One of the first things Moses does is to gather all Israel and begin to teach them everything God told him since Exod. 20:19. The Hebrews at this time, the time when Moses cam down from the mountain the 2nd time, knew none of all the things we've studied since the giving of the Ten Commandments. Moses starts with the law of the Sabbath (Shabbat in Hebrew). What we find is God talks about these commandments and says for those who love me as they keep my commandments. And one of them is the law of Shabbat. It probably is the most important of God's "feasts." But, this commandment along with the other nine are God's commandments. It is more impacting than when one reads it.
When did Jesus ever say He is God? He did many times in the New Testament. We missed it since few of our teachers today know Greek or Hebrew or realize Jesus spoke Hebrew. Few of our teachers today know how to take the English to the Greek and to the Hebrew. Few if any of our teachers have studied the Bible in its historical context or to understand the Jewish roots Old Testament of the New Testament. In this lesson we studied one of Jesus’ statements when He said …
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (Joh 14:15)
When He said this there was NO New Testament. All they had when He said this was the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament with the five foundational books being the Torah or Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. So, if you are a Jew in Jesus’ day and you hear these words you’ll know that the Hebrew word for commandments is MITZAVOT מצוות (H4687). The word to keep is SHAMAR שמר (H8104). The Jewish disciples of Jesus wee brought up on the Torah and knew the following …
“…but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep (SHAMAR שמר) My commandments (MITZAVOT מצוות).” (Exo 20:6)
“…but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep (SHAMAR שמר) My commandments (MITZAVOT מצוות).” (Deu 5:10)
God is using the words joining the idea of loving Him to keeping His commandments. Jesus is saying the same thing. Not in English but in Hebrew. So, what is Jesus saying to them in His day, the Jews brought up on Torah? Jesus is saying that He is God, the God of the Bible.
In a previous lesson we took a look at an alternative way of “looking” at the concept of what the church calls the TRINITY. The standard way we look at Jesus is one person of three persons. But, studying the Greek we find that an alternative viable “picture” of this concept. Here’s the link to that lesson - https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-qavkp-1b03249
We found in this lesson that Jesus is a “FACE” of God of God’s many faces. Check it out. It makes so much more sense that when Jesus says, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments,” that He is saying He is God, one of the faces of God.
In this lesson we also focused on the Lord’s Sabbath or SHABBAT in Hebrew. Few Christians ever study the history of how the Roman church changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Few Christians ever study the concept of the Sabbath. Below you’ll find two links. The first is to an excellent article that highlights the historical development of the change. It is a great article to start your further study of the most important of God’s feast that are actually in Hebrew called His “Appointed Times” or Moedim (מועדים). God has NO feasts. He has only appointed times that He commands.
Link to article - https://www.sabbathtruth.com/sabbath-history/how-the-sabbath-was-changed
The second link is to the “playlist” of a series of lessons I did on Shabbat for Christians. It starts out with lessons that are introduced by saying whether you do Shabbat as per the Bible or as per the Church, we need to study what is the Sabbath as per the very words of God. Also, inherent in the series is how does the Sabbath testify of Jesus. Jesus said that scripture testifies of Himself. So if the Shabbat is the most important of God’s APPOINTED TIMES we’d better understand how Shabbat testifies of Jesus. Here’s the link …
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvcIXun2BQDLshZetXi0avkG665YNcI5I
Finally, we come to Jesus’ words …
"A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. (Luk 6:40)
As we take the English to the Greek and the Greek to the Hebrew we find that Jesus was telling us about the relationship of a disciple (talmid) and His rabbi (ravee). The relationship is between a rabbi and his disciples is so misunderstood in the church that for the most part few churches today know how to “make disciples” as Jesus commanded and NOT converts.
DID JESUS EVER SPEAK OF THE RABBI DISCIPLE RELATIONSHIP? DID HE EVER TEACH US USING HIS CULTURE?
NOT IN ENGLISH!!
Jesus said, "A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. (Luk 6:40)
Pupil? Nope. The Greek word used here is μαθητής
mathētēs (Strongs number G3101) meaning a learner, disciple or a pupil. But, Jesus is speaking Hebrew and not Greek. What is the Hebrew word for disciple? It is Talmid (תַּלְמִיד) Strongs umber H8527 (pronounced talmeed). The plural form is Talmidim (תַּלְמִידִים) (pronounced talmideem).
Teacher? Nope. The Greek word used here is διδάσκαλος
Didaskalos (Strongs number G1320) meaning instructor, doctor, master, teacher. The Hebrew word in Jesus’ day that διδάσκαλος Didaskalos translates is RAV ( רַב )(Strongs number is H8227) meaning master. The Hebrew word RAVEE רבי meaning “my master.” So when Jesus is called “RABBI” in the Gospels in Hebrew He is being called RAVEE רבי or “my master.”
So, so far, Luke 6:40 can be read …
"A TALMID is not above his RAV but TALMIDIM, after they have been fully trained, will be like their RAV.” (Luk 6:40)
FULLY TRAINED – Nope. Better is “after he has been made καταρτίζω katartizō (Strongs number is G2675) meaning complete or perfect or finished). In Jesus’ day a TALMID of a RAV was finished when the RAV saw that his talmid was ready to go in the name of the RAV to teach the Bible just like the talmid’s master or his rav.
Now we read Luke 6:40 from the Hebrew …
"A TALMID is not above his RAV but TALMIDIM, after they have finished, will be like their RAV.” (Luk 6:40)
BE?? – Nope. The Greek word used here is ὡς hōs (Strongs; number 5613) meaning “exactly like.” It translates the Hebrew letter used as a prefix KEE כְּ meaning just like, identical, the same as, be like. So we finally come to the complete translation from the English to the Greek to the Hebrew of Luke 6:40.
"A TALMID is not above his RAV but TALMIDIM, after they have finished, will be EXACTLY LIKE their RAV.” (Luk 6:40)
The RAV and TALMID Relationship
To be a talmid was a highly esteemed honor. The relationship between a RAV (we’d say rabbi) and his talmidim went far beyond basic education:
Total Dedication: A talmid would often leave their former life, home, and family to follow their rabbi full-time.
Imitation: The primary goal of a disciple was not just to know what the rabbi knew, but to become exactly like the rabbi. This meant absorbing the rabbi's lifestyle, character, and interpretation of the scriptures.
Walking in the Dust: Ancient Jewish writings describe disciples following their teacher so closely that they became covered in the "dust of the rabbi's feet".
See this video Bible study from Light of Menorah ministries – Part 1 of what is a disciple - https://youtu.be/JZv2YhSoya8?si=_WidHCq2RTtDVl5R
Link to part 2 - https://youtu.be/m9pNgjAI18g?si=CThLTsg5uLD9gtId
Check out these links from Ray Vander Laan’s website entitled THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW …
https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/rabbi-and-talmidim
https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/preview/1539
https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/preview/1540
https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/preview/1540
https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/preview/1568
https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/preview/1557
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?
(Ferret - teaching somewhere in the Galilee)
What's his background? Why should I listen to him? Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0
