Why was Yeshua writing in the Dust? On Shemini Atzeret

Lulav

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We've discussed this on this forum many times and voiced our opinions on what it could be.

At Shemini Atzeret Service today the Rabbi was discussing this.

Why talk about this on the 8th day? (I'm posting the pertinent verses but you should read John chapters 7-8)

John 7:2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand...........
10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. ........
14
Now about the midst of the feast Yeshua went up into the temple, and taught.
15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?...................
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Yeshua stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water................40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.​

John 8:1 Yeshua went unto the mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.​


It is Shemini Atzeret, the 8th day that this happened.

3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Yeshua stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Yeshua was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Yeshua had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Yeshua said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

12 Then spoke Yeshua again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.​



During the Feast of Tabernacles Yeshua had accused them of not keep Torah

John 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law?​

When he said what he said and did what he did, this was easily brought to mind for them. The people were already debating if this was the Messiah or not.

John 7:25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very MESSIAH?

Let's turn to Jeremiah 17

13 Lord, you are the hope of Israel;all who forsake you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord,the spring of living water.


14 Heal me, L_RD, and I will be healed;
save me (yasha) and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise.

15 They keep saying to me,
“Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it come now!




Numbers 29:35 "On the eighth day of the festival, proclaim another holy day. You must do no ordinary work on that day.

On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.
 
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Lulav

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Is the eighth day the day that the New covenant truly is fulfilled?

The lesson that day on the Temple mount was about adultery. When you turn from G-d and do not keep his ways you are in adultery. As G-d is our husband when we make other things our God we have spiritually left our 'husband' our 'first love' and turned to another.

Maybe the reason the man involved in that scene was not present was to be a representation.

The woman represented Israel and the Man - the L-RD. He was not seen as he was in Heaven, or it could be that Yeshua was the husband.

Either way, at that time he asks her, where are your accusers?

10 When Yeshua had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Yeshua said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
 
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St_Worm2

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Please, if you would like to participate, don't just answer the question without reading the whole OP.

I gave the scripture that explains what he was writing.
Hi Lulav, what the Lord was writing in the dust has remained a mystery and/or a matter of conjecture since that day He wrote it, or so I have been told, so I'm very interested in what you have to say about it. I'm having a bit of trouble following everything that you said in your OP however, so please give us the specific verse again that tells us what He wrote in the dust.

Thanks!

--David
 
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Steve Petersen

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According to the Mishnah, during Sukkot in the Temple, a priest would draw living water from a spring and pour it out with a wine offering on the horns of the altar.

IMO, this is the Feast referenced in John 8 where Jesus speaks of living water. This is during the episode of the woman caught in adultery. In this episode Jesus rebukes the accusers then stoops to write in the dirt. Ever wonder what he was writing?

I suspect it was their names based on Jeremiah 17:13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.
 
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St_Worm2

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According to the Mishnah, during Sukkot in the Temple, a priest would draw living water from a spring and pour it out with a wine offering on the horns of the altar.

IMO, this is the Feast referenced in John 8 where Jesus speaks of living water. This is during the episode of the woman caught in adultery. In this episode Jesus rebukes the accusers then stoops to write in the dirt. Ever wonder what he was writing?

I suspect it was their names based on Jeremiah 17:13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.
Hi Steve, I believe that this is the very passage that Lulav was pointing to in her OP, but this still remains a matter of conjecture, yes? (albeit an interesting one :)).

Thanks!

--David
 
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Steve Petersen

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Hi Steve, I believe that this is the very passage that Lulav was pointing to in her OP, but this still remains a matter of conjecture, yes? (albeit an interesting one :)).

Thanks!

--David

Yes, conjecture. The text is not explicit about what he wrote.
 
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pat34lee

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I think it didn't say what he wrote because that was irrelevant.
The Pharisees were prepared to argue whatever point that
Jesus would bring up. They had probably rehearsed anything
that they thought he could bring, especially from scriptures.

What they weren't ready for was for him to ignore them and
write on the ground as if they were only noisy children.

Then his response was basically, "Fine. Kill her. But first make
sure your own life is perfect before Yahweh."

And then he went back to writing and ignoring what they did.

They didn't want to kill her. The point was for him to get involved
one way or the other so they could blame him for the outcome.
 
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visionary

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You know there are three times the "finger of God" wrote... First time was in stone, second time on the wall, and the third time in the sand. What happens if the first was the law, the second the sentence, and third the judgment? Does that not explain the scurrying away like cockroaches exposed to light?
 
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chunkofcoal

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Is the eighth day the day that the New covenant truly is fulfilled?

The lesson that day on the Temple mount was about adultery. When you turn from G-d and do not keep his ways you are in adultery. As G-d is our husband when we make other things our G-d we have spiritually left our 'husband' and turned to another.

Maybe the reason the man involved in that scene was not present was to be a representation.

The woman represented Israel and the Man - the L-RD. He was not seen as he was in Heaven, or it could be that Yeshua was the husband.

Either way, at that time he asks her, where are your accusers?

10 When Yeshua had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Yeshua said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
It's interesting to note that they took the part of the accuser. Satan/the devil is The accuser. (Job 1-2, Zech.3:1, Rev. 12:10 )
Later in chapter 8, Yeshua basically calls them the children of the devil and says that they do the deeds of their father.
 
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Lulav

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Hi Lulav, what the Lord was writing in the dust has remained a mystery and/or a matter of conjecture since that day He wrote it, or so I have been told, so I'm very interested in what you have to say about it. I'm having a bit of trouble following everything that you said in your OP however, so please give us the specific verse again that tells us what He wrote in the dust.

Thanks!

--David
Sorry to sound abrupt but with the new threads on the front page many just click on it and post without looking to see what forum they are in. :)

Yesterday was a High Holy Day for Jews and Messianics called Shemini atzeret which means 'the Eighth day' or the assembly of the 8th day which is found in Torah following the seven days of Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles.

So, the Rabbi was pointing out that in the New Testament we can find this Holy Day being celebrated by Yeshua (Jesus) in the gospel of John. I laid out the verses that indicate this by the time references.

the feast of tabernacles was at hand. (This is Sukkot which lasts a full week)
about the midst of the feast (about midway through the week he goes to the temple)
In the last day, that great day of the feast (
the last day, or the seventh day)
And early in the morning he came again into the temple, (
so the next morning would be the 8th day)

So that is showing Yeshua on Shemini Atzeret which actually outside of Israel is celebrated two days, From Sunday sundown to sundown tonight.

OK, so now we know what day it was that he was in the temple writing in the sand. Most just concentrate on that part, not realizing when this took place. Yeshua was mostly seen in the Temple on the days prescribed to be there which are found in the Torah. That is when the others of the nation of Israel would be there also.

So, But Yeshua stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground,

Everyone asks, "what was he writing?"

That is where Jeremiah comes in. As the Pharisees were the most aware of the Laws and Prophets they would realize by his doing that writing he was enacting this prophecy from Jeremiah.

13 Lord, you are the hope of Israel;all who forsake you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord,the spring of living water.

Yeshua had already had words with them over their upholding their rules over the Torah. They appeared righteous but in fact had turned to their own ways while seemingly pious for G-d.

So this verse from Jeremiah would surely have been brought to mind when they saw him writing in the dust.

It was a condemnation because they had presented him with an unjust case as the law requires both parties to be present and accused and stoned. They were demonstrating their unrighteousness by only bringing the woman, this was a great example that they had turned away from the L_RD.

This can be tied into what we read in Matthew 15

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,
“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat.”
Yeshua replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?…


I hope that helps? :)
 
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Lulav

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You know there are three times the "finger of God" wrote... First time was in stone, second time on the wall, and the third time in the sand. What happens if the first was the law, the second the sentence, and third the judgment? Does that not explain the scurrying away like cockroaches exposed to light?
Interesting thought, and it was a judgment. From the tie in to the 8th day and the passage in Jeremiah I believe that he was writing down the names of the men who were there accusing her.

That is why they left, they knew that passage and they went from being the accuser to being the accused.

"Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust"

Yeshua was making that prophecy come true and on the eighth day.
 
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visionary

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Interesting thought, and it was a judgment. From the tie in to the 8th day and the passage in Jeremiah I believe that he was writing down the names of the men who were there accusing her.

That is why they left, they knew that passage and they went from being the accuser to being the accused.

"Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust"

Yeshua was making that prophecy come true and on the eighth day.
Jeremiah 17:13
Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.

WOW....The message in the sand gets more and more powerful the deeper you look into it.. as to its timing, its message, its significance. Israel is the wayward woman whom Yeshua protected from the sentence of death. She was forgiven and told to go and sin no more.

Ezekiel 37:23
Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
 
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Lulav

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It's interesting to note that they took the part of the accuser. Satan/the devil is The accuser. (Job 1-2, Zech.3:1, Rev. 12:10 )
Later in chapter 8, Yeshua basically calls them the children of the devil and says that they do the deeds of their father.
Yes, as I just said to Vis, they went from being the accusers to being the accused, that is why they left.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.

Notice that it's not about accusing her so much as accusing Him? Very much like what HaSatan did in the 40 days in the wilderness. It looks like he doesn't answer him but he does, in fact writing their names down in the dust as it says in Jeremiah is his answer, he's putting them to shame:

Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord,the spring of living water. ~Jeremiah

But Yeshua stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. ~John

He gives them the answer to the bigger question but they don't get it.

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
The sin he was talking about was the sin of accusing her and not her partner which is what the law says. By only accusing her they all were sinning. They were making unrighteous judgement, something the L-RD speaks through the prophets about time and time again.
Remember they had said to him:

The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?”

There, it is plain that they were not quoting the whole law involved for it says in Torah (stated twice no less):

Leviticus 20:10
If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of his neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.

Deuteronomy 22:22
If a man is found lying with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Now Yeshua had made it clear to why he was writing their names down in the sand, it was because they were sinning by only accusing her and he called them on it. Then he goes back to writing to emphasis his point.


8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one



Yeshua asked her where were her accusers?

10 When Yeshua had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Yeshua said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.


Now why is that significant for the 8th day?

I'll let you all post your thoughts first. :)
 
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St. Helens

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I had never seen these verses this way. Thank you for sharing this. The Messiah fulfilled an important prophecy on a high holy day.
 
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chunkofcoal

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Yes, as I just said to Vis, they went from being the accusers to being the accused, that is why they left.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.

Notice that it's not about accusing her so much as accusing Him? Very much like what HaSatan did in the 40 days in the wilderness. It looks like he doesn't answer him but he does, in fact writing their names down in the dust as it says in Jeremiah is his answer, he's putting them to shame:

Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord,the spring of living water. ~Jeremiah

But Yeshua stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. ~John

He gives them the answer to the bigger question but they don't get it.

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
The sin he was talking about was the sin of accusing her and not her partner which is what the law says. By only accusing her they all were sinning. They were making unrighteous judgement, something the L-RD speaks through the prophets about time and time again.
Remember they had said to him:

The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?”

There, it is plain that they were not quoting the whole law involved for it says in Torah (stated twice no less):

Leviticus 20:10
If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of his neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.

Deuteronomy 22:22
If a man is found lying with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Now Yeshua had made it clear to why he was writing their names down in the sand, it was because they were sinning by only accusing her and he called them on it. Then he goes back to writing to emphasis his point.


8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one



Yeshua asked her where were her accusers?

10 When Yeshua had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Yeshua said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.


Now why is that significant for the 8th day?

I'll let you all post your thoughts first. :)

No more Accuser on the 8th day?
 
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