The culmination of the story we commemorate each Passover isn’t our departure from Egypt, but the encounter with the Eternal One fifty days later. To emphasize this, the Torah commands us to begin counting the Omer, or sheaf of firstfruits, during Passover.
Read MoreThe understanding Moses gained after first hearing and then responding to the call, Vayikra, can be experienced by any of us who decide to accept the invitation to draw near to God.
Read MoreAs the Tabernacle was anointed with the sacred oil, may we walk in the daily anointing of God’s Spirit by loving God and one another, by giving joyfully, and by reflecting the humility of Messiah in all that we do.
Read MoreThough he saw a vision of the holy ark, Moshe was not called to build it. This parasha gives us insight into the artistic genius of Israel gifted by God for that purpose: Bezalel, and his equally creative partner in the work, Oholiab.
Read MoreLike Moses, we all want God’s glory. We want to see Him in action. We can all look back at different times of our lives and see how God manifested His presence to us in defined ways. Can I say that I am truly addicted to God’s movement in my life? Yes!
Read MoreThe Torah in this week’s portion, Tetzaveh, describes the burning of aromatic spices, or K’toret, as an important and normative practice for the Kohanim in the Mishkan, the priests in the Tabernacle.
Read MoreIsrael was created to be the Mishkan of God, the place where He dwells among the nations. Every time we announce the Good News of Yeshua to our people, we are working toward the restoration of His Mishkan. But there is another way to join this divine task.
Read MoreSlavery, as in this week’s parasha, is not simply old news. In fact, all of us are slaves. The Bible says it, and Bob Dylan sang it years ago: “It might be the Devil or it might be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody.”
Read MoreMuch of the biblical text recounts pitfalls and bad relationships that serve as examples of what not to do. This week's portion gives us a welcome respite from that trend in showcasing the relationship between Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro.
Read MoreThis week’s parasha, Beshalach, is one of the most dramatic and inspiring portions in the Torah. It tells of Israel’s miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea — a moment when all seemed lost, and yet, through divine intervention, salvation came.
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