The LORD Remembers His Oath

Luke begins his Gospel narrative with the story of and elderly priest, Zacharias and his barren wife Elisheva. What is the connection between the birth of John the Baptist, the son born to Zacharias and Elisheva, and the birth of Yeshua? They are both miraculous births only a few months apart. How do these births compare to the births of Isaac and Samuel? Every barren woman mentioned in the Bible eventually bears a son who is set apart for God. The sons born to Elisheva and Miriam are no exception.

In the House of the Firstfruits

There are two books of the Bible that begin with the phrase, “In the beginning.” The first book of the Bible, Genesis, and the Gospel of John. What do these two books have in common? Did the apostle John deliberately open his gospel account with the words “In the beginning” to lead the reader or hearer back to Genesis? How does that change the way we read the gospel of John? What deeper implications does this have?

He Comes With His Saints

As Moses winds up his discourse to the Children of Israel on the Plains of Moab as they are poised to enter the Promised Land, he spoke one last blessing on the Children of Israel. He began his blessing by speaking of their triumphant entry into the Promised Land as a holy, set apart army in covenant with their God. All of the events of the book of Deuteronomy took place on the plains of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, nearly due east of Jerusalem 25 miles away above the Jordan River. Moses’ words following on the prophetic words of the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32 are, also, prophetic, both of their upcoming entry into the Land and their future coming led by Messiah Yeshua.

Yeshua and the Day of Atonement

This year, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins on Friday evening September 29th, 2017. This is the single day of the year that the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies, into the presence of God as He was seated on the mercy seat. The high priest was to come into the presence of God and make Atonement for the children of Israel. He was to do this year after year, every year in perpetuity. Why is the Day of Atonement necessary? After all, the children of Israel are already in covenant with God. What does making atonement entail? How does Yeshua provide the perfect atonement and what does that really mean?

Give Ear, O Heavens, and I Will Speak

As Moses’ begins to wrap up his instructions to the children of Israel before they go into the Promised Land, He spoke the words of a song we now call the Song of Moses. Moses called on the heavens and the earth to hear and witness the words of this song. The heavens and the earth are nearly an eternal witness. They were the first things that God created. They will endure until God recreates the heavens and the earth. What does the Song of Moses contain that is so important it requires the witness of the heavens and the earth? What does it tell us about God’s plan for His people? How does it point to Yeshua?

Entering the Covenant of the LORD

As we approach the end of this year’s Torah Cycle, we are observing the Children of Israel about to enter the Promised Land. New leadership is being chosen and a new generation of Israel will finally receive the promise that God made to Abraham nearly 500 years prior. As Moses addresses the gathered Israelites and strangers who dwell with them, he presents them with an open invitation to enter the covenant relationship with God. This covenant renewal at the threshold of the Promised land was not for just the Children of Israel, but for the stranger who dwells among them and for those not present, for those of future generations, Jew and Gentile who chose to serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We are presented an open invitation to enter God’s covenant.

When You Come Into the Land

Moses spoke to the children of Israel on the plains of Moab across the Jordan from the land that God had promised them through Abraham about what they were to do once they received the land. Each year, they were to bring their firstfruits offerings to the LORD and declare that they had received the inheritance of the land that God had promised to give them. This was actually just the beginning of what they were to declare. What was the purpose of this yearly declaration? What else were they to specifically do when they entered the land? How does it all point to Yeshua? And what does it mean for our lives?

The Disobedient Son

One of the harshest judgments in the Torah is the prescribed sentence for a disobedient son. When a son will not obey his parents, the Torah tells them to bring the son before the elders which will result in the son’s death through stoning. Many parents today might remember times when their sons, usually when they were teenagers, flat out refused to obey. However, the irrevocable punishment of stoning would not occur to us; instead we are horrified at the thought of putting a son to death. When does the behavior of a son cross over this line and be deserving of this harsh punishment? What does this judgment have to do with Israel and Yeshua?

 

Who Shall be King, Priest and Prophet?

This Torah Portion contains references about the selection and affirmation of the king, the priest, and the prophet. Moses tells the children of Israel how to select a king and what principles should govern his behavior in Deuteronomy chapter 17. Moses describes the set apart or sanctified status of the priest and the qualities of a prophet of God in Chapter 18. The offices of king, priest, and prophets are so that the children of Israel will not follow after the ways of the Canaanites who were already in the Promised Land. What can we learn about our own lives through these instructions for the king, the priest, and the prophet? Yeshua, as the divine Son of God, fulfills all the roles of king, priest, and prophet. What do these instructions reveal about Yeshua’s threefold mission?

 

Seek the Place the LORD Chooses

Moses’ words to the children of Israel that were recorded in the book of Deuteronomy included instructions that were to be carried out in the Promised Land. One of these instructions was to seek for the place where God would put His name. After the children of Israel took the Land, they set up the Tabernacle of Meeting at Shiloh where it remained for about three hundred years. It was, then, moved to Kirjath Jearim before finally ending up in Jerusalem. Was the place that God would place His name wherever the Tabernacle was set up or was Jerusalem the place God had in mind all along? What were they to do at this place?