Tag: humility

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Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Why God makes such a big deal out of vows and oaths (Numbers 30–36)

Why God makes such a big deal out of vows and oaths (Deuteronomy 30-36). A black bailiff swears in a white woman wearing a white shirt and brown skirt while holding up her right hand and placing her left hand on a Bible. (Image from Adobe Stock Photos)

The Torah double portion מַּטּוֹת מַסְעֵי Matot-Massei (Numbers 30–36) focuses on vows. The theme of this section, echoed by Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) and His apostle Ya’akov (James), is say what you mean and mean what you say.

This is true whether we are engaging with our equals, our leaders or those who are in a more vulnerable and marginalized position in our society. We should also communicate honesty and forthrightly with God, because no idle word will be forgotten by our God. Every comment, every joke, every insult will be noted and accounted in His book.

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Discussions Torah

God, why did You make me this way? (Numbers 30)

Why did You make me this way? Bible lessons on Potter and clay from Numbers 30, Isaiah and Romans.
Why did You make me this way? Bible lessons on Potter and clay from Numbers 30, Isaiah and Romans. hallel.info/matot-masey-2020

Why wasn’t I born tall? Athletic? In a prosperous country? To wealthy parents? In a loving, stable home? There are so many ways popular culture, our peers and we ourselves can tell us that we are less than valuable. We might glean from a cursory pass through the Torah readings מטות Matot (“tribes”) and מסעי Massei/Mase’y (“journeys of”), covering Numbers 30–36, a few more points of discrimination against us: born a woman, born in the wrong family.

Yet we will discover in this Bible study after lifting the hood on the full message from Heaven, rather than pulling soundbites convenient to our bias, that where we start out in life and where we find ourselves doesn’t have to define what truly matters: “the content of our character,” to quote Martin Luther King Jr.

Here’s what Moses, Isaiah and apostle Paul have to say.

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Discussions Torah

Numbers 16–17: How humility teaches leadership

How Humilty teaches Leadership in Parashat Korach.

The Torah reading קֹרַח Korakh (“Korah,” Numbers 16–18) can be quite chilling, especially for those of us who have serious challenges with authority. We also see a display of the adage “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” coming to fruition right before our eyes. I used to scoff at the idea of knowing who you are by the friends you keep, but it is so true. Your friends inevitably rub off on you, just as Korach’s rebellious and insolent spirit rubbed off on Dathan and Abiram and then trickled down to the entire congregation.

We’ll explore how Moses’ and Aaron’s humble intercession for these rebels teaches us about Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).

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Discussions Torah

Numbers 12: Lift yourself up and be cast down

Studies in Torah

The overall lesson of Numbers 12 is not to lift yourself up above or at the expense of others. Miriam and Aaron presumed that their younger brother, Moses, had the same type of relationship with God as they enjoyed and complained that he was ruler over them. They had no idea how intimately God spoke with Moses until now.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Matthew 5-6 — Preparing ourselves to do God’s will

Did the Father give us believers to Yeshua (Jesus), or did we come to Yeshua? What is the “first love” of a Christian? How is this lost, and how can it be reclaimed?