“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26 NASB Hate – What in the world can Yeshua possibly mean by this statement? Taken at face value, it has…
Avinu Malkeinu, Ein Lanu Melech Ela Atah. Rabbi Akiva (50 – 135 AD) Avinu Malkeinu – Rabbi Akiva lived just after the time of Yeshua, during the time of the Messianic expansion to the Gentiles. He was a bit younger than Paul. He had and continues to have enormous influence over Judaism. In fact, the…
“For I, YHWH your Elohim, am a jealous God, visiting the guilt of wicked fathers upon their rebellious children . . . if the children continue to sin like their fathers.” Exodus 20:5 in the Babylonian Targum Rebellious – Obviously, you won’t find the translation above in any English Bible. In fact, you won’t find…
I have trodden the winepress alone. Isaiah 63:3 (A. Heschel translation) Alone – “It is not good for man to be alone,” but on some occasions it is essential. “Proximity to the crowd, to the majority view, spells the death of creativity. For a soul can create only when alone, and some are chosen for…
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 NASB Time – In the past, we’ve studied a lot about the idea of time. We’ve even looked at this verse with regard to the difference between chronos and…
And he said to the man, “One is the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom . .” Job 28:28 Rabbinic Midrash translation One is – What is yirat adonai? What does “the fear of the Lord” mean in your life? If the fear of the Lord is the foundation of all His instructions to…
And Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over . . .” Genesis 1:26 ISR Image/Likeness – God created you. You are the representation of His image and likeness. What does that mean? How are you like God? If you can’t answer that question for…
“And a second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:39 NASB Is like it – Most Christians can recall Yeshua’s declaration of the two great commandments. They might not know that both come from Deuteronomy or that the first one is part of the daily Shema, but they know the…
