AN EYE FOR AN EYE
Rewarding Hamas with a “state” is most assuredly NOT a solution! Tried that. For all intents & purposes that was that is how we got the problem with Gaza. That history is over and Israel is not going back. When Trump said that the Palestinians in Gaza should be relocated, the world was shocked. Even […]
SALVATION BRINGS JOY
Salvation is defined as deliverance or preservation. Salvation spares us from ruin, harm and or loss. Salvation is the act of being saved or protected from something threatening or dangerous. In order for “salvation” to have meaning we need to understand the context. The value of salvation is relative to the value of what we are saved […]
BABBLING ABOUT BABEL
Consider how the bible applies today in the context of the Tower of Babel. There seem to be many parallels, and there could be great consequences, like there was in the bible. It is hard to imagine what a comparable judgment would look like today. The Biblical Story The Tower of Babel story is covered […]
DENIED THREE TIMES
Riddle me this: What does the book of Ruth have in common with the book of Jonah? The Hebrew word shuv (שׁוּב), turn. In the Book of Jonah, thematic verb shuv (שׁוּב) highlights a profound, actionable change of direction. In the book of Ruth, the Hebrew root shuv (שׁוּב), is used to describe the physical movement of the characters […]
SAME BOOK, DIFFERENT ENDING
Jews and Christians share the same first five Books of Moses, the Torah. We share the wisdom books, writings and prophets. However, the Jewish Tenach ends on a different book than the Christian’s section of the “Old Testament.” The last book in the Tenach is Chronicles, whereas in the Christian bible the last Hebrew book […]
ESAU’S TENDER HEART
“But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.” Genesis 33:4 The more literal Hebrew text of Genesis 33:4: וַיָּרָץ עֵשָׂו לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיְחַבְּקֵהוּ וַיִּפֹּל עַל־צַוָּארָיו וַיִּשָּׁקֵהוּ וַיִּבְכּוּ׃ “But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, […]
In _______ I Trust
Fill in the blank: In ________ I Trust. In a world that increasingly doesn’t make sense, what can we put your trust in? The answer is printed on our money. Before the verse “In God We Trust” appeared on our currency, the phrase appeared in a verse of the “Star Spangled Banner,” reflecting America’s long […]
GOD BLESS AMERICA — IN THE NAME
Israel Isidore Beilin May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989 The name Irving, while not inherently Jewish, was a common secular or “Americanized” alternative to the traditional Hebrew names Isaac and Israel. So it was for Irving Berlin, one of the greatest American song writers there’s ever been. He is famous for many songs, especially […]
ABRAM WAS SENT, WE ARE CALLED
Genesis 12:1 — The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. In Hebrew, the name Siloam שִׁלֹחַ in Hebrew, transliterated as Shiloach, means “sent” or “sending forth”. This meaning is derived from the Hebrew verb שלח (shalah), which means “to […]
A MEDITATION ON LIFE
A Journey of Faith: Reflections on Life’s Path Through Scripture This morning a dear friend sent me a text with the following expression: “God I thank you for all that you have given me, all that you have taken away from me and all that you have left me. You gave me life, you took […]