I don't know if this is meaningful to anyone else. But as I read your article, I was examining myself and my position in the Kingdom. I have realized that I spent my entire life (after I met the Lord) walking "before" the Lord. I thought I was doing a pretty good job, but it disturbed me that my positions were and are so unusual in the church. Good fruit was sparse.
After the past six and a half years of intense discipline and discipleship from my Messiah, I now find that I am only comfortable walking "with" Him. My own efforts "before" Him were pure kaka. I have become very suspect of my ideas and efforts. What a joy it is to be able to relax in fellowship "with" Him.
In this context, walking before God doesn't mean getting ahead of Him. It means living every part of your life consciously in His presence, with integrity, trust, and accountability. Abraham wasn't called to outrun God. He was called to walk where God could see every step. The Hebrew word lifnei ("before") often means "in the presence of."
Job was also described as 'tamim'. And he argued with (or towards) God a lot more than Abraham. Yet, God concluded that Job spoke rightly about him, unlike the other three. There was something substantively different about Job - his knowledge of God, his relationship with God, that set him apart from the others. In the end, he became their priest and received their sacrifices (God seemingly put their destinies in Job's hand).
Your writings always find a way to connect. It allows me to take off my Hebrew language teaching hat and just absorb what you write as a student of it. Thank you for that.
I feel so honored for you to say that. Not only as a Hebrew teacher but a native Israeli and native Hebrew speaker! Your teaching is amazing and I have learned more so far than I did in my graduate classes!! So I love when something I write connects.
I can see why so many others subscribe to you and follow along. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share from my perspective while seeing it from yours 💙🙏🏻
Love this. Especially the thought ‘an invitation not an insult’. We humans spend so much time overtly or subconsciously comparing ourselves to those we know and now those in the public eye. The physical attributes we have or don’t. It’s unhealthy. But so hard to shed the practice. Then there is the spiritual comparison. Could it be competitive? Ugh. So the nut of your writing hits square where it should. The personal. It’s transactional. It’s our relationship to and with Holy Lord. It’s our journey with Him in this slice of time. Selah
Yes, "transactional" is such a precise word for it! That one-on-one exchange with Yeshua is unlike anything we have with another person, which is exactly why comparison doesn't even have a category there. It's our journey, our slice of time, our covenant.
You are so right! Unlike any human relationship. We can only try to replicate a little. But we’ll never touch how generous He is to us. Then, I start thinking of how He is able to have this with each and every one of us. And my mind is so blown.
Oh, that means so much! I love knowing the Word is stirring something in you, because that's exactly what it's supposed to do. Yeshua said the truth sets us free, and I think that process starts with a good question we can't shake.
thank you. I love all your work and your writing. You make the Old Testament relevant and engaging, which is always the goal. Especially if we want a right understanding of the New Testament. ☺️
Just a question, what's the difference between Enoch Noah's grandfather who walked with God so God took him? Enoch also had greater revelations than Noah, if you've ever read his book. The chief thing that Noah did was he believed God's prophecy. Earth's destruction by water. Noah and Abraham are alike in this sense, they believed God and it was reckoned to them as righteousness. Tzazid. I liked your definition of blameless, it helps me understand NT.
The distinction I'd draw is that Enoch's walk was taken "up", while Noah's walk was worked "out" in the middle of a corrupt generation, which is what makes his faith so remarkable. You're spot on that both Noah and Abraham model the same pattern, trusting God's Word before they could see the outcome, and that trust being counted as righteousness. So glad the definition of blameless landed for you!
I don't know if this is meaningful to anyone else. But as I read your article, I was examining myself and my position in the Kingdom. I have realized that I spent my entire life (after I met the Lord) walking "before" the Lord. I thought I was doing a pretty good job, but it disturbed me that my positions were and are so unusual in the church. Good fruit was sparse.
After the past six and a half years of intense discipline and discipleship from my Messiah, I now find that I am only comfortable walking "with" Him. My own efforts "before" Him were pure kaka. I have become very suspect of my ideas and efforts. What a joy it is to be able to relax in fellowship "with" Him.
In this context, walking before God doesn't mean getting ahead of Him. It means living every part of your life consciously in His presence, with integrity, trust, and accountability. Abraham wasn't called to outrun God. He was called to walk where God could see every step. The Hebrew word lifnei ("before") often means "in the presence of."
I guess I misunderstood. Mea culpa. What you just described is how I am living now.
Job was also described as 'tamim'. And he argued with (or towards) God a lot more than Abraham. Yet, God concluded that Job spoke rightly about him, unlike the other three. There was something substantively different about Job - his knowledge of God, his relationship with God, that set him apart from the others. In the end, he became their priest and received their sacrifices (God seemingly put their destinies in Job's hand).
Very true!!
Your writings always find a way to connect. It allows me to take off my Hebrew language teaching hat and just absorb what you write as a student of it. Thank you for that.
I feel so honored for you to say that. Not only as a Hebrew teacher but a native Israeli and native Hebrew speaker! Your teaching is amazing and I have learned more so far than I did in my graduate classes!! So I love when something I write connects.
I can see why so many others subscribe to you and follow along. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share from my perspective while seeing it from yours 💙🙏🏻
Todah rabah, chaverti! 💙
Love this. Especially the thought ‘an invitation not an insult’. We humans spend so much time overtly or subconsciously comparing ourselves to those we know and now those in the public eye. The physical attributes we have or don’t. It’s unhealthy. But so hard to shed the practice. Then there is the spiritual comparison. Could it be competitive? Ugh. So the nut of your writing hits square where it should. The personal. It’s transactional. It’s our relationship to and with Holy Lord. It’s our journey with Him in this slice of time. Selah
Yes, "transactional" is such a precise word for it! That one-on-one exchange with Yeshua is unlike anything we have with another person, which is exactly why comparison doesn't even have a category there. It's our journey, our slice of time, our covenant.
You are so right! Unlike any human relationship. We can only try to replicate a little. But we’ll never touch how generous He is to us. Then, I start thinking of how He is able to have this with each and every one of us. And my mind is so blown.
I always look forward to reading your articles! They are so informative and always give me something to think about.
Oh, that means so much! I love knowing the Word is stirring something in you, because that's exactly what it's supposed to do. Yeshua said the truth sets us free, and I think that process starts with a good question we can't shake.
I love learning about it! And also sharing my thoughts, as well. ☺️
thank you. I love all your work and your writing. You make the Old Testament relevant and engaging, which is always the goal. Especially if we want a right understanding of the New Testament. ☺️
Thank you so much!!
Just a question, what's the difference between Enoch Noah's grandfather who walked with God so God took him? Enoch also had greater revelations than Noah, if you've ever read his book. The chief thing that Noah did was he believed God's prophecy. Earth's destruction by water. Noah and Abraham are alike in this sense, they believed God and it was reckoned to them as righteousness. Tzazid. I liked your definition of blameless, it helps me understand NT.
The distinction I'd draw is that Enoch's walk was taken "up", while Noah's walk was worked "out" in the middle of a corrupt generation, which is what makes his faith so remarkable. You're spot on that both Noah and Abraham model the same pattern, trusting God's Word before they could see the outcome, and that trust being counted as righteousness. So glad the definition of blameless landed for you!
I love, love, love this!