Weekly passages: Leviticus 14:1-15:33; 2 Kings 7:3-20; Matthew 8:5-17

Some of the least discussed passages of Scripture are those in the Old Testament relating to the control of mildew and infectious diseases. This may be because they do not seem relevant today. But are there truths hidden in these chapters that often get missed?

Clean or Unclean?

In Leviticus 14-15 (which naturally connects with Leviticus 13, part of last week's Torah portion), God institutes a pattern for dealing with infection and disease, which had both a physical and a spiritual purpose: physically, he was safe-guarding his people against contamination. Spiritually, he was keeping them and his dwelling-place pure (Lev 15:31). The regulations unfold thus: priestly examination of the infected person (or house!) led to careful diagnosis, which was followed by a period of quarantine, then further examination (and more quarantine if necessary) until a final decision was reached: clean, or unclean.

Depending on this final diagnosis, the infected person (or building) received a pronouncement of hope or despair, acceptance or rejection, consignment to life or to death. Those declared physically 'clean' were instructed on how to re-integrate into the community and what offerings to bring to God in order to become ceremonially clean again (for an extended discussion of ritual purity, click here). Those declared 'unclean' were ostracised, written off and consigned to a limited life 'outside the camp'. They were the spurned ones, the ones with no hope. Similarly, mildew-ridden houses that remained infected after every attempt had been made to cleanse them were condemned, torn down and their materials disposed of – again, 'outside the camp'.

For all that the Levitical Law provided regarding regulations for ceremonial cleanliness, it could not cure those who had been declared unclean. It gave instructions on ritual cleanliness to those who had already recovered, it instituted measures to prevent further spread of illness, but it offered no physiological solution for those affected.

God's Compassion

Did God not care about the lepers of old, those on whom society had given up? Far from it! In 2 Kings 7, four lepers were explicitly used by God to save the city of Samaria, which was under siege by the Arameans and in a state of starvation. It was the lepers' decision to embrace their consignment 'outside the camp' – to leave their place at the city gates and go into the enemy camp to seek an end other than starvation – that the Lord used to save Israel.

Just two chapters before, Elisha miraculously healed the leprosy of Naaman, an Aramean army commander - a man who was 'outside the camp' in that he was actually an enemy of Israel. The Gospels brim full of examples of Jesus healing the sick, including lepers, not fearing to go near them. Indeed, one of the key signs of the Messiah was to make possible the impossible (as only God can do), that lepers would be healed (Matt 11:5).

So yes, the Lord cares about lepers. He does not give up on people, even if society cannot cope with them. He delights to use those who have been labelled too weak, too repulsive or too unworthy to be of any earthly use - to the praise of His glory. No-one is beyond His reach – save those who willingly consign themselves to spiritual leprosy, choosing to allow sin to consume their entire beings, and rejecting God continually and wilfully, even to the end. This is the warning hidden in Leviticus 14-15 – sin must be isolated and dealt with quickly and deftly, not treated lightly or allowed to spread and have dominion.

The Purpose of the Law

What was true for Israel is true today. Perhaps mildewed houses are not our prime problem, but every generation has need of rules for health and hygiene – and deeper still, has need for the spiritual truths of holiness and cleanliness before God. Yet, however well we do in avoiding contamination, we always have need of God to cleanse us of sinfulness and perfect us. Just as a leper was an outcast from society, so we are all outside of the Kingdom until cleansed through faith in the power of the shed blood of Jesus.

Just as the Law could not heal those who had become leprous, so the Apostle Paul reminds us that the Law was never intended to be a cure for sin – it was intended to make us conscious of it (Rom 3:20): to draw attention to the problem, to make us uncomfortable about it, to warn us about its potential to spread and affect others, to make us aware of our real need of external help - to keep us humble about our shortcomings. The one true Solution has only ever been God Himself.

True Salvation in Jesus the Messiah

In Jesus, all of this reaches its fulfilment. In compassion, he reached out and touched lepers to heal them (in so doing making himself ceremonially unclean), "taking up our infirmities and carrying our diseases" (Matt 8:17; Isa 53:4) – physically doing what the Law was powerless to do. But instead of denying the Law or scoffing at its powerlessness, he fulfilled it, encouraging those whom he healed still to go to the Temple and offer the sacrifices instituted in Leviticus 14-15 - "as a testimony" (Matt 8:4).

Indeed, the detailed regulations for ceremonial cleansing in Leviticus (which require strange ingredients including hyssop branches, red yarn and birds) are all types and shadows of Jesus (and well worth a study in their own right), whose ultimate sacrifice made eternal atonement for our state of uncleanness before God, and overcame the power of sin once and for all.

In this, God's purposes are still the same as they always were: to keep his people and his dwelling-place - no longer a Tabernacle or a Temple, but our hearts - pure, undefiled and uncontaminated by sin. The requirement for seeing these purposes fulfilled in our own lives has only ever been faith.

In a divine paradox, Jesus shows us that the way to be restored from eternal rejection to eternal acceptance, from death to life, is to join him "outside the camp" (Heb 13:13-14). This was where he was taken for his final sacrifice on the Cross – the place of ultimate self-denial, worldly disgrace and rejection.

Paradoxically, this is the pathway to life in all its fullness – and everyone who is called to follow Jesus is called to take up their crosses, join him in his suffering and identify with him in his death. Somehow, the road originally allotted to the leper, who was to all the aroma of death, must also be ours if we desire to be the fragrance of life to those who need it (2 Cor 2:15-16). The glory of the Gospel is that those who were once 'white as snow' with the leprosy of sin, can be cleansed, healed and restored and made 'white as snow' with heavenly righteousness (e.g. Isa 1:18) - all through Jesus.

Author: Frances Rabbitts with Clifford Denton

Press hype, or more serious?

The poet John Donne wrote "No man is an iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine". While considering the revelations in the Panama Papers of secret financial arrangements to avoid (legally or otherwise) payment of income tax, the natural reaction of many might be, 'Here we go again, corruption and greed in high places'. Once again we are swept along in a tide of press-fed indignation against the rich and privileged.

Well, yes, but Christians have a responsibility to step back and take a much wider view of the subject and its background because, as the poet might have said, the Panama revelations are but a piece of the whole. What is this 'whole'? It is the evidence all around us of mankind's inherent greed and corruption, his desire to conform to standards set at the Fall (now taken as norms) that he sees practiced all around him, to protect and enrich himself at the expense of others. Rather than dwell on the minutiae of individual claims, we should reflect that they are but the most recent manifestation of the Fall, and the world has not changed since that time.

Scandal Everywhere

It was not long ago that we were treated to the unappealing view of the corrupt world of football (the 'Beautiful Game') and its international governing body FIFA, many of whose leaders were arrested and brought to court. Before that it was the world of athletics and the prevalence of performance-improving drugs that came into the spotlight. More or less at the same time it was horse-racing, this time with doping, that made the news.

The Panama revelations are but a piece of the whole - evidence all around of mankind's inherent greed and corruption.

All this is without a mention of the banking scandals beginning in 2008, with the domino-like collapse of banks in the UK and elsewhere and the grasping behaviour of senior staff regarding bonuses, the on-going UK investigations into paedophilia in which the police have received unwelcome publicity, and the serial unveilings by the Daily Telegraph of the antics of MPs who had been fiddling their expenses, bringing the Mother of Parliaments into contempt and derision.

These signs of corruption began in May 2009 and show no sign of dying. Yet there has been little or no evidence of contrition or widescale resignation on the part of individuals but - incredibly - a call for the Government to step in and control the press!¹

In another arena of public concern, attention has been drawn to the continuing public sell-off of Britain's national resources, to the extent that the future of our nuclear energy (Britain was one of the two original pioneers in the field) is now in the hands of France and China. At the time of writing, the UK's nuclear energy policy is adrift, with no-one really in charge. And now—stop press—the announcement that the UK Government's plea for someone to take over a part of the UK's steel industry sold to India's Tata Steel in 2006 has been at least partly answered as another foreign company steps forward. Nobody is ashamed, nobody is embarrassed. Not responsible, old chap, it was all done before I/we were there.

Words Have Power

But enough of dwelling on the grey desert of Godless national and world society. The United Kingdom is gravely compromised spiritually. I would like to suggest that the most serious of its failures in recent times has not been any statement made by the church, nor any of the various ill-considered pieces of legislation that have passed through parliament (even including the institution of 'gay marriage'), but it was an off-the cuff remark by an unelected Government spokesman during a press meeting with a society magazine.

During a 1993 interview with culture, society and politics magazine Vanity Fair UK, Socialist Prime Minister Tony Blair was asked by a reporter about his Christian faith. Before he could answer, his advisor, Alistair Campbell, broke in to declare that "We don't do God".² That hasty rejection was not countermanded by the nation's executive head (the Prime Minister), nor has it been since by any other such UK leader.

The United Kingdom is gravely compromised spiritually, with signs of corruption being unveiled in every sphere of society.

But words of proclamation can have power—even the most casual, throwaway ones—and can bring blessings or curses on those who utter them or those to whom they are directed. The Vanity Fair rejection would have been heard by the population at large through the media, by the powers of darkness, and by God himself. The phrase 'We don't do...' has entered the national lexicon, recalling the source of its origin. Just as Israel brought a curse on herself when she formally rejected her Saviour, consigning him to the cross and suffering the consequences ever since, so has England formally placed herself in a place of spiritual danger through those carelessly uttered words.

I had a mental picture of the appalled silence of the assembled host of angels at this statement. How could such a nation, formerly so blessed of God, do this? Did God himself at that moment exclaim, 'Well, if that's what they want, I'll give them the desires of their hearts'? It may well be that God has removed his hand of protection (so evident at Dunkirk, when the King announced a day of prayer) so that it may be set adrift.

I am minded of the frequent comments in the book of Judges: "In those days there was no king; everyone did as he saw fit" - there appears to be spiritual and moral anarchy in our day. We can trace the steepening collapse of Britain's finance and industry sectors and the way in which the nation has, recklessly, sold off its resources and allowed foreigners to purchase the most valuable parts of its capital city in a way not emulated by any other country.

Church's Responsibility

A significant responsibility must surely lie with the leaders of the Church of England and its accumulation of errors, beginning with its absorption with 19^th Century liberal theology. Notable events since that time included the 1984 appointment of David Jenkins as Bishop of Durham (who regarded the resurrection as "a conjuring trick with bones") and the Archbishop of Canterbury Runcie's famous Observer headline plea to "Let Rome lead all Christians" (1989). How sad it is to see the established church being dragged through public disgrace!

A significant responsibility must surely lie with the leaders of the established church and its accumulation of errors.

On the foundation of liberal theology, the Socialist Government of 1997-2010 erected its new edifice of equality and diversity, which included the institution of 'gay marriage' as one of a number of acceptable unions. Since that time historic marriage has declined and the family unit has fragmented.

If the established church, with its privileged position in the House of Lords, is so wayward, can we really blame a secular world for trying to protect its amassed fortunes by squirreling them away in secret offshore funds?

What is God Doing?

The prophetic Church should ask, is there any word from the Lord regarding these evidences of mankind's sorry plight? Yes. God is exposing corruption in high places, shining a light in the darkness. Senior, formerly respected people are being exposed in the court of public opinion. It is part of what the prophet Haggai refers to when he says that God will shake all nations in preparation for the coming of his glory.

There is surely only one recourse, the grace of him who is ready to dispense restoration following the response of a Church and leadership that falls on their knees and implores divine mercy in accordance with God's promise of forgiveness in Jeremiah 18:8, "if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned." There is much good work in progress in the Church and para-Church bodies.

The only way forward is through the grace of him who is ready to dispense restoration, if the Church would only fall on its knees and implore mercy.

We also remember Jean Darnall's vision of a Britain in which pinpricks of light - Spirit-filled churches and fellowships - grew in intensity until they blazed forth from north to south, many even crossing the Channel to sow the fire abroad (see Hugh Black's book Revival, which includes the prophetic vision of Jean Darnall).

It may be that after all the press hype, tax havens feature quite minimally in God's scheme of things. All the mountains of mammon will come to nothing when Babylon falls – "In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!" (Rev 18:17).

References

1 Leveson Inquiry, published November 2012.

2 E.g. see coverage in The Telegraph.

Clifford Denton traces the theme of family through Scripture, including how God instituted the family as a shadow of our relationship with him.

The theme of family is woven through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The family is at the heart of the believing community. It should not surprise us, therefore, that one of the major areas of spiritual conflict in every generation, including our own, is the family.

If we truly had the Bible as our guide at the heart of our nation, we would never have had need to address the issue of laws that liberalise and confuse the definition of marriage and the associated confusion over gender that besets our generation. We would have a clearer view of roles and relationships of fathers, mothers and children and know God's own purposes and patterns for building society's foundations on the biblical pattern for family. As a result, we would surely find God's blessings as we seek to grow together in our communities founded on strong family relationships.

Generally speaking, though there are some major warnings to heed, the Bible teaches positively, so if we study carefully and respond positively to God's teaching we do not need to dwell too much on the negatives.

There are biblical warnings about departure from God's structure of family (including taking divorce lightly, eg Mal 2:14-15; Mark 10:5-9, and wrong relationships eg Lev 18, Rom 1:26-29) which are to be taken very seriously. Thank God that through Jesus there is a path of redemption through repentance for those who have strayed. But for this study let us concentrate on the positive aspects of the Bible's teaching on family. Like all Bible themes we can trace this theme from Genesis to Revelation, through the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings and the New Testament.

Family Before Time, and Forever

There was a family before time began, including the Father and his Son through whom all things were made (John 1). Father and Son are in perfect unity and one with the Holy Spirit. There was a community in Heaven including the Godhead and the Angels - we have enough information to know about this but not enough to form a clear picture. The principles of the family of God were embedded in Creation, however, bringing shadows of heavenly reality to earthly experience.

Genesis 1 describes how God brought the animals into partnership, male with female, and mankind was made in the image of God (Gen 1:26). So began the way that God's Creation was to be ordered, finally leading to the fulfilment described in the New Testament when the family of God will be gathered to join the family of Heaven for all eternity (John 14:2-4; Rev 19:7).

The principles of the family of God were embedded in Creation, bringing shadows of heavenly reality to earthly experience.

The First Family on Earth

When Adam was created his own wife was taken out of him to be his companion in the flesh (Gen 2:18-25). Thus began the principle of family life on earth. God began with a man and a woman who were of one flesh, separated into two distinct beings, with a central purpose of reproducing themselves and populating the world. It is no mistake that multiplication of mankind requires the most intimate of relationships, intended to be maintained in holiness and purity. The unity of our Heavenly Father and his own Son was to be modeled through our human relationships as we multiplied into families.

We are so used to the way family life has been distorted by sin and through spiritual attack that it is wise to go back and consider God's first family to regain his vision for what was intended. Adam and Eve were to live in harmony with God and bring forth godly offspring, replicating the biblical principle of family into every generation (Mal 2:15).

Noah and His Family

A family was saved at the Flood. The family of Adam had multiplied and evil began to spoil what God had intended. This is described first in terms of the community breakdown when "the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and took wives from them of whom they chose" (Gen 6:2). It is not easy to understand just what happened here - it could have been an interaction between natural and supernatural beings and/or a departure from God by those who knew him marrying with those who did not. Whatever this was, there was a breakdown of God's family on earth and this led to the judgment of the Great Flood.

Through God's grace, mankind continued with the family of Noah and representatives from the families of the animals (Gen 7). After the Flood Noah received the command to populate the earth once more (Gen 9:1). Through one family many new families would come – a fresh start.

Our Father Abraham

Another perspective on family came through Abraham. Abraham, our father of faith, is the father of a family from all nations. Israel, his physical offspring, became a nation built on family principles, just as the new covenant community should be. God's covenant (Gen 17:1-7) was framed in terms of family.

There follows in the chapters of Genesis a wonderful account of the beginning of Abraham's physical descendants. The account of Abraham's desire for a son and his relationship with Sarah his wife is a real account of God's building through family. The account of Abraham's servant finding a bride for Isaac (Gen 24) is a beautiful story that could even point to the Holy Spirit seeking out a Bride for Jesus.

The principles of the family being the base on which God was to build in both physical and spiritual ways is strongly evident here as the parallel themes continue to develop throughout the rest of the Bible.

The Theme of Family Develops

Here are some of the many references to follow up as the priority of family develops through Scripture:

• God's promise to Abraham is remembered and worked out in families (Ex 2:24-25, 12:1-11, Ex 24, 34).
• The congregation of the Lord was numbered by families (Num 1).
• Family framework is ingrained in the Ten Commandments – the family of God and the human family (Deut 5, Ex 20).
• The teaching programme of God is to be founded on what is done in the home. Children are to be taught the ways of God through family interaction. (Deut 6).
• The Sabbath and Feasts of the Lord are celebrated in a family framework within the covenant community (Lev 23).
• The nation of Israel was a nation of families and tribes (1 and 2 Chron).
• The Psalms give wonderful pictures of families blessed by God and needing God for blessing and protection (eg. Ps 127, Ps 128).
• God honours highly a wife who is in covenant partnership with her husband (Prov 31:10-31).
• The blessing of pure and intimate relationships as God intended are made evident in beautiful, uplifting ways in the Bible, but there is also a warning concerning perversion of the biblical order of man and wife (eg compare Song of Songs with Hebrews 13:4).

Family as a Basis for Our Relationship with God

When we study this theme across the scriptures we realise that there is something even more important than the order and blessings that the biblical family structures bring to life on earth. We, in a sense, through our family love, unity and interactions, rehearse relationship with God himself, within his eternal purposes.

Through family love, unity and interactions, we rehearse relationship with God himself.

God the Father compared himself with a husband to his people (eg Jer 3, Isa 54, Matt 6:6). If we have a pure understanding of family relationships on earth, we are more ready for those relationships to be transferred to God himself – intimate and pure. God hates divorce (Mal, Matt 19:4-6). If we are vulnerable to divorce in our human relationships, we may also be vulnerable to broken relationships with God. How much do hurts that come out of family upheavals lead to difficulty in forming relationships with God, and how much do loving relationships experienced in family life open the way to relationship with God!

With this sort of understanding we also realise that there are parallels to be drawn between parents teaching children in the home and God teaching his family through the power of his Holy Spirit (Prov 1-9). Step by step through the practices and interaction of the human family, we are being prepared for our place in the everlasting family of God.

Jesus is the head of his covenant community and of our individual families. Consider his sacrifice for his family (Heb 3:6). What does this teach us about our own families and the level of commitment that is expected? Purity of relationships in our family life prepares us for pure relationship with our perfect, holy heavenly Father (Eph 1:3-14, Rom 8:1-17).

If we have a pure understanding of family relationships on earth, we are more ready for those relationships to be transferred to God.

God's family is one body made up of Jews together with those saved from the Gentile world (Eph 2, Rom 4:12, Rom 11). The head of our family existed before time and so this family, consisting of those saved from this world through faith joined to him, has in a sense always existed. We are added to this one family as history proceeds.

How we should live on account of this is a constant theme of the New Testament (John 1, John 17, 1 Pet 3:1-7, 2 Pet 3:11). God honours a believer in the household (1 Cor 7, particularly 14) in his outworking of plans to extend his family through grace.

The Family of God

Our Bible study of family takes us from the first principles of family being at the heart of God's purpose for Creation and step by step brings us to the purpose of his preparation for his own covenant family drawn from all nations.

Paul the Apostle, with this understanding, exhorted believers to strengthen their families for the very purpose of preparation for membership of God's family. God gives responsibility to husbands and wives, and emphasises the importance of children submitting to their parents for the stability of the whole community and nation. The balance of husband and wife relationships as a model for relationship with God the Father and Jesus his Son was expounded by Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians (Eph 5 and 6). Paul pointed to the unfolding mystery of this, taking us back to the first principles of Genesis 1 and pointing to eternal purposes of God.

Step by step through the practices and interaction of the human family, we are being prepared for our place in the everlasting family of God.

Order and discipline are required in Scripture, with warnings for falling away from God's model of family, but this is not the main intent. The beauty and intimacy of the relationships that family life brings is the chief theme of Scripture.

Our families are the building blocks of the covenant community, the place where we should learn of God our Father together, so that we might ourselves be part of the living parable pointing to the relationships of God with all his people.

God's relationship with us is as father to child and husband to wife. The union of the Son of God with those he bought by his sacrificial death will be in relationship with him as a bride is to a husband. The elect of the fallen family of Adam will be redeemed as the family of God. God's intention for his people is that we build our communities founded on the family with this purpose always in view.

Read about the meeting on 9 April 2016.

On behalf of the Prophecy Today team, I would like to extend my hearty thanks to all who attended our 1^st Anniversary Celebration this past Saturday (9 April 2016) – and further thanks to all who prayed from afar!

We all enjoyed an extremely encouraging day at Regents Hall (Salvation Army), London, with more than 70 in attendance (including the team), many of whom had come long distances. We also really valued sharing the day with Issachar Ministries, Prophecy Today's parent charity, which hosted its 2016 Open Day alongside.

The whole day proved a great opportunity to celebrate the year past and to express hopes and desires for the year to come, to thank God for his faithfulness in re-establishing Prophecy Today (and getting it off to a flying start!) and to stand together with united hearts and purpose.

The day was opened with worship, led by Prophecy Today's Managing Editor, Frances Rabbitts. Following this, reports were shared by members of both the Issachar Ministries and the Prophecy Today teams, analysing the year previous. The atmosphere was very informal and delegates were able to chip in with questions and feedback as things progressed. There were also opportunities in small groups to lift up the nation in prayer, and to share with one other what we feel God has been saying. There was a sense of unity and urgency in this which was a privilege to experience.

Prior to lunch everyone was treated to the inspirational speaking of Paul Szkiler, who shared about his recent investment and discipleship ventures in Sierra Leone. Sadly, we were unable to be joined by David Noakes, who is recovering from an eye operation and would value your prayers.

In the afternoon the Prophecy Today Editorial Board took it in turns to speak to the group about one part of the magazine's work, including their hopes for its future development. Led by Clifford Hill, reviews were given of each of Prophecy Today's major sections, including its topical comments, study material, resource provision and focus on Israel.

Clifford Denton also formally introduced delegates to a new Bible study website currently being developed as a joint project between Issachar Ministries and Prophecy Today, promising Scripture study courses for members and a forum for communal discussion.

Towards the end of the day, Board members were prayed for individually, which was a source of real encouragement and refreshment. Things were drawn to a close with prayer and worship, but delegates stayed around afterwards to chat, pray for each other and peruse the resources stand stocked by Issachar Ministries.

In all, the day provided a fantastic booster for the Prophecy Today team as they head into their second year – and from the feedback, it was a great encouragement for delegates too. Now that we have all headed back to our own churches, workplaces and communities, we hope and pray that God will continue to affirm in our hearts the strong sense of togetherness - that feeling of being part of God's broader agenda for this nation and beyond - which was brought so deftly to the fore on Saturday.

Frances Rabbitts, Managing Editor
On behalf of the Prophecy Today UK Editorial Board

Additional Notes

If you would like us to send you a e-copy of Prophecy Today's 1^st annual review, please send us an email.

We would also ask our community of supporters to continue to pray about making a regular financial commitment to the ministry (however small). We keep our costs low but have some overheads that we would like to share, especially since we do not want to make a charge to readers of the site. An underlying theme of our ministry, shared on Saturday, was that we are building an interactive community that will continue to grow together. If the Lord is leading you to contribute financially (either personally or through the ministry of your church fellowship) please let us know and we will send details of how to donate.

Over the next few weeks we are pleased to feature the work of Steve Maltz. This week, Paul Luckraft reviews Maltz's 'How the Church Lost The Way...And How it Can Find it Again' (2009, Saffron Planet)

In this engaging and entertaining book, the author is very clear about his agenda: "to restore the understanding of the Hebraic roots of Christianity that has been lost, since the early days of the Church" (p43). Equally clear is that in this book he has succeeded in making a considerable contribution towards what is an immense but vital task.

Maltz's style is chatty, but not trite. He pulls no punches – he admits he may not just be upsetting the occasional sacred cow but disturbing the whole herd – but his aim is analysis, rather than attack. Certainly at every point he makes you think, and feel, and search for a proper response.

His title is apt in two ways, suggesting a straying from a correct path, but also reminding us that the early Christians were originally called The Way (Acts 9:2, 24:14), rather than the Church. Maltz points out that there has been a process of stripping out every trace of Jewishness from the established Church, starting early in its history and developing over time. The Body of Christ was meant to be One New Man (Eph 2:15) with both Jewish and Gentile elements in balance, and without this it is greatly diminished and largely unfulfilled.

How We Wandered

In Part One, the author tells 'a tale of two summits', taking us to two important councils: Jerusalem in AD 49 and Nicaea in AD 325. In an entertaining fly-on-the-wall (or rather peering-round-the-pillar) account, Maltz contrasts these two occasions, the former advocating the inclusion of Gentiles into the Church, the other the exclusion of Jews.

The most telling quote is from Constantine's letter circulated to churches throughout the Christian world concerning the timing of Easter: "Let us then have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews" (p48).

In chapter 2, Maltz provides a fascinating potted history of the main Greek thinkers: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, highlighting their 'big ideas' and the equally big consequences of those ideas on Church history. He demonstrates how the early Church fathers reconstructed Christianity in Platonic terms, mixing the Bible with Platonic thinking.

Maltz provides a potted history of the main Greek thinkers – Socrates, Plato and Aristotle – and the influence their ideas have had on Christian thinking.

As we are shown the long slide away from our Jewish roots into Greek dualism we are given excellent summaries - neither too long nor too short - of Philo (and allegory), Origen, Augustine, and Aquinas. In each case there is just enough detail to convince us that "the great doctrines of Christianity had become a philosopher's playground" (p42).

This may only be an introduction to a very large topic, but the main point comes across clearly. The Church is "far more Greek in its outlook than people could ever imagine and this is not a side issue, but very much a key battleground for the truth" (p60).

Reclaiming Our Heritage

Part Two is largely comprised of a series of vignettes highlighting different aspects of the Hebraic worldview that we need to reclaim.

Maltz starts by looking at the Bible itself and how it should be interpreted from a Hebraic perspective, and then goes on to examine the Hebrew language, family life and marriage, the Sabbath and especially the Jewish festivals and calendar. This latter section is the longest and most informative. The Jewish biblical festivals are "so instructional, so rich in meaning, so bursting in Jesus, that it can do us nothing but good to be aware of them" (p106).

Part Three revisits the idea, mentioned earlier in the book, that the body of Christ is meant to be One New Man. Here is a fascinating discussion on what this should entail, namely a balance between the two distinctive elements of Jew and Gentile. Not a blurring into one but a partnership, and a preparation for heaven!

Maltz's discussion is fascinating, looking at the balance that should exist between the two distinctive elements – Jew and Gentile.

No Apology Needed

At one point towards the end the author seems to apologise that he has meandered all over the place (though he adds hopefully, not randomly). In fact, there is no sense of meandering as you read through this book. It can be taken as a whole, or in parts. Although there is no index, there is an appendix of recommended further reading, helpfully arranged to coincide with the chapters of this book.

It covers its main themes well, and also ends with a plea for each Christian believer to take personal responsibility to examine the Bible through the eyes and experiences of the early Jewish believers, rather than the contact lens of Greek philosophy.

If we all individually re-evaluate our image of God and attitude to worship and fellowship then, as the subtitle suggests, the Church can find The Way again.

'How the Church Lost The Way' (190 pages, paperback) is the first of three books by Steve Maltz on the state of the Western church. Steve's website, Saltshakers, can be found here. It is available from Saffron Planet Publishing for £10.

Weekly passages: Leviticus 12:1-13:59; 2 Kings 4:42-5:19; John 6:8-13; Matthew 8:1-4.

This week's Torah portion is called Tazria, meaning 'She has conceived' because it begins with regulations for childbirth.

Many have puzzled over the regulations about childbirth. It seems odd to suggest a woman would be "teme'ah" or ritually impure after bringing life into the world. Why is the period of ritual impurity twice as long after giving birth to a girl? Some rabbis have said these laws are beyond our understanding. There is certainly no definitive answer.

Women in Jewish Culture

First, let's consider the position of women. There is a famous prayer that is said daily by Jewish men which includes thanks to God for not creating them a woman. It has been viewed typically as misogynistic, but there is another view, which is that men are thankful for the religious obligations bestowed upon them. Women are exempt from many religious obligations because of motherhood (an exalted state in Jewish tradition) and its attendant domestic duties.

Contrary to our negative view of being in a state of ritual impurity during menstruation and after childbirth, this was not onerous or restrictive for women. It released them from religious obligation so they could pursue family duties. It also gave them dignity, privacy, space and time away from men. The prohibition against touching a woman in a state of ritual impurity protected women from unwanted male attention.

It also reminded husbands to respect their wives, that they wives were not theirs to own and approach as they wished, they belonged to the Lord.¹ This prohibition: "If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it" (Lev 20:18) serves as a reminder of the sacredness of the creation of life, that it is the Lord who is the source of all created life and that an appropriate order and discipline applies to the most intimate spheres of existence.

Since it was common to have large families, most women probably spent much of their lives in a state of ritual impurity, as Joshua Tilton points out: "if a woman chose, she could postpone purification until her childbearing years were over, and then purify herself. The disadvantage was that she could not enter holy places or eat holy food until she was purified, but sometimes this disadvantage was outweighed by the inconvenience of going to the Temple for purification."² This would particularly be the case if she lived a long way from Jerusalem. David Flusser comments that individuals and communities could choose the level of ritual purity they maintained.³ If they lived in Jerusalem and visited the Temple frequently they would need to maintain the highest levels of ritual purity.

We also have to remember that women were respected and empowered in Old Testament culture.⁴ They had the right to buy, sell and own property, and make their own contracts, rights which women in Western countries (including America) did not have until about 100 years ago. In fact, Proverbs 31:10-31 (which is traditionally read at Jewish weddings) speaks repeatedly of business acumen as a trait to be prized in women.⁵ Women were also prophets (one of the best known in Jewish tradition was Huldah, who has gates in the Temple Mount named after her) and they were officials in synagogues.⁶

Understanding Ritual Purity

Secondly, we need to attempt to understand ritual purity, something the sages of Israel grappled with but found opaque. However, we can establish the foundational principle, which is that God is eternally alive and he is the Creator of all life. Death is the opposite of his divine nature and purposes for his creation.

This makes it is easier perhaps to understand why women were considered ritually impure during menstruation, because it indicates the end of the possibility of life being conceived. It is a "whisper of death", as one woman describes it.⁷ Being declared to be ritually impure is not a judgment on character or sentence passed on wrongdoing. After all, there is nothing sinful in menstruation or giving birth. Ritual purity is simply the state mortal beings need to be in for contact with the holy immortal One.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks gives some further insights from the sages: "When a mother gives birth, not only does she undergo great risk (until recently, childbirth was a life-threatening danger to mother and baby alike). She is also separated from what until now had been part of her own body (a foetus, said the rabbis, "is like a limb of the mother") and which has now become an independent person. If that is so in the case of a boy, it is doubly so in the case of a girl – who, with G-d's help, will not merely live but may herself in later years become a source of new life. At one level, therefore, the laws signal the detachment of life from life."⁸

He suggests also that women do not need to visit the Temple to be connected to the life of God, but when they did, it was in thanksgiving for a new life and for passing safely through the danger of childbirth: "It is as if G-d were saying to the mother: for forty days in the case of a boy, and doubly so in the case of a girl (the mother-daughter bond is ontologically stronger than that between mother and son), I exempt you from coming before Me in the place of holiness because you are fully engaged in one of the holiest acts of all, nurturing and caring for your child."⁹

For a fuller discussion of ritual purity, click here.

Skin Diseases and Evil Speech

The Torah portion goes on to describe the measures to be taken when dealing with defiling skin diseases and moulds. The skin disease is called tsara'at, often translated as leprosy, but translated as 'scale disease' by Jacob Milgrom, who has sought expert diagnosis of the skin disease described here, but apparently it does not correspond to any known complaint. Why is this mystery disease defiling? Because it gives the skin the appearance of a corpse, the skin peels as though the person is wasting away. Again, it is a reminder of death standing in opposition to God's life-giving Spirit and so cannot be tolerated in his presence.¹⁰

Rabbinic commentators were puzzled as to what this condition is and why it should be given such full treatment in the Torah. They decided that it was because it was a punishment for derogatory speech, known as lashon hara, literally 'evil tongue'.¹¹ It is not the same as slander or gossip, but concerns imparting information which is detrimental to another. In Numbers 12, Miriam questions why Moses is so much more qualified to lead the Jewish people than anyone else. God hears and strikes her down with tzara'at or leprosy.¹²

'Evil tongue' is not mentioned in the Torah, but Psalm 34:13 contains the command to "keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies". The sages of Israel regarded lashon hara as one of the worst of all sins, as bad as idolatry, murder and incest combined. They said it kills three people: the one who says it, the one he says it about, and the one who listens in.¹³ In Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox district Mea Shearim, there are signs saying "Please no lashon hara".

Jewish prayer reflects the concern over evil speech. The Amidah, said at least three times a day, opens with a plea for pure speech: "Open my lips so that my mouth may declare Your praise" and also contains these words, "My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from deceitful speech. To those who curse me let my soul be silent; may my soul be to all like the dust."¹⁴

So leprosy was seen as a punishment for sin, particular sinful speech. Priests acted as spiritual doctors, authorising re-entry to the community by simultaneously declaring the person 'clean' physically - but by implication spiritually. They could re-join community life and worship. Moulds, however, were not seen as a punishment

Jesus: Healing, Cleansing and Restoring

In our New Testament readings, Jesus demonstrates a greater authority than the priests. In John 6, he shows that he is the prophet like Moses, promised in Deuteronomy 18:15, when he feeds the five thousand on a hillside, echoing the provision of manna in the desert and the commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

In Matthew 8, he heals a leper with a touch. Instead of Jesus becoming unclean, the expected outcome, the leper becomes clean. Jesus is careful to obey God's Law by sending the man to show himself to the priest. He operates within God's word while at the same time demonstrating his divine nature and authority as the source of divine healing and forgiveness of sins. Through him, those who had suffered outside the camp, cut off from the community, could be brought near to be forgiven and cleansed.

Jesus identified with outcasts so that, as Hebrews 13:12 says, he "also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood". Our response should be: "Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore" (Heb 13:13). Our place is "outside the camp", in the place of suffering where the sinners are. Or are we too comfortable inside our cosy church 'camp'? It is outside the camp that we are reminded that, "here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come" (Heb 13:14).

We seek to bring the 'unclean' the gospel; not from a superior standpoint but sharing our experience of being made clean. Like our Master, we remain clean as we "continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name" (Heb 13:15). Our clean speech, our open profession of the name of Jesus, protects and guards us from defilement of all kinds.

Author: Helen Belton

References

1 VanGemeren, WA (Gen. Ed.). New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, Vol 4, "Sexual Ordinances", p1204.

2 Tilton, J. A Goy's Guide to Ritual Purity, Jerusalem Perspective. 30 April 2014.

3 Flusser, D, 2007. Judaism of the Second Temple Period, Vol 1, 'Qumran and Apocalypticism'. Hebrew University Magnes Press, Jerusalem, p36.

4 By the time of Jesus, women were more restricted.

5 Verses 11, 13, 16 and 18 especially. See also Rich, TR. The Role of Women. Judaism 101.

6 Levine, LI, 2000. Women in the Synagogue, chapter 14 in The Ancient Synagogue: The First Thousand Years. Yale University Press, p499-518.

7 Goldstein, EM, Rabbi, 1996. Mikveh offers women a chance to 'take back the waters'. J Weekly, 8 November.

8 Sacks, J, Rabbi Lord. Holiness and Childbirth. Chabad.org.

9 Ibid.

10 Milgrom, J, 2004. Leviticus, A Book of Ritual and Ethics, A Continental Commentary. Fortress Press, Minneapolis, p127.

11 Sacks, J, Rabbi Lord. Tazria (5774) – The Price of Free Speech. RabbiSacks.org, 24 March 2014.

12 Leviticus 19:16.

13 See Maimonides, Hilkhot Deot 7:3.

14 See 6.

Understanding ritual purity baffled the sages of Israel. One of the most influential Jewish scholars, Maimonides, describes the whole subject as "bristling with difficulties, far from human understanding and one which even the Great Sages [of the Mishnah] found hard to comprehend."¹

Maimonides concluded that the purpose of these regulations was to impose limitations and conditions upon Israel's approach to God, to deepen their sense of awe and reverence for the majesty of their divine Father and King, which is why the laws apply only to relations with the sanctuary and the objects connected with it.²

However, Christians tend to perceive ritual purity as relating to sin, but this is not the case. The Lord mentions four categories of state in Leviticus: "distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean" (Lev 10:10). This instruction is given after unauthorised fire is offered by Aaron's sons, "So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord" (Lev 10:2). To distinguish between the holy and common, the clean and unclean was therefore of life or death importance for the Israelites. No one could approach the Lord casually or unprepared because he dwelled physically in the Tabernacle and the Temple:

'Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.' (Lev 16:1-2)

It is important to understand that the distinction between the four categories of holy, common, pure and impure (or clean and unclean) is not between good and evil. Ritual purity is also not about hygiene or disease control – it had beneficial effects in these areas but that is not the central purpose. Rather, it is to do with the separation of the holy from the everyday.³

Holy vs Common, Clean vs Unclean

For example, in many churches when communion is served a special silver goblet is used, but after the service coffee is served in ordinary cups. It shows that in communion we are doing something different from every day eating and drinking. It doesn't mean that the cup itself is special, just that we are making a distinction. The biblical idea of holiness is not simply avoiding illicit things but hallowing the licit.

Ritual purity is not about hygiene or about distinguishing good from evil - it's about separating the holy from the everyday.

Holiness is not the same as purity or cleanness. An object which is not holy is not necessarily clean. An object which is clean is not necessarily holy. Joshua Tilton explains, "Holiness describes an object's use, whereas purity describes that object's readiness for its intended use" [emphasis added]. Suppose you lived in 1^st Century Jerusalem and you had a sack of grain set aside for a tithe. If a mouse crawled into the sack of grain and died, the grain is still holy because it is your tithe, which you have set aside for the Lord, but it is now unclean because it has a dead creature in it. So the difference between holy and common and clean and unclean is not about good versus evil, rather it is about the appropriateness of an object for its intended use.⁴

In the Nature of Creation, Not the Creator

Holiness originates from God and he created his creation to be clean – nothing he made is intrinsically unclean. However, the eternal and immortal and the finite and mortal have to find a way to approach each other. Joseph Frankovic illuminates this point, "...in designing a house, one does not put the bathroom inside the dining room. The activities of the bathroom do not complement those of the dining room. Neither bathroom nor dining room activities are, however, sinful - just incompatible."⁵

God's holy Temple would be profaned or contaminated by distinctly mortal sources of ritual impurity – sex, disease and death (for example, genital discharges, menstruation, childbirth, skin disease, contact with dead bodies). This is not for moral, ethical or simply hygiene reasons, but because God is not subject to disease, decay and death and he does not reproduce. Decay, death and reproduction are characteristics of the creation not the Creator, who is eternally alive, immutable and self-sufficient, radically different from us. We are mortal with the potential for immortality, changeable and dependent. Therefore, we need to set aside aspects of our mortal nature to approach his immortal presence. We must be in a state of holiness in order to move from our sphere into God's sphere.⁶

We might say that holiness requires purity because holiness is divine, of a different order, not because impurity is bad. Impurity from sin is, of course, bad, but that is different from ritual purity. For example, giving birth is not sinful, but it gives rise to ritual impurity.

Holiness requires purity, but it is not the same as purity.

Now the biblical writers (especially Ezekiel) did sometimes employed the terms 'clean' and 'unclean' as metaphors for good and evil, e.g. Ezekiel says God will "...cast clean water on you and you will be clean" (Ezek. 36:25).⁷

For believers in Jesus, this is the sense in which we usually apply these terms because we are not required to regard certain physical states or foods as clean or unclean. However, we are to have a keen sense of what is sinful and morally corrupt, what will pollute and defile our minds, bodies and spirits.

God's Holy Presence

Holiness radiates from the divine presence. Therefore, those things which are closest to God's presence are holier than things which are further off. The sages of Israel⁸ said that there were ten degrees of holiness, starting with the Land of Israel which is holier than any other land, then the cities in it - Jerusalem is the holiest city, the Temple the holiest place in the City, and going through the courts of the Temple from the outer to the inner the holiness increases, until you reach the Sanctuary which is more holy than the outer courts, for none may enter there with unwashed hands and feet. Finally, the Holy of Holies where the ark was kept is more holy, "for none may enter therein save only the High Priest on the Day of Atonement."

Holiness can be transferred to common objects, which unlike unclean objects do not contaminate what is holy, but can instead be made holy by contact with holy objects, as Exodus 29:37 states, "The altar shall be most holy. Everything that touches the altar will become holy." However, the approach must be made from the holy towards the common: if a 'common' person, not a priest who was consecrated holy, intruded unauthorised into the holy places of the Temple they risked being struck down. It is also worth noting that sacred or holy objects were in two categories, sacred and most sacred. For example, some parts of an offering were considered most sacred: "The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings presented to the Lord" (Lev 2:3). There were also degrees of uncleanness, the most basic level dissipated by the evening. Contact with a corpse required a period of seven days' separation.

Jacob Milgrom describes both the most sacred and impurity as having airborne properties in rabbinic thought and those closest to the sacred, the priests, had to be more vigilant than ordinary people. Priests could attend the burial of only their close relatives, and the High Priest could not even attend the burial of his parents: "He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother" (Lev 21:11).⁹

Holiness radiates from the divine presence. Those things which are closest to God's presence are holier than things which are further off.

Sin impurity was a potent source of contamination and would drive away the divine presence if it were not atoned for. Under the Mosaic Covenant, there was no purification for deliberate, unrepented sin. Even the Day of Atonement could not purify the Temple from wilful, unrepented rebellion. The shekinah (dwelling) presence of the Lord would no longer inhabit the Temple.¹⁰ The people of Israel's conduct had the capacity to defile not only the Temple but also the land of Israel. The land itself was not intrinsically holy: to call it the 'Holy Land' is a misnomer. It was simply God's land where Israel could live in either holiness or profanity. If it was the latter, the end result would be exile.

Restoration and Cleansing in Messiah Jesus

Only the Messiah could restore Israel to holiness. People became clean through touching him; he did not become unclean. Jesus was like the altar in the Temple: his presence was the place where heaven touched earth. The altar was where sin was atoned for and Jesus forgave sins, so he was an atonement carrier – he had the power to forgive and cleanse – when lepers touched him they became clean, ritually clean.

Jesus was 'most holy', like the altar in the Temple and like the Holy of Holies where the ark was kept. Uniquely, unlike any other person, he could not be contaminated but he decontaminated others.

The woman who touched the 'hem' of Jesus' garment (Matt 9) knew she was touching the most holy part of his physical presence, since it was the edge of his prayer shawl, whose knots and windings represented the very word of God, so she was trembling in fear when discovered, because when common objects were unintentionally brought into contact with the holy, or brought into the divine presence without proper sanction, it could be dangerous. Unauthorised approaches could lead to disaster. At Mount Sinai, Moses was warned not to let the people come near in case the Lord broke out against them. Even on the Day of Atonement the High Priest had a rope tied round his ankle as he entered the Holy of Holies in case he was unclean in some way and was struck down and had to be pulled out.

Jesus was 'most holy', like the altar in the Temple and like the Holy of Holies where the ark was kept. He could not be contaminated - instead he decontaminated others.

All the more miraculous that a way has been opened for us to enjoy unfettered access to God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ and his indwelling Spirit. We "have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear." But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem...to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel" (Heb 12:18-24).

Let us not take this privilege for granted. We may be, thankfully, confident of full acceptance by the Lord through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, but let us not forget that he is radically, awesomely holy. So "let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire'" (Heb 12:28-29).

References

1 Maimonides, Introduction to Seder Todoroth. Quoted in Slotki, IW. The Soncino Babylonian Talmud, Book I, Folios 2a-23a. Moore, Soncino, p491.

2 Maimonides, Mishneh Torah Book 10, The Book of Cleanness.

3 Tilton, J. A Goy's Guide to Ritual Purity, Jerusalem Perspective. 30 April 2014. I am indebted to Joshua Tilton for a number of insights into ritual purity.

4 Ibid. The example here is extracted from Tilton's expanded example: "a sack of grain could be common, if it was harvested by an Israelite, and clean, if the harvester was in a state of ritual purity. But if a mouse climbed into the sack of grain and died, the grain would be common and unclean. On the other hand, if the harvester happened to set aside this particular sack of grain as tithe, then the grain would be holy and clean. And finally, if a mouse crawled into the sack of grain set aside for tithe and died, the grain would be holy and unclean."

5 Frankovic, J, in Wilson, MR. Jewish Laws of Purity in Jesus' Day. Torah Class.

6 Tilton, ibid (note 3).

7 "Cleanse me from my iniquity and purify me from my sin" (Ps 51:4)

8 Mishnah (m. Kelim 1:6-9).

9 Milgrom, J, 2004. Leviticus, A Book of Ritual and Ethics, A Continental Commentary. Fortress Press, Minneapolis, p143, 154.

10 Tilton, ibid (note 3).

Weekly passages: Leviticus 9:1-11:47; 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17; Hebrews 7:1-19; 8:1-6.

There can be no doubt that what God says goes. For Israel it even came down to careful rules about what to eat and what not to eat. Bear in mind that the conditions of the Covenant at Sinai (Deut 28-29) stipulated all his commandments (Deut 28:1) were to be obeyed. God's own people are to stand out among the nations as unique – holy to the Lord.

A Matter of Life and Death

If we doubt God's word, then read Leviticus 10 carefully. Aaron's own sons, before they had much opportunity to ease into their priestly ministry, lost their lives for unholy offerings. It is arresting for us to note how, on several important occasions of a particular principle coming into force, someone lost their life. Examples are the man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath Day (Num 15:32-36), Nadab and Abihu in this week's portion, and Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Holy Spirit on the matter of gifts to God (Acts 5:1-5). God's word is not negotiable and is a matter of life and death.

The chief focus of our Torah Portion this week is the beginning of the priestly ministry. The rules for sacrifice for a sin offering are laid out clearly - the substitutionary offerings of the lives of the specified animals "without any blemish" (Lev 9:2-3). If we did not have this information here and elsewhere in the Torah we would not have such vivid, clear points of teaching concerning the Lord Jesus the Messiah, for whom all these things prepared the way.

Read the details slowly and prayerfully. We read them as words in our Bibles. For the tribes of Israel, it was a point to consider every day of their lives as the priests performed the ministries of the Tabernacle (and later the Temple), always with the principle of no compromise etched into their memory from this experience in the wilderness years. This is God's Torah – his teaching. There is no other teacher or teaching like this in the entire world.

No Compromise

Neither was there compromise when Jesus the Messiah offered himself up as the sacrifice for sin for all that would believe. These types and shadows prepared the way for him. The line of Aaron relinquished their priestly standing that day and a new priesthood began, through Jesus our High Priest. The Father did not compromise that day of inauguration, painful though it was. Neither can we compromise.

For all people, whether Jew or Gentile, there is now only one way to reconciliation with the Father. Many New Testament passages affirm this. For example, John 10:7-18 is Jesus' own affirmation that he himself is the door to the sheepfold (verse 9), confirmed by John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

The uncompromising principles learned by Israel in the wilderness years are now transferred to salvation through Jesus the Messiah, both High Priest and the perfect lamb slain for the sins of the world. It is, in the deepest of all ways, a matter of life and death that we realise that there is no compromise in this. What better Torah Portion to read the week after Easter and on the days running up to Passover?¹

Author: Clifford Denton

Notes

1 As an aside, especially at a time when the Archbishop of Canterbury is talking about standardising the date of Easter, it would be good and timely to reconnect Easter with Passover. What we study in this Torah Portion is deeply relevant to both Jew and Gentile.

The latest revelations from the Panama Papers are damaging the Prime Minister's credibility.

Next week promises to be a very lively week in Westminster, with the Prime Minister fighting for his political life following revelations of his offshore investment - and charges that Number 10 brought forward the announcement of the publication of the EU leaflet to deflect attention from David Cameron.

Officially, Parliament is still on its Easter holiday break. But from all over the country, breaking news today (Friday 8 April) shows MPs on both sides of the House highly disturbed at what is going on in the government. The publication of the so-called 'Panama Papers' is rocking Downing Street because David Cameron's father is said to be one of those named in the database of Mossack Fonseca, the Panama-based law firm. The leaked documents are said to show how the law firm helped rich clients to launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax.

Damaged Credibility

There is no suggestion that David Cameron or his father were involved in illegal financial deals but the very fact that it took some days for the PM to admit that he had personally owned some shares in his father's firm is damaging to his credibility. He has stated that he sold the shares in 2010 before he became Prime Minister and that he complied with all the UK tax requirements when cashing in his investment.

Further damage to the Prime Minister's standing comes from the advanced publication of the government's EU Referendum leaflet which is to be distributed to every household throughout Britain - at a cost to the taxpayer of nearly £10 million. Already the leaflet is being heavily attacked for the veracity of its claims, which are said to be highly biased in favour of recommending the public to vote to stay in the European Union.

The very fact that the government is going to such extraordinary lengths to try to persuade voters to stay within the EU is profoundly disturbing. It is more likely to make people question the reasons why they are using such heavy-handed tactics.

The extraordinary lengths to which the government is going to persuade voters to stay within the EU are profoundly disturbing.

Doubting the Government

There were already many doubts about the 'new deal' the Prime Minister had said that he would negotiate with all the member states of the EU. He had boasted that he aimed to see a 'reformed Europe' which he could present to the British people. In pursuit of this reform he toured the capitals of Europe and spent hundreds of hours in discussion with EU leaders. But the resultant deal was certainly not a 'reformed Europe'.

Now, with this government leaflet that appears to be little more than EU propaganda and the Prime Minister's personal reputation being damaged, public trust in the government's handling of the Referendum may well wane.

A Nation Under Judgment

Many Christians believe that Britain is already a nation under judgment, following so many unrighteous Acts of Parliament that have steered the nation away from its biblical heritage into the paths of secular humanism. When a nation has embraced the Judeo-Christian faith for hundreds of years - as we have done in Britain - and then turns away from the truth, there are inevitably dire consequences in its spiritual and moral welfare which affect the social and economic health of the whole population. Quite simply, this is what has happened in Britain.

There is a severe warning in scripture to those who deliberately turn away from the truth: "The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him" (Deut 28:20). I know that these words were said to Israel who are a people in a special covenant relationship with God. But in Jeremiah 18, there is a similar warning that applies to all nations. It says this: "If at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it" (Jer 18:9-10).

When a nation embraces God for centuries and then turns away, there are inevitably dire consequences.

Confusion and Rebuke

Clearly our government is being severely shaken, with many backbench MPs even considering refusing to vote for the budget because of the distorted 'facts' in the EU Referendum leaflet – "confusion and rebuke" would be a good description of what is likely to be happening in our parliament in the next few days.

What can Christians do? Certainly we should be praying for our leaders. But also we should be calling for a clear presentation of the facts about the EU and not standing for attempts to scare people to remain under its jurisdiction. It is time for honesty and truth from our leaders. This is the only way that trust can be restored.

One American's perspective.

I was walking through a supermarket here, in St Louis, Missouri, the other day and enjoyed a brief but lively conversation with a young British woman hailing from the south of England. After the appropriate pleasantries and remarks of introduction had been exchanged, we began to touch on the cultural and political differences between the US and the UK. Her first direct question to me was, "What I want to know is, how could anyone vote for Donald Trump?"

Seven months out from one of the most pivotal presidential elections ever presented before the American people, along with phrases like 'border control', 'race war' and 'immigration', the name 'Donald Trump' elicits a response from almost everyone -- from the savviest of political insiders to the trend-obsessed 18-year old deciding whether or not to vote for the first time.

Everyone believes they have a position but, feet held to the fire, very few of us would boast that our position has been thought through with objectivity and seasoned personal conviction, and is based on facts.

Pushing Beneath the Surface

Let me be clear right out of hand. I am not necessarily a supporter of Mr Trump. As a matter of 'fact', I am not yet sure who I wish to support in this election. For me it will take time, study and prayer for God's leadership in order to decide who is to become the next President of the United States of America.

The name 'Donald Trump' elicits a response from almost everyone - but who of us would boast that our position has been properly thought through?

At first blush there are many things about Mr Trump, in particular, which are startling to the American (let alone the British!) sensibility – his arrogance, his appearance, his personal convictions (it is he who declared he has never had to ask God's forgiveness for anything he has done), his boorish demeanor, the seeming unending litany of bullying actions and impolitic comments that are (and always have been, where Trump is concerned) the source of unending fuel that fires the media.

However, after taking the time to push beyond the surface I believe I can pinpoint a few of the reasons why so many Americans are seriously backing Donald Trump.

Hope for the American Dream

Trump remembers when our people moved forward as a nation, each generation in the hope of a free, independent and productive future. And he declares that we can be that way again.

His grandfather was a European immigrant who was a successful businessman. His father was a man whose hard work and tenacity earned him audience with America's elite and enabled him to establish a name in the development of real estate and construction. Since birth, Donald Trump has been trained to operate at the pinnacle of American society.

For many, Trump personifies the American Dream.

Now, as the country that enabled his father to amass a personal fortune exceeding one quarter of a billion dollars by the time of his death reels from the impact of Obama's change without hope, Donald Trump decides to submit his credentials as an outside candidate to fill the highest post in the land.

Almost every citizen over the age of 40 in this country has equated the 'American Dream' (the idea that the hard-working, self-made man who, on the strength of his own tenacity, elbow-grease and determination to succeed, can supersede class and station despite all odds to create whatever legacy he chooses for himself and his family) to the pinnacle of personal freedom. Many of us have spent our lives trying to achieve this dream, passing its well-proven formula down to our children and grandchildren. However, most of us have found it to be harder than we thought, and have fallen short of our goals.

However, Mr Trump, to all intents and purposes, has lived the elusive 'American Dream'. Because of that, many US citizens find his person and his success enviable. Even if they don't agree with Trump's personal philosophies, they cannot deny his prowess in every field of endeavour. As a private businessman and public figure, Trump personally has enough clout - both fiscally and dynastically - to make it difficult for even the most seasoned power brokers to erase him from the canvas of public opinion.

Trump, to all intents and purposes, has lived the elusive 'American Dream'. Many US citizens find his person and his success enviable.

Sensationalism and Status

Trump's carefully crafted celebrity status both stimulates and threatens his ability to be taken seriously as a contender for the presidency. No matter how expensive the suit, his 'reality television' persona does not scream 'statesman'.

However, Mr Trump has brokered difficult business transactions, worked alongside lobbyists and politicians, pledged and followed through with open support for candidates from whichever side best championed his interests. He has hired and fired thousands of people, both Americans and immigrants. He has manipulated his public image to the point that, for twenty years, his personality has been as recognisable as that of the most highly paid celebrity or influential cultural icon in the world.

I believe it safe to say that Trump is not now, nor has he ever been, a stupid man.

It is easy, therefore, to believe in and support any man with his track record who says that, if he is elected, he will do all within his power to resurrect our national security, regain the confidence of our allies, empower our military and honour our veterans, improve and individualise the education our children receive, allow us to continue to protect ourselves, bring a return of free speech, support our elderly and sideline religious persecution.

Not an Establishment Man

Unlike every other candidate I, in my lifetime, have seen ascend to the point of being a contender for nomination by their representative party, Donald Trump is not the progeny of that small circle of mostly inter-connected American political elite. He has bought and paid for his own campaign with his own dollars. For better or worse, he is not concerned with pleasantries and platitudes.

Mind you, regardless of the appeal (or not) of his manner, Trump is not a 'clean' man. Although he says he is a Christian, from the 'fruits of his labours' I believe it to be a safe assumption that he, like most people, is perhaps speaking in reference more to his family tradition than to an active, living and breathing faith in Jesus Christ as his Saviour. It is a matter of public record that he vacillates in this regard. No doubt, Trump, like most people, will say whatever he needs to say, do whatever he thinks he must do, to protect and/or further his own best interests.

In my lifetime I have been unexpectedly blessed to spend a great deal of time in and around those who wield substantial influence in our nation – its business, politics and entertainment. It has been my observation that business and politics walk hand in hand in every nation on earth. There are players and there are watchers. Each country has its own system for getting things done, and those who learn how to manipulate that system receive the benefits thereof. No system devised by man is clean. The only difference I see between the outright misdeeds of Donald Trump and those of any other seasoned, career politician is that the career politician does things more quietly.

This is not said to justify his past and/or present behaviours. It is said to invite balance against the meteoric sensationalism that surrounds this man in contrast with his political opponents.

The only difference between the outright misdeeds of Donald Trump and those of any other seasoned, career politician is that the career politician does things more quietly.

The Quality of His Enemies

Ever since Trump began to tell the American people that the values, traditions and freedoms by which they have lived for generations may yet be restored he has gained a wide range of increasingly powerful enemies, from grassroots organisations to international politics and business. To make any attempt to list his detractors would do precious little for anyone's digestion or be a profitable use of time, so I will attempt to hit only the most recent highlights of adversarial activity.

• The turning of the Republican (conservative) party, the very party he seeks to represent, against him within recent weeks is unprecedented in the annals of American politics.
• The media increasingly twists many of his statements past the point of reason, creating confusion around every aspect of his person and his campaign, ignoring any attempt at journalistic integrity.
• Grassroots opponents, many of whom are paid protesters, endeavour to spark physical altercations at his rallies, block access to the buildings where he is campaigning, and threaten his supporters with physical harm for simply coming to hear him speak.

Who is being accused - Trump, or the 'silent majority' he purportedly represents?

The media would have us believe that, from the outside looking in, Trump's candidacy would inspire chaos, hatred, and despair as Trump, the new Hitler, would make America his footstool.

War on Who?

But it appears that the more dissension and disaffection is aimed at Donald Trump, the more support he seems to gain from the people. Why? Could it be that the war being waged against Trump and all he says he stands for is not, in reality, against the man, himself, but against those who support him?

Is it possible that, at its root, this is a war against the people?

We, The People (of God)

We who are followers of Christ understand that God positions leaders into the nations as he wills, so for the United States, at this juncture, Donald Trump may or may not be the man for the hour.

Either he is who he says he is and believes what he declares he believes, and God may choose to use him in the fight to return some level of balance and stability to our nation for a few years more – or Trump is following the money, having brokered a 'deal' with those who would collapse this, the last great unique government in the world – a deal which, in return for playing ball, would ensure him a seat on the board of the world corporation.

The election of any national leader is critical not only to their native peoples, but to governments across the globe; and we, as sons and daughters of the living God, are obligated - by the mandate of Christ - to be involved with one another on such level that the glory of God may be revealed to and through our nations. If we are allowed the privilege of a vote, we really should use it.

However, it is often disheartening to come away from a voting booth feeling as though we have simply chosen the candidate who we think will do the least damage during his/her tenure. We long for Godly men and women to step up, but seldom does either the US or the UK see that happen.

As sons and daughters of the living God, we are mandated to live such that the glory of God may be revealed to and through our nations. We must broaden our perspective.

Both the US and the UK represent great hinge points of leadership in the world. As citizens, we each represent a microcosm of our respective nations. I believe each one of us must broaden our perspective. As God's people, we must begin to see past the screen on the television, past the cultural borders of our nations, and unite in a more collective mindset. We must pray for one another's candidates, leaders and nations, if we are to become vessels for the wisdom and courage to stand for Jesus Christ.

Linda Louis-vanReed is Prophecy Today's American correspondent. She lives in Ferguson, Missouri with her husband, Bruce.