Check out the Torah Portion reading for this week!

From This Week’s Torah Portion:
“When there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, within any of the gates in your land which YHWH your Elohim is giving you, do not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, for you shall certainly open your hand to him and certainly lend him enough for his need, whatever he needs.”
"Freely you have received, freely give."

Then the Spirit of YHWH came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
Judges 11:29

There is a time and place for men who are prone to violence. Such men in leadership during times of peace can be a disaster, but when conflict comes, we'd better hope they're still around and willing to take the reins.

Jephthah was a violent fool, but the Spirit of God was still on him, and he was chosen by God to judge Israel. Perfection among mortal men is a fantasy. Don't expect too much and don't confuse unpleasantness with incompetence or even inappropriateness. Sometimes rudeness and even violence is exactly what we need.

Are Christians Prohibited From Celebrating Bibilcally Forbidden Holidays, Will They Go To Hell? #christmasinjuly #awareness #diversity #mothersday #holidays #fathersday #birthdays #newyears #saintpatricksday #aprilfoolsday #mayday #valentinesday #historyofchristianity #education #easter

From This Week’s Torah Portion:
“When YHWH your Elohim does cut off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, guard yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their mighty ones? And let me do so too. Do not do so to YHWH your Elohim, for every abomination which YHWH hates they have done to their mighty ones, for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their mighty ones. All the words I am commanding you, guard to do it – do not add to it nor take away from it.”

Father make Your thoughts our thoughts and Your ways our ways. Teach us to Love what You love and the hate what You hate. Align the rhythm of our hearts to Yours, so we can walk with #joy in all Your Wonderfull ways. Guide us to the Waters of Your Salvation by Your Mighty Righthand and keep us in the Light of Your Word. May You protect us and sanctify us in Your Name.

Reminder: First Fruits Ministries Bible Study is coming up tonight, July 30, 2024 at 7:40 p.m. Guests are invited to join us in person at 60 Bailey Ave. in Manchester, NH, in the basement meeting room, or join online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81206801000. This meeting will not be recorded.

In Biblical culture, one son inherits a double-portion, but all other legitimate sons inherit equally, even if they have different mothers.

Jephthah was unusual in that he was an illegitimate son, but adopted into his father's house with full rights. Hence the conflict between him and his half brothers in Judges 11.

When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she got off her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
Joshua 15:18-19

More extensive negotiations between Caleb and Othniel are hinted at in v18, but skipped over. It begins with Achsah urging her new husband to ask her father for land and ends with the land already having been given.

Clearly Caleb cared about his daughter very much. She asked for an additional blessing from her father so that she could take full advantage of what he had already given her, and he gave her twice as much as she asked.