Teaching on the letter "mem" and the mikveh

In this series of 4 short videos we will learn about the letter "mem" and the mikveh (ritual bath)

Let's start with "The Way the TRUTH and the life....why is truth in the middle?"

https://youtu.be/molijdLL9Ck

"What is God's seal? It's TRUTH..." Part 2

https://youtu.be/sKQIpR37Yig

"The TRUTH transition...." Part 3

https://youtu.be/bL8zevEN2wA

And lastly.... "The deeper meaning of TRUTH" part 4

https://youtu.be/5kRvwy8uTSg

Pray For Rain and Give Thanks

The Great Hallel is the 136th chapter of Psalms. It's 26 verses are said to parallel the 26 generations of mankind from the Creation to the Giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, and each verse ends with, "His steadfast love is eternal". It is recited during Shabbat morning services and festivals (last day of Passover). 

It is part of the Haggadah (the telling) on the first Seder (order) night of Passover. At one time it was recited when prayers for rain had been answered.  

The next time you pray for rain and receive it....pray this. 

1Give thanks to the Lord because He is good, for His kindness is eternal.   אהוֹדוּ לַיהֹוָה כִּי טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

2Give thanks to the God of the angels, for His kindness is eternal.   בהוֹדוּ לֵאלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

3Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His kindness is eternal.   גהוֹדוּ לַאֲדֹנֵי הָאֲדֹנִים כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

4To Him Who performs great wonders alone, for His kindness is eternal.   דלְעֹשֵׂה נִפְלָאוֹת גְּדֹלוֹת לְבַדּוֹ כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

5To Him Who made the heavens with understanding, for His kindness is eternal.   הלְעֹשֵׂה הַשָּׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָה כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

6To Him Who spread out the earth over the water, for His kindness is eternal.   ולְרֹקַע הָאָרֶץ עַל הַמָּיִם כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

7To Him Who made great luminaries, for His kindness is eternal.   זלְעֹשֵׂה אוֹרִים גְּדֹלִים כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

8The sun to rule by day, for His kindness is eternal.   חאֶת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת בַּיּוֹם כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

9The moon and stars to rule at night, for His kindness is eternal.   טאֶת הַיָּרֵחַ וְכוֹכָבִים לְמֶמְשְׁלוֹת בַּלָּיְלָה כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

10To Him Who smote the Egyptians with their firstborn, for His kindness is eternal.   ילְמַכֵּה מִצְרַיִם בִּבְכוֹרֵיהֶם כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

11And He took Israel from their midst, for His kindness is eternal.   יאוַיּוֹצֵא יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתּוֹכָם כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

12With a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, for His kindness is eternal.   יבבְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

13To Him Who cut the Sea of Reeds asunder, for His kindness is eternal.   יגלְגֹזֵר יַם סוּף לִגְזָרִים כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

14And caused Israel to cross in its midst, for His kindness is eternal.   ידוְהֶעֱבִיר יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתוֹכוֹ כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

15And He threw Pharaoh and his host into the Sea of Reeds, for His kindness is eternal.   טווְנִעֵר פַּרְעֹה וְחֵילוֹ בְיַם סוּף כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

16To Him Who led His people in the desert, for His kindness is eternal.   טזלְמוֹלִיךְ עַמּוֹ בַּמִּדְבָּר כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

17To Him Who smote great kings, for His kindness is eternal.   יזלְמַכֵּה מְלָכִים גְּדֹלִים כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

18And slew mighty kings, for His kindness is eternal.   יחוַיַּהֲרֹג מְלָכִים אַדִּירִים כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

19Sihon the king of the Amorites, for His kindness is eternal.   יטלְסִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

20And Og the king of Bashan, for His kindness is eternal.   כוּלְעוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

21And He gave their land as an inheritance, for His kindness is eternal.   כאוְנָתַן אַרְצָם לְנַחֲלָה כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

22An inheritance to Israel His servant, for His kindness is eternal.   כבנַחֲלָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדּוֹ כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

23Who remembered us in our humble state, for His kindness is eternal.   כגשֶׁבְּשִׁפְלֵנוּ זָכַר לָנוּ כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

24And He rescued us from our adversaries, for His kindness is eternal.   כדוַיִּפְרְקֵנוּ מִצָּרֵינוּ כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

25Who gives bread to all flesh, for His kindness is eternal.   כהנֹתֵן לֶחֶם לְכָל בָּשָׂר כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ:

26Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His kindness is eternal.

Gleanings from Emor

Gleanings from #Emor

#Emor = speak = aleph-mem-resh = power-chaos-head. Speech has power over the chaos in your head. Read the #Bible aloud.

@Jay_Carper

God does not challenge us with trivialities. He only challenges us in ways which will truly get us to grow. If we're imbalanced in one area, we will be sent a challenge to modify that trait.

Rabbi Simmons

Giving to God is more complex than a simple 10th to charity. Firstfruits, dough, feasts, poor, Temple, etc. #Emor

@Jay_Carper

Devar

Hebrew: דָּבָר

Meaning: Word

It also means "thing"... When God speaks a #WORD He creates a "thing"

#Emor

A man has to be the prophet, priest, and king of his home. #Mashiach #Emor

"A wise man is cautious and turns always from evil, but a fool throws off restraint and is careless. (Proverbs 14:16) #Emor

Pentecost/Shavuot

Pentecost is the anniversary of the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. God's betrothal to His people. Sadly, they wanted the contract amended right away when in Exodus 20:16 They said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear, but let God not speak with us lest we die."

They did not want to hear God's voice. The voice of God is essential. His Word hid in our hearts is what keeps us from sinning. 

God doesn't answer and just allows Moses to become the mediator. Later on though God does address the amendment to the contract when He says to Moses, "A prophet from among you, from your brothers, like me, the Lord, your God will set up for you you shall hearken to him. According to all that you asked of the Lord, your God, in Horeb, on the day of the assembly, saying, "Let me not continue to hear the voice of the Lord, my God, and let me no longer see this great fire, so that I will not die."

He would come Himself and dwell within our temple. Want to hear more? 

https://youtu.be/s_ACfMhiCAk

Whoops!! I Didn't Know

For years we have heard the same thing. We find ourselves saying, "that's what I was told.", or "that's how I was taught". 

Listening to a sermon about acceptance of Jesus as Messiah you have probably heard, "The Jews Just Missed It!"

We have to be careful of this kind of teaching, and many do it unintentionally, because it leads to or gives our Jewish brethren a feeling of anti-semitism. 

The 120 in the upper room were mostly Jews. Only the leadership of that day, "Missed It". 

Right now I am reviewing a book for an author on the "Jewish Gospel of John" which when read you can get a anti-semitic vibe from. 

So far I believe that this particular gospel was intended for Jewish readers. That's why it starts out sounding like the Torah, 

"In the beginning". 

So how is this detrimental?

1. Getting back to our Apostolic roots is rich with Jewish heritage and biblical understanding and we can "Miss It".

2. It can actually be harmful to any of our Jewish friends who are among us. 

3. It may lead to other forms of expressing anti-semitism. 

When I first started Hebrew Perspectives I had no idea that things like this happened. It wasn't until I started making a lot of Jewish friends that my eyes began to open to some of the "replacement theology" that had crept in. 

I'm thankful to say that many have come to realize this was happening and are endeavoring to teach others and right the wrongs of the past. 

Blow the shofar and sound the alarm in these perilous times. 

The Ten Remembrances

The Ten Remembrances

1. CORONATION: In the Scriptures, the shofar is sounded at the coronation of a king. The blast of the shofar announces the newly crowned King and proclaims his ascent to sovereignty. We see this well illustrated in the coronation contest for David's throne (1 Kings 1:39). Psalm 47:5 and 98:6 also illustrate the shofar blast as a coronation acclamation. Thus the shofar blast of Rosh haShannah might be construed to be a proclamation of coronation, specifically, the coronation of the King of the Universe. According to ancient Jewish tradition, the first day of the seventh month is the yearly anniversary of God's completion of creation. As such, it is also the New Year's Day of the Biblical Calendar. This New Year's Day aspect is reflected in the festival's common Hebrew name: Rosh haShannah. Rosh haShannah, as previously mentioned, means, "Head of the Year." The first day of the seventh month then marks and remembers the anniversary of the completion of creation as well as the day that God became King over that new creation. Therefore, sound of the shofar on Rosh haShannah is a remembrance of the coronation of the King of the Universe, and it symbolizes our acceptance of God as King.

2. REPENTANCE: Rosh haShannah marks the beginning of a ten day countdown to the Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). Because the Yom Kippur is judgment day, the shofar is sounded as a reminder that judgment is very near and the time for repentance is short.

In Temple times, the priesthood sounded three trumpet blasts every morning to announce the opening of the Temple gates (Edersheim, 1992). So too, it is believed, that the first shofar blasts of the Feast of Trumpets announce the opening of the gates of Heaven. This is traditional Rosh haShannah image is fully employed in Revelation 4:1 when the Apostle looks and sees a door standing open in heaven and then hears a voice like a shofar say, "Come up here . . ."

In this tradition, the gates of Heaven are opened to receive our prayers of repentance and remain open until the conclusion of the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement service is concluded with one long shofar blast which announces that the gates of heaven have closed and judgment is complete. Therefore, the sound of the shofar on Rosh haShannah is a remembrance of the need to repent before judgment is made.

3. SINAI: When God descended onto Mount Sinai in Exodus 19, a heavenly shofar sounded loud and long. The sound of the shofar at Sinai was one of the miraculous signs that accompanied the giving of the Torah and the invitation to covenant. Therefore, the sound of the shofar on Rosh haShannah is a remembrance of the day at Mount Sinai when Israel accepted her covenant with God: the Torah.

4. WARNING: In ancient Israel, a watchman blew a shofar to sound an alarm when danger was approaching, much the way civil defense sirens are used in our modern world. When the Israelite heard the sound of the shofar, he knew to take warning of some imminent danger. Ezekiel employs this image by comparing the words of the prophets to the sound of the shofar warning. Ezekiel says, "The listener who heard the voice of the shofar and did not taking warning, and a sword came and took him, his blood will be on his own head." (Ezekiel 33:4, see also Jeremiah 4:19-21). That is to say, "If a person heard the words of the prophet but did not take warning from them, it will be his own fault when the trouble comes." Therefore, the sound of the shofar on Rosh haShannah is a remembrance of the need to take warning from the words of the prophets.

5. TEMPLE: In the Ancient Near East, the shofar was blown as a battle cry during sieges and assaults. When the soldiers heard the shofar, they knew to initiate the attack. The prophets invoke the battle cry of the shofar as they repeatedly warn of the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. For a good example of this at work consider the following passage:

"I have heard the sound of the shofar; I have heard the battle cry. Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins. In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a moment. How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the shofar?" (Jeremiah 4:19-21)

Therefore, the sound of the shofar on Rosh haShannah is a remembrance of the destruction of the Temple and a reminder to pray for its rebuilding.

6. THE BINDING OF ISAAC: A shofar trumpet is made from the horn of a ram. The most famous ram in the Torah is the ram of Genesis 22 which was sacrificed in Isaac's stead. Perhaps that is one reason that the Torah reading for the second day of the Feast of Trumpets is Genesis 22. The prayers of the Feast of Trumpets are filled with references to this story. The binding of Isaac is a central theme of the festival liturgies. As the congregation prays for forgiveness, they appeal to God for mercy and grace on the merit of the binding of Isaac.

Therefore, we find many prayers like the following one in the Festival of Trumpets prayer book.

"Remember for us, LORD, our God, the covenant, the kindness, and the oath that You swore to our father Abraham on Mount Moriah. Let there appear before You the Binding, when Abraham, our father, bound Isaac, his son, upon the altar . . . so may Your mercy suppress Your anger from upon us . . . and may you mercifully remember today the binding of Isaac for the sake of his offspring. Blessed are You, LORD, Who remembers the covenant." (Scherman, Nosson and Zlotowitz, 1985).

In the Talmud the question is asked, "Why do we sound the shofar on the Feast of Trumpets?" It is answered, "Because God said: 'I will thereby recall in your favor the Binding of Isaac and regard it as though you yourselves were bound before me.'" (Rosh haShannah 16a)

The following midrash further ties the relationship between the Feast of Trumpets and the binding of Isaac.

'After he had bound his son, Abraham then said: "You promised me seed through Isaac, yet when You commanded me to sacrifice him I restrained my most natural emotional instincts, and did not hesitate. So, too, when my descendants sin and thereby become oppressed, may you remember this binding. May it be considered before You as if Isaac's ashes were gathered upon the altar and his blood was sprinkled upon the altar, and may you forgive their sin." God answered him on that day on which God would judge all [that is The Feast of Trumpets], that if future generations wish Him to recall for them the merit of the binding of Isaac and forgive them, they should sound the shofar. "What is the shofar?" asked Abraham. "Turn around and see it," God answered. Thereupon Abraham looked up, and behold a ram!' (Scherman, Nosson and Zlotowitz, 1994).

Therefore, the sound of the shofar on Rosh haShannah is a remembrance of the binding of Isaac and a prayer for mercy on the merit of a sacrificed son.

7. FEAR: As stated above, the ancient Israelite watchman blew a shofar to sound an alarm when danger was approaching a city. When the city inhabitants heard the sound of the shofar, they were frightened of what unknown danger might be about to befall them. Amos employs this image of the fear inspired by the shofar blast when he says, "If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?" (Amos 3:6).

The danger which approaches on Rosh haShannah is God himself as he readies the heavenly court for judgment. In Jewish observance, the intervening days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement are called the "Awesome Days." They are to be days of intense soul searching and repentance and even fear as we prepare to enter the presence of the judge of all creation. Amos reminds us to fear the judgment of God as we would tremble at the sound of the watchman's shofar.

Therefore, the sound of the shofar on Rosh haShannah is a remembrance to fear God.

8. JUDGMENT: The prophet Zephaniah reminds us that the "day of the shofar" is a day of wrath, darkness, gloom and alarm. Indeed, it is the Day of the LORD (Zephaniah 1:14-16). According to the Feast of Trumpets traditions, the heavenly court is convened on the Feast of Trumpets.

Because the Feast of Trumpets is the Torah New Year's Day (that is the anniversary of the completion of creation) it is also the end of the heavenly fiscal year. As at the end of our calendar year, New Years Day is the day when the ledgers must be settled. On the Feast of Trumpets, the books of judgment are opened and all the deeds of each person are reviewed by the heavenly court for judgment. Ten days later, on Yom Kippur, everyone's name will be written and sealed for final judgment in either the Book of Life or the Book of Death. This imagery is reflected in Revelation 20:12-15 where John sees the ultimate and final Day of Judgment. On the Day of Judgment, Yom Kippur, the righteous are written in the Book of Life. The wicked are written in the Book of Death. The intervening days between Rosh haShannah and Yom Kippur are traditionally regarded as prime-time to sway the heavenly court's decision through serious prayer, repentance and acts of charity.

Therefore, the sound of the shofar on the Feast of Trumpets is a remembrance of Judgment at the hands of heaven.

9. INGATHERING: Perhaps the most famous shofar reference out of all the prophets is Isaiah 27:13. "And it will be on that day when a great shofar will be blown, the perishing in the land of Assyria and the exiles in the land of Egypt will come, and they will worship before the LORD on the Holy Mountain in Jerusalem." This verse is a prophecy of the great Ingathering of all Israel. The Ingathering is to commence with the return of Messiah. It is anticipated and prayed for three times a day in the tenth blessing of the daily prayer.

"Sound the great shofar for our freedom, lift up a banner to gather us together from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are you, LORD, who gathers in the exiled of his people Israel."

Therefore, the sound of the shofar on Rosh haShannah is a remembrance of the ultimate Ingathering of Israel.

10. RESURRECTION: The tenth and final reason Rav Saadiah Gaon gives for the blowing of the shofar on the Feast of Trumpets is to remember the resurrection of the dead. The Sages understood the words of Isaiah 18:3 to be a prophecy directed to the dead. "As a banner is lifted on the mountains, you will see, and as a shofar is sounded, you will hear." This was understood to mean that when the final shofar was blown, the dead would rise and see and hear again. The Jewish legends of the coming of Messiah include a great shofar blast which wakes up those sleeping in the dust. An Eighth Century midrash fills in the details of how this might be accomplished:

"And how does the Holy One, blessed be He, resuscitate the dead in the world to come? We are taught that the Holy One, blessed be He, takes in His hand a Great Shofar . . . and blows it, and its sound goes from one end of the world to the other. At the first blow the whole world shakes. At the second blow the dust breaks up. At the third blow their bones gather. At the fourth blow their members become warm. At the fifth blow their skins are stretched over them. At the sixth blow they become alive and stand up on their feet in their clothes . . ." (Patai, 1988).

The Apostle Paul concurs in 1 Corinthians 15:52. In that passage he explicitly states, "The shofar will sound, the dead will be raised."

Therefore, the sound of the shofar on Rosh haShannah is a remembrance of the future resurrection of the dead.

Goodman, Phillip. 1992. Rav Se'adiah Gaon's 10 Remembrances. The Shavuot Anthology. Philadelphia - Jerusalem: Jewish Publication Society.
http://www.hebrewperspectives.com/http://www.hebrewperspectives.com/

THE FIRST PENTECOST

THE FIRST PENTECOST

I HAVE ASKED THE QUESTION, “WHEN WAS THE FIRST PENTECOST?” MANY TIMES. THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME THE ANSWER IS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS.

THE FIRST PENTECOST HAPPENED AT MOUNT SINAI IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS.

WE ALWAYS LOOK AT THE SYMBOLISM OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CROSSING THE RED SEA AS A TYPOLOGY OF BAPTISM. UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION WE FIND THERE IS SO MUCH MORE.

IN EXODUS CHAPTER 19 WE COME TO THE PART OF THE STORY WHERE THEY ARE ABOUT TO HAVE THEIR “SINAI EXPERIENCE”.

FIRST LETS LOOK AT SOME MEANINGFUL SCRIPTURES: LEVITICUS 23:4 “THESE ARE THE FEASTS OF THE LORD, EVEN HOLY CONVOCATIONS, WHICH YE SHALL PROCLAIM IN THEIR SEASONS.”

THE HEBREW WORD SHAVUOT IS PENTECOST. SHEVA IS THE ROOT OF THIS WORD. SHEVA MEANS 7. SHAVUOT MEANS SEVEN 7’S OR 49 DAYS. IT COMMERATES THE GIVING OF THE LAW ON MOUNT SINAI. SHAVUOT IS KNOWN AS PENTECOST BECAUSE IT COMMENCES ON THE 50^TH DAY AFTER THE SEVEN WEEK PERIOD OF COUNTING THE OMER.

A HOLY CONVOCATION IS MIKRAH CHODESH IN HEBREW. IT MEANS ASSEMBLY OR REHEARSAL. WHAT IS A REHEARSAL? LIKE A WEDDING REHEARSAL. THIS FEAST WAS A REHEARSAL FOR THE PENTECOST WE KNOW BEST IN THE BOOK OF ACTS.

IN LEVITICUS 23:4 WE SEE THE WORD SEASONS WHICH IN THE HEBREW IS MOADE’ WHICH MEANS SET TIMES. GOD HAS SETS TIMES PROCLAIMED FOR ASSEMBLY OR REHEARSAL.

CONTINUING WITH SCRIPTURE: LEVITICUS 23:5 TALKS ABOUT PASSOVER BEING ON THE 14^TH DAY OF THE HEBREW MONTH NISAN.

VS. 6 SPEAKS OF OBSERVING THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD FOR 7 DAYS.

VS. 7 SPEAKS OF THE FIRST DAY A SABBATH WHERE THERE IS NO SERVILE WORK.

VS. 8 IT IS MEASURED FROM SABBATH TO SABBATH 7 DAYS.

VS. 10 SPEAKS OF THE REAPING OF HARVEST OR FIRSTFRUITS KNOWN IN THE HEBREW AS BIKKURIM. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT WHEN THE FIRST OF THE CROP CAME TO HARVEST A RIBBON WAS TIED AROUND THE STEMS TO SHOW IT WAS FIRST, (A SIGN) EVEN IF THE REST OF THE CROP WERE TO PERISH THE FIRST STILL BELONGED TO THE LORD.

VS. 14 IT IS A STATUTE FOREVER TO ALWAYS GIVE GOD THE FIRST.

VS. 15 SPEAKS OF COUNTING 7 SABBATHS BE COMPLETE.

VS. 16 FIFTIETH DAY IS A DAY OF NEW BEGINNING.

THERE IS MENTION ELSEWHERE IN THE BIBLE OF PENTECOST. DEUTERONOMY 16:9-12. SEVEN WEEKS IS THE FEAST OF WEEKS.

VS. 16 SPEAKS OF MALES ATTENDING 3 TIMES IN A YEAR. IT WAS A REQUIREMENT TO BE AT PASSOVER, PENTECOST, AND TABERNACLES.

NUMBERS 28.26 SPEAKS OF IT BEING A HOLY CONVOCATION. A REHEARSAL.

EXODUS 34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.

YOU WILL NOTICE THERE ARE DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THE FEASTS.

And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

PENTECOST IS KNOWN BY:

THE FESTIVAL OF SHAVUOT.

THE FESTIVAL OF REAPING.

THE DAY OF BIKKURIM.

YOM KAHAL OR THE DAY OF COMMUNITY.

THE DAY OF ASSEMBLY OR ATZERAT.

ATZERAT MEANS CONCLUSION OR EIGHTH DAY. PENTECOST IS THE COMPLETION OF PASSOVER.

AT THIS POINT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT GOD DOES EVERYTHING IN CYCLES.  ECCLESIASTES 1:9

“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

THE JEWISH PEOPLE OBSERVE A READING CYCLE WHICH STARTS WITH GENESIS AFTER THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. THERE IS ALSO AN EIGHTH DAY CELEBRATION OR ATZERAT CALLED SHEMINI ATZERAT WHICH MEANS “EIGHTH DAY OF THE ASSEMBLY”.

THAT DAY IS ALSO CALLED SIMCHA TORAH OR REJOCING IN THE TORAH. IT IS A CELEBRATION OF SINGING AND DANCING WITH GOD’S WORD HELD HIGH AND IT IS PASSED AROUND AND KISSED.

DEUTERONOMY 18:15-16 “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.”

THIS IS A DAY OF INGATHERING WHERE NO SERVILE WORK IS DONE. IT IS A HOLIDAY (HOLY DAY). THIS IS THE DAY THEY ASSEMBLED TO RECEIVE THE LAW AT MOUNT HOREB. MOUNT SINAI HAS TWO PEAKS ONE OF THEM IS NAMED HOREB. WHEN MOSES STRUCK THE ROCK AT HOREB THEY WERE AT THE VERY SPOT WHERE THEY HAD RECEIVED THE LAW.

I WALKED INTO A CHURCH ONE DAY UNANNOUNCED. I BEGAN TO THINK IF I WOULD BE ASKED TO PREACH. THEN I BEGAN TO THINK WHAT WILL I PREACH ON? I THOUGHT SINCE I WAS UNPREPARED I COULD JUST PREACH ACTS 2:38. I HAD GRABBED MY WIFES BIBLE BECAUSE I WANTED A SMALLER BIBLE TO CARRY THAT DAY AND WHEN I OPENED IT THE WHOLE BOOK OF ACTS WAS MISSING. WHAT DO I DO NOW? THAT’S WHEN IT CAME TO ME. I WILL JUST GO TO THE FIRST PENETCOST.

EXODUS CHAPTER 19:1, “In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.”

THE THIRD MONTH ON THE HEBREW CALENDAR IS SIVAN AND THEY ARRIVED ON THE SIXTH DAY OF IT. THIS IS THE BIBLICAL ROSH CHODESH OR THE HEAD OF THE MONTH.

VS. “For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

ISRAEL HERE IS PLURAL AND CAMPED IS SINGULAR. (THEY WERE OF ONE ACCORD). THEY WERE UNANIMOUS IN PURPOSE.

VS. 4 “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.” THE SAGES BELIEVE THAT GOD BROUGHT THEM OUT SWIFTLY AND MIRACULOUSLY AND THAT GOD HEALED THEM AND SUPPLIED THEIR EVERY NEED.

VS. 7-8 “And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.”

HERE WE SEE THEM COMMITING TO GOD, SAYING THEY WILL DO WHAT GOD WANTS THEM TO DO. THEY WERE DOING A 180 DEGREE TURN. LEAVING EVERY ASPECT OF EGYPT (SIN) BEHIND.

VS.10 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,”

THE WORD SANCTIFY HERE IS NOT LIKE WE HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED TO MEAN SEPARATE, ALTHOUGH WE DO SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD. SANTIFY HERE IS THE HEBREW WORD MIKVEH WHICH MEANS BAPTISM.AND WAS ALWAYS BY TEVELAH (IMMERSION).

IT WAS INDEED A GREAT THING WHEN, IN THE WORDS OF MAIMONIDES, A STRONGER SOUGHT SHELTER UNDER THE WINGS OF THE SHEKHINAH, AND THE CHANGE OF CONDITION WHICH HE UNDERWENT WAS REGARDED AS COMPLETE. THE WATERS OF BAPTISM WERE TO HIM IN THE VERY TRUTH, THOUGH IN A FAR DIFFERENT FROM THE CHRISTIAN SENSE, THE BATH OF REGENERATION. TITUS 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

AS HE STEPPED OUT OF THESE WATERS HE WAS CONSIDERED BORN ANEW, IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE RABBIS, AS IF HE WERE A LITTLE CHILD JUST BORN (YEB.22A;48B, AS A CHILD OF ONE DAY (MASS. GER. C. II). BUT THIS NEW BIRTH WAS  NOT A BIRTH FROM ABOVE IN THE SENSE OF MORAL OR SPIRITUAL RENOVATION, BUT ONLY AS IMPLYING A NEW RELATIONSHIP TO GOD, TO ISRAEL, AND TO HIS OWN PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. IT WAS EXPRESSLY ENJOINED THAT ALL THE DIFFICULTIES OF HIS NEW CITIZENSHIP SHOULD FIRST BE SET BEFORE HIM, AND IF, AFTER THAT, HE TOOK UPON HIMSELF THE YOKE OF THE LAW, HE SHOULD BE TOLD HOW ALL THOSE SORROWS AND PERSECUTIONS WERE INTENDED TO CONVEY GREATER BLESSING, AND ALL THOSE COMMANDMENTS TO REDOUND GREATER MERIT. MORE ESPECIALLY WAS HE TO REGARD HIMSELF AS A NEW MAN IN REFERENCE TO HIS PAST. COUNTRY, HOME, HABITS, FRIENDS, AND RELATION WERE ALL CHANGED. THE PAST WITH ALL THAT HAD BELONGED TO IT, WAS PAST, AND HE WAS A NEW MAN, THE OLD, WITH ITS DEFILEMENTS, WAS BURIED IN THE WATERS OF BAPTISM.

On the occasion of [the giving of] the Torah, the [Children of Israel] not only heard the Lord's voice, but actually saw the sound waves as they emerged from the Lord's mouth. They visualized them as a fiery substance. Each commandment that left the Lord's mouth traveled around the entire camp and then came back to every Jew individually. The English translation concludes the Ten Commandments story, "And all the people saw the thunder and lightning." (Exodus 20:18) But the original Hebrew of Exodus 20:18 says something quite different. In the Hebrew, the verse literally reads, "And all the people saw the voices and the torches." Most translations smooth out the Hebrew by translating the word 'voices' as 'thunder,' which agrees with the context of the thunder and lightning at Mount Sinai. But the Hebrew really says, "They saw the voices and the torches." What does it mean, "...the people saw voices"? How does one see a sound? How does one see a voice? What are the torches and from where did they come?

In Deuteronomy, Moses retells the story of hearing God's voice at Sinai. In ten different passages, he reminds Israel that they heard God's voice speak to them "from out of the fire." Repeatedly he says, "You all heard the voice speaking from out of the fire."

One ancient Jewish legend explains that as God's voice spoke, it split into a multitude of sparks going forth. His voice came to them as fire. Therefore, the torches of Exodus 20:18 are explained as the fiery words of God that came to each person individually. Consider the following passage about God's fiery voice from an ancient Jewish legend: Another intriguing piece of Jewish, interpretive folklore explains that Israel not only saw the voice of God, they also heard it in every language. According to that explanation, the Bible says, "All the people saw the voices..." because God's voice spoke in many different voices [languages] at Mount Sinai. It is believed that as God spoke from Mount Sinai, His voice spoke simultaneously in all the languages of the world Ezekiel the prophet foresaw this when God declared through him, "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances." (Ezekiel 36:27) Jeremiah the prophet foresaw this when God declared through him, "Behold, I will make a New Covenant...I will put My Torah within them and on their heart I will write it, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33) In Acts chapter two, Peter and the other disciples were gathered to celebrate Shavuot. The Holy Spirit fell upon them in the form of flames of fire, and these torches of fire came to rest on each individual disciple. To the average Jew familiar with Jewish tradition, the miracle would clearly point to the legend of God's fiery voice at Mount Sinai! In addition, after receiving this fiery spirit, the disciples found themselves proclaiming the Gospel in every language. (In Hebrew, the same word is used for 'tongues' and for 'languages'.) The miracle of speaking in all languages is another definite allusion to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.