Digging with Darren

I would like to hear about your highlights for this year’s Shavuot, especially from you who attended the FFOZ Conference in Hudson. Leave me a comment with a special memory to share with others!

I failed to mention the final session of the FFOZ Shavuot ‘09 conference, which was taught by Daniel Lancaster. This was probably the biggest “aha!” moment at the conference for most attendees and ended with a long, standing, round of applause.

Daniel took a long, 2-part session to go into great detail and offer up an almost air-tight case for the proper interpretation of the terminology and analogy of the book of Hebrews (particularly chapters 7-10).

He first set his teaching up with three arguments typical of Christian theology & interpretation based on the book of Hebrews. With each of these, he presented the problems associated with such a perspective with an expression with Talmudic sentiments, “This is a difficulty.” Of course, he stated that the goal was to be able to reach the actual Talmudic statement, “There is no difficulty here” (for which he did—at least in my estimation).

He specifically addressed issues such as how to resolve phrases that seem to negate the Mosaic covenant, overthrow the Aaronic priesthood and the belittle the function of the Temple service.

His second part systematically worked through each of these “difficulties” and resolved them to what appears to be great satisfaction. Lord willing, I’ll be cleaning up my notes over the next few days and posting them. However, I believe Daniel is planning on posting a full, 30-page article (I am pretty sure I heard) on this teaching in the next Messiah Journal (which we all eagerly await!).

Thank you FFOZ for all of your hard work and diligent study, and for sharing it with us.

The FFOZ Shavuot 09 Conference in Hudson, Wisconsin ended yesterday afternoon, and it was sad. We left Wisconsin this morning and are on our way back to Arkansas. The conference was really great and everyone involved did such a great job. It was difficult to leave. We made so many great new friends. I want to thank everyone who took the time to say hi and let me know that you knew me from diggingwithdarren and we were finally able to meet face to face. I look forward to getting to know you all better, soon.

Also, Lord willing, I will be posting notes and overall thoughts from the conference over the next few days. Many blessings!

I wanted to post a brief note on Session 1 from this morning (Shavuot Conference 09) in which Aaron Eby did an excellent job at making a definitive disconnect between the Jewish “rejection” of Yeshua and the destruction of the Temple. He did an excellent job in showing that the destruction of the Temple was not due to the rejection of the theological assent to Yeshua as Messiah, but the rejection of Yeshua’s central message of teshuva /repentance and acceptance of the Kingdom as the authority over one’s every day life. His mission was to call people to repentance, returning them to the Torah of Moses which defines proper conduct. He (Eby) stressed time and again that Yeshua’s message was, “Kindness takes precedence over Temple service. Without kindness, there will be no service,” saying that his message actually revolved around his love for his Father’s House (the Temple), with the ultimate message being that we will only see redemption when we personally carry out the teachings of our Master (Yeshua) in our lives. Great stuff…!

Session 2 just wrapped up with Joseph Good explaining how to get around the multiple issues surrounding the red heifer and inauguration of the priesthood and Temple. It involved a complex system (which has already been set in place) of Kohanim who would be born in a controlled environment and raised free from ritual impurity in order that in adulthood they would be able to slaughter the red heifer in a ritually pure state.

Joseph Good is now teaching on the Soreg, the dividing wall on the Temple Mount which was the furthest place for which non-Jews could enter, and the place which Paul was accused of taking non-Jews past in the account in the book of Acts. He is comparing the descriptions of the Mishna with Josephus and resolving discrepancies between the two accounts.

Joseph Good is now asking the question “where were the toilets” in the Temple complex. It may seem a little crass, but it is actually a very good, practical question of which there are several problems in resolving the issues revolving around the topic. His current working texts are from b.Yoma 32 and 33.