“Therefore, you are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 Perfect – When the translators of Matthew used the English word “perfect” as the equivalent of the Greek teleios, they made a terrible mistake. Yes, the Greek word teleios does mean “perfect.” It also means “to be complete, to be fully…
“How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth – A woman will encompass a man.” Jeremiah 31:22 Encompass – The last step in understanding the role and status of women in the Old Testament is the discussion of the “new” covenant….
“and I will cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am YHWH.” Ezekiel 14:8 Cut Off – The Hebrew phrase that describes acknowledging my sin as the first step in repentance is ha-karat ha-chet. Literally, this is “the sin that cuts off.” These words tell us that unless and…
Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to YHWH Exodus 15:1 Sang – shiyr is the Hebrew verb, “to sing.” Most of the time the word is used in connection with worship. The pictograph tells us that the word is about deeds or work that consumes the person. In other words, singing…
“for indeed, I am a man under authority” Luke 7:8 Under Authority – Are you under authority? Most believers would quickly assert that they are. After all, they serve the Lord. But perhaps we are a bit too quick to answer this question, principally because it is not a matter of attitude. It is a…
“Then if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” John 8:36 Free – Freedom is an important word in a man’s vocabulary. We have talked about it a lot. We recognized that the Greek idea of freedom is centered in the relationship between the individual and the State. For the Greeks, freedom is…
And YHWH called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9 Where – God is looking for you. That fact is fundamental to human being. God considers you an object of His concern. He is seeking you out. If this were not the case, you would be nothing more than the…
And the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that all the impulse of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5 Impulse – So, is there a little devil on one shoulder and a little angel on the other battling for your attention and decision?…
“This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. Nehemiah 8:9 Weeping – “One lesson became perfectly clear: Any nation that turns away from its founding principles and repudiates the values upon which it was founded…
When any of you presents an offering of cattle to the LORD, he shall choose his offering from . . . Leviticus 1:2 Offering – Do you think that God is mad? It seems that most religious people (of all faiths) certainly see God as an angry judge. He looks down upon the wickedness of…
