On that Shabbat, six years ago, I was drawn to the character of Joshua, who was taking on a new leadership role after the “retirement” of the only leader the Israelites had ever known. Together we imagined what the Israelites might have felt, watching this leadership transition take place...
There are ways to detect the Spirit in us; evidence of “fruit.”Galatians 5:22-23describes this fruit: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” When one has grown in any of these ways, the Holy Spirit is responsible, and we ar...
Over and over again, we are told that this offering or that offering was an aroma, pleasing to the Lord (e.g., Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 12; 3:5, 16; 4:31; etc.). The offerings and sacrifices helped the Israelites think that they could approach God. (God didn’t want t...
When people can choose their leaders, they should pick wise ones, not necessarily the smartest ones. In Deuteronomy 1:13-15, God instructs the Israelites to choose wise, understanding, and respected men from each tribe to lead them. Psalm 72 describes the responsibilities of a righteous leader...
No, the Daniel story isn’t lining up too well with the 7 Steps. So for this one, Gothard parachutes down to the Israelites in Egypt. They sure did follow through with the 7 Steps super well. Yeah, no, t hey didn’t (1) check their attitudes, t ...
Many scholars identify the kedeshah and kadesh not as mere prostitutes but as individuals involved in ritualized sexual activity associated with temple worship, an interpretation confirmed by other scriptural passages. Sacrificing with Kedeshot –The book of Hosea describes types of harlotry among the ...
the Israelites by speaking to a rock. Moses instead struck the rock, and the spring that gushed is today named Ain Musa (Spring of Moses), its outflow housed beneath a small domed building at the eastern entrance to the town of Wadi Musa. King Reqem of Edom (Reqem was the Semitic ...
That issue came up years ago on publication of my memoir,What About the Boy?, which describes the very nonstandard approach my wife Judy and I took in trying to find help for our disabled little boy. One reviewer, in the UK, wrote at the time “I was very surprised that … nothing ...
[n] 3 However, it was not until[o] the first day of the eleventh month[p] of the fortieth year[q] that Moses addressed the Israelites just as[r] the Lord had instructed him to do. 4 This took place after the defeat[s] of King Sihon[t] of the Amorites, whose capital was[u]...
Well, against all odds this event occurred. The Jews were dispersed all over the world – hated and persecuted - yetGod has preserved the Jews. This is a miracle – a miracle that is even greater than God bringing the Israelites out of Egypt: ...