Lesson date: 4/22/5854AA
Hittites: חִּתִּי Ḥittiy – Strong’s H2850 – meaning “sons of Ḥeth” or “terror”.
Girgashites: – גִּ ר גשִּי Girgashiy – Strong’s H1622 – means “dwelling on a clayey soil” or ‘clay dwellers’ or ‘unsure foundation’.
Amorites: – אֱמֹרִּי Emoriy – Strong’s H567 – meaning ‘cave dwellers’. amar – Strong’s H559 which means, ‘utter, say, speak’ which can mean “boasters”.
Kena’anites: – כנַעֲנִּי Kena’aniy – Strong’s H3669 ‘zealous, lowlands people, brought down, defeated or made low’.
Perrizites: – פרִּזִּי Perizziy – Strong’s H6522 – means ‘belonging to a village’, ‘rustic village’ or ‘having a breach in the wall’.
Hivvites: – חִּוִּּי – Ḥivvi – Strong’s H2340 – meaning “villagers” a.k.a. “the dwellers of the high place”
Yebusites: – יבוּסִּי Yeḇusi – Strong’s H2983 – “sons of Yebus” – Strong’s H2982, comes from root word בוּס – bus – Strong’s H947 meaning ‘threshing, trample, trodden down, desecrate and utterly reject’.
You see these nations listed in the Table of Nation in Genesis 10:15-19 and you see that they were descendants of Ham, who sinned against his father Noah by sleeping with his mother. ((Lev 18:8 ‘The nakedness of your father’s wife you do not uncover, it is your father’s nakedness.)) And, we see them again in Genesis 15, where YHVH and Abraham enter into covenant and one of the conditions of the covenant was found in verse 16: “Then, in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the crookedness of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
Do you think all these people are gone? Extinct? Well, they are not, they are still among us, not the people themselves but the attributes of those people.
Hittites: Those who strike terror into the hearts of the “church”. They might say things like “you will burn in hell forever if you don’t walk down that aisle.” “The God of the Old Testament is a mean vengeful God, that is why we are New Testament Christians because Jesus is Love.”
Girgashites: these are the ones who dwell on an unsure foundation. You might hear these say something like “Don’t you know Jesus died to do away with Torah?” “Torah is the law and we are not under the law.” Didn’t you hear about the dream that Peter had that told us we can eat whatever we want to?”
Amorites: Remember, the Amorites are giants and they raise themselves up, so they can tower over you to impress upon you their superior education, learning, knowledge, ‘gift of the Holy Spirit’. You might hear them say: “Why I have been preaching for 50 years and I know for a fact…” or, “I went to the Dallas Theological Seminary, with Hal Lindsey, and I know…” or, “I know you mean right but, if you had read the Bible as many times as I have you would know what I am saying is the truth.”
Kena’anites: Be careful, these are the most deceptive, in my opinion. Where did the Kena’anites live? Gen 10:19 And the border of the Kenaʽanites was from Tsidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Azzah, as you go toward Sedom, and Amorah, and Admah, and Tseboyim, as far as Lasha.
They lived in the most sinful cities known to the human race. They were also in Tsidon, the richest city of its day. These are the ones that might say, “All you need is faith” “So and so walked down the aisle when he was 9 or 10 so I know he was saved.” Or, the other extreme, “God does not want His children poor and sick” or, “Name it and claim it”. ((Job should have named it and claimed it, then.)) Or, “I need a $54 million dollar Gulfstream jet to do God’s work. If Jesus was alive today He would have a jet.”
Perrizites: These are the ones who are divisive, absolutist, fiercely independent of any and all authority. They like to do their own thing. You might here them say something like, “We left the XYZ Convention because we think God loves everyone” or the other extreme is “It says the Name of God so that is what we call Him God.” They also lack vision because they view the world through a narrow gap in the wall. We are not supposed to cause a breach in the wall we are supposed to repair a breach in the wall.
Hivvites: Dwellers of high places. We are supposed to tear down high places, not dwell in them. You might here them declare: “We love God but we support rights for all people, even gay people” or “If Jesus were alive today He would support a woman’s right to an abortion.” Maybe you will hear something like: “God hates the sin but loves the sinners.”
Yebusites: Trample, trodden down, utterly reject the authority of YHVH’s Word. “We don’t have to follow Torah, Jesus did away with Torah, Just as I am without one plea…” or, “When James talks about works he is talking about going to church and Sunday School, not Torah.”
Verses 2-4: I grew up hearing this in my family home, “Don’t let your son or daughter marry a Catholic. They’ll lead your children away from God.” “Don’t unequally yoke yourself with an unbeliever.” Stop and think about this for a minute or two. Where did the Protestant denominations come from? Right, the Roman Catholic Church. “Why, how you compare us to the Catholics. They bow down to idols.” Yes, that is true but the Roman Catholic Church did away with Sabbath worship and instituted Sunday worship. What day do you worship on? The Catholic Church did away with sighting the sliver of the moon to begin the month/year. What do you do? Do you keep the Gregorian calendar named after Pope Gregory XIII? What Holy Days do you keep? Or, do you keep the holidays of the Roman Catholic Church, like Christ’s Mass? Or, Easter (Ishtar)? St. Patrick’s Day? St. Valentines Day? Fat Tuesday? Ash Wednesday? Good Friday? Etc. etc.
Verse 5: What are we supposed to do to all the groups opposed to Yah’s Word?
1 – Break down –נתַץ nathats – Strong’s H5422 – ‘break down, pull down, demolish, i.e., make physical impact on an object which results in its destruction, shatter, tear down’. This refers to their altars.
2 – Smash – שבַר shaḇar – Strong’s H7665 – ‘break in pieces, crush, shatter’. This is what they were to do to the pillars.
3 – Cut Down –גדַע gada – Strong’s H1438 – ‘cut down, chop, break down, cast down’.
4 – Burn – שרַף saraph – Strong’s H8313 – ‘to burn, burn up completely’.
Break down what? Slaughter-places, altars.
Smash what? Their pillars: pillar, mastaba, stump, pillar as a monument, personal memorial with an altar, stock, stump (of tree). You’re crazy. We’re Baptist, we don’t have any pillars.
You tell me.
Cut down what? Their Asherim: sacred trees or poles set up near an altar: Surely we don’t have any of these, right?
Burn what? Their carved images. Now, this is talking to the Catholics. I can assure you as a Baptist, Pentecostal, Assembly of God, etc. we have no carved images, period. End of story.
Getting the idea, yet? What we think is cute, may actually be an abomination to YHVH.
Verse 6: I enjoy the ISR Scriptures translation of ‘set-apart’ as opposed to the KJV translation of ‘holy’. Holy sounds as though it is some unattainable goa. but set-apart is what it is supposed to be, not like everyone else: Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim.
A ‘treasured possession’ = H5459 – סְגֻלָּה – segûllâh – seg-ool-law’ – Feminine passive participle of an unused root meaning to shut up; wealth (as closely shut up): – jewel, peculiar (treasure), proper good, special.
Possession – H5971 – עַם – ‛am – am – From H6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively a -lock: – folk, men, nation, people.
Verse 7: Deu 7:7 “יהוה did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more numerous than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples,
H2836 – חָשַׁק – châshaq – khaw-shak’ – A primitive root; to cling, that is, join (figuratively) to love, delight in; elliptically (or by interchange for H2820) to deliver: – have a delight, (have a) desire, fillet, long, set (in) love.
Are we more numerous than the ‘Christians”? No, we are not. We are a tiny minority, a remnant that has passed under the rod: Eze 20:37 “And I shall make you pass under the rod, and shall bring you into the bond of the covenant,
Eze 20:38 and purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me. From the land where they sojourn I bring them out, but they shall not come into the land of Yisra’ĕl. And you shall know that I am יהוה.
Verse 8 – …because of Him guarding the oath…(H4480)(H8104)(H853)…brought you out…(H3318)(H853)…ransomed…H6299 – פָּדָה – pâdâh – paw-daw’ – A primitive root; to sever, that is, ransom; generally to release, preserve: – X at all, deliver, X by any means, ransom, (that are to be, let be) redeem (-ed), rescue, X surely.
Exo 13:15 ‘And it came to be, when Pharaoh was too hardened to let us go, that יהוה killed every first-born in the land of Mitsrayim, both the first-born of man and the first-born of beast. Therefore I am slaughtering to יהוה every male that open the womb, but every first-born of my sons I ransom.’
Verse 9 – “the trustworthy Ěl guarding covenant and kindness for a thousand generations”
Verse 12 – hear – guard – do
Verses 13-14 – tie together blessing and childbearing.
Verse 16 – “And do not serve their mighty ones, for that is a snare to you.”
Verse 20 – “sends the hornet”… (H7971)(H853)(H6880)
Verse 26 – “And do not bring an abomination into your house, lest you be accursed like it.”
Jer 10:2 Thus said יהוה, “Do not learn the way of the gentiles,
Lev 18:3 ‘Do not do as they do in the land of Mitsrayim, where you dwelt. And do not do as they do in the land of Kenaʽan, where I am bringing you, and do not walk in their laws.
Deu 12:30 guard yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their mighty ones? And let me do so too.
Deu 18:9 “When you come into the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you, do not learn to do according to the abominations of those gentiles.
Eze 11:12 “And you shall know that I am יהוה, for you have not walked in My laws nor executed My right-rulings, but have done according to the rulings of the gentiles which are all around you.”
Eze 20:32 “And what comes up in your spirit shall never be, when you say, ‘Let us be like the gentiles, like the tribes in other lands, serving wood and stone.’
Eph 4:17 So this I say, and witness in the Master, that you should no longer walk as the gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
1Pe 4:3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the desire of the gentiles, having walked in indecencies, lusts, drunkenness, orgies, wild parties, and abominable idolatries,
Lesson date: 07/17/5857AA
So far this week, Matt and I have talked about the old adage, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” several times. In this case the enemy of my Redeemer is my enemy and we should remember that. It is a Blood Feud!!!
Look around. How many followers of the Commands of Elohim and the Witness of Yeshu’a Messiah are there around you? ((Rev. 12:17 & 14:12)) Is it 1,000? 100? 50? 25? 10? Now you know how Abraham may have felt in his negotiation with YHVH. ((Ber. 18:22-32)) You can’t have a quorum for a righteous government without 10 righteous men among you. Without like-minded believers we begin to feel cut off and alone, especially when persecution becomes more intense and pervasive. Imagine now how the Yisra’elites felt as they listened to Mosheh tell about his coming death and their coming persecution and trials.
So, who are the enemies of YHVH that we will have to face?
- Hittites – H2850 – “Sons of Heth” or Sons of Terror”. You say you don’t have to worry about these guys, do you? Perhaps more than for any other reason the church has been successful in instilling fear in all those who would think outside the box of Christian theology. If you think outside of Christian teaching you are damned and going to hell. You’ll be cutoff from your family and loved ones. Part of the arsenal of the church is deceit and deceit can cause fear in believers who are not actively seeking out the Truth in YHVH’s Word.
- Girgashites – H1622 – “Dwellers on clayey soil”, “dwellers on an unsure foundation”. Remember my story about the mud pit? The Bentonite clay can look dry on top but when you step on it you sink into the clay and your foundation is really quicksand. This also represents those who bob and weave and duck and dive direct questions about the validity of certain “doctines” and/or “dogmas” like grace, once saved always saved, Jesus hates the sin but loves the sinner. Your foundation has to be sure and you have to understand the ministry of the Messiah and His Purpose.
- Amorites – H567 – cave dweller, sayer or boaster. These were the biggest, strongest, toughest loudest talking people in the promised land. Like all giants they boast of how much smarter or more clever they are than anyone else. They also tend to be smooth talkers whose reputation is unassailable.
- Kena’anites – H3669 – zealous, lowland people, defeated or made low. These people are represented by those of addictions, perversions and exaggerations. You have heard me tell about a Baptist preacher who bragged that he had slept with over 40 women in his congregation. Many preachers have been caught in having sex with prostitutes or same sex affairs within or without their congregations. I personally knew of one pastor who would inappropriately kiss very young women without any consent.
- Perizzites – H6522 – rustic village, belonging to a village or a breach in the village wall. I grew up in a “village” a small town which is controlled by a small minority of people. They will accept no dissent, no confrontation, no challenge to their authortiy. They build a wall around the village to isolate the people from any and all outside influence. Also, these people are the “Big fish” in the little pond and will submit to no authority other than their own. Their main weapon is divisiveness to isolate those who would challenge their authority and rather than to seek unity in the village they would rather tear a breach in the wall so that it would fall victim to destruction from outside. We, on the other hand, are supposed to be repairers of the breach, restorers of the path, those who bring unity to the village.
- Hivvites – H2340 – villagers, dwellers of the high places. The capitol of the Hivvites was Ba’al Hermon – H1179 – The lord of Destruction. We as believers in YHVH are supposed to tear down the high places of the enemy.
- Yebusites – H2983 – trodden, the threshing place, trample, trodden down, desecrate, utterly reject. These are those who work so hard to silence the Truth of Torah. They scream, “It’s done away with,” “You are a bunch of Judaizers”, “You are putting yourself under the Law”, and proceed to desecrate everything accomplished by the Living Word of Torah, Yeshu’a Messiah. The Yebusites teach that Jesus was a “god” of grace and not works and that Jesus himself did away with Torah by being the fulfillment of the propecies of Torah. How evil a son would He be that destroyed the legacy of his father: Mat 3:17 and see, a voice out of the heavens, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I delight.”
- Mat 17:5 While he was still speaking, see, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And see, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I did delight. Hear Him!”
- Mar 1:11 And a voice came out of the heavens, “You are My Son, the Beloved, in whom I did delight.”
- If Yeshu’a had done away with Torah He would have destroyed the only covenant which YHVH established with mankind that brings salvation:
- Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of Elohim through belief in Messiah יהושע.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as were immersed into Messiah have put on Messiah.
Gal 3:28 There is not Yehuḏi nor Greek, there is not slave nor free, there is not male and female, for you are all one in Messiah יהושע.
Gal 3:29 And if you are of Messiah, then you are seed of Aḇraham, and heirs according to promise. ((Ber. 12:3; 18:18))
Now go back to the first half of Verse 1: “He shall also clear away”
Clear away = H5394 – to clear away, to clear away entirely, to clear away completely, drop off, draw off, slip off
Notice in Verse 1 who is actually doing the work. Just like go into battle against Sihon and Og YHVH had already given the victory to the Children of yisra’el all they had to do is go through the motion of acting in obedience. How many times do we dread a particular situation into which we go or are thrust and find out that it was very easy and that YHVH won the battle with only our obedience as a weapon? I believe that is why Sha’ul says: Rom 8:37 But in all this we are more than overcomers through Him who loved us.
Verses 2-5 – Let’s look at some of the words used in conjunction with these people:
Strike = H5221 – נכה – nâkâh – BDB Definition: 1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill
Put under the ban – H2763 – חרם – châram – BDB Definition: 1) to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate
Break down – H5422 – נתץ – nâthats – BDB Definition: 1) to pull down, break down, cast down, throw down, beat down, destroy, overthrow, break out (teeth)
Smash – H7665 – שׁבר – shâbar – BDB Definition: 1) to break, break in pieces 1a) (Qal) 1a1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench
Cut down – H1438 – גּדע – gâda‛ – BDB Definition: 1) to cut, hew, chop, cut down, hew down, hew off, cut off, cut in two, shave off
Burn – H8313 – שׂרף – śâraph – BDB Definition: 1) to burn
According to the instructions that we are given in these verses, we should utterly destroy the evil influences of past civilizations so as not to be influenced into following some ancient culture’s sin against the Most High Elohim of Yisra’el. Unfortunately, our society venerates them. If you do not believe me look at the buildings, obelisks and statues in our nation’s capitol.
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 ransomed 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.
Also, we are not to covenant with the people of the land and one of the most serious covenants of all is the marriage covenant. In Shemoth Chapter 19-20 we entered into a marriage covenant with YHVH and if we make any other covenant with “another god” we are committing spiritual adultery. This was the sin that Yisra’el committed over and over.
What is an Asherim? ((Verse 5)) H842 – אֲשֵׁירָה אֲשֵׁרָה – ăshêrâh ‘ăshêyrâh – ash-ay-raw’, ash-ay-raw’
From H833; happy; asherah (or Astarte) a Phoenician goddess; also an image of the same: – grove.
Why is happy there? Because Astarte or Asherah or Ishtar was the goddess of sexuality and her feasts were celebrated with sexual acts between a High Priest and Priestess or with a large orgy of ardent participants to usher in fertility in the Spring of the year idealized as a rabbit. Ishtar is in the etymology of the English word – Easter.
Also, Asherim are also associated with a grove or a grouping of poles and these should be cut down. Notices this warning: Isa 66:15 “For look, יהוה comes with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His displeasure with burning, and His rebuke with flames of fire.
Isa 66:16 “For by fire and by His sword יהוה shall judge all flesh, and the slain of יהוה shall be many –
Isa 66:17 those who set themselves apart and cleanse themselves at the gardens after ‘one’ in the midst, eating flesh of pigs and the abomination and the mouse, are snatched away, together,” declares יהוה.
Has anyone ever heard of eating pork for Easter? Why is pork synonymous with Easter or even “breakfast”?
Ever see a grouping of poles like the ones above? Should they be venerated or cut down? Should we violate YHVH’s dietary laws because of them? Or, in remembrance of them? 1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a people for a possession, that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light,
1Pe 2:10 who once were not a people, but now the people of Elohim; who had not obtained compassion, but now obtained compassion.
1Pe 2:11 Beloved ones, I appeal to you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts which battle against the being,
1Pe 2:12 having your behaviour among the nations good so that when they speak against you as evil-doers, let them, by observing your good works, esteem Elohim in a day of visitation.
If we are really a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a people for a possession should we be mixing our worship of Elohim with pagan traditions? Jer 10:1 Hear the word which יהוה speaks to you, O house of Yisra’ěl.
Jer 10:2 Thus said יהוה, “Do not learn the way of the nations ((heathens/pagans)), and do not be awed by the signs of the heavens, for the nations are awed by them.
Jer 10:3 “For the laws of these peoples are worthless, for one cuts a tree from the forest, work for the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.
Jer 10:4 “They beautify it with silver and gold, they strengthen it with nails and hammers so that it does not topple. Ever see something like this?
Folks, I am not trying to pick on anyone but, the reason that I bring this up is that time is growing short and we don’t have much times to get this right. We really need to learn to worship YHVH as He Desires to be worshipped and not like Jupiter, Oden, Astarte, Ba’al, Mithras or Zeus.
Notice, I underlined the word possession above for a reason. The word used in Hebrew is: H5459 –
סגלּה – segûllâh – BDB Definition: 1) possession, property 1a) valued property, peculiar treasure 1b) treasure. Peculiar = unique, one of a kind. There is only one nation that has YHVH as a God and that is the spiritual nation of Yisra’el. Deu 32:8 “When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance When He separated the sons of Aḏam, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the children of Yisra’ěl. ((Remember, the two oldest versions of Scripture have this as “sons of Elohim”))
Deu 32:9 “For the portion of יהוה is His people, Ya‛aqoḇ His allotted inheritance.
The 70 nations were given to the other “gods” and He kept Yisra’el as His inheritance, unique among the nations. But, there is a condition upon which this based: Exo 19:5 ‘And now, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession ((Segullah)) above all the peoples – for all the earth is Mine –
Exo 19:6 ‘and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.’ Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisra’ěl.”
Psa 135:4 For Yah has chosen Ya‛aqoḇ for Himself, Yisra’ěl for His treasured possession.
Unique, one of a kind: Mal 3:16 Then shall those who fear יהוה speak to one another, and יהוה listens and hears, and a book of remembrance be written before Him, of those who fear יהוה, and those who think upon His Name.
Mal 3:17 “And they shall be Mine,” said יהוה of hosts, “on the day that I prepare a treasured possession. And I shall spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.
Mal 3:18 “Then you shall again see the difference between the righteous and the wrong, between one who serves Elohim and one who does not serve Him.
Rev 3:16 “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth.
Look at what He says again in Hazon (Revelation): Rev 22:11 “He who does wrong, let him do more wrong; he who is filthy, let him be more filthy; he who is righteous, let him be more righteous; he who is set-apart, let him be more set-apart.
Rev 22:12 “And see, I am coming speedily, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according to his work.
If you are going to do wrong do it whole-heartedly but if you are going to do righteousness do that whole-heartedly. He doesn’t want us wishy washy or mixing our worship of Him with that of other gods. If you want to serve the gods of Babylon, do it! But if you want to worship Elohim then you must come out of Babylon: Isa 52:10 יהוה shall lay bare His set-apart arm in the eyes of all the nations. And all the ends of the earth shall see the deliverance of our Elohim.
Isa 52:11 Turn aside! Turn aside! Come out from there, touch not the unclean. Come out of her midst, be clean, you who bear the vessels of יהוה.
If you don’t know Torah how do you know what is clean and unclean? What is righteousness and what isn’t?
Next week I promise to try to do better but there is so much here and the time is growing late and we need to be putting our words into actions: Mat_22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Ahavah,
Lesson date: 7/24/5857AA
For those of you who could not join us for our Sukkot studies you really missed a blessing. Matt and Susanne introduced us to the Scripture Process Method of doing word studies and the importance of journaling our progress. I did not realize that is how I study Torah, and other Scriptures each week, but now that I do I can fine tune my methods. Of course, doing it the way I do, everyone knows when I screw up. This week is no exception. Last night Von and Kathy asked me what I was going to focus on for the Torah study. Last week I ran smack dab into a wall and really got no further than verse 7 or 8 in Chapter 7 of Debarim.
I explained to Von and Kathy that I was going to talk about the Samaritans. Why? Because I was going to focus on the blessings and the curses and this was pointing me toward the discussion Yeshu’a had with the woman at the well in John Chapter 4. Well, it didn’t work out that way. What happened? A word. A small word, even by Hebrew standards. The word is ‘aqeb. I bet you think the meaning of this word is very profound if it changed the course of my entire study, right? Here is the entire BDB definition: H6118 – עקב –‛êqeb – BDB Definition: 1) consequence (noun masculine) 1a) consequence 1b) consequence, gain, reward 1c) end 2) as a consequence, because, consequently (adverb) 3) as a consequence of, that, because (conjunction). This word is directly tied to the mightiest two letter word in the entire English vocabulary –”if”.
Pretty profound, huh? Actually, it’s not, yet. In the study of Torah this has to be one of the least understood words but, by the same token, most important words in Scripture. Let me show you how: H3290 – יעקב – ya‛ăqôb – BDB Definition: Jacob = “heel holder” or “supplanter” Part of Speech: noun proper masculine. A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H6117.
If Ya’aqob means “heel holder” and the Yod is a hand then ‘aqeb must mean heel? Yes, it does and this is just one definition that the BDB left out but is found in the Strong’s. Also, look at the root word assigned to it by the BDB and you will see it is H6117, which does mean heel and, so does H6119. At this point I am sure your eyes are beginning to glaze over and I apologize but I realized, last night, that this one small inconsequential word had profound meaning for me. Let me try to explain how I got here.
During the week of Sukkot, while doing our word studies, Jeremiah mentioned Joel 2:23. Let’s look at it from the KJV POV (point of view): 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.
We have studied this verse several times because it is a perfect example of a bad translation due to the lack of understanding of the Hebrew culture. Now, let’s look at the same Scripture from the ISR POV: 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. ((I will give you a little more about this later.))
It was the word “moreh” that caused the problem for the KJV translators. It does mean rain but, in the Hebrew mind, knowledge is like rain in that it falls down from the teacher and so the student is at the feet of the teacher to catch or “drink in” this knowledge. Look at what Sha’ul has to say: Act 22:3 “I am indeed a Yehuḏi, having been born in Tarsos of Kilikia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamli’ěl, having been instructed according to the exactness of the Torah of our fathers, being ardent for Elohim, as you all are today,
I know of only 3 words used for teacher in the Tanakh but, my knowledge is limited. The other two words are: H995 – בּין – bı̂yn ((IChron 25:8)) and H3384 – ירא / ירה – yârâh / yârâ ((Hab.2:18)). So, why not use the word Rabbi? There is a good reason, it didn’t exist yet.
Let’s take a quick look at the term Rabbi. It emerged primarily in the First Century C.E. oddly enough.
Why is this important? Some of the earliest writings that used the term Rabbi are in fact the B’rit Hadasha. By 100 C.E. It became more common to call a teacher rabbi. A rabbi could be “certified” as a teacher by any other rabbi and the duties of the rabbi were primarily to teach The Talmudic teachings, the Mishnah, thirdly the Torah, preach, perform weddings and other “religious” duties. During the First and Second centuries there was much more emphasis on teaching the Talmudic teachings and the Mishnah than to teach Torah. The duties of the modern day rabbi came out of the Medieval Period rather than coming from any earlier distinction that practitioners of Jewish Law were held in during earlier times in Israel. In this manner ,Yeshu’a was the “model” for the coming distinction of rabbi in Jewish society.
So, here is my question to myself, “Did in fact Yeshu’a ever use the term heel in His teachings?” Yes, as a matter of fact He did: Joh_13:18 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but that the Scripture might be filled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ ((Psa_41:9)). Aha! A supplanter, the meaning of Ya’aqob. The Greek word for heel here is G4418 and when you look at it in ABP+ it is also G4418 – pterna – paterna – foot, heel.
There is an ancient saying, which seems to appear at about the same time as the word Rabbi ((my teacher)) and it goes something like this: that a student should follow his teacher so closely by ‘drinking his words, and be covered by the dust of his feet’.
We can only drink His Words if they rain down upon us and we should be “right on His Heels” in doing His Deeds. We should be walking so close to the Messiah’s steps that our big toe touches His heel as we walk in His Steps is the way I envision this saying: 1Pe_2:21 For to this you were called, because Messiah also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps, I think most Christians will agree that Yeshu’a kept Torah but, very few will agree that they should keep it, too.
1Jn 2:6 The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.
But, I remember Yeshu’a talking about the dust of feet also, don’t you? Mat_10:14 “And whoever does not receive you nor hear your words, when you leave that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.
Mar_6:11 “And any place that does not receive you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake off the dust under your feet as a witness against them. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more bearable for Seḏom and Amorah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
Luk_9:5 “And as for those who do not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the dust from your feet as a witness against them.”
How can someone shaking the dust off of their feet be a witness against a city unless, this is referring to something else, like maybe the teachings of their Rabbi? When Yeshu’a sent out His Apostles He told them that whatever house or city they went to to bid them peace but if that town or city did not receive them or their message to take back their peace and shake the dust off their feet.
Mat_10:13 “And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
Luk 10:5 “And whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
Luk 10:6 “And if indeed a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest on it; and if not, it shall return to you.
H7965 – שׁלם / שׁלום – shâlôm – BDB Definition: 1) completeness, soundness, welfare, peace 1e) peace, friendship
Take back your friendship with this house or city. YHVH, with you as His representative, is now at enmity with this house or city.
Now, for the part you won’t believe, I am going back to Debarim 7. I know you thought I forgot about it.
Deu 7:11 “And you shall guard the ((H853 – Aleph Tav)) command, and the laws, and the right-rulings which I command you today, to do them.
Deu 7:12 “And it shall be, because you hear ((H853)) these right-rulings, and shall guard and do them, that יהוה your Elohim shall guard with you ((H853)) the covenant and the loving-commitment which He swore to your fathers,
As a consequence of, (because) (if) we listen to His Commands and do them all the blessings that follow shall be ours.
Here’s the but: Deu 7:26 “And do not bring an abomination into your house, lest you be accursed like it. Utterly loathe it and utterly hate it, for it is accursed.
Lev_11:10 ‘But all that have not fins and scales in the seas and in the rivers, all that move in the waters or any living being which is in the waters, they are an abomination to you.
Lev_11:11 ‘They are an abomination to you – of their flesh you do not eat, and their carcasses you abominate.
Lev_11:12 ‘All that have not fins or scales in the waters are an abomination to you.
Lev 11:26 ‘Every beast that has a split hoof not completely divided, or does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Anyone who touches their carcass is unclean.
Isa 65:1 “I have let Myself be inquired of, not by those who asked; I was found, not by those who sought Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation not calling on My Name.
Isa 65:2 “I have held out My hands all day long to a stubborn people, who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts;
Isa 65:3 the people who provoke Me continually to My face, who slaughter in gardens, and burn incense on slaughter-places of brick;
Isa 65:4 who sit among the burial-sites, and spend the night in secret places, who eat flesh of pigs, and the broth of unclean meat is in their pots,
Isa 65:5 who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am set-apart to you!’ These are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day.
Isa 66:15 “For look, יהוה comes with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His displeasure with burning, and His rebuke with flames of fire.
Isa 66:16 “For by fire and by His sword יהוה shall judge all flesh, and the slain of יהוה shall be many –
Isa 66:17 those who set themselves apart and cleanse themselves at the gardens after ‘one’ in the midst, eating flesh of pigs and the abomination and the mouse, are snatched away, together,” declares יהוה.
I will repeat Matt’s admonition, “You should do a word study on abomination and see exactly what is an abomination in YHVH’s eyes.”
The consequences are serious.
Ahavah,
CahalTx 