Author: Jeff

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Discussions Torah

Leggo my ego: Egypt’s plagues show us how God tries to save the world from itself (Exodus 10–13)

Leggo my ego: Egypt's plagues show us how God tries to save the world from itself (Exodus 10-13)

Pride can lead us to overlook danger signs in our behavior or the things we have invested ourselves in. Pride can prevent us from turning back — repenting — from a foolhardy pursuit. One of the key lessons in the Torah section בוא Bo (“come,” Exodus 10:1–13:16) is that humility — like that lived out by the Pharaoh of ancient Egypt who entrusted ancient Egypt to the God of Yosef (Joseph) — opens one’s eyes to help, particularly help from Heaven.

Conversely, the malicious arrogance of the Pharaoh who didn’t know the God of Yosef and Moshe (Moses) led to the humbling of his nation by that God of the people that Pharaoh had humbled.

How much more will our humility before the Ultimate Help from Heaven, Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ) free us from the chains of which we may be oblivious.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings Tabernacles Torah

‘You will call His name Immanuel’: Heaven’s desire has always been to be with us

'You will call his name Immanuel': Heaven's desire has always been to be with us (Exodus 3; Isaiah 7-12)

At Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles), we celebrate Heaven’s work to heal the breach between the God and humanity, so that once again, the Creator can live with His creation. And one of the most enduring and repeated reassurances the Holy One is Immanu El — God with us.

In the Torah reading שמות Shemot (“names,” Exodus 1:1–6:1), we see Heaven’s revelation of “the Name,” translated as “I am” or “I will be.” But in this passage, we also see a foreshadowing of the “name above all names”: God With Us. This study explores the “now and not yet” prophecies of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) in the “Book of Immanuel” (Isaiah 7–12).

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

How we can join in on Heaven’s blessings for the world (Joshua 14:6–15; Matthew 10)

How we can join in on Heaven's blessing for the world (Joshua 14:5-16; Matthew 10)

The account in the Torah reading ויגש Vayigash (“he approached,” Genesis 44:18–47:27) of Yosef’s (Joseph) accusing his brothers of being “spies” on Mitzraim (Egypt) can seem like ancient geopolitical intrigue or toxic sibling rivalry.

But when compared with parallel passages in Ezekiel 37, Joshua 14 and Matthew 10, we may start to see a pattern: Israel’s role on Earth is as Heaven’s delegate-spy-ambassador to bless and restore humankind. And Yeshua (Jesus) is the quintessential Son of God and Son of David is the ultimate Anointed One sent from Heaven in that role.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings

Why some yearn for a close encounter with Heaven, while others fear (Amos 2–3)

Why some yearn for a close encounter with Heaven while others fear (Amos 2-3)

In the Torah reading וַיֵּשֶׁב Vayeshev (Genesis 37–40), the salacious downward spiral of Yehudah (Judah) is sharply contrasted with the upward rise of Yosef (Joseph). That’s despite Yosef’s brothers’ having betrayed him.

The parallel passage to Vayeshev (Amos 2:6–3:8) reveals how morality can go down a slippery slope to depravity if nothing stops it. Yosef was a living prophecy of the ultimate Favored Son of Israel — Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) — Who would be rejected but effectively stop the moral slide of the nation and the world.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

All-in bets on the Kingdom of God last a lifetime

Going all-in for the Kingdom of God

The “easy days” of being a believer in God through Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) are fast coming to an end in Western nations. But in this accelerating shift, the people of God are learning what those in repressive areas today and in centuries past have clinged to in dark times: The “death” of the old way of life helps one remain standing as comfort and security crumble around.

These are some of the key lessons in this study of the Torah passage ויצא Vayetze/Vayetzei (“he went out,” Gen. 28:10–32:2).

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Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Money and Messiah: How Heaven teaches us to respect others and ourselves

Money and Messiah: How Heaven teaches us to respect others and ourselves

A section of the Torah reading חיי שרה Chayei Sarah (“Sarah’s life,” Gen. 23:1–25:18) makes a big deal about a real estate transaction Abraham did for a burial plot for his wife Sarah. Rather than an arcane factoid from ancient times now long gone, this deal is a key lesson on the Golden Rule — how highly Heaven values humanity, and how people should similarly respect others and ourselves.

Rather than “he who has the gold makes the rules” or “do unto others before they do it unto you,” the Golden Rule and related instructions on property rights teach us to find value in others and ourselves based on what’s inside of us: our character, who we truly are.

And one of the key parts of this lesson is the great Gift given to humanity through Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus), beautifully explained by the Suffering Servant prophecy in Isaiah 52:13–53:12.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

Messiah: Door to the ark of salvation (Genesis 6–7; Matthew 24)

Messiah: Door to the ark of salvation (Genesis 6-7; Matthew 24)

Just as there was one door to Noach’s ark and the salvation it offered from the waters of the flood, there is only one Door to salvation to save us from the eternal destruction of wickedness that will come at the final judgement.

From the Torah passage נֹחַ Noach (Gen. 6:9–11:32), we see how its main figure tried to warn his generation of the trouble that laid ahead for the earth.

Similarly, Yeshua (Jesus) did the same in His generation, and He has called each generation of His followers to warn their generation of the coming “time of trouble.”

As the proverb says, history may not repeat itself, but it rhymes. And studying the history of the world from the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) is how we can know what will happen, even if we don’t understand exactly when these things will happen.