Author: Daniel

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Genesis 28:10-32:3: Is it better to learn through mistakes?

Ya’akov had to flee his family because of how he deceived his father to obtain the blessing that was his in the first place and he meets with God at Bethel. From there, he becomes even more acquainted with deception at the hands of Laban, but as the victim, not the perpetrator. During this time, God humbled Ya’akov, brought his flesh low so he could live in the Spirit. It’s a pity that the descendants of his grandson Ephraim chose to live by his fleshly example rather than his spiritual example.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Genesis 23:1-25:18: Believers’ bargain bonanza from Sarah and Rivkah

Why did Abraham the nomadic “father of faith” pay so much for a tomb for his wife Sarah? What’s the connection between Abraham’s and King David’s picking a certain son as the successor over other, older sons? Are does the symbol of a well in the account of Yitzkhak marrying Rivkah and in Yeshua’s encounter with the Samaritan woman teach us about the Mashiakh’s work of bringing new life out of death? These are questions tackled in this discussion of the Torah portion Chayei Sarah (“life of Sarah”), covering Genesis 23-25.

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Discussions Reflections on Scripture

Genesis 12–17: Abram’s ‘slaves’ aren’t like American slavery

Anti-Slavery Almanac, 1838
Illustration from the Anti-Slavery Almanac, published 1838 (Public Domain photo).

God is not an American. As we study the Torah reading לֶךְ-לְךָ‎ Lech Lecha (“get going!” Genesis 12–17), we should remember that the Bible He divinely inspired should not be interpreted through the lens of American history.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 1:1–6:8: The Creator shows why to ‘have no other gods before [Him]’

Fresco of God creating the sun, moon and stars. Fanefjord Church, Møn, Denmark.

Some Bible versions translate Gen. 1:1 as “In the beginning, God created…” or “In the beginning of God’s creating the heavens and the earth….” בְּרֵאשִׁית Bereysheet (Genesis) is not a science book. It is not designed to teach you how God created anything. The purpose of the beginning of Bereisheet is to teach us who God is, what He did and how powerful He is, much like Devarim (Deuteronomy) starts with reminding the people who God is and why the Ten Commandments say to have no other gods before Him.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings

Amos 5: Why are the prudent silent?

There will come a time when prudent judges will remain silent rather than risk hardship. Photo via Creative Commons license by FreeBibleimages.org

Have you ever wondered what the “Wormwood” mentioned in Rev. 8:11 is all about? There is an ongoing lesson in Scripture about the herb wormwood that helps explain what it has to do with God’s actions on the Day of the LORD.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings

Amos 4: Real vs. false worship

Shomron capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, also called Samaria. Photo from From Wikimedia Commons.

The way we can correct our path and avoid judgement is to look at our history, our personal history and the history of our nation. God hasn’t changed His toolkit. He created the Heavens and Earth. Humans have no control over those tools. Amos details to Northern Israel the abuses of the elites in the government and monarchy upon the regular citizens.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings

Amos 3: To whom much is given, much is required

The descendants of Israel, North and South, inherited the covenant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at Mt. Sinai hundreds of years before. Yet, instead of living in that covenant, the children of Israel preferred to imitate the practices of the nations around and actually surpassed the surrounding nations around in their iniquity. This is why God judges the entire family of Israel much more severely than He punishes the other nations. This is the prophet’s warning in Amos 3.