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Discussions Torah

Deuteronomy 33-34: Last days of Moshe; final blessings for the 12 tribes

The last two chapters of Deuteronomy contain Moses’ final blessings and prophecies for the 12 tribes of Israel then a description of his death, a passage he didn’t write. There are no curses here. God, through Moshe, is uplifting the people.

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Discussions Torah

Numbers 33:28-56: Lessons of the Exodus and wanderings: Mithkah to Abel-Shittim

Why is it that God specifically told Moses to write down these places? We may not have a complete picture of it but God did not ask Moses to write this down just for the sake of history. There’s a bigger picture to be found in the names of these places that Moses records and we endeavor to discover God’s picture.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 49:16–21 — blessings for Dan, Gad, Naphtali, Asher, Joseph, Benjamin

We finish this chapter discussing the prophesies related to Dan, Naphtali, Asher, Yosef (Joseph) and Ben-Yamin (Benjamin). If we look at these prophesies as only relevant to the sons of Ya’akov (Jacob), we are missing out on the messianic significance of every one of these prophesies.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings

1st Samuel 22 — Shaul starts chasing David and kills the priest who gave David food and shelter

Sha’ul (Saul) responds to the loyalty of his servants by accusing them of betrayal and favoring David. Doeg, an Edomite, wants to gain favor with Sha’ul by exaggerating his chance sighting of David at the priestly compound in Nob. Doeg continues to try to gain favor with Sha’ul by willingly obey a grizzly order that none of the men of Israel want to obey.