Our Torah portion this week (i.e., Korach) centers on the rebellion of Korah, a man who questioned God’s authority and who arrogantly sought to “intrude” into the office of the priesthood. It is noteworthy that his rebellion is explicitly mentioned only once in the New Testament – in the Book of Jude – as an example of the fate that awaits those false teachers who likewise spurn God’s law. False teachers within the church are likewise dangerous because they deny the truth of Torah and redefine our duties before God. Jude identifies then as spiritual impostors who “work from the inside” to confound or obscure the truth of what salvation means. Such a charlatan may appear to be a genuine believer, but he or she aims to sow confusion and sin among God’s children; they are the proverbial “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matt. 7:15). Jude’s warning is especially important for us in this present hour, because it is foretold that in the time immediately preceding the coming of the Messiah, spiritual deception and unbridled godlessness would greatly increase (2 Tim. 3:1-5). At any rate, test the spirits and seek God’s face always, dear friends. I sincerely hope this audio broadcast encourages you.
Shavuah tov, chaverim. Last week’s Torah portion (Shelach Lekha) told the tragic story about the “sin of the spies” and the divine decree that the generation rescued from Egypt was sentenced to die in the exile of the desert. In this week’s portion (Korach), the hard truth of their condition began to sink in, and the people bemoaned their fate and rebelled further by attempting to overthrow God’s designated leadership and return to Egypt. This rebellion was instigated and organized by Moses’ cousin Korach, who – along with a band of co-conspirators – was swiftly judged and put to death, thereby vindicating the Aaronic priesthood and Moses’ leadership of Israel.
In this Shavuah Tov broadcast, I survey the grand narrative of the Torah and discuss the issue of faith and why it is essential to believe the truth as our duty before God…
Our Torah portion this week (Shelach-Lekha) is a “heavy one” since it focuses on the Sin of the Spies and the subsequent failure of the people to trust that God would care for them. The people’s lack of bittachon (trust) in God is the most serious sin recorded in all the Torah, even more serious than the sin of the Golden Calf. This is confirmed by the testimony of the New Testament, which presents the fate of the Exodus generation as the dire warning of apostasy for those who claim to follow the Messiah (Heb. 3:7-4:2).
In this audio discussion on the weekly Torah portion, I discuss issues of faith, courage, and finding meaning for your life in the will and love of God. Trusting in God’s personal love for you presupposes that you are worthy to be loved and that there is a divine inheritance reserved for you. This gives you real courage to go take possession of the divine promise as its rightful heir…
The holiday of Shavuot (חג השבועות) is called “Pentecost” in Christian tradition. The Greek word Pentecost (πεντηκοστή) means “the holiday of fifty days” that refers to the 50th day after the crucifixion of Yeshua when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and when Peter first proclaimed the truth of salvation in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-43). The Torah teaches that Shavuot is a major biblical holiday (it is one of the three “required festivals” of the LORD, see Exod. 23:14-17; Deut. 16:16) and therefore it behooves us to understand its significance as the climax of Passover itself — ‘the endpoint’ of the redemptive experience. Indeed, just as the blood of the lambs smeared on the door posts led directly to Sinai 50 days later, so the crucifixion of Yeshua led directly to the descent of the Holy Spirit to empower His followers to serve God under the new covenant of Zion.
There are two basic priestly rituals commanded for Shavuot: 1) the waving (i.e., tenufah: תנופה) of the two loaves of (new) wheat bread (called shtei ha’lechem: שתי הלחם), and 2) the offering of peace sacrifices (i.e., korban shelamim: קורבן שלמים). Both of these aspects of the priestly service were fulfilled in the greater sacrifice of Yeshua made on our behalf. Moreover, just as worshipers at the Temple would present bikkurim (בכורים) – their choicest first fruits – and attest to God’s faithfulness before the altar (Deut. 26:3), so we are called to walk in the fruit of the Spirit (פרי רוח הקודש) and to proclaim the message of God’s faithful love for us.
Our Torah portion for this week (i.e., parashat Naso) includes the famous blessing that Aaron and his sons (i.e., the priests) were instructed to recite over the people of Israel: “The LORD bless you and guard you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Num. 6:24-26). The Hebrew text of the blessing begins with three words, is comprised of three parts, invokes the divine Name three times, and is therefore appropriately called “the three-in-one blessing” (שלוש בברכה אחת). Notice that the words are spoken in the grammatical singular rather than plural because they are meant to have personal application, not to be a general benediction over a crowd of people. The phrase, “The LORD lift up His face toward you…” (יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ) pictures the beaming face of a parent as he lifts up his beloved child in joy… The repetitive construction of God “lifting up His face” (יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיך) suggests that God’s compassion now flows outward to the child in superabundant grace. Undoubtedly Yeshua recited this very blessing over his disciples when he ascended back to heaven, though of course He would have spoken it in the grammatical first person: “I will bless you and keep you (אני אברך אותך ואשמור לך); I will shine upon you and will be gracious to you; I will lift up my countenance upon you, and give you my shalom” (Luke 24:50-51).
Life isn’t easy, and even believers can get angry at God at times. For example, we may feel disappointed or resentful when bad things happen to us or to those whom we love, especially if we had prayed for God’s intervention and help regarding the matter. Seemingly unanswered prayer can make us feel lonely and afraid about what is happening to us. We may begin to second-guess our faith or wonder if God really listens to us. We must be careful and ask God for solace and wisdom lest we turn numb inside..
Many of us are unhappy and feel empty throughout the passing of our days. Many waver in their faith, on the one hand affirming that they believe that God is faithful and good, while on the other hand wondering why God apparently left then when they needed him most. They reason that if God was not there for them in their most vulnerable moments, can he be trusted to be there for them in future times of trouble?
Some of us can talk a good talk about God and spirituality, but we fail to seriously practice the presence of God, we “forget” that the Lord is real, a “very present help in trouble,” and therefore we “collapse back” into the murmur of godless thinking… Ironically enough, many of us are proud and yet hypocritical people. We tend to avoid certain obvious sins but secretly harbor hidden ones like envy, spite, fear, anger, selfishness, lust, gluttony, greed, and a general lack of charity. In short, we don’t live up to our ideals or principles, and in our “fallenness” we discover — if we are honest — our great need for deliverance from ourselves. It is then that we discover that God has not abandoned us, but on the contrary, we have abandoned Him by turning to anger, hopelessness, despair, and bitterness. Honesty, however, is essential to healing, as Kierkegaard once said: “No person is saved except by grace; but there is one sin that makes grace impossible, and that is dishonesty; and there is one thing God must forever and unconditionally require, and that is honesty.”
We must give our secret pain to God, even if we don’t understand it, and even if it refuses to go away… Our hearts are often vexed; we are a mess of mixed motives; we are strong to be made weak, weak to be made strong. We bless and curse from the same mouth… And yet, despite all this, despite our inner contradictions, the dance between the “old man” and “new,” the divided house of our lives – our present sorrows, our troubles, our fears – we must endure ourselves, we must press on, and we must never let go of hope in God’s love. Never. Therefore we must not hide from God’s presence, nor pretend to be something we are not. We are invited to come boldly before the throne of God’s loving grace to receive help in our hour of need (Heb. 4:16).
“O Lord who alone makes us whole, ‘heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed, save me, and I shall be saved, for your are my praise’ (Jer. 17:14). O LORD, forgive our sins and heal us of our wounds, or, at least help us to endure suffering with special grace to keep us from being distracted from the truth and glory of your love and Presence… Grant us strength to abide in your hope, until the very last day, and to keep watch for the ready hand of Your love… As we go from place to place, from this moment to the next, help us to behold the Sun of Righteousness that pervades our way. Amen.
Our heavenly Father “sees in secret,” and that also means that he can and will save you from whatever is hidden within you that still resists his love and touch… We have to trust in God’s power to heal us, even when it seems that healing is not forthcoming, even when we still find ourselves divided, troubled, and anxious. We have to believe that God’s help is always present for us (Psalm 46:1).
God sees what He does within us, His secret “it-is-finished” work, the effect of His great salvation within our hearts, even if at this present hour this may be hidden from our eyes… There is appearance, and there is reality; and only God sees what is ultimately real. We have to trust in His promise to be transformed into the divine nature, even if today we find ourselves sinful, needy, and in disrepair… כּל־יְמֵי צְבָאִי אֲיַחֵל עַד־בּוֹא חֲלִיפָתִי – “All the days of my struggle I will keep hope until my change comes” (Job 14:14). So don’t give up, friends. We are saved by hope (ἐλπίδι ἐσώθημεν, Rom. 8:24), a hope for you today. Believe to see!
Our Torah portion for this week, parashat Bamidbar (בְּמִדְבַּר), begins the Book of Numbers, where the narrative begins precisely where the Book of Exodus left off, with the glory of the LORD hovering over the Mishkan (Tabernacle) as the Israelites were stationed at Sinai. On the first day of the thirteenth month following the Exodus from Egypt – exactly thirty days after the Tabernacle was first consecrated – God commanded Moses to take a census of all Israelite males over 20 years of age who would bear arms. Moses and the heads of each tribe recorded the results, with 603,550 men in all. This number did not include the Levites, however, since they were designated to take care of the Tabernacle and its furnishings during the journeys.
In addition to an overview of the Book of Numbers, this audio discusses the holiday of Shavuot (“Pentecost”) and our journey of faith through the desert of this world…
Our Torah portion this week (i.e., Korach) centers on the rebellion of Korah, a man who questioned God’s authority and who arrogantly sought to “intrude” into the office of the priesthood. It is noteworthy that his rebellion is explicitly mentioned only once in the New Testament – in the Book of Jude – as an example of the fate that awaits those false teachers who likewise spurn God’s law. False teachers within the church are likewise dangerous because they deny the truth of Torah and redefine our duties before God. Jude identifies then as spiritual impostors who “work from the inside” to confound or obscure the truth of what salvation means. Such a charlatan may appear to be a genuine believer, but he or she aims to sow confusion and sin among God’s children; they are the proverbial “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matt. 7:15). Jude’s warning is especially important for us in this present hour, because it is foretold that in the time immediately preceding the coming of the Messiah, spiritual deception and unbridled godlessness would greatly increase (2 Tim. 3:1-5). At any rate, test the spirits and seek God’s face always, dear friends. I sincerely hope this audio broadcast encourages you.
Shavuah tov, chaverim. Last week’s Torah portion (
Our Torah portion this week (
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Our Torah portion for this week (i.e., 
Life isn’t easy, and even believers can get angry at God at times. For example, we may feel disappointed or resentful when bad things happen to us or to those whom we love, especially if we had prayed for God’s intervention and help regarding the matter. Seemingly unanswered prayer can make us feel lonely and afraid about what is happening to us. We may begin to second-guess our faith or wonder if God really listens to us. We must be careful and ask God for solace and wisdom lest we turn numb inside..
Our Torah portion for this week, 