Categories
Discussions Prophets and Writings

The Silence of the Righteous: Moral Failure in the Face of Evil (Judges 19-20)

Digital painting of a woman in a red, embroidered robe and dark blue headscarf sleeping against the wooden door of an adobe brick house. The scene is bathed in warm, earthy tones, evoking a sense of stillness and vulnerability. Overlaid text reads: “The Silence of the Righteous: Moral Failure in the Face of Evil – Judges 19:1–20:7.” A logo in the bottom right corner reads “hallel.info.”

Judges 19-20 is a disturbing account of a Levite, from the tribe God picked to be His closest ambassadors to Israel and the world, who not only had a concubine but also callously let her get raped to death by a Sodom-like mob. The Bible’s detractors and defenders of liberal morality hold this account up as a key exhibit, but what does God really want us to learn in this no-holds-barred account?

Categories
Discussions Torah

Genesis 1:6 — ‘let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters’

Gen. 1:6 describes God’s action of creating the “firmament” by creating an expanse. In the original language, this process was “beating out,” like with metal or dough. What does God want to “pound out” in our lives to create what He wants in the world?

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions Life With God Pentecost/Shavuot Torah

Acts 3 — Peter’s second Pentecost plea for repentance

A vivid watercolor representation of the biblical scene described in Acts 3:6-7. The scene depicts a man with silver hair and an unkempt beard, who appears to be of Middle-Eastern descent. He is extending his hand to another man, who has tanned skin, brown curly hair, ragged clothing, and is sitting down, appearing to be in distress. The setting is a bustling period cityscape, with varied architectural styles hinted at in the background. The painting captures the dramatic moment when one man assists the other to stand. The color palette is vibrant, with tones of blues, reds, and yellows.
Peter meets a lame man near the Beautiful Gate leading to the Temple in Jerusalem. Illustration by Bible Art AI.

There are language cues in Acts 3 that strongly suggest that it is a description of an event on the afternoon of Pentecost. Thus this is a continuation of the events of Acts 2. The Spirit of God is on display in the temple with power, a display meant to prompt Israel to “turn back” from their rejection God’s Messiah and be restored by God’s Spirit.

Categories
Discussions

Genesis 1:5 — ‘God called the light, Day … the darkness, Night … the evening and the morning were the first day’

In Gen. 1:5, God is not only describing what the world was like when He created it but what it will be like when He returns to re-create it. That may be the spiritual picture behind light and darkness, evening and morning in this verse.

Categories
Appointments With God Pentecost/Shavuot

What ‘crop’ is God harvesting from your life?

Pentecost is described in the Bible first as a celebration of the wheat harvest. Then the timing of it coincides with God’s giving of His Torah at Sinai. Then it is connected with the giving of God’s Spirit to the first believers of Messiah Yeshua. How are all of lessons connected?

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions Pentecost/Shavuot

Acts 2 — Peter preaches with power purposefully on Pentecost

A realistic oil painting depicts the Apostle Peter preaching passionately to a large crowd of men at the Jerusalem Temple. Peter stands on stone steps, gesturing with raised hands, while the attentive crowd, dressed in ancient Middle Eastern garments, listens intently. The bottom right corner features a logo with the text “hallel.info.”

Peter’s Pentecost sermon not only made A’s for power of the Spirit but also for being “politically incorrect” in condemning the listeners. Why did Peter say what he said this particular Pentecost? What are the consistent lessons of Pentecost, called Shavuot in Hebrew for “sevens” or “weeks”?

Categories
Appointments With God Firstfruits Pentecost/Shavuot

You want to be one of God’s firstfruits

Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) is called the firstfruits of the resurrection (1st Cor. 15:20), and why are we called firstfruits of creation (James 1:18)? Pentecost originally was a celebration of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest and followed 50 days after the celebration of the firstfruits of the barley harvest. What is God teaching here about Yeshua and us?