Lesson date: 1/27/5855AA

Verse 1 – Qeturah is only mentioned four times in the entire Scripture. Twice in Ber. 25 and twice in 1 Chron. 1. It is the mention of Qeturah in 1 Chronicles 1 that provides information to suggest that Qeturah was possibly Hagar by calling her “the concubine”. It may be that she is called the concubine instead of wife in 1 chronicles is that the children of Qeturah did not inherit much of anything for Abraham. We will look at this in more detail.

Verse 2-4 –

Qeturah – קְׂטוּרָׂה – Strong’s H6989 – ‘incense’

• Zimran – זִמְׂרָׂן – Strong’s H2175 – ‘musician’

• Yoqshan – יָׂקְׂשָׂן – Strong’s H3370 – ‘snarer’

            ▪ Sheḇa – שְׂבָׂא – Strong’s H7614 – ‘seven or oath’

            ▪ Deḏan – דְׂדָׂן – Strong’s H1719 – ‘low country’

                        • Asshurim – אַשּׁוּרִם – Strong’s H805 – ‘steps’

                        • Letushim – לְׂטוּשִם – Strong’s H3912 – ‘hammered’

                        • Le’ummim – לְׂאֻמִים – Strong’s H3817 – ‘peoples’

• Meḏan – מְׂדָׂן – Strong’s H4091 – ‘contention’

• Miḏyan – מִדְׂיָׂן – Strong’s H4080 – ‘strife’

            ▪ Ěphah – עֵּיפָׂה – Strong’s H5891 – ‘gloomy’

            ▪ Ěpher – עֵּפֶר – Strong’s H6081 – ‘a calf’

            ▪ Ḥanoḵ – חֲנוֹךְ – Strong’s H2585 – ‘dedicated’

            ▪ Aḇiḏa – אֲבִידָׂע – Strong’s H28 – ‘my father knows’

            ▪ Eldaʽah – אֶלְׂדָׂעָׂה – Strong’s H420 – ‘El has known, El has called’

• Yishbaq – יִ שבָׂק – Strong’s H3435 – ‘he releases’

• Shuwaḥ – שוּ ח – Strong’s H7744 – ‘wealth’

Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 25 →

Lesson date: 2/4/5855AA

Verses 1-5 – These verses put together have me asking many questions: 1) was it a real famine? 2) was the famine in Abraham’s time a test? 3) did YHVH tell Abraham to go to Egypt or did he do on his own? 4) had he not gone to Egypt would there have been an Yishma’el? 4) Why was Yitshaq going to Abimelek?

((Please note that in Hebrew, when it is speaking of going to Egypt, the most common form of expression is yarad – to go down, go downward or sink.)) (Jer. 42:13-16)

The Hebrew word for famine is H7458 – רָעָב – râ‛âb – raw-awb’ – From H7456; hunger (more or less extensive): – dearth, famine, + famished, hunger.

Now, notice the difference between famine and abundance: H7230 – רֹב – rôb – robe – From H7231; abundance (in any respect): – abundance (-antly), all, X common [sort], excellent, great (-ly, -ness, number), huge, be increased, long, many, more in number, most, much, multitude, plenty (-ifully), X very [age].

Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 26 →

Lesson date: 02/11/5855AA

Verses 1-4 – This is a very complicated chapter and the concepts in it go back to chapter Ber. 25:23. Did Ribqah tell her husband what YHVH had told her? Was Yitshaq working to make the prophecy she had been given null and void? Esaw sold his birthright to his younger brother, was he now trying to renege on the deal? Was Ribqah being obedient to Yah’s word or trying to facilitate the covenant between the brothers? We do not know but, one thing we do know is there is no innocent party in this story.

Let’s look at the phrase “his eyes were too dim to see”. The word eyes is ‘ayin – H5869 and is important but look at the word for “see” – raah – ראה – râ’âh does not contain the letter ‘ayin as a component. The word that does contain the letter ‘ayin as a component is ra’ah – H7462 – רעה – râ‛âh – which means; to pasture, to tend, to shepherd.

Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 27 — “Who is deceiving Whom?” →

Lesson date: 2/18/5855AA

Verses 1-5 – This chapter probably should be called “Respect you father and your mother” for Shemoth 20:12 or Pro 6:20  My son, watch over your father’s command, And do not forsake the Torah of your mother.

This may have been Sha’ul’s inspiration for: 2Co 6:14  Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness? And what fellowship has light with darkness?

Look closely at the first part of verse 1. Is this not what happens to us in our walk with YHVH? He calls us, He blesses us and He commands us. His blessing is His commands and His commands are our Blessing. It is what sets us apart. Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 28 →

Lesson date: 07/25/5858AA

Sometimes, as we read through Scripture, we notice new words and phrases in English and/or Hebrew and, wonder how they arrived at that translation. Verse 1 of Chapter 29 is a case of that very thing:

Verse 1 – The ISR version puts the verse into a more modern parlance, “And Ya’aqob moved on,” and we understand it. Look at the KJV for its translation, “Then Jacob went on his journey,” and I think most of us get that as well. But when you look at the Hebrew you get more detail and I think it is fun when you consider it:

H5375 – נָסָה   נָשָׂא – nâśâ’   nâsâh – naw-saw’, naw-saw’ – A primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, absolutely and relatively:

H7272 – רֶגֶל – regel – reh’-gel– From H7270; a foot ((Plus many other definitions. Remember our studies of Revelation 19:16 about a tattoo on Yeshua’ thigh? This is the same word.))

This “lifting up his feet” means more than just walking. It means to pick up your feet and walk in a rejoicing attitude. In our modern English it means the exact opposite of “dragging your feet”. Ya’aqob is on his way to find a wife, to get married and return to his parents tent. Can’t you just imagine the kind of woman that Ya’aqob is imagining to be his wife? Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 29 — “Picking up your feet” →

Lesson date: 08/02/5858AA

Last week we began to see the uneasy relationship that was building between Leah and Rahel. Leah felt unloved and prayed to YHVH to have children in the hope that her husband, Ya’aqob, would love her more. She was given 4 sons before she stopped bearing.

Gen 29:31 And יהוה saw that Lě’ah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Raḥěl was barren.

H8130 – שָׂנֵא – śânê’ – saw-nay‘ – A primitive root; to hate (personally): – enemy, foe, (be) hate (-ful, -r), odious, X utterly.

Mal 1:2 “I have loved you,” said יהוה. “But you asked, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ “Was not Ěsaw Ya‛aqoḇ’s brother?” declares יהוה. “And I love Ya‛aqoḇ,

Mal 1:3 but I have hated Ěsaw, and have laid waste his mountains and his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.”

Let me point out that in Scripture we never see it said that Abraham loved Sarah and we only see it said one time that Yitzak loved Ribqah Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 30 →

Lesson date: 3/3/5855AA

Verses 1-2 – Enter in jealousy: Pro 27:4  Wrath is cruel and displeasure overwhelming, But who is able to stand before jealousy?

We now see that Ya’aqob has prospered and Laban has not and now Laban’s sons accuse Ya’aqob of stealing their father’s wealth.

Verse 3 – YHVH speaks to Ya’aqob and tells him it is time to go home and assures him that He is with Ya’aqob.

Verses 4-16 – We see Ya’aqob preparing his wives for the journey and in doing so we see bitterness on the part of the sisters toward their father. They rightly point out their father sold them to Ya’aqob as payment for his labor for 14 years. Evidently, with the blessings turning toward Ya’aqob instead of Laban, Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 31 →

Lesson date: 03/10/5855AA

In Chapter 31 we see a beautiful picture of a covenant being formed between Laban and Ya’aqob. Using stones, they erected an edifice to commemorate the covenant, they slaughter an animal(s), ate a meal and had a witness: H5707 – עֵד – ‛êd –  ayd – From H5749 contracted; concretely a witness; abstractly testimony; specifically a recorder, that is, prince: – witness.

It is a beautiful example of our covenant with YHVH, we have a stone (Eph. 2:20), we have a slaughtering (Eph. 5:2, Heb 9:26,10:12) and we have a meal (Mat. 26:26-29).

Verses 1-2 – “Ya’aqob went on his way”: way = H1870 – דֶּרֶךְ – derek –  deh’-rek – From H1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively a course of life or mode of action,

If our way is also Yah’s way it is the true way. (John 14:6) In going along his way Ya’aqob encounters angels of Elohim, this could be an important sign that he was on the right way. Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 32 →

Lesson date: 03/17/5855AA

Verse 1-2 – It may not look like it but Ya’aqob is splitting his camp into four parts; one for Leah, one Rahel, one for Bilhah and one for Zilpah, not unlike the military formation that the Children of Yisrael used when they came out of Mitsrayim or camp around the tabernacle. Remember, Benyamin has not yet been born.

Verse 3 – We see Ya’aqob, because of his maturity in the Ruach going out in front of the women and children, approaching his brother, and bowing 7 times..

Verse 4 – Was it because of Ya’aqob’s humbling himself that we see Esaw  running to embrace his brother, hug him and kiss him.

Verses 5-7 – Ya’aqob now introduces his family to Esaw. Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 33 →

Lesson date: 03/17/5855AA

Verse 1 – Dinah((Judgement or Justice/H1783)), of the house of Ya’aqob went out to see the daughters of the land. Instead of being contented with the women of the house of Ya’aqob she wanted to make friends with the young women of the world. Big lesson here. There are two verbs used in relation to Dinah, Yatsa H3318 – went out or departed for; and ra’ah H7200 – to see, observe, have an experience. Both of these verbs are written in the Qal active case meaning that she had a reason for wanting to go out and see.

Verse 2 – Shekem ((back or shoulder)) the son of Hamor((an ass)) the Hivvite ((villager)) raped Dinah. Do we see a problem here? Reminds me of a “certain rich man” in Luke 16:19.

Verses 3-4 – There is an old saying  back in the old country, you know, Louisiana, “he asked for her hand after he had everything else.” In a way, I kind of feel sorry for Shekem. He committed a sin/trespass against a set-apart people and now Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 34 →