Torah Class Three: Recent Episodes
Tom Bradford
Teaching from the book of Zephaniah, Lesson 7 Chapter 3 continued.The post Lesson 07 – Zephaniah Ch 3 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Zephaniah, Lesson 6 Chapter 3.The post Lesson 06 – Zephaniah Ch 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Zephaniah, Lesson 5 Chapter 2 continued.The post Lesson 05 – Zephaniah Ch 2 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Zephaniah, Lesson 4 Chapter 2.The post Lesson 04 – Zephaniah Ch 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
Yeshua’s words on Torah (Law) and tradition across the four Gospels.The post Every Statement of Christ On The Law and Tradition appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Zephaniah, Lesson 3 Chapters 1 and 2.The post Lesson 03 – Zephaniah Ch 1 & 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Zephaniah, Lesson 2 Chapter 1 continued.The post Lesson 02 – Zephaniah Ch 1 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Zephaniah, Lesson 1 Introduction and Chapter 1.The post Lesson 01 – Zephaniah Intro & Ch 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Nahum, Lesson 9 Chapter 3 concluded. END.The post Lesson 09 – Nahum Ch 3 concl END appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Nahum, Lesson 8 Chapter 3 continued.The post Lesson 08 – Nahum Ch 3 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Nahum, Lesson 7 Chapter 3.The post Lesson 07 – Nahum Ch 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Nahum, Lesson 6 Chapter 2 conclusion.The post Lesson 06 – Nahum Ch 2 concl appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Nahum, Lesson 5 Chapter 2 continued.The post Lesson 05 – Nahum Ch 2 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Nahum, Lesson 4 Chapters 1 & 2The post Lesson 04 – Nahum Ch 1 & 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Nahum, Lesson 3 Chapter 1 continued.The post Lesson 03 – Nahum Ch 1 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Nahum, Lesson 2 Chapter 1The post Lesson 02 – Nahum Ch 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Nahum, Lesson 1 Introduction.The post Lesson 01 – Nahum Intro appeared first on Torah Class.
Teaching from the book of Malachi, Lesson 13 Chapter 3 continued 4. END.The post Lesson 13 – Malachi Ch 3 cont 4 END appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH Lesson 7, Chapter 3 and 4 We’ll continue today in the ultra-complex Book of Zechariah by finishing up chapter 3, and then moving briefly into chapter 4, with still 10 more chapters to go after that in the coming weeks and months. If you can survive this Zechariah study, then you […]The post Lesson 07 – Zechariah Ch 3 & 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH Lesson 6, Chapter 3 I think the best way to frame what Zechariah chapter 3 is all about is first to provide the context of how Yehoveh saw Judah at the time He exiled them, and the resulting condition of the returned exiles in general. That is, the people that journeyed […]The post Lesson 06 – Zechariah Ch 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH Lesson 5, Chapter 2 Continued At this point in our study, Zechariah’s third vision in this long series of vision/oracles has been given. Now it is immediately followed with a warning. Have you ever considered why God announces warnings that can come anywhere from several months to millennia before the dangerous […]The post Lesson 05 – Zechariah Ch 2 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH Lesson 4, Chapter 2 We leave chapter 1 and begin chapter 2 of Zechariah, a most unique Prophet in the way he presents the oracles God gave to him, which operates mostly in complex symbolism because it deals so very much with the future. When I say “the future” I mean […]The post Lesson 04 – Zechariah Ch 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH Lesson 3, Chapter 1 Continued 2 We left off at verse 11 of Zechariah chapter 1, where it was dealing with Zechariah’s vision of the 3 horses that were roaming the earth to give a report to Yehoveh about the condition of the world at that time. Before that, I told […]The post Lesson 03 – Zechariah Ch 1 cont 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH Lesson 2, Chapter 1 Continued I’ll begin this 2nd lesson in the Book of Zechariah with a plea I made in the 1st: do not proceed until you have first studied the Book of Haggai with us. It is a very simple matter: these two books are connected and in fact, […]The post Lesson 02 – Zechariah Ch 1 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH Lesson 1, Introduction and Chapter 1 Today we open the Book of Zechariah with an introduction to prepare us to more thoroughly study it. This introduction will be less extensive than is my typical because reading the introduction to the Torah Class study of the Book of Haggai essentially covers the […]The post Lesson 01 – Zechariah Intro & Ch 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HAGGAI Lesson 5, Chapter 2 Concluded END In our introduction to the Book of Haggai I explained that significant historical background is needed, as well as the elucidation of special terminology that we find in the original Hebrew, to properly examine the Book of Haggai and capture what the author intended to […]The post Lesson 05 – Haggai Ch 2 concl END appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HAGGAI Lesson 4, Chapter 2 Continued The Minor Prophets as a group were, barely a few decades ago, seen as an interesting historical record of the ancient times in which their prophecies were about Israel’s future from their perspective, but in the past from ours, and little else. So, their relevance was […]The post Lesson 04 – Haggai Ch 2 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HAGGAI Lesson 3, Chapter 2 Let’s open Haggai chapter 2 by summing up chapter 1. The focus is clearly the Temple that still lay in ruins after close to 2 decades of the Judeans returning to their former homeland. Their former homeland is now but a Persian province called Yehud, and the […]The post Lesson 03 – Haggai Ch 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HAGGAI Lesson 2, Chapter 1 Open your Bibles to Haggai chapter 1. This is a short chapter, that is straight to the point, and so we’ll be able to complete it in this one lesson. That said, there are some technical details, and some ambiguous words that we will attempt to deal […]The post Lesson 02 – Haggai Ch 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HAGGAI Lesson 1, Introduction There is no way to properly discuss the Book of Haggai unless we first understand the historical background of the times, and to recognize the context that the Books of Haggai and Zechariah are completely tied together such that where Haggai ends, Zechariah begins both chronologically and historically. […]The post Lesson 01 – Haggai Intro appeared first on Torah Class.
The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel Part 5 We ended our last session on the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel by talking about the inherent dual nature of things in our Universe. Even our Messiah has a dual nature as the Suffering Servant and the Warrior King; and His dual nature also was displayed in […]The post The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel – Part 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel Part 4 That was quite a video, wasn’t it? Very eye-opening. If you didn’t see it I suggest that you do before proceeding with this part 4 of our 10 Lost Tribes of Israel series. And by the way, it is called “Quest for the Lost Tribes” and it […]The post The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel – Part 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JOEL Lesson 9, Chapter 4 Continued We ended our previous lesson discussing the matter of Joel 4:4, where Tyre and Sidon are places God was going to pour out His wrath upon, and how that they were part of Phoenicia, which is modern day Lebanon. Sometimes the biblical names of places can […]The post Lesson 9 Ch4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JOEL Lesson 10, Chapter 4 Continued 2 – END We concluded our previous lesson with Joel 4 verse 13. The narrative centers on the time when the prophecy of the war to end all wars has begun. This is a Holy War, which means the outcome is already determined…God (and Israel) wins. […]The post Lesson 10 Ch4 appeared first on Torah Class.
The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel Part 3 Ten Lost Tribes of Isreal (3). Tom Bradford recommends this documentary movie “Quest For The Lost Tribes” by Simcha Jacobovici. The mystery of the lost tribes of Israel reverberates through three millennia of human experience. Of the twelve tribes mentioned in the Bible, only those of Judah […]The post The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel – Part 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel Part 2 We covered a great deal of ground in our previous lesson of The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel, part 1. So, to get our bearings, let’s re-read a few verses from Genesis chapter 48. Re-read Genesis 48:1 – 6 and 17 – 19 We are well into […]The post The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel – Part 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel Part 1 The events of the past few years, culminating with the devastating October 7, 2023 raid and hostage taking by Gaza upon Israel, Israel’s subsequent furious retaliation, and then Iran shocking the globe by initiating a game-changing missile and drone attack upon Israel that came from within Iranian […]The post The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel – Part 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 10 – Chapters 6 and 7 We have a lot of detail to discuss today, so please do your best to stay focused. This is not unlike learning your multiplication tables; it at times seems tedious while you’re doing it but if you have any hope of being able to progress and deal […]The post Lesson 10 – Leviticus 6 & 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 11 – Chapter 8 Just as chapters 6 and 7 were a unit, so is Leviticus chapters 8, 9, and 10. These 3 chapters will present us with the ordination of the first priesthood of Israel. To be clear, all the previous chapters of Leviticus, including the last several of Exodus, lay out […]The post Lesson 11 – Leviticus 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 9 – Chapters 5 and 6 We began last week to deal with a new class of sacrificial offerings, the asham , that covered another aspect of sin and atonement: making reparations for what one had done whether the offense was intentional and known, or inadvertent and the person didn’t consciously realize he […]The post Lesson 9 – Leviticus 5 & 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 7 – Chapter 4 Continued We left off studying Leviticus chapter 4. And, in chapter 4 we get a new kind, a new type, of sacrificial offering called the Hatta’at…….the Purification Offering. Some translators call this the Sin Offering. However, I think this translated name misses the point as this offering is not […]The post Lesson 7 – Leviticus 4 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 8 – Chapter 5 We should see Chapter 5 as but a continuation of Chapter 4. In fact, the specific sacrificial ritual of Chapter 4 extends into the first 13 verses of Chapter 5……but then it changes. Put another way, the uses for the Hatta’at sacrifice, the Purification Offering, are ordained from Lev […]The post Lesson 8 – Leviticus 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 5 – Chapter 3 We have now looked at the two types of burnt offerings; that is, two types of sacrifices that were placed onto the Brazen Altar and consumed by fire. And those were the ‘Olah and the Minchah. The ‘Olah involved the burning up of animals, the Minchah the burning up […]The post Lesson 5 – Leviticus 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 6 – Chapter 4 Let’s review a little. So far, we’ve looked at 3 different sacrifices, also called “offerings”: the ‘Olah……the burnt offering; the Minchah……the grain offering; and the Zevah…..the peace offering. Each had different purposes and occasions for their use. All had in common that the offering, whether animal or grain, had […]The post Lesson 6 – Leviticus 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 3 – Chapter 1 We spent the first 2 weeks of our Leviticus study simply preparing the background and laying the groundwork to make Leviticus more understandable, enjoyable, and hopefully, meaningful. I would like to reiterate from an earlier lesson a few principles that we need to keep in mind in our study: […]The post Lesson 3 – Leviticus 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 4 – Chapter 2 In Leviticus chapter 1, we looked at the sacrificial ritual call in Hebrew ‘Olah ……what we typically translate as the “burnt offering”. And we saw that this offering concerned the burning up of animals, from Bulls, to Sheep, to birds and this burning was to be complete….nothing was to […]The post Lesson 4 – Leviticus 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 1 – Introduction The title of the book of Leviticus, itself, tells us much about what it offers. It is named after the tribe of Levi……pronounced “Leh-vee”….one of the original 12 tribes of Israel (who were formed, if you recall, by the 12 sons of Jacob). But, this tribe was quite unique; God […]The post Lesson 1 – Leviticus Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 2 – Introduction Continued Last week we looked at some basics about Leviticus to set the stage for our study. This week, before we get into the details of the “burnt offering” which is the first subject of the first chapter of Leviticus and a very specific type of the several types of […]The post Lesson 2 – Leviticus Introduction Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 25 – Chapters 17 and 18 We just began our study of the so-called appendices of the book of Judges that are chapters 17 through the end of the book. From a chronological standpoint these chapters belong at the beginning of the book of Judges, probably around the time of […]The post Lesson 25 – Judges 17 & 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 27 – Chapters 20 and 21 (End of Book) Today marks the end of the book of Judges for us, and we’re going to move fairly rapidly through Judges chapters 20 and 21 as it is mostly a self-explanatory historical account of perhaps the worst atrocity committed by Hebrews that […]The post Lesson 27 – Judges 20 & 21 End appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 26 – Chapters 18 and 19 Judges chapter 18 is the story the tribe of Dan looking for a new place to live. And despite the appearance of this story in the final chapters of the book of Judges this event actually took place just a few decades after Joshua’s […]The post Lesson 26 – Judges 18 & 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 24 – Chapters 16, 17, and 18 We’ll finish up today with Samson, and also begin to deal with the concluding section of the book of Judges that is wholly different in character than the first 16 chapters. In fact, Samson and chapter 16 end the discussion of the Shophetim […]The post Lesson 24 – Judges 16, 17, & 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 23 – Chapter 16 Samson must be one of the most ironic characters in the entire bible. It’s hard to know what to make of him, and allegorizing who he was and what he did into a wide array of sermons and topical discussions has proved to be irresistible to […]The post Lesson 23 – Judges 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 21 – Chapter 14 Our discussion last week centered on the meteoric and volatile Samson, from the Book of Judges chapter 13. We examined his God-announced miraculous birth (by a mysterious manifestation of God termed the Angel of the Lord) from the long-void womb of his aged mother and we […]The post Lesson 21 – Judges 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 22 – Chapters 15 and 16 We continue today our story of Samson that appears in the middle chapters of the Book of Judges. We finished chapter 14 last week and today we’ll begin chapter 15 and get a little way in chapter 16. When we left off Samson spotted […]The post Lesson 22 – Judges 15 & 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 19 – Chapters 12 and 13 This week we conclude the story of Jephthah, the Judge who liberated the northern tribes of Israel from the oppression and threats of the king of Ammon. Last time we spent a good deal of study on the matter of Jephthah’s only child, a […]The post Lesson 19 – Judges 12 & 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 20 – Chapter 13 We just got started on studying the next judge cycle in the Book of Judges, the story of the immature and petulant strongman Samson. I gave you a bit of an overview of what to expect and drew a parallel between Paul’s lament in Romans 7 […]The post Lesson 20 – Judges 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 17 – Chapters 10 and 11 This week we begin a 3 chapter series on the exploits of a fellow named Yiftach , or better known in English bibles as Jephthah. We finished up our last lesson by briefly discussing 2 of the 5 so-called Minor Judges, Tola and Ya’ir. […]The post Lesson 17 – Judges 10 & 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 16 – Chapters 9 and 10 We’ll continue today in Judges chapter 9, the story of Avimelech (known more as Abimelech in English) the son of Gideon born of a Shechemite concubine. Let’s briefly review: Gideon had 70 sons by his legal wives and one son by a Canaanite woman […]The post Lesson 16 – Judges 9 & 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 18 – Chapter 11 The last we met, we read in Judges 11 about the newest Judge, Yiftach (Jephthah in the English) who lived in a place called Gilead (Gilead was on the east side of the Jordan River). He had been driven out of his family home because he […]The post Lesson 18 – Judges 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 14 – Chapter 8 We have entered a fascinating and most relevant section of Judges that begins with our study of Gideon and then moves on to the aftermath of his era as a judge when one of his sons assumes a leadership position. The lessons contained here prove that […]The post Lesson 14 – Judges 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 15 – Chapter 9 This week we will begin to explore Judges chapter 9, the story of a fellow called Avimelech, one of Gideon’s 71 sons. Like so much of Judges chapter 9 it is just example after example, lesson after lesson, and application after application of the God-principles that […]The post Lesson 15 – Judges 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 12 – Chapters 6 and 7 Last time we were still in the midst of Judges chapter 6 and the anointing by God of Gideon as His newest judge (Shophet). We got as far as verse 24. We ended with Gideon finally understanding that this mysterious traveler who suddenly showed […]The post Lesson 12 – Judges 6 & 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 13 – Chapters 7 and 8 According to Judges chapter 7 verse 4 the Lord says that the Shophet Gideon had too many troops at his disposal to fight against the invading Midianites and Amalekites; and this was after he had already dismissed about 2/3rds of the Israelite soldiers to […]The post Lesson 13 – Judges 7 & 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 11 – Chapter 6 Judges 6 began with the chilling but familiar words: “But the people did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective….” Thus also is introduced the 5th in the series of stories (the 5th cycle) about Israel’s stubborn pattern of returning to idol worship AFTER they had been […]The post Lesson 11 – Judges 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 10 – Chapters 5 and 6 We’ll finish up Judges chapter 5, the Song of Deborah and begin chapter 6 today. And I’ll warn you ahead of time that we’ll be spending about as long in chapter 6 as we have with the Song of Deborah in chapter 5. Last week we looked at […]The post Lesson 10 – Judges 5 & 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 9 – Chapter 5 Continued Our subject is Judges chapter 5 known better as the Song of Deborah. We started studying it in earnest last week and ended with verse 11. We’re going to continue to carefully dissect this song as there is so much to be gleaned from it, […]The post Lesson 9 – Judges 5 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 8 – Chapter 5 We began Judges chapter 5 last week; a section of Scripture called the Song of Deborah and we’re going to carefully dissect this song today as scholars have long recognized its importance. It is a victory song, an anthem of freedom and liberation because it was […]The post Lesson 8 – Judges 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 7 – Chapters 4 and 5 As we moved into chapter 4 last week, we encountered the female Shophet Devorah . The judges discussed in the chapters before Devorah dealt with the idolatrous rebellions of the tribes of Israel that were generally located in the southern end of the Promised […]The post Lesson 7 – Judges 4 & 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 5 – Chapter 3 Last week in Judges chapter 2 the Lord told Israel that as a result of their blatant idolatry (that was both a cause and an effect from their refusal to obey Yehoveh’s instructions to drive out or kill all the inhabitants of Canaan) He would allow […]The post Lesson 5 – Judges 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 6 – Chapters 3 and 4 As we continue with Judges chapter 3, we’ll be introduced to the 2nd Judge of Israel Ehud . The first Shophet (Shofet, Judge) was Othniel from the tribe of Judah, and he fought with Kushan-Rish’atayim to eject him from the southern tribal area of […]The post Lesson 6 – Judges 3 & 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 4 – Chapter 2 Continued In Judges chapter 2 we find the beginning of the terrible unexpectedly quick slide of Israel from their golden age of unity and harmony with YHWH (under Joshua’s leadership) into rebellion and idolatry. We saw last week that the Lord God accused Israel of gross […]The post Lesson 4 – Judges 2 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 3 – Chapter 2 Judges chapter 1 gave us a short background on the political situation in the Land of Canaan that reflects the time approaching Joshua’s death and then perhaps the next decade as the elders closest to Joshua took over leadership after he was buried. In a nutshell […]The post Lesson 3 – Judges 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 1 – Introduction Today we begin our study of the book of Judges, one of the lesser-read books of the bible and equally so one of the lesser-researched sections of Scripture by scholars. I will tell you frankly that Christian scholars in particular just don’t know quite what to do […]The post Lesson 1 – Judges Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Judges Lesson 2 – Chapter 1 We set the stage for exploring Judges last week and we’ll move into the 1st chapter today. What we’re going to see is a rapid slide of Israel from a pinnacle of success and accomplishment and (more importantly) harmony with God into an every man for […]The post Lesson 2 – Judges 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 27 – Chapter 24 Conclusion (End of Book) We’ll finish up the book of Joshua today. But before we get there we’ll look at a few more of the inspiring, foundational and rather heavy-duty God-principles that comprise the last chapter of this book. I suspect we could spend several more weeks in this […]The post Lesson 27 – Joshua 24 Concl. (End of Book) appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 25 – Chapter 24 Last time we read and studied Joshua chapter 23, Joshua’s farewell address to Israel. He was nearing 110 years of age, knew his time was near, and in the motif of all great leaders realized that his legacy must be told and the people reminded of how they (as […]The post Lesson 25 – Joshua 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 26 – Chapter 24 Continued As we continue in this final chapter of the book of Joshua, we’ll need yet another lesson beyond this one to explore more of the great God-principles present in it. We ended last week with a rather long discussion about the ancient mindset as concerned gods in general […]The post Lesson 26 – Joshua 24 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 23 – Chapter 22 Today we begin Joshua chapter 22. This chapter could easily and legitimately become a multiple week sermon in addition to a teaching lesson if I wanted it to be; it is that rich in information and theology and practical instruction for the Believer. But I’m going to focus on […]The post Lesson 23 – Joshua 22 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 24 – Chapters 22 and 23 We’ll continue today in Joshua Chapter 22, a chapter that has some quite dramatic theological and practical implications contained in it. And I outlined for you that we’d identify 4 (although there are more) important questions that are addressed in this narrative: 1) Who are God’s People? […]The post Lesson 24 – Joshua 22 & 23 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 21 – Chapters 18, 19, and 20 We’re going to move rather rapidly for a couple of chapters in Joshua, as what we get is another long list of towns, cities, and boundaries that describe the territories of each of the tribes of Israel. This must be done in words because map making […]The post Lesson 21 – Joshua 18, 19, & 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 22 – Chapters 20 and 21 We just began to talk about Joshua chapter 20 last week; the subject being the Cities of Refuge, also called the Sanctuary Cities. And I framed it by showing you the parallels between the God-principle and pattern of the sanctuary city as compared to the Bosom of […]The post Lesson 22 – Joshua 20 & 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 19 – Chapters 15, 16, and 17 Today we’re going to cover three full chapters of Joshua: chapters 15, 16, and 17 because they cover the giving of land on the west side of the Jordan to the most important of the 12 tribes: Judah and then Ephraim (but also Manessah). In a […]The post Lesson 19 – Joshua 15, 16, & 17 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 20 – Chapters 17 and 18 We got a short ways into Joshua chapter 17 last week and we’ll start close to the beginning of it this week. But first I want to step back and look at things from a broader view. Last week in chapters 15, 16, and a bit of […]The post Lesson 20 – Joshua 17 & 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 17 – Chapters 12 and 13 Today we enter a decidedly different section of the book of Joshua than what we have studied to this point. The land has (to a sufficient degree) been conquered and now it is time to settle it. Its time to turn the implements of war into ploughshares. […]The post Lesson 17 – Joshua 12 & 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 18 – Chapters 13 and 14 As we continue in Joshua 13 today the central feature to keep in mind is that the Lord has ordered Joshua to divide and distribute the Land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel. This dividing comes at a somewhat unexpected time because even with the resounding […]The post Lesson 18 – Joshua 13 & 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 16 – Chapter 11 I gave you a little preview of Joshua 11 last week, and we’ll begin today by re-reading the chapter in sections. We’ll take a few short detours today and see some foundational theological principles emerge within these historical accounts that form the basis for the book of Joshua. Further […]The post Lesson 16 – Joshua 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 15 – Chapters 10 and 11 Joshua 10 is a story told on many levels. It is, on the surface level, the story of the conquest by Joshua of the southerly part of the Land of Canaan. On another level it is the story of God’s faithfulness to do what He has promised […]The post Lesson 15 – Joshua 10 & 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 14 – Chapter 10 Nobody but nobody knows how to make lemonade from being handed a lemon more than the Lord God of Israel. You’ll see what I mean by that shortly. In Joshua chapter 10 we’ll find that the unholy treaty that Israel had been tricked into making with Gibeon would lead […]The post Lesson 14 – Joshua 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 13 – Chapter 9 The Law of Moses is, of itself, but theory and an expansive statement of God’s divine ideals. The real rub for the faithful is in finding ways to put it into practice in our lives as we operate in our diverse cultures, using the principles of the Law as […]The post Lesson 13 – Joshua 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 12 – Chapter 8 As we continue our lesson in Joshua chapter 8, I’d like to begin by borrowing and paraphrasing the words of Trent C. Butler, one of the foremost Christian scholars and writers in our era on the subject of the Old Testament. Trent Butler is a former professor at Baptist […]The post Lesson 12 – Joshua 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 11 – Chapters 7 and 8 As we continue this week in Joshua 7, the subject is still Achan, the battle for the city of Ai, and the Law of Herem. This principle of Herem, in English usually called the ban (b-a-n), is so pervasive in the Bible that it would be proper […]The post Lesson 11 – Joshua 7 & 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 10 – Chapters 6 and 7 Last week we ended in Joshua chapter 6, whereby Israel conquered Jericho and killed all of its inhabitants except for Rahab and her father’s family. Two principles were at the center of that lesson: first the principle of “the ban” also called the Law of Herem. And […]The post Lesson 10 – Joshua 6 & 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 9 – Chapter 6 We ended our last lesson with Joshua 5; and the last paragraph dealt with this mysterious Commander of the Lord’s Hosts who suddenly appeared before Joshua. No doubt this was a manifestation of God and not a regular angel nor an archangel because not even an archangel allows himself […]The post Lesson 9 – Joshua 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 8 – Chapter 5 Continued We ended last week in Joshua chapter 5 discussing the mass circumcision event at Gilgal that was instructed in verse 2. It is obvious that this circumcision ceremony was a pre-requisite for celebration of the Passover in Canaan. Let’s talk about this a little more because as I […]The post Lesson 8 – Joshua 5 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 7 – Chapter 5 We concluded our study of the 4th chapter of Joshua last week by reading the 1st verse of the 5th chapter that explained that as a result of Israel being obedient to the Lord, the land of Canaan was already handed over to them. Further Yehoveh (in His infinitely […]The post Lesson 7 – Joshua 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 6 – Chapters 3 and 4 Last week, in between the end of Joshua 2 and as a preface to chapter 3, we discussed the matter of how to best read the Bible and especially the Tanakh, the Old Testament (although it applies to the New Testament as well, just to a lesser […]The post Lesson 6 – Joshua 3 & 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 5 – Chapters 2 and 3 Let’s continue in Joshua chapter 2 and the story of the Rahab, the prostitute/innkeeper of Jericho. Joshua has sent two spies to scout the way and check out the defenses of Israel’s crossing point over the Jordan River, and the first city they will encounter in enemy […]The post Lesson 5 – Joshua 2 & 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 4 – Chapters 1 and 2 This week we open the book of Joshua. Our first three weeks have been spent on binding together the history of Israel to help us understand what God had done to lead Israel to this momentous happening: the possession of the Promised Land. It’s around 1300 B.C., […]The post Lesson 4 – Joshua 1 & 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 3 – Introduction Conclusion I hope you’re enjoying our walk through the history of Israel as we prepare to transition from studying the Torah to studying what is known as the books of the Former Prophets. And the Former Prophets begin with the books of Joshua and then Judges. Last week we looked […]The post Lesson 3 – Joshua Introduction Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 2 – Introduction Continued We begin our second week of preparation for studying the book of Joshua by discussing a subject that is key to our understanding just who God is, and that is His name and various titles that we encounter in the Bible. Allow me to remind you that what we […]The post Lesson 2 – Joshua Introduction Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
JOSHUA Lesson 1 – Introduction Today begins a new chapter in the ministry of Torah Class as we begin the study of the Book of Joshua. Joshua is a natural continuation of the Torah from a historical aspect as the final words of Deuteronomy record the death of Moses and the handing off of Israel’s […]The post Lesson 1 – Joshua Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JONAH Lesson 7, Chapters 3 and 4 END In Jonah chapter 3 verses 7 and 8 we learn that the King of Nineveh (certainly meaning the King of all Assyria) took to heart God’s oracle of warning through Jonah. He not only made a couple of strong decrees for his subjects to […]The post Lesson 7 Ch3 Ch4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JONAH Lesson 6, Chapter 3 We have discussed on a few occasions now, that Jonah isn’t really about who Jonah really is but rather is about who God really is. In the Book of Jonah, perhaps the primary theme is about how God thinks about gentiles; a subject that Jonah is not […]The post Lesson 6 Ch3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JONAH Lesson 5, Chapter 2 Before we continue in Jonah chapter 2 when we examine Jonah’s Psalm or prayer of Thanksgiving that consumes the bulk of the chapter, I want to speak to you about a principle that is embedded in what we’ve studied so far in order for us to notice […]The post Lesson 5 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JONAH Lesson 4, Chapters 1 and 2 We left off last time as Jonah has just confessed that it is him that has caused this pending calamity of the ship he is on sinking because of a violent storm, and most likely resulting in the loss of lives of the entire crew. […]The post Lesson 4 Ch1 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JONAH Lesson 3, Chapter 1 Continued We left off in verse 4 of Jonah chapter 1 last time. After all the preliminaries of the first 3 verses to set-up the sea saga of Jonah, we get down to brass tacks in verse 4 as God hurls violent storm winds towards the ship […]The post Lesson 3 Ch1 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JONAH Lesson 2, Chapter 1 In Herman Melville’s epic work, Moby Dick, we find a most poignant remark by one of the novel’s characters named Father Mapple. This remark, I believe, well defines what we are about to undertake today: studying the unique and divinely-inspired Book of Jonah. Father Mapple says this: […]The post Lesson 2 Ch1 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JONAH Lesson 1, Introduction Within its mere 4 chapters Jonah presents one of the more complex, controversial, and difficult books among all the Prophets to interpret. This might seem counter-intuitive since the story is one of the first that Jewish and Christian children are taught, and the story of Jonah is portrayed […]The post Lesson 1 Intro appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JOEL Lesson 8, Chapter 4 Last time we spent considerable time on discussing how prophecy works in general and that the Book of Joel operates no differently. In a nutshell it is that the prophetic fulfillments are only sometimes a one-time event. Most often these fulfillments happen more than once, in different […]The post Lesson 8 Ch4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JOEL Lesson 7, Chapter 3 Continued We opened our study of Joel chapter 3 last time. As we progressed, it became clear that other Prophets and their prophecies were intertwined with, and in some cases expounded upon, Joel’s prophecy especially as concerns the restoration of Judah and Israel at the same God’s […]The post Lesson 7 Ch3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JOEL Lesson 6, Chapter 3 We concluded Joel chapter 2 in our previous lesson and so begin chapter 3 today. I want to remind you that only some English Bible versions have Joel divided into 4 chapters (like the CJB); in others it is only 3 chapters. It doesn’t really matter; all […]The post Lesson 6 Ch3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JOEL Lesson 5, Chapter 2 Continued In the 2nd chapter of Joel, we witness the beauty and the justice of Yehoveh on display: severe wrath for Judah’s rebellion and treason against Him, and extreme mercy and outpouring of blessings for their obedience and sincere repentance. This fact is revealed in that Joel […]The post Lesson 5 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JOEL Lesson 4, Chapter 2 Who doesn’t want to know the future? Especially in this the 21st century, even totally secular folks have a sense of foreboding that something earthshaking and calamitous is coming upon our entire planet. The latest belief of what this foreboding “something” is, is wrapped up in the […]The post Lesson 4 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JOEL Lesson 3, Chapters 1 and 2 While biblical prophecies such as Joel’s always address a few different topics, in Joel the one that seems to be front and center revolves around The Day of Yehoveh (or the Day of the Lord as it is typically misrepresented in Bibles, for reasons that […]The post Lesson 3 Ch1 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JOEL Lesson 1, Introduction and Chapter 1 Welcome to our introduction to the Book of Joel. In the 2nd chapter of Joel, we read this: CJB Joel 2:13-14 13 Tear your heart, not your garments; and turn to ADONAI your God. For he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in […]The post Lesson 1 Intro Ch1 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF JOEL Lesson 2, Chapter 1 Continued One of the most interesting, and possibly surprising, things we have found in our study of the Minor Prophets of Hosea, Amos, Jonah and now Joel, is that God will instigate…He will command… disasters to happen not only upon those who do wicked things and who […]The post Lesson 2 Ch1 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 23, Chapters 13 and 14 We concluded at Hosea 13:9 last time, which begins a 3-verse section that is essentially a divine statement as part of an oracle that involves a controversy and a dispute. The dispute is that God is telling Israel what they have done wrong in their […]The post Lesson 23 Ch13 Ch14 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 24, Chapters 14 END Today we conclude our study of the Book of Hosea. Hosea preached and warned Israel about their consistent double-mindedness and unfaithfulness to Yehoveh and this mainly by means of disobedience to the terms of the Covenant of Moses. Using primarily the metaphor of human marital unfaithfulness […]The post Lesson 24 Ch14 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 21, Chapter 12 A good way to frame Hosea chapter 12 is as Ephraim/Israel being depicted as a people who have forgotten who they are. They were set-apart as God’s covenant people, which not only came with the greatest of privileges but also with serious obligations and responsibilities. This memory […]The post Lesson 21 Ch12 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 22, Chapters 12 and 13 We left off at Hosea 12:10 last time (or 12:9 depending on your Bible version), when God was calling to remembrance just who He was and what His relationship was with Israel. This was clearly necessary because Ephraim/Israel’s worship had become so confused and perverted […]The post Lesson 22 Ch12 Ch13 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 20, Chapters 11 and 12 We ended our previous lesson with verses 3 and 4 of Hosea chapter 11. In this most poetic chapter of Hosea, we have God, through the agency of His faithful Prophet Hosea, expressing both His passionate love for His set-apart people Israel, but also His […]The post Lesson 20 Ch11 Ch12 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 19, Chapters 10 and 11 I ended our previous lesson speaking about a most crucial understanding that is necessary for a proper perspective not only of the source of our salvation, but also of what that means for us in a broader sense. The source is Yeshua: Jesus the Christ. […]The post Lesson 19 Ch10 Ch11 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 18, Chapter 10 Continued As challenging as is the Book of Hosea to decipher, for several reasons I’ve already explained in depth, there is an overriding decision that teacher and student must make when attempting to plumb its depths: is this to be taken only as a historical matter of […]The post Lesson 18 Ch10 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 17, Chapter 10 Douglas Stewart aptly characterizes the opening verses of Hosea chapter 10 as “Rejection of cult and kingship” (cult meaning Ephraim/Israel’s religious establishment and practices). Yehoveh is firmly distancing Himself from Israel’s monarchy as much as from their worship. But even more, Yehoveh is aggressively destroying the monarchy […]The post Lesson 17 Ch10 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 16, Chapter 9 So as not to get lost in the forest, not seeing because of the trees, we need to gather ourselves in the study of Hosea and remember something foundational. It is that what we are reading about and (hopefully) learning from, is entirely an outcropping of God’s […]The post Lesson 16 Ch9 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 15, Chapters 8 and 9 Last week the divine words of Hosea 8:12 ignited a talk on the irreplaceable value of The Law of Moses for Israel, and for Judeo-Christianity, as well as its impact on the entire human population of the Earth. And also, why it is logical that […]The post Lesson 15 Ch8 Ch9 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 14, Chapter 8 I wonder what any of us might do if God clearly and unequivocally told us that our worship of Him was not acceptable? It’s not that we need to improve upon what we do; rather He rejects our entire premise for it. In fact, our worship is […]The post Lesson 14 Ch8 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 13, Chapters 7 and 8 Last time we met, we moved into the 4th and final segment of Hosea chapter 7 that begins with verse 13. This segment speaks of divine punishment against the political government of Israel and the destruction of Ephraim/Israel (the Northern Kingdom) as a nation. Verse […]The post Lesson 13 Ch7 Ch8 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 12, Chapter 7 There’s a reason that Hosea is the first time I’ve created a commentary on an Old Testament book of prophecy. While, personally, in those books I find hope, promise, and validation of my faith, on the other hand I’m not sure of how broad the audience for […]The post Lesson 12 Ch7 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 11, Chapters 6 and 7 As of this point in Hosea (chapter 6) we have left behind the symbolic story of the always faithful Hosea married to his habitually unfaithful wife, Gomer. While Hosea and Gomer actually experienced and lived-out all that we earlier read, nonetheless it was all divinely […]The post Lesson 11 Ch6 Ch7 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 10, Chapters 5 and 6 We left off last time in Hosea chapter 5 verse 11. There it begins to outline what is going to occur to the Northern Kingdom of Ephraim/Israel as a result of her political recklessness; a folly in which the religious leadership were willing accomplices. As […]The post Lesson 10 Ch5 Ch6 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 09, Chapter 5 Besides the problem of disfavor, even anger, that comes from Yehoveh on account of idolatry, there is also the reality that idolatry is indelibly tied to the sin of immorality. We have been reading, and will continue to read in Hosea, of the immoral condition of Israel…something […]The post Lesson 9 Ch5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 07, Chapters 3 and 4 As we continue with Hosea chapter 3 today, perhaps this is an appropriate moment to remind you that, much like a Parable, we have to be careful not to read into this prophetic narrative more than was intended. We are dealing with an actual account […]The post Lesson 7 Ch3 Ch4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 08, Chapters 4 and 5 Recently a couple spoke to me about their faith journey and how it had led them to Torah Class. They had been Mormons. They didn’t find any great fault with their Mormonism or their Mormon community, but rather only that when it came to the […]The post Lesson 8 Ch4 Ch5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 06, Chapters 2 and 3 To this point in Hosea, we have seen God, through The Word that is speaking to Hosea, outline how He is going to deal with Israel… meaning the Northern Kingdom… as a result of their long-term idolatry and an unfaithfulness to Him that is now […]The post Lesson 6 Ch2 Ch3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 05, Chapter 2 Continued The first 3 verses of Hosea chapter 2 sought to make something very clear about the words that came before it, and those that would follow. It is that the goal (and the outcome) of God’s harsh discipline of Israel (symbolized by Gomer) was restoration of […]The post Lesson 5 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 04, Chapters 1 and 2 Symbolism is at the heart of this Book of Hosea. At times trying to reconcile the biblical concepts of symbolic versus literal can be daunting; and all too often in the academic world (and even at the personal Bible study level) one concept is regularly […]The post Lesson 4 Ch1 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 03, Chapter 1 Continued We’ll review last week’s lesson a little more extensively than I’ll typically do throughout our study of Hosea. This is because I introduced you to some Hebraic concepts that are crucial for a proper and revealing understanding of the Prophet’s words. And, appropriately, the review I […]The post Lesson 3 Ch1 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 02, Chapter 1 We’ll open Hosea chapter 1 today, but before we do I’ll advise you ahead of time that we’re going to crawl through the first several verses at a snail’s pace because much has to be explained for us to operate from the correct basis in understanding God’s […]The post Lesson 2 Ch1 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA Lesson 01, Introduction It is not possible to properly teach the fascinating and important Book of Hosea without establishing a historical and theological background as context. That is what we shall begin with today in our Introduction to the Book of Hosea. If you haven’t studied the Torah with me (or […]The post Lesson 1 Intro appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 45 – Chapters 49 and 50 (End of Book) Last week we were close to finishing up Genesis 49. This week we will complete Genesis 49 and 50, and conclude our study of Genesis. Joseph was the 11 th son of Jacob, and last time we looked carefully at the prophetic blessing given to […]The post Lesson 45 – Genesis 49 & 50 (End of Book) appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 44 – Chapter 49 Continued As we continue on our study of Genesis 49……which is essentially a series of prophetic blessings that predestines the character and attributes of the 12 tribes of Israel……we ended last time with the 4th –born son of Jacob, Judah. And, we saw that Judah seemingly received the Firstborn Blessing. […]The post Lesson 44 – Genesis 49 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 43 – Chapter 49 Last week we finished examining the Cross-Handed Blessing of Jacob, as told in Genesis 48; this was a prophetic blessing made upon Ephraim and Manasseh, but the primary target of this blessing was Ephraim. We discovered that Ephraim would in some way, not yet fully clear, be a blessing to […]The post Lesson 43 – Genesis 49 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 42 – Chapter 48 Conclusion Last week we were beginning to flesh out just who Ephraim, Joseph’s son, would become, and what his destiny would be as a result of Jacob’s Cross Handed Blessing of Genesis 48. And, we ended by looking in the book of Hosea which has much to say about God’s […]The post Lesson 42 – Genesis 48 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 41 – Chapter 48 Continued The last time we met, I spent a lot of time trying to establish just what Paul meant when he spoke of a “true” Israelite (or Jew), and that I have decided to describe that true Israelite as a “Spiritual” Israelite. That is, one who has the spirit […]The post Lesson 41 – Genesis 48 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 40 – Chapter 48 We are about to embark on a study that is full of ramifications for our day and time. A study that is going to explore some areas of Scripture that many of you have never before heard, let alone considered prophetic. And, it is contained within the final 3 chapters […]The post Lesson 40 – Genesis 48 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 39 – Chapters 46 and 47 With this chapter, the era of the Patriarchs truly closes. Abraham and Isaac are dead, and Jacob (a very old man) is in the midst of moving the Israelites out of Canaan, into Egypt, and into the authority of Joseph and Judah. And, soon, Jacob will go to […]The post Lesson 39 – Genesis 46 & 47 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 38 – Chapters 44 and 45 Let’s continue the story of Joseph as we move our way through Genesis. But, as we read Genesis 44, I want you to do something: everywhere we see Joseph dealing with his brothers, mentally picture Yeshua dealing with us. As we’re going to see, Joseph is a […]The post Lesson 38 – Genesis 44 & 45 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 37 – Chapters 42 and 43 At the end of our last lesson, the 7 years of abundant crops and livestock had passed, and the great 7-year famine of Pharaoh’s dream had begun. Joseph was now in charge of Egypt…and this food program….. and was 2nd in Command of the nation with only Pharaoh […]The post Lesson 37 – Genesis 42 & 43 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 36 – Chapters 40 and 41 READ GEN 40 all About eleven years had passed since his older brothers sold Joseph into slavery. He’s 28 years old, now. I wonder if Joseph still thought his dreams of his family bowing down to him, that had much to do with his current condition, bore any […]The post Lesson 36 – Genesis 40 & 41 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 35 – Chapters 38 and 39 Last time we began to study Genesis chapter 38, which is a story about the 4th son of Jacob (alternately called Israel); and that 4th son is Judah. It is from the tribe of Judah that we have the Jews. So, since it’s been awhile that we’ve been […]The post Lesson 35 – Genesis 38 & 39 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 34 – Chapters 37 and 38 Last week we just barely got started into Genesis 37. Before we did that, though, we looked in some depth at the genealogy of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother, in chapter 36. And, we learned that Esau’s descendants intermarried to a large degree with Ishmael’s descendants, meaning that […]The post Lesson 34 – Genesis 37 & 38 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 33 – Chapters 36 and 37 While this chapter is primarily a genealogical listing, there’s more to be gained from it than you might think. We can learn much about tribal society, and how families mixed, and even the politics of the era. So, while this might seem like a nice time to just […]The post Lesson 33 – Genesis 36 & 37 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 32 – Chapter 35 Chapter 35 is rich in information BUT largely hidden to our view due to the Greek and English translations. So, we’re going to sort of detour around a bit, and connect some dots that have been obscured over the centuries, as we go through this chapter. We’ll also use this […]The post Lesson 32 – Genesis 35 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 29 – Chapters 30 and 31 In the last lesson we saw Jacob……not YET called Israel….. take a wife. Actually, he wound up with 2 wives…..the sisters Leah and Rachel…..because his conniving father-in-law Lavan had deceived him much in the same way Jacob had deceived his own father. Is it not amazing in life […]The post Lesson 29 – Genesis 30 & 31 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 31 – Chapters 33 and 34 READ GEN 33 all The dizzying events of the night before had prepared Jacob, in a nick of time, for what was coming next. The question of Jacob’s (and his family line’s) survival was about to be answered as he spotted Esau leading his band of 400 […]The post Lesson 31 – Genesis 33 & 34 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 30 – Chapters 31 and 32 In Genesis 31 we saw that things had turned sour between Jacob and his father-in-law Lavan. Even Lavan’s 2 daughters………Leah and Rachel…..who were Jacob’s wives, felt their father had broken trust with them. They even accused him of not so much giving them in marriage to Jacob like […]The post Lesson 30 – Genesis 31 & 32 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 28 – Chapters 28 and 29 READ GEN 28 all Isaac, having agreed with Rebecca that the last thing the family needed was more Canaanite women added to the clan through marriage, instructs Jacob to go take a wife from his mother’s family up in Mesopotamia. Let me remind you once again that […]The post Lesson 28 – Genesis 28 & 29 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 27 – Chapter 27 READ GEN 27 all Permit me to quote a profound statement made by the great 19th century Jewish Christian scholar, and perhaps the man whose readings have influenced me 2nd only to the Torah itself, Alfred Edersheim: “ If there is any point on which we should anxiously be on […]The post Lesson 27 – Genesis 27 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 26 – Chapter 26 Patterns. We see patterns, here in Genesis 26, that we’ve seen in earlier chapters. And, some of these patterns are built-upon and further developed in the narrative of Genesis 26. We’ve talked about patterns quite a bit in this class, because they are crucial in understanding Scripture. Because God has […]The post Lesson 26 – Genesis 26 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 25 – Chapter 25 Continued Last week we began the story of the all-important event of the birth of Jacob, who would become the FIRST Israelite. Let’s pause and put this in perspective and watch the progress of the Patriarchs: Abraham….Jacob’s grandfather…. began life as a pagan. The world, at the time of […]The post Lesson 25 – Genesis 25 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 24 – Chapter 25 This week we continue our study of Genesis 25. Let’s start by reading Gen. 25:12-18 READ GEN 25:12-18 We ended last week taking a brief look at the descendants of Keturah, one of Abraham’s concubines. Just how many concubines Abraham had beyond Hagar and Keturah we don’t know; likely, […]The post Lesson 24 – Genesis 25 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 23 – Chapters 24 and 25 READ GEN 24 all The Scriptures are preparing us to move on from Abraham as the focus, to Isaac, then to Jacob, and then the Israelites. Just as Abraham needed children for the covenants of promise to be carried on, so did Isaac. And, the first step towards […]The post Lesson 23 – Genesis 24 & 25 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 22, chapters 22 and 23 READ GENESIS CHAPTER 22 all “After these things” is the Hebrew way of saying “eventually”. It describes an undefined period of time having passed; but usually it is a substantial amount of time. In some places in the Bible, the time is so long and circumstances and conditions have […]The post Lesson 22 – Genesis 22 & 23 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 21 – Chapters 20 and 21 When last we met, we found that the greatest Patriarch, Abraham, had moved from Hebron down into the reaches of the upper Sinai Peninsula. Though the Scriptures do not say so, the reason for the move was an obvious one, which we would not question if we were […]The post Lesson 21 – Genesis 20 & 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 20 – Chapters 19 and 20 We have talked from time-to-time about the importance of bringing the Jewishness, and the Hebrew language and culture, back into Christianity, and back into the basic understanding of the Holy Scriptures; and here in the next few verses we get an example of why that is so important. […]The post Lesson 20 – Genesis 19 & 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 19 – Chapter 19 The point of Torah Class is to study the Holy Scriptures, and not to establish or learn doctrines; nor are we a class that centers on topical discussions. However, as I said in the introduction to Torah Class several months ago, while we’re generally going to go verse-by-verse through […]The post Lesson 19 – Genesis 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 18 – Chapters 18 and 19 Last week we started the story of the 3 men suddenly appearing to Abraham, that he brought them to his tent, and that they sat down and ate what was prepared for them. There is much disagreement on whether these were men, or angels, or some of […]The post Lesson 18 – Genesis 18 & 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 17 – Chapters 17 and 18 Today we begin Genesis chapter 17. It’s a pretty long chapter, so we’re going to break it up a bit. We’ll start by reading the first 14 verses. READ GEN 17:1-14 In the first part of chapter 17, we are given a benchmark: Avraham is 99 years old […]The post Lesson 17 – Genesis 17 & 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 16 – Chapters 15 and 16 READ GENESIS CHAPTER 15:12 to end Let’s look at verses 15 and 16 a little closer. As I have taught you on a few occasions, there was no concept of “dying and going to heaven” in Abraham’s era; in fact, that concept is nowhere to be found […]The post Lesson 16 – Genesis 15 & 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 15 – Chapters 14 and 15 It’s amazing what becomes clearer when we put the Jewishness that was removed like an inflamed Appendix out of the Bible, back into the Bible…. And a prime example is the story of Abraham and Melchizedek. The traditional Roman and Western Church’s answer to “who is Melchizedek” has […]The post Lesson 15 – Genesis 14 & 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 14 – Chapter 14 Before we discuss this chapter, I’d like to take a few minutes to discuss something of a general, but important, nature concerning the Bible. And, it involves a rather scholarly and legal term: the word is “redacted”. Redacted is a word you’re going to hear with some regularity in Torah […]The post Lesson 14 – Genesis 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 13 – Chapter 13 While Torah Class is all about studying the first 5 books of the Bible….the Torah…..it also is probably the most profitable for us when we can understand the relevance it has for us in our day and age, and apply it to our lives. It’s said by many preachers and […]The post Lesson 13 – Genesis 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 12 – Chapters 12 and 13 READ Gen 12: 4- end We begin by now understanding that a God-created covenant is nothing less than a new or modified law of nature. There is no other word we can come up with that expresses the unfathomable force of a covenant. A promise, a contract, a […]The post Lesson 12 – Genesis 12 & 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 11 – Chapter 12 READ GEN 12:1-3 God, Adonai (means Lord or Master), makes a covenant with Abraham (still called Avram at this moment). This covenant occurs while Abraham was residing in Haran, up in Mesopotamia. And, basically what occurs is that God tells Abraham to leave Haran, and go where God will […]The post Lesson 11 – Genesis 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 10 – Chapters 10 and 11 The importance of Genesis chapters 10 and 11 is that they are the bridge from the beginning of the New World, after the Flood, to the greatest of the Biblical patriarchs, Abraham. As brief as these two chapters are, we get a linkage of genealogy between Shem and […]The post Lesson 10 – Genesis 10, 11, & 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 9 – Chapters 9 and 10 Open your Bibles to Genesis 9. We’ve been studying Genesis 9. To get us back on track from last week, I’m going to read from verse 18 to the end of Genesis 9. In V18 of Chapter 9, the NEW history of man begins; let’s explore that […]The post Lesson 9 – Genesis 9 & 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 8 – Chapters 8 and 9 READ Genesis 8 all Just as chapter 7 began with the comforting words that God invited the righteous family of Noach into the safety of the Ark, chapter 8 tells us that God “remembered” Noah. But, the verse doesn’t stop there; it says He also remembered all the […]The post Lesson 8 – Genesis 8 & 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 7 – Chapters 6 and 7 We spent all of our time last week discussing evil and where it came from, and what role it plays in our lives. I’m not going to review it because we need to move on. So either get the CD or listen to it online at www.torahclass.com if […]The post Lesson 7 – Genesis 6 & 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 6 – Chapter 6 Something was said last week in Genesis 6:13 that is going to cause us to go off on a fascinating (and certainly controversial) detour today. CJB Genesis 6:13 God said to Noach, “The end of all living beings has come before me, for because of them the earth is […]The post Lesson 6 – Genesis 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 5 – Chapters 4, 5, and 6 Last week we examined what really amounts to the primary reason that we have a Bible and why (in a few chapters) there will be such a thing as a Hebrew created because from Genesis forward the concept of sin and the need for atonement is […]The post Lesson 5 – Genesis 4, 5, & 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 4 – Chapters 3 and 4 Today we’re going to study Genesis chapter 3, so let’s jump right into our Scripture reading. READ GEN. 3 all The great Jewish Rabbis and sages of long ago point to something rather interesting in verse 1 about the serpent: the serpent was different from the wild animals […]The post Lesson 4 – Genesis 3 & 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 3 – Chapter 2 Let’s begin today’s lesson by raeding Genesis chapter 2. READ GENESIS 2 all Here we discover two more important fundamentals: 1) that God has blessed and made holy one day per week, the 7 th, and 2) that He rested in that day so that all that He had created […]The post Lesson 3 – Genesis 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
GENESIS Lesson 2 – Chapter 1 READ GEN.1 ALL We could spend several weeks just in Genesis 1 but I’m going to assume that most of you have some basic knowledge of this chapter; and because what came first, second, third and so on is plainly stated and pretty straightforward there’s not a lot of […]The post Lesson 2 – Genesis 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Genesis Lesson 1 – Introduction Today we start a journey that millions of Hebrews and Christians have taken over the last 3000 years. We are going to study the Torah, which is the first and oldest section of the original Hebrew Bible. Torah: a word that few Christians have ever heard of, […]The post Lesson 1 – Genesis Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 21, Chapter 10 Conclusion END This lesson will end the Book of Ezra. Has it not been eye-opening how much of what Ezra experienced and his goal of reforming the seriously degraded Hebrew religion in his day is so similar to the state of 21 st century Judeo-Christianity? The crux of the disease […]The post Lesson 21 – Ezra 10 Concl. (End of Book) appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 20, Chapter 10 Continued As we near the end of our study of Ezra, we’ve got some loose ends to tie up. I’ll incorporate some thoughts today that perhaps haven’t been as self-evident as some of the other ones that have surfaced. So let’s begin our continuation of the 10 th chapter of […]The post Lesson 20 – Ezra 10 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 19, Chapter 10 As we enter the home stretch in our study of Ezra, we find ourselves neck deep in principles and applications that surprisingly transfer from Ezra’s era to our own in a near seamless way. One application that I’d like to present to you in regard to Ezra’s attempt to return […]The post Lesson 19 – Ezra 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 18, Chapter 9 Conclusion Principle after principle, application after application erupts out of Ezra chapters 9 and 10 that are surprisingly illustrative of how modern Believers (Christian and Messianic) are to relate to God’s laws and commandments. Ezra’s era was almost a millennia apart from when God gave Moses the Law, and so […]The post Lesson 18 – Ezra 9 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 17, Chapter 9 Continued We have entered a hard hitting, sobering, meddling portion of Ezra and I have some things I need to say today. We’re also going to add in an important detour and so we’ll still be in chapter 9 after today; there’s much that comes together here so I ask […]The post Lesson 17 – Ezra 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 16, Chapters 8 and 9 For rightly dividing God’s Holy Scriptures, context is the key. Without proper context we follow rabbit trails to nowhere, or worse, we establish dubious doctrines based on misunderstanding, unaware of what we’ve done. So we’re going to spend a little time this morning adding more background to our […]The post Lesson 16 – Ezra 8 & 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 15, Chapter 8 continued We took some time last week to back away and get a broad perspective of the Book of Ezra that spans from chapters 1 through 7, before beginning the home stretch of chapters 8, 9, and 10. Our purpose is not merely to know the history of the times […]The post Lesson 15 – Ezra 8 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 14, Chapter 8 Thus far in Ezra we have traversed an uneven landscape full of details, dates, Kings and history. I applaud you for hanging in there. So before we begin Chapter 8 let’s pause, take a deep breath, jump into our hot air balloon and float upward for a panoramic view that […]The post Lesson 14 – Ezra 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 13, Chapter 7 I’ve stated on more than one occasion during our study of the Book of Ezra that it feels as though we are traveling through a time warp and reliving the Book of Ezra in our day. As we found to begin chapter 7 last week, the issue of the Temple […]The post Lesson 13 – Ezra 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 12, Chapters 6 and 7 It is a fascinating and unique style of the Holy Bible to thoroughly, carefully, and some times to expansively document God’s instructions to a Prophet or a King or to His people in general (as with the Law of Moses), but then instead of elaborating on His worshippers […]The post Lesson 12 – Ezra 6 & 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 11, Chapters 5 and 6 We’ll conclude chapter 5 of Ezra this week and get well into chapter 6. What has taken us so long is that we have chosen this point in the book of Ezra to pause to examine the prophets Haggai and Zechariah who arose to both encourage and warn […]The post Lesson 11 – Ezra 5 & 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 10, Chapter 5 continued (2) We’ll continue today with the Book of Ezra, but we’ll also continue our detour into the books of the prophets who prophesied concerning the Temple and Jerusalem in that era. There are so many valuable principles and lessons that are directly applicable to us when we include the […]The post Lesson 10 – Ezra 5 Cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 9, Chapter 5 continued We’ll continue today with the Book of Ezra; however we are in the midst of a substantial detour to look at the invaluable contributions that the Prophets Haggai and Zechariah made to the rebuilding of the Temple. These two Prophets were, predictably, bringing to the Jewish returnees the encouraging and […]The post Lesson 9 – Ezra 5 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 8, Chapter 5 If ever there was proof that history is cyclical and that God-patterns repeat themselves endlessly, then we ought to readily see the fascinating similarities between the challenges that the Jews of Ezra’s day faced trying to re-establish their unique Torah-based Hebrew culture in their own historic homeland after years of […]The post Lesson 8 – Ezra 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 6, Chapters 3 and 4 As we continue in Ezra chapter 3 today, let’s review last week for just a moment. Let us always keep in mind that the underlying foundation for both Ezra and Nehemiah is the zealous desire of many thousands of emancipated Jewish exiles for restoration and renewal of proper Yehoveh […]The post Lesson 6 – Ezra 3 & 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 5, Chapters 2 and 3 We will continue in Ezra chapter 2 to begin our lesson today. What we’ve seen thus far in the Book of Ezra is what we can call “the preliminaries”. Chapter 1 begins by recording the official end of the Babylonian exile, and it ends by means of Media-Persia, led […]The post Lesson 5 – Ezra 2 & 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 7, Chapter 4 If Ezra and Nehemiah (which is the story of the return of the Jews to Judah and the rebuilding of the Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem) demonstrate one thing that is rather easy for us to identify with, it is that a religious conviction is often mistakenly perceived by […]The post Lesson 7 – Ezra 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
EZRA Lesson 3, Chapter 1 After an extensive introduction, we’ll open the Book of Ezra for the first time today. It’s a short chapter, but we’re going to go into some detail that will help us the rest of the way through Ezra and then Nehemiah. First, however, to keep things in perspective, and to […]The post Lesson 3 – Ezra 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 4, Chapter 2 The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are commonly referred to as the story of the restoration of Judah (or Israel) that comes at the end of their 70 year Babylonian exile. But restoration in what sense? Typically it is meant as the restoration of the Temple and the re-establishment of Judah […]The post Lesson 4 – Ezra 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 2, Introduction Cont. The first half of our introduction to Ezra began last week, and we took the time to look at the books of Ezra and Nehemiah from the distant view and discussed how there are aspects of the story of the return to Judah of many of the Jewish exiles that are […]The post Lesson 2 – Ezra Introduction Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 1, Introduction Part 1 The beginning of our introduction to the Book of Ezra (which is heavily intertwined with the Book of Nehemiah) will take us on a bit different path than you’re accustomed to. There’s a couple of major points that I would like to make today that has much to do with […]The post Lesson 1 – Ezra Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 32 – Chapters 34, 35, 36, and 37 We are really going to accelerate now, until the end of the book of Exodus. In fact this lesson and next weeks lesson will conclude the book of Exodus, and then it’ll be on to Leviticus…..a truly fascinating study. As we continue our study in […]The post Lesson 32 – Exodus 34, 35, 36, & 37 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 33 – Chapters 38, 39, and 40 (End of Book) Beginning last week we have been reading of the actual construction of the Tabernacle; and the reason we have not examined it all closely is because it is a repeat of the specifications given much earlier in Exodus. Why this tedious repetition and […]The post Lesson 33 – Exodus 38, 39, & 40 (End of Book) appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 30 – Chapters 31 and 32 We continue in our study of Exodus 31 this week with the section beginning in verse 12 concerning the Sabbath….in Hebrew, Shabbat. Let’s re-read this rather short section to refresh our memories. RE-READ EXODUS 31:12 to end The Sabbath is God’s Law about observing sacred time, just […]The post Lesson 30 – Exodus 31 & 32 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 31 – Chapters 33 and 34 Let’s be very clear where Israel stands with God at this moment in Exodus: the Mosaic Covenant has been broken and is not in operation and therefore Israel’s relationship with God is broken; all the result of idol worship of the Golden Calf. The result of Israel […]The post Lesson 31 – Exodus 33 & 34 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 29 – Chapters 30 and 31 Today we’re going to continue to study various aspects of the Tabernacle; it’s furnishings, and the priesthood that the Lord is establishing. All of these things are designed to accomplish a way for Him to dwell among His people, Israel. Let’s read Exodus chapter 30 together. READ […]The post Lesson 29 – Exodus 30 & 31 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 27 – Chapters 26, 27, and 28 In chapter 25, Yehoveh gave instructions on the 3 primary furnishings that are to be placed inside the Tabernacle’s sanctuary: the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Showbread, and the Menorah (the Golden Lamp Stand). Beginning in chapter 26 we get the instructions for the […]The post Lesson 27 – Exodus 26, 27, & 28 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 28 – Chapters 28 and 29 We ended part way through chapter 28 last week and were just getting into the garb of the Levite priests. Pardon me for being repetitive, but we need to remember that it was the tribe of Levi that was set part as the priestly tribe for God. […]The post Lesson 28 – Exodus 28 & 29 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 25 – Chapter 25 Last week we ended by discussing the connection between the symbols of the tribes of Israel, and how these tribes were arranged into divisions and placed in a precise pecking order surrounding the Wilderness Tabernacle, with the strange spiritual creatures the Bible sometimes calls Living Beings who surround God’s […]The post Lesson 25 – Exodus 25 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 24 – Chapters 24 and 25 For the last several chapters of Exodus we have witnessed Yehoveh present His covenant to the people of Israel. Unlike the covenants the Lord had made with Noah and Abraham (which were really more the form of promises of God and therefore didn’t require a formal acceptance […]The post Lesson 24 – Exodus 24 & 25 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 26 – Chapter 25 Continued As the beginning of the lesson, today, I want to play the video for you that I had hoped to play last week but had technical difficulties. It’s only a 28-minute video about the Tabernacle, but it is well done. The resolution of the video isn’t real good, […]The post Lesson 26 – Exodus 25 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 22 – Chapters 21 and 22 Last week, a lot of you walked out with headaches and puzzled looks as we started our study of “The Law” with an extensive expose’ on Exodus 21:1. You’ll be relieved to know that this week isn’t going to be nearly so intense. However, it is my […]The post Lesson 22 – Exodus 21 & 22 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 23 – Chapters 22 and 23 Let’s continue with our study of Exodus chapter 22 by reading from verse 18 to the end of the chapter. READ EXODUS 22:18 – end As quickly and matter of fact-ly that we’re told of these acts which must immediately bring death upon the offender, beginning in […]The post Lesson 23 – Exodus 22 & 23 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 20 – Chapter 20 Conclusion As we move forward in our study of the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, we have finally moved past the more controversial parts and get into areas that are a bit more comfortable. So, you can relax. RE-READ Ex.20:12 The 5th Word enjoins children to show proper respect, and […]The post Lesson 20 – Exodus 20 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
EDODUS Lesson 21 – Chapter 21 Chapter 21 of Exodus begins with these simple and straightforward words from YHWH: “ Now these are the rulings you are to present to them….. Well, maybe not so simple after all; Exodus 21 is one of those chapters that has to be looked at very carefully because some […]The post Lesson 21 – Exodus 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 18 – Chapter 20 Continued Today we continue a deep and detailed look at what among the Church is labeled as The Ten Commandments. How could such a standard icon of the Christian Church as the 10 Commandments be labeled as controversial? That’s what we began with last week in our study of […]The post Lesson 18 – Exodus 20 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 17 – Chapter 20 READ CHAPTER 20 all The content of our study for this week, the next, and probably a few more after that is complex, at times controversial, and not for the feint of heart. But, if you will determine to focus your mind on what we’ll discuss, and ask God, […]The post Lesson 17 – Exodus 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 19 – Chapter 20 Continued 2 Today we continue our extensive study of what is popularly known as The Ten Commandments of Exodus 20. Last week we studied two very controversial commands…..or more accurately translated, WORDS….that of not using the Lord’s name in vain, and of the prohibition against making images and symbols […]The post Lesson 19 – Exodus 20 Cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 15 – Chapters 17 and 18 As we leave behind the establishment of a daily food supply for the Israelites, something called Man hu (meaning “what is it?”), let’s move in to Exodus chapter 17. READ EXODUS CHAPTER 17 all As the 17th chapter of Exodus opens, we have the Israelites leaving the […]The post Lesson 15 – Exodus 17 & 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 16 – Chapters 18 and 19 Last week we got a little way into Exodus chapter 18, and ended where Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro (Yitro in Hebrew) brought Moses’ wife and 2 sons to him for a reunion. And, we find that much news had reached Yitro about some of the amazing incidents that […]The post Lesson 16 – Exodus 18 & 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 13 – Chapters 15 and 16 At our introduction to the study of Exodus, we divided it up into 6 parts, simply for the sake of giving us a kind of structure to help us navigate through the various stages of Israel’s redemption from Egypt, formation as a nation, and receiving of the […]The post Lesson 13 – Exodus 15 & 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 14 – Chapter 16 Last week we just started in our study of Exodus 16; this week we’re going to continue that study and talk about the provision of Manna to sustain Israel. But unlike the Sunday School version there is much more to this episode than meets the eye. So, let’s begin […]The post Lesson 14 – Exodus 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 11 – Chapters 12 and 13 Last week we saw that the King of Egypt finally released God’s people, but not until Egypt was decimated. The livestock was dead, the field and tree crops were destroyed, and now hundreds of thousands of Egyptian males…..including the Pharaoh’s own heir to the throne….. were deceased. […]The post Lesson 11 – Exodus 12 & 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 12 – Chapters 13 and 14 Last week we viewed a documentary film that brought together information that has been known for centuries, with newer findings that shoot a lot of holes in the traditional route of the Exodus. We certainly are not going to solve in this class what learned scholars over […]The post Lesson 12 – Exodus 13 & 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 9 – Chapters 10 and 11 We’re nearing the end of the strokes, or plagues, against Egypt that Abba has ordained in order that Pharaoh will agree to release the Hebrews from their bondage. So far, nothing’s worked. Pharaoh’s heart has become progressively intransigent in proportion to the escalating severity of the calamities […]The post Lesson 9 – Exodus 10 & 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 10 – Chapter 12 This chapter of Exodus is almost a book unto itself. Here, the festival, or ordinance, of the Passover, Pesach, is established. In fact, another God-ordained feast, the Festival of Unleavened Bread, is also laid out. The important details and timing and who may participate and who may not are […]The post Lesson 10 – Exodus 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 7 – Chapter 7 Last week Exodus chapters 5 and 6 began the preparation for the Lord to force Pharaoh to give up the Israelites and allow them to leave. Moses and Aaron were in Egypt, they had confronted Pharaoh with the mildest demand that would be put on him: let My people […]The post Lesson 7 – Exodus 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 6 – Chapters 5 and 6 This week we begin Exodus chapter 5; and I’m going to change up on you a bit. Usually I read from the Complete Jewish Bible, but this time I’ll read from a version called “The Scriptures”. And, it is for one reason only: everywhere that the original […]The post Lesson 6 – Exodus 5 & 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 8 – Chapters 8 and 9 Last week we saw the plagues, or better “strokes” against Egypt, begin. The opening volley was that the Nile River was turned to blood. And, as we discussed, the Hebrew term for blood, dam, also denoted the color red, and meant blood-like; so the water in the […]The post Lesson 8 – Exodus 8 & 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 4 – Chapter 3 Last week we ended with Moses on his way to the backside, or the far side, of the wilderness of Midian. And, I made the case for you that the mountain where Moses would encounter the Burning Bush was NOT on the Sinai Peninsula, but on the Arabian Peninsula. […]The post Lesson 4 – Exodus 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 5 – Chapter 4 Let’s continue our study of Exodus as we move, today, into chapter 4. Last time we met, we were in the midst of the Burning Bush theophany. I say theophany because indeed that kind of direct interaction between God and a man by which God manifests Himself in some visible […]The post Lesson 5 – Exodus 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 3 – Chapters 2 and 3 Last week, the stage was set for us, and the actors were introduced. We were given the condition of the Israelites in Egypt…..as oppressed slave laborers……..and why they were in that condition…..because the NEWEST King of Egypt didn’t honor Joseph’s memory or promises. Further, we learned that […]The post Lesson 3 – Exodus 2 & 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 2 – Chapter 1 Last week we discussed that the noted Hebrew Bible scholar, Everett Fox, chose a method to look at Exodus that involved dividing it into 6 divisions. Today, we enter the first of the divisions that he calls the “Deliverance Narrative”. It starts at 1:1, and continues through Chapter 15. […]The post Lesson 2 – Exodus 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
ESTHER Week 10, Chapters 9 and 10 END We’ll conclude our study of Esther today. For me, Esther has been an excellent example of what happens when serious students of the Scriptures (you) take the time to examine God’s Word and accept it for what it says within the context and setting of the times. […]The post Lesson 10 Esther Chapter 9, 10 End appeared first on Torah Class.
ESTHER Week 9, Chapter 8 We ended last time about halfway through chapter 8 and things are moving very rapidly now. Like it is with so many Bible characters, when we take the Scriptures for what they actually say and add in the cultural context and known history of the time, we see a bit […]The post Lesson 9 Esther Chapter 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
EXODUS Lesson 1 – Introduction Today, we start what I think you will find to be an exciting, eye-opening, and (I hope) spirit-filled adventure into the 2 nd book of the Torah……Exodus. And, to set the table for what it is we’ll study, and where it will take us, I would like to spend a […]The post Lesson 1 – Exodus Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
ESTHER Week 7, Chapters 5 and 6 We are in Esther chapter 5 and as we began to examine it last week we found Esther in the inner courtyard of the palace, going there unannounced and uninvited. Esther has forced this confrontation with the king at the urging of her step father Mordechai in hopes […]The post Lesson 7 Esther Chapters 5 and 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
ESTHER Week 8, chapters 7 and 8 We cannot get away from the reality of the Spirit of Amalek playing a significant role in our story of Esther and the intended annihilation of the Jews by Haman. I coupled this biblical incident with the modern day conundrum that dominates so much international diplomatic mental time […]The post Lesson 8 Esther Chapters 7 and 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
ESTHER Week 5, Chapters 3 and 4 We got started in Chapter 3 of Esther last week, but spent most of our time discussing the issue of the identity of Haman (the wicked villain in our story). In verse 1 we hear: CJB Esther 3:1 Some time later King Achashverosh began to single out Haman […]The post Lesson 5 Esther Ch 3 and 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
ESTHER Week 6, Chapters 4 and 5 If there is one theme woven through the Book of Esther that brings it all together it is that of God’s determination to preserve the Jewish nation from extinction, and thus the reason for the celebration of Purim. Never before in the history of the Hebrews, prior to […]The post Lesson 6 Esther chapters 4 and 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
ESTHER Week 3, Chapter 2 The reason that I chose to present you with the Book of Esther is its historical and chronological position in Israel’s history. It bridges the exile to Babylon with their return to Judah and rebuilding of the Temple that we find becoming fruitful in Ezra and Nehemiah’s time. So today […]The post Lesson 3 Esther Ch. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
ESTHER Week 4, Chapters 2 and 3 As we left off last week in Esther chapter 2, Esther was now residing in the royal harem in Susa (she and her adoptive father Mordechai were already living in Susa at the time). We noticed that the Bible gives us no implication that Esther was kidnapped, forced […]The post Lesson 4 Esther Ch. 2 and 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
ESTHER Week 1, Introduction Today we begin our study of the Book of Esther, in earnest. And as is our custom, we begin with an introductory overview. Last week we viewed an instructional film about Esther that gives us a good mental picture of the context and general happenings in this biblical book. For those […]The post Lesson 1 Intro to Esther appeared first on Torah Class.
ESTHER Week 2, Chapter 1 Chapter 1 of Esther is not part of the main plot; rather some of the primary players are introduced and the scene is set. After all, this is a story, told by an expert story teller, and so it is structured in that fashion. Here the royal life of Persian […]The post Lesson 2 Esther ch. 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 48 – Chapter 33 We are quickly approaching the end of our in-depth study of the first 5 books of the Bible. I am sure that many of you have now fully grasped just how important to our faith in Christ that it is to set its foundation upon the Torah, and to set […]The post Lesson 48 – Deuteronomy 33 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 49 – Chapters 33 and 34 ( End of Book) This week we complete our nearly 5- year long journey through the Torah. After we complete the Torah we will begin the book of Joshua. Part of the reason for proceeding this way is because Joshua is often called the sixth book of […]The post Lesson 49 – Deuteronomy 33 & 34 (End of Book) appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 46 – Chapter 32 Continued 2 It has always been the chief purpose of Torah Class to demonstrate that far from the Old Testament being abolished or irrelevant, rather it is alive, vital to our understanding of God and His plan, and contemporary to our day. No section of the Torah better exemplifies […]The post Lesson 46 – Deuteronomy 32 Cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 47 – Chapter 32 Conclusion As we continue in this Song of Moses of Deuteronomy chapter 32 I want to begin as we did last week in summarizing a couple of divine principles that have been a work-in-progress since the book of Genesis. These principles are at the forefront of what is being […]The post Lesson 47 – Deuteronomy 32 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 44 – Chapter 32 Last week was essentially a preparation for what we’ll study today. We ended the lesson by briefly discussing the history of the means by which the Bible that is in use today came about including its progression from the beginning books of Moses (called the Torah) on up to […]The post Lesson 44 – Deuteronomy 32 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 45 – Chapter 32 Continued Last week we began our study of this so-called Song of Moses that forms the basis for Deuteronomy chapter 32. This work is very deep; it explains principles that are practical and prophetic, revealed and mysterious. It explains matters in a duality (meaning from two simultaneous perspectives): the […]The post Lesson 45 – Deuteronomy 32 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 43 – Chapter 31 Continued As we near the completion of the book of Deuteronomy, we are witnessing the transition of Israel’s leadership from Moses to Joshua. In chapter 31 we see the actual consecration ceremony of Joshua and of the Lord calling Moses and Joshua to the tent of meeting where Yehoveh […]The post Lesson 43 – Deuteronomy 31 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 41 – Chapters 29 and 30 We continue today in our study of Deuteronomy 29 whereby Moses is presenting the curses and the blessings of the Law in summary form. All of Israel is present, even the foreigners who have joined up with Israel, for this sermon of exhortation by the anointed leader […]The post Lesson 41 – Deuteronomy 29 & 30 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 42 – Chapter 31 Before we get into Deuteronomy chapter 31 I would like to take a few minutes to discuss something interesting about the chapter that we just completed, Deuteronomy 30. Turn your Bibles to the opening verses of Deuteronomy chapter 30. CJB Deuteronomy 30:1 “When the time arrives that all these […]The post Lesson 42 – Deuteronomy 31 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 40 – Chapter 29 Last week we finished up examining the long list of threats in Deuteronomy 28 that God made on Israel should they violate the terms of the Mosaic Covenant. These threats are called curses and some are of the most extreme nature. In fact chapter 28 actually prophesied that Israel […]The post Lesson 40 – Deuteronomy 29 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 38 – Chapter 28 Deuteronomy chapter 28 is the mid-point of this special 4-chapter section of Deuteronomy that runs from chapters 26 through 30. These chapters are among the most studied and revered by the Hebrew Sages and Rabbis, for the meaning and impact of these passages is at once straightforward AND simultaneously […]The post Lesson 38 – Deuteronomy 28 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 39 – Chapter 28 Continued We began the very long chapter 28 of Deuteronomy last week and we’ll finish it up this week. Settle in and get comfortable, because we have a great deal to accomplish tonight. The first section that was verses 1 – 14 entail a reciting of the blessings that […]The post Lesson 39 – Deuteronomy 28 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 37 – Chapter 27 Last time we met we were part way into a new section of Deuteronomy that covers from chapters 26 – 30; and what makes this section substantially different than the previous 14 chapters is that the nature of the sermon being given by Moses changes. Chapters 12 – 26 […]The post Lesson 37 – Deuteronomy 27 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 35 – Chapters 25 and 26 Last week we ended our discussion of Deuteronomy chapter 25 with some laws that revolve around God’s principle of fundamental fairness among one another. Those laws were given in the context of a wife who intervened in a fight her husband was having with another man, and […]The post Lesson 35 – Deuteronomy 25 & 26 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 36 – Chapters 26 and 27 We started Deuteronomy chapter 26 last week and we’ll finish that this week and get well into chapter 27. Chapter 26 began a 4-chapter section that marks the end of a kind of lengthy review and reminder of the Law as given on Mt. Sinai and begins […]The post Lesson 36 – Deuteronomy 26 & 27 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 34 – Chapter 25 This week we start Deuteronomy chapter 25; and in these verses are 5 laws about humanitarian and social concerns, followed by an instruction that Israeli’s are to always remember what the Amalekites did to them and to despise them for it (and to eventually annihilate them). Let’s begin by […]The post Lesson 34 – Deuteronomy 25 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 33 – Chapter 24 We got a little way into Deuteronomy chapter 24 last time and we’ll continue with that today. We ended by discussing an inscrutable truth of the Bible that is not always easy to recognize: the progression of patterns from the time of the Creation all the way through the […]The post Lesson 33 – Deuteronomy 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 32 – Chapters 23 and 24 We’ll finish up Deuteronomy 23 today and move into chapter 24. The last verses of chapter 23 that we looked at were 18 and 19, the matter of the prostitutes who worked for a pagan Temple as a supposedly holy profession simply because it profited those who […]The post Lesson 32 – Deuteronomy 23 & 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 31 – Chapter 23 Continued We concluded last week after discussing only the first couple of verses of Deuteronomy chapter 23, and there is so much here in this chapter that we still won’t finish it today. Rabbi Baruch recently published a superb article on our TorahClass.com website entitled “Jewish Identity and the […]The post Lesson 31 – Deuteronomy 23 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 30 – Chapter 23 Deuteronomy Chapter 22 took the concept of adultery to a new level and explains it in the motif of “illicit mixtures”. While we tend to think of adultery in purely sexual terms in reality to commit adultery is to take anything pure or clean or in its proper or […]The post Lesson 30 – Deuteronomy 23 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 29 – Chapter 22 Continued We began Deuteronomy chapter 22 last week and will continue it today. The first part of the chapter address a series of laws on what the apostle James calls “true religion”, meaning the proper spiritual attitude that a disciple of the God of Israel employs when observing God’s […]The post Lesson 29 – Deuteronomy 22 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 28 – Chapter 22 As we open our Bibles today to Deuteronomy 22, I recall thinking as I was preparing this lesson: “How am I ever going to find the words to explain the profound and far reaching impact of these laws of God to modern day Believers?” This is one of those […]The post Lesson 28 – Deuteronomy 22 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 27 – Chapter 21 Continued We’ll continue this week with Deuteronomy 21. Last time we discussed chapter 21 verses 1-9 and the subject was unsolved murder. As we saw however, this was set in the far larger context of bloodguilt. Bloodguilt occurs when one or more of God’s laws concerning blood have been […]The post Lesson 27 – Deuteronomy 21 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 26 – Chapter 21 Today we begin Deuteronomy chapter 21, and this chapter begins with a very odd ritual that Jewish Rabbis and ancient Hebrew sages have had a hard time explaining. Christian scholars don’t even bother to try. We’ll explore that ritual and see what sense we can make of it. This […]The post Lesson 26 – Deuteronomy 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 24 – Chapters 19 and 20 We finished chapter 18 last week which completed the section of Deuteronomy that described the 4 main types of human governmental authorities that God ordained to rule over Israel: kings, prophets, judges, and priests. As we begin chapter 19 today we enter a 3-chapter section that will […]The post Lesson 24 – Deuteronomy 19 & 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 25 – Chapter 20 We began Deuteronomy chapter 20 last weekend but ended at verse 9. Tonight’s lesson is one of the more difficult ones because the over arching subject is Holy War and I hope you understand that Holy War is a war started by God at His direct command and is […]The post Lesson 25 – Deuteronomy 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 22 – Chapters 16 and 17 We’ve spent the last two lessons in Deuteronomy 16 looking very carefully at some esoteric but clearly important aspects of the Feasts of the Lord, especially the ones that involved the requirement of pilgrimage to the Tabernacle/Temple. Since it is a long and complex subject we won’t […]The post Lesson 22 – Deuteronomy 16 & 17 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 21 – Chapter 16 Continued Last week we ended by discussing some fascinating details about Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, respectively called Pesach and Matza in Hebrew. We’re going to continue that today and won’t fully finish Deuteronomy 16 until next time. There are a couple of reasons that we are […]The post Lesson 21 – Deuteronomy 16 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 23 – Chapters 17 and 18 We were discussing the section of Deuteronomy 17 that dealt with God’s boundaries and limitations on Israel’s civil and religious authorities. And one of the chief principles is that in God’s economy there is NO separation of church and state (so to speak). I’ll not debate the […]The post Lesson 23 – Deuteronomy 17 & 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 19 – Chapter 15 Deuteronomy 15 continues with the Lord’s laws concerning helping the poor and the disadvantaged. God’s character is such that He places the needs of the poor as a high priority; but He also places the responsibility of caring for the poor on the shoulders of every individual in the […]The post Lesson 19 – Deuteronomy 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 20 – Chapter 16 Deuteronomy chapter 16 is a rather expansive portion of the 5 th book of Torah that begins with describing the 3 major Pilgrimage festivals, then moves into discussing the requirements and expectations of the civil and governmental leaders, and finally renews instructions concerning proper worship practices as well as […]The post Lesson 20 – Deuteronomy 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 17 – Chapters 13 and 14 Today we take up Deuteronomy chapter 13. Chapter 12 dealt with the Lord’s command for Israel to uproot and destroy every vestige of the Canaanite mystery religions that were present in the Land of Promise. Israel was to make no compromises nor accept any treaties that permitted […]The post Lesson 17 – Deuteronomy 13 & 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 18 – Chapter 14 Last week we ended part way through Deuteronomy chapter 14; and we spent most of our time discussing the God-principle of the purpose of the human will. During that discussion I told you that the purpose for the human will is to make moral choices; and that a moral […]The post Lesson 18 – Deuteronomy 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 15 – Chapter 12 Continued In order that a platform was established for understanding Deuteronomy chapter 12 and the next several chapters as well, we spent some time examining a handful of the basic God- principles contained within chapter 12. The first principle is the one of the established Covenant pattern; and the […]The post Lesson 15 – Deuteronomy 12 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 16 – Chapter 12 Conclusion Last week we concluded with the section of Deuteronomy 12 in which the Lord has just made a very popular decision: the Israelites can now eat all the meat they want and it does not have to be a limited portion left over from the sacrifices they offer […]The post Lesson 16 – Deuteronomy 12 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 13 – Chapters 10 and 11 Last week we ended in the midst of our study of Deuteronomy 10 by discussing this rhetorical but powerful question asked by Moses as he stood on a hilltop in Moab addressing the chosen people: “And, now, O Israel, what does the YHWH your God demand of […]The post Lesson 13 – Deuteronomy 10 & 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 14 – Chapter 12 This is one of those weeks that we’re going to move along carefully and deliberately because there are some vital spiritual principles to be extracted from even the first couple of verses of Deuteronomy 12. Chapters 1-11 of Deuteronomy were in essence the introduction to what is beginning in […]The post Lesson 14 – Deuteronomy 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 12 – Chapters 9 and 10 We’ll continue today in Deuteronomy chapter 9. Allow me to remind you that Deuteronomy is essentially a sermon by Moses, and so I have been (and will continue) to present Deuteronomy to you in a similar form. It is a reality of the human condition that as […]The post Lesson 12 – Deuteronomy 9 & 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 10 – Chapters 6 and 7 We’ll finish up chapter 6 and move into chapter 7 in our study of Deuteronomy today. Last week we took another look at the Shema , the Hear O Israel, that is both the spiritual and national credo of the Hebrew people……..and it is most certainly the […]The post Lesson 10 – Deuteronomy 6 & 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 9 – Chapter 6 Continued I’d like to ask you for your attention and patience today because the first half of this lesson is significantly different than the last, and the last half deals with one of the more challenging messages I’ve had the privilege to present. One of the most revered Jewish […]The post Lesson 9 – Deuteronomy 6 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 11 – Chapters 8 and 9 In the Jewish Publication Society Torah Commentary, the eminent Bible scholar Jeffry Tigay makes this outstanding observation regarding the opening words of Deuteronomy chapter 8. He says: “Since his message is that Israel should always remember its dependence on God, it is noteworthy that Moses begins with […]The post Lesson 11 – Deuteronomy 8 & 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 7 – Chapter 5 We are now about 80% of the way through the Torah and we have absorbed an enormous amount of detail. As we begin our study of Deuteronomy chapter 5 today let’s pause for just a few minutes to sort of gather our thoughts and gain some perspective. Allow me […]The post Lesson 7 – Deuteronomy 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 8 – Chapter 6 Although we’ve already spoken of it a bit, the focus of Deuteronomy chapter 6 centers on verses 4-9 and especially verses 4 and 5. Verses 4 and 5 are considered so important to the faith of Yehoveh worship that it has been given a separate title: the Shema . […]The post Lesson 8 – Deuteronomy 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 5 – Chapter 4 Last week we ended by studying the Shema, which is perhaps the central tenet of the Hebrew faith. The Shema (which is a combination of a prayer and a statement of fact and faith) actually occurs a couple of chapters ahead of where we are right now (the Shema […]The post Lesson 5 – Deuteronomy 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 6 – Chapter 4 Continued Let’s continue our study of Deuteronomy chapter 4; my personal choice as perhaps one of the 10 most critical and central chapters in all the Bible for understanding the God of Israel, His attributes and character, the principles that under gird ALL of His laws, what happens to […]The post Lesson 6 – Deuteronomy 4 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 3 – Chapters 1 and 2 The last time we met I established a principle for the over-all context of Deuteronomy that I’m going to remind you of form time-to-time: it is that Deuteronomy should be looked at as more of a sermon from Moses than as a direct oracle from the mouth […]The post Lesson 3 – Deuteronomy 1 & 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 4 – Chapters 2, 3, and 4 We continue this week in Deuteronomy chapter 2. And we’ll begin with the instruction of verse 24 for Israel to commence the occupation of the Land of Canaan; or put in another way to fire the first volley in Yehoveh’s Holy War. Let’s re-read from verse […]The post Lesson 4 – Deuteronomy 2, 3, & 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 2 – Chapter 1 Last week we looked at an introduction to Deuteronomy in order to give us some context for studying it. But, make no mistake: the foundation for correctly interpreting this fifth book of the Torah are the previous four books; each builds upon the other. However, in general, we need […]The post Lesson 2 – Deuteronomy 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
DEUTERONOMY Lesson 1 – Introduction Today we begin a study of the final, the fifth, book of Torah, the book of Deuteronomy. We have come a long way, have we not? To this point in Torah we have seen the creation of the world and of mankind, the destruction of the world (and all but […]The post Lesson 1 – Deuteronomy Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
Download all mp3s for this book | Download | How to download Win: Right click on the link then save target as.. Mac: Right click on the link then save link as.. . Lesson 34 – Daniel 12 (End of Book) from Torah Class on Vimeo . Illustrations DANIEL Week 34, chapter 12 END Today […]The post Lesson 34 – Daniel 12 (End of Book) appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 33, Chapters 11 and 12 If it can be fairly said that for the last few months our study of Daniel has been like trying to drink from a fire hose, then the concluding verses of this book are like standing under Niagara Falls. I’d like you to keep your Bibles handy; we’re […]The post Lesson 33 – Daniel 11 & 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 31, Chapter 11 We managed to get only as far as the first 4 verses of Daniel 11 last week. Recall that what we are reading is an oracle delivered to Daniel by an unnamed angel or spiritual being. This is NOT Daniel pronouncing this prophecy; he is only relaying to us what […]The post Lesson 31 – Daniel 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 32, Chapter 11 continued We spent much time following a historical trail of kings and nations last week because it is important to see how the first part of the prophecy of Daniel 11 actually played out. It essentially took us from the end of the Media-Persian Empire, to the new Greek Empire […]The post Lesson 32 – Daniel 11 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 29, chapter 10 Today we begin what is the last segment of the Book of Daniel. Chapters 10 through 12 probably would have been better presented if they were one long chapter in our Bibles (as it was in the original) and not divided into the 3 as we find them today, because […]The post Lesson 29 – Daniel 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 30, chapters 10 and 11 In some ways, everything we’ve studied in Daniel chapters 1 through 9 was a preparation for what we’re studying in chapters 10 through 12. The beginning of the book tells of Judah’s exile to Babylon at God’s hand, due to their rebelliousness and idolatry, which when taken together […]The post Lesson 30 – Daniel 10 & 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 27, chapter 9 continued 2 We’ll not quite finish Daniel 9 today, but we’ll get close. Because Daniel 9 verses 24 through 27 are so difficult and controversial yet crucial we’re going to spend more time with it today, and begin with a brief review of what we studied last week. These verses […]The post Lesson 27 – Daniel 9 Cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 28, Chapter 9 conclusion Today we finally find a way to conclude what is the molten core of modern day End Times prophecies: Daniel chapter 9 and the prophecy of the 70 weeks. We’ll get a bit technical and historical today so that we can understand why Daniel 9 and the 70 weeks […]The post Lesson 28 – Daniel 9 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 25, chapter 9 We only just began to study Daniel chapter 9 last week. And after reading it all we immediately noticed two things: the first part of the chapter is a beautiful, sincere and passionate plea by Daniel to the Lord to accept his confession and repentance on behalf of his fellow […]The post Lesson 25 – Daniel 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 26, chapter 9 continued If there is such a thing as a spiritual Rubik’s Cube, it has to be the prophecy of the 70 weeks as contained in the final verses of Daniel chapter 9. The verses are difficult, the great Hebrew sages have never come to a consensus on their meaning, and […]The post Lesson 26 – Daniel 9 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 23, chapter 8 continued Last week we started our examination of one of the more difficult chapters in Daniel if not the entire bible: Daniel Chapter 8. And we won’t nearly get finished with it this week. And perhaps this is a good time to explain something that you’ve no doubt already noticed: […]The post Lesson 23 – Daniel 8 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 24, chapters 8 and 9 We’ll conclude Daniel 8 today and get started on chapter 9. Chapter 8 is acknowledged among bible scholars as one of the most difficult in the bible. However don’t think that chapter 9 is a piece of cake. Chapter 9 introduces a new element to End Times prophecy, […]The post Lesson 24 – Daniel 8 & 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
Daniel Week 22, chapter 8 Daniel chapter 8 is a first-class maze and expert-level puzzle all rolled into one. But if you want to understand history not just of the End Times but also world history from the time of Nebuchadnezzar onward, than deciphering Daniel is the key. And this is because while the secular […]The post Lesson 22 – Daniel 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 21, chapter 7 conclusion The Son of Man. Who would have thought that such an innocuous phrase, one that most Christians and Messianics have heard countless times, could have so much impact on our faith and understanding of God’s Word. This will be our 3 rd week that we’ve been in Daniel chapter […]The post Lesson 21 – Daniel 7 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 19, chapter 7 continued Today will be one of those lessons that will require all of your focus and attention. It will be one of the more challenging that you will ever hear from me, but it will also be rewarding if you’ll work at it. I’ll begin with quoting a person whose […]The post Lesson 19 – Daniel 7 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 20, chapter 7 continued (2) From my perspective we can only have a credible study of the Book of Daniel by focusing carefully on the “Son of Man” statement in Daniel 7:13. However, as we discussed last week, the preference among modern bible commentators is not to spend much time on that subject […]The post Lesson 20 – Daniel 7 Cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 17, chapters 6 and 7 Last week we dealt with the famous biblical story of Daniel in the lion’s den. This narrative, found in Daniel chapter 6, has been a favorite among children and adults for centuries. On the surface it is a story of bravery and courage in the face of death, […]The post Lesson 17 – Daniel 6 & 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 18, chapter 7 Today and next week in our continuing study of Daniel chapter 7 we are going to go where angels fear to tread, and we’ll probably stick a fork in a few sacred cows. We’re also going to take a detour that I think will add some understanding to the life […]The post Lesson 18 – Daniel 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 15, chapters 5 and 6 We’ll bring Daniel chapter 5 to a close and move into chapter 6 today. We’ve covered up to verse 24; and what we’ve learned is that somewhat recent archeological finds have cleared up some issues regarding the King of Babylon who is the main character of this chapter. […]The post Lesson 15 – Daniel 5 & 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 16, chapter 6 Daniel chapter 6 continues that part of the book that was written in Aramaic. So we find that the focus is on the gentile captors of Judah. And those captors have now transitioned from the Babylonians to the Median-Persian coalition; from the head of gold to the chest and arms […]The post Lesson 16 – Daniel 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 13, Chapters 4 and 5 We are going to get historical and detailed, and you’re going to hear a lot of new names for the first time today; so have your pens and pencils handy. As we ended our study of Daniel chapter 4 last time, the promised divine punishment had come upon […]The post Lesson 13 – Daniel 4 & 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 12, chapter 4 continued We’ve been exploring King Nebuchadnezzar’s tree-dream in Daniel chapter 4 and will continue it today. Chapter 4 is rather unique as the entire chapter is narrated by Nebuchadnezzar himself. So we have an entire chapter of the bible that is the words of a non- believer. At the same […]The post Lesson 12 – Daniel 4 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 14, Chapter 5 We spent almost our entire time together last week dealing with only a couple of issues. First, the transition from Daniel chapter 4 and the long 43-year reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, to chapter 5 and the final days of the Babylonian Empire under another Babylonian King. But, the second matter […]The post Lesson 14 – Daniel 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 10, chapter 3 continued As we continue in Daniel chapter 3, we’ll conclude today the famous story of Shadrakh, Meshakh, and Abednego being thrown into the blazing hot furnace for the sake of their faith. And, I think we are all going to feel the heat of that fire (in one way or […]The post Lesson 10 – Daniel 3 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 11, chapter 4 When we concluded Daniel chapter 3, it was with a proclamation made by King Nebuchadnezzar addressed to (as he modestly puts it) everyone in all the earth. This proclamation essentially ordered all of his subjects (who he reckoned was every last soul on the planet) to show respect for the […]The post Lesson 11- Daniel 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 8, chapters 2 and 3 We will finish up Daniel chapter 2 and get started on chapter 3 today. We’re still examining King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream-statue that consists of 4 parts, each a different metal representing a series of empires. Although the bible will more often than not refer to these empires as kingdoms, […]The post Lesson 8 – Daniel 2 & 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 9, chapter 3 Open your bibles to Daniel chapter 3. We’ll re-read this chapter in sections. I’ll advise you ahead of time that while the last several lessons have been mostly technical and historical; today’s is going to hit home and become personal. RE-READ DANIEL 3: 1 – 7 King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that […]The post Lesson 9 – Daniel 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 6, chapter 2 continued We left off in Daniel chapter 2 as Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar had a series of disturbing dreams. Be aware that we’re not going to come close to finishing chapter 2 in this lesson; there is so much more here than meets the eye. The king called his flock of […]The post Lesson 6 – Daniel 2 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 7, chapter 2 continued (2) We’re still in Daniel chapter 2, and we will today look at Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. To review briefly: Daniel has told Nebuchadnezzar the dream that the King had dreamt but has yet to tell him what it means except in the broadest sense. The King […]The post Lesson 7 – Daniel 2 Cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 5, chapter 2 We finished up Daniel chapter 1 last time. It gave us an historical overview of Daniel from the time that he and his 3 fellow exiles were first taken to Babylon. Then it tells us about an overt attempt by the Babylonian authorities to strip Daniel and company of their […]The post Lesson 5 – Daniel 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 3, Chapter 1 The word most used in modern times to describe the Book of Daniel is probably “controversial”. But it has not always been so. We’ve spent two weeks preparing to study Daniel because we need to understand what the reasons are for the many interpretations of, and the virulent attacks against, […]The post Lesson 3 – Daniel 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 4, chapter 1 continued We found out last time that Daniel was deported to Babylon in 605 B.C., a consequence of the first attack ordered by Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem. This was in response to King Jehoiakim of Judah breaking his 3 year old agreement to be a tribute-paying vassal to Babylon. Jerusalem was […]The post Lesson 4 – Daniel 1 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 1, Introduction Out of the frying pan and into the fire we go, in ways you can hardly imagine just yet. I welcome you all to an exciting, hopefully eye-opening and inspirational study of the incomparable and controversial Book of Daniel. Most Believers have at one time or another studied passages taken from […]The post Lesson 1 – Daniel Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
DANIEL Week 2, Intro part 2 As we continue in our extensive preparation to study the Book of Daniel, I would like to reiterate that the reason for so many commentaries written on Daniel that vary wildly in their interpretations and their conclusions is because of the commentator’s fundamental theology. And the pre-eminent theology of […]The post Lesson 2 – Daniel Introduction Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 13, Chapter 8 Last week in Amos chapter 7 we began studying a series of 4 visions that the Prophet received from The Lord. Because of the place in the Amos manuscript where someone several hundred years ago decided to arbitrarily divide chapter 7 from chapter 8 (remembering that originally […]The post Lesson 13 Ch8 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 14, Chapter 9 End We have arrived at the final chapter of Amos, and so today we will conclude our study of this eye-opening record of revealed prophecy that God, in His mercy, has left to us. It is hard for me not to be hyperbolic in urging you to […]The post Lesson 14 Ch9 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 12, Chapter 7 The 2 main roles of a biblical Prophet were 1) to be an intercessor who is to speak for and defend the people of Israel, and 2) a messenger from Yehoveh who is to announce a warning or a coming judgment. In Amos chapter 7 we find […]The post Lesson 12 Ch7 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 11, Chapter 6 continued 2 We’ll open today by continuing with our detour that re-examines the crucial biblical term elohim; a word that is typically…nearly universally… translated into English as God (singular) or gods (plural). Over the many years of study and teaching, I have come to the conclusion that […]The post Lesson 11 Ch6 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 10, Chapter 6 continued We’ll continue in Amos chapter 6; however, early in this lesson we are going to make a major pivot to a challenging topic that can be a little harrowing to venture into, but it is one that needs to be addressed openly and intellectually honestly, and […]The post Lesson 10 Ch6 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 9, Chapters 5 and 6 When we read the Bible, and especially when we read the Prophets, we are faced with a choice of perspective: to think of these Scriptures as perhaps an interesting, but not particularly relevant, history lesson concerning ancient Israel. Or, we can think of them as […]The post Lesson 9 Ch5 Ch6 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 8, Chapter 5 We are about halfway through the Book of Amos. Surprisingly, if there is an overriding theme to Amos’s prophecy at this point, it must be the matter of social injustice. I want to pause for a few minutes to highlight this, because it can be so easily […]The post Lesson 8 Ch5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 6, Chapters 2 and 3 After spending the last 2 lessons in Amos addressing the mysterious and fascinating matter of the Nephilim, giants, fallen angels, demons and the like, and that apparently the Amorites that Amos spoke of in chapter 2 verse 9 were led by, or perhaps even consisted […]The post Lesson 6 Ch2 Ch3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 7, Chapters 3 and 4 We concluded our Amos study last time at chapter 3 verse 13. There, using the typical biblical metaphor of God behaving as a fierce lion, Amos explained how the wealthy and elite of Samaria…the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Ephraim/Israel…would be judged for […]The post Lesson 7 Ch3 Ch4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 4, Chapter 2 continued As we continue with Amos chapter 2 today, I want to take a moment to look back on, and review, that final section of last week’s lesson as it concerns the matter of morality and the existence of a divine law code. This issue is woven […]The post Lesson 4 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 5, Chapter 2 continued 2 In our previous lesson, we parked ourselves for a time at verse 9 of Amos chapter 2 that reads: CJB Amos 2:9 9 "I destroyed the Emori (the Amorites) before them; though tall as cedars and strong as oaks, I destroyed their fruit above and […]The post Lesson 5 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 3, Chapters 1 and 2 Last time we met we paused our study of Amos chapter 1, and the oracles of judgement against several pagan/gentile nations, to investigate the biblical meaning of the word “love” (ahab or ahav in Hebrew). I cannot sufficiently stress the vital importance of properly understanding […]The post Lesson 3 Ch1 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 2, Chapter 1 continued Overriding all that the prophet Amos tells us is that only Yehoveh, God of Israel, is sovereign over all the earth. So, as we continue today in Amos chapter 1, it is paramount that we keep in mind as the backdrop for the entire book that […]The post Lesson 2 Ch1 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF AMOS Lesson 1, Introduction and Chapter 1 As is our custom in Torah Class, I will get us started on our study of the prophetic Book of Amos with an introduction to this most interesting and enlightening book of Scripture. After the introduction we will begin Chapter 1. The setting for Amos […]The post Lesson 1 Intro Ch1 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 56, Chapters 27 and 28 Today we will arrive at the final chapter of the Book of Acts. Although it seems like the entire book has been mostly about Paul, the first half of Acts actually focused mostly on Peter and the Yeshua movement in the Holy Land. When the […]The post Acts Lesson 56 – Chapter 27 and 28 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 57, Chapter 28 End of Study Today we bring the Book of Acts to a close. It has been a long odyssey and when we complete chapter 28 I’ll briefly review and summarize the book. When we concluded last time, Paul was in the presence of the Jewish leadership of […]The post Acts Lesson 57 – Chapter 28 End of Study appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 55, Chapter 27 There’s something about a sea story that has captivated listeners and readers since there were ships to challenge the awesome power and mystery of the great deep, and survivors to tell their harrowing tales. People who have never been on a boat nor even seen the ocean […]The post Acts Lesson 55 – Chapter 27 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 54, Chapter 26 We’ll begin at verse 9 of Acts chapter 26 today. So open your Bibles there. At the picturesque seaside port city of Caesarea Maritima, the provincial capital for the local region including Judea, Sha’ul is standing before Governor Festus, King Agrippa and Queen Bernice and an assortment of other unnamed dignitaries. […]The post Acts Lesson 54 – Chapter 26 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 53, Chapters 25 and 26 In Acts chapter 25 Paul is standing before the new governor of Judea, Festus, who has been joined by King Agrippa and his sister Bernice. This is not a formal trial, per se. It is more an informational gathering; it is meeting because after hearing Paul’s accusers, and then […]The post Acts Lesson 53 – Chapters 25 and 26 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 51, Chapter 24 As we continue with Acts chapter 24 (and we’re going to go into depth in chapter 24 today due to some seriously important faith issues in these passages), we find Paul standing before the Roman governor, Felix, in the provincial capital city of Caesarea Maritima. The Jewish […]The post Acts Lesson 51 – Chapter 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 52, Chapters 24 and 25 Our last lesson dealt primarily with Paul’s defense to the ludicrous legal charges made by the Sanhedrin, as the trial was being held in front of Governor Felix in the provincial seaside capital of Caesarea Maritima. What made the charges all the more farcical is that as yet it […]The post Acts Lesson 52 – Chapters 24 and 25 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 50, Chapters 23 and 24 This is our 50 th lesson in the Book of Acts. We’ve been at this for a year and the reason for the deliberate pace has, I hope, become apparent. We’ve taken many detours to carefully examine the explosive rise of trust in Yeshua as […]The post Acts Lesson 50 – Chapters 23 and 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 49, Chapter 23 Back in Acts chapter 19 we read this: Acts 19:21 CJB 2 1 Some time later, Sha’ul decided by the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and then go to Yerushalayim. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome.” What we have been studying ever since then […]The post Acts Lesson 49 – Chapter 23 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 48, Chapters 21 and 22 We’ll continue in Acts 21 and then finish up in Acts 22 today. When we left Paul he was in Jerusalem to celebrate Shavuot after spending many years of establishing Believing congregations in Macedonia and Asia. He had just begun to perform the ritual purification […]The post Acts Lesson 48 – Chapters 21, 22 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 47, Chapter 21 We continue in The Book of Acts, which is our necessary primer to give us the context and background for understanding everything that comes in the New Testament following the Gospels (and especially for understanding Paul’s letters). Acts 21 has brought Paul back to Jerusalem from the Aegean Sea region for […]The post Acts Lesson 47 – Chapter 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 46, Chapters 20 and 21 We have a little more to cover to complete Acts chapter 20 and then we’ll move immediately into chapter 21. Paul is in Miletus, a province of Asia, which is a few miles south of Ephesus. He doesn’t think that he has the time to […]The post Acts Lesson 46 – Chapters 20 and 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 45, Chapter 20 Acts chapter 20 finds Paul leaving the tense situation of Ephesus after being caught up in a riot started by the Silversmith guild over his teaching about idols not being real gods. What is important to remember about this event is what it teaches us about how […]The post Acts Lesson 45 – Chapter 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 43, Chapter 19 We just got started in Chapter 19 of Acts last week when we ran out of time. We have much to discuss today that comes from what is written in this chapter; things that most of us have perhaps not considered. The historical significance of this chapter […]The post Acts Lesson 43 – Chapter 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 44, Chapters 19 and 20 It is eye-opening to notice that up until the 19 th chapter of Acts, actual behavioral changes of new Believers coming to faith in Yeshua has not been something we’ve seen. Rather Luke’s focus has been about how Paul and others took the Good News to the Diaspora, the […]The post Acts Lesson 44 – Chapter 19 and 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 42, Chapters 18 and 19 We have been following Paul’s missionary journeys, where he is taking the Good News to the many foreign nations of the Roman Empire (starting with the many Jewish communities) that the Messiah that the Jews had been waiting for has come. He invariably begins by showing up in a […]The post Acts Lesson 42 – Chapter 18 and 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 41, Chapter 18 We continue in the Book of Acts chapter 18 as we see how Paul continued the expansion of the Yeshua movement into places more and more distant from its birthplace in Judea and Galilee. In this chapter we are told about Paul being a tentmaker (and by […]The post Acts Lesson 41 – Chapter 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 40, Chapters 17 and 18 We are in Acts chapter 17 and last week we ended our study with defining the belief systems of two groups that Paul encountered in Athens: the Epicureans and the Stoics. These two groups in no way passed for religions or held themselves up as religions; rather they were […]The post Acts Lesson 40 – Chapter 17 and 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 38, Chapter 16 continued The significance of Acts chapter 16 is that it is what scholars call Paul’s 2 nd missionary journey, and in it we see Paul extending the geographic and ethnic range of his Gospel message beyond the areas where Jews had substantial colonies, and into the more far flung regions of […]The post Acts Lesson 38 – Chapter 16 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 39, Chapter 17 Last week in Acts chapter 16 we saw that Paul and Sila were arrested in the town of Philippi and thrown in jail accused of inciting a riot. It took a miraculous action of God (an earthquake) to free them before any permanent harm was done to […]The post Acts Lesson 39 – Chapter 17 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 37, Chapter 16 Today we will study Acts chapter 16, which is often called Paul’s 2 nd missionary journey. Before we do, I want to take just a short time to sum up what we learned from Acts 15 as it will significantly affect the taking of the Gospel to […]The post Acts Lesson 37 – Chapter 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 36, Chapter 15 continued 3 Last time we looked closely at Acts chapter 15 verse 20, where the supreme leader of The Way, Yeshua’s brother James, says this referring to the new gentile Believers living in Antioch: Acts 15:20 CJB 20 Instead, we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things […]The post Acts Lesson 36 – Chapter 15 cont. 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 35, Chapter 15 continued 2 As we continue our examination of Acts chapter 15, I’ll remind you that we are spending an inordinate amount of time here because this chapter is so crucial to a correct understanding of our faith. But this chapter is also divisive because there are perhaps […]The post Acts Lesson 35 – Chapter 15 cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 34, Chapter 15 continued As we continue in our study of Acts chapter 15 we’ll find ourselves taking a few detours much as we did when studying the Torah. This is necessary to address issues and subjects that are subtly woven into the fabric of Acts 15 so that we […]The post Acts Lesson 34 – Chapter 15 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 33, chapter 15 In a typical English Bible translation the first 14 chapters of Acts contains about 12,400 words. Chapters 15 – 28 (the end of the book) usually contain about 12,500 words; so indeed where we sit today as we study this pivotal 15 th chapter of Acts is at the physical and […]The post Acts Lesson 33 – Chapter 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 32, chapters 14 and 15 Our study of Acts chapter 14 today puts us at the halfway point in our study of Acts, but it also essentially completes the contextual background for understanding what comes next in pivotal chapter 15. So we’ll look at a few things closely today to make sure we have […]The post Acts Lesson 32 – Chapters 14, 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 31, Chapters 13 and 14 At Pisidian Antioch (there were many Antiochs), Paul said this to the synagogue congregation he was addressing as recorded in Acts 13:38 and 39: Acts 13:38-39 CJB 38 “Therefore, brothers, let it be known to you that through this man is proclaimed forgiveness of sins! 39 That is, God […]The post Acts Lesson 31 – Chapters 13, 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 30, chapter 13 continued We’ll continue today in this rather long chapter 13 of the Book of Acts, although we won’t quite finish it. There is much to be learned from this chapter about the person of Paul, and about the formation of the Gospel, and how Paul views its […]The post Acts Lesson 30 – Chapter 13 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 29, Chapter 13 As we concluded Acts chapter 12 last week, the focus that had been mainly on Peter and the goings-on in the Holy Land now shift to Paul and to the foreign lands that were home to the majority of Jews. We have passed a new milestone in […]The post Acts Lesson 29 – Chapter 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 28, Chapter 12 We just barely got into Acts chapter 12 last week, and the first thing we see mentioned in the chapter is that Herod Agrippa is now the King of Judah. The chapter will end with his death. His grandfather Herod the Great was the first Herod to rule, but his death […]The post Acts Lesson 28 – Chapter 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 27, Chapters 11 and 12 Acts chapter 11 explains that after the incident with Cornelius and his household (when the Holy Spirit fell in a Pentecost-like event upon this group of gentiles), that Peter went back to Jerusalem where he faced a barrage of questioning and skepticism by the Believers. […]The post Acts Lesson 27 – Chapter 11 and 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 25, Chapter 10 conclusion We are still in Acts chapter 10. And while we’ll finish it today, the issues that surface from its God-inspired words are most challenging and profoundly important to our faith; so we’ll keep on hacking away at it to try to extract from these passages both the spiritual truth and […]The post Acts Lesson 25 – Chapter 10 conclusion appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 26, Chapter 11 Before we begin Acts 11, I want to take a breather to summarize the high points of our study up to now so that we don’t get too swamped in facts and new terms and lose our way. But before I do that I feel it necessary […]The post Acts Lesson 26 – Chapter 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 24, Chapter 10 continued It is said that to a hammer, everything looks like a nail. So I suppose for me as a Hebrew Roots Bible teacher, Acts chapter 10 looks like one of those places in the Bible that needs to be attacked with great vigor. Therefore as we enter our 2 nd […]The post Acts Lesson 24 – Chapter 10 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 23, Chapter 10 Acts chapter 10 is one I have been looking forward to teaching for some time. It gets into an important subject that causes significant tension between Christians and Jews, and within Christianity and Messianic Judaism; it is the issue of whether the Torah food laws are still binding. Yet, on the […]The post Acts Lesson 23 – Chapter 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 22, chapter 9 continued Acts chapter 9 began with the fierce heretic hunter, Paul, determined to help eradicate this new sect of Judaism that called itself The Way, but whom the other Jewish factions called the Notzrim . But by halfway through the chapter Sha’ul has had a life-changing encounter […]The post Acts Lesson 22 – Chapter 9 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 21, Chapter 9 We began Acts chapter 9 last week but I purposely postponed getting too deep into the Scripture passages to instead focus our attention on the person of Paul; or better Sha’ul , which was his given Hebrew name. Paul is the English version of a Latin word […]The post Acts Lesson 21 – Chapter 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 20, Chapters 8 and 9 In many ways Acts chapter 8 is a significant pivot point. Up to now all the activity concerning the knowledge and spreading of the Good News of the Gospel has taken place in the city of Jerusalem, has been strictly among Jews, and the focus […]The post Acts Lesson 20 – Chapter 8 and 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 18, Chapter 7 continued We are well into Stephen’s speech of Acts chapter 7, which will end in his death by stoning. His speech is essentially a recounting of Israel’s record of unfaithfulness towards God, and being stubbornly resentful towards God’s prophets, beginning with the Patriarchs. His words are not meant to defend himself […]The post Acts Lesson 18 – Chapter 7 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 19, Chapter 8 We have a wide variety of issues that are going to come up today in Acts chapter 8 that I think you’ll find interesting. Last week we concluded Acts chapter 7 with the stoning death of Stephen, the first disciple of Christ to die as a martyr. […]The post Acts Lesson 19 – Chapter 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 16, Chapter 6 continued Ready to get a little “heavy duty” today? I hope so. As we opened Acts chapter 6 last week it was prudent that we take the time to explore some ancient Jewish cultural issues in order for us to better understand not only what was taking place throughout the Book […]The post Acts Lesson 16 – Chapters 6 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 17, Chapter 7 The final words of our last lesson were meant to prepare us for today’s teaching in Acts chapter 7. Here we find Stephen, full of grace and power, standing before the Sanhedrin with a mob of angry Jews wanting to lynch him for supposedly blaspheming Moses, God […]The post Acts Lesson 17 – Chapter 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 15, Chapter 6 We are going to explore some topics today that are as relevant to helping us to understand the Book of Acts as they are challenging to stay focused and to digest. We’re also going to discuss things about the Jewish religious institution that most Jews don’t know much about. If you […]The post Acts Lesson 15 – Chapters 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 14, Chapter 5 continued Amidst the incredible outpouring of God’s Spirit through the miraculous works and deeds of the disciples, what we see in Acts Chapter 5 is a rising level of tension and conflict between the followers of Yeshua and the local Jewish Temple authorities. At first it was […]The post Acts Lesson 14 – Chapter 5 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 13, Chapter 5 I hope you are enjoying the Book of Acts as much as I am enjoying presenting it to you. In our Introduction to Acts I said that this book is the vital bridge from the Old Testament to the New, and I’m sure that by now you are seeing it as […]The post Acts Lesson 13 – Chapter 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 12, chapters 4 and 5 Keep your Bibles handy; we’re going to be doing a lot of reading today in both Testaments. Depending on who does the counting, the New Testament consists of somewhere between 45% and 55% Old Testament quotes. In other words, the Bible characters of the New […]The post Acts Lesson 12 – Chapters 4 and 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 11, Chapter 4 We spent a goodly portion of our previous lesson in Acts creating a kind of diagram to understand just who the various players were in our story, what their titles and positions meant, and what the general social and religious conditions of the Jewish people were living in the Holy Land. […]The post Acts Lesson 11 – Chapter 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 10, Chapters 3 and 4 We’ll continue to go at a measured pace through Acts chapter 3 and on into chapter 4 because there are so many theological implications that pass right by us if we don’t. And when they do come up it behooves us to notice and talk about them. So; because […]The post Lesson 10 – Acts Chapters 3 and 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 9, Chapter 3 continued 2 Before we move on in Acts chapter 3 with our discussion of the cripple who was healed by the power of Yeshua through Peter and John, let’s recall what we learned in our last lesson. We talked about the relationship between sin and sickness and found that the Bible […]The post Lesson 9 – Acts Chapter 3 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 8, Chapter 3 continued Last week we concluded chapter 2 and began chapter 3 of Acts. And what we observed was that when we take these verses within the context of the 2nd Temple Judaism of Jesus’s era, and understand what the cultural mindset and backdrop was for the Bible characters involved and for […]The post Lesson 8 – Acts Chapter 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 7, Chapters 2 and 3 We’ll close out Acts chapter 2 and open chapter 3 today. But first as is our custom, let’s quickly review our previous session. One of the most memorable features of the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell Believers on Pentecost ( Shavuot ), was that the 12 Disciples […]The post Lesson 7 – Acts Chapters 2 and 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 6, Chapter 2 continued 2 Let us continue today in Acts chapter 2. We’re spending an inordinate amount of time in this chapter because there is an inordinate amount of information contained here concerning one of the most monumental events in human history: the arrival of God’s Holy Spirit to indwell God’s worshippers. But […]The post Lesson 6 – Acts Chapter 2 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 5, Chapter 2 continued Before we pick back up with Acts chapter 2 (which we still won’t complete today) and the dawn of a new age brought about by the arrival of “what the Father promised” (the Ruach HaKodesh ), let’s summarize what we discussed last time. The first words […]The post Lesson 5 – Acts Chapter 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 3, Chapter 1 continued Since we are early in our study of the Book of Acts from a Hebrew Roots perspective, I’d like to take just a few minutes to recap what we covered last week. We’re going to be going quite deep in Acts, and it’s going to take time, and it will […]The post Lesson 3 – Acts Chapter 1 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 4, Chapters 1 and 2 Today we will complete Acts chapter 1 and move into chapter 2. We ended last time as Peter emerged as the spokesman of the young Messianic movement. In fact it is probably fair to say that as of the time of his speech to the 120 fellow Believers gathered […]The post Lesson 4 – Acts Chapters 1 and 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 2, Chapter 1 In our introduction to the Book of Acts last week, one of the several reasons that I highlighted for deciding to teach this New Testament book (besides the fact that the Holy Spirit led me to do so), was because it forms the foundational context for understanding […]The post Lesson 2 – Acts Chapter 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 38, chapter 24 END This will be our 38 th and final lesson in 2 nd Samuel. We will have spent 83 lessons in total in the entire Book of Samuel combined (1 st and 2 nd Samuel). Recall that originally what we have today as 4 separate Bible books (1 […]The post Lesson 38 – 2 Samuel 24 (End of Book) appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 1, Introduction Today we cross a bridge; the name of that bridge is the Book of Acts. The dictionary definition of a bridge is: “A structure carrying a road or a path across an obstacle such as a river or a ravine.” The obstacle we are crossing over is the […]The post Lesson 1 – Acts Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 36, chapter 23 Chapter 23 of 2 nd Samuel is divided into two parts: David’s final oracle (some call it his last will and testament) and a listing of David’s special war heroes. The first part is filled with prophetic utterances whereby David is more or less playing the role of a […]The post Lesson 36 – 2 Samuel 23 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 37, chapters 23, 24 We’re not quite going to complete our study of 2 nd Samuel today, but we will next week. I imagine when we started it you didn’t expect that we’d spend almost 11 months in it. Besides the awesome spiritual truths contained here (and in the books of […]The post Lesson 37 – 2 Samuel 23 & 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 35, chapters 22 and 23 As we continue in 2 nd Samuel 22 we’ll start at verse 29. And like last week we’ll do this in small chunks since this is such a long chapter. There are a number of important implications and applications in this week’s study that I think you’ll […]The post Lesson 35 – 2 Samuel 22 & 23 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 34, chapter 22 As we continue in this well-known Song of Thanksgiving of 2 nd Samuel chapter 22, I’ll start by reminding you that this same Song appears in Psalms as the 18 th . We’ll still not finish chapter 22 today, so rich and deep are its lessons for us. This […]The post Lesson 34 – 2 Samuel 22 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 33, chapters 21 and 22 Last time we concluded the disturbing story of King David’s solution for ending a famine (that had been caused by a 3 year drought). There is no doubt that the drought was of divine origins because David inquired of the Lord and the Lord plainly said He […]The post Lesson 33 – 2 Samuel 21 & 22 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 nd SAMUEL Week 32, chapter 21 We’ll pick up today with 2 nd Samuel chapter 21 that begins by explaining that at some point in David’s reign he dealt with a severe famine that lasted for 3 years. Let me remind you that chapters 21 through the end of 2 nd Samuel form a […]The post Lesson 32 – 2 Samuel 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 31, chapters 20 and 21 This 20 th chapter of 2 nd Samuel that is often called Sheva’s Rebellion or revolt shapes today’s lesson. We got a little way into it last week as we found the northern 10-tribe coalition that this chapter tends to refer to as Israel having a contentious […]The post Lesson 31 – 2 Samuel 20 & 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 29, chapter 19 We began this rather long chapter 19 of 2 nd Samuel last week and still won’t finish it today. In a few moments we will read this chapter in its entirety. While every word in the Bible is God- breathed and therefore necessary, purposeful and enlightening, some chapters stand […]The post Lesson 29 – 2 Samuel 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 30, chapter 19 and 20 We’ve got a lot to cover today, and we’ll move along at a pretty good rate. However shortly I’m going to get on a little detour for a few minutes to make a point that some may appreciate but others may not, so please bear with […]The post Lesson 30 – 2 Samuel 19 & 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 nd SAMUEL Week 27, chapters 17 and 18 We began 2 nd Samuel chapter 17 last week, as Absalom and his forces were now running the government of Israel from Jerusalem, and he was even occupying the royal palace named after his father in the City of David. Absalom’s partner in rebellion, Bathsheba’s grandfather […]The post Lesson 27 – 2 Samuel 17 & 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 28, chapters 18 and 19 As we ended our previous lesson, we received a sad (almost embarrassing) narrative of the aged and worn-down King David standing at the gates of Machanayim imploring his war bound army to go gently with Avishalom. One can only imagine the perplexed (even disgruntled) reaction of […]The post Lesson 28 – 2 Samuel 18 & 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 26, chapters 16 and 17 David had barely escaped Jerusalem with his entourage of warriors, advisors, and family when Absalom and his rebel forces arrived. When David heard that a widespread and well organized revolt had happened, and that his own son was its leader, King David fled to the east, […]The post Lesson 26 – 2 Samuel 16 & 17 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 24, Chapter 15 Absalom is going to be nearly successful in his rebellion against his father, King David. It seems as though much of the nation was behind Avishalom , and so David found himself in a position to either use his few remaining loyalists to resist the usurper in what would […]The post Lesson 24 – 2 Samuel 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 25, chapters 15 and 16 We’re going to continue our slow crawl through 2 nd Samuel 15 today because it is so laden with fundamental concepts and patterns that are vitally important to who we are in Christ. We certainly won’t go this painstakingly through the rest of the book, but the […]The post Lesson 25 – 2 Samuel 15 & 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 22, chapter 14 I cannot begin to tell you the challenge I feel in presenting to you the deep matters present in 2 nd Samuel 14. We’ll only be able to delve down so far without getting so bogged down that the time spent will outweigh the benefits. Further the life […]The post Lesson 22 – 2 Samuel 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 23, Chapters 14 and 15 Last week we left off with the wise woman of Tekoa standing before King David, telling him a fabricated story about her supposed plight of being a widow with only one remaining son, but his life was in jeopardy. The problem was that this son had killed […]The post Lesson 23 – 2 Samuel 14 &15 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 21, Chapters 13 and 14 Last week we finished the first half of 2 nd Samuel chapter 13 that reports the horrific incident of David’s firstborn son, Amnon, raping his half-sister Tamar in an act of out-of-control sexual lust. I won’t review the gory details but I do want to remind you […]The post Lesson 21 – 2 Samuel 13 & 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 20, chapter 13 In the previous chapter we saw something that ought to give us great pause, if not perhaps discomfort. It is that although David was forgiven (as an act of grace) by Yehoveh, God of Israel; and although the Lord again showed David favor, neither he nor his family nor […]The post Lesson 20 – 2 Samuel 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 19, chapter 12 continued We will continue to go slow as the crucial God patterns and principles absolutely gush out of the pages of 2 nd Samuel as it concerns the David and Bathsheba affair. And in order to understand them we’re necessarily going to have to connect them with earlier […]The post Lesson 19 – 2 Samuel 12 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 18, chapter 12 As we continue with the story of David and Bathsheba in 2 nd Samuel 12 today, we find ourselves deep into that part of the Bible that causes us to look back to the God-principles set down in the Torah, back to the history of Israel as a people, […]The post Lesson 18 – 2 Samuel 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 17, chapters 11 and 12 We are about halfway through 2 nd Samuel chapter 11, the story of David and Bathsheba. When we last met David had summoned Bathsheba’s husband, Uriyah , from the battlefield in the area of Rabbah and told him to come immediately to Yerushalayim. Uriyah was a […]The post Lesson 17 – 2 Samuel 11 & 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 16, chapter 11 Last week we read 2 nd Samuel chapter 11 (the story of David and Bathsheba) and set the context and background for understanding it. But we also took a little time to discuss the rather lack-of-in-depth approach that Christianity usually has taken to explain this important narrative; and we […]The post Lesson 16 – 2 Samuel 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 14, chapter 9 and 10 After further consideration, I want to spend just a little more time with 2 nd Samuel chapter 9. So indulge me please because the reason is that I see in this chapter an amazing God-pattern and prophecy developed that has direct impact on us. This is (on […]The post Lesson 14 – 2 Samuel 9 & 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 15, chapters 10 and 11 We ended last week by reading a substantial amount of Scripture in Psalms 44 and 60. These two Psalms are directly associated with the time period of the ferocious and dangerous 2 (or perhaps even 3) front war David was fighting against the Ammonites, the Syrians, and […]The post Lesson 15 – 2 Samuel 10 & 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 12, chapter 8 The Book of 2 nd Samuel gives us a good illustration of the various kinds of literature and their purposes that the several anonymous writers and editors wove together in order to reach a coherent story especially concerning the period of Israel’s history when they were ruled by […]The post Lesson 12 – 2 Samuel 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 13, chapter 9 As we enter 2 nd Samuel chapter 9 I want to remind you that precise chronological order is not maintained in the book. And this is because the authors and/or editors were not endeavoring to create a blow-by-blow account of David’s reign but rather they were weaving together the […]The post Lesson 13 – 2 Samuel 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 11, chapter 7 continued nd Samuel 7 is a theological feast, which contains some principles and attributes of God that seem plain enough and even familiar for us, but were apparently not as obvious to David, his prophet Natan, and the Israelite population in general. Rather (as is normal for humans) they […]The post Lesson 11 – 2 Samuel 7 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 10, chapter 7 We embark on 2 nd Samuel chapter 7 today, which is another of those vitally important places in the Bible that could be called a canon within a canon; or a torah within a Torah. This is simultaneously a summary and a mountaintop vista; it is a pause to […]The post Lesson 10 – 2 Samuel 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 9, chapters 6 and 7 2 nd Samuel chapter 6 is the story of the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to the City of David from where it had rested for the past 70 years in the home of Avinadav (a Levite and probably a Priest) located in Kiryat […]The post Lesson 9 – 2 Samuel 6 & 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 7, chapter 5 continued I told you at the beginning of our last lesson that 2 nd Samuel chapter 5 is flowing over with information and issues that are easy to rush right by, but are quite important to our overall progression through the Bible and thus we would make a […]The post Lesson 7 – 2 Samuel 5 cont, appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 8, chapter 6 2 nd Samuel chapter 5 concluded with David’s 2 nd and more decisive victory over the Philistines. The Philistines had been more than a thorn is Israel’s side for the past 3 centuries; they had prevented Israel from living peacefully enough to be able to establish nation status […]The post Lesson 8 – 2 Samuel 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 6, chapter 5 nd Samuel chapter 5 presents us with an opportunity for several detours, and we’ll take some of them. On the surface this chapter seems to be simple and straightforward but in actuality it is full of all kinds of twists, turns, and is brimming with information and mystery that […]The post Lesson 6 – 2 Samuel 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 5, chapters 3 and 4 A corner is about to be turned in the history of Israel. 2 nd Samuel chapter 3 records the story of the final stage of David’s rise to power as the first king of a fully united Israel. Last week we saw that Abner, the military […]The post Lesson 5 – 2 Samuel 3 & 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 4, chapter 3 Chapter 2 of 2 nd Samuel established David, God’s man, as King over Judah and he set up headquarters in Hebron but he had by no means consolidated his power over all of the clans that represented even the Hebrews living in the south of Canaan. While much of […]The post Lesson 4 – 2 Samuel 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND SAMUEL Week 3, chapter 2 David is now king of Judah and residing in Hebron. 2 nd Samuel chapter 2 gives us a very brief accounting of David’s coronation and the circumstance is actually both odd and informative. A good question to ask is: why would a single tribe opt for a king […]The post Lesson 3- 2 Samuel 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 1, Intro and chapter 1 As is customary I begin each new book of the Tanach, the Old Testament, with an introduction so that we have a sense of what to expect. As we are entering the 2 nd book of Samuel today, we’ll have that introduction and even get into the […]The post Lesson1-Intro to 2 Samuel & 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND SAMUEL Week 2, chapters 1 and 2 Saul and Jonathon are dead and so the road is now clear for David’s ascension to the throne of Israel. The writer and editor of the Samuel Scroll has gone to great lengths to demonstrate that David did not murder or overthrow King Saul, whom David continued […]The post Lesson 2- 2 Samuel 1, 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 40, Chapter 25 END OF BOOK Today concludes our nearly one-year study of the Book of 2 nd Kings. It ends with the inevitable exile of Judah to Babylon. I say inevitable because the downward spiritual death-spiral that first enveloped the northern kingdom of Ephraim/Israel also infected the southern kingdom of […]The post Lesson 40 – 2 Kings 25 End of Book appeared first on Torah Class.
ND KINGS Week 39, Chapters 24 and 25 We’re entering the home stretch in our study of 2 nd Kings. This week and next should finish up the book. But what finishing up the book means, is that Judah will then be officially exiled from the Promised Land. At that point, none of the tribes […]The post Lesson 39 – 2 Kings 24 and 25 appeared first on Torah Class.
Week 38, Chapter 24 Although we’re going to start a new chapter today in 2nd Kings, chapter 24, we’re going to continue in what amounts to a heavy-duty bible history lesson, along with an equally heavy dose of application. Last time we ended with the death of righteous King Josiah at the hands of the […]The post Lesson 38 – 2 Kings 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
2ND KINGS Week 37, Chapter 23 conclusion I hope you are ready for a considerable bible history lesson today, because the last couple of chapters of 2nd Kings contains one of the most studied periods of Israelite history, and certainly one of the most pertinent and fascinating for modern Christians and Jews to learn about. […]The post Lesson 37 – 2 Kings 23 conclusion appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 36, chapter 23 2 nd Kings Chapter 23 is one of those chapters in the bible that is so chocked full of historical information and divine principles and applications that it takes awhile to untangle it and address it all. I think the time we spend here will be well worth […]The post Lesson 36 – 2 Kings 23 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 34, Chapters 22 continued The clock is ticking. Closer and closer we get to the moment when Judah will join their Israelite brethren in exile, and the people of Judah are oblivious to it. They are reveling in the good times as the economy was looking up, they were in a […]The post Lesson 34 – 2 Kings 22 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 35, chapters 22 and 23 We’ll open this week in verse 14 of 2 nd Kings 22. It is here that we learn of a female prophet named Hulda , and of King Josiah sending an embassy to her consisting of his royal court plus the High Priest for the purpose […]The post Lesson 35 – 2 Kings 22, 23 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 33, Chapter 22 Last time we concluded 2 nd Kings 21 with the notice that a new king of Judah was now on the throne, a fellow named Yoshiyahu (Josiah). Josiah was the son of Amon and grandson of Manasseh. It is the year 641 B.C. when Yoshiyahu takes over from […]The post Lesson 33 – 2 Kings 22 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 32, Chapter 21 Open your Bibles to 2 nd Kings Chapter 21. We’ll be doing quite a bit of reading and referencing today from this chapter as well as it’s parallel in 2 nd Chronicles 33. Manasseh is the current King of Judah, having replaced his deceased father the former King […]The post Lesson 32 – 2 Kings 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 31, Chapters 20 and 21 In our day in the modern Western culture and body politic, human history and spirituality are considered as mutually exclusive subjects and realms. Thus in the United States we have this constant tension between the borderlines of Church and State. However in most of the Western […]The post Lesson 31 – 2 Kings 20, 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 29, chapter 19 We closed out our last lesson in 2 nd Kings by reading Ezekiel 38 because it is closely connected with 2 nd Kings 18 and 19. If you missed that lesson I suggest you obtain it as we’ll not be reviewing its importance today. As we move forward […]The post Lesson 29 – 2 Kings 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 30, chapter 20 Be aware that we’re going to take a couple of detours today in order to give you some information that ought to be helpful for your general understanding of the Bible. For several weeks, now, we’ve been following the see-saw progress of Judah, the southern kingdom, which is […]The post Lesson 30 – 2 Kings 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 28, chapters 18 and 19 We’re in 2 nd Kings 18, which is the story of righteous King Hezekiah, King of Judah, who is perhaps best known in modern times as the king that ordered that a water tunnel to be built to protect the water supply of Jerusalem from the […]The post Lesson 28 – 2 Kings 18 and 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 27, chapter 18 Momentarily we’re going to re-read a goodly portion of 2 nd Kings 18, so rich is it not only in Israel’s history but in great and timeless spiritual lessons that seem to be regularly forgotten not only by Believers but by the Jews of modern-day Israel as well. […]The post Lesson 27 – 2 Kings 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 26, Chapters 17 and 18 As we resume our study of 2 nd Kings, let’s review. We are in chapter 17, at the time when the northern kingdom called itself Israel, and alternately Ephraim; the kingdom that was begun by Jeroboam after Solomon’s death, had just come to an end. To […]The post Lesson 26 – 2 Kings 17 and 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND KINGS Week 25, Chapter 17 As we begin 2 nd Kings 17 today, we will read of the end of the northern kingdom of Israel, and thus the beginning of the legend of the 10 lost tribes of Israel. At the conclusion of chapter 16 the subject was primarily the southern kingdom of Judah, […]The post Lesson 25 – 2 Kings 17 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 24, chapter 16 cont. We’re in 2 nd Kings Chapter 16, and we only got a little way into it last week. Keep in mind that we are witnessing the last days of the existence of the northern kingdom of Israel. As of this chapter, some of the people of Israel […]The post Lesson 24 – 2 Kings 16 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
ND KINGS Week 22, chapter 15 continued As we continue in 2 nd Kings 15, let’s briefly review. First recall that while 2 nd Kings has relatively few details regarding some of the Hebrew kings, the Book of Chronicles adds more. Thus in order to properly apprehend the deteriorating spiritual condition of Judah and Israel […]The post Lesson 22 – 2 Kings 15 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 23, chapter 16 As we begin our study of 2 nd Kings chapter 16 today that will take a couple of weeks to complete, I’ll reiterate that in order to properly understand the times and to better understand certain events that are being depicted, we have to incorporate the Book of […]The post Lesson 23 – 2 Kings 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND KINGS Week 21, Chapter 15 It might surprise you to know that 2 nd Kings 14 and 15 are some of the most extensively covered and minutely dissected chapters of the 2 Books of Kings by Bible scholars and by historians. There is more here to know and understand than a casual reading of […]The post Lesson 21 – 2 Kings 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 20, Chapters 14 and 15 As we ended our lesson last week in 2 nd Kings 14 yet another Hebrew king looted the Holy Temple in Jerusalem for the sake of its valuable silver and gold articles. This time it was Joash, King of Israel, who not only took the Temple’s […]The post Lesson 20 – 2 Kings 14 and 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 19, chapter 14 We had just opened the divine door of Holy Scripture into 2 nd Kings 14 last week when we ran out of time, so we’ll continue with that this week, and we’ll even have to take some time next week to finish this action-packed and information laden chapter. […]The post Lesson 19 – 2 Kings 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 18, Chapters 13 and 14 In 2 nd Kings 13, the subject is the northern kingdom of Israel and their accelerating decline towards God’s judgment upon them. As the name of the Bible book implies, the story is told in the context of the succession of Kings of Israel who grew […]The post Lesson 18 – 2 Kings 13 and 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 16, chapter 12 We’ll study 2 nd Kings 12 this week, which continues the story of Joash, the latest King of Judah who was publically coronated at the tender age of only 7 years. Our previous lesson in chapter 11 told us why it was that this extraordinary action took place, […]The post Lesson 16 – 2 Kings 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 17, chapter 13 It’s time to step back again and get the bigger picture of what is happening in the Book of 2 nd Kings. We need to do that because in the next few chapters some seismic shifts in Israel’s political, social and religious fabric will occur and so we […]The post Lesson 17 – 2 Kings 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 15, chapter 11 As we continue our study of 2 nd Kings 11 today, we’re going to paint with a few very broad brush stokes and also some very fine detail. And we begin by finding that Athaliah, the equally wicked daughter of the recently (and violently) killed Queen Jezebel, realized […]The post Lesson 15 – 2 Kings 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 14, chapters 10 and 11 The Book of 2 nd Kings spends quite a lot of time recording the deeds of Yehu (Jehu), and then the 3 kings who come after him that forms his 4 generation dynasty. And the reason for this is that Jehu’s reign (and, I think, his […]The post Lesson 14 – 2 Kings 10, 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 13, Chapters 9 and 10 It’s about 840 B.C. Yehu has just been anointed King of Israel by an anonymous guild prophet who was sent under the authority of Elisha to the Trans-Jordanian fortress city of Ramot- Gilead for just that purpose. This anointing of Jehu was essentially done by proxy. […]The post Lesson 13 – 2 Kings 9, 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
nd KINGS Week 12, chapter 9 As a boulder gathers speed as it rolls down a steep hillside, so we see Israel and Judah tumbling out of control down their own slippery slope towards God’s wrath by means of their idolatry and apostasy. And just as the physics of inertia dictate that momentum is gained […]The post Lesson 12 – 2 Kings 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 11, Chapter 8 continued We continue today in 2 nd Kings Chapter 8 and the ongoing saga of Israel’s history during an era when Elijah and Elisha were raised up by God to bring His justice to the kingdoms of Ephraim/Israel and Judah. Elijah operated almost exclusively in the northern kingdom; […]The post Lesson 11 – 2 Kings 8 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
nd KINGS Week 9, chapters 6 and 7 We ended our last lesson on a decidedly down note, as we read in 2 nd Kings 6 of a siege by Syria upon the northern Israelite capital city of Samaria. And because of the nature of siege warfare whose goal it is to surround a walled […]The post Lesson 9 – 2 Kings 6 and 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 10, chapter 8 We’ll study 2 nd Kings 8 today, but before we do I want to explain the nature of what it is that we’ll be looking at because otherwise it can be a bit confusing, and also because we’ll see this same literary style on and off again throughout […]The post Lesson 10 – 2 Kings 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 8, chapter 6 Last week’s lesson in 2 nd Kings 5 revolved around the gentile Syrian army commander Na’aman, who gave us a surprising look at the most foundational principles of the Gospel. I say surprising because most Believers (even seekers) expect to find such principles not in the Old Testament […]The post Lesson 8 – 2 Kings 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND KINGS Week 6, Chapters 4 and 5 We stopped our last lesson in the middle of 2 nd Kings Chapter 4, with the story of the wealthy woman of Shunem having rushed to Mt. Carmel to urge Elisha to come back with her to try and revivify her dead son. It was through Elisha […]The post Lesson 6 – 2 Kings 4 and 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND KINGS Week 7, chapter 5 As we continue in 2 nd Kings Chapter 5 it absolutely glows with Biblical principles that we also find in the New Testament, and especially those associated with the life and works of Yeshua HaMashiach. The main figure in this narrative is a gentile army commander named Na’aman. Na’aman […]The post Lesson 7 – 2 Kings 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 5, chapter 4 As we continue in the Book of 2 nd Kings, Elisha is now firmly entrenched as the most spirit- filled and honored prophet in Israel. Even in the story in chapter 3 of Moab rebelling against Israel, and the subsequent attempt by Y’horam King of Israel to form […]The post Lesson 5 – 2 Kings 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Week 3, chapter 2 Last week’s lesson in 2 nd Kings chapter 2 led us up to the famous and mysterious account of Elijah’s translation into heaven. And we’ll look at that event closely today. But much more is going on in this chapter than only that. For one thing, we see […]The post Lesson 3 – 2 Kings 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
ND KINGS Week 4, chapter 3 Beginning in 2 nd Kings Chapter 2, the beginning of the end of the Prophet Elijah’s reign as the highest and chief prophet among the many prophets of Israel and Judah was commenced. Eliyahu (Elijah), Elisha’s former master, who had been mysteriously removed from earth by God in a […]The post Lesson 4 – 2 Kings 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 ND KINGS Lesson 2, chapters 1 and 2 As we left off in 2 nd Kings chapter 1 last week, the greatest prophet of the Bible, Elijah, has resurfaced and of course it is to bring a message of warning and doom to the latest king of the northern kingdom, Achazyah . Achazyah has […]The post Lesson 2 – 2 Kings 1 and 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
2 nd KINGS Week 1, chapter 1 The 2 books of Kings (1 st and 2 nd Kings) were originally 1 book that recorded the history of Israel’s monarchy from the last few days of King David’s life, through the civil war that split the unified Kingdom of Israel into separate and independent kingdoms (a […]The post Lesson 1 – 2 Kings 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 43 – Chapter 28 and 29 War is coming. The Philistines have once again determined to establish a higher state of dominance over Israel and undoubtedly hope to convince Saul to accept vassal status over destruction because empire building was not their aim. The King of Gath summoned David in order to assure himself […]The post Lesson 43 – 1 Samuel 28 & 29 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 45 – Chapter 30 and 31 (End of Book) Today we’ll conclude the book of 1 st Samuel. But unlike most times when we conclude a book and begin the next, we won’t feel much of a change. The book of 2 nd Samuel is nothing more than a point at which […]The post Lesson 45 – 1 Samuel 30 & 31 End appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 44 – Chapter 29 and 30 We left chapter 29 last week after establishing that the story is being told in a flashback style, and thus it integrates and overlaps with the narrative of chapter 28. The flashback concerns the battle camp of the Philistines that is said in chapter 28 to […]The post Lesson 44 – 1 Samuel 29 & 30 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 42 – Chapter 27 and 28 David has given up all hope in reconciling with the unstable and thoroughly fallen King Saul; as a result he took the drastic and morally questionable step of moving his large and growing army of disaffected Israelites and (no doubt) their families out of Israel after […]The post Lesson 42 – 1 Samuel 27 & 28 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 41 – Chapter 26 and 27 Last week we concluded the episode in David’s life when Avigayil interceded in her husband, Nabal’s , fight with David by convincing David that he should not take vengeance into his own hands. God is David’s avenger and surely He will act to punish Nabal for […]The post Lesson 41 – 1 Samuel 26 & 27 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 39 – Chapter 24 and 25 In 1 st Samuel chapter 24 is one of the more famous Bible stories that speaks of the incident when David cut off a piece of King Saul’s robe at a time when he could just as easily killed him, ended his status as a fugitive, […]The post Lesson 39 – 1 Samuel 24 & 25 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 40 – Chapter 25 David is a complex man; which is a nice way of saying that as upright and God-fearing and determined to be obedient to the Lord as he is, he can also be proud, self-promoting and tend to overreact; and at times let his volcanic anger and passions overwhelm […]The post Lesson 40 – 1 Samuel 25 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 38 – Chapter 23 and 24 >We ended last time as David and his growing group of political dissenters and socially disenfranchised rescued the food supply of the Judean city of Ke’ilah from the Philistines. The Philistines did not attack the city or residents of Ke’ilah; they merely showed up in force […]The post Lesson 38 – 1 Samuel 23 & 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 37 – Chapter 22 and 23 A terrible disaster is about to befall Israel and the people are none the wiser. King Saul has determined that the Priesthood (set-apart to serve Yehoveh) is to be exterminated. That means that the Word of God, as well as all of the vital ritual observances […]The post Lesson 37 – 1 Samuel 22 & 23 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 36 – Chapter 22 It is a characteristic of the historical books of the Old Testament that we’ll see the God- principles laid out for us in Torah brought to life application in a variety of cases and circumstances. For me, personally, this is further evidence that Believers need to begin at […]The post Lesson 36 – 1 Samuel 22 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 35 – Chapter 21 The last time we were together we began a section of the Bible that deals with David’s escape from the now paranoid and homicidal King Saul. This is a major turning point in redemption history as up to now David had been part of King Saul’s government administration, even his […]The post Lesson 35 – 1 Samuel 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 33 – Chapter 20 We concluded 1 st Samuel chapter 19 in our last meeting and we’ll begin exploring chapter 20 that has much more to it than meets the eye. We’re going to dissect it rather carefully so as not to miss some of the important information it conveys. Last week’s lesson ended […]The post Lesson 33 – 1 Samuel 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 34 – Chapter 20 and 21 As we concluded our lesson in 1 st Samuel chapter 20 last week, we were as an audience to Jonathan and David establishing a new covenant between them. The covenant I speak of begins with the 12 th verse and it continues to be elaborated upon […]The post Lesson 34 – 1 Samuel 20 & 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 32 – Chapter 19 As we began 1 st Samuel chapter 19 last week, King Saul openly announced what was at one time only a secretive dark desire that had grown to become an obsession: to kill David. He told his royal court, including his son Jonathan, that if any of them […]The post Lesson 32 – 1 Samuel 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 30 – Chapter 17 and 18 I said last week that the 2 books of Samuel, and especially where we are now, simply explode with God-principles (that we learned about in the Torah) applied to the situations at hand. We’re going to bump into and examine several of those principles today. As we continue […]The post Lesson 30 – 1 Samuel 17 &18 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 31 – Chapter 18 and 19 Because it’s been awhile since our last lesson, let’s begin by re-reading 1 st Samuel 18 in its entirety. RE-READ 1 ST SAMUEL 18 all The chapter begins with the story of a strong personal and spiritual bond being formed between David, and Saul’s son Y’honatan. […]The post Lesson 31 – 1 Samuel 18 & 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 29 – Chapter 17 We’ll pick up our study today in 1 st Samuel chapter 17, which is essentially the world’s most famous story of the shepherd boy David fighting and defeating the giant Philistine warrior Goliath. And while the story itself is so memorable, legendary, and universal (and even the term “a battle […]The post Lesson 29 – 1 Samuel 17 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 28 – Chapter 16 and 17 Last week in 1 st Samuel 16 we saw young David, son of Yishai (Jesse) anointed by Samuel, but the narrator is careful NOT to say that David was anointed “king over Israel”. It was probably not entirely clear to David’s family (and whoever else was […]The post Lesson 28 – 1 Samuel 16 & 17 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 27 – Chapter 16 Samuel chapter 16 is where we encounter David for the first time. Samuel has (with great personal pain) done his job in firing King Saul at God’s instruction however King Saul has no intention of relinquishing the throne. Let us not make the mistake of thinking that Saul didn’t understand […]The post Lesson 27 – 1 Samuel 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 26 – Chapter 15 and 16 This week we will finish up 1 st Samuel 15 and get a little way into chapter 16. It’s important to keep in mind that at this point in our study of the book of 1 st Samuel the Lord has announced that Saul is forthwith […]The post Lesson 26 – 1 Samuel 15 &16 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 25 – Chapter 15 Continued 2 We have spent an inordinate amount of time in 1 st Samuel chapter 15 due to the several powerful Biblical principles and lessons that we find operating here. Keep in mind that we’re not discovering new principles in 1 st Samuel, but rather we’re seeing the […]The post Lesson 25 – 1 Samuel 15 Cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 24 – Chapter 15 Continued We spent most of our last lesson talking about Amalek. 1 st Samuel 15 is primarily about the Lord’s instructions to His earthly king (Saul) to carry out the total destruction of Israel’s oldest earthly enemy, most of who were descended from Esau. And it is this historical reality […]The post Lesson 24 – 1 Samuel 15 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 23 – Chapter 15 It is always a challenge for me to know how long to remain in any chapter or book, because if we go too fast we miss the impact of certain vital God-principles that are presented to us, and if we go too slow and methodically we’ll become so […]The post Lesson 23 – 1 Samuel 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 22 – Chapter 14 and 15 As we move forward with 1 st Samuel chapter 14 today, we are in the midst of King Sha’ul of Israel’s first war with the Philistines. This war was fought at Mikhmas pass, essentially over a ravine (that was a wadi, a dry river bed) that provided a […]The post Lesson 22 – 1 Samuel 14 & 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 20 – Chapter 13 and 14 First let’s get our bearings. Sha’ul was now the recognized and undisputed King of Israel; however his main support and loyalty came from the 8 northern Israelite tribes and to some degree those 3 tribes to the east of the Jordan River. The 2 southern tribes of Judah […]The post Lesson 20 – 1 Samuel 13 &14 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 21 – Chapter 14 As we continue in 1 st Samuel chapter 14 today, we’ll re-read a major portion of this chapter in a few minutes, since it is long and involved and we won’t even finish this chapter today. The scene that is unfolding is of King Saul’s first war with […]The post Lesson 21 – 1 Samuel 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 19 – Chapter 12 and 13 Last week things were very historical in presentation as we saw the torch pass from Samuel to Saul, and it was necessary to explain the behind-the-scenes political and social realities that pushed Israel towards the decision that the leadership made. And equally important we saw the moment at […]The post Lesson 19 – 1 Samuel 12 &13 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 17 – Chapter 11 Continued Last week we ventured fairly deeply into territory that may at first glance seem unnecessary, but in fact is a needed piece of the puzzle to help us understand the goings on in the book of Samuel. And that territory is the political landscape surrounding and directing […]The post Lesson 17 – 1 Samuel 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 18 – Chapter 11 and 12 Let’s pick up today with the story of the beginning of King Saul’s reign as the first king of Israel as it is told in 1 st Samuel chapter 11. And before we re-read this short chapter and then summarize what we’ve learned about Samuel and […]The post Lesson 18 – 1 Samuel 11 &12 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 16 – Chapter 10 Continued We continue today in 1st Samuel chapter 10. We ended our last lesson as I expanded the spiritual context in which we ought to view the life of the first human king of Israel Saul (Sha’ul) who had been appointed on God’s behalf by the unique priest/prophet/judge […]The post Lesson 16 – 1 Samuel 10 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 15 – Chapter 10 Last week we saw how the decision was arrived at for Sha’ul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin to become (what is usually called) the first King of Israel. However in the Lord’s eyes Saul was not Israel’s first king; rather, Saul was going to be […]The post Lesson 15 – 1 Samuel 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 13 – Chapter 8 Continued We completed our detour last week and return to 1st Samuel chapter 8 today. Recall that the reason for our detour was to deal with the entire underlying substance of the series of 4 books consisting of Samuel and Kings. The substance I’m speaking of is the […]The post Lesson 13 – 1 Samuel 8 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 14 – Chapter 8 and 9 As we continue in 1st Samuel chapter 8 today, we find that certain tribal and clan leaders of Israel have come to Samuel and announced that they want to be ruled by a king. This of course meant that Samuel would no longer be top dog […]The post Lesson 14 – 1 Samuel 8 & 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 11 – Chapter 7 and 8 We’ll finish up 1st Samuel 7 and get a short glimpse into chapter 8 today. This section of 1st Samuel brings up deep and complex theological issues so we’re going to spend all the time needed to thoroughly examine them. I ask you to keep your […]The post Lesson 11 – 1 Samuel 7 & 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 10 – Chapter 7 Indulge me please as I begin today’s lesson with a brief personal sermon that I think is pertinent in connecting our study of 1st Samuel with conditions present in our time. Because afterwards this is going to get personal for you; and if you’re paying attention today, before […]The post Lesson 10 – 1 Samuel 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 12 – Chapter 8 Last week we began a bit of a detour that will circle back and intercept Samuel chapter 8 the next time we meet. Please be patient; this detour is a needed one that revolves around how to deal with a sticky theological issue that is at the core […]The post Lesson 12 – 1 Samuel 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 8 – Chapter 4 and 5 Last week in 1st Samuel chapter 3 we witnessed the chosen moment that the Lord moved upon young Samuel and commenced his preparation as a Prophet for God. As Samuel matured and began prophesying soon all Israel from north to south, all 12 tribes, became aware […]The post Lesson 8 – 1 Samuel 4 & 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 9 – Chapter 6 and 7 When we finished up 1st Samuel chapter 5 last week the Philistine people were still in possession of the precious Israelite Ark of the Covenant; but by now they wished they had never laid eyes upon it. No doubt the Philistines had confiscated many an idol […]The post Lesson 9 – 1 Samuel 6 & 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 5 – Chapter 2 Continued I sure hope you are ready for a bit of a tough lesson and a little frank talk today. This is one of those lessons that makes me a little nervous but at the same time it needs to be addressed. Open your Bibles to 1st Samuel […]The post Lesson 5 – 1 Samuel 2 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 6 – Chapter 2 Conclusion We’ll finally finish 1st Samuel chapter 2 today even thought there really is enough here to probably spend another week at the least; but we need to move forward. Last time we met we were informed about the dysfunctional apostate condition of the Priesthood of Israel and […]The post Lesson 6 – 1 Samuel 2 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 7 – Chapter 3 and 4 We ended 1st Samuel 2 by going over the prophetic judgment against Eli and his family that had come from the mouth of an unnamed prophet. To summarize, God’s oracle was that Eli’s descendants (who were by custom destined to be the next High Priests and […]The post Lesson 7 – 1 Samuel 3 & 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 3 – Chapters 1 and 2 Let’s continue with our study of 1st Samuel. Hannah was barren, a degrading and humiliating condition for a woman of the ancient Middle East. Her husband Elkanah, a prosperous man, had taken two wives and the other, P’ninah, had provided Elkanah with the always needed and […]The post Lesson 3 – 1 Samuel 1 & 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 4 – Chapter 2 I prepared you a bit last week for what we’ll study today: Hannah’s prayer or Hannah’s song. This 10-verse segment that introduces 1st Samuel chapter 2 isn’t particularly familiar to the Church (because it is buried deep within the much maligned Old Testament). However Judaism sees it as […]The post Lesson 4 – 1 Samuel 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 1 – Introduction Today we begin a study on a series of books that were at one time a single unified work. However in our modern Christian (especially Protestant) bibles that single unified work became divided into 4 books. We’ll examine all 4, in order, and the book we’re going to examine […]The post Lesson 1 – 1 Samuel Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
I Samuel Lesson 2 – Chapter 1 Today we start our study of 1st Samuel in earnest. We had an introduction last week and found that 1st Samuel is part of a 4-book set of Holy Scripture consisting of 1st and 2nd Samuel along with 1st and 2nd Kings that originally were but one large […]The post Lesson 2 – 1 Samuel 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 35, chapter 22 END of 1 st Kings This week we conclude our extensive journey through the book of 1 st Kings and when we meet next time we will start the book of 2 nd Kings. Remember when we do, however, that there is no actual division between these two […]The post Lesson 35- 1 Kings 22 End appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 33, chapters 20 and 21 The king of Aram, Ben-Hadad, had been determined to attack the northern kingdom of Israel; his motives were mostly geo-political in nature as he sought to secure his southern border and to extract wealth from Israel to bolster his kingdom. But as we saw in 1 […]The post Lesson 33 – 1 Kings 20, 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 34, chapters 21, 22 We stopped in 1 st Kings 21 with the unjust execution of Navo t, the owner of a piece of land that the wicked and self-serving King of Israel wanted for his own enjoyment. This land was adjacent to Achav’s and Jezebel’s favorite palace, which was located […]The post Lesson 34 – 1 Kings 21, 22 appeared first on Torah Class.
ST KINGS Week 32, chapter 20 Last week we encountered some wonderful spiritual and practical truths as we witnessed the great Elijah pull himself off of the mission field and essentially resign his calling as a prophet of Yehoveh to the people of Israel. The Lord tried to teach him on Mt. Horeb that it […]The post Lesson 32 – 1 Kings 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 31, chapter 19 For the moment, Jezebel seems to have won. She could easily replace those 450 prophets of Ba’al that were killed on Mt. Carmel at the order of Elijah, so just because of their deaths she wasn’t at all deterred from her commitment to make Ba’al Israel’s god. After […]The post Lesson 31 – 1 Kings 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 30, Chapters 18 and 19 The story of Elijah is about his mission as a prophet of God NOT to all Israel, per se, but primarily to the northern kingdom of Israel; the kingdom that by now is beginning to be known by the name Ephraim, the largest and most dominant […]The post Lesson 30 – 1 Kings 18 and 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
ST KINGS Week 29, Chapter 18 We’re in that section of the Bible that tells of a man who is perhaps the greatest prophet of God in the Bible: Elijah. And last time we witnessed how Yehoveh used this great man to perform the first bodily resurrection recorded in the Scriptures, when life was restored […]The post Lesson 29 – 1 Kings 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 st KINGS Week 28, Chapter 17 As we continue in our study of 1 st Kings, the northern kingdom of Israel has just hit the bottom of a spiritual death spiral. The 10 tribes have a new king whose first prominent action was to renounce Yehoveh God of Israel (who at the time was […]The post Lesson 28 – 1 Kings 17 appeared first on Torah Class.
ST KINGS Week 26, chapter 15 and 16 In our last lesson in 1 st Kings we ended by focusing on the meaning of the word “whole- hearted” ( lebab shalem ) as used in chapter 15 verse 3. There the Scriptural complaint is that the newest king over Judah, Aviyam , was just like […]The post Lesson 26 – 1 Kings 15, 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 27, Chapter 16 When last we met we had just begun 1 st Kings Chapter 16 that opens with the story of Ba’sha’s inglorious and shameful end. We’ll re-read the entire chapter but first I want to set the stage for today’s lesson with some words spoken by C.F. Kiel, that […]The post Lesson 27 – 1 Kings 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
ST KINGS Week 25, chapter 15 The event that ended our lesson last time was the death of Rehoboam, King of Judah, who was Solomon’s son that succeeded him to the throne. He had ruled for 17 years from Shlomo’s death until about 911 B.C. We’re going to spend a good deal of time today […]The post Lesson 25 – 1 Kings 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 24, chapter 14 We folded our tents and went home last week after reading about King Jeroboam of Israel utterly abandoning Yehoveh God of Israel by means of creating and worshipping golden calf gods and telling his subjects that “these are your gods who brought you out of Egypt, O Israel!” […]The post Lesson 24 – 1 Kings 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 22, chapter 12 There are events in the Bible that are so history-changing that it is hard to put into words; and yet, most of the time these events are given but brief mention or spoken of rather dispassionately. This is one of the many aspects of the underlying nature of […]The post Lesson 22- 1 Kings 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 23, chapter 13 We concluded our last lesson as the deluded Jeroboam was proudly standing at the altar of the golden calf that he had erected in Beit-El. Acting somewhat like the Pope, one can imagine the eyes of the thousands of his people who were fixed on him as he […]The post Lesson 23- 1 Kings 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 21, Chapters 11 and 12 After our detour last week to take a good look at the 3 societal platforms that form the basis for virtually every known culture, and with the revelation that the shame-honor culture is the one that we see most prevalent in the Bible, let’s return to […]The post Lesson 21- 1 Kings 11 and 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 19, chapter 11 We’ll continue in 1 st Kings Chapter 11 by re-reading the entire chapter in sections. Last time we just go started into this chapter that could reasonably be titled: “The Reasons for the Division of the Kingdom of Israel” because we are given 4 basic premises of the […]The post Lesson 19 – 1 Kings 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 20, chapter 11 continued To close out the last lesson, we talked about a concept that on the surface seems like something only social scientists ought to care about, however it is anything but that. The concept is that throughout all of mankind’s history there have been and continue to be […]The post Lesson 20 – 1 Kings 11 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
ST KINGS Week 17, chapters 9 and 10 We moved into 1 st Kings Chapter 9 last week, and the chapter begins sometime after the halfway point of Solomon’s 40 year reign. The Temple is built and in operation, Solomon’s extravagant Palace is completed. King Shlomo’s many building projects throughout his kingdom have elevated his […]The post Lesson 17 – 1 Kings 9 and 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 18, chapters 10 and 11 We concluded our last lesson by being introduced to the famous Queen of Sheba whose name, it turns out, is actually the Queen of the Saba. And more correctly, what we have is her title and not her name (and we never learn her formal name). […]The post Lesson 18 – 1 Kings 10 and 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 16, chapter 8 and 9 We will finally finish 1 st Kings Chapter 8 today and we’ll get started in chapter 9; however in some ways we are exiting it sooner than I would prefer to. Like a few other places in the Bible, this is one of those chapters where […]The post Lesson 16 – 1 Kings 8 and 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 15, chapter 8 continued 2 We’ll spend today with yet another section of 1 st Kings Chapter 8 that revolves around the Temple dedication ceremony and features King Solomon’s magnificent and profound prayer that illuminates a number of God-principles. But we’ll need yet another lesson to finish. One of the major […]The post Lesson 15 – 1 Kings 8 cont.2 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 14, chapter 8 continued As we opened 1 st Kings 8 last time, we witnessed a turning of a cosmic page in redemption history, and thus in Israel’s history; and this is because Israel is the context through which God chose to bring about redemption on earth. The Temple was completed […]The post Lesson 14 – 1 Kings 8 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 13, chapter 8 We continue today by first completing our saga of the 1 st Temple (and this means the Temple in whatever form it existed and evolved up until the time of its destruction by the Babylonians). Then afterwards we’ll begin the long and profound 8 th chapter of 1 […]The post Lesson 13 – 1 Kings 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 12, chapter 7 We are most of the way through the description of the 1st Temple and its ornate and varied furnishings. We’ll finish that discussion today and then before we study the all-important consecration of Solomon’s Temple that appears in 1 st Kings Chapter 8, we’ll spend the rest of […]The post Lesson 12 – 1 Kings 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 st KINGS Week 11, chapters 6 and 7 We are in the middle of examining 1 st Kings Chapter 6 concerning the building of the 1 st Temple. This chapter and the next one are full of details especially about the interior of the Temple and we’ll certainly look at that. Perhaps I should […]The post Lesson 11 – 1 Kings 6 and 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 9, chapters 5 and 6 We left off at verse 6 of 1 st Kings 5 last time, the mention of an exorbitant number of horses belonging to King Solomon’s monarchy being the subject. In the preceding passages we read of an equally exorbitant amount of food that the king’s large […]The post Lesson 9 – 1 Kings 5 and 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 10, chapter 6 continued This chapter and the next one are all about building God’s Temple and so we’re going to take considerable time with it because so many principles and challenging issues pop out of the woodwork as we examine this important section of Holy Scripture. We took a little […]The post Lesson 10 – 1 Kings 6 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 8, chapters 4 and 5 We’ll finish up chapter 4 and get into chapter 5 of 1 st Kings today. We’re in a section of the Bible that deals with history more than establishing new God-principles. Thus in many cases the raw history is told without comment on whether the actions […]The post Lesson 8 – 1 Kings 4 and 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 7, chapters 3 and 4 We concluded last week as Solomon was in Gibeon, having laid himself down to sleep after a most awesome and satisfying day, when he dreamed a dream that turned out to be a vision visited by God. The leaders of Israel had assembled to cheer and […]The post Lesson 7- 1 Kings 3 and 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 6, chapter 3 The last words of 1 st Kings Chapter 2 are that the kingdom was established in Solomon’s hands. The elimination of potential rivals and rebels gave him a firm foundation from which to run his government. The previous chapter tells us what Solomon did to gain national stability, […]The post Lesson 6- 1 Kings 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 5, chapter 2 continued At this point in 1 st Kings 2, David is now “sleeping with his ancestors” and so young King Solomon was ruling without the benefit of his father’s sage and street-wise advice and council. A youthful 20 years old (approximately) Solomon must have felt a kind of […]The post Lesson 5 – 1 Kings 2 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
1 st KINGS Week 4, chapter 2 Solomon is King of Israel. David is still alive but is weak and bedridden. It has taken a somewhat contrived and self-serving meeting arranged by Nathan but between Bathsheba and David to get Solomon officially crowned as king because apparently David had decided that he just didn’t have […]The post Lesson 4 – 1 Kings 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 3, chapter 1 continued As we continue in 1 st Kings Chapter 1 let’s review. David is quite elderly; his physical health is failing and his spiritual health is nearly as sickly. He has been reluctant to name a successor to the throne and this fact is causing concern throughout his […]The post Lesson 3 – 1 Kings 1 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 2, chapter 1 We’ve all spent time in school some days forcing ourselves to stay awake through classes where what we were taught was tedious and seemingly irrelevant information about the past. Our history courses were usually presented as a dry series of names of dead people, of the dates of […]The post Lesson 2 – 1 Kings 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
1 ST KINGS Week 1, Intro Having spent nearly two years in the Book of Samuel (1 st and 2 nd Samuel combined), it’s time for us to step back and review what we’ve learned and at the same time set the stage for a study of the Book of Kings (1 st and 2 […]The post Lesson 1 – Intro to 1 Kings appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF OBADIAH Lesson 6, Chapter 1 Concluded END The oracles we find in the biblical Prophets of warning and doom for the gentile nations because of their bad treatment of Israel, are at the same time messages of hope and comfort for Israel. Too much we tend to look at the government leaders […]The post Lesson 6 Ch 1 concl END appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF OBADIAH Lesson 5, Chapter 1 Continued 4 The Book of Obadiah offers 3 different perspectives on its main subject, which is what God intends to do to Edom (the nation of Jordan being modern day Edom). I think to make this prophecy more relevant for modern folks, it would almost be better […]The post Lesson 5 Ch 1 cont 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF OBADIAH Lesson 4, Chapter 1 Continued 3 In our study of the Book of Obadiah, we left off at verses 12-14, which lists 8 things that Edom ought not to have done (in retrospect) and ought not to do as regards their relationship with Israel. It is always my goal and hope […]The post Lesson 4 Ch 1 cont 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF OBADIAH Lesson 3, Chapter 1 Continued 2 Verse 8 of Obadiah chapter 1 (and there is only 1 chapter in Obadiah) was our drop-off point in the previous lesson. We closed with highlighting that the phrases “when that Day comes”, “the Day of Yehoveh”, “the Day of the Lord”, or just “The […]The post Lesson 3 Ch 1 cont 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF OBADIAH Lesson 2, Chapter 1 Continued Last time we were together we had an introduction to Obadiah, the smallest book in the Old Testament. Its one-chapter, 21 verse prophecy might seem to be insignificant in the face of a massive book of prophecy like Ezekiel, or Jeremiah, or Isaiah with its 66 […]The post Lesson 2 Ch1 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF OBADIAH Lesson 1, Introduction and Chapter 1 The Book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, but that hardly makes it the smallest when it comes to its importance and relevance, or in its complexity. In Hebrew, the name of the Prophet is oved-yah, which probably means something like […]The post Lesson 1 Intro Ch 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
Christians and The Law Does the Law of Moses still matter? Should it have any effect on the life of a Christian? Outside of salvation itself, there is no more important question to answer. This is not a matter for theologians to debate; this is at the very heart of what it means to be […]The post Christians and The Law appeared first on Torah Class.
The 7 Biblical Feasts and What They Mean For Followers Of Yeshua: Part 2 Last week we followed a series of God’s Appointed Times called the 7 Biblical Feasts as it is developed in Leviticus and later refined in Deuteronomy. What we saw was that there were several purposes and manifestations of those 7 Feasts. […]The post The 7 Biblical Feasts and What They Mean for Followers of Yeshua – Part 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
The 7 Biblical Feasts and What They Mean For Followers Of Yeshua: Part 1 I suspect that I’m talking to many people who, like myself, had NOT spent a lifetime celebrating the 7 biblical feasts as called for in the Holy Scriptures as our Jewish friends have, and so you are somewhat fuzzy about what […]The post The 7 Biblical Feasts and What They Mean for Followers of Yeshua – Part 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
Say Good-bye To Converting Perhaps an alternative title for this lesson that would help to explain what it is about would be: “salvation yes, conversion no”. The beginning point for today’s lesson is to establish something very basic: words have meaning. Words can create subconscious mental pictures that lead to assumptions and conclusions that we […]The post Say Goodbye to Converting appeared first on Torah Class.
The Development of Halakhah and its Role in the New Testament Before anyone studies the New Testament, some serious preparation needs to be undertaken or many of its statement and terms will be misunderstood and continue to the ongoing misperceptions and error filled Church doctrines that are spoken from the pulpit. So, my goal today […]The post The Development of Halakhah and Its Role in The New Testament appeared first on Torah Class.
Will There Be A Palestinian State? There is much talk going on in the world at the present about the creation of a Palestinian State next to Israel in the area of the eastern Mediterranean. Whereas it was looked on as nigh improbable a mere thirty years ago or so that such a “State” could […]The post Will There Be a Palestinian State? appeared first on Torah Class.
Returning To An Objective Morality Part 2 Welcome back to Returning to an Objective Morality. This is the second part of this 2-part series. After Germany lost WWII, the German Nazi leaders were put on trial at Nuremberg. Recently I visited that very courtroom; it was quite moving. The trial was unprecedented, and so a […]The post Returning to an Objective Morality – Part 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
Returning To An Objective Morality Part 1 Over 30 years ago, in 1992, the renowned syndicated columnist Cal Thomas wrote these opening words to his article entitled “Too many Americans adrift without a moral compass”: On ABC’s “Good Morning America” one-day last week, there was a discussion on “family values”. One guest said he thought […]The post Returning to an Objective Morality – Part 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
12 Key Prophecies About Israel Sometimes the most important matters of our times don’t appear in news headlines, or are they the subjects of Sunday TV talk shows. They are the smaller, less popularly noticed things that when linked together identify a troubling trend or portend a gathering storm that is about to break, and […]The post 12 Key Prophecies About Israel appeared first on Torah Class.
Paul, The Law and The Jewish People Matthew chapter 5 begins this way: CJB Matt. 5:1-16 Seeing the crowds, Yeshua walked up the hill. After he sat down, his talmidim came to him, 2 and he began to speak. This is what he taught them: 3 "How blessed are the poor in spirit! for the […]The post Paul: The Law and The Jewish People appeared first on Torah Class.
BIBLICAL PROPHETS The Office and The Purpose Over the past year or more we have been studying the Minor Prophets (and we’ll continue to do so). But, today I want to talk with you about Prophets and the biblical office of Prophet in general. I have noticed that the term and understanding of its meaning […]The post Biblical Prophets: The Office and The Purpose appeared first on Torah Class.
The Real Meaning Of Kosher For Believers of all ilks and labels, next to Sabbath, probably the dietary laws are the most controversial and puzzling aspects of the Law of Moses and of Judaism in general. I have probably had more questions than any other about kosher eating and whether that is really still intended […]The post The Real Meaning of Kosher appeared first on Torah Class.
Paul and The Two Diasporas There are reasons that things happen as they do, whether in the Bible or in our everyday modern lives. When we can discover the reasons that some of our greatest Bible characters made the choices they did, it removes them from the world of myth and legend and places them […]The post Paul and The Two Diasporas appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 8 – Chapter 4 (End of Book) We have great deal to cover today, so I’m not going to review our previous lesson. Since our Ruth study is only 8 lessons long (counting today’s) I think if you want to go over it again it’s not too long of a task. We’ll begin by […]The post Lesson 8 – Ruth 4 (End of Book) appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 7 – Chapters 3 and 4 We ended last week in Ruth chapter 3 with the startled (but pleasantly surprised) Boaz awaking in the middle of the night to find the find the lovely and perfumed form of Ruth lying beside his legs. And we dealt with acknowledging that while indeed there were obvious […]The post Lesson 7 – Ruth 3 & 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 6 – Chapter 3 We finished up Ruth chapter 2 last week and we’ll study chapter 3 this week. Before we do I’d like to review a bit and get our bearings because we’re about to enter into the 2nd great theological principle demonstrated by Ruth, the principle of the role of the Kinsman […]The post Lesson 6 – Ruth 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 3 – Chapter 1 Continued Na’omi’s husband Elimelech died, and then her 2 sons Machlon and Chilion died, leaving Na’omi in dire straights and her daughters-in-law widows. The ancient world of the Middle East was a man’s world, and a woman without a husband or sons to care for her and protect her was […]The post Lesson 3 – Ruth 1 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 4 – Chapter 2 We finished up chapter 1 of Ruth last week but before we get into Ruth chapter 2, I would like to briefly repeat and summarize a key point from the last lesson: and it is that when a gentile accepts the God of Israel he is also to accept God’s […]The post Lesson 4 – Ruth 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Ruth Lesson 5 – Chapter 2 Continued Let’s briefly review as it’s been awhile since we’ve met. We left off in chapter 2 with Ruth meeting Boaz, and Boaz (relative of Elimelech) admiring Ruth for her dedication to Na’omi, Ruth’s Jewish mother in law. What makes Ruth’s commitment all the more astounding […]The post Lesson 5 – Ruth 2 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 2 – Chapter 1 Last week we began with an introduction to the book of Ruth and some things to keep in mind as we studied it. Let’s very briefly review it. First, this small 85-verse book is quite complex and deals with several foundational and advanced Torah principles. This is as opposed to […]The post Lesson 2 – Ruth 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
The Book of Ruth Lesson 1 – Introduction We begin our study of the Book of Ruth today and as is our usual format I will begin with an introduction to set the stage. Let’s read just a few verses to the get the flavor. READ RUTH 1:1 -7 At times throughout this study we’re […]The post Lesson 1 – Ruth Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 36, Chapter 16 END The early Church Father Chrysostom of the early 5 th century said this about Romans chapter 16: “I think there are many, even some apparently good commentators, who hurry over this part of the epistle because they think it is superfluous and of little importance. They […]The post Romans Lesson 36 – Chapter 16 END appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 35, Chapter 15 continued I want to begin today by giving you a thought-provoking tidbit of history about the Book of Romans that you need to carefully weigh. This information reveals something about the book itself but perhaps even more about the uneven history of the development of Christianity in […]The post Romans Lesson 35 – Chapter 15 Cont appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 34, Chapter 15 As we continue moving towards the conclusion of our study of Romans and undertake chapter 15, it is helpful to notice that Paul’s instructions to the Believers of Rome shift and become more general in nature. Up to this point, all through this exceptionally long letter, Paul […]The post Romans Lesson 34 – Chapter 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 33, Chapters 14 and 1 In Romans chapter 14 we again encountered an issue that simply will not go away: the issue of kosher eating. Thus in verse 14 of chapter 14 we read this: CJB Romans 14:14 I know- that is, I have been persuaded by the Lord Yeshua […]The post Romans Lesson 33 – Chapter 14, 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 32, Chapter 14 Romans chapter 14 requires some explanation before we read this most challenging chapter. We’ve spent significant time over the years talking about context as regards studying God’s Word; and never has context in its broadest sense been more important than in interpreting Romans 14. To sum it […]The post Romans Lesson 32 – Chapter 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 31, Chapter 13 If there was a single overarching theme for Paul in Romans chapter 12 it had to be that Believers should not retaliate when wronged nor seek revenge when insulted and offended. To be clear this by no means is speaking about Believers avoiding the criminal justice system […]The post Romans Lesson 31 – Chapter 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 29, Chapter 12 Romans chapter 12 is one of those that has a bit more depth to it than a casual read of it might suggest. So we’re going to get a little technical today to add some background to what it is we will read. One of the unsatisfactory, […]The post Romans Lesson 29 – Chapter 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 30, Chapter 12 continued The final part of last week’s lesson regarded gifts of specific aptitudes and abilities given to each Believer by God; these are better known in Christian circles as spiritual gifts. They were: prophecy, serving, teaching, counseling, giving, leading, and doing acts of mercy. No priority or […]The post Romans Lesson 30 – Chapter 12 Cont appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 27, Chapter 11 continued Every now and then a lesson comes along that compels me to preach as much as I teach; this is one of those. Paul has spent the first 12 verses of Romans chapter 11 summarizing some significant theological principles he has been carefully constructing since chapter […]The post Romans Lesson 27 – Chapter 11 cont appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 28, chapter 11 conclusion As we begin with verse 25 of Romans chapter 11, it is quite clear that Paul has a troubling concern on his mind. It is that gentiles may misunderstand, even exaggerate, their place in the Kingdom of God because of their faith in Christ. It has […]The post Romans Lesson 28 – Chapter 11 concl appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 24, Chapter 10 continued Sometimes it is important to pause and take in the panoramic view of the landscape that we have wandered by much too quickly. So as we all take a deep breath, it is my fervent hope that by now in our study of the Book of […]The post Romans Lesson 24 – Chapter 10 continued appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 26, Chapter 11 Perhaps the most perplexing tradition in the history of Christianity to try and understand is why the majority of the Church sincerely believes that God has rejected Israel as His chosen people and replaced them with gentile Christians. From a biblical standpoint Israel is the focus of […]The post Romans Lesson 26 – Chapter 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 25, Chapters 10 and 11 We’ll complete Romans chapter 10 and get started on chapter 11 today. When we left off, Paul’s straw man had just asked a series of 4 questions. These questions are in the form of objections to what Paul has been claiming about Israel, the Messiah, […]The post Romans Lesson 25 – Chapters 10 & 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 23, Chapter 10 Paul opened Romans chapter 10 by saying this: CJB Romans 10:1 Brothers, my heart’s deepest desire and my prayer to God for Isra’el is for their salvation; 2 for I can testify to their zeal for God. But it is not based on correct understanding…” Lots of […]The post Romans Lesson 23 – Chapter 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 22, Chapters 9 and 10 Last week we concluded by reading Hosea chapter 2, which is the proof text that Paul used in Romans 9:25 and 26 to help to explain how it is that on the one hand Israel is (and remains) God’s elect, and yet on the other […]The post Romans Lesson 22 – Chapters 9 and 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 19, Chapter 8 cont. 2 Last week in Romans chapter 8 we concluded by discussing the status of Believers before God during our lifetimes. We also discussed that Yeshua (as recorded in Matthew 5) explained how He will determine our status in the future during His reign over the Millennial […]The post Romans Lesson 19 – Chapter 8 cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 21, Chapter 9 continued One of the great theological questions within Christianity is: why did God judge only some of Israel, and not all, as being part of His “true” Israel? Or even more basic: what is “true” Israel (to use Paul’s terminology) as contrasted to the common or ancestral […]The post Romans Lesson 21 – Chapter 9 continued appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 20, Chapter 9 I’ll keep reminding you that even though we are moving today from Romans chapter 8 to chapter 9, Paul certainly was not thinking in terms of “chapters”. The chapters were put there over a millennia after Paul’s day as an honest attempt to merely break the Bible up into bite- sized […]The post Romans Lesson 20 – Chapter 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 18, Chapter 8 continued We’ll continue to work our way through Romans chapter 8 today and I’ll tell you in advance that we’ll be knee deep in some important theology. Since chapter 8 sums up what Paul has been teaching and presents the conclusion to be drawn from it, I’m going to do some […]The post Romans Lesson 18 – Chapter 8 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 17, Chapter 8 We have reached the (more or less) halfway point in the Book of Romans as we enter chapter 8. So it is fitting that the first word of chapter 8 is “therefore”. “Therefore” is a word that indicates that what follows is a conclusion of things previously […]The post Romans Lesson 17 – Chapter 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 15, Chapters 6 and 7 We are going to spend considerable time today defining terms and words that have become common in our Christian-eze vocabularies; but we either don’t actually have a definite understanding of those words and terms in our minds, or we take them differently than how they […]The post Romans Lesson 15 – Chapters 6 and 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 16, chapter 7 We’re going to walk our way very thoughtfully through Romans chapter 7, which many theologians consider as perhaps the most important chapter in the entire New Testament as pertains to Christian doctrine. So let’s continue with Romans chapter 7 by having a brief review of two significant […]The post Romans Lesson 16 – Chapter 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 13, Chapter 5 continued As we return to Romans chapter 5 we had just finished learning of Paul’s approach to explaining how the Gospel works by a comparison he is making between Adam and Yeshua. In verse 12 Paul stated this: CJB Romans 5:12 Here is how it works: it […]The post Romans Lesson 13 – Chapter 5 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 12, Chapter 5 As we study Romans Chapter 5 today we should pause to remember just who Paul is addressing his thoughts to: it is to the gentile and Jewish Believers living in the capital city of the Roman Empire: Rome. To put a finer point on it: this was […]The post Romans Lesson 12 – Chapter 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 14, Chapter 6 Romans chapter 5 verse 20 said this: And the Torah came into the picture so that the offence would proliferate; but where sin proliferated, grace proliferated even more. (Rom 5:20 CJB) . Or in plain English, Paul is saying that the Law of Moses was given so that sins would become […]The post Romans Lesson 14 – Chapter 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 11, Chapter 4 As we saw to begin Romans chapter 4 last week, Paul is essentially offering a Midrash (an interpretive discussion) of Genesis 15:6 to bolster his case that the Gospel saves both Jews and gentiles under exactly the same terms. This Genesis passage tells the story of Abraham being reckoned by God […]The post Romans Lesson 11 – Chapter 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 10, Chapters 3 and 4 I’m not sure that more beautiful, soaring, hope-inspiring words have been written in the Bible than what we read in Romans 3:24: CJB Romans 3:24 By God’s grace, without earning it, all are granted the status of being considered righteous before him, through the act redeeming us from our […]The post Romans Lesson 10 – Chapter 3 and 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 9, Chapter 3 We barely got started on Romans chapter 3 last time, and this week we’ll continue it. Before we re-read Romans 3 I want you to keep in mind that what Paul is doing (at least for the first few verses of Romans 3) is defending Israel’s election […]The post Romans Lesson 9 – Chapter 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 7, Chapter 2 continued Put those thinking caps on today, it is going to be challenging. The things that often get glossed over in Romans we’re going to attack with gusto! In Romans chapter 2 the role of the Law (or as the CJB prefers to say, the Torah) for […]The post Romans Lesson 7 – Chapter 2 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 8, Chapters 2 and 3 If you think that after going through the mind twistingly difficult words of Paul in Romans 2 last week, that it is going to get easier this week, think again. Part of what makes this so challenging for us is that Paul’s terms, and the […]The post Romans Lesson 8 – Chapters 2 and 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 5, chapter 1 conclusion We have spent an inordinate amount of time in chapter 1 of Romans, but today we’ll conclude it. In some ways today might be the most emotionally and culturally challenging of the several lessons we’ve had on this chapter because Paul, never one to mince words, […]The post Romans Lesson 5 – Chapter 1 conclusion appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 6, Chapter 2 In Bible study, context is everything. So before we open Chapter 2 of Romans, let me say something that I should have said (a few times, probably) about Chapter 1. Chapter 1 was primarily (but not exclusively) speaking to gentiles. It was speaking mostly to people who were not familiar with […]The post Romans Lesson 6 – Chapter 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 4, Chapter 1 continued 2 While we won’t spend as long in every chapter, chapter 1 of Romans has so many important terms and God-principles in it that it is necessary to go slow and to carefully clarify these terms and flesh out these principles. Then we’ll have a far better basis for understanding […]The post Romans Lesson 4 – Chapter 1, 2nd cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS Lesson 3, Chapter 1 cont. The subject matter of the Book of Romans necessarily lends itself to much interpretation, application, and preaching. We won’t be shying away from any of it, so here we go. Last week we dealt with the opening words of Romans chapter 1 because how one interprets […]The post Romans Lesson 3 – Chapter 1 cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 52 – Cha pter 22 Continued (End of Book) Today we shall complete our study of the Book of Revelation. From the beginning my purpose was not to make this a sensational and dramatic survey about the End Times nor to create new doctrines or traditions. Rather it was to study […]The post Lesson 52 – Revelation 22 Cont. (End of Book) appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 1, Introduction Today we embark on a study of the New Testament Book of Romans. We’re going to have quite the dialogue about this exquisite work of the Apostle Sha’ul (Paul) because it has more to do with shaping the Christian faith as we know it than any other book in the Bible. Therefore […]The post Romans Lesson 1 – Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 2, Intro continued and Chapter 1 We’ll continue today with our introduction (I prefer to think of it as our preparation) for the Book of Romans. Last time we talked a great deal about Paul and that in order to understand what he means by what he says we necessarily have to understand his […]The post Romans Lesson 2 – Intro continued and Ch. 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 50 – Cha pter 21 Concluded Open your Bibles to Revelation chapter 21, and look at verses 9 through 14 as I speak to you. Here we find a physical description of the New Jerusalem that has descended from Heaven onto the new earth. Before we get involved with that description, […]The post Lesson 50 – Revelation 21 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 51 – Cha pter 22 Today we begin the final chapter of Revelation; and perhaps since our exciting journey has taken us over a year, we need to be reminded of a few important points. The first is that while Revelation is usually seen as a book that is all about […]The post Lesson 51 – Revelation 22 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 47 – Cha pter 21 The first words of Genesis are: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Gen. 1:1 CJB). The first words of Revelation chapter 21 are: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had […]The post Lesson 47 – Revelation 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 49 – Cha pter 21 Continued 2 To resume our study of Revelation chapter 21 today I want to begin by quoting Paul in Romans because in some ways he sums up what we have discussed the last 2 weeks. CJB Romans 8:19-24 19 The creation waits eagerly for the sons […]The post Lesson 49 – Revelation 21 Cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 48 – Cha pter 21 Continued In the previous lesson, which was meant as a preface to our study of Revelation chapter 21, we spent much of our time looking at the nature and characteristics of the original Creation as described in Genesis. This is the same Creation in which we […]The post Lesson 48 – Revelation 21 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 46 – Cha pters 20 and 21 As we continue Revelation chapter 20, here is where we stand. Time still exists; we have not yet entered eternity. The Battle of Armageddon is over. Messiah Yeshua has returned, victorious, and His 1000 year reign has begun. The only living people on earth […]The post Lesson 46 – Revelation 20 & 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 45 – Cha pter 20 Continued The 20th chapter of the Book of Revelation begins like this: CJB Revelation 20:1 – 3 1 Next I saw an angel coming down from heaven, who had the key to the Abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, […]The post Lesson 45 – Revelation 20 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 42 – Cha pter 19 Continued To begin we’re going to review some of the complex matters we discussed last week. The first is the issue of trying to square Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream-statue that he said represented 4 kingdoms (3 of which were future kingdoms that were to come […]The post Lesson 42 – Revelation 19 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 43 – Cha pters 19 and 20 This is the 4th week that we have been dealing with Revelation chapter 19 because there is so much here to examine and to learn from. The good news is that we’ll finally finish with it today and move on to chapter 20! Remember […]The post Lesson 43 – Revelation 19 & 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 44 – Cha pter 20 We have come a long way in the Book of Revelation and we should pause to remember our journey because each milestone had its own message and purpose, and yet they all work together to guide us to the end of history and beyond. We began […]The post Lesson 44 – Revelation 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 40 – Cha pters 18 and 19 As we continue through the Book of Revelation what is beginning to become clear is that Babylon the Great represents more than one thing or a single entity. This is critically important not only to intellectually understand what John’s Apocalypse is telling us, but […]The post Lesson 40 – Revelation 18 & 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 41 – Cha pter 19 Today is going to be another day of working to understand as much as we can of a prophesied future over which we don’t have all the details nor have geopolitical events played out sufficiently, yet, to help us identify some of the important players that […]The post Lesson 41 – Revelation 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 38 – Cha pter 17 Continued Chapter 17 of Revelation has had our attention now for the 3rd straight week, and for good reason. It is a riddle wrapped up inside a puzzle; but it’s a very important riddle to try and unpack, especially for followers of Christ. I have no […]The post Lesson 38 – Revelation 17 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 39 – Cha pter 18 Keep your Bibles open and handy today; we’re going to be doing a lot of reading and we’re also going to be doing much soul searching. Week after week, chapter after chapter, the Book of Revelation has (through John’s visions) shown us what has happened and […]The post Lesson 39 – Revelation 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 37 – Chapter 17 We began Revelation 17 this past week, and the primary feature I wanted to show you was how the woman riding on the Beast with 7 heads and 10 horns was essentially the antithesis, the opposite, of the woman of Revelation chapter 12 who was clothed in the sun, had […]The post Lesson 37 – Revelation 17 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 35 – Cha pter 16 Continued As we continue to examine Revelation chapter 16 today, we find that through the first 9 verses, 4 of the Bowl Judgments have been announced and poured out. They have so far been aimed at 3 of the so-called “4 elements” of nature. The 4 […]The post Lesson 35 – Revelation 16 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 36 – Cha pters 16 and 17 We’ll begin by finishing up chapter 16 and then moving on into the mind-bending Revelation chapter 17. I want to make you aware that for the next few chapters we are going to necessarily enter a greater level of detail, and thus a greater […]The post Lesson 36 – Revelation 16 & 17 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 34 – Cha pter 16 Revelation chapter 16 is highly emotional, drenched in drama, and utterly terrifying in its prophecy of what lies ahead. It speaks primarily in terms of the 7 so-called Bowl Judgments being poured out on the earth, aimed mostly at rebellious and unrepentant mankind. In order for […]The post Lesson 34 – Revelation 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 33 – Cha pters 15 & 16 We got most of the way through Revelation chapter 15 last week, and we’ll finish it up today and get started on chapter 16. Because chapter 15 is so short, we’ll re-read it in its entirety to begin our study for today. RE-READ REVELATION […]The post Lesson 33 – Revelation 15 & 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 32 – Cha pters 14 & 15 Before we complete Revelation chapter 14 and then move into chapter 15 I want to briefly highlight what we covered towards the end of the last lesson not only because of the importance of what it says and means to all Believers, but it […]The post Lesson 32 – Revelation 14 & 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 31 – Cha pter 14 As we work our way through Revelation chapter 14, keep in mind that John’s visions have reached a point in time that is still in our future (that is, it is within the timeline of the End of Days) when the Anti-Christ arrives onto the scene. […]The post Lesson 31 – Revelation 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 30 – Cha pters 13 & 14 We’ve spent a lot of time in Revelation 13, but we’ll finally conclude it today and get into chapter 14. Chapter 13 is so very full of the dramatic events and mysterious symbols that dominate Christian thought about the coming apocalypse that it has […]The post Lesson 30 – Revelation 13 & 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 29 – Cha pter 13 Continued We got only to verse 6 last week, but there’s still more to say about those first several verses that makes it important enough to spend some time with them. There’s also some important applications that we need to take to heart so let’s re-read […]The post Lesson 29 – Revelation 13 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 28 – Cha pter 13 We had just begun Revelation chapter 13 last week when we ran out of time, so we’ll continue with it today. As a brief review: the events foretold by chapter 13 were not just future for John, but also future for us. This chapter is dominated […]The post Lesson 28 – Revelation 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 25 – Cha pter 12 Today we start a new section (if we can call it that) of the Book of Revelation. Sometimes it can be helpful to organize a Bible book into sections for the purpose of study in order to help us get a better overall picture of it, […]The post Lesson 25 – Revelation 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 27 – Cha pters 12 and 13 We are most of the way through Revelation chapter 12, and we’ll finish it up today and move into chapter 13. In chapter 12 verses 10, 11, and 12 form a song sung at a loud volume by an unidentified being in Heaven. It […]The post Lesson 27 – Revelation 12 & 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 26 – Cha pter 12 Continued We began what is essentially a new section of Revelation last week that is chapter 12; a chapter that is heavy (even predominately) reliant on symbolism. Of course that means that our job is to decode exactly what those symbols are symbolizing. Let’s remember that […]The post Lesson 26 – Revelation 12 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 24 – Cha pter 11 Concluded We’re still in Revelation chapter 11 but we’ll finally complete it today; and as customary we’ll begin by reviewing what we discussed last week. The focus of this chapter is the mysterious, and dangerous, two unnamed witnesses who suddenly appear in Jerusalem and prophesy for […]The post Lesson 24 – Revelation 11 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 23 – Cha pter 11 Continued Last week we got well into Revelation chapter 11 and discussed several important elements of that chapter including the use of the numbers 42, 3 1/2, and 1260. Briefly what we found was that 42 months, 3 1/2 years, and 1260 days need to be […]The post Lesson 23 – Revelation 11 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 22 – Cha pter 11 As we opened Revelation chapter 11 last time I mentioned that this was a pretty difficult and complex chapter, and indeed it is especially challenging when we take the time to actually analyze and question the point or the symbolic meaning or the literal interpretation of […]The post Lesson 22 – Revelation 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 21 – Chapters 10 and 11 As we left off in Revelation chapter 10, a mighty angel was standing with one foot on the dry land and another on the ocean. This was meant to symbolize his authority over the land and the seas; that is, over the entire Earth. In […]The post Lesson 21 – Revelation 10 & 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 18 – Chapters 7 and 8 Last week we ended Revelation 7 with a discussion about who the people Heaven dressed in white robes were; that is the question asked of John by one of the Heavenly elders. John answered saying effectively that he didn’t know, but that obviously the elder […]The post Lesson 18 – Revelation 7 & 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 19 – Chapters 8 and 9 In Revelation chapter 6 God’s wrath upon the Earth and its inhabitants begins with the opening of the 6th seal. Chapter 7 represents a pause in the action of the judgments, and then chapter 8 resumes the judgments with the final Seal judgment and then […]The post Lesson 19 – Revelation 8 & 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 20 – Chapters 9 and 10 Last week we opened Revelation chapter 9 and there we heard about a fallen angel (symbolized by a star) being given a key to the entry shaft into a place deep in the interior of the Earth called The Abyss, and it is occupied by […]The post Lesson 20 – Revelation 9 & 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 17 – Chapter 7 Continued We addressed the first 8 verses of Revelation chapter 7 last time and we’ll not quite conclude the chapter today after reviewing. At the same time I’m going to add some more information about last week’s topic before moving forward with Revelation 7 verse 9. If […]The post Lesson 17 – Revelation 7 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 16 – Chapter 7 We finished Revelation chapter 6 to end our last lesson; so, we’ll review it to get our foundation set for the fascinating chapter 7 that we’ll study today. 6 of the 7 seals that sealed the secret scroll have now been opened by the Lamb and we […]The post Lesson 16 – Revelation 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 13 – Chapter 5 Today’s lesson is going to be fairly complex at times so I hope you are ready to focus. Some of what we discuss may at first seem to be a great deal of trivia, but I assure you it is not. When these details that we’ll […]The post Lesson 13 – Revelation 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 14 – Chapters 5 & 6 We’re nearing the end of Revelation chapter 5, all of which takes place in Heaven. I emphasize this because beginning in chapter 6 the scene will shift to planet Earth. One of the fundamental principles we need to keep upfront in our minds regards […]The post Lesson 14 – Revelation 5 & 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 15 – Chapter 6 The first half of Revelation chapter 6 that we studied last time is about what begins to happen on Earth as the Lamb in Heaven begins breaking the 7 seals on the secret scroll that was handed to Him by God the Father. After each of the […]The post Lesson 15 – Revelation 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 12 – Chapters 4 & 5 Because of the substantial volume of unfilled prophecy and mystery that it contains, Revelation is the most challenging book in the New Testament, if not the entire Holy Bible. Therefore I will endeavor to review the previous lesson to start the next, and at […]The post Lesson 12 – Revelation 4 & 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 11 – Chapter 4 Before we completely exit from the Revelation letters addressed to the 7 Believing congregations of Asia I want to make a couple of remarks because whatever it is that you have taken from these lessons I would like you retain what I am about to say. […]The post Lesson 11 – Revelation 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 10 – Chapter 3 Conclusion We’ll finish up Revelation chapter 3 today and study the last of the 7 letters to the Believing congregations of Asia: Laodicea. First, as is our custom, we’ll review what we discussed in the previous lesson. The 6th letter was to the so-called Church of […]The post Lesson 10 – Revelation 3 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 9 – Chapter 3 Continued As we continue in Revelation chapter 3 today, we’ll discuss the Believer’s assembly at Philadelphia; but first let’s review. The congregation we examined in our last lesson was the one at Sardis. For me, as a pastor and Bible teacher, this is the one that […]The post Lesson 9 – Revelation 3 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 7 – Chapter 2 Conclusion We will continue today in Revelation chapter 2 as we resume our discussion about the Believing assembly at Pergamum. Let’s begin by re-reading that section of the chapter. RE-READ REVELATION CHAPTER 2:12 – end To sum up what we covered last time about Pergamum I’ll […]The post Lesson 7 – Revelation 2 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 8 – Chapter 3 We’ll begin Revelation chapter 3 today but first let’s review the fourth Believer’s congregation discussed in Chapter 2: Thyatira. I also want to add some additional information about John’s allusion to Psalm 2. Open your Bibles to Revelation chapter 2 and move down to verse 26. […]The post Lesson 8 – Revelation 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 6 – Chapter 2 Continued Love, or better the lack of love, was the issue God had with the Believing assembly at Ephesus. In the 1 st letter in Revelation chapter 2, Ephesus was commended for being doctrinally sound and for persevering against not only pagan influences but also against […]The post Lesson 6 – Revelation 2 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 5 – Chapter 2 I want to prepare you for what is coming today and for the next few weeks as we study the letters to the 7 Believing congregations; it is divine judgment of Christ’s disciples and institutions. I don’t imagine you’ve thought of it that way before, but […]The post Lesson 5 – Revelation 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 4 – Chapter 1 Conclusion We left off last week trying to decode the symbolism of the two-edged sword that came from the mouth of the divine being that was speaking to John. We’ll get to that, but there are a couple of other items we need to address first […]The post Lesson 4 – Revelation 1 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 2 – Chapter 1 The English word revelation is an attempt to translate the Greek word apokalypsus . The same word is also often transliterated into English as apocalypse. The word carries two senses with it: first, it speaks of a catastrophic or destructive ending. A second and different meaning […]The post Lesson 2 – Revelation 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 1 – Introduction John, the writer of the Book of Revelation, sets out to tell his readers something vital about the paradox of the days and years ahead: they will be the best of times, and they will be the worst of times. Some fellow named Dickens seems to have borrowed […]The post Lesson 1 – Revelation Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF REVELATION Lesson 3 – Chapter 1 Continued We’ll continue our study of Revelation chapter 1 with a quick review. First and most significant of anything we can say about this book is that John insists that his visions are from God. In fact, so there can be no mistake, the exact chain […]The post Lesson 3 – Revelation 1 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY: From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 12 Today we’ll conclude our 12 week Biblical survey from Abraham to modern Israel. Let’s jump right in. SECULARISM ENTERS JEWISH LIFE By the start of the 18 th century, the Jewish people were dispersed all over eastern and western Europe. But the nature of […]The post Lesson 12 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY; From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 11 We’re arrived at a point in our survey that is well past the Bible era; that means that the writing of the Old and New Testaments had ended. The Biblical canon was completed (the term “canon” meaning a certain selection of documents were chosen […]The post Lesson 11 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY: From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 9 As we move along in our survey we have arrived at the era of Christ. Thus by modern calendars we are at the cusp of when B.C. turns to A.D. Judaism is at war internally and externally. It’s about now that the term “Rabbi” […]The post Lesson 9 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY: From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 10 As we begin the 10 th week in our Biblical survey that began with the Patriarch Abraham, last week we arrived at the time of Christ meaning we’ve already covered close to 2000 years of Bible history. But we still have quite a ways […]The post Lesson 10 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY: From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 7 This will be our 7 th week that we have spent connecting the dots of historical Biblical events beginning at the time of Abraham. To this point, we’ve covered about 14 centuries and have arrived at about 600 B.C. We’ve followed along as Abraham […]The post Lesson 7 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY; From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 8 One of the several great Jewish minds stolen from Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar was Daniel. And no doubt the pious, genuine and upright prophet Daniel helped to paint the Jewish exiles in a good light to Babylonia’s ruling elite, and this in turn influenced […]The post Lesson 8 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 6 At this point in our OT survey, we have arrived at the era of the Kings of Israel. Kings Saul, David, and now Solomon have come and gone. It’s about 920 B.C. Calling this time the era of the Kings doesn’t mean that it […]The post Lesson 6 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 5 Israel is a people without a country, surviving in gargantuan tent encampments out in the hostile wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula. Their only reliable source of food was the supernaturally supplied Manna which apparently rained down daily, and whatever other foods and spices they […]The post Lesson 5 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 4 We’ve now traversed close to 700 years of history since the time of Abraham. Our Old Testament Survey has taken us from Abraham’s birthplace and home in Mesopotamia to the Land of Canaan, then to Egypt. From Egypt back to Canaan, and then back […]The post Lesson 4 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY: From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 2 The purpose of this OT survey is as a means to connect over 10 years-worth of dots as we made our way from Creation to the end of the Old Testament with Ezra and Nehemiah, and the return of the Jews from their Babylonian […]The post Lesson 2 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY: From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 3 In our Old Testament Survey, we have so far connected the dots from Abraham to his sons Isaac and Ishmael, to Isaac’s twin sons Esau and Jacob. Of these, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are commonly referred to in the Bible and in Judeo-Christianity as […]The post Lesson 3 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 36 – Chapters 35 and 36 (End of Book) This week we bring our study of the book of Numbers to a conclusion. I hope that you have ben surprised by the amount of history, legal precedent and establishment of God’s principles that we found here, and that this is anything but a […]The post Lesson 36 – Numbers 35 & 36 (End of Book) appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 35 – Chapters 34 and 35 Last time we had just concluded Numbers 33 and this was a kind of Cliff Notes version of the route of the Exodus that enumerated 42 stations where events of significance took place during the Israelite’s wilderness journey; a journey that was but weeks from it’s conclusion. […]The post Lesson 35 – Numbers 34 & 35 appeared first on Torah Class.
AN OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY: From Abraham to Modern Israel Lesson 1 Now that we have completed the Tanakh, the Old Testament, from a chronological perspective, it is time to connect the myriad of dots. Close to 15 years ago when I first taught the Torah to you in a formal setting, in my introduction to […]The post Lesson 1 – Old Testament Survey appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 33 – Chapters 31 and 32 An esteemed 19th century Christian scholar named G.B.Gray calls Numbers chapter 31, “the extermination of the Midianites.” That sounds pretty harsh and direct, but in fact that is precisely what this chapter is about. Last week we took a quick stroll as an overview of Numbers 31 […]The post Lesson 33 – Numbers 31 & 32 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 34 – Chapters 32 and 33 When last we met, Moses and the leadership council of Israel had agreed to the request of Reuben and Gad that they be allowed to possess the land Israel had just won from the Midianites, the land of Moab. This land on the east side of the […]The post Lesson 34 – Numbers 32 & 33 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 31 – Chapters 28 and 29 Last week we began this two-chapter unit of Numbers 28 and 29 that I entitled the “Calendar of Public Sacrifices”. These two chapters are ones that, like the long and complex biblical genealogical and tribal listings, can make our eyes droop and our heads bob as we […]The post Lesson 31 – Numbers 28 & 29 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 32 – Chapters 30 and 31 This week, in Numbers chapter 30, we take up the matter of making vows and oaths to the Lord. I suppose that every Believer, Jewish or gentile, has at some time in their walk made a promise to God; some folks make vows and oaths quite regularly […]The post Lesson 32 – Numbers 30 & 31 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 28 – Chapters 23 and 24 We continue the story of Balaam and Balak, which is a theological feast all in itself. Some of the critical biblical principles that will be counted upon as foundational material in the remainder of the Holy Scriptures are here setout before us. And, not the least of […]The post Lesson 28 – Numbers 23 & 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 30 – Chapters 27 and 28 The last time we met we looked at the 2nd census of Numbers. There was a census of Israel taken not long after they left Egypt; and now, nearly 40 years later another census was taken because Israel was about to begin the conquest of Canaan. In […]The post Lesson 30 – Numbers 27 & 28 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 29 – Chapters 25 and 26 As we leave behind our study of Balaam and Balak, we move on into Numbers with yet another of the many rebellions against Yehoveh and the resultant divine retributions. One would think that after nearly 40 years of living in the Wilderness, with the Wilderness Tabernacle always […]The post Lesson 29 – Numbers 25 & 26 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 27 – Chapters 22, 23, and 24 Last week we began with the story of Balaam and Balak, a story that takes 3 full chapters of Numbers (22,23,24) in the telling. And we see from it’s timing, structure, and style that it is almost certainly an embellished account of an actual happening; an […]The post Lesson 27 – Numbers 22, 23, & 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 26 – Chapters 21, 22, 23, and 24 We spent all last week on a very small, but difficult, section of the Bible: the bronze serpent on the pole. I’m not going to review it with you today, as it is quite complex. If you missed it, or want to go over it […]The post Lesson 26 – Numbers 21, 22, 23, & 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 25 – Chapter 21 Last week we had just started Numbers chapter 21. And, in this chapter we see a continuation…..full of difficulties…..of the Israelites’ journey toward the Promised Land, Canaan. The King of Edom had refused to allow them to pass through his territory, the most preferred route that would take the […]The post Lesson 25 – Numbers 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 24 – Chapters 20 and 21 After the interlude of Numbers chapters 18 and 19 that sought to make the point that the Priesthood the Lord established was permanent and needed; and the ordaining and re-issuing in more detail of some instructions regarding holiness, purification, and the terribly serious nature of impurity caused […]The post Lesson 24 – Numbers 20 & 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 23 – Chapter 19 Last week we discussed holiness; and I’m not sure I’m at more a loss for words, nor feel less adequate, than when discussing holiness. It is a much more expansive and controversial issue than one might have thought, isn’t it? What makes it controversial is NOT that the Bible […]The post Lesson 23 – Numbers 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 22 – Chapters 16, 17, and 18 Conclusion Last week we watched as the rebels of Israel were annihilated by two means: 1) fire coming from the Lord to destroy those 250 tribal leaders and Korah, the main instigator of the rebellion; and 2) from an earthquake that opened a huge split in […]The post Lesson 22 – Numbers 16, 17, & 18 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 20 – Chapters 16, 17, and 18 Last week we concluded Numbers 15 by studying at some length God’s remedy for the tendency of the people of Israel to ignore His laws and commands. This casual approach that many in Israel had taken towards the newly given Laws of Moses was epitomized in […]The post Lesson 20 – Numbers 16, 17, & 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 21 – Chapters 16, 17, and 18 Continued In our last lesson we began a 3-chapter block of Scripture in Numbers that seeks to make clear to all that the Priesthood is central to Israel’s relationship with Yehoveh. And that the hierarchy of holiness that God set up, first with Levi being separated […]The post Lesson 21 – Numbers 16, 17, & 18 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 18 – Chapter 15 Continued We continue today in Number chapter 15; and in our last meeting we examined one of those small, but critical, Hebrew words whose meaning has a lot of important implications to the Believer. We looked at just exactly what the Hebrew term ger (or in the plural, gerim […]The post Lesson 18 – Numbers 15 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 19 – Chapter 15 Conclusion We’ll continue today in Numbers chapter 15 and bring it to a conclusion. Last week the highlight was probably the discussion of the man who was executed for gathering sticks, firewood, on the Sabbath. And we discovered that the man was actually subject to two penalties: one, a […]The post Lesson 19 – Numbers 15 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 15 – Chapters 13 and 14 Numbers chapters 13 and 14 are really just one long story. We probably ought to read them one immediately after the other, but they are each substantial in length, so we’ll read 13, discuss it, and then read 14. Let’s remember that chapter 12 ends with the […]The post Lesson 15 – Numbers 13 & 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 17 – Chapter 15 Last week we discussed the great rebellion of the Israelites against Yehoveh, when they refused to trust Him, and so they balked at entering the Promised Land that had been set aside and prepared for them. More, we examined the consequences of this rebellion (wandering for 40 years in […]The post Lesson 17 – Numbers 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 16 – Chapter 14 Last week, beginning in Numbers 13 and moving on into Chapter 14, we began to look at the rebellion of the people of Israel, and what the consequences would be. And, the rebellion centered on the scouts of the 12 tribes going to Canaan to gather intelligence and bring […]The post Lesson 16 – Numbers 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 14 – Chapter 12 In Numbers chapter 11, we heard of the general rebellions of the people of Israel and of the resident aliens (those who were traveling with Israel but did NOT wish to be Israelites), who lived on the outskirts of the camp and were accused of instigating at least some […]The post Lesson 14 – Numbers 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 13 – Chapter 11 Continued Last time, in Numbers 11, we ended with a very curious circumstance that is easy to just read over, and miss. It concerns the matter that God is going to anoint 70 elders of Israel with the SAME spirit….the same Ruach HaKodesh…….. that is upon Moses. The reason […]The post Lesson 13 – Numbers 11 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 11 – Chapter 10 The preparations by God, through Moses, for establishing Israel as a nation of people under the banner of Yehoveh are nearly complete. Last week, in Numbers 9, we saw Israel celebrate the first memorial Passover. That is, the Passover in Egypt was not an observance; it was the actual […]The post Lesson 11 – Numbers 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 12 – Chapter 11 We’ve just concluded some chapters in Numbers that gave us a lot of detailed information that has been a bit hard to slog through but it was needed, just as learning multiplication tables is needed if we’re going to be able use math in our lives. Numbers chapter 11 […]The post Lesson 12 – Numbers 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 9 – Chapters 7 and 8 Numbers chapter 7 is one of the longest chapters in the Torah……some 89 verses. And, it also one of the most repetitive chapters in all the Torah, which you’ll see as we read it together. So, we’ll move through this chapter pretty quickly. As a frame of […]The post Lesson 9 – Numbers 7 & 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 10 – Chapters 8 and 9 I think of all the many misunderstood or misconceived principles that we find in the Bible (especially by Christians and modern Judaism), yet one this is so indispensable for God’s followers, at the top must be the idea of atonement that is expressed in the Hebrew root […]The post Lesson 10 – Numbers 8 & 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 6 – Chapter 5 We began to study Numbers 5 last week, and right away the subject of impure (unclean) persons and what to do with them arose. We saw 3 categories of unclean people listed (although there are more): the person with Tzara’at (skin disease), the person with a genital discharge, and […]The post Lesson 6 – Numbers 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 8 – Chapter 6 Numbers chapter 6 consists of two major pieces: the first 21 verses establish the office of the Nazarite then the last 5 verses give us what has come to be called the Aaronic Blessing. Both subjects are worthy of being given sufficient time and so that’s what we’re going […]The post Lesson 8 – Numbers 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 7 – Chapter 5 Conclusion We have been studying the 5th chapter of Numbers (and I promise you we’ll finally finish it tonight). It is the story of a woman suspected of adultery but who does NOT confess it. This is an entirely different situation than the woman who has been caught in […]The post Lesson 7 – Numbers 5 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 4 – Chapter 3 Verse 11 begins a fascinating divine instruction that is almost lost to both Christianity and Judaism. This is an instruction that I stated to you last week, and told you we’d get it into a little more later…..so here we are. And, the instruction takes place in verses 11-13; […]The post Lesson 4 – Numbers 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 5 – Chapters 4 and 5 The core story in Numbers 4 is what is typically called the second Levite census. The information is pretty straightforward, so we won’t dwell here too long. And this census differs from the earlier Levite census that God Himself performed, primarily that in this new census the […]The post Lesson 5 – Numbers 4 & 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 3 – Chapters 2 and 3 We were finishing up Numbers chapter 1 last week when we ran out of time. And the subject was the tribe of Levi (the Levites), who were assigned to become the priestly tribe of Israel who would be set-apart from this already set-apart nation of Israel for […]The post Lesson 3 – Numbers 2 & 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 2 – Chapter 1 As we enter a new book of Torah, there are always some preliminaries to deal with so that we can approach things in proper perspective. If you have not heard the introduction to Numbers I suggest you get the CD or listen to it on the Web, as there […]The post Lesson 2 – Numbers 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
NUMBERS Lesson 1 – Introduction Well, out of the frying pan and into the fire we go, just as the Israelites were about to do. As we lay down the Book of Leviticus, we begin an exploration of Numbers that will last for several months; so, let’s back up for a moment and see the […]The post Lesson 1 – Numbers Introduction appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 19, Chapter 13 END Today we’ll wrap up our study of Nehemiah and in doing so bring us (essentially) to the end of the Old Testament from a chronological perspective. This book, at its closing, brings us near to 400 B.C. The only other writings that are considered inspired that cover the period […]The post Lesson 19 – Nehemiah – Chapter 13 End appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 17, Chapters 11 and 12 Nehemiah chapters 11 and 12 move us closer to the conclusion of what Christians call the Old Testament, and it is enlightening that these chapters revolve around the replanting of the Jewish people in the Holy Land, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem as the capital of God’s Kingdom […]The post Lesson 17 – Nehemiah – Chapter 11 and 12 appeared first on Torah Class.
Lesson 18, Chapter 12 and 13 As we observed in our study of Nehemiah 12 last week, all the fruits of the Jews’ dedication, commitment, labor and turning back to the Lord and away from their sinning ways, in sincere repentance, was finally paying off. The community from top to bottom displayed a rare unity […]The post Lesson 18 – Nehemiah – Chapter 12 and 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 15, Chapter 10 We concluded chapter 9 last week and will study Nehemiah chapter 10 today. We’re going to deal with some interesting nuances that continue to connect some dots, so we’ll weave around a little today. The last few verses of the long prayer of repentance that characterizes chapter 9 made a […]The post Lesson 15 – Nehemiah – Chapter 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 14, Chapter 9 Cont 2 We’ll continue in chapter 9 of Nehemiah this week and try to connect some dots as well as put the spotlight on some of the deeper things contained within this humble, penitent prayer by the people of Judah. As is our custom, we’ll begin by summarizing last week’s […]The post Lesson 14 – Nehemiah – Chapter 9 Cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 16, Chapter 10 and 11 We’ll continue in Nehemiah chapter 10 today and move into chapter 11. Lots of connecting more dots today, so let’s get right to it. Chapter 10 records a historic ceremony in Jerusalem whereby the reformed and restored Jewish people wanted to memorialize their turn back to the Lord. […]The post Lesson 16 – Nehemiah – Chapter 10 and 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 12, Chapter 9 Let’s review some things before we get into this rather long chapter 9 of Nehemiah. Chapter 8 was essentially about Ezra teaching the assembled crowd of Jews in Jerusalem the Torah, or more specifically the Law of Moses (which is but part of the Torah). Let me remind you that […]The post Lesson 12 – Nehemiah – Chapter 9 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 13, Chapter 9 Continued We are in the midst of examining Nehemiah chapter 9 and the long, penitent prayer that forms it. And we’re going to be camped here for awhile, at least another week, because these passages bring up so many opportunities for application and as a spiritual measuring stick for our […]The post Lesson 13 – Nehemiah – Chapter 9 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 10, Chapter 8 Today is going to be packed with information so have those pencils ready. Up to now the story of Nehemiah has been mainly about a devout, skilled, single-minded Jewish man who was sent to Jerusalem from the Persian capital by God to lead an endeavor that others had tried but […]The post Lesson 10 – Nehemiah Chapter 8 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 11, Chapter 8 Continued As we continue in Nehemiah chapter 8, it occurs to me that the focus of this chapter is a subject that I am confronted with virtually daily both by emails and face to face: how do we obey the Law of Moses in our current circumstances? And if we […]The post Lesson 11 – Nehemiah – Chapter 8 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 9, Chapter 6 and 7 I need you to be a bit tolerant of me today, as it may seem (at first) that I’m wandering; I hope I’m not. But I feel strongly led to go this direction to bring you an important connection that can be easily overlooked in our study of […]The post Lesson 9 – Nehemiah Chapter 6 and 7 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 8, Chapter 5 and 6 Nehemiah is nothing if not persistent. First he had to face the King of Persia and persuade him to release Nehemiah for an unknown amount of time from his responsibility in the King’s court as cupbearer. Next Nehemiah had to venture the long journey down to Judah (a […]The post Lesson 8 – Nehemiah Chapter 5 and 6 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 6, Chapter 4 CJB Psalm 2:1 Why are the nations in an uproar, the peoples grumbling in vain? 2 The earth’s kings are taking positions, leaders conspiring together, against ADONAI and his anointed 3 They cry, “Let’s break their fetters! Let’s throw off their chains!” 4 He who sits in heaven laughs; Adonai […]The post Lesson 6 – Nehemiah Chapter 4 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 7, Chapter 5 Last week we studied Nehemiah chapter 4, and in it Nehemiah and the Jews of Judah were faced with violent threats from 4 local and regional gentile rulers who did not want the walls of Jerusalem rebuilt or the city itself rehabilitated unless they were given at least partial control […]The post Lesson 7 – Nehemiah Chapter 5 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 5, Chapter 3 When we ended chapter 2 of Nehemiah, he had concluded his assessment of the situation with the destroyed walls surrounding Jerusalem and called together the Judeans of various levels of society to enlist them to the mammoth task of rebuilding. As a leader with authority he could have dogmatically ordered […]The post Lesson 5 – Nehemiah Chapter 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 3, Chapter 2 While the books of Ezra and Nehemiah work together (similarly to the books of Kings and Chronicles), the men Ezra and Nehemiah and their assignments from God were quite dissimilar and distinct. Ezra was a Priest and a Torah Teacher. His job was to revive the Priesthood into a properly […]The post Lesson 3 – Nehemiah Chapter 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 4, Chapter 2 conclusion Last week we established a key point of reference for the history of Nehemiah: he was essentially a politician and government leader. And while he was indeed a Godly man, a Jew educated by Ezra to some degree on the Torah, nonetheless his role in the ongoing matter of […]The post Lesson 4 – Nehemiah Chapter 2 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 1, Introduction As we begin our study of the Book of Nehemiah today, we will be examining the latest events concerning Israel that occur in the Hebrew and the Protestant Old Testaments. But first let’s take a few moments to talk about the structure of the Bible and define some terms. Although Malachi […]The post Lesson 1 – Intro to Nehemiah appeared first on Torah Class.
NEHEMIAH Lesson 2, Chapter 1 We began our study of Nehemiah last week by means of a brief introduction to the book and reading Chapter 1. The introduction focused on explaining the regional political realities at the time of Nehemiah because only with this information and context can we understand why the Persian King was […]The post Lesson 2 – Nehemiah Chapter 1 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 95, Chapter 27 Continued 2 As we are nearing the end of our extensive study of Matthew’s Gospel and all that has been revealed about Jesus’s life and teachings along the way, we have arrived at the epic Redemption History milestone that had it’s beginning in the Garden of Eden […]The post Lesson 95 Ch27 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 96, Chapter 28 END Today, we shall conclude what amounts to a 2-year study of the Gospel of Matthew. Although there are some additional facts and events surrounding Christ’s death, resurrection is far and away the central matter of chapter 28, as it ought to be. Open your Bibles to […]The post Lesson 96 Ch28 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 93, Chapter 27 Matthew chapter 26 concluded with a mixed group of Jewish religious leadership, representing both the Temple and the Synagogue authorities, gathering at night in an official capacity at the High Priest Caiaphas’s home with one purpose in mind: to find false allegations against Yeshua so that they […]The post Lesson 93 Ch27 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 94, Chapter 27 Continued Verses 11 through 26 in Matthew chapter 27 have been perhaps the chief source for persistent anti-Semitism within our faith; and this has been so for as much as 1800 years. The question these verses have been alleged to deal with is: who is responsible for […]The post Lesson 94 Ch27 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 92, Chapter 26 Continued 4 When we left off last time in Matthew 26, Yeshua had just been identified by Judas and betrayed to the Temple authorities. It was nighttime, a short time after the Last Supper, and so it occurred within the first few hours of the day of […]The post Lesson 92 Ch26 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 91, Chapter 26 Continued 3 In our previous study of Matthew chapter 26 we took a careful look at a rather peculiar ceremony that took place at an unknown location within the city walls of Jerusalem, with Jesus and His 12 disciples in attendance. It occurred in the first hour […]The post Lesson 91 Ch26 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 89, Chapter 26 Continued When we closed our study on Matthew chapter 26 last time, we had been looking at the rather strange act of the common Jewish woman in Bethany that had just poured a great deal of costly perfumed ointment on Christ’s head. She probably didn’t quite know […]The post Lesson 89 Ch26 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 90, Chapter 26 Continued 2 We open today with what is known as the very intriguing Last Supper. Clearly from the way in which this event is covered in all the Gospel accounts, each writer sees it as dramatically meaningful for those who love and trust in Jesus of Nazareth, […]The post Lesson 90 Ch26 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 88, Chapter 26 Last week we began what is popularly known as the Passion Narrative, which essentially dominates the remaining chapters of Matthew’s Gospel. The circumstances of leading up to Christ’s execution, burial, resurrection, and the immediate aftermath represents probably the most focused upon portion for all the Synoptic Gospel […]The post Lesson 88 Ch26 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 87, Chapter 25 and 26 Last week the ending portion of our study was essentially a word picture of the final judgment that also goes by the name Judgment Day. This is one of those things that isn’t particularly pleasant for a Pastor or Bible teacher to talk about because […]The post Lesson 87 Ch25 Ch26 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 86, Chapter 25 Continued In our previous lesson we ended with delving into the fascinating and illuminating Parable of the Talents. The most common method within Christianity (and often within Messianic Judaism) to study or preach this parable is by using allegories to separate out various elements of the story, […]The post Lesson 86 Ch25 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 85, Chapter 24 and 25 Verse 42 of Matthew chapter 24 sums up perhaps Yeshua’s most indispensable teaching about the End Times: CJB Matthew 24:42 So stay alert, because you don't know on what day your Lord will come. Awareness, alertness, and preparedness form the recurring theme of what the mindset […]The post Lesson 85 Ch24 Ch25 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 84, Chapter 24 Continued 5 Matthew 24:30 says: Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, all the tribes of the Land will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with tremendous power and glory. Last week we […]The post Lesson 84 Ch24 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 83, Chapter 24 Continued 4 For the majority of New Testament commentators, the explanation of Matthew chapter 24 is among the most (if not the most) extensive required of all the Gospels combined. The main reason is because Yeshua speaks so considerably about the future and the End Times (what […]The post Lesson 83 Ch24 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 82, Chapter 24 Continued 3 If the End Times matters to you; if where we likely stand in the timeline of Redemption History matters to you; then the study of Matthew chapter 24 and 25 are crucial to your understanding and I don't want to leave any stone unturned to […]The post Lesson 82 Ch24 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 81, Chapter 24 Continued 2 The Gospel of Matthew is a delight to teach because it offers such opportunities to provide application to our modern lives, as well as to prepare us for what lay ahead. Chapters 24 and 25 form what is nearly universally known as the Olivet Discourse […]The post Lesson 81 Ch24 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 80, Chapter 24 Continued Last week I installed a framework for us to try to better comprehend not only what we have learned thus far in the Gospels about Yeshua's role in Redemption History, but also about the several stages of it. And that beginning in Matthew 24 in particular […]The post Lesson 80 Ch24 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 78, Chapter 23 Conclusion As we inch closer and closer to Yeshua's death on the cross in Matthew's Gospel, there's so much context and background and many subjects that we encounter that are in need of explanation and fleshing out that at times we're going to need to pause to […]The post Lesson 78 Ch23 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 79, Chapter 24 Before we dive into Matthew chapter 24, I think it is best to first offer you an exposition and summary of not only what we have learned thus far in Matthew about the crucial role that Jesus plays in Redemption History, but also what we will learn […]The post Lesson 79 Ch24 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 77, Chapter 23 Continued 2 Because I had the great privilege of being raised in a Christian household from my earliest age, my family and I spent every Sunday in Church. Child Psychologists and most parents (especially moms) can verify that even when a child isn't paying the best attention, […]The post Lesson 77 Ch23 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 75, Chapter 23 In opening Matthew 23, if I were to give it a title, it would be "Exposing the Hypocrisy of the Leadership". It is an interesting reality that as a person gets older and knows that death is not far off, or at most any adult age a […]The post Lesson 75 Ch23 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 76, Chapter 23 Continued Our study of Matthew 23 continues today, but bear with me before we re-open it's inspired pages. Early in the Book of Genesis we learned of a fundamental governing dynamic of God: He divides, elects, and separates. One of the most obvious examples of this dynamic […]The post Lesson 76 Ch23 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 74, Chapter 22 Continued 2 When we follow Yeshua's career on earth and especially His Wisdom teachings, we find that just as in the manner our teachers taught us in elementary, High School and college, over time He built-up knowledge in His followers by starting with the simple principles and […]The post Lesson 74 Ch22 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 73, Chapter 22 Continued Matthew chapter 22 records a series of hard-hitting verbal reprimands and instruction that Jesus had with some representatives of the Temple organization and others from the Synagogue organization. Generally speaking, these two organizations were populated and led by members of two different religious/political/social sects. The Temple […]The post Lesson 73 Ch22 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 72, Chapter 22 Today we open Matthew chapter 22. It begins with quite a long Parable. Unlike some of the other metaphorical and symbolic illustrations that Jesus has been using to instruct and to reply, this is a true Parable in the Hebrew literary sense and thus we have to […]The post Lesson 72 Ch22 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 71, Chapter 21 Continued 2 In Matthew chapter 21 Yeshua's journey to the cross is gaining speed as the proverbial snowball rolling down a steep hill. We find Him having now arrived at the place of His foretold and impending death: Jerusalem. In many ways it is ironic, or perhaps […]The post Lesson 71 Ch21 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 69, Chapter 21 The first 20 chapters of Matthew have set the stage for what we'll encounter beginning in chapter 21. Those chapters could almost be set apart and in summation titled "How We Got Here From There". Thus far we have learned much about Yeshua's beginnings as a newborn, […]The post Lesson 69 Ch21 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 70, Chapter 21 Continued As we opened Matthew chapter 21 last week we read about what Christianity calls the Triumphal Entry. In this short but revealing action in Yeshua's life and mission, He enters Jerusalem riding upon a donkey, accompanied with the donkey's foal. This is intentionally done in order […]The post Lesson 70 Ch21 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 68, Chapter 20 We began Matthew 20 last week and dealt with the Parable of the Fair Farmer who paid the same amount of money to workers that had labored from dawn to dusk equally as workers that had worked perhaps no more than an hour. The exhausted workers that […]The post Lesson 68 Ch20 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 67, Chapters 19 and 20 In Matthew chapter 19 we find the story of the rich man who asked Yeshua how he could obtain eternal life. We find this same story in Mark and Luke as well, with only minor differences. Let's re-read it. RE-READ MATTHEW 19:16 – 22 Now […]The post Lesson 67 Ch19 Ch20 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 65, Chapter 19 We begin chapter 19 of Matthew's Gospel today, and it begins with a bang. Immediately some dicey subjects arise; dicey for the 1st-century Jewish community and they remain problematic for God worshippers to this day. The subjects are divorce, monogamy, and celibacy. Before we're through with this […]The post Lesson 65 Ch19 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 66, Chapter 19 Continued Marriage, divorce, polygamy versus monogamy, and celibacy… these were all important issues in Yeshua's time, and remain so in the modern era. While polygamy in the Western developed world is found only in smallish and offbeat remnants of our societies and so is rarely even a […]The post Lesson 66 Ch19 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 64, Chapter 18 Conclusion We began to study Matthew 18:15 – 20 last week and shortly we'll re-read that section. Before we do that we need to set the context. This is necessarily going to involve some amount of sermonizing to go along with the teaching. The opening of verse […]The post Lesson 64 Ch18 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 63, Chapter 18 We began chapter 18 last week and immediately the topic became humility. It is that humility is to be perhaps the chief virtue for anyone hoping to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Verses 1 – 14 are essentially an examination of Godly qualities that the Lord expects […]The post Lesson 63 Ch18 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 62, Chapter 17 and 18 Last week we began to delve into the interesting story that ends Matthew chapter 17 about a certain tax collector coming to Capernaum where Yeshua was residing with Peter, and the tax collector asks the question " doesn't your Master pay the tax?". Peter is […]The post Lesson 62 Ch17 Ch18 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 60, Chapter 17 We opened Matthew chapter 17 last week, which begins with one of the landmark occurrences within Yeshua's short ministry on earth: The Transfiguration. I promised that we'd try to untangle the meaning of it and we'll do that shortly. This is going to get a little long-winded […]The post Lesson 60 Ch17 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 61, Chapter 17 Continued Last week we concluded our study of the opening portion of Matthew chapter 17 that focused on The Transfiguration. Truly this nearly unfathomable event of an epiphany of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus together is one of the most mysterious in the entire Bible, and what makes […]The post Lesson 61 Ch17 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 58, Chapter 16 Continued 2 We will continue to carefully work our way through Matthew in this chapter that is nearly a Gospel within a Gospel. Some of the more elite Bible scholars of the past make chapter 16 of Matthew among their most extensive studies, so rich is it […]The post Lesson 58 Ch16 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 57, Chapter 16 Continued I began the previous lesson with the rhetorical questions: who is Yeshua? What is Yeshua? It is such a complex issue that as we go through this chapter I'll continue to weave-in some needed background about the historical Jesus so that we can better grasp Him […]The post Lesson 57 Ch16 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 59, Chapter 16 and 17 Last week in our study of Matthew chapter 16 we ended with an important topic Yeshua raised beginning in verse 24, which is the high cost of being His disciple. Let's immediately go to our Bibles and read from verse 24 to the end of […]The post Lesson 59 Ch16 Ch17 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 55, Chapter 15 Conclusion Before we continue in Matthew 15 today there's a couple of housekeeping issues I would like to get out of the way because I am regularly asked about it and enjoy the opportunity to offer an explanation. The first is my characterization over these past many […]The post Lesson 55 Ch15 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 56, Chapter 16 Who is Yeshua? What is Yeshua? This is a question that has yet to be fully answered to this point in Matthew, and even though most 21st century Christians think it is an answered and settled matter in The Church, it is far from it. Matthew chapter 16 adds […]The post Lesson 56 Ch16 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 54, Chapter 15 Continued We'll continue this week in Matthew 15, one of the more challenging (and therefore controversial) chapters in the New Testament. At the same it is one of the most inspirational, instructional, and therefore among the most important for Believers to get right because it sets the […]The post Lesson 54 Ch15 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 53, Chapter 15 Today we start Matthew chapter 15. The first 20 verses represent perhaps one of the most controversial segments of any Gospel account. There is a parallel account of this same incident in Mark 7. We'll look it at as well because it adds some needed information. Before […]The post Lesson 53 Ch15 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 51, Chapter 14 The first dozen verses of Matthew chapter 14 bring us back to the subject of John the Immerser; more specifically it tells us of his death. That he was in prison was already established back in chapter 11. Now chapter 14 begins by explaining the circumstances behind […]The post Lesson 51 Ch14 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 52, Chapter 14 Continued Keep your Bibles open and handy as we're going to do much reading today. The beginning of Matthew chapter 14 was covered in the previous lesson. It is the story of the execution of John the Baptist. The request for his beheading came during a lavish […]The post Lesson 52 Ch14 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 50, Chapter 13 Conclusion "Communion with God by means of prayer, through the removal of all intruding elements between man and his Maker, and through the implicit acceptance of God's unity, as well as an unconditional surrender of mind and heart to His holy will, which the love of God […]The post Lesson 50 Ch13 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 48, Chapter 13 Continued We began last week's lesson with a somewhat long dissertation about the true nature of parables because in Matthew's Gospel, chapter 13 is where Christ's use of parables begins in earnest. I'll briefly review. One of the most important elements of parables is that they belong […]The post Lesson 48 Ch13 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 49, Chapter 13 Continued 2 Do you want to understand what the Kingdom of Heaven is like? Assuming you are Believers in the God of Israel and His Son, Yeshua, then little is more important in our faith journey than to pursue this understanding. In Matthew chapter 13 we are […]The post Lesson 49 Ch13 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 46, Chapter 12 Continued 3 Last week in Matthew chapter 12 we left off with the thorny issue of what blasphemy of the Holy Spirit amounts to. And the reason that is important is because even Christ's death on the Cross can't atone for it. I'll begin with the bottom […]The post Lesson 46 Ch12 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 47, Chapter 13 Matthew chapter 13 begins this way: CJB Matthew 13:1 That same day, Yeshua went out of the house and sat down by the lake; 2 but such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there while the crowd stood on the […]The post Lesson 47 Ch13 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 43, Chapter 12 We closed last week with discussing the establishment, purpose and ongoing relevance of the Sabbath. This stems from the opening verse of Matthew 12. CJB Matthew 12:1 One Shabbat during that time, Yeshua was walking through some wheat fields. His talmidim were hungry, so they began picking heads […]The post Lesson 43 Ch12 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 44, Chapter 12 Continued While every chapter of the Book of Matthew is packed with important information for the Believer, chapter 12 is one of the meatiest of them all. This chapter also helps us to recognize something I highlight in the very first lesson on the Gospel of Matthew […]The post Lesson 44 Ch12 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 45, Chapter 12 Continued 2 Of the several things Matthew continues to underscore in his Gospel, here in chapter 12 we seen this growing contrast… an unfriendly polarization, if you would… between Christ and the leaders of the Synagogue. As we read let's always remember that the Temple and the […]The post Lesson 45 Ch12 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 42, Chapter 11 and 12 We wrapped up the prior lesson with a message of awareness to a sad but dangerous reality within Christianity in modern times, in which not only is it acceptable within the academic branch of the Church for agnostics or even atheists to create commentaries on […]The post Lesson 42 Ch11 Ch12 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 41, Chapter 11 Continued 2 Before we continue in Matthew chapter 11, let's back-up a wee bit and reset the context. The first 19 verses of this chapter were about John the Baptist in relation to his connection with Christ. First, he was the foretold herald, the messenger, who prepared […]The post Lesson 41 Ch11 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 40, Chapter 11 Continued Perhaps one of the more important, yet difficult to capture, statements made by Christ is found in Matthew 11:11 – 15. Another comes at the end of the chapter that we'll get to later. We're going to get pretty detailed and nuanced today because the subject […]The post Lesson 40 Ch11 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 39, Chapter 11 From the panoramic view perhaps one of the main take-aways from all 4 Gospel accounts is that Yeshua was misunderstood by His own Jewish countrymen; and surprisingly by those one might think would have understood Him best. Since it is various individuals and groups of people that […]The post Lesson 39 Ch11 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 36, Chapter 10 Continued As we continue today in our study of Matthew chapter 10 there's a couple of important context items to keep in mind. First, Matthew lived and wrote well after the events he is speaking about. He was not the Matthew (also called Levi) who was the […]The post Lesson 36 Ch10 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 37, Chapter 10 Continued 2 The topic of what Christ signified when He called Himself "the Son of Man" is how we ended our last lesson. In the Torah Class study of the Book of Daniel, lessons 20 and 21, I spent extensive time explaining two important biblical terms: The […]The post Lesson 37 Ch10 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 38, Chapter 10 and 11 Of the several passages in Matthew chapter 10 that we studied last week, verses 26 – 31 dealt with fear, death, and the problem of evil. In context it had primarily to do with what Yeshua's 12 Disciples might face as they journeyed through the […]The post Lesson 38 Ch10 Ch11 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 35, Chapter 10 Miracles are at the foundation of biblical faith. It begins with Creation itself as a miracle. After all, how does a Universe that never before existed have a definite beginning? Yet beyond simply declaring something a "miracle", we tend not to think much deeper about their essence […]The post Lesson 35 Ch10 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 34, Chapter 9 and 10 We'll conclude Matthew chapter 9 today and get into Matthew chapter 10. What we've been reading in chapter 9 has all been occurring on the shores of the Sea of Galilee; largely in Yeshua's new hometown of Capernaum, itself a commercial fishing village. When He […]The post Lesson 34 Ch9 Ch10 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 33, Chapter 9 Continued 2 As we continue in Matthew chapter 9, we left off last time with verse 27 that says: CJB Matthew 9:27 27 As Yeshua went on from there, two blind men began following him, shouting, "Son of David! Take pity on us!" RE-READ MATTHEW 9:27 – […]The post Lesson 33 Ch9 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 32, Chapter 9 Continued The subject that we'll focus on to begin today's lesson is a dispute between John the Baptist's disciples and Yeshua's disciples, ostensibly over the subject of fasting; this is what Matthew 9:14 – 17 revolves around. We'll go forward today in bite-sized chunks as there is […]The post Lesson 32 Ch9 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 31, Chapter 9 We're going to spend a little more time today with the story that opens Matthew 9; that of the paralytic man who was brought to Christ so that he might be healed. Let's begin by re-reading verses 1 – 7. RE-READ MATTHEW CHAPTER 9:1 – 7 This […]The post Lesson 31 Ch9 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 30, Chapter 8 and 9 We are in the midst of several miracle stories of Jesus. The first involved cleansing a man who had Tzara'at. The second was healing a house slave of his infirmities (at the request of a Roman army officer), without Christ even being present with the sick […]The post Lesson 30 Ch8 Ch9 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 29, Chapter 8 Continued 2 We took another extensive detour last week in our continuing study of Matthew Chapter 8 to explore some of the Early Church Fathers in order to trace their viewpoint on the all-important matter of Believers in Christ having an obligation to follow, or not to […]The post Lesson 29 Ch8 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 28, Chapter 8 Continued As we delve deeper and deeper into Matthew's Gospel, to this point we have found three elements to be always present and repetitive; therefore it is crucial for us to notice them and to understand that Matthew has constructed his Gospel around them. First, Matthew presents […]The post Lesson 28 Ch8 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 27, Chapter 7 and 8 We'll conclude Yeshua's Sermon on the Mount today, which we have spent 17 lessons studying because of its incomparable value, and we'll also open the door into Matthew chapter 8. But first let's take a look back on the all-important (and not just a little […]The post Lesson 27 Ch7 Ch8 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 25, Chapter 7 Continued 2 Matthew chapter 7 concludes the Sermon on the Mount that began in chapter 5. I'm hoping that by this point a better understanding is being gained about the context and intent of Yeshua's long speech; a context that has been improperly stated for centuries. The […]The post Lesson 25 Ch7 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 26, Chapter 7 Continued 3 In our previous lesson in Matthew chapter 7, Christ continues His Sermon on the Mount by making this unnerving statement in verses 22 and 23. CJB Matthew 7:22-23 22 On that Day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't […]The post Lesson 26 Ch7 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 23, Chapter 7 We have now completed 2 of the 3 chapters that Matthew devoted to Yeshua's Sermon on the Mount. Every now and then it is probably profitable to remind you that Matthew did not write in chapters; ending one and beginning another. Rather this was a literary invention […]The post Lesson 23 Ch7 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 22, Chapter 6 Continued 3 We ended last week by discussing Matthew 6 verse 19. Beginning with this verse and on into the first part of chapter 7 Yeshua deals with an array of matters that in modern vocabulary we would probably label as "social issues". And the first one […]The post Lesson 22 Ch6 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 24, Chapter 7 Continued As we continue in Matthew chapter 7, we will review what we covered in the prior lesson. Let's begin by opening our Bibles and reading the opening verses. RE-READ MATTHEW 7:1 – 6 Around a century ago, Thomas Walter Manson, a biblical scholar who lived and […]The post Lesson 24 Ch7 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 21, Chapter 6 Continued 2 As we continue today in the Lord's Prayer, we'll begin at verse 13. Verses 11, 12, and 13 are sometimes called the "we petitions". This is because of the use of the plural "us" to begin each of these verses. Give US food….. forgive US […]The post Lesson 21 Ch6 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 20, Chapter 6 Continued We'll continue in Matthew chapter 6 directing our focus upon the Lord's Prayer of verses 9 – 13. Leading up to this prayer example that Christ presented to those listening to His Sermon on the Mount, He gave His listeners a couple of do's and don'ts […]The post Lesson 20 Ch6 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 19, Chapter 6 Our duty, and our hope, as followers of the Messiah Yeshua is to place our feet into His footprints. The Sermon on the Mount is showing us the way. Matthew recognizes how crucial Yeshua's speech is and so takes 3 full chapters to record it, and we've […]The post Lesson 19 Ch6 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 17, Chapter 5 Continued 5 We've been in Matthew chapter 5 long enough that a reminder of the setting and background for the Sermon on the Mount is in order. The setting is the Galilee. It is the serene rural agricultural and shepherding center of the Holy Land. Above the […]The post Lesson 17 Ch5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 18, Chapter 5 Conclusion Despite the happy fiction that in Yeshua's day the Jewish people practiced a religion that was rather pure and Torah driven, in reality what they practiced was a religion based mostly on Tradition. Naturally the Jews were not a monolithic culture; they weren't several million bodies […]The post Lesson 18 Ch5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 16, Chapter 5 Continued 4 Today we continue our careful and deliberate study in Matthew chapter 5, the Sermon on the Mount. Last week we spent our entire time together on the pivotal verses 17 – 20 because these form the basis and the backstop for understanding everything that Yeshua […]The post Lesson 16 Ch5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 14, Chapter 5 Continued 2 We have now completed studying 7 of the Beatitudes. It is usually said that there are 8 of them, but some Bible commentators say there are 9, and others say 10. My position is that the separating away of the first several verses of Matthew […]The post Lesson 14 Ch5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 15, Chapter 5 Continued 3 I want to begin by acknowledging that we've spent the better part of 3 lessons covering only the first 16 verses of Matthew chapter 5; I know this is a very slow pace. I'm afraid that it is not likely to increase very much for […]The post Lesson 15 Ch5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 13, Chapter 5 Continued The richness and depth of instruction contained in the Sermon on the Mount is so breathtaking and yet foundational to the life of a Believer in the Father and in Messiah Yeshua, that after much time studying and researching it, I am still am at a […]The post Lesson 13 Ch5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 12, Chapter 5 The Sermon on the Mount will be our topic for the next few weeks as it takes up Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. I think I can say without much objection that the Sermon on the Mount represents the most consequential and panoramic expression of what […]The post Lesson 12 Ch5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 11, Chapters 4 and 5 Our previous lesson in Matthew chapter 4 left off at a time when Christ was gathering His first disciples. Teachers and Holy Men gathering disciples was nothing new; in fact John's Gospel says that Andrew was John the Baptist's disciple before he became one of […]The post Lesson 11 Ch4 Ch5 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 9, Chapter 4 As we work our way through the Gospel of Matthew and discover so many important details buried in the text, and also discover those present in Christian traditions and just as importantly in the ancient Jewish traditions, we are regularly going to step back and review what […]The post Lesson 9 Ch4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 10, Chapter 4 Continued The Early Church Father Chrysostom said this about the temptations of Christ: "The devil begins with the temptation to indulge the belly. By this same means he cast out the first man, and by this means many are still cast down." In our study of Matthew chapter […]The post Lesson 10 Ch4 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 8, Chapter 3 Continued 2 As we re-open Matthew chapter 3, we left off with verse 7, the mention of Sadducees and Pharisees coming to John ostensibly to be immersed by him, but in reality it was to investigate this strange man who seemed to have developed a large following […]The post Lesson 8 Ch3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 7, Chapter 3 Continued If we were to do a deep comparison between the 4 Gospel accounts that open the New Testament, it would become evident that each Gospel writer approaches the matter of the advent, life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah with his own unique mindset and perspective, […]The post Lesson 7 Ch3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 5, Chapter 2 Continued We spent the bulk of our previous time together on the birth story of Our Lord and Savior as we find it in the Book of Matthew; it is the only place in the New Testament that we'll hear about the magi and the Star of […]The post Lesson 5 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 6, Chapters 2 and 3 As we drink in and deeply reflect on the beauty, salt, and light that the Book of Matthew provides us, let us also be reminded of something about the author himself. Our Jewish Matthew was not an eyewitness to anything he was reporting nor does […]The post Lesson 6 Ch2 Ch3 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 4, Chapter 2 We concluded chapter 1 of Matthew's Gospel last time, and I remarked then that Matthew's goal was to begin his Gospel by explaining who Jesus is. According to Matthew He is the prophesied Messiah of Israel; the Son of David, Son of Abraham. The importance of Believers understanding […]The post Lesson 4 Ch2 appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 3, Chapter 1 Continued In our previous lesson we studied at length the genealogy of Yeshua that opens Matthew's Gospel. We discovered that Matthew seems to have created a structure for his genealogy based on the numbers 3, 14, and 42. It is unknown by Bible research scholars whether this […]The post Lesson 3 Ch1 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 42 – Chapter 27 (End of Book) Today we study the last chapter of the book of Leviticus, and bring Leviticus to a close. We might run a tad long in order to finish up. It is interesting that the final few matters talked about in Leviticus revolve around funding the sanctuary. From […]The post Lesson 42 – Leviticus 27 (End of Book) appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 1, Introduction The New Testament contains 4 gospel accounts of the life, purpose, and meaning of the most unique man in history: Yeshua of Nazareth, known better within the Western Christian Church as Jesus Christ. The creation and ordering of this New Testament addition to the Bible occurred early in […]The post Lesson 1 Intro appeared first on Torah Class.
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW Lesson 2, Chapter 1 The worldview from which we are going to study the Gospel of Matthew is this: Matthew (whether that was the author's actual name or not) was a Jewish Believer. This is an essential starting point because for centuries the institutional Church has tried to push the narrative […]The post Lesson 2 Ch1 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 40 – Chapter 26 Basically we’re done now with law giving and the establishment of holy rituals. So chapter 26 sort of stands back and says: IF you will FOLLOW what I’ve told you to do then there will be many blessings heaped upon you. If you do NOT follow what I’ve told […]The post Lesson 40 – Leviticus 26 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 41 – Chapters 26 and 27 As we finish up Leviticus 26 today let me begin by recalling for you that unlike all the earlier chapters of Leviticus where laws and ordinances were established chapter 26 says, ‘here’s what will happen if you obey all those laws and commands, and here is what […]The post Lesson 41 – Leviticus 26 & 27 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 38 – Chapter 25 Continued We’ll continue today in our study of Leviticus chapter 25. Among many principles present in this chapter are ones that every Believer needs to pay attention to: release and redemption. It is in the Torah that the basics and the details about release and redemption are explained. Towards […]The post Lesson 38 – Leviticus 25 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 39 – Chapter 25 Conclusion We’ll finish up Leviticus 25 today. In Leviticus 25 we studied the all-important Jubilee, which has the nickname of “the favorable year of the Lord”. I have been asked several questions about the Jubilee and just how faithful and scrupulous Israel might have been in following it. In […]The post Lesson 39 – Leviticus 25 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 37 – Chapter 25 If there is a single word that defines what we’re about to read and examine, it is “Jubilee”. This is the place in the Torah where we receive instruction on that somewhat mysterious “year of Jubilee” that most of us have heard about; and usually don’t quite understand what […]The post Lesson 37 – Leviticus 25 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 36 – Chapter 24 Leviticus chapter 24 presents us with a somewhat diverse collection of ordinances and rules about various subjects. The first few verses deal with matters concerning the Sanctuary of Yehoveh that is for this era of Leviticus the mobile tent called the Wilderness Tabernacle, and later will be the Temple […]The post Lesson 36 – Leviticus 24 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 35 – Chapter 23 Conclusion Leviticus chapter 23 is where the 7 Biblical Feasts are ordained and explained. We’ve covered the first 4 of them thus far: the 3 Spring Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits, and then the 1 Summer Feast called Shavuot in Hebrew, known better in Christendom as Pentecost. […]The post Lesson 35 – Leviticus 23 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 33 – Chapter 23 Baruch Levine aptly names Leviticus 23 as “The Calendar of Sacred Time”. So we get a detailed schedule of religious events as ordained by Yehoveh and given to the people of Israel in this chapter. These religious events are most recognizable to us as the 7 Biblical Feasts and […]The post Lesson 33 – Leviticus 23 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 34 – Chapter 23 Continued As we continue our examination of Leviticus chapter 23 it is all about the Biblical Feasts also known as the appointed (or designated) times. We’ve looked at Passover and the Feast of Matza so far, and we’ll continue the order of the Feasts as they are on the […]The post Lesson 34 – Leviticus 23 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 32 – Chapter 22 This chapter contains a series of rules about priests and their families eating the food sacrificed to Yehoveh. Remember that the priests’ chief food supply was those things brought by the people of Israel for sacrifice in the Tabernacle and later the Temple. What is also noteworthy is that […]The post Lesson 32 – Leviticus 22 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 31 – Chapter 21 We got a little way into Leviticus 21 last week and the thrust of those first few verses dealt with death and the uncleanness of death. Let’s be clear that this passage is speaking to the Levites and Priests of Israel NOT to the population at large. So as […]The post Lesson 31 – Leviticus 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 30 – Chapters 20 and 21 We began Leviticus chapter 20 last week, and it’s purpose is NOT to repeat the same laws that have been set down in the previous couple of chapters (although at first glance it may seem so); rather this is what our modern court system would call “the […]The post Lesson 30 – Leviticus 20 & 21 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 28 – Chapter 19 Continued We’ll continue today with Leviticus chapter 19. If there is one single principle of God that the entire world has violated, and that is the greatest single cause (outside of sin itself) for the global chaos that we watch on the evening news or read about in our […]The post Lesson 28 – Leviticus 19 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 29 – Chapters 19 and 20 We began to touch on the subject of death and the afterlife at the end of last week’s lesson. Because since about the 4th century A.D. Christianity has worked backwards by taking what was revealed in the New Testament and then trying to read it into the […]The post Lesson 29 – Leviticus 19 & 20 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 27 – Chapter 19 We just got started last time in Leviticus chapter 19, a chapter that focuses on the holiness of the worshipper. Let’s re-read part of the chapter. READ LEVITICUS CHAPTER 19:1 – 18 We see that 6 of the 10 Commandments are directly addressed in this chapter, and the words […]The post Lesson 27 – Leviticus 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 25 – Chapters 17 and 18 As we resume our study of Leviticus 17, we left off on a discussion of the topic of blood. And the context was that while up to the Great Flood man could on occasion kill animals that it was ONLY for the purpose of sacrifices to the […]The post Lesson 25 – Leviticus 17 & 18 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 26 – Chapters 18 and 19 As we open our study today in Leviticus 18, this is a chapter that deals primarily with human sexuality and what is expected of Israel in that regard as opposed to what the rest of the world does during this time in history. We read the entire […]The post Lesson 26 – Leviticus 18 & 19 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 24 – Chapters 16 and 17 Last week we looked at Leviticus chapter 16 that covered the topic of the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. I’d like to flesh that out a little further this week (especially since we’re only a few days from the beginning of the High Holy Days) and then […]The post Lesson 24 – Leviticus 16 & 17 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 23 – Chapter 16 One of the greater challenges that faces Believers who are slowly awakening to our Hebrew faith roots and the undeniable reality that our Messiah Jesus is fully Jewish, is how to deal with the purely and entirely Hebrew cultural context of the Word of God. Another challenge that is […]The post Lesson 23 – Leviticus 16 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 21 – Chapter 14 Chapter 13 was spent with Yehoveh, through Moses, teaching about how to identify Tzara’at in its many forms; even tzara’at on clothing and objects made from leather. It was ALWAYS the job of a priest to make such a judgment…..a common Israelite could only abide by that priest’s decision. […]The post Lesson 21 – Leviticus 14 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 22 – Chapters 14 and 15 We’ve been dealing with the subject of Tzara’at. The principle behind Tzara’at is that it is caused by an act of God whereby the Lord determines that He wants to make visible an evil or unclean spiritual condition of a person. We’ve even seen it applied to […]The post Lesson 22 – Leviticus 14 & 15 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 20 – Chapter 13 Before we get back into Leviticus 13, let me take a moment to make a couple of observations which, I hope, help to keep us on track and keep what it is we are studying in proper context and perspective. First I’d like to reinforce why it is that […]The post Lesson 20 – Leviticus 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 18 – Chapter 11 Conclusion We’re going to continue the very complex issue of clean and unclean, holy and common, and kosher and non-kosher diet today. I want to begin by stating that I don’t pretend to have all the truth on these matters. Entire denominations and Jewish sects have been built around […]The post Lesson 18 – Leviticus 11 Concl. appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 19 – Chapters 12 and 13 We finished up the very difficult issue of Kosher eating last week, and moved into preparation for Leviticus chapter 12. But unfortunately we find ourselves out of the frying pan right into the fire, as we must face the matter of clean and unclean, called ritual purity. […]The post Lesson 19 – Leviticus 12 & 13 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 17 – Chapter 11 Continued 3 Last week we ended the section of Leviticus chapter 11 that discussed the subject of animals that were divinely declared clean and unclean for food. Further we talked about the hopelessness of trying to determine WHY certain animals were set apart as clean, and others as unclean; […]The post Lesson 17 – Leviticus 11 Cont. 3 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 16 – Chapter 11 Continued 2 Sometimes in order to make sense out of all we’ve been studying in Torah it’s necessary to take the time to step back and from a broader view examine some things about the nature of Holy Scripture that are not so obvious. I discussed last week the […]The post Lesson 16 – Leviticus 11 Cont. 2 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 14 – Chapter 11 We ended last time with the proposition that to understand the Hebrew dietary laws (given to them by Yehoveh on Mt. Sinai) we must understand that in doing so God placed diet directly at the center of holiness and purity as He defines it. Food was a major issue […]The post Lesson 14 – Leviticus 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 15 – Chapter 11 Continued We began Leviticus chapter 11 last time and we’ll continue it this week. The study of chapter 11 centers around the subjects of clean versus unclean and holy versus common. It is interesting to me that it is only Judaism where these words are used regularly and where […]The post Lesson 15 – Leviticus 11 Cont. appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 12 – Chapters 9 and 10 As we go through Leviticus chapter 9, it points out a whole variety of God-principles that a simple and quick reading can easily overlook. So, while we won’t spend much time on the details of the rituals, we will look more closely at what these rituals are […]The post Lesson 12 – Leviticus 9 & 10 appeared first on Torah Class.
LEVITICUS Lesson 13 – Chapters 10 and 11 We’re going to continue this evening with the story of Aaron’s children, Moses’ nephews, Nadav and Avihu. Nadav and Avihu were priests who immediately following the consecration of the priesthood into operation were engaged in a ritual at the Tabernacle when suddenly fire went forth from the […]The post Lesson 13 – Leviticus 10 & 11 appeared first on Torah Class.
Water baptism, or Mikveh in Hebrew, does NOT atone for sins; but it does cleanse ritual impurity.
Matthew was determined to show his readers the proper relationship between Christ and the Torah and Prophets.
God gave different signs to the pagan Magi and to the Jews that each could accept and identify with.
A parallel exists between the stories of Balaam and the Magi concerning the prophesied "star out of Jacob."
Yeshua, a contraction of Y'hoshua (Joshua), was a popular Jewish male name that means "Yehoveh saves."
The genealogy of Yeshua proves that he is a Hebrew of royal descent yet also has traces of gentile connections.
Matthew, a Jew, aims his Gospel account of Yeshua the Messiah towards Jewish believers who know the Torah.