NOTES ON THE AUTHORITY AND JUDGMENTS OF YAH: ‘THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW!’ – (WITH VIDEO)

THE THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “Then Moses answered [the Lord] and said, ‘What if they will not believe me or take seriously what I say? For they may say, “The Lord has not appeared to you.” And the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ And he said, ‘A staff.’” – EXODUS 4:1-2, AMP

KEY TERM: “STAFF.” ‘Matteh’ [מַטֶּֽה׃]: “From a root word meaning, ‘A branch that extends [God’s power and authority];’ figurative of (leadership of) ‘a tribe;’ a rod for chastening or correction (in support of life); can refer to a walking stick or a spear for battle; an instrument used for threshing; symbolizes the supply of food, strength and authority; ‘a scepter of miraculous power and authority given to a shepherd of God’s people.’”

QUOTATION. “‘It is a profound Political Reality that Christ now occupies the Supreme Seat of Cosmic Authority.’ The kings of this world and all secular governments may ignore this Reality, but they cannot undo it. The Universe is no Democracy. It is a Monarchy! God Himself has appointed His Beloved Son as the Preeminent King. Jesus does not rule by referendum, but by Divine Right. In the future every knee will bow before Him, either willingly or unwillingly. Those who refuse to do so will have their knees broken with a Rod of Iron.” ― R.C. SPROUL, What is Reformed Theology? Understanding the Basics, 2005; edited

COMMENTARY. “Moses’ Staff puts in cameo appearances throughout the narrative portions of the Book of Exodus. At the Burning Bush, God turns it into a snake in an effort to cajole Moses into extricating Israel from Egypt (4:2-4). Upon his return, Moses repeats the sign before the elders of Israel to verify the authenticity of his mission (4:30). When Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh for the first time, it is Aaron who now tosses the Rod on the ground where it morphs into a serpent and devours the serpents of the Egyptian magicians brought in to match his prowess (7:10-13) …

‘Where the Mishnah errs is in attributing extraordinary status to The Staff.’ According to the narrative, The Staff is nothing more than an ordinary Shepherd’s Staff. It was the Staff that Moses, tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, bore in his hand when he happened to alight on the burning bush (3:1). It could not have been more nondescript and unexceptional. But, that is precisely the point: The Staff harbored no inherent potency. ‘At work was solely GOD’S WILL which chose to transform a crude artifact into an Instrument of Titanic Power.’ The spontaneity of the act manifested God’s omnipotence.” – Ismar Schorsch, “The Staff of Moses,” Jewish Theological Seminary, Jan. 24, 2024; edited

II. THE TEACHING

In the New Testament context of the meaning of The Staff of Moses, we can take it to mean: ‘The Word of God, or Truth, which stands as the Preeminent Standard in the Universe for the Judgment of all things.’

By a terribly important extension, all Preachers and Teachers of God’s Word are bestowed with God’s Authority and Power to the extent that they ‘Shepherd His Doctrines most fearfully and accurately.’ Thereby shall they wield exceptional ability to both preach and minister to their flocks.

But for those who treat this Divine Rod of Authority insufficiently, or much worse, to their own ends, they shall suffer the most terrible chastisement imaginable.

“Woe to the shepherds (civil leaders, rulers) who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, in regard to the shepherds who care for and feed My people:

‘You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; hear this, I am about to visit and attend to you for the evil of your deeds,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries to which I have driven them and bring them back to their folds and pastures; and they will be fruitful and multiply. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,’ says the Lord.” – JEREMIAH 23:1-4, AMP

THE INTERPRETATION. The most accurate way to properly assess what awaits today’s legions of Unfaithful American Pastors to which this passage directly applies, is to go to the KEY TERM that best describes the Sin of the Pastors:

“Scatter.” Taken from the Hebrew term, ‘Puwts’ [הֲפִצֹתֶ֤ם], it is rendered: “To dash into pieces;’ to break, shake or cast abroad; disperse [drive them away]; to strike suddenly or violently, whether throwing or falling; to strike and bruise or break; to break by collision; but usually with the words, in pieces.”

There is an Ancient Principle in both the Jewish Canon and Law that governs the Administration of Justice by both God and Man. A somewhat detailed description and definition of that important concept follows, to establish a theological platform for a better understanding of the Heart of God in Judgment.

LEX TALIONIS. “In the early period of all systems of law the redress of wrongs takes precedence over the enforcement of contract rights, [wherein]: ‘A rough sense of Justice demands the infliction of the same loss and pain on the aggressor as he has inflicted on his victim.’ Hence the prominence of ‘Lex Talionis’ in ancient law.

The Law of Israel is no exception: In its oldest form it included the ‘The Law of Measure for Measure’ (this is only the literal translation of ‘middah ke-neged middah’); and the popular thought, as reflected in Talmudic sayings, imagined that God punishes nations and men with sufferings nearly identical with those which they have sinfully inflicted upon others (Sanh. 90a). The Principle that ‘with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you’ is solemnly asserted to underlie the Divine Law.” – LEWIS N. DEMBLITZ, Editor, “Retaliation, or Lex Talionis,” The Jewish Encyclopedia, 1901-1906; edited

THE NEW TESTAMENT VIEW. “The Biblical Insistence on Punishment matching the crime might seems harsh at first glance, but matching punishment to the crime prevents excessive punishment. Although an eye must be taken for an eye, two eyes or a life may not be taken for an eye. Thus, the Hebrew Bible is already concerned with the matter of ‘Retaliation,’ and it prohibits disproportionate revenge (Lev. 19:18; but see Gen. 4:23-24; 34:1-31) … This teaching would obviously be at odds with the cause of the Jewish ‘Zealots,’ who favored armed rebellion against Rome, but it is primarily a personal ethic that does not contradict the legitimate role of the State in protecting its citizens from lawlessness and aggression.” – DR. DAVID TURNER, in Bill Muehlenberg, “Lex Talionis and the New Testament,” Culture Watch, Feb. 7, 2022; edited

IN SUMMARY. Although Muehlenberg is controversial since he speaks from the View of Theonomy, he nonetheless quotes Dr. Turner, a reputable Bible scholar in concluding, with me, that: ‘There is no conflict between Moses and Jesus.’

Of course, there could never be!

So do I conclude with an APPLICATION of all this to what is reserved for the American Pastor who either by his cowardly ‘Silence’ against the doctrinal treachery all around, or worse perhaps, by his outright ‘Affirmation’ of the dystopian perversions of the Christian Nationalist Agenda of DONALD TRUMP’s Maga Movement.

THE POINT. Since today’s Church appears to abhor the ‘God of Judgment’ in maniacal preference for the ‘God of Love,’ I am once again laboring to Balance the Canonical Equation. ‘He is BOTH, beloved!’ Not just one or the other. God shall therefore mete out Severe Judgment soon on behalf of all these Pastors and Teachers and Leaders who have disobeyed Him for nine years running.

‘We shall ALL be made to tremble!

III. LAST THOUGHTS

To finish our small excursion into some very large and now controversial territory, I turn again to the Reform Baptist theologian, DR. DON PIPER. He nearly always offers us that proper balance indeed between the ‘Severity of God’and the ‘Mercy of God,’ and I deeply appreciate that approach to these perilous times.

This is taken from his recent essay, “Rejoicing Over Judgment” (see what I mean?), published in his Blog-Journal, Desiring God on March 5, 2024 (edited). He point us to FIVE REASONS why Judgment is part of Christ’s Good News.

GOD’S JUDGMENT IS NEEDED. “Many today assume that people, deep down, are fundamentally good, and that bad things only really happen because of poverty, lack of education, poor upbringing, lack of privilege, and the like. What we need is ‘Progress,’ not Judgment. Judgment is outdated. We’re sophisticated enough to know what’s right and wrong. Miroslav Volf, professor of theology at Yale Divinity School, grew up in Croatia and lived through the bloodshed in that part of the world in the 1990s. In his book Exclusion and Embrace, he argues that one reason so many Westerners do not believe in judgment is that their lives are often too sheltered, too suburban, too quiet. For those who have lived through genocide, the idea of Judgment can bring deep comfort. The fact is, many things in this world are not just unfortunate, but truly evil. We are naive to think otherwise. And too much wickedness is never adequately dealt with.”
GOD’S JUDGMENT IS FAIR. Many people who don’t believe in God’s Judgment do believe in judgment ‘itself,’ and that it is down to us to implement it. Our social media feeds cry out with comments decrying injustice; often, the commenter also seems certain of exactly what needs to be done. Bloodshed erupts in the Middle East, and people who moments ago hadn’t even heard of the places in turmoil have no apparent doubt about who’s to blame and how to fix it … But we should be very hesitant to think we know how to fix the problems of the world. Paul’s language around the Future Judgment through Jesus shows us why: ‘He will judge the secrets of men’ (Romans 2:16). Without that capacity, we will never have full Justice. We can hide things from one another, even from our nearest and dearest, but we can hide nothing from Jesus. He sees the secrets of our hearts. He knows all our motivations, all our circumstances. His judgment — and only His Judgment — will be fair.”
GOD’S JUDGMENT SHOWS WE MATTER. “It is common to think that if God loves us, he won’t judge us; and if He judges us, He doesn’t love us. ‘But the opposite of love is not judgment, but indifference!’ [cf. Ellie Weisel, “Nobel Speech,” 1986]. When I was at university, a friend and I began to suspect a particular professor didn’t actually read our papers. They were often ungraded, with only vague comments and no evidence of the pages having been physically turned. … There were some papers I’d worked especially hard on — papers on topics I deeply cared about, and where I wanted to make sure my understanding was clear. And yet he’d never actually bothered to read them. Which told me I didn’t matter to him — or at least this part of my education didn’t matter to him. Not grading and assessing someone’s work is a sign you don’t care about them. ‘So, God’s judging us is a sign that we really do matter to Him.’ He is not indifferent to us. He cares how we live and what we do. His Judgment is a backhanded compliment: Our lives really are consequential.”
GOD’S JUDGMENT MAKES US LESS VIOLENT. “If God is Judgmental, we might think that gives us a personal license to be so as well. But Scripture shows us the exact opposite is the case: Because God will bring final, perfect Judgment at the End of Time, I can trust Him and not seek to enact my own form of justice now. If there is no Judgment to come, then all I have left is whatever I can come up with in this life. Wrongs will have to be avenged here and now. Paul writes, ‘Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord’ (Romans 12:19). Paul wouldn’t need to write this if the tendency toward vengeance was not so prevalent in the human heart. His words are emphatic: ‘Never avenge yourselves!’ This is not a recommendation or a rule of thumb that applies most of the time. It is a Categorical Command! However grievous the wrong, we are never to seek personal vengeance … But it is not just the love God has shown us, but also His Judgment to come, that restrains us from vengeance in the present. We are to ‘Leave it to the Wrath of God.’ He is the One who repays. He punishes sin and brings Judgment. He sees the whole situation; we don’t. He is perfectly just; we’re not. He is not vindictive; we are. We can trust Him to repay — and He will! And because He will, I can hold back my own desire for vengeance.”

DK NOTE: That being rightly said, JESUS INSTRUCTS: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24). Significantly, PAUL ADDS: “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?” (1 Corinthians 5:11-12).

JESUS DELIVERS US FROM JUDGMENT. “Perhaps the biggest way the Good News of the Gospel connects to the Judgment of God is this: ‘IN Christ, we have no need to fear it.’ As Paul writes to the believers in Thessalonica: ‘You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come’ (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). God will indeed judge the world. History will not lack a moral resolution. Perfect Justice will come. ‘But those “IN Christ” [who faithfully remain with Him to the end] do not need to fear it.’ The Wrath our own sins deserve has already fallen on Jesus. We have been justified through faith in Him. So, along with all Creation in Psalm 98, we will be able to celebrate when that Judgment finally comes.”

CODA. To show you another peek at why this old man seems to Love Judgment over the Hyper-Grace definition of “Mercy” that we are suffocated by in today’s American Church, there are TWO PERSONAL REASONS.

GOD LOVES JUSTICE! “For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off” (PSALM 37:28, KJV). So, what the heck, boys and girls, why would I not love His Justice if He loves it so much? NOTE: This also to mete out Recompense to the bad guys in Divine Protection of the humble, the oppressed, the faithful, and the poor. ‘It is the very Heart of Yah to so love such Fairness.’ Thus has the patent Absence of Teaching it resulted in the bad guys rising to the top and seducing the saints.

THE RETURN OF CHRIST! Beloved, I don’t know about y’all, but more than anything in the world, the entire universe, more than my own life: ‘I want Jesus to Return!’ Therefore, over the decades I have followed Him, I have fallen in love with ‘The Signs of His Coming.’ Without apology, these Last Days Events have piqued my obsession (yes, a ‘Magnificent Obsession’) with the whole notion of the Parousia of the Messiah.

THE COMMAND. “So be alert [give strict attention, be cautious and active in faith], for you do not know which day [whether near or far] your Lord is coming. But understand this: If the head of the house had known what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you [who follow Me] must also be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.” – JESUS OF NAZARETH, Matthew 24:42-44, Amplified

Though the American Pulpit abandon this absolute Command from the King, ‘I shall not, I tell you!’And neither should you, not even for one moment of careless slumber or carnal indulgence. So do I fully intend to ‘KEEP WATCH on that Wall, and to KEEP WARNING of His impending Rapture of the Remnant, and subsequent Judgment on all the rest.’

As a Teacher of the Law in these Last Times, how could I possibly do any other, beloved, if I love the King of Truth? SELAH.

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/wioBvvowqXM