In Genesis 28-31, the transformation from Jacob the deceiver to Israel the overcomer is a lifelong journey and one that the book of Revelation underscores is essential for those who enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Discover in this study of the Torah reading ויצא Vayetze how our entry into the kingdom of the Messiah calls for a lifetime journey from slavery to freedom.
It’s not easy to leave one’s family, even at 75 years old, but God called Abram out of his father’s house for his own good. This was Abram’s first test.
In the Torah passage לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha/Lekh Lekha (“go forth,” Genesis 12:1-17:27), we learn that Abram’s faith came from both hearing God’s instruction and doing it. Doing matters, not just hearing. Hearing is easy, doing is much more involved and more difficult. When our life is smooth and we get instant gratification, it’s easy to continue walking in a way that brings a quick blessing. But when we are doing something that is right but we do not receive instant gratification, it’s harder to continue doing what is right.
When God tells us to do the right thing but we don’t want to do it, it’s hard to do it anyway.
We are seeing the heart of God in the book of Deuteronomy. He makes promises and follows through with them. There are those who believe that the foundation of the modern state of Israel has nothing to do with God, because the current state of Israel is largely a secular state. But what does it mean about the LORD’s promises if He were to turn them off like a light switch? What would that mean for another great promise from the LORD, the grace given us through Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ)?
Continuing with the explanation of the First Commandment (Deuteronomy 6:1–11:32), the instructions in the Torah reading עקב Ekev or Eikev (“consequence,” Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25) covers the following: Follow the LORD rather than the nations (Deuteronomy 7:1–26). Do not forget the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 8:1–20). Do not boast in your own righteousness (Deuteronomy 9:1–10:11). Fear the LORD (Deuteronomy 10:12–22). Keep the commands of the LORD (Deuteronomy 11:1–32).
The seventh day of Chag Matzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) is a memorial to the crossing of the Red Sea. It’s not only the zenith of most movies about Israel’s flight from Egypt but also a parable about every believer’s path to repentance, salvation and righteousness.
Ya’akov meets with Eysau and becomes one again with his family. From there, Ya’akov’s family has to clean out the wickedness from their household. As we see in Torah section Vayishlach (“and he sent,” Genesis 32:4–36:43), there’s messianic symbolism of the “son forever.” It points to God’s Son, the Mashiakh Yeshua, Who died in sorrow but was resurrected and sits at God’s right hand forever.
What is “grace” in the New Testament of the Bible, and who gives it? Did Yeshua’s grace replace or usurp God’s grace? No, God gave us grace when he gave mankind the Torah and then He gave us even more grace when He gave us Yeshua. One does not replace the other. Works of Torah obedience are only of use to the believer after one trusts in God for salvation — not before — because salvation cannot be earned.
As part of an excursus from our study of Luke 22 on Yeshua’s teachings to the 12 during and just after His last Pesakh (Passover) with them, we’re looking at John 13-17. There appears to be a number of parallels between John 14 and Num. 10:29-12:15 that seem to suggest that the “going” Yeshua is referring to would be into the grave and then to God’s throne, reserving the privilege to dwell with God for anyone in the wold who want it.