A History of Confusion

“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…

Heart of Darkness

Lord, all my desire is before You and my sighing is not hidden from You. Psalm 38:10 (Hebrew text – Hebrew Heart media translation) Desire – Did you think David uses the word ta’avati (“my desire”) to describe his spiritual longing for intimate relationship with God?  Have you lifted this verse from its context in…

The Lamborghini

Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You.  Psalm 38:10 Desire – “My desire,” says David.  The Hebrew is ta’awah – desire, delight, bounty, craving and greed.  Havvah used the same word when she described the aesthetic, cognitive and physical beauty of the fruit of that Tree.  It…

The Weeping God

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…

Italian Design

And your desire is for your husband, and he does rule over you. Genesis 3:16 Desire – This verse has created an incredible amount of grief within the Body. For centuries the Church interpreted the verse as a prescriptive curse, claiming that God intentionally turned the tables on the equality of creation as punishment for…

The Difference

  “How often I desired to gather your children in the way a bird gathers her chicks from under her wings.And you did not desire it.”Matthew 23:37 Did Not Desire – My wife and I had a 3AM conversation.Obviously, it was serious.She pointed out, rightly so, that I struggle with the willingness to remove those…

Habit-Forming

those practicing these things will not inherit the kingdom of God  Galatians 5:21 Practicing – Habitual offender!  If you’ve ever heard that term used to describe you or someone you know, the impact is pretty scary.  By the time you reach the stage of habitual offender, the justice system has given up on you.  There…

Internal Contradiction

“But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you shall not eat of it; for in that day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:17 But – “Don’t eat those cookies!” Mom was emphatic. She pointed to the freshly-baked chocolate-chip cookies on the counter. The message was clear,…

Corrective Vision

You have given him his heart’s desire Psalm 21:2 Heart’s Desire – Did David really mean that God gave him whatever he wanted? Is it true that once we are obedient God will fulfill all our desires? Do we just have to “name it and claim it?” In the Psalms study group that I attend,…