Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” Matthew 9:14 Disciples Of John – Most of us have a positive evaluation of John. After all, he introduced “the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.” He proclaimed self-denial (“I…
And he shall bear their iniquities Isaiah 53:11 Bear – Messianic believers read this entire passage as a prophecy about Yeshua. But it is more than that. It is also a description of the role of God’s elect. “The servant is at once Israel and an individual, who both represents the whole community and carries…
You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Amos 3:2 Therefore – When will we finally forsake the populist idea that God saves us in order to make our lives prosperous? How foolish can we be? In a world that hates God,…
Well, after 16 days at sea, Rosanne and I arrived in Sydney this morning. Now to catch up on 500 emails. I will have email sporadically over the next few days before we get to Adelaide to visit readers there. Thanks for your patience. Skip
But the righteous shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4 But – Once more the vocabulary is simply an appended vav. The word for the righteous (tsadik) becomes ve-tsadik (the vav is appended). Context determines the translation and “but” seems appropriate because the text is about a contrast. However, that isn’t quite enough for us…
“I, YHWH, search the heart, I try the kidneys, and give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Yirmeyahu 17:10 (ISR) According To – The Hebrew here is not difficult, at least not on the surface. It is simply the letter bet attached to the nouns for “ways” and…
“For which is easier, to say ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say ‘Rise, and walk?’” Matthew 9:5 To Say – Which is easier: to forgive or to heal? As loyal followers, we might claim that forgiving is harder. After all, ultimately only God can forgive. Miraculous healings might be difficult, but they pale in…
“Take courage, My son, your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2 Are Forgiven – Are the gospel stories so familiar that you no longer pay attention to the small details? It is unfortunately true for many Christians. We learned the stories in Sunday school. We have the images locked away in our minds. As a result,…
O YHWH, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. Jeremiah 20:7 Overcome – Jeremiah employs extraordinary imagery in his description of God’s claim on his life. This is the man who pleaded with God not to choose…
