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Early rabbinical literature echoed the imagery of Yeshua’s description of Herod as “that fox.” There may not be a coincidence that Yeshua then refers to the love of God for rebellious Israel as a hen caring for her chicks. Some have claimed the “house left to you desolate” in this passage refers to Israel in favor of “the church,” but similar parables related by prophet Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) suggest otherwise.
Yeshua vs. Herod the ‘fox’
Some commentators on Luke 13:31-35 have speculated that the Pharisees were trying to scare Yeshua out of Yerushalayim just as Amaziah, the priest of the golden calf at Beit-El tried to frighten Amos out of Israel back to Yudea.
Yet, not all the Pharisees were enemies of Yeshua and Herod did find Yeshua a threat to him. After all, Herod had executed John the Baptist for speaking out against him after he married his brother’s wife. When Yeshua’s popularity started to rise, he even thought that Yeshua was a resurrection of Yokhanan (John the Baptist) and watched Yeshua’s ministry carefully. We read about Herod’s fear of Yeshua in Matt. 14:1-2 and Mark 6:14-16.
Pharisee as a synonym for hypocrite is a caricature. Yeshua had several prominent followers who were Pharisees, and He even said to one of them that he was “not far from the Kingdom of God.” Some believers after Yeshua’s death and resurrection still considered themselves Pharisees (Acts 15:5), including apostle Paul (Acts 23:6). You tend to miss some of the nuances of what was going on in first-century Judaism if you read Scripture with that kind of lens.
You see a lot of examples of the fox in rabbinic literature, quite often in comparison to the lion. The lion as the king of animals and the fox as the lowest of animals. The idea that the fox has to survive by cunning because they can’t overcome with strength even comes down to us in some of our parables.
Here are a few examples of these parables in the Talmud:
- “When the fox is in his hour, bow down to it.” (b.Megillah 16b)
- “The scratch of a fox’s claw is of no consequence.” (b.Chullin 53a)
- Unworthy rulers are “foxes and sons of foxes.” (b.Chagigah 14a)
- Akiva compares Roman government to a fox. (b.Berachot 61b)
- “The lion [you feared] turns out to be merely a fox.” (b.Bava Kama 117a)
‘You would not have it’; ‘You were unwilling’
This image of God wanting to gather Israel and protect her people as a hen protects her chicks (Luke 13:34; Matt. 23:37) is a touching and heartbreaking picture of God’s patience with people called by the Name yet ignorantly or defiantly wanting to run their own direction.
This message of the kingdom of wanting Israel to come to the Messiah to have life came down from Yokhanan and Messiah. One picture of this is recorded in John 5:5:15-40 about the healing for the man born blind and the message that healing sent to the leadership of Israel.
When we kick against God’s correction and care, we end up in a dangerous situation just as a young chick who refuses the warmth of the hen is in danger of hypothermia and death.
‘Your house is left to you desolate’
What was “left desolate” (Luke 13:35; Matt. 23:38)? A number of commentators view this as the death knell for Israel’s status as God’s chosen people before He transferred His attention to “the church.” Others see it as God’s closing the book on Torah based worship by saying that God left the House.
This warning against “desolation of salvation” is evidence in Jeremiah chapters 12 and 22. These are warning about the coming exile, explaining why the exile was coming, why they would be allowed to return.
- What is the origin of the people of Israel?
- What is the source of Israel’s power?
- How were the people and especially the leaders to maintain their connection to the Founder of Israel?
- How were the people treating that relationship with the Creator?
- Who forsook whom?
- What is the “house in focus with this prophesy?
- What is the meaning of “inheritance”?
- How dependable is God’s compassion in the midst of judgement?
God is the creator and founder of Israel. If we assume to be a part of Israel without a connection to the Creator, we are fooling yourselves. God is willing to bring those who were far away from Him close to Him. He wants to restore things to the way they were. If we loose sight of who the Creator is and only honor Him with our lips and not our hearts, we will fall short. This ingathering is becoming stronger. Even in our own lifetime, we are witnesses to this.
When things go downhill in this world and the civilized world becomes uncivilized, will we remain true or devolve into incivility? Will we maintain civility and integrity or will we use the breakdown of society as an excuse to behave badly?
It’s a hopeful message, but it’s also a tragic message.
Speaker: Jeff. Summary: Tammy.