January 20 2024 Shabbat Bible Study
©2024 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries
Year 2 Sabbath 44 – 20Jan2024
Lev. 25:1-38 – Jer. 36:6, 32:6-27, Eze. 34:1-31 – Psalm 88 – John 10:1-33
Links:
https://fulfillingtorahministries.org/2023/12/30/january-2-2024-shabbat-bible-study/
Lev. 25:1-7, 20-22 – Today’s Torah portion is about Sh’mithah [Shabbat] and Yovel years. Schottenstein’s Chumash has a very good prefatory statement on pg.174.
The commandment of the Sabbatical year has a special relationship to Mount Sinai. At Mt. Sinai, God’s majesty and power were so manifest that it was clear that the determining factors in human material success are God’s Will and man’s worthiness. The land’s rest in the 7th year, too, teaches that the primary force in the universe is God, not the law of nature. By leaving his fields untended and unguarded for a year, Yisrael demonstrates that this world in but a corridor leading to the ultimate world, that true life starts when man stops striving for material gain in favor of spiritual growth. But man cannot abstain totally from the world in which he lives. Shemittah is only once in 7 years; that is why Torah says clearly that man must sow and harvest during the 6 years, just as it states that man works on the 6 days and rests on the Shabbat. This recognition infuses holiness and purpose into our work years and workdays. [Sfas Emes; don’t confuse with Tzvat]
According to Alsich, Torah relates the observance of Sh’mittah to Yisrael’s arrival in the land that I am giving you to counteract the normal human feeling that someone’s property is his alone, especially the land that he works with sweat and travail. Torah emphasizes therefore, the it is God Who gives the land
Moshe must have been visiting Sinai, either by going up to it or by entering the Tabernacle’s ‘spiritual space’, all the time, for this passage is a few months after he’d come down from Sinai with the 2nd set of tables. As we are to rest from our labors on the 7th day of the Shabbat cycle, so we are to let our land rest on the Sh’mithah years. And, as we are to number the 50 days to Shavuoth by 7 sets of 7 day Shabbat cycles and celebrate the Feast of Weeks on the 50th day, so we are to number the 50 years to the Yovel by 7 sets of 7 year (Sh’mithah) cycles and then allow the land another year’s rest as IT celebrates ITS ‘Feast of Shavuoth’ on the Yovel year. When Yisrael came into the land they never kept a Shabbat year, which is the reason Yah gave for exiling Judah into Babylon for 70 years.
In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of Yah came to YirmeYahu the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:2)
For thus saith Yah, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. (YirmeYahu 29:10)
Since it was the land that was to rest, this commandment is for Yisrael to perform when they would enter Cana’an, not before – and technically, not after they were exiled from the land, either. But when Yah gives a command, I think it is always wise to follow it, even in exile. He said, “When you come into the land that I give you.” He did not say, “will give you”, nor did he say, “have given you”; the gift is present tense in the same way as ‘by his stripes we ARE healed’ is present tense. That means he is constantly giving it to Yisrael – it is a perpetual gift. The gift itself is constant and is, therefore, not subject to time/space/matter constraints. Like our life in Mashiyach, it dwells in Yah outside of this creation; it neither ages nor requires anything to sustain it; as Moshe fasted 40 days and nights on Sinai and neither aged nor hungered nor thirsted. The gift of haAretz is eternal, but the commands to be performed are temporal and related to Yisrael when it dwells baAretz – in the land.
The command was to plow and plant and harvest the land for 6 years and then, in the 7th year, to let the land have its own Shabbaton, just like we were to work for our living for 6 days and then, in the 7th day, to rest. In this 7th year, they were not to actively farm the land, though they could go into the fields and use the produce of it, whatever came up of itself, for their immediate needs. They could USE the produce, but not engage in commerce with it. That should not be a problem for them, though, since Yah promised that he would give them 3 years’ worth of produce in the 6th year of the Sh’mithah cycle to carry them through the 7th year and up to the harvest at the end of the 8th year, the 1st year of the next Sh’mithah. Do you see that Yah is using the SAME pattern here as he used in Ex.16? If they used the 6th year as a preparation year and allowed the land to have its shabbaton, they could use the 6th year’s abundance for their staple and also use the produce of the fields for fresh fruit and veggies in the Sh’mithah for their immediate use (no canning or putting up for storage in the land’s Shabbaton), after which they could farm the land again and reap its harvest the next year. This also illustrates that there is no sin in eating that which you pick for your immediate use on the Shabbat, as Yeshua’s talmidim did on a couple of occasions.
I can understand why a sight walk would influence Yisrael to NOT keep the Sh’mithah. I think that when they saw the produce of the preparation year they thought, “If this land gives this much produce every year, we’ll be rich!”, and that induced them to plant in the Sh’mithah year. But it was Yah’s intent that everyone and everything in his land would take a sabbatical, including his land. Covetousness reared its ugly head, in my opinion, and the land never saw a national sabbatical (though I assume that godly men, like Boaz, personally honored them and probably were prospered for doing so). They did not, as a nation, apply the lesson of the Shabbat cycles of days to the Shabbat cycles of years until they were in the Land. They are beautiful illustrations of each other.
Vv.8-38 [needs a little work]- What does ‘Yovel’ mean? The Hebrew word is H3104, which denotes a trumpet, properly a silver shofar, from the Hebroot 2986, yaval, which means to flow or bring, like a river flows bringing the water of life. The silver shofar blast was to keep flowing, bringing the good news of redemption to the Yisraeli bondservants. I think that means the blast would as closely as possible approximate the blast heard from Sinai in Ex.19-20 on Shavuoth – one long and increasingly louder, quavering blast. You’ll remember it scared the begeebers out of chol Yisrael.
Yah was announcing Yisrael’s deliverance from her bondage and to her inheritance in Mt. Sinai. It was equivalent to the nation’s initial Yovel, which was to be remembered and reinstated every 50th year. The Yovel also was meant to teach Yisrael that they did NOT own the land, but were its tenants. The Landlord, Yah, would not allow permanent change of ownership. If you sold anything of the land, it was only the produce of the land – and that, at most, only until the next Yovel. One COULD sell the produce of the land until the next Sh’mithah, as well. But noone could sell his inheritance in perpetuity. So, in the Yovel year the silver trumpets announced the release of all debt and the reinstatement of all lands let for a price. It seems that an Yisraeli could let himself and his land into indentured service for a certain price commensurate to the length of time until the next Yovel. If he were to come into enough money to redeem himself, he could do so with no questions asked.
The Yovel year was an additional Shabbaton year, so in the 6th year of the 7th Sh’mithah, Yah would have to produce enough food to feed the people for 3+ years; the rest of the 48th year, all of the 49th and 50th years, and the 2nd year of the new Sh’mithah until the harvest. Yisrael never found out if Yah could or would do so, because they never (as a nation) kept a Shabbat year, much less a Yovel, baAretz in the land. (I’m sure individuals did.) Q&C
YirmeYahu 36:6 – In vv.1-2, Yah gave YirmeYahu total recall of everything he had prophesied to the government of Yisrael. Yah moved on him to go ‘over the King’s head’ and directly to the people. That is what we see here. YirmeYahu was in prison for what he’d prophesied to them, so he gave the order to Baruch, his scribe, to write it in a book (I think the one we are reading from right now) and to go and read ALL that Yah had prophesied against Yisrael to the kings and priests through YirmeYahu. And Baruch followed his orders. In v.9, what Baruch told the people moved THEM enough that they were in a fit to tar and feather the king. So the king called for a national day of prayer and fasting.
YirmeYahu 32:6-27 is ONE of the prophecies that Baruch read in the people’s hearing in the court of the Beit haMikdash. Yah had revealed ahead of time that Chaname’el, his cousin, would come to him to redeem his uncle Shallum’s property, for YirmeYahu had the right of redemption. Shallum was the 4th son of king YoshiYahu (1Chron.3.15), the last righteous king of Yehudah, so for Shallum, the king’s son, to be YirmeYahu’s uncle, he must have married YirmeYahu’s Levite aunt. YirmeYahu was a son of Pinchas, son of Elezar, son of Aharon and had been in training for the High Priesthood when Yah called him to prophesy. Now, YirmeYahu had been prophesying in Yah’s Name that Yisrael would be taken into captivity and exiled into Babylon, but that they would return in 70 years (cf. Daniel 9.2 and YirmeYahu 29.10).
Now it was time for YirmeYahu to put his money where his mouth was. Chaname’el, and by extension haSatan, was testing him to see if he was REALLY a prophet of Yah. He didn’t hesitate, knowing 1) it WAS his duty to redeem the land, if it was in his ability to do so and 2) that Yehudah would be back in just a little over 70 years. Of course, by that time, Shallum’s land would have reverted back to him and YirmeYahu would not see anything for his redemption price, but he also knew that he would stand blameless before Yah. This was a perfect example of how Yah wanted the kinsman redeemer ordinance to be done – with no thought of how it would prosper the redeemer, but how the land would be saved for the principle heir. [Sorry, but I see recent news items that show that we are going through all of this politically today.] Remember also that YirmeYahu was a religio/political prisoner (v.3), which I expect we are going to see happen pretty widely in the near future. How would he be able to WORK the land he was purchasing? There was NOTHING in this redemption for YirmeYahu except obedience to Yah.
Chaname’el means ‘Elohim has favored’. Shallum means ‘exact retribution; to requite’. Perhaps the whole ‘redemption’ idea was a way for Shallum to secure retributive justice, to his mind, for the negative prophecies YirmeYahu had pronounced against Jerusalem and Shallum’s brother, king TzidkiYahu (Yah is righteous). See what YirmeYahu told Baruch, the honest scribe that EVERYONE trusted, in.vv.13-15:
13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying, 14 Thus saith Yah Tzavaoth, Elohim of Yisrael; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days. 15 For thus saith Yah Tzavaoth, Elohim of Yisrael; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. (YirmeYahu 32.13-15)
The king and his family knew that the end of their line was in sight. Chaname’el knew that the land would not be used, but the king’s family and the priests would be carried off to Babylon in the first wave of exiles, as YechonYah had been about 20 years before. So, he sold it to YirmeYahu, thinking they would never be back to haAretz or the city. So, after the transaction had been duly witnessed, all the evidences subscribed, and the signatures in ink and the ink blotted dry, YirmeYahu told Baruch to put the contract in the nearest thing they had to a safe, because they were coming back. It would be about 50 years or so, but it was possible that even YirmeYahu and Baruch would personally return. His prayer to Yah rehearsed the Exodus and Yah’s power and outstretched arm. He as much as told Yehudah that they STILL were not trusting Yah, even though they were finally believing the prophecies Yah had given YirmeYahu. They had given up their false optimism and the expectation that Yah would deliver them from Babylon because of whose sons they were, rather than because they actually believed that they had to obey his Word and were willing to do so. Shades of 21st c. CE ‘believers’, eh? Like the Mexican banditos in Treasure of the Sierra Madre, “TORAH!? We don’t need no STINKING Torah!” Q&C
——————— There will be 5 breaks for Q&C in this Haftarah. It’s KINDA involved
34.1-4 – Azamra’s opening comment is devastating to the recipients of the prophecy;
The prophecy in this chapter is an indictment of the corrupt leadership of Israel as it applies until today. The leaders are supposed to be the “shepherds” who feed the flock of the people, but instead feed themselves, taking the fat, the meat and the wool of the best and healthiest for themselves, while abandoning the weak, sick, broken, scattered and lost.
15 And Yah said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. 17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. (Zech.11.15-17)
The failure of the leaders has left the people like a scattered flock, exposed to the ravages of wild beasts.
Doesn’t sound familiar, does it?!?
Yah says to Zeke [v.2], “Ben Adam, prophesy against the shepherds of Yisrael…”. TSK has this comment on v.2’s shepherds;
The shepherds of Israel, signify their kings and princes, priests and prophets; the flock, the whole of the people; the fat and wool, the tithes and offerings, taxes and imposts: these they exacted with great rigour, and even oppressed and destroyed the people to enrich themselves; but they bestowed no pains to provide for the welfare of the state, or for the souls of those entrusted to them. They knew nothing about their flock. It might be diseased, infirm, bruised, maimed, strayed, or lost, for they watched not over them.
These are the guys taking the best and ‘fattest’ of the flocks for their own dinners, while leaving the puny and scrawny to fend for themselves against the “lions and tigers and bears OH! MY!” as the shepherds chow down. AND, BTW, the shepherds are not just those who watch over the ovine animals, but those who watch over the human, Israeli flock of Yah, as well; the priests and Levi’im. It’s the shepherd’s job to make sure the sheep under their charge are fed and watered before they take to chow themselves. These shepherds are not only not feeding the flocks for their master’s good, they are eating the best of the flocks while supposedly watching over them and protecting them from predators (which they had themselves become). Of course, we CAN blame all of this on Adam and Chava, but we also know that that’s just passing the buck, as well. None of us would have fared any better in their [A&C] places. The application of this is to us today very much the same as it was to them then; watch out for your flock’s well being before your own, since that is what your duty is before your Master, Yah.
And if you ARE the master, it goes double, maybe quadruple, for you. Your employee has no actual skin in the game. You should be out at least co-ordinating the defense of the herd. And, if you’ve taken any unusual amount of loss to wild beasts and marauders while they were under a hireling, YOU ought to be out watching the whole enterprise.
In v.2, Yah gives Yechezkel instruction for the hireling shepherds of Yehudah Yisrael. “Yah says, if you are supposed to be feeding the flock of Yisrael, but are instead feeding ON the flock of Yisrael, you are neck deep in some really stinky kimchee and your reward is soon to arrive (i.e.; the stinky kimchee).” And let me apologize to any Koreans in the audience, but to the western/European mind (and nose), kimchee’s aroma isn’t pleasant until we get used to it, if we ever do.
TSK has this comment on v.2
The shepherds of Israel, signify their kings and princes, priests and prophets; the flock, the whole of the people; the fat and wool, the tithes and offerings, taxes and imposts: these they exacted with great rigour, and even oppressed and destroyed the people to enrich themselves; but they bestowed no pains to provide for the welfare of the state, or for the souls of those entrusted to them. They knew nothing about their flock. It might be diseased, infirm, bruised, maimed, strayed, or lost, for they watched not over them.
Vv.3-4 are still talking about the hireling taking advantage of his master’s trust in him to profit thereby. Sounds like most politicians in our day, doesn’t it? Hirelings taking advantage of the people they are supposed to be serving; eating the fat and wearing the wool, but not feeding the flock (constituents) they are hired to protect, care for and watch over? The shepherd is supposed to keep a close eye on every sheep in the fold, making sure that they can keep up with the herd, that they get enough graze and water, that they are protected from the ravening beasts. Being a shepherd is a demanding job, and a truly good shepherd is worth his weight in diamonds. And, as far as I can see, there are few in the American government that are worth their weight in human excrement, which DOES have some value as fuel for a fire, but … it just ain’t pleasant. The sheep, in vv.5-6, take to the wind rather than be misused/abused by those who were hired to protect and watch over them. And many or most get shanghai’d and sold into captivity by their supposed protectors. It will NOT be pleasant for those hirelings when they receive their righteous judgment from Yah, whose sheep they are supposed to protect and feed.
Vv.5-6 talks about Yisrael in exile for a LOT of years, about 1500 years to be exact until 1948, when Israel was given a postage stamp sized piece of land in it’s original inheritance. Israel took what it could get and built an amazingly profitable nation amid a bunch of nomadic sons of Ishmael, who pretty much kept living their accustomed lifestyle while Yehudi (for the most part) Israel built a more or less thriving economy and nation. Ishmael is jealous, IMO, and wants to destroy Israel, as has been seen since 7Oct2023. I REALLY think that the Khamas attacks and the Russia/Ukraine war are the beginnings of the Gog u’Magog war that will likely end this age of earth’s history. I am not dejected/disappointed, just seeing a LOT of possible precursors all at once. And I think it’s Ji Jin Ping driving it all through his puppet in the White House and NATO. As I said, I COULD be wrong, but I seriously doubt it.
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Azamra has this brief comment on;
Verses 7-10 warn the shepherds that Yah will depose them from their position of leadership.
What does the saying of Yah, “As I live” (v.8a) conjure up in your mind? We can’t really comprehend what Yah is saying in that phrase because we do not live as He lives. He is and has always been eternal, no beginning and no ending. We began when papa’s seed fertilized mama’s ovum, and it happens that way with every living/breathing creature on earth. Yah has always been the only intrinsic living Being … everything else’s existence depends upon His existence. If Yah ceased to exist, everything else would have to cease to exist, as well, because He not only created it by His Word, but He also continually sustains it by His Word, so that when His Word ceases, everything dissolves instantaneously into the nothingness from which He spoke it into existence. Gone. Noiselessly. Without even a “poof”.
Now it is my personal opinion that every word of Yah’s creation was spoken by the Risen Yeshua (complete with the nail-prints, the scars of the crown of thorns and the spear wound that proved His physical death), because He is the Word of Yah in human flesh and has been since before the creation of the universe. And John’s gospel backs me up;
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Yah, and the Word was Yah. 2 The same was in the beginning with Yah. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
And, really, that is the same with us. He maintains our lives for as long as we maintain certain parameters in our lives, things that we do to sustain ourselves. If we fail in any self-sustaining actions, we will die. Yah actually allows us to have a certain ability to sustain ourselves. We do not generate all we need to live more than a few minutes/hours/days. We are not self-sustaining, personally generating everything we need to live.
Yah IS all of that.
“Therefore,” (Yechezkel 34.9) Yah said to the hireling ‘shepherds’, שמעו דבר–׳הוה “sham’u d’var Yah” – “Hear you the Word of Yah” [“and do it” is implied, since the word translated as “hear” is שמע, “to hear intelligently”, to understand the words and do them as best you can].
And then, in v.10, Zeke starts to spell out what the shepherds have done to earn Yah’s wrath. Yah is going to require ALL the sins of the flock at the hands of their teachers. If the shepherds are not teaching the unadulterated Word of Yah, they are destroying the sheep, and Yah will hold the shepherds personally responsible. AND I think that includes … US!; MC, Ken and me (and now, Ray)… and not necessarily in that order. And, BTW, HNR is included in that, as well, because HNR provides the broadcast venue whereby we 3 can REALLY screw up some of your lives. It’s a very real danger if we are spewing poppycock and HNR doesn’t ensure that our teaching is good for its audience. If we are false teachers, shepherds who devour the flock rather than protect them, HNR is then complicit in the flock straying from the truth of Yah. This business is serious! Q&C
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Vv.11-16 – Yah here promises that He will דרש, “to seek thoroughly”, or “to demand the return of something”, in this case, His flock, His sheep. He SHALL hold the shepherds responsible for the faithfulness and well-being of the flock. Remember what Azamra said above;
Verses 7-10 warn the shepherds that Yah will depose them from their position of leadership.
Here’s what Azamra says about vv.11ff.;
In the very beautiful passage of comfort in verses 11ff, Yah promises that in place of the corrupt leadership of the people (spoken of in v.10 above – MP), He Himself will pasture the flock. This corresponds to His promise that when the people will repent, “HaShem Elohenu will turn your captivity and have compassion upon you and will return and gather you from all the nations. If your outcasts be at the utmost parts of heaven, from there will HaShem Elohenu gather you and from there will He fetch you.” (Deuteronomy 30:3-4). These promises, that Yah extends personal providence to each and every one of us in order to bring us to follow His ways, should be a comfort to all those who feel they can still find no true leader of flesh and blood to guide them.
IOW, even if your pastor/rabbi fails you, even if your parents or your spouse or children fail you, Yah will be your guide, if you diligently seek Him. IOW, it is up to US to call on Him. When we do, HE will deliver us; you and me. We, individually and/or corporately. All Yah wants is for us to want Him.
V.12 has Yah promising to seek out and protect all those who will follow Him. That brings to mind John 10.11-12
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees: and the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep.
And v.13 reiterates the point of v.12; Yah is going to ensure that all his people SHALL be sought out, found, gathered and led to His land, which He makes their own and then feeds them from the riches of His land, Yisrael.
As an aside, I don’t think this is talking about the present land of Yisrael, but the future land of Promise, wherein ONLY righteousness will dwell. That it will be approximately in the same neighborhood on the earth, is clear in my mind, but I may have that wrong. Yah knows, I do not. I suspect, but I do not KNOW.
V.14 is Yah’s promise to all of us who diligently seek Him. There are exactly 3 KJV references to the phrase “diligently seek”; 1 in Proverbs and 2 in the NT, Yeshua speaking of seeking his own. Here’s the use in Pro.7.15
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
Now, the context there is one of a prostitute, seeking some business and enticing her prey. The Hebroot of ‘diligently’ is HR7683 שחר, which EDBH has as “to seek a bright future”, and the only possible negative use of the term being “being black or dark, requiring effort to discern” which is how it is used by the prostitute, who is relatively certain that the prospective ‘john’ is not much worried about it. He’s probably going to engage her for a short time.
The 2 NT uses speak of those who seek after Yah, which is one result of Elohim drawing us to Himself. In both NT cases the subject is a metaphor of a person searching for something of extreme value and the search results in positive rejoicing at finding what is being sought. Here’s one, and “him’ in this case is Yah Yeshua;
1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 And he spake this parable unto them (I think, the Prushim), saying, 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of Eloha over one sinner that repenteth. Lk.15.1-10
In vv.15-16, Yah does exactly [v.15] what our master Yeshua says the shepherd who’d lost the one sheep did – He rejoiced and threw a party for His friends and neighbors (which would be – US!). Then, after the colon in v.16, Yah lets his other neighbors, likened to the Scribes and Prushim in Lk.15.2, know the fate of the “fat and strong” of Yechezkel 34.16; Yah will feed them with judgment.
———————-——————— Q&C
Vv.17-20 – And you, my flock, I will judge between cattle and cattle [bien sei l’sei בינ שה לשה] and between rams and he-goats. So the cattle are rams and he-goats. Both sheep and goats were cattle and Yah is saying that He is going to judge the male sheep and the male goats. Now Yah is likening some very hard-headed priests of Yah to those ovine males, who would rather butt heads with each other than almost anything else. Then in v.18 Yah says that they would rather butt heads over fine points of doctrine, usually of the inconsequential variety, than almost anything else. Yah’s problem is in the ‘B’ part of v.18, because they’d rather walk in their droppings and then cleanse their hooves in the flocks’ source of fresh water. They were drinking from the ‘deep water’, where the fecal matter on their feet will settle to the bottom far from their lapping tongues, but they won’t get more than their feet wet in the shallows, probably while dropping their own fecal matter into the shallows and scraping the fecal matter [v.19] on the plants their mates and offspring eat from. That’s how I see that short portion of verses and the reason for Yah’s criticism of the young studs … uh-uh …. male ovines. Azamra has this on vv.18-20;
“Is it a small thing to you that you have eaten up the good pasture but you must also tread down with your feet the residue of the pasture lands?” (v.18). It is permitted to eat and enjoy, but the individual citizen must realize that it is immoral for him to wantonly consume, despoil the environment and squander resources instead of protecting and preserving them for the common good (if only animals thought that way). Similarly, it is immoral for farmers to destroy produce in times of a glut in order to keep prices “stable” at the same time as many people are starving. In vv.20ff Eloha warns that He will bring the strong and mighty to judgment for oppressing the weak. This is the compassionate, diametrical opposite of the philosophy of Nietzsche.
Yah sees the priests (my opinion) as the male ovines, who quite literally see themselves as being above the rabble, as many Levi’im and their Xian counterparts see themselves. But Yah tells them in v.20 that He will judge between the shepherds (fat cattle) and the flock (lean cattle), and the shepherds are going to get the dirt end of that particular stick from Him. Ain’t it GREAT!? I don’t think Yah is doing this to be vindictive, but to show the priests their error and help them to shuv, to turn, to His ways.
Yah has NOT cut off the Kohanim from Him, but has given them enough information through His warnings, both verbal and circumstantial, that they will get it, if they are open to His correction. Unfortunately, we humans are usually NOT open to correction, no matter the source. AND that especially goes for priests and kings, clergy and politicians; even just Torah teachers. So, don’t get down on the rabbis too much. They are REALLY just guys, nothing special, like your Torah Teachers here at the Round Table. Can I get an AMEIN from my partners and the audience? Q&C
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Vv.21-24 – Yah is still on about the rabbis, as pictured in the he-goats and he-sheep. The sheep and goats are kinda wrestling with each other (I think of professional wrestlers who put on a great appearance of rivalry and even hatred on air, but party-on with each other when the cameras are off – Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant were REALLY tight friends 40 years ago and likely would still be if Andre was still with us). I see the rivalry of the sheep and goats as very similar, working together to fool the rabbits and turtles into following them. Is this anything like Russia/Ukraine? Don’t follow the media on this. Stop and think. That conflict has less to do with those 2 countries than the conflict we’re discussing on today. I REALLY think it’s smoke and mirrors to get our minds’ eyes to look away from the REAL news that the news media don’t want you to focus on. The rabbis, generally speaking, are just guys who want to be idolized and followed by lots of donors. Same with the news media. What we’re seeing in our passage today is pretty much the same as we see on the “nightly news”, and the networks’ spins on it, every day. There TRULY is nothing new under the sun.
The GOOD news is seen in v.22. Yah promises to save His flock from the ravenous beasts and bring judgment against those self-serving ‘cattle’. Yah promises to set up ONE SHEPHERD (guess who?) over his flock in v.23, namely, David, in the form of his Son,; I believe that to be Yeshua haMashiyach. Azamra’s rabbis understand it be one of David’s direct successors, as do the Messianic believers today. Of course, we Messianic believers think it is Yeshua, as He was raised from the dead almost 2000 years ago. But it could ACTUALLY be David, who will be resurrected with us. TSK has an interesting note on “my servant”;
David, king of Israel, had been dead upwards of 400 years; and from that time till now there never has been a ruler of any kind in the Jewish nation who’s name was David. By David, then, we must understand the Messiah, as the Jews themselves acknowledge, so called because descended from him, and also as being the well beloved, ho αγαπητος [the beloved], Son of the Father, as the name imports, and in whom all the promises made to David were fulfilled.
Since David WILL be resurrected, the possibility is that he will, himself, sit the throne in New Jerusalem in the millennium and beyond. V.24 makes that case itself.
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Vv.25- – The covenant of Shalom is addressed elsewhere in the scripture;
And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. Lev.26.5
31 Behold, the days come, saith Yah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Yehudah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith Yah: 33 But this the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith Yah, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yah: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith Yah: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jer.31.31-34
I seriously doubt that anyone ‘slept in the woods’ in biblical times, so just THAT, that people will have no fear of attack “from man nor beast” will make things better. This will very likely be the nature of species interactions in the Millennial Kingdom [until the FINAL rebellion] and the New Creation, in which will dwell only righteousness. I must assume that the carnivorous animals will become frugivorous or vegan. That in itself, will be very interesting. Will the lions, tigers and bears all still have the YUGE canine teeth? In the millennium and beyond there will be no need of them.
Azamra has this note to v.26;
“And I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing” (v.26) – “And I will cause them to dwell around My Temple, and they will be blessed” (Targum).
My opinion is that Yah speaking in v.26 is making the promise that is a given, but the Targum is the rabbinic interpretation of Yah’s promise. The interpretation is a good one, but Yah’s promise is MUCH better, in my opinion. When Yah speaks, as He spoke the worlds into existence in Gen.1, everything that comes into being by His speech is created wholly intact and perfectly complete. There will be no need of “do-overs” in that time.
In v.27, Yah says that He will have created a world prefect for us, the fruit of the trees and the crops will be perfect both in flavor and nutrition and there will be no need for fertilizers, as we know them today (that can be as poisonous as the worst vipers we can think of; basically, take a bite/fall over dead). That kind of thing will be “unheard of/absurd” (to quote Tevye in “Fiddler”), and there will be no adversaries to us, either physical or spiritual. Everyone will be self-sufficient and also willing to lend a hand when one is needed. Truly sounds Utopian, doesn’t it; “Can I give you a hand with that?” “I’d appreciate that, thank you.” Noone trying to DEPRIVE you of something that you own or need and everyone willing help you make your lot better. Amen to that!
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Tehellim 88.1- The psalm opens with Yah Elohei Yeshuati – Yah, my Mighty One’s Salvation, or My Mighty One is my Deliverer. To my mind, this is Yeshua’s full name, Yah Elohei Yeshuati. The psalmist is calling on Yah to deliver him and his nation from their trouble. The trouble may have been the one addressed in the title of this Psalm, which says A Song, a Psalm for b’nei Korach on Machalath [afflictions] L’anoth [of the eyes], which to me carries the idea of the nation taking stock of their sin and repenting of them. The opening verses bear that out. Vv.3-9 hold a list of 12 metaphors for exile from haAretz Yisrael in 7 verses; the grave, the pit, among the dead, like them who lie in the grave, cut off from Yah’s hand, in darkness, in the deeps, afflicted w/waves, far from acquaintance, abomination, shut up, affliction.
Vv.10-12 speak of a dead body in the grave, where none gives Yah glory or witnesses to his mighty works and ways. All men will be resurrected and Yah will receive all men’s glory. The choice we have is to do so willingly and give him the praise he is due in our true submission and obedience on THIS side of the grave or to make grudging and feigned, fearful submission just before being thrown into the Lake of Fire to be dissolved in the nuclear conflagration [Rev.20.7-10]. EVERY knee WILL bow to Yah’s glory. The question is, “How?” The idea of Yeshua speaking to the spirits in prison may have come from this and similar passages of scripture and apocryphal books like the Maccabees, Enoch and others. While a dead body cannot praise Yah, the spirit of a man severed from the body may yet be able to do so. The author certainly knew of the resurrection. V.11 speaks of the only 2 possible outcomes for the dead, resurrection or destruction, eternal life or eternal death. An annihilated soul and body cannot praise anyone or thing. From the Lake of Fire, the only declaration that will be made is “Yeshua is Yah, Master of Life”, but by then it will be too late to affect any deliverance and the 2nd death will be on the verge. Deliverance from sin and death can only be affected in THIS life. Vv.11-12 have all Elohim’s wonders revealed to the sons of disobedience and the despair that parts their lips is palpable.
In v.13, the psalmist says that he will be praying every morning, first thing, but even at that, Yah is waiting – his early morning prayers do not fall on deaf ears. They do not go ahead of (prevent) Yah, He is there awaiting them. The condition of the exiled believer is discouraging. But our exile is not capricious or without reason. Our fathers went after other gods and were cut off from Yah’s light. We were born in bondage and await our deliverance from exile. While in the far off darkness of affliction, the outlook is bleak, unless we keep His promises to bring us back into His presence if we will repent and start to seek His face and His way. Our repentance will get us His forgiveness. Q&C
Yochanan 10:1-33– From my study in the Life of Yeshua haMashiyach ©2003-2022 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries, in which I used the Harmony of the Gospels found in the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible and Thomson Chain’s Supplement, “The Tree of Yeshua’ Life” for an outline.
(153-155). Parable of the Good Shepherd Jn.10.1-17 – The monologue continues, as Yeshua teaches about who his true followers are. In fact, he hardly takes a breath between Jn.9.41 and Jn.10.1. He was talking to the P’rushim who were with him, whom he said were still in their sins. It looks like the beginning of this part of the narrative was at Jn.8.12 – the light of life reference. These events all seem to have happened over the course of a few hours, or days at most. He started in 8.12 with the light of life, which I think refers to the ‘shamash’, or servant, candle on the Chanukkiah, and in 10.22 we see that it is still the Feast of Dedication, or Chanukah, which is also called the Feast of Lights.
He started with ‘they who do not enter at the door into the sheepfold’ being robbers and thieves. These can be likened to the tares among the wheat in Mat.13.24-30, 36-43;
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
36 Then Yeshua sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,”
or the wolves in sheep’s clothing in Mat.7.15 and Acts 20.29.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
They don’t enter by the strait gate and walk the narrow way, striving for the mastery (2Tim.2.5).
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
Please note that the tares and wolves in sheep’s clothing may THINK they are members of the body and in their conformity they certainly look good outwardly – until seedtime. We are told in Jn.14.6 that there is only one way to the Father, and Yeshua is that way. He is the ‘strait gate’, the ‘narrow way’. That gate meets each of us on our own life’s roads at different places and is wide enough for one person to enter at a time; the entry thereto is personal, not corporate. We are not redeemed in droves, but by little and little. And each of us has his own personal road to walk, as personal as the gate that allowed us entry. We are all different and we all are on a different road when we receive our gift of life by entering that strait gate, which is Mashiyach. For any to insist that each of us walk the exact same road after we are saved would be silly; it verges on stupidity. We walk by the same rules to be sure, but my way may lead me by a different route and through different trials than yours leads you. It is our goal and rules that are the same, not the paths we must traverse. Q&C
But thieves and robbers try to get us to look away from the goal, to rob us of the joy that is set before us. They bring in doubtful disputations, even doctrines of devils to steal away our peace. For this cause we are to study to show ourselves, not others, approved, workmen that need not be ashamed and rightly dividing the word of Truth, which these robbers profane with their vain babblings. Others are on a different road to the same goal. They are to show themselves approved by rightly dividing the Word of Truth. That word is the same, the goal is the same, the rules are the same; but the route is different for each of us because we all enter at a different point along the way. Our way is the shortest distance from the point of entry to the goal. My way may seem strange to you, or yours strange to me, but if we are both striving toward the same goal by the same rules using the same word of Truth, we will never be at cross-purposes, and we will have great fellowship in the Spirit of Abba, our Father. And therein lies the rub of heresy and denominationalism. A man is not a heretic because he sees scripture from a different perspective than I do. Indeed, that is a given. He is a heretic because he doesn’t believe what he reads and adds or diminishes from the word as it pleases him. He has attempted entry without the gate. And so we study to protect ourselves from robbers and thieves. Therefore, do not follow me because I’m ‘holy’ in your eyes, or ‘smarter than the average bear’. If anyone is to follow anyone else, it must be only as he is following Yeshua. It is much better to follow after Yeshua and not any mere man
1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also of Mashiyach. (1Cor.11.1)
17 For the kingdom of Elohim is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in Ruach haKodesh. 18 For he that in these things serveth Mashiyach is acceptable to Elohim, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. (Rom.14.17-19)
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Mashiyach Yeshua my Master: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them dung, that I may win Mashiyach, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of ma’aseh/tachanoth [works/enactments], but that which is through the faith of Mashiyach, the righteousness which is of Elohim by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect [accomplished]: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Mashiyach Yeshua. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but one thing [he has apprehended this], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Elohim in Mashiyach Yeshua. 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, Elohim shall reveal even this unto you. 16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, the enemies of the cross of Mashiyach [MP here; NOT the tree on which he was hanged, but his mission; the reason he submitted to the stake]: 19 Whose end destruction, whose elohim belly, and glory in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, Yah Yeshua haMashiyach: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Phil.3.8-21)
24 Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some they follow after [later]. 25 Likewise also the good works [obedience to Yah’s Toroth] are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid. (1Tim.5.24-25)
9 But they that will be rich [monetarily] fall into temptation and a snare, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of Elohim, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (1Tim.6.9-12).
After all, it is Yeshua who gave his life for you, not me or any other mere man. You can never implicitly trust any mere man with your soul and your spiritual health. Only Yeshua has your best interests at heart all the time. When you start trusting someone else to lead you safely through the pits and speed bumps of life, and don’t keep your relationship to Yeshua through the Ruach haKodesh you let yourself in for a big disappointment and fall. We all need to keep our eyes on the goal. Remember what happened when Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart, and others of their ilk fell. Many fell away from the faith. Others went on like there was nothing wrong, forgetting about discernment. This all came about because their eyes were on men and not the goal of the high calling of Yah in Mashiyach. I think, those men were (and some still are) hirelings, not shepherds, who cared more for the riches derived from the sheep than for the sheep themselves (2Pe.2). That is, of course, my opinion and it could be wrong, but I also think that I have the mind of Mashiyach on this.
If the above is true, those who follow after these hirelings are not wise, to say the least, may even be tares for, according to Yeshua’s words in v.5, ‘a stranger they will not follow.’ If they were truly following after their shepherd, they would not be following some hireling. They would know His voice and follow Him. One who is led by Ruach haKodesh will discern very easily those who are after their ‘geld’ and not the heart of Abba. Q&C
Yochanan 10:14-15,
“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. [15] As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
True followers of Yeshua know the truth and follow after it, for Yeshua is the Truth, even as he follows after Avinu in all things. Yeshua was and is truly a man after Elohim’s own heart, as we ought to be. And so we should follow after him with others who are following after him, thereby drawing both physical and spiritual strength and encouragement along the narrow way toward the prize. We need each other to help keep the truth and the goal in our sights.
“Other sheep I have”, says Yeshua in v.16, “not of this fold.” The children of Yehudah, the Jews, were the ‘this fold’ he spoke of. A little history lesson follows. After the death of Solomon (Shlomo), the people of the 10 northern tribes asked Rehovoam, the new king of Yisrael, to give them a little tax relief. The Temple was built and paid for, as were the fleets in Aqaba and the Med, so there wasn’t any need for the high taxes they were paying to maintain services. The high taxes were just there to feed the greed of the king and his young cronies. These cronies advised that he lay heavier taxes on the whining people (so they could party all the harder), while Shlomo’s counselors advised a tax cut [sound familiar? Trumpian?]. Being a young man, full of P&V (‘pride’ and vinegar), he took the advise of the young men, and told the people he was going to make it even worse for them. They of course, did the Boston Tea Party thing and left him holding the bag (pun intended), which became decidedly less full than it would have been had he relented.
I think all of the people would have left him, except that the portion of BenYamin was where the meeting took place and was under Yehudah’s military occupation [of course, the prophet had told Shlomo that his son would keep Yehudah and BenYamin]. At any rate, Yerovoam became king of the rebels, and he immediately instituted a false worship system to keep the people from going up to Jerusalem for the feasts and thereby reunite with Yehudah. In other words, he did it for political gain. He had two golden calves made, called them Yah, and placed them in Dan and Bethel. Then he instituted a false Feast system, having the 10 tribes come to Dan in the 8th month instead of Jerusalem in the 7th for the feast of tabernacles, as prescribed by Yah. These feasts and elohims had been called by the name of Yah, but the system was not Yah worship. It looked like the Egyptian/Cana’ani religions, which in fact it was. They had the form of godliness, but denied the power thereof, like the present celebrations of Xmas and Easter, which were foisted on us by our friends in the RC denomination. Just putting the name of Yah on something does not sanctify it. Just saying, ‘in Yeshua’s name’ doesn’t make it holy. Taking the Name of Yah or Yeshua is not just invoking the name as a type of mantra, but is accepting the character and authority of that Name for its sake. This false worship in the name of Yah was and is a perfect example of what was meant by, ‘Thou shalt not take the name of Yah Elohecha [thy Elohim] in vain.’
This denial of the power of the worship of Yah led to their utter defeat in battle, and their being carried away into Assyria to be totally assimilated and integrated into the pagan culture. Yah said, in effect, “You want to worship idols? Well, here you go!” The 10 tribes were absorbed into the heathen nations of the whole earth. Will he do any less, now?
Of course, as is usually the case with Abba, this was a curse to Ephraim/10-Yisrael, but a blessing to the world. In Gen.12, Avram was promised that in his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. This was part of the reason Yah allowed Yisrael to go into idolatry, so he could scatter the children of Yisrael to the 4 winds and be able to call them out from among the nations in the last days. The 10 tribes are integrated into the nations of the earth and their vast majority has no idea they are descendants of Avraham. Only Yehudah, Benjamin and Levi, the Jews, can properly trace their heritage to Avraham. But Abba knows who are his, even those of us who are gentiles, the sheep of the other fold. He is calling all of us, both Jew and gentile, back to himself and will form of the two folds one flock with one shepherd, as he prophesied in Ezekiel 37.15ff, Zech.14.9 and here in Yochanan 10.16. Q&C
Vv.17-18 tell us a lot in light of the previous verses. It is by his laying down his life that it is possible to reunite the two folds into one. Before the death and resurrection of Yeshua, gentiles had to conform to all the Toroth, including the sacrificial system, to be saved. Now, in Mashiyach, all have ready access to the throne of grace through the blood of the New, or rather re-newed, Covenant. I say renewed because the greek word for new in Hebrews 8 is kainos, which speaks of freshness, not something neos, or brand new with respect to age. It is the same covenant made fresh by the blood of the Lamb.
What was the covenant? We spoke briefly of it in the last section. The covenant is not the Torah. Torah is the conditions of life in the covenant, not the covenant itself. The covenant is based in the belief (Avram believed Yah and it was counted to him for righteousness) that in Avraham’s seed would all the nations of the earth be blessed (Gen.12). This was reiterated and expanded in Gen.15, where it was solemnized in the blood of animals. The covenant has both physical and spiritual implication. It deals with all of Avraham’s physical descendants whereby I think all the nations may literally be descendants of Abe and thereby blessed. And it deals with the one true spiritual seed, Yeshua Mashiyach, by whom all have access to the throne through his blood, if they so choose to approach. Remember that any approaching by any other avenue are thieves and robbers, even ‘Jews’ or ‘Xians’. The new (also can be translated freshened or renewed) covenant in Jer.31.31-34 is to the house of Yisrael (that’s us gentiles) and the house of Yehudah (that’s the Jews) – two folds, two houses, made one in the blood of the new covenant – and it will go into physical effect in the millennium (v.33, ‘after those days’ prophetically means after ‘the time of Jacob’s trouble’) into which all who enter will be keepers of Torah. Some will obey due to fear of the consequences for disobedience, and some will have it written on their hearts. This will also apply to their offspring. If they also accept the conditions of the new covenant – to have the Torah written on their hearts, which implies that they want it written there, they will willingly comply. Abba is no bully who will force his will on anyone. They must choose to be bound by the covenant, even as we must, to be saved. If they choose to comply by force, they will rebel at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.
You see in vv. 17-18 that Yeshua was also given a choice. He could lay down his life if he chose, or he could keep it. No one could force him to give it, not even Abba – especially not Abba, but he had the power to give it, and thereby had the power to take it up again. There was a condition placed on Yeshua’s power by Abba. He had to lay down his life before he could have the power to take it again. This was his exercise of faith by which we were redeemed. This was a large part of the faith of Yeshua. Our Father promised him he had power to do it, and he believed it. It hadn’t ever been done before, that a man could lay down his own life and take it back up by his own power. That took faith. And it is that faith that is referred to in
21 But now the righteousness of Elohim without the law is manifested, being witnessed by Torah and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of Elohim by faith of Yeshua haMashiyach unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Rom.3.21-22)
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law [ma’aseh haTorah], but by the faith of Yeshua haMashiyach, even we have believed in Yeshua haMashiyach, that we might be justified by the faith of Mashiyach, and not by the works of Torah: for by the works of Torah shall no flesh be justified. (Gal.2.16)
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Yeshua haMashiyach might be given to them that believe. (Gal.3.22)
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of Torah, but that which is through the faith of Mashiyach, the righteousness which is of Elohim by faith: (Phil.3.9)
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here they that keep the commandments of Elohim, and the faith of Yeshua. (Rev.14.12)
The faith of Yeshua haMashiyach is the promise of his resurrection power. He took his life up again and has power to raise me up also. I was, am and will be saved by the faith of Yeshua and NOTHING ELSE. Q&C____________________________
These sayings caused dissension, in vv.19-21, among the P’rushim that were following him. I think he was weeding out the sign-seekers from among them. Notice I said the sign-seekers, not the sign-readers. Those who were reading the signs he showed were convinced that he was no madman or devil worshipper. The healing of the FBM [formerly blind man, ch.9] proved that to them. Those who followed him simply to see wonders performed were offended by his saying, “I have power, given by my Father to give up my life and to take it up again.” They were driven by their own curiosity or lust to seek signs. They were not driven by Ruach ha Kodesh, or Holy Spirit, to seek the truth of Abba. Those who were reading signs knew Tanakh and were after the truth. They, driven by the Spirit of Truth, saw the scriptures fulfilled and they believed.
The same cannot be said for the sign seekers and the Jewish leadership. In vv.22-31 we see their reaction to his teaching. Remember that the events of Jn.8.58-59 were only a few hours, at most a day, ago. The same feast of Chanukah, the feast of dedication or of lights, was going on as in 8.12.
They said, “If thou be the Mashiyach, tell us plainly.” He said, [Mp], “Why should I waste my breath? Look at the wonders I’ve performed in the name of Yah. If you don’t believe me, believe the works that you’ve seen with your own eyes. The very wonders you’ve seen should tell you who I am without me saying so.” Others had come in the past, some quite recently, claiming to be Mashiyach, who had, in their pride, brought reproach on the Word of Truth, not being able to deliver on the promise of deliverance from the gentile occupiers. Their very claims had been arrogant, and I think, the P’rushim were probably waiting for his claim so they could denounce him as just another false Mashiyach. He was offering the kingdom, but he must first die for the sin and sins of the world before he could be their King. They wanted a political savior, not a spiritual Saviour; a savior from slavery to Rome, not a Saviour from slavery to sin. He knew that and would not put himself in that political position by claiming to be Mashiyach in so many words, for he knew they would be misconstrued.
He makes the point with a return to the sheep/shepherd metaphor. He says [Mp], ‘You don’t believe me because you aren’t my sheep.’ He’d told them that the father had given him sheep to bring into the fold, but that they weren’t among them. Did he deny them the ability to believe? No, repentance was still open to them, but he did know they wouldn’t because of the hardness of their hearts, their arrogance and pride at being the ‘Chosen People of Gaw-awd’. He’d told them earlier that his sheep followed him because they knew his voice. They didn’t recognize the voice of the Father speaking to them, and so they would not believe.
Then he told them that he would give his sheep eternal life. Noone but Yah could give life. He was saying he would give eternal life; the same kind of life Yah had given Adam and Chava in the garden. He also said that no man would take them from him by force or subterfuge, and that no man could take them from the Father by force or subterfuge. The word ‘pluck’ would seem to indicate something done quickly, like a surgical strike by commandos. The greek word is harpazo and means to seize. It is the same word used in 1Thes.4.17 and translated ‘caught up’. It has to do with taking something from someone who has been watching for an attack
1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto Elohim, and his throne. (Rev.12.1-5).
In other words, he’s expecting an attack from haSatan and his minions, and that attack has come over the last 2000 years in the form of temptation – to wander to the left or right of the way, to espouse false doctrines, to submit to others than Abba, to compromise with the world for the sake of comfort and approbation, among others. We need to be constantly on the alert to these things in our own lives that get our eyes off the prize.
Then he said the thing that eventually got him killed, “I and my Father are one.” He said, in Hebrew or Aramaic (which is the dialect of Hebrew used by the people at that time – Yeshua did not speak greek as a general rule), ‘aniy v’avi echad.’ This is very similar, when you think about it, to “Yah Elohenu Yah echad”, and their reaction is understandable, indeed required from their perspective. By saying this he unequivocally placed himself in a direct relationship to the Father in heaven. He was claiming deity. And so, out come the stones again. I’ve probably said it before, but it makes me crazy when people say that Yeshua never claimed deity. They make themselves dolts, who’ve read the surface words, but never thought about what he said and what the people he spoke to understood. Had he been a mere man, this had been blasphemy. But because he was and is who he claimed to be, there was no sin done here, and no reason for a stoning.
He then used a scripture (one of many he could have chosen. He could have used Daniel 3.25, where the Masoretic Text very clearly says “l’bar elahiyn” – unto a son of the gods, or of Elohim) to make his point all the more clear. The AENT has a good commentary on Yeshua in the Talmud that I think is salient here. Cf. AENT appendix, “Yeshua in the Talmud”. [This is almost 3 pages of very small print. Bear with me, please, because it is too good to not share with you.]
Yeshua quoted Ps.82.6 [Mp], “If he called the men to whom the scriptures were given elohim, why do you say I blaspheme when I say I am the Son of Yah? Have the wonders I’ve performed before your very eyes not shown that I am who I claim to be? Hey, If you don’t want to believe me, that’s fine. But you ought to believe what I’ve done to be from Abba. If you’ll do that, you’ll eventually believe that I am.” OOOO! Were they ever ticked?! They tried to get their hands on him, but he once again blinded their eyes, or disappeared, or whatever he’d done just a couple of hours before, and he escaped to the other side of Yarden and had more multitudes follow him. I think that those many who resorted to him in TransJordan were of the P’rushim, only by the way the narrative flows, perhaps some of those he’d rebuked in chapter 9. Whoever they were, they had been familiar with Yochanan the Immerser’s teaching and had been there when Andrew and Yochanan had talked to him about Yeshua in Jn.1.30ff. Q&C
End of Shabbat Bible Study (and it’s about time).
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