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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
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
We now focus on the 10th Commandment …
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exo 20:17)
Some say “covet” is the same as lust or craving or desire. It can’t be since there is no law against craving, desire, or lust. In this podcast Bible study we will find that COVET (the Hebrew is תחמד or Tachmod) is an obsessive mental focus on getting by whatever means something that belongs to one’s neighbor. COVET or coveting is “forbidden thought” that if followed through results in an evil action. There are two operatives here – thought and action. When you take this definition it is seemingly the cause for murder, committing adultery, stealing and lying. Jesus seems to teach this when He said …
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. "These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." (Mat 15:19-20)
In Jesus’ day the word “heart” was used as a picture to represent the mind. Jesus is saying our mind gives rise to “evil thoughts” and this seems to connect to COVET as an obsessive mental focus on getting by whatever means what we are craving or lusting.
I ended this session on the Ten Commandments by suggesting you watch the 5-minute Bible study video episode 9 in the series, “Five Small Stones.” It is entitled “It Is Finished.” This video is a teaching about the “missing piece” in the Sinai Covenant that is recognized by Jewish non-Christian scholars, the writer of the book of Hebrews, and Paul. The link to this video is …
https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/five-small-stones-episode-9-rom-104-it-is-finished/
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
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Is it always a sin to lie? Is there such a thing as "white lies?" Maybe the Lord only meant in the 9th Commandment not to lie as a witness in a court of law. And I can't be a false witness to my neighbor. Who is my neighbor? Only people in my neighborhood?
Lots of questions come up on all the עשׂרת הדברים - Asereet HaDevareem - the ten statements of the Lord. Come and join us as we study the 9th commandment. We'll see that this commandment is the basis for a good and just society - probably what the Lord intended right from the "get go."
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
Sunday Aug 20, 2023
Sunday Aug 20, 2023
Lesson 47 Episode 15 Part 2
מאום תגנב לא
Exod. 20:15 - Lo Tegnev Me’um
Do not steal anything
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
Saturday Aug 19, 2023
Saturday Aug 19, 2023
Lesson 47 Episode 15 Part 1 - no stealing!!
The 8th Commandment - Lo Tegenev - לא תגנב - No Stealing. But it doesn't specify what NOT to steal! God did this by design. Why? Join us in the next podcast on the Ten Commandments and let the Lord take us deeper into understanding His Covenant foundation.
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
Friday Aug 18, 2023
Friday Aug 18, 2023
In this lesson we focus in on Gen. 34:1-7 and the story of Jacob’s daughter, Dinah (pronounced Dee nah). The story unfolds at the ancient city of Shechem. We are going to see some amazing connections to Jesus as these verses seem to testify of Jesus and especially His teachings. We must remember that Jesus said …
Joh 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me …”
It can be shown that it is likely He said this between 24-30 A.D. and the only Bible they had then was Jesus’ Bible, the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament. So for His disciples then it was clear that Jesus as a rabbi of the 1st century, one who like other rabbis taught how to live out the Torah, live out the life God wants, had only the Hebrew scripture as the basis for His teachings. Thus, it is not surprising that the Dinah story is connected to Rabbi Jesus and His teachings to them then and us now.
These connections of Jesus to the ancient city of Shechem is not just connected to Genesis 34. This was covered in depth in a series of short 5 minute Bible study videos entitled, “Five Small Stones.” I urge you to access these lessons and study the Bible in its geographical context and see the amazing way connections Abraham to Jesus and it all relates to events at Shechem. Here’s the links to the videos …
Five Small Stones Episode 11 – https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/five-small-stones-11-gen-121-geography-and-the-bible-shechem/
Five Small Stones Episode 12 – https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/five-small-stones-episode-12-abraham-and-jacob-in-shechem-gen-126-3318/
Five Small Stones Episode 13 – https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/five-small-stones-episode-13-josh-241-geography-and-the-bible-joshua-israel/
Five Small Stones Episode 14 – https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/five-small-stones-episode-14-john-41-6-the-blessing-to-the-nations/
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
Thursday Aug 17, 2023
Thursday Aug 17, 2023
This is part 4 of episode 14 on the 7th Commandment - Exo 20:13 לא תרצח Lo Tenaf - NO ADULTERY. We focus on the question of where did God ever say that extra-marital sex is a sin? Is forbidden? What about abortion? In Jesus' day these are sins. But, it is not specified in the Torah. Check it out at this link ... https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/premarital-sex
So, where is it in the Bible? These sins were part of the pagan cultures in the ancient Near East. It is interesting to note that God DID condemn these acts as sin and it is IN the Torah. Where? Come and join us as we see that the 7th Commandment is only for adultery and does NOT include all sexual immorality. But God does teach that extramarital sex, abortion, infanticide, pedophilia, etc. is what He hates, they are abominations, and are sins. It's there. How did we miss it? Once again it has to do with putting the Bible into its historical 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
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
This episode provides a clear review of episodes 1 and 2. We see that in the Ancient Near East adultery was a serious crime and it wasn't primarily about the sex. If not about the sex outside of marriage, what's the serious nature of adultery back in the 15th century BC?
Secondly, no other pagan culture had their god or gods commanding that adultery was forbidden. It was a man made set of laws. But, for Israel, God, our God, the only God commands that adultery is forbidden and part of His covenant with His people. This means that Israel will be a testimony to the world of how to live according to the Lord.
Third, why is it that a married woman in an affair with a man not her husband will be executed and her lover? What about a married man in an affair with a woman not his wife? This is not fair. This is not equitable. What's going on?
Fourth, many Christian theologians say the 7th commandment is a commandment forbidding ALL sexual impurity. HUH? The Bible doesn't say that. On top of that God said not to add or subtract from His word. This is what many Christian theologians have. As an example, sex outside of marriage is a sin in Judaism and Christianity. But the Bible has no statement saying it is. What's going on? Where does the Lord teach that pre-marital sex, homosexuality, pedophilia, bestiality, and prostitution are sins? He does! But how? Where?
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? What's his background? Why should I listen to him? Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0
Saturday Aug 12, 2023
Saturday Aug 12, 2023
The "play" button is just above this picture - the orange circle with the white triangle.
In part 1 we learned that laws against adultery were common in the pagan cultures of the ancient near east. The laws against adultery were not related to the sexual sin per se, but that this was detrimental to the preservation of the family and the community. It adultery was looked upon as an attack against the the foundation of a good society. So we should not be surprised that we see this in God's TORAH, His instruction to His people. It is part of the commandments 6-10 all seemingly to deal with our relationship with our fellow man, the community, the society. The uniqueness in all this is that this law if coming from Yahvay, the Lord God, and not some law of man or the state. It is as if God is showing us the truth in the fact that adultery is a "great sin" against the community and the family.
In part 2 we went deeper. We find that the Hebrews coming out of Egypt were the first ones to hear ...
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (Gen 2:24-25)
The Lord is saying that marriage is between one man and one woman. The text does not say that a man shall leave his parents and cling to his wife or wives. The text is clear that he and his one wife become one flesh. He is teaching that He instituted marriage; it is part of His creation. Thus, adultery is a "great sin" against our community, against the family, and against God Himself since He "created" marriage and the family as being made up of one man and one woman.
Now we come to part 3. We will delve into the word of the Lord that says a man having an affair with a married woman both he and she will be executed! God declares adultery between a man and a married woman not his wife as a capital offense. Huh? What about a woman having an affair with a married man not her husband? What's the difference? What might this be all about?
Also in part 3 we will expand our study to consider sex between two a man and woman both unmarried. In Judaism and in Christianity is is a major sin. But the Bible has NO law against this. Matter of fact the word "fornication" - understood to be sex outside of marriage - will be shown NOT to be in the Bible. No where does God say that if an unmarried man and an unmarried woman have sex willingly is this act a sin. No where! But it is. How may have this come about? It comes about from THE VERY WORDS OF GOD that address this in an unexpected way.
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? What's his background? Why should I listen to him? Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
The "play" button is just above this picture - the orange circle with the white triangle.
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? What's his background? Why should I listen to him? Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0
Monday Aug 07, 2023
Monday Aug 07, 2023
We now come to the 6th commandment …
“You shall not murder.” (Exo 20:13 NASB)
“Thou shalt not kill.” (Exo 20:13 KJV)
“You shall not murder.” (Exo 20:13 NKJV)
“Thou shalt not murder.” (Exo 20:13 Jewish Bible)
So for 100’s of years many Christians have stated this commandment as not to kill. Many Christians used the King James translation in an argument that Christians must adhere to pacifism and that Jesus was a pacifist. But, the real Hebrew, the precise Hebrew, is not to murder. This verse cannot be used in any argument for pacifism.
As I mentioned in the podcasts here are some awesome links to related article you may find extremely beneficial in your study.
From the website GOTQUESTIONS.ORG is the article, “What is the difference between ‘you shall not murder’ and ‘you shall not kill’”?
https://www.gotquestions.org/you-shall-not-kill-vs-murder.html
From the website GOTQUESTIONS.ORG is the article, “What does the Bible say about self-defense?”
https://www.gotquestions.org/self-defense.html
From the website GOTQUESTIONS.ORG is the article, “What does the Bible say about pacifism?”
https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-pacifism.html
From Andrew Holt’s article, “’Thou shalt not kill’ vs. ‘Thou shalt not murder.’”
https://apholt.com/2015/03/17/thou-shalt-not-kill-vs-thou-shalt-not-murder/
Etymology of the word “kill”
https://www.etymonline.com/word/kill
In this podcast we are dealing with murder. This is clearly related to abortion. As I indicated in the podcast I would provide a link to the ancient Christian document the Didache (DI DAC HEE). Here’s the link to the complete ancient document.
Link - https://legacyicons.com/content/didache.pdf
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