7/09/2012 The Hebrew Language Dan & Brenda Cathcart Grace and Truth in the Torah In the gospel of John, John seems to contrast the law or Torah with grace and truth. John 1:17 KJV 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. For: #3754 hoti hot'-ee neuter of #3748 as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because. By: #1223. dia, dee-ah' a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through Came: 1096. ginomai, ghin'-om-ahee a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being) The literal translation then of John 1:17 is, “Because the law through the channel of Moses was given, grace and truth through the channel Jesus Christ came into being.” John 1:18 NKJV 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. We will see that John 1:14-18 is a direct reference to Exodus 33:1 through Exodus 34:9. John 1:14-18 NKJV 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'" 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. The passage in Exodus 33:1 to 34:9 takes place after the sin of the golden calf when only God’s grace can save them. By the letter of the commandments, the people’s lives were forfeit. They broke the commandment. Exodus 20:4-5 NKJV 4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me … Exodus 32:9-10 KJV 9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. Romans 3:20 NKJV 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Exodus 32:13 NKJV 13 "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'" Genesis 26:4-5 NKJV 4 "And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 "because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." Hebrews 11:8-9 NKJV 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; So, based on His own promises, God relented and promised to send His angel or messenger along with them. Exodus 33:1-2 NKJV 1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your descendants I will give it.' 2 "And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Exodus 33:12-13 NKJV 12 Then Moses said to the LORD, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people.' But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.' 13 "Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace (chen) in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace (chen) in Your sight. And consider (ra-ah) that this nation is Your people." #1870. ??? derek, deh'-rek from 1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action #7200. ??? ra'ah, raw-aw' a primitive root; to see, provide Yehovah Yireh: Yehovah provides #2603. ??? chanan, khaw-nan' a primitive root (compare 2583); properly, to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow Who are you sending with me? See to it that the children of Israel are your people. Exodus 33:14 NKJV 14 And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 23:20-23 NKJV 20 "Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 "Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. 22 "But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 "For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. The Angel of God’s presence is a pre-incarnate Yeshua who was with them as they crossed the Red Sea and continued to go with them as He led them into the Promised Land. Exodus 33:19-23 NKJV 19 Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious (chanan) to whom I will be gracious (chanan), and I will have compassion (racham) on whom I will have compassion (racham)." 20 But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." 21 And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 "So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23 "Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen." #7355. racham, raw-kham' a primitive root; to fondle; by implication, to love, especially to compassionate #7358. rechem, rekh'-em from 7355; the womb John 1:12-13 NKJV 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. God wills to adopt us into His family and consider or see to it that we are His children! John 1:14 NKJV 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Matthew 17:1-5 NKJV 1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" Exodus 34:4-5 NKJV 4 So he cut two tablets of stone like the first ones. Then Moses rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him; and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone. 5 Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. Deuteronomy 18:15 NKJV 15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, Deuteronomy 18:18 NKJV 18 'I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. Hear: #8085. ??? shama`, shaw-mah' a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience Exodus 34:6-7 NKJV 6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 "keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation." Exodus 20:1-6 NKJV 1 And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 "You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. Exodus 32:4-5 NKJV 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!" 5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD." Exodus 34 Exodus 20 The LORD, the LORD God… I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. …merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness (chesed) and truth, 7 "keeping mercy (chesed) for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin …showing mercy (chesed) to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. … by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation." …visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me In Exodus 34, the word translated goodness is the same Hebrew word in Exodus 20 that is translated mercy. This Hebrew word is chesed which is most frequently translated as kindness or loving kindness. Goodness: #2617. chesed, kheh'-sed from 2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety: favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-)kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity. #2616. ??? chasad, khaw-sad' a primitive root; properly, perhaps to bow (the neck only in courtesy to an equal) Genesis 19:29 NKJV 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt. Genesis 19:19 NKJV 19 "Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy (chesed) which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. Joshua 2:12-14 NKJV 12 "Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness (chesed), that you also will show kindness (chesed) to my father's house, and give me a true token, 13 "and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death." 14 So the men answered her, "Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly (chesed) and truly with you." Chesed is paired with the word truth or “emet.” Emet means truth as reality or certainty as opposed to something that is artificial or not real. #571. ??? 'emeth, eh'-meth contracted from 539; stability; (figuratively) certainty, truth, trustworthiness:--assured(-ly), establishment, faithful, right, sure, true (-ly, -th), verity Genesis 47:29 NKJV 29 When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly (chesed) and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, Chesed can be viewed as covenant devotion. Keep: #5341. natsar, naw-tsar' a primitive root; to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) observe, preserve(-r) God will guard and protect mercy, kindness, covenant devotion for thousands of generations to those who love Him. Deuteronomy 7:9 NKJV 9 "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy (chesed) for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; Psalms 25:1-10 NKJV 1 <> To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me. 3 Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. 4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses (chesed), For they are from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy (chesed) remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD. 8 Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. 9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. 10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy (chesed) and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. Exodus 34:8-9 NKJV 8 So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. 9 Then he said, "If now I have found grace (chen) in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance." Romans 3:21-24 NKJV 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Does this then nullify the Torah or the law? Romans 3:31 NKJV 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. Exodus 34:27-28 NKJV 27 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." 28 So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. Romans 6:1-2 KJV 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Exodus 34:29-30 NKJV 29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. Isaiah 63:7-9 NKJV 7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses (chesed) of the LORD And the praises of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies (racham), According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses (chesed). 8 For He said, "Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie." So He became their Savior. 9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old. He bestows His chesed, His covenant devotion, on Israel according the certainty of His adoption of them (racham) as His people. Here in the midst of the Torah, God revealed the Angel of His Presence, a pre-incarnate Yeshua full of grace and truth, their redeemer and savior. “Because the law through Moses was given, grace and truth through Jesus Christ came into being. Discussion Questions for Grace and Truth in the Torah 1. What did Moses have with Him when God declared His name, Yehovah, the name of grace and mercy? Discuss the significance of these items and the fact that Moses held them when God revealed His name. 2. Read Exodus 32:11-14 which contains Moses’ reply to God when God said He would destroy the children of Israel and replace them with Moses. Compare Moses’ reply with the doctrine that the Gentile church replaced Israel. 3. In Exodus 33:13, Moses asks God to “consider” that the nation of Israel is His people. The word translated “consider” is the Hebrew word ra-ah #7200 in Strong’s Concordance. It means to see or provide. This is the same word used to refer to the place where God provided the ram as the sacrifice instead of Isaac which Abraham named “Yehovah-yireh,” the LORD-Will-Provide. What are the implications if we read this request of Moses that God “make provision” that the nation of Israel is His people? 4. The word translated “by” in John 1:17 is the Greek word “dia” meaning the channel of an act. How was Moses a channel for giving the Torah as well as a channel for extending grace to the children of Israel? 5. Read Psalm 32 and 1 John 1:5-10. To whom does God extend mercy?