Birthrights-Blessings-Covenant Promises-Lessons Learned from the Story of Esau and Jacob-Part 1-STAR-26

by | Mar 25, 2022 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

This is Birthrights, Blessings, Covenant Promises-Lessons Learned from the Story of Esau and Jacob, Part 1.

 

This will be the 26th Torah Reading or Parshah of the 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. Our reading is found in Genesis or Beresheit 27:30-38:9.

 

As in times past, I will be reading from Robert Alter’s Translation of Torah entitled “The Five Books of Moses.” But I will use various translations as additional references.

 

We’ll read through each consecutive verse, stopping for comments as needed.

 

But before we begin, let’s quickly review the events leading up to our reading. Then in Part 2, we’ll tackle this week’s reading.

 

Among other things—concepts—thinkings—perspectives—this reading serves as a lesson about “how worry and doubt control the decisions of human beings even in those areas where Yah has already reassured and pronounced a final decision” (Richoka; The Messianic Revolution).

 

What does this mean? Well, we’ll have to go back to the beginning of this story, which is I believe a reading ago. A reading we did not cover. But we’ll briefly cover the highlights here. But it was during Rebekah’s (aka Rivkah’s) pregnancy that Yah essentially declared unto her that Isaac (aka Ya’achov), the younger son, would receive the birthright and his father Isaac’s (aka Yitschaq’s) blessing. Which essentially means that Ya’achov was the chosen one of the twins—the older twin Esau (aka Esav) and Ya’achov the younger. This is recorded in Genesis (aka Bereshyth) 25:

 

(21) And Isaac (aka Yitschaq) entreated (in other words, Yitschaq prayed to) Yehovah for his wife, because she was barren. And Yehovah was entreated of him, and Rebekah (aka Rivkah) his wife conceived. (22) And the children struggled together within her (some English translations say these twins fought with each other within her). And she said, If it be so, wherefore do I live? (In other words, “Why is this happening within me? Or what is going on within me?) And she went to inquire of Yehovah (Gen. 25:21-22; ASV modified).

 

Two Warring Nations Within Rivkah

 

Again, Rivkah is told by Yah that she had two-nations in her womb at the time she was found to be pregnant with the twins Esav and Ya’achov (25:24). So then, who or what were would these two nations become? Well, Ya’achov represents the nation of Yisra’el of course, while Esav represents the nation of Edom.

 

Rabbinic tradition ties Edom to Christianity, the Roman Empire, and the Roman Catholic Church, this according to certain Dead Sea Scroll writings.

 

Now, apparently in Hebrew, Rome sounds a bit like Edom. Of course I couldn’t resist, and I looked this up myself on wordhippo.com. And yes, Rome in Hebrew is Edom. Imagine that.

 

Turns out that the Jews historically referred to Christians as Edomites. They did, by the way, refer to all Muslims as Isha’elites.

 

There are 2,000-year old Jewish writings that link Edom to the Roman Empire as well. And by the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D., the Rome-Edom-connection was made complete by the Jew of that time calling the Roman Catholic Church as Edom.

 

This should not be of any surprise. Certainly, history bears out how brutally Rome and the Roman Catholic Church treated Jews throughout the last two-millennia. Because Edom runs contrary to that of Ya’achov, it carries a negative connotation with the Jew, even to this day. This despite Edom meaning simply “red,” traditionally defined as red in linkage to the red lentil stew that Esav gave or despised his birthright for.

 

Well, that’s all nice to know rabbinic traditional information that doesn’t necessarily translate into reality all the time. So then, what do we know of Edom today?

 

Historically, Edom actually did become a kingdom, known as the Kingdom of Edom. Archaeologists and historians place its establishment and early existence in the Transjordan region, which was located between Moab, the Arabah, and the Arabian Desert. Today that territory is divided between Yisra’el proper and Jordan.

 

Edom, as a nation, is said to have flourished between the 13th and 8th centuries BC but was ultimately destroyed by the Babylonians sometime around 586/7 BC. (I take these dates with a grain of salt, since historians and archeologists have recently been found in error as it relates to a number of established dates for events in scripture. But for the sake of discussion, we’ll go with what has been established by the establishment for now.)

 

After the destruction of Edom, surviving Edomites migrated and settled in what we know today as Southern Judah and in parts of the Negev.

 

After the Greek conquest of the entire region, the Edomites were renamed as Idumeans/Idumaeans, with their territory given the name of Idumea/Idumaea. This should start to sound somewhat familiar to you as we find in the days of our Mashiyach and His earthly ministry, the Idumeans factored significantly into the multicultural landscape of that region and time.

 

Turns out that sometime during the 2nd century BC, the Edomites were forced to convert to Judaism by the Hasmoneans. Thus, the Edomites turned Idumeans were ingrafted, if you will, into the Jewish nation of Yisra’el during the Great Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid kingdom. The Idumeans themselves were overcome by the Hasmonean leader John Hyrcanus sometime around 125 BC.

 

Here’s where this issue of the Edomites and the Idumeans might be more familiar to you. The Herods—the Kingly dynasty that was politically put into power over Judah by the Romans during the time our Mashiyach walked this earth—were Edomites—Idumeans. The insult to the Jew of Mashiyach’s day was that a non-Jew—the King of Yisra’el was supposed to be of the Tribe of Judah, but the Herods were of the tribal line of Esav.

 

So, if bitter Roman tyranny and rule weren’t enough, to add insult to injury, throw into the mix the Jewish nation being ruled by a puppet Edomite, life for the first-century Jew was simply miserable.

 

Where Did Rivkah Go to Understand What Was Going on Within Her?

 

The question of where Rivkah went to inquire of Yah as to what was going on within her is obviously not mentioned here in our text. But an ancient rabbinic source, The Jerusalem Targum, offers an interesting answer to this question. It reads: “And she went to supplicate mercy before the Lord in the beth midrash of Shem Rabba” (JTE, 1862-1865).

 

Okay, this gets somewhat weird, if you ask me. According to rabbinic sources, this Midrash of Shem Rabba was a Yeshivh. A Yeshivah is a rabbinically run educational institution that focuses on the study of the Talmud and the Torah. Well, this supposed Yeshivah was hosted or run by Shem and Eber. Shem, according to yet other ancient rabbinic sources was not only one of Noah’s (aka Noach’s) sons, but, as some have contended, also Melchizedek (aka Melek-Tzedek) of Avraham fame (Gen. 14:18). (And yes, I know. It is shocking to think that Noah’s son, Shem, would still be alive, and not only kicking in Yitschaq’s day, but also—what? Running a Yeshivah. Okay. Let’s just, for the sake of this conversation see where this takes us.)

 

Eber, by the way, was the great-grandson of Shem. But, if you dabble in some of the ancient extra-biblical texts like Jubilees and Jasher, these two—Shem and Eber—are interwoven into the stories and lives of the early Hebrew patriarchs. Rabbinic sources describe them as spiritual guides to the patriarchs, in a sense. These two supposedly had a relationship with YHVH that placed them into positions of high respect and adoration in the eyes of the patriarchs. These were sort of priests, if you will, to the ancients of the ancients. These were holders and teachers of Torah and the Oral Law (aka Talmud) according to some.

 

Apart from Eber and Shem running a Yeshivah, which I admit seems a bit out there, the thing that gets me is this “priestly” role that these two played in the lives of the ancients. It seems to me that, at least according to our so-called authorized canon of scripture, that our patriarchs had a direct-line to the Almighty. They had a relationship with Yah. So, why then would they need a priestly line to intercede on their behalf? I don’t know. Maybe they did, and I’m just not seeing it. But in all transparency, I’m sort of going along with this with a bit of caution.

 

Now, just to be clear: You won’t find any of this in our 66-book-bibles. This is all extra-biblical stuff that, if anything, lends to filling in some of the holes—missing bits of information–that our canon of scripture from time-to-time does not offer.

 

Now, according to the so-called Ancient Book of Jasher (aka Yashar):

 

(10) …she (Rivkah) went to the land of Moriyah to seek Yahuah on account of this; and she went to Shem and Eber his son to make inquiries of them in this matter, and that they should seek Yahuah in this thing respecting her. (11) And she also asked Avraham to seek and inquire of Yahuah about all that had befallen her. (12) And they all inquired of Yahuah concerning this matter, and they brought her word from Yahuah and told her…(chapter 26; Cepher).

 

And so, this is sort of an answer to some of the questions that the earlier aspects of our reading might not present.

 

The Twins Esav and Ya’achov—Two Very Different Personalities and Characters

 

Continuing on: The twins are born. Esau (aka Esav) comes out first. He’s described as “red” or “ruddy” (according to some translations) and hairy all over (Gen. 25:25). His brother, Jacob (aka Ya’achov) emerged after him, one of his hands holding on to his brother’s heel (25:26). In time, Esav became what is described as a “cunning hunter” and a “man of the field.”

 

And this brings to mind the other great hunter referenced in Torah: Nimrod. Is it conceivable that Yasher’s account of the Esav-Nimrod encounter is something linked to both being great hunters? Did perhaps the writer of our version of Yasher play upon the pass-time of these two hunters in order to explain (1) how Nimrod ultimately died; and (2) what led to Esav’s encounter with his brother Ya’achov that in turn led to Esav selling his birthright to him.

 

According to ancient Jewish tradition, this would be the second fatal bow and arrow hunting accident that the extra-biblical text of Jasher records. The first being that of Cain which the text claims was accidentally shot by Lamech’s arrow. Lamech at the time was supposedly blind. But he remained an excellent hunter. Cain apparently was mistaken for some type of game in the forest by Lamech and his son.

 

This go around, Esav is recorded to have been out hunting in the forest when Nimrod, who was also out hunting, came across his path. Startled, Esav shot and killed Nimrod. Fearing that Nimrod’s people would come after him to avenge their leader’s death, Esav fled to and took refuge in their home. This fatal hunting incident was the precipitating incident that led to him selling his birthright to his younger brother Ya’achov.

 

Ya’achov on the other hand is described as “plain man;” a dweller in tents (25:28). This plain man and dweller in tents, some Torah commentators explain is that Ya’achov was a shepherd. So, he tended to live a rather pastoral life, dwelling in tents as his flocks would graze from place-to-place throughout the seasons. The Targum Onkelos further describes Ya’achov as “a man of peace, a minister of the  house of instruction.” This plays off our previous mention of Shem’s and Eber’s Yeshiva and they being sort of priests of Yah to the patriarchs. In fact, ancient sources such as the extra-book of Yashar place Ya’achov learning Torah and whatever else, at, let’s say, the feet of Shem and Eber during his early years for some 33-years that text states (Yashar 28:18).

 

And here’s where things start to gel in respect to our reading today. The text describes Esav as being favored of his father Yitschaq because Yitschaq loved the taste of the wild game that his oldest son, Esav, frequently brought to him from his many hunts. But Rivkah “loved” (as the text describes) Ya’achov (25:28). And it is that love she had for her youngest son that compels her to insert herself into the equation of the patriarchal blessing that should have gone to Esav as the oldest son, but through her conniving and Ya’achov’s deception, it ends up going to Ya’achov instead. And we will address this concept of the patriarchal blessing in our discussion here in short order.

 

However, we must bear in mind as we proceed in this discussion that Yah had, before the twins were born, revealed to Rivkah that it was Ya’achov who would ultimately be given the privileges of being the elder—that being him receiving the coveted birthright and blessing. Esav, being the biologically older one of the twins, by biological convention, stood to receive the benefits of the birthright and the patriarchal blessing. All of which in a broader sense meant that Ya’achov was the chosen one of Yah to perpetuate the covenant that originated with Avraham.

 

 

But before the patriarchal blessing event, Ya’achov, being younger than Esav, extorts his brother’s birthright from him. After coming in from what could only have been an arduous day or days of hunting, Esav is depleted of energy and in desperate need of nourishment and sustenance. The text describes Esav’s condition as that of him being “faint” (25:28). Turns out that Ya’achov had prepared some “red stew,” which Esav demanded (25:30; ESV). Seeing an opportunity to get something that he no doubt coveted, that being Esav’s birthright, Ya’achov agrees to feed Esav in exchange for his birthright (25:31). Esav, reasoning within himself that he was in a dire physical state, and if he were to die from exhaustion and hunger, his birthright would have absolutely no value to him (25:32). So, Esav agrees to the deal and swears over to his brother Ya’achov his birthright in exchange for the “red stew” (which some commentator believe to be lentil soup or stew), the color “red” of the stew playing in with the ruddy color and texture of Esav at his birth (25:33-34).

 

Esav’s selling of his birthright to Ya’achov was backed by Esav “swearing an oath” to this foolish transaction. Such an oath was essentially unbreakable and was taken quite seriously by the ancients. It was in effect, legally binding.

 

In ancient Hebraic tradition and practice, one engaged in an oath by swearing “Chai Yehovah” or “as Yehovah lives.” Thus, it stood to reason that Esav swore that oath, invoking Yah’s holy Name in the process. This would serve as a legally binding act to the transaction.

 

Torah instructs us, when transacting certain deals, to “swear the oath” in Yah’s Name, which would have a legally and spiritually binding effect on the transaction. Our Master expanded on this mitzvah by instructing us, His disciples, to always keep our word: Such that our yeses be yes, and our no’s be no (Mat. 5:37). In other words, to avoid violating the oath in the first place, we are to make it a practice to not make promises that we don’t intend to keep. And if we make a promise, we are expected to keep that promise. One’s word was literally their bond.

 

Unfortunately, our words and promises mean very little, if anything these days. Oaths and promises have become so abused over the centuries, that very few transactions are rendered via this Torah-sanctioned method of securing a transaction.

 

The exchange or transference of the coveted birthright between Esav and Ya’achov is timely. Timely in that Esav was focused on the “here and now” of his personal situation. At the time he sold Ya’achov his birthright, Esav had no concern for his future wellbeing.

 

And so, what does this say to us today? It says that we must always be at a place in our walk with Mashiyach where we factor in the bigger picture as it relates to anything we’re thinking to do. That we not base our decisions on a perceived, immediate need or desire at the time.

 

A recent example of this here and now mindset that so many of us get caught up in, is the COVID-19 vaccine mandates that overtook the world this past year. Many brethren caved to their perceived need to keep their job or make their personal, family, and social lives more convenient and easier. For many, there was no reasoning this thing out, or talking to Yah about it. And we’re finding out nowadays that these vaccines really did not prevent one from contracting virus. Furthermore, the vaccines carried with them potential life-threatening risks.

 

How many brethren or people of faith caught-up in the fervor of these mandates and threats conceivably forfeited their birthright—in a sense—for convenience sake?

 

Now, there are two-parts to the perpetuation of the covenant here that must be kept in mind. The first being the birthright, which we just learned was extorted from Esav by Ya’achov for a meal. We’ll exposit this concept of the birthright as well in short order.

 

But now we come to the second-part of the covenant perpetuation: That being the patriarchal blessing. And here is where Rivkah, the twin’s mother, plays into the situation.

 

Clearly, Ya’achov, in possession of the birthright, knew that he next needed his father, Yitschaq’s (aka Isaac’s) patriarchal blessing to seal the whole deal for him. In other words, with the birthright, granting him a double portion of his father’s estate at Yitschaq’s death, the blessing rendered unto him (which normally went to the firstborn) would spiritually ensure his wellbeing and prosperity in the years ahead of him.

 

Interestingly, Rivkah, his sort of champion if you will, overhears a conversation between her husband Yitschaq and her oldest son Esav, that Yitschaq was prepared to render unto him, Esav, his blessing, Yitschaq believing he was close to death (27:1-5). In fact, Yitschaq was for the most part blind and bedridden.

 

So, Yitschaq asks Esav to go out and snag him some venison so that he could enjoy what would be to him, a final, hearty meal; a suitable situation and environment to render unto his eldest son Esav, the blessing that was due him.

 

And so, Esav excitedly goes forth to hunt and make this thing of the blessing finally happen. But, Rivkah had other thoughts and plans as it related to this pending blessing that Yitschaq was bent on passing on to Esav.

 

Thus, without going into the details, Rivkah devises a ruse, if you will, that involved Ya’achov dressing up and pretending he was Esav having come back from the hunt with the venison meal for his father Yitschaq. Ya’achov would, instead of the venison, bring his father Yitschaq goat stew. Knowing that Yitschaq was blind and infirmed, Rivkah’s ruse would take advantage of her husband’s deficiencies through the senses of feel (Ya’achov donning hairy goat skins) and of smell (Ya’achov wearing his brother’s smelly garments). And although Yitschaq discerned his younger son’s Ya’achov’s voice during the exchange, it was the rough, hairiness of the goat skins and the smell of his brother’s clothes that falsely convinced Yitschaq that he was his older son Esav.

 

So, Yitschaq enjoys the goat-stew meal, and then proceeds to bless Ya’achov, who once again, he believed to be his oldest son, Esav:

 

(28) May Yah grant you from the dew of the heavens and the fat of the earth, and abundance of grain and drink. (29) May peoples serve you, and nations bow before you. Be overlord to your brothers, may your mother’s sons bow before you. Those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you, blessed (27:28-29).

 

Indeed, embedded in this blessing, we see elements of the covenant that was perpetuated by Avraham and on to Yitschaq. And now, unwittingly, at least that’s what the text leads us into believing, Yitschaq is essentially passing on the covenant and promises that he’d received from his father Avraham. All of which is outrageous when you, once again, factor into what we already know, that Esav was not chosen of Yah to perpetuate the covenant. And if Yitschaq would have proceeded as planned and blessed Esav, the covenant would have effectively been passed on to Esav.

 

So, lots of questions arise here. Did Yah really intend Ya’achov and Rivkah to meddle into his affairs in order to make happen that which Yah had already established would happen? Did Yah need their help? Or was Yah more than capable of making his Will and Plans manifest on his own? Were Ya’achov’s and Rivkah’s actions sanctioned of Yah? Did these sin by doing what they felt was the right thing to do in order to move Yah’s plans ahead?

 

Indeed beloved, these are all questions that our text does not provide answers to. But we do know that Yah is sovereign and omniscient and omnipotent, and he does not need his human creation to intercede or intervene or involve themselves into his affairs in order for his Plans and Will to be brought to fruition.

 

However, Yah has this crazy way of making lemonade out of lemons. In other words, Yah can work around and even through the tinkerings and interferences of His human creation to bring about his Will and Plans in the earth. And that is what I believe we see happening in this and in previous Torah Readings. Yah’s permissive Will, if such a thing actually exists, makes allowances for human fumblings and mischief that were originally intended to move forward what is believed by them to be Yah’s divine Will and Plans. However, those fumblings and mischiefs Yah allows to take place. He works through and around those fumblings and mischiefs to bring about His eternal plans and Will. But, those fumblings and mischiefs tend to come at a great price. They tend to result in some pretty nasty consequences that are often generational in nature: Such as Yisra’el’s enemies, the descendants of Yishma’el and Esav, being dangerous thorns in their sides generations.

 

Exposition on the Hebrew Concepts of Birthrights and Patriarchal Blessings

 

 

What we’ve just covered as well as our Torah Reading this week introduces us to two very important and cultural concepts and practices that not only factor heavily into the lives of our ancient Hebrew cousins, but that also bear significant prophetic applications for the Body of Mashiyach. And those concepts and practices are: the birthright, and the [patriarchal] blessing. Both concepts and practices are, for the most part, rather foreign to us in the 21st-century West. But to our ancient cousins, these two concepts and practices were of tremendous importance to a Semitic family.

 

Let’s first see if we can gain an understanding of what a birthright was and what it meant to an ANE family.

 

The Hebrew term for “birthright” is “bekhorah,” which is derived from “bekhor.” Bekhorah or bekhor essentially means “firstborn.” The Greek is “prototokia.”

 

The firstborn of an ancient Hebrew family, unless circumstances dictated otherwise such as in the case of Reuben’s horrendous indiscretion (Gen. 49:4; Num. 3:12-13; 8:18; and 1 Chr. 5:1) and here in a previous Torah reading with Esav trading his birthright for a meal, stood to receive what is widely known and referred to as a “double-portion” of that which his father had to convey to him. Generally speaking, he would be eligible to receive a double-share of the material wealth of the parents that would ultimately be divided amongst the other sons.

 

Abba codified how the birthright was to work in a Hebrew family in Deuteronomy 21:15-17.

 

In addition to being in line to receive a double portion of the material wealth of his father, the first-born at the death of his father, became the defacto head of the family or the priest of the family. And if we’re talking about a father who was the head of the Hebrew state, the firstborn stood to inherit his father’s judicial authority, unless as in the case of David passing on his throne to Shlomo (aka Solomon) as opposed to Adoniyah, circumstances dictated otherwise (2 Chr. 21:3).

 

Beyond the firstborn receiving a double portion of his father’s wealth, any remaining sons would receive a divided portion of their father’s possessions. We saw this illustrated in the case of Avraham passing on the bulk of his wealth to Yitschaq, but then gifts to the sons of his concubines Hagar and Keturah. No doubt, although the text does not stipulate as such, Esav would be eligible to receive a portion of his father’s wealth. Conceivably, let’s just say.

 

This was all customary in the ANE.

 

In the case where the head of household had more than one wife and concubines, the firstborn who enjoyed the privilege of the birthright generally was the son who was born ahead of all his other siblings, unless mitigating circumstances dictated otherwise, as in the case of Yitschaq receiving essentially all of Avraham’s wealth over Ishma’el, Hagar’s son, and Keturah’s sons, as was stipulated in the covenant he had with Yah.

 

In the case where there was no son but instead just daughters, the family’s wealth and influence would be passed on to the daughters (Num. 26:33; 27:1-8). So those of our Faith who believe or feel that women were not respected and valued by Yah, think again. Yah was and remains a staunch defender and champion for women.

 

And the other thing that the firstborn with the birthright had coming to him, as highlighted in our Torah Reading here today, is that he would receive the [paternal] blessing, which we will address in just a moment.

 

But we must bear in mind that contrary to what may seem as conventional wisdom, the birthright was not an absolute. As we just touched upon, the birthright, as well as the patriarchal blessing, could be diverted from the firstborn, depending on the mitigating circumstances steering the father’s and the son’s lives at any given time. Just a couple chapters back, we saw that Esav sold his birthright to his younger brother Ya’achov for some pottage (Gen. 25:29-34). Ya’achov diverted the spiritual birthright and blessing from Reuben to Yosef’s boys, Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 48:8-22). Although they were wealthy at the time of Ya’achov’s blessing by virtue of Yosef’s lofty state in Egypt, the family no doubt lost that wealth over the course of their time in bitter slavery. Nevertheless, Ephraim and Manasseh retained the benefit of being named the heads of their respective tribes.

 

Interestingly, scripture seems silent in terms of any material wealth that Ya’achov would have received from his father Yitschaq, despite Ya’achov receiving both the birthright and the patriarchal blessing. It makes me wonder where did all of Avraham’s wealth disappear to if Ya’achov and Esav/Esau did not inherit it.

 

The thing about the birthright that must be kept in mind (as seen in a aforementioned examples) is that the way it played out in Torah was not as a result of one’s natural descent, nor as a result of the flesh or the will of men and women, but by the Will and Plan of Yah (Joh. 1:13).

 

From a spiritual standpoint, Yah placed a great deal of emphasis and attention on the firstborn sons of Yisra’el. In fact, Torah tells us that Yah claimed the firstborn of Yisra’el as His own. For He commanded us:

 

“Thou shalt not delay offering the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto Me” (Exo. 22:29).

 

These could be redeemed, leading to the Tribe of Levi serving Him in their stead:

 

(12) See, I have taken the Levites form the Yisra’elites in place of every firstborn Yisra’elite from the womb. The Levites belong to Me, (13) because every firstborn belongs to Me. At the time I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated every firstborn in Yisra’el to Myself, both man and animal. They are Mine; I am Yehovah (Num. 3:12-13; HCSB modified).

 

And if the firstborn of the people of Yisra’el and the Levites weren’t enough, Yah viewed the Hebrew nation as His firstborn among all the nation peoples of the earth:

 

“Then you [Moshe] are to tell Pharaoh: “Yehovah says, Yisra’el IS MY FIRSTBORN SON” (Exo. 4:22; CJB modified).

 

And true Yisra’el continues to be Yah’s firstborn son, including us who are grafted into the commonwealth of Yisra’el (Eph. 2:12; Rom. 11:16-36).

 

 

Now, as it relates to, what I describe as the mysterious [patriarchal] blessing(s), it stood as generally the spiritual inheritance that the father would pass on to his sons.

 

The Hebrew for blessing is “berakhah.” In the Greek blessing is “eulogia.”

 

In general, when the patriarch passed on his blessing to his sons, the blessing consisted of an invocation of good things; the wellbeing and prosperity; expressions of good wishes and blessings from Abba Father (Gen. 27:36; Deu. 33:1; Jos. 8:34; Jas. 3:10).

 

In the case of the patriarchs, it seems clear that they conveyed their blessings upon their sons under the influence or inspiration of Yah’s Spirit. Indeed, a great deal of the prophetic would customarily be included in those blessings (Gen. 9:26-27; 27:28-29, 40; 48:15-20; 49:1-28; Deu. 33:1).

 

The patriarchal blessing held even greater significance for the firstborn or the one possessing the birthright, as in addition to receiving the material wealth of his father, the certitude or confirmation of the covenant flowing from father to firstborn son would put him into a favored relationship with Yehovah. In some cases, the patriarchal blessing was just as meaningful and valuable as the birthright privileges consisting of material wealth and leadership of the family. For it would be understood by the one standing to receive the blessing, that being in Yah’s good standing guaranteed him a good and prosperous life after the passing of his father. I mean, look at Esav’s reaction upon learning that his father had given the coveted blessing to Ya’achov. He was devastated. Grief-stricken. Not only did he lose out on the material, but he also lost out on the spiritual.

 

The blessing Yitschaq bestows upon Ya’achov is one that grants him (1) fertility of the ground; (2) dominion over the nations; and (3) a return effect for curses and blessings. Certainly, invaluable to the one who can see life beyond material possessions and wealth. And as seemingly foolish and ignorant as Esav appeared in Genesis/Beresheit 25 when he sold his birthright to his brother for the price of a lentil soup meal, Esav proves that he was not entirely stupid. For he understood the value of the blessing that he should have received from his father.

 

Yitschaq’s blessing over Ya’achov underscored what would be a rich-relationship he would have with Yah. Esav’s blessing, on the other hand, did not mention any relationship with Yah. In fact, the blessing Esav received did not come from Yah. But rather, his blessing came from Yitschaq’s heart and best wishes for his favored son. The blessings that fell upon Ya’achov flowed from Yah’s Spirit and it would be irrevocable and firmly established in Yah’s covenant.

 

Ya’achov is then blessed with (A) the material, and then (B) the spiritual. Some commentators believe that in the end, it was Ya’achov who received the coveted double portion.

 

Let’s bear in mind here that this blessing makes mention of Yitschaq conveying or passing his material wealth or the covenant promises down to Ya’achov, although features of the blessing that he gives to Ya’achov are indeed present in the covenant promises. And this sort of makes sense given that Yitschaq, supposedly thinking that he was blessing Esav, would have likely known that the birthright, along with its material wealth possessions and family headship benefits, belonged to Ya’achov, not Esav. But rather, Yitschaq’s intended blessing would be the basis upon which Esav would enjoy peaceful survival and prosperity in his life ahead (27:27-29). But the fix was in, and Ya’achov ended up receiving not just the material and family leadership inheritance (although the text does not address this per se), but also the Yah inspired invocation of peaceful survival and prosperity in his life.

 

Turns out that these patriarchal blessings or pronouncements were taken quite seriously. They were also viewed and treated as binding declarations and invocations, all of which is evidenced by Esav’s outrage and grief.

 

 

We’ll pick this up in Part 2 of Birthrights-Blessings-Covenant Promises-Lessons Learned from the Esau-Jacob-Story. See you on the other side beloved.

 

 

Reference:

 

Robert Bills-https://www.highpursuitministries.com/way-of-spirit-and-truth

 

Way of Spirit and Truth | High Pursuit Ministries

 

“Should We Vaccinate? COVID-19, the COVID vaccine, and vaccines from a Biblical Perspective.

 

The Critical Role Faith Play in the Prayer Life of a Messianic

by | Dec 5, 2019 | ,

The prayer lives of many members in the Hebrew Roots-Messianic Community are ineffective and have little to no associated power. In this installment of TMTO, we look at the role faith places in a Netzari’s prayer life and how faith can transform our prayers, when properly aligned with God’s Word and His Holy Spirit, into a powerful and effective tool for the Body of Messiah. 

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Paul’s Bold Stand Against Anti-Torah Teachings in the Ephesian Church—Part 15 of the Paul and Hebrew Roots Series

by | Sep 19, 2019 | ,

Why did Paul insert the creation story and the fall of man into 1 Timothy? Was it, as convention erroneously teaches, the reason women must not teach and preach in the Church? The answer to this question will shock you and cause you to appreciate battle Paul faced against Gnosticism in the Ephesian Assemblies of Messiah. This is Part 15 of our Paul and Hebrew Roots Series.

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The Realities of Covenant Blessings in this World-Covenant Lessons Learned from Isaac-STAR-24

by | Mar 11, 2022 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer's Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections

Clarify Chosen STAR-23 Post

 

Before we begin our reading discussion for this week, I wanted to add just a thought to last week’s post entitled “How do we know if we have been chosen to be in covenant with God.”

 

If you’ve not had the opportunity to read or listen to that post, I would encourage you to do so even though it was based primarily on last week’s Torah Reading. The content of that post is evergreen. So, there is no timeframe in which it must be read. And I will have the link to that post in today’s transcript for your convenience.

 

In that post I spent a great deal of time discussing the realities that are associated with our chosen status. And I emphasized that scripture clearly reveals that Yah chooses those with whom He will enter a covenant relationship with. So then, it can be safely understood that Yah chooses us, as opposed to us choosing Him.

 

What I failed to mention in that discussion, however, was the fact that one’s chosen status doesn’t mean that one gives-up or loses their free will. In fact, being chosen of Yah doesn’t mean that one can’t lose their salvation. Chosen doesn’t mean that one can’t forfeit your chosen status.

 

Scripture provides ample examples of those who have and will forfeit their chosen status:

 

Yisra’el was chosen of Yah, yet they broke covenant with Him. Yah purged many, save the remnant. In purging the many, Yah made room for the Gentile to be grafted into the Chosen People—the commonwealth of Yisra’el (Rom. 11).

 

Moshe was chosen to lead the people into the Promised Land. But he messed up and forfeited that opportunity.

 

Y’shua chose Judas to be a disciple. But in the end, Judas betrayed Y’shua.

 

Yochanan/John the Revelator wrote of those who were chosen, but who also failed to overcome, resulting in their names being blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 3:5; cf. 21:27).

 

And there are of course several other examples that support my point.

 

But I just wanted to bring to your attention that being chosen of Yah to be in covenant with Him doesn’t mean that one has arrived. It just means that he or she was chosen of Yah. And that chosen status is then his or hers to lose.

 

I trust that this has helped clarify some of the issues associated with this controversial issue of Being Chosen of Yah.

 

And with that, I will let this subject rest…at least for now.

 

So, let’s get into today’s Reading Discussion.

 

 

 

 

This is “The Realities of Covenant Blessings in this World.” It is the 24th parshah or portion of our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. It’s found in Genesis or Bereshit, 26:12-35. We will be covering the entire reading today, as the entire reading touches upon various aspects of the realities of covenant blessings in this world, or rather, despite the evils of this world.

 

As in our previous STAR discussions, I’ll be referencing Robert Alter’s translation of the text, from his “The Five Books of Moses” publication.

 

The Themes and Keywords of our Reading

 

Now, our reading today consists of a number of themes and key concepts that I want us to keep an eye open for. And those themes and key concepts include:

 

  • Covenant
  • The miraculous in the life of the covenant believer
  • Operating in covenant in the midst of strife
  • Blessings (abundant)
  • Getting along with others
  • Confirming the reality of covenant in our lives
  • Favor with Yah and with Men
  • Calling upon Yah’s Name/Invoking Yah’s Name
  • The scourge of envy and its impact on our covenant walk
  • Evidence of our favored and covenant status
  • Defying the elements and principles of covenant
  • Being a Peacemaking and peace loving covenant people
  • Prosperity

 

 

So then, let’s delve into our Reading, beginning with verse 12 of the 26th chapter of Bereshit/Genesis.

 

26:12. And Isaac sowed in that land and he reaped that year a hundredfold, and YHVH blessed him.

 

We must keep in mind the context of the overall story here involving Yitschaq. Now, we did not cover Yitschaq’s little run-in with Abimelech in last week’s Torah Reading. But suffice to say, Yitschaq’s run-in with Abimelech, king of Gerar (king of the Philistines) was eerily similar to that experienced by his father Avraham many years prior. It was during that encounter that Avraham tells Abimelech, King of Gerar, that Sarah, his wife, was his sister. And this encounter led to Sarah, as the text notes, being taken by Abimelech (Gen. 20:1-2). But Yah came to Abimelech in a dream that night and warned him that if he touched Sarah, that he would be “a dead man” (Gen. 20:3). This in turn led Abimelech confronting Avraham about the deception which Avraham ultimately confessed to. Fearing Sarah could be molested by any one of the men of Gerar, and or Avraham assaulted or killed over Sarah, Abimelech addresses an edict to his people declaring that Avraham and Sarah were protected people in his kingdom who were not to be touched by any Philistine. Abimelech then recompensed Avraham with much material wealth and so forth (Gen. 20:4-18).

 

And so, in our focus passage here, we see almost a verbatim repeat of this incident/encounter. This time instead of Abimelech, Avraham and Sarah it was Abimelech, Yitschaq and Rivkah.

 

Yitschaq along with his family, fleeing a regional famine, takes refuge in Gerar. Fearing for his life, just like his daddy before him, puts forth the story that Rivkah was his sister. This time, however, Abimelech witnesses an intimate moment between Yitschaq and his wife Rivkah (aka Rebecca) before Rivkah could be taken by him, which likewise leads to Abimelech confronting Yitschaq about the deception, making an edict in Gerar that Yitschaq and Rivkah were his protected guests. And that’s where this story ends as far as our bibles are concerned.

 

However, we find in the extra-biblical book of Jasher that Abimelech, like he did in Avraham’s case, recompensed Yitschaq with great material possessions in response to the encounter. This is not mentioned in our text. But if we are to believe the witness of Jasher, this would explain Yitschaq being in possession of a parcel of land in which to plant a field of crops which the text describes as bearing 100-fold returns for our patriarch here.

 

It must be mentioned that the blessing of the land may have come from Abimelech, but the abundant, 100-fold harvest of crops enjoyed by Yitschaq undeniably came from Yah. It was a miracle enacted by Yah during a regional famine.

 

And so, what we have here is a manifestation of the miraculous taking place in the life of the perpetuator of the covenant. The miraculous is often manifested in the life of the covenant-keeper, even during physical impediments such as a famine. And as we saw in the life of Avraham, Yitschaq’s covenant-attached prosperity was not of the natural, but of the miraculous.

 

Now, if you are of my generation, and you had any exposure to the “name it, claim it,” “health, wealth and prosperity movement” of a couple decades ago, you might recall that this passage was a very popular one used by some evangelical preachers and teachers to promote their ministry agendas, and most importantly, to line their pockets with an overflow of cash from their followers. The twisted teaching that came out of these movements, undergirded/supported by this passage of Torah, was that if a follower of their ministry were to plant seeds into their ministry, the follower would reap a 100-fold return on their sowing. In other words, if these preachers’ followers would send them money, they would be abundantly, overwhelmingly blessed in the form of jobs, income, health, material possessions, new wives and husbands, wealth and such. Needless to say, many fell for these schemes. Many gave all they had in anticipation of getting so much more back from God for their sowing of financial support of these “jacklegged ministries.” All the while, unfortunately, these false teachers became disgustingly wealthy from their manipulation of Torah. Many of these same deceivers are still at it even today. But these charlatans will ironically reap what they’ve so devilishly sown. These will no doubt have their place in the lake of fire for their intentional twisting and manipulation of Yah’s Word for purposes of enriching themselves.

 

It isn’t rocket science to see that this passage of our reading has nothing to do with such foolishness as the “name it, claim it,” “health, wealth and prosperity” perversion. What this passage teaches Yah’s elect is that Yah will abundantly bless those whom he establishes a covenant relationship with.

 

It should also go without saying that any material blessings that come to us by virtue of our covenant relationship with Yah, is overshadowed by abundant spiritual blessings. In other words, we may not receive much in terms of material wealth in this life that is directly tied to our covenant relationship with Yah. But rather, the one operating in covenant is to expect a different kind of blessing.

 

In fact, we are told by our Master to “lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Mat. 6:20; KJV). Master proclaimed that He’d come to this earth that we might have life and have that life more abundantly (Joh. 10:10). And so, our Master’s emphasis was placed on the spiritual benefits of covenant as opposed to the material. Master went so far as to tell some of those who wanted to become His disciples and follow Him, that they sell their material possessions and give their proceeds to the poor first as a witness that they’ve given their all to follow Him (Mat. 19:21).

 

So important was our Master’s focus on this transition from the material to the spiritual that He assured His disciples:

 

“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life” (Mar. 10:30; ESV). 

 

So, we see somewhat of a shift from the physical to the spiritual in terms of covenant-originated blessings. The patriarchs of our Faith received abundant blessings by virtue of their covenant relationship with Yah in the form of material wealth, divine health, and security (Deu. 4:40; 5:16-18; 12:25-28; 19:13). As long as they kept covenant with Yah, which included them keeping and walking in Torah, they would be abundantly blessed in all areas of their lives. And we see this manifested throughout the Tanach: Whenever Yisra’el walked in covenant, they were individually and nationally blessed. Whenever she broke covenant with Yah, she suffered famine, abject poverty, sickness, and death.

 

But this shifting in emphasis in terms of blessings is embodied in Shaul’s teaching that scripture teaches us kingdom concepts from a natural perspective first. And then we are led to understand the spiritual applications of those same kingdom concepts (1 Cor. 15:46). Master’s emphasis on the spiritual is further embodied in his pronouncement to the Samaritan Woman at Ya’achov’s Well that the true worshiper of Yah would transition from that of the physical or natural to that of Spirit and Truth (Joh. 4:23-24).  

 

Now, in terms of those material blessings, the one thing that we can count on in this life is that Yah will take care of all our needs. Master informed His disciples in His Sermon on the Mount that if they sought first the Malchut Elohim—the Kingdom of Yah—then all their needs would be met by Abba Father (Mat. 6:33).

 

Am I saying that Father won’t bless His chosen ones with material blessings in the here and now? Absolutely not. I’m a witness and testimony to this myself. Are we materially wealthy or bountifully prosperous? Not by any stretch of the imagination. But I can say without equivocation that Abba fulfills all our needs and then some. Praise Yah!

 

 

 

26:13. And the man (Yitschaq) became ever greater until he was very great.

 

 

26:14. And he had possessions of flocks and of herds and many slaves, and the Philistines envied him.

 

We will see over the course of the next 8-verses that the Philistine’s envy or jealousy over Yitschaq’s material prosperity was manifested in his being asked to leave Gerar by their leader Abimelech and the shepherds of Gerar covering over Avraham’s wells, which were a critical source of water for Yitschaq and all that was his.

 

Some Torah commentators see this jealousy that Yitschaq experienced from his Philistine neighbors as part and parcel of the anti-Jewish experience. That it is illustrative of what we know today as anti-Semitism, in which it can be argued that anti-Semitism is in great part driven by envy on the part of Yisra’el’s neighbors.

 

Along these lines of thinking, there is a Rabbinic saying that:

 

“What happened to the Patriarchs, repeats itself in the life of their descendants” (J. H. Hertz; pg. 96 of Torah Haftorah). And I would certainly agree with this thinking.

 

26:15. And all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Avraham his father, the Philistines blocked up, filling them with earth.

 

 

26:16. And Abimelech said to Yitschaq, “Go away from us, for you have grown far too powerful for us.”

 

 

26:17. And Yitschaq went off from there and encamped in the wadi of Gerar (I.e., “nahal,” which is a dry riverbed that often conceals underground water sources), and he dwelled there.

 

 

26:18. And Yitschaq dug anew the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Avraham his father, which the Philistines had blocked up after Avraham’s death, and he gave them names, like the names his father had called them.

 

Let me quickly acknowledge here one of Yitschaq’s wonderful character traits. In his naming these wells that his father Avraham had established many years prior, we see beautifully displayed his humility (in him not renaming them to fit his own agenda) and respect for his father. The naming of wells and other landmarks in the ANE was a pretty big deal. And we’ll get into why it was a big deal in our exposition of verse 20.

 

Nevertheless, operating in covenant compels us to walk in humility and exercise proper respect for those of our Faith who have gone on before us (Exo. 20:12; Deu. 5:16; 8:2, 16; Mat. 15:4-6; 18:4; 19:19; 23:12; Jam. 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:6). It keeps us grounded and our hearts properly focused on what is important and where we need to go, and ultimately lead to our inheriting the earth. This according to Master (Mat. 5:5).

 

 

26:19. And Yitschaq’s servants dug in the wadi, and they found there a well of fresh water (in some translations, “they found living water.”)

 

 

26:20. And the shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Yitschaq’s shepherds, saying, “The water is ours.” And he called the name of the well Esek (aka, “contention”), for they had contended with him.

 

ANE wells served a critical, obvious purpose for a village and tribe. They did require a moderate amount of upkeep to avoid a buildup of silt and collapse on itself. Because of the critical purpose that these wells served in the very existence of ANE villages and tribes, it was not unusual for conflict to break-out between competing villages and tribes for these precious water sources. This is in essence what we’re seeing played out here in this and the next couple verses.

 

Interestingly, the naming of wells was the primary means of claiming ownership in the ANE. And so, it followed that once the name of a well would have been fully established, as in the case of all the wells Avraham established in his day, ownership of those wells could easily be determined and respected. Or not, as in this case. Regardless, the naming of such wells also was generational in that ownership was passed down through the family line.

 

So, what these quarrelsome shepherds were saying in their covering over of the wells that Avraham, Yitschaq’s father had dug, was something to the effect of “if we can’t have the water, nobody should” (Alter). This is what some might call “scorched earth” mentality, especially from the perspective that water in that region meant the difference between life and death in many cases. This could also be viewed as a very early, primitive manifestation of terrorism perpetrated against Yah’s covenant people. This version of nascent terrorism was envy/jealousy driven. And we know that Torah prohibits his people being envious or jealous or covetous of others (Rom. 1:29; 1 Tim. 6:4; Tit. 3:3; Jas. 4:5).

 

Now, jealousy from a Hebraic perspective has to do with the suspicion or knowledge a husband might have towards his wife’s infidelity. Abba recognized that jealousy is one of the strongest passions a man, or for that matter a woman, could experience (Num. 5:14; Pro. 6:34). Interestingly enough, Abba does not prohibit such emotion. He referred to Himself as being Jealous by name (Exo. 34:14), as He was jealous over His beloved Yisra’el (Deu. 5:9; 6:14; Jos. 24:19) and the Land (Joe. 2:18; Zec. 1:14; 8:2). There is, in terms of Yah’s righteous and just jealousy, this sense of a marriage-covenant-agreement that exists between Himself and his bride Yisra’el. However, His bride often played the harlot and broke the marriage-agreement/marriage-covenant invoking Yah’s jealousy.

 

Yah remains jealous over us, His beloved, under the auspices of the renewed covenant to the extent that we’ve been called to have no other gods before His face (Exo. 20:3). Yochanan the Revelator instructed that his readers keep themselves from idols (1 Joh. 5:21). Shaul described him and his oversight of the Messianic Assemblies in Corinth as that of him being a husband to the assemblies and that he was jealous over them with a godly jealousy (2 Cor. 11:2). It wasn’t that he envied that which his Corinthian brethren possessed, but rather, he was protective of them from the standpoint of ensuring that they would not be misled into teaching and doctrinal errors and that they remain faithful to his teachings.

 

But the jealousy that we see displayed here in our Torah Reading is one that Yah prohibits His elect to engage in:

 

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s (Exo. 20:17; cf. Deu. 5:21). Shaul instructed his Messianic Roman readers not to covet or be jealous of one another’s possessions (Rom. 13:9).

 

Jealousy/covetousness/envy is probably one of the most insidious of sins. For when it is conceived in the heart of a man or woman, it has the potential of leading to greater and more serious sins such as stealing, theft, fornication and adultery, assault, and murder. And that which we see these Philistine shepherds engaging in—their sabotaging Yitschaq’s father’s wells and him being forced out of Abimelech’s region–began with envy which was born out of them seeing Yitschaq waxing great and being abundantly and miraculously blessed of Yah. 

 

And what we see in Yitschaq’s response to Abimelech’s expelling him from his region and these Philistine shepherds’ jealous-driven acts of terrorism directed towards his father’s wells, is humility and peacemaking. Yitschaq does not retaliate, but simply searches out another source of water. Yitschaq does not resist Abimelech’s expelling of him from his region but complied with humility. He sought peace and did everything in his power to avoid strife.

 

Master taught that those of His who are peacemakers will be called children of Yah (Mat. 5:9).

 

There was an adage that one repays evil that is done to him or her with the same or equal evil. However, Master taught that His disciples must not retaliate against anyone who does them wrong. But rather, if someone hits them on the right cheek, that they let them hit them on the left cheek as well. And if someone wants to sue them for something His disciples possessed, that they give them what they coveted of theirs and more (Mat. 5:39-40; CJB).

 

That which Yitschaq displayed, and Master Yahoshua taught is certainly not the behavior the world endorses or practices. And the irony is that I’ve run into so-called devout Christians who have effectively said that they didn’t care what Jesus said here. According to these, if someone were to strike them, they were going to strike them back with even greater force with intent to do greater harm to them.

 

Truly, as a covenant people, we are called to behave in accordance with Yah’s Torah and Yahoshua’s teachings and principles. And what we see played out here in our Reading is Yitschaq (as did his father) behaving and operating in covenant, despite the natural temptation to retaliate against those that were terrorizing him. In a sense, I kind of think that Yitschaq realized that his substance and sustenance and wellbeing came exclusively from Yah. No man gives what Yah doesn’t allow, ordains, or orders. And no man can out-give or out-bless Yah. Yah’s sovereign providence and good will towards His elect will always overshadow the whims and agendas of man.

 

 

 

 

26:21. And they dug another well and they quarreled over it, too, and he called its name Sitnah (aka accusation or hostility).

 

 

26:22. And he pulled up stakes from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it, and he called its name Rehoboth (aka open spaces), and he said, “For now YHVH has given us space that we may be fruitful in the land.”

 

 

26:23. And he went up from there to Beersheba.

 

 

26:24. And YHVH appeared unto him on that night and said, “I am the Elohim of Avraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you, and I will bless you and I will multiply your seed for the sake of Avraham My servant.

 

What we see played out here in this verse between Yah and Yitschaq is Yah repeating what took place between Him and Avraham many decades before. For it was immediately after Avraham had overwhelmingly routed the Assyrian hoards that sacked the cities of the Plain and kidnapped his nephew Lot that Yah’s Torah tells us:

 

“After those things the Word of Yehovah came unto Avram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Avram, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Gen. 15:1; ASV modified).

 

Avram was no doubt at this point a “marked” man. Not only was he immensely wealthy as evidenced in Genesis/Bereshit 13:4 and in his encounter with the Melekzedek as recorded in Genesis/Bereshit 14:18-24, but he was the known leader of the band of warriors that routed the Assyrian hoards that came against the cities of the plain (Gen. 14:1-17). And it is not too much of a stretch to think that maybe Avram had some concerns being in such a vulnerable position in the region. For he had made a lot of enemies in that raid. Thus, the reason Yah may have prefaced His pronouncement to Him to “fear not” (Gen. 15:1). For Yah vowed by virtue of the covenant He was cutting with Avram, that He would be Avram’s shield, and He would be the source of Avram’s continued prosperity (15:1b).

 

And so, we see here in verse 24 of our reading that Yah tells Yitschaq almost the same thing, stating to him that He (Yah), the Elohim of His father Avraham, was with him, and that he would continue to prosper him and perpetuate his seed. What a beautiful encounter Yitschaq had here with the Creator of the Universe. Yah essentially tells Yitschaq that he need not worry about those who set out to undermine his blessed existence in the Land, for He (Yah) not only had His back (physically speaking), but He also intended to continue to prosper him by virtue of the covenant He’d established with his father Avraham. And not only protect and prosper him, but Yah would also perpetuate the covenant through him and his seed. All this Yah would do on Yitschaq’s behalf despite the evil of the world around him.

 

Another aspect of this verse that speaks so powerfully to me has to do with the phraseology Yah uses in His informing Yitschaq that he was chosen to perpetuate the covenant He’d made with his father Avraham. He tells Yitschaq that the covenant blessings he was receiving and would also later receive came by virtue of Avraham. Yah says to Yitschaq that “I will bless you and I will multiply your seed for the sake of Avraham My servant.” Indeed, in this case, the faithful obedience of the father (Avraham) was the thing that secured the son’s blessings (Yitschaq). Avraham’s faithful obedience perpetuated the covenant and all its blessing down to Yitschaq.

 

What does this say to us today beloved? Well, personally, as a father of three-grown children, I being in covenant with Yah, can hope to expect that the blessings I receive from my relationship with Yah will in some form or another trickle down to my children. They may not enter covenant with Yah, although I desperately hope they will at some point, but by virtue of the mantle of covenant blessings Yah has placed over Hilary and me, some of those same blessings extend over to them. And I can certainly attest to this. My children enjoy blessings that I believe come to them in great part because of our faithful obedient covenant relationship with Yah. I truly believe that.

 

Rav Shaul wrote of this to the Roman Messianic Assemblies:

 

“For Yah’s free gifts and His calling are irrevocable” (11:29).

 

 The love Yah has for those of us whom He has chosen and established a covenant with has no bounds. Those blessings-gifts-callings-are “immutable” says Bible Commentator Matthew Henry. For Yah loves His chosen ones to the end.

 

And so, that love He has for us manifests in so many ways, including that of blessings being passed down to our children. “For the sake of Avraham My Servant” Yah says. May it also be read; I will bless you and multiply your seed for the sake of Rod My servant.

 

 

26:25. And he (Yitschaq) built an altar there and he invoked the Name of YHVH, and he pitched his tent there, and Yitschaq’s servants began digging a well there.

 

 

This verse informs us of three things Yitschaq does that are tied to the covenant he had perpetuated. (1) He built an altar there in Beersheba. The building of and use of an altar by Yah’s people, served as a central place of worship for them in whatever region they dwelled. It served to recognize, at least in the heart and mind of Yitschaq, the holiness—the set-apartness of the place, since it was the place where Yah affirmed the perpetuation of the covenant to and through him by Yah Himself. (2) It was here, at this place, that Yitschaq “invoked” or “called upon” the Name of YHVH.

 

Invoking or calling on the Name of Yah in Rabbinic circles means one’s open proclamation of the knowledge of the One True God (Talmud sources). The Targum (Jewish Commentary Translation of Torah) reads:

 

“And he (I.e., Yitschaq) builded there an altar, and PRAYED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD…”

 

The thinking here is that one in covenant with YHVH Elohim, worships, honors, and declares the reality of YHVH, the One and only true and living Elohim amid a people with opposing beliefs and the gods they worshiped. It was a sign of complete and total defiance of the people’s pagan practices and beliefs. The combination of the building of the altar along with the covenant-keeper’s worship, which effectively could be call “invoking” or “calling on the Name of Yah,” served as sort of a poke in the eye of the patron god(s) of that region.

 

And (3) Yitschaq pitched his tent there in Beersheba. This served to lay his claim to the parcel of land there in Beersheba, which beforehand was unclaimed land. Not only was he establishing somewhat of a home there, but by virtue of his covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe, Yah’s presence would be established there from time-to-time as well. Yitschaq and His Elohim brazenly came into the enemy’s territory and set-up shop.

 

 

26:26. And Abimelech came to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his councilor (some English translations read his friend) and Phicol captain of his troops.

 

 

 

26:27. And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me when you have been hostile toward me and have sent me away from you?

 

 

26:28. And they said, “We have clearly seen that YHVH is with you, and we thought—Let there be an oath between our two sides, between you and us, and let us seal a pact with you (some English translation read an oath or sworn agreement with you),

 

 

26:29. that you will do no harm to us, just as we have not touched you, and just as we have done toward you only good, sending you away in peace. Be you hence blessed of YHVH.

 

We must bear in mind here that these leaders were pretty old, in particular Abimelech and Phicol who we may recall dealt similarly with Yitschaq’s dad Avraham back in Bereshit/Genesis 21. During that time, Avraham too was having to contend with disputes over wells in and around Gerar. Seems this was a never ending, generational problem in the region. And so, here we go again, but this time with Yitschaq.

 

But there’s something about this Abimelech character that suggests he was at the very least, knowledgeable of YHVH, and maybe even feared Yah to some lesser or greater extent. I doubt he worshiped Yah and I’m almost certain he was a card-carrying pagan of the Canaanite pantheon of demigods. However, he knew which side his spiritual bread was buttered, and he recognized that, just like his father, Yitschaq had a relationship with YHVH; that Yitschaq and all that he had was protected by Yah. Abimelech obviously would have recalled that Yitschaq’s and Avraham’s God threatened his life when had taken Sarah, Yitschaq’s mom and Avraham’s wife, into his house, having been deceived into believing she was Avraham’s sister (Bereshit/Genesis 20).

 

And like his father before him, Abimelech could clearly see that Yitschaq, because of his relationship with YHVH, had grown into a force to be reckoned with in that region, having great material wealth and human resources at his disposal. The text denotes that Yitschaq had grown to be “very great” with possessions of flocks and herds and a great many slaves (verses 13 and 14). And of course, all this was quite apparent to the Philistines, and in particular Abimelech.

 

And so, fearing Yitschaq to be an existential threat to him and his friends, we see him go to the patriarch with “hat in hand” to strike a peace agreement with him. Obviously, he was taking into account how he mistreated him by previously sending him away, and now the ongoing disputes over water sources no doubt made him start to think that maybe he needed to make amends with Yitschaq before things spiraled too far out of hand between them. It’s funny how he takes credit for Yitschaq’s wellbeing, knowing full well that it was Yitschaq’s Elohim that brought about Yitschaq’s wellbeing. Thus, Abimelech caters to Yitschaq and plays into Yitschaq’s blessed of Yah status. What’s that adage: “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer? Maybe this is what Abimelech was playing out here.

 

Nevertheless, even in the midst of Abimelech’s political jockeying, Yitschaq remains a peace-loving man of Yah. Which provides us an example of how we should operate in the world. Regardless how troublesome people may be towards us, it behooves us to trust Yah and operate in and promote peace.

 

Shaul instructed his Roman Messianic readers:

 

(14) Bless them which persecute you: bless and curse not. (15) Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep. (16) Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things (or rather, don’t think yourselves better than others), but condescend to men of low estate (or rather, associate with humble folk). Be not wise in your own conceits (or rather, don’t be conceited). (17) Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (18) If it is possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. (19) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath (or rather, leave the situation to Yah’s handling): for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” saith Yah (12:14-19; KJV).

 

Master instructed that we be salt in the earth. And in so doing, have peace one with another (Mar. 9:50).

 

And certainly, Yitschaq displayed all these virtues in his handling of the ruffians in Gerar.

 

 

26:30. And he (Yitschaq) made them a feast and they ate and drank.

 

The ensuing meal was a common ANE practice and tradition after business and relational deals were struck. The meal validated the agreement that was made between the participants of that agreement.

 

 

26:31. And they rose early in the morning and swore to each other, and Isaac sent them away, and they went from him in peace.

 

 

26:32. And it happened on that day that Isaac’s servants came and told him of the well they had dug, and they said to him, “We have found water.”

 

 

26:33. And he called it Shibah, therefore the name of the town is Beersheba to this day.

 

Staying true to the ANE practice of naming water sources, Yitschaq’s naming of this new water source is tied to the oath that Yitschaq made with Abimelech, although Shibah means seven.

 

But we see here that Yah honors Yitschaq and the covenant he had with him by providing him a viable, this time, undisputed water source.

 

 

26:34. (Shifting story lines here) And Esau was forty years old and he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

 

 

26:35. And they were a provocation to Isaac and to Rebekah.

 

Now, the first thing that pops into my mind when I read these two concluding verses to our Reading is that Esau clearly is not following the pattern and protocols of the covenant his father had with Yah. It was just a couple readings ago that we had Avraham sending Eliezer his servant to his kinsfolk in Nahor of Mesopotamia to find Yitschaq a wife (Bereshit/Gen. 24). If you recall from that Reading Discussion, Avraham was quite explicit to Eliezer that Yitschaq was not to marry any Canaanite woman. Why this was so is not delineated in the text. But for Yitschaq to marry a Canaanite woman, it would have run contrary to the tenets and perpetuation of the covenant Avraham had with Yah. And we know that during the Conquest of the Land by Joshua (Yahshua) that the Canaanites were “Marked for Destruction” because of their abominable, pagan ways.

 

And here we have Esau, who according to traditional practices of the ANE, should have been next in line to perpetuate the covenant, goes off and marries, not just one Canaanite woman, but two. So, it would appear evident that he was going out of his way to disqualify himself from receiving the covenant that ultimately would go to Ya’achov. Why Moshe placed these two verses into the narrative is uncertain. But it certainly serves the greater point of showing the contrast between the one who was chosen of Yah to perpetuate the covenant versus the one who was not chosen of Yah to receive the covenant.

 

Practical Halachah-Thoughts and Reflections

 

For me, this Reading/Parshah spoke to the reality that Yah’s covenant blessings remain viable and active, even amid strife. Even in the midst of turmoil. Even in the midst of evil. His covenant blessings are immutable. They’re not here today and gone tomorrow. Yah is a constant and He does not change. His love for us is boundless.

 

The world throws so much at us, especially these days. As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, the world is not our friend. It is especially hostile to Yah’s elect.

 

Yet, as ominous as this may sound to some, our Torah Reading provides us a blessed assurance that the Elohim of our patriarch Avraham is with us. And despite whatever craziness may be going on around us today, we need not fear. For Yah has our back. And by virtue of the covenant He cut with the patriarchs of old, by virtue of their faithful obedience to Him and the covenant He established with them, Yah will bless us and bless our seed.

 

And all that He asks of us is that we remain faithful and obedient to Him. That we look not to man to prosper us. That we look not to man to establish our place in society. That we look not to man to sustain us. But instead, look to Yah, through Yahoshua Messiah, the author and finisher of our Faith, to keep and bless us (Heb. 12:2).

 

Master admonished us to focus on the things of the Kingdom and seek after Yah’s righteousness. In so doing, Yah will provide for our every need (Mat. 6:33). Yah will keep us and bless us.

 

During these turbulent times, so many of us have had to lean on this righteous Truth. Some of us have had our livelihoods threatened by the world because we refused to bow a knee to Baal. Yet through it all, Yah has brought us through and blessed us in the process. And that’s because Yah’s promises are immutable and because He loves His chosen ones.

 

The Psalmist wrote:

 

“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (37:25; KJV).

 

Oh, the blessings that we may have realized during the storms of this life may not have been exorbitant or noteworthy by the world’s standards. But they were exorbitant by Kingdom standards. If not but for the peace of Yah that reigns in our lives that “passeth all understanding” (Phi. 4:7). If not but for Yah meeting our needs when there were no visible realized resources to do so. If not but for Yah’s Ruach (Yah’s precious Holy Spirit) filling us with His joy (Rom. 15:13).  If not but for Yah’s divine health and healing, even when those around us are failing.  If not but for Yah keeping and blessing our children despite their refusal to hearken to Yah’s salvation, covenant call.

 

Despite the world seeking our demise, Yah’s Ruach/Spirit dwelling within us compels us to operate in peace and uphold the tenets of the covenant He established with our forefathers and with us.

 

Our Torah Reading also emphasizes to us that when we Trust Yah and are obedient to His instructions and His leading, we can expect Yah to bring about a 100-fold return in our sanctioned efforts and endeavors. No, I’m not talking about sending Yah’s money to those who promise great wealth, prosperity, and health in return. I’m talking instead about those things that Yah sanctions and leads us to do.

 

In the midst of a regional famine, Yah directed Yitschaq to not go to Egypt (I.e., not go the route that the world would expect him to take to escape the famine), but instead to “dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of; sojourn in this land, and I will bless thee…” (26:2-3). And Yitschaq was faithful and obedient to do what Yah instructed Him to do. And look what happened to him. Yah prospered him. Yah prospered him so much that it spurred envy amongst his Philistine neighbors. Yitschaq’s faithful obedience led to his reaping a hundredfold in his planting endeavors (vs. 12). It led to Yitschaq becoming exceedingly wealthy in the Land (26:13). It led to him amassing flocks, cattle, and a great household as well (26:14). And most importantly, it led to Yah perpetuating the covenant He’d made with Avraham through him (26:24).

 

Did Yitschaq’s blessings come about without any challenges? Of course not. In fact, it came with a great deal of strife and contention with his Philistine neighbors. These went out of their way to make Yitschaq’s life challenging at best.

 

But Yitschaq remained at peace and rested, not in the ways of man which would have been to recompense evil with evil, but he rested and operated in the Ways of Yah, which brought Him even greater blessings.

 

This says to us that if we are willing to walk and operate obediently and faithfully in covenant, we stand to realize blessings, some of which we can’t even imagine. Those blessings do not come by virtue of how wonderful a person we may be, although Yah does require us to be obedient and trusting of Him in the process. But He will bless us (materially and spiritually) because He promised to do so.

 

We are Yah’s chosen, set-apart ones. Once wild olive branches that have now, under the auspices of the renewed covenant, become grafted branches into the commonwealth of Yisra’el. In so being, we are eligible to partake of the root and the fatness that is the covenant promises and blessings Yah established with Yisra’el. So let us walk in that reality and expect the blessings which are part and parcel of our great inheritance. All praises to Yah from whom all blessings flow.

 

 

I pray that you were encouraged and empowered by this Reading Discussion today. And it is my hope, trust, and prayer that you will endeavor to higher heights and deeper depths in your walk with Yahoshua Messiah. May you take full ownership of the covenant that has been perpetuated to and through you, all the while glorifying and imaging our heavenly Father in all the earth.

 

And so, until next time, may you be most blessed fellow saints in training. Shabbat Shalom. Shavu’tov. Take care.

 

 

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How do we Know if We’ve Been Chosen to be in Covenant with God? –STAR 23

by | Mar 4, 2022 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer's Sabbath Thought & Reflections

This is “How do we Know if we Have been Chosen to be in Covenant with God?” It is the 23rd parshah/reading of our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. It’s found in Genesis or Bereshit, 25:1-26:11. It’s a longer reading than most in the 3-year reading cycle. But because the topic content I want to discuss with you today is primarily contained in only a portion of our reading, we’ll only be referencing those verses. So fear not beloved. We will make every effort to be focused on our topic for today.

 

And as in our previous STAR discussions, I’ll be referencing Robert Alter’s translation of the passage, from his “The Five Books of Moses” publication.

 

Now: This week’s Torah Reading basically consists of 5 parts or separate stories:

 

  1. It documents Avraham’s latter years where he marries Keturah and has six children through her. And let’s not forget that Avraham at that time was well over 140-years of age.

 

This portion of the reading goes on to mention Avraham’s conferring his wealth to Yitschaq his son: Yitschaq being the “son of promise;” the chosen one to perpetuate the covenant Yah made with Avraham. And the text makes sure we the reader knows the names and numbers of Avraham’s biological descendants, in great part to show that of the 8-children Avraham sired through Sarah, Hagar and Keturah, only one was chosen to perpetuate the covenant that Yah established with daddy Avraham.

 

And finally, this part of the reading briefly mentions the death of Avraham. Avraham was buried next to his wife Sarah, in the cave of Machpelah (25:1-11). And he died at the ripe old age of 175. What a life he lived, heh?

 

  1. Moshe provides a lineage of Ishma’el (25:12-18).

 

  1. Then we get into the story of the birth of Ya’achov and Esau, the sons of Rivkah (Rebecca) and Yitschaq (25:19-23).

 

  1. The exchanging of the birthright from Esau to Ya’achov (Jacob) over a bowl of lintel stew, popularly referred to as Esau despising his birthright (25:24-34).

 

  1. A second famine hits the Land of Canaan and Yitschaq relocates His family to Gerar where he has a slight run-in with Abimelech, king of Gerar/Philistines. (You may recall him from Avraham’s days, as recorded in chapter 20). It is here that Yah affirms to Yitschaq that he was chosen to perpetuate the covenant He’d made with His father Avraham (26:1-13).

 

Now, we won’t be examining this reading as we’ve done with other readings, where we do a verse-by-verse exposition of the reading and such. But for today, our focus passages will be 25:19-23 and portions of 26:1-13.

 

Our primary theme of focus will be on the essential concept of Yah’s sovereign providence, part of which has to do with Yah choosing those with whom He will be in covenant with.

 

Now, we teach, discuss and preach covenant quite a bit on this platform: the importance of covenant; the power of covenant; the blessings of covenant; the workings of covenant; even how to function and operate in covenant. But there is one aspect of covenant that we’ve not discussed, at least not here on this program. And that has to do with Yah establishing or determining who He will be in covenant with. Some call this concept “predestination,” a term Shaul used in some of his letters to the assemblies he oversaw, to describe the status or state of those who come into a true covenant relationship with Yah.

 

When I was meditating on this Reading early this week, seeking Yah’s direction on what He wanted me to glean the most from it, it was this essential concept of predestination—chosen status—that Father emphasized to me through His Ruach. And I’m so blessed to share this with you here today.

 

The Role of Torah in Revealing Yah’s Sovereign Providence

 

Among a great many things, Torah serves as a record and example of how covenant works as well as expressing covenant’s ultimate purpose.

 

How covenant works from the perspective of what’s involved in Yah entering into a covenant relationship with His chosen ones.

 

Covenant’s ultimate purpose from the perspective of Torah expressing the purpose of covenant. The bigger, 40,000 foot picture view of covenant being Yah’s Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption for His human creation. We often view Torah only from a personal perspective and that’s generally fine. However, Yah’s overall purpose for covenant is to facilitate the bringing of many sons and daughters into the Kingdom; providing a pathway to salvation.

 

The Torah concept of covenant cannot be truly understood without first gaining an understanding of Yah’s Providence and Will. We may have our own personal agendas as it relates to our coming into covenant relationship with the Almighty. However, there can be no covenant relationship unless Yah wills it to be. That it fits into His divine Plan.

 

Covenant only operates within the framework of Yah’s divine providence. In other words, despite “all the best laid plans of mice and men” so to speak, it is Yah’s providence that dictates covenant. That dictates the terms of any and all covenants. That creates and maintains covenants. And Torah clearly reveals this Truth to us.

 

Contrary to the pride and error-ridden understanding of so many, human endeavors (aka, acts; plans; agendas; thinking; concerns; even that which they believe to be works to help Yah out) have no direct impact on Yah’s sovereign providence. Our best efforts, whether good, bad or indifferent, do not influence Yah’s sovereign providence. It is what it is. And again, our Torah Reading in many ways bears this Truth out.

 

Ya’achov was not chosen because he was a better person than Esau. For certainly we clearly see in our Torah reading that he had a “trickster” or “deceptive” heart, which we will see, comes back to bite him in his behind in the next Torah reading.

 

Ya’achov was chosen by Yah because of Yah’s sovereign providence, or what Messianic author and commentator Tim Hegg describes as “God’s mysterious providence.” And Ya’achov’s choosing was established well before his birth. How long before his birth? Possibly before the foundations of the earth were laid by our fearsome and powerful Elohim.

 

Yah’s Providence Defined

 

Providence (Gr. “Pronoia”) is defined in Fausset’s Bible Dictionary as simply “forethought.” The term is used only once in the so-called authorized English versions of the Bible in Acts 24:2.

 

When we refer to the topic of “Yah’s Providence,” what we’re really talking about is Yah’s omnipotence. Yah’s power. His supremacy and to a lesser extent, Yah’s uncontested sovereignty. And it is Yah’s providence that oversees all elements and workings of His creation. In every respect, Yah’s providence may be viewed as a “universal constant,” especially in the hearts and minds of Yah’s elect.

 

Nothing escapes Yah’s providence. Nothing is too small as it relates to His providence (e.g., a sparrows fall), although His providence does give greater value and attention to certain elements of His creation such as those who are His chosen ones:

 

“And not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before Yah? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: Ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Luk. 12:6-7; KJV modified).

 

And so we find revealed in this passage the Truth of Yah’s providence having an element of love and caring. This loving and caring aspect of Yah’s universal providence is conveyed to His chosen ones.

 

Yah’s providence cannot be appreciated without taking into account some of Yah’s immutable character traits which include His omnipotence; omniscience (all knowing); His omnipresence (his providence is not limited to time, and place; it’s everywhere); His holiness; His justice; His grace; wisdom; and mercy.

 

Nothing is too great nor too minuscule for Yah’s providence.

 

It can be said that the full extent of Yah’s providence is beyond human comprehension and explanation.

 

And this whole concept of Yah’s providence is based upon an understanding of Yah’s sovereignty. Yah is the Creator of all things:

 

“By the Word of Yehovah were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth…Yehovah looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men from the place of His habitation He looketh forth upon all the inhabitants of the earth; He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, that considereth all their works. There is no king saved by multitude of a host: A mighty man is not delivered by great strength” (Psa. 33:6, 13-16; ASV).

 

And because He is Creator, He has the right and wherewithal to do what He wills with His creation. He has the right and wherewithal to order things as He sees fit to do so:

 

“But now, O Yehovah, thou art our Father. We are the clay, and thou our potter. And we are all the work of thy hand” (Isa. 64:8; ASV).

 

Shaul wrote of this in his letter to the Roman Assembly of Messianic believers, paying particular attention to the content of our Torah Reading for today:

 

“For this is what the promise said: “At the time set, I will come; and Sarah will have a son.” And even more to the point is the case of Rivkah (aka Rebecca); for both her children were conceived in a a single act with Yitschaq, our father…(skip verse 11, which is a scribal parenthetical insertion)—picking up at verse 12—it was said to her, ‘The older will serve the younger’” (Rom. 9:9, 10, 12; CJB).

 

 

We fall into very dangerous spiritual territory when we in one form or another deny Abba’s providence. For when we venture to reject or deny Yah’s providence, we are dismiss His immutable attributes, which are the very things that we are to image in the world. We dismiss His mercy and justice and right to judge and punish as the righteous and holy One of Yisra’el. We scoff at His wisdom, such as to say that He doesn’t know what He’s doing in the earth and in our lives. We throw into question His holiness; His set-apartness, even in the midst of an unholy, sinful world.

 

Chosen Versus Called

 

When we get into this discussion and idea of Yah and His [sovereign] providence, especially as it relates to covenant, we must come to terms with the concept and reality of being chosen of Yah. Being selected by Yah to be in covenant with Him.

 

Regardless how pure of heart one may be. Regardless how well-intended one may be. Regardless how it may seemingly contradict the conventional wisdom of the Church Triumphant, Yah choses who He will and who He will not enter into covenant with. And this reality is based primarily upon His holy and righteous and wise [sovereign] providence. Even His perfect Will and Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption.

 

And as I previously mentioned, our Torah Reading pretty much bears this reality out.

 

(20) And Yitschaq (aka Isaac) was forty-years old when he took as wife Rivka (aka Rebecca), daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-Aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. (21) And Yitschaq pleaded with Yah on behalf of his wife, for she was barren, and Yah granted his plea, and Rivka his wife conceived. (22) And the children clashed together within her, and she said, “Then why me?” and she went to inquire of Yah. (23) And Yah said to her: “Two nations—in your womb, two peoples from your loins shall issue. People over people shall prevail, the elder, the younger’s slave” (25:20-23).

 

Note: Do you see what I mean here as this is applied to Yah’s [sovereign] providence: “People over people shall prevail, the younger’s slave” (25:23)? Indeed, many will read this and think this was all about the prophetic on Yah’s part, and certainly it is every bit about the prophetic. But let’s not overlook that Yah can make prophetic pronouncements like this because of His [sovereign] providence. His providence would ensure that the younger son, Ya’achov (aka Jacob) would be over his older brother Esau. And in this case, we’re also talking about covenant. And we’ll get further into this in a few, but we get a glimpse of Yah affirming and by virtue of this prophetic utterance, conferring the covenant being passed down to the younger son, Ya’achov (aka Jacob). In other words, Yah was choosing Ya’achov over Esau to perpetuate the covenant He’d previously made with their grandfather, Avraham (Bereshit 15).

 

Continuing:

 

(24) And when her time was come to give birth, look, there were twins in her womb. (25) And the first one came out ruddy, like a hairy mantle all over, and they called his name Esau. (26) Then his brother came out, his hand grasping Esau’s heel, and they called his name Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

 

(27) And the lads grew up, and Esau was a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field, and Jacob was a simple man, a dweller in tents. (28) And Isaac loved Esau for the game that he brought him, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (29) And Jacob prepared a stew and Esau came from the field, and he was famished. (Bereshit 25:24-29; Alter)

 

By all rights according to ANE, and Hebrew practices in general, the birthright was, with very very few exceptions, passed on to the eldest son. In this case, that son would be Esau. That birthright consisted of the wealth Avraham accumulated in his life by virtue of the covenant and covenant promises Yah established with grand daddy Avraham.

 

And so, what we’re talking about here is not just the passing on of material wealth. We’re also talking about the propagation of the covenant: Both the material (I.e., the Land) and the spiritual and prophetic and relational elements of the covenant. And who that covenant would be passed on to fell squarely into Yah’s exclusive domain.

 

In other words, Yah would choose which of the two sons of Yitschaq He would continue the covenant with. And clearly, from the Words Yah uttered to Rivkah (aka Rebecca) in verse 23, the boys’ mother, Yah had already chosen Ya’achov to perpetuate the covenant He’d made with the boy’s grandfather.

 

And this reality should not be anything new to us. Although Ishma’el was Avraham’s oldest son according to standards of the flesh and ANE practices and tradition—making him eligible for Avraham’s inheritance—Yah selected/chose Isaac/Yitschaq to receive Avraham’s inheritance, and most importantly, to perpetuate the covenant He established with Avraham:

 

(19) And Yah said, “Yet Sarah your wife is to bear you a son and you shall call his name Yitschaq and I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant, for his seed after him. (20) As for Ishma’el, I have heard you. Look, I will bless him and make him fruitful and will multiply him most abundantly, twelve chieftains he shall beget, and I will make him a great nation. (21) But My covenant I will establish with Isaac whom Sarah will bear you by this season next year (Bereshit 17:19-21).

 

And then Abba confirmed the perpetuation of the covenant through Yitschaq in our Torah Reading:

 

This is Abba speaking to Yitschaq:

 

(3) Sojourn in this land so that I may be with you and bless you, for to you and your seed I will give all these lands and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to Avraham your father, (4) and I will multiply your seed like the stars in the heavens and I will give to your seed all these lands, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through your seed because Abraham has listened to my voice and has kept My charge (5) My commandments, My statutes and my teachings (Bereshit 26:3-5; Alter).

________________________________________________________________

 

And here’s something that might raise some eyebrows in and around the denominationalist arena.

 

We all know from Torah that Yah chose Yisra’el as the only people He would enter into covenant with (Exo. 34:27; Deu. 29:1; 1 Kin. 8:9). But Yisra’el broke covenant with Yah (Jer. 11:10).

 

The good news, Yah instituted a renewed covenant, not with the Baptists; nor with the Catholics; nor with the methodists; nor with the interdenominationalists; nor with this group or that.

 

The Prophet Yermiyahu (aka Jeremiah) proclaimed that this renewed covenant that Yah was making would be with the “house of Yisra’el and with the house of Y’hudah” (31:31; cf. Heb. 8:8, 13). Which again means that Yah is not in the process of establishing a new covenant with Christians or any other group of individuals who believe they’ve somehow replaced Yisra’el or that they are of the Lost Tribes of Yisra’el.

 

Which means that if you’re not of the house of Yisra’el and Y’hudah—I’m talking the true Yisra’el and Y’hudah, you are not in covenant with Yah. Yah chose the houses of Yisra’el and Y’hudah to be in covenant with. These are the only ones I’m afraid.

 

So then, where does that leave those of us who are not of these houses.

 

Well, it means that if you aren’t of either of these houses, you gotta get into one of them if you want to be in covenant with Yah. And the way this is done is through the adoption process; the grafting in process.

 

Shaul clarified this situation pretty well in his letter to the Roman Messianic Assemblies when he wrote:

 

“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive, were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree…So take a good look at Yah’s kindness and His severity on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off, but, on the other hand, Yah’s kindness toward you, provided you maintain yourself in that kindness!…” (11:17, 22; CJB modified).

 

What these most powerful verses offer us is a glimpse into (1) the awesome [sovereign] providence of Yah in action, and (2) the means by which we may enter into covenant.

 

But all of this beloved, presumes one critical element: In order to be grafted into the commonwealth of Yisra’el and to enjoy the benefits of Yah’s covenant, just like every other soul who has ever come into covenant with Yah, we must be chosen.

 

Indeed, Master taught us this vital principle in His parable of “Wedding Banquet”:

 

“For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mat. 22:14; KJV).

 

The Apostle Keefa (aka Peter) also commented on this critical element to being in covenant with Yah:

 

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” (1 Pet. 2:9; KJV).

 

You see, Yah through the provision of His [sovereign] providence—His grace—His mercy—put forth a general call to humanity to enter into covenant with Him. And this is what most of the so-called believing world has responded to. They’ve responded to the general call to covenant; at least those who are seeking a true and substantive relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

 

However, to finish the deal, Yah must choose each and every soul who enters into covenant with Him. And that’s why, I believe, the vast majority of souls who profess, let’s say, Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, have not come to a faithful, obedient relationship with Yah. Oh, some of them actually do possess a true conviction in terms of an abiding Faith. But most are unwilling to manifest those convictions into actions and obediently operate in covenant. And I believe this is in part due to them not being chosen to be in THE covenant relationship with Him spoken of by Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the writer of the Book of Hebrews. These often sneer at and outright reject the keeping of Yah’s instructions in righteousness and dying to self, relying upon the error-ridden “Grace Perversion” doctrine that has gripped Evangelical Denominationalism for decades.

 

So for all intents and purposes, there are two groups of individuals Yah has His eyes on: (1) Those who have answered His call to enter into a relationship with Him; those who are pure of heart. And (2), those whom He has chosen.

 

Now, what ultimately happens to those who respond to the call, but aren’t chosen of Yah? Well, that my friends, is a discussion for another Shabbat I’m afraid.

 

The Controversial Concept of Predestination

 

But this faith of ours is one where the would be elect are specifically chosen of Yah. Now, I realize that there is a lot of debate and disagreement, especially in and around denominationalism on this subject of being chosen of Yah. It is often referred to as “predestination.” And for the longest time I grappled with the concept of predestination, thinking it was contrary to Yah’s righteous character. I mean, how could a righteous God choose certain individuals out of some eternal plan He had in place from the foundations of the world and condemn the rest of the world because their names were not written on His list. It just didn’t seem fair to me.

 

But eventually I began to see evidence that indeed Yah chooses those who will be His own. In fact, this reality and Truth is supported throughout the whole of scripture:

 

  • Yah chose Abel over Cain.
  • Yah chose Noah and his family over all the peoples living in his day to save humanity from utter and total destruction.
  • Yah chose Avraham over all others in the ANE of his day.
  • Yah chose Isaac over Ishma’el and Jacob over Esau.
  • Yah chose Moshe over all of his brethren to lead His people and to dispense His Torah to humanity.
  • Yah chose David over Saul to rule over Yisra’el and to usher in the Davidic Dynasty.
  • Yah chose each prophet to deliver His Word to their covenant-breaking brethren of the houses of Yisra’el and Y’hudah.
  • Yah chose Yahoshua to be the savior of the world and to usher in His Father’s renewed covenant.
  • Yahoshua chose every one of His disciples. You see, you can only be a disciple if you are chosen.
  • And so forth.

 

In like manner, only when the would-be elect is called, and then chosen of Yah, are the scales removed from their eyes and their minds are renewed to accept the terms of a true covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

 

Shaul wrote to the Messianic Assembly at Thessalonica:

 

“But we ought always to give thanks to Yah for you, brothers, beloved by the Master, because Yah has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit (Yah’s Ruach Hakodesh) and belief in the truth” (2 The. 2:13; ESV modified).

 

To the Messianic Assemblies in Ephesus he wrote:

 

“Blessed by the Elohim and Father of our Master Yahoshua Messiah, who has blessed us in Messiah with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (1:3-4; ESV modified).

 

To the Messianic Assemblies in Rome he wrote:

 

“And we know that for those who love Yah all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined (”proorizo,” or decided beforehand)) to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among may brothers” (8:28-29; ESV modified).

 

Of predestination, Shaul wrote to the Roman Messianic Assemblies:

 

(29) For whom He (I.e., Yah) did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these things? If Yah be for us, who can be against us (8:29-31; KJV modified).

 

And to the Ephesian Messianic Assemblies Shaul brilliantly explains the connection that exists between the predestination of Yah’s people and Yah’s sovereign providence:

 

(4) According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Yahoshua Messiah to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (6) to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved (1:4-6; KJV modified).

 

And as with Yah’s covenant with Avraham, the predestined covenant we have with Abba has attached to it an inheritance:

 

(8) Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; (9) having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself (I.e., Yah’s sovereign providence): (10) That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Messiah, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; even in Him: (11) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose (there’s that sovereign providence of Yah again) of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: (12) That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Yah (Eph. 1:8-12; KJV modified).

 

This predestination thing is huge and extremely important, not just to our understanding of covenant, but also to Yah who is personally investing a great deal of Himself to this amazing construct that some might feel is unfair and not in keeping with their personal concepts of God.

 

Understanding the Reality of Predestination and Chosen Status

 

One of the best ways I’ve come across to look at this controversial concept of Yah choosing those who would be His, is that because of our sinful nature, if our coming into a covenant relationship were left to our own devices, we would effectively never come into a true covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. We’ve spoken about the woeful human condition on this program many times in the past, especially in our Paul and Hebrew Roots series.

 

The Elect of Yah: Another Term for Chosen Ones

 

Another term that is often used to identify those who are chosen of Yah is “elect.” The term elect in the Greek is “eklectos” and it means simply: “chosen.” Imagine that!

 

Master, Shaul, Shimon Keefa and Yochanan the Revelator all used this term to stress this point about the predestined and chosen status of His beloved:

 

  • Only Yah’s elect will be gathered by His angels at the sound of a great trumpet to attend the wedding supper of the Lamb and to reign with Yahoshua for 1,000-years ( 24:31; Mar. 13:27).
  • Yah has great concern for His elect ones in the Last Days, as He will shorten the time of tribulation for their sakes ( 24:22).
  • Yah will avenge His elect who are tribulated and persecuted by His enemies ( 18:7).

 

And so forth.

 

Humanity is incapable to coming to Yah on their own accord. Humanity needs help. Humanity needs leading and direction. Humanity requires calling and dissemination of the Word of Truth to them. They require a circumcised heart that is pliable to the Will and Leading of the Ruach Kodesh. Humanity requires a leap of trusting faith in order for him/her to believe in the Person and Ministry of Yahoshua Messiah. Humanity requires the eyes to see and ears to hear that which Yah teaches, and then the heart to obediently do what they’ve been told to do.

 

So, when we factor all these things into our spiritual equation here, it should not be difficult to see why a choosing is required for Yah’s people to enter into covenant with Him.

 

But Rod, what about the unfairness of Yah’s predestining or choosing those that would be His? Well, at the end of the day beloved, it falls back to Yah’s [sovereign] providence. Yah is in charge. Yah can do whatever He chooses to do, as we’ve shown previously through scripture. And just because our woefully inadequate sense of human justice and morality tells us that what Yah is doing in His choosing and predestining those who would be His is wrong, doesn’t mean that we are right in our assessment of Him.

 

As we discussed earlier, to deny Yah’s sovereign providence is to reject Yah’s holy and righteous character. He knows what He’s doing. He is faithful to do all that He sets out and promises to do. His Ways are not our ways, as brilliantly and boldly revealed by the Prophet Isaiah:

 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith Yehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (55:8-9; ASV).

 

Shaul offered:

 

“O the depth of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of Yah! How inscrutable (I.e., unsearchable) are his judgments! How unsearchable are His ways” (Rom. 11:33; CJB).

 

So, it stands to reason that we cannot understand why Yah chooses some and not others to enter into a covenant relationship with. And this is where trusting faith comes in for us. When we trust and love Yah with our whole heart, mind and soul, we realize that He knows what He’s doing. We rejoice then in our chosen status as Yah’s child and we make ourselves available to do His bidding. For we realize that we’ve done nothing to earn Yah’s choosing apart from saying yes to His call. Praise Yah!

 

Yochanan the Revelator wrote of those who fall into the chosen category in the End Times:

 

“They (I.e., the Enemies of Yah) will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are called, chosen and faithful will overcome along with Him” (17:14; CJB).

 

You see, only those who are chosen will reign with Master Yahoshua in the Kingdom to come.

 

But here’s the critical question that we all must be able to answer: If being in covenant requires that we be chosen by Him, how would we know whether or not we’ve been chosen?

 

So How Do We Know If We’ve Been Chosen of Yah?

 

Yah Performs an Exclusive Work in His Chosen Ones Through His Ruach Hakodesh

 

We know we’ve been chosen of Yah for covenant by the change in our behavior; how we perceive and interact with Yah and our fellow human beings, especially our brethren in the Faith.

 

The Apostle Kefa gives an amazing overview of this in his second general epistle:

 

 

(2) May grace and peace abound to you through the recognition of our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach. (3) as the giver to us of all things that of the power of Elohim to life and the fear of Elohim, through the recognition of Him who has called us to His own glory and moral excellence:(4) wherein He has given you very great and precious promises; that by them you might become partakers of the nature of Elohim while you flee from the corruptions of the lusts that are in the world (I.e., while we come into and operate in covenant with Yah). (5) And, while you apply all diligence in the matter, add to your faith moral excellence; and to moral excellence, knowledge; (6) and to knowledge, perseverance; and to perseverance, patience; and to patience, the Fear of Elohim; (7) and to the Fear of Elohim, sympathy with the brotherhood; and to sympathy with the brotherhood, love. (8) For, while these are found in you and abounding, they render you not lazy and not unfruitful in the recognition of our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach. (9) For He in whom these things are not found, is blind and does not see, and has forgotten the purification of his former sins. (10) And therefore, my brothers, you be exceedingly diligent to make your calling and election certain by your good actions: for, by so doing, you will never fall away. (11) For thus will entrance be given you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Master and Redeemer Y’shua the Mashiyach. (2 Pet. 1:2-11; AENT)

 

We become different people. Shaul wrote that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds as part of our covenant relationship with Yah (Rom. 12:2). He describes this sanctification process as our putting on “the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created us” (Col. 3:10). Our hearts are cleaned up and we receive a right spirit that operates perfectly with Yah’s Ruach that operates within us (Psa. 51:10). The things we once loved about this world over time become fading memories and in time, those former lusts and actions completely disappear because Yah’s Spirit operating within us displaces them with a hunger and thirst for righteousness (Mat. 5:6).

 

These and many other righteous changes that take place within us are inexplicable to the unconverted soul. But these changes only take place because Yah wills it to be. And Yah facilitates this through the workings of His Ruach Hakodesh.

 

This is all part and parcel of the provisions of the renewed covenant that Yah, through His anointed prophets spelled out for us:

 

“…I will put My Torah in their inward parts and write it in their hearts; and will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people” (Jer. 31:33; KJV modified).

 

“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them” (Eze. 36:24-27; KJV modified).

 

 

These are great promises and provisions that are offered and provided to the chosen ones of Yah.

 

Granted, some emphatically will assert that these renewed covenant provisions and benefits will not take place until Yahoshua returns. But I can without reservation attest for myself beloved, that the provisions of the renewed covenant are at work in me today. And I would venture to guess that the same thing is happening to many of you.

 

So, if you’re not the same person you were before you came into faith, whereby you are conforming to the image of our Master Yahoshua Messiah, everyday growing and changing and becoming, then it’s a pretty good bet that you’ve been chosen to be in covenant with Yah beloved.

 

Yah Informs Those Whom He Comes into Covenant With that they are Chosen of Him

 

Scripture reveals that every individual Yah has chosen, He has told them that they are chosen. Indeed, we could spend many more minutes going through the Holy Writ and identifying those specific incidents where Yah informed His people that they were chosen of Him.

 

We know that Yah chose our Master Yahoshua Messiah and on at least a couple of occasions He pronounced that Yahoshua was His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased (Mat. 3:17; 17:5). He declared to Avraham that he was chosen to enter into covenant with Him (Gen. 15 and 17). And so forth.

 

In our Reading here today, Yah affirmed to Yitschaq that He was the chosen one to perpetuate the covenant He made with Avraham:

 

(3) Sojourn in this land so that I may be with you and bless you, for to you and your seed I will give all these lands and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to Avraham you father, (4) and I will multiply your seed like the stars in the heavens and I will give to your seed all these lands, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through your seed (5) because Avraham has listened to My voice and has kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My teachings (Bereshit 26:3-5; Alter modified).

 

And there are so many more instances where Yah directly told His select people that they were chosen of Him to perpetuate the covenant He originated with Avraham. And in most if all these cases, Yah directly articulated to the individual that they were chosen of Him.

 

Now, today, we may not receive an audible confirmation that we’ve been chosen for covenant. But if we are truly His, and His Ruach has come to dwell in us, He will confirm our chosen status to us. He may affirm our chosen status through Him communicating with us through our prayers. He may confirm our chosen status through our hearts being pricked or convicted of this reality. He may confirm our chosen status through His Word (2 Tim. 3:15-16). And let us not discount that he confirms our chosen status through other people/other brethren as well as the world around us.

 

Yah will in one form or another confirm our chosen status to us. It may not come as an audible confirmation beloved, but it will be an undeniable confirmation from Him personally. We just need to listen up and seek out His still small voice.

 

 

Our Faith and Obedience Affirms our Chosen Status

 

When we positively respond to the general call to Faith that Yah puts forth to all of humanity through the preaching of His Gospel, the first thing we are required to do is trust Him—Trust in the Person and Ministry of His son Yahoshua Messiah which is part and parcel of His Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption. This trusting faith that we employ, if indeed genuine, must lead to actions—specifically, lead to obedience to Yah’s instructions in righteousness. Obedience to Yah’s leading. Obedience to Yah’s Word. A dying to self in the process.

 

This faith and obedience process affirms our chosen status. Because if we don’t have the faith that will lead us to a covenant relationship with Yah; and if we refuse to obey Yah’s instructions and all, then we can’t possibly be chosen of Him.

 

The chosen ones of Yah are faithful and obedient (Rev. 17:14).

 

Indeed, many are called, but few are chosen according to our Master (Mat. 22:14). And we see through the earthly ministry of our Master, that only those who faithfully responded to His invitation to discipleship; who gave all to follow Him; who left the hundreds of curious ones to sit at His feet and learn of Him and His Ways; became His chosen disciples:

 

(65) And He (Yahoshua) had said to them, “Because of this (I.e., there were some following the group that did not believe Y’shua’s teachings) I have said to you that no man is able to come to Me unless it is given to Him from My Father (I.e., unless they are chosen of Yah).” (66) And Y’shua said to His twelve, “Why do you also desire to go?” (68) Shimon Keefa answered and said, “My Master, to whom should we go? You have the words of life that is eternal. (69) And we believe and know that you are the Mashiyach, the Son of the Living Elohim!” (70) Y’shua said to them, “Did I not choose you twelve, and is it one of you an adversary” (Joh. 6:65-70; AENT).

 

It is the one who faithfully stands with Yahoshua and remains obedient to Him and His Ways, despite what the rest of the world may be saying and doing, that are chosen of Yah.

 

Another Question to be Answered Pertaining to being Chosen of Yah

 

So then, all that we’ve discussed here today regarding one being exclusively chosen of Yah to be in covenant with Him has to do with why teach and preach the gospel to the nations if this whole covenant thing has already been predetermined? And that is an extremely good question. I’ve often pondered this question myself. And there are a couple simple reasons why we are required to teach, preach, make disciples for Yahoshua Messiah for the purpose of bringing many sons and daughters into covenant with Yah.

 

  • Yah’s Choosing is Facilitated by a General Calling.

 

We’ve seen where Yah, through His chosen ones, His intermediaries, calls all humanity unto Himself.  And in our post resurrection day (i.e., Y’shua’s resurrection that is), this general calling is accomplished through the preaching and teaching and proclaiming of the Gospel.

 

Shaul wrote of this in his letter to the Messianic Assemblies of Rome:

 

(14) How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Master, who hath believed our report? (17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of Yah (10:14-17; KJV modified).

 

So then, the chosen of Yah come to Faith through the preaching, teaching and proclaiming of the Gospel-of Torah-of Yah’s Word. This is the means by which Yah brings potential sons and daughters into faith in Him. But Yah chooses those with whom He will enter into covenant with. Master makes this point clear:

 

“For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mat. 22:14; KJV).

 

 

  • Yah is an Elohim of Justice and Rightness.

 

When the books in the Court of Heaven have all finally been written and closed, it can never be said that Yah was unfair in His treatment of humanity and His creation. As with our ancient Hebrew cousins in the Sinai wilderness, Yah gave His chosen people every opportunity to keep covenant with Him. But their stiffneckness would not allow for it:

 

“Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness” (Psa. 95:8: KJV).

 

Shaul shows us that Yah gives humanity every opportunity to turn to Him. He wrote of this thing:

 

(1) Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same things. (2) But we are sure that the judgment of Yah is according to truth against them which commit such things…(5) But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of Yah; (6) Who will render to every man according to His deeds: (7) To them who by patient continuance in well doing (I.e., those who are in covenant with Yah and who are chosen) seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: (9) But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, (9) tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the jew first, and also of the Gentile; (10) but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: (11) For there is no respect of persons with Yah (Rom. 2:1-2, 5-11; KJV modified).

 

When all has been said and done, Yah will be proved righteous and just, even in terms of His choosing His children:

 

“For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of Yah without effect? (4) Yah forbid: Yea, let Yah be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, “That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. (5) But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of Yah, what shall we say? Is Yah unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (6) Yah forbid: for then how shall Yah judge the world (Rom. 3:3-6; KJV modified)?

 

 

  • Yahoshua our Master instructed us to Make for Him Disciples.

 

As chosen-elect-predestined disciples of Yahoshua Messiah, we are required to do that which Yah and our Master instruct us to do. I becomes the chosen ones’ nature to obey the voice of their Elohim and Master. Throughout the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy we are commanded to obey the voice of Yah.

 

Yahoshua faithfully obeyed the voice of His Father Yah. Conversely, He requires His disciples to obey His voice.  In fact, He commanded:

 

“If you love me, keep My commandments” (Joh. 14:15; KJV).

 

Master commanded us to go forth into all the nations and teach and baptize those who would potentially become Yah’s children; to make unto Him disciples (Mat. 28:19-20). And so, however Yah has led you to manifest that commission—in whatever form you accomplish that instruction—we as Yah’s elect and chosen ones respect and honor and obey His sovereign providence. He’s doing a work in the earth and we are His hirelings and servants. It’s not up to us to question why, but to do!

 

And with that, we will bring this installment of TMTO’s Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections to a close.

 

I pray you got as much from this discussion as I did and that it will not only inform you, but also encourage and empower you to higher heights and deeper depths in Yahoshua Messiah.

 

May you have an overcoming week in Messiah. And until next time, may you be most blessed fellow saints in training. Shabbat Shalom. Shavuatov. Take care.

 

The Gospel According to the Apostle Paul

by | Apr 13, 2021 | ,

Our New Challenging Pauline Passage--Romans 2:16--A Seemingly Bold and Curt Statement From the Apostle.    Our focus passage, or more precisely, our focus verse today is Romans 2:16. And we find when we read this verse a rather bold and seemingly curt statement...

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The False Hope of Imitation Christianity

by | Dec 21, 2020 |

If you've been called and chosen, this message is for you. But it's not for everybody. Questions: What does John 8:32?--You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free. We are to get our information from Scripture. Do you know what you worship? What's the...

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Biblical Rosh Hashanah 2022 Update

by | Mar 3, 2022 | Blog

Starting off, I would be remiss if I did not connect this update with my last post entitled “Why I Keep the Torah (Observational) Calendar and not the Other Popular Messianic Calendars.” In that post, I gave five reasons why I keep the Torah (Observational) Calendar. But more so, I provided an overview of how the operational calendar actually works, especially from the perspective of Rosh Hashanah or the Head of the Biblical New Year. If you’ve not had the opportunity to read that post, I would humbly encourage you to read that post, which I believe will bring you up to speed as to what I’m going to be talking about in this and in future updates on the Biblical Rosh Hashanah 2022.

What’s at Stake

As I noted in the aforementioned post, this week is a critical period for those of us who follow and keep the Torah (Observational) Calendar. Reason being, this is the last week of the 12th biblical month that Judaism refers to as the Month of Adar. And depending on the biblical observational criteria being met will determine whether we enter into a 13th month (or an Adar Bet in Jewish circles) or into Rosh Hashanah, the head of the biblical new year.

So, a lot is riding on what the searchers find.

Latest Findings by the Searchers

As of this writing beloved, the searchers in the Land of Yisra’el have found fields of wild, immature barley that is a few weeks from reaching the aviv state of maturation. Now, I consult a couple sources for information on the state of the barley crop (i.e., Nazarene Israel and Devorah Tree), and both agree with the barley crop being quite immature at this point. However, one of the sources suggests that there will be sufficient aviv barley in which to gather an omer suitable enough for the Day of the Wavesheaf Offering (aka Yom HaNafat HaOmer) which takes place annually during the week of Unleavened Bread (aka Chag HaMatzot). (Lev. 23)

My second source concludes that there will not be enough “harvestable” aviv barley for the Yom HaNafat HaOmer, as the present state of the barley crop is too immature.

But we’re not finished.

This being the 29th day of the biblical calendar month, we’ve just received word that the renewed moon was not sighted over the Land of Yisra’el this evening due to atmospheric conditions.

So What’s the Bottom Line

Well, taking these two opinions about the state of the barley crop into consideration, and the failure by searchers to sight the renewed moon over the Land of Yisra’el, it falls to each of us who keep the Torah (Observational) Calendar to decide whether to proceed with calling the arrival of Rosh Hashanah at sundown on Fr-day, 3/4/2022, or calling the start of the 13th month (aka Adar Bet) on that same day. (Note: Since there is no operating Sanhedrin to make this decision, it falls to each of us to decide how to proceed with the calendar at this point.)

As for us, we believe the barley is too immature and will be in insufficient amounts for the Day of the Wavesheaf Offering if we were to call Rosh Hashanah tomorrow evening. Therefore, we will honor and receive the 13th Rosh Chodesh at sundown, Fr-day, 3/4/2022.

We pray, which ever calendar you are led to keep, that you have a blessed 13th month, or for that matter, Rosh Hashanah.

Faithfully

Why I Keep the Torah (Observational) Calendar and not the Other Popular Messianic Calendars

by | Mar 1, 2022 | Blog

Goal of this Post

The timing and purpose for this post is not one of happenstance. For this week is a most critical time for those of us who keep the Torah (Observational) Calendar.

This week, a number of trained and experienced search teams consisting of Karaite Jews and Messianics will travel throughout the Land of Yisra’el for purposes of identifying and locating aviv barley, which I’ll briefly discuss later on in this post, and sighting the renewed moon. And depending upon their findings (which may or may not be influenced by their individual and group ideologies and past practices), will determine whether or not we begin a New Year (Rosh Hashanah, or Head of the Year) or a 13th month. And why does this matter? As Torah-honoring and observant disciples of Yahoshua Messiah, we are instructed to keep Father Yah’s Appointed, Set-Apart Days (aka “moedim”). In order for us to know when those moedim are to take place during the Creator’s Calendar year, we have to know when the year and months begin and end.

Torah provides us with vital information and criteria as to what constitutes the head of the year. And we’ll briefly look at that criteria later on in this post.

That being said, as of the writing of the post, we’ve completed 11-full months and are approaching the end of the 12th month of this sacred calendar year. It’s time to learn what Abba has in store for us in terms of when He desires to meet with us in this coming Biblical Calendar year.

Therefore I’ve elected to share with you my thoughts and reflections on this critical time of the Biblical Calendar year and provide you with reasons why I keep this Calendar and not those calendars that are popular with many in our Faith Community.

Now, I’m certain there are one or two of you out there  who keep this calendar. But I am acutely aware that most of you keep the Traditional Jewish Calendar, while a splattering of you keep either the Lunar Sabbath or the Enochian/Zadokite Calendars.

Those who keep the Torah (Observational) Calendar as I do may find this post informative, reaffirming and of valuable to them. And those who keep the other calendars may find this post to be of little to no interest or value to them. And that’s entirely okay. For the calendar is one of the things that divide us in our Faith Community.

I recognize that the topic of calendar can be an extremely emotional and thus divisive one in our community, which it shouldn’t. But because our Faith Community consists of people, then it’s prone to be this way over a great many things.

It is not my intention with this post to coax, guilt or convince anyone to adopt the calendar I follow. As much as I respect every person in our Faith Community, regardless which calendar they keep, I am personally convinced that the Truth of this calendar has not been fully revealed nor restored to the Messianic Community. And it is my hope, trust and prayer that someday soon, hopefully before Master returns, that this Calendar will be fully restored to the True Faith once delivered.

Nevertheless, it is not my intention to create confusion nor division among the brethren of the Body of Messiah. But rather to share my thoughts and experiences on this important subject. And those with weak spiritual and emotional constitutions who can’t stand for such free discourse to occur in the Body, then that’s just too bad. I’ve stayed silent on issues of the Faith such as this for a number of years because I was afraid of offending and losing readers and listeners.

But those days have come to an end here at TMTO, beloved. This is Yah’s platform and I serve Him at His good pleasure. Thus, I answer to no human or organization. Praise Yah.

Explain the Torah (Observational)Calendar Briefly Explained

Before explaining a little bit about the Torah (Observational) Calendar, I should mention that the calendar, like its competitors, goes by NO official title or name. It is referred to, however, by a number of unofficial titles and names such as “The Astronomically and Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar;” “the Hebrew Calendar;” “The Observational Calendar;” “The Hebrew Observational Calendar;” “the Biblical Calendar;” and I’m certain there are others. But for purposes of this and other posts regarding this calender, I will refer to it as the “Torah (Observational) Calendar.”

So, how does the Torah (Observational) Calendar work? Well, unlike its Roman counterpart, the Gregorian Calendar, the Torah (Observational) Hebrew Observational Calendar and the Traditional Jewish (Calculated) Calendar year consists of 12 to 13 lunar months. The Gregorian Calendar year, on the other hand, consists of just 12 solar months, with a day added to the month of F-brary every 4 or so years.

The Torah (Observational) Calendar is a luni-solar-based calendar, which means that the beginning and end of the calendar year is based upon observations of the barley crop’s state of maturation that is referred to as aviv in the Land of Yisra’el, which is influenced by the sun. This in conjunction with the sighting of the renewed moon (I.e., sighting the first sliver of the crescent moon) over the Land of Yisra’el. Both elements are required in order for the New Year (aka Rosh Hashanah or Head of the Year) to begin.If portions of the barley crop is deemed to be in an Aviv state of maturation, then the following New

Moon sighting will be declared as “Chodesh Ha-Aviv” or “New Moon of the Aviv” or Rosh Hashanah or Head of the sacred biblical Calendar year.

If by chance a representative portion of the barley crop is not deemed to be in an aviv state of maturation, a “Leap Year” will then take place. This leap-year is an “intercalation” (aka an insertion of a month into a calendar) of the entire lunar month, which is for all intents and purposes, a 13th-month. (Now, given the complexities associated with this topic, I will defer the reader to other Messianic ministries and sites that go into greater detail as to what does and does not constitute aviv barley). This 13th month in some sectarian Jewish circles is referred to as an “Adar Bet.” (Adar being the Babylonian name given to the 12th biblical calendar month. Bet is attached to this 13th month because it actually is a 2nd 12th month.)

So,you may, at this point, be wondering where in the world do we find any of this information in Torah, especially given that many refer to this calendar as the Torah Calendar.

Well, in all honesty, none of what I’ve spelled out here for you is directly spelled out in Torah. But rather, the implications of what I’ve explained here thus far are codified in Torah.

In terms of the requirement for the barley crop to be in an aviv state of maturation, there are a number of Torah passages that point us towards this understanding:

Exodus 9:31-32 describes the state of the grain crop in Egypt at the time of the 7th plague. Here we find that the Egyptian flax and barley crop was destroyed by the plague of hail, while the wheat and spelt crop were spared. Why did the hail destroy the barley and flax? Because the barley and flax had reached advanced stages of maturity such that the grain stalks were no longer pliable enough to bend to the pelting from the hail. The pelting of the hail caused the stalks instead to break. And it stands to reason that the barley crop was in an advanced stage of aviv and would likely have been in the process of being harvested by the Egyptians. The time of this event is certainly suggestive of it being right around the time of the first Pesach or Passover.

Immature barley stalks/grains are (1) dark in color and (2) flexible. As the stalks/grains ripen and mature, it becomes yellow in color and brittle. However, aviv barley is not completely ripened barley. Aviv barley is ripe enough to eat when parched and may be ground into flour and even planted as seed. Aviv parched barley (called “kalu”) is roasted in fire (Lev. 2:14). Parched (”kalui/kali”) (Lev. 23:14; Jos. 5:11; 1 Sam. 17:17; 25:18; 2 Sam. 17:28; Ruth 2:14).

Exodus 11-1-12:2 Abba tells Moshe and Aharon that the month in which the final plague would take place (I.e., the death of the Egyptian firstborn) and the ensuing Pesach ceremony would serve as the Head of the Year or Rosh HaChodesh for the nation. Then 13:4 records Abba affirming the timeframe in which the Hebrew nation began the Exodus out of Egypt. It was in the Month of [the] Aviv. The Month of the Aviv then is the month of the year when the barley and flax of the Land have reached an aviv state of maturity. It is just about ready to be harvested.

Exodus 23:15; 34:18 is the commandment to Yah’s people that they keep the festival of matzah (aka “unleavened bread”) during the month of [the] Aviv on specific, set-apart days during that month.

Deuteronomy 16:1 is the commandment to “shamar” the Month of the Aviv and the Pesach.

Thus, ancient Hebrew sources tie the term aviv exclusively to the maturation state of a barley crop in the region. Aviv is then defined as a month in which the barley crop is ripening to the stage of maturity whereby it can be rendered unto the Levitical Priests at the Tabernacle or Temple in Yerushalayim and waved before Yehovah (I.e., the Wavesheaf Offering).

Now, that’s just a light dusting of the observation of the barley. The other half of this equation involves the sighting of the renewed moon (I.e., the first sliver of the crescent moon) after the passing of 29-days. Like the element of the aviv barley, this process too is not specifically laid out in Torah, but rather is implied.

The so-called authorized version of our English Bible contains some 10-verses involving the “New Moon.” Again, although there is no specific mention as to the processed involved in declaring the New Moon each Rosh Hashanah and month, these verses certainly tell us that Yisra’el recognized the importance of each new moon sighting and that those sightings marked a very specific time in Father’s reckoning of time.

Why the process for determining and declaring the renewed moon (aka Rosh HaChodesh) is not specified in Scripture, it’s not entirely clear. However, it seems as though this monthly ritual had been known and practiced by the ancients well before Moshe took to pen. So, in my estimate, Yah saw no reason for Yah to mention it in His writings. However, the first-century C.E. Jewish sages were careful to record the process in their Talmud. And it is from this historical record that we get our understanding of the observational calendar process.

Why Did the Torah Calendar Change?

From a historical perspective, we know that the Rabbinic Calculated Calendar did not come into play until after the Yerushalayim Temple was destroyed between 68-70 C.E. However, the Sanhedrin in Yerushalayim was central to the functioning of the Observational Calender in Yahoshua’s day. But it was just after Yahoshua’s crucifixion and resurrection in 29 C.E. that the Sanhedrin was exiled from the Chamber of Hewn Stone that sat on the Temple Mount, that some scholars believe was situated in the north of the Temple Mount Complex (ref. Mishnah Shabbat 15a). And then some 40-years later we have the well documented destruction of the Temple. The Sanhedrin was reestablished in Yavneh, with the seat of the Patriarchate moved to Usha. However, the Seat went back and forth between Yavneh and Usha a couple times between 70 and 135 C.E. In 135 C.E., the Bar Kochvah uprising or revolt led to multiple displacements and resettlements of the Sanhedrin. And then, somewhere between 355-363 C.E., in response to intense Roman persecution, the Sanhedrin was officially dissolved, giving its authority over to Beth HaMidrash (I.e., to local yeshiva’s). Consequently, it was during this critical time in the Sanhedrin’s history that it devised a calendar that was based on borrowed Babylonian mathematical calculation for predicting the moon’s conjunction with the earth and the sun. It was Hillel II, one of the last Patriarchates or Heads of the Sanhedrin who instituted this calendar for the whole of the Jewish diaspora to use instead of the Torah-based Observational Calendar, since there’d be no ability to determine the state of the barley crop in the Land, nor sight the renewed moon from the Land. Although this may seem to have been a brilliant, God-send for the time, Hillel’s calendar was and is fraught with problems:

Postponements were systematically inserted into the calendar to facilitate convenient timing of the Feasts of Yah. This was a blatant violation of Torah whereby Yah commanded that we do not add to or take away from His instructions in righteousness.

All Yah-commanded observational criteria were completely stripped away from Hillel’s calendar (e.g., sighting the renewed moon and determining the maturity of the barely crop for Firstfruits and Wavesheaf. Again, the taking away of commandments by man is a violation of Yah’s instructions in righteousness.

These also changed the “head of the year” (aka Rosh HaShanah) from that of the first day of the Month of the Aviv to the first day of the 7th month they referred to as Tishri.

Needless to conclude that up till the enactment of Hillel’s Calendar, Nazarenes/Messianics faithfully kept the Observational Calendar to the best of the ability. And the reason they did so is obvious: So that they would be in proper sync with their Creator through the Biblical Calendar Year at the times of Yah’s Feasts/Appointed Times.

Beside the competing issue of the Rabbinic Calculated Calendar we also have the competing issue of the Roman Calendar by Pope Gregory XIII. This Calendar was also a calculated calendar. However, unlike the Hebrew Observational and Rabbinic Calculated Calendars which were luni-solar based (I.e., based on lunar conjunctions and the agriculture of the Land), the Gregorian Calendar was entirely solar-based. It was instituted in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII to address some of the serious deficiencies of its predecessor, the Julian Calendar.

The Gregorian Calendar has since been the calendar of choice for the Roman Church (of course) and Denominationalists.

Consequently, the Messianic Faith Community has for the most part latched on to the Traditional Calculated Calendar for obviously reasons. However, after Jews began returning to the Land in 1948, certain sects of Jews expressed interest in returning to the old ways of the Hebrew Faith: Primarily returning to the primacy of Torah as opposed to the former primacy of the oral tradition and the rabbis. The Karaites seemed to the Jewish sect carrying the greater burden of this push to return to the ancient paths. These sought to restore Yah’s reckoning of time to the Jewish people. And these began organizing trained groups to go out annually to size-up the barley crop and to sight the renewed moon each month. Fortunately, many in the Messianic Community have taken advantage of the Karaites’ and others’ work in restoring the Torah Calendar and have incorporated the keeping of the Torah Calendar in their walk with Mashiyach. These recognize that the Torah Calendar was the calendar most likely kept by our Master Yahoshua. Not to mention the fact that the Torah Calendar was all about Yahoshua in the first place. (We’ll discuss this more in a bit.)

Five Reasons why I keep this Calendar

  • The Most Biblically based of any of the calendars kept by Messianics

I’ve come to learn in my many years of walking in covenant with Messiah that I am required to filtered everything I do in my life through Yah’s Word.

Yah commanded: “You shall walk in all the way that YHVH your Elohim has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess” (Deu. 5:33; ESV modified).

“So you shall keep the commandment of YHVH your Elohim by walking in His ways and by fearing Him” (Deu. 8:6; ESV modified).

“And now, Yisra’el, what does YHVH your Elohim require of you, but to fear YHVH your Elohim, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve YHVH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deu. 10:12; ESV modified).

And so on.

This being the case then, it stands to reason that the calendar I follow must be based or governed in some form or another by Yah’s Word. Nowhere in the passages I just mentioned, or in the many more passages I’ve not mentioned here, does Yah instruct me to follow the ways of man.

Furthermore, Yah instructed that we not add to or subtract from His Word (Deu. 12:32).

So then, here’s the deal. When I came into this Faith Community, I was immediately taught that I needed to keep the Feast Days, the weekly Sabbaths and the Dietary Laws, instructions which were clearly delineated in Scripture. There was no disputing these instructions at all, at least not for me.My first experience with faith-based calendars was of course the Traditional (Calculated) Calendar. When I was first introduced to this calendar, I was taught that this was Yah’s sacred reckoning of time that was put in place by Yah Himself. So, I didn’t question whether the calendar was biblically-based or not. The unfortunate part of this equation was that I didn’t feel inclined to question the “bibliocity” (not a real word: I made it up) of the  calendar. I didn’t think to research why church leaders dubbed it the sacred or set-apart calendar or God’s calendar. But rather I swallowed the whole thing lock-stock-and barrel so to speak.

It wasn’t until about four or five years later that things took a turn for me as it relates to the efficacy of the Traditional Calendar. At that time, I came across some teachings on the Torah (Observational) Calendar that revealed to me for the first time the origin of the Traditional Calendar and that it was not Yah’s sacred instrument for reckoning time. Turns out, the traditional calendar served an important purpose during a certain time in the Faith’s history. However, under current conditions in the Land of Yisra’el, there was no longer a need to rely on the rabbinic calendar construct.

Although the workings of the Torah (Observational) Calendar is not laid out in stark detail in scripture, the rudimentary elements of it are clearly there. And it is this vane that I trust this calendar over the traditional calendar.

As it relates to the other two more prominent calendars that are popular with Messianics—the Lunar Sabbath and the Zadokite/Enochian Calendars—despite these calendar’s staunch adherents’ claims, these are not in the least biblically based. They are in fact loosely based on obscure “biblical-sound-bites” that are taken out of context and are forcibly used by these calendars’ adherents as proof or support passages. And we’ll just leave it at that.

  • It focuses on Yahoshua and Yah’s Plan of Salvation, Redemption and Restoration

A central understanding of our Faith is that Yahoshua Messiah is the goal or end of Torah:

“For Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom. 10:4; ESV modified).

The writer of Hebrews described Torah as being a shadow of good things to come (Heb. 10:1; cf. 8:5).

Therefore, it stands to reason that if Yah’s reckoning of time is of Torah, and the Torah (Observational) Calendar is of Torah (which I truly believe it to be), then it is representative of Yahoshua our Messiah: His Person and Ministry and the Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption.One calendar expert I came across in my research of the Torah Calendar described the calendar as such:

“The Calendar is illustrative of the Wedding Feast/Love Story of our Creator for Human Creation, and the Love Story is the Calendar. The omer (stalks of aviv barley that is harvested and presented as a wavesheaf offering to the Levitical Priests serving at the Temple on the Day of the Wavesheaf offering) represents when Yahoshua died as the seed and when He rose He brought forth fruit. (I’ll cover this in detail when the Day of the Wavesheaf Offering approaches.) (Rebecca Biderman)  Indeed it does beloved.

So, the calendar that we follow must represent Yahoshua. Because it requires Yah’s people to search out the ripeness of the barley crop and the renewed moon in the Land of Yisra’el, and because we as Yah’s set-apart people are to be on watch for these things, we in effect get to share in the love story which is Yah’s Plan of Redemption, Salvation and Salvation through His Son Yahoshua Messiah. Unfortunately, the other competing calendars have no such connection to Yahoshua. Of course they wouldn’t as they are man-made constructs of what the promoters of these calendars imagine in their hearts to be Yah’s reckoning of time.

The Torah (Observational) Calendar, when followed by Yah’s elect, takes them on a personal journey through Yah’s love story for them and for all of humanity. No other calendar accomplishes this.

  • A Calendar of Faith that shows us What Yah is Doing

Because the Torah (Observational) Calendar is wholly dependent on Yah: on when Yah will ripen the barley crop in the Land and when conditions are such that we may sight the first sliver of the (renewed) moon over the Land of Promise, it becomes a calendar of faith. And since our covenant relationship with the Creator requires trusting faith in Him and the Person and Ministry of Yahoshua, it stands to reason that the keeping of Yah’s set-apart days (aka moedim) each year be an exercise of faith.

Like Avraham, who trusted Yah and obeyed His instructions without wavering, we too are called to trust Him and keep His instructions in righteousness.

The Traditional (Calculated) Calendar, as I’ve shone above, was created and implemented by Hillel in the 4th century C.E. Because it was wholly based on mathematical calculations, and because the Sanhedrin determined where on their calendar Yah’s set-apart days would occur, it is by no means a calendar of Faith. The would-be child of Yah has only to look at the Rabbinic calendar and see for themselves when the Rabbis are telling them to celebrate or observe a set-apart day. As such, these religious leaders have made “Yah’s commandment (His Word) void” (Mat. 15:6; ESV modified). They have effectively violated Yah’s Torah commandment prohibiting the adding and taking away of His Word (Deu. 12:32).

The Torah (Observational) Calendar, when kept in Spirit and in Truth, requires the set-apart one of Yah to trust and rely on Him to set the times he/she will meet with Him during His calendar year.

  • I  Worship Yah and not the Rabbis or the Pope

An unsighted Jewish sayings about calendars says something to the effect of:

“Whoever’s calendar a man keeps, that is who he worships.”

The fact that we place so much emphasis on one or two calendars is indicative of the worth that is placed upon them by the unconverted and even by us. We keep the calendar that is most useful and valuable to us. Many in our Faith default to the Rabbinic Calendar for a number of reasons: (1) it’s convenient; it tells them when they say Yah’s appointed Feasts are going to take place for the calendar year, so it’s convenient to the end user. (2) It’s Jewish. Many in our Faith Community have a insatiable appetite for all things Jewish. Thus, the Calculated Jewish Calendar being of Rabbinic origin becomes quite appealing to them. (3) It has been used by them and those before them for untold generations. To these, to change in calendars would be quite inconvenient and require more energy than they’re willing to expend. (4) Some erroneous believe the Rabbinic Calculated Calendar is biblically based, while the Observational Hebrew-Torah-based Calendar is not.

It comes down to whom we will serve. Yahoshua, son of Nun, defined for us this critical element of the Hebrew Faith:

“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve YHVH, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve YHVH” (Jos. 24:15; ESV modified).

Now, I want to make it perfectly clear that I do not believe that every single soul who keeps the Traditional (Calculated) Calendar or any of the other calendars popular in the Messianic Movement is intentionally serving Judaism, the Rabbis, or the pope if we’re talking about keeping the Gregorian Calendar. What I am saying is this: When we know better, we are compelled to do better. And if we don’t know better, we’re not likely going to do better, because we don’t know what we don’t know.

Most folks in our Faith Community who keep the Traditional (Calculated) Calendar have no idea the origin and workings of the calendar. Many pass on the tradition of keeping this calendar for generations even. So then, there is no thought given among these individuals that there may be a more biblically accurate calendar they could or should keep.

One brother I used to know some years ago wrote me upon finding out that I was keeping the Torah (Observational) Calendar something to the effect (and I’m paraphrasing): “Why in the world would you leave a perfectly good calendar for another calendar” (paraphrase). You see, despite my explaining why I went to keeping the Torah (Observational) Calendar to him and others, it occurred to me that the Traditional (Calculated) Calendar offered them everything they needed in a calendar, and the Torah (Observational) Calendar was simply going to upset the way of life they’d grown used to or accustomed to. These are cut from the spiritual fabric that believe it is more important to stay consistent with the established tenets of their Faith Community, even when some of those tenets are proved to be in error. In other words: Whatever you do, don’t upset the applecart.

This bottom line issue at hand beloved, is how much does my covenant relationship with Abba mean to me? Am I willing to be like Yahoshua Messiah and Avraham and the other patriarchs, who upon receiving instructions from Yah, drop everything and pursue that thing He’s instructed me to do with my whole being? Damn the sails, full speed ahead! Is that what Yah means to me? If I understand the Torah (Observational) Calendar to be the calendar Yah has restored to this Faith of ours, am I willing to forgo the old way (I.e., the old calendar) for His reckoning of time, even if it inconveniences me and alters the way of live my life? I would like to think I’m more than willing to do just that beloved.

  • It is the Calendar our Master Most Likely Kept

Given that the Talmud/Mishnah details the use of the Torah (Observational) Calendar during Yahoshua’s ministry here on earth, it stands to safely reason that Yahoshua, who kept Yah’s Torah perfectly, kept this very calendar. Yes, no such mention of Yeshua keeping this calendar is to be found in the Brit Hadashah (aka New Testament). However, the Gospel record documents that Yahoshua’s parents raised Him in an orthodox home, and from there He continued to live an orthodox life that was strictly Torah-based. Which means that He attended the set-apart days of Yah each year, observed the weekly Sabbaths and ate kosher.

Given that the Traditional (Calculated) Calendar would not come on-line for another 3-centuries, it is obvious that Yahoshua kept the Torah (Observational) Calendar, at least to the extent that we understand that calendar today.

Contrary to the beliefs of some, Yahoshua did not condemn or reject this calendar. Oh, He certainly railed against rabbinic traditions that had the effect of nullifying Yah’s Torah commandments. But never once do we find any mention of the Torah (Observational) Calendar in His teachings. Which says to me (and this is just me), that Yahoshua, who received everything He taught and preached from His Father (Joh. 12:49), did not receive any negative thoughts or words about the Torah (Observational) Calendar from Yah.As His disciple, it is my responsibility to follow Him and keep His teachings (Joh. 14:15). That’s what disciples do. They imitate their masters at every conceivable level. So, if my Master kept the Torah (Observational) Calendar (and I believe He did), then I, as His faithful servant, keep the same calendar to the best of my ability and understanding.

Final Thoughts and Reflections

I listed just five reasons why I keep/honor the Torah (Observational) Calendar. But I can honestly tell you I have a few more reasons why I keep this calendar. Probably the greatest of those unlisted reasons is that I believe it is the calendar Abba requires of His people to keep. However, until His Ruach fully restores this calendar to the Faith once delivered, it will continue to take a backseat to the Traditional (Observational) Calendar. And to be honest with you: I’m alright with that.

We’re all on two spiritual journeys in this Faith of ours: Collectively and individually. Collectively as a faith community, and of course on an individual, covenant-basis. That being said, from the individualistic standpoint, each of us are at different places in our walk. We’re at different understandings. Different ministries. Different experiences. Different leadings. And because we’re at different places in our respective walks, I’m happy to keep this calendar with the minority. But I do have a hope that Yah will someday before Master’s return, fully restore this calendar to His chosen ones.

I pray that you at the very least have gained an understanding of where I’m coming from in terms of the times we celebrate/observe/honor Yah’s annual set-apart days. The days in which we keep the Feasts are often out of sync with the days the majority of the faithful in our Faith keep them. And this will hopefully explain why our keeping of those days may be different from the rest of the community.

The other thing I hope for is that for those of you who are open to hearing about the Torah (Observational) Calendar will have a little more information about it than you did before you read this post.

If by chance you are interested in getting deeper into the Torah (Observational) Calendar, I would recommend you go on over to https://nazareneisrael.org/books, and download the free eBook they have there about a 1/4 of the way down the page entitled “The Torah Calendar.” It’s hands down the best, in-depth explanation of the Torah Calendar I’ve come across in years. If you by chance have specific questions about the calendar that would not require the reading of this eBook, please feel free to shoot me an email at perceptionwp@gmail.com. I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

Keep in mind that I post regular calendar updates on our messianictorahobserver.org website, which you will find on our landing page, about half-way down the page, left-hand column. In addition, we post the latest monthly calendar on our “the Essential Elements of the Messianic-Hebraic Faith” page—down at the bottom—for your information and convenience.

Thank you for taking the time to read this very involved post. And as always, may you be most blessed, fellow saint in training.

 

 

 

 

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