12/07/2012

Parashat 2 Portion 9 Gen 11:1-32



Blessing for the Torah:
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-O’lam, asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim,
v’natan lanu eht Torah-to.
Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”

(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,
you have selected us from among all the peoples,
and have given us your Torah. Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)

This section recounts the story of the Tower of Bavel/Babel. Noach's descendants gathered in the Babylonian valley and started building a tower, in an attempt to “reach the heavens” – attempting to be like YHVH. However YHVH disrupted their "plan" by causing them each to speak a different language, thus destroying their communications. This caused them to disperse and settle in different lands. The Torah then lists the ten generations of Shem's descendants  The tenth generation is Avram/Abram (later to be known as Avraham/Abraham), who married Sarai (later to be known as Sarah).

Once again the Torah calls us to deep reflection and searching of its message and instruction to those who are seekers after the truth.

It is generally accepted by scholars and historians that Nimrod was the architect and builder of the tower of Babel.

Gen 10:8  And Kush brought forth Nimroḏ, he began to be a mighty one on the earth.
Gen 10:9  He was a mighty hunter before יהוה, therefore it is said, “Like Nimroḏ the mighty hunter before יהוה.”  (Against YHVH)

What we see here is the beginnings of man- made religion seeking to “reach the heavens” through its own schemes and devices.

“Until Nimrod, mankind was governed by the patriarchal system where the heads of families heard from YHVH and guided their individual tribes. Nimrod, more accurately a "mighty hunter against YHVH," usurped patriarchal rule, and crowned himself the first human king in all of history. Now man ruled instead of YHVH”
“Nimrod’s greed and ambition led him to sell himself to demonic powers, and he became the high priest of devil worship. During this time Nimrod married the beautiful and cunning, but notoriously immoral, Semiramis. Together they ruled the world.”
"Semiramis became known as the "queen of heaven," and was the prototype from which all other pagan goddesses came."--World Religions by David Terrell

This is one of the reasons we prefer to call the days of the week after their Hebrew names, and so avoid invoking the names of the pagan deities from which the names of the days of the week originate. “Monday” for example comes from the moon goddess because it is said in: Shemot/Exodus 23:13: and in all things that I have said to you take heed: and make no mention of other elohim, neither let it be heard out of your mouth. See also Debarim/Deut 12:3,  Yehoshua/Joshua 23:6, Tehillim/Psa 16:4, Zecharia 13:2, Hosea 2:17, Zep 3:9.
In fact, the English language is full of the names of other false elohim (mighty ones translated as gods), yet for the sake of not overwhelming our readers, let us just focus on the days of the week and how by speaking them all the time, the names of false elohim are spoken.
  • The first day of the week is called “Sunday,” a name that gives honour to the ancient Sun god.
  • The second day of the week is called “Monday,” a name that honours the Moon god.
  • The third day of the week is called “Tuesday,” a name that honours the Norse god of war, Tiu.
  • The fourth day is called “Wednesday,” a name that gives honour to Woden [Odin],
              the chief Norse god.
  • The fifth day is called “Thursday” and  gives honour to Thor, the Norse god of thunder and son of Woden and Frigga.
  • The sixth day, called ‘Friday” gives honour to Freya, also known as Frigga, the wife of Woden and female god of love and beauty.
  • Finally, in lieu of the Sabbath, the name “Saturday” gives honour to Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture.
On the other hand, all throughout Scripture, the days of the week are counted just like they are in Bereshit/Genesis 1. They are known by their “ordinal numbers.”
The first day of the week is Yom Rishon (Day one).
The second day is Yom Sheni (Day two)).
The third day is Yom Shelishi (Day three).
The fourth day is Yom Revi’i (Day four).
The fifth day is Yom Chamishi (the "ch" is a guttural sound like "goed" in Afrikaans (Day five)).
The sixth day is Yom Shishi (Day six).
And the seventh day is Yom Shevi’i or the Shabbat (Sabbath) (Day seven).
Whether in Hebrew or English, this naming system remembers the act of creation and, therefore, it honours the Creator – not the creation. It leads us to the climax of the week, the seventh day Sabbath.

Even the Gregorian calendar names for the months  from January up to August are the names of the months that are associated with certain false mighty ones/elohim (false gods) or personalities, whereas the last four simply come from Latin origins to indicate the order (number) in which it appeared in the old Roman calendar. It is thus okay to speak the names of these four months (Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec) which are not names of false mighty ones when we speak in the Gregorian calendar frame work.

"Nimrod and his mother (Semiramis) became the chief entities of worship as a Madonna and child. This belief and practice spread to Egypt, where the names of the gods were Isis and Osiris.
The son Osiris was born December 25. In Asia it was Cybele and Deonius. In Rome they were called Fortuna and Jupiter. Throughout the world we still find the remnants of mother and child worship to this day. It is no surprise that this same system still exists at the end of the age. It is called "Mystery Babylon" (Rev 17:5). Shockingly, it is disguised as Christianity and is still practiced in the celebration of Christmas." --The Bible as History by Werner Keller
Muslims, like Catholics, refer to her as Our Lady (Sayyida). She is also venerated as a pure and set apart saint in the Islamic world.

Yirmeyahu/Jer 7:17  “Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Yehuḏah and in the streets of Yerushalayim?
Jer 7:18  “The children are gathering wood, the fathers are lighting the fire, and the women are kneading their dough, to make cakes for the sovereigness of the heavens (queen of the heavens), and to pour out drink offerings to other mighty ones, to provoke Me.

Yir/Jer 44:16  “We are not going to listen to you in the matter about which you spoke to us in the Name of יהוה!
Jer 44:17  “But we shall do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the sovereigness of the heavens (queen of the heavens) and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our sovereigns and our heads, in the cities of Yehuḏah and in the streets of Yerushalayim. And we had plenty of food, and were well-off, and saw no evil.
Jer 44:18  “But since we ceased burning incense to the sovereigness of the heavens and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked all and have been consumed by the sword and by scarcity of food. (This demonic force obviously has power)
Jer 44:19  “And when we burned incense to the sovereigness of the heavens and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to idolize her, and pour out drink offerings to her, without our husbands?”
Jer 44:20  Then Yirmeyahu spoke to all the people – to the men and to the women, and to all the people who had given him that answer, saying,
Jer 44:21  “As for the incense that you burned in the cities of Yehuḏah and in the streets of Yerushalayim, you and your fathers, your sovereigns and your heads, and the people of the land, did not יהוה remember them? And it came into His heart!
Jer 44:22  “And יהוה could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your deeds and because of the abominations which you did. Therefore your land is a ruin, an object of astonishment, a curse, and without an inhabitant, as it is this day.
Jer 44:23  “Because you have burned incense and because you have sinned against יהוה, and did not obey the voice of יהוה or walk in His Torah, in His laws or in His witnesses, therefore this evil did befall you, as at this day.”

Rev 17:4  And the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup filled with abominations and the filthiness of her whoring,1 Footnote: 1Jer. 51:7.
Rev 17:5  and upon her forehead a name written, a secret: BAḆEL THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE WHORES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Rev 17:6  And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the set-apart ones, and with the blood of the witnesses of יהושע. And having seen her, I marvelled – greatly marvelled!
Rev 17:7  And the messenger said to me, “Why did you marvel? Let me explain to you the secret of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and the ten horns……

Rev 18:1  And after this I saw another messenger coming down from the heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened from his esteem.
Rev 18:2  And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, “Baḇel the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, and a haunt for every unclean and hated bird,
Rev 18:3  because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoring, and the sovereigns of the earth have committed whoring with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her riotous living.”
Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from the heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.1 Footnote: 1Jer. 51:6 & 45. (Emphasis my own)
Rev 18:5  “Because her sins have piled up to reach the heaven, and Elohim has remembered her unrighteousnesses.

Teaching:
Gen 11:1  And all the earth had one language1 and one speech. Footnote: 1Hebrew lip
Gen 11:2  And it came to be, as they set out from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shin’ar1, and they dwelt there. Footnote: 1Earlier name for Baḇel

א וַיְהִי כָל-הָאָרֶץ, שָׂפָה אֶחָת, וּדְבָרִים, אֲחָדִים.

Lit. the whole earth had one lip and one set of words. The sages believe that this language was Hebrew.
In the last days we believe this one pure language or lip will be restored to bring about the restoration of all things.

Zep 3:9  “For then I shall turn unto the peoples a clean lip1, so that they all call on the Name of יהוה, to serve Him with one shoulder. Footnote: 1Or language.

Gen 11:3  And they said to each other, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.
Gen 11:4  And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens, and make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over all the face of the earth.”
Gen 11:5  Then יהוה came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
Gen 11:6  And יהוה said, “Look, they are one people and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do! And now, they are not going to be withheld from doing whatever they plan to do.
Gen 11:7  “Come, let Us go there and confuse their language, so that they do not understand one another’s speech.”
Gen 11:8  And יהוה scattered them from there, over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.
Gen 11:9  That is why its name was called Baḇel1, because there יהוה confused the language of all the earth, and from there יהוה scattered them over the face of all the earth. Footnote: 1Baḇel is derived from a verb which means “to confuse".

Today we see an enormous division among the people of the world caused largely by religious differences. We even see these differences within certain religions. It is said that there are over 5000 different Christian church denominations. We also note major differences within Islam and even Judaism.
In these verses we find the seminal idea of a one world religion – uniting all its members is the common cause of defying the Elohim of Yisrael and His Torah.

“Plans were made for a grand tower, a massive type of building called a ziggurat, which consisted of a series of terraced platforms, each smaller than the one below it, and all together reaching a great height. At the top would be a shrine to Bel, whom they worshiped as 'the Most High god', the god of the sun and of fire; other 'sky gods' would also be included. Therefore, Genesis 11:4, in speaking of "a tower and his top with the heavens (literal translation)," is not referring to the height of the tower, but instead to the inscriptions of the stars on the walls of the shrine. The constellations were there, but with outlines of the 'sky gods' on them in order to cause people to associate the 'pictures in the sky' that they had known about from childhood, with the images Nimrod wanted them to worship. This is indicative of the occult deception which reigned in Babylon.”
This confusion reigns even in our day. One of the common misconceptions amongst religious people is that we all serve the same “God.”

Let it be clearly stated for the record that the author of this message believes very strongly that there is only One way to serve the true Elohim of Yisrael and that is by acknowledging that there is only One Mediator between men and YHVH, His only brought forth son “Yahshua ha Mashiach.” (1Tim 2:5 “For there is one Elohim, and one Mediator between Elohim and men, the Man Messiah Yahshua.”)

Sadly the church and society have misrepresented Yahshua. Once again the author of this message strongly believes that this Yahshua was a Jewish teacher/rabbi who came and will come again to gather the lost sheep of the house of Yisrael  to teach and restore the Torah of YHVH.

Let us compare the two kinds of spirituality practiced by Nimrod and Noach.
It is believed that the tower of Bavel/Babel was built out of fear that there may be another flood. Let us consider the following:

1.Noach was involved in the construction of the Ark
Nimrod was involved in the construction of the Tower.

2. Noach means rest comfort
 Nimrod means rebellion

3.The Ark was YHVH’s idea of saving His people
Religious man creates structures, doctrines and organizations to try and save man.

4. The Tower built by the masses
The Ark was built by a handful of people

The Secret to spiritual power is smallness and anonymity.

5.  The Ark was built in obedience
The Tower was built in defiance

6. The Ark points to the future – true spirituality points to the future. (8th day)
The Tower points to the past – false spirituality claims it has arrived, we see this in the “kingdom now” theology of the modern day charismatic movements, who claim they have it all and they have it now.

7. The Ark was completed -   The Tower never was.

8. The Ark was built in faith – The Tower was built in fear and manipulation.

9.  The Ark speaks of Messiah’s Torah – and brings confinement, but also freedom.
The tower promises freedom and liberty, yet it produces lawlessness (Torahlessness) and bondage.

10. Noach builds an altar and worshiped the Father.
Nimrod builds a tower to show his equality with YHVH.

11. The Spirit of Nimrod says – “ME FIRST” “You must lay down your life for me and my cause”
The Spirit of Noach ( Spirit of Messiah) says  – “you first” -  “I will lay down my life for you”

12. If we refuse to walk in the truth, we will be handed over to worship false gods (false mighty ones/elohim).

Let us also briefly in the context of our Torah portion consider the relevance and importance of “speaking in tongues.”
Generally speaking many in the Messianic movement tend to avoid this issue. It is however clearly taught in the second writings and cannot simply be ignored or regarded as unimportant.

For an extensive explanation of this subject you can go to the following web site:

I personally believe that we are influenced by the spirit of this age (queen of heaven) more than we realize. Praying in the spirit may be more powerful than we realize in undoing and exposing the strategies of the evil one over our lives and the lives of our loved ones.
This evil spirit seeks to emasculate men of Elohim and cause others to undermine and ridicule true righteous set apart men and women.
Let it be clearly declared that one day this world will be governed by bearded men wearing tzitziyot full of the gifts and Ruach of YHVH leading communities and nations by the words of YHVH’s Torah.
Sadly in our day much conflict exists between men and woman concerning gender issues because we have been conformed to the spirit of this age.
This Torah portion leads us to believe that a “spell” was cast upon mankind from which we have not yet recovered.
Now we come to a section that speaks of a chosen people that will bring the promised Seed and redemption to mankind from the curse and bondage from sin and the power of the queen of heaven.
Gen 11:10  This is the genealogy of Shĕm: Shĕm was a hundred years old and brought forth Arpaḵshaḏ, two years after the flood.
Gen 11:11  And after he brought forth Arpaḵshaḏ, Shĕm lived five hundred years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 11:12  And Arpaḵshaḏ lived thirty-five years, and brought forth Shelaḥ.
Gen 11:13  And after he brought forth Shelaḥ, Arpaḵshaḏ lived four hundred and three years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 11:14  And Shelaḥ lived thirty years, and brought forth Ěḇer.

Note how the descendants of Shem are referred to as the sons of Ever/Eber:

Gen 10:21  And also to Shĕm, the father of all the children of Ěḇer, the brother of Yepheth the elder, children were born.

We are reminded that “Eber” comes from the same Hebrew word “avar” which means to “cross over.”

There is still a call going out today to “come out” and to “cross over” from manmade religion to the true faith of the Elohim of Yisrael and His Torah.

Gen 11:15  And after he brought forth Ěḇer, Shelaḥ lived four hundred and three years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 11:16  And Ěḇer lived thirty-four years, and brought forth Peleḡ.
Gen 11:17  And after he brought forth Peleḡ, Ěḇer lived four hundred and thirty years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 11:18  And Peleḡ lived thirty years, and brought forth Reu.
Gen 11:19  And after he brought forth Reu, Peleḡ lived two hundred and nine years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 11:20  And Reu lived thirty-two years, and brought forth Seruḡ.
Gen 11:21  And after he brought forth Seruḡ, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 11:22  And Seruḡ lived thirty years, and brought forth Naḥor.
Gen 11:23  And after he brought forth Naḥor, Seruḡ lived two hundred years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 11:24  And Naḥor lived twenty-nine years, and brought forth Teraḥ.
Gen 11:25  And after he brought forth Teraḥ, Naḥor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 11:26  And Teraḥ lived seventy years, and brought forth Aḇram, Naḥor, and Haran.
Gen 11:27  And this is the genealogy of Teraḥ: Teraḥ brought forth Aḇram, Naḥor, and Haran. And Haran brought forth Lot.
Gen 11:28  And Haran died before his father Teraḥ in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
Gen 11:29  And Aḇram and Naḥor took wives: the name of Aḇram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Naḥor’s wife, Milkah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milkah and the father of Yiskah.
Gen 11:30  And Sarai was barren, she had no child.
Gen 11:31  And Teraḥ took his son Aḇram and his grandson Lot, son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Aḇram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Kenaan. And they came to Ḥaran and dwelt there.
Gen 11:32  And the days of Teraḥ came to be two hundred and five years, and Teraḥ died in Ḥaran.

Let us consider some very important words uttered by our Messiah in Yochanan 10.

Yoch/Joh 10:30  “I and My Father are one.”1 Footnote: 1See 17:11, 17:21-23.
Joh 10:31  Again the Yehuḏim picked up stones to stone Him.
Joh 10:32  יהושע answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. Because of which of these works do you stone Me?”
Joh 10:33  The Yehuḏim answered Him, saying, “We do not stone You for a good work, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself Elohim.”
Joh 10:34  יהושע answered them, “Is it not written in your own Torah, ‘I said, “You are elohim” ’?
Joh 10:35  “If He called them elohim, to whom the word of Elohim came – and it is impossible for the Scripture to be broken –
Joh 10:36  do you say of Him whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of Elohim’?

Yahshua was quoting Tehillim/Ps 82:6-7
Psa 82:6  I, I said, “You are elohim, And all of you are sons of the Most High.
Psa 82:7  “But as men you die, And fall as one of the heads.”

Note in particular vs 35 – “ it is impossible for scripture to be broken”

For the first time many of us are beginning to learn and understand that our so called New Testament experiences are not that new after all.

Being born again after receiving Yahshua – the living Torah, was foreshadowed when Yisrael received the Torah on Mount Sinai.
The sages tell us that if Yisrael had not sinned they would have proceeded to enter into the age to come with Mashiach. They were born again as it were when they received the word of YHVH and entered into covenant with Him.

We understand from the sages that when the Torah was given it was given in the 70 different languages of the world.
We note that the giving of the Torah and the later outpouring of the Ruach Ha Kodesh (at Shavuot (Pentecoste in Greek)) as described in the book of Acts also took place on the same day – Shavuot.
The book of Acts records how the people on the day of Shavuot thought that the disciples were drunk because they were speaking in strange languages. These languages were understood by the Jewish pilgrims in Yerushalayim as they were hearing the good news in their own language.

Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Set-apart Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak.
Act 2:5  Now in Yerushalayim there were dwelling Yehuḏim, dedicated men from every nation under the heaven.
Act 2:6  And when this sound came to be, the crowd came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
Act 2:7  And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying to each other, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?
Act 2:8  “And how do we hear, each one in our own language in which we were born?

YHVH gives us His Ruach and His Word/Torah because He wants to live with us and be joined to us. We see that YHVH has chosen to dwell in the tents of Shem –

Gen 9:27  “Let Elohim enlarge Yepheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shĕm. And let Kenaan become his servant.”

We can therefore assume that when we are joined together with YHVH through His Ruach and His word that we too will become like elohim or “mighty ones”

“Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet,
v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”

(Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your
Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you,
YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn