LIGHT OF MENORAH

Exodus - 47 - Episode 14 part 3 - Exod. 20:14 - NO ADULTERY

This episode provides a clear review of episodes 1 and 2.  We see that in the Ancient Near East adultery was a serious crime and it wasn't primarily about the sex.  If not about the sex outside of marriage, what's the serious nature of adultery back in the 15th century BC? 

Secondly, no other pagan culture had their god or gods commanding that adultery was forbidden.  It was a man made set of laws.  But, for Israel, God, our God, the only God commands that adultery is forbidden and part of His covenant with His people.  This means that Israel will be a testimony to the world of how to live according to the Lord. 

Third, why is it that a married woman in an affair with a man not her husband will be executed and her lover?  What about a married man in an affair with a woman not his wife?  This is not fair.  This is not equitable.  What's going on?  

Fourth, many Christian theologians say the 7th commandment is a commandment forbidding ALL sexual impurity.  HUH?  The Bible doesn't say that.  On top of that God said not to add or subtract from His word.  This is what many Christian theologians have.  As an example, sex outside of marriage is a sin in Judaism and Christianity.  But the Bible has no statement saying it is.  What's going on?  Where does the Lord teach that pre-marital sex, homosexuality, pedophilia, bestiality, and prostitution are sins?  He does!  But how? Where?

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Archaeology and the Passover - Lesson 1 - Palm Sunday: 33 or 30 A.D. and Doctrine vs. Tradition

 

Palm Sunday is a key holy day in the church.  It marks the start of Passion Week.  It also is a remembrance of Jesus' "triumphal" ride into Jerusalem.  But, did this happen on a Sunday?  It seems from the resources we have that the earliest date of the celebration of Palm Sunday is from the 4th century.  That is close to 300 some years after Jesus ascended to heaven.  That is a big gap.  

This session will show that there is evidence to suggest a real possibility that Jesus did ride into Jerusalem on a Sunday.  If this is the case, however, putting this event back into its historical context may challenge our long held traditions.  However, as we examine the archaeology, the history, and the ancient customs of those days we will find it strengthens our doctrine - it strengthens our walk of faith.

This is session 1 of a four part series on archaeology and the Passover.  Watch for the other three lessons coming soon.

One of my teachers and now a friend, Dr. Carl Rasmussen, professor emeritus of Bethel University, scholar and Bible historian extraordinaire, has an awesome website called Holy Land Photos.  I am linking you to one of 100's and 100's of collections he has gathered of pictures of religious and archaeological sites across the Middle East.  Here is the link to the collection of pictures of the Mt. of Olives.  I know you'll love and it'll add to your study in this four part series.

Link - https://holylandphotos.org/browse.asp?s=1,2,6,19,451

Who is this guy, Rev. Ferret?  What's his background?  Why should we take time to listen to him?  Here's a link to check out his background - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Session Two coming soon

"The Palm and the Lamb"

Why did Jesus ride in on a Sunday?  What's the big deal?  What does it mean for me today?  Just wait!!

Genesis - Lesson 76 - Gen.31:19 - Rachel steals the gods

 

God executes Rachel.  She stole the family gods.  The orthodox rabbis say God delayed executing her until Benjamin was born.  But, we never read this in the Bible.  Matter of fact when we truly analyze it that God would execute Rachel makes no sense and even contradicts the Bible.  Come and join us in this study.  By putting the Bible back into its historical context we are blessed by His Spirit to have our knowledge of His word expanded and our faith enriched.

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Five Small Stones - Episode 16 - WHO THEN IS THIS

Is Jesus God?  He never said He was - not in so many words.  But the Jews 2000 years ago understood truth from action and not words.  Is Jesus God?  You bet and He shows it by action and not words.  His actions 2000 years ago at the Sea of Galilee proved He was God, the only God.  

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Truth Nuggets 15 vidcast Purim - Not By Chance But By Design

 

In this vidcast (video) we focus on a small detail the Lord inserted in the book of Esther.  For all my years I have never heard anyone teach on it - it was mentioned but no one took it deeper.  This small detail we all have read it.  But, it seems it doesn’t jog our minds to perhaps pursue what the small detail means and why it is there.  But, when we do.  WOW!!

So, some say God is not in the book of Esther. That’s right!  There is no mention of God or of faith or religious Jewish practices.  But, this is God’s inspired book.  Thus, call it His TORAH תּוֹרָה which does not mean law but instruction or the Lord's teaching.  What is the Lord trying to get at in the book of Esther?  Some things are very very obvious.  But, we miss things.  Why? We are so disconnected for studying the Bible in its historical context.  When we do this small detail in the book of Esther will lead us to places that will blow us away.

So, in this inspired book of the Lord, He is teaching us.  He is giving us His TORAH תּוֹרָה.  Could it be He is connecting us to the Gospel and the Messiah and His redemption plan?  Could it be that the book of Esther is part of His design and plan but we have failed to see it since that small detail is something we’ve ignored?  The answer is YES.  Watch the video.  All this is not my theory, opinion, or view.  It is The Very Word of God and wait till you see where this takes us.  Amazing.

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Purim Video Announcement for Mar. 3 2023

(NOTE: the "play" button is above the picture above - click on the white triangle in the orange circle)

This video introduces a major podcast video lesson on the book of Esther and Purim.  How is Jesus related to the book of Esther?  He said in John 5:39 ...

"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;" (Joh 5:39)

So how does the book of Esther testify of Jesus?  It is all dependent upon one word in the entire book.  This will amaze you and for Christians the feast of Purim becomes special for us as well.  Watch the video to access the video podcast Bible study lesson.

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

 

Exodus - lesson 47 episode 14 part 2 - Exod. 20:14 - no adultery

 

The "play" button is just above this picture - the orange circle with the white triangle.  

In part 1 we learned that laws against adultery were common in the pagan cultures of the ancient near east.  The laws against adultery were not related to the sexual sin per se, but that this was detrimental to the preservation of the family and the community.  It adultery was looked upon as an attack against the the foundation of a good society.  So we should not be surprised that we see this in God's TORAH, His instruction to His people.  It is part of the commandments 6-10 all seemingly to deal with our relationship with our fellow man, the community, the society.  The uniqueness in all this is that this law if coming from Yahvay, the Lord God, and not some law of man or the state.  It is as if God is showing us the truth in the fact that adultery is a "great sin" against the community and the family.  

In part 2 we went deeper.  We find that the Hebrews coming out of Egypt were the first ones to hear ...

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.  (Gen 2:24-25)

The Lord is saying that marriage is between one man and one woman.  The text does not say that a man shall leave his parents and cling to his wife or wives.  The text is clear that he and his one wife become one flesh.  He is teaching that He instituted marriage; it is part of His creation.  Thus, adultery is a "great sin" against our community, against the family, and against God Himself since He "created" marriage and the family as being made up of one man and one woman. 

Now we come to part 3.  We will delve into the word of the Lord that says a man having an affair with a married woman both he and she will be executed!  God declares adultery between a man and a married woman not his wife as a capital offense.  Huh?  What about a woman having an affair with a married man not her husband?  What's the difference?  What might this be all about?  

Also in part 3 we will expand our study to consider sex between two a man and woman both unmarried.  In Judaism and in Christianity is is a major sin.  But the Bible has NO law against this.  Matter of fact the word "fornication" - understood to be sex outside of marriage - will be shown NOT to be in the Bible.  No where does God say that if an unmarried man and an unmarried woman have sex willingly is this act a sin.  No where!  But it is.  How may have this come about?  It comes about from THE VERY WORDS OF GOD that address this in an unexpected way.

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

 

Exodus - Lesson 47 - Episode 14 Part 1 - Ex. 20:14 NO ADULTERY

The "play" button is just above this picture - the orange circle with the white triangle.  

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - LIGHT OF MENORAH RETURNS!!

FIND THE "PLAY" BUTTON ABOVE THIS PICTURE.

The Lord’s Prayer - Lesson 9 - Passed, Failed Matt. 6:13

This is the last lesson in the podcast series on the Lord's Prayer (in Hebrew -  HaTehfeelah Adonai) which He gave to us, His disciples, and we can now call it, HaTehfeelah Talmidim, the Prayer of the Disciples.  We will focus on Matt.6:13 and once again return to the 1st century A.D., the days of Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah (the Christ), and try and hear what His disciples heard.  We will try and understand what they understood.  We will study to see like they did.

The main focus of the lesson will be on the beginning phrase in Matt. 6:13, "and lead us not into temptation ..." (NASB).  For us the English word the translators use "temptation" seems to relate only to that which might entice us to sin or evil.  Temptation to us seems to focus on the evil desire to commit sin and go against Adonai, the Lord.  However, the translators use this word in many places in the Bible to mean testing or trials or difficulties.  So, what's going on in Matt. 6:13?  Does it mean that God may come to us to lead us into situations where He knows we will be tempted to commit sin, to do evil?  Or, are the translators using it as it relates with a different concept?  

Here are the links I mentioned in the audio plus more.

Link to the complete Didache (pronounced Dida  Key) - http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-roberts.html

Link to a number of great articles on the Hebrew concept of prayer from En Gedi Resource Center - https://engediresourcecenter.com/hebraic/prayer/

Link to Shmuel Safrai's article on the spoken languages in Jesus' day at the Jerusalem School of the Synoptic Gospels (you may have to sign up to be a subscriber) - https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/2551/

Link to a translation of the Lord's Prayer the way it may have been read in Hebrew - https://www.dropbox.com/s/v4boue5uy4oinwk/THE%20LORD%27S%20PRAYER%20FROM%20THE%20HEBREW.pdf?dl=0

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0