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To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some. - 1 Corinthians 9:22 HCSB

Have you ever wanted to determine, once and for all to your intellectual satisfaction, that there actually is a God? Have you ever had to deal with someone who did not believe in the existence of a Supreme Being and placed your faith on the same order as Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy? Have you ever, in those late night hours when you were alone and looking on the shambles of your life, reached out with your heart…  ( Click for more )

In the case of abuse

But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to peace. - 1 Corinthians 7:15 HCSB

To this point in our series on divorce, we have seen that if a believer leaves outside of the two allowable conditions of porneia or abandonment he/she must not remarry, but must continue to seek reconciliation.[1] Paul argued that in light of Christ's command, she/he may not marry again. Rather, the separated or divorced couple is to be reconciled. Clearly, the ideal is that marriage should not…  ( Click for more )

In the case of abandonment

But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to peace. - 1 Corinthians 7:15 HCSB

The Pharisees, in questioning Jesus concerning divorce and remarriage, specifically mentioned the phrase “on any grounds.” As stated earlier in this series, at that time there was a sharp debate between two religious schools of thought. Shammai’s interpretation of Deuteronomy 24:1-4 held that “some indecency”[1] meant “immorality”, as in Matthew 19:9.…  ( Click for more )

In the case of porneia

But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to peace. - 1 Corinthians 7:15 HCSB

The Lord made sure that divorce would not be easy and that accountability would exist. A certificate of divorce citing specific transgressions was required. Outside authorities and witnesses had to be involved to ensure that the divorce was not enacted frivolously.[1]

Jesus conditioned the law of Deuteronomy 24:1 in the Sermon on the Mount citing the higher law of creation.[2] We infer…  ( Click for more )

Old Covenant view

But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to peace. - 1 Corinthians 7:15 HCSB

Elders (zaquenim) often have to address the issue of divorce and remarriage. An appropriate understanding of the biblical terms and the historical context in which they were written is therefore essential to successful derash (life application) in the often messy and emotionally charged situations involved in divorce and remarriage.

Mosaic Law addresses the issue of divorce. Being written within…  ( Click for more )

But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me. - Philippians 2:17-18 HCSB

[1]Ransomed faith should be sacrificial by its very nature. After all, Christianity as we know it has its roots in the Old Testament - a book full of laws and commands that deal with sacrifices. In the New Testament, we see the fulfillment of those sacrifices, and many believe that to have been the end of sacrificial living. However, the coming of the…  ( Click for more )

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. - Romans 12:1 HCSB

[1] In order to gain the joy of sacrificial living, we must first understand what type of sacrifice we ought to be giving. Asceticism - sacrificing something just for the sake of giving it up, or sacrificing something so others can see how holy we are - will not produce the joy which Paul speaks of in Philippians 2:17-18.

In the metaphor of a shepherd offering his sheep in sacrifice, we are not…  ( Click for more )

If you find honey, eat only what you need; otherwise, you'll get sick from it and vomit. Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house; otherwise, he'll get sick of you and hate you. - Proverbs 25:16-17 HCSB

Just about everyone loves honey, but it’s so sweet that a little bit goes a long way! Of course, being a proverb, this verse isn’t just about honey! It is about a fundamental principle of life that applies to just about any activity. It’s called “moderation.” A joke well told can make the day pass quickly or a difficult job less onerous. Someone…  ( Click for more )

Foolishness is tangled up in the heart of a youth; the rod of discipline will drive it away from him. - Proverbs 22:15 HCSB

America loves babies. That’s easy to understand – most cultures appreciate their offspring. Unfortunately, America’s love of all things youthful has taken on aspects of a cult and ranged into the irrational. It is not uncommon to hear parents say concerning their children, “I just want them to be kids as long as possible.”

What? Why would anyone want to stunt their children’s growth and maturation? It is narcissistic…  ( Click for more )

But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me. - Philippians 2:17-18 HCSB

True sacrifice is derived from faith. It comes in proportion to it. The greater our faith, the more we sacrifice to God, and the more we sacrifice to God, the greater our faith becomes. Without faith, sacrifice is meaningless for we need to have faith in the one that we are making our sacrifices to. However, neither faith nor sacrifices are in and of themselves…  ( Click for more )

The instruction of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. - Psalm 19:7 HCSB

We have all been had by unreliable people. We’ve all known people who said they would be somewhere at a certain time or do something for you and did not fulfill their promise. Concerning these kind of people the Bible says, “A man giving false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow. Trusting an unreliable person in a time of trouble is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.”[1]…  ( Click for more )

The completeness or sufficiency of the Scriptures

It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat. The instruction of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. - Psalm 19:6-7 HCSB

Long ago, our ancestor Adam was warned, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die."[1] Adam and Eve did not fully trust the Lord’s instructions and as a result, their spirits…  ( Click for more )

The completeness or sufficiency of the Scriptures

It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat. The instruction of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. - Psalm 19:6-7 HCSB

God’s instructions are perfect in the sense that they are the perfect theory of human good. They are “tamim,”[1] meaning complete, whole, entire, sound, healthful, unimpaired, innocent or possessing integrity.

They are perfectly designed to bring…  ( Click for more )

The completeness or sufficiency of the Scriptures

It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat. The instruction of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. - Psalm 19:6-7 HCSB

The first six verses of this Psalm teach the reader about God’s general revelation. The writer demonstrates that it is possible to know of God’s existence simply by observing the heavens. This is a gift given to all of mankind. “Their message has gone…  ( Click for more )

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not follow your example. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have." When they said, "Give us a king to judge us," Samuel considered their demand sinful, so he prayed to the LORD. But the LORD told him, "Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have rejected you; they have rejected Me as their king. - 1 Samuel 8:4-7 HCSB

When Israel was in the wilderness of Kedemoth,…  ( Click for more )

For I was very glad when some brothers came and testified to your faithfulness to the truth--how you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth. - 3 John 1:3-4 HCSB

It should come as no surprise that the Bible has much to say on the subject of faithfulness, seeing that God is Yahweh Aman (Faithful God). When we hear the word “faithful”, we humans tend to jump to the context of sexual fidelity. In fact, there is some Scriptural basis for this, for Quoheleth taught in Proverbs, “Take pleasure…  ( Click for more )

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations. - Psalm 100:4-5 HCSB

Human ideas of faithfulness are so inadequate! Supermarket tabloids celebrated Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley’s first anniversary by touting “And they said it wouldn’t last!” Very soon afterwards the marriage failed. The problem is not so much that their marriage ended quickly. Divorce is so rampant today that no one is even…  ( Click for more )

or “The Insufficiency of Science”

I applied my mind to seek and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. I said to myself, "Look, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge." I applied my mind to…  ( Click for more )

Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. - Proverbs 31:8 HCSB

It amazes me that this would even be in question. Just a few chapters before this one in Proverbs, Hashem warned, “If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited. Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter. If you say, "But we didn't know about this," won't He who weighs hearts consider it? Won't He who protects your life know? Won't He repay a person according to his work?”[1]

There was…  ( Click for more )

See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated "God is with us." When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord's angel had commanded him. He married her but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus. - Matthew 1:23-25 HCSB

It is an unfortunate truth that most abortionists no longer contest the issue of life beginning at conception. I say unfortunate because in the process of hardening their hearts, they have gone a step further in their depravity. They…  ( Click for more )

"When men get in a fight, and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born prematurely, but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman's husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment. If there is an injury, then you must give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound. - Exodus 21:22-25 HCSB

There are several biblical passages that treat the issue of the destruction of unborn children.[1] None of them are favorable to the destroyers.…  ( Click for more )

The one who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone- it will come back on him. - Proverbs 26:27 HCSB

Do you remember the Bugs Bunny Road Runner Show? I used to love watching the coyote trying to catch the road runner. “Wile E. Coyote – Genius” it said on his business card. He would buy a catapult from the ACME company and try to launch a big rock. The only problem was that the rock went straight up and landed on him. He tried to move farther away but the platform flipped instead of the arm and landed on him. It seemed that no matter what…  ( Click for more )

But set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. - 1 Peter 3:15 HCSB

You often hear people assert that religion (Christianity in particular) has been an obstacle in the way of science’s progress. Sometimes, they will even view Christianity as a formidable enemy. In many works of fiction, the noble scientist has to work around the rabid, sweaty Christian evangelist who is trying to stop legitimate research out of paranoia, or simple greed for power. Like all…  ( Click for more )

I will honor only those who honor me, and I will despise those who despise me. I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. – 1 Samuel 2:30b-31a

Eli was a good man with bad sons, a frequent phenomenon in the Bible. Eli’s two sons were supposed to assist him at the temple, but they began to take for themselves meat that was supposed to be sacrificed to God. As if that was not enough, they took the meat by force and they also slept with women who came to worship at the temple! Eli tried halfheartedly to rebuke them but was too weak…  ( Click for more )