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Prayer Request (for site updates, see below)
I was laid off from my full-time job several years ago when -- after a lot of prayer, soul searching and discussion with my wife -- we decided to operate the Hebrew for Christians ministry entirely by faith in God's provision through the love and kindness of His people. I am not paid for doing this work, and therefore I ask you to consider supporting us. If you can help, please offer a donation or purchase some of the Hebrew study materials offered here. Encouraging other web sites to link here also helps us become more visible on the web. Above all, agree with us for the Lord's will to be done in our lives. Todah, chaverim.
    
Note: My wife and I have have three young children (Josiah, Judah, and Emanuel David ). The LORD has graciously provided for us as Adonai Yireh (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה), "the One who sees [our need]." We are living one day at a time by the grace and mercy of God, and I want to publicly praise Yeshua and acknowledge His faithful love in caring for my family -- despite the trials during this time. The LORD God of Israel is faithful and true! And to those of you who have sent us a word of encouragement or donation during this difficult time, please accept our heartfelt appreciation! Your chesed truly helps sustain us.
יהי שׁם יהוה מברך - "May the Name of the Lord be blessed."
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I want to offer a word of thanks for all your kindness and encouragement over the last 20+ years, chaverim... I could not be in ministry apart from the grace and love you have shown to me and my family. Thank you so much and may the great and unsurpassable blessings of the LORD God of Israel be upon you always. -John
Jewish Holiday Calendar
Note: For site updates, please scroll past this entry....
The Torah divides the calendar into two symmetrical halves: the Spring and the Fall, indicating the two advents of Messiah. The Biblical year officially begins during the month of the Passover from Egypt (called Rosh Chodashim, see Exod. 12:2), and the spring holidays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits both recall our deliverance from Egypt and also our greater deliverance given by means of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah, the great Passover Lamb of God. Yeshua was crucified on erev Pesach, buried during Unleavened Bread, and was resurrected on Yom Habikkurim (Firstfruits). The holiday of Shavuot (i.e., "Pentecost") both commemorates the revelation of the Torah at Sinai as well as the revelation of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) at Zion.
The intermediate months of summer end with the advent of the sixth month of the calendar, called the month of Elul, which recalls the time Moses interceded on behalf of Israel after the sin of the Golden Calf. To commemorate this time of our history, we likewise focus on teshuvah (repentance) in anticipation of Rosh Hashanah and especially in anticipation of Yom Kippur, the great "Day of Atonement." In Jewish tradition the 30 days of Elul are combined with the first ten days of the seventh month (called the "Days of Awe") to set apart "Forty Days of Teshuvah" leading up to the Day of Forgiveness for Israel. Immediately following Yom Kippur, the mood changes as we begin preparing for a joyous week-long celebration called Sukkot (i.e., "Tabernacles") that concludes with the holiday of Simchat Torah.
The winter holidays (חגי החורף) remember special times when God acted on behalf of His people so that they would triumph over their enemies, and therefore they prophetically picture the final victory in the world to come:
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The Winter Holidays:
Note that in accordance with tradition, the following holiday dates begin at sundown:
- Month of Tevet (Mon., Dec. 30th [eve] - Wed. Jan. 29th [day])
- Month of Shevat (Wed. Jan. 29th [eve] - Thurs. Feb. 27th [day])
- Month of Adar (Thurs. Feb. 27th [eve]) - Sat. March 29th [day])
- Month of Nisan (Sat. March 29th [eve]) - Sun. April 27th [day])
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Note: For more about the dates of these holidays see the Calendar pages....
February 2025 Site Updates
Note: Please refresh the page (or press F5) to see the latest updates...
What Matters Most...
There is nothing more important, relatively speaking, than your relationship with God. It is the most important thing in your life, a matter of "ultimate concern."
02.20.25 (Shevat 22, 5785) Some people are presented with a false message of the gospel when they are asked to "accept Jesus" into their heart because the benefits are so good. Yeshua is depicted as an eanest Savior who is begging others to believe in him so that they can receive God's blessing. Unscrupulous "evangelists" often spice up the sales pitch: "If you come to Jesus and accept him as your Savior, you will be on easy street! You'll have your best life now - prosperity, health, money - and at the end of the rainbow you will live in an exclusive mansion and walk upon streets of purest gold! You will eat platefuls of heavenly pottage for your feasts and there will be nothing but happiness for your and your loved ones forever! So please, I beseech you, come to Jesus and let him show you how good he is! It's an offer you simply cannot refuse! Let him help you fulfill all your dreams!
God forbid such thinking... This is not the gospel. Yeshua was not about selling soap or offering "fools gold." Instead he spoke about finding a life that truly mattered, seeking first the truth of reality, and gaining "heavenly gold" that is refined by fire, tested and pure...
It takes "ears to hear," a heart awake to what matters... The true gospel message finds audience with those who are desperate over their lives, those who cannot escape their sorrows, and who therefore understand their terrible need for deliverance from themselves. "Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the nobodies, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God's righteousness, and so on. You will hear the Spirit call out, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," only when your heart is heavy and you rare exhausted over dealing with yourself...
When we "accept" Yeshua as our Lord, we are not doing him some sort of favor, but instead we are confessing that he alone is our healer, our deliverer, and our Savior, and that there is no other Savior than him. We are confessing his favor, his grace, his mercy is what matters most of all. "Whom have I in heaven, but You? And there is nothing on earth I desire beside you..." Being in a right relationship with God, which is what salvation really is about, is a matter of life and death. It is not "pie in the sky when you die by and by," but your daily bread, your deepest hope, your ongoing need for God.
We are saved by trusting God's redemption given in Yeshua. But this is not something abstract or general but intensely personal. It goes down to our inner secrets, it cuts into the "joints and the marrow" of our lives, if finds the "edge" of where the soul meets the spirit (Heb. 4:12). We trust in our "kishkes," our guts, and from our "pupik," our belly button.
And while the way of the Lord is precious to us, it's not an "easy acceptance" or a matter of "easy believism." It's not the popular way of the crowd. It is not the way of pleasures or cheap thrills. No, as Yeshua said "narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." The word "difficult" here means "hard pressed" or squeezed like grapes, in other words (and from the perspective of the grape) afflicted and troubled. The Apostle Paul affirmed this by teaching that it is through many tribulations that we enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). The danger of "easy believism" is that it is quite ready to "accept" all the sweetness and light of the gospel but it gets offended when there are bitter times of darkness. The story of Job teaches us to trust God when he gives and when he takes away, when things are going well, and when things fall apart... The way to enter into life is the "road less traveled," the narrow way, the way of humility.
It is written that the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth. This is not a nihilistic statement of despair but one of sober hope. We aren't simply "introduced" to Jesus and acquiesce or "accept" that he is the Savior and then go about our daily lives as if other things are more important. We don't make a split decision that "probably" Jesus is real, offer up a little precautionary prayer to ask him to come into our hearts, and then gad about our business, perhaps mentally putting Jesus up on the mantle as an icon we may venerate. No, in Jewish thinking the day of your death is the summary of the meaning of your life, it's goal, so to speak. It is only after your death you will know who you really were in this life...
How were the Israelites saved in Egypt? They applied the blood to the doorposts and the Angel of death passed them by. They believed God would do the saving work. They stayed awake through the night, ready to go, shoes on their feet, staff in their hands, ready to be go out under the outstretched arms of God. And later they crossed the sea, leaving their former lives behind, making their way to Sinai to learn the ways of the Lord.
Or how was the "prodigal son" brought to his senses? Was it because some evangelist came and told him that his father was willing to "forgive and forget" if only he would come back home? No, he was first broken and made to confess his lost estate; he had to be worn out by hunger and degradation. Only then did he "come to himself" and decide to go to his father. As he left the pig farm to make the journey, he rehearsed the truth of how he had sinned and how desperately he needed to be restored to his father...
Being in a relationship with God is revolutionary and transformative. It changes everything. You become a "new creation" with a profound longing to know God and to walk in his light. It's like being head over heels in love with someone. You can't stop thinking about them. You want to be with them all the time. You dream of them, you are excited about your future with them, and so on. So it is with a genuine follower of Yeshua. More than anything you want to know him and be connected with him. But being a "lukewarm" or "jaded" believer is a contradiction in terms, like being an indifferent lover. To paraphrase Hudson Taylor, Yeshua is either the Lord of all or he is not the Lord at all...
Why did Yeshua want to "vomit" out of his mouth the self-satisified and opulent believers of Laodicea? Because we can only truly know him b'khol libeinu, with all of our hearts. Yeshua is the center of the life of a true disciple. No other relationship, no matter how important, is of higher priority. "If anyone comes to me but does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27). Was Yeshua being "hyperbolic" here, or was he soberly warning us that we cannot know true love apart from him?
Let me end this brief message by encouraging you to pray and to implore the Lord to impart or to rekindle the depths of his passion and love within your heart... If you are struggling to sense his call, confess the truth and rejoice over your poverty of spirit, your mourning, and your terribly great need for him. Then ask him for the inner witness of his personal love for you and to fill your heart with the blessing to love him above all other things.
To quote the apostle Paul: "May God grant you to be made strong with power by his Spirit in your inner soul, so that Yeshua may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in his love, may be able to receive with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Messiah that surpasses knowledge, and that you will be filled with all the fullness of God." Amen.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 73:25 (click for audio):
With your whole Heart...
God often sends us trials (ניסוים) so that we might turn to Him for help... As the sages have wisely said, "The main purpose of tefilah (i.e., תְפִלָה, prayer) is not to get us out of problems. The purpose of problems is to get us into tefilah." Indeed one of the worst things that can happen to a soul is to be forgotten by God, to be "let go" and no longer tested...
02.20.25 (Shevat 22, 5785) In our Torah portion for this week (i.e., parashat Mishpatim) we read, "Keep yourselves away from a false matter" (Exod. 23:7). In this connection note that the Hebrew word for falsehood (or lie) is sheker (שֶׁקֶר), which can be rearranged to spell kesher (קֶשֶׁר), meaning a band, gang, or group of people... The power of the lie is often found in the "group" rather than in the individual, and if enough people in a group repeat something untrue, eventually the individual's conscience will be overruled and the truth will be lost... This is a common methodology regularly employed by mass media for purposes of social engineering and political propaganda.
Regarding this commandment Abraham Twerski comments that it means we should act in a way that will not move us to "hide," and that includes hiding within the anonymity of the crowd. "Think about what you are about to do. Is there a possibility that you may at some time have to deny that you did it? If so, then do not do it" (Twerski on Chumash).
Each of us must individually strive to be yashar (יָשָׁר) - upright and honest - free from the complications and devious speech that attends to lies. We are to be "simple" (תָּמִים) with the LORD our God (Deut. 18:13), which requires that we are first willing to be rigorously honest with ourselves. "No person is saved except by grace; but there is one sin that makes grace impossible, and that is dishonesty; and there is one thing God must forever and unconditionally require, and that is honesty" (Soren Kierkegaard).
In this connection we note that the midrash teaches that the Hebrew word for "truth" (i.e., emet: אֱמֶת) is composed of the first, near-middle, and last letters of the alphabet, whereas the three letters that spell "falsehood" (i.e., sheker: שֶׁקֶר) all stand next to one another. The sages say this suggests that truth creates a firm foundation, secure, strong, and trustworthy, while falsehood is unstable. As it is written, "truth stands forever, falsehood has no legs." In other words, the way of truth is "self-authenticating" and made secure, whereas the way of falsehood is "unlivewithable" and made unsteady...
Hebrew Lesson
Deut. 18:13 Hebrew reading:
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Trust and Understanding...
02.20.25 (Shevat 22, 5785) Most of us have read the great admonition: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding" (Prov. 3:5). But note the contrast between trusting and understanding in this verse.
Trust is a matter of heart, the decision to let go, whereas understanding is analytical, "objective," a matter of physical seeing. Human reason may help you discern the "what" of faith, but it is powerless to waken the soul, to breath life into heart, and to impart passion to seek God's Presence as your greatest need and your utmost good. That only comes through the sober awareness of your own sinful condition, the inner conviction that you are utterly undone and without hope apart from the intervention of God in your life, and the will to believe in the miracle...
בטח אל־יהוה בכל־לבך
ואל־בינתך אל־תשׁען
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and do not rely on your own understanding"
(Prov. 3:5)
Most commandments do not test how we comprehend our faith as much as they test the surrender of our heart. The test of faith requires bittachon (בִּטָּחוֹן) - that is, abandoning our need to understand so that we can hold fast to God's promise and blessing... "Fear not, for I am with you..." (Isa. 41:10). That's what we need most, to trust that we are safe in God's love, and that's the ultimate message of our atonement in Messiah.
You shall be holy to Me...
[ The following is related to this week's Torah reading (Mishpatim). ]
02.19.25 (Shevat 21, 5785) "You shall be holy to me" (Exod. 19:6; 22:31). That is, you shall be "set apart" to know and live in God's love; you shall dwell in the secret place of the Most High, a place prepared especially for you (Psalm 91:1; John 14:2).
Properly understood, holiness (קְדֻשָּׁה) expresses the realm of being loved, cared for, and watched over. It is an intimacy that is exclusively hallowed and made sacred. God calls you to his closed off chamber, the "holy of holies" where He dwells; there he invites you in, he welcomes you, he desires to see you (Heb. 4:16).
The deeper meaning of holiness is to be spiritually intimate with God. Hence the Spirit of Holiness uses romantic and even sexual imagery in the Song of Songs to express the deepest yearnings we have for connection with God...
Hebrew Lesson
Lev. 11:45b Hebrew reading:
The Work of Faith...
02.19.25 (Shevat 21, 5785) In our Torah portion for this week (i.e., parashat Mishpatim) we read that when the people gathered before Moses to receive the covenant, they said in unison: "All that the LORD has spoken we will do and we will hear (נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע)." Note the order: first comes the decision to obey, and then comes understanding... As Yeshua said, "If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know," and "if you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 7:17; 13:17).
The heart of faith is willing to do what God asks before hearing what exactly is required. Many people operate the other way round, sitting in judgment of God's word, demanding to understand why they should obey. You cannot understand the Lord apart from trust, however, and that is categorically true of all forms of knowledge.
We are to be "doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves" (James 1:22). We don't audit the words of Scripture since we ourselves are under examination! The Scriptures demand us to respond, choose, decide. The word is like a shofar blast rousing us to action. We are to be doers, not just passive hearers. The Greek verb is emphatic: "Be doers!" (γίνεσθε) means "be born! come alive! do, live, exist before God! This is a call to creative action, to newness of life!
The Scriptures state that "if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like" (James 1:23-24). If we just hear the truth but do not act upon it, we are comically likened to someone who carefully looks at his face in a mirror but then promptly forgets what he looks like after he steps away... Likewise those who only hear the word but do not bring it to life in their deeds forget who they are and why they were created (Eph. 2:10; Titus 2:14; Col. 1:10). When we look into the mirror of truth we see our need for teshuvah and turn to God for the healing miracle he provides (Heb. 4:12).
There is a deeper law, however, a "mirror" that reveals something beyond our passing image. When we look intently into the "perfect law of liberty" (תּוֹרַת הַחֵרוּת וּמַחֲזִיק) - the law of faith, hope, and love for our Savior - we find blessing in our deeds (James 1:25). Note that the verb translated "look into" the law of liberty is the same used when John stooped down to "look inside" the empty tomb of Yeshua (John 20:5). The deeper law reveals the resurrection power of God's invincible love. The Torah of the New Covenant also has many mitzvot, though these are based on the love God gives to us in Yeshua: "This is my Torah: that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34).
We are set free from the verdict of the law to serve God without fear, on the basis of his saving love and grace given in Yeshua (Gal. 5:1), but our freedom is not meant to violate the Ten Commandments or to engage in licentiousness (Gal. 5:13; Matt. 7:21). The moral law speaks, as it were, to young children who need a guardian until they can attain to their place as hiers (Gal. 3:24). Mature sons and daughters do not not need the law but operate on a different level, and enjoy a different relationship with the Master of the house. Serving God this way results in holy passion. The verse, "the appearance (i.e., mareh: מַרְאֵה) of God's glory was like a consuming fire" (Exod. 24:17) may be read, "the mirror (or reflection) of God's glory..." When we act as God's children, full of faith in his love, and walking before the power of his presence, our hearts reflect his passion, too.
As a brief excursus, let me ask how you can "do the word" and live in harmony with the divine commandments... The dividing line between faith and works is often difficult to discern, after all, and indeed Yeshua told us that faith in Him is itself a type of "work" (John 6:29). Studying the Scriptures, praying, trusting God in the midst of our pains and struggles, and worshiping are all in a sense "works," yet they express the inner reality of faith....
Here is the conundrum: Do we "do the word" by means of our own resolution (i.e., will) to act, or is a deeper miracle of transformation first necessary? If the latter, is the miracle entirely sufficient, or do we need to add something else for it to come into being? The Scriptures command us to be "slow to anger" and "put away wrath," and yet how is that possible apart from God's help, after all? How can we manage destructive emotions that sometimes arise within the heart? How do we "put away" fear? On the other hand, how can we be commanded to love? to be joyful? full of faith?
These considerations reveal the divine-human partnership: We "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13). In the end we are faced with paradox: We are utterly dependent upon God to work within our hearts for salvation, yet we are also entirely responsible for working out that salvation in our daily lives (Isa. 26:12). "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Mark 10:27).
Hebrew Lesson
Deut. 6:18a reading (click for audio):
We feel this tension throughout the Scriptures. For instance, we read: "For the grace of God that brings salvation (הוֹפִיעַ חֶסֶד אֱלֹהִים לְהוֹשִׁיַ) has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly (בְּצֶדֶק וּבַחֲסִידוּת) in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Yeshua the Messiah (כְּבוֹד אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַגָּדוֹל וּמוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ), who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people (עַם סְגֻלָּה), zealous for good works" (Titus 2:11-14).
The "Torah of grace" (תורת חסד) teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the days of our sojourn, as we look for our blessed hope - the glorious appearance of the great God and our Savior Yeshua the Messiah, who has redeemed us from all lawlessness (ἀνομία) to purify for himself a "chosen people" (λαὸν περιούσιον), zealous of good works... Note here that the grace of God is manifested in the exercise of our good works (i.e., ma'asim tovim: מעשים טובים), and that a little later Paul wrote: "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works" (Titus 3:8). Amen, "For we are His workmanship, created in Yeshua the Messiah for good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13). So let us be careful to "work out" what God has "worked in" to our hearts by letting our light so shine that God receives the glory from what we do with our lives (Matt. 5:16). Amen.
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The Way of the Disciple...
02.18.25 (Shevat 20, 5785) It is common for people today to think that the words of Scripture are "malleable," that is, able to be manipulated and interpreted in various and different ways, and therefore they insist that we must consider how our present cultural and personal experiences affect the way we are reading and thinking about the Scriptures... Moreover, since Yeshua's words are likewise "elastic," we ought to be tolerant and open-minded regarding different ways of understanding what he may have meant, even if these interpretations seem contrary to our assumptions...
Now this "reader-centric" hermeneutic, as it might be called, makes the hearer (or reader) the judge of what is meanful "to them," rather than attempting to truly understand the original intent of the speaker... The problem with this approach is the skepticism it engenders, for it assumes either that we are unable to transcend our limitations to know the source message or it is a matter of indifference, but in either case the original meaning is not as important as how the reader chooses to "translate" the message in his or her own words. The truth of the Bible therefore is relative to how each person understands it...
Of course we should "follow peace" with all people, but that doesn't mean we should undergo a "theological lobotomy" by doubting that true interpretation is possible. We can't become "semantic nihilists" because language is grounded in the consensus of historical usage, and denying the shared (and public) meaning of words will lead you to the prison of a "private language" and solipsism (i.e., the idea that only your private self can be known). We should exercise empathy when listening to others, but we should not so open our minds that we lack any filter for truth. "Peace" sometimes means having the courage to disagree with others, especially when it comes to matters of ultimate concern.
When Yeshua said that he alone is the way to relate to God, for instance, and that he was God's eternal spokesperson -- the One who was from the beginning and who upholds all things by the word of his power -- he didn't invite hairsplitting over the meaning of his words. Nor did he encourage his listeners to quibble or interpret what he was saying in light of their present circumstances. On the contrary, he boldly said he was the truth of God manifest and that our response was to receive that truth by recognizing his authority.
There is something more basic than human reason that is definitive, and that is the will, or rather what the heart chooses to believe. Reason provides the way of establishing right relationships and logical order between our beliefs, but it is not the final authority. Logic is a matter of formality, but truth is gained by apprehension and revelation. Truth is something encountered and then reason may be employed to interpret its significance and relation to other things. We do not need to first understand in other to believe, but the other way around: we come to believe and then reason negotiates the implications of our faith.
Of course after we decide to believe something, there are further questions that may be asked about it, and the urgency of these questions will correspond with the relative significance of what is believed, so that, for instance, believing (or encountering) Yeshua will lead to "faith seeking understanding" that affects the entire soul, since the subject matter is of ultimate concern... The decision to believe in Yeshua is the first step of the walk with God.
The genuine disciple of Yeshua will read the Scriptures to test the heart, to convict of sin, and to present the counsel of divine light. The Holy Spirit quickens the heart to discern truth and guides the believer on the path. The "dialog" of the heart with God is an ongoing commitment, a life and death relationship with the Lord that is "bekhol levavkha," with all your being...
Consider the person who turns to God for "accidental" reasons, however, perhaps from emotional impulse or for selfish concern. He may have been easily "converted" and may be quite "upbeat" and sunny about the way of faith. Such an "enthusiast follower" may be attracted to what Jesus can do for him, or he may be impressed with the music, liturgy, and other "signs and wonders." He may also be looking to emend or improve the quality of his life, to reach his personal goals, or to experience a sense of belonging in a community. Whatever the motive, if things don't go as hoped, however, this person may become disillusioned, jaded, and eventually turn away from the faith.
The way of true discipleship, however, accepts that "it is through much tribulation that we enter into the kingdom of God" and the disciple is therefore willing to persevere despite present sorrows. God knows the beginning from the end, but we are "somewhere in the middle..." We are told to "count it all joy" when we are tested and undergo trials, for this forms steadfast faith, and God invites us to ask for wisdom to endure our journey.
"Enthusiast followers" may also be excited about certain charismatic teachers they hear about. These usually are attractive and self-assured people, exuding a sense of success or "victory" over the tedium of everyday life. They are "winners" more than "sinners" for Jesus, and they aim to share the secrets that will make you a winner too. Their ministry often draws large crowds by promising them that they can enjoy their "best life now" rather than teaching them to deny themselves, to take up their cross, and to surrender everything to God. There is nothing intrinsically wrong about having a charismatic personality, of course, but serving up false expectations is a dangerous business, especially when it comes to the care of the soul.
Was Yeshua a "charismatic" person? Well people were irresistibly drawn to him, but their motives were mixed and many regarded him with suspicion and scorn. He apparently was not especially good looking, nor was there a "regal air" about him that evoked honor (Isa. 53:2). He was an obscure person, a man of no reputation, without family connections in Israel that would set him apart. The disciples were draw to him because they believed the message of John and God had quickened their hearts. The leadership of Israel disparaged his message however, and "followed" him simply to keep an eye on a potential enemy of the establishment. The common people of Israel generally regarded him as a miracle worker, perhaps a prophet, though others regarded him as a curiosity or "circus attraction." But there was no "halo" effect surrounding him. He didn't shine with worldly glitter or have a dazzling smile that melted people's hearts. When he was later betrayed, Judas Iscariot had to identify him with a special greeting so that the Roman soldiers could pick him out among the ragtag disciples.
God hides his face from the proud but reveals himself to the simple (James 4:6). What marked Yeshua was not what was on the outside but what was on the inside -- his heart, his character, and his great love. In a sense you had to close your eyes to see who Yeshua really was. Appearances can be deceiving, but despite his lowliness, poverty, and modesty there stood the Living God. Those given "ears to hear" were able to see the unseen. "Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior" (Isa. 45:15).
There are self-deceived "disciples" too. Lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God. They may think they have surrendered their lives to God, but they retain areas of their life as their own. Often these areas concern carnal comforts such as food, sex, and worldly entertainment, but the result is being "double minded" and unstable, half-hearted and fickle. And while it is an ideal to be fully surrendered to God, it is nevertheless the goal of a true disciple. It is a full time passion of the heart to walk with the Lord. It is "bekhol levavkha," the great commandment itself. When Abraham heard the call of the Lord, he left everything behind and focused on the promise of God.
Are you ashamed of the gospel? Do you change your attitude or your language when you are with different groups of people? If you are among "liberal" or "alternative" believers, for example, do you loosen up and try to fit in with the crowd? If you are among skeptical unbelievers, do you shrink back in order to avoid embarrasment or offense? An honest disciple will be what they are without dissimulation or fear of others. They "set the Lord always before them" and are unmoved by the pressure of the crowd (Psalm 16:8).
Some people want to serve both God and "mammon." They want to mix heaven and hell. They may regard themselves as "sophisticated" or "exvangelical" or "woke," or "non-traditional." They read books that patronize or belittle "traditional" Christianity. They may call themselves "social justice" warriors. It doesn't matter what they call themselves since their labels are used to justify their love for the world. They laud themselves by "interpreting" the Bible with cultural sensitivity, but they redefine terms of faith and God's moral law to suit their biases and preferences. They teach a different gospel based on human interest rather than on God. A true disciple, on the other hand, dies daily to the world's allure and keeps attention on what is most essential. Seek first the kingdom of God and be rich toward the things of heaven.
Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? (Luke 14:28). We have to count the cost. What commands of Yeshua are you tempted to regard as "impractical" or hyperbolic? How about do not covet? Love your neighbor as yourself? Turn the other cheek? Love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you? Rejoice when you are persecuted? Love the Lord your God above all else, and with all of your being? Give up all that you have? Take up your cross and follow me? Share the gospel message that Yeshua alone is the Savior of the world?
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left." The difference in fate between these two groups had to do with whether they got beyond their selfish perspective and desires. "Inasmuch as you cared (or did not care) for one of the least of these, you cared (or didn't care) for me."
It's one thing to say and another to do.... We all know this distinction. The gap is the measure of our hypocrisy, or at least the smallness of our faith. You can fool yourself. You can memorize Scripture, listen to sermons, read books, and so on, but faith is a verb more than a noun. It shows up in your actions. You are to be a "doer" of the Word, not merely a hearer.
That's why Yeshua said, "If you continue in my word then are you my true disciples, and you will know the truth that makes you free" (John 8:31-32). "Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has will be given more; but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him" (Luke 8:18). Truth is not something "up in your head" but within your heart, and it shows up in your feet. It is a matter of the will more than the abstract intellect. It's "subjective," to use Kierkegaard's term, meaning that it's a passion of the inner life and heart, a hunger and thirst for the true meaning of your life. It has to do with your way in the world, the "how" of your existence, not the "what" of your circumstances. There can be no theology of real value apart from the fire of the heart, the passion to walk in its light.
There is a real danger to become a mere "professor" of the Bible, or a theologian who builds a castle in the air but lives outside its doors. And a professional minister is contradiction in terms. Serving God in a perfunctory manner, reciting creeds or performing liturgies as a matter of course can be spiritually dangerous. The same can be said for those who ritually recite prayers or believe that belonging to a particular denomination can save the soul... What is essential and the heart of the matter is whether Yeshua truly lives within you -- or not.
There are various risks about losing our "first love." Habit can be destructive trance. We can take things for granted; we can grow indifferent and even bored with the things of God! We can think, "O I know that" and thereby dismiss what is being said. We can grow lukewarm; we can become theologically obese; we may yawn as we hear the gospel. "Jesus died on the cross to save you and wash away your sins..." O I know that! I learned that long ago as a babe. Well you may think you know what that means, but how does that truth live in your life? That is the central concern of a true disciple, after all, as Paul said: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). Amen. Paul kept the message of the cross before his eyes: "For I determined not to know anything among you except Yeshua the Messiah and him crucified." Paul understood that the gospel is the "power of God" to all who believe. Let us therefore not grow weary but press on in faith, looking for our future end and the blessing that abides with our Lord forever.
Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 25:8 reading (click for audio):
מי אתה אומר שׁאני
Who do you say I am?
02.18.25 (Shevat 20, 5785) Yeshua did not come to this earth primarily to be a "teacher" of religion but to offer himself up as the sacrifice for our sins, and thereby to heal us from everything that separates us from God. His life was the expression and culmination of the prophecies of the coming Redeemer of Israel.
Whenever Yeshua did teach, however, it was always in reference to his work of redemption as the God-Man. When he spoke of the law, for instance, it was to indicate that he was the substance of what Moses foresaw, both as the advent of the King of Israel and as the great Lamb of God. He often spoke in parables to challenge his hearers to know God's heart.
Yeshua created confrontation and forced a choice wherever he went. Interacting with him created a crisis of the will whether to believe in him or to draw back in horror. Either receive his light or turn away into the darkness. Does this mean Yeshua was intolerant of those who rejected who he was? Indeed it is so, for he is the revelation of truth, and the truth of God constituted his being. Turning away from him was turning away from the truth itself... He could no more deny who he was than he could deny the truth of God.
When Yeshua once asked his disciples who they thought he was, Peter spoke up and confessed, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!" Yeshua commended him because his revelation did not come from "flesh and blood" but from God the Father. Paradoxically, Yeshua then gave the disciples orders not to tell others that he was indeed the Messiah, and even more surprisingly, he explained that his mission was to go to Jerusalem to suffer at the hands of the leaders of Israel, to be killed, and to be raised from the dead on the third day...
When Peter heard Yeshua say that his mission was to be rejected and killed, he was appalled. "God forbid this should happen to you! After all, is not the Messiah the promised Son of David who would rebuild fallen Israel? What you are saying is unthinkable! May it never be!" In response Yeshua said to him, "Get behind me Satan, for you are an offense to me: for you are not thinking about the things of God but of man."
His rebuke may seem harsh, but remember that the very reason for Yeshua's ministry - and the heart of God's plan - was for him to be sacrificed for our sins. That was the price he was willing to pay to redeem humanity, as was foretold by the prophet: "He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:3-4). Now was not the time to establish the Kingdom of Zion on the earth: first must come the ultimate sacrifice to God to sanctify and make possible the kingdom!
After rebuking Peter, Yeshua turned to the others and said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matt. 16:24-25).
These are shocking words that only the God-Man could honestly speak. And they are words not open for negotiation or compromise. His words brought forth the sword - a confrontation and a choice whether to believe or to draw back in unbelief.
This is the offense of the gospel, though in a more general sense it is the offense over God's authority itself. The cross represents the abandonment of hope in ourselves, the confession of our powerlessness and the radical nature of our sickness. It's also an offense because it reveals that the "world system" itself is under divine judgment, and that the romantic ideals of humanism are illusory and utterly damning. Contrary to the aspirations of the proud, we find life by the death of Yeshua alone, and there is no way to find life apart from him.
Yeshua said: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). Let me quote C.S. Lewis in this connection. "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to" (Mere Christianity).
Lewis' point here is that Yeshua's claim to be God is either true or false. If it is false, then he either knowingly or unknowingly made the claim. If the former, he is a liar; if the latter, he is insane. The option that Yeshua was a "good moral teacher," however, is not viable, and is really a bit of patronizing nonsense. Yeshua did not come to teach us the moral law but to vicariously die upon the cross for our sins. To try to add him as one of a "pantheon" of great spiritual teachers is a farce and a sham. Those who say such things, such as "universalists" or "Bahai" members, simply do not understand who and what Yeshua was all about. Someone may say that they do not believe that Yeshua is the only way to God, but they cannot then go on to say that he nevertheless remains "a" way to God without speaking nonsense.
Again, Yeshua did not intend to surpass Moses and the Hebrew prophets regarding moral issues because these were sufficient for the purposes of revealing our moral duties. In a more radical sense he came to put an end to the strictures of the law by creating a new kind of humanity that would be inwardly transformed by means of a new power of life. To regard Yeshua merely as a "teacher of religion" completely misses the goal of his ministry on our behalf. He did not come to set up more religion or to offer moral platitudes, but to fundamentally transform the nature of reality forever.
When we encounter Yeshua we encounter the "absolute paradox" that the infinite one speaks to us in our finite estate. God himself is speaking! To a person of faith, there is no "tolerance" for understanding him as just another human teacher, regardless of how profound. Yeshua is not a "discoverer" or "mouthpiece" of truth but embodies the truth in his life. His life itself is the truth, and that that is why he is called the "way" as well as the truth and the life (John 14:6). Because of this, our decision to believe in Him is to be absolute and unconditional, at least in the sense of being wholly committed to the meaning of his life for us, for he alone is the only true God and our Savior. When we "hear" the Lord, then, we are to obey his voice, since otherwise we no longer are hearing him but something else. If we do not obey, we turn away from the light of truth to darkness... "To you who believe he is precious, but to those who are disobedient, he will be a Stone of Stumbling (אֶבֶן נֶגֶף) and a Rock of Offence (צוּר מִכְשׁוֹל), for they stumble over the Word of God, being faithless" (1 Pet. 2:8; Isa. 8:14).
There is a difference between being an honest "seeker" and being a "follower" of the Lord, though there is certainly overlap. However once we have made the earnest decision to believe, once we have truly understood Who is speaking to us, we are bound to yield our will before him. We will then deny ourselves and take up our cross with him. We will not turn back because we will be consumed with the passion and presence of our God. Everything will be changed, all will be made new, and we will walk the way of the Lord in the truth.
Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 8:14a Hebrew reading:
Saved by God's Hope...
Hope is about the possible, despair is about the impossible, and therefore despair is the precondition for the miracle of salvation, because it confesses the impossibility of salvation apart from the miracle of God's love...
02.17.25 (Shevat 19, 5785) The Scriptures teach that we are "saved by hope" (i.e., Τῇ ἐλπίδι ἐσώθημεν; Rom. 8:24), but this hope is not simply some vague kind of optimism that believes "everything will work out in the end" but rather an affirmation that because the healing of Yeshua the Savior of the world pervades all things, we can rejoice and anticipate the blessings of eternal life. Despair, on the other hand, sees no way to escape the inevitability of death, and this forlorn conviction leads to sorrow, depression, and anger. It dwells on what apparently cannot be changed and therefore concludes that change is not possible. The way of despair teaches that you are ultimately a hapless victim. Hope, on the other hand, believes that real change is genuinely possible - even in the worst of circumstances - and therefore it refuses to let despair have the last word.
Hope agonizes through the darkness and refuses to let go until the blessing comes. It perseveres; it endures; and it overcomes. As the prophet Job testified in his grave darkness: "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the latter day he will stand upon the earth. And even after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God - whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!" (Job 19:25-27). Hope is grounded in the truth of faith, even if the truth is not presently evident.
Friend, if you are in despair, turn open your heart to hope. Believe the "impossible." Quiet your heart and listen for the invitation: "Come unto me, you who suffer, and I will give you rest." Faith gropes in the darkness, reaches out in hope, and finds courage in the conviction that the lonely wound of your heart, the thought that you are unwanted, unimportant, and unacceptable, is not the truth about who you really are, but on the contrary, you are terribly loved, forgiven, and welcomed before God, and that there is place prepared for you, an eternal place of home, life, and blessing. Do not let despair consume your heart in grief. "All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be made well." Can you believe it? Are you willing to open your heart to the possibility of God's love that will make you whole?
Hebrew Lesson
Job 19:25-26 Hebrew reading:
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No Fear in Love...
02.17.25 (Shevat 19, 5785) This week's Torah reading (i.e., parashat Mishpatim) concerns various social and civil laws of ancient Israel. Regarding the opening statement of the portion: "And these are the judgments (הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים) which you shall set before them" (Exod. 21:1), the sages state that this means there must be the recognition of basic social obligation between man and his fellow man before the obligation between man and God can be affirmed (see Matt. 5:23-24). This foundational idea may be summed up as, "respect precedes Torah" (דרך ארץ קדמה לתורה), since without any form of brotherhood, unity, or basic civility, we are left with anarchy, anomie, and despair...
As we move closer to the prophesied "End of Days" (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים), the world is becoming more and more a place of anarchy, anomie, and despair. Civil law is flouted and every person does "what is right in his own eyes." The storm clouds are gathering, chaverim....
Nonetheless Scripture admonishes us: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). Fear and faith are antithetical, but if you're anything like me, you struggle with fear. The Greek New Testament says that "perfected love" (ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη) "casts out fear" since it is rooted in the idea of punishment (κόλασις). The verse goes on to say that the one who keeps fearing has not been brought to maturity with regard to love.
My fears often center on the future, for example, regarding the matters of providing for my family, being a good parent, husband, etc. The prospect of the "End of Days" makes me more than a little concerned about the moral and spiritual condition of this country. I sometimes find myself anxiously thinking of my childrens' future. Regardless, there is one thing we can (and must) do to fortify ourselves in these perilous times, and that is to renew our faith and to reaffirm our convictions. "When in the dark night of suffering worldly wisdom cannot see a handbreadth ahead of it, then faith can see God, since faith sees best in the dark" (Soren Kierkegaard).
"Faith sees best in the dark," which is to say that it closes its eyes to this world and its thinking to apprehend the truth of eternity. As it is written: "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). If you feel tempted to surrender to the despair of worldly thinking, redouble your efforts to study the Scriptures and hold to the truth that sets you free. Make time to study the Torah and the words of Yeshua our Savior!
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 46:1-2 Hebrew reading:
This Week's Torah:
Parashat Mishpatim...
After the LORD spoke the Ten Commandments to Israel, he called Moses up to Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights to teach him details of the commandments and how they were to be applied. The sixth section of the Book of Exodus provides a sampling of these various rules (called "mishpatim" in Hebrew) that God explained to Moses at that time.
02.16.25 (Shevat 18, 5785) Recall that last week we learned that exactly seven weeks after the Exodus from Egypt (i.e., 49 days from the first Passover), Moses gathered the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai to enter into covenant with the LORD. In a dramatic display of thunder, lightning, billowing smoke and fire, the LORD descended upon the mountain and recited the Ten Commandments (or Ten Declarations) to the people. Upon hearing the awesome Voice of God, however, the people shrank back in fear and begged Moses to be their mediator before God. The people then stood far off, while Moses alone drew near to the thick darkness to receive further instructions from the LORD.
In this week's Torah reading (i.e., Mishpatim, i.e., Exod. 21:1-24:18) we learn about these additional instructions that Moses received on the mountain. The Jewish sages traditionally count 53 distinct commandments in this portion of the Torah, easily making it one of the most "legalistic" (i.e., law-focused) sections of the entire Bible. Civil laws, liability laws, criminal laws, agricultural laws, financial laws, family purity laws, Sabbath laws, and holiday laws are all given in this portion. These various social and civil laws are called "mishpatim" (מִשְׁפָּטִים), the plural form of the masculine noun mishpat (מִשְׁפָּט), meaning a "judgment," "ordinance," "law" or legal ruling. The word derives from the verb shafat (שָׁפַט) meaning to judge or govern. A shofet (שׁוֹפֵט) is the Hebrew word for "judge," and the LORD is called Ha-Shofet kol ha'aretz (הֲשׁפֵט כָּל־הָאָרֶץ) -- the "Judge of all the earth" who loves justice (Gen. 18:25, 37:28, Psalm 50:6, 94:2).
In this connection we note that the application of the mishpatim became the basis for the tradition application of Jewish case law as well as for halakhah. Recall that the idea of establishing a legal system with courts, judges, and officers was derived from Yitro's advice given to Moses in last week's Torah portion: Moses chose God-fearing men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten (see Exod. 18:25).
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According to Jewish legal tradition, mishpatim are called ethical judgments (or laws) given for a clearly specified reason (i.e., logical laws), as opposed to chukkim (חֻקִּים) which are divine fiats or "decrees." An example of a mishpat would be the commandment to give charity or the prohibitions against theft and murder. These mitzvot (commandments) are inherently rational since the denial of their validity would make civil life impossible. In other words, the legal framework for Israel's society was derived from the Ten Commandments and the further instructions given to Moses, and these additional instructions were codified into case law and legal discussions as part of the oral Torah of Israel:
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After receiving these additional rules, Moses descended Sinai and went before the people to explain the words of the LORD. Upon hearing the details, the people responded in unison, "all the words which the LORD has said we will do" (כּל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהוָה נַעֲשֶׂה). Moses then wrote down the words of the covenant into a separate scroll (sefer habrit), built an altar at the foot of Sinai, and ordered sacrifices to the LORD to be made. He then took the sacrificial blood from the offerings, threw half upon the altar, and read the scroll of the covenant to the people. The people ratified the covenant by saying, "all that the LORD says we will do and obey" (i.e., na'aseh ve'nishmah: נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע). Upon hearing this, Moses took the other half of the sacrificial blood and threw it on the people saying, "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words" (Heb. 9:18). After this ceremony, Moses, Aaron, and seventy of the elders of Israel ascended Mount Sinai to eat a "covenant affirmation meal" between Israel and the LORD.
Upon returning from the mountain with the elders, the LORD commanded Moses to go back up to receive the tablets of stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments. On the seventh day there, he heard the Voice of the LORD calling to him from the midst of the cloud of glory, and then entered into the Presence of the LORD. He remained on the mountain for a total of forty days and forty nights receiving further revelation about the Mishkan (i.e., Tabernacle) while the Israelites waited for him at the camp down below.
Hebrew Lesson
Exodus 21:1 Hebrew reading:
Being alive to Truth...
02.16.25 (Shevat 18, 5785) We read in the Scriptures the call of God: "You shall keep my decrees and my judgments, the pursuit of which man shall live: I am the LORD" (Lev. 18:5). The Kotzker Rebbe advised reading this verse as "You shall keep my decrees and judgments to bring life into them," meaning that we should bring all our heart, soul, and strength into the teaching of Torah. The commandments nourish the soul as food does the body. Just as we seek to season our food to make it flavorful, so we seek to observe the truth with conviction and joy. Amen. The underlying motive for obedience is faith in the love and kindness of our God. "May the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish the work of our hands upon us; yea, establish the work of our hands" (Psalm 90:17).
ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו
ומעשׂה ידינו כוננה עלינו
ומעשׂה ידינו כוננהו
"May the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yea, establish the work of our hands."
(Psalm 90:17)
Hebrew Lesson:
Psalm 90:17 reading (click):
The Mitzvah Connection...
02.14.25 (Shevat 16, 5785) The Hebrew word "mitzvah" (מִצְוָה) is often translated as "commandment," though its basic idea is about connection to God (i.e., the root צוה means to bind or unite). Being connected with the Almighty means talking with him, relating to him as your heavenly Father, and trusting that he esteems you as his beloved child. Whatever else you may think about the commandments of God, this idea of a love connection is foundational and essential. The very first of the Ten Commandments is anochi Adonai Elohekha, "I am the Lord your God," which invites you to open your heart to receive the touch of the Spirit of God. There is no love like that of the Lord, but you can't feel that love if you don't speak to Him, pouring out your heart and clinging to the truth of his love for you....
Pouring out your heart to God in an honest and earnest way is called hitbodedut (הִתְבּוֹדְדוּת). After we "talk our hearts out" before the Lord, in our emptiness we can begin to truly listen, as it says, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength" (Isa. 30:15). Only after we sigh deeply and surrender are we receptive to the voice of the Spirit's whisper. "Blessed are all those who wait for Him" (Isa. 30:18). We wait, we abide, even when God takes his time or does not immediately intervene. We do not lose heart, for we find strength when we trust in God's love... The Light of the world still shines: Yeshua, be my inner word, my heart, and my groaning for life today, and forevermore, amen.
Since the essence of Torah is connection to God, the greatest blessing is to be filled with a steadfast desire to draw close to him, to experience hunger and thirst (visceral yearning) for God's presence and touch. Holy desire – expressed in the yearning of heartfelt prayer – is therefore a state of true blessedness, and the more desperate our need for God the more blessed we are. It is our desire, our holy need, that creates a bond between our soul and its Creator, and that is the deeper meaning of mitzvah... "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matt. 5:6).
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True Discipleship...
02.14.25 (Shevat 16, 5785) Yeshua warns us to enter by the "narrow gate," for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter it. "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matt. 7:13-14). It is a dreadful possibility that not everyone who calls Yeshua "Lord" truly belongs to him... Many people say they are one of his followers but they are fooling themselves because they don't obey his commandments. That is the essence of the matter. People may profess they "believe" in the Lord for any number of reasons, but they are still unknown to God (Matt. 7:20-23).
Some people admire Yeshua as a compassionate teacher or regard him as an advocate for the downtrodden and oppressed; others seek him for their personal prosperity (or as superstitious protection from evil); still others may feel wordy affection for him and venerate him as great teacher, even regularly attending religious ceremonies in his honor. Perhaps most surprising, however, is that many of the self-deceived may be "ministers" in various forms of professional Christian service. Priests, pastors, deacons, worship leaders, church administrators, card-carrying church members, as well as seminary professors, popular preachers, and respected Bible "scholars" may seek Jesus for personal power. Whether they be self-righteous Pharisees or hedonistic Sadducees, whether self-appointed prophets or button-down traditionalists -- any of these may be not belong to the Lord at all...
The true test for whether you belong to the Lord is straightforward and simple, however, namely, that you will honor Yeshua's authority and keep his commandments (John 14:21; 1 John 2:3-6). Of course that does not mean we will never fail in our obedience, but when we do we will come before the Lord and confess our sin, asking to be restored to fellowship. Even if we ask "seventy times seven" times for forgiveness, we can be assured of God's love and grace for us (1 John 1:9). Remember that the opposite of sin is not our virtue but God's goodness, and it is the obedience of that faith that is essential. "Examine yourselves to see whether you are living the life of trust. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Yeshua the Messiah is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith" (2 Cor. 13:5).
A life that is fully surrendered or yielded to God is not formed by the ups and downs of impulsive emotions but rather by the sober decision to believe. Once that decision is made, anxiety will be displaced by divine peace. The decision may be sometimes faltering, and it made need to be reaffirmed throughout the day, but the decision must be made.
But how does this happen? What is the source or impetus of this essential willingness? Is it a matter of our own inner resolve? Do we need to be convinced or persuaded in order to make the decision? Do we need "signs and wonders" to believe? Does our relationship with the Lord depend on our ability, our passion, our willingness, our earnestness -- or on His?
On a mysterious level no one is able to turn to the Lord and cleave to him apart from God's personal choice of them. It is the divine prerogative, and it is a miracle. As Yeshua said, "no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me" (John 6:44). This was foretold by the prophet by a vision: "The Lord appeared to me from afar saying, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have seized you in grace'" (Jer. 31:3).
Now this may offend human pride which seeks to justify why it is worth being "chosen" (and that wants, moreover, to be the one who makes the choice), but Yeshua was clear: "The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life... Therefore I said to you that no one can come to me unless he is enabled to so by my Father" (John 6:63-5). Tragically, because of these words many of Yeshua's supposed "disciples" turned back and "walked with him no more" (John 6:66). These people turned away because God's authority and prerogative reduced them to nothing, and ironically they felt justified as they rejected him. A true disciple, on the other hand, accepts that faith itself is a gift from above, and that we need God to even need God!
Unless God calls you to know him you will not know him. How could it be otherwise? There may be signs of quickening by the Spirit of God, however, leading to rebirth - a sense of the mystery and wonder of life, a haunting anxiety that your soul is in trouble, an inner cry of the heart for deliverance from evil (both your own and outside you), a poignant lament that you are in exile, that you have a terrible need for mercy, that you no longer trust yourself and that you are desperate over the shattered mess of your life.... These sorts of concerns are preconditions for being enabled to turn to God and come to faith in salvation in Yeshua.
Just as you must realize you're sick before you'll seek the cure, so you cannot come to the Lord before you realize your desperate need for him. You must push through the crowd to touch the tzitzit of his robe (Luke 8:43-48). It's a matter of life and death: find God or die... Yet it is this very wound, our incurable need, this blessed fault, that impels us to come and know the Lord, just as it is His very wound, given for our healing, that makes us whole.
Hebrew Lesson
Jer. 31:3b Hebrew reading:
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Ten Matters of Heart...
02.14.25 (Shevat 16, 5785) The Ten Commandments (i.e., עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִבְּרוֹת, literally, "the ten declarations") may be summarized this way: 1) "I AM your only deliverer, the One who loves and chooses you; 2) love me exclusively; 3) regard my love as sacred; 4) rest in me; 5) honor your life and its history. Do no harm to others: 6) forsake anger, 7) abandon lust, 8) respect others, 9) abhor lying, and 10) refuse greed and envy. Know that you belong to me and that you are accepted. Love others as you are also loved.
The "heart of the law" is the Torah of love, just as the "law of love" is the Torah of the Gospel (John 15:12). "Teach me the whole Torah, a heathen said, while I stand on one foot. Shammai cursed and drove the man away. He went to Hillel. Hillel said, What is hateful to you, do not do to anyone else: that is the whole Torah. The rest will follow – go now and learn it." As the Apostle Paul taught: "For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: Ve'ahavta: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Gal. 5:14). Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom. 13:10).
The sages have said that when the Holy One spoke to the people of Israel, each one felt personally spoken to by God, and thus it says in the singular, 'I am the Eternal One, your God'" (Midrash Shemot Rabbah). Indeed the very first commandment given at Sinai was to accept the reality of our personal deliverance by the LORD: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you (singular) out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery" (Exod. 20:2). In fact, God used the second person singular (not plural) for all the verbs throughout the Ten Commandments: "you (singular) shall have no other gods beside me"; "you (singular) shall not take the Name of the LORD your God in vain," and so on. The very first commandment, however, is the starting point for all that follows. Until you are personally willing to accept the LORD as your God and to trust Him as your own Deliverer and King, the rest of the commandments are not likely to be heeded.
Hebrew Lesson
Exod. 20:2 Hebrew reading:
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God began the Ten Commandments by saying, "I AM the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery" (Exod. 20:2), rather than saying, "I AM the LORD your God, Creator of heaven and earth" (Gen. 1:1). The LORD refers to himself as our Savior first, since creation is designed to demonstrate His redemptive love given through Yeshua, the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8; 1 Pet. 1:18-20; Eph. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:9). "All things were created by Him (i.e., Yeshua), and for Him" and in Him all things consist (συνεστηκεν, lit. "stick together") (Col. 1:16-17). Creation therefore begins and ends with the love of God as manifested in the Person of Yeshua our Messiah, the great Lamb of God... He is the Center of Creation - the Aleph and Tav - the Beginning and the End (Isa. 44:6; Rev. 1:17). All the world was created for the Messiah: "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen" (Rom. 11:36).
Hebrew for Christians Podcast
The Fruit of our Words...
The following is related to Tu B'Shevat, or the "new year" for trees, a holiday that provides opportunity for us to reflect on the idea of fruitfulness and the fruit of the Spirit in our lives...
02.13.25 (Shevat 15, 5785) Our Lord said that as a tree is to its fruit, so is a person's heart is to his speech. Our words arise from an underlying source and root, and it is vital, therefore, to address the source of our angry, cynical or cruel words, our fearful and deceptive words, our despairing and faithless words: "I tell you, on the Day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word (πᾶν ῥῆμα ἀργὸν) they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matt. 12:36-37).
First note that the phrase translated "every careless word" can further be understood as "every 'workless' word," that is, every vain or empty word spoken, every broken promise, every insincere utterance, and so on. Second, note that there is a relationship between naming and being in Hebrew thought, and indeed the Hebrew word davar (דּבר), usually translated as "word," can also mean "thing." This suggests that our words define reality - not in an absolute sense, of course - but in terms of our perspective and attitude, and for that we are held responsible before the LORD. Since our words express our thoughts, Yeshua wants us to make up our minds: "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit" (Matt. 12:33).
"By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned..." Our words can be vessels of light, healing, mercy, and grace -- or vessels of darkness, destruction, and blame -- and sometimes both! (James 3:10). "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits" (Prov. 18:21). Therefore let us ask God for help, for "the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" as James the Righteous wrote (James 3:8). May we appeal to God for the power to obey his commandment: "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Eph.4:29; Col. 4:6). Using our words to express appreciation, kindness, encouragement, etc., is analogous to using the "good eye" to see by means of the light of God; it is a form of offering "kaf zechut," the benefit of the doubt and choosing to regard the best, even in difficult circumstances...
Listen to the words of your heart and understand that they are devarim (דְּבָרִים) "things" that are defining the course of your life right now. Our thoughts and words "exhale" the breath of God that was given to each of us. In a very real sense they serve as "prayers" we are constantly offering.... And may it please our gracious and long-suffering LORD to answer the cry of our heart: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Amen.
יהיו לרצון אמרי־פי
והגיון לבי לפניך יהוה צורי וגאלי
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to You, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."
(Psalm 19:14)
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 19:7 Hebrew reading (with comments):
"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise" (Phil. 4:8).
Revelation and the Law...
The following is related to Parashat Yitro and the giving of the Ten Commandments at Sinai...
02.13.25 (Shevat 15, 5785) The climactic event of this week's Torah portion (Yitro) is of course the great revelation of God at Mount Sinai - a transformative experience in which the people heard the voice of the LORD (קוֹל יהוה) speaking directly to them. And while this awesome event marked the birth and commissioning of the nation of Israel at the time of the Exodus, it also serves as a parable for each sojourning soul. As it is said in the traditional Passover hagadah, "Dor va'dor: Each person in every generation must regard himself or herself as having been personally redeemed from Egypt" (Pesachim 116b).
For instance, in our "desert wanderings" today we may come upon a time of revelation as we begin to understand the truth of our connection to God who is the Source of our lives and of all that exists (1st Commandment). We then realize that God alone is our ultimate concern and our Deliverer, and our idols of heart and mind - those desires that attach us to vanity and illusions - are suddenly regarded as worthless (2nd Commandment). Like a moment of "satori," the fragments and shattered pieces of our lives come together into a vision of beauty and unity. We understand that the LORD is greater than all our conceptions and imaginations. We confess our limitations as we honor God and thank him for the miracle of life (3rd Commandment).
Continuing with the allegory, we let go of our daily cares and preoccupations to set apart time to reflect on what is sacred, beautiful, and true (4th Commandment). We reconnect with the gift of life and remember that we are all part of one another (5th Commandment), and therefore we cannot hurt others without thereby hurting ourselves (6th-8th Commandments). We realize that we are to respect and honor others, to use the "good eye," and to abhor any temptation to envy them or to say false things about them (9th Commandment). Instead of comparing ourselves to others, we affirm our connectedness before God. This enables us to let go of our inner turmoil that comes from a feeling of lack, since we understand that with God we have everything that really matters, and that we are therefore rich beyond all measure (10th Commandment).
This allegory (or parable) suggests that the commandments are not to be regarded as an external burden imposed upon the soul but rather a by-product or "out flowing" of revelation itself. To know God is to love him, and heartfelt faith in his love reveals the way to live. The pieces and fragments of life are resolved as we find shalom living before God's presence.
Our Torah portion offers guidance about how to prepare for revelation through the advice of Yitro, Moses' father-in-law, who counsels us to "make space" for God by letting go of our busyness and allowing others to help us carry our burdens. That was Yitro's advice concerning the establishing judges and leaders to help Moses fulfill his particular mission (Exod. 18:13-16). Yitro's wisdom is about finding balance and inner peace to become more receptive to God's presence. Moses was overrun and overwhelmed in his service to others, and it was essential for him to quiet his heart and pray. Yeshua did this often by getting alone with the Father (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:15-16; Luke 6:12; Matt. 14:13). Likewise the apostles were harried in their service and needed help from others so they could devote themselves to "prayer and the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:2-4). Each of us has needs for solitude, private prayer, quiet reflection, rest, experiencing nature, and so on.
This way at looking at the revelation at Sinai is helpful, since it discerns God's heart beneath the imperative language of the commandments, but of course the moral imperatives of the law are nevertheless the expression of God's will, and -- as we will see later in both parashat Bechukotai and Ki Tavo -- there are serious consequences for disregarding God's commandments, namely, the "curses of the law" and the "tochachah" judgments that result from disobedience. So we must qualify what has been said by noting that the law reveals both that we are guilty for breaking covenant with God and furthermore that we are powerless not to do so apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. And this is part of what Paul meant when he said that faith "establishes" the law in the book of Romans (Rom. 3:1).
The law reveals our sin and therefore our need for deliverance. It is acknowledgment both of the just verdict for our guilt and God's remedy given in Yeshua which restores us and enables us to fulfill the heart of the law by means of the agency of God's power and Spirit. The law is holy and just and good, but our sinful condition alienates us from God because we are in dread over judgment for our sins. The grace and truth of God, the "righteousness of God," is what saves us, not by nullifying the truth of the law but by reconciling that truth with the mercy and kindness of God embodied in the sacrificial life of Yeshua on our behalf (Psalm 85:10). Amen, the essence of the gospel is that "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21).
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 19:7 Hebrew reading:
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The Torah of Trees...
Sunset today marked Tu B'Shevat, the 15th of Shevat, the "new year" for trees...
02.12.25 (Shevat 14, 5785) The Torah alludes that human life is like "the tree of the field," i.e., כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה, Deut. 20:19), and many people therefore observe Tu B'Shevat as time to assess man's place within creation as well. Since God created the world for a habitation (Isa. 45:18), some have pictured the world itself as a "great tree" with human beings as its fruit. Indeed, Yeshua often used such agricultural images in his parables. For example, he explained that people are known by the "fruits" of their lives (Matt. 7:16-20). He likened the spread of his message in terms of "sowing and reaping" (Matt. 13:3-23) and compared the Kingdom of Heaven to the secret working of a mustard seed (Matt. 13:31-32). Yeshua regarded the world as a "field" for planting with different "types of soil" (Matt. 13:38-43), and warned of the "great harvest" of souls at the end of the age (Luke 10:2; Matt. 13:30). He pointed to signs from a fig tree to indicate the nearness of the prophesied End of Days (Matt. 24:32-33). Yeshua also used the metaphor of a "vine and its branches" to explain how his followers are to be connected to Him (John 15:1-6).
The Scriptures explicitly state various laws regarding the use of trees. In other words, there is a "Torah of Trees." For example, "When you enter the land and plant any tree for food, you shall regard its fruit as "uncircumcised" (i.e., orlah: עָרְלָה) for three years; in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD; only in the fifth year may you use its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the LORD your God" (Lev. 19:23-25; 26:3-4). The Torah also clearly forbids the destruction of fruit trees during times of warfare: "When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field human, that they should be besieged by you?" (Deut. 20:19-20). Clearly, then, God cares for trees...
The psalmist describes the trees of the forest as singing for joy (Psalm 96:12), just as the prophet Isaiah foretold the day when the trees of the field shall "clap their hands" in praise to the LORD God of Israel (Isa. 55:12). Indeed the wisdom of Torah (chochmat haTorah) is metaphorically called etz chaim, a "Tree of Life," and the ideal righteous man is described as the one who delights in the Torah (תּוֹרָה) and meditates upon it daily. "He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit in its season."
וְהָיָה כְּעֵץ שָׁתוּל עַל־פַּלְגֵי מָיִם
אֲשֶׁר פִּרְיוֹ יִתֵּן בְּעִתּוֹ וְעָלֵהוּ לא־יִבּוֹל
וְכל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂה יַצְלִיחַ
ve·ha·yah · ke·etz · sha·tool · al-pal·gei · mah'·yeem
a·sher · peer·yoh · yee·ten · be·ee·to · ve·a·lei'·hoo · loh · yee·bol
ve·khol · a·sher-ya·a·sei · yatz·lee'·ach
"And he [i.e., the one who loves Torah] is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.
And all that he does shall prosper."
(Psalm 1:3)
Hebrew Lesson
Proverbs 3:18 reading (click for audio):
Eyes of the Heart....
"If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light..."
02.12.25 (Shevat 14, 5785) The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) told the story of two young portrait artists who both sought to capture the essence of beauty in their paintings. One artist looked high and low for the "perfect face of beauty" but never found it. Tragically, he later gave up painting and lived in despair. The other artist, however, simply painted every face he saw and found beauty in each one. Now here's your question: Which of the two was the sincere artist?
The heart looks through the eye.... The good eye (i.e., ayin tovah: עַיִן טוֹבָה) - sometimes called the "beautiful eye" (עין יפה) - refuses to think evil about others (it "does not impute the bad" - οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν - in 1 Cor. 13:5), but it rejoices in the truth – even if such truth is found only in the hope of a future good (1 Cor. 13:7). The good eye is the instrument of a giving heart that looks upon the needs and pains of others with genuine compassion. The "evil eye" (i.e., ayin hara: עַיִן רָעָה), on the other hand, is cynical, jaded, envious, and unsympathetic to other people and their struggles... Using a good eye takes from the treasure within the heart and gives it out freely to others: "The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil" (Matt. 12:35). There never is a risk that love may be given away without warrant from heaven. In the future judgment to come, I'd rather be found guilty of "casting pearls before swine" than to be found guilty of withholding love from others...
A person with a "good eye" looks at things from the perspective of love. Ayin tovah looks at circumstances -- and especially at other people -- and finds something beautiful.... "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" (2 Cor. 9:6). As we give, so we are given...
טוֹב־עַיִן הוּא יְברָךְ
כִּי־נָתַן מִלַּחְמוֹ לַדָּל
"The one with a good eye will be blessed,
for he gives from his bread to the poor."
Hebrew Lesson
Proverbs 22:9 Hebrew reading (click):
Our Lord Yeshua told us, "The light of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good (i.e., ἁπλοῦς, sincere, heartfelt, compassionate), your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is evil (i.e., πονηρὸς, wicked, malicious, ungracious), your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matt. 6:22-23). May it please God to make each of us shocher tov (שׁחֵר טוֹב), "a seeker of good." May He give us new hearts to behold the good in all things... Amen.
The Ground of our Lives...
"Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has will be given more; but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him." - Jesus
02.12.25 (Shevat 14, 5785) Simply knowing about God is insufficient for a transformed life; something more is needed, namely, receptivity of the heart - a sense of concern, a hunger and a thirst for life, and the willingness to believe in the truth of love. Yeshua taught that the condition of our heart is revealed by how we hear. Without charity and a deep sense of concern, loss will inevitably occur. He warned us: "Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him" (Luke 8:18). Just as "the good eye" (הָעַיִן הַטּוֹבָה) looks for what is good, so "the good ear" (הַאֹזֶן הַטּוֹבָה) listens to the word of hope; and just as "the evil eye" (הָעַיִן הָרָעָה) looks for what is evil, so "the evil ear" (הַאֹזֶן הָרָעָה) attends to the message of loss and despair. We receive what seek. As we inwardly receive the truth of Yeshua, more truth is revealed; but if we resist, untruth will take root and grow...
Yeshua often employed parables (משׁלים), or analogical stories, in his teaching because they simultaneously conceal and reveal spiritual truth. A parable obscures the truth to those who don't really want it, so that "seeing they may not see, and hearing they might not understand" (Luke 8:9-10; Isa. 6:9-10), and yet it reveals truth to the humble of heart. Since Yeshua's whole life was a parable of sorts - a "disguise" that led to the victory of our deliverance (Phil. 2:7) - it is not surprising that he regularly used "figures of speech" to provoke people to examine their own heart condition and the quality of their faith... In this connection note that Yeshua never explained the "mysteries of the kingdom of God" directly to the crowds, nor did He ever pander to the crowd's clamor or interests. God's word is freely "sown" to all, but it is received only by those who are willing to hear. The message is always directed to the individual willing to follow Him -- to the one who has "ears to hear."
For example, the famous "Parable of the Sower" (מָשָׁל לְזוֹרֵעַ; Luke 8:4-8) teaches us that God is like a farmer who sows seed upon the "soil" of the human heart, the quality of which may be hard, shallow, choked, or good:
- A "hard heart" (לֵב קָשְׁה) is likened to impenetrable soil that repels the "seed" of the promise of God (ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ, Luke 8:11). Because of bitterness, a person can become indifferent and numb inside, and this heart condition enables the devil to snatch the seed of hope from the heart like a ravenous bird (Luke 8:12).
- A "shallow heart" (לֵב רָדוּד) is likened to topsoil that overlays bedrock. At first the soil receives the seed and quickly begins to grow, but since there is no depth of soil, the growth fails to take root and the growth withers for lack of nutrients and moisture. When tested, the shallow heart reveals its lack of commitment and does not persevere (Luke 8:13).
- A "choked heart" (לֵב חָנוּק, or לב חָסוּם) is likened to weedy soil that hides other roots that exhibit "thorns," namely worldly fears, the desire for riches, and the pursuit of comfort or pleasures. Such people are double-minded and their spiritual life becomes obstructed, throttled by busyness, distracted by desires for comfort, security, and worldly vanities. They are full of inner conflict and despair and consequently become stunted in their growth (Luke 8:14).
- Finally, a "good heart" (לב טוב) is likened to tilled and receptive soil that receives the seed to yield an abundant harvest: "yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold." Because the righteous honor the seed and nurture its presence, the hidden power of the Life is powerfully released (Luke 8:15). They are also likened to a tree planted by rivers of living water that bring forth fruit in their season (Psalm 1:3).
In this connection it is helpful to remember that fruit does not immediately crop up but requires time and its own season... The process of spiritual growth is ultimately mysterious and divine: "The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. By itself (αὐτομάτη, "automatically") the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. And when the grain is ripe, he comes in with his sickle because the harvest has come" (Mark 4:26-29). With God all things are possible, and the life of God is a miracle that comes from God's own source of Life. It is the fruit of the Spirit, after all, and not the result of human effort or moral reformation...
So the "parable of the sower" teaches us that how we hear will determine the quality of the ground (or basis) of our spiritual life. If we are honest with ourselves, we will see our own hardness, shallowness, and selfishness in contrast to the fruitfulness marked by the good heart, and this should provoke us to seek God for help... Again, only a new heart (לֵב חָדָשׁ) created by power of God's Spirit can possibly yield the fruit of the Spirit (פְּרִי הָרוּחַ). "Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away" (Luke 8:18).
Believers are likened to earthen vessels that hold the treasure of God's truth, and therefore they are in constant need of God's grace to persevere. Therefore Yeshua told his disciples: "I am the true vine (הַגֶּפֶן הַאֱמִיתִית), and my Father is the gardener (הַכּוֹרֵם). Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit" (John 15:1-2). Note that it is the healthy branch that will be cut back - not the withered one that will be altogether removed – and this purging process may be painful at times. The heavenly Gardener's goal is for the fruitful branch to reveal more and more the connection to the heart of the Vine, so that God is glorified (see John 15:8). The end here is the beatific vision: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). The goal of "purging" is fruitfulness and blessing, but the agency is not the will of man but the power of God. You are made "clean" through the word of God spoken within your own heart (John 15:3). This is the acceptance of the Messiah's life within you. Your sanctification, however, depends on your communion with God, staying connected to what is real, central, vital, the core truth of God's Presence and love, the ultimate Reality of Life itself.
In light of these things I hope we might better appreciate and understand Yeshua's admonition: "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the Vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing" (John 15:3-5). Our connection to Yeshua is intended to bear fruit that glorifies God, but if we refuse to find life in him, we will eventually wither and die (John 15:6). We find sustenance and healing only as we remain connected to Messiah who is the Source and Conduit of life (מְקוֹר וְאת הַצִּינוּר שֶׁל חַיִּים), for he alone is the Savior and LORD.
True life grows out a heart connection with our Lord, and without that connection our lives become vain and will yield no eternal significance. Nevertheless let us remain encouraged, friend, since God calls us to Himself. This is "the work of faith." Look to heavenly reality and not to the vanity and deceits of this world (Col. 3:1-4). Find life in connection with Yeshua, drawing strength and vitality from your relationship with Him. The fruit of the Spirit is produced as we open our hearts and yield ourselves to the love and presence of the Lord. May you grow in grace and be fruitful in God's love. Amen.
Hebrew Lesson
Exodus 19:5a reading (click):
What is the Torah?
The following might seem a bit "technical," but understanding some of the distinctions discussed may give a better idea of the meaning of the Scriptures... This is a short article, however, and not everything that can be said has been said on the subject! For more information go to the Hebrew for Christians website and search for the role of Torah articles I've written over the years.
02.12.25 (Shevat 14, 5785) Shalom chaverim. Since this week we are reading about the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, I think it's fitting to revisit the question of what the Torah is. Does the word simply refer to the tablets with the Ten Commandments inscribed on them, or perhaps to the written scrolls that contained the collected writings of Moses? If the latter, then by whom and by what process were these writings ratified as divinely inspired Scripture? And does this ratification imply that the idea of "Torah" includes "oral" traditions that have identified, discussed, interpreted, and applied the meaning of the written words for every generation? If so, does "oral" Torah have the same authority as the written words of Moses (and by extension, the words of the prophets)? In short, how are we to understand what the Torah is and how we are to apply it to our lives?
In order to answer some of these questions, we need to dig a bit deeper. As many of you know, the Hebrew word Torah (תּוֹרָה) comes from the root word yarah (יָרָה) meaning "to shoot an arrow" or "to hit the mark." When used in relation to moral and spiritual truth, the word means "direction" or "instruction" regarding doing the will of God. Practically speaking, however, Torah refers to the apprehension of divine wisdom (חָכְמָה), that is, upright thinking and doing as directed by divine imperatives (mitzvot: מִצְווֹת) revealed in the holy Scriptures and practiced through sanctified discipline (mussar: מוּסָר). In other words, "Torah" is related to the idea of commandments, or the imperatives given by God.
The sages note that are two basic categories of commandments: mitzvot aseh (מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה), or positive directives ("thou shalt..."), and mitzvot lo ta'aseh (מִצְוֹת לא תַעֲשֵׂה), or negative directives ("thou shalt not..."). A positive commandment is obligation to do something, whereas a negative commandment is an obligation to refrain from doing something.
The Jewish Scriptures are filled with directives intended to awaken us to the reality of God's immanent Presence. Da lifnei mi attah omed (דַּע לִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עוֹמֵד) - "Know before Whom you stand." There are 613 commandments given in the Torah of Moses, hundreds more found in the Writings (הַכְּתוּבִים) and the Prophets (הַנְּבִיאִים), and over a thousand revealed in the New Testament (הַבְּרִית הַחֲדָשָׁה). All of these imperatives are intended to give voice to the concern and love of God by pointing to the blessing of knowing the Divine Presence in the midst of our daily lives. Torah teaches us to make choices according to the divine light revealed in Scripture. Godly wisdom is grounded in the fear (i.e., respect) for the gift of life that will be expressed through the discernment between the sacred and the profane, good and evil, right and wrong, in our daily lives. This is called yirat shamayim (יראת שמים).
Hebrew Lesson
Prov. 9:10 Hebrew reading:
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In Jewish thought, the word "Torah" (תּוֹרָה) is therefore a general term that implies a wide range of related ideas and concepts that focus on discerning God's will. A primary distinction is between the written Torah, on the one hand, and the oral Torah on the other. The written Torah, called she'bichtav (שֶׁבִּכְתָב, "that which is written"), refers to the text that has been meticulously transmitted since the time of Moses in the form of a Sefer Torah (i.e., a kosher Torah scroll). The oral Torah, on the other hand, is called shebal peh (שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה, "that which is oral"), and refers to legal and interpretative traditions handed down by word of mouth until these were codified in the Mishnah and Gemara (i.e., the Talmud). The Oral tradition further includes the Midrash (traditional exegesis), the Responsa (questions and answers given by "poskim," or legal scholars), the Shulchan Aruch (16th century codification of Jewish case law), and various other commentaries handed down over the centuries. Some people also say that Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה), or the text of the Zohar (זֹהַר), is also oral tradition, though strictly speaking it is not regarded as part of the Oral Torah as understood in Jewish tradition.
Jewish thought or "hashkafah" (השקפה) further maintains that the written Torah and the oral Torah are complementary, since Moses himself (inspired by Yitro) established the role of judges and law courts as part of the written Torah from the very beginning (see Exod. 18:13-26; Num. 11:24-29; Deut. 16:18-20; 17:8-12), and ultimately the oral Torah derives its justification and substance from the written revelation. Indeed it is somewhat artificial to distinguish between the two in practice, since the written Torah was preserved through tradition (i.e., the scribal transmission, the books to be included in the canon, etc.), just as the oral Torah was validated by the written words of the Torah scroll itself.
In short, there is a sort of "circular reasoning" involved in the traditional Jewish idea of Torah: The written Torah was passed down (validated) by means of the oral Torah; but the oral Torah derives its authority from the written Torah:
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It should be noted that this same sort of interplay between interpretation (i.e., theology) and the written Scriptures appears in the Christian tradition as well...
Interestingly enough, Jewish tradition seems to go two ways with the idea that Torah can be explicated by means of halakhah. On the one hand, it carefully enumerates every nuance of each of the various commandments of the Torah, creates various takkanot (case laws) and even multiplies the Torah's principles by building "fences" (i.e., gezerot) around the commandments, yet on the other hand it can (and does) distill the various commandments of the written Torah to more general principles that are fewer and fewer in number. For example, in Makkot 23b-24a the discussion goes from an enumeration of the 613 commandments identified in the Torah, to David's reduction of the number to 11 (Psalm 15), to Isaiah's reduction of the number to six (Isaiah 33:15-16); to Micah's reduction to three (Micah 6:8); to Isaiah's further reduction to two (Isaiah 56:1); ultimately leading to the one essential commandment spoken by the prophet Habakkuk ("The righteous shall live by his faith" - Habakkuk 2:4). Obviously the Apostle Paul distilled the various mitzvot to this selfsame principle of faith (see Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38).
Now Yeshua was "the Voice of the Living God (קוֹל אֱלהִים חַיִּים) speaking (davar) from the midst of the fire" at Sinai (Deut. 5:26), and therefore He is the Divine Lawgiver (מְחוֹקֵק) of mankind. As the Ruler of Israel (ריבון ישראל), Yeshua reiterated and amplified the axioms of the Ten Commandments in the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing that they were not merely external rules of conduct but matters of the heart... In this connection is important to make the distinction between the general idea of Torah (תּוֹרָה) with the more specific idea of covenant (בְּרִית), since these are different (though related) things.
While the Hebrew word "Torah" means "instruction" or "teaching," the word "covenant" refers a specific agreement or "contract" made between God and man. In order to avoid potential confusion between the Torah of Moses (תּוֹרַת משֶׁה) and the Torah of Yeshua (תּוֹרַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ), then, we must keep in mind that Torah is always a function of the underlying covenant of which it is part. This implies that if the covenant were to change, so would our responsibility (i.e., Torah). As it is written in the New Testament: "For when there is a change (μετατιθεμένης) in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well" (Heb. 7:12). Now the word translated "change" in this verse comes from the verb μετατίθημι (from meta, "after" + tithemi, to "set") which might better be translated as "transposed." The idea is the priesthood reverted to the original Malki-Tzedek priesthood of Zion and therefore required a corresponding "transfer" of authority (μετάθεσις) to the original kingship as well. Yeshua alone is both High Priest and King... The failure to make this distinction leads to exegetical errors and invalid doctrines. We must "rightly divide" (ὀρθοτομέω, lit. "cut straight") the "word of truth" (דְּבַר הָאֱמֶת, see 2 Tim. 2:15).
Note: This article continues here -- or you can visit the H4C Substack page here.
Overcoming Despair...
The argument of the devil (i.e., "argumentum diaboli") is that your worst nightmare will be true, that change is impossible, and therefore hope is delusional. There is no way out of your self; love is lost; you are outcast, condemned, forever alone. For those who sometimes feel that way, know that God can intervene and save....
02.11.25 (Shevat 13, 5785) Our most serious struggles are inward, matters of heart, as we wrestle with dark emotions like fear, anger, disappointment, and guilt. We often despair over the contradiction between our ideals and our realities; we regard our failures and then feel lost and unlovable in the hardness of unspoken shame...
On the very deepest level, however, the presence of despair may be a sign of real hope, since it may express a holy "protest" over what the heart knows is wrong in its yearning for deliverance from its own wretchedness. The desperate heart knows it must find God or die. This sort of despair laments because it believes, and it believes in the midst of its lament.
Do you sometimes feel like an utter failure? That you've "ruined" your life? That no matter what you do, you cannot escape your own mediocrity and shortcomings? There is hidden blessedness in your discomfiture. As Yeshua said, "Blessed are those who are poor in spirit - the needy, the bankrupt, the powerless - for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3). The hidden life of the seed is not released until it first is broken and dies (John 12:24).
Hebrew Lesson
Matthew 5:3 Hebrew reading (click):
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Should you be scandalized over your brokenness? Should you rue the day we were born into your fallen world of troubles? Whenever I re-encounter my own ineptitude, my own failures, my immaturity and weaknesses, I have to choose whether to allow these things to define what is most real about me -- or instead to look to the Lord. For me healing is found not in shameful self-examination but in liberating self-forgetting, looking away from what I am to who He is... Of course that does not mean we should not examine ourselves and confess our sins, but we must do so in remembrance of his suffering and death for us upon the cross. We repent in dust and ashes and yet are lifted up into his compassionate heart. Despite ourselves we affirm: "by the grace of God I am what I am."
The fact that God knows the number of hairs on your head means that he knows you better than you know yourself... Your heavenly Father "sees in secret," and that also means that he can and will save you from whatever is hidden within you that still cannot fully receive his love and touch... We have to trust in God's power to heal us, even when it seems that healing is not forthcoming, even when we still find ourselves divided, troubled, and anxious. We have to believe that God's help is always present. "Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope for the LORD" (Psalm 31:24).
God sees what He does within us, His "it-is-finished" work, the effect of His great salvation within our hearts, even if at this present hour this may be hidden from our eyes... There is appearance, and there is reality; and only God sees what is ultimately real. We have to trust in His promise to be transformed into the divine nature, even if today we find ourselves sinful, needy, and in disrepair... By God's grace we are what we are. So don't give up. We are saved by hope (ἐλπίδι ἐσώθημεν, Rom. 8:24), a hope for you today. Amen.
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Finding Real Treasure...
02.11.25 (Shevat 13, 5785) "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it" (Matt. 13:44-46). Here Yeshua teaches us that a relationship with God is the true source of joy and value in life, and that all other passions and desires are like "fools gold" when compared with its overwhelming worth... In this connection Soren Kierkegaard wrote: "If anyone thinks he is a Christian and yet is indifferent toward being that, then he really is not one at all. Indeed, what would we think of a person who gave assurances that he was in love and also that it was a matter of indifference to him?" (Works of Love).
The Shema, the "great commandment," is to love God "bekhol levavkha" (בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ) with all our hearts, yet how is that love possible apart from the revelation of the passion of love itself? "We love because God first loves us" (1 John 4:19), and therefore teshuvah ("repentance") is a matter of being in love, celebrating God's heart for us, awakening to its wonder, and being thrilled and overjoyed at its reality. Is this not the essence of the matter? "Shimon ben Yonah, atah ohev oti?" – "Simon son of Jonah, do you love me?" (John 21:17). But how can we love the Lord apart from trusting his heart for us? "Come unto Me," Yeshua says, "live in Me and I will live in you." O Lord God our Savior, deliver us from apathy and indifference! Soften our hearts and awaken us to our great desire and need for you! Hashivenu, Adonai: turn us, O LORD, and we shall be turned; heal us, and we shall be healed Let know the breadth and length and height and depth of your great love!.
So for what do you hope, friend? What are your dreams? Your deepest desires? Where is your treasure? Yeshua cautioned those who sought their happiness in this world: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures upon earth... be rich toward God" (Matt. 6:19-20; Luke 12:21). When we treasure God, our focus is directed toward the eternal reality, and our interest in this world fades. We trust God to meet our daily needs and surrender our future to His care. The only worry we face concerns our own deficiencies in our obligations to the Savior. Our duty is to love God in the truth - bekhol levavkha - with all our heart, having no thought of ourselves. Indeed, self-denial means to quit thinking about yourself (from α-, "not," + ῥέω, "to speak") by accepting what God has done for you. "It is not my business to think about myself. My business is to think about God. It is for God to think about me" (Simone Weil). Amen, where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.
Hebrew Lesson
Jer. 24:7a reading (click):
Seek First God's Kingdom...
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness... " - Yeshua (Matt. 6:33)
02.11.25 (Shevat 13, 5785) When we worry, are we not afraid that God will leave us unprotected and vulnerable? Are we not questioning his heart for us? Are we not asking, as the people of Israel once did as they thirsted in desert places: הֲיֵשׁ יְהוָה בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ אִם־אָיִן - "Is the LORD with us or not?" (Exod. 17:7). Indeed, does not the recurring presence of worry within our hearts amount to a confession of our unbelief?
The Scriptures warn us not to "spy after our heart and after our eyes" (Num. 15:39). The Torah mentions the heart first and then the eyes to indicate that the eyes follow the heart. We see as we believe with our heart: "According to your faith be it done unto you." When the spies said, "We are not able to go up (לא נוּכַל לַעֲלוֹת)... for they are stronger than us" (Num. 13:31), they revealed their unwillingness to believe in God's promise, or, to put it another way, they revealed their faith in God's inability to deliver on his word.... Indeed, the Hebrew word for "than us" (מִמֶּנּוּ) can also mean "than Him," suggesting that the spies believed that even God would be unable to uproot the Canaanites. According to their faith, so it was done; by believing that it was impossible, they lost the possibility of God's promise...
Are we truly seeking God "first" or are there other things that have a higher priority in our hearts? Do we wonder if God is to be trusted in the "desert experiences" of our lives? Do we think that God has been unfair to us? Have we sometimes lamented that our way is too hard for us, and more than we can bear? "Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed" (Matt. 25:24).
It is possible to misjudge God and misinterpret our relationship with him. "We walk by faith, not by sight." This is true for all people, since every soul lives by faith of some kind or another. Our ability to know him is based on the blessing of the Spirit, not on our own merits. How can we, broken vessels, seek first the kingdom of God, apart from faith in him? Is that not presupposed in all our seeking of the heart? It is faith in God's promises, and faith that God will keep his promises to us, that is the key to seeking first God's kingdom. Those who do not seek do not believe that God is the ultimate concern of their lives.
Faith sees what is possible and refuses to yield to the artificiality of mere appearance. Indeed, appearances are often a test of our courage. We may never know how often a test was given and - just before victory was manifest - the heart grew faint and was lost to fear. "According to your faith be it done to you" is a spiritual principle that applies to everyone. In that sense, it is not that we have faith that matters (since we all do), but whether our faith is grounded in the promises and power of the LORD God of Israel, or something else....
When God told Abram to "get out of your land," he called him to focus on heavenly places – to find his identity there. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" (Matt. 6:33). The "righteousness of God" is his love, mercy, glory, and goodness. Therefore King David says, אַחַת שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת־יְהוָה - "One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire before his presence" (Psalm 27:4). Likewise, followers of Yeshua no longer find their identity in this world but rather through their spiritual union with the resurrected LORD (Gal. 2:20; 6:14; Eph. 1:3; 2:6)... Therefore we are told to "seek the things that are above (τὰ ἄνω ζητεῖτε) where the Messiah is seated at the right hand of God; focus your thoughts on the things above - not on things here on earth - for you have died, and your life has been hidden (κέκρυπται) with Messiah in God. Then when the Messiah, who is your life, appears, you too will appear with him in glory" (Col. 3:1-4).
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 16:8 reading (click for audio):
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The Only Way to Life...
02.10.25 (Shevat 12, 5785) "How long will you go limping between two different opinions?" (1 Kings 18:21). This question from Elijah the prophet is meant for us to hear today. We are being called to make up our minds and turn (shuv) to the LORD. After all, what is more important to you than your relationship with God? Is there anything more important than this?
Abraham Heschel once wrote, "God is of no importance unless he is of supreme importance." Stated differently, it is impossible to be indifferent toward God. You cannot serve two masters. Ultimately you will either hate or love him, but he will never let you be half-hearted toward him (Rev. 3:16).
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance and, if true, is of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important."
- C.S. Lewis: God in the Dock
Yeshua always forced the issue. Consider how often people were offended by his ministry. The gospel message is always offensive to those who make much of themselves. Accepting the cross of Yeshua means abandoning the whole religious game. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die."
It is a severe mercy. There is nothing more important to your life -- and therefore nothing more serious -- than your relationship with God. In the end nothing else will matter. Do you truly believe? Are you willing to give up everything you hold dear for the sake of knowing the Lord and living as he bids? Are you prepared to give account for your life?
The exclusive message of the gospel is that we can only find life when we are awake to the risen reality and saving Presence of the One who overcame and vanquished the power of sin and death for our sake. Without Him we are hopeless; with Him we are more than conquerors (1 Cor. 15:14; Rom. 8:37).
In this connection Yeshua said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you live in me and I live in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Whatever else you may hope to do in your life, whatever your dreams or goals may be, all are utterly vain if you if you do not have Christ living within you...
Yeshua also warned those who might be offended over his exclusive claims to be the only Savior of the world: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."
We cannot be indifferent to Christ; he is either the most important person we will ever know or he we be nothing to us. "In relationship to God one can not involve himself to a certain degree. God is precisely the contradiction to all that is 'to a certain degree'" (Kierkegaard). The words of Yeshua are scandalous because they demand our full attention. He did not reason with people or make any apology about his utterly unique role as the sole Redeemer of the world. He alone is the way to the Father; He alone is the Healer of the lethal disease of spiritual death. He did not tolerate any discussion on that point, nor did He intend to.
We cannot find an easier, softer way to walk the truth. "Cheap grace is the idea that "grace" did it all for me so I do not need to change my lifestyle. The believer who accepts the idea of "cheap grace" thinks he can continue to live like the rest of the world. Instead of following Christ in a radical way, the Christian lost in cheap grace thinks he can simply enjoy the consolations of his grace" (Bonhoeffer).
May the Lord help us understand that our relationship with him is the most important concern of our lives... May He give us grace to wake up to what really matters! Amen.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 27:4 reading (click):
Endurance and Healing...
"The test of whether we have truly found the peace of God will be in how we face the sufferings which befall us. Whoever regards suffering and trouble in their own life as something wholly hostile, wholly evil, can know by this that they have not yet found peace with God at all." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
02.10.25 (Shevat 12, 5785) Though our promised healing assuredly will come to us, it remains the exclusive prerogative of God to allow trials in our lives for our ultimate good. Therefore faith is the key here: Steadfastly affirm your healing even in the midst of your anguish, because your suffering is a test designed to teach you to trust God and to receive the blessing apart from any empirical evidence (2 Cor. 4:18). As the Torah declares of our father Abraham: והאמן בּיהוה ויּחשׁבה לו צדקה -- "And he believed in the LORD, and He counted it to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6); and also of Job's faith in the midst of his agonizing struggle: הֵן יִקְטְלֵנִי לוֹ אֲיַחֵל -- "Though he slay me, I will hope in him" (Job 13:15).
Sometimes all we can do is cry out to the LORD for deliverance... Our heart's cry does not question God's goodness to us, though we may silently wonder about the extent to which affliction may be required to mend our hearts. As C.S. Lewis once said, "We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be" (Letters of C.S. Lewis, 1964). There is a trust issue in suffering, and an intimacy that comes through its fires. Do not jump to conclusions; resist any insinuation that the Lord is being unjust! As Kierkegaard reminds us, "It is one thing to conquer in the hardship, to overcome the hardship as one overcomes an enemy, while continuing in the idea that the hardship is one's enemy; but it is more than conquering to believe that the hardship is one's friend, that it is not the opposition but the road, is not what obstructs but what develops, is not what disheartens but ennobles" (Four Upbuilding Discourses, 1844).
The difficulty of ongoing personal suffering is deeply existential: how do you keep hope in the midst of this tension? "Lord I believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). How do you affirm that your heavenly Father will heal you but at the present hour you must continue to endure suffering? Do you then devise a "soul-building theodicy" to explain your struggle – providing a narrative to answer the "why" of your suffering -- or do you attempt to sanctify suffering as a means of healing others by the grace of the Messiah (Col. 1:24)?
When Yeshua victoriously proclaimed, "It is finished" just before he died on the cross, he foreknew that his followers would experience a "purging process," a "refining fire," and time on the "potter's wheel" to perfect their sanctification. At the cross of Yeshua death itself was overcome – and all that it implies – and yet it is nevertheless true that we will suffer and die ourselves and that death persists an enemy (see 1 Cor. 15:26). While we celebrate the reality of the final redemption, the "instrumentality of our sanctification" needs to be willingly accepted and endured. I say "endured" here because I don't think we will ever have a complete answer to the question of "why" we undergo the various tests we face in this life. Our disposition in the midst of seemingly unanswered prayers is where our faith is disclosed: will we despair of all temporal hope or not? Will we console ourselves with the vision of a future without tears and loss - a heaven prepared for us -- or will we resist the present darkness and seek to find deliverance in this hour? Do we trust God with our pain and submit to his will, or will we "die" inside – losing hope and despairing of all remedy?
As King David once wrote, "At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, O LORD, for your compassion is life; in the abundance of your mercies turn to me" (Psalm 69:13-16).
ענני יהוה כי־טוב חסדך
כרב רחמיך פנה אלי
"Answer me, O LORD, for your compassion is life;
in the abundance of your mercy turn to me."
(Psalm 69:16)
"But You, O GOD my Lord, do Thou for me for your own Name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me" (Psalm 109:21). "Do thou for me" is the confession that God alone has the power to help. Asking God to bring glory to His own Name -- to honor and magnify His Name -- is the theme of all true intercession.
Suffering has a way of focusing the heart and mind, reminding us that "today is the tomorrow of yesterday." Life is short, and our need is great to turn to the LORD and take hold His promises. We take comfort that God is for us the God of salvation: "Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is for us our salvation. Selah. Our God is a God of salvation (יְשׁוּעָה), and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death" (Psalm 68:19-20).
Be encouraged, chaverim. All those who are "fathered by God" conquer the world, since God imparts the victory of faith by means of His powerful Spirit (1 John 5:4). Therefore the heart of faith steadfastly affirms, "In all these things [afflictions, tribulations, etc.] we are 'more than conquerors' (lit., "hyper-conquerors," i.e., ὑπερνικῶμενfromὑπέρ, "hyper" + νικάω, "to overcome") through Him that loved us (Rom. 8:37).
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Waking Up in Time...
"The end of all things is at hand: therefore be in your right mind and full of prayer" - 1 Pet. 4:7
02.10.25 (Shevat 12, 5785) As we make time to draw close to God and confess ourselves to his heart, we will be delivered from the pain of our fears, despite the ongoing darkness of ha'olam ha'zeh (הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה), this present age (Psalm 119:105). As King David said, Adonai ori v'yishi, mimi ira: "The LORD is my light and my salvation" – literally, "my Jesus," my Yeshua – "whom shall I fear? Adonai ma'oz chayai: mimi efchad: "The LORD is the strength of my life, whom shall I dread?" (Psalm 27:1). Yeshua is the Light of Life (אוֹר הַחַיִּים), the Healer of the fearful heart, the I-AM-WITH-YOU-ALWAYS One. His love overcomes all our fears. As the apostle Paul asked, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31).
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 27:1 reading (click):
If we listen closely we will hear the "footsteps of the Messiah" (עִקְּבוֹת מְשִׁיחַ) approaching. Let us then remember the words of our Savior: "when you see these things taking place, you know that the time is near, right at the door" (Mark 13:29), and let us therefore encourage one another to wake up and come alive: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Messiah will shine on you!" (Eph. 5:14). The message of teshuvah (repentance, "turning back to God") is always, "Wake up - you are living a nightmare." There is only one remedy, and that is found by coming to the Divine Light and opening your heart to the love and Presence of God.
The "Old Covenant" at Sinai?
"In your Seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because Abraham obeyed my voice and guarded my call, keeping my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." (Gen. 26:4-5)
02.10.25 (Shevat 12, 5785) In our Torah portion this week (i.e., parashat Yitro), God revealed the Ten Commandments (i.e., עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִבְּרוֹת, literally, "the ten declarations") to the Israelites at Sinai, a dramatic event that represented the giving of the law, or the "Old Covenant," to Israel.
Now it may be said that the revelation at Sinai represents an "older covenant" compared with the ministry of Yeshua (see 2 Cor. 3:14; Heb. 7:18, 8:6,13, and here), when looked at from another perspective, Sinai actually represents a relatively new covenant, since it was given later and served as a proviso to the covenant given earlier to Abraham (Gal. 3:18).
As we will see in next week's Torah reading, the culmination of the covenant at Sinai was the revelation of the Altar (i.e., the Tabernacle), which pictured the sacrificial blood "covering" the tablets of God's judgment. This, in turn, recalled Abraham's great sacrifice of his son Isaac (the Akedah), which further recalled the very first sacrifice of the Bible, namely the lamb slain in the orchard of Eden to cover the shame of Adam and Eve's sin (Gen. 3:21; Rev. 13:8). Therefore it was the promise God made to Eve regarding the "Seed to Come" that was the original covenant (Gen. 3:15), and it was this covenant that was later fulfilled by Yeshua, the "Serpent Slayer" of God (Num. 21:9; John 3:14).
This is the "Gospel in the Garden" message, the original promise of the lamb of God that was slain from the foundation of the world... In other words, the "new covenant" (בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה) may better be understood as the fulfillment of the original covenant, the promise to redeem all of humanity from the curse of sin and death. The redemptive plan of God therefore moves in an ascending circle. The "Tree of Life" (עץ החיים) reaches back to the primordial orchard of Eden and extends into the World to Come...
Because there has been so much confusion regarding the topic of the role of the law, particularly among certain "Messianic believers," I would like to reiterate a few things mentioned elsewhere on this site. Let me first remind you that the legal aspect of the "Torah" refers to the subset of the written Torah called Sefer Ha-Brit (סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית), a portion that defined various ethical, social, and ritual obligations given at Sinai (Exod. 24:7-8). It is therefore a "category mistake" to simply regard the first five books of the "Torah" as the "law," since the law was given later in sacred history, after the Exodus.
Moreover, the Book of Genesis reveals that the very first "priest" (i.e., kohen: כּהֵן) was neither a Jew nor a Levite nor a descendant of Aaron, but rather Someone who is said to have "neither beginning of days nor end of life" but is made like (ἀφωμοιωμένος) the Son of God, a priest continually (Heb. 7:3). This priest, of course, was Malki-Tzedek (מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק), the King of Salem (מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם) to whom Abraham offered tithes after his victory over the kings (Gen. 14:18). The author of the Book of Hebrews makes the point that the priesthood of Malki-Tzedek is greater than the Levitical priesthood and is therefore superior to the rites and services of the Tabernacle (Heb. 7:9-11). It was to Malki-Tzedek that Abram (and by extension, the Levitical system instituted by his descendant Moses) gave tithes and homage -- and rightly so, since Yeshua is the great High Priest of the better covenant based on better promises (Heb. 8:6). As the Scriptures teach, in everything Messiah has preeminence (John 5:39; Luke 24:27; Col. 1:18).
Hebrew Lesson
Genesis 14:19b Hebrew reading:
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These are the words...
02.10.25 (Shevat 12, 5785) From our Torah portion this week (i.e., parashat Yitro) we read words of great promise and comfort as the LORD "proposed" betrothal with his redeemed people: "You shall be for me a treasured people; you shall be children of the King; you shall be priests who will help others draw near to God... these are the words (אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים) that you (Moses) shall speak (to the people)" (Exod. 19:5-6).
These are the words of love God speaks forth and which evoke the antiphon: "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your substance. Set these words (הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה), which I command you this day, upon your heart" (Deut. 6:5-6).
We store up these words so that, in a holy moment, they are quickened within us and we are able to hear the Voice of the LORD speaking from the midst of the fire that burns within our hearts. As Simone Weil said, "love is revelation, and revelation comes only with love."
Hebrew Lesson
Exodus 19:6 Hebrew reading:
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Tu B'Shevat New Year...
Wednesday February 12th at sundown begins "Tu B'Shevat" (ט"ו בשבט), or the 15th of the month of Shevat, which marks the traditional date celebrating the "New Year" for Trees...
02.09.25 (Shevat 11, 5785) The Bible begins and ends with the great Tree of Life -- first in the orchard of Eden, and later in the midst of the paradise of heaven: "The Tree of Life (i.e., etz ha' chayim: עֵץ הַחַיִּים) was in the midst of the garden..." (Gen. 2:9). "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the Tree of Life (etz ha-chayim) with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month" (Rev. 22:1-2). Notice that the "twelve fruits" (καρποὺς δώδεκα) from the Tree of Life are directly linked to the "twelve months" of the Jewish year (κατὰ μῆνα ἕκαστον ἀποδιδοῦν τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ: "each month rendering its fruit"). Twelve months; twelve fruits.... This teaches us that the sequence of the biblical holidays (mo'edim) was intended to teach us revelation about God. That is why God created the Sun and the Moon for signs and for "appointed times" (Gen. 1:14), as it also says: "He made the moon to mark the appointed times (לְמוֹעֲדִים); the sun knows its time for setting" (Psalm 104:19).
Hebrew Lesson
Revelation 2:7 reading (click):
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The Scriptures state twice: "Take root downward and bear fruit upward" (2 Kings 19:30; Isa. 37:31). As Yeshua said, "unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit (John 12:24). We pray we might surrender ourselves to the Lord fully, being immersed in His passion, "bearing fruit in every good work (ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ καρποφοροῦντες) and growing in da'at HaShem (דַעַת אֱלהִים) - the knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10). The "fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life" lit., etz chayim (עֵץ חַיִּים), literally, "the Tree of lives" (Prov. 11:30). It is the fruit of Yeshua, the Tzaddik of God, the Righteous One, who bears fruits of healing in the lives of those trust in Him...
The "Tree of Life" is mentioned a total of ten times in Scripture, corresponding to the "ten words of God" (i.e., the Ten Commandments). It is first mentioned in the center of the original garden of Eden (Gen. 2:9; 3:22-4), but it was soon lost to humanity because of Adam's transgression. In the book of Revelation, it reappears in the center of the heavenly Paradise of God (Rev. 2:7, 22:2), resurrected on account of the faithful obedience of Yeshua as mankind's "last Adam" (1 Cor. 15:45). Those who have washed their robes by means of His righteousness are given access to this Tree in the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 22:14). The paradise lost by Adam has been regained by the greater "Son of Man," Yeshua the Messiah, the Savior of us all. Amen.
Giving of the Law:
Parashat Yitro - יתרו
Our Torah reading this week (Yitro) includes the account of the giving of the Torah at Sinai...
02.09.25 (Shevat 11, 5785) Last week's Torah portion (i.e., Beshalach) recounted how the LORD delivered the children of Israel from Pharaoh's advancing armies by dramatically drowning them in the Sea of Reeds. The Israelites were overjoyed over their new freedom and celebrated by singing the "Song of the Sea." Despite their newfound freedom, however, the people soon began complaining about the hardship of life in the desert. Nonetheless God was gracious and provided fresh water and manna from heaven as he led them by the Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night to Mount Sinai (Exod. 13:21-22).
In our Torah portion for this week, parashat Yitro, Moses' remarkable father-in-law Jethro (i.e., "Yitro") heard how God delivered Israel from Egypt and set out from the land of Midian to the desert area of "Rephidim" to meet with Moses. There Moses recounted the great story of the Exodus, telling him all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake. Jethro rejoiced, blessed the LORD, and offered sacrifices which were communally eaten with Moses' brother Aaron and the 70 elders of Israel (Exod. 18:1-12).
After this celebration, Jethro observed how Moses sat every day to judge the people "from morning to evening" and expressed concern that his son-in-law was taking on too much responsibility. Jethro then advised his son-in-law to appoint a hierarchy of magistrates and judges to help him govern the people, thereby freeing Moses to be a more effective prophet and intercessor before the LORD. Jethro's wise counsel helped implement the system of justice that later became the basis of Jewish social law (i.e., the Sanhedrin, etc.).
Six weeks after leaving Egypt (i.e., the 1st day of the month of Sivan), the Israelites encamped opposite Mount Sinai, the place where Moses was initially commissioned at the "burning thornbush." Moses then ascended the mountain, and there God instructed him to tell the leaders that if they would obey the LORD and keep His covenant, then they would be mamlekhet kohanim ve'goy kadosh -- a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation." After returning down the mountain to deliver this message to the elders, the people responded by proclaiming, kol asher diber Adonai na'aseh ("all that the LORD has spoken, we shall do"). Moses then ascended the mountain again and was told to command the people to prepare themselves to experience the presence of God upon the mountain in three days.
According to Jewish tradition, on the morning of the "third day" (i.e., the sixth of Sivan, exactly seven weeks (49 days) after the Exodus), all the children of Israel gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai, where the LORD descended amidst thunder, lightning, billowing smoke, fire, and the voluminous blast of the heavenly shofar. The LORD then declared the foundation of moral conduct required of the people, namely, the Ten Commandments, which begins with the words: "I AM" (Exod. 20:2). Because the vision was so overwhelming, the terrified Israelites began beseeching Moses to be their mediator lest they die before the Presence of God. The portion ends as the people stood far off, while Moses alone drew near to the thick darkness where God was (Exod. 20:21).
Hebrew Lesson
Exodus 19:5a Hebrew reading:
יציאת הגדולה של ישוע
Greater Exodus of Yeshua...
The vision of Yeshua's eternal glory revealed to the disciples on the mountain foretold that His sacrificial death and resurrection was the essence of God's redemption of humanity... With Moses to his right and Elijah to his left, the Lord spoke of the greater Exodus that would be secured 'b'yad chazaka u'vizroa netuyah' - by his strong outstretched arms upon the cross.
02.07.25 (Shevat 9, 5785) Recall that after the apostle Peter had rightly confessed that Yeshua was the "Messiah of God" (מְשִׁיחַ הָאֱלֹהִים), Yeshua went on to explain that his role as the "Son of Man" would require suffering many things, including being rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes of Israel, and that he would be killed, but raised from the dead on the third day (Luke 9:18-22). He then asked his followers to soberly count the cost of discipleship: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels" (Luke 9:23-26). Yeshua then foretold that that were some standing there who would not "taste death" until they had seen the Kingdom of God...
Some eight days later Yeshua called Peter, James, and John to ascend with him upon a mountain (likely Mount Hermon) to pray. As Yeshua was praying, he was "transfigured" before them and his face and clothes becoming dazzlingly bright and radiant with the Shekhinah glory (תהילת שכינה). The disciples then saw Moses and Elijah in their glorified state talking with Yeshua - a fantastic scene right out of the heavenly places! But notice that that the topic of conversation during this amazing meeting was Yeshua's "departure," that is, his death and resurrection -- literally, his "Exodus": τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ -- which he would accomplish at Jerusalem (see Luke 9:31). This is the great connecting point between the revelation of Torah at Sinai (Moses and the prophets) and the revelation of Torah at Zion (Yeshua as Messiah ben Yosef, the Suffering Servant). At Mount Sinai the great vision was given of the Altar upon which a lamb was offered every day and night (קָרְבָּן תָּמִיד) in commemoration of the Passover (Exodus) from Egypt; at Mount Zion the great vision was the cross of Messiah, upon which the blood of the true Lamb of God would be offered as "Messiah our Passover" (1 Cor. 5:7) that delivers us from slavery to sin and spiritual death.
Recall that Yeshua said: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a Yod (י), nor a "thorn" of a Yod (i.e., kotzo shel yod: קוֹצוֹ שֶׁל יוֹד), shall in any way pass from the Law until all is accomplished" (Matt. 5:17-18). Both the Torah of Moses (תורת משה) and the words of the Hebrew prophets (דברי הנביאים) foretold of the coming of Messiah who would purge Israel from her sins and establish the glory of God before the nations. Yeshua is the central meaning of all true Torah....
The Exodus from Egypt is the central miracle of the Torah because it prophetically tells the story of the redemption of God's people throughout the dispensations. Israel's deliverance from bondage to Pharaoh serves as an allegory of both the salvation promised to Adam and Eve after losing their freedom to Satan as well as the fulfillment of the promises to the Jewish people of the ccoming Savior of Israel (מושיע ישראל) who would establish God's kingdom on the earth. Yeshua is both the Savior of the world (מושיע העולם) as well as Israel's true King and Deliverer. The true Exodus, however, is the one accomplished by the sacrifice of Yeshua as the great Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua is the central miracle of the Scriptures, fulfilling the original promise given to Adam and Eve of the coming deliverer who would remedy the curse of death and restore the glory of Eden.
The great story of God's redemption is revealed on two levels in Scripture - one that concerns the restoration of Eden (the universal level), and the other that concerns the restoration of Israel (the particular level). Therefore Yeshua is both rightly called the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29) and "the Messiah our Passover Lamb who has been sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. 5:7). Likewise he is both called the "Seed of the woman," and "the Son of David"; he is called the "Second Adam," and the "King of the Jews," and so on.
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God's redeeming love was present from the very beginning (Psalm 90:3). He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The midrash states that Adam was created from the "dust of the Temple." After Adam's transgression, the Tree of Life was "removed from reach" and guarded by cherubim until the blood that spoke a "better thing than the blood of Abel" was offered for the redemption of mankind (Heb. 12:24). This "better thing" was prefigured in many ways in Scripture: through the martyrdom of Abel, through the Akedah of Isaac, through the blood of the lamb that delivered Israel from the angel of death, through the blood sprinkled upon the kapporet ("mercy seat") of the Ark of the Covenant, through the sacrifice of the Red Heifer, and most especially through the sacrificial death of Yeshua upon the Cross at Moriah.... Those who trust in the sacrifice and victorious resurrection of the Messiah are given access to eat of the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God (Rev. 2:7; 22:14).
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Yeshua "lifted up" is the antidote to the venom delivered through the serpent's bite (John 3:14-15). "For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22). The "new seed" of life given to us in Yeshua makes us into a "new creation" (בְּרִיאָה חֲדָשָׁה) that fully restores the disfigured image of God within us: "Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall bear the image of the man of heaven" (1 Cor. 15:49).
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 68:18a reading (click):
Blessing of Willingness...
"Let me seek you in the darkness of my silence, and find you in the silence of Your light, which is love shining as the sun, flowing like the river, and joying like the heart." - Meister Eckhart
02.07.25 (Shevat 9, 5785) When King David repented from his sin and asked God's forgiveness, he appealed to the LORD: "Restore me to the joy of your salvation (יְשׁוּעָה) and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you" (Psalm 51:12-13). The sages comment that this is indeed the way of the LORD (דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה), namely, to confess your sin, and in brokenness and heartfelt contrition, to return to the LORD full of hope in his steadfast love. In this way, sinners will understand the truth of Torah and return to the LORD God as well.... Hashiveinu, Adonai.
In the Torah we read: "if you seek for the LORD your God from there (i.e., in your place of exile), you will find him, if you search for him with all your heart (בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ) and with all your soul" (Deut. 4:29). From where do we search, from what place, except from a place of hardship, testing, and tribulation? If you seek for the LORD your God from there - in the midst of your exile, in the midst of your heart's cry - you will find him there, in your heart. This message is a prophecy to the heart of faith, so that after testing befalls you, in the end you will belong to the LORD and will hear his voice. Amen, may God keep you close to his heart.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 51:12 reading (click):
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Heavenly ABC's...
02.07.25 (Shevat 9, 5785) A verse from our Torah portion this week (i.e., Beshalach) contains all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet (i.e., aleph (א), bet (בּ), gimmel (ג), etc.). The special verse reads, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer (עמֶר), according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent'" (Exod. 16:16).
Since this refers to the manna the Israelites were to collect for their daily bread, and this verse contains all the letters of the alphabet, we may "poetically" infer that if we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, "from Aleph (א) to Tav (ת)," God will provide us with the "daily bread" (לֶחֶם חֻקֵּנוּ) we need, just as He did when the bread from heaven (לֶחֶם מִן־הַשָּׁמָיִם) was miraculously given to feed the Israelites in the desert.
Therefore Yeshua, who is the Aleph and Tav, taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," which surely refers to the spiritual food (i.e., encouragement, hope, life) that we receive from the Word of Life (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4).
The Lord said to those trusting Him: "Don't be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow has its own troubles. Live one day at a time" (Matt. 6:34). It makes no sense to worry about the future if the LORD is the Good Shepherd who tenderly watches over your way (Psalm 23:1). Every day we are given daily bread, but we must remember that manna could not be stored up without becoming rotten (Exod. 16:20). God's provision is "sufficient unto the day...."
Hebrew Lesson
Matt. 6:11 Hebrew reading (click):
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Isn't it amazing how studying the Hebrew text reveals further insights into the Scriptures? Kotzo shel yod... And may you rest in the promise: "My God will supply every need of yours - "from A to Z" - according to his riches in glory in Yeshua the Messiah" (Phil. 4:19). He is lechem ha'chaim - the Living Bread from heaven (John 6:51)!
True Transformation...
02.07.25 (Shevat 9, 5785) The Scriptures call us to be transformed (μεταμορφόω) by "renewing our minds" (Rom. 12:2), though how we are to do this remains an open question. Our perspectives and attitudes are shaped by our assumptions about life, many of which are "preconscious" or hidden from our awareness. Habitual thoughts, biases, prejudices, fears, etc., all affect (and distort) the way we see and understand reality. In light of this, how can we change? How do we develop right thinking power? How can we apply our minds to perceive the good, instead of responding in unreflective and negative ways to our circumstances? How do we discipline our wills so that "if there is anything worthy of praise" we are to think about these things (Phil. 4:8)?
Surely we cannot transform ourselves, for we are the source of our own impairment; we are the patient who needs the cure.... Healing therefore comes from a power greater than ourselves, that is, by receiving the light of God's truth, becoming "single-minded," with our eyes focused on what is real. "If your eye is "single" (i.e., ἁπλοῦς, sincere, focused)," Yeshua said, "your whole body will be filled with light" (Matt. 6:22). We thereby "renew" (ἀνακαινόω) our minds, turning away from the darkness, despair, and unsound reasoning of this world by focusing on the glory and goodness of the Lord our God.
Likewise the Torah commands: "You shall be made whole (i.e., tamin: תָּמִים) with the LORD your God" (Deut. 18:13). We are made "whole" or "perfect" (i.e., complete) when we resolutely turn to God for healing of our inner dividedness, as it says: "The Torah of the LORD is perfect (תָּמִים), returning the soul" (Psalm 19:8). And where it is written, "Let us hear end of the matter: Fear God and love his commandments, the text adds: ki zeh kol-ha'adam (כִּי־זֶה כָּל־הָאָדָם), "for this is the whole man," suggesting that those who return will be healed of their double-mindedness (Eccl. 12:13). Ultimately we are made whole when we are united to God in Messiah, for then we are "with the LORD our God" and the Spirit of the LORD writes Torah within the heart of faith (Jer. 31:33).
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 19:7 Hebrew reading (click):
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Bitterness for Shalom...
02.06.25 (Shevat 8, 5785) From our Torah portion this week (i.e., parashat Beshalach) we read that when the Israelites came to a place called Marah, "they could not drink the water because it was bitter" (Exod. 15:23). Note that the Hebrew text allows us to read that it was the Israelites themselves who were bitter – ki marim hem (כִּי מָרִים הֵם) – "for they (i.e., the Israelites) were bitter," and their bitterness made the water seem so as well....
After the people complained, God showed Moses a tree and threw it into the water, making it drinkable. Interestingly the Hebrew text literally reads, "the LORD taught him a tree" (וַיּוֹרֵהוּ יְהוָה עֵץ), suggesting elon moreh (אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה), the "teaching tree of Abraham" (Gen. 12:6). The sages say this tree symbolized Torah, the tree of life (etz chaim), which brings happiness to those who take hold of it (Prov. 3:18), though we see Yeshua, the fallen tree that yields mayim chayim - living water - to revive the hearts of mankind...
Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 38:17 reading (click):
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Love Story of Exodus...
02.06.25 (Shevat 8, 5785) The story of the Exodus from Egypt can be read as a great "Cinderella-like" love story. The beloved is imprisoned in far away castle, made to do the lowliest of labor, but the Lover soon appears and heroically rescues her from her distress. Together they run away to a land of promise, but they must traverse dangerous desert places, where the Lover protects and cares for his beloved. Eventually they pledge their undying love for one another and their married life begins...
Or so goes the story... But practically speaking, how would God - the Creator and LORD of all - "woo" a nation? What would such a courtship be like? How would the betrothed come to understand the Heavenly Bridegroom? For that matter, how would the betrothed come to understand herself?
Recall that after the LORD split the sea and led his people safely across, Israel sang a song of praise to Him. In Jewish tradition this is called Shirat Hayam, "the Song of the Sea," which is an "antiphon," or song of response to their deliverance from Egypt. In the Torah we read "Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: "I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him..." "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? ... You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode... You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established" (see Exod. 15:1-21).
Note that the opening statement, "Then Moses and the children of Israel sang" is actually in the future tense: "Then they will sing" (אָז יָשִׁיר־מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) which the sages say refers to the coming of Messiah. Indeed, in Revelation 15:3 we read that this song of Moses, as well as the song of the Lamb of God, will be sung in heavenly places: "They sing the song of Moses (שׁירַת מֹשֶׁה), the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb (שִׁירַת הַשֶּׂה), saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty (יהוה אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת)! Just and true are Your ways, O King over the nations (מֶלֶךְ הַגּוֹיִם)" Note also that in the closing phrase of Shirat Hayam we read: יְהוָה יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד - "the LORD will reign forever" (Exod. 15:18), but the word "will reign" (יִמְלךְ) is spelled with a missing letter Vav (ו), which suggests the Messiah our King Yeshua. The LORD will indeed reign when the rightful heir to the throne of David and the true King of Israel soon appears....
Going back to the "love story" analogy, at this point in their relationship, the betrothed knew the Divine Bridegroom in terms of His heroic deliverance and power, and even held hope of being led to His "holy abode" to dwell with Him... But how well did she know Him? Would she willingly give herself to Him because she truly loved and trusted Him, or would she merely submit because she was overawed or obliged by His power and glory? How could she learn her own heart, and how could God show her who she was meant to be?
In a word - testing... When God delivered Israel from Egypt, He did not take them on the fast track to the Promised Land (though He certainly could have done so). No, there was a circuitous route to take, a divinely appointed wandering, a Divine Stroll of betrothal, if you will. In order to reveal Himself to the Israelites, God had to led them directly into the desert. He embittered waters to make them sweet once again; He let stomachs growl to provide the Bread of life; He parched mouths to give Living Water from the "Rock that was struck" (1 Cor. 10:4). God did all this to reveal to his newly redeemed people that He is the satisfaction of all their longings... He rescued his bride from the house of slavery and now wanted to refine her to receive greater revelation to come. He was "wooing" or "courting" her in order to bring her beneath a canopy of stars at Sinai...
Hebrew Lesson
Song 6:3 Hebrew reading (click):
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The Word of Guidance...
02.06.25 (Shevat 8, 5785) In our Torah portion for this week (i.e., Beshalach) we learn that the LORD chose to take his redeemed people along the "longer road" to the promised land, just as we find ourselves still awaiting the completion of our redemption in the world to come. And like the Israelites, we must be on guard, since when things get difficult, our tendency is to go back to what is familiar, even if it is painful. Thank God our Good Shepherd Yeshua teaches us and guides us in the way to go: "And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher (מוֹרֶה) will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying: 'This is the way; walk in it,' when you turn to the right or to the left" (Isa. 30:20-21).
וְאָזְנֶיךָ תִּשְׁמַעְנָה דָבָר מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ לֵאמר
זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ לְכוּ בוֹ
כִּי תַאֲמִינוּ וְכִי תַשְׂמְאִילוּ
"Your ears will hear a word behind you saying:
'This is the way; walk in it,'
when you turn to the right or to the left."
(Isa. 30:21)
Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 30:21 reading (click):
What a beautiful image of our LORD as our Teacher and Good Shepherd, who guides us in the paths of life and delivers us from "right-hand and left-hand errors." And may God keep us upon the path of his righteousness, free from the seductions of the tempter who wants to distract our souls and lead us into fruitless byways and trouble. May we receive grace to behold His face, even in the midst of adversity or affliction, learning from Him the way to go...
"Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you" (Isa. 26:20). The LORD beckons: "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known" (Jer. 33:3). And I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place" (Rev 4:1).
The Test of Manna...
The following is related to this week's Torah reading, parashat Beshalach...
02.06.25 (Shevat 8, 5785) Exactly one month after the Exodus (i.e., Iyyar 15), the LORD led the Israelites from the oasis and palm trees at Elim (אֵילִם) into the deeper part of the desert, to midbar Sin (מִדְבַּר־סִין), a desolate region that was about midway to Sinai going southeast (Exod. 16:1). About this time, the food provisions the people had brought with them ran out, and the Israelites began grumbling against Moses and Aaron, saying: "If only we had died by the hand of God in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat (סִיר הַבָּשָׂר), when we ate bread to our fill, for you have brought us out into this desert to starve to death!" (Exod. 16:3). The LORD then said to Moses, "'Behold, I am going to rain down bread from heaven (לֶחֶם מִן־הַשָּׁמָיִם) for you. The people will go out and gather a portion for that day so that I might test whether they will walk in my Torah (תּוֹרָה) or not" (Exod. 16:4).
Note that while God graciously provided the miracle of manna, the people were required to receive it for themselves. Note further that a portion was given for just that day, and storing it up for later use (except for the Sabbath) resulted in rottenness and decay (Exod. 16:20). By being required to collect their daily bread (דְּבַר־יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ) the people learned that God's blessing and their efforts worked together. Our sustenance is a gift from heaven, though we must reach out to take hold of it... The sages here note that the Sabbath and the manna both underscore our complete dependency on God as the source of our sustenance. We will see this again regarding agricultural laws of Shemmitah (שְׁמִטָּה) and the Jubilee (יובל).
"I will test them (אֲנַסֶּנּוּ) whether they will walk in my Torah (הֲיֵלֵךְ בְּתוֹרָתִי) or not" (Exod. 16:4). This is the test (נִסָיוֹן) to see whether we will trust God to meet our needs (whether they are physical needs or spiritual). After all, it is one thing to believe God can help you and yet another to trust that He will actually do so. Peace comes when belief and trust are unified within the heart - when the one who firmly believes completely trusts as well. God gave bread from heaven to test us: "And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD" (Deut. 8:3). God humbles us, which is really one of the greatest of blessings, since we then learn to rely on God's strength and love to meet all our needs.
For more about this topic, see the article "Bread from Heaven."
Hebrew Lesson
Deut. 8:3b Hebrew reading:
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Suffering and Faith...
"For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life but he devises means so that his banished ones are not expelled from him." - 2 Sam. 14:14
02.05.25 (Shevat 7, 5785) Shalom dear chaverim. Though we rejoice that God is faithful and has saved us from spiritual death, we nevertheless sometimes suffer, hurt, and ache in this life. And all of us - believer and unbeliever alike - will physically die.
In light of this, and based on the testimony of the holy Scriptures, it is nothing less than false teaching to make the spurious claim that God never wants his children to be sick and will always reward his faithful children with health and prosperity.... Indeed, this is not only false teaching based on a superficial reading of Scripture, but it is a cruel teaching too.
Think of Joni Erickson Tada, for instance, or countless other saints who suffered and died without being healed in earthly terms. Think of God's revelation to Job or to Elijah or to John the Baptist... Remember how the Apostle Paul had repeatedly asked God to take away his affliction but was denied. Think of the martyrs through the ages who suffered and died unjustly at the hands of the wicked, and especially think of our Lord Yeshua Himself who suffered throughout his life and finally gave himself up in great agony upon the cross. "It pleased the LORD to crush Him and put him to grief" (Isa. 53:10).
To teach that all believers of Yeshua should be in perfect health or "trouble free" in this life casts a shadow of doubt over their soul when they inevitably will get sick or when they face their death, which is the "greatest sickness" after all... God heals us, absolutely, but his healing gives us life from above, delivering us from spiritual death, not from physical death in this fallen world.
Death has lost its "sting" in the sense of being the final word about life, and God Himself has "swallowed up" death through the victory of Yeshua on our behalf as the "Second Adam" and head of redeemed humanity. But why do we still get sick and die? Our death does not pay the debt for our sins which was paid in full by Yeshua. Rather it brings an end to our sinning and ushers us into the divine presence and eternal life.
The Apostle Paul suffered and later was martyred for his faith. He wrote to encourage us to persevere in faith, despite the hardships we face in this world. He wrote: "Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, made for us by God himself and not by human hands." (2 Cor. 4:17-5:1).
And though Paul wanted to escape the sufferings of this life to be with God, he nevertheless affirmed: "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith – that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:7-11). Paul said that the loss of all that he once esteemed -- his heritage, health, and so on - was "rubbish" compared to being identified with Yeshua, sharing in his sufferings, even becoming like him in his death, so that he would know the power of the resurrection from the dead...
Yet Paul also longed to be set free from this realm and to be with the Lord, to come home and experience the fullness of salvation. He had run hard and fought the good fight of faith, yet he was inwardly torn, wanting both to be with the Lord yet to remain to encourage others... "I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to die and be with Yeshua, for that is far better, but to remain in the flesh is more needful for you" (Phil. 1:23-24).
"God works all things together for our good," and that includes the sufferings and losses of life. How could it be otherwise? The LORD has complete authority over death and darkness (Isa. 45:7); He is the keyholder of hell and death (Rev. 1:18). He ordains our days establishes our steps. "Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?" (Exod. 4:11).
Does not God speak out of the midst of the whirlwind? Did not his darkness surround the cross when Yeshua groaned in agony for our deliverance? We are in God's school of life and the aim is our education for eternity. "A righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all." That is part of the lesson plan for us, to go through troubles in order to experience God's deliverance and blessing (Acts 14:22).
Of course a whole lot more could be said about this topic, but it is evident and clear enough that God, in his wisdom and grace, allows suffering and troubles into our lives for our good and for his glory. We may not be able to fathom the reasons for why those who trust in God suffer, but we accept that suffering is bound up with God's plan for the healing and redemption of all things. He shall wipe away all our tears, but we have tears that will be wiped away...
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Savior, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort (אַב הָרַחֲמִים וֵאלֹהֵי כָּל נֶחָמָה), who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
Find peace in the struggle; the One who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in Yeshua. "Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." (Jude 1:24-25).
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 73:26 reading (click):
Hidden Life of the Seed...
"Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." - Luke 10:20
02.05.25 (Shevat 7, 5785) A seed is small, fragile, and seemingly insignificant, yet in the hands of a wise gardener it is understood to be miraculous, able to be perfected and made fruitful. You may feel unworthy, helpless, and forlorn, but you are regarded as blameless and upright because of the miracle of God's life imparted within you, that is, the "holy seed" implanted at your regeneration (see 1 Pet. 1:23). You have a new nature that draws life from heaven as God's own child. And just as a master gardener carefully tends to his planted seeds, so God will tend the divine life sown within your heart. The seed is "hidden" in the soil, unseen by others, yet tended by the gardener who knows its potential to be perfected.
The seed "contains" the essence of the life it replicates. Inside the seed there is an embryo (the baby plant), and when the seed begins to grow, one part of the embryo becomes the (visible) plant while the other part becomes the (hidden) root of the plant. However, the outer shell of the seed must first be broken, and then what appears is the "radicle," or the embryonic root which will develop into a plant. The life cycle of a seed is one of burial and resurrection, of growth and fruitfulness (John 12:24), and the divine life implanted within our hearts will bear fruit: "For by his sacrifice, Yeshua has perfected (i.e., made complete, whole, full of life) all those who are being sanctified" (Heb. 10:14).
Yeshua said, "Be perfect even as your Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48), which of course is an impossibility from a human point of view, but is a corollary of the divine nature implanted within you... The seed within you is perfected to be God's beloved child. You might miss it in the midst of your everyday struggles with fear and the "miasma" of this depraved world, but God is working in you both to will and to do his good pleasure (Phil. 2:12). Like all matters of the Spirit, God's perfection in you comes by faith, not by sight... Only the new heart (lev chadash) created by power of God's Spirit can possibly yield the fruit of the Spirit.
Therefore take heart and do not yield to despair over the mess of your lives. Remember that fruit does not immediately crop up but requires time and its own season... The process of spiritual growth is ultimately mysterious and divine: "The Kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. By itself (αὐτομάτη, "automatically") the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. And when the grain is ripe, he comes in with his sickle because the harvest has come" (Mark 4:26-29).
Trust in God's power to do the miracle. "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Yeshua from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Yeshua the Messiah, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Heb. 13:20-21). Amen. " He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it" (1 Thess. 5:24).
Hebrew Lesson
Proverbs 11:30 Hebrew reading (click):
Faith and Woundedness...
I've been suffering a lot lately due to some health issues, trusting God through it all...
02.04.25 (Shevat 6, 5785) Affliction can sometimes feel like torture, being abandoned by God, misunderstood by others, and disgusted with ourselves. The language of pain is intensely personal and often inexpressible. Ongoing affliction tempts us to blame ourselves, to lose sight of God, and to feel hopeless. It is a real struggle.
The French philosopher Simone Weil suffered personal affliction her whole life but connected it to the deeper message of the gospel. She learned that the walk of faith was not so much a search for a supernatural remedy from suffering but a supernatural use for it. She grew to accept and to endure her afflictions, and by steadfastness of heart to overcome the power of suffering, even though it haunted her daily life. She regarded suffering as the high calling to love and trust God despite her pain; she learned that "when I am weak, then am I strong."
The challenge of ongoing affliction is to simultaneously affirm God's presence and love in the midst of the "dark cloud of unknowing." Faith is the struggle to trust that God indeed works all things - including our ongoing afflictions - together for our good. Faith discovers God's grace is always sufficient for us, even in our weaknesses.
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It is written: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Prov 27:6). Our LORD is a friend and lover (oheiv) who, though He may allow us to be wounded, nevertheless "sticks closer than a brother" - yesh oheiv daveik mei'ach: יֵשׁ אֹהֵב דָּבֵק מֵאָח (Prov 18:24). His afflictions are always purposive and ultimately healing.
The aim of affliction is to ground us in the truth, namely, that we are not God, and that we must surrender ourselves to God's care, even in the wastelands and desperate moments of our lives. When we cling to this world, this life, and seek to make it of value apart from Him, we are living in a state of delusion and blindness. When we are humbled by God's loving affliction, we are set free from the futility of seeking to control the world, and are thereby made free indeed.
For those whom God has chosen, the fires of affliction are purifying fires, refining fires, intended to separate the precious from the dross. We glorify God in the fire when we can say, "Here I am, LORD, do with me as it seems good in thy sight, for I know I shall not have one stroke but thou will give me grace to bear under it." Amen.
Deliver us from Evil...
"God is present in the moment of choice, not in order to watch but to be chosen. Therefore, each person must choose. Terrible is the battle, in a person's innermost being, between God and the world. The crowning risk involved lies in the possession of choice."- Soren Kierkegaard
02.04.25 (Shevat 6, 5785) There is the great danger of squandering our lives through fear, vanity, and worldly concerns... Be grateful, then, for afflictions that bring us pause and move us inward. Examine yourself; consider what really moves you. Be careful not to deceive yourself by "reasoning around the truth" (i.e., παρα + λογίζομαι), as James the Righteous puts it (James 1:22). Many people fool themselves by assuming they know or understand what is good, but they confine this ideal to a matter of opinion rather than experiencing it as a matter of the will (or they confuse their opinion of the ideal with what is real).
There is something worse than death that should concern all people, however, and that is discovering that, upon your death, you had missed what is most important, that you sold your soul for vanities, and that you never learned the true reason for your existence...
Some of the ancient Greek philosophers assumed that moral evil was the result of ignorance, and they thought that truly knowing what was good would lead to doing the good. For example Socrates states (in the Protagoras) that no one knowingly does the wrong thing, and therefore all evil is the result of ignorance (or being fooled into choosing choosing an illusory good). He argued this way because he assumed that doing wrong harms the soul, and since no one willingly acts against his own interests, wrongdoing must be result of ignorance. This somewhat optimistic view implies that the answer to the problem of moral evil is "education," or leading people out of the dark cave of their lower nature to experience the light of reason. If we just really knew why doing this or that sinful thing hurts us, we would change our ways and repent, or so the theory goes... Alas, human experience proves that such "head knowledge" often does not change the way we choose, and we all know people who have habits they realize are harmful but continue to indulge in them anyway.
There may be some truth to the idea that evil is a matter of ignorance however, since ignoring what is good, being indifferent, apathetic, and cynical is a defect of character (ἀκρασία), and learning to be honest, upright, courageous, unselfish, and so on, requires personal struggle to make the "ought" of moral reality an expression of the "is" of inner life. What is often most shocking about moral evil is that it expresses apathy or indifference toward the objections of conscience. Moral evil is essentially heartless and devoid of empathy, a state of cold-heartedness and callousness for the feelings and dignity of others.
According to the Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt, the lack of moral thought and reflection creates what she called the "banality of evil," that is, the unthinking acceptance of evil so that it is no longer regarded as outrageous or strange. People deaden their conscience by refusing to honestly engage questions such as: "What is goodness?" "Is evil real?" "Do we have an obligation to observe moral truth?" "What is the good life?" "How should we live?" "Do our actions really matter?" "Will God judge my life?" and so on.
On the other hand, our culture has been so shocked and made numb by the ongoing practice of lawlessness wickedness that people have lost their sense of shame. We are no longer outraged when we hear of the latest crimes or abuses of power in our postmodern world.... We must be careful, however, not to become evil by despising what is evil. For instance, we may feel so outraged and threatened by the evil actions of others that we deny their humanity, thereby becoming the very thing we hate.
King David exclaimed: "Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults" (Psalm 19:12). Yea, "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9). "Oh there is nothing as deceitful and as cunning as a human heart, resourceful in seeking escapes and finding excuses; and there surely is nothing as difficult and as rare as genuine honesty before God." (Kierkegaard: Discourses). Therefore we pray: "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved. Be not a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of evil" (Jer. 17:14, 17).
Hebrew Lesson
Jeremiah 17:14 reading (click):
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Believing and Seeing...
02.03.25 (Shevat 5, 5785) This week's Torah portion (i.e., parashat Beshalach) contains some of the most dramatic episodes recorded in all of the Scriptures. Here we read about the great exodus of the Israelites on the day of Passover and Pharaoh's last-ditch pursuit of the Hebrew slaves. We read how the Shekhinah Glory held back Pharaoh's army, how the LORD split the Sea of Reeds so that the Israelites could safely pass through the waters, and how Pharaoh's forces were all drowned in the sea. We further read how God personally led the Israelites into the desert and sustained them by transforming "bitter water" into sweet water, sending manna from heaven, and providing a miraculous water source from the rock that Moses struck. Yet despite all the miracles and wonders performed on behalf of the Israelites, the people inexplicably seemed to "forget" about their miraculous redemption. Indeed, it was just a few days after the awe-inspiring deliverance from Egypt that the people began to murmur, complain, and kvetch. The sorry state of the Israelites was so bad that the Midrash Rabbah plaintively wonders how it was possible that the Israelites could have so quickly forgotten all of God's miracles performed on their behalf (Psalm 78:41-56).
The story of the disgruntled Israelites teaches us that miracles are never enough to sustain our faith. Seeing isn't believing, but rather the other way around.... This explains why those church groups that emphasize "signs and wonders" often contain so many exhausted people. Miracles are insufficient for faith; people get excited about them while they occur, but they soon forget them and return to a state of desperation and despair. Necessarily the cycle must repeat itself, with ever-increasing claims of the miraculous, in order to keep the illusion alive.... In light of this, it is wise to consider that the passion for "signs and wonders" may be little more than a counterfeit of the real need to surrender and serve God. After all, truly loving the LORD with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength is the goal of faith. A genuine heart of faith, then, is a miracle of a greater kind than that of splitting the Sea of Reeds.
Regarding the case of the redeemed Israelites, what has struck some commentators is not so much the incredible signs and wonders that the LORD performed on behalf of Israel, but rather the people's persistent inability or unwillingness to believe... Some of the Jewish sages have gone so far as to say that the entire Bible may be read as a book about God's apparent inability to teach the Jewish people how to be grateful. The same certainly can be said about many professing Christians today.
Lasting transformation of the heart comes from "following" the LORD God of Israel. As I've mentioned elsewhere, disciples of Yeshua are called talmidim (תַּלְמִידִים) -- a word that comes from lamad (לָמַד) meaning "to learn" (the Hebrew word for teacher is melamad (מְלַמֵּד) from the same root). In the Greek New Testament, the word for "disciple" is μαθητής (the word "math" comes from this), that is, a pupil of a διδάσκαλος, or a teacher. In other words, disciples of Yeshua are automatically "enrolled" in the school of truth, which is also a "school of suffering" (Col. 1:24). In the Torah the "daily sacrifice," or korban tamid (קָרְבַּן תָּמִיד), was offered to the LORD every morning and evening upon the altar, which corresponds to being a "living sacrifice" (i.e., korban chai: קָרְבָּן חַי) to the LORD (Rom. 12:1-2). We must take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). Yeshua plainly said: "For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world -- to bear witness to the truth. All who are of the truth listen to my voice" (John 18:37). It is hard to imagine a follower of Yeshua who does not love, study, and value the truth...
ראשׁית חכמה קנה חכמה
ובכל־קנינך קנה בינה
rei·sheet · chokh·mah · ke·neih · chokh·mah
oo·ve·khol-keen·yah'·ne·kha · ke·neih · vee·nah
"The first matter of wisdom is this: Get wisdom!
and in all your get, acquire understanding." (Prov. 4:7)
Hebrew Lesson
Proverbs 4:7 Hebrew reading (click):
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The Hebrew word for education is chinukh (חִנּוּךְ), a word that shares the same root as the word for "dedication" (i.e., chanukah: חֲנֻכָּה). True education of the Scriptures is therefore foundational to being a student of the Messiah. We are called to "rightly divide" (ὀρθοτομέω, lit. "cut straight") the "word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). Among other things, then, following Yeshua means becoming a student of the Jewish Scriptures that He loved and fulfilled (Matt. 5:17-18; Luke 24:44-45). Only after learning from Yeshua as your Teacher will you be equipped to "go to all the nations and teach" others (Matt. 28:19). This is accomplished not merely by explaining (propositional) doctrine but by kiddush HaShem -- sanctifying the LORD in our lives (1 Pet. 1:15-16). As the sages noted long ago: "Upon three things the world does stand: upon the Torah (truth), upon worship, and upon acts of lovingkindness" (Avot 1:2). We are a "living letter" sent to the world to be "read" (2 Cor. 3:2-3).
It has been said that it was easier for the LORD to get Israel out of Egypt than it was for Him to get Egypt out of Israel... The LORD knew the process would be an arduous one, requiring 40 long years of study in the desert under the instruction of Moses, and yet despite all this the people "were unable to enter because of unbelief" (Heb. 3:19; 4:11; Psalm 95:7-11). This is a truly sobering warning, and we are encouraged to open our hearts to the miracle of God's love for us. "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." May it please God to help us make a new commitment to study and to live the truth of the Torah and Scriptures for the glory of His Name. Amen.
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Stepping out in Faith...
The divine consequence of the exodus from Egypt (יציאת מצרים) is still felt to this day, as indeed is the greater exodus Yeshua attained by the power of the cross (Luke 9:30-31).
02.03.25 (Shevat 5, 5785) From our Torah this week (i.e., Beshalach) we read how the children of Israel were trapped before the sea with no way of escape... Moses then cried out to God who told him to march forward -- right into the waters -- as the Pillar of Cloud settled between the people and Pharaoh's advancing army.
According to midrash, when Moses lifted his staff to divide the sea, at first nothing happened. The people waited anxiously at the seashore, wondering what to do. Finally, Nachshon ben Aminadav, a descendant of Judah (Num. 1:7), waded into the water "up to his nose," and the winds then began blowing to divide the waters (Shemot Rabbah). The great miracle of kiryat yam suf (קרית ים סוף)- the splitting of the Sea of Reeds (the word "suf" means "reed,"see Exod. 2:3) therefore happened because someone found courage and took a step of faith: "And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall (חוֹמָה) to them on their right hand and on their left" (Exod. 14:22). They marched across the sea all night (i.e., Nisan 21), under the light of the Shekhinah Glory...
The Talmud says "kasheh le'zavgom ke'kriat yam suf," which means it is more difficult for God to create a marriage than to split the sea. They reason this way because each person needs to take individual action to trust the other. Likewise with God. It is more difficult for God to get us to be in a trusting relationship with Him than it is for Him to split a sea. Of course the problem is not with God, who is the perfect "husband," but with our adulterous inner nature. It took the LORD a year to deliver Israel from Egypt, but it took Him 40 years to teach Israel to trust in His promises of love. God always awaits our teshuvah - our "answer" - to His invitation before He reveals more to us. As Yeshua once said to his followers, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now" (John 16:12). Some things about God can only be known by stepping out in faith and surrendering ourselves to Him.
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 37:5 Hebrew reading (click):
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Note: For more on this subject, see "Stepping out in Faith..."
Finding the Place of God...
02.03.25 (Shevat 5, 5785) What was it about Yeshua that made him so special? For the moment, put aside your theology or "Christology" and ask what made him so attractive and endearing to people on a human level. What sort of a man was he? What made people want to follow him? Did he have special "charisma" or an aura about him?
We really don't know the answer to these questions, of course, since the New Testament says little about his physical appearance, though the prophet Isaiah foretold that he would be a man of "no reputation," with no regal form or "comeliness" with which we would desire him. Indeed, he would be "despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isa. 53:2-3). Indeed Yeshua was born into this world in obscurity, grew to become an unassuming man, a "nobody" in the eyes of the world, without power or political authority. For all the more reason then does this suggest that what made him so attractive was his heart, his kindness, and his accessibility, and that's part of the lesson we learn by the invitation he gave to the two disciples of John the Baptist to come to his home.
Recall that the New Testament records how John the Baptist began announcing the imminent coming of the Messiah, calling the people to repentance. One day John saw Yeshua of Nazareth and proclaimed: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!" (John 1:29-30). Two of John's disciples (by tradition Andrew and John, author of the fourth gospel) were standing with him at the time and they believed John's testimony that Yeshua was the promised Savior of Israel. Indeed John had explained the purpose of his ministry was to herald the coming of Messiah, and his preaching was intended to prepare the people for the momentous hour. Therefore when John identified Yeshua as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world," they understood the implications and immediately decided to follow Yeshua as he walked away. When Yeshua turned to them and asked: "What are you looking for?" they replied, "Rabbi, where do you live?" And Yeshua then graciously invited them to "come and see." So they went to Yeshua's house and stayed with him for the rest of the day (see John 1:35-39). We may wonder, what did they see? What did they do? What did they discuss with Yeshua? We are not told, though it is clear Yeshua was a kind and approachable person, accessible to the seeking heart.
And this presents a sort of "parable" or pattern for anyone who would come to know Yeshua. First there is a deep awareness of the need to repent before God, as John the Baptist had preached, along with the realization that true repentance, or personal salvation, is impossible apart from divine intervention that would free the soul from its bondage to sin. Second there is revelation that points to Yeshua alone as our healer and deliverer. Third there is sincere desire to learn more about him and the nature of his character, and there is an "inner sense" that you are called to "come and see" where Yeshua lives...
This invitation is for all people who are burdened by their sins and who hunger and thirst for deliverance. Yeshua's message finds it place in the heart of the broken: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).
It is your willingness to accept the invitation to know his heart that marks the first step from which all others may follow. Yeshua asks you to feel welcome and safe in his presence, as if you have belonged to him all along, to realize that you are accepted, respected, and dearly valuable to him. This is the "place" of God, the "where" of his presence and the "who" of his character. And indeed, God's Presence is liked to a "house," a "miskhan" or dwelling place, a refuge and sanctuary for the soul, a secret garden, a strong habitation, the everlasting arms of a loving Father, Abba, the one who makes a place for us, an everlasting domicile that will enshrine us in the comfort and blessing of eternal love.
Some people wrestle with shame and feel unworthy of love and blessing. It is hard for them to believe that God bears their sins because they do not believe they matter enough for God to do so. But God affirms and demands that we take his love seriously, that we esteem ourselves as people he loves and cares for despite our sins and failings... His heart extends to the "poor in spirit," to those who mourn over their lives, to the humble, the broken, the wandering outcast, the despised and rejected of men. Yeshua is the "friend of sinners" who calls out to their weariness: "Come to me, and I will give you rest..."
So what do you want? What do you truly desire of the Lord? Yeshua encourages us to come and see who he is and to repose in the place of his dwelling, the habitation of his heart. "Live in me - in the truth of my heart - and let my heart live in you" (John 15:4). This "house" of the Lord is found in heart connection with him, where you accept yourself as beloved in him. It is found in God's presence as Father, Son and Holy Spirit as we are made part of his family, members of his household, and partakers of the blessing of his love.
We start "following" the Lord by first trusting that he really desires us, for assuredly we will cannot do so unless we believe his heart for us, after all. We begin by praying, "Lord, how am I to be with you? How can my heart know your heart for me? How can I connect with you, finding life in your life? Is this not essential - to know who you really are, to experience your mercy and grace, to rest in your steadfast love and faithfulness? How can I experience your acceptance and kindness in light of my brokenness, shame and disappointment? Will you heal the wounds of my heart - wounds that you yourself bore for me in your suffering? I bow down in hope before the cries of my heart. I wait, O Lord, for your touch, the breath of your Spirit, the true balm of Gilead that forever heals my brokenness.
Recall the story about Elijah, dejected, weary, and feeling abandoned. The Lord instructed him, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice... And, suddenly there came a Voice to him that asked, "What are you doing here?"
Or consider Job who was described as "a man blameless and upright, one who feared God and shunned evil" who nevertheless was tested and brought to despair and the knife's edge of death. After languishing in dismay, he found himself beneath the whirlwind, beholding the revelation of God's glory, and only afterward was he able to say, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear (לְשֵׁמַע־אֹזֶן שְׁמַעְתִּיךָ): but now mine eye seeth thee (וְעַתָּה עֵינִי רָאָתְךָ). Therefore I forsake myself, and I repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6).
There is no recipe or formula for following the Lord since it involves turning to God from the depths of your soul, allowing him to be the center of your heart. In a sense it is a matter of losing yourself to find yourself, letting go of your fears and attachments in surrender to God. As we go through the refining fires, we leave behind the old life for the new - crossing over into the realm of the Spirit. Once we take hold of who we are in God's house, the despair that has haunted us fades away and we live in God's provision and abundance.
Faith in the truth of God's love sets us free, though we must be careful not to let our hope wane in quiet desperation. The temptation is to lose sight of God's heart for us or to be dissuaded from our hope because of sadness or fear. God is merciful and will beckon us to return to his love, though if we begin to fall away, he may lead us to confess once again that we are unable to control our lives, that we desperately need him, and to know once again that all that we are or ever shall be is bound up in his presence and love for us.
Yeshua is the answer to our hurting and desperate hearts. It may not be an "easy" answer, but it's the only answer that is real, with love forged in the passion of God's heart, the expense and expanse of which surpasses all of creation, forever and ever. Amen.
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"Sabbath of the Song"
About Shabbat Shirah...
[ The following is related to this week's Torah reading, parashat Beshalach... ]
02.02.25 (Shevat 4, 5785) Our Torah reading for this week (i.e., Exod. 13:17-17:16) includes the famous Shirat Hayam (שִׁירַת הַיָּם), the "Song the Sea," a hymn of praise the Israelites sang to the LORD after they miraculously crossed the Sea of Reeds (i.e., Yam Suf: יָם סּוּף). Shirat Hayam is also traditionally sung on the 7th day of Passover (i.e., on Nisan 21) since it was first sung seven days after the people left Egypt during the time of the Exodus. When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, Shirat Hayam was sung every day by the Levites during the minchah (afternoon) offering. After the Temple was destroyed, however, the song was incorporated into the shacharit (morning) service of synagogues (i.e., "Mi Chamocha," etc.) to fulfill the Lord's commandment to "remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt all the days of your life" (Deut. 16:3).
Today the Sabbath on which parashat Beshalach is recited is called Shabbat Shirah Hayam and the congregation rises when the song is chanted:
אָשִׁירָה לַיהוה כִּי־גָאה גָּאָה
סוּס וְרכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם׃
עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה
זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ אֱלהֵי אָבִי וַאֲרמְמֶנְהוּ׃
יהוה אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה יהוה שְׁמוֹ׃
ah·shee'·rah · la-Adonai · kee-ga'·oh · ga'·ah
soos · ve·roh·khe·voh · rah·mah · ba·yahm.
oh·zee · ve·zeem·raht · Yah · va·hee-lee · lee·shoo·ah
zeh · ei·lee · ve·an·ve'·hoo · e·loh·hei · ah·vee · va·a·roh·me'·noo.
Adonai · eesh · meel·chah·mah · Adonai she·moh.
"I will sing to Adonai, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
Yah is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will enshrine Him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his Name." (Exod. 15:1-3)
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To commemorate and honor this time, Jewish scribes (soferim) stylized the Hebrew text in a special way. The Talmud (Megillah 16b) states that Shirat Hayam must be written in the form of "a half brick over a whole brick, and a whole brick over a half brick," that is, with alternating half-lines, to resemble "building a house":
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According to Yalkut Me'am Lo'ez, the alternating "bricks" are intended to resemble waves of water, while the blank spaces separating these (i.e., text blocks) suggest "blank spaces in our knowledge and praise of God" which we are encouraged to add to the "building." The sages count exactly 198 words in this song, which is the numerical value for the word tzchok (צחק), a word that means "laughter" and is the word used to describe Sarah's response when she finally gave birth to Isaac (Gen. 21:6). According to Rabbi Bachya, the laughter in Isaac's name comes from Abraham's joy (Gen. 17:17). The joy of Isaac's birth, then, is linked with the "birth" of the nation of Israel at the time of the Exodus, just as his symbolic death during the Akedah represents Israel's rebirth...
It is also noteworthy to remember that the Lord Yeshua was the One who saved Israel on that very day. He is the Angel of the LORD and YHVH the Redeemer, as Moses likewise stated: וַיּוֹשַׁע יהוה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד מִצְרָיִם / "On that day, the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians" (Exod. 14:30).
It's been said that all the signs and wonders performed during the Exodus served two purposes: 1) to convince the Egyptians of the greatness of God, and 2) to convince the Israelites of the same thing... An even greater blessing, however, is to trust in the LORD without the need for signs and wonders (John 20:29). May the LORD God of Israel help us live by true bittachon (בִּטָּחוֹן) - trusting in Him and rejoicing in His salvation. Amen.
Hebrew Lesson
Exodus 15:11 Hebrew reading (click):
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This week's Torah:
Parashat Beshalach - בשלח
In our Torah portion this week, the Lord divided the waters of the sea to make a path for the Israelites, a miracle that symbolized newness of life as God's liberated people...
02.02.25 (Shevat 4, 5785) Recall that last week's Torah portion (i.e., parashat Bo) told how the Israelites were finally released from Egypt after God issued the final plague during the time of Passover. In this week's portion (parashat Beshalach: Exod. 13:17-17:16), the Israelites begin their journey home, after 430 years of troubled exile. Instead of leading them along a direct route to the Promised Land, however, God directed them south, toward the desert, where the Glory of God appeared as a Pillar of Cloud by day and as a Pillar of Fire by night to lead them on their way. When Pharaoh heard that the Israelites were at the border of the desert, however, he perversely decided to pursue them and bring them back to Egypt. God then redirected the Israelites to camp near the edge of the Sea of Reeds, where the Egyptian army finally caught up with them. Dramatically, the Israelites were caught between the sea on one side, and Pharaoh's formidable army on the other!
The terrified people then began to blame Moses for their predicament. Moses reassured them of God's final deliverance and raised his staff to miraculously divide the waters of the sea. All that night the Shekhinah Glory enshrouded the Egyptian army but gave light to Israel as the people crossed through the sea on dry ground. Just before dawn, the dark pillar of cloud that veiled the Egyptian army lifted, and the soldiers immediately rushed after the Israelites into pathway of the sea. God then told Moses to lift his staff again so that the waters would overwhelm the Egyptians with their chariots and horsemen. By the time dawn arrived, the Israelites saw the dead bodies of Pharaoh's army lining the seashore.
Moses and Miriam then led the people of Israel in a spontaneous hymn of thanks and praise to God for their complete deliverance from Pharaoh, which is often called the "Song of the Sea" (i.e., shirah hayam). The song begins, "The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation" / עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה (Exod. 15:2, cp. Isa. 12:2). For Orthodox Jews, singing Shirat Hayam every day is thought to fulfill the biblical commandment to "remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live" (Deut. 16:3). Note that Shirat Hayam is also sung on the 7th day of Passover, as a memorial of the deliverance by God through the waters of the Sea of Reeds.
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The great message of our deliverance resounds throughout Jewish history, and indeed it is regarded as a theme of the faithful love of LORD for His people:
Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 12:2 Hebrew reading (click):
After the jubilation for their deliverance, the narrative resumes as God led the Israelites away from the sea, into the desert of Sin (מִדְבַּר־סִין), a desolate region about midway to Mount Sinai. Instead of taking the people along a direct route to the promised land, however, the Lord led them directly to the "school" of the desert. After traveling three days without finding any water, however, the people complained and God provided them with fresh water at Marah. Awhile later, the matzah (unleavened bread) the people had brought with them ran out and God tested their obedience by giving them "bread from heaven" (i.e., manna). The portion ends with the Amalekites' surprise attack of Israel at Rephidim, near Mount Sinai, and the selection of Joshua as the leader of the army of Israel.
January 2025 Site Updates
Sanctifying the Truth...
01.31.25 (Shevat 2, 5785) How do we share the message of God with others? How do we reveal the truth of Messiah in this world? In other words, how may the Spirit of God be manifest within us? The Scriptures say first to "sanctify the Messiah" within our hearts and then we will be ready to give a reason for our hope -- though we must do so in humility and reverence before heaven" (1 Pet. 3:15). We sanctify the Lord by choosing to make sacred place for him within our consciousness; we enshrine him and esteem him beautiful within our affections and actions (Exod. 15:2). When God said to his people, "Let them make for me a sacred place (i.e., mikdash: מִקְדָּשׁ) that I may dwell in their midst," then, he was inviting them to make room within their hearts (בְּתוֹכָם) for His Presence to be revealed (Exod. 25:8). As Yeshua taught us: "The Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21).
King David understood this principle: "I have set the LORD always before me..." (Psalm 16:8). In other words we must open our eyes to see; we must humble ourselves to believe; and we must open our hearts before the greatness of God. This is the first step, as Yeshua taught us: Avinu shebashamayim, yitkadesh shemekha - "Our Father in heaven, let your Name be sanctified" (Matt. 6:9). As we sanctify the Lord we bear witness of the truth of Reality, and the Spirit of God will empower us to living signs of the Divine Presence. "But the fruit of the Spirit (פְּרִי הָרוּחַ) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness... (Gal. 5:22-23).
"Know therefore this day and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other" (Deut. 4:39). Note that the phrase "lay it to your heart" in this verse may better be rendered as "return to your heart" (וַהֲשֵׁבתָ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ), suggesting that the truth of the LORD is found there – within the heart that truly seeks him (Jer. 29:13). Hashivenu! In other words, the truth is found in the heart's seeking for the LORD and His love. Know this truth today... "The most important part of teaching is to teach what it is to know," that is, to know "in your heart."
Shabbat shalom and love to you, chaverim...
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 16:8 reading (click):
Stewardship for Life...
"One life on this earth is all that we get, whether it is enough or not enough, and the obvious conclusion would seem to be that at the very least we are fools if we do not live it as fully and bravely and beautifully as we can." - Frederick Buechner
01.31.25 (Shevat 2, 5785) When I first read the parable of the "unjust steward" (see Luke 16:1-13), I was a bit puzzled. Yeshua tells the story of a certain rich man who had discovered that his "steward" (or manager) was stealing from him, and he therefore decided to remove him from his service. The steward, in his desperation, then quickly called his employer's debtors and gave each a significant discount on the debt they owed. In this way the steward sought to gain their favor so that he would be taken care of in days to come...
Now what is surprising about this story is that Yeshua commended the unjust steward for his shrewdness, and then he cryptically added: "Make friends for yourselves by means of the "mammon of unrighteousness" (μαμωνᾶ τῆς ἀδικίας), that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings" (Luke 16:9). Wait, what? How are we to understand this?
At first glance the story seems simple enough, at least in worldly terms: Do someone a favor in their need, and they will reciprocate regarding your need: "Scratch my back, and I will scratch yours." It is likely that the steward thought that if he did some favors for others, they would return the favor in the days to come. Moreover the steward, savvy as he was, likely understood that the interest charged to the debtors was technically forbidden by Jewish law, and therefore he reasoned that his wealthy employer could not accuse him of larceny without therby incriminating himself. He could therefore leverage the loss of his job and make a profit for himself at the same time. Despite the devious ploy, however, the rich man "commended" (i.e., ἐπαινέω, "praised") the steward because he had acted shrewdly. "Check Mate..."
Now this story is not to suggest that our righteous Lord in any way approved of such devious financial schemes and deception, though it is likely Yeshua told the story to illustrate the importance of seizing opportunities in life with an eye to future benefit. He was drawing a comparison: just as this unjust steward sought to manage his desperation to secure for his future, so the godly should manage their resources and opportunities so that they will be welcomed into the "eternal habitations" of heaven itself. If worldly wealth can be used to gain friends that will welcome you into their hearts, then how much more should such wealth be used to secure the "true riches" of blessing of the world to come?
Yeshua admonishes both his followers as well as those who rely on worldly wealth: The one who is faithful with little is faithful also in much, but the one who is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If we are not trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, how will we be so regarding heavenly riches? He therefore said that it is not possible to serve both God and "mammon," a word that means possessions of all kinds -- not just money or silver. If you place mammon as your highest good or concern, you cannot serve God, since covetousness, desire, and various fears will demand all of your heart, soul, and strength.
Our stewardship of mammon is therefore a spiritual test, since mammon will either control us as we seek worldly power and personal satisfaction, or we will yield all that we have to the LORD for godly and righteous purposes that will yield interest in this world and riches in the world to come. When Yeshua said "gain friends so that you will be welcomed into eternal habitations," he meant that we should be rich toward God by helping others, by promoting organizations that teach and share the message of the gospel, and so on (Luke 12:21).
Therefore invest your life and your resources "shrewdly" for eternal purposes. Whether you have much or little, do what you can for the sake of the Kingdom of God. The stewardship of your resources has eternal significance and consequences. Imagine that when your life is over how the account ledger will read... Will your life be credited by giving the gifts you were given for the blessing of others, or will it expose your worldly debits and fears? "Follow the money" and you will see what you find to be most important, after all.
We are all stewards - not owners - of whatever we have. In Hebrew, we do not say "I own x," but instead say "there is to me x" (יש לי) implying that God alone is the Source and Owner of reality. Wealth can be a blessing or a curse depending on how it is used. Our Lord teaches that we should be "shrewd" in our investments for the sake of what really matters. The choices we make today will follow us tomorrow, and indeed, for eternity.
We are all in the divine school, being educated for eternity. May God help us to be good "talmidim" (students, learners, disciples) as we work through the exercises of our lives...
Hebrew Lesson
Proverbs 11:18 reading (click):
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Not losing your mind...
01.31.25 (Shevat 2, 5785) The Apostle Paul foretold that the time before the "End of Days" would be "perilous" and full of unrelenting human depravity and lawlessness (2 Tim. 3:1-5). Yeshua warned that apostasy would abound and that the hearts of many would run cold as ice (Matt. 24:12). In light of the raging spiritual war going on all around us, the following needs to be emphatically restated: "The important thing is to not lose your mind..."
The mind is the "gateway" to your heart, and it is therefore essential to guard your thinking by immersing yourself in the truth... "Not losing your mind" therefore means being grounded in what is real, and it therefore means understanding your identity and provision as a child of God. "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind" – literally, a "delivered" mind, "healed" from chaos and despair (2 Tim. 1:7). The Greek word "sound mind" (σωφρονισμός) comes from a verb meaning "to be made safe," in the sense of being under restraining influence of the Spirit of God... The closest Hebrew word might be musar (מוסר), or "moral discipline."
Part of the task of "guarding your mind" is being able to discern between good and evil. "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13) and as the prophet cried out, "Hate what is wrong, love what is right" (Amos 5:15). We must love the truth and abhor the lie (Psalm 119:163, Zech. 8:19; Prov. 12:22). Tolerating sin in a world ripe for judgment is a tacit form of "collaboration" with the enemy. Indeed, the only thing regarded as intolerable in the devil's world is the denial that people have the "liberty" to sin. But the Lord is clear on this point: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, and who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, to those who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!" (Isa. 5:20-21). It is the truth that sets people free, but this presupposes the ability to discern how we become enslaved to deception. Therefore we are instructed: "You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean" (Lev. 10:10).
Someone who loves you will to help you stay honest with yourself: The truth of God's moral law is likened to a Father's moral correction that leads his child to life (Prov. 6:23).
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 119:105 Hebrew reading (click):
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Shelter of the Most High...
01.31.25 (Shevat 1, 5785) The "world" is a place of fearful exile from the Lord. To find healing, turn away from its faithless messages and listen (shema) to the great promises of God. As it is written: "He who abides in the secret of the Ascended One will dwell in the shadow of Shaddai" (Psalm 91:1).
The sages say that Moses wrote Psalm 91 as he dwelt in the secret place (סֵתֶר) of the Most High God, in the "midst of the dark cloud" (Exod. 24:18), a place of sacred and holy concealment. The thick clouds are a "hiding place" for him (Job 22:14). Notice that the one who "abides" in the secret of the Most High dwells in an ascended place of rest – being lifted up above the surrounding madness of this fallen world of flux and shadows. The Hebrew word means to lodge or to "sleep" (לִין), connecting it with death and resurrection. By dwelling in the death and resurrection of Yeshua, God will shield you with His Presence and make evil powerless before you.
When you "abide" in the secret of Elyon - the Ascended One - you are concealed by the dark clouds of His Glory, and the Presence of Shaddai overshadows you... The LORD will save you from the ensnaring trap and from the devastating pestilence (Psalm 91:3). By abiding in the truth that God's Presence pervades all things at all times - you become a "stranger" (גֵּר) with the LORD in this world, a "sojourner" (תּוֹשָׁב) who awaits the recompense of the wicked and the healing of the world at the end of the age. "You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot" (Psalm 91:13).
We are made secure only on account of the LORD our God Yeshua, who gloriously ascended over the powers of this age, the hidden principalities of darkness, and who made safe passage for us to come by means of his sacrificial death on the cross. Yeshua is the Bridge and the Way to the truth that sets you free, though He indeed is the narrow bridge. Because of Him alone, we have access to the Divine Presence, the Holy of Holies made without human hands. Yeshua is the Ascended LORD of Glory, the Master of all possible worlds, and the King over all things. Nothing can stop Him or thwart His victory secured for those who trust in Him.
Hebrew Lesson:
Psalm 91:1 Hebrew reading (click):
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Since God hides Himself in this world (Isa. 45:15), we must humbly seek His face to enter into the place of His holy concealment in all things. God is Elyon – High above - but He dwells "with the lowly and the broken of heart" (Isa. 57:15). Therefore the LORD our God is called Shaddai (שַׁדַּי) – our Sustainer, Provider, Refuge, and Home. Just as we can be surrounded by the "shadow of death" (tzal mavet), so we can be surrounded by the "shadow of Shaddai" (tzal Shaddai). Like a powerful eagle brooding over her chicks, so Shaddai covers you with wings of protection (Psalm 91:4).
Seeing the Invisible...
In this age we catch only "glimpses" of God as we walk by faith, not by sight. Faith allows us "see" past the scrim of this world but for a moment. "For now we see through a glass darkly..." There awaits for us, however, just beyond the veil, the substance of our hope, and then we will behold His glory "face to face..."
01.31.25 (Shevat 1, 5785) Two men walked along the "road to Emmaus" from Jerusalem after hearing about the empty tomb of Yeshua. Apparently these two men, named Cleopas and Simon, associated with the disciples of Yeshua and knew Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James, as well Peter and John (Luke 24:22-24). However, for unknown reasons they had left from Jerusalem, perhaps to return to their home town after the Passover pilgrimage. While they were Jewish believers in the Lord, they struggled to make sense of what happened to Yeshua and why he was crucified...
"Now while they were talking and reasoning together, Yeshua himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not recognize him" (Luke 24:15-16). Their eyes were "restrained," the Greek verb indicates that they were withheld or prevented from seeing. This recalls how Mary Magdalene looked on and failed to recognize Yeshua at the empty tomb, supposing him to be a gardener instead (John 20:24-25).
Soren Kierkegaard comments that the Savior walks unseen on the way with us, as he did with these two sad people, but we are often unaware of his presence. "We wish, sigh, and are occupied, yet just as we can tell the time by observing the shadows our bodies cast, so we can tell a person's maturity by how near he thinks the highest is to him." Despite this, Yeshua's first post-resurrection revelation would come to these two unsuspecting men.
It's not as if Yeshua had not foretold of his death, burial, and resurrection before, but his message was somehow lost to the disciples and they could not seem to fathom its importance. Their eyes were likewise "restrained" (Matt. 16:21; Matt. 17:22-23; Mark 10:32-34, Luke 24:6-7). Nevertheless, Yeshua took the time to contextualize his mission with them: "And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27). Still they were full of questions, their heads spinning over what they were being told. As they drew near to the village where they were going, Yeshua acted as though he wanted to go further. But they urged him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." So he went in to stay with them (Luke 24:28-29). They felt lost; they couldn't keep up with what was being said, but the Lord was patient with them.
After awhile, as he was sitting at the table with them, Yeshua took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. And then came the great moment. Their eyes were suddenly "opened" and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight (Luke 24:30-31). He "vanished" because he did not wish to be known directly at this time (1 Cor. 13:12). He "hides" so that we may learn to seek Him. It is faith that sees, the "eyes of the heart" that recognize the miracle of God's grace revealed in Yeshua. This is the season wherein we "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7); there is a coming day when all will finally be revealed (Rev. 1:7).
But what did these two men recognize? What did they see? What did they learn? Was it not that Yeshua embodies the words of Moses and the Prophets, and the Psalms, as he later reaffirmed to the other disciples who likewise had their minds opened so they could understand the Scriptures (see Luke 24:44-45)? Yeshua is the Lamb of God, the heart and center of divine revelation. "Then their eyes were opened" and they saw his brokenness, his wounds, his sacrificial death as the great "Passover of the LORD" given on our behalf. Their eyes were opened when they saw Yeshua lifted up upon the cross, the place where all people are drawn to God (John 3:14:-15; John 12:32).
The walk of faith is one of "unseen hope," even though our Lord is always close (Deut. 30:14). It was "toward the evening," the day far spent, in the later hours that the glimpse was given, when the heart of faith finally recognizes that God has walked by his side all through the days of life. "What will death be like?" they asked the teacher. "It will be as if a veil is ripped apart and you will say in wonder, "So it was you all along!" (De Mello).
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Teach us to Pray...
Prayer is not what is done by us, but rather what is done by the Holy Spirit within us...
01.30.25 (Tevet 30, 5785) There is only one place in the New Testament where the disciples asked Yeshua to teach them something, and that was when they said, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). Yeshua then responded by giving them a pattern of prayer that's been called "the Lord's Prayer," though it's better to think of it as a model for prayer instead of a formulaic petition to recite. After all, the disciples asked "Teach us to pray," not "teach us a prayer," as if a special prayer could serve as a sort of incantation to propitiate God.
Yeshua points us to the Father. He did not suggest using Pharisaical expressions such as "Barukh attah Adonai," "Ribbono shel Olam," or "Elohei Avoteinu," nor did he endorse praying three times a day as decreed by the elders of the Great Assembly. No, Yeshua taught us to come to God using the simple word "Father." This is the language of familiar intimacy that expresses the trust a young child has for his earthly father.
So Yeshua teaches us to pray in heartfelt confidence that God is our caring heavenly Father, and this implies that we understand and regard ourselves as his beloved children. We have access to God's heart in a direct and meaningful way.
As God's beloved children, we are to honor and our heavenly Father and to esteem his will and vision for our destiny. "Holy is Thy name"; "Thy will be done"; "Thy kingdom come" - all these matters come before requests for our "daily bread" -- and even before matters of our need for forgiveness of sin. Of course God cares for our daily needs, our forgiveness, our deliverance from evil, and so on, but Yeshua concentrates our focus on the Father and our identity as his children first of all. Da lifnei mi attah omed: "Know before whom you stand."
Regarding our personal petitions, it is wise to understand that your Heavenly Father gives what you need, not what you may want at the time. "Ask and it shall be given you" means "keep on asking" (Luke 11:9). If a recurring request seems to go unanswered, remember that initial barriers are not necessarily refusals but are meant to yield what is best for you (Rom. 8:28). We can be confident, however, that God hears us when we pray and that he gives "good gifts" to those who ask Him (Matt. 7:11) -- in particular, gifts of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). God gives wisdom to those who ask for it (James 1:5) and imparts the "spirit of wisdom and revelation to know him better" (Eph. 1:17). If we ask in accordance with his will, we have confidence that he will act on our behalf (1 John 5:14-15). These are "spiritual blessings in heavenly places" representing the deepest need of our hearts.
We are instructed to "present ourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead" (Rom. 6:13), indicating that we are to come confident of his acceptance because of what Yeshua has done on our behalf. We are "crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20) and share in his resurrection life. In the Torah the "daily sacrifice," or korban tamid (קָרְבַּן תָּמִיד), was offered to the LORD every morning and evening upon the altar, which corresponds to being a "living sacrifice" (i.e., korban chai: קָרְבָּן חַי) to the LORD (Rom. 12:1-2). We are to "pray without ceasing," which means living what we believe in all that we do. We take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). We come "boldly" before the throne of grace. We are made "alive from the dead" to access God's presence and heart for us at all times. We have been made new creations, members of God's household, esteemed, eternally beloved....
Hebrew Lesson
Matthew 6:9b reading (click):
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Essential Jewishness...
01.30.25 (Tevet 30, 5785) In this week's Torah reading, parashat Bo, we read about the final plague that God would bring upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The previous nine plagues were terrible in consequence and clearly demonstrated God's justice and power, but the death of the firstborn (i.e., makkat bechorot: מַכָת בְּכוֹרוֹת) was the final blow that would finally move Pharaoh to repent of his oppression of the Israelites.
According to some of the Jewish sages, the final plague was intended to impugn the ancient institution of "primogeniture," that is, the special status and privilege given to the firstborn son. Consider, for instance, the Torah's narratives about Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Reuben and Judah, Manesseh and Ephraim. Or think about the choice of Moses or King David. In each of these cases the firstborn son was "passed over" by God; and in each case genuine devotion to God was the decisive factor. In other words, the Torah makes the point (repeatedly) that personal godliness is more important than genealogy or genetics. Unlike ancient Egypt, people are not to be given special treatment because of their birth order or their lineage, certainly not before the Master of the Universe who is "no respecter of persons" (Deut. 10:17, 16:9; Prov. 24:23, Rom. 2:11, etc.). "Freedom from slavery" means more than recreating yet another caste system...
But what about Israel being called the "firstborn son" of God (בְּנִי בְכרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל)? The sages state that this status must be regarded as sacred because of God's promise to the Jewish people, but individually speaking, if a particular Jew does not keep the Torah or choose to keep faith with the LORD, he or she will be "passed over" as well... Okay, but what about the selection of the Levites? Were they not "exchanged" for the firstborn sons of Israel because of the sin of the Golden Calf? Yes, but that in itself lends credence to the idea that status as a favored child of God comes through faith and obedience, since it was the Levite tribe that did not lapse in faith by worshipping the golden calf idol (Exod. 32:27-28). Later, of course, the Levites became itinerant teachers in Israel (living in Cities of Refuge), but eventually spiritual leadership was assumed by the Sages who through study and devotion to the Torah became the chosen heirs of Israel. By the time of Yeshua personal godliness was recognized as more important than physical lineage or genealogy...
All of this leads to questions about the meaning or essence of "Jewishness." First we need to understand that the word "Jew" (i.e., yehudi: יְהוּדִי) comes from the patronym "Judah" (יְהוּדָה), which derives from a Hebrew root "yadah" (יָדָה) that means "to confess, to give thanks, to laud, or to praise." Note that every letter of the Divine Name (יהוה) appears in the word Judah (with the addition of the letter Dalet (ד) that indicates the door or way to God).
In Jewish tradition, there are two basic views about the essential character of the Jewish people (יַהֲדוּת). First, Rabbi Yehuda Halevi takes an ethnocentric approach by claiming that the Jewish soul is somehow different than the non-Jewish soul, possessing a mystical quality called "segulah" (סגולה). The Jew is therefore "ontologically" different than the Gentile, possessing a "higher-grade" neshamah (נְשָׁמָה), or soul. This is the "tribalist" mentality that is often found in various ultra-Orthodox communities... Maimonides, on the other hand, who was more Greek-minded, stated that there is nothing extraordinary about the Jewish soul in itself, but only if a Jew keeps the Torah is he worthy of the name, and if not, he is just like a non-Jew. It is obedience to the Torah - living God's will - that makes a Jew special and holy.
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865–1935), the first Ashkenazi Rabbi of the modern State of Israel, attempted to mediate these views by quoting the Talmud (Sanhedrin 59a): "You shall therefore keep my statues and My ordinances, which if a man (adam) does, he shall live by them..." (Lev. 18:5). R' Meir interprets that the Torah's choice of the general word "man" (adam) means that even a non-Jew who keeps the Torah is as great as the High Priest.
In other words, personal godliness is the issue, not genealogy. Jews cannot rely on their mere inclusion of ethnic Israel for righteousness (though God has indeed promised a glorious future to ethnic Israel). Indeed, if a Jew is ungodly, then a godly Gentile is considered more righteous than they (Rom. 2:27). Once again, individual godliness is more important than ethnic identity or genetics.
The Apostle Paul, the quondam student of Gamaliel the Elder (רַבַּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הַזָּקֵן) -- who was the grandson of the renowed Torah sage Hillel the Elder (הלל הזקן) -- had argued along these same lines in his epistle to the Romans:
"Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God." (Rom. 2:25-29)
The very first occurrence of the word Torah (תּוֹרָה) in the Scriptures speaks of Abraham's obedience to God's instruction (Gen. 26:5), and the second occurrence occurs in the verse that says, "There shall be one law for both the native and for the stranger..." / תּוֹרָה אַחַת יִהְיֶה לָאֶזְרָח וְלַגֵּר (Exod. 12:49), referring to the observance of Passover. Torah - in terms of general instruction regarding the will of God - was always meant to be for all people...
Finally, what do we make of the idea that ethnic Israel is called the "first born" of God (Exod. 4:22)? Well, despite the fact that "Jewishness" is a matter of the heart - not of genetics - there are still prophetic promises given to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to inherit the land, to be supernaturally preserved as a people, and to be recipients of the Millennial Kingdom of God on the earth. The LORD has always had a remnant of Israel (i.e., she'arit Yisrael: שארית ישראל) that has believed in Him - and this remnant today includes those Jews who have accepted Yeshua as their Messiah. But the Hebrew prophets are explicit: There awaits a future yet to be fulfilled for ethnic Israel. Yeshua confirmed this when He said He would return to Jerusalem at the end of the "End of Days." As the Apostle Paul said: "And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob'" (Rom. 11:26).
So what might all this mean for you? Well, if you are someone who genuinely trusts in Yeshua as your Savior and Israel's Messiah, then you share the heritage and glory of Israel -- regardless of your personal DNA or your particular genealogy. By God's mercy you have been "grafted in" to the covenants, blessings, and promises given to the "commonwealth of Israel." As Paul says, you are no longer an "alien" or "stranger" to God's family but can call upon the LORD God of Israel as your God (Eph. 2:12). As a follower of the Jewish Messiah, you are now made a "Jew inwardly" (i.e., yehudi shebe'lev: יְהוּדִי שֶׁבַּלֵּב) with a circumcised heart (Rom. 2:29, Col. 2:11). You understand that just as the LORD God of Israel will never forsake His covenant promises to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, neither will He ever forsake His covenant love for you... Amen. Bless His glorious Name!
Hebrew Lesson
Genesis 29:25b reading (click for audio commentary):
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