1000 Verses – a project of Judaism Resources

Deuteronomy 17:3 and the Bedrock of Existence

Throughout the Scriptures, God warns us against idolatry. The fact that Scripture repeats these warnings again and again leaves us with no doubt that idolatry is the most grievous sin towards God imaginable.

What is idolatry? How do the Scriptures define this sin?

In Deuteronomy 17:3, the worship of idols is described as “that which I have not commanded”. The same concept appears in Exodus 32:8, Deuteronomy 4:23 and Deuteronomy 13:6.

The concept is simple. God commanded us to worship Him and Him alone. Any worship that God did not command us, is by definition, idolatry.

Most of the commandments of the Torah were relayed to the people of Israel through the medium of Moses (Deuteronomy 4:14). The commandment against idolatry is different. When it comes to this critical commandment, God did not rely on the agency of Moses to impart this law…

Response to Line of Fire 11

In his February 7 2013 radio show Dr. Brown takes issue with a presentation by Julius Ciss; Director of the Canadian branch of Jews for Judaism.

Julius’s presentation is simple and straightforward. He explains that the reason that Jews cannot accept Jesus as the Messiah is because he did not fulfill the requirements of the Messiah as described by the prophets. The prophets spoke of the ingathering of the Jewish exile back to the land of Israel where the Messiah will reign over a united Israel in their ancient homeland. The prophets spoke of a rebuilt Temple during the reign of the Messiah. The prophets spoke of an era of universal peace in the times of the Messiah. The prophets speak of Israel observing the Law of Moses in the Messianic era. The prophets described the Messianic era as a time when all the…

The Totality of Scripture

Judaism and Christianity are two different belief systems. They differ from each other on foundational issues such as the identity of God and atonement from sin. Yet these two disparate belief systems point to the same Jewish Bible as a fundamental element of their respective faiths. The doctrines of Judaism and Christianity are diametrical opposites, yet the proponents of both sides of the argument find encouragement in the pages of the same book.

It is obvious that only one of these belief systems can be reading the book correctly. The adherents of one faith are following the true intent of the Divine Author, while the adherents of the other faith must be misusing the book.

There are two methods we can use to determine which of these two belief systems is following the true intent of the Author. We can either focus on the details, or…

Red Flags

The Christian missionary is in essence encouraging a transaction. He is asking you to give the devotion of your heart to Jesus and in return he is promising you a service in the after-life – “eternal salvation”.

When someone encourages you to commit yourself to a transaction, you look out for “red flags” – warning signs that something may be amiss with the transaction that is being offered. The purpose of this article is to help you see the red flags inherent in the missionary presentation.

Christian missionaries claim that Jesus entered the world to reverse the effects of Adam’s sin (Romans5:19). The missionary contends that when Adam sinned, all of mankind was condemned to eternal hell and those who direct their devotion to Jesus are saved from this punishment.

Here is the red flag. If you read the Bible (Genesis 3:1-24), you will not find the…

Defeatist Propaganda

One of the methods that can be used to overcome an opposing force is to sow seeds of despair and hopelessness in the hearts of those who would otherwise fight. If the invader can discourage and demoralize the defending army and convince them that their fight is doomed to fail then the invader will probably win.

The same defeatist propaganda can be used to encourage someone to enter into an adulterous relationship. If the seducer can convince the victim that their spouse is a demanding perfectionist and that they can never be perfect enough for him or her then the victim is that much more likely to fall into the trap of a destructive relationship.

The masters of persuasion have employed this tool of defeatist propaganda in their effort to discourage a direct relationship with God and to encourage a destructive relationship with Jesus. Paul argues that…

The Historical Jesus and the Historicity of the Christian Scriptures

Much ink has been expended in the effort to uncover the historical Jesus. The questions abound. Was Jesus a radical revolutionary against the oppressive Roman Empire or was he a pacifist who decried the use of force? Was Jesus an imposter or was he a messenger from on high? Was he a prophet or was he a deluded dreamer? What theology did Jesus preach? Did he preach a Trinity or did he advocate a pure monotheistic faith?

All of these arguments center on the work of literature that is known as the Christian Scripture. It is in this set of books that the character and the history of Jesus are depicted. This series of books brings a new set of questions to the discussion. Who authored these books? When were these books authored? Was there another document that preceded these…

Ramifications of Shema IV – Isaiah 41:10

In the Shema we declare that the Lord is our God. What do we mean when we say that God is “ours”? Is the Lord not God over all of creation? How is it appropriate to use such possessive language in relation to God?

In previous articles we have explored one connotation that is inherent in our declaration that the Lord is our God. We presented the concept that as Jews we trust in no other power aside from the one Creator of heaven and earth. We acknowledge that no being or force has the ability to harm us or to bring us benefit aside from the One Creator. In this sense we would translate the words “our God” as “the Power that we trust in”.

There is yet another connotation to the possessive terminology that connects us to God. This connotation is…

Pillars of Faith

The Scripture uses various words to speak of the commandments of the Torah. One of the terms that is used to refer to the commandments is the word: “edut” = testimony. In a certain sense all of the commandments can be referred to as “edut” because they all testify to the basic truth that God is our Father and King and that we are His children and servants who received His Law through Moses. But certain specific commandments stand out in that they are witnesses to specific truths that serve as the bedrock of our faith.

The concept of an observance serving as a witness goes to the heart of the commandments. One of the underlying themes of the commandments is the sanctity that they infuse into our lives, and through us, into the world around us. Thinking of the concept that the commandment represents, or even…