Hebrew Word Study – Despise – Bazah בזה Beth Zayin Hei
Numbers 15:31: “Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity [shall be] upon him.”
Today I have a gentleman on my disability bus that I drove to the Veterans Hospital. I really enjoy this passenger because he loves to talk about the Bible and God. Many Christians that you meet up instantly, want to talk about the latest football scores or current events. They want to give their latest revelation from their favorite prophet or teacher as to why Trump lost the election and predict the time of his second coming to office. I try to steer the conversation to the Word of God and things more relevant about God and a relationship with Him but I am often not successful. I remember my brother and I were having a wonderful conversation about the Word of God and the deeper things in God’s Word. My brother is a Wycliffe Bible translator. This was really a wonderful time and things were just flying out of Scripture. Then the doorbell rang and it was a friend of the family, a Pentecostal preacher. Boy, I was ready for fireworks. But when he said down and saw our open Bibles, he never thought to ask what we were discussing. Instead, he got right down to business to talk about his church and the number of people in the church, the latest programs they were doing, and to invite my brother to speak in his church. Then he talked about his daughter going off to college and the college she was attending and the Word of God stayed open, but never a word was spoken about it until after he left.
I say that because it seems so many Christians and preachers never show the hunger for God’s Word than this military veteran on my disability bus. When he got off the bus he just radiated the joy of the Lord and declared for all to hear, “I feel like I have just been in church.”
Would you like Chaim Bentorah as your personal Hebrew teacher?
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How would he know what it was like in a church? You see, he’s gay. He hasn’t been in a relationship for years and does not desire a relationship simply because he is just too old and set in his ways, but he feels he must be honest about himself to his family and so he has come out of the closet and his Christian family totally rejected him. He was not welcomed in church and on the rare occasions that he meets his family they make it a point to tell him he is going to hell if he does not change his — his what? How he feels? They pray for his deliverance and even he even allowed them to pray over him. He still has those feelings. As a result, he has no Christian friends, no one to talk to about the Word of God and God. So, he looks forward to our bus rides together and loses no time in getting down to business to talk about the Word of God and Scripture. He doesn’t seem to have a problem with me being straight. He still feels he can talk with me. I figure if he is ok with me being straight then there is no reason for me to not be ok with him being gay.
I know that is not a proper Christian approach, I should be praying for his soul and trying to convert him. But, hey, I get so little opportunity to have a lively, sincere discussion about the love of God and His Word which I am just as hungry as he is to discuss. I’ve shared many times, about being diagnosed as on the autism spectrum with what is called Asperger’s Syndrome. One trait of an Aspie is that they are a complete bore until you get on their subject. For some it is rocks. I drive one Aspie who is focused on Greek mythology. He has a grasp and knowledge of Greek mythology that puts this old professor with a Ph.D. in Archaeology to shame. However, if you try to talk of anything else, within minutes he steers the conversation back to Greek mythology. Just as if you try to talk to me about anything other than Scripture and God, within minutes I’m saying; “That reminds me of Proverbs….” Then everyone looks at me as if to say: “Give it a rest, there are more important things in life. So, you have to forgive me if I accept someone as a Christian brother even if he is gay because my few straight friends and those I tried to befriend tire easily of my incessant chatter about the Word of God.
I was reading something very interesting in the Talmud about Numbers 15:31: “Because he hath despised the word of the LORD…” There is quite a discussion in the Talmud in Sanhedrin 99a on this verse. Who are the ones who despise the Word of the Lord? Well, first the Talmud does a little Hebrew word study and points out that the Hebrew word for “Word” is dabar. These are words from the very heart of God. As far as who is being discussed, the Talmud makes it clear it is just not the Jews. It is everyone who has the revelation of the Torah. As I discussed in an earlier study on Deuteronomy 33:2-3 according to many Jewish teachers it is a reference to all mankind. God has given His Torah to all mankind and everyone is responsible for either accepting this revelation or rejecting it.
So, we can conclude that to despise the Torah is to reject it. Well, not necessarily. The Talmud gives many examples of despising the Torah. You see the word used in Hebrew for despised is not just to hate something. The Hebrew word is bazah which means to despise, disdain or scorn. It is also used in the Akkadian as buzzu’u which is to mistreat. In the Old Persian, it is badu’a which is to plunder and take as booty. In other words, it is to mistreat something that was precious and important to someone else but because of your power over them you can take it from them and misuse it. Sort like how Nazi prison guards in a concentration camp would seize photos of prisoners’ loved ones and then use it for toilet paper. There are many levels of bazah. The Talmud teaches that bazah is idolatry because the Torah teaches you should have no other god. To worship another god when it is revealed to you not to, that is to bazah, the Word of God. That is one level but the Talmud describes another level and that is to not share the Torah with others. You are to love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and might. If you have no desire to share the Word of God with even other believers, you are guilty of bazah despising the Word of God.
The Jews have a saying: “How one chooses to live is between them and God.” So too, with my gay Christian friend who rides my disability bus. It is not for me to judge, it is for me to share the Word of God with anyone who longs to talk of the Word of God. The Jewish approach to someone who is gay is that they are still Jews and are to be treated as such, even if you feel they are living in sin, they are still Jews and deserve the respect of being a Jew. I believe my veteran friend is a born-again Christian, despite my views on homosexuality. If he says he loves God I am not to judge just to love God with him, share the Word of God and call him brother. After all, I struggle with pride, envy, holding grudges, lack of forgiveness to others and I can continue my list of sins that are of course not as bad as homosexuality, except in the eyes of God.
Did I tell you about Gloria, a Christian woman with a beautiful Godly spirit that I drive to the Marijuana clinic to get her monthly supply of joints? Perhaps some other time.
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Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!
I am always amazed at the judgemental attitudes of many church goers. They are not walking with Jesus, but are part of a members only club. I don’t tell anyone how to live. I relay the word of God, but I don’t judge. One cannot even judge evil people for we were once evil in the eyes of God.
I have been writing on Isaiah 36, and it has been interesting, but Titus 3 surprised me today. The part on submission to authorities didn’t come out that way, and then when he says to treat people gently, it is because you have been there. You know plenty about evil.
I write about God each day from about 9 to 1, but the only conversations that I have is with the Spirit! I never know where the posts are going.
All I do is pray for people. Walking with Jesus is a personal thing. He knows when the time is right.
Thank you Lord, we are called by a new name not our old sin nature. That is loved and redeemed. That is who your friend and anyone that puts their faith in jesus is called.
Thank you for this beautiful insight.
Loved loved loved this!
Matthew 22:36-39 (ESV)
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Awww shucks, I have to love everybody… 💡unless I don’t love myself. Then I can hate and judge like everyone else!
Always goes back to that heart connection, doesn’t it?
I can’t even begin to tell you how important this message was for me. The situation is not about homosexuality, but they spoke to my heart and two an issue I am presently working through with Jesus. Thank you for this word of grace. And also, thanks for the convicting words about yourself. Peace!
Oh Chaim. I think there will be lots of sinners saved by Grace in heaven that will surprise some people. God’s grace is so big. Thank you again.
Amen!
Dear brother,
I truly appreciate your tender and passionate approach to God’s Word. I have been so blessed by your blogs. I am also against treating homosexuals unkindly. They need mercy and grace like the rest of us. However, embracing homosexuality in the name of ‘love’ is DESPISING GOD’S WORD…isn’t it ?
I often wonder and reflect on the same thing. What I’ve seemed to notice is that there is a direct difference in treating a person who is homosexual and viewing the whole issue of homosexuality. The individual should still be treated the same as any other person, as if there is nothing different about them. They deserve to be treated with the same respect and kindness as anyone else. Just like all races and genders should be viewed as equally valuable. However, based on what Scripture clearly says, homosexuality should not be supported or embraced as a celebrated lifestyle in our culture. It is not appropriate for them to flaunt it in public (which I have seen numerous times), and it’s a problem that work places have made it routine that if there is even just one gay employee, they declare the entire workplace to be gay. And most certainly, churches should NOT embrace the homosexual lifestyle in the Body of Christ, even if gays are initially welcome to be a part of the congregation. Scripture says “you will know them by their fruits”. That means if the people are truly saved, they will automatically start to change, or at least care that they have this struggle, and seek God and His help. Tolerance is not the same thing as love. God’s people are instructed to guide and help their Christian siblings who are struggling in sin, treating them with tender love and kindness. God will give the opportunities to address the issue when He knows the time is right for the person to hear it. And it’s God’s kindness that leads people to repentance. I know all this is in Scripture, but I can’t remember the references. But hopefully, this helps explain a bit the difference of treatment of the homosexual vs homosexuality. :)
I often wonder and reflect on the same thing. What I’ve seemed to notice is that there is a direct difference in treating a person who is homosexual and viewing the whole issue of homosexuality. The individual should still be treated the same as any other person, as if there is nothing different about them. They deserve to be treated with the same respect and kindness as anyone else. Just like all races and genders should be viewed as equally valuable. However, based on what Scripture clearly says, homosexuality should not be supported or embraced. Homosexuality is a lifestyle, not an identity like our society claims it is. So to answer your question, yes, to embrace homosexuality in the name of love is to despize the Word of God, since He clearly says that homosexuality is an abomination ( Lev 18:22). We should still vote for leaders of our nation that do not support homosexuality and should not celebrate it as something to be proud of in our culture. And most certainly, churches should NOT embrace the homosexual lifestyle in the Body of Christ. However, people who are gay should still be welcomed in the church and reached out to, like we would reach out to any other person. As they grow in their relationship with God and get closer to Him, over time, eventually their homosexual lifestyle will begin to bother them. They would feel the conviction of the homosexual lifestyle conflicting with God’s character. And they will want to change on their own, since His ways will become their ways. Jesus confirms this when He says, “you will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:15–20). And the apostle Paul mentions how many of the Corinthians were homosexual but are no longer that way after their conversion (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The worst thing a Christian can do when they express their struggle to their fellow Christian siblings in hopes of receiving help is to say “You don’t have to change. God loves you anyway”. Tolerance is not the same thing as love. God’s people are instructed to guide and help their Christian siblings who are struggling in sin, treating them with tender love and kindness (Galatians 6:1). However, if you have a gay friend outside the church, and they are not saved, then there is really nothing that can be said to them about it. God will give the opportunities to address the issue when He knows the time is right for the person to hear it. It’s good to remember that it’s God’s kindness that leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4), so He is doing the work. Hopefully, this helps explain a bit the difference of treatment of the homosexual vs homosexuality. :)
Thank you, Brother, a very important lesson you taught us today. Blessings
Bless you and your passenger Chaim.
God loves this man and the only thing keeping people out of heaven is rejecting Jesus.
The Word changes us from the inside out, :) Glory to God, thank you for this teaching, I needed it. Every child is precious in His sight. Peace to all dear Brother Chaim
Thank you Dear Teacher,
Thank so much for this beautiful lesson .
I had a friend that I met in church and he was a veteran . He was also gay . I often would drive him to the Veterans Hospital in another city . I never judged him because my own sins were many . He was a most remarkable man as he spoke many languages including Hebrew . We must remember that love covers a multitude of sins
I believe God is more upset about how we use , abuse and destroy people than He is upset by who we love .
May God please teach to be more loving and less judgmental .
Also, I wish I could be with you and your friend during your conversations. I would be having a true feast taking in everything you both know and enjoying every minute of it. :)
Amen! Rachel!
That’s really interesting what the word despise actually means. I have a question, though. What if the person wants to share about their relationship with God and what God has been teaching them, but has extreme social anxiety (me) and has an awkward time trying to share? Also, about your gay friend, it sounds like he is no longer living in sin, since he isn’t pursuing a relationship. Feelings are just feelings. It’s all based on if one acts on those feelings or not. I have inclinations that make me feel like I’m bisexual, but I don’t pursue those feelings. He seems to be on the right track since he has such a hunger for God. God will take care of the rest. I hate my feelings when they tempt me to sin and will lament to God about it. He keeps loving me, and the more quality time I spend with Him, the more I see my feelings start to disappear on their own. God is the One who makes them disappear, not me. No one can change themselves. That’s God’s job. God can use a person to alert someone of a sin they don’t know about and guide them in the right direction, but ultumately, it’s God who does the work.
I really deeply enjoy your readings Sir.