Roots of Faith

Yom Teruah - A Day of Shouting!

Shalom!

This first day of the 7th month is known biblically as Yom Teruah, (a day of blasting, shouting), more commonly known as the Feast of Trumpets and traditionally as Rosh HaShana (or New Year’s day).

You are invited to listen to the Yom Teruah Service of the Roots of Faith Congregation. We assembled Thursday evening (September 13th) in the old Temple Sinai Synagogue for some shofar blowing and a discussion of the Biblical significance of Yom Teruah and the blowing of trumpets.

As you hear the voice of the Shofar - the Ram’s horn at this time of year, please begin to prepare yourself.  The Day of Atonement is approaching!

Shalom and please join us at this APPOINTED TIME!

 

 Yom Teruah at Temple Sinai [31:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today’s torah reading is in many ways “The” evangelical message of the Torah.  It is a prophecy, it’s about choices and revelation. It sets before us for all time, two ways from which to choose; one of life and prosperity and one of death and cursing.  Choose Life! says Moses.

Further, we read that there are things that are hidden and that these things belong to God, but the things that are revealed, namely to do all the words of this Torah, belong to us and to our children.

Also in this week’s lesson, we read of the most dominant theme in all the Hebrew bible - the return of Israel….ALL of Israel. There are at least 40 separate sections of the prophets that deal specifically with this subject.

Deuteronomy 30 also speaks of this topic.

Ross points out that the book of Deuteronomy contains 9 references to things that we are to do with all of our heart and soul.  The only books that contains this exact phrase is Deuteronomy.

Here are the 9 references to what we are to do with all of our heart and all of our soul:

• Deuteronomy 4:25-31
• Deuteronomy 6:4-9
• Deuteronomy 10:12-22
• Deuteronomy 11:13-21
• Deuteronomy 26:16-19
• Deuteronomy 30:1-10

The prophet Jeremiah speaks of one thing that God will do with all his heart and all his soul - bring the children of Israel back to the land and plant them in the land that he swore to their ancestors. See Jeremiah 32:37-44.

Choose life! The commandments are a door to life.  See the words of Jesus on this very subject (Matthew 19:16ff)!

The audio files for this lesson are not yet available. Check back later.

Today’s class focuses on Pentecost, Signs and Wonders and the Curse of the Law.

Sound like something from your local church….well not exactly. In this class Ross finds these subjects in the weekly Torah lesson.

The setting for this event described in this torah reading is Shavuoth or pentecost. Notice Deuteronomy 26:1-11 as well as the mention of firstfruits and signs and wonders in these passages. See also Leviticus 23:9-22, Exodus 23:14-19, Exodus 34:21-26 and Deuteronomy 16:9-12; 16-17 for more on this particular feast.

We also discuss the tithe in this week’s lesson. See for instance Deuteronomy 12-15 and Deuteronomy 14:22-29 in regards to a biblical understanding of tithes.

Paul, in Galatians 3 speaks of what he calls the “curse of the Law”. He says that all are under the curse, that Christ redeemed us from the curse - which he attributes to the fact that Jesus was hanged upon a tree (Deuteronomy 21:23).

Few have heard anyone speak of the “blessings” of the Law, but most have heard of the “curse of the law”. Ross shows in this lesson that the Torah itself is NOT a curse, but that within the Laws found in the torah…there is a curse.  We read this curse in the reading today. Actually there are multiple curses - 4 times as many curses listed as blessings.  We discuss the reasoning behind this in the lesson.

This class covers the blessings and the curses. The audio file of this week’s lesson is not yet available.  Check back later.

In this week’s lesson, Ross begins with Matthew 5:17-20 and focuses on the phrase, “whoever does and teaches the least of the commandments shall be called great….”

So, to do and to teach the commandments is a Good thing!  Well this week will prove to be quite good since this week’s torah portion contains more commandments that any other torah reading - 72 in all!

7 texts from this week’s torah lesson can be found in 12 passages in the new testament.

One of the primary points that Ross draws from the lesson today is the strict understanding of marriage held by Yeshua (See Matthew 5:31 and 19:1-9). Divorce, while permitted by Moses in the Torah was an accomodation due to the hardness of hearts, but was not part of the original design.

Ross also teaches on the ancient Levirate Marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5ff).

Ross also taught during this lesson that the enemies of Yeshua made certain allegations against him based upon a reading from this week’s torah portion.  In Matthew 11:16-19 / Luke 7:34, Yeshua says that there are some who refer to him as a glutton and a drunkard. Some have used this to discuss whether or not Yeshua drank wine. In this lesson, Ross shows that the charge may have had little if anything to do with the diet of Yeshua.  See for instance the strange law found in Deuteronomy 21:18-21. Accusers were saying that Jesus was rebellious!

Also in this week’s torah lesson we learn that it is never a bad day to do good.  See for instance Deuteronomy 22:1-4.  The language is quite instructive when considering the heart of the torah.  Do not hide yourself…we are told, when you notice someone in need.

From this point, we read and discussed the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

Indeed the Torah teaches “justice for all” - Deuteronomy 24:17-18.

In the Torah Reading that contains the most commandments, it is interesting to note that kindness to animals and those in need find a place.

The Torah truly represents a plan for a perfect world of peace and harmony, a blueprint for God’s plan of bringing heaven on earth.

The audio file of this week’s lesson is not yet available.  Check back later.