Author: Daniel

Abraham’s teachable moments on faith (Genesis 18:1–22:24)

Post author By Daniel
Post date November 19, 2016
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Why is Abraham considered our “father of faith” when so much of his biblical biography shows examples of his utter lack of faith? He laughed in God’s face about a son from a barren wife, circumvented God’s prophesy for that son and lied to two different kings about his relationship with Sarah, putting her in real danger.

In the Torah parashah (portion) called Vayera (“He appeared,” Gen. 18:1–22:24), we learn that despite Abraham’s (and Sarah’s) ups and downs, their faith was growing, not shrinking. That is why God Himself not only credited Abraham’s trust as righteousness but also made them patriarch and matriarch of “a great and mighty nation” through which all nations of Earth would be blessed.

Tags faith, Genesis, Genesis 18, Genesis 19, Genesis 20, Genesis 21, Genesis 22, Parashat Vayera, Recordings

Discussions Torah

Genesis 6:9-11:32: Remembering God’s judgment and mercy in the Flood

Post author By Daniel
Post date November 5, 2016
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Though his generation had forgotten, Noach (Noah) remembered the Creator was in charge, followed His instructions and didn’t have the malice of the world around him. In the Torah section Noach (Genesis 6-11), we learn that the relationship between God and Noach was a two-way street, and it is because of this one man’s trust in God that all of creation was saved.

Tags Genesis, Genesis 06, Genesis 07, Genesis 08, Genesis 09, Genesis 10, Genesis 11, Parashat Noach, Recordings

Discussions Torah

Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17: Dancing around whole-hearted devotion to the LORD

Post author By Daniel
Post date September 3, 2016
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God wants to see our praise and He wants us to see Him. (Photo by Freeimages.com/Gabriel Pico)

In the Book of Deuteronomy, God, through Moses, asks His people to give Him their unwavering devotion and praise. Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) teaches us to do the same.

In this study of the Torah reading רְאֵה Re’eh (“see,” Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17), the LORD wants us to see what’s intended by the Second, Third and Fourth of the Ten Commandments.

Tags clean and unclean, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 11, Deuteronomy 12, Deuteronomy 13, Deuteronomy 14, Deuteronomy 15, Deuteronomy 16, Fourth Commandment - seventh-day Sabbath/Shabbat, Parashat Re'ah, Second Commandment, syncretism, Third Commandment

Discussions Torah

Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11: What’s on God’s heart is to be on ours

Post author By Daniel
Post date August 20, 2016
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Photo Credit: Heart in my Hands by Freeimages.com/Chelsee Tysoe. Creative Commons License.

This week’s Torah reading, ואתחנן Va’etchanan (“and I pleaded,” Deut. 3:23-7:11), includes the beginning of Moshe’s elucidation. Deuteronomy is Moses’ farewell to the people of Israel.

This section in particular focuses on how to love God, what is idolatry and how to avoid idolatry. We don’t make statues and bow to them but we still struggle with idolatry in our own day. How? We worship our stuff, the works of men. We create a lot of things, most of them don’t honor to God.

Moses has seen the people backslide over and over again for the past 40 years and he knows human nature enough that this pattern is not going to end. He knows they will do things they should not do, because they are humans and they do what humans do. This book offers both hope and warning.

Tags Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 03, Deuteronomy 04, Deuteronomy 05, Deuteronomy 06, Deuteronomy 07, eternal life, First Commandment, Parashat Ve'etchanan, salvation, The Shema - Hear O Israel

Anger Discussions Torah

Numbers 30–36: ‘Be angry, and yet do not sin’

Post author By Daniel
Post date August 6, 2016
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"Four men, perhaps farmers, make angry gestures while holding an axe, rifle, pitchfork and stick. They typify the traditional Western concept of an angry rural mob protesting something with the threat of violence." Photo by Robert Couse-Baker via Creative Commons License.

The men of Midian used their wives to seduce the Israelites. In the dual Torah readings מטות Matot and מסעי Massei, we learn that Midian did this under the belief that they had to conquer Israel for their own long-term survival, for the sake of their sons.

At some point in our lives, we have all unintentionally “murdered” someone in our hearts. If you hate someone, you are guilty. We should repent, but we still have to deal with that murder guilt. That guilt was paid by the High Priest, our High Priest is Yeshua. It is only the death of Yeshua that pays for that sin.

Tags anger, Numbers, Numbers 30, Numbers 31, Numbers 32, Numbers 33, Numbers 34, Numbers 35, Numbers 36, Parashat Massei, Parashat Matot

Discussions Torah

Numbers 22:1–25:9: Stubborn as a donkey about true prophecy

Post author By Daniel
Post date July 23, 2016
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Painting "Landscape with Bileam" by Joseph Anton Koch (1768–1839), owned by the Germanisches Nationalmuseum. Photo via Wikipedia Commons.

Everyone loves a story about talking animals, especially smart ones. But the account in the Torah reading בָּלָק Balak isn’t just fodder for a fun animated kids’ movie. It’s an important lesson that God wants us to recognize false prophets and not follow them.