All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 Lawful – Brian Rosner makes an off-hand remark about this passage that deserves considerably more attention. He says, “Apparently some Corinthians were eating in pagan temples…
And God created Man in His image and in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 Image – An enormous amount of material has been written about this word,tselem. Most of it attempts to elucidate the attributes of the divine image found in human beings. That approach…
He leads me beside the still waters Psalm 23:2 Still – Actually, the Hebrew word here isn’t “still,” although that could be one of the nuances. The word is menuhot (plural) from nuah (to rest, to repose, to be quiet). It is the same root that produces Noah, the man who brought rest to the world (although,…
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 Be Reconciled – By now we have learned that God’s covenant relationship with us is reflected in the metaphor of marital faithfulness. It’s not just about sexual fidelity…
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 Ambassadors – Are you an ambassador for Yeshua HaMashiach? Paul says that he is. Furthermore, he claims that everyone who is a new creation in Christ is an…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 Plans – The word “plans” is from the Hebrew root hashav. In this case it is the noun mahashavah. The verb form “make plans, reckon, account…
But YHWH was pleased to crush him, putting him to grief; if he would render himself as a guilt offering, Isaiah 53:10 Was Pleased – How are we supposed to understand this callous and brutal declaration? Do we really believe that YHWH found delight in the abuse of HaMashiach? How is it possible that God…
“Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the LORD.” Leviticus 7:11 Peace Offerings – Do the Levitical offerings confuse you? Do they seem strange, ancient and (perhaps) irrelevant? Some of that discomfort might be the fault of the translation. When we take a closer look, we…
You shall not test YHWH your Elohim as you tested In Massah. Deuteronomy 6:16 Test – God commands us not to test Him. Hmm. What do you suppose that means? Am I not to doubt? Am I not to question? Am I not to ask? I won’t be able to answer these questions unless I…
For a God jealous (is) YHWH your God Deuteronomy 6:15 Jealous – Biblical metaphors depend on the cultural behaviors and expectations of the audience. Just like the parables of Yeshua, metaphors don’t make a lot of sense if they are removed from their cultural background. The description of God as el qana’ YHWH (God jealous…
