Who Are We?
A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are of a clean heart. Psalm 73:1 Hebrew World
Clean heart – Christians are quite familiar with Paul’s argument in Romans that those who are cleansed by Yeshua are included in the true Israel. But Paul didn’t originate that idea. The psalmist Asaph notices the connection a thousand years before Paul’s letter. In Hebrew poetry, his synonymous parallelism tells us that Israel consists of those with lebare levav (of pure heart). What does this mean? A little investigation reveals that ethnic Israel isn’t exclusively God’s elect.
The Hebrew word bar appears to be related to the Arabic barra meaning “to be reverent, dutiful, devoted, charitable, benevolent, virtuous, good.” That covers a lot of ground, but what it clearly does is locate the sense of the word in actions, not inner moral character. Think about each of the possible synonyms of this word. Each one involves something that I do and that is observable by others. It is useless for me to claim that I am benevolent if I do not provide for others. I can’t be considered devoted if I do not show unmitigated loyalty. And you would never call me charitable if I never gave anything away. When we read Asaph’s Hebrew claim about who may be considered Israel, we realize that he is not talking about my inner conviction of forgiveness, my affirmation that I have been saved or even my spiritual “feelings” that God loves me. To be part of Israel is to act in the ways Israel is supposed to act. A clean heart isn’t a forgiven heart. It is a transformed heart – and that kind of heart produces transformative action.
Perhaps Asaph helps us understand Paul. If we thought that Paul is concerned with our spiritual well-being, then we have inadvertently transferred Paul’s rabbinic exegesis into our modern evangelical parlance. Just like Asaph, Paul is concerned with how we live. Claims of forgiveness and acceptance that do not result in barra actions are bogus. To have a clean heart is to live a purified life – and the telltale signs of a purified life must be evident to others.
By the way, this does not speak well of cultural relevance. Cultural relevance is another way of saying, “I want to be like you.” The Bible suggests that we should be aiming at being different than the culture. From the Hebrew perspective, cultural irrelevance is the correct posture toward all others ways of behaving in the world. When my actions are no different than the actions of the world around me, I have nothing to say different to those who populate that world. When we practice reverence, duty, devotion, charity, benevolence, virtue and goodness in a world that does not sustain these values, we invite inspection and call for action. You might ask yourself if that’s what you understood by “a clean heart.”
Topical Index: clean heart, bar, lev, relevance, Psalm 73:1
Yes, brother Skip.. wouldn’t it be wonderful if more of those who are followers of the Christ were to ask themselves: “Who am I?”
So, I’ll ask this pertinent question also and again.. “who am I?” Should a person look upon my i.d. tag or the picture on my prox card to answer this question? Or who am I to you? How are we related or are we related (at all?). What a joy and a delight it was for me to discover: “Christianity is not a religion-it is a relationship.” Oh, but this question persists doesn’t it? – “What “religion” are you? How many “flavors” or divisions are out there now? Some thirty thousand?- And every one of these “sects” or whatever name they are known by, claiming to be “the right one!”
No. -May I say it again? No. True “religion” and undefiled before the Father (our Father) is what? What do the scriptures say? Michael? Rodney? Jan? Skip? Carl?- what do the scriptures say? What does the plumbline and measuring stick of Amos, the word of G-d say? “True religion”- (and undefiled before our compassionate Father is what? – Changed, radically different behavior resulting from a changed, radically different, re-generated mind. For, (according to His words) we (who belong to the Shepherd) now have, (may I repeat?)- now have- the mind of Christ. And this mind of Christ is the mind (or heart) of a servant. And what do servants do? (May I?)- Servants serve.
This, from one Skip Moen-
“Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant.” Isaiah 44:21
Servant – Slave! (eved). That’s the primary meaning of this word. But slavery in the Hebrew culture was not like slavery in the Greek culture. Nor was it like our modern version of slavery. In the Hebrew culture, a person could only be held as a slave for six years. The seventh year, the Year of Jubilee, was a year of freedom. Slaves had rights and could attain position and power. In fact, this word is used as a principle designation of the Messiah – the Servant of Lord.
However (and it’s a big “however”), we should not think that the relationship between master and slave was reduced to nothing more than employee. Notice the context of God’s proclamation in this verse. Why are we, the chosen ones, His slaves? Because He has formed us. We owe a great deal more to Him than six years service for the payment of a debt. We owe our very existence to Him. He has an absolute claim over us.
Nevertheless, God’s view of slavery is tempered by the Year of Jubilee. He is gracious in spite of His rightful authority. He established a proper order of submission and freedom. Just as the law of Israel provided freedom to all slaves, so God provides freedom to His own slaves in the proper time. God is no tyrant, but He is the absolute ruler.
The concept of slavery is an important one. It appears over and over in the New Testament as well as the Old Testament. It is not about forced surrender. It is about voluntary submission. It is submission for a season – a time designated by the Master as the proper period of obedience.
Are you serving from voluntary submission, under the authority of your Master, waiting for His Year of Jubilee when your obedience is completed? The day is coming when Jesus will say to you, “I no longer call you slaves, but friends.” Serve Him with a pure heart. Learn His ways. The Day of Jubilee is coming.
The Day of Jubilee has come for (once again) the scriptures, the word of G-d has taught us- “if the Son shall make you free- you shall be free indeed..”
Is this liberty- license? No and no and no. It is not. We have not been “set free” to do what we want- We have been set free to do as we ought and friends, what we ought to do (once again according to His instructions) is to obey our Creator-Redeemer-Master and Commander-willingly, from a purified heart- His instructions to us? ~ to Love the LORD our Elohim with all our heart-soul-mind and strength (At least I’ve “learned” to use Hebrew dashes and not Greek commas!) AND- to love my neighbor as myself with a love that is not natural to my selfish self. We (all) are to follow Him and to love (sacrificially) with a love that comes from a Source outside of us.
Our Bible says “by their fruits you shall know them..” – An apple tree produces apples- (every time!). An orange tree produces oranges. What fruits will be evident in our lives should we decide to abide in the Vine?
answer–fruit–singular–scattered like a prism scatters one light beam; peace, love, joy, faithfulness, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, & self-control