Blog Scripture Readings for 11/11 through 11/17/12

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Parashat Toldot — Genesis 25:19 – 28:9
Haftarah — Malachi 1:1–2:7
Prophets — Judges 17:1 – 21:25 ; 1 Samuel 1:1 – 3:21
Writings — Psalms 36:1 – 42:11
Testimony — Matthew 22:23 – 25:46

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 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 11/11 through 11/17/2012

 

Have You Met Isaac?

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WHO WAS ISAAC?—A CHARACTER SKETCH

He was successful and blessed. (Gen 26:12)

He was obedient.

  • At age 37 Abraham bound Isaac to the altar (in Heb. called the akeidah, Gen 22).
  • Isaac was obedient to marry Rebecca, his parents’ choice, unlike Esau. He trusted and had faith in his parents even as he had at the akeida.

He had deep and personal relationship with YHVH.

  • Here we learn that obedience to and faith in and love for parents leads to devotion to YHVH. Honoring one’s parents is the key to honoring YHVH and entering into relationship with him. That is why the fifth commandment to honor one’s parents is placed after the commands to love Elohim. In Genesis 24:63 and 25:21 (see The Stone Tanach rendering of this verse in addition, The ArtScroll Beresheis, p. 1048, which says Isaac prayed abundantly and urgingly, i.e., persistent prayer, a penetrating prayer or request), we see that Isaac had a deep and personal relationship with his Creator.

He had strong faith.

  • Though childless and barren, Isaac and Rebecca kept their faith in the promises of YHVH alive (Gen 25:19–26). In verse 21 we see Isaac seeking YHVH for the answers to life’s dilemmas and tough problems (he had a vibrant and abiding relationship with his Heavenly Father). The same can be said of Rebecca (v. 22).

He was a peacemaker with his neighbors to his own hurt in that he didn’t assert his personal (even legal) rights.

  • Though opposed in the digging of wells, he refused to feud over his legal rights to these wells. He avoided strife and quarreling with his neighbors. After digging the third well, YHVH brought comfort to Isaac’s weary soul (Matthew Henry, p. 38).
  • He was neighborly with his unsaved neighbors. Though Abimelech and his people had wronged Isaac, he did not rebuke them for stealing the first two wells. Was this a sign of Isaac’s meekness or weakness? Matthew says no (p. 38) and Arthur Pink says yes (p. 233).

What are some comparisons between the three patriarchs?

  • Abraham was the man of the altar. He built altars as a form of worship to YHVH. The altar is mentioned more times in connection with Abraham than the other two patriarchs.
  • Isaac was the man of the well. Wells mentioned seven times in connection with Isaac.
  • Jacob was the man of the tent. ­The tent is mentioned more times in connection with Jacob.

What are the spiritual implications of the altar, the well and the tent?

The Abrahamic Covenant is the covenant of salvation (by grace through faith, see Rom 4). The tabernacle (or tent) in the wilderness is a picture of the steps in the salvation process. In one’s spiritual journey toward YHVH Elohim, one must first come to the altar of sacrifice (a picture of the cross), then the one must come to the bronze laver (a picture of baptism or immersion for the remission of sins, spiritual cleansing, the washing of the water by the word, and receipt of the Holy Spirit). Afterwards, one enters the tent or tabernacle to commence a deeper and more intimate relationship with YHVH. Do we not see this progression in the lives of the Patriarchs? They went from the altar to the well, and then into the tent (later the Tabernacle of Moses wherein were the 12 loaves of bread representing the 12 tribes of Israel) from which sprang the 12 sons or tribes of Jacob the tent-dweller?

This shows us how we come into a spiritual relationship with our Father in heaven: We have to start with an encounter with Yeshua at the cross. From there, we must get spiritually cleansed by the washing of the water of Elohim’s Word and be filled with and led by the Holy Spirit. From there, we enter into an intimate relationship with YHVH as we come into his home (the tabernacle is a picture the New Heavens and New Earth with the Holy of Holies picturing the New Jerusalem) and become part of 12 tribes of  redeemed Israel.

 

Four More Years of Obama—Prophesied in the Bible??

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Like most Americans, I was glued to the computer monitor (our family doesn’t have a television) watching live coverage of the presidential election returns until the election was called in favor of Barack Obama.

Okay, I’ll be honest. My flesh-man wanted Romney to win, since I felt that he’d be better for the economy and for my personal pocketbook. Conversely, my spirit man knew that this nation had done nothing to deserve a reprieve from the divine judgments that are coming against it for turning its back on YHVH. As a nation, we have largely rejected Elohim and biblical values. Remember the sound bite from the Democratic Convention where the crowd booed and rejected adding to its party platform “the idea of faith and belief in God” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cncbOEoQbOg)? This nation has not repented of its apostasy. There has been no mass (or even minor) return to YHVH and to his Word as our guiding light and spiritual standard. No major leaders calling for true repentance. And so on. Only divine judgments will bring a nation to repentance. Show me any place in the Scriptures with the possible exception of Nineveh where revival came to a nation without judgments first occurring? To wit, just study the book of Judges! This being the case, I knew that we deserved four more years of a man that YHVH will use to spank America for its spitting in his face.

We must ask ourselves, what will bring America to its knees? Nine-eleven didn’t. Neither did Katrina, nor record droughts and floods, nor fires, nor, most recently, Superstorm Sandy. Only when the golden calf of our prosperity comes down in a major way (even worse than 2008) will proud America fall to its knees—at least as I see it. The economy is that one thing that affects us all. Terrorist events, storms, droughts and fires only affect some of us. It’s always the other guy. With the economy, it’s all of us equally (more or less). Obama is the man for the job! He’s all about destroying our economy: carbon sequestration and credits, increased taxation, socialized healthcare, destroying attempts to develop our vast energy reserves, deficit spending and so on. All these things, along with natural disasters and terrorist attacks and the like will help to lower the standard of living of this nation by destroying our economy and bringing an end to the easy life as we know it, which will cause us all great woe and cause—at least some of us—to cry out to our Creator for reason of our sufferings. A pessimistic outlook, you say? Yes, but this could actually be a good thing if it leads to spiritual revival, which is optimistic!

It is my opinion that Obama and his crew will be the ones to help bring YHVH’s judgments upon this nation. And, to be sure, we, as a nation, deserve a sound thrashing at the hands of the Holy One of Israel for soundly rejecting him and his rule over us!

When Obama was running for president against Hillary back in 2006 and 2007, it seemed certain that Hillary would win the Democratic Party’s nomination. After all, who was this Barack Obama, who had ever heard of him, and what were his credentials and what had he ever done to qualify to be the president? However, in 2007 at Sukkot Northwest in Gold Beach, Oregon before a crowd of about 100 people, I predicted that Obama would win, since it fit the biblical pattern for YHVH’s judgment against America. At that time, I was teaching on Edom, and showing how YHVH historically had used Edom and its friends to punish the Israelites to bring them back to him. In Jewish thought to this day, Edom is a metaphor for any nation that YHVH will use to punish the Israelite people for their apostasy. Well, Edom is another way of saying Islam. Need I say any more about the connections between Obama and Islam? (For more on this subject, read my article entitled, “Is America in End-Times Bible Prophecy” which I published in 2007 (http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/america.pdf).

And now for the clincher that pretty well convinced me that Obama would be re-elected this time around.

Remember the famous Gog and Magog prophecy of Ezekiel 38 and 39? Many of us believe that this is an end-times Bible prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled, and which will occur just prior to the second coming. (For those astute prophecy students, another completely different Gog-Magog event occurs at the end of the Millennium, see Rev 20:7–10.) Well guess what? (drum role) In Ezekiel 38:2, the name Obama is spelled in Hebrew letters forward every seven letters starting with the Hebrew word n’sey, which ends in the letter aleph, which I assume in this case is silent. (If I am wrong on this, someone please correct me.) This last letter (ie., aleph) is the first letter of Obama’s name spelled in Hebrew (every seven letters) like this: aleph, vav, bet, aleph, mem, heh.

Is this a Bible prophecy that Obama will be president during the Gog-Magog event, which is one of the precursor events to the return of Yeshua? You tell me!

 

What to Do With an Unpayable Debt

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Matthew 18:24, 28, Ten thousand talents…a hundred denarii. A talent was a unit of measure for gold and silver and was equivalent to about 75 lbs. One talent of silver at today’s rate of $30 per ounce would be worth $36,000. Ten thousand talents of silver would be worth about $36 million. A denarius was equivalent to a fair day’s wages (Matt 20:2). If one earns $40,000 in a year and works 260 days per year, then 100 denarii would be equivalent to about $15,384.

The lesson of Yeshua’s parable about the unforgiving servant is obvious. If one’s master forgives him of a debt that’s impossible to repay ($36 million), then one should forgive one’s neighbor the small debt of $15,384. Likewise, if Yeshua through his death on the cross forgives a repentant sinner of the wages of sin, which is death (an impossible debt for a sinner to pay), then shouldn’t the same forgiven sinner likewise forgive those who have offended him (Matt 18:6–8) or sinned against him (verse 15–19)?

 

Nuggets from Genesis 24

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Genesis 24:2, 9, Your hand under my thigh. (Heb. yarek; see also 47:29.) Abraham’s servant literally placed his hands on Abraham’s testicles swearing an oath on Abraham’s projected progeny, even as in modern times we place our hands on the Bible. Interestingly, the word testicle or teste derives from the Latin words testis meaning “testimony, testify and testament.” Interestingly, yarek is the same word the KJV translates “hollow of his thigh” in Genesis 32:25 and 32, although, in this case, it seems to be referring to the tendon in the hip.

Genesis 24:6, 8, Beware that you bring not my son there again. Why was Abraham insistent that Isaac not be exposed to Babylon? What was there to beware of (shamar/שמר/shin-mem-resh, Strong’s H8104 meaning “to guard against, protect from, keep watch and ward, preserve, keep oneself from”)? The key is verse seven. What does this teach us about protecting our children and loved ones from corrupting influences? We must be ever vigilant like a soldier on guard duty to preserve and protect our children from those things that could lead to their spiritual ruination. YHVH had led Abraham out of the spiritual filth of Babylon. In no way did he want Isaac to go back to what he had left behind. Are we investing the necessary time and energy into our physical and spiritual children to insure that they do not return to the spiritual Babylon from which we fled prior to our conversion?

 

Blog Scripture Readings for 11/4 through 11/10/12

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Parashat Chayei Sarah — Genesis 23:1 – 25:18
Haftarah — 1 Kings 1:1–31
Prophets — Judges 9:1 – Judges 16:31
Writings — Psalms 29:1 – 35:28
Testimony — Matthew 19:1 – 22:22

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 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 11/4 through 11/10/2012

 

Are You Churched Out? Something to Think About…

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 Forsake Not the Assembling…

The Purpose of the Local Congregation—
Why Redeemed Israel Must Assemble Each Sabbath and on the Biblical Feasts 

Church attendance is plummeting in America. Though roughly 85 percent of Americans claim to be Christian, only a very small percentage of these people attend church services weekly. Those who do, spend only one or two hours a week in church at the most. Even many Messianics/Hebrew Roots believers have become victims of these trends. There seems to be a lack of discipline about regular church attendance, and many seldom go if at all. For many, church attendance has become a perfunctory ritual; people feel that they need to go to church, but they’re not sure why they do it.

In Israel in the time of Yeshua and earlier, the synagogue was the heart and soul of each community. It was  the place of spiritual and secular education, prayer, fellowship, and acted as a sort of community center. We see that this was the case among the first century redeemed believers as well.

As many of us return to the spiritual and Hebraic roots of the Christian faith, then perhaps we need to reevaluate the role the local congregation played in the lives of our spiritual forefathers, and what the Bible teaches about this to see if our lives are mirroring the Word of Elohim. If not, then we need to ask ourselves some hard questions as to why so many among us no longer see the need to gather together with like-minded believers on YHVH’s appointed times (the weekly Sabbath and seven biblical feasts).

The Word of Elohim has much to say about the importance of gathering together regularly on YHVH’s Sabbaths including the biblical festivals. In fact, this is key to the spiritual survival of YHVH’s people, which is a crucial reason YHVH commanded his people to do it.

Yeshua told his disciples (and us), that if we love him, we will keep his Torah-commandments (John 14:15), which includes gathering together at his appointed times.

Yeshua rebuked the religious hypocrites of his day for professing to obey YHVH with their mouths, but for not backing up their profession with action (Matt 15:8). James instructs us that faith without works is dead (Jas 2:26).

Yeshua rebuked the Laodicean believers for professing a faith in him, when, in reality, they were spiritually lukewarm. Elsewhere Yeshua discusses those who have professed a faith in him, who have claimed to have followed him, and who even appear to have done great spiritual works in his name, but who have failed to do the basic will of his  Father by walking in obedience to his Torah. This includes gathering together as a spiritual community on his Sabbaths and feasts. On judgment day, Yeshua will tell these sincere, but sincerely misguided people to depart from him — that he doesn’t know them (Matt 7:21–23)!

Some Points to Ponder About the Importance of Congregational Life

Torah commands Israelites to assemble weekly on the Sabbath (Heb. Shabbat) and at the seven annual feasts, which are set-apart convocations (Heb. miqrai kodesh) and appointed times (Heb. moedim, Lev 23:2).

Consider this: Continue reading →