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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 Sep 21, 2022
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Check out this 3 minute video about this class coming to Forest Lake.
Monday Sep 12, 2022
Thursday Sep 01, 2022
Friday Aug 26, 2022
Friday Aug 26, 2022
Jacob and Bet El (pronounced BATE EL) is given the same promises (check it out in Gen. 28:13-15 and 12:1-3) that were given to his grand pa Abraham but not that Jacob’s name will be famous. The covenant with Abraham and his seed (Hebrew meaning descendants) is amazing. For through Abraham and his seed all the families of all the nations will be blessed. However, in this lesson we’ll see that the Hebrew has an alternative meaning. It is bigger than we thought. Blessed is perhaps NOT the right way of using the conceptual meaning in this context.
We need to understand that there is a missing piece in how Adonai put together the Torah. Once we get this the event of Jacob’s dream and his encounter with the Lord takes us to the cross. Even the great rabbis of Judaism saw it. They saw that there is something missing in the Torah.
Consider Rabbi Akiva’s words in the Talmud.
"Rabbi Akiva says that if those subject to the punishment of karet repent, the Heavenly beit-din [court] grants them remission." (Makkot 13b)
Karet is a Hebrew word that means an offense, a sin, that is done on purpose or intentionally. It is so serious that an offense of Karet cuts one off from being a part of Israel and as per Torah, as per the very words of God, karet is never ever forgiven or cleansed. Rabbi Akiva, however, thinks the Torah is wrong. He says Karet can be forgiven is by repentance. What? The Bible never says that. The Lord never ever said that serious sins can be cleansed or forgiven by simply repenting. What we are seeing is Akiva’s opinion and not the very words of God in His Torah. We are also seeing that Akiva is implying that Yom Kippur does not take care of intentional sin. He is implying that the sin sacrifice or the sacrifice of goats or sheep or bulls is insufficient to cleanse one’s Karet done intentionally.
Maimonides’ says it another way.
The more one confesses and elaborates on this matter, the more praiseworthy he is. And, also, those under an obligation to bring sin‑offerings and trespass‑offerings, who bring their sacrifices for sins committed either in error or willfully, are not acquitted [of their sins] by means of these offerings until they repent and confess in words… (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-dimensions-of-repentance/)
In other words, sacrifice alone cannot bring acquittal; confession is a requirement and without it, repentance cannot take place. But, once again Maimonides is clearly implying that the sacrifices and rituals of Yom Kippur do not take away sins done intentionally, on purpose, with the full realization on the sinner.
The writer of the book of Hebrews also agrees. Recall …
and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (Heb 9:12)
Akiva and Maimonides and the author of Hebrews all agree. The Torah is missing something. There is no ritual, no sacrifice, no prayer that will assure us of totally forgiveness. Maimonides and Akiva’s opinion is that one must truly repent and confess. But, the the book of Hebrews and John and Paul, agreeing with these great rabbis, teaches us what the missing piece is. It is clearly explained by the disciple John as we read …
"... but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1Jn 1:7-9)
And then we read Paul’s word that Jesus, God Himself, cleanses us by the blood.
"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (Act 20:28)
So, we see we must repent. We see that we must confess. But God is saying that someone must pay the price for our since. Akiva and Maimonides never addressed this. Someone must purchase us, in Hebrew redeem us, to be set free of the punishment of our Karet, our sin against the Lord done intentionally and willfully.
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 Jul 27, 2022
Wednesday Jul 27, 2022
This is the 2nd lesson on this amazing event - Jacob's dream of the ladder, the way to the Father. In lesson 68 we focus on Jacob making a deal with God. Check it out. Jacob says as if speaking to the Lord that if you Lord do X, and if you Lord do Y, THEN, then and only then will you be my God. So, is that what God wants us to see? Is that what God is teaching in His Torah which does not mean LAW but INSTRUCTION? Can it be? Can it be that we can cone to God have today in these days of evil and chaos and make a deal? Can we tell God, "Hey Lord, if you give us what we want politically or socially then we will your people?" Can we buy Him off? Is this the way to become "saved" by telling God to do our bidding. If He does then we will be His son or daughter.
In this lesson we face the fact that Israel coming out of Egypt were the targeted audience of God for the Torah. God wanted them to learn something that they'd get since they assimilated into the pagan culture of Egypt. It has to do with the ladder in Jacob's dream. I mentioned this in this lesson. Here's the link to the lesson in the Egyptian study series that shows the Hebrews assimilated - https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-wdzur-f82194
Who is this guy, Rev. Ferret? What's his background? Why should we take time to listen to him? Here's a link to check out his background - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0
Wednesday Jul 27, 2022
Wednesday Jul 27, 2022
Jacob camps out and has an awesome dream. The dream is of a ladder from the earth to the dwelling of the Lord God - in Hebrew we'd say Bet El or the House of God or the Dwelling Place of God or His Abode. There are spiritual beings going up and down the ladder. Hmm. Angels right? But, the Hebrew word for angels means messengers or even those deputed by the Lord. Deputed means to be sent out to complete a task. Could it be that these angels are God's deputies. Those going down the ladder are headed out to do their assigned task. Those coming up are His deputies who have done their work and are returned to Bet El, the dwelling place of God. Perhaps. We'll study the Hebrew and see how this fits the conceptual meaning of the Hebrew word meaning messenger that we say are angels.
But the ladder. What's this about? I offer one view. Perhaps there are others. What does it mean? The way to the "tree of life, the way back to Paradise, the way back to ABBA our Father is closed. We can't go back. Is the Lord teaching us that there is a way home for us? Is this a prediction for the future? Jesus' own words seem to verify that He is showing Jacob the future - the coming of one who will be the way back to the Father as in John 14:6. Jesus said He is the ladder in John 1:51. He said He will be lifted up like standard, like a sign, like a ladder in John 3:14. As the ladder, as Jesus is lifted up as the way home He will draw all men to Him to have the chance to return to the Father through Jesus. It again seems we have another proof that all scripture in Jesus' day, the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament, testify of the coming Messiah, the coming Savior, the one who will be set up as the only WAY back home.
In the podcast I mentioned three links I'd provide. Link 1 - a Christian scholarly article on the concept of angels. I recommend when you read it substitute the word angel and say MESSENGER. Here's link #1 -
https://www.gotquestions.org/angels-Bible.html
The 2nd link is to a Jewish scholarly article on God's MESSENGERS. In this article you'll see how the rabbis years after Jesus' ascension started making up more fantasy about angels. Much of their notions and the mistaken ideas of the so-called church scholars has led to our notions today of angels which is totally different than what the Bible MESSENGERS are really like. Here's link #2 -
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/angels/
The final link is to episode 9 in the Bible study video series, "Five Small Stones." These are five minute Bible study videos and in episode 9 we ask what does Paul mean in the two verses below.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
(Rom 10:4)
"Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. (Act 13:38-39)
Is it possible the ladder is the way God will establish so we can all return to Him? Is the ladder perhaps another picture for the cross? Maybe. Here's the link to all 11 videos. Just scroll down to find #9 -
https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/?s=five+small
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 Jul 26, 2022
Tuesday Jul 26, 2022
Lesson 46 Part 2
It is critical that you make sure you listen to part 1 of this two part series. In part 1 we establish the real possibility that the Hebrews arrived on the 3rd day of the 3rd month. If this is the case then it seems as if יהוה Yahvay, the Lord, God, lead His people to His mountain to receive a new covenant at His mountain, Mt. Sinai. Interesting - 50 days after Passover, after the first day of Unleavened Bread, the Hebrews enter a covenant relationship with the Lord. This is an amazing event in that a new nation is born, a chosen people, and it's like a new beginning, a new start. It reminds me of the Year of Jubilee - every 50 years it is the year of Jubilee.
The Year of the Jubilee involved a year of release from indebtedness (Leviticus 25:23-38) and all types of bondage (vv. 39-55). All prisoners and captives were set free, all slaves were released, all debts were forgiven, and all property was returned to its original owners. (Like a new start) In addition, all labor was to cease for one year, and those bound by labor contracts were released from them. One of the benefits of the Jubilee was that both the land and the people were able to rest. (Accessed at https://www.gotquestions.org/Jubilee.html July 25,2022)
Link to Exodus Lesson 49 Part 1 - https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-uhhag-127e43f
In this session we will see the awesome connection this has to the feast of Shavuot (Weeks) or Pentecost in Jesus' day. Jesus rose from the dead on a Biblical feast, the feast of first fruits, and 50 days later the 120 disciples received the Holy Spirit and these 120 as the "light to the nations" spoke in tongues of the Salvation of the Lord, the "Yeshua" of יהוה Yahvay. It was the New Covenant of the Lord at the mountain of the Lord, Jerusalem. Peter become so inspired, he does a short sermon in Acts 2 and as a result 3000 were baptized on the 50th day, Shavuot or Pentecost. Did he received the promised power to be the witness to the nations? You better believe it. So, the number 50 even takes on even more significance. Now it seems to be related to the days of Messiah and the coming of the רוח הקודש Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit.
The Jubilee presents a beautiful picture of the New Testament themes of redemption and forgiveness. Christ is the Redeemer who came to set free those who are slaves and prisoners to sin (Romans 8:2; Galatians 5:1; 3:22). The debt of sin we owe to God was paid on the cross as Jesus died on our behalf (Colossians 2:13-14), and we are forgiven the debt forever. We are no longer in bondage, no longer slaves to sin, having been freed by Christ, and we can truly enter the rest God provides as we cease laboring to make ourselves acceptable to God by our own works (Hebrews 4:9-10). (Accessed at https://www.gotquestions.org/Jubilee.html July 25,2022)
God has clearly done something on purpose. He has connected the New Covenant at His mountain, Mt. Sinai, to the New Covenant at His mountain, Jerusalem. The giving of the Ten Commandments is intimately connected to Pentecost or Shavuot.
Here's a link to the podcast series on the feast of Shavuot. In this study you'll even go deeper into your understanding of Passover and Pentecost. Link to the podcasts series on the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/?s=shavuot
I taught this is a class. Here's a link to the chapter from my class book. If you need the bibliography email me and I will get it to you.
Link to the article from Light of Menorah on Shavuot - https://www.dropbox.com/s/2rs9dwl481eb9s1/Chapter%204%20-%20The%20Spring%20Feasts%20-%20the%20End%20of%20the%20Beginning.pdf?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
Saturday Jul 23, 2022
Saturday Jul 23, 2022
Lesson 46 Part 1
They made it. The Hebrews led by Moses by the hand of Yahvay, the Lord, finally arrive at the Mountain of God. Here they will receive the Ten Commandments which the Lord says is His Covenant as we read …
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (Exo 34:27-28)
Israel comes to the Mountain of God in the Sinai and there they will enter a New Covenant - nothing like this ever happened before – and become a chosen people, a holy nation, and nation of priests. But, wait a minute, that sounds so familiar. It reminds us of Jesus and His lifting up His cup at His Last Supper – the cup of the New Covenant. This happens in Jerusalem.
There’s more. It so happens that the Mountain of God was Mt. Sinai as can be found in Exod. 3:1 and 3:12 and 19:1-3. We got this. No problem. But then we see that God moves His mountain to a new location. Just consider a few proof texts …
Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isa 2:2-3)
"I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations. "Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. (Isa 66:19-20)
And it will come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, And the peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Mic 4:1-2)
He moved His mountain. It is now the Temple Mount in Jerusalem also known as Mt. Zion. (The term Mount Zion has been used in the Hebrew Bible first for the City of David (2 Samuel 5:7, 1 Chronicles 11:5; 1 Kings 8:1, 2 Chronicles 5:2) and later for the Temple Mount, but its meaning has shifted and it is now used as the name of ancient Jerusalem's Western Hill) And, this is where the New Covenant of God is given through Yeshua HaMashiach, Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. On top of that we read the following …
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1Pe 2:9)
Wow. What an amazing connection between the New Covenant at the Mountain of God Mt. Sinai and the New Covenant at the Mountain of God Mt. Zion - a Biblical name for the Temple Mount. God is connecting these covenants. He is not replacing the latter with the former. They are intimately related and you can not have on New Covenant without the other.
Is there more? You won’t believe it. This is another awesome chapter in Torah that meets the goals of this podcast series. Here are those goals. (Note - you can "right click" on the picture and open the picture in a new tab to read it)
So come and join us in this study. This is another awesome example that there is ONE book, ONE Bible, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, ONE God, ONE Lord, with ONE goal, Jesus!
Who is this guy, Rev. Ferret? What's his background? Why should we take time to listen to him? Here's a link to check out his background ... - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0
Thursday Jul 21, 2022
Thursday Jul 21, 2022
In our day one might say our times are chaotic and evil. Today Christians and the church are even called evil and we are accused of being the source of all that is wrong. It’s too difficult to deal with. It seems that evil so controls our country, our society, and that we have no power over this at all. Nothing works. We try and solve it via politics and legislation and the vote. In my view the USA is on such a downward slide, it’ll never recover. This is not very hopeful. Without the Lord there is no hope.
Israel coming out of Egypt faced death and disorder as God led them into the wilderness of Sinai. The Hebrews had assimilated into the Egyptian culture slowly after Joseph died. For the Hebrews they understood and held to the Egyptian understanding that the wilderness of Sinai was a land of death, disorder, and evil. It was a place not conducive to good life. They called it the land of CHAOS. Their gods had no power over chaos. Their king, we call Pharaoh, must be the one to maintain order, life, prosperity, truth, and goodness, called Ma’at in Egyptian. Pharaoh had to battle against Chaos. The gods of Egypt had no power for Chaos, no power over the wilderness of Sinai. In Egypt they relied on a man to provide truth, justice, goodness, and order. It's like today. Reminds me of CLIMATE CHANGE. Many say WE humans must solve the problem. We must spend money and make laws to save the planet. I don't believe there is a climate crisis. It is simply not scientific. This reminds me of ancient Egypt and a worldview that lifts up mankind and has turned away from the one God, the true God, the one who made it all and the one who controls and rules over nature.
However, Yahvay, God, God alone, created the wilderness. He fed His chosen in the wilderness of Sinai. He gave them water from rocks in the Sinai. And He helped the Hebrews defeat the Amalekites in the Sinai at Rephidim. Moses as was in awe of Yahvay, the Lord, that he sets up an altar to remember the victory and he names the altar יהוה נסי - Yahvay Neesee, The Lord is My Banner.
Today many say this phrase says JEHOVAH NEESEE. The word Jehovah is shown to be a translation error of a Franciscan monk in the 16th century. Here’s a article by a renowned and proven scholar, David Biven, on this translation error. Link –
https://shamar.org/articles/jehovah-misunderstanding.html
We ask, how did those Hebrews perhaps understand this? Did it somehow connect to something in Egypt? What did it say to them then?
It is interesting to note that the Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol meaning GOD is a banner, a flag. Check out the article about the word NETJER in ancient Egyptian and the use of the flag to write this word for GOD –
Finally, we recall Jesus’ word in John 5:39 that all scripture testifies of Him.
“And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. "You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”(Joh 5:37-40)
Is it possible this verse, Exod. 17:15, also connects to Jesus? Of course it does. Jesus teaches us this truth. Come and let’s go see.
Who is this guy, Rev. Ferret? What's his background? Why should we take time to listen to him? Here's a link to check out his background - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0
Thursday Jul 21, 2022
Thursday Jul 21, 2022
This lesson is split into two parts. Here in part 1 we meet a relative of Moses, Jethro. His name in Hebrew is pronounced יִתְרוֹ - YEE TRO.
In this study of Exodus 18 we will concentrate on a couple of items in part 1. First, we will study the FACT that Jethro is NOT Moses’ father-in-law. Our Bible in English says he is and it brings up contradictions that some scholars try to explain like Moses’ father-in-law had several names – culturally and historically untrue. They stay in the English and state that Reuel (Exodus. 2:18) and Jethro (Exodus 3:1 and 18:1) and Hobab (Jud. 4:11) are all the same guy. Yes, Reuel is a priest of Midian and so is Jethro. Pagan cultures had many priests not just one. It is rational to think that Moses married into a pagan priestly family and thus one of Reuel’s daughters married another priest whose name is Jethro. This would imply Jethro is Moses’ brother-in-law. And, this makes sense. But, we will study this in the Hebrew and NOT English and find the Hebrew word translated as father-in-law also is translated in the Bible as mother-in-law and also translated as marriages. We will see that in the Hebrew the contradiction is not a contradiction at all.
Secondly, we will see that the Hebrew Bible shows that amazing love God has for non-Hebrews. The example in Exodus 18 is of course Jethro. But there are others. Remember Pharaoh’s daughter, a pagan princess who saved Moses and became is step mom. Remember Hagar, the pagan Egyptian servant girl of Sarah’s. The Angel of the Lord first appears to her. Not Abraham. Not Sarah. But to a pagan servant. And remember Ruth coming out of the pagan Midianite culture who turned to the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the God of Israel and became an ancestor of the Messiah, of Yeshua Adonaynoo, Jesus our Lord. This chapter is a clear indication that God wants all men to be rescued from their sin and to be His people. Check it out …
“Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?” (Eze 33:11)
“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord GOD. “Therefore, repent and live.”
(Eze 18:32)
“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.” (Isa 45:22)
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2Pe 3:9)
“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)
There is no separation in the eyes of the Lord as He looks down upon mankind. All lives matter to Him.
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