Matthew! Thanks for the video! I’m currently an MA in Biblical Studies student with a focus in Hebrew and Semitics. I’ve found your channel to be super helpful. Looking forward for new content and the class!
Thanks for commenting! Love hearing from someone doing an MA in such a great program. Glad to have you along for the journey! What are you enjoying most from studying Hebrew and Semitics? I’m excited about our new venture with this class too!
I’ve completed year one of Hebrew and now am taking some more intermediate exegesis classes. I love how much more rich the Bible has become, now that I can start to interact with the language. I also begin Greek in the fall 😬
@1:49 Not true. Don't be a respecter of persons (translators). In Jeremiah 8:8-9 YHWH rebukes of the lying pens of the scribes! He then asks a question pertaining to "wisdom." "How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of YHWH is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made He it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of YHWH; and what wisdom is in them?" So there are nefarious scribes even this day in the Last Days! Matthew, You should be careful to not be so politically correct, you should be worried there are nefarious scribes out there, the majority of scribes, "believers," christians are heretics.... this is how it has always been. You should have more discretion! Best Regards! Nick
A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. So if you think it was inappropriate for the God of Moses to instruct the descendents of Israel to kill every man, woman and child of several Cananite "nations" (tribes), I can respect you and your opinion even while my view differs from yours. To people who think of the book of Exodus as just a made up story, my rationale doesn't make much sense but, if a person takes the first twenty chapters of that book anywhere nearly literally, it is clear that the God of Moses is entirely different from the other gods that were worshiped at that point in time (fifteenth century B.C?). I don't know why the God of Moses didn't just just kill the Cananites himself. I could speculate but I'll let others do the speculating. I believe every human has free will and the God of Moses wants to "save" (justify, sanctify and glorify) as many humans as possible. The only humans he can't save are those who persist in sin in spite of any evidence that it is destructive. When an entire society not only persists in sin but celebrates it, the God of Moses sometimes acts to prevent open rebellion from infecting the entire human race. He did so in Noah's day and the conquest of Canan is another example of entire groups of people who had made a final choice to persist in rebellion. The God of Moses has an adversary who was created perfect but who inexplicably chose to rebel. I believe Adam and Eve "sold out" to that enemy and that he has been "the god of this world" ever since, i.e. Adam and Eve forfeited their "dominion" to Satan...the opposer. In worshiping their gods of wood and stone, the Cananites were indirectly worshiping Satan. Your question, however, raises another one, namely, how to tell when it is appropriate for any people to undertake the genocide of another group of people. My answer is that the theocracy of ancient Israel ended no later than when Solomon died (tenth century B.C?). Since that time, it has never been appropriate for any religious or political leader or any group of people to use coercion with regard to religious beliefs, practices or prohibitions. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." Someday, he will rule the entire universe including this planet but not by political means. Because he can only rule by love, he cannot approve of his followers using coercion. His rule will be universal only after he returns to resurrect the people who have died in faith and take living believers with him to the mansions he has gone to prepare.
@@Lilly2Gbtg My wife and I are United States citizens now living in Scotland. We know a bit about reformation history but we admit to not knowing as much about trends in Scotland as what we know about trends in the U.S. My wife’s father’s side of the family were Scottish so she understands the version of English spoken by our neighbors in Scotland. I’m trying to learn. The Constitution of the United States was conceived and ratified by people who were very much aware of the history of atrocities committed in Europe in the name of Jesus and the religious prohibitions the seventeenth century puritans in New England had imposed on everyone in “their” colonies, again in the name of Jesus. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison were far from unanimous in their interpretation of the evidence (and most of them would not be considered “Christians” by twenty-first century “evangelicals”) but all of them seem to have been dedicated to finding a way to minimize the danger of religious conflict in the fledgling United States. In that sense, at least, they seem to have been dedicated to the kind of peacemaking Jesus advocated and demonstrated. Professed “Christians” in the United States are currently involved in a kind of “cold war”, one side being dedicated to a very different vision than the other side regarding what it even means to be “Christian”, each side willing - eager, even - to use civil government to impose their beliefs and practices and prohibitions on everybody else, regardless of their religious views. This next question is rhetorical. Where are the peacemakers? Even if I lean to one side on some political issues and to the other side on some other issues, I think I’m obligated to at least try to find ways to compromise on at least SOME issues. Most of the “Christians” on both sides in this conflict consider themselves traditionalists. Both sides wish to revive the tradition of depending on government agents (the puritans called them “magistrates”) to enforce their religious prohibitions. Both sides want to help victims of foreign wars and victims of poverty in the United States. One side does that with their own resources. The other side does it with other people’s money. Both sides want to use the public education system to promote their vision. One side wants to protect their vision of the United States as a conservative “Christian” nation. The other side wants to protect their vision of magnanimity. One side wants the government to prohibit abortion. The other side wants the government to prohibit the use of fossil fuels. Our lifestyle is such that many people assume we are “conservatives” with regard to both religion and politics. Our views aren’t identical but we see both Judaism and what most people call “Christianity” as based more on traditions than on principles, i.e. we think of the teachings of Jesus as the true continuation of the beliefs and practices of the Hebrew patriarchs. Two thousand years ago, most of the Hebrews wanted and expected a political messiah. If they had taken Jesus’ advice about how to co-exist with the Romans, I think the temple in Jerusalem would still be standing today. Alas, the majority of Hebrews subscribed (succumbed?) to the “oral traditions” of the majority of the rabbis. In the twenty-first century, most “Christians” want and expect a political messiah. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews:...”. People on both sides of the culture wars will find out too late that accepting a political messiah is the worst mistake they ever made.
This is so well put that I took screenshots. I agree with every single word. What’s going on would be more frightening than it is if I didn’t follow Christ! Yes, here they are looking for man-made solutions on both sides. It’s not going to end well, I’m afraid. There is a massive amount of ignorance in the church as to what is truly Biblical and what are the “precepts of men.” They are what I think of as superficial Christians. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth but I don’t think he will if we are not truly serious about our walk with Christ and truly taking up our cross daily. If you don’t mind answering, how are things in Scotland?
@@Lilly2Gbtg My screen shows your nice compliment to me yesterday and your equally enthusiastic agreement of today but not what I posted on this comment thread yesterday. I don’t know why anyone would want to “take it down” but, as long as you keep expressing appreciation for what I post, I guess I’ll keep trying to do that. It wasn’t until the 1970s that I realized that there were at least four different methods professed “Christians” were using to interpret the Bible in general and Bible prophecies in particular. If you aren’t acquainted with at least some of those different methods, more about which on request but the following are some questions people can use to help them decide which method(s) to use (or which eschatological system to espouse). Was the prophecy of Jonah conditional? Did either God or Jonah say it was conditional? If Jonah’s prophecy was conditional, is it likely that SOME other Bible prophecies were (or are) also conditional? (See also the entire 28th chapter of Deuteronomy and the first ten verses of Jeremiah 18.) Was the gospel preached to Abraham? (Galatians 3:8) If Christians are people who have faith in the Messiah, were Abraham and other Hebrew patriarchs and prophets Christians by that definition? Were some of the restoration prophecies fulfilled after the Babylonian captivity in the sixth century B.C.? Who will inherit what was promised to Abraham? (Galatians 3:29) For further study, see also Romans 11 and the rest of Galatians 3. What is represented by the olive tree in Romans 11? Israel? The Church? Both? It is true that, beginning at the Exodus and ending after the reign of Solomon, there was a nation of Israel. After the division of the kingdom, did the promises to Israel apply to the northern kingdom (which continued to be called “Israel”)? Or did they apply to the southern kingdom of Judah? Who (or what) is the “holy nation” mentioned in I Peter 2:9? Is that the same as the olive tree of Romans 11? Based on Romans 4:1 & 2, is it likely that, before Jesus returns, a higher percentage of Hebrews than non-Hebrews will consider the evidence that Jesus really is the Messiah foretold by the Hebrew prophets of antiquity and thus become the children of Abraham by faith - not merely the children of Abraham by physical lineage? Compare Matthew 3:9; Matthew 8:5-13; Romans 2:28 & 29.
Did the seventieth week of Daniel’s seventy week prophecy (Daniel 9) begin in A.D. 27 at the baptism of Jesus (483 years after the commandment to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem), was Jesus crucified in A.D. 31 (in the middle of that seventieth week of years) and did the seventieth week end in A.D. 34 (when Stephen was stoned and the gospel went to the non-Hebrews)? Or will the seventieth week be fulfilled sometime in the future? i.e. Is there a “gap” between the sixty-ninth and the seventeenth week?
Is it possible that some prophecies may have double application? One reason to study for yourself is that most of what has been taught about Bible prophecy so far in the twenty-first century has been from perspectives that fail to take these principles of Bible interpretation into account. P.S. Before moving to Scotland, my wife and I lived in four different states (U.S.). Where we are in Scotland, there are far fewer insects and the weather is less extreme than any of those four states. Food prices are about 60% as much in Scotland. Medicine prices are a fraction here without insurance than they were in the ‘States with insurance.
I have a beef with Exodus. Yes the Israelites were liberated but they returned to a promised land that was already occupied. God GAVE this land to Abraham and his descendants although it was ALREADY occupied. Can we really respect a God who approves such ethnic cleansing?
See Gen15:13-16. A merciful God gave them 400years of grace to repent of their wickedness, and I can only recall Rahab that responded. He gave the antideluvian world 120 years and eight people were on the ark. There comes a time when God's mercy runs out by our standards and His justice begins, but even then it's merciful justice for God is love. Down the other end of the Bible in Rev 22:11 we find a time when mercy's at an end for all men. Which side are you on? as God will honor your choice just like He did for the examples just mentioned.
@@Peter-b6q5f That is based on the idea that these vanquished people genuinely believed in a Yahwistic God. Only Hebrews had this revelation. Its true in the bible as in all history stories that history is written by the victors. Our free will is very meager. We have limited agency and foresight over the consequences. We are often clouded in emotionality. I think God is mean in giving us such a meager free will to us and merciless in the way he responds to our use of it. Ultimately your argument comes down to threats. That God will do me in if I do not behave in the way YOU think God wants.
@@ivtch51 To answer this would take a while and only worth it if we both believe the Biblical account. After the flood, there was only Noah and his sons, so all mankind stems from them, and both the flood and the God of the flood would have been a story passed down through the generations. If we believe John that God is love, then we need to look a little deeper to see if all the historical accounts of the Bible affirm that. If not, then there's nothing for us to discuss, as we will go looking for the truth that we perceive as truth elsewhere. Both eternal life and eternal death are a choice just as they were for Adam and Eve.
@@Peter-b6q5f True James. I take it you are a biblical fundamentalist. I certainly am not. They say if you want to prove a theological assertion, you'll find some quote there to justify it. The fact there are churches out there all claiming the only, special truth about it just shows you what a dog's scrambled egg breakfast it really is. I am fascinated by theology and philosophy and presently studying it at uni. It raises a lot of profound questions to which in my humble opinion there are no final answers... the ultimate mystery of uncertainty and unknowingness. It is the "godness" question. Of course Christianity is my cultural heritage. I have as much right to it as you.
@@ivtch51 I've never considered myself a fundamentalist but maybe that's what I am. I prefer the term believer in the Word of God. Rom 12:3 to each man a measure of faith is given. See also 1:18-20. In Jesus's words........let it be unto you according to your faith. Considering your a thinker and a reasoning person, what foundation are your teachers imparting onto you? Or what is the well of 'truth' that they are passing onto you as truth? Pilate asked Jesus....what is truth?. Jesus said I am the way and the truth. No man comes to the Father except through Me. And yes.........all Christian denominations use the same Bible and come away with different truths that separate them from each other. How does one know which one is correct?
Matthew! Thanks for the video! I’m currently an MA in Biblical Studies student with a focus in Hebrew and Semitics. I’ve found your channel to be super helpful. Looking forward for new content and the class!
Thanks for commenting! Love hearing from someone doing an MA in such a great program. Glad to have you along for the journey! What are you enjoying most from studying Hebrew and Semitics?
I’m excited about our new venture with this class too!
I’ve completed year one of Hebrew and now am taking some more intermediate exegesis classes. I love how much more rich the Bible has become, now that I can start to interact with the language. I also begin Greek in the fall 😬
What an exciting semester! You are adding another language to your collection!
Use coupon code WISDOM to get 50% off of the Biblical Wisdom video course by October 14th! hebrewbibleinsights.teachable.com/p/biblicalwisdom
@1:49 Not true. Don't be a respecter of persons (translators). In Jeremiah 8:8-9 YHWH rebukes of the lying pens of the scribes! He then asks a question pertaining to "wisdom."
"How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of YHWH is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made He it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of YHWH; and what wisdom is in them?"
So there are nefarious scribes even this day in the Last Days! Matthew, You should be careful to not be so politically correct, you should be worried there are nefarious scribes out there, the majority of scribes, "believers," christians are heretics.... this is how it has always been. You should have more discretion! Best Regards! Nick
Territorial invasjon and occupation is wise if exhorted by the Hebrew Deity?
A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. So if you think it was inappropriate for the God of Moses to instruct the descendents of Israel to kill every man, woman and child of several Cananite "nations" (tribes), I can respect you and your opinion even while my view differs from yours.
To people who think of the book of Exodus as just a made up story, my rationale doesn't make much sense but, if a person takes the first twenty chapters of that book anywhere nearly literally, it is clear that the God of Moses is entirely different from the other gods that were worshiped at that point in time (fifteenth century B.C?).
I don't know why the God of Moses didn't just just kill the Cananites himself. I could speculate but I'll let others do the speculating.
I believe every human has free will and the God of Moses wants to "save" (justify, sanctify and glorify) as many humans as possible. The only humans he can't save are those who persist in sin in spite of any evidence that it is destructive. When an entire society not only persists in sin but celebrates it, the God of Moses sometimes acts to prevent open rebellion from infecting the entire human race. He did so in Noah's day and the conquest of Canan is another example of entire groups of people who had made a final choice to persist in rebellion.
The God of Moses has an adversary who was created perfect but who inexplicably chose to rebel. I believe Adam and Eve "sold out" to that enemy and that he has been "the god of this world" ever since, i.e. Adam and Eve forfeited their "dominion" to Satan...the opposer. In worshiping their gods of wood and stone, the Cananites were indirectly worshiping Satan.
Your question, however, raises another one, namely, how to tell when it is appropriate for any people to undertake the genocide of another group of people.
My answer is that the theocracy of ancient Israel ended no later than when Solomon died (tenth century B.C?). Since that time, it has never been appropriate for any religious or political leader or any group of people to use coercion with regard to religious beliefs, practices or prohibitions.
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." Someday, he will rule the entire universe including this planet but not by political means. Because he can only rule by love, he cannot approve of his followers using coercion. His rule will be universal only after he returns to resurrect the people who have died in faith and take living believers with him to the mansions he has gone to prepare.
@@rogermetzger7335what a beautiful, thoughtful and gracious reply. 🙏🏻❤️✝️
@@Lilly2Gbtg My wife and I are United States citizens now living in Scotland. We know a bit about reformation history but we admit to not knowing as much about trends in Scotland as what we know about trends in the U.S. My wife’s father’s side of the family were Scottish so she understands the version of English spoken by our neighbors in Scotland. I’m trying to learn.
The Constitution of the United States was conceived and ratified by people who were very much aware of the history of atrocities committed in Europe in the name of Jesus and the religious prohibitions the seventeenth century puritans in New England had imposed on everyone in “their” colonies, again in the name of Jesus. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison were far from unanimous in their interpretation of the evidence (and most of them would not be considered “Christians” by twenty-first century “evangelicals”) but all of them seem to have been dedicated to finding a way to minimize the danger of religious conflict in the fledgling United States. In that sense, at least, they seem to have been dedicated to the kind of peacemaking Jesus advocated and demonstrated.
Professed “Christians” in the United States are currently involved in a kind of “cold war”, one side being dedicated to a very different vision than the other side regarding what it even means to be “Christian”, each side willing - eager, even - to use civil government to impose their beliefs and practices and prohibitions on everybody else, regardless of their religious views.
This next question is rhetorical. Where are the peacemakers? Even if I lean to one side on some political issues and to the other side on some other issues, I think I’m obligated to at least try to find ways to compromise on at least SOME issues.
Most of the “Christians” on both sides in this conflict consider themselves traditionalists. Both sides wish to revive the tradition of depending on government agents (the puritans called them “magistrates”) to enforce their religious prohibitions. Both sides want to help victims of foreign wars and victims of poverty in the United States. One side does that with their own resources. The other side does it with other people’s money. Both sides want to use the public education system to promote their vision. One side wants to protect their vision of the United States as a conservative “Christian” nation. The other side wants to protect their vision of magnanimity. One side wants the government to prohibit abortion. The other side wants the government to prohibit the use of fossil fuels.
Our lifestyle is such that many people assume we are “conservatives” with regard to both religion and politics. Our views aren’t identical but we see both Judaism and what most people call “Christianity” as based more on traditions than on principles, i.e. we think of the teachings of Jesus as the true continuation of the beliefs and practices of the Hebrew patriarchs.
Two thousand years ago, most of the Hebrews wanted and expected a political messiah. If they had taken Jesus’ advice about how to co-exist with the Romans, I think the temple in Jerusalem would still be standing today. Alas, the majority of Hebrews subscribed (succumbed?) to the “oral traditions” of the majority of the rabbis.
In the twenty-first century, most “Christians” want and expect a political messiah. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews:...”. People on both sides of the culture wars will find out too late that accepting a political messiah is the worst mistake they ever made.
This is so well put that I took screenshots. I agree with every single word. What’s going on would be more frightening than it is if I didn’t follow Christ! Yes, here they are looking for man-made solutions on both sides. It’s not going to end well, I’m afraid. There is a massive amount of ignorance in the church as to what is truly Biblical and what are the “precepts of men.” They are what I think of as superficial Christians. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth but I don’t think he will if we are not truly serious about our walk with Christ and truly taking up our cross daily. If you don’t mind answering, how are things in Scotland?
@@Lilly2Gbtg My screen shows your nice compliment to me yesterday and your equally enthusiastic agreement of today but not what I posted on this comment thread yesterday. I don’t know why anyone would want to “take it down” but, as long as you keep expressing appreciation for what I post, I guess I’ll keep trying to do that.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that I realized that there were at least four different methods professed “Christians” were using to interpret the Bible in general and Bible prophecies in particular. If you aren’t acquainted with at least some of those different methods, more about which on request but the following are some questions people can use to help them decide which method(s) to use (or which eschatological system to espouse).
Was the prophecy of Jonah conditional?
Did either God or Jonah say it was conditional?
If Jonah’s prophecy was conditional, is it likely that SOME other Bible prophecies were (or are) also conditional? (See also the entire 28th chapter of Deuteronomy and the first ten verses of Jeremiah 18.)
Was the gospel preached to Abraham? (Galatians 3:8)
If Christians are people who have faith in the Messiah, were Abraham and other Hebrew patriarchs and prophets Christians by that definition?
Were some of the restoration prophecies fulfilled after the Babylonian captivity in the sixth century B.C.?
Who will inherit what was promised to Abraham? (Galatians 3:29) For further study, see also Romans 11 and the rest of Galatians 3.
What is represented by the olive tree in Romans 11? Israel? The Church? Both? It is true that, beginning at the Exodus and ending after the reign of Solomon, there was a nation of Israel. After the division of the kingdom, did the promises to Israel apply to the northern kingdom (which continued to be called “Israel”)? Or did they apply to the southern kingdom of Judah? Who (or what) is the “holy nation” mentioned in I Peter 2:9? Is that the same as the olive tree of Romans 11?
Based on Romans 4:1 & 2, is it likely that, before Jesus returns, a higher percentage of Hebrews than non-Hebrews will consider the evidence that Jesus really is the Messiah foretold by the Hebrew prophets of antiquity and thus become the children of Abraham by faith - not merely the children of Abraham by physical lineage? Compare Matthew 3:9; Matthew 8:5-13; Romans 2:28 & 29.
Did the seventieth week of Daniel’s seventy week prophecy (Daniel 9) begin in A.D. 27 at the baptism of Jesus (483 years after the commandment to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem), was Jesus crucified in A.D. 31 (in the middle of that seventieth week of years) and did the seventieth week end in A.D. 34 (when Stephen was stoned and the gospel went to the non-Hebrews)? Or will the seventieth week be fulfilled sometime in the future? i.e. Is there a “gap” between the sixty-ninth and the seventeenth week?
Is it possible that some prophecies may have double application?
One reason to study for yourself is that most of what has been taught about Bible prophecy so far in the twenty-first century has been from perspectives that fail to take these principles of Bible interpretation into account.
P.S. Before moving to Scotland, my wife and I lived in four different states (U.S.). Where we are in Scotland, there are far fewer insects and the weather is less extreme than any of those four states. Food prices are about 60% as much in Scotland. Medicine prices are a fraction here without insurance than they were in the ‘States with insurance.
I have a beef with Exodus. Yes the Israelites were liberated but they returned to a promised land that was already occupied. God GAVE this land to Abraham and his descendants although it was ALREADY occupied. Can we really respect a God who approves such ethnic cleansing?
See Gen15:13-16. A merciful God gave them 400years of grace to repent of their wickedness, and I can only recall Rahab that responded. He gave the antideluvian world 120 years and eight people were on the ark. There comes a time when God's mercy runs out by our standards and His justice begins, but even then it's merciful justice for God is love. Down the other end of the Bible in Rev 22:11 we find a time when mercy's at an end for all men. Which side are you on? as God will honor your choice just like He did for the examples just mentioned.
@@Peter-b6q5f That is based on the idea that these vanquished people genuinely believed in a Yahwistic God. Only Hebrews had this revelation. Its true in the bible as in all history stories that history is written by the victors.
Our free will is very meager. We have limited agency and foresight over the consequences. We are often clouded in emotionality. I think God is mean in giving us such a meager free will to us and merciless in the way he responds to our use of it.
Ultimately your argument comes down to threats. That God will do me in if I do not behave in the way YOU think God wants.
@@ivtch51 To answer this would take a while and only worth it if we both believe the Biblical account. After the flood, there was only Noah and his sons, so all mankind stems from them, and both the flood and the God of the flood would have been a story passed down through the generations. If we believe John that God is love, then we need to look a little deeper to see if all the historical accounts of the Bible affirm that. If not, then there's nothing for us to discuss, as we will go looking for the truth that we perceive as truth elsewhere. Both eternal life and eternal death are a choice just as they were for Adam and Eve.
@@Peter-b6q5f True James. I take it you are a biblical fundamentalist. I certainly am not. They say if you want to prove a theological assertion, you'll find some quote there to justify it. The fact there are churches out there all claiming the only, special truth about it just shows you what a dog's scrambled egg breakfast it really is.
I am fascinated by theology and philosophy and presently studying it at uni. It raises a lot of profound questions to which in my humble opinion there are no final answers... the ultimate mystery of uncertainty and unknowingness. It is the "godness" question.
Of course Christianity is my cultural heritage. I have as much right to it as you.
@@ivtch51 I've never considered myself a fundamentalist but maybe that's what I am. I prefer the term believer in the Word of God.
Rom 12:3 to each man a measure of faith is given. See also 1:18-20. In Jesus's words........let it be unto you according to your faith. Considering your a thinker and a reasoning person, what foundation are your teachers imparting onto you? Or what is the well of 'truth' that they are passing onto you as truth? Pilate asked Jesus....what is truth?. Jesus said I am the way and the truth. No man comes to the Father except through Me. And yes.........all Christian denominations use the same Bible and come away with different truths that separate them from each other. How does one know which one is correct?