If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. Deuteronomy 28:1 NIV Carefully follow – Just how rigid are God’s commandments? How carefully must we follow each and every one? Is there wiggle room or are they absolute…
Then they burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. Joshua 6:24 NASB Only – After a hiatus, the Rabbi of Parma and I are back to our joint study of…
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7 NIV Law – Yesterday we introduced an interesting mathematical puzzle concerning the occurrences of tôrâ. Today we’ll look more seriously at the scope of this most-important word. In general, tôrâ as a verb falls into two categories. The…
Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you. Deuteronomy 4:2 NIV Add/ Subtract – Let’s suppose that you take Moses’ command very seriously. You decide not to add a single thing to his instructions, and, of course, not to subtract anything from…
But as for me, I will wait continually, and will praise You yet more and more. Psalm 71:14 NASB But as for me – The Mosaic Code seems to exhort fundamental conformity and compliance. After all, how much freedom can a man enjoy when there are rules for everything: what to eat, what to wear, how…
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” Genesis 17:17 NASB Laughed– Now we have looked at Genesis 17:17; 18:12; 28:16 and 32:26. In each case we have suggested that…
You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5 NASB Enclosed– There’s not much wiggle room here. ṣûr, the Hebrew verb used in this expression, is related to words meaning, ‘besiege, bind, tie down’ and ‘encircle.’ The psalmist’s choice seems to make it abundantly clear that God Himself puts restrictive fences around our…
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15 NASB Commandments– I consider myself a careful reader. I even read the footnotes, just to make sure I don’t miss anything. So when I find myself confused when I read someone’s argument, I wonder if perhaps the argument itself is confusing. After plodding (and I…
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, Romans 1:1 NASB Gospel– Yesterday we learned that euangélion, the Greek word usually translated “gospel” is the good news of Yeshua’s enthronement. It is not primarily about our personal salvation. Matthew Bates convincingly argues that a “gospel” that focuses on personal rescue and entry…
“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5 NASB You will be like God– Translated in this way, the serpent’s voice strikes us as the epitome of arrogance, hubris and folly. Of course, we can’t be like…
