Yeshua, the Song of Moses and End-Times Prophecy

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Exodus 15:1, This song. This Song of Moses may be more aptly titled, “The Song of the Redemption,” for it is a song about our Heavenly Redeemer, as we shall now discover.

I will sing. Will this Song of Moses be sung again in the future? In Revelation 15:3, we see that the glorified bride of Yeshua will be singing the Song of Moses. Why is she singing this joyous song? Because YHVH has delivered her from his judgments of wrath that he is pouring out upon a wicked end-times world. These same redeemed Israelites are those whom YHVH has brought out of Babylon the Great as part of the second exodus of redeemed Israelites from the nations where they have been long scattered and spiritually enslaved. The Song of Moses here (in Rev 15:3) also relates to the Song of the Lamb. As we shall see next, the Song of Moses in Exodus 15 does relate to Yeshua the Lamb.  Continue reading →

 

Blog Scripture Readings for 3/4–3/10/12

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Exodus 15–21; 2 Kings 7–20; Luke 20–24 and John 1–2

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. The full year’s Bible Reading Schedule can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.”

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.

 

Humble Yourself… Be Healed!

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2 Kings 5:10–14, Go wash in the Jordan. Elisha did not cater to Naaman’s pride, which dictated that pomp and parade accompany the healing. YHVH, through his servant, dealt with Naaman’s physical sickness, as well as his sin of pride.

The Torah teaches that the sins of pride, selfishness, and robbery are root causes of the skin disorder that plagued the Syrian general. This story demonstrates that YHVH is as concerned with the root causes of an ailment as much as the ailment itself.

Many of Yeshua’s miracles demonstrated this same concern. Humility and self-negation were the cures to what ailed Naaman. Continue reading →

 

Elisha: the Non-Profit Prophet

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2 Kings 5:5, Ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing. According to the NIV Study Bible, this equates to 750 lbs. of silver and 150 lbs. of gold. By comparison, King Omri of Israel paid only two talents of silver for the hill of Samaria upon which he built the capital of his kingdom (1 Kgs 16:24).

In today’s market, that is $360,000 in silver (at $30 per ounce), and $4,080,000 in gold (at $1700 per ounce).

This raises two questions: First, what will a person pay to have good health? This is something that sometimes all the money in the world cannot purchase. If you are healthy, how thankful are you for it?

Second, how many ministers or ministries in the church are there who would turn down a $4.5 million charitable donation if YHVH said to do so? Would you?

Maybe such a heart of obedience and such ambivalence to wealth and materialism is what contributed to the prophet Elisha having such a powerful prophetic and healing anointing in the first place. What can we learn from this if we are seeking to be used of YHVH in a greater capacity in the ministry?

 

The Age of Accountability—a Second Chance?

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Exodus 30:14, From twenty years old and above. This passage gives us the first indication that the Torah viewed the age of accountability to be 20 years old (see also Num 1:3,18,20; 26:2). That is to say, those who died prior to age 20 were not held eternally accountable for their sins, and presumably might be given a second chance to live out their lives at some later date, although there is no clear scriptural reference to confirm this notion.

The idea that YHVH held one accountable for their sins after the age of twenty is supported by the fact that all Israelites over age of 20 (with the notable exceptions of Caleb and Joshua) died in the wilderness prior to entering the Promised Land because of sins they had committed during their wilderness journey, while those under age 20 were allowed into the land, presumably because YHVH considered them to be guilt free (Num 14:29; 32:11).

If 20 is the age of accountability, then this begs the obvious question: What will happen to those who died before age 20?

It is generally accepted by many in the church that babies or young children who have died before having had a chance to “accept Yeshua” will be given a second chance to do so. But what about those who died “unsaved” prior to age 20? Some have speculated that they may be resurrected at some time in the future and be allowed to live out their lives during the Millennium (see Isa 65:17–20).

Perhaps the reason Satan will be released at the end of the Millennium from the pit where he was held captive will be to give all those living on the earth at that time (including those who died under the age of accountability) a chance to accept or reject Yeshua. YHVH will use the devil to test the loyalties of this new crop of potential saints (Rev 20:7–10). Those who remain faithful will inherit eternal life, while those whom Satan seduces into rebellion will have their part in the second death (Rev 20:11–15).

Care to add your speculations to this discussion?

 

Blog Scripture Readings for 2/26–3/2/12

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Exodus 7–14; 1 Kings 15–22; 2 Kings 1–6; and Luke 13–19

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 comments. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.

 

Swimming Upstream

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In Luke 14, Yeshua teaches the virtue of taking the lowly place at a wedding feast, and the priority that should be given to the outcasts and rejects of society (verses 7–14).

Then in the Parable of the Great Supper (verses 15–24), Yeshua shows how the rejected and outcasts make it into the great supper over those who are attached to their materialistic pursuits.

Perhaps these passages are best summed up by the following statement:

YHVH acknowledges as guests in his kingdom only those who acknowledge their own poverty.

Selah. Please pause and reflect on this.

In our modern world (including in much of the church world as well!) where riches, material possessions, physical beauty, outward appearance, sex appeal, head knowledge, power, influence and physical talent are idolized, do you find it hard to focus on, much less embrace, the iconoclastic values that Yeshua promotes in his teachings? For him less is more, you have to die to live, give everything away to become rich, go low in order to be elevated to a position of status, and serve in order to lead.

I see Yeshua’s teachings as revolutionary and against societal currents in every way. Aren’t they as radical now as they were then?

How are we as disciples of our Master Yeshua to swim upstream successfully against the swift current of secular society whose values are so antithetical to those of Yeshua?