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Discussions Prophets and Writings

Faith in God by Naaman vs. Gehazi and King of Israel (2Kings 5)

A photo of the Jordan River saying "The Jordan River didn’t cleanse Naaman, God responded to Naaman’s humility, honesty and integrity.

In 2nd Kings 5, we should see a connection between Yeshua (Jesus) and Elisha the prophet. Aramite captain Naaman, a pagan, was not the only one being examined in his healing from leprosy. The king of Israel and Elisha’s servant Gehazi were also being examined or tested.

In an account of Yeshua’s healing 10 lepers, only a Samaritan, a “foreigner,” returned to give God praise. Both Naaman and the Samaritan paid spiritually by having to acknowledge that salvation comes from Israel, not from their false views of God.

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Discussions Torah

Exodus: From dwelling in bondage to dwelling with God

"Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:25,20:1-17)" by Gustave Doré
Gustave Doré (1832–1883), "Moses Comes Down From Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:25, 20:1-17)," La Grande Bible de Tours, Wood engraving, Public domain (U.S.), Wikimedia Commons, 1866.

If we can choose just one word to summarize the book of Exodus, it’s reconciliation. God used Moshe (Moses) to bring the descendants of Israel out of Egypt to be His people. Even after the golden calf was made, God still wanted to reconcile to His people Israel, and Israel wanted to reconcile to Him. The people of Israel were willing to give much to be reconciled to Him to the point that Moshe had to tell the children of Israel to stop giving because the coffers were overflowing with gifts. They wanted Him to dwell with them.

God said through Paul that He began a good work in us. God will complete the good work. We are to be living stones. We will surround the Creator of Heaven and Earth and His Son, Yeshua (Jesus) the Mashiakh (Messiah). There will be no temple there, because the temple will be there all the time. The only temple will be the people He saved.

God ultimately used the Messiah to reconcile the world to Himself, no longer recognizing their transgressions. A clean slate, it’s all new. He doesn’t pay attention to our sins, transgressions and iniquities. We are to be ambassadors to reconcile people to God.

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Anger Apostolic Writings Discussions Life With God Torah

Real meaning of ‘eye for an eye’: God’s lessons in peace-making

A biblical man and a woman weighing each other on the scales of justice with northern lights. The Real Meaning of "eye for an eye" God's lessons in peacemaking.

Last time, we discussed lashon ha-ra (evil tongue, i.e., gossip, slander and divisiveness) and how it is one of the latter-day plagues among God’s people.

In this excursus, we will explore a related principle taught in Torah by Yeshua and His apostles: proportionality. A number of Christians often consider “eye for an eye and tooth for tooth” an example of the “old covenant” not to live by anymore and quote Yeshua to that effect.

Rather, we’ll see that “eye for an eye” is a Bible parabolic idiom teaching proportionality. The point of justice is to restore the offender to the community, not extract a pound of flesh.

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Discussions Torah

Exodus 39-40: Designs for the Tabernacle implements shows God has a place for each of us

Drawing from the book The Bible and Its Story (1908) written by Charles F. Horne & Julius August Brewer.

There is a lot of exactness described in Exodus 39-40 for the design of the furniture and implements of the Tabernacle of Israel. One lesson we can draw from this is every piece of furniture had its own exclusive place. Every item had its irreplaceable function in God’s house. We were all brought to God’s High Priest first. Yeshua the High Priest presented us to the Father. When God calls us to Himself, He calls us to our irreplaceable task too.

Another lesson from the directed precision is God trained the people to stay where He stayed and move when He moved.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings

Understanding + Spirit = Salvation: Eliyahu, Elisha foreshadow Messiah in freeing, healing sons (2Kings 4)

Understanding + Spirit = Salvation: 2nd Kings 4 and 1st Kings 17

We have two parallel foreshadowings — prophecies — of Messiah Yeshua in the accounts of Elisha in 2nd Kings 4 and Eliyahu (Elijah) in 1st Kings 17. In this shadow of things to come, the lesson is that people from the nations, aka “gentiles” or “goyim,” can have a lot of power of the Spirit of God but lack “understanding” about God, while people of Israel can have “understanding” about God but lack the power of the Spirit. Both can be “saved” — fully enter the Kingdom of God — if they are willing to seek what they are lacking.

Elisha is a representation of the Messiah, Who is the ultimate high priest. Both Elisha and Messiah gave a profound gift directly to the people. It’s strictly symbolic, but it’s beautiful. The story of Elisha happened about 700 years before “the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.” These accounts in 1st and 2nd Kings were recorded so Israel could recognize the Messiah when He came about seven centuries later.

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Discussions Torah

Exodus 37-38: Design of the Ark of the Testimony and furniture of Tabernacle holy places

What does all this architectural and interior design detail of the Tabernacle and its furniture mean? What is God showing us? How does this involve us personally? There is a physical building and objects, but every detail is a picture of spiritual reality and the transformation God wants to do in each of us. and it holds lots of meaning. Each item had a function, as does each person in God’s dwelling place — His people.

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Anger Discussions Gossip and Slander Life With God

Lassoing lashon ha-ra (evil tongue): Grappling with gossip and slander in God’s family

Studies in Prophets and Writings

We’re taking an excursus from our exploration of Yeshua’s “apocalyptic discourse” in Matthew 24-25, Luke 21 and Mark 13 to explore one of the most pervasive sins among God’s people today. It’s not the Sabbath. It’s not sexual deviance. This is a study about kosher — distinguishing between “clean” and “unclean” — and God’s judgment on the Day of the Lord.

There is a deeper meaning of kosher and what God considers “clean.” Many are very concerned about Moses’ commands about eating kosher, but little concern about Yeshua’s command to speak kosher.

Apostle Ya’akov (James) wrote a lot about the essential matter of keeping control of what comes out of one’s mouth.