Real Hebrew Roots. - Comments (0)

Category: Articles
Author: John Malone
Date: 13th February, 2014 @ 03:42:07 PM

A modern-day repackaging of an old-time religion may be found in the “Hebrew Roots” movement, which teaches that Christians need to obey the Levitical laws and sanctions generally agreed to be 613 laws, customs, and so forth derived from the first five books of Scripture.

This “movement” is misnamed. Of course, the errors it propounds are nothing new, and are prominently figured into Paul’s rather seething commentary on such ideas in his epistle to the Galatians. Most people either gloss Galatians when they read it, or mistake its major premise by focusing on a minor one, and/or reading too many commentaries. To aid the reader, the central consideration is not initial salvation from sin unto the gift of eternal life, but {progressive sanctification in the life.|Gal 3:3}

The Hebrew Roots movement is truly against Christian practice and faith, despite being occupied as it is by Christians. There are very clear Scriptural warnings to NOT do the very thing this movement represents. It steals the liberty into which every Christian has been placed. We should, rather, {stand fast in that liberty.|Gal 5:1}

Once again we learn the difference between being sanctified – which every single believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is – and being able to sanctify: which no Christian can do.

How many times do you hear, in a discussion of an unbiblical practice or doctrine, how many Christians, including Christians of some note, either do the practice or believe and or teach the doctrine? As if that can possibly settle a matter? All of this leads to confusion in the mind of the beholder, the very beholder we are trying to reach with the truth of God’s word. When Peter violated the principles of the early church, his acts were not sanctified, but {Paul put him in his place.|Gal 2:11-12}

A paradox, you may say? Sure it is. But of all people to understand the paradoxes of those who are identifiable by faith and practice, Jewish people should understand that a variety of practices and beliefs doesn’t completely obscure the identity underneath. In short, these are Christians acting as if they are Jewish proselytes, to a large extent, and when Christians join into the inferior priesthood of Levi – as they do – they do a disservice to the Christian faith.

“Christians” were first called as such by others who identified them at Antioch, in Pisidia, in the middle of the first century. Prior to that time, before Gentiles began to be Christians in larger numbers, they were knows as Jews who went “the way.”

In fact, this fairly large group of Jews who believed in Jesus Christ could be found occupying “Solomon’s porch” in the Herodian temple when it was standing, and Jews gathered together on the requisite feasts.

So, yes, Christianity has Jewish roots. To call it “Hebrew roots” is flat wrong.

Abraham is called a Hebrew. He didn’t perform any of the law, nor did he keep its dietary restrictions, let alone wear phylacteries, etc., and other Rabbinic practices which actually miss the mark spiritually, and, at best, are superstition, or worse, end up choking on gnats and swallowing camels.

As for how it happens, Christians receive a supernatural love for God and His word, because of the love of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t take much study of the Scriptures to realize God’s special love for His people, Israel. Jesus is a Jew, too. Not was. Is. Tribe of Judah.

So any thoughtful Christian cannot hate the Jews – even though many do – but instead have a supernatural affinity to them, and are indebted to the Jews because that is where faith in Jehovah (Jesus Christ) comes from. To call that a “Hebrew Root,” is a misnomer.

The Scriptures teach that Israel is a tender planting of God, a tree (or vine) that grew, and then later at some time Gentile branches were grafted in. That time was in the first century, as Jews increasingly rejected Jesus Christ, even though many, many believed.

That leaves we former Gentiles who have believed readily aware that we only stand by our faith in Jesus Christ, and when the time comes that no longer is the case among the Gentiles, God will once again take up Israel as the light of the world.

But that is NOT Hebrew roots, even in the generic sense. True “Hebrew Roots” may be found in Abraham the Hebrew, but not in the Levitical priesthood.

And this is the core of the problem. These misled and misleading Christians have come short of the second phase of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one He is in today, which is His priesthood at the right hand of His and our Father. This is not a Levitical priesthood as is obviously evident in the fact that Jesus Christ is of the tribe of Judah, house of David, and not of the tribe of Levi. He’s genealogy is most eloquently found in first parts of Matthew and Luke.

{Paul, when he was before Ananias,|Acts 23:2-5} the alleged Jewish high priest, was slapped at Ananias instruction, and Paul subsequently called Ananias a “whited wall.” He then claimed he did not know Ananias WAS the high priest. Of course, Paul was aware of who Ananias was.

However, unlike the others around, Paul also knew Who the Lord Jesus Christ is, and also knew Him to be a high priest of a higher order than any from Levi. He published this viewpoint clearly and succinctly in his Epistle to the Hebrews. And it is in that epistle that the undeniable logic is presented: that Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec.

Because Abraham is Levi’s great grandfather, Levi paid tithes to Melchisedec in Abraham. And after Abraham tithed to Melchisedec, Melchisedec blessed Abraham. It is not controversial that the greater blesses the lesser, and therefore we see how great this man Melchisedec was: greater than Abraham. It is significant that in the blessing of Abraham, Melchisedec, the king-priest of Salem, brought forth bread and wine to Abraham. This foreshadows the Christian ordinance.

Therefore we see that, prior to Levi and Moses, there was a priest of God who was king of Salem, later to be Jeru-salem. This priest was greater than Abraham. He was NOT a high priest, but that his order existed is a fact of the Bible. This no doubt traces back to the commitment of the true worship of God to Shem. In fact, I suspect that Melchisedec may have indeed BEEN Shem. But that’s not especially important. If Melchisedec’s genealogy was important, it would be included. The fact is, it is important he has NO genealogy, typifying as it does his priestly Successor, Who is timeless.

Shem was the father of ALL of the children of Eber, upon whose name the term Hebrew rests.

These are Hebrew roots if the phrase is to be used. The roots of faith in Abraham the Hebrew.

Abraham the Hebrew recognized the priesthood of Melchisedec. And while Melchisedec was a king-priest, his Successor, Jesus Christ, is the High-Priest King, after the same order. With Jesus Christ the high-priestly order of Levi was terminated. The High Priest after the order of Melchisedec took His office after His ascent back to heaven.

The Lord Jesus will hold the three offices given to Israel: Prophet, Priest, King. No other single man was ever allowed this. He dies, as prophets do, at the hands of His own people. Today, he is the High-Priest, after the order of Melchisedec, and therefore all the order of Aaron (Levi) is terminated. Finally, He will rule as King of Kings, Lord of Lords.

And the law of Moses, which came 400 years later, cannot annul God’s promises to Abraham, in part signified by his meeting with Melchisedec after Abraham’s triumph over the kings.

This, by the way, is orthodox and fundamental Christian belief.

I have Hebrew roots.

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