“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.” Exodus 4:22 NASB My son – We have a tendency to believe that God often spoke of Israel as His son, but this isn’t the case. In fact, there are only two places in the Tanakh where God refers…
Their heart is faithless; Now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and destroy their sacred pillars. Hosea 10:2 NASB Faithless – “Faithless” is a nice abstract noun. What exactly does it mean? The NIV gloss “deceitful” isn’t much better. Both attempts are really paraphrases of the Hebrew word halaq. …
Israel is a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, the more altars he made; the richer his land, the better he made the sacred pillars. Hosea 10:1 NASB More/ better – According to Hosea, affluence produces an increase in religion. There is no better example than America. American Christianity has…
Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; . . .You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice. Hosea 10:12 and 13 NASB Sow-reap/ plow-reap – There once was a man who went out to sow. The seed in his bag was his weapon against starvation. He spread it across the soil…
This is the ritual of the sacrifice of well-being that one may offer to the LORD: Leviticus 7:11 (JPS Torah) Sacrifice of well-being – In Hebrew, this is the zevah ha-shelamim. There are several ways of interpreting this particular word combination. Most English translations don’t follow the Hebrew text but rather take their clues from…
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NASB Confess – “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus,” wrote Robert Lowry in this famous hymn from the 19th Century. He was absolutely right. Nothing…
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB Who knew no sin – Once upon a time Adam knew no sin. That doesn’t mean Adam didn’t know the difference between right and wrong. Adam knew true…
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, Ephesians 4:1 Calling – What is your calling from God? Most Christians immediately think of some individual and personal assignment. They imagine that Paul is exhorting us to seek God’s personal…
Be not as servants who serve the master on condition of receiving a reward; be rather as servants who serve the master without condition of receiving a reward; and let the fear of Heaven be upon you. Pirke Avot 1:3 Fear of Heaven – You won’t find this verse in the New Testament. It’s from…
“If you do well, is here not acceptance? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should master it.” Genesis 4:7 (ISR) Desire – Our translations often depend on previous scholarship and church history. The translation decisions made in the past influence…
