“Trust Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3: 5-6
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Waiting on Yahweh isn’t Easy, but It’s Essential
I won’t take the time to prove everything I say in this editorial. If I did, it would be a book. Instead, I will tell you where you can examine the proof.
Translation Problems Abound
The original New Testament manuscripts were written in Aramaic, but most English translations of the New Testament are based on Greek manuscripts that were translated from Aramaic. That’s a serious problem.
Aramaic → Greek → English = Problems.
See “Ruach Qadim: Aramaic Origins of the New Testament”.
Hebrew and Aramaic are very much alike. Greek is not similar to either Hebrew or Aramaic.
In Hebrew and Aramaic, words can have many meanings. The meanings of words are determined by the context in which they are used.
Greek is different. In Greek, different words are used to express differences in meaning.
For example, consider the English word “love”. In Hebrew, love is “ahava”. In Aramaic, love is “khuba”. Ahava and khuba are translated into English in various ways depending on the context in which they are used, but Greek uses 4 words to express the meaning of love, one word for each of the 4 primary contexts that are considered love:
- Storge – empathy bond.
- Philios – friend bond.
- Eros – romantic love.
- Agape – unconditional “Elohim” love.
The Camel Problem
In Hebrew and Aramaic, the word for “camel” is “gml”. It’s pronounced “gamal”. In Hebrew and Aramaic, “gml” also means “rope”. So, when you see the word “gml” in Hebrew or in Aramaic, you must know the context in which it is used to determine what it means.
Is it a rope, or is it a camel? It sounds simple, but it’s not.
Take a look at Mark 10: 25:
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Elohim.”
Over the years, I have endured many laborious sermons during which preachers strained to make sense of that verse. They were trying to convey the message that wealth makes getting into heaven difficult, because the more wealth a person has, the more he tends to see himself as self-reliant and less dependent on Yahweh.
According to Yahweh, faith in Him is the only way to heaven. See “His Name is Yahweh: Revised Edition”.
If you have faith in yourself and/or your wealth, you don’t have faith in Yahweh. This is how the Messiah explained it:
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve Elohim and wealth.” (Matthew 6: 24)
Getting into heaven requires faith in Yahweh. People who rely on their innate ability and/or their wealth instead of Yahweh are not on the road to heaven, but what in the world does that have to do with camels wiggling through the eye of a needle?
I have heard several preachers explain it this way, and it sounds ridiculous:
Once upon a time, there was a gate to the City of Jerusalem called “The Eye of the Needle”. To get through the gate, a camel had to get down on its knees and crawl through the opening.
The message to people in the congregation is that getting into heaven requires getting down on your knees before Yahweh, submitting to Him, and having faith in Him. I don’t have a problem with that conclusion, but I still have problems with the message.
First, the preachers I’ve heard were always talking about the Old City of Jerusalem today and gates to the Old City. In the Old City of Jerusalem, there is not a gate called “The Eye of the Needle”, and there never has been a gate to the Old City of Jerusalem called “The Eye of the Needle”.
Second, today’s Old City of Jerusalem is not the same place that’s referred to in the Bible as Jerusalem. Ancient Jerusalem in the Bible is called “The City of David” today. You can go there and see it. It’s being excavated right now. There was not a gate in ancient Jerusalem called “The Eye of the Needle”.
See “Yahweh’s Temple was not on the Temple Mount (Part 1)”.
This is what the Messiah actually said:
“It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Elohim.” (Mark 10: 25)
All the talk about camels and a gate called “The Eye of the Needle” is pure gibberish. It makes no sense at all. The Messiah used a metaphor to make a point. Pushing thread through the eye of a needle can be difficult for anyone, but it’s impossible to push a rope through the eye of a needle.
It has nothing to do with camels. Translation problems from Aramaic to Greek to English complicate things so much that preachers feel compelled to deliver nonsensical sermons trying to make sense of something that makes no sense.
Now, take a look at the context in which the Messiah used the rope metaphor:
And the Messiah, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of Elohim!” The disciples were amazed at His words. But the Messiah answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of Elohim! It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Elohim.” They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, the Messiah said, “With people it is impossible, but not with Elohim; for all things are possible with Elohim.” (Mark 10: 23-27)
With Yahweh, all things are possible. He has told us that faith in Him is key. I call it “the faith of Abraham”. For details, see “The Trilogy”.
Yahweh the Father Did Not Forsake Yahweh the Son
This is the second worst translation problem in English New Testaments:
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon the Messiah cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lemasabachthani?” (which means “My Elohim, My Elohim, why have you forsaken Me?”). (Matthew 27: 45-46)
Yahweh the Father did not forsake Yahweh the Son, and the Messiah did not cry out from the cross, “Why have you forsaken Me?” That’s preposterous. Yahweh can’t forsake Himself. Lots of preachers need to rewrite their sermons.
See “Aramaic English New Testament”.
Trying to spiritualize the Messiah’s words on the cross and using Greek manuscripts that were not originals, translators looked for something in the Old Testament trying to make sense of Matthew 27: 45-46. They settled on Psalm 22: 1 reasoning that the Messiah must have been quoting Scripture:
“My Elohim, my Elohim, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.”
In Psalm 22: 1, David did say that. He was on the run from King Saul who was trying to kill him. He felt like Yahweh had forsaken him and left him all alone.
Yahweh didn’t forsake David, either, but David felt forsaken.
What Did the Messiah Say on the Cross?
It sounds good to have the Messiah quoting Scripture from the cross, but in this case, He did not quote Scripture. This is what He actually said and I’m paraphrasing:
“My Elohim, My Elohim, why is this taking so long?”
Using today’s vernacular, He said, “My Elohim, My Elohim, let’s get on with it.”
See “Aramaic English New Testament”.
Even the Messiah had to wait on Yahweh while He was on earth in human form. Yahweh’s timing is perfect even when it seems like things aren’t moving nearly fast enough.
The Messiah was ready to get the show on the road, but He was hanging of the cross waiting to die. His death would not be the end. In fact, He had to die to complete His primary mission: To become the atoning sacrifice for His people’s sins.
That was Step 1. He wanted to move on to the next step as quickly as possible: Setting the captives free or leading the captives captive. You’ll need to study the Bible to understand what that means.
Here’s a hint: It took 3 days to complete Step 2. The Messiah talked about it before His crucifixion. He called it “the sign of Jonah”:
The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing the Messiah, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away. (Matthew 16: 1-4)
Waiting on Yahweh is Difficult and It’s Essential
No one should know better than King Saul why waiting on Yahweh is so important. Saul blew it. Instead of waiting on Yahweh, he decided to move ahead on his own. As a result, Yahweh stripped him of his kingship and gave the crown to David. It’s explained in 1 Samuel 13: 8-14:
Now he [Saul] waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of Yahweh.’ So, I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your Elohim, which He commanded you, for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not endure. Yahweh has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.”
David waited on Yahweh. Saul didn’t. Yahweh rewarded David for being faithful by making him King of Israel. For his lack of faith, Saul was stripped of his kingship.
Waiting on Yahweh can be very difficult. Waiting on Yahweh is especially difficult if you think you know what has to be done next. The Messiah knew what came next, and He still waited.
Yahweh does things His way and according to His timing. Nothing can change that. People who are faithful to Yahweh learn to wait for Him to open doors and give the go-ahead order. Trying to force things doesn’t work. As I said, acting on your own demonstrates a lack of faith, and it is destined to fail.
Everyone who walks with Yahweh must learn that it’s all about faith, the faith of Abraham. Have faith in Yahweh. Be patient. Learn to wait on Him. There is no other way to please Yahweh, and nothing else works.
Yahweh is Sovereign, and He is always right on time.
So, What’s the Worst Translation Problem in Most English Bibles?
I said that Matthew 27: 45-46 is the second worst translation problem in most English Bibles. The worst translation problem is the editorial tradition of substituting “the LORD”, “the Lord GOD”, and “LORD of Hosts” for the Name Yahweh.
That editorial tradition is a tragic mistake. It has had repercussions that I can only begin to explain, and all of them are negative.
For details, see “His Name is Yahweh: Revised Edition”.
I cringe when I hear those words, especially if the person using them should know better. Preachers, I’m talking about you.
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“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17: 22-24)
