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Sisällön tarjoaa Hallel Fellowship. Hallel Fellowship tai sen podcast-alustan kumppani lataa ja toimittaa kaiken podcast-sisällön, mukaan lukien jaksot, grafiikat ja podcast-kuvaukset. Jos uskot jonkun käyttävän tekijänoikeudella suojattua teostasi ilman lupaasi, voit seurata tässä https://fi.player.fm/legal kuvattua prosessia.
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Squid Game is back, and so is Player 456. In the gripping Season 2 premiere, Player 456 returns with a vengeance, leading a covert manhunt for the Recruiter. Hosts Phil Yu and Kiera Please dive into Gi-hun’s transformation from victim to vigilante, the Recruiter’s twisted philosophy on fairness, and the dark experiments that continue to haunt the Squid Game. Plus, we touch on the new characters, the enduring trauma of old ones, and Phil and Kiera go head-to-head in a game of Ddakjji. Finally, our resident mortician, Lauren Bowser is back to drop more truth bombs on all things death. SPOILER ALERT! Make sure you watch Squid Game Season 2 Episode 1 before listening on. Let the new games begin! IG - @SquidGameNetflix X (f.k.a. Twitter) - @SquidGame Check out more from Phil Yu @angryasianman , Kiera Please @kieraplease and Lauren Bowser @thebitchinmortician on IG Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts . Squid Game: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and The Mash-Up Americans.…
Hallel Fellowship
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Sisällön tarjoaa Hallel Fellowship. Hallel Fellowship tai sen podcast-alustan kumppani lataa ja toimittaa kaiken podcast-sisällön, mukaan lukien jaksot, grafiikat ja podcast-kuvaukset. Jos uskot jonkun käyttävän tekijänoikeudella suojattua teostasi ilman lupaasi, voit seurata tässä https://fi.player.fm/legal kuvattua prosessia.
This is a gathering of people in the Santa Rosa area of Sonoma County, in the north San Francisco Bay area of California, who believe that Yeshua of Natzeret (Jesus of Nazareth) is the Anointed One (Christ or Messiah) of the Creator, the God of Israel from long ago. As a "messianic" fellowship, we seek to learn together about God from His word, the Bible, via the many lessons encapsulated in the first five books of the Bible and explained by the prophets and the Messiah.
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Sisällön tarjoaa Hallel Fellowship. Hallel Fellowship tai sen podcast-alustan kumppani lataa ja toimittaa kaiken podcast-sisällön, mukaan lukien jaksot, grafiikat ja podcast-kuvaukset. Jos uskot jonkun käyttävän tekijänoikeudella suojattua teostasi ilman lupaasi, voit seurata tässä https://fi.player.fm/legal kuvattua prosessia.
This is a gathering of people in the Santa Rosa area of Sonoma County, in the north San Francisco Bay area of California, who believe that Yeshua of Natzeret (Jesus of Nazareth) is the Anointed One (Christ or Messiah) of the Creator, the God of Israel from long ago. As a "messianic" fellowship, we seek to learn together about God from His word, the Bible, via the many lessons encapsulated in the first five books of the Bible and explained by the prophets and the Messiah.
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×1 Hagar and Sarai: A lesson in the supremacy of the Spirit over the flesh (Genesis 16; Galatians 4) 1:06:05
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1:06:05Key spiritual lessons from Hagar & Sarah 1. The importance of humility and submission to God’s ordained authority, even when it goes against our natural fleshly desires. Hagar struggled with pride and tried to elevate herself above her rightful position as Sarah’s servant, but God instructed her to humble herself and submit to Sarah. 2. The superiority of the spirit over the flesh. Sarah’s motives were spiritually-driven, while Hagar’s were more fleshly. Paul uses this comparison in Galatians to illustrate how the fleshly approach to the Law of God (represented by Hagar) is meant to serve the Spirit (represented by Sarah), not the other way around. 3. The need to rely on God’s promises rather than our own human efforts. Sarah tried to help fulfill God’s promise to Abraham through her own scheme with Hagar, but this led to conflict. We must trust in God’s timing and methods, not our own. The key relationship between the law and the spirit is that the law is meant to serve the spirit, not the other way around. The Law is a guide and tool to help us grow spiritually, but it should never become an end in itself or something we try to earn salvation through. Our spirits should remain free and sovereign over the Law, using it as a servant to grow closer to God. Summary: Tammy…
1 Balancing preparation and Providence: Lessons from Abram’s covenant (Genesis 15; Romans 4) 1:28:58
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1:28:58Summary: Tammy
1 Melchizedek’s blessing of Abram shows how Heaven is always ‘open’ for believers’ business (Genesis 14; Isaiah 41; Hebrews 7) 1:08:55
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1:08:55Desecrating God’s name isn’t about how we pronounce or mispronounce His name. It’s not about whether we put His name on a T-shirt. We desecrate God’s name when our actions in His name don’t align with what we say about Him. The world doesn’t care how we treat God; they care about how we treat them and their neighbors. Trusting God and learning to represent Him is a lifetime task. What army ignores the orders of its generals? What actor refuses to follow the script and instructions given by their director? Ad-libbing on the battlefield or a movie set usually ends poorly. As ambassadors of God Most High, if we disregard His instructions and neglect the development of our character, what message are we sending to the world? In Genesis 14, we read how Abram, through his family—who would become a great nation and a blessing to all nations of the earth—was known as someone who loved the Lord and was a friend of God. Abram rescued Lot, along with Sodom, Gomorrah, and other cities of the plain, from conquest-induced slavery. God told Abram that his descendants would not fully dwell in the Promised Land, which the Canaanites inhabited, until the rebellion of the Amorites was complete—nearly 500 years later. What should Lot and the cities have learned from Abram’s intervention? Archaeologists suggest these cities housed only a few thousand people each, yet their kings had more able-bodied men under their command than Abram. In ancient times, invading kings often plundered, killed, and enslaved. The kings from Mesopotamia invaded the Jordan Valley to punish the rebelling city-states. The king of Sodom and the surrounding cities should have recognized God’s hand in their rescue. Using an elderly nomad and 300 shepherds, God demonstrated His sovereignty over kings and armies. Despite this miraculous intervention, Lot returned to Sodom. Later, the people of Sodom criticized him, saying, “Who are you to judge us?” Abram’s battles foreshadow Israel’s role in the world. Abram did not plunder Sodom, Gomorrah, or the other cities, nor did he take the invaders’ goods. This pattern appears later in Jericho, where Joshua didn’t rely on battering rams or chariots to breach the city walls. Instead, God brought down the walls, demonstrating His power rather than Israel’s might. When King Saul went to war against Amalek, God commanded him to destroy everything. Yet Saul spared King Agag, the livestock, and the spoils. Saul rationalized his disobedience by claiming it was for God’s benefit, but God desires obedience, not offerings born of disobedience. He wants our hearts, not our spoils. There’s an irony in Melchizedek, the “king of righteousness” and priest of the Most High God, interceding for God just west of cities so wicked that God would later destroy them. Hebrews 6:19–7:6 highlights that true servants of God can come from a lineage outside of Abram’s. Melchizedek, described as an eternal priest, foreshadows the Messiah. His priesthood wasn’t dependent on the Mishkan or genealogical lineage. Similarly, Job, a contemporary of Abraham, served as a priest for his household, presenting sacrifices on behalf of his family. Melchizedek’s priesthood is timeless: “A priest forever.” Unlike the priests from Aaron’s line, who served for a limited time, Melchizedek’s commission wasn’t tied to earthly structures. The earthly temple was a replica of the heavenly one, as revealed to Moses. When earthly temples were desecrated or destroyed, the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek remained active. The tabernacle and later the temple were designed as anchors for God’s presence, emphasizing His holiness. Only by invitation could one enter, separated from sin and uncleanliness. When the Lord spoke of raising “one from the East,” many believe He referred to Cyrus, the Persian emperor who returned Israel to their land. However, it is ultimately God who establishes and removes kingdoms. The prophecies in Daniel remind us that every kingdom succumbs to arrogance and self-aggrandizement, taking credit for its success. When this happens, God humbles them and raises up others. Hebrews 1–2 reveals Yeshua as Heaven’s ultimate prophet and deliverer, offering salvation and rest: “… so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9 NASB) “… that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” (Hebrews 2:14–15 NASB) Yeshua provides ultimate peace and rest, fulfilling the promise foreshadowed in the Sabbath. The Sabbath is not replaced by Yeshua but is a memorial acknowledging Him as Creator. The lesson of Melchizedek’s priesthood is clear: God rejects empty sacrifices. Worship offered with impure motives will be rejected, for God cannot be bribed. Our worship must be sincere, reflecting hearts committed to Him. David understood that no earthly building could contain God. Melchizedek and Yeshua both lived in the world but were not of it. Similarly, we are called to trust God in all circumstances, preparing daily to stand for Him. When life goes well, we must be especially vigilant, resisting the temptation to take credit for blessings that come from Him. Summary: Tammy…
1 The Seed of promise: A messianic tapestry from Eden to Abram to eternity (Genesis 12–13; Joshua 24; Hebrews 11) 1:35:32
1:35:32
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1:35:32Summary: Tammy
1 Toppling the tower of self: Rediscovering true greatness through humility before Heaven (Genesis 11; Isaiah 28; 1Corinthians 14) 1:04:20
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1:04:20Genesis 11: Give honor to the One Who gave you life After the Flood, there is a noticeable pattern of a precipitous loss in human life expectancy. 1 The conditions of the post-Flood world were drastically different from those of the pre-Flood world. 2 These shortened lifespans may have been caused by the strain of climate changes and the demands of more strenuous lifestyles. In the early history of the world, animals and insects were significantly larger than they are today. For instance, dragonflies had much larger wingspans. It is possible that God actively shortened the lifespans of both humans and animals to prevent the accumulation of power and control among humans. The people of Shinar who commissioned the Tower of Babel were actively disobeying God’s command to disperse. Those who initiated the Tower’s construction wanted to prevent others from migrating in order to maintain control. The desire for power and control is a fundamental human drive, which God thwarted by confusing their languages. Once the languages were changed, the people naturally dispersed. To assist them, God may have assigned different angels to guide the various language groups to settle in new locations. Immediately after God dispersed the people at the Tower of Babel, the narrative introduces the descendants of Shem, who were the ancestors of Abram, later known as Abraham. Terah, Abram’s father, had three sons: Haran, Nahor, and Abram. Terah began having children at the age of 70 and had at least two wives, as Abram and Sarai were half-siblings. Jewish tradition suggests that Sarai is another name for Haran’s daughter Iscah. But Abram later states that they had the same father but different mothers, making it more likely that they were half-siblings rather than uncle and niece. Terah’s oldest son, Haran, had three children but died before the family left for Canaan. Nahor later married his niece Milcah, and they also had children. As Abram’s family journeyed to Canaan, they stopped for a time in a town called Haran. From there, Abram, Lot, and Sarai continued on to Canaan. Terah lived until Isaac was about 35 years old, but there is no record of Abram returning to Haran to bury his father. Jewish tradition emphasizes the importance of burying one’s parents as an act of respect. However, the greatest way to honor one’s parents is by following in their footsteps and obeying them. Abram’s obedience to God was a form of honoring his father. Honoring parents involves living a life of obedience to and faith in God. Our life choices can either honor or dishonor our parents, and this is far more significant than physical acts of respect. Isaiah 28: Prophecy against the crown of Ephraim’s pride “Ah, the proud crowns of the drunkards of Ephraim, Whose glorious beauty is but wilted flowers On the heads of men bloated with rich food, Who are overcome by wine! Lo, my Lord has something strong and mighty, Like a storm of hail, A shower of pestilence. Something like a storm of massive, torrential rain Shall be hurled with force to the ground.” Isaiah 28:1-2, JPS 1985 This prophecy addresses the northern tribes of Israel, focusing on Ephraim, the dominant tribe. Ephraim’s crown represents pride, manifesting as a perversion of vision and justice. Their culture suffered due to misinformation about God, leading to distortion. God’s commands were ignored, resulting in their downfall. “Trampled underfoot shall be The proud crowns of the drunkards of Ephraim, The wilted flowers— On the heads of men bloated with rich food— That are his glorious beauty. They shall be like an early fig Before the fruit harvest; Whoever sees it devours it While it is still in his hand.” Isaiah 28:3-4, JPS 1985 The crown of Ephraim’s pride is likened to a barely ripened fig, easily plucked and eaten, symbolizing the swift removal of their arrogance. God restores His crown and re-establishes truth, judgment, and justice. He also warns that Judah, like Ephraim, will face judgment for their pride. Many of Judah’s priests and prophets were frauds, distorting judgment and justice. “In that day, the LORD of Hosts shall become a crown of beauty and a diadem of glory for the remnant of His people, and a spirit of judgment for him who sits in judgment and of valor for those who repel attacks at the gate. But these are also muddled by wine And dazed by liquor: Priest and prophet Are muddled by liquor; They are confused by wine, They are dazed by liquor; They are muddled in their visions, They stumble in judgment. Yea, all tables are covered With vomit and filth, So that no space is left.” Isaiah 28:5-8, JPS 1985 Now that Ephraim’s pride has been removed, God restores His crown and will re-establish truth, proper judgment, and justice. God also says that not only will He pluck Ephraim’s arrogance, but He will do the same to Judah. Judah is proud of their priests and prophets, but the problem was that most of Judah’s priests and prophets were liars and frauds who distorted judgment and justice similarly to what was happening in the Northern Kingdom. God will use judgment as a measuring line and righteousness as a plumb line to bring about this transformation. Teaching and rejection of knowledge “To whom would he give instruction? To whom expound a message? To those newly weaned from milk, Just taken away from the breast? That same mutter upon mutter, Murmur upon murmur, Now here, now there!” Truly, as one who speaks to that people in a stammering jargon and an alien tongue is he who declares to them, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose.” They refuse to listen. To them, the word of the LORD is: “Mutter upon mutter, Murmur upon murmur, Now here, now there.” And so they will march, But they shall fall backward, And be injured and snared and captured. Isaiah 28:9-13, JPS 1985 The priests and prophets were supposed to teach God’s words, but the adults of Ephraim and Judah rejected knowledge. God had to start from the basics, teaching their children line by line. While the adults faced destruction, hope remained for the children to learn and follow God’s ways. The same commandments and teachings that the adults of Ephraim and Judah rejected will be used to condemn them. God seeks the children, who can be taught the truth and righteousness that the adults have rejected. Hear now the word of the LORD, You men of mockery, Who govern that people In Jerusalem! For you have said, “We have made a covenant with Death, Concluded a pact with Sheol. When the sweeping flood passes through, It shall not reach us; For we have made falsehood our refuge, Taken shelter in treachery.” Isaiah 28:14-15, JPS 1985 The people were living as though they had made a covenant with the devil. They deluded themselves into believing that they had made a good covenant, but in fact, it was a covenant of death. Assuredly, Thus said the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will found in Zion, Stone by stone, A tower of precious cornerstones, Exceedingly firm; He who trusts need not fear. But I will apply judgment as a measuring line And retribution as weights; Hail shall sweep away the refuge of falsehood, And floodwaters engulf your shelter. Your covenant with Death shall be annulled, Your pact with Sheol shall not endure; When the sweeping flood passes through, You shall be its victims. It shall catch you Every time it passes through; It shall pass through every morning, Every day and every night. And it shall be sheer horror To grasp the message.” The couch is too short for stretching out, And the cover too narrow for curling up! Isaiah 28:16-20, JPS 1985 The Messiah Yeshua is the one who will ultimately crush those who have made a covenant with death and the devil. Messiah Yeshua is our King, but as King, He has a responsibility to do what is right. Those adults unwilling to change their behavior will be crushed. The Messiah will crush them because they refuse to listen to or pay attention to His commandments. Their deal with death will not stand. In 1Peter 2:1-3, we are told that our actions should be childlike, but our thinking and comprehension should be mature. If we want to be God’s people, we should live in the world with innocence, without harm or evil intent, while maintaining a mature understanding of God’s word. 1Corinthians 14: Self-Glorification and Prophetic Roles “Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. In the Law, it is written, ‘BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME,’ says the Lord.” 1Corinthians 14:20-21, NAS95 The apostle Paul directly quotes Isaiah 28 as he instructs his readers on how to live obedient lives. We are not supposed to act selfishly or covet the spiritual gifts that God gives to others. Spiritual gifts are given not for our benefit, but for the benefit of others. Pride should not distort our understanding of our role or status in the Kingdom of God. When Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians, he addressed a congregation struggling with self-proclaimed prophets who pridefully caused strife, claiming authority they did not have. Paul reminded them that not everyone is the same; they do not all have the same gifts, intentions, or purposes. Many needed to remain quiet and listen to those with the authority to speak on God’s behalf. Paul called their pride disgraceful. The Corinthians also struggled with pride regarding the gift of speaking in tongues. Some used their ability to speak and understand many languages as a point of pride to belittle those without such gifts. This self-glorification of God’s gifts was disgraceful and unacceptable. God’s gifts are to be shared humbly, not used for personal glorification. Paul warned against acting with self-importance and pride. If we refuse to do the work God calls us to do, He will replace us with someone willing to fulfill His will. God will not work with the stubborn or self-centered, as seen in the story of the Tower of Babel and the pride of Ephraim and Judah. Biblical narratives show that once a person’s task is complete, God moves His work forward through the next generation. For example, once Terah’s role was finished, God advanced His plan through Abram. Similarly, once Isaac prepared Jacob to follow God’s path, the narrative shifted from Isaac to Jacob. The central issue of self-importance and pride runs through these stories. The Tower of Babel, the pride of Ephraim, and the self-glorification of the Corinthian prophets all stem from self-centeredness. God cannot work with such attitudes. True obedience and faith require humility. As followers of the Messiah Yeshua, our ultimate goal is to focus on God’s commands and actions rather than our own importance or glory. Summary: Tammy Georgia Purdom, Ph.D., and David Menton, Ph.D., “ Ancient Biblical Lifespans: Did Adam Live Over 900 Years ?” AnswersInGenesis.org, May 27, 2010, accessed Dec. 25, 2024. ︎ Bodie Hodge, “ Why Did People Start to Have Shorter Lives After the Flood? ” AnswersInGenesis.org, July 16, 2010, accessed Dec. 25, 2024. ︎…
1 Dwelling in the tents of Shem: Elohim’s Presence brings a blessing to all nations (Genesis 9:18–27) 1:11:19
1:11:19
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1:11:19Lessons from Noach’s vineyard and blessing for his sons Character lessons Good things can become corrupted or misused if not handled carefully. The fruit of the vineyard, a good creation, could lead to captivity and excess if not used with moderation. Exercise self-control and avoid excess, whether in food, drink or other areas of life. Unchecked indulgence can lead to sin — moving away from Heaven — and downfall. Be vigilant in guarding against the distractions and diversions that can pull us away from what truly matters, like our relationship with God. Legacy implications The story of Noah’s vineyard is part of the broader legacy and lineage that leads to the Messiah, highlighting the significance of Shem’s line. The lessons learned here about moderation and the dangers of excess have implications for how we steward the good things God has given us, both individually and as communities. The story underscores the importance of pursuing justice, love, mercy, and humility before God — qualities that should be reflected in the legacy and character of God’s people. These character lessons and legacy implications point to the enduring relevance and depth of this passage, providing wisdom for how we live and the impact we leave on the world. The discussion delves into the biblical narrative of Noah and his descendants, focusing on the legacy of Shem and the implications of the curse on Canaan. It explores the genetic bottleneck theory, suggesting that humanity’s genetic diversity stems from a small group of eight people post-flood. The conversation also touches on the concept of nations, their legacies, and the importance of pursuing justice, love, and mercy. The significance of Noah’s vineyard is debated, with interpretations ranging from profanation to innovation. The discussion concludes with reflections on the role of Elohim in Shem’s tents and the broader implications for human history and faith. Was Noach the “debased man of the earth” in the story of the vineyard? Will Yafet or Elohim dwell with the family of Shem? What was so “curse worthy about Canaan’s actions? There are many nation from Yafet, Ham and Shem but only one Nimrod. Noach’s family: The lineage of all Humanity Noah origin story and his biography is an important story for every human being on the face of the earth, all of us are descended from Noah. “These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.” (Genesis 9:19 NAS95) Because there were only 8 people who survived the Flood, Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives, this created a genetic bottle neck which has affected every one of Noah’s descendants without exception. Everyone on the planet descends from these 8 individuals. We also see proof in linguistics that there are only a few mother languages from which every modern language on earth originates. The Bible teaches that 70 nations descended from Noah and his sons after the flood, yet the concept of nationhood remains a contentious issue in modern politics. While the United Nations recognizes over 190 nations today, many of these were established in ways that might not align with God’s definition of nationhood, often being drawn arbitrarily. A striking example of this can be seen in the division of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. The colonial powers, particularly the United Kingdom and France, paid little attention to the ethnic and cultural boundaries of the regions they were partitioning. This disregard has led to lasting conflicts, especially in the Middle East. The recent collapse of Syria starkly illustrates the consequences of creating nations without considering the ethnic and linguistic groups within those borders. History is marked by millennia of empires rising and falling, with countless groups standing up against their imperial rulers to claim control of their own destiny. Our own nation, the United States of America, was born from such a struggle—a group of people breaking free from an empire to establish their own identity and govern themselves independently. When we come together in prayer, we lift up the leaders of our cities, towns, counties, states, and the nation as a whole, asking that they pursue justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. This legacy is deeply embedded in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. The United States was founded on the belief in “self-evident” truths—that all people are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. The Declaration was crafted to explain to the world how we were distinct from the British Empire. Written by a committee, it was carefully debated line by line to produce a document that all could unanimously support. The United States is a nation of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, yet what binds us together is not ethnicity, but a shared commitment to certain moral principles. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, “we are all of one blood,” a truth rooted in the story of Noah and his descendants. When we look at Noah’s lineage, to which we all belong, we see that regardless of the languages spoken by our ancestors, we are united by our shared humanity. The Scriptures trace a significant legacy from Shem, through whom came Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and ultimately Yeshua Messiah. Shem’s lineage has had an enduring impact on the history of the world. While some people define their identity based on external traits—such as skin color, blood type, or physical features—these differences are governed by a tiny fraction of the human genome. What unites us far outweighs what separates us, emphasizing our shared origin and inherent equality. Shem’s Legacy and the Messiah The Scriptures spend more time giving us the genealogy of Shem than it does of Ham and Yafet because his line is the line from which the Messiah comes. As we go through the descendants of Shem, his second great-grandson Peleg’s name piques the curiosity of scholars as to how he got his name, which literally means division. Some believe that it was in Peleg’s lifetime that the continents moved through the work of tectonic plates, but the truth is that for earthquakes to cause that much continental movement, it would have generated so many tsunamis and other disasters that humanity would have been wiped out a second time. So what other kind of division could have inspired Peleg’s name? The real division of humanity that God finds more important is the division between those who want to identify with Him and long for the Tree of Life and those who identify with their own flesh and prefer the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. The most profound division isn’t how the single language of the earth was split up from one language into multiple languages, but how the majority of the world split away from the knowledge of God to follow gods of their own design. Noah’s Vineyard and Its Implications Scholars of the Old Testament and Ancient history are also fascinated by the fact that one of the first activities that Noach engaged in after he left the ark was to plant a vineyard. “Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard.” (Genesis 9:20 NAS95) “Noah, the tiler of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard.” (Genesis 9:20, JPS1985) “Noah, man of the soil, began [ vayaḥel ]” – he became profaned and unholy [ ḥulin ]. (Bereshit Rabbah 36:3) Rashi believes that the act of farming the ground desecrated or debased the earth and that was a sin for Noah. The first Hebrew verb in Genesis 9:20 is vayahel (וַיָּ֥חֶל) , which comes from the verb halal (חָלַל). According to the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, this verb can mean “profane, defile, pollute or desecrate” which is the meaning that Rashi pulled from to write his midrash. However, the form of the verb used in Gen. 9:20 communicates the idea of “to begin” which is how it’s used in Gen. 4:26 and Gen. 6:1. This is why the NASB translates as the verb as “began” and the JPS uses it in the sense of Noah being the first person to plant a vineyard. Now what makes this kind of challenging is you’ll see another lexicon entry with the same three letters, het, lamed, lamed ( חלל) , which, according to the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, can mean to “wound (fatally), bore through, or pierce.” Noah gave us the beginning post-Flood agriculture. Instead simply gathering whatever one could find that was growing, Noah consciously planted a vineyard and then reaped the produce of it. He was still gathering food by the sweat of his brow, but in a different manner. From grapes, one can either produce jams and jellies or one can produce wine. What was created for the good of humanity or it can corrupt and hurt humanity as well or become “unprofitable” for us through excessive or improper use, such as drinking to the point of blacking out. There’s also a difference between having some wine and rejoicing “before the Lord” with the community of believers who love God and drinking to excess all by ourselves. Food is also a good thing. We need food for sustenance, but if we eat 20,000 calories, this is gluttony which is unbalanced and sinful. Elohim in Shem’s Tents and Canaan’s Servitude ““ May God enlarge Japheth , And let [Elohim] dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.”” (Genesis 9:27 NAS95) Hebrew is a sparse language that rarely uses articles or suffixes, it’s a very contextual language. It’s from the context that one can figure out if the text is talking about the past tense or future tense. When the text says, “May God enlarge Yafet…” this is a sort of a pun as Yafet’s name literally means “to enlarge.” Who is actually dwelling in Shem’s tent, Yafet or Elohim? Elohim is the subject of the sentence so it obvious in the Hebrew that it is Elohim who will be dwelling with Shem and Shem’s descendants, working through them for the benefit of the world. Whose servant is Canaan destined to be? Although the immediate “him” is Shem, since we see that Elohim is dwelling with Shem’s family, this indicates that Canaan will be the servant of God. There are two different Canaan’s, the one side who wants to dwell with God and the other side who wants to go his own way and will not retaining the knowledge of God, as Paul mention in Romans 1. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:20-25 NAS95) Excess and Its Consequences Whether it’s food, entertainment or other distractions, they are no evil in and of themselves, but when they take us away from the right path, that is spiritually dangerous. If we pursue food or entertainment for its own sake, using it to avoid something important that we need to address, this will sabotage our relationship with God and with those around us. We can keep ourselves busy doing unimportant stuff as a way to avoid the important difficult tasks in our lives. We can get trapped in a downward spiral of avoiding our problems, but we need to surrender those thoughts captive to the mind of Christ. Some feel unsettled by the idea of mourning for those who we have lost, but it’s ok to acknowledge the loss of our loved ones. We remember where those who have died and where they used to sit during services, their empty seats are a testimony to loss, but we also acknowledge that we will see them again which brings us joy. The sin that does not lead to death is the one you repent from. When we have godly sorrow for our sin and repent, that sin no longer has power over us or our relationship with God. The story of Noah and his descendants is a profound reminder of humanity’s shared origin and divine purpose. From Noah’s vineyard to the division of nations, these narratives challenge us to reflect on our choices and align our lives with God’s will. Whether through Shem’s lineage leading to the Messiah, the lessons of moderation and stewardship, or the call to unity despite our differences, Noah’s legacy speaks to the heart of human identity. It’s a call to embrace the Creator, reject distractions that lead us astray, and strive for a life marked by faith, repentance, and eternal hope in God’s promises. Summary: Tammy…
1 ‘Image of God’ and sanctity of life: Noah’s enduring lessons for the world (Genesis 8–9) 1:28:44
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1:28:445 ways the Ark and its exit represents the Kingdom of God Heaven’s command to Noach (Noah) to leave the Tevah (Ark) (Genesis 8:15–19) foreshadows the movement from the safety and refuge of the Kingdom of God in the Messiah to the outworking of God’s restorative plan for the world, where humanity is called to participate now in the renewal and transformation of creation. 1. The Ark as a symbol of the kingdom of God and the Messiah: The Ark provided a place of safety and refuge during the Flood, just as the kingdom of God and the Messiah offer protection and salvation. 2. Exiting the Ark: The exit from the Ark symbolizes humanity’s transition from the protection of the Ark to the restoration and renewal that awaits them in the world outside. This mirrors the transition from the protection of the kingdom to the restoration and fulfillment of God’s purposes for humanity. 3. The Eighth Day and new beginnings: The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot, with its eighth-day celebration including the capstone of Shemini Atzeret (Convocation of the Eighth Day), represents a new beginning, marking the end of judgment and the start of God’s dwelling with mankind. This aligns with the Ark’s exit and the transition from protection to restoration. 4. The significance of the number 8: The number 7 in the Bible (שֶׁבַע sheva in Hebrew) is associated with completion (seventh day of creation) and oaths (שְׁבוּעָה shevu’ah ). The number 8 (שְׁמֹנֶה shemoneh ) is associated with new beginnings (7 + 1 = 8, i.e., going beyond completion), and potentially seen in “fatness” used in Gen. 27:28, 39 via a Hebrew verb with the same spelling (שׁמן). That meaning for the number 8 underscores the idea of the Ark’s exit as a pivotal moment in the transition from the old to the new, from protection to restoration. 5. The command to “swarm” the earth: The instruction to “breed abundantly” (Genesis 8:17; translated from שָׁרַץ sharatz , “to teem, swarm” 1 ) the earth after exiting the Ark reflects the mandate to fill and subdue the earth, a key aspect of the restoration and fulfillment of God’s purposes for humanity. Exiting the Ark and Its Symbolism The exit of Noah, his family and all of the animals from the Ark after the Flood represents their exit from the protection of God, akin to a baby leaving the womb and entering into a new world. The Ark represents safety during the flood, and its exit symbolizes humanity’s transition from protection to restoration. This is the theme picked up by the authors of the New Testament who considered Noah’s ark a representation of the Messianic Kingdom. The Apostle Peter emphasizes this in 1 Peter 3:18-20. The eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles is highlighted as a new beginning, marking the end of judgment and the start of God’s dwelling with mankind. One of the things we celebrate on the Shemini Atzeret, or the Eighth Day, is the new beginning that comes after Sukkot. The number eight is significant in biblical patterns, symbolizing completion and oaths, emphasizing the importance of fulfilling promises. The order of the Fall Feasts teach us the pattern of the restoration of the world. The Feast of Trumpets is the warning, the wake up call to the coming judgement of God. Yom Kippur is the judgement seat of the world when God judges all of mankind according to their deeds and their fruit. Sukkot is the celebration of God living with His people. The Eight Day is the celebration of the new beginning as God has fulfilled His promise to mankind to restore to humanity what Adam and Eve gave up. The significance of the Hebrew word sheva (“seven” and “to make an oath”) and shavu’ah (“oath”) and its connection to the number seven. The “bonus” celebration after the seven days of Sukkot (Tabernacles) is the Eighth Day, Shemini Atzeret. From its name and descriptions from prophetic books in the Hebrew and Greek books of the Bible see gather from this mysterious celebration that it is a reminder of a promised new beginning, symbolizing the dwelling place of God with mankind forever. The Importance of Oaths and Promises God takes His vows and oaths very seriously and He expects us to do the same. This is why Yeshua actually discourages us from making oaths and vows flippantly. He said that if we have any doubt that we won’t bring something to completion, He warns us in Matthew 5:37 to “Let your Yes be Yes and your No be No,” or as as the song goes, “Don’t Let Your Mouth Write a Check That You Can’t Cash.” So that is with an oath, a promise that if you cannot see it through to completion, you had better not even make an oath at all. We often hear the phrase, “A man’s word is his bond.” In construction and certain other industries, this idea is taken literally through the requirement of being “bonded.” Bonding companies serve as a guarantee that if a construction company fails to deliver on its promises, the bonding company steps in to ensure the project is completed. One way or another, they ensure the work gets done and brought to completion. We focus so much on the Death of Messiah that we don’t give enough emphasis on the Resurrection and Ascension of Yeshua. God’s oath is His bond and if we use His name in making an oath, we must follow through with it. Humanity’s Role Post-Flood Noah and his family were saved through the deluge and they must leave the familiarity and safety of the Ark, and it is the same with us. God has saved us from the Evil One and then He releases us into the safety of the new world, to enter His rest. Noah’s family and all the creatures who left the Ark were commanded by God to not only leave the ark but also to repopulate and swarm over the earth. The exit from the Ark parallels to Israel’s journey from Egypt, emphasizing the ultimate destination of entering the LORD’s rest (the Promised Land). The problems started short thereafter because Noah’s descendants did not want to spread out and take over the earth. They were more comfortable together and “mighty hunters” such as Nimrod were able to exercise undue control over the people. The Lord actually has to miraculously confuse the languages, to get people to separate from each other and to swarm the earth, as He had originally commanded. When Israel came into the land after the Exodus, they did not swarm over the Promised Land. Instead, they allowed the Philistines to gain a foothold in the Land and colonize part of the Promised Land and they were a thorn in the side of the Israelites until the Babylonian exile. God told the people of Israel that wherever their feet would tread, they would own but they did not have faith to swarm across their land, instead preferring the convenience of congregating rather than establishing new frontiers. At the Tower of Babel, God had to compel the people to scatter. Similarly, the ten northern tribes of Israel were forced by God to disperse because they failed to preserve their unique culture, choosing instead to adopt the ways of the surrounding pagan nations. As a result, God allowed them to be taken into exile, where they quickly lost their identity and were assimilated into other nations. Modern historians, archaeologists and anthropologists have been sleuthing to various degrees of accuracy to find where all these people went. The Legacy of the Kingdom of God They did not keep the legacy, although God knew who they were. This is the theme of Romans chapter one, which says in part: “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” (Romans 1:28-32 NAS95) They did not treat the knowledge of God as something to be preserved, protected, and passed down through generations. As a result, they became indistinguishable from the surrounding nations. While genetic research might reveal traces of their lineage, what significance does that hold in terms of the legacy of God’s kingdom? Many people are genetically connected to Abraham without any awareness of it, yet as John the Baptist reminds us, God can raise descendants of Abraham from stones. A genetic link to Abraham is meaningless without a faithful relationship with Abraham’s God. Your DNA cannot save you—only trusting in God, listening to Him, and remaining faithful to the covenant will bring the blessings promised in it. Paul elaborates on this point through his discussion of the Olive Tree in Romans 9-11 with its natural olive branches and its wild branches. For those who are naturally on the tree that don’t want to stay on the tree, will be cut off and those who are not naturally on the tree but want to be connected will be grafted in. At a recent wine conference, a major topic of discussion was the oversupply of certain grape varieties like Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir, which are sitting unsold on the vine. The issue lies in low demand and prices that don’t cover farming costs. For example, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon costs growers $5,000–$10,000 per ton to produce, but the current market price without contracts is only $2,500 per ton—a sharp drop from $10,000 per ton just two years ago. As a result, many growers are considering grafting over their vineyards to produce more in-demand varieties like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, rather than ripping up the existing vines to replant new varietals. Regardless of whether they graft the more popular varieties onto existing stock or rip out the existing stock and plant the more popular varietals from scratch, this is a lengthy and costly process, taking years to transition and bearing the risk that market trends could change again during that time. This uncertainty leaves grape growers facing tough decisions about adapting to shifting consumer preferences. Bringing this analogy from horticulture into the spiritual realm: if you are not bearing fruit—or if the fruit you produce is not meaningful or in demand—you might be pruned from the vine. The Master may decide it’s time to graft someone new in your place. Similarly, just as grape brokers and winemakers are cautious about hasty decisions, we should reflect on the spiritual lesson here. Producing fruit that lacks purpose or alignment with God’s will is like offering something no one wants. The Global Impact of the Flood The significance of the Hebrew word כָּל kol (“all,” “every,” “whole”) in the context of the Flood, emphasizing that it refers to everything on the planet. Some contend from other uses of the word in the Bible that it can be hyperbole (Genesis 41:57; Exodus 9:25, 10:15; Deuteronomy 2:25; 1Kings 10:24), so the Flood could have been local and not global. 0 Yet since ‘all’ is known to be used in a relative sense, the writer removes all possible ambiguity by adding the phrase ‘under all [ kol ] the heavens’. A double ‘all’ ( kol ) cannot allow for so relative a sense. It almost constitutes a Hebrew superlative. 0 In the account of the Flood and the Ark, we are told that the waters covered the entire earth, the mountains were completely covered, the valleys were completely covered. There was no dry land as far as the eye could see. Modern scholars dismissed the Flood narrative in the Bible as divine hyperbole. They don’t believe that the Flood encompassed the entire Earth. There are many different accounts of the Flood as well as different accounts of what happened after the Flood, but what we read in the Bible and the covenant that God made with Noah and everything that came out of the ark is a parallel to what God said when they entered the ark. The Flood didn’t just happen to the people who were in the Ark but it affected everyone and everything on the planet and we have permanent consequences of that event. If the Flood was just a local or regional event in Mesopotamia, then why do the Chinese, Aboriginal Australians, African tribes and Native Americans have Flood narratives that correspond to the story in Genesis? We also see evidence of turbulent geological change and massive damage all over the earth, not just in Mesopotamia. This upheaval is evident in places like the Grand Canyon, where layers of soil, plant life, and sediment are stacked like pancakes, stretching across hundreds of miles. Remarkably, the same distinct layers of dirt and sediment can be traced consistently over vast distances, highlighting the immense scale of the Flood that shaped them. The Significance of the Altar and Offering Just as the Flood encompassed the entire world, so will the final judgment. When the Son of Man returns, there will be no need for a text message or an emergency alert to announce it. The entire planet will witness it simultaneously, unmistakably, and in real time. “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The LORD smelled the soothing aroma ; and the LORD said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.” (Genesis 8:20-21 NAS95) The phrase “soothing aroma” appears in Leviticus to describe how God views the burning sacrifices. If you’ve ever smelled burnt hair or flesh, you know it’s far from pleasant. This indicates that the term isn’t about a literal aesthetic or physical scent but is communicating something deeper—something spiritual or symbolic. When God instructed Noah to prepare for the Flood, He told him to bring multiple pairs of sacrificial animals but only one pair of non-sacrificial animals onto the ark. God didn’t require Noah to save every species and subspecies; instead, He preserved animal life at the “kind” level. After the Flood, Noah offered one of each sacrificial animal to God, leaving plenty of mating pairs to repopulate the earth. This approach ensured the continuity of life without the need to include every variation of creature on the ark. God’s primary desire wasn’t the sacrifices themselves but the communion they represented with Noah. When God saw Noah’s sacrifice, His heart was moved, and He made the promise never to destroy the earth in the same way again. The true significance of a sacrifice, whether an animal offering, grain offering or a drink offering lies in the intention of the one offering it. Just as God remembered Noah while he was on the Ark, now Noah remembers God after leaving the Ark, expressing gratitude and reverence through his offering. The Role of the Yetzer Hara and Yetzer Hatov When God says, “intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth,” He is simply stating the reality that started with the events of Gen. 3. We have to fight the evil inclination from the moment we are born. We live with this tension between the yetzer ha-ra (evil inclination) and yetzer ha-tov (good inclination), with humanity’s inclinations being towards the raw and bad. We have to take captive our selfish and evil thoughts and submit them to Messiah Yeshua with the Golden Rule. “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18 NAS95) Yeshua commands us to you seek the good for our neighbors. And if our neighbor is headed off the path, we know we are not called to lord it over him, but gently warn them that they are headed down a bad path and encourage them to repent. Because our natural inclination is selfish and evil from the beginning, our conscience has to become educated and informed with the Scriptures. We have to give our brains a righteous filter so we can temper the evil inclination. When the computer programmers started with the machine programming that we call AI, it would brainstorm without any filter and without a filter, the thoughts that the AI were developing were completely evil, and they had to disconnect it and start putting in ethical filters. The New Atheist movement provides a clear example of this dynamic. They have benefited from the remnants of the Christian foundations of European culture, but now that they’ve pushed Christianity out of the public sphere—schools, government, and public spaces—they’ve begun to recognize a problem. They aren’t pleased that once-sacred cathedrals are now yoga studios, or that former parish churches have been converted into restaurants. The guardrails Christianity provided were taken for granted, and now, as those very guardrails are gone, the atheists find themselves dissatisfied with the culture they’ve helped create, one that no longer offers the structure and values they once overlooked. The Noahide Covenant and Its Implications “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant.” (Genesis 9:1-3 NAS95) Was the philosopher Malthus correct? Did God really command us to “Be fruitful and multiply until we get up to a certain limit, and then we have to do reduce the excess population by whatever means necessary? Is there such a thing as “overpopulation”? Are we running out of land for people to live on? I don’t think so. There are large parts of the earth that are emptiness. There are vast, empty places on the earth, and over time, people tend to congregate together in the more favorable areas. This isn’t inherently bad—families gather, and societies come together to accomplish collective goals. But what happens when the evil inclination, the yetzer hara , isn’t kept in check? When we don’t address our negative desires, they can take over, especially when we gather in large groups. Fear begins to spread—fear of our neighbors, fear for our safety. We can see this happening today in many cities where the pullback of law enforcement has led to rising fear and disorder. As a result, there’s a call to restore law enforcement, which we might view as a necessary evil. Violence and predation, as we read in today’s passage, remind us that taking someone’s life is an attack on the image of God. The Torah provides guidance on how society should address the loss of life and the shedding of blood. We see how this unfolds in the Torah, showing us the importance of balancing justice and mercy without going to extremes. It’s a constant struggle to find the right response to violence in society while maintaining righteousness. The Fear of Mankind and Its Implications When God tells Noah, “ The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given .” This is not just about expanding the dinner menu. God is telling Noah that from here on out, all the animals will fear humanity. A study on animals’ fear of human voices 0 published in Current Biology in 2023 about a study done by Western University in South Africa points to the historical veracity of the Noahide covenant. The researchers played recordings of voices of different animals, birds interspersed with human voices and the animals and birds, which did not have regular contact with humans, were much more likely to flee from the voice of humans than from the voices of other animals. The fear of the voices of people are indeed imprinted in the DNA of animals. ““Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.” (Genesis 9:4 NAS95) This commandment is repeated in Acts 15, which emphasizes its relevance and importance. God wanted His people to be holy and separate. Many pagan cultures placed great spiritual importance on drinking blood, to connect with the animal that was killed but God warns His people not to do that. In the early Church, the new believers coming in from the Gentile communities that they would have to give up this practice to be in fellowship with the Church. God warned the Israelites repeatedly not to pick up any of the practices of the nations around them. They were not to mix His practices with the practices of the nation. They were suppose dot be distinct and separate from the nations. When they didn’t want to be separate from the nations, they ended up being absorbed into the other nations. Archaeologists in Israel have dug up small male and female idols with inscription that say that said things such as “YHWH and His ashoreth” so the archaeologists use the finding of these figurines as an excuse to claim that the Biblical account of monotheism is a lie. The Bible shows us why those figurines were in the land, it’s because the Israelites did not swarm the land and clean out these practices so they were slowly incorporated by the Israelites and caused profound spiritual confusion. Another example is the example of circumcision, the secular historians will reflect on the fact that the Egyptians practiced circumcision to dismiss the unique position that circumcision played in Israelite culture, ignoring the fact that just because the Egyptians practiced circumcision for hygiene doesn’t negate the fact that God told His people to practice circumcision as a spiritual and covenantal practice. “Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man. “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. “As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.” (Genesis 9:5-7 NAS95) Human beings are uniquely made in the image of God, that is our lineage. We have the ability to communicate with each other with language in all its forms. Just as God can speak, so can we. Everywhere there is language, there is evidence of a mind. Language can only exist between two minds. You have to have an encoder and a decoder. At the Tower of Babel, God created chaos when He created different languages, forcing the people to separate with those whose language they would distinguish and understand. Animals may have a rudimentary understanding of certain words but they do not have the ability to communicate with us. Whales, dolphins, crows and ravens can communicate, and even plants, and fungus have some ability to communicate with each other but it’s still not on the level of human language. Two Sides of the Promise: God’s Mercy and Humanity’s Duty “Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, “Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. “I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9:8-11 NAS95) Who are the parties to the covenant? God, Noah, Noah’s descendants and every living creature. These are all parties to this agreement in which God promises not to “cut off” living beings from the earth world wide flood. Before the Flood, the world was full of violence with little consequence but going forward, murder has profound consequences. Part of the covenant is that killing of a human life must be acknowledged and recompensed. Mankind has a duty to investigate and ascertain how a person died and not ignore homicide. With both the death penalty and abortion, we have to be intellectually honest and admit that in both cases, a human being has died and that the death of a human being is a tragedy. One of the most important lessons of this covenant is that there are two sides. God promises not to destroy humanity with a flood but the people who survived are supposed to respond by also promising not to wipe out those made in God’s image. The one who created us is the one who saved us and then took us out the other side. This is the pattern we see with Noah and this is the pattern we will witness in the last days. Summary: Tammy Footnotes Austel, Hermann J. Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament . Accordance electronic edition, version 2.8. Chicago: Moody Press, 1980. ︎ Ortlund, G., “Why a Local Flood?” truthunites.org, 3 Jan 2015; video “Was Noah’s Flood Local?” youtube.com, 14 Jan 2024. Cited in Sarfati, Jonathan, “ Refuting Gavin Ortlund’s local flood compromise ,” creation.com, 24 September 2024, accessed 7 December 2024. ︎ Leupold, H.C., Exposition of Genesis 1 :301–302, 1942. Cited in Sarfati, Jonathan, “ Refuting Gavin Ortlund’s local flood compromise ,” creation.com, 24 September 2024, accessed 7 December 2024. ︎ “Animal Fear Research Confirms Genesis,” Creation 47(1) 2025, p. 11. ︎…
1 Taming the tide of violence: The Flood as a call to return to the Righteous One (Genesis 8:1–14) 1:09:06
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1:09:06The Creator, Destroyer, and Redeemer: God’s Purpose in the Flood The Flood wasn’t part of God’s original plan, but because almost all of mankind turned from the teachings of the Creator thinking and acting violently continually, God had to call upon Noah to build the ark in preparation for HIs destruction of the earth. God had to destroy the majority of the people on the earth because of the extreme evil and violence that was common place in Noah’s generation. Yeshua warns us that there will be a time where the people will be just as evil as they were in Noah’s time, when the vast majority of the people will want to go their own way, rather than God’s way. We are warned that just as in the Days of Noah, will be the Days of the LORD. The secular world, looking at the world through the eyes of evolution see our world as “red in tooth and claw” but this was not God’s plan for humanity. The Scriptures are real history and records the real testimony about the intentions and actions of the Creator of Heaven and Earth. It is because there is violence in the world that we have to have systems in place, that we call the police or the military who also have to be knowledgeable and fluent in the exercise of violence, not for their own power but to protect their families and neighbors from those who would use violence as a form of domination and tyranny. We saw this during World War 2 when a nation rose up that loved power and violence and ran over most of Europe and the nations of Europe had to respond with violence to push them back. The Creator turned Destroyer also was and is Savior and Redeemer. The promise God gave to Chavah (Eve) that from her would come the one to crush the head of the Nakhash (snake; the Adversary). When God destroyed the earth at the end of Genesis 7, the earth was in a similar state to what it was in Genesis 1. “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2 NAS95) This verse is directly connected to and a direct result of what we read in Genesis 7:21-24. “All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. The water prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days.” (Genesis 7:21-24 NAS95) But God did not leave the world engulfed in the dark and formless void. After 150 days, God was ready to restore the earth. “But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark.” (Genesis 8:1, NASB 1995) The beasts which were on the ark were the original kinds from which all the animals that are alive today. For example, the original dog kind was probably a type of wolf but since the Flood, through both natural and artificial selection, we have many different breeds of wolves and dogs all over the earth. It is the same with cats and all the other animals. That previous context is Gen 7:21–24: The Flood killed everything on land and that depended on the land for survival. Only eight people were preserved, they were in the place of salvation. The Flood covered the Earth for 150 days, but after this period, the waters began to recede to their original sources. Thus, Genesis 8:1 highlights the contrast between domination and destruction versus salvation and restoration. God created the mountains and the ocean caverns to hold all the water that had covered the earth to allow it to drain enough to reveal the dry land that would be necessary for Noah and the land animals to survive. vayyizkōr ʾᵉlōhı̂m “But God remembered…” (Genesis 8:1, NASB95) God’s remembering of Noah was not a casual recollection of something forgotten. It is memory put into action. “There are three groups of meanings: 1) for completely inward mental acts such as “remembering” or “paying attention to,” 2) for such inward mental acts accompanied by appropriate external acts, and 3) for forms of audible speaking with such meanings as “recite” or “invoke.” Cognate evidence indicates that the third group of meanings is closest to the verb’s root meaning. This range of meanings shows the same blending or overlapping between mental states and external acts seen also in other Hebrew terms (e.g. Hebrew שָׁמַע shema “to hear”).” (TWOT) When God remembered Noah, it was not merely a fond recollection, but God’s call to action on Noah’s behalf. “God’s remembrance of his covenant results in delivering his people (Ex 2:24) or in preserving them (Lev 26:44, 45). Conversely, remembering sin may be tantamount to withholding favor (Hos 7:1–2). Remembering Hezekiah’s past faithfulness resulted in healing (2 Kgs 20:3), and remembering Noah was to make the waters to subside (Gen 8:1). For God not to remember iniquity was to forgive and to withhold further judgment (Ps 79:8–9). For men also “remembering” results in action. “Remembering” may imply repentance (Ezek 6:9) or observing the commandments (Num 15:40) especially that of the Sabbath (Ex 20:8). For the ends of the earth, remembrance is repentance (Ps 22:27 [H 28]). In political relations, not remembering a treaty is to break it (Amos 1:9).” (TWOT) For us as people, when God commands us to remember, it’s not just a mental exercise—it requires action. Similarly, when God instructs us to protect something, we cannot fulfill that command unless we understand what we are protecting and why it matters. God also commanded them to remember and observe the Sabbath, using the cycle of manna to emphasize its sacred rhythm. During the six ordinary days of the week, they could collect only enough manna for that day, as any extra would spoil overnight. However, on Friday, they were permitted to gather a double portion, and the surplus miraculously remained fresh for the Sabbath. This allowed them to rest on the Sabbath, as God had commanded, without the need to gather their daily bread. Near the end of the Flood, when Noah sent out the dove to check the state of the earth, it returned with an olive branch, a symbol often associated with peace. This connection arises because the Hebrew word for peace, shalom , goes beyond the mere absence of conflict—it conveys a sense of wholeness, completeness, and rest. Did the calendar shift between the Flood and the Exodus? The Flood began on the 17th day of the second month in Noach’s 600th year (Gn 7:11). The ark rested on Ararat mountains on the first day of the seventh month of that year, and the tops of the mountains became visible on the first day of the 1oth month (Gen. 8:4-5). The ground was visible on the first day of the first month of Noach’s 601st year, and the ground was completely dry on the 27th day of the second month (Gen. 8:13-14). While we may say that we know specifically what months are referenced here, many over the centuries have wondered why the LORD had to say this specifically amid the instructions for the first Pesach (Passover): “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.” Exodus 12:2 NASB 1995 (This month is called Aviv/Abib in Exodus 34:18.) Below are the names, established during Israel’s Babylonian exile, of the Hebrew calendar months and their approximate Gregorian equivalents: Nisan (March-April) Iyar (April-May) Sivan (May-June) Tammuz (June-July) Av (July-August) Elul (August-September) Tishrei (September-October) Cheshvan (October-November) Kislev (November-December) Tevet (December-January) Shevat (January-February) Adar (February-March) In leap years, an additional month, Adar II , is added after Adar. These months align with the lunar cycle and are adjusted periodically to remain in sync with the solar year through leap years. Several ancient calendars marked the start of the year in the fall, aligning with the agricultural cycle. 1 The Hebrew calendar is one example, where Tishrei, though it is the seventh month, is traditionally celebrated as the New Year (Rosh Hashanah) in early fall. 2 Similarly, the Babylonian calendar sometimes aligned its New Year with the autumn equinox, based on agricultural and religious considerations. The ancient Egyptian calendar, though primarily linked to the Nile’s flood cycle, also influenced later systems with autumnal markers. Yeshua, the ultimate Ark of God While it is speculation and tradition 3 that the first, second, seventh and 10th months mentioned in Genesis 6–9 were based on a fall starting time in Noach’s time, it could be interesting that the start of the Flood could have corresponded with the 17th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. That would place it three days into the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles). And that might corresponded to the “midst of the feast” (John 7:14 NASB 1995) when Yeshua (Jesus) went up to the Temple to teach during one Sukkot. Bible writers and scholars often draw typological parallels between Yeshua and Noah’s ark, emphasizing Yeshua as the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan for redemption and safety: Ark as a refuge from judgment : Just as the ark saved Noah and his family from the flood, Yeshua offers salvation from God’s ultimate judgment. The ark symbolizes God’s provision of a way to escape destruction (1Peter 3:20-21). Baptism and the Flood : Peter connects the floodwaters to baptism, which symbolizes cleansing and a new life in Yeshua. Baptism represents entering into safety through faith in Him (1Peter 3:21). Messianic deliverance : Noah’s ark prefigures Yeshua’s role as a Savior, providing a secure path to eternal life, akin to how the ark provided a way to survive physical destruction (Matthew 24:37-39). Sabbath as Resistance: A Weekly Reminder of God’s Sovereignty We live in a world that is oblivious to Who created us and where we come from, but as we keep the Shabbat and follow the Biblical feast cycle, we remind ourselves that we are in the world and not of the world and that our presence is supposed to improve the world. If we don’t actively seek to improve the world around us our inertia will cause us to inevitably assimilate into the culture around us. Living in the world but not being of the world is a delicate and often uncomfortable balance. The Pilgrim founders of the Mayflower colony were deeply committed Christians who fled England because the English monarchy and church denied them the freedom to live according to their beliefs. They were unable to practice their faith without facing harassment or persecution, prompting their quest for a new beginning. So, when they arrived in the New World, they proactively wrote the Mayflower Compact so they would have a template of the kind of community they wanted to live in and perpetuate for future generation. 400 years since the Mayflower Compact, we live in a culture that used to have a firm Christian foundation that it has rapidly given up and we now live in what one could call a post-christian culture. Those of us who live in California certainly feel this acutely as our government seems to be hell-bent on enacting laws that not only ignore God’s instruction but bluntly and completely contradicts them. We might find ourselves relating to figures like Abraham and Lot, who lived as a small minority of God-fearing individuals in a society whose actions were entirely opposed to God’s ways. Footnotes The Paian Project. “ The Ancient Athenian Calendar Explained .” Accessed December 1, 2024. Smiti Nathan. “ Ancient Calendars From Around The World .” Habits of a Traveling Archaeologist. January 17, 2024. Accessed December 1, 2024. ︎ Amit Naor. “ How Tishrei Became the First Month of the Hebrew Calendar .” The National Library of Israel. September 15, 2020. Accessed December 1, 2024. ︎…
1 From sacred to sacrilege: ‘Sons of God,’ ‘daughters of men’ and erosion of God’s words in human traditions (Genesis 5–6; Isaiah 29–30; Matthew 23) 1:24:49
1:24:49
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1:24:49For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14 NASB 1995 Overview There are all kinds of interpretations about the extremely old ages listed in the genealogy of Genesis 5 and the “sons of God” and Nephalim references in Genesis 6:1–8. But what seems most import in this passage to understand is following God’s teachings, versus claiming to follow God but not truly engaging (talking and walking) with Him to act righteously. First, why are there inconsistencies in the ages of figures like Adam and Noah, highlighting the discrepancies between the Masoretic (standard Hebrew) text and the Septuagint (300–100 B.C. Greek) translation of Genesis 5? At the same time, we see “sacred numbers” of the Bible, such as 7, 8, 12, and 40, show up in the ages of genealogy of this chapter. Some have posited that the ages show evidence of a shift in numbering systems from a 60-based counting system of Mesopotamia to a 10-based system, suggesting it may have occurred due to cultural changes in Abraham’s travel from Ur to Canaan. Some biblical interpretations like to focus on the mystery of “the sons of God” and the Nephilim in Genesis 6:1–8. Yet “sons of God” could represent individuals who abandoned God for worldly desires (Romans 8), and not necessarily literal angelic offspring. This could be shown in the lineages of Cain (Genesis 4:17–26) and Seth (Genesis 5), suggesting a struggle between good and evil. There is debate about whether the נְפִילִים Nephilim in Genesis 6:4 refers to fallen angels mating with women. An ancient Christian interpretation proposes that “came in to” (יָבֹ֜אוּ yavoʾu , from בּוֹא boʾ , H935) and “bore”/”begot” (יָלְד֖וּ yoldu , from יָלַד yalad H3205) are metaphors for demonic possession. Into the details Sacred numbers in the Bible When secular skeptics read the genealogies in Genesis 5, they often doubt the historical accuracy of the passage because the lifespans of the patriarchs seem unusually long. Since we can’t wrap our heads around these extraordinary life spans, we presume the authors are either lying or exaggerating. When people attempt to use these ages to reverse-calculate the age of the earth, they encounter problems, depending on whether they reference the Septuagint or the Masoretic Text. These issues arise due to gaps in the genealogical records and variations in how the earth’s age was calculated. These contradictory numbers frustrate people like me, who enjoy working with numbers and are curious about why they differ. But in the end, it doesn’t matter what the numbers actually are because they don’t change how I walk in obedience to God’s instructions. I can’t imagine living to be 1,000 years old, nor can I fathom anyone having their first son at the age of 180. Such things are beyond our lived experience. When something is outside of our experience, we often find it hard to believe it’s possible. Sacred numbers in different religious traditions Have you ever heard the term “sacred numbers”? Certain numbers have historical or mystical meanings, such as 7, 3, 8, 12, 40, 49, and 70. These numbers are often symbolic, representing abstract concepts like perfection, judgment, or new beginnings. For example, Genesis 1 contains numerous references to the number 7. Because of this, when we see the number 7 elsewhere in Scripture, our minds naturally return to the creation account to seek connections or deeper meanings. The most common sacred number in Sumerian culture was 60 (or 360), associated with the lunar cycle, the 360 degrees of a circle, and the 60 minutes in an hour. Mathematics was a sacred discipline to the ancient Sumerians . When Noah or his sons recorded their family’s genealogical history, it is notable that the men’s ages are multiples of 60. This intrigues me. There seems to be also a pattern in Genesis where lifespans gradually decrease between Adam and Noah, but after Noah, they drop precipitously. Scholars have proposed various theories to explain this, including disease, changes in the atmosphere, or shifts in human genetics. The Sumerians used a base-60 counting system, while the Egyptians, Canaanites, Greeks, and Romans used a base-10 system. By the time of Abraham, numerical records often reflected multiples of 10. Noah’s age and the Flood: Why did he wait so long to have kids? The genealogy in Genesis 5 was not recorded to provide a precise calculation for the earth’s age. Its purpose was to trace Noah’s lineage and document the age of each father when their next recorded son was born. For instance, Adam fathered Seth, who was not his firstborn. Seth then fathered Enosh. We are not told whether Enosh was Seth’s firstborn, and it doesn’t matter. The focus of Genesis 5 is on tracing a specific patrilineal lineage, not birth order. According to Josephus, Adam and Eve had 33 sons and 23 daughters, yet only three sons are named in the Bible, and none of the daughters are mentioned by name. Whether Josephus was correct or not is beside the point. The key takeaway is that Genesis 5 focuses solely on Seth because he is the progenitor of Noah. We often assume that the men mentioned in Genesis 5 were the eldest sons, but that is not a reasonable assumption. God frequently entrusts His work to individuals who are not firstborns, such as Moses, King David, and Joseph. The Hebrew word for genealogy in Genesis 5 (also Gen. 2:4; 6:9; 10:1, 32; 11:10, 27; 25:12-13, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2) is תּוֹלָדוֹת toledot (H8435). It comes from the verb יָלַד yalad (H3205), translated as “begat” in the King James Version, “became the father of” in the New American Standard Bible or literally “to (produce a) child” — to have a יֶלֶד yeled (H3206, “child, son, boy, youth” 1 ). This verb is used throughout the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11. Interesting to note is the wording used for Noach’s generation: Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of [יָלַד yalad ] Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Genesis 5:32 NASB 1995 Noah became the father of [יָלַד yalad ] three sons [בָּנִים banim , from בֵּן beyn (H1121)]: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Genesis 6:10 NASB 1995 While yalad notes father–son relationships, especially in Genesis 5 and 11 where an age is noted for the timing of the next stated generation, beyn can refer to a father–son, grandfather–grandson or more distant relationships. 2 Why was Noah 500 years old when he had his first recorded son, while his predecessors typically began having children around 120? Perhaps it was due to personal circumstances, such as the difficulty of finding a godly wife in such a wicked culture, or perhaps it was simply divine timing. Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Genesis 5:32–6:2 NASB 1995 At the end of Genesis 4, we read about Adam’s grandson Enosh and his generation: To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD. Genesis 4:26 NASB 1995 During Enosh’s generation, people began to call on the name of the Lord, but this marked a cultural divide. While some worshiped the Lord, others, particularly Cain’s descendants, profaned His name, leading to the widespread wickedness seen in Noah’s day. The “sons of God” described in Genesis were those in fellowship with God. Similarly, the Apostle Paul uses this term to describe followers of Messiah Yeshua. Unfortunately, in Noah’s time, many “sons of God” married outside the faith, which led them away from righteousness. This was also a time of widespread polygamy, further corrupting humanity. The replacement of spiritual connection with fleshly indulgence led to moral decline. This pattern is seen in figures like King Solomon and Jacob, whose multiple marriages caused family strife. Things became so corrupt that God referred to humanity as “flesh” and decided to destroy the earth. By Noah’s generation, he was the only righteous man capable of repopulating the world. It’s possible that Noah refrained from having children until God revealed His plans for the flood. Before that, he may have seen little purpose in starting a family. Once God shared His intentions, Noah took a wife and began having children. Isaiah 29–30 and the rebellious people In Isaiah 30:8–15, we see a similar pattern. Just as Noah warned his generation for 120 years, God told Isaiah to warn the people of his time about impending judgment. Yet, they ignored him, preferring to be flattered and hear lies. The events of the flood were not sudden. From the time God warned Noah to the flood’s arrival, about 120 years passed. The people had ample warning but ignored it. Similarly, Isaiah’s warnings were not sudden, but they caught the people off guard because they refused to listen. In both cases, the people indulged their flesh and ignored righteousness. Matthew 23 and the Pharisees In Matthew 23:1–39, Yeshua delivers His final public sermon, critiquing religious leaders who “sit in Moses’ seat” but fail to live righteously: Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.” Matthew 23:1–3 NASB 1995 The people of Noah’s time openly rejected God and His righteousness. The people in Isaiah’s day were purposefully blind and apathetic. Yeshua warned His disciples repeatedly about the actions of the Pharisees, who appear good on the outside but are corrupt on the inside. There was a lot of hypocrisy—pretending to seek righteousness while pursuing selfish desires. What is a ‘son of God’? As sons of God, we must avoid these pitfalls. We should reject living solely for the flesh, avoid apathy toward God’s commands, and steer clear of hypocrisy. True followers of God should talk to Him, pray to Him, and understand His teachings, not just blindly follow the rules. Romans 8:8–15 reminds us to be led by the Spirit of God and to act righteously. Being a son of God means not only avoiding evil but actively pursuing what is right. This dual commitment—to reject sin and embrace righteousness—sets us apart as God’s children. Summary: Tammy Footnotes Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, eds. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon . Accordance electronic edition, version 4.5. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906. ︎ Pierce, Larry and Ken Ham. “ Who Begat Whom? ” Answers Magazine , Answers In Genesis. Accessed Nov. 19, 2024. ︎…
1 Is religion ‘opium’ or empowerment? How Cain and Abel reveal a good God amid a world of suffering (Genesis 4; Romans 3) 1:12:18
1:12:18
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1:12:18As we delve into the profound depths of Genesis 4, we find ourselves confronted with a tapestry of captivating imagery and profound theological truths. At the heart of this passage lies the intriguing interplay between the offerings of Cain and Abel, a narrative that serves as a gateway into the timeless struggle between good and evil. The key to unlocking this passage lies in the Hebrew verb “yashar,” which means “to gaze upon” or “to look.” When we read that “the Lord gazed upon Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering He did not gaze,” we are invited to ponder the significance of this divine gaze. It is as if the Lord is peering into the very depths of the human heart, discerning the intentions and motivations that lie beneath the surface. This concept of the divine gaze is further amplified by the mention of the “Panim” or “face” of the LORD, a phrase that evokes the idea of a direct, personal encounter with the Almighty. As we trace this thread back to the previous chapter, we are reminded of the Lord “walking in the garden” and the first couple’s awareness of His presence. This sets the stage for the expectation that Cain was the “seed of the woman” who would bring about a restoration of that intimate relationship, a hope that was tragically shattered by the tragic events that unfold in Genesis 4. The birth of Cain, with the mother’s declaration “I have gotten a man child with the help of the Lord,” further heightens the anticipation of this messianic figure. Yet, as the narrative unfolds, we witness the firstborn of the first couple not as the promised deliverer, but as the one who rises up and murders his own brother. This stark contrast serves as a poignant reminder that the path to redemption is often paved with brokenness and suffering. Hidden motives: What Cain and Abel’s offerings reveal about true worship The offerings of Cain and Abel become a powerful metaphor for the state of the human heart. While the focus may often be on the physical gifts presented, the true essence of the matter lies in the posture of the giver. As the prophet Jeremiah reminds us, “The Lord does not desire burnt offerings, but a contrite heart” (Jer 7:22-23). This principle is echoed throughout Scripture, from the Psalmist’s declaration, “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings” (Ps 51:16), to the prophet Isaiah’s scathing rebuke, “I hate your feasts” (Isa 1:14). The first step in approaching heaven is to bring our brokenness and to rend our hearts in repentance. We should be in anguish about our separation from God. The fear of the word is the beginning of wisdom and a significant part of that wisdom is that acknowledging that God can see us wherever we are. Heaven is never clueless about what we are doing or our motives behind what we are doing. Understanding that God will bring correction on us whenever we do wrong will prevent us from committing evil. The difference between Cain’s and Abel’s offerings might stem from their attitudes and intentions. Abel offered his lamb willingly, while Cain’s offering of produce may have been given out of obligation. Cain might have believed that his produce, which required hard labor after the fall, was more valuable, possibly feeling competitive toward Abel. In contrast, Abel focused on what would truly please God, possibly seeking divine guidance, while Cain relied on his own judgment. Additionally, an animal sacrifice demands more planning and commitment than a produce offering, as it requires selecting, slaughtering, and preparing the animal in advance. Appearance of design: Darwin’s struggle with doubt in the divine The problem of evil, a perplexing and age-old question, finds its roots in these early chapters of Genesis. How can a good and loving God allow such suffering and destruction to exist in His creation? This is the very question that troubled the great Victorian poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson, who in his poem “In Memoriam, A.H.H.” lamented the “Nature, red in tooth and claw” that seemed to contradict the notion of a benevolent Creator. Alfred Lord Tennyson was a contemporary of Charles Darwin. Darwin, who was raised in a nominally Christian environment, wrote in an 1856 letter to a friend a few years before publication of his book On the Origin of Species how he wrestled with the “brutal inefficiency of natural selection”: What a book a devil’s chaplain might write on the clumsy, wasteful, blundering, low and horribly cruel works of nature! Cited by Jerry Coyne, “Gould and God,” Nature , 2003. Darwin had no idea of the intricate details of the characteristics of the eye and the ear. Darwin’s generation did not have access to modern photography, or modern microscopes. He ignored his common sense that was telling him that he was observing intelligent design, but using his “reason” to tell him that the obvious design was not actually design. Yet, as we delve deeper into the Scriptures, we find that the problem of evil is not a mere philosophical conundrum, but a reality that has been woven into the very fabric of human existence since the fall of Adam and Eve. The “law of sin and death” (Rom 8:2) that was introduced in Genesis 3 has cast a long shadow over the world, leading to the violence and decay that we witness throughout history. A biblical response to Marxist ideas on suffering and social struggle Some atheist philosophers claim that religion in general and that based upon the Bible distracts people from suffering and convinces them not to fight against forces deemed oppressive. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. Karl Marx, “Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right,” 1843 One of the key principles of Hegelian socialism — and by extension, Marxism, communism, and later developments like Leninism and Maoism — is the idea that oppressive forces within society prevent people from recognizing their own oppression. These forces are constantly working to keep individuals suppressed. So, where does belief in God fit in? All these “isms” of our time insist that we are being held back and oppressed. James 1 is the antidote to the lies of Hegelian socialism, communism and Marxism, because, rather than “consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds…” Marxism says, to consider it evil when you face trials of many kinds. No you should recognize this is an evil and battle and fight and rage against it in all of its possible forms, even if it destroys you, because in the process, you know you, you might go down in your generation, but the next generation will will move up because of the struggle. However, the Scriptures do not leave us in despair. Rather, they offer a glimmer of hope, a promise that the suffering and brokenness of this world are not the final word. As the apostle Paul reminds us, “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18). This eternal perspective, rooted in the hope of the Messiah and the restoration of all things, is a powerful antidote to the temptation to succumb to the darkness. In the face of such profound challenges, the believer is called to a posture of wisdom and discernment. As the book of James exhorts, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (Jas 1:5). This wisdom is not merely an intellectual pursuit, but a deep-seated trust in the sovereign plan of the Almighty, even when the path ahead seems shrouded in darkness. Zion’s struggle: The delicate balance of violence and nonviolence On a personal level, we are called to turn the other cheek, but a society cannot do that. There is a delicate balance between personal pacifism and corporate vigilance in addressing oppression.The government has a duty to take care and defend the widow, the orphan and the weak. Peaceful people must use violence against the violent so as to restore peace, which is a sad truth. Those who end up being called up to be a peace officer to use violence to stop the violence, have to be careful to rein it in so they do not become the violent themselves, that they do not become just like the people they are opposing. “Turning the cheek” on a corporate level is what led Jews to suffer through many pogroms, and to be ethnically cleansed from many countries and imprisoned in ghettos. Many Jews just thought that this ill treatment was just their lot. Most of them didn’t flee, they didn’t do anything. In the early years of the Jewish battles against the Seleucids, the same attitude prevailed to the point that when the Greeks outlawed Torah observance, they decided to start fighting back but they would not fight on the Sabbath and once the Greek enemy discovered this pattern, they would wait until Shabbat to attack the rebellious Jews, because they would know well they would not do anything on Shabbat. Fortunately, the Maccabees learned from those mistakes, defended themselves and were eventually able to push back, and defeat a significantly larger army than their own. God gave favor to that, because they pushed them back and rededicated the temple. That’s why we celebrate at Hanukkah each year, that the Macabees were able to push back and defeat the Greeks who were literally hell-bent on pressuring the Jews to give up their distinct culture, heritage and worship. Society must stand up for the oppressed, the or orphan, the widow, those that are most vulnerable. Is Zionism a secular political movement rooted in cultural ties to a land, or is it a religious movement with the hand of God actively involved? In truth, it is both. The earliest Zionists were largely socialists who declared, “We willed it, and it happened.” In 1947-1948, the world witnessed Israel being formed as a nation in a single day, despite the fact that many of the movement’s leaders were atheists and communists. The establishment of Israel was significantly supported by the kibbutz system — communal settlements that exemplify communism on a small scale. Although many of those raised in this environment may not have recognized it, the founding of Israel can be seen as fulfilling God’s intention for the Jewish people to return to this land, perhaps even more than their own desire to be there. Many Jews felt a cultural bond to the land, yet others discerned a divine purpose unfolding. Surviving attacks from multiple hostile armies on all fronts, Israel’s endurance as a nation speaks to the presence of a guiding hand beyond mere human effort. Seeing beyond the horizon: Embracing God’s perspective on suffering and society There is great power that we can wield without violence when we vote for a change in leadership. There’s even greater power as we repent, pray and fast, asking God for wise leaders. The role of the “watchmen on the wall” becomes crucial in this context, as they navigate the treacherous currents of media and propaganda. In a world where the “principalities of the air” (Eph 2:2) seeks to sow seeds of division and deception, the believer must be vigilant, discerning truth from falsehood and standing firm in the wisdom that comes from above. Yet, this vigilance must be tempered with a spirit of compassion and understanding. The ability to engage in meaningful dialogue with those who hold differing views is essential. It is only through such open and honest exchange that we can begin to disarm the ideologies that seek to tear us apart and plant the seeds of truth that can bring about true transformation. As believers, we are called to plant seeds of truth and challenge false ideologies through meaningful conversations. It’s essential that we remain open-minded, engaging in respectful discussions with those who hold different perspectives. Secular society often claims that religion is merely a tool used by the powerful to lull people into ignoring the hardships and suffering around them. However, true religion does not turn a blind eye to the pain of others. In this regard, the example of Avraham and Yosef stands as a powerful testament to the ways in which God can use even the most unlikely of individuals to accomplish His purposes. Though they may not have fully understood the role they were called to play, their willingness to trust in the Lord’s leading and to persevere through the trials and tribulations that came their way serves as an inspiration to all who seek to walk the path of faith. Ultimately, the message that emerges from this study is one of hope and eternal perspective. As the apostle Paul reminds us, “the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Cor 4:18). In the face of the suffering and brokenness that permeates our world, we are called to lift our gaze beyond the temporal and to fix our eyes on the promise of the coming Kingdom, where the Suffering Servant will crush the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15) and wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev 21:4). This is not to say that the path ahead will be easy. As the Jacobites of Scotland and countless other persecuted groups have learned, the road to redemption is often paved with sacrifice and suffering. Yet, even in the midst of such trials, we are called to consider it “pure joy” (Jas 1:2), knowing that the Lord is using these experiences to refine our character and deepen our trust in Him. In the end, the true power of this study lies in its ability to inspire us to look beyond the immediate and to embrace the eternal perspective that is so central to the biblical worldview. Whether we are facing the challenges of a broken world, navigating the treacherous waters of media and propaganda, or simply seeking to live out our faith in the midst of daily trials, the lessons we glean from these ancient texts can serve as a guiding light, illuminating the path forward and empowering us to stand firm in the face of adversity. So let us take up the mantle of the watchmen, standing vigilant and discerning, yet also compassionate and understanding. Let us embrace the wisdom that comes from above, trusting in the sovereign plan of the Almighty and fixing our eyes on the promise of the coming Kingdom. And let us never forget that, even in the darkest of times, the light of the Suffering Servant continues to shine, offering hope and redemption to all who would dare to gaze upon His face. Summary: Tammy…
1 Discernment in a distorted world: Heaven’s guide for telling good from bad (Genesis 2–3; Ezekiel 28; Romans 5) 1:34:22
1:34:22
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1:34:22Does the Bible’s creation account truly depict the beginning of all things or merely the writings of sun-stroked shepherds? In contrast to the mythological narratives found in other ancient cultures, the Genesis account presents a distinct perspective. Rather than a haphazard emergence of the cosmos from chaos, we see a purposeful, step-by-step unfolding of creation by the hand of a sovereign God (Genesis 1:1-2:3). God “creates” and “forms” while mankind “makes.” This the difference between God’s power of creation and mankind’s power of creation. This stark contrast challenges the prevailing notion that “things generated out of what is,” inviting us to consider a higher, more intentional origin of the universe. Genesis 2:4-3:24, with companion passages in Ezekiel 28:11-26 and Romans 5:12-21, is not only a offers a transformative understanding of the human condition and the Creator’s plan for restoration. Really just male and female? A key aspect of the creation narrative is the establishment of male and female as the intended design for humanity (Genesis 2:18-25). This is not a myriad of variations — as increasingly more advocate today — but a clear and purposeful distinction, as is “understood through what has been made” (Romans 1:20). When manufacturers reverse-engineer a product, they look to how the product works most of the time, rather than focusing on exceptions or anomalies. How much more, then, can we to discern the Creator’s original intent by looking at what is almost always the case in humanity — the binary of male and female. A unique place for a unique encounter The earth is not on the periphery of the universe but at its center. The people of the earth are God’s highest priority. So, when the children of Israel traveled through the wilderness, God’s house was not on the periphery of the camp but at its center. At the heart of the creation account lies Gan Eden (Garden of Eden), a place set apart and demarcated for a special purpose. This garden is where the Presence (literally, “face”) of Elohim would walk and commune with the first man and woman (Genesis 3:8). This intimate encounter between the Creator and His creation underscores the original intention for a harmonious relationship between Heaven and Earth. The Tabernacle and Temple: Symbols of Presence Expanding on the theme of the Creator’s presence, there are parallels between the Garden of Eden and Israel’s later Mishkan (tabernacle and temple). These sacred spaces are designed to be the dwelling place of God among His people, a tangible representation of the restored relationship (Exodus 25:8; 1Kings 8:10-11). However, the presence of God is not to be taken lightly, as evidenced by the holiness buffer and strict protocols surrounding access to these holy sites (Leviticus 16:2; Ezekiel 44:15-16). 2 trees, 1 decision At the center of the Garden of Eden stood two pivotal trees : the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9). These trees represented a choice , a decision that would have far-reaching consequences — the curse of death and moral malignancy in humanity. The Tree of Life symbolized the words and wisdom of God, the source of true life, while the Tree of Knowledge represented the human desire to determine good and evil independently (Proverbs 3:18; Romans 5:12-14). Peril of underinformed knowledge The Tree of Knowledge highlights the danger of seeking to discern good and evil apart from the Creator’s guidance. Later in Israel’s history at the golden calf incident at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites sought to create their own deity, a reflection of their desire to be autonomous (Exodus 32:1-6), cloaked in the name of the One Who delivered them from the “house of bondage” (Egypt/Mitzraim). It was only because of God’s lovingkindness that He forgave them, but He had to separate from the people of Israel until they truly repented of their sin against Him. Just as after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, God had to separate them from His presence, when Israel sinned in the wilderness, He again had to separate from the people. Yet, Heaven longed to live in the midst of His people. This tendency to rely on our own understanding rather than submitting to the knowledge of God is a recurring theme throughout Scripture. However, just as Solomon said during his prayer of dedication, that the Temple was the Palace of the Lord but it’s not the only place where one can communicate with God and God is not limited to that one place as though humans could presume to cage Him or control Him. We are to respond to the Creator by approaching Him the way He tells us rather than trying to discover or invent our own way of approaching Him. The One Who created this planet and the heavens fashioned them “good” and made humanity “very good,” in the image and likeness of Elohim, but when Adam and Eve disobeyed Him, they rebelled against Him, and in a sense, committed adultery against Him and this idea of adultery is a common motif that God uses to explain how serious it is when we rebel against Him. Adultery divides what God unites. Choose wisely: Role of leaders and judges Building on this foundation, leaders and judges play a critical role in society. That’s why the Torah directs the people of God importance of selecting (literally, “seeing”) individuals who fear God — are men of truth — and hate dishonest gain (Exodus 18:21; Deuteronomy 1:13). These leaders were tasked with the weighty responsibility of discerning between good and evil, upholding justice, and guiding the people in the ways of the LORD. Ezekiel 28 seems to present a dual perspective — speaking both about the prince or king of Tyre as well as a figure that is described in language reminiscent of the Garden of Eden and the angelic realm. This passage highlights how even those in positions of spiritual and political leadership can become ensnared by pride, greed, and a desire for autonomy, rather than remaining faithful to their calling to serve God and His people. The passage contrasts the intended purpose of the priesthood and leadership — to be a bridge between heaven and earth, to uphold righteousness and justice — with the reality of leaders and priests becoming corrupted, turning their backs on God, and leading the people astray. This serves as a sobering warning about the importance of selecting and empowering leaders who truly fear God, uphold truth, and reject dishonest gain – as outlined in the Mosaic law. It underscores the grave responsibility that comes with positions of spiritual and political authority, and the need for constant vigilance to avoid the temptation of self-serving autonomy. The lesson from Ezekiel 28 is a call for godly leadership that remains steadfast in its allegiance to the Creator, rather than succumbing to the allure of power, wealth, and independence from divine guidance. The Messiah and the restoration of relationship between Heaven and Earth Ultimately, the Messiah is the pivotal figure in the restoration of the relationship between Heaven and Earth. Drawing from passages in Ezekiel 28 and Romans 5, he explained how the Messiah’s work would address the fundamental issue introduced in the Garden of Eden – the separation caused by the knowledge of good and evil (Romans 5:12-14). The Messiah is the embodiment of the Tree of Life, the One Who reveals God’s true knowledge of good and evil (John 1:14; 5:39-40; Jeremiah 31:31-34). Through the Messiah’s sacrifice and resurrection, the barrier of sin, transgressions and iniquities that had divided humanity from the Creator would be removed, paving the way for a renewed and unhindered relationship available only by trusting in the Messiah as the truly efficacious offering (Hebrews 10:19-22). The ‘new creation’ and the Tree of Life This dilemma set up a diverging path in humanity’s relationship with God, as both of these trees were declared “very good.” The Tree of Life is often associated with the Torah or God’s wisdom, providing guidance towards spiritual life. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, on the other hand, embodies a choice that appears wise but leads to separation from God and mortality (Proverbs 3:18; John 1:1–14). Looking ahead to the promise of “a new heavens and a new earth” in Isaiah 66, in the New Jerusalem, there will be no more Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — only the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:1-2). This signifies the ultimate restoration, where the knowledge of good and evil will no longer be a source of temptation and separation, but rather a means of healing and life. The high priest’s pivotal role Integral to this narrative of restoration is the role of the high priest, who served as an intermediary between the people and the Creator (Hebrews 4:14-16). The author of the book of Hebrews explained how the high priest’s duties in the tabernacle and temple, such as the annual Yom Kippur ritual, foreshadowed the Messiah’s work in reconciling humanity with the holy God (Leviticus 16:15-16, Hebrews 9:11-12). Tension between tradition and revelation Scripture cautions against prioritizing human traditions over the clear instructions and revelations of God. We have the example of the P’rushim (“separate ones,” Pharisees), who in their early formative days seeking a separation between the pagan ways that doomed Israel to exiles but later became more concerned with compliance to sectarian interpretations and regulations than with the Heaven-directed heart of the matter (Mark 7:6-9). Tradition has its place for directing spiritual discipline from generation to generation. But even good practices and regimes can become detrimental when they become the focus rather than a means to an end. The advice of Qohelet (the Preacher) for a balanced approach can seem cynical — neither being “over-religious” nor “under-religious” (Ecclesiastes 7:16-17). Yet across Scripture we glean the wisdom of seeking to align our lives with the knowledge of good and evil as revealed by the Creator. Lessons for today The creation account in Genesis , the prophetic warnings in Ezekiel , and the theological depth of Romans all converge to paint a comprehensive picture of the human condition and the Creator’s plan for restoration. The choice presented in the Garden of Eden — between the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — is a choice that each of us faces daily. Will we submit to the wisdom and guidance of the Creator, or will we succumb to the temptation of autonomous knowledge and the resulting separation? This decision has profound implications for our individual lives, our communities, and the trajectory of human history. The role of leaders and judges is particularly poignant in our current sociopolitical climate and when elections approach. The need for discernment and righteous decision-making is paramount. Today, we have the rare freedom to choose our own leaders through a democratic process—a right that, for much of history and across most of the world, was unavailable. The ability for each citizen to vote for leaders and judges has only become commonplace in recent centuries. Most of the ancient absolute democracies, such as ancient Athens, the Roman Republic and the Hindu Mahajanapadas devolved into autocracy and monarchy in a few centuries because of the shortcomings of democracy. The practice of voting for our leaders is a rare privilege in human history. Yet the Torah provides a model for selecting leaders, the model Moshe’s father-in-law Yitro recommended (Ex. 18:13-27). On the one hand, democracy is not bad in and of itself yet the Torah instructs judges to not be swayed by “majority rule,” expanding on the Ninth Commandment. As we navigate the complexities of modern life, we would do well to heed the Torah’s instructions on selecting and empowering leaders who fear God, uphold truth and reject dishonest gain. Moreover, the promise of the Messiah and the new creation offers a glimmer of hope in the midst of a world still grappling with the consequences of sin and separation. The Tree of Life, which will one day be the sole source of life and healing, stands as a beacon of the ultimate restoration that the Creator has in store for His creation. We can be left with a profound sense of gratitude for the depth and richness of the Scriptures. Far from being at best mere historical accounts or at worst collections of superstitions and fables, these ancient texts continue to speak to the human experience, challenging us to align our lives with the knowledge of good and evil as revealed by the Creator. We’re reminded of the importance of submitting to God’s wisdom and guidance, rather than relying on our often underinformed understanding because we lack the million-foot-high view of time and the present condition that the Creator has. The choice presented in the Garden of Eden is one that we face daily, and the consequences of our decisions can have far-reaching implications. At the center of the Creator’s perspective is the Messiah, the Restorer of the relationship between heaven and earth. The Messiah’s work as the embodiment of the Tree of Life offers the hope of reconciliation, healing the divide caused by sin and the knowledge of good and evil. As we look forward to the promise of the new creation, where the Tree of Life will be the sole source of life and healing, we can be filled with a renewed sense of anticipation and purpose. Moreover, the lessons on the role of leaders and judges challenged us to consider the weight of responsibility that comes with selecting people for and ourselves assuming positions of authority. Best case scenario is to choose individuals who fear God, uphold truth and reject dishonest gain, because decisions made by those in leadership can have a profound impact on the well-being of a society. We can apply these insights of Scripture to own lives and spheres of influence, submitting to the Creator’s wisdom, discerning between good and evil with the guidance of the Scriptures and supporting and empowering leaders who are committed to the pursuit of righteousness and justice. The Creator’s design and purpose for humanity transcends the boundaries of time and culture. By embracing the knowledge of good and evil as revealed by God, and by placing our trust in the Messiah’s work of restoration, we can find the path to true life and the fulfillment of the Creator’s original intention for His creation.…
1 Dwelling with God: Hold firm to your faith 1:08:33
1:08:33
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1:08:33The biblical festival of Shemini Atzeret, the Convocation of the Eighth Day , has profound and complex themes surrounding the concept of dwelling with God. Participants were challenged to explore the depth of this pivotal event and its implications for their own spiritual journeys. Focusing on the Core Ideas A core idea is the contrast between the humble sukkah — the temporary booth used during Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-44) — and the grand, permanent city of the New Jerusalem, which represents the ultimate destination for those who choose to follow God (Revelation 21:2-4). This transition symbolizes the journey from our temporary, earthly existence to the eternal, uninterrupted communion with the divine. The imagery of the sukkah , with its focus on humility and remembrance, was juxtaposed with the grandeur and permanence of the new Jerusalem, suggesting a deeper spiritual transformation. Metaphorical nature of the New Jerusalem A key aspect of the study is the metaphorical nature of the new Jerusalem. Rather than viewing it as a purely physical structure, the imagery of the New Jerusalem represents the community of believers, the “living stones” that make up the temple of God (1Peter 2:4-5). That the divine dwelling among us, of God’s presence being manifest in the very fabric of our lives, is both humbling and exhilarating. We, as flawed and imperfect human beings, are the cherished possession of the Almighty, the very embodiment of His desire. 2 categories of people The biblical narrative includes two distinct categories of people that will be part of this eternal kingdom: those who have chosen to follow God during their lifetime, and those who did not (Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15). The first group will dwell with the Messiah for a period after His return, while the second will be judged based on their actions and either welcomed into the kingdom or excluded. This distinction is both sobering and thought-provoking, as it highlights the weight of our individual responsibility and the consequences of our choices in life. Enter, repenter Hebrews 3-4 has an impactful warning, with a parallel between the Israelites’ journey out of Egypt and the choices we face in our own lives. That underscores the importance of trust and belief, even when we don’t fully comprehend the reasons behind God’s instructions (Hebrews 3:7-19; 4:1-11). The idea that simply being included in Israel’s exodus from bondage in Egypt — or in modern terms, being a follower of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) — does not automatically guarantee our inclusion in God’s kingdom is a sobering reality check. We must examine the depth of our own faith, to ensure that we are not simply going through the motions, but truly embracing the transformative power of a life lived in submission to the divine. Supremacy of the Messiah The Messiah has supremacy over Heaven’s chief servant, Moses. The Messiah’s ability to overrule the chief servant’s decisions, to forgive and restore those who have failed, was a powerful reminder of the unique role of the Son in God’s plan (Hebrews 3:1-6). This speaks to the depth of the Messiah’s intimate knowledge of the Master’s will and His unwavering commitment to the redemption of humanity. It challenges us to consider the nature of their own relationship with the Messiah, to examine whether they were truly trusting in His guidance and submitting to His will. Metaphor of the New Jerusalem The metaphorical nature of the New Jerusalem emphasizes human beings as the living stones that make up the temple (1Peter 2:4-5). The idea that God’s ultimate desire is to dwell among us, to make His home in the very fabric of our lives, is a profound and humbling truth (Revelation 21:1-3). How are we contributing to the foundation of this eternal city, pondering the impact of our choices and actions on the lives of those around us? Are we playing a role in the growth and development of this divine community? Or are we, like the wicked and unbelieving, standing apart and refusing to be a part of God’s grand design (Revelation 21:8, 27). Importance of trust–faith Israelites’ rebellion in the wilderness has parallels with the choices we face in our own lives. Likewise, we must examine the depth of our own belief in God’s plan, even when we don’t fully understand it (Hebrews 3:7-19; 4:1-11). The Bible uses the metaphor of the master, the chief servant and the son, further reinforcing the importance of submitting to the divine guidance, even when it may not align with our own limited understanding. We are encouraged to consider the ways in which they might be clinging to their own preconceptions, like the Israelites, and risk being excluded from God’s eternal rest. Promise of dwelling with God We easily can be captivated by the vision of the new heavens and earth, and the promise of dwelling with God in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-4; 21:22-27). The idea that human beings, in their physical, flesh-and-blood form, would one day walk through the gates of this celestial city is both surprising and deeply meaningful. This challenges our preconceptions about the nature of the afterlife, suggesting that God’s ultimate plan for humanity is not one of disembodied, spiritual existence, but a restoration of the very essence of our humanity, redeemed and transformed by His grace. Messiah our anchor We’re left with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper appreciation for the gravity of the decisions we make in this life. The choice before us is clear: to trust and believe, even when they don’t fully understand, or to harden their hearts and risk exclusion from God’s eternal rest (Hebrews 3:7-19; 4:1-11). The Messiah’s supreme authority and the metaphorical nature of the New Jerusalem leaves an indelible mark on our hearts and minds. We’re challenged to examine the depth of our own faith, to consider the ways in which we might be contributing to the foundation of this divine community, and to surrender our need for control in order to embrace the mystery of God’s plan. As we step out into the world, we carry with us a renewed sense of hope and determination. The journey ahead won’t be an easy one, but we also know that we’re not alone. With the Messiah as our guide and the promise of God’s eternal presence as our anchor, we’re were ready to face whatever challenges lay in store, trusting that the choices we made would one day lead us to the very gates of the new Jerusalem, where they would dwell with their Creator for all eternity.…
5 key questions Let’s get to the heart of the spiritual lessons behind the biblical instruction to live in temporary dwellings during Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles: Why does God want us to remember that the Israelites dwelled in booths for 40 years? What is the significance of this? What was Messiah’s purpose in initially saying He would not go to the Feast of Tabernacles, but then showing up later incognito? How does this connect to the lessons of Sukkot? Why did the Israelites in Nehemiah 8 choose to express their humiliation and shame by building sukkot (booths)? What does this reveal about the meaning of the festival of Sukkot? According to Deuteronomy 8, what was God’s purpose in humbling the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness? How does this relate to the lessons we should learn during Sukkot? How do the themes of humility, dependence on God, and eternal perspective presented in 1Kings 8 and James 4 connect to the deeper meaning and purpose of dwelling in temporary shelters during Sukkot? The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot , is one of the most significant and multifaceted celebrations in the biblical calendar. At its core, this festival calls God’s people to dwell in temporary shelters, known as sukkot or “booths,” for a week-long period. On the surface, this may seem like a quaint tradition, but as this study reveals, the instruction to live in fragile, impermanent dwellings during Sukkot holds profound spiritual lessons. Why booths? Why does God want us to remember that the Israelites dwelled in booths (Leviticus 23:33-34)? This is not merely a historical detail, but a deliberate command from the LORD, inviting His people to reflect on their past and its significance for the present. The answer lies in the Israelites’ wilderness experience, a time when they were utterly dependent on God’s provision and protection. By dwelling in temporary shelters, the Israelites were constantly reminded of their vulnerability and the need to trust in the divine Provider (Deuteronomy 8:2-3). The Messiah’s example Interestingly, Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) during the Feast of Tabernacles initially tells his brothers that “it is not yet My time” to go to the festival, but then later appears there, almost incognito (John 7:8-10). Yeshua’s seemingly contradictory behavior is rooted in the deeper lessons of Sukkot. Perhaps the Messiah was testing His disciples, curious to see how they would respond in his absence. Or perhaps He was demonstrating the importance of humility and reliance on God, rather than seeking the spotlight. Yeshua’s actions seem to be intimately connected to the purpose behind the Israelites’ wilderness experience and the lessons of Sukkot. Dealing with humiliation and shame The books of Ezra and Nehemiah document the return and rebuilding by ancient Israel from exile in Babylon and Persia. As part of the rebuilding process there was a public reading of the Law of Moses, and the listeners were overcome with grief and a sense of shame (Nehemiah 8:9-12). Their response is to go out and gather branches to build sukkot , a striking expression of humility and repentance. This reaction is unusual, as shame often leads to hiding or seeking forgiveness, rather than a public display of vulnerability. The Israelites’ choice to build temporary shelters reveals a deeper understanding of the purpose behind Sukkot – to humble oneself before God and acknowledge one’s dependence on Him. The wilderness experience and humility To fully grasp the significance of the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings and the lessons of Sukkot, look at the book of Deuteronomy , written to the second generation post-Exodus. There, Moses explained that God’s purpose in humbling the Israelites for 40 years was to teach them to rely on His provision, rather than their own strength or resources (Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 16). The Israelites’ experience of living in tents, lacking the comforts and security of their former lives in Egypt, was a deliberate act of God to strip away their self-reliance and foster a posture of humility. This humbling process was essential for the Israelites to truly understand their identity as God’s people and their need for His guidance and sustenance. Significance of the temporary dwelling There’s deeper meaning behind the instruction to dwell in temporary shelters during Sukkot. The fragile, impermanent nature of the sukkah is a powerful metaphor for the fleeting nature of earthly life and possessions. Just as the Israelites were called to live in tents, rather than permanent structures, we too are reminded that our true home is not in this world, but in the eternal kingdom of God. There’s a parallel between the Israelites’ experience and the human condition, where we often become consumed by the pursuit of wealth, status, and security, forgetting our dependence on the divine Provider. The sukkah experience is a call to let go of these earthly attachments and embrace a posture of humility and trust in God. The Temple and the sukkah Look at the role of the first temple in Solomon’s prayer, as recorded in 1Kings 8. There, the king acknowledged that even the grandest of earthly structures, the temple, is but a pale reflection of God’s true dwelling place — the entirety of His creation (1Kings 8:27). The presenter suggests that the sukkah, with its temporary and fragile nature, serves as a tangible reminder of this spiritual truth. Just as the temple was a symbol of God’s presence, the sukkah points us to the reality that the entire universe is the LORD’s dwelling place. This realization, Agee argues, should foster a deep sense of humility and dependence on the Almighty. ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD’ In the epistle of James , we see more about humility and its connection to the Sukkot experience: “humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10). Apostle Ya’akov contrasted boastful pride and true humility, noting that the sukkah experience is a call to let go of self-reliance and acknowledge our need for God’s grace. Just as the Israelites were instructed to dwell in fragile shelters, we too are challenged to live with an eternal perspective, recognizing that our lives are “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). This posture of humility not only pleases God but also fosters a spirit of compassion and unity among believers. When we recognize our own smallness before the Almighty, we are less likely to judge or speak evil of one another, and more inclined to draw near to God and to our fellow sojourners. The humble dwelling and the eternal home The lessons of Sukkot are not merely historical or ritualistic, but hold profound spiritual significance for believers today. By dwelling in temporary shelters, we are invited to remember our dependence on God, to cultivate an attitude of humility, and to keep an eternal perspective in the midst of our earthly lives. The sukkah, with its fragile and impermanent nature, serves as a powerful reminder that our true home is not found in the accumulation of earthly possessions or the pursuit of self-sufficiency, but in the eternal kingdom of God. As we embrace the lessons of Sukkot, we are called to let go of our pride, to trust in the divine Provider, and to live with a spirit of gratitude and dependence on the One who has made us and sustains us. In this way, the humble dwelling of the sukkah becomes a gateway to a deeper understanding of our relationship with the Almighty, and a means of preparing our hearts for the eternal dwelling place that awaits us in the world to come.…
1 From guilt to glory: Yom Kippur & the believer’s transformative journey 1:09:13
1:09:13
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1:09:13The annual Biblical observance of יוֹם הַכִּפֻּרִים Yom Kippurim (Day of Coverings, Atonement) is a pivotal moment in the redemptive story woven throughout the Scriptures. This sacred day serves as a bookend to Pesach (Passover) in the cycle of the LORD’s appointments with humanity that mark the spiritual calendar of Israel, stretching from Israel’s first month to its seventh. At the heart of Yom Kippur lies the profound truth that the Creator of the heavens and earth desires to dwell in the midst of His people. This longing for intimacy and unity is rooted in the very beginning of this world: the Garden of Eden. The LORD walked and communed directly with Adam and Chavah (Eve). Yet, our first parents started a divide between humanity and the divine, a chasm created by the separation from the ways of Heaven. There are nuances in the Hebrew used to describe this separation: חַטָּאת chatta’t (H2403b): sin (“missing the mark” or unintentional mistakes) פֶּשַׁע pesha’ (H6588): transgression (willful disobedience) “dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed” (James 1:14) “I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing…” (Romans 7:15–25) עָווֹן ’avon (H5771): iniquity (rebellion against God, “wickedness”) These escalating levels of estrangement from God represent the human condition, from simple mistakes to willful rebellion. And it is precisely this gulf that the Day of Atonement seeks to bridge, as the LORD promises to cover, remove, and even forget the sins that have plagued His people. The pivotal role of the high priest in this process is meticulously detailed in Leviticus 16. Only the high priest, by divine appointment, could enter the (Holy of Holies, Most Holy Place) once a year, bearing the incense that would create a cloud to shield him from the presence of the Lord. This act of reverence and caution underscores the gravity of the occasion, for to approach the divine without the proper covering would result in certain death. The Aaronic priesthood and their workplace (Israel’s Tabernacle/Temple) are essential to communicating to humanity Heaven’s atonement process, but they are not the ultimate solution. Rather, it is a foreshadowing of the Melchizedek priesthood, embodied in Yeshua, Who is “always in business” and not bound by the limitations of or Heaven’s judgments against the earthly Tabernacle or Temple. The “New Testament” Letter to the Hebrews extensively reveals the Messiah as the true and eternal High Priest, whose sacrifice has always been the actual covering for sins, transgressions and iniquities that Heaven puts on display for humanity through Israel’s Tabernacle/Temple (Hebrews 3–10). Biblical narratives of Qayin and Hevel (Cain and Abel; Genesis 4), David and Bat-Sheva (Bathsheba; 2Samuel 11–12), and the prophetic warnings of Isaiah illuminate the proper heart posture humanity must have before the Holy One of Israel. 1 In the account of Qayim and Hevel, there’s a stark contrast between the LORD’s approval of Abel’s offering and the rejection of Cain’s: וַ יִּשַׁע יְהוָה אֶל־הֶבֶל וְאֶל־מִנְחָתוֹ׃ … vayyišaʿ YHWH ʾel-Heḇel vᵉʾel-minḥāṯô. And gazed Adonai on Abel and on his offering. וְ אֶל־קַיִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָתוֹ לֹא שָׁעָה Vᵉ ʾel-Qayin vᵉʾel-minḥāṯô lōʾ šāʿâ But on Cain and on his offering not He gazed וַיִּחַר לְקַיִן מְאֹד וַיִּפְּלוּ פָּנָיו׃ vayyiḥar lᵉQayin mᵉʾōḏ vayyippᵉlû pānāyv. So thus was angered in Cain very much, and thus fell his countenance. Genesis 4:4–5 This pivotal moment reveals that the heart posture of the worshiper is of paramount importance, not just the outward act of sacrifice. As Cain’s anger and resentment grew, it ultimately led him down a path of violence and murder, a sobering reminder of the consequences of unresolved sin. Similarly, the fall from Heaven’s grace is noted for David, the anointed king of Israel, whose is chronicled in Psalm 51. Here, the psalmist’s cry for deliverance from “blood guiltiness” and his acknowledgment of the LORD’s desire for a “broken and contrite heart” underscore the essential nature of true repentance. David’s sin was not merely a momentary lapse, but a progression of ever more willful and destructive disobedience. Ultimately, it led to the betrayal and murder of Uriah, who was loyal to David and Israel despite being a descendant or former subject of the Hittite empire. The prophetic warnings of Isaiah 1:10–15 further amplify the message of Yom Kippur. The LORD expresses His disdain for the empty rituals and sacrifices offered by a priesthood whose hearts have grown hardened and whose hands are “covered with blood.” This is the key to understanding the LORD’s strange declaration, “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts,” though they are appointments He commanded (Leviticus 23). This highlights the crucial distinction between outward observance and inward transformation. At the heart of this study lies the profound truth that the Day of Atonement is not merely about the observance of rituals and the offering of sacrifices, but rather a call to the deeper work of the heart. The Biblical narratives reveal that true atonement and restoration can only be found through a posture of brokenness, contrition and surrender before the Almighty. Messiah Yeshua stands at the center of this transformative process, the eternal Melchizedek-style priesthood. Unlike the Aaronic priesthood, which is bound to the earthly Tabernacle/Temple, the Messiah’s priesthood transcends the limitations of time and space. It is through Yeshua’s sacrifice, as the ultimate High Priest, that the sins, transgressions and iniquities of humanity have always been covered and removed. The book of Hebrews underscores this pivotal truth. The author draws parallels between the Day of Atonement rituals and the work of the Messiah, revealing the superiority and finality of Yeshua’s sacrifice. The people of God have the cyclical observance of Yom Kippur as a memorial of what the Messiah ushered in, a new and “better covenant” foretold via Tabernacle/Temple and Prophets (Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:25–26), one that cleanses the conscience from the stains of the past and grants access to the Presence. Yet, this access is not to be taken lightly. Just as the Aaronic high priest is required to approach the Holy of Holies with reverence and the proper covering, so too must the believer in Yeshua approach the throne of grace trusting in the covering by the Messiah, with a heart that is humble, contrite and fully surrendered to the transforming work of Heaven. The weightier matters of the law, as Yeshua Himself emphasized in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), are not the outward observances, but the inward transformation of the heart. Yom Kippur challenges the listener to confront the depths of their own sin and the areas of their life where they have fallen short of the divine standard. He reminds us that true repentance is not merely a matter of reciting the right words or performing the prescribed rituals, but a radical realignment of our desires, thoughts, and actions with the will of the Almighty. The essay concludes with a powerful synthesis of the key themes that have been woven throughout the study. The Day of Atonement is not merely a historical event, but a timeless invitation to experience the transformative power of forgiveness and restoration. The people of God are called to confront their sins, transgressions and iniquities, to approach the throne of grace with humility, penitence and faith, trusting the Messiah as eternal officiant and covering offering, In this way, Yom Kippur becomes a touchstone for the believer’s journey, a reminder that the gulf between Heaven and Earth can be and has been bridged, not through our own efforts, but through the atoning work of the Messiah. As we embrace the weightier matters of the law, cultivating a heart of love, mercy, and forgiveness, we find ourselves drawn ever closer to the divine presence, walking in the footsteps of the Messiah and experiencing the fullness of this new and better covenant. Rob Vanhoff, “Reading Psalm 51 for Yom Kippur: A Reflection on King David’s Confession,” TorahResource, Oct. 9, 2024. YouTube video . ︎…
1 Transformed from within: The promise of the New Covenant (Deuteronomy 32; Micah 7; Hebrews 9–10) 1:18:48
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1:18:48You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19b ESV Just as the blood of the Passover lamb protected ancient Israel, how much more does the blood of the Lamb of God (aka Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus the Christ) provide the confidence to approach the holy Presence of the Holy One — not with fear but joy. The New Covenant, foretold by the Prophets and enacted with power by Yeshua and the Spirit, promises an internal transformation, where God’s laws are written on our hearts. No longer do we trust in external observance to earn a state of righteousness before Heaven. Rather, the Spirit works from within to change people who trust in Heaven’s promises then follow His ways. This is the true rest, the true “great reset,” where debts are discharged, and ownership restored to the original grantee — the Creator Himself. That’s what’s behind the LORD’s weekly, annual and cyclical appointments with His people. Embrace this humble dependence, and find life in the shadow of the Almighty. Shadows and reality of the New Covenant prophecy of freedom from ours pasts 1. Forgiveness and mercy: Micah 7:18 speaks of God’s pardoning of iniquity and passing over rebellious acts. This aligns with the New Covenant promise in Jeremiah 31:34, where God declares, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Both passages emphasize God’s compassionate forgiveness. 2. Unchanging love: Micah 7:18 refers to God’s “unchanging love” (hesed), which is a key theme in the New Covenant prophecy. Jeremiah 31:3 states, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” This speaks to the steadfast, covenant-keeping love of God. 3. Casting sins into the depths: Micah 7:19 declares that God will “cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” This imagery is echoed in the New Covenant promise, where sins are removed and remembered no more. 4. Fulfilling the promises to the Patriarchs: Micah 7:20 mentions God’s faithfulness in keeping the “truth to Jacob and the unchanging love to Abraham.” This connects to the New Covenant’s fulfillment of the promises made to the patriarchs, as seen in Genesis 12:1–3 and Jeremiah 31:31–34 (cp. Ezekiel 36:25–26). These parallels to the New Covenant prophecy underscore the consistent message of God’s merciful forgiveness, steadfast love and fulfillment of His promises throughout Scripture. This helps us better understand the New Covenant as the culmination of God’s redemptive work, rooted in His unchanging character and covenantal faithfulness. It deepens our appreciation for the transformative power of the New Covenant via Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) and the confidence we can have in approaching the Almighty by way of the Messiah. Summary: Tammy…
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Hallel Fellowship
1 Trust the Promise-keeper: How to stand firm as the Earth reels 1:00:41
1:00:41
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1:00:41In this study Lessons for today from how the Holy One intervened in Bible times Highlights of the study Trust the One Who was, is and is to come, not the false promises of the history-shirkers Prophet Joel's message and natural disasters Role of wealth and the Kingdom of God The Day of Blowing Trumpets and its significance Lawlessness and the role of the people of God Importance of quality control and the 10 Commandments The Role of the Creator and the Day of the LORD The Day of Blowing Trumpets and related memorials Role of the Messiah in the restoration of the dwelling place of the Creator among humanity Importance of standing firm in faith Lessons for today from how the Holy One intervened in Bible times The key is to study these biblical-historical precedents, discern the principles at work, and then prayerfully apply them to our present-day challenges. As we do so, we can navigate the noise and confusion with the wisdom and perspective that comes from God’s eternal purposes. 1. Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar: These pagan rulers were used by God to accomplish His purposes, even though they did not know Him. This reminds us that God is sovereign over all authorities and can work through unexpected means to fulfill His plans. Application: When faced with challenging political or social circumstances, we must remember that God is in control. Rather than despairing, we can trust that He is working behind the scenes, even through flawed human leaders, to bring about His ultimate purposes. 2. The Exodus and Exiles: God used dramatic acts of judgment and deliverance to wake up His people and draw them back to Himself. The pattern of rebellion, discipline, and restoration is a recurring theme in Scripture. Application: When we see societal upheaval, natural disasters, or other calamities, we should not simply view them as random occurrences. Instead, we can discern the hand of God calling His people to repentance and a renewed commitment to His ways. 3. The Maccabean Revolt: The Jewish people fought to reclaim and rededicate the temple after it had been desecrated by foreign powers. This demonstrates the importance of preserving the purity of worship and the centrality of God’s dwelling place. Application: As we see increasing attacks on biblical truth and the marginalization of the church, we must be willing to stand firm and contend for the faith. We may need to make sacrifices to protect the integrity of our worship and witness. 4. Early believers in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah: Despite intense persecution, the gospel spread rapidly as believers boldly proclaimed the truth and demonstrated the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Application: When faced with hostility or opposition, we can take courage from the example of the early church. By relying on the Spirit’s empowerment and focusing on the eternal kingdom, we can have an impact that transcends our circumstances. Highlights of the study Trust the One Who was, is and is to come, not the false promises of the history-shirkers (0:58 in the recording) Our God is the “I Am”: Who was, is, and will be, referenced in Exodus the book of Revelation . There’s growing popularity for movements that advocate looking only forward, ignoring past lessons and traditions as enslaving. Such philosophies advocate for societal “spontaneous generation.” This is similar to the prevailing paradigms — still with no proof — of biological spontaneous generation and the concept of a singularity in the cosmic level. Similar to what we know from the laws of the natural world, societal spontaneous generation does not lead to order but to disorder, unless something is designed to undo the damage. That’s where Prophet Joel’s message and natural disasters (5:05) The Prophet Yo’el (Joel 2) predicts a destructive force that serves a purpose, removing what shouldn’t be there and providing a wake-up call to those who can hear it. This is similar to natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes. They are a wake-up call, revealing people’s true characters. How much more a Heaven-sent wake-up call! That’s where “the golden rule” (Leviticus 19:18) and “the greatest commandment” (Deuteronomy 6:4ff) to love God with all one’s heart (mind and emotions), soul (life) and strength (resources). Thus, repentance needs to be “real,” one’s worship transparent, not just going through the motions (Joel 2:13). Role of wealth and the Kingdom of God (6:24) Wealth as a tool for the LORD’s purposes, not a lord to rule over the LORD’s purposes in our lives (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:9, 11, 13). The prophet says says the LORD uses other nations to correct or wake up the people of God. The LORD sets rulers up and takes them down, and even those who may not be in the Kingdom themselves (Dan. 2:21; Psa. 75:6-7; Matt. 23:13; Luke 11:52). This underscores the importance of loving the LORD with all one’s heart, soul, and strength, and loving one’s neighbor as oneself — the greatest and second-greatest commandments. The Day of Blowing Trumpets and its significance (11:31) The Bible explains the functional aspects of blowing trumpets, such as assembly and communication, (Numbers 10:1–11). The blowing of trumpets is akin to a football quarterback’s calling an “ audible ” before a play. How much more then do we need to listen for instructions from the Master! Followers of the Master must be open (humble) and listening for the LORD’s wake-up calls, as we see in the lives of the Bible’s patriarchs and matriarchs. Leading up to the Day of the LORD (i.e., the return of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus)), the Master warned of an increase of lawlessness (Matthew 24:12). How much more should Spirit-inscribed lawfulness to increase the love of many. Lawlessness and the role of the people of God (16:59) People are becoming more aware of lawlessness, even within the church, causing confusion and turning people away from the it. That’s leading to the perplexing situation for believers, seeing one leader after another reported for sin and transgression. This isn’t new. Yeshua criticized the hypocritical practices of certain Pharisees and Sadducees. So, followers of the Messiah shouldn’t be downplaying Heaven’s instructions, encapsulated in the 10 Commandments, because they are foundational to the gospel and the bedrock for Heaven’s mercy. Importance of quality control and the 10 Commandments (18:53) Quality control and quality assurance are critical for success of a business. Similarly, the Apostle Paul wrote that believers must take every thought captive and bringing it into submission to the law of Messiah (2Cor. 10:5-6). The 10 Commandments are important standards for guiding decisions. This contrasts with the self-actualization approach of pagan worship. The Prophet Eliyahu mocked such a transactional relationship approach to worship of so-called deities, demonstrating the different relationship one has with Heaven (1Kings 18). This is a warning against playing loosely with lawfulness — obedience for obedience’s sake. That can lead to a self-directed approach that does not recognize the full counsel of God. The Role of the Creator and the Day of the LORD (28:33) The truth about the Creator’s being the One Who brings salvation from death and its legacy of destruction and the importance of recognizing the full message of God. We’ve seen that adherence to the philosophy of spontaneous generation to bring order from chaos is opposed to what we have seen in the real world (biology and technology): quality control and assurance maintain order that the Designer created of chaos. So we must be humble, listening for the LORD’s voice and being prepared for the Day of the LORD, which will be a wake-up call for the world. As during the 10 plagues divided Israel from Egypt during the original Exodus, how much more will the judgments foretold in the book of Revelation divide those who trust God from those who do not. The Day of Blowing Trumpets and related memorials (31:16) Heaven’s appointments with humanity (Leviticus 23) include a three-fold message in the seventh month of Israel’s calendar: Yom Teruah (Day of Blowing Trumpets aka Rosh Hashanah), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles/Booths). A Biblical reason for Yom Teruah being called Rosh Hashanah (Head/Beginning of the Year) is the seventh month is the start of two key “reset” points, releases of debts (and those in servitude to them) on the Shemitah (seventh-year sabbatical, sabbath year) and the Yobel (Jubilee) every 50th year. Forgiving debts was a critical lesson for Israel and her testimony (good news, gospel) to the world about Heaven plans for humanity. Thus Heaven exacted heavy consequences on ancient Israel for ignoring these discharges of debts or, worse, clawing them back (taking debtors back into debt and not leaving the land fallow). That hard-heartedness is cited in Scripture as a key cause for Heaven to bring on the exiles (of the northern kingdom to Assyria and of the southern kingdom to Babylon), to give the land its rest. After the return from exile and even after the cold political calculus during Israel’s civil war period that saw one faction bring in Rome, Heaven caused Rome to give special dispensation to Israel to worship the Creator of heaven and earth, instead of the general expectation of Roman subjects and citizens to worship join the Emperor cult or commonly accepted pantheons. Role of the Messiah in the restoration of the dwelling place of the Creator among humanity (38:19) Israel had received from Heaven special dispensations under Persian ruler Cyrus and earlier Babylonian emperor Nebuchadnezzar. Joel 2’s prophecy of the plague of locusts, expanding on the Exodus plague of locusts, is a forerunner to the judgments of the Day of the LORD. Enduring lessons of the Day of Blowing Trumpets are not just about making noise but remembering the voice of God at Sinai (Exodus 19-21). We should not shrink back from the voice of the LORD, like the first generation of the Exodus. We should not let the din of voices around us drown out the voice of the LORD, like with our spiritual ancestors who entered the Promised Land full of pagan rites. Rather, we must be open to and trained to recognize the Creator’s voice to be prepared for the Day of the LORD, which will be a wake-up call for the world. Importance of standing firm in faith (54:42) Like the Messiah warned in Revelation 2–3, believers must stand firm in faith, trusting the Creator who made the ancient promise to Israel of dealing with the giants and fortifications in conquering the Promised Land. Believers will face persecution as the “birth pangs” of the Messianic era and the Day of the LORD. So we must pray for the outpouring of the Spirit to transform the people and the land, as foretold by the Prophet Joel. We must appeal to the One Who the Adversary has no power over — the Creator of heaven and earth — to break strongholds. Summary: Tammy…
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Hallel Fellowship
1 Discernment in a deceptive age: How to sharpen our spiritual senses (Deuteronomy 29–30) 1:09:50
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1:09:50The Torah readings נִצָּבִים Nitzavim (“standing,” Deut. 29:10–30:20) and וַיֵּלֶךְ Vayelech (“he went,” Deut. 31:1–30) teaches us that it is in this act of surrender and obedience that we find the strength to cut off any desires that would lead us astray. May we embrace the transformative power of Heaven, that we might walk the path of life and leave a lasting legacy for those who come after us. 5 ways to build our lives on הַצּוּר haTzur (the Rock) Choose life over death. Recognize that there is no middle ground, and respond to God’s call to return to where humanity belongs. Keep God’s word in your heart and mouth. Internalize the teachings of the Torah — as foretold in the New Covenant prophecy — via the work of the Word and the Spirit. Let the inscribed words guide your thoughts and actions. Build your life on the Rock of Israel, not shifting sand. Establish your foundation on the stability and dependability of God, not the fleeting things of this world. Allow the Holy One to “circumcise” your heart . Continually examine and actively offer up any desires or parts of your life that draw you away from God’s path. Teach the next generation. Pass on the wisdom of God’s word to your children and future generations, so they too can build their lives on the solid Rock — Messiah (1Cor. 10:1–5). The key is to firmly build the foundation of our life on the Rock — His teachings and His ways (Matt. 7:24–27) — so that we can withstand the storms and challenges of life. This requires ongoing commitment and willingness to let God transform our hearts. Summary: Tammy…
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Hallel Fellowship
Moses begins the Torah reading כִּי־תָבוֹא Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1–29:9) by instructing the people of Israel on what they are supposed to do when they bring the first fruits of the land to the priest at the tabernacle. There is a specific declaration that the offerer is required to recite upon arriving at the Tabernacle. We will examine this ritual narrative between the priest and the offering bearer and explore its meaning. First, we see that the supplicant brings the items in a basket, which the priest then places on the altar. At this point, the items belong to God, and the person must say the following: “And you shall lift your voice and say before the L-rd your G-d: An Aramean tried to destroy my father, and, he went down to Egypt. And he lived there in scant number, and he became there a great, mighty, and populous nation. “And Egypt wrought evil unto us, and they afflicted us, and they placed us under hard labor. And we cried out to the L-rd, the G-d of our fathers. And the L-rd heard our voices, and He saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. And the L-rd took us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great fear, and with signs and with wonders. And He brought us to this place, and He gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. “And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, which You, O L-rd, have given to me. Then you shall place it before the L-rd your G-d, and you shall bow down before the L-rd your G-d. And you shall rejoice in all the good that the L-rd your G-d has given you and your household, you and the Levite, and the stranger in your midst.” Deuteronomy 26:5-11, The Rashi Chumash by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein via Sefaria.org There are many symbols discussed in this narrative that the man or woman bringing the gifts to the priest must recite. The term “Aramean” refers to someone from Aram. Laban, who lived in Aram, was Jacob’s father-in-law. Although Jacob wasn’t born in Aram, he lived there for a significant part of his life, as did his wives and most of his children. Jewish tradition interprets the “Aramean” here as Laban, who tried to destroy Jacob/Israel and steal his descendants as they fled from him. Later, the Egyptians, represented by Pharaoh, also attempted to destroy Israel. Both the Arameans and Egyptians sought to destroy our ancestors—either Jacob himself or his descendants, the people of Israel. When the Israelites lived in places where they did not belong, they faced the threat of genocide. For those of us who belong to the Messiah Yeshua, we are also not of this world. The world hates us and seeks to silence and destroy us as well. Some interpret the “wandering Aramean” as Jacob. He fled Aram and went to Egypt for refuge, but he did not belong in either place. Pharaoh sought to kill him because Egypt was not the inheritance God had promised to Israel. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and even there, they did not belong. God was bringing them to the Promised Land, which He had made for them. In Egypt, the Israelites experienced harsh and oppressive treatment. They survived but did not thrive. When God fulfilled His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the patriarchs themselves did not live to see its fulfillment. First fruits and its meaning Why did God command the people to give the first produce of the land to the priests? Why did He ask them to recall their hardships before entering the Promised Land? The New Testament refers to Yeshua as the “first fruit” of those who have died (1Cor. 15:20, 23). The apostles Paul and Ya’akov (James) describe God’s people as a type of fruit, offered to God (1Cor. 16:15; James 1:18). Yeshua offered Himself to God, and those who follow Him are presented as first fruits to the High Priest, Yeshua, and to God. Though we started out as worthless, we became something of value to God. When the Israelites brought their first fruits to God, they were required to recite a narrative that reminded them of their past struggles and afflictions. Yet, despite their hardships, God valued them. He saved them because He loved them. The first fruits offering acknowledges that God is the source of the good life they now enjoy in the land. It also symbolizes the acknowledgment that God loves and cares for His people through all their challenges. First fruits vs. tithe While the first fruits and tithe offerings have similarities, they differ in key ways: First fruits: Everything belongs to God, and the celebration is between the offerer and God. Tithe: A portion is shared with the poor, widow, and Levite, with a community celebration so that God will bless the people with more in the coming year. The next section of the Torah portion describes the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. Notably, the list of curses is much longer than the list of blessings, and these curses often result from secret sins—sins that are only known to the participants and to God. Consequences of secret sins Public sins typically have immediate, visible consequences, such as arrest and trial. However, secret sins may go unpunished unless God intervenes. God desires inward holiness, not just external righteousness. Yeshua spoke often against hypocrisy, comparing it to a whitewashed tomb or a clean cup with a filthy interior (Luke 11:37-41; Matt. 23:25f). God is not to be mocked. The curses in Deuteronomy happened to the people of Samaria, as recorded in 2Kings 6:24–33. Human nature doesn’t change, and these same consequences can happen again if we tolerate sin. Holiness inside and out The Torah portion highlights the disastrous consequences of hidden sins, while the haftarah (parallel) portion in Isaiah 60:1–22 emphasizes God’s promise of restoration when His people repent and become holy both inside and out. A complete reversal of the curses follows obedience, as God restores His people to the land and community He promised them. God is the source of all wisdom and wants to guide us on our journey through life. He is willing to bless us, our children, and future generations if we listen to Him. Despite the struggles and oppression His people face, we trust that He will fulfill His promise to bring all His people back to His hand and bless them with peace. Summary: Tammy…
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Hallel Fellowship
1 How to empower the next generation to walk in righteousness (1Corinthians 5) 1:18:27
1:18:27
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1:18:27The Torah and Apostolic Scriptures call us to a high standard of holiness and faithfulness, as seen in the Torah passage כִּי־תֵצֵא Ki Tetze (“when you go forth,” Deut. 21:10–25:19) and 1Cor. 5:1–5. When immorality creeps into the congregation, it must be addressed with wisdom and compassion. Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) called us to be a “light of the world” (Matt. 5:14), modeling lives of integrity and self-control (Acts 24:25; Gal. 5:23; Titus 1:8; 2Pet. 1:6). Tolerating unrepentant sin within the body weakens the witness of the community and dishonors Heaven. Though difficult, confronting sin with grace (mercy and favor) is an act of love — for the individual caught in sin and for the whole congregation. As we strive to walk in the ways of Adonai, may we have the courage to uphold righteousness and the humility to receive correction when needed. Only then can we fulfill our purpose to be a holy people. Here are other questions addressed in this study: Ezek. 18:21–22 says a wicked man practicing justice and righteousness is enough to have Heaven forget his sins and transgressions. Does that mean that there is salvation without faith in Yeshua as Messiah? (00:48:00 in the recording) Deut. 24:16 says children won’t be executed for the father’s sin , but there are parents today who are being charged for mass shootings by their children. The biblical instruction on negligence in not putting railings on roofs (Deut. 22:8) has a lot to say about this. (00:56:12) What biblical evidence is there that the blessing for the whole world through Abraham (Gen. 12:3) would be the Messiah? (01:04:23) What’s behind the prohibition of men dressing as women and women as men in Deut. 22:5? What does it have to say about gender identity? (01:11:41) The positive side of commandments: A new look at loyalty, honesty and contentment in Deuteronomy There are a lot of unpleasant topics compressed into Parashat Ki Tetze. The book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ way to compressing the entire law into one book. Through these seemingly unrelated and disjointed little rules, instructions, ordinances, etc, judgments, these are all items that fit together in a particular order. Those are all the topics of the passage that we’re looking at today with Parashat Ki Tetzi, and they roughly grouped under the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th commandments. This reading touches on such topics as the respect for life, loyalty, theft, honesty, lust and coveting. The sixth commandment says, Do not murder. Well, when you turn the command from a negative statement to a positive statement, you get the command to respect human life. “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it.” (Deuteronomy 22:8 NAS95) Here the Torah tells a homeowner to put a parapet, or a railing, around their roof, or some sort of obstruction on your roof. Why? So someone just doesn’t teeter off the roof or so that when a child goes up to the edge that they can’t just go right off the side. We use all kinds of big legal words, like negligence. Are you negligent? What is negligence? The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition , defines negligence as, “Failure to use the degree of care appropriate to the circumstances, resulting in an unintended injury to another.” American law takes into account different degrees of negligence and we also have various degrees in modern law today about murder. We use big words such as negligence to explain how we can end up contributing to the physical harm or even death of our fellow man even though we had no intention of harm. The seventh commandment is the commandment against adultery. “You shall not commit adultery.” Well, how would you turn that around into a positive statement? Be loyal, be faithful. To treat the relationship that is between you and your seriously and guard, protect and foster it, and to help it grow. The commandment against adultery is not limited to the marital relationship. It also means that we are to be loyal to our family and friends and to be dependable. We are to work on our relationships and to affirm them. The eighth commandment says, “You shall not steal.” The positive affirmation of that is to mind your own business. We are told not to steal from our fellow man but this also means that we are to mind our own business and not expand our boundaries onto those of others. The ninth commandment, says “You shall now bear false witness against your neighbor.” What is the positive version of that commandment? You should be honest, trustworthy and dependable, that’s the positive corollary of refusing to bear false witness. We need to say what we mean and mean what we say. With the tenth commandment, which says “You shall not covet….” But coveting is more than just admiring something someone else has and wanting something similar for yourself. Coveting is desiring what your neighbor has so that they no longer have it. So it is akin to stealing, but it is much more insidious. With coveting, it is the thought that goes before the action. The positive flip side of this commandment is that we should not want what is not ours to be content with what God has given us. We should not want something that someone else has because we don’t think they have a right to it. Paul’s rebuke: Immorality, arrogance and the consequences of condoning sin “A man shall not take his father’s wife so that he will not uncover his father’s skirt.” (Deuteronomy 22:30 NAS95) We are going to focus our attention today on 1Cor. 5:1-5. It is a short passage, but it packs a real punch. Paul does not pull his punches in telling the Corinthians that they are condoning and justifying very reprehensible behavior. “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 5:1-5 NAS95) Paul bluntly asks the Corinthians if they are hurt by the fact that condoning and even applauding something that’s so reprehensible that even those of the nations think that what they are doing is disgusting and morally abhorrent, but they have become arrogant about the situation when they should be in mourning instead. Well, they were so clueless that they didn’t even know that they should be mourning rather than embracing it and proud of it. Paul says that he is talking about an immorality that is not even known among the pagans, those that are don’t have a connection with the God of heaven and earth. That word under the hood there is porneia. You might recognize that term. We talk about that a lot, and it’s an infection in our culture today. Even thought this is a classical Greek word, the classical Greek philosophers do not use it a lot. However you will see the word πορνεία porneia in the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, and also in the apostolic writings, as well as its verb equivalent, porneo . Although it is often translated as immorality, it is more literally translated as “prostitution” or “fornication.” 1 Porneia is used in the Septuagint to translate these words in the TaNaKh : זָנָה zānâh : “Lay down like a prostitute, harlot” (Jer. 2:20; Micah 1:7). זְנוּנִים zᵉnûnı̂m : “Harlotry, prostitution” (Hosea 1:2; Nahum 3:4). זְנוּת zᵉnûth : “Unfaithfulness” (Num. 14:33); “prostitution” (Jer. 3:2; Hos. 4:11). תַּזְנוּת taznûth : “Harlotry, lust” (Ezek. 16:15; 23:7f, 11). One of the earliest stories where the Greek Septuagint uses the word portia is in the story of Tamar, the daughter in law of Judah, who was accused of engaging in porneia (Gen. 38:24). As you may recall, she was married to Judah’s oldest son, Er. When Er died, she was married off to the middle son Onan and then when he died, she was pledged to Judah’s youngest son, Shelah, but Shelah was just a child, so she was sent off to live with her parents, supposedly until the time that Shelah would be old enough to fulfill the duties of a husband to her, but when Judah did not fulfill his promised, she took matters into her own hands. Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute to force the issue of Judah’s failure to fulfill his promise to marry her to his youngest son. You will also see the word porneia often used as a euphemism for idolatry. In the ancient world, sexual immoral behavior was not only condoned by the pagan deities and ritualized, but such behavior was considered a normal part of the religious worship cycle. False gods and fornication: The timeless appeal of religious debauchery In our day, with the rise in neo-paganism, religiously sanctioned sexual debauchery has also become fashionable again. We’ve major festivals that happen here in Northern California, where people to get together and blatantly engage in religiously sanctioned fornication and sexual immorality. Metaphorically, porneia stands for religious idolatry as Israel is the bride who is “unfaithful” to her “husband,” the Lord God. 2 The prophets, especially Hosea and Ezekiel, use that image. 2 The entire book of Hosea is a living parable of the consequences of religious idolatry. God told Hosea to take an unfaithful woman as his wife (Hos. 1:2), who later became a religious prostitute. This relationship symbolized Israel’s unfaithfulness and idolatry. God tells Hosea to go find her and buy her back and bring her back home, even though she wasn’t repentant at the time (Hos. 3:1-5). Yeshua told a parable that is similar to the story of Hosea and Gomer with the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). When the son comes to his senses and comes back home, the father celebrates and fully restores him to the household. The son, who thought the grass was greener on the other side, found out the grass was green over a septic tank. He lost everything his father had given him. He comes back asking to become his father’s slave. But what does the father do? The father throws a lavish party for him and prepares the best food for him. Both Gomer and the prodigal son found themselves in a situation where they had no future, no hope, but they were loved and brought back to fellowship. That should sound like something from Ezek. 36:22-32, where the prophet says that it is not because of Israel’s righteousness or because of their uprightness that God is going to act to redeem them and bring them out of their exile in a foreign country. Remember that their enemies absolutely destroyed the Temple, destroyed Jerusalem’s walls, destroyed everything and flattened the entire city. On the surface, they have nothing to go back to, but Adonai says, “I am going to bring you back.” How could they convince the superpower of the world that had destroyed their country and sent them into exile in the first place to allow them go back home and restore what was demolished? What prospects do they have? Little to none. Who will do the rebuilding? The people are. But who is actually going to convince an emperor to give the exiles their home back? Who will convince the emperor to issue an edict to rebuild a stronghold of a nation that had been a terrible thorn in the sides of several empires for a long period of time? God did and He worked through a pagan emperor named Cyrus to do so. Cyrus gave the edict to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The most common false deities found in all pagan cultures are fertility gods and goddesses. You’ll see them in Africa, you’ll see them in Asia, you’ll see them in Europe, you’ll see them in the Middle East. They’re all over the place where you’ll see figurines of various sorts, and they have a lot of commonalities in their various features. Nations can’t survive without fertility of crops, livestock, and even their own fertility but rather than asking the one true God for these things, they developed false gods to give them these things. God specifically told the people of Israel to completely wipe out the worship of these false gods. These false gods were contacted through use of mind altering substances, and the sensual arts. So the fertility cults were extremely attractive across all kinds of cultures, through many centuries and they are even attracting followers in our “post modern world.” Human nature has not changed. God tells us that we come close to Him through sobriety, periods of fasting, abstinence and self control. There are the things that you just want to do, but fasting teaches you what I will not be mastered by your stomach or your tastebuds, that food will not be your master. Even though there’s something I really want to do, I will be able to have the victory over it. It will not master me. We’re coming up on Yom Kippur soon, and it talks about that you are to humble yourself. It is basically you are to crush yourself. When we are brought low, we can also recognize when others are being brought low, and rather than look down on them in judgment, we can look to walk along side them and have compassion. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.” (Revelation 3:15–18 NASB95) When we are in a society, like that of Laodicea described in the book of Revelation . We live in a comfortable society where all our needs are met, where we don’t think we need anyone or anything. They were not hot or cold, they were luke warm like they were in a tepid bathtub. We’re in that kind of a society where we are neither hot nor cold or just basically drifting. When you are drifting in a river, you at the mercy of the current. If you’re drifting out in the ocean, you at the mercy of the waves and the wind, and they’ll just push you wherever. When the engines in the large fishing boats lose power, the waves will turn the boat parallel with the waves, which is a dangerous situation to be in, especially if the waves are big because they will roll the boat right over. Paul tells us that the Spirit should have mastery over the flesh, not the other way around. The Adversary wants to appeal to our senses, he wants us to be mastered by our senses and to be luke warm and soft. The book of Revelation both warn us that pagan cultic idolatry involves both economic and social “adultery” because the nations are trading with this power that is leading the world astray. But God condemns such idolatry, and He will vindicate the victims of such corruption. The instructions by the Jerusalem Council to the new believers coming to faith in Yeshua from the nations in Acts 15 instructions were very important because these new believers were coming out of religious culture that used food and sensuality to make contact with the supernatural demonic world. The Apostles were adamant that gluttony and debauchery are not the way you are going to reach and commune with God. When Balak commissioned Bilaam to curse Israel, he commanded Balak to make various offerings to try to appease God and Bilaam’s resume showed that he claimed to be in communion with many different gods but when he was sent to curse and debase the people of Israel, he met with God’s still small voice. Are we controlled by our impulses or do we control our impulses? God’s model for us is that husbands should have love and respect for their wives and wives should have respect and love for their husbands. ““Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. “For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”” (Acts 15:19-21 NAS95) For example, the Torah says not to drink blood because life is in the blood. Now the pagans believes that life was in the blood, which is why they would drink the blood of powerful animals or even powerful humans to try to intake of their power. This is another example of the close relationship between porneia and pagan religious practice. Another issue that Paul is calling out, besides immorality, is the problem of arrogance and false pride. The Greek word that is translated as “become arrogant” is φυσιόω phusioō which means “inflate, puff up; become conceited, put on airs.” And phusioo is “(a)pparently related to phusa , ‘a pair of bellows,’ this rare word in classical Greek means ‘to puff up, to inflate’ (Liddell-Scott; cf. Moulton-Milligan).” (CBL) “The problem of spiritual pride or arrogance in Corinth centered around their presumptuous and ungrateful attitudes (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:7). This aberration led to divisions in the community (cf. 1:10–17; 4:6, 7), immorality (5:1f.), abuse of the Lord’s Supper (chapter 11), abuse of the spiritual gifts (chapters 12–14), as well as numerous other problems.” (CBL) ‘A little leaven’: Paul’s call for spiritual purity in a culture of immorality It’s poignant that Paul follows up his redressing of the Corinthian congregation’s being “puffed up” about their tolerance of the biblically intolerable behavior by using the biblical illustration of matzah (unleavened bread), chametz (leavened bread) and Pesach (Passover) (1Cor. 5:6-8). “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8 NAS95) This is one of the clearest and earliest examples of 2nd Temple Jewish discussions of what leaven really means spiritually. When leaven or chametz is under control, it can be beneficial, such as when making sourdough bread, but when it’s uncontrolled, it’s just rotten. So Paul in talking about Passover and Unleavened bread, he is making a contrast here between the leavened bread, that which is puffed up with malice and wickedness, and comparing it with unleavened bread, which is about sincerity, truth and being authentic. It’s not puffed up, it’s not bloated. So that picture, then that is being given to this congregation in Corinth is that they are boasting like a big puffy loaf of bread, but their big puffy bread is full of malice and wickedness. Rather, you should be looking for bread that is not puffed up, that is sincerity and truth. Summary: Tammy…
Highlights from the study recording 00:00:00 – Mountains of blessing and cursing 00:02:30 – Fear of the LORD and debt discharge 00:05:11 – Second, Third and Fourth commandments and festivals of the LORD 00:06:59 – Choosing the road to damnation vs. the path to life 00:16:44 – The Sabbath and entering the Creator\’s rest 00:26:48 – The New Covenant and the Messianic era 00:35:20 – Role of the community and the Golden Rule 00:35:41 – Economics and the Shemitah (release of debts) 00:42:56 – Attitude of those on the path to the Tree of Life 00:43:37 – The ultimate consummation of the New Covenant 6 ways to ‘choose life’ Here are some ways we can apply the lessons about choosing life and blessing over death and cursing in our daily lives and decisions: Recognize the gravity of our choices: Understand that the decisions we make, big or small, have eternal consequences. Be mindful that we are constantly faced with the choice between blessing and curse, life and death. Prioritize God’s ways over worldly allures: When tempted by the seductive but fleeting promises of the world, deliberately choose to align our thoughts and actions with God’s higher ways and eternal perspective. Cultivate a heart of wisdom and discernment: Regularly seek God’s wisdom through His word, prayer, and godly counsel to gain the insight needed to navigate the complexities of life. Practice generosity and release: Loosen our grip on earthly possessions and status, and instead open our hands to bless others and release them from debt or obligation. This reflects God’s heart of restoration. Find security — שלום shalom — in God’s presence, not circumstances: Anchor our sense of identity, purpose, and well-being in the unchanging reality of God’s love and the promise of His eternal kingdom, not in the shifting sands of this world. Encourage others to choose life: Share the hope of the gospel and God’s invitation to abundant life with those who may be struggling with difficult choices or walking down destructive paths. The key is to daily surrender our will to God’s, trusting that His ways lead to true and lasting blessing, even when they require sacrifice or go against cultural norms. The title for Torah reading Re’eh is often translated as “see.” But what Moses wants the Children of Israel to “see” is not the physical, but the spiritual. “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28 NAS95) Moses instructs the children of Israel to travel to the valley between the Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. He instructs them to literally bless one mountain and curse the other. Even though there’s a physical object lesson, its purpose is to teach a deeper spiritual lesson. They were meant to “see” something beyond the human eye. “The fear ( yirʾâ ) of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom , And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding .” (Proverbs 9:10 NAS95) The fear of the Lord holds great significance, as the use of the future masculine tense in Hebrew suggests divine foresight. God sees everything we do—nothing escapes His attention. When we grasp this truth, it leads us to make choices and take actions that are pleasing to Him. Generosity as a pathway to restoration In the ancient world, if you needed a lot of quick cash, you couldn’t just run up credit card balances or easily take out loans. Well, you could take out loans, but the way you secured them was different. Today, we often talk about secured credit versus unsecured credit. Unsecured credit, like a credit card, isn’t backed by anything tangible. Creditors can pursue you through collection agencies if you stop making your payments and when the collection agencies publicize your delinquency, this will harm your credit record, but there isn’t any specific asset they can seize. However, in the ancient world—and actually not so ancient, since the practice continued until just a few hundred years ago—debts were secured by something very personal: you. If you had a debt to pay off, you might have to sell yourself to cover it. Many people who came from Europe to the New World did so based on the credit of themselves. This practice was called indentured servitude and this is how many poor people or people heavily in debt from Europe were able to travel to the American colonies that would later become the United States. Radical invitation to ‘choose life’ Mount Gerizim was for blessing, and Mount Ebal for cursing. In the valley between was the ancient city of Shechem, which is nowadays called Nablus. This valley, between the mountains, is a deciding point for the generation who were first to enter the Promised Land after 400 years in Egypt. The prophet Eliyahu (Elijah), up on Mount Carmel, also gave an ultimatum of decision to the children of Israel between two altars, the altar for the Lord and the altar for the Ba’al, on the other side. And so you see the similar kinds of decision points in the Torah. God does not want us to linger in the valley of indecision. Moses (and later Eliyahu) gave presented the children of Israel with two choices, either to choose life or to choose death. You’ll see that choosing death, as strange as that may seem, is extremely enticing. Choosing death, when wrapped up with a slick marketing program, as it has been all the way from the very beginning can definitely entrap you very easily. As the old saying goes, “the road to damnation is paved with good intentions.” You can have all kinds of good intentions, but if you do not follow divine wisdom of seeing where the road you’re starting on will actually lead, you will end up on the road that leads to destruction. God’s message through Moses and the prophets is a consistent message. You’ve got two ways, and you can be in the middle, the valley between them, but you can’t stay in the middle. You can’t linger in the valley of indecision. In the book of Revelation, as Yeshua speaks to the congregation in Laodicea, He says how God would rather His people either be hot or cold, not lukewarm. The Bible begins with a garden and ends with a garden. The mountain of cursing will be gone and you can’t linger in the valley, you must decide which mountain you want to climb. Loosening our grip on the fleeting to grasp the eternal Deuteronomy 14 focuses on the 4th commandment, which is the command of Shabbat rest but it also covers other important spiritual disciplines: Tithe: remembering the source of where everything comes from Shemitah: or the year of release: opening your hand of blessing to the poor Passover: release from slavery and bondage The wealth we have in our possession came into our hands from God, from His blessing. We are called by God to give 10% to Him and to open our hands to the less fortunate and not grip tightly to what God has given to us. God liberated the children of Israel from Egypt, brought them to the mountain and promised to take them to a blessed land. because the first generation thought that they would be taking the land in their own strength rather than God’s strength, refusing to say “amen” to God, a trip that should have taken a couple of weeks took 40 years to get there because the first generation did not say “Amen” to the Lord. When the Lord said, “I’m taking you in, I’ve got this. I’ve got all those people with their high walls, the tall people, etc. I’ve got this.” They did not believe Him, expect for Joshua and Caleb. The first generation, who are so afraid that their children would not survive in the land and would be destroyed by the people there, God said that those children, the second generation will be the ones to go into the land. God not only offered the children of Israel freedom from slavery to the Egyptians, but also offered them freedom from their dependence on their own flesh. We need to be liberated from our dependence on the flesh and on the self. The children of Israel groaned as they traveled from one place to another in their tabernacles. The Apostle Paul takes up that image in 2Corinithans: “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-4 NAS95) God created in 6 days, rested on the 7th day. But the Shabbat is not only a commemoration of God’s creation of humanity but also His liberation of humanity. It’s a memorial of His great concern for us with His mighty handy and outstretch arm. His concern and love for us is not casual. In the garden of Eden, the Lord would come in the cool of the day, in the evening time, and come walking with Adam and Even. And thus, the first man, the first woman, were dwelling with the Lord, and Lord was dwelling amongst them. So in the book of Revelation the great promise there is that the Lord is in the midst of the people. The Lord is dwelling with them, and all the people then will come to flow in and out of that place. The Shabbat is a weekly memorial, of who the creator of heaven and earth is. But it is also a memorial that the Lord is not only the creator of heaven and earth, but he is the redeemer of heaven and earth, the one who takes you out of the house of bondage and brings you into freedom. When God says in Psalm. 95 that “you shall not enter My rest.” This rest references being in the presence of God, which is Shalom. Shalom is not merely a cease fire or the break in hostilities when one rans out of ammo. So thus you can have Shalom in the midst of war. You can have Shalom in the midst of an argument. You can have Shalom in the midst of terrible traffic. You can have Shalom in the midst of your whole life falling down around you. Why? It’s because being in God’s rest is not a geographical location, it’s about a complete transformation of our being from the inside out. The Bible gives us many examples as a foretaste of the ultimate Shalom: • Foretaste: Testimony of God (10 Words/Commandments, etc.) • Foretaste: Tabernacle and Temple) • Foretaste: Promised Land (Abram, Moshe/Yehoshua, Ezra/Nehemiah) • Foretaste: New Covenant (Jer. 31:31–34) = “Put My Spirit in you”; the Comforter; “Messiah in you” • Destination: Messianic era (“God with us”) Is our focus on ourself or on what is higher than ourselves? We need to look up to the heavens for our salvation and liberation, rather than waste time navel gazing and worrying about ourselves and wallow in your own problems all the time. God tells us to look up because, there are watchmen on the watchtower. “Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” (Ecclesiastes 4:11-12 NAS95) When families and communities come together and lift each other up, the world can’t pick them apart. God is the one who can see to the horizon and beyond, not only literally but spiritually. Man can see far with technology such as Google Earth but God can still see much further. The renewing of our mind is something that God gives us. God’s thoughts are not like ours; His thoughts are higher than ours. It is only because of Him that we can see beyond the horizon at all. The One who created all of this says that He wants to recreate us, to fix this world that has gone horrifically wrong because of our actions. Therefore, our destination, in entering His rest, is the Messianic era with God among us, and we see a foretaste of it with God on Mount Sinai. We see the various appearances of the Lord throughout the Tanakh and throughout the Torah, and we see God with us in the tabernacle and later the temple. We see God with us in the Mashiach, the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us. And then we see the ultimate consummation of that where the Mashiach comes, returns to Earth. And then eventually we have the dwelling place of God is with mankind. “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”” (Jeremiah 31:34 NAS95) When God says He will forgive iniquity, it means that He sends it away. We see this in the ritual of Yom Kippur where the goat is sent away. That is why we can go to the presence of God with confidence, not with arrogance, because it is not in our own righteousness that we’re showing up in front of God. That’s what the Messiah gave us. ““But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.” (Matthew 22:11-12 NAS95) God calls us to come as we are, but we are not called to stay as we are. When we come to God, He gives us new spiritual garments, a new heart and if we reject these and wear what we want to wear and live how we want to live, that is an expression of ingratitude. Beyond legal loopholes: Embracing empathy in times of economic hardship The Sages of the Mishna and Talmud determined that the “law of the Jewish slave” applied only in the Land of Israel and only within and active יוֹבֵל Yobel (Jubilee) system for release of debts and servitude, based on Lev. 25:39–46; Deut. 15:12–18. Just a few years ago, employers were desperate for workers, a situation that led to what they called “ghost interviews.” Companies would interview potential employees and extend job offers, only to never hear from them again. In some cases, people were officially hired but didn’t show up on their first day. Why? Because they had already received a better offer from another company and chose not to inform the first employer. During times when jobs were abundant, employers couldn’t exert control or bully their employees. In an economic climate where employees have limited options, there’s a risk of exploiting individuals instead of showing empathy. It’s important to remember that we’ve all faced difficult circumstances at some point. When someone comes to us in a tough situation, we should avoid taking advantage of them. The economic system that the people of Israel lived under is somewhat different but not radically different from how we live today. As believers in Yeshua, we are not called to live by legal loopholes when it comes to caring for the less fortunate. The world often takes advantage of those who are vulnerable, but we should reject such temptations entirely. In times of economic uncertainty, when jobs are scarce, employers might be tempted to mistreat employees, knowing they have few alternatives. However, exploiting others is not the way we are called to live. Summary: Tammy…
H
Hallel Fellowship
Topics in this recorded study 00:00:33 – Deuteronomy’s structure and the First Commandment 00:05:14 – Clarifying the First Commandment and its implications 00:07:30 – Focusing on Deuteronomy 9-10 00:09:13 – Role of the Shabbat and the Exodus account 00:14:04 – Importance of acting as the People of the LORD 00:33:13 – Role of promises and righteousness 00:37:11 – The Adversary’s tactics and the need for spiritual protection 00:39:52 – Role of the Bible and “spiritual inertia” 00:44:48 – Messiah: The Hope and Glory of Israel שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל Shema Israel (“Hear, O Israel”) Deut. 5:1; 6:4; 9:1; 20:3; 27:9 Those opening words of the Shema (Deut. 6:4–9; 11:13–21; Num. 15:37–41) are as true for believers today in the Hope of Israel, Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) as they were for the the second generation post-Exodus who first heard them. Those words from the Torah reading עקב Ekev/Eykev (“because,” Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25) call Israel to not only listen but also obey as the freed people of Adonai prepare to “cross over” into the Promised Land. Yet, the Almighty warns reborn Israel not to boast in their own righteousness, for it is His promises, not their merit, that grant them the Land. Deuteronomy 9 and 10 reveal the tension between self-righteousness and fearing — revering — the Creator. Like Abram called to “cross over” from Mesopotamia to the Promised Land, Israel must leave behind past beliefs and trust God’s words alone as they “cross over” back into the Promised Land. This pattern continues for believers today. We are saved — Heaven declares us a tzadiq (righteous one) — by אָמַן aman (trust, faith) in God’s promises, not our own works. The “Hear, O Israel” refrain echoes through Scripture, reminding us to listen and obey the one true God, rather than our own desires (aka “the flesh”). 5 ways to cultivate a heart of humble reverence Here are a few ways we can apply the lessons from Deuteronomy 9–10 on fearing God and not boasting in our own righteousness to our daily lives: Maintain a posture of humility and reverence towards God. Recognize that any righteousness or goodness in us comes from Him, not our own merits. Be cautious about taking pride in our spiritual achievements or good deeds. Remember that we are saved by God’s promises, not our own works, in which we could boast. When facing challenges or temptations, resist the urge to rely solely on our own strength or wisdom. Instead, seek God’s guidance and trust in His provision. Guard against the tendency to judge others or feel superior based on our perceived spiritual maturity. We are all equally dependent on God’s grace. Regularly examine our hearts and motives, looking for any traces of self-righteousness or a desire to boast. Repent and refocus on glorifying God rather than ourselves. Cultivate a deep reverence and awe for God, recognizing His power, holiness, and sovereignty over all creation. This fear of Adonai should shape our attitudes and actions. Trusting God’s Reliability Over Human Promises When Yeshua spoke to the people in the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain, He was calling out how the popular interpretation of the Torah had lead the people astray. Yeshua called His students to live out the 10 Commandments, as “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” For example, when he was arguing with the Pharisees about traditional hand washing before meals, He was warning them to be careful to not blur the lines between traditions that may be beneficial in one’s walk but are not to be followed at the expense of the literal words of God. God is the one who liberated them from Egypt so He is to be the only deity who deserved their love and loyalty. God is not pulling a power trip on His people. He is reminding them that He was the one who humbled a literal superpower on their behalf, which is someone no other deity has ever done for their followers. The hearts of the people of Israel should never be divided or pulled in any direction away from Him. The Israelite’s habitual inclination towards ecumenicalism and syncretism was an impulse of the flesh, not of the spirit. Fearing the Lord: The Antidote to Self-Righteousness The giving of the manna was a teaching tool God used to reinforce the lesson of giving reference and preference to the Shabbat. It was introduced to them on the mountain, and ever day that they received their daily bread was a reminder that the One who brought them out of Egypt wanted to be with them everyday but He wanted to be with them in a special day on the Shabbat. God told the Israelites that not only the people were to rest on the Shabbat, the slaves and servants under their control were also to be granted a taste of freedom on Shabbat. ““Hear, O Israel! You are crossing over the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, great cities fortified to heaven,” (Deuteronomy 9:1 NAS95) The phrase “Hear O’ Israel” which is most famously recited in the Shema is an often repeated refrain in the book of Deuteronomy. “ Hear, O Israel , the statutes and the ordinances” (Dt. 5:1) “ Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” (Dt. 6:4) “Hear, O Israel , you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before, them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” (Dt. 20:3-4) “Be silent and listen, O Israel ! This day you have become a people for the LORD your God. “You shall therefore obey the LORD your God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you today.” (Dt. 27:9-10) The time of the nations is up, their wickedness had reached its full so God is evicting them from the Promised Land and establishing His people there instead. This was the time for the people of Israel not to speak to God but listen to Him. God is making them into a great nation and He expects them to act like a separate nation. But we see in history that they repeatedly fell into the temptation to blend their culture with the culture of the nation around them and rather than being separate from the nations, they eventually became almost completely indistinguishable from them. God gave us the Torah as a mirror so we can see ourselves for what we are and how we are falling short of becoming a reflection and representation of Messiah. When we look at the law and we should see ourselves. The Torah is supposed to be a mirror, a wake up call of our shortcomings. We can only resolve our shortcomings if we can clearly see them. Crossing over: Leaving behind our past beliefs “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him;” (Genesis 12:1-4 NAS95) God called Avraham to “cross over” from the Euphrates river to a Promised Land. The Hebrew word for “crossing over” is ʿōḇēr , and the root verb of this word is ibri, which is translated in our English bibles as “Hebrew.” How bizarre that is, that it is almost the same, like we have in our English word over sounds identical to the Hebrew word ibri ? Over: “Old English ofer , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch over and German über , from an Indo-European word (originally a comparative of the element represented by -ove in above) which is also the base of Latin super and Greek huper .” (Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford University Press, 2010, 2023.) When you look at the where we get our English word over from, and its derivations coming from Old English and Germanic, and basically it means to be over and above something. So yes, Avraham went over and above to cross over the river. What God asked of Avraham was not easy, but often times, making the right decision is not the easy decision. The punch line is that Adonai was the one who lead Abraham to cross over the river Euphrates from his home in Ur of the Chaldeans to take possession of the Promised Land. Adonai would be the ultimate Hebrew of the Jordan to clean out the enemies of the returning Hebrews. God is the One who is the one crossing over to subjugate the giants. He goes ahead of them to subdue His enemies so the people can enter the land and take it. The Promised Land was not blessed because the people of Israel were so wonderful and righteous but because God is the wonderful One, the righteous One. The promise of God to Abraham is the merit on which their inheritance is based. God didn’t find Abraham already in the Promised Land to give him the deed to the land, but God plucked him out from a far away land to the new land. “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.”” (Genesis 15:1 NAS95) Just as Abraham left his past completely behind to follow God, the Israelites were called to do the same, to leave their past in Egypt behind. Abraham trusted God completely that He would give his heirs the Promised Land. God does not overpromise and never deliver. God does not promise something with the intent of never following through. This is how human beings act, but this is not how God acts. The promises we have from God are iron clad. He will do whatever He says He will do. This is a point the Apostle Paul makes repeatedly in Galatians and Romans that Heaven grants righteousness to those who stand upon the Glorying the Hope of Israel, which is the Messiah. Heaven doesn’t take much stock in our so-called great deeds. We can’t create something out of nothing. We are part of the creation and there is no way we can bind God’s power. Agnosticism: The illusion of neutrality in spiritual matters “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” People who pretend to not know what the truth is and pretending to keep all options open, but they really do which side is right and wrong but they are deceiving themselves and others that they are simply undecided. The act of not making a decision is still a choice in itself. Purposefully repressing the knowledge of God is part of the spirit of this world. Apathy and entropy are the natural way of things. It takes a concerted effort to push and nudge things in the right direction. “It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. “Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people.” (Deuteronomy 9:5-6 NAS95) Moses told the people of Israel that one day, the Messiah would come and we, who are their spiritual descendants, hope in the Messiah and Him alone to remove our sins, transgression and iniquities, not because we are such perfect people, but because we hope in the Glory of Israel. We can achieve many worldly accolades but those will be forgotten in time. What remains is God’s promise to make a new heavens and a new earth and that He will restore us to life with new bodies. We don’t only hope in the resurrection but we can count on it. This concludes Moses’ commentary on the first commandment that Adonai is the Lord our God who took us out of the house of bondage and because of that, we should have no other gods before Him. Why? Because none of the demons and false spirits on earth can make promises and also bring them to completion. Summary: Tammy…
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Hallel Fellowship
1 Fearing the Almighty: Balancing reverence and love in our walk with Messiah (Deuteronomy 3–4; Isaiah 40) 1:16:59
1:16:59
Toista Myöhemmin
Toista Myöhemmin
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Tykkää
Tykätty
1:16:59How is the glory of the Almighty and His words connected? What does it mean to add to or subtract from his words? If Moses couldn’t enter the Promised Land, what does that mean for us? Join us as we dive into the Torah reading וָאֶתְחַנַּן Va’etchanan (“and I pleaded,” Deut. 3:23-7:11) and parallel passages to explore answers to these questions. When our prayers become an ‘abomination’ Avoid adding to or subtracting from God’s words (Deut. 4:2; 12:32). Pray according to God’s revealed instructions and commandments, not based on our own preferences or interpretations. Make sure we are truly listening to God’s voice and obeying His teachings, rather than just speaking words. Closed ears make our prayers an abomination (Is. 1:15; Jer. 6:10; Isa. 6:9; Psa. 66:18; 109:7; Prov. 15:8; 21:27; 28:9). Examine our own lives and behaviors to ensure we are living righteously, not just expecting God to answer our prayers while we continue in sin or disobedience. Be willing to submit to God’s will, even when it differs from our own desires, like Messiah Yeshua’s praying “not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42; Matt 26:39). Persist in prayer, but not to the point of annoying or disobeying God. Know when to stop asking if God has clearly said “no” (Deut. 3:25-26). Teach God’s words faithfully to the next generation (Deut. 6:7), passing on a legacy of obedience and reverence, not just personal requests. The key is aligning our prayers with God’s character and commands, rather than using prayer as a means to get what we want while ignoring His will. This helps ensure our prayers are pleasing, not abominable, to Him. 5 steps to avoid adding to and subtracting from God’s words Carefully study and obey the decrees and ordinances that Adonai passed through Moses, without trying to modify or reinterpret them. Communicate God’s words accurately to your children and future generations, passing on the teachings without embellishment. Be cautious about making claims that God has said or instructed something that is not directly supported by Scripture. Avoid adding your own interpretations or speculations. If you don’t fully understand God’s words, humbly acknowledge that rather than trying to explain or change them. Regularly examine your own life and behavior to ensure you are aligning with God’s instructions, rather than comparing yourself to others or making excuses. The key is to faithfully adhere to and transmit God’s words as given, without trying to add, subtract or redefine them based on your own preferences or understanding. This helps maintain the integrity of God’s revelation. 5 ways to balance love and fear of the Almighty Recognize that fearing God provides wisdom and motivates us to obey His instructions, even when we don’t fully understand them. Understand that the “fear of the LORD” is not about being terrified, but about having reverence, awe, and a deep respect for God’s power, holiness and sovereignty. Focus on cultivating a love for God that casts out irrational fear, as the Bible suggests. Love and trust in God’s goodness can overcome excessive anxiety or dread. Strive to stay in a “good standing” with God, not getting too distant from Him (which can lead to consequences) but also not presuming to be too close (which can also be dangerous). Remember that God disciplines those He loves, so His correction or refusal of our requests may be an expression of His care, not rejection. The key is to maintain a healthy balance, where we revere God’s greatness and authority, but also wholeheartedly love and trust in His character. This helps us walk the line between obedience and intimacy with Him. God is a God of action; He is not passive. He speaks to us, but His words are always followed by actions. His words matter to us just as much as what He has done in the world. “I also pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, ‘O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? ‘Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ “But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the LORD said to me, ‘Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter.” (Deuteronomy 3:23-26 NAS95) Moses pleaded with God to be able to step into the promised land, but God said no and even told Moses to stop asking after a while. Moses wanted to hear God’s voice even if he didn’t like what God said to him, but later the children of Israel did not care to hear God’s voice and strayed into idol worship. God tells us that there are certain things we should not pray for. Once God says no to something, that is His final decision, although it’s in our human nature to ask repeatedly for what we want. We may ask our mom for something, and she says no, so we try asking our dad to see if he will give us what we want, pitting our parents against each other. But God is not a fallible parent who can be gamed or manipulated. “Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.” (Luke 11:5-10 NAS95) On the other hand, there are times when God says that we should pray for our needs to the point of annoyance because He appreciates persistence. How can we know which situation requires persistence and which requires acceptance? When does a prayer cross a line? First, is what we are praying for adding to or subtracting from God’s words? ““Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:1-2 NAS95) Will what we are praying for blend the worship of God with the worship of demons? Are we, in either a small or significant way, changing God’s instructions in a way that will confuse ourselves or others about what is right or wrong? Are we altering His words to change their meaning or perspective? If we add or subtract from God’s instructions, it is idolatry and akin to adultery. We are worshiping a deity of our creation. This was the sin that the Israelites committed with the Midianite women at Ba’al Peor. They blended the worship of God with the worship of demons. They put their hopes in and clung to the wrong god, and they suffered judgment because of their actions. In the Shema, we say that we are to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength. We must understand our responsibility not to add or subtract from God’s words. This is why James warns us not to aspire to be teachers of the Bible. If we want God to answer our prayers, we cannot add or subtract from His words. “See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. “So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him? “Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today?” (Deuteronomy 4:5-8 NAS95) The second point is that God answers our prayers when they are informed by obedience to His ordinances and decrees. Moses tells us that his goal was to teach and follow God’s words exactly without deviation. He taught the people exactly what God told him. Did Moses do this perfectly? Of course not, but he strived for it. Did that mean Moses never made mistakes? No, he did. And as a result, he still had his prayers unanswered. ““Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.” (Deuteronomy 4:9 NAS95) Moses had great wisdom and understanding because of his obedience to God’s decrees and ordinances. We should not be tweaking God’s words but obeying them. We can understand and gain wisdom from God’s words when we read them and speak of them as often as possible. We are particularly encouraged to teach them to our children, to the next generation. If we can accomplish that, God will hear our prayers and respond to them. God will not always answer our prayers the way we want Him to, but when we are obedient to God, learning and teaching His words, our prayers will be full of wisdom and knowledge. The voice of God and how He speaks to us is how we can understand Him. Hearing God and His voice matters. God used words to create the universe and everything in it. ““Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. “Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’” (Deuteronomy 4:9-10 NAS95) It’s in God’s words that we truly know who He is. Humans are known primarily by our actions because it is through our actions that we affect the world. God created the world from scratch with only His words, so His words are the most accurate revelation of His personality and His glory. The same thing that can scare us to the point of death can also comfort us and bring us life. We should cling to His words with all our might. The fear of God and the love of God go together. It’s not easy to blend the fear of God with the love of God in ourselves. We don’t walk away from what we love, but we do walk away from someone we do not love. We walk closer to what we love deeply. When we walk too far away from God, sometimes He has to do something to remind us of the holy wisdom of fear, and we remember why we should love God. We should be scared to disconnect ourselves from the experience of God’s love. When we pray for something good for someone else, God is more inclined to answer us. We are called to pray until the answer is obvious. If we are purposefully living in complete contradiction to God’s words, in active rebellion, we should have no expectation of His answer. And if we are in rebellion, our ears will be too closed to hear His answer, particularly if His answer contradicts what we are asking for. Our motives in prayer always require self-examination to be effective in bringing us closer to God and to those we are lifting up in prayer. “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matthew 13:24-30, NKJV) God did not need to wait until the tares grew up to discern the wheat from the tares. But if you are a sprout of wheat and you are surrounded by tares, you’re held to a higher standard of thoughts and actions than the tares. We do not compare ourselves to the tares but to the wheat. We need to look at ourselves rather than compare our walk to the walk of others. We are held to a higher standard than our neighbors, and although that may seem “unfair,” God tells us that those with more knowledge also have more responsibility, just as parents will treat and discipline a 17-year-old differently than a 2-year-old. When Moses saw God’s glory on the mountain, it wasn’t the light that was his main takeaway, but the words that God used to describe Himself. Moses often repeated these words when he was teaching God’s words to the Israelites. Summary: Tammy…
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Hallel Fellowship
“But for all this, you did not trust [מַ אֲמִ י נִ ם] the LORD your God…”(Deuteronomy 1:32 NASB 1995) In this key verse from the Torah reading דְּבָרִים Devarim (“words,” Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22), the word translated trust is related to the verb for amen , communicating let it be done , and noun emunah , often translated as faith , faithfulness . 1 אָמַן ( ʾāman ): to confirm, support, uphold (Qal); to be established, be faithful (Niphal); to be certain, i.e. to believe in (Hiphil) אֱמוּנָה ( ʾĕmûnâ ): firmness, fidelity, steadiness. Summary: Tammy Scott, Jack B. Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament . Accordance electronic edition, version 2.8. Chicago: Moody Press, 1980. ︎…
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Hallel Fellowship
The books of Shemot ( Exodus ) and Bamidbar ( Numbers ) explore Israel’s journey from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. Together with the recap for the second generation (Devarim/Deuteronomy), these books highlight the importance of trusting God’s provision, as seen in the examples of the Israelites in the wilderness (Numbers 11) and the lessons from Korah (Numbers 16-17) and Balaam (Numbers 22-25, 31). This study on the Torah readings מַּטּוֹת Mattot and מַסְעֵי Massei (Numbers 30-36) warns against the dangers of deception, coveting, and cultural influences that can lead believers astray, drawing parallels to modern issues like critical gender theory. It emphasizes the need to recognize spiritual enemies, treat fellow believers with love (James 4), and remain faithful to God’s calling as a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:3-6; 1Peter 2: Revelation 1, 5, 20). Ultimately, believers must examine the source of their wisdom and direction, and to respond with courage and conviction when faced with moral decay in society. Summary: Tammy…
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