Exodus 13:18, 21, But Elohim led the people…and YHVH went before them…to lead the way. What are some other ways by which YHVH leads or speaks to his people?
Through his Word (Ps 119:105).
By his Set-Apart Spirit who leads us to into all truth (John 16:12).
Through his divinely appointed leaders (Eph 4:11–16).
By directing the steps (through life’s circumstances) of a righteous man (Ps 37:23–24; Prov 16:9).
By directing the hearts of men (Prov 21:1).
Through prophetic words (Num 12:6).
Through dreams and visions (Num 12:6).
Through wise counselors (Prov 24:6).
Through Divine Messengers from heaven (e.g. Judg 6:11–14; 13:3).
Luke 14:1, House of one of the rulers. Yeshua was invited to a Sabbath meal at the home of a Pharisee who was a ruler (likely a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin). Had Yeshua been a typical man, he would have engaged in the customary small talk of a polite and gracious dinner guest not wanting to offend his host. Yet Yeshua was not there to schmooze—to curry anyone’s favor in an effort to gain personal influence. As he required his own disciples to maintain a salty or spicy demeanor at all times (Matt 5:13; Luke 14:34–35), he was definitely up to the task to lead his disciples by example. The following discussion that Yeshua initiates is what some may consider to be a prime example of how to insult one’s host and the other guests.
First Yeshua confronts a controversial issue head on by asking a question, and then by healing one of the other invited guests on the Sabbath, which was a Pharisaical taboo, though not contrary to the Scriptures (Luke 14:2–6).
Next, Yeshua takes some of the guests to task who were prideful social elites and religious status-seekers. He challenges them to humbles themselves and let Elohim exalt them in the eyes of men (Luke 14:7–14).
Yeshua then raises the discussion around the table to a higher level when he tells the Parable of the Great Supper (Luke 14:15–24). Doubtless, a few of the guests were made to feel awkward, since they likely resembled some of the characters in Yeshua’s story.
In 1987, Nathan fell about 30 feet out of a tree and shattered his ankle bones. After two bone grafts, he was still crippled with a broken ankle three years later. In 1990, his surgeon scheduled a third bone graft. Nathan refused and walked out of the doctor’s office, putting his faith in Yeshua to heal him. Three months later was standing on top of Mount Saint Helens. Divine healing is real. If Nathan was healed miraculously, you can be too! Listen to this talk and be inspired.
Our new annual Scripture Reading Schedule for 2019-2020 with daily readings is available to download and print. If you are still working through 2018-2019’s Scripture Reading Schedule, the link will still be available on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links”. If you are using a mobile device or tablet, the link may be below, meaning you’ll need to scroll down instead.
Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link or the “share your thoughts” box below.
The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day: one each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle.
Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 2/2 through 2/8/2020.
Actually, Sandi and I were in sunny Arizona last Shabbat, and we’re back in rainy Oregon this Shabbat, but oh well, who cares anyway, right?
So are you as sick of hearing about impeachment, coronavirus, Democrat, Republican, LGBTQXYZYUCK, gay pride, terrorism, climate change, etc. and ad nauseum as I am? Well, if you are, then wash your brains out with some pics of astounding scenery from America’s forty-eighth state. This was Sandi’s first trip to AZ and my second (it was decades ago and I barely saw anything then). We were captivated and enraptured by Arizona’s unique beauty and we fell in love with the desert—at least in winter time. Not sure we’d feel the same when it’s 110 F (43 C) for months during the summer!
Please enjoy these photos on this Shabbat and remember that while the world is falling apart all around us (as Scripture predicted it would just prior to the second coming), we can find great solace in Elohim’s creation, which in every way points to him and to the fact the he is still the Sovereign King of the universe, and all of his laws that govern his creation are in force despite the silly and puny machinations of humans, who hate and resist the Creator of Just Judge or the universe!
The Grand CanyonThe red rock country of Sedona, ArizonaMontezuma’s Castle near SedonaChurch of the Holy Cross, SedonaPrickly pear cactus
Why is it important to know when the biblical month and new year start? Because as more people are leaving the non-biblical traditions of man that they have been taught in their churches (including the non-biblical Christian holidays) and return to the truths of the Bible (including the biblical holidays), they need to know when to celebrate YHVH’s appointed times or feasts. This means that one needs to have a basic understanding of the biblical calendar, which is different from the world’s calendar in use today. The article below (along with other articles that I’ve written on the subject which you can find at https://www.hoshanarabbah.org/teaching.html#feast) will help to explain this.
Exodus 12:2, Month. It is the Hebrew word chodesh (Strong’s H2320/TWOT 613b) meaning “the new moon, month, monthly, the first day of the month, the lunar month.” It is found in the Tanakh (Old Testament) 276 times and is translated in the King James Version as “month” 254 times, “new moon” (20 times), and “monthly” (1 time). We see that from these definitions that the terms “month” and “new moon” are synonymous. It has been understood for millennia that ancient Israelites began their month with the new moon.
Why was it important for the Israelites to know when the new moon occurred and when the month began? The dates of the annual biblical festivals that YHVH gave to Israel and instructed them to observe were determined based on when the new moon occurred (Lev 23:5, 6, 24, 27, 34).
The next question to answer is this: when does the biblical month begin? As we noted above, for modern astronomers the term “new moon” means something different than it did to the ancients, including those who YHVH inspired to write the Bible. Ancient calendars were determined by the moon, while modern ones are not. Some biblical expositors teach that the new moon begins when the moon is in conjunction or in line with the earth and the sun and is in its dark phase. Others believe that the month begins just after the moon has moved out of its dark phase and begins to show a sliver of light, which is called the visible or crescent new moon. Who is right?
Some Bible teachers claim that there is no place in the Scriptures that specifically states that the new moon begins at the first visible sliver after being dark for several days. Therefore, they reason, it is an assumption to say that it does (even though, as we will see below, this was the understanding of the ancient Israelites), and therefore, the new moon should be determined from its conjunction with the earth and sun while it is in its dark phase. While on the surface, this may seem like a valid argument, one important verse in the Scriptures, however, and some simple logic quickly disproves this notion. It is Genesis 1:14.
And Elohim said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons [moedim/biblical festivals], and for days, and years.”
In this verse we see that the sun and the moon are “signs” for seasons, days and years. The word “sign” is the Hebrew word owt (Strong’s H226; TWOT 41a) meaning “sign, signal, mark, token, emblem, signboard, standard.” In the Tanakh, owt describes such visible (not invisible) signs as Noah’s rainbow (Gen 9:12–13, 17), Cain’s mark (Gen 4:15), circumcision (Gen 17:11), and the Sabbath (Exod 31:13, 17; Ezek 20:12). In addition, owt is used some 80 times in the Tanakh to refer to miraculous signs. These include the plagues of Egypt (Exod 7:3; Deut 4:34, etc.), the sign of the virgin birth of the Messiah (Isa 7:11, 14); YHVH miraculous signs to Gideon (Judg 6:17) and King Hezekiah (2 Kgs 20:9; Isa 38:7). In addition, Aaron’s rod that budded was a sign or token (Num 17:25). Many more examples could be given.
Luke 13:12, Woman…spirit of infirmity. Sometimes Yeshua healed people who neither asked for it, nor evidenced faith to be healed simply that the glory of YHVH might be manifested. From time to time, we hear of miraculous healings and divine interventions that saved people’s lives occurring for no apparent reason. It seems that occasionally YHVH likes to stir the spiritual pot of human affairs just to draw men’s attention to him. He pulls back the curtain between heaven and earth a bit to reveal himself to humans. This not only brings glory to his name, but serves to raise men’s hopes a bit by pointing them to the fact that there is an Elohim who is sovereignly and who is orchestrating things behind the scenes and who cares about humans.
Psalm 107:20, He he sent his word and healed them. The Word of Elohim heals and delivers. The Word includes both the Written and the Living Word of Elohim. Yeshua the Messiah is that Word. As Elohim’s spokesman, he spoke the Torah to Moses and the Israelites and then became the Word of Elohim incarnate. Can the mind of man wrap its intellect around this truth? No. We just have to believe what the Bible says on this. So how do we know that it’s true? Because it works! The reality of the healing and the delivering power of both the Written Torah-Word and Yeshua the Living Torah-Word is evident to those who have placed their trust in it/him.
