As followers of the God of Truth (אלוהי האמת), we are responsible to “do truth” (עשה את האמת) and to reject what is false (1 John 4:6). As Yeshua said, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world — to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37). This means that we have a moral and spiritual duty to think clearly and not to abuse our minds (Phil. 4:8; Rom. 12:2). The LORD will help us to do this, as Yeshua said: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you a Helper (παράκλητος, someone “called to one’s side”), to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth (i.e., ruach ha’emet: רוח האמת), whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him” (John 14:16-17). The Spirit of Truth helps us “discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable, and perfect” (Rom. 12:2) and empowers us to take “every thought captive” to the reality of God’s Presence (2 Cor. 10:4-5). Truth is connected to memory – both in our personal histories as well as the history of God’s redemptive actions performed on our behalf.  Truth is described as “a-letheia” (ἀλήθεια), literally meaning “not forgetfulness…”  Hence we are constantly commanded to remember what God has done for us and to “diligently repeat” (ושׁננתם לבניך) the truth to our children (Deut. 6:4-9). Similarly, the Spirit of Truth brings to remembrance the words of Yeshua to our hearts (John 14:26).

Followers of Yeshua are commanded to love the truth (אוהב את האמת) and to think clearly about their faith. The ministry of reconciliation (τὴν διακονίαν τῆς καταλλαγῆς) is defined as “the word of truth, by the power of God, through weapons of righteousness” (2 Cor. 5:18, 6:7). Indeed, the word of truth (τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας) is a synonym for the “gospel of salvation” itself (Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5; James 1:18). We are saved by Yeshua, who is the “way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). God commands all people to believe this truth (Acts 17:30-31; 1 Tim. 2:4). People perish because “they refuse to love the truth and so be saved” (2 Thess. 2:10-12). Therefore we see that the issue of truth is central to salvation itself….

Genuine teshuvah (repentance) implies that we will change our thinking in order to be transformed by God’s truth. The follower of Messiah “cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth” (2 Cor. 13:8). During this Season of Teshuvah, may God help us all to think clearly and to turn our thoughts to Him. May He protect us from the vanity of a darkened mind and from all distractions that attempt to seduce us away from Him. May the LORD give us the purity of heart to know and do His will in the truth. Amen.

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

• Psalm 25:5a Hebrew lesson page (pdf)

In the Gates of Repentance it is written: ‎”I hereby forgive all who have hurt me, all who have wronged me, whether deliberately or inadvertently, whether by word or by deed. May no one be punished on my account. And as I forgive and pardon those who have wronged me, may those whom I have harmed forgive me, whether I acted deliberately or inadvertently, whether by word or by deed.” Amen…

Yeshua taught us to pray “forgive us as we forgive others,” which implies that our forgiveness (of others) is the measure of our own forgiveness. In other words, as we forgive others, so we experience forgiveness ourselves… Forgiveness releases the hurt, the anger, and the disappointment so these feelings do not inwardly consume and exhaust our souls. And yet forgiveness must be self-directed, too, since refusing to forgive yourself denies or negates the forgiveness given from others. Forgiving yourself means admitting that you act just like other people, that you are human, and that you are in need of reconciliation too. We have to move on, past the shame, and to turn back to hope. As a Yiddish proverb puts it, “You are what you are, not what you were…”

It is written, “in many things we offend all,” and therefore we must confess our sins one to another to find healing (James 5:16). However the practice of love overlooks a multitude of sins, and if we do not condemn those who offend us, then we will not need to forgive them for their offenses. Walking in God’s love sets us free from the slavery of negative emotions such as resentment, bitterness, anger, unresolved grief, and so on.

I love this affirmation and prayer attributed to Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 263-339 AD): “May I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me; and if I do, may we be reconciled quickly. May I never devise evil against anyone; and if any devise evil against me, may I escape uninjured and without any desire to hurt them. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for the happiness of all and the misery of none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends.”

“May I, to the extent of my ability, give all needful help to my friends and to all who are in want. May I never fail a friend in danger. When visiting those in grief, may I be able by gentle and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow their footsteps.” Amen.

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

• Matt. 6:12 Hebrew lesson page (pdf)

 

The commandments of God are usually divided between the rational laws (i.e., mishpatim) and the divine decrees (i.e., chukkim), though this distinction is somewhat artificial, since all of the commandments of Torah (and that includes the Torah of the New Covenant) are grounded in the mystery of God’s will, which is to say that we are to obey them simply because they derive from the Divine Authority itself… When the people gathered before Moses to receive the covenant at Mount Sinai, they said all the LORD has spoken “we will do and we will hear” (na’aseh ve’nishmah: נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע). Note the order: first comes faith in God expressed in the decision to act (na’aseh), and then comes understanding (ve’nishmah). As Yeshua said, “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will understand” (John 7:17). The heart of faith is willing to do what God asks before hearing (or understanding) what is required. Many people operate the other way round, sitting in judgment of God’s word, demanding to understand why they should obey. You cannot understand apart from faith, however, and that is categorically true of all forms of knowledge, which is usually defined as “justified true belief.” We are to be “doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves” (James 1:22). The Greek verb used in this verse is emphatic: “Be doers!” (γίνεσθε) means “be born!” “Come alive!” “Do, live, and exist before God!” This is a call to creative action, to newness of life…

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

 

• Exod. 24:7b lesson page (pdf)

 

The Scriptures state that “if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like” (James 1:23-24). If we just hear the truth but do not act upon it, we are comically likened to someone who carefully looks at his face in a mirror but then promptly forgets what he looks like after he steps away… Likewise those who only hear the word but do not “bring it to life” in their deeds forget who they are and why they were created (Eph. 2:10; Titus 2:14; Col. 1:10). When we look into the mirror of truth we see our need for teshuvah and turn to God for the healing miracle he provides (Heb. 4:12). It’s not about doing but being, though being is revealed in doing… If your actions do not align with your values, then back up and recover who you really are in Messiah, understand what your new nature truly is. That is what it means to “take up the yoke” of Messiah, for his yoke is easy (kal) and burden is light, and the task is to repeatedly practice allowing Him to carry your pain, shame, and sin far, far away from your heart.

There is a deeper law, however, a “mirror” that reveals something beyond our passing image. When we look intently into the “perfect law of liberty” (תּוֹרַת הַחֵרוּת וּמַחֲזִיק) – the law of faith, hope, and love for our Savior – we find blessing in our deeds (James 1:25). Note that the verb translated “look into” the law of liberty is the same used when John stooped down to “look inside” the empty tomb of Yeshua (John 20:5). The deeper law reveals the resurrection power of God’s invincible love. The Torah of the New Covenant also has many mitzvot, though these are based on the love God gives to us in Yeshua: “This is my Torah: that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34).

 

King Solomon wrote, “The fear of the LORD adds days [to life], but the years of the wicked will be cut short” (Prov. 10:27). The sages have said that these “added days” of life include the appointed times and seasons (i.e., the moedim) when the veil of “everydayness” is lifted and we can glimpse the sacred. Living in dissonance with God’s will yields days that are shortened – by vanity, by dissipation, and by despair. And what good are length of days when they are filled with emptiness and illusion? As Solomon also concluded in his great scroll of Kohelet, fearing God and keeping his commandments is the “end of the matter” (סוֹף דָּבָר) and the “whole duty” of our lives (Eccl. 12:13).

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

 

• Eccl. 12:13 Hebrew lesson page (pdf)

 

“The fear (anxiety) of man (חֶרְדַּת אָדָם) sets a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD will be made safe” (Prov. 29:25). The fear that mankind engineers is a trap intended to shorten life, but the fear of the LORD (yirat Adonai) is life-giving and healing. Every day God makes miracles for people of which they are unaware. God didn’t create the universe and then remove Himself from its care: Yeshua sustains all things by the Word of His power and in Him all things “subsist” – τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν (Col. 1:17). Living in the light of God’s Presence reveals the daily bread that comes from Heaven, but those who refuse the truth find no lasting sustenance for the world to come… We all must believe that God is making miracles for us to live and grow in this age; otherwise we are not living in faith.

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

 

• Prov. 29:25 Hebrew lesson page (pdf)

 

Reflecting on the role of suffering in the heart of faith, Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote: “Here is the decisive difference between Christianity and all religions. Man’s religiosity makes him look in his distress to the power of God in the world: God is the deus ex machina [i.e., “quick fix”]. The Bible [on the other hand] directs man to God’s powerlessness and suffering: only a suffering God can help” (Letters and Papers from Prison). Bonhoeffer’s comment alludes to the difference between an “Elohim” (אֱלהִים) conception of God as the omnipotent power and Judge of reality, and the “YHVH” (יהוה) conception of God as the compassion Source and Breath of life – the Suffering God who empties himself to partake of our condition – to know our pain, to bear our sorrows, to heal us from the sickness of spiritual death, and to touch us in the loneliness of our exile… The Spirit enables us to “groan” in compassion, directing us away from the impulse to “kill the pain” to accept it as part of our lament and need for connection with God.

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

 

• Lam. 2:13a Hebrew lesson page (pdf)

 

Unlike cognitive faith (i.e., emunah: אֱמוּנָה) that assents to theological propositions or creeds, trust (i.e., bittachon: בִּטָחוֹן) emotionally commits to God’s presence in the sorrows of our lives and retains hope that we are not finally alone, abandoned, helpless… Trust goes beyond the “idolatries of theology,” that is, various theological conceptions of God as impassive, inexpressive, and distant in his decrees of transcendence, to engage God personally, existentially, and from within the whirlwind of harrowing pain and pain’s great loneliness. Authentic theology is dialectical or “dialogical” — a conversation of the heart with God – seeking, yearning, protesting, lamenting, and struggling with life’s inscrutabilities and unfathomable questions as it appeals to God for the assurance of genuine hope. Trust finds courage to give voice to our sorrow and fears, inviting God into the midst of our brokenness, often yielding to tearful silence in unknowing expectation. As Dorothy Soelle wrote: “Prayer is an all-encompassing act by which people transcend the mute God of an apathetically endured reality and go over to the speaking God of a reality experience with feeling in pain and happiness” (Soelle: Suffering). This is perhaps the deepest meaning of the Shema – to listen for God’s heart in the midst of your struggle; it is learning to encounter God’s compassion in the place of your brokenness and need.

Read more “Suffering and Hope…”

“Everyone who is bitten, when he looks upon it, shall live” (Num. 21:8). The fiery serpent – the very sting of which brings death – is what must be looked upon, confronted, and confessed. We must look at that which kills us, and by seeing it, we can then see God’s miracle (נֵּס) that delivers us… Therefore we look to the cross – the place where Yeshua clothed himself with our sickness and sin – to realize God’s remedy for our eternal healing. As Yeshua explained to Nicodemus, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Humanity as a whole has been “bitten by the snake” and needs to be delivered from its lethal venom. Just as the image made in the likeness of the destroying snake was lifted up for Israel’s healing, so the One made in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3) was to be lifted up as the Healer of the world. In Yeshua the miraculous exchange takes place: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Bless His holy name!

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

• Num. 21:8b Hebrew study page

 

The serpent on the cross is the image of the serpent on the Tree of Life in the garden that was tempting Eve. It is fascinating that it was the same image nailed to the stake that represents the death of Messiah for our sins:

 

Our Torah portion this week (i.e., parashat Chukat) begins with the words: zot chukat ha-Torah (זאת חקת התורה), “this is the decree of Torah” (Num. 19:2). The language here is both striking and unique, suggesting that what follows, namely, the sacrifice of the parah adumah or “red heifer,” is nothing less than “the seminal decree” of the entire Torah… However if we think about the meaning of the mysterious decree of the red heifer, we will realize that its ashes were used to create the “waters of separation” (i.e., mei niddah: מֵי נִדָּה) to cleanse people from contact with death (i.e., separation). To fulfill God’s vital decree, however, required sacrificial love, since the priest who offered this service would become defiled (separated) for the sake of the healing of others… The Hebrew word for love is ahavah (אַהֲבָה), from a root verb (יָהַב) that means “to give.” Love means giving of yourself to benefit another person (John 15:13). The central decree of Torah, then, beyond our ability to rationally understand, is that God’s love is so great that it is willing to become dust and ashes on our behalf so that we might find blessing and life.

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

• Isa. 53:6 Hebrew study card Card (pdf)

 

Yeshua willingly became unclean on our behalf – through contact with our sin and death – so that we could become clean (Isa. 53:3-6, 2 Cor. 5:21, Gal. 3:3, Eph. 5:2, Titus 2:14). The pure became impure through His sacrificial offering. Because of Him, we have been cleansed from our sins “by a better sprinkling” than that which the Tabernacle of Moses could afford (Matt. 26:28, Heb. 9:14, 12:24, Eph. 1:7, 1 Pet. 1:2,18-19, Rom. 5:9; Col. 1:14, 1 John 1:7, etc.).

The ashes of the red heifer represented the death and sacrifice of something extremely rare, valuable, and precious. The ashes were mixed with “living water” (מַיִם חַיִּים) to reveal the truth that though the end of all flesh is but dust and ashes, the Spirit gives cleansing and life. Indeed the word ashes (אֵפֶר) may be rearranged to spell both cure (רַפֵא) and beauty (פְאֵר). The author of the book of Hebrews argues kal va’chomer (i.e., קַל וְחמר, “light and weighty”), that is, “from the lesser case to the greater.” If the sprinkling of water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer purified the flesh from contamination with physical death, how much more does the blood of Messiah purify the soul from that which causes spiritual death? (Heb. 9:13-14). Indeed, because of Yeshua’s sacrifice we are given “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness,” that we may be called “trees of righteousness (אֵילֵי הַצֶּדֶק), the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified” (Isa. 61:3). Amen. Yehi shem Adonai mevorakh!

 

The sages say the verse, “Blessed is the person who fears always” (Prov. 28:14), means that whenever you want to do something, you should first soberly consider the consequences… If you do not think clearly, you will not fear, and such carelessness invariably leads to sin. The sacred is bound up with care; it sets boundaries between the profane and the holy. The “fear of the LORD” is expressed as vigilance against the lusts of the lower nature (yetzer ha’ra)… We “tremble” before God when we are awake to His holiness and wonder (Phil. 2:12). The Temple was destroyed because of our forefathers did not think about their actions; they first exiled themselves from the Divine Presence and then they “caught up with” the pain of their exile for themselves.

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

• Prov. 28:14 Hebrew study card (pdf)

 

 

Strictly speaking the content of the Ten Commandments, from a moral perspective, presented no new revelation, since sacred reality is intuitively understood within every created soul (Gen. 1:27; John 1:9; Acts 17:24-28). As it is written, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress (i.e., hold down: κατέχω) the truth by their unrighteousness, because that which can be known about God is evident within them, for God has revealed it to them” (Rom. 1:18-19). Where Paul says, “against all ungodliness” he refers to our universal duty before the Living God (בֵּין אָדָם לָמָקוֹם); and likewise “all unrighteousness,” refers to our universal duty toward other people (בֵּין אָדָם לְחֲבֵרוֹ). The “invisible things of God are seen” so vividly that people are “without excuse” (ἀναπολόγητος) for their evasion and rejection of the Divine Presence, which constitutes a disposition of rebellion, treason, and desecration (Rom. 1:20).

The deeper revelation given at Sinai, however, was not an elaborate law code but something else, namely, the solution for the problem of sin as prefigured in the Altar of the Tabernacle and the daily sacrifice of the lamb (i.e., korban tamid: קָרְבַּן תָּמִיד; Num. 28:1-8). “The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was” (Exod. 20:21). The onlookers saw the outer, the imposing, the threatening, and this made them distant, but Moses entered the inner region and was given the vision of the altar (Exod. 25:9; John 5:46-47; Heb. 8:6). Likewise Yeshua did not come to be a moral teacher of the law but to bear the penalty of our lawlessness (2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13). Our Savior died upon the cross shrouded in complete darkness, yet entering the inner region reveals God’s passion offered up for you (Luke 23:44-45).

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

Psalm 85:10 Hebrew study card (pdf)