An Exercise in Frustration

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Robert Sievers

I have always wondered why there is so much vitriol and harassment of the Jewish people, most recently by some in the Islamic community. [i] The current tensions in the Middle East are nothing new. Now this blog isn’t about politics, but about theology. So when the conflicts between Israel and her surrounding neighbors is analyzed, I recognize it is a multi-faceted problem, and one that is worthy of thoughtful discussions elsewhere. I know that there are political reasons. I know that there are social reasons. I know there are religious differences that add fuel to the fire. So from a pragmatic standpoint, there is no question that peace between the Islamic community and Israel has been more than elusive, indeed the problem has been intractable. Yet this isn’t really a surprise to those of us who minor in Biblical prophecy (Zechariah 12:3).

As a Christian, I read all about God’s special role for the Jewish nation, both in how they were blessed, and thus entrusted to bring God’s message to the world in the Old Testament (Psalm 67:1-2), how the Messiah would come through the lineage of David (Jeremiah 23:5-6), and how they will hold a prominent role in end time events (Zechariah 13:9).

I take God’s word very seriously. Perhaps one of the most critical passages regarding how we should treat our Jewish friends is found in Genesis 12:2-3. As we go about life, we have two choices. We can choose to bless Israel, and subsequently receive God’s blessing. Alternatively, we can choose to curse Israel, and subsequently receive God’s curse. It seems very straightforward to me. I want God’s blessing, and I would hope everyone else does as well.

And yet there have been attempts in the past to entirely wipe out the Jewish people. I cannot even comprehend the horror or magnitude of the Holocaust. I just can’t. Spending a day at the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. was as much as I could emotionally handle. It’s nearly impossible to understand why any person or group of people would engage in such an unspeakable evil. Yet while other attempts of genocide have had various degrees of success, this one was doomed before it began. God promised that no such attack on Israel would ever be successful, no matter how systematic or brutal. In the book of Jeremiah, chapter 31, God gives this promise regarding Israel.

35 Thus says the LORD,
Who gives the sun for light by day
And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar;
The LORD of hosts is His name:
36 “If this fixed order departs
From before Me,” declares the LORD,
“Then the offspring of Israel also will cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”

Here we see that trying to dismantle the Jewish nation is no more possible than trying to make the sun stop shining. Even during Israel’s time of unfaithfulness to God, these promises stand (Amos 9:8). Many other verses speak in such terms, such as Isaiah 54:10. As Christians, we know these promises of God are true, and the last thing we would ever want for anyone is to see them fighting against God by attempting to undermine His promises.

Any religion which has the tendency to denigrate or even hate the Jewish nation and then act upon that is doomed to endless frustration. What could possibly be more exasperating than having a religious directive to accomplish the unaccomplishable? It’s an exercise in futility. Yet one of the teachings of Islam is that eventually the entire Jewish nation will disappear.

When Hadhrat Isa (A) comes down, leading Muslims to fight against him, he will flee, and will be killed near the entrance of the present day Lod. The Jews will be killed, and Judaism will perish at the hands of the true Messiah. [ii]

The Muslims are given this promise which is exactly antithetical to God’s promise! Instead of the Jewish nation existing forever, Muslims are told Judaism will someday perish. Exact opposites. Followers of Islam are given a goal that can never be reached. God is constantly nullifying their plans and thwarting their intentions (Psalm 33:11). Who might be sadistically watching the Islamic nations repeatedly attempting to achieve the impossible by aiming for the destruction of the Jews? This is the mark for which Muslims must strive, but it can never be attained. Is it any wonder that we see exasperation and frustration from Muslim countries regarding the state of Israel?

I leave it as an exercise for the reader to figure out why such reversals exist, and where they might originate.


[i] For those who disagree that Jews have not, and are not currently threatened, there isn’t time to argue the point here. Given past pogroms over the centuries by multiple nations, the holocaust, and recent threats to Israel by Muslim leaders, I would simply invite dissenting opinions to post comments to this article.

[ii] http://www.al-islam.org/day-of-judgement-sayyid-akhtar-rizvi/4.htm

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A Prophet Like Moses – Part II

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Robert Sievers

In a previous article, we looked at the Muslim claim that Muhammad was the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:18. While that article dealt with the immediate issue of the context of the passage and its immediate ramifications in relation to Muhammad, there is much more hidden within this verse. The stage is now set to examine in more detail what God meant when He said He would send a prophet like Moses. Was Moses symbolic of the Christ to come in some way, in many ways, or does he correspond to Christ in a more theologically tangible manner? What about the Muslim claim that it was Muhammad that fit the model of a prophet like Moses?

In the art of Biblical interpretation, one common error is to draw too much meaning out of corresponding passages which narrate Old and New Testament events. For example, both Jesus and Abraham visited the town of Shechem, so can we as Biblical interpreters draw conclusions from this? Of course we cannot. Both Muhammad and Moses have names starting with the letter “M”, but what ramification does this have? Rather than create a litany of commonalities that contain little to no theological significance, only actions that have remarkable allegorical or symbolic meaning should be considered.

If we consider the most substantial connection between Moses and Muhammad, it would be the fact they each brought a systematic set of laws for the respective religious adherents to follow. This assertion has more credibility given the rarity of new ethical constructs put forward by someone claiming to speak for God. While both Muhammad and Moses did this, so too Jesus also brought a new law. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, He says “You have heard that it was said….but I say to you.” (Matthew 5:27-28) Therefore, it is within this context that the deeper examination of Moses and Jesus must occur.

In order to compare Moses to Jesus or Muhammad, let’s consider the manner in which the laws of God were ratified. It was done so via a blood covenant. Laying out a clearly prescribed set of laws was different than other gods of neighboring territories, whose intentions and expectation were unknown. The covenant that God gave to Israel was more than a well-defined list of religious and civil statutes and ordinances to uphold. Contractually, following of these statutes insured blessings for Israel, while disobedience would lead to consequences. In that most basic sense, the law of Deuteronomy is similar to that law found in the Qur’an.

However, It is the ratification of this covenant that is of primary interest for the purposes of this writing. In Exodus 24, Moses instructed for some bulls to be sacrificed as burnt offerings and then the narrative continues:

8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

The covenant was ratified by shedding of blood. Scripture pointed to a new covenant in the future (Jeremiah 31:31-37), but successive generations reconfirmed the covenant that was already in place. When Jesus came on the scene, he informed His disciples that he was the one who would be establishing a new covenant. The confirmation of that covenant was again done by blood, this time His own. During the last supper, Jesus said in Matthew 26:28,

for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

In this verse, Jesus makes it known that He is establishing a new covenant, sealed with blood, just as Moses had done. By these words, He was “declaring that the covenant of Sinai now passes away in being fulfilled.” [i] Never before had a prophet been so brazen to introduce a new covenant sealed in blood. Only the coming Messiah, God Himself, could do so.

This idea of the blood covenant is so important that Christians, no matter what denomination, celebrate this new covenant when we take communion. It is one of the few religious traditions that can be found regardless of any doctrinal differences. Some churches feel communion is so important, it should be done every week. Other denominations feel communion is so precious and so serious, that months of preparation lead to a once per year Passover communion. Regardless of the method of delivery, or the frequency of occurrence, every church the world over takes time to solemnly remember this important truth; that Jesus was responsible for the new covenant sealed in blood.

So in what way did Muhammad bring a blood covenant? There is certainly nothing that I know of within Islam. So while it is true that Muhammad may have had some random commonalties with Moses, in religious traditions of gravity and consequence, Jesus stands uniquely as “the prophet like Moses.”

[i] Hebert, Gabriel. When Israel Came Out of Egypt. Naperville, IL: SCM Book Club, 1961.

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The Punishment for Adultery

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Robert Sievers

I used to have many intense conversations with a good friend who held positions, both politically and religiously, which were diametrically opposite to my own. This friend considers himself a Christian, so during our discussions I would often quote Scripture in an effort to find points of commonality. However, such attempts were unsuccessful. He would dismiss the use of Scripture by quoting some passage out of Leviticus, noting how ridiculous it was for our current culture. By doing so, his intention was to undermine reliance on Scripture as timelessly authentic truth.

Let’s be honest. There are some passages in the law that do cause us to wonder. Does God really tell us In Leviticus 20:10 to stone adulterers? Given the vast array of Scripture, it is sad that sometimes these are the only verses atheists have memorized. Yet, the thoughtful Christian can take such verses and use them to discuss the difference between law and grace, the need for the law, and the gift of grace offered by Christ.

These are tough discussions to have, but they aptly show God’s redemptive plan. The law was put in place to maintain the identity of the Jewish nation (Leviticus 20:26), but ultimately salvation still came through faith and not by works (Romans 4:13). It was there to convict us of sin (Romans 4:15). The law showed us our need for a Savior (Galatians 3:24). It was there so that Jesus would have a context to step into and lead the type of obedient life that no one else could, making Him the perfect sacrifice (2 Corinthians 5:21). To try and sum up the entirety of what Jesus did with respect to the law in one sentence, the law had its place, but Jesus brought a new and better covenant (Luke 22:20).

This new and better covenant resulted in Jesus proclaiming forgiveness of sin. God’s just nature was still intact, but His grace was now more fully manifested in a very real and profound way. One place where we can see God’s justness and His mercy collide in full force is in the story of the woman caught in adultery from the eighth chapter of John.

3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 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.”

It’s a devious trap that the Pharisees laid for Jesus. All grace and no law means that we could do whatever we want with no repercussions. All law and no grace means death by stoning. Somewhere in-between the two lies obedience to Christ and forgiveness when we fail. We still deserve death for disobedience to the law. However, God’s mercy is also at work and allows us the opportunity for forgiveness. So how does this attitude regarding the confluence of law and grace compare to Islam? What is the penalty for adultery in Islam? You guessed it, it is death by stoning. Rather than build on the new covenant brought by Christ, or even just maintaining it, Islam regresses to the Old Testament law. Islam reverts to a strict punishment system for such crimes. As always, rather than taking my word for it, the following Hadith shows Muhammad’s own actions.

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar : The Jew brought to the Prophet a man and a woman from amongst them who have committed (adultery) illegal sexual intercourse. He ordered both of them to be stoned (to death), near the place of offering the funeral prayers beside the mosque.” [i]

In Christianity, the law is there to convict us sin (Romans 7:7), but forgiveness is available to everyone. In Islam, the law is there for civil punishment of wrongdoers. The Islamic law exists outside the realm of grace and mercy.

To be fair, some Muslims will protest that the penalty for adultery as prescribed by Islam is not stoning, but rather one-hundred lashes. Their claim is that those Muslims who execute sentences of stoning are not following true Islam. This assertion deserves its own full article, which will follow soon.

[i] http://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=23&translator=1&start=0&number=413#413

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