What Do Israeli Soldiers And The Woman Of Proverbs 31 Have In...
Today I would like to raise an interesting question: What do Israeli soldiers and the woman of Proverbs 31 have in common? In Modern Hebrew, a male soldier is Hayal (חייל) and…
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Today I would like to raise an interesting question: What do Israeli soldiers and the woman of Proverbs 31 have in common? In Modern Hebrew, a male soldier is Hayal (חייל) and…
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In verse 17 we read that Jesus defended himself by referring to a well-known concept in Jewish tradition – God rested on Sabbath day. After the initial creation described in Genesis, He has continued to do some work on each the Sabbath day ever since. Jesus therefore stated: “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” The logic was very simple. If children are born on the Sabbath day then it means that God works to give them life on the Sabbath day. Therefore, Jesus’ reasoning was already accepted by many Jews as a Jewish Torah-observant opinion and an honorable life-style for fellow practicing Jews.
This is indeed a powerful story. Sickness – the symbol of human chaos, was called into order by the power of Jesus’ word; just like pre-creation chaos was once called into the order of creation by Israel’s Heavenly King in exactly the same way. Now the Royal Son of Israel’s god has come to the pagan abode (Asclepius’ pool) and healed a Jewish man who had lost all hope.
The Story of Naaman is one of the most beloved and memorable stories in all of the Hebrew Bible. Believers easily identify with Naaman – commander of Syrian army who had a major problem in his life. He suffered from a terrible skin disease. The miracle of his healing after following the simple instructions of Elisha reminds New Testament believers of their new birth. After all, they have experienced it by simply trusting God and calling on Jesus for salvation. They are also able to identify with Naaman as a fellow sufferer. To be human is in some way to be a sufferer and no one is immune from problems, suffering and difficulties. Those who trust God and have known suffering and misery also know what it means for God to break through to their hearts and bless them with his covenantal blessing of healing that is always spiritual and sometimes physical. However, we would argue that such an interpretation of this chapter, while inspiring, completely misses its main point. What do we mean? Please, allow us to explain.