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The study of the Bible in its historical context - with a focus on the archaeology, history, geography, customs , culture, and even the languages of the ancient Middle East. WE ask what did they understand THEN - the original intent of the Lord - so that we can expand and enrich our understanding NOW and thus become true disciples of Adonai Yeshua as in John 8:31-32.
Episodes
Jul 12, 2026
Jul 12, 2026
41 min
THE STORY OF JOSEPH - lesson 3
GOD'S PARADIGM OF SALVATION OF THE WORLD
In this lesson we continue on with the events in Joseph's life leading up to his brothers nearly trying to kill him. Judah saves Joseph and the brothers decide to sell Joseph to the Midianite or Ishmaelite traders. There is a question any of us would ask if we read the story carefully. For example check out Gen. 37:36 and Gen. 39:1. Who sold Joseph to the Egyptians? In one verse it says the Midianites and in the other verse it says the Ishmaelites? What is going on? Does this mean the Bible is a book with error and irreconcilable issues? NOPE. We will see the Bible actually helps us with the solution to this supposedly impossible issue.
So, Joseph is 1) hated by his brothers and 2) they are jealous or envious of Joseph and 3) the plot to kill him. But remember the rabbis of old recognized something truly amazing. The Lord is uses PARADIGMS or patterns, templates, or models. It is the Lord taking a person or event that becomes a prototype (synonym for paradigm) for another person in the future or an event in the future. The rabbis have a saying for this ...
חיי האבות הם סימנים לבנים
HaYay HaAvot Seemaneem Lay Baneem
The Lives of the Fathers are Signs for the Sons
In light of this the rabbis early on connected Joseph to the Messiah. They said Joseph was a prototype of the Messiah. For us that means Jesus. And just as we will see in this podcast that Joseph is 1) hated by his brothers and 2) they are jealous or envious of Joseph and 3) the plot to kill him. We also see that Jesus was 1) hated by his brothers (fellow countrymen) and 2) they were jealous of Him and 3) they met in secret to plot how to kill Him. Joseph is a paradigm of the coming Messiah, our Jesus. Joseph is God's model of what a savor of the world should be like. Joseph saved the world with the bread of the earth. Jesus saved the world with Himself and through Himself with the bread from heaven.
For more resources to study this in more depth check the links below.
Link 1 - a great article from the awesome website, Hebrew4Christians, focusing on one title of the Messiah the rabbis used in the time after the 3rd century A.D., "Maschiach ben Yosef," or Messiah the son of Joseph. This has to do with the fact the rabbis recognized that the Messiah had to suffer and even die. They also recognized that the Messiah would also be victorious as well and establish the throne of Israel in Jerusalem in the days called "The Messianic Age" or the day Messiah comes to rule and reign - https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Mashiach_ben_Yosef/mashiach_ben_yosef.html
Link 2- a second article written by my lead teacher in my graduate program, Dr. Ron Mosely that discusses Joseph is a prototype of the the suffering Messiah just like David is a prototype of the conquering Messiah - https://www.academia.edu/3796976/Twice_Rejected_Mashiach_Ben_Joseph
Link 3 - a link to Netivyah ministries in Jerusalem. This is a Messianic Jewish ministry founded by Joseph Shulam, an amazing Jewish scholar who helps us reconnect to our Jewish roots of our faith. This link is to a book written by one of their resident scholars, Elhanan ben Avraham, "Moshiach ben Yosef" (Messiah the Son Of Joseph). I highly recommend you get this book and all the books you can buy from this ministry - https://netivyah.org/product/mashiach-ben-yoseph/
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?
(Ferret - crossing the Nile near Luxor)
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
Jul 11, 2026
Jul 11, 2026
42 min
Lesson 2 - The Saga of Joseph
Once again we join the rabbis of old who recognized something truly amazing is going on. The Lord is using PARADIGMS or another way of saying the same thing is the Lord uses patterns, templates, or models. The rabbis have a saying for this ...
חיי האבות הם סימנים לבנים
Kahyay HaAvot Hem Seemaneem L’Bahneem
The lives of the fathers are signs for the sons
In this lesson we really begin to see that Joseph is a MODEL of what it means to be the savior of the world. It is like Joseph is wearing a mask to make himself look like someone else; Joseph "looks like" Jesus the true savior of the world.
For more resources to study this in more depth check the links below.
Link 1 - an article on at least 60 ways Joseph's life and the things he went through testify of Jesus or are connections to Jesus - https://www.onepagebiblesummary.com/pad/pad_17.php
Link 2- a second article written by my lead teacher in my graduate program, Dr. Ron Mosely that discusses Joseph is a prototype of the the suffering Messiah just like David is a prototype of the conquering Messiah - https://www.academia.edu/3796976/Twice_Rejected_Mashiach_Ben_Joseph
Link 3 - a link to Netivyah ministries in Jerusalem. This is a Messianic Jewish ministry founded by Joseph Shulam, an amazing Jewish scholar who helps us reconnect to our Jewish roots of our faith. This link is to a book written by one of their resident scholars, Elhanan ben Avraham, "Moshiach ben Yosef" (Messiah the Son Of Joseph). I highly recommend you get this book and all the books you can buy from this ministry - https://netivyah.org/product/mashiach-ben-yoseph/
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?
(Ferret - taking a break in Petra)
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
Jul 10, 2026
Jul 10, 2026
41 min
THE STORY OF JOSEPH - lesson 1
GOD'S PARADIGM OF SALVATION OF THE WORLD
We have come to Genesis 39 which is the beginning of the story of Joseph of the "many colored coat." Joseph (Yosef in Hebrew or Yosef Ben Ya'akov - Joseph the son of Jacob) was the prized and most beloved son of Jacob. This love seemingly created a deep jealously between Joseph and his brothers that led to them nearly killing him and finally selling Joseph into slavery. But, that's part of this awesome Bible study journey we are now to embark on.
(Below - free picture - permission to use - non commercial - accessible at FreeBibleImages.org)
In this Bible study journey we will be put face to face with the Paradigms of Adonai. A paradigm can also be described as a pattern, a template. We might even say it relates to a the idea of a mirror image. An example is in the first Passover where we hear of the Passover Lamb picked by each father for his family to be sacrificed the night God will send death upon all first born in Egypt. The is a mirror image of the Passover of Messiah, our Lord who is the Lamb of God. The lambs are not the same but they seem to mirror each other. Paul seems to teach this when we read ...
Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow (like on being a mirror image of another - a shadow) of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
(Col 2:16-17)
Check this out in the podcast entitled, "The Mirror of Passover," at this link - https://youtu.be/ipaeu7AQZ8Y?si=2DlVO_ifvOIFP8z6
Our journey begins with this idea of God's Paradigms, His Patterns or His Templates. Again and again Yahvay shows us that what came before shows up again and again. The rabbis saw this early on in God's Word. Maimonides, the great Jewish scholar of the late 12th century said ...
חיי האבות הם סימנים לבנים
HaYay HaAvot Seemneem Lay Baneem
The Lives of the Fathers are Signs for the Sons
It is like the first Passover lamb. It was the lamb of the fathers, the Hebrews coming out of Egypt. Its blood on the wood of the doorposts was a sign to the Lord to spare this family from His wrath He was pouring out on Egypt. The Passover lamb was a sign for the future Lamb of God who would come and whose blood on the wood of the cross would also deliver Jew and Gentile from God's wrath for those choosing Yeshua as Lord and God and Savior. This is a clear example of God's Paradigm. One of many.
Another is the Jubilee year. We read about it in Lev. 25 ...
The Year of Jubilee
Lev 25:8 'You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years.
Lev 25:9 'You shall then sound a ram's horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land.
Lev 25:10 'You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.
Lev 25:11 'You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines.
Lev 25:12 'For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field.
Lev 25:13 'On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property.
The 50 year Jubilee also becomes part of God's Paradigms. One scholar who deals with this extensively is the Messianic rabbi, Jonathan Cahn.
I highly recommend you check out his books, "The Oracle" or another awesome book of his, "The Paradigm." In these books Rabbi Jonathan Cahn details how the 50 year Jubilee is also used by God as a paradigm, a pattern or template if you will to be a sign for us now, today. Here's his website - http://www.hopeoftheworld.org/
So let us begin our awesome journey into the life of Joseph. He is a clear example of those words we read ...
חיי האבות הם סימנים לבנים
HaYay HaAvot Seemneem Lay Baneem
The Lives of the Fathers are Signs for the Sons
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?
(Ferret ... on a teaching tour to Jordan - in Petra)
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
Jul 9, 2026
Jul 9, 2026
58 min
Some people think that the word "fornication" means sex outside of marriage. Some say that this is what it means in the Bible. NOPE. Sorry folks. Fornication comes from Greek and from Hebrew that have nothing to do with sex before marriage. God never states specifically that pre-marital sex or sex outside of marriage is a sin – even in the New Testament.
But it is
How does God teach us that sex before marriage is a sin? How does He teach this in His Torah, His "instruction?" How did He get this across to His chosen people, the Hebrews, coming out of Egypt? How did God do this to His people in the 1st century A.D. when He, Yeshua HaMaschiach, Jesus the Messiah, God Himself, was here with us? And remember, Jesus’ Bible was the Old Testament and the Old Testament never specifically says that sex before marriage is a sin.
But it is
We missed it. He did teach it. But, once again we need to put the Bible into its historical perspective. You will NOT get this is you simply read the Bible in English. Once again as it was understood in Jesus' day among the great Bible teachers, study to learn and learn to do.
One needs to understand how God taught them THEN, thousands of years ago, so we can understand NOW. Sex outside of marriage is a sin and, on top of that, it looks as if it is something God hates. Wait till you see.
Here's a number of links I promised in the podcast you many find very enlightening. The first ones relate to articles from Jewish scholarly sources that show the Torah is silent on sex before marriage.
MY JEWISH LEARNING –
AISH – Orthodox Jewish Teaching Site –
https://aish.com/premarital-relations/
JEWISH VIRTUAL LIBRARY –
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/premarital-sex
The second set of links show that premarital sex was common in Greece and Rome and ancient Egypt and Canaan.
Link 1 - the practice of sex outside of marriage, abortion, and infanticide in ancient Greece and Rome –
Link 2 - WORLD HISTORY ENCYCLOPEDIA –
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/934/love-sex-and-marriage-in-ancient-egypt/
Link 3 - THE NOT SO INNOCENTS ABROAD –
https://www.thenotsoinnocentsabroad.com/blog/the-sex-lives-of-ancient-egyptians
Link 4-6 – Ray Vander Laan's article on ancient pagan religion and practices –
https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/fertility-cults-of-canaan
https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/hellenism-center-of-the-universe
https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/innocent-blood
Link 7 - my research article for my master's degree in Biblical history. The focus is on adoption in ancient Turkey (Asia Minor) but relates to infanticide in ancient Rome. The bibliography is invaluable - https://www.dropbox.com/s/i0fg3wwbm9xohzq/Ephesus%20Adopt.pdf?dl=0
Ferret - on top of Tel Azeka in the Shephelah in Israel
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
Jul 8, 2026
Jul 8, 2026
48 min
We find again in this lesson that God comes against the law codes of the ancient Near East. One such code is the Code of Hammurabi who was the sixth Amorite king of the Old Babylonian Empire, reigning from c. 1792 to c. 1750 BC. His code is 282 laws written 300 years before the Exodus. In this code any thief is to be executed. This is seemingly regardless of the theft or the seriousness of the crime. Just imagine that shoplifters who come in gangs to steal and rob from retail stores today would all be caught and killed in ancient Babylon.
Below you can see the Stele of Hammurabi – on this stone pillar the 282 laws of Hammurabi are engraved. This picture is royalty free and is accessible at Wikimedia.
I mentioned I’d include an article that addresses the issue of self defense for Christians. It is a solid article and provides awesome scriptural support for its position that indeed the Lord allows for self defense. The link is below …
https://www.gotquestions.org/self-defense.html
But, another article you may find as interesting addresses the question asking whether Jesus was a pacifist. I have found that those who hold to such a belief sometimes use the commandment “thou shalt not murder” and interpret it to mean “thou shalt not kill.” If the commandment is the later it seems easy to say then that God is against any killing – killing in war, killing in self defense, the death penalty, and on and on. So, check out this article that discusses the question if Jesus was a pacifist. I addressed this is more detail in the podcast relating to the commandment. Here's the link below ...
https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/exodus-47-lesson-13-exod-2013-no-murder/
One thing to keep in mind is Jesus is GOD and GOD said He never changes as we read in Mal. 3:6. The link to the article is below …
https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-pacifist.html
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
Jul 6, 2026
Jul 6, 2026
50 min
So when one simply reads the Bible there are verses we read and we don't understand the explosive meaning and connections there are. We definitely should read the Bible. No doubt about it. But, along with simple reading of the word is to study His word. It is one reason I am doing these podcasts - we are going deeper into our understanding and expanding our knowledge of the Lord's word.
In this podcast, lesson 82, we will study two such scriptures. It'll be amazing to you as it was to me to learn what is really going on. And again, it is NOT my opinion but as you will see THE VERY WORDS OF GOD as our "bread of life." One of these verses takes us from Genesis to Revelation. It shows us that those who are like "anti-Christ" are found in an amazing "string" of Bible characters all the way back to the days of Jacob and Esau.
Hold on - you are about to take an awesome ride from the camp of Isaac to facing the GREAT RED DRAGON. Ready?
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?
(Ferret - taking a break in Jerusalem leading a teaching tour)
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
Jul 3, 2026
Jul 3, 2026
51 min
This is the first time God, Yahvay, in His TORAH ( תּוֹרָה - TORAH - instruction not law) through the words of Jacob where the Lord tells us to get rid of the pagan gods. This focus of the Lord is found again and again in His Word. For instance the Lord tells Moses and all Israel that He is not coming to destroy Egypt and its people and the Pharaoh. NO! He says ...
"For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments--I am the LORD." (Exo 12:12)
He will execute judgments against the gods of Egypt. Later the Lord says that the gods the Hebrews took on in Egypt were not gods but שׁדים SHEDEEM H7700, 7736- wicked & destructive spirits that are called "demons" in Greek. We find this in Deuteronomy 32.
"They sacrificed to demons (שׁדים SHEDEEM H7700, 7736) who were not God, To gods whom they have not known, New gods who came lately, Whom your fathers did not dread." (Deu 32:17)
As one studies the Ten Commandments we read ...
Then God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth." (Exo 20:1-4)
Over and over again the Lord speaks against the pagan gods, idols, pagan practices, and idolatry. Just like in the Ten Commandments we are to remember who God really is and then not to have any other gods before Him. But, there are NO other gods. The Bible is very clear on this.
"See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand." (Deu 32:39)
"Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none." (Isa 44:8)
"I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; ... " (Isa 45:5)
So all the pagan gods of Egypt, the Canaanites, Greece, and Rome are not gods by שׁדים SHEDEEM!! These are evil spiritual entities - not devils, not fallen angels, but SHEDEEM. God through Jacob is now telling us to put away the שׁדים SHEDEEM among us.
But have we? It seems that the USA has turned against God in a big way. Our "house" was a Christian house but it has been "cleaned out" of God, His Word, His Salvation, our Jesus. Jesus warns against this.
"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation." (Mat 12:43-45)
The spiritual "house" of the USA is cleaned out. We've taken God out of our lives, our society, our government, our schools, and even many of our churches (few teach God's word our "bread of life") Thus, it seems clear that by THE VERY WORDS OF GOD that we should see THE RETURN OF THE GODS by Jesus' own words. And these "gods" seemingly have returned. They are not gods but the שׁדים SHEDEEM.
Check out the interviews with the Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn parts 1 and 2.
In these interviews Jonathan talks about this idea that the pagan gods have returned to America and it explains so much of the chaos, evil, death, hate, and destruction around us. שׁדים SHEDEEM has a Hebrew root word that means "destruction." Here's the links to these videos ...
Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NagR4QAyfQA
Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_axTQ5Xquvg
More than this however is his commentary on the most popular movie of all time worldwide, "Barbie." This is no "child's movie;" it is an evil adult attempt to indoctrinate young girls to the anti God culture. It is a teaching tool for girls to reject womanhood, motherhood, and having children in Godly marriage. It is as if an ancient evil destructive goddess has returned, a SHEDEEM, and is symbolized in this doll called Barbie. It is as if Barbie is an idol of Ishtar whose picture is below.
The picture above is of the ancient goddess, Ishtar, and is royalty free and accessible at Wikimedia.
Check out the awesome and disturbing commentary on the "Barbie" movie by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn. .
The Mystery Of Barbie, Ishtar, and Smashed Babies! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKp-A6BBg-E
So in God's TORAH we see over and over again the Lord's focus against pagan gods, idols and idolatry. But, there are no other gods. Yes. That is true. But not the שׁדים SHEDEEM that were behind the worship of all the pagan gods. God knows this is REAL and this REALITY is of the utmost danger to us.
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?
(Ferret - in the midst of temple ruins at the ancient Canaanite city of Bet Shemesh)
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
Jun 30, 2026
Jun 30, 2026
30 min
Exodus 52 Part 2
I was so amazed as I began researching and studying to prepare this podcast. I learned that in these verses (Exod. 21:26-22:1) we are taught by the Lord of His view of the great importance of the sanctity of life. The picture I used for this lesson is of an ox. And in these verses the ox plays a huge role. It is how the Lord teaches us about that fact that 1) all men and women, all, no matter what race of creed are made in His image and 2) everyone is our neighbor whether a fellow Christian or a radical member of the LGBTQ+ community or a radical Muslim terrorist and 3) and to be a true follower of Rabbi Jesus one must adhere to what He teaches His talmideem (Hebrew for disciple) that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves and that includes our enemies, the ones who persecute us, the ones who hate and would kill us for our faith. Wow!! There is a little more to being a Christian than we are taught.
I mentioned a number of links I’d provide that would enhance your study in the podcast. Here they are …
An article from “My Jewish Learning” talking about the fact the preserving and saving a life is higher than even adhering to the laws of the Sabbath …
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/saving-a-life-pikuach-nefesh/
Next is an article from a scholarly rabbi who teaches us about the phrase “pikkuah nefesh doheh Shabbat” or saving a human life takes precedence over the Sabbath. This might have been understood in Jesus’ day – maybe not practiced by definitely discussed. There is NO law that says one can not provide medical treatment on the Sabbath. It was hotly debated in Jesus’ day but no conclusions had been reached then. Later in Judaism it was decided – it is good to heal and provide medical treatment on the Sabbath. Jesus had entered the debate in His day and His stance was the one that finally became the law of Judaism. For the Lord, for God, it was already His priority and it took years of the Jewish rabbis to finally get it. Here’s the article …
https://images.shulcloud.com/618/uploads/PDFs/Divrei_Torah/200506-Pikuachnefesh--SavingaLife.pdf
Skip Moen is a reputable Christian scholar. It is worth your while to make sure you connect with Skip at his website (https://skipmoen.com/) to learn more about the Jewish roots of our faith. He wrote and article addressing the concept of healing on the Sabbath in Jesus’ day. He brings up the great Rabbi Shammai and Rabbi Hillel. These rabbis had a great influence on Judaism of the Second Temple in Jesus’ day. You’ll be amazed that indeed Jesus healed on the Sabbath and never did anything wrong. Check it out …
https://skipmoen.com/2015/07/whose-halachah/
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
Jun 29, 2026
Jun 29, 2026
31 min
Exodus 52 Part 1
I was so amazed as I began researching and studying to prepare this podcast. I learned that in these verses (Exod. 21:26-22:1) we are taught by the Lord of His view of the great importance of the sanctity of life. The picture I used for this lesson is of an ox. And in these verses the ox plays a huge role. It is how the Lord teaches us about that fact that 1) all men and women, all, no matter what race of creed are made in His image and 2) everyone is our neighbor whether a fellow Christian or a radical member of the LGBTQ+ community or a radical Muslim terrorist and 3) and to be a true follower of Rabbi Jesus one must adhere to what He teaches His talmideem (Hebrew for disciple) that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves and that includes our enemies, the ones who persecute us, the ones who hate and would kill us for our faith. Wow!! There is a little more to being a Christian than we are taught.
I mentioned a number of links I’d provide that would enhance your study in the podcast. Here they are …
An article from “My Jewish Learning” talking about the fact the preserving and saving a life is higher than even adhering to the laws of the Sabbath …
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/saving-a-life-pikuach-nefesh/
Next is an article from a scholarly rabbi who teaches us about the phrase “pikkuah nefesh doheh Shabbat” or saving a human life takes precedence over the Sabbath. This might have been understood in Jesus’ day – maybe not practiced by definitely discussed. There is NO law that says one can not provide medical treatment on the Sabbath. It was hotly debated in Jesus’ day but no conclusions had been reached then. Later in Judaism it was decided – it is good to heal and provide medical treatment on the Sabbath. Jesus had entered the debate in His day and His stance was the one that finally became the law of Judaism. For the Lord, for God, it was already His priority and it took years of the Jewish rabbis to finally get it. Here’s the article …
https://images.shulcloud.com/618/uploads/PDFs/Divrei_Torah/200506-Pikuachnefesh--SavingaLife.pdf
Skip Moen is a reputable Christian scholar. It is worth your while to make sure you connect with Skip at his website (https://skipmoen.com/) to learn more about the Jewish roots of our faith. He wrote and article addressing the concept of healing on the Sabbath in Jesus’ day. He brings up the great Rabbi Shammai and Rabbi Hillel. These rabbis had a great influence on Judaism of the Second Temple in Jesus’ day. You’ll be amazed that indeed Jesus healed on the Sabbath and never did anything wrong. Check it out …
https://skipmoen.com/2015/07/whose-halachah/
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?
(Ferret - somewhere in northern Israel on the Jordan)
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
Jun 28, 2026
Jun 28, 2026
46 min
LESSON 51 PART 2
Link to part 1 - listen before you listen to part 2
https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/genesis-51-part1-exod-2122-fetus-is-human/
Again and again in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, God is showing that revenge, retribution, and payback is HIS and not up to us. See Deut. 32:35, Lev. 19:18, or Psm. 94:1-2 or Isa. 35:4 and Rom. 12:19 or Heb. 10:30 and many other verses. That is why Samson showed himself to be less than a Bible hero when Samson asked God to help him to have revenge on the Philistines …
Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged (H5358 נָקַם nâqam – revenge for oneself or to punish or avenge) of the Philistines for my two eyes." Jdg 16:28
Samson wants revenge. He wants payback. From the Bible again and again we see this is not a characteristic of one of His heroes or heroines. Samson is a lesson of what we are not to be as we walk our walk with the Lord.
God’s updated version of “Eye for an Eye and Tooth for a Tooth,” is that litigation for a loss due to an injury, is allowed and legal, but, it must not come against His foundational laws and commandments of His covenant people. These foundational laws are the primary duty to love God and serve Him (Exod. 20:1-7 and Deut. 6:4-9) and to love one’s neighbor as himself (Lev. 19:18). This was commonly understood in Jesus’ day as it was in the days of Moses and David and Hezekiah. But, God Himself when He was here, Jesus, said these two commandments are not basic nor are they the foundational laws of the covenant but they are THE GREATEST OF ALL THE COMMANDMENTS. The fulfillment of the Torah is love – loving the Lord and our neighbor. Paul teaches this as well as the rabbis. Paul said it in Gal. 5:14 and he is doing nothing more than what rabbis were also teaching in his day. So, it seems that God sees the court and litigation as the last resort when someone purposely hurts us.
In the Mishna (Jewish law books written after the Temple was destroyed in 70 a.d.) it shows the Jewish understanding of what God intended goes far beyond the simple lex talionis – the "law of retaliation" or an eye for eye …
"If someone wounds his fellow, he becomes liable to compensate the injured party for five different aspects of the injury: damage, pain, healing, loss of time from work, and insult.
"In the case of damage, here is an example of how restitution is determined. Suppose someone blinded someone else's eye, cut off his hand or broke his leg. They value the injured person as if he were a slave for sale in the market, and they appraise his value before the injury and now.
"Here is an example of determining the compensation for pain. Suppose someone burns another with a skewer or nail, even if only on his fingernail, where it doesn't actually produce a wound. They determine how much a man of his position would be willing to be paid to suffer that amount of pain.
"For healing the indemnity is determined in this way. If someone hit another person, he must pay all the expenses of healing him. If he develops ulcers, then if they come about in consequence of the blow, he is liable; but if not, he is not liable. If the wound heals, reopens, heals and reopens again, he is liable for all the expenses. But once it has healed thoroughly, he does not remain liable to pay the expenses of healing him.
"The value of time lost is estimated in this way. They consider what he would earn if he were a watchman over a cucumber field [a job requiring no special skills], for he has already been paid for the loss of his hand or foot. [In practice, this means they determine what kind of work he will be fit for when he fully recovers and evaluate the time lost by this standard.]
"For insult the compensation is determined entirely in accordance with the social status of both the one who caused the indignity and the one who suffered it. If someone insults a person who is naked, blind or asleep, he is liable. But if a sleeping person causes an insult, he is not liable. Someone who falls from a roof and causes injury and insult at the same time is liable for the injury but not for the insult,... because one should not be held responsible for an indignity one did not intend to cause." (Bava Kama 8:1)
I want to thank David Stern the scholar who came out with “The Jewish New Testament Commentary.” He was the one who showed me the statements in the Mishna as we just read in the previous.
Dr. Craig Keener wrote “The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament.” His comments related to the historical context of Jesus’ words regarding and “eye for an eye” are helpful as we see that Jesus was in this case teaching ideas and concepts that man rabbis of His day did as well. Just consider …
Mat_5:38. The “eye for an eye” and “tooth for a tooth” are part of the widespread ancient Near Eastern law of retaliation. In Israel and other cultures, this principle was enforced by a court and refers to legalized vengeance; personal vengeance was never accepted in the (the Torah) law of Moses, except as a concession for a relative’s murder (Num_35:18-21). The Old Testament (better to call them the Hebrew Scriptures) did not permit personal vengeance; David, a great warrior, recognized this principle (1Sa_25:33; 1Sa_26:10-11).
Mat_5:39. The blow on the right cheek was the most grievous insult possible in the ancient world (apart from inflicting serious physical harm), and in many cultures was listed alongside the “eye for an eye” laws; both Jewish and Roman law permitted prosecution for this offense. A prophet might endure such ill treatment (1Ki_22:24; Isa_50:6).
Mat_5:40. The poorest people of the Empire (e.g., most peasants in Egypt) had only an inner and outer garment, and the theft of a cloak would lead to legal recourse. Although conditions in first-century Palestine were not quite that bad, this verse could indicate divestiture of all one’s possessions, even (hyperbolically) one’s clothes, to avoid a legal dispute affecting only oneself. Jesus gives this advice in spite of the fact that, under Jewish law, a legal case to regain one’s cloak would have been foolproof: a creditor could not take a poor person’s outer cloak, which might serve as one’s only blanket at night as well as a coat (Exo_22:26-27).
Mat_5:41. Roman soldiers had the legal right to impress the labor, work animal or substance of local residents (cf. Mar_15:21). Although impressment may not have happened often in Galilee, it happened elsewhere, and the fact that it could happen would be enough to raise the eyebrows of Jesus’ hearers at this example of nonresistance and even loving service to the oppressor.
Finally, I wanted to share the awesome article from the Christian scholarly website, “Got Questions,: and the article on “Eye for an Eye.” Here’s the article (accessed July 2024 at https://www.gotquestions.org/eye-for-an-eye.html) …
The concept of “an eye for eye,” sometimes called jus talionis or lex talionis, is part of the Mosaic Law used in the Israelites’ justice system. The principle is that the punishment must fit the crime and there should be a just penalty for evil actions: “If there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” (Exodus 21:23–25). Justice should be equitable; excessive harshness and excessive leniency should be avoided.
We have no indication that the law of “an eye for an eye” was followed literally; there is never a biblical account of an Israelite being maimed as a result of this law. Also, before this particular law was given, God had already established a judicial system to hear cases and determine penalties (Exodus 18:13–26)—a system that would be unnecessary if God had intended a literal “eye for an eye” penalty. Although capital crimes were repaid with execution in ancient Israel, on the basis of multiple witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6), most other crimes were repaid with payment in goods—if you injured a man’s hand so that he could not work, you compensated that man for his lost wages.
Besides Exodus 21, the law of “an eye for an eye” is mentioned twice in the Old Testament (Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21). Each time, the phrase is used in the context of a case being judged before a civil authority such as a judge. “An eye for an eye” was thus intended to be a guiding principle for lawgivers and judges; it was never to be used to justify vigilantism or settling grievances personally.
In the New Testament, it seems the Pharisees and scribes had taken the “eye for an eye” principle and applied it to everyday personal relationships. They taught that seeking personal revenge was acceptable. If someone punched you, you could punch him back; if someone insulted you, he was fair game for your insults. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day ignored the judicial basis of the giving of that law.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus counters the common teaching of personal retaliation: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you . . .” (Matthew 5:38–39). Jesus then proceeds to reveal God’s heart concerning interpersonal relationships: “Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:39–42).
In giving this “new” command, Jesus is not nullifying the Old Testament law (Matthew 5:17). Rather, He is separating the responsibility of the government (to punish evildoers justly) from the responsibility we all have on a personal level before God to love our enemies. We should not seek retribution for personal slights. We are to ignore personal insults (the meaning of “turn the other cheek”). Christians are to be willing to give more of their material goods, time, and labor than required, even if the demands upon us are unjust. We should loan to those who want to borrow, love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us (verses 43–48). Enforcing “an eye for an eye” is the magistrate’s job; forgiving our enemies is ours. We see this played out today every time a victim stands up in court to publicly forgive a convicted criminal—the forgiveness is personal and real, but the judge still justly demands that the sentence be carried out.
Jesus’ limiting of the “eye for an eye” principle in no way prohibits self-defense or the forceful protection of the innocent from harm. The actions of duly appointed agents of the government, such as police officers and the military, to protect citizens and preserve the peace are not in question. Jesus’ command to turn the other cheek applies to personal relationships, not judicial policy. The principle of “an eye for an eye” is meant as a judicial policy, not as a rule for interpersonal relationships. The believer in Christ is guided by Jesus’ words to forgive. The Christian is radically different from those who follow the natural inclination to respond in kind.
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