Darash Chai - Seek Life!

As we move through the “legal” portions of Deuteronomy, we have discovered that the order of the commands is not random, even though it might seem like it. Rather, these chapters of Deuteronomy serve as real world examples of just

As we begin to move through the upcoming “legal” portions of Deuteronomy, we will discover that the order of the commands is not random, even though it might seem like it. Rather, the upcoming chapters of Deuteronomy serve as real

In Hebrews 4:2 we read that the same gospel that was taught by the apostles was brought to Israel in the wilderness as well. Here in Deuteronomy, as we enter into the expansion of the Ten Words as presented in

In Hebrews 4:2 we read that the same gospel that was taught by the apostles was brought to Israel in the wilderness as well. Here in Deuteronomy, as we enter into the expansion of the Ten Words as presented in

In Hebrews 4:2 we read that the same gospel that was taught by the apostles was brought to Israel in the wilderness as well. Here in Deuteronomy, as we enter into the expansion of the Ten Words as presented in

In Hebrews 4:2 we read that the same gospel that was taught by the apostles was brought to Israel in the wilderness as well. Here in Deuteronomy, as we enter into the expansion of the Ten Words as presented in

We have a problem when we read the Bible. We are modern people and the Bible was not written to us. The Bible was written to an ancient people. People who did not think or act in the same ways

Deuteronomy as a whole paints a picture of a kingdom. A vast kingdom with a Suzerain or a high king, and with each person being a vassal king in their own right. But a kingdom doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

Here at the beginning of Deuteronomy we read what could be called the historical prologue of a Suzerain Vassal treaty. Last week we saw how Israel sabotaged themselves on their journey to the land. In this parsha we read of

The book of Deuteronomy takes the form of a Suzerain Vassal treaty. An ancient document that is laid out in a very distinct and recognizable way. This treaty outlines the relationship between a Suzerain of High King and the kings

As we close out the book of Numbers we discover a new class of people that God provides for and cares for. A class of people that are not vulnerable in the classical sense, such as the widow, orphan, or

On the east side of the Jordan, before the conquest, a challenge suddenly presents itself. Two tribes have decided that they do not want to proceed. They are happy where they currently sit and the land to the east is

Nothing bores us more in scripture than endless lists of various sorts, and in this chapter we encounter a list that is unique in scripture. A list of place names that Israel passed through on their journeys in the wilderness.

On the east side of the Jordan two tribes approach Moses and they ask for a favor. They desire to settle on the east side of the Jordan and not enter into the land of promise. They desire for their

Once again in the course of Numbers we find a series of chapters and seem completely disconnected from each other. The text shifts from the topic of holidays and sacrifice from last week to keeping vows and then a military

Once again in the book of Numbers we find a section of text that seems completely disconnected from the things that surround it. Two chapters on sacrifice and the Biblical holidays. A bunch of stuff that we simply don’t connect

Once again, here at the end of Numbers the text gets boring. And here near the beginning of the end we encounter a sequence of snippets that once again seem disconnected from each other. But once again, when we take a step back from the text and examine the themes of that are under discussion we discover that there is a unified theme that spans each of these segments. A theme that highlights what is coming soon. A theme of inheritance.

Zeal for God and for His ways is something that every believer is to seek. And zeal can lead us to a place where we hate the wrong and love the right. But all too often, we misplace our zeal. We become zealous without proper understanding, or for the wrong things. And this zeal, when misapplied, becomes dangerous to those around us. Misapplied zeal can lead us to destruction of innocent brothers and sisters. It can lead us to a false sense of humility. We must learn to be zealous, but what exactly are we to be zealous about, and how are we to apply it?

When Balaam looks over the masses of Israel he is intent on cursing them. Doing so will lead to his personal enrichment and elevation in honor and status. But Balaam is limited in his role. He is only able to speak what God tells him to say, and God has no intention of cursing Israel. And so the words that Balaam speaks over Israel are instead blessings. And yet by the end of the passage, Israel ends up cursed anyway. Why? What went wrong?

The story of Balaam and the talking donkey is one of the more popular Sunday School stories in the Bible. We are all enamored by the oddity of an animal that speaks to this odd man. And once again we get caught in the trap of another Bible story. We focus on the oddity and in doing so we miss out on something that is of much more value than a supernaturally vocal jackass.