Excerpts from our Weekly Newsletter
We have seen that since the rejection back in Mark chapter 3, Yeshua began speaking in parables. We read through the Parables of the 4 Soils, of the Lamp, of the Seed, and of the Mustard Seed and saw how Christendom is divided into the Wheat and the Tares, and how the dark side of nominal Christianity will grow to great heights. This group being representative of the majority of people proves very discouraging for believers who seem to be fighting an uphill battle…
In the Parable of the Mustard Seed, you have the opposite spectrum of the Visible Church. The mustard seed itself produces weeds, much like the tares and are not associated with any good works…
All will change and everything will become new, with no traces of sin. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. But why a new heaven? Afterall, one may see the heavens today as truly beautiful, especially as we contemplate its immensity by night…
The problem is that in the majority of translations, the word Azazel is translated as scapegoat so the reader does not really know anymore who the goat is or who is the Azazel. We will find out from our text of Leviticus 16 that the Azazel is in fact, not the goat. To avoid much confusion from the translation, let us read from the Schocken Bible, a Jewish literal translation of the Torah. Here the text becomes clearer and the message is indeed very powerful…
During the Yom Kippur service, there is an enigmatic yet powerful book from the Hebrew Bible that is read in its entirety. It is the Book of Jonah. Why do they read this particular book and at such a high moment during the Yom Kippur service, just before the closing of the gate, which is at Ne’ilah, the last service of the day? The reason for its reading could be understood through a simple story which comes to us from centuries ago…
But this is when God found a devout woman named Hannah. We learn that she was barren but because of her faith and her prayers, the LORD miraculously touched her. She gave birth to a son, Samuel. Coming from the priestly line, he would later anoint David as King. The Davidic line would then continue until the last King of Judah – Yeshua the Messiah, who came to save the world.
So the seed is the Word of God, the Word of salvation that is spread everywhere. But like the gift of the manna which fell from the sky, some loved it, while others came to despise it.
Seeing it this way, one can see the reason why the Lord is not allowing so many to come closer to the truth. Perhaps it is to give them time to repent so that they will not commit the eternal sin and be doomed for eternity.
Clearly, the Word of God is fully inspired! No other history would be so open and sincere about the weaknesses of its people. Whether it is Israel, or Mary, or Peter, the Bible depicts them as they are so we can learn from them and stay close to God…
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16)