Go to Part One Go To Part Two Go to Part Three Go to Part 4 Go to Part Six
©2011-2025, David E. Robinson:
At the Gates of Yerushalayim Ministries
Lessons
from the Wilderness, Volume 65
…What We Know… Part Five
How we Got Here [i]
[ii]
[iii]
…A Biblical
Examination of the Jewish Context of our Blessed Hope in Messiah…
“For whatever was
written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance
and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” — Romans
15:4[iv]
We
are now at Part Five of our study. Our main focus is and always will be, on the
main passage we have been developing this series on, John 4:19-24:
19 The
woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that pyou
are qa prophet. 20 rOur fathers worshiped on sthis mountain, but you say that tin Jerusalem is uthe place where people
ought to worship.” 21 Jesus
said to her, v“Woman, believe me, wthe hour is coming when
xneither
on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 yYou worship what
you do not know; zwe worship what we know, for zsalvation is afrom the Jews. 23 But bthe
hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the
Father cin spirit and dtruth, for the Father eis seeking such people
to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in
spirit and truth.”[v]
“…We worship what we know…” This
axiom was spoken by Yeshua, in reference to those Jews who worshipped ʾelōhiym עֶליוֹן ’elyon. [vi]
[vii]
For all others, He stated simply
“…yYou worship what you do not know…” This axiom
holds true to all believers and non-believers today. Many “worship what they do
not know”. I’d like to quote Bob Dylan’s (some call controversial) song “Gotta
Serve Somebody”:
Bob Dylan, “Gotta Serve Somebody”
You
may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You might be a rock ’n’ roll addict prancing on the stage
You
might have drugs at your command, women in a cage
You may be a businessman or some high-degree thief
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody’s landlord, you might even own banks
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be workin’ in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody’s mistress, may be somebody’s heir
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You
may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say
You’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody [viii]
Was he (Dylan) right? I am going to introduce some thoughts here that will guide us on our journey to what we know.
Our study will take us down inevitable paths, paths that include not only definitions, but topics, questions and answers that define true worship and how it is applied: it must be rightly directed and rightly known. This all plays into the role of “faith” – not as most Christians and believers understand it, but how “faith” should be looked upon: loyalty. Believing loyalty and allegiance to the One True ʾelōhiym and the One He sent, Yeshua ha’ Mashiach. We will touch on these topics, and more:
- boundaries;
- · covenantal certainty.
- · the inescapable destiny of servitude, “which or who do you serve?”
- epistemic[ix] accountability.
- · and covenantal particularity.
Boundaries: The thesis in plain sight, allegiance is unavoidable.
· Dylan’s refrain— “you’re gonna have to serve somebody”—is a boundary line. It denies the modern myth of absolute neutrality. What is this? When we speak of “absolute neutrality” in this context, we’re referring to the illusion that a person can live without serving, worshiping, or orienting their life around any ultimate authority, purpose, or allegiance. This is what I call a “boundary-defining move: one may be an ambassador, a heavyweight champion, a banker, or a rock star, but role, class, and persona doesn’t erase the more basic question of allegiance.
- That echoes the Scriptural “two ways” pattern (see below), in which Second Temple Judaism and the early Yeshua/Jesus-movement’s teachings crystallized: life is not a spectrum of infinite options but a crossroads—whom do you serve?
Deuteronomy
30:19:
“I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose
life.”
Joshua
24:15:
“Choose this day whom you will serve.”
Psalm 1:1-2: Blessed is the man1 who awalks not in bthe counsel of the
wicked, nor stands in cthe
way of sinners,
nor
dsits in ethe seat of fscoffers; 2 but
his gdelight is in the law2 of the Lord, and on his
hlaw he meditates day and
night. [x]
Matthew
6:24:
“No one can serve two masters.”
- These
texts reinforce that everyone serves — and
that the attempt at neutrality is
itself a form of rebellion, a refusal to acknowledge one’s true condition.
To further clarify, we must dig a bit deeper. Let’s go there now.
Boundary stones and the moral map
· “Boundary-defining” language relates to the biblical prohibition against “moving ancient boundary stones” (e.g., Deut 19:14; Prov 22:28). Dylan’s song effectively re-sets an ancient moral boundary: we cannot relocate the property line between self and lord.
· Modernity tries to move that stone—claiming autonomy as absolute—but the truth hammers it back in place. The boundary isn’t about geography; it’s about sovereignty. The line stands: worship will happen; the only question is its object. Worship is not a question of if but of whom — and whether that worship is rooted in revealed truth or in human imagination.
Universal anthropology exists beneath the surface
·
No matter what the subculture (as exemplified
in Dylan’s song) there lies the anthropology of worship:
§ Desire
and direction.
Humans are desiring creatures. As Augustine framed it: your life is steered by
your love; whatever you love most functions as lord. Desire recruits us—toward
money, fame, lust, power, or God.
§ No
vacuum souls.
Humanity was never created to live in a spiritual vacuum. The claim of being
“uncommitted,” “independent,” or “self-governed” is itself a declaration of
allegiance, just one that hides its master behind the language of autonomy. The
song’s refrain denies the “free agent” fantasy. We all already live under
liturgies (habits, slogans, screens) that disciple us. Even the so-called rebel
is apprenticed to some story about freedom that quietly master’s him. To think
one is “free” of this reality is to embrace the illusion.
§ Masks,
not exemptions.
As the song says—all, no matter what class or status, wear this mask of
illusion. Whether priest, thief, statesman, waitress, one’s station doesn’t
suspend servitude; it only hides it. Yeshua said “Come and see”; come and see
what is beyond illusion, what is under the masks, who hides behind the curtain
on who or what is enthroned in the heart.
As we wrap up this Section of our series, allow me to tie in our thoughts.
The image above reads as: “Know Before Whom You Stand” (Da Lifnei Mi Atah Omed). It is an inscription that appears in many synagogues, inscribed or written above the Aron HaKodesh (“Holy Ark”), the arks that house the Torah scrolls.
It is a call to
awareness — that every moment of prayer, study, and life unfolds before the
Presence of the Living God. This maxim expresses the Hebrew idea of living coram
Deo — before the face of God.
Yeshua’s words to the Samaritan woman in John 4 and His declaration in John 10:14–15 both echo this truth. To know God and to be known by Him defines the true nature of worship and discipleship. The prophet Amos expressed this covenant intimacy and accountability when he wrote, “Only you have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Can two walk together unless they have agreed?” (Amos 3:2–3).
Presence and Allegiance
The phrase 'Know before Whom you stand'
removes any illusion of neutrality. If we are always before ʾelōhiym,
then there is no such thing as spiritual independence. Presence implies
allegiance, reverence, and accountability. Just as Dylan’s refrain — 'You’re
gonna have to serve somebody' — unmasks the impossibility of neutrality, so the
awareness of God’s constant Presence calls us to conscious devotion.
Known and Knowing
In Amos 3:2, 'Only you have I known' uses
'know' in a covenantal sense — known, chosen, loved. This
knowing
forms the foundation for all divine-human relationship. John 10:14–15 develops
this further:
'I am the good
shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me — just as the Father knows Me
and I know the Father.'
This mutual knowing is the essence of worship in Spirit and truth. It is relational, not ritual; covenantal, not casual.
Agreement and the Walk of Discipleship
Amos 3:3 asks, 'Can two walk together unless
they have agreed?'. To walk with God demands agreement — we walk in shared
direction, intention, and heart. Discipleship, therefore, is not mere proximity
to holiness, but alignment with His purposes. If intentions differ, the journey
cannot proceed together. True worship requires this agreement — our will
aligned to His will.
Kavanah – Intentional Worship
The Hebrew word above is pronounced KaVaNah,
and embodies intent, focus, and purpose. It is not a mere word but a lived
concept — the direction of the heart when standing before God. To approach Him without
intention is to dishonor His Presence. We prepare endlessly for human audiences
but often stand before the King of Glory without thought or preparation.
In its ancient pictographic form, KaVaNah is built from four letters — kaf (open hand), vav (nail/peg), nun (life/sprout), and hey (to reveal). In devotional reflection this can be seen as: ‘Allow the nail to secure what comes from life,’ or, ‘The hand with the nail secures or reveals life.’ The symbolism points to the Messiah Himself — the One with nail-scarred hands who secures life for His people. Thus, KaVaNah not only defines our focus but reveals His grace.
Presence and Speech – A Call to Reverence
If we truly live before the face of God,
every word we speak becomes sacred space. The awareness of divine presence
demands restraint, humility, and repentance. Our careless words and angry tones
reveal how easily we forget before Whom we stand. True repentance begins when
we acknowledge that every moment, every word, unfolds in His hearing. Because
of my carless words, I offer You, oh Mighty ʾelōhiym, my
call for t’shuvah, repentance:
O God, YHVH ʾelōhiym, YHVH Sabaoth — before You and You alone have I sinned. I have not bridled
my tongue, nor
regarded Your holiness as I have spoken words against Thee and against others.
Today I repent, today
I acknowledge my iniquity, and I throw myself before You, asking for mercy and
forgiveness.
Amein.
Theological
Synthesis
‘Know before Whom you stand’ gathers our prior
themes into a single frame: Dylan’s universality of service meets Yeshua’s call
to true knowledge; Amos’s covenant knowing meets John’s shepherd knowing; Kavanah’s
intentional focus embodies the worship that is in Spirit and truth.
Neutrality is revealed as illusion, for we are always standing in the Presence of the One who sees us. Discipleship, therefore, is the ongoing alignment of intent and action before His face — a walk of agreement, and a life of worshipful awareness.
Till we meet again, may the Father of Light and His Messiah
Richly bless you my Beloved,
In The name of Yeshua our Messiah,
Amein and Amein.
[i]NOTICE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
RIGHTS: Unless
otherwise cited, all material found on this blogsite (original text, opinions,
conclusions, and other material not related to cited sources remains the
collected intellectual property of the author of this site, David E. Robinson,
Elder, teacher, and minister, and are owned and controlled by myself and are
protected by copyright and trademark laws and various other intellectual
property rights and unfair competition laws of the United States, foreign
jurisdictions, and international conventions. Any errors found within, rest
solely upon me; please do not blame the Father for my mistakes. I am teachable
and correctable, not infallible. 😊 What I aim to do in this
blog is trying to help you study your Bible better, by providing you with notes
and explanations that you, my dear reader, may not have the resources available
to you.
[ii] FAIR USE DISCLAIMER: This blog site may contain content that is not authorized for use by its owner. All such material will be cited back to its original source. According to Section 107 of the Copyright Act: “…the fair use of a copyrighted work […] for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright…” I have made and will continue to make every effort to stay within all ethical and moral guidelines in the use of material presented here, and the use of these materials is solely intended for educational purposes only, and all efforts to obtain or sustain fair use of non-owned material will be made. That being said, this site is for education only and is not affiliated with any institution, organization, or religious group. It is the sole production of its editor/author. Use of information from Jewish-themed websites (or any other source material) should not be construed as these sites endorsing or confirming any thesis introduced by the author of this epistle. I present the information from their respective sites for instructional purposes only and/or to aid in the readers understanding of the subjects discussed.
[iii] Author’s note: Throughout these studies, I will be using the NET Bible® and the NET Notes®: within the notes you will see symbols like this: ( B Ψ 892* 2427 sys) [see explanation below…]. These are abbreviations used by the NET Bible® for identifying the principal manuscript evidence that they (authors and translators of the NET Bible®) used in translating the Old and New Testament. Please go to https://bible.org/netbible/ and see their section labeled “NET Bible Principals of Translation” for a more complete explanation on these symbols and other items pertinent to the way the NET Bible uses them. Net® foot/end notes will be separated as follows:
(start of): NET Bible® Notes: {the numbered notations are unique to the NET® Bible and will be separated by this notation.}
(end
of): {End Net® Notes}
This is not to say that the NET® Bible will be our only source of God’s word but will be used as seen fit. To help you understand, the symbols listed here mean the following:
Breakdown
of the symbols
·
B:
This refers to Codex Vaticanus, one of the oldest and most important
Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Dating to the 4th century CE, it is a
key witness to the Alexandrian text-type.
·
Ψ
(Psi): This is a standard abbreviation for the book of Psalms, from the
Greek word psalmoi. In New Testament textual notes, it can also refer to
the important 8th-century Greek manuscript Codex Athous Lavrensis.
·
892*:
This is a number assigned to a specific ancient biblical manuscript. The
asterisk (*raised to the * power*) indicates that the reading came from the
original, uncorrected version of the manuscript. The manuscript itself is a
9th-century Greek minuscule manuscript containing the Gospels and Acts.
·
2427:
This refers to another Greek minuscule manuscript, dating to the 14th century,
containing the Gospels.
·
sys:
This is an abbreviation for the Syriac manuscript tradition, which was a
very important early translation of the New Testament into Syriac, a dialect of
Aramaic.
·
For those who wish to take their studies to the next
level, a list of symbols used in textual criticism can be found here: https://www.cob-net.org/compare/docs/reference-charts-ciampa.pdf
Also, in these studies, I have used the notes that come along with the passages cited from the sources notated: these need a bit of a disclaimer though. As in all things, not everything that is footnoted is something that may I necessarily agree with [nor specifically disagree with]; the only instances will be where I may find it not compatible with what I believe pertains to any matters of the Torah or the commandments of God. I give you the notes as they are written by the authors of the material I cite from, so that you can see the information contained within them. It truly is not my place to edit or ignore them; if they state anything that is in opposition to what I teach, then so be it. I will address these issues if requested. That is not to say I should not challenge something I believe, in my humble opinion, might contradict the truth of God’s word; that I will do in the main body of my epistles for that is where my gentle dissent belongs. Most (but not all) of the differences will come when a QUOTED source displays a decidedly Western/Greek mindset, as opposed to one of the Hebraic Perspectives. I must be intellectually honest – I am biased toward the God of Avraham, Issachar, and Yakob, and his son, Yeshua, the Messiah. I pray we all can find common ground as we study the Scriptures. Also, some may be put off by the length or depth of the notes; not everyone has access to the references I do, so therefore, I try to include the notes that come with the material I use, so each can see for themselves the information the originator has pointedly gleaned. I hope you avail yourselves to these inclusions – they help us to understand how the material in scripture is laid out and the thought process of the original writers of Scripture.
[iv] All Scriptures used in this epistle are taken from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Logos Bible Software Edition, unless notated otherwise.
p ch. 9:17; [ch. 6:14]
q
Luke 7:16, 39; See Matt. 21:11
r
Gen. 12:6, 7; 33:18, 20; Deut. 11:29; 27:12; Josh. 8:33
s
Judg. 9:7
t
See Deut. 12:5
u
[ch. 11:48]
v
ch. 2:4
w
ver. 23; ch. 5:25, 28; 16:2, 25, 32
x
Zeph. 2:11; Mal. 1:11; 1 Tim. 2:8
y
[2 Kgs. 17:28–34; Acts 17:23]
z
Ps. 147:19, 20; Isa. 2:3; Rom. 3:1, 2; 9:4, 5
z
Ps. 147:19, 20; Isa. 2:3; Rom. 3:1, 2; 9:4, 5
a
Matt. 2:4, 5; Acts 13:23; Rom. 11:26
b
ver. 21
c
[Rom. 8:15; Eph. 2:18; 6:18; Phil. 3:3]
d
Ps. 145:18; [ch. 1:17]
e
[ch. 6:44]
[v]
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 4:19–24.
[vi] ʾelōhiym Elyon: The Most High elōhiym (God).
[vii]
“…tn The Hebrew term עֶליוֹן (’elyon) is an abbreviated form of the
divine name El Elyon, frequently
translated “God Most High” (so here NCV, CEV) or something similar. This full
name (or epithet) occurs only in Gen 14, though the two elements are parallel
in Ps 73:11; 107:11; etc… The title depicts God as the sovereign ruler of the
world, who is enthroned high above his dominion.): edited from the footnote for
Deuteronomy 32:8 found in Biblical
Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English.
NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), Dt 32:8–9.
y
[2 Kgs. 17:28–34; Acts 17:23]
[viii] Bob Dylan, “Gotta Serve Somebody” Copyright
© 1979 by Special Rider Music
[ix] From epistemology, the philosophical study of knowledge, exploring what it is, how we get it, and how we can be sure it's true. Examines concepts such as belief, truth, evidence and justification of the same. For a deeper understanding see: https://iep.utm.edu/epistemo/#:~:text=Epistemology%20is%20the%20study%20of,might%20sort%20into%20two%20categories.
1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see Preface
a
Prov. 4:14, 15
b
Job 21:16
c
Prov. 1:10
d
Ps. 26:4; Jer. 15:17
e
[Ps. 107:32]
f
Prov. 1:22; 3:34; 19:29; 21:24; 29:8; [Isa. 28:14]
g
Ps. 112:1; 119:35, 47, 92
2
Or instruction
h
Ps. 119:1, 97; Josh. 1:8
[x] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 1:1–2.
No comments:
Post a Comment