LIGHT OF MENORAH

Genesis - 47 (part 1) - WHAT IS RABBINC MIDRASH?

Many times in this series or in the series on Exodus I bring up rabbinic commentary commonly called in Judaism midrashim (מִדְרָשִׁים).  In many cases these comments by the rabbis are unbiblical and are non-historical and sometimes change the meaning of the text of God’s word.  A case in point is in lesson 46 of this series it was shown that there is no mountain called Moriah and the Temple Mount was not the place of the binding of Isaac.  It is impossible historically, geographically, and etymologically (ie. Moriah in the actual Hebrew of the Bible is not even proper name if one understands the grammar rules of Hebrew).  And yet, so many Jews and Gentiles still hold to the notion that there is a mountain called Moriah and it is the Temple Mount.  This is how the rabbis change the meaning of the text of God’s word by their opinions and conjectures.  This is why adding "fictional aspects" to the text of His word misleads and distorts the truth God is trying to convey.

Another example is the miracle of the oil on Chanukah.  It never happened.  Once again we are dealing with rabbinic midrash that appears hundreds of years after the events stated by a rabbi with no proof or backup.  This “fiction” is then carried down to us and so many hold to the fictional addition to the God’s word. 

This is why I am opposed to the new popular video series, “The Chosen.”  It is taking the true Bible text and adding fictional stories that change the meaning of the His word.  A scholarly writer of historical fiction will never warp the historical event and the historical facts of the event as they add to a fictional account related to the event.  This is not the case for the creators of "The Chosen."  

So, what is a Midrash?  What is their purpose?  How do we deal with Midrash?  How do we begin to stop believing that everything some Jewish rabbi says is not “the gospel?”  This lesson will explore these topics.  It is important for you, if you continue in this series or the series on Exodus to understand.

I promised I give you some links to articles and other sources to expand your understanding on certain things brought up in this lesson.  Here they are.

Link about the midrash of the tzeetzee-ot or tassels – https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-tallit-spiritual-significance/

Link to an article on the mysterious land of Moriah - https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-mysterious-land-of-moriah

Link about the midrash, the “fake news” about the miracle of the oil at Chanukah – https://www.thetorah.com/article/uncovering-the-truth-about-chanukah

Link to my article on Jesus’ marriage proposal during His “last supper” at the mountain of God or Jerusalem – https://www.dropbox.com/s/uecgilxp6qz908e/Last%20Supper%20_%20The%20Amazing%20Proposal.pdf?dl=0

Link to the article on the Jewish ritual of “washing the dead” or as in 1 Cor 15:29, “baptizing the dead - https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tahara/

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 20 - (video 19 minutes)- Part 3 - Pharaoh's Heavy Heart

The Lord’s Prayer - Lesson 5 part 2 - Hallowed Be Your Name

 

This is part 2 of the Lord's Prayer series as we focus on the phrase, "hallowed be Your name."  In this episode we turn to the Ten Commandments and to commandment #3 (commandment 2 if you are a Catholic) or "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain."   How is this related to us today?  If we reconnect to the Hebrew and the Jewish culture of the 2nd Temple Period, the days of Jesus, it is connected to being a true disciple of Yeshua, but how?  How is this related to the Lord's Prayer and "hallowing?" 

 

There are many links I mention in this podcast.  They are all listed below.  At this time I want to recognize these scholars and for their amazing credible Bible resources to help us reconnect to the Jewish culture of Jesus' day so we can have our understanding expanded and enhanced.  These amazing scholars are Lois Tverberg, Dennis Prager, Joseph Shulam, Dr. Brad Young, and David Biven.  This is just a few of the many scholars and teachers I have learned from.  I just needed to make sure I gave them the credit and recognition for most of what I present.  I don't teach my own opinion and try to teach with the backup of such great scholars as these.

 

Link - Lois Tverberg' article, "What Does It Mean to Hallow God's Name? - https://engediresourcecenter.com/2019/06/06/what-does-it-mean-to-hallow-gods-name/

 

Link - Lois Tverberg's website - https://ourrabbijesus.com/

 

Link - Dennis Prager's video "Misusing God's Name" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=nI8OtOfzUDE&app=desktop

 

Link to Dennis' website and in the "store" you will find his 25 years of Torah lessons on a flash drive - https://www.dennisprager.com/

 

Link to Joseph Shulam's ministry website - this is a great learning resource - https://netivyah.org/

 

Check out the free "journals" you can access at Netivyah - https://netivyah.org/library/

 

Link to David Biven's awesome article on the Lord's prayer found at Jerusalem Perspective - https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/769/

 

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

The Lord’s Prayer - Lesson 5 part 1- Hallowed be thy name

When was the last time you hallowed?  Is it allowed in your church?  Where you work?  Did you learn how to hallow in Sunday school?  Why aren't more 21st century Christians hallowing?  But, perhaps they are!  

 

In the 2nd Temple Period, the first century A.D. or Jesus' day, Jesus' talmideem, Hebrew for disciples, knew exactly how to hallow!  Jesus' fellow rabbis helped all know how to hallow the name of Adonai.  So when Jesus teaches His talmideem HaTehfeelah Adonai, the Lord's Prayer, and gives it to them so it becomes, HaTehfeelah Talmideem, the Prayer of the Disciples, the disciples understand clearly what all this means.  It was part of their culture and probably taught in their בֵּית סֵפֶר - pronounced  Bait Sefer, elementary school, so the Jewish kids right from the get go would know how to "hallow the name of Adonai." 

 

Now it's our turn - let's learn what they did.  Let's try and understand how they understood so that HaTehfeelah Talmideem, the Prayer of the Disicples, becomes that much more meaningful for us today.

 

Once again there are links I bring up in the podcast.  See below for the links for this lesson.

 

Link - Lois Tverberg' article, "What Does It Mean to Hallow God's Name? - https://engediresourcecenter.com/2019/06/06/what-does-it-mean-to-hallow-gods-name/

 

Link - Lois Tverberg's website - https://ourrabbijesus.com/

 

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

The Lord’s Prayer - Lesson 4 - HE DWELLS IN THE HEAVEN OF THE HEAVENS

We continue with the words of the Lord's Prayer, HaTehfeelah Adonai.  Our focus is now on the words, "...who is in heaven."  This begs the question where does God live?  Where is His abode, where does He dwell 24/7?  Isn't heaven the sky above and space with the moon and sun and planets and galaxies?  If so does God live out there behind a nebula or a galaxy hidden from our eyes?  Or, does the English language cause some issues?  We have put the Lord's Prayer into its historical context and we see that it was first taught in Hebrew to a specific group of people, the religious Jewish disciples, and in a specific culture and time; He taught it sometime between 24-30 A.D. to those who practiced Second Temple Judaism and who only had the Old Testament, the Hebrew scriptures, as their only Bible.  So, let's jump in.  Let's see what they knew and understood in Hebrew.  Let's find out where God lives and dwells 24/7.  

Once again here's links I mentioned in the lesson.  Check them out as they hopefully will add and enrich your study of HaTehfeelah Adonai, the Lord's Prayer which He gave to us, His disciples, and we can now call it, HaTehfeelah Talmidim, the Prayer of the Disciples.

Link Gethsemane 1 - https://www.facebook.com/lightofmenorah/videos/229720674906046/

Link 2a - Dr. Brad Young's videos on the Hebrew background of the Lord's prayer - https://www.bradyoung.org/index.php/videos/40-dr-young-s-youtube-links-on-god-s-learning-channel

Link 2b - Dr. Brad Young's scholarly work on the Jewish background of the Lord's prayer - click here to access all his books in the bookstore  

Link 2c - Dr. Brad Young's article on the Lord's prayer at "Jerusalem Perspective" - https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/2229/

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

Genesis - 46 - Gen. 22:1-18 The Mountain in the land of Moriah - a mountain of the Lord

 

Where is Mt. Moriah?  In this lesson we find that the actual Hebrew in the Bible implies that Moriah is not a proper name; it's a noun but not a name.  It is like the word lake.  One can say there are lakes close to where I live in Minnesota.  However, there is one lake called WHITE BEAR LAKE that is the main lake in our town.  So lake means a body of water surrounded by land.  Minnesota is the land of 10,000 of them.  But, there is on lake, LAKE SUPERIOR, that describes a very specific lake.  The word MORIAH in Hebrew is like the word lake.   The word itself is ancient and disappeared from use as we get closer to the Second Temple period, 600 B.C. till 70 A.D. In the “JPS Torah Commentary – Genesis” the etymology of the word is unknown but the trusted scholar like Nahum Sarna suggest that Moriah (מֹרִיָּה) might come from the Hebrew word “to see” or râ'âh (רָאָה).  So, this could then result in the two places in the Hebrew Scriptures where Moriah occurs to have an equivalent meaning.  See below.

Gen. 22:2 (original) - He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

 

Gen. 22:2 (alternative) - He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land where it‘ll be seen, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

Then we go to 2 Chron. 3:1 where our translations say based upon rabbinic tradition that Solomon built the 1^st Temple on the mountain called Moriah.  That's how we read it in English.  Let’s look at both the original and the alternative.

 

2 Chron. 3:1 (original) - Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah (the Hebrew actually says “on the mountain in the Moriah”), where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

 

2 Chron. 3:1 (alterntative) - Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in the place where it’ll be seen on the mountain where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

The Hebrew is precise.  Moriah is not a proper name.  Thus, there is no mountain that is named Moriah.  On top of that it says it took Abraham 3 days to walk from the area of Beer Sheva to Jerusalem.  That is over 50 miles on good trails and roads.  It has been shown this is a 5 day trip at least.  In other words, the mountain where we study the Binding of Isaac is likely not the Temple Mount. 

In his JPS Genesis excursus 16, Nahum Sarna surveys several suggestions for the etymology of the word “moriah”:

• The Lofty Country – Septuagint
• The Land of Worship – Aramic Targum / Ramban
• The Land of Vision – Vulgate /Samaritan Targum
• The Land of the Amorites – Peshitta / Rashbam
• The Land that I will show you – Genesis Rabba 55:9
• The Place from which fear of the Lord emanates – R. Jannai in Tanchuma
• The Place from which teaching issued to the world – b. Taanit 16a / Rab. 55.9

These multiple creative suggestions highlight the difficulty of assuming that the land of Moriah was meant to reference a particular place. The simple fact of the matter is, we cannot be sure of the actual place meant when the Torah describes Abraham taking his son into the Land of Moriah.  For a detailed study on this refer to the “JPS Torah Commentary – Genesis,” by Nahum Sarna. 

I was thinking about this and I offer this idea – God seems to pick special unique places where His covenant and His agenda is seen.  This relates to the possible meaning of Moriah (מֹרִיָּה) – a place of vision, a place where it’ll be seen, a place where God’s covenant is seen. 

So, Abraham passes the test on a mountain Yahvay (the Lord) took him to.  In Gen. 22:16+ God tells Abraham that all the promises he made to Abraham in Gen. 12:1-3 He will honor and they will happen since Abraham passed the test; Abraham showed is allegiance to God by being willing to sacrifice his own son that he loved.  Matter at this place we read that Abraham says …

Abraham called the name of that place “The LORD Will Provide,” as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided."  (Gen 22:14)  Problem!  It does not say that.  The word used is “to see” or râ'âh (רָאָה).  God took Abraham to a land where it’ll be seen, perhaps the root of Moriah.  And, indeed, it was seen.  God provided the ram as a substitute for Isaac and this is clearly a special mountain, a special place, for a special event, and a special man, Abraham. 

There is another mountain someplace in the Sinai where one might say the Lord led His people to a mountain in the moriah, in the place where it’ll be seen, in the place of vision.  There God established His NEW covenant with all Israel, at His mountain, with His handpicked leader and prophet, Moses.  It was hear that the people SAW the evidence of God’s presence on the mountain.  So, we have a different mountain for a special event involving a special man, Moses.

But, the mountain of God moved.  The Temple Mount became the “Mountain of God.”  This is easily seen in the book of Isaiah chapter 2 and many other places.  And at this place of vision, at this place where it’ll be seen, we see the establishment of a New Covenant with Jew and Gentile, this happens at this special mountain, and involves a special man, the manifestation of God Himself in Messiah Jesus.

Amazing.  Could this be what’s going on?  Is this what God wants us to understand and know?  I am not sure but it sure makes more sense than the unbiblical, non-historical, and non-geographic views of the rabbis. 

Here’s a great Jewish scholarly website that has a fantastic article on this issue.  The site is called "The Torah" and here’s the link to the article - https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-mysterious-land-of-moriah

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? 

Ferret somewhere near the ancient site of Bethel in Israel.

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 20 - (video 14 minutes)- Part 2 - Pharaoh's Heavy Heart

The Lord’s Prayer - Lesson 3 - ”Our Father”

In this lesson we start our study of the exact words of the Lord's prayer.  This lesson will focus on the first two words, "Our Father." 

Is Jesus teaching something new?  Is Jesus bringing in a new idea?  Were the disciples of Jesus amazed at the start of the prayer when they heard the words, "Our Father?"

Again, we return to 24-30 A.D. - the time when Jesus was here as a rabbi, as a Torah teacher.  Torah does not mean law but instruction.  Jesus was teaching the Father's instruction and not laws.  That makes sense when you understand what Torah means and that all the had in Jesus' day was the Hebrew Scriptures that we call the Old Testament.  There is nothing OLD about it.  And, as we reconnect to those days we find that these two words, "Our Father," show that the Lord's Prayer that He gave to His disciple, and therefore to us, is a prayer coming out of a Jewish culture; we can therefore more fully appreciate the prayer when we understand its Jewish background and foundation.

I said I'd supply some links.  The links in this lesson are referenced below.

Dead Sea Scrolls Link 1 - https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/

The Tobit fragment - Link 2 - https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive/search#q='4q200'

Gethsemane - Link 3 - https://www.facebook.com/lightofmenorah/videos/229720674906046/

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? 

Ferret near the ancient site of Bethel

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

The Lord’s Prayer - Lesson 2 - Pray in the Inner Room

In this 2nd lesson on the Lord's prayer we will focus on Jesus' specific guidelines He taught when we pray.  1st, go into your inner room.  Next, do not use meaningless repetition like the pagan Gentiles.  Are these instructions unique?  Is Jesus teaching us something that is different than praying as a religious Jewish person in His day?  Are these guidelines uniquely Christian?  NOPE.  Jesus is teaching and emphasizing what His disciples have been taught as they grew up in their hometown synagogue schools.  As we study this in its historical context we find we are dealing with things so common in the Hebrew culture of the 1st century, Jesus' day.  But, Jesus is emphasizing that prayer is not just going through the motions.  Jesus is teaching us this act of prayer is a big deal in that praying to the Father is talking to Him in a deeply personal, intimate, and private manner.  He is teaching us that concentrated and intentional prayer is a mark of a true disciple.

Again, in this session I mention a few resources.  I am providing the links to two of them.  The first is a link to the early Jewish Christian instruction booklet called the Didache (Greek for "teaching") written in the late 1st century.  It provides guidelines and instruction for living as a true disciple.  See "chapter 8" where we see that the Lord's Prayer is to be said three times per day to keep up the Jewish practice to prayer three times a day.  The second link is Ray Vander Laan's article on Rabbi and Talmid or Rabbi and Disciple.  The Lord's prayer has been given to His disciples since one of His disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.  Knowing what a disciple is is important background for us to know the Lord's prayer and how it relates to us.

Link to the Didache - https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-lightfoot.html

Link to Ray's article on Rabbi and Talmid - https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/rabbi-and-talmidim

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

Genesis 45 - Gen. 22:1-3 "Take Your Son, Your Only Son, the One Whom You Love"

 

Chapter 22 of Genesis is called HaAhkeedat Yeetzack עֲקֵידַת יִצְחַק or the Binding of Isaac.  This chapter is so important to Jews and Christians.  For those practicing Judaism they even have daily prayers to remember this event.  Here’s a link to the fantastic website for Christians called "Hebrew4Christians" that shows the actual daily prayer Jewish people pray dealing with Isaac.  Here’s the link - https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Prayers/Daily_Prayers/Akedah/akedah.html

For us Christians we definitely see that Jesus’ words in John 5:39 come true in this chapter.  Isaac is a picture of Jesus.  Chapter 22 testifies of Jesus in amazing ways.  Consider …

 

PARALLELS BETWEEN ISAAC AND JESUS

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 19, 2014

www.SermonCentral.com

- Both fulfilled PROMISES: Isaac was the long-promised son to Abraham (Genesis 12:3) and Jesus was the long-promised Messiah and Son of God (Genesis 3:15; 13:3, John 1:1-12)

- Both were the ONLY SON of their father: God said that Isaac was “Your son, your only son, whom you live…” to Abraham(Genesis 22: 2) and God also said “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!” (Matthew 3:16, 17).

- Both had a MIRACULOUS BIRTH: Isaac was born to parents who were very old - Genesis 18:13 and Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary, and conceived by the Holy Spirit - Luke 1:34-35.

- Both had a conception and birth that was PRE-ANNOUNCED - Genesis 18:10 & Luke 1:30–31.

- Both were NAMED before their birth - Genesis 17:19 & Matthew 1:21.

- Both were MOCKED and persecuted by their own kindred - Genesis 21:9 & Mark 15:29–32.

- Both were UNDESERVING of their sacrificial death - Genesis 22:2, Luke 23:41.

- Both were sacrificed on a mountain chosen by God - Genesis 22:3 & Matthew 27:33.

- Both were LOVED by their fathers (Genesis 22:2; Matthew 3:16, 17).

- Both had a THREE-DAY experience: Isaac had a 3-day hike to Moriah and Jesus had 3 days from the cross to the grave to the resurrection.

- Both WERE accompanied by TWO MEN: Isaac by two servants (Genesis 22:3) and Jesus by two thieves (Matthew 27:38)

- Both carried their own WOOD: Isaac carried the wood for his own sacrifice (Genesis 22:6) and Jesus carried the crossbeam of his cross (John 19:17).

- Both SUBMITTED to their father: Isaac willingly laid down his life, submitting to his father (Genesis 22:9) and Jesus submitted to his Father’s will and laid down his life for our sin (Luke 22:42, Romans 5:8).

- Both asked a QUESTION of their father: Isaac asked Abraham “Here is the fire and the wood, Father, but where is the lamb? (Gen. 22:7) and Jesus cried “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” from the cross (Matthew 27:46).

- Both were BROUGHT BACK from the dead: Isaac was “brought back” figuratively (Genesis 22:12) by the faith of Abraham and Jesus rose from the dead 3 days after he was crucified (Matthew 28:6-7).

For the Jewish people they see these events and hope and pray they can be faithful to the Lord every day.  No matter what the circumstances or the troubles they are in.  But, so do we as Christians pray the same thing.  In the Lord’s pray we say, “Father, do not lead us into temptation.” Huh?  That’s nuts. How can God lead us into situations where we will sin and lose our salvation?  That makes no sense.  In lesson 9 in the series on “The Lord’s Prayer” I go into this phrase in depth.  There we see that in the Greek and in the Greek to the Hebrew, it really says, “Father, do not lead us into trials, tests, or difficulties that are too much for us to bear.”   I highly recommend you check out lesson 9 in that series.  Here’s the link – https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nuggets-15-lesson-9-the-lords-prayer-passed-failed-matt-613/

So, we too as the Jewish people, pray we will not be faced with terrible trials and troubles that we can face.  But, our hope together, is that we can keep the faith and “stay the course” as children of Abraham as Paul tells us we are in Gal.3:6-9 …

Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU." So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

So come and join us as we study this amazing chapter in the first book of the Torah, the books of Moses. 

Who is this guy, Rev. Ferret? 

 

Ferret teaching in the Shephelah of Israel

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