Bar’chu et YHVH
ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed! Baruch ata YHVH
Eloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol
ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu eht Torah-to.
Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Bless YHVH the
blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. 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.)
Many who are responding to the call of the restoration
to the Hebraic roots of our faith realize that a paradigm shift is required.
The magnitude of this shift in our way of life and thinking is far greater than
what most of us have realized. Many on this journey continue to seek the safety
of that which is known; very few seem willing to abandon everything that seems ‘’safe
and normal’’ to pursue a Messianic calling along a journey that is filled with uncertainty
risk and even danger. Those who embark on this “risky” journey are usually
willing to surrender everything that will hinder their journey back to the
‘’ancient paths’’ and back to the land of Israel. (Jer 6:16-19)
This Messianic kingdom
is like a treasure hidden in a field …. a pearl of great price – Mat 13:44-46 –
How much are we willing to surrender in order to obtain this treasure?
Yesh/Is 40:29-31 - He gives power to the faint, and to those who
have no might He increases strength.
Isa 40:30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and
young men stumble and fall,
Isa 40:31 but those who wait on יהוה renew their strength, they raise up the wing like eagles, they
run and are not weary, they walk and do not faint.
Gen 12:1 And יהוה said to Aḇram, “Go yourself out of your
land, from your relatives and from your father’s house, to a land which I show
you. (see Gen 13:1 And
Aḇram went up from Mitsrayim into the South, he and his wife and all that he
had, and Lot with him.)
The only time we will ever truly discover our life’s
purpose and our destiny is when we agree to “lech lecha” This means a
willingness and courage to separate ourselves from everything that will
separate us from YHVH’s calling and purpose. This is the nature and heart of
the Hebrew. The word “Hebrew” comes from the Hebrew word “avar” which speaks of
one who has “crossed over”. Crossed over from Babylon or from man- made
religion to embrace the Sovereignty of YHVH and His Torah as taught to us by
Moshe rabbeinu and Yahshua the Messiah. (Gk – ekllessia – called out)
Stones Chumash page 55 “Though Abraham and Sarah had
many disciples, they were essentially alone; they could never blend into
whatever culture surrounded them. Abraham was called an “ivri” from the word
“avar” which essentially means “from the other side” Literally this means that
he came to Canaan from the other side of the Euphrates, but the sages interpret
the title in a deeper sense, too. He was on one side of a moral and spiritual
divide and the rest of the world was on the other. Righteous people must be
ready to endure such isolation; popularity is pleasant, but it can also be a
snare, because the natural desire to win the approval of others can lead people
to bend their principles.
There is often much talk in
the church that we need to make a ‘’paradigm shift’’ to stay relevant and
remain in the kingdom of YHVH. The following is a quote from a sincere serious
leader in the charismatic movement about making a paradigm shift: ‘’What if we
were wrong and they are right …. And the reason was that we misunderstood,
mistranslated and misinterpreted the scriptures?’’
Gen 12:2 “And I shall make you a great nation,(וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ,
לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל ) and bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a
blessing! (heb – I have
already made you a great nation)
Gen 12:3 “And I shall bless those who bless you,
and curse him who curses you. And in you all the clans of the earth shall be
blessed.”
In Hebrew there are various words used for the verb
"to curse" they are "arar, qualal, quabab".
"Arar" means "to curse thoroughly and properly in a premeditated manner with intention of bringing about great harm"
Qualal means "to revile or vilify in a casual way, to esteem lightly, to make a contemptuous comment to slight". It is a hasty reaction.
Quabab means "to pierce or bore through with a hole, to execrate, to stab with words".
The Arabic kebab derives from "quabab" it has come to be the word used to show the practice of sticking a pin into the effigy of a person to hurt him by an accident illness disaster or even death, is a common demonic exercise.
"Arar" means "to curse thoroughly and properly in a premeditated manner with intention of bringing about great harm"
Qualal means "to revile or vilify in a casual way, to esteem lightly, to make a contemptuous comment to slight". It is a hasty reaction.
Quabab means "to pierce or bore through with a hole, to execrate, to stab with words".
The Arabic kebab derives from "quabab" it has come to be the word used to show the practice of sticking a pin into the effigy of a person to hurt him by an accident illness disaster or even death, is a common demonic exercise.
To understand best the meaning of a word, one needs to go to the first time the word was used. In the case of the word “arar” or curse, this word first appears in Gen/Ber 3:14 When YHVH cursed the serpent. This was an extremely severe curse which resulted in ha satan’s eternal separation from YHVH and with no possibility to ever repent and return.
Here in vs 3 it
tells us that YHVH will "arar"(curse) those who "qualal"
Abram.
Two different words for curse are used in this
sentence. The word “qualal” (779) is a piel verb and carries a meaning of
treating with utter contempt.
We have seen over the years how the Jewish people have
been treated with “utter contempt”
Sadly, some in the Messianic restoration are too
treated with contempt. This is an extremely dangerous position to take against
someone who is identified with or seeking to be identified in covenant with the
YHVH of Yisrael through the Moshiach according to the Torah.
Gen 12:4 So Aḇram left, as יהוה had
commanded him, and Lot went with him. And Aḇram was seventy-five years old when
he set out from Ḥaran.
Gen 12:5 And Aḇram took Sarai his wife and Lot
his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the
beings whom they had acquired in Ḥaran, and they set out for the land of
Kena‛an. And they came to the land of Kena‛an.
Gen 12:6 And Aḇram passed through the land to
the place of Sheḵem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. At that time the
Kena‛anites were in the land.
“Shechem” means back or shoulder. The Hebrew word “elyon” is used for
“Terebinth”. ”Elyon” means “supreme” or
an oak or Terebinth tree, ploughs were made from these trees. ‘’Moreh” means “Teacher”. The Torah is referred to as
a ‘’yoke’’ –
Yeshua taught us that his yoke was not burdensome -
Mat 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labour and are burdened,
and I shall give you rest.
Mat 11:29 “Take My
yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart, and you
shall find rest for your beings.[d] Footnote: d Jer_6:16. Mat 11:30 “For My yoke is gentle
and My burden is light.”
Gen 12:7 And יהוה appeared to Aḇram and said, “To your seed
I give this land.” And he built there a slaughter-place to יהוה, who
had appeared to him. (please
note the land was not given to the Palestinians or Jebusites)
Gen 12:8 And from there he moved to the mountain
east of Běyth Ěl, and he pitched his
(her) tent, with Běyth Ěl on the west and Ai on the east. And he built there
a slaughter-place to יהוה, and called on the Name of יהוה. (Gen 3:15)
Gen 12:9 And Aḇram set out, continuing toward
the South. (ha negeva)
This is the pattern
of Abraham’s seed; before we enter the promised land we go into the wilderness.
Abram and Sarai in Egypt/Mitsrayim
Gen 12:10 And a scarcity of food came to be in
the land, and Aḇram went down to Mitsrayim to dwell there, for the scarcity of
food was severe in the land.
Gen 12:11 And it came to be, when he was close
to entering Mitsrayim, that he said to Sarai his wife, “See, I know that you
are a beautiful woman to look at.
Gen 12:12 “And it shall be, when the Mitsrites
see you, that they shall say, ‘This is his wife.’ And they shall kill me, but
let you live.
Gen 12:13 “Please say you are my sister, so that
it shall be well with me for your sake, and my life be spared because of
you.”
Gen 12:14 And it came to be, when Aḇram came
into Mitsrayim, that the Mitsrites saw the woman, that she was very
beautiful.
Gen 12:15 And Pharaoh’s officials saw her and
praised her before Pharaoh, and the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house.
Gen 12:16 And he treated Aḇram well for her
sake, and he had sheep, and cattle, and male donkeys, and male and female
servants, and female donkeys, and camels.
Gen 12:17 But יהוה plagued Pharaoh and his house with great
plagues because of Sarai, Aḇram’s wife.
Gen 12:18 And Pharaoh called Aḇram and said,
“What is this you have done to me? Why did you not inform me that she was your
wife?
Gen 12:19 “Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?
And so I was going to take her for my wife. Look, here is your wife, take her
and go.”
Gen 12:20 And Pharaoh commanded his men
concerning him, and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he
had.
The Talmud
identifies Sarai with Iscah, daughter of Abraham's deceased
brother Haran, so that in this Sarah turns out to be the niece of Abraham and
the sister of Lot and Milcah. Rashi on Genesis 20:12 She is [indeed] my sister,
my father's daughter. See also Lev 18.
1Pe 3:1 In the same way, wives, be subject to
your own husbands, so that if any are disobedient to the Word, they, without a
word, might be won by the behaviour of their wives,
1Pe 3:2 having seen your blameless behaviour in
fear.
1Pe 3:3 Your adornment should not be outward –
arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on dresses –
1Pe 3:4 but the hidden man of the heart, with the
incorruptible ornament of a meek and peaceable spirit, which is of great value
before Elohim.
1Pe 3:5 For in this way, in former times, the
set-apart women who trusted in Elohim also adorned themselves, being subject to
their own husbands,
1Pe 3:6 as Sarah obeyed Aḇraham, calling him
master, of whom you became children, doing good, and not frightened by any
fear.
1Pe 3:7 In the same way, husbands, live
understandingly together, giving respect to the wife, as to the weaker vessel,
and as being heirs together of the favour of life, so that your prayers are not
hindered.
Abram and Lot Separate
Gen 13:1 And Aḇram went up from Mitsrayim into
the South, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him.
Gen 13:2 And Aḇram was very rich in livestock,
in silver, and in gold.
Gen 13:3 And he went on his journey from the
South as far as Běyth Ěl, to the place where his tent had been at the
beginning, between Běyth Ěl and Ai,
Gen 13:4 to the place of the slaughter-place
which he had made there at first. And there Aḇram called on the Name of יהוה.
Gen 13:5 Now Lot, who went with Aḇram, also had
flocks and herds and tents.
Gen 13:6 And the land was not able to bear them,
that they might dwell together, for their possessions were great, so that they could
not dwell together.
Gen 13:7 And there was strife between the
herdsmen of Aḇram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. And at that
time the Kena‛anites and the Perizzites dwelt in the land.
Gen 13:8 Then Aḇram said to Lot, “Let there be
no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we
are brothers.
Gen 13:9 “Is not all the land before you? Please
separate from me. If you take the left, then I go to the right; or, if you go
to the right, then I go to the left.”
Gen 13:10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all
the plain of the Yarděn, that it was well watered everywhere – before יהוה
destroyed Seḏom and Amorah – like the garden of יהוה, like the land of Mitsrayim
as you go toward Tso‛ar.
Gen 13:11 So Lot chose for himself all the plain
of the Yarděn, and Lot moved east. Thus they separated from each other,
Gen 13:12 Aḇram dwelling in the land of Kena‛an,
and Lot dwelling in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent(va eohal- tenting or pilgrimaging) as far as
Seḏom.
Gen 13:13 But the men of Seḏom were evil and
sinned before יהוה, exceedingly so.
Gen 13:14 And after Lot had separated from him, יהוה said
to Aḇram, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward
and southward and eastward and westward,
Gen 13:15 for all the land which you see I shall
give to you and your seed forever.
Gen 13:16 “And I shall make your seed as the
dust of the earth, so that, if a man could count the dust of the earth, then
your seed also could be counted.
Gen 13:17 “Arise, walk in the land through its
length and its width, for I give it to you.”
Gen 13:18 So Aḇram moved his tent,(va eohal – tenting) and went and dwelt by
the terebinth trees of Mamrě, which are in Ḥeḇron, and built a slaughter-place
there to יהוה.
The Book of Jasher, however, as well as some other
Midrash literature, speaks about Terach (Avram’s father) being a general in
King Nimrod’s army when Avram was born. Because of an astrological omen, Nimrod
decided to kill all new born children in his kingdom, since he was afraid that
a new king had been born that would oust him from his throne. Terach gave
Nimrod a newborn child of one of his maidservants and said that it was Avram.
By this ruse, Avram was able to survive the first attack on his life and was
hidden in a cave for 13 years. This was the first of the ten great trials that
our forefather Avram was exposed to.
The second test that the Midrash literatures tell us
about was when Avram refused to worship his father Terach’s gods of wood and
stone. He also challenged King Nimrod’s idolatry and was therefore imprisoned
for 10 years and afterward thrown into a burning oven together with his brother
Haran. YHVH delivered him from the test by a miracle, but his brother was
consumed by the flames.
Because of all this Terach decided to leave Ur; in
order to have peace in the family. He had planned to travel all the way to the
land of Kana’an. He never succeeded in reaching it, but stopped halfway, in Charan,
which is in the southeast part of what is known today as Turkey.
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.)