Category: 613 Commandments

Firstfruits

The writers of the New Testament made a concerted effort to help followers of Yeshua comprehend the many dimensions and enigmas of the Torah. Rather than detracting from the significance of the rituals, the Apostles utilized them as a means to impart knowledge about Jesus by elucidating on these distinctive religious practices. Similar to how a pastor at your local church might expound upon a particular passage of Scripture, the Apostles utilized the Torah to teach about the gifts of Yeshua. Continuing in this vein, the 44th positive commandment is employed in a variety of ways by the New Testament authors.

P44 – To bring the meal offering of the omer on the day after the first day of Pesach together with a single lamb, as [Leviticus 23:10] states: “And you shall bring the omer….”[1]

The Apostles were not hesitant to utilize the intriguing firstfruits ritual to underscore truths about the Kingdom. The offering of firstfruits occupies a significant place in the imagery of Yeshua’s ministry. The Apostles aim to illuminate the links between this offering and the customary Passover sacrifices. Without grounding these statements and allusions in the commandments of God, their potency would be diminished.

1 Corinthians 15:20 (TLV)
²⁰ But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

John relates an enigmatic parable that alludes to the notion of Yeshua’s death. In order to become the firstfruits, Jesus needed to first undergo death. He expounded on this idea, drawing upon the firstfruits imagery in his teachings as he approached the hour of his death.

John 12:24 (NKJV)
²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

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Present it before the Father

Following Yeshua’s death, there is a curious account of the initial encounter with Him immediately after his resurrection. In John 20, Mary is the first to meet Yeshua, and upon realizing it is Him, she appears to hold onto Him tightly and not let go. Yeshua then urges her to release him. While numerous teachings suggest that this could be due to an impurity that Mary may have been carrying, possibly arising from the status of women or other ritual purity standards, I believe this is more closely related to the imagery of firstfruits.

Genesis 32:26 (NKJV)
²⁶ And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

The narrative of Miriam holding onto Jesus can be likened to the story of Jacob wrestling with a mysterious man, where the angel asked Jacob to release him due to the rising sun. The story of Jacob is simple and direct, with few details. However, Jewish culture offers further insight into it. In Jewish thought, angels were subject to strict schedules. As an angel, the one who wrestled with Jacob was required to present himself in heaven and offer morning praises to God Most High[2]. Consequently, he had to hurry to present himself before God due to this designated time.

Likewise, when speaking to Miriam, Yeshua implored her to release Him because He had an appointment with the Father to present the offering of firstfruits. Just as the angel in Jacob’s story had to hurry to present himself before God at the appointed time, Yeshua also had a time-sensitive mission to accomplish. By presenting Himself as the firstfruits offering, He fulfilled an essential part of His redemptive work. Therefore, Yeshua asked Miriam to release Him so that He could fulfill His duty before the Father.

John 20:16–17 (TLV)
¹⁶ Yeshua says to her, “Miriam!” Turning around, she says to Him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). ¹⁷ Yeshua says to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet gone up to the Father. Go to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am going up to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’ ”

Leviticus 23:11 (NKJV)
¹¹ He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

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Guarding the Firstfruits

Exploring God’s commandments has provided me with unexpected insights. The firstfruits offering is an appointed time with specific requirements prescribed by God, and the Jewish people must adhere to these statutes, regardless of any anomalies that may arise in other years or related commandments.

Previously, I had viewed the priests who requested a guard over the Master’s tomb as acting solely out of selfish desire. I had not considered it as a “God thing.” However, I now believe that, much like Caiaphas prophesied unknowingly (John 11:50-51), these priests and Pharisees were fulfilling God’s will without realizing it, thereby further emphasizing the symbolism that a learned Jew would discern while reading the Gospels.

Matthew 27:62–66 (NASB95)
⁶² Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, ⁶³ and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ ⁶⁴ “Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” ⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.

God established Sabbatical years in Scripture, and the associated statutes allowed anyone to partake of the fruit of the land without cost. While there are numerous prophetic allusions in this practice, one can see that Yeshua’s gift to humanity is also freely accessible. All that is required is a repentant heart and a willingness to partake of God’s free gift. Similarly, during Sabbatical years, anyone could extend their hand to receive God’s free gift growing from the land, a true blessing.

However, this free gift presented a challenge. If anyone could simply take the free gift of God, there might not be any firstfruits left for the annual ceremony, and God’s appointed time would lack the necessary offerings. For this reason, the Jewish people devised a solution to this dilemma.

In a Sabbatical year, when [the produce of the fields] is ownerless, the court hires watchmen to protect some of the produce that grows on its own, so that it will be possible to offer the omer [of barley] and the two loaves of bread, for these offerings may come only from the new harvest. These watchmen receive their wages from terumat halishcah.

Should a person volunteer to watch the produce without charge, his offer is not accepted, lest men of force come and take it. [To prevent this,] the Sages ordained that the watchmen be paid from the funds of the Temple treasury. [This] will prompt everyone to avoid that place where the guards are posted.[3]

Similar to the Sabbatical years, Yeshua had to first present Himself before the Father as the firstfruits from the dead before anyone else could partake of the gift of God. Following the appointed practice, the Father appointed a guard to stand over Yeshua’s grave until the designated time of the initial harvest. By fulfilling His role as the firstfruits, Yeshua made it possible for others to partake of God’s gift of salvation freely – each in its own order.

Leviticus 23:14 (NKJV)
¹⁴ You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

1 Corinthians 15:23 (TLV)
²³ But each in its own order: Messiah the firstfruits; then, at His coming, those who belong to Messiah;

Chag Sameach! Enjoy this season with your Bridegroom King.

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[1] Rambam, Mishneh Torah Positive Mitzvot 44

[2]  Talmud, Chullin 91b

[3] Rambam, Mishneh Torah Sheqel Dues 4.6

This is the first time I am including more than one commandment at a time as I work through the 613 laws of Torah as found in the Apostolic Writings. It won’t be the last. In this case, I’m including them together because there is no context in which one is practiced without the other that I’m aware of. While they are considered two separate commandments, they are practiced as one joint venture during observation.

P12 – To tie tefillin upon our heads, as Deuteronomy 6:8 states: “And they shall be an emblem between your eyes.”

P13 – To tie tefillin upon our arms, as Deuteronomy 6:8 states: “And you shall tie them for a sign upon your arms.[1]“

In my experience, Christianity tends to look at these commandments as highly spiritualized metaphors. The Jewish people (and Jesus) take it a bit more literally while still considering and applying the spiritual and inward aspects.

These commands are easy to find in the Gospels, but only in a single overt mention. Jesus says the following:

Matthew 23:5 (TLV)
⁵ All their works they do to be noticed by men. They make their tefillin wide and their tzitziyot long.

Yeshua was saying that it should not become a show for others, but rather a humble act of obedience toward God. Jesus wasn’t doing away with its practice or reducing its importance, nor was He denigrating the literal observance of the command. He was communicating that it should be an act of worship alone and not something for others to admire you about.

Teachers of the faith often hyper-spiritualize these instructions, insisting that phylacteries are “just tradition” and not important. It’s crucial to understand, from a Biblical perspective, if our Master disregarded practicing these commands literally He would have failed at being the perfect sinless man that He was. He was, is, and will be Jewish which means He very much participates in the use of tefillin and teaches others to do the same. I suspect He may refine our understanding in the Kingdom era, but as He is unchanging, the instructions will remain.

I’m in the midst of reviewing this post while editing it in preparation for sharing it. With the benefit of hindsight, I just deleted several paragraphs to rewrite them. At this point in my research, I have researched a couple of dozen commands after this one so I know a little bit about what’s coming. Using what I now know about P15, I’m forced to update this one. Initially, I could only find a single reference to these commands and while there is still only a single overt reference to tefillin, I now believe there are multiple allusions to them. Let me try to explain.

In reference to these commands, one Jewish source says this:

“But as [the soul] resides in [the body’s territory]… It therefore nonetheless requires many guards to protect it… and [so] He commanded us to set up mighty guards around [the soul].[2]”

Several times in the Torah, God takes steps to ensure there are protective measures in place for His followers. The pattern is to constantly bring His people back to Him. He set up protections for the soul. God is well aware that we live in tents of flesh (He designed it that way) and He took steps to prepare us for our sojourn. P12 and P13 rank among those protective measures. There are hints and light allusions toward the tefillin and their purpose in several places. John 10 ranks among them.

John 10:28–29 (TLV)
²⁸ I give them eternal life! They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. And no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

The parables of John 10 will come into clearer view in P15. I didn’t want to dive deep into it here since P15 is where the “aha!” moment hit me. In this case, however, I am taking particular notice of God’s “hand.” The aforementioned reference from Sefer HaChinukh speaks to the guards of the soul, in John 10, Yeshua is saying “that’s me.” It’s not us, but through our obedience, God is working to protect our souls. The accompanying prayers, the Shema (P10) which is the most important commandment, all serve in conjunction with P12 and P13 to return our hearts to God daily.

Considering these commandments, some of the Jewish sources dug into the wrestling between flesh and soul. The soul is strengthened by God’s ways, but sometimes, our flesh just gets in the way and breaks through the defenses.

Now, my son, also see how much more power our bodies have than our souls; for despite all this, it sometimes comes up and ‘breaks our fence.’ May God in His mercy aid us and protect us, amen[3].

I’m well acquainted with this struggle. Are you? Even when we know something is wrong, we stumble. It’s ok. God has a plan! We stumble, but then we recover by His mercy, and continue the journey. Paul digs into this idea and ends his brain twisting discussion on the quoted topic in very much the same way. Through the mercy of God, through Yeshua the Messiah, we are covered and restored.

Romans 7:22–8:2 (ESV)
²² For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, ²³ but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. ¹ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

You can nearly envision Paul looking at the tefillin wrapped around his arm contrasting his passion for living out God’s ways with the sinfulness that comes from that same arm. There are other allusions and hints toward these concepts. The phylactery worn on the head is like placing the words of our Master as our head which helps to elicit images of Paul using the comparative imagery of who is the head of who in 1 Corinthians 11. Yes, there may be only one explicit mention of these two commands, but there are a lot of profound spiritual allusions to it as well.

“every man should grab onto this commandment and be accustomed to it, since it is a great fundamental, a protection from sin and a strong ladder to climb with to enter into the service of the Creator, blessed be He.[4]”

1 Timothy 4:15–16 (NKJV)
¹⁵ Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. ¹⁶ Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

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[1] Rambam, Mishneh Torah Positive Mitzvot 12-13

[2] Sefer HaChinukh 421.2

[3] Ibid. 421.2

[4] Sefer HaChinukh 421.6

How often and how closely do you study the words of Moses? Is it a major part of your habits of faith? Statistically speaking, odds are, if you are a Christian, you spend most (if not all) of your time in the “New Testament.” To go back into the older writings is too often considered of less importance and depending on your denominational bent, entirely taboo.

That’s not how the Apostles understood it though. Despite our misunderstandings and misapplication of the Apostolic Writings, one of God’s commandments is that you will study Torah. The 11^th positive commandment as enumerated by Maimonides outlines this teaching as follows:

P11 – To study Torah and to teach it [to others], as Deuteronomy 6:7 states: “And you shall teach them to your children.[1]” (parallel verses: Deut 11:19, Deut 31:12, Num 15:38)

The Apostles had an evident assumption that you would study the words of Moses. In fact, this notion was built into the Acts 15 Council rulings. Immediately after they give the minimum standards required to facilitate fellowship between Jews and Gentiles, they follow it with this:

Acts 15:21 (TLV)
²¹ For Moses from ancient generations has had in every city those who proclaim him, since he is read in all the synagogues every Sabbath.

There was a passion and love for the words of Moses, and there still is. For modern believers who partake in diligent study of the first five books of Scripture, one of the greatest excitements lies in uncovering a new gem in the layered meanings of instruction. There is freedom in the words of the Torah. David calls it “liberty” in Psalm 119:45.

Our Master upheld the Torah’s authority, too. He taught the precepts, He adjudicated Torah, He created parables around it, and repeatedly said He wasn’t here to dimmish its authority in any way. Yeshua even went so far as to forbid the thought (Mat 5:17) that He was here to abolish the words of Moses. Even more, Yeshua hung your belief in Him on a belief in the Torah.

John 5:46 (TLV)
⁴⁶ For if you were believing Moses, you would believe Me—because he wrote about Me.

In Jewish thought, obedience to the Torah is absolute. To literally live out one of God’s instructions is called a “good work” or a “good deed.” When Yeshua said during the Sermon on the Mount to shine your light by doing good works (Mat 5:16), He was referencing the literal application of the Torah. In fact, go reread the entire Sermon. That was Yeshua teaching and expounding on Moses. He was raising the ethical understanding and teaching to live it out literally but to also include an internal observance known only to you and God.

You are to study these words and know them. You are to uphold, endorse, and advocate for them and pass them on to the next generation. Paul agrees as he specifically says to raise up our children in the instruction of the Lord – the Torah.

Ephesians 6:4 (TLV)
⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man is begging that someone would go and instruct his family to ensure they don’t end up in the fiery place as he did and he is told that even if someone rises from the dead if they don’t listen to Moses, neither would they listen to the one raised from the dead.

Luke 16:29–31 (TLV)
²⁹ “But Abraham says, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’ ³⁰ “But he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ ³¹ “But Abraham said, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!’ ”

The study of Torah is important. It’s critical to the life of a Believer in Jesus. Our Master says so Himself in the Gospels. P11 isn’t just some random ruling of an ancient scroll that no longer applies to us. Its message is permanent and will continue on into the Kingdom at the return of Yeshua.

Hopefully, you’re beginning to see how deeply engrained the Torah is within the Apostolic Writings, and this is only the 11^th positive command. It is the foundation of all the writings. Everything that comes after them from Joshua to Revelation expounds on the first five books. We should, of course, be studying the whole of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, but as per the Acts 15 ruling, Moses should make a weekly appearance in our studies. Without Torah, you cannot understand the rest of what is said. We can’t do the good works Jesus called us to do if we don’t know how God defines and teaches those good works. We can’t pass the teachings on to the next generation if we disregard them and only study the last third of our Bibles.

Revelation 2:4–5 (ESV)
⁴ But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

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[1] Rambam, Mishneh Torah Positive Mitzvot 11

The tenth positive commandment as enumerated by Maimonides is one that is simultaneously well-known by most Christians and yet foreign to most Christians. We recognize the command from interactions with Jesus in the Gospels, but the cultural understanding of the command is unfamiliar to us.

P10 – To recite the Shema twice daily, as Deuteronomy 6:2 states: “And you shall speak of them when you lie down and when you arise.[1]“

We understand and recognize the Shema as the most important command in Scripture as per Yeshua’s statement:

Mark 12:29 (TLV)
Yeshua answered, “The first is, ‘Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.’”

Ok! I found this one, so job complete. Right?

Not really. That wasn’t enough for me. I was pretty sure there was more to be gleaned from this command. If it’s the most important commandment, then Jesus certainly gave it some more time and teaching. Perhaps not so literally as the above verse, but did He share the heart of it in different ways?

Initially, I found myself struggling to find what I was looking for, but as I have found in several situations now, consulting Jewish insight helped me see it more clearly.

As our Jewish Rabbi Yeshua was speaking these words, those hearing Him wouldn’t have mentally stopped at Deuteronomy 6:7. In Jewish thought, the recitation of the Shema is not just the single sentence that Yeshua spoke. Boiling down into just a few words the contents of a very long study on the Shema, it is an expectation that one recites three sets of verses: Deuteronomy 6:4-9[2] and 11:13-21[3], and Number 15:37-41[4].

What is the purpose of these three together? They obviously aren’t next to each other in one section of Scripture, yet Judaism (including early Jewish believers and modern Jewish believers) understands this command to apply to all three sets of verses. Why? The case law of Israel has the answer.

I don’t know about you, but my lightbulb lit up with this information. This idea of the “yoke” was the big hint to direct me to find more of the Shema in the teachings of our Master.

Matthew 11:29–30 (TLV)
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Could these two concepts be connected? I had to contemplate this for a day, but when I consider the full context of Matthew’s reference to Yeshua’s words, I can begin to see the relation to the Shema, or at least, the yokes that we’re taking on as disciples of Yeshua.

The full context that I’m reviewing is this:

Matthew 11:25–30 (TLV)
²⁵ At that time Yeshua said in response, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and discerning and revealed them to infants. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this way was pleasing to You. ²⁷ “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. ²⁸ Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I’m certain this is a midrash on the Shema. Pulling apart these verses a little at a time, I’m spotting some patterns. All things on heaven and earth have been handed over to Yeshua. No one knows the Father except through Yeshua and so the “yoke of heaven” belongs to Him. To accept Jesus as our Savior, Master, Lord, and King is to take on the yoke of heaven. That’s what it is to become a disciple of Yeshua – we take on His yoke.

At the same time, we’re told in John 1:1 that Yeshua is “the word” made flesh. He is the Torah – the commandments – personified in the flesh. Obedience to Him is our calling as we begin to disciple under our Master. We are His servants. Every day we should be looking more like Him through our imitation of Him.

The act of accepting the Yoke of Heaven comes before accepting the Yoke of God’s commandments, as demonstrated at Mount Sinai. The Jewish people, along with the mixed multitude, left Egypt and pledged their loyalty to the God who had just delivered them. Only those who followed God out of Egypt were given His teachings. By following God into the desert, they showed their commitment to Him, and He then provided them with His teachings. Just as our Lord says, “follow me,” and then begins to teach and guide you to imitate Him.

Exodus From Egypt

The final part of this is the exodus from Egypt. The significance of the Exodus from Egypt should not be overlooked. The Israelites are the rightful recipients of God’s promises, and this is upheld by Jesus and the apostles. On a deeper level, the Exodus symbolizes the spiritual journey of faith, as we strive to escape the metaphorical Egypt we live in, be reunited with our King, and find peace for our souls.

The apostles call for us to remember the Good News and the share the message in a variety of ways. The Jewish people have never forgotten their Sinai experience. There is one verse that sticks out to me though in reference to the gentiles part. We have been grafted in, and so, we are called to remember.

Ephesians 2:12 (ESV)
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Considering all of these aspects, we should easily see how the Shema (P10) applies to a life of faith in Jesus. Is it necessary to recite this teaching twice daily as suggested in the Jewish tradition? The topic of twice daily prayer will be explored further in future discussions, but it is important to note that the first recitation according to Jewish tradition is done early in the day, preferably before sunrise. This prompts us to consider what Jesus might have been doing during those early morning hours. Considering the culture, it is likely that the Shema was a part of His daily routine. Should you then consider imitating your Messiah?

Mark 1:35 (TLV)
Very early, while it was still night, Yeshua got up, left, and went away to a place in the wilderness; and there He was praying.

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[1] Mishneh Torah, Positive Mitzvot 10

[2] Talmud, Berachot 13a

[3] Talmud, Berachot 13b

[4] Talmud, Berachot 14b

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

How do you personally sanctify the Name of God? This is actually a complex question as there are many opinions, practices, and beliefs. This is the subject I’m contemplating as I’m studying the ninth positive commandment as enumerated by Maimonides.

P9 – To sanctify His name, as Leviticus 22:32 states: “And I shall be sanctified amidst the children of Israel.[1]“

The full verse quoted above reads as follows:

Leviticus 22:32 (TLV)
You must not profane My holy Name, for I will be made holy among Bnei-Yisrael. I am Adonai who makes you holy

We will return to this verse again when we look at N63 as it contains both the positive and the negative form of the command and thus two different commandments. For now, I will strive to remain on task looking at only the positive command.

Sanctification of God’s name is a big deal in Scripture. God doesn’t take it lightly. This is displayed in various ways in the New Testament. Jesus demonstrates it in His actions, His speech, and His teachings. I’m going to highlight three ways this commandment makes an appearance in the New Testament.

Overt Reference

I can find one explicit reference to this command in its positive context, and it’s reiterated by two of the synoptic Gospels. In the famous account of the Lord’s Prayer, the Disciples of Yeshua asked Him to teach them to pray. In response, He taught them the famous prayer that the whole of Christianity prays.

Luke 11:2 (TLV)
Then Yeshua said to them, “When you pray, say, ‘Father, sanctified be Your Name, Your kingdom come. (also Matthew 6:9)

Jesus took the opportunity to plug this commandment into this prayer. “Sanctified” is in the imperative form as a command. God’s name is proclaimed and sanctified regularly through these words. We aggrandize the Father and His Name, just as we were taught by our Rabbi Yeshua. God commanded that we sanctify His name, so Jesus ensured that every disciple throughout the ages would do exactly that with this prayer.

Circumlocution

In Jewish understanding, starting from at least the time when the Septuagint was translated into Greek, God’s Name is not commonly spoken. In the Septuagint, God’s Name is translated as “Lord” and this same tradition passed into the writings of the Apostles and into pretty much every English translation of the Bible (with some exceptions of course). God’s Name doesn’t appear a single time in the New Testament manuscripts. Jesus and His Apostles made a practice of using alternate words to overtly reference God’s Name, but without speaking it. Words like Father, Heaven, God, Lord, Adonai (Hebrew for My Lord), and the modern version of HaShem (literally ‘the Name’) are all used as circumlocutions. This was in an effort to avoid making God’s Name common and in direct reference to P9, the purpose is to sanctify God’s Name.

This is a seriously deep and complex conversation, but from my current understanding, I strive to imitate Yeshua in this, and I don’t speak God’s Name. There are many theological considerations and understandings on this topic that I’m not covering here, but I encourage you to prayerfully study your way through this and follow the Spirit’s leading.

Yeshua’s Teachings

A less obvious reference to this command comes from our Master’s teachings. It’s subtle and you won’t even know it’s happening unless you come at it from a cultural perspective. A famous teacher within Judaism highlights some of the ways that the Jewish people sanctify God’s name.

The Rambam in his writing Yesodei HaTorah[2] gives several examples of the behavior that sanctifies the name of God and they are spread throughout his book. I’ll highlight a few here.

A person sanctifies the name of God when they:

Consider number 4 above. Does Yeshua call us to live beyond the letter of the law? During His Sermon on the Mount, our Master had several sayings where He said “You have heard it said…but I tell you.” An easy example is His teaching on murder. The letter of the law speaks of murder, but Yeshua demands His Disciples to live beyond the letter of the law and says:

Matthew 5:21–22 (ESV)
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

The prohibition against murder obviously stands, but Yeshua brought it to a higher level beyond the literal reading of the commandment. A second example Jesus specifically addresses in the same set of teachings is number 1 above.

Matthew 5:47 (ESV)
And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Business ethics falls into a wider category of ethics and can become a pretty deep conversation that probably extends beyond the scope of P9. However, you can easily make this mental leap through the various teachings by the Apostles urging us to conduct ourselves honorably before others.

1 Peter 2:12 (ESV)
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Lastly, looking at number 3, the topic of humility is constant in the teachings of our Master and His Apostles. We can pull out any number of verses where He is encouraging you to remain humble and not to humble others in return.

Ephesians 4:1–2 (TLV)
Therefore I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you were called— with complete humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love

As the Rambam says, “Such a person sanctifies [God’s] name.[3]” 

There is SO much more here, including the recurring teaching on our suffering for the faith. If we suffer on God’s behalf, we sanctify His Name. If we lay down our lives for God, we sanctify His Name. If we lay down our lives for others, we sanctify His Name. Every book of the New Testament speaks of the suffering that we must endure so in that vein of thinking, we can say that the idea of sanctifying God’s Name is one of the main themes of the Apostolic Writings. It’s everywhere.

2 Thessalonians 1:12 (TLV)
so the name of our Lord Yeshua may be glorified in you, and you in Him, in keeping with the grace of our God and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

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