“His engraved precepts shall be on my tongue as long as I live,
as the fruit of praise and portion of my lips.
I will sing with knowledge;
all my music shall be for the glory of God.
The strings of my lyre sound for his holy order;
my lips play flute after his guiding line.”
—Community Rule, 1QS 10:8-18 (p. 8, bold mine)

When we consider the inter-testamental period, we might assume that God was silent and that Israel—God’s chosen people—were spiritually adrift. My Lips Play Flute for the Highest was written to dispel such notions. Author Torleif Elgvin asserts, “Jewish literature blossomed in this period,” and demonstrates repeatedly that there were Israelites who prayed for their nation, for Jerusalem, for redemption from their sins, and who faithfully awaited God’s intervention. Elgvin focuses on the liturgy and psalms discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls, offering often moving and sometimes revelatory insights. One may conclude, as I have, that Jesus’s arrival was not only “in the fullness of time” (Gal 4:4) but also an answer to the fervent prayers of a faithful remnant.

“Save me from the power of evil spirits, those who rule over the thoughts of men, so that they do not lead me away from you, my God! Strengthen me and my descendants through all times, so that we never go astray!”
—Jubilees 12:19-20

While Dr. Elgvin professes to be a Christian, this is an academic work designed to appeal to both the traditional Jewish community and Christians. He contrasts both perspectives, presenting them objectively and allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.

Spanning 225 pages, the prayers are followed by brief commentary and organized into sections:

• Hymns of Praise
• Prayers for Israel
• Prayers for Zion
• Psalms of Confidence
• Longing for God
• Revelation and Illumination to the Humble
• The Lord’s Anointed
• The End of Days and the World to Come

Images and maps enhance the overall presentation.

My Lips Play Flute for the Highest serves as an excellent reference book. Though millennia old, these prayers remain fresh and biblically consistent, making them suitable for congregational prayers or liturgical readings today.

Reviewed by Kevin Williams

Publisher’s page: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666770018/my-lips-play-flute-for-the-highest/

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an historic attack against the Jewish nation. It became a line in the sand. For some, it prompted support for the Palestinian Authority. For others, it inspired prayers to bless the children of Abraham and the State of Israel. The question, “Who holds the deed to the Holy Land?” played everywhere in the media and continues to weigh on the hearts and minds of justice-seeking people around the world.

Tim Mahoney

It also begins Tim Mahoney’s latest documentary, Patterns of Evidence: The Israel Dilemma – Ancient Prophecies.

In the spirit of full transparency, I have enthusiastically followed Tim Mahoney’s work since his 2015 release of Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus. I came to appreciate his thoughtful approach, captivating scenery, his willingness to hear and present opposing viewpoints, and ultimately, to share the logical conclusions of the evidence. I found those elements represented again in The Israel Dilemma.

A cast of historians, archeologists, politicians, and theologians examine God’s covenants as the “plot structure” to Israel’s biblical story. The Israel Dilemma – Ancient Prophecies quickly becomes less about who holds the deed and the remarkable, even miraculous way God spoke through Moses as a prophet and how the Almighty God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob keeps his promises.

While many of us are caught up watching the grand events: the blood red moons, the wars and rumors of wars, and the imminent sacrifice of the red heifers, The Israel Dilemma – Ancient Prophecies shares the testimonies of bullas, seemingly negligible clay seals no larger than your thumb, but which reveal significant—and who some might deem insignificant—characters of the Bible. But it is this minutia and the smallest of things which confirm how no one in Scripture, from the greatest to the least, is wasted in Yahweh’s economy.

Though we have the Bible as God’s authoritative Word, there are those in the secular world who do not recognize its credibility. Mahoney provides the evidence of its reliability not merely from internal scriptural sources, but unexpectedly from Israel’s ancient foes, with numerous archeological records that serve to reinforce the Bible, its Author, and His prophecies as trustworthy.

“We have an abundance of material which either directly or indirectly relates to the biblical evidence, no doubt,” remarks Gabriel Barkay, Director of the Temple Mount Sifting Project, Bar-Ilan University, one of the many experts Mahoney interviews in the documentary.

Patterns of Evidence: The Israel Dilemma – Ancient Prophecies is the first in a two-part docu-series, and is in cinemas nationwide for a limited release, November 13, 14, and 17, 2024. Grab a Bible skeptic or someone confused by current Middle-east events and go see this two-hour, eye-opening film. Purchase tickets now at iconicreleasing.com/events/the-israel-dilemma/tickets.

You may have plenty to talk about afterward.

Reviewed by Kevin Williams

Messianic teacher Kevin Williams invites us to look deeper at the countdown to Pentecost.

Of all 613 of God’s instructions in the Hebrew Scriptures, Leviticus 23:15 has got to be one of the easiest and least inconvenient. No work to perform, no offerings for the layperson. Just words.

“You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed” (Leviticus 23:15).

Memorial Tablet and Omer Calendar by Baruch Zvi Ring (1904).
Image: Wikimedia Commons

It’s referred to as “Counting the Omer.” Immediately following Passover, observers count off the 49 days leading to Shavuot/Pentecost. Day 1, day 2 … day 49, Pentecost. Takes less than a minute per day. Again, this has to be among the easiest of the Most High’s instructions.

So what? What’s the big deal, who cares, and what’s the spiritual benefit for a Christian?

Benefit v. obedience is a good topic for a separate article, but let’s see how we can polish this biblical gem.

“My word that goes out of my mouth: it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do” (Isaiah 55:11). For the Christian, that’s a healthy perspective, not just about Leviticus 23:15, but the entirety of the Bible.

Quick diversion to make a point. Jesus said, “Therefore, whoever shall break one of these least commandments and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven …” (Matthew 5:19). Counting the Omer is, as I mentioned, ridiculously easy to do—perhaps one of the “least commandments,” which ought to say something right there. But I digress, Jesus goes on to say, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

Adultery, a weightier commandment, yes? Under the terms of the Law of Moses, pretty simple—don’t sleep around. But the Messiah brings it closer to home and lifts it out of the physical to reinforce the Torah and highlight its spiritual application. Just looking with lust renders you guilty, a transgressor of God’s instructions.

Ah, not so simple after all. In fact, everyone is guilty of breaking God’s instructions under this perspective. The commandment has gone from an act and something you do or do not do in the physical world and has been amplified into a much deeper, more profound application with spiritual consequences. Boy, this commandment really drives home how badly we need a Savior (see Galatians 3:24)!

So back to Counting the Omer. It’s easy to do. Incorporate it into daily devotions or some such and check off the box. Done.

Yea … but no. That would fulfill the physical act, but still misses the spiritual application.

God’s Word does not return to Him void. And in Matthew 5, Jesus shows example after example that the Torah—God’s instructions—are not merely a list of exercises. They have a point and yield spiritual consequences.

So what spiritual applications are there, might there be around the exercise of counting off 49 days?

Wheat sheaves
Image: Trish Steel/Wikimedia Commons

God instructs us to count the days—which should end all debate. God said it, that settles it. But humans have a natural disposition to resist being told to do anything, even when the Sovereign Most High, King of the Universe says, “This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations” (Leviticus 23:21).

But sometimes our thinking is askew. Inside we want to know “What’s in it for me?” Spiritually, this is lustful thinking. Following God is never about what you get, but what glory God receives from you. It’s about surrender and abandon, not rewards and gratification.

Counting the Omer is a very simple means by which to demonstrate that God is in charge, not you, and that you are committed to living a faithful life. This glorifies Yahweh.

As long as it is approached as just a box to check off, there is little to no personal investment. To what does the Omer count? Pentecost (aka Shavuot), the birthday of the Church. They are 49 days of anticipation, looking forward to one of God’s moadim—appointed times that commemorates the giving of the Torah and the giving of the Holy Spirit—two monumental spiritual events! The days of Omer can be anticipatory, a daily escalation of joyful anticipation.

If God instructs us to count these days, and we do, we can rest assured that—as far as this activity is concerned—we are in harmony with God’s word and will, and that is no small matter. In a world driven to distract, staying the course can be an accomplishment in its own right.

Certainly, this is the least we can do for one of the least of the commandments. Can we give God our least? Is He worth at least that?

But we also have these emotional affections that can cloud our judgement. Such is the case with what we are witnessing in the Middle-east between Israel and Hamas. Since October 7, 2023, the world has watched in horror as people with very different worldviews swell a mounting death toll.

Lines are drawn, sides are taken, missiles launched, and passions fueled.

It can be no mistake that God is not yet done with the Jewish people. Their very existence, despite centuries of diaspora and persecution—only to miraculously return to their homeland after 2,000 years—is a shining example that God is alive, that he keeps his promises, that he is not yet done with the Jewish people, and that we are marching toward the soon return of our Messiah. Maranatha!

But what about the injustices we see daily? What about the Muslim Palestinians? What about the Christian Palestinians? What about? What about? These questions, normal as they are, point out the complexity of the political situation. They enrage and befuddle both the secular and spiritual mind.

However, focus on those questions alone and you may lose sight of being “transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

So, what is God’s will in all of this? Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:16 that “we have Christ’s mind.” The Holy Spirit, Jesus admonishes, will guide us to truth (John 16:13). Therefore, if we can set our human sensitivities aside, we can figure out what God desires.

As born again, Bible-believing, Spirit-led Christians, our cause in this crisis remains the same: preach—and live—the good news of the kingdom of heaven. You may not politically favor Israel or Hamas—do not let the political distract you from the missional. You are still called only to preach the good news. That is what God needs from his disciples in the midst of war.

Is this war prophetic? Maybe—don’t let that distract you. Are there injustices? Certainly—don’t let that distract you. Are there corrupt politicians? Always—don’t let that distract you. Might God’s purposes in all of this be thwarted? Only if you allow yourself to be distracted.

“For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).

Kevin Williams

Fires in Israel and the Gaza strip, October 7, 2023.
Image: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data, processed by Pierre Markuse \ Wikimedia Commons

New Testament readers are all too familiar with the concept of judiazers, those who attempt to force Christians into following the rituals and traditions of Jewish Orthodoxy. How surprising then, to find a title that attempts to judiaze Jesus, to focus on his doctrines through a traditional Jewish lens.

That is exactly what Judaizing Jesus does in one short but remarkable read.

First, it is important to note that the author and researcher, Juan Marcos Bejarano Gutierrez is a traditional rabbi and does not acknowledge Jesus as Messiah. To be clear, this is not a Christian book.

What Judaizing Jesus does is it provides you with a concise history of how Judaism has perceived Christianity – and to a lesser degree Jesus – throughout the ages. It brings to light Jewish thought about Gentiles as represented in the Talmud, then follows up with the changes that occurred during the Christian expansion in the Medieval, Renaissance, and the Modern eras.

Once Christianity became the state-recognized faith of Rome, relations between the church and Jewish communities became tense. But Rome went from a pagan empire—that is to say, a polytheistic culture—and transformed into a monotheistic one. The rabbis, particularly in Rome, took note and some came to see Christianity’s faith in a unified godhead as not exactly acceptable, but no longer pagan, either. This, of course, was a minority view.

Time passed and along came Islam, a second religion insisting on the unity of God. From the Jewish perspective, the world was becoming less pagan – more monotheistic – due to Christianity and Islam’s influence, meaning they could enter into business relationships with monotheists.

Still, this was a minority opinion, but a growing one, as Jewish communities in the European diaspora needed trade to survive, and other professions were often prohibited to them. Jewish tradition prohibits merchants from entering into business with pagans, so from a religious perspective, Christianizing the world had a positive impact on Jewish/Christian relations, at least where commerce was concerned.

But of spiritual relevance, the book is dotted with insights, such as this one from Rabbi Abraham Farissol of Ferrara, Italy (1451–1528). “Where Farissol departed from the standard Jewish response was his insistence that Jesus and his disciples of the first generation were devout followers of the Torah” (p. 76). Given the theological chasm that divided Christianity and Judaism, such a statement likely came as a surprise to both camps in the 15th and 16th Centuries.

He also notes that, “Astonishingly, Rabbi Farissol’s radical innovation was his willingness to posit the possibility that Jesus was, in fact, the messiah. He had undeniably come for the Gentiles” (p.79), and, “Let us concede that their messiah [Jesus] is indeed a messiah for them….” (p.80).

Gutierrez also quotes Rabbi Simeon ben Zemah (1361–1444) on Paul and Acts 28:17–18: “when one of the Apostles was brought to Rome, bound in chains, he called to the Jews who were there and said to them that he had not done anything against the Jews and that he did not differ at all with their ancestral custom. He also said that the Jews of Jerusalem had not found in him anything deserving of the death penalty. And had he differed with the Torah, he would have been deserving of the death penalty. And similarly, he wrote in one of his books that he believes in everything which is in the Torah” (p.79). Again, likely a surprise to both Christians and contemporary Jewish scholars.

A few pages later comes a remarkable admission from a rabbi that is not messianic, “It was not God who took on human form. Jesus was instead an emanation of God that became human” (p.86).

Gutierrez’s book is 60% content and 40% footnotes, so everything is meticulously sourced should you wish to do further research.

Judaizing Jesus shares the dark side of Christian behavior as well, but there are sufficient snippets of historical perspectives on Jesus and the Christian faith to make one pause and think, as any good book should.

Reviewed by Kevin Williams

Today, a gap is widening between believers in Yeshua (Jesus) who feel the Torah of the Lord has relevance, and those who feel it has been “fulfilled” and therefore laid aside by the Messiah. One of the proof texts used to defend the latter is Hebrews 8:13.

“When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete.
But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to
disappear” (NASB).

As we examine Hebrews 8—and more specifically the author’s intent behind “covenant”—we shall attempt to let the text interpret itself and avoid any potential traps that might get in our way.

Image: Mick Haupt

There is debate among those with lots of letters behind their names and years of study under their belts as to who authored the book of Hebrews. Some say it had to have been the apostle Paul while others argue that it was someone else. There are those who argue that it was penned by several writers.

On this I cannot answer and have no opinion. My concern is what happened to the Greek text when it was brought over into English and how subsequent generations have handled the Word.

In the verse quoted above, one would certainly get the impression that the “new covenant” is not only a better covenant, but that the former covenant is obsolete, growing old, and about to disappear. Reading the English, it would seem this point is quite evident.

But please notice that the word “covenant” is in italics. That is an academic convention wherein the translated text shows us that the word does not appear in the original Greek. That means the word “covenant”
is not in the original text but has been added at some latter point by English interpreters/translators.

This is true in the King James Version and many other English translations. While the NIV does not put the word in italics, it sets “covenant” apart in quotes.

The also occurs in verse 7:

“For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.”

Again, the impression we are given is that this earlier “covenant“ referred to is somehow inferior. Yet time and again the Bible refers to the Torah as “holy” (i.e. undefiled), perfect, true, and good—by the likes of King David and the apostle Paul! These positive and affirming adjectives come from any number of books of the Scripture and not from any one person’s opinion. Does this mean that the book of Hebrews is wrong? Or might this mean that the book of Hebrews is right and the other books of the Word are wrong?

May it never be. Rather it would seem that the English interpretations may be “polluted.”

Let us look at Hebrews chapter 8 anew, but this time omitting the word “covenant” where it does not actually appear in the text and see what we come up with.

Verse 1 tells us specifically what the subject matter is, “Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” [emphasis mine].

The main point, according to the author, according to the text, is the high priest. Not just any high priest mind you, but The High Priest, Yeshua the Messiah.

The subject at hand is not about any of the covenants, including the Torah, but the transformation of the priesthood from a Levitical priest to a unique priest from the tribe of Judah. How do we know this is the topic? The text confirms it.

Verses 2-4 discuss the role of this “more excellent” priest according to the greater function of the Messiah’s priesthood. His role is carried out in the heavenlies, where he sits at the right hand of the throne of Almighty God, a feat no Levite ever conceived, let alone achieved.

Verse 5 reinforces the words of Moses that all these images and rituals we see in the earthly priesthood and in the tabernacle were “shadows,” images of the genuine articles in heaven. Similarly, we too are images of our Creator. We are very real, we have genuine substance, but when all is said and done, we are the same type of shadow or image as the tabernacle and the Levitical priesthood. Our collective purpose? To bring glory to His name.

Let us not overlook the fact that the author uses the words of Moses to bring credibility to his argument. Would such an author use Moses only to later discredit his covenants, the very source material he is using to strengthen his instruction? That would be double-minded and ineffectual. In short, that would be bad hermeneutics.

Verse 6 tells what most of us already know: that the Messiah’s priesthood is more excellent and that he is mediator of a better covenant. Here the word “covenant” (diatheke) does appear in the Greek text. The author does not say the earlier priestly systems was “bad.” It served its godly purpose. As an image of the greater priest to come (Messiah) the Levitical priesthood had done all that it was established to do. Everything we need to know about the ministry and role of the Messiah as priest could be learned by studying the sons of Levi.

A modern example might be to consider a computer’s operating system. The early versions served their purpose. The newer operating systems are generally superior (at least after the bugs have been worked out) and few users would ever dream of using DOS again. DOS served its purpose, but by comparison to modern Windows® or MacOS systems, DOS is archaic. There was nothing wrong with what the earlier versions accomplished. They did exactly what they were designed to do. But most would agree that the current OS is superior in every way.

Which brings us back to verse 7, “For if that first had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.”

Keeping with the author’s main point—the priesthood—he is not talking about a faulty covenant, but a faulty priesthood. The people failed, not the covenant. Even the first high priest, Aaron, was imperfect (Numbers 12:1), speaking out against God’s anointed, Moses. This pattern of failure remained with the priesthood as long as the priesthood was held by fleshly man.

Certainly by the time we reach the period of the Messiah and the apostles, likely the era of the writing of the book of Hebrews, the office of the High Priest had become absolutely corrupt and Rome’s puppet. The biblical characters of Anna and Caiaphas had not come to their position by lineage. They had been appointed by Herod. Their history was one of corruption, even to the mock-trial and subsequent execution of the Messiah. Yet they were not an viable representation of the genuine Levite established by God. They were not even valid representatives of Israel or God’s Torah. They were not intermediaries, they were usurpers.

Yet the office of the High Priest could not be fulfilled perfectly through imperfect men. It required someone better, someone undefiled, someone directly accountable to the Father. It would require Yeshua the Messiah. The role of the priest would remain in tack just as God ordained.

Yet God is a God of covenants. Paul teaches that a newer covenant does not set aside a previous one (Galatians 3:17). In the covenant with Abraham, God promised him land, that kings would come from his descendants, that nations would be blessed because of him, that he would be God’s and God would be his. The sign of this covenant? Circumcision.

In the next covenant, the Mosaic or Sinaitic covenant, we find all these promises reconfirmed, with even more details on how to live our lives in the community of God’s redeemed. We read what God’s expectations are when it comes to holiness, and we learn how we are to deal with one another in community relationships. Yet the stipulations promise land, kings, blessings for the nations, that the people would be God’s and God would be known by them. The previous terms are not abrogated, they are reiterated. This covenant’s sign? The Sabbath.

In the Davidic covenant, we find the same parameters: land, kings, nations being blessed, he is God’s and God is his, though now augmented with the promised temple. Nothing has been abrogated, only reiterated and improved.

In the new covenant of Jeremiah 31, copied verbatim in Hebrews 8:8-12, we find the promises reiterated a fourth time! All the promises of the covenants are written on the hearts of those in this “new covenant.” In fact, it is rather clear that the Torah—the Mosaic covenant—is going to be in all our minds and hearts (a repeat of the promise in Deuteronomy 6:6) to such a degree that teachers will become unnecessary, “For all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest of them.” If anything, Hebrews 8:10 declares the Torah even more alive and more relevant for those participating in the new covenant.

How are these new covenant participants known? By the very signs of the covenants God has made with His people. They have circumcised hearts, they have entered into the Sabbath rest of the Messiah, and they have become the living temple, even to the point of being called “priests and royal” (1 Peter 2:9). The previous covenants are not abrogated, rather they have been augmented, bringing about further revelation of our Lord and Savior in us, His living and mobile temple.

By the time we get to verse 13, “When He said, ‘A new,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear” we must remember the author’s main point—the priesthood. Certainly if not at the time of the writing of the book of Hebrews, shortly thereafter, the temple would come to ruin and the Levites would be disbanded.

The author demonstrates that the new priesthood could only come through a “more excellent” priest—the Messiah. He is not saying that what he proclaimed as true in verses 8-12 in regard to the Torah is true and then turn around in verse 13 and say it is not true. Again, this would be poor hermeneutics.

Now let us roll back to chapter 7 for a moment. The author reminds us in verse 11 “Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron?”

The author explains that Yeshua’s priesthood was not of the order of Levi, according to the Torah, but according to the order of Melchizedek, also established in the Torah. Again, if we presume that the Torah is rendered obsolete, as is so commonly believed today, then the very Torah which establishes the order of Melchizedek is likewise rendered obsolete.

Rather, in the Torah we see elements of the order of Melchizedek which allow us to better understand Yeshua’s priesthood. Without the covenants, without the Hebrew Scriptures, we would be ignorant and lack full spiritual appreciation. The order of Melchizedek would be nonsense. The Torah therefore, is the foundation upon which our understanding and faith is built with Yeshua as its cornerstone.

Remove the foundation, and what do we know of any priesthood? Our only basis for comprehension would be the pagan cultures, and in the Bible we find time and again that God warns us NOT to be like the pagans in ritual or worship. The very purpose of the Levitical—and the Melchizedek—priesthood gave us a foundation and spiritual understanding divorced of pagan influence.

To have the Bible in English is a tremendous gift. A gift that many generations lived and died without. Yet not everything “inserted” as interpretive tools have done the text justice. Hebrews 8 is one example and has flavored the faithful for centuries. Inferring that the Torah is obsolete, when the text makes no such claim outside of the transition from a Levitical to Melchizedek priesthood, may have done great harm through the ages. It certainly causes rifts of misunderstanding between those believers who hold the Torah with high regard and those who do not.

Copyright © 2003 Kevin M. Williams. All rights reserved. This guest article was originally published with the title, “Hebrews 8—The Old Covenant.”

Tolkien: A Life of Love, Courage, and Fellowship

I was skeptical. I fully expected the film to about the inspiration behind The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and these were represented, but not the focus. If you are familiar with his works, then you will easily find glimpses here and there, but if you have never picked up a Tolkien title, the experience is still powerful.

I am no longer skeptical. The film is about the man, which includes his imagination, but centers on who J. R. R. Tolkien was, the friends that influenced his early years before WWI, his abiding love for Edith Bratt, and his passion for words: wonderful, meaningful, inspiring words. The sound of them, the depth of them, their story.

And there’s the rub. If you are fond of the English language, of literature, Tolkien the film will move you. And I am pleased to say, there are no verbal vulgarities (though some brief nude art appears).

Some that love his writings have written concerns about how Tolkien’s Catholic faith is not on display in the film. Colm Meaney plays Father Frances in the film, he was a man of considerable influence on Tolkien’s life and was his legal guardian after the death of his parents. There is no question that Tolkien’s faith was well established and vocalized in his latter years, he was even instrumental in helping C. S. Lewis come to faith. However, it may not have been as important when he was of college age and younger—the predominant period covered in the film.

If the film had any fault, the soundtrack was highly synthesized and ignorable.

The characters are believable with some fine teen actors as well as established thespians like Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, the previously mentioned Colm Meaney, and Sir Derek Jacobi. This is Disney’s first release of a Fox film since the merger, which is a tad ironic, as Tolkien allegedly despised Walt Disney’s butchery of classic literature.

To what degree the film is historically accurate, I do not know nor care. If you have considered going—go soon. It has limited cinematic release and won’t be in theaters for long.

Reviewed by Kevin Williams

Editor’s update: The DVD was released on August 6, 2019.

 Messianic teacher Kevin Williams offers a compelling reason to trust in God alone.

First, I must confess that I believed in God at a very young age. Only the Almighty knows who the two men were who visited my house those many years ago. I came home from the park one summer’s eve to find them talking with my mother about a personal savior who lived, died, and rose again to removed sins and let mankind enter into a personal and eternal relationship with Him.

Adults seem to have a difficult time admitting that they do things wrong—that they sin against their Creator. But an 8 or 9 year-old boy knows he does things wrong. He knows because he plots wrong things, because he willingly takes that “triple-dare,” because he often gets caught doing wrong, and because he is often told by his parents, teachers, and authority figures that his behavior is wrong. To a child, being wrong is a part of life.

To my young, unclogged mind, the idea of a God who would eliminate all the wrong things—all my sins—was very appealing. So I accepted what they had to say at face value. I didn’t understand all the implications to what I was agreeing to, nor would I for many years to come. But I knew deep down inside that it was the right thing to do and I have never regretted that night’s decision.

Many years have passed since that small boy, and I have a pre-school son of my own. Believe it or not, from time to time, I have to tell him in no uncertain terms that he does things that are wrong. One day, I hope and pray that he will place his trust in God’s Messiah as I have.

But I am no longer a boy. I no longer think like a lad (though I’m told I act like one on occasion). Many things through the years have challenged me and my faith. Sometimes, blind faith is enough. Other times, faith is the way-station that keeps us safe until introspection and revelation bring us to understanding.

So why do I believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? I could discuss many things: miracles witnessed, prayers answered, and unexplained healings. Not to mention the marvelous work called the Bible and the fact that it was written over a 4,000 year period by people from all variety of backgrounds and cultural experiences. Yet despite this, it has a continuity that mathematically defies the odds. All of those things are important to me, but the overriding incentive is the same reason I had when I was little boy: God is a God of promises.

I have no doubt that there are those who, even as they read this, say to themselves, “Yea? Well He never kept any promises to me!” I don’t know your circumstances and I cannot speak to them. What I can speak to are the promises of God to the Hebrew people—the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the great panorama of time.

A story of justice and judgment from the life of Jesus.

You can hear the same words every time you fly a commercial airline. “In the unlikely event the cabin should suddenly lose pressure … please fit the mask securely around your nose and mouth before assisting others.” Those little yellow cups attached to the clear plastic bags and tubes that magically drop from the ceiling are really life-preservers.

That warning goes out countless times every day to those traveling the skies. A little yellow mask might fall from the cabin roof. If it does, secure your own mask first before trying to help anyone else on with their mask. In short—if your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen and you pass out, you will have helped no one.

Image: Gus Ruballo

A spiritual message for our times?

Believers of every denominational background can be replete with opinions, advise, and “constructive criticism” for others—regularly forthcoming without prompting, feeling they have a divine duty to perform. Often it seems couched in righteous vocabulary like “sharing,” or “fellowshipping.” Yet in reality, perhaps it is trying to help someone else on with their oxygen mask, while suffering spiritual depletion themselves because they haven’t first checked their own spiritual condition.

Obviously, if we see sin “in the camp” we have a biblical obligation to see that it is addressed. This is not a point that should be open for debate. There are clear Scriptural principles and procedures to follow all designed to help bring someone who has fallen “off the path,” back into a proper, godly relationship.

Image: David Monniaux

But what happens when we attack the problem when our spiritual oxygen masks are out of alignment?

And the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” And they were saying this, testing Him, in order that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:3-7, NASB).

What Yeshua (Jesus) may have been saying to the mob was, “You’re all suffering spiritual depletion in your brains. Let me help you with your life-preserving, spiritual oxygen mask.”

There was a problem. A woman had allegedly (and it has never been demonstrated to be more than an allegation) been caught in adultery. Capital punishment was the appropriate spiritual response—the Bible says so. Being upright, spiritual men, they invoked the Holy Writ—”the Law Moses commanded.” It certainly seemed like they had their oxygen masks in place.

In Jesus day, did the rabbis think God was done with miracles?

In the commentary to Deuteronomy (The Stone Edition, Artscroll Mesorah Series, 1995) reads, “Once [Israel] crossed the Jordan, the people would no longer see God’s constant Presence and daily miracles, as they had in the Wilderness.”

Apparently Christians were not the first cessationists. So imagine, when Yeshua and the disciples began exhibiting miracles, the cessationists of the day must have had a fit, “No, those miracles were how God used to work, but they are no longer used today.”

Cessationists believe (according to Wikipedia) that miracles had these purposes:

1. They provided supernatural confirmation of the apostolic authority of the early church;
2. They helped lay the foundation for the church; and
3. They gave divine guidance to early believers while the New Testament was not yet complete.

“The Children of Israel Crossing the Jordan” by Gustave Doré (1832–1883).
Image: Wikimedia Commons.

Substitute “church” and “New Testament” with “Israel” and “Tanakh” and I think you have pretty well summed up the rabbinical commentators position.

Solomon was right, “That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NASB).

This brief study of miracles has opened my mind to new possibilities regarding Yeshua’s work among the religious orthodoxy.

Kevin Williams