What is a Human: God's View on Transgenderism

What is a human?

Transgender politics are at an all time high, and the topic brings up a wealth of controversy no matter which side you take. We know, as children of God, we don't simply take up the world's viewpoint. Whatever it happens to be today will be different tomorrow, anyway, which should be one sign that it's not the Truth as the Truth doesn't change with the opinions of the crowd. So, what is the Truth, and how should we look at transgenderism and the souls involved in it? What is God's view on transgenderism?

One thing is to remember they are souls, just like us, and God yearns to bring them to His loving fold.

Now, let us go onward to the scriptures, God's love letter to us. It will give us the framework to understand our role in this topic.

He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them "Mankind" when they were created. - Genesis 5:2

God created us with two biological sexes. Of course there are those who are born as both or neither, upon external expression. However, the sex genes of X and Y determine whether you're a woman (all X) or male (at least one Y).

But, most people supporting transgenderism view sex (biology/genetics) as separate from gender (mindset/internal view of oneself). So, what does the Bible say about that?

It's certainly not a cut-and-dry topic, but when Hebrews thought of our essence of spirit, it was connected intrinsically with the physical body. When God "breathed" into mankind in Genesis 2:7 to bring us to life, it was a dual symbol of the literal breath of life and His Life and Holy Spirit being breathed into us.

Let's give an example of this. Jesus was crucified, proven dead, buried in a tomb. He rose from the grave and met up with his disciples upon the road.

While they were describing these events, Jesus Himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and frightened, thinking they had seen a spirit.

“Why are you troubled,” Jesus asked, “and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me and see—for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet.

While they were still in disbelief because of their joy and amazement, He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” So they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He took it and ate it in front of them. - Luke 24:36-43

Remember that Jesus was not dead when His friends saw Him again, and perhaps that's what He is referring to: the idea of dead spirits, a belief that originated with pagans and Greek philosophers (that body is separate from soul). Every time ghosts are brought up in the Bible (see Deuteronomy 18:11 or 1 Samuel 28:3-19) they are associated with demons or those forbidden occult practitioners where demons could pretend to be loved ones. Most other places in ancient Hebrew tradition, they looked at death as "dust to dust," "a deep sleep," etc.

This is what made Jesus' resurrection that much more amazing. He was showing how, when God raises us from the dead, we are still us. We may be healed and whole, but we are still the physical self we identified with while alive before. We are not a soul planted into another body. We are our body, and God not only pieces us back together from the dust but endows us with the same personality, possibly even retaining our memories. Did you notice Jesus ate (to show His physicality) and remembered his friends and their times together? This was all done on purpose.

However, as we are mediators of Earth and Spiritual realms in the image of God, we are both physical and spiritual in a sense. We sit on the edge of both worlds without being fully either, much like Jesus.

Check out the Wisdom of Solomon, which is from the Apocrypha.

Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no remedy when a man comes to his end, and no one has been known to return from Hades. Because we were born by mere chance, and hereafter we shall be as though we had never been; because the breath in our nostrils is smoke, and reason is a spark kindled by the beating of our hearts. When it is extinguished, the body will turn to ashes, and the spirit will dissolve like empty air. Our name will be forgotten in time, and no one will remember our works. (2:1-4)

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. (3:14)

There's a lot yet to peruse in order to fully understand what the Hebrews believed concerning the soul. We can't fully know, until we die, what exists beyond this life or where our essence or breath of life takes us, other than the fact that we are always with God.

If the soul and body are fully intertwined, I would say that our biological sex is the only concrete part of our gender that exists beyond feelings, cultural norms, and expectations of society.

Some might say our brains are made differently, and some people of one sex has the brain of another sex (which is a highly controversial thing to assume each sex has a different brain). Scientists are currently studying this subject with nothing concrete that I've found in my research. There's no question that science backs up what the Bible says: biologically, there are only two sexes. So, since science is unsure about brain genders, let's go further.

Society has a lot of nonsensical gender role expectations, which we can be dismissed outright. What about Biblical ones? We've taken a close look at those in other posts, such as in the ones about feminism, marriage, and submission.

There were several times taking on the role of the other sex/gender (remember these are the same in ancient Hebrew eyes) were forbidden.

Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, - 1 Corinthians 11:14

This is because in the culture Paul was speaking to, men wore long hair to express homosexuality, as if they were taking the role of a woman, and this is forbidden, too.

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. - Leviticus 18:22

We can't even try to dress as the other gender as if we were taking on their role. What that gender wears, however, is determined by the culture in which you reside.

A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God. - Deuteronomy 22:5

There is a hierarchy of authority, and if you have a problem with this, again, read this post. Submission has become a horrible word that conjures up worldly, power-hungry men. This is not the type of hierarchy that God desires. Look at what He actually wants, not what the world assumes He wants. His ways are not Humanity's ways.

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. - 1 Corinthian 11:3

If men can be women and women can be men, all the above is nonsense. Yet, that's exactly the way of the world. It's confusion masked as truth.

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who turn darkness to light
and light to darkness,
who replace bitter with sweet
and sweet with bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight. - Isaiah 5: 20-21

Let me back up now and clarify something. There are many people in the world who honestly believe they are truly another gender than their sex. It is my personal opinion that they have a mental illness: gender dysmorphia. Yes, if you look up the term, you'll find that people believe this condition to not be a mental illness. With any dysmorphia, there is a disconnect between the reality of your body and your perceptions. For example, body dysmorphia can cause anorexia if the person believes their body to be more overweight than they actually are. Yet, strangely, you'll find those same sources both wishing medical treatment for an anorexic person's delusions while wanting everyone to agree with and support the gender dysmorphic person's delusions. This is obvious confusion.

People who are transgender need love, compassion, and understanding.

Jesus healed countless people as He walked around spreading the Word. It'd be good to pay attention to just how He did that. He listened, spoke the Truth (always), and Loved.

So, what is a human, according to God? We are body and soul, intertwined, one reflecting the reality of the other. Our roles in life are different but complementary in a Biblical-type-of-hierarchy system. We, as Christians, should never call out an unbeliever on their actions and words, as they are simply acting as unbelievers do. However, if they ask, we are called to Truth, always the Truth and always in Love.

God bless!


https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/what-does-the-bible-say-about-transgenderism/
https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/5-things-every-christian-must-know-about-the-transgender-debate
https://evangelicalbible.com/the-transgender-delusion/
https://pages.uncc.edu/james-tabor/ancient-judaism/death-afterlife-future
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/whats-up-with-the-witch-of-endor/
http://www.beki.org/dvartorah/crossdressing/
https://drmsh.com/the-mind-body-problem-summarizing-the-tough-issues/

A Musical God

When you think of music, do you think of the creator of the universe? One of God's many languages He uses to speak with us is song, and I'm not necessarily speaking of songs with worship lyrics.

It's cliché to think of heaven as a place with cloud floors and cherubic angels who play on harps. There's nothing in the Bible that would suggest that is anywhere close to the truth of heaven. However, I can guarantee one thing you'll encounter when you cross the "pearly gates": there will be music. There's no telling what genre of music is prevalent or if they all exist there, possibly more genres than we know. In fact, I dare to say that music is something our soul uses to communicate in a language no one has to learn to understand. It's one of the many ways we are a mirror of God's attributes, and music came straight down from God. Why would God have music in heaven? Because He loves it!

And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, And they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. - Revelation 14:2-3

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.” - Revelation 5:8-10

When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy? - Job 38:7

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." - Luke 2:13-14

I've actually read some sources that state angels don't seem to be able to sing as they are usually shown as "saying" things and never singing even while humans (albeit sometimes in heaven) are shown as "singing." Whatever the case may be, music is after God's own heart.

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! - Psalm 150:1-6

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. - Psalm 40:3

Psalms are an entire book of songs, many of them written by David, the musician king. Then, of course, there's the Song of Solomon.

While we're on the subject of music, the Bible is filled with dancing.

Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing. - Exodus 15:20

"Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you will take up your tambourines, And go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. - Jeremiah 31:4

Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. - Psalm 149:3

And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. - 2 Samuel 6:14

It happened when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart. - 1 Chronicles 15:29

I know there are denominations which do not condone dancing, but if the Bible has anything to say about the matter, it seems God likes dancing in worship. He likes songs filled with instruments and those filled with voices.

Do you have a song in your heart? Will you sing or dance to it before God today?

God bless!

For Life is More

Everything in this world screams to be your master and your main focus, even things seemingly innocuous. We too easily give our power up to the least things. In a life full of survival, God wants you to not just live but to thrive.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no storehouse or barn, yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds! - Luke 12:23

If you're focused on only getting by each day you'll lose sight of the reality of His grace, love, and the fulfillment of His promises in your life. You'll lose sight of the opportunity to be His hands and feet. You'll lose yourself to the continuous waves of the ocean, trying to keep your head above water.

We're not talking about clinical depression or severe illness, which sometimes necessitates a hyper-focus on yourself and your survival, at least for portions of time. He is the Healer, and He understands this situation even while He wants more for you.

There's a reason He's called a rock. He's the stillness in chaos, the peace in a storm, and the breeze on a torturously hot day. You stand firm on Him, you don't need to always think about where your next meal will come from or whether you'll be able to cover your skin or have a roof over your head.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. - John 10:10

I'm not saying you'll be rich or even have a daily meal. What I mean is God is beyond all this. You pray for rain, but He can fulfill your thirst without it. You pray for money for rent, but He can keep a roof over your head without it. If your head is on the surface of life, you'll want the tools to help yourself, and you know, He might give them. However, KNOW that you can rely on Him instead of those tools. When your God is above the mundane of life, so are you. When your Father is the creator and keeper of all things, beings, from one corner of the universe to the next, in control of all, what can you fear? What is even physical death but a minor inconvenience?

Many times, if you study history or anthropology, you'll learn that when people were no longer worried as much about day-to-day survival as a civilization, art and creativity burgeoned into the world like a butterfly escaping its chrysalis. This is just a peek at the rebirth you were saved for. There is a kingdom within you that you're spreading. You're not just spreading life, you're spreading LIFE through God and His word.

How do you do this? The biggest way is to Love.

Does this mean to quit your day job or forget about your responsibilities? Does this mean to get rid of your 401k? No, it means to re-understand your place and purpose in life and know that your job and your savings were not allowed you by God to keep food on the table. God can do more than that for you. It's there for you to love others and learn lessons you may need later to love yet still more.

Money, resources, emergency supplies, and the rest are merely tools, options in a world where God is in control of all. If He gives you those tools, they remain His, and you are their stewards, responsible for using them on behalf of God's will.

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.
”And he told them this parable:
“The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” - Luke 12:13-21

Give to one another what you have, whether that is material things, time, energy, love, etc. You are no longer a person surviving in the world. You are a Child of God, thriving in His kingdom.

Do you know the ONLY time God asked His people to test Him?

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. - Malachi 3:10

What does this mean? Give. Give what you have, and don't worry for your survival. God will provide. Test Him in this!

So, what does charity and volunteerism have to do with living your life to the fullest? Everything. Check out these clearly not religious links:

Psychology Today
Harvard Health
The Guardian

God knows what we need. We need Him. We thrive off loving one another. God bless!

But He answered and said, "It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."" - Matthew 4:4

God's Name

You'll come across it all the time in the Bible: God's name. You'll see it in so many forms. He's called Yahweh, I am that I am (or "I will be who/what I will be" depending on translation), El Shaddai, the Elohim, El Roi, Lord of hosts/armies, and sometimes simply The Name.

Why is God's name so important that it's brought up repeatedly? First, the Hebrews were surrounded by nations who had their own "gods," and they wanted to make sure to differentiate their One True God from all the others. Back in the Old Testament, when God "left" the other nations to the "foreign gods" after they abandoned Him at the tower of Babel, the Hebrews were brought out from this confusion to start over with God as the light for all. He'd always intended to save us all, and to do that, we needed to know who He is.

There is power in a name. It signifies an identity, of course, but also the characteristics and reputation of that identity. God is not like the other "gods," who were like fallen humans with some magic capabilities or like distant stars that left people to their destinies with little care.

We learn His characteristics:

He's holy.

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. - Matthew 6:9

He's a place of refuge.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. - Proverbs 18:10

He is salvation.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. - Acts 4:12

He was the same God of all the righteous people He'd called on before. He is the uncreated creator.

Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who (that) I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. - Exodus 3:13-15

He existed first and will always exist.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” - Revelation 1:8

He is our Father and comforter.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” - Romans 8:15

He is the only way, truth, and life.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6

He is our healer.

Saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” - Exodus 15:6

He has the ultimate power and knowledge above all others.

Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know! - Proverbs 30:4

He is jealous as He's the One who created, loves, and guides you. Why would you follow another?

...for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God - Exodus 34:14

He is very serious about His reputation as it's how His people will know Him. He is all the above characteristics and more.

“Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the Lord.” - Jeremiah 16:21

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, - Matthew 28:19

Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.” - Isaiah 52:6

You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. - Leviticus 19:12

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. - Exodus 20:7

Just skimming the Bible, you'll find that names were important to God and the Hebrews for signifying the essence of a being, including humans. Names were changed when the person made a change in their identity. They were usually assigned a name change by God Himself.

Abram (high father) became Abraham (father of a multitude) when he was promised descendants as numerous as the sands and stars. Sarai (princess) became Sarah (mother of nations) as she would be the mother of the multitude. Jacob (supplanter) became Israel (to strive with) when God told him he'd no longer be known by his trickery but rather by his striving with God. Simon (God has heard) became Peter (rock) when he became a disciple and Jesus declared he would be the rock of His church.

What is the meaning of your name, and what do you believe God would call you? Have you experienced a deep change in identity like those in the Bible?

So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day. - Psalms 61:8

Sources outside of the Bible:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/why-it-matters-that-god-is-yahweh.html
https://thebibleproject.com/podcast/theme-god-e10-gods-name-character/
https://thebibleproject.com/podcast/theme-god-e13-what-gods-name-feat-dr-michael-heiser/
https://drmsh.com/the-naked-bible/yhwh/

Divine Council

There are a great many concepts that exist within the Bible that most people tend to miss the first time around. I know I did. I made a great deal of assumptions on the meanings of things based on modern theology, culture, and norms. Little did I know that something as awesome as this existed. So, here's something I'll let you in on: the Divine Council.

In Hebrew, there is a word thrown around a lot in the Word: Elohim. This word was used to refer to the One True God, false or foreign gods, angels, afterlife spirits (1 Samuel 28:13), Moses (as God's middle man), the judges (this is debated; Exodus 21:6), and the Messianic king (Psalms 45:7). Soooo, what does Elohim mean, actually?

Elohim is a word that can be both plural and singular (like "sheep"), which can be understood in context. It means something like "spirit," or "being of the spiritual realm." It can refer to God, Himself, since He's also a being of that spiritual realm, or of any other being in that realm, which includes angels, beings pagans worshipped, and any number of other life forces. Sometimes, writers of the Old Testament didn't use the word Elohim. Sometimes, they referred to spiritual beings as the "hosts of heaven, "assembly of the holy ones," "stars," or "messengers."

This may seem like a strange concept to us, but it wasn't to the Hebrews. There was an ancient understanding that there are two realms, the physical and the spiritual, and while many beings didn't transverse the two, there were many who did. God, that is the Elohim of Elohim (God of gods or the highest being of all) created them all and exists in both or neither. We may better understand these realms as dimensions.

In sections written in Greek, they used the word Theos to refer to God as His title because they didn't have a word similar to the Hebrew Elohim. However, as the writers of the New Testament described the attributes of God or explained Jesus' sacrifice, they still utilized these concepts, by referring to spiritual beings as "powers and authorities," in this example referring to fallen elohim.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. - Colossians 2:15

Back to the Divine Council.

Just as there are leaders and powers in this physical realm, which God has allowed, there are leaders and powers in the spiritual realm as well. Maybe one way to describe this is like a company where maybe the Father is the Founder, Jesus is the CEO, and the leaders are managers, regional directors, etc. This metaphor may not be perfect, but I wanted to emphasize that in this company, God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, so He doesn't really "need" any one below. However, His personality is such that He desires communion and shares authority with others. This is where we come into the picture.

Since the beginning, God has been working on making us a sort of ambassador or cohabiter between realms. We exist here, in the physical, but we are also spiritual.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-28

We were meant to be part of the Divine Council along with the "hosts of heaven" and the "assembly of the holy ones." However, the Bible is vague as to why some angels fell (like Eden's snake) and have attempted to overturn God's plans to save humanity to turn them into His children and thus into holy Council members. Some say the fallen angels believed humans are animals compared to them, and they were jealous of God's lofty plans for them. Some say they were jealous we could procreate and "create" others. Nothing says exactly, so it could be an entire drama behind the scenes that we're just not aware of at this time.

You will find many instances where God confers with His council members for their ideas on plans and situations. See Genesis where He's constantly speaking with someone (some say this could just be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit conversing), Job where the righteous man was tested by a Satan figure, or deciding the best plan to oust the evil King Ahab in 1 Kings.

God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment... Psalm 82:1

Let it be known that this concept of a divine council, like pretty much everything, is debated. Read the Bible and pray for the answer to be revealed. If we are to be Council Members with God, praying is essentially filling the role you were made for: sitting down with God amongst His council and asking for His help.

God bless!

Sources other than Bible:
Podcasts -
The Bible Project - Spiritual Warfare
The Naked Bible

Books -
The Unseen Realm

Websites -
http://themelios.thegospelcoalition.org/review/the-unseen-realm-recovering-the-supernatural-worldview-of-the-bible
https://www.thedivinecouncil.com/
https://www.miqlat.org/what-the-bible-teaches-about-a-divine-council.htm
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/wholecounsel/2018/08/29/gods-divine-council/
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/765621073/Old-Testament-divine-council-called-a-sod.html
https://blog.logos.com/2018/03/two-ways-study-divine-council/
https://glorywaters.org/2018/03/23/does-the-bible-teach-a-divine-council/
https://nakedbiblepodcast.com/podcast/naked-bible-249-did-israelites-view-their-judges-as-gods/

Good Resources for a Growing Relationship with God

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

I attempt to write a new blog every week or so, and some of the topics I study are entirely reliant on the Bible alone. However, I would be remiss to say that I need only my own knowledge to understand these, many times, complicated and controversial subjects that exist in an ancient book written in a foreign language and culture. I'm not an island and have only casual skills in Biblical study. As such, I want to spread the best resources I've personally read or listened to in order to delve into the pages of God's love letter. These are websites, podcasts, and books by Bible scholars, historians, and ancient language experts who know their stuff. No amateurs here cause, yeah, I'm amateur enough. I don't want the blind leading the blind.

This is far from comprehensive, and it's important to remember that developing any relationship with God comes through a natural curiosity about Him. He doesn't exist only in these sources or even just in sources typically considered "spiritual" or "Christian" or "Jewish." Sometimes, we can find Him by finding where He isn't. Everything can be an influence on us, so tread carefully before fully believing anything. However, don't avoid sources just because they seem archaic, mysterious, far-fetched, or down right incorrect on first impression. I'm reminded of Jesus sitting down with the tax-collectors, prostitutes, including a thief in His inner circle, and healing those so contagious with disease no one else would dare tread near. You may find God in the most unlikely of places. Just keep your ears open to hear His voice. Believe me, He's already speaking.


Websites:
logos.com
biblicalarchaelogy.org
equip.org
bible.org
biblestudytools.com (also contains Strong's Concordance)
biblegateway.com
biblehub.com
eliyah.com (also contains Strong's Concordance)
blueletterbible.com
thebibleproject.com
drmsh.com


Podcasts:
The Bible Project
Naked Bible

Books:
The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser
A Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius
What Does the Bible Say About by Brian Ridolfi
Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, & Time Charts
What the Bible is All About by Dr. Henrietta Mears


If you know any more good sources, please share, and I'll add them to my next post on "Good Resources for a Growing Relationship with God."

God bless!

How the Bible, Fairy Tales, and Judicial Branch are Related

Some unbelievers like to call the Bible a fairy tale, but did you know there actually is a similarity in their purpose?

There is such a disconnect between the mind set and cultural norms between our modern world in the West and the ancient world in the East that it's easy to misunderstand where the writers of the Bible were coming from. Did you know there are 613 laws in the Old Testament? Did you know Torah (the first give books of the Bible) is not correctly translated as the Law but as Instruction or Revelation? In fact, our understanding of law and judges are not the same as the understanding of people living in the Old Testament.

We are a society with statutory law. In other words, nowadays, judges use detailed written law codes to make judgements. Back then, as sources state, they used a fluid wisdom tradition or an "intuition of justice with a background of cultural norms" (bibleproject). It was not formulaic. They relied on the morality of the judges. Now, we hope they are moral, but they are still allowed to make judgements as they are no longer considered the authority: the law is.

The laws as described in the Old Testament included both natural, obvious transgressions and other customary wisdoms, which could be fluid within reason. For instance, "Don't murder" is obviously a good rule for ever and everywhere. There are exceptions even in that law, present even in the Bible (i.e. self-defense, warfare, etc.). Some are murkier like "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard" (Leviticus 19:27). This is generally agreed to be a practice done by other nations who were idolaters either in the worship of their gods or in excessive, immoderate mournings. This is, in our western modern world, not a known practice that still exists. If you're cutting the sides of your head or beard, you probably aren't doing it because you worship other gods. This is what the laws boil down to. Most of the odd laws in the Bible are simply clarifying, for the people of that time and place, the main commandments such as the Big 10 (i.e.Don't worship other gods).

Fast forward to the 1800's Germany, there were two brothers whose father was a lawyer. They were librarians, writers, and scholars. The two professions collided when they decided to collect old tales from across Germany.

What compelled the (Brothers) Grimm to concentrate on old German epics, tales, and literature was a belief that the most natural and pure forms of culture—those which held the community together—were linguistic and based in history. According to them, modern literature, even though it might be remarkably rich, was artificial and thus could not express the genuine essence of Volk culture that emanated naturally from experience and bound the people together. Therefore, all their efforts went toward uncovering stories from the past. (neh.gov)

They'd realized that old tales, passed down to children throughout the ages, held the collective moral conscience and what it meant to be a German. Publication of their collected tales spurred several other European countries to do the same (neh.gov/notablebio).

In the same way, the writers of the Bible were writing down history, stories, poetry, much of which were previously conveyed before by oral traditions in order to pass down the collective moral conscience of the community and what it meant to be a Child of God. Throughout most of history, people just didn't think to write every single thing down, but at some point someone realized that it might be important preserve this sense of right and wrong and sense of cultural identity for future generations.

By the time Jesus arrived on Earth as a human, there were several sects of Judaism who were seeing the Old Testament in more of a statuary law sense. This is what people call legalism. It can sprout many rabbit trails, which begin to make things impossible.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Matthew 5:17-22

The law remained the law. The collective knowledge of God's ways and truths remained His truths. However, as Jesus explains, some people were so tied up in correcting people over washing of hands and plucking an ear of corn on the Sabbath that they failed to see that these laws were there to promote a gentle, loving soul. The heart and spirit of the laws were not about just abstaining from causing death: they were about raising up to life.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said: ‘Honor your father and mother’a and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘The help you would have received from me has been given to God,’ he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:

‘These people honor Me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from Me.

They worship Me in vain;

they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ ...

“Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.” Matthew 15:1-20

Jesus was returning their attention to the spirit of the law, which boils down to the collective moral conscience of the Israelite people.

It's important to know where the writers and intended readers of the Bible were coming from in context of their own culture, time period, assumed mores, etc. It helps us to fully understand the messages they're trying to convey.

God bless!



https://www.notablebiographies.com/Gi-He/Grimm-Brothers.html
https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2015/marchapril/feature/how-the-grimm-brothers-saved-the-fairy-tale
http://www.yashanet.com/library/under2.htm
https://reformjudaism.org/learning/torah-study/va-etchanan/torah-rules-or-wisdom
http://www.helsinki.fi/teol/pro/_merenlah/oppimateriaalit/text/english/judaism.htm

Podcast:
The Bible Project - Law as a Revolution (and others)