The time and afflictions of this Earth are a prelude to the glory of the world to come. So, while this life is important to the realization of God's purposes, it is not permanent. Trials and afflictions should be viewed in that context.

Society in Israel was coming apart. The nation knew the Word of God and had access to the remedy for their plight; yet they refused to apply that knowledge and heal their society. The elites believed that they were secure and exempt from the consequences of their wickedness, and so were surprised when death entered their city like a thief. This should sound eerily familiar to us.

The end of the book of Numbers marks the end of Israel's time in the wilderness. What did God accomplish during those forty years? What was the Exodus' generation's role in the plan of God? What can that generation teach us today?

Paul writes that the covenant written on hearts of flesh is more glorious than that written on tablets of stone. Why was the first covenant written on stone tablets? What, if anything, is different about the covenant to be written on the human heart?

In God's eyes the Temple has become like a hide-out where robbers flee for safety. They go there to hide until pursuit dies down, not to repent of their sins. For this reason, the building is no longer truly the Temple and it cannot give sanctuary to the nation.

Both Pinchas and Elijah acted zealously when they were confronted by flagrant sinfulness and idolatry in Israel. The zealot is akin to a hammer in God's hand, sometimes necessary but not to be used routinely. In Elijah's encounter with God in the mountain cave, it appears that God was checking whether Elijah could tone things down in the future.

It appears that reports of Paul's trials and suffering during his missionary journeys were being used to call his apostleship into question. He puts his trials into perspective. In this he also gives the Corinthians a gentle rebuke.

Jeremiah is speaking truth to Israel in Biblical fashion which is difficult to understand today because our thought process is essentially Greek. One of the Biblical techniques is the maschil; typically a poetic couplet. The couplet is open ended and is designed to evoke reflection and discussion. In this chapter, the prophet is saying that Israel has fallen into wishful thinking which has lead them away from God.

Reading the story of Balaam, one wonders why it is included in the Torah. Why didn't God simply forbid Balaam from going to Moab the second time he asked? It turns out that Balaam gets mentioned as a bad example all the way from Deuteronomy to Revelation. In this, he serves to emphasize that sex is very often the hook that is used to draw people away from God and in to idol worship.

Some in the Corinthian church questioned if there was to be resurrection from the dead. Starting with the example of Y'shua, Paul explains that resurrection is central to Messianic belief. He also discusses the nature of the resurrection body.