The Lost Sheep of Israel

Sometimes in reading the Bible, we are confronted with elements that are confusing, a theology that seems to conflict with another theology, and behavior that defies explanation. One such passage is the following:

Matthew 15:21-28 (KJV)
²¹ Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
²² And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
²³ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
²⁴ But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
²⁵ Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
²⁶ But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
²⁷ And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. 

Aren't we told that Yeshua had come to be the Savior of the world? Yet, in Matthew 15 we are surprised with Yeshua initially turning His back on the needs of a Canaanite woman. He then told her and the disciples that He had only been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Finally, after much persistence, Yeshua granted the woman's request and made much ado about her faith.

What are we to think of this account? Let's look a little closer! In verse 21 we see that Yeshua had gone into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, two Gentile cities north of Israel. This very act seems to counter Yeshua's own claim about being sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. What would He be doing in a Gentile area?

Mark 7:24 (KJV)
²⁴ And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. 

Mark's version of this account placed Yeshua not in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, but on the borders of this area. Although this may clarify that Yeshua was not necessarily going into a completely Gentile territory, it seems certain that Yeshua was intending to come into contact with at least this one Gentile woman. She cried out to Him, calling Him the Son of David, and pleaded with Him regarding her daughter that was vexed with a devil (verse 22).

Strangely, Yeshua ignored her (verse 23). The disciples then asked Yeshua to send the woman away because of her crying out after them. In response, Yeshua informed both the woman and His disciples that He had been sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (verse 24). The woman persisted, worshipped Him, and made her request again (verse 25). Yeshua then relegated this woman to an inferior position by calling those of Israel, the children, while she and the Gentiles collectively, were referred to as dogs (verse 26). She persisted again, not by disagreeing with Yeshua, but by wisdom noted that the dogs ate the crumbs from the masters' table (verse 27). At that point, Yeshua exclaimed that the woman's faith was great and that He would heal her daughter (verse 28).

Even from this account, we see hints of God's future ministry that would include Gentiles.

Matthew 28:19 (KJV)
¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 

But what can we make of Yeshua's behavior towards the woman? He intentionally went into that particular area, treated the woman very harshly, and yet, healed her daughter. The only conclusion possible is that this whole incident was a setup, a test of faith for this Canaanite woman. Obviously, she passed the test, she demonstrated her faith and received what she requested. 

It makes sense that Yeshua needed to ground His ministry in Judaism before the Gentiles completely overran it. Today we have a situation where Christians and Jews are viewed as belonging to separate religions. But, if Yeshua had not primarily been sent to the lost sheep of Israel, would we Gentiles have held to the Old Testament at all? Would we even recognize that Christianity came out of Judaism? Would there be any Judeo-Christian understanding of morals and values? Probably not!

However, this account of the Canaanite woman and Yeshua's dealings with other Gentiles emphasize the faith that these Gentiles had. Why did Yeshua go out of His way to connect with these Gentiles at this point of His ministry?

Romans 11:17 (KJV)
¹⁷ And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 

Paul tells us in Romans that Gentiles are grafted into Israel by grace through faith. Yeshua knew this Canaanite woman "hidden" in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, was one of His. He went to find her. She was one of the lost sheep of Israel.

This passage of Matthew emphasizes that sometimes our confusions are due to our not completely understanding all sides of an issue. Definitely, the Bible is complex, but Yeshua's only being sent to the lost sheep of Israel was by no means an exclusion of Gentiles. Not only would the ministry expand to Gentiles, but any and all Gentiles that wanted to follow Yeshua were allowed!

Adding and Subtracting

Generally, the terms "adding" and "subtracting" refer to mathematics, but can be used in other contexts as well. These terms can even be found in the Bible as commands from God.

Revelation 22:19 (KJV)
¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

This verse includes a warning that no one should add or subtract from the book of prophecy called Revelation, or there would be some serious consequences to the person doing the adding or subtracting.

Jeremiah 26:2 (KJV)
² Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:

In the book of Jeremiah, God counsels His prophet to speak all the words that God had given him to speak. He was not to subtract a single word.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 (KJV)
¹⁴ I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

This verse speaks about God's work and how nothing can be added to or subtracted from it.

Deuteronomy 12:32 (KJV)
³² What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Deuteronomy 4:2 (KJV)
² Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

Deuteronomy, in these two different places, charges that no one is to add to or subtract from the commands that God has issued His people.

So, what can be concluded from these verses? God's work, whether His plan of salvation by grace through faith, His record of prophecy specifically in Revelation, or His commandments, is complete. There is nothing necessary to add or subtract!

Then why has Christianity found it necessary to add to or subtract from God's work? Some believe that good works must be added for salvation. Wrong! Some believe that we have prophets today speaking further prophecy of God. Wrong! Some believe that the Torah is no longer applicable. Wrong!

More on this next time!

The Parable of the Treasure Hidden in a Field

Our next parable is this:

Matthew 13:44 (KJV)
⁴⁴ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Most of the commentators see this parable as an exhortation for Christians to give everything in order to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven, or Yeshua, or salvation, depending upon what they believe the treasure symbolizes.

However, if we continue to keep elements (symbols) consistent throughout the parables, the meaning of the Parable of the Treasure Hidden in a Field becomes very different.

Yeshua already defined two of the symbols in this parable. He said that the "man" or the main male character in the parables refers to Himself/God. He also defined the "field" as the world. So the only missing element is the treasure itself. Since Yeshua did not give us any information about what the treasure symbolized, we need to look elsewhere for the answer. It would seem that the Bible has all kinds of references to treasure.

Exodus 19:5 (KJV)
⁵ Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

Psalm 135:4 (KJV)
⁴ For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

Plainly, God has viewed Israel as His very special treasure. But do we see the same thing in the New Testament?

1 Peter 2:9 (KJV)
⁹ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Most would say that 1 Peter is talking about Christians. However, this Bible verse is a quote from the Old Testament.

Exodus 19:6 (KJV)
⁶ And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

How is it possible that Christians and Israel are described using the same terminology? Theologians of all stripes have weighed in on this matter. Without going into the differences between Replacement Theology and Dispensationalism, let me suggest that there is a better answer. Since the same terminology is used, both entities, in some form, are identical. From Paul we see that being ethnic Israel does not guarantee that you are really "Israel."

Romans 9:6 (KJV)
⁶ Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

At the same time, there are many Gentiles who have been grafted into Israel when they became believers.

Romans 11:17 (KJV)
¹⁷ And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

Therefore, the treasure that Yeshua was teaching about is His people, the believers, either Jew or Gentile.

Now let's examine the parable more closely. God's people are hidden in the world. Isn't this exactly what we see regarding both the Jews and Gentile believers, who have been scattered throughout our world. When God "finds" His people, He hides them again, and then, with joy, sells everything that He has, and then buys the world with His people in it.

So how did Yeshua give up all that He had?

Philippians 2:5-7 (KJV)
⁵ Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

But why did Yeshua have to buy the world? Doesn't the world already belong to Him?

It does, but when Adam and Eve sinned our world was marred and Satan was given a certain amount of control and influence over it.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (KJV)
⁴ In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Yeshua then bought the world by doing what?

Philippians 2:8 (KJV)
⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

This one verse parable basically gives us the entire Gospel message! Yeshua was willing to leave Heaven, come to earth as a man, and then die, in order to buy mankind the opportunity to be saved. This should fill our hearts with gratitude! Amazing!  

Teaching in Parables the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 13:10-17 (KJV)
¹⁰ And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
¹¹ He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
¹² For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
¹³ Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
¹⁴ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
¹⁵ For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
¹⁷ For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

After the Pharisees had been given several warnings regarding their unbelief, Yeshua began a series of teachings on the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. This time, however, He spoke only in parables when He addressed the multitudes. This apparently confused the disciples and they came to Him to inquire about His reasoning for this manner of teaching (verse 10). Quite plainly Yeshua explained that the mysteries of the Kingdom were given to the disciples and not to the multitudes (verse 11). He then quoted from Isaiah 6:9,10 for His answer (verses 14 and 15).

Isaiah 6:9-10 (KJV)
⁹ And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
¹⁰ Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

It is obvious that Yeshua had begun to hide His message regarding the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven so that the multitudes, which included His opponents, would not understand what He was teaching. Yet, Yeshua said that the disciples' eyes and ears were blessed because they would be able to understand (verse 16).

Yeshua's hiding of His teaching was in no way an obstacle to anyone who seriously was searching for the truth of God. The principle expressed here relates how those who are open to the message of God will hear and understand, but those who are not open will not hear nor understand. Yeshua also seemed to be applying the "pearls before swine" advice.

Matthew 7:6 (KJV)
⁶ Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

The Pharisees had been given multiple opportunities to hear Yeshua and to repent, but most refused. Why should they be given any further pearls?  The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven would be given to those open to repentance and faith.

God Meant it for Good

The Torah portion this week comes from Genesis 47:28 to 50:26.

It seems lately I have been hearing and reading about how God is everything we need. He is our strength, our provider, our shield, our refuge, and so much more. These are true statements, but sometimes in our times of distress, these words don't always help.

Bad things happen to all of us. Loved ones die. Homes and jobs are lost. We sin and create disaster in our lives. But even without any sin on our part we can find ourselves in troubling situations. We can make choices that don't pan out, or they don't provide what we thought they would. We can pray for God's leading, but we still can end up in a place where we don't want to be. Sometimes we feel like we've become little Jobs. We may not have experienced all that Job went through, but find that our small portion pushes us to the end of our resources. We may pray for rescue, but find no answer. "What is God doing?" we may ask.

In Genesis 49 we read about the death of Jacob. Then in chapter 50 his sons and a large contingent from Pharaoh carry his body back to Abraham's burial place in Canaan, to the cave of the field of Machpelah. When the mourners return to Egypt, Jacob's sons are afraid. Now that their father is dead, perhaps Joseph will hate his brothers and take revenge on them for their selling him as a slave so many years earlier.

Genesis 50:16-18 (KJV)
¹⁶ And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
¹⁷ So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
¹⁸ And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

The brothers hoped that because Jacob had commanded Joseph to forgive them, he would. They even fell down in front of him and offered to become his servants. What was Joseph's reply?

Genesis 50:19-20 (KJV)
¹⁹ And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
²⁰ But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Joseph told his brothers not to fear. They had meant to do evil to Joseph, but God, in His infinite wisdom, allowed the evil to occur so that many people would be saved alive. God meant it for good!

Count the blessings that we know God has given us. Then thank Him for the times when He was our shield, our provider, and our refuge and we didn't even know it. Lastly, know that every awful thing that happens to us, God uses for good! We may not see the good, but it is there. It is hard sometimes, but we must trust in God and His working all things together for good!

Romans 8:28 (KJV)
²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Women of Virtue

This week's Torah portion comes from Genesis 23:1 to 25:18, titled Chayei Sara or "The Life of Sarah."

Sarah, Abraham's wife, may seem to us to be a very flawed woman. She was impatient, full of doubt, less than kind, and acted as if she were blameless. Yet the book of Hebrews calls her a woman of faith.

Hebrews 11:11 (KJV)
¹¹ Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Just as we found about "righteous" Lot, Sarah was not a perfect example of faith. Yet God deemed her faithful and was used as an example of a faithful woman. This should give believing women hope and encouragement that even though we are not perfect, God can use us and view us as faithful women!

Proverbs 31:10-31 is a description of the Eshet Chayil, the woman of virtue. This passage is sung or read by the husband over his wife during the Erev Shabbat, the candle lighting service at the beginning of the Sabbath. It is a call for believing women to become virtuous by their actions. Let us strive to follow after Sarah's example of faith and the ideal captured in Proverbs 31!

Proverbs 31:10-31 (KJV)
¹⁰ Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
¹¹ The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
¹² She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
¹³ She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
¹⁵ She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
¹⁶ She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
¹⁷ She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
¹⁸ She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
¹⁹ She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
²⁰ She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
²² She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
²³ Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
²⁵ Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
²⁶ She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
²⁷ She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
²⁹ Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
³⁰ Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

A Glimpse of Messiah

This week's Torah portion comes from Genesis 18:1-22:24.

As I was reading about Abraham's command to sacrifice his son Isaac, I reflected on how the Bible truly is all about Messiah. Two thousand years before Yeshua even came to the earth, God was preparing his people to understand what Messiah was all about. Abraham's sacrifice shows us a vivid picture of the sacrifice God would make in order to save His people from their sins.

Genesis 22:2 (KJV)
² And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Isaac was Abraham's son of promise, born late in his parents' life, and loved deeply by his mother and father. Yet, he was to be sacrificed as an elevation offering upon one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. Can you imagine the heartache this command of God must have caused Abraham? He had waited so long to have this son, how could he carry out this command?

Yet, Abraham prepared to do so.

Genesis 22:9, 10 (KJV)
⁹ And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
¹⁰ And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

At this point the angel of the Lord stepped in and stopped Abraham from carrying out the command.

Genesis 22:12 (KJV)
¹² And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Although this was a test about Abraham's faith and obedience to God, we see little hints about its further meaning. Look at the following similarities between Isaac's ordeal and Yeshua's.

Isaac was Abraham's son; Yeshua was God's Son. Isaac was taken to Mount Moriah to be killed as a sacrifice; Yeshua was killed on Mount Moriah.

Next, notice the interesting statement made by Abraham:

Genesis 22:5 (KJV)
⁵ And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

The comment Abraham made to his young men about his and Isaac's returning to the men was either a lie, or Abraham truly believed that Isaac would be coming back with him to the men. The only way that this could have been a true statement was if Abraham believed that Isaac would be raised from the dead. This would also seem to indicate that Abraham had such faith in the promises that God had given him about having descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky that he was willing to do whatever God commanded him even if the command seemed counterintuitive.

The similarity here between Isaac and Yeshua is unmistakable. Although Isaac was actually never killed, Abraham thought that Isaac would be dead. Hence it was as if Isaac had been raised from the dead. Yeshua, of course, was raised.

Notice this as well:

Genesis 22:8 (KJV)
⁸ And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Abraham indicated to Isaac that God would provide the lamb for the sacrifice. This must have been a painful statement for Abraham to make knowing that Isaac would be the "lamb." In the same way, God provided Yeshua as the lamb of sacrifice for mankind's sins. This must have been difficult for Him, as well.

The one noticeable difference between the accounts is that Abraham was finally commanded not to kill Isaac.

Genesis 22:13 (KJV)
¹³ And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

For Yeshua, there was no possible substitute. He was the only one qualified to die in the place of sinful mankind. He was the only one who fully and perfectly satisfied the righteous Law of God.

Lastly, we read in Hebrews that Isaac was to be viewed as a "type" of Messiah, a precursor to help God's people understand what was to come.

Hebrews 11:17-19 (KJV)
¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
¹⁸ Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
¹⁹ Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Despite what it must have cost God emotionally, He actually gave up His Son so that His people could be saved. For those of us who are saved, this gift is beyond comprehension. Our only response can be deep gratitude!

The Parable of the Two Sons

Matthew 21:28-32 (KJV)
²⁸ But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
²⁹ He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
³⁰ And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
³¹ Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
³² For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

This parable doesn't need much explanation for us to comprehend Yeshua's meaning. The son that actually worked in his father's vineyard was the son that did his father's will. In the same way, it was the publicans and harlots who turned from their sins in repentance who did God the Father's will, rather than the religious leaders of the day who claimed to be faithful, yet failed to carry out John the Baptist's message of repentance.

Although the message is simple, we sometimes lose the gist because of the words. Repentance and belief are two of those words that can cause us to have a false understanding. Too often, due to our heritage of Greek-like thinking, repentance has come to mean a change in thought. Likewise, believing is viewed as something that occurs in our minds, but doesn't necessarily have any action associated with it. However, repentance and belief, in a Biblical (Jewish) sense are always action dependent. Basically, there is no repentance unless there is a change away from sinful behavior. There is also no belief unless it is accompanied by actions that are consistent with belief.

When we read Matthew 21:28-32 it is obvious that God's will is done when we respond obediently. This is our duty as believers. Otherwise, we are not believers. This same idea is expressed in the book of James.

James 2:20 (KJV)
²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

If the church rightly viewed repentance and belief as action words, would there be a difference in our influence and success in bringing the message of Yeshua to a hurting and dying world?  

Romans 14:1-9 - The Weak and the Strong of Faith

Paul next moved into a discussion on the weak and the strong in faith.

Romans 14:1-9 (KJV)
¹ Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
² For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
³ Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
⁴ Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
⁵ One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
⁶ He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
⁷ For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
⁸ For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
⁹ For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

The assembly of believers is to receive the weak in faith, but it can't be with the intention of quarreling over the individuals' faith choices that are not sinful (verse 1). For one believes that he may eat all things, whereas another, who is weak in faith, believes he may only eat herbs (verse 2). Therefore, the one who eats all things is not to despise the one who eats only herbs and the herb eater is not to judge the one who eats all (verse 3). God has accepted both believers.

Only the master of the servant can judge his servant (verse 4). Yeshua is the believer's master who not only judges him, but is able to make him acceptable.

One believer esteems one day above another, but another believer esteems every day alike (verse 5). Each believer must be fully convinced in his own mind as to the rightness or wrongness of his or her actions. In both cases of eating and observing days, these believers act in the manner in which they believe God would be pleased (verse 6).

For no believer lives or dies without accountability to God (verse 7). If the believer lives, it is as a servant to God (verse 8). If the believer dies it is also unto the Lord. Believers belong to the Lord. Because Yeshua died, rose, and revived, He has become the Lord over both the dead and the living (verse 9).

The primary question of this passage is, "Who are the weak and strong of faith?" Traditional Christianity has usually interpreted the weak in faith to be those believers who try to follow Torah, while those who are strong in faith have put aside Torah living. The problem with this understanding is that the discussion is not about Torah observance at all. In Paul's example of the two believers who eat different things, the contrast is between someone who eats only herbs and someone who eats "anything." There are no Torah rules about only eating herbs. So why would a believer choose to only eat herbs? In today's culture, many espouse vegetarianism because of its supposed health benefits, but back in the first century it was likely that the believer who only ate herbs was someone who was trying to avoid any possibility of eating meat that had been offered to an idol before being sold in the market. Yet, not all the believers felt this way. They were convinced that eating the meat was fine. Paul admonished them not to judge each other's decision. Therefore, the contrast does not mean that believers could eat contrary to Leviticus. That simply was not the issue.

Regarding the contrast of the esteemed days also does not mean an abrogation of the Saturday Sabbath or the Feasts of the Lord. Both the Jews and the Gentiles had many days that were celebrated for religious or cultural reasons. The weak in faith chose to continue to follow the observance of days that they were used to following (assuming that they were not contrary to God's Torah), whereas the strong in faith were able to let those go. Again, the two groups were not to judge each other's behaviors.

Lastly, it is important to realize that believers are on a journey of faith. Growth and development happen on the individual's timetable that God determines and that can vary greatly from one person to another. These elements of faith that are outside of God's direct commands must not be used as standards between believers.

Romans 12:3-8 Faith and Gifts

Believers in Messiah Yeshua are to be living sacrifices, transformed by the renewing of their minds. How are they to live this out?

Romans 12:3-8 (KJV)
³ For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
⁴ For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
⁵ So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
⁷ Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
⁸ Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

The term living sacrifices from verse 1 of Romans should connote selfless living, a living for God. Yet immediately following, Paul admonished his readers to not think more highly of themselves than they ought to think (verse 3). Obviously, human nature tends to self-aggrandizement, even in the face of being a sacrifice! How well Paul knew his audience!

Instead, believers are to think soberly with sound judgment about themselves according to the measure of faith given by God. In other words, the gift of faith that God gives His born again believers is to be used in understanding themselves correctly and not in being puffed up with pride.  For just like the human body, which is made up of many parts but have differing purposes (verse 4), the body of Messiah is made up of many individuals that function together (verse 5) but have differing gifts given by God's grace (verse 6). If prophecy is the believer's gift, he should prophesy. If his (or her) gift is ministry (service), he should minister (verse 7). If his gift is teaching, he should teach. If his gift is exhortation, he should exhort (verse 8). If his gift is giving, he should give with simplicity (liberality). If his gift is ruling, he should rule with diligence. If his gift is mercy, he should be merciful with cheerfulness.

In other words, Paul realized that human nature causes even believers to think they should have the most important jobs and the most prestige. Instead, he cautioned the believers to discern their gifts soberly, and then with the faith they are given, use their gifts, whether great or small. Oddly, there are also some believers who, through a false humility, never use the greater gifts that they have been given. So Paul was not saying that God gives differing amounts of faith, but rather differing gifts that are to be carried out by the faith given. How often do believers "feel" a lack of faith, and fail to use their gifts? The problem is not that the faith isn't there, even a mustard seed's worth can move mountains, but that believers don't use or realize what they have. Let's commit today to using our faith and gifts to the best of our abilities!