Tag Archives: Scripture

Understanding Scripture

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This is the fifth article in the “New Life” series written to address the needs of those seeking or those new to their faith in Jesus. This series may also be helpful to anyone who suspects that something is missing from their faith walk.

The Bible, also known as Scripture, can seem overwhelming, even intimidating, to those not familiar with it.  The Bible is different from any other book.  It is more than a collection of prose, poetry, prophecy, and historical accounts.  The Bible informs, teaches, inspires, admonishes, encourages, and comforts us. It is an instruction book about our origin, history, and future.  The Holy Spirit is the true author of Scripture and helps us to understand what we are reading and apply it in our lives.  Just ask for His help.  

The Bible is a collection of books.  Each book has chapters and numbered verses, which can be helpful.  A Bible reference is made up of the name of the book, the chapter number followed by a colon, and the verse or verses referenced. The Bible was originally written in books as we see today.  The chapters and verses in each book were added later. 

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

It helps to have a framework to reference as you read through the Bible. The framework is that God created the world to establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.  Satan wants to destroy God’s work.  Despite the interference and setbacks, God will accomplish His goal. Each person has a choice to follow God and be a part of His work, or to follow Satan and be part of the destruction.  A word of warning to those tempted to follow Satan.  He will use you to accomplish his purpose, but you are part of God’s creation, so he will eventually destroy you as well.  On the other hand, those who choose to follow God will live forever with Him in His glory.

The Bible is more than just a history book. It is also God’s love letter to His people. It helps us to keep in mind Yehovah’s goal. He will establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven, and He wants every one of us to join Him, but He will not force us. However, we do not join Him on our terms, but on His terms, because He is our Creator and the source of all true wisdom.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10).

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one (John 10:28-30)

There are patterns and common themes throughout Scripture.  For example, God reaches out to people to teach them His ways. They follow His ways, and He blesses and protects them.  They thrive. Then they begin to think they succeeded on their own.  They stray away from God, thinking they are merely doing their own thing, not realizing that they are now doing Satan’s bidding. They fall into trouble and cry out to God for help.  He responds to their cries, and the cycle begins again. With the help of the Holy Spirit and learning from Scripture, we can end the destructive part of this cycle.  Each of us has a choice:  we can follow God, help build up His Kingdom, and live forever with God, or we can follow Satan, help tear down the Kingdom of God, and eventually be destroyed.  It may seem that there is a grey area where we can stay neutral and operate on our own, but this is a delusion.  There is no grey area.

In Matthew 12:30, Jesus tells us, “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.”

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil” (Proverbs 3:7).

Another recurring theme in the Bible is the making of covenants.  God makes an agreement or contract with one or more people. God made covenants with Noah, Abraham, and Israel.  God is always true to His word and keeps His promises.  We are to keep our promises to Him. God always keeps His end of the agreement, but people often fail to keep their promises. In Scripture, we can see the graciousness and mercy of God and the failure of people.

Throughout Scripture, there is a recurring theme of God miraculously providing for His people. The stories of God providing for His people can bolster our faith and trust as we see His consistent provision.  He can be trusted to take care of us. God provided the Israelites with manna in the desert (Exodus 16).  Jesus fed over 5,000 people (Matthew 14:13-21).

Throughout the Bible, we find that suffering and glory are closely connected. God sometimes allows suffering so that we can be molded into the people He intends for us to be. 

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:10).

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:3-5).

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can use the Bible to learn how to interact with God. We find examples of how God protects, teaches, encourages, and comforts us.  We can learn from others’ mistakes that are recorded in the Bible.  We learn God’s wisdom, which is far superior to the so-called wisdom of the world. Reading and studying God’s word strengthens us and nourishes our spirits and souls. We learn what God expects of us.

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Read and study the Bible every day.  You may not always understand what you are reading, but the Holy Spirit will teach you what you need to know at this time. As you grow and mature spiritually, so will your understanding of God’s ways. The Holy Spirit will guide you into greater depths of understanding if you are faithful to read Scripture often.  Also, there are excellent Bible studies available online and in congregations.  Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to the one that is best for you right now. No matter how often you read the Bible, there is always something new and fresh to discover in God’s love letter to us.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Joshua 1:8).

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you (Psalm 119:11).

Does God care about Genes or Jeans?

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Foreigner keeping TorahIn our recent blog series, Nancy and I made a strong case from the Scriptures that Torah (instruction) has not been done away, but is still just as valid in today’s world as it was in the Temple sacrifice period before Yeshua’s first coming.  In this week’s blog, I would like to focus on to whom YHVH’s Torah applies, and explain why Torah is intended for every person on this Earth, Jew and non-Jew.

In Romans 9, Sha’ul explains to his mostly non-Jewish audience why some of the Israelites are not being saved and brought into God’s Kingdom, while many people who are not Israelites by birth are being redeemed and brought into the body of Messiah by faith.  “Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people! Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, ‘Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted, though Abraham had other children, too’.  This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children”. (Rom 9:6-8)

In the rest of this passage, Sha’ul goes on in Verse 23 to say that God shows mercy to those to whom He desires to show mercy (i.e. He draws them to the truth of Yeshua as the Messiah) and hardens the hearts of others so that they will not listen to the truth.  He then quotes from Hosea, speaking of how the Gentiles (non-Jews from the nations) were “not a people” but now YHVH loves them and calls them His children.  In Verse 24, Sha’ul says that the ones God selects as His children are taken from both the original descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as those who are “gentiles” (not descended biologically from the fathers of Israel).  He also quotes Isaiah 10:22-23 in saying that only a remnant of Israel will be saved: “Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved”.

Since we have established in our previous blogs that the Torah is for all of Abba Father’s children to observe, then the agreement between Old and New Testament Scriptures becomes crystal clear.  Sha’ul quotes Isaiah once again in Romans 10:20 in making his point that the Gentiles will be drawn to YHVH, the true God of Creation, and become part of the “Commonwealth of Israel”: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me” (Isa 65:1).   And again in Romans 10:21 he repeats that many of Israel’s genetic descendants will turn away from YHVH and reject His Messiah: “All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people” (Isa 65:2).

The real clincher for me in terms of making the case that YHVH wants to draw all people into His covenant is in Isaiah 56:6-7: “Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant—even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations”.  YHVH is clearly speaking of the non-Israelite (Gentile) people of the nations whom He will accept as part of His family, no less His children than the native Israelites.  In the preceding verse (Isa 56:5), YHVH also says: ”Even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off“.

In summary, it is clear that YHVH accepts all of His created humans as His children, whether they are genetic descendants of Israel or foreigners from pagan nations, as long as they keep His Sabbaths and are faithful to His covenant.  This is essentially a restatement of the Torah, as these are YHVH’s key instructions to His people: to keep His Sabbaths (which include His feasts) and live by his Kingdom laws.  It all boils down to Yeshua’s words from Matthew 6:33, to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness – this is the essence of His Torah, where He teaches us how to do this – how can we do any less if we truly love Yehovah our Creator, Lord and Redeemer?  In the nest installment of this 2-part series, I will cover the “Jeans” part of the “Genes or Jeans” equation.

Witness in the Stars?

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Constellations2

Have you ever wondered why God says in Scripture that He counts the stars and calls them all by name (Ps 147:4)? What does He mean by that? Why would He want to name them, and are the names significant to us? When Abba Father took Abraham out and showed him the stars, He said “look towards heaven, and TELL the stars, if you will be able to list them; and He said unto him, ‘So shall your seed be’” (Gen 15:5). The word that is translated TELL is actually the same word used for taking a census, and means to not only count the stars but to call each of them by their names! Could it be that God told His people the names of the stars and was actually telling a story to them through those names? Read Ps 19:1-4 and see how this passage tells about the witness given by the stars, which Paul quoted as an irrefutable testimony in Rom 10:18 (also see Ps 89:37: “…Even like the faithful witness in the sky.”).

God created everything for a purpose. He created the heavenly bodies to give light, to separate the day from the night and to be for signs and seasons, and for days and years (Gen 1:14). We know that the sun and moon separate the day from the night, and the sun’s daily cycle allows us to keep a count of the passing days. The moon was God’s original light to help us keep track of the months of the year. However, it is much more difficult to keep track of the seasons and years strictly based on observing the daily movements of the sun and the monthly cycles of the moon. Ancient astronomers knew how to use the movements of the sun and moon through the various constellations of the zodiac (called mazzerot in scripture) to keep track of the seasons and years.

The sun travels through all twelve of the constellations throughout the course of the year. At any one point in time, this would make it possible for our ancestors (without the benefit of modern scientific calendars) to track the progress of the year and to know the current “season”. The passage in Ps 19:5-6 describes the movement of the sun through the constellations of the mazzerot during the course of the year. However, when you meditate on this passage at a deeper spiritual level, you can see the allusion to Messiah (Ps 19:4 “In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run His race.”). “Them” refers to the stars in this passage. Remember that Yeshua (Jesus) is the “Sun of righteousness” from Mal 4:2. Also, from the original Hebrew names of the stars, we know that Messiah is represented by the “strongman” in a number of the constellations (e.g. Orion, Hercules, Leo, etc.). One clear example of this strongman type pointing to Yeshua comes from the original Hebrew name of Hercules – El Gibbor, which means “The Mighty One”, a designation for both Abba and Messiah (Father and Son) in Isa 9:6.

Going back to the original Hebrew meaning behind Gen 1:14, we see that the “seasons” Elohim (God) wanted His people to keep track of were actually not the four seasons of the year we recognize, but rather His moedim (Hebrew for “God’s appointed times”) which correspond to His Feast days that occur at specific times of the year. These moedim (feasts) are associated with significant acts of Yeshua in both His first and second coming. Job 38:32 confirms the importance of the stars in keeping track of God’s seasons: “Can you direct the sequence of the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?” (Hebrew meaning of the “Bear and her cubs” refers to Yeshua’s sheepfold as His flock).

One of the strongest confirmations that Elohim has given us the Gospel message in the stars can be seen within the constellation Taurus. The Hebrew name for Taurus (bull) is shur, which means “the One who comes to rule”. This “Bull” is definitely a picture of Messiah, who is coming to rule on the earth. The Pleiades, a cluster of stars, is close to the head of the Bull, and is seen “Riding on the neck of Taurus”. Pleiades is sometimes called the 7 Sisters, but its Hebrew name is kimah, which means “congregation of the judge or ruler”. This agrees with Jude 14-15, which says: “Behold the LORD comes with 10,000’s of His saints (righteous ones) to execute judgment on all and to convict all who are ungodly.” Thus, through these and the other constellations, we have a very strong testimony that Elohim put them there to teach all of His children His Gospel story (see Rom 10:18, Ps 19:4).

Out of the Abundance of our Hearts

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LawOn-Heart

“A good person out of the good treasure of their heart brings forth good, but an evil person out of the evil treasure of their heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart their mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

Have you ever wondered why God says in Scripture that His children are to write His Word on their hearts, as in Prov 3:3 and 7:3, where it says that we are to write His Word on the tablet of our hearts. What does a “tablet” make you think of? Certainly, it is a place to record something important, so that you can remember it later – this is true whether it is a paper tablet or a modern-day hand-held tablet computer, iPad or other eReader device.

So, we can think of our hearts as a place to keep God’s word safe and secure, as David said in Ps 119:11, that he would hide God’s Word in his heart that he might not sin. Another example of how important it is to keep the Word in our hearts is in Deut 30:14 – “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” This is why Ezekiel prophesied that God would take the “hearts of stone out of our flesh and give us hearts of flesh”. In other words, God softens and even circumcises (Jer 4:4) our hearts so He can prepare them to receive His Word.

Paul said in 2 Cor 3:3 that the believers in Corinth were like letters “written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.” Once again, we see how God has prepared the hearts of His people, in this case so that they can go forth to the world and be living testimonies (letters) sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom with all people.

What then is so special about our hearts, that we need to always keep them pure and filled with God’s Word (as in Prov 4:21 where it says we are to keep His Word “in the midst of our hearts”)?   Did God design our hearts in a special way so that they can store and remember His Word, allowing us to keep it in the forefront of our minds whenever a situation arises in our lives that requires us to have His word on our lips and ready to speak.

Fortunately, living in this age of scientific research and technology, we now have confirmation from neuro-imaging that we actually have brain cells (neurons) located around our heart, which function in conjunction with the neurons in the head, and perform unique tasks within our body’s thought processes. From neurological research, we now know that “the heart-brain is composed of about 40,000 neurons that can sense, feel, learn and remember” (Science of the Heart: Exploring the Role of the Human Heart in Human Performance: http://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/introduction.html).

Brain researchers have also learned that the neurons in the heart-brain have both short- and long-term memory, and the signals they send to the head-brain can affect our perception and emotions. A number of scientists who have studied the heart-brain’s behavior and interaction with the head-brain have concluded that our heart-brain actually acts as our conscience, helping our head-brain make the right decisions and take the right actions. So we can truly say that hiding God’s word in our hearts (Ps 119:11) does actually keep us from sinning and keeping His word in the midst of our hearts brings us life and good health (Prov 4:22)!

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. Deut 6:5-6