The Crimson Thread - May I Gently Suggest?: Recent Episodes
Jon Behrens
Paul instructs Timothy to root out false teachers in the church at Ephesus. One of the subjects he mentions is 'endless genealogies.' To understand what he means it is useful to compare this letter with the letter to Titus and with the letter to the Ephesians.
Contrary to popular belief the Leviticus 19 commandment to 'love your neighbor as yourself' does not place unrealistic demands upon us. Rather the passage in context gives a procedure for minimizing the number of enemies one acquires and for keeping the community peaceful. In Matthew 18 Y'shua expands on the Leviticus procedure and gives instructions for those cases where it does not work.
Echoing Matthew 13 and Revelation 2, Paul explains that mixing adding works as a vehicle for justification is like adding a small amount of leaven to dough - it eventually corrupts everything.. Doing good works as a response to the grace of God is admirable. Doing them as a way of obligating God is an error.
Torah portion Acharei Mot (Lev 16-18) emphasizes that there is only one standard for the native born and for gentiles who join themselves to Israel. So when the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 tells gentiles to avoid idols, abstain from sexual immorality, things strangled and blood, they are simply quoting the Torah's requirements that apply to both Jew and gentile. When they say that gentiles need not be circumcised, they are quoting the law of the Passover from Exodus. In their ruling, the council was simply applying Torah correctly to the gentiles. They were not changing the standards.
Paul uses two metaphors to describe the effect of the Torah: that of an heir under a guardian and that of the son of Hagar, Sarah's slave. These examples are often cited as evidence that the Torah is done away with. This is a misunderstanding. Just as the two sets of tablets given to Moses were identical, the conditions of the New Covenant are the same as the Old. The difference is where God's law is written: on tablets of stone or on the human heart. Once the Torah is written on the heart one does its precepts because he wants to, not because he is told to.
Most regard the Torah as (a possibly obsolete) set of "dos" and "dont's". While that can be true, it is more profitable to regard it as a mirror. Looking at yourself reflected in the Torah provides a roadmap for spiritual growth. To use a simple example, the Torah says not to steal. If you are prone to theft, it becomes a restriction that chafes and you are uncomfortable with what you see in yourself. If you are not so tempted, you see the reflection of someone is not a thief.
In making the case that salvation is by faith and not by works of the law, Paul refers to the call of Abraham. When he believed God it was accounted to him as righteousness. Since the covenant between God and Abraham was prior to the giving of the Torah, it is not possible that the law would change the terms or the conditions for salvation.
We are commanded to tell our children the story of the first Passover. The elements of the Passover are each symbolic as well as historical. For the Hebrews in Egypt they pointed to events in Genesis. For gentiles today they are symbolic rather than historical. Considering the firstborn, the lamb, the blood and the bread leads to a fifth implied symbol.
The letter to the Galatians correlates with the Kingdom Parable of the woman and the leaven and with the Revelation letter to the church at Thyatira. All are concerned with sin coming into the church through strange doctrine. Paul begins the letter by establishing his credentials.
What did He mean when Y'shua said in John 19:30, "It is finished," as He died? If we look at God's ultimate purpose for the world, "to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth," it becomes clear that the Crucifixion was an intermediate step in a longer campaign; vital to the campaign but not the last objective to be taken. In that sense, "finished" is perhaps a misleading translation.
Chapter 13 predicts the Crucifixion and the scattering of Israel. Chapter 14 predicts the Second Coming and the Millennial Reign.
John 6 is a discourse on bread. It begins with feeding the 5000 with five barley loaves and two fish. This is the key to the whole chapter, the high point of which is Y'shua's statement that He is the bread of life. Bread was introduced in Genesis 3 when our diet was switched from the fruit of the trees of the Garden to bread. The metaphor is used consistently up to and through John 6. The goal has always been to move humanity from earthly bread to heavenly bread; from slavery and death to liberty and life.
God had set three classes of shepherd over Israel, priests, prophets and kings. These had all failed the sheep in one way or another leading to idolatry and corruption which caused God to send the nation into exile. God pronounces woe to the worthless shepherds.
Aaron's sons, Nadav and Abihu died when they tried to enter God's presence uninvited. Similarly, Uzzah died when David tried to transport the Ark in the wrong way. In both cases men acted with pure hearts, seeking to approach and honor God. They had the big picture right, but got the details wrong and died. Today's church has the big picture correct. God loves us, He sent His Son to die for our sins. They are, however, wrong on many of the details and so are devoid of the power that God wants us to have on this earth.
Amidst prophecies about Alexander the Great, the return of Ephraim and the Maccabean Revolt we find the entry of a humble king riding a donkey into Jerusalem.
In John chapter 5 Y'shua makes quite a long statement which is logically in two parts. The first describes who He is and what powers and authority He has. The second explains why the leaders of Israel should accept His credentials. This passage leaves Israel without any excuse for their later behavior.
Returning exiles inquired whether they should continue to fast and weep for the destruction done by Babylon. In answering, God assured them that He would once again favor Israel with peace and security.
There is a great deal of misunderstanding about sacrifice. It is clearly a major subject in the Bible, but has not been practiced since the Temple was destroyed in 70AD. As such we have no real understanding of what it means either emotionally or spiritually.
In vision, Zechariah sees four chariots with differently colored horses. Chariots and horses are instruments of war. The ones going toward the north will bring God's spirit to rest, indicating that they will recompense Assyria and Babylon for the excessive damage done to Israel while acting as God's instrument of chastisement.
During the time before His crucifixion, Y'shua spent considerable effort contending with the Pharisees about their interpretation of God's law as given by Moses. In these encounters, there are several key phrases: "You have heard it said..." and "It is written..." What to these phrases signify and what does that mean to us today?
The visions of the lampstand, the flying scroll and the woman in the basket. Zechariah, seeing future things with which he had no experience used contemporary images to describe them. The word translated 'woman' also could be translated 'fire'. In our understanding, evil fire in a 5 gallon container with a lead cover might be a nuclear weapon.
In constructing the Tabernacle, God asked for the finest materials and the best craftsmen to produce a work of beauty. The world around us is being turned into ugly. Our cities have become homeless camps, our architecture has devolved into concrete boxes, our young are mutilating themselves. All of this ugliness is designed to dispirit the people of God and make them easier to manipulate. The message is that your selfishness is all that stands in the way of utopia. This is nothing more than enemy propaganda. Beauty is important and spiritually uplifting. God wants your talent and initiative to follow His example in improving the world.
In this first series of visions the Lord tells Zechariah that He is displeased with the nations who have chastened Israel. Although their actions were initiated by God, they went beyond their brief. God assures the prophet that He will once again bless Israel because of her repentance. He will remember His covenant and will deal with the nations appropriately.
The impulse to worship idols is still with us today. The form has changed from from biblical times. We no longer fashion calves of gold as in Exodus or offer sacrifices to Baal as in 1 Kings but we still turn away from God to other means of meeting our desires. In both the Exodus and Kings examples the people's hearts were hardened toward God. It took Moses and Elijah, two hard men whose hearts were soft toward God to set matters right again. Today too many soft men with hard hearts are leading religious institutions and many have gone astray.
The group of Psalms from Ps 60 to Ps 108 heavily refer to Joseph and the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In these three Psalms we see evidence of two Messiahs, one from Joseph and the other from Judah.
The Bible over and over tells believers to 'fear not.' That is true in context but not in general. The choice in life is between fear of the world or fear of God. The choice is binary, there is no other option. If one chooses the fear of God, the fear of the world becomes a non issue.
Psalm 110 introduces the idea of a priestly king. Heretofore priests have come from Levi and kings from either Judah or Ephraim. This change and the reasons therefore are explained in the Book of Hebrews.
I read a comment by a pastor I respect saying that the Sabbath had been 'nailed to the cross' and that he celebrates the 'resurrected Sabbath.' Is this sound doctrine? Is there any scriptural support for such a belief? Does it matter?
When I was young in the faith, I had real trouble finding someone who could give me a coherent explanation of the Gospel.
The writings of John use the metaphor of light extensively. Most of the uses are clear and obvious but one is not. What does it mean that 'the life is the light of men?'
Psalms 22, 23 and 24 form a Messianic tryptic. The first describes the crucifixion and the last describes the return of the conquering king. In between is the Valley of the Shadow of death where He descended into the grave and then arose three days later.
In Parsha Yitro Moses establishes a system of subordinate judges and God gives the Ten Commandments. This forms a basis for human governance within the Kingdom of God. The problem with human governance is that it is composed of humans and so eventually goes astray. God periodically sends his prophets to get things back on track. The last of those prophets was His own son. When a prophet is unable to correct the nation, the next step is exile and foreign dominion.
Going back to the blessing of the Sons of Jacob and then the tribes by Moses, it becomes clear that both Joseph and Judah have leadership roles within the nation. Joseph gets the blessing of Abraham and most of the attention in Gen 39 and Dt 33. After this introduction, Psalm 2 describes a three way conversation between the Father, His Son and a narrator.
John's description of Y'shua's first miracle raises lots of questions. Why did his mother take charge of the wine problem? What did she expect Him to do? What is the significance of the stone jars? Why was this the first of His miracles?
The book closes with a description of the Millennium where Christ reigns on earth. Water flows from the Sanctuary and heals the Dead Sea. Trees grow along the bank whose leaves are for healing. This is subtly different from the end of Revelation where the living water supports the Tree of Life.
If you have noticed that people are angry, depressed and isolated, it is because they are. The protocols imposed to combat the pandemic, in addition to being ineffective, are destroying our communities and driving people to anger and despair. In short, they are designed to steal your joy. Don't let that happen.
In describing Israel in the Millennium, God makes special provision for the Prince, which is to say civil government. In this He remembers the behavior of Israel's nobility before they were sent into exile. He sets things up to lessen the temptation to use civil office for personal profit.
In Torah portion Va'eira, we see the first of the plagues, the Nile River turned into blood. Here water symbolizes death because the Egyptians had used the river to hide the evidence of their murder of the Hebrew children. Water can also symbolize chaos, life, the Spirit, etc. The symbolic use of water requires an understanding of context and of the consistent patterns in Scripture.
The prophet is taken in vision to Israel and shown the Millennial Temple. This vision is the bookend to the vision in chapter 8 where he sees in a vision, the departure of the Glory before the destruction of that Temple by the Babylonians. Just as Exodus describes the Wilderness Tabernacle in great detail, so also the vision of the new Temple.
A popular web site had an article accusing Messianics of being 'Judaizers' and heretics. The article asserted that one did not have to become a Jew to enter the Kingdom of God - which is absolutely true. It also said that the Torah had been abrogated by the Messiah - which is absolutely false. That assertion is based on a misreading of Colossians 2.
God Himself engineers the invasion of Israel by Gog and his allies. The invasion will result in the destruction of the invading coalition. The reason for this is to disabuse the nations of the idea that they would have been able to conquer Israel if God had not withdrawn His hand of protection. He withdrew protection because Israel was faithless.
On the Road to Emmaus, Y'shua explained from Moses and the prophets why He is the Messiah and why the Crucifixion had to happen. How might that conversation have gone?
As in Chapter 11, God promises Israel a new covenant in which their hearts of stone will be replaced by hearts of flesh. He then gives the prophet a vision of a valley full of dried bones representing the current state of Israel. In reversing the death and desiccation God dramatizes how He will restore the nation to live under the new covenant.
Joseph's meeting with his brothers in Genesis 44 is the first instance of forgiveness in Scripture and perhaps in all human history. To set the scene up, Judah completely repents of his behavior in selling Joseph into slavery. In doing this he sets up a watershed in human history and provides a wonderful example for us today.
As God tells Ezekiel the reasons for Israel's exile, He places the blame squarely at the feet of the Shepherds, Israel's religious establishment. The nation's corruption had begun in the Temple when those who were to care for and teach Israel saw their positions as a source of wealth and privilege. That attitude has also taken root in the modern church. It is unlikely that God's perspective has changed.
At the end of His ministry, Y'shua taught mostly in parables. His final parable on the way to the cross was about the green and dry trees (Lu 23:31). As with most parables, this has both local and eternal implications.
As God's watchman, Ezekiel is obligated to warn Israel of what their behavior will bring upon them. He is also obligated to speak of God's character and warn them against fatalism. Even though the temporal consequences of sin might not be avoidable, the eternal consequences may be voided by repentance.
The church has inverted Scripture, denouncing things that God calls blessings and elevating things that God calls sinful. This is the case with all of the hyphenated 'justice' movements which are simply covetousness dressed up to appear respectable. Since there is no limit to what one lacks, once covetousness gets loose it consumes everything. God has an antidote.
Over time, human government grows beyond what is beneficial and begins to see God as a rival for power and influence over its own people. Passover celebrates God bringing His people out from such a government and bringing them into His kingdom. Chanukah and Thanksgiving celebrate much the same thing.
Continuing to enumerate His reasons for destroying Egypt, God first compares Egypt unfavorably with Assyria which had been destroyed earlier. He also likens Pharaoh to a dragon in the sea whose thrashing about serves to foul the waters. Once the dragon is removed, the waters will clear.
In Scripture there are three responses to sin, guilt, shame and brazen defiance. Esau, Adam and Cain respectively are examples. The guilt that Esau feels for despising his birthright and marrying two Caananite women leads him to return to the family, marrying a daughter of Ishmael and forbearing to kill his brother. Sadly, our society is in the brazen defiance stage of sinfulness. Unless we repent, this will not end well.
Israel had formed a military alliance with Egypt against Babylon. That alliance would fail; hence Egypt was an unreliable staff. The prophecy describes Pharaoh's arrogance in holding himself out to be a god. Because of this and their faithlessness, God was going to destroy Egypt.
Prayer is an important skill which can be taught and learned. In creating humanity God made beings that were separate from himself and with whom He could have a relationship. Prayer is a vital part of that relationship. In a sense, human prayer provides the earth with a voice. As much as God wants to hear about our lives, as God's 'gardeners' we have responsibilities beyond.
Here the prophet turns to the spiritual power behind the city of Tyre. It is clear that, like the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14, pride has brought down one of the heavenly princes. His exalted status and the success of his earthly realm have lead him to forget his place. The prophet tells him why the calamity foretold is about to happen.
For a believer, the states of the world and the nation are pretty grim right now. It would be natural to succumb to fear and despair. Scripture makes it very clear that such an attitude is sinful and displeasing to God. The victory is His, but the struggle is ours. We are to meet todays challenges with confidence and courage.
There are three chapters of prophecy against Tyre. These two describe the political and economic reasons for God's destruction of the city. Tyre was the capitol of the Phoenician commercial empire which dominated the Mediterranean basin. Tyre dominated the sea lanes while Israel controlled the land bridge between Africa and Eurasia. With the destruction of Israel by the Babylonians, Tyre had exclusive control over that lucrative trade.
When humanity gets too comfortable and far from God, He pulls them out of civilization and into tents. In this wilderness sojourning, God tries to develop a relationship. That relationship, if it is successful begins in following Him for the promise of blessing. As the relationship matures, He tests it. That is what happened to Abraham. It happens with all who follow God.
In chapter 11 the leaders of Jerusalem likened the city to a sturdy pot which keeps its contents safe. God says that the pot is full of scum. The scum and the pot itself will be burned up in the siege and destruction of the city. Chapter 25 begins a list of the surrounding nations who will be judged by God for the way that they treat Israel during her chastisement by Babylon.
In Luke 20 the Sadducees ask Y'shua a 'gotcha' question about resurrection and marriage. He replies that in the resurrection there is no marriage. Why? Perhaps because humans are a two stage life form like butterflies or mayflies. They live part of their lives in one form and environment and then transition to a different shape and environment. Just as the larval stage in a river is fundamental to a mayfly, so birth and life on this earth is fundamental to humans.
Here the prophet uses an allegory of two sisters to describe the corruption of both Israel and Judah. Both have been unfaithful and fallen into the worst sort of depravity and corruption. The point of the allegory is that Judah, seeing what happened to her sister Israel should have absorbed the lesson and changed her ways. Since she did not, she was going to suffer the same consequences.
Knowing what is true is both important and very difficult. Everyone claims to be telling the truth yet each tells a different story. How does one determine truth from lies? If the Bible is to be trusted, it claims to be of help in this, but Scripture itself is under attack. How do we know that the Bible is true and a reliable guide to sorting out conflicting information?
God starts with the false prophets in Jerusalem who lead the nation astray by saying what people want to hear instead of what God wants said. He then moves on to the priests who do not correctly teach God's word. The loss of a religious anchor allows the government to become corrupt. Finally the people figure out that the way to get along is to become corrupt themselves.
Just like Passover Succot predates Moses. When human civilizations get too big and challenge God, He breaks them up and sends people to live in tents for a while. The concept is that we are sojourners in this world and it is not our permanent home. It appears right now as if God is shaking the world and preparing to send us into tents for a time. The nations sense this and are scrambling to prevent it.
In chapter 20 God promises to gather all Israel into the wilderness where he will meet them face to face. The sobering part of this text is that, just as in the 40 years wilderness journey, not everyone will make it into the land. In 21 he describes the arrival of the Babylonians who will destroy Jerusalem.
Following a lamentation over Israel in Chapter 19, Chapter 20 finds the elders of Israel in exile coming to Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord. God tells them that they have not been faithful to the covenant and that He has no intention of giving them anything beyond the message to repent. Even in exile Israel still desires to be like all the other nations, a thing God says will never happen.
The Parable of the Minas in Lu 19 and the Parable of the Talents in Mt 25 have the same surface level point. Christ is going to be gone for a long time and He expects His servants to invest His resources rather than hoarding them out of fear. At a deeper level the parables are very different and serve two different purposes. As an example the Luke parable is for the general public where the Matthew parable is for His disciples.
In Scripture there are two sorts of hard heart. In Pharaoh's case his hard heart led him to defy God. This was also the case with the wilderness generation who refused to enter the Land because of the spy's bad report. The disciple's hard hearts were if a different character. When faced with a storm on the sea, their life experiences and fear prevented them from realizing the power that Y'shua had given them. They tried to solve their problem by worldly means and failed.
After the parable of eagles, cedar trees and vines in chapter 17, God goes on to correct a misunderstanding among the exiles. They had a proverb to the effect that their current sad situation was a result of the sins of their fathers. God assures them that He is just and sets consequences appropriate to the behavior of each one. He says that the wicked shall perish for their own sins and that those who repent will be spared.
Over the decades we have been assured that the US was pursuing noble goals abroad and that our societal 'experts' had things well in hand both locally and globally. The mess in Afghanistan has exposed our prideful incompetence to the entire world. Our civic and government elites are far from being expert at anything. Our only option is personal and national repentance. We must dump our pride and call upon God's mercy if we are to have any hope.
This is a lament by God over His faithless bride, Jerusalem. The metaphor here is of a young attractive bride and a stable but older husband. She craves excitement and variety where He provides stability, respectability and wealth. As the metaphor continues, she ages and finally reaches the point where she must hire her lovers.
The month of Elul begins the 40 day count down to Yom Kippur. It is a time to take stock of ourselves and prepare for a meeting with the King. What have we accomplished during the past year? What are our hopes and plans for the coming year? Who do you need to forgive?
Ezekiel speaks against the elders of Israel who worship idols and yet come to inquire of the prophet. He says that God will deceive false prophets and will not speak clearly to the idolatrous. He also says that Jerusalem's sin is so severe that if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they would only be able to deliver themselves. Everyone else would perish.
The prophetic books of the Bible serve several purposes; one of which is to provide 'clues' to God's mysteries. Some of those mysteries having to do with Christ's first appearance have been revealed. Some are still unfolding and have not yet been explained. In the meantime, prophecy provides us with context and encouragement.
Metaphorically God had been a wall protecting His people. When Israel became idolatrous, they breached that wall. False prophets had arisen who, instead of repairing the wall by calling the nation back to God, had plastered over the breaches. This plaster made the 'wall' appear solid and reliable, but when it was tested, the wall would fail.
In Luke 16 there is a bridge passage between the parable of the dishonest manager and Lazarus and the rich man. This bridge explains the source of the violent conflict between Y'shua and the Pharisees over the nature of the Kingdom of God. The problem was that the religious authorities, through oral Torah, had turned Moses into an idol which had allowed them to enrich themselves unjustly.
In Chapter 10 Ezekiel witnesses the Glory of the Lord depart from Jerusalem in the same heavenly 'chariot' that he saw in chapter 1. Chapter 11 concludes with the New Covenant expressed with the metaphor of removing a heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh.
God asks that we love Him with our whole heart, soul and might. A love that doesn't touch your wealth is no love at all. It is a 'love' with some things reserved out of the union. You would not accept that in a marriage, nor should you approach your relationship with God with reservations.
Ezekiel's vision occurs over a year after the first. In the spirit he is taken to Jerusalem where he is shown all of the abominations of the remnant left after Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion. In this vision, God appoints a scribe to mark those who are faithful to Him and then sends six destroyers into the city to kill everyone else. God makes it very clear that this destruction is measure for measure in response to the violence and injustice they have allowed to flourish in the city.
On Tisha B'Av we remember the destruction of the first and second Temples and the exiles from the Land of Israel. In both cases the calamity was brought on by internal strife which weakened the nation. We are seeing much the same situation in the United States today.
Israel was deep into idol worship. They had become more corrupt that even the pagan nations around them. God's message was that their iniquity had become ripe and their doom was coming.
The tongue is unique in that it is half hidden and half public. It is the organ by which the heart expresses itself. It has the ability either to cause great harm or to build healthy solid relationships. Learning to guard the tongue is of greatest importance, both for the individual and for the community.
Ezekiel performs an elaborate pantomime showing the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The iron griddle between his face and the model city shows God hardening Himself to their prayers. Chapter 5 also explains why God's attitude is just and necessary.
Law is the only lasting basis for liberty. The American Revolution was a reaction to the British Parliament changing laws without the consent of the American colonies. Without the stable rule of law, tyranny quickly follows.
The first part of Ezekiel takes place during the interval between the first and second Babylonian invasions of Israel. The prophecy begins with the appearance of God riding in a mysterious vehicle with four cherubs. It is here that Ezekiel is called to be a prophet.
The US is undergoing a 'Great Awokening' where secular culture is attacking Christian culture with religious fervor. The central fixture of this movement is a set of shifting standards of what is a 'sin'. This creates fear because one never knows what past or present behavior will be labeled a heresy and get one excommunicated. One point of the Torah being written in stone is that it does not change and is not subject to the whims of popular culture. What was sinful 3000 years ago is sinful today. On the flip side what was not sinful then is not so today either. Opposing 'cancel culture' requires a Christian revival - simple logic will not do it. The idea for this talk came from: https://bonifaceoption.substack.com/p/the-great-awokening.
In this final session Y'shua frees a woman whom Satan had bound for 18 years and heals a man of dropsy - both on the Sabbath. He then explains that the Kingdom social order will not be the same as the earthly order. Prominent people in Israel should not assume that they will also be honored in the kingdom.
As much as we try to order the events in our lives, often things happen that are beyond our control. That happened to Joseph. He was jumped by his brothers, sold as a slave and then framed for attempted rape by his master's wife and thrown into prison. He had every opportunity to become bitter and lapse into helpless victimhood. He did neither of those things because he was able discern a meaning for his circumstances and develop a sense of purpose. We have the same opportunity in our lives.
In Luke 15, Y'shua tells three parables about the determination of one who has lost something valuable to find it. The parables intensify from one sheep in a hundred to one coin in ten and finally to one son. The point of the parables is that just as people will work hard to recover what is lost, so too will the Father sacrifice greatly to recover what He has lost.
Fear has been used by every aspiring slave master from Satan on down to the present. Looking at the past year's events in the news from Covid to cancel culture it is evident that the goal is to keep people fearful, divided and uncertain. That is why God in Scripture tells us over and over not to be afraid - fear clouds your judgment and makes you easy to enslave.
In Luke 13 and 14 Y'shua tells parables about God's reaching out, first to Israel and then to the nations. In the parable of the banquet those who were invited refuse to show up, telling transparent lies as excuses. This causes the master to send his servants first to the poor and then to the nations to fill his hall with guests.
In the Bible humility is regarded as one of the central virtues. In the Jewish mussar tradition it is the foundation upon which character rests. Both Moses and Y'shua are described as humble, so humility is clearly a trait to be cultivated.
In Luke 16, the conflict between Y'shua and the Pharisees over money continues. His perspective is that one cannot serve both mammon and God simultaneously. Their perspective is that they are exemplars of service to God and that they should be wealthy. His ensuing comments on divorce and the parable of Lazarus and the rich man demonstrate that they are not nearly so righteous as they assume.
In the book of Malachi, God decried Israel's religious establishment for its cynicism and corruption. Their problem was that they did not see themselves and their behavior in the same way. There was, however, a remnant that feared God and spoke correctly about Him. These people are written in a book of remembrance that God will consult when He makes up His treasured possessions. Our nation today is every bit as corrupt as was Israel at the time of Malachi. The criteria for being entered into the book of remembrance is still the same.
The parable of the dishonest manager in Luke 16 is difficult because Y'shua praises the behavior of a man who cheats his employer so that he will look good in the community and not have to do menial labor once he is fired. The key seems to be that the manager is a shrewd judge of the master's character and commits himself to that understanding without reservation.
There are probably as many beliefs about the end times as there are denominations. That confusion serves as a method to keep us divided and arguing, making us much less effective than we should be. If we consider the seven appointed times on God's calendar, it is possible to clear away much of the clutter and attain clarity.
In Luke 12 there are two parables about an absent master. In the first, he is at a wedding feast and is coming home late and presumably happy. In the second he is away for a much longer period and has set a manager over his household. In both cases finding his house in order and his servants alert results in blessing. In the second parable if he finds the manager has misbehaved, things get much darker.
In Genesis Joseph weeps exactly seven times. His tears are never the result of the affliction that he suffers. Rather they are all in the context of his relationship with his family. In this we see a very powerful man who is ultimately alone. His power is unable to gain him the thing that is most important to him - acceptance. The idea for this talk came from an article by Rabbi Sacks.
In Luke 12 there are two themes running through the commentary. The first is 'inside and outside.' There the contrast is between how things seem on the surface and how they are in reality. The second theme is 'possessions.' There the rebuke is that the Pharisees' focus is on wealth, status and possessions where it should be on the Kingdom.
Idol worship, the desire to get what appears to be a 'better deal' than God offers, is a constant temptation. Whether the idol be some pagan god or a politician or a man in a white lab coat, the details may differ, but the impulse is the same. In all cases the master idol is covetousness.
In Luke 11, Y'shua is invited to dine at a Pharisee's house. The series of conversations that follow are about the contrast between what is visible and what is hidden. On the surface everything is righteous and correct; underneath there is greed and corruption.
The human impulse to seek a 'better deal' than they believe is available from God has not gone away. Idol worship today looks a bit different than in Biblical times, but all of its pathologies are still with us. This new look helps keep idolaters from realizing what they are doing - allowing them even to attend church with a clear conscience.
Teaching His disciples about His future return, Y'shua warns that there will be many false messiahs. He tells them not to be fooled. His actual return will not be subtle and everyone on earth will learn of it directly from Heaven.
This is an extremely Jewish prayer reflecting a difference in focus between the synagogue and the church. The focus of both the synagogue and the early church was bringing Heaven down to earth or repairing the creation. About 300 years ago the church shifted focus to getting people into heaven and began neglecting earthly governance.
Being accused of casting out demons by Beelzebul was a watershed in Y'shua's ministry. Before that He spoke plainly; afterwards in parables. He used the occasion to teach on the divided nature of Satan's kingdom and on the dangers of division within the Kingdom of God.
As different cultures encountered God as described in the Hebrew Bible, they tended to try and understand and relate to Him in terms they were familiar with. Calvin, for example, was a lawyer and tried to fit God into a legal structure. The Catholic Church within the last decade wrote the humans could not understand God and out only access was through Jesus. These are all distortions. In the Bible, God presents Himself to man in very understandable and relatable terms.
Continuing the theme of prayer, Y'shua tells of a corrupt judge who is persuaded to give a widow justice because of her chutzpah. The points are that God is not unjust but that He appreciates boldness in prayer.
The fifty days from First Fruits to Shavuot (Pentecost) are symbolic of the transition from slavery to liberty in God's Kingdom. Those 50 days are echoed in the 50 years between Jubilees where liberty is proclaimed "throughout the land." This had special significance for Israel and for the founding fathers of the United States.
In this first parable about prayer, a man goes to a neighbor in the middle of the night to borrow bread to entertain an unexpected guest. The point of the parable is that, just as a friend would not refuse such a request, God would also bestir Himself to help those who need it.
The events that happen in the Patriarch's lives echo through succeeding generations. This is also true for the Nation Israel. If one studies the events of the Passover, one may find the same events happening in the burial of Jacob hundreds of years earlier. One may also find them foretold in the prophets. This talk is based on ideas originally presented by Rabbi Fohrman.
The Lord's Prayer, or as some call it, the model prayer sets up the parables of the friend at midnight and the unjust judge. In this, it is a straight-forward compilation of the content of prayer. The prayer also highlights a difference between Hebrew thought and contemporary Christian thought on the purpose of prayer.
Continuing the answer to the question, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Y'shua speaks with a young man of substantial means. His answer begins with instruction to follow Moses. When the young man says that he already does that, Y'shua sees through to the real impediment; the young man is too bound up with wealth and the world.
Dealing with demons was a significant part of Y'shua's ministry. It also featured prominently in the instructions He gave His disciples when He sent them out on their own. Demons are still very much a factor in the world we must deal with, and His instructions are still pertinent.
In the travel narrative, Y'shua is twice asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" In both cases the answer begins with, "Follow Moses." In this case, there is a follow on question, "Who is my neighbor?" In setting up the parable, Y'shua sets up the robbery victim as a generic human being. He is unconscious and so has no accent. He is naked and is not wearing distinctive clothing. In setting up the hero of the story as a Samaritan, He makes the parable applicable to all people, not just the Jews.
When Jacob and Esau meet after a twenty year separation, Jacob has sent his brother lavish gifts of livestock hoping to appease his anger. Esau tries to refuse the gifts saying that he has enough wealth already. Jacob responds that he also has enough wealth and presses the gifts his brother to take the gifts. That's how it reads in English translation. In Hebrew it is very different.
As Y'shua traveled to Jerusalem for the last time, He told a series of parables which lay out his mission and what will happen at the end of the age. The parables form a chiasm. This file is a general introduction and the first part of the chiasm, whch is "Follow Me". The outline is taken from the book, "Poet and Peasant" by Kenneth Bailey.
In the Gospels, Y'shua twice sent His disciples out ahead of himself to, "Heal the sick, cast our demons and announce that His Kingdom was at hand." In other words, they were to establish a beachhead in enemy territory. That was also the mission of the church after His resurrection. The church today has largely lost site of that mission. It has been expelled from politics and has ceased to be an authority on cultural issues. As the church has faded, Satan has advanced. How should we act to regain the ground we have lost?
At the end of the letter, James returns to the theme that great wealth is dangerous. Here he speaks against the one who has accumulated wealth by oppression, withholding the wages of those who labor in his fields. The letter concludes with a call to prayer and helping one another stay on the path.
Much Christian teaching is in terms of salvation, grace and law. While each of those subjects is important, they cause us to miss or neglect understanding that God, first of all, loves people. Grace, law and salvation all deal with punishment - or more accurately the avoidance of punishment. Such a focus misses the warmth of the relationship that is possible when we focus on love.
The tongue reveals the contents of the heart. In Scripture, God does not have a high opinion of man's heart. Accordingly James counsels keeping the tongue under control to avoid being consumed by the fires it can start.
Our society believes that the pursuit of happiness is the highest of goals. That is a dead end; leading to the spiritual cul-de-sac of appetite and consumption. Rather than happiness, we should be searching for meaning in our lives. This leads to purpose and the satisfaction of knowing that we are useful in God's hand.
Some have trouble reconciling James with Paul's emphasis on grace. There is really no conflict. James is emphasizing that a faith which does not translate into action is of no use. In other words, it would not meet Paul's definition of faith.
In explaining the Parable of the Sower, Messiah concludes that the good soil is fruitful where the road, the rocks and the weeds are not. If we compare his to Genesis 1 where God tells us to be fruitful and multiply, it becomes clear that fruitfulness in God's eyes involves more than just children. We are also expected to reproduce spiritually.
James' letter is specifically addressed to the 12 Tribes in the dispersion. Thus we (and he) may assume that the recipients are familiar with the TANAK. The letter has been called the proverbs of the New Testament, since the things it says can generally be found in slightly different form in Proverbs. Because Proverbs was written over 1000 years earlier than James, it is useful to regard James as a cultural and linguistic update.
Luke 6 and Luke 18 are complementary. One is narrative, the other parable, but both involve the contrast between a Pharisee and an ordinary person. In both cases the ordinary person behaves humbly in the presence of God while the Pharisee acts as if he is doing God a favor by showing up. Also in both cases Messiah justifies the humble.
The prophet's message fits the times we are in. 'Their hands are on evil... the prince and the judge look for a bribe.' One cannot trust even family and neighbors. This is the judgment of God on His own people. Yet there will be a remnant whom He will lift up when His indignation has passed. That remnant will be those who trust in Him through these times.
In the Torah and the Prophets, God warns Israel that He will not tolerate those who enrich themselves by fraud. The events of this past year have exposed the prevalence of double standards in the US. Law enforcement, financial markets, government agencies, elected bodies: all are seen to have been using dishonest weights and measures to gain power and wealth.
The prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and that He would deliver His people from that nations that had oppressed them. Also in this session, God tells His people what He requires of them.
There is a great deal of rampant evil in the world today; in truth there always has been. In the face of ascendant evil it is tempting to despair, walking about with a defeated expression. To give in to that spirit is to forget the promises of God and to become ineffective in advancing His kingdom. God's people have lived under oppressive regimes in the past and have prevailed. So too can we.
In the latter days, the nations will flock to the Mountain of the Lord to learn Torah. During that time peace and plenty will reign. Also during that time the Lord will regather and heal the dispersed of Israel and reform them into a mighty nation.
There are three voices in Scripture: the priest, the prophet and the King. The priest speaks of Torah, the King speaks of human wisdom and the prophet speaks for God into a specific situation. Since Y'shua functions in all three offices, he speaks with each of the three voices at different times. Recognizing which 'voice' He is using makes the Gospels much clearer.
The elites of Israel - rulers, prophets, seers, etc. - had become corrupt. They used their offices to enrich themselves at the expense of the people they were supposed to lead and minister to. Because the corruption at the top had trickled down to the people, the whole nation was going to be plowed under and sent into exile.
The rally against certification of the presidential election has caused a national uproar. In navigating these tumultuous times it is important to pay attention to what your thoughts dwell on. Thoughts trigger endocrine reactions that can have a long term effect on your well being. As always, Scripture has sound advice.
The prophet speaks of the corrupt power structure in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. There the wicked people in the government have no real fear of being stopped and so spend their time devising schemes to use their positions for personal enrichment.
Psalm 105 commands God's people to 'Talk of His Wonderous Works.' As we look back on 2020, an incomplete list of God's wonderous works is very impressive and encouraging. The speaker is Matthew Behrens.
As Israel returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple, they got resistance from local people who had been moved in by Assyria. This caused the project to stall. Haggai told the people that God was not pleased with the delay.
The Hebrew word Chesed has no true English equivalent. It is translated using compound words like 'lovingkindness' or 'steadfast love'. It is one of the primary words used of God in Scripture. For us, it is love that sustains another physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.
After the people of Gibeah murdered the Levite's concubine, he sent evidence to all of the tribes asking that that evil be removed. The rest of the tribes asked Benjamin to deliver up the men of Gibeah. When they refused, the resulting civil war nearly eradicated Benjamin from Israel.
Over time, all human institutions tend to become corrupt and self serving. We see this in Scripture where even structures ordained by God, such as the Temple, lose their way and have to be overthrown. In the United States the past four years have seen the rot in our institutions exposed and public trust eroded. People are angry and fearful as they try and find something solid to trust. This presents believers with a great opportunity to speak of God's love and provision to the lost and afraid.
After the death of Samson, the tribe of Dan was unable to hold the territory allotted to them by Joshua and so migrated to the north. They picked up an idolatrous Levite in the process. In the next vignette, a reprise of the Sodom story, a Levite and his concubine are abused while staying the night in Gibeah. This sets up the Benjaminite Civil War.
When we read the Bible, we tend to interpret words according to our own language and culture. This often leads to a misunderstanding of what Scripture is trying to convey. In English the meaning of 'love' is very much context dependent. To love ice cream means something different that loving your spouse. So what is being said when Moses or Y'shua says to love God and your neighbor?
Samson continues to ravage the Philistines and so enable the tribe of Dan to hold the territory allotted to them by Joshua. The Philistines finally discover the source of his great strength and manage to bind Samson - to their ultimate destruction.
From the tribe of Dan, Samson was born to a previously barren woman. His conception was announced by a divine messenger and his manner of life was unique. He was sent by God to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
Gratitude is the antidote to envy, self pity, malice and covetousness. When cultivated, this soul trait can become a stream of living water that makes the field of life blossom.
The Ammonites revive a 300 year old land dispute with Israel and invade to enforce their claims. Israel persuades Jephthah to take command and drive them out. In that process, Jephthah makes an unwise vow, the result of which is that he had no descendants.
Looking in Exodus at the sequence of events by which God took Israel away from Egypt and brought them to Mt Sinai, it becomes clear that, having once freed them, He did not want them again to descend into slavery. Thus we can regard Shabbat and the Torah as His prescription for their continued liberty and prosperity.
After the death of Gideon, Abimelech, one of his sons by a concubine, conspired to murder the rest of his brothers in order to become king. His sole surviving brother gave an eloquent parable about a bramble bush becoming ruler over the trees. It is timeless and very much applicable to today.
The Bible urges us to become more like Christ in our character. Like His Father, Christ was patient. Like all disciplines, developing patience is unpleasant, but the fruits are sweet.
After driving the Midianites from the Jezreel valley, Gideon pursued them across the Jordan to finish the defeat. In that process he had to deal with two Israelite cities who refused to give him aid and with the tribe of Ephraim whose noses were out of joint.
The president resembles the biblical Samson to an uncanny degree. Several times in his tenure the Philistines believe that they have him cornered only to find that that is not quite the case. Even when they finally do shave and mock him it is to their ultimate defeat. The speaker is Matt Behrens
With Israel once again in apostasy, the Midianites spread across the Jezreel valley during the harvest. They plundered Israel's crops and oppressed her people. God called Gideon to drive the Midianites from the land.
The Gospel is not a New Testament concept. Rather is it fundamental to God's plan for humanity. As an example, Genesis 5 contains a clear statement of the Gospel. It is laid out in the names of the descendants of Adam.
The Canaanites held the fortress city of Hazor and controlled the Jezreel valley which was ideal chariot country. Israel was mostly dismounted infantry. So the problem was how to overcome the tactical advantage of Canaanite army. In this, God lent a hand by bringing rain.
In a sense, the earth is one battleground in a much larger war that rages in heaven. As such, evil is very much a part of our world. We, as believers, have an advantage in that the sources and methods of evil can be understood, they can be defended against and they can be defeated. The readings mentioned are Genesis 3, Ezekiel 28 and Luke 2.
One of the things Y'shua came to do was to set the captives free. Two thousand years later, there are still captives who need to be freed. The problem is that, although He has opened the prison doors, they either don't see it or they are afraid to leave their cells.
The Bible gives us four case studies on how God's people conduct themselves in Exile: Joseph in Egypt, Moses in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon and Mordecai in Persia. From these examples we can learn how effectively to serve God and protect our people when the surrounding culture becomes hostile.
Having failed to follow God's commandments and destroy the inhabitants of the land, Israel would never fully enjoy peace. They intermarried, followed other gods and reaped the consequences. Since they would not know peace, God set them up to study war.
The time between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur is known as the Days of Awe. It is a time for reflection and repentance. Considering the events of 2020, it seems that God is calling us, both individually and nationally, to stop our wickedness and seek forgiveness. He who has an ear should listen.
Judges begins with Israel failing to obey God. They were instructed to wipe out the inhabitants of the land yet they took Adoni-bezek captive and humiliated him. This sets the tone for the entire book. Israel was not willing to carry through with the destruction of the Canaanites et al, so they were never to have peace nor were they able to have all the land that God wanted them to possess.
The time between birth and natural death is a journey with a purpose. It is a path leading toward a goal. For the believer, both the path and the goal are life. Because the way is difficult, it is tempting to focus on the path and neglect the goal, or on the goal at the expense of the path. Either of these strategies is a mistake. A successful journey requires keeping both in focus.
One of the beliefs of those against whom Peter is warning is a lack of historical perspective. Their attitude seems to be that, since God has not moved within living memory, He is unlikely to care much about what people do with their lives - hence the appeal to sensuality. Peter says that God's perspective is historical, not immediate and that He does not miss anything.
In every human enterprise it is good periodically to pause and take stock of where you are, what you did poorly, what you did well and what you could improve. God provides such a pause in the Fall Feasts and specifically on Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur all work ceases and the day is devoted to prayer, fasting and seeking God's forgiveness and guidance. The speaker is Matt Behrens.
In describing those who creep into the congregation and lead others astray, Peter says that one of their lures is the promise of freedom. This has always been the case with sin. In promising freedom from the restrictions of God's law, it holds out the promise of being a law unto oneself. While this is tempting, it eventually leads to ruin and death.
During the 40 days before Yom Kippur, it would be wise to review Biblical wisdom on proper speech. Words are the basis for all creation and our ability to speak sets us apart from God's other creatures. If we use our voices well we become what He desires us to be; if not, we become agents of destruction. The talk refers to a book by Chofetz Chaim on the laws of proper speech. During the early part of the recording, we were having some tech problems, so there is some extraneous noise.
The first paragraphs in the chapter parallels Jude speaking of false teachers who infiltrate the body and entice the gullible into some sort of sexual sin. Their motivation is greed either for money or for influence.
The month of Elul begins the 40 day count down to Yom Kippur. It is a time to take stock of ourselves and prepare for a meeting with the King. What have we accomplished during the past year? What are our hopes and plans for the coming year?
Starting from a position of faith in Messiah, Peter urges believers to work on the content of their character. It is a strong character that will keep the believer from falling into worldliness and so becoming unfruitful. It is character that makes one's election sure.
The whole Bible is concerned with slavery. The Torah is the account of God's redeeming Israel from slavery. The New Testament is the story of Christ's redeeming the world from slavery to sin. That being the case, why does the Bible allow slavery to continue?
As an elder, Peter exhorts the elders who receive his letter to be faithful in tending God's flock. In this he is echoing Y'shua who gave explicit instructions and dire warnings to those He would leave in charge of His servants. Specifically, He warns them not to use their positions for personal enrichment at the expense of the flock.
The world is a difficult place in which there are trials and suffering. When the trials are for the sake of your faith, you share in Christ's suffering. This is far better than suffering because you deserve it.
History repeatedly shows that defense, no matter how stout, eventually loses. So it is with the Kingdom of God. If its citizens cease to press forward and take new territory, it will contract and wither under pressure from the enemy. That is what has been happening over the past 50 years in the United States.
The Eyes of the Lord are watching to answer the prayers of the righteous, but ignore those of the wicked. The world is a difficult place and there will be abundant opportunities for others to mistreat you. Here Peter reminds his readers of Christ's example; having been reviled and unjustly killed, He acted to forgive and did not curse. Peter also exhorts that we should always be ready to gently explain the reason for our hope.
The cumulative effect of the news about the world situation is to throw a heavy, wet blanket over believers. The antidote for depression is hope. In this we have examples in Scripture written to communities undergoing severe trials. The advice given there is often practical, immediate and useful to us today.
Studying war in church may seem odd, but it is Biblical. God is called 'A Man of War' as is David. Victory requires skill as well as bravery, training as well as resources. We can see in the life of Christ how he used each of the principles of war to achieve His victory. So too we must study war to become effective in His army.
Writing to a minority Hebrew community within a gentile nation, Peter urges them to be respectful of the gentile government. He also urges respect for God's authority structures within their own community and within their families. This is very similar to Jeremiah's message to the exiles in Babylon - You're going to be there for a while, so seek the good of your hosts for your own benefit and peace.
Paul writes that covetousness is idolatry. In other words, we create idols to satisfy our greed. Historically, this happens when the stewards of an institution begin to run it for their benefit instead of for the reason it was created. In Israel, the priests turned the Temple into an idol by using it to enrich themselves. When this happened, God destroyed His own temple. Today, government has been turned into an idol operated to enrich those who are supposed to be its stewards.
Peter, writing to Hebrews reminds them that they are God's chosen people. As such, they have a duty to conduct themselves in a way befitting that status. This is especially true of Hebrews living in exile among the gentiles.
With the exile of Christianity from our culture, we are seeing the death of forgiveness and the rise of ritual shaming. Forgiveness is seen as letting our enemies 'get away with it.' This is wrong. Biblical forgiveness is how we are able to heal, both as individuals and as a nation.
Peter, writing to Hebrews in the diaspora, starts his letter by explaining that Y'shua is He whom the prophets predicted and that His resurrection is the guarantee of an imperishable inheritance for them. This inheritance is kept in heaven awaiting for revelation 'in the last time.'
Paul urges us to put earthly desires to death, giving a list of sins. That list concludes by saying to put aside covetousness which is idolatry. Covetousness began in the Garden when the woman desired to be like God, knowing good from evil. Today, in order to justify our desires either for things that God has forbidden or for things belonging to another, we turn to other 'gods' for justification. Hence covetousness becomes the impulse for idol worship.
The world is a difficult and dangerous place, especially now. It is easy to be overcome by fear and doubt, wondering where God is in all of this. Scripture assures us that times like these will come and that He is with His people through the trials. In the worldly sense, God is not safe, but He is good. In that we can trust and take comfort.
Being born mortal because of the disobedience of Adam, each of us inhabits the realm of death. When we decide to join the Kingdom of God, we must die to the world and be reborn into the Kingdom. The process by which that happens is baptism.
The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, commands that we fear God. The Hebrew word. yirah, is ambiguous. It may be translated as either 'fear' or 'awe' depending on the context. Many come to know God out of a fear of punishment; the natural fear of damnation. But, if one's relationship with God never progresses beyond terror and into awe, he will miss the rich relationship that God desires to have with us.
Paul has not visited the Colossian church, but has learned of some philosophical error that has crept in. Some Christians believe that the problem was Judaism in much the same way that the Gallatians were troubled about the circumcision question. This is not correct. The description of the problems are not Jewish, but rather pagan. It appears that the Colossian's former pagan friends are giving them trouble about following Torah.
Over and over the Bible tells Israel (and us) to rejoice in their relationship with God. This is because a lack of joy leads to fear, self focus and loss of faith. This progression is especially clear in the failure of the spies in Numbers 13. It is equally clear in today's response by the church to the panic induced by the spread of the Wuhan Flu.
The letter begins by establishing that Y'shua was with God at the Creation and is the one through whom everything exists. It also reveals the mystery that His death and resurrection is the event that allows gentiles to enter the Kingdom of God. In this Paul is laying the foundation for refuting a philosophical heresy in the churches at Colossae and Laodicea.
Paul finishes his letter with a discussion of why Y'shua had to come to the Hebrews first. In this, he fulfilled the prophecies in the TANAK. His death and resurrection also unlocked the mystery that the Kingdom would include gentiles.
In John 14-16 Y'shua gives final instructions to His disciples and promises them that His departure would allow them to receive the Holy Spirit. He says that He is sending them into an enemy controlled world and that there will be casualties, but He loves them and assures them of a place in the world to come. In doing this, He sets the church up as His weapons system to hold and take the fight to the enemy until the end when He personally returns. In this mission, the Holy Spirit is their power source.
Dietary laws and table fellowship have been a big deal ever since the Garden. Can one eat meat? How about milk and meat? What about bacon? And on and on... The letter is not clear precisely what the issue is in Rome, but it is contentious. Paul counsels forbearance,
Prayer may be thought of in two forms, relational and functional. In functional prayer you want something to happen: someone healed, a demon cast out, a peril averted, etc. In relational prayer you want to spend time in God's presence getting to know His heart. Successful functional prayer depends on consistent relational prayer.
Paul continues to talk about achieving harmony among the various groups in the Roman Church/Synagogue. One aspect of this concerns the interface between believers and the civil authorities. This is often interpreted as disagreeing with the magistrate is a sin against God. That is not correct. Paul's exhortation is to do good - which is defined by God - not simply to be obedient which is defined by man.
When God does a massive shaking, His first purpose is to draw those who know His word to repentance and away from sin. In this, Lev 26 clearly describes that process whereby God attempts to get His people's attention so they will turn and be healed. Daniel 9 provides us with a model prayer for the nation that God has chastened.
Gentiles being grafted into the Kingdom of God has caused a great deal of confusion and strife over the years. Paul is not saying that gentiles have replaced Israel. In fact he goes out of his way to make clear that they are and will continue to be His people and that their eventual return and acceptance will be life from the dead. Their temporary pruning and exile was to give space for the grafted in gentiles to flourish and grow.
The Bible is written using a number of different textual patterns. Once a pattern is established, it may be embellished over the years, but the structure remains consistent. The pattern of three defines the structure of the universe. The pattern of seven, God's division of time. The pattern of power, how God interacts with His creation. Recognizing these and other patterns opens up the Scriptures and gives us an idea of where we are in His plan.
How does anyone learn the truth of the Gospel? Paul says that faith comes from hearing the Word of God, and the only way that happens is if faithful preachers go out and proclaim it. He also says that the process is the same both for Jews and for Greeks
Quarantine or separation from the community is, short of death, the most severe punishment that can be inflicted on a person. Biblically, quarantine is only prescribed for leprosy and must be ordered by a priest. In all things God is righteous and just, so what could His reasons be for atomizing US society. In effect quarantining everyone from all others? The speaker is Matthew Behrens.
In explaining why some Jews had rejected the Gospel and become enemies of the church, Paul asks a number of rhetorical questions about the justice of God's dealing with His people. In each case, his answer is that God is just and right in His actions.
In Mark the disciples do not understand the feeding of the multitude or the calming of a storm because of their hard hearts. A hard heart causes one to see what he expects to see instead of what God wants him to see. A hard heart makes one vulnerable to a spirit of fear.
Walking in the Spirit as opposed to walking in the flesh does not mean that the Torah no longer applies. Rather it means that one has changed residence from a jurisdiction which has the death penalty to one that does not. The statutes and standards of behavior are the same in both places. Lying, stealing, covetousness, etc. are still wrong, but they are no longer capital offenses.
The Torah tells us to count for ourselves a Sabbath of Sabbaths plus one day starting with the first of the barley harvest after Passover. During this period Israel traveled from Egyptian slavery to freedom at Mt Sinai. Simple emancipation does not turn slaves into free men. Rather an adjustment period is required to change people's attitudes and thoughts. We today have allowed ourselves to become slaves to bureaucratic government, accepting its direction over every aspect of our lives. As we remember Israel's journey to Sinai, let us begin our own journey to freedom.
Paul says the the Torah is holy and good. The only reason it presents him a problem is that his flesh is weak and he is unable consistently to do the things that he knows are good. It is his own weakness that gives sin power over him. Since he is not able to change his mortal nature, he needs the power of Christ and the Spirit to lead him through to life.
Psalms 22, 23 and 24 are a triptych describing the Crucifixion, our walk with Y'shua and the Second Coming. They start at Mt Calvary and walk through the valley of the shadow of death to Mt Zion. They go from Passover through Pentecost and end at the Feast of Trumpets. These three Psalms give us insight into God's appointed times. They encourage us to endure and triumph even during the current time of plague.
When Adam ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he became mortal just as God had warned. Once Adam and Eve had become mortal, their children were also mortal. This human mortality has passed from generation to generation ever since. The law simply describes how God's moral universe operates and serves as a guide to keep us out of trouble. It is not possible for good behavior - obeying the law - to confer immortality. That can only be done by God as a gift of grace.
The question of circumcision was a big deal in the apostolic age. In Romans 4, Paul explains that circumcision was not necessary for justification in God's eyes. He used the example of Abraham who was justified before he was circumcised. His justification was given because Abraham believed the promises of God.
Today the entire world is focused on a virus that has emerged from China and is sweeping the world. The panic caused by this virus has crashed financial markets and disrupted daily life in unprecedented ways. In Hebrews, God has promised times of great shaking that will reveal that which cannot be shaken. This time presents great opportunity for the advancement of His Kingdom.
Paul continues his discourse on the purpose of the law by explaining why the Jews have had a great advantage because God gave them the Torah. He did that because of His love for His people. The expectation was that they would then spread this blessing to the rest of humanity.
Passover is the season of our liberty. As we approach that season, we should take stock of the state of liberty in our nation and the world. All human institutions become corrupt if they hang around long enough - even those established by God. Once an institution has ceased to serve the purpose for which it was created, it should be abolished, or you should come out of it.
After delivering the Gerasene demonic, Y'shua recrossed the sea and interacted with two women. One had been infirm with a bloody discharge and the other was on her death bed. The fact that the one woman had been infirm for twelve years and the other was twelve years old provides us with an obvious sign as to what was actually going on in these Gospel stories. Both have to do with the relationship between the Messiah and Israel.
There is a very human tendency to assume that God's mercy will be applied to oneself and that He will give that other fellow what he truly deserves. Such presumption is a grave error. God will judge everyone according to His own standards, not man's standards.
The letter starts with an assertion of the TANAK principle that righteousness is by faith. The first chapter describes the pathologies of those who deny God, lack faith and follow after their own vain imaginations.
In the Parable of the Weeds, Y'shua warns that false believers will enter the church and will persecute the faithful. He says that those 'weeds' will not be plucked up until the final harvest and that His people are called to endure in the face of that persecution - even to the point of death.
The Parable of the Sower is the first of the Kingdom Parables. It correlates with Paul's letter to the Ephesians and the Revelation letter to the church at Ephesus. The parable describes the human heart's ability to accept the Word of God and be fruitful. The causes of an infertile heart are Satan, society and self. Each works differently, but the result is the same - a lack of fruit.
Solomon wraps up the book by wrapping up a man's life. Returning to the theme that the world is designed so that it cannot be completely figured out, he counsels that one should enjoy its beauties and pleasures with gratitude toward God and with an eye to the eventual audit.
Some 3500 years ago, Israel encountered God at Mt Sinai. There He spoke to them, giving them a covenant and His laws. Are those laws still binding? If so, upon whom? What do they mean in the Christian context?
As Solomon can see the end of his days, he is concerned with passing along some of the wisdom that God has given him. Even after a lifetime of sober living, a single act of folly can spoil one's reputation. This and other parables form the bulk of chapters 9 and 10. Living skillfully in the face of uncertainty.
God has put eternity in man's heart, but He has made it impossible to figure out all the reasons for what happens 'under the sun.' So, He has enabled us to realize that this life is not all that there is, but not in such a way that everything that occurs makes sense to us.
That the house of mourning is better than the house of feasting may seem counter intuitive. It is only at the end of a life that it is known what the person did with the potential that God invested in him. In the same way, a lumber yard is full of potential, but it is the finished piece that gives that potential its ultimate value.
Scripture is greatly concerned with helping us discern what is true. The world is concerned with tempting us to accept any number of lies. The soul knows, at some level, when it is being forced to participate in an untruth. Such participation damages and deadens the soul, preventing the closeness to God that we desire.
The seasons of life - each of us goes through seasons in his life. The events and behaviors during one season are not possible or appropriate in another. The sequence and duration of those seasons varies from person to person. A good life 'under the sun' consists of getting the most from each season.
Joseph prefigures Christ in that many of the events in his life are prophetic. There are, however, marked differences between Joseph and Christ, one of which is that Joseph set up a police state on Pharaoh's behalf in Egypt. The system that Joseph established during the Egyptian famine would be used later to enslave Israel for several centuries.
The book begins with a note about the futility of seeking life's meaning 'under the sun'. Solomon seeks satisfaction in life by employing all of the resources that wealth and power can provide. He discovers that that which is attainable using only the senses is ultimately unsatisfying.
The human soul is given by God and returns to Him at death. It may either be enhanced or harmed by the way we live our lives. It is tempting to involve ourselves with clutter and the press of the immediate; both of which may interfere with the care of the soul.
Faith is the human faculty that allows us to operate in the time stream. In order to take action, you must have faith that that action will get the result you expect. In a Biblical sense, you are behaving as if the promises of God are true. In that case you expect the results He promises.
God has designed us with the capacity for violence. As with all things God has built into us, the capacity for violence can be misdirected which leads to murder. The tendency to murder is so prevalent that it is the second story in the Bible - Cain, jealous of the favor of God, killed his brother. Brother killing brother is woven throughout the Scriptures, culminating with the murder of the Messiah Himself.
In the pagan world, the phenomena of nature were regarded as manifestations of celestial bureaucrats, one for storms, another over the sea, yet another for fertility, etc. In Israel, God was over all but within none. He is the cause of everything and shares His glory with none other.
Biblically, the soul is often presented as both part of and apart from a man. In this, it is likened to a man marrying the daughter of the king. While she and he are one flesh, she still speaks to her father about things going on in their household. Similarly, as her husband the man is responsible for her care and well being. Finally, although he knows her intimately, there are things going on in her head and heart that he will never understand.
Proverbs says, "The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts." The soul or the spirit belongs both to us and to God. Our thoughts and actions can either build up the soul or damage it. How then should we care for this precious faculty?
Moses, Peter, Paul and James each tells us to be joyful in all of our circumstances. Further, Moses says that a lack of joy will cause Israel to go into exile. How is it possible for joy to be a commandment? Why does a lack of joy lead to curses and exile? What does that say for us today?
David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for her husband to be killed in battle. Upon being confronted by Nathan the prophet and realizing his sin, David pleaded with God to accept his repentance and restore his heart to right relationship with his Lord.
When this creation has served its purpose, there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth. There peace will flow to Jerusalem like a river.
The relationship between Torah (law) and grace goes clear back to the apostolic age. Denominations have been born and died over this question. In truth, there is no conflict at all. Both are attributes of God.
Writing over a century prior to the Babylonian exile, Isaiah writes of Israel's plea from exile. There they will acknowledge that God is the potter and they are clay in His hands. This expression of sincere contrition will be the catalyst that begins the process of restoration.
There is an old country song about misplaced trust. A driver takes foolish risks believing that the plastic Jesus on his dashboard will keep him safe. Everything needed to form an accurate understanding of the character and promises of God is in the Bible - the whole Bible, not just our favorite parts. Neglecting the difficult parts of Scripture can cause one to set up a 'plastic Jesus' and behave foolishly, trusting promises that He never made.
Proverbs 31 provides an ideal goal for women. That ideal includes a husband. What does the husband look like who provides the structure that enables his wife to accomplish all of the good things described in the proverb.
Proverbs 31 describes a married woman, loved and trusted by her husband. What is a contemporary woman's take on the subject? How does she avoid the downside described in Proverbs 14, "The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down?"
Upon His return, the Messiah will lead His army and will extract vengeance upon His enemies. Throughout Scripture, a winepress is associated with God's judgment upon the wicked. At the end of the chapter, there is a prayer for mercy and the return of the exiles.
People, in order to be healthy, need orientation. They need a context for their existence, they need relationships and they need to know their place within their society. God, having made us, understands these needs and has given us the means to fulfill them in the first three chapters of Genesis.
Writing of the future restoration of Israel, Isaiah invokes images of the priests and Levites in the Wilderness camp. They were supported by the rest of the nation so that they could devote their time and energy to maintaining and serving in the Tabernacle. When Israel assumes its proper role as a nation of priests, they will be supported by the nations.
God rebukes Israel for not using the legal system to promote justice. Rather they are using the courts as simply another venue for social competition. In doing this they have woven a web of laws and regulations designed to ensnare the innocent. The same charge could be leveled against us today.
The Talmudic story of Yavneh and the broken oven helps us to understand Y'shua's giving us the keys of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 16. In the oven story, the rabbis reject supernatural interference in discussing whether a broken oven can confer uncleanness. In Matthew, Y'shua tells his disciples that their decisions about what is or is not permitted on earth will be binding. This is simply a restoration of the authority given to mankind at the creation; authority that we tried to give up when we ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The prophet rhetorically asks who or what was so intimidating that Israel turned to idols rather than fearing God. Part of the answer is that God seemed remote and uncaring whereas idols offered immediate gratification.
The month leading up to the high holy days should be one of reflection and preparation. It is a time to take stock of your successes and failures during the past year and to formulate your goals for the next. If you need to forgive or repent, this is the time to take care of that. Failure to do so will weigh you down during the coming year. This is the first of a two part series.
Here God assures even gentiles and those who have no hope that He has a place for them in His kingdom. For Israelites, foreigners and eunuchs alike, a key is keeping the Sabbath.
God's promise for the restoration of Israel and Jerusalem. Just as He made a covenant never again to flood the earth, here He promises never again to be angry with His people.
This part of Isaiah speaks of the ministry of the Messiah. The shedding of His blood will serve to heal the sins of Israel and the nations.
Because of Zion's sins, God will make / has made them drink from the cup of staggering. Once that cup has been drained, His wrath will be complete and Zion will be restored in glory. The exile of Judah was yet future to Isaiah's time. Their complete restoration is yet future to us.
Moses in his final instructions to Israel before they enter the land, warns them about the perils inherent in material blessing. The heart's temptation is to forget God and get puffed up with the pride of wealth. Looking at the US today, we can see the pathologies of wealth everywhere.
The Messiah will bring the scattered exiles of Jacob back to the Land. Their numbers will be so great that the current boundaries of Israel will not suffice. In this, Isaiah prefigures the greater Exodus written of in Jeremiah 16.
The mechanics of idol worship have changed, the impulse has not. A covetous heart still seeks external justification to satisfy its desires. Whatever it finds, or invents, that provides that justification, the heart will worship.
Isaiah's prophecy is over a century before the Babylonian exile; yet here he predicts exile, return and the ultimate destruction of the ancient system of rebellion and false worship represented by Babylon. In this he reaches all the way to the end times.
Isaiah, writing almost a century and a half before the event, predicted the rise and career of Cyrus the Persian. He asserted that all of Cyrus' military success was attributable to the hand of God and that Cyrus would send Judah back to their land after the Babylonian exile. This prophecy so impressed the king that he not only released the Jews but financed the rebuilding of the Temple.
Men are continually tempted to make and worship idols. The prophet mocks that as foolishness and holds Israel up as a witness to the power of God in contradistinction to the futility of idolatry.
Beginning with 'Sing to the Lord a new song,' this section goes on to explain that the servant of the Lord (Israel in this case) has been scattered because of spiritual blindness. It goes on to promise that God will redeem Israel and cure that blindness.
From the early books of the Bible to the later ones, the concept of idolatry changes. Early, it involves graven images and statues. later idolatry becomes more subtle but is still clearly identified by Y'shua in the Gospels. What does that mean for us today? How do we recognize idolatry in our society and how do we avoid it?
When Isaiah speaks of the servant of the Lord, sometimes he means Israel, sometimes the Messiah. Discerning which can sometimes be difficult. In this passage, it seems to be the Messiah.
Change of subject from the Assyrian invasion to a long prophetic section of the book. Here the prophet looks forward to the exile of Judah, the coming of the Messiah and the eventual return of the nation. The futility of idols and God's love for His people will be a recurring theme in the following chapters.
Weeds are used in Scripture as a metaphor for sin. While pulling the weeds out of a garden gives a sense of satisfaction, there is no permanent victory. A new crop of weeds will appear within a week and the process must be done all over again. So it is with sin.
Hezekiah, faced with an illness unto death during the Assyrian invasion, prayed for deliverance. God answered his prayer, granting the king an extra 15 years of life. As a sign of His favor, God backed up the shadow on the sundial by ten steps. The effects of this event are recorded as well in secular history.
In this historical interlude, the Assyrian Rabshakeh taunts the inhabitants of Jerusalem hoping they will surrender without a fight. In this he makes the mistake of asserting that Israel's God cannot save them.
Hebrews 4 says that the generation that perished in the wilderness heard the same Gospel as was given to believers by the Apostles. Since the sin of the spies in the wilderness was over a thousand years prior to the Crucifixion, just what is that Gospel? What should that understanding mean to the church today?
The sword of the Lord, having drunk its fill in heaven turns to the earth. This passage describes the march of Y'shua from Bozrah, up through Edom to Zion. That process is His recompense for what Edom and the nations have done to His people.
On Shavuot, God gave his people instructions on how to live. At Sinai, it was a book, the Torah. At Pentecost it was a person, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit and the Scriptures are intended to work together yet large numbers of God's people neglect one or the other. The Jews neglect the Spirit and the Sunday Church neglects the Torah. This causes God's people to be less effective than they could be.
Before the coming of the Righteous King, there will be a time of desolation when the crops will fail and the land will turn to thorns. In that time, upper class women who have been secure in their positions will go into mourning for the loss of their luxury.
In response to the Assyrian invasion, Judah desperately tries to form a military alliance with Egypt. The prophet informs them that their safety does not lie with men. Rather resting in the LORD will bring them salvation.
Once God has decided that Israel is to go into exile, he initiates a process that will allow the prophet to continue speaking but in a way that will not cause societal healing. To do this, he has the prophet speak in parables, removes sages and turns Scripture into a closed book.
Messianic believers are often suspected of being Judaizers or legalists by their Sunday Church brethren. This comes from a misunderstanding of the NT passages where Y'shua calls out the Pharisees for their strict observance of parts of the Torah while neglecting others. It is more useful to describe legalism as twisting the words of Scripture to justify following the evil desires of the heart.
Both Ephraim and Judah have fallen into apostasy and have made 'covenants' with the pagan gods of the underworld. God has laid a cornerstone in Zion which will be the origin of the plumb line of truth. This cornerstone, the Messiah will, sweep away the refuge of lies (pagan gods) that Israel foolishly trusts in.
The fear of death is a veil spread over the nations. It is also a great help to Satan who uses fear to persuade and control people. Messiah's sacrifice has removed the sting of death for believers and at the LORD of hosts' feast He will swallow it up forever.
The earth is defiled by its inhabitants who have transgressed the everlasting covenant. That covenant, the one made with Noah, imposes duties and restrictions on gentiles as well as Hebrews. In the end, the consequences of that transgression are world wide.
Tyre, situated on an island in the Eastern Mediterranean, was the premier Phoenician city of its day. Much of its wealth was derived from an alliance with Israel under David and Solomon. Several land based empires attempted to conquer it. Tyre withstood Nebuchadnezzar but finally fell to Alexander. This oracle foretells those events.
In Genesis the Bible uses contrasting pairs to make a number of subtle points about humanity. Beginning with Adam and Eve and ending with Jacob and Esau, each vignette tells us something different about the spirit, the flesh and responsibility. In the Leviticus 16 Yom Kippur instructions the two goats represent the summation of those lessons and provide insight into today's victim culture.
In this oracle, the fall of Babylon is not a good thing. Historically Babylon rebelled against the Assyrians, drawing them away from Israel and the west. Israel hoped for the success of that rebellion but was to be disappointed. In light of those events, Jerusalem would be besieged by the Assyrians.
Cush and Egypt were allies of Israel during the time of the Assyrian conquest. Since the Assyrians were God's chosen instrument, they proved insufficient. Also during these chapters we get a look forward to Apostolic times when peace would reign from Egypt to Syria.
Moab, named for one of the sons of Lot, is to be destroyed. This oracle explains that Moab's pride caused her to exacerbate the suffering of God's people during the time when Israel was being chastened by the Lord. Even though Israel's misery was caused by God, He judged the nations involved in that chastening when they engaged in 'unnecessary roughness' against His people.
Projecting the regathering of Israel, the prophet describes the ultimate disposition of Babylon. In this it becomes clear that the spiritual authority behind earthly Babylon is none other that Satan.
The movie 'Unplanned' tells the story of how a Planed Parenthood clinic director became pro-life. In so doing, the movie opens a window into contemporary American Christianity. The view through that window is quite disturbing and provides insight into why Planned Parenthood and other such organizations enjoy so much success.
The New Heaven and New Earth will be as God planned it in the Garden. Man will have dominion in peace instead of by force. This will be preceded by the destruction of Babylon and the salvation and reunification of Israel.
To understand what God was doing to the Northern Kingdom, they should have referred to Leviticus 26. There Moses describes how God would react if Israel does not walk according to the covenant. His chastening would be designed to get their attention and cause them to repent. If they didn't get the message, the intensity would increase up to the point of exile. This section also describes God's disposition of Assyria.
In the Sermon on the Mount Y'shua defines doing the right things for the right reasons as entering by the narrow gate. In Romans 8 Paul calls it walking in the spirit. The point of both Scriptures is that the world presents us with choices that are superficially attractive but ultimately lead to destruction. In God's economy 'almost right' is not good enough.
Isaiah prophesies the exile of Israel by the Assyrians. He tells them that the Torah both predicts and explains what is about to happen. Once Israel abandons the Covenant and ignores the chastening God sends to get their attention, His Covenant specifies defeat and exile. In the midst of this gloom, He promises the Messiah.
Isaiah receives his commission directly from the Throne of God. He is told to speak to Israel in a way that they will not understand so that they will not turn from their wickedness and be healed. This teaches us that there can come a point where a nation has fallen so far that the only remedy is destruction and exile. In that event, God hides His face and speaks in parables.
God describes Israel as a vineyard that has produced wild grapes instead of the useful ones He desired. In a lament, He asks what more He could have done to prevent this sad result. The answer being, 'Nothing,' He decides to remove His hand of protection and blessing. The lesson is that God will not continue to bless a nation that has become wicked.
Socialism is surging in the US, with politicians promising that this time they'll do it right. Sadly, socialism always works exactly as designed leading to poverty, misery and death. That is because it is a demonic counterfeit of God's instructions for a thriving society.
Before the Beginning, all that was was God. When He made the world as a place for people, He had to provide a space that was not Himself. When He decided to dwell with Israel, they made the Tabernacle as a place that was not 'human space.' The Cherubim in the Mishkan show how this was done.
In God's dealing with Israel, there is a definite process of prophecy. When Israel strays, the first message of the prophet is, "Repent." If they do repent, the process ends there and the prophet was successful. If not, the prophet begins speaking in parables, words of truth that will not be understood because exile is decreed. Finally Israel goes into exile at the hand of a gentile nation.
In the first four chapters, Isaiah writes of God's displeasure with the Southern Kingdom of Judah and its capitol, Jerusalem. In addition to speaking of Israel then, he speaks to us of our own situation.
Having been given favor by Boaz, Ruth is guided through the maze of Hebrew law by Naomi. Naomi's goal is leverite marriage and redemption. In this she is building up the house of her dead husband and son.
The world is intent on marginalizing and silencing believers using every technique from intimidation to legal action. Simply put, those who are perishing do not want to be told that there is a better way. Knowing who you are and who you serve allows you to face the world with confidence and do the things you are called to do.
Naomi had left Bethlehem with a husband and two sons, she returned as a widow with her widowed daughter in law, Ruth. In her bitterness and poverty, Naomi did not yet know that Ruth would be to her better than seven sons.
In both of these two short letters, John speaks of the duty and limits to Christian hospitality. In one he warns against extending hospitality to those who would sow confusion about the identity of Messiah and in the other he commends hospitality to missionaries.
John closes his first letter with what seems almost like a throw away line, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." Far from being a non sequitur, that line summarizes the entire letter.
John speaks of Messiah abiding in us, we in Him and we in God. The criteria for this are belief that Y'shua is the Son of God who came in the flesh and obedience to His commandments.
Classical idol worship, falling down in front of a graven image, is out of fashion today, but the underlying impulse has not gone away. How does the basic human impulse to get things God does not want you to have show up today?
Loving your brother is practical, not ethereal. So if your brother has worldly needs, you shall not close your hand against him. This is Torah 101.
The concept of forgiveness is not universal among cultures. It was 'invented' in the Torah at the end of Genesis during the reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers. Popular culture today is rapidly losing the concept; having replaced forgiveness with public shaming. This is not healthy.
The love of the Father and the sacrifice of Messiah has allowed us to be children of God. In this we are, in a sense, estranged from the world because He was also.
In western thought over the past couple of millennia, reason has ascended at the expense of contemplation and revelation. This has resulted in a gradual abandonment of God in favor of humanism. John Locke posited that reason, human equality and choice as the basis for obligation were the best way to organize society. This project has run its course and is starting to collapse. How should we respond?
John speaks of the Torah as both an old commandment and a new commandment. In this view, the text has not changed but our understanding of it must be adjusted in light of the sacrifice of Y'shua. His light shines upon us and allows us to understand the spirit of the Torah as well as the letter.
John is writing to address heretical confusion sown among believers as to the nature and person of the Messiah. He starts by stating that he has personally seen, heard and touched Y'shua.
The angel speaking to Daniel gives him a prophecy that extends to the end of days and covers the events of Revelation. It includes some very specific events and time spans.
Our culture is awash in autonomy, each being a law unto himself. Since this is contrary to God's design, we see our land spinning into thousands of hostile camps. Thanksgiving - both the holiday and the attitude - is a way to combat this sorry state of affairs. Thankfulness reminds us that there is a higher authority to whom we owe all that we have.
After his death, Alexander's empire was divided among his four top generals. The Selucids and the Ptolemys were above and below Israel respectively. Chapter 11, describing their competition over a span of three centuries, reads like an ancient 'Game of Thrones.'
Daniel had been fasting and praying for three weeks without apparent result. In this vision, the curtain is pulled back a bit and he learns that the manifestation of answers to prayer may involve conflict among spiritual beings.
The bulk of chapter 9 is Daniel's prayer of confession and intercession for his people because he knows the time of exile is drawing to a close. In this he is a model for us as we pray for our own people. At the end of the chapter, Gabriel gives him a vision which stretches from his own time to the end of days.
Daniel's vision of the ram and the goat are prophetic symbols of the Persian and Greek empires. Daniel did not understand the vision until it was explained to him by Gabriel. For us the prophecy of 2,300 evenings and mornings are of particular interest.
With the first 6 chapters of historical background complete, the topic turns to prophecy. This first prophetic chapter describes the four empires that are of interest to Israel and her people.
In Romans 4 Paul presents a logical argument that, since Abram was justified by faith before he was circumcised, that path of justification is available to everyone today. Implicit in that discourse is the idea that our God is consistent, logical and can be trusted. This was a major departure from the spirituality of the pagan world where gods are capricious and to be feared rather than trusted.
The final two chapters of the historical narrative sees the end of Babylon as an independent kingdom and the rise of the Medes and the Persians. As a major figure in both Babylon and Persia, Daniel interprets the writing on the wall for Belshazzar and survives an attempted assassination via the lion's den.
When Daniel's friends remained true to character and to God by refusing to worship the state idol, they were thrown into a furnace. Their salvation from that trial was a witness to Nebuchadnezzar who gave glory to God. Nebuchadnezzar's conversion was later complete when God humbled him for a season, by giving him the mind of a beast.
Daniel and his companions were Jewish hostages to Babylon before and during the destruction of the first temple by Nebuchadnezzar. In this first vignette involving adherence to the dietary laws and the interpretation of dreams, Daniels character and favor with God are established.
The theme of Succot is joy. We are to rejoice for all the good that God has done for us. Indeed, Moses says that a lack of joy would be a cause of Israel's exile. The reason joy can be a commandment is because Joy, unlike happiness, is not an emotion.
When God has something for you to do, doing it quickly is almost as important as is obedience.
The period between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur is known as the Days of Awe. We remember at Sinai that God's coming was announced with the blast of a shofar. So too will the coming of the Messiah. This period of repentance prepares us to enter the presence of God.
Biblical generosity is giving from the heart. It is not the commanded giving of tithes. Being in the image of God, we should have open, giving hearts.
Chesed or loving kindness is a major attribute of God, being mentioned over 200 times in the Tanak. When we exercise chesed, we sustain other people and allow God's light to shine through.
Honoring one's fellow, who is created in the image of God, is the first step toward loving your neighbor as yourself. Discussion of the previous exercise on patience and introduction to honor.
Patience is a virtue that you don't need until you're ready to lose it. The alternative is generally anger which doesn't make things better at all.
To a believer the world seem to be going quite mad. In fact, it is quite understandable and logical. The citizens of the secular world are taking the words of the Serpent quite literally and are behaving like gods, believing they can create their own reality.
Gratitude requires seeing the good in every situation. Because we are unable to see the future, this is not always obvious, but it is usually there.
Biblically, Moses was described as the most humble of men. What does that mean to us today and how might we attain that status?
Introduction to mussar. Understanding how humans are designed is fundamental to figuring out how to change. In addition to explaining what mussar involves, this session includes a discussion of the functional components of a human being.
Although moderns often resist it, people are designed to respond to authority. With the exception of God's ultimate authority, authority is often situation dependent rather than absolute. Thus, it is important to recognize who either has or is trying to gain authority over oneself. Speaker is Matthew Behrens.
In concluding the letter, Paul speaks of a messenger of Satan, a thorn in the flesh. Preachers have used this passage to teach that God is sometimes not willing to heal His servants. That is not at all what the passage implies.
People are divided between those who give in much the same spirit that God does and those who's drive is to take as much as they can. This understanding from a mussar rabbi sheds light on one of the difficult sayings of Y'shua.
In defending his ministry, Paul's wish is that the Corinthian church's faith would become secure so that they might become a base from which he could project the Gospel to other lands. In other parts of the letter, he uses the Macedonian church in this way.
During the Council of Jerusalem, the other apostles told Paul that he should remember the poor in Israel - a thing that he wanted to do. In this section of the letter, Paul urges the Corinthian church to dig deep and follow the example of the Macedonian church.
Continuing to defend his apostleship, Paul writes of the ministry of reconciliation that was entrusted to him by God. In this his goal is to reconcile the world, Jew and gentile, to God and His kingdom.
Scripture exhorts us to become more like Messiah. How does that work? How do we go about correcting the character flaws that draw us away from God and cause such trouble in our lives? The Jews have been studying this for over a thousand years and have developed some solid, practical techniques to address the problem.
The time and afflictions of this Earth are a prelude to the glory of the world to come. So, while this life is important to the realization of God's purposes, it is not permanent. Trials and afflictions should be viewed in that context.
In the Western world, people are resistant to the traditional Gospel message of repentance, forgiveness and salvation. They have no awareness of sin and don't see resurrection as desirable. For them, the Gospel answers questions they are not asking. How then can we reach these people in an effective way?
Paul writes that the covenant written on hearts of flesh is more glorious than that written on tablets of stone. Why was the first covenant written on stone tablets? What, if anything, is different about the covenant to be written on the human heart?
It appears that reports of Paul's trials and suffering during his missionary journeys were being used to call his apostleship into question. He puts his trials into perspective. In this he also gives the Corinthians a gentle rebuke.
Some in the Corinthian church questioned if there was to be resurrection from the dead. Starting with the example of Y'shua, Paul explains that resurrection is central to Messianic belief. He also discusses the nature of the resurrection body.
In John 6 when Y'shua says that life comes through eating his body and blood, the Jews are pretty much grossed out and he lost most of His disciples. Why did He say that? Is there anything in Scripture that explains what is going on? It turns out that His reasoning goes back to Torah.
It appears that spiritual gifts, particularly the gift of tongues, were being used pridefully. Paul admonishes the church that spiritual gifts are given to benefit the body, not the person through whom they operate. When the church gathers, it is more important to be understood than it is to be envied by others.
Biblically there are two sorts of water, natural water and living water. Natural water represents chaos out of which God brings order. He also uses natural water to destroy things. Living water represents the Spirit and order. It is significant that Y'shua twice tested his disciples on a sea of natural water.
Blessings and curses are a major subject in the Bible. Recognizing that one has a curse operating in his life is often difficult and confusing. Removing such a curse is vastly important to one's physical and emotional well being. This talk is loosely based on Derek Prince's book, 'Blessing or Curse, You can Choose.'
In response to a question on spiritual gifts, Paul admonishes the Corinthians that all of the gifts are necessary for the well being of the body. Apparently there was some status seeking on the basis of having one gift over another.
Among the difficulties in the Corinthian church, there seemed to have been confusion or contention about gender roles. In addressing this, Paul starts with the order of creation and proceeds to then current customs. The upshot is that Scripture forbids dress or behavior that would confuse the two genders.
After a defense of his apostleship, Paul turns to the generation that died in the wilderness. That generation's failures should serve as an example and warning for us today. The temptations that caused them to fall are no different than those we face.
The people of God and the Adversary are in a constant spiritual and physical contest. When one retreats, the other advances to fill the vacated space. In the West today the church is in retreat and darkness is advancing. How can we prevail in these times?
The question of meat sacrificed to idols was important in a predominantly pagan world. Paul's answer to the problem was a variation of "don't ask, don't tell." If, by whatever means, one discovers that meat has been part of a sacrifice, it is forbidden. Otherwise it is permitted and one need not conduct an investigation.
Paul continues his advice to live in the expectation that Messiah's return is imminent. In this he speaks of both employment circumstances and marital arrangements. As mentioned in last time, he advises to avoid concentrating on romance unless such might lead to sin.
Ezekiel chapters 36 through 39 describe the resurrection and regathering of Israel and their living under the New Covenant. During this process Israel remains distinct from the nations even through the reign of Messiah. At the end, the nations, influenced by Satan's lies, will rise up against Israel and her Messiah and will have their armies destroyed.
In the 7th chapter, Paul is responding to a question that we can only infer from his answer. In this he sounds lukewarm on marriage. Later in the letter we learn that he expects Y'shua to return very shortly. Hence, the inference is that he believed that spiritual pursuits were more important than romantic ones given the times.
Being raised from death is not unique to Y'shua; there are at least nine other resurrections in Scripture. Why then do we worship Him but not Lazarus or the Shunamite's son? What makes that resurrection different?
Life in this world is difficult and often painful. It is tempting to feel alone and afraid. In the Passover, God shows that He understands the trials we suffer and that He is with us in affliction. That compassion is there whether we suffer under Egyptian slavery, a Roman cross or anything else. This is the message we must pass on to our children.
It appears that some in the Corinthian church mistook the liberty that we have in Messiah for license. In this they had descended into debauchery. Paul writes against this in the strongest of terms, telling the church to expel those who engaged in flagrant sin.
The United States today is awash in emotion. Every bad idea or nefarious cause comes packaged with a strong emotional appeal. The Bible describes the untrained heart, the seat of emotion, as 'desperately wicked' and unreliable as a guide to life. Recognizing our tendencies, the Bible also provides a program of training the heart so that we are not manipulated by the wicked.
As Paul writes to correct the hubris of the Corinthian church, he compares himself and the other Apostles to builders working on the living Tabernacle. In this, he directs merit away from himself and toward God where it rightly belongs.
The first chapters of the letter deal with divisions in the church caused by intellectual pride. Since Paul had planted the church, they had heard the teaching of others and factions had formed. Each of the teachers mentioned were perfectly sound but perhaps each had said things differently. in their inexperience and pride, members of the church had seized on stylistic differences and elevated them to the level of doctrine.
The heroes of the faith listed in chapter 11 all died without having realized the full promise of God and His covenants. All lived with the faith that those promises would be fulfilled in His time. We also live in a time when here are promises yet to be fulfilled. Encouraged by their example we too must live in faith as they did.
Faith (or its twin fear) is the human faculty that permits humans to operate in the time stream. Since we cannot see into the future, we must imagine the future we want and then exercise faith to bring it about.
With the exception of Yom Kipur, he sacrifices under the Torah were not intended to cover intentional sin. The blood of Messiah does cover such sin. Therefore, it supersedes. This assures us that our sins are forgiven and that we may freely approach God.
Covenants are 'cut' which means that the blood of an innocent victim is required for ratification. The New Covenant is no exception. Here we discuss the Tabernacle which is a model of man's relation to God in the present age.
The words of the Torah are eternal, the medium upon which they are written is not. They were meant to be written on hearts of flesh not on tablets of stone. The New Covenant will rectify that.
In earlier parts of the Bible, God is seeking people and He initiates the conversation. Later in the Bible, this reverses with many passages showing men crying out to God. In many cases the petitioner feels alone and helpless in the face of heavenly silence. How do we interpret this in today's spiritual regime and how does the Holy Spirit react to our seeking?
Melchizedek is unique among major Biblical characters in that he has no genealogy and no record of his death. Hebrews makes use of this point to show that he, conceptually, is an eternal priest. As such, he serves as a prototype for a priestly order separate from that of Aaron. That Y'shua is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek is established by Psalm 110. Hence, Y'shua is a priest forever.
Priests are chosen to represent men to God. In this office it is essential that they have the temperament and experience to understand our nature and our weaknesses so that they can represent us sympathetically. Y'shua meets these criteria.
Moses delivered the Gospel to the generation that he led out of Egypt. It did not profit them, however, because they did not mix the Word with faith. Because of that lack of faith, God did not allow them to enter His Sabbath rest, and so they died in the wilderness.
When praying, there are two, possibly three parties involved: God, yourself and anyone else who is listening. Knowing who is involved and what you want to accomplish are the two basics of effective prayer. In this talk, we explore how prayer has changed over time and how to tailor your prayers so they achieve your purpose.
At the creation, God gave mankithnd dominion over the earth and all of its creatures. That dominion was not revoked when we ate of the forbidden fruit. Thus, for Messiah to be king over all the earth, he must be a man. This chapter of Hebrews makes that point.
Written to the Jews, Hebrews proves from the Old Testament that Y'shua is the Messiah of Israel. In this first chapter He is presented as God's heir and superior to the angels. The chapter ends by introducing the heirs of salvation to whom angels are sent to minister.
Joseph finally had the power to avenge himself on the brothers who had sold him into Egyptian slavery; yet he was able freely to forgive them. How did he maintain this sanity and mental stability during 13 years of slavery? What can we learn from his story to help us thrive in an increasingly insane world?
In the closing verses of the letter, Paul is concerned with order in the church. To the outside world, both as a witness and for their protection, an orderly image is important. Within the church it is important that disputes not tear them apart.
Reflecting on the Jewish holiday of Channukah and the American one of Thanksgiving, it becomes obvious that both are the same celebration. In both cases a large and powerful government had begun to treat God's people as chattel. In both cases the people threw off the government and established one more in line with God's word. The subsequent holidays were to remind their descendants of God's grace and aid in the struggle.
Titus was one of Paul's disciples who got dispatched to handle various ministry problems. He figured prominently in the early church debate over circumcision and whether gentile converts needed to obey rabbinic law. In this letter Paul cautions against following the advice of members of the Circumcision Party.
There's more to the story of David and Bathsheba than you were probably told in Sunday school. The lady was quite the power player in Biblical Israel.
The end of the initial phase of the conquest of the Land. The Eastern tribes are released to return to their inheritance where they build a memorial altar. This is misunderstood by the Western tribes and causes them to threaten war. Joshua renews the covenant and gives his people a final charge.
After driving the Canaanite kings off of the Saddle of Benjamin, Joshua conquered the southern half of the land. He then turned north where the enemy had a great advantage in chariots as well as terrain favorable to mounted warfare. Joshua negated that advantage by striking them in their mountain assembly area.
In the earlier books of the Bible the divide between the spiritual world and the physical seems to have been much less rigid than it is now. There are quite a few stories where two people meet and it is only later that one realizes that the other is an angel. Indeed, some of these angelic beings appear to be either God or Messiah.
Gibeon sits astride the Saddle of Benjamin and as such is strategically vital to the conquest and holding of the Land of Israel. Joshua knew this as did the Canaanite kings in the south. When Gibeon made a covenant with Israel it became the center of a major battle during which God fought for Israel.
Unbeknownst to Joshua, Achan had disobeyed God and taken spoil from Jerico. This caused Israel to be routed in what should have been a minor skirmish at Ai. Correction of that sin was expensive indeed.
While every generation is tested in its faith, the tests are different depending on time and circumstance. The Bible records that even the generations to whom God spoke directly and audibly lost confidence in critical situations. How then are we to act with confidence in today's world?
Because of the presence and favor of God, Joshua does several things that are very unorthodox from a military point of view. As an example, no normal commander would cross a river into enemy territory and then incapacitate his troops for three days via circumcision.
Crossing the Jordan represents a bookend to the time in the wilderness which began with the crossing of the Red Sea. In Exodus they left enemy territory and 'the world' behind; here they are reentering the world and facing a time of war and conquest.
Introduction to the book and to the terrain. This book describes military operations which are dictated in part by the shape of the ground. Having a map in hand will be helpful as you listen. Joshua sends spies into Jerico where they are sheltered by Rahab. In return for her help, Rahab extracts a promise of protection from Joshua's spies.
A child starts out as the uncorrupted image of God. The world tries over a lifetime to move him away from that image. How are people of faith to maintain their initial simplicity over their lives?
In John 8 Y'shua declares that His disciples will obtain freedom through knowing the truth. What are the consequences of believing a lie either nationally or individually? How does one discern that he has bought a lie? What should he do about it?
Proverbs 31 describes the virtuous woman and is usually recommended for women's study. There is also a man in the proverb - her husband. It is instructive to consider his character and responsibilities in relation to the many virtues she displays.
At the beginning of Elul, we are 40 days out from Yom Kippur. This should be a time of reconciliation, repentance and preparation if we are to get the most out of the fall feasts. Deciding what is possible and how to go about it requires a prayerful plan. Happily, there are tools to help with that.
For something to be good news, it must meet some need or expectation of the hearer. The Jews were looking for something very different than were the pagans. As such, Y'shua gave each what he was looking for. Today many Jews do not accept the Gospel because they have come to believe that it simply tacks pagan myth onto the Tanak. This is not true.
Biblical books of prophecy have four elements: a diagnosis of the societal problems that moved God to send the prophet, God's remedy for those problems, a list of consequences should that remedy not be applied, and hope for eventual restoration. Revelation, which is addressed to the church, follows that pattern. That leads to the conclusion that we should take the diagnosis to heart and apply the remedy so we can avoid the consequences.
This chapter of Proverbs deals extensively with the power of human speech. In the mouth of the wise is life; in that of the wicked is folly and calamity.
In the Torah there are both mandatory and voluntary sacrifices. So too with giving. Tithes are mandatory; offerings are voluntary. In the mandatory, God is training our souls to be generous just as He is generous.
Wisdom, personified as a woman, is described as being present with God at the Creation. She is also the voice of the King. In this she is contrasted with the seductive voice of folly.
Twitter and other social media have become the vehicles of choice for those wanting to silence or destroy religious conservatives. Their technique is relentless accusation and libel. In this the accusers represent the seed of the serpent. Or as Y'shua said, '...your father, the Devil.' How does one counter such tactics?
In his final event before being sent to Rome, Paul appears before Agrippa. He tells of his conversion to the Way and demonstrates from the Scriptures that Y'shua is the Messiah.
According to Rabbi Sacks, there are three voices in Scripture: that of the priest, that of the prophet and that of the king. The voice of the king represents human experience and wisdom. So the Torah does not prohibit co-signing a loan, but prudence says it is not a good idea. Scripture does forbid adultery which human wisdom here explains and amplifies.
After Paul's arrest in Jerusalem, he goes before the council where he causes a riot when he asserts that his only crime is believing in the resurrection. He is spirited away by night to Caesarea where is appears before Felix, the Roman governor.
In God's economy it is only possible to be in one state at a time. Thus, in Numbers 3, God explains that He is trading the Levites for the firstborn of Israel because it is not possible to have two firstborns. Similarly in John 3 Y'shua explains the Nicodemus that he is either born again or he is not. He cannot be in two states at once. Understanding how state works opens up understanding of quite a few biblical concepts.
The chapter begins with a personification of wisdom as a good wife who will guard the young man so long as he is faithful to her. It ends with an admonition to be faithful to his actual wife.
In Jerusalem, Paul meets with James and the elders who discuss how to address the rumors that Paul is teaching a new religion. They decide that he will consecrate himself along with others who are coming to the end of their Nazerite vows and that he will publicly sacrifice in the Temple. This includes a discussion of Paul's attitude toward Moses.
In a world where the landmarks God designed for our guidance are being destroyed, our roles in life have become confused. John says that Y'shua has given us the right to become children of God. What does that mean? How should that role shape our goals in life?
Many today are lost, confused and angry because the landmarks that God designed to orient our lives have been destroyed. These landmarks are the roles that each of us is designed to fulfill in life. Without them, the goals that we hope to achieve become confused, frustrating and ultimately impossible to achieve.
In studying Proverbs, precision of language is important. Knowledge, understanding and wisdom are related, but they represent different concepts.
Human life has five great events: birth, life in the body, physical death, resurrection and life eternal. Messiah is the Firstfruits of the resurrection from physical death. Today we celebrate the promise of our resurrection that the harvest to follow will be great.
On his way to Jerusalem for the final time, Paul bids farewell to the Ephesian church. The subject of his remarks echos the first of the Kingdom Parables in Matthew. They also presage his pastoral Letter to the Ephesians as well as Y'shua's Letter in Revelation 2. These four passages of Scripture address the same subject from different time perspectives.
Introduction to the biblical way of encoding wisdom. Discussion of why the book seems to be directed primarily to men. Discussion of the three sorts of biblical fool and what the book says about each.
Stops on Paul's route back to Israel. In the manner of all religious hucksters, the silversmiths in Ephesus tried to elevate their economic interests to the status of a conflict between piety and blasphemy.
Forgiveness is perhaps the most difficult lesson to learn; yet its fruits are among the sweetest.
Paul's speech in Athens about the shrine to the Unknown God. The introduction of Apollos. The baptism of repentance as opposed to baptism in the name of Y'shua.
Standards for gentile behavior and salvation were burning questions in the early Church. The Council of Jerusalem debated and answered those questions.
The Bible presents a grim picture of the human heart. From Genesis through the New Testament it is described as evil. That means that popular advice to, 'Follow your heart,' is not wisdom. God has devised a program to train the heart into something pleasing to Himself. He does this with the laws in the Torah.
Peter is arrested by Herod and kept in prison pending display before an hostile crowd. An angel delivers him from captivity.
Food and table fellowship has always been a stumbling block between Jews and gentiles. Peter's vision of the sheet descending from Heaven showed him that diet does not disqualify gentiles from the Kingdom of God.
Philip's ministry in Samaria and his conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch. The conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus.
Hardness of heart is a major theme of the Bible. In the Torah, Pharaoh is the poster boy for the condition, but it is also a major theme of Y'shua in the New Testament. A hard heart prevents one from seeing the hand of God working in the world. In Luke Y'shua indicates that a hard heart could cause one to miss the signs of His second coming and so be taken by surprise.
When Stephen is falsely accused of blasphemy he defends himself before the council in Jerusalem. The record of his testimony provides compelling evidence of the accuracy of the Book of Acts.
Much of the world seems deranged today; what should be our response? The Scriptures say that, 'Rivers of living water will flow from our hearts,' and that this river is for the healing of the nations. How do we apply this while wearing the full armor of God?
The first church lived communally, holding everything in common. This may have been done in anticipation of the quick return of Y'shua and the expectation that there was no need to save for the future. Peter and John's second arrest and appearance before the Temple authorities.
People's need for an intermediary with God discussed in the context of 'The Prophet' promised in Deuteronomy 18. Peter and John's first arrest and appearance before the Jerusalem authorities. Discussion of their citation from Psalm 2.
There are two versions of the Great Commission. In Matthew, Y'shua speaks as the king, commanding his followers to make disciples of the nations. If we are to recover what has been lost over the past 100 years, believers must take discipleship seriously.
Peter's speech after the giving of the Holy Spirit. Discussion of the differences in Scripture between the TANAK and quotations in the New Testament. Discussion of the similarities between the giving of the Holy Spirit and the giving of the Torah at Sinai.
Broadly speaking, the Bible has three sections. In each of those sections, one member of the God Head takes center stage. In the TANAK God the Father gets most of the narrative. In the four Gospels, it is Y'shua. In Acts the Holy Spirit has the emphasis. This first session gives background and goes through Pentecost.
God enters the conversation, rebukes Job's friends and gives Job an opportunity to present his case. Wisely, Job simply falls down in worship. At the end, Job forgives his friends and God restores to him double what he had lost. God's soliloquy is some of the greatest poetry ever written.
In creating humanity, God gave His creation a voice. Using your voice in prayer is your highest calling.
In this second half of Elihu's statement, he gives a beautiful poem to the greatness of God. In this, he urges Job to consider his own insignificance in relation to God's majesty. Everything he says is true, but does not actually apply to Job's situation.
Elihu has not spoken because of his youth, yet he does not find Job righteous. He believes that God does not punish for vengeance sake. Rather, punishment is meant to turn man from the path of destruction and set his feet on the path of righteousness.
In the Garden, the two trees present each us with the choice of who is to decide good and evil. Deciding to make those choices ourselves leads to evil and death, both individually and societally. Giving the choice to God leads to blessing and life.
Having heard the accusations of his three friends, Job offers a summary defense of his life. He goes through a list of things that men do to be considered wicked and declares that he as never done any of them.
Bildad expresses a common Christian belief, that it is inherently impossible for any man to be pure in God's eyes. Job answers that he understands the vast gap between man and God. He says, however that man is God's creation and is not inherently evil.
Eliphaz accuses Job of acting like he believes he is doing God a favor by following His laws. He also believes that the calamity that his befallen Job is less than what his secret behavior deserves. Job's reply is that God is just but His timing is not in man's hands.
Until Y'shua returns, God has given man dominion on Earth. That means we have an obligation to participate in whatever political process we find ourselves in. In the 2016 Presidential election, the two candidates each have Biblical parallels which can help us to choose wisely.
Zophar dogmatically asserts that God punishes the wicked and that Job's condition proves that he is unrighteous. Job counters with examples of the wicked prospering.
In his second speech, Bildad describes what the wise believe is in store for the wicked. Since those very things are happening to Job, his accusation is that, despite what everyone had believed about him, Job is a wicked man.
The world is designed to be difficult. As we go through life it is tempting to focus on all that is wrong or stressful. God commands us instead to be joyful. How is this possible?
Eliphaz rebukes Job for insisting on his own wisdom. He says that Job's stiff neck is what is hindering God from showing him mercy.
This parable, where a father has broken relationships with both of his sons, may be a metaphor for Ephraim and Judah. The younger son has been gone for millennia. What will be the attitude of the older brother when he returns?
On Yom Kippur, the emphasis in most people's minds is on atonement, the covering of sins. While that does happen, from a Scriptural perspective, it does not seem to be the central idea. Rather, the day represents a recreation of the events at Sinai when Israel was in the presence of God.
Zophar, the third of Job's friends to speak, opines that Job is getting far less punishment than he deserves. In this Zophar is presuming to understand both the mind of God and the heart of Job. The first is logically impossible and the second is presumptuous.
Bildad's first accusation: God does not do any injustice, therefore Job's problems are of his own making. Job's reply is that he is innocent, but there is no court to which he can go for justice when God is the accuser.
Eliphaz, the first of Job's friends to speak, rebukes Job for claiming that he is righteous and does not deserve the woe that has befallen him. Job answers that his friend's comfort is no comfort at all and the he is indeed righteous.
The month of Elul is a time of spiritual preparation for the Fall Feasts. It is a time to reflect over the past year, plan for the next and repair broken relationships. The time is short, the King is coming.
In this introduction, God challenges Satan with Job's righteousness. Satan's response, that Job is fundamentally physical and not spiritual, sets up the rest of the book.Satan takes everything away from Job in the belief that he will eventually lose his faith and curse God.
If God expects us to understand what is true and to follow that truth, it must be possible for us to figure that out using the minds He has given to us. This short study has explored Jeremiah's answer to that problem.
Hearing and remembering are dominant themes in Deuteronomy. These two form the basis for faith, obedience and gratitude - all characteristics which Moses said would allow Israel to thrive in the Land.
Society in Israel was coming apart. The nation knew the Word of God and had access to the remedy for their plight; yet they refused to apply that knowledge and heal their society. The elites believed that they were secure and exempt from the consequences of their wickedness, and so were surprised when death entered their city like a thief. This should sound eerily familiar to us.
In God's eyes the Temple has become like a hide-out where robbers flee for safety. They go there to hide until pursuit dies down, not to repent of their sins. For this reason, the building is no longer truly the Temple and it cannot give sanctuary to the nation.
Jeremiah is speaking truth to Israel in Biblical fashion which is difficult to understand today because our thought process is essentially Greek. One of the Biblical techniques is the maschil; typically a poetic couplet. The couplet is open ended and is designed to evoke reflection and discussion. In this chapter, the prophet is saying that Israel has fallen into wishful thinking which has lead them away from God.
The world today is a fairy-land of wishful thinking, illusion and deception. Figuring out what is actually true is difficult. Both Y'shua and Jeremiah give practical, Biblical advice on how to find the truth in the midst of all the lies.
Following the truth, God's way, will over time lead to happiness and prosperity. Both Israel and the United States followed His way for an extended period of time and flourished. They then entered a time of error during which they consumed all of the good that previous generations had built up.
The Bible is an intensely practical political manual. It covers all aspects of how people are to organize and behave so that they will thrive. The American church has been cut out of politics by the tax authorities and so has neglected its heritage of political activism and become irrelevant in many areas of public life.
In the Friend at Midnight, Y'shua is instructing his disciples on the fact that prayer is a relationship and the two parties of that relationship need not always agree.
To the extent that our society and its education system derive from classical Greece they ill equip us to understand Scripture. The Bible's way of presenting truth is very different. We read Scripture and think we understand it because the words are familiar. Jeremiah will correct our understanding if we will allow it. Judah did not.
The parables in Luke form a structured whole. Each has both an homiletic and an eschatological application. The Good Samaritan is told in the context of eternal life and describes Messiah's care for the wounded as well as his promise to repay kindness upon his return..
Truth is so precious and rare that people go to great lengths to counterfeit it. In this introduction we discuss the difficult problem of separating truth from opinion.
The end if capter 11 and chapter 12. The final secular king before the Second Coming of Messiah and the Great Tribulation.
This account of the competition between the Seleucids and the Ptolemys is so accurate that liberal scholars assume that it must have been written at the time of the Maccabees. Our perspective is that for Daniel it was prophecy but for us it is history.
Daniel was fasting and praying for three weeks seeking understanding of his visions when he was visited by two supernatural beings. We discuss who those beings might have been and how their appearance relates to prayer.
Seeing all of the cultural chaos around us, it would be easy to despair. Such an attitude is neither Biblical nor is it warranted. That we are actually winning is obvious from the behavior of our enemies.
There are a number of interpretations of the seventy week prophecy at the end of Daniel. In this discussion, we go through four of the most popular, discussing the timing and the symbolism of each.
After reading Jeremiah's prophecy that Judah would serve Babylon for 70 years, Daniel realized that the time of exile was coming to a close. He prayed to God that the time would be completed and that his nation would be restored.
Daniel's vision of the four beasts. This is a book-end to Nebuchadnezzar's vision of the metal statue. Whereas man's view of the empires is in terms of precious or useful metals, God's view is that they are wild animals. The fourth beast is so terrible that it must be put down. In Chapter 8 Gabriel explains the vision of the ram and the goat.
Belshazzar's feast. Once again, Daniel is called to interpret the vision of a Babylonian King. The lion's den. The final vignette in the study of Daniel's character in exile.
Continuing our theme on the Age of Endarkenment, the fifty days from First Fruits to Shavuot represent the spiritual progression from slavery to freedom. Comparing this time with Yovel (Jubilee) yields some very important insights into God's plan for how we should progress as His children.
Nebuchadnezzar has a second dream which only Daniel is able to interpret. This dream predicts his humiliation by God because of his pride. After the dream comes to pass, and his time of humiliation is complete, Nebuchadnezzar gives an amazing testimony to God's power and grace.
We are living through an age when the dominant ethos is perpetual adolescence. This has roots going back several hundred years but has really accelerated since WWII. The upshot of this is the accelerating destruction of history and tradition. It has gotten to the point where people don't even know what bathroom to use. What is an adult to do during such evil times?
Nebuchadnezzar has a disturbing dream. He puts an impossible task to his spiritual advisers, threatening to have them killed if they cannot tell him the dream and its interpretation. God uses Daniel to interpret the dream which has prophetic implications all the way to the end of days.
Introduction and historical background to the Book of Daniel. Setup of the circumstances, politics and prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the metal statue.
Passover is the season of our liberty. As we approach that season, we should take stock of the state of liberty in our nation and the world. All human institutions become corrupt if they hang around long enough - even those established by God. Once an institution has ceased to serve the purpose for which it was created, it should be abolished, or you should come out of it.
Throughout history, God has always been with His people. In the wilderness, He was in the Tabernacle. During the time of the Gospels, He was here in the person of His Son. Now His Spirit is with us. The Spirit's ministry and mission are laid out clearly in the Book of John.
Y'shua as the Good Shepherd cares for His flock and gives them life. In this He raises Lazarus from the dead and declares that He is the Resurrection and the Life.
Y'shua initiates another conflict with the Pharisees in the context of their spiritual blindness. He heals a blind man on the Sabbath and declares that He is the light of the world.
The five books of Moses present God's model of salvation in its entirety. Each book tells of one phase of developing a proper relationship with God using Israel as a case study.
"I am the bread of life," the first of Y'shua's I AM statements. This session begins with a discussion of Y'shua's own explanation of His authority. That authority, followed by the feeding of the 5000, sets up His authority to grant eternal life. That grant of life is explained in the context of bread, which He compares to the mana in the wilderness.
In the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6, Y'shua comforts the poor and excoriates the rich. Wealth is a training and testing vehicle for the poor and the rich alike. God's heart is open and flowing with love and sustenance for us. Since we are creatures in the image of God, it should be our goal to train our hearts to be open and generous. How does one do that?
In John 6, feeding the 5000 sets up the discourse on bread which will follow the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Y'shua's walking on water sets up a discussion of what it means to have a hard heart.
In John 4 and 5 Y'shua does His first two healings. In the second case, he uses the healing of the cripple by the Pool of Bethesda to pick a quarrel with the Pharisees over what is allowed on the Sabbath. This is the start of a theme what will continue and escalate.
The Book of John is organized around seven signs and seven 'I Am' statements. This study will explore these sevens in light of what they mean from the Tanak. Introduction and discussion of the Wedding at Cana. What was in the six jars and what do they say about us?
Speech is our most powerful faculty, either for good or evil, thus it is important that one study the laws of proper speech. This talk discusses evil speech, hurtful speech and courageous speech. Evil speech - lashon hara - is speech that damages a third party. Hurtful Speech - ona'as devarim - is speech that damages the one spoken to. Courageous speech expresses joy and hope in the face of a society that encourages cynicism and negativity.
The remainder of James speaks against hypocrisy in judgment and damaging a brother through careless speach. He also admonishes those who get rich through dishonest gain. Finally, he urges patience and faith while awaiting the Messiah's return.
Chapter 3 talks about teachers. James specifically speaks against those who would teach for the wrong reasons. Chapter 4 discusses reasons for strife and dissension within the community. He specifically discusses what can go wrong when one has his heart stayed on the wrong things.
Chapter 2 covers two concepts. First, the example of the poor and the rich man shows that how you judge and treat your neighbor will eventually play out in how God judges and treats you. Second, a discussion of faith and works in the context of Abraham's life. Here James is emphasizing the end of Abraham's life where Paul, citing the same incident emphasizes the beginning. This provides an excellent vehicle to compare James and Paul.
The Book of James is often presented as a counter-balance to Paul's emphasis on faith and grace. Considering the letter's audience - Messianic Jews - there is no conflict at all. This study is a follow-on to our Galatians 2015 study over the past several weeks.
Three vignettes in Genesis show the development of Judah's character. In the first, he is the one who engineers selling his brother into slavery. In the scene with Tamar, we see a change. He is able to acknowledge his error and do what's necessary to make it right. Finally, standing before Joseph, he is able to put his own interests aside and do whatever is necessary to save his brother Benjamin. His character growth is simply astonishing.
Discussion of the freedom Christ has purchased for us. In this. Paul quotes Yeshua (Jesus) when he says the whole Torah is summed up by saying, "Love God, love your neighbor." He then goes on (just as Yeshua did) to give examples from the Torah which show how to walk that statement out in one's life.
Paul compares the Torah given at Sinai with the New Covenant from the Jerusalem in Heaven. The one leads to slavery the other to freedom. The difference is that the Torah is designed to be written on hearts of flesh, not tablets of stone. When the Torah is imposed from outside (tablets of stone), it is slavery. When it wells up from within, it is freedom.
The Torah cannot amend the covenant God made with Abraham. Rather the purpose of the Torah is to keep Israel until the Son of Promise arrives. Once one comes to faith, he becomes an heir and has an inheritance reserved for him.
Those who rely on works of the law for salvation will fall short and be cursed. How does this relate to the fact that the Torah promises to produce life?
Galatians is a treatise on the relationship between the Torah and Salvation. Torah (works of the Law) is not intended to be a vehicle for salvation. Rather, it teaches how the saved shall live in the Kingdom of God. With that understanding, learning and following Torah becomes very important to believers in Yeshua (Jesus).
To the new church among the gentiles, the question of circumcision was an important one, having both religious and political ramifications. The introduction discusses the various factors influencing the circumcision question. In this, the letter is intimately related to the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. In the first chapter, Paul explains why his credentials are at least equal to those who are troubling the new believers in Galatia.
The Parable of the Sower, Paul's letter to the Ephesians and Yeshua's (Jesus') letter to the same church in Revelation 2 all deal with the same subject - handling the Word of God. As time progressed, the church at Ephesus was faithful in preserving and using the Word. However by the end of the first century they had lost their first love. How do we avoid the same situation and still handle God's Word properly?
The outbreak of literal insanity we are seeing today has its intellectual roots in the Reformation. The Reformation broke free from the authority of the Church and enshrined reason instead. We are seeing the end of the pendulum swing away from external authority toward self authority.
It is one of the roles of the Holy Spirit to help us to pray. How does that work and what is the relationship between the written Word and the guidance of the Spirit?
Yeshua (Jesus) speaks about assurance in prayer. In the parable of the Unjust Judge, the widow knows she will get an answer even though the judge is corrupt. How much more can we be assured that God will answer us?
Yeshua's (Jesus') discourse on prayer from Luke. In this session, the Lord's prayer and the parable of the Friend at Midnight.
This series on prayer uses the Jewish Siddur and the New Testament Book of Luke to discuss what prayer is and is not. The introduction discusses the outline in the preface to the Siddur.
In this set of Luke parables, Y'shua contrasts the Kingdom of God as it existed in first century Israel with what it should be. Healing on the Sabbath, the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven.
After His resurrection, Y'shua commanded His disciples to carry the Gospel to all the creation. What exactly is this Gospel?
In Luke 13 and 14 the parables of the fig tree and the great banquet. Y'shua, acting as a prophet, tells Israel that she is unfruitful and that she has spurned the invitation of God to His great banquet.
In Luke 12 and Luke 16 Y'shua gives a discourse on what He expects of the managers over His kingdom during the time of His absence. In Luke 12 the master is away at a wedding and will return at a time the servants do not expect. In Luke 16 the parable of the dishonest manager turns on the manager's estimation of the character of the master.
The Luke 16 discouse on God and mammon is a continuation of the running conflict Y'shua had with the Pharisees over money. The Pharisees, being lovers of money, had a warped attitude toward the things of this world.
Yom Teruah or Rosh Hashanna is a rememberance of the sound of the trumpet at Sinai. It reminds us of the times when we heard God's voice directly. (Loosely based on a teaching by Rabbi David Fohrman.)
In the context of his pronouncing woes over the Pharisees, in Luke 12 Y'shua discusses the proper attitude toward the wealth of this world.
Conflict between Y'shua and the Pharisees and lawyers. Discussion of the six woes he pronounces against them in Luke 11.
Y'shua speaks about the Kingdom of God. At first, He speaks of the state of the Kingdom as He finds it. He then speaks of the Kingdom as it will be in the future.
Second half of Y'shua's discourse on prayer containing the Unjust Judge and the Publican and the Pharasee.
In the Luke travel narrative, Y'shua teaches his disciples about prayer. This includes the Lord's Prayer, the parable of the Friend at Midnight, the Unjust Judge and the Publican and the Pharisee.
During his final journey to Jerusalem, Y'shua told a series of parables which are recorded in Luke. The first and last of these provide answers to the question, 'What shall I do to inherit eternal life?'
In 35, God rebukes Edom for the way they behaved when Israel went into exile. In 36 and 37, Ezekiel talks about end times and the new covenant.
Ezekiel turns from the surrounding nations to Israel herself. Chapter 33 begins with a discussion of the relation between the people and the watchman. It speaks about the case of a wicked one who heeds the watchman as well as a righteous one who commits violence and oppression. Chapter 34 deals with God's opinion of the shepherds who are not caring for His flock.
This is the final section of prophecies against the nations who have dealt treacherously with Israel. Here God deals with Egypt, predicting its defeat by Babylon because it failed to honor its treaty with Israel.
This series of chapters concerns God dealing with the nations surrounding Israel. He accuses them of taking inappropriate advantage of Israel while He was chastising her using Babylon. A great deal of this section concerns Tyre and we get a glimpse of the spiritual power behind the King of Tyre.
The allegory of the two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, Samariah and Jerusalem. God describes the descent of Israel into spiritual and physical depravity and decrees destruction and exile.
God judges nations as well as individuals. The sense of this section is that Judah has become so corrupt and wicked that it is to be destroyed. In that destruction, the righteous will neither be a protection nor will they survive. This is cautionary for believers who avoid politics in the belief that they will be protected if they keep their own skirts clean.
Isaiah 29 describes the process of exile. God shuts down prophets, seers and closes the book. Isaiah also describes how that process is reversed. It's looking like we're living during such a time. If that is true, we have responsibilities during this time.
Chapter 19 is a lamentation over the end of the Davidic line when Israel is taken to Babylon. In chapter 20 the elders of Israel come to inquire of the Lord via Ezekiel. God informs them that inquiring of Him while they are still in idolatry is a waste of time.
From exile in Babylon, Ezekiel prophesies the rebellion of the remanent of Israel that is left after the first conquest by Nebuchadnezzar. Israel, having broken the covenant with God, also breaks its covenant with Babylon and her punishment is increased. The prophet also talks about a future covenant and atonement that will be made by God Himself.
As God discusses the coming destruction of Jerusalem with the prophet, we get an insight into how He decides whom to spare and whom to destroy. We see that the presence of the righteous within a city serves to protect the rest of the people. We also get a foretaste of the destruction to come in Revelation.
While in exile in Babylon, Ezekiel prophesied that Jerusalem would be destroyed because of her violence and injustice. He dealt with the corruption of both the religious and the secular leadership. He explained that not only had they been exiled for idolatry, but they had not learned their lesson and had taken their idols with them into exile.
During the interval between Babylon's first and second conquests of Israel, God decides to leave the temple because of the violence and injustice of Israel. The events here are a fulfillment of Moses' prophecies in Deuteronomy.
With the current court rulings on homosexual 'marriage' and health care, the government has forfeited the pretense of moral authority. Now words mean whatever the strongest say they mean. Curiously, this presents a great opportunity for believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Being surrounded by hostiles simplifies our problem greatly.
God speaks through the prophet to the land of Israel. He laments the fact that His bride has become unfaithful to Him by worshipping idols. He says that once the marriage covenant is broken, the land will no longer support the people.
God instructs Ezekiel that he is to give Israel specific notice of her sins and their punishment. He does this by acting out the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, lying on his side for 390 days.
Ezekiel was a prophet to Israel at the beginning of the Babylonian exile. In this first chapter, he describes a vision of God's throne.
Prayer is a skill that can be taught. This session discusses prayers and proclamations, what each is used to achieve and how to use them.
There is some confusion within the Body of Messiah about the terms and parties of the New Covenant.
In this world, God gives us wealth to motivate us, to sustain us and to test us. Perhaps the most difficult test in one's life (and the most common) is how he handles the wealth that God gives. There are simple Biblical principles on how to gain wealth and then use it in a way that is pleasing to God.
Scripture demands that we love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. Last time, we discussed what it means to love God. This time, in the context of the Book of Ruth, we develop an understanding of what God means when He says to love your neighbor as yourself.
Both the Tanak and the New Testament say that we should love God with all our heart, soul and might. What did that mean in the culture and context that it was given? What does it mean today?
Affectionately known as Torah 101, this series of discussions is intended as an introduction to Messianic Judaism. This first session discusses the difference between one house and two house congregations. It also discusses whether there are different requirements for Jews and believing gentiles.
This final session in the Elijah-Elisha series comes full circle when Elisha completes a task originally given to Elijah at Mt. Sinai. This indicates that God, in a sense, does not regard the person of the prophet important so much as the word spoken through him.
Thoughts on what it must have been like to be a prophet in Israel. The Syrian siege of Samaria.
If one believes in God and Angels, he must also believe in demons, since all three are integral to the Bible's narrative. This is a discussion of what demons are, how they behave, how to recognize their influence and how to defend against them.
Elisha cures Naaman the Syrian of leprosy. Also a discussion of the difference between a prophet's vision and what we know of faith. Elisha does not seem to operate in faith as now understood; rather he seems to operate by sight.
The beginning of Elisha's office as successor to Elijah. This session contains the Moabite rebellion and the raising of the Shunamite woman's son.
Joy is a major theme in Scripture and in certain cases we are commanded to rejoice. What is joy and how does one summon it on command?
Jezebel conspires to steal a vineyard by murdering its owner. Discussion of how idol worship leads to corruption. Elijah truns over his mantle to Elisha.
During the season from Passover to Shavuot we count the Omer. This strange commandment is the key to hidden depth of meaning and ultimately to joy. There are two sequences of 7x7+1 in the Bible, the Omer and Yovel. This talk correlates those two sequences to learn something about the nature of God.
Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Discussion of Jezebel; her relation to her husband and to Israel.
Elijah figures prominently in end times prophecy. This series will go through the events in his life both historically and typically.
Argument establishing that Y'shua is an High Priest according to the Order of Melchizedek. Discussion of the New Covenant and how it differs from the Old.
This series of chapters begin to build the case that Y'shua, in addition to being higher than angels and a brother to us, is a High Priest.
It is not uncommon for Messianics to lose sight of the truths they learned in the Sunday Church when they discover the richness of the Torah. This sermon, using only the Exodus story, demonstrates that Y'shua is the Lamb of God and that His death and resurrection atones for the sins of the world.
Introduction and first two chapters of the book of Hebrews. Discussion of the intended audience for the letter. Comparison between the Messiah and angels. The reason for the incarnation.
Hagar and Sarah; slavery and freedom. In the covenant at Sinai, tablets of stone represent hearts of stone.
Introduction and chapter 1. Why the letter was written and what it's effects have been over the years. Paul presents his credentials.
Discussion of the holiday of Purim. Esther also has several apocryphal additions that are included in some editions of the Bible. They are not canonical, but they do provide an insight into the time when they were composed.
In the aftermath of Haman's execution, three months pass and the edict to kill the Jews still stands. Esther again visits the king unbidden and persuades him to let Mordecai issue a new decree.
The king has begun to be uneasy about Haman and the scope of his power. His midnight reading of the chronicles and his decision to honor Mordecai bespeak second thoughts. Meanwhile, Esther prepares her trap for the unwary Haman.
Introduction of Haman and discussion of how he came to power. Mordecai's refusal to bow down to him and the reasons for that decision. Beginning of Esther's plan to take Haman down.
Esther tells of an attempt to destroy the Jews by the Persian Empire. This first session gives the historical background and explores the character of King Ahasuerus.
The prophet speaks about divorce, robbing God of tithes and offerings and the Day of the Lord.
Introduction and historical background. The prophet's rebuke of Israel and its priests.
Some in the Messianic movement come out of the Sunday church and slide right into Judaism losing the Savior in the process. A Savior is central to God's purposes for His Creation and this talk explores some of the reasons for that.
Joseph's life revolves around three sets of two dreams which are a continuation of the visions given by God to Abraham. The meaning of the symbols in these dreams depends on the culture of the one doing the interpretation. A discussion of the dreams' interpretation from three different cultural perspectives.
Why do we persist in following God in the face of all of the difficulties this world makes for believers? Y'ashua says that He is the Way. A way or path should be leading toward a goal. In His case, the Way leads to life.
There's more to the story of David and Bathsheba than you were probably told in Sunday school. The lady was quite the power player in Biblical Israel.
The lure of idols lies in the human desire for works salvation. We think that the busier we become, the holier we get. False gods pander to that desire.
Using the metaphor of agriculture, the prophet explains that the more physically fruitful Israel was, the more spiritually barren they became.
In their fear, the leadership of Israel cries out to God. God does not listen to their prayers.
A continuation of God's indictment of Israel's leadership. The government is preying on the people.
Hosea prophesying as Israel's northern kingdom was about to go into exile. His message is that Ephraim had broken God's heart by lapsing into idolatry, injustice and violence.
The Church in Ephesis had grown mature in the Word, but it had fallen short in its love for people.
What it means to hold Messiah in your heart. How to walk according to your high calling.
Discussion of salvation by faith and how it relates to the works that God created us to do. Also discussion of God's method of dealing with the rebellion in Heaven.
Introduction to the correlation among the seven Kingdom Parables, the seven Messianic letters in Revelation and Paul's seven pastoral letters.
Does Romans 14 tell us that pork chops are now permitted to us for food? Don't think so.
What is Paul talking about when he says to obey the governing authorities? Is it the secular government or is it the synagogue?
The mystery of the inclusion of the gentiles. Romans is cross referenced with Ephesians.
And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose.
Paul's letter to the Romans is a pastoral letter to a synagogue which is undergoing stress because of the influx of gentile believers.