Roots of Faith

You may see something different if you go to my site to listen to this week’s lesson.  In order to more accurately fit the “biblical pattern”, I am thinking that the service will be divided into two parts.  The first part will consist of a very brief intro, The Shema, the 10 Commandments, Jeremiah 6:16 (one of my congregants has started his own tradition of quoting this aloud every Sabbath) and then the Torah and Prophets reading.  We will then take a break and I will teach for the remainder of the time.  In keeping with Nehemiah 8 we will try to conclude by mid day. I will call the two parts (1) Service and (2) Teaching.
 
For this Sabbath we taped off the synagogue according to the measurements of the tabernacle to get a feel for the story as we work through…complete with a holy place and holy of holies, an ark (a very simple box), a menorah, table etc.
 
Some remarks on this week’s lesson:
 
This week’s Torah portion is called Terumah.  The Hebrew word means a donation. Note that there is no command for everyone to “donate”, but for those whose heart is moved to do so. The whole congregation however is commanded to collect it.  The donation is for a specific purpose and consists of specific items.  These items are for YHWH and are to be used to make YHWH a holy place (miqdash) and He says, “I will ‘dwell’ in their midst. (compare Exodus 25:8; 29:45-46; Numbers 35:34; I Kings 6:13; Revelation 7:15)
 
Based upon these and related references, the rabbis began to speak of the ‘dwelling presence” of God as the Shekinah.
 
Friedman’s commentary says that though the word in 25:8 is typically translated as ‘dwell’, this verb is better associated with the denominative noun “mishkan” and thus is more accurately represented by the English word “tent”.  Thus, “I will tent among you”.  Note 2 Samuel 7:6 where we see how much God likes to dwell in tents!  This idea is beautifully pictured in the festivals of Succoth.  For a teaser, I discovered this root word in a place in this week’s reading, but that needs to be studied further before I comment on it.
 
There is more on the tabernacle and its contents in the Torah than any other subject.  Except for chapters 32-34 where we read of the golden calf incident, the rest of Exodus deals with our topic of the Tabernacle.
 
The tabernacle was made according to a “pattern” by the instruction of YHWH (see 25:9, 40).  Why was it so important to follow this pattern?  I Chronicles 28:11-19 says that the first Temple was also made according to a pattern.  The Hebrew here is (tav neeth).  I get the idea of a “replica” when I see this word and so translate it thusly.
 
What was the tabernacle for?  See Exodus 25:22 and 29:43.  It was to serve as a place where God meets with His people.  In fact, the tabernacle is referred to as the “tent of meeting” 146 times in the Hebrew Bible!
 
The first item described in this week’s lesson as being made is the ark (25:10ff).  It is a box.  It is a central piece of furniture and is in fact the ONLY things in the Holy of holies.  It is called the ark OF the testimony (Exodus 25:16-22).  Even the tabernacle is called the Tabernacle OF the testimony (38:21).  In Exodus 31:18 we read what precisely this “Testimony” is!
 
Now this was new to me.  In I Kings 8:4 and II Chronicles 5:5, we read that the tabernacle is brought to the Temple on the day that it was dedicated.
 
The Talmud reports that the tabernacle was stored in the 1st Temple.  In Sotah 9a we find the following:
 
“After the first Temple was erected, the tent of meeting was stored away; its boards, hooks, bars, pillars, and sockets.  Where were they stored? - R. Hisda said in the name of Abimi, ‘Beneath the crypts of the Temple.’”
 
The Temple was known as the “HOUSE OF THE TENT” (I Chronicles 9:23)!  This implies that the 1st Temple was not merely the replacement for the tent, but rather a repository for it!
 
In 2 Maccabees 2:4-8 we read one legend as to where it went next.
 
All in all the Torah reading this week speaks of degrees of holiness.  One day, predicts Jeremiah, the ark will not come to mind, or be remembered, or missed, nor will it be made again (3:16).  This foretells of a time when the “reality” is among us and therefore the “pattern” will no longer be necessary.
 
The Torah will be written on our hearts and not on stone.  We will no longer need to tell our neighbors to know YHWH, for all will know Him (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
 
Aside from the ark OF the testimony, we read of the “bread of faces”, the menorah, the curtains, the parochet (veil is not the right word for those that can follow a hint), a screen and the altar…all made according to a pattern shown to Moses.
 
I am thankful for the pattern and the ability to study these most wonderful replicas of things that God gave to Moses, and that the Jewish people so faithfully preserved.  It is interesting that in Exodus 26:6, the tabernacle is said to be Echad (one).  When the day comes that we will no longer need the Ark, Jerusalem will be the throne of God (Jeremiah 3:17).  At that time, YHWH will be One and His Name One (Zechariah 14:9).
 
Sabbath peace to you and yours.

 

 Teaching on Torah Reading Terumah [49:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Sabbath Service and Torah Reading for Terumah [30:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Congregation of Roots of Faith is about to begin working through the course, Living Biblical Hebrew for Everyone.

This course is available through The Biblical Language Center.  See their web site for detailed descriptions of course material that they offer.

If you would like to join our Hebrew Study, contact me and I will order the course for you. You can order directly from Jerusalem, but I have been able to negotiate a better price if I order in bulk.

You will greatly benefit from this study and I plan to begin a section on this blog to help you in this holy endeavor.  The course is great and we are preparing to begin this week, but you can start at any time.

www.biblicalulpan.org

I am attaching a PDF document to this blog entry.  I am not certain that I have done this correctly, but I hope so. The note should motivate you to jump in and learn with our congregation.

learn_hebrew_note_1.pdf

This week’s Torah portion is called Mishpatim.  The name is the plural form of the Hebrew word Mishpat, which means justice. 

Read the notes and then listen to the podcast.

This Sabbath, being the last Sabbath before the beginning of the Hebrew month of Adar, is also known as Sabbath Shekalim. It commemorates the ancient Temple tax of a half-shekel.

Texts for the special Torah portion are Exodus 30:11-16 and II Kings 11:17-12:17 (cf. II Chronicles 24:4-14).

In this lesson, Ross will talk about the ancient Temple Tax, a tax that Jesus of Nazareth paid (Matthew 17:24-27) though he suggests that the “children” are free from this taxation.

Ross shows that the original command to pay the tax seems to suggest that this was meant to be a once in a lifetime tax based upon the reading of the Torah (see also Exodus 38:25-26) and this interpretation is also found in the DSS in 4Q159 “Ordinances or Commentaries on Biblical Law” - a point first discussed by the scholar J. Allegro. Later, Jewish interpretation called for an annual tax perhaps based upon Nehemiah 10:32.

In the regular Torah reading, Ross teaches on the corpus of laws known as the Covenant Code (the laws found in Exodus 21-23). 

Beginning with the laws associated with slavery, Ross points out that the Bible does not prohibit slavery, but it does condemn mistreatment of servants. Slavery in its most crude form still exists on this planet.  These areas could benefit from the torah’s instructions for proper treatment of slaves. Ross shows that God instructs Israel to treat their servants righteously because they too were slaves.  “You know the heart of the stranger” says the LORD.  It comes down to “the golden rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. (see Exodus 22:21 and 23:9)

Ross speaks about the meaning of justice and even “judging righteous judgment” - Deuteronomy 16:18.  He covers the meaning of Luke 6:27-38 in this context.

Ross shows that “an eye for an eye” is truly about making judgment fit the crime and may not have been to be taken literally. Within this topic he also covers the false idea that the “Old Testament” teaches the hatred of enemies.  The Hebrew bible is shown to also teach love of enemies (see for example Proverbs 25:21)

As in all of his classes, Ross seeks to show that the theology of Jesus and his earliest followers was founded and rooted in the writings of the Hebrew Bible.  He encourages his audience to adopt the faith of Jesus, for if “we abide in christ, we ought to walk even as Jesus did.”

Join us for this special Sabbath teaching - on Bringing Justice In.

 

 Mishpatim - Sabbath of the Shekel - Intro [31:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Mishpatim - Reading [30:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Mishpatim - Comments [24:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Mishpatim - Questions [20:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

For this week’s lesson on the Torah Portion Yithro, I chose as my title “The Fire and the Un-named Feast”.

Fire is a key theme in this week’s lesson as both the Torah Reading and the Prophets have much to do with fire as will be illustrated below.

In Exodus 5:1 and 10:9 there is mention of a feast, but the name is not given. In 5:1, Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh and tell him, “thus saith the LORD - Let me people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.” 

What feast?  Exodus 10:9 has Moses telling Pharaoh that all of Israel will go, “for we must hold a feast to the LORD.”
In Exodus 19:16-20 we read the incredible events that transpired when the children of Israel met with God at Horeb for this “feast“.  In this lesson I describe this awesome event, and blow the shofar (the ram’s horn trumpet) to make the point more real.
 
In Exodus 3:1-4 we find that when Moses first meets the God of his fathers he gets a micro version of what the entire nation will see.  He hears the voice of God in the midst of fire.  After the events described in the Giving of the Law from Sinai - Moses recounts the story in Deuteronomy 4:32-40.  Again in 5:1-5 he mentions this fire. You should read these passages!

The result of this encounter is stated in Moses’ final words to Israel when he tells us that God’s hand delivered an “esh dat” - a FIRE law (Deuteronomy 33:1-2).

The feast - the encounter that produced this “fire law” took place 50 days after Pesach.  On the 50th day, God issued the fire law that would later be written with the finger of God (Exodus 31:18 and Deuteronomy 9:10).

The rabbis say that when God spoke these words to those present, his voice divided into the 70 languages of the world.

I am trying to give you some clues as to the identity of the un-named feast.  Namely, 1) divided tongues, 2) fire, 3) the 50th day. 

The Greek word for fiftieth by the way is Pentecost. Perhaps with this information we are in a better position to understand Acts chapter 2!

One day the curse of Genesis 11 at the building of the tower of Babel will be reversed when humanity is mature enough.  Zephaniah 3:9 says that one day all people will be converted to a pure lip so that they can call upon the LORD.

Here are some stats on languages in the world today that I found on the internet:
*There are approximately 6,912 languages on earth today
*Only 426 of them have a translation of the Hebrew Bible
*2,426 have a portion of the Biblical revelation (Hebrew Bible, Christian Scriptures, etc)
*1,144 have a translation of the NT
*This means that about 300,000,000 people on the planet today have no portion of the Bible in their native language

The “testimony of Yehovah” contains 620 Hebrew letters.  The rabbis suggest that this points to the universal importance of the “Laws of God”.  613 for Israel and 7 for the Gentiles being hinted at in the perfect number of 620 total letters in the Ten Commandments code”.

The purpose of the people hearing God speak to Moses was for something quite specific.  In Exodus 19:9 we learn that the reason for this was so that the people would “believe Moses forever!” Remember, Moses had complained earlier (Exodus 4:1) that the people would not believe him.  Sadly, I point out, people do not believe Moses to this day.
 
The final word from the ancient prophets of Israel is found in Malachi 4:4 (English Bible); 3:12 in Hebrew tells us to remember the Torah of Moses.  This should give us pause as we tend to NOT remember the things that God tells us to remember.  Consider the Sabbath!!

After the reading of the Law and Prophets I focus on a single word in the 10 commandments.  It occurs 4 times in 2 verses and according to Yeshua it equals 1/2 of an equation that leads to eternal life!  The word is found in Exodus 20:13-14.  NEIGHBOR

Who is my neighbor? And what does proper treatment of my neighbor have to do with eternal life?
The New Covenant predicted by Jeremiah foretells of a day when it will no longer be necessary for a man to teach his “neighbor” saying KNOW YEHOVAH, for they will all know him from the least to the greatest (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

I talk about the essence of the fire law being love - LOVE God and LOVE your neighbor.  I quote Jesus, and Paul (Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:14), and James (2:8) where love of neighbor is referred to as the Royal law.

I encourage you to check out this week’s class.

Please listen to Part One and Two in order to get the entire message. 

 

 Yithro - Intro Part One [27:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Yithro - Intro Part Two [27:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Yithro - Reading [20:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Yithro - Comments [33:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download