GO

Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your fathers House. (Genesis 12:1)

The question is, why the repetition? If God would have said, from your land or from your birthplace, it would suffice!

The answer is that God was alluding to not only a physical journey but to a spiritual journey.

Therefore, מארצך or from your land means from your evil inclination.

וממולדתך or from your birthplace means from the the bad attributes that are innate in man.

ומבית אביך or from your fathers house means from the habits that you learned in your fathers house.

The Binding of Isaac

The Binding of Isaac

We as believers know of the typology of Genesis 22

There are parallels:

He was begotten

He was promised

Genesis 22 is called the Akeidah in Hebrew

7 days a week it is read in morning prayer service

It is read on Rosh Ha Shanna

It is read once during regular reading cycle.

It is read 367 times a year

It is the most read and cherished chapter in the Bible to the Jews

(Hebrews 11:17-19, Hendrickson Literal Translation) "By faith, being tested, Abraham offered up Isaac . . . reckoning that God was able to raise him from the dead; from where indeed he obtained him in a parable."

What parable??

In what parable did Abraham obtain Isaac from the dead?

NIV render the passage as follows: "Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death."

Now lets look at rabbinic literature

R. Judah says: When the sword touched Isaac's throat his soul flew clean out of him. And when He let His voice be heard from between the cherubim, "Lay not thy hand upon the lad." The lad's soul was returned to his body. Then his father unbound him and Isaac rose, knowing that in this way the dead would come back to life in the future; whereupon he began to recite, "Blessed are You, LORD, who resurrects the dead." (Pirkei Rabbi Elieazer)

Because Jewish tradition and the Rabbinic writings treat Isaac as if he actually did die upon the altar, Isaac became an early symbol for resurrection.

The Midrash goes on to further emphasize the connection between Isaac, his Akeidah and resurrection, even going so far as to state that on Isaac's merit, all the dead will be resurrected in the future.

By virtue of Isaac who offered himself as a sacrifice on top of the altar, the Holy One blessed be He, will resurrect the dead in the future, as it is said, "To hear the groaning of him who is bound; to open up release for the offspring appointed to death." (Psalm 102:21) "Him who is bound" is interpreted as Isaac bound on top of the altar. "To open up release for the offspring appointed to death" [is interpreted] as the dead whose graves the Holy One, blessed be He, will open up so that He may set them on their feet in the Age to Come. (Mekilta Simeon)

The haftarah is II Kings 4:1-37

The story of the death of the Shunnamite's son and his miraculous resurrection at Elisha's hand.

Both stories were about boys prophetically promised to barren women who subsequently died and were miraculously restored.

But did Isaac really die?

Probably not, but it is definitely a concept well cemented in the early traditions and parables of Rabbinic Judaism.

The ram’s horns

It is believed that the left horn was used at Sinai at the giving of the Torah

The right horn will be used to herald the arrival of messiah

Slight problem though

"Was not the ram burnt as a burnt offering together with its horns, skin and flesh? How could this be the source of the shofar that was blown on Mount Sinai?"

Rabbi Bechaye says   "The answer is that God created a new ram out of the ashes." How can the horn from Isaac's ram be the horn that will herald the Messiah when that ram was completely burned? The answer is simple. The Ram was resurrected.

Genesis 22:8
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Speaking of Abraham's ram, there is an interesting textual problem around the description of this ram. It is an anomalous grammatical form in verse 13 which has caused many a Rabbi to scratch his head. The verse literally reads, "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a ram after caught in the thicket . . ." The Hebrew word "achar" is best translated as after. Its appearance in the text here seems somewhat clumsy and misplaced. In order to explain this, several possible interpretations have been made. The most widely accepted is the KJV, which renders the sentence, ". . . and behold, behind him, a ram caught in a thicket."

The sages struggle with the word. Does it mean the ram was behind Abraham? One commentator suggests that it means that the ram was caught in the thicket only after Abraham saw it. Another says that it was after the proceeding events that Abraham saw the ram. Still another opinion has it that Abraham saw the achareit yomim, "the last days." There are still other explanations, and all of them are possible, but none seem completely satisfactory. The question is, "Where and when did Abraham see the ram?" More literally, the construction of the sentence implies that he saw the lamb "afterwards." Some believers have suggested that perhaps it is a reference to a prophetic vision. Perhaps what is being implied is that when Abraham looked up, he saw not only this ram caught in the thicket, but he saw a future sacrifice, one that would come long after his day.

Where did and when did Abraham see the ram? Yeshua makes a statement about what Abraham saw. He says in the Gospel of John: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." (John 8:5-6) What did Abraham see? Perhaps he saw the Lamb provided by God.

It is recorded for us in the Mishnah (Avot 5:6) that this particular ram was created for this purpose since the first days of creation. In other words, Isaac's ram was prepared for sacrifice since the foundation of the world. In the same way, Peter described the Master as "a lamb without blemish or defect, chosen before the creation of the world." (1st Peter 1:19-20)

There are more parables and stories around the Akeidah. The Midrash is full of them. Some are well known and remembered even today. Some are more obscure. For example, consider the manner in which the midrash attempts to resolve the question of Isaac's absence at the end of the Genesis narrative. The Torah reads thus:

"So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba." (Genesis 22:19)

In the same stark, simple language with which it began, the Torah concludes the story of Akeidah by stating that Abraham returned to his servants and they went together to Beersheba. Conspicuously absent is Isaac. Why does the Torah not say, "Abraham and Isaac returned . . ." Twice previously the Torah emphatically stated that Abraham and Isaac went together. But here, at the conclusion of the passage, Abraham returns alone. Isaac is not seen in the Torah again until he meets his bride, Rebekah.

It is believed that Isaac remained in Salem to study under Melchizedek.

This being a Jewish book it sure sounds Christian

what does the word Akeidah mean? The word is actually derived from the Hebrew verb akod translated as "bound" in verse nine. It is an unusual word. Akod literally means "ringed" or "striped." Rashi explains that the use of this verb refers to the stripe-like marks left by ropes on the ankles and wrists of a person who is tied hand and foot. A person bound in this manner would bear the impression of the ropes on their skin. It is from this particular verb, akod, that we derive the word Akeidah. Therefore, the entire story is named after the marks left on Isaac's body.

Even the skeptic will have to admit that the Messianic foreshadowing, down to the choice of a single word, is astounding. Was it not Yeshua who was bound for sacrifice in such manner that his wrists and ankles were marked, even scarred for all eternity?

Stone Throwers

I have always been intrigued by the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. This story has had many theologians wondering what Jesus was writing in the sand. Was it the Ten Commandments? Was it the sentence? Was he doodling? This was not the point. They were trying to catch Jesus.
If you go back just a few verses you will find that it was one day after the feast. Which feast? The feast of Sukkot. (tabernacles).
Everything that led to this point is important. It was a new year. Their sins were pushed forward. Time was spent in deep teshuvah (repentance). It was now time to begin anew. That morning they would have started their reading with, "In the beginning".
Not even 24 hours had passed and none of them could cast the first stone?
Jesus could have, but chose not to condemn. John Ortberg says Condemnation and judgement have become so deeply rooted in the human spirit that most of us can't imagine having to function without them.
Less than 24 hours before they were singing and drawing water from the wells of salvation.
Less than 24 hours before Jesus said, "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Anoint

MASHACH - משח Anoint
In Hebrew, the term of an "anointed one" is mashiach, from which the term "Messiah" is derived. The Greek translation of this word gives us the English term "Christ." Jewish, Egyptian, and other ancient kings were often anointed, and in western history, anointing has been used as part of the royal coronation ceremonies, symbolizing a divine blessing upon the monarch.
The Hebrew mashach is a process of painting, besmearing, or anointing a person or an object with oil. The Hebrew anointing was in part a legal procedure implemented in conjunction with the ordination and consecration of a priest or king within Israel's tribal community. Ordination is represented by the Hebrew words [mileiat et yaddim] which means "to fill the hands." Academics define "fill the hand" within the context of the chosen receiving a staff, scepter, or some sort of hand held symbol in relation to their office. More than likely, the prophet was used a channel to transmit God's spirit to the chosen one in preparation for his new role as king or priest. Keep in mind the Hebrew word "meleit" means "to fill." We often hear the expression filled with anger or filled with joy, the body being analagous to a vessel that captures a spirit or emotion. In the anointing the "filling" is of God's spirit. The hands identified by the Hebrew "yaddim" expresses how man accomplishes any given work. The filling of God's spirit puts the anointed in a position to make the world a better place by directing his hands towards worldly endevors blessed by devine association. AHWW
Acts 8:17-19
 17Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

 18And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

 19Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
Anointing cannot be bought.

Name Shem שם

When we see a name such as "King David" we see the word "King" as a title and "David" as a name. In our western mind a title describes a character trait while a name is simply an identifier. In the Hebrew language there is no such distinction between names and titles. Both words, King and David, are descriptions of character traits, King is "one who reigns" while David is "one who is loved". It is also common to identify the word "Elohiym" (God) as a title and YHWH (Yahweh, the LORD, Jehovah) as a name. What we do not realize is that both of these are character traits, YHWH meaning "the one who exists" and Elohiym is "one who has power and authority". The Hebrew word "shem" more literally means "character". When the Bible speaks of taking God's name to the nations, he is not talking about the name itself but his character. When the command to not take God's name in vain literally means not to represent his character in a false manner. It is similar to our expression of "having a good name" which is not about the name itself but the character of the one with that name. AHWW
Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
To be Christ like takes on a whole different meaning.

Jesus the Son of Joseph

The Torah commands the Children of Israel to dwell in booths for seven days. The commandment is in remembrance of the time when they and God dwelt in tabernacles in the wilderness of Sinai after He had delivered them from the harsh bondage of Egypt.

Oddly enough, this week-long celebration is called the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). The Torah requires that the Children of Israel dwell in booths for seven days. Later sages reduced this to taking at least one meal per day in the sukkah. A medieval Jewish book of mysticism, the Zohar (5: 103b), became the source for a peculiar custom of the Feast of Tabernacles. From it was derived the tradition of inviting one of seven great biblical figures to dine in the sukkah on each of the seven days of the festival. The European (Ashkenazi) Jewish community orders them thus: Abraham on day one, Isaac on day two, Jacob on day three, Joseph on day four, Moses on day five, Aaron on day six, and David on day seven.

Possible evidence for an ancient date for this custom come from the words of Jesus:

'..many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven...' (Matthew 8:11)

In the following passage, Jesus connects sitting down with the patriarchs with the appearance of the 'master of the house' (Messiah) in the Kingdom of Heaven:

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. (Luke 13:28-29)

Such a banquet was envisioned by some of Israel's teachers:

In the future to come, the Holy One, blessed be He will make a banquet for the pious in the Garden of Eden... (Numbers Rabbah 13:2)

A Very Long Day

The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 31a) contains another tradition that relates to this. The Sages noted that in Psalm 90:4, Moses stated that 'one thousand years' in God's sight 'is as yesterday when it has passed.' That is, one-thousand years is like a day. So they speculated that, just as God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, the world would endure in its present condition for six-thousand years. This would be followed by one-thousand years of rest (Sanhedrin 97a-b.) This 'rest' was typified by the weekly Sabbath, an idea also found in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4. The idea of a thousand-year day is affirmed by the Apostle Peter:

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2 Peter 3:8)

Son of Joseph, Son of David

A third part of our prophetic picture relates to the Messiah.

The Jewish sages searched earnestly for the Messiah in the Scriptures. But the pictures they derived seemed contradictory. On the one hand Messiah seemed to be a triumphant conquering king who would bring Israel back from the four corners of the world, build another Temple to God, and crush the nations under his heel. This Messiah they called, 'Mashiach ben David,' or Messiah, Son of David. This title was applied to Jesus many times in the New Testament.

But, they also discerned another Messiah from Scripture as well. This Messiah would suffer and die for the sins of his people, would be mourned, and ultimately be resurrected. He was called Mashiach ben Yosef, Messiah, son of Joseph (also referred to as Ephraim who was the son of the patriarch Joseph. See the article Messiah in the Encyclopedia Judaica.) It is fascinating to remember that Jesus was also 'the son of Joseph:'

Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. (John 1:45)

A Cord of Three Strands

From these seemingly disconnected ideas emerges a fascinating picture:

Jesus was born about the year 3760 on the Jewish calendar (the Jewish year is supposed to relate to the time from the creation of Adam.) This places His life (according to the traditional Jewish reckoning) within the fourth millennia after creation, or 'the fourth day' from God's perspective. His appearance at that time as the 'son of Joseph' corresponds to the invitation extended to Joseph on the fourth day of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Just before His execution Jesus sat down with His disciples for the festive meal of Passover. He said these words:

But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. (Matthew 26:29)

Jesus' next appearance as the 'son of David' will assuredly be at the seventh millennia, corresponding to the invitation extended to David on the seventh day, of Tabernacles.
KSS

HOW WILL WE REACH OUR DESTINATION?

(Deu 1:1): We all know that the end and aim of

life is not in this world. If we are to arrive at the right destination we must

have help and guidance. (10-14-11)






As Deuteronomy opens Israel was still in the wilderness.

It was eleven days journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea yet it took them forty

years to accomplish it. What takes the shortest time is not always the best

path. Desert


wandering was a preparation for the destined goal.







Life is but a preparation. Man's true destiny is

immortality. Two things are necessary for the man who would reach his true

destiny.






First of all we must have a guide that will take hold on

us and bring us through.






Several forces in society are laying hold of mankind

today, such as ambition, avarice, lust, pleasure, pride, superstition. One or

more, perhaps all, grasp and hold mankind. They extend around them like some

dense poisoning fog, robbing them of both light and strength. While environed

with such, or indeed any form of sin, Christ would break His way into us with

help, " I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance,"

(Luk 5:32; 1Ti 1:14-16; 1Pe 2:3; Act 10:36; Act 13:38-39; Col 2:13).






Secondly, just as He takes hold on us to bring us to our

destination we must also take hold on Him as our guide.






We begin by believing on Him in obedience to His Word.



He said we were to keep His commandments (Joh 14:15; Joh

15:10; Jam 2:17; Gal 5:6). We take refuge in the blood of His atonement. We are

baptized in Jesus Name and filled with His Spirit (Act 2:38; Joh 3:3-5).
Kelsey Griffin