Shabbat Bible Study for August 5, 2017

©2017 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Shemoth 34:27-36:38 – YirmeYahu 31:31-40; 1 Melechim 18:27-39 – Tehellim 65 – 

2 Corinthyah 3:1-18

Links:

Shemoth 34.27-36.38 – 34.27-35 – ‘Tenor’ is a noun meaning “settled or prevailing character or direction”, or, in law, “the actual wording of a document”. Y’hovah wanted Moshe to write EXACTLY what he told him, and to not miss the sense in which it was given. When Ezra and Nehemiah read the Torah and ‘gave the sense’ in 

So they read in the book in the Torah of Elohim distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading (Nehemiah 8:8),

they gave the ‘tenor’ of the Torah to returning Yehudah. Moshe was to ensure that they GOT it this time. Y’hovah is going to hold them to the ‘tenor’ of the actual words he is using. This goes to the ‘original intent’ of the author; the way Jefferson said it was proper to ‘interpret’ what the founders of the Constitution meant is the way Y’hovah expected Israel to obey his Word. Expository teaching is always best.

Moshe was in the mount for 40 days and 40 nights, without food or water; I think because he was in Y’hovah’s presence and there is no time in the presence of He who is intrinsically infinite. I think that Moshe did not age while in Y’hovah’s presence. When he died at the age of 120, “his eye was not dimmed, nor his natural force abated” [Dt.34.7]; he was in the same basic health as a 40 year old man, having spent about 80 years, off and on, in Y’hovah’s presence. While he was in the mount w/Y’hovah, he wrote down the 10 Words on the stones that he’d carried up with him. Notice the difference between these tables and the ones that Y’hovah had cut out and written in ch.31? THOSE were cut out without hands and written upon by the finger of Elohim, i.e.; his Spirit. THESE were cut out of the mountain by Moshe before he went up the mountain, and the 10 Words written BY Moshe as they were spoken by Y’hovah while he was in the mountain. In v.1, Y’hovah said he would write the words on the stone Moshe carried up, but here Moshe wrote them, presumably as Y’hovah’s agent. These are NOT contradictory statements, since the authorized agent acts as the principal in fact. 

Have you ever noticed that the signature line on your personal checks have a bold Caps MP at the end? That doesn’t stand for Mark Pitrone. It stands for MicroPrint, as the line is NOT really a line, but the words, “Authorized Agent” repeated over and over in print so fine as to need a pretty powerful magnifying glass to see. When you sign a check, you are acting as the authorized agent of the Corporation named in the upper left hand corner of the check. Notice the uses of the words “lawful” and “legal” to follow. Lawful here speaks of common/natural law; legal speaks of human/statute ‘color of law’. Corporations, for instance banks, are not lawfully able to do business with a flesh and blood human being; the numerous levels of authority under law preclude it. Legally, corporations can only deal with other corporations. But a flesh and blood human can act as the agent of another human or a corporation. Is that your name in the upper left corner? Do you now understand that your name has been made a corporation to do business with legal authorities and other corporations? In this, I digress, but you ought to know just how wicked an economic system we are dealing with on a daily basis. The only way out of this system is to either divest yourself of any interest in it or not enter it in the 1^st place, which has become virtually impossible as the Birth Certificate that is issued to every baby born within the corporate system establishes the corporation under that name. Home births, recorded in a Family Bible, are our children’s only EASY way out. Getting that ORIGINAL Birth Certificate back from the government is a long and difficult process. The steps to take MUST be done properly, lawfully and in proper order or the effort is useless. I do NOT know the steps, but I DO know people who have gone through the whole thing. All that to show that Moshe was Y’hovah’s “authorized agent” to write the Words of the Covenant on the tables of stone; he was the ‘intermediary’ agent between us and Y’hovah, as is Yeshua, “the prophet like unto Moshe” 

15 Y’hovah your Elohim will raise up to you a Navi from the midst of you, from your brothers, like me; to Him you shall listen; 16 According to all that you desired of Y’hovah your Elohim in Horev in the day of the congregation, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Y’hovah my Elohim, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And Y’hovah said to me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a Navi from among their brothers, like you, and will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak to them all that I shall command Him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whoever will not listen to My words that He shall speak in My Name, I will require it of him. [Dt.18.15-19] 

10 And there arose not a navi since, in Yisrael, like Moshe, whom Y’hovah knew panayim-el-panayim,³ [34.10].

3 According to Renewed Covenant Yisrael, and the Renewed Covenant, this promise is of the Mashiach, who (like Moshe) would be a final and glorious Deliverer of Yisrael, by bringing the Paschal blood and the words of the Father’s Torah. Islam claims this to be fulfilled in Mohammad. The [obvious – Mark edit] problem with that understanding is that the promise is that Mashiach will come from among Moshe’s brethren, or the children of Yisrael, not Esau.

SO Moshe actually wrote the words on the tables, acting as the lawful authorized agent of Y’hovah. 

Vv.29-35 – When Moshe came down off the mount, his skin shone brighter than the full moon on a crispy clear night [it was noticeable in the daylight], but he had gotten so used to the presence of Y’hovah that he didn’t even know it was disconcerting to Israel. I think this may have been a taste for Israel of the promise of tikkun, restoration, of our ‘skins of light’ in the resurrection to life. The sight frightened chol Yisrael so much that Moshe had to speak to them for them to know certainly that this was Moshe, in much the same way as Yeshua had to speak Miriam’s name before she recognized him. Ruach so shone from Moshe that his flesh could not contain it. Aharon and the elders of Yisrael then came near him, but the people seemed to react as they had at the voice of Y’hovah on Shavuoth. When they saw that the elders weren’t struck dead by approaching him, the rest of the congregation came near enough to hear the Word of Y’hovah from their agent/advocate, Moshe hatzadik [1Jn.2.1]. They were still afraid to approach Moshe because of the glory of Y’hovah that was apparent on his face, so Mo placed a veil over his face when he spoke to Israel, presumably until the day he died, while when he approached to Y’hovah, he removed the veil. There is no indication that the Glory ever left Moshe, even when he smote the Rock and likened himself to Y’hovah [“shall WE”]. Q&C

Shemoth 35.1-35 – Vv.1-3 – There is no break in the action here. Ch.35 quotes the Words that Moshe spoke to Israel in 34.32-35. The first command is to remember the Shabbat. I’m going to ask DianaE to BRIEFLY share her ideas about the 4 dimensional nature of this creation and how that relates to the tabernacle. 

Moshe’s expansion, or specific example, of the Shabbat command to rest from their work is that they were to not ‘kindle a fire’ on the Shabbat. I assume that means they were to kindle their fire on the preparation day, the 6^th day, probably around evening offering time and could feed the fire as they needed to. Therefore, part of the preparation day was to gather the wood needed to keep the fire going until at least sundown ending Shabbat. Keep that in mind when we get to Num.15 and the man who was gathering sticks. But, since the Shabbat command here is in juxtaposition to the work done on the Mishkan in ch.34, I think this is another reminder that the fire on the altar was to NEVER completely die out. Coals ware to be carried in the fire pans from camp to camp during the Wilderness Adventure. In the same way, coals from the Erev Shabbat fire could be used to rekindle the fire that was left from the evening before. 

Vv.4-20 – This portion is about the offering the people were to bring to build the Mishkan from. They were to bring all the things that were needed to fashion and build the furnishings, pillars, walls, coverings, utensils and garments from their personal stores; gold, silver, brass, wool, linen, precious stones, skins, spices, oil & etc. And every person who had the Spirit of Elohim on him to do this kind of work was enlisted, as well. Betzal^eel and Aholiav were lead and 2^nd artisans, but they needed LOTS of help to do all the work that was necessary to get done in the time allotted. 

In vv.21-29, after receiving the request for all the stuff, the people, both male and female, left Moshe and went back to their tents and returned with STUFF! LOTS of STUFF! With the amount of STUFF the people brought, I have to assume that Y’hovah moved on every heart in the camp, because it was not VERY long before Betzal^eel told Moshe they had enough and then some to get the job done.

In vv.30-33, Moshe told Israel how Y’hovah had called Betzal^eel as the chief artisan of the Mishkan, and how he’d given him a special portion of Ruach to understand Y’hovah Elohenu – wisdom (chochmah), understanding (binah) and knowledge (da’ath) AND in all manner of workmanship. If we take the 1^st letters of chochmah, binah and da’ath as an acronym, we get the word chabad. And if you look at the Etz Chai, or Tree of Sephiroth, you will see that these 3 ‘emanations’ of El Shaddai are the top of the tree, corresponding to the wisdom of Y’hovah Avinu, the understanding of the Ruach of Elohim Aimainu and the combination of the 2 in the knowledge of the One Tzadik Rebbe, Mashiach Yeshua ben Elohim. Betzal^eel must have been a tzadik on the order of Yoseph, Yehudah, Daniel and Moshe, full of Ruach haKodesh. The chabad was given to him to work curious works in 5 separate media, working gold, silver, brass, cutting precious stones and carving and graving wood, AND that he would be able to convey what needed to be done to the rest of Israel in a manner that they would readily understand. For an interesting study of Betzal^eel, have a look at Yashanet’s study on ‘Kabballah in The Matrix’ at http://www.yashanet.com/image/matrix/part6.htm. 

Beginning in 35.5 and continuing through 36.8 there are 14 mentions of willing or wise hearts in Israel. That is 2×7, or an abundance of divine perfection, in the artisans who built the tabernacle. They made the curtains of the Mishkan; the weaving of the techeleth, scarlet, purple, gold and fine linen that was draped over the Kodesh Kadashim, the Holy of Holies, that were for the eyes of Y’hovah and the Kohen Gadol only, and also of the curtains of goat’s hair that was made to cover the Mishkan and for the people to see. The Mishkan proper was lighted only by the Shekinah of Y’hovah – not even the light of the menorah would get into the Mishkan through the veil or the coverings. The menorah lighted only the Kodesh place where the Kohanim ministered at least 2x daily to burn incense and maintain the menorah. Within the veil was ‘spiritual space’, as we said before and, as shall be in the New Jerusalem, “Y’hovah is the light of it” (Rev.21.23). The polished gold walls of the Mishkan would reflect the curious work of the veil and the ceiling all around the ark and the mercy seat and would portray angels ministering unto Y’hovah in his throneroom, as is done in the heavens.  Q&C

Shemoth 36.1-38 – In vv.1-7 we see that Ruach haKodesh had come upon Israel to such a degree that they literally had to be restrained from giving any more to the Mishkan project. The left-overs of the gifts for the Mishkan were very likely held to affect repairs, if necessary. The curtains and veils may have worn out some or been inadvertently torn. We are not told what they did with the leftovers, and I merely speculate on it. 

Vv.8-13 – What follows is what I shared with y’all on June 24, when we discussed the Mishkan: 

26.1-6 – The Mishkan itself is the thing that ties all of the furniture together. The curtains are made of linen, signifying the restful purity of the interior of the Mishkan. There are 10 curtains, signifying the ordinal perfection of Y’hovah’s Kingdom. The ratio of length:height, of the curtains = 7:1, 28 cubits:4 cubits. (The fact that there are going to be a lot of references to numbers and measurements that may reveal or hint at something of importance led me to StartPage [which doesn’t record your IP address] ‘Number in Scripture’. The webpage I looked at was http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/documents/The%20Significance%20of%20Numbers%20in%20Scripture.htm . I will attempt to stay in this one site, simply for ease of retrieval of what may be important insights.) 28 is a multiple of 4 and 7. We’ve already seen that 7= divine perfection. 4 represents Y’hovah’s creation, so multiplying 4×7 = the perfect creation, and multiplying THAT x10 = the perfect order of creation. These 10 curtains are called the Mishkan in v.1. They were made of fine linen, with images of cheruvim in techeleth, purple and scarlet thread stitched in them. There were to be 2 sets of 5 curtains with 50 loops of techeleth. The way the ‘loops’ are described it looks like they were techeleth thread reinforced eyelets, like buttonholes in a shirt, in the edges of the 28 cubit end of the curtains that were then coupled together with little gold rings, making for a very small, if any, opening at the seam. The hooks could have been built like cufflinks to join the edges of the curtains in an overlap fashion and completely cover each seam. These were to be draped OVER the boards to be described later that were the walls of the Sanctuary, and the 2 sets were set, one over the kadosh place and one over the Kodesh Kedoshim and connected over the veil that separated the two chambers. The Mishkan was for the ceiling of the Sanctuary.

36.14-18

26.7-13 – The next set of curtains, called the ohel or ‘conspicuous’ tent, were made to cover the Mishkan, so The Mishkan couldn’t be seen by any save the priests who were to minister within. The ohel was meant to be seen by the kahal. These were made of goat skin to signify, I think, the atonement to be made under the Mishkan. They were to make 11 goatskin curtains 30 cubits x 4 cubits, attached in a set of 5 and a set of 6 to thoroughly cover the Mishkan with an overlap over the Veil in the Mishkan between the Kadosh and the Kedoshim. The curtains in the ohel are coupled in the same manner as the Mishkan, except that the hooks are made of brass. The ohel was 2 cubits longer than the Mishkan, and it overstretched the Mishkan by 1 cubit all around. The linen curtain and the gold hooks of the Mishkan represent the exalted spirit of the Mishkan, while the goatskin and brass represent the more common status of the ohel, and separated the ‘Spiritual Space’ of the Mishkan from the physical space of the court. 

36.19

26.14 – Next there was a covering for the ohel or red-dyed rams’ skins and another of ‘badger’ skin, the Hebrew word xlated badger in the KJV is tachash, which the Chumash explains was a beautiful multi-colored animal that has since gone extinct. If it really existed, it naturally had a ‘coat of many colors’ that would link it to the Tzadik Yoseph. Since there are two covers of 2 different materials that need to be coupled together it COULD be that they represent the House of Yehudah and the house of Yoseph, joined in Yeshua, our MelchiTzadik High Priest. Or, it could symbolize the nature of the believer, the ‘spirits’ within him are that of Y’hovah which is in most men covered with a human spirit. Q&C

36.20-34

26.15-30 – The planks were 10 cubits high and 1.5 cubits wide with 2 tenons at the base to insert into the silver sockets that held the boards steady until the Mishkan could be placed over top of them. There were 20 boards on the north and south sides of the Sanctuary, 8 boards for the east side and 6 boards for the west side + 2 corner boards for the northwest and southwest corners, making the Sanctuary 30 cubits x 10 cubits in area. The boards were then gold plated, like the Ark and the Table had been. There were notches cut in the tops of each board so that a gold ‘ring’ (which was probably square) could hold them together at the top, while the gold plated acacia wood bars were inserted into the gold rings attached to the inner sides of the boards to couple then into a continuous wall. 

36.35-38

26.31-32 – The veil that separates the Kadosh from the Kedoshim was of linen, had techeleth, purple and scarlet interwoven cheruvim and its size was 10 cubits by 10 cubits. The veil in the 2^nd Temple was larger by 4x, twice as wide and twice as high, and reputed to be 4 inches thick and made a LOUD noise when it was torn from top to bottom. The cheruvim of cunning work in techeleth, purple and scarlet probably made it obvious that the tear was in that direction. The Mishkan’s veil was hung on 4 pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. What the priest could see when he entered the Kadosh Kedoshim on Yom Kippur, was the cheruvim all around him as reflected from the pure gold boards in the light of Torah and the kavod of Y’hovah. With NO LIGHT source other than the kavod of Y’hovah and the light of the Torah within the Ark, not even the menorah that was on the other side of the veil, the priest was in the brightest lit place on earth.

26.33-37 – The veil is to the Sanctuary as Havdallah is to the Shevua, separating the most kavod from the merely kavod; the Shabbat from the work week. The Mercy Seat was placed on the Ark within the veil, the table of the Bread of the Presence went next to the north wall of the Holy Place, and the menorah next to the south wall. The Incense altar that we’ll see next week goes near the veil. A 2^nd veil was to be made of linen and embroidered with techeleth, purple and scarlet figures to be a ‘door’ for the Kadosh that would hang on 5 gold plated pillars with brass (not silver) sockets to set them in. The brass sockets signify the closeness to the world and the judgment that was executed within. 

Last week, we saw the ‘congregation’ (Moshe, Aharon, Nadav and Avihu with the 70 elders) in the presence of Y’hovah. This week we see the table of the Bread of the Presence. The congregation was encamped on the eastern side of Horeb, looking west toward the mount of Y’hovah. The plateau on which Y’hovah received the embassage last week and the Table of the presence are both on the north side as we approach Y’hovah to our west and with our backs to the rising sun. In YeshaYahu 14, the Adversary said, “I will sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.” Do you think that he was saying that he would sit in the place of Y’hovah on the plateau AND the people of Yisrael on the Table of Lechem laPanay? Is he likening the Table to the ‘sides of the North’? This table is where the people of Israel are spiritually in Y’hovah’s presence all the time, enlightened by the 7 Spirits of Y’hovah and offering our prayers to him like the sweet savour of incense. I don’t know, but that is the way my mind is working right now. 

Next week we’ll look at the furnishings of the Mishkan. Q&C

YirmeYahu 31.31-40 – Vv.31-34 are, of course, the prophecy and promise of the Brith Chadasha, or Renewed Covenant. The only difference between these covenants; the Renewed and the original, is the venues on which Ruach haKodesh writes them. As we’ve seen the last 2 weeks, the original had been written on tables of stone, while the renewed is to be written on hearts of flesh. We are partakers of the Renewed Covenant, but its full implementation will wait until the New Creation; even during the Millennial Kingdom there will be those who do not willingly submit to the King, but to his ‘rod of iron’. 

SPECULATION WARNING: What has changed in the meantime is that Yeshua has paid the ransom for us all; every human who has ever lived; with his own blood. He did not pay this ransom to himself or Avinu [which is a case of ‘same/same’], but to the kidnapper/thief, the wicked one to whom we had unknowingly given ourselves. When did a kidnapper/thief ever pay himself a ransom to release his child or property from captivity to himself? Y’hovah doesn’t demand human sacrifice, but will accept a substitute under the right conditions – confession and repentance. But haSatan will accept nothing other than the ransom price; the blood of the guilty … OR of a suitable [to him] substitute. When Yeshua, Y’hovah clothed in flesh, offered himself as that suitable substitute for all humankind, the adversary thought he’d achieved final victory over his Creator. To that time, nothing that had died had ever been resurected [except in figure – Yitzhak to Avraham and Yoseph to his father and elder brothers; mysterious shadows that haSatan must not have grasped]. Like his self-righteous captives do today, he thought that the whole idea of resurrection was NUTZ!.

Until it actually happened! And, BOY, is he ever ticked!  I don’t think he’ll fall for that one again; fool me once, and all that. Fortunately for us, the price was for ALL of humanity, not just some.

For one Elohim, and one mediator between Elohim and men, the man Mashiach Yeshua; 6  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. [1Tim.2.5-6]

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with Avinu, Yeshua haMoshiach hatzadik: 2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. [1Jn.2.1-2]

That doesn’t leave many out, does it? END OF Speculation Warning.

One short Hebrew word is translated ‘according to the covenant’ in KJV. That word is H1285, chab’riyth, like the covenant; the chaf prefix = like or as and the kametz vowel point with the prefix = the definite article. What makes the Renewed different from the original is not just that it is written on hearts of flesh instead of stone, but that in its final fulfillment those hearts will have been circumcised, or set apart completely, unto Y’hovah. This will be the natural state of the hearts of all men born into the New Creation, wherein will dwell only righteousness. 

2Pe_3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

For that reason, we will not break this Renewed Covenant, which is the third, and most striking, way it will be different from the original. The evil inclination/OSN will be expunged from those who are ‘raptured’ out harm’s way at the Millennium’s last Feast of Sukkoth [the only ‘rapture’ that may ever occur Rev.20.7-10] on this earth and who I think¹ will be the physical parents of the New Creation’s human population. 

Who is your neighbor in v.34? Think the Good Samaritan for your answer. It is not necessarily the one you would expect, like a Levite or a priest of Y’hovah; it is the one who lives Torah regardless his pedigree who is your neighbor. Notice that neighbor and brother are not necessarily the same, either. The ‘neighbor’ in scripture seems to be a ‘ger toshav’, a ‘resident alien’, ‘stranger within thy gates’ or a ‘righteous gentile’², like Cornelius in Acts 10.

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian 2  devout and one that feared Elohim with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to Elohim alway. … 22  And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just [dikaios – righteous] man, and one that feareth Elohim, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from Elohim by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. [Acts10.1-2, 22]

So, in both the Kingdom and New Creation, even the ‘stranger within our gates’ will be righteous and after Y’hovah’s heart. There will be those who go up for that last Feast of Sukkoth in this earth who will be of neither of the 2 houses of Ya’acov, but who will be found in Mashiach and after his heart.

Vv.35-37 show us that there will always be sun, moon and stars, even the New Creation, and that Yisrael will not only number as the stars and the sand in the sea, but will remain Y’hovah’s people until those things are removed. 

Vv.38-41 are speaking prophetically to Yerushalayim during the Kingdom, I think. The measuring line is spoken of in Yechezkel 40, ZecharYahu 2, which definitely refer to the Kingdom and Rev. 21, which refers to the New Yerushalayim. Q&C

1Melechim 18.27-39 – Here we have EliYahu and the 450 prophets of Ba’al on Mt. Carmel. The challenge EliYahu had made to the prophets of Ba’al was, let the Elohim who answers by fire be the true Elohim. The prophets of Ba’al had been calling on their elohim all morning and the result was, “I got nothing, here.” Eliyahu starts sticking it to them verbally, which makes them all the more crazy to get Ba’al’s attention; singing, dancing, cutting themselves; all to prove their devotion to the false elohims who prove their falseness by their inattention to their human priest’s pleas. 

So Eliyahu rather quietly gathered Israel around while the Ba’alites went through their histrionics and gathered 12 good sized stones and rebuilt the altar of Y’hovah. Then he quietly dug a trench around the altar, cut up the bull (may have been to atone for the priest) and arranged it neatly and quietly on the altar. Then he asked the elders present to get 4 barrels of water and to quietly douse the offering animal and the wood for the burning with the water. He had them do this 3 times, which not only drenched the pieces parts and the wood, but filled the trench to overflowing. Now, please remember that there had been a 3 year long drought and the water had now saturated the parched earth enough to allow the trenches to retain the water up to their rims. The drought was the reason for the whole confrontation episode. 

Then EliYahu prays aloud, but with a decided lack of attention-grabbing “hoo-hah”. He just asks Y’hovah to prove to Israel that HE alone is Elohim and that he has heard and turned the hearts of Israel back to him. And, what to their wondering eyes should appear?, but fire out of heaven that consumed the whole offering, all the water included, so that [I think] the ground was left looking as if there had never been a drop of water poured out on it. When Israel saw that they, to the man, dropped on their faces before Y’hovah and worshipped him. They believed that Y’hovah is Elohim, and not Ba’al, at least for the moment. Q&C

Tehellim 65 – Not only does Sion perform her vows to Y’hovah in v.1, but Elohim performs his vows to Sion, who is speaking here. Sion, H6726 tzion, praises Elohim for his performance of his vows to her; every verse is a different area in which Elohim is faithful to Sion. This is one of the 153 uses of the word Tzion in TNK. In gematria, any word or phrase that = the same numerical equivalent is related to every other word or phrase with that numerical equivalent. 153 is the gematria for the phrase ‘b’nei Elohim’; bet = 2 + nun = 50 + yud = 10 + hey = 5 + aleph = 1 + lamed = 30 + hey = 5 + yud = 10 + mem = 40. So, the 153 uses of Tzion relates it to the sons of Elohim. In our psalm today, Sion is the bride, the sons of Elohim, praising her husband for his performance of his vows to her. 

V.2 says that ‘all flesh’ shall come to Elohim who hears, shemas our prayers. Shema is often translated as ‘attendeth’ in KJV, meaning that he hears and acts upon them. So, all flesh shall come to Elohim with their prayers and he will listen and act on them according to the heart’s desire of the person offering them. Elohim gives each person what he truly wants, for he fully understands the heart of every man. 

In v.3, KJV translates 2 Hebrew words into the English as ‘Iniquities’. The 2 words are divreiy avonoth which would directly translate as “things or words of iniquities”. Stone’s TNK has ‘Matters of iniquities’. Strong’s has this for d’var, H1697

… a word; by implication a matter (as spoken of) or thing …

Avonoth means perversities, and is from the root H5753, avah, meaning to crook, so I think that divreiy avonoth actually means to twist the truth or make the walk crooked. I think the avonoth speaks of our thoughts and the divreiy the actions that come from them. So Sion is saying in v.3 that crooked paths prevail against us, but Elohim pardons our transgressions. 

V.4a says that those Elohim has chosen to approach him are happy to dwell in his courts, as in, his camp. 4b says that we are satisfied to have unfettered access to his strength and power. The word there should not be confused with the Temple, haMikdash, for the word heychalecha refers to H3201 yachol, his ability or power. Those chosen to approach Elohim are covered by HIS Might and are satisfied therewith. 

V.5 speaks to the scattered of Yisrael [‘far off upon the sea’ at the ‘ends of the earth’], both of Ephraim and Yehudah, placing their trust in the wondrously righteous deeds of Elohai Yisheynu, the Elohim of our Salvation.  The sea, refers to the dominion of haSatan, the adversary; the World System. I think the ends of the earth is speaking to the remotest exile from Elohim there is, and speaks of the Goodness of Eyn Sof as he expresses himself in his righteous judgment. His judgment may not SEEM to be good when we are experiencing it, but it is in that it is how he draws us to seek Shalom with him through teshuvah, repentance. His power sets the mountains [his tzedakim] in v.6 against the devices of the adversary, pictured in v.7 as the tumult, waves and noise that surround them. 

V.8 shows a contrast between the saints and the ‘ain’ts’. By contrast to the tzedakim, those who ‘dwell’ in unrighteousness [v.8a] fear his signs [yareh othoth], the tokens of his righteous judgments, like the 500 year Mississippi flood, the USS Cole and the WTC bombings, Gush Katif and Katrina, the economic meltdown, the steady decline of the western culture and what looks like the ascendance of Islamism, and etc. I think 8b’s outgoings of the morning and evening is speaking about the sweet smell of the saints’ joyful morning and evening offerings despite the judgments of Elohim on the culture. 

Vv.9-13 tell why the saints can rejoice in the midst of judgment all around them. The same Elohim who brings his severity against the world system and them who dwell therein is the One who brings his goodness to bear on the tzedakim, which goodness overflows to the benefit of even the unrighteous. 

When Elohim ‘visits’ the earth, he provides for it, like we provide for the needs of the widows and fatherless when we ‘visit’ them in 

Jas 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before Elohim and Avinu is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, to keep himself unspotted from the world. 

As I looked at that just then, I thought that the reason we visit the widows and fatherless is so that THEY can remain unspotted from the world system which, in today’s application, would be so that they don’t have to grovel to the welfare state; so they can trust to Elohim through his people’s care for them. The main ways that Elohim visits us is by the rain and the produce of the fields. In. vv.9-10 there are at least 6 references to the water he provides to make the desert of the SE Mediterranean into fruitful farmland. Look at the parallels in vv.9 and 10, they go phrase by phrase: waterest [the earth] in v.9 points directly to waterest the ridges thereof in v.10, enriches the river [9] points at settlest the furrows [v.10], full of water points to soft with showers, and preparedst the corn points to blessest the springing. 

In vv.11-12 Elohim’s paths ‘drop’ his goodness on the hills and pastures of his saints. The pastures of vv.12-13 are the homes of his saints. H4999 is translated ‘pasture’ in v.12

From H4998; a home; figuratively a pasture: – habitation, house, pasture, pleasant place.

Where does your heart dwell? Are you constantly thinking of the cares of this world? Or the hateful things haSatan is doing to your country or the world? Those things are important hints at the soon return of King Mashiach. But they ought not to be the place where we dwell. We need to dwell on the goodness and character of Elohim Yisheynu, not the ultimately inconsequential happenings in the world system that he will soon bring to an abrupt halt. When we do that, the growth that he will bring to us will so overwhelm the crap of the world that we will actually be a menorah set on a hill that will draw all men to our Mashiach Yeshua. Q&C

2CorinthithYah 3.1-18 – Vv.1- – I think that we need to understand, as I have often explained before, that understanding the pronouns is very important in all of Sha’ul’s writing to the kehalim in the nations. Paul is writing to the kahal in Corinth, which was a very ‘worldly’ city in Greece, and I think he uses pronouns here in the same way he did with the Ephesians, Romans and Galatians [at least]. When he uses a 2^nd person plural pronoun [you/ye], he is addressing the Ephraimites to whom his mission is, to gather them/us from the 4 corners of the earth. When he uses the 1^st person plural nominative case [we], he is almost invariably referring to Yehudah; and when he uses the 1^st person plural objective case [us], he is usually referring to both groups together as the corporate body of Mashiach.

Beginning in 2.7, Rav Sha’ul contrasts the things of Ruach haKodesh with the things of the ruach of man or of the world system, and it is important for us to see this context, so here it is [KJV – w/Mark edits for clarity and ‘proper divine titling’, IM(not so)HO]:

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of Elohim in a mystery, the hidden [that is, sod] which Elohim ordained before the world unto our glory: 8  Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known they would not have crucified the Master of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which Elohim hath prepared for them that love him. [YeshaYahu 64.4] 10 But Elohim hath revealed unto us by his Ruach: for Ruach searcheth all things, yea, the deep [sod – ‘mystical’] things of Elohim. 11  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of Elohim knoweth no man, but the Spirit of Elohim. 

1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of Elohim; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of Elohim. 13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which Ruach haKodesh teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 

14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of Ruach of Elohim: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know because they are spiritually discerned. 15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16  For who hath known the mind of Y’hovah, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Mashiach. [1Cor.2.12-16]

The Corinthians were surrounded by man’s wisdom; indeed Corinth was a SEAT of natural, worldly wisdom and that needed to be overcome by Y’hovah’s Wisdom in Torah [say thank you, Rico]. Paul had just told them that the world’s wisdom was not a thing to be grasped because it contained no ‘real’ life. Now, “Chock Fulla’Nuts” may be heavenly coffee, but Y’hovah’s chochmah is chock full of life. In the contrast between the world’s wisdom and Y’hovah’s, Sha’ul is telling the Corinthians they need to abandon what is, at best, a counterfeit wisdom that makes one THINK he has knowledge, but is ultimately useless. The pashat is as far as the ‘natural’ man can see. Milk is as much as he can digest. With that background, let us move to our portion. 

In vv.1-2 Paul lets them know why he did that intro in ch.2 – the Ephraimite Corinthians are not ready to receive the sod [deep] things of Y’hovah, but are still steeped in the world’s system of thinking. I must admit that I often find myself in that same system of thinking. It is very hard to deal with this world on Y’hovah’s terms while we are in these bags of fallen flesh, but every so often even I get a nugget of understanding [bina] and knowledge [da’at] according to Y’hovah’s wisdom [chochmah], and I try to pass it on to y’all. Those who are ready to understand Y’hovah’s wisdom will ‘get’ knowledge, even ME sometimes. 

V.3 is the transition to his main point behind his judgment on their inability to see the deep things of Y’hovah; the obvious division of the Kahal along ‘party lines’. America’s founders could not think up a WORSE epithet for someone involved in the creation of the new nation than ‘party man’. They understood that largely from their reading of scripture, more than likely from their understanding of this very passage. Being a ‘camp follower’, or what is known in the Rock-n-Roll music culture as a ‘groupie’, is a sign of spiritual vacuity, a lack of spiritual fullness. Remember what Shlomo had to say about it:

16  These six doth Y’hovah hate: yea, seven [is] an abomination unto him: 17  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19  A false witness speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.[Pro.6.16-19] 

That [is] is a personal addition by me, but it is every bit as valid as the added are in the KJV and other translations. I think it gets down to the nitty-gritty, though. Yeshua came to bring the exiles of Yisrael home from the nations, not to sow further division or discord in the family. A party spirit is designed to sow discord, and that is what it seems the kahal in Corinth was all about. In v.4. Paul gets down to specifics with “I am with Paul” and ”I am with Apollos”, instead of “WE are with Mashiach.” And it has gotten to be that way within the Messianic community, too. Can we not get over our selves? To quote (out of context) Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?” 

Why do we divide over persons/personalities and fine points of doctrine? I do not believe the lunar Sabbath is a biblical doctrine, but I will not let our difference over that point of doctrine be a wedge between us. If we both are trusting Y’hovah Yeshua and trusting in his Name to deliver us, does the lesser stuff matter so much as to NEVER fellowship with those we disagree with? I subscribe to the idea of the Aviv New Moon being dependent on the barley in the SE Mediterranean area. But I will still have fellowship with one who keeps the Hillel calendar, or the Enoch/Essene/whatever calendar. I COULD be wrong about it … though I DOUBT it. I have celebrated Pesach on all of those calendars. 

In vv.5-7 Paul makes the same point I just did; if we are all ministers of Elohim, serving him to the best of our ability, then we each have something valuable to the kahal, and we need to be available to HIS SERVICE. I supply this, he supplies that, and Y’hovah gives the increase and gets the hallel, praise. And vv.8-9 makes Paul’s [and my] point; if we are both ministering faithfully to Y’hovah in our respective areas, we are one in him and he gets the increase, which is the harvest [that’s you] brought into the storehouse [that’s also you], the kahal. 

I hope that I am performing well as one developing the superstructure of Y’hovah’s kahal.  I take that position seriously and I do my best to build a sound structure, according to v.10. If I am, then I am providing stuff of value in vv.12-13. If I am not, then I am providing fuel for the fire that Yah will use to keep y’all warm. Now, I think Rav Sha’ul was a Spirit filled Torah teacher. But, what if a guy who believes Paul was a false teacher still puts out well thought out and taught Torah studies? Does his belief about Paul negate the good things he’s taught? I will state emphatically, NO!, it doesn’t. And each of us will be rewarded for his faithfulness to Y’hovah and his good Torah teaching, and will not for that which is not true. Why?

Because we are collectively the Temple of Y’hovah in vv.16-18.  Notice that Paul’s audience is Ephraim, “ye” and “you” [2^nd person plural], and Ruach haKodesh indwells US corporately. If anyone sows discord, that is [as is the context of this whole passage] if he  defiles, our kahal, he is in some VERY deep and smelly stuff. If anyone sows discord in Y’hovah’s kahal, it is a sign of that spiritual vacuity we spoke of a few minutes ago. May it not be in our group, here. Q&C

End of Shabbat Bible Study

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

²From Wiki’s entry on ‘Ger Toshav’.