Our congregation has decided to follow the three year cycle of Torah
study. Below is
a brief description of the triennial cycle.
“The Triennial cycle
of Torah reading refers to the historical practice in ancient Israel by which
the entire Torah was read in serial fashion over a three year period, or to the
practice adopted by many congregations in which the traditional weekly Torah portions were divided into thirds, and in which one third of each
weekly "Parashah" of the annual system is read during the appropriate week
of the calendar.
According to the Jewish Encyclopaedia, the triennial cycle "was the practice in
Palestine, whereas in Babylonia the entire Pentateuch was read in the synagogue
in the course of a single year," As late as 1170 Benjamin of Tudela mentioned
Egyptian congregations that took three years
to read the Torah”. (Wikipedia)
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.)
We can take great comfort in this week’s teaching in that YHVH always
seems to leave a faithful remnant on earth that not only show us the way back
to the heart of YHVH but also help prepare a people who desire to please Him in
all things, even in the face of great opposition and hostility.
Yeshayahu/Isa 1:9 Unless יהוה of hosts had left to us a small
remnant, we would have become like Seḏom, we would have been made like Amorah.
הוֹתִיר לָנוּ שָׂרִיד כִּמְעָט....
Remnant
in Hebrew “sarid” conveys the idea of “slipping out.” The Hebrew word “me at”
means “hardly any” or “very few.” (Meaning a very small amount slips out)
We
find the same idea given to us by our Master in Luke 12:32.
Luk 12:32
“Do not fear, little flock, because your Father did delight to give you the
reign.
“little flock” is double diminutive and can
also mean “little flocklet”
To be conformed into the image of Messiah remains the chief desire and
goal of such a remnant.
The genealogy we consider today is the
beginnings of the Messianic line.
Beresheet/Gen 5:1 This is the book of the genealogy of Aḏam. In the day that
Elohim created man, He made him in the likeness of Elohim.
Gen 5:2 Male
and female He created them, and He blessed them, and called their name ‘Aḏam’
in the day they were created.
Gen 5:3 And
Aḏam lived one hundred and thirty years, and brought forth a son in his own
likeness, after his image, and called his name Shĕth.
Gen 5:4 And
after he brought forth Shĕth, the days of Aḏam were eight hundred years. And
he brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:5 So
all the days that Aḏam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.
Gen 5:6 And
Shĕth lived one hundred and five years, and brought forth Enosh.
Gen 5:7 And
after he brought forth Enosh, Shĕth lived eight hundred and seven years, and
brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:8 So
all the days of Shĕth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.
Gen 5:9 And
Enosh lived ninety years, and brought forth Qĕynan.
Gen 5:10 And
after he brought forth Qĕynan, Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and
brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:11 So
all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.
Gen 5:12 And
Qĕynan lived seventy years, and brought forth Mahalal’ĕl.
Gen 5:13
After he brought forth Mahalal’ĕl, Qĕynan lived eight hundred and forty
years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:14 So
all the days of Qĕynan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.
Gen 5:15 And
Mahalal’ĕl lived sixty-five years, and brought forth Yereḏ.
Gen 5:16 And
after he brought forth Yereḏ, Mahalal’ĕl lived eight hundred and thirty years,
and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:17 So
all the days of Mahalal’ĕl were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he
died.
Gen 5:18 And
Yereḏ lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and brought forth Ḥanoḵ.
Gen 5:19 And
after he brought forth Ḥanoḵ (pronounced Chanok) Yereḏ lived eight hundred
years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:20 So
all the days of Yereḏ were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.
Gen 5:21 And
Ḥanoḵ lived sixty-five years, and brought forth Methushelaḥ.
Gen 5:22 And
after he brought forth Methushelaḥ, Ḥanoḵ walked with Elohim three hundred
years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:23 So
all the days of Ḥanoḵ were three hundred and sixty-five years.
Gen 5:24 And
Ḥanoḵ walked with Elohim. Then he was no more, for Elohim took him.
Gen 5:25 And
Methushelaḥ lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and brought forth
Lemeḵ.
Gen 5:26 And
after he brought forth Lemeḵ, Methushelaḥ lived seven hundred and eighty-two
years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:27 So
all the days of Methushelaḥ were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he
died.
Gen 5:28 And
Lemeḵ lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and brought forth a son,
Gen 5:29 and
called his name Noaḥ, saying, “This one does comfort us concerning our work
and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which יהוה has
cursed.”
Gen 5:30 And after
he brought forth Noaḥ, Lemeḵ lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and
brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:31 So all
the days of Lemeḵ were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.
Gen 5:32 And Noaḥ
was five hundred years old, and Noaḥ brought forth Shĕm, Ḥam, and Yepheth.
Let us consider a combination of the meanings of these
names that present a clear picture of a remnant Messianic line.
1. Adam – means man or mankind.
2.
Shet – placed/ appointed
3.
Enosh – mortal man is weak frail and incurable.
4.
Kenan – condition/accomplishment
5.
Mahalal’el – praise of YHVH.
6.
Yered – went down/descended.
7.
Chanokh – dedicated.
8.
Metushelach – his death sends/brings “Met u shalach”
9.
Lamekh – powerful.
10.
Noach – comfort
Mankind
is appointed to a weak and troubling existence here on earth. This is our true
condition whether we believe or not. However the Praise of YHVH (Yahshua) came
to dwell among mankind and dedicated Himself entirely to do the will of his
Father YHVH. His death brought powerful comfort.
Yahshua conveys a similar message in Yochanan/John 16:33.
Joh 16:33
“These words I have spoken to you, that in Me you might have
peace. In the world you have pressure, but take courage, I have overcome the
world.”
Shaul conveys the same message in Acts
14:22
Act 14:22 … encouraging them (talmadim) to continue in
the belief, and that through many pressures we have to enter the reign of
Elohim.
Kepha/Peter conveys the same
message.
1Pe 4:12 Beloved ones, do not be surprised at the
fiery trial that is coming upon you, to try you, as though some unusual matter
has befallen you,
1Pe 4:13 but as you share Messiah’s sufferings,1
rejoice, in order that you might rejoice exultingly at the revelation of His
esteem. Footnote: 1Rom. 8:17, 2 Cor. 1:5, Philip 3:10.
Shaul goes on to say”
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this
present time are not worth comparing with the esteem that is to be revealed in
us.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of the
Messiah? Shall pressure, or distress, or persecution, or scarcity of food, or
nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it has been written, “For Your sake we are
killed all day long, we are reckoned as sheep of slaughter.”
Rom 8:37 But in all this we are more than overcomers
through Him who loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor
life, nor messengers nor principalities nor powers, neither the present nor the
future,
Rom 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of Elohim which is in Messiah יהושע our Master.
Why is it that believers struggle to come to terms with
the reality of the struggles we and our fellowman are confronted with every day.
Yes there is victory in our suffering and yes YHVH often shows us a way out of
difficult situations, yet we are not exempt from the pain and suffering that
abounds in the world around us every day. (Consider the destruction left behind
from Hurricane Sandy this past week)
If we are going to follow in Yahshua’s footsteps we will
have to take up our execution stake every day and walk and live like our
Master. Are we greater than our Master? No!!
Let us know for certain this day that if we are truly
walking in the truth, we will know what it means to suffer.
The rest of our teaching has to do with perhaps one
of the main reasons we suffer.
Suffering will increase because demonic activity is increasing in the
last days. When man gives himself over to be influenced or controlled by
demonic forces, he brings trouble and suffering upon himself and others.
Examples include this past week’s Halloween shooting in
Hollywood. Maybe YHVH is weary of His
people being more faithful keeping these pagan appointments than His own?
Because we don’t recognize our present condition we open up ourselves
to demonic delusion.
Many have celebrated Halloween this past week.
Let us consider what this is all about.
Halloween
“Pronounced As: halwn, häl- , Oct. 31, the eve of All Saints' Day, observed with traditional games and customs. The word comes from medieval England's All Hallows' eve (Old Eng. hallow="saint). However, many of these customs predate Christianity, going back instead to Celtic practices associated with Nov. 1-the beginning of winter and the Celtic new year. Witches and other evil spirits were believed to roam the earth on this evening, playing tricks on human beings to mark the season of diminishing sunlight. Bonfires were lit, offerings were made of dainty foods and sweets, and people would disguise themselves as one of the roaming spirits, to avoid demonic persecution. Survivals of these early practices can be found in countries of Celtic influence today, such as the United States where children go from door to door in scary costumes demanding "trick or treat.””
“Pronounced As: halwn, häl- , Oct. 31, the eve of All Saints' Day, observed with traditional games and customs. The word comes from medieval England's All Hallows' eve (Old Eng. hallow="saint). However, many of these customs predate Christianity, going back instead to Celtic practices associated with Nov. 1-the beginning of winter and the Celtic new year. Witches and other evil spirits were believed to roam the earth on this evening, playing tricks on human beings to mark the season of diminishing sunlight. Bonfires were lit, offerings were made of dainty foods and sweets, and people would disguise themselves as one of the roaming spirits, to avoid demonic persecution. Survivals of these early practices can be found in countries of Celtic influence today, such as the United States where children go from door to door in scary costumes demanding "trick or treat.””
Gen 6:1 And it came to be, when men began to increase
on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them,
Gen 6:2 that the sons of Elohim saw the daughters of
men, that they were good. And they took wives for themselves of all whom they
chose.
The Hebrew phrase translated “sons of Elohim”
(בְנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים, bÿne-ha’elohim)
occurs only here (Ber/Gen 6:2,4) and in Job 1:6;2:1;38:7. There are three major
interpretations of the phrase here. (1) In the Book of Job the phrase clearly
refers to angelic beings. In Ber/Gen 6 the “sons of Elphim” are distinct from
“humankind,” suggesting they were not human. This is consistent with the use of
the phrase in Job. Since the passage speaks of these beings cohabiting with
women, they must have taken physical form or possessed the bodies of men. An
early Jewish tradition preserved in 1 En. 6-7 elaborates on this angelic
revolt and even names the ringleaders.
1 Enoch 6:7-8 6 gives a list of 19 angels who lead the
fall of man.
Jude (Yehudah) quotes from the book of Enoch.
There exist today many differences of opinion
regarding the presence and activity of demons. I believe we need to stay as
close as possible to the light of the Torah. I also believe more than ever
before we are living in a time where demonic activity is increasing.
Those who persist in ignoring the Torah of YHVH
do so with the risk of great peril.
2Th 2:9 The coming of the lawless one(torahless)
is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of
falsehood,
2Th 2:10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those
perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for
them to be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this reason Elohim sends them a
working of delusion, for them to believe the falsehood,1 Footnote: 1Eze.
20:25, John 9:39, John 12:40, Acts 7:42, Rom. 1:24-28.
2Th 2:12 in order that all should be judged who did
not believe the truth, but have delighted in the unrighteousness.
Gen 6:3 And יהוה said,
“My Spirit shall not strive with man forever in his going astray. He is flesh,
and his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
Gen 6:4 The
Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of
Elohim came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those
were the mighty men who were of old, the men of name.
Gen 6:5 And יהוה saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually.
Gen 6:6 And יהוה was sorry that He had made man on
the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
Gen 6:7 And יהוה said, “I am going to wipe off man
whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping
creature and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
Gen 6:8 But Noaḥ
found favour in the eyes of יהוה.
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.)
Please note these notes
are under construction and are subject to correction and are in no way a final
authority on any subject.