2018-06-08
Good Morning Dear Ones,
As promised last week, I will obey the Holy Spirit and continue writing about the ancient Jewish roots of baptism by water immersion. In the Tanakh (pronounced tan-ach with a guttural ch, OT in Hebrew). Priests (Levites) serving God in the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, that movable place of worship, were required to be immersed in water to achieve ritual cleanliness [EX 29:1, 4]. It was a spiritual cleansing, indicating a change in status as well as a separation unto the Lord-an outward act indicating an inward change. The priests were called the kohanim [co-hah-neem]. On Yom Kippur [Day of Atonement], the holiest day of the Jewish year, the Kohan Gidol [co-hahn gee-dole, or High Priest] who would enter the Holy of Holies (most sacred place where the Lord dwelt) had to wash multiple times. On that day, he would atone for the sins of Israel.
The OT contains many laws which describe ritual cleanliness or uncleanliness, which were known as the Chukim (pronounced choo-keem with a guttural ch). God never gave reasons for these laws but expected them to be followed on faith simply because they were given by Him. One example is the commandment concerning contact with a dead body in NU 19: 13. “One who touches a corpse is ritually unclean; he must purify himself by water immersion, or he will defile the Tabernacle and no longer be considered one of God’s people.” Instructions continue in this chapter, culminating with total immersion in verse 19. Another example is a person who becomes ritually unclean, because he has a sore from Leprosy (today called Hanson’s Disease) or contact with the blood of a person who has this highly contagious disease [LV 15: 19-33]. Cleansing is the only way to become ritually clean in this situation.
Immersion in Judaism can be summed up in three concepts: purification, separation, and both physical and spiritual change. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan in Waters of Eden comments on immersion-- “The water is not washing away any filth. Rather, the mikveh [mik-veh or bathing place] is changing the individual from ritually unclean [tomeh (toe-meh)] to ritually clean [tahor (tah-or)].” While today’s Jews don’t do missionary outreaches, occasionally one of another faith will convert to Judaism. Rabbi Kaplan mentions a Talmudic teaching that a convert to the faith is like a newborn; he must emerge from water very much like a process of rebirth. This brings to mind the story of Nicodemus’ meeting at night with Jesus, in JN 3: 5 where Christ [Yeshua, pronounced Yeh-shoo-ah] comments, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.”
Tevilah is the act of immersion, while mikveh is the location where it takes place. In the course of archeological digs in more recent years around the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, large mikva’ot [pleural word for the singular mikveh, pronounced mikva-ot] have been uncovered around the entrance to the outer courtyard, where the Jewish faithful would enter to bring their sacrifices. The would bathe first in the mikva’ot to be made ritually clean before entering the temple area. In describing the Creation, in GN 1: 10b, the Lord says, “…to the gathering (mikveh) of waters, He named it seas.” Mikveh literally means a collection or gathering together/pool of water for ritual cleansing. The construction of mikva’ot actually takes precedence over that of a synagogue; that’s how important they were. The one by the south steps of the Jerusalem temple is so impressive that it’s no surprise that 3000 people could be immersed on Shavuot [pronounced shah-voo-ot, meaning the Jewish commemoration of the giving of the Law, or in Christianity, Pentecost (commemorating the giving of the Holy Spirit, in AC 2: 1-4)]. Shavuot is found in EX 24: 7-11, EX 34: 1, 8. We should note that 3000 people were lost as God’s response to the golden calf incident [EX 32: 28] and 3000 were added in the baptisms after Peter’s Pentecost speech [AC 2: 41]. In today’s Orthodox practices, women must go to a mikveh monthly after their menstrual flow has stopped and before marriage. A mikveh must have about 200 gallons of water, be the ocean, or preferably, a stream of flowing water (considered “living water”).
PRAYER: O Lord Yeshua, we come to You to be made alive in Christ, to know close fellowship with You, and to obey You. This is just as the Samaritan women approached You at the well. She asked for a drink, in JN 4: 7-10, and in JN 4: 13-14, You were loving enough to offer her “living water,” explaining what it is. She expressed her faith that the Messiah will come, and in JN 4: 25-26, You were kind enough to identify Who You are. We approach You with freedom and confidence [EPH 3: 12], knowing that we share a purpose for our lives with you [JN 4: 34 …to obey the will of the One Who sent me and to finish the work He gave me to do”]. While Christ’s work was to give His life on the cross, so that we can be saved, our work, which is less important, is still necessary for us to do. Part of our work is to spread the Gospel to those who will listen. The rest is to use the talents You gave us to do the Father’s work. You are the Lord, the One Who has conveyed the Lord’s teaching, so that we can know what pleases Him and what doesn’t. Your wisdom is far greater than ours, and we must learn and obey Your commands. Several times a year, Israelites not from Jerusalem travelled there to commemorate the most important festivals on the Jewish calendar. One of these was Sukkot, the festival of the shelters (or the harvest). You knew the Pharisees wanted to arrest You, but, in JN 7: 37, boldly invited “…Whoever is thirsty should come to Me, [LV 23: 36] and, in JN 7: 38, whoever believes in Me should drink [EZK 47: 1; ZECH 14:8] says, “Streams of life-giving water will pour out from His side.” This prophecy was made before Your crucifixion and Pentecost happened. Dearest Lord, we thank and praise You for giving us life and living water to purify us, in Your holy/mighty name. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: There is more to be written about how baptism has its roots in ancient Judaism. So, that subject continued will be next week’s topic. As a child attending the synagogue (shul, pronounced shoo-ul), I had little idea of the richness of my Jewish culture, beliefs, and practices. It wasn’t until I realized that traditional Judaism alone wasn’t nourishing my spirit, that I plunged into a deep study of both the OT and NT. When these books of the Scriptures were put together, the situation changed for me. I made the decision to accept Yeshua, as my personal Lord and Savior. The Lord God spoke to me, loudly and clearly, that it was time for me to become a true believer in Messianic Judaism. No longer was I alone and afraid, my life disorganized, and angry. Piece by piece, Yeshua made it clear to me that I should spend my life in ministry, serving others while serving God. The very word, minister, means servant. I’m humbled to recognize His power, wisdom, and presence in my life. He is teaching me what being happy really means. I love Him for that and will as long as my days last. Praise and thanks be to God!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2018. All Rights Reserved.
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