We are in the Torah series titled The Covenant of God – Repentance Series –
Do you have an unsettling feeling on the nature of American Culture and the underlying principles our country wants to teach our children today? This unsettling feeling on the inside is not limited to the recent actions of the United States (i.e. gay marriage) but is a world wide phenomenon. The reason being, everything of any importance in our lives as believers basically boils down to our relationship with our Creator (the Lord God of Israel) and our relationships with others. Our modern culture wants to push its morals and unrighteousness not only on our children but also on each one of us! In addition, the message of the modern church is to settle for something lukewarm in regards to our faith as it is related to this world system of truths, morals, and ungodliness. What has happened is that we have relegated our walk with God to little more than a hobby, when the Scriptures clearly show us that the Lord is passionately in love with His people. If this is what the Scriptures teach us, “why are we not as passionate about our relationship with the Lord?” And, “What does a passionate relationship with God look like in life?” According to the Scriptures, the Lord has revealed Himself as Father, Husband, King, and Master, and has called us to become His children, bride, ambassador, and servant. These words draw in a covenant context of righteousness (צְדָקָה), holiness (קֹ֫דֶשׁ), and purity (לָטֹּ֫הַר, תָּמִים), which is coupled with truth and faithfulness (אֱמֶת) in our lives as His children. Does the modern church meet this level of commitment in a way that honors the Lord according to His word and proclaims His glory and truth to the world today? These are very important questions. This was the approach that is described of Abraham, who left his father and his land to seek the Lord God and His righteousness in the Land of Promise. Abraham understood who he was, what the Lord expected from him, and how these things are to be applied in practice to his life. In the opening verses of this week’s Torah portion (Parashat Vayera), we are provided with a picture of a man who lives a repentant life, and who actively sought for others to walk in God’s Ways according to God’s Word. The rabbis believe Parashat Vayera was a turning point for Abraham, for having just been circumcised, he heard from the Lord God in heaven by a visitation of angels. On meeting the angels, Abraham demonstrated a sense of urgency of faith. Do you demonstrate today that same sense of urgency as he did?
While studying the Bible, it is important to take a multidisciplinary approach by considering the history, the culture, the people, and the languages in order to help us understand the Scriptures and how to apply God's Word to our lives. MATSATI.COM Teaching Ministry examines the Hebrew Scriptures (Masoretic Text), the Aramaic (Targumim), and the Greek (Septuagint), coupled with studies in the rabbinic literature (Talmud Bavli, Mishnah, Midrashim, with the classical commentators: Rashi, Sforno, Rambam, etc). Our goal is to immerse ourselves in the language, the history, the culture, and the people who lived in the time of Moshe, the Prophets, and the Messiah, in order to deepen our understanding of Scripture, increase our faith, and grow in our relationship with the Lord!
I hope you enjoy this short study.
Take care and God bless!
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