The Torah Scholar
Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Psalm 25:4 NASB
Teach – God wants you to be an apprentice, not a master craftsman. An apprentice is more than a student. A student learns the words, the principles, the ideas. An apprentice puts all these into practice. An apprentice copies the journeyman until he can do what the master does. Knowing all the theories, calculating all the sums, presenting all the concepts is not enough. The facts must become reality. What you know must become what you do. Then you will graduate from apprentice to master. Not before!
The psalmist asks YHWH to teach him. The Hebrew is lammede, the Piel imperative of lamad. Some very interesting derivatives of lamad are malmad and talmid. Malmad is found in Judges 3:31. It is the ancient version of a cattle prod (an oxgoad). Ah, apparently teaching also employs a sharp stick. Stay on the path or be prepared to be unpleasantly corrected. Reminds me of a nun with a ruler. Talmid, of course, is the derivative of lamad that means “scholar.” Interestingly, it is found only once in Scripture (1 Chronicles 25:8). It is one of the classifications of priests, not ordinary citizens. “In rabbinical times, the teacher of the law was called the talmîd Rabbi and his pupils were known as talmîdîm, i.e. apprentices. Yet in another sense, all Israel were talmîdîm, apprenticed to the torah of God. The Jewish Talmud gets its name from this root.”[1] Kaiser’s comment about all Israel is a valuable one. We, the followers of YHWH, the God of Israel, are all apprenticed to the Torah. Concomitantly, those who are not apprentices of Torah are not followers of YHWH, the God of Israel. Whack! I just felt the oxgoad.
Who then is a Torah scholar? One who follows God’s ways and searches out God’s paths. Limmud, a further derivative of lamad found in Isaiah 8:16, describes those who are taught His law. This is the same law that the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 50) relates to Israel in the Messianic Kingdom. Is it any wonder that Torah will pour forth from Zion during the Kingdom days, that the nations will come to hear God’s instructions and that Israel will rejoice knowing God’s ways will be written on the hearts of men?
Today we know what God wants us to learn. Tomorrow we may learn even more. But nothing will happen until what we know today becomes what we do tomorrow. That’s the way an apprentice learns. Listen, practice, evaluate, do it again. Today God presses you to practice what you know. Another theory, another exegesis, another doctrine will not bring progress until you do what you already know you must do, until you practice the Master’s example. The Torah scholar is not a man of words. He is a man whose love of words has become deeds.
Topical Index: scholar, Torah, lamad, malmad oxgoad, Psalm 25:4
[1] Kaiser, W. C. (1999). 1116 לָמַד. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (480). Chicago: Moody Press.
Whack! That is funny! Looking forward to your teaching in Delaware Dr. Moen!
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. Matthew 13:25a (ESV)
Yeshua is talking about persecution in this context, but I believe it still fits into what you are trying to communicate . When we start truly living as His apprentices, we are going to encounter persecutions.
Goaded by YHWH when we get off the path, and goaded/persecuted by others when we are faithfully walking it. The first one brings correction and the peaceable fruit of righteousness. The second one should bring joy for being accounted worthy to suffer for Him! The King’s kingdom is definitely an upside down kingdom.
Amen, Brian. I needed that reminder today and to stop feeling sorry for myself…..thanks for the good word.
Heb. 5:8 “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.”
So do we.
I like what you wrote, Brian.
“Today we know what God wants us to learn. Tomorrow we may learn even more. But nothting will happen until what we know today becomes what we do tomorrow. That’s the way an apprentice learns. Listen, practice, evaluate, do it again. Today God presses you to practice what you know. Another theory, another exegesis, another doctrine will not bring progress until you do what you already know you must do, until you practice the Master’s example. The Torah scholar is not a man of words. He is a man whose love of words has become deeds.”
I wrote to a Rabbi in Jerusalem last week and asked a question…simple, question about dates in the month of Adar. To my surprise, the Rabbi wrote back two days later to answer my question. I took the opportunity to ask him to pray for my adult daughter who has been missing for 8 months….he again answered and asked for her Hebrew name and that of her mother so he could daven . My point is this man that took time to answer my requests is a very prominent and well known Rabbi. I have been reading his commentaries for years and was shocked when I saw his name! He is an example of the word you just wrote. What is wrong with the Church? Pastors and laymen alike too busy to care, too wrapped up in their own agenda for other men to see? You are more like the Rabbi, Skip. You do what you say…regardless if men see or not
Yes, if only that were true of ALL of my life and the lives of all those who claim to be Christians. Then the world would look and listen. But until then, we continue to live the Greek-Babylonian paradigm of “me first,” even with proper theological language. Not surprisingly, given the self focus of Greek thought. That inner world of self-control, self-esteem, self-fulfillment blocks us from experiencing the outward communal NECESSITY of ahav.
The Disciple
We (all) learn by doing. I spend four years of my life (back in the day) becoming a carpenter. I was enrolled in the JATC in South Florida, the Journeyman Apprenticeship Training Center. Over eight thousand hours of OJT, (on the job training) and 2,000 hours of classroom time, (all this to hit the nail on the head?) to become a journeyman carpenter.
I knew this was going to happen. One day, I’ll look back at this, and laugh. Today, -is that day. There are “wood butchers” and then there are “finish carpenters” – those who swing a hammer for a living know the difference. I worked as a wood butcher “doing” mostly concrete frame construction, swinging (yes, I still have it) a 20oz. Estwing framing hammer. Gotta have the tools you know. Skillsaws, framing squares, levels, etc. Tools of the trade.
Again, we (all) learn by doing. What did I learn? I learned that a frame carpenter is a young man’s trade! lol! As I was “on the job”- it didn’t take much for me to look around and to say, “where are the old ones?” Physical labor, 3/4″ sheets of Marine grade plywood takes its toll, so does swinging a 20oz. hammer. Today, of course, double-head 16 penny nails have been replaced with nail guns, but the heavy plywood forms and the crowbars, etc. still remain, and all take their toll. The “work” part of making a living still remains. Hard work. Working (outside of course) in the Florida sun takes its toll too. Again, we (all) learn by doing. No one was born a carpenter, it is a learned skill. No one was born a brain surgeon, -it is a learned skill.
One is born from above, a Christian, but no one is fully developed at birth, -there is a process of growth, from a baby to a child to an adult, a mature believer. We (all) grow in our faith. Anything (at all) that is not growing is dead. A bush, a puppy, a man. Growth is a sign of life.
I did not remain a carpenter, I volunteered to enlist in the Marines. Why? What would motivate a man (any man) to do this? Four more years, this time, training as a soldier, working for our Uncle Sam. Again, we learn by doing, You know the drill. I love for you to meet my D.I. My drill instructor. My trade this time?- AE,- Aircraft Electrician working on the A4E jets, -once flown by the Blue Angels, -(the same type of aircraft-not the actual ones!)- no longer used by the military- now, for the most part, obsolete and mothballed. But I learned a trade, a skill, and plied my trade for four more years, working this time on the flight line. What skills did I learn? Attention to detail, and chain of command. And then?
Four more years, as an apprentice, this time as an electrician, an inside wireman. – My current (electrically speaking?) trade. Again, we learn by doing. No one is born an electrician, each has to be taught by someone.
As a carpenter, a soldier, and now working with power, light and controls, “Life,” my life, is a still a constant learning process. I am more “thrilled today with learning than a ever have been, and I am grateful to have been a working class stiff- all these years. I have learned much, while being enrolled in this school of living, some call it the School of Hard Knocks. I prefer LIfe 101. (There is no Life 102!- lol!) I failed to mention two years of college, but an Associate’s Degree not all that honorably “mentionable.”
Mine was more of a “hands on” training. I have quite a collection of tools! But a tool is only as good as the one who is using it!- as all violin players will testify! I am still, to this day enrolled in school. Still a student, an apprentice, a disciple, a learner. Life, is for learning! Yes, this is a good time to stop and to say: (selah) Oy Vey! lol!- I feel much better now, – thank you.
Today, I, “the student,” – “the learner” go forth to learn. And when the student is ready, the Teacher will show up! ~ Although the LORD has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left ~ (Isaiah 30.20,21)
~ Blessed are the Meek, (the teachables,the students, the learners), for they will inherit the earth. ~ Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I AM meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ~ “Study, (students) to show yourselves approved unto God, a workman – (a laborer, we are laborers together with God) one who needs not to be ashamed, -rightly dividing the Word of Truth. ”
Who are the students? Who is our Teacher? What is our Textbook? And the disciples, the students, the learners, the “talmudim” called Him “Rabboni.”-Master.- Teacher.
David, once offered this prayer: “Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me (give unto me) purity of heart, so that I may honor You.” May we also boldly come before His throne of grace and offer unto Him this very same petition? What is “purity of heart?” Does this merit our further attention? What is David asking for? This “purity of heart,” – an pure-unmixed-undivided heart- a whole-hearted heart.. (Yes, please)”focus my heart” on serving You.
And Who was it who said, ~Ask, and you will receive?..~
~ I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh ~ (Ezekiel 11:19)