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In Matt. 6:26, 30, & 31-32, we find only a few of the twenty-four references in the New Testament where we find Yeshua speaking of "your" Father in heaven. Notice please that Yeshua makes a distinction between the location of G-d and himself in these verses. He directed the people's attention to heaven where G-d the Father is in residence. In the Gospel of John, chapter sixteen, Yeshua continually speaks of "the Father," thereby again separating himself from the Father in heaven. Also Yeshua speaks of "my Father" sixty-five times in the New Testament.
Answer for yourself: What are we to learn from this?
Evidently Yeshua considered YHVH his Father G-d in heaven Whom was someone other than himself in a place other than where he was at present.
Lastly, Yeshua is quoted three times in the New Testament of speaking of "my G-d;" again indicating Yeshua's belief in his own personal G-d. Not only that, but we never find Yeshua praying to himself, nor do we find Yeshua receiving offerings from the people when he has just instructed them to "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto G-d what is G-d's." The people gave to G-d through the Temple offerings, and did not understand Yeshua to mean they were to give unto him. Lastly, when called "good master," Yeshua quickly alerts and reminds the speaker that as far as he was concerned, there was only one good, and that is the Father in heaven. Again, Yeshua makes a distinction between G-d (YHVH) and himself. So should we!
As we are not Hebrew scholars, it is not expected that you are to acquaint yourself with the laws of grammar of the Hebrew language. To do so would be very prosperous to your understanding of the Bible however. We begin with grammar, because a detailed study of several passages will bring completely different understandings of the texts from what the traditional Christians have been taught. Lacking skills in Hebrew, many have continued to teach what they know not.
First of all, there are no "to be" verbs in Hebrew! Exodus 17:15 records for us that Moses built an altar and called it "Jehovah Nissi" (the Lord our banner). Now, understand that the term "Jehovah Nissi" is the name FOR G-D! Now, these rocks that made up the altar are only called by G-d's name; the rocks did not actually become G-d the Father! Judges 6:24 records for us that Gideon built an altar and called is "Jehovah Shalom." Again, calling these rocks "G-d" does not make them G-d!
With this understanding we must begin to look at Jer. 23:5-6: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD (YHVH), that I will raise to David a Branch (term for Messiah) of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD our Righteousness."
This is a very problematic verse, and proper understanding how to translate this verse will open-up the rest of the Bible for you. First of all, let us not forget we are dealing with a Hebrew document and there are no "to be" verbs in the language of Hebrew. Recalling what we just learned about Hebrew not containing "to be verbs" and that things are often called by the name of G-d, yet never being G-d themselves, then calling the human "branch" (descendent of David) by the name of G-d does not make him G-d! Thus it is NOT proper to understand that because something is called "something or given a name representing something or someone else" that it is actually the "substance" by whose name it is called. Here we find David's seed is referred to as the "branch of David." But notice again, that the words Branch, King, and His are all capitalized.
Answer for yourself: Why capital letters here since the original manuscripts did not contain them?
Again, this is the interpreter's opinion and his personal theological stance that allows him to decide for you and me that these words need to be capitalized and we unconsciously identified this human descendent "as G-d." This is a grave error!
Answer for yourself: Again, let me ask you, in the days of Yeshua was Judah saved? Did Israel dwell safely? Certainly not! If anything, they were continually persecuted and martyred, as many as 500 per day were being crucified. Rome had occupied the nation and had no plans of leaving. Thus, this prophecy could not refer to the first-coming of Yeshua. But also notice, that since there are no "to be" verbs, that the passage is certainly not calling Yeshua "G-d."
What the passage is saying, however, is that when the Messiah will be raised up that he will be like G-d in righteousness. The Messiah will do what G-d the Father will do. He will judge righteously like his G-d and Father judges.
The same principle applies here.
Isa 9:6 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty G-d, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (KJV)
Since you now understand how the Hebrew works please try to understand that calling this "child" which was born of a young woman (Hezekiah from Isa. 7) by the names of G-d does not make him G-d. And any connection of these appellations to great righteous leaders or teachers, even to Jesus, if one wants to make such an analogy, does in no way make such an individual "LITERALLY" G-d.
Yes, Yeshua had many divine attributes, but he is not G-d the Father. Calling the Messiah or even Yeshua by a "name for G-d" no more makes him G-d than calling a pile of stones, making up an altar, G-d! To say that the Messiah IS the "LORD G-d our Righteousness" or that Yeshua is "the" LORD G-d our Righteousness does a serious damage to the text and is a horrible mistranslation of the text. You may understand that now, since you have read this teaching, but the early Gentiles who interpreted the Bible following the destruction of Israel by the Romans made many such errors in interpretation of the text (they did not know the Hebrew language and could not interpret or translate the Hebrew text properly) and we have their erroneous doctrines today as testimony of their mistakes. Please understand this principle, because it is of considerable importance as we continue on in our study. Jeremiah is not calling the Messiah "G-d" or "Jehovah" or "YHVH." It is only a symbolic representation that makes a general statement that the Messiah will be G-dly, not G-d! Yeshua was G-dly, but not G-d!
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