KEY
#10: The Key Against Compromise
By
Brother Rabbi Dani’el
Rendelman
Emet Ministries
ravemet@comcast.net
“Those
who do not learn from history
are doomed to repeat it.”
(source
unknown)
“The
thing that has been, it
is that which shall be;
and that which is done is
that which shall be done:
and there is no new thing
under the sun. Is there
anything of which it may
be said, ‘See this is new?”
It has been already of old
time, which was before us,”
Keheleth (Ecclesiastes)
1:9-10, Restoration Scriptures
Version.
The
year is 173 BCE.
A
vicious war is just beginning.
This is a clash that was
not started on the battleground
of weapons and slaughter
but first in the battleground
of the mind. The Greek King
Antiochus Epiphanies is
championing the cause of
hellenization throughout
the Middle East. In other
words, Antiochus is trying
to make all the people of
his kingdom like the rest
of the Greeks. His cause
is to conquer the minds’
of the people and make them
live like the ‘civilized’
Greek world.
History
teaches that Antiochus founded
more new Greek cities than
any previous ruler. He also
brought great persecution
to the Hebrew believers
in the Land of Yisra’el.
First, the temple high priest
was replaced by a Greek
named Jason. Jason strived
to change the religion of
the Hebrews to be more accepting
towards the worship of other
gods. By 167 BCE things
had gotten really bad as
the Hebrews were forced
under the penalty of death
to "to depart from
the laws of their fathers,
and to cease living by the
laws of Torah. Further,
the sanctuary in Jerusalem
was to be polluted and called
after Zeus Olympius,"
says the book of 2 Maccabees
6: 1, 2.
Antiochus
entered the Temple, even
the Holy of Holies, offered
unclean animals and performed
sexual acts upon the altar
of sacrifice. He forbade
the Hebrews to circumcise
their sons. He even required
the new brides to spend
the night with a Greek general
before any marriage took
place. Clearly, this was
a bad dude with a bad cause!
Many
Hebrews quietly gave in
to the ways of the King.
They compromised their beliefs
by departing from the true
faith and accepting the
many gods of Greece. Instead
of fighting back they gave
in. Some even had painful
surgeries to reverse their
circumcisions! However,
there was a family that
refused to concede.
One
man named Mattitiyahu and
his five sons resisted.
Their opposition started
a rebellion that would be
inscribed in the history
books as one of the greatest
military battles of all
time. Their refusal to go
along with Greek ways would
a kindle a flame of hope
within the persecuted people
of Judea. This flame continues
to shine even to this day.
The
story is told that the Greeks
came to the city where Mattitiyahu
and his family lived. The
evil army told everyone
to bow down and worship
a huge statue of zeus. When
Mattitiyahu, who was of
a priestly lineage, saw
a fellow Hebrew begin to
worship the idol he quickly
went into action. Mattitiyahu
killed the Hebrew and declared
to those around him, “Mi
la YHWH elai,” or whoever
is for YHWH join me. He
took his son Yahudah, his
family, and other loyal
Ivrim with him as they fled
to the mountains where they
could plan and wage a war.
“These men believed that
they could not free Israel
from foreign rulers, but
they were willing to risk
their lives so that the
Jewish people could enjoy
spiritual freedom and control
of their Temple. Mattitiyahu
died, but the sons continued
to fight under the leadership
of Yahudah the Maccabee.
The Maccabees, with four
battalions of 1,000 men
each, defeated an army of
40,000 soldiers and 7,000
cavalry. Then in 165 BCE,
Yahudah gathered a force
of 10,000 Jews and defeated
an army of 60,000 soldiers
and 5,000 cavalry,” wrote
Rabbi Moshe Koniuchowsky.
Finally
the Maccabees were able
to overthrow the Greeks
and regain control of Yerushaliym
and the holy Temple site.
They found that this area
of worship had been desecrated
and destroyed. So, they
began the tedious task of
setting up the sanctuary
in the prescribed way. They
remade certain items that
were missing, they washed
dirty utensils, they cleaned
the whole place and set
a date to set it apart and
re-dedicate the temple to
YHWH. Their celebration
was to be eight days of
prayer and worship during
which they would consecrate
the place to Elohim. They
story is told that when
the priests went to light
the Menorah that stands
in the holy place, they
did not have enough set
apart oil to last for the
whole feast. The priests
trusted YHWH and the oil
burned for eight days, just
long enough to consecrate
new oil as prescribed by
the Torah. By the way, the
Hebrew word for dedication
is “Chanukah.” It is from
these events that have the
Festival of Chanukah as
celebrated by our Messiah
Yahshua in Yochannan 10.
For
over two thousand years
the story of the Maccabees
has been told and retold
as the reason for the season
of the eight-day celebration
of Chanukah. But please,
please don’t just dismiss
these events as only for
holiday time. Don’t think
of the Chanukah story as
even a fable for children
to replace Christmas. The
miracles that took place
during the revolt of Judah
and his army are too special
to remember only once a
year. They should have lasting
impact and memory all year
long. You’ve heard of Christmas
in July, well, its time
to have Chanukah everyday.
We can learn much from the
Maccabees if we will just
gleam from the glamour and
glimmer of the menorah and
the message of perseverance.
As
this historic account unfolded
many miracles occurred like
the military victories and
the oil lasting eight days.
But, perhaps these outward
marvels are secondary when
compared to the miracles
that took place within the
Hebrew people at that time.
As this teaching brings
understanding, wisdom, and
knowledge may it be Chanukah
all year long within the
people of Yisra’el. May
we learn from the Maccabees
how to conquer compromise?
The
Real Deal Miracle
You
see, King Epiphanes’ goal
was not to necessarily kill
the Hebrews. His real purpose
was to change them. He wanted
them to be like the rest
of the worldly Greeks. Epiphanes,
who was renamed Epimanes
or “madman” by his contemporaries,
did not allow the Hebrews
to keep Shabbat or study
Torah. He thought that by
passing faith-damaging laws
and even destroying their
place of worship that he
could defeat the Hebrews
faith and cripple their
culture. The king was wrong.
The king did not understand
that the Biblical faith
is not about buildings but
about being. The king soon
found out that even though
the Temple Menorah was obliterated
the oil remained. The faith
of the Hebrews was within
the people and not based
on something on the outside.
It
is this miracle, the miracle
of opposition that stands
out greater than the oil
and the military battles.
Antiochus wanted compromise
or middle ground. He did
all he could to get the
Israelites to assimilate,
to mix, to pollute their
faith, to give in, and walk
the middle of the road.
Some of the Jews did this.
They accepted the Greek
ways and they traded their
tallits for togas. They
mixed in with other peoples
and other faiths and lost
their identity. Others did
not.
Let
us learn from the examples
of Mattitiyahu and his sons
as they refused to give
in to compromise because
the enemy has not changed
over time. The battle is
still the same. Will we
follow the words of the
Bible and walk out our Hebrew
lifestyle or will we compromise
and mix with the world?
This is a daily fight for
faith that still rages within
the life of each and every
believer. “Therefore come
out from among them and
be set-apart, says the Master
YHWH, and touch not the
unclean things; and I will
receive you, and will be
an Abba to you and you shall
be My sons and daughters,
says the Master YHWH the
Almighty,” 2 Corinthians
6:17-18 Restoration Scriptures
Version.
In
Hebrew the word for compromise
is “p’shara.” This term
means to “expose or make
liable to danger, suspicion,
or disrepute.” It also means
to, “resolve differences
by mutual concessions esp.
to prevent or end a lawsuit.”
How? P’shara is a choice
to give in and even give
away. Compromise, as the
definition states, is a
mutual agreement. It is
an action that must be take
and accepted – compromise
is not forced. Some Hebrew
chose to p’shara and others
did not. Interestingly,
there is not a word for
“compromise” in the ancient
Arabic language that the
Muslims speak. One reason
why there is no compromise
in the Middle East is because
the Islamic belief system
does not believe in giving
in. They don’t even have
a word for compromise in
their dictionary.
The
war against p’shara is one
of the greatest fights Torah
followers face today. The
world is calling us to conform.
Our children are bombarded
with musicians, actors,
and the media who set the
trends and fan the fads.
We must resist.
Make
the Decision
First
we must decide not to compromise.
In a split second Mattitiyahu
the priest rose against
the Greeks and even killed
a public sinner. He then
went to battle against those
who persuaded the Hebrews
to worship zeus. Mattitiyahu
wasn’t doing anything spectacular,
he was just walking in his
heritage as priest of YHWH.
The
priests were to teach Yisra’el
to be kadosh or ‘holy or
set apart.’ The people were
not to mix with the world.
They were not to mix the
clean with the unclean or
even yoke different animals
together. They were forbid
to intermarry with pagans
and were not to wear garments
of mixed materials. Yisra’el
was to be different. Stopping
the blending of the truth
with falsehood was just
part of being a priest.
As Mattitiyahu stood up
against the opposition he
proclaimed “Mi la YHWH elai,”
or whoever is for YHWH join
me! Like Mattitiyahu we
have to overcome our fears
and make a firm commitment
not to give in.
Press
On
Second
we have to persevere. Making
a decision is one thing.
Sticking by that decision
is another. For the Hebrews,
victory was not easy nor
was it fast. It took the
Israelites three years of
warfare to defeat the Greeks.
They were outnumbered, outarmoured,
and outsmarted but they
still won. Even Mattitiyahu
their leader was killed
in battle. They could have
given up at any moment but
they did not. Through all
that happened to them, the
Maccabee army persevered
and eventually conquered
the king. After many fierce
battles they reclaimed what
was rightfully theirs in
the first place. And it
is no different today. We
must fight to reclaim the
lifestyle that is rightfully
ours. And we have to keep
fighting. The opposite of
compromise is perseverance.
We have to be the same;
we have to be ‘preserved’
through the events of life.
The war against compromise
is a marathon and not a
sprint. Perseverance is
a daily struggle. Yet it
is a worthy struggle. “Fear
none of those things that
you shall suffer: see, s.a.tan
shall cast some of you into
prison, that you may be
tried; and you shall have
tribulation ten days: be
faithful to death, and I
will give you the keter
chayim. He that has an ear,
let him shema what the Ruach
says to the Yisraelite congregations;
He that overcomes shall
not be hurt by the second
death,” Revelation 2:10-11.
Clean
Up
Thirdly,
we will need to clean up.
Compromise is messy because
it blurs the lines between
right and wrong. This chaos
and confusion has to be
cleared up. When the Israelites
regained the temple they
found it to be in a total
wreck. It had been desecrated
and needed to be rebuilt.
This took a lot of hard
work and a refusal to take
shortcuts. Throughout this
process the Hebrews could
have compromised by using
furniture and items other
than what was prescribed
in the Torah. They could
have compromised. When the
priests only had enough
sacred oil for one day they
had to make a decision.
Should they mix the sacred
oil or just used regular
lamp oil for the menorah?
They
might have compromised the
holy but they did not. They
believed and trusted in
YHWH with what they had.
Because of this trust we
commemorate this miracle
every year around the month
of December. Think for a
minute though if the Hebrews
would have compromised and
not trusted YHWH to multiply
the oil. Do you think we
would have the eight-day
celebration of Chanukah
with a special menorah?
Probably not.
Indeed,
the greatest miracle of
Chanukah is what occurred
INSIDE the people. Their
resistance against compromise
of the spiritual world led
to physical wonders in this
world. Like the widow whose
meal did not run out and
like the fishes and loaves
that multiplied to feed
thousands the single cruz
of oil was enough. As the
Passover song and phrase
“Dayenu” – it is always
sufficient. When you trust
YHWH and do not compromise
your needs will always be
met.
A
Remnant and a fall
Something
important to remember is
that all of these events
centered on a remnant. A
remnant is a ‘small piece
of an original that has
not been mixed.’ A remnant
is like the beginning, yet
remains through the end.
It was a remnant of the
original oil that was used
by the priests. And even
the priests themselves were
a remnant of the original
bloodline that served at
the tabernacle in the wilderness.
Like their ancestors the
priests had to stand up
and defy the world of compromise.
They also had to ‘tikkun’
or fix/rectify the errors
of their past.
During
Yisra’el’s journey from
Egypt the priests gave in
to the people and compromised
true worship. “And when
the people say that Moshe
delayed to come down out
of the Mount, the people
gathered themselves together
to Aharon, and said to him,
Get up, make us elohim,
that shall go before us;
for as this Moshe, the man
that brought us up out of
the land of Mitzrayim, we
do not know what has become
of him. And Aharon said
to them, Break off the golden
earrings, which are in the
ears of your wives, and
of your sons, and of your
daughters, and bring them
to me. And all the people
broke off the golden earrings
that were in their ears,
and brought them to Aharon.
And he received them at
their hand, and fashioned
it with a graving tool,
after he had made it a golden
calf: and they said, These
be your elohim, O Yisrael.
Which brought you up out
of the land of Mitzrayim,”
Shemot 32:1-4.
Aharon
gave in to the nation’s
request and gave them the
idol of the golden cow.
Remember, if you don’t learn
from the past then you are
doomed to repeat it. If
we don’t tikkun the errors
of our ancestors then we
may replicate them. Compromise
cannot be tolerated within
the family of Yisra’el.
It not only has to be stopped,
it also has to be fixed.
Because of the sin of the
golden cow, the nation was
in need of tikkun.
Perhaps
part of Yisra’el’s tikkun
was the actions of Pinchas.
“And when Pinchas, the son
of El-Azar, the son of Aharon
the kohen, saw it, he rose
up from among the congregation,
and took a javelin in his
hand; And he went after
the man of Yisrael into
the tent, and thrust both
of them through, the man
of Yisrael, and the woman
through her belly. So the
plague was stopped from
the children of Yisrael,”
Bamidbar 25:7-15. Tikkun
of Aharon’s sin took place
as Pinchas the priest killed
a public sinner. Then in
the reflection and shadow
of the remnant, Aharon’s
descendant Mattitiyahu also
rose to the occasion and
killed a public sinner.
Pinchas and Mattitiyahu
refused to compromise. Remarkably,
Mattitiyahu then even echoed
Moshe’s response to the
sin of the golden calf.
“ Mi la YHWH elai,” or whoever
is for YHWH join me,” Shemot
32:26.
The
remnant continues now as
you face the monster of
compromise. Everyday you
have an opportunity to learn
from the past and change
the future. Here at the
present time you can actually
recreate the miracle of
Chanukah by strengthening
your faith and making up
your mind up not to compromise.
“Do not love the olam hazeh
or the things in the olam
hazeh. If anyone loves the
olam hazeh, the ahava of
Abba is not in him. For
all that is in the olam
hazeh; the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of chayim; is
not of Abba but is of the
olam hazeh,” 1 Yochannan
2:15-16.
Rejecting
the world
Rejecting
the world is not easy but
it is necessary.
In
a sense we as Yisraelites
have to defy gravity. We
must resist the pull of
the world. We have to reject
mixture. It is hard to swim
up stream and resist the
influences of those around
us. The Talmud says, “All
beginnings are difficult.”
Yet it will get easier each
time we choose not to p’shara.
There is a principle of
momentum that states every
time you perform a mitzvot
or refuse to go along with
the ways of the world your
spirit is strengthened.
Barriers are broken down
as you reject the urge to
compromise. Take for example
the feasts of YHWH. At first
they are new and perhaps
even difficult to celebrate.
But as time goes by, the
new actions become habit;
they become part of you
and don’t seem so strange.
As the actions are repeated,
it gets easier each time
to just perform the mitzvot.
And each time you refuse
to allow your life to mix
with the world, you stand
as a witness and example
of how a follower of YHWH
should live.
Resist
the urge when you are confronted
with the option to follow
YHWH or not. Do not allow
the adversary a foothold.
“Do not give s.a.tan a chance
or opening,” Ephesians 4:27.
Be
faithful in the small matters.
Most people won’t compromise
their faith by disobeying
a ‘big’ commandment like
murdering or stealing. Yet
will your faith stand strong
when faced with small choices
about Sabbath observance,
kosher eating, or words
that are spoken? It is hard
to resist p’shara in the
small areas of life. The
next time you are tempted
to cross the line remember
how the priests would not
even compromise the oil
they used in the temple.
As
you are faithful to YHWH,
you can expect miracles
to happen. In fact, you
can make miracles happen
through your devotion. Expect
the unexpected and experience
the unthinkable as your
heart is molded in the Father’s
hands. Just as the Yisraelite
rededicated the Temple,
recommit yourself to YHWH
and His service. Clean out
the areas of compromise
and evil influences. Turn
off that racy TV show. Put
away those clothes that
reveal too much. Look at
how much money you spend
on things that are just
not necessary. Say ‘no’
when friends and co-workers
tease or tempt you to disobey
Torah.
In
conclusion, when it comes
to life there is nothing
new under the sun. The struggles
we face today like understanding
our heritage or being in
this world but not of this
world, are not new. The
powers and the many peoples
around us despise how we
act and they want us to
change. We too must stand
like the Maccabees and hammer
our life through the persecution
of the world. We need to
learn from the mistake of
Aharon and tikkun olam or
‘fix the world’ through
our resistance to compromise.
Can
you proclaim as Moshe and
Matiyahu did? “ Mi la YHWH
elai,” or whoever is for
YHWH join me,” Shemot 32:26.
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