Five Books that Changed My Understanding of Scripture

A question I frequently am asked is what Hebraic Bible studies I would recommend. I don't know of one in the traditional fill-in-the-blank sense. And I also don't know of many quick articles that will cause lots of people to do a 180 in how they think. But I do know several books that have changed my perception of Scripture.

It's amazing that different people can read the same passage of Scripture and arrive at completely opposite conclusions. I used to read Galatians and think that the instructions were bad, so hallelujah we are free from them. But honestly as I worked on the Hebraic Perspective on Galatians post I would read through the book and struggle to see where mainstream Christianity gets any of that argument. Same words, different understanding. 

Proverbs 31 is another example of this. That's a passage I read through a hundred times as the resume for a perfect woman or a to-do list for someone like myself. And it was discouraging to know I always fell short of that. But that's not how it's meant at all! Proverbs 31 lists the deeds of many women. Reading it with this understanding is empowering, because I see that YHWH is honored both by women who are early risers and those who stay up late--so I can serve him with my life without trying to do it all. Same words, very different understanding.

Tiny shifts like this can make all the difference. The books below have all shifted my perception of Scripture. Not that I necessarily agree with everything the authors and their related ministries have to say. But something switched on internally when I learned about Scripture in a way that is different than what I had always thought.

Five books that changed my understanding of Scripture:

Restoring The Two Houses of Israel by Eddie Chumney
You can click here to read this online for free.
Did you know that there are two houses of Israel? For the longest time I did not, and I would confusedly try and make sense of the switches from the Kingdom of Israel to the Kingdom of Judah in Kings and Chronicles. This truth the book covers flips on the lights for so many passages of Scripture, from the two witnesses in Revelation to the two sticks of Ezekiel 37. Biblical scholar Edward Hine is quoted to say that not making this distinction keeps you in the dark on 7/8 of Scripture!

Guardian Angel by Skip Moen
This book has a crazy amount of insight into male and female relations! From a Hebrew perspective Moen shows that the Creator intends for women to be spiritual leaders, protectors, and providers. While the focus is women, he also covers men's rolls and expectations according to Scripture. I would highly recommend this book to anyone but especially to those preparing for marriage or to anyone who has been told their female gender means they can't be ministers or leaders.

Aramaic English New Testament by Andrew Gabriel Roth
This is a version of the New Testament and it comes with commentary on a variety of subjects, including Shabbat, the twelve tribes, 'A Prophet like Moshe', 'How much Torah do Christians already keep?' and more.

The Seven Festivals of the Messiah by Eddie Chumney
This is also available to read for free online.
This is one of the first places I learned about the Biblical holidays. I appreciate that Chumney shares prophetic significance of each set apart time as well as practical ideas for celebration. He does share many Jewish traditions for each holiday; while I don't think anything is inherently wrong most of those traditions it is important to always make the distinction between what Scripture actually says and what man has come up with. 

Back to the Melchizedek Future by Dr. David Perry
Available as a free ebook here.
This book is so helpful in understanding the priesthood of the Messiah. Melchizedek makes an appearance to Abraham in Genesis 14, and doesn't get expressly mentioned again until Psalm 110, so it is all too easy to overlook the significance of this priesthood and it's ramifications for us today. I don't think it would be possible to read this book and then read Hebrews the same way.

Recommending these books does not mean that I agree fully with everything the authors have to say or the ministries they may be associated with. Please always use discernment and make sure that what any author or pastor or teacher says is consistent with the whole of Scripture.

Are there any books you would add to this list?

A Hebraic Perspective on Galatians

Galatians may well be the most misunderstood book in Scripture. When I was first learning about Torah observance and the Hebrew faith, the idea of keeping the commandments would make sense...and then I would read Galatians and get very confused. It seems to go against so much of Scripture doesn't it? Passages are often pulled out of this book to say that we no longer need to follow YHWH's instructions. But Scripture doesn't contradict itself! Having a better perspective on this book will help us to see how it fits with all of the Word.

This post will help you to learn the meaning of Galatians and better understand its main points. It will also help you study this part of the Bible!

There are a few things to remember when we read Galatians: 

-This is not meant to be read on its own but in conjunction with the rest of the Bible. Meaning, it needs to fit with what the rest of Scripture says.

-Most translations fail to distinguish between the commandments for how we are to live (love your neighbor, honor the Sabbath day, eat what Scripture permits, do not steal or murder, etc.), from the laws regarding the Levitical priesthood and the sacrificial system, confusingly lumping them together as "law" or "Torah." Making a distinction sheds so much light on this book!

-Paul is not writing about all the commandments in Scripture but rather hones in on circumcision and animal sacrifice.

-This was written by Paul and Scripture says that his writings are often hard to understand and end up twisted (2 Peter 3:16). It is unrealistic to think that a quick, cursory reading of an English translation will lead us to the proper meaning of this passage when Scripture warns us that it is difficult to understand. Take time to study and search out the true meaning of this misunderstood book.

Because I come from a Christian background, I have heard so many times that Galatians says that we are set free from the pointless and burdensome instructions of our Creator. These are some of the verses that used to confuse me. Let's take a closer look to see what Scripture really is saying in these passages.

Addressing 'problem verses':

Titus was not compelled to be circumcised. -Galatians 2:3
This verse is talking about circumcision and does not mean that Titus wasn't compelled to follow other commandments in Scripture. Circumcision is a weighty topic and one that we won't fully delve into in this article. Remember that Paul did encourage Timothy to be circumcised later and we have no evidence of either of them or Paul disregarding Scripture's instructions in other areas.

Peter was at fault for separating himself from Gentiles. -Galatians 2:11
Peter was at fault because the Bible doesn't say he should do this. The idea of separating from Gentiles is a man-made Jewish idea, not something found in Torah. Which is why verse 12 expressly mentions that he withdrew from Gentile believers because of fear of others. He was fearing man's traditions and rules (Judaism's laws in this case) in place of YHWH, which is what Paul called him out for.

"Why would you compel a Gentile to live as a Jew?" -Galatians 2:14
It's important to realize that Paul no longer sees his faith as part of Judaism (in 1:13 he says that Judaism was his former way of life). So yeah, why would he expect Gentiles to live as Jews who observe literally thousands of rules not found in Scripture? The context of this alongside his rebuke of Peter keeping Jewish law tells us that Paul does not think believers should follow Jewish law, but he's not saying that all believers shouldn't keep YHWH's commandments.

"Man is not declared right by works of Torah." -Galatians 2:16 
We should look at this verse from the perspective of, "Man is not declared right by animal sacrifices." This fits with Hebrews 10:4 which tells us it is impossible for animal blood to take away our sins. But even if we look at it from the perspective that we aren't saved by keeping the commandments perfectly, there is no contradiction here. Salvation is a free gift given to those who believe, regardless of my ability to serve him perfectly. However, our actions should reflect our faith!

"Through the Torah, I died to Torah." -Galatians 2:19
An easier to understand rendering of this verse would be, "Through Scripture, I died to the Levitical priesthood." It's significant that Paul says through Torah or through Scripture, because he can see that the change from the Levitical priesthood back to the Melchizedek is something that Scripture teaches. He says he is dead to the system of animal sacrifice because it can no longer do anything for him.

"If righteousness is through Torah, then Messiah died for nothing." -Galatians 2:21
This isn't discrediting the Torah but rather speaking a quite obvious truth. If we didn't need the Messiah for salvation, then what was the point in his being killed? If the Levitical sacrificial system was all we needed then that would have been an easy decision for YHWH to continue that rather than subject the Messiah to torture and murder.

"Does the Spirit come by works of Torah or by belief?" -Galatians 3:2
Did the Levitical system lead to an outpouring of the Holy Spirit? It did not, simply because the Levitical system is the not the fullness or best of YHWH's plan for mankind. That is not an insult to the Levitical temple, but an admonishment that our faith shouldn't stop there. 

You need belief to be a son of Abraham. -Galatians 3:7
This fits with what we know about who Hebrews really are. It's not about your bloodline, it's about placing your faith in the Messiah and serving him as Scripture teaches.

"Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the Torah." -Galatians 3:10
Would Paul have bothered bringing this up if he thought we shouldn't keep any of the commandments and were off the hook of being cursed? I don't think so, and his phrasing is quite telling...he expects believers to have a question about doing 'part' of the Torah instructions because he expected them to follow the commandments given in the Book of the Covenant, without keeping the Levitical Temple system in effect. If it weren't for the Messiah, we would be cursed by not participating in the Levitical system. But now we have the Messiah and he set us free from the curse that comes from stopping Temple sacrifices.

"No one is declared right by the Torah." -Galatians 3:11
You can't sacrifice enough animals to be declared right. The blood of animals does not take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). That's not an insult to the Levitical priesthood, merely an admission that Yahusha's blood is superior. And of course we aren't declared right by our works either, but that doesn't mean YHWH doesn't want us to live a certain way. 

"Torah that came 430 years later does not annul a previous Covenant." -Galatians 3:17
Did you know that most of the commandments for how to live were given before the Levitical priesthood was established? Instructions on the Sabbath, the set apart times, and clean eating were all spoken of well before the Israelites wandered in the desert. Those things aren't annulled or done away with because of the change in the priesthood. This sentence shows us that Scripture makes a distinction of the commandments for how to live and the commandments for the Levitical system. They are not inextricably linked together. This also tells us that the "Two Torahs" are both from Scripture, and Paul is not talking about the oral law (Judaism's man made rules).

This Torah was added because of transgressions... -Galatians 3:19
Added is a key word here. What was the Levitical system and animal sacrifice added to? The instructions YHWH had already given on how to live! Transgressions here is talking about the sin of the golden calf.

"...until the Seed should come to those this promise was made to." -Galatians 3:19
Until the Messiah comes! The Levitical sacrifices were made until the Messiah. This passage is talking about animal sacrifice and circumcision, but Paul is not saying that the rest of the instructions were just until the Messiah. We see the Messiah and his followers (Paul included) keeping the Torah throughout the New Testament.

The Torah is not against the promises of YHWH. -Galatians 3:21
Meaning that his instructions go with his promises. You don't throw out the instructions to get to the promises.

Yahusha was born under Levitical law. -Galatians 4:4
Messiah was born when the Levitical system was still in operation, in order to redeem those who were under this priesthood. This is both a statement of fact (that the Temple was running when he was born), and a reminder that he comes to us where we are.

Becoming enslaved again...observing Gentile ritual days. -Galatians 4:10
Please see that this passage is about turning back to cultural holidays and man-made traditions, not about keeping the Biblical set apart times! Verse 9 talks about turning away from YHWH. Would it make more sense to view celebrating a feast of Scripture as turning away from the Living God, or turning to man-made holidays with roots in paganism as turning away from the Creator?

Two covenants: free woman/slave woman allegory. -Galatians 4:24
Take note that these women are from Abraham's time, including the free woman. The Melchizedek priesthood was in effect during Abraham's time, while the Levitical system didn't come into place until hundreds of years later. YHWH's intention was always for his people to have the free woman covenant, but that covenant was rejected by Israel at the sin of the golden calf. The Messiah's sacrifice restores us to the original free woman covenant, including the many commandments on how we are to live such as celebrating the Biblical holidays, not consuming animals that Scripture doesn't permit, and honoring the Sabbath day.

Messiah has made us free from the yoke of slavery. -Galatians 5:1
True freedom only comes from the Messiah. And going back to the allegory of the free woman and the slave woman, the Levitical priesthood is the slave woman. Yahusha set us free from having to sacrifice animals.

Declaring yourself right by animal sacrifices severs you from the Messiah. -Galatians 5:4
Yes, saying that your sins are covered because of an animal sacrifice is deeply insulting to the Messiah! But that's what severs you from him; note that this verse doesn't say, "Honoring the Sabbath day severs you from Messiah," or "Keeping the commandments cuts you off." 

"Do not use freedom as an occasion for the flesh." -Galatians 5:13
Freedom and forgiveness don't make it wise to live foolishly. The Messiah didn't set us free from sin so that we can do whatever we want without consequence.

"The entire Torah is completed in one word, love your neighbor as yourself." -Galatians 5:14
This is a summary of the instructions we are supposed to be keeping. Think of it as the description on the back of a book - here's what it's about, see inside for more.

"If you are lead by the Spirit, you are not under Torah." -Galatians 5:18
A better rendering of this would be that if we are being lead by the Spirit, we won't return to the Levitical system of animal sacrifice. The Holy Spirit accepts Yahusha's blood offering as superior to the blood of bulls and goats and will not lead you to resume animal sacrifice. This verse is not saying that the Holy Spirit would lead us away from the word of YHWH or his instructions. Paul has just spoken on the Torah telling us to love our neighbor, it would make no sense for him to mean 'Torah' in the same context here...if you are lead by the Spirit you won't love your neighbor? That doesn't fit at all with Scripture.

Galatians doesn't have to be confusing. The Creator wants you to understand this important book and see that it truly does not contradict the rest of Scripture, and it doesn't bad-mouth it either. The Word of YHWH is seamless and by taking the time to study the Hebraic perspective of the writer we can see that this book doesn't tell us to throw away the commandments.

Related posts:
Comparing the Melchizedek and Levitical Priesthoods
Why We Don't Sacrifice Animals

Diligently Guarding the Commandments

Let's talk about diligence today...recently I read one of the worst books I have ever read. It was tremendously awful.

The story was about a Christian couple who decides to implement the Sabbath day into their lives, but not once do they mention turning to Scripture see what it says about the Sabbath or how it should be honored. They had a rough idea about this but really fell short when it came to diligence.

They spent a lot of time on articles, read books (from other religions) on the Sabbath, and conduct Facebook polls but they don't turn to the Word! Because they don't turn to truth they are left with a confused muddle of an idea on how to honor Shabbat. They shuffle around days they observe it, or skip it altogether, according to what fits best in their schedules. Their Sabbath day activities range from work meetings to family time at home to grocery shopping to going to carnivals. Sometimes they have work to do or do yard work. They schedule other commitments on the Sabbath, and then just "start later." It wasn't surprising that they weren't overjoyed with the production and at the end of the book they weren't sure if they would continue to honor the Sabbath.

Honoring the Sabbath day is a key ingredient to having more peace and joy, and of course to pleasing the Creator. This couple had that ingredient, so what went wrong? It was when they stopped at the idea of the Sabbath day, and brushed aside the details. They had a rough idea of the importance of a day of rest, but the instructions were not guarded.

"Diligently guard the commandments of Torah." -Joshua 22:5

What does diligence mean to you? Is it paying attention to seemingly insignificant details? Is it being consistent? Is it putting time and energy into this effort? Is it showing great care for this task of guarding the commandments? 

Having diligence can make or break a task...if you were following a recipe would it be a good idea to be diligent about it or would you just haphazardly do what you want and hope things come out correctly? Would you say salt and sugar look enough alike that you can sub one for the other? You could have a perfect cookie dough mixed up, but if you aren't diligent about checking the recipe for how long to bake them you could end up with burnt cookies and be very disappointed that this isn't the product the creator of the recipe promised. So often in recipe reviews you will see someone announce that they made some major changes in the recipe and that it turned out awful. If that's the case, the blame is on the one making the changes, not the one who made it.

We aren't just instructed to guard, but to guard diligently. Diligence with a recipe means you would do what it says. It would be totally unreasonable to expect a recipe to turn out like it's supposed to if you don't crack the eggs or turn on the stove. Same thing with Scripture's instructions, if we want the blessings that come with Sabbath then we need to do that how we are instructed. Be diligent with the details.

Get Outside this Shabbat

This article was also featured in Torah Sisters Magazine. Click here for the latest issue.

Are you looking for ways to make family memories this Summer? Or just wanting a peaceful way to spend the Sabbath day? Think about taking your lunch routine outside this Shabbat and soaking up that warm, and gorgeous sunshine! Personally I have a lot of happy memories of outdoor family meals and cookouts with friends. The change from the ordinary makes for a special time, and most people seem to be better able to relax outside. There is more room for play and the atmosphere is laid back. It's so restorative to be in the fresh air - doesn't enjoying a meal outdoors sound especially welcome for Shabbat? Additionally less cleanup is needed, because the grass is a lot more forgiving with spills than your kitchen floor. And the extra vitamin D from the sunshine brings health benefits, so head outside for some Sabbath joy this week.

Dining outside can be as simple as you'd like. It absolutely does not have to be a lot of hassle. A blanket on the ground and finger food is all you need for a fun time! You can enjoy your own backyard or head to a local park or beach area. Keep it simple and your family can have a great time. A few things to make it easy:

-If you're eating out on the patio have each family member carry their own place setting outside.
-For picnics away from home load everything into a basket to minimize trips to and from the car.
-Pack up dishes, silverware, napkins, and non perishables ahead of time so it's ready to go for Sabbath lunch.
-Pretty up your setting with a colorful tablecloth or blanket, or use patterned napkins or dishes.
-A statement piece like a bouquet of flowers or a menorah makes for an extra special atmosphere.
-Many parks offer picnic tables, shelter areas, drinking fountains, and playground equipment that you can take advantage of.
-Grab some throw pillows from your home to make it more comfortable.
-Mix it up by visiting different locations or even a different part of your local park.

If you're concerned about bugs there are several things you can do to set yourself up for success. Many pesky insects tend to stick to the twilight hours or prefer the shade. By heading out earlier in the day and staying in the sunlight that will keep a lot at bay. Very rarely do I have bug trouble around lunch, so that's a perfect time to get outside. Breeze works in your favor too and can really keep the bugs off. If you're at home you could easily set up a fan to mimic that effect. Plants like citronella, lavender, ageratum, rosemary, lemongrass, mint, and marigolds help to repel unwanted insects, so plant some where you like to spend time at home. Keep food (especially sweets) covered so ants and bees don't feel invited to help themselves. Of course don't forget to stick some natural insect repellant in your picnic basket, and when all else fails try a new location!

Since the Creator first placed mankind in a garden I don't think it's a coincidence that feelings of joy, peace, and contentment come from being in his Creation. Whether you have a picnic lunch, read Scripture in a hammock, go for a swim in the lake, or take a walk in the woods, take a moment to appreciate his amazing handiwork. Yahusha tells us that we should, "consider the lily." (Matthew 6:28) Depth and richness are added to us by seeing wildflowers grow. By getting outside and just noticing the things YHWH made we get to know him better. Now doesn't that sound like a perfect lunch?