Bereshith (Genesis) 13 — Living by faith, not sight

Lesson date: 13/08/5854AA

It was 46 years ago that I first studied Egyptian Arabic. It seems like yesterday. One of the peculiarities of Egyptian is that the Nile River flows from South to North so, if you go down the river in a boat you are actually ascending on a map from South to North. Here in the US we would something like “Down South” or “Up North”, this doesn’t work in this part of the world. The southern border of Israel is the Negeb(v) desert and the southern most point is the River of Egypt or, the Brook of Egypt or as it is known today as Wadi El ‘Arish.

Verses 1-3 – Here we see the description of Abram’s travel sound a little confusing but actually it is correct. Abram has just left the Fortress of On in the Land of Goshen, where his descendants would one day find sanctuary and is now moving northward into the Negeb(v). Let’s follow this to its conclusion. What we have is a nuance: alah – עלה – ‛âlâh – Strong’s H5927 meaning, ‘to go up, ascend, climb, approach, go’. A derivative of this root word is the term used for ‘whole burnt offering’ – עֹלָה olah – Strong’s H5930 meaning, ‘whole burnt offering, ascent, staircase, stairway’. עלה (H5927) and עֹלָה (H5930)

Do you see the difference for “going up, to ascend” and whole burnt offering or “ascending offering”? It is very subtle. Why? Mitsrayim is synonymous with sin and debauchery, just like Sedom and Babylon.

Rev 11:7 And when they have ended their witness, the beast coming up out of the pit of the deep shall fight against them, and overcome them, and kill them,

Rev 11:8 and their dead bodies lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sedom and Mitsrayim, where also our Master was impaled,

What did Abram do in Mitsrayim? What happens next?

Psa 40:6 Slaughtering and meal offering You did not desire; You have opened my ears; Burnt offering and sin offering You did not ask for.

Eph_5:2 And walk in love, as Messiah also has loved us, and gave Himself for us, a gift and an offering to Elohim for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

Heb 10:10 By that desire we have been set apart through the offering of the body of יהושע Messiah once for all.

Heb 10:11 And indeed every priest stands day by day doing service, and repeatedly offering the same slaughter offerings which are never able to take away sins.

Heb 10:12 But He, having offered one slaughter offering for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of Elohim,

Heb 10:13 waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet.

Verse 2 stresses the point that Abram was very rich and,

Verse 3 stresses the point that Abram returned to the place between the “House of Elohim” (Beyth El) and a heap of ruins, (Ai).

Verse 4 shows us that he returned to the altar he had built earlier and there, he called on the Name of YHVH. Having now returned to the altar he most likely repented for what he did in Mitsrayim.

Verses 5-10 – The problem is that Lot is rich with possessions also, so much so that the land is not able to bear all the livestock of both men. In this we see Abram trying to keep the peace by telling Lot to chose which was he will go and then he will go the opposite way.

Psa 133:1 See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity –

Psa 133:2 Like the precious oil on the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aharon, Running down on the collar of his robes –

Psa 133:3 Like the dew of Hermon, That comes down on the mountains of Tsiyon. For there יהוה commanded the blessing, Life forever!

Verse 11-15 – Abram chose to live by faith and Lot chose to live by sight, looking at what appeared to be good according to the flesh. Lot chose for himself and Abraham waited on YHVH.

It is not until Lot separates himself for Abram that YHVH blesses Abram. In chapter 12 verse 1 we see YHVH telling Abram to leave his relatives but in 12:4 we see him taking Lot with him. Once Lot leaves He can now bless Abram. Why?

Now, in verse 15 we see the difference between to the two men: Lot chose; YHVH gave to Abram.

Verse 16 – “And I shall make(H853) your seed”. Here is the blessing we see spoken of in Galatians: Gal 3:15 Brothers, as a man I say it: a covenant, even though it is man’s, yet if it is confirmed, no one sets it aside, or adds to it.

Gal 3:16 But the promises were spoken to Aḇraham, and to his Seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Messiah.

Verses 17-18 – After following YHVH instructions Abram go to the terebinth trees in Mamre and built an altar there. Mamre – H4471 – strength or fatness in Hebrew means Word in Aramaic. That in and of itself one might say was a coincidence but look at the meaning of Hebron: H2275 – חברון – chebrôn –

BDB Definition: Hebron = “association” or to unite, be joined, alliance made, allied, attached.

Lesson date: 04/09/5858AA

Rev 11:7 And when they have ended their witness, the beast coming up out of the pit of the deep shall fight against them, and overcome them, and kill them,

Rev 11:8 and their dead bodies lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sedom and Mitsrayim, where also our Master was impaled,

What did Abram do in Mitsrayim? What happens next?

Psa 40:6 Slaughtering and meal offering You did not desire; You have opened my ears; Burnt offering and sin offering You did not ask for.

Eph_5:2 And walk in love, as Messiah also has loved us, and gave Himself for us, a gift and an offering to Elohim for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

Heb 10:10 By that desire we have been set apart through the offering of the body of יהושע Messiah once for all.

Heb 10:11 And indeed every priest stands day by day doing service, and repeatedly offering the same slaughter offerings which are never able to take away sins.

Heb 10:12 But He, having offered one slaughter offering for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of Elohim,

Heb 10:13 waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet.

Verse 2 stresses the point that Abram was very rich and,

Verse 3 stresses the point that Abram returned to the place between the “House of Elohim” (Beyth El) and a heap of ruins, (Ai).

Verse 4 shows us that he returned to the altar he had built earlier and there, he called on the Name of YHVH. Having now returned to the altar he most likely repented for what was said or done in Mitsrayim. I’m sure that it would be like going to San Francisco or New Orleans in this day and time and just being there and seeing what was going on would be enough for me to repent. Evil there is a daily spectacle on display.

Psa 133:1 See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity –

Psa 133:2 Like the precious oil on the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aharon, Running down on the collar of his robes –

Psa 133:3 Like the dew of Hermon, That comes down on the mountains of Tsiyon. For there יהוה commanded the blessing, Life forever!

You can take Lot out of Mitsrayim but you can’t take Mitsrayim out of Lot and he sees the green Jordan valley, near Sedom and ‘Amorah which looked like Goshen in Mitsrayim and that is what Lot wanted. He craved for the comforts of the flesh. I know that the Scripture does not specifically say it and I am inferring this but I think it had a lot to do with his decision.

Verse 11-15 – Abram chose to live by faith and Lot chose to live by sight, looking at what appeared to be good according to the flesh. Lot chose for himself and Abraham waited on YHVH. Maybe Mrs. Lot had a lot to do with influencing Lot’s decision or, perhaps even his daughters but what ever it was Lot did chose to move in the direction of Sedom and ‘Amorah.

It is not until Lot separates himself for Abram that YHVH is able to bless Abram. In chapter 12 verse 1 we see YHVH telling Abram to leave his relatives but in 12:4 we see him taking Lot with him. Once Lot leaves He can now bless Abram. Why?

In Verse 14 YHVH commands Abram to look in all four directions, even in the direction that Lot went, and tells him that one day it would belong to his descendants.

Now, in verse 15 we see the diference between to the two men: Lot chose and went his way; YHVH gave to Abram.

Verse 16 – “And I shall make(H853) your seed”. Here is the blessing we see spoken of in Galations: Gal 3:15 Brothers, as a man I say it: a covenant, even though it is man’s, yet if it is confirmed, no one sets it aside, or adds to it.

Gal 3:16 But the promises were spoken to Abraham, and to his Seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Messiah.

Verses 17-18 – After following YHVH instructions Abram goes to the terebinth trees in Mamre and built an altar there. Personally, I believe that there is much more going on here than just dwelling by the terebinth trees of Mamre. Let’s hunt for clues: Mamre – H4471 – ממרא – mamrê’ – strength or fatness in Hebrew and it means Word in Aramaic. That in and of itself one might say was a coincidence but look at the meaning of Hebron: H2275 – חברון – chebrôn – BDB Definition: Hebron = “association” or to unite, be joined, alliance made, allied, attached.

If we put this together we see that Abram pitched his tent under the covering of the terebinth trees that are rooted in the Word and provide fatness and strength and are united with YHVH.

Here is a fun fact; did you know that “terebinth tree” does not occur in the KJV? Let’s look at just a few verses: (ISR) 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.

(KJV) Gen 12:6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

(ISR) Gen_18:1 And יהוה appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamrě, while he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.

(KJV) Gen 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

(ISR) Jdg_9:37 And Ga‛al spoke again and said, “See, people are coming down from the high part of the land, and another company is coming from the Diviners’ Terebinth Tree.”

(KJV) Jdg 9:37 And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.

(ISR) 2Sa_18:10 And a certain man saw it and informed Yo’aḇ, and said, “Look, I saw Aḇshalom hanging in a terebinth tree!”

(KJV) 2Sa 18:10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

Look and compare Judges 9:37 and now look at the word Meonenim in the KJV: H6049 – ענן – ‛ânan – BDB Definition: 1) (Piel) to make appear, produce, bring (clouds) 2) (Poel) to practise soothsaying, conjure 2a) to observe times, practice soothsaying or spiritism or magic or augury or witchcraft 2b) soothsayer, enchanter, sorceress, diviner, fortuneteller, barbarian, Meonenim (participle)

Which one would you say expresses the true intent in this Scripture? Was the only definition known, at the time of the 1611 translation of the KJV, for the Hebrew word “elon” – H436 – plain? I don’t know but it is never translated as a terebinth tree in the KJV, which for me changes the whole meaning of the passage. Just like our study of Joel 2:23: (KJV) Joe 2:23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

(ISR) Joe 2:23 And you children of Tsiyon, be glad and rejoice in יהוה your Elohim, for He shall give you the Teacher of Righteousness, and cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.

In a Scripture that gives us a clear prophecy of the coming of the Messiah we get a weather report. You could go so far as to say “former rain” = Torah; latter rain = Prophets. So please look: Mat 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete.

Please understand, I have pointed out many words in the ISR that I consider weak or misleading in their translation but are factually correct. This is understandable especially because the ISR is translated by speakers of English in South Africa, a whole different dialect of English from my Cajun-Texas dialect. Search out the Scripture and don’t just accept the words on the page in front of you as being the Word of Elohim. YHVH did not fax the Bible down to King James. Human men were involved, men who had their own prejudices and also under the threat of death if the sodomite king was not pleased. Compare the KJV to William Shakespeare’s play King Lear which was written about 1605-6. There was no Y sound in English at that time except the I. Also, there was no J sound in English because the J was taken from German prior to the 1644 version of the KJV came out but it was pronounced like the German J which is a Y. So Jehovah would sound like Yehovah, Jordan would sound like Yordan both of which are closer to the real pronunciation in Hebrew.

I am sorry about talking about this so much but it is because I was deceived for so long thinking that the KJV was the best version of Scripture when it clearly is not. I would go so far as to say it is actually deceptive, especially when you get into the B’rit Hadasha.

Ahavah vberakhot

CahalTx

Studying the End From the Beginning

Bereshith (Genesis) 13 — Living by faith, not sight

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