and now Israel, what does the LORD require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, . . . Deuteronomy 10:12 ESV Israel – One of the principal differences between…
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29 ESV Yoke – Yesterday we connected Paul’s idea of “bond” with Yeshua’s statement about “yoke.” “Freedom comes in chains,” we said. When Yeshua invites us to take His…
“It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’” Deuteronomy 30:12 NASB Not in heaven – Have you considered the implications of Moses’ observation about God’s revelation? Moses is delivering Torah to…
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. Jude 3 The saints – It all begins with the date of this letter. For some…
So, then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Romans 7:12 NASB Law – I live on Thoroughbred Lane, but the only horses I have ever had are the ones packed into the back of fine examples of human engineering like this Ferrari 512TR that used to grace my…
And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2 ESV Have not – How we agonize over this verse! Paraded before the cringing audience in the pews, preachers hammer believers for…
“Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4 ESV Righteous – What does it mean to say, “He is righteous”? Would you answer, “That means he has a right relationship with God”? Answers like this are common among Christians, but maybe…
Don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking . . Colossians 2:16 (The Complete Jewish Bible – David Stern) Eating and Drinking – David Stern correctly notes that Paul is not talking about all eating and drinking. He is addressing the assembly in Colossae, an assembly consisting of Jews and…
A man does not fully understand the words of the Torah until he has come to grief over them. Babylonian Talmud, Gitten 43a Come to grief – Rabbi Huna commented with these words when he acknowledged his own error in interpretation concerning a debate over the conditions of betrothal. Rabbi Huna called for a public…
Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it is an abhorrence. Leviticus 18:22 JPS Abhorrence – When it comes to the Hebrew word to’evah (abomination, abhorrence), most discussions move immediately to this verse. Why? Because homosexuality is such a hot political/religious topic. The incendiary comments on both sides offer plenty…
