Broken Fences
As you read this article, I want you to picture a fence before you. It used to be a good fence able to set a proper boundary. But I also want you to see that it is broken down and in need of repair. I want you to understand that if the fence is not repaired there will be trouble, that a trust and belief will not be maintained. Even more so, breaking down your neighbor’s fence is a criminal act. Breaking down God’s fences is sin and unbelief.
Each Hebrew letter of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet (alphabet) has a meaning, and the combination of those letters with their individual meanings forms the primal definition for Hebrew words. These primal definitions, once understood, can lend deep insights into the Scriptures. For example, the root Hebrew word “Amen” is translated as the word “believe.” There are several prefixes for the root “amen” that handles the different expressions such as “to make believe, to be confident, suppose, etc.” The word “amen” is also an English word meaning, “So let it be.” But the Hebrew word picture of the root Hebrew has an intriguing deeper meaning. The combination of the Aleph, Mem, Yod and Nun letters give a Hebrew word picture of “the strength (hand) of the living waters.”
When Moses struck the rock with his staff to bring forth water for the children of Israel in the wilderness at Meribah, he disobeyed the Lord. The word “Meribah” means “the waters of strife.” The people were in strife with one another and Moses for the lack of water. The Lord told Moses to honor the Lord by speaking to the rock, thus the people would see that God’s hand had brought forth the water and they would trust Him for their water needs. But Moses had been offended by the people when they began to threaten him. Moses wanted to strike back at the people but instead used his hand with the staff to strike the rock and he broke down a “fence” that belonged to God. Thus, the people learned that the water came from the hand of Moses striking the rock, not by the hand of God and believing Him. Let us recount the story and examine what happened to Moses as a result.
There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron. The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why then have you brought the Lord's assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here? Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.” Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them; and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.”
So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him; and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the Lord, and He proved Himself holy among them.
Numbers 20:2–13
The result was the people got the water but Moses lost his ticket to go to the promised land. God said that Moses did not believe Him.
What??? How can Moses not believe Him? Moses was commissioned by God Himself at the burning bush; Moses used the same staff to strike the river Nile to become blood and he struck the dirt to bring forth the gnats in Egypt along with the other judgments. Moses brought the children of Israel to the Mountain and received the Ten Commandments written on stone. How could God say that Moses did not believe Him?
It turns out that disobeying the Lord means you break down His fence and do not believe Him. You transgress His commandment that was set to limit your activity.
Before we go further, we need to process that a bit more. We all believe and we all disobey on occasion. God has just said that when we disobey on occasion, we are not believing Him.
Now consider the deeper meaning for the Hebrew word picture for the word “Amen.” It means the strength (hand) of the living waters. Here we are at the waters of strife, needing water to live and trusting that the hand of God will bring forth the waters of life.
The depth of this example explains much to us about our walk of faith toward God. How strong is our faith, and whose hand is providing it? It’s worth noting that living waters are how we receive eternal life.
But there is something in this story of strife and unbelief we need to understand.
Twenty years ago, James Bevere, a Chrisitan author, wrote a book entitled, “The Bait of Satan.” The focus of his book deals with what happens when we are offended and how we can be entrapped by Satan with it. Moses became entrapped by Satan when he was offended by his brethren. Offending and being offended is a normal part of life because it happens frequently. The simple definition of an offense is to “break the Law.” As a result, you cause difficulty, discomfort, or injury.
Criminals are brought to justice when they commit offenses. When we offend others, we break God’s Law. If you are a normal human being, then you have been offended and have offended others at some time in your life. It was probably unintentional; however, there are times when it is intentional.
But let me add another word picture to this discussion. We are all neighbors with one another with our surrounding spaces. In my neighborhood, I live on the corner of the block with a neighbor behind me and to my side. My neighbors and I have a fence separating our yards. The proper way to visit me is to come to my front door, ring the door bell, and wait for me to answer the door. However, if someone crosses my fence, then that is not appropriate and I will interpret their efforts to reach me as hostile. The same goes for a stranger.
Strong fences make for good neighbors. A broken fence invites others to cross the fence line and commit an offense. A criminal sees a broken fence and it enables him to enter to steal and destroy, but a strong fence keeps him at bay. When we have strife and contention, fences are broken down and we begin to commit offenses toward one another.
Our hearts play a very important role. When we are offended, we expect the offender to apologize for the offense. When we are the offender, we plead that we did not mean to do it and expect them to forgive us. If the offended person is a believer in God, then we require it of them.
Did not Yeshua say we are to forgive, just as we have been forgiven? God forgives us when we sin, so should not a believer forgive us also when we sin against them? But when someone offends us, we think we can act like God in judging them and dishing out some kind of justice. This is what Moses did. That is when we say, “Well, they deserved it! They had it coming.”
But then we make the same mistake Moses did. We break God’s Law and stop believing in God. We don’t get God’s direction nor recall what He taught us in how to respond.
We do not need me to delve into examples of how intentional and unintentional brotherly offenses occur. I am sure that you have enough life experience to cite many of your own examples as to how this all works. We know the lesson here as well. Make sure your fences are in good repair and don’t cross other people’s fences.
It would be good for us all to remember loving-kindness and love our neighbors as ourselves.
Did you know that we get offended by God sometimes? And what do we do when that happens? Has God done something that requires our forgiveness and mercy?
Let me give a couple of quick examples. There you are chewing on a delicious bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. You know the one with toasted bread and a little mayonnaise on each slice. And unexpectedly someone says to you, “You are breaking God’s Law eating pig and you are now unholy before God. You do not believe God.”
Gag.
Okay, let us try another one. You go down to buy a Christmas tree in the Walmart parking lot and select one of those evergreen trees (not too tall, but as tall as will fit in your house). You then dig out your Christmas decorations that you stored in the garage, including the base to hold that tree upright, the lights, the bulbs, and the angel star for the top. You then make some additional important decisions. Do we put bows on the branches, or do we use those cheap and messy “icicles” to hang from the branches? Where do we put each bulb and how best to arrange the lights on the branches. You set and decorate the tree to be the centerpiece of your home, worthy of praise, singing, “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree. You stand in splendid beauty.”
And then God says, “You are an idolater and are dishonoring Me.”
After all that effort and many years of memories enjoying family, food, and remembering the birth of Jesus with the songs, and special candlelight service at the church, you are suddenly filled with anger.
Like most believers you start to argue and dismiss what God has said, and overcome your guilt (and offense) by continuing to eat your BLT and admiring your Christmas tree.
Many Christians have been taught that God’s Law has gone away so you cannot offend God by eating the unclean or setting up idols. They argue that believing in Jesus and His grave covers all of this. Did He not say:
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged;
John 3:16–18a
Yes, He did say that, but He also said this:
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
John 3:36
The Apostle Paul also said,
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase. May it never be!
Romans 6:1–2a
We decide to do our own thing and not obey God’s Law, so we break down His fences. We break His Law and are guilty of sin. When He confronts our unbelief, we then think He has offended us.
God has been in the business of confronting us for our unbelief from the beginning and still does it with us today. Consider how the Messiah offended unbelief in His day.
Did you know you are not alone being offended by something God has said? It has been going on for a long time. Most men get offended first before sensing remorse and guilt when confronted by God. We always looking to blame someone or something before we acknowledge our own responsibilities.
Yeshua taught many people and many of those people were offended and dismissed what He said. He certainly offended the religious leaders of His day, He offended His own disciples on occasion, and the citizens of various communities. As a result, they argued against him, got angry or walked away unbelieving. Yeshua described it this way.
There are villages near Galilee where Yeshua ministered. They are examples where Yeshua offended many.
Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.
Matthew 11:20–24
He even offended His mother when she was waiting for Him with His siblings.
While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.” But Yeshua answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.””
Matthew 12:46–50
He explained to His disciples how the people did not listen nor understand Him, quoting from the Prophets who shared the offense from God to them.
Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, “You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.”
Matthew 13:13–15
Even the disciples began to see how He was offending others and how He was offending the religious leaders.
After Yeshua called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?”
Matthew 15:10–12
Or consider the time in the temple He spoke directly to the religious leaders calling them a bunch of snakes.
Then Yeshua spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.' You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets. So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?”
Matthew 23:1–33
I think that was very offensive to hear that had you been a scribe or Pharisee.
Anytime you are offended by God’s commandments, His correction, and His rebuke, it clearly says you have broken down His fences. Instead of being offended, you should go where you are supposed go and fix that fence. Fixing the fence means standing it upright and supporting it.
When others offend you, fix that fence too.
Let us get to the place where we have strong fences so no one is offended. Let us all go to Jerusalem to enjoy His feasts, singing:
A Song of Ascents, of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forever.
Psalm 133
Article written by Monte Judah.
* Scripture references from the NASB95
