Bible Verses All Jews Should Read
Mankind’s Greatest Problem is the Problem of Sin (“The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.”)
We see in the Hebrew Scriptures the universality of Sin:
Psalm 14:2-3-The Lord looked down from heaven open the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.,
Psalm 143:2-And enter not into judgment with your servant: for in your sight shall no man living be justified
Ecclesiastes 7:20-There is not a just man on the earth that doeth good and sinneth not.
Isaiah 64:6-But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags and we do all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
So what do you think? Ask yourself, “Am I a sinner?” Have you kept the Ten Commandments? Have you ever lied, stolen, looked with lust and committed adultery in your heart, or have you ever coveted, etc.? And because of your sin you are separated from God. Isaiah 59:2- your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. So you are in big trouble on judgment day.
Leviticus 17:11 says “for it is the blood that makes atonement for your souls.” It is obvious that God requires a substitutionary blood atonement for your sin. But there is a problem. There is no temple, altar, or priesthood. You may say that Rabbis long ago say repentance, prayer and good deeds take the place of the blood sacrifice. But why do you believe the word of man over the Word of God? There is also another problem. You know that an animal being sacrificed does not provide absolute atonement for a person made in the image of God.
The sacrificial system was never intended to provide ultimate atonement for sin (Isaiah 40:1,2). It provided provisional atonement and pointed to a full and perfect sacrifice that would be offered in the future through the death of Messiah. Isaiah 53:4-6-Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his striped we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his won way; and the Lord has laid on him he iniquity of us all. Now the issue of Messianic prophecy has taken on personal significance. It is no longer merely an academic issue, but is directly related to an individual’s sin problem.
The Identity of Messiah: Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Hebrew-Micah 5:1). He would be killed prior to 70 CE (Daniel 9:26). Obviously the “city” and the “sanctuary” refer to Jerusalem and the Temple. Even Joseph in Genesis 42 is a type of Messiah in how God raised him up to save his brethren.
Faith in God’s provision For Sin is NOT achieved, but rather it’s received. The result of Abraham’s faith in Genesis 15:6, and the Israelites faith in Numbers 21:9, and the result of anyone’s faith in God’s provision for sin in Joel 2:32, Hebrew-Joel 3:5.
Mankind’s Greatest Problem is the Problem of Sin (“The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.”)
We see in the Hebrew Scriptures the universality of Sin:
Psalm 14:2-3-The Lord looked down from heaven open the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.,
Psalm 143:2-And enter not into judgment with your servant: for in your sight shall no man living be justified
Ecclesiastes 7:20-There is not a just man on the earth that doeth good and sinneth not.
Isaiah 64:6-But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags and we do all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
So what do you think? Ask yourself, “Am I a sinner?” Have you kept the Ten Commandments? Have you ever lied, stolen, looked with lust and committed adultery in your heart, or have you ever coveted, etc.? And because of your sin you are separated from God. Isaiah 59:2- your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. So you are in big trouble on judgment day.
Leviticus 17:11 says “for it is the blood that makes atonement for your souls.” It is obvious that God requires a substitutionary blood atonement for your sin. But there is a problem. There is no temple, altar, or priesthood. You may say that Rabbis long ago say repentance, prayer and good deeds take the place of the blood sacrifice. But why do you believe the word of man over the Word of God? There is also another problem. You know that an animal being sacrificed does not provide absolute atonement for a person made in the image of God.
The sacrificial system was never intended to provide ultimate atonement for sin (Isaiah 40:1,2). It provided provisional atonement and pointed to a full and perfect sacrifice that would be offered in the future through the death of Messiah. Isaiah 53:4-6-Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his striped we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his won way; and the Lord has laid on him he iniquity of us all. Now the issue of Messianic prophecy has taken on personal significance. It is no longer merely an academic issue, but is directly related to an individual’s sin problem.
The Identity of Messiah: Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Hebrew-Micah 5:1). He would be killed prior to 70 CE (Daniel 9:26). Obviously the “city” and the “sanctuary” refer to Jerusalem and the Temple. Even Joseph in Genesis 42 is a type of Messiah in how God raised him up to save his brethren.
Faith in God’s provision For Sin is NOT achieved, but rather it’s received. The result of Abraham’s faith in Genesis 15:6, and the Israelites faith in Numbers 21:9, and the result of anyone’s faith in God’s provision for sin in Joel 2:32, Hebrew-Joel 3:5.
