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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Part Nine of our study "Worship and encountering the Divine"...

Go to Part 10...
…Worship and Encountering the Divine…
Part Nine
…The Creed of Yeshua…
 – The Last Adam or “The End of the Matter?” - [1] [2] [3]


23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions e shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. [4]


20 But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. 22 For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming; 24 then the culmination, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after having put an end to every ruler-ship, yes, to every authority and power. 25 For he has to rule until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be done away with will be death, 27 for “He put everything in subjection under his feet.” m But when it says that “everything” has been subjected, obviously the word does not include God, who is himself the one subjecting everything to the Messiah. 28 Now when everything has been subjected to the Son, then he will subject himself to God, who subjected everything to him; so that God may be everything in everyone.
29 Were it otherwise, what would the people accomplish who are immersed on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not actually raised, why are people immersed for them? 30 For that matter, we ourselves—why do we keep facing danger hour by hour? 31 Brothers, by the right to be proud which the Messiah Yeshua our Lord gives me, I solemnly tell you that I die every day. 32 If my fighting with “wild beasts” in Ephesus was done merely on a human basis, what do I gain by it? If dead people are not raised, we might as well live by the saying, “Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” n 33 Don’t be fooled. “Bad company ruins good character.” 34 Come to your senses! Live righteously and stop sinning! There are some people who lack knowledge of God—I say this to your shame.
35 But someone will ask, “In what manner are the dead raised? What sort of body do they have?” 36 Stupid! When you sow a seed, it doesn’t come alive unless it first dies. 37 Also, what you sow is not the body that will be, but a bare seed of, say, wheat or something else; 38 but God gives it the body he intended for it; and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 Not all living matter is the same living matter; on the contrary, there is one kind for human beings, another kind of living matter for animals, another for birds and another for fish. 40 Further, there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the beauty of heavenly bodies is one thing, while the beauty of earthly bodies is something else. 41 The sun has one kind of beauty, the moon another, the stars yet another; indeed, each star has its own individual kind of beauty.
42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. When the body is “sown,” it decays; when it is raised, it cannot decay. 43 When sown, it is without dignity; when raised, it will be beautiful. When sown, it is weak; when raised, it will be strong. 44 When sown, it is an ordinary human body; when raised, it will be a body controlled by the Spirit. If there is an ordinary human body, there is also a body controlled by the Spirit.
45 In fact, the Tanakh says so: Adam, the first man, became a living human being; o
but the last “Adam” has become a life-giving Spirit.
46 Note, however, that the body from the Spirit did not come first, but the ordinary human one; the one from the Spirit comes afterwards.
47 The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven.
48 People born of dust are like the man of dust, and people born from heaven are like the man from heaven; 49 and just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, so also we will bear the image of the man from heaven. [5]

                The end of the matter.  O if only it were so.  It has been a while since my last post on this subject – a lot has gone on, we’ve posted some other matters, but now need to return to this.  Why? What determines the how and why that one writes?  Well, life for one. My Hebrew teacher made an astute observation: “Life consists of getting punched in the stomach until your stomach finally toughens up and then getting smashed in the face instead.” [6]  Kind of where I have been.  Life delivers body blows and then the upper-cut.  So what has his to do with our subject today?  Friend, all of us at one time or another have been tired.  Take enough blows and you get weary – you begin to wonder if even God cares..

Despite what life chooses to throw at one though, you have to rebound.  I have learned that it is all a distraction; it either is  allowed by God or maybe set up by the enemy of our soul or both,  but a distraction none-the-less.  Why you might ask?  To keep us focused.  Again, though, some might say “God doesn’t test men, just like He doesn’t tempt men…”

Let’s see:
Judges 7:2-8 (NASB95)
2     The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, afor Israel 1would become boastful, saying, ‘My own 2power has delivered me.’
     3     “Now therefore 1come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘aWhoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’ ” So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.
     4     aThen the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but every one of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
     5     So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink.”
     6     Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water.
     7     The Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you awith the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his 1home.”
     8     So 1the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And 2Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. [7]

Or how about:
Psalm 11:4-5
4  The Lord is in His aholy temple; the 1Lord’s bthrone is in heaven;
His ceyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The Lord atests the righteous and bthe wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.[8]

One more:
Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NASB95)
     9     “The aheart is more bdeceitful than all else And is desperately csick;
Who can understand it?
10     I, the Lord, asearch the heart, I test the 1mind, Even bto give to each man according to his ways, According to the 2results of his deeds. [9]

There are many more examples, but yes, Yahveh tests us.  There are just as many reasons for the tests as there are outcomes, but a choice is made. It involves reasoning with God, it involves us thinking.  The diagram below shows some of the processes related to thinking:


Figure 1 The Thinking/Reason Tree, created in Freemind[10]
It is in this process that we make up our minds, that we come to a decision.  Almost all of the branches can be further expanded, with more and more choices, but you see, in the end, we all make a choice.  That is why I spoke of the “distractions” I have faced – I had to make a choice.  Keep getting pummeled, or change direction.  It involves thinking, deciding, and moving forward.  No matter the cost to me, God has sent me back to the keyboard, to write what I have found, and to accept the consequences of my beliefs.  O if there were an “end to the matter”.  If only I knew for sure what God is trying to tell me – but then – I would have to be like so many others, so sure and smug in my beliefs that I’d have no room in my heart for God to correct me if I needed it, or teach me what I do not know.  So I come to you humbly, and say, this is what I know now.  May God correct me if I am wrong or uphold me if I am correct.  But teachable and correctable I must be.  Study what I say, do not trust me, but check out all things against His Word.  As God tests the hearts of men, so should we test their words, but do so with a heart open to truth and to the Spirit so that if there be found truth in my conjectures, you can safely then let God teach you further.  And oh yes, God does care; otherwise He would not have tested me so.  He has guided me through the rough spots and patched up my wounds; part of what I’ve been going through is simply because I have not been obedient and continued to write on this subject.  Worship and encountering the Divine…  When you go there, prepare to be astounded, prepare to be changed.  May Yeshua grant me wisdom, and may my words only reflect His glory, to the everlasting glory of the Father of us all, YHVH Adonai, the LORD of hosts, praises and blessings to His Holy Name,  Amein…

                I need to expound a bit, and ask you a question…

Mark 4:35-41 (NET)
4:35 On that day, when evening came, Jesus38 said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.”39 4:36 So40 after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat,41 and other boats were with him. 4:37 Now42 a great windstorm43 developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. 4:38 But44 he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” 4:39 So45 he got up and rebuked46 the wind, and said to the sea,47 “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then48 the wind stopped, and it was dead calm. 4:40 And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?” 4:41 They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another,
Who then is this?49 Even the wind and sea obey him!”50 ([11])

The King James reads verse 41 as this:
Mark 4:41 (KJV)
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another,
What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? [12]

That is the question is it not? “What manner of man is this?”  The whole premise of this epistle series is on who Yeshua is and the relationship He has to Yahveh the Father.  Is there a trinity? Is it more correct to say there is a “tri-unity”? Is Yahveh unique, or has He indeed shared His glory with another? Is the Son begotten? Is He divine? Was He a man? Is the Father, Son and Spirit one in the same? Do you care or is this the question that divides us?  What does Daniel 7 tell us about the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man?

What manner of man is this?

                I could extend this study to one hundred parts and safely say I cannot reach a conclusion that would please anyone or everyone.  So, let it be known the conclusions I have come to are based solely upon my understanding of the words of our Messiah and the clues given in the Holy Scriptures.  My understanding is always subject to correction by the Spirit, and by the leading of the Father and Son, and it is predicated by the idea that I see darkly and in part.  No man should come to his understanding of God in a rigid, unyielding manner, for God Himself says:

Isaiah 55:6-11 (HCSB)
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call to Him while He is near. k
Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; l
let him return to the Lord, so He may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for He will freely forgive. m
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
“For as heaven is higher than earth, n so My ways are higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there
without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout,
and providing seed to sow and food to eat, o
11 so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty,
but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” p [13]

Why do I think God has to conform to my way of thinking, or that of a “church” system that has shown itself over time to be at the worst corrupt or at the least greatly ignorant?  Why should I think God has to conform to the rulings of rabbis, the councils of men or modern day symposiums that herald themselves as the last word on the subject ? 
Isaiah 1:16-20 (NASB95)
16     aWash yourselves, bmake yourselves clean; cRemove the evil of your deeds from My sight.
dCease to do evil,
17     Learn to do good; aSeek justice, Reprove the ruthless,
1bDefend the orphan, Plead for the widow.
18     “Come now, and alet us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
bThough your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.
19     “  a If you consent and obey, You will beat the best of the land;
20     “But if you refuse and rebel, You will be adevoured by the sword.”
Truly, bthe mouth of the Lord has spoken. [14]

What does YHVH mean when He says “Come now, and alet us reason together,”?  In our Western, English way of thinking, how do we define “reason”?

“…Full Definition of REASON
1          a :  a statement offered in explanation or justification <gave reasons that were quite satisfactory>
b :  a rational ground or motive <a good reason to act soon>
c :  a sufficient ground of explanation or of logical defense; especially :  something (as a principle or law) that supports a conclusion or explains a fact <the reasons behind her client's action>
d :  the thing that makes some fact intelligible :  cause <the reason for earthquakes> <the real reason why he wanted me to stay — Graham Greene>
2          a (1) :  the power of comprehending, inferring, or thinking especially in orderly rational ways :  intelligence (2) :  proper exercise of the mind (3) :  sanity
b :  the sum of the intellectual powers
3          archaic :  treatment that affords satisfaction
in reason
within reason
:  within reasonable limits
with reason
:  with good cause…”[15]

Now, to a non-English speaking person, or one that is learning English, how would you explain “reason”?

(1)   “…Learner's definition of REASON
[count] : a statement or fact that explains why something is the way it is, why someone does, thinks, or says something, or why someone behaves a certain way
  • I gave a reason for my absence.
  • Is there a reason for your strange behavior?
  • There is a reason why they don't want to come.
  • I can't give you the report for the simple reason that it isn't yet finished.
  • She explained her reasons for deciding to change jobs.
  • He wanted to know the reason for their decision.
  • “Why don't you want to go to the party?” “No (particular) reason. I just feel like staying home tonight.”
  • Give me one good reason why I should believe you.
  • For obvious reasons, we can't do that yet.
  • For reasons of space, some of the charts and graphs have been omitted from the article.
  • She resigned for personal reasons.
  • He is always late, for some/whatever reason. [=he is always late, and no one knows why]
  • He tends to get upset for no reason.
  • She did things for no good reason. [=there was no acceptable explanation for her actions]
[non-count] : a fact, condition, or situation that makes it proper or appropriate to do something, feel something, etc.
  • There is no reason [=cause] to panic.
  • There's no reason for you to feel that way.
  • I had sufficient/adequate/enough reason [=justification] to leave.
  • He saw no reason to pursue the issue any further.
  • They want to try something different, and that's reason enough for the change.
  • He was found not guilty by reason of insanity. [=not guilty because he was insane when he committed the crime]
  • We have (every) reason to believe he is lying.
  • The company fired him with/without reason. [=there was/wasn't a good reason for the company to fire him]
  • She decided, with reason, to find somewhere else to live.
  • Poor work conditions are all the more reason to find another job.
[non-count] : the power of the mind to think and understand in a logical way
  • Human beings possess the power of reason.
  • (old-fashioned) He lost his reason. [=he became insane]
[non-count] : ideas and opinions that are fair, sensible, and appropriate
  • I can't get him to listen to (the voice of) reason. = I can't get him to see reason.
  • He is not open to reason. [=he is not listening to logical or sensible thinking]
rhyme or reason
— see 1rhyme
stand to reason
: to be sensible or understandable
  • If her friends don't want to go, it stands to reason [=it makes sense] that she won't want to go either.
within reason
: within reasonable or sensible limits
  • You can do anything you want, within reason.
  • The price is within reason

(2)   Learner's definition of REASON
[no object] : to think in a logical way
  • He lost the ability to reason.
[+ object] : to form (a conclusion or judgment) by thinking logically
  • He reasoned that both statements couldn't be true.
  • She reasoned that something must be wrong.
reason out [phrasal verb]
reason (something) out or reason out (something)
: to find an explanation or solution to (something, such as a problem, question, mystery, etc.) by thinking about the possibilities
  • He reasoned out [=worked out] the problem by himself.
reason with
[phrasal verb]
reason with (someone)
: to talk with (someone) in a sensible way in order to try to change that person's thoughts or behavior
  • They tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen…” [16]

As you can see from this lengthy set of definitions, we can infer many different meanings from the word “reason”.  But how does this help us in determining what the Lord’s intentions were when He spoke these words?  It all comes down to our understanding of what the Scriptures truly are.  For me, what I have found is that, first and foremost, they are a legal document, penned over the course of time by men under the influence of the Spirit of God, concerning the covenantal relationship between God and mankind, especially Israel.  (Note: You might have a different opinion, but for the sake of this epistle, we’ll focus on mine – sorry if that offends anyone…K) For all that Scripture is, the Holy Word of God, the teachings, the histories, the wisdoms, the knowledge of the Divine, it all comes down to this one fact:  God has laid out His contract (or better, His covenant) with a specific people, those He called the Hebrews (later history separated them under one name, the Jews). These were those whom He designated “His people” and in time included those who would join themselves to Him through their relationship with His people.  Basically what He said to them was this:
“Your choice… follow the contract/covenant and these things will happen;
Do not follow the contract/covenant and these are the things that will happen.”

(See Deuteronomy 28 for a fuller explanation of what happens when His people keep or don’t keep covenant with Him.)

 We have made the mistake of making the covenant of God into a religious experience instead of realizing it is legal, binding contract[17] with benefits and punishments; the main benefit is His love showed to us by grace and truth if we obey – the main detriment is His judgment, His wrath brought about by disobedience or better, unfaithfulness.  Does this make Him harsh?  Does this make God unfair?  Why do we even think this?  Does not the Creator have the right to say to us how we should act, how we should treat one another, how we should interact with Him?  If you are not a believer then I suppose you feel all this is irrelevant, that you as a free moral (or not) agent can choose whatever path you deem appropriate.  Even believers think this way, that as free moral (or not moral, however you wish to define it) agents they can choose the path that seems right to them, and then begin to pick and choose what they will follow in the word and what they just will not adhere to.  Just because you (or I) try to decide what is right, is it?

                The paths I have chosen to walk I hope I have done with much consideration, much thought, much “reason”.  But for it all to work for me, I have had to make choices – I have had to decide to obey (see the reason tree again).  I have had to set aside my ways, my “reasoning”, and accept YHVH’s as the only right path there is.  So what does it mean when God says “…let us reason together…”?

See if you can get the sense of the meaning in these other passages:

Is 1:18 |       18 “Come now, and alet us reason together  (ונוכחה )[18]” Says the Lord, “bThough your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow;
Hos 4:1-2      aListen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, For the Lord has a bcase (ריב )[19] against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is cno 1faithfulness or 2kindness Or dknowledge of God in the land. (2) There is aswearing, bdeception, cmurder, dstealing and eadultery. They employ violence, so that fbloodshed 1follows bloodshed.[20]
Ps 50:1-4     A Psalm of Asaph.  1)  aThe Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, And summoned the earth bfrom the rising of the sun to its setting.  2) Out of Zion, athe perfection of beauty, God bhas shone forth.  3) May our God acome and not keep silence; bFire devours before Him, And it is very ctempestuous around Him. 4) He asummons the heavens above, And the earth, to judge  (לדין )[21] His people…[22]
Isa 43:25-26    I, I am the one who blots out your transgressions for my sake, and I will not remember your sins.
26) Take me to court; let us enter into judgment (נשׁפטה )[23]together. You, make an account z so that you may be in the right. ( ספר  אתה  למען  תצדק׃)[24] [25]
(See Also :Dt 4:26, 32:1; 2 Sa 22:16; Ps 50:1, 4, 7, 104:5; Is 1:18, 3:13, 43:26; Je 2:9; Eze 36:4; Ho 4:1, 12:2; Micah 1:2)

The Hebrew is clearer than the English.  Is Isaiah 1:18 the word translated as “reason” is the Hebrew word נִוָּֽכְחָ֖ה, which comes from the root:

“- Original: יכח
- Transliteration: Yakach
- Phonetic: yaw-kahh'
- Definition:
1. to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right
a. (Hiphil)
1. to decide, judge 2. to adjudge, appoint 3. to show to be right, prove 4. to convince, convict
5. to reprove, chide 6. to correct, rebuke
b. (Hophal) to be chastened
c. (Niphal) to reason, reason together
d. (Hithp) to argue
- Origin: a primitive root
- TWOT entry: 865
- Part(s) of speech: Verb
- Strong's: A primitive root; to be right (that is correct); reciprocally to argue; causatively to decide justify or convict: - appoint argue chasten convince correct (-ion) daysman dispute judge maintain plead reason (together) rebuke reprove (-r) surely in any wise…” [26]

The article in the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament puts it this way [highlighting and bold emphasis by your author]:
“…865b     תּוֹכַחַת (tôkaḥat) argument, reproof.
yākaḥ does not occur in the Qal. It is used fifty-four times in the Hiphil, and three times in the Niphal.
The juridical notion of yākaḥ is clearly established by one of its early uses: Laban, having caught up with Jacob and having searched in vain through all Jacob’s belongings for his valuable amulets, is scolded by Jacob, “What is my sin, that you have set in hot pursuit after me? Though you have felt through all my goods, what have you found? Set it here before my relatives and yours, that they may decide (i.e. judge) between us two” (Gen 31:36f.). Then referring to Laban’s dream the night before, he claims, “God has seen my affliction … and rebuked you last night.” NASB translates, “So He rendered judgment last night”; NIV “rebuked” (v. 42). See also I Chr 12:18; Job 9:33 where “daysman” is used, but ASV and RSV “umpire.” Yet other usages are also witnessed, e.g. Gen 24:14, 44, “appointed.”
The forensic use is clearest in the covenant lawsuit context. See Huffmon, JBL 78:286–95. Psalm 50:8, 21, Hos 4:4, and Mic 6:2 are considered cases where Yahweh in his covenant relation with a people who have repeatedly broken the covenant, now brings a lawsuit against them after the pattern of Deut 32. Dahood translates Ps 50:21c, “I will accuse you and draw up a case before your eyes” (AB, 16, p. 304, but ASV “reprove,” NIV, “I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face”). He refers to Job 40:2 where the nuance of the participle môkı̂aḥ “he who accuses” God (RSV “he who argues”) is clearly present as understood by the ancient versions.
However, the most familiar passage where yākaḥ occurs is in Isa 1:18 which is within a covenant lawsuit. Following a record of rebellion where Yahweh, the plaintiff, condemns Judah for their self-designed religious festivals (1:10–15), Isaiah issues a call to repentance (1:16–20). Within this context then we should understand the expression “let us reason together” (KJV, NIV as meaning “let us debate our case in court.” Micah 6:2 supports this notion, speaking of “the indictment of Yahweh,” then of Yahweh’s case against his people" (rı̂b “lawsuit, case”) in parallel with the phrase “with Israel he will dispute” (RSV and ASV “will contend,” NIV “is lodging a charge,” BDB “will argue”). This judicial element, which is the primary meaning of yākaḥ, has a clear theological basis as seen in Isa 11:3, where the activities of “the Stem of Jesse, the Branch” is spoken of as one who “will not judge (šāphaṭ) by what his eyes see, nor make a decision by what his ears hear.” The parallelism underscores our thesis. In addition, v. 4 uses the same two words, “But with righteousness he will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth” in connection with the ever loving concern for the innocent party, the poor, the widow, the orphan, who are oppressed by the greedy and ruthless (cf. Isa 1:17, 23; Mic 6:8). But it is precisely because of the covenant that Yahweh acts in such a manner, that he requires his people to exhibit in their lives this element of the imago dei.
It is not without significance that Lev 19:17 enjoins the people of God to confront their neighbors when they sin, “thou shalt surely rebuke your neighbor” (ASV), “you may surely reprove” (NASB). RSV weakens it considerably with “you shall reason with.” This in view of the command “you shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (v. 2). But this confrontation has two reasons attached: to avoid developing a hatred for the neighbor, and to avoid complicity in his sin. Verse 18 further amplifies the action with the second great commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Confrontation, rebuke, correction is to be considered, therefore, as an integral part of brotherly love.
To rebuke, to correct, to convince or convict would not only imply exposure of one’s sin but also to call a person to repentance. It has a theofugal[27] motion which points away from sin and to repentance toward God. Hence the tremendous implication for discipline in the church—not only to purify the Body of Christ, but also to restore the wayward to holy living and covenantal service (cf. Mt 18:15; Eph 5:11; I Tim 5:20; II Tim 4:2, etc.).
Furthermore, when one examines the many passages that speak of God’s loving correction (e.g. Prov 3:12, “For whom Yahweh loves he reproves”; Job 5:17), one finds the parallel term yāsar “to instruct, discipline” or mûsār “discipline, instruction” (Ps 6:1 [H 2]; Job 5:17; Prov 3:11 [H 12]; 10:17; 12:1; 13:18; 15:5, etc.). It is evident that there is a pedagogic[28] force to yākaḥ and yāsar. But whereas yāsar has the notion of paternal chastisement (as evidenced by the LXX’s translating paideuō), yākaḥ denotes education and discipline as a result of God’s judicial actions. “This embraces all aspects of education from the conviction of the sinner to chastisement and punishment, from the instruction of the righteous by severe tests to his direction by teaching and admonition” (Buchsel, in TDNT, II, p. 473). [For a somewhat varying view of the covenant lawsuit motif, see the articles on mišpāṭ and rı̂b. r.l.h.]…[29]

                I realize I give you more information than you probably need; the point is to show you that I believe that my thesis of Scripture being a legal document in the judiciary sense is correct.  God is a God of order and discipline.  All that He does has to be done in correct fashion, re, without fault; this is different to how He expects us to behave or conduct ourselves – He knows there will be fault in our actions...  With this in mind then, think of Him as being the Supreme Magistrate, the Most High Judge of all – how can He prosecute the guilty if He Himself has not carried Himself blamelessly? Can God be a God of mišpāṭ, or justice, if He could be found guilty of such prosecutorial malfeasance? There can be no proper understanding of God and His relations with His creation if we are not acutely aware of the mišpāṭ (justice or judgment) of God.  The heart of the sufferings of our Messiah Yeshua rests upon the proper comprehension of this fact, to the point where our salvation relies upon it.  The knowledge and ability to grasp the magnitude of the coming age, the Kingdom of God, depends on our coming to terms with this God of justice.  We either come as repentant sinners, trusting (believing) in the atonement performed by Yeshua, or we will come as unwilling participants in the greatest cosmic act of justice ever seen, the Day of Jacob’s Troubles, the great and terrible Day of the Lord. All Scripture speaks of this impending mišpāṭ, this judgment, and none of us will escape if we ignore the salvation offered to us.  I am not saying that there has to be complete understanding before we are drawn to Messiah – that is the work of God through the Ruach Ha’Kodesh.  By the power


Figure 2 Decision Tree - created in FreeMind ©2000-2013

of God we begin to feel that lurking some place in time, this justice awaits. It is because of our sins, our unfaithfulness to our God, that we need a Savior - what I am saying is that after He saves us (the evidence of His mercy), we need to understand who He is so that we will start to walk in truth.

Now what does this have to do with what manner of man is this King of the Jews, the man, the Moshiach Yeshua? Everything. All of what we know, all of what we believe is based upon our choice to decide: In the above diagram [30], we see how the choices before us are laid out.  This is the process of reason, of finding a solution, of making a decision, of judgment.  Think of it this way: God chose to make man; God gave man His decrees. Man made a decision in the Garden to disobey; God had to make a judgment, to decide on the measure and determine the punishment.  He then resolved Himself to action, drove man out of the Garden and the long road to redemption of man to God began.  With His own words, God “sealed securely” the plan by declaring through His prophets and messengers the whole plan of salvation, crafted from the before beginning of the world; the Lamb of God who would appear at the right time, destined to be slain; this same Lamb who made a decision in the garden to follow His Father’s will – it can be inferred They reasoned together…
 They, God the Father and the man Yeshua, agreed to the path. 
That is reasoning together with God, to hear the case, to make a decision and to agree with Him. 

Mišpāṭ found its implementation on the Mount of Olives, in the place the Jews called the “ The Place of the Skull”, near to where the Red Heifer was offered.  Here on this hill, where the Execution Stake - the “Cross” would face the Temple Mount – here is where the eternal plan of salvation would be carried out.  In the Greek, the word we translate as “Cross” is defined as:
“…- Original: σταυρός
- Transliteration: Stauros
- Phonetic: stow-ros'
- Definition:
1. an upright stake, esp. a pointed one
2. a cross
a. a well-known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment, borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians; to it were affixed among the Romans, down to the time of Constantine the great, the guiltiest criminals, particularly the basest slaves, robbers, the authors and abettors of insurrections, and occasionally in the provinces, at the arbitrary pleasure of the governors, upright and peaceable men also, and even Roman citizens themselves
b. the crucifixion which Christ underwent
- Origin: from the base of G2476
- TDNT entry: 16:32,1
- Part(s) of speech: Noun Masculine
- Strong's: From the base of G2476; a stake or post (as set upright) that is (specifically) a pole or cross (as an instrument of capital punishment); figuratively exposure to death that is self-denial; by implication the atonement of Christ: - cross.
Total KJV Occurrences: 22
cross, 22
 Mat_27:32; Mat_27:40; Mat_27:42; Mar_15:21; Mar_15:30; Mar_15:32; Luk_23:26; Joh_19:17; Joh_19:19; Joh_19:25; Joh_19:31; 1Co_1:17; 1Co_1:18; Gal_5:11; Gal_6:12; Gal_6:14; Eph_2:16; Php_2:8; Php_3:18; Col_1:20; Col_2:14; Heb_12:2 …”[31]

The base (root) word that σταυρός (stauros) comes from is ἵστημι, ttransliterated as [h]istemi.
It is defined as:
“…to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set
a. to bid to stand by, [set up]
1. in the presence of others, in the midst, before judges, before members of the Sanhedrin;
2. to place
b. to make firm, fix establish
1. to cause a person or a thing to keep his or its place
2. to stand, be kept intact (of family, a kingdom), to escape in safety
3. to establish a thing, cause it to stand 1b
2. to uphold or sustain the authority or force of anything
a. to set or place in a balance
1. to weigh: money to one (because in very early times before the introduction of coinage, the metals used to be weighed)
3. to stand
a. to stand by or near
1. to stop, stand still, to stand immovable, stand firm 2a
b. of the foundation of a building
c. to stand
1. continue safe and sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared
2. to be of a steadfast mind
3. of quality, one who does not hesitate, does not waiver..”[32]

The definition highlighted is the one I wish us to look at.  In paraphrase, “..to uphold or sustain the authority…to set or place.. a balance…”  What was upheld in the crucifixion of Messiah?  What was restored (balanced out)? 
…Justice and Mercy…
Justice was meted out, peace was restored.  This is part and parcel to the preaching of the Gospel, to defining what manner of man is He.  This is the mišpāṭ of God, this is the heart of worship, the touching of the divine.  This is the Gospel, the restoration of the Houses of Israel, the drawing of the remnant, the creed of Yeshua.

To better comprehend this, we need to take a step back and see how, over time, my own understanding has had to grapple with two seemingly incompatible forces. The following discourse ran in an earlier blog post (Author’s note: I have made a few edits, but have largely left my main thoughts unchanged, for I do want to contrast what I thought then with what I realize now – remember – teachable and correctable) : [33]

“…This nation is not Gospel hardened; it is Gospel ignorant because most of its preachers are.  Why does our country appear so outwardly depraved?  Is it because of the liberal politicians, the corrupt bankers or Hollywood?  Does it have more to do with the Wall Street thieves, the gamblers, drunkards and drug abusers?  Is it the conservative politician, the left wing, the right wing, the immoral, the abortionist, the pro-life movement, the straights, the gays?  What is the cause of our country’s maladies today?

                I’ll tell you the truth, and you won’t want to hear it.  The problem is in reality the so called evangelical pastor of today, the preacher and the evangelist.  It is the televangelist, the “seer”, the self-proclaimed prophet and prophetess, the self-appointed “anointed” apostles of today that are at the root of this corrupt society and nation in which we live.  We do not know the Gospel.  We have taken the Glorious Gospel of our Blessed God and have turned it into “four spiritual laws” and “five things God wants you to know” with a little superstitious prayer at the end and we hope someone repeats it after us with enough conviction so that we can raise our hands and shout “Hallelujah!” and then we can pope-ishly declare him forgiven of his sins and say to all he is born-again!
We’ve traded regeneration for decisionism.

How many will admit, and I mean, how many of you who say you’ve walked with Yahveh Adonai all your lives some 10, 20, some thirty years and then will say at the end of this discourse “I’ve never heard this before!”?  You haven’t heard it because it isn’t taught: the doctrines that speak of knowing and understanding the nature of God are not taught.  The mišpāṭ of God is ignored and replaced with “your best life now!” If we ignore the sacred and embrace the profane, this then sets up the great dilemma.  If God is just – and He is – He cannot forgive you.  This is the greatest problem of Scripture.  How can God be just and at the same time be the justifier of wicked man?  Scripture plainly tells us in Proverbs 17:15:

15  mHe who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. [34]

Yet in spite of this we will sing every Sunday about how God justifies the wicked.  The greatest problem we face is a just God that cannot and will not forgive wicked men.

                If you understood the nature of God, you wouldn’t be sitting in your pew; you’d be prostrate on the ground before Him!  O wicked man! It isn’t for you that you have found justification – it is for His Glory and His purpose, His Eternal Purpose, laid before the foundation of the world that He would send His Son, His only begotten Son to the tree – to bear upon His blameless self and pay the cost for the sins of you and the sins of me.  He would become a curse to remove the curse – for love’s sake, for His Glory.  God to be just must condemn wicked man; but He Himself made a way – and sent the Way – to redeem us.  All of us, all who claim to be believers,  know the story.  But do you know the truth?  O we say “Yes!”, that Yeshua hung on that cross, suffering, bleeding, dying – and God, God had to turn away, had to forsake this man who became sin…
Some would say God didn’t have it in Him to bear it…

- NO! -

In the garden Yeshua prayed “…take this cup from me…”  We all assume it was the cup of suffering, the death that awaited Him, but no, the cup was exactly what Messiah knew it to be: the Wrath of God.  The wrath that had to be poured out onto sinful man – someone had to die…  Someone had to be the vessel of wrath: 

Isaiah 53 (NKJV)
53  Who ahas believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no 1form or 2comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no 3beauty that we should desire Him. 3  bHe is despised and 4rejected by men, A Man of 5sorrows and cacquainted with 6grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and dwe did not esteem Him. 4 Surely eHe has borne our 7grief’s And carried our sorrows; Yet we 9esteemed Him stricken, 1Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was fwounded 2for our transgressions, He was 3bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His gstripes 4we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord 5has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet hHe opened not His mouth;  iHe was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was jtaken from 6prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For kHe was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.  lAnd 7they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death,  Because He had done no violence, Nor was any mdeceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased [delighted] the Lord to 8bruise [crush] Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul nan offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. 11 9He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge oMy righteous pServant shall qjustify many,  For He shall bear their iniquities. 12  rTherefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, sAnd He shall divide the 1spoil with the strong, Because He tpoured out His soul unto death, And He was unumbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And vmade intercession for the transgressors. [35]

It pleased the Father to crush Him, and crush Him He did.  We think of Messiah’s suffering, the scourge, the crown of thorns, the beatings, the humiliation – we consider this punishment at the hands of men as Messiah was going to the cross to be the propitiation of our sins, that by these, His sufferings, our debt was paid.  This is our romantic powerless view of the Gospel, the reconciliation.  It pleased God to crush Him.  Wrath had to be poured out for sin and only the Son could bear it.  This suffering had to be -  this wrath of God – but it wasn’t payment for our sin.  Messiah bearing the weight of our sin – that was payment.  Messiah taking on our sin – that was payment.  If we stop at the suffering of Messiah – we don’t have a Gospel.  Messiah was crushed by the mišpāṭ of God.  By satisfying the justice of God with His death, God the Just could become the justifier of wicked man – the debt was paid.

…We wonder why the Gospel as it is preached has no power…
…All we focus on is the suffering – not the redemption by justice…

We can and sometimes do spend a lifetime searching the Scriptures.  We dig and dig, looking for the next “golden nugget”, and when we gleam one, we want to shout and share with all who will hear.  We will spend month’s studying Paul’s Epistles, and will comb endlessly through John’s and Peter’s.  Maybe we’ll even spend some time trying to understand Torah, the Prophets and the Wisdom literature.  But the Gospels?  O, we know the story. Verily, verily I tell you, we know nothing.  We don’t even understand the seven parables of the Kingdom of God!  First and foremost, forget the rest!  Pick up the Bible – don’t put it down until you understand one thing: fill yourself with the Cross.  Get around it; grab hold of it, for without it we are pathetic indeed.  It isn’t about suffering, or substitution, it is about justice revealed and redeemed.  What is the message taught by the Apostles?  Messiah crucified – Messiah resurrected – that is what we must know!  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NKJV):

2 For I determined not to know anything among you aexcept Messiah Yeshua and Him crucified. [36]

Barnes says of this verse:

“…Not to know - The word “know” here εἰδέναι  eidenai is used probably in the sense of “attend to, be engaged in, or regard.” I resolved not to give my time and attention while among you to the laws and traditions of the Jews; to your orators, philosophers, and poets; to the beauty of your architecture or statuary; to a contemplation of your customs and laws, but to attend to this only - making known the cross of Christ. The word εἰδω  eidō to know, is sometimes thus used. Paul says that he designed that this should be the only thing on which his mind should be fixed; the only object of his attention; the only object there upon which he sought that knowledge should be diffused. Doddridge renders it “appear to know.”
Anything among you - Anything while I was with you. Or, anything that may exist; among you, and that may be objects of interest to you. I resolved to know nothing of it, whatever it might be. The former is probably the correct interpretation.
Save Messiah Yeshua - Except Messiah Yeshua. This is the only thing of which I purposed to have any knowledge among you.
And him crucified - Or, “even καί  kai him that was crucified.” He resolved not only to make the “Messiah” the grand object of his knowledge and attention there, but even a “crucified” Messiah; to maintain the doctrine that the Messiah was to be crucified for the sins of the world; and that he who had been crucified was in fact the Messiah. See the note at 1Co_1:23. We may remark here:
(1) That this should be the resolution of every minister of the gospel. This is his business. It is not to be a politician; not to engage in the strife’s and controversies of people; it is not to be a good farmer, or scholar merely; not to mingle with his people in festive circles and enjoyments; not to be a man of taste and philosophy, and distinguished mainly for refinement of manners; not to be a profound philosopher or metaphysician, but to make Christ crucified the grand object of his attention, and seek always and everywhere to make him known.
(2) he is not to be ashamed anywhere of the humbling doctrine that Christ was crucified. In this he is to glory. Though the world may ridicule; though philosophers may sneer; though the rich and the frivolous may deride it, yet this is to be the grand object of interest to him, and at no time, and “in no society” is he to be ashamed of it!
(3) it matters not what are the amusements of society around him; that fields of science, of gain, or ambition, are open before him, the minister of Christ is to know Christ and him crucified alone.
(4) the preaching of the cross is the only kind of preaching that will be attended with success. That which has in it much respecting the divine mission, the dignity, the works, the doctrines, the person, and the atonement of Christ, will be successful. So it was in the time of the apostles; so it was in the Reformation; so it was in the Moravian missions; so it has been in all revivals of religion. There is a power about that kind of preaching which philosophy and human reason have not. “Christ is God’s great ordinance” for the salvation of the world; and we meet the crimes and alleviate the woes of the world, just in proportion as we hold the cross up as appointed to overcome the one, and to pour the balm of consolation into the other…”[37]

“What?” say you…  I can get by with knowing so little about the Second Coming – even if all of Christendom wants to know when, cause that’s all they seem to care about – pre-tribulation, mid-trib, post-trib, no trib – I say just give me the cross!
 I cry “O let me know you Yeshua on that cross!  Let me know and understand how You took the wrath, the justice of God for me!  Let me weep at what I don’t know, teach me O Holy One what I must know – let me spend eternity trying to understand that which even the angels don’t…” 

How can we continually treat the cross and the justice it represents as if it is a ten minute lecture, with a beginning, a middle and an end?  What good is it to me to know all the mysteries if I neglect the cross?

It is all about Him, on that tree, that execution stake.  Catch a glimpse at what He did on that tree.  Before the tree there was Abraham and Isaac.  We know how God stayed Abraham’s hand.  Thousands of years later, with Abraham’s knife in His Hand He produced His own lamb, and slaughtered His own Son under the full force of mišpāṭ.  Messiah did not become sin; to have been spotted with sin would have blemished Him, making Him unacceptable; He was a pure sin offering, once for all.  Nothing blackened the heart of this offering, not the stripes, the thorns, the beatings.  Nothing besotted the pure Spirit, no guile, no sin.  He stood in the face of the gale, the maelstrom of Holy Anger and Justice, and gave His own what they could not obtain; the satisfaction of Holy Justice.  Do you see now why this little gospel you preach has no power?...” [38]

                Christians do not understand it; Muslims do not understand it; the rest of the “-isms” and other religions do not understand it; only Judaism seems to grudgingly grasp and tries to ponder the role of justice in God’s dealings with man, but they only see with one eye.  For us to perceive the manner of man Yeshua was is to try by taking ahold of the way in which He was brought up – in the sphere of worship that God instituted with His chosen people, the Jews.

                Now before we go on, I have to offer this up for discussion: what I had written before concerning God’s justice has also, necessarily, had to undergo a thorough re-evaluation. So why the long discourse if my views have changed? Not because my views have undergone a significant change, but more of a re-alignment if you will.  I still see justice and God’s legal contract in the writings of the Scriptures – the language is clear.  What I didn’t see before is that justice and mercy go hand in hand, just like law and grace.  In his book Possession and Persuasion: The Rhetoric of Christian Faith, author Robert Hach says this:

“…A re-examination of the prophetic and apostolic references to the justice and the righteousness of God, however, suggests that a paradigm shift, in regard to the meaning of God’s justice, is in order. A plain reading of both Testaments points to an alternative concept of the justice of God, a justice that is in accord rather than in tension with mercy. A justice that is comfortable with forgiveness…”[39]

Hach says that God’s justice is “…not of law but of promise…”[40]

What is meant by this? I have to admit, since I started this series on “Worship and Encountering the Divine”, many of my “cherished” beliefs have been swept away, many “bondages” that blinded my eyes due to wrong thinking have dropped to the way side.  A look at the cross as only “justice satisfied” is one of these. Yes, justice had to be satisfied, but it was satisfied with mercy.  Many will look upon the suffering of Messiah as a strange way to define mercy, but when we look to what exactly happened at the cross, then the evidence of God’s mercy abounds.  We (meaning “I”) must re-examine what the “Law” is in relationship to God.  Is it what we have been taught for so long, meaning, a “snap-shot” of the Father’s nature, existing internally within Him, or is it external, a means, a plan, used by God to further His over-arching plan of salvation for mankind?  How this matter is defined is how Yeshua’s sacrifice upon the cross is understood and how mercy and justice fit so closely together.  For if a price had to be paid to satisfy God – that is if His nature demands a sacrifice for sin – then is forgiveness free? Think about this: if we are to forgive others their trespasses against us, in order to be forgiven, what price do we extract from them? If forgiveness is not free, then what is it? Isn’t forgiveness by its very definition the cancellation of a debt that is not paid or satisfied? If it (forgiveness) demands a price, then is it now just a transaction, regardless of who paid the price? Shouldn’t forgiveness be offered freely, without regard to the debt?[41]

Clearly, there had to be (for myself anyway) another way of looking at the Scriptures. I had to ask myself, what was I missing? What was missing was a fuller understanding of Yahveh’s character. As I have said earlier, many things have changed in my thinking, and a greater grasp on just how magnificent our Father in heaven truly is; how great is His mercy, how faithful He is even when I’m not, how just He truly is.  The deeper I look, the more I understand just how little I know.  Not a good thing for one who has been called to be a teacher to admit maybe?  O but to be truthful – it is like Rabi Sha’ul said:

Romans 11:25-36 (NASB95)
25     For aI do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this bmystery—so that you will not be cwise in your own estimation—that a partial dhardening has happened to Israel until the efullness of the Gentiles has come in;
26     and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “aThe Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27     aThis is 1My covenant with them, bWhen I take away their sins.”
28     1From the standpoint of the gospel they are aenemies for your sake, but 2from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for bthe sake of the fathers;
29     for the gifts and the acalling of God bare irrevocable.
30     For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
31     so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.
32     For aGod has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
33     Oh, the depth of athe riches 1both of the bwisdom and knowledge of God! cHow unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
34     For awho has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?
35     Or awho has first given to Him 1that it might be paid back to him again?
36     For afrom Him and through Him and to Him are all things. bTo Him be the glory 1forever. Amen. [42]

The depths and the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God…. Profound words, even for today.  As I go deeper into the word, looking more into what manner of man was and is Yeshua, as I try to better understand the Father, I am left in awe of Their grandeur, power and authority that They have over my life.  Now we all have tried at one point or another to side-step God’s authority, either by choice or design. Sometimes life gets in the way and we compromise – doesn’t make it right but this life today is so complex that we get overwhelmed by the forces that squeeze in on us.  I don’t believe any true follower of God goes out of their way to circumvent His authority – we just make choices that put us in that position.  This is where knowing how God’s mercy and God’s judgment work together. 

Alas, we are at that dreaded place where size constraints matter.  We shall continue our exploration in Part 10 (I’m working on it right now, so hopefully there won’t be as big as lag between these parts as has been in the past…)  Bear with me beloved – I pray this study has been enlightening.

…Till we meet again, may God richly bless you my beloved, Amein…























[1]Authors note: Use of information from Jewish-themed websites should not be construed as these sites endorsing or confirming any thesis introduced by the author of this epistle. I present the information from their respective sites for instructional purposes only and/or to aid in the readers understanding of the subjects discussed.
[2] Author’s note:  Throughout this study I’ll be using the Net® Bible and  the Net® Notes: within the notes you’ll see symbols like this: ( א B Ψ 892* 2427 sys). These are abbreviations used by the NetBible© for identifying the principal manuscript evidence that they (authors and translators of the NetBible©)  used in translating the New Testament. Please go to  https://bible.org/netbible/ and see their section labeled “NET Bible Principals of Translation” for a more complete explanation on these symbols and other items pertinent to the way the NET Bible uses them.
[3] Author’s Note: In these studies I have used the notes that come along with the passages I cite from the sources that I cite: these need a bit of a disclaimer though. As in all things, not everything that is footnoted is something that I necessarily agree with, especially if it contradicts what I believe pertains to any matters of the Torah or the commandments of God. I give you the notes as they are written by the authors of the material I cite from, so that you can see the information contained within them. It truly is not my place to edit or correct them; if they state anything that is in opposition to what I teach, then so be it. I will address these issues if requested, but for the sake of brevity (as if any of these posts of mine are brief ) I insert them and let them stand as they are. If I don’t agree with them, why do I include them you might ask? I don’t believe in censuring anyone’s opinions or scholarship; as I would not want mine censured, so I will not do to that to another. As Rabbi Hillel once stated, “What is hateful to you, do not do to another. That is the whole Torah. Go and learn it.” Torah leads me to respect others, even if I disagree; it leads me to present both sides of the coin, even if it could mean I’d lose part of the argument. That is not to say I should not challenge something I believe contradicts the truth of God’s word; that I will do in the main body of my epistles; that is where my gentle dissent belongs. Most (but not all) of the differences will come when I quote from the NET® Bible (but not exclusively); it has a decidedly Western/Greek mindset to it, but as a wise man once said “How do you eat chicken? Swallow the meat and spit out the bones..” I do though want to present the NET® notes because there is a wealth of information and research contained within them that I hope you find helpful.
e dominions: or, rulers
[4]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Da 7:23-28). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
m Psalm 8:7(6)
n Isaiah 22:13, 56:12
o Genesis 2:7
[5] Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible: an English version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B’rit Hadashah (New Testament) (1st ed., 1 Co 15:20–49). Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications.
a  Deut 8:17, 18
1  Lit glorify itself against me
2  Lit hand
1  Or please
a  Deut 20:8
a  1 Sam 14:6
a  1 Sam 14:6
1  Lit place
1  Lit they
2  Lit he
[7]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
a Ps 18:6; Mic 1:2; Hab 2:20
1 Lit Lord, His throne
b Ps 103:19; Is 66:1; Matt 5:34; Rev 4:2
c Ps 33:18; 34:15, 16
a Gen 22:1; Ps 34:19; James 1:12
b Ps 5:5
[8] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ps 11:4–5). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
a  Eccl 9:3; Mark 7:21, 22
b  Rom 7:11; Eph 4:22
c  Is 1:5, 6; 6:10; Matt 13:15; Mark 2:17; Rom 1:21
a  1 Sam 16:7; 1 Chr 28:9; Ps 139:23; Prov 17:3; Jer 11:20; 20:12; Rom 8:27; Rev 2:23
1  Lit kidneys
b  Ps 62:12; Jer 32:19; Rom 2:6
2  Lit fruit
[9]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10] Joerg Mueller, Daniel Polansky, Christian Foltin, Dimitry Polivaev, and others. FreeMind - Free Mind Mapping and Knowledge Building Software (version 1.0.1). http://freemind.sourceforge.net/ , ©2000-2013.
·         [The following notes are taken from the NET Bible® footnotes, copyright (c) 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press L.L.C. All rights reserved. Used by permission from www.bible.org, n.d. Numbering system is unique to NET® Notes..  For more information see footnote #2 and 3.]
38 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39 tn The phrase “of the lake” is not in the Greek text but is clearly implied; it has been supplied here for clarity.
40 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the response to Jesus’ request.
41 tn It is possible that this prepositional phrase modifies “as he was,” not “they took him along.” The meaning would then be “they took him along in the boat in which he was already sitting” (see 4:1).
sn A boat that held all the disciples would be of significant size.
42 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
43 tn Or “a squall.”
sn The Sea of Galilee is located in a depression some 700 ft (200 m) below sea level and is surrounded by hills. Frequently a rush of wind and the right mix of temperatures can cause a storm to come suddenly on the lake. Storms on the Sea of Galilee were known for their suddenness and violence.
44 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
45 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
46 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
47 sn Who has authority over the seas and winds is discussed in the OT: Ps 104:3; 135:7; 107:23–30. When Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea he was making a statement about who he was.
48 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
49 sn Jesus’ authority over creation raised a question for the disciples about who he was exactly (Who then is this?). This verse shows that the disciples followed Jesus even though they did not know all about him yet.
50 sn This section in Mark (4:35–5:43) contains four miracles: (1) the calming of the storm; (2) the exorcism of the demon-possessed man; (3) the giving of life to Jairus’ daughter; (4) the healing of the woman hemorrhaging for twelve years. All these miracles demonstrate Jesus’ right to proclaim the kingdom message and his sovereign authority over forces, directly or indirectly, hostile to the kingdom. The last three may have been brought together to show that Jesus had power over all defilement, since contact with graves, blood, or a corpse was regarded under Jewish law as causing a state of ritual uncleanness.
·         End “NET®” notes
[11]  Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press.
[12]  The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
k  55:6 Ps 32:6; Am 5:4
l  55:7 Ps 33:10; Is 32:7; 59:7; 65:2
m  55:7 Is 1:18; 43:25; 44:22
n  55:9 Ps 103:11
o  55:10 2Co 9:10
p  55:11 Is 45:23; 46:10; 53:10
[13]  The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2009. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
a  Ps 26:6
b  Is 52:11
c  Is 55:7
d  Jer 25:5
a  Jer 22:3; Zeph 2:3
1  Or Vindicate the fatherless
b  Ps 82:3
a  Is 41:1, 21; 43:26; Mic 6:2
b  Ps 51:7; Is 43:25; 44:22; Rev 7:14
a  Deut 28:1; 30:15, 16
b  Is 55:2
a  Is 3:25; 65:12
b  Is 40:5; 58:14; Mic 4:4; Titus 1:2
[14]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
a  Is 41:1, 21; 43:26; Mic 6:2
[15] "Reason." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 7 June 2014.
[17] We will expound and refine our understanding of this point on this later in the epistle.
a  Is 41:1, 21; 43:26; Mic 6:2
[18] From H3198 – meaning “to reason together, to rebuke, to judge, to correct”
b  Ps 51:7; Is 43:25; 44:22; Rev 7:14
a Hos 5:1
b Hos 12:2; Mic 6:2
[19] From H7379 – meaning “case [legal], dispute, strife, quarrel, cause”
c Is 59:4; Jer 7:28
1 Or truth
2 Or loyalty
d Jer 4:22
a Deut 5:11; Hos 10:4
b Hos 7:3; 10:13; 11:12
c Gen 4:8; Hos 6:9
d Deut 5:19; Hos 7:1
e Deut 5:18; Hos 7:4
f Hos 6:8; 12:14
1 Lit touches
[20] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ho 4:1–2). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
 1 Chr 15:17; 2 Chr 29:30
a  Josh 22:22
b  Ps 113:3
a  Ps 48:2; Lam 2:15
b  Deut 33:2; Ps 80:1; 94:1
a  Ps 96:13
b  Lev 10:2; Num 16:35; Ps 97:3; Dan 7:10
c  Ps 18:12, 13
a  Deut 4:26; 31:28; 32:1; Is 1:2
[21] From H1777 – meaning “to judge, to contend”
[22]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[23] From H8199 – meaning “to judge, to execute judgment; to rule”
z Literally “count up”
[24] The phrase is from H5608-H859-H4616-H6663 – its sense is that God literally remembers their acts and calls on them to state their case, their cause, to prove themselves:  “speak so [you] can be right”.
[25] Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga, M. (Eds.). (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Is 43:25–26). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[26] F. Brown, S. Driver, C. Briggs; J. Strong; J.H. Thayer. Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Thayer’s Greek Definitions, and the Strong’s King James Concordance. Vol. Electronic Edition, ©2000–2013, ver. 10.2.1, e-Sword by Rick Meyers, n.d.
JBL Journal of the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis
BDB Brown, Driver, Briggs, A Hebrew-English Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1905
[27] Basically “one who flees from God”; in this sense it is used to illustrate how the revelation of sin and its rebuke can turn one back to God.
[28] From the root pedagogy, which is the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept.
LXX The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament in Greek
[29]Harris, R. L., Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., & Waltke, B. K. (1999, c1980). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed.) (376). Chicago: Moody Press.
[30] Joerg Mueller, Daniel Polansky, Christian Foltin, Dimitry Polivaev, and others. FreeMind - Free Mind Mapping and Knowledge Building Software (version 1.0.1). http://freemind.sourceforge.net/ , ©2000-2013.
[31] F. Brown, S. Driver, C. Briggs; J. Strong; J.H. Thayer. Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Thayer’s Greek Definitions, and the Strong’s King James Concordance. Vol. Electronic Edition, copyright 2000–2013 e-Sword by Rick Meyers, n.d.
[32] …Ibid…
[33] The following has been adapted from my blogpost http://davidseedofabraham.blogspot.com/2014/04/before-reformation-10-indictments-of.html  One day I will take the time to revisit this post and address the changes in “attitude and latitiude”… my apologies to Jimmy Buffet… J)
m  Ex. 23:7; Prov. 24:24; Is. 5:23
[34]  The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
a  John 12:38; Rom. 10:16
1  Stately form
2  splendor
3  Lit. appearance
b  Ps. 22:6; [Is. 49:7; Matt. 27:30, 31; Luke 18:31–33; 23:18]
4  Or forsaken
5  Lit. pains
c  [Heb. 4:15]
6  Lit. sickness
d  [John 1:10, 11]
e  [Matt. 8:17; Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 2:24]
7  Lit. sicknesses
reckoned
1  Struck down
f  [Is. 53:10; Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4]
2  Or pierced through
3  crushed
g  [1 Pet. 2:24, 25]
4  Blows that cut in
5  Lit. has caused to land on Him
h  Matt. 26:63; 27:12–14; Mark 14:61; 15:5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9
i  Acts 8:32, 33; Rev. 5:6
j  Matt. 27:11–26; Luke 23:1–25
6  confinement
k  [Dan. 9:26]
l  Matt. 27:57–60; Luke 23:33
7  Lit. he or He
m  1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5
crush
John 1:29; Acts 2:24; [2 Cor. 5:21]
9  So with MT, Tg., Vg.; DSS, LXX From the labor of His soul He shall see light
o  [1 John 2:1]
p  Is. 42:1
q  [Acts 13:38, 39; Rom. 5:15–18]
r  Ps. 2:8
s  Col. 2:15
1  plunder
t  Is. 50:6; [Rom. 3:25]
Matt. 27:38; Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37; 2 Cor. 5:21
v  Luke 23:34
[35]  The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
a  1 Cor. 1:23; Gal. 6:14
[36]  The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

[37] Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, ( electronic edition), e-Sword®, ver. 8.0.4,  copyright ©2000-20008 by Rick Myers
[39] Robert Hach. Possession and Persuasion: The Rhetoric of Christian Faith. Xlibris Corporation, ©2001 www.Xlibris.com. Pg 78. Used with permission.
[40] …Ibid…
[41] Robert Hach. Possession and Persuasion: The Rhetoric of Christian Faith. Xlibris Corporation, ©2001. Adapted from discourse found on pgs. 74-75.  www.Xlibris.com Used with permission.
a  Rom 1:13
b  Matt 13:11; Rom 16:25; 1 Cor 2:7–10; Eph 3:3–5, 9
c  Rom 12:16
d  Rom 11:7
e  Luke 21:24; John 10:16; Rom 11:12
a  Is 59:20
a  Is 59:21; Jer 31:33, 34; Heb 8:10
1  Lit the covenant from Me
b  Is 27:9; Heb 8:12
1  Lit According to the gospel
a  Rom 5:10
2  Lit according to the election
b  Deut 7:8; 10:15; Rom 9:5
a  Rom 8:28; 1 Cor 1:26; Eph 1:18; 4:1, 4; Phil 3:14; 2 Thess 1:11; 2 Tim 1:9; Heb 3:1; 2 Pet 1:10
b  Heb 7:21
a  Rom 3:9; Gal 3:22f
a  Rom 2:4; Eph 3:8
1  Or and the wisdom
b  Eph 3:10; Col 2:3
c  Job 5:9; 11:7; 15:8
a  Is 40:13f; 1 Cor 2:16
a  Job 35:7; 41:11
1  Lit and it will be paid back
a  1 Cor 8:6; 11:12; Col 1:16; Heb 2:10
b  Rom 16:27; Eph 3:21; Phil 4:20; 1 Tim 1:17; 2 Tim 4:18; 1 Pet 4:11; 5:11; 2 Pet 3:18; Jude 25; Rev 1:6; 5:13; 7:12
1  Lit to the ages
[42]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.