Common advice in this world is, “Follow your heart.” But in the Torah reading רְאֵה Re’eh (“see,” Deut. 11:26–16:17), we learn that God wants to transform our way of thinking, so our desires will take us in a wiser direction. Discover through these studies how this Bible passage explains the reborn-heart approach to the Second, Third and Fourth commandments on blasphemy, idolatry and weekly stopping what we’re doing to remember the rest God gives us.
Some have disregarded that at the time of Yeshua the Messiah’s (Jesus the Christ’s) earthly ministry and in modern times that Israel had anything to do with Bible prophecy, citing the perceived failings of the people in trusting God.
But as we see in this week’s Torah reading — Ekev or Eikev (“consequence”), Deut. 7:12-11:25 — God is faithful to His promises. We should be grateful for God’s mercy and bigger plans for our lives. Find out more through these Bible studies on this passage.
Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) said several times during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, “You’ve heard it said …, but I tell you ….” Many of the corrections He provided to what God originally intended were similar to the lengthy explanation of the Ten Commandments by Moshe (Moses) in Deuteronomy. This week’s Torah reading, וָאֶתְחַנַּן Va’etchanan (“and I pleaded,” Deut. 3:23-7:11), includes the beginning of Moshe’s elucidation.
The roller-coaster ride of ancient Israel through trust in the LORD, apathy and rebellion mirrors our the turmoil that swirls around our daily lives. The Torah reading דְּבָרִים Devarim (“words,” Deut. 1:1-3:22) starts a “second telling,” or deuteronomy in Greek, to the post-Exodus generation of why Israel exists and what its mission is.
Devarim contains Moses’ recount of the Exodus and 40 years of wandering, Israel’s unbelief and the LORD’s provision. Discover through these Bible studies why Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) quoted from Devarim so often and what these lessons can teach believers today.
“As God is my witness, I will do that.” Such words can roll off our tongues easily, but we can forget that One is witnessing such a vow and watching to see whether we respect the Creator enough to follow through. That’s why Moshe (Moses), Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ) and His apostle Ya’akob (James) warned us against dragging the LORD in to co-sign on our promises. That’s a key lesson in the dual Torah reading מַּטּוֹת Mattot and מַסְעֵי Massei (Numbers 30–36).
Adultery is seen as no big deal in today’s society. Consider, though, how the hurt person in the relationship feels. That’s why Israel’s running after false gods and treating YHWH with contempt or apathy is compared to adultery many times in Scripture. This kind of unfaithfulness and rebuilding of the relationship between Creator and created is the subtext of this passage — פִּינְחָס Pinchas (“Phinehas,” Numbers 25:10–30:1).
A talking donkey may seem like fodder for a cartoon, but the Torah reading בָּלָק Balak (Numbers 22:2–25:9) contains a very real message for Israel about its future and the Messiah. Often, the Creator uses what we don’t expect — an animal, a prophet not of Israel — to shake up the complacent and underscore the gravity of the situation.