Parashat 4 Portion 18 – Beresheet/Genesis 21:1-34 – 1 Samuel 2:21-28 –Matthew 1:18-25

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.)

Several years ago an old Chinese missionary who had suffered much as a believer in his own country was invited to visit several American churches. He was asked after his tour to these churches what it was that impressed him the most about American Christians. He responded by saying that he was deeply impressed about what these believers had accomplished without the help of YHVH.

This Torah portion helps us realize that in our flesh dwells no good thing - Rom 7:18 - “For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good”.

We as believers struggle to come to terms with this fact in our lives. We simply cannot produce in ourselves what is desired to make us good and acceptable to YHVH.

     Rom 5:12  For this reason, even as through one man sin did enter into the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned – It is for this reason that we mourn our true condition before YHVH and live lives of deep repentance and humility before man and our Creator.

Where does YHVH dwell?

Yeshayahu/Isa 57:15  For thus declares the high and exalted One who dwells forever, whose Name is set-apart, “I dwell in the high and set-apart place, with him who has a bruised and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of bruised ones.

Gen 21:1  And יהוה visited Sarah as He had said, and יהוה did for Sarah as He had spoken.

We see a pattern in scripture that whenever YHVH “visits” us or a people, something happens (Heb –“asah”) this can be good and sometimes not good.  

We see this pattern confirmed in the next verse, YHVH visits the 90 year old Sarah and she conceives, as a result of this visitation Sarah gives birth to a son (vs 2)

YHVH still longs to visit His people - Rev 3:20  “See, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I shall come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

We are challenged to discern the “knocking on the door of lives and situations” and then responding appropriately. This often opens up to us great opportunities of blessing in our lives that otherwise would not have been possible.

We see in the above verse in Revelation as well at the passage of scripture in Matthew 25 about the parable of the 10 virgins that YHVH often visits when we least expect it.  

Tehillim/Psalm 15 gives us some very valuable instruction concerning visiting and permanently dwelling in His presence.

Psa 15:1  יהוה, who does sojourn(visit as a guest) in Your Tent? Who does dwell (permanently) in Your set-apart mountain?

Psa 15:2  He who walks blamelessly, And does righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart.

Psa 15:3  He has not slandered with his tongue, He has not done evil to his neighbour, Nor lifted up a reproach against his friend;

Psa 15:4  In whose eyes a reprobate one is despised, But he esteems those who fear יהוה; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

Psa 15:5  He has not put out his silver at interest, And has not taken a bribe against the innocent. He who does these is never moved.

Every time we come to the Torah to embrace its perfection in its entirety we connect or visit with YHVH.

It may be only those who seek and desire such visitations that will one day permanently dwell in His Presence on His Mountain -  Tzion.

Parashat 4 Portion 17 - Beresheet/Genesis 20:1-18

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.)

According to scholars the triennial system of Torah study was used during the first century. This would imply that this was one of Yahshua’s first sermons he delivered in a local synagogue in Nazareth. We know this from the Haftarah attached to this Torah reading – Yeshayahu 61 –

After Yahshua returns from his “mikvah” and the 40 day fast in the wilderness we read the following:

     Luk 4:14  And יהושע returned in the power of the Spirit to Galil, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding country.

Luk 4:15  And He was teaching in their congregations, being praised by all.

Luk 4:16  And He came to Natsareth, where He had been brought up. And according to His practice, He went into the congregation on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

Luk 4:17  And the scroll of the prophet Yeshayahu was handed to Him. And having unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it was written:

Luk 4:18  “The Spirit of יהוה is upon Me,¹ because He has anointed Me to bring the Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send away crushed ones with a release, Footnote: ¹Isa. 61:1-3.

Luk 4:19  to proclaim the acceptable year of יהוה.”¹ Footnote: ¹Isa. 61:1-2.

Luk 4:20  And having rolled up the scroll, He gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the congregation were fixed upon Him.

Luk 4:21  And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been filled in your hearing.”

Luk 4:22  And all were bearing witness to Him, and marvelled at the pleasant words that came out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not the son of Yosĕph?”

Luk 4:29  And rising up they drove Him out of the city, and brought Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, in order to throw Him down.

Luk 4:30  But He, passing through the midst of them, went away.

Why is this so significant in the light of this week’s Torah portion?

The Second Writings seem to suggest that it was after announcing Yahshua’s intention of healing the broken hearted, proclaiming release to the captive, recovery of sight to the blind, and the setting free of the crushed that his ministry began to testify of these blessings.

Yes/Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Master יהוה is upon Me, because יהוה has anointed Me to bring good news to the meek. He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,

Isa 61:2  to proclaim the acceptable year of יהוה, and the day of vengeance of our Elohim, to comfort all who mourn,

Isa 61:3  to appoint unto those who mourn in Tsiyon: to give them embellishment for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. And they shall be called trees of righteousness, a planting of יהוה, to be adorned.

Isa 61:4  And they shall rebuild the old ruins, raise up the former wastes. And they shall restore the ruined cities, the wastes of many generations.

Isa 61:5  And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the foreigner be your ploughmen and your vinedressers.

Isa 61:6  But you shall be called, ‘Priests of יהוה,’ ‘Servants of our Elohim’ shall be said of you. You shall consume the strength of the gentiles, and boast in their esteem.

Isa 61:7  Instead of your shame and reproach, they rejoice a second time in their portion. Therefore they take possession a second time in their land, everlasting joy is theirs.

Isa 61:8  “For I, יהוה, love right-ruling; I hate robbery for burnt offering. And I shall give their reward in truth, and make an everlasting covenant with them.

Isa 61:9  “And their seed shall be known among the gentiles, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples. All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed יהוה has blessed.”

Isa 61:10  I greatly rejoice in יהוה, my being exults in my Elohim. For He has put garments of deliverance on me, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isa 61:11  For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the seed to shoot up, so the Master יהוה causes righteousness and praise to shoot up before all the nations!

Beresheet/Gen 20:1  And Aḇraham set out from there to the land of the South, and dwelt between Qaḏĕsh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar.

      ויסע^H5265  משׁם^H8033  אברהם^H85  ארצה^H776  הנגב^H5045  וישׁב^H3427  בין^H996  קדשׁ^H6946  ובין^H996  שׁור^H7793  ויגר^H1481  בגרר׃^H1642  Gen 20:1 

Avraham moved towards a parched land (S5045 means south or parched in Hebrew), he stays in a place which means “chewing the cud” between two cities, Kadesh/Qadesh which  means “set apart” and Shur which could mean “travelling about” implying his nomadic existence (itinerant ministry).

We can therefore midrashically deduce that those who follow in his footsteps, will also find themselves in a spiritual wilderness knowing  that it is the set apart place until Messiah comes to rescue us and that our lives  here on earth are of a temporary and passing nature. It is with this mind - set that we arm ourselves for this life and prepare ourselves for the next.

Parashat 4 Portion 16 – Beresheet/Genesis 19: 1-38

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.)

In Beresheet/Genesis, chapters 18 and 19 it appears that the Torah is speaking about  two different kinds of people – Those that have crossed over, the “Ivrim” or the Hebrews like Avraham and those whose understanding has been veiled and they refuse to cross over and remain in enemy territory. It is prophetically significant that Lot’s name means “veiled.”

The Hebrews were following the Torah, those from the house of Avraham. Lot however is like many believers today that will need to be rescued in the last days because they have chosen not to cross over from man- made religion into YHVH’s kingdom because of the veil that remains over their understanding.

 2Co 3:14  But their minds were hardened, for to this day, when the old covenant is being read, that same veil remains, not lifted, because in Messiah it is taken away.

2Co 3:15  But to this day, when Mosheh is being read, a veil lies on their heart.

2Co 3:16  And when one turns to the Master, the veil is taken away.

2Co 3:17  Now יהוה is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of יהוה is, there is freedom.

2Co 3:18  And we all, as with unveiled face we see as in a mirror the esteem of יהוה, are being transformed into the same likeness from esteem to esteem, as from יהוה, the Spirit.

Let us not jump to conclusions that the above scripture refers to the Jews only. It refers to all those who have a faulty image of the Messiah. Today evidence abounds amongst many believers that their understanding has become dull when the Torah is read and taught.

Gen 19:1  And the two messengers came to Seḏom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Seḏom. And when Lot saw them, he rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground,

Rashi holds forth the fact that the Hebrew word for “sat”, “yoshev”, is written in an incomplete way, missing the letter vav. That indicates that Lot had been appointed judge just that day.

However one must also consider the possibility that the judges only sat in the city gates to judge during the day. Why then was Lot sitting at the gate during the evening?

Was this not perhaps an expectation of hearing or receiving a message from a messenger or a prophet.

Remember Lots name means “covering or a veil”; is it not possible that because Lot chose that which was pleasing to his eye and flesh that there was a veil over his understanding of what the will and purpose of YHVH was and was he desperately seeking and waiting to be rescued from his lawless environment.

Perhaps once again in the last days many will see the futility of their Torahless lives and grieve at the loss and devastation that has come about in their lives as a result of their Torahlessness.

We need to notice that YHVH goes to a great deal of trouble to save a remnant from Sodom, will He do so again? I believe He will.

…. and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground….

Quote:

“bowed with his face to the ground” – The root of this Hebrew word is “shachah”[1][13] which means to bow down in reverence. The word was translated into Greek as “proskuneo”[2][14] which, in large, has the same meaning. Neither of these words represent the English word “worship” in the sense of “bowing in respect before the Highest”. It can be understood that way when it is used in connection with ministry before the Eternal. But this is not its principal meaning. If “shachah” had meant “worship”, then Lot would have sinned when he bowed down to the earth before these angels from the Highest.

 

If you dig deeply into these terms, you will see that when the Christian Bible translations speak about worshipping Yahshua or Eloha’s Son, it is not necessarily correctly translated. It is, rather, an interpretation of these words, where an implication has been incorporated that is not obvious, it is in  these cases that the catholic trinity doctrine has coloured the choice of words of the translators.

 

When you go through the book of Revelation, you see that the Lamb does not receive any worship. Only the Father receives that. It is forbidden to worship the Son in the same way that the Father is to be worshipped. To worship means, actually, to confess someone as one’s highest authority, and the Son does not have that authority. The Father is above him and if one worships the Son, the Father is set aside. He is the One that has given the Son all power.

 

According to Philippians 2 every knee will bow in Yahshua’s name. That does not mean that they will bow before Yahshua, but before the Father in the name of Yahshua; which means that through Yahshua all will confess the Father as the highest authority. In this way the Father is glorified through the Son, as it is written in Philippians 2:11:

 

“and that every tongue should confess that Yashua HaMashiach is Adon, to the glory of Eloha the Father.”(MRC revised)

Php 2:11  and every tongue should confess that יהושע Messiah is Master, to the esteem of Elohim the Father. (The Scriptures)

Isa 45:23  “I have sworn by Myself, a word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, so that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue swear.

Isa 45:24  “One shall say, ‘Only in יהוה do I have righteousness and strength’ – he comes to Him. And all those displeased with Him shall be put to shame.

Now, one can bow in reverence before the Son and confess the authority that he has received from the Father, but not in order to worship him as if he was instead of the Father. In Judaism, a son can never rise above his father or replace his father during his lifetime. Christianity has replaced the Father with the Son, by singing to him as if he was th