If it is the anointed priest who has incurred guilt, so that blame falls upon the people, . . . Leviticus 4:3 Blame – The principle characteristic of a biblical leader is reluctance. Men and women marked by God for leadership roles almost always wish they were not chosen. When you meet people who desire…
On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come. 1 Corinthians 16:2 As He May Prosper – Let’s set the record straight. The first and most important element of tithing is ownership. So, all tithing is…
When a person unwittingly incurs guilt in regard to any of the Lord’s commandments about things not to be done, and does one of them . . . Leviticus 4:2 Does One Of Them – Sacrifices do not atone for deliberate sins. Punishment atones for deliberate sins. But we need sacrifices because we still make…
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” Isaiah 1:16-17 Evil Of Your Deeds – “The mistaken notion that ritual worship could atone for criminality or intentional religious desecration…
Blessed is the man to whom YHWH does not charge iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Psalm 32:2 Guile – There are two important verbs for blessing in the Hebrew text. The first is barak. This is the verb used to bless God and it is the verb used by God to…
Be of good courage, and let your heart be strong, all you who hope in YHWH. Psalm 31:25 Hope – What is the justification for hope? If your worldview rests on the Greek platform, the answer is obvious. My reason for hope is anchored in the rationality of Man. In other words, I hope that…
And they continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” Acts 2:12 “What Does This Mean?” – Sometimes a culturally significant expression goes right by us because we read it with different eyes. You’ve probably read this verse dozens of times, but you probably never considered why these men…
But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of YHWH Jonah 1:3 From – Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezer notices that there is a difference between flight from the Lord due to fear (mi-penei) and flight due to breaking the relationship (mi-lifnei). In some cases, the Bible describes running from the face of…
For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness.” 1 Corinthians 3:19 (citing Job 5:13) Craftiness – When rabbi Sha’ul cites Eliphaz’s comment in Job 5:13, he certainly recalled another use of a similar consonant stem (Ayin-Resh-Mem). Craftiness is the supreme characteristic of the serpent (Genesis 3:1). We wouldn’t…
for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 1 Corinthians 3:3 Fleshly – Look at a few English versions and you will quickly discover that the Greek word sarkikos is translated in several ways. The NASB uses…
