Category Archives: Scripture

Scripture Studies

To bless or curse: that is the question

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Matthew 5:43–48, Loving one’s enemies vs. the imprecatory psalms of David. In the Davidic psalms, David writes numerous imprecations against his enemies where he implored Elohim to destroy his enemies (e.g. Ps 5:10; 6:10; 7:9; 35:26; 40:14; 55:15; 58:6–8…). How could a man after YHVH’s own heart wish so much ill upon those people intending his harm? How does this comport with Yeshua’s instructions hear to love your enemies and to treat them well? On second look, David’s imprecatory psalms may not be as incongruous with Yeshua’s teachings in his Sermon on the Mount as it may seem. Here are several points to consider in this regard.

All of David’s desires upon his enemies are directed to Elohim in the form of a prayer. As such, he is submitting his wishes to the ultimate will of the just and righteous Judge of the universe to have his way with David’s enemies.

David isn’t expressing his desires upon his enemies to his enemies. Rather, the issue is a matter of prayer, not direct confrontation.

The Bible clearly teaches in countless places that Elohim will bring judgment upon his wicked enemies. That judgment comes in many ways and many time frames. Some judgment is temporal, some is eternal.

The Bible also teaches that Elohim will repay his enemies for the evil they have done. They will reap the consequences of their sinful actions. In fact, Elohim even hates some of his enemies—the workers of iniquity (e.g. Pss 5:5; 11:5).

A case can be made from the Scriptures that the righteous are to hate the things that Elohim hates and love the things that he loves. In one place, David even talks about hating the enemies of Elohim with a perfect hatred (Ps 139:22).

So, in a general sense, the saint is to hate the workers of iniquity, the haters of Elohim and his ways. But it is not the prerogative of the saint to take matters into his own hands to execute judgment against his enemies. Scripture declares that vengeance alone belongs to Elohim, and he will repay (Ps 94:1; Rom 12:9).

Until then, we are to love our enemies when dealing with them face to face as Yeshua instructs here, and we are to even bless them and pray for them. Why is this? Praying for our enemies may or may not change their demeanor toward us or their persecuting us, but it will keep us from walking in unforgiveness, from becoming embittered, vengeful and hateful ourselves. By releasing them to YHVH to do what he will with them in his own time and way, we are freeing ourselves from negativity or the evil darkness that our enemies may unwittingly by trying to impose on us, which will blotch or taint our own soul with spiritual darkness.

There may, however, come a time when our enemies are so cruel, hateful and wicked that it is appropriate to pray an imprecatory prayer against them in the manner of David, who was often fighting for his life at the hand of his enemies. As we read in Ecclesiastes chapter three

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven…And a time to heal; A time to break down…A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. (Eccl 3:1, 3, 8).

May YHVH grant us the wisdom through the guidance of his Spirit to know what to do and when at all times.

 

Are we walking by faith or by sight?

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Exodus 6:9, They did not heed…because. When our eyes are totally focused on our circumstances and we fail to acknowledge Elohim in all things (Prov 3:5–6), and be thankful to him for all things (Eph 5:20; 1 Thess 5:18), we will fail to see the higher and grander purposes he is working out in our lives for his glory and for our blessing.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrew 11:1)

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7)

 

The radical message of John is still radical

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Luke 3:7–17, Then he said to the multitudes. What’s really going on in this exchange between John the Baptist and the religious folks of his day? Let’s step back and look at the bigger picture.

The multitudes of Jews had to make the long, hot and arduous journey through the Judean mountains down to the Jordan River, which was the lowest spot on earth, to hear John the Baptist, who was the latest fad preacher to come on the scene. However, when they arrived at his lonely wilderness pulpit, instead of stroking their egos by complimenting them for their religious zeal, he excoriates them and calls them a brood of vipers. John confronts them by saying that if they don’t repent, the fires of YHVH’s judgment will consume them (John 3:7–9). John’s preaching pierces their hearts, and lays them low spiritually. In a proper response, they ask him what he expects them to do (John 3:10). John then preaches a message of social justice involving giving to the poor, being fair and honest in one’s business dealings, and if one is a government worker, then treat the citizens one serves with respect (John 3:11–14).

Interestingly, he doesn’t instruct these religious Jews in what many consider to be the Continue reading →

 

Blog Scripture Readings for 12/30/18 Through 1/5/19

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THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION:

Parashat Va’eira — Exodus 6:2 – 9:35
Haftarah — Ezekiel 28:25 – 29:21
Prophets — 2 Samuel 15:1 – 21:15
Writings — Psalms 89:1 – 94:23
Testimony — Luke 3:1 – 6:26

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.

The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day: one each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle.

Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 12/30/18 through 1/5/19.

 

The Torah of YHVH Vs. the Law of Moses

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Luke 2:24, Law of the Lord/YHVH. This phrase is found only three times in the NT—here and in vv. 24 and 39. The same phrase is additionally found 18 times in the Tanakh and obviously refers to the Torah (e.g. Pss 1:1; 19:7; 119:1). Is the law of YHVH the same as the law of Moses?

The phrase the law of Moses is found a similar number of times in the Bible: 15 times in the Tanakh and seven times in the NT. Obviously the phrases the law of YHVH and the law of Moses are synonymous terms in that they refer to the same thing: the Written Torah. From the obvious meanings of these two terms, we learn that YHVH Elohim is the divine source or origination of the Torah, while Moses was merely the one who first wrote it down or codified it, and as the leader of the nation of Israel, he administered it.

It is interesting, if not ironic, how the mainstream church chronically refers to the Torah as “the law of Moses,” when Scripture refers to the Torah as “the Torah of YHVH” the same number of times less one. The mainstream church’s choice of one term over the other seems to reveal, sadly, its apathy, if not, at times, its outright antipathy, toward YHVH’s Torah. To justify this ungodly attitude, it has chosen to use the term that casts the Torah-law of Elohim in the most negative light possible by inferring that its source is man and not Elohim. This furthermore underscores the truth of Paul’s words in Rom 8:7 about the carnal mind of man being at enmity with the laws of Elohim in that it refuses to be subject to them.

 

Was Yeshua born in a manger or a sukkah?

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Luke 2:7, Manger. (Gr. phatne) The Greek word phatne literally means “feeding trough” and according to the word’s etymology and lexicology as stated in The TDNT, there is no indication that this manger is anything but a standard feeding trough or manger.

Nevertheless, this manger may have been a sukkah or tabernacle, which is the flimsy little hut that Israelites build during the biblical Feast of Tabernacles (Heb. Chag Sukkot) as commanded in the Torah (Lev 23:33–43).

We see the connection between a manger and a sukkah in Genesis 33:17 where Jacob built booths (or tabernacles; Heb. succot or sukkot is the plural form of sukkah) for his livestock showing us that the Hebrew word sukkah (pl. sukkot) can also mean “livestock barn or manger” as well as a temporary habitation where Israelites dwell during the biblically commanded festival of Sukkot.

This raises the possibility that Yeshua was actually born in a festival sukkah during the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot and not just in an animal barn as Christian folklore would have us believe. The LXX Greek word for sukkah in Gen 33:17 is skenas meaning “habitation, dwelling or tabernacle” and is the same word used in John 1:14 and Rev 21:1–3 in reference to Yeshua tabernacling with his people. Putting all the pieces together, Yeshua may have been born in a sukkah-manger prior to or during the Feast of Tabernacles with a human sukkah (or body, of which the physical sukkah during Sukkot is a metaphorical picture) in order to redeem man from sin, so that Yeshua might tabernacle with redeemed men forever in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:3).

 

The Feud Between Moses and Zipporah Over Circumcision Explained

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Exodus 4:25, Cut off the foreskin. Presumable, Moses would have already been circumcised by his mother when he was a baby, thus he was consecrated in YHVH’s eyes. However, for Moses to continue forward in his ministry call, it was necessary for him to consecrate his minor sons through the ritual act of circumcision in accordance with the Abrahamic Covenant. What is the lesson in this for us today? Simply this. A servant of YHVH must get his own spiritual house in order before pointing an accusing finger at someone else. If he doesn’t, he will be revealed as an arrogant, two-faced hypocrite thus bringing disrepute to YHVH as a laughing stock of the devil resulting in hindering the advancement of his kingdom. YHVH required this of Moses before confronting Pharaoh accusingly.

The cutting away of the flesh of the foreskin symbolically signifies the death of the carnal man from following idols of the flesh and dying to the lusts. The foreskin being at the forefront or the leading edge of a man’s anatomy represents cutting away the filthy flesh and going forward spiritually in a clean, righteous and sanctified state. One’s willingness to undergo this procedure indicates a willingness go forward as the Creator’s spiritual bondservant.

Zipporah. Why did Moses expect Zipporah to circumcise his sons? This is a question that has puzzled many Bible students over the years. To answer this question, we must understand the role of the mother in ancient Near East culture during Bible times. The mother was the sole manager of the household. Because ancient Israel was a subsistence economy, a household’s resources had to be managed carefully, and this was the woman’s responsibility. She directed the preservation and storage of food and allotted food rations to each family member to assure that everyone in the household was fed and the food lasted until the next harvest cycle. “In the world of ancient Israel, a man’s home was his wife’s castle She had the domestic authority which he did not” (Social World of Ancient Israel, p. 25, by Matthews and Benjamin). The mother’s dominant role over the household including the children perhaps explains why Moses expected Zipporah to circumcise his two sons (Exod 4:25–26). 

For the mother, childbearing and teaching children were synonymous roles. The Book of Proverbs shows the dual role of the mother (Prov 1:8; 6:20; 23:22–25; 31:1–9).

A mother’s intimate bond to her children not only last through pregnancy and infancy, but through the weaning process, which often didn’t occur until the child was four years of age. After teaching them how to walk, talk, dress themselves, she taught the child the domestic skills of gardening, cooking herding, weaving and making pottery (Social World of Ancient Israel, p. 28, by Matthews and Benjamin).