LIGHT OF MENORAH

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

 

Genesis 7 - Gen. 2:1-3 STOP, STOP, STOP - GOD STOPS ON DAY 7

God does something so very interesting.  First, God is out side of time.  Time only is created when we have the sun and the moon.  So, there is no time before the creation.  And in Genesis 2:1-3 we see that God makes time kadosh קָדוֹשׁ - which is translated as holy.  From the Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon we find that kadosh means to be set apart, to be set aside, to separate as special, to be distinct.  Time is the first thing that God makes kadosh or set apart.  Pagans make statues holy.  Pagans make trees or animals holy.  Pagans make buildings holy.  Yet, the one God, the only God, He makes time uniquely special.  One day per week there is a 24 hour period that we enter into that is special and unique.  Why? More than that we read in English that God rested.  Rested?  God needs a nap?  God needs to kick back and "take a load off?" Huh?? 

Did God rest in the 7th day?  Later in Exodus does He also command us to rest on the 7th day, to lay back, to take a nap?  The answer is NO!!  Absolutely not.  Curious?  Come join us in lesson 7 and reconnect to those ancient days and to the Hebrew of the Torah and come and learn the Gospel written by Moses under the inspiration of Adonai.

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 - שhttps://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

 

Exodus 52 part 1 - Exod. 21:26-22:1 THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE

Exodus 52 Part 1

I was so amazed as I began researching and studying to prepare this podcast.  I learned that in these verses (Exod. 21:26-22:1) we are taught by the Lord of His view of the great importance of the sanctity of life.  The picture I used for this lesson is of an ox.  And in these verses the ox plays a huge role. It is how the Lord teaches us about that fact that 1) all men and women, all, no matter what race of creed are made in His image and 2) everyone is our neighbor whether a fellow Christian or a radical member of the LGBTQ+ community or a radical Muslim terrorist and 3) and to be a true follower of Rabbi Jesus one must adhere to what He teaches His talmideem (Hebrew for disciple) that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves and that includes our enemies, the ones who persecute us, the ones who hate and would kill us for our faith.  Wow!!  There is a little more to being a Christian than we are taught. 

I mentioned a number of links I’d provide that would enhance your study in the podcast.  Here they are …

An article from “My Jewish Learning” talking about the fact the preserving and saving a life is higher than even adhering to the laws of the Sabbath …

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/saving-a-life-pikuach-nefesh/

Next is an article from a scholarly rabbi who teaches us about the phrase “pikkuah nefesh doheh Shabbat” or saving a human life takes precedence over the Sabbath.  This might have been understood in Jesus’ day – maybe not practiced by definitely discussed.  There is NO law that says one can not provide medical treatment on the Sabbath.  It was hotly debated in Jesus’ day but no conclusions had been reached then.  Later in Judaism it was decided – it is good to heal and provide medical treatment on the Sabbath.  Jesus had entered the debate in His day and His stance was the one that finally became the law of Judaism.  For the Lord, for God, it was already His priority and it took years of the Jewish rabbis to finally get it.  Here’s the article …

https://images.shulcloud.com/618/uploads/PDFs/Divrei_Torah/200506-Pikuachnefesh--SavingaLife.pdf

Skip Moen is a reputable Christian scholar.  It is worth your while to make sure you connect with Skip at his website (https://skipmoen.com/) to learn more about the Jewish roots of our faith.  He wrote and article addressing the concept of healing on the Sabbath in Jesus’ day.  He brings up the great Rabbi Shammai and Rabbi Hillel.  These rabbis had a great influence on Judaism of the Second Temple in Jesus’ day.  You’ll be amazed that indeed Jesus healed on the Sabbath and never did anything wrong.  Check it out …

https://skipmoen.com/2015/07/whose-halachah/

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 52 part 2 - Exo. 21:26-22:1 THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE

Exodus 52 Part 2

I was so amazed as I began researching and studying to prepare this podcast.  I learned that in these verses (Exod. 21:26-22:1) we are taught by the Lord of His view of the great importance of the sanctity of life.  The picture I used for this lesson is of an ox.  And in these verses the ox plays a huge role. It is how the Lord teaches us about that fact that 1) all men and women, all, no matter what race of creed are made in His image and 2) everyone is our neighbor whether a fellow Christian or a radical member of the LGBTQ+ community or a radical Muslim terrorist and 3) and to be a true follower of Rabbi Jesus one must adhere to what He teaches His talmideem (Hebrew for disciple) that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves and that includes our enemies, the ones who persecute us, the ones who hate and would kill us for our faith.  Wow!!  There is a little more to being a Christian than we are taught. 

I mentioned a number of links I’d provide that would enhance your study in the podcast.  Here they are …

An article from “My Jewish Learning” talking about the fact the preserving and saving a life is higher than even adhering to the laws of the Sabbath …

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/saving-a-life-pikuach-nefesh/

Next is an article from a scholarly rabbi who teaches us about the phrase “pikkuah nefesh doheh Shabbat” or saving a human life takes precedence over the Sabbath.  This might have been understood in Jesus’ day – maybe not practiced by definitely discussed.  There is NO law that says one can not provide medical treatment on the Sabbath.  It was hotly debated in Jesus’ day but no conclusions had been reached then.  Later in Judaism it was decided – it is good to heal and provide medical treatment on the Sabbath.  Jesus had entered the debate in His day and His stance was the one that finally became the law of Judaism.  For the Lord, for God, it was already His priority and it took years of the Jewish rabbis to finally get it.  Here’s the article …

https://images.shulcloud.com/618/uploads/PDFs/Divrei_Torah/200506-Pikuachnefesh--SavingaLife.pdf

Skip Moen is a reputable Christian scholar.  It is worth your while to make sure you connect with Skip at his website (https://skipmoen.com/) to learn more about the Jewish roots of our faith.  He wrote and article addressing the concept of healing on the Sabbath in Jesus’ day.  He brings up the great Rabbi Shammai and Rabbi Hillel.  These rabbis had a great influence on Judaism of the Second Temple in Jesus’ day.  You’ll be amazed that indeed Jesus healed on the Sabbath and never did anything wrong.  Check it out …

https://skipmoen.com/2015/07/whose-halachah/

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 6 - Gen. 1:1-2 and 21 - GOD CREATED DRAGONS??

 

In lesson 6 we consider the Torah, the 1st five books of the Bible, as a polemic.   A polemic is a concept that is diametrically opposed to a competing concept.  God seems to indicate this in Lev. 18:1-5 when God said ... Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'I am the LORD your God. 'You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. 'You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God. 'So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD. (Lev 18:1-5, NASB)   It is if God is inspiring Moses to write parts of the Torah as a polemic that comes against the truth claims and pagan mythology of Egypt.  Clearly, God wants to help His chosen people to get Egypt out of their life and prepare for entering the pagan world of the Canaanites in the Promised Land. 

Later when we get to Genesis 50 and Exodus 1 and 2 we will study in detail the Bible proof that the Hebrews slowly but surely assimilated into the Egyptian culture - most of them forgot the God, the only God, the God of their fathers, of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.   For further study use this link to study the idea that the Hebrews had assimilated into the pagan culture of Egypt. 

Link to an article from World History about the Canaanite god YAMM the enemy of Ba’al - https://www.worldhistory.org/Yamm/

Here's the link to study that the Hebrews assimilated into Egypt – 

https://halakhaoftheday.org/2023/03/29/from-propsperty-to-assimilationn/

Here's a podcast from Light of Menorah also a study that the Hebrews assimilated into the Egyptian culture - 

LINK - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/the-gospel-according-to-moses-lesson-4-part-2-exod-211-25/

 

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