Chp.74 - Justin Believes The Jews Have Gotten Ahead Of God In Their Theology
"Then Trypho said, “We know that you quoted these because we asked you. But it does not appear to me that this Psalm which you quoted last from the words of David refers to any other than the Father and Maker of the heavens and earth. You, however, asserted that it referred to Him who suffered, whom you also are eagerly endeavouring to prove to be Christ.” Justin Martyr. (1885). Dialogue of Justin with Trypho, a Jew. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, p. 235). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. Justin continues to make the case that he who reigns, whether "from the Wood" has been cut out or not from this Psalm, that Christ is who David intends to mean as the cause of which Yahweh is to be praised for our salvation. "And I answered, “Attend to me, I beseech you, while I speak of the statement which the Holy Spirit gave utterance to in this Psalm; and you shall know that I speak not sinfully, and that we5 are not really bewitched; for so you shall be enabled of yourselves to understand many other statements made by the Holy Spirit. ‘Sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the earth: sing unto the Lord, and bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day, His wonderful works among all people.’ He bids the inhabitants of all the earth, who have known the mystery of this salvation, i.e., the suffering of Christ, by which He saved them, sing and give praises to God the Father of all things, and recognise that He is to be praised and feared, and that He is the Maker of heaven and earth, who effected this salvation in behalf of the human race, who also was crucified and was dead, and who was deemed worthy by Him (God) to reign over all the earth." Justin Martyr. (1885). Dialogue of Justin with Trypho, a Jew. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, p. 235). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.
It is not the Father who came to us for our salvation but the Son. The Jews have gotten ahead of God in their Theology and have not walked with Him day by day, as David's example. The Son came to us as a god 'among' gods, but he is to be feared above all gods because though he died like a man, death was powerless to hold him (Ps.86:8). This god (of flesh and blood) demonstrated that only he has the key to escape the stronghold of Hades and Sheol (Ps.82:6-8;Isa.22:22). As Sheol was an Egyptian understanding of the realm of the dead, Hades also was a Greco-Roman dominion of the dead, of which Israel was enslaved to when Joseph was forgotten in Egypt and when Israel was taken captive by the Babylonian, Persian, and Roman Empires to be slaves of their gods. David's continual prayer was to be delivered from this captivity and that Israel would rule over its power of death (Job 17:16;26:6;Ps.16:10;18:5;116:3). But this captivity was so the Word would come to the other nations, also; and effect salvation, and Yahweh be all in all (1Cor.12:6;15:8;Eph.1:23). Therefore the Law of Israel was not her salvation, as the Pharisees assume, but only the strong deliverer whom the Father has sent from above. This is the LORD who reigns in Israel and is to reign over all the earth. This is the heart of the Psalmist in his confession of salvation, day by day, before not only the general assembly of the congregation (the church), but also of the great assembly of the nation (Israel) and of the whole world (every nation), as David commanded this testimony to be spread among the nations (Psalm 96:10). The testimony is the "The LORD reigns!" But the debate is over who reigns over the nations. "As [is clearly seen6] also by the land into which [He said] He would bring [your fathers]; [for He thus speaks]:1 ‘This people [shall go a whoring after other gods], and shall forsake Me, and shall break my covenant which I made with them in that day; and I will forsake them, and will turn away My face from them; and they shall be devoured,2 and many evils and afflictions shall find them out; and they shall say in that day, Because the Lord my God is not amongst us, these misfortunes have found us out. And I shall certainly turn away My face from them in that day, on account of all the evils which they have committed, in that they have turned to other gods.’3" Justin Martyr. (1885). Dialogue of Justin with Trypho, a Jew. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, pp. 235–236). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.
In the historical context of Trypho and Justin, it would appear that Rome rules over the nations, as Jerusalem lays fallen and conquered by these pagan gods; even as Jesus prophesied (Mk.13:12). This is why Trypho doesn't want to submit to this god whom the Gentiles call the Christ of Yahweh. Trypho can only observe this as blasphemy of the Hebrew Law. But Trypho must be confronted with the question why Yahweh has permitted Israel to be conquered by these so-called pagan deities; if it is the LORD who reigns. So, Trypho should be confronted with the question if he really knows who the LORD is at all. What about you? Do you really know who the Lord is at all? Coming to the Scriptures with assumptions of who we think the Lord is blinds us often to who the Lord really is. Especially, if we only want the Lord to love us for us. But the Lord wants us to love Him for who He really is (Heb.11:6), because he has loved us for us (1Jn.3:1;4:10). In Trypho's case he must love the LORD for His sovereignty over the nations, including Israel. Israel is ruled now by this pagan nation because she had apostatized from the true knowledge of her Redeemer (Ex.20:1-2). This is why Israel is captive to Rome, and she will not see the LORD in this Christ until she confesses her sins against him. She must look upon him whom she pierced (Ps.22:16;Zech.12:10). Trypho and the other Jews are not seeking the LORD as he is; because they believe they already know him. But this knowing is only according to what they have conceived of him in their own minds, but their LAW condemns them (Deut.5:7-10,33;6:10-12) to this captivity until they seek the LORD out of a pure heart. They don't know the LORD nor do they know the Law of the Lord, for they have rewritten it (Deut.28:36-37)! Psalm 86:13 (NKJV) 13 For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. Cutting out "from the Wood" has prevented them to see the Prophet that Moses promised (Deut.18:15), and who has passed every test to be their god and king who delivers them from their sins and shall heal their land (Deut.18:18-22). The gods of this foreign nation, specifically Pontus Pilate, put this prophet of Israel to death as the king of the Jews, written before the people in three languages, that all may know and see that Rome rules; but this was the sign of the Word of the LORD that Yahweh rules the hearts of men. It is the Truth! by which Israel can be set free to serve this god who was raised in resurrection power to be King of kings and Lord of lords!
This man, Jesus, did NOT draw men to follow the gods of the nations, for it was the nations that made this man the king of the Jews! Pilate answered his own question by declaring the Truth (Jn.18:38;Mk.15:9,12;15:26;Matt.27:37;Lk.23:38)! No, it was and is the Jews who are calling men to follow other gods, for it is the Jewish Sanhedrin and the Papacy who are at war and have a divided house which cannot stand (Mk.3:29)! But this Christ is the Reconciler of all (2Cor.5:18)! For in Him we shall stand free from justice and eternal death in the darkness of his bloody shadow that covers the shame of sin, and shines the Light of the image of God into the abyss of our empty heart (2Cor.4:2-6). Has the Word of God come to YOU (Jn.10:35)? Does this king rule your heart? Have you bowed the knee to his mercy and righteousness? This is the salvation of YAHWEH that claims Lordship over all the earth (Acts 10:36); for 'from the Wood' justice is brought forth in equity! 'From the Wood' Yahweh reigns! Surely, the heavens can be glad, and the earth rejoice, for the glory of the Lord shall fill it in the exaltation of this Name (Jn.6:48;7:29;8:58).
