More Grain

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Gleaning, gleaning sin, matthew 10, Matthew 12, Torah, Was Yeshua Gleaning Against The Law

In a previous article titled Just A Bit Of Grain you read a story line that helped to “put you in the shoes” of some of the Biblical Characters. That article further demonstrated the social foundation of the people of that time, and the particular event that was happening in respect to the social structure that those of Messiah operated within. This article is a part two to Just A Bit Of Grain. Let’s learn together.

Before the Disciples found themselves in the grain field, on a Sabbath, plucking heads of grain, they had been through a bit of a trial by fire. Yeshua had chosen His twelve, gained a bit of a following, then sent them out two-by-two to preach the Gospel to the surrounding cities. This was a very important step in achieving the goal. If a person is not rightly prepared for God to enter their lives, the shackles, lies, and tricks of the enemy will cause the person to turn God away. Most of us have experienced people not accepting our true love for them. God is no different: He carries absolutely no character but His own and many are not willing to accept Him for who He truly is, leaving them to settle for a cheap ersatz of His beautiful, strong and courageous Fatherly character.

The question here is this: why did the Author, Matthew, pen this in such a way that the event of sending them out two-by-two is followed directly by the event of the grain field? As mentioned in the previous article, we are looking past the drama of the Pharisees’ condemnation of Yeshua’s choices that day. We are asking ourselves why a grain field? Why gleaning after being apart from one another for so long? The setting could have just as easily been them enjoying a Synagogue Service. After all, it was Shabbat. It could have been at a river, or the Sea of Galillee, but it wasn’t. It was them picking heads of grain in a grain field on a Sabbath afternoon and likely exchanging excited stories and woes about the things they experienced while exploring their local towns and what it meant to spread the true Word of God to people who were about to meet Him.

In order to have a deeper understanding of why Yeshua chose a grain field on the Sabbath day, we must understand what gleaning means. In The Torah’s (Hebrew For Law, God’s Law as it is understood) Leviticus we find the definition of gleaning.

“Now, when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am יְהוָֹה your God.”(Leviticus 19:9-10)

Let’s pick through that some. Who, in Yeshua’s time, was understood to be responsible for keeping God’s law of gleaning? The answer is landowners who had food growing on that land. Okay, who benefited when farmers were obedient to God’s gleaning law? Verse ten says it is the needy and the stranger who benefited. How? How did the needy and the stranger benefit? They received their daily bread without having to beg for it. And what exactly are the responsibilities of the landowner? Verse nine taught landowners that the responsible way to reap their harvests was to do so while purposefully leaving the corners of the field unharvested, purposefully leaving fallen fruit on the ground, and purposefully not gleaning those things themselves, but leaving them for the stranger and the needy. Lastly, how does one glean? A stranger or needy person who needs food would go to a field, looking to the corners of the field first and venturing towards the interior looking for fallen fruit if the corners do not stultify their need for bread that day.

Now that we have a better understanding of what gleaning meant as a social undercurrent, let’s look at Yeshua’s resolve to take His Disciples gleaning on that Sabbath Day. What might He have been saying to His Disciples? Their act of plucking the grain heads as they walked through the field showed humility, although they were directly under the tutelage of The Almighty. It all belongs to Him, yet there they were together, lowering themselves to the lowly position of strangers in the land. “For you are strangers and sojourners with Me”(Leviticus 25:23) is the Scripture that comes to mind with all its warmth and love and gratitude. Yeshua was thanking them for the work they had done and assuring them that they were part of His fold.

Yeshua, when sending them out previous to the grain field event, charged them to take nothing with them:

-no bread

-no bag

-no money in their belts

-to wear sandals and not bring two tunics

-to have relied on the lodging provided by the respectable houses found in the city they entered and to stay there until they left

Yeshua, giving them those instructions is reminiscent of the manna from years past. They had their daily bread, and that was it. No leftovers in a bag for later. Just like in the desert. Except this bread from heaven came through Godly households before being received by the Disciples. This resulted in a holy cycle of blessing for God to work with while the Disciples, as His ambassadors, were preparing the cities for His arrival. There may have been times where no worthy household was found and the pair were forced to sleep outside and glean the fields for food until they found the proper soil to plant the seeds they were planting, the proper plants to protect and water with the living water they were offering, or the proper plants to prune with the wise eye of the Master Gardener who was overseeing their work. The structure and rules laid on the Disciples were not easy rules to follow and took great faith to do so. While gleaning in the fields that day, subtly, Yeshua was saying to them I was with you the whole way, we suffered together. The Father will not make you do something He would not go through Himself. He said this by showing them that He picked grain heads too, by taking them to pick grain heads with Him on a Sabbath Day.

Lastly, Yeshua leveraged the drama of the Religious Rulers’ tort against them as an opportunity to really drive home His gratitude and love for His Disciples. He indicated that the Disciples were on the same level as David! Above, in the eyes of God, those who serve the Temple! What a feel good, warm fuzzy that must have been!

Another article could be written focusing on the season: picking grain heads means it was Spring. A lot of information concerning the connections from their mission together and the times of Pesach, Firstfruits, Unleavened Bread and Shavuot is wrapped into that fact alone. Those studies are left for you study yourself with God. I may write an article on that in the future. Time will tell.

The few points above are a small glimpse into the veritable treasure trove that is the mind of Messiah: available to anyone who is willing to study themselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15 reference) with the goal of being of the same mind with Messiah (Philippians 2:20 reference) in order that we might move beyond the elementary principles of repentance and faith in God, toward wholeness (Hebrews 6:1 reference). It is by meditating on these things that true soundness of mind, healing of the spirit, and graduating towards the fulfillment of your calling is achieved. This article is meant as a starting line complete with gel packs and hydration to get you running the race with everything you need. Open up your Bible and get a move on. Messiah does not give rest to those who dilly dally on His opportunities. Shalom and thank you for reading my article, I pray it’s blessings multiply within you. Let’s grow together.

By: T.Griffin ben Yeshua Messiah

There is more where that came from! Here are links to Gleaning The Scriptures on YouTube, TorahTube, Rumble, and if you would like to point some of your generosity our way, you can show your support via Patreon. One Time Donations available through the web-site below. Donations are far from necessary: freely we have received and freely we give, with joy, integrity, and honor.

FREE STUFF: Find free Bible Meditations, Biblical Calendars, and more at www.GleaningTheScriptures.com

Or check out This Post’s Accompanying Video

A Wolf Of A Second Son

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wolf, sheeps clothing, moses' seat, the parable of the two sons

Have you ever wondered why we are instructed to know people by their fruits? Consider: somebody thought to be a wolf may, it turns out, be a sheep? These musings are addressed in this article using the authority of Scripture coupled with a relationship with God. That is a powerful combination. Let’s learn together.

Mathew did us a solid and obediently wrote the Gospel of Matthew. In Matthew’s Gospel, stories are preternaturally linked one after another weaving lesson upon lesson from The Creator, glistening in the sun and quietly calling to each of us to come to His laudable presence. These stories, given time, prove to serve as a warm coat in a cold world. “A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, “Son, go, work today in my vineyard.” He answered and said,”I will not,” but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second son and said likewise. He answered and said,”I go, sir.” But he did not go.” (Matthew 21:28-30). The context of that Scripture is such that the parable was spoken against the Religious Leaders of that time, for many of them carried the characteristics of the second son, while the tax collectors and sinners carried the characteristics of the first son. This, Yeshua plainly said when He told them,”…but tax collectors and harlots enter the Kingdom of Heaven before you (the Religious Leaders)” (Matthew 21:32).

For the sake of the tender, new believers, we will quickly explore the characteristics of the two sons in the parable and how the metaphor is engineered to link to real life. The first son was the tax collectors and harlots. They did not choose to serve God with their lives; however, that decision was found to be a regrettable one that led to a life full of contretemps or worse. After learning first hand what death tasted like, they came to fully serve God: with many, for the rest of their lives. This is a son who is pleasing to Our Father.

The second son, today, is not easily stultified to begin with by the threats that hold hands with a choice to serve God. He initially accepts this calling and genuinely. However, knowingly or unknowingly, falls away. The second sons begin their lives going into religious duties and service, organized or on their own. This second son ensures God is part of daily life as well as fellowship, religious ceremony attendance, alms, charity, and holy speech/jewelry. The righteous begin this walk and continue to make right choices amidst the mounting and more serious threats, suffering gracefully and serving God for the sake of God. This leads to a beautiful, mature, praiseworthy walk that more closely resembles the outside walk: selflessly serving God and man. For the second sons, when the falling away begins, slowly, the aforementioned list is not altered: what is happening inside does get altered though. Inside, the need to care for self alongside fear begin to trump serving God and others more and more as time’s beat slowly drums over their lives: a wolf in sheep’s clothing being carefully curated contemptuously, cautiously and charismatically signed with a smile, a twinkle in the eye and a reassurance of emotional maturity.

This leads us to an important point. Why does God tell us to know people by their fruits? (Matthew 7:15-20 reference). This comes down to relationship. And like trees producing fruit, relationships take time to build. The enemy, who seeks to deceive that he may kill and destroy, works through people’s selfishness. It is hard to tell if somebody is being selfless or selfish, but if you take the time to get to know somebody, then assess the fruit (not how they make you feel in the moment, but the fruit) better known as the results in your life because of a relationship with them, that is fulfilling the command. The most powerful tool the enemy has is making you feel good. If he can surround you with people who always make you feel good, but are slowly picking away at the things that matter as a result, well that is how that wicked serpent works. He plants desires in you, then guides you through the fulfillment of those desires.

Often times a good friend will hurt you where it hurts most, for the purpose of fixing a fatal flaw you posses. This is an example of a lamb that seems to be a wolf. After being hurt badly, it is very important to sit back and assess the fruits that have come from that relationship. Ask yourself: when I do what this person suggests, even though it hurts and is often hard, has it improved the things that are important to me or hurt them? Conversely, it is extremely important, after a year or so of relationship with somebody, to ask yourself: although this relationship fulfills desires and feels good, has this person proven themselves trustworthy with the things that are important to me?

A wolf in sheep’s clothing often has no idea that they are an ersatz of The Messiah. All the signs of their holiness appear on the outside as described above, but after closer inspection of the fruit that results in spending time with that person it hurts to learn that they are devouring God’s fruit, instead of tending to His harvest. Unfortunately, we have a world full of Religious Leaders who have one foot in the selfishness bucket (whether their own selfishness bucket or somebody else’s). They are stumbling around drunk on the way of salvation. There is nothing new under the sun. Yeshua told His people that the Religious Leaders of their day sat in Moses’ Seat. His instructions to them were paramount. “Do what they say and not as they do, for they tie heavy burdens on the backs of the common people while refusing to lift a finger to move the burdens from those they have oppressed.” (Matthew 23:1-5 paraphrase) Unfortunately, today these instructions are not as applicable: Most preachers are unable to see straight while they read their Bibles, as their desire to spread salvation to as many as possible has slowly, over many many generations, adulterated the message such that very nearly all of what they say, can not in good conscience be labelled Biblical. The Rock, to them is a pile of sugary pudding that renders that sweet sweet taste every time.

Now-a-days, it is up to us as individuals to vet the leaders and organizations we join, by reading Scripture for ourselves: for studying ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15 reference), that we do not find ourselves with pearly white canines drenched in the slop that comes from the flesh. Manumit yourselves from spiritual slavery through the power of The Truly Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, my friend. Be strengthened by the power of Yeshua Our Messiah and have a sound mind that can judge between those who are producing good fruit and those producing bad fruit.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, (added: leaders and common people alike who were wolves in sheep’s clothing who had no idea they were wolves in sheep’s clothing, they deceived many) ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on The Rock:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on The Rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

 And so it was, when Yeshua had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes.” (Matthew 7:15-30).

My friend, you are loved. Trust in God’s authority in your life and the life of your community’s members. Be true to a Scriptural walk and let’s grow together. Praise His mighty authority and goodness.

By: T.Griffin ben Yeshua Messiah

There is more where that came from! Here are links to Gleaning The Scriptures on YouTube, TorahTube, Rumble, and if you would like to point some of your generosity our way, you can show your support via Patreon. One Time Donations available through the web-site below. Donations are far from necessary: freely we have received and freely we give, with joy, integrity, and honor. Our gifts come from on high.

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Just A Bit Of Grain

Tags

Gleaning, Gleaning on Sabbath, Leviticus 19, Leviticus 19:9-10, Matthew 12, Pharisees and Yehua, Sabbath work, Talmud, Talmud vs Torah, Torah, yeshua

The drama that is presented in the conflicts of the Gospel, for the most part, easily stultifies deeper lessons that can be found beyond the conflict. No doubt, there are great lessons in the conflict, however there are more than enough articles exploring those lessons. The conflicts that The Savior was presented with are particularly amusing for us believers because we get to read our Master’s consistently delivered repartee’s to the Religious Leadership.

Why is it that the Religious Leaders’ scathing correction of Yeshua’s behavior in the grain field is not an example of an exception being made to God’s law, but a shining example of how wrong the Pharisees were to begin with? How does Yeshua’s reply correct their misguided interpretation of God’s law? And, our focus: have you ever wondered what can be found deeper, if one fixes their gaze beyond the conflict and drama of the argument that ensued? Wonder no more, my friend. This article begins a solid foundation in answering that question and the others. Read this article prayerfully, humbly and with your thinking cap on to find the jewels that are the answers to these questions. Let’s learn together.

The rough, prickly grain heads grazed His hands while He walked, palms out at His sides. He was only mildly aware of the barley’s play against His skin. His eyes were closed, His head was tilted up and He could feel the rays of sweet golden sunshine beating upon His face which gradually, day-by-day, darkened His olive skin. He could hear His Disciples chatting amongst themselves while He prayed in thanksgiving to The Father. It had been a long time since they had all been together like this. Just three months prior, Yeshua sent His Disciples out, two-by-two, in the spirit of Elijah and John the Baptist: preparing the cities of His region for His soon coming. They had been making straight the path of The Lord. Many months before, they had experienced what happened when people were not ready to receive Him, in the region of the Gadarenes, on the other side of the Sea of Galilee: the people of that town were afraid of Him and asked Him to leave.

While the golden rays showered Yeshua’s upturned gracious face like a warm blanket, He basked in the various excited stories His Disciples were sharing with one another about their journeys. As Yeshua walked trustingly forward, eyes closed and ears opened, there was a check in His spirit. The glorious moment was about to end. He looked. He found the eyes of Lebbaeus, gaze fixed upon Him with an obedient, grateful, and ready countenance. Lebbaeus was so quiet and keenly aware, all the time, of the surrounding circumstances. The ever so subtle look in Yeshua’s eye was all Lebbaeus needed. The ruddy haired, mysterious man He had chosen to be His Disciple knowingly, and almost imperceptibly nodded to His Master; the new scar on his forehead from recent persecutions reflected against the sunlight. Lebbaeus was then on guard and ready. Yeshua was certain that Lebbaeus began praying although it was not something one could see from the outside. Yeshua was grateful for His Disciple.

Not long after that, a group of flowing robes and tall hats were seen kicking up dust with their slow, confident steps as they crested the not so distant hill. There was enough time for He and His Disciples to disappear into the thick trees and down the ravine on the other side of the wood. More than ample time to stop gleaning no doubt. After all, the Pharisees were simply on the way home from Synagogue. Yeshua had a different idea for them though. If they would take the bait, He saw this as an opportunity. If they would not, no need for correction/warning and a pleasant Sabbath would continue. He ensured that the venomous group saw His Disciples gleaning. Once He was sure, He held up His hand. He stopped. The chatter stopped. The Disciples turned respectfully towards their potentate members of the Religious ruling class and for a shear moment, it seemed they considered returning the favorable gesture before walking on. Alas, a face so lined with wrinkles one might mistake the cheeks for a crumpled piece of paper sitting aloof, beneath it’s opulent hat. The truculent man adjusted the trajectory of his gait to meet Yeshua’s changing countenance. The atmosphere became serious.

Thomas and Yeshua looked at one another. Thomas had a threatening look in his eye as he drew his Master’s attention to his foot which he was ever so slightly shaking in the dust. When they looked at one another again, Yeshua’s knowing expression was both stern and soft. He gave an approving and encouraging nod to His austere friend. Thomas was a man of logic. Thomas was a man Yeshua could count on to carry out instructions in a sensible way in the midst of the spiritual overload they often experienced in their line of work. The out of control religious tyrants that oppressed their own Israelite brothers and sisters for their selfish comforts were about to experience the first warning that they were laying a foundation of rubble for their successors to stumble through. All the tools Yeshua had needed were at their disposal. The Father had not failed them previously and would not fail them here either.

The scene above is loosely based on Matthew Chapter 12. The Pharisees proceeded to accuse Yeshua of breaking God’s law: Torah. Yeshua was, in fact, breaking Talmud, which holds the Jewish Religious Traditional laws constructed and enforced by the Religious Leaders. The Talmud is still practiced today in Jewish Orthodoxy. Yeshua was not breaking God’s Torah, not even close. In the above scene it was a Sabbath and they were gleaning a field and eating what they were gleaning. The Torah teaches us not to work or exchange money on the Sabbath Day while maintaining focus on fellowship within the confines of a Holy Convocation (formal religious service) (Exodus 20:8-11; Nehemiah 13; etc). The Talmud permits the Holy Convocation and the fellowship but it forbids thousands of things, attempting to take God’s place in the defining, for His people, of what He means by “work”: as if the people were not created for, and were not capable of relationship with their Father who is, let us say, more than willing to define the vague terms of His law in a more personal way than words on paper. יְהוָֹה was quite literally begging to do this for each and every one of His beloved children young and old. All they had to do was really try to listen. Listen and obey.

“Look, Your Disciples are doing what is not lawful on The Sabbath” (Matthew 12:2), the Pharisees spat, as most of His Disciples still chewing, looked on. Thomas popped another few kernels of the barley’s grain into His mouth, storing them between his cheek and gums before looking inquisitively, but solid as ever in countenance, between the Pharisees and Yeshua. As mentioned previously, this article’s focus is beyond the drama, but to touch upon Yeshua’s repartee: He was making the point that although the Pharisees had an official title that permitted them to do certain things others were not allowed to do in order to fulfill their duties to God and His Temple, that Yeshua was above even the Temple, His Disciples carried authority greater than that of the greatest Priests in that Temple. (paraphrase Matthew 12:3-8). He did not mention, however that no exception was necessary as Torah was kept. His warning and repartee were warmly wrapped into the parallel He drew concerning David.

Now, to our main point. Remember or re-read the storyline presented in paragraphs two and three, but remember it without the approaching Pharisees. This penultimate paragraph you are reading is going to seem a bit anti-climactic. It is that way on purpose. This article’s intention is to give you something to think about, not to think for you: CNBC’s or Fox News’ style is not congruent with GTS’. Fill your mind with, meditate on, and put these thoughts on the backburner to anchor you to a sound mind while the world constantly attempts to peck away at sanity: wanting your mind muddy, foggy, and half cocked. Yeshua choosing to take His Disciples through the grainfield was on purpose. It was with purpose. It was sound, calculated, and likely not aimed at picking a fight, but at communicating in pleasant ways both encouragement and correction to attentive and humble ears. His intentions likely did not involve the Pharisees attack at all, but was dealt with as a result of neccesity. A part two that dives deeper into this subject, will be published soon. Until then, consider that the gleaning in the grain field incident happened on the heels of His sending them out two-by-two, when they were to take nothing but the clothes on their backs for the purpose of preaching the gospel and preparing the way. They had enjoyed victories and likely suffered defeats, mistreatment, and hate for the holy work they were completing. In order for us today to have well-rounded, soundly guided thoughts on this matter, thoughts that aren’t floating off in space: it is important to know what The Creator’s Torah has to say about gleaning. It is important to know who benefited from it, who provided it and what it represented spiritually, physically. Yeshua was no doubt thinking on these things. Yeshua used the foundation of Torah and The Prophets to speak mysteries into the souls of His Disciples yesterday, today, and into the generations to come. The Torah command about gleaning can be found in Leviticus 19:9-10.

A personal study on gleaning will help you to understand Yeshua’s character better. It will align your mind to His mind (reference Philippians 2:2). It will also give you deeper insight, preparing you to enjoy part two, as we fellowship around His Word. And of course, the drama with the Pharisees does, at the least, tangentially tie into the lesson well. If these questions are beyond your reach, leave a comment below and I will try to address your question in the next article. Until then everybody, be strong, be strengthened, and shalom mishpocha. Let’s grow together.

By: T.Griffin ben Yeshua Messiah

There is more where that came from! Here are links to Gleaning The Scriptures on YouTube, TorahTube, Rumble, and if you would like to point some of your generosity our way, you can show your support via Patreon. One Time Donations available through the web-site below. Donations are far from necessary: freely we have received and freely we give, with joy, integrity, and honor. Our gifts come from on high.

FREE STUFF: Find free Bible studies and Biblical Calendars at www.GleaningTheScriptures.com

Or check out This Post’s Accompanying Video