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Discussions Torah

Death of Abraham, prophecy of Rivkah’s warring children and connections to Creation and the Flood (Genesis 25)

What is the connection between this account of the death of Abraham and the prophecy of warring children in the womb of Rivkah (Rebecca) and the accounts of Creation and of the Flood?

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Discussions Prophets and Writings

1st Kings 11: God’s four rules for kings; Solomon broke them all

This chapter shows us Solomon’s faults, which were his eventual downfall. David did not have Solomon’s wisdom but Solomon did not have David’s heart for God, which is why King David is considered the standard by which all the future kings of Israel and Judah are judged, not Solomon.

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Discussions Torah

When Yitzkhak met Rivkah (Genesis 24)

God had a wife in mind for Yitzkhak. Although the servant Abraham sent to find her didn’t know who she was or whether she would respond to the call, God knew who He had chosen, and Abraham had faith that God would send His angel ahead of the servant.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 16:19-31: God vs. stuff, round 2: Rich man vs. Lazar vs. Moshe and Prophets vs. wealth

The overall theme of Luke 16 is how we are to use material wealth. Is Luke 16:19–31, known as “the rich man and Lazarus,” a travelogue of hell or a parable related to wealth?

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Discussions Torah

Abraham: An example of hope and trust in God, part 2

This is a review of 11 examples of Abraham’s faith in God in Genesis 17-23. It culminates in his trusting God to resurrect the son of the promise, Yitskhak (Isaac), and in buying property in the Land to bury those also trusting in God to resurrect them.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings

1st Kings 10: Sliver of the Messiah seen in Solomon’s silver and Queen of Sheba’s seeking his wisdom

This passage is the pinnacle of Solomon as a messianic figure. In the first part of the chapter, we are introduced to the Queen of Sheba. She had heard of Solomon’s wisdom and recognized a supernatural source of Solomon’s wisdom.

Then the passage shifts to talk of silver. The people of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) didn’t find any value for silver because symbolically they already were living in the messianic reign, but those in the nations, such as Egypt, symbolically were still longing for the word of God. They were longing for God’s teaching and counsel, just as the Queen of Sheba sought out Solomon’s.

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Discussions Torah

Abraham: An example of hope and trust in God, part 1

This is the first part of a recap of Abraham’s life, looking at about two dozen key events that show why God picked him to be the start of a special group of people on Earth and to be a key example of trust in God being considered righteousness.