Tag: vigilante

How God guides us to pursue real change by standing up for what’s right (Numbers 25–26)

Post author By Jeff
Post date July 8, 2023
No Comments on How God guides us to pursue real change by standing up for what’s right (Numbers 25–26)

How God guides you to pursue real change by standing up for what's right (Numbers 25-26). Oil painting style image of a white-clothed man standing while holding a spear.

People are looking at what is going on in American culture and government right now and see a repeat of what was going on in pre-Nazi Germany. Some are advocating for preparing to fight, and some look for guidance from priest Phinehas’ bold action in Torah reading פִּינְחָס Pinchas (Numbers 25–29) to stop iniquity in the house of God.

However, a look at the actions Pinchas actually took leading up to that moment reveals what was behind the extreme restraint exercised by the founders of the U.S., drawing from David’s example when persecuted by Saul. These lessons teach followers of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) how to “stand” as times get darker leading up to the Day of the LORD.

Tags histemi - stand - Strong's G2476, Numbers 25, Numbers 26, Parashat Pinchas, Phineas, qum - confirm/arise/stand - Strong's H6965, self-defense, shaqal - weigh - Strong's H8254, sheqel or shekel - unit of money weight - Strong's H8255, teqal or tekal or tekel - cognate of shaqal - weight - Strong's H8625, vigilante, vigilantism

Discussions Torah

Exodus 21–24: 13 hues of the Creator’s justice and mercy

Post author By Jeff
Post date February 10, 2018
No Comments on Exodus 21–24: 13 hues of the Creator’s justice and mercy

Cyrus interrogates the King of Armenia. Painting by Noël Coypel from the Château de Versailles currently housed at the Musée de Grenoble. Photo by Wikimedia Commons.

Does the Torah promote vigilantism? Are its instructions backward and obsolete? If not, what do these instructions mean to me today?

In the Torah reading מִּשְׁפָּטִים Mishpatim (“Judgments,” Exodus 21–24), we see an explanation of each of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). By keeping the words of Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ) in our minds (Matthew 22:36–40) while reading the Torah, we can start to understand how the instructions teach us as much about the character of the Father as they do about Heaven’s goal for our treatment of other people.