LIGHT OF MENORAH

ALERT JUNE 19TH - UPDATE GOING INTO JULY

Truth Nuggets 5 - Be Holy, Be Separate, Be Set Apart, Be Kadosh

Did you know that there is no prohibition in the Old Testament or New Testament against abortion or premarital sex?  In the Old Testament there is NO law against abortion.  There is no statement that sex before marriage is a sin.  Yet, as followers of Jesus, as Christians, and His disciples, we all agree that abortion is murder, a terrible sin, and premarital sex is immoral and a sin.  Even Josephus in his work Apion says that abortion is murder.  Huh?  Where does that come from?  Where does God in His written word directly come against abortion and premarital sex?  

When we put the word of Adonai into its historical context, back into the days of Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and then into the days of Jesus and the early church, there seems to be an answer that we miss.  God does seem to state quite clearly to the Hebrews just out of Egypt and later to the Hebrews in the Promised Land, Canaan, and then to the Jewish people in the 2nd Temple period (500 B.C. to 70 A.D.) that abortion and premarital sex is an abomination to the Lord.  This podcast suggests an alternative view based upon the historical context and the Jewish culture.  

However, once we see that this is a real likelihood we also see that God seems to be teaching about something broader and more extensive then just a focus on abortion and sex outside of marriage.  What He teaches relates to the days we live in now.  God seems to emphasize we are to be a special observable peculiar people - distinctly different.  

Video link 1 - Tel Meggido - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvVUKKU6Xi8&t=193s

Video Link 2 - Bible study at the archaeological site of ancient Corinth - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK4C44yuIBU

Video link 3 - "drone" fly over the Corinth reconstructed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEHPfMIyLfc

Link to key articles for further study - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q2tltmkswqbtxg5/AAB1eOA3NDhrNhyM-TURn80Da?dl=0

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

Truth Nuggets 4 Part 2 ”What‘s Your Name?

 

This is part 2 of Truth Nugget 4.  

Truth Nuggets 4 Part 1 ”What‘s Your Name?”

This podcast is broken into two separate parts.  Part 1 sets up the historical context and part 2 applies it to a special verse about Jesus.

The name of God is so special and so holy (kadosh קדוש) - meaning set apart, special, distinct.  The rabbis in Jesus' day and even before even made up a new law - don't say God's name so you won't break the commandment that says do not take HIS name in vain.  Therefore, in Jesus' day the tetragrammaton, yud hay vav hay יהוה, was not said.  Other words were substituted like Adonai meaning ""Lord" or HaShem meaning "the Name."  So one might say God's name, יהוה, I pronounce it "Yah Vay," is a name so above other names, so beyond other names, separate and set apart or kadosh קדוש - God even says this about His name.  

This is the historical context we need to understand when we read the New Testament.  Religious Jews who followed Jesus as Lord, as Savior, as God, knew this.  It was part of their everyday culture.  Thus, the verses Phil 2:5-11 take on a whole new meaning.  We then ask Jesus, "What is your name?  What is your REAL name?"  

Here are links to the articles I referenced in these podcasts.  

Judaism 101 - Jewish law or halakah (one's walk) - http://www.jewfaq.org/halakhah.htm

David Biven's article - "Jesus and the Oral Law: the Unutterable Name of God." - 

https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/2087/

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

Truth Nuggets - 3 Part 2 - 1 Cor. 3:16 WHO’S IN THERE?

This is session 3 part 2.  We continue with the verse 1 Cor 3:16 and 1 Cor 6:19.  Everyone when asked who dwells in us answers immediately that the Holy Spirit dwells in us.  The Bible says it.  For sure.  But, there's more, much more.  When we go deeper into the Biblical Greek we find an awesome concept from the Hebrew scriptures that is so important for us to grasp is times we are living through today.  

In this session I mentioned two links I would provide.  The first link is to an awesome website that will give you an amazing first hand tour of the Tabernacle Model in Timnah Park in Israel.  Some of you may have visited a tabernacle model here in the states.  But, to visit this one in Israel is to likely be in the area where the Hebrews actually camped overnight - right where this tabernacle model is located.  It is roughly 7 miles from Yovatah on the north and roughly 7 miles or so from Avronah on the south (see Num. 33:34).  The head of the park and I discussed this at length when Robin and I took a group there several years back.  He was a Jewish Bible historian (named Moses!!) and we both knew that the Hebrews traveled about 7 miles per day (that is why M. Sinai could never be in Saudi Arabia!!).  This means when you visit the tabernacle model in Timnah Park you are probably close to their camp sight between Yovatah and Avronah.  Here's the link - https://www.holylandsite.com/timna-tabernacle

The second link is to an archaeological website.  This site will provide you will a first hand look at the discoveries by Eilat Mazar of Solomon's palace complex just below where the Temple he built for the Lord.  This is an awesome resource for your further study - http://templemountlocation.com/eilatMazar-SolomonicWall-RoyalComplex-SolomonPalace.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

Truth Nuggets - 3 Part 1 - 1 Cor. 3:16 WHO’S IN THERE?

Truth Nuggets episode 3 is in two parts.  The first part focuses on the meaning of how we are the Temple of God as in 1 Cor 3:16-17.  Is every Christian a temple?  Is my body a temple?  If there are 2.5 billion Christians in the world does that mean there are 2.5 billion Temples of God in the world?  Or have we missed something since we are not dealing with Biblical Greek.  Are we being too self-centered to say we alone are a Temple of God?  Yup, we missed something.  And we will find what we think is a brand new Christian idea is actually a concept found all the way back to Genesis.  

In this session I mentioned two links I would provide.  The first link is to an awesome website that will give you an amazing first hand tour of the Tabernacle Model in Timnah Park in Israel.  Some of you may have visited a tabernacle model here in the states.  But, to visit this one in Israel is to likely be in the area where the Hebrews actually camped overnight - right where this tabernacle model is located.  It is roughly 7 miles from Yovatah on the north and roughly 7 miles or so from Avronah on the south (see Num. 33:34).  The head of the park and I discussed this at length when Robin and I took a group there several years back.  He was a Jewish Bible historian (named Moses!!) and we both knew that the Hebrews traveled about 7 miles per day (that is why M. Sinai could never be in Saudi Arabia!!).  This means when you visit the tabernacle model in Timnah Park you are probably close to their camp sight between Yovatah and Avronah.  Here's the link - https://www.holylandsite.com/timna-tabernacle

The second link is to an archaeological website.  This site will provide you will a first hand look at the discoveries by Eilat Mazar of Solomon's palace complex just below where the Temple he built for the Lord.  This is an awesome resource for your further study - http://templemountlocation.com/eilatMazar-SolomonicWall-RoyalComplex-SolomonPalace.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

 

Truth Nuggets - 2 - Psalm 23:6 and 91:1-3 BEIT AV - THE HOUSE OF THE FATHER

"Truth Nuggets" - these are short Bible studies in their historical context.  Our goal is to "walk those ancient streets and paths" with those ancient believers to reconnect to their day and their circumstances.  In this way we can hear what they heard and see what they say and come to grasp with what God originally meant in His word written to them 2000 and 3000 years ago.

In this episode, "Truth Nugget 2," we wrestle with the concept of what does it mean to be in God's house, what does it mean to be a sheep in God's flock, or what does it mean to be a disciple of a rabbi, specially Rabbi Jesus?  Are they all related?  Is there perhaps something that binds all these concepts together?  How does this relate to us as humans made in His image with a physical body and a spiritual soul?  

Once again we put the Bible into its historical context and consider how thee verses may apply in Jesus' day and times.  When we do it is amazing to see a more complete "picture" for us today as disciples of Rabbi Jesus, our Lord and Savior and our God.  In the first podcast in this series I reference Dr. Craig Keener a noted and amazing Bible historian and scholar.  I recommend you read his important article on the reason we study the Bible from its historical context.  

Here is the link to the article - https://craigkeener.com/why-it-is-important-to-study-the-bible-in-context/

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  The new series from Light of Menorah continues.  It is entitled, What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Truth Nuggets 1 - Psalm 118:24

Welcome to the new podcast series from Light of Menorah.  These podcasts entitled, "Truth Nuggets," are short Bible studies focusing on the archaeology, history, geography, customs, culture, and the ancient languages of the ancient Near East.  Our attempt is to put the Bible into its historical context and "walk on those ancient streets and roadways" with those ancient believers. We want to try and understand what they heard and saw and understood in God's word.  We want to try and reconnect to the original meaning that God intended.

In this first "Truth Nugget" we look at one particular verse that is a clear example of us,  21st century Christians, taking a verse out of context and misapplying it to our circumstances.  We have been so cutoff from the Bible in context that we have no other choice it seems, but to try and grasp the meaning of God's word from our own circumstances.  But, once we do reconnect to Psalm 118:24 in context and consider the verses that come before and after, and consider the historical context, the verse explodes with meaning as it relates to the entire redemption plan of El Elyon, the Most High God.

A proven credible Bible scholar and historian is Dr. Craig Keener.  I reference him in this porcast.  He has written a short article I highly recommend you read as you continue to live to stand and hold fast to God's Word.  Here is the link to the article - https://www.craigkeener.com/why-it-is-important-to-study-the-bible-in-context/

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 - 42 - Exod. 16:1-36 BREAD OF LIFE

Genesis - 64 - Gen. 26:1-35 - DO THE UNLAWFUL TO PREVENT THE UNSPEAKABLE

Some of the great Bible characters lied through their teeth!  Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, David, Rahab all lied.  And yet the Bible is silent about their SIN.  God said to lie is a sin and He said it twice - once in the Ten Commandments as it relates to judicial matters to "not be a false witness" and a second time where the Lord says it precisely ... 

Lev 19:11  "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another."

God does not condemn them for their obvious breaking God's command.  You have to ask what is going on?  Is there something we are not seeing?

Consider the real stories of Christians during WWII who lied to the Nazis to protect Jews they were hiding.  Corrie Ten Bloom is one of them.  She and her family lied, they saved 100's of innocent Jewish people, and she became a celebrated "righteous Gentile" among the Jewish people.  She is honored among many other Gentiles, like Oscar Schindler, who did brave and heroic things to save 1000's of Jewish people from the gas chambers and death.  

Corrie, in her book, "The Hiding Place," relates the events of her and her family rescuing Jews.  She also shares how troubled she was that in order to save the Jews she had to LIE.  She had to commit a sin.  This was something that bothered her deeply. 

But, in the Bible many Bible characters lie.  We read in the Bible that God never calls them on the carpet.  He never brings up that they broke His Torah command not to lie.  Why?  What is going on?  Perhaps there is something more that God is showing us.  Is God saying that deceptive words are not a lie if the words that mislead are done for good and not evil?  Is God saying that if one deceives with words for evil intent then that is a lie?  Is God saying a lie is not words that are simply deceptive but it relates to the intent, the purpose?  Is God saying that one can DO THE UNLAWFUL TO PREVENT THE UNSPEAKABLE?  Needless to say this is a challenging question.    

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