While the idea of “lesser gods” may seem to fly in the face
of our modern conception of the Jews as fiercely monotheistic, there is ample
evidence in the Old and New Testament to suggest otherwise. Quoting Heiser
again: “The idea that corrupt gods (sons of God) both populate and control
certain geographical regions was still prevalent in the New Testament era.” In
his book, Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible,
Heiser demonstrates that numerous passages in the Old Testament can be properly
translated as referring to other gods and sons of God. Thus, it is not out of
bounds to imagine that Paul’s mention of “principalities, rulers, thrones,
authorities, powers, dominions” in Ephesians 6:12 has these “gods” in mind.
Paul was swimming in the same water when he spoke to the
Athenian philosophers as recorded in Acts 17. He informed
the men of Athens that, “[God] made from one man every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth,
determining their fixed times and the
fixed boundaries of their habitation.” This emphasizes the fact that while
Israel was God’s chosen nation, He was mindful of the “times and boundaries” of
the others. That these other nations were in the hands of lesser gods is made
clear when Paul
told the Corinthians that those who worshipped other gods in the past were in
fact worshipping demons – in other words, supernatural powers were at work in
them.
This may explain why the Pharisees in particular and Jews
generally felt special, and it explains why they were so adamant about not
straying from the rules and regulations passed down directly from God on Sinai.
Heiser points out, “The law informs the Israelites how to approach God and live
with their fellow citizens. It was, in effect, a national constitution designed
for Israel’s theocratic kingdom. In addition to providing Israel’s national and
spiritual identity, the law was also a covenant treaty between the nation and
God.” They were special; the problem was that they missed the ultimate
fulfillment of the law when it was presented by their Messiah, Jesus.
When Peter preached to the Jews gathered on Pentecost after
Jesus was crucified, was buried and had risen from the grave, people visiting
Jerusalem from various nations heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and had an
opportunity to accept that message. Peter
specifically pointed to the prophet Joel predicting what they were
witnessing. 3,000 of them got the message that day. Thousands more followed in
the coming days and weeks. However, what was good news to many was a growing
threat to the legalistic Pharisees. It seemed to them that the Torah was being
disregarded completely.
Once more from Heiser, “Israel was to be a kingdom of
priests, mediators between the disinherited nations and the true God…. The New
Testament—which records in the book of Acts and through Paul’s letters the
spreading of the good news of the salvation Jesus offers to the world—shows how
Christ ultimately fulfills the purposes God set out for Israel.” In his first
epistle,
Peter makes the connection between Israel and the church saying, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people for God’s
possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out
of darkness into his marvelous light, 10 who
once were not a people, but now are the people of God.”
When you read the specificity of God’s commands to Moses
regarding the law and the temple and the priestly garments and ordinances, you
can excuse the Pharisees of Jesus’ day for thinking little things matter. When
you read the Levitical laws in all their minutiae, you can see why they were
such sticklers for details. When you understand the threat they faced as pawns
in a cosmic battle, you can almost forgive them for missing their Messiah. However,
legalism was not the answer. Not if it is offered as righteousness even in the
Old Testament. It has always been about grace not law.
Where is the lesson in this for us? There are still
Pharisees among us. They try to make salvation about what they do instead of Who
they know. Instead of living as citizens of the Kingdom, they gather in their
holy huddles once each week and live the rest of their lives as if they don’t
know Jesus. Instead of announcing that Messiah has come giving light to the
world, they curse the darkness and hide in their homes waiting to go to heaven.
It is true that Jesus
defeated the enemy on the Cross of Calvary, but the battle rages on and the
Pharisaical Christians are AWOL. There is no excuse for that.
Related posts: Bringing
the Kingdom; Why Witness;
Understanding
Salvation; Why
Heaven Matters
