I Need A Savior

Flight 1549 in the Hudson River

In a church setting, the statement "I need a savior" makes us think big picture, as in Jesus Christ returning to save all of mankind from destruction, or saving all believers from death. After all, it's built right into His name - Jesus (Joshua or Yehoshua in Hebrew - Strong's(Yehoshua) [1]) means "Jehovah will save". But saving someone can be less grand than that. Remember Captain  Chesley Burnett (Sully) Sullenberger who was forced to land a plane, US Airways Flight 1549, in the Hudson River in 2009, and no one was lost - Wiki(Sully) [2]. He was a savior to the 155 people on that flight. Remember the Akedah, where Isaac was saved by an angel at the last second from being sacrificed by Abaham Gen 22:1-14.

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I fell and broke my hip at the beginning of the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles 2024. Friends helped me off the floor and into bed. The next morning, those same friends and more helped me to a car, and drove me to a hospital near home, where I spent the last day of the Feast, receiving  hip replacement surgery 24 hours after my fall. I think of  those friends and the surgeon as  saviors.

I needed saviors.

One Sick Puppy

We think of the Feast of Tabernacles as picturing God's Kingdom, His millennial reign here on the earth. How then can something like this happen DURING the Feast? How can it be that a boy is hospitalized for months due to a car accident on the way to keep God's Feast? I saw many people get ill during the Feast that year, including my wife and me. Some people seem to get sick every year when exposed to hundreds of people at church services. How Millennial is that?

That boy needs a savior.

We have all had savior experiences in our lives, where we were unable to help ourselves, but someone happened along and rescued us, maybe something as simple as helping with a flat tire. Maybe you've had angelic help in your life, like a friend who while driving heard a voice say "stop", and was saved from getting hit by a car running a red light. On June 20th 2024, four-year-old Cristian Ramirez went missing near Huntington Lake in Fresno, CA, while playing with other children. After searching for him, his family called 911. Cristian needed a savior. The good news is that he was rescued after 22 hours later unharmed - Crosswalk [3]. Imagine the anxiety his parents felt, and then the relief when he was found. His father described it as a miracle. And we like hearing those miracle stories, but I'm sure some who hear such stories say to themselves "where's my miracle", "where's my savior"?

Cristian Ramirez and His Saviors

Sherlock Holmes

Whether by nature or nurture, we all want to be saviors, especially men, who want to protect their families, to rescue them in time of need. It's part of the draw of becoming a soldier or a fireman or policeman, or a doctor or ambulance driver (EMT), or even a lawyer or judge. A teacher can save a child through education. TV Detective shows are popular because they appeal to our desire to see justice done, to see the innocent saved from tragedy, to see the guilty brought to justice. But that's TV. In real life? How about Chicago, Illinois? Here's Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson speaking to Congress.

In D.C., Johnson claimed that everything was going well and crime was down in Chicago, but, Chicago authorities are once again rigging crime statistics by not recording crimes, not making arrests and not solving crimes. Johnson shut down ShotSpotter which helped detect homicides. And only 1 in 7 violent crimes ended in an arrest. Chicago authorities now claim that they have cleared 60% of murders. Last year they claimed to have a clearance race of 54%, but the actual clearance rate for murders that ended in an arrest is only 23%. Or less than 1 in 4 murders. Daniel Greenfield(Chicago) [4] 

And it's not a problem isolated to one city in America. Consider Essex, England.

The Essex police have stopped answering calls about drug dealing and a Sun column noted that, "in the last year, Essex police have solved just 1 in 8 robberies and violent assaults, a mere 1 out of every 10 sexual assaults and 1 in 15 burglaries. Daniel Greenfield(Essex) [5] 

 

Most of the victims needed a savior, but none came.

Some people view Donald Trump as the savior of America. Even if he kept every campaign promise, got the US out of all wars, rescued the economy, secured the border, etc., he can't do it all. He can't lead the country to the repentance that God wishes to see. Especially when half the country thinks that repentance means going to church on Christmas and Easter. True repentance will take THE Savior.

For every story of rescue, there are stories where a savior never came. I think of the 21 Christians who were beheaded by Muslims in 2015 - Wiki(Copts_martyr) [6]. I think of Adam and Eve, who lost their son Abel - Gen 4:8-16. Seth was a replacement - Gen 4:25, but I imagine they thought of Abel often. I also think of Job, who lost his fortune and his 10 children in one day. At the end of the book of Job, his fortune was restored double, and he had 10 more children. But I'm sure he never forgot the first 10. I know people who have had to bury a child. They have told me they think of them every day, even 50 years later.

For many, their savior didn't show.

We often turn to the book of Job to help understand trials. Until recently, I thought of Job as a one time event that happened probably during the time of the patriarchs. But now I'm thinking it's more than that. Job argues his case with his friends in chapters 3-37. My summary of Job's arguments is "it's not fair". And the arguments of his "sorry comforters" (Job 16:2) could be summed up, "you must have done something". But maybe Job represents every man. Every man is "right in his own eyes", and wants to judge God. We wouldn't express it that way, but we would likely say "it's not fair", which really means we think we know better than God. Again, I no longer think Job's experience was a one time thing. Satan is called the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10) , which says he is accusing US day and night not unlike the way he accused Job. And sometimes, God allows Satan the adversary to try us just like Job. Maybe it isn't fair.

Job needed a savior. We all need saviors.

But of all times, why do these trials happen at the Feast of Tabernacles, when we are picturing the peace and safety and abundance of the Millennium? I find one answer in Lev 23, where Moses records how to keep the Feast. I'll quote three verses here.

Lev 23:39 Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. 

 41 You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Sukkah

These verses point us back to the Exodus, our ancestors living in booths, huts, sukkot in Hebrew. These huts were temporary structures, picturing our frail human bodies as "earthly tabernacles" - 2 Pet  1:14.  Israel was saved from Egypt, but wasn't taken out of the world. Shortly after crossing the Red Sea, they had to fight the Amalekites themselves (Exo 17:8-16). And we aren't taken out of the world even during the Feast, maybe we have extra protection, extra blessings, but we are still in these frail sukkot, still subject to the elements. At the end of Israel's sojourn in the wilderness, Moses tells them God's perspective.

Deut 8:2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

But a few verses later he also tells Israel this.

Dt 8:7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land

The trials in this life, even at the Feast, are not the end of the plan. He is bringing us into a "good land" as well.

Rom 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

We believe that the Holy Days listed in Leviticus 23 picture the plan of God, some already fulfilled, but Trumpets, Atonement, and the Feast of Booths (aka Tabernacles) lie ahead. The major prophetic events to come which are foreshadowed by the Holy Days are Jesus' return, binding of Satan, the Millennium and the White Throne Judgment. So yes the Feast does picture the Millennium, but we can't forget the symbolism of dwelling in a sukkah for seven days, of dwelling in an earthly tabernacle for seven decades. We picture the Millennium, but we are still in this world, looking for THE Savior to usher in His Kingdom, to right all the wrongs.

For all of those throughout history who hoped for a savior who didn't come, well, He is coming.

Rev 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

References

1. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3091.htm

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sully_Sullenberger

3. https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/topics/positive-stories/dad-speaks-about-the-miracle-of-finding-his-missing-son-after-22-hours.html

4. http://www.danielgreenfield.org/2025/03/chicagoillegaland.html

5. https://www.danielgreenfield.org/2024/11/thought-police.html

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_kidnapping_and_beheading_of_Copts_in_Libya

Curse Of The Fig Tree

In Mark 11, we read a story where Jesus cursed a fig tree. And it is one of the harder  events in Jesus ministry to understand. Why did He curse the fig tree? What is the symbolism of cursing that fig tree?

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Olive, Vine, Fig

Before we get to the text, let's look at the history and context. Three trees are often mentioned together in the Bible, the olive, the fig, and the vine (yes I know the vine is not a tree). And they are cited as blessings, very much associated with Israel.

Dt 8:7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of streams of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines, fig trees, and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey;

Mic 4:4 But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.

The Olive and the Vine

In reading Romans 11:11-24, I think it safe to conclude that the olive represents God's relationship with the nation Israel. Paul talks about grafting in wild olive branches into a cultivated olive tree, meaning Gentiles grafted into Israel.

Rom 11:17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,

And in reading John 15:1, I think it safe to conclude that the vine represents a personal relationship between Jesus and each believer. Fruit is a byproduct of “abiding in Jesus”.

Jn 15:1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser.  5 I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

The Fig

Adam and Eve

But the fig is harder to figure out. The first mention of the fig is in Gen 3:7 where Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves to make an apron to cover their nakedness, then acted like it was normal. One Jewish tradition says that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the fig tree - Chabad [1]. The fig leaf came to mean “excuse”, as in the story of Samson.

Judges 14:4 However, his father and mother did not know that this was of the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion (a fig leaf) against the Philistines. And at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

Covering one's self with fig leaves is offering excuses for an  embarrassing event or status. Offering an olive branch is offering  peace; but offering a fig leaf is to offer a temporary cover (an  excuse) - Yavoh_mag [2].

Unripe Figs

The fig tree has some unusual biology. In general, the green figs appear before the leaves. The fig tree produces two crops each year, spring and fall. The figs of the spring crop, called the breba harvest, have been described as a cross between a pear and a potato. These figs would only be eaten by the poor or hungry. The main harvest is in the fall, around the Holy Day season. These are the sweet figs one can even buy here in the US. The wood of the fig tree was the preferred wood for the altar in the Temple. Poor people would bring fig wood or salt as their gift for the Temple. On the one hand, it is a good strong tree offering shade and sweet fruit to man. On the other hand, it is also a symbol of poverty [2].

Chronology

Beginning in John 12

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany

12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting:

Mark 11:1 occurs between John 12:1 and 12:12.

Mk 11:1 And as they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,

This is introducing the story of Jesus' Triumphal Entry riding on a donkey. We know this to be the day the lambs were chosen for Passover, that is, the tenth day of the first month. Most churches teach that this was Palm Sunday, but based on the events of the crucifixion week, it was the Sabbath day. It is the next day He cursed the fig tree. Note the two towns mentioned, Bethany and Bethphage. Bethany mean House of Poverty - abarim(Bethany) [3]. Bethphage means House of Unripe Figs - abarim(Bethphage)  [4].

Jesus Triumphal Entry

Cursing the fig tree appears to be a story in two parts, one morning to the next, separated by the cleansing of the Temple. But I think it is all one story, that cleansing the Temple is the key to understand why the fig tree was cursed. Continuing in Mark 11.

[Jesus curses the fig tree]

12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs*. 14 And He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.

 

[Jesus Drives Money Changers from the Temple]

15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16 and He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple grounds. 17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written: ‘MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS’? But you have made it a DEN OF ROBBERS.” 18  And the chief priests and the scribes heard this, and they began seeking how to put Him to death; for they were afraid of Him, because all the crowd was astonished at His teaching. 19 And whenever evening came, they would leave the city.

 

Jesus Cleansing the Temple

 [The fig tree is withered]

 

20 As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up*. 21 And being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree that You cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God*. 23 Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted to him. 24 Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you for your offenses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your offenses.”

How is cleansing the Temple like cursing a fig tree without fruit? I believe the fig tree represents religion - TorahToday [5], that is, Israel's relationship with God through religion. That is what I will now try to show. Money changers and dove sellers are like leaves without fruit, worshipers are not fed by this “form of godliness”. I doubt the money changers showed up in the courtyard without the blessing of the Pharisees, who no doubt took their cut. A fig tree that has leaves and no fruit is symbolic of a religion that is all show, a false religion. The Temple was an example of a religion that no longer produced fruit (withered from the roots). I submit that the withered fig tree foreshadowed the destruction of the Temple, the destruction of the religion of the scribes and Pharisees. In other words, "Judgment is being visited upon Israel" - Catholic_mag [6.].

Religion can have fruit and leaves, or just leaves, the “form of godliness”. Religion can be a great blessing, a source of spiritual food for the people, but it has to have fruit. Think of the centuries when ancient Israel had the Tabernacle or the Temple – what a blessing it was for the nation. Religion can bring people to God, or when corrupted, be used to exploit people and enrich the leaders.

In the parallel account in Matthew 21, some parables follow, then in chapter 23, Jesus gives 8 stern warnings to the scribes and Pharisees, these are known as the 8 woes, which parallel the 8 blessings in Matthew 5. Highlighting a few verses from 23:1-12.

Mt 23:1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them. 4 And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. 5 And they do all their deeds to be noticed by men [like leaves]; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues, 7 and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called Rabbi by the people. 8 But as for you, do not be called Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. 9 And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 But the greatest of you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. 

The 8 woes begin in verse 13 and carry through vs 33, I don't have space to quote them all, but I encourage you to read them. All but one of the woes begin with the words ”woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites”. Over and over again, “woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites”. Jesus gave His strongest rebuke to the leaders of the Temple, the ones who sat in Moses' seat. While we all have to watch ourselves for hypocrisy, he aimed these woes at the leaders, the Scribes and Pharisees, the shepherds, not the sheep.  The lesson of the cursed fig tree reminds all of us to uproot the leaven of hypocrisy in our lives.

References

1. https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/983693/jewish/What-Sort-of-Fruit-Tree-was-the-Tree-of-Knowledge.htm
2. https://yavohmagazine.com/messianic-teachings/judgement-and-the-fig-tree
3. https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Bethany.html
4. https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Bethphage.html
5. https://torahtodayministries.org/lesson/what-kind-of-fruit-are-you
6. https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/why-does-jesus-curse-the-fig-tree

Emendations Of The Sopherim

Recently I ran across a Bible term that was new to me - "Emendations Of The Sopherim " - Two Jehovahs [1].

The first question is “what are the Emendations Of The Sopherim?”.
The second question is “why do I care?”

Let's start with the Sopherim. Sopherim are the scribes of the Old Testament scriptures, the ones who copied the Masoretic text. Masoretic comes from the word Masorah, which are notes in the margins made by the Sopherim. “By simple definition, soferim are copyists, but their religious role in Judaism is much more” - Wiki(Sofer) [2].

Page From Aleppo Codex

The Masoretic text is considered by the Jews to be the authoritative text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism.

It was primarily copied, edited, and distributed by a group of Jews known as the Masoretes between the 7th and 10th centuries of the Common Era (CE). The oldest known complete copy, the Leningrad Codex, dates from the early 11th century CE. Wiki(Masoretic_Text) [3]

 

Emendations are corrections to a text, or altering the text to improve it. Some say the alterations are to correct errors, some say emendation is editing - Wordnik [4]. Ordinary people would probably just call them “scribal edits”. The emendations may be much older than the Masoretes.

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Why Emend The Text?

One reason given for emending the text was to protect the sacredness of God's name YHVH - faith-once [5]. Some pronounce it Jehovah, some say Yehovah, some say Yahweh, but the Jews don't pronounce His name at all. And they don't want anyone else pronouncing it either. YHVH appears in the Old Testament 6823 times unchanged, but many claim 134 additional times the Sopherim changed YHVH to Adonai meaning Lord, or sometimes Elohim meaning God. Nearly all English Bibles translate YHVH as “LORD”, that is all caps, often in a smaller font. Often, Bibles will explain that they are translating YHVH this way in the introduction. Here's what the Foreword from the New American Standard Bible says.

The Proper Name of God in the Old Testament: In the Scriptures, the name of God is most significant and understandably so. It is inconceivable to think of spiritual matters without a proper designation for the Supreme Deity. Thus the most common name for the Deity is God, a translation of the original Elohim. One of the titles for God is Lord, a translation of Adonai. There is yet another name which is particularly assigned to God as His special or proper name, that is, the four letters YHWH (Exodus 3:14 and Isaiah 42:8). This name has not been pronounced by the Jews because of reverence for the great sacredness of the divine name. Therefore, it as been consistently translated LORD. The only exception to this translation of YHWH is when it occurs in immediate proximity to the word Lord, that is, Adonai. In that case it is regularly translated GOD in order to avoid confusion [I find it more confusing]. It is known that for many years YHVH has been transliterated as Yahweh, however no complete certainty attaches to this pronunciation. NASB [6]

So why did the Sopherim change those 134 occurrences? Scholars differ, but one source claims these are the reasons given [5].

1. Those places where a man directly addresses God;
2. When a man makes a statement bringing God into a personal relationship with himself;
3. Where YHVH was shown directly intervening in the affairs of men;
4. Where anyone caused a reproach against God;
5. Where anyone claimed to have personally seen God.

It sounds to me like the changes make it appear as if no one had a personal relationship with Jehovah.

Two Jehovahs??

Some of the emendations have doctrinal implications. They obscure the truth that God is more than just a single Being, specifically that God is two Jehovahs [1]. Consider Psalm 110, this is where we'll spend the rest of our time. For clarity, we'll look at verses 1 and 5.

 

 1. The LORD said unto my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies as Your footstool.”

 

 

5. The LORD at Your right hand shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath.

If you read those verses out loud, could someone tell when you read LORD in all caps? I can't tell who's who in the English, read it again with the names.

1. Jehovah said unto my Adon, “Sit at My right hand...”

5. Adonai at Your right hand (emended)

5. JEHOVAH at Your right hand (not emended)

Using BibleHub.com [7], I did find 7 translations that say “LORD” in verse 5, and 2 that actually say Jehovah, one of those translated from Aramaic. Qbible.com [8] also has YHVH in Ps 110:5. Without emendations, Ps 110 clearly states there is a Jehovah sitting at the right hand of another Jehovah. The Churches of God have always taught that this refers to God the Father and God the Son. I don't know when they learned about the emendations, but UCG does mention them in the Study Paper [9] “The Nature of God and Christ” - p14  [10]. The idea of two Jehovahs is a problem for anyone who believes that God is one being. Jesus Himself quotes Ps 110.

Mt 22 41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, 44 ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES UNDER YOUR FEET”’? 45 Therefore, if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” 46 No one was able to offer Him a word in answer, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him any more questions.

Again, if read aloud, could you tell when LORD is in all caps? In the Greek the name Jehovah is translated as Kurios. YHVH never appears in the Greek New Testament - BibleStudyTools [11]. So let's plug Kurios into Mt 22:43-45.

Mt 22:43 He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘KURIOS,’ saying, 44 KURIOS SAID TO MY KURIOS, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES UNDER YOUR FEET” 45 Therefore, if David calls Him ‘Kurios,’ how is He his son?”

Mt 22:44 in Codex Vaticanus

Also recorded in Mark 12:35-40 and Luke 20:41-47.

The Hebrew gospel of Matthew (some say it's the original, some say a translation from Greek) reads “The Lord said to my Lord”

Remember, Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, the experts in the Old Testament (Tanach), yet no one was able to answer Him. Some say it is possible that the emendations were already done before this time, and that Jesus knew it. By quoting this verse, He let them know He knew it. Ps 110 is quoted 20 times in the New Testament, showing it's importance. Most of those 20 quotations refer to Jesus being at the right hand of God, that is Jehovah at the right hand of Jehovah. A few verses quote Ps 110:4 that talks of Melchizedek.

How could David's Lord be his son? And how could Kurios say to another Kurios?

Jesus Is Not An Angel

Paul also quotes Psalm 110 to show that Jesus was not an angel.

Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels has He ever said, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET”? Upper case here means it is a quote from the Old Testament.

Hebrews 1 and 2 are full of Old Testament quotes showing that Jesus is the Son of God, not an angel, though there are Old Testament verses where He is referred to as the “Angel of God”. The Churches of God are not alone in teaching Jesus' divinity, but others do teach He was an angel - ChristianQuestions [12], the very thing Paul was teaching against in Hebrews. But Ps 110:5 refers to Jesus as Jehovah, Yehovah in Hebrew which means “He was, He is, He will be”, rendered in Ex 3:14 as “I AM THAT I AM”, or "the unchanging, eternal, self-existent God,".

God of the Old Testament vs God of the New Testament.

“Others contend that the Jehovah of Old Testament times was the same as God the Father in the New Testament.” - ChurchOfJesusChrist [13]

Remember Ps 110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies as Your footstool.”

King David

David called Him “My Lord”. David was the king of Israel so he didn't call any man “my Lord”. We know from Ps 110:5 that the Lord that David knew became known as Jesus (because He sat the right hand), not the One who became known as God the Father. Furthermore, Jesus said He reveals the Father.

 

Matthew 11:27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

If the Father were the God of the Old Testament, He didn't need revealing. The God of the Old Testament is in the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, Joshua, David, etc. etc. etc. He doesn't need revealing.

134 emendations, one down, 133 to go. I'm going to need more time...

The Rest Of The Story

Not everyone agrees with this interpretation of the 134 emendations. Our knowledge of the emendations comes from “The Companion Bible” by E.W. Bullinger. who got it from a rather dense book (2537 pages) called “The Massorah” by C.D. Ginsburg, both men writing in the late 19th century, both books available free online - Bullinger [14], Ginsburg [15].

We have seen that in many of these one hundred and thirty-four instances in which the present received text reads Adonai in accordance with this Massorah, some of the best MMS [manuscripts]. and early editions read the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) sect 115 [15].

Today, we have access to a lot more manuscripts than Ginsburg, the Dead Sea Scrolls are the most familiar example. Ginsburg said the Masoretic text does not match some of the best manuscripts and early editions, he does not say the Sopherim left notes about them in the margin as some claim. A search for Tiqqun Sopherim (the Hebrew for Emendations) only lists 18, not 134, and they are different edits. If Ginsburg were writing today with the manuscript access of today, would he come to the same conclusions? Some argue Ginsburg was misinterpreted. However, we don't need to appeal to the emendations argument to make the doctrinal statements about the identity of Jesus, but they do make it easier to explain them.

Fragment of the Great Isiah Scroll [16]

Summary

Let's review the lessons that Ps 110 with or without emendations teaches.

The Old Testament does point to two Jehovahs, not one or three.
Jesus was the Son of God, not an angel.
Jesus was and is God, it's right in the name Jehovah.
Jesus was the God of the Old Testament.


References

1. https://www.cbcg.org/natureofgod/2jehovahs-of-the-psalms.html

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofer

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masoretic_Text

4. https://www.wordnik.com/words/emendation

5. https://faith-once-delivered.org/pages/5-134-emendations.php

6. https://www.blueletterbible.org/bibles/preface-to-the-new-american-standard-bible-2020.cfm

7.  https://biblehub.com/psalms/110-5.htm

8. http://www.qbible.com/hebrew-old-testament/psalms/110.html#5

9. https://www.ucg.org/study-papers

10. https://ucgweb.s3.amazonaws.com/files/papers/ucg-paper-the-nature-of-god-and-christ.pdf

11. https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/jehovah

12. https://christianquestions.com/bible-questions/was-jesus-an-angel-before-he-was-on-earth

13. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/old-testament-student-manual-genesis-2-samuel/enrichment-section-a-who-is-the-god-of-the-old-testament?lang=eng

14. https://www.companionbiblecondensed.com/AP/ap32/index.html?page=1

15. https://archive.org/details/Ginsburg_The-Massorah-Compiled-from-Manuscripts_1880-1905/mode/1up?view=theater

16. http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah

Birth Of A Nation

Israel were slaves in Egypt. As slaves, they lacked many freedoms we take for granted like freedom to travel or work, etc. If God had not delivered them, Israel might have been lost to history.  Could ancient Israel have escaped slavery on their own? Not Likely. An article about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad on history.com said this.

Despite the horrors of slavery, it was no easy decision to flee.

No matter how courageous or clever, few enslaved people threw off their shackles without at least some outside help -  history.com(tubman) [1]. 

 

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Black Slaves Defeat
Napoleon's Troops

Note that Haiti is the only nation that gained independence as part of a successful slave rebellion. And this independence came at a terrible cost – an estimated 400,000 Haitians and 50,000 European soldiers were killed over the 13 year rebellion, which began in 1791 - Wiki(Haitian_Revolution) [2].

Anyway, God DID deliver Israel, through ten plagues, and other miracles like parting of the Red Sea – He was that outside help needed to free slaves. You could argue that the nation of Israel was born the day they left Egypt, or when they passed through the Red Sea. But were they really a nation yet? They had no land of their own, though it was promised, they had no laws or judicial system, they were under Egyptian slavery law. Did they have a religion of their own? Or did they follow Egyptian religions? They had been slaves for centuries by the time of the Exodus.

Is 66:8 World English Bible - Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she gave birth to her children.

What happens to the culture of an enslaved people? Writing about slaves in the US.

Enslaved people adopted a variety of mechanisms to cope with the degrading realities of life on the plantation. They resisted slavery through everyday acts, while also occasionally plotting larger-scale revolts - khanacademy.org [3]

This had to become a way of life for Israel. It had to create a mistrust of authority. Recall that Pharaoh dealt shrewdly with the children of Israel – Exo 1:10. He placed Israelites over Israelites, under Egyptian taskmasters of course. We read in Exo 5:14, 19 that the officers (KJV) were Israelites, some translate it as foremen. Orders came from Pharaoh to the taskmasters to the officers to the slaves. This was recorded during the “no straw for bricks” episode.

Exo 5:14 And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, …

Yellow Star Worn By Kapos

“Foremen” seems like too polite of a term. These officers were appointed to control the people. This reminds me of the concentration camps of WWII, where overseers called kapos were chosen from among the Jews to control the inmates. Often kapos were chosen from the criminal element, and they were known for brutality Wiki(kapo) [4].

They forced a person to choose in a way we were never forced to choose before: to become either a victim or a perpetrator.”  lithub.com(collaborator) [5]

 

Israel were slaves for generations. Everyone, old and young, who left Egypt had been a slave their whole life. They had the culture and thinking of slaves. This didn't vanish when they crossed the Red Sea. You can take Israel out of Egypt, but can you take Egypt out of Israel? The sad truth is that they all had to die, and it was their children that went into the Promised Land. 

Num 14:22 Certainly all the people who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 23 shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who were disrespectful to Me see it.  

What happened there on a national scale is what happens to each of us on a personal level.

Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

It took more than ten plagues to take Israel out of physical slavery. At Mt Sinai, God gave ten commandments to take them out of spiritual slavery. Even then, Israel “put God to the test” ten times. The number ten shows up at least three times in the birth of the nation. I don't  know the full significance of “ten", but I don't think it's an accident.

God Speaks At Sinai

After the Exodus came Pentecost/Shavuot, when God spoke to the nation  directly. 

Exo 20:2 I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 

אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים

In introducing Himself, He reminds the people that He was the outside help who delivered them from slavery, the house of bondage. That was deliverance from physical slavery by ten plagues. Now He gives ten Commandments to deliver them from spiritual slavery. But one more thing is needed to give birth to a nation – a system of justice, in Bible terms statutes and judgments. And chapters 21-24 of Exodus are the beginning of that system of justice. And the response of the elders of Israel?

Exo 24:1 Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance. 2 Moses alone, however, shall approach the LORD, but they shall not approach, nor shall the people come up with him.” 3 Then Moses came and reported to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!”

I find it interesting that the first judgments (mishpatim) given in Exodus 21 concern slavery.

In my opinion, when the 70 elders ratified the covenant, Israel became a nation. Follow these laws, and these statutes and judgments, and you will be free indeed. Free to work for yourself. Free to enjoy the rewards of your labor. Free to buy and sell. Free to marry. Free to come and go. Free to develop your own traditions, free to create your own culture. Much of the Old Testament is devoted to the history of that nation of Israel.

Second Israel

Israel eventually lost that national freedom because they would not obey God, but amazingly Israel was reborn.

On May 14, 1948,  David Ben-Gurion proclaims the State of Israel, establishing the first Jewish state in 2,000 years. Ben-Gurion became Israel’s first premier - history.com(israel-proclaimed) [6].

Israel is the only nation on earth that was born in a day - godencounters.com [7]

Not only that, but twice! Accompanied by many miracles both times.

Palestine Post, May 14 1948 - Wiki(PalestinePost) [8]

Birth of the Church

Let's bring this closer to home. What other “nation” was born in a day? We recognize the day of Pentecost as the birth of the church. Note how Peter described the church.

1 Pt 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light

 

Cloven Tongues Of Fire

 According to Acts 1:15, about 120 people gathered to keep that Pentecost, 

Acts 1:15 At this time Peter stood up among the brethren (a group of about 120 people was there together), and said,

but by the end of that Pentecost day, 

Acts 2:41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.

Apparently, preaching with a tongue of flame on your head is very effective.

One big reason I consider Pentecost the birth of ancient Israel is because of the parallel with the birth of the church on Pentecost.

Another nation born in a day? When Christ returns, He will establish a new nation in that day. We will be a part of it. It will be a new Israel.

Common Traits

I'll close with some thoughts on traits common to birth which we can apply to the birth of nations as well, specifically gestation, delivery, and infancy.

Ancient Israel gestated in Goshen - theisraelbible [9]. They went from a tribe of 70 to a nation there. Delivery is the familiar part of the story – the plagues, the miracles, and the Exodus. Note that delivery is painful. Then came infancy, where Israel set about becoming a new nation, learning to stand on their own two feet

The gestation of modern Israel is harder to describe. The Jewish people certainly maintained their identity for thousands of years, suffering persecution in most generations (a long difficult pregnancy if you will), which reached a crisis in WWII. The holocaust could be described as the birth pains. God delivered them to a land of their own, the very same land as ancient Israel. Modern Israel had to grow up fast – they were attacked almost immediately upon becoming a nation.

The church started small, gestating during Jesus' ministry on earth, followed by the anguish of His death. Born (delivered) on Pentecost, the infancy of the church is described in the book of Acts.

And the future kingdom. The church has been a spiritual nation of Israel “wandering in the wilderness” for nearly 2000 years, groaning for deliverance which we believe is coming soon. Prophecy shows a very painful birth for the kingdom. Prophecy also gives us a glimpse of life in the world tomorrow. That's where we come in.

On a personal level, Acts 14:22 tells us “It is through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom of God.” That tribulation is like birth pains.

Pentecost is rich in meaning, with much symbolism in it. It pictures First Fruits, it pictures giving of the law on Sinai, giving of the Old Covenant, giving of the Holy Spirit. By the count 50, it links back to the Wave Sheaf Day and links forward to Atonement when the Jubilee (50th year) is announced, a year of liberty and redemption. And as we've seen, it looks backward to the birth of the nation Israel and the birth of the church. It also looks forward to the birth of the kingdom, the day we pray for when we say “Thy kingdom come”.

References

1. https://www.history.com/news/underground-railroad-harriet-tubman
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Revolution
3. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/civil-war-era/sectional-tension-1850s/a/life-for-enslaved-men-and-women
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapo
5. https://lithub.com/inhabiting-the-mind-of-the-worst-kind-of-collaborator-a-nazi-kapo
6. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/state-of-israel-proclaimed
7. https://godencounters.com/can-nation-be-born-day-hint-yes
8. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:19480516_PalestinePost_Israel_is_born.jpg

9.  https://theisraelbible.com/the-land-of-goshen-where-israel-became-a-nation