Hebraic vs Western Thinking - A Comparison - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

One of the easiest and most common mistakes that believers make is trying to superimpose their own culture (American, British, Chinese, Korean, German, etc.) onto the Bible. The result is that Yahweh's revelation to mankind gets distorted and leads to selective blindness: we then 'see' the things we want to see, and ignore the things we don't want to see. Coming to faith requires a COMPLETE REORIENTATION IN THINKING PATTERNS AND BEHAVIOUR. This is not as easy as it might at first seem because we have been programmed/brainwashed to think in certain ways by generations of false tradition and social pressure to conform to what our society regards as 'normal'. Remember, what Yahweh regards as 'normal' and what society regards as 'normal' are not the same thing. We have to make a choice between the way of Yahweh and the way of the world. You can't be a successful, balanced and whole believer until you have readjusted your lifestyle to the biblical way. This is not easy. It takes time and patient instruction from those who have made the changeover to Yahweh's ways. One of the callings of MLT is to help honest seekers after truth make that changeover.

The following table is a very general summary of the major differences between Western civilization and the civilization that Yahweh wants to establish for Messianic Israel - that us, believers in Yah'shua the Messiah who obey His commandments (Torah) because we love Him and love to do as He commands. Use this table as a stringboard to ask yourself important questions about how you have been brought up to see and do things and begin the process of allowing the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) to change your life. And may our Heavenly Father bless you as you do so.

Western Approach	Hebraic Approach
Life analyzed in precise categories.	Everything blurs into everything else.
A split between natural & supernatural	Supernatural affects everything.
Linear logic	Contextual or "block" logic
"Rugged Individualism"	Importance of being part of group
Equality of persons	Value comes from place in hierarchies
Freedom orientation	Security orientation
Competition is good	Competition is evil (cooperation better)
Man-centered universe	Yahweh/tribe/family-centered universe
Worth of person based on money/material possessions/power	Worth derived from family relationships
Biological life sacred	Social life supremely important
Chance + cause & effect limit what can happen	Yahweh causes everything in his universe
Man rules nature through understanding and applying laws of science	Yahweh rules everything, so relationship with God determines how things turn out.
Power over others achieved through business, politics and human organizations.	Power over others is structured by social patterns ordained by Yahweh.
All that exists is the material	The universe is filled with powerful spirit beings
Linear time divided into neat segments. Each event is new.	Cyclical or spiraling time. Similar events constantly reoccur.
History is recording facts objectively and chronologically.	History is an attempt to preserve significant truths in meaningful or memorable ways whether or not details are objective facts.
Oriented to the near future	Oriented to lessons of history
Change is good = progress	Change is bad = destruction of traditions
Universe evolved by chance	Universe created by Yahweh
Universe dominated and controlled by science and technology	Yahweh gave man stewardship over his earthly creation. Accountability to God.
Material goods = measure of personal achievement	Material goods = measure of Yahweh’s blessing
Blind faith	Knowledge-based faith
Time as points on straight line ("at this point in time…"	Time determined by content ("In the day that Yahweh did…")

Table courtesy of http://www.godward.org/Hebrew%20Roots/hebrew_mind_vs__the_western_mind.htm

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