Author: Jeff

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Discussions Torah

Exodus 25:1-27:19: Is your house God-built?

From “The House That Jack Built” to the parable by Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ) of the wise homeowner’s constructing it on a rock (Matt. 7:24–27; Luke 6:47–49), the metaphor of a house representing one’s character and lifestyle is widely employed over eons and continents.

The architectural and interior-design details about Israel’s Tabernacle in Torah reading תרומה Terumah (“contribution,” Exodus 25:1-27:19) may seem like needless and tiresome minutia. But why they deserve close, repeated reflection is they are a “pattern” for what the Heaven-transformed life looks like. That’s the pattern Yeshua, the ultimate Tabernacle from Heaven (John 1:14), lived out, as recorded in the Gospels.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

Exodus 14; 1Corinthians 10: Follow God’s escape plan from sin

1st Corinthians 10 is Paul’s midrash (commentary) from Israel’s history on how divisions arose during the journey from Mitzraim (Egypt) to the Promised Land. And the crossing of the Red Sea — recorded in בְּשַׁלַּח Beshalach, “when he sent,” Ex. 13:17-17:16 — also is a parallel for our trip from unsaved to Savior.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 49:22–26: Yosef teaches us how to be ambassadors for Christ

A section of the Zig-Zag path above Llyn Peris
This path is part of Llwybr Main (=narrow path) which links Dinorwig and Llanberis, Gwynedd in Northern Wales, UK. (Photo by Eric Jones via Creative Commons License)

How do we become righteous? Yosef’s life story shows the way. He walked in the path of righteousness, he did not “do in Rome as the Romans do” and refused to hold grudges against or plot revenge against those who persecuted and defamed him. What we can learn from the Torah reading ויחי Vayechi (“he lived,” Gen. 47:28–50:26) is this was the Messianic template that Yeshua walked too.

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Apostolic Writings Chanukah Discussions Torah

Matthew 24 and Chanukah: Why Yeshua warned believers to run to the hills

The righteous didn't suddenly become righteous, they just didn't go over the cliff with everyone else." Adobe Spark Banner Art

Why Yeshua (Jesus) went to the Temple on Chanukah, aka the Festival of Dedication and the Festival of Lights, wrapped in the history recorded in 1-4 Maccabees.

Those are prequels of sorts to the Gospels. You see why the Romans are in the Holy Land, why Yeshua  warned in Matthew 24 that in the last days God’s people will have to “run to the hills,” and what the “abomination of desolation” (Dan. 11:31; 12:11; Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14) actually looks like. 

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

Genesis 32:3–36:43: How to wrestle with and wait on God together joyfully

Word Cloud using entire text from 2018 hallel fellowship talk on Parashat Vayishlach.

The LORD sends us into the world to be His ambassadors (2Cor. 5:20) and part of the kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:5–6; 1Pet. 2:9–10; Rev. 5:9–10). Will we go? Will we face challenges of our own making or ones that are out of our control? Division is toxic to the Kingdom of God. How are we living this out?

In this study of the Torah reading וישלח Vayishlach (Genesis 32:3–36:43), we will go over a few of Yeshua’s parables that will make Ya’akov’s WWE match with the Angel of the LORD look logical. We will learn more about how God teaches us. We have been sent to a world full of brokenness while experiencing brokenness ourselves. How we deal with the brokenness of others and divisions and disagreements in the Body is a sign of our spiritual maturity. 

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Luke 17: How the ‘days of Lot’ prepare us for the Day of the LORD

XX-34 BADGER (yield 23 kt) - an atmospheric nuclear test performed by the U.S. on 18April 1953 as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole at the Nevada Test Site. (Photo taken in 1953 by the US Government in the public domain)

The Torah reading Vayera (“and He appeared,” Genesis 18–22) aptly describes how the Creator of the Heavens and Earth shows up “in the fullness of time.”

We will see messianic parallels between the “days of Lot” in Sodom, the “days of Noah” and the Day of the LORD preceding the return of Yeshua (Jesus), the Son of Man (Matthew 24; Luke 17).

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

Matthew 24; Luke 17: ‘Days of Noah’ teach us how to be ‘born again’

A (Egyptian) Coptic icon of Noah's Ark by Tasony Sawsan

“‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. … That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.'” (John 3:3, 6 NASB)

The Torah reading Noakh, covering Genesis 6:9–11:32, is a testimony of the origin of Abraham and Israel, of different people groups and of languages. This is real history, not legend or allegory. That is important, because it’s a testimony about the intentions and actions of the Creator.

And the “days of Noah” (Matt. 24:36–44; Luke 17:22–37) teach us how we become “born again” via the Mashiakh (Christ) of God.