Pay Attention
The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; and devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil, Isaiah 57:1 NASB
For – What are God’s warning signs? God always reveals what He will do through His prophets. He always provides evidence of His coming purposes – if we have the eyes to see. Rabbi Akiva read this verse and saw something. Perhaps we need to see with Akiva’s eyes before it’s too late.
Of course, one great difficulty is that we don’t read the verse in Hebrew. We read it in translation, and in this case, the translation keeps us blind. The Hebrew is mevin ki-mipnei ha-ra’ah ne’esaf ha-tzadik (“discerning because from the face of evil is gathered the righteous”). NIV and NKJV make the verse continuous (“no one understands that the righteous are taken”) where the NASB creates two sentences with essentially the same meaning. ESV and RSV follow NASB. The LXX says “no one takes notice, for the righteous man has been taken away from the presence of the unrighteous.” All of these translations provide a single connected thought; the blindness of the populace to the removal of the righteous. But this isn’t what Akiva saw. Akiva read the Hebrew particle ki as “because,” one of its usual senses. Since the Hebrew is without punctuation and the word order is not the same as English translations, Akiva saw the verse like this: “pious men are taken away and no one gives thought that because of evil the righteous man is taken.” Such a reading is entirely legitimate, but what a difference it makes! Akiva’s reading means that God takes the righteous out as a result of the presence of evil. In other words, as the world grows more and more evil, we discover that God is removing the righteous. As the next verse says, “They enter into peace and rest.” Before the worst comes, the righteous die and enter into shalom. But woe to those who remain!
Akiva lived during one of the greatest of the Roman pogroms. Roman torture was a finely crafted art rivaling anything devised by evil men. What Akiva saw was that the righteous men of his day died early in this horror. God removed them as things grew steadily worse. Isaiah the prophet told us it would be like this.
I often lament that today’s literature and music is vapid, tedious and unimaginative compared to the great literature and music of the past. That seems to follow course with a general decline in the culture, a loss of the sense of duty or heroism, replaced by a growing arrogance and an exploding self-centeredness. Culture reflects this inner decay. Os Guinness wrote a book recently called Unspeakable. He documents the fact that the last hundred years have been the most brutal and vicious century the planet has ever known. Apparently it isn’t just the culture that is in decay. Men are becoming animals at a faster and faster rate. And the righteous are being removed. Who is really replacing the great men of faith in our past? I am hard pressed to think of someone. I think it’s time to listen to Isaiah very carefully.
Topical Index: Akiva, Isaiah 57:1, ki, because
This sounds like remnant theology to me? Am I wrong in my assumption? Just some food for thought:)
Rick, Uhhh, it sounds more like Un-remnant theology to me. If the good are, in fact, NOT physically preserved, but rather taken out (by death) from among the evil; where is the remnant, or more to the point rather, who is the remnant- the evil?
Yeshua adds the other side of the coin, which we often also misunderstand. “As in the days of Noah” is a statement about the righteous being left behind, not raptured out.
That’s right. It was the wicked who were swept away by the flood – the righteous remnant were protected throughout the flood, but they went through it.
Mat 24:37-39 ESV – [37] For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. [38] For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, [39] and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
By the time the Israelites arrived at the Promised Land, it was the evil people who were being “taken out” — dispossessed. But the Israelites could not boast this was their “good behavior” reward.
If God is taking out the righteous, but some are being left behind(As in the days of Noah)is this remnant theology? sorry for the run on sentence
“Who is really replacing the great men of faith in our past?”
Maybe YHWH is not replacing the “great men” because He has provided everything needed in order to live a life of godliness, yet we are in hot pursuit of something else. It appears He has given most over to their pursuits.
That begs the question…what am I pursuing? Reinforcement of what I already know?
“That seems to follow course with a general decline in the culture, a loss of the sense of duty or heroism, replaced by a growing arrogance and an exploding self-centeredness.”
Skip, you imply some serious thinking in this post! 🙂
If there is a recognition of decline, it is a decline from some previous standard, which is assumed to be a better standard than the current state of affairs. How did that previous standard come into place? What were its characteristics? Is it a standard that should be emulated (put back in place)? How can that be done? How should it be done?
Man without God has always been brutal. Yet human sacrifice, cannibalism, and slavery were eventually wiped out in Western culture due to the missionary activities of those who took the whole Bible with them. The “new” covenant indication of the Torah of God written on the hearts of men and women became a program of change that transformed the decaying culture of the Empire into something better — not perfect, but better.
It is the loss of the belief in the “new”covenant as the Torah of God written on the hearts of His people, caused by faulty presuppositions and mistaken notions about “faith” and “law” that have sapped the lifeblood out of the people of God.
Now, we have to figure out how to get back that which has been lost, and then take it further yet again. It seems like the Great Commission could be a good place to start: make disciples, baptize, and teach.
2 Cor. 10:”3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
Without Torah, we “walk in the flesh.” Without Torah we wage “war according to the flesh.” With Torah we “have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
Maybe the problem is not “those who are evil” but those who proclaim the power of God but don’t do anything about it, or when they do, they do battle in the flesh — without Torah.
I would suggest that those who proclaim the power of God but don’t do anything about it ARE evil.
That may be so. But is the problem other people? They may be evil. The issue is that I have to first get myself right — take the plank out of my own eye — before I try taking the speck out of the eyes of other people. That indicates “I” am always the problem. And that’s the problem I am expected to “solve.” God will take of the other problems in the world. And maybe if I can, with His help, clear the mess up at my end, He might use me to help others with their specks or even planks 🙂
G-d, having spoken in former times in fragmentary and varied fashion to our forefathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; (Hebrews 12.1,2)
“Therefore we regard the message of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp that is shining in a gloomy place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts. (2 Peter 1.19)
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.” -Who said this?
“Lo, I am with you always- even unto the end of the age..” – Who said this?
“Prophet-Priest-King”- Who is this? -Yes, -Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty- the LORD -mighty to save. Who is this?- the ONE mighty to save? -What is His name?
Yes, we all need “eyes to see”- “ears to hear” and “hearts to obey.” How we need to “shema” the words of ADONAI. To heed and to hearken unto “whatever He says..”-then, to do it. To accomplish His will, to perform His good pleasure “on earth, as it is in Heaven.”
To do this requires what? We must (first) be born from above. We must have a new heart for a new start. What are we given at the moment of birth? All things necessary for life- and yet..- growth must occur. We must grow to be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. How is this accomplished? “As you have received the LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ- so walk ye in Him..”- How did we receive Him? through repentance and faith. Two sides of the same coin- repentance from sin- faith towards G-d. Turn from this and turn towards that. Say no to this, but say yes to that. Repentance- a turning from and a turning toward- . A turning from darkness and a turning toward the light. A turning from sin and a turning toward righteousness. A turning from self and a turning towards the Savior. One of the best gifts ever given by our Father- the gift of repentance. We, friends, have been given the mind of Christ- (I Corinthians 2.16)but we need.desperately need, to learn how to exercise and to use this mind. “Let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus..” (Philippians 2.5)
For some reason, I had always interpreted this passage as Akiva had. In my judgment, in this end times, there is no formula for whom HaShem will allow to go to sleep early or whom He desires to remain to be a testimony to His power and glory. The two witnesses in Rev. 11:3 have an incredible calling and perhaps are alive today being prepared for their incomprehensible mission. Who would desire it? But HaShem knows who is capable for such a divine appointment. Regardless, God is strengthening our “core” to the core so that we may be prepared for whatever comes our way on any given day. Unfortunately, in my comings and goings, I see that most people are “asleep.”
In Greco-Roman thinking — a person’s reality is based on, “I think, therefore I am.” Or “I speak or teach, therefore I am.” In Hebraic thinking, the reality is, “I do, therefore I am.” In this present culture, one’s actions have a difficult time keeping up with one’s words.
All to say, when I read certain passages of Isaiah and King David that are not prophetic, I view their writings from the perspective of THEIR reality at that time. It doesn’t necessarily apply to our time. Then there are those passages that are prophetic and speak forth to our day. I think it’s important to discern between the two.
As a side note, that’s how I have always viewed Jabez’s prayer. Jabez’s prayer was Jabez’s prayer. It was between him and HaShem for his particular situation and his particular time. It wasn’t meant to be a formula that if you prayed it, HaShem would answer in the same way He did for Jabez. It didn’t mean that He would necessarily keep you from evil, enlarge your territory etc. Interestingly, a book was written on that very prayer from a Greco-Roman point of view, inferring this to be true. Unfortunately, a pastor told me that when the book was introduced to a part of Africa where he was doing mission work, and the Africans prayed Jabez’s prayer but still experienced pain from evil, reduction in property and little if no immediate blessings — they said, “Your God is a white man’s God” and denounced the faith. Very unfortunate. In the West, we tend to want pat explanations for everything including formulations for ways to pray.
Regarding, “Men are becoming animals at a faster a faster rate.” That’s offending the animals — even the wild beasts of the field, let alone the domestic ones. Where is this kind of loyalty in today’s society?
http://abcnews.go.com/US/slain-navy-seals-devoted-dog-remains-side-funeral/story?id=14378885
I know what you meant though Skip. This story tore me up.
I’m glad you didn’t take offense for the animals. You did know what I meant.
Just another point to clarify. I am not sure I would say that the Hebrew view is “I do, therefore I am.” I think it is closer to say, “I am my doing.” The structure of a “x therefore y” equation is itself Greek.
The Jewish apostle Sha’ul must have been thinking like a Greek when he penned Rom 8:1. He had one of those “therefore” moments of logic. 🙂
Looks like they are finally beginning to realize that not all disasters are created or allowed by “evil” but possibly the HAND OF GOD…
Prayer Alert: Unprecedented Crisis on East Coast
From the desk of Steve Shultz:
Hundreds of thousands have been told they must evacuate away from the east coast because of the hurricane. Please be in prayer that lives will not be lost or at least keep loss of life to a minimum. They are saying this is the worst hurricane plus earthquake scenario on the eastern shores in 20 years. Beyond that, this is expected to last through the weekend.
It is my personal conviction that our lack of support for Israel and our stubbornness to serve God as a nation is causing God to get our attention and not intervene like He normally would. In the end, we will change our hearts and minds toward God and place our dependence upon Him. But this does not look good at this time. Please keep this in prayer.
For more info, follow this link:
http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=9259
Breaking Christian News
http://www.breakingchristiannews.com
The righteous die before their time: “In my pointless life, I’ve seen everything – from the righteous person perishing in his uprightness to the wicked one who lives a long life and keeps on doing wrong” (Ecclesiastes 7:15; CJB).