VERY
EARLY in Yeshua's earthly ministry, He delivered what
is commonly called "The Sermon on the Mount," which takes up most of
chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew. In this sermon, there are instructions for
daily living, which could be called Messianic Halakha.[1]
Among these instructions are examples of how to pray, including the topic
chosen for this article, "Messiah's Prayer," more commonly called
"The Lord's Prayer." Perhaps it should be
called, "T'filat Ha-Talmidim,"
that is, "The Disciples' Prayer," as this is a prayer that Yeshua
gave to His disciples as an example of how to pray.[2]
|
Richard 'Aharon' Chaimberlin Matthew 6:8-15 |
This prayer is remarkable for its depth as
well as its brevity. This prayer can be found in Matthew 6:9-13, plus some of
Yeshua's own commentary on the prayer to be found in the verses immediately
following.
This prayer can be appreciated and understood
by anyone who has ever heard it or read it. However, it is much better understood
and appreciated when a fuller explanation of its background is given. We must
especially give attention to how this prayer would have been understood by Yeshua's
Jewish disciples.
For many centuries, there was little
interest among Christians in anything Jewish. The New Testament was considered
the "Christian Bible," something totally separate and contrary to
anything Jewish or "Old Testament." This, of course, was a major
fallacy, and prevented Christians from fully understanding the Newer Testament.
The Talmud in particular was not
considered worthy of reading. Talmud is an immense, encyclopedic Jewish
commentary on Torah, consisting of as many as 63 volumes. The Talmud was often
burned at the stake, much like many of the people accused of heresy by the
Catholic Church, many of whom were Protestants and Jews. In one such burning of
Talmuds, 24 cartloads of the Talmud were burned in
Paris in the early part of the thirteenth century CE. Bishop Odo condemned it again in 1248 CE.[3]
Please bear in mind that all books at that time were painstakingly written by
hand. "Paper" was often pro-cessed animal
skins from kosher animals or other expensive materials. Because of the immense
size of the Talmud, this represented a huge investment in time, materials, and
expense. Many later popes renewed the condemnation of Talmud, resulting in further
burnings.
The Talmud is often considered "The
Oral Law." It represents the thoughts of great sages and rabbis that were
passed on orally for hundreds of years, until finally written down and completed
in about 500 CE.
The Talmud should not be considered "inspired"
in the sense that the Bible is inspired. It is far more important for us
to spend our time studying the Scriptures, both the Tanakh (O.T.) and the Newer
Testament. Nevertheless, there is much wisdom and even spiritual insight in
Talmud that we could benefit from. Although large chunks of Talmud might be
considered spiritual trash, this is no excuse for the many crimes committed
against it by so-called Christians. You don't throw
the baby away because it cries or soils its diapers. Likewise, do not dismiss
the Talmud as being without value simply because of some parts that are
"junk."
The Jewish people had been expelled from
England in 1290 CE. However, in later centuries the Bible was translated into
English and made openly and legally available to the people to read. As a
result, in the early 1600s there was a renewed interest in the Jewish people,
in the Hebrew language, and even Talmud. Christians actually began seeking Jews
in order to learn from them. In 1653, Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of
England. Shortly thereafter, he signed the edict allowing the Jewish people to
return to England. Many Jews soon found sanctuary in England.
Among the early Christian Hebraicists was John Lightfoot (1602-1675). He studied Talmud
in Hebrew and Aramaic, because it would be centuries before it would be
available in English. He was an incredibly intelligent and well-educated man.
He was at home in Latin, Greek, classical Hebrew, Mishnaic
Hebrew, and the Aramaic of the Talmud, all very difficult languages. Talmud is
composed of the Mishna (a Rabbinic
commentary on Torah written in Hebrew) and the Gemarra
(a Rabbinic commentary on the Mishna written in
Aramaic!). And of course he did his work without tools that modern scholars can
make use of, such as concordances, the Internet, computers, and Bible software.
Studying Talmud in his day was no easy
task, particularly for Christians. For one thing, Talmud is immense. Secondly,
very few Christians could read Hebrew and Aramaic. Thirdly, it would require a
sympathetic rabbi to guide the Christian student in the study of Talmud.
Without a knowledge of Rabbinic thought, the study of
Talmud, even in English, would be extremely difficult. It took a man of outstanding
scholarship and intellect, a man like John Lightfoot, to eventually be able to
bring knowledge and appreciation of Talmud to other Christians.
The study of the New Testament using the
Tanakh (O.T.) and even the Talmud for background and deeper understanding the
New Testament texts is no longer considered outrageous or unusual among many
Christians. Men such as John Lightfoot blazed a trail for modern Messianic
Jewish scholarship. In this study of "The Lord's Prayer," I will be
making use not only of the Bible, but also of Rabbinic
sources in order to receive a deeper understanding of Yeshua's words. Yeshua
instructed the people "not to use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do, for
they think that they will be heard by their many words" when praying.[4]
Then He gave what we know as "The Lord's Prayer" as an example of how
to pray, not as a model of something to be said repetitiously several times a
day, as is done in some denominations.
Yeshua said, "In this way, therefore
pray:
Our
Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be
done, on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the
power, and the glory forever. Amen."
Yeshua then added, "For if you forgive
men their transgressions, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if
you do not forgive men their transgressions, neither will your Father forgive
your transgressions."
In 1658, J.B. Lightfoot wrote, "All
the books of the New Testament were written by Jews, and among Jews, and unto
them; and all the discourses made... were made in like manner by Jews, and to
Jews, and among them. I was always fully persuaded, as of a thing past doubting,
that the (New) Testament could not but everywhere taste of and retain the Jews'
style idiom, form, and rule of speaking." (Letter to Students in
Lightfoot's Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica.)[5]
It is useful in understanding "The Lord's Prayer" to have a good understanding of Yeshua's Jewish background, with a knowledge of both the Tanakh, as well as some knowledge of the Jewish Oral Tradition, which was eventually written down in the Talmud and in the siddurim (Jewish prayer books) of today.
T'filat
HaTalmidim
(The
Disciples Prayer)
Yeshua
begins the prayer with, "Our Father who art in Heaven." As a
new believer sitting in an adult Sunday school class in 1976, I was taught that
the concept of referring to God as "Father" was a New Testament concept,
unknown to the Jews. This was, supposedly, a radical concept that Jesus was
introducing. Not true! HaShem[6]
said, "Israel is My son, My first-born (Exodus
4:22)." Moses, speaking of HaShem, said to Israel, "Is He not your
Father?"[7] In
the siddurim and machzorim,[8]
there are many references to God as our Father, including the popular Avinu Malkenu (Our
Father, our King), when referring to Adonai in the morning
prayer service, which has been said daily in the synagogues for over
2,000 years. Yeshua's example for prayer was considered perfectly acceptable
and normal for Jews who already referred to God as "our Father." The
"radical" application of this prayer would have been to allow
Gentiles to also prayer to "our Father."
"Hallowed be Thy name."
Curiously, most people do not know His name, which is normally written LORD
when "translated" in most English Bibles. Admittedly, we cannot be
100% certain of the exact pronunciation of the Name. We only have the four
Hebrew letters vuvh which
are generally transliterated "YHWH." (The ancient u [vav] normally had a "W" pronunciation when used
as a consonant, unlike the modern "V" pronunciation used today.) The
term LORD is only a title,
not the Name of our Creator. It is hard to glorify, honor, revere, and love the
"name of the LORD" if
you don't have a clue as to what His name is. However, the Name (vuvh
- YHWH) is used throughout the Tanakh, with the possible exception of the Book
of Esther. However, sometime in the Inter-Testamental period prior to the
writing of the Newer Testament, it became the Jewish tradition not to pronounce
the Name. The only time the Name was pronounced was by the Kohen
HaGadol (High Priest) on Yom Kippur in the Holy of
Holies. In a sense, this was a healthy development. When I hear how titles such
as God, Lord, and Christ are profaned today, I am grateful that most people are
ignorant of the actual names, which would also be used in profanity if they
were commonly known.
However, in "Old Testament"
times, God's Name was used by Jews and even some Gentiles in the Tanakh
mentioned the Name. Isaiah 42:8 says, "I am YHWH, that is My name." Jeremiah 23:6 says, "In His days, Judah
will be saved, and Israel shall dwell securely. And this is His name by which
He shall be called, YHWH Tzidkeinu (YHWH our
Righteousness)."
Today we only have the four consonants. We
can offer some educated guesses as to how to pronounce YHWH. Most modern Jewish
scholarship spells the name as Yahweh, pronounced "Yah-way." This is
the pronunciation that I also believe to be correct, although I am not dogmatic
about it. When Yeshua returns, He will let us know the correct pronunciation.
You do have to be careful about when and where to pronounce the Name. Most Orthodox
Jews believe it is sinful to pronounce the Name. However, there is nothing
wrong about pronouncing the Name respectfully or worshipfully. It's biblical!
There is also nothing wrong with using titles
such as God, Lord, Adonai, or Elohim, although some Sacred Name groups would have
you believe such things. (Sacred Name groups also used various - and often
weird - pronunciations of the Names of the Father and the Son. They often feel
that those who use any pronunciation that is different from theirs to be anathema.)
"Thy Kingdom come."
In Jewish tradition, there is an axiom: "Prayer which does not mention the
Kingdom of G-d is not a prayer." For instance, the Sh'ma
of Deut. 6:4 reads, "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one" - "Sh'ma Yisrael, Adonai [YHWH) Eloheinu,
Adonai (YHWH) echad." However, when the Sh'ma is said, we always add, "Baruch shem k'vod Malchuto
l'olam va'ed" ("Blessed
be the name of His glorious Kingdom forever"). Most of the b'rakhas ("blessings") begin with, "Baruch Atah
Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh ha'olam" ("Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King
of the universe"). So far, "The Lord's Prayer" is very
Jewish! Don't you agree?
"On earth, as it is in Heaven."
According to an Orthodox Jewish friend of mine, "The righteous who have
passed from this life are studying Torah 24 hours each day, 7 days each week,
in Gan Eden ('Garden of Eden,' another term used for
'Heaven'). They never stop to eat or even go to the bathroom!" I said to
him, "That doesn't sound like a place that most people would like to
go!" I asked him, "What is the fate of the sinners?" He told me,
"They also are studying Torah 24 hours a day, 7 days each week!"
This story was told to me somewhat
tongue-in-cheek. However, it demonstrates that the same fate would be
"Heaven" for the righteous and "Hell" for the sinners! When
we pray, "on earth, as it is in Heaven," we are praying that God's
righteous ordinances would be established in His earthly Kingdom, just as they
are in His Heavenly Kingdom. We read in Isaiah 2:3b: "For the Torah shall
go forth from Zion, and the word of Adonai from Jerusalem." When Messiah
returns, He will set up His worldwide Messianic Kingdom, with the capital in
Jerusalem. The Torah shall be the foundational Law for this Kingdom, "on
earth as it is in Heaven." It might be wise to learn to love His Torah[9]
now. Otherwise, the Millennial reign of King Messiah
will be like "Hell" for you!
"Give us this day our daily bread."
The writer of Proverbs said, "Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me
with the food you prescribe for me, lest I be full and deny you, and say, 'Who
is YHWH?' or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God."[10]
This sentence can be somewhat meaningless words if you have a full refrigerator
and thousands of dollars in the bank. However, for many, poverty causes these
words to take on real meaning. It is a heartfelt prayer, as they say,
"Give us this day or daily bread."
"Forgive us our trespasses, as we
forgive those who trespass against us." As mentioned earlier in this
article, Yeshua
also said, "For if you forgive men their transgressions, your Heavenly Father
will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their transgressions,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."[11]
That's pretty scary, folks!
When you are unwilling to forgive others
for their transgressions against you, it can really "eat you up."
Many actually get physically sick, and their emotional, mental, and spiritual
health also suffers. As time marches on, they have accumulated new grudges from
others that have offended them, and they are further robbed of peace of mind.
To top it off, when you are unwilling to forgive, Yeshua says that your
Heavenly Father will be unwilling to forgive you! Your unwillingness to forgive
could have eternal consequences.
I would like to add one more thing: Yeshua
asks us to pray, " Forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." He
does not ask us to forgive those who transgress against others. He does not ask
me to forgive those who commit unspeakable crimes against women, children, or
Jews of the various countries of the world. He does, however, ask me to forgive
those who sin against me. After all, He forgave me of my many
transgressions against Him. I should be willing to forgive others. If you are
unable to forgive, try prayer: Ask Him to enable you to forgive others.
"And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one." Yeshua also prayed, "I do not
pray that You should take them out of the world, but
that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as
I am not of the world."[12]
In short, we are to be in the world, not of it. As Larry Norman
sang, "This world is not my home... I'm just passing through."
"For Thine
is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever."
This is a prayer that was said by the cohenim
("priests") during the Temple services 2,000 years ago. The people
would respond with, "Amen." Amen means, "so be it." It occurs in the Torah as a formula of
confirmation or agreement. (It does not mean saying 'good-by' to God at
the end of a prayer!) The word "Amen" is a very significant part of
Jewish prayer that has also been adopted by Gentiles around the world, just as
"Halleluyah" has also been adopted by Gentiles around the world. In
the Talmud (Sukkah 51b), it is recorded that in the Great Synagogue in
Alexandria, Egypt, the attendant would signal the congregation with a flag at
the conclusion of benedictions by the reader, to respond Amen in unison.
In the Middle Ages, it became customary to conclude every
good wish with Amen.[13]
Even without understanding the Judaic
background, "The Lord's Prayer" is a wonderful, concise, and
meaningful prayer. Prayerfully, you will not find it even more meaningful and
wonderful now that you understand it in its original Jewish context!