weekly insights

Having just been victorious in battle, in Chapter 32 of the Book of Numbers we find the Israelites encamped on the plains of Moab ready to cross the Jordan river into the promised land. Finally! After all the obstacles they have encountered in their epic wilderness trek, can there be anything stopping them now? Apparently there is. This time the obstacle is not physical hardship, hostile foreigners or the discouraging reports of the spies. It is the desire to settle down and

A number of educational events are approaching, organised by various groups, with the opportunity to spend time with Prof. Amy-Jill Levine, a prominent biblical scholar who has helped countless Christians to appreciate the Gospels and the Letters of St Paul within their Jewish contexts. These sessions offer important insights into the task of dismantling prejudice and supporting social cohesion. Click on the flyers and links below for details. One-hour Online Sessions | Hoste

In Numbers 27, the Israelites are close to entering the promised land. The Lord prepares Moses for his death, reminding Moses that he is not to enter the land, with reference to an upsetting incident that occurred at the waters of Meribath-kadesh (see Num. 20:1-13). Here, with the help of Jewish interpreters, we explore the question of why Moses was excluded from the promised land. The Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range, and see the land that I have

Once again, we explore a passage of the Hebrew Scriptures that we might at first seem intimidating to a reader. As we shall see, even just a few verses can bring forth surprising, wise and practical insights. We just need to stop long enough and 'stay with' with the word of God in order to listen, ponder, discuss, debate and enjoy. This week’s reflection from Leviticus focuses on the priestly instructions concerning the ritual handling of one of the ancient sacrifices: ‘the

After all the action-packed stories of Genesis and Exodus, upon reaching the Book of Leviticus the reader notices the lack of movement. The entire book is set at the foot of Mount Sinai. There in the wilderness, The Lord G-d calls and speaks, forming the people by unveiling a series of instructions: how to worship, how to behave, how to deal with transgression. Through a system of order and repeated ritual, the identity of Israel, as a holy, chosen people, is solidified. As w

Prior to the Golden Calf episode, God had given Moses detailed instructions about how the Tabernacle was to be constructed. Now, after the Golden Calf episode, the Tabernacle instructions are implemented. Now that the Lord and his people have resolved their differences, doubt and disobedience are replaced by willing cooperation and the Tabernacle building proceeds with enthusiasm. Do you agree? Let's examine this claim more closely, in conversation with the Jewish sages who

This week we explore an episode of 'straight talk' between the Lord and Moses in chapter 32 of the Book of Exodus. The Golden Calf episode is a critical point in the God-Israel relationship. While Moses is up the mountain, his absence in the camp below (an absence perhaps far too long for a people desperate for firm leadership) creates a void that is unhappily filled. The people resort to building a golden calf and appear to succumb to idol worship. No wonder God is upset, an

You shall make sacred vestments for the glorious adornment of your brother Aaron. And you shall speak to all who have ability, whom I have endowed with skill, that they may make Aaron’s vestments to consecrate him for my priesthood” (Exodus 28:2-3). In the Book of Exodus the Israelites are guided, in meticulous detail, to create a system of worship. Chapter 28 turns to the making of priestly vestments. Why does the sacred text present a long, tedious list of details? Can prie

“When you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back. When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free” (Exodus 23:4-5). Examine these words from the Book of Exodus carefully. Read them aloud. Ponder the detail of the text. Note its setting: amidst rules against slander and the perversion of justice (23:1-3, 6-8) and concluding with a verse about protec

Having escaped with his people from Egypt, across the Red Sea and into the wilderness of Sinai, Moses is joined by his wife and sons and visited by his father-in-law, Jethro. Yethro priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Israel His people, how the Lord had brought Israel out from Egypt. So Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law . . . brought Moses' sons and wife to him in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. (Exodus 18:1,5) Read

In Exodus 14:15-16 the Lord speaks to Moses in the midst of a terrifying scene: Having escaped from Egypt, the Hebrew refugees find themselves trapped on the shore of the Red Sea: an expanse of water on one side and, on the other, Egyptian chariots in pursuit with murderous intent. In their terror the people cry out to the Lord, and even accuse Moses of leading them to their deaths (v.11). Now, in verses 15-16, G-d intervenes... Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry ou

In Exodus 12 we find the story of a momentous event that shapes Israel as a people and is told and retold through the generations to this very day. What event? The Passover: the ritual meal shared by the Hebrews on the night of their exodus from Egypt. With this story comes the first comprehensive list of religious precepts that we find in the Bible. Many more will follow, especially in Leviticus. But here, at the critical turning point that is the Passover, we find the first

‘But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he would not listen to them...’ (Exodus 9:12, NRSV). By the time we reach chapter 6 of the book of Exodus, liberation for the Hebrews enslaved in Egypt has begun. With Moses and Aaron acting as agents, G-d confronts Pharaoh through dramatic displays of divine power over the natural world in the form of ten plagues. Here, let’s explore a portion of the narrative where six of the ten plagues are presented: chapters 7, 8 and the f

Moses said, ‘I must turn aside to look at this marvelous sight; why doesn’t the bush burn up?’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him out of the bush: ‘Moses, Moses.’ (Exodus 3:3-4) Moses’ encounter at the burning bush is a moment of revelation. But it doesn’t happen all at once. At first Moses is fascinated by what appears to be a natural phenomenon. Drawn to it, he comes to realize that G-d is addressing him. From the vast corpus of Jewish bib

In Matthew’s Gospel (2:1-12) the Magi embark upon a journey seeking the ‘infant king of the Jews’. They are foreigners 'from the east' in a story awash with Jewish characters, symbols, texts. For example, the Magi are led to Jerusalem, the cultic centre of Jewish life. Navigating a dangerous encounter with King Herod, their enquiry takes them to Bethlehem. These directions come via the Jewish priests and scribes who know that, according to a prophetic tradition of Israel, the

“I am your brother Joseph, he whom you sold into Egypt” (Genesis 45:4). With these words, Joseph reveals his true identity to his estranged brothers. They have been apart for so long, ever since Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. But now a dramatic opportunity for reconciliation is at hand. Will Joseph and his brothers grasp the moment to forge a new path of unity and peace? Or will the estrangement continue? Read through the whole of this reconcilia

I wrote this Hanukkah reflection just prior to the Bondi massacre, and did not manage to send it during the days that followed. So here it is, in its original form, published in time for the lighting of the eighth Hanukkah candle. Words are inadequate to describe the grief of the Jewish community in Australia at this time. Our prayers are with them, and with each of the families, within and beyond the Jewish community, who are mourning their loved ones who were murdered in Au

"Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau” (Genesis 32:4.) As Genesis 32 opens, Jacob, with his wives and children, his handmaids and household staff, his animals and treasures, is traveling back to his homeland, to Canaan. He has just spent twenty years working for his uncle, Laban, and now leaves as an economic success. But what awaits him at home? His father, Isaac, is still alive; his mother, Rebecca, is probably already dead; and now he is distressed by news that

Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and broke into tears” (Genesis 29:11). Thus begins the love story of Jacob and Rachel in the book of Genesis. The setting for their first encounter is a well (Genesis 29:1-14). Rachel is there tending her father’s sheep, whereas Jacob has just arrived, having fled his home in Beersheba after causing a major family upset. His brother Esau wants to kill him so, on the advice of his mother Rebekah, Jacob sets out on a journey to the household of Rebeka

Genesis 26 tells a story from the adult life of Isaac. It is a story strikingly similar to a story about his father, Abraham, in Genesis 20. Like his father, Isaac receives the Lord’s blessing and prospers. Like Abraham, he goes to the land of Gerar to escape famine and has a similar exchange with the local king. Like his father, he digs wells and finds water... Read chapter 26, especially verses 1-18, and prayerfully ponder the details of the sacred text. After sharing your