Posts filed under ‘Judaism’
Mosaic Law was Overwhelming and It was Meant to Be
In Numbers 7, we learn about the dedication of the Tabernacle. The entire process took twelve (12) days to complete! A great many animals were sacrificed in the process as well. Finally, when everything was in place, the Lord took up residence above the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies and spoke to Moses from there (Numbers 7:89). Consider just how many animals needed to be sacrificed in order to complete the dedication of the tabernacle. No less than 12 bulls, 71 rams, 72 lambs a year old, 72 goats, and 24 oxen were sacrificed over a period of the twelve days. This does not even include the shekels, the flour and grain also offered during the dedication of the tabernacle.
Book of Numbers is More than Just Numbering Israelites
One of my favorite parts of the first few chapters of Numbers is when God tells Moses who will do what and God does so by name. This is clearly seen in the first four chapters of Numbers where God specifically appoints certain individuals for specific tasks. This is astounding to me. God knew these people intimately…by name. He didn’t just say “find a few people whom you believe will do this task well.” No, God often told Moses the names of certain individuals whom He had anointed for certain work. Isn’t that something?
Constancy of Offerings Under Levitical System
In the Old Testament, salvation came to people the exact same way it comes to us; through faith (Hebrews 11). However, also during the Old Testament times, the sacrificial system played an important role in ensuring that people understood that sin was reprehensible to God. Drastic measures (death of animals, which often necessitated sacrifice by owners were needed because the sacrifice was taken from their flocks, meaning one less animal or more to have for financial purposes). This was done by the penitent to remain in fellowship with God.
Knowing God’s Will: Context Means a Great Deal
Taking this verse out of its natural context, it’s not difficult to see how it can be twisted to mean something it does not mean. The idea here is that meditating on God’s Word will pave the way to success and prosperity, so we’re told. But is this what Joshua meant when he spoke those words? Hardly. The context fleshes out the full meaning.
Wolves? Who is Perry Stone?
There’s another problem with Perry Stone and it is one that is common to the signs and wonders crowd. Many believe that God has deliberately kept things secret even from godly Christians for generations until the time was right to release those secrets. Jonathan Cahn operates under this con that God has given him the knowledge about certain things (often related to America), that no one else has been privy to because the time is allegedly the right time now to release that information. Cahn has published numerous books that have claimed special knowledge about biblical things. He has yet to be correct and his exegesis is seriously flawed.
Wolves? Who is Heidi Baker?
In Acts 2, when actual tongues of fire sat upon the heads of the disciples gathered in the upper room, did it hurt? Was there screaming as though their skin was burning off? There was only one sound that the Bible records: a mighty rushing wind (Acts 2:2). There was no screaming of the disciples when the Holy Spirit descended. None. The disciples then went outside and spoke in tongues (known languages by those who heard them though unknown at the time to the speakers).
Being Sincere But Sincerely Wrong
The hatred and jealousy from the religious leaders kept them from seeing the truth about Jesus. This very same thing happens to people the world over today…every day…as roughly 150,000 people die into eternity, most without Jesus (Matthew 7:13). This was the primary reason for their constant attacks on Him. Motivated by Satan through and cooperation of their pride, they did whatever they could to stop Jesus. This ultimately resulted in God allowing them to wrongfully arrest, convict, and execute Him, God using the evil devices of demons and people to work out His plan of salvation. Not even Satan understood that he was actually assisting God though he worked against Him!
Jesus Shows Us How NOT to Retaliate
Jesus actually rebuked His disciples for wanting to destroy the Samaritans. Jesus was living the example of His own preaching from the Sermon on the Mount. He also seemed to understand this rejection by the people of Samaria as the Father’s will for Him and used the situation as a sort of compass to determine what His next step was going to be. The text tells us He and His disciples simply went to another village.
Zechariah’s Near and Far Visions, Pt 3
If we live according to the desires of our sin nature (even after we have received salvation), we will continue to “die.” We will die spiritually because our fellowship with God in Christ will be broken. Out of fellowship, we will begin to act no different from those who are lost. However, if we do what we are obligated to do – put to death the deeds of the body by submitting ourselves and our desires to God – then we will continue to live and even grow spiritually.
Jonathan Cahn’s The Paradigm
Dominionism is the belief that if Christians work hard enough to spread the Gospel and turn people to Jesus, a domino effect will occur throughout society that will change America into a nation that glorifies God. I don’t see this in Scripture at all. I see things getting worse and worse until the Tribulation occurs wreaking the worst persecution on earth that has ever been or will ever be. This will be “cut short” by the physical return of Jesus, who will then set up His Millennial Kingdom where He will rule with a rod of iron for 1,000 years. He will literally show the world how it is done.
