Lesson date: 13/22/5854AA

Verses 1-2 – Bereshith 18 & 19 have a very special meaning to me. One day, while reading them, I had to stop and ask a question, “Who is the Messenger of YHVH”? Like we have talked about many times, I came to Hebrew through Arabic and Aramaic, so as I read these chapters I kept getting slapped in the face by the word Mamre. Mamre in Aramaic means word, or actually Word! So, look at it for my standpoint, “Vayyera” = H7200 – which is written in the niphal verb form of ra’ah which means “He appeared” or better yet, “He presented Himself before” Abraham beside the strong, mighty tree of “the Word”. I was completely blown away. In actuality it is saying, “He made Himself visible to Abraham”.

Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 18 — “The Messenger of YHVH” or “And He appeared” →

Lesson date: 05/21/5858AA

In John Milton’s book (epic poem) Paradise Lost – Book II he has Lucifer justifying what he did with the following, saying, “it is better to rule over – be like a king in hell than to serve somebody as a slave in heaven”. I have often wondered if that is where Lot is at this point in his life. He came to Sedom as an outsider and at first dwelt outside the city in his tents. It was obvious to the people of the city that he was a wealthy man. He had many flocks and herds and it was his uncle that had rescued the people of the city and the wealth of the city from the hands of Amraphel (Nimrod).

At the very beginning of Chapter 19 we see Lot sitting at the gate of Sedom, which means he is now a judge over Sedom and now resides in the city: 1Co 15:33 Do not be led astray, “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

I’m just speculating, that Lot feels that he has finally “arrived”.

Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 19 →

Lesson date: 13/29/5854AA

Verse 1 – Abraham “set out” –  H5265 – נָסַע – nâsa‛ – naw-sah’ – A primitive root; properly to pull up, especially the tent pins, that is, start on a journey:

Nasa’ means to pull up the tent stake: Mat 10:38  “And he who does not take up his stake and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Mat 16:24  Then יהושע said to His taught ones, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake, and follow Me.

Mar 10:21  And יהושע, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One matter you lack: Go, sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me, taking up the stake.”

Gerar. קָדֵּש Qaḏĕsh – Strong’s H6946 means, ‘set-apart’

Yehuḏah. שוּר Shur – Strong’s H7793 means, ‘wall’

Gerar – Strong’s H1642 means, ‘a lodging place’

Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 20 — Abimelek the righteous →

Lesson date: 13/29/5854AA

Verse 1-2 – We are not told what time of year it was but it was the appointed time spoken of in Ber. 18:14. We have proof of this in verse 1 with the word ‘visited’ (H853). Visited = H6485 – פָּקַד – pâqad – paw-kad’ – A primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc.: – appoint. Tehillah/Psalm “What is man that You remember him? And the son of man that You visit him?”

Tehillah 106:4 “Remember me, O יהוה , in the acceptance of Your people; visit me with Your deliverance”

One more verse about visit, this one for the B’rit Hadasha: Kěpha Aleph 2:11-12 “Beloved ones, I appeal to you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts which battle against the life, 12 having your behaviour among the gentiles 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.”

Do you see what is being said here? By our keeping the appointed times, the commands and right rulings of Elohim, when people criticize us for doing so, it will bring praise upon YHVH. “Don’t they realize the Yeshu’a (Jesus) did away with all that at the cross? Do they think they are saved by works instead of grace?

Pro 28:4  Those who forsake the Torah praise the wrong, Those who guard the Torah strive with them.

Verse 3 – Imagine being 100 years old and having a son that has been promised to you for the last 25 years. Of course Abraham was happy and that is why he called the boy Yitshaq – laughing. ((Or was it because of Sarah’s laughing in the tent when the angel of YHVH came to them and told them of the child’s birth?

Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 21 — The appointed time →

Lesson date: 1/6/5855AA

Verse 1 – Here we see a word used for the first time which is only found in the Tanakh 36 times, nasah – H5254 – to try, to test, to tempt or to prove. It is almost always used about the Children of Yisrae’l:

Deu 8:2  “And you shall remember that יהוה your Elohim led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, prove you, to know what is in your heart, whether you guard His commands or not.

Psa 26:2  Examine me, O יהוה, and prove me; Try my kidneys and my heart.

The odd thing about nasah, it is only to be done by YHVH our Elohim and not by us: Deu 6:16  “Do not try יהוה your Elohim as you tried Him in Massah. However, our Messiah changed all of that. By becoming a human in all senses He too was tempted: Heb 2:18  For in what He had suffered, Himself being tried, He is able to help those who are tried.

Heb 4:15  For we do not have a High Priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who was tried in all respects as we are, apart from sin.

The Greek word used in both of the above Scriptures is G3985 – πειράζω – peirazō – pi-rad’-zo

Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 22 →

Lesson date: 01/13/5855AA

Verse 1 – We have talked a lot about Sarah up to this point but here are some things about Sarah you must consider: 1) Sarah is the only woman whose age is given in Scripture; 2) Sarah is the only woman whose death is given in Scripture; 3) Sarah is the only woman for whom the nation of Yisra’el is named.

Did you know that? Yisra’el is named after Sarah. H3478 – יִשְׂרָאֵל – yiśrâ’êl – yis-raw-ale’ – From H8280 and H410; he will rule as God;

H8280 – שָׂרָה – śârâh – saw-raw’ – A primitive root; to prevail: – have power (as a prince). Actually Sarah is the feminine form of this word and means “Princess”. Remember, I told you Sarah had a covenant with YHVH, well here it is manifested to us and lives on in each of us who have now been grafted into the spiritual kingdom of Yisra’el. We are princes and princesses in Yisra’el because of Sarah. It is no wonder that we are given more detail in the life of Sarah than we see in any other woman of Scripture, including Miriam, the mother of Yeshua. You have to search outside of the canon of Scripture to find that Miriam accompanied Yohannan to Patmos and followed him to Ephesus upon his release and died there and was buried not far for the temple of Hercules. It says in Yasher that Hasatan appeared as an old man and told Sarah that Abraham was taking Yitshaq to Moriah to kill him and that this caused her to die and that when Yitshaq returned for Moriah he grieved so much that Abraham had to send Eli’ezar to select a wife for Yitshaq.

Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 23 — “Why Sarah” or “The Life of Sarah” →

Lesson date: 1/20/5855AA

Verse 1 – Please note exactly what it says in verse 1, “And YHVH had blessed Abraham in every way.”

Not only had YHVH blessed Abraham with “physical” wealth; gold, silver, livestock, etc. but He had also given Abraham a son by Sarah, as promised, named Abraham as a prophet to Pharoah, was known as a Prince of YHVH to the sons of Heth, victory over Nimrod (Amraphel, and Kedolomer, his general) and respected by all. By all measures of the world Abraham was a success, but despite all this he still walked in the WAY of YHVH. His eyes could not be turned from depending on the guidance of YHVH despite his wealth, not because of it. ((I wish I could insert an emoji right here.))

Verse 2-4 – Abraham calls his oldest servant, most faithful servant to his side to swear: shaba – H7650 – swear, exchange oaths, to make a vow, by placing his hand beneath Abraham’s thigh. This is close personal contact which represents a close personal bond between the two men. Remember, if this Eli’ezer that by this time he is already in his 60’s at least and has probably bathed his master many, many times. When YHVH told Abram of what he was going to do Abram pointed out the fact that his servant born in Damaseq would inherit everything because he had no son.

This oath begins by telling Eli’ezer not to take a wife for Yitshaq from among the Kena’anites but to go back to his own people to take a wife for his son. This is a close personal bond between these two men for the father to entrust the responsibility of finding a wife for his son. This means that Eli’ezer must have been with Abraham since before he left Haran and knew the way back to Abraham’s kin folk. Remember, at this time Yitshaq is at least 37 years old and has never been outside of the Promised Land in his life.

Continue reading Bereshith (Genesis) 24 — “Following my Master’s Instructions” →

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?” →