Cancer in the Body
watching diligently that not any lack from the grace of God, that no root of bitterness growing up may disturb you, and through this many be defiled; Hebrews 12:15 (translation J. Green)
Defiled – Does it seem like sometimes it’s just too much to continue on this path? Are you wearing down in your quest to serve the Messiah, to speak the truth to your possibly hostile community, to go against the grain? One of the themes of the letter to the Hebrews is the possibility of discouragement, the “certain weariness in pursuing the Christian goal, or making progress along the road of Christian discipleship.”[1] Ellingworth notes the number of passive expressions found in Hebrews that characterize this dangerous condition: drift away, neglect, fail to reach, not lose hold, become dull, sluggish, unproductive, grow weary, lose heart, have weak knees, be carried away. If the letter to the Hebrews is anything at all, it is an exhortation against the signs of spiritual fatigue for spiritual fatigue is not only a tumor on the life of the believer, it is a cancer that spreads quickly through the rest of the Body.
What is the end result of this weariness? Defilement. The Greek is the verb miaino, used in John 18:28 and Leviticus 5:3 (LXX) to speak about ritual conditions, and used is Jude 1:8 and Titus 1:15 to describe a moral condition. The Hebrew verb is tame’, “to defile, to make impure, to be unclean, to desecrate.” But what does this mean? Two crucial factors must be recognized. The first is that being defiled meant being unacceptable to God. Defilement caused ritual impurity. It was simply impossible to come before the Holy One of Israel, the King of the Universe, and be unclean. Such an insult to the Lord of Hosts could not be tolerated. The second factor, clearly recognized in this passage in Hebrews, is that defilement spreads. There is a threat to the community when even a single member is impure. We have a common saying, “One bad apple spoils the whole barrel.” The same is true in the Body. Ritual impurity and sin (deliberate disobedience) cause cancer in the whole and it must be removed.
Most believers realize that the presence of a member who is actively disobedient is a threat to everyone, but few believers are willing to stand against this situation and plead for purity. However, even fewer believers realize that ritual impurity is also a threat to the Body. While we clearly see that lying, stealing, adultery and dishonoring are threats, we aren’t so quick to acknowledge that violating the dietary instructions, rejecting the economic laws or ignoring the requirements for worship are just as threatening. We have no problem rejecting moral impurity but we seem to have a great deal of difficulty rejecting ritual impurity. One might ask why that is the case. If we learn anything from Hebrews, perhaps it is this: our weariness is connected to both moral and ritual defilement. Perhaps if we lived in ritual purity we would find we weren’t so tired. What do you think?
Topical Index: defiled, miaino, tame’, purity, Hebrew 12:15
[1] Paul Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews, NIGTC, p. 78.
We need each other in community in order to not drift away, or if we do, to confront us in order to return and heal.
“Undo” by Rush of Fools
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-oZbBS_OhM
(chorus) Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I’ve become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, need Your help
I can’t do this myself
You’re the only one who can undo
What I’ve become
thank you CYndee- I “rushed” to the Itunes store to buy this song!- There is a “rest that remains to the people of G-d and that rest is the finished and final work of Yeshua on His cross. It is not our cross – it is His. The full and entire wrath of YHWH was poured out upon the Red Heifer, our Sin-Bearer, the LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ on Calvary’s Tree.
The cross is the center, the compass and the circumference of our focus and the center of our lives- both vertically and horizontally. Think on “these things”- Christ -our Messiah was tortured, mutilated beyond recognition and bore the full weight of the sins of all the world upon His tender frame upon the cross of Calvary. “This is where the healing begins..- at the cross. At the tslav of our Teacher is where we need to bow and where we need to bow low. Our Master-Teacher humbled himself and we also need to humble ourselves at the foot of His cross. The wrath of G-d and the mercy of G-d were both demonstrated and poured out at Calvary’s cross.
The “place” of forgiveness and grace (what we need) is found at the feet of our Messiah- the ONE who gave His very life’s blood for us. He is the perfect, sinless Lamb of G-d who was slain before the foundation of the world. Hallelujah!- (Praise to the G-d whose name is Yah!)- “O what a Savior!
Defilement? Oh.. yes. I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in. Cleasing? Yes- through the blood of His cross- freely provided (given) to “whosoever will.” “But if we are walking in the light, as He is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of His Son Yeshua purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1.7) What wonderful provision has been provided for us through the blood of Heaven’s Perfect Lamb. Yes, and amen.. -G-d So loved..
I will forever be the prodigal (wandering) son- returning (again and again) to the prodigal (lavish) Father. And to hear Him say- “I forgive all, welcome home son” – it is so worth it..
I think you’re right!
We’re off to the wilderness for a rest.
Shabbat Shalom everyone.
Skip,
Because of your teachings, I stopped eating pork, shrimp, shell fish or any sea creature without scales several years ago. More recently, I’ve stopped mixing meat and dairy.
However, I do NOT keep separate dishes in my home for meat and dairy. In your opinion, do you consider that to be a violation of ritual purity??
Not mixing dairy and meat is an extension of the interpretation of Exodus 23:19. It literally says not to boil a kid in its mother’s milk, something which I am quite sure you do not do. Here is an example (IMO) of a law that was connected with pagan practices in Canaan. I am not convinced that the rabbinic extension is necessary or appropriate. I know that I do not boil kids in their mother’s milk and therefore I keep this mitzvah. Obviously, I don’t need separate dishes either.
When I once asked by friend, Rabbi Bob, about why he didn’t have tzitzit on his clothing, he responded, “My shirts don’t have corners.” Duh! Of course they don’t. I had inadvertently extended the mitzvah.
I don’t feel as though I am weary, discouraged or that it’s too much. I am simply frustrated. Frustrated because we do not live in a society that is conducive to Torah living. At every corner and turn, opportunities for disobedience slap us in the face. G-d said that the commandments He gave were “not too difficult for you.” The people He gave those commandments to were completely separated from the pagan world at that time. They only had His rules, regulations and instructions. In a sense, these commandments (instructions for living) are difficult in our present society. For example, the other day my wife and I ordered a salad for dinner. When the waitress brought the salads, they were covered in bacon bits. If we were living during the time the Torah had been given, we would not have been tempted in that way to disobey. So, I’m simply frustrated that I have to “inspect” every aspect of life to correctly comply. Thoughts?
Jimmy
To me it seems in this verse that the ‘root of bitterness’ in one is what will lead to defilement, not lack of ritual purity
But isn’t ritual impurity defilement?
‘But isn’i ritual impurity defilement?’
It may be so according to what you are teaching. However I do not see that implied in this particular verse, I see ‘root of bitterness’
I think the verse implies that a root of bitterness becomes a vehicle for defilement. Since the context of Hebrews is the sacrificial system, defilement must be understood in terms of its ritual and moral consequences. Here the author suggests that a moral failure (bitterness) can cause a worship impediment. If I allow bitterness, I am subject not only to the moral collapse and sin but also to removing myself from purity in worship. I can’t come before God because I not only carry malice but I am also ritually stained.
Thank you for this clarification Skip !
Skip,
Thank you for your writings. They continually challenge me. Observation and a question…
You wrote:
“While we clearly see that lying, stealing, adultery and dishonoring are threats, we aren’t so quick to acknowledge that violating the dietary instructions, rejecting the economic laws or ignoring the requirements for worship are just as threatening.”
Here’s my problem: I do see clearly that lying, stealing, adultery, etc. are sins. What’s not as clear are which dietary laws or other requirements for worship are still in place and which aren’t.
Judi’s question is a good example. She was unclear on whether or not separate dishes are required for meat and dairy. There seem to be other laws that don’t apply as well, but it’s hard for a layman to know which ones those are.
Whereas, lying, murder and adultery were sins then and are sins now–it’s just tough to sort out a lot of the others.
Help?
Good question. I suggest you start like Matt and I did with the 613 list. You can find it by category at Judaism 101. You will find that nearly all of them are either ones you do already or do not apply (eg they are connected to the land or the Jerusalem or etc.). Then look at the Scriptural references to sort out what has been taught by the rabbis and what the text actually says. Then see how many are left and see which ones you are not doing. You will be surprised. Remember, it isn’t necessarily the rabbinic teaching that clarifies the Scripture. Often it helps, but it is also couched in the traditions and history of the Jews since the destruction of the Temple. If you find some you just can’t figure out, start the research, write on this blog and ask questions. It’s a journey, not a destination.
Very informative information