Category: Discussions

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

Got enough faith to be free?: Lessons from ancient Israel’s and the apostles’ sea crossings (Exodus 14–15; Matthew 8; John 6–7)

Got enough faith to be free?: Lessons from Israel's and the apostles' sea crossings (Exodus 14-15; Matthew 8; John 6-7). A hand reaches up out of stormy waves toward a shadowy feature above the waves.

Ancient Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea while being pursued by the army of then-superpower Mitzraim (Egypt), recorded in Torah reading בְּשַׁלַּח Beshalach (“when he sent” or “after he had let go,” Exodus 13:17–17:16), is a key example of God’s supremacy over worldly powers. This study explores a parallel between Heaven’s mastery over that sea and the mastery of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) over the tempestuous waters of the Sea of Galilee. We investigate how ancient Israel and Yeshua’s apostles were prepared for trusting in God when all seems hopeless, and how this spiritual discipline trains us for the massive and mundane struggles we face today.

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Discussions Torah

Faith and familiarity: Why God’s people often struggle to trust God (Exodus 10–13)

Faith & familiarity: Why God's people often struggle with trust in God (Exodus 10-13). An elderly man with a white beard wearing Middle Eastern style head covering and cloak looks pensively off to the right side with illumination mainly of his face.

The stubborn disbelief of Israel despite witnessing God’s power worked by Moshe (Moses) and Yeshua (Jesus) is a persistent, perplexing pattern across time and the Scriptures. Despite the miracles, generations of God’s people who witnessed the miracles remained resistant, while surrounding pagan cultures sometimes displayed more humility and open-mindedness to belief.

This study of Torah reading בֹּא Bo (“come,” Exodus 10:1–13:16) explores the paradoxical nature of Israel’s stubbornness, acknowledging its role in preserving Scriptures but cautioning against using stubbornness as an excuse to ignore God’s will.

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Discussions Torah

Walking blamelessly before God: A ransomed life moving toward spiritual maturity (Exodus 6–9)

Walking blamelessly before God: A ransomed life moving toward spiritual maturity (Exodus 6-9). The feet of a person wearing blue jeans and sneakers are seen walking on a road in late afternoon sun.

In this study of Torah reading וָאֵרָא‎ Va’era (“I appeared,” Exodus 6:2–9:35), Pharaoh’s unyielding heart despite God’s plagues on Mitzraim (Egypt) foreshadows humanity’s futile rebellion against the authority of the Creator, as echoed in Revelation. Pharaoh’s “hardened” heart yields briefly with his son’s death, which challenged both his lineage and Egypt’s deities.

Pharaoh’s obstinacy is part of a prophetic role for Israel to bear witness to the global importance of God’s names El Shaddai and YHWH. That role, which reaches its fullness in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ), has come with persecution toward those who uphold the righteousness and sovereignty of the Creator.

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Discussions Torah

Seal of God vs. mark of the beast: How distressed are we about the hearts of humanity? (Exodus 1–5)

Seal of God vs. mark of the beast: How distressed are we about the hearts of humanity? (Exodus 1-5)

This study of Torah section שְׁמוֹת Shemot (“names,” Exodus 1:1–6:1) delves into the relevance of Moshe beyond Israel’s history, highlighting universal themes of crying out for deliverance and Heaven’s response. God hears enslaved Israel’s cries for liberation and ultimately delivers, irrespective of individuals’ goodness.

Adonai’s deliverance of Israel from the “house of bondage” (Joshua 24:17) parallels each of our salvation and is why the crucifixion of the ultimate Deliverer — Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) took place on Pesach (Passover), the annual memorial of Israel’s freedom from Mitzraim (Egypt). This one of the “appointments of Adonai” (Leviticus 23:1) isn’t just for Jews. Rather, it’s part of Heaven’s unfolding reunion plan with humanity.

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Discussions Torah

Shiloh or sham: Was the messianic message of Genesis 49:10 lost in translation?

Shiloh or sham: Was the messianic message of Genesis 49:10 lost in translation?

“Jesus asked [a group of Pharisees] a question: ‘What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The son of David'” (Matthew 22:41–42 NASB95). The scribes and teachers of the Scriptures of Israel knew that the Messiah would descend from through King David thanks to a key phrase in the blessing the Patriarch Ya’akov (Jacob) gave to his son Yehudah (Judah) in the Torah passage וַיְחִי Vayechi (“he lived,” Genesis 47:28–50:26).

But in modern times, scholars have come to doubt that messianic interpretation, and some of the latest Bible translations no longer include “Shiloh” as a key messianic title. This study explores whether that older interpretation and translation is correct, pointing us to Yeshua as Heaven’s “Prince of Peace.”

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Discussions Torah

Jacob, Joseph and good pharaoh: Dynamics of respect and trust in leadership (Genesis 46–47)

Dynamics of respect and trust in leadership: Lessons from Jacob, Joseph and good pharaoh (Genesis 46-47). A smiling bearded father puts his right hand on his bearded son's right shoulder.

The Torah reading וַיִּגַּשׁ Vayigash (“he approached,” Genesis 44:18–47:27) explores respect, family responsibility and trust in God. There’s an emphasis on respecting parental authority as a reflection of honoring God and prioritizing obedience to God over obeying human authorities. 

The narrative of Yosef (Joseph) in Egypt highlights trust in God amid adversity and concludes with a call to acknowledge and preserve family legacies, discarding traditions violating God’s standards. In this study, we will see that the accounts of Yosef and his older brother Yehudah (Judah) exemplify the importance of learning from one’s mistakes and the importance of standing up against injustice, as well as the intertwining of faith, respect, and moral responsibility across generations.

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Discussions Torah

Trials and transcendence: Joseph’s divine evolution beyond envy (Genesis 41–44)

Trials and transcendence: Joseph's divine evolution beyond envy (Genesis 41-44)

The section of the biblical story of Joseph (Yosef) covered in the Torah reading מִקֵּץ Miketz (“he settled,” Genesis 41:1–44:17) explores greed and jealousy in human nature. 

In this study, we see that Yosef’s testing of his brothers demonstrated their positive transformation and growth beyond greed.