Tag: chesed – mercy/lovingkindness – Strong’s H2617

Categories
Discussions Torah

Leviticus 1, 4–5: Be thankful God isn’t fair; lessons on mercy

If we are honest with ourselves and with others, we want God to be unfair. We want Him to give us mercy. But if we don’t want Him to give others mercy, He will not give us mercy (Matt. 7:2; Mark 4:24; Luke 6:38). Neither atonement nor forgiveness are fair, yet we want it that way. Contrary to popular belief, not all offerings of the Tabernacle are equal or identical. When we confuse them and lump them all together, it’s too easy to dismiss them and throw them out as obsolete. וַיִּקְרָא Vayiqra (“he called out,” Leviticus 1–5), the beginning reading from the Torah book by the same name, teaches us that God has a purpose in mind for each of the offerings. We’ll learn what each are and more about what God is trying to teach us.

Categories
Discussions Prophets and Writings

Jeremiah 7-9; Malachi 3-4: Heaven’s salve for our hearts to prepare us for Passover

God is the epitome of lovingkindness, mercy and justice. He reigns in Heaven but He is as close as the prayers on our lips. (Photo by Freeimages.com/Martin Boose)

Why should we study the offerings of Israel’s Tabernacle and Temple, particularly after the arrival of the ultimate offering, Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ)? Thankfully, the prophets the LORD sent ahead of the Mashiakh help explain why this study is critical to learning more about the heart of the Creator of the heavens and the Earth.

The parallel passage (haftarah in Hebrew) for the Torah passage צו Tzav (“command,” Lev. 6:8–8:36) provides a sobering reminder that the Tabernacle has always been about the heart connection to Heaven and not works-based forgiveness. We learn that we are to forgive the sins, transgressions and iniquities of others completely, as God has forgiven ours. And we are to forget them, as God has forgotten ours, freeing us from our “house of bondage” of guilt. That’s a great prelude to the memorial of Pesakh (Passover).

Categories
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.

Categories
Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Discussions Prophets and Writings Tabernacles The Eighth Day Torah

Fundamentals of reigning with Messiah in the Kingdom of God: Judgment, mercy and trust

Studies in Torah

The beginning of the future reign of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) on Earth (Rev. 20:4–6), memorialized in the appointed times of Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles) and Shmeni Atzeret (Convocation of the Eighth Day). Let’s consider this hypothetical situation: During the 1,000 year-reign of Yeshua, if someone walks the wrong direction, the errant person will hear a voice, “Turn neither to the left or to the right; walk straight!” (Deut. 28:14; Josh. 1:7; Prov. 4:27; cp. Zech. 8:20–23).

Right now, that voice is hard to hear, but during the Millennial reign, that voice will be very clear.

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions

Can one be ‘under grace’ yet obey God’s Torah?

How do we explain to others about being “under grace” and still obey the Torah? Are we “under grace” or “under law”? Paul explains this in his letter to the Romans.

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 14: Whose honor do we seek?

Jeff

Yeshua’s schooling of a Pharisee member of Israel’s ruling council on allowable actions on Shabbat seems disconnected from the parables that follow in Luke 14. Yet they all are threaded together with learning God’s view on justice, compassion and mercy then honoring God through lifelong commitment to those principles of the kingdom of Heaven.

Not honoring God by seeking that change of “glasses” for seeing the world — and seeing the One through Whom the change would come — doomed much of Israel to be scattered and regathered repeatedly.

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 9:1-6; 10:1-24: Messiah warns the 12 and 70 before sending them out ‘like sheep among wolves’

Jeff

Yeshua (Jesus) sent the 12 and 70 other close followers to various cities as witnesses of His message about the coming of the Kingdom of God. Key to this commission was a quotation from the prophet Micah at a time when Israel was about to be taken apart because of rebellion against God. The same was about to happen to Israel in the first century.