2018-06-22
Good Morning Dear Ones,
I’m commanded to continue writing about the roots of baptism in ancient Judaism. Recall that tevilah [pronounced the-vee-lah] is immersion in water to become ritually purified (clean, cleansed). The mikveh [pronounced mick-veh] is the place where this is done, normally a tub with at least 200 gallons of water in it. Chukim [pronounced hoo-keem] are laws obeyed simply by faith, because they were given by God. The change in status from ritually unclean, tomeh [pronounced toe-meh], to ritually clean, tahor [pronounced tah-ore], takes place when one bathes in the mikveh. When the archeological excavations took place around the temple mount, numerous mikva’ot [pleural of mikveh, pronounced mik-vah-oat] were found around the edge and near the entrances to the temple.
The Greek word, baptizo, means to dip or immerse. It is the origin of the English word, baptize. You’ll remember that this is mentioned in MK 1: 9-11, when Yeshua [Jesus-pronounced yeh-shoe-ah] was baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan. First, He undergoes His tevilah, (water baptism), and then, He receives baptism by the Ruach HaKodesh [pronounced ru-ach hah-ko-desh] -the Holy Spirit, Who came down on Him like a dove. This is a clear consummation of the prophecy made in IS 64: 1, “Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down!..” For believers in Christ, this is a clear identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua. It changes one’s status in that when we are baptized, we are adopted into the family of God, the public statement of an inward reality.
It must be understood that each member of the Trinity has numerous names in the Scriptures; these are names which describe His attributes or deeds. Some common Hebrew names for God are Adonai, meaning Lord, or Jehovah, meaning the Self-Existent One, or Yahweh, meaning I Am. When we are baptized, we agree to the new covenant, the Covenant of Grace. Jehovah directs Yeshua to send us the Ruach HaKodesh, so that we can fully understand God’s commands and His will for us. We also agree to obey the command given in MT 28: 19-20, concerning reaching out to others with the Gospel. There have been squabbles between denominations in Christianity concerning whether total immersion is necessary. Many Protestants simply dip a shell in water and pour it over a baby’s head or sprinkle the water on a person. Others insist on total immersion. Since teaching denominational theology is not what I choose to do, I’ll leave that one up to you, Dear Readers.
The Scriptures, for example LV 16: 28, 32, give the most exacting account of the rituals that must be followed by the Jewish high priest (Aaron, in this case). Also, the man who leads the Azazel [the scapegoat-pronounced As-as-zel] out into the wilderness must wash his clothing before he can return, ritually clean, back to the camp. The Jewish bride, in ancient times or in modern Orthodoxy, must visit the community mikveh before the wedding. This act represents the separation from her old life in her parents’ home and her new life with her husband, establishing a home of their own. She was under her father’s authority, and now she is under the authority of her husband. For modern day marriage, one should review EPH 5: 21-25 for an accurate understanding of what this means. Paul wrote, in 2 COR 11: 2, “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Messiah.” This citation is Paul’s way of expressing his concern that newcomers in the faith should not be swept away by the many false prophets that compete with Yeshua’s truth.
When someone who was raised traditionally Jewish accepts Yeshua, as his personal Savior, he does not stop being Jewish. I make this point because of having been accused of this by a traditionally Jewish person. (This person doesn’t accept that Messianic Judaism is real, nor does he know the Scriptures). RO 8: 38-39 makes the point that a believer cannot be separated from the love of God. There has been plenty of prejudice and anti-Semitism in this world without adding more fuel to that fire. The only real difference after the baptism of a Jew is that person subscribes to the Covenant of Grace, rather than that of the Law. Legalism often is a culprit in prejudicial words, thoughts, and actions. A Messianic Jew is a Jew through and through, just as he has always been. There has been a “circumcision of the heart, not by human hands,” which Jehovah always intended. For a better understanding of this concept, please consult DT 30: 6; RO 2: 28-30; RO 3: 30; RO 7: 6; EPH 2: 8-10.
PRAYER: O Lord, where baptism is concerned, we must understand that while it doesn’t bring our salvation, eternal forgiveness, or justification as Christ alone does, it is an outward sign of an inward transformation. RO 12: 2, “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind.” Words alone won’t show how fundamental to Your work in us this verse of command is. It takes continuing obedient action to do that. It is the most descriptive verse on what happens when a person decides to become a believer in Christ. It also expresses continuing action that should become a leading feature of one’s life (both earthly and heavenly). Your will is that we should not be legalistic in our obedience, but instead be led by the Holy Spirit [RO 7: 6]. Our relationship with the Lord Jesus is to be one of reverence, obedience, honor, willingness to count blessings and to offer praise and thanks. We do that now and acknowledge that all the good in our lives comes from You. We say these things in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m led to continue writing about supporting scriptures to the principles espoused in the book of Colossians. Looking into the Jewish roots of baptism has been interesting. It helps to reveal the truth of the consistency of God’s teaching in both the OT and NT. We can see clearly that many ideals and concepts established in the OT are made clearer with more details in the NT. The supernatural nature of the Scriptures is something I’ve mentioned often. It not only captures our interest, but it is one of the ways we have direct contact with God. The more one reads, the more one wants to read and understand. No other book is so worth our time and energy. Is it any wonder that the Bible is the best- selling book of all time? We should pray for those brave missionaries who live their lives in foreign lands and accept our responsibility to translate the Scriptures into the languages that enable non-believers to read and understand it. The pass on the living message of the Gospel in a real and genuine way. Some of them even reside in places where they are not entirely welcome. A dear friend and mentor in my life was “repositioned” or “promoted” to heaven last week. He and his wife spent their whole adult lives living in Asia and later in Africa translating the Scriptures and reaching out to the communities where they were sent. Later, he returned home to the States and served as a professor, training young people to be missionaries. I will miss him, but I believe I will see him again in heaven someday. God is so pleased when we use the talents He gave us, as this man did, to do His work. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2018. All Rights Reserved.
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