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Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

God’s unwavering love: Foreshadowed in Abraham, realized in Messiah (Genesis 12–17)

This study on the Torah reading לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha (Genesis 12–17) explores the spiritual lineage of Abraham and how it emphasizes God’s faithfulness and love, irrespective of human failings. This faithfulness and love reaches its fullness in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ).

Being a true descendant of the covenant the Creator of Heaven and Earth made with him means embodying the trust — faith — he had in Heaven’s promises, not just sharing his DNA. We explore the importance of spiritual commitment over rituals such as circumcision, biblical criticism toward religious figures’ service without sincerity, and the necessity for total devotion for a covenantal relationship with God.

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Discussions Passover Prophets and Writings Torah Unleavened Bread

Messiah is ‘faithful and righteous to forgive’ our leavened ‘malice and wickedness’

There’s ample reasons to stand in awe of Heaven’s love and mercy as we recall what when Heaven showed the Jail-keeper of humanity Who is boss that “Good Friday” and resurrection day two millennia ago. But we shouldn’t forget the enduring lessons about our salvation from the seven days of Unleavened Bread that surrounded ancient Israel’s deliverance in the Exodus and ours today.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Passover Torah

Humanity invented slavery, but God brings freedom (Exodus 13; 1Corinthians 5; Colossians 2)

What does the Passover, an event that happened over 3,500 years ago, have to do with our current lives? Why should we concern ourselves with studying about God’s judgment on Mitzraim (Egypt)? In the Torah reading Bo, we see in the Torah section בוא Bo (“come,” Exodus 10:1–13:16) a battle of wills between Heaven and the king of Mitzraim (pharaoh). Heaven was not just picking a fight with the people of Mitzraim. Heaven was not punching down, so to speak. Heaven was trying to free not just Israel from bondage but also the entire world.

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Discussions Torah

Numbers 33: Travelogue of Egypt to the Promised Land teaches faith in the LORD

The LORD makes a big deal about fulfilling our promises, because He wants us to count on His promises of our transformation of character and world made new through the Messiah. That’s an important lesson in the Torah double reading מטות Matot (“tribes”) and מסעי Massei (“journeys of”), covering Numbers 30:2–36:13. covering Numbers 30-36.

But easy to miss in seemingly unending list of 40-plus place names in Numbers 33 are the critical lessons learned by the Exodus generations and each one to our current day about temptations “common to man” (1Cor. 10:13).

Apostle Paul riffs on the incidents behind the Egypt-to-Promised Land travelogue to show us we must trust that “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1Corinthians 10:13 NASB).

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Discussions Torah Unleavened Bread

Exodus 14:1–15:21: Seventh day of Unleavened Bread teaches repentance, salvation and righteousness

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.