Faithful Writers

A reminder that when studying the Bible, it is vital to disassociate ourselves from our modern-day ways of thinking and cultural prejudices to be able to view things through the prism of ancient Hebrew culture. When this is properly done, formerly difficult-to-understand Bible stories and verses suddenly become clear. In this post, I would like to explain how important having a son was in the ancient Middle East. This may be difficult for those living in our day and age to understand. Our society has now reached the point where many married couples choose to never have any children, and homosexual marriage is becoming more and more accepted. There is also increasing cynicism being directed at the institution of marriage itself. The reasoning is that it is just a financial arrangement that has nothing to do with love and only benefits the woman. And given the over 50% divorce rate, many people are asking themselves “ Why even bother? ” This general sentiment was well expressed by the Israeli-American rock star Gene Simmons in his book titled Sex, Money, Kiss when he stated, “ Dumb men will always get married ." However, back in the days of the Bible, things were a lot different. Having a son to be an heir was of utmost importance. It was not just a matter of passing on an inheritance; the belief system at that time held that a man’s life essence lived on through human reproduction. So if a man died without having a son, that meant not only the end of his family line but also an end to his human essence in some mysterious and undefined way. Interestingly, in the Old Testament days, people didn’t hold to the idea of dying and going to either heaven or hell. It was believed that having a son was the only way a man could ensure his existence after passing away. Accordingly, it was a woman’s sole duty to provide her husband with a son. In Bible times, a woman who was unable to bear children for her husband was considered cursed by God and held in great shame. © Richoka

The Potential Danger of Spiritual Disciplines “God is not a scorekeeper. Spiritual practices are not extra credit. They are how we learn to be present with a God who already loves us.”Rachel Held Evans Practical life disciplines are good things. What they potentially do for the body, for the mind, for the house, for the checkbook. There’s something about setting a rhythm, a habit, a little rule of life that keeps the mess from stacking up too high in any one corner. Discipline can be a gift. But just like fire warms a home or burns it to the ground — so too, spiritual disciplines can go sideways real fast. Spiritual disciplines, when rooted in grace, can be life-giving. But when they get tangled up in performance, they can twist into something toxic. And I’ve been there — knee-deep in the weeds of performance-based Christianity, holding my Bible like a scorecard. I wondered why my prayer and Bible reading time started feeling dry. The Gift of the Practice Let’s be clear: discipline in itself isn’t the problem. Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16). He fasted. He quoted Scripture from memory. He got up early. So I’m not knocking the idea of showing up for your faith. But there’s a big difference between practicing your faith and performing it. Spiritual disciplines — whether it’s prayer, meditation, journaling, fasting, or a daily quiet time — were never meant to be audition tapes for God’s approval. They were supposed to be ways to stay rooted, to listen more deeply, to remember we are loved. But we humans — we like gold stars. We like checking boxes. And somewhere along the line, we trade being with God for trying to impress God. When Quiet Time Turns Into a Chore Chart For years, I woke up early and had a “quiet time.” That’s what we called it in my church circles. It sounded peaceful and holy. Except, it wasn’t always. Sometimes it was dry. Sometimes I fell asleep halfway through the prayer. Sometimes I read three chapters and didn’t feel one ounce closer to God. And instead of grace, I gave myself guilt. I’d feel bad if I skipped a day. Worse if I missed two. By day three, I was convinced God was giving me the silent treatment and I’d better double up on devotions just to get back in His good graces. Can you see how that’s not relationship? That’s performance. That’s trying to earn something I already had. Meditation: Still or Stuck? Let’s talk about meditation. I love the stillness of it. I love the breath. I love the presence. But I’ve also used it to try to feel spiritual — like if I could just empty my mind enough, sit still long enough, and focus hard enough, maybe God would show up. But God is not a vending machine, and silence is not the coin you drop in to get a revelation. Sometimes God speaks in silence. Sometimes God speaks while you’re loading the dishwasher or driving to work or folding laundry. The danger of spiritual discipline is not in the practice itself. It’s in turning the practice into a formula. From Being to Earning Christian author Sarah Bessey said it like this: “Spiritual practices are not a way to earn anything. They are ways to be with the One who already loves us.” There it is. Right there. You don’t fast to get God’s attention. You already have it. You don’t pray to make God love you more. God already does. You don’t meditate to find God. He’s not lost. He’s already present. The moment you start measuring your worth by your consistency, your spiritual life becomes a spreadsheet. And God does not keep spreadsheets on your soul. Like Sitting on the Porch with God I once heard someone say spiritual disciplines should feel like sitting on the porch with God, not like checking in with your parole officer. You don’t sit on the porch to prove anything. You sit because you like the company. You sit to breathe. To notice the wind. To laugh about the day. To just be. The danger comes when we treat the porch like a podium and think we have to deliver some kind of perfect speech every time we pray. Paul Had a Word or Two Paul said something to the Galatians that smacks me every time I forget grace: “After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3, NIV) He’s saying: You started off resting in God’s love, now you’re trying to earn it? You started in freedom, now you’re trying to hustle? Been there. Bought the matching devotional journal. When the Disciplines Become Distractions Even good things can become idols. Even prayer can become a performance if the motivation isn’t love. Even reading Scripture can become a competition if you’re more focused on the number of chapters than the voice of the Spirit. I’ve caught myself doing “the right things” but for all the wrong reasons. Not because I was hungry for God.But because I was scared He was mad. Not because I wanted closeness.But because I thought I had to fix myself. Spiritual disciplines become dangerous when they’re no longer about presence, but about penance. Spiritual Gym vs. Spiritual Hospital Think of it like this. If you’re going to the gym to build strength, that’s great. But if you’ve broken your leg and you’re trying to walk it off on the treadmill, you’re just making things worse. Sometimes we try to use spiritual disciplines like gym equipment when what we really need is a hospital bed. Sometimes we don’t need to pray more. We need to rest. Sometimes we don’t need to fast. We need to grieve. Sometimes we don’t need to be silent. We need to speak up. And sometimes, God’s grace shows up not in our spiritual strength — but in our spiritual collapse. It’s Not About the Performance Henri Nouwen once wrote: “You are the beloved. Not because you’re good. Not because you’re faithful. Not because you’re disciplined. But because you are.” We don’t work our way into God’s love.We wake up into it.We fall asleep in it.We breathe it in with no effort. Spiritual disciplines should help us remember that. But when they don’t — when they start piling on shame instead of peace, when they make us feel distant instead of drawn in, when they become about doing instead of being — then it’s okay to step back. Not to quit. But to reset. A Gentle Reset If you’re feeling dry or disconnected, maybe it’s not because you’re undisciplined. Maybe it’s because the rhythm has gotten out of sync with your heart. Try something different. Don’t scrap the whole thing. Just shift the focus. Maybe swap your morning quiet time for an afternoon walk. Maybe listen to music instead of journaling. Maybe put down the checklist and pick up a nap. Or a conversation with a friend. Or a psalm read slowly, like honey on the tongue. Because the disciplines are not the destination. God is. And He’s not hiding behind your schedule. He’s already with you. Even in the weeds. © Gary L Ellis

While the Bible is constantly ridiculed as a book filled with historical inaccuracies and fictional legends… The simple truth of the matter is that secular archaeologists and scholars who specialize in ancient Middle Eastern studies will often use the Bible… As a trustworthy source document to cross-reference and support the many artifacts they have dug up. Furthermore, even when the truthfulness of Biblical accounts comes into question… Based on the findings of archaeology and/or apparent conflicting evidence found in extra-biblical source documents… More often than not it is found that the problems lie with… Misinterpretation… Lack of evidence… Or poor scholarship… And NOT the Bible itself . I think the following joke well illustrates my point. ATHEIST: Oh Rabbi with your silly beliefs, don’t you know that there are dozens of cultures that have an ancient flood myth? RABBI: That makes me feel so much better. I’ve often wondered how nobody heard of the flood except us Jews. Now that I know others have also heard of it, I’m sure it happened. The rabbi in this joke has a point. The flood is told by the Greeks, the Hindus, the Chinese, the Mexicans, the Algonquins, the Hawaiians, etc. To me, this alone blows the “local flood theory” out of the water ( pun intended ). The Scriptures report that after bobbing around for a couple of days, the ark finally came to a rest on top of an area called the Mountains of Ararat. But where the heck is this location? The answer is parts of what is now Turkey, Iraq, Armenia, and Iran. According to a Turkish travel agency, “Mount Ararat may be the largest single-mass or volume mountain in the world as it is huge (one really has to see it in person to appreciate its immensity) and rises to 17,000 feet from the plains surrounding it at 2,000–3,000 feet while most other large mountains are in a mountain range with less differential and base circumference. ” © Richoka

As we walk through the Torah, I will be reviewing certain principles over and over again because they are essential to a proper understanding of the Bible. One of these principles is the one I have titled the “As-in-Heaven-So-on-Earth” principle. Again, this principle simply means that certain objects and events depicted in Scripture are the physical manifestations of spiritual truths in the heavens. And Yeshua was the perfect example: “He who has seen me has seen the Father (in heaven).” In Genesis chapter 8, which we are studying now, we also encounter a few interesting examples of this “As-in-Heaven-So-on-Earth” principle in action. God’s Spirit manifesting as the wind: In verse one, it says that God sent a wind over the earth to push back the waters. Now the Hebrew word for wind here is “Ruach” and it means “spirit.” Maybe you are familiar with the term “Ruach Ha-Kodesh." which means the Holy Spirit. So here is another demonstration of the “As-in-heaven-so-on-earth” principle. God’s spirit is manifesting Himself physically as wind. The Raven and the Dove: After 40 days pass, Noah opens the door of the ark and sends out a raven. The raven is a scavenger that feeds off the flesh of the dead. However, the raven does not return. So Noah lets seven days pass and then sends out a dove that soon returns. Noah lets another seven days pass and sends out the dove a second time. It returns again but this time with an olive tree leaf in its beak. Noah sends out the dove a third time and this time the dove does not return. The time to leave the ark and begin a new life on earth had arrived. There is some interesting symbolism expressed through the raven and the dove. The raven is an unclean bird and is considered to be a symbol of evil. In contrast, the dove is a clean bird and in Scripture is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Notice the characteristics portrayed by the raven. The Scripture says that the raven went forth “to and fro” and never returned. Who else in Scripture is described as roaming the earth to and fro? None other than Satan himself. Second, the raven is a bird that feeds on the flesh of the dead. Similarly, the unbeliever who knows not God nor the things of the Lord goes through life aimlessly, deriving futile pleasures from things that have no life in them. Now, whereas the raven was only sent out once, the dove was sent out three times. Although I don’t quite agree with their interpretation, Christians point out that the dove being sent out three times is a reflection of the triune nature of God. That point aside, there is no doubt however that the number 3 holds a special Godly significance in the Scriptures. For example, Noah had three sons. Yeshua Himself was raised on the third day… And the ark of the covenant contained 3 sacred objects and there are many other examples. In comparing the raven with the dove, it should be noted that while the raven was able to derive satisfaction from the dead fleshly things of the world, the dove wasn’t able to and thus returned. When the dove came back a second time, it had an olive tree leaf in it’s beak. Christianity and Judaism both agree that the olive tree symbolizes peace. Let us consider some interesting facts about the olive tree. First, olives themselves have been known throughout the ages for their nutritional and healing value. In the Bible, olive oil has played a significant role in anointing kings and high priests and was used to light the menorah in the Holy Temple. The national emblem of the State of Israel is olive leaves cradled around a menorah. The symbol for the Israel Defense Forces is a sword wrapped by an olive branch. The meaning is… “We seek peace, but we are prepared to defend against our enemies." © Richoka

“Abram believed God, and God credited it to him as righteousness.” -Genesis 14:6 I know I said this before, but I’m going to say it again. Grace is NOT a New Testament promise, and this verse proves it. The definition of grace is that if we trust God to save us, God will credit it to us as righteousness. Salvation by grace was Adam’s hope. It was Noah’s hope. And it was Abram’s hope. The ancient Hebrews did NOT believe they could work their way to heaven. I want to make sure you get this drilled into your head. Grace began in the Garden of Eden! However, it is evident that Abram still had not completely overcome his doubts. He then asks God, “ How am I to know I will possess the land? ” Abram, in his fear, wanted a sign from God. He wanted some visible and tangible evidence that God would indeed do what He promised. In Abram’s mind, his request may not have been all that unreasonable because, based on the traditions and customs of that era, promises had structure just like we have contracts in our day. Certain established protocols were done by and for the sake of the parties agreeing. Although we may not be aware of it, we all carry the expectation and assumption that God will deal with us on our cultural terms. Many times in Scripture, we see examples of God communicating to people within the confines of their own unique culture and language. Come to think of it, God has to. If God spoke to me in Chinese, I wouldn’t understand what the heck he was talking about unless he gave me the supernatural ability to all of a sudden speak Chinese. God, in His infinite wisdom, I would say, is a master at meeting people where they are spiritually and within their own culture and language. So God agrees to enter into a covenant via the common procedures normally done in Avram’s time to reassure and give him peace of mind. Verses 9 and 10 explain the details of the ceremonial protocol common in that time. Certain “clean” animals are cut up and split into two groups on the ground. Again, the Hebrew word for covenant, Brit, means “to cut” or “to divide.” Now, under normal circumstances, what would happen next is that the two parties would walk between the animal parts with the understanding that if they did not live up to their part of the bargain, they would end up like the slaughtered animal parts they had just walked through. However, if you read carefully, only a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch representing God passed through the animal pieces. Smoke and fire usually represent the presence of God in the Bible. God walked between the pieces, signifying His agreement and word to keep the terms of the covenant. But notice that Abram did NOT walk between the animal pieces. This was to be a unilateral agreement! As far as Abram was concerned, there were no conditions he had to fulfill. It was all on God. There are two things I would like to say to those who wish to invalidate Israel’s claim to the land. We have just read that it was an unconditional covenant. Thus, it is eternal! Forever! Second, the specific boundaries of the land have been defined in this passage. The truth is, throughout all of Israel’s history to this present day, the Jewish people have never fully occupied the areas specified in Genesis chapter 15. However, as long as God lives, soon, the land of Israel, and I mean ALL the land of Israel, will be returned to Abram’s descendants, the Jewish people. © Richoka

The events of the flood as related in the Bible read like a time log. God really wanted us to know in exacting detail the specific days and times certain events took place. We are told the waters rose for 150 days and then receded for 150 days. We are told on the 1st day of the 1st month of the 600th year, Noah opened the covering of the ark. Afterwards, we are told that on the 27th day of the 2nd month of the 600th year, God instructed Noah to leave the ark and begin repopulating the earth. Let’s take a look at the following verse: “On the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.” -Genesis 8:4 Now what’s interesting is that the 17th day of the 7th month is when Yeshua was resurrected from the dead! I don’t believe this is coincidental. Both the flood and Messiah’s resurrection teach us that only through death does new life come. This is another principle that is repeated again and again throughout the Scriptures. If we are to successfully move forward toward the new life that God has prepared for us, we have to die to our old life. Abraham died to his old life by leaving his home country and separating from his family. The Israelites had to die to their old life of captivity in Egypt to enter the promised land. There is no fence straddling here. It is NOT possible to keep one foot in the world and one foot in the Word. There were tremendous differences between the Old World that existed before the flood and the New World that Noah and his family entered after the flood. Adam was born into a perfect world. Noah was born into a fallen world. Adam was created in the “image of God." Noah was created in the “image of Adam." We are more closely related to Noah than Adam. What we are going to see as we move forward is that in the new world, man’s relationship to God, his environment, and his responsibilities changed. Certain “living creatures” will now be okay for food… And animals will now fear men. CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT And Yeshua said unto him, “No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back , is fit for the Kingdom of God.” -Luke 9:62 © Richoka

“Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. ” -Genesis 15:11 As Abram was laying out the animal parts into two groups on the ground in preparation for the covenantal ceremony, it says that carrion or birds of prey swept down in an attempt to carry away the dead animal carcasses. However, Abram shoos them away. There is some important symbolism here that we should not overlook. These birds of prey are symbolic of death and evil. They are symbolic of Satan himself trying to put a stop to this all-important covenant that God was about to make with Abram. This scene is both prophetic and a spiritual lesson for all wholehearted believers who place their faith in the God of Israel. We are warned in the Scriptures that the devil will try his best to prevent God from blessing us. However, to ward off the devil and his evil ways, in these verses, Abram has shown us the proper response. In other words, we are not to lazily sit on our butts and just “ trust God ” to take care of everything. We are to take vigorous action and resist the devil. We are to be God’s warriors here on earth. © Richoka

Notice that once Noah leaves the ark, his first action is to build an altar and pay homage to the Lord through sacrifices. Again, it is obvious why God commanded Noah to bring seven pairs of clean animals. If there were only a single pair of each clean species, then each sacrifice would have been the extinction of each species of clean animal. God was pleased with Noah’s sacrifices. The Scriptures tell us the Lord “ smelled ” the fragrant odor. Keep in mind this is just an anthropomorphism . An anthropomorphism is the literary device of ascribing human attributes to God. It’s not like God had some huge nose with nostrils and was able to physically smell the scent of the smoke rising from Noah’s sacrifices. Remember God is spirit. So when you come across phrases like “ God remembered ," “ God stretched out his hands ” or “ Incline your ear O Lord ," these statements are metaphorical. God then proclaims the following to Noah: “ I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, since the imagination of a person’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I ever again destroy all living things, as I have done. So long as the earth exists, sowing time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease. ”-Genesis 8:21 Notice the phrase “ The imagination of a person’s heart is evil from his youth ." “from his youth ” is “ MINE ‘ ARAW ” in Hebrew. This means “ from his awakening ." One of the ancient Jewish sages has explained that this means from the time a human has awareness. In rabbinic circles, it’s debated whether awareness takes place in the womb, immediately after birth, or shortly after. Regardless, the point here is that ALL humans are born with hearts that “form evil." As explained in an earlier teaching, per the Principle of Opposites, this phrase goes hand in hand with the idea that mankind was created with both an inherent evil inclination and a good inclination. Remember, God holds man responsible for the evil that he commits. He does not blame Satan although Satan is very real and is capable of planting evil thoughts and suggestions into the mind of man. Satan’s strategy is to take advantage of the evil inclination in all of us. So even after the flood, we can see that fundamentally man’s nature has not changed and that humans will still struggle to not sin and commit evil. ( In fact, Noah is going to find himself in a quite embarrassing situation in the next chapter ) Again, since it is contrary to traditional Christian teaching on the subject, I feel compelled to reiterate that this verse is NOT saying that the human heart is ONLY evil. Babies are NOT born 100% evil. But neither are they born 100% innocent. Don’t forget the principle of opposites I talked about in this post . God is simply pointing out to us that all people are born with an evil inclination. CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” -Romans 3:23 © Richoka

Garth Manthe I watch as passersby go from place to place, I watch as some check their watches. I watch as some look ahead in their little world, And I watch as some chat amongst their passing group. I look at each passerby, Each is so different, So busy getting to another place, Each forgets to enjoy the things around them. Then it hits me and I realize Each has a life separate from mine, A vivid life, A complex life, Just like mine, yet different. My head hurts, It’s too much, He could be a single father stuck in a job he hates. She could be regretting her mistakes and can’t handle the guilt. Why have I never cared? He could be dying, and she doesn’t know. Those friends could be talking for the last time before they move on with their lives. I feel deep sonder for those thinking like me. © Maia Vashti First published in Never Stop Writing on Medium.

“As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell on Abram; horror and great darkness came over him.” -Genesis 15:12 After driving away the birds of prey, Abram falls into a deep slumber. While asleep, we’re told that a “ great darkness ” comes over him. The Hebrew word used for dark dread is chashekah, which comes from the word CHOSHEK. Do you remember this word from a previous post? CHOSHEK is the exact opposite of God’s spiritual light or illumination. So it means a depressing spiritual darkness. What occurs next is that God speaks to Abram in his sleep and informs him that the time will come when his descendants will be enslaved in a foreign land for 400 years. However, the nation that enslaved them will be punished, and as a result, they would leave with much wealth. Of course, we know that God is talking about the period in the Book of Exodus. The Israelites were slaves in the land of Egypt, and then God raised up Moses to rescue them. In spite of the tragedy that is going befall Abram’s descendants, God promises that Abram himself would live a full lifespan and die in peace. Let’s look at verse 16. “And in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” I just want to quickly point out that for a certain period, the name Amorites was synonymous with the name Canaanites. The reason is that the Amorite culture became the dominant culture in the land of Canaan. So, although it says Amorites, God is referring to Canaan here. © Richoka