Category: Discussions

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 22:39-53: Yeshua sings the Hallel about God’s mercy

Do we really trust in God and the direction He is taking us? God was taking Yeshua to the Cross, yet Yeshua trusted God. We may face terrestrial enemies ― oppressive governments, scoffing friends, oppositional family members ― but the toughest enemy is sin and death. Yeshua faced all these enemies and over came. God is the steadfast one, He has no whims of fancy. As we look into Yeshua’s trials, crucifixion and resurrection, think about God’s mercy and what endures forever. Yeshua repeatedly taught His disciples about God’s khesed — mercy — and encouraged them to extend it to others.

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Discussions Torah

Numbers 19: Red heifer a picture of Messiah

A holocaust of a red heifer, with its ashes preserved in water was used to cleanse people who had made contact with a dead body and for ritual items used in Temple worship. (Photo by Rennett Stowe via wikimedia commons, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)

God did not create the ritual of the red heifer, described in Numbers 19, to prevent the spread of disease but to make sure we don’t treat the death of a fellow human being casually. That’s regardless of whether their death was recent or many years ago. Death is our enemy. Death is not natural. Death is not our friend. The symbol of the red heifer points to the Messiah, and we can learn how much Yeshua did for us through that symbol.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

John 16:16–33: Grief turned to joy

The Eleven closest students of Yeshua (Jesus) were a little confused and didn’t understand or want to understand His proverb “You won’t see Me, then you will.” Yeshua would be leaving the Eleven, but they were not going to be left behind, powerless and alone. Neither are we.

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Discussions Torah

Numbers 16-17: Rebel against God’s appointed leaders, rebel against God

When we are not satisfied with the position God placed us and we covet someone else’s job or position, we are in grave spiritual danger. We may experience physical consequences for our rebellion, maybe not in the extreme manner recorded in Numbers 16–17, but God does not like complainers. Any insight we have about our condition comes from God.

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Discussions Torah

Numbers 15: One law for Israelite and foreigner

Studies in Torah

There is a difference between sins done in ignorance vs. those done willfully. But there is no substantial difference between how the native Israelite and the sojourner are judged under God’s instructions and called to repent.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

John 16:12-15: The Helper guides into ‘all truth,’ speaking directly from God

Yeshua said three times that He would “take what is Mine” referring to His Spirit and give it to the Eleven and their spiritual heirs, which is us. One of the Spirit’s main duties is to help us recall what we have studied so we can recall it when it is time to give a testimony of what we know to be true. But this learning is not just for our comfort. It’s so we can bring truth and comfort to the world.

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Discussions Torah

Numbers 14: Bad report about Promised Land sparks rebellion

When the majority spreads lies, the honest and faithful minority are voted out.

The “bad report” brought by the spies about the land God promised to give Israel was a dishonest report. Yet because the majority of the spies were willing to spread lies, the honest report of the two faithful spies was drowned out. The leaders of Israel believed the false report so completely that they were planning an insurrection to have Moses and Aaron stoned and then appoint a “leader” who would return them to Mitsraim (Egypt).

Numbers 14 is an example of democracy gone wrong. It also shows us God’s great patience with us in our lack of trust. We would not have tolerated the 10 times of grumbling that God tolerated from ancient Israel during the journey from Mitsraim. Yet He had to enact discipline too.