Tag Archives: Scripture

I Am Thankful for the Bible

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Thank you Yehovah Elohim for Your Word, the Bible and for Yeshua the Messiah, the Living Word of Elohim! I would be lost hopelessly wandering in the bleak wilderness of life pursuing the wind and vanity without your word. Soli Deo gloria!  — Natan

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Ps 119:105)

How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You! (Ps 119:9–11)

Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it. (Ps 119:140)

I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure. (Ps 119:162)

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (Joh 17:17)

For the word of Elohim is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of Elohim, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness… (2Tim  3:16)

Bibles from Natan’s old Bibles collection

My oldest Bible: published in 1790. I found this Bible in a state of disrepair in stacks of thousands of books in the basement of a used bookstore in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 2008.

 

Genesis chapter one from my 1790 Bible.

 

This is the second oldest Bible in my collection—published in 1875. I rescued this Bible from  a trash heap.

 

The title page of my 1875 Bible.

 

Matthew chapter one from my 1875 Bible.

 

This huge 1882 family Bible was gifted to me several days ago by a client. It had been sitting in their garage for some 20 years. They knew I’d treasure it and they were right. I’ve always wanted a Bible like this.

 

The title page from my 1882 Bible.

 

This 1882 Bible contains many wonderful pieces of artwork including this picture of the wilderness tabernacle.

 

Another picture from the 1882 Bible.

 

 

 

This Bible was published in Germany in 1900 and was brought to America in 1906 by my German emigre great-grand parents.

 

The title page of our family’s 1900 German Bible.

 

 

This was my first Bible that my parents gave to me in about 1964 before I could even read. I would take it to church each Shabbat and pretend I was reading it when listening to the pastor preaching his sermons.

 

Some day, by YHVH’s grace, perhaps I’ll come across a Bible from the 1600s that I can add to my collection.

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. I have not departed from Your judgments, for You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. (Ps 119 :97–104)

 

Building a Foundation Over a Black Hole…

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I received this email today, and decided to share it with you. The writer succinctly expresses one of the main purposes of our ministry.

I also want to say thank you for the opportunity you give others to ask you questions and for all the information you provide!!! In the very beginning when I started to see that scriptures say something else than we were being taught I lost the “foundation” and underneath me was a big black hole. It was a very difficult time. While searching for the truth I found your video on YouTube on the book of romans and ever since I have gotten so much useful and valuable information from Hoshana Rabbah and it has helped me to slowly build up a new ground under my feet – this time a stable one. I just wanted you to know what a huge blessing it is and I thank our Father for it! — From KR

 

The Word Versus the word Explained

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I get some really great comment on this blog that challenge and teach me. Some also accord me the excellent opportunity to instruct and exhort.

Today, a well-meaning individual loving challenged me in the comments section when I wrote in a recent blog post that the Word of Elohim is my best friend. He basically said that the words on the page were not his best friend, but the Person those words pointed to was his best friend. From a Western perspective, his is correct, but I didn’t write my blog piece from a Western perspective, but from Hebraic, biblical perspective. Let me explain. — Natan

What Is the Word/word of Elohim from a Hebraic Perspective?

The Word of Elohim is my best friend. The word of Elohim is not my best friend. Notice the difference between these two sentences? In the first sentence, Word is capitalized; in the second, it is not. In my post, I capitalized the word Word for a reason. You must not have caught that. There is a big difference between the two. People can religiously worship words on a page or a book. I worship him who wrote it and recognize them to be a his words, and a reflection of his very heart, mind, will and character.

Yeshua is the Word of Elohim. John 1:1–2, 14 says,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. He was in the beginning with Elohim….And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Yeshua and his word are indivisible. To love his word is to love him. He is his word. This is Hebraic thought.

Hebraically, a person and their character and reputation are inseparable. They are who and what they are.

In our Western Greek mindset, we tend to separate a person’s word from them. This is not a biblical, Hebraic approach.

For example, the Hebrew word debar not only means “a word” but also “a thing.” Here there is no separation between form and substance. If there is no substance, there is no form.

In Greek thought, we tend to look at the outward appearance of something and separate it out from its substance or essence. For example, we look at a building and declare how beautiful it looks on the outside, or how handsome someone looks, or how good that cup or cave looks on the outside.

In Hebraic thought, we are told not to judge according to appearance, but according to righteousness (John 7:24)—to judge something by its fruit (Matt 7:16–20). We have to look at the heart of the matter, or the person, and make our judgments based on that. For example, Samuel saw how lovely David looked, but YHVH was looking at David’s heart, not his handsome appearance when he chose him to be king over Israel (1 Sam 13:14). Interestingly, when the heart is right, the outward appearances will be beautiful as well. It kind of follows!

Yeshua rebuked the religious hypocrites of his day for looking good on the outside, but looking hideous on the inside (for being a dirty cup or a whitewashed tomb). He also said that our words reflect the true condition of the heart (Luke 6:45).

So word and thing are the same thing in Hebrew.

In Hebrew thought, vanity is defined as one’s words and actions not lining up with each other. If a person says one thing, and does another thing, then it’s considered emptiness or vanity. It’s nothing—only hot air or wind.

So to bring this thing back full circle, Yeshua is his word and his word is him. That’s why the Word of Elohim is my best friend. It’s a whole lot more than words on a page to me—it’s the reflection of the mind, heart, character and will of the Author of the Bible which who he is. He and his words are inseparable.

We have a saying, “A man is only as good as his word.” This is a step in the right direction to understanding better the Hebraic approach in regards to someone and their words. In the Bible, Elohim IS the/His W/word!