When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to YHWH your Elohim for the good land which He has given you. Deuteronomy 8:10 When – Maimonides’ list of the 613 mitzvot includes this verse. It is mitzvot number 24, the blessing concerning meals. In Judaism, it is called the birkat ha-mazon. You can find several…
“say not to yourselves, ‘The LORD has enabled us to possess this land because of our virtues’, . . .” Deuteronomy 9:4 Virtues – Why does God bless? Do you think His blessings are the result of your goodness? Do you think He provides for you because you have been more obedient than others? I…
“Indeed, I gave them no-good decrees, and laws that did not offer them life.” Ezekiel 20:25 No-Good Decrees – Brevard Childs, professor of Biblical theology at Harvard, says that this verse is an example of “the clearest sign of the brokenness of the Old Testament covenant . . . once given as a source of…
“When did we see you hungering . . ?” Matthew 25:37 Hungering – Ah, but Jesus didn’t say we saw Him starving. You see, the word here is peinao, not limos. The Greek word peinao means to be in need of regular nourishment while limos means to fatally lack sustenance. The application difference is important….
Do not require interest from loans to your countrymen, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all your undertakings in the land that you are about to enter and possess. Deuteronomy 23:20 Interest – The Bible is a culturally-produced document. Let that sink in for a minute. That means that if we…
