How Much More?
Over time, we have realized that the Bible is not just a book of rules or history, but it also contains rich illustrations like parables, metaphors, and idioms, helping us understand life more clearly. The Bible teaches us this, so we can hear about life’s promises in a vivid yet logical way. It’s a powerful poetic way to express God’s promises.
In rabbinic teaching and the Bible, we find a principle called kal ve chomer, meaning “light to heavy.” This principle teaches: if the lesser is true, then how much more is the greater true? From light to heavy. For example, Moses said, “For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD. [How much more] after my death!” The children of Israel were disobedient even with Moses present, seeing and hearing him firsthand. If they were so disobedient while he was still with them, how much more disobedient will they be once he is gone? From lesser to greater.
We have another example in Numbers 12:14. When Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, the anger of the Lord burned against them, and Miriam’s skin turned leprous. Moses pleaded with God to heal her, and the Lord’s reply was this: “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” The reasoning here is that if her earthly father had spit on her, she would have to be ashamed for seven days. But how much more should her punishment have been before God?
Let us consider an example from Yeshua Himself. In Matthew 6:30, we see, “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?”
If God does such great things for animals and birds, which have lesser value, how much more will He do for us, who are the pinnacle of His creation? By comparing extremes and contrasting the small with the large, the lesson becomes very clear.
How about the one we see in Romans 11:15? When discussing the Jewish nation and their rejection of the Messiah, consider the comparison from lesser to much greater. If their rejection led to reconciliation for the world (meaning Jewish rejection of the Messiah brought reconciliation for the Gentiles), then how much more will it be when they, the Jewish nation, accept Yeshua? It will be like a resurrection from the dead — a completely new life in this world, and the Millennium will unfold!
So, before we draw practical conclusions for our daily lives, we shouldn’t forget this principle. When it comes to the kal ve chomer, there seems to be a limit or upper boundary regarding punishment, but in a sense, no boundary when it comes to blessing.
Consider Miriam’s example. If she was punished for 7 days for disobeying her earthly father, wouldn’t you agree that God, in His complete holiness, should require a much greater humiliation and punishment for Miriam, not merely seven days outside the camp? Yet, we see that her divine punishment was limited. There was a limit to this justice. Conversely, we see what Yeshua said about the grass of the field and how much more He would clothe us. The Lord richly clothes us, doesn’t He, in robes of righteousness and meets all our internal and external needs. There is no limit to the blessing because of God’s grace, but there are boundaries to punishment because of His great mercy. After all, the purpose of punishment is to reform and restore us. The purpose of blessing is to demonstrate the presence of God’s glory in our lives.
Paul gives a command in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that relates to the Kal ve Chomer principle. He states, “Whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Why does he mention eating and drinking first? Paul might be suggesting that even in the most everyday aspects of life—like eating and drinking, which we often overlook—if we aim to give glory to God in those moments, then we should certainly do so in the bigger and more important areas like family, friends, the congregation, and work. If the small things matter, how much more do the bigger things in life matter?
And now for us:
If you feed your body three times a day, how much more should you nourish your soul every day?
If your small act of kindness can impact someone else’s life, imagine how much more your bigger acts of mercy and love could influence the world.
If you get on a plane and trust the pilot you’ve never met, how much more should you trust the pilot of your life who created the very skies you’re flying in?
If we are faithful in the small matters, how much more will He give us to be faithful in the greater matters of life? Faithfulness begins in the smallest areas of our lives and leads to great blessings that have no limit.