The Ten Commandments—The Torah’s Great Cornerstone

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Exodus 20:1–17, An Overview of the Ten Words (Commandments)

The Ten Words or Ten Commandments by which they are more commonly known are but the mighty cornerstone of the 613 commandments of the Torah.

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The Jewish sages teach that all 613 are implied in the Ten; or that the Ten can be expanded into 613. The Tanakh (Old Testament) and Jewish writings contain a number of phrases that express the quintessential essence of the Torah. One of these best-known passages naming several of these phrases is in the Jewish Talmud: “[R.] Simlai said, ‘613 commandments were given to Moses—365 negative mitzvot (commandments), the same as the number of days in the year, and 248 positive mitzvot, the same as the number of parts in a man’s body. David came and reduced them to eleven (Ps 15), Isaiah to six (Isa 33:15), Micah to three (Mic 6:8), Isaiah again to two—“Observe and do righteousness” (Isa 56:1). Then Amos came and reduced them to one, “Seek me and you shall live” (Amos 5:4)—as did Habakkuk, “The righteous one will attain life by his trusting [or by faith] faithfulness (Hab 2:4)”’ (Makkot 23b–24a, abridged, from the Jewish New Testament Commentary, by David Stern, p. 565).

We see some of these same Torah summation-type statements in the Testimony of Yeshua. For example, the phrase, “the just shall live by faith” is found in three passages of the Testimony of Yeshua (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38); In Leviticus 19:18, we find the phrase, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” which is the summation of the last five of the famous Ten Commandments. This in itself is a summation of all of the 613 Torah commandments that relate to human relationships, which we see in Yeshua’s Continue reading →

 

Understanding Divine Healing From a Whole Bible Perspective

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A couple of weeks ago, someone reading this blog asked me if I had any teachings on divine healing. I went back over the hundreds of teachings I have given in written and video form and to my surprise I found none. This was in spite of the fact that over the years I have prayed for many hundreds of sick people, and seen many miraculous healings including in my own body.

This study doesn’t cover all there is to say on the subject of divine healing, but it’s a start. I’ll do another teaching soon to pick up where this one leaves off. So stay tuned…!

My thanks to the brother who asked the question! May this be a blessing someone for YHVH’s glory.

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The foundation for understand the concept of biblical healing is found in the Torah (the books of the law) and the Tanakh (the Old Testament). Without this foundational and a Hebraic perspective on healing, it is impossible to understand the holistic nature of healing as presented in the Scriptures. This is why we will start our study of healing from the Torah and progress to the end of the Bible.

In the following study, we will quote a Bible passage relating to the subject of healing, and then comment on it afterwards.

Exod 15:26, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Yehovah thy Elohim, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am Yehovah that healeth (Heb. rapha) thee.

Yehovah Rapha is one of YHVH Elohim’s covenant names. Rapha is a Hebrew word that means “to heal, make healthful” and can refer to Elohim, a healer or physician and involves being healed from individual distress, national hurts or defects.

YHVH’s covenantal promise of healing still stands today and is for his people—the saints (Eph 2:12). All of YHVH’s promises through Yeshua are yes and amein (2 Cor 1:20). YHVH promises to heal his people, but eventually everyone will die and then face YHVH’s judgment seat (Heb 9:27). Some people will be healed in this lifetime, while others will be healed when they receive their glorified bodies at the resurrection of the dead. Healing in the ultimate sense occurs when our old bodies die and we receive our new, resurrected and glorified bodies (1 Cor 15:50–56).

When we obey YHVH’s commands, we place ourselves in his river of life. Blessings and not curses come our way. When we go against his commandments, then the curses of sin automatically come upon us (Gen 2:17; Deut 28:1–68; Ezek 18:4; Rom 6:23). For generations our forefathers have violated YHVH’s commands, which is sin, and have Continue reading →

 

Shabbat Shalom from Oregon!

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Shabbat shalom to all the many brothers and sisters in Yeshua scattered across this earth who read this blog in about 120 nations each month! May your Sabbath be filled with the love, joy and peace of Yeshua the Messiah through the Comforter that surpasses all understanding!

No matter how tough things are going for you, take a moment to count your blessings and give a prayer of thanks to the Almighty Creator who made you in his image, and loved you so much that he sent Yeshua to die for your sins that you might have eternal life with him forever. Find the blessing in everything that happens no matter how difficult or trying the circumstances. Through Yeshua, you have the victory now and forever. Never forget that.

Here are a few photos I took last Shabbat on the Oregon coast at a place called Cape Kiwanda at Pacific City. We were having an elders weekend retreat, and in between our meetings, the rain stopped and Dr. Joseph Dombek, my associate pastor, and I went for little walk along the beach.

I wonder why Oregon has been the number one state in the U.S. that people are moving to for the last three years?

Enjoy the photos:

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What’s So Mystical About the Sound of the Shofar?

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The Shofar

The ram’s horn shofar is a uniquely biblical instrument. Although the enemies of Elohim’s truth have misappropriated, counterfeited or perverted much of what is found in the Bible, so far as this author knows, the shofar is one thing that Satan, the adversary of all that is good, and his followers have left alone. It’s like the proverbial “hot potato” that’s too hot to touch. Why is this? What is it about the shofar that causes Elohim’s enemies to leave well it alone? Let’s explore the mystical qualities of this biblical instrument of divine origination that has the ability to stir the human heart at its deepest level, to pierce the heavens, to bring man back to Elohim and vice versa, and to send spiritual shock waves through the devil’s camp.

The Word Shofar Defined

The Hebrew word shofar (pl. shafarot) occurs 72 times in the Tanakh (Old Testament) and is usually translated into English as trumpet and simply means “ram’s horn.” What could possibly be so special about a ram’s horn? The answer possibly lies in root word from which shofar derives — shapar meaning “to be pleasing.” Derivatives of this word include sheper, which is translated as beauty in Genesis 49:21, and shipra meaning “fairness or clearness (of sky)” (Job 26:13). The root shapar is found only once in the Scriptures in Psalm 16:6 where David, filled with praise to Elohim, describes the blessings from above that have fallen on him as most beautiful or pleasant.

As we explore the spiritual significance of the shofar as revealed in the Scriptures in this brief study, hopefully, the beauty and significance of the shofar will become apparent.

The  Origination of the Shofar

Even though a shofar can be made from the horn of any kosher animal (except that of a cow, since, according to Jewish tradition, it reminds us of the golden calf incident), the Continue reading →

 

What’s involved in coming into YHVH’s Presence? Much food for thought!

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Exodus 19:10, Consecrate them today. How did Israel, as a bride-to-be, prepare herself to meet with YHVH? How are YHVH’s people now to be preparing themselves for their spiritual marriage with Yeshua? (Compare Exodus 19:10 with Revelation 19:7–9.) What is the righteousness of the saints (mentioned in Rev 19:8)? Righteousness is defined in Psalms 119:172 as, “… all thy [Torah] commandments are righteousness.” If what the Scriptures define as righteousness (i.e., the Torah) was “nailed to the cross,” as is popularly taught, then who is in error? The Scriptures or those who teach against YHVH’s Torah laws?

Discussion A. Why is it essential to study the example of the children of Israel preparing themselves to come into the presence of YHVH in Exodus 19? After all, if Yeshua did it all for us, we can just come boldly before the Father’s throne anytime, anyway we want, right (Heb 4:16)?

Let’s explore this concept a little to see what the Bible has to say about it.

Paul says in I Corinthians 10:11,

Now all these things happened to them [i.e., the children of Israel] as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (See also Rom 15:4.)

The writer of Hebrews has something similar to say in his prefatory remarks to his statement in Hebrews 4:16 about coming boldly before the throne of YHVH through the merits of the sinless righteousness of Yeshua our High Priest. In the preceding several verses, the author draws upon the example of the children of Israel (Heb 4:1–10) as an example for us not to follow. They were a faithless and disobedient lot in that they rebelled against the Torah-word of Elohim.

Then in Hebrew 4:11, the author starts with the connecting word “therefore,” indicating Continue reading →

 

Natan’s Commentary Notes on Luke 13

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Some Spiritual Treasures from Yeshua

Luke 13:1–9, Repent or perish. Sometimes bad things happen to “good people” who are bearing no spiritual fruit. These “bad things” can be YHVH’s way of rehabilitating one’s spiritual tree for the greater good of bringing forth spiritual fruit even as an orchardist scarifies the soil in a fruit tree’s root zone and mixes in fertilizer (like manure) to stimulate and to help make it productive.

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Luke 13:12, Woman…spirit of infirmity. Sometimes Yeshua healed people who neither asked for it, nor evidenced faith to be healed just for the glory of YHVH. From time to time, we hear of miraculous healings and divine interventions that saved people’s lives occurring for no apparent reason. Perhaps YHVH likes to stir the pot of human affairs occasionally just to draw men’s attention to him, bring glory to his name and to raise men’s hopes a bit that there is an Elohim who is sovereignly orchestrating things behind the scenes.

Luke 13:14, Ruler of the synagogue. (See also Matt 9:18; Mark 5:35, 36, 38; Luke 8:41, 49; Act 18:8, 17.) Heb. rosh hachenesheth. This was the ruler of the synagogue (Sketches, by Edersheim, p. 257).

Luke 13:15, Hypocrite. Yeshua was able to defend his actions and contradict the leader of the synagogue because he knew the Torah better than they did. This teaches us two things. First, just because one is a church leader doesn’t mean they know the Torah or the rest of the word of Elohim very well. Paul taught the “whole counsel of Elohim,” including Continue reading →

 

Photos: Nestucca Bay on the Oregon Coast

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This weekend, my wife Sandi and I along with two of the elders of our local congregation (Dr. Joseph and Heidi Dombek, Congregation Elim of Tigard, Oregon — http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/elim.html), vacated to the world class Oregon coast (about two hours away from our homes) for a quick leaders planning session. There we discussed issues, plans, visions and goals relating to our congregation and Hoshana Rabbah (http://www.hoshanarabbah.org), which is the outreach arm of our ministry.

I took these photos (with my iPhone) from the front yard of the rented house, and from the bay below. The Pacific Ocean is out in the distance beyond the bay. Enjoy!

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