Lesson date: 10/20/5857AA

There are many things that trigger my curiousity when reading Scripture. One is when I see the word H853 and the other is when I see the word Mamre or Miqlah/Miklah. The word Miqlat is used about 20 times in Scripture and when we see it it is referring to a refuge or asylum. What we have is a situation where we see a reference to a city of refuge without actually seeing the word Miqlat, from the root word H4733 but it does not specifically state the word refuge. In Numbers 35 the word Miqlat is used 11 times. In Joshua it is used 7 times and in 2 Chronicles it is used twice but here, where it is is the subject of discussion it is not used. The reason I look for Miqlah/Miklah and Mamre is that those wose in Aramaic represent “the Word” of Elohim. Case in point: Exo_12:23 “And יהוה shall pass on to smite the Mitsrites, and shall see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and יהוה shall pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you.

In this verse of Scripture in Hebrew the word used is H7843 – שׁחת – shâchath – it is used in the Hiphil verb tense and means destroyer, waster, spoiler but in Aramaic the word used is Mamre. So, what YHVH is saying that He, YHVH, will put His Name on His Word and His Word will kill the first born of Egypt in the role of the Destroyer. It is much clearer, to me, in Aramaic than in Hebrew or English. Remember who the speaker is here; YHVH right? Once again we see YHVH speaking in the third person so he is speaking about the angel upon whom He has placed His Name, Yeshu’a.

Hree is a riddle; what is the name of the man who replaced Mosheh and led the Children of Yira’el into the Land? H3091 – יהושׁע / יהושׁוּע – yehôshûa‛ – BDB Definition: Joshua or Jehoshua = “Jehovah is salvation” Now, what was the Name of the Son of God? Jesus? Nope. Look up Yeshu’a’s name and you will find that it is G2424 which is Greek for H3091 Yehôshûa: Exo 20:7 “You do not bring the Name of יהוה your Elohim to naught, for יהוה does not leave the one unpunished who brings His Name to naught.

Now you know why it takes me so long to do a Torah study. All of these things point to inconsistencies in translation and I have to ask, “How much was accidental?” Remember how I have said over and over David was the William Shakespeare of Hebrew? Look at this: (KJV) Psa 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

(ISR) Psa 2:12 Kiss the Chosen, lest He be enraged, And you perish in the way, For soon His wrath is to be kindled. Blessed are all those taking refuge in Him.

Exo 23:20 “See, I am sending a Messenger before you to guard you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.

Exo 23:21 “Be on guard before Him and obey His voice. Do not rebel against Him, for He is not going to pardon your transgression, for My Name is in Him. ((Notice any similarities in the two?))

How did David write in a language that had not come into being, Aramaic, until after his death to write Bar = Son? Transcription error? Guess what? We are back to refuge.

((This is an early note that I had placed in the same Torah study three years ago and I will put it here: Also, the phrase “revenger of blood” is only used eight times and only in association with the cities of refuge, Number 35 and Deuteronomy 19. Now, when I looked at this passage in Hebrew I was shocked. I could not believe that I had not noticed this before. Ayth/ets/H853 was used about a dozen times in almost as many verses. This made me go back and look closer because I was missing something. Then I found my clue.))

Revenger (of blood): H1350 – גָּאַל – gâ’al – gaw-al’ – A primitive root, to redeem (according to the Oriental law of kinship), that is, to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative’s property, marry his widow, etc.): – X in any wise, X at all, avenger, deliver, (do, perform the part of near, next) kinsfolk (-man), purchase, ransom, redeem (-er), revenger.

Exo 6:6  “Say, therefore, to the children of Yisra’ĕl, ‘I am יהוה, and I shall bring you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites, and shall deliver you from their enslaving, and shall redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments,

Deu_7:8  but because of יהוה loving you, and because of Him guarding the oath which He swore to your fathers, יהוה has brought you out with a strong hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim.

Deu_9:26  “And I prayed to יהוה, and said, ‘O Master יהוה, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance whom You have redeemed in Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Mitsrayim with a strong hand.

Deu_13:5  “And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams is put to death, because he has spoken apostasy against יהוה your Elohim – who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim and redeemed you from the house of bondage – to make you stray from the way in which יהוה your Elohim commanded you to walk. Thus you shall purge the evil from your midst.

Deu_15:15  “And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Mitsrayim, and יהוה your Elohim redeemed you. Therefore I am commanding you this word today.

Deu_21:8  ‘O יהוה, forgive Your people Yisra’ĕl, whom You have redeemed, and do not allow innocent blood in the midst of Your people Yisra’ĕl.’ And the blood-guilt shall be pardoned to them.

Deu_24:18  “But you shall remember that you were a slave in Mitsrayim, and that יהוה your Elohim redeemed you from there. Therefore I am commanding you to do this word.

((Earlier comment about the same chapter Torah study: I had my answer. The very same thing we discussed on Yom Kippur and ties in perfectly with Jim’s question about “why are there two feasts, one at the beginning of the year in spring and one at the end of the year in fall about the death of Yeshua?”))

As we discussed, the observance of the death of the Passover Lamb brought us redemption. YHVH redeemed us out of Mitsrayim, sin or bondage to sin and lead us in His Perfect Way, Torah, and after the second coming of Yeshua, Yom Teruah, if we are judged and found worthy we are atoned for by the blood of the Lamb: Lev 23:28  “And you do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before יהוה your Elohim.

Atonement: H3722 – כָּפַר – kâphar – kaw-far’: A primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen).

Once again, we see a specific use for a specific function having to do with the blood and in Deuteronomy it is in reference to ‘innocent’ blood. The murderer would have been put to death outside the city gates. It is only the innocent who are allowed to take refuge within the city of refuge. Think back a couple of chapters to Deu. 17: Deu 17:11  “Do according to the Torah in which they teach you, according to the right-ruling which they say to you. You do not turn to the right or to the left from the word which they declare to you.

Deu 17:12  “And the man who acts arrogantly, so as not to listen to the priest who stands to serve there before יהוה your Elohim, or to the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Yisra’ĕl.

Deu 17:13  “And let all the people hear and fear, and no longer do arrogantly.

Now let’s look at Deu. 19 and Number 35 together: Num. 35:15 for anyone who accidentally kills someone to flee there.

Num 35:27  and the revenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the revenger of blood kills him who killed someone, he is not guilty of blood,

Num 35:28  because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest he who killed someone is to return to the land of his possession.

So, if we sin innocently, we can flee to the City of Refuge (Torah) and the Revenger (Redeemer) of Blood will cover us with His Blood as long as we remain there. After the death of the High Priest we are completely atoned for (covered) and are able to return to the land of our possession (Eternity). But, if we defy the Torah of YHVH our Elohim arrogantly, we are put to death,*** because there is no atonement for the one who sins arrogantly.

***:Rev_2:11  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes shall by no means be harmed by the second death.”

Rev_20:6  Blessed and set-apart is the one having part in the first resurrection. The second death possesses no authority over these, but they shall be priests of Elohim and of Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Rev_20:14  And the death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev_21:8  “But as for the cowardly, and untrustworthy, and abominable, and murderers, and those who whore, and drug sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the false, their part is in the lake which burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”

City of Refuge = Torah

Revenger/Redeemer of blood = Yeshua

High Priest = Yeshua

Torah of YHVH = Yeshua

Verse 14 – After that I need a simple verse. Do move your neighbors boundaries. Wow, that was simple. The word for border used here is: H1366 – גְּבֻל  גְּבוּל – gebûl  gebûl – gheb-ool’, gheb-ool’: From H1379; properly a cord (as twisted), that is, (by implication) a boundary; by extension the territory inclosed: – border, bound, coast, X great, landmark, limit, quarter, space. Oops, wait a minute. The word boundary here is the same as the word limit used in Numbers 35:26 for “limits of the city of refuge”. What is being said here?

Do not move the limits (Torah) of your neighbor. Don’t tell your neighbor that Torah no longer applies. Don’t tell people that there are no limits since the High Priest died. You can do anything and be forgiven, one time, forever. Once saved always saved.

Mat_18:6  “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Mat_18:6  “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Mat_18:14  “Thus it is not the desire of your Father who is in the heavens that one of these little ones should be lost.

Mar_9:42  “And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

Luk_17:2  “It would be better for him if a millstone is put around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.

1Co 8:8  But food does not commend us to Elohim, for we are none the better if we eat, nor any worse for not eating.

1Co 8:9  But look to it, lest somehow this right of yours become a stumbling-block to those who are weak.

1Co 8:10  For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s place, shall not his conscience, if he is weak, be built up to eat food offered to idols?

1Co 8:11  So this, weak brother, for whom Messiah died, shall perish through your knowledge!

1Co 8:12  Now sinning in this way against the brothers, and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Messiah.

1Co 8:13  Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I am never again going to eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Little one = weak brother, those who are weak.

Please remember, Sha’ul is talking about clean animals that were sacrificed to idols not pork, squirrel, rabbit or any other unclean meat. This was not considered food.

If you move your brothers’ boundaries (Torah) and tell them that Torah is done away with you are causing them to sin and it is better for you to place the large bottom millstone around your neck and throw yourself in a well or sea. (See second death above.)

Verse 15 – by two or three witnesses is a matter established: Deu_31:26  “Take this Book of the Torah, and you shall place it beside the ark of the covenant of יהוה your Elohim, and it shall be there as a witness against you,

Deu_31:28  “Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, so that I speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth*** to witness against them.

Exo_25:16  “And into the ark you shall put the Witness which I give you.

Exo_25:21  “And you shall put the lid of atonement on top of the ark, and put into the ark the Witness which I give you.

Exo_25:22  “And I shall meet with you there, and from above the lid of atonement, from between the two keruḇim which are on the ark of the Witness, I shall speak to you all that which I command you concerning the children of Yisra’ĕl.

There are too many verses in Scripture that call the Ark of the Covenant the Ark of the Witness ti include them all here.

***How is heaven and earth a witness against us? By the mouth of the Messiah: Mat 5:18  “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.

Has heaven or earth passed away. No? Then Torah is still alive and well.

PLEASE NOTICE THIS SCRIPTURE ONE MORE TIME:

Exo_32:15  And Mosheh turned and went down from the mountain, and in his hand were the two tablets of the Witness, tablets written on both their sides, written on the one and on the other.

They were not giants blocks of stone. They were small and could be easily carried in one hand, not Charlton Heston struggling under the weight of two blocks of granite. They were small and compact.

Rev 10:8  And the voice which I heard out of the heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is opened in the hand of the messenger standing on the sea and on the earth.”

Rev 10:9  And I went to the messenger and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it, and it shall make your stomach bitter, but it shall be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the messenger’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.

Now compare Rev. 10 to Eze. 2 & 3:

Eze 2:8  “And you, son of man, hear what I am speaking to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house, open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”

Eze 2:9  And I looked and saw a hand stretched out to me. And see, a scroll of a book was in it,

Eze 2:10  and He spread it before me, and it was written on the inside and on the outside. And written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.(( Sort of sounds like the message of Revelation doesn’t it.))

Eze 3:2  And I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll.

Eze 3:3  And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I am giving you.” And I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Psa 119:99  I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your witnesses are my study.

Psa 119:100  I understand more than the aged, For I have observed Your orders.

Psa 119:101  I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I might guard Your word.

Psa 119:102  I have not turned aside from Your right-rulings, For You Yourself have taught me.

Psa 119:103  How sweet to my taste has Your word been, More than honey to my mouth!

Feeding the scroll is a Hebraism for reading/teaching Torah, the Word of Elohim. “Take eat” is a Hebraism for acquiring knowledge. Sweet as honey is a Hebraism for goodness or right-ruling. We have talked about this before, on the first day of Torah school a young Hebrew boy was given a piece of an old Torah scroll dipped in honey and they would chew it and swallow it. It would often make them sick to their stomach. These same phrases are being used so that all Torah believers will understand what is being illustrated by the symbology. But, if you don’t believe Torah is still alive and as vibrant today as it was in Yeshua’s day you won’t understand what is being spoken of here.

Verses 16-19 – Bearing false witness: Exo 20:16  “You do not bear false witness against your neighbour.

What was the false witness of the ‘accuser’?  “to accuse him of turning aside”

Turn aside from what? Deu 5:32  “And you shall guard to do as יהוה your Elohim has commanded you – do not turn aside, to the right or to the left.

Deu_17:11  “Do according to the Torah in which they teach you, according to the right-ruling which they say to you. You do not turn to the right or to the left from the word which they declare to you.

Deu_17:20  so that his heart is not lifted up above his brothers, and so as not to turn aside from the command, right or left, so that he prolongs his days in his reign, he and his children, in the midst of Yisra’ĕl.

Deu_28:14  “And do not turn aside from any of the Words which I am commanding you today, right or left, to go after other mighty ones to serve them.

We are not to turn aside from the ‘way’. We see it over and over in Torah. But do we see it in the B’rit Hadasha? Mat_3:3  For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Yeshayahu, saying, “A voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of יהוה, make His paths straight.’

Mat_7:13  “Enter in through the narrow gate! Because the gate is wide – and the way is broad – that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in through it.

Mat_7:14  “Because the gate is narrow and the way is hard pressed1 which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Mat_22:16  And they sent to Him their taught ones with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of Elohim in truth, and it does not concern You about anyone, for You are not partial to any man.

Joh_14:5  T’oma said to Him, “Master, we do not know where You are going, and how are we able to know the way?”

Joh_14:6  יהושע said to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Act_9:2  asked from him letters to the congregations of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, to bring them bound to Yerushalayim.

Act_19:9  But when some were hardened and did not believe, speaking evil of the Way before the crowd, he withdrew from them and separated the taught ones, reasoning daily in the school of Turannos.

Act_19:23  And about that time there came to be a great commotion about the Way.

Act_24:14  “And this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the Elohim of my fathers, believing all that has been written in the Torah and in the Prophets,

Act_24:22  And having heard this, having known more exactly about the Way, Felix put them off, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I shall decide your case.”

There are many more but these are enough. If you look closely the believers in the Messiah were called the “sect of the Way”

But in Deuteronomy verse 17 it is only one accuser. What happens? Both the accused and the Accuser stand before YHVH, the Judge.

Just like Hasatan accused Job in the divine Council he will accuse us before YHVH. But our High Priest will make atonement (cover) for our sins and the Judge will rightly rule according to what has been written in the Book of Life.

Remember the blessing of Yom Kippur: My your name be found written in the Book of Life!