Discussions of Biblical subjects from the perspective of a Torah observant Messianic community.
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In His first major speech in Matthew, Y'shua lays out His ministry. The first section, the Beatitudes, are a restatement of Torah principles of good character updated for a first century audience. With the drift of the English language over time, some of the terms need to be updated again so that modern readers can appreciate what He said.
After the incident with the fiery furnace in Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar has a second dream. The interpretation by Daniel is a dire warning that the king is being watched and his behavior evaluated. Chapter 4, written in Aramaic, is Nebuchadnezzar's testimony about what happened to him and to the power of God.
In the Sermon on the Mount, why does Y'shua find it necessary to assure a crowd of Jews that He will not change the Torah or the Prophets. The answer to that is in two parts, one concerns with language drift over time and the other concerns Pharisaic expectations.
Belshazzar's feast marked the end of the Babylonian Empire which was succeeded by the Medes and the Persians. Daniel rose to prominence in that empire as well. His success inspired jealousy and intrigue within the government. The other high officials conspired to frame Daniel. That did not go well for them. The king realized what was going on and God delivered Daniel from the lions. Thereupon, the conspirators and their families were fed to the lions.
Daniel had a vision of four beasts, the fourth being different from the other three. That beast is exceedingly terrible. What does that beast represent and what makes it different from the other three? What does the answer to those questions mean for believers today?
Daniel has a vision of four beasts. These beasts correlate with the four metals on the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Where the king saw a magnificent statue representing the empires of the earth, God showed them to Daniel as dangerous animals. The vision correlates with John's vision in Revelation.
God desires a freely chosen relationship between himself and people. The codification of that concept occurred at Sinai when He first asked Israel if they wanted to enter into a special relationship with Him. Israel answered in the affirmative and so began a relationship that has lasted for thousands of years.
At the end of the Babylonian Empire, Daniel was given a vision of what was to follow. The vision was puzzling to him so the Archangel Gabriel was dispatched to help him understand. Competent Bible scholars differ on the scope of that vision.
After the Ten Commandments, Exodus goes into a long list of laws. Philosophically, laws represent someone's vision of what a good society should look like. What do these laws say about God's expectation about Israel? It is significant that He leads with laws about slavery. In this He is speaking more broadly about human power relationships.
Realizing that the 70 year exile to Babylon was nearing completion, Daniel humbly prayed for his people. His prayer was answered by Gabriel who gave him a prophecy of what was to happen to his people. During this discussion there is a chart with a summary of the standard interpretation of the 70 weeks. https://www.addeigloriam.org/commentary/ot-prophets/seventy-weeks-of-daniel.htm
Peter, writing to Hebrews in the diaspora, starts his letter by explaining that Y'shua is He whom the prophets predicted and that His resurrection is the guarantee of an imperishable inheritance for them. This inheritance is kept in heaven waiting for revelation 'in the last time.'
The design of the Tabernacle speaks of God's mercy and forgiveness. It also speaks of His hopes for each of us. This is contrasted to the current religion of 'Woke' with its purification rituals - the destruction of the past. The gods of that religion have no concept of mercy or forgiveness.
Daniel prayed and fasted for 21 days seeking to understand the oracle that had been revealed to him. The fact that it took Gabriel 21 days to burn through spiritual interference gives some insight into conflict in the unseen realm. The interpretation covered the period starting with the death of Alexander and extending to end times.
Peter, writing to Hebrews reminds them that they are God's chosen people. As such, they have a duty to conduct themselves in a way befitting that status. This is especially true of Hebrews living in exile among the gentiles.
The High Priests' garments described in Ex 28 are made for glory and for beauty. Clothing can do many things. It can define a person's function or status. It can also either reveal or hide the truth about the one wearing it. That ambiguity is inherent in the Hebrew word for clothing. Inspired by the article, "Splendor in the Quest" by Rabbi Noson Weisz at Aish.com.
The great tribulation and the end of this era. The sealing of the book.
Writing to a minority Hebrew community within a gentile nation, Peter urges them to be respectful of the gentile government. He also urges respect for God's authority structures within their own community and within their families. This is very similar to Jeremiah's message to the exiles in Babylon - You're going to be there for a while, so seek the good of your hosts for your own benefit and peace.
Idols are a perennial human problem, warned against both in the Old and New Testaments. To understand the impulse and recognize the manifestations, it may be helpful to look at idols from three perspectives: as intermediaries to God, as connections to false gods and as blindfolds to truth. All are forbidden, but for different reasons.
The first two chapters of Esther are basically setup for the rest of the book. Aẖashverosh (or Xerxes 1) threw a great feast for all of the administration within his empire. At the end of that feast he was humiliated by his wife. He divorced her on the spot. That set up an opening for a replacement. Esther was finally chosen and elevated to the status of queen. Esther's cousin, Mordecai discovered and exposed a plot to assassinate the king.
The Eyes of the Lord are watching to answer the prayers of the righteous, but ignore those of the wicked. The world is a difficult place and there will be abundant opportunities for others to mistreat you. Here Peter reminds his readers of Christ's example; having been reviled and unjustly killed, He acted to forgive and did not curse. Peter also exhorts that we should always be ready to gently explain the reason for our hope.
The United States was founded and built by Christians. While the scaffolding of our society (consent of the governed, freedom of conscience, etc.) is Biblical, secularists increasingly reject Biblical morals. This stems from a Christian emphasis on rules and doctrine at the expense of love. In a sense that was Christ's criticism of the Ephesian church.
The coup attempt prompted Aẖashverosh to completely revamp his court and severely restrict access to himself. Haman, who became the gatekeeper, was not mentioned in the great feast of chapter 1. The fact that he was an Amelikite, the eternal enemy of the Hebrews, is significant. Once can view his decision to destroy all Jews as payback for what Saul did to Amelik.
The world is a difficult place in which there are trials and suffering. When the trials are for the sake of your faith, you share in Christ's suffering. This is far better than suffering because you deserve it.
On the surface God's laws might appear simply to be organizing principles for a decent society. They certainly are that, but they are also His means for changing His children into the image of Christ. The principle here is, 'As you behave, so you become.' If one simply reads Scripture out of fear of punishment, he misses a great wealth of character changing information.
As an elder, Peter exhorts the elders who receive his letter to be faithful in tending God's flock. In this he is echoing Y'shua who gave explicit instructions and dire warnings to those He would leave in charge of His servants. Specifically, He warns them not to use their positions for personal enrichment at the expense of the flock.
