LIGHT OF MENORAH

Genesis 43: Ge. 21:1-14 - Hagar and Ishmael are exiled - now what?

This lesson is a prime example of the difficulty with taking the commentary from the rabbis on the Torah as the truth.  In this study the rabbis comment on these verses ...

The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, "Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac." The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. (Gen 21:8-11)

The rabbis conclude from these verses that Ishmael, he is now 14 years old, was doing evil to his baby brother.  The rabbis say that Sarah and Abraham saw this and knew that Ishmael had turned into a evil young man.  These conclusions are so far from the historical context and the ancient culture of that time.  It is clear the rabbis, whose commentary we read from the Middle Ages, are making up their own ideas and Christians get the impression they have to be right since it is the rabbis.  WRONG!  

We will go back to Abraham's time and we will consider the culture of that day.  We will focus on the laws of those days like the Code of Lipit-Ishtar.  This law code (see the picture below of the code from Wikimedia)

was in force in ancient Babylon of the area of the Chaldees.  This is where Abraham came from.  This is the law he is familiar with.  When we study this law and what it says about the first born of a concubine (like Hagar) and the first born of the real wife (Sarah), we see some amazing facts.  The laws of Lipit-Ishtar show that Ishmael, even though he was not the son from Abraham and Sarah, nevertheless was the real first born.  This means that Ishmael was the direct heir of Abraham as per the laws from the Chaldees where Abraham came from.  On top of that the English translation that says Ishmael was "mocking" his baby brother has another alternative meaning.  The Hebrew can also mean to play or have fun with in a good way.  It seems that Ishmael may have been playing nicely with his baby brother, Isaac, and Sarah saw that Ishmael was cementing his place in the family.  She just couldn't have this.  Isaac was her son.  She was the wife and not Hagar, the pagan Egyptian.  Hagar and Ishmael had to go.  Sarah could not have Ishmael be the heir - Isaac was the heir as the Lord promised.  But how?  This is where the laws come in.  John Currid in his Torah commentary "A Study Commentary: Genesis Vol.1" helps us with understanding the law and how it probably was applied to this situation.  See the picture below from his commentary.

When one studies this it gives a whole new idea behind these events.  Abraham, the one man chosen by God to be the one whom all nations would be blessed, probably set Hagar and Ishmael free so that Isaac would have the legal right of the first born as per the law so Isaac would be the heir.  This makes so much more sense and provides a more realistic understanding in light of the culture in the 19th and 20th centuries B.C.

But there is something else.  For Christians one verse that is probably a favorite verse is ...

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (Joh 3:16)

Jesus said this when there was NO New Testament. Jesus was only teaching the Bible, His Bible, the Hebrew Scriptures or what Christians call the Old Testament.  John 3:16 is nothing new, it was not some new teaching but what is in the Hebrew Bible.  Consider some verses.

The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, But He thwarts the way of the wicked. (Psa 146:9)

The Hebrew of the highlighted phrase is that יהוה‎ Yahvay (when you see the word LORD all in caps it is translating יהוה‎ Yahvay) the LORD is the SHAMAR of the GOYEEM. 

יהוה שׁמר את גרים 

                 GOYEEM  ET  SHAMAR  YAHVAY

This means He is the Keeper of even Gentiles - with no qualifications.  The LORD is the Keeper of all people, the Hebrews and all non-Hebrews, the GOYEEM, the Gentiles, whether pagan or not.  Keeper is the Hebrew word SHAMAR שׁמר which means the LORD acting as a guard, a protector, like a good a father or a good a shepherd.  

Then we read these verses ...

"You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD." (Lev 19:18)

"The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God." (Lev 19:34)

So we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.  And, the next verse we are to love the stranger (Hebrew word is GOYEEM or any Gentile, pagan or not) as ourselves.  But combining the statements this means all non-Hebrews, pagan or not, are our brothers since we are to love the GOYEEM as ourselves; we are love them just as we love our brothers!!  This is John 3:16. 

God loves Hagar.  God loved Ishmael.  He was their SHAMAR שׁמר - their keeper, their guard.  On top of that God loved all those HE sent to their death in the Great Flood.  He was not angry with the human race; HE was sad.  You can read it for yourself.

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 
(Gen 6:5-6)

When Jesus taught us John 3:16 HE was only teach Torah!  HE was only telling us from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, what God is really like.  

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? 

Ferret teaching in an ancient theater in Turkey

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 17 Part 1 - Galilee - LET DOWN YOUR NETS

FIVE SMALL STONES EPISODE 17 PART 1

There's only one location and only one on the shores of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus could get into a boat and talk to a huge crowd.  On top of that Jesus then "thanks" Peter for helping Him by giving Peter a catch of fish that is beyond imagination. 

What is the real story? What's behind all this?  Is there more to this story? Yes. We did not live then.  Most of us don't fish with nets as Peter did.  Once again we need to put the Bible into its historical context and hear what they heard and see what they saw and understand how they understood and then our understanding of the text of God's word is enhanced, expanded and deepen.  Come and join us and let's head out to the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee; come let us go and let the Lord teach us who He is and what He is like.  

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 18 - Exod 6:6-8 THE CUPS OF SALVATION - THE CUPS OF Yeshua (יְשׁוּעַ)

 

THE CUPS OF SALVATION

THE CUPS OF Yeshua (יְשׁוּעַ)

We continue with Exod. 6:6-8.  These verses are connected by the Sages/Rabbis of Judaism to four cups of the Passover Seder.  In the previous lesson, lesson 17, we also explored the debate the sages/rabbis had whether there should be four or five cups.  On top of that all this seemed to be related to the end times!  And we explored the possibility that what is known as the "rapture" is nothing more than the "ingathering" of the elect of God.  In Paul's day the INGATHERING was when the dead will rise first and along with those who are alive will be taken up and brought to Israel at the time of the coming of Messiah.  In 1 Thess 4:16-17 ...

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1Th 4:16-17)

So the "rapture" is for all of us "grafted in to the olive tree of Israel" and us who are "joint heirs" with the covenants and promises of God to be taken up and "gathered" to Israel and to then to participate in the MARRIAGE FEAST OF THE LAMB and to be with our "husband" forever in Jerusalem.  This fits the rabbinic ideas of the ingathering of the elect.  Even Jesus uses the word of gathering us in.  See below ...

"But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Mat 24:29-31)

Jesus is God and God said we would be GATHERED.  Any Jew then hearing these words knew it meant the INGATHERING as promised again and again in the Hebrew scriptures.  When Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians all He had was the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament.  So who do you believe, some pastor teaching the "rapture" with no background in the Hebrew culture or the historical context of the Bible, or GOD?   The choice seems clear.

 

In this session we continue studying the cups of Passover.  It is possible that the idea of the 5th cup for the Passover meal, today called the Seder, was known in Jesus' day.  What is amazing is that the idea of the 5th cup seems to be related also to the cup of wrath that all nations will drink in the end times ...

For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, "Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. "They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them." Then I took the cup from the LORD'S hand and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it: Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and its kings and its princes, to make them a ruin, a horror, a hissing and a curse, as it is this day; (Jer 25:15-18)

And it seems to be related to Jesus and the events in the Gat Sheminim - the olive press where He went to pray after His Passover meal.  I mentioned in this podcast that Jesus went to an olive press and not the garden of Gethsemane.  You can not find any records that there was a place called the garden of Gethsemane and neither is the phrase "garden of Gethsemane," those exact words, found in the Bible.  I did a video on this and here's the link so you can study this further - LINK - https://youtu.be/oGs_Dc0j3S4 

Also, here is an amazing article from "Biblical Archaeology Review" from 1995 of the possible actual "cave" that Jesus visited to pray that was an olive press - LINK - https://www.baslibrary.org/biblical-archaeology-review/21/4/1

The Passover meal of the Messiah, called the Last Supper traditionally, was even more profound.  Those disciples of Jesus knew the meaning of the four cups of wine and the verse in Torah they represented.  They knew of the new covenant at Sinai that Israel entered into with the Lord at the Mountain of God (Exod. 3:1) and it was as if God became their "husband" and Israel was His "bride."  But, they also knew that the Mountain of God moved to Jerusalem (Isa. 2:1-3) and Jesus takes a cup, one of the cups in the Passover meal, and offers it to His talmideem (disciples), as a sign of a New Covenant they can enter at the Mountain of God.  When Jesus lifted up the cup He was giving us an AMAZING PROPOSAL to be His bride and He our Bridegroom - SINAI REPEATED!!  

In this podcast I mentioned other links I would provide.  See these below.

Link - article on Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread as practiced in Jesus' day and that all these events may have occurred in 30 A.D. and not 33 A.D. - https://www.dropbox.com/s/26qttim60xgub8n/Palm%20Sunday%20Passover%2030%20or%2033%20AD.pdf?dl=0

Link - to Hayyim Schauss' book, "The Jewish Festivals" at Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Festivals-Hayyim-Schauss/dp/143445195X

Link - Ray Vander Laan's DVD and study book entitled "The Path to the Cross" - https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/the-path-to-the-cross

Link - Dennis Prager's audio Torah study - an extremely valuable resource - even better than his books - https://pragerstore.com/product-category/the-torah

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

Five Small Stones - Episode 15 - Not Five But Just One

Just a quick review - lessons 1-10 study how Jesus is the first and the last simultaneously.  Lessons 11-14 start our study on Biblical geography.  First stop was the ancient city of Shechem.  Now we start a new series based upon the Sea of Galilee.  To access all the videos in this series go to the website.  Then click on OTHER RESOURCES.  Once that opens click on PODCASTS PLAYLISTS.  The list of podcast playlist will be seen be scrolling down.  All you need do is then select FIVE SMALL STONE.  

Here's the link to the website - www.LightofMenorah.org

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 14 - John 4:1-6 - The Blessing to the Nations

The Lord gives Abraham four promises in Haran before Abraham leaves with Sarah for Canaan. Consider ...

 

Now the LORD said to Abram (in Haran), "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you (promise of a PLACE); And I will make you a great nation (promise of descendants or PEOPLE), And I will bless you, And make your name great (promise of being well known forever or a promise of POSITION); And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (promise of a PURPOSE to his life)." So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said (God's promise of a PLACE is given at Shechem), "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. (Gen 12:1-7)

Their first stop was Shechem. One couple with the promises of God. Then came Jacob and his family.  God promised Abraham descendants.  He also promised Abraham a place and Jacob bought land near Shechem.  Is this the location of what tradition says is Jacob's well?  And just like Abraham Jacob builds an altar to the Lord just like his grandpa.  Things are repeated. 

 

After this comes Joshua.  He too builds an altar and all Israel renews the Sinai covenant at Shechem.  This is after the mighty and miraculous taking of the Promised Land.  Through Joshua it is clear the name of Abraham is becoming significant. 

The promises of the Lord to Abraham are manifesting themselves in front of our eyes.  This is the hand of God.  So, does God continue to show us His redemption plan at Shechem? You better believe it.  You won't believe who is next.  

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 13 - Josh. 24:1 Geography and the Bible - Joshua & Israel

 

In this episode we continue to study Biblical geography. We continue to focus on the ancient city of Shechem - located below and between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal in central Israel. God uses this location to SHOW us, with our own eyes, the continued amazing progress of His redemption plan. The Lord gives Abraham four promises in Haran before Abraham leaves with Sarah for Canaan. Consider ...

 

Now the LORD said to Abram (in Haran), "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you (promise of a PLACE); And I will make you a great nation (promise of descendants or PEOPLE), And I will bless you, And make your name great (promise of being well known forever or a promise of POSITION); And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (promise of a PURPOSE to his life)." So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said (God's promise of a PLACE is given at Shechem), "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. (Gen 12:1-7)

Their first stop was Shechem. One couple with the promises of God. Who is next? It was Jacob and his family.  We saw that in previous episodes.  Jacob was told by the Lord that Jacob had the same promises that the Lord gave to his grand father, Abraham.  Jacob returns from Haran and his first stop is Shechem.  We see that the Lord is giving Abraham descendants and the land.  Jacob arrives in Shechem and purchases land and may have dug a well.  But, just like Abraham Jacob builds an altar to the Lord just like his grandpa.  Things are repeated.  This is the hand of God.  So, does God continue to show us His redemption plan at Shechem? You better believe it.  God is so amazing.

 

Episode 11 and 12 and 13 deal with the topic of Biblical geography with a focus on the ancient city of Shechem.  So, make sure you have viewed 11 & 12 to make sense of the material in this lesson.  At the website you can do a search using the phrase "five small stones" to get all 13 episodes of this video Bible study series.  

 

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 - 42 Gen. 20:1-18 - Abraham Arrives in Gerar - Tells Sarah to Lie Again

Abraham and Sarah now travel to the area of Gerar in southwestern Israel.  You can see where this is in the map below.  It is probably named this after the wadi Gerar that flows east into the sea.  It is a wadi, a dry river bed in that it only has water during the rainy season in Israel.  This would be roughly November through March.

 

We immediately encounter some issues.  One is the king Abimelech.  Is he a Philistine?  It is an interesting question with no complete final answer.  Consider …

 Gen_26:1. Philistines in Palestine. Large numbers of Philistines entered Canaan after the invasion of the Sea Peoples (1200 B.C.) broke Egyptian control over the area. In this context they are mentioned in the records of Ramses III (1182-1151 B.C.). They established a pentapolis of five major city-states (Gaza, Gath, Ashdod, Ekron, Ashkelon) along the southern coastal plain and quickly gained political control over nearby regions as well (Jdg_15:11). Their mention in Genesis may reflect an earlier group that settled in Canaan prior to 1200 B.C., or it may be an anachronism based on their presence in the Gerar region in later periods (see Gen_21:32), earlier people of the vicinity being referred to by the name known to later readers. Archaeological evidence of their presence is found in the introduction of new pottery types, grave goods (such as the sarcophagi with human features) and new architectural designs. (The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Copyright © 2000 by John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas).

However, that’s not the only question.  Sarah was 90 when she gives birth to Isaac and she dies when she is 127.  This means Isaac is 37 years old or more when he marries Rebekah.  In Gen. 26:1 Isaac encounters Abimelech.  Is this the same guy his dad encountered in Gen. 20:1?  It is nearly 40 years later.  Consider …

... and Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar; where his father Abraham had sojourned before he was born; and therefore the present king of this place can scarce be thought to be the same Abimelech that was king of it in Abraham's time; but it is highly probable that this Abimelech was the son of the former king, and that this was a common name to the kings of Gerar or the Philistines, as Pharaoh was to the kings of Egypt. Isaac came to this place from Lahairoi, where he had dwelt many years, see Gen_24:62; which was at or near Beersheba, and was about eight miles from Gerar. (“John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.” Dr. John Gill (1690-1771)

We will explore this further in the lesson. 

Once again we are confronted with a critical theological question.  The question is can one lie to save a life or to prevent something bad or evil or not?  In the Ten Commandments we say God commanded us not to lie.  Sorry.  He never said that in the Ten Commandments. He said ...

 לא תענה ברעך עד שׁקר

Lo Ta'ahneh VayReckaka Ed Shaker

Not Testify to Your Neighbor Falsely

This is legal stuff meaning in court or in any legal proceeding you are not to testify with false statements against your neighbor.  This a commandment as related to legal proceedings.  (See the "Jerusalem Publication Society Torah Commentary Exodus," by Nahum Sarna, 1991).  The actual commandment of God not to lie is found in Lev. 19:11 - "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another."  So, we need to revise things gang!  We need 11 commandments to cover all the bases!  

So, do not lie.  Some teach that no matter what you must not lie.  In a TV program there were three religious men, an orthodox rabbi, a protestant pastor and the priest.  The moderator, Dennis Prager, set up a situation to have the rabbi and pastor and priest comment on.  The situation was that a woman was being chased by a sadistic rapist in a lonely park.  She runs past you and asks you to help her.  She hides and thus you have a choice when the evil rapist finally reaches you.  You can lie and not tell him where she is hiding or you can not lie and thus put her in danger and perhaps serious injury and death.  The pastor and priest said you can not lie and must tell the truth.  They said you can tell the truth in such a way that perhaps will not give up her hiding place.  The rabbi, however, said he'd lie through his teeth to save her and protect this innocent women.  ("Torah Commentary Exodus," MP3 file, Dennis Prager, Part 14 of 57.  This is part of Dennis Prager's teaching series on the Torah available at the website store at https://pragerstore.com/product-category/the-torah/complete-torah).  

So, we see a dilemma.  What would you do?  We are not to lie according to the opinion of Christian theologians.  Godly rabbis see it quite differently.  But, in this lesson we find that Abraham lies.  Sarah lies.  And yet God does not discipline them.  Moreover Abraham and Sarah do it twice! Then later Isaac and Rebecca.  They are not punished.  God nevers say BOO to them. What's going on?  Who is right?  The rabbi says he'd lie to save her.  The Christians say no, we can't lie.  God is silent when Abraham and Isaac lie through their teeth.  On top of that in Jesus' day the rabbis said that ALL LAWS in the Torah do not need to be kept in order to save a life.  Consider ...

Pikuach nefesh (Hebrew: פקוח נפש‎ 'watching over a soul') is the principle in Jewish law that the preservation of human life overrides virtually any other religious rule. When the life of a specific person is in danger, almost any negative commandment of the Torah becomes inapplicable. (See ... www.myjewishlearning.com/article/pikuach-nefesh-the-overriding-jewish-value-of-human-life/)

What would you do?

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 12 - Abraham and Jacob in Shechem Gen. 12:6, 33:18

Understanding Biblical geography is critical.  To fully appreciate episode 12 please make sure you watch episode 11; it is the first lesson in this series, "Five Small Stones" focusing on geography.  Here's the link to episode 11 - 

https://youtu.be/-CbyhtEABng

In many cases knowing the geography related to a specific event only adds to our understanding of the scripture.  It'll enhance our understanding.  This is clearly seen as we continue to study the ancient city of Shechem in the central mountains of Israel.  

Shechem was an ancient biblical city in Israel. Today, the area of Shechem is known as Tell Balata, an archaeological site near Nablus in the West Bank. The town was located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim in central Israel, just southeast of Samaria. The name Shechem means “shoulder” in Hebrew, which is appropriate considering its location as a pass between two mountains. (From GotQuestions.org) 

See the map below for its location.

God uses this city and this location.  It is totally amazing how it relates to the redemption plan of the Lord that begins with Abraham.  He stops at this ancient city when he first enters Canaan after the Lord tells him to leave his family, his home, and go to the land the Lord will show him.  Abraham obeyed and he comes to Shechem.  

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 11 - Gen. 12:1 Geography and the Bible - Shechem

Light of Menorah teaches the Bible in its historical context.  The emphasis is on the archaeology, history, geography, customs, culture, and even the languages of  the ancient Middle East.  In episode 11 we start a new study and ask how does knowing the geography of Israel or the Sinai peninsula or ancient Turkey (Asia Minor) affect our understanding of God's word.  Christians in the USA in the 21st century are so cutoff from this knowledge, it is, for the most part, abandoned as a focus in understanding and teaching the Bible.  What we will see is that Bible geography is so critical to our understanding the word of the Lord; geography and the geographical setting of many of the events in the Bible will enhance and expand understanding in amazing ways.

In this episode we go to the ancient city of Shechem.  Here we find that Abraham stops here - seems to be his first stop after entering Canaan after God promised Abraham in four promises.  God promised him he'd be given land, have many descendants, will be very well known across the ages, and his seed (his descendants) will be a blessing to all the nations.  God does this in Haran before Abraham and Sarah leave for the land the God will show him.  Their first stop is Shechem.  Consider ...

Now the LORD said to Abram (in Haran), "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you (promise of a PLACE); And I will make you a great nation (promise of descendants or PEOPLE), And I will bless you, And make your name great (promise of being well known forever or a promise of POSITION); And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (promise of a PURPOSE to his life)." So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said (God's promise of a PLACE is given at Shechem), "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. (Gen 12:1-7)

 

At Shechem we "see" God support the promise of land to Abraham.  Here God says this land, Canaan, will be given to Abraham and his descendants.  So, what about the other promises? Will God do this at another location?  NOPE.  It is amazing what we are about to see in the next episodes.  

Here's a great detailed article on the ancient city of Shechem and its biblical importance.  

Link - https://bible.org/article/geographical-historical-spiritual-significance-shechem

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