LIGHT OF MENORAH

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

Exodus - 66 - Exod. 26.1 - 27:21 - BUIDLER' GUIDE TO BUILDING GOD'S MISHKAN HAKODESH

This vidcast (video podcast) is an awesome way of understanding the building of God's Tabernacle (Latin for tent).  This video study will bring to life Exodus chapters 26 and 26 which are difficult to read due to the detail.

In the Bible the word tabernacle is used to translate the word מִשְׁכָּן MISHKAN H4908 meaning a dwelling or a hut or a tent.  It also is used to translate the word אֹהֶל O'HELL H168 meaning tent or covering.  I promise you that after this video study you'll get an awesome real understanding of the מִשְׁכָּן הקודש Mishkan HaKodesh, the Holy Dwelling (tabernacle) of the Lord.  

Check out these awesome links of videos of the tabernacle.  These will be so helpful for your study.

Link 1 - Bible-Scenes - all the videos have a special use license - they can be used by anyone on any platform (not for commercial use) for teaching and ministry - www.Bible-Scenes.com

Link 2 - free videos that can be downloaded - a great site for your future study -

1) https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bs-tabernacle-walkthrough/

2) https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bs-ark-covenant/

3) https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bs-tabernacle-covering/

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? 

(Ferret - somewhere in Timnah Park - site of the Tabernacle)

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?

 

Truth Nugget 4 Part 2

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? 

(Ferret on the Sea of Galilee)

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 - 55 - Gen. 24:1-21 BRIDE OF CHRIST - BE LIKE REBECCA

As we continue in Genesis 24 we ask ourselves the question, is Rebecca also one who the Lord uses to teach us about our walk with the Lord now in the future?  In other words is she too part of the Biblical concept we saw in lesson 54 - מַעֲשֵׂה אֲבוֹת סִימָן לַבָּנִים or transliterated, "Ma-ahsay Ahvot Ceenam Leh'Bahneem."  It means the events in the life of the fathers are signs or omens for the sons.  In lesson 54 we studied the events where Abraham, the father of Isaac, his beloved son, sent his servant to find a bride for Isaac, the child of promise.  This reminds us of Jesus who was sent by the Father to find a bride for Himself; He who is the beloved the son of the Father and the promised Messiah.  This seems like a application of מַעֲשֵׂה אֲבוֹת סִימָן לַבָּנִים or transliterated, "Ma-ahsay Ahvot Ceenam Leh'Bahneem." 

In this lesson I mentioned the concept of “grafted in” and how that phrase is a true equivalent alternative way of translating Gen. 12:3 or …

“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.”

This can also be translated as follows.

“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 grafted in.”

Here’s the link to lesson 25 to study this in detail.  Link - https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-kiv4b-f364ec

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? 

(Ferret - somewhere in the Negev Israel)

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 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? 

(Ferret on the Sea of Galilee)

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 - 29 - Exod. 10:21 - 29 DARKNESS THAT YOU CAN FEEL

In the 9th plague God brings darkness upon all Egypt for three days.  It is a darkness that the Torah says can be "felt" and it was a "thick" darkness.  It was so awesome that people did not even move or seemingly travel around for the three days.  What is going on?

Some say it was a dust storm from Arabia.  They try and make it a natural occurrence.  Many try and make the plagues something that can be explained.  But, in this case.  This darkness is unnatural.  One could feel it.  It was so thick it prevented moving around.  And, it probably was a blackness, unnatural, since it related to the religion of the pagan Egyptians and the Hebrews who had bought into the wrong story and assimilated into the pagan Egyptian culture.

For the Hebrews they may have seen it in light of what was familiar to them then.  It may have been that the Hebrews, and even many Egyptians, as a picture of the Lord bringing back the darkness prior to the creation as understood by the Egyptians.  One must study the cosmologies of the Egyptians, their creation myths, to understand how this might relate.  In Exod. 12:12 the Lord says He will come against ALL the gods of Egypt.  This darkness, this total lack of light, is as if God took all Egypt back to the days before Amun-Ra, the sun god, the god of light, creates himself.  This is taking the earth back to primordial state that the Egyptians said was total chaos.  Pharaoh's job was to prevent chaos and preserve Ma'at.  Ma'at the supreme goddess of truth, order, peace, and harmony and well being.  But, Pharaoh could not.  But the Lord brought upon all Egypt the chaos that all Egypt lived to stop and preserve Ma'at.  

There is a cute video on YouTube that does a good job on the Egyptian creation myths.  Here's the link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTy49JlgJZE

In Exod. 12:12 the Lord says He will come against all the gods of Egypt.  I mentioned the scholar David Padfield who did a brilliant job on relating the gods of Egypt to the plagues.  Here's a link to this free resource by David Padfield - https://www.padfield.com/acrobat/history/gods_of_egypt.pdf

Here are key lessons in our podcast series that you may want to review or perhaps listen to for the 1st time.  They are ...

Podcast - Exodus - 4 part 2 - dealing with the Biblical support that the Hebrews after Jacob dies and then Joseph assimilated into the pagan Egyptian culture.  Thus, God needed to use Egyptian concepts to return His chosen people back to Himself.  He needed to teach them by giving them the Torah, His teachings, to get Egypt out of the Hebrews - https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-wdzur-f82194

Articles - For further study use this link to study the idea that the Hebrews had assimilated into the pagan culture of Egypt.  Here's the link - https://www.dropbox.com/home/2019...2020%20Twelfth%20Season/Egypt%20Exodus%20Passover%20Pharaoh%20Moses?preview=Hebrews+Assimilated+into+Egypt.pdf

Podcast - Genesis 5 - the podcast showing how God comes against the creator gods of Egypt - https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-67ye7-da9f7a

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? 

(Ferret on the Sea of Galilee)

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

 

Genesis - 54 - Gen. 24:1-27 A BRIDE FOR THE SON OF PROMISE

In this lesson we study Genesis chapter 24, the longest chapter in Genesis.  It seems like something big is about to happen.  It is.  Abraham sends his servant, his servant who is un-named in chapter 24 (could Eliezer but it can’t be proven), and this servant goes in the name of his master, to find a bride for the father's most beloved son, Isaac, the child of promise. 

Hmmm.  This sounds like something we know.  Is there some connection to Jesus?  Do these verses in chapter 24 testify of Jesus who is the Bridegroom, the Promised one, the only begotten, beloved son of the Father.  And, we are called His bride.  Oh yes!  Wait till you see.  There is a old Jewish saying, מַעֲשֵׂה אֲבוֹת סִימָן לַבָּנִים or transliterated, "Ma-ahsay Ahvot Ceenam Leh'Bahneem."  It means the events in the life of the fathers are signs or omens for the sons.  We will see that this is so true for chapter 24 as it also testifies of Jesus and us. 

I mentioned in the podcast about Abraham, Jacob, Joshua, and Jesus all show up at one location.  It is the area of the ancient city of Shechem.  We see the promises of God to Abraham right in  front of our eyes at this location.  Abraham and Sarah – one couple.  From them comes Jacob, and his wives, Rachel and Leah, and his eleven sons.  So from one couple to one family.  Later Joshua shows up with all Israel at the same place.  One nation from the one family who are from the one couple.  Finally, the Promised One from the Father, from YHVH, Yahvay, His only begotten beloved son, shows up at the same place.  He is the promised “blessing” for all the nations, for Jew and Gentile, coming from the one couple, Abraham and Sarah.  This is an amazing study. 

There are four video Bible studies, five minutes each, on this amazing study on the ancient city of Shechem.  Don't miss this.

Episode 1 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/five-small-stones-11-gen-121-geography-and-the-bible-shechem/

Episode 2 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/five-small-stones-episode-12-abraham-and-jacob-in-shechem-gen-126-3318/

Episode 3 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/five-small-stones-episode-13-josh-241-geography-and-the-bible-joshua-israel/

Episode 4 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/five-small-stones-episode-14-john-41-6-the-blessing-to-the-nations/

Here’s another the link to lesson 26 from “The Gospel According to Moses – Genesis.” 

Link - https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-6wqrb-f5b29a

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? 

(Ferret at the ancient city of Pergamum in Turkey)

What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link -

chttps://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Exodus - 28 - Exod 10:12-20 (episode 2) Egypt’s Economy is destroyed

This is part 2 of lesson 28.  As we conclude we ask the question does God want us to understand Egypt and Pharaoh as a picture of God's plan for the future?  Is it possible as God brought destruction and chaos on this one nation who followed the one man who said he was god, will He also do the same when many will follow the one man, the Beast, as the ruler of all the earth and who likened himself to God?  Perhaps.  It agrees with a concept in the Bible that the rabbis recognized.  The lives of the fathers are signs of the future for the sons.  In Hebrew "Ma'asay Avot seeman labaneem."  One obvious example is the Passover lamb and the Lamb of God.  The Passover lamb is associated with the redemption of God's people Israel as they put the blood of the lamb on the wood, the doorposts.  But, it is like  sing from the past that one is coming, the Lamb of God, who will bring redemption to God's people, Jew and Gentile who choose Yeshua as Lord and God and Savior, and will be spared the wrath of God because of the blood of the Lamb of God on the wood, the cross.  This is one clear example of "Ma'asay Avot seeman labaneem."  AS we put the Bible into its historical context we will see how the Lord does this again and again.  So, does He connect the the Exodus to the book of Revelation?  There are some who say yes.

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - click here for the teacher's background