“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations.” Genesis 17:4 NASB Father – How is this promised fulfilled? Clearly it must extend beyond the Jewish population. Av hamon goyim means Abraham is to be father to those outside the Synagogue. Christians have understood this…
Then he believed in the Lord; and He [a]credited it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6 NASB Credited – You see that little footnote before the word “credited’? In the margin of the NASB you’ll find “or imputed.” Now that’s a problem. Why? Because the word “imputed,” like the word “credited,” strongly suggests some sort of divine accounting,…
Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people. Genesis 25:8 NASB With life – Irvin Yalom wrote, “Death anxiety is the mother of all religions, . . .”[1] Clearly he’s right when it comes to religions we identify today. Christianity and…
That night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Fear not, for I am with you, and I will bless you and increase your offspring for the sake of My servant Abraham. Genesis 26:24 JPS Your father – It only happens three times. Genesis 28:13, Genesis 32:9…
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17 NASB Sword of the Spirit – When Paul explains that the sword of the Spirit is the word of God, do you think he meant the Bible? No, of course not. First because the Bible as we have…
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8 NASB The sound – You’ll remember Avivah Kushner’s brilliant exegesis of this unusual verse (CLICK HERE). She points out that…
Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, “Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.” Numbers 13:1-2 NASB Send out for yourself – When you…
I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. Genesis 17:7 NASB You and your descendants– Are you ready? Are you ready to really deal with the implications of God’s covenant promise to Abraham? Oh, I’m sure you think that…
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” Genesis 17:17 NASB Laughed– Yesterday we looked at this verse in comparison with Genesis 18:12. We noticed that God does not correct…
I said, “I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle while the wicked are in my presence.” Psalm 39:1 NASB Will guard– It always begins at the beginning. The first occurrence of šāmar is at the creation of Man. “Then the Lord God took the man and put him…
