Category: Prophets and Writings

These studies cover the ancient grouping of Hebrew Bible writings called Nevi’im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings). These books include from Joshua through Malachi in the conventional Christian canon.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

How the 10 spies of the Promised Land reveal the dangers of confirmation bias (Numbers 13–14; Joshua 2; Matthew 10)

Confirmation bias: Only a strong faith in God can cut through fear and bias (Numbers 13-14; Joshua 2)

It is human nature to engage in confirmation bias. We have certain closely cherished beliefs, and we will give more weight to facts that confirm those beliefs versus facts that contradict those beliefs.

The Torah reading שלח Shelakh (“send,” Numbers 13–15) recounts how 10 “spies” of ancient Israel returned from the Promised Land with an “evil report.” They brought back the same basic facts about the geography, agriculture and social structure of the people currently living there.

The only difference was their interpretation of those facts. They looked at land through the bias of the world, while Joshua and Caleb looked at the same facts and view them through their bias of faith in the power of God. 

In Joshua 2, Rahab of Jericho overlooked her bias to see which deity was truly worth following. And in Matthew 10, Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) sent out His closest students with instructions to not be biased by the opposition they faced.

We easily and often fall into the same trap.

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Discussions Passover Pentecost/Shavuot Prophets and Writings Torah

How to increase righteousness on the Earth (Isaiah 11; John 20; Ezekiel 18)

How to increase righteousness on the Earth (Isaiah 11; John 20; Ezekiel 18). A sunset with a rainbow of cloud colors is seen from a beach.

A common caricature of Heaven is that God is obsessed with killing the wicked. Rather, the Bible talks about a better way to both rid the Earth of wickedness and increase the number of righteous. And that’s one of the key lessons of the festivals of Pesach (Passover), Matzot (Unleavened Bread) and Shavuot (Pentecost), lessons brought to their fullness in Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus). Here’s how that works.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Leper Messiah cures the toxic mold of the soul (Leviticus 14; Isaiah 53)

Leper Messiah cures the toxic mold of the soul (Leviticus 14; Isaiah 53). A worker in protective gear scrapes mold from the wall of a house (Adobe Stock image).

It’s easy to fixate on the mysterious nature of the physical ailment translated “leprosy” in Torah reading מְּצֹרָע Metzora (“leper,” Leviticus 14–15) because to focus on its spiritual causation would make us very uncomfortable. This study looks into the prophecy of the Leper Messiah that Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled. That that we can dig into this discomfort on this subject, and in the process grow in repentance and humility before God and in compassion and love towards those around us.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Good character is more than skin deep (Leviticus 13)

Good character is more than skin deep (Leviticus 13)

Some people studying the Torah portion תזריע Tazria (“she will conceive,” Leviticus 12–13) enjoy picking apart the descriptions of the צָרַעַת Tzaraat, commonly translated as “leprosy,” to see how they similar to or different from skin ailments that are known in our modern age.

But such speculations distract us from the most important lesson of Tzaraat: It was primarily a spiritual disease, not a physical ailment. God used it to correct those with לשון הרע lashon ha-ra the “evil tongue”: gossips and slanderers. Those actions came either temporarily, as He did to Miriam, the sister of Moses, or as a life sentence as he did to King Uzziah and Gehazi, the servant of Elisha.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Get real about faith: God doesn’t want — or need — your virtue signals (Leviticus 6–8; Hosea 6)

Virtue signal: God does not want (or need) yours

We may soothe ourselves by saying, “I’m glad we don’t do that sacrifice stuff anymore!” But at key lesson of the Torah reading צו Tzav (“command,” Lev. 6:8–8:36) is that God is concerned about how we bring our offering of ourselves — who we are on the inside — on top of the instructions for the what and the how of the offerings.

We all need to figure out what our offering to God will be. Will our offerings be of shallow faith, shallow love, shallow actions? Or will our offerings come from a deep faith, deep action, deep love for God?

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Discussions Prophets and Writings

Let’s make God in our own image? How idol hands are the devil’s workshop (Isaiah 43:21–44:23)

Let's make God in our own image? How idol hands are the devil's workshop (Isaiah 43:21-44:23)

There’s a domain that is ours and a domain that is not ours. And we need to respect those boundaries to live in harmony.

When our relationship with God is damaged, we have to listen and obey when God tells us where we went wrong and how to repent and make it right. That is, if our goal is fellowship with Him.

In this exploration of the parallel passage to the Torah reading ויקרא Vayikra (“and He called,” Lev. 1:1–6:7), we discover how the whole goal of the Dwelling Place’s being with mankind, whether it was in the Garden of Eden, the Mishkan, the Messiah, or in the world made new. That is God’s goal through time — to live with us.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Tabernacle and Messiah: How we are transformed into Heaven’s character (Ezekiel 43–44)

Tabernacle and Messiah: How we are transformed into Heaven's character

The Sanctuary of Israel was created as a dwelling place for the LORD among His people. He repeatedly implored Moses to “build it as you saw on the mountain.” This was not a “mere” copy, but a facsimile, a visual representation on earth of what happens in heaven.

The Book of Hebrews makes it abundantly clear that Yeshua is the fullness of what all the elements in the Tabernacle represent. Heaven’s goal is to live among His people. This study of he Torah reading תצוה Tetzaveh (“you shall command,” Exodus 27:20-30:10) emphasizes how see that this close connection between Heaven and humanity is God’s self-expressed desire.