Midrash Rehash
Then God spoke to Noah, saying, “Go out of the ark, . . .” Genesis 8:15-16 NASB
Go out – How do you interpret the Bible? When you read the text, what process do you use in order to understand the meaning? Some believers use the “meditate, pray and wait for illumination” technique. They believe that the Spirit will interact directly with their souls and provide them with the meaning. “God revealed to me” is the common expression of these believers. Other believers who have been taught or influenced by critical scholarship approach Scripture with a different technique. They ask questions like, “What do these words mean in the context of the culture and time they were written?” or “What is the linguistic environment of this sentence?” or “How does this sentence fit into our understanding of theology?” There are other approaches as well, but one we Christians rarely consider is the approach most often used by the rabbis. Since Christian exegesis doesn’t recognize rabbinic techniques, we often cannot follow the train of thought in Scripture itself because important parts of the Bible were written using these rabbinic techniques. Therefore, it seems critical to have an example of a common rabbinic technique in mind when we try to understand how New Testament authors actually use Scripture.
One of these techniques is the midrash. Midrash is the technique of investigating connections, drawing conclusions and elucidating circumstances from many different verses in order to reveal deeper meanings. On the surface, midrash appears to tie together unrelated, incidental and sometimes apparently random elements of the text. For this reason, midrash seems completely arbitrary to the Western mind. We often read a midrash and wonder how in the world someone could even think like this. But we must remember that this was a common exegetical process of the rabbis and therefore a crucial factor in how they understood Scripture. When we read Paul, John, James or Peter, we cannot apply our exegetical standards to the way that they as rabbis applied their standards. An example will help you see the radical difference. Here is a midrash from Tanhuma Noah 11:
“Come out of the ark.” David said, “Free my soul from prison.” When Noah was in the ark, he prayed constantly, “Free my soul from prison,” as it is said, “Therefore let every faithful man pray to You, in a time when You may be found, that the rushing mighty waters [shetef mayim rabbim] not overtake him” [Psalms 32:6]. God said to Noah, “It is decreed before Me that you shall not leave this prison [closed condition] till twelve months are up.” So we find in Isaiah 49:8, “in an hour of favor I answer you . . . saying to the prisoners, ‘Go free.’” For they [the people of the ark] were forbidden [lit., imprisoned] to have sexual relations. Why? Because when the world is in trouble and destruction, human beings are forbidden to procreate; so that there should not be a situation in which man is building while God is destroying.[1]
Does this exegesis of the Genesis passage, “Go out of the ark,” seem strange? Does it seem contrived? Do you find it difficult to understand how Psalms and Isaiah can be used to elucidate something God said to Noah thousands of years earlier? Do you find it nearly impossible to connect a prohibition of sexual intercourse with a statement about leaving the ark? If you do, you aren’t alone. Nearly all Western interpretation of this text would be stunned at such “arbitrary” exegesis. But the rabbis considered it perfectly normal, in fact, even genius.
Why should we care about such odd exegesis? Ah, the point is that when we read much of the New Testament we are reading the work of rabbis. In order to understand what they are writing and how they connect their thoughts, we must remember that they do not handle the text like we handle the text. We cannot apply our models to their methods.
Just one observation will suffice to underscore this point. Did you notice that this midrash treats all of the Tanakh as if it were written contemporaneously? It assumes that David, Isaiah and Moses all wrote from the same perspective at the same time. It completely ignores the temporal and cultural differences. Why? Because the midrash assumes that since it is all God’s word, it is all immediately available to exegetical analysis. It is as if the whole Bible were written yesterday.
Now when you read Paul you might ask yourself if you read the Tanakh like he reads the Tanakh – and does it make a difference in your understanding of Paul’s use of the Tanakh?
Topical Index: midrash, Genesis 8:16, Tanhuma Noah 11
You can see more about the Tanhuma here.
~(For) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work ~ (2 Timothy 3.17)
This is going to be fun! We all have a textbook! We have a study guide, a user’s manual. In reality, it is the Owner’s Manual, for we who are His are p-owned! Redeemed, purchased, bought with a price. We are no longer the “boss” of our own lives but now belong to the (very Good!) Shepherd. We are slaves to a very different Master.
We who are His, know Who I refer to. We are part of a family, the family of God. This is a large and very diverse family, one with many members from many nations and people groups. This family has been under construction for a long time now and God is still adding to it- for this family will be our family forever. God is now our ABBA Father and we, who are His, have been adopted. We, as adopted ones are now, today, called “the sons and daughters of God.” Because God is our Shepherd/King, we have quite a status and standing before Him, and because the veil of the Temple has been torn in two, all have been given (assuredly!) “open access” to our Father.
Of all the gifts given unto us by the Giver of all good things, this “open access” at any time and in every place is the one gift that amazes me the most. We must, with the mind and status of a child, pray to the ONE who bids us come to Him and pray, (according to His instructions), “Our Father who is in Heaven, holy is Your Name.”
Yes, we (who belong to Him) all have an Instructor, a Teacher, a Rabbi. If we believe and “live by” (the true meaning of believe) what is written in the book God wrote, we will want to “follow Him.” Blessing springs from obedience. If put into an equation it would read like this: Boy plus girl plus obedience to God equals blessing. Yes, “if only” Adam and Eve (not Adam and Steve!) would have obeyed the instructions of the ONE who made them.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch.. “we” are His people and the sheep of His pasture”. We will enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. We will be thankful unto Him and bless His Name. For the LORD is good! ⃪ (Selah!)- Stop. -and think about that! One word sums it up and that one word is “amen.” (the truth stamp!) “It is so-this is true.” God is good, and yes, dear friends, God is great. How good? Very. How great? – more than one man’s mind can comprehend. (Psalm 145.3)
~ But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit,the Ruach HaKodesh, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you. ~ (John 14.26)
How many times have we been instructed to “remember?”- and then why are we so forgetful? Why are we, the exceedingly stupid sheep so easily distracted? Is this also true? ~ but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for (stuff and things) enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful ~ (Mark 4.19)
Focused attention, is usually the product of pain. What does our Teacher have to do in order to have our full and undivided attention? -Maybe a little chastening for the child? Brothers, sisters, our Father knows our needs.
Dear family, – When the son/student is ready, the Teacher will show up!
~ And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey ~ (Ezekiel 3.3)
~And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe ~ (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
~ For the word of God is living and all-efficient, and much sharper than a double edged sword, and it pierces to the separation of soul and spirit and of joints, marrow and of bones, and judges the reasoning and conscience of the heart ~ (Hebrews 4.12)
~Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?~ (Jeremiah 23.29)
If we want to know God’s ways we will have to study. The “good news” is: there will be an open Book exam. The ways of God, the will of God, the wisdom of God, the living Logos of God and the Word made flesh are “all” first concealed and then revealed within the words of God. Yes, Hallelujah!- “it is written…” for whosoever will.
Our Teacher’s instructions to His students? ~ Be diligent,eager, make every effort to to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth ~ (2 Timothy 2.15)
~ Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand ~ (Psalm 149.6) Amen. (May it be so!)
“Do you want to be like God?” or “Do you want to be like God?”. One is following the devil in the Garden, the other is following Yeshua. The night and day difference can seem subtle.
Two Kings on a rooftop, David and Nebuchadnezzar, they are complimentary narratives. Perhaps the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride over his achievements gives insight into David’s mind frame before his losing control to his animal instincts.
I don’t doubt fact that scriptures which don’t seem related -do in fact give further meaning to each other. But the real question comes down to which Rabbis contrived connections, and which truly found the nuggets of wisdom hidden by the Lord in His word?
And how would you know?
I love simple questions.
And if the truth lies in an over-used platitude, how would you know if the person babbling even understood what they were saying?
How did the apostles in Jerusalem recognize Paul as an apostle? I think he broke bread like Jesus did, and it wasn’t the same as the other Rabbis.
and is it possible that the person babbling doesn’t actually know what he is saying but it is true nonetheless? Is it possible that God could reveal a “nugget” even in the mouth of a fool? Yes, Paul broke bread like Yeshua, but does that mean that all the other rabbis didn’t have anything of value to say about God’s word? Or did Paul just see “more” than the others saw?
When we investigate the works of the sages and the rabbis, we find remarkable similarities with the words of Yeshua and the NT authors. The only difference is the acknowledgement of Yeshua as the Messiah. How does one recognize Him as the Messiah from within a culture that was filled with sages whose understanding of Scripture was near genius? How close does Flusser come to saying Yeshua is in fact the Messiah (The Sage of Galilee)? And why do they not “see” this when their words are the same as His?
Hmmm. I suppose Jesus himself endorsed the words of some of those sages in Matthew 23:3 –
“So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”
I suddenly feel like I’ve been missing out on a blessing by not studying more of the sages and rabbis. Point taken.
Brad Young, Meet the Rabbis.
~ You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have life ~ (John 5.39)
~All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness… ~ (2 Timothy 3.16)
~Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He (accurately, fully) explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures ~ (Luke 24.27)
The Bible is our Him-book!
And in the fulness of time, a baby was born in Bethlehem.
~ There was a man sent from God; his name was Yohannan.He came for a witness, to testify about The Light, that everyone by Him would believe. He was not The Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light ~
~ For That ONE was The Light of Truth, which enlightens every person that comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world existed by His hand, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received him not. But those that received (lambánō (from the primitive root, lab-, meaning “actively lay hold of to take or receive,” see NAS dictionary) – properly, to lay hold by aggressively (actively) accepting what is available (offered). 2983 /lambánō (“accept with initiative”) emphasizes the volition (assertiveness) of the receiver) Him, to them He gave authority to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name; those who had not been born of blood, nor of the desire of the flesh, nor of the desire of a man, but of God ~
~ And The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of The Only Begotten of The Father, full of grace and truth. Yohannan bore witness of Him and cried, saying, “This was He of whom I spoke: ‘He that comes after me is preferred in honor before me, for He had priority over me.’ (not “I”, but Christ!) -And of His fulness we have all received, and grace for grace. For The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Yeshua The Messiah. No man has seen God at any time; The Only Begotten God Who is in the bosom of The Father, He has declared Him.” ~
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels in chorus,
Sang as they welcomed His birth.
“Glory to God in the highest!
Peace and good tidings to earth.”
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
Fasting alone in the desert,
Tell of the days that are past.
How for our sins He was tempted,
Yet was triumphant at last.
Tell of the years of His labor,
Tell of the sorrow He bore.
He was despised and afflicted,
Homeless, rejected and poor.
Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,
Writhing in anguish and pain.
Tell of the grave where they laid Him,
Tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender,
Clearer than ever I see.
Stay, let me weep while you whisper,
Love paid the ransom for me.
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
~ written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts ~ (2 Corinthians 3.3)
Let’s not forget the Great Commission was given to Jews. They are meant to teach us, and as disciples, we are to be students, not to judge their methods and trust G-d’s decision of our chosen teachers.
Ethics of the Fathers Chapter 5
12. There are four types of student. One who is quick to understand and quick to forget–his flaw cancels his virtue. One who is slow to understand and slow to forget–his virtue cancels his flaw. One who is quick to understand and slow to forget–his is a good portion. One who is slow to understand and quick to forget–his is a bad portion.
15. There are four types among those who sit before the sages: the sponge, the funnel, the strainer and the sieve. The sponge absorbs all. The funnel takes in at one end and lets it out the other. The strainer rejects the wine and retains the sediment. The sieve rejects the coarse flour and retains the fine flour.