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Nathan’s Commentary on Parashat Vayera Genesis 18:1–22:24

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Genesis 18

Genesis 18:1, Then YHVH appeared to him. 

YHVH Calls Abraham

And YHVH appeared [Heb. ra’ah the common Hebrew word meaning “to see, look, behold, show, appear, observe, have vision, present oneself, be seen”] unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there built he an altar unto YHVH, who appeared unto him. (Gen 18:1, adapted from the KJV)

There God became visible to Abram and said… (as translated in S. R. Hirsch’s Genesis commentary)

How and in what form did YHVH appear to Abraham? This is the question the Jewish sages have been pondering for two thousand years. On the one hand, the language of Scripture is clear and seems literal enough: “YHVH appeared unto Abram…and said….” Yet let’s now note what some of the most notable Jewish sages comment about this verse.

Rashi, the greatest Jewish Torah commentator of the modern era, has nothing to say about this verse in his commentary. Baal HaTurim, another notable Jewish commentator, in his Torah commentary, does not discuss the nature of the appearance of Elohim. The Soncino Edition of the Pentateuch has no comments on verse seven either. The ArtScroll Bereishis/Genesis Commentary states the following:

And [YHVH] made Himself visible to Abram: The stress is strongly on this visibility. The expression states that, not only was the Voice of God heard, but God Himself, so to speak, appeared, emerging from invisibility to visibility; revealing Himself. This is of far reaching importance because the Torah thereby specifically refutes the view of those who deny actual revelations and consider them products of human imagination and ecstasy. The means by which God spoke to human beings is an eternal mystery. It is enough to recognize that He did indeed speak and reveal Himself to them in some tangible way. (Hirsch, p. 439; emphasis added)

Samson Raphael Hirsch, the great nineteenth orthodox Jewish scholar, in his commentary states,

God made himself visible to Abraham, and said etc. The whole stress lies on this visibility … Far from wishing to give even the very slightest idea of how God spoke to Abraham and to those chosen men to whom He revealed Himself, we still have to note what is actually told us here. The expression used says that not only was the Voice of God heard…but [He was] made visible to Abraham. (Genesis, p. 231)

Here the Jewish sages agree that YHVH literally appeared and spoke to the patriarch Abraham. If he could do this with Abraham, then why could he not send an incarnation of himself in the Person of Yeshua the Messiah? Thus, the idea of the incarnation of Yeshua the Messiah logically should be viewed as not being too far fetched or beyond credulity to the religious Jews of that or this era.

YHVH—Yeshua Appears to Abraham and Sarah and Promises Them a Son

1 And YHVH appeared [Heb. ra’ah, which is the common Hebrew word meaning “see, look, behold, show, appear, observe, have vision, present oneself, be seen”] unto [Abraham] in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. 8 And [Abraham] took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they [i.e. YHVH and the two other malakim/heavenly messengers] did eat. 13 And YHVH said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14 Is any thing too hard for YHVH? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. 33 And YHVH went his way, as soon as he had left communing [rcs, the common Hebrew word meaning speak, say, talk, promise, tell, pronounce, utter, command] with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

In this passage of Scripture, we find YHVH appearing in visible form to Abraham (verse 1), most likely eating a meal with him (verse 8), conversing with him and Sarah (verse 13–14), and having an ongoing discussion with him over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (verse 16ff), and finally leaving Abraham after this lengthy time of communing or conversing with him (verse 33). 

The literal or peshat meaning of this scripture passage should be very clear. There are no hidden meanings, no metaphors or symbolisms. There is no allegorical language. It is simple historical narrative of the events that occurred. The writer presents this event in a literal, matter-of-fact manner. Nothing could be more straight forward. YHVH appears to Abraham in some “diminished,” less potent form that humans can physically endure, and then he interacts at length with them through the partaking of a meal and conversation. But to many a Jewish scholar, the idea of YHVH interacting with humans in such a physical level seems absolutely contrary to what Scripture reveals about the nature of YHVH. The idea of YHVH literally appearing to men is enough to give them fits of mental apoplexy. Such a feat is scandalous and impossible…even for an omnipotent and omnipresent Elohim who has the power to do anything and be anywhere he wants. 

So what do the preeminent Jewish sages have to say about this scripture? The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash admits that YHVH “visited him to show him honor for having carried out the commandment [of circumcision] and to acknowledge that he had thereby elevated himself to a new spiritual plateau” (p. 78). This commentary goes on to state that the three guests first mentioned in verse two were angelic messengers and that one of the same messengers was speaking for YHVH in verse 13 as his emissary. On what basis do these commentators draw this conclusion that it was not YHVH speaking, as the Scripture record clearly points out? They do not say. They simply state their opinion as if it were fact, yet no exegetical proof is given to prove their assertion (p. 80). As regards Abraham’s dialogue with YHVH over Sodom, the Chumash implies that Abraham was dialoguing through prayer (p. 83), yet states tersely in its commentary on verse 33 that YHVH the Judge departed from Abraham (p. 85). Jewish commentators here seem to understate YHVH’s physical involvement with Abraham by saying as little about it as possible almost, it seems, in hopes that readers will quickly pass over this portion of Scripture without questioning the implications of it; namely, if YHVH could appear to a man here, could he not appear later in the form of a physical, human messianic figure, namely, Yeshua of Nazereth?

S. A. Hirsch in his commentary says even less than the commentators of The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash. His commentary on Genesis alone is 688 pages long, yet when it comes to this passage of Genesis, Hirsch has next to nothing to say pertaining to YHVH’s appearing in humanesque form. On verse one of Genesis 18, Hirsch states that “God’s Presence is everywhere, but it is not apparent to everybody” and because of Abraham’s devotion to YHVH through the act of circumcision (see chapter 17) Hirsch seems to imply that due to Abraham’s position of heightened spiritual awareness he was now able to perceive YHVH’s “Presence” (The Soncino Edition Pentateuch/Genesis, p. 310). Yet is this what the Scripture says, that Abraham’s spiritual eyes were opened and now he “saw” YHVH with some new spiritual eyesight? Again, this is not what Scripture states. The plain (peshat) meaning of the text is that YHVH “appeared” to Abraham who saw him with his eyes. Hirsch seems to ignore the peshat (plain) meaning of Scriptural interpretation and implies an allegorical or symbolic meaning to it thus ignoring one of the fundamental rabbinical rules of Scriptural exegesis: the drash or allegorical level of interpretation cannot negate or supplant the literal, plain or simple (peshat) meaning of a passage (Hermeneutics: How to Understand the Scriptures, p. 34, by James Trimm; Talmud b. Shabbath 63a [“…that a verse cannot depart from its plain meaning”] and Talmud b. Yevamoth 24a [“Although throughout the Torah no text loses its ordinary meaning…”]). In his commentary on verse two and three, Hirsch refers to Abraham’s encounter with YHVH as a “vision,” which he sees while he is praying which abruptly ends when Abraham spies the three visitors (p. 313). As Abraham is entertaining the three guests with food (verses 4–8), the narrative immediately transitions to the three guests entering into conversation with Sarah where in verses 13 and 14 YHVH begins speaking to Abraham. He is either one of the three guests, or he reappears after being absent from verses two through 12. What does Hirsch say to this? NOTHING! In his commentary, he skips commenting on verses 13 and 14. He comments on every verse before and after, but not verses 13 and 14, which clearly state and show YHVH conversing with Abraham and Sarah. When we finally come to verse 33 where YHVH “left communing with Abraham,” Hirsch in a very brief comment states, “Finally, this dialog—so to call it—between Abraham and the Judge of the World, in which a creature of dust dares to step before the Presence of God …” (p. 329). Hirsch will not allow himself to call YHVH’s talk with Abraham a dialog, even though that is what Scripture presents it as, so he uses the term “tongue-in-cheek” and suggests Abraham was having a vision, though the Hirsch fails to address verses 13 and 14, which seem to nullify that supposition.

As regards Genesis 18:1, Baal HaTurim, in his commentary says little about the implications of YHVH appearing to Abraham in humanesque form except that for the passing statement, “God chose to dwell in the tent of Abraham” (p. 136) and that “[i]t is in honor of the circumcision that He appeared to him” (p. 137). He then goes on to say that the three guests Abraham subsequently entertains were the three archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. This he deduces from the gematria valuation of the phrase “And behold! three [men]…” (p. 137). It must be noted that though the first two angelic beings are mentioned in Scripture, the last one, Raphael, is not, but is a character of Jewish Apocryphal and mystical literature. On verses 13 and 14, Hirsch, Baal HaTurim has no comment.

Shelomoh Yitzhaki (Rashi) in his commentary on Genesis similarly acknowledges YHVH’s visiting Abraham in verse one, but says nothing beyond that (p. 174). On verse 10, Rashi states that the one speaking here is an angel speaking in the “agency of the Omnipresent” (p. 181). As with the two previous Torah commentators Rashi, likewise forgoes any comments on verses 13 and 14 pertaining to YHVH’s appearance and conversation with Abraham and Sarah (p. 183). The subject is passed over almost as if it did not happen. In verses 22 and 23, Scripture states, “Abraham stood yet before YHVH and Abraham drew near [to YHVH] and said…” (KJV), “Abraham was still standing before [YHVH]” (The ArtScroll Stone Edition Tanach) (implying that YHVH had been there all along and had indeed been part of the earlier conversation (in verses 10–15). To this statement of Scripture, Rashi comments that, “But is it not true that he did not go to stand before Him; rather, the Holy One, Blessed is He, came to [Abraham] and said to him…” Rashi states that this phrase as written in the Scriptures (as noted above) is incorrect and is “an enhancement of the scribes, i.e., authors and editors (p. 188). What is Rashi implying here to the point he questions the way the Torah is written claiming it has been redacted? He does not say. One can only guess, that perhaps the idea of YHVH’s being with Abraham all along from verse one to the present verse does not set well with Rashi, and he feels the need to imply that YHVH had been absent from the scene between verses two and 17, but now reappears on the scene. If this is the case, we must again ask the question, is the idea of YHVH appearing in human-type form so contrary to rabbinic thought that Scripture needs to be twisted like silly putty to fit nonbiblical rabbinic inclinations? 

Let us not forget that Rashi, Baal HaTurim and many of the other notable Medieval and early Renaissance Jewish sages were writing during the Crusades and just prior to the Spanish Inquisition. So their view of Christians and Christian theology was rather dim in light of the fact the Jews were being murdered, their synagogues sacked, their books and scrolls burned, and they were being forced to flee from their homes and communities. In fact, in Baal HaTurim’s Genesis commentary (p. 135) is a facsimile of a page from a Torah scroll from Venice (1524) with certain lines of the scroll inked out by Christian censors. Censors regularly entered synagogues, looked over the Jewish scrolls and removed or blotted out statements they felt disparaged Christianity or Christian theology. We are not attempting to justify the Jewish sages’ bending of Scripture to fit their theologies (Christian theologians have also been doing this for nearly 2000 years), but we must understand that this may have contributed to their reluctance to accept the incarnation of deity. Against the contextual backdrop of the times when Jews were being persecuted at the hands of Christians, is it any wonder that the Jewish sages steered wide of anything in their Torah which might even slightly validate a Christian doctrine?

On verse 33, Rashi has nothing to say except, “Once the advocate become silent the judge departed” (p. 191).

So what is the “bottom line,” so to speak, of our above discussion? Simply this. The Jewish sages do not know what to think of YHVH’s appearance to Abraham. They offer differing, confusing and even contradictory explanations. They cannot deny the fact that he was there, yet they attempt to blunt the reality of his being in some human-type form. That just does not suit their fancies, for whatever reasons, and they do everything possible to steer the thoughts of the reader away from that conclusion without appearing to rewrite Scripture to state their opposing viewpoints. All of this confusion is cleared up when one brings into the discussion the ultimate Torah commentary, which is the Testimony of Yeshua (the New Testament). There we learn the truth that prior to Yeshua’s incarnation, he was the Word (John 1:1) or Messenger (incorrectly translated Angel in most of our English Bibles) of Elohim that appeared to Abraham, Moses and several other Old Testament characters. To be sure, this fact, which is at the core of Christian belief, is something that these Jewish scholars are loathe to accept.

Genesis 18:1, He sat in the tent door. Let’s now discuss Abraham’s hospitality. Abraham had just been circumcised. Jewish tradition tells us that he was in the third day of his circumcision when the three guests appeared to Abraham although the Scriptures say nothing about the time interval between the circumcision and the appearance of the visitors. Whatever the case, painkillers, as we know them, did not exist then. The men of Shechem were still incapacitated after three days and unable to defend themselves thus succumbing to the sword of Simeon and Levi (Gen 34:25), yet, according to Jewish tradition, Abraham was entertaining guests and throwing a dinner party—at age 90 no less! If this tradition is correct, what does this say about Abraham’s selfless and generous character? Why did YHVH and his two angelic comrades choose to visit Abraham just after his being circumcised? Had he attained a higher level or state of righteousness after having been physically circumcised? He was physically circumcised, but would they have visited him had he not been circumcised in heart as well? How important is physical circumcision to YHVH? (Read Jer 9:25–26 and Ezek 44:9, which is a prophecy that seems to refer to the “royal priesthood” of the redeemed believers mentioned in 1 Pet 2:9.) Joshua 5:5 says that all the Israelites were circumcised before coming out of Egypt, since they and all those with them were required to be circumcised before they could partake of Passover (Exod 12:43–38).

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Nathan’s Commentary on Parashat Lekh L’kha Genesis 12:1–17:27

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Genesis 12

Genesis 12–41 on the Overcoming Faith of the Patriarchs—An Example to Follow

Scripture records that Abraham was the patriarch (literally meaning “the chief father”) of the Hebrew people, and a pillar of faith because of his trust in and obedience to YHVH Elohim. As such, he is often referred to as the Father of the Faithful. But when Elohim first called this man of faith and father of the Israelite people, was he a giant in his faith? Not at all. Yes he had faith, but his faith was imperfect; it had to grow, and it was a process, which we will discuss below.

Abraham’s faith, like the proverbial mustard seed, started out small, but it was still enormous compared to most other people. After all, on a mere promise from Elohim, he uprooted his entire family and travelled on foot hundreds of miles across the dangerous desert and through various countries and encountering many hardships along the way in hopes of a better life. It was if he were moving from New York City to Jawbone Flats, Oregon, a virtual ghost town in the mountains with a population four people! (Note: after more than 100 years, town of Jawbone Flats has since burned down in a tragic forest fire.)

Abraham’s first steps of faith were measured, cautious, incremental and at times hesitant, yet through it all YHVH was gracious because Abraham’s heart was inclined to do his will. Because of Abraham’s faithfulness, YHVH still credited righteousness to his spiritual account (Gen 15:6). Not only that, but he passed his mountain moving, gravity defying faith on to his children and grandchildren and beyond, and this legacy of faith lives on in many of his physical and spiritual descendants to this day. 

There is much that we, as the children of Abraham through our faith in Yeshua the Messiah, can learn from this pillar of faith that will strengthen our own faith in YHVH Elohim and his promises.

Now let’s explore the life of Abraham.

Abraham (Abram)—The Father of the Faithful

Genesis 12:1, Get thee out of thy country. Did Abram immediately leave his father’s house and go directly to the country that YHVH would show him, or did he rather take incremental steps in that direction? Actually, Abram first settled in Charan before eventually translocating to Canaan. (Compare Genesis 11:31 with Genesis 12:1.) Charan is located in northern Mesopotamia and is nowhere near Canaan. Not only that, YHVH told Abram to leave his family, but instead he took part of his father’s house with him including his father and nephew. When Abram finally made his way to Canaan minus his father, he still had part of his kindred with him, something YHVH instructed him to leave behind (Gen 12:1). As it ended up, his nephew Lot proved to be a hindrance to Abram in fulfilling YHVH’s mission for his life in the new land. What lessons can we learn from this account? 

First, YHVH is gracious to his people even when they fail to obey him completely and immediately. Abram was still taking steps of faith as imperfect as they may have been, and despite this, Scripture still refers to Abraham as the father of the faithful or of faithfulness (Rom 4:12, 16). 

Second, Abram was a man of prominence in Babylon (Chaldea), was recognized as a mighty prince (Gen 23:6), and was 75 years old when YHVH asked him to leave the comforts of life in cosmopolitan Babylon to trek across the desert to the backwoods region of Canaan. No doubt, this was not an easy move for Abram for the reasons for reason of age and comfortability of lifestyle. 

Abraham’s descendents who are disciples of Yeshua have to make similar choices as Abram did. They must decide whether to stay in the spiritual Babylon of this world or to leave it. Yeshua told his disciples that they would have to make great sacrifices including possibly forsaking their family to be his disciples (Matt 10:35–39.) At the same time, Yeshua promised vast eternal rewards to those, who like our father Abraham, would forsake family, homes and material possessions for him as they set out in faith to fulfil their divine destiny ( Matt 19:28–29). What physical obstacles stand in your way of fulfilling YHVH’s spiritual calling, mission and destiny for your life?

Genesis 16:1–16, Abraham takes matters into his own hands. The faith of Abraham, the father of the faithful, was tried greatly. After waiting years for a son through whom YHVH would fulfil is promises to Abraham, he finally gave in to doubt and unbelief. In stead of waiting for YHVH to give him a son, Abraham too matters into his own hands and endeavored to work out YHVH’s plans and purposes in his life through fleshly means. The result was Ishmael, the father of many of the modern Moslem Arabs. This mistake has had far-reaching geopolitical consequences for YHVH’s chosen people to this day!  

Do you have trouble waiting on YHVH? Remember that YHVH’s primary goal in your life is NOT to bring YOUR dreams to pass or to give you a comfortable and happy life, but to form in you the person and character of Yeshua (Rom 8:28–29). Like anything of value, this only comes through time,  much struggling and overcoming as well as the heat and pressure of spiritual refinement. 

The faith-building refinement to which YHVH subjected Abraham would continue to occur in the lives of his descendants as the patriarch saw in a most amazing prophetic vision (Gen 15:12–14). In the vision of “Between the Pieces,” the birds of the air (a spiritual picture of Satan and his demons) wanted to interrupt the fulfilling of YHVH’s plans for the nation of Israel (verse 11). But through this dark vision, Abraham slept (verse 12). That is to say, he rested in YHVH, thus allowing him to work out his purposes according to a divine time schedule regardless of the occurrence of concomitant and distracting events. Through this process of faith-testing and character-building trials, YHVH refines his people into the spiritual vessels he wants them to be. Psalms chapter 37 describes this process of “not fretting,” “committing your way to YHVH,” “trusting also in him,” “resting in YHVH,” waiting on YHVH, and letting him direct our steps. (See Ps 37, entire chapter, with special focus on verses 4–7, 23–24.) The Bible refers to this process as “sanctification” (or becoming set aside for a holy purpose). It involves coming into a place spiritual maturity—of going from being a spiritual child to a mature adult in YHVH.

Like a lot of us, Abraham found himself struggling with waiting upon YHVH to fulfil his promises. As a result of Abraham’s lack of faith, he chose to “help engineer” the fulfillment of YHVH’s promises in his life. He slept with Hagar and Ishmael was the result. There have been lasting conflicts in the Middle East and beyond ever since due to Abraham’s lack of faith.

Genesis 21:1–7, YHVH visited Sarah.YHVH had promised Abraham a son years before. At age 90 did not YHVH suddenly drop a son into Sarah’s womb. During the intervening 15 years, year after year, Abraham and Sarah had to walk out their faith by attempting repeatedly to become pregnant, each time failing, until finally, at the appointed time it happened. This tell is vivid lesson for all of Abraham’s spiritual descendents about the faith-walk, and about overcoming discouragement and doubt. Obviously, Abraham’s faith was tested. Could he still trust YHVH’s promises of a son after all these years? Often when don’t receive quick answers to our prayers we give up. How is your faith compared to that of Abraham’s?

Abraham learned some hard lessons with Ishmael. After that, he finally began to have complete faith that YHVH would give him a son by Sarah. Faith is dynamic, and is neither passive nor presumptive. As an act of faithful obedience, the elderly Abraham continued to have physical relations with his wife until Isaac was born.

Genesis 22:1, Elohim did tempt Abraham.Trials and temptations show the disposition or character and metal of the human heart, whether it be righteous or unrighteous, pure or impure. When tested do you whine, grumble, accuse and mock others, defend yourself, backbite or become despondent? Or do you submit to the purifying fires of YHVH’s spiritual forge? During his lifetime, YHVH tested Abraham ten times. Being told to sacrifice Isaac was the last and most severe test. Despite the severity of this test, his faith and obedience was steady.When was the last time you faced such a test? What was your response? Did you pass or fail the test?

Note the development or progression of Abraham’s faith from the time he left Ur in Chaldea until the Akeidah or Binding of Isaac. He went from a spotty or mixed faith to a full and mature faith in YHVH. Being willing to give up his only beloved son was the ultimate test of his faith, and he passed with flying colors to become the father of the faithful. YHVH asks some of his children to give up things that are near and dear to them including spouses, children, careers, homes, dreams, material possessions, fame and sometimes our lives in order to follow him, but the eternal rewards are worth the sacrifice! Yeshua promises his followers:

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. (Matt 19:29)

Sarah—A Woman of Great Faith and Co-Heir With Abraham of YHVH’s Promises

Behind every great man, as the saying goes, is a great woman. Although Scripture primarily focuses on Abraham and faith-based relationship with YHVH, it goes without saying that he could not have risen to any notable spiritual heights without a woman of similar faith at his side. So let’s no shine the spotlight on what the Bible has to say about Sarah.

  • Sarah was very beautiful in character and physical appearance, since the two are related (Gen 12:10–20). A person with an ugly, angry, bitter disposition will not have a beautiful, attractive countenance.
  • Amazingly at age 90 Sarah was still youthfully beautiful, or else it is unlikely that King Abimelech would have abducted her and wanted to marry her (Gen 20:2). Often behind a woman of beautiful countenance is a person of beautiful character. This attractiveness drew the attention of a king.
  • Sarah was coequal with Abraham in the covenantal promises. Prior to Gen 17:15–22, the covenant was solely with Abraham. Here Sarah was made an equal party in this covenantal promise. And just as Abraham’s new role was signified by a change of name, so was Sarah’s. The name Sarai, means “my princess,” implying that she owed her greatness to her status as Abraham’s wife. Henceforth she would be called only Sarah, which signifies that she would become a “princess to all the nations of the world.” Prior to the covenant, Sarai’s personal majesty made her the princess of Abraham (and his country Aram). Now, however, all limitations were removed. She was princess “par excellence”—to all mankind (The Stone Edition Chumash, p. 75).
  • In preferring Isaac over Ishmael, Sarah protecting the spiritual atmosphere of her home. She was guarding her righteous son, Isaac, from the profaneness and mockery of the unrighteous Ishmael. She was concerned that Ishmael’s behavior toward Isaac would impede or prevent Isaac from fulfilling his godly mission. Any relationship with wicked people would have been harmful to Isaac and his children as Abraham recognized when he decided that he could not remain together with Lot. This is why Sarah demanded that Abraham drive Ishmael and Hagar away, and why YHVH ratified Sarah’s righteous request (The Stone Edition Chumash, p. 97, Gen 21:10–11). Sarah knew that “evil conduct corrupts good manner” (1 Cor 15:33).
  • Sarah was obedient and respectful to her husband, and Paul used her as an example for righteous women to follow.

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sarah obeyed [to listen, to hearken to a command, be obedient, to submit to] Abraham, calling him lord [Gr. kurios means “master, sir; a title of honour expressive of respect and reverence”]: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. (1 Pet 3:1–7)

  • Sarah, like Abraham, had faith in Elohim. Behind Abraham, a great man of faith, was Sarah, who was a great woman of faith. 

Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. (Heb 11:11–12)

Eliezer—A Faithful Servant of Abraham

Genesis 24:12, YHVH give me success. Scripture directs us to, “Trust in YHVH with all your heart and lean not unto your own understandings, but in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths” (Prov 3:5–6). Abraham’s example of faith had a profound influence upon Eliezer, his chief servant, whom he commissioned to find a wife for Isaac.

Abraham was a man of faith, and Scripture calls him the father of the faithful (Rom 4:12, 16). Eliezer was likewise a man of faith. Abraham had taught him well. Eliezer evidenced this faith when he blessed Rebecca even before he knew who her identity (Gen 24:22). This action was based simply on his faith that YHVH had answered his prayer. Do we walk in such trusting faith, day-by-day, moment-by-moment? Are we teaching the little ones under our charge these same attributes as Abraham had taught Eliezer? 

Genesis 24:45, Eliezer kept his faith alive through constant contact with Elohim. Obviously, Eliezer was in constant communications with YHVH through prayer. Is this not a character trait of a righteous person? 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray without ceasing. In Luke 18:1–7, Yeshua teaches his disciples and us about the benefits of righteous and prevailing prayer. How often do you pray? Once a day? When you pray, is it merely a morning and/or evening ritual that leaves your soul (mind, will and emotions) untouched and unchanged? Is this the kind of relationship the Father is seeking with you? A mighty man of Elohim once when asked the question, “How long do you pray each day?” he replied, “Seldom do I pray more than one-half hour, but seldom do I go more than a half hour without praying.” Could this be said of you?

Note that people of faith are people of continual prayer communication with YHVH.

Rebekah, the Bride of Isaac—A Humble Woman of Faith From the Beginning

Genesis 24:58, I will go. From her debut in the Genesis narrative, Rebecca demonstrated unusual faith. Like her Uncle Abraham and Aunt Sarah, she was willing to leave the comforts and security of Babylonia and to go with a stranger to a strange place and live there as a virtual nomad roaming the barren wilderness of Canaan. When asked, “Will you go with this man?” She replied quickly and to the point, “I will go” (Gen 24:58). Some Bible teachers view Eliezer whose name means “El is (my) help” as a prophetic symbol of the Holy Spirit (who Yeshua referred to as the Helper (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) and Rebecca as representing the bride (or saints) of Yeshua.Do you have such unreserved devotion to Yeshua, the Lover of your soul and your Betrothed, that you will go WHEREVER he leads (Rev 14:4) no matter how difficult or uncomfortable the way? Or have you placed restrictions and qualifications on him? Compare your faith on a scale of one to ten with that of Abraham, Eliezer and Rebecca. Regardless of our level of faith, YHVH is patient with his children. If we will follow him, even if our faith is mustard seed-sized, he will lead us slowly as your faith in his Word and promises slowly increases like exercising a muscle.

Abraham in his wisdom sought a woman of faith for his son. He sent Eliezer hundreds of miles to find such a woman, while overlooking numerous Canaanite women in his own backyard. That is how dedicated Abraham was to obeying YHVH!

Isaac—Walking in the Footsteps of His Father

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Flat Earth Update

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This video explores the Bible vis-à-vis the flat earth idea.

This and other videos by Nathan are available as podcasts on Spotify and Apple podcast under “Hoshana Rabbah.”

If this message has been a blessing to you, please consider showing your appreciation by making a donation to Hoshana Rabbah at http://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/. Thank you!

 

Nathan’s Commentary on Parashat Noach Genesis 6:9–11:32

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Genesis 6

Genesis 6:9, The character of Noah. This passage lists the character attributes of Noah. The character sketch of this man of Elohim who preached righteousness to a generation of unmitigated evil people commences this way: “These are the generations [Heb. toledaw] of Noah: Noah was a just [Heb. tzaddiyq] man and perfect [Heb. tamiym] in his generations [Heb. dowr], and Noah walked with Elohim.”

  • Generations is the Hebrew word toledaw meaning “descendants, genealogies, or results.”
  • Just is the Hebrew word tzaddiyq meaning “a lawful, righteous man.”
  • Perfect is the Hebrew word tamiym meaning “entire, integrity, truth, without blemish, complete, full, undefiled, or upright”.

The word generations at the end of the verse is the Hebrew word dowr meaning “a man’s lifetime beginning with the womb of earth and returning thereto…likewise from conception and birth of a man to the conception and birth of his offspring” (The TWOT).

Is it possible to be just and perfect and have a faith in and a love for YHVH without walking in a Torah-obedient lifestyle? No. After all, it is YHVH’s Torah that defines the biblical standard of righteousness (Ps 119:172). Noah kept himself separate and unspotted spiritually from the world around him; although he was in the world, he was not of the world. He and his family lived set-apart, kadosh lives separate from the evil and the filth of the immorality around them. Some Bible scholars find an additional understanding in this verse, as well, in that Noah and his sons did not intermarry with the fallen ones (or nephilim) who were the offspring of the daughters of men and the sons of Elohim (i.e., the fallen angels; Gen 6:4). 

The “sons of Elohim” in Genesis 6:4 are fallen angles who had relations with daughters of men thus producing the giants (Heb. nephilim) on the earth. This unlawful sexual activity corrupted the human gene pool. At the same time, Noah’s ancestors and descendents refused to intermarry with the nephilim and were thus from an undiluted genetic strain going back to Adam. What is the lesson here for us? Are you living a life totally set-apart from the corrupting influences (both physical and spiritual) of the fallen world around you? Are you encouraging your children to marry inside the faith, and not to intermarry with the ungodly heathens, who will likely exercise a negative influence on them, thus dragging your children downward morally and spiritually?
After all, who can deny the fact that the Bible is the tragic story from cover to cover of the ungodly corrupting the godly, for “evil companionship corrupts good morals” (1 Cor 15:33). Seldom does the opposite occur. This is why Scripture admonishes the saints to “‘[c]ome out from among them and be separate,’ says YHVH. ‘Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you,’” (2 Cor 6:17).On many occasions, YHVH rebuked and punished the Israelites for falling into the trap of compromise and acquiescence to the wicked influences around them, which inevitably led to spiritual degradation, immorality, idolatry and divine judgement. This is exactly what occurred to Noah’s generation.

Genesis 6:9, Perfect [Heb. tamiym] in his generation [Heb. dor]. The Hebrew word tamiym means “entire, complete, whole (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as a noun) “integrity, truth.” Dor means “a revolution of time, that is, an age or generation; also a dwelling.”  Tamiym is translated in the KJV as “without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole.” Thus the idea that this verse suggests that Noah’s genome was pure and untainted by nephilim DNA may hold merit, but it is primarily an indication of his moral and spiritual status before YHVH.

Noah walked with Elohim. What does it mean to walk with Elohim? The word walk is the Hebrew word halak/lKV. This word can mean walking physically or figuratively in a spiritual sense. In numerous places in the Scriptures, halak is used in reference to one who lives a Torah-obedient lifestyle; that is, one who walks in the righteous instructions, precepts and teachings of YHVH as outlined in his Word (Ps 119:1, 3). Conversely, there is a walk of darkness for those who walk contrary to the Torah-law of YHVH (Isa 59:9). In Amos 3:3, YHVH asks of his people, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” In Hebrew thought, one’s walk in this context is referring to one’s spiritual walk. Numerous times YHVH commands his people to walk in all his ways (i.e., in the instructions and teachings of YHVH’s Torah). Because Noah walked in YHVH’s ways, he found grace (kindness, favor, preciousness) in the eyes of YHVH and was spared from judgment (Gen 6:8).

Genesis 6–7

Genesis 6–8, Noah’s flood provides allegorical insights relating to end-times prophecy. In Matthew 24:37, Yeshua compares the end times to the days of Noah. This teaches us that in the eyes of Yeshua, the story of Noah has allegorical implications that give hints about end-times prophecy.

In 1 Peter 3:18–22, we learn that the story of Noah is also a picture of salvation and water baptism. Thus Noah is a prophetic antetype of Yeshua.

To start with, Noah building the ark is a prophetic picture of the redeemed believer working out his own salvation (Phil 2:12), yet while doing so according to YHVH’s exact plans or specifications (e.g., repentance from sin, faith in Yeshua, baptism for the remission of sins, and faithful obedience to YHVH’s commandments).

Noah builds an ark of safety from Elohim’s wrath or judgments against sinful man. The ark is a metaphorical picture of the believer’s salvation, and Noah is a spiritual picture of Yeshua. The flood is also a picture of water baptism for the remission of sins, which ceremonially pictures the death of the old sinful man, and the birth of the new spiritual man (Rom 6:3–6). Water can both clean one of dirt and kill. The same water cleanses the repentant sinner but kills the unrepentant sinner. Unregenerated sinful or carnal men perished in the floodwaters in Noah’s day, while the new, redeemed man (as pictured by Noah and his family) who had found grace in the sight of Elohim (Gen 6:8) found refuge on the ark. While the flood is a judgment against sinful man who has violated the Torah-laws or divine instructions of YHVH, the ark is a picture of the grace that YHVH offers to those who will repent of their sins (i.e., Torahlessness, see 1 John 3:4) and will turn to him through Yeshua. Since Noah found grace in the eyes of YHVH because he was “perfect in his generations” (Gen 6:8, 9), he was spared from YHVH’s judgments against sin (or the wages of sin which is death, Rom 6:23). YHVH offers the same gift of grace to all men today (2 Pet 3:9).

The ark had three levels indicating the three levels of salvation rewards that YHVH offers to his saints, which is analogous to the three sections in the Tabernacle of Moses. The highest level where Noah lived is the section of the ark that was the closest to heaven, where YHVH abides, and is a picture of the kadosh hakadoshim (the holy of holies, also known as the d’veer meaning “oracle”), which was the place in the tabernacle from which Elohim spoke to the Moses and the Israelites. It is in that highest place that one hears Elohim’s instructions directly from him.

The unclean animals are a clear biblical metaphor for the lost and scattered Israelites returning to YHVH in the end times from the beast or heathen nations to where they have been scattered and where they have become like Gentiles or beasts of the field (Hos 2:16–19 cp. Acts 10:12, 28). This is illustrated in Peter’s vision of the sheet (Acts 10:12, 28), where the Gentiles are likened to unclean animals that YHVH has redeemed (Acts 10:12, 28 cp. with the great and innumerable multitude of Rev 7:9, the lukewarm believers of Laodicea in Rev 3:14–21, the thief on the cross, and the foolish virgins in Yeshua’s parable in Matt 25:1–13). The clean animals may represent the 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14, and who are those saints, who have remained faithful in keeping YHVH’s Torah commandments, while at the same time maintaining faith in Yeshua the Messiah (Rev 12:17; 14:12).

Noah escaping the wrath of Elohim may be a antetype of the second exodus of end-times Israelites from the nations of the world. As a mixed multitude joined Israel in the exodus from Egypt, so even within Noah’s family there was a mixed multitude containing a spiritual tare; namely, Ham who later fell into sin (Gen 9:22–27) and become the father of the evil Nimrod (Gen 10). Even Yeshua had Judas, a tare, among his select group of disciples, and Yeshua teaches that the tares would coexist with the wheat up until the end times (Matt 13:24–30).

The waters that flooded the world both gushed up from out of the bowels of the earth and rained down from heaven (Gen 7:11). Water is often a biblical metaphor for the spoken word (e.g., Deut 32:2; Isa 55:10–11; John 9:6; Eph 5:26); namely, it represents both the Word of Elohim from above, and the word (philosophies, thoughts, ideas, religions) of man that are counter to the Word of Elohim and that have their source from below. In the last days, knowledge shall be increased, the devil shall spew out of his mouth deceptive words or philosophies like a flood in an effort to spiritually drown the world and even the saints through deception (Rev 12:15; Matt 24:14). Water can also be a judgment against men. YHVH will judge men for their words, philosophies and religions. Those who followed YHVH’s Word from heaven will be spared his wrath, while those who have subscribed to the words or philosophies of men from below will perish or be judged in a sea of men’s words that are often founded on doctrines of demons. Those who feed spiritually from the tree of knowledge (i.e., secular humanism and all the false religions and ideologies that have spawned from it) will die, while those who feed spiritually from the tree of life or the word of Noah (i.e., a prophetic picture Yeshua), the preacher of righteousness (i.e., the Torah, see Ps 119:172 and 2 Pet 2:5) will live. In the last days, the Word of YHVH will judge men, for when Yeshua returns to the earth on his white war stallion, the sword of the word of Elohim will be coming out of his mouth with which he will judge the nations (Rev 19:11–15). 

It rained 40 days. This is another picture of judgment, since biblically, forty is the number of trials, testing or spiritual refinement.

The ark came to “rest” (Heb. nuach meaning “repose, settle down, be quiet”) on the mountains Ararat (Gen 8:4). From there, Noah built an altar and begin to rule the earth. This is a prophetic picture of Yeshua, at his second advent, coming to Zion or the Temple Mount where he will have his temple and will establish his kingdom on earth. It will be a time of peace on earth.

The word Ararat means “the curse is reversed.” The ark came to rest on Ararat during the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot. This is a prophetic picture of the saints coming to a place of spiritual rest at the beginning of the Millennium after the judgments of Elohim have been poured out on the wickedness of this earth and the wicked rebels have been destroyed.

The dove is a prophetic metaphor for the bride of Yeshua who follows the Spirit of Elohim. The dove coming from the top window of the ark symbolizes the resurrected and glorified bride of Yeshua coming back to earth from heaven to rule with Yeshua on earth (Rev 19:1ff). The dove left and came back on the seventh day—the Shabbat. This is a picture of the Millennium or the seventh millennia of man’s existence on earth. Several times in the story of Noah, it is mentioned about the dove finding rest or not finding rest. This is another picture of the Millennium—a time of rest for the saints or the bride of Yeshua (Heb 4:1–10).

The raven who feeds on carrion is a metaphor for the devil who feeds off of dead meat of lost and wicked men, and who is actively trying to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10) like a ravenous lion (1 Pet 5:8). Satan will be active at the end of the Millennium, as well, when he will be loosed from the pit for a short season from which he will go to the wicked rebels in Gog and Magog where he will incite them come against Yeshua and the saints in Jerusalem (Rev 20:7–10).

Noah’s altar may well be a picture of the third temple that will be built in Jerusalem during the Millennium (or Ezekiel’s temple, Ezek 40–48).

According to Christian commentator Matthew Henry, Noah’s ark was an early Christian metaphor for salvation and YHVH’s delivering his people form evil and judgment against wickedness. We see this allusion in 1 Peter 3:20–22 where the flood is a picture of salvation, deliverance by baptism and the resurrection of Yeshua.

The ark was covered with pitch, which is a picture of the redeemed believer being covered by the blood of Yeshua to keep the spiritual ark of his life from sinking under the judgment of Elohim against men’s sin. This truth of this imagery is revealed in the Hebrew words for pitch and atonement, which share the same root word in Hebrew.

The name Noah means “rest.” Yeshua bids all who are heavy laden and need rest to come to him (Matt 11:28–30).

Noah was 600 years old when he went into the ark and the flood came. YHVH’s final judgment against wicked men will be at the end of the 6000 years of men’s rebellious tenure on this earth.

Noah did not leave the ark and set foot on the earth until YHVH bade him to do so (Gen 8:15). Likewise, Yeshua will not return to the earth from heaven until the Father permits it.

The Noachic Covenant that Elohim made with all humanity (Gen 9:1) is a picture of the New Covenant (also referred to as the “Everlasting” or “Perpetual Covenant”; Isa 55:3; Jer 32:40; 50:20; Ezek 16:60; 37:26; Heb 13:20;) being ratified in the Millennium with “all Israel.” No non-Israelites (i.e., no sinners) will be permitted to live, but will be burned up in the lake of fire at the end of the Millennium (Rev 20:11–15).

Genesis 7

Genesis 7:2, Of every clean animal. There are Christian Bible teachers who claim that the Torah-laws YHVH gave to Moses were for the children of Israel only and not for anyone else, and that prior to Mount Sinai not only was the Torah unknown to man, but it was not a requirement of him. On the contrary, the fact that YHVH told Noah to preserve clean animals on the ark proves that the Torah’s dietary laws were in fact known to man prior to Mount Sinai. 

Genesis 7:4, Forty days. For 40 days it rained upon the earth. Forty is the biblical number for trial, testing, spiritual refinement and divine judgment. For example, YHVH tested and refined Moses in the wilderness for 40 years while shepherding sheep and prior to his call to lead the Israelites our of Egypt. Then YHVH made the Israelites wander in the wilderness 40 years as a judgment against their sin of unbelief and hardness of heart. Later, Yeshua fasted and was tested for 40 days in the wilderness in preparation for his earthly ministry. Similarly, the 40 days it rained on the earth during the flood of Noah is a prophetic antetype of YHVH’s final wrath being poured out upon this earth (Rev 15–16). 

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Nathan’s Commentary on Parashat B’reisheet Genesis 1:1–6:8

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Introduction to the Book of Genesis/B’reisheet

The name Genesis comes from the Greek and means “beginning.” The Hebrew name for the same book is B’reisheet meaning “in the beginning” and is taken from the first three Hebrew words at the beginning of the book. It reveals truth pertaining to the beginning of YHVH’s creation including the universe, light and darkness, the earth, man and good and evil.

Genesis is the first of the five books of the law or Torah. Genesis, along with the next four books of the Bible, are called the Torah (meaning “YHVH’s instructions” in righteousness), the Chumash (another Hebrew word for the Torah) or the Pentateuch (the Greek word for Torah). Under the divine inspiration of the Spirit of Elohim, Moses wrote the Torah, which is a compilation of the history of historical facts about early man and the nation of Israel, as well as recorded instructions from YHVH to his people, Israel.

The Book of Genesis forms not only the introduction to the Bible, but the foundation for it. It is foundational to understanding the rest of Scripture, for it answers the universal questions as to the origin of man (and the rest of the creation), his purpose on earth, and introduces the Creator of man and begins to explain man’s relationship to his Creator. We learn about marriage and family. The concepts of good and evil and obedience and rebellion to YHVH are introduced. The concept of truth is introduced and sin is defined as is YHVH’s plan of redemption for sinful man. Genesis reveals that the redemption of sinful man involves a Redeemer and a relationship with Elohim, the Creator, through a covenantal relationship with the nation of Israel comprised of people who are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Genesis 1

Genesis 1:1, In. In Hebrew, the preposition in is written as the better bet בּ corresponding to the English letter b). This is the first word in the Torah. Interesting, the last word in the Torah is Israel (Deut 34:12). In the Hebrew language, pictographically the letter b is a picture of a house (or a tent) with the front door open. From this, some commentators have correctly reasoned that the Torah was written to the house of Israel whose spiritual doors are wide open for all nations to enter therein in order to enter into a spiritual relationship with the Elohim of Israel. 

In the beginning. The letter bet/בּ in b’reisheit is enlarged teaching that there are two beginnings: the beginning of the Torah and the beginning of the nation of Israel (See The ArtScroll Tikkun, p. 3).

The Torah pre-existed the creation of the cosmos not only as the eternal light of the world that shone before the creation of the sun and moon on the fourth day; as the teachings, precepts, instructions, and laws of YHVH; but as his wisdom (Prov 8:22–36) and his understanding (Prov 3:19) as well. Therefore, Torah is the very essence, nature and character of YHVH Elohim.

The Godhead is revealed in Genesis 1. Elohim is the family name of the Godhead and is the plural form of the Hebrew words El or Eloah. Elohim is more than one being; it is an “us” (verse 26). 

In Deuteronomy 6:4, the famous shema passage and declaration faith for the Jewish people, we find the statement “YHVH our Elohim, YHVH is one.” The Hebrew word for one is echad and can mean “a unit, unity.” Examples of this in the Scriptures include the curtains in the Tabernacle of Moses that are fastened together to form a unit (Exod 26:6, 11; 36:13). The Bible describes Adam and Eve as “one flesh” (or echad, Gen 2:4). When echad is used in this way, it suggests diversity within unity (The TWOT, vol. 1, p. 30). This diversity within unity is suggested in the Bible’s “us” passages when referring to Elohim as noted above. This concept is elucidated upon in the Testimony of Yeshua where Yeshua clearly states that the Godhead or Elohim is comprised of three parts: the Father, the Son and the Set-Apart Spirit (or Holy Spirit; in Hebrew, Ruach HaKodesh, see Matt 28:19). 

YHVH is the name of the Father and the Son. Elohim has a female component as well (verse 27). The Father and Son are obviously the male component of the Godhead. What is the female component? Through the process of elimination, that leaves the Ruach or Spirit of Elohim. Ruach is a feminine word. 

The idea that the Spirit is masculine is a Greco-Roman concept and isn’t rooted in the Hebrew concept of the Spirit as revealed in the Tanakh. In Koine Greek Testimony of Yeshua (New Testament), pneuma, the word for spirit, is in the neuter gender (neither masculine nor feminine). The other word used in the Testimony of Yeshua for the Set-Apart Spirit is paracletos—a word that is often translated as Comforter or Helper (q.v. John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). In the Koine Greek, this word is in the masculine gender. This fact, however, has no bearing on the gender of the entity known as the Ruach, since the Testimony of Yeshua derives its information from the Tanakh, which reveals it to be a feminine entity. Furthermore, nowhere in the Scriptures is the Spirit termed as YHVH Ruach or Ruach YHVH. YHVH is the masculine appellation for the male side of the Godhead, while Ruach is the name of the female side. There are numerous instances in the Scriptures where we find the phrase “the Spirit of Elohim” (Gen 1:2; Exod 31:3; 1 Sam 10:10; Job 33:4) or the “Spirit of YHVH” (Judg 3:10; 6:34; 1 Sam 6:14; Isa 11:2; 40:13; Ezek 11:5; 37:1, etc.). In a sense, it seems this could be a way of saying, “the wife of YHVH Elohim.” 

For more biblical references referring to the plurality of the Elohim the Creator, see my notes at Eccl 12:1.

In the beginning. Some alternative translations of this first verse in the Bible include: 

At the beginning of God’s creating of the heavens and the earth…” (The Schocken Bible, The ArtScroll Stone Edition Tanach)

In the beginning of God’s creation of the heavens and the earth… (The Gutnick Edition Chumash)

From the beginning of God Created the heaven and the earth… (The Pentateuch by S.R. Hirsch)sdAt the beginning the Lord created the heavens and the earth… (Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Etheridge)

In the first times the Lord created the heavens and the earth… (Targum Onkelos, Etheridge)

In the bigynnyng God made of nouyt heuene and erthe. (The Wycliffe Bible, 1395)

In the beginning of God’s preparing the heavens and the earth… (Young’s Literal Translation)

Who or What Is the Aleph and Tav (the Alpha and Omega) of Scripture?

Genesis chapter one verse one reads,

In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth.

If we were to translate this verse into English exactly as it appears in the Hebrew, it would read,

In the beginning Elohim created et the heaven and et the earth.

Between the words heaven and earth is an untranslatable Hebrew particle (a small grammatical word) that makes no sense in English, but that at times can carry deep spiritual significance depending on the vowels that are attributed to this grammatical particle. This is the first occurrence in Scripture of the enigmatic aleph and tav (,T) that intrigues newcomers to a more Hebraic understanding of the Bible. What is the spiritual prophetic significance small word and how does it relate to the Yeshua’s several curious statement about himself in the Book of Revelation? There he refers to himself in several places as “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.” 

Who Is the Aleph and the Tav? 

What is the meaning of the aleph /א and tav/ת in the Genesis chapter one creation account? The Jewish sages once give us clues to answer this intriguing question. For this, we must look deeply into the Hebrew words and letters themselves found in the first few verses of Genesis one. Again in Genesis 1:1 we find something hidden in the Hebrew language which does not translate into English or any other foreign language. It is a Hebrew grammatical particle that is untranslatable outside of Hebrew and is comprised of two Hebrew letter: aleph and tav. These are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Grammatically, this word is simply word the indicates the direct object of the verb. It is found thousands of times in the Tanakh. However, under certain circumstances (i.e., when the letter aleph has one of two Hebrew vowel marker—called a niqqud—under it—either the segol [three dots like an inverted triangle] or tsere [two horizontal dots]), the aleph and tav word has an additional meaning. On this, the rabbinic Hebrew scholar Michael Munk in his book, The Wisdom In the Hebrew Alphabet, explains,

The definite article is expressed in Hebrew by prefixing the letter V to a word. Often, for extra emphasis, the word ,3T (or ,2T) is employed in addition to the prefix. Comprising the first and last letter of the Aleph Be[t], ,3T alludes to completion and perfection. Thus the Torah uses the emphatic article in describing the beginning of Creation: MRTV <3TU OHNAV <2T OHVKT TRÜ <HATRÜ, In the beginning of [Elohim’s] creating the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). This alludes to the fact that the universe was created in complete perfection, ‘from aleph to tav’ (p. 34).

This is very interesting from a Hebraic, Messianic perspective. Believers in Yeshua the Messiah know who the Aleph and the Tav is,or to use the Greek New Testament terms with which everyone is familiar: the Alpha and the Omega. It is, of course, a reference to Yeshua the Messiah. Speaking of himself Yeshua states:

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending said the Master, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (Rev 1:8)

Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven congregations which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. (Rev 1:11)

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Rev 21:6)

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Rev 22:13)

Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I YHVH, the first, and with the last; I am he. (Isa 41:4; see also 44:6; 48:12)

We know from Scripture that Yeshua in his preincarnate state created all things in the physical creation:

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.… He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (John 1:3, 10)

But to us there is but one Elohim, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one master Yeshua the Messiah, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Cor 8:6)

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in Elohim, who created all things by Yeshua the Messiah. (Eph 3:9)

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Col 1:16–17)

Has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.… And, Thou, YHVH, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. (Heb 1:2, 10)

Other notable passages that contain the aleph and tav direct object marker that point to Yeshua the Messiah who is the Aleph and Tav or Alpha and Omega include:

And thou shalt love ,תאYHVH thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deut 6:5)

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me ,תא whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zech 12:10)

Other Scriptures where the two noted forms of the aleph and tav occur include Genesis 15:10, 14, 18 when YHVH made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants in the offering of the pieces which is a prophetic picture of Yeshua. In all honesty, though, it must be noted that in verse 20 the aleph and tav is found with the segol niqqud and there seems to be no indication that it refers to Yeshua, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. So we urge caution in seeing a reference to Messiah in every passage of Scripture where the aleph and tav is used even with the seemingly appropriate vowel markings.

As a side note, another word of interest to our study is the Hebrew word for truth which is emet (<NT).The Scriptures state that Yeshua is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6), that his word is truth (John 17:17) and that Yeshua, the Word of Elohim, was full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and that the Torah-instructions of YHVH is truth (Ps 119:142). The word emet is spelled using the first, last and middle letters of the Hebrew alphabet signifying the completeness or fullness of the Torah-truth of Elohim. This is another confirmatio from the Scriptures that Yeshua the Messiah is the Word of Eloim (John 1:1) that  came to the earth as a human (John 1:14) and that as the both the Written and Living Word of Elohim he is the beginning and end, the fullness of all divine Truth as revealed to humans, and nothing more is needed! Amein.

What we see in the actual Hebrew letters themselves, and especially in the aleph and the tav in Genesis one is the spiritual thumbprint, if you will, of Yeshua the Messiah prior to his incarnation! Do you see this? Does this not strengthen you in your most precious and set-apart faith in Messiah Yeshua?

Genesis 1:1, Elohim created the heavens and the earth. The process of creation lasted for a literal six days as is also stated in Exodus 20:11.

Heavens. The Bible reveals that there are at least three heavens: the heaven of earth’s atmosphere, the heaven of the sun, moon, planets and stars, and the heaven of YHVH Elohim’s abode.

Genesis 1:1–3, Elohim…Spirit…Light. In verse one we read that in the beginning was Elohim, the uniplural Godhead. In verse two the Spirit of Elohim (Set-Apart Spirit; Heb. Ruach haKodesh) is revealed, which according to biblical evidence the feminine side or “wife” part of the Godhead, for Elohim is both male and female (Gen 1:26; 5:2). 

In verse three Elohim’s first creative acts was to create light. This Light was the Word of Elohim or the preincarnte Yeshua who was the Light of the World (John 1:7–8; 8:12), and whose face shines like the sun (Rev 1:16), is the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2), was the Spiritual Light that shone before the creation of the physical luminaries on the fourth day, and is the same Light that will again shine in the New Jerusalem at the end of days and the beginning of the olam habah or eternity (Rev 21:23). 

It appears that in the Genesis chapter one creation account, Elohim the Father and Mother, so to speak, broke a piece of themselves off and “created” the Son (John 1:18; 3:16, 18; Acts 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5; 1 John 4:9), who was the Word of Elohim, and Elohim’s spokesman to humans (John 1:1), and who eventually became Yeshua the Messiah (John 1:1, 14, 18). The Word of Elohim was wisdom to the world from the very beginning before there was an earth (Prov 8:1, 22). It was at this time that the Word was brought forth from Elohim (Prov 8:24; John 1:1; Rev 3:14). The Word of Elohim is the source of life (Prov 8:35), the way to favor with YHVH (Prov 8:35), and is not to be sinned against (Prov 8:36). Those who hate him will die (Prov 8:36). This perfectly describes the role of Yeshua the Messiah. 

It was before the creation of everything physical that the Son was begotten of Elohim (John 3:16; 1:1; Rev 3:14). The Son wasn’t created in the same sense as man in that the latter had a beginning. On the contrary, Yeshua existed eternally in the bosom of Elohim or the Godhead (John 1:18). The Son was before all things and Elohim used him in as the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person (Heb 1:4) to create everything (John 1:3; Col 1:16–18; Heb 1:3, 10; 11:3). This is what John refers to in Revelation 3:14 when he says that Yeshua is the beginning, head or ruler of Elohim’s creation (see notes at Rev 3:14). As a separate Spiritual Entity from the Father and the Ruach-Mother, the glorified Yeshua presently sits at the right hand of Elohim (the Father and Ruach-Mother) in heaven (Heb 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; Acts 7:56; Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 3:21). 

However, at the end of the Book of Revelation in the eternity or olam habah of the New Jerusalem in the new heavens and earth, we see only one throne (see notes at Rev 3:21), for the Son, if you will, seems to have been reabsorbed back into the Elohim of the Godhead from whence he came originally, yet he is still visible therein as the Lamb of Elohim (Rev 21:3–5, 23; 22:1, 3–5). 

A Hebraic Perspective on the “Godhead” or the So-Called “Trinity”

Many Christians returning to a more Hebraic, whole-Bible understanding of Christianity are often challenged to explain the Godhead in terms of the mainstream, traditional Christian trinitarian viewpoint. 

What is this author’s view on the Christian doctrine of the trinity? Actually, I have very little to say on the subject, except that I fear that any explanation a man (including myself) could proffer on the subject of the “Godhead” would be just that: man’s attempt at an explanation of it. How can the mind of man with its limited intellect and language that is only capable of describing earthly and physical things comprehend much less explain the unexplainable — namely the “Godhead”? Think about it for a moment. If he could, then he would be an a par intellectually with Elohim (Hebrew for God). For man, this is an impossible feat.

Moreover, for a man, or a men, regardless of the height of their intellectual capacities to quantify the “Godhead” in human terms would be a violation of the second commandment — idolatry or making a god in our own image. Man is incapable of comprehending much less explaining that which is uninvestigatable, incomprehensible and unexplainable.

Having made these disclaimers, let me share with you what I tell people when they ask what my view of the trinity is. I simply tell them what the Bible says. Elohim is a plural noun, yet we know that Elohim is one. The Hebrew word that explains this oneness is echad (see Deut 6:4) meaning “a compound unity.”

What’s more, in the Testimony of Yeshua (New Testament) we learn that Elohim is comprised of the Father, the Son (Yeshua the Messiah) and the Set-Apart Spirit.

I will go one step further. The Scriptures reveal that Elohim is both male and female (Gen 1:27 and 5:2). When Elohim created male and female it was a reflection of the “Godhead.”

As already noted, Elohim is plural and is the Hebrew word that comes the closest to our term “Godhead.” But there are two other Hebrew words that are roots of this uni-plural noun. They are El and Eloah. Both are found in the Scriptures. Now this is where it gets fun, and might challenge some people’s traditional concept of the trinity being all male entities. What I’m about to say I’m not making up. It’s in your Scriptures. I’m just reporting what’s there and what most people have been blind to all along. The Hebrew lexicons tell us that El is a masculine singular noun. No problems here. They also tell us that Elohim is a masculine plural noun. No problems here either. However, when it comes to Eloah, they leave out the gender. In Hebrew, the ah ending or suffix on a noun almost always makes it feminine. Hmm. This is interesting. Why did the lexicologists leave out this interesting tidbit of information?

As mentioned above, the Testimony of Yeshua reveals to us that the “Godhead” is comprised of the Father, the Son and the Set-Apart Spirit. Well, it’s a no brainer that the Father is the Father, the Son is the Son, but what part of Elohim is the feminine side? Process of elimination. That leaves the Set-Apart Spirit or in Hebrew Ruach haKodesh. Guess what? Ruach in Hebrew is a feminine noun.

I don’t like labels like “the trinity.” Labels put the limitless Elohim in a box—the box of man’s limited understand where he creates false concepts of who he thinks Elohim is or is not. We have to be careful when we start venturing into this territory. I fear Elohim too much to diminish him by my pea sized brain capacities. I also could really care less how many people believe a wrong or unbiblical concept—labels and all. It is still an unbiblical concept!

I can hear some women out there in the audience clapping!

Genesis 1:1–2, In the beginning…without form and void. Was the earth created at this time or did it pre-exist the seven days of creation? See notes at Hebrews 11:3. 

The idea that there is a gap of time between verses one and two in which the world was previously created and then fell into a state of being formless and void (Heb. tohu v’bohu) is called the Gap Theory. For more on this, see notes at Exod 20:11; Isa 45:18 and Heb 11:3. What is my view on the young earth versus the old earth idea? I do not know, for I was not there at the time.

Genesis 1:1–18, Light. What follows is a discussion on the nature of physical and spiritual light as revealed in the first chapter of Genesis.

Genesis 1:5, The evening and morning were the first day.

When Does a Biblical Day Start?

The Hebrew Yom (Day) Defined

To help us to understand when the biblical day begins, let’s first define the Hebrew word for day which is yom. This will give us a clearer, contextual understanding of how the biblical writers use this word and what its many meanings are and how, and if, it relates to the 24-hour period we normally think of as a day.

According to the The Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (or The TWOT), the primary meaning of yom is “day, time, year.” Yom can represent a point of time and a sphere of time. It can represent (a) a period of light in contrast to a period of darkness, (c) a period of 24 hours, (c) a general vague time (e.g. time in general, a long time, a season of time, “the day of the Lord,” or years of time), (d) a point of time, (e) a year or years. Reflecting these various meanings, we find yom translated in Scripture (the KJV) using the following English expression:

  • today
  • when
  • in the time of
  • as long as
  • day
  • continually

The TWOT goes on to note that other Hebrew words sometimes translated in Scripture as day include the Hebrew word ohr meaning “light” as well as boqer (or boker) meaning “morning.” Conversely, antonyms of yom include layila meaning “night,” and erev meaning “evening.” The TWOT also notes that the Bible reveals that the day can start in the evening (Est 4:16; Dan 8:14) as well as in the morning (Deut 28:66). This fact adds confusion to the question as to when a biblical day actually begins. We will discuss this below. So, what does this all have to do with the biblical definition of a day? It is important to know this, for how else are we to know when to observe the biblical Sabbath and feast days? 

Does a Biblical Day Begin at Sunset or Sunrise?

The Creation Model

At the creation, Elohim defined a day as beginning in the evening (Gen 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). Each of the six days of creation follow this model. Although the phrase “And the evening and the morning were the [first, second, etc.] day” is not found in reference to the seventh day Sabbath (Gen 2:1ff), the parallel linguistic construction of the first six days beginning at evening strongly suggests or hints (a remez) that the same pattern for delineating the beginning point of the seventh day would continue over into the Sabbath. Some argue that daylight or morning begins the day since light was the first thing that Elohim created. While spiritual light (not physical light [i.e. the sun, moon and stars] were created on day four) is what was created on the first day, this in no way nullifies how Scripture defines a physical day in the same creation account. All attempts to say that because spiritual light was created first as proof that the day begins in the morning overlook the plain (or pashat) meaning of the text, which says that “the evening and the morning were the [first, second, etc.] day.” We will discuss this point further below.

The Model of the Biblical Feasts

The fact that evening begins the day in Scripture—a pattern that is clearly laid out in the Genesis chapter one account—is transmitted into the starting times of several of the biblical feasts as well. 

Exodus 12:6—Passover

In this verse we find the command to keep the Passover. We read,

On the fourteenth day of the first month in the evening [Heb. beyn ha-er’va’im literally meaning “between the evening] is YHVH’s Passover. (KJV)

We see this same grammatical construction elsewhere (Lev 23:5 and Num 9:3, 5,1. ) plainly showing that the day of Passover is to be kept “between/beyn the evenings/ha-er’va’im,” that is, between the setting of the sun of one day and the setting of the sun of the next day. This correlates with the Genesis one account that shows that the Bible reckons a day beginning at sunset and continuing until the sunset of the next day.

It must here be noted that confusion often occurs if the reader doesn’t understand that Scripture uses the word Passover to mean two different things. First, the word Passover can refer to the actually day of Passover, that is, the fourteenth day of the first month of the biblical year (Lev 23:5). But the word Passover can also refer the actual lamb that was slaughtered on Passover day (Exod 12:21). While it was slaughtered and roasted on the day of Passover (Exod 12:5–6), the Passover lamb was eaten after Passover day had passed and the next day (the fifteenth day of the first month) had begun the following evening after the daylight portion of the fourteenth day had ended (Exod 12:8). The point of this brief discussion is that just because the Israelites ate the Passover lamb in the evening, this was not the evening of Passover day, which occurred 24 hours earlier when that day begin. By the time they were eating the Passover lamb, Passover day had already ended and they were now eating the lamb at the beginning of the next day (the fifteenth day of the first month), which was the first high holy day (a Sabbath) of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Leviticus 23:32—The Day of Atonement

Another clear biblical passage that shows that the day begins in the evening is found in Leviticus 23:32.

It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from evening unto evening, shall you celebrate your Sabbath.

Although this scripture is a reference to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the same word for Sabbath is used here as is used in elsewhere in the biblical references to the weekly Sabbath. From this we learn that Scripture defines Sabbath as being from evening to evening, not morning to morning. Therefore, holy day Sabbaths and weekly Sabbaths are both kept during the same time period, that is, from sunset to sunset, not sunrise to sunrise.

Deuteronomy 16:4—The Feast of Unleavened Bread

In this passage we find another clear reference that the Bible reckons a day as starting in the evening and not for one day, but for the entire seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even [in the evening], remain all night until the morning.

Nehemiah on When the Sabbath Begins

In the book of Nehemiah, we find one of the clearest Bible scriptures that tells not only when the day begins, but also when Sabbath begins. 

 So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. (Neh 13:19–22)

This passage clearly shows that as soon as the evening shadows began to fall, Nehemiah had the city gates shut, so that no one could enter into the city to buy or sell, which is a violation of the Sabbath law. They shut the gates at this time, since they knew that the Sabbath was coming. If the Sabbath began in the morning, why would they shut the gates twelve hours early?

Some folks who promote a sunrise to sunrise day will counter by saying, “They closed the gates the night before because who wants to get up at sunrise and shut the gates?” or “They closed the gates the night before because there were hedge laws enacted by that time such that the gates were closed well before the Sabbath to ensure that no one would violated the Sabbath law.” But where in Scripture does it say that they were shutting the gates for these reasons? It doesn’t. To assume this is adding to Scripture something that isn’t there, and adding to the Word of Elohim is a serious sin (Deut 4:2; 12:32; Rev 22:18–19).

The Work Day Began in the Morning and Went Until the Evening

Although the Bible gives us many examples of the work day beginning in the morning, this doesn’t mean that the 24 hour period, which the Bible calls a day (Gen 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31), begins in the daylight portion of that 24 hour period.

For example, Moses’ work of judging Israel began in the morning (Heb. boqer, Lev 18:13, 14), but this doesn’t prove that the 24 hour period that Scripture the Genesis one creation account calls “a day” began at this time.

Similarly, YHVH provided manna for the children of Israel in the morning and instructed them to collect it then (Exod 16:4–5, 7, 16, 21, 26). The sixth day was a work day, a day of preparation for the Israelites for the Sabbath (v. 5). The Israelites stored the manna until the Sabbath morning and ate it then. But the Bible doesn’t say that the Sabbath began in the morning (Exod 16:24–25).

Moreover, even though the Israelites began gathering manna in the morning and finished by gathering quail in the evening (Exod 16:8, 12), this doesn’t prove that the day began in the morning. It only proves that they started their work in the morning and finished it in the evening. That’s all, and nothing more, so let’s leave it there and not attempt to cherry pick a verse out of context and then to make a doctrine out of something that isn’t there. This is called cramming it to fit and painting it to match. As the saying goes, “That boat don’t float!”

Another example of morning activities include Moses’ work of building a stone altar beginning early in the morning (Exod 34:4), as well travelling, warfare and other work activities that all began in the morning (Num 14:40; 22:13, 21; Josh 3:1). However, these activities don’t prove that this is when the 24-hour day began. To say it does is equivalent to saying that because most people in our day go to work in the morning this begins the day, even though the day really starts at midnight. 

 
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Linking the Infinite and the Finite—A New Paradigm in Which to View the Bible

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The Bible’s Torah Connection

Pretend you were the infinite, all-powerful, omniscient and loving Creator of the universe who had made man to have a relationship with him, how would communicate with finite humans? How could you pour all that you know and are into man, so that he could experience the love, joy, peace, goodness, holiness, wisdom, understanding and truth that you have? Would it not be like trying to pour the world’s oceans into a thimble. At best you would need to distill down the essence of who you are and what you know into its simplest and most basic form so as not to overwhelm your human creation. But how would you do this, and what would be the vehicle you would use to convey this vast revelation to puny man? And does a physical human being ultimately traverse the vast gulf between him and his Creator to become like his Father in heaven? 

There is a path between here and there! It has been laid out. It is called the Torah—a biblical Hebrew word meaning “instructions, teachings, precepts and law.” The Torah is a tiny kernel of the essence of the very mind, will, character and heart of the Creator, and it is his gift to man, for man to live an abundant physical life here and now with the possibility of graduating to a position of immortality in Elohim’s eternal kingdom and spiritual family. The Torah is the thimble into which YHVH poured his heart into bite sized pieces that would not choke man’s understanding of the vastness of who he is. 

How do we know these things? The Bible likens the Torah that emanates from the Eternal Creator to divine light that pierces the spiritual darkness of the man’s physical existence. Moreover, the Torah is like a path that leads man to YHVH Elohim, the Creator. It is the epitome of all wisdom, knowledge and understanding that when embraced and obeyed leads man to the fulfillment of his highest desires. This very Torah is revealed in the pages of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Yes, not just in the books of the law of Moses, but in the New Testament or Testimony of Yeshua as well! To those who will remove the religious blinders from their eyes, they will see that this truth-path has been hiding in plain sight from the beginning of man’s creation. It is merely requires one to freely choose this upward path.

The Living and the Written Torah Is the Central Theme of the Bible

In the pages of the Bible we revealed the Creator’s path laid out that enables man to transcend from the physical, mortal and temporal plain to the spiritual, immortal and heavenly plain. YHVH’s Torah is way upward and it is a highway that contains two lanes both going in the same direction. They are at the same time indivisible yet separate like two sides of the same coin; they co-labor together and together make a complete picture. That two lane highway to heaven is the  Living Torah (i.e., Yeshua the Messiah who is the Word of Elohim in human form) and Written Torah (specifically the biblical books of Genesis to Deuteronomy, and in the larger sense, the entire Old Testament or Tankah, and eventually the Bible, the Written Word of Elohim). The Torah in both forms are the dominant them of the entire Bible from beginning to end as we are about to discover.  

Yeshua and the Torah-word of Elohim is one and the same thing—totally unified and absolutely indivisible, which is why I used the singular verb is above and not are in order to illustrate a point. Another way to say this is that the whole Bible is about Yeshua the Torah-Word of Elohim who came in human form (John 1:1, 14). 

To further illustrate the unity of the Written and Living Torah Word of Elohim, we will discover later that the Bible’s dominant Torah theme is prominently highlighted at the beginning, middle and end of the Scriptures. This brief lesson is, by no means, a comprehensive study of the subject of the Torah as presented in the Bible. It is merely a quick overview to help you to begin viewing the Bible through a different set of spiritual glasses. To ensure that the locomotive driving your faith onward and upward is set on the right two rails—the Living Torah and the Written Torah. Thus, your spiritual train will not be derailed by wrong doctrine and false teachings.

In this study, we will focus more heavily on the Written Torah, as opposed to Yeshua the Living Torah, although I squarely rest my faith in the fact that without Yeshua the Messiah, it is impossible to fully understand, much less obey, the Written Torah. Furthermore, it is only Yeshua, the Living Torah and not the Written Torah who is capable of saving us from our sins (which the Bible defines as the violation of the Written Torah), and granting to us, by his merciful grace, the righteousness required to receive eternal life and entrance into Elohim’s everlasting kingdom and spiritual family.

The Written Torah Defined

Let us first define our terms. What does the word Torah mean as defined in the Bible? The primary meaning of the Hebrew word Torah/תּורה is “teaching, precept, instruction” and not the word law (as translated in most of our English Bibles), although it is translated as such some 219 times in the Tanakh (Old Testament). What is the fuller meaning of the word Torah?

According to Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Torah, as already noted, signifies primarily “direction, teaching and instruction” (Prov 13:14). It is derived from the verb yarah/VRh meaning “to project, point out” and hence “to point out or teach.” The law of Elohim is that which points out or indicates his will to man…Seen against its background of the verb yarah, it becomes clear that Torah is much more than law or a set of rules. Torah is not restriction or hindrance, but instead the means whereby one can reach a goal or an ideal place.

Similarly, The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament states that the word Torah means “teaching” whether it is the wise man instructing his son or Elohim instructing Israel. The wisdom of the Torah gives insight into all aspects of life so that a young person may know how to conduct themselves and to live a long blessed life (Prov 3:1f). Likewise through the Torah, Elohim, motivated by love, reveals to man basic insights on how men are to live with each other and how man is to approach Elohim. Through the Torah, Elohim shows his interest in all aspects of man’s life which is to be lived under his direction and care. The Torah of Elohim is his word to mankind—his instructions in right living or in righteousness. 

As already noted, the word Torah originates from the root word yarah, which also means “to flow as water, to lay or throw as in shooting an arrow; to point out as if aiming the finger to make a point, to teach.” Another cognate (related word) of the word Torah is the Hebrew word moreh, which means “teacher or archer (as in one who shoots at a target).” Moreh derives from the same Hebrew root word, yarah, as does the word Torah, and signifies that law is the revelation of Elohim’s will (e.g., Isa 1:10). Therefore, when one is walking according to the Torah of YHVH Elohim, one is walking in the light of YHVH’s truth, which is hitting the mark of righteousness. Likewise, YHVH’s teachings or instructions are a river of life flowing from his throne aimed at hitting the mark of truth and righteousness. Conversely, the Hebrew word for sin is chata, which means “to miss the mark,” or to transgress the Torah as 1 John 3:4 states, “Sin is the transgression of the Torah-law.”

The Origin of Torah and Its Introduction into the World

To the biblically naive, it is believed that the Torah-law originated with Moses. In reality, the Torah predates Moses. He was merely the human vessel through which Elohim gave the Torah-law in its codified form to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. There are many examples in both the books of Genesis and Exodus before Mount Sinai that YHVH’s servants both knew of and followed the Torah or as much of it as had been revealed to them up to that time. This, however, is a different study and beyond the scope of this present discussion. Moreover, the Bible reveals that the Torah not only predated Moses and his ancestors, but the creation of man as well as the following points will hopefully make abundantly clear. Scripture makes numerous allusions to the Torah at the very beginning of the Bible in poetic and metaphorical terms. For example,

  • In the creation account, Elohim said, “Let there be light” (Gen 1:3). The light of Elohim came into the darkness of this world. The creation of light was Elohim’s first creative act. As we shall see below, light is a Hebraic metaphor for the Torah, which is the divine knowledge and wisdom of Elohim representing his perfect and undefiled character and nature. 
  • By Yeshua who is Elohim and is the Word of Elohim (John 1:1), everything was created (Heb 11:3). Elohim’s Word is light and truth. Yeshua is the Word of Elohim and is also the Light of the world (John 1:1, 8, 14; 8:12; 14:6). He is the Living Torah-Word of Elohim incarnate (John 1:1, 14)
  • The Word of YHVH is Torah; it is his instructions in righteousness (Ps 119:176).
  • The Torah is truth as we read in Psalms 119:142, “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy Torah is the truth.”
  • The Torah is spiritual light as we read in Proverbs 6:23, “For the commandment is a lamp; and the Torah is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.”

As we can see, the Torah or light of Elohim, which is the truth or Word of Elohim, which is Yeshua the Word of Elohim predated the giving of the Torah-law to Moses and the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. To say that the Torah originated with Moses is to hold to a very narrow and, quite frankly, an unbiblical and a naive understanding of the concept of Torah.

The Torah in the Beginning, Middle and End of the Bible

As stated at the beginning of this brief study, the Living and Written Torah is the dominant theme of the Bible. Let’s quickly see how this is the case by reviewing the three parts of the Bible—the beginning, the middle and the end to see how Torah is revealed here. 

  • In Genesis one, at the beginning of the Bible we find the following:
  • Genesis 1:1, The Hebrew grammatical marker word consisting of an aleph and tav/<t (the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet) are found twice in verse one, just before and after the word heaven. They are the fourth and seventh Hebrew words in this sentence. The astute Bible student will see this as a prophetic reference to Yeshua, who is the Beginning and the End (the Alpha and Omega /AW, Rev 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13). It also points us to the fact that Yeshua would come from heaven in the fourth millennia and would come back to earth from heaven in the seventh millennia. 
  • Genesis 1:3, The introduction of light into the world was the first creative act of Elohim. Light is a biblical metaphor for Torah or the Word of Elohim (Prov 6:23; Ps 119:105). Light pierced and still pierces the darkness of evil. Darkness is a biblical metaphor for Torahlessness or all that which is of the world, the flesh and the devil and which is contrary to or is in rebellion to and against the will and Word of Elohim (John 1:5; 3:16–21). 
  • Genesis 1:3–5, Light is mentioned five times here. Some Bible teachers refer to this as the five points of light—a reference to the five books of the Torah (Gen through Deut), and to Yeshua, who was the light of the world before the sun was created on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14. Yeshua, that same spiritual Torah-light, will eventually replace the sun in the heaven on earth of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:23; 22:5).
  • In Genesis 1:3, we find the complete spelling of the Hebrew word for light (or/אור spelled aleph, vav, resh), as opposed to a defective spelling minus the vav that the physical sun gives (see Gen 1:14, the first reference to light in that verse is spelled defectively). This points to the supreme and supernal Torah-light from heaven, which is Yeshua, the Torah-Word of Elohim that was made flesh and dwelt among men (John 1:1, 14), and who was the spiritual Light of the world (John 1:4–5; 8:12). 

Next we come to the exact middle of the Bible, which is Psalm 119. This is the Bible’s longest chapter and the highest praise of Torah to be found in all of the Scripture. This psalm examines all aspects of the Torah much like a jeweler examining and admiring every facet and angle of a large, priceless and one-of-a-kind gem stone. In this psalm, we learn what should be our view of and response toward the Torah of Elohim.

Finally, we come to the end of the Bible, which is the Book of Revelation. In the last two chapters of the Bible we find a number of references to the Written Torah, and to Yeshua, the Living Torah.

  • Revelation 22:14 states, “Blessed are they who keep his [Torah] commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.”
  • Revelation 21:23; 22:5 (also 2 Cor 4:6) reveals that Yeshua will be the light of the New Jerusalem. Yeshua is the Light of the World (John 1:4–5; 8:12) and the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2) whose face shines like the sun (Rev 1:16). As the pre-incarnate Yeshua, Living Torah-Word of Elohim was the light that illuminated the earth until day four of creation when the physical sun was created, even so Yeshua will once again be the Light of the world as he was during the first four days of creation.
  • Revelation 22:3, In the New Jerusalem, there will be no more curse because there will be no more sin or Torahlessness (1 John 3:4 states that sin is the transgression of the Torah), which brings on the curses of the law (Deut 28:15–68), which is death (Ezek 18:4; Rom 6:23)—the ultimate curse for violating the Torah, which are Elohim’s instructions in righteousness. 
  • Revelation 22:12, Yeshua is bringing spiritual rewards to his servants based on how faithful they were to obeying and teaching the Torah (cp. Matt 5:19).
  • Revelation 22:13, The alpha and omega or (in Hebrew) the aleph and tav—the beginning and end of the Torah-Word of Elohim—is another reference to the written Torah and to Yeshua, the Living Torah. This is a repetition of the same concept found in the first verse of the Bible.
  • Revelation 22:15 (also 21:8), Outside of the New Jerusalem are found sinners or those who are Torahless or violators of the Torah, for sin is the violation of the Torah (1 John 3:4).
  • Revelation 22:17, The Spirit and bride say come. Who gets to come into the kingdom of Yeshua as his bride? Those who have prepared themselves for the marriage supper of the Lamb by putting on the robes of the righteous acts of Torah (see Rev 19:7–9, NIV and NAS). Again, the Scriptures define righteousness as obedience to the Torah (Ps 119:172).
  • Revelation 22:18–19 tells us to neither add to nor subtract from the Book of Revelation, and by implication, the entire Bible. This echoes the warning Moses wrote at the end of the Torah (Deut 4:2; 12:32). The Torah of Elohim is the word or instructions of Elohim and not only encompasses the first five books of Scripture, colloquially called the Torah or Pentateuch, but ultimately includes the whole Bible.
  • Revelation 22:20–21, The Hebrew word amein is found twice in the last two verse of the Bible is the very last word of the Scriptures. Amein means “verily, truly” and is a Hebrew word that originates from the Hebrew word emet/<nt meaning “truth.” The word emet is spelled aleph, mem and tav, which are the first, middle and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Therefore, emet is a word that signifies all that is revealed on a subject from aleph to tav, thus comprising all that can be written on it and no more can be added to it. Thus, the very last word in the Bible clearly points to both the written Torah of YHVH Elohim, and to Yeshua, the Living Torah, which is the Word of Elohim in human form and is the Truth in its final and highest form. Spiritually speaking as revealed in the Bible, Yeshua, truth and Torah are one in the same and are indivisible.

The 32 Blessings and Benefits of Obeying YHVH’s Torah-Law

The Scriptures reveal that the Torah is much more than a list of dos and don’ts as many people have falsely been led to believe, and is therefore, in their mind, a negative thing. Deuteronomy 4:6 says that the Torah is our wisdom and understanding before the nations of the world. In Deuteronomy 11:8, we learn that the Torah makes us strong. The word strong in Hebrew is chazaq meaning “to be strong, grow strong, to prevail, to be firm, be caught fast, be secure, to grow stout, grow rigid, to restore to strength, give strength, sustain, encourage, make bold, encourage, to repair or to withstand.” This sounds like a good thing! 

Sadly, most Christians have been told again and again ad infinitum and ad nauseam that the law of Moses or God’s Torah-law is “against them,” that they are “not under it,” that “it was nailed to the cross” or “done away with.” Nothing could be further from the truth as we shall see below.

Contrary to what most people have been told, YHVH’s Torah is not against man; rather, it might be said that God’s (Elohim’s) Torah-law itself is neutral; neither positive nor negative. In reality, it is like a mirror that simply reflects the image portrayed in it. Torah reacts according to human action. Those who obey it are blessed and those who disobey it are cursed. For example, just as the law of gravity is also neutral. Even as it benefits humans by keeping them from floating off to a certain death in outer space, so the same law is against us should we choose to jump off a bridge, a high building or a cliff; the results are death. Again, Elohim’s Torah-law, like his law of gravity is neutral. It can be for or against us depending on whether we acknowledge, respect and then obey it or not. To ignore it is called sin and results in death, for the wages of sin (i.e., the violation of Torah; 1 John 3:4) is death (Ezek 18:4; Rom 6:23). 

The following lists delineate the few aspects of the YHVH Elohim’s Torah-law that are “against” us (that is, against sinners), and them the many aspects of YHVH’s Torah-law that are for man’s blessing and benefit.

On the negative side, when we disobey the Torah…

Continue reading →
 

The Knowledge and Wisdom of the Word of YHVH Elohim Unveiled

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The secret [intimate, confidential counsel, advice or speech] of YHVH is with them that fear him. (Ps 25:14)

Introduction to the Bible

The Number of the Books of the Bible

The first point in determining the symmetry of the Scriptures is to realize that originally the Tanakh (Old Testament) was subdivided into 22 books, not the 39 in our present Bible. There was no difference in the content between then and now but only in how the books were categorized. The Book of Jubilees, a Jewish pseudepigraphic work dating to the second century b.c., attests to the fact (Jubilees 2:23) of there originally being 22 books in the Tanakh, as does Josephus in his Contra Apion (Book 1.8), and as do many early Church fathers and other early Christian scholars (In Restoring the Original Bible, Ernest L. Martin references 22 such early Christian writers, including Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History, 4.26.14, Martin, pp. 58–60). 

It is believed that Ezra the scribe originally arranged the books of the Old Testament in this manner. Thus, books such as Samuel, Kings and Chronicles were combined into one book each and the 12 Minor Prophets were combined into one book as well. We will discuss the significance of the number 22 in the Scriptures below, but for now, how did the Tanakh get expanded from 22 to 39 books? According to Martin, the Jewish translators of the Greek version of the Tanakh (the Septuagint or LXX) in the second and third century b.c. subdivided the books of the Tanakh into the pattern we have today. There were, however, no Hebrew manuscripts that followed the Greek version (Martin, p. 65). Sometime in the last part of the first century or beginning of the second century a.d., Jewish authorities decided to re-divide the Tanakh into 24 books rather than to maintain the 22 (Martin, pp. 67–68). Eventually the Jews adopted the Christian numbering system of the books of the Tanakh found in the modern Protestant Christian Bible.

“There may well have been political and religious reasons why the Jewish authorities made the change when they did. When the New Testament books were being accepted as divine literature by great numbers of people within the Roman world, the non-believing Jews could see that the 27 New Testament books added to the original 22 of the Old Testament reached the significant number 49 [7 x 7]. This was a powerful indication that the world now had the complete revelation from God with the inclusion of those New Testament (or the Testimony of Yeshua) books. Since Jewish officials were powerless to do anything with the New Testament, the only recourse they saw possible was to alter the traditional numbering” (Martin, p. 68).

The Significance of the Number 22 in Hebrew Thought

Next Martin draws our attention to the ancient Jewish Book of Jubilees which mentions the significance of the number 22 in Hebraic thought. Annotated to the restored text of Jubilees 2:23 is the remark that Elohim made 22 things on the six days of creation with man being the twenty-second created thing—the crowning achievement of YHVH’s creative activities. These 22 events paralleled the 22 generations from Adam to Jacob (i.e., the Israelite nation being the crowning achievement of YHVH’s work among the nations of the world with Israel being the vehicle through which redemption would occur), the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and the 22 books of the Holy Scriptures (Martin, p. 57).

The 22 numbering is most interesting and fits in well with the literary and symbolic meaning of “completion” as understood by early Jews. The Book of Jubilees put forth that this number represented the “final” and “complete” creation of Elohim. Adam was the last creation of Elohim (being the 22nd). Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, was the 22nd generation from Adam; and Jacob was acknowledged as the father of the spiritual nation of Elohim. In addition to this, it is important to note that the Hebrew language became the means by which Elohim communicated his divine will to mankind. It had an alphabet of 22 letters. And, finally, when Elohim wished to give his complete Old Testament revelation to humanity, that divine canon was presented in 22 authorized books. The medieval Jewish scholar Sixtus Senensis explained the significance of this matter (Martin, pp. 57–58).

As with the Hebrew there are twenty-two letters, in which all that can be said and written is comprehended, so there are twenty-two books in which are contained all that can be known and uttered of divine things.

Yeshua the Messiah In Every Book of the Bible

The Bible has a dominant theme, and every Christian has a sense of this. The Old Testament or Tanakh points forward to Yeshua the Messiah, and the New Testament or the Testimony of Yeshua is about Yeshua. The following list of biblical books gives us a caricaturized sense of the Bible’s central and preeminent message.

  • In Genesis, Yeshua is the eternal Torah-light of the world, the breath of life and the seed of the woman.
  • In Exodus, he is the Passover lamb, the Torah-Word of Elohim, and the way to the Father in the tabernacle.
  • In Leviticus, he is our atoning sacrifice and our high priest.
  • In Numbers, he is the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.
  • In Deuteronomy, he is the prophet like unto Moses.
  • In Joshua, he is the captain of our salvation who leads us into the kingdom of Elohim.
  • In Judges, he is our judge and lawgiver.
  • In Ruth, he is our kinsman redeemer.
  • In 1 and 2 Samuel, he is our trusted prophet.
  • In Kings and Chronicles, he is our reigning king.
  • In Ezra, he is the builder of our temple, which houses the Spirit of Elohim.
  • In Nehemiah, he is the rebuilder of the broken down walls of human life.
  • In Esther, he is our Mordechai who saves us from those who would kill, steal and destroy us.
  • In Job, he is our ever-living Redeemer.
  • In Psalms, he is our shepherd to lead us in the ways of Torah-life.
  • In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, he is our wisdom.
  • In Song of Solomon, he is our Loving Bridegroom.
  • In Isaiah, he is the Suffering Servant who bears our sins, the Repairer of the Breach between the two houses of Israel, and the Prince of Peace.
  • In Jeremiah, he is our Righteous Branch.
  • In Lamentations, he is the weeping prophet.
  • In Ezekiel, he is the one who rejoins the two sticks of Israel bringing them to worship Elohim together his temple.
  • In Daniel, he is the fourth man in life’s fiery furnace and our Ancient of Day.
  • In Hosea, he is the faithful husband forever married to the backslider.
  • In Joel, he is the baptize of the Holy Spirit.
  • In Amos, he is our burden bearer.
  • In Obadiah, he is mighty to save.
  • In Jonah, he is our great foreign missionary.
  • In Micah, he is the messenger of beautiful feet.
  • In Nahum, he is our strength and shield, and the avenger of Elohim’s elect.
  • In Habakkuk, he is Elohim’s evangelist crying, “Revive thy works in the midsts of the years.”
  • In Zephaniah, he is our Savior.
  • In Haggai, he is the restorer of Elohim’s lost heritage.
  • In Zechariah, he is a fountain opened up in the house of David for sin and uncleanliness.
  • In Malachi, he is the Sun of Righteousness arising with healing in his wings.
  • In Matthew, Yeshua the Messiah is the King of the Jews.
  • In Mark, he is the servant.
  • In Luke, he is the Son of Man, feeling what you feel.
  • In John, he is the Son of Elohim.
  • In Acts, he is the Savior of the world.
  • In Romans, he is the righteousness of Elohim.
  • In 1 Corinthians, he is the Rock, the Father of Israel.
  • In 2 Corinthians, he is the triumphant one giving victory.
  • In Galatians, he is your liberty. He set you free.
  • In Ephesians, he is the head of his spiritual body.
  • In Philippians, he is your joy.
  • In Colossians, he is your completeness.
  • In 1 and 2 Thessalonians, he is your hope.
  • In 1 Timothy, he is your faith.
  • In 2 Timothy, he is your stability.
  • In Titus, he is truth.
  • In Philemon, he is your benefactor.
  • In Hebrews, he is your perfection.
  • In James, he is the power behind your faith.
  • In 1 Peter, he is your example.
  • In 2 Peter, he is your purity.
  • In 1 John, he is your life.
  • In 2 John, he is your pattern.
  • In 3 John, he is your motivation.
  • In Jude, he is the foundation of your faith.
  • In Revelation, he is the Righteous Judge of the world, the Avenger of the saints, your coming King, your First and Last, the Beginning and the End, the Keeper of creation, the Creator of all, the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times. He always was, he always is and always will be. He’s unmoved, unchanged, undefeated, and never undone. He was bruised and brought healing. He was pierced to heal our pain. He was persecuted and brought freedom. He was dead and brought life. He is risen and brings power. He reigns and brings peace. The world can’t understand him, the armies can’t defeat him, the public schools can’t kick him out and the leaders can’t ignore him. Herod couldn’t kill him, the Pharisees couldn’t confuse him, the people couldn’t hold him, Nero couldn’t crush him, Hitler couldn’t silence him, the communists can’t destroy him, the atheists can’t explain him away, and the New Age can’t replace him. He is life, love, longevity and Lord. He is goodness, kindness, gentleness and Elohim. He is holy, righteous, mighty, powerful and pure. His ways are right, his word is eternal, his will is unchanging, and his eyes are on me. He is my Redeemer, he is my Savior, he is my Guide, he is my peace, he is my joy, he is my comfort, he is my Lord, and HE RULES MY LIFE!

Author Unknown, edited by Nathan Lawrence 

Which Bible Translation Do I Use?

Continually, people ask me what Bible translation I personally use when preaching and when writing. I wish there were a definitive and conclusive answer to this question, but there is not. The short answer is this: all of the Bible translations and, at the same time, none of them. Let me explain what I mean.

The Word of Elohim is something that we must take very seriously. A godly and righteous man trembles before YHVH’s Word with a contrite heart (Isa 66:2). Admittedly, there are numerous Bibles being peddled by money-grubbing charlatans or self-proclaimed experts who have just enough knowledge of the original languages to be dangerous, but not enough to competently translate the Bible. This includes countless designer translations claiming to be true to the Hebraic roots of our faith by people who have little or no expertise in the Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek languages. These Bibles should come with a giant warning sign printed on the front cover, and should only be to read with great caution if at all! Many of these individuals are duping those who know less than they do when it comes to linguistics, and too many are preying on unsuspecting and naive people who are hungry for truth. They are proving the old adage that says “an ‘expert’ is simply someone who knows more than the next guy.” Most of these “translators” have little or no academic training or linguistic expertise in ancient biblical languages, yet this doesn’t stop them producing a constant stream of “new and improved” Bible translations. I actually have some academic background in foreign and biblical languages and have done translating work in both French and Koine Greek at the academic level, so I speak with some understanding on the subject. Yet, I am not an expert, and am not qualified to translate anything.

This disclaimer aside, there is not a single Bible translation on the market today that I can unreservedly recommend. Some of the more popular Hebraic roots or Messianic Bibles, for example, have likely been translated by individuals who have little or no linguistic training. How do we know this? This is because yet they (dishonestly) refuse to disclose publicly what their qualifications are for translating the Bible. I find this to be a huge red flag. If you have academic training in a foreign language, then state your bona fides , thus informing your readers of your qualifications. If you do not or cannot, then it is probably because you have none. Most likely, many self-proclaimed Bible translators of Hebraic version Bibles simply sat down with a copyright free English version (e.g., the KJV) and along with the help of a concordance and a few other lexical aids, made a translation, which they now peddle for big bucks. There is much more to understanding a language then simply viewing it through a concordance, lexicon or a few other lexical aids. There is complications of grammar, the nuances of syntax, and countless word plays and colloquial expressions that must be mastered, plus cultural and other contextual understanding and so much more that must be navigated in order to make a correct translations. To not take these issues into consideration is engaging in a dishonest and unrighteous endeavor and is toying with the Word of Elohim.  

Now to the question at hand: which Bible version do I personally use? I still use the KJV and NKJV, since at least they were translated by competent linguists. Because after 55 year of studying the Bible and thus attaining a basic familiarity with many Greek and Hebrew words, I know where all the translation biases are, and I know the Hebrew and Greek words behind many of the English words in our Bibles. Thus, when reading the Bible (or when preaching and preaching) or quoting Scripture (when writing), I start with the base of the NKJV because minus the countless thees, thous, wouldests and shouldests my tongue is less likely to get tied. Then while reading or writing, I “clean” up the English. That is to say, I return the English names for deity back to their original Hebrew.  For example, I insert Hebrew words for the names of deity (i.e., God becomes Elohim, LORD become Yehovah, Jesus becomes Yeshua, Christ becomes Messiah or Mashiach, Holy Spirit become Ruach HaKodesh, and so on). In cases where there are Hebrew or Greek words that have been translated into English using misleading words or biased translations, based on the lexical meanings of the words I make changes. For example, in Romans 10:4, I change “end” to “final aim, goal,”which is in accordance with the meaning of the Greek word telos as well Scriptural context. Another example would be Matthew 5:17 where fulfill (Gr. pleroo) means “to fill up, to make full, to complete, to fill to the top.” Additionally, in any place in both the Tanakh (Old Testament) or the Testimony of Yeshua (New Testament) where the word law occurs in referring to “the law of Moses”, I replace it with the Hebrew word Torah meaning “instructions, teachings and precepts [in righteousness of YHVH Elohim],”  which is the primary meaning of torah.I could give many other examples, but hopefully the reader gets the point. The point is that I do not carelessly or haphazardly substitute words, but do so with a full understanding of the meanings of the words in the original languages, and how the biblical authors use them in the full context of the whole Bible. Again, we must tremble before YHVH (Isa 66:2) and his Word. I cringe at the thought of being labeled a false teacher, or bringing curses upon myself for adding or subtracting from the Word of Elohim (Rev 22:18–19; Deut 4:2; 12:32; Prov 30:6).

Understanding the Social World of the Bible

The Biblical Narrative—Story and Law Versus History. The Bible is more than history; it is a story. It doesn’t merely contain dry facts, which to the ancient Hebrews were meaningless. Rather, the biblical records facts-based stories that are interpreted that help the future generations to understand who they were. Therefore, the most common literature genres to be found in the Bible are story and law, not just historical facts. As Matthews and Benjamin point out, history is the genre of “what happened?” Story is the genre of “what does it mean?” As such, the biblical authors paint picture-stories using colorful and artistic language. The story teller is an artist, while the modern historian is a scientists (Social World of Ancient Israel, p. xix, by Matthews and Benjamin).

Religion Integrated Into Day-to-Day Life. In the world of the Bible, religion was a way of life pervading everything the ancients did. The Hebrews didn’t limit their religious experience to certain times, days or specific experiences as is often the case in the Western religious mindset. Religion was a thread that ran through the entire gamut of life every hour and day. Every season and year from regular household chores to sacred feast days were celebrated with religious ritual. Thus, religion inspired the culture as well as science and art. These were not only handed down from one generation to another, but were the ancient people’s profession of faith (ibid., pp. xix–xx).

Covenant Defined Relationships. Although family or blood relationships were important in the ancient world and were vital to survival, covenantal ties defined relationships even more than blood ties. Both blood and covenantal relationships were the glue that held households, clans, villages and tribes together in early Israel, but covenant more than kinship defined these relationships. Hebrew households were not only united by biology but by sociological experience, and these households shared legal commitments. The interaction between kinship can create confusion when the Bible uses familial terms like father, mother, son, nephew, uncle, brother and the like. In the Bible, these terms can be more legal than biological. In the ancient Near East, the practice of applying family titles to others outside of the biological family was common. For example, an apprentice often referred to his master craftsman mentor as father (ibid., pp. 8–9). Another unifying factor among the Hebrews was their common ancestry and the fact that they had passed from slavery to freedom. They also had in common the fact that they had left the world around them and had crossed through water whether the Red Sea or the Jordan River as a sort of rite of passage from one world to another.

The Role of the Mother in Ancient Israel. The mother was the sole manager of the household. Because ancient Israel was a subsistence economy, a household’s resources had to be managed carefully, and this was the woman’s responsibility. She directed the preservation and storage of food and allotted food rations to each family member to assure that everyone in the household was fed and the food lasted until the next harvest cycle. “In the world of ancient Israel, a man’s home was his wife’s castle, and she had the domestic authority which he did not (ibid., p. 25). The mother’s dominant role over the household including the children perhaps explains why Moses expected Zipporah to circumcise his two sons (Exod 4:25–26). 

For the mother, childbearing and teaching children were synonymous roles. The Book of Proverbs shows the dual role of the mother (Prov 1:8; 6:20; 23:22–25; 31:1–9).

A mother’s intimate bond to her children not only lasted through pregnancy and infancy, but through the weaning process, which often didn’t occur until the child was four years of age. After teaching them how to walk, talk, dress themselves, she taught the child the domestic skills of gardening, cooking herding, weaving and making pottery (ibid., p. 28).

The Climate in the Land of Israel. Throughout the land of Israel (and neighboring lands), there are only two seasons: wet or winter (October through March) and dry or summer (April through September). Moist westerly winds blowing off the Mediterranean Sea produce the rain, while east winds blowing from the area of Arabia produce the warm and dry conditions. 

Farming in the Land of Israel. The standard harvests of the hill country of Israel produced ten to fifteen times the grain that was needed for planting. This was the break even point for a farmer’s survival. A farmer could increase his yield and the success of his agricultural venture through capturing water through terracing hillsides, pooling resources with other farmers, having numerous children to help with farming activities, and by staggering sowing by planting a single crop in several stages over a period of time. In this way, farmers wouldn’t have to care for one large crop at the same time, and the same number of farmers could handle the same size crop one section at a time. Planting crops in stages provided insurance if the climate cycles happened to shift, so that crops would come ripe at different times (ibid., p. 39).

In the hill country of Israel, which is most of the land, it rained during only two seasons of the year. Rain occurred just before the planting season at the end of the summer in the fall. This rain was critical, since it loosened up the hardened, sun-baked soil, so that it could be plowed and planted. It also had to rain toward the end of the growing season to bring the crops to maturation (ibid., p. 43). These were the former (fall) and latter (spring) rains to which the Scripture make reference to in several places (Jer 5:24; Hos 6:3; Joel 2:23).

The standard clothing for a Hebrew peasant farmer was a tunic and loincloth. A cloak was added for colder weather and doubled as a sleeping blanket. These articles of clothing may have been the only ones a peasant possessed, since the Torah mandated that a cloak taken from a man in pledge by a creditor had to be returned to him by day’s end, so he would have a blanket to cover him at night (Exod 22:26; Deut 24:12–13, 17).

Some farmers not only raised crops, but had livestock as well not only to provide meat, milk, hides and wool, but as a insurance against a bad harvest. Often the youngest children were the herders, so as not to deprive the village of the heavy manual labor that older children could provide (see 1 Sam 16:11).

The Host and the Traveller. Since travelling in the ancient Near East was dangerous, the survival of the traveller depended on the hospitality of villagers. This reality gave rise to protocols pertaining to hospitality. Moreover, reciprocity demanded such protocols, so that when the roles of host and traveler were reversed the host now traveler would himself have accommodations. Therefore, the laws of reciprocity demanded that the head of a household treat travelers properly. This, in effect, was a village’s strategic foreign policy. However, a village couldn’t support a stranger for very long since feeding an extra mouth was expensive and strangers were a potential threat to a village’s status quo. Villages used hospitality to determine whether a stranger was friend or foe and whether they would be an asset or liability to the village economy. Therefore, by showing hospitality to a stranger for a short stay of several days at the most, this threat was neutralized, while at the same time the social convention demanding hospitality was upheld (ibid., p. 82). When a strangers accepted the invitation of a host, he was promoted to the status of a guest when the host washed his feet. Bathing signified a change in social status. Hosts would wash the stranger’s feet to signify they were now under the complete protection and care of the household (ibid., p. 85).

For the Hebrews there was an added impetus to show hospitality to traveling strangers. First, they had been strangers in a foreign land themselves, and YHVH didn’t want them to forget that. Second, the Israelites themselves were guests in the Promised Land (Deut 26:5–11; Ps 39:12). YHVH owned the land (Lev 25:23). As the divine landowner, it was YHVH who protected and fed his Israelite guests. The Israelites acknowledged this when they tithed the first fruits of their harvest to YHVH, and when the land was returned to its original owners every fifty years in  the Jubilee Year. They were simply the land’s caretakers and were therefore to be conscientious stewards of it (ibid., p. 83).