LIGHT OF MENORAH

Genesis 11 - Gen. 3:24 - THE WAY IS CLOSED

The way is closed to the tree of life and the Father.  How can we get back?  How do we come again to be with our Abba, to dwell with Him in His Kingdom?  There has to be a way?  

In this lesson, in this verse of Gen. 3:24, we see what Jesus meant in John 5:39 when He said that Scripture testifies of Himself.  He said it between 24-30 A.D. in the Temple Courts.  The only Bible they knew then was the Torah, the Prophets (HaNevi'im) and the Writings (HaKetuvim) or the TaNacK, the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament.  Old?  Nothing old about it - it is God's word and God said His word is the Bread of Life.

Rev. Ferret (above - in a tomb in the necropolis of the ancient city of Hierapolis in Turkey) - 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 54 - Exo. 22:16-17 - SEX OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE - WHAT DID WE MISS??

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 –

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jewish-views-on-premarital-sex/#:~:text=When%20sex%20is%20reserved%20for,within%20the%20context%20of%20kiddushin.

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 –

https://soc.history.ancient.narkive.com/DIO506S4/world-before-christ-infanticide-and-abortion-in-ancient-pagan-world

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

 

TRUTH NUGGETS - 20 - Against the Gods - Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7 Formed in His Image

In vidcast 3 of this series we will study Gen. 1:26-27 and 2:7.  God creates man and woman.  It is a Bible story we are all so very familiar with.  However, 3400 years ago, if you were a Hebrew on the plains of Moab, one of the second generation out of Egypt, or if you were one at the Red Sea when God spilt the sea and you were saved from Pharaoh’s chariots and his army, or if you were one of the Hebrews at Sinai where you heard and saw the amazing events when God gave the Ten Commandments; if you were one of those Hebrews, how may you have heard and understood the scripture verses written by Moses about the creation of man and woman?  Probably a lot differently than we do today.  But, they were the intended audience to hear God’s word first.  Not us.  Yes, it was intended for us but we need to reconnect to that ancient culture of 3400 years ago.  God’s people had assimilated into the Egyptian culture and after 430 years since Jacob (Israel) and his sons entered Egypt till 1446B.C. when they left, all they knew coming out of Egypt was Egypt, its gods and its religion.  God was using Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy to teach His people about Himself and to take the influences of Egypt out of the minds, souls, and hearts of His people.  When we reconnect to those ancient days then we begin to see what they saw and we begin to hear what they heard and our understanding of God and His word is enriched and enhanced and expanded.  Yes, we know about the creation of man and woman and think it is an ancient story that has no application for us today in the sophisticated 21st century.  How can that story impact us?  Wait till you see!

So, let’s go and study how the creation of man and woman was a major revolutionary concept 3400 years ago among the pagan cultures of those days.  Let us grasp the enhanced ways through polemic theology that God used to  help His people to know the truth and to come against the false gods and false religions of Egypt and Canaan.  Let us understand who we are, men and women, made and formed in His image and how that relates to us today.  

Great article on the book of Genesis as a polemic against Egypt and Canaan.  Link - https://apologetics.substack.com/p/genesis-the-polemic

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

Genesis 10 - Gen. 3:1-24 - YOM - How Long is a Day?

God said to Adam and Eve that on the day they eat from the special tree they would die.  They did not die the day they ate the "forbidden" fruit.  Adam lived a long time - 930 years.  The Hebrew word for day is -  יום - YOM.  Does it mean a 24 hour period?  Does it mean one day from midnight to midnight?  If so then we have a problem with Gen. 2:4 - it clearly states that God created the heavens and the earth in a day. 

This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. (Gen 2:4)

But in Genesis 1 it took 6 days.  So, is this an issue with the word of God?  Did God make a mistake?  Did God mean it when He said to Adam and Eve they'd die the day they ate from the special tree?  

Another thing we will consider is John 5:39.  Jesus says this in 24-30 A.D. to those Jews THEN that all scripture testifies of Himself.  What scripture did they have THEN?  All they had was the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament.  I don't like calling it the Old Testament since there is nothing "old" about it - it is God's word!  The foundation of the Hebrew Scriptures is the Torah, the first five books - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  As we focus on Genesis 3 we will see Jesus like never before as He said He is the only WAY to the Father.  In Genesis 3 we will see the GOSPEL as God inspired Moses to write it - the Gospel According to Moses.  Here's a link to a website that helps with understanding Hebrew words like יום - YOM - click the links to study the Hebrew word YOM …

Link 1 from GotQuestions.org - https://www.gotquestions.org/Genesis-days.html

Link 2 from Facts and Faith.com –

http://factsandfaith.com/does-the-hebrew-word-yom-translated-day-in-genesis-1-mean-a-24-hour-day-or-something-else/

 

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 19 part 2 - Against the Gods - Genesis 1:21 Great Sea Dragons

TRUTH NUGGETS 19 Part 2

Against the Gods - Genesis 1:21 Great Sea Dragons

In this video lesson 2 we focus on Gen. 1:21.  What did God create; great sea creatures or were they whales or big fish or, as found in one Jewish translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a. the Old Testament) were they were crocodiles?  Our translators had difficulty with this verse since in Hebrew the actual meaning is great sea monsters!  This sounds like a children's story rather than God's word.  So, our translators may have decided it had to make sense for us today in the 21st century.  I mean guys, I haven't see any sea monsters lately.  

But, for the Hebrews, they had lived in Egypt and lived with man-made visions of the gods.  One god is a ram another is a jackal and another a falcon.  And God is taking them to Canaan, the "Promised Land," where the Canaanites also had gods that were clearly figments of man's imagination.  So, the phrase in Gen. 1:21 of great sea monsters might mean something to the Hebrews.  Perhaps God is teaching them something that relates only to what the Hebrews faced 3400 years ago.  Perhaps He is using a pagan god or a pagan mythological beast to teach His people.  God knows there are no sea monsters.  But the pagans did!  Perhaps even the Hebrews fell victim to such beliefs.  He needs to prepare His people for entering Canaan and be ready to bring the "Gospel of the Kingdom" to the Canaanites and later the world and to help the Canaanites to understand "there ain't no sea monsters" and to grasp truth and who is God. For Israel this was their mission as we see in ...

He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant (in Jesus' day it was understood that Israel was the servant) To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation (Jesus' name in Hebrew means salvation) may reach to the end of the earth."  (Isa 49:6)

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 19 part 1 - Gen. 1:1-2 AGAINST ALL THE GODS

TRUTH NUGGETS 19 part 1

In this vidcast (video), "Against the Gods,"  we will again study God's word in its historical context.  However, this time we add a new perspective to our study.  We will continue to ask what those early believers heard and saw and understood when they first heard God's word.  But, we will also see how God comes against the pagan gods and man made religions in the ancient Middle East in very unique ways in His word.  This time we will see how God taught His people, the Hebrews, in ways that would make sense only to them in their day. 

We would not recognize it as we read the Bible.  God is writing to a people thousands of years ago using concepts only they understood and not us.  Dr. John Currid, a highly credible Egyptologist, archaeologist, and theologian, wrote a book entitled, "Against the Gods."  His thesis in the book is to show us how we in the 21st century miss how God taught His people in their time using things they were familiar with.  Here's an example Dr. Currid uses his paper, "The Nature of Polemical Thought and Writing."  He writes ...

A STRONG HAND - Some common expressions found in ancient Egyptian texts to describe the power of Pharaoh over his foes are that the monarch had “a strong hand,” or “he possessed a strong arm,” or he was “the one who destroyed his enemies with his arm.” It is ironic that the author of the book of Exodus assigns the same features to the Lord as he humiliates and destroys Pharaoh and Egypt (Ex. 3:19–20; 6:1; 7:4; 15:6, etc.). 

James Hoffmeier, a famous Egyptologist, comments on this parallel, asking, “what better way for the Exodus traditions to describe God’s victory over Pharaoh, and as a result his superiority, than to use Hebrew derivations or counterparts to Egyptian expressions that symbolized Egyptian royal power?” 

For most of us this would have escaped us completely.  We are not familiar with ancient Egyptian writings nor are we into the ancient culture and customs on Egypt in the days of Moses.  But, God is clearly inspiring Moses to use an Egyptian idiom that the Hebrews would have been familiar with.  God uses this to come against Pharaoh and show His power over Pharaoh and all Egypt.  In this way God uses something Egyptian to teach His people about Himself and His character.  However, we will also see that these amazing lessons that made sense to those first believers also make sense to us today in the 21st century.   Ready?  Let's begin our first lesson.  Let's see how God uses Genesis 1:1 to teach His people coming out of Egypt that He is God and not Amun Ra.  Let's also see how this relates to us today, us being His people, and knowing that God never changes (Mal. 3:6).  He was the same 3400 years ago and today.  

Link to John Currid's article referenced above - https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/polemic.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

Genesis 9 - Gen. 1:24 and 2:7 Nefesh - Animals and Humans - the are the same??

God creates whales and seals and sharks and lobsters and walleye and catfish and cows and dogs and lions and tigers and pigs ... He creates all the "living creatures."  In Hebrew the word is נֶפֶשׁ nephesh.  But, God also "forms" man and man is called נֶפֶשׁ nephesh.  Are animals and man the same?  Today some say this is the case.  Today some say animals have the same rights as humans since animals and humans are the same.  How can this be?  Moreover, Jewish and Christian translators translate נֶפֶשׁ nephesh as soul!  For example in Deut. 6:5 it says we are to love God with are whole heart and soul or נֶפֶשׁ nephesh.  So, the Bible in English could be used to justify the crazy world view that animals and humans are the same.  They are living creatures and they have souls! 

How does God distinguish man from the animals?  Is there something we are missing?  You bet.

Another thing we will study in lesson 9 is that God uses His Torah as a polemic against Egypt.  Again, a polemic is a strong truth claim attacking an opposing truth claim.  God is inspiring Moses to write a polemic against Egypt.  An example is in Egypt there is a god called Khum.   See the royalty free picture below of the god Khum from CLKER.com.

He is a creator god and in one of the creation stories in ancient Egypt, Khum is called the POTTER in that Khum formed all creation, stars, planets, sky, the earth, the oceans, and all animals and plants and man and woman and all the gods on his potter wheel.  Here is a link to an article about the Egyptian god Khum that you may be interested in as an addition to your study -  https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/khnum/

But the Bible says that the God of the Bible is the potter and we are the clay.   But now, O LORD, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand. (Isa 64:8) How does God come against Khum?  How does God inspire Moses to help the Hebrews coming out of Egypt see that Khum is not the potter, not the creator, and a false god?

 

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 53 - Exod. 22:1-15 Protecting Your Family

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

 

 

 

 

Genesis 8 - Gen. 2:3 - WORK YET TO BE DONE

 

We will continue with the verse Gen. 2:3.  The Hebrew - not the English - suggests that God stopped creating works that were still yet to be done!  Huh?  Works yet to be done?  Works created but had not even started or were completed? Works for the future? This is too awesome since this implies that we, made in His image, are to go and work just like Him.  Hmmm, does the Bible teach that? It suggests right from the "get go" we were created for a purpose.  But, did God specify it in His Word and not imply or suggest?

It seems clear also that this implies Jesus as well.  He said that He is doing the works given to Him by the Father.  He tells those listening to Him then in John 5 that He will even do greater works than what they just saw (He had just healed a man lame for 39 years).  On top of that Jesus tells us on the night before He died in John 14 that if we are His true talmideem - His true disciples - that the works the Father gave Him Jesus gives to us and we also will even do "greater works."  It is as if Gen. 2:3 is God's first prediction of the good news coming in the future.  Now the verse Eph. 2:8-10 makes sense.  Yes!  We are saved by grace but at the same time we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus (that means we the ones called by His name, we are the ones who state that Jesus is our Lord, our Savior, God, we are His true disciples) for GOOD WORKS created BEFORE HAND!! 

This is an amazing connection of Eph. 2:8-10 to the Torah.  But, why should it surprise us.  When Paul wrote the letter to Ephesus the only Bible they had was the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament.  

This lesson will also address the Documentary Hypothesis - a theory that states that Moses never wrote the Torah.  We will study this anti-Bible theory and show that it is false.  It comes against Jesus' own words when Jesus states clearly many times that the Torah is of Moses or the Torah are the "books of Moses."  Below is a link to a deep scholarly article from the Associates for Biblical Research that shows the Documentary Hypothesis is wrong and should be buried forever.   Here's the link ... https://www.biblearchaeology.org/research/topics/biblical-criticism-and-the-documentary-hypothesis/2328-the-documentary-hypothesis

On top of that, the Sabbath (שַׁבָּת Shabbat in Hebrew) testifies of Messiah Yeshua, Jesus the Christ.  Check it out from one of the chapters in one of the class books from Light of Menorah.  Here’s the link - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/owszf7iszt7wkykkonggs/SHADOW-OF-MESSIAH-OVER-THE-SHABBAT.pdf?rlkey=axyzu36d3x1457cmp5z823xrw&st=m5flxovt&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 29 - END TIMES - HAVE THE HORSES ARRIVED?

We are living through days of horror and unspeakable evil as innocents are slaughtered, murdered, burnt alive, and kidnapped. In Israel entire families were killed, savagely. One might ask is this a sign of the End Times? In the End Times there there will be seven seals opened. The 1st four seals are related to the FOUR HORSES OF THE APOCALYPSE. One wonders, have they arrived? Don't miss this video and the possible meaning behind the color of the horses - white and red and black and green.

This picture is royalty free accessible at Wikimedia

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