Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel…
Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Luke 6:20 NIV Poor – Don’t read it in Matthew—yet. Matthew doesn’t report Yeshua’s statement quite the same way, and for good reason, as we will see. No, read it in Luke. It’s much more comforting. …
This is the book of the generations of Adam. On the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. Genesis 5:1 NASB Book – Hopefully you realize that a “book” in the Bible is not what we imagine as a book. The difference isn’t just between a scroll and bound pages…
And God said, “Let us make a human in our image, by our likeness, to hold sway over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the heavens and the cattle and the wild beasts and all the crawling things that crawl upon the earth. Genesis 1:26 Robert Alter Hold sway – Most of…
Recall how fleeting I am, how futile You made all humankind. Psalm 89:48 Robert Alter Fleeting – How long will you live? Probably less than 100 years. How long is that? Well, it’s .009 of the oldest city on earth (Jericho). That’s a little more than 32 seconds in an hour. What is my lifespan…
“Turn back, rebellious sons, said the LORD, for I have claimed possession of you, and have taken you . . .” Jeremiah 3:14a Robert Alter Turn back – What does it take to achieve forgiveness and atonement? Jeremiah says, “Repent and turn back.” That’s what it takes. But Leviticus 16:30 says that Yom Kippur brings…
If there is a man who takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the sons of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he bears his guilt. Leviticus…
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have placed before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, Deuteronomy 30:19 NASB Choose – Consider the tone of Moses’ final remarks to the people. “Witness against you,” doesn’t…
When brothers live together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall have relations with her and take her to himself as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. Deuteronomy 25:5 NASB Husband’s brother – The…
My strength and song is God, and this is my deliverance; This is my God, I will enshrine Him, My father’s God, I will exalt Him. Exodus 15:2 Aryeh Kaplan Is God – The NASB translates the opening of Moses’ song like this: “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” The…
