and we add “Now. In the present. At this moment. As I look at you and you look at me, I SAY this to you. We are locked together in this time of the now. This is not something you heard in the past, and no prophecy of the future has revealed it to you.” Also by this, Jesus takes full responsibility for the unbelievable magnitude of what He is about to tell them.
hymin ὑμῖν to you
With the addition of this word, Christ’s hearers have been given this introduction: “Truth. Important. Present tense. I am saying… to you.” Still locked eyeball to eyeball, Jesus and the Pharisees have been engaged in a “knock-down, drag-out” verbal battle, and He has just heard the Pharisees play their ancestral “trump card” — “We are the descendants of Abraham! We are the spiritual Leaders of God’s Chosen People! And who are you? You are one of the hated, heretical Samaritans and are clearly demon-possessed!” The carpenter’s son from Nazareth — the Creator of the Universe — looks at them calmly and assures them that this “truth,” this “important truth,” is specifically for them. They will have to deal with its ramifications.
prin Abraam genesthai πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι Before Abraham was [born]
Jesus now makes time move within a single sentence. He started with the present tense: “Truth. Important. I am saying this now to you.” But He immediately reverses gear and casts them back to the ancient past: “What I am saying to you, the message I have for you, carries implications about and derives its authority from — the past.” In telling the Pharisees just before this that “Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced,” He was giving one huge hint of what He was going to tell them. But as we’ll see, the Pharisees never saw it coming. Jesus had picked this day, this time, this “now” to reveal His own “trump card” — His identity. And the Pharisees took the offered bait and ran with it. One can imagine the sneers on their faces and the revulsion in their hearts as they snapped back at Him: “You aren’t 50 years old yet, and You’ve seen Abraham?” They knew that Abraham’s day was estimated as much as 1800 years (!!) before this conversation. Preposterous, they were thinking! He’s mad and he has a demon! But now, the end of the sentence is almost here. Christ tells them “The important truth that I am saying to you now requires you to cast your mind back to the time ‘before Abraham was born’… ”
egō eimi ἐγὼ εἰμί I am.
“I AM.”
Simple.
Wait, what did He say?
It hits our modern ears as incorrect, because He has switched back to the present tense. Or has He?
tick… tick… tick…
2, maybe 3 seconds of complete silence, as the universe-sized import and unbelievable meaning of what Jesus of Nazareth just said hits each of the Pharisees. There would have been no one present in the Temple that day who did not understand the clear reference just made to “I AM.”
Boom! Explosion. “Kill him! Stone him!! He is claiming to be God!” Actually, that last sentence may well have been the truest thing the Pharisees said the whole day. I AM. The burning bush. “I am that I am.” “I am the one Who said, ‘Let there be light!'” “I am Yehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” And then, the climactic truth becomes clear…
Jesus of Nazareth, staring at the Pharisees, has delivered to the Pharisees an unmistakable message, which hangs in the air… “I AMyour God“
So now, with all of the above, the following three quotes have merged into one major, astounding, earth- and human-changing TRUTH: The eternal God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — the Creator of the Universe — emptied Himself into a human form for the benefit of each individual one of us, and He told us His Name as a sign, a token, and an unalterable proof of that fact.
Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I tell them?”
God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”
God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
— Exodus 3:13–15 (HCSB)
“Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced.”
The Jews replied, “You aren’t 50 years old yet, and You’ve seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.” — John 8:56-58 (HCSB)
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
That sleeping child you’re holding is the great I AM ! — Mark Lowry
A Parting Gift. To close out this study of Christ as the great “I AM” and of John 8:58, I have a gift for you. Noted teacher (rabbi) and Christian author (The Harbinger) Jonathan Cahn has some startling and uplifting conclusions about “I AM” as the name of God, and the fact that Jesus revealed that He was “I AM.”
Describing the facts he has uncovered as “cool” and “amazing,” Cahn makes the strong point that the study of God’s name is not just some dry, boring historical or theological stuff. Rather, he says, this has “everything to do with your life. The name of God actually applies to your life! In an amazing way, this can change your life.”
Below, you will find a video (audio only) of a message he delivered titled YHVH: The I AM Mysteries, and I strongly urge you to set aside 33 minutes of quiet time to listen to it. Once you get to the 8-minute mark, put your mental roller skates on, because he’ll be taking you for a wind-in-your-hair, joyful, inspiring, and amazing ride!
To whet your appetite, but without spoilers, here are some of the truths Cahn talks about in the video. (Yes, including Moses’s socks.) I predict you’ll find it fascinating and uplifting.
Topic: Moses’s Socks — The dramatic way Yehovah revealed his name as “I AM.” (Exodus 3:13-15)
Topic: The Name — Does God have more than one name?
Topic: The Name — “Knock, knock.” “Who’s there?” “It’s me.”
Topic: Goodness — We have the order of “doing good” and “being good” backward.
Topic: Love — “If people sin against you and give you no cause to love them, that’s the cause! Love them.” and “The person in your life who has given you no reason whatsoever to love them, that’s the one you have to love.”
Topic: Biblical Grammar — In Genesis 1:1, “God” is plural and “created” is singular. It’s not a mistake, and it reveals huge Truths.
Topic: Your Identity — “Who are you?” “I am Grover.”
Topic: Living Your Life — Joining your “I am” to His “I AM.”
Jonathan Cahn — YHVH: The I AM Mysteries (39:34)
These are questions you might want to prayerfully ponder, and perhaps take back to Scriptures for help in answering.
What would you consider the most valuable meaning of God’s name “I AM” to your own personal life?
How important is it for you to know that Jesus was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? And why?
If you, knowing everything you know living in the 21st century, could be transported back to the moment that Jesus made the “I AM” statement — and if language were no barrier — what would be the very next question your mind would want to ask Him? What would your heart want to ask Him?
How did you feel when you read the things that the Pharisees were accusing Jesus of and that they wanted to stone Him? How do you think they would have justified their words and actions?
The song Mary Did You Know was mentioned above. How do you think Mary would have felt when she heard that her son Jesus revealed Himself to be “the Great I AM” ? How do you think this would have changed her already very special life?
Extra question for those who listened to Jonathan Cahn’s message:
What do you feel is the most valuable meaning to your life after hearing Rabbi Cahn talk about living one’s life “in God” — that everything you do, you do with God doing it with you? How might this insight change your ideas about God? How might this insight change your feelings about God?
In honor of my mentor and dear friend Dr. Leonard Kaplan (1935-2013).
NOTES:
* The word “transliteration” seems to give some Christian teachers great problems. I’ve seen it often confused with “translation” or “paraphrase.” Here’s what it really means. Merriam-Webster defines “to transliterate” as “to represent or spell in the characters of another alphabet.” Greek to English is a perfect example. Because the Greek alphabet is different from the English alphabet, it is often helpful to substitute the letter in English that makes the same sounds as each Greek letter in a word. Take the word Λόγος. In English its translation is “Word” and its transliteration is “Logos.” Here’s how we got that transliteration: Λ = L, ό = o, γ = g, ο = o, ς = s and that gives us the English transliteration of Λόγος, which is Logos.
It can even be done with languages that have no alphabet, such as Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese). The Chinese call this transliteration pinyin (pronounced peen-yeen). Since there is no Chinese alphabet, the transliteration is done just using the sound of each word. The capital of China is pronounced BAY-JING (with the “j” sounding like the j in “jingle,” not the sound of “prime rib au jus” or “Zsa Zsa Gabor”). So the people who created the transliteration pinyin for Mandarin used the Western alphabet letters “Beijing” to create that word’s pinyin.
SOURCES:
Brannan, Rick; Harwood, Theodore; Curtis, Andrew. English-Greek Reverse Interlinear Holman Christian Standard Bible: New Testament. Lexham Press, 2017.
Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 145). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Kaplan, Leonard. Asking the Next Question. Tichenor Publishing, (1986).
It is a great spiritual pleasure for me to introduce you to an author (a Jewish believer in Jesus as “the Jewish Christ”) who says the goal of his work is to “comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable in all areas of life.” You may or may not agree, but I think the first century Christians would most certainly have approved of that approach.
He is Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, and the adjacent photo shows the covers of his two latest books, Jewish Insights Into Scripture (2018) and The Jewish Gospel of John: Discovering Jesus, King of All Israel (2015).
The books were written for both lay-Christians and scholars alike, and they arose out of the author’s observation that, all too often, Christians’ understanding of both the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament has been clouded by “centuries of Western tradition and interpretation.” Writing in a precise yet understandable style, “Dr. Eli” (as he is known) pulls back the curtain and helps contemporary Christ-followers understand how the scriptures were understood by their original audience – up to and including the first century Christians.
Released just this month, Jewish Insights Into Scripture is a compact volume comprising 50 short (usually one page) essays designed to deepen our appreciation for familiar Bible passages and enhance our understanding of verses many of us have found difficult to interpret.
Over the last year, Dr. Eli has been emailing versions of these knowledge-rich nuggets to his mailing list, about once a week, and I confess that I search my inbox daily to see if his latest has arrived. I have yet to find one of them that either disappointed me or that did not make me want to research further and know more.
Dr. Eli is President of, and a professor at, the Israel Bible Center in Israel, which offers a steadily growing number of online, self-study courses in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, leading to a Certificate in Jewish Studies. Typical responses from students have praised the program’s “passion for the word of God,” calling it “not only engaging but also contagious” – and stating that it “reignited my passion for study of scripture!”
I have reproduced below the first of Jewish Insight‘s essays, to give you the flavor and feel for its content, style, and approach. I think you’ll find it fascinating, and certainly a thoughtful addition to your knowledge and understanding of Scripture. Below that, I have placed a video interview of Dr. Eli, in which he discusses the mission and goals of the Israel Bible Institute in greater detail. Enjoy!
Don’t Mess with Abraham!
Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg
Genesis 12:3 is a very well-known verse: “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.” That sounds clear, but a very important nuance is lost in translation.
The Hebrew verb meaning “to bless” is לְבַרֵךְ (levarekh), from the root ב-ר-ך (B-R-Kh). This root is connected to the concept of a “knee,” and thus implies rendering service to someone (i.e., bending the knee). Hence, one possible meaning of the divine statement could be, “I will serve those who serve you!” To “serve” implies doing good for someone, bringing benefit to a recipient – thus “blessing.”
In the second part of the verse God promised Abraham that “the one who curses you” מְקַלֶּלְך (mekalelkha) will in turn “be cursed” אָאֹר (aor). Notice that this promise (or threat!) uses two different words that are both translated as “to curse.” The first of these, מְקַלֶּלְך (mekalelkha) comes from a root connected to the idea of “lightness” (as opposed to “heaviness”). The second word, אָאֹר (aor), derives from a completely different root that means something like “to utterly destroy.”
Taking these Hebrew insights into consideration, an alternative possible translation of this famous verse might be as follows: “I will do good to those who do good to you, and the one who makes light of you I will utterly destroy.”
EXCERPT FROM JEWISH INSIGHTS INTO SCRIPTURE, DR. ELIYAHU LIZORKIN-EYZENBERG, TEL MOND, ISRAEL: ISRAEL BIBLE CENTER, 2018, P. 6
COPYRIGHT 2018 DR. GROVER B. PROCTOR, JR. — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
“He said: Yehovah God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven or on earth,
keeping His gracious covenant with Your servants who walk before You wholeheartedly.” —2 Chronicles 6:14 (HCSB)
The calendar has flipped over to the New Year, the time we all think about beginnings, resolutions, and annual plans. If God and our relationship with Him are not at the top of all our 2018 lists, no doubt you’ll agree that some major re-think is in order.
I suggest in the strongest possible terms that a great way to keep God first — 365 days of the year — is to live the year Wholeheartedly.
Christian author, motivational speaker, Bible teacher, devotionalist, and passionate-yet-humble Ambassador of Christ Allison T. Cain has now given us her seventh book, Wholeheartedly: A Chronological Journey through the Bible in One Year. You may not know it yet, but you will be wanting a copy. Here’s why.
Most of us have, at some time, toyed with the idea of using one of the many “Bible in a Year” volumes to read the Scriptures in 12 months — and no doubt some have successfully done it. But as Allison has discovered, reading it in a way that allows you to follow the exact order of the history of God and humans gives both captivating revelation and motivating theology. As you can see below, she believes this to her very core:
Allison T. Cain
“Reading the Bible chronologically has made me want to dance like David in pure abandon, without a care of who is watching and throwing every bit of energy, love and might I have into worshiping our Creator. Not only has it opened my eyes to another incredible and easy way to study scripture, it has given me a deeper understanding of the thread God has woven through history since He created Earth and man. It’s given me an appreciation and eye for Him in my daily life and world events. It’s not that I ever doubted God’s existence, power or attention to detail – it’s just that sometimes I put Him in my “human” box when He is so much more – so much greater. I sometimes simplify the greatness and forget to look at Him with the awe, gratitude, praise and adoration that I should.”
Allison does two major things in Wholeheartedly which, in my view, set this book apart from any other similar volume:
First — Making the Case for Reading the Bible Chronologically
Before turning things over to Allison for her enthusiastic take on this concept, let me set the stage for how this reading Plan differs from others you may have seen. Most “Bible in a Year” Plans give you readings that comprise some chapters in the Old Testament, more from the New Testament, an average of 3 Psalms or so a week, maybe a Proverb or two, and that’s how you proceed. Reading various and scattered parts of Scripture is wonderful, because we know all of the text is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). But the myriad and varied subject matters you are asked to absorb each day in this sort of Plan can be disjointed and hard on the concentration. There is often no logical flow to the daily selections or thematic glue that binds them together.
A Chronological “Bible in a Year” Plan, on the other hand, does just what the name suggests — it selects and arranges the readings in the order they happened — from Genesis (“Let there be light”) to Revelation (“Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”). And suddenly, the one entire, linear, and complete Story of the Bible becomes a true page-turner! The warnings God sends through the Prophets emerge logically from their historical context. Seeing how it grew out of the Babylonian captivity and events thereafter, the Judean social and religious backdrop with which Christ had to contend is much more easily understood, when one immediately follows the other.
If this sounds like you are being encouraged to “read the Bible out of order,” then I have not done well explaining the concept. But fortunately, Wholeheartedly‘s author does a great job. Take it away, Allison!
“It’s a story. I know we already know that, but there is something about reading the story in order that makes it so much better! Imagine reading one of your favorite books out-of-order. Things just don’t make as much sense and are more difficult to grasp and understand (i.e. history timeline, descendants, story lines). I’ve been so excited about ‘the story’ at times, I’ve completed a week’s worth of reading in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down.”
“Imagine reading in 1 Chronicles about David, all his struggles, sins, etc. when what comes next is the Psalm he wrote during that time. The Psalms are even more beautiful and full of meaning when they are put into the context of David’s life and trials.
“When you read the Bible in order you have a fresh glimpse into how God’s hand REALLY is in every detail. It’s not just a saying anymore. It’s real. You see His hand at work as each leader or King gains or loses his power. You see how God raises up the shepherd’s son and understand how it all ties together.”
Full disclosure: my wife and I read the Bible chronologically at the time that Allison did, and the three of us eagerly compared notes throughout the year. I can truthfully say that her ebullient description of the experience is right on target.
Second — How to Read the Bible Chronologically
The first help Allison gives you is the invitation to make two choices — (a) which Bible translation you prefer to use and (b) which reading format works best for you. The great thing about the way it is approached here is that, while Allison provides her own suggestions for each of these two choices, Wholeheartedly walks with you, hand-in-hand, regardless of what decisions you make.
When Allison first read the Bible chronologically, she read it in a translation she’d never before read — the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). She found the HCSB to be a superb, highly readable, painstakingly accurate translation into modern 21st-century English. Her suggestion is that you use the HCSB for your Bible reading, and I agree. I use it exclusively, except when I am comparing translations. (More on the HCSB in “Additional Notes” below.) But the versatile strength of Wholeheartedly is that it marries seamlessly with whatever your preferred translation is.
The second choice you have is how you will make your way through 365 days of historical reading of Scripture.
Do you want one single book which contains the entire Bible, published in the order of your daily readings?
Or would you prefer a slimmer volume that lists which chapters are assigned to each day of the year, allowing you then to go to your favorite Bible and read them from there?
Option 1: If you choose the first option, there is a book titled Reading God’s Story: A Chronological Daily Bible by George H. Guthrie. This one volume contains the complete text of the HCSB Bible, rearranged into the chronological order you are seeking. There’s no skipping around needed; you just read page after page straight through until the year is over. Allison supports this book’s approach: “I pray you will consider purchasing a chronological (HCSB) Bible as you begin this study.” (More on this book in “Additional Notes” below.)
Option 2: This option, which I urge you to strongly consider, is exactly what the book Wholeheartedly is all about. It provides a rich treasure of Allison’s personal commentary and reflections, ample set-aside space for your own note-taking and journaling, as well as the entire chronological listing of your daily readings (divided into each week’s seven daily readings). In this slim 120-page, easily portable volume, you find the readings for that day, go to your own Bible (whichever translation you wish to use), and read.
Regardless of which reading Options you choose, Allison gives you structured and thoughtful places for you to write your own musings, questions, discoveries, journalings, and notes, to be kept for your own future consideration.
And perhaps the most important part of the book — second, of course, to Scripture itself — are Allison’s myriad short, enthusiastic, and devotional Bible studies, pulled and expanded from the thoughts she recorded during her own chronological year. Here’s how I see the value of these writings in particular, and the book in general: If Scripture can be thought of as our Teacher and Coach, enabling us to learn truth and to climb higher and closer to God, then surely Allison’s heartfelt, God-centered reflections are like having our BFF-in-Christ sitting next to us, praising God with us, sharing insights and delights, urging us on, and cheering our progress.
Here’s an example of what you’ll find throughout the book in her personal, joyous, God-centered writings. It’s an excerpt from her thoughts about Genesis 2:1-3:
“So, as you begin this adventure through the story of God, please consider that the creator of the Universe, the one who knew you before you were born, the one who knows every hair on your head, loves you and walks with you daily wants to sit down with you. How quickly would you drop everything on your calendar and pull out your credit card to buy a plane ticket if your favorite band, movie star, president or author called to have you over to their home for dinner and conversation?
“Well, your Heavenly Father created this whole Universe, He’s the top dog, the CEO of Life, the Alpha and the Omega. He is the one who holds your life breath in His hand. He loves you so much that He sent His very own son, His only son, to die so that you could live forever with Him in paradise. AND … He wants to know you better. He wants to sit down with you and hear your heart’s desires. He wants to show you His promises of comfort, peace, love, forgiveness, and grace. He desires for you to seek Him when you need wisdom and direction. He wants to be your Living Well. Your stream in the desert. Your lifeline and your listening ear. He will not judge you, but He will love you. He will not disgrace you, but He will give you comfort. He will not condemn you, but He will forgive you.
By now, you know how much value I find in this book. So, how can you most quickly purchase a copy of the 120-page Wholeheartedly? Allison’s website links to Amazon.com, and you can buy it directly online there. You can find information on her first six books online as well.
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS FROM ALLISON:
Wholehearted(ly) : fully; truly; sincerely; deeply; energetically; devoted; completely; earnestly; having or showing no doubt or uncertainty about doing something or supporting someone.
“I encourage you to jump into this adventure Wholeheartedly — with an unconditional commitment, unstinting devotion, and wild enthusiasm.
“You will never be more excited about the Bible story, and when you turn that page to find Jesus in the New Testament, you will discover and unravel mysteries you never noticed. You will find treasures on every page and learn more than you ever imagined about your Heavenly Father.
“Make this yours, but seek God through His word. Pray He multiplies your time and understanding in ways you never imagined to complete this journey.
“The word of God never grows old or stale. It is always fresh and relevant. I pray you will remain in Him wholeheartedly during the course of this study and revel in His truths and promises He will reveal to your obedient heart.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES
I mentioned above that Allison gave praise to the Chronological Bible she first read, and which was the inspiration for her current book. It is called Reading God’s Story: A Chronological Daily Bible, which uses the HCSB. It is available from various booksellers, mostly online. For now, at least, it is still available at Amazon.com and CBD.com.
Allison also strongly recommended the use of the Holman Christian Standard Bible, along with her own book, to do the 365-day journey. The HCSB and Wholeheartedly are a great fit, as you will find that most of the scriptural quotes she pulls in the book are taken from that translation.
Bad news, however. Holman Bible Publishers has effectively discontinued the HCSB, and issued its “replacement,” the Christian Standard Bible. For reasons too numerous to list here, I find my preference is still strongly for the HSCB. Perhaps I will write another essay here detailing exactly why I feel this way.
So, we have to qualify any reference to the availability of HCSB or Reading God’s Story because of this publishing decision.
At the very least, if you do not already own a copy of the HSCB, I would go to Amazon.com or CBD.com to order one — now!
COPYRIGHT 2018 DR. GROVER B. PROCTOR, JR. — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
For Fathers Day 2017, Christian Educational Ministries has re-released Ronald L. Dart’s 28-minute program “A Father in the House,” which you may listen to by clicking below. This is the 4th program in the 8-part series Marriage and Family, from his nationally syndicated daily radio program Born to Win.
After an introductory discussion of the importance of having a father’s actual and active presence in his family, Dart uses a retelling of the charming and spiritual Biblical story of Ruth and Boaz to finalize his teaching on a man’s broader responsibilities inside his family. In addition, he explains many of the legal imperatives and cultural traditions of the time — without this knowledge, many elements of the story sound strange to modern ears. At the end of the program, a reminder of the identity of Boaz and Ruth’s great-grandson provides a strong context and finale.
Not surprisingly, the story of Ruth and Boaz has inspired artists throughout the ages to produce great works of art to memorialize them. Here are three I found while preparing this post. If you click on each, you will see a larger reproduction of the work. They are presented here in chronological order of their creation:
BOAZ MUST SEND RUTH AWAY from The Crusader Bible (ca.1244-1254)
RUTH THANKS BOAZ FOR LETTING HER GLEAN by Philips Galle (1585)
RUTH IN BOAZ’S FIELD by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1828)
But Ruth replied:
“Do not persuade me to leave you
or go back and not follow you.
For wherever you go, I will go,
and wherever you live, I will live;
your people will be my people,
and your God will be my God.
Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
May Yahweh punish me,
and do so severely,
if anything but death separates you and me.”
All content is Copyright 2023 by Dr. Grover B. Proctor, Jr. No edits, deletions, or additions are permitted when blog posts are shared onto any social media or external web sites. Printing out copies for an individual's sole use is permissible, but no other duplication, for profit or otherwise, is permitted without permission of the author. Thank you.
“We Will Rebuild”
Lord, we ask for Your mercy on this land.
Christ Our Passover 
‘Truly, before Abraham was…’
• I am the bread of life.
• I am the light of the world.
• I am the door (or gate).
• I am the good shepherd.
• I am the resurrection and the life.
• I am the way, the truth, and the life.
• I am the true vine.
Each of the seven “I AMs” may be found in the Gospel of John, and of course — inescapably and profoundly — Jesus is most certainly each and every one of them. That knowledge is vital in our attempts to more completely understand Him, His earthly Mission, and His plan for our salvation.
That greatest “I AM” is also found in the book of John. In Chapter 8, Jesus is responding to increasingly virulent verbal questioning and accusations from a group of Pharisees (or “the Jews,” as John refers to them). As the replies from Jesus hit closer and closer to home, the Pharisees finally (metaphorically) throw down on the table their ancestral trump card: “We are the descendants of Abraham!” they cried. The implication was clear: “We are Abraham’s offspring! As such we are God’s chosen — and therefore we cannot possibly be guilty of the accusations You are making against us!”
It all comes to a head when Christ tells them that they are far from acting like God’s Chosen People. You are instead, Jesus tells them, “of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.” Their response to this is the classic playground bully retort, used by those who have no rational, legal, or (in this case) spiritual arguments to fall back on — “Yeah, well if we’re bad, you’re worse!”
I truly believe a strong case can be made that, of all the things Christ is quoted as saying in the Bible, this one statement packs the biggest explosive power. The Pharisees understood perfectly well what He was telling them. They needed no sages, commentaries, or apologists to explain it. But just in case the full meaning is not yet completely clear today, 2000 years later, here is what two highly respected New Testament Commentaries say about Christ’s “I am” statement and its profound message:
[Holman Concise Bible Commentary]
The words rendered “was” and “am” are quite different. The one clause means, “Abraham was brought into being”; the other, “I exist.” The statement therefore is not that Christ came into existence before Abraham did, but that He never came into being at all, but existed before Abraham had a being; in other words, existed before creation, or eternally [John 1:1]. In that sense the Jews plainly understood Him, since “then took they up stones to cast at Him,” just as they had before done when they saw that He made Himself equal with God [John 5:18].
[Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible]
SOURCE: BIBLEHUB.COM
Now, don’t panic. I know you’re eyeing this chart with all the Greek writing in it with trepidation, bordering on fear and loathing. Don’t let your eyes (or your brain) glaze over. Breathe in; breathe out.
Understanding Greek is not in any way a prerequisite for continuing to read this article! I’ve only included this graphic because I want us to fully share and savor the meaning and import of every single word and phrase in Christ’s momentous declaration. Read through the English on the bottom line, and when you are finished, we’ll walk together on a journey through Christ’s amazing declaration.
On first reading, Jesus’ “I AM” statement (bottom line, in brownish-orange on the chart) might seem simple. But then you notice that, strictly speaking, it doesn’t make grammatical sense. (Past tense and present tense, in the same sentence?) By the time we’re finished, however, I hope you’ll agree that Jesus said it perfectly correctly and that it contains an infinitely powerful truth.
Scholars used to be unanimous in believing that Jesus spoke this sentence in the Aramaic language, but more recently (thanks in part to the finds in the Dead Sea Scrolls) some have come around to suggesting Hebrew was the language of dialogue and learning in first-century Judea. Either way, John’s translation of His statement into Greek comprises only 9 words. In order to understand the profundity inherent in the message of those few words, let’s take them word by word (or phrase by phrase) and see how Christ’s one-sentence reply to the Pharisees answered the one largest question about who Jesus was — and at the same time raised a huge number of other questions.
A Walk Through John 8:58. Each of the five large text blocks below tackles one word or phrase from Christ’s sentence. In a box in the upper left of each text block, I have mirrored the Interlinear graphic above, putting John’s actual Greek word(s) on the middle line, the English transliteration on the top line, and the English literal translation at the bottom in red type. *
My commentary, inside each larger text block, attempts to reflect the thoughts that might have rapidly gone through the mind of someone present at the time Jesus had this confrontation with the Pharisees. As such, the phrases and sentences are often fragmented and jump quickly to new considerations. They are also repetitive, as one might go back to a previous thought in order to add a new insight gained and see if total meaning is emerging.
Just read the following in a flow, and with luck and God’s guidance, we’ll trust that His meaning will become clear.
Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν
Truly, truly
Did you know that every time Jesus began a sentence “Truly” or “Verily, verily,” He was using the Hebrew word “Amen”? It’s true. It means “Truth.” (The English equivalents most often given by NT Greek Lexicons for “amen” (pronounced “ahm-AIN”) include truly, verily, surely, certainly, of a truth, it is the truth, and so be it.) Using it to precede a statement of fact or an announcement was a common idiom at the time, indicating not only its veracity but also that it was of some significance. We do a similar thing in English when we start a sentence like this: “I’ll tell you the truth, that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done!” or “In all honesty, I think his new haircut looks silly.” [We even have a way of doing that in the vernacular (slang) when we start a sentence with “Seriously.” “Seriously, dude, where’s my car?” However, I don’t think I would use it to translate a statement made by Jesus!] That Christ used the word “Amen” twice to begin this sentence signified major emphasis. He was calling attention to the fact that what He was about to say was not only true, but also important. When we get to the end of Christ’s sentence, that will seem like an understatement.
λέγω
I say
Time is important and will play a large role in the meaning of this sentence. We’ve already gotten the message that the sentence is true and important, and now this single simple word communicates both subject and verb — “I say” (or “I am saying”). We can read a clear subtext in this one word: We start with “Truth. Very important.” and we add “Now. In the present. At this moment. As I look at you and you look at me, I SAY this to you. We are locked together in this time of the now. This is not something you heard in the past, and no prophecy of the future has revealed it to you.” Also by this, Jesus takes full responsibility for the unbelievable magnitude of what He is about to tell them.
ὑμῖν
to you
With the addition of this word, Christ’s hearers have been given this introduction: “Truth. Important. Present tense. I am saying… to you.” Still locked eyeball to eyeball, Jesus and the Pharisees have been engaged in a “knock-down, drag-out” verbal battle, and He has just heard the Pharisees play their ancestral “trump card” — “We are the descendants of Abraham! We are the spiritual Leaders of God’s Chosen People! And who are you? You are one of the hated, heretical Samaritans and are clearly demon-possessed!” The carpenter’s son from Nazareth — the Creator of the Universe — looks at them calmly and assures them that this “truth,” this “important truth,” is specifically for them. They will have to deal with its ramifications.
πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι
Before Abraham was [born]
Jesus now makes time move within a single sentence. He started with the present tense: “Truth. Important. I am saying this now to you.” But He immediately reverses gear and casts them back to the ancient past: “What I am saying to you, the message I have for you, carries implications about and derives its authority from — the past.” In telling the Pharisees just before this that “Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced,” He was giving one huge hint of what He was going to tell them. But as we’ll see, the Pharisees never saw it coming. Jesus had picked this day, this time, this “now” to reveal His own “trump card” — His identity. And the Pharisees took the offered bait and ran with it. One can imagine the sneers on their faces and the revulsion in their hearts as they snapped back at Him: “You aren’t 50 years old yet, and You’ve seen Abraham?” They knew that Abraham’s day was estimated as much as 1800 years (!!) before this conversation. Preposterous, they were thinking! He’s mad and he has a demon! But now, the end of the sentence is almost here. Christ tells them “The important truth that I am saying to you now requires you to cast your mind back to the time ‘before Abraham was born’… ”
ἐγὼ εἰμί
I am.
“I AM.”
Simple.
Wait, what did He say?
It hits our modern ears as incorrect, because He has switched back to the present tense. Or has He?
tick… tick… tick…
2, maybe 3 seconds of complete silence, as the universe-sized import and unbelievable meaning of what Jesus of Nazareth just said hits each of the Pharisees. There would have been no one present in the Temple that day who did not understand the clear reference just made to “I AM.”
Boom! Explosion. “Kill him! Stone him!! He is claiming to be God!” Actually, that last sentence may well have been the truest thing the Pharisees said the whole day.
I AM. The burning bush. “I am that I am.” “I am the one Who said, ‘Let there be light!'” “I am Yehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” And then, the climactic truth becomes clear…
Jesus of Nazareth, staring at the Pharisees,
has delivered to the Pharisees an unmistakable message, which hangs in the air…
“I AM your God“
So now, with all of the above, the following three quotes have merged into one major, astounding, earth- and human-changing TRUTH: The eternal God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — the Creator of the Universe — emptied Himself into a human form for the benefit of each individual one of us, and He told us His Name as a sign, a token, and an unalterable proof of that fact.
— Exodus 3:13–15 (HCSB)
“Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced.”
The Jews replied, “You aren’t 50 years old yet, and You’ve seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.”
— John 8:56-58 (HCSB)
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
That sleeping child you’re holding is the great I AM !
— Mark Lowry
Describing the facts he has uncovered as “cool” and “amazing,” Cahn makes the strong point that the study of God’s name is not just some dry, boring historical or theological stuff. Rather, he says, this has “everything to do with your life. The name of God actually applies to your life! In an amazing way, this can change your life.”
Below, you will find a video (audio only) of a message he delivered titled YHVH: The I AM Mysteries, and I strongly urge you to set aside 33 minutes of quiet time to listen to it. Once you get to the 8-minute mark, put your mental roller skates on, because he’ll be taking you for a wind-in-your-hair, joyful, inspiring, and amazing ride!
To whet your appetite, but without spoilers, here are some of the truths Cahn talks about in the video. (Yes, including Moses’s socks.) I predict you’ll find it fascinating and uplifting.
Jonathan Cahn — YHVH: The I AM Mysteries (39:34)
Extra question for those who listened to Jonathan Cahn’s message:
In honor of my mentor and dear friend Dr. Leonard Kaplan (1935-2013).
Λ = L, ό = o, γ = g, ο = o, ς = s and that gives us the English transliteration of Λόγος, which is Logos.
It can even be done with languages that have no alphabet, such as Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese). The Chinese call this transliteration pinyin (pronounced peen-yeen). Since there is no Chinese alphabet, the transliteration is done just using the sound of each word. The capital of China is pronounced BAY-JING (with the “j” sounding like the j in “jingle,” not the sound of “prime rib au jus” or “Zsa Zsa Gabor”). So the people who created the transliteration pinyin for Mandarin used the Western alphabet letters “Beijing” to create that word’s pinyin.
(THE SEVEN “I AMs”) CatholicLink Library of Resosurces
(JOHN 8:58 GREEK) BibleHub.com
(“I AM”) Woodland Baptist Church, Columbus, MS
(JONATHAN CAHN DVDs, VOL. 4) WND.com
VIDEO CREDIT —
(YHVH: THE I AM MYSTERIES) Jonathan Cahn; Hope of the World
Posted by Dr. Grover B. Proctor, Jr. on August 27, 2018 in Bible Study, Biblical Education, Biblical History, Jonathan Cahn
Tags: "I AM", "Mary Did You Know", amen, Asking the Next Question, ἀμὴν, ἐγὼ εἰμί, biblehub.com, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Exodus 3:14, Holman Concise Bible Commentary, John 8:58, Jonathan Cahn, Leonard Kaplan, Mark Lowry, Pharisees, transliteration