They feared YHWH and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among who they had been carried away into exile. To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear YHWH, . . . 2 Kings 17:33-34 Feared – This just doesn’t make any sense. Verse…
So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear YHWH. 2 Kings 17:28 Taught – Lions were eating people. Not a very pleasant thought. But in Near Eastern thinking, this isn’t about lions. It’s about offense. The question…
When a person commits a trespass, being unwittingly remiss about any of YHWH’s sacred things, he shall bring as his penalty to YHWH a ram without blemish from the flock, . . . Leviticus 5:15 Penalty – A few days ago Matt and I looked carefully at the list of the 613 Torah commandments. You…
therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them. Matthew 23:3 They – You may want to digest this one sitting down. Open your favorite English Bible to this passage. Notice that Yeshua is giving instructions about the…
because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not even able to do so; Romans 8:7 Does Not Subject Itself – The expression is strong in Greek: ouk hupotassetai. The negative (ouk) is the unconditional kind. It is…
as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Romans 5:21 Might Reign – Mark Seifrid makes an interesting observation about Paul’s tension between law and grace. He points out that the same tension is found in the apocryphal literature of Paul’s time. Paul’s…
“Hear, O earth; behold, I will bring evil on this people, the fruit of their thoughts. For they have not listened to My words and My law, they also rejected it.” Jeremiah 6:19 Fruit Of Their Thoughts – Why must we take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5)? Why should we be held accountable for…
“Put a horn to your mouth. He comes like an eagle against the house of YHWH because they have broken My covenant and have sinned against My law.” Hosea 8:1 Covenant/Law – Why could Abraham Heschel say, “A Jew without Torah is obsolete”? Heschel recognized that the covenant is directly tied to the Torah. If…
“for they have despised the law of YHWH, and they have not kept His statutes. Their lies after which their fathers walked led them astray.” Amos 2:4 Law of YHWH – The prophet Amos lays a charge at the feet of the nation of Israel. It is not simply a declaration of the guilt of…
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:21 Foolish Heart – Are you sitting down? You might want to. As we approach the end of this year (according to the pagan calendar),…
