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Hebrews, Language, Teaching

Hebrews 5:1-10 – The All or nothing about an appointment as high priest

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Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

——————–

This is the Epistle selection to be read aloud on the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 24], Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow one of two pairings of Old Testament readings with Psalms, either a Track 1 or Track 2 option, based on the path chosen by an individual church for Year B. Track 1 offers Yahweh’s response to Job, after he had complained and was advised by friends. Psalm 104 sings, “Yahweh, how manifold are your works! in wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” Track 2 offers Isaiah’s song of a suffering servant being like a sheep before slaughter silently waiting. Psalm 91 sings, “There shall no evil happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from Mark, where Jesus asked the Zebedee brothers, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

I wrote about this full reading the last time it came up in the lectionary cycle (2018). This past Lent (Year B, Lent 5), verses five through ten were cycled; so, I wrote about the second half of this reading then. The 2018 commentary can be read by searching this site. The commentary from this past Lenten season can be found also by searching this site. Both place focus on the reason why Melchizedek is mentioned; so, both have merit that stands today. I welcome all readers to read both and then compare what my prior observations were, in relation to what I will now add. As always, I welcome reader feedback and input.

Last Sunday from Hebrews we read, “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul kai spirit” (Hebrews 4:12) and “Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our professions [to the marriage agreement – the Covenant].” (Hebrews 4:14) This was written by the same Paul who now spoke more about “Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts kai sacrifices for sins.” (Hebrews 5:1) As the main theme statement for these selected verses, it is imperative to realize the meaning of “every high priest”

The Greek written that begins this chapter is “Pas gar archiereus,” which literally translates as “All indeed high priest.” In that, “Pas” is capitalized, which means it must be read with a divine level of meaning, not as simple conversation. The divinity of “All, the Whole, Every kind of” (Strong’s Definition of “Pas”) is a “Total” commitment to Yahweh, which is not singular, but plural. It is a standard requirement for “All” who will “indeed” be a “high priest.” When one realizes the word “archiereus” is nominative masculine singular, this becomes a divine statement that the one “high priest” is “indeed” that to “All,” with that singularity being Jesus. What is missed in “archiereus” is it can also be expressing the genitive case, where possession is stated, as “of the high priest,” where the first segment of words states, “All indeed of high priest.” That says more than “All” who will let one be his or her “high priest” (a statement of belief), because it now says, “All indeed of high priest,” where the “high priest” (Jesus) possesses “All, indeed.”

Now, the “high priest” who possesses “All” – where that numbering counts “All” who are those “Totally” committed to Yahweh in marriage, as their souls to His Spirit – that is what slices the soul in two, just like a DNA splits to be joined with the DNA of one’s partner in marriage (sperm in egg). Two halves are joined as one, and what Yahweh has joined together let no man separate. The marriage of Yahweh with one’s soul makes a soul in a body of flesh be His forevermore (not just on Saturdays or Sundays, sometimes for thirty minutes of prayer during the week).

When one’s soul-body has been married to Yahweh, then one’s flesh becomes the Temple unto Him. A Temple needs a high priest; so, the marriage brings about the baby Son of God, Jesus, to be resurrected within each and “Every” soul-wife of Yahweh. That “high priest” will likewise be forever joined by Yahweh to the soul of His wives [“All” of them individually], so there will be no tearing asunder allowed there either.

This means the divine importance of “All, Every, Whole” to which Paul wrote “indeed” about is this not only took place after the death of Jesus, but it has been happening since Genesis 1 stated, “In the beginning elohim created.” (Genesis 1:1a) The “high priest” is how John wrote of Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word.” [“En archē ēn ho Logos , kai ho Logos ēn pro ton Theon , kai Theos ēn ho Logos .”] Therefore, the “high priest” was in Job. The “high priest” was in David. The “high priest” was in Isaiah. The “high priest” was in Paul; and, of course, the “high priest” was in Jesus. The word “All” does not leave anyone out, including YOU, the reader now (once your soul is married to Yahweh’s Spirit).

In the Job reading, it can be confusing, as if Yahweh suddenly forgot all about His knowing at the beginning that His Son Job was up to the task of turning away from Satan, including all his underling elohim sent to confuse Job into forsaking Yahweh. In verse four, where we read Yahweh asking, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding,” it is those not married to Yahweh who read that and stick their tails between their legs, saying, “Rut roh.” The answer for Job is not that weakling response, but his knowing [as a “high priest”], “I was there with You in the beginning. I have always been with You and always will be with You.” All of the questions posed in Job 38 can be answered by “All” of the “high priests.” Knowing the answers is born into “All” of the wives of Yahweh the same way. Only those who refuse to sacrifice themselves [a “self” is a “soul”] in marriage to Yahweh fear these questions.

David sang in Psalm 104 about this presence of Yahweh: “You make the winds your messengers and flames of fire your servants. You have set the earth upon its foundations, so that it never shall move at any time.” In that, the wind is metaphor for the change from sinner to saint; and, the fire is metaphor for the metamorphosis of a mortal in a body of flesh to an immortal soul in the process of losing its flesh forevermore. The “foundations of the earth” is the presence of the “high priest” within “All” Yahweh’s holy wives, where the birth and rebirth of Jesus is the “cornerstone” of faith. That makes “All” be the possession of Jesus, the Son of God, who only do his will as the “slaves” that are Yahweh elohim.

Isaiah knew this divine presence was within him when he wrote: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” Isaiah knew the “high priest” within his soul, which Christians readily identify as Jesus. This says Isaiah knew Jesus long before Jesus manifested in human flesh.

David sang about this presence in Psalm 91, where the lyrics say, “Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most High your habitation, There shall no evil happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.” The “habitation” and “dwelling” is one’s soul – divine marriage to Yahweh’s Spirit – and one’s body of flesh – the Temple in which Yahweh resides and where the Son is one’s “high priest.”

When Paul wrote, “So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you,” those parts missed is Paul writing “Houtōs kai ho Christos ouch heauton edoxasen genēthēnai archierea.” That literally translates into English to say, “In this manner kai this of Christ not oneself does bestow to be born a high priest.” The capitalization of “Houtōs” divinely elevates the meaning of that word to be a statement of heavenly process that is unchangeable and always present: In this manner … one is like “Aaron,” the first “high priest” of the Tabernacle, who was “called by God.”

Following that divine statement of how one becomes a “high priest” like “Aaron,” “called by God” to serve Him in His “dwelling,” one finds the word “kai” written, which is always a signal word that says, “Be alert, because an important statement is coming!” That important statement says, “this of Christ,” where “Christos” is the genitive case, stating possession. The word “Christ” does not mean ‘the last name of Jesus.” It is a capitalized word that must be seen as a divinely elevated statement of “Anointment.” That says all who will be the wives of Yahweh [His possessions] will then be His “Anointed ones,” or His “Christ” individually. This is then “not” a state of being that “oneself bestows” willingly. It is the outpouring of Yahweh’s Spirit upon those souls He chooses to be His wives. It is then from that divine wedding that the wife becomes the Holy Mother of Jesus, who is “to be born.” This is then what makes one be “a high priest.” By thinking there is only one “Christ,” one misses the full meaning of this statement by Paul.

When Paul wrote, “was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you,” Paul was one of the “All” who had been Anointed by Yahweh; and, Paul was one of the “All” who had then given birth to Yahweh’s Son, Jesus. So Paul was Jesus reborn. Paul could not know that as someone who only read words written on pages, none of which could be explained by men wearing robes. Paul was himself a “high priest” of Yahweh, by appointment by the Father. Because Paul was quoting a Psalm of David, David was also appointed by the Father to be His Son, Jesus reborn, well before Jesus became flesh.

This then led Paul to add another quote from a Psalm of David, writing, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” Now, the naming of Melchizedek makes one look closely at that, in the same way one’s eyes focus solely on “Christ.” What is missed is “priest forever,” from “hiereus eis ton aiōna” [in Greek], which says, “priest to the age.” In Hebrew [transliterated], David wrote, “ḵō·hên lə·‘ō·w·lām” [from “kohen olam”], which means “priest everlasting.” The word written by David that is translated as “order” is “dibrah,” meaning “a cause, reason, manner.” The equivalent used by Paul [“taxin”] means “a regular arrangement” or “an appointed succession.” Thus, this means an “order” or “manner” or “sequence” in which things occur. This takes us back to the capitalization of “Houtōs,” where “the order of Melchizedek” is “In the manner of” Yahweh’s determination.


Melchizedek was the King of Salem, also known as Jebus. Abraham bought a cave from a Hittite; but the cave went underground all the way to Jebus, causing the need for a treaty between Abraham and the Jebusites, one that said he would not attack them from below.

Now, the element of Melchizedek is he was a “priest forever.” This must be seen in the descendant of Adam, who was Enoch. After 365 years in the flesh, Enoch was taken up by Yahweh, without ever dying. This is also thought to be what happened to Elijah (although I now believe he died under the broom tree and was resurrected to eternal life). Jesus was like Elijah, in the sense that his soul has continued to return as the Son of man, in all who are made Christs by marriage to Yahweh and are those who give rebirth to Jesus, since “In the beginning.” Because Melchizedek blessed Abram, making Abram be officially said to be a Son of Yahweh, Paul was speaking as another Son of man, knowing the Spirit is the same in all Holy Sons.

When Paul wrote, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission,” this is a restatement of the life of Job as well. Paul never knew Jesus (that we know of), as he was a persecutor of the first Jews who believed in Jesus and became Jesus reborn. As Saul, he knew Jesus as well as he knew Job [heard stories]; but as Paul he knew both personally, as all were of “the order of Melchizedek.” All will do whatever Yahweh asks, without question; but all will cry out in love for their Holy Husband, the Father of their “high priest” within.

This Epistle is to be read on the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own personal ministry for Yahweh should already be well underway, because it is the lesson that all who want to be truthfully Christian must be married to Yahweh and become Anointed by His outpouring of Spirit. One is not Christian by simply memorizing a few quotes of Scripture and attending church a few times a year. Believing in Jesus is selfishness, which helps no one other than one’s self, who finds some false sense of calm from thinking it is okay to sin and go to heaven. Having priests, pastors and ministers to confirm that false belief are headed down the same road to perdition and are careless about the souls of others. One must become Jesus reborn into a body of flesh, which can only be by appointment of Yahweh. One must become His wife [regardless of human gender], so one can become the mother of His Son. One must be made this “In the manner of” everyone holy, since the beginning of time.

Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 104:1-9, 25, 37b – Kneels my soul to Yahweh

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1 Bless Yahweh, O my soul; *

Yahweh elohay, how excellent is your greatness!

you are clothed with majesty and splendor.

2 You wrap yourself with light as with a cloak *

and spread out the heavens like a curtain.

3 You lay the beams of your chambers in the waters above; *

you make the clouds your chariot;

you ride on the wings of the wind.

4 You make the winds your messengers *

and flames of fire your servants.

5 You have set the earth upon its foundations, *

so that it never shall move at any time.

6 You covered it with the Deep as with a mantle; *

the waters stood higher than the mountains.

7 At your rebuke they fled; *

at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.

8 They went up into the hills and down to the valleys beneath, *

to the places you had appointed for them.

9 You set the limits that they should not pass; *

they shall not again cover the earth.

25 [24] Yahweh, how manifold are your works! *

in wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

37b [35b] (Bless my soul with Yahweh) Hallelujah!

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This is the accompanying Psalm for the Track 1 path for a church that will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 24], Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow a reading from Job 38, where Yahweh responds to Job, saying “Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me.” This set will precede a reading from Hebrews, where Paul wrote, “So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from Mark, where Jesus said to his disciples, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you.”

In the above English translation presented by the Episcopal Church, you will notice how I have replaced with bold type the proper name “Yahweh.” Three times in these selected verses the error has been made in translating the name Yahweh with “the Lord,” reducing the significance of His name to a generality. I have restored that truth. Also, in verse one is found the word “elohay,” which translates as “us gods,” not “my God.” That translation is wrong and misleading one away from asking, “What does elohay mean?” Further, the NRSV [supposedly the source of the Episcopal Church’s translation] shows Psalm 104 with a total of thirty-five verses. The Episcopal Church has then misnumbered what the NRSV shows as verse twenty-four and verse thirty-five, as “25” and “37b.” I have restores the proper verse numbers, in brackets. Finally, Verse thirty-five ends by repeating what verse one begins with: “Bless my soul with Yahweh,” but they want to ignore that repetition and simply use the last two words written by David: “hal·lū-yah.” I have added the omitted repetition, placed in parentheses.

You might notice that the literal English translation that I have placed in verse thirty-five (in parentheses) is not the same as the same words translated by the NRSV, in verse one. To read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; the Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness,” sounds like David (the author) or you (the reader) are really the special one in this verse. That special state is because you can whistle Yahweh over, like a dog, and tell Him, “Bless my soul. That’s a good boy. It is so wonderful for me to have a good pet God at my command.” This is (minimally) confusing, because American Christians love every crack in the armor to falsely pretend to honor a God they cannot see and have no true relationship with.

Verse one literally translates into English saying this: “kneels my soul , to Yahweh Yahweh gods of me you become great very ; majesty and splendor you clothe me .” In this, the Hebrew word that begins the verse is “barak,” which means “to kneel, bless.” To translate it as “to kneel,” one sees that this is a “soul” taking a position of subservience, such as a knight would kneel before his king. This means “bless” is a request from obedience and servitude, so one bows down in submission first, in order to be “blessed.” It is not human flesh that is kneeling or being blessed. It is “my soul” or the “soul of me.” The first two words are then a prayer by David, which must be uttered by all who love Yahweh.

As Paul wrote, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

The name “Yahweh” is stated in back-to-back words. The first connects to the One to whom a soul seeks blessing. “Yahweh” is the name a human being (soul in flesh) kneels at the altar of marriage with, where all souls in human flesh are the brides of Yahweh, bowing down in a solemn act of union. The “blessing” that comes from that marriage is the name Yahweh. When married, a soul does not run around showing everyone his or her ring (a halo), saying, “I am now Mrs. Lord.” The soul proclaims “Yahweh.” Anything less says a soul has never been to the altar and “knelt one’s soul” down before “Yahweh.”

The second use of “Yahweh” leads to the Hebrew word “elohay,” which is a possessive use of “elohim,” which is plural in number and means “gods” [certainly not God, in the singular, upper case]. The possessive says “Yahweh” has many “gods” who serve Him in marriage, where the “elohim” are His creations: angels, spirits, and souls; but they are those “elohim” who serve only “Yahweh,” not the fallen “elohim” (angels), who love to play games with souls in human flesh. Thus, the meaning of “Yahweh elohay” is one’s soul has married into a great family of divine creatures, all of who have taken on the name “Yahweh” as His wives, so “Yahweh’s gods” are those to whom one’s “soul” has joined (“of me I am one”).

This marriage of a “soul” to the Spirit of “Yahweh” is how one then knows (from personal experience) that “Yahweh is great.” The Hebrew word rooted in what David wrote here is “gadal,” which means “to grow up, become great.” Because Yahweh cannot be bigger than He already is [Yahweh is EVERYTHING], then it is only one’s “soul” that can experience such “growth” of “greatness.” One’s soul does not become itself “great,” but it has become merged with a “greatness” that makes one’s soul feel minute and insignificant. This is why one stays kneeled before “Yahweh,” serving His Will in any way He commands.

The final segment of words in the first verse then speaks of how a “soul” feels the “greatness” of “Yahweh” wholly encompassing it. It brings on “honor” and “majesty” that did not exist when simply a soul giving life to a body of death. It is this sense of “splendor” that the metaphor becomes a soul’s “clothing.” This is the truth of being in the name of “Yahweh,” as His presence brings on the robes of righteousness and that clothing keeps one from wanting to ‘run outside and play in the dirt,’ like a foolish child. It brings on the sense of royalty that is the responsibility to live according to the marriage vows, which are generally termed “the Covenant.”

Verse two then expands on this holy clothing. David sang, “which cover with light like a garment ; which stretches out spiritually like a curtain .” The use of “light” means one’s righteous ways can be seen, but the source of the “light” is unseen. Thus, the translation of “shamayim” should not be read like the “light” of the “heavens,” where the earth’s sun shines and other stars twinkle; but the word means “spirituality” that penetrates through walls and is ever-present. The “curtain” becomes the unseen presence of Yahweh’s Spirit, which has become one with one’s soul.

Verse three then sings literally, “his encounters are like in the waters , his roof chamber makes the nebulosity of clouds his chariot ; who comes upon the wings of the spirit .” Because the last word of this verse is “ruach,” meaning “spirit,” everything is relative to that marriage to a soul. It comes on like an outpouring of water. This is why baptism is associated with a cleansing by water, but it is purely Spirit. The head is the “roof chamber” of one’s body of flesh, where one’s brain connects the body of flesh to the soul’s commands. The Spirit of Yahweh is like a cloud that cannot be seen, but is completely known to be. This makes one’s body of flesh become the “chariot” in which Yahweh moves on the earth. When “wings” is applied to this, it should be seen as a supporting statement about an “elohim” being an angel; but “wings” are metaphor for the merger of soul with Spirit, as one of Yahweh’s angels in the flesh. Christians know this as the presence of Jesus’ soul within one’s being, which gives one his “wings” of ministry.

Verse four then repeats “rauch,” saying, “which his messengers spirits ; his servants blazes of fire .” In this, the Hebrew word for “messengers” is the same that says “angels,” as a “malak” is an “angel” of Yahweh who becomes His “messenger” on the earth. The word that translates as “servants” is the same that means “ministers,” where “sharath” is a statement of “ministry,” as Yahweh’s “messengers.”

Verse five then sings literally, “added earth above the foundations ; not it should be shaken , futurity and perpetuity .” While it is easy to see these Hebrew words and think of the greatness of Yahweh during the Creation, as “You have set the earth upon its foundations, so that it never shall move at any time,” that is meaningless drool. The “addition” to the “earth” is the marriage of the Spirit to the flesh of a human being. This raises that “flesh above the foundations” that were its prior self-entity. This divine union is then not possible to be “shaken” loose, where a soul in marriage is able to divorce Yahweh. Marriage of this divinity is forever, beyond the soul’s animation of dead matter (“futurity) and through all eternity (“perpetuity”).

David then sang literally in verse six, “with the sea a garment you covered it ; above the mountains stood the waters .” This appears to be David recounting the Great Flood, when all the “earth” was under the “waters” of the oceans and “seas.” This is speaking metaphorically of the baptism of the earth by water, which was the only time such a cleansing by water would take place. The metaphor of water is the emotional state of being, from which love is one totally misunderstood by human brains. The metaphor David used from the Noah theme was telling how Yahweh elohim are those who are totally engulfed by His Spiritual presence, so much that if one was a “hill” or one was a “mountain” among men, one is unable to break the surface of Yahweh’s “raiment.” One bows down before that immense greatness.

In verse seven the Hebrew then literally translates into English as, “from your rebuke they escaped ; from the sound of your thunder , they hurried away .” This verse needs to be seen as having applications to the accompanying Gospel (Mark 10:35-45), as James and John, sons of Zebedee, were known as the “sons of thunder” (“Boanerges”). This would be because they were big and burly (formerly fishermen) and could intimidate others with a fierce look. Here, David is saying Yahweh is much greater than the most powerful of earth (kings and rulers). Those are who Yahweh causes to tremble and run. When seen as demonic elohim trying to steal a soul, this sings of those souls who “escaped” damnation, because they turned away from evil elohim. Thus, the “sound of Yahweh’s thunder” is as booming as Jesus telling Satan, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” There is no evil spirit that will challenge Yahweh for a soul.

In verse eight, David returned to the “mountains that the “waters” had “stood above.” [Verse six.] Following the “rebuking” of the evil elohim, we see that souls have “ascended above the mountains and descended into the valleys ; into the place you established for them .” Here, the lesson taught by Jesus in Mark’s Gospel reading – “whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all” – the highs and lows of life says the “place established” by Yahweh for “them” is their souls. It is the soul that becomes heaven, due to the presence of Yahweh. So, regardless of what the world throws before one, a soul has been promised eternal life beyond the physical realm.

David then literally sings in verse nine (in English), “a boundary you have set not that they might pass over ; not that they may return , to cover the earth .” In this verse, David sang divinely of the duality that is first a “boundary” that determines who “might go beyond.” It then refers to those who earn the right to Salvation and those who do not. In this, the root of the Hebrew word “abar” is written [transliterated as “ya·‘ă·ḇō·rūn”], with this word meaning “Passover.” This become the “boundary” that is “death,” where physical “death” is the separation of a soul from its body of flesh. To “Passover” to eternal life, a soul must have been married to Yahweh prior to death and a servant of His in ministry prior to death. Those who have met this “Passover” requirement gain eternal life; but those who do not meet the demands, they will be recycled: reincarnation – same soul, different body of flesh.

This then leads to the two segments following the semi-colon, where those souls that “not may return” to be One with Yahweh will then be those who “to cover the earth.” Again, the word “earth” expands beyond dust and dirt, meaning the physical cells that grow and form into bodies of flesh, maintained by Yahweh and a soul of living breath. Of course, the Exodus story of the “Passover” says a soul must wear the blood of the sacrificial lamb around its doorframe, in order to avoid the angel of death [Yahweh elohim]. Christians know this as the blood of Jesus; and, that means to “Passover” one must have married a soul to Yahweh [be an Israelite] and then be reborn in the name of His Son Jesus, so one’s own physical blood becomes the blood of Jesus. Still, the use of blood becomes metaphor for the Spirit, which is the inundation of waters that encompasses one’s soul.

Here the Episcopal Church leaps forward to what the NRSV shows is clearly verse twenty-four [not twenty-five]. In that verse David literally sang (in English translation), “how many your deeds Yahweh them all in wisdom you have made ; is full of the earth , your acquisitions .” In this, it is imperative to realize that nothing happening on the physical plane is done by Yahweh. Yahweh created elohim to make all that is not the pure Spirit of Yahweh. Thus, all “deeds” or “works” done in the world are those coming from the “wisdom of Yahweh,” which comes through those souls in the flesh who do His Will [His elohim]. That is the meaning of the word “acquisitions,” which means those souls “possessed” by Yahweh’s Spirit.

This is then where the Episcopal Church jumps to the last two words of the Hebrew text, converting them to the misunderstood word “Hallelujah!” The two words are combined as “hal·lū-yah,” where “hallu” means “praise” and “yah” is an abbreviated form of “Yahweh.” Thus, the word means “give Yahweh praise!. That praise is owed to Him by souls who have found Redemption and Salvation.

This is why I also add the repetition of the beginning words from verse one, which sings, “kneel my soul to Yahweh.” This is the submission of one’s soul to the only way to find eternal life returned to one’s soul, no longer having to be recycled through reincarnation. Thus, a soul “gives Yahweh praise” because He has accepted one’s soul in marriage, both kneeling together at His most Holy Altar. [Realize a soul has no sexual identification. It is a wife because it is within a body of matter, which reflects the feminine or receptive state of existence.]

As the accompany Psalm to the Track 1 reading from Job 38, where Yahweh responds to His servant Job, Yahweh spoke to Job as a happy Father, knowing Job had passed the test allowed by Yahweh, which made it possible for Satan and his elohim to challenge the marriage commitment between Job’s soul and Yahweh. Job 38 is then Yahweh speaking to His wife in the same way that David knew Yahweh speaking to his soul. This is why knowing the proper name Yahweh is so important. It states the name of one’s Husband in marriage, the One whose name one takes in that transaction, so Yahweh becomes much more than some “lord.”

As a reading for the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own personal ministry for Yahweh should already be well underway, the lesson here is to see the truth of “Yahweh elohay.” One needs to see the plurality of many “gods” [Saints] who are in the name of “Yahweh,” with one’s own soul expected to become one as well. Yahweh must be seen as so “great” that His Spirit could encompass every soul on earth; if they would all open their hearts to His love and “kneel down before Him” in submission and marriage. The lesson is to see the truth of “ministry,” which can only come when one has been Anointed by Yahweh’s Spirit and sent out into the world as His servant-messenger-angel. The lesson to realize is no good can come from pretending to be a servant of Yahweh, when one refuses to say His proper name, because one worships Jesus as a god, replacing Yahweh as one’s elohim. Jesus is the servant sent by Yahweh into His wives, so one can minister to the world as a true extension of Yahweh, as a soul that has indeed passed over.

Language, Mark, Teaching

Mark 10:35-45 – Wanting to sit at the left and right of Jesus

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James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

——————–

This is the Gospel selection that will be read aloud by a priest on the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 24], Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow one of two pairs of Old Testament and Psalm readings, depending on what Track an individual church is on for Year B. The Track 1 pairing has Yahweh respond to Job, after his complaints and the visits from ‘friends’ that try to sway him to admit his wickedness and move on. Psalm 104 has David sing, “You have set the earth upon its foundations, so that it never shall move at any time.” The Track 2 pairing offers Isaiah singing about the troubles of the world, with a lyric that says, “When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days.” Psalm 91 then has David praising: “Because he is bound to me in love, therefore will I deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my Name.” Whichever the path, they will precede a reading from Hebrews, where Paul wrote, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

I wrote about this reading from Mark’s tenth chapter the last time it came up in the lectionary cycle (2018). I posted my observations on my website, which is not available her to read; simply search this site. I went into some depth of explanation, including adding some background material, which I will not repeat at this time. I welcome all readers to view that three-year old posting and then compare what I wrote then to what I will now add. I invite all comments, questions, suggestions and corrections. Send them to me via email; or, sign up to post directly to a post in the blog.

Today, I want to turn the focus on how this Gospel reading supports and is supported by the other readings that come forth on this twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost. In that, it helps to realize the Gospel reading from the Sunday prior ended at verse thirty-one, with this reading beginning at verse thirty-five, making three verses from Mark’s tenth chapter be leaped over. Those three verses tell of Jesus explaining to his disciples a third time that he was going to be punished in Jerusalem, handed over to the Romans and killed. That needs to be understood as the motivation behind “James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus.”

In the story of Job, Yahweh finally speaks to His servant, in the thirty-eighth chapter. Many chapters have been the set-up, with Job complaining about wanting to know what he did (so he could never do that again), while being advised by all kinds of ‘friends,’ all of whom have attempted to sway Job from his devotion to Yahweh. This becomes a parallel to the three times Jesus told his disciples of his coming future. Three came to Job: Bildad; Eliphaz; and, Zophar, with an uninvited Elihu coming before Yahweh spoke to Job. All of them represent “elohim,” which Yahweh had said Job feared elohim and turned away from them.

When we see now that two of Jesus’ disciples heard of Jesus seeming to complain about an unrightful persecution by the leaders of Jerusalem, they “came forward” (from “prosporeuontai” meaning “come to, approach”) like the ‘friends’ of Job. Rather than be direct and tell Jesus, “We are your two strongest followers and we wish to be close to you, so we can prevent what you say will come from coming,” they made a simple request to be the two always closest to Jesus. They stated their request as being “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” When Jesus then told them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” that explains what the friends of Job were attempting to become.

The left and right are symbolic of wrong and right. In a way, this is a request to be the evil and good of Jesus; and, that is a request coming from the serpent, as they sought to become extensions of Jesus that controlled his future through acts that could both be good and evil. They then sought to become “elohim” over the soul of Jesus, where his allowing them a preferred position in his life would be no different that Job taking the advice of his ‘friends’ and letting them remove Yahweh as his One God in marriage, who represents always the Tree of Life.

Jesus then asked James and John if they could “drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.” That was Jesus saying his soul was totally possessed by Yahweh the Father. Jesus drank from the cup of living waters. Jesus was baptized with the outpouring of Yahweh’s Spirit, which had granted him eternal life, not just one mortal existence on planet earth. When James and John said, “We are able” [“Dynametha,” a capitalized word elevated to a divine level of meaning], they lied as would all misled by Satan elohim. Their only ability was to weaken Jesus and make him fear death, which he knew was part of his coming future.

This needs to be heard as why Yahweh asked Job, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge.” Yahweh knew the ‘friends’ of Job were more attempts by Satan to test Job, hoping Job would break under the pretense of ‘friends’ seeking what would be best for Job. Both James and John, sons of Zebedee, were possessed by Satan, leading their brains to say what they said, hearing Satan whisper, “How great you will be among men, if you protect your Teacher from harm.” They spoke with darkened counsel, using words that announced, “We know nothing of value.”

Jesus then told the two, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” That says the cup of drink and the baptism within Jesus was Yahweh and nothing else. While Yahweh knew James and John would become Apostles and serve Him as Jesus reborn, that time still to come would be from their souls also marrying Yahweh, becoming His wives. At that time, they would become the right hands of Yahweh, as was Jesus. Jesus, himself, was committed to Yahweh, so he could not do anything other than turn away from such a suggestion. The suggestion said neither James nor John were prepared to marry Yahweh at that time.

When Mark then wrote of the other ten disciples getting angry at the request made by James and John, that says they each wanted to be the one to save Jesus. None of them wanted him to be punished and die. This says they each saw Jesus as their elohim that they would sell their soul to be close to. This speaks of all of Christianity today, as Christians love to continuously hold a Passion Play, where Jesus once again tells of his coming arrest, punishment and death, forgetting all about the Easter message of resurrection WITHIN ALL TRUE CHRISTIANS! Everyone wants to save Jesus from death by remembering his death eternally; while no one anymore [or very few] see the death as a necessary step that freed the soul of Jesus to become reborn in the flesh of a new CHRISTIAN.

Jesus then said, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.” A “Gentile” is anyone who is a soul not married to Yahweh, so a “Gentile” was a term that equally applied to all the rulers of Jerusalem, because none of them were servants of Yahweh, as His divine wives. In the same way, people wearing the same attire – robes and high hats – become the rulers of all the denominations of “Christianity,” where a pope deems what sacrifices a Catholic needs to made (unwillingly). An Archbishop of the Church of England decides it is okay to marry a royal family member (a half-breed) to a half-breed American (a mongrel), as if that is blessed by Yahweh. An Episcopal Presiding Bishop parades around his own version of racism and declares it is now okay to marry homosexuals in his churches. This is the tyranny of Gentile religions; and, the governments of Gentile nations [no matter what religion or philosophy they say they hold dear] have no moral compass by which they guide souls.

Jesus then added, “But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” This says Jesus knew the souls of all but Judas Iscariot would become brides of Yahweh and reborn as Jesus, merged with their souls. Jesus knew they would be TRUE CHRISTIANS. A true Christian is then defined as a servant of all, and least among men. This was the third time Jesus has told them this scenario in the past month. That says all rulers of religions are not to be listened to, as they are all those elohim ‘friends’ of Job, trying to get him to turn away from Yahweh.

In Isaiah’s song, he sang as a soul sacrificed to Yahweh. His lyrics sound as if he were prophesying the coming of Jesus, who would be the lamb led silently to slaughter. The truth is Isaiah was Jesus when he wrote that song divinely. Isaiah is like all the disciples of Jesus would be, when they were prepared for divine marriage to the Spirit. All who will be Jesus reborn must willingly go to the altar to be sheared and slaughtered, offered up as a soul for Yahweh. One cannot stay the same elohim led around by Satan and expect to gain eternal rewards. Thus, one needs to know just how much these words apply to all who seek Redemption:

“Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

As a reading to be read aloud on the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own personal ministry for Yahweh should already be well underway, the lesson here is to stop trying to tell Jesus what to do. One needs to realize the error of being a tiny, meaningless “god” of Satan, who always goes around telling others how to live their lives, never once doing what he or she says do. The lesson here is to hear the words of Yahweh to Job and realize I know none of the answers to the question, or I know all of the answers because my soul knows Yahweh intimately. One is either a Gentile ruler of the world, who loves to persecute, oppress, and tyrant over others [using names of gods and Biblical characters in the process]; or, one is a wife of Yahweh who says to others, “to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant.” Sadly, the world is full of chiefs, with very few servants to go around.

Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 91:9-16 – Knowing the name Yahweh

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9 Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, *

and the Most High your habitation,

10 There shall no evil happen to you, *

neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over you, *

to keep you in all your ways.

12 They shall bear you in their hands, *

lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; *

you shall trample the young lion and the serpent under your feet.

14 Because he is bound to me in love,

therefore will I deliver him; *

I will protect him, because he knows my Name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; *

I am with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and bring him to honor.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, *

and show him my salvation.

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This is the companion Psalm to the Track 2 Old Testament reading from Isaiah 53, where the prophet wrote, “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” This song will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 24], Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. The pair will precede a reading from Hebrews, where Paul wrote, “[Jesus] learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”

This is the second half of Psalm 91. The first half will be read (six verses) during the Ordinary after Pentecost season in Year C. You will notice how I have restores the proper name written by David – “Yahweh” – replacing the poor substitute that says “the Lord.” In verse two, there is another mention of the proper name “Yahweh,” with a later word in the verse that is “elohay,” which means “gods of me” or “my gods.” This is a signal that David knew the difference between one particular God – Yahweh – and the One of many “gods.” And, he knew that those who served Yahweh were His “gods,” as souls married to His Spirit, becoming extensions of Him on earth. This should already be realized by the time one reads verse nine; so, I have filled you in on what the reader needs to know for this song of praise to make sense: One needs to be one of Yahweh’s elohim.

Verse nine literally translates into English from the Hebrew as stating, “when you Yahweh my shelter ; the highest , have set your dwelling place .” This sings of marriage to Yahweh. To have Yahweh as one’s shelter or refuge, one has then submitted to His Will by agreeing to His terms of marriage – the Covenant. To think that Yahweh will be some form of protection otherwise means to think Yahweh is one’s bought and paid for bodyguard, who comes whenever you whistle for Him. That is the lowest way of thinking about Yahweh [seen by those who call Him “the Lord,” not His name – because it is not his or her name through marriage]. The “highest” is how one’s soul has been elevated through divine marriage, which is how Yahweh is one’s “shelter.” When David sang of Yahweh dwelling in him, he knew the presence of Yahweh within, as one of His elohim.

Verse ten then literally translates to say, “not shall encounter towards evil ; any plague not shall come near your tabernacle .” In this verse, David is continuing praise for one whose soul has become one with Yahweh and the “shelter” that affords one’s soul. That soul will not be approached by evil elohim, trying to steal that soul for Satan. The presence of Yahweh’s Spirit will be known by those “evil” elohim as being off limits. When the story of Job tells of a “plague” placed upon his skin, that was allowed by Yahweh. Satan had complained that Job had a “hedge” that kept evil away, which Yahweh lowered in that case; but the soul where Yahweh resides becomes His Tabernacle (within a body of flesh) and no pox will come near that spiritual residence. This is not a guarantee against physical ailments, as it only is insurance that the soul will never again be led to take its body towards sin.

Verse eleven literally translate to sing, “when his angels he will command over you ; to preserve you in all his manners .” Here, if one can find it within oneself to believe in “angels,” which comes from the Hebrew word “malak,” a word that truly means “messengers,” then one must believe the elohim are the same. If one believes Yahweh has the great power to Create “gods,” then one can see the eternity of a soul as a “god,” which “lords” over one body of flesh. David is then saying that one’s soul, once committed to Yahweh in marriage, will be given elohim as his or her assistants, in the same way that Jesus said he would send an Advocate. This is not some book or idol to keep in one’s home or on one’s body, as some lucky charm. It is the presence of Yahweh coming into possession of His wives, via divine spirits in His name. It is this presence that makes one capable of righteousness.

Verse twelve can then be read as singing, “above hands they shall lift you up ; lest you strike a stone with your foot .” In this, the preposition “above, over, upon” (from “al”) becomes a statement of elevated assistance, which is just like we read in Matthew 4:11b, “angels came [to Jesus after he was tested by Satan] kai were ministering to him.” To be “lifted” means the same as reading Job was an “upright man.” That does not say Job stood up on his own two feet. It says to be divine, as a saint, a soul has to be “raised” by heavenly “hands.” The use of “eben,” as a “stone” in one’s walk path, is actually metaphor for the “stone” tablets that have the Covenant inscribed on them (etched in stone by Yahweh). The “foot” is metaphor for sin (a body in touch with the earth), so David sang that one’s path (one of righteousness) is raised off the level of a sinner, so no sins will be possible.

Verse thirteen then sings literally: “above the lion and venomous serpent you shall tread ; you shall trample the young lion and the sea monster .” In this, two pairs or similar words are repeated. The Hebrew word “shachal” means “lion,” which is a beast that symbolizes courage. It is then stated as “kephir,” which says “young lion,” which becomes a symbol of restless energy, or uncontrolled violence. In the beginning is written “pethen,” which is a venomous serpent, thought to be a “cobra.” This then symbolizes a quick strike capability, with deadly consequences. This word is then offset by the use of “tannin,” which is a “serpent, dragon, sea monster.” The symbolism here is the Leviathan, which is the elohim that lurks within a sea of souls on the earthly plane. Thus, with all of this seen, David was singing that all of Yahweh’s elohim, as souls married to Yahweh and assisted by His angel elohim, become more powerful than a courageous lion and more agile than a cobra; so, this elevated position acts as a restraint that keeps one from falling as prey to the acts of youthful exuberance and soul-condemning acts where a soul is sold to a demon spirit (the metaphor of a “sea monster”).

Verse fourteen then sings literally, “when I have been attached by love therefore I will escape ; set upon the most high , that to know name .” In a verse that sings of “love” (from “chashaq”) and “name” (from “shem”), this sings of a theme where a wife (a soul) taking on the name of her Husband (Yahweh). The “escape” (from “palat”) is both the trappings of Satan while in a body of flesh [the rising above the “lion and cobra”] and the soul’s freedom to eternal life after death. Marriage to Yahweh means no more reincarnations and having to start all over again, trying to find one’s way to loving Yahweh and saying “Yes” to His proposal for marriage. Once one has made that divine commitment, then one’s soul become “highest” one can be,

Verse fifteen then sings literally in English, “he shall call and I shall answer , with him I am in trouble ; I will withdraw with honor .” This is David singing about the servitude of a wife of Yahweh. It says a soul is in touch with His voice; so, when He calls, His wives will respond. The Hebrew words “‘im·mōw-’ā·nō·ḵî” (from “im anoki”) say, “with I.” That becomes a statement that says: when a soul is married to Yahweh, then the “I” (or “ego”) becomes the sacrifice. One’s ego is the source of all “troubles,” but when Yahweh becomes one’s “I” (in His name), then all troubles are nothing to fear. In these cases, a Son of man (males and females included here) will be sent into places of “trouble,” with no fears. Therefore, when one’s ego has “withdrawn” (from “chalats”), it then becomes a saint, with all “honor” given to Yahweh.

Verse sixteen then literally sings in English: “long days I will satisfy him ; and regard him , my salvation .” The Hebrew words “orek yamim” literally state “long days.” The essence of “long” is eternity, for as “long” as it lasts, which is forever. The plural of “yom” then places focus on the light of “day,” where there is no darkness. Heaven is where only the light of “day” exists, as there is no earth to rotate and turn away from the light of Yahweh. This means for one to reach that heavenly state of being, one’s soul will have “satisfied” the Will of Yahweh, so that soul has been allowed that wonderful state of existence. The root Hebrew word “raah” is translated as “regard,” when it literally means “to see.” This means one has become an angel of Yahweh who “sees” His light and sings eternal praises to His graciousness. Those praises are due to it being for “my salvation,” which is the Judgment of a soul that has married Yahweh and passed all the tests of the worldly plane.

As the accompanying Psalm to Isaiah’s song praising Yahweh’s protection over the innocent who serve Him, defeating evil, the lesson here is to become married to Yahweh in soul. One needs to take on His name, which is “Jesus” – a name that means “Yahweh Saves.” The only way a soul finds “my salvation” is through subservience to Yahweh, serving Him as His Son resurrected within one’s flesh. In the period after Pentecost, which is a season when ministry for Yahweh should have begun, in repentance for redemption towards salvation, one should be the truth embodied for others to see. Nobody wants to hear one’s opinion what one thinks Jesus would say. All seekers need to hear Jesus speak to them, so they desire to be Jesus speaking to others also. This song of praise celebrates all souls who take those steps in divine sacrifice.