Freewill, punishment, & salvation

March 4, 2009, 9:23 am by dc-agape.

Geniza A Col 2:14 – Col 3:6

I want to cover three topics in this section. The main point of this entire section is the willful heart of humankind. When this happens many great and horrible punishments from YHWH are bestowed on those who disobey YHWH covenant and commandments.  The second topic is about mind control.  Even the thought is a sin.  Third, I want to point out some differences between the Cairo copy and the original Damascus Document (CD).  Previously I had mentioned how stale the Cairo copy was, I will point a few examples of those out.  Finally, I want to address the “sons of Zadok” and the Levites.

This section of the CD follows directly off from:

Col 2:13 truth.  He explicitly called them by name.  But whoever He had rejected He caused to stray.

And yet here the authors start to talk about how the flood was due to man (described similar to the Nephilim) not following YHWH commands.  Where in the Book of Genesis did YHWH ever give man any commandments, prior to the flood?  The authors go on to the sons of Noah.  Claiming that they two were “exterminated”.  Where exactly did the Romans and the Palestinians come from if not the sons of Noah?  Did not the Israelites themselves come from Shem (Gen 11:10-26)?

But Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were “friends” of YHWH because they kept the covenant.  Strangely, all of the sons of Jacob strayed, even Joseph.  Weren’t the sons of Levi to be the only ones who could serve YHWH as priests?  Seems like a high honor for someone who strayed.  And because of the sins of Jacob’s sons the Israelites were slaves for over 400 years.  Didn’t YHWH plan the slavery?  YHWH talking to Abraham said:

Gen 15:13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.

YHWH goes on to say that this length of time is because he is not ready to punish the sins of the Amorites yet (Gen 15:16).  So how exactly is it the willful breaking of YHWH commandments that caused the slavery?   

The authors go on about the sins of the Israelites against Moses and the wondering in the desert for 40 years were all to be blame on the willful disregard for the commandments of YHWH.  All the wars and all the bad kings of Israel were due to the people having abandoned the covenant with YHWH.  The authors even leave David out of the list, meaning that David did not follow YHWH either.  So the authors of this document did not feel that David was worthy of being the ancestor of the Messiah!

But the authors did feel that they were in a period where YHWH was with them.  They had a teacher of Righteousness; they had celebrated the Sabbath and the holy days.  They even created a well, by YHWH’s command, and filled with water that provided life to those who accepted it.  Does this sound familiar?  Oh yeah, here it is:

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

On the second topic, I did miss one small sentence at the beginning of this section that I wanted to relay.

Col 3:16 in all His ways, not turning away through thoughts caused by the sinful urge and lecherous eye.

Notice how the thought of the sinful urge and lecherous eye is enough to draw you down the path of evil.  So guys (and girls) that “second look” at some hot bod walking by…watch out, that one single thought will cause you to forever be forsaken.  Even though YHWH knows you are going to do it!

Comparing the Cairo copy to the original CD it is quite apparent that the newer copy was edited by a sect of Christians.  First, in the Cairo copy there is an entire addition to the paragraph about the holy days.  This commentary adds the events after the return to YHWH and the digging of the well of life.  The people sin again, but in YHWH’s “wonderful mysteries” they are forgiven without bloodshed.  The editors add words like “transgressions of men”, “ways of unclean women”, and “This is for us”.

The editors of the Cairo copy also down play the water of life.  In the Cairo script it is written as just they dug a well for many waters.  But in the Dead Sea Scroll copy it is:

Col 3:15-16 His righteous laws, His reliable ways.  The desires of his will, which Man should carry out and so have life in them, He opened up to them.  So they “dug a well”, yielding much water.

It is much clearer in the Dead Sea Scroll CD that this is a spiritual well and not a physical one. 

The final topic I want to bring up is the concept of “the sons of Zadok”.  A priest by the name of Zadok is mentioned all though the OT.  Here might be the best verse about him (or at least his sons):

Ezekiel 40:46 and the room facing north is for the priests who have charge of the alter.  These are the sons of Zadok, who are the only Levites who may draw near to the Lord to minister before him.”

There are three types of people described in this document: the Sons of Zadok, the Levites, and the priest.  The priests are the lowest, they are the repentant.  The Levites are those who help the priests, like pastors and ministers.  The Sons of Zadok are the chosen ones (elect) of YHWH who will be present in the “Last Days”.  Wow, from the OT this was never capitalized (Isaiah 2:2, Hosea 3:5, and Micah 4:1).  The whole concept of the elect, the last days, and the return of the chosen ones is obviously nothing new.  So why is it so important to Christianity?  The Jewish faith had been caring it around for at least 700 years before Jesus.  They certainly aren’t trying to speed things up!

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