A Hebrew Mind in a Western World Pastor Art Palecek

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1 July 11 th, 2011 A Hebrew Mind in a Western World Pastor Art Palecek Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country Genesis 12:4 So Abram departed Genesis 12:6 And Abram passed through the land Genesis 12:9 And Abram journeyed Joshua 2:10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt Joshua 2:11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. God s command when they came out: Exodus 23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. Leviticus 26:1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. 1Kings 14:15 For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger. 1Kings 14:22 And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. With this knowledge of his brethren, the Children of Israel, Rabbi Shaul crossed over to the Western world and encountered the same issues Acts 17:14 The brothers then sent off Paul at once on his way to the sea, while Silas and Timotheus remained where they were. 15 Paul's escort brought him as far as Athens and left with instructions that Silas and Timotheus were to join him as soon as possible. Moffats Your Notes Deuteronomy 29:17 And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:) Deuteronomy 12:3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. Judges 17:5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Yeshua our Corner stone 1 P a g e

2 Acts 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Petronius, (awriter in those days said) it was easier there to meet a god than a man There were more statues in Athens than in all of Greece. Three estates in Athens: Areopagus or Mars Hill The Council of the Six hundred The People 17 Therefore disputed (dialegomai )he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. It was the Stoics & Epicureans that Paul encountered The Stoics condemned the worship of images and use of temples-ornaments of art.-but justified polytheism God was the Reason of the Universe-didn t create, but only organized The Epicureans were Atheists. -were materialists-the world accidently formed-a great accident-not by God-believed in gods-phantoms No creator-no moral governor -both body and soul at death dissolved-life ended. 1Corinthians 15:32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die. Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious ( religious). 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Paul quotes from a Greek poet, Aratus- who was schooled in Stoic philosophy Let us begin with Zeus, whom we mortals never leave unspoken. For every street, every market-place is full of Zeus. Even the sea and the harbour are full of this deity. Everywhere everyone is indebted to Zeus. For we are indeed his offspring... (Phaenomena 1-5). Your Notes Paul s clash in the Painted Porch was Pleasure & Pride. Acts 17:18 Some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers met him. And some said, "What would this babbler say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities (Daimonion)" --because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. 1Corintinians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: Acts 17:19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? Yeshua our Corner stone 2 P a g e

3 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Paul s speech here is interrupted The doctrine of the resurrection to these groups is ridiculous Acts 17:32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. Here Paul needed common ground with the hearers as a speaker from the Torah to prove the Mashciach but could not find the common ground on Mars Hill 34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. 1Thessalonians 3:1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; Though Paul thought he could deal with the inconvenience of sending Timothy away to Thessalonica. Acts 17:33 So Paul departed from among them. The Hebrew mindset is much more expansive than the Greek mindset in not trying to confine God to human definitions and descriptions, but pursuing Him and His character...to the fullest...instead of spending time passively trying to define Him. In the pursuit and journey comes the understanding and the relationship with the Father. Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Romans 7:12 So the Law at any rate is holy, the command is holy, just, and for our good. Romans 7:13 Then did what was meant for my good prove fatal to me? Never! It was sin; sin resulted in death for me by making use of this good thing. This was how sin was to be revealed in its true nature; it was to use the command to become sinful in the extreme. Mark 7:1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Your Notes Truth is not an idea to be contemplated like the Greeks but an experience to be lived and a deed to be done. The Hebrew mindset was one that viewed life as a journey. Enoch & Noah walked with God They were at God s disposal and walked in relationship with Him. Adam and Eve were created with the ability to make a moral choice. But if there are no moral choices to make, the will is imoperable. God s laws and commandments provide for moral choices Yeshua our Corner stone 3 P a g e

4 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Your Notes This was quoted from Isaiah 29:13 & Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Quoted in: 1Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Paul continues in his journey: Acts 18:1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; Acts 18:4 And he reasoned (dialegomai) in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. Yeshua our Corner stone 4 P a g e

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