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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
Saturday May 24, 2025
Saturday May 24, 2025
Now the LORD said to Abram (in Haran), "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you (promise of a PLACE); And I will make you a great nation (promise of descendants or PEOPLE), And I will bless you, And make your name great (promise of being well known forever or a promise of POSITION); And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (promise of a PURPOSE to his life)." So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said (God's promise of a PLACE is given at Shechem), "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. (Gen 12:1-7)
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 May 23, 2025
Friday May 23, 2025
Abraham and Sarah now travel to the area of Gerar in southwestern Israel. You can see where this is in the map below. It is probably named this after the wadi Gerar that flows east into the sea. It is a wadi, a dry river bed in that it only has water during the rainy season in Israel. This would be roughly November through March.
We immediately encounter some issues. One is the king Abimelech. Is he a Philistine? It is an interesting question with no complete final answer. Consider …
Gen_26:1. Philistines in Palestine. Large numbers of Philistines entered Canaan after the invasion of the Sea Peoples (1200 B.C.) broke Egyptian control over the area. In this context they are mentioned in the records of Ramses III (1182-1151 B.C.). They established a pentapolis of five major city-states (Gaza, Gath, Ashdod, Ekron, Ashkelon) along the southern coastal plain and quickly gained political control over nearby regions as well (Jdg_15:11). Their mention in Genesis may reflect an earlier group that settled in Canaan prior to 1200 B.C., or it may be an anachronism based on their presence in the Gerar region in later periods (see Gen_21:32), earlier people of the vicinity being referred to by the name known to later readers. Archaeological evidence of their presence is found in the introduction of new pottery types, grave goods (such as the sarcophagi with human features) and new architectural designs. (The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Copyright © 2000 by John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas).
However, that’s not the only question. Sarah was 90 when she gives birth to Isaac and she dies when she is 127. This means Isaac is 37 years old or more when he marries Rebekah. In Gen. 26:1 Isaac encounters Abimelech. Is this the same guy his dad encountered in Gen. 20:1? It is nearly 40 years later. Consider …
... and Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar; where his father Abraham had sojourned before he was born; and therefore the present king of this place can scarce be thought to be the same Abimelech that was king of it in Abraham's time; but it is highly probable that this Abimelech was the son of the former king, and that this was a common name to the kings of Gerar or the Philistines, as Pharaoh was to the kings of Egypt. Isaac came to this place from Lahairoi, where he had dwelt many years, see Gen_24:62; which was at or near Beersheba, and was about eight miles from Gerar. (“John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.” Dr. John Gill (1690-1771)
We will explore this further in the lesson.
Once again we are confronted with a critical theological question. The question is can one lie to save a life or to prevent something bad or evil or not? In the Ten Commandments we say God commanded us not to lie. Sorry. He never said that in the Ten Commandments. He said ...
לא תענה ברעך עד שׁקר
Lo Ta'ahneh VayReckaka Ed Shaker
Not Testify to Your Neighbor Falsely
This is legal stuff meaning in court or in any legal proceeding you are not to testify with false statements against your neighbor. This a commandment as related to legal proceedings. (See the "Jerusalem Publication Society Torah Commentary Exodus," by Nahum Sarna, 1991). The actual commandment of God not to lie is found in Lev. 19:11 - "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another." So, we need to revise things gang! We need 11 commandments to cover all the bases!
So, do not lie. Some teach that no matter what you must not lie. In a TV program there were three religious men, an orthodox rabbi, a protestant pastor and the priest. The moderator, Dennis Prager, set up a situation to have the rabbi and pastor and priest comment on. The situation was that a woman was being chased by a sadistic rapist in a lonely park. She runs past you and asks you to help her. She hides and thus you have a choice when the evil rapist finally reaches you. You can lie and not tell him where she is hiding or you can not lie and thus put her in danger and perhaps serious injury and death. The pastor and priest said you can not lie and must tell the truth. They said you can tell the truth in such a way that perhaps will not give up her hiding place. The rabbi, however, said he'd lie through his teeth to save her and protect this innocent women. ("Torah Commentary Exodus," MP3 file, Dennis Prager, Part 14 of 57. This is part of Dennis Prager's teaching series on the Torah available at the website store at https://pragerstore.com/product-category/the-torah/complete-torah).
So, we see a dilemma. What would you do? We are not to lie according to the opinion of Christian theologians. Godly rabbis see it quite differently. But, in this lesson we find that Abraham lies. Sarah lies. And yet God does not discipline them. Moreover Abraham and Sarah do it twice! Then later Isaac and Rebecca. They are not punished. God nevers say BOO to them. What's going on? Who is right? The rabbi says he'd lie to save her. The Christians say no, we can't lie. God is silent when Abraham and Isaac lie through their teeth. On top of that in Jesus' day the rabbis said that ALL LAWS in the Torah do not need to be kept in order to save a life. Consider ...
Pikuach nefesh (Hebrew: פקוח נפש 'watching over a soul') is the principle in Jewish law that the preservation of human life overrides virtually any other religious rule. When the life of a specific person is in danger, almost any negative commandment of the Torah becomes inapplicable. (See ... www.myjewishlearning.com/article/pikuach-nefesh-the-overriding-jewish-value-of-human-life/)
What would you do?
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? What's his background? Why should I listen to him? Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0
Thursday May 22, 2025
Thursday May 22, 2025
Understanding Biblical geography is critical. To fully appreciate episode 12 please make sure you watch episode 11; it is the first lesson in this series, "Five Small Stones" focusing on geography. Here's the link to episode 11 -
In many cases knowing the geography related to a specific event only adds to our understanding of the scripture. It'll enhance our understanding. This is clearly seen as we continue to study the ancient city of Shechem in the central mountains of Israel.
Shechem was an ancient biblical city in Israel. Today, the area of Shechem is known as Tell Balata, an archaeological site near Nablus in the West Bank. The town was located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim in central Israel, just southeast of Samaria. The name Shechem means “shoulder” in Hebrew, which is appropriate considering its location as a pass between two mountains. (From GotQuestions.org)
See the map below for its location.
God uses this city and this location. It is totally amazing how it relates to the redemption plan of the Lord that begins with Abraham. He stops at this ancient city when he first enters Canaan after the Lord tells him to leave his family, his home, and go to the land the Lord will show him. Abraham obeyed and he comes to Shechem.
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? What's his background? Why should I listen to him? Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0
Wednesday May 21, 2025
Wednesday May 21, 2025
This lesson and the next will be awesome. Our focus will be on Exod. 6:1-8. It will unbelievable where this takes us. We will be dealing with the reason why there are four cups of wine in the Passover meal called the Seder (Hebrew for order). We will also deal with the 5th cup. Yes! There is a debate among the rabbis in the Talmud about whether there should be four or five cups. Shown below are links to articles from Jewish websites to show that this debate comes from the rabbis and it led to some amazing results. Check them out …
Sefaria (Jewish site to access ancient Jewish literature like the Mishnah, the Midrasheem, the Babylonian Talmud, the Jerusalem Talmud, and the rest) - https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/31880?lang=bi
Aish (Jewish website – aish means “fire”) - https://www.aish.com/tp/i/moha/81091867.html
Gemara (Jewish site focusing on the study of the Hebrew scriptures in their historical and contextual context) - https://thegemara.com/five-cups-of-wine-at-the-seder/index.html
The 5th cup is connected to the text in Exod. 6:8 when we read, “I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the LORD." (Exo 6:8) But, when will Israel possess the land with the borders God promised? They don’t now. Today Israel does not come close to holding the territory God promised and about half of all Jews do not live in Israel. We will see that after the battle against Gog of Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39 that the first thing that must happen is that ALL Israel must be INGATHERED; they are to be gathered again in Israel never again to leave and there will be NO Jewish people remaining anywhere in the world except in the borders of Israel that God gave them. You can read this yourself in Ezekiel 39. All this happens after Elijah comes before the great day of the Lord when Messiah comes (Yeshua returns!). Interestingly the 5th cup is called the “Elijah Cup” by the rabbis.
The last concept we will discuss is what is popularly known as the “rapture.” As a Bible historian I was often concerned that most, if not all Christian teachers of the end times and the rapture, are so disconnected from our Jewish roots, the Bible in its historical context, and an understanding that there was NO New Testament in 50 A.D., the date estimated when Paul was in Thessalonica. I actually dismissed the “rapture” and thought it was only a view, an opinion, a unique man made interpretation. I was one who hoped it'd be true. It just didn't stand the test of scholarly examination. There were too many holes and not enough substance. However, I am beginning to look at the “rapture” perhaps the way Paul might have known it. We will take 1 Thess. 4:16-17 and study these verses in their historical context and in the context of that ancient Jewish culture. Perhaps there is a “rapture.” Perhaps the modern Christian end times gurus have it partially right. Perhaps Paul is teaching those Gentile believers in Thessalonica about something very Jewish based upon the Hebrew scriptures. Those Gentiles had no Bible, had no scripture, until they became “God Fearers” and attended the synagogue in Thessalonica. Perhaps there is a connection between the “rapture” and the ingathering of Israel; the ingathering of elect of the Lord that might be called, “The Jewish Rapture.”
Shown below are links to some interesting articles that will show that this is NOT made up by me, not my opinion. It is a concept that might prove to be something to consider. Perhaps we will be part of the INGATHERING of Israel since it says we’ve been grafted into the olive tree, Israel, and are joint heirs in the promises. Perhaps.
The Torah and the Rapture - https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/0da55621/files/uploaded/4ZW5Bbv3Tz2gNtsgeqkL_The%2520Torah%2520and%2520the%2520Rapture.pdf
1 Thess. 4:16-17 from a Rabbinic Perspective - https://hcommons.org/deposits/objects/hc:34782/datastreams/CONTENT/content
The Jewish Understanding of the Rapture - https://torahlifeministry.com/teachings/articles/29-the-rapture/109-the-jewish-understanding-of-the-rapture.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
Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
Light of Menorah teaches the Bible in its historical context. The emphasis is on the archaeology, history, geography, customs, culture, and even the languages of the ancient Middle East. In episode 11 we start a new study and ask how does knowing the geography of Israel or the Sinai peninsula or ancient Turkey (Asia Minor) affect our understanding of God's word. Christians in the USA in the 21st century are so cutoff from this knowledge, it is, for the most part, abandoned as a focus in understanding and teaching the Bible. What we will see is that Bible geography is so critical to our understanding the word of the Lord; geography and the geographical setting of many of the events in the Bible will enhance and expand understanding in amazing ways.
In this episode we go to the ancient city of Shechem. Here we find that Abraham stops here - seems to be his first stop after entering Canaan after God promised Abraham in four promises. God promised him he'd be given land, have many descendants, will be very well known across the ages, and his seed (his descendants) will be a blessing to all the nations. God does this in Haran before Abraham and Sarah leave for the land the God will show him. Their first stop is Shechem. Consider ...
Now the LORD said to Abram (in Haran), "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you (promise of a PLACE); And I will make you a great nation (promise of descendants or PEOPLE), And I will bless you, And make your name great (promise of being well known forever or a promise of POSITION); And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (promise of a PURPOSE to his life)." So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said (God's promise of a PLACE is given at Shechem), "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. (Gen 12:1-7)
At Shechem we "see" God support the promise of land to Abraham. Here God says this land, Canaan, will be given to Abraham and his descendants. So, what about the other promises? Will God do this at another location? NOPE. It is amazing what we are about to see in the next episodes.
Here's a great detailed article on the ancient city of Shechem and its biblical importance.
Link - https://bible.org/article/geographical-historical-spiritual-significance-shechem
Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? What's his background? Why should I listen to him? Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0
Friday May 16, 2025
Friday May 16, 2025
Lot’s daughters think there are no people left on earth after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. They say this exactly …
Then the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. "Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve our family through our father." (Gen 19:31-32)
The Hebrew is precise. The first born girl said no man left on the earth implying anywhere on the globe! Why did she think this? The younger sister surely agreed with her older sister. We don’t get it since we don’t understand the geography of the area. If you knew the area of the Dead Sea these verses become crystal clear. Here some links to check out on pictures of this area. Check it out. You’ll see that the sisters were in a deep, deep valley almost 1 mile below sea level.
Link to Wikimedia views of the Dead Sea from the high rock bluff known as Masada – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Views_of_the_Dead_Sea_from_Masada
Link to Wikimedia views of the mountains surrounding the Dead Sea – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mountain_around_Dead_Sea
Link to Wikimedia views of the caves near Qumran where many of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Caves_of_Qumran
A second issue is in this lesson we see the concept of midah keneged midah (mee-dah kah-NEG-ed mee-dah), or measure for measure. It can be defined as ...
"The rabbis noticed a pattern throughout the Bible they read—that the consequences of a sin often fit the crime, measure for measure." (See Lois Tverberg's article on "Measure for Measure" at this link - https://ourrabbijesus.com/articles/jesus-jewish-logic-measure-for-measure/
How is "measure for measure" seen in these events between Lot and his daughters? How might this relate to us in the 21st century?
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 May 15, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
In this session I brought up the fact that the Hebrews had assimilated into the Egyptian culture after Joseph. It must've happened slowly but surely and it is easy to understand the lure and the attraction of the world's richest and most powerful kingdom on earth at the time, Egypt. Who would want to go back to Canaan and the tough conditions of life back home?
Here's the links to lesson 4 parts 1 & 2 in this podcast Torah Bible study series. These previous lessons (part 2 only) show that the Bible text suggests they assimilated if you know the Hebrew and not the English.
Link part 1 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/the-gospel-according-to-moses-exodus-lesson-4-part-1-exod-211-25/
Link part 2 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/the-gospel-according-to-moses-lesson-4-part-2-exod-211-25/
Another thing I brought was that even today in Egypt they still make mud bricks they way they did in Egypt 3400 years ago. Imagine. When I was in Egypt in 2014 and 2017 I actually made mud bricks at a mud brick facility. That's me on the west side of the Nile near Luxor making mud bricks.
It was not easy work. And with all the traveling Robin and I did up and down the Nile, we saw many mud brick buildings, some homes and other were businesses. It was totally cool. Below please find a link to an awesome short video on making mud bricks in Egypt today. We will meet Muhammed at his mud brick facility.
Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1jB6z9CgKI
In this lesson we return to Exodus 5. We will start focusing our study on verse one. I was so so amazed as to how much was in this verse. I was helped by excellent Jewish Torah/Hebrew scholars. One thing as Christians we are never taught is how to study the Bible. Exod. 5:1 is a classic example of NOT putting the text into its textual context. Once we do in this example we will find that Moses did not do what God had previously ordered. I mean Moses did NOT do the one thing God commanded. On top of that Moses gets so angry with the Lord at the end of the chapter that Moses implies that God did EVIL just like Pharaoh. It's as if Moses is saying that God and Pharaoh are both alike! One top of that God doesn't punish Moses for this criticism.
This is an amazing chapter of the Torah. One thing it shows is that the two fundamental aspects of the Bible is to love God and love your neighbor. You can't have one without the other. Matter of fact a Jewish scholar brings this up as we study the last few verses of the chapter. He was so fired up about the fact that the goal of Torah is to love God and love your neighbor. Here's the two fundamental Torah laws of Judaism ...
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deu 6:4-5)
"You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD." (Lev 19:18)
This Jewish scholar said this is the GOAL of Torah. GOAL? One strives to reach a goal. Jesus takes this and brings it up a notch. You remember when you read ...
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
(Mat 22:36-40)
These aren't goals to strive for. These are laws to obey. If we are true disciples of Adonai Yeshua then we will hear His word and do it like when He said ...
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (Joh 14:15)
If we love Jesus we will not strive to reach the goal of loving God and loving our neighbor. NO!! WE will obey the Lord and DO HIS LAWS! We don't strive to reach a goal to show our love to the Lord we obey His commandments. Jesus shows He never left 2nd Temple Judaism but is in full agreement with 2nd Temple Judaism.
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 May 13, 2025
Tuesday May 13, 2025
Episode 9 in the video series, "Five Small Stones," is now ready. Again, we are studying the question of how does the Bible help us understand that Jesus is the FIRST and that Jesus is the LAST. In this lesson we probably have heard some say that Jesus did away with the law or the Torah. (Note: in many English translations one reads the word LAW. This refers to the TORAH, the 1st five books of the Bible. TORAH does not mean law but instruction.) That is interesting since Paul teaches us that Jesus "completed" the Torah and that the TORAH helps us to come to Jesus. This is found in his letters and the only Bible they had when he wrote his epistles was the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament where the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures, the TORAH, was the foundational books of the Bible in Jesus' day and Paul's. But, more than what Paul wrote and taught us, Jesus said He came to fulfill the TORAH. In Greek this means that He would live out the TORAH as an example to all of us. So, Jesus did not come to do away with the law, the TORAH, He came to "finish it." This is so evident if you study the text of His word in its historical context. This is so awesome.
Here's the link to video #9 in the series, "Five Small Stones," - https://youtu.be/-FSJ0GytjSo
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
Sunday May 11, 2025
