Restoring the Paths to Live In

Isaiah 58:12 RSTNE - And they that shall be from among you shall build the old ruined places, you shall restore the foundations of many generations;  and you shall be called, Gadar-Peretz, the restorer of paths to live in.

Restorer of the Breach. The dictionary defines 'breach' like this: 

1 : infraction or violation of a law, obligation, tie, or standard

2 a : a broken, ruptured, or torn condition or area

   b : a gap (as in a wall) made by battering

So from the definition we can see the breach Isaiah is talking about here. It's a gap between us and the "paths to live in," and it was made that way by violating YHWH's instructions. It is a break in the foundation of our faith.

The Hebrew for restorer or repairer drives this point even further. The word is shuv, which is the root word of repentance, and it literally means to "turn back to YHWH." Restoration can only happen when we repent of our own ways and get back on YHWH's path.

The imagery of paths is very prevalent in Scripture; it is not limited to simply your life, but rather the way YHWH desires all of us to live. Walking on YHWH's path means doing things his way, both trusting in Yahusha and keeping the Torah instructions. Early believers in Yahusha described themselves as followers of The Way. Same idea here.

YHWH is speaking of things in his Word that have long been ruined or forgotten about.

 Things like honoring Shabbat, the Festivals of YHWH, and eating according to Scripture have been mostly disregarded throughout the centuries but YHWH is equipping us to be Restorers of this Breach. The one path of YHWH, of trusting in Yahusha and honoring the Torah, will be restored. The national heritage of Israel will be restored and YHWH will bring both houses to the truth.

This passage tells us that no matter how long his Word has been misunderstood or disregarded, YHWH promises to restore it. YHWH desires the old, foundational places of our faith be restored so that we can walk in his way, on his path. He says some of Israel will be known as 'Restorers' of his way. When the path to live in is restored, more people will walk on it.

Ezekiel 36:36 - "I YHWH rebuild the ruined places."

Be Content On Shabbat Printable

Have you heard D'ror Yikra by the Maccabeats? The name means 'He Will Proclaim Freedom' and it is traditionally sung on Shabbat.

The lyrics translate like this:

He shall proclaim freedom for man and woman,

And He will protect you like the apple of His eye.

Pleasant will be your name, never to cease.

Rest and be content on Shabbat.

Seek my temple and my sanctuary,

And show me a sign of salvation.

Plant a branch within my vineyard;

Turn to the outcry of my people!

Tread the wine press in Bozrah,

And also Babylon that has overpowered us.

Smash my foes with wrathful anger;

Hear my voice on the day I call.

My favorite line is the most out of place: Sh'vu venuchu b'yom Shabbat. Rest and be content on Shabbat. This doesn't seem to fit with some of the other lyrics, Babylon has overpowered us. We have enemies. Hear our cries. The admonition is simple, even when the situation is not.

This song is a hopeful look at the heartache of our world and the promises of Yahweh. Yes, we may be overpowered by Babylon, but you will protect us. We may be oppressed but you have promised us freedom. We cry out to you and you promise to show us your Yeshua.

It might be challenging but we will keep your commandments and be content on Shabbat.

I know I need this reminder. Rest and be content. So much so that I made it into a printable. Place it somewhere you will see it often and it will remind you that even when things aren't going well Yahweh's word is still true. He hears you. He protects you. He gives you freedom. Rest and be content on Shabbat.

This printable is free for your personal use. Once again I used graphics from the very talented Angie Makes.

Click here to download this printable. 

What I'm Reading - Blood Brothers

After letting it sit on my shelf for several months I finally decided to read Elias Chacour's Blood Brothers over the weekend. Someone gave me a copy without much explanation; the two little boys on the cover lead me to believe it was the story of friendship between a Jewish boy and a Palestinian boy. But there was much more to it.

Elias was born in 1939 to a Palestinian Christian family and was a young boy when the Jewish state of Israel was declared. He vividly recalls Israeli soldiers coming into his village and requesting that everyone leave for a few days for "safety reasons." His family has never had their property restored. As a Christian Elias is able to discuss the Israeli/Palestinian land dispute from a Biblical perspective. In chapter nine he points out that YHWH declares the Promised Land is his in Vayikra 25:23 and that all it's inhabitants are His tenants. He uses his father's fig orchard as a beautiful analogy:

We Gentiles had been "grafted in" among God's chosen people of faith, just as Father had grafted six different kinds of fig trees together to make a delightful new tree. Beneath the rough bark where my hand rested, I knew that the living wood had fused together so perfectly that, should I cut the tree down, I could never see where one variety stopped and the other began.

He shares his life's path of study and seminary in Paris that lead him to be the archbishop of Galilee through the Melkite Church. The above quote is from one of the Father's at seminary. Elias was inspired to make his life's work seeking peace between the Jews and Christians of Israel and Palestine, in spite of the new government's failure to do so. He worked at churches and started schools and community centers in the Galilee area (often visiting some of very same places that Yeshua did; finding comfort on the mountains he spoke on). When a new community center opened one of the first things he did was show a film documenting the persecution of the Jewish people during the Holocaust to teach Palestinians to sympathize with their suffering. His vision and hope was remarkable; recognizing that there was no longer Jew nor Greek and that all Believers become Abraham's seed and heirs he arranged peaceful marches of unified Israelis and Palestinians expressing their desire for peace. 

Elias' story is a tremendous resource for those wishing to understand more of the conflict in the Promise Land, and to learn what it's like to be a Believer in a land filled with Jews and Muslims. His story is unique and powerful.

Interview with Josh Byers + A Giveaway!

Happily, I stumbled across Josh Byers' artwork a few weeks ago on Pinterest. I'm excited to share this with you because the infographs he creates are such a helpful visual to understanding Scripture! Through his pieces we can see clearly when Israel split into two kingdoms, the sharp decline in the tribe of Simeon, and chart on the map where the Israelites fought their battles when they came into the Promised Land. Josh was gracious enough to chat about my questions and is generously giving away one of his posters! (More on that below.)

Tell us a little about yourself--where are you from, do you have a day job, are you married, etc.
If you check out my profiles on social media it says I'm a husband, father, pastor, designer, Broncos/Arsenal fan, and goldfish cracker connoisseur. To go a little more in depth, I have a wonderful family. I'm married to a fantastic wife with 4 beautiful children. I currently am on staff at a church in West Des Moines, Iowa. I oversee all of our communications and help people assimilate into the church. I also teach and speak from time to time.

How did you get started in graphic design?

I've always been interested in graphic art even from an early age. When I was in elementary school I would draw pictures of Lamborghinis and Ferraris and sell them to my friends.

From that an interest grew into a hobby which grew into a passion. As I've gotten older I've seen my passion for design spring up in a variety of areas from woodworking, to interior decorating, to web design and most recently digital art.

Why did you start doing Biblical infographs?

The visual theology infographics came out of a passion for design and good teaching and theology. I believe that the visual medium is something God has used ever since the beginning of time to teach man so there is a reason why we are natural learners from visuals. So a few years ago when I was doing student ministry I wanted a way to connect biblical truth to a generation who has grown up on visuals but didn't respond to the tired flannel graph of my youth. With the rise of the internet infographic it became the perfect medium to communicate simple and even complex truths in an exciting and visual way.

What's your favorite infograph that you've designed and why?

That's tough. It's like asking which one of my kids is my favorite :)

I would probably say the Books of the Bible in the style of the Periodic Table. It was one of the first and people just really seemed to resonate with it. That particular graphic spread very quickly, was translated into several languages, and has been used to teach numerous kids and adults around the world. There is a lot of satisfaction when you know people are buying into what you are doing, using it, learning from it, and loving it.

What's next for you? Will there be more Biblical designs from you?

Yep – there will be more, tons more! In fact I have partnered with Tim Challies and we wrote a book called (ever so appropriately) Visual Theology... It is is actually available for pre-order now and will be released next April. We are also launching a dedicated website for our Visual Theology pieces that I hope to have available in the next few weeks.

How has the graphic design work affected your faith?

It has strengthened it for sure. When you are thinking about how to communicate theology to people you tend to look at it from many different angles. The end result is a deeper understanding of how God works and who he is.

The Giveaway: Josh has agreed to send one reader a poster size print of the brand new version of the Periodic Table! He packed in a surprising amount of information to this sleek design, including authors, approximate dates written, and what category each book falls under. See the Rafflecopter below to enter. Contest runs through December 2 at midnight and the winner will be announced next week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure and visit Josh's website and grab a couple of free downloads!

If you want to order a print head to his page on Society 6.

Thanks so much to Josh for a fun giveaway!