devotional
-
Noah: Mercy Triumphs over Judgement
God promised Noah he wouldn’t flood the earth again, not because future generations would be any better than the past ones (He actually said human hearts are still evil from youth (Gen. 6:5, 8:21), but because God chose mercy for… Continue reading
-
Sukkot (Tabernacles/Booths) 2nd Day
As I mentioned in my last entry, a tabernacle, booth, or tent is used Biblically as an image of the physical body, which is a temporary dwelling place for the soul. Similarly, the Tabernacle of God was a temporary dwelling… Continue reading
-
Vayelekh: He Went Ahead of You, For You
Moses gave Israel the Torah, but Joshua led them into the promised land. They miraculously crossed the river that dried up at their crossing point and piled up upstream. The walls of their enemies in Jericho fell down for them.… Continue reading
-
Rosh Hashanah: Isaac, Ishmael, and the Well
Today, Muslims of Mid Eastern descent claim their lineage to Abraham through Ishmael. Jews claim theirs through Isaac. God tells Abraham, “through Isaac shall your offspring be named” (vs. 12), though God would “make a nation of the son of the… Continue reading
-
Nitzavim: The Tree that Made Wormwood Sweet
The root bearing poisonous fruit in Deuteronomy chapter 29 is associated according to Hebrew tradition with hemlock, an herb deadly to humans. Socrates was executed by drinking hemlock. This phrase in Deut. 29 literally is translated “a root bearing a… Continue reading









