Shabbat Bible Study for September 8, 2018

©2018 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 3  Sabbath 26

Devarim (Dt.) 4:1-49 – YeshaYahu (Is.) 40:1-25 – Tehellim (Ps.) 123 – Luka 3:1-20

Links: 

http://tzion.org/Tree_Sefiroth.htm

www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Luke/John-Baptist-One-Who-Goes

Devarim 4.1-19 – In ch.4 Moshe is giving the preamble to the repetition of Torah to Israel, focusing on the 10 Words. There will be a few Toroth that were not mentioned previously in the recapitulation of the Covenant and the commandments, which doesn’t mean they weren’t known or understood; only that they weren’t mentioned before. ‘Statutes’ is H2706, chukim, decrees from Y’hovah that were not, and may still not be, understood. But we do not need to understand Y’hovah’s decrees, all we need to do is obey them. Judgments are mishpatim, which are decisions of Y’hovah related to his commandments or ordinances that were not specifically mentioned as he gave the covenant. The mishpat to stone the man found gathering sticks on shabbat is a judgment, while the chuk to wear tzitzioth to remind us to observe his covenant commandments are examples of Toroth that were not given in his covenant, b’rithow, of Ex.20-31. Moshe reveals more of these in Deuteronomy. It will be well for us to remember this as Moshe recounts the Toroth to Israel before his death and their crossing Yarden to inherit their promised Land that Y’hovah Elohay avothaychem – ‘Eloha of your (pl.) fathers’ – was giving them. 

I make the point above to say that Y’hovah added his mishpatim and chukim to his mitzvot, as it was necessary but that WE may not add to them. We may form traditions and teach them to our children that make it more or less natural for us and them to observe his commandments, but to give those traditions the same weight as the Toroth themselves is to transgress the very Toroth the traditions were designed to help us observe. This was the source of Y’hovah Yeshua’s indignation (and consequently Yochanan bar ZakharYah’s) at the religious leaders of Israel in his days walking the earth, as we will see in microcosm in Lk.3. 

Moshe reminded them that those who followed the doctrine of Bila’am died in the matter of Ba’al Peor (Num.25), but those who remained faithful to Y’hovah and did not take women of Moav were all there to hear his words this day. He will give us another glimpse into this same type of sin a little later in this chapter. Moshe gave them these chukim and mishpatim so that they could observe them in haAretz. By observing them, they would prove to the nations around them the chochmah and binah, wisdom and understanding, that they had as a result. [If you look at the top level of the Tree of Sefiroth (http://tzion.org/Tree_Sefiroth.htm) you will see that the combination of chochmah and binah imparts da’ath, knowledge, to the tzadik, and makes him fit to wear the Keter, crown. Yeshua is our tzadik who makes us able to become tzadikim, and to wear the crowns he will give us in the Kingdom, when we will reign as co-regents with him.] When the nations see our chochmah and binah they will want it and the Elohim who gave it, as well. They will recognize that we are intrinsically no different than they and that it is only application of the da’ath that Y’hovah Elohenu gives us that makes us different. And they will also want Y’hovah as their Elohim. So we need to be diligent to keep ourselves separate from the works of the pagan/heathen nations around us, which is impossible in our own strength, but by Y’hovah Yeshua’s Spirit in us we can be MORE than conquerors. 

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Eloha’s elect? Eloha that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? Mashiyach that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of Eloha, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Mashiyach? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of Eloha, which is in Mashiyach Yeshua our Master. (Rom.8.32-39)

How do we guard ourselves diligently, if not by knowing his Toroth? For it is transgression of his Toroth that is sin.

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also Torah: for sin is the transgression of Torah. (1Jn.3.4)

Not only that, but when we teach our children the righteousness of Y’hovah in his Toroth, we also teach ourselves. Noone learns as well as when he teaches, because he reinforces what he already knows when his teaching calls to his students minds questions about the subject matter and he is able to make application for the student, as in the case of the man who gathered sticks and the question of how to deal with him. In vv.10-14, Moshe recalls the day or Sinai to their attention again the voice from hashamayim (the heavens), the shaking of the earth, and the fire on the mountain.

If you don’t want your children to hear about images, as they relate to pagan worship and, specifically, pornography, now would be the time to put on your headphones or send them to a different room. I’ll give you a few seconds to remove the young kids, if that is your wish. 

In vv.15-19 he speaks of idolatry, worshipping an image or representation of anything in the whole creation as if it was a god. They had not SEEN Y’hovah Elohenu, so how could they make any representation of him to worship? In v.16, he gets specific about the images that were worshipped by the Canaanites. The Canaanites worshipped the human form, in particular the sex organs, and made images of them to which to bow down. This is the root of our fascination with pornography. When the KJV speaks of an ‘image’ or a ‘pillar’, it speaks of Ba’al worship and the image of the male organ. There are various representation of this seen in the world, but the best known is the ‘obelisk’, which represents an uncircumcised penis. Israel was not to bow down to this, as it is not a god, and it implies a desire to NOT be set-apart to Y’hovah in the manner that he has commanded. This was one reason that Y’hovah held Moshe hostage until Tzipporah CCd their children on the trip back to Egypt from Midian.

24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that Y’hovah met him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then Tzipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband, because of the circumcision. (Ex.4.24-26)

He had not circumcised his sons, I think, in order to keep peace with his wife. I also think that this is why Tzipporah got to do the CCing, and why we don’t hear about her again until Ex.18.2, and never again after that. I think she went home to Yithro’s house and only came to visit when Yithro did; returning again with him, never to see Moshe again. She may not have even stayed as long as Yithro did, because she is not directly mentioned again (though she may have been [and I think was] Moshe’s ‘Ethiopian’ wife that Miriam murmured about in Num.12). Point being that if Moshe did not set-apart his own sons, how could he represent Y’hovah to Paroh and, more importantly, to Israel? 

Almost 38 years ago, I acted out of ignorance of this very thing with my 1stborn son, purposely NOT CCing him out of a literalist view, born of false church doctrine, of

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of Eloha. (I Corinthians 7:19)

How could I not have seen that CC is a commandment of Y’hovah, so how could the physical act NOT be something? That verse speaks of some tradition, not the commandment to CC a son on the 8^th day of his life. I repent of that decision today, and say HalleluYah! that son and his wife took the commandment of Y’hovah to heart and had our own 1stborn grandson CCd. I did not understand at that time that Paul was speaking of the then-present (and STILL-present) practice of CC being the final step of full conversion to Yehudism from another religion. This was the point, also, of the Netzari beit din in Acts 15; whether a man had to make full conversion to Yehudism BEFORE he could be allowed into the Way and hear Torah read in the Temple and synagogues. 

V.16 also speaks about making an image of the female organs, which is what a ‘grove’ was/is (Bohemian Grove included). A grove was a place to worship Ishtar/Ashtoreth/Easter and any other pagan god man desires. All the groves, pillars and high places were worship centers for various and sundry false elohim. Do you see how the pillars, groves and high places where sex was worshipped was diametrically opposed to the Torah of Y’hovah, and quite probably the source of pornography in our day? 

If pornography is a problem in your life, you need to repent of it, turn away from it and to Y’hovah in this area of your life. This applies to any sin in your life or mine. I only speak to pornography specifically because it is VERY prominent in the world and has become AS prominent in the lives of believers as it is in the world. And, in the western world, how can it NOT be? Everywhere you look are advertisements that don’t sell the products they purport to be about, but sex via pornography. In western Europe it’s even worse than America – for now, thanks to some Puritan left-overs in American minds. Change is coming, here too. 

Sin, even the sin of pornography, is not what cuts us off from the Book of Life. But if we continue in the practice of this, or ANY, sin, we get to ‘bear our iniquity’, which means to suffer the physical consequences of our actions. Remember that ALL sin is transgression of Torah, and Paul tells us that the wages of any and every sin is the same in Rom.6.23. A believer who engages in sin may repent of it, confess it to the one who is harmed by it, and be reconciled to that person (ultimately Y’hovah), or he may suffer the physical punishment due for that sin. But a believer who sins is NOT cut off from the master who bought him. If he was, we would all be cut off from him, for there is NOONE who does not sin. 

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I Yochanan 1:8-9)

Forgiveness of a sin against us implies not holding it against the one who transgressed and has been forgiven, as Y’hovah does with our sins

As far as the east is from the west, [THAT] far hath he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:12)

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their [our] sins into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19)

I, [even] I, [am] he that blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Is. 43:25)

There is no end of ‘from the east to the west’, and I picture the Mariana’s Trench, the deepest depth there is in the oceans, where absolutely no light filters through, so the sin is unseen, blotted out of his memory and forgotten by an act of Y’hovah’s will. 

You can bring the young ‘uns back now, if you’d like. 

But that is not the only form of idolatry there is. Men also make images of created things, animals, angels, plants, rocks and such, as objects of worship. They bow down to celestial bodies, terrestrial bodies, and representations of things in their minds. Man is, at his essence, a religious being. He knows that there is something greater than himself and naturally seeks him. It is OUR job to direct him towards his Creator, Y’hovah Yeshua, and away from created things. We do that primarily by NOT worshipping what is the work of Y’hovah’s hands, and BY worshipping the Y’hovah who did the work. When they see how different we are from the rest of the world, they will react in one of 3 ways; 1) desire for the righteousness they see in our lives, 2) indifference to the difference, or 3) disdain and hatred for us because of the conviction the difference in us engenders in them. Believe it or not, it is the indifferent man who is hardest to reach with the Truth. Q&C

Vv.20-22 – An iron crucible is that which is heated for the purpose of purifying gold. The purpose of the heat of hardship and want is to burn off the impurities in our lives. Had Elohim not put Israel into the hardships of bondage, but allowed them to multiply into a great nation in luxury they would never have accepted the restrictions Torah would place on them. The reason people rebel against Torah is their basic idolatry – refusal to give up the natural and habitual desires of the flesh. We are not given absolute freedom while in this physical, mortal body, for we would spend our time in its baser pursuits. We are given liberty within the strictures of Y’hovah’s Torah to live within its guidelines.

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (Yakov.1.22-25)

So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. (James 2:12)

He brought them through Egypt so that they could learn restraint and that there was but one Y’hovah Eloha, and that there is no other Eloha except him. 

Speculation Warning!!! Moshe once more passes the buck onto Israel: but as we said last week, he said “Y’hovah was angry with me FOR YOUR SAKES”. It may be that, as Y’hovah laid our sins on our tzadik rebbe, Yeshua, FOR OUR SAKES so that we could enter into life, so he laid their sin on Moshe, their tzadik rebbe as a shadow of Yeshua’s work, so that Israel could enter the land. As Yeshua had to die on this side of the border of mortality and immortality for OUR SAKES, so Moshe had to die on his side of Yarden, the border between exile and full redemption for THEIR SAKES – all this done as a type of Yeshua’s death on the tree. 

For ye know the grace of our Master Yeshua haMoshiach, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (2Cor.8:9)

End of Warning. Beware the SHTUFF that emerges from this guys mouth, though. Just sayin’.

Vv.23-24 – So, since Moshe is not going over and will not importune Y’hovah about it again, he exhorts them to be careful to not descend into idolatry, which he KNOWS is very easy for men to do, since the worship of ANYTHING other than Y’hovah qualifies, and that Y’hovah is a very jealous Eloha. 

Vv.25-28 – But when they DO descend into idolatry… Moshe prophesied that they WOULD ‘idolatrize’ [a word that I ‘coined’, you may use it – for a fee] and that Y’hovah already had a way of escape for them. All they would need to do was humble themselves, seek his face, turn from their wickedness and ask his forgiveness and that he would hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal them and their land. Shades of 2Chronicles 7.14, eh? Now Y’hovah’s ‘soon’ (v.26) is not like our soon. He is without time, and ‘soon’ is a term that is wrapped up in time. As it turns out, ‘soon’ in this case actually went almost 800 years for Israel and 950 for Yehudah. It took that long for v.27 to come to pass. Prophetically, that is the same ‘day’ that they went awhoring with other elohim, just like the ‘day’ in which Adam sinned he died. To Adam, it was 950 years from his fall to his death and to Israel it was about 950 years from their idolatrizing to their dispersion into the nations. It was ‘soon’ to Y’hovah, who gave Israel ‘time’ to repent [I think the main purpose for time]. How many religions of the world have a god who will wait a whole prophetic ‘day’ for his people to turn back to him before he sends them the punishment he promised? With that time reference, he was more than twice as quick to fulfill his promised inheritance to Avraham for his faithfulness. We think that his promise must come quickly in OUR frame of reference. That MAY happen, but is not necessarily the case. 

When he finally brings the diaspora, he promises we will serve other elohim, as they served the elohim of Egypt by their forced labors. That service in Egypt may or may not have been voluntary, at first. The same may be true of the service we render to other elohim in the world’s system. Are we not serving other elohim whether wittingly or unwittingly. Our tax systems are a result of our idolatry, are they not? Did we expect the government to provide services that were not originally its to provide. For instance, In 6.4ff, what does Y’hovah command us?

4 Hear, O Israel: Y’hovah our Eloha is one Y’hovah: 5 And thou shalt love Y’hovah Elohecha with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Dt.6.4-7) Notice all 2nd person singular pronouns.

And what does it say about our children’s education in Proverbs?

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) 

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of Y’hovah. (Ephesians 6:4)

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Mashiyach Yeshua. (II Timothy 3:15)

When we put them into a government, or government approved, school are we not giving our children to the elohim of that government? They WILL be taught what the government wants them taught, not necessarily what you want them to know. And they will spend ¼ – ⅓ of their day immersed in that wicked system. Then another ¼ – ⅓ of the day in bed. We can’t EVEN get equal time. Is this not, at least symbolically, like making our children pass through the fire to Molech? That government school’s JOB is to turn your children into pagans. And they do a GREAT job of it. It’s done it to 3 of my nieces (so far) and 2 of my nephews whose parents are at least nominally believers. 2 of the nieces and 1 of the nephews are the children of leaders in their church. One went to a religious school that turned him into an atheist. If you want your children to grow in the nurture and admonition of Y’hovah, do NOT give them to the government schools. Most assuredly don’t PAY the government schools to turn your children against Y’hovah. A child may slip through the cracks of the government’s indoctrination system, but most will be stolen from you while you are looking the other way. You may think it is the government’s place to educate your children, but the Constitution says differently (education is prominent by its omission) and I think I’ve already shown that Y’hovah agrees. 

Vv.29-40 – So, here we are in exile from the land promised to our father Avraham. What does Y’hovah say to us? if we seek him with all our heart and soul he will be found and when we seek him diligently he will hear our cry for deliverance. Not only that, but he will return to us the years of which we were robbed. No nation had ever been taken from the midst of another, but Israel was. No nation ever heard the voice of Y’hovah out of the midst of the fire on the mount Sinai, but Israel did. Moshe reminded them that they had seen the fire on the mountain, heard the voice from the heavens, felt the earth tremble at Y’hovah’s presence at Sinai. 

None had ever heard of or experienced such things as the miraculous deliverance of Israel when Amalek attacked at Rephidim, or the Amorite kings Og and Sihon attacked Israel on the plains east of the Yarden, that they utterly destroyed those kings without receiving so much as a scratch in battle themselves. Because Y’hovah was faithful in all this to Israel, Moshe said that Israel needed to be faithful to Y’hovah. And they were (except Achan at Ai). For that reason, Moshe admonished them to stay true to Y’hovah’s chukim and mitzvoth that their days would be long in the land Y’hovah was giving them forever. The way v.40 reads to me is that even when they idolatrize and are sent to exile, the land is still theirs kal hayamiym – all the days (KJV says forever). 

Vv.41-49 – Moshe separated the cities of refuge on the east side of Yarden, I suppose so that they would be available while the fighting men were off gallivanting on the west side of the Yarden. He also laid out the basic borders of the inheritances on the east side. Q&C

YeshaYahu 40.1-25 – Tanakh tells us that this passage is the turning point between passages of condemnation and retribution to those of comfort for the afflicted people and nation. Most of the prophecies of the first 39 chapters are mostly warnings of suffering to come for an idolatrous nation, while the last 27 chapters are mostly promises that Y’hovah will not utterly forsake Israel and will eventually send the righteous judge and ruler, the righteous high priest and king Mashiyach. 

The chapter opens with a command that the prophets speak double comfort to Yisrael because 1) he was covering both houses’ exiles and 2) both houses of the nation Israel suffered double condemnation. Why would Israel suffer double for her iniquities? The sages of Yehudism had various interpretations, which are given concisely in Tanakh on pp.1020-21. All are salient. Paul intimates why in 

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. (I Timothy 5:17)

If the elders that rule well are worthy of double honour, are not those who rule wickedly worthy of double dishonour? And as far as Israel is concerned, she did not ‘rule’ well. She was given the oracles of Y’hovah to share with the rest of the world, to teach Torah to the wicked, but instead she kept it to herself and then didn’t live it out herself. It may have been one thing to not reach out to the wicked and yet live Torah before them, but to not even live it so the wicked could see what a wonderful Elohim Y’hovah is by a witness of his gracious blessings on his obedient children, they actually ASKED for double trouble. They wouldn’t take Torah to the Nations and they wouldn’t witness to the graciousness of Y’hovah by their lifestyle of Torah observance. Do our lives witness Torah to the world? Do our words match our lives? Y’hovah Yeshua’s bride will rule the Millennial Kingdom well as co-regents with him over their areas of authority. 

vv.3-5 – This is the passage that Yochanan bar ZacharYah quoted when the priests and Levites asked him if he was Mashiyach (Jn.1), opening the Messianic aspect of this chapter. NOTICE, please, that the way is opened for Y’hovah that is a straight Way of Elohenu: and that a certified prophet of Y’hovah applied this as referring to Mashiyach: and then he referred to Yeshua as Mashiyach; the one whose shoe latchets Yochanan was not worthy to unloose. If A=C and B=C, then A=B. Mashiyach Yeshua is Y’hovah in the flesh. Here’s the passage from Yochanan 1

19 And this is the record of Yochanan, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Mashiyach. 21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of Y’hovah, as said the prophet YeshaYahu. 24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Mashiyach, nor EliYahu, neither that prophet? 26 Yochanan answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 

Notice, please, that ‘the Jews’ SENT priests and Levites who were Pharisees to inquire (make inquisition) of  Yochanan. ‘The Jews’, then, were not the people of Israel, but the political rulers of the religion in Yerushalayim. PLEASE understand this when reading Yochanan. He does not make any condemnatory statements about beit Ya’acov as a whole, but ONLY the wicked rulers of the religion in Yerushalayim; the very people whom Yeshua also excoriated for their hypocrisy. 

Vv.6-11 – Every valley exalted, every hill brought low, crooked paths made straight; sounds like my younger days on Friday afternoons in the car between Cedarville and my soon to be lovely bride; a 200 mile trip I would make in about 3 hours while the national speed limit was 55 mph. I was almost on a first-name basis with the highway patrol officers. But that isn’t what YeshaYahu meant. He meant something more in line with those who think they’re all that and a bag of chips will be given their come-uppance, and those who are humble will be given leadership, and the truth that’s been twisted and rent from its context will be made very plain (in every sense of the word) so that anyone can understand it. It’s speaking of our ministry of making the truth of Y’hovah plain to the people who will populate Yeshua’s Kingdom. 

All flesh is grass … the grass withers: the goodness of the flesh is a flower … the flower fades before Y’hovah’s Ruach: the Word of Y’hovah stands l’olam. Zion will ascend the High mountain (Temple Mount? the only place on earth to which one can make aliyah from anywhere on the earth – even the summit of Mt. Everest.), Yerushalayim will sing for joy when Master Y’hovah’s Right Arm rules from Zion. He will gather his flock to him; feed, protect and guide them in their work to teach the people his Torah. 

Vv.12-18 – speak of the incomparability of Y’hovah to anything men can even imagine. He is unknowable, the Ayn Soph, beyond our mortal ability to comprehend. We use human terms to try to get our minds around what our Creator has to be, and we fail quite well. We try to convey his greatness by anthropomorphizing him – the cup of one of his hands more than contains all the waters of the earth; the span of one hand contains all the stars of the heavens. And all those stars are insufficient to fill that single span. 

Vv.19-20 – And because we cannot comprehend his omnipotence, omnipresence, and omni-everything, we attempt to make things that we can control and invest them in our own minds with some part of Y’hovah’s attributes. We take some pot-metal, melt it down and cast it into the likeness of some ‘thing’. We take it to a goldsmith and have it electroplated to appear to be made of the most precious stuff we know. But it is base metal, not precious. Mark Call calls it 80/20, the mixture of truth with deception, but he is too kind. We bow down to stuff that is much closer to 1 part truth and 99 deception, as long as the truth is enough to disguise the lie to the casual observer. But electroplate is very thin and will wipe away very quickly: the gold is soft and thin enough that a cheap pot-metal coin will scratch it away, exposing the base. If the idolater can’t afford enough base metal to cast an image, he’ll get the densest wood he can afford and carve himself an idol to bow down to. I think of creation/evolution as a prime example. The deception of evolutionary religion’s hypothesis is obvious to anyone using Newton’s scientific method of observation and cataloguing of data. Idolatry is as idolatry does. It doesn’t matter what is the nature of the false eloha, it is false and impotent. How can idolaters mistake their man-made toys with the omnipotence of the creator that they all KNOW in their hearts is there? Pride? Arrogance? Abject stupidity? That is what all man-made religions engender; evolution, socialism, mercantilism, ‘idolism’; all require blind adherence to lies. 

V.22 speaks of Y’hovah ‘sitting on the circle of the earth.’ We, in our arrogance, think that those who lived millennia ago did not know that the earth is round. This was a myth put out by the churches of western Europe after they drove Yehudism into the background and the dark ages ensued. And that ignorance lasted until some scientists, attempting to know Y’hovah better saw some things that didn’t fit the dogma of the unholy mother church and dared to publish their findings. Once again, falsehood based in man-made religion that was forced on the people by the PTB caused all manner of ignorance to prevail for an entire millennium. They actually taught that the earth is flat when the scripture itself says right here that it is round. I joke that it’s round, like a pizza. It’s FLAT like a pizza, too! But since the church of the dark ages didn’t allow people to read the Light of the Word for themselves, it held control over all power. They taught that ancient mariners didn’t go out to sea far enough to lose sight of the shore for fear of falling off the edge. That was truth for those who wrote books and never ventured out of their villages or cities. And that truth was deception. But it helped the purveyors of deception maintain control over the mushroom patch – keep them in the dark and feed them excrement. Today’s deceivers use a 24-hour news cycle to keep us informed of all the deception they want us to know.   

But, if you keep your mind and heart in the scripture, you will not be so easily deceived. You will know the truth of Y’hovah, who cannot be likened to anything in his creation. 

Tehellim 123 – As servants we look to Y’hovah Elohenu, who stretched out the stars as the span of his right hand and who holds all the water in the hollow of that same hand. I think I’ve placed enough contempt on the idolaters who make the creation their eloha. Q&C

Luka 3.1-20 – The opening verses are a time indicator that places the time of the Pharisees coming out to make inquisition of Yochanan to a certain 3 years, about 28-32 CE. All these tetrarchs, governors and kings were only in power at the same time in those years. The 15^th year of Tiberius Caesar was 28-29 CE, according to the Roman calendar, as translated to Gregorian reckoning.  

What follows is a quick look at the ministry of Yochanan bar ZacharYah, haMatbeel. I am going to look at it from the perspective of a harmony of the synoptic gospels. I use the Thompson Chain Reference Bible’s “Tree of Yeshua’ Life” as an outline in my study of the life of Yeshua haMoshiach. This is taken from that work ©2001-2018 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries. I have recently revised it according to new insights into the subject.

The Ministry of Yochanan the Immerser – Mat.3.1-12, Mk.1.1-8, Lk.3.1-18. Here are three different perspectives on the same events in the life of Mashiyach. We’ll see a lot of these from now on. Let’s look at the similarities and the differences in each account. Each account has Yochanan in the wilderness, which shows the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3, 

“3The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Yhwh, make straight in the desert a highway for our Elohim.” 

The desert highway spoken of is the holy highway of Isaiah 35:8, 

“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The Way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it is for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.” 

This is a prophecy of the Kingdom age, which Yeshua came to offer to Yisrael. We’ll see throughout the gospel of Matthew that Yeshua proclaimed the Kingdom of heaven and offered himself as King, but the Iuaidoi, “official” Yisrael, rejected him. Yochanan was the forerunner of the kingdom of heaven. Only Matthew’s gospel has Yochanan localized to the wilderness of Judea. This is due to the emphasis laid in Matthew on the King of the Jews. There is no contradiction, just more detail. Each account has him immersing for the remission of sins – that is cancellation of the debt, charge or penalty of our actions. This is not what has come to be known as ‘believer’s baptism’, though many claim it to be. Believer’s baptism is an outward sign of an inward reality. We have been immersed in Ruach haKodesh, and are identifying before men that we are dead to sin and the world and raised to life in Mashiyach. This was a mikvah to fulfill Torah requirements, to remove some defilement that was NOT necessarily a sin: for example, washing one’s body and clothes after one has handled a corpse or the ashes of an offering, such as the red heifer (Num.19). Each passage has the account of Yochanan telling of the one to follow whose shoes he isn’t worthy to touch, who will baptize with fire and the Ruach ha Kodesh, as we shared earlier. Yochanan tells us that water baptism is inferior to the baptism of the Ruach ha Kodesh, of which we are all partakers who know Yeshua as Master Y’hovah and Saviour. Even THAT, though, does not negate the obedience to the Torah for sin offerings and the associated mikvoth. Mashiyach ben David, Y’hovah Yeshua, will do mikvah before he offers animal offerings in the Millennial Temple, not to make atonement, but to make himself able to offer due to minor transgressions of Torah that he MUST do as Kohen haGadol in order to do the service of the Temple. All High Priests performed ‘sin offerings’ every day for their own transgressions of more minor Toroth before he could perform the more major Toroth.

The description of Yochanan is given in two accounts, dressed in camel’s hair with a leather (or skin) girdle about his loins, and eating locusts and wild honey. In Matthew’s and Mark’s accounts he is in the wilderness of Judea and all Judea and Jerusalem came out to him, while in Luke’s he is in the wilderness and people from all around Jordan came to him. Again, the differences are but of degree of detail, as are most so-called ‘problems’ with scripture, and the details are put in for the unique audience of the letter/‘gospel’. 

Matthew and Luke give the account of the ‘generation of vipers.’ In Luke he says it to the ‘multitude’ and in Matthew it is the Pharisees and Sadducees. The fact is that the religious leaders were coming in force to hear what he had to say for himself. Therefore, I think the religious leaders were the multitude to whom he spoke. In the gospel of Yochanan 1.19ff, we see the confrontation from a different angle. He identifies the group as Pharisees, the ‘dispensationalist, pre-trib, pre-mill, fundamentalists’ of the day. They knew Torah and the prophets. He told them that he was not Mashiyach, nor EliYahu, nor THAT Prophet, but that he was the ‘voice crying in the wilderness’ and that they should make straight or prepare the way of Y’hovah. THAT tells me that they were teaching Torah with some dispy twists added. His next words tell them that Mashiyach is coming after him, and that the axe is laid to the roots of the tree. He is warning them that if they don’t truly repent of their sins and the sins of Yisrael’s fathers, which are being visited on them, they will be cut off from the root. They, of course, are too full of pride to recognize their own peril. 

Isn’t it amazing that Yochanan saw the argument they would use against Yeshua in Jn.8.39? “We know who our father is, even Avraham.” They must have used that one a lot. Yochanan says that Elohim could raise up seed unto Avraham from the very rocks. Yeshua said that if the people didn’t praise him the very stones would cry out. Then, not the multitude, but the people ask what they need to do: the Pharisees don’t ask, the people do. Yochanan tells them to follow Torah. Acts of charity, honesty in business, do no hurt, don’t lie about others. These are the things a child of Elohim does. This will be the normal way of acting during the Eternal Age to come. Then it will be natural, now it takes an act of the will.

Vv.19-20 – Herod had married his brother’s wife, which it is definitely NOT lawful. Torah forbids it and Yochanan called him out for it.

Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’ wife: it is thy brother’ nakedness. (Leviticus 18:16)

And if a man shall take his brother’ wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother’ nakedness; they shall be childless. (Leviticus 20:21)

For Yochanan had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife. (Mark 6:18)

So, Herod had Yochanan arrested and thrown into prison to shut him up. Somehow, I don’t think he succeeded. Eventually Herodias, Herod’s unlawful wife, had Herod deliver Yochanan’s head on a platter, a la the spirit of Yezevel. 

If you uphold Y’hovah’s righteousness, you will suffer persecution.  Q&C

End of Shabbat Bible Study.

Shabbat Bible Study for September 1, 2018

©2018 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 3  Sabbath 25

Deuteronomy 3:23-29 – Jeremiah 32:1-44 – Psalm 122 – Romans 2:1 – 3:31

Links: 

www.livejournal.com/users/avrom/116574.html 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_Israel 

Devarim 3.23-29 – After admonishing Yehoshua to not fear the Canaanites, because Y’hovah would fight against them as he’d fought against Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings, Moshe turned immediately to our 7-verse Torah portion for today. He begins by saying that all he’d just told Yehoshua – about the utter destruction Y’hovah had brought against the Amorites in fulfillment of his promise to Avraham 430 years before, and how Y’hovah would continue to do so for Yisrael – was just the BEGINNING of Y’hovah’s plan for Yisrael. He exalts Y’hovah, (calling him Adonai Yehoviyh – YHWH vowel pointed as Elohim and translated in KJV as the Lord GOD) because there is no other elohim who can do all the mighty and miraculous works that Y’hovah can and continues to do. And then he asked Y’hovah to relent and allow him to walk the land of promise. Chumash has salient things to say about this in the overview of the passage on pg.26. So some rabbis think, and I concur, that Moshe was telling Y’hovah that he loved Torah so much that he just wanted to walk the land and to be allowed to perform the mitzvoth that can only be properly kept in the land. He specified 3 things he wanted to see; the land beyond Yarden, THAT good mountain and Lebanon. Moshe had already seen the land on the side of Yarden from which he spoke, which is also a part of the Avrahamic land grant. Now, he longed to walk the land on the other side of Yarden. THAT good mountain probably speaks of the mount of the Akeida, where Avraham and Yitzhak had offered (Gen.22), though I suppose it could speak of the mount of blessing (Gerizim). The Temple mount is much more likely, IMO. 

Lebanon is ALSO a part of the Avrahamic land grant, within the boundaries Y’hovah had spelled out in B’midbar 34

7 And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor: 8 From mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad: 9 And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazarenan: this shall be your north border.

I found this on Wiki (it’s GOTTA be true!) concerning the entire land grant to Avraham:

The ‘Red Sea’ corresponding to Hebrew Yam Suf was understood in ancient times to be the Erythraean Sea, as reflected in the Septuagint translation. Although the English name ‘Red Sea’ is derived from this name (Erythraean derives from the Greek for red), the term denoted all the waters surrounding Arabia – Including the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, not merely the sea lying to the west of Arabia bearing this name in modern English. Thus, the entire Arabian peninsula lies within the borders described. Modern maps depicting the region take a reticent view and often leave the southern and eastern borders vaguely defined [or undefined – Mark]. The borders of the land to be conquered given in Numbers have a precisely defined eastern border which included the Arabah and Yarden.

Moshe asked to walk the entire portion defined in Num.34 west of Yarden. He throws the one last zing at the people for his own failing. He was the meekest mere man ever to live, but he had one fault we all have – he was willing to pass the buck. He said “Y’hovah was angry with me for your sakes.” That can mean a couple of things. That 1) Y’hovah punished Moshe because of his shortcoming that came as a result of Yisrael’s murmuring for the umpteenth time, or 2) that Y’hovah put his wrath that was Israel’s against Moshe, the appointed tzadik, as a shadow of the wrath he poured out on Yeshua as our appointed tzadik, or 3) both. The more I learn of the role of the tzadik in Hebrew thought, the more I think it was #3. I think Moshe’s only real shortcoming was his ability to pass the buck for his own descent into the flesh, which he did only once. I don’t think his repeated request to go into the land was fleshly, but truly spiritual. I also think that he saw far more in his death than he’d have been able to had he actually walked the land in his physical flesh. At any rate, Y’hovah finally commands Moshe to speak no more about it. And Moshe doesn’t (to Y’hovah, at least). Then Y’hovah told Moshe to go up Mt. Pisgah and he will give him the ability to see all he wanted to see, but not to actually walk there (until he set foot on Mt. Hermon in the presence of Yeshua; Matt.17.1, Mk.9.2). Q&C

YirmeYahu 32 – The time is near the end of TzedikiYahu’s (i.e., Y’hovah is my Righteousness) reign. This is the final siege of Yerushalayim, the last of the Yehudim to be taken into Bavel are about to be carried away. TsedikiYahu, who started out as a vassal of Nebuchadnezzar had rebelled and Neb came to put an end to Yehudah’s rebellion for good. YirmeYahu had told King TzedikYahu that this spanking was from Y’hovah, and that he should submit to it. If he did, he might come back from there before he died. So TzedikiYahu had YirmeYahu imprisoned until he would change his prophecy to match the rest of the so-called Navim, who basically blew smoke up TzedikiYahu’s posterior. 

While YirmeYahu was in the royal prison, he received a Word from Y’hovah that his cousin would come to offer his field for redemption. Then, his cousin Chaname’el came to him in the prison and asked him to buy his field in Anathoth as the kinsman redeemer (“The right of redemption is yours”, he said). Cf Vayikra 25:

23 The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. 24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. 25 If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. 26 And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; 27 Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. 28 But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession. (Lev.25.23-28)

YirmeYahu, being a righteous man and knowing by Y’hovah’s Word that they would return to Yehudah after the 70 years were complete (25.11-12, 29.10), did redeem it from his cousin for 17 shekels of silver, so that the land he’d inherited would not be lost for his family. The redemption was before witnesses, sealed according to Torah and custom, and the deed was given to Baruch, YirmeYahu’s scribe, before all the witnesses so that noone could legitimately claim that it was not purchased legally and lawfully. YirmeYahu knew full well that Yehudah would return to their inheritance. (Anathoth was one of the 13 Levitical cities that were given to Aharon’s sons in Yehoshua 21.18. It was about 8 miles north of Yerushalayim. YirmeYahu was a son of Zadok, son of AvYathar, son of Aharon. So must Chaname’el have been.) So he told Baruch before all the witnesses to take both the sealed deed and the open deed and place them in earthen vessels for long-term safekeeping, a la the Dead Sea Scrolls. He knew they were going away into exile, and that he would need these deeds to prove his ownership of the land when he returned. 

YirmeYahu knew that they would return and the field would revert to him and his children upon their return. I infer that Chaname’el was daring YirmeYahu to “put up or shut up”, which inference I get from Jerry saying in v.8 “then I knew this was the Word of Y’hovah”, as if Chaname’el had been among the priests who were prophesying smooth words to King TzedikiYahu, and YirmeYahu didn’t naturally trust him. Of course, he could have been talking about the Word he got in v.7 and I may be all wet about Chaname’el.

YirmeYahu begins to bring praises before Y’hovah (he calls him Adonai Yehoviyh, just like Moshe did in the Torah portion today and Avraham did when he received the covenant. Look at the note to Gen.15.2 on pg.73 of Schottenstein’s Chumash) when the deal was finalized and the deeds sent off for safe-keeping with a trusted scribe. He praises Y’hovah for his mighty works and faithfulness to Yisrael over the years, even when Yisrael had not been faithful. When Israel was unfaithful for about 200 years Y’hovah brought destruction on her and carried her off to physical oblivion in Assyria – an exile from which she’s yet to return. And Yehudah, after seeing the fruit of Israel’s idolatry, did exactly the same thing, even though she had greater witness to the mercy of Y’hovah with the Temple and atonement being offered there every year, and the continual minchah offerings being offered daily. YirmeYahu sees ‘the goodness and severity of Elohim’ in the prophecy and the action he was commanded to take: severity in the coming exile, and goodness in the remnant’s subsequent deliverance back to their inheritance. He praises Y’hovah for those things he’d been shown and that he’d shared about the Chaldeans and the siege and the pestilence and such, but also that his wrath has limits, and that he will perform his promise to Avraham and Yisrael as he told YirmeYahu that his purchase would be made good. 

As if in answer to the praises YirmeYahu laid on Y’hovah, another Word came through to YirmeYahu right then. First (vv.28-36) Y’hovah describes all the ways that both houses of Israel have despised him and turned to gods that are not gods and committed abomination in his face (once again showing the severity of Elohim). But then he speaks his goodness to them (vv.37-44), that he will not utterly forsake his children, but will call out the righteous remnant of them to enjoy all the fruits of righteousness in the Kingdom of Mashiyach and (to my mind) the remnant of THAT age to the New Creation wherein dwelleth righteousness. He says he will cause that remnant to ‘dwell safely’. The remnant that populates the Kingdom will dwell in unwalled cities and villages (Ez.38-39), but there will be an ultimate fulfillment of that Gog uMagog battle in which there will be no walls around cities in the land – in the Millennial Kingdom. There are STILL walls around some cities in the land. Yerushalayim still has walls. Have you ever been to San Juan, P.R.? Talk about walls! That town has never been successfully invaded from the sea. If you go there you will understand why. To build a useable siege mound, you’d have to start a few miles out to sea in mile-deep water. There will be no such walls in the Millennium. When Gog uMagog come up against a land of unwalled villages, where people dwell safely, it can only be during the Kingdom. YirmeYahu’s prophecy here is about the New Creation where ALL will dwell safely and everyone will have Torah written on their hearts – the fulness of the New Covenant of which we partake today. 

And YirmeYahu, who never returned to his property but died and was buried in exile, will already have a field in Anathoth. Q&C

Tehellim 122 – This third song of ascent was sung on the 3^rd wide step, the 7th of the 42 steps [beginning with the lower platform] leading up to the treasury. The singing of the first song was done at the bottom of the stair. Then the 3^rd step up [4th total] was wider than the first 2 and when the procession got to it they would sing the 2^nd song of ascent. Then the 7^th step was wider than the 5^th and 6^th, and the 3^rd song of ascent would be sung there, and so on at each 3^rd and wider step until on the 42^nd step [40th in total and the top platform where the gates were], the top of the stair, which is also the platform leading to the doors of the treasury, the last song would be sung. When the leaders of the procession reached that top step there would be a veritable cacophony of praise being lifted up to Y’hovah as all 15 songs were sung at once. Singing Psalms in Rounds. 

David loved going up to Beit Y’hovah. He loved Yerushalayim because it was the city of the Great King, where Y’hovah had placed his Name. The word xlated in KJV as ‘compact’ is H2266, chabar, meaning ‘connect together or joined for a purpose’. David is talking about the fact that the physical universe and the spiritual come together there. David Flynn’s Temple at the Center of Time treats this idea quite well. The place to which the tribes go up is the place where Y’hovah has placed his Name and his Testimony – Beit Y’hovah. Thrones of judgment are likened to the thrones of Beit David. I think this is a reference to the Kingdom Millennium, when the resurrected tzadikim will rule with Mashiyach – he from Yerushalayim, we [if we are of his tzedakim] from our vice-regencies in his Name. We pray for the Shalom of Yerushalayim now, but will also do so then. Prosperity for our vice-regencies may be dependent on our love for Yerushalayim and our King. If King Yeshua has Shalom in Yerushalayim as a result of our prayers, it will filter back to us and the areas over which we will have authority. This will all be done for the sake of both houses of Yisrael and the whosoevers as they are in Mashiyach, for the Shalom of Yerushalayim will spread to the whole earth. Q&C

Romiyah 2-3 – Remember the last few verses of Romans 1 as we start looking at ch.2. One of the most important rules of scripture interpretation is this: “When you see a wherefore or a therefore, look to see what it’s there for.” Wherefore means ‘for which reason or why’, while therefore means ‘for THIS reason or consequently’. Wherefore explains why it happened to them, therefore explains what will result if we don’t pay attention. Ch.2 begins with the word ‘therefore’, so Sha’ul wants us to be mindful of what he’s just said and not take him out of context. Part of the context is to whom he is writing – in this case he is writing to a synagogue in Rome that started out as a Jewish dominated kahal or congregation, but had in recent years become more and more gentile populated. This means that the paganism of Rome was beginning to be seen in the synagogue, and that was the purpose of ch.1.18-32. In other words, in this 2^nd apostrophe of the letter [a rhetorical device by which he addresses a larger or different audience than the one to whom he writes primarily], Sha’ul is mainly writing to the gentiles of the Roman kahal, who were bringing their pagan practices into it. An apostrophe is a rhetorical device by which he addresses a larger or different audience than the one to whom he is generally writing.

Vv.1-4 – The last paragraph of ch.1 begins at v.24, which begins with a wherefore that refers to vv.18-23. Y’hovah had given them (the pagan Greeks) up to their own lusts because they had refused to acknowledge that he was their Maker and Master and we (gentiles) need to be mindful of that, remembering to not sin like they had and to ‘therefore’ bring the wrath of Y’hovah down on us. In all actuality, ch.1 was a set up for ch.2. Sha’ul gave them 1.18-32 to set them up for this warning. He’s saying, “You all agree that these guys deserved their judgment, but you refuse to see that you are guilty, too, and deserve at LEAST what they got.” ‘Wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thyself’ refers to the 9^th commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” The condemnation for bearing false witness is to get the same punishment that would be received if the accused were found guilty.

18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. 20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. 21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. [Deut.19.18-21]

So be sure to be guiltless before you condemn someone, or bring accusation, or gossip about someone. If you are not innocent, you will possibly receive greater condemnation than the accused because you knew the requirements and the judgments and did it anyway (Jms.3 – all of it). That this is the subject of v.1 is attested to in v.2, where we are assured of the true testimony of Y’hovah against those wicked men of 1.18-32. Perhaps it would be wiser to just keep your yap SHUT!

Think about v.3 for a minute. A Mark paraphrase of that verse in context is; “What makes you think that you can judge someone else when you are guilty of the same thing? Do you really think that you won’t receive the same punishment you want exacted on him? Don’t count on it, Bozo.” Please note that the judgment of Elohim has been given in Deut.19.

V.4 should wake us all up, too. The word ‘despise’ does not mean to hate, but to think of no value, to consider worthless, to contemn or hold in contempt. Do you think that Y’hovah’s goodness is because you deserve to not be condemned? His goodness and forbearance towards us (the fact that he doesn’t ‘lower the boom’ as soon as we sin) is to the end that we repent of our wickedness and turn to go HIS way and not our own. Now we who are sitting here, including myself, need to apply this to ourselves. We are getting a warning that if we despise his goodness to usward, we will go down the road of those he spoke about in 1.18-32. We are guilty before Y’hovah due to our own sin. The Torah was given to us to be a true witness against us in Y’hovah’s court, which (Torah) is right here in our own hearts. We need to examine our own lives to be sure that what we are doing is not sin. And sin is transgression of the Torah. To despise his goodness and forbearance is to presume that he will not judge us righteously, as it says in 

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8.11).

Vv.5-11 tell us that Y’hovah will judge all men righteously. Look at these verses closely. They do NOT say that if you just believe scripture to be true you are saved. It says that if you really BELIEVE it, you will act like it. If the works don’t follow the belief, then the belief is not unto salvation. V.5 says that if you despise (think of no value or not to be feared) the wrath of Elohim you will partake of it. V.6 says that we will ALL be judged according to our works, not that to which we’ve mentally assented, i.e.; believe. V.7 says that we who are obeying Y’hovah will see eternal life, while v.8 says that those who are disobedient will see his ‘indignation and wrath.’ This says NOTHING about what we’ve agreed is true, but what we’ve DONE about what we’ve acknowledged to be truth. This is because, 

Proverbs 23 1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler (to partake of government largesse), consider diligently what is before thee: 2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. 3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. 4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven (especially to those who are ‘given to appetite). 6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words (you’ll be sorry you took what you didn’t earn – especially the favor of the rich or powerful).

Prov.23.7 means this – Don’t listen to a man’s words to see what’s in his heart. Look at the result of his actions. He may say, “Eat my good food”, but mean, “I want to poison you.” We know a man’s character by the fruit of his deeds, not the words of his mouth. Likewise, the salvation of a man is known by his fruits, not his words. If he SAYS he’s saved, but is an habitual sinner, you can rest assured that he is NOT saved. And this is righteous judgment, because this is the test that Y’hovah is going to use. He will judge us by our works, not our words. 

Rom.2.9 says that judgment begins with the Jews 1^st. This is because they have had the oracles of Elohim revealed to them and they shared them with us. And they do so every time we open the pages of scripture, for all the authors were Hebrews (w/the possible exception of Job and Luke). There is scripture that says the teacher is due a double portion (1Tim.5.17). This is true of both honor and judgment (Jms.3.1). V.10 says that blessings also begin with the Jews and afterward the gentiles. This is the way prophecy tells us it will play out in the end, also. 1^st comes the time of Jacob’s trouble, in which all Israel will be tried and the faithful will call on the Name of Y’hovah; then comes the wrath of Elohim on all who oppose him, in which time all the faithful gentiles will also call on him. All who trust Y’hovah will be saved to repopulate the earth in the Millennium. All opposed will perish, and be kept in the grave until the time of final judgment. Q&C

Rom.2.12-16 – This is a very misunderstood passage in the ‘church’s’ perspective, mainly because they do not read it in context.  Vv.13-15 are a parenthetical explaining v.12. V.16 is the end of the sentence begun in v.12. The parenthetical can be removed and not do harm to the sentence – it’s there as further explanation. Here it is without the parentheses:

12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (… 14, … 15, …) 16 In the day when Elohim shall judge the secrets of men by Yeshua haMashiyach according to my gospel.

All sinners will be judged according to Torah, for sin is the transgression of Torah in 1Jn.3.4. Notice that those who sin without Torah (lawless, grk. anomos) are not judged by it, they PERISH in their Torahlessness (grk, anomos), but those who sin IN Torah are judged BY Torah. Can a person be judged by Torah and NOT perish? You betcha! What is it that Y’hovah will judge by Messiah Yeshua? 

What are the ‘secrets of men’? ‘Secrets’ is from the Greek word ‘kruptos’, the root of the English word ‘cryptic’ – secret, hidden, occult. In other words, he will judge us over what we’ve kept hidden, or what we have NOT repented of and confessed. The secret (pun intended) to being judged in Torah but not condemned by Torah is to use Torah lawfully, i.e.; use it to show us where we’ve sinned and then repent of it and confess it to Y’hovah.

1Jn.1.9, “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

To be judged by Torah is to be ‘under Torah’, to be subject to it’s curse. Messiah became the curse of Torah for us (Gal.3.13). When one is in Messiah, he is no longer subject to its curse and is thus no longer ‘under the Law’ (6.14, Gal.3.23).

The parenthesis of vv.13-15 shows us the ‘doers of Torah’ are justified, whether they knew they were doing Torah or not. And those who hear Torah and don’t do it are condemned by it, regardless what they thought to the contrary. 

Jas.1.22, “… be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Rom.2.17-29 – This is the 3^rd ‘apostrophe’ of the letter, a rhetorical device by which he addresses a larger or different audience than the one to whom he writes primarily, in this case specifically the Jews of Rome. In vv.4-16 he’d addressed any believer who reads the letter – his general audience, both Jew and Greek. 

Again, this is a passage that is badly misunderstood by the church due to a lack of historical and cultural context. Remember what the word circumcision meant to the Jews, and especially the rabbis. Circumcision was the last act of a proselyte before he became a full member of the synagogue and Temple. Remember also that the argument in Acts 15 was NOT that the gentiles just have their foreskins trimmed, but that they go through all the stuff that proselytes were made to do and then be circumcised and only THEN be admitted into ‘The Way’. If you keep this in mind, this scripture will NOT be so cryptic.

Sha’ul says in vv.17-20 that the Jews who are the leaders of the synagogue acknowledge the law as their guide and are thoroughly versed in it and believe it. V.17 says they ‘rest in the law” and they “boast of Eloha”. These are of the same faction as the ‘Pharisees which believed’ in Acts 15. They think that their position as teachers of Torah secures their place in the Kingdom. But the law that they are resting in is the oral tradition, not the written Word, as can be inferred from v.20. They have ‘the ‘form’ of knowledge and truth of Torah’, ‘having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof’ 2Tim.3.5. Oral Torah has a form of godliness, indeed often IS godly (when it supports and agrees with Torah), but it is mere commentary, like Matthew Henry, the Mishnah/Talmud, or Barnes’ Notes, a useful tool to help understand Y’hovah’s truth. 

These very well know Y’hovah’s will and approve it, having Torah as their basis for belief. The word translated ‘approvest’ is the greek word dokimadzo, which means to test and prove – to make current after it is assayed, as in silver and gold. It means they have tried the will of Y’hovah, found it worthy and use it like they use currency. They learned Y’hovah’s will through his Word and are certain that they can lead those who are spiritually blind (in darkness), able to teach the foolish (won’t acknowledge Y’hovah [Ps.14.1, 53.1, Prov.18.2, 24.7, Ecc.2.14)] and babes (spiritual infants, pre-teens – ruled by emotions rather than intellect). What are they thinking? All 4 types; the blind, the ones in the dark, the fools and the babes; are the same people called by different names. All of those designations are Hebrew idioms for wanting the truth on their own terms. These teachers think that they will be able to lead these people to the way of Elohim. But their lives show that they are no different from those they aspire to lead. Vv.21-23 say in a Mark paraphrase, ‘You want to teach, but who has taught you? You teach the 10 words very well by the words of your lips, but do the words of your life agree?’ This is something we all, myself included, need to keep in mind at all times. Our words should match our works, and vice versa. 

Vv.23-24 – It was the Jewish leadership’s job to bring the proselytes along in the truth of Torah. When they taught one thing with their lips and another with their lives, they brought reproach on Y’hovah’s Name. Notice that there is a period at the end of v.24. The thought is not continued into v.25 – that is a new sentence altogether. So, Paul is NOT saying, “It is written,” and then v.25ff. He is saying that the situation in v.24 is written about in scripture (Lev.24.10-23). One of the mixt multitude blasphemed Y’hovah’s Name. He was held while Moshe got Y’hovah’s counsel and then he was taken w/o the camp and stoned to death (for the purpose of removing his genes – and this sin – from the pool). Paul is saying that these men are worthy of the same punishment, were it not for the forbearance of Y’hovah (as discussed above). They need to repent and start going Yah’s Way themselves.

Vv.25-29 – Remember the real meaning of circumcision is not just the snip, but the whole process leading up to it, as discussed earlier and as Shaul discusses in these verses. True circumcision is not that of the flesh, but of the heart. Y’hovah has always wanted our hearts to be circumcised, which means set apart unto him and to obey him. As physical CC was what set Israel apart from the world, so CC of the heart is what set’s us apart from the world. It is an attitude of desire, even lust, for Y’hovah to make his heart my own – to make me echad with him. 

In v.25, Sha’ul says that the physical CC without the works of Torah is to be unCC’d in heart, while v.26 says that being physically unCC’d with works of Torah is to be CCd in heart. V.27 says that gentiles who were never ‘snipped’, but who obey Y’hovah will judge those who have been ‘snipped’, but go their own way. 

Vv.28-29 – There are physical Jews who do not know the ways of Y’hovah, while there are physical non-Jews who do know his ways. Therefore, there are physical sons of Abraham and there are nonphysical sons of Abraham who are CC’d in heart, just as there are both who are not. Those with CC’d hearts are true Yisrael. Those without, aren’t. They are not ALL Yisrael who are OF Israel. Q&C

Romans 3 – Remember what the word circumcision meant to the Jews, and especially the rabbis. Circumcision was the last act of a proselyte before he became a full member of the synagogue and Temple. Remember also that the Pharisee’s argument in Acts 15 was NOT that the gentiles just have their foreskins trimmed, but that they go through all the stuff that proselytes were made to do and then be circumcised and only THEN be admitted into ‘The Way’. If you keep this in mind, this scripture will NOT be so cryptic. 

Vv.1-4 – While we look at v.1 remember that there are words added by the translators to ‘clarify’ or ‘facilitate understanding’ for the reader who is not so well versed in the scriptures or the ancient languages. For the most part they do a good job of that. Once in a while we see some preconceptions or pet doctrines that are shored up by these additions. As an example I submit Col.2.16-17, where the translators added the words ‘is’ and ‘days’ without any real reason for it, in fact it kind of hampers the flow of the reading and thought. Here’s Col.2.16-17, the entire sentence; 

16 “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” [Col.2.16-17]

This passage is speaking of the Colossian gentile believers who are starting to obey Torah and forsaking their pagan ways. Their old pagan ‘pastors’ and ‘priests’ are giving them a hard time about their Torah observances of the sabbath, new moons, festivals of Y’hovah, and eating and drinking clean foods. Paul is telling them that it is not up to the pagans to judge them, ‘but the body of Messiah.’ IOW, the body of Messiah, the Messianic ‘Beit Din’, is who should judge whether their actions are in accordance with scripture (as they had done in Acts 15) not the pagans and paganism they’d abandoned. The rendering, ‘the body is of Christ’ doesn’t even fit, and the wording is awkward. “Let no man judge you… but the Body of Messiah”. A ‘shadow’ is an outline of that which is ‘shaded’, like an ‘ensample’ or an inkling of good things to come. The translators want us to think that it is the body of Messiah that is casting the shadow, when the text says that the things casting the shadow are the promises of Y’hovah for the New Creation, as is shown in prophecies of Tanakh in most of the prophets. But the sentence says, “Which are a shadow of things to come;” not which were a shadow. Messiah had already come. If it was HIS shadow that the new moons, feasts, sabbath and clean food instructions had FOREshadowed, does it not follow that Sha’ul would have used the past tense? These were and are STILL foreshadowing something, like Messiah’s return and his Kingdom at the end of the age.

Back to Rom.3.1 – There are couple of ‘wordplays’ in this verse. The word ‘advantage’ is from grk. perissos – beyond or superabundance, and the word ‘circumcision’ is from grk. peritome – to cut around. The word ‘profit’ is from grk. aphelia which literally means ‘advantage’. So the translators decided that ‘superabundance’ in clause A = advantage, while ‘advantage’ in clause B = profit. So let’s look at the change when we go ‘literal’. “What exceeding abundance does the Jew have? And what advantage is CC?” 

Vv.2-4 – “Much every way!” And the reason is that we have the Word of Y’hovah through Israel. Every human author (except Job and Luke?) was an Israelite. Just because some Jews don’t believe, does that mean the faith of Y’hovah (Torah) is useless. No way, dude! Elohim will always be the source of truth, and man the source of lies. Even though Israel did not remain true to Y’hovah, Y’hovah remains true to Yisrael.  Q&C

Vv.5-8 – What does ‘commend’ mean? In English, it means “to present as worthy of notice” But the greek word, sunestao, here literally means to ‘stand with’ or ‘together’. The greek word says that the righteousness of Elohim stands in us together with our unrighteousness so that he is not unrighteous to chastise us when we sin. I think this chastisement begins with our own knowledge of and our remorse over our sin as soon as we commit it. If we repent and confess it to him, he is righteous and just to forgive us. If we don’t repent, he will bring ever increasing and stronger chastisements until we do. His chastisement is always to the end of encouraging us to turn from our own ways and return shuv us to his way. 

But that is not what he is saying in vv.7&8. He is saying that he has taught the truth of Elohim to both Jews and Greeks, but the Pharisees are accusing him of the sin of teaching Jews to ignore Torah and not instructing the gentile proselytes in it. Nothing could be further from the truth, as we saw in our brief study of Acts 15. The Jews are persecuting him for rightly teaching the truth of Elohim. Cf. 8.          

28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love Eloha, to them who are the called according to purpose.” 

The difference between these verses is that in ch.3.8 Paul speaks as a man, who is slanderously reported as purposely working iniquity to watch Elohim work it out for his good, while in ch.8 he speaks according to the Ruach, that Y’hovah is making the circumstances that confront us to work out for our good. The first is presumption and sin that Sha’ul is being accused of; the second is faith and life that Sha’ul is really after despite the accusations against him. 

Vv.9-18 – Remember that the central theme of scripture is the ‘Shema’ in Deut.6.4, “Shema, Yisrael, Y’hovah Elohenu Y’hovah echad.” “Hear O Israel, Y’hovah is our Elohim, Y’hovah is one.” The Shema is the gospel in a nutshell. As Y’hovah is one (Is.44.6 [w/Rev.1.8&11. 21.6, 22.13], 45.18&21), so should we be (Rom.15.6, 1Cor.1.10, Gal.3.28, Eph.1.10, 2.11-18), both with each other and also with him. The ultimate outcome of the gospel in us is to become one with Y’hovah, to have true peace with him.  (That was ‘plan A’ with Adam.) We need to keep this in mind throughout Romans.

Paul, a Jew, is saying that even though it is through the Jews that we have the truth of Y’hovah, Jews are not better than Greeks, either intrinsically or morally. He then proves by using scripture that this is true. In vv.10-18 he quotes midrashically (not a direct quote, but one that hits the point he is making – a common Pharisaic practice) Ps.14. 

1 “The fool hath said in his heart, No Eloha. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, none that doeth good. 2 Y’hovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, seek Eloha. 3 They are all gone aside, they are together become filthy: none that doeth good, no, not one.” 

He then quotes, again midrashically, Ps.5. 

9 “For no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part very wickedness; their throat an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue” 

and Ps.140. 

3 “They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison under their lips. Selah.” 

Do you see how Sha’ul juxtaposes one portion of a verse from one psalm with another portion of a verse from another psalm and quotes them as if they are one? [If they are the Word of Yhwh, they ARE!] This is standard Hebraic teaching style, one that is used repeatedly, both in scripture and in Talmud and even Zohar. He continues in the same vein in v.14, where he quotes Ps.10. 

7 “His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue mischief and vanity” 

and juxtaposes it with Is.59. 

7 “Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts, thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction in their paths. 8 The way of peace they know not; and no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace,” 

and Ps.36.1, 

1 “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, no fear of Eloha before his eyes.” 

I think he’s made his point that we are all one in that there is nothing intrinsically good about mankind, and that we are incapable of even seeking to do good. “There is none righteous; no, not one.” But Elohim’s plan is for us to be one with each other and with him. 

Rom.3.12 quotes v.1 above, which says, “A FOOL has said in his heart, There is no Eloha”. So when he says in the same verse, “there is none that doeth good”, to whom is he referring? If you said, “The fool who says there is no Eloha”, you would be correct. It has nothing to do with faithful Torah observance, but with the state of the children of men. Every ‘they’ in Ps.14.1-3 refers to ‘the fool’ of v.1.

The fear of Elohim is the beginning of wisdom. Fear of Elohim is 1) abject terror of what he can and is justified in doing to us, which engenders 2) awe at his majesty and wondrous works, which leads us to 3) keeping his ways as he reveals them to us. Q&C

Vv.19-20 – Who is ‘under the law’? And what law is he under? Let’s look at the context first, to see if we can answer these questions. The verse says that every mouth is stopped and the entire world is guilty before Elohim. I think we can safely say that the whole world is ‘under the law’. Everyone is under its jurisdiction and must answer to it, even if he hasn’t been made intellectually aware of its existence, as we saw in ch.1. When he becomes aware of the Torah of Y’hovah, he knows both his sin and that he is a sinner, and that he cannot be justified by doing works of Torah. 

But I don’t think that’s all that’s here. I think Paul may be talking about 2 different laws, the Torah of Y’hovah and the oral torah of the Jews. I think this is the only way to rectify the contradiction of 3.20 and 2.13 (as well as Jas.1.22). We know that there are no real contradictions in scripture, so when we see one we need to ask Abba to show us the reconciliation. The ‘2 law’ explanation is all I can figure. Let me substitute what I think are the 2 laws where they fit:

19 “Now we know that what things soever Torah saith, it saith to them who are under the (oral) law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before Elohim. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the (oral) law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by Torah the knowledge of sin” 

and 

Jas.1. 22 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

The traditions of the fathers (oral Torah) had become (and still is) as binding or more so upon the Jews as was the revealed Word of Y’hovah. Paul was at odds with the Pharisees because he was exposing the truth to the people. Q&C

Vv.21-26 – This is one sentence with at least 7 clauses. Some folks have said that the guy who punctuated the KJV must have been riding a mule with one leg shorter than the others on a very uneven road, but I think that is not true. The punctuation is important. The colon separates two different ideas that could stand alone, the second (and/or third) illustrating the first: the semicolon conjoins 2 clauses, the second adding to the first: while the comma separates phrases that say the same thing in different words. 

Elohim’s righteousness is not subject to any law because he decreed the law. Since he created it, he is not subject to it. That is NOT to say that he didn’t abide by it when he walked among us in the flesh, but that, as Spirit and the Creator of all, he cannot be subject to anything. His flesh HAD to learn to abide by Torah (Heb.5.8), to justify us thereby.

Y’hovah’s righteousness is manifested (made plain) in the Torah and the prophets (and the writings). His Word witnesses to his righteousness, which is by the faith OF Yeshua, not faith IN Yeshua. Our own faith is useless in our justification. Only Yeshua’s faith has efficacy for us. What does that mean? What is Yeshua’s faith? Does faith mean what I believe? Or is it tied up in what I do about what I believe? 

Hebraically speaking, faith is action, not thought. James’ epistle is chock full of examples of faith being the action that comes from our strong convictions, as opposed to just saying or thinking rightly. Yeshua showed his faith by doing the will of his father in heaven. In Ps.40.7-10, Messiah says, 

“7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, Elohai: yea, thy Torah within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, Y’hovah, thou knowest. 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. 

Messiah’s faith is one that works. So should ours be.

That is not to say that what you believe is not important, for if you act on wrong doctrine it will not be a source of eternal blessing or reward to you and it may be sin. It is whom you believe and trust that decides if you have eternal life. The difference in v.22 is the difference between Jew and Greek. It is Y’hovah’s will to destroy that difference and make us and himself ‘echad’, as he is one.

V.23 is possibly the best-known and most quoted verse of the Apostolic texts. It is one of those verses that is cut and dried, no possibility of misconstruction. And it is not a new teaching; it’s been around for at least 1000 years before Sha’ul. Cf.1Ki.8.46a, Ecc.7.20, Is.64.6. All men are sinners. The glory of Elohim can’t be theirs – they can’t even approach to it. We all fall short. And it illustrates v.22, as a colon separates it. But v.24 is the other side of the seesaw from v.23. “All have sinned; … being freely justified through the redemption…” The redemption is the payment in full of the sin debt we all owed. The next colon illustrates Yeshua’s orders and the plan of Elohim to reconcile us to himself. In fact the word ‘propitiation’ is from the greek hilasterion that is from the word hilastos, which means ‘conciliate.’ The propitiation is for those who will trust Yeshua for salvation, those who are reconciled through trust in his finished work. 

The comma in v.25 sets apart two phrases that say the same thing. 

“Whom Elohim hath set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his (Elohim Avinu’s) righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of Elohim;” 

Elohim set forth Yeshua as our propitiation through faith in his blood and through the forbearance of Elohim. The righteousness declared is Elohim’s in remitting our past sins.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

He (Elohim Avinu) has set him (Yeshua) forth in v.25 to DECLARE his (Elohim Avinu’s) righteousness in v.26, so that Avinu can be the justifier of all who believe in Yeshua. Avinu justifies those who believe in Yeshua by making Yeshua our propitiation or conciliation to Avinu through faith in his blood, which contextually equates to his death. 

Where is boasting? Are the Jews intrinsically better than the gentiles? No. They have had the advantage of having Tanakh, which has made them better OFF, but not intrinsically better. Cause for boasting ain’t in us, if you’ll but remember Eph.2.8-9. We are justified by faith alone, not by our works of some man made oral law. And we show our justification by our works of Y’hovah’s Torah, for Elohim is the justifier of both Jews and gentiles by faith without deeds of the oral law. We do not make Torah void: we establish it. Q&C 

End of Shabbat Bible study.

Shabbat Bible Study for August 25, 2018

©2018 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 3  Sabbath 24

Devarim 2:1 – 3:22 – YeshaYahu 1:1-27 – Tehellim 121 – Romiyah 9:1-33

Links: 

www.bibleatlas.org/arabah.htm

www.bibleatlas.org/zered.htm

www.bibleatlas.org/kedemoth.htm

www.bibleatlas.org/ashtaroth.htm

www.godward.org/archives/BS_Notes/Bible_Study_Notes_No_One_Pericope1.htm

Devarim 2:1 – 3:22 –  Ch.1 ends with “we dwelt in Kadesh many days”, which the sages say actually added up to 19 years +. KJV adds the word ‘there’, which gives a different meaning to an ambiguous statement. The rabbis also make an assumption. Schottenstein’s Tanakh reads, “You dwelt in Kadesh many days, as many days as you dwelt.” The rabbis assume that to mean that they spent ½ of the 38+ years at Kadesh and the other ½ in the other 27 camps they pitched in (Kadesh, called Rithmah in Num.33, was their 14^th camp after they left Rameses). Well, 19+ years IS many days, so it’s possible.

Vv.1-7 – Moshe now goes to describing a few highlights of their journeys from Kadesh to their 41^st encampment (42^nd, if you count their departure point at Rameses, where they ‘encamped’ in Egyptian exile for about 100 years or so). V.3 has Y’hovah commanding Moshe to turn Israel ‘northward’, but their first move is toward the south to compass the land of Edom, which they were specifically told to NOT challenge or fight. They were even told to pay them for anything they used during their travels, whether food or water. V.3 is telling us that our general direction from Kadesh was northward, since the END of our journeying would be at the camp on the east bank of Yarden, over against Yericho, and our 42^nd move would be into haAretz (HalleluYah!). We were to pay for all that we used in brother Esav’s land because of all the physical blessings Y’hovah had bestowed on us in our travels to this point, beginning with the gifts of the Egyptians to us as we left.

When he says that we had lacked nothing during the entire Wilderness Adventure, he means that literally. All those times when b’nei Israel had murmured against Y’hovah and Moshe were a result of our sight-walk perceptions and not the ultimate reality of our situation. Y’hovah had it in hand the whole time, regardless our inability to see it. He has it all in hand now, regardless our inability to see it. Y’hovah SHALL deliver on his promises to us. HE has the situation well in hand. If we stay faithful to him, we will see him fulfill his Word to us, because HE is faithful. Chumash’ prefatory notes to vv.1-7 (pp.13-14) is instructive in this regard.

Vv.8-12 – The ‘way of the plain’ (KJV) is Arabah in Hebrew (H6160) and it refers to the rift valley south of the Dead Sea towards Elath on the north shore of the Gulf of Aqaba (www.bibleatlas.org/arabah.htm). We also skirted Moavite territory because Y’hovah had given Ar (Arabah?) to the sons of Lot for an inheritance. Moav had come to the Arabah and found it inhabited by ‘R’phaiym’ (giants), like the Anakim, which Edom called Emim. We’ll see in v.20 that Ammon called them Zamzumim. So, I think this is saying that the Rephaim is the Hebrew word from which KJV translates ‘giants’, while the Stone’s English text translates Anakim as ‘giants’, and that all the different people’s called these giants different things, but I think^[1] all referred to descendants of the Nephilim (genetically modified ‘trans-humans’ IM[not so]HO) of Gen.6. When Esav came to the Arabah and its surrounding highlands, they defeated the Horites (namesakes of Mount Hor?) and lived there by right of conquest, as Israel did in the former lands of Og of Bashan and Sihon of Ammon.

After telling Moshe that Esav and Moav were in their lands by right of conquest and by gift of Y’hovah, he told them to pick up and move over Brook Zered and into Amorite occupied Moavite territory. I think that this parsha shows us that the Amorites were a confederacy of Bashan and Gilead, because THAT is the land Y’hovah gave to Reuven, Gad and ½ Menashe. The Amorites had obviously taken land that Y’hovah had promised to Moav and/or Ammon by force. Since this was ultimately territory promised to the sons of Lot, Israel did not have to ask Amorite permission to cross it, and since Amor had taken it from Moav or Ammon, there was no need to ask them for permission to cross it, either, because they no longer controlled it. We’ll see that when Israel got to river Arnon, Moshe asked the Ammonites permission to cross their rightful land. Ammon lived there by right of conquest from the Zamzummim (the Ammonite word for Rephaim) and as a gift from Y’hovah as a son of righteous Lot.

The space of time it took Y’hovah to lead them from Kadesh Barnea until the day they crossed brook Zered was 38 years in which all the men of war who chose to believe the lying eyes of the 10 tourists died, save the 2 mighty men of valor, Yehoshua and Kalev.

Vv.26-37 – A map of the area of the Sihon campaign can be seen at www.bibleatlas.org/kedemoth.htm. When they got to river Arnon, near Kedemoth, Moshe sent embassage to Sihon in Heshbon to ask permission to cross the land. He offered exactly the same to Amor as he had to Edom – shalom and a good trade partner. But Amor refused what Edom accepted and came out to attack Israel. That was a very big mistake. Y’hovah wiped them out in much the same way as he will Gog uMagog at the end of the Millennial Kingdom – without Yisraelite casualty of any kind. Y’hovah said that Amor would fall before Israel in short order, and it did. When Sihon came against them, Yisrael just waded in and wiped them out, every inhabitant of the nation that came out against them. Yisrael took all the land north of the River Arnon and left the land between Arnon and Zered, which was Ammon’s territory.

3.1- – Cf. www.bibleatlas.org/ashtaroth.htm for a good map of Bashan and Gilead. Og was a giant – a Rephe (Hebrew root = rapha, translated ‘giant’ in Schottenstein’s Tanakh). Some sages say that Moshe was afraid of Og (cf. Chumash note to v.1 on pg.21. Num.21.33, like v.2, has Y’hovah telling Moshe to not fear Og, which doesn’t necessarily mean that Moshe actually feared him. I don’t think he did). They conquered every city of Bashan – 60 walled and defended cities, as well as enough unwalled cities and villages that they didn’t bother counting them – and wiped out Og and every human being in them. This helps to explain Reuven, Gad and ½ Menashe wanting to leave their women and children on the east bank and its adjoining hills to keep the cities and villages from becoming wild again while they helped to take haAretz from its Canaanite inhabitants. It took a LONG time to take the land. It took Kalev almost 5 years to subdue Yehudah’s inheritance.

V.11 says that Og was the last survivor of the Rephaim, giants. The note in the Chumash has Amraphel saying that Og was the last of the antediluvian Nephilim. Amraphel thinks Og hung onto the side of the Ark to survive the flood, which we can see in the movie, “Noah”, which is a really bad movie, not that it is not biblical, which it is, but that it is just not a good movie. I say “bullsh-shtuff”, but that’s how a lot of rabbis think. Of course, that means that there were actually 9 people carried through the flood by the ark, not 8. It IS convenient to explain how Anakim and other giants came through the deluge, but it also means that Y’hovah failed to do what he said he would do, which is to destroy the whole race except Noach and his sons and all their wives. We know that there were at least 5 giants until David’s day, Goliath and his brothers and sons, but Og was the last of the Rephaim. Goliath wasn’t anywhere NEAR as large as Og, whose bedstead was 9 cubits by 4 cubits according to HIS size, not just any guy’s (according to Schottenstein’s Chumash). If he were 9 cubits tall, the bed had to be at LEAST 15-16 feet long and 6 to 8 feet wide. The man was truly monstrous. Remember that the end of days will see stuff very similar to what Noach saw. I think we’ll be seeing Nephilim, genetically altered organisms like those described in Genesis, before long (if we aren’t seeing them already – case in point, LeBron James, Yao, or Dennis Rodman).

The land on the east side of Yarden that Reuven, Gad and ½ Menashe took their inheritances from was from River Arnon to Mount Hermon and from Yarden to the desert in the east. Bashan was given to Jair the son of Menashe, who called it Bashanhavothjair, meaning Yair’s encampments or villages in Bashan. The rest of Gilead was given to Machir, son of Menashe. Reuven and Gad were given the valley from River Yabbok to River Arnon for their inheritance. The women and children of these tribes would inhabit, put in order and tend these inheritances while their men of war went to assist their brothers in the conquest of their inheritances.

Moshe then admonished Yehoshua to lead b’nei Israel in the fight and to not be afraid because Y’hovah would be fighting for them. Please note that Moshe used the same phrase that Y’hovah had used with Moshe in Num.21.33. I seriously doubt that Yehoshua, who had led Israel in every Yah-sanctioned battle since the Amalekites tried to steal their water supply at Rephidim – without a drop of Israelite blood spilt, I might add – was afraid any more than Moshe was of Og. It was not an acknowledgement of his emotional state, but an encouragement to remember that Y’hovah was in this fight and there was no reason to be anything but confident of the outcome. Q&C

YeshaYahu 1:1-27 – Intro – The first word of Y’hovah from YeshaYahu to Israel is one of chastisement for her rebellion and a call to teshuvah. Kinda sets the general tone of the entire book.  He says (Mark paraphrase), “Even a brute like an ox knows who his Master is. Why do you not consider who Y’hovah is and all he’s done for you throughout your history as a nation?” YeshaYahu is bringing warning to Israel that the cup of Y’hovah’s wrath is about to fill up against her. He’s fought for her, delivered her from bondage, forgiven her sins, healed her of them again and again, but the more he forgives her the more she turns to her own ways. His patience is wearing thin. I can generally get a couple of years of wear out of a pair of denim jeans, but eventually the knees wear thin and I tear out of them. It is a lot like that with Y’hovah and us. As we patch the knees of our jeans, so he applies balm and wipes away tears of remorse. But eventually we get to expect his gracious provision for our sins as our due and not as his gracious bounty towards us, and we take his forgiveness for granted. But Y’hovah is not stupid. He knows our hearts better that we, and our ½-hearted repentance is not good enough to ensure his whole-hearted forgiveness. He wants our hearts, not our words. And he sends us reminders that we need to make teshuvah. The quicker we get it, the quicker we get back on the main track. The longer we ignore the hints, the further out on the spur we get and the more severe the hints have to be before we awaken to our plight. And I say plight in the ultimate sense, because; it will take longer to get back to the main track, the more distractions there will be along the way, and the more likely we will turn back to our own ways. By the time Y’hovah called out YeshaYahu, we were way out on the spur, with many years of habitual sin to overcome to get back to the main line.

There was at least 1 backsliding and 1 revival in Jerusalem during YeshaYahu’s years of ministry. AzarYahu/UzziYahu did right in the eyes of Y’hovah (2Ki.15.2). His son, Yotham, also was a righteous king (2Ki.15.34), though the people offered incense to other elohim. Yotham’s son, Ahaz, on the other hand was a wicked king, who went the way of the people – a populist – and made his son to ‘pass through the fire’ to Molech, and burnt incense to Ba’al and other pagan elohim (2Ki.16.3-4). His son, ChizkiYahu, led a major revival and was instrumental in the defeat of Assyria’s Sennacharib when his general Rabshakeh had Jerusalem under siege and sent a letter to ChizkiYahu.

Is.1.7-9 seem to describe exactly that time in Israel’s history, in a severely sinful lifestyle, under siege by Assyria’s army and in need of deliverance from her bondage to sin. The humility of the king before Y’hovah, his own teshuvah and prayer for Yerushalayim and Yehudah were the things Y’hovah needed to see and hear from the king. When he received and read the letter, ChizkiYahu took it into the Temple and opened it for Y’hovah to see, saying that Y’hovah had to preserve his own Name and his people. Y’hovah answered the king’s humility by wiping out the Assyrian army without spilling a drop of Yehudean blood so that the 185,000 troops “arose … dead corpses.”

And it came to pass that night, that the angel of Y’hovah went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. (II Kings 19:35)

I know the dead corpses didn’t wake to find themselves dead, but using strict English grammar that IS the way it reads. The backsliding of the people under Yotham and subsequently of king Ahaz, had to have been widespread, as even the revivals in the reigns of ChizkiYahu and YoshiYahu did not overcome it. Yehudah really started its rapid move to the side tracks and social decline from Torah during the reign of Ahaz. And the teshuvah of the righteous kings did not filter down as rapidly as the decline into idolatry had filtered up (quite possibly for political reasons). When Ahaz saw the political hay he could make quickly with wickedness, he went ‘whole hog’ into it himself. Grassroots movements, sustained in their original purpose, can work wonders in a short time and then continue for generations, as happened in the united States of America. Top-down movements take longer to germinate.

V.10 is addressed to Sedom and ^Gamorrah, but these cities are NOT who he means. He has likened his people in Yerushalayim to Sedom and Yehudah to ^Gamorrah in v.9. The very small remnant has spared the entire nation to this point. This is how Y’hovah works. He will spare a multitude for the sake of just a few, as he would have done for the actual Sedom and ^Gamorrah, had there been any there besides Lot who were righteous. He was willing even to spare Lot’s daughter’s husbands if they’d been willing to consider that the old man was not NUTZ!

The time is coming, in fact in some places it now is, that you will be thought nutz if you warn people of impending judgment from Y’hovah. I’m not really worried about it, since most folks think I’m nutz anyway, but if you can’t deal with ostracism and contempt things will not be easy for you.

In 2006, some FauxNEWS reporters that were taken by Hamas and released after 2 weeks in captivity. I heard that they had renounced their religions and submitted to Allah for their captors. Had they not done so, they ran the risk of being beheaded, like Daniel Pearl was (Dan might actually BE the saint the media portrayed him as). I’m beginning to think that Moshe Koniuchowski and Rico Cortes may be correct about the end time beast being Islam, since their favorite form of death to the infidel is beheading. Look at Rev.6.9 and 20.4:

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of Eloha, and for the testimony which they held: (Rev. 6:9)

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Yeshua, and for the word of Eloha and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Mashiyach a thousand years. (Rev. 20:4) 

I believe these describe the same group of people. Eddie has told us that there are 3 groups vying for control of the NWO, the west (NATO), the east (Russia/China) and Islam. I recently heard that Iran is backing the insurgency in Iraq because the Ayatollah is convinced that there will be ‘One Caliphate’ that will stretch from the Pacific to the Atlantic with Iraq as its center and, I presume, Babylon as its capital. Q&C

The people had continued in their sacrifices, but their hearts were like those of Sedom and ^Gamorrah, fulfilling the lusts of their hearts, not the Torah of Y’hovah.

8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Y’hovah: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. [9] The way of the wicked is an abomination unto Y’hovah: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness. (Proverbs 15:8-9) 

Our sacrifices, Our New Moons, Our solemn assemblies are all an abomination unto him, because we are doing them for our own reasons, or just by rote. He wants our hearts, not just our works. The sacrifices were set apart unto Y’hovah, until the priest began to do them as a ritual and without a heart of repentance and the obedience that comes from it. Then, those sacrifices were just killing and the blood of those animals was on the priest’s hands. YeshaYahu knew the principle and applied it to Yehudah. Can we apply it to ourselves? 

Vv.16-19 are the heart of the passage today, and our link to the Torah portion. The generation of Yisrael that entered haAretz had hearts after Y’hovah’s own heart. They personified vv.16-19.

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness (I LOVE that phrase – Mark), and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. [22] But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. [23] For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: [24] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. [25] But whoso looketh into the perfect Torah of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. [26] If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. [27] Pure religion and undefiled before Eloha and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Ya’acov 1:21-27)

That is Ya’acov’s description of a heart after that of Y’hovah. Is yours like it?

Vv.21-24 describe America of the 21^st Cent. CE – Money that’s worthless, leaders on the take, judges who sell themselves and care nothing for justice, and legislators with the blood of innocent babies on their hands.

There is good news, though. Vv.25-27 tell of our future redemption. Even though we did everything wrong, he will graciously give us the true desire of our hearts. The one who wants him will have him; the one who wants his own life and wealth will lose it. Hey, that sounds familiar!  Q&C

Tehellim 121 – A song of degrees is a Song of Ascent, one that was sung on the approach to Zion during the Feasts of ascension to bring the tithes and offerings. As we ascend to Jerusalem for the Feasts, we look toward the hills from which Mashiyach will enter the city, specifically, the Mount of Olives. Our help IS Yeshua haMashiyach, who made all there is by the Word of his mouth.

Notice the use of ‘keep’ (shamar). Y’hovah is our keeper, our guardian. He will not sleep; he will not tire of his guarding us. 3x he keeps or guards us. 3x he preserves us. Preserve is from the same Hebrew root as keep – shamar. He keeps us 3 times, he preserves us three times, and he does it in the past and the present and the future.

‘The sun shall not smite’ – speaks of the time of trouble, when the sun will scorch the heathen. By the miraculous working of Y’hovah, we (assuming our faithfulness) will NOT be scorched by it, quite possibly while standing next to one of the unbelievers who will be in agony. HE will provide shade for us, while not providing it for the guy next to us. Do you suppose THAT might cause a little animosity? It is obvious to me that he will protect and guard us THROUGH the times of trouble to which YeshaYahu referred.

Eddie makes the point that the Psalms are all about exile and redemption. This is the first psalm I’ve seen that is not about exile and redemption. It only speaks of redemption and protection. Of course, it ASSUMES exile (trouble) from which we will be preserved.  Q&C

Romiyah 9:1-33 – Chapter 9 begins the rather extensive pericope (pronounced ‘peri-kopay’ – to cut around) on Israel, the physical descendants of Ya’acov that Paul set up in ch.8.

A ‘pericope’ is a section of text from a book or document. It has been ‘cut around’ and identified as a literary unit. The Bible is made up of myriad literary units, or ‘pericopes’.^[2]

If you are looking at the notes, THIS BOX is a pericope.

An example of a pericope is Yochanan 7.53-8.12 – the woman taken in adultery. It seems to fit the narrative, but it illustrates the sin of the men and the relative righteousness of the woman compared to them. They are transgressing NUMEROUS Toroth.

Now the focus is on Israel. He [Rav Sha’ul] begins with those professing believers who are after the flesh (physical Israel, not believers in Y’hovah Yeshua) in ch.9 and ends with those who are truly after the Spirit (‘true’ Yisrael) in ch.11.

Vv.1-5 – In vv.1-2 Sha’ul says that he is constantly ‘groaning’ in his heart (Rom.8.22, 23, 26) for all Israel, his brethren after the flesh. For they were promised the adoption that Paul spoke of in ch.8, but they kept after their own way (look these up – Is.56.11, Eze.22.31, Prov.1.23-33), instead of Avinu’s Way (these too – Pro.11.20, 13.6). They more closely followed the fences (traditions) than the Torah that the fences kept and keep them (and us) from. All that Y’hovah intended to give them they forsook for their traditions. But Y’hovah has NOT forsaken them any more than he forsakes us when we stray from the Way of Life. They were given the promises, the covenants of grace, the Torah to give them life and Peace (chayim v’Shalom), and he has not forsaken those promises. When they repent of their sins and fulfill their end of the ketubah (marriage contract) Y’hovah will repent of his condemnation of them and fulfill his end of the ketubah. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, so he will give them chayim v’Shalom. Everything that WE; Judah, Ephraim and Gentiles; have received for our trusting Y’hovah and his promises were first received by the patriarchs, prophets and people who trusted Him and his promises. There is NO DIFFERENCE between the fathers and us in Y’hovah’s eyes. Those who have gone after their own gods (traditions of men) as we had and repent as we have will also receive the adoption of sons. That promise was Yisrael’s in the first place, and we, only by Y’hovah’s grace, are partakers thereof.

In v.3 we see that Sha’ul held no animosity towards those who were after his skin. They were trying to kill him, but he was praying for them and would have given up his own reward in order that they should have the veil removed from their eyes (11.25).

Vv.6-7 – In v.6 we see that, as Sha’ul reveals 2 laws in ch.6-8, he also reveals 2 Israel’s – the Yisrael that is after the Spirit and the Israel that is after the flesh. I will attempt to distinguish the 2 by calling believing Yisrael, Yisrael. ‘They are not all Yisrael who are of Israel (6b)’. The Torah has done its dual job: it has taken its designed effect: it has condemned Israel and acquitted Yisrael. Sha’ul enters into a little parable (through v.13) to illustrate the truth he’s expounding. One’s being a physical son of Avraham does not deliver the promises to him. Avraham had 2 physical sons, Ishmael and Yitzhak; only one is the son of the promise. Yitzhak had 2 sons, Esav and Ya’acov; only one is the son of promise. It’s Yitzhak and Ya’acov through whom descended the promises to Yisrael. Ishmael/Esav represent the ‘minding of the flesh’ (8.6a)^[3] and its traditions – NOT the children of Elohim. Esav sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup. It doesn’t get much more carnal than that. Yitzhak/Ya’acov represent the ‘minding of the Spirit’ (8.6b) and its Way, its Truth and its Life – the seed of Avraham and the adopted sons of Elohim. So we see that they who are after the flesh are of Israel, but they who are after the Spirit are Yisrael. Please keep that in mind for the rest of the book, as it is very important to understand ch.11.

Please also notice that ‘in Yitzhak shall thy seed be called’. Those who are called are those who have been predestinated and foreknown. The foreknowledge of Eloha is a result of his attribute of eternity. He tells the end from the beginning because he IS CONSTANTLY at every point and place in history (past, present and future). His foreknowledge isn’t a general overview, but intimate and total because he IS everywhere and everywhen all at once. He knew before he placed history in motion who would have a heart to believe and these he predestined to his calling. Q&C

 Vv.8-13 – The Israel who minds the flesh are NOT the children of Eloha. The Yisrael who minds the Spirit are b’nei Elohim, the children of Eloha. Elohim’s children are the children of the promise. Paul tells us what the promise is – that Sarah and Avraham, a barren 89-year old woman and her 99-year old husband will conceive and deliver a son. The original promise was given in Gen12.15, 17-19. Avraham believed with his mind, but not his heart at that time. His faith had no works (James 2.17). The first thing he did was to go down to Egypt and plead with this wife that she tell them that she was his sister and not his wife. He didn’t fully trust Y’hovah that through his barren wife he would have a son in whom the entire earth would be blessed. What made them children of Y’hovah was their eventual belief and trust in his power to deliver on his promise. They learned that their flesh could not do what Y’hovah had promised and that only Y’hovah’s Spirit could bring their greatest desire to fruition.

The same can be said of Yitzhak and Rivkah, who waited 20 years to see the birth of their sons, Esav and Ya’acov. As with Ishmael and Yitzy, the elder brother is the child of the flesh and the younger is the child of the Spirit. The same can be seen in the parable of the prodigal son, in which the elder son (Yehuda) is after the flesh, but the younger son (Ephraim), after his initial descent into idolatrous debauchery, makes teshuvah – repentance – and returns to his Abba, expecting nothing in return, hoping to be allowed to return as a bond-servant. In the case of Esav and Ya’acov, they were separated from the womb, Ya’acov having been elect and called, while Esav was rejected by the determinate foreknowledge of Elohim. In each case it was predestined that the elder would be servant to the younger. The flesh must serve the Spirit of Elohim, or the spirit of man will serve the flesh. 

The saying Ya’acov have I loved, but Esav have I hated shows us that just being the physical seed of a patriarch doesn’t qualify us for election. By the same token, just being born of Esav doesn’t disqualify us for adoption unto life. Y’hovah looks on the heart. It is the heart of Ya’acov – which was to believe Y’hovah – that made him Avraham’s seed and what Y’hovah loved, not his birth to Yitzhak. And it was Esav’s heart – which was to feed his flesh – that disqualified him for adoption and what Elohim hates. It is the fleshly spirit of Esav that Elohim hates, not Esav himself. Likewise it is Ya’acov’s openness to the Spirit of Elohim that he loves. Y’hovah has made both types of heart come from one and the same father, so it is not unreasonable to think that any person COULD be a son of promise regardless his station or ancestry. Each will receive judgment for his own sins, but Yisrael will receive loving chastisement (5.18b, 19b), while Israel/Esav will receive just punishment (5.18a, 19a). The difference is in their hearts. Q&C

 Vv.14-18 – Here we see the logical outworking of the 2 spirits. Hyper-Calvinists see the absolute sovereignty of Elohim here, which to them negates the free will of man. Nothing is further from the truth. Y’hovah does have absolute sovereignty, but that does not negate my responsibility to obey him.

Is Elohim unrighteous to condemn sinners? WhatahNutz? He shows mercy to those sinners who will believe him, and wrath to those who will not. Paraoh chose to not believe Y’hovah by a conscious act of his will and his pride (Ex.5.2).

2 And Paraoh said, Who is Y’hovah, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not Y’hovah, neither will I let Israel go.

Moshe chose to believe Y’hovah by a conscious act of his will and his meekness. Paraoh thought he was all that AND a bag of chips. Moshe knew he was dust in need of some living water so that he could be shaped into something useful. Paraoh never got over his pride of position in the world, the very thing that was Sha’ul’s thorn in the flesh (7.7ff). When Y’hovah saw that he had a heart of stone and that Paraoh would not allow him to replace it with one of flesh, he sent him more hardness – Y’hovah gives every man what he truly wants. A hard, stony heart (Mat.13 says that this is one that will not hear and heed the Word of Y’hovah. He says, “You want a hard heart? Well. HERE ya go!” as he did to Paraoh). By the same token, those who call on Y’hovah’s Name for deliverance are redeemed through his mercy. We have to humble ourselves at least to the degree that we realize our impotence to save ourselves, and to call on him who can deliver us.

Vv.19-24 – Here’s where the hyper-Calvinists go awry. They use this numbered sound-bite (v.22) out of its immediate and general context. The general context is the 2 hearts we’ve been discussing. The immediate context runs at least through v.22, where he tells us that Y’hovah is longsuffering toward the vessels of wrath. If we look into Yisrael’s history, we see that Avraham was given a promise and a prophecy in Gen.15. The promise was that his seed would be as the stars and the sand of the sea. The prophecy was that his seed would be 400 years before they could obtain the promise because ‘the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full.’ He was enduring the ‘vessels of wrath’ until their cup was full (cf. Rev.15&16).

Y’hovah’s will is that no flesh should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He shows his will in that he gave the Amorites 400 years to repent before he brought Yisrael to remove the Amorites from their land and to receive the promise Yah had made to Avraham. His will was to have the Amorites repent. He did not impose his will on them any more than he imposes his will on us. Y’hovah is sovereign, but he is not a bully. He gives us the choice to obey or not. He exercises his sovereignty in his mercy or hardening, and even his hardening is merciful.

The vessels of dishonour (v.21) are those whom Y’hovah, in his foreknowledge, knew would reject him, those who have the spirit of Esav and walk after the flesh. Notice that he endured their insolence and despite beyond any reasonable extent of patience, in the Amorite’s case (Gen.15) for 400 years (actually 430). His way of mercifully bringing judgment is gradual; first a hint, then a more urgent hint, then a warning, etc., until he finally just forsakes the object of his mercy (as the Amorites) and drives them from his sight or allows them to be wiped out entirely. When he judges a people, he uses another people as his vehicle. Israel drove out the Amorites; the Philistines badgered Israel for 450 years. Then Israel under David and Shlomo conquered the known world and held the rest as tributaries until the people went after other gods (following their leaders, of course). Then Y’hovah exiled the 10 Ephraimite tribes to Assyria, followed by Judah’s 3 tribes going into exile in Babylon. When Judah repented and called on the Name of Y’hovah (in the person of Daniel haNavi – the prophet), he delivered them back into their land. And the cycle repeated itself. BTW, as had occurred in the Egyptian exodus, only about 10% of the people returned from captivity. The rest were, presumably, after the flesh.

Do you see his mercy in his patient, longsuffering endurance of their pride and willful disregard for his Word? Do you see his mercy in the fact that he hints, then cajoles, then warns with ever increasing severity to bring about repentance, not only in his people, but even in the heathen? Do you see his mercy in his willingness to forgive at the merest sincerity in turning toward him? Even in his wrath he shows mercy because he brings it quickly and with minimal suffering. Behold the goodness and severity of Elohim (11.22).

And what of us, who have softened our hearts towards him by our positive decision to obey him? He further softens them so that his Word can take root in the good, soft earth of our hearts and bring forth fruit to his glory. He gives us what we want. As he gave Paraoh the hard heart he’d decided upon, so he will give us the soft heart of flesh that he can circumcise and hallow to himself when once we choose to obey him. Q&C

Vv.24-26 – Do you see how he juxtaposes all gentile believers in v.24 with the ten tribes in v.25? It’s there; you just need to go a little deeper into the scripture than what’s in the immediate context. You need to go from the peshat (literal) to the remez (hint, reference to Tanakh).

“…not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. 26 And it shall come to pass, in the place where it was said unto them, Ye not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living Eloha.

That quote from Hoshea is in Ch.1, which begins by specifying that he is speaking mainly to the House of Israel and not Judah. Y’hovah instructs Hosea to take a whore to his wife, to signify to the house of Israel that they have played the harlot and gone after other gods. For that reason, he allows Gomer to conceive 3 children, whose names are also symbols of how Y’hovah is going to deal with Israel. V.4 (blood of Yezreel) speaks of 2Ki.9.30ff, where Yehu rode into town and had Yezevel thrown down from the tower, where dogs licked up her blood as prophesied by EliYahu. Yehu instituted the revival of Y’hovah worship, after a fashion; i.e., Yerovoam’s mixed system of worship. His revival didn’t go far enough towards true Y’hovah worship. So Yah had Hosea call his 1^st born son Yezre’el to remind Israel about her spiritual shortcomings. Hosea was then told to name his daughter Lo-Ruchamah – “No mercy” due to Israel’s idolatry. Then he was told to name his son Lo-Ammi – “Not my People” due to Israel’s idolatry. 

The good news is in verses 10-11 of Hos.1, which is the hinted at reference.

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, in the place where it was said unto them, Ye not my people, it shall be said unto them, the sons of the living Eloha. 11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great the day of Yezre’el.

Even though Israel is called “No Mercy” and “Not My People”, Y’hovah promises to enlarge their borders and numbers and to eventually rename them “The Sons of the Living Eloha”. I think this is a reiteration of the promise made in Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim in Gen.48, where he uses the Hebrew phrase ‘melo hagoyim’ – multitude of nations, which Paul alluded to in his passage in this same section of Romans in 11.25,

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

So, what Sha’ul has done in vv.24-26 is identified gentile believers (v.24) with the people of Israel, who WERE Lo-Ruchamah and Lo-Ammi, but have NOW obtained mercy and ARE his people. He makes the same reference in Eph.2.11ff, “aliens” (grk. apollotrioo – estranged – like a divorced spouse), “far off”, etc. IOW, whether literally or spiritually/metaphorically, gentile believers in Mashiyach Yeshua ARE the descendants of the 10 tribes of Israel, according to Sha’ul. And Yeshua HAS fulfilled his mission to bring Ephraim to repentance and brought the 2 houses together in him.

Vv.27-29 – Paul then quotes Isaiah to show that a remnant of Yisrael would be saved, while the majority in Israel would not. Y’hovah called his seed, not for the purpose of excluding any from his Kingdom, but to make it available to all, Jew and Gentile, Judah and Ephraim. If not for the remnant the entire earth would be as Sedom and ^Gamorrah lo-o-ng before its time. Ecc.3 tells us that there is a time and a purpose for everything under heaven, and the time of earth’s destruction by fire is not yet. 1004 years from now, perhaps; but not yet. Remember the goodness and severity of Elohim? There’s another example of it. If not for Y’hovah’s gracious provision of a remnant, earth would have been a burnt out cinder [1951’s The Day the Earth Stood Still reference, the ‘redux’ is terrible] long since. 

Vv.30-33 – What shall we say then? Sha’ul uses a Pharisaic rhetorical device to make his point that the Gentiles have obtained righteousness by faith in the same way that Avi, Yitzy and Jake did, not to mention all the rest of the ‘Heroes of the Faith’ (Heb.11). But they do not replace Israel. The fact that Israel has not ‘attained to righteousness’ does not negate the faith walk, which is based in Torah obedience. The reason Israel did not ‘attain’ to righteousness is the same reason noone ever can – righteousness comes by the faith of and in Y’hovah Yeshua.

The way Israel tried to attain to righteousness was by ‘works of law’ (no definite article is ever attached to this phrase, which is only seen in Rom.9.32 and Gal.2.16, 3.2, 5&10), not by faith. Paul invented the term ‘works of law’. Works of Law has nothing to do with observing Torah. It has to do with what the Pharisees called the ‘Oral Torah’, the traditions of the rabbis. An excellent source for this is Galatians, by Avi ben Mordechai. He explains the 1^st C. historical background that has come down to the rabbinic Jews in the Mishnah and Talmud. While they may be good commentaries (well, some is), they are not scripture. So they are not a source of Y’hovah’s instruction in righteousness; Torah.

V.33 refers to Isaiah 8.14 and 28.16, [Y’hovih is YHWH vowel pointed as it were Elohim, usually translated as “the Lord GOD”]

14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

16 Therefore thus saith Y’hovih, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone , a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Paul jumbles the 2 verses, lifting a phrase from one and inserting it in a re-ordered other where he changed a word and said, “he that believeth on him shall not be ashamed”, not exactly a direct quote. But this is a 1^st C. Pharisaic rhetorical devise called midrash, juxtaposing one scripture with another, even making a change in verbiage to make the point. It is how arguments are made throughout the Mishnah and Talmud. Midrash was and is common practice in the synagogue. If we were to try this in the church we’d be given the left foot of fellowship, thrown out on our ears (or worse) and called heretics. Midrash assumes either that the listener has some training in rabbinic thought and a thoroughgoing knowledge of Tanakh, as the elder or rabbi of the synagogue in Rome would, or a rabbi who could explain the passage to those without the training. It’s the reason some teachers think that Hebrews should not be in the canon. It’s why Martin Luther thought James should be scrapped. They’re ‘too Jew-ey’. It’s also why so many in the church can’t seem to grasp that, even though we are unable to obey Torah 100%, it is still our standard and guide for right living before Y’hovah. Unlike the fool of Ps.14.1 and Rom.3.12, we believe there is an Eloha, and that he has given us a guide to live by – his Torah.

As to the change in verbiage, I think it has to do with the fact that whenever a patriarch ‘made haste’ or tried to hurry along Elohim’s plan by helping him out (Avi and Hagar, David and the ark, etc.), they were always ashamed. It is therefore a warning to the Romans to be patient with each other and not to get ahead of Elohim. We’ll see this developed in Rom.14. Q&C

End of Shabbat Bible study.

^[1] An italicized I think denotes an educated guess, which COULD be wrong … but I DOUBT it!

^[2] www.godward.org/archives/BS_Notes/Bible_Study_Notes_No_One_Pericope1.htm

^[3] Pg.51, paragraph 4, above- dealing w/8.3-6.

Shabbat Bible Study for August 18, 2018

©2018 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 3 Sabbath 23

Deuteronomy 1:1-46 – Jeremiah 30:4, Amos 2:9-10 – Psalm 120 – Hebrews 3:1- 4:16

Links: 

Devarim 1.1-4 – Now, Moshe was not saying these words at the shore of the Yam Suf, nor in Horeb, nor at Hazeroth, nor at Kadesh Barnea nor Paran nor Lavan. He spoke these words on the banks of Yarden across from Yericho. So why all the other place names? I don’t think even Moshe’s voice would carry all the way to Baal Zephon from there. All of these references are not even of places they’d been in their Wilderness Adventure. Laban is not a place but a person, Ya’acov’s father-in-law, with whom he had to deal before Mashiyach named him Israel on his return trip to the land with his wives and children. So what gives? All these things deal with places or people with whom Yisrael had ‘close encounters’. Moshe is giving Yisrael a veiled rebuke for its history of rebellion and stiff-necked-ness (I know – I just coined a new term) and natural short-comings during the Exodus. Schottenstein’s Chumash has a wonderful analysis, according to Rashi, of these references on pg.2. 

Moshe probably spent a few hours recapitulating at least the high points of the last 40 years of Israelite history. This is the 11^th month, 1^st day of the month and the 40^th year out of Egypt, roughly 2½ months shy of the Pesach they will celebrate in Yehoshua 5.10-11. It may have been exactly 2 months before their circumcision day, which was just before Pesach that year and on the other side of Yarden. Moshe mentions Og of Bashan and Sihon of Heshbon, kings of the Amorites on the east bank, perhaps to encourage Israel after he’d just delivered the veiled rebuke for their natural rebellion, in effect saying to them that even though they were a stiff-necked lot, they were still Y’hovah’s chosen and he would still be with them as they walked in his Toroth. That should give us all hope that he will do the same for us when we sin, if we will humble ourselves to repent and start going his Way. Israel had been frightened by the Canaanites because of the tourist’s report 38+ years before, but now they had absolute proof of his ability to wipe the Canaanites out without spilling even one drop of Israelite blood on the desert sand. 

Vv.5-46 – KJV says that Moshe began explaining THIS Torah to Israel. There are a number of differences between what was written in the previous 38+ years and what Moshe explained to them in Devarim. Chumash says that Y’hovah had Moshe write down some of the oral Torah. I think he just did what KJV says, explaining some fine points of Torah for future reference. 

Horeb was the general area of which Mt. Sinai is the most outstanding landmark. I think they got very comfortable there, because he said “turn” from Horeb and journey. That word ‘turn’ is a military facing command, like “About : FACE!”. They had not been brought out of Egypt to live on manna next to a Rock that gushed forth water. They were brought out of Egypt so they could be brought into the land Y’hovah had promised their fathers. Moshe is recounting what Y’hovah would have done had they trusted him to bring them into their land at Kadesh. But they trusted the tourists more than Y’hovah and didn’t go in. This is one of the things that’s different in the re-telling here, than in the original account, since we are not told this detail in Exodus when they moved out from Horeb. Moshe tells them here that had they gone in from Kadesh, Y’hovah would have given them every inch of land he’d promised Avraham in B’reishith 15

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Avram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Avram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites not yet full. 17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 18 In the same day Y’hovah made a covenant with Avram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites (Kalev & Yithro’s people), and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Yevusites. (Gen.15.12-21)

(These 10 nations MAY be coming together as we speak to take what they think is their land back from Israel – a 10-nation confederacy? Let’s keep our eyes on the Middle East and see if 1 nation – like the Moslem Brotherhood/ISIS – causes 3 to fall in order to bring the other 7 into compliance; OH! WAIT! Libya and Egypt were taken down by the bro’hood and Syria is about to be taken down by ISIS, all with the help of the USofA – do you suppose?). But they didn’t trust Y’hovah and have NEVER received the entire land-grant promised to Avram, though David got pretty close to controlling it all. He’d literally told them “Come and possess the Land”, as if to say, you won’t even have to lift a finger for it – the Amorites will run like scared rabbits from before you. 

Vv.9-18 – Moshe recounts how he was unable to be their prophet, their only judge, only general, only political leader and only priest. He needed help to take care of Israel’s needs timely. So he asked Israel to choose wise men to help him bear the burden, and they chose relatively wisely. Moshe authorized a more or less military chain of command, responsibility and authority from the sergeants to the generals. And it works well, if it is used as it’s designed to work. Chain-jumping in either direction is a bad idea.

Vv.20-36 – Here Moshe recounts the mission the 12 spies were sent out on and the result of it showing that 10 tourists and 2 men of Y’hovah went into the Land. Oh, the tourists just LOVED Canaan as a wonderful place to visit, but they seemed to forget that Y’hovah had their backs when they saw there were Anakim there. And so the whole generation of men of war got to die in the Wilderness and only Yehoshua and Kalev got to enter haAretz as promised. You know, I can’t remember either of them bringing a calumnious (slanderous) accusation against any of the 10 tourists or anyone else in the Israelite camp. Yehoshua and Kalev were meek, in the same vein as Moshe. They proved their strength in battle and in right judgment – not by tearing other people down, but by being men of stalwart character. Would that I were ½ the man either of them were. 

Then Moshe took one last chance to be a Jewish mother and make Israel feel guilty that he would not be able to enter the land, but that Yehoshua would lead them in. Moshe admonished Yisrael to encourage and support Yehoshua, as Y’hovah had admonished Moshe to do. 

Moshe then recounts how the 10 tourist decided that they could take the land AFTER all, and told Moshe they would do it. But Y’hovah told Moshe to tell them that they’d blown their chance, that he would not protect them in the battle. They went up against Amor anyway, and had their butts handed to them after which they stayed in their camp at Kadesh Barnea – for 19 years, according to some rabbis. Imagine being camped within a 9 iron shot of the Promised land, at the very place from which you COULD have gone in and had it handed to you on a silver platter, and NOT be able to go in because of one wrong decision. How many of us are in exactly this situation because of our own lack of trust in Y’hovah or our own hardness of heart? Q&C

YirmeYahu 30.4 – Our verse is in a context that will enlighten us as to the timing of its fulfillment, so let’s read vv.1-10. 

The timing of v.4, which addresses both Israel and Judah, is given in vv.5-10, and it is the time of Ya’acov’s trouble, but he – that is Ya’acov, which includes both houses – shall be delivered from it. That means that Ya’acov will be IN trouble, but he will be delivered because Y’hovah Elohim of Israel will hear this voice of trembling and fear coming from his people and he will answer their cries with Mashiyach, Y’hovah Tzavaoth. This will be the ‘Greater Exodus’ of the not distant future. Ya’acov will obviously be in bondage to an oppressive anti-Y’hovah government as they cry out for his deliverance, and Y’hovah Tzavaoth will remove their yoke of bondage and break that which binds them to the oppressor, as he did in both Egypt and Persia. Then both the oppressor and Ya’acov will serve Y’hovah Elohechem and Mashiyach as one body in haAretz. 

Amos 2.9-10– As Y’hovah Tzavaoth delivered us from Egypt’s oppression and into the land, despite the power of the Amorites who were obviously trans-human giants, so he will deliver his own from oppression and into liberty by his omnipotence. 

Psalm 120 – Psalms 120-134 are called the songs of assent. When Israel brought their tithes to the storehouse, they ascended to the gates of the Temple via a set of 42 steps. Every third step was longer than the previous 2 and on each step, beginning at the bottom step (where they would sing this psalm) they would sing the succeeding psalm, so that at all times there were at least 15 different songs of praise being lifted up to Y’hovah – a veritable cacophony of praise from morning to evening on the Temple mount. 

This psalm wonderfully fits the theme for today. Moshe rehearsed the history of Israel’s repeated turning aside from following Y’hovah and of Y’hovah’s forbearance and long-suffering towards us. The haftarah tells us we will be under a yoke of bondage again in ‘Egypt’ and that when we cry out in trembling and fear, as we did in Egypt, he will hear us and deliver us from our yoke of bondage and back into our promised inheritance – the ENTIRE land grant from the Nile to the Euphrates and from the Red Sea to the Caucasus Mountains (where the Euphrates headwaters are). 

Psalm 120 seems to be speaking of a world system very much like what we see today; lying lips/deceitful tongue is about all we get from the powers that be. Y’hovah will recompense the deceivers with ‘arrows made of juniper’. I think this refers to the straightness of the arrow shaft and the intense heat given off as the juniper burns. Not only would the juniper arrow shaft provide an accurate arrow shaft, but if set ablaze would burn in its victim. Meshech is considered by many to be the ancestor of the people who settled the Moschian mountains and eventually joined with the Scythians and became known as the Muscovs, who settled in the capital city of what became Russia. The citizens of Moscow are called Muscovites to this day. To dwell in the tents of Kedar, as sojourning in Meshech, was to be exiled from Israel and cut off from the Elohim of Israel. In this exile we live among men who hate shalom. We LOVE true shalom, but the world system wants nothing but war and death, so we are ‘on the outs’ with it. But when we call out to Y’hovah for our deliverance from its yoke, he hears us and remembers us – he goes to work on our behalf. Q&C

Ivrit 3.1-6 – Who are the partakers in the heavenly calling? In Romans 8 Rav Sha’ul provides the answer. This is from my study in the book of Romans,

ALL YISRAEL shall be saved also refers to the return from exile in Babylon and Assyria, from which only a remnant of Judah and Benjamin returned along with so small a number of the other tribes that they could not be considered even a remnant and were counted as parts of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. In the future redemption, ALL Yisrael SHALL be saved. It is predestined.

Those who are predestined are the ‘called according to his purpose’. We see this in – you guessed it – ch.11.

28 As concerning the gospel, enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of Elohim are without repentance. 

Believing Yisrael is called of Elohim.

If my conclusion there is true, and to the best of MY reasoning it IS, the recipients of Rav Sha’ul’s [or his talmid’s] letter to the Ivrit are a part of believing Yisrael, and partakers in the heavenly calling. Now further on in that study I also conclude that just being of the physical seed of Avraham, Israel, does not make one a partaker in the heavenly calling or a part of the spiritual ‘seed of Avraham’, Yisrael. To be of Avraham’s ‘spiritual seed’, there must also be biblical ‘faith’, which is always evidenced by works of Torah.

14 What profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one Elohim; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2.14-20)

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of Elohim, and have the testimony of Yeshua haMoshiach. (Revelation 12.17)

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here they that keep the commandments of Elohim, and the faith of Yeshua. (Revelation 14.12)

This is Yisrael, and so were the recipients of this letter to the Hebrews. The reason for this letter, I think, is that these Ivrit believers in Yeshua haMoshiach, perhaps from among the ‘kohanim that believed’ in Acts 6.7, were considering a return to the sacrificial system that was about to be completely removed from the earth. The probationary period of 40 years from the actual atonement of Yeshua on his tree was almost over. The Temple they would have to offer the atonement in was about to be destroyed by Titus, the Roman general. Rav Sha’ul ‘remezed’ (hinted) that the Temple was about to be destroyed.

7 But into the second the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and the errors of the people: 8 Ruach haKodesh this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: 9 Which a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; 10 only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed until the time of reformation [tikkun]. 11 But Mashiyach being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building [the heavenly one]; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. (Ivrit 9.7-12)

Ain’t no bull or goat blood is good enough to even substitute any more. HalleluYAH!

Paul makes a reference to Moshe’s prophecy in Devarim 18 by way of a midrashic technique of comparing the lesser (Moshe) to the greater (Yeshua)

Y’hovah Elohecha will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; (Deuteronomy 18:15)

The Notzrim had been applying this passage to Yeshua since Pentecost, at least;

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall Y’hovah Elohecha raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. (Acts 3:22)

If Moshe, as a servant (lesser), was faithful in Y’hovah’s (lesser) house on earth, how much MORE faithful would Y’hovah Yeshua (greater) be in his OWN (greater) house? That heavenly tabernacle in which Yeshua offered his OWN blood was the one he’d built by his own power that was the template for the copy Moshe built on earth. Sha’ul then concludes the first 6 verses with an admonition, “IF we hold fast.” This is one of the phrases that tells me that the believing Jews were considering a return to the now fulfilled sacrificial system. I think their fellow Jews, both Pharisees and Sadducees, were hounding them about their Notzrei lifestyle and eschewal of the blood of bulls and goats for their atonement. It would make life easier if they went back to the sacrificial system. Q&C

Vv.7-12 – This is a single sentence with a parenthetical insert. The sentence stands alone and reads 

7 Wherefore, 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living Elohim.

The parenthetical introduces the next argument that Paul will use to try to convince the believing Ivrit to stand faithful to Yeshua, who IS the living Elohim.

(as Ruach haKodesh saith [Ps.95.7c-11], To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

On that portion of the Psalm, I had this to say in the Bible study of February 24, 2018,

In v.7c he changes direction by pleading with the redeemed to hear Y’hovah’s voice and not harden our hearts as our fathers did at Sinai. Those who were graffed into Yisrael’s olive tree, made members of her Commonwealth, and made partakers in the vine could be removed as easily as they were added. The generation that hardened their hearts were the ones who had lived under the Egyptian thumb and been partakers of the Egyptian culture and religion. They hardened their hearts because they knew the Egyptian system and incorporated it into their worship of Y’hovah. We need to guard against this same type of hardening, or their end may be ours – denial of the rest we are promised due to our unbelief. 

Sha’ul is making the same case to the Ivrit as David did, to not add to the work of the Way of Y’hovah. The work of atonement is complete in Mashiyach. It is now time to rest in that atonement and to stand in that rest. To do less or to go back to the atonement of bulls and goats is essentially the same as Israel sinking back into their Egyptian idolatry. No matter how bushy the mustache you paint on a pig, it’s still a pig. No matter how you protest, “it’s all for Y’hovah”, Xmas, Ishtar and all the pagan feasts are still idolatry. Your place in eternity may be safe, but you are not pleasing Y’hovah with that part of your walk. And it is arguably worse if you despise Yeshua’s blood and the work of Ruach haKodesh

23 Let us hold fast the profession of faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some, but exhorting: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moshe’s law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of Elohim, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (10.23-29)

Vv.13-19 – After quoting Ps.95 to make his point, Rav Sha’ul tells them to stand together, exhorting each other and building up each other’s faith and faithfulness to Yeshua, as he has been faithful to them (vv.2, 6). They are to do this daily ‘while it is called Today’. That means don’t wait until tomorrow, do it constantly. Stand fast in the calling to which he has called you, you seed of Avraham. 

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. (I Corinthians 16:13)

When he says, ‘they could not enter in because of unbelief’, he was speaking of the iniquity they had to bear, the blessing they would not enjoy in their flesh. They could not enter haAretz because at Kadesh Barnea they believed their spies’ lying eyes rather than Y’hovah’s promise and proven protection. Paul is basically telling these believing Jews who were considering going back into the now useless Temple service that they were actually considering walking in their flesh, rather than Ruach’s rachamim v’chesed (mercy and grace). Q&C

Ivrit 4.1-5 – Because the Israelites, who would not go into the land because they believed their lying spies instead of Y’hovah, had to die over the next 38+ years as they lived through the Wilderness Adventure, WE need to fear that WE may not be able to enter into that rest. Remember what we said earlier today

Moshe is recounting what Y’hovah would have done had they trusted him to bring them into their land at Kadesh. But they trusted the spies more than Y’hovah and didn’t go in. This is one of the things that’s different in the re-telling here, than in the original account, since we are not told this detail in Exodus when they moved out from Horeb. Moshe tells them here that had they gone in from Kadesh, Y’hovah would have given them every inch of land he’d promised Avraham in B’reishith 15 … But they didn’t trust Y’hovah and have NEVER received the entire land-grant promised to Avram, though David got pretty close to controlling it all. He’d literally told them “Come and possess the Land”, as if to say, you won’t even have to lift a finger for it – the Amorites will run like scared rabbits from before you.

If this is true, and I think it is, Amor would have either run or been wiped out by Y’hovah and Israel would have received haAretz without lifting a weapon and just gone into their inheritance. “THAT rest” (v.11) would have begun at Kadesh, just about 1½ years out of Egypt. IOW and if I am right, our sight walk has already cost us 3500 years of unnecessary exile from the fulness of his promise. Instead, “that rest” will not physically begin until the Millennial Kingdom of Y’hovah Yeshua haMoshiach. We believers DO partake spiritually in that rest, but the physical deliverance awaits Mashiyach’s Kingdom. 

Notice that Sha’ul [or his trusted talmid] says in v.1, ‘lest any of YOU fall short’. He is telling these ‘priests who believed’ that they are in danger of not experiencing ANY physical manifestations of the rest promised us. The rest is from the need for animal sacrifices to Y’hovah to atone for our transgressions. He says that we have all had the good news preached to us, both they in the Wilderness and we in the end of days

Eloha, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:1-2)

But they failed to act on the Word preached to them. They believed that Y’hovah COULD bring them into haAretz, but they didn’t believe that he WOULD at that time. (Cf. AENT appendix “Good News” on pg.830/31 as it relates to v.2). 

Do you see how faith is not just belief, but includes obedience and living the Word that we believe? Mere belief is unprofitable to the believer. If there are no actions in accord with that belief, there is no real growth in the fear and admonition of Y’hovah nor anything that will conform us into the image of Yeshua haMoshiach.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)

Paul then applies the rest that we hope for to the rest that Y’hovah had at the beginning of creation. 

2 And on the seventh day Eloha ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And Eloha blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which Eloha created and made. (Gen.2.2-3)

THAT is ‘that rest’ into which we will enter in the Millennium and that we COULD have entered directly from Kadesh 3500 years ago. (Hindsight is always 20/20.) Y’hovah’s rest will come to us when we are at perfect shalom with him. For now, that means translation or resurrection. Q&C

Vv.6-10 – speak of those sacrifices that we had to offer yearly to make atonement for our sins, as Rav Sha’ul will make clear in ch.9-10. Yehoshua, son of Nun, did not bring them into the rest Y’hovah had intended and would have delivered had it not been for the people believing the lying spies. There yet remains a ‘rest’ for those who exercise their faith in Y’hovah and have ceased reliance on the blood of bulls and goats (our own works) and begun to rely on the once for all offering of Yeshua’s blood (rest). 

V.11-13 – Let us labor to enter his rest? We have to WORK to rest? Well, Yeah! The reason they DIDN’T enter the land from Kadesh and the reason they didn’t enter the entire land grant when they DID enter the land was the same unbelieving lack of action. They didn’t do all it would have taken – walking in and watching the Amorites run like rats from a sinking ship or cockroaches when the lights go on. The action we need to take is the same one they needed to take – walk in accord with his Word and trust HIS finished work. His Word is alive and cuts both ways, chasing the enemy away or wounding us, depending on our faith-works.  It will take our enemies apart, or show us where we need to repent and submit. We can’t hide from the truth of Y’hovah’s Word (v.13). It will find us out, either for our instruction and tutorage or for our reproof and correction.

16 All scripture given by inspiration of Elohim, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of Eloha may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2Tim.3.16-17)

Vv.14-16 – In these last verses of the chapter, Paul begins the treatise on the high priesthood of Yeshua after the order of Melchizedek that will culminate in ch.10. The recipients of this letter COULD be from among those priests who believed in Act 6

7 And the word of Eloha increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. (Acts 6.7)

This makes sense to me because fully ½ of the book is directly related to the priesthood of Mashiyach Yeshua. I am becoming more convinced as time goes by that this book was specifically written to kohanim who had been faithful to the Netzari sect and were thinking about returning to their offices in the sacrificial system. I think this would have caused a lot of stumbling among the other Yehudi believers. Perhaps this was a further attempt by haSatan to wrest control of the sect from Yeshua’s shlichim and destroy it. Perhaps SOME of the Netzari kohanim DID cross back over – anti-Ivrit? – and begin to offer offerings again, speeding up Y’hovah’s timetable for destroying the Beit haMikdash. All this is speculation, but I think it is a real possibility, and I am seeing it as a viable probability. 

Sha’ul encourages the Ivrit to ‘hold fast profession’. That word, profession, is from G3671, homologion, meaning ‘same thought or word’. He is, of course, referring to Torah, which is the basis of all doctrine and practice, as opposed to the traditions of the elders. He makes that appeal in light of our high priest whose flesh has become the first full-blown Ivrit by passing over from death to resurrected life eternal, because OUR high priest, unlike the Idumean high priests of Herod’s temple, knew what we have to deal with in this body of flesh, as did Paul

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of Eloha after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank Eloha through Yeshua Mashiyach our Master. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of Eloha; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7.21-25)

Sha’ul described it well, and Y’hovah, in the flesh of Yeshua, experienced it all himself so that he could have REAL compassion on us, experientially knowing our infirmities. And so, knowing that we have this kind of high priest, we can come boldly before the throne of Y’hovah and make our case before the righteous Judge and King of the Universe, Yeshua haMoshiach haTzadik, who HIMSELF will come and Advocate for us in the best kind of ‘kangaroo court’, one where the court is in favor of the accused. Q&C

End of Shabbat Bible Study.

Shabbat Bible Study for August 11, 2018

©2018 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 3 Sabbath 22

B’midbar 35:9 – 36:13 – Yehoshua 20:1-9 – Tehellim 119b – Yochanan 4:1-45

Links: 

www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10618-memra

B’midbar 35:9- – In this chapter, Y’hovah gives Israel instruction about the cities of refuge and the conditions under which they were to be used. He says, when you have come over Yarden into Canaan you shall appoint cities. I infer that they were to be designated after the land was taken and the 2½ tribes were settled in their inheritances on the East Bank, because there were to be 3 cities of refuge on each side of Yarden, and those on the east bank would be useless until then. This is borne out in that the cities were not designated until after the conquest of the land was more or less complete (Jos.20 – The 48 Levitical cities were assigned to the individual families of Levi in Jos.21). As we discussed briefly last week, these were cities to which a person who killed another person without premeditation or evil intent could flee for his (or her) life until inquiry could be made as to the type of killing it was.

The cities of refuge were to be chosen so that it would be a relatively short trip to the one designated for your tribe – basically not more than a long, concentrated day’s journey on foot. There was no time to lose for the manslayer, because the avenger of the dead man’s blood would be absolutely guiltless if he caught the manslayer before he arrived at the refuge. These cities were for ANY manslayer to use; Israelite, ger toshav (a gentile living, doing business and voluntarily subject to Torah in Israel) or goy. 

Y’hovah laid down the general guidelines by which the judges would decide. He didn’t cover EVERY contingency, but gave clear enough instruction that right judgment could be made. Y’hovah makes a clear distinction between a murderer and one who killed through negligence or accident. If the killing was found to be a pre-meditated murder, the person was given to the avenger of blood to be executed. If it was found to be accidental, he was freed to go back to his inheritance/business, or if it was found to be inadvertent or merely negligent the man was returned to the city of refuge and exiled there until the death of the presently anointed high priest. As you may remember, there were only 18 high priests in the nearly 900 years from Exodus to Babylon, so the stay in the city of refuge COULD be as long as ±50 years. [Schottenstein’s] Chumash has a salient note on v.25 concerning the judgment on the manslayer (pg.242-43). 

The manslayer sentenced to exile in a city of refuge had better not even go outside the gate of the city, or he was fair game for the avenger of blood. An avenger who thought the judgment was a travesty might camp outside the city awaiting his quarry’s departure. After the Kohen Gadol died, the slayer was free to return to his land inheritance. The murderer could only be executed at the corroborating testimony of at least 2 witnesses to the offense. A single witness is not valid before the court – especially in a capital offense. “Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer (KJV)” means you will not allow anything to substitute for or be used as a cover for a murderer. The word xlated ‘satisfaction’ is H3724 kopher, from the root (H3722) kaphar, from which is derived (H3725) kippur. A man who murders another cannot be ‘covered’ [kaphar’d] for in any way. Murder is not pardonable. 

Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of Eloha made he man. (Genesis 9:6)

That is not to say that a man who is guilty of murder cannot make true teshuvah and Y’hovah forgive him of the eternal consequence of his sin. But the sinner MUST receive the just physical consequence of his sin – death. The sinner shall bear his iniquity. By the same token, a man who is guilty of blood, but killed unintentionally or due to negligence must also bear his iniquity by exile in the city of refuge to which he fled until the death of the sitting High Priest. No substitute can be made, no ransom paid to mitigate his exile. That innocent blood shed defiles the land and only the blood of the one who shed that innocent blood can cleanse it. 

B’midbar 36.1-13 – The sons of Machir, son of Menashe, discovered a hitch in the deal Moshe had made with Zelophehad’s daughters and proposed a fix. If Zelophehad’s daughters married outside the family of Machir there could be a loss of Menashe’s tribal inheritance to the husband’s tribe. To protect the inheritance, the sons of Machir proposed that Zelophehad’s daughters be restricted to marrying within Menashe’s tribe and Machir’s family. Thus, the inheritance must be kept in mind when the kinsman redeemer statute was brought into play. The widow or woman with no brothers MUST marry within her father’s own tribe and family. This was carried out in the case of Ruth marrying the closest kin of Machlon and Chilion, the sons of Elimelech and Naomi without defiling his OWN inheritance, Boaz. And it also happened in David’s line during the Babylonian exile. We see the names of Shealtiel and Zerubbabel in BOTH genealogies of Yeshua

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; (Matt.1.12)

27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, (Luke 3.27) 

Zerubbabel, as the son of David and rightful ruler of Judah, was the governor of Judah and Jerusalem under the authority of Darius, the Persian king.

In the second year of Darius the king (of Persia, Ezra 4.5), in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of Y’hovah by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Yehudah, and to Yehoshua the son of Yehotzadik, the high priest… (Haggai 1:1)

Yehoshua 20:1-9 – Here we see the actual choosing of the cities of refuge, some number of years after the giving of the instructions. The cities appointed as refuge cities were Kedesh of Galilee, Shechem in Ephraim and KiriathArba, which became Hevron in Yehudah on the West bank of Yarden. On the east bank they appointed Ramoth Gilead, Bezer in Reuven and Golan in Bashan. It is once more mentioned that these cities were for refuge for the man who killed unwittingly, not premeditatedly. Q&C

Still looking at the acrostic ‘octrains’ of

Tehellim 119.89-176– (LAMED) L’olam is a Hebrew word xlated as ‘forever’ (better until or unto forever). In the old west, cowboys on a cattle drive were said to work “from can see to can’t see”. The Hebrew word olam doesn’t really mean ‘forever’ so much as ‘concealed’ – can’t see. What is yet to come is concealed from us. What has already been is ‘revealed’ to us. Olam speaks of what is yet to be clearly revealed. From this perspective we can see that Y’hovah’s Word cannot be affected by us, we cannot have any effect on it. It is natzav, appointed or standing where it cannot be affected or changed (b’shamayim), outside of time/space. It is the prime building block of everything that exists, since even the basic building block of matter – light energy – was spoken into existence from nothing except the mind of Y’hovah, who condensed that energy into matter and now sustains it by that same Word of his power. Y’hovah’s faithfulness is that which guarantees the continued existence of all that is until ALL of his will is accomplished. The natural laws, like the laws of motion, thermodynamics and gravity, are all ordained by him, are every bit as immutable, and they all work together to accomplish his will. If it were not for knowledge of Y’hovah’s immutable Word we would have no firm foundation on which to base our trust, our faith, or our ultimate hope. He has appointed [piqud] his precepts and it is the surety of their being settled in heaven that inspires our hope. It is by seeking after Y’hovah’s appointed things that we have liberty (yasha ישע- safely free, to save, to grant the essence of existance). Y’hovah’s enemies lie in wait to destroy me, but the witness of Y’hovah’s Word will vindicate me. While what we see has defined boundaries, there is no limit to Y’hovah’s word.

Vv.97-104 – (MEM) Torah is all David can think about, like a Young man thinking about the girl he loves, like the Prince and the Shulamite (and the Shulamite and her Prince) in Shir haShirim. David’s meditations on Torah make him wiser than all who oppose him. The word xlated as understanding in v.99 is H7919, sakal, meaning circumspect. Because he considers every eventuality and prepares to meet them all, he is wiser than those ‘teachers’ who annoy him. The word xlated ‘teacher’, H3927 (lamad) refers to a goad, that teaches by its niggling annoyance. He understands (biynah) more than the elders because he guards Y’hovah’s pikkudiym, appointed bounds. Biynah is the innate, intuitive understanding of Elohim, not that which comes by circumspection, as we saw before. Having the biynah innate in him helps him to consider the various possibilities, or sakal. David applied self-restraint by hedging himself about with the things of Y’hovah. He has not turned from Y’hovah’s mishpatim that Y’hovah pours out (yara – flow, like a stream) on him. Y’hovah’s imrah (or memra) is sweeter than honey in David’s mouth. This is the feminine form of the root amar to say or speak, which many sages liken to Mashiyach. 

The Word, in the sense of the creative or directive word or speech of Eloha manifesting his Power in the world of matter or mind, a term used, especially in Targum as a substitute for ‘Y’hovah’ when an anthropomorphic expression is to be avoided.

By Y’hovah’s pikkudiym David gains binah and he therefore hates false ways. These false ways are well-traveled roads, the ways of the masses, not of the Way of the remnant.  

Vv. 105-112 – (NUN) Y’hovah’s Word lightens our Way. As we keep it shining on our Way, we are able to keep ourselves in it and from the wickedness of the world system. When he says he is afflicted, he means that he knows his sins because he knows Y’hovah’s Word and tells Elohim to quicken (chayah) him, or give him life, as Y’hovah has promised. He offers spontaneous praises to Y’hovah and wants him to teach him his mishpatim. Even though my life is continually at risk (I take in my hands), I remember your Torah. The wicked set traps for me, but I have not sinned (erred) in your pikkudiym (mandates). This one refers, in our day, to laws that are enacted for the specific purpose of making us guilty and making us FEEL guilty, playing on our basic honesty, like the Chaldees did to Daniel. We know (because we’ve been told since we were kids by people who we respected and admired, including our parents, teachers, priests, and pastors) that people who break laws are criminals. So when we get charged with a misdemeanor, we get all worked up and worry on what the black robed priest (the judge) will decree against us. A common [natural] law crime is something that causes injury to another person or his property. If no one or thing is harmed, there is no Natural Law [Constitutional, in the USofA] crime. If an injured party doesn’t exist, no crime has been committed. Producing laws for the purpose of creating new crimes and therefore new criminals is wickedness in the extreme. And human governments all over the world are doing so today. The wicked set traps for us. If you have not erred from Y’hovah’s mandated instructions, you have not committed a crime of any sort. If you just live your life according to Y’hovah’s Torah, you have not committed a crime, regardless the protestations of your local governments and their wicked magistrates. If we regard Y’hovah’s testimonies as our heritage, as our inheritance, we will not be guilty of any crime. If we incline our hearts to his chukim – the commandments that don’t make any logical sense to us, but we do them anyway – we will have good reason to rejoice with him l’olam eikev – to the end of forever. 

Vv.113-120 – (SAMECH) “Vain thoughts” (KJV) speaks of skeptical, divided or double-minded thoughts, wavering between our ways and his Way. When we have these kinds of thoughts, we need to retreat back into Y’hovah’s Word as our hedge against them and to reinforce our expectant understanding of Y’hovah’s will. We need to banish the wickedness and make a conscious effort to live in Eloha’s mitzvoth. Y’hovah will empower us to live godly and unashamed before him. When we expect him to support us and we continually consider his Word before our own ways, he will not let us down. Those who feign respect for his Word, but do not truly live in it will Y’hovah crush under his feet. He treats the false prophet, like the false prophet treats his own Son.

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of Eloha, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto Ruach l’chesed? (Hebrews 10:29)

Y’hovah ‘puts away’ the wicked. The word xlated ‘putteth away’ is H7673 shabath! He stops (rests from) drawing those who despise his Word. Like Paroh, he gives them over to their contempt and then contemns them. He treats those who refuse to regard his Word like the scum that rises to the surface of smelted metals, or the chaff that gets carried away by the wind when wheat is winnowed. David fears that end, and so he reveres Y’hovah’s Word. 

Vv.121-128 – (AYIN) For the last couple of ‘octrains’ David has been speaking of the oppression that the world system tries to put on those of us who want only to be left alone to obey Avinu Y’hovah.  He continues in this same vein in v.121, where he tells Y’hovah about the righteous judgment (or justice and righteousness) that he has exercised and to not forsake him to his oppressors. He wants Y’hovah to be his ‘surety’ against the oppressors. ‘Surety’ is xlated from H6148 arav, which means to ‘entwine’, the idea being that Y’hovah’s life is entwined with ours, giving us support and strength to obey his word. The oppression can get so strong that we can’t see (eyes fail) his promised salvation (y’shuatecha) and tzidkechah – his promised righteousness. He tells Y’hovah to work in him according to his chesed or gracious mercy and to prod him with his chukim. He wants binah so that he may know Y’hovah’s witness. David said it was the time for Y’hovah to bring his judgment on his oppressors, because they had made Y’hovah’s Torah to be useless in their system. Our oppressors include those in the system’s government who make rules that void Torah, and also those in the mainstream religious system that forsake Torah for their tax-deductible, state-approved, religious opiate that keeps people in a satanic stupor. David loves Torah’s mitzvoth, chukim and pikkudiym above the most precious of metals and gems, while hating every false way the state and her opiate throw at us. Q&C

Vv.129-136 – (PE) The first word in the Hebrew text is pele, which means miraculous or wonderful. Do you remember the Brazilian football [soccer] star, Pele? I think he was very well named, because the things he did on a soccer field were well nigh miraculous. But I digress. Wonderful testimonies of Torah inspire us to guard and obey them. The numerous works of Y’hovah during the Wilderness Adventure build our trust and hope in his working the same ways with us. If he could bring Israel out safely from Egypt while simultaneously destroying the only superpower of that time, is he not also able to deliver us from our oppressors and wipe out the only superpower of this time? Now would be an appropriate time to smile with joy and nod in agreement. He IS able! We SHALL be free and it SHALL be soon! Y’hovah’s Word entering our innermost being brings light to us which gives us who are not so bright understanding of his works and Way. V.132 is one of the 3 (KJV) verses that doesn’t actually mention Y’hovah’s Word, but makes allusion to it (by mentioning those who love his Name). The word xlated as ‘usest to do’ is H4941, mishpat, so that verse could read ‘as you have judged those who love your Name.’ David doesn’t want to transgress Torah and tells Y’hovah, who has ultimate control, to keep his feet in the Way of his imrah (or memra, of which we previously spoke). David weeps over his brethren who will not guard Torah in their hearts.

Vv.137-144 – (TSADE) Tzadik atah Y’hovah! V’yashar mishpatecha! You are righteous, Y’hovah, and your judgments straight (true). Your directed witness (aydotecha) is also righteous and very faithful. Y’hovah’s faithfulness and righteousness causes us to be zealous to imitate him, especially when we see the end of his enemies. His word is purifying, which moves us to do it. I am small and insignificant, so I cling to your Word. Your righteous Torah is the truth. Remember Yeshua’s words in Yochanan 14

Yeshua saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

If Torah = truth and our Tzadik rebbe, Yeshua = truth, then does not Yeshua = Torah? I have had trouble and anguish, but I delight in your mitzvoth. Your witness is righteous and my understanding gives me life everlasting. 

Vv.145-152 – (KUPH) In his distress (above) David heartily calls out to Y’hovah that he will continue in his chukim. He calls out, Hoshieni, save me now! I will keep your testimonies. He gets out of the rack before dawn and shouts of his liberty in Y’hovah’s Word. He looks into Y’hovah’s word before he goes on duty so that he can ruminate on it as he keeps watch over his people. He tells Y’hovah to graciously hear his voice as he calls out to him and to give him life as he judges. David’s enemies are drawing near and he tells Y’hovah that they despise Torah. But Y’hovah is near those who love his mitzvoth. David says that he has known that Y’hovah’s witness has been established from before time.

Vv.153-160 – (RESH) Y’hovah takes notice of those who do not forget his Torah and delivers them from or through afflictions. Noach and Lot are examples of those He delivers through afflictions, though the type of deliverance and situation after the deliverance may be very different. Noach lived in accord to Torah and overcame, while Lot lived as close to the world as he could and did not overcome, though both are redeemed. Perhaps this is the difference between the wise and unwise virgins (Mat.25)? He will take our side if we do not forsake his Word and will deliver us to life. The wicked are far from Yeshua because they do not try to understand his chukim, the instructions that at first don’t make a lot of logical sense. Perhaps we need to see something happen in the future that the chuk refers to, like the serpent in the wilderness, the brazen serpent on a pole and Yeshua on a tree. Just looking at a bronze snake on a pole does not save a person from a deadly snake bite, but the willingness to obey a stupid sounding decree based on another person’s word would be evidence of a live faith in the actor’s life. Y’hovah gives life to those who exercise biblical faith. At least 3 times in this ‘octrain’ he tells Y’hovah to quicken him, to give him life according to Y’hovah’s attributes (not David’s just recompense of reward for obedience). He takes notice of how we treat his Word and he rewards us in response thereto. His Word is true and righteous from its first utterance and until the very olam. 

Vv.161-168 (SHIN) The first verse of this octrain will tell you what will befall you in the future and how you can live through it, at least spiritually speaking. The government will persecute Torah keepers for no good reason. As we said earlier today, new rules are made for the express purpose of making the least criminal in society into criminals. It is the creeping tyranny of the industrial/state partnership, called Corpocracy in the book, “Cloud Atlas”, but your basic fascist socialism today. Rule by corporation requires that state-created monopolies be set up, so that all televisions are made by Sony, all cars are made by Ford, all coffee sold through Starbucks, to the point that the trade name takes the place of the common name. Everyone drives a Ford, drinks a Starbucks and watches a Sony. Everyone is a criminal and maintains his life and liberty by going along to get along. That’s kind of like the typical sheep in the world system today. It is the Daniels that stand out and draw attention and who are imprisoned or worse by the system. I think it is these who will be given the strength to endure what the system unleashes on them as were the martyrs like Stephen or who will be miraculously delivered through the ordeal unscathed like Daniel and his 3 buds. Biblically, to stand (natzav) is to remain faithful without wavering. If we stand in awe of his word, rejoice in it, love it and hate deceit and lying that are its antithesis, Y’hovah will provide what we need to be his witnesses to this world. We will constantly praise him for his tzadik mishpatim and we will live through whatever Y’hovah allows us to experience because of our love for him and Torah. If we keep our eyes on him and his Word and expect his Yeshua, he will give us the power and strength to be great witnesses for him for all our ways are before him (nagad) – conspicuous, in his face. 

Vv.169-176 – (TAV) David wants his shout (rinnah) and his supplications to be before Y’hovah’s face, where Y’hovah can’t miss them and that Y’hovah would give him binah and deliver him from ignorance in accord with Y’hovah’s Word. He promises Y’hovah that he will lift up praises once Y’hovah has taught David his chukim. Remember that chukim are the commands of Y’hovah that make no logical sense, like wearing the tzitzioth on the 4 corners of our garment or being sprinkled with the water of cleansing is a necessary step to rectification, but the priest sprinkling that water is defiled until the evening offering. I think the chukim are unintelligible to us in the pashat, but have deep meanings that we can only grasp after something happens that makes it clear, as we discussed earlier in connexion to the brazen serpent and the shadow picture it was of Yeshua on the tree. Y’hovah’s righteous commandments inspire us to speak his Word. ALL of Y’hovah’s commandments are righteous, and it our righteousness when we obey them. Both doing those commandments that apply to us and not doing those commandments that do not apply to us are righteous acts. Y’hovah will help us if we chose to guard his pikkudiym. If we crave y’shuatecha – your (Y’hovah’s) salvation – his Torah will be our delight, for it is the Way of righteousness, the Way of Salvation. Merely walking in Torah does not save us, but we who are saved will walk in it. The life spoken of in v.175 is life eternal. We who have this eternal life will naturally praise him and his judgment of our righteousness in Mashiyach will help us to naturally walk in obedience to Torah. It isn’t difficult for a sheep to go astray. He may put his head down to graze or to get a drink of water and look up to a landscape empty of both sheep and shepherd. The way we need to go when we are in that situation is obedience to his commandments, because THEY are the path we need to walk to arrive at our ultimate goal of eternal Shalom with Y’hovah. When we walk in his Word, he will have no trouble finding us. It is for this purpose that it is imperative that we hide his Word in our hearts so that we will not sin against him (v.11). 

Here are some of the words that David used to refer to Y’hovah’s Word in this psalm. David uses these words in almost every ‘octrain’;

KJV law = Hebrew Torah

Testimonies = edah

Way = Derech

Precept = pikkud

Statutes = chuk

Commandment = mitzvah

Judgment = mishpat

Word = devar or imrah

Q&C

Yochanan 4:1-45 – From my study in “The Life of Yeshua haMoshiach”. Yeshua learned that the Pharisees heard of his attracting more disciples than Yochanan, and left for Galilee. But he took an unusual, direct route for a Jew. The Jews wanted no contact with the Samaritans and so went the long way round, through trans-Jordan, to Galilee. He went through Samaria, rather than around it. We know that he had a divine appointment, but the disciples were in the dark as to why he took the direct route. When once we have this biynah we can’t get enough and want to inhale Y’hovah’s mitzvoth like an airborne agent. 

The Water of Life, Jn.4.4-26 – It says that “He must needs go through Samaria.” Why? They could have used the normal route and circumnavigated Samaria altogether. But Yeshua had a divine appointment to keep. Yeshua must have walked like a trucker drives. If you draw a straight line from Jerusalem to Nazareth, Sychar is not more than 2 miles off the line. The most direct route went right past Sychar, where there happened to be a well [Yacov’s well] and a nearby town to which he could send his disciples to buy chow. 

So, he leaned on the well waiting for the woman to show. The time is about noon. It is a good bet that most of the women came out to the well in the morning or the evening, or both, to draw water, not in the middle of the day. In the desert, one stays out of the sun as much as possible when it is at its zenith. This woman was not associating with the other women of Sychar, because she was a strumpet, as Yeshua would tell her in a bit. Notwithstanding his knowledge of where he was and to whom he spoke, Yeshua asked her to give him a drink. Did he do this to initiate the conversation, or because he was thirsty? Yes! 

She was amazed that anyone would talk to her, especially a Jew! The Iuaidoi wouldn’t speak to an upright man of Samaria, much less a wayward woman. But here is a Jewish man engaging a Samaritan woman of less than sterling character in conversation. There are several social strata being bridged here, but Yeshua does it as a matter of course. There was no class or caste system as far as Yeshua was concerned. He saw a lost soul who needed a Saviour. She asks why he would talk to her, and he replies, “If thou knewest the gift of Elohim, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” How’s that for a curiosity approach? He was telling her that he had something she needed, and she was nibbling the bait, cautiously. She asks if he is greater than Jacob. Now, in the middle east there is noone greater than his father – it is a patriarchal society, and Jake was a patriarch. If this man is greater than Jake, he must be Mashiyach, the Son of Elohim. But her question is more a jibe, as if to say, ‘you’re not greater than Jacob.’ 

Yochanan 4:13-14, “Yeshua answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” 

All she heard was ‘never thirst’ and in her mind that meant ‘never have to humiliate myself and come out here to draw.’ She did like we do, she selectively heard what she wanted to hear and disregarded the rest. Like us, when we hear Philip. 3:10a, – “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,” but we forget to hear the rest of the verse, “b, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” so is the woman at the well. She didn’t hear the really good news and understand the real point because she was thinking on one plane – she was totally inside a box of her own creation, so Yeshua takes another approach. That does the trick of getting her outside the box. Yochanan 4:16-19, 

“Yeshua saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Yeshua said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.” 

Ya THINK?! Now she’s starting to think. In fact, I think she’s thinking, ‘What did I get myself into now? I’ve never seen this guy before and he’s telling me things about myself that noone knows, or could know, except Elohim.’ Good for her. She’s knows she’s defying Elohim’s law and it does bother her, for she immediately tries some religious argument to defer the conversation another way. 

She tries the old argument that you need a special place to worship Y’hovah, and that the argument has raged for years. Yeshua parries the thrust of that seeming rapier with real wisdom, rather than getting in a few licks for his side. He went immediately for the truth (another Mark paraphrase), ‘It won’t be long before men will worship Elohim the Father in Spirit and in Truth, not in some man made building that is but a figure of the true one in heaven (Heb.9.24), but in the body of Mashiyach,’ who is the reality from which the figure was taken. Where any two are gathered in the name of Yeshua, there is his Spirit in the midst of them, and they three are the body of Mashiyach. We in this room are the body of Mashiyach – his called out assembly – every bit as much as the largest congregation on earth. Never forget, that when you and any other believer are together in the name of Yeshua, you are in the body. 

The woman says, ‘Mashiyach is coming soon to tell us all things.’ That’s when Yeshua drops the bomb. He says, “I that speak unto thee am.”  There’s nothing more to be said. This is one of the ‘I AM’ statements of Yeshua in Yochanan’s gospel (6.35, 41, 48, 51, 8.12, 23-24, 58, 9.5, 10.7, 9, 11, 14, 36, 11.25, 13.19, 14.6, 15.1, 5, 18.5, 6, 8 -> 22 I am statements in Yochanan’s gospel – coincidence?). He told anyone who would listen that he was Elohim in the flesh and a lot of folks listened, but very few believed. The woman at the well did. 

Just at that time (v.27) is when the disciples show up to put a damper on the conversation. It wasn’t what they said, for the scripture says noone said anything, but what they were thinking that damped the situation. Scripture says they “marveled”, using the same word that’s used in Rev.17 about Yochanan’s reaction to the whore, whom he ‘marveled’ about with great admiration. Both wonder and admiration are from the root trauma and it means that what they saw was a shock, totally unexpected, like when Yochanan saw the woman riding the beast, who was ostensibly a leader of the kahal, drunk on the blood of the saints. 

Yochanan tells us just what was in their hearts. Some wanted to ask what this lowly Samaritan woman wanted, while others wanted to rebuke Yeshua for talking to her. None were arrogant, or dumb, enough to say it to him, for he’d have taught a major lesson to them for which he was still preparing them. Q&C

Revival (or, rather, vival) in Samaria, Jn.4.28-42 – (Many ‘Mark Paraphrases’ to follow – Beware) The woman didn’t even take time to pick up her water pot (do you suppose it was the same type in which Yeshua had just made wine?) before running into town to spread the news. Remember the last thing Yeshua said to her was, ‘I am Mashiyach’, confirming her suspicions. She must have wanted the Mashiyach to come even more fervently than the Jews, for she was off like a shot. And to whom did she go? The only people who would talk to her – the men of Sychar. The women would have nothing to do with her, she being of ill repute. She said, Yochanan 4:29, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Mashiyach?” While she was running to town she must have been thinking, ‘He told me about my sin, and true worship, and what Elohim is looking for from men (and women), and knew all about me and my life, and he talked to me like I was somebody who mattered – he loves me like no one has ever loved me, and he claims to be the Mashiyach. I believe him. I want him to be who he claims to be. Let me go tell whoever will listen. I want everyone to know him.’ She must have been convincing, because the next thing she knows she’s leading the whole town out to see Yeshua. Being convincing is easy. All you have to do is believe in your “product”, and she believed in Yeshua.

Meanwhile, back at the well, the disciples are trying to get Yeshua to eat. After all, he’d sent them to buy food and now that they were back they were probably hungrier than he was, for Yeshua had been witnessing at the well, feasting on Ruach ha Kodesh while they were gone. When we witness or do anything else, and Ruach ha Kodesh is involved, we seldom think of anything except the task at hand, even our need for chow. In fact, when Ruach ha Kodesh is involved we are witnessing. The disciples had no idea what Yeshua and the woman had been discussing and thought that maybe she’d given him something to eat, but Yeshua said, “I have meat ye know not of. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (This is the earliest mention of the finished work of Elohim)” Yeshua was being sustained by Ruach ha Kodesh. He could eat later. 

Yeshua started teaching his point to the disciples right away (much Mp to follow). He said, ‘You say that harvest time is 4 months off (it was April/May, shortly after the Passover), but look up and see that our field is ready for harvest right now.’ Of course he was referring to the group of men being led to Yeshua by the ‘loose’ woman of Sychar. Yeshua likened people to things in nature all the time. Here a group is likened to a field of wheat or barley, ripe for the picking. The only thing keeping the disciples from harvesting was that their attention was somewhere else. They could not yet grasp the spiritual application of the situation at hand. They were thinking, ‘You sent us off for food, so we went and got some. We came back to find you actually conversing with a loose gentile woman at the well. We offered you some of the food we just bought and you told us you had food we don’t know about. And now a crowd of men are following the strumpet out to see you, for what reason we can only imagine, and you tell us to look at the field?! We don’t understand.’ 

But Yeshua continued, saying, ‘When you reap this harvest, you get paid by picking fruit to eternal life so that both you who gather and he that planted can rejoice together.’ He drew the spiritual parallel in this sentence. They were not to reap wheat, but souls to eternal life. Yeshua was just about to show them how to do that, for in this situation he would reap what the Holy Spirit had sown. And not only that, but, as we will see, the woman had already reaped some of the harvest. The first gentile (Ephraimite) convert led many more to Mashiyach. She had already picked more fruit (v.39) than the disciples had who accompanied Yeshua. But the majority of the fruit was yet to ripen. She’d sown the seed (with the power of Ruach ha Kodesh on her) and now the disciples would help pick the soon to ripen fruit (v.37-38).

Those who believed the woman’s report and knew that Yeshua was the Mashiyach, asked him to stay, to which he agreed to tarry 2 days. Does tarrying 2 days w/Ephraim bring anything to mind? Like the so-called ‘church-age’? When the 2 days were done, most who heard him believed on him. V. 39 tells us many believed her report, but v.41 says ‘many more’ believed because of his own words. They would not believe just on the woman’s testimony, for they knew her life. They needed the Word of Elohim to change their lives. There are many more people who will not believe our report without confirmation from the Word of Y’hovah than who will. We need to have the scripture in hand (or at least in memory) when witnessing in order to be effective, especially with those who know our human side best. They said, ‘We could not trust your word alone, but now that we’ve heard him ourselves we believe that he is Mashiyach, the Saviour of the world (v.42).’  The Word of Y’hovah is essential as the standard or foundation on which we build our witness. It alone is true, and more people than you think recognize that fact. Q&C

End of Shabbat Bible Study.

Shabbat Bible Study for August 4, 2018

©2018 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 3 Sabbath 21

Numbers 34:1-35:8 – Ezekiel 45:1, Joshua 21:41 – Psalm 119a – Ephesians 1:1-2:22

Links:

B’Midbar 34.1- – The southern border of haAretz begins in the Wilderness of Zin, which is from the ‘outmost part of the salt sea’, which I think means the Eastern edge of the southern coast of the Dead Sea. Chumash agrees. The map there shows a town called Ma’aley Akrabbim about a mile east of the southeastern corner of the Salt Sea. If we were to draw the Dead Sea like a long rectangle, I infer it to mean where the east coast of the Sea turns almost entirely westward towards the ‘great’ or Mediterranean Sea. The line would be drawn roughly west southwest to a few miles south of Kadesh Barnea passed the village of Adar (remember Adar, who came out against Israel and took some prisoners?) to Azmon, and then just north by northwest to the mouth of Wadi el Arish as it empties into the Med. As an alternative, it could go more west by northwest to the easternmost mouth of the Nile near Tahaphanes (completely encompassing what we now call the Gaza Strip) where Jeremiah was taken by his captors and where Nebuchadnezzar followed them, destroying that city in 586 or so BCE. The ‘goings out of it’ (v.6) seems to indicate the islands visible from the shore were also a part of haAretz. 

The western border is the Mediterranean or ‘Great’ Sea.

The northern border begins at the Med near Mt. Hor. This is NOT the Mt. Hor where Aharon died. THAT Mt. Hor was south of the land. There is a Mt. Washington in Maine and another in Colorado, so it is not unheard of that there be 2 mountains of the same name in one nation. There are 2 places called ‘Mt. Baldy’ in the Cleveland, Ohio area. There is another Mt. Hor in Syria, near present day Aleppo. Thompson Chain’s inspired maps have Mt. Hor as lying between Tyre and Sidon in Lebanon. The border runs east from Mt. Hor towards Chamath (root is H2346 chowmah כמה, ‘to protect’ so Chamath = walls) and then on to Zedad, whose root means to sidle (kind of insinuate towards, as in “he sidled up to her”). From there it moves eastward to include Ziphron (root means fragrant) and ends near Hazar Enon (the village of springs). I infer that these springs are the headwaters of the Yarden River. Thompson Chain’s aforementioned inspired maps includes Mt. Hermon in the borders of the land, and turns south from a mile or so northeast of it.

The Eastern Border begins at Hazar Enon, just northeast of Mt. Hermon, to Shepham (bare spot) and from there to Riblah (beautiful/fertile). From Riblah they moved to Ayin (eye or fountain, as the eye of the landscape) and from Ayin to the east shore of Chinnereth, the Sea of Galilee. From there it followed Yarden to the Dead/Salt Sea and closed the loop at Ma’aley Akrabbim and the southeast corner of the Salt Sea. 

It was THIS land that was to be divided among the 9½ tribes that were to inherit on the west side of Yarden. The job of dividing haAretz was assigned to Elezar, the high priest and Yehoshua, son of Nun. Y’hovah hereby gives Yehoshua the same level of authority as Elezar and Moshe held and makes it known once again that Yehoshua is Y’hovah’s man, as Moshe had been. The tribes were to send their elder’s/firstborn to the priest and prophet to receive the inheritance on their tribe’s behalf. I infer that the inheritances were assigned in the order they are listed in vv.19-28. Yehudah must have been selected first by Elezar via the Urim v’Thumim, Simeon 2^nd and BenYamin 3rd. I think it’s interesting that the territory assigned to what would become the nation of Yehuda after the Rehovoam/Yerovoam split was divvied up first, and the other 6½ tribes would share the north. The zachan/bachor of each tribe was to then divvy up the inheritance family to family according to the size of the families – more land to larger families, less to smaller. Q&C

35.1-8 – Y’hovah commands that the Levi’im be given 48 cities to be their homes within Israel, with 3 cities on each side of Yarden of the 48 designated as cities of refuge, where a man who inadvertently kills another (manslaughter, not murder) may flee for his own life. These 48 cities were given including their ‘suburbs’, the area approximately 1 km (3000 feet) from the walls or gates of the city proper. The suburbs were measured out from the cities walls 2000 cubits (v.5) east, south, west and north. The suburbs were for the Levite’s livestock. The only time an animal would come within the city’s walls, I assume, would be to deliver any burden it was carrying that could not be carried a short distance by hand or handcart. If the animals came into town as a matter of course, the city would become filthy in very short order – animals, like horses, sheep and cows, are not particular as to where they defecate. In fact, one of the reasons disease was rampant in the days of the horse and buggy was for this very reason. It will not be long after the automobile becomes too expensive for the average person to keep on the road (and it is getting pretty close NOW) before pestilence visits the large cities once again. I would suppose that small communities will implement some prohibition concerning animal traffic and perhaps short-haul freight companies will operate trucks for commercial traffic in larger towns. Man-powered carts for short-haul of freight and passengers might prove a viable small business in smaller towns, perhaps alongside liveries for the animals. 

In vv.4&5 there LOOKS like a contradiction, which Rashi, Rambam and Ramban have explanations for that are slightly different, but similar. All of them see the suburbs a bit differently. All agree that the city is that within the walls. Ramban sees the suburb as 500 cubits outside the walls all around, giving a total of 1000 cubits without the city for the suburb. Rashi sees 1000 cubits for the livestock and another 1000 cubits for fields and vineyards, while Ramban sees the city and suburb the same way, but a 2000 cubit area outside the suburbs for fields and vineyards. All these ideas fit the numbers of the narrative, Ramban being the most conservative of the inheritance, and Rambam the most liberal. And I think Rashi has the right idea. The suburb = 1000 cubits around the city and then another 1000 cubits around the suburbs for fields and vineyards. 

The 48 cities were to be given according to the tribe’s ability to give. BenYamin, who had the smallest inheritance, gave up the fewest cities to the Levi’im, while Menashe, with the largest inheritance (total between the 2 ½ tribes) gave up the most. IOW, it was not 4 cities from each tribe, but according to the number of cities they had within their inheritance. 

Ezekiel 45:1 – In the future Messianic Kingdom, there will be a special land offering in the midst of the land set apart for the use of Levi, for the Palace and for the Temple. The size of the place will be 20K x 10K reeds. The reeds are defined in ch.40 as 6 royal cubits, which royal cubits = 1¼ normal cubits, or about 7.5 common cubits. A normal cubit = about 18 inches, so this royal cubit would be about 22½ inches. 22.5 x 6 = a reed of about 135 inches. 10,000 reeds = 1,350,000 inches or about 21.37 miles wide (north to south). The offering is also 25K reeds (east to west), or 53.27 miles long. It’s a good bet that the Temple will fit in the center of that without much problem.

Joshua 21:41 – This chapter specifies which families of Levi got which cities and this verse says that the 48 cities were given with their suburbs. Q&C

Psalm 119.1-88 – We will look at these acrostically, as David wrote them, in octrains (a term I coined, to the best of my knowledge, by replacing ‘quat’, meaning 4, with ‘oct’, meaning 8 – quatrain is a word that can be found in any dictionary), or eight verse stanzas, according to the letters that begin each line.

Vv.1-8 (aleph) – Of the 176 verses in the 119^th Psalm, 173 speak directly to walking in Y’hovah’s commandments, statutes, judgments or ordinances. And the other 3 allude to the same. Walking in our own ways defiles us, but if we are walking in Torah, we will be undefiled on THE way, which just happens to be what the early Notzrim called their sect of Yehudism. Vv.1, 3, and 5 all speak of Y’hovah’s way or ways.

Yeshua saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (Yochanan 14:6)

And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. (Acts 9:2)

This man (Apollos) was instructed in the way of Y’hovah; and being fervent in Ruach, he spake and taught diligently the things of Y’hovah, knowing only the baptism of Yochanan. (Acts 18:25)

And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of Eloha more perfectly. (Acts 18:26)

But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. (Acts 19:9)

And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. (Acts 19:23)

The PTW (powers that were) in Sha’ul’s day were the Pharisees, who adhered to oral traditions + Torah, but gave the traditions top billing. It certainly seems that keeping his Torah is how we walk in Y’hovah’s Way, and the Prushim didn’t like the reminder. 

Vv.9-16 (bet) – When you find yourself harboring sin, the procedure for cleansing your way is to do Y’hovah’s word. Once you’ve found him, ask his help to keep your eyes looking at the goal – Y’hovah. That is the ONLY way you can keep from wandering. The more of his Word you KNOW, the less you will wander into sin. V.12 is not a request. It is an imperative statement – Baruch atah Y’hovah! Lamdeyni chukecha! Remember our study a few weeks ago about the chukoth – decrees that didn’t seem to make sense, like tzitzioth? David wants Y’hovah to teach them to him, so he’ll understand the question; “Why?” He declared all the mishpatim l’Y’hovah. When we say his word out loud, we have a triple witness – thinking and/or seeing them, speaking and hearing them. 

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him (the one who prevailed); and a threefold cord is not quickly broken (the one who was prevailed against and the two that withstood the one who at first prevailed). (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

Piqudeycha = Y’hovah’s precepts. Precepts are mandates, they are mandatory. Meditating on Y’hovah’s mandates will teach us to respect his ways. He doesn’t do things for the same reason or in the same way as we do. But he does them, and if we will think about them, using his Word as our frame of reference, we will have respect for his ways. We know about his works, but we do not, by and large, understand his ways. The more delight we take in his statutes, the better we will remember his Word.

Vv.17-24 (gimel) – Another imperative from David to Y’hovah, so that he may live to guard Y’hovah’s Word. David has laid some groundwork to make these demands on Y’hovah by reminding him of how he has disciplined himself to walk in Y’hovah’s ways, that he is ever mindful of Y’hovah’s requirements for him and the promises that Y’hovah has made to him. Now he is reminding Y’hovah to fulfill his Word for those who have guarded his will and his Word. “Deal bountifully”, “Open mine eyes”, “hide not thy commandments”, “Remove reproach and contempt.” Because I have made it my lifestyle to keep, meditate on and teach your Word to others, you now have a promise to fulfill – to keep me, to protect me, to help me to know you better – to know your ways. 

Vv.25-32 (daleth) – David says his soul has cloven to the dust, which means that his soul has cloven to his flesh, so he tells Y’hovah to quicken his spirit as he has promised so that he can overpower the soul’s attachment to things of the flesh. Y’hovah has heard David teach his own ways, so David tells Y’hovah to teach him his statutes and precepts, so that he can walk in Y’hovah’s ways and talk of his mighty works. He is truly repentant, knowing his own ways and how it hurts Y’hovah, so he tells Y’hovah to strengthen him. He knows it isn’t in him to live an obedient lifestyle and wants Y’hovah’s strength. More imperatives based in his desire to live a life pleasing to Y’hovah; “Quicken me”; “teach me”; “make me understand”; “strengthen me”; “remove”; “grant me”; “Put me not to shame”. David KNOWS this is Y’hovah’s will for him, and so he CAN make imperative statements to his Creator – he is holding Y’hovah to his own promises. Look at vv.30-32. David tells Y’hovah that he’s kept his Word ever before him so that he can walk in them, and then he tells Y’hovah that when he enlarges (strengthens and empowers) David’s heart, he will keep on striving to obey and please Y’hovah.

Vv.33-40 (hey) – More imperatives from David to Y’hovah. Have you noticed that it started out in the bet stanza with 1 imperative, then in the gimel stanza there were 4, then in the daleth stanza there were 7? In the hey stanza, there are 9 imperatives; teach, give, make, incline, turn, quicken, stablish, turn away and quicken. All these imperatives are made so that Y’hovah will empower David to live a life pleasing to Y’hovah. David is not after more financial blessings or power, but for the heart of Y’hovah to be his own. This is the key to issuing imperatives to Y’hovah – they must be motivated by a desire to live righteously and to build up Y’hovah’s Kingdom – for Y’hovah’s glory and not our own. 

Vv.41-48 (vav) – David leaves off the imperatives and makes some promises of his own. If Y’hovah will show his mercies to David, David will give all glory and praise to Y’hovah’s Name. He acknowledges that he has nothing that is not directly attributable to Y’hovah’s mercy towards him. He is thoroughly unable to answer the reproaches of men except for Y’hovah’s mercy, in which he trusts, and his Word on which he trusts. David’s liberty is completely dependent on his walking in Y’hovah’s Torah and seeking his precepts. Precepts are his piqudim, his mandates. David is seeking them out to be more like Y’hovah. The more of his mercies that are bestowed on David, the more he will speak of them before the kings of the earth, the more he will take delight in and praise Y’hovah for his commandments and meditate on his chukim, his decrees that are hard to understand, whose purposes are not readily understood, but are imperative to obey, nonetheless; such as looking to the brazen serpent for deliverance from death by the serpent’s bite. Q&C

Vv.49-56 (zayin) – Folks, HERE is an octrain that we might be well to memorize and apply with an understanding of the meanings of the words I’ll expound, hope and remember, because of the times that are coming. This is an octrain that we will be well to pray back to Y’hovah both daily and every time we think of it. Remembrance from Elohim’s perspective is not recalling something from memory, because Y’hovah just IS; he doesn’t have to recall because he is, at the moment of his ‘remembrance’ of his promise, present at the giving of his promise. There is ultimately no difference between his utterance of the Word and his performance of it. When he ‘remembers’ his promise for one of us he is simultaneously acting on his fulfillment of that promise. His frame of reference is himself, and is outside of the time/space/matter universe – he just IS. David tells Y’hovah to act on his Word, in which he has placed his hope. Biblically, hope means an earnest expectation of deliverance of Y’hovah’s Promise. Y’hovah has caused David to hope, to earnestly EXPECT him to deliver. Do you see how our hope is dependent on Y’hovah’s remembrance and that his remembrance is the same as his fulfillment? David’s comfort lies in Y’hovah’s past performance of other promises, including David’s certain knowledge of his spiritual quickening. No matter how much derision was piled on him for trusting Y’hovah’s Word, David remained faithful to Torah. David’s horror is NOT on the wickedness against himself of those around him that have forsaken Torah, but on their certain judgment, if they fail to repent, and turn from their own ways and back to Y’hovah’s. He sings Y’hovah’s chukim, rolling them around in his mind and heart, chewing on them in order to assimilate them into his own frame of reference. When David remembers Y’hovah’s Name in the night he rehearses his Torah. In the last 2 lines there are 2 different words used for ‘keep’, natsar and shamar. Both mean to ‘guard’, but they have 2 different applications. Shamar (v.55) means to hedge it about, build a wall around it. I think this is where the Prushim got the idea of building a hedge around Torah of traditions that keep us from breaking them. But I don’t think that’s what David was thinking. I think he built the hedge around Torah AND himself, so he could not escape from it, to keep himself in close proximity to Torah so he could almost not help but to DO them. Natsar (v.56) means to build a wall to defend what is within, which includes both Torah’s mandates and David. When we DO them, we are simultaneously defending them. And people notice, hence the derision AND the jealousy that ultimately drives it.

Vv.57-64 (cheth) – This octrain actually opens with, “My part is Y’hovah, I said I would  keep your Word”. I think David says that if he keeps Y’hovah’s Word, Y’hovah will receive David unto himself. The word xlated ‘intreat’ is H2470 chalah, which shows the attitude of gratitude and love for favor bestowed, like a dog licking his master’s hand. When he remembered his life, David quickly and finally turned to Yah’s Way. No matter how the wicked rob us of our stuff; if we keep our minds set on doing Y’hovah’s will and Word, he will be our portion, as well. We will not dwell on what we’ve lost, but on what Y’hovah has promised us. Y’hovah’s mercy is seen in that he gives us the companionship of other people who also fear Y’hovah, whom we can both encourage and by whom we are encouraged.

Vv.65-72 (teth) – Y’hovah takes care of our needs according to his promises. Keeping his mitzvoth gives us right perception and knowledge (da’ath), which is the synergy of understanding and wisdom. Our afflictions, the chastisement the wise receive as a result of our disobedience, are designed to bring us back into a right relationship with our Master Y’hovah. Foolish people will speak lashon hara, the evil tongue, against us for actually doing his piqudim. Our place is not to call them out publicly, but to keep doing what he has mandated for us and let Y’hovah deal with it. The result will be that their heart is thick and resistant to Y’hovah’s prodding, perhaps so thick as to not even perceive it – like Paroh’s was, but you will delight in his Torah. Have you ever watched one of your children or grandchildren taking delight in playing with something or coming to an understanding about something, and couldn’t help but smile in delight yourself – kind of taking delight in their delight? THAT’s what I think he’s talking about here. When we delight in his Torah we understand how good his chastisement was, because it brought us to wish to learn his chukim (the commands that don’t seem to make sense to us), because his doing and understanding his instructions is better than possessing all the gold, silver and precious commodities that David gathered to build the Temple. Compared to understanding the chukim of Y’hovah, earthly riches are like silver was to Schlomo

And all king Schlomo’ drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Schlomo. (I Kings 10:21)

Vv.73-80 (yud) – Since Y’hovah planned the whole of creation, learning his Word, which did the creating, needs to be our greatest desire and should be our first mitzvah. People who fear Y’hovah will be happy to see us, because we are waiting on (hoping, in the biblical sense of earnestly expecting) his promise. When people are not glad when they see you, you need to ask yourself 2 questions; 1) Are THEY earnestly expecting Y’hovah to fulfill his promises? 2) Are YOU earnestly expecting him to fulfill his promises? Why else would they not be glad to see your witness? Once again, our afflictions are designed to get us back on the Way. When we turn back, his mercy to us is our comfort and his instructions our delight. The proud are those who stubbornly go their own ways, even through the chastisement Y’hovah brings to draw them back to him. They deal with the saints according to their own ways while the saints meditate in Y’hovah’s mandates (piqudim). When we do not react to their mistreatment in a fleshly manner, it heaps coals of fire on their heads. Those who fear Y’hovah are those who ‘know know’ his witness. When Y’hovah strings the same word together like that it signifies a certainty, as much of that word as can be applied. Often the first use of the word is translated ‘very’, which means ‘everything the following word means, all thrown together’. Folks who have a complete knowledge of Y’hovah’s mighty works and inscrutable ways just naturally fear him. When our hearts are sound, or complete (tamiym), in his chukim, we will not be ashamed.

Vv. 81-88 (caph) – We prepare for Y’hovah’s deliverance by our expectantly awaiting his fulfillment of his promise to us. Our eyes also expectantly ask, “How long, Master”, before you fulfill your promise, as do the saints under the altar?

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Master, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (Revelation of Yochanan 6:10)

We are truly like closed bottles in the smoke, little points of clear truth amidst all the deception, for we do not forget his chukim. Do you see here that when we keep even his seemingly senseless commandments, we stand out because we are so different from the pollution around us? It’s also why we are so irritating to the smoke-blowers. Oh, HOW they hate us! They make laws for the specific PURPOSE of making us criminals [as in Dan.6]. They tune their laws to make our obedience to Y’hovah’s Torah criminal. Y’hovah has already judged this so-called justice and will bring major condemnation against those who perpetrate this perversion and persecute us via their false ‘justice’. They would force us to submit to their wicked legislation, but his remnant will not forsake Y’hovah’s orders. David ends the 11^th octrain with a demand that Y’hovah quicken his heart and mind so that he will not turn away from his testimonies. 

So, I see that David had a theme for each stanza. They are, to my mind; Aleph – defiled or cleansed depends on our actions, Bet – our cleansing comes from obeying his Word, Gimel – we are cleansed so that we may guard his Word, Daleth – our quickened spirit allows us to overcome the flesh, Hey – that power helps us to live in a manner pleasing to Y’hovah, Vav – our liberty completely depends on us walking in his Toroth, Zayin – When Y’hovah remembers us, we remember his Word, Cheth – our attitude is affected by his favor towards us, Teth – understanding that Y’hovah takes care of our needs according to his promises is better than all the precious possessions the world has to offer, Yud – Those who fear Y’hovah will not waver in their obedience to his Word, Caph – we expectantly await Y’hovah’s fulfillment of his promises to us. Q&C

 Ephesians 1.3-6 – Remember whenever you are reading or studying Ephesians, or any other of Sha’ul’s epistles, that the pronouns Sha’ul uses are VERY important. ‘We’ means men who, like Paul, were born Jews, i.e.; of the tribes of Yehudah, BenYamin or Levi, and have come to the faith of Yeshua (there may have been a very small percentage of the house of Israel living among them in Yehudah). ‘You’ means men who were born Gentiles who have come to the faith of Yeshua (it is likely, IMO, that a large percentage of these were descended from one of the 10 tribes of the House of Israel – it had been 750 years since those tribes dispersion and assimilation into the world system). ‘Us’ means all the we’s and you’s who are now one in Mashiyach Yeshua’s Netzari sect of Judaism. The spiritual point of this epistle is the unity of the body of Mashiyach as the two houses, Yehudah and Ephraim, become one. The epistle was written to a synagogue in Ephesus that included ‘Jews’ and ‘Gentiles’, some from each group having come to the faith of Yeshua. It is also likely that the makeup of the synagogue was becoming more heavily salted with Gentiles as time progressed in Ephesus because the influx of new Gentile converts to the Netzari sect of Judaism was likely greater there than the influx of new traditional Jews. By this time the Jerusalem council was a piece of history and the 4 guidelines passed down from it were known in the diaspora.

Sha’ul begins with a blessing on the Almighty Y’hovah Elohenu, whose Ruach HaKodesh quickened the egg of Miriam and indwelt Yeshua from his conception, as he indwells us from our ‘spiritual conception’ in Mashiyach (v.14). The Almighty has blessed us with ‘all spiritual blessings’. Here’s a sample of his spiritual blessings and of his identity,

And when Avram was ninety years old and nine, Y’hovah appeared to Avram, and said unto him, I am (El Shaddai) the Almighty Eloha; walk before me, and be thou perfect. (Genesis 17:1)

And Eloha Almighty (El Shaddai) bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; (Genesis 28:3) (Yitzhak to Yacov)

And Eloha said unto him (Yacov), I am (El Shaddai) Eloha Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; (Genesis 35:11)

He that dwelleth in the secret place of (Elyon) the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Shaddai). (Psalms 91:1)

I am Alpha and Omega [Aleph and Tav], the beginning and the ending, saith Y’hovah (Yeshua), which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty (Shaddai). (Revelation 1:8)

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Y’hovah (El Shaddai) Eloha Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (Revelation 4:8, quoting Is.6.2-3)

And I saw no temple therein: for Y’hovah (El Shaddai) Eloha Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. (Revelation 21:22)

I think that last ‘and’ shows that Y’hovah El Shaddai and the Lamb are the identical Ruach haKodesh, the latter being Y’hovah El Shaddai in human flesh – that there is ultimately/spiritually no difference between them. 

He blesses us with all spiritual blessing ‘according as he has chosen us in Mashiyach’. My online dictionary defines the phrase ‘according as’ to mean ‘depending on whether’. That means that Y’hovah has blessed us with all spiritual blessings depending on whether he has chosen us in Mashiyach. I think it would be well if we were to look into Paul’s meaning of ‘chosen in Mashiyach’. I studied Paul’s progression in Rom. 8 

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love Eloha, to them who are the called according to purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Rom.8.28-30

What follows is my understanding of this passage, as gleaned from elsewhere in Romans.

Vv.29-30 – Here’s a ‘hard saying’ of Sha’ul, like Peter talks about in 2Pe.3.16. But I think the reason is that we use numbered sound bites instead of looking at the context, like Peter says, wresting it. Remember that ch.8 is the foundation for the arguments of the rest of the book. These verses say,

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

These 5 words; foreknow, predestinate, call, justify and glorify; are all verbs, and they seem to indicate a progression of actions taken upon believers by Y’hovah. If we see evidence of these things occurring in us, we can be pretty well assured that we are his. The church has done all kinds of mental and scriptural gymnastics trying to explain the seeming inconsistencies of this text in juxtaposition to others. But if we’d just look elsewhere in Romans for Sha’ul’s usage of these words in like context, it would clear right up for us.

Whom did Y’hovah foreknow? The answer is given in Rom.11

1 I say then, Hath Elohim cast away his people? Elohim forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Avraham, of the tribe of Binyamin. 2 Elohim hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Eliyahu? how he maketh intercession to Elohim against Israel, saying, 3 Master, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of Elohim unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. (1Ki.19.18)

This tells me that Paul spoke of those who followed Y’hovah (the 7000 faithful) as those whom Y’hovah foreknew. This includes us, if we have not bowed the knee to Baal.

5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

He is speaking specifically of believing Israelites, but it extends to all who worship Y’hovah in Spirit and in truth, without intentional or known compromise. Kind of gives new impetus to “Come out from among them, be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing,” doesn’t it?

Now, whom he foreknew he did also predestinate. Predestination is a tough saying of Sha’ul because it seems to contradict free will. But it really doesn’t, and here’s why.

Paul has a definite meaning for predestination, and he shows it in ch.11.

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Now the word ‘shall’ is much more powerful that the word ‘will’. Y’hovah can will something, and it not come to pass. After all, he wills none to perish and that ALL should come to repentance, but that isn’t what actually happens. But if he says, “I SHALL do such and such,” you can put that in the bank and collect the interest. It is an unconditional promise to perform. It is predestined. The promise is that it shall be done. We just have yet to see the performance. The 2008 US Senior Open was at the Broadmoor course in Colorado Springs. There were people who had purchased their tickets and reserved rooms at the hotel in 2005. That is an earnest expectation and belief in a promise. I have my ticket to the show, but the performance is yet in the future.

ALL ISRAEL shall be saved also refers to the return from exile in Babylon and Assyria, from which only a remnant of Judah and Benjamin returned along with so small a number of the other tribes that they could not be considered even a remnant and were counted as parts of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. In the future redemption, ALL Israel SHALL be saved. It is predestined.

Those who are predestined are the ‘called according to his purpose’. We see this in – you guessed it – ch.11.

28 As concerning the gospel, enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of Elohim are without repentance. 

Believing Yisrael is called of Elohim. Did you notice the jump from v.5 to v.25 in ch.11? I hope so. The verses in between 5 and 25 show HOW Israel means those who believe Y’hovah and are the called according to his purpose in 8.28.

What does Paul mean by ‘justified’? He tells us in – you guessed it again! – ch.11. 

30 For as ye in times past have not believed Elohim, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Justification is the outworking of Y’hovah’s mercy in that we don’t get what we deserve; i.e., destruction. We could not justify ourselves before him, so he had to work a plan where he could show his mercy and justify us freely by his grace (3.21-26). 

Those of us who believe Y’hovah and do not bow the knee to Baal are predestined to partake of his glory. We do not now look as if we are glorified, but these promises (8.29-30) are past tense. He HAS glorified us and we can put that in the bank and collect the interest, too. 

So, whom did he foreknow? Who has been predestinated? Who has been called? Who has been justified? Who has been glorified? Chol Yisrael – All Yisrael are the foreknown, predestinated, called, justified and glorified children of Elohim. Does this mean that every physical descendant of Avraham is included? Rom.9 says,

6 Not as though the word of Elohim hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Avraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh (Ishmael/Esau), these are not the children of Elohim: but the children of the promise (Yitzchak/Ya’acov) are counted for the seed.

According to Eph.2.11ff all believers are of the Commonwealth of Israel, and according to Rom.11.6-24 all believers are graffed into the Root of Yisrael. So Yisrael must therefore mean all believers who are not walking after the flesh, but after Ruach of Elohim (8.1), whether Jew or goy.  

So, whether Jew or goy, Yehudah or Ephraim, physical descendant of Avraham or a whomsoever who has the faith of Yeshua, all those 5 verbals apply to you; foreknown, predestinated, called, justified and glorified – all of it, according to v.4-6, accomplished in Mashiyach ‘before the foundation of the world’, ‘according to the good pleasure of his will’, and ‘to the praise of the glory of his grace’. I’d say we’re in a pretty good situation if we ‘love Elohim and are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom.8.28) Q&C

Vv.7-23 – Our redemption is through the blood of Mashiyach, who, as the last Adam, paid the debt owed by the 1^st Adam, ‘propitiated’ his sin, and overcame the penalty that was passed on to his offspring. I don’t know about Adam’s passing a sin nature to us, but that his decision to accede to his evil inclination may have passed a genetic tendency to the same accession is not an unreasonable possibility to me. As we inherit our father’s ‘stuff’, we also, if we are honorable men, will see all his debts paid, if there are any. It is the spiritual debt that we, as it were, ‘inherit’ from Adam and that is propitiated by Yeshua’s death on the tree. W1828 has this definition for propitiate

1. To conciliate, to appease one offended and render him favorable.

Propitiation is the act of making reconciliation for the offender to the offended, to appease his wrath and make him ‘propitious’ (kindly affectioned, favorable). Yeshua’s death did not merely propitiate Adam’s sin, but the sins of the whole world.

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (I Yochanan 2:2)

Herein is love, not that we loved Eloha, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (I Yochanan 4:10)

It is by this propitiation that we obtain Y’hovah’s forgiveness. The payment has been made and the debt no longer exists for us who have turned to Y’hovah for that redemption. It was Y’hovah’s gracious personal payment of our debt through the death of Yeshua on the tree that made known the mystery of his will, ‘that in the dispensation of the fulness of times’ he would reconcile all things to himself in Mashiyach. Yeshua’s death as propitiation for us is the linch-pin in his plan. Many dislike the word ‘dispensation’, but I believe it perfectly describes how Y’hovah works his ‘shalls’. He dispenses his grace over time, working through his Word, 

9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [those] weaned from the milk, drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little: 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This [is] the rest ye may cause the weary to rest; and this the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13 But the word of Y’hovah was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. (Is.28.9-13)

That which is dispensed is not varying degrees of grace, as the church erroneously teaches, but varying degrees of understanding of his plan and the ‘shall’ of it (precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little). If we knew the details of each step he would take along the way to fulfilling his ‘shall’ for us, we would do like Avraham did, and go in unto Hagar to help Y’hovah fulfill his will. I believe that the ‘Hebrew Roots’ ‘movement’ is an example of the ‘dispensation of the fulness of times’ by which he is gathering the lost to himself, including those who are ‘lost’ or, better said, ‘fenced in’ by the false teachings of ‘dispensationalist’ ‘replacement theologians’. That so many are recently being awakened to this is, I think, among the last moves of Y’hovah toward the ‘fulness of times’ and ‘the fulness of the gentiles (Rom.11.12, 25)’, which phrases are synonymous to my mind. Yacov, of course, spoke of this in his blessing on Ephraim,

19 And his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. (Gen.48.19)

‘Multitude of nations’, melo hagoyim’ can also be translated ‘fulness of gentiles’, and I think it is this to which Sha’ul refers here when he says ‘fulness of times’ in v.10. Paul says that the fullness of times will bring about the reconciliation, not only of us to Y’hovah, but also of the ‘you’s’ and ‘we’s’ to each other. If Ephraim has indeed become a ‘multitude of nations’ or the ‘fullness of the gentiles’, does that not mean that the nations of the world are full of Ephraimites? 

As you remember, from our look at Rom.8.28ff, ‘we’ are predestinated; ‘we’ referring to Avraham’s seed, both physical and spiritual. But in vv.11-12 he is speaking specifically of Yehudah, through whom the world has received the oracles of Eloha. In this light, he then tells the Ephesian kahal that it was the Yehudim who first trusted Mashiyach. He MAY be speaking of the Yehudim who trusted Yeshua through the words of the schlichim about Yeshua haMoshiach after his resurrection and the pouring out of Ruach on Shavuoth, but I think he was actually thinking about all the Patriarchs, prophets and people of Yisrael from the days of Adam. On this I COULD truly be wrong … but I DOUBT IT! And I doubt it because Y’hovah Yeshua will judge the whole world by the same standard – Torah! Torah is known to every person in the world, whether he understands that fact or not. And he knows to whom he will answer, whether he wishes to admit it or not. 

In vv.13-14, Sha’ul shifts to speaking to the gentiles specifically, saying that the Gentiles (ye) have now trusted the same Mashiyach that believing Yehudah (we) has been trusting for millennia. And, as an earnest of that, that the promises made to Avraham are now shared with ALL of Avraham’s seed (Gal.3.29), he tells them of Ruach of Y’hovah that seals them. Ruach haKodesh in us is our proof of the fact of our reconciliation to Y’hovah by the blood of Mashiyach until the physical redemption of the whole of creation unto Y’hovah Yeshua haMoshiach. If the earnest is an indwelling and sealing Ruach haKodesh NOW, isn’t it true that it also was before? I think so (Heb.13.8). I think the patriarchs and prophets were all filled and sealed with Y’hovah’s Spirit, like believers are today. I see no reason to think or assert that they are not. There are no 2^nd class citizens of Y’hovah’s Kingdom, which is the point Sha’ul is trying to make with this letter to the Ephesian kahal; indeed, the case can be made that this is the central theme of the apostolic texts – no more Jew or Greek, no more male and female, no more bond and free – all are one, as “Y’hovah Elohenu, Y’hovah echad”.

Paul has taken notice of all the gentiles who are coming to the faith of Yeshua and are coming to the synagogues to hear the Torah read and discussed, that he knows of their love for ALL the saints; Jew and gentile, male and female, bond and free; and he intercedes for them upon his every remembrance of them. I think this ‘love for all the saints’ is that to which Yeshua refers as their 1^st love;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. (Rev.2.2-4)

It looks as though Sha’ul’s prayer for them was answered, but they let their knowledge and understanding of Y’hovah got to their heads by the time of Yochanan’s Revelation, and they’d become rather judgmental. This was not the case in the early 60s CE, but was by the early 90s CE. The difference may be that the 1^st generation of saints was dying out and the new generation, who’d grown up in the kahal, did not have the memory of life before Yeshua’s propitiation – like is prevalent in today’s kahal. 

The hope of his calling in v.18, speaks of the earnest expectation of Y’hovah’s deliverance of his promised inheritance in US! We are Y’hovah’s inheritance (v.18) that he has wrought in Mashiyach (v.20) by resurrecting him from death! It SHALL come. Y’hovah has promised it. You can put it in the bank and collect the interest. He will not deny himself the inheritance he has worked so hard to re-acquire after Adam’s sin. Y’hovah has set Yeshua haMoshiach as his right hand. The preposition ‘at’ is translated from the Greek word en, which literally means IN. Y’hovah has set Yeshua IN his right hand. He is Y’hovah’s executive officer, set FAR above every other power in creation, executing Y’hovah’s will over it. Do you remember the “Tree of Sefiroth”? (www.tzion.org/Tree_Sefiroth.htm) In it, Mashiyach, the tzadik rebbe who perfectly melds the just righteousness of Elohim with the merciful grace of Y’hovah, is the center stand (like in the menorah), and he is standing on the World of Action, the Kingdom. Quite literally, the World is his footstool.

Thus saith Y’hovah, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? (Isaiah 66:1)

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is Eloha’s throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. (Mat.5.34-35)

As his footstool, the world of action is under his feet. Right now, the Adversary is allowed a certain amount of control of the world of action, but when Yeshua haMoshiach takes his Kingdom, the scriptures will be fulfilled,

Y’hovah said unto Adonai, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Psalms 110:1)

For David himself said by Ruach haKodesh, Y’hovah said to Adonai, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Mark 12:36)

The chapter ends with another look at the ‘fulness’ we spoke of earlier. His fulness will be the fulness of the nations, his Body. Q&C

Eph.2.1-3 – Again remember the pronouns, YOU = gentile converts to Torah-keeping, WE = Yehudim converts to Torah-keeping, US = all the converts together as one body. In this sentence that encompasses all of the 1^st 3 verses, Shaul begins drawing the You’s and the We’s together as Us/We All. He is primarily addressing the former gentiles in vv.1-4. They were drawn naturally to the sins of the flesh, having had no Torah to teach them Y’hovah’s Way. But he also includes himself and his Yehudim brethren in the same boat, because Sha’ul was nothing if not brutally honest. Just as the gentiles were slaves to their lusts according to the directions of the flesh and possibly (though not certainly) with the influence of haSatan, so were the Yehudim. Remember that in Rom.7 Sha’ul said he was made aware of just how covetous he was when he actually thought about the 10^th commandment for the first time. 

What shall we say then? Is Torah sin? Eloha forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except Torah had said, Thou shalt not covet. (Romans 7:7)

Do you suppose it was/is the same with most Yehudim? I would be willing to wager, without MUCH chance involved. I don’t think his problem was lusting over OTHER people’s stuff, but lusting for what he already had,

4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the [oral – M] law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in Torah, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Messiah. (Phil.3.4-7) [I still  think Paul was the rich young man [Mat.19.16-22 & Mk.10.17-22]  who coveted his stuff; ^ THIS ^ stuff.]

Vv.4-7 – “But Eloha” are quite probably the sweetest words in scripture, aren’t they? As wicked as we can be without even knowing it, Y’hovah is knowingly that merciful towards us, full of love for which we are throughly undeserving. He, by his gracious favor, quickened us together with Mashiyach Yeshua when he raised him from death, and seats us in eternity in Mashiyach and through him allows us to inherit in his Kingdom. 

Vv.8-10 – It is by his gracious favor to usward that we are delivered by the faith of Mashiyach. This faith needs to be seen in the Hebraic sense that faith is both mental assent to truth and obedience working out that truth. Remember that it is not OUR faith that secures our deliverance from the law of sin and death, but the finished work of Mashiyach Yeshua on the tree, in the grave and upon his resurrection. 

Even the righteousness of Eloha which is by faith of Yeshua haMoshiach unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Romans 3:22)

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Yeshua haMoshiach, even we have believed in Yeshua haMoshiach, that we might be justified by the faith of Mashiyach, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law… I am crucified with Mashiyach: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Mashiyach liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of Eloha, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:16, 20)

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Yeshua haMoshiach; that we might receive the promise of Ruach through faith… But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Yeshua haMoshiach might be given to them that believe. (Galatians 3:14, 22)

My brethren, have not the faith of our Master Yeshua haMoshiach, the Master of glory, with respect of persons. (James 2:1)

And now, we haltingly obey his commandments as we submit to his Ruach haKodesh, who supplies spiritual power we need to comply and to thereby overcome the wicked one; that is our/my own fleshly self and, on occasion, haSatan. We ARE his workmanship. He has created us IN Mashiyach UNTO obedience. W/O Mashiyach, we could not obey. I purposely left out the references of our faith IN Mashiyach, because I didn’t want to confuse the issue. But suffice it to say that our faith is IN Mashiyach in exactly the same way the WE are IN Mashiyach. It is not OUR faith in Mashiyach that saves us, but HIS faith, the faith OF Mashiyach that delivers us from death to life IN HIM. We English speakers think that faith is mere belief, while Hebrew speakers understand that every word is based in ACTION, not concept. If you claim to be in Mashiyach and you understand that concept to be true, but your understanding hasn’t affected your life and produced the effect of obedience, your faith is useless; your faith is dead.

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone… For as the body without Ruach is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:17, 26)

Vv.11-13 – Here are our pronouns again, and put to good use. YE (former gentiles) WERE afar off; w/o Mashiyach, goyim, gerim, hopeless, w/o Eloha though surrounded by elohim; but are NOW brought near by Mashiyach’s blood. He is OUR shalom, having made the two (Us and Ye) echad. Now; today; in the physical world, we still have 2 houses extant, comprised of Yehudah, who have been conditioned to distrust Xians and will not accept that many are being drawn to Torah by Mashiyach, and Ephraim and full goyim, who have been conditioned to distrust Yehudah by the same anti-Jewish Xian fathers who perpetrated the crusades, inquisitions and pogroms that made the Yehudim distrustful of all things that name Yeshua as their Mashiyach. But IN Mashiyach there is no Jew/Greek, no bond/free, no male/female dichotomy. All are echad in him as Y’hovah is echad. 

The middle wall of partition, friends, is the oral traditions that keep us from breaking Torah, while also keeping us from obeying Torah. The context of the sentence also shows that that middle wall is the enmity that stands between us. Yeshua abolished that middle wall (that, in the Temple, passed which a gentile could not enter) and the enmity it represents between Yehudi and goyish believer in the same Y’hovah Elohenu by his finished work on the tree. By that work, as we said before, he made of the 2 one body. See that he reconciled us to Eloha – we are one in Eloha, as well as in Mashiyach by Yeshua abolition of enmity between goyish and Yehudi believers. The enmity was not just between goy and Yehudi, but also between BOTH human houses and Eloha, and the Shalom Yeshua brings is BOTH between us 2 human houses AND between both houses and Y’hovah. <<< THIS is why I say that the gospel in a nutshell is, “You can have SHALOM – PEACE with the Creator of the universe.” What better news could there be to a world lost and dying? All we need to do after they see that their problem is enmity with Y’hovah is to show them the delivery vehicle of Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection. 

And so, we former gentiles are made citizens in the Israelite Commonwealth and members of Eloha’s family, built on the foundation of the sent out prophets of Y’hovah and the cornerstone of Mashiyach.   

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. (Psalms 118:22)

In that day shall there be an altar to Y’hovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to Y’hovah. (Isaiah 19:19)

The HEADstone of the corner describes only one stone I can think of – a pyramid’s CAPstone, as it is placed at the head of the pyramid and stands over ALL 4 corners of it. In Mashiyach, all the body, from the 4 corners of the earth will be brought together as echad, and in him we will be one as Y’hovah is one – absolute Shalom. Q&C

End of Midrashic Study notes.

Shabbat Bible Study for July 28,2018

©2018 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 3 Sabbath 20

B’Midbar 33:1-56 – YirmeYahu 4:1-2 – Tehellim 118 – Ma’aseh Schlichim 6:7 – 7:60

Links: 

www.bibleatlas.org/beth-jeshimoth.htm 

B’Midbar 33.1-56 – Most people refer to Israel’s ‘Wilderness Wanderings’ (sounds almost like a theme park, which is why I call it “The Wilderness Adventure”). But nothing could be further from the truth. Israel was not wandering. They were being led by Y’hovah Yeshua from place to place, and if I were wiser in the real “Bible Code”, which is not to be confused with the hype that those Xian marketing gurus have been using for the last 15 or so years, I could pull some outstanding ‘sod’ teachings out for you. Y’hovah had given Moshe instruction to keep a diary of their encampments, as we are told in v.2, and he was now told to rehearse it for the nation and also to record it in Torah.

They started in Rameses, the treasure city, and journeyed to Sukkoth, the tent city. This was probably the site of the grain storage from Yoseph’s day and where the 11 brothers had to face the music (Gen.45). On that site is the ruin of a large building that could have been the grain silo/delivery works of Yoseph. It is very probable, if that is the case, that this is where Yoseph had been buried. He had given instruction that his bones were not to remain in Egypt when Israel left. Moshe honored that instruction:

And Yoseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. [25] And Yoseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. (Gen.50.24-25)

19 And Moses took the bones of Yoseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. 20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. (Ex.13.19-20)

There are 42 moves and campsites all together. I think it is possible that each move corresponds to the mystical 42 letter Name of the Almighty, the Ayn Sof, but I am not at all equipped to delve into that matter. Schottenstein’s Chumash DOES speak briefly of this on pg. 227 in the prefatory note to this parsha. 

They left Rameses on what would next year, and every year after, be the first day of unleavened bread. It was NOT a Feast until the following year. This year they had to scoot. They made the trip to Succoth and stayed overnight. Then they skedaddled for Etham, which is at the head of the Wadi Watir that leads through a sheer valley to the beach at Pi Hahiroth, modern Nuweiba. Once in the valley, they had to go straight ahead or do an about face and go out the way they had come. By the time they got to Pi Hahiroth, Paroh had closed on them and there was no turning back. Nuweiba is about the only place along the western shore of the Yam Suf that has a beach large enough to support a group of 3-4 million, and it just happens to be about 4-5 miles from ruins of a high watchtower, Migdol (H4024). The description of Pi Hahiroth in B’Midbar fits Nuweiba very well. They would have arrived on what would next year be the last day of unleavened bread, after a one-stop journey of a week’s duration. Pi Hahiroth means “the mouth of the gorges”. There are a number of tributary wadis that run through various gorges and empty into Wadi Watir, which empties into the Yam Suf/Gulf of Aqaba at Pi Hahiroth. Opposite Pi Hahiroth on the Arabian shore of the Yam Suf lay Baal-Zephon, which means “lord of the north”. This could reference one of 3 things; 1) to Lucifer’s wishful thinking in YeshaYahu 14, “I will sit in the sides of the north”, or 2) to Y’hovah because that is the location of his throne which Lucifer covets, or 3) Yes!, depending on whom you worship, Y’hovah or idols. Q&C

Vv.8-17 – Once on the opposite side of Yam Suf, they traveled 3 days without a stop and then they pitched at Marah, where they first rebelled vs. Moshe and Y’hovah in the perceived need for fresh H₂O. As you may remember, they were not OUT of water but they were getting close and, upon seeing water, they wanted to replenish immediately. Under normal circumstances this would actually be a wise thing to do. But, after all the miraculous works that Y’hovah had done in their behalf, it would have been better if they had waited for Y’hovah’s timing and Moshe’s direction; hindsight, and all that. At Y’hovah’s direction Moshe dropped a tree into the bitter water to make it sweet and to satisfy the people’s fear of being out of H₂O. Of course, they learned that had they trusted Y’hovah they’d have seen his forward thinking, because the next day they came to Elim and the 12 springs of water and the 70 palms. What do you suppose those numbers symbolize? You’d have to have very little knowledge of biblical numerology to NOT know that they symbolize the 12 tribes, the 70 Yacovsons that went into Egypt and the 70 primary nations of the earth. According to Jeff Benner’s Ancient Hebrew concordance, Elim means an ‘arch’, the strongest architectural shape known for passage through a solid structure, like a wall or a rock. Had they awaited ‘the arch’ of Elim, they would have seen how Y’hovah had thought it all out ahead of time and was taking them by the best possible route to care for them. The arch is the strongest shape man knows and that is how strong their faith had been had they simply waited on Y’hovah’s timing. Just a few more hours of travel – I think just over the next rise. I also think that, had they made it to Elim w/o murmuring, they’d have all crossed at their first encounter with Kadesh. 

Next stop is the east shore of Yam Suf, then the Wilderness of Sin (the foothills of the mountains), then to Dophkah (to knock – they were knocking on the door of Sinai?) and then to Alush (a crowd of men).

Next stop is Rephidim, where there was no water at all. As Moshe recounts their travels, he just touches on where they stopped, not what happened in each place or how long they stayed there. In the case of Rephidim, it was not far from Sinai. The Rock there sustained their need for water for a year (and then followed them around for the whole ‘Wilderness Adventure’), as they got the Commandments and the additional laws and priesthood and built the various furnishings of the tabernacle, as well as the tabernacle itself. 

Kibroth haTa’avah is the place where b’nei Israel lusted for flesh and Y’hovah gave them quail, but (I think) in their lust they ate without cleaning it and making offering to Y’hovah. The name means ‘kibroth = grave, of the ta’avah = longing after dainties or lusts’. Not much later we’ll have the Korach/Dathan rebellion over similar lusting after the ‘dainties’ of Egypt. They left Kibroth Hata’avah for Hazeroth, which means ‘yards’ or ‘hamlets’. It was at Hazeroth that Miriam and Aharon murmured against Moshe and Miriam was afflicted with tzara’ath, KJV says ‘leprosy’ (more likely a severe psoriasis). I think I see a word-play in Miriam’s affliction and the name of the place; tzara’ath and chatzeroth – the difference is an ayin in tzara’ath and a vav in chatzeroth, like in the difference between owr (אור – light), as seen in Gen.1, and owr (עור – skin), as seen in Gen.3 and the ‘sod’ level wordplay that develops. I may be fishing, though. I have asked for help on this from a man MUCH more fluent and with more access to Zohar than I. Q&C

Vv.18-32 – They moved, after Miriam was allowed back into camp, from Hazeroth to Rithmah. This Rithmah is actually the Kadesh whence the spies were sent out. Chumash has a good note on this on pg.229. Rithmah is from the Hebroot 7574, ratham רתם, to bind or tie up, which is what Yisrael was, tied-up there for 19 years. When Yisrael rebelled against Yhwh’s command to take the land, they got to LOOK at the land they had been promised for 19 years while a BUNCH of them died off. They departed Kadesh for Rimmon Peres, the pomegranate of the breach. Rimmon can be either a pomegranate fruit or tree. The pomegranate is supposed to have 613 seeds. Who had the incredible patience to actually count them and NOT eat them is a better man than me. I love pomegranates. This may be the place where Korach/Dathan pulled their shenanigans. That DID create quite a breach, so much so that the ground opened up and swallowed the perpetrators. So they moved from Rimmon to Libnah, which means to be or become white. This may be the ‘Laban’ of Dt.1.1 that isn’t a place, but a personal name. From Libnah they moved to Rissah, which means to ‘drip to pieces’. Rissah was in ruins and looked like its walls were literally dripping apart, like water. 

From Rissah they moved to Kehelethah, to congregate from the root kahal, assembly. Thence they moved to har Shapher, mount beauty. The root shaphar = to gracefully balance, harmonize beautifully. Next, they moved to Charadah. Charadah means ‘fear, anxiety’. Next they went to Makheloth, which is from the same root and Kehelethah, kahal. It means assemblies. From there they moved to Tachath (bottom) and then to Tarah (to waver). Remember that all these places that we have not heard of before are likely places where nothing of consequence happened. But nothing that is mentioned in Torah is of no consequence, so I think the places have some sod application of which I am merely unaware. 

From Tarah Israel moved to Mithkah, meaning ‘to reason effectively’ or ‘sweet reason’. It must have been a place with fruit or honey or something sweet for the entire kahal to enjoy. Next was Chashmonah, meaning fertile, and then to Moseroth, meaning corrections. They then went to B’nei Ya’akan – sons of twisting or torture. From there, they went to Chor Hagidgad – the cave of self-inflicted cuts. That sounds like the 450 prophets of Ba’al on Mt. Carmel. Let’s see: They went from Mithkah (sweetness) to Chashmonah (a fertile place) to Moseroth, (correction) to Bnei Ya’akan (sons of twisting/torture) to Chor Hagidgad (a cave of self-inflicted cuts). Not a good progression in my book. Q&C

Vv.33-56 From ChorHagidgad they went to Yotbathah where they were (accepted) to Ebronah (Hebron?) where they could (cross over). From there they went to Ezion-geber (the spine of a valiant warrior). They were on a spiritual roller coaster, but for now, they are where they probably needed to be. 

They camped at Etzion Geber at the northern end of the Yam Suf and their next stop was Kadesh, where Miriam died. Kadesh was the place they went about 1½ years out of Egypt to find that their 12 spies were actually 10 tourists; whose only interest was in bringing home some souvenirs; and 2 men. They returned there just before they started their march towards Canaan. The nations through which they would have to pass had watched them all these years and they had most likely had discussions between themselves on the ‘Israel problem’. They left Kadesh to go to Mt. Hor, where Aharon died and passed his mantle to Elazar. So, the likelihood is that Miriam and Aharon died within about a month of each other.

We’re told that Aharon died in the 40^th year after the Exodus on the 1^st day of the 5^th month. This tells me that they made all the rest of their moves in the next 6 months after Aharon’s demise. I think the amount of movement at the end was a training session to get b’nai Israel used to following orders on a moment’s notice and without hesitation – an attitude they would need when they took the Promised Land from its inhabitant/squatters. I say ‘squatters’ in a kind of Y’hovah’s eye view of it, because he had promised Eretz Israel to Avraham 430 years before.

In vv.40ff, Israel is moving around Edom and we get the account of Arad coming out against Israel. Arad means naked, as if Israel caught them with their pants down. This was the 1^st Canaanite tribe they came up against since the Amalekites some 39 or so years before after the Rock was spilt to gush water in the desert at Rephidim. It just happens that the same Rock that followed them (1Cor.10.4) had just produced more H₂O, and they were at least probed by a Canaanite force. Arad came out against Israel, I infer for the water, taking some Israelites captive (perhaps to learn the source of their H₂O). So Israel rescued their captives, met Arad and his people and mopped the floor with them. So Israel left Mt. Hor and pitched near Zalmonah (shady – perhaps they rested there for a while in the shade), and left there for Punon (perplexity). From there they went to Oboth (water-skins), and then Iyey Haabarim (the heap or ruins of those who cross over). This is on the border of Moav. When they left Iyim, they came to Dibongad (pining or mourning a troop) and then to Almown Diblathim (hidden cake of figs?). Then they went to Avarim, where Moshe was told to pass his mantle to Yehoshua and Moshe asked that the passing of the mantle be done publicly so there would be no contention with Yehoshua after the fact. From there they went to Nebo (foreign word) and from there to the plains of Moav across the water from Yericho. Their camp on the east side of Yarden stretched from BethYeshimoth (house of the deserts) to Avel Shittim (meadow of Acacias). That’s a stretch of about 5 miles. The camp is probably still a rough circle of 5 miles diameter. You can see a map at www.bibleatlas.org/beth-jeshimoth.htm. I cannot attest to the accuracy of the map, but it seems reasonably close. 2.5-4 million people would certainly need a large area to pitch camp.

Vv.50-56 have Y’hovah’s marching orders for the conquest of Canaan. It was basically, “Drive them out or kill them all” (vv.52-53 – cf. Chumash note on 53, pg.233). And they were told what would result from disobedience to that standing order, (WARNING!! Mark paraphrase coming! Watch out for striking lightning.) “If you don’t drive them out, they will be nothing but trouble and I’ll end up doing to you what I wanted to do to them.” (cf. Chumash note to v.56, pg.234) The Canaanites represent sin to us. It must be driven out or killed in our lives, or it will be nothing but trouble and a vexation to us, and Y’hovah will have to chasten us for regarding it.  Q&C

YirmeYahu 4.1-2 – Y’hovah promised in v.1 that if we would return to him with our whole heart, we would not be exiled from the Land. In v.2 we’re promised that not only will we glory in Y’hovah, but by our rejoicing in him the world would rejoice also. Not only did Israel and Judah fail to abide by this promise, but 1950 years of church history proves that the church has failed as well. As with Israel and Judah, there have been short and relatively minor returns to Abba’s ways in church history, as well. But by and large, Y’hovah’s people have never AS A WHOLE heeded

And Yhwh appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. [13] If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; [14] If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chron. 7:12-14)

That says nothing about us evangelizing the world, or feeding the hungry, or caring for the sick, though we ought to do those things. It says nothing about the world doing all those things. It says if we, who call on his Name (not his titles) will humble ourselves, and pray, and seek his face, and turn from OUR wicked ways, THEN he will hear from heaven and forgive us and heal OUR land. Why is there war in Israel? The world? Because we like our sin and are too proud to admit it and turn away from it and seek his face. When we do that, I think Ephraim and Judah will come together and call on the Name of Y’hovah and actually get the answer we all desire – Messiah coming with clouds. Q&C

Read the Psalm sans added words. Tehellim 118.1- Who is told to say “For his mercy endureth forever”? 3 groups, not counting the reader and the author, 1) Israel (in this case, the whole house of Jacob, not just the northern tribes), 2) The house of Aharon, and 3) those who fear Y’hovah. Why was Aharon singled out? Aharon was not a strong character, being easily led. He transgressed in the golden calf and again in the rebellion w/Miriam, and I believe in the Nadav/Avihu incident as well (he was angry w/Y’hovah, but his fear, read abject terror, kept him from voicing it). While there is an aspect of fear that can be described as ‘awestruck’, I don’t believe that is the primary meaning here. Fear in v.4 of Tehellim 118 is from the H3373 – yare, which derives from H3372, the primitive root – yare. 3372 means frighten, dread and terrible. I like the way C.S. Lewis put it in ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe’. Susan asked if people wouldn’t be frightened to be face to face with a Lion. Mr. Beaver said that the Lion was the King above all kings, and if one didn’t tremble in the presence of this king, he was either wicked, or stupid or just plain silly. That pretty much describes the one who doesn’t tremble with fear before Y’hovah – crazy, stupid, wicked, or a combination of the 3.

When the Psalmist called upon Y’hovah, he answered. Distress = exile. When the psalmist is in distress, he calls on Y’hovah, who answers for 3 verses by setting him in a large place. Large = open space – figuratively, liberty. 

15 So the heathen shall fear the name of Y’hovah, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. 16 When Y’hovah shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. (Ps.102.15-17)

Y’hovah is beside him and has taken up his cause, rendering the author without care for what men can do. If only the political nation of Israel – if only those who say they trust Y’hovah – would take vv.7-9 to heart and desist trusting in men and nations and insist on trusting Y’hovah, we would be invincible. Israel’s enemies have no power in themselves, like Y’hovah has. And neither does Israel.

After he says he trusts Y’hovah and not man, he says 3 times (vv.10-12), “He surrounds me with his presence, I will therefore destroy any that comes against me.” Remember that he is in distress – exile and tribulation. But since he trusts Y’hovah, he fears nothing that man can do to him and KNOWS he will prevail against man’s (and HaSatan’s) devices. In vv.14-16 he recalls the deliverance of Y’hovah by his right arm (Mashiyach) in the midst of the tribulation. We need to remember this in the days to come (and they are MUCH closer now than they were only yesterday), to not be discouraged by the tribulation we will face, but trust in Y’hovah to bring his deliverance (Yeshua haMashiyach) to us. I can personally attest to the truth of vv.17-21

17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of Y’hovah. 18 Y’hovah hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. 19 Open to me the gates of Tzedikah: I will go into them, I will praise Y’hovah: 20 THIS gate of Y’hovah (Yeshua), into which the tzadik shall enter. 21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become Yeshuati. (Ps.118.17-19)

He did NOT give me over to death, and I shall not die, but LIVE to declare his righteous works. And when I do, he SHALL open to me the gates of righteousness and I SHALL enter through them to give hallel (praise) and hodu (glory) to Y’hovah Yeshua’s Name.

The Messiah who was rejected by men will become the head cornerstone of all scripture and all history. The day that he ascends the throne is the day that Y’hovah has made. It will be marvelous (miraculous) and we WILL rejoice and be glad in that day. Vv.25-26 are the very words that the people were saying as Messiah entered Yerushalayim on the donkey 4 days before his death on the tree

Hosheana! … Baruch haba b’Shem Y’hovah! (vv.25.26)

It was the day that the Kohen Gadol brought the Pesach Lamb into the city to be examined for 4 days, the very process Yeshua went through for those 4 days in the Temple. V.27 describes the impaling of Yeshua on the tree after being bound to its corners. He is our Elohim, and his atoning death shows forth his mercy, which literally is forever for those who trust him. Q&C

Ma’aseh Shlichim 6.7 – I think v.7 shows the underlying reason the power brokers had to shut Stephen up – “a great company of priests were obedient to the faith”. If the priests became followers of Yeshua, how long would it be before the Temple services stopped? I think that one reason the Temple was destroyed by Rome is because the priests kept offering the atonement on Yom Kippur, which Hebrews tells us is walking all over Yeshua, counting his blood common and despising Ruach’s grace.

29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10.29)

That’s why I think the powers that were then had to stop the Way of Yeshua – the source of their power and control was slipping away. The religion of Israel had long before been turned to fables and false gods, as Stephen tells them in his monologue. He just truthfully rehearsed Israel’s history straight out of Tanakh and showed that the religious authorities had always been more about controlling the people (Nicolaitan) than Torah’s righteousness. The PTB had to silence that sect and Stephen in particular or lose their sweet deal.

The main reason the people came against Stephen is given in 

Acts 6:13-14 (KJV)  

    And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: [14] For we have heard him say, that this Yeshua of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. 

‘He incessantly blasphemes the law, the customs which Moshe delivered to us’, they said. This speaks of the ‘oral law’ (customs), not Torah. These are Pharisees, who held more in that day to the oral traditions than to Torah. Stephen ran rings around them – even around Sha’ul of Tarsus – with Torah, and they couldn’t refute him, because they were relying on the ‘oral law’ – words and traditions of men, while he resorted to Torah – the Word of Y’hovah. It was no contest. 

Acts 7:53 (KJV)  

(Pharisees) Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

Stephen made some powerful enemies, who wanted nothing more than to kill him. And they did. I think that the fact that Stephen, presumably an unlearned man, was able to run rings around Sha’ul; the chief talmid of Gamliel, whom Gamliel was grooming to be his successor as chief rabbi of Jerusalem; using Torah alone is what REALLY got Sha’ul’s attention. He had been taken to the intellectual cleaners by a man with little or no schooling and it hurt his pride. When Stephen rehearsed all the history of Israel, from Avraham onward in about 4-5 minutes and then applied its sod level meaning to the crowd that was listening in general, and Sha’ul in particular, I think it cut Sha’ul to the quick. Perhaps Sha’ul could not have done such a good job in the same rehearsal. I think he HATED Stephen and engineered his stoning (which was done outside of Torah’s instructions because there was neither verdict, condemnation nor sentence passed down) while standing by to keep the Temple guards from stopping Stephen’s executioners. 

V.60 is a perfect example of the principle of ‘loosing’ vice ‘binding.’ He forgave and asked Y’hovah to forgive his murderers. This is what Yeshua meant when he said

Matthew 18:15-20 (KJV)  

    Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. [16] But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. [17] And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the kahal: but if he neglect to hear the kahal, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. [18] Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. [19] Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 

Binding and loosing have to do w/forgiveness of trespasses against us, a la, Mat.6, …forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Only Y’hovah can forgive impersonal sins, violations of Torah. And only we can forgive a wrong done to us, as Stephen did. I’ll bet that cut Sha’ul more to the quick than all the preaching he ever heard or would hear. Conviction of sin is very uncomfortable. When another does it to us, we get resentful (because we know he’s right!).  Q&C

End of Shabbat Bible Study

Shabbat Bible Study for July 21, 2018

©2018 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 3 Shabbat 19

Numbers 32:1-42  –   Y’hoshua 22.1-34  –   Psalm 117   –   James 2:1-26

Links: 

www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1447.html

www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Ancient_Jerusalem.html 

B’midbar 32.1- – Reuven and Gad saw the land that Israel had taken by right of conquest from Midian, Ammon, and Bashan and thought about what great land it would be for their cattle. And so Reuven and Gad approached Moshe to ask if they could settle their families and herds on the eastern side of Yarden. Now consider for a minute what Moshe’s 1^st thought probably was; “Here we go again! It’s Kadesh all over again! These guys were just youngsters 38 years ago and don’t remember the 10 tourists and what that brought about.” You can’t blame Moshe, really. He had been in the ‘guard Israel’ mode for almost 80 years now, and he had learned from experience that Israel was a stiff-necked people. The words that Reuven and Gad used to make their proposal also helped because they said “our herds and our families”, implying that they were more worried about the animals than the people. If that were the case, it was a no-brainer that Reuven and Gad were not going to cross Yarden to help with the conquest of Canaan, even after the object lesson of the conquest of Midian, WITHOUT INJURY, with a relatively small force working as a unit. Also, they’d actually spoken the words, “Bring us not over Yarden” (v.5).

Moshe jumped right down their throats. He didn’t even pass “GO!” He said (in a Mark paraphrase), “You’re going to let your brothers cross over without YOU to help them take the land? They helped to take the land YOU want and now they won’t have YOUR help taking their land? Don’t you remember why we’ve been out here in the Wilderness for the last 38+ years? Do you want us to have to wander ANOTHER 40 years? What kind of mamzers are you?” The Hebrew word mamzer is not actually used in scripture until Dt.23.2, but the usage is correct. That is what Moshe thought of them at this point. A mamzer is a person born of adultery or his offspring. 

A bastard (mamzer) shall not enter into the congregation of Y’hovah; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of Y’hovah. (Deuteronomy 23:2)

Had Tamar actually had a child of adultery in Gen.38, Yehudah’s pronouncement of punishment would have been proper. She was under his covering by marriage and subject to his customs and laws, even though she was sent back to her father’s house to live.

And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire. (Leviticus 21:9)

AH! The vagaries of interracial/intercultural marriages!

Meanwhile, Moshe’s monologue was very pointed, and I think can be applied to the spiritual circumstances we see today. Let’s look briefly at Lev.26.14ff. In vv.1-13 Y’hovah pronounced blessings for obedience to his Toroth. But beginning in v.14 he says, “But if you WON’T obey me …” and then he gets REALLY specific;

14 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; [a conscious decision] 15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, that ye break my covenant: 16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

That sounds a bit like what’s going on in the world today, doesn’t it? Especially like what’s happening in the USofA? We have some pretty nasty plagues that have been visited on our nation and the world in the last 40 or so years; SARS, AIDS, MRSA, etc. [and many largely for profit]. And for the last few years, the grain crops have been shipped to China in partial repayment of our debt to them, leaving us with almost no reserves. Add to that the stupid idea of turning our food into motor fuel while curtailing our own production of fossil fuels, driving the prices of almost everything through the roof [again, for profit]. But that’s not all. Look at the next verse in Lev.26;

17 And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

Our enemies, all you believers, HAVE been ruling over us. If you think that the Bushes and the Republicans were our ‘friends’ you have another thing coming. And you well know that neither Clinton nor Obama nor the Democrats are our ‘friends’. We just haven’t generally had the insight to see it, largely due to the tax-exempt corporate status of most ministries in the US. Those ministries are precluded from preaching the truth about the federal government’s hand in all of this, for fear of having their tax exemption removed and having to pay all those back taxes from the day the exemption was granted until now. They preemptively flee when none pursues. But that’s not all, either. Look at the NEXT verses of Lev.26:

18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

Do you think that those verses might be in their fulfillment for America as we speak? In California there is a severe drought, like there was in the mid-section of North America between the mountains – the Mississippi watershed up until this year. In the high plains of Colorado, farmers were talking about worms eating their crops from beneath while grasshoppers were eating what’s above ground. 8 grasshoppers would eat a corn stalk all the way to the ground in a day. Here’s a quote from Colorado State University Ag extension:

In Colorado there are several species of grasshoppers, but 90% of damage to plants is caused by grasshoppers in the genus Melanoplus. Females of one species in the genus can lay up to 400 eggs in a single season, depending on the weather. Fewer eggs are produced in cooler, wetter weather. [And, presumably, MORE in dry, hot weather. – MP]

Some grasshoppers prefer one food source, such as corn or alfalfa, but when the food is scarce they eat a variety of plants, shrubs, and trees. 1 grasshopper eats its weight in grass in 16 hours. 7 grasshoppers/sq. yard over 10 acres till eat the same ration [of grass – MP] as one cow.

BTW, cows don’t crop the grass down to the ground. 

But in addition to the drought, which is graphically described in Lev.26.19-20, there is also the stuff in vv.21-39 that will follow ‘hard on the heals’ of what’s already happened. There are 4 multiplications of the curses ‘7 times’ for those who despise or abhor Y’hovah’s commandments. 

But I think there is a ray of light to be found in Mat.24 in conjunction with Lev.26.40-42: 

40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; 41 And I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Avraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. (Lev.26.40-42) 

Y’hovah doesn’t forget, and so can’t ‘recall’. When Y’hovah says he ‘will remember’ something or someone, he means he will act on their behalf. 

21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here Mashiyach, or there; believe not. 24 For there shall arise false Messiahs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Mat.24.21-24)

I think we are about to enter ‘those days’, folks. The 40^th anniversary of the decision on Roe v. Wade was January 22, 2013. America’s probationary period ended on Jan.21,2013. Americans, like the Sanhedrin and the political leadership of the Hebrew religion in Yeshua’s days and those 40 years following until the destruction of the Temple, have not accepted our national culpability nor recognized our iniquity in this matter and I think that this is at least a PART of the reason for these obvious [to me, anyway] judgments of Y’hovah that we are experiencing. The possibility exists that we are about to experience the destruction of America’s version of the Temple. SCOTUS has not brought many, if any, righteous decisions in the last few years. More coals of fire? Could be.

But keep this in mind; Y’hovah promised in Lev.26.40-42 that IF we will humble ourselves and acknowledge our sin and accept the punishment that comes on us as our due for our iniquity, he will remember his covenant with our Patriarchs and act on our behalf. I think that is what Yeshua was alluding to in Mat.24.22 – that we CAN shorten those days by implementing 2 Chronicles 7.14, which reiterates Lev.26.40-42, on behalf of our nation and world. Q&C

Vv.16-22 Anyway (getting back to the Torah portion), Gad and Reuven changed their verbiage. They said (again – a Mark paraphrase) “DOH! That wasn’t what we meant. What we meant was …” and then they completed their proposal. “We SHALL go in and help our brothers take their land – that was a part of the plan. Here’s what we want to do; we’ll repair the breeches in these cities’ walls and fences. Then we’ll leave our wives and children here on this side of Yarden to care for our livestock and tidy up a bit. While they’re doing that, we’ll go into Canaan and help with the conquest of our brother’s inheritances. We’ll even stay beyond the actual conquest of the land until they actually enter their inheritances before we come back across Yarden to live in peace with our brethren in Canaan (assuring ourselves that we won’t have to be a part of the cleanup and basic housework kinda stuff because we’re MEN, and that’s women’s and children’s work). Whaddayasay?!” Moshe liked the basic proposal OK, but he took the wives side by saying (in another Mark paraphrase), “Well, I expect you to help with the conquest, but once that’s done, you can just hightail it right back over to your wives and kids and help out around the house.” G&R said (in yet ANOTHER Mp), “DANG! Caught us! … OK, that’ll work.” And there was shalom once more. 

Vv.23-42 – Moshe told them that if they would not help Israel’s other10 tribes to subdue the land for them, they would be in sin before Y’hovah and to ‘be sure your sin will find you out.’ Moshe then instructed Elazar and Yehoshua concerning Gad and Reuven. He told them what these tribes would do before crossing over to the west bank to help the rest of Israel subdue the land and drive out the inhabitants. He spelt it out for Elazar and Yehoshua in v.29 and pronounced the judgment in v.30 – all the rest of Israel would know what mamzers these 2 tribes were if they didn’t do as they proposed. That’s one way their sin would find them out. Another way may have been the loss of a great percentage of their families and herds. In v.17 you can see why I think this may have been a way their sin might find them out. They still had young women of these lands among them as servants. Perhaps, had Gad and Reuven reneged on their word to Moshe, those girls would have enticed the tribes to sin after the counsel of Bila’am, causing the men to go after the gods of the land they’d conquered. Or perhaps the inhabitants of the land would attack and overpower their cities before they could get them rebuilt. The inhabitants had a fear over them of Israel and her Y’hovah. Perhaps Y’hovah would use those inhabitants to bring judgment on Gad and Reuven if they would not go over Yarden armed to subdue Canaan. Whatever Moshe meant is not spelled out, but I think Gad and Reuven knew. 

In v.33, Moshe added a little twist we didn’t hear from Gad and Reuven’s mouths – ½ of Menashe was going to inherit in Gilead, north and east of Gad, which would inherit north of Reuven. Reuven’s land was basically the land of Ammon, which lay north of Moav and Edom. Gad’s was basically the east bank of Yarden from the Sea of Galilee to just a few miles north of the Dead Sea. Gilead was the hill country east of Yarden and the eastern shore of Galilee (now called the Golan heights) to just north of Mt. Hermon. Gad would rebuild the defenses of 9 cities, Reuven the defenses of 6 more and 2 sons of Machir, son of Menashe would get 2 sets of smaller cities and their associated villages. The amount of work needed to rebuild these defenses must have been relatively minor, because it could be done in a few weeks, at most. Next week we’ll look at the 42 camps in the Wilderness Adventure. Q&C

This haftarah is taken from my notes for the TTRT study of Joshua.

Yehoshua 22 – Vv.1-6, TSK has this commentary on v.1-6 that seems salient and may even be correct:

We have already seen, that a detachment of 40,000 men [4.12-13], of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Menashe, had passed over Yarden armed, with their brethren, according to their agreement with Moshe. The war being now concluded, the land divided, and their brethren settled, Yehoshua assembles these warriors; and with commendations for their services and fidelity, he dismisses them, having first given them the most pious and suitable instructions. They had now been about seven years absent from their respective families; and though there was only the river Yarden between the camp of Gilgal and their own inheritance, yet it does not appear that they had, during that time, ever revisited their homes…

Of course, they had moved camp to the area of Shiloh from Gilgal [v.9 how did TSK miss this?], but the rest of that was well said.

V.5 has Yehoshua’s instruction and warning that the 2½ tribes need to stay true to Y’hovah’s instructions in order to keep their land on that side of Yarden. That this was the understanding between the tribes will be seen later in the chapter. As I look back on the tribal conquests of each inheritance, it only just now occurs to me that these 40,000 were at each battle throughout the conquest. These 40K were quite probably the most battle-hardened troops in Israel’s arsenal. At the census taken in B’Midbar 1, Reuven had 46.5K men at arms [Num.1.21; 26.7 says 43.73K], Gad had 45.65K men at arms [1.25; 26.18 says 40.5K], and Menashe had 32.2K [1.35; 26.34 says 52.7K] total, so ½ of that is 16.1K [26.35K] for a total of 108,250 [104,750] men of war on the leeward side of Yarden, of whom 40K went to battle for their brethren on the windward side [Jos.4.12-13], leaving 64,750 men to watch over the land, cultivate it, etc and protect the women, children and the Levi’im who MUST have stayed on that side to care for the spiritual needs of the people. It IS possible, and I think LIKELY, that there was a rotation of the fighting men, as only about 38% of the Gilead/Bashanite men were in the actual fighting force. Were I the Zachan of those tribes, I’d have had a rotation working to send fresh men to battle and relieve those who’d been through the wars. Maybe a year on duty with the army and 2 years back home. When I was on active duty in the Navy, our normal sea duty rotation was 10-11 months working up for a 6 month deployment and then a month of leave upon return. and then start the work ups for the 2nd deployment of your sea duty tour followed by 3 years of shore duty. The 2½ Bashan/Gilead tribesmen may even have left their land fallow, at rest, for the year they were on duty. The family could live pretty well on what came up from the dropped produce of the previous harvest.

V.6 says they went to their tents according to the command and leave given them by Yehoshua in v.4. The tents Yehoshua had referred to are not the ones they were staying in temporarily while fighting with their brethren on THIS, the windward, side Yarden, but the ones they had not visited for awhile on THAT, the leeward side. They were ALL men of their word, all of good character

12 And to the Reuveni, and to the Gadi, and to half the tribe of Menashe, spake Yehoshua, saying, 13 Remember the word which Moshe the servant of Y’hovah commanded you, saying, Y’hovah Elohechem hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moshe gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 15 Until Y’hovah have given your brethren rest, as you, and they also have possessed the land which Y’hovah Elohechem giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moshe Y’hovah’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising. 16 And they answered Yehoshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. 17 According as we hearkened unto Moshe in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only Y’hovah Elohecha be with thee, as he was with Moshe. 18 Whosoever doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage. [Jos.1.12-18]

The time away from their homes was the price that Y’hovah through Moshe had made them pay to have their inheritances in Bashan, and it seems that they were happy to pay it. That must have been some really CHOICE real estate. For you to get ME to stay away from MY Lovely Bride for 7 years and be HAPPY about it, you’d have to come up with some VERY CHOICE stuff.

In.v.7, East Menashe and West Menashe are parting company for the very 1st time. These full brothers had been together for as long as they’d existed, their patriarch having been born in Egypt of Yoseph and Asenath [I think with some rabbis she was Dinah’s daughter by Shechem, Gen.34]. Now they were going to live apart from each other, Machir’s ½ [through the daughters of Zelophehad and his kinsman redeemers] on the windward side, and Gilead’s ½ on the leeward side of Yarden [cf. Num.26.29]. Yehoshua in v.8 blesses East Menashe, Gad and Reuven for their faithfulness in keeping their word to Moshe and their brethren. The blessing was that plenty characterize their possessions on that side of Yarden, and I think it had already been blessed. And [v.9] the 2½ tribes crossed Yarden in accord with the promise of Moshe. Now, I don’t think everyone from the 2½ tribes up and left at that exact moment Yehoshua told them to go, and I think many or most were there for Yehoshua’s “as for me and my house” admonition in 24.15. But in their minds, and in all reality, they had been dismissed from their duties to their brethren. After 7 years of close contact and rather intimate proximity to their brother Israelis, it might have been hard to cut the ties that bound them; kinda like there being no such thing as a “former Marine”. They had very likely become a real ‘band of brothers” while in the trenches together. Fortunately for those who had made close relationships with their brethren, the other was “just over there” and there was only a shallow river [most of the time] between them.

When the 2½ tribes crossed Yarden, they built an altar [v.10] for a similar purpose as the heap of stones that Ya’acov and Lavan had built at their final meeting place [Gen.31] on the banks of the Yavok in the upper portions of Gilead, I think. This was not an altar on which to offer sacrifices, but one to bear witness to the unity of Gilead/Bashan with Israel. As the heap that Ya’acov and Lavan had built at the border was a permanent reminder of their non-aggression pact, so this altar was to symbolize the unity of Israel across the River Yarden. Now there was a heap/altar of witness, respectively on the upper and nether ends of the Yavok in the land. 

Dt.13.12-15 – if a town leaves Yhwh.

Israel on the windward side got the wrong idea when they saw the altar on the leeward bank. V.11 says plainly that they knew the altar marked the ford of the river on the leeward bank. Please notice in v.12 that the Israelis on the West Bank didn’t even consult Yehoshua or Y’hovah before they got ready to go and fight Israel on the East Bank. At least one cooler head got involved. I think it was Pinchas’ [v.13], next in line for the High Priesthood of Israel, who cooled them off enough to send an embassage to ask what this altar is for. So Pinchas and the 10 elders of Yisrael [vv.14-20] went to get the straight skinny from the 2½ tribes. They said that The 9½  tribes were worried that their brothers were departing from Y’hovah and going their own way, when of course we know that nothing could be further from the truth. The 9½ are already in full battle gear and ready to force the 2½ back into line. So Pinchas brings the western tribes’ concerns to the eastern tribes’ attention. [Mp] “It sure looks like you guys are going against the express command of Y’hovah by building an altar in competition to the one He established in Shiloh [v.16]. Pinchas went [v.17] on the remind the east side guys about Ba’al Pe’or and the death that resulted. As you’ll remember, Pinchas stopped that particular death plague with his trusty javelin. He told them about the slippery slope that eventually comes when even one person allows even one little toe outside the express command of Y’hovah [vv.18-20]. He goes on, exhorting them to not depart from Y’hovah, but if need be, come and live with us in our less than a postage stamp’s area of land [v.19]. We’ll make do to help keep you faithful to Y’hovah. It’s that last that makes me think it was Pinchas doing the palavering. The Priest would want to be sure the people were staying true to Y’hovah. He then reminds him of the sin of Achan that caused not a few deaths in the 1st battle of Ahi.

But East Bank Israel told West Bank Israel [in an abbreviated Mp of vv.21-29], not even a LITTLE bit of that malarky is true! This is an altar of witness between us and you that we will NOT turn away from Y’hovah or our brethren on the West Bank. Pinchas was satisfied, and when he told WB Israel that he was, they lightened up. Pinchas’ words in v.31 summed the whole episode up, “Y’hovah is among us.” Not “He’s with us on our side”, or “He’s with you on your side”, but he inhabits us all and we are echad. TSK has this interesting note to v.34, since the word עד, or ayd, supplied by the KJV translators as ‘witness’, doesn’t appear in the Hebrew text the translators used, but does elsewhere [including Stone’s Edition of Tanakh];

Ayd: i.e. a witness, The word witness, or testimony, is not found in the common editions of the Hebrew Bible; and is supplied in Italics by our venerable translators, at least in our modern copies; for in the first edition of this translation, it stands in the text without any note of this kind; but it is found in several of Kennicott’s and De Rossi’s manuscripts, and also in the Syriac and Arabic. Several also of the early printed editions of the Hebrew Bible have the word ayd, עד, either in the text or in the margin; and it must be allowed to be necessary to complete the sense. It is very probable that an inscription, עד, was put on this altar, signifying the purpose for which it was erected. Thus was this affair most happily terminated.

If that is right, and I believe it to be, the altar itself is a witness not only of the echadity of chol Yisrael, but of Yisrael and her Y’hovah. Q&C

Tehellim 117.1-2 – This is very interesting. The goyim praise Y’hovah. Collections of people (haummiym) – Stone’s Chumash says ‘states’ – praise Y’hovah. This, then, is a complimentary parallelism, as the words goyim and haummiym i.e.; nations and states; are totally synonymous. But THAT isn’t the interesting thing. What’s really interesting to me is that the Israelite who wrote this is telling the nations and states of the world they are blessed through Yisrael, specifically because Y’hovah is mercifully kind to Yisrael, his children regardless the nation or people who trust in him. 

Ya’acov 2.1-26 – I broke out my old Schofield Reference Bible (because I can’t find my Cambridge wide-margin bible with all my penciled in notes). Under the title of each book is a brief intro from Dr. C. I. Schofield in which he provides a listing of its major divisions. Now Dr. Schofield and this reference bible were the chief catalysts for the exponential rise in popularity of the ‘dispensationalist rapture cult’, to which I ascribed 30 years ago. As I read the list I became aware of something I had never noticed before. Let me reproduce the list for you.

1) The testing of faith; 1.1-2, 26

2) The reality of faith tested by the tongue; 3.1-18

3) The rebuke of Worldliness; 4.1-17

4) The rich warned; 5.1-6

5) Hortatory; 5.7-20

What I noticed was that Dr. Schofield created a 6^th division that becomes conspicuous by its absence. His divisions leave out 23 verses of chapter 1 and all of chapter 2 (that’s 49verses, total). Dr. Schofield left 49 of 108 verses out of his major divisions of this book. I think that they didn’t support his pet theory, ‘dispensationalist rapturism’. 

Those 49 verses, read in the pashat, or literal, sense make minced meat of that cult’s reason to exist. It is these 49 verses and a misunderstanding of the meaning of the word ‘faith’, born of decades in the philosophical influence of Plato and Aristotle on the RC denomination from which he received his schooling (or fooling), that made Martin Luther want to remove Yacov’s book from the canon of scripture. Had the RCC and its Babylonian pagan roots been less anti-Torah, Luther might have gone all the way back to the Way of Y’hovah Yeshua that Sholiach Sha’ul (the Apostle Paul) preached. In its Torah sense, sola fide (faith alone) is true. But Torah faith is not just a mental assent to truth, as the Platonic and Aristotelian philosophers teach, but also the mitzvoth – works of obedience – that accompany that belief in Truth. And THAT is the point of Yacov 1.3-25 and 1.27-2.26. The works do not justify us nor keep us in the family, but they DO attest to the FACT of our familial membership in good standing. They PROVE our faith to our selves and to even the most casual observer. Our obedience sets us apart so that everyone notices. It is this obedience that will mark us as his when the ‘fit hits the shan’. Motty pouth!

Vv.1-10 – Why didn’t Dr. Schofield have 2.1-10 in his division 4? Because, in conjunction with 1.27, it is an exhortation to Torah observance.

21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. 23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. (Ex.22.21-24)

Everything Yacov says in 1.27-2.10 is best understood in light of Ex.22.21-24 and supporting passages in Tanakh. The exhortation is clear that we are to help those who have no covering, widows indeed and orphaned children. It is OUR job to provide for the needy in our kahalim. It should never come to the government to provide the needs of the faithful. We should aid our own family members. If the needy have no family, then it falls to the kahal. We should not just provide their necessaries, like food, clothing and shelter. If they are able, we should provide them with a means to earn their necessaries so that they will actually be responsible for themselves. And if we are able, we ought not expect the family or kahal to just provide the stuff, but actually earn it by our own worthwhile labors. Charity, in the KJV sense, is not gratis. Charity respects the person’s need for self-respect. 

When Yacov says in v.6, “but ye have despised the poor”, he is saying that you have thought them less than worthy of your love. That attitude of showing respect or adulation for a wealthy man, while brushing aside the poor so that we can pander to the rich, is normal in the world’s system, but is out of character for a godly man. Paul shows us his agreement w/Yacov about godly character in 1Thes.5;

14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded [faint-hearted, weak in the faith], support the weak, be patient toward all. 15 See that none render evil for evil unto any; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all. 16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of Eloha in Mashiyach Yeshua concerning you. 19 Quench not Ruach. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very Eloha of Shalom sanctify you wholly; and your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our master Yeshua haMashiyach. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do. (1Thes.5.14-24)

The Restoration Scriptures has this for Yacov.2.6b-7; (AENT agrees)

Is it not rich men that oppress you, and drag you before their bema of mishpat? 7 Do they not blaspheme that worthy Name by which you are called?⁴ [Y’hovah]

Yacov is speaking about the leaders of the religion in Jerusalem, I think. (I think this also dates the letter quite early in the Way’s history. Even Schofield got that part right.) He is saying just what Paul did to Kefa when they were in Antioch (Gal.2.11-19 – showing 2 laws, as is apparent in v.19)

11 But when Kefa was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before that certain came from Yacov, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews dissembled (set themselves apart from gentile believers, as if they were not worthy) likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel (no respecter of persons, Ex.22.21), I said unto Kefa before all, ‘If thou, being Yehudi, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Iuaidoi, why compellest thou the Gentiles to ‘live as do the Jews’ [‘Iudaidzo’]? 15 We Yehudi by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the (oral) law, but by the faith of Yeshua haMashiyach (Torah obedience), even we have believed in Yeshua haMashiyach, that we might be justified by the faith of Mashiyach, and not by the works of the (oral) law: for by the works of the (oral) law shall no flesh be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Mashiyach, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Mashiyach the minister of sin? Eloha forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed (oral traditions), I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through Torah am dead to the (oral) law, that I might live unto Eloha. (Parentheticals are my own to show the 2 ‘laws’ spoken of.)[Ellipses are mine to show the faithful Yehudi from the Judaizers/Iuaidoi]

How can a man die to Torah by living through (according to/obeying) Torah? That is a logical absurdity. They cannot logically co-exist. By living out Torah, working out the faith of Yeshua with fear and trembling [Phil.2.12], we die to man’s traditions – oral law. 

Yacov.2.10 is speaking of Torah when it says law. Moshe’s footnote in the Restoration Scriptures is very instructive;

What one point is under discussion? Showing partiality. If a Jewish believer keeps the whole Torah, and yet mistreats, or refuses to recognize Ephrayim (as Kefa did in Antioch), it is as if he has violated the entire Torah. There is much more on this in Galatians, or Galut-Yah.

Q&C

Vv.11-26– Yacov went on to give example from elsewhere in Torah, the Ten Words to be exact. If I do not commit adultery, but I DO murder, am I not guilty of all 10 Words? While each of the 10 commandments stand alone, they are also interconnected through the 10^th Word – against covetousness. Our lust for things, power or position is the root of every other sin listed there. As Paul says 

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (I Timothy 6:10)

But we need to speak and work as if we actually believe that it will be Torah that Yeshua will use as the standard of judgment at HIS bema of mishpat. Rest assured that he shall. It is truly a Torah of liberty. Liberty is not absolute freedom. Absolute freedom is actually license. We must not be licentious. Liberty is freedom self-constrained. The Torah of liberty provides maximum freedom in human relations. We constrain ourselves by the 613 or 759 (depending on who’s counting) instructions in Torah. We are ‘on our honor’, Y’hovah will not force us to work contrary to our own wills. But he shall reward or punish us according to his Torah commands and promises. If we show that we understand his Torah by walking in it, showing mercy (rachamim) whenever we can (like ‘visiting’, making provision for, the widows and orphans in their affliction) we shall obtain his rachamim. 

If you see a person in physical need and bless them with your words (or say “I’ll be praying for you”), but do nothing to provide for their physical needs, you are a liar, a cloud without rain. By the same token, if you SAY you believe, but there is no actual witness to it in your walk, you are likewise a liar. The worst part of it, though, is that you are fooling only yourself, because people can tell by your walk that your words are just an attempt to blow smoke up their posteriors. If that is you, your faith is merely said, and “Merely said faith is really dead faith.” As I said before, our obedience to Torah is not what justifies us. It is the evidence that we are justified. If there is no evidence of spiritual life in you, you must be spiritually dead, regardless your physical protestations to the contrary. 

The AENT has a great note on v.21 (note 7), Paul, using the same action by Avraham Avinu, made the case for works being useless in our justification.

17 By faith Avraham, when he was tried, offered up Yitzhak: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Yitzhak shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that Eloha able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Heb.11.17-19)

Avraham knew that his seed lay before him on the altar. He knew that Yitzhak was not yet married, had no children. But he had already offered Yitzhak in his heart and mind and Yitzhak was already dead in Avraham’s mind because he KNEW that Y’hovah only had 2 courses of action; 1) stop Avraham from killing him, or 2) raise him from death. So, this was the ultimate act of faith. Trusting that Y’hovah would keep his promises to him and Sarah and Yitzhak, he picked up the knife and purposed that he would kill his son. BTW, Yitzhak was a young man in the prime of life. That he submitted wilfully to his father’s actions showed that his own faith and trust in Y’hovah’s promises was every bit as strong as his papa’s.

Avraham’s faith, worked out, made his faith complete, or perfect (v.22). Do you see that Yacov connects Avraham’s faith, as seen in Rom. 4, with his actions, as seen in Heb.11? He connects Gen.15

And he believed in Y’hovah; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

with Gen.22

8 And Avraham said, My son, Eloha will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 

10 And Avraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of Y’hovah called unto him out of heaven, and said, Avraham, Avraham: and he said, Hinayni Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest Eloha, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only from me. 13 And Avraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Avraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Avraham called the name of that place Yehovahyireh: (Genesis 22:8, 10-14)

YehovahYireh means “Y’hovah, he will see to it.” Provide in v.8 is the same exact word –  yireh (root = ra’ah, to see). In v.8 it is Elohim will see to it. In v.14 it is Y’hovah will see to it. 

An interesting note: Shem called the place “Shalom”, or peace, and Avraham called it Yireh, or “he shall see”, but Y’hovah calls it Yerushalayim – YirehShalom, “He shall see Peace”.

In the same way that Avraham’s faith was completed by the works that accompanied it, so was Rachav’s faith completed when she believed Y’hovah would deliver Yericho into Israel’s hands and she hid and then delivered the spies out of the city. She put her life into Y’hovah’s hands when she did that. She knew the consequences if Y’hovah did not deliver Yericho – her life would be forfeit. And she did it anyway. That is a faith that works, folks. May we all have it so. Q&C

End of Shabbat Bible Study.

Shabbat Bible Study for July 14, 2018

©2018 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 3, Shabbat 18

B’Midbar (Num.) 30-31, Yeremeyahu (Jer.) 4.2, Tehillim (Ps.)116, Mat. 5.33-48

B’Midbar 30– Be careful about making vows to Y’hovah, for he will hold you to your word. You’d better make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into when you pledge yourself to anything. Your word should be your bond. If you are female, your head has a veto power over your obligation. I think that means that Messiah has veto power over our vows. I know it means that a father or husband has veto power, because that is the Pashat of this passage. This MAY be the source of the idea of ‘binding and loosing’, as we see in 

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:18)

3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay on men’s shoulders; but they will not move them with one of their fingers. (Matt.23.3-4)

And since Messiah is our Husband and Abba is our Father, I think this may be the Sod, or mystery. So, if we make a vow to something in HaSatan’s kingdom, Messiah or Abba can veto that vow. This doesn’t mean he CERTAINLY will veto it, but he has the authority to do so. For example, we borrow money and vow to pay it back over time. He CAN veto that obligation. But until he unequivocally does so, we need to honor our word. When our Husband, AFTER we become his bride, does veto our vow entered into before we were his, HE takes responsibility to fulfill it (v.15). And that’s exactly what Yeshua did for us through his death on the tree. He renegotiated our vow to haSatan when we trusted him and he bore our iniquity – “the handwriting of ordinances against us, nailing it to his cross” 

10 And ye are complete [perfect] in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Mashiyach:  12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his tree; 15 having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Col.2.10-15, esp. 14). 

In keeping with this passage of Torah, Hannah made her vow known to Elkanah; that if Y’hovah would let her conceive a son, he would be a Nazarite from the womb (1Sam.1.11); and Elkanah agreed to it so that Samuel was Y’hovah’s from before his conception.

Pay off your debts as the day approaches. Gather up all your credit card bills and pay the minimums on all of them, except the smallest one you have. Pay as much as you can on that one every month until it is paid off. Then, do likewise to the next smallest one and continue in this pattern until they are ALL paid off. Then forget you have credit cards until you NEED one. Then, when you need one, pay it off as quickly as you can. Next, get your car and house payments into the mix. Pay them off as quickly as you can. The reason we are cash strapped is because we are paying so much interest on those damned credit cards. I used that word purposefully, because they are a blessing that we have allowed to become a curse to the people of Y’hovah. Satan has taken what COULD have been a great blessing and perverted our minds, making them a curse to us. As long as we only used them and then paid them off at the end of the month, thus avoiding the finance charges, they were a blessing. As soon as we got greedy and started carrying balances over to the next month in our pursuit of stuff, they became idols to us. 

I think that you ought to pay your debts EVEN BEFORE you pay your tithes and offerings, if that is necessary. I mean, if you have a choice to make an offering or pay a debt, pay the debt, because one of the worst witnesses we can have to the world is to not keep our word. If we can’t keep our vows to people we can see, how will we ever keep our vow to Abba, whom we can’t see? Besides, if you get your debts paid off, you will have more to offer in the long term than you would have had otherwise. Of that I am certain. 

So the general principles are: 1). Don’t make vows you can’t keep, 2). When you make a vow, keep it, even if something else that is unnecessary (like owning a new car or buying a bigger house than you need) has to suffer, 3). Get out of debt and STAY out of debt – ‘the borrower is servant to the lender’. 4). THEN bring your tithes into the storehouse. 

I think I’ve meddled long enough – for now. Q&C

B’Midbar 31.1-6 – Y’HOVAH commanded Moshe to avenge Yisrael on Midian. This has to do with the ‘doctrine of Bila’am’, wherewith Midian tempted Yisrael to go after their own way in debauching the very Tabernacle of meeting in Moshe and Y’hovah’s face, and to follow the gods of the Midianite wives they took way back in ch. 25 – about a week or so ago in the chronology. Bila’am had gone over completely to the enemy (v.8). What could be a worse end for a man of Y’hovah than to die in His judgment on the heathen? 

Here’s a quote from Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (edited):

“All who, without commission from Yah, dare to execute private revenge, and who, from ambition, covetousness, or resentment, wage war and desolate kingdoms, must one day answer for it. But if Yah, instead of sending an earthquake, a pestilence, or a famine, be pleased to authorize and command any people to avenge his cause, such a commission surely is just and right. The Israelites could show such a commission, though no persons now can do so. Their wars (this one, anyway) were begun and carried on expressly by Y’hovah’s direction, and they were enabled to conquer by miracles. Unless it can be proved that the wicked Canaanites did not deserve their doom, objectors only prove their dislike to Yah, and their love to his enemies.”

With Y’hovah’s command, Yisrael was authorized to wipe out the Midianites. 

This brings to mind the future attack on Yisrael by the Assyrian, as seen in Yoel 2.1-11. In ch.1 Y’hovah had sent preliminary judgments (insects to destroy the crops, and thereby the economy) in an attempt to get Yehuda/Zion to repent and go after Y’hovah with all their heart. However, the destruction of our economy doesn’t seem to get our attention, so he sends the Assyrian’s armies to further emphasize the point. When the Assyrian comes against us we finally get it and call on Y’hovah’s set-apart Name for deliverance. Please note that this repentance does not come until Yoel.2.12-17, so IN CONTEXT the blowing of trumpets in Zion in v.1 is an attempt to awaken Israel from their slumber in spiritual darkness. V.9 is NOT about Israel doing exploits, but of the Assyrian’s armies’ ‘urban warfare’ tactics (think about the news reports of the multi-jurisdictional ‘training exercise’ in 7 southwest states called “Jade Helm” which is going on right now in July 2015). To bring this together with our passage in B’Midbar, the Assyrian is doing Y’hovah’s will, and His purpose will result – Yehuda and Zion will repent and call on his Name (probably just when their backs are against the wall). The blowing of the trumpet in v.15 is to tell Y’hovah that Zion is ready to repent and turn to HIS way on this solemn assembly for fasting and prayer for deliverance. During the moedim, it is to announce the Yovel, the fast of Yom Kippur, the soon assembly at Yerushalayim for the Feast of Tabernacles, and the marriage of the Bridegroom to his bride. Then (v.18 – AFTER the true repentance of Y’hovah’s people) comes judgment against the Assyrian’s army as they run in disarray to escape from before the King of kings. Though he used the Assyrian’s armies as his tool, they are still responsible for their treatment of Yisrael. (I think that unless America repents, she will be a part of the Assyrian’s armies.)

31.7-12 – We see the demise of 5 kings of Midian and Bila’am. As I stated earlier, it seems that Bila’am has forsaken Y’hovah completely and gone after the loot. The king Evi’s name (from the root avah, H183) means ‘I am covetous or lustful’, which I think probably relates to Bila’am, as well. Perhaps Bila’am has taken over Balak’s kingdom and is now known as Evi, eh? This incident brings to mind the kings of B’reishit 14, whom Avram wiped out. Do you suppose this all has to do with exile and redemption? (say facetiously) NAHH! Couldn’t be! Let’s see, the kings of the East came and took Lot captive, as the Midianites had ‘taken Yisrael captive’ with their daughters. Avi goes after the 5 kings and wipes them out to redeem Lot, as Y’hovah redeemed Yisrael by wiping out these 5 kings. Are we seeing a parallel here? 

By the way, did you notice that the 3^rd king mentioned is named Zur? Remember him? He was the father of Cozbi, the Midianitish woman that Zimri took in the sight of the whole congregation of Israel in the Tent of Meeting? 

14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he head over a people, of a chief house in Midian. (Num.25.14-15)

Do you think he’s there to personally avenge his daughter’s death, perhaps to kill Pinchas? 

But Yisrael didn’t get the point, seemingly, since they took the women and children captive. Y’hovah’s instructions were to avenge Him on Midian – the idea being to utterly destroy Midian, and leave nothing and noone alive. The trouble we’re seeing in Lebanon and Gaza is a direct result of Yisrael NOT wiping out Midian and the Canaanites when they were told to. Have you killed or driven out Midian and Canaan from YOUR life?  There I go meddling again. I’ll rest for Q&C.

Vv.13-20 – Mo is righteously ticked! They had just had a plague where 24,000 Yisraelites had died because these women had tempted Yisrael, and here is Yisrael taking them – perhaps the very same women! –  prisoner! What were they thinking?!? Maybe, “Oh, There’s Delilah! I had a REALLY good time with her!” Unfortunately, they weren’t thinking (not with their brains, at least), or they’d have followed their orders. Mo gives the order to kill ALL the males and the women who had known any man. Only young virgin girls were to be spared, and then only as slaves – NOT WIVES. 

Then they were told to do the ritual purification and see that the girl captives were purified, as well. 2 mikvoth were performed, once on the 3^rd day and again on the 7^th, just like when they were defiled with a dead body. I think the requirements were the same; that failure to cleanse on the 3^rd day made the same exercise on the 7^th day futile? See Num.19 for these requirements.  Perhaps the 3^rd day has to do with Resurrection and deliverance from sin’s consequence, and the 7^th with Shabbat and deliverance from the evil inclination/sin nature?

    Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: [3] Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell. (Numbers 5:2-3 KJV)

“The Israelites had to purify themselves according to the law, and to abide without the camp seven days, though they had not contracted any moral guilt, the war being just and lawful, and commanded by Eloha. Thus Eloha would preserve in their minds a dread and detestation of shedding blood. The spoil had been used by Midianites, and being now come into the possession of Israelites, it was fit that it should be purified.”ⁱⁱ

Vv21-24 – Those things that could go through the fire without harm would be sent through the fire, but they STILL had to go through the water of purification, the water that had been mixed with the ashes of the red heifer (ch.19). Everything had to go through the water of purification, so that nothing would defile the camp. It is getting very close to the time for their wandering to end and to enter the Promised Land. They had to wash their clothes on the 7^th day and THEN they would be clean. In Rev.7.14, we see the multitudes who have ‘washed their robes’. The word robes is from G4749, stole, from G4724, stello. Stello = ‘withdraw oneself’, or set oneself apart. They needed to be set-apart unto Y’hovah in order to take the Promised Land without loss. Hence, the detailed instructions on purification and entering the camp. We are as close now as they were then.

Vv.25-47 – Why was the spoil divided differently for the fighters and the people in general? It seems obvious that the ones who put their lives in jeopardy ought to receive the lion’s share of the spoil. It was not just the amount of spoil, but the requirement of the offering that was different. The spoil was divided in half and the fighters divided their ½ 12,000 ways. The people then divided the rest equally. Here’s what Matthew Henry says:

Out of the people’s share God required one in fifty, but out of the soldiers’ share only one in five hundred. The less opportunity we have of honouring God with personal services, the more should we give in money or value.ⁱⁱ 

I think there is at least one other possibility – that the people in general would see (sight vice faith) that the fighters got not only a larger division of spoil, but got to keep 10x as much of their share. This would have the effect of making everyone want to participate, not just the mighty men of valour. By now, the idea must have gotten around that, as long as they stayed in fellowship and Y’hovah was fighting for them, none of their fighters even took a scratch in battle. So there was no risk, and more personal financial benefit in actually going into battle. Spiritually, even the most self-seeking person would have his faith built up by continual victory without loss of life or limb. It worked temporarily, at least. I thinkⁱ that Yehoshua had to turn away willing soldiers after this.

Vv.48-54 – Not ONE man lost in battle! This had happened once before, and would happen again in Yericho. The men had the right attitude, which probably helped in the Yericho ‘battle’. They humbly offered a freewill offering en masse in gratitude for Y’hovah’s watchfulness and protection over them. This ought to be our attitude, as well, in our victories, for it is NOT we who win, but Y’hovah through us. Q&C

Yeremeyahu 4.2 – The messianic.ws website has a one line comment on our Haftarah for today, “The haftarah portion refers to swearing “in truth, in justice, and in righteousness.”” While that is true as far as it goes, taken in context it tells us that we can not swear ‘in truth, justice and righteousness’ until we have fully repented and are following after Y’hovah’s ways and not our own. In fact, v.4 ties us more closely to our Torah portion in that it is a command to be set-apart unto Y’hovah by circumcising our hearts after breaking up the fallow ground. Fallow ground is that which has not been planted for a long while. It has become hard and resistant to seed. When we break up the fallow ground, it will initially clump. These clumps must also be disked and then plowed into rows before it can be planted. It takes a lot of work to make fallow ground fit for planting. But once the work is done and the ground is softened and fertilized, it will effortlessly bring forth a wonderful harvest. Q&C

Tehillim 116 – The connection, according to messianic.ws is in v.14, where we pay our vows to Y’hovah. But there is much more here that ties us to both the Torah and haftarah. It seems that messianic.ws keyed on the vows and forgot the 2^nd chapter of Torah for today. 

We see a connection to Yeremeyahu in vv.2-9, where the Psalmist testifies to Y’hovah’s faithfulness and his response to that faithfulness. This is also connected to my secondary application of vv.25-47, where the general population saw the benefit to fighting for the land and Y’hovah and was grateful for his provision.

Vv.7-14 connect us back to the 2^nd chapter of today’s Torah portion, where the fighters went out and found they had taken no casualties, and where they had to purify themselves and their booty, including the girl servants, in 2 mikvot on the 3^rd (Resurrection) and 7^th (glorification and rest) days. 

V.15 speaks to why there were no casualties. The lives of Yah’s saints are especially precious to him. We will find out how precious in the time of trouble to come. Q&C

Matt.5.33-37 – It would seem at first glance that Yeshua is contradicting Torah here. But nothing could be further from the truth. Our Torah portion for today did not COMMAND us to make oaths. It only gave guidelines for us if we DO make one, and made provision for the head of the family to veto any agreement made by one under his authority in a timely fashion. Yeshua teaches us to AVOID making an oath, because then the Torah applies and MUST be followed. He tells us that our character should be such that noone who knows us would ever require an oath of us. We should be known as scrupulously honest in all we say and do. 

Vv.38-42 – Yeshua quotes a portion of a verse out of context, like most people do (Hosea 4.6 comes to mind as an especially egregious example), to point out the hypocrisy of doing so. Here’s the entire verse (first mention) with its context:  

    [18] And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed: [19] If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed. 

    [20] And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. [21] Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money. 

    [22] If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. [23] And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, [24] Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, [25] Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. (Exodus 21:18-25 KJV)

The contextual point is that there must be an appropriate judgment against the perpetrator of the injustice or loss, which is EXACTLY what Yeshua was saying here. He was NOT abolishing Torah, but applying it. This passage can be seen as Yeshua answering the objections of a man who had made a deal with a woman, but her father or husband had vetoed the agreement, thus causing a loss in the first man’s eyes. There was no actual loss, only a perceived one – and that perhaps by both parties to the agreement, and so there could be no eye for eye, tooth for tooth application.

Vv.43-48 – Yeshua was probably commenting on this very Torah portion that we saw today, for everything ties to it so well. In our portion, Israel was commanded to attack and destroy Midian. Midian had made itself Y’hovah’s enemy by trying to destroy his relationship with his bride. Therefore Midian had become Israel’s enemy. However, Yeshua was teaching a group of individuals, mostly of Judah, who hated the Ephraimite Samaritans and considered them enemies. His ministry was to seek and to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [Mat.15.24]

The hatred the Yehudim had for Ephraim had to stop, or they could never perform the final command Yeshua gives in our passage, 

Matthew 5:48 (KJV)  

    Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48 KJV)

Perfect is translated from the G5046, teleios, complete. I think teleios corresponds to H259, echad, which means not absolute singularity, but unity. In Devarim 6.4 we read:

Shema, Israel; Y’hovah Elohenu, Y’hovah echad. 

Y’hovah is one, but there is a subject/object relationship between Y’hovah Abba, who is Ruach haKodesh, and Y’hovah Yeshua haMoshiach. We are to be like that with our brethren; one in spirit but with a physical subject/object difference. It WILL be this way, as seen in countless scriptures. Here are just two of them:

    The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. (Isaiah 11:13 KJV)

    When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. (Zech. 9:13 KJV)

That will be a great and glorious day! HalleluYah! Even so, Come quickly, Y’hovah Yeshua. Q&C

End of Shabbat Bible Study

Shabbat Bible Study for July 7, 2018

©2018 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 3 Sabbath 17

B’midbar 28:1-29:40 (30.1 in Torah) – Yechezkel 45:13-25 – Tehellim 115 – Ivrit 10:1-39

Links: 

B’midbar 28 – This whole passage is about the additional offerings to be made on the Shabbat, the new moons and the Feasts. These are additional offerings that the priests were to offer in the Mishkan and the future temple. These are not personal offerings, like the families’ Pesach lambs. These are the national offerings. If the priests had to make all these offerings for each family in Israel – or even just for the citizens of Jerusalem, they would be there for MONTHS to try to slaughter that many animals, AND the flocks and herds would be severely depleted in a season – MUCH less in a year. Now think about the need for 7 million or more yearling lambs each Pesach (assuming 1 million families making Aliyah for the Feast). No way this was done for every family in Yerushalayim for the Feast of ULB, Shavuoth, and/or Sukkoth. 

Since these were the national offerings for special days, in addition to the daily offerings, the daily offerings are mentioned first, followed by the special offerings. The daily offerings were offered in morning and afternoon about 9 AM and 3 PM, give or take. It seems that the evening and morning offerings are two halves of one daily offering – as they are a continual burnt, or elevation, offering.

In Daniel 8.14, 

And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. (KJV)

The words translated ‘days’ there are actually erev boker, the root words. Stone’s Tanakh has it translated 

And he said to me, “Until nightfall, morning, two thousand and three hundred; and then the holy one will be rectified. (Tanakh – Stone’s Edition; Artsctoll)

It doesn’t say evenings/mornings plural or even evenings and mornings, which to my mind would make it unequivocal to mean 2300 days. It says 2300 evening/morning. It MAY be saying 2300 total offerings, 1150 evening + 1150 morning = 2300 offerings. I lean rather heavily to 2300 of each – 2300 combinations of evening and morning offerings seems the most natural, but it is not unequivocal to my mind. This is the only use of these terms together – the one immediately following the other – and is translated ‘days’ in KJV. The difference could have the start of this timing 38.33 months different in that prophecy – showing that it is not wise to base how you live your life on your interpretation of prophecy. In this case, one or both interpretations could be incorrect. 

*I believe we are living in the last days, and I have believed this for 40+ years, based largely on Hal Lindsay’s (among other evangelical’s) books, and it has affected my life decisions. I am not prepared to retire, as my parents were. As I get nearer to that age, I realize the foolishness of that decision. I will always have to earn a living, somehow. We need to live our lives in holiness, as if the last day is today, while preparing as if the world will go on for another 200 years in its present (or worse) state. THAT is the definition of ‘prudent’ in this light.

The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. (Proverbs 14:15)

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself (prepares): but the simple pass on, and are punished. (Proverbs 22:3 & 27.12)

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:21)

Young men, listen up! Believing that Y’hovah Yeshua will return to rule and reign soon should make us live Torah in his righteousness. It should not make us think that preparations for our old age are unnecessary or that we should not continue to live as if what we don’t do to preserve this generation will have no effect. The world is reaping largely what WE elders have sown. I think the dispensational ½ truths that have been popular for the last 100-150 years in Xianity and the Laodicean spirit in the kahal of Mashiyach, has adversely affected our influence and been at least a secondary CAUSE of the economic, political and spiritual debauchery we see in America and the world. They have aided in the spiritual descent of mankind into the abyss. And we all must bear at least some partial responsibility – myself probably more than anyone listening, since I have a bit more influence due to my position as leader of this little group. Yacov is absolutely correct when he says 

1 My brethren, be not many masters (rabbis), knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. (Yacov 3.1-2a)*

The daily offerings in the evenings and mornings are continual, no let up. I can only assume that, even during the Wilderness Adventure, these offerings were made every day. Did this affect their progress from camp to camp? Perhaps this is why they had only 42 recorded camps. Of course, those may have been the places they stayed for an extended period of time and they may have stopped to make these offerings and overnight while journeying from one semi-permanent camp to the next. If that were the case, they would only be able to travel for 4-5 hours at a time – the time they could travel between the boker and the ma’ariv offerings. If they were marching like the army marches, that would make for a 16-20 mile daily move, assuming that the manna and water from the Rock (1Cor.10.4) gave them all the necessary nutrition and the ability to march at a march pace – 30 inch steps, 2 steps per second, or about 4 miles per hour for 4-5 hours per day. That’s not unreasonable. Moshe was 120 when he croaked, and neither his body not his spirit had abated – he was in the same shape he had been in his 30s throughout his life.  

V.7 says the tamid (daily) offerings were made in the Kodesh, but this was not the Kodesh within the Mishkan proper. This speaks of the place set apart for the offerings – the brazen altar. There is an interesting comment in Schottenstein’s Chumash on Ex.29.38-46, pp. 220-221. That passage from Chumash speaks to our attitude in giving, not necessarily the amount we bring.

Beginning in v.9, we see the special mussaf offerings, beginning with that for Shabbat – 2 spotless lambs. The priests did not ‘rest’ from their daily labors on Shabbat, nor on any of the other holy convocations. In fact, they had MORE to do on all those days. So, there were daily sacrifices (erev boker), and there were weekly offerings (shabbat b’shabbato). The Shabbat special offering was 2 male yearling lambs. The word ‘b’shabbato’ (in its own Shabbat) indicates that the Shabbat offerings could not be postponed until any other day or even to the next Shabbat. If they were not offered on the day they were supposed to be offered, the opportunity to offer that Shabbat’s offerings was missed. 

There were also monthly sacrifices on Rosh Chodesh in vv.11ff in addition to the daily and the Shabbat offerings (if the Rosh Chodesh happened upon a Shabbat), “…two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;” that’s a LOT of extra work to be done on Rosh Chodesh (there is still more for Yom Teruah). It certainly looks as though the priesthood had this extra duty every month on 1^st day of the month. So, even though there is only ONE Rosh Chodesh which was commanded to be a “miqra kodesh”, they ALL had special offerings (David makes reference to this sacrifice in 1Sam.20). The meal and libation offerings are the same as they always are for each animal offered as a ‘sweet savour unto Y’hovah’. 

The very same offerings as were offered on Rosh Chodesh are also offered EVERY DAY of the week of Unleavened Bread, except that beginning with ULB there is also a he goat of the 1^st year offered as a sin offering. This leads me to infer that there is a difference between the Rosh Chodesh and the mo’edim, as ALL the spring moedim have a yearling male goat for a sin offering. We’ll see in a few minutes if there is a difference between the average Rosh Chodesh and Yom Teruah, Rosh Chodesh of the 7^th month. 

There isn’t any difference in offerings between the mikrai kodesh on the 1^st and 7^th days and the 5 days in between them. These special offerings will be in addition to the daily and the Shabbat offerings on the weekly Shabbat. The whole of the 7 days, therefore ARE a part of the mo’ad, but only the 1^st and last days are mikrai kodesh. These are days of no servile work, by which I take the meaning of ‘our occupation for making a living’. Only ONE of these days is designated as a day of NO WORK WHATEVER and we’ll get to it in its course.

V.26ff speaks of Shavuoth, specifically. All the same offerings are made on Shavuoth as on all the other mo’edim up to now. It says ‘after your weeks’, from which I infer that this is the only day of 1stfruits that has an additional special offering. The 1stfruits of Barley does not; the 1stfruits of wheat does. I infer from this that barley firstfruits is not a mo’ad, though it has significance in that it is the 1^st day of the 1^st week of the omer count to Shavuoth, as well as the day of Yeshua’s resurrection as the 1stfruits from among the dead. This ends the special offerings for the spring mo’edim and mikrai kodesh. All consist of 2 young bullocks, 1 ram, 7 yearling lambs and a goat for a sin offering. Q&C

B’midbar 29.1ff – On Yom Teruah only one young bullock was offered specifically for Yom Teruah, where in each of the spring festivals there had been 2 young bulls offered. The one bullock, one ram, 7 lambs, and one he-goat were in addition to the daily, Shabbat (if applicable) and the Rosh Chodesh offerings (2 bullocks, no goat). There is a different verb used here concerning the offering. Up until here the verb has been ‘you shall offer’ (v’hikravthem) an offering; here Y’hovah said ‘you shall make’ (va’asiythem) an offering. Yom Teruah was not JUST a Rosh Chodesh. The command to ‘make’ the offering on Yom Teruah is not applied to every Rosh Chodesh – only this Rosh Chodesh. It was designated as a mo’ad and a miqra kodesh. The Schottenstein’s Chumash has an interesting note on page 199. Shades of 2Cor.5.17 and Gal.6.15!

Therefore if any man be in Mashiyach, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (II Corinthians 5:17)

For in Mashiyach Yeshua neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. (Galatians 6:15)

It was the day that the Teruah was blown on the shofarim to call Israel to execute Y’hovah’s command to move out! One of the themes of Yom Teruah is resurrection day. Many orthodox Jews believe that it will be on a future Yom Teruah when the dead will be resurrected. If the dead will answer the call of the shofarim on Yom Teruah, don’t you think it might be wise for us to listen for it and respond to it, as well? Do you think that the rabbis of the Mishkan and 1^st Temple offered all these special offerings for 2 days, to ensure they didn’t miss Yom Teruah, like they have since the Babylonian captivity; or do you think they actually knew which day was Yom Teruah? The difference since the Bar Kochba rebellion (c.140CE) and exile from haAretz is the use of an intercalated calendar, rather than observation of the new moon of the 7^th month in the land. Of course, there ARE people there to observe it now, but I guess that tradition trumps obedience to Y’hovah’s commands. Not that Judaism is alone in observing tradition over obedience to her Creator. Xians observe their own pagan holidays and claim they are keeping them to Y’hovah, like Jeroboam’s Israel did with the Golden Calves in Bethel and Dan. 

Vv.7-11 gives instruction for the offerings to be made on Yom haKippurim. On Yom haKippurim, the burnt offering was like that of Yom Teruah, except that 2 more goats were set apart as the goats for atonement. This is spelled out in Lev.23. All we’re looking at here is burnt offerings – freewill offerings, if you will, so there is no detail about the goats for Y’hovah and Azazel. 

Beginning in v.12 are the special offerings for the Feast of Sukkoth. There is a different special offering everyday, differing in the # of young bullocks that are offered, descending in # from 13 on the 1^st day of Sukkoth to 7 on the last day of Sukkoth. This would total 70 young bullocks offered during the 7 day Feast. 70 is the number of nations in the world, according to Gen.10. Chumash’ note to v.13 says that if the 70 primary nations of the world knew what these offerings meant to them they would send legions to protect Yerushalayim and ensure that noone interfered with the festivities of Sukkoth. In the final Millennial Sukkoth, the nations will send their legions, but it won’t be to protect the city. 

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Rev.20.7-9)

Each day’s offerings are the same, except for the bulls for the nations being in descending number from 13-7. There were the bulls, 2 rams, and 14 spotless male yearling lambs for the burnt offering and a male goat for a sin offering every day. Why the descending number of offerings for the primary nations of the world? The same total would be offered if they offered 10 every day, so it isn’t JUST the total number that’s important. As the number declines, so, the sages say, does the influence of the nations of the world in Israel’s existence. They see a gradual lessening of influence over Y’hovah’s people until the nations finally accept the spiritual leadership of Israel. I see it as a spiritual declension of the nations until they are finally defeated and forced under Mashiyach’s authority in the Millennium. So, I agree with the sages, as far as they go. I just carry it to Rosh Yisrael – Mashiyach as Sar Yisrael – the Prince. Rashi makes the connection between 98 lambs, which represent Israel, being offered to the 98 curses placed on Israel in Devarim 28.15ff. I think that this is at least an interesting juxtaposition. Numbers MEAN things in Torah. 

The last special mussaf offering is the one offered on Shimeni Atzereth, the Last Great Day of the Feast (Jn7.37). This one is identical to the Yom Teruah special offering, so the first and last offerings of the 7^th month look the same. This day is called a solemn assembly in KJV, a ‘restriction’ in Stone’s Tanakh following Rashi’s designation. Atzereth = restraints. Shimeni Atzereth can be seen as ‘the eighth restrains’. That could mean that this is the last of the fall and yearly feasts of Y’hovah, so the last of the miqra kodesh for the year, the feasting is now ‘restricted’ to the weekly shabbat and family gatherings. It could also be like the sages say in the Chumash note on pp.203-204, 2^nd paragraph. I must again point out that all these offerings are in addition to the daily tamid offerings. Also, that every offering has a threefold application; literal, prophetic and spiritual. The prophetic instance of every sacrifice/offering points to its fulfillment in Mashiyach. The spiritual aspect is the attitude we ought to have to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. And the literal shows forth our understanding of the other 2. If we will not offer a substitutionary lamb, will we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, allowing Y’hovah to transform us into the image of his Son? Q&C 

Yechezkel 45  – The subject of our haftarah begins in v.9, where Y’hovah is rebuking the princes of Israel. I think we are at the beginning of the Millennium and the Kingdom of Y’hovah in the Land at the dedication of the 3^rd Temple.V.9-12 are important to get the context, so let’s read them with our portion. 

Y’hovah is angry with the princes, the priests, rulers and judges, because they have oppressed the people through high taxes/tithes (exactions) and showing partiality in the dispensation of justice, preferring the rich and influential. IOW, what Israel’s princes were doing before Mashiyach the Prince came to town is very much like what the world’s governments and politicians are doing right now, today. The government of Israel had become fascistic. Mashiyach EXPECTS the princes of Israel to be content with their inheritances and to deal justly and bring righteous judgment in every matter. He expects there to be just weights and measures, and honest money and that the princes enforce them righteously. He goes so far as to prescribe what the weights should be. An Ephah was a dry measure, like a bushel or a peck; a bath was a wet measure, like a gallon or a quart. An ephah and a bath are the same physical volume, which equaled 1/10 homer. 

V.13-25 – The oblation for the dedication of the Third Temple will be 1/6 homer of wheat or barley = about ½ bushel. A bath of oil is about 6 gallons, roughly equivalent to a bushel in volume. 1/10^th of a bath = .6 gallons or about 2.3 liters. 1 lamb of every 200 is to be offered as a burnt offering. This is from the nation, so I suppose that each family would count his sheep and send .5 percent for the dedication of the Temple. The dedication will take about 1 week to complete (cf.43.20). That’s a lotta lambs sent by the people to the prince for offering. 

It sure looks to me that the prince is actually partaking in the mussaf offerings on Pesach and Sukkoth in the Millennial Temple, preparing the animals for offering. Since when does the prince have anything to do with the offerings in the Temple? Since that prince will be the Melchizedek, Mashiyach Yeshua. He is the High Priest as well as the Prince. The sons of Zadok are the priests who will actually offer the burnt offerings for a sweet savour to Y’hovah. The mussaf offerings are different in the Kingdom Temple than in the 1^st and 2^nd temples. The offerings at Pesach and Succoth times will be the same – 7 bullocks and 7 rams daily for a burnt offering and a goat each day for a sin offering. On the first day of each Feast he also offers an extra bullock for a sin offering for himself and the people before any of the other animals is slaughtered. Shavuoth and Yom Teruah/Yom Kippur will NOT be observed in the 3^rd Temple. Sin offerings are for unintentional or inadvertent sins committed while guarding ‘more important’ Toroth – like saving a man’s (or even an animal’s) life. Life takes precedence over anything else. Do you see, as I do, that Melchizedek will be offering sin offerings in the 3rd Temple? That is because he is fulfilling the role of the High Priest. He is following the instructions and MUST do them at their proper times, even if that means transgressing another commandment in order to do so. The sin offering is to provide him the pardon for offending the lesser in his keeping of the greater commandment. Q&C

Tehellim 115 – I think that this Psalm may be set prophetically in the early years of the Millennium. Idolatry had been put down only shortly before by the conquering Mashiyach who then took his place on the throne of David in Jerusalem and set up deputies, or viceroys, in the nations of the earth. The first years of the Kingdom will be filled with hodu and hallel to Y’hovah. But it will only be a few years before passive rebellion against Y’hovah and his rod of iron begins in the hearts of men. They will submit to Yeshua’s authority, but not willingly. And they will be having children, who will be raised in the nurture and admonition of their parent’s passive rebellion. They, too, will submit until the end of the Millennium, when the Adversary is released from his prison to lead the final Gog uMagog rebellion against the King and his remnant encamped around Jerusalem for the final Feast of Sukkoth in this Creation. They will have been idolaters in their hearts for almost a Millennium and will go fully into idolatry with the Adversary as its object. 

I think that is the idea in vv.2-8, and the idolatry will be more or less general, with only a small remnant staying faithful to King Mashiyach. The idolaters think that they cannot see Y’hovah, when he is in fact sitting on the throne in the resurrected flesh of Yeshua. Of course, being Y’hovah, he is also ‘in the heavens’ and had both done what he pleased and allowed what it pleased him to allow. Please understand that the idols of v.4 are both the images that are made from silver and gold, and the silver and gold itself. The ‘love of money’ is just another form of idolatry. Idols are almost as stupid as the people who worship them. The idolater makes the image with his own hands, so he KNOWS without a doubt that it is powerless over him, and yet he bows before it, prays for its protection and leadership against enemies. He shaped the mouth, eyes, nose, ears, hands of the idol, and yet he expects the thing of his own making to do what he is incapable of doing for himself. 

But we are admonished to place our trust in Y’hovah, who created everything that exists by the Word of his Power; the same Word of his Power that will sit on the Millennial Kingdom’s throne in the flesh of our resurrected Mashiyach Yeshua. There are 3 groups of people who are admonished to trust Y’hovah to be their help and shield; 1) Israel, the Beit Yacov, 2) the priests of Y’hovah, Beit Aharon, and 3) whosoever will ‘fear’ Y’hovah. And all who WILL trust in Y’hovah will receive blessing from Y’hovah. The blessing follows the trust. When we trust him to do what he’s promised he shall do, he thinks about us. He keeps us in mind whose hearts and minds are staid upon him

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

The blessings that are immediately forthcoming for those who trust him are ‘physical multiplicity’. This may come in the form of children and grandchildren, position, honor, and/or wealth. Y’hovah will bless us with the blessings we can handle. For example, if money will cause us to stumble, he will wait until it will not to bless us with it. Those of you, who, like myself, have not been blessed with lots of monetary wealth, think about that. Perhaps we have not proven ourselves faithful in little?

V.16 should be instructive for those who are looking for a pie-in-the-sky in the great-by-and-by. We are NOT spending more than a few days in heaven. We were designed for life on earth, not in heaven. Oh! We will have access to the heavenlies in our resurrected bodies, but we will NOT be there for long, if at all. Y’hovah made the earth and then he made us to inhabit it and be stewards over it. His plan has not changed even one skoash (sp?), whatever that is. And the prophecy of Yochanan in Revelation doesn’t do anything to make me think he will change it in future. Those of us who are resurrected with the just will live eternally on the new Earth, not in “Heaven”. Q&C

Ivrit 10.1-10 – Remember that Hebrews was written to a group of believing Hebrew priests [Acts 6.7] who were thinking of going BACK to the sacrificial system, and that ch.10 is the culmination of Rav Sha’ul’s argument that they should ‘stay the course’. Torah gives us promises in the form of parables. Those promises are efficacious to us IF people who believe the promises of Y’hovah faithfully perform them. Faithfully completing all the steps without the belief in Y’hovah’s promise to provide the reconciliation that is the object renders the action useless – wasted effort. Faith to believe the promises of Y’hovah without the accompanying obedience is equally useless, as Yeshua’s brother Yacov points out in the 2^nd chapter of his book

12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. 14 What profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (Yacov 2.12-18)

Our merciful actions that are based on our belief that Y’hovah will fulfill all his promises are the object of Yacov’s letter, because the faithful actions taken are the object of faith. And the action of offering is the object of our faith in Y’hovah’s promises. Faith in the subject of Y’hovah’s promise without the accompanying object of obedience is wasted, as objective reality. There is no physical evidence of that belief and those who hear of our faith but see no evidence in our walk can properly call us liars. 

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1Yochanan 2.3-6)

If we go through the motions of all the sacrifices without flaw, but do not believe they will take away our sins, we’ve done nothing but kill a perfectly good animal. If we believe that the sacrifice will take away the sins, but don’t do the offering, then the sin is still there. Faith is the victory, according to 1Yochanan 5.4, but biblical faith is not merely the mental understanding that we are justified without works of Torah. Biblical faith is evidenced in our manner of life, as was shown us in the Melchizedek offering a sin offering, even though he is Mashiyach Yeshua, Y’hovah in the flesh. We walk in accordance with the commands of Y’hovah and that walk becomes more and more natural as we become like Adonenu (our master) Moshienu (our Messiah) Yeshua. 

V.1 speaks of the Law as a shadow of things to come. The law that Paul. or his talmid who wrote the book, is speaking about, in context of ch.7-9, is the sacrificial laws that guided the Kohanim in their temple service. The shadow could not perfect those who relied only on it to take away sins, as we said before. If it could, then the atonement would only have had to be offered once. The fact that it needed to be continually repeated showed its inability to make us complete before Avinu. The use of nouns and pronouns in vv.1-2 makes it clear to me.

1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they (priests in ch.7-9) offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

The reference in v.4 to the blood of bulls and goats ties us through Ezekiel 45 to Numb.28.11-29.40 and the offering of 70 bulls for the nations and the goats for sin offerings in every mussaf offering except the Shabbat and for atonement on Yom Kippur. He refers to,

6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O Elohai: yea, thy law within my heart. (Ps.40.6-8)

Mashiyach says that Y’hovah did not desire animal sacrifices, but obedience to his will, meaning Torah, his instructions. Because he could not find even one man whose singular desire was to do his will without question, not one man who could overcome his Yetzer hara, evil inclination; not Adam, not Avraham, not even Moshe, the meekest man ever to walk the earth – NO ONE; Y’hovah had to institute a series of offerings (parables/shadow picture) to make atonement for man’s sins. Eventually, Y’hovah had to provide Himself a spotless lamb of atonement, a 2^nd Adam, miraculously conceived without the input of man’s seed, and to ensure his obedience he had to quicken that ‘seed of the woman’ by his own indwelling Ruach. How else could he be certain of the seed’s willing obedience? This was and is Mashiyach Yeshua.

3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, Eloha sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Gal.4.3-5) [‘The law’ here refers to ma’aseh and tachanoth, rabbinic traditions, not Torah.]

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) [‘in all points’ = lawful (Torah) and legal (man-made tradition and regulation)]

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. (Gal.5.16-18)

[Spirit = Torah, flesh/the law = man-made tradition; ma’aseh and tachanot – cf.Rom.7.14ff]

Y’hovah’s will is that we walk after Ruach and obey his Torah. By the one time offering of Yeshua on the tree, he did away with the need for atonement. You will notice that the word ‘atonement’ is not found in Ezekiel, though the root word, kaphar, to cover, is x-lated ‘reconciliation’ in 45.15, 17 & 20, all having to do with the whole nation or the House of Israel. Salvation was national, not individual, in Tanakh. It is no different now. “All Yisrael shall be saved. And “They are not all Yisrael who are of Israel.” IOW – some of those who are redeemed will have been graphed into Yisrael, not born into Israel. Q&C

Vv.11- – Yeshua’s offering was performed once, and there is no longer a need or a use for sacrifices for atonement. We have been reconciled to Avinu by Yeshua’s one time offering. So every atonement that took place after Yeshua’s death was simply the death of an animal, for no purpose. Y’hovah gave the Jews, that is the political leadership of the religion in Israel, about 40 years to get their acts together. When they didn’t, here came Rome to destroy the Temple so the Jews (political leaders) COULD not offer an atonement. I am going to venture an educated guess here: The reason that Y’hovah has not allowed the new Temple construction in J’lem is his gracious longsuffering with Judah. No sooner will that new Temple be built than Y’hovah’s wrath will begin to fill the bowls. And it won’t take long to fill them to overflowing. At least a PART of the ministry of the 144K will be to give the Iuaidoi (political leadership of the religion) a chance to make teshuvah by giving them loud and continuous warning of Y’hovah’s judgment to come. End of educated guess.

In v.10 we see ‘once’, in v.12 we see ‘one sacrifice’, and in v.14 we see ‘one offering’. The Levitical/Aharonic priesthood had to be in the Temple every day offering the tamid, the daily offerings. They had to offer all the mussaf offerings we saw in our Torah portion today, every Shabbat, every new moon, every mo’ad. In the 3^rd Temple, as we said earlier, only Pesach and Sukkoth will see mussaf offerings. The one offering to atone will never be offered again, even as a shadow/parable. Those animal sacrifices were never Y’hovah’s perfect will. His perfect will was that Adam eat of the Tree of Life – obedience to his Torah. There was ONLY ONE instruction. Yeshua did Y’hovah’s perfect will, who through the faith of Yeshua reckoned his righteousness to us whom he would sanctify, and to those who would follow him, desiring Y’hovah’s heart to be his own. 

In vv.16-18, Sha’ul makes reference to the New Covenant, of which we are partakers through Yeshua’s finished work on the tree. The word ‘remission’ in v.18 is defined in v.17 – ‘their sins and iniquities I will remember no more’. The definition of ‘remission’ is the cancellation of a debt, charge or guilt. Y’hovah remits our debt and guilt when we trust Yeshua to deliver us. And once a debt is remitted and Y’hovah chooses to forget it, it no longer exists. If he ever forgets us, we shall cease to exist. He is constantly remembering us, constantly speaking us into continued existence by the same Word he used to call us into existence in the 1^st place. Since our sins are forgotten and no longer exist, we can walk right into his throneroom and make our supplications to him personally. We enter by a new (compared to the old way of animal blood – the way of death?) and living way by the blood of Mashiyach Yeshua, who ever liveth, and in whom we live. 

V.22 has a clear reference to Ezek.36.25 and Num.19

24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do. (Ezek.36.24-27)

Clean water refers to the water of reconciliation – the red heifer in Num.19. It is pretty obvious, even to the most casual observer, that we haven’t seen the fulness of this prophecy, yet. We are not all in the Land. So we must be awaiting the prophecy’s ultimate fulfillment. But we do partake of it today. His Spirit is in us, he has softened our hearts toward his Torah obedience. 

In v.23-31, Paul makes his appeal and he is about to reach the summit of his argument. These believing Hebrew priests are ready to abandon the Netzari sect and go back to the traditions of the Pharisees. ‘Our faith’ is in the blood of Yeshua, not of bulls and goats. ‘Our faith’ is the faith of Avraham, Yitzhak and Ya’acov – the Covenant, not the law that was added  – the laws of animal sacrifice for atonement. 

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. (Galatians 3:19)

Y’hovah who promised us an inheritance in the entire land-grant of Gen.15 is faithful to perform what he has promised. So let’s not forsake assembling ourselves (v.25) for Torah reading and discussion on our Shabbats, our mo’edim. Sha’ul then tells them that taking part in the Temple atonement is willful sin, and there is no way back after you’ve denied the Master who bought us. These priests were going to go back and offer animal sacrifices for their sins under the Temple priesthood and authority. Paul tells them that there is no more sacrifice for atonement – those sacrifices have no more effect. If Josephus is right, there has been no evidence of Y’hovah’s acceptance of the Kippurim since Yeshua’s death on the tree, as there had been for 1400 years before without fail. Trusting to those offerings that no longer had any effect was tantamount to rejection of Mashiyach’s blood and despite and contempt of the Ruach of Y’hovah. Trampling Yeshua’s blood and thinking his sacrifice common is the same thing to Sha’ul. Y’hovah is who will judge those men, and that should cause abject terror in them. 

Next, he reminds them of the suffering and reproach they gladly suffered when they first believed; how they’d both suffered hardship themselves and supported those who had done so; how they’d come to Paul’s own support when he was shut up, I infer, in Felix and Agrippa’s prisons (Acts24, 25). He tells them to not ‘cast away’ their confidence in Mashiyach, to not compromise what they know to be true, just so they can have peace with unbelievers. There should be no cause of war between believers, but Yeshua came to cause division between believers and pagans. So, keep your patience, because he who has promised is faithful and will fulfill the Covenant. Q&C     End of Shabbat Bible Study.