Advertise on podcast: LIGHT OF MENORAH

The series entitled, “Five Small Stones,” its name comes from the David and Goliath battle.  It is found in 1 Samuel 17.  This five minute Bible study video develops the reasons for the name and what it means for us.  It is a review since this is also the topic of episode 1 of the series.  I did this repeat to help the listener to remember what this was all about.  This is episode 19 in the series.  The link to the YouTube playlist for all the episodes is shown below. Five Small Stones playlist link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bolCKsqNqc&list=PLvcIXun2BQDLrT9lFv4zupz1VmYwMBpwn Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  (Rev. Ferret - at the airport headed to Israel again!!) What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

TRUTH NUGGETS 19 Part 2 Against the Gods - Genesis 1:21 Great Sea Dragons In this video lesson 2 we focus on Gen. 1:21.  What did God create; great sea creatures or were they whales or big fish or, as found in one Jewish translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a. the Old Testament) were they were crocodiles?  Our translators had difficulty with this verse since in Hebrew the actual meaning is great sea monsters!  This sounds like a children's story rather than God's word.  So, our translators may have decided it had to make sense for us today in the 21st century.  I mean guys, I haven't see any sea monsters lately.   But, for the Hebrews, they had lived in Egypt and lived with man-made visions of the gods.  One god is a ram another is a jackal and another a falcon.  And God is taking them to Canaan, the "Promised Land," where the Canaanites also had gods that were clearly figments of man's imagination.  So, the phrase in Gen. 1:21 of great sea monsters might mean something to the Hebrews.  Perhaps God is teaching them something that relates only to what the Hebrews faced 3400 years ago.  Perhaps He is using a pagan god or a pagan mythological beast to teach His people.  God knows there are no sea monsters.  But the pagans did!  Perhaps even the Hebrews fell victim to such beliefs.  He needs to prepare His people for entering Canaan and be ready to bring the "Gospel of the Kingdom" to the Canaanites and later the world and to help the Canaanites to understand "there ain't no sea monsters" and to grasp truth and who is God. For Israel this was their mission as we see in ... He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant (in Jesus' day it was understood that Israel was the servant) To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation (Jesus' name in Hebrew means salvation) may reach to the end of the earth."  (Isa 49:6) Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

TRUTH NUGGETS 19 part 1 In this vidcast (video), "Against the Gods,"  we will again study God's word in its historical context.  However, this time we add a new perspective to our study.  We will continue to ask what those early believers heard and saw and understood when they first heard God's word.  But, we will also see how God comes against the pagan gods and man made religions in the ancient Middle East in very unique ways in His word.  This time we will see how God taught His people, the Hebrews, in ways that would make sense only to them in their day.  We would not recognize it as we read the Bible.  God is writing to a people thousands of years ago using concepts only they understood and not us.  Dr. John Currid, a highly credible Egyptologist, archaeologist, and theologian, wrote a book entitled, "Against the Gods."  His thesis in the book is to show us how we in the 21st century miss how God taught His people in their time using things they were familiar with.  Here's an example Dr. Currid uses his paper, "The Nature of Polemical Thought and Writing."  He writes ... A STRONG HAND - Some common expressions found in ancient Egyptian texts to describe the power of Pharaoh over his foes are that the monarch had “a strong hand,” or “he possessed a strong arm,” or he was “the one who destroyed his enemies with his arm.” It is ironic that the author of the book of Exodus assigns the same features to the Lord as he humiliates and destroys Pharaoh and Egypt (Ex. 3:19–20; 6:1; 7:4; 15:6, etc.).  James Hoffmeier, a famous Egyptologist, comments on this parallel, asking, “what better way for the Exodus traditions to describe God’s victory over Pharaoh, and as a result his superiority, than to use Hebrew derivations or counterparts to Egyptian expressions that symbolized Egyptian royal power?”  For most of us this would have escaped us completely.  We are not familiar with ancient Egyptian writings nor are we into the ancient culture and customs on Egypt in the days of Moses.  But, God is clearly inspiring Moses to use an Egyptian idiom that the Hebrews would have been familiar with.  God uses this to come against Pharaoh and show His power over Pharaoh and all Egypt.  In this way God uses something Egyptian to teach His people about Himself and His character.  However, we will also see that these amazing lessons that made sense to those first believers also make sense to us today in the 21st century.   Ready?  Let's begin our first lesson.  Let's see how God uses Genesis 1:1 to teach His people coming out of Egypt that He is God and not Amun Ra.  Let's also see how this relates to us today, us being His people, and knowing that God never changes (Mal. 3:6).  He was the same 3400 years ago and today.   Link to John Currid's article referenced above - https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/polemic.html Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

There is so much of Christmas that can hide the real significance of this season. It is not a HOLIDAY but it is a HOLY DAY. I wonder if הַשָּׂטָן Ha Satan - the adversary or the devil - is the one who did this and thus leading so many away from the chance of knowing the Savior. We almost need to take Christ and take Him OUT of Christmas and restore that which we lost. This video suggests the awesomeness of this event, the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. This video gives a picture of the Light of Messiah that came as John writes of it in John 1:9. It presents a picture that the birth of Jesus takes us from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. This picture shows us this time of remembrance is a HOLY day and not a holiday. Let's study the Chiasm of the Light. I mentioned in the video that I would provide scholarly links to study the events and the archaeology of Jesus’ birth from the Associates for Biblical Research. These are a must if you want to come to grips with the reality of His birth and to expand your understanding of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Link 1 to an article by Dr. Ken Bailey entitled, “The Manger and the Inn.” - https://biblearchaeology.org/new-testament-era-list/2803-the-manger-and-the-inn?highlight=WyJtYW5nZXIiLCJtYW5nZXInIl0= Link 2 to a video by Gary Byers entitled, “Away in a Manger but Not a Barn.” - Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YveeRv50lmg Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzRG6jIVGoY Part 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I-YhXcx0qU Link 3 to an article by Gordon Melish, “There Wasn’t an Inn.” - https://biblearchaeology.org/research/devotionals/3643-there-wasnt-any-inn?highlight=WyJtYW5nZXIiLCJtYW5nZXInIl0= Link 4 - Joel Kramer's video on the archaeology of Bethlehem - https://sourceflix.com/our-video/born-in-bethlehem/ Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? (Ferret - just outside a Bedouin tent in Timnah Park just north of Eilat Israel) What's his background? Why should I listen to him? Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Moses is still in an intense conversation with the awesome God of the universe at the burning bush.  Moses learned of His name - he was the first human to encounter the Lord and be given His name.  But, the Lord tells Moses that He picked Moses to go up against Pharaoh to get Pharaoh to let God's people go; the give freedom to Israel.  Moses starts objecting.  Wouldn't you?  He is to return to Egypt.  Yes, the Lord said He'd go with him.  But, don't forget Moses killed an Egyptian and he faces death if he returns for this act.  But, on top of that this shepherd, this lowly man of the wilderness, is to go up against the most powerful king of the most powerful nation on earth at the time, and convince Pharaoh on letting the Hebrews go.  Moses knows this is futile.  He wants out.  Moses is thinking what is the matter with this God?  There is NO WAY Moses wants any part of this.  In this lesson we hear Moses' first two objections of five as he continues his intense dialogue with יהוה‎ Yahvay אֱלֹהִים‎ Eloheem, the LORD God.  Come join us as we continue as we have a front row seat to this amazing meeting at the bush that didn't burn.   Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

The way is closed to the Father and the Tree of Life.  This was the ending of Genesis chapter 3.  Now what?  This is where it is clear that Jesus, when He says in John 5:39, sometime between 24-30 A.D., that scripture (it was only the Old Testament then) testifies of Him, we see the GOOD NEWS, the GOSPEL according to Moses.  Jesus says He is the Way and the Truth and the Life.  He is the Way and the only way to the Father!  This is obviously so connected to the fact that the way is closed to the Father after the sin of Adam and Eve.  But, Jesus is clearly telling us the WAY is open, we can go back , we can enter Gan Eden, Paradise, if we chose Him.  Adam and Eve freely chose to disobey God and they lost it all.  Now, God sets up the same situation in reverse.  If we chose Jesus then we gain it all, we gain eternal life!   But, in Matthew's Gospel Jesus says that there are many who will come and say they did this or that in Jesus' name.  And Jesus said that is nothing.  It amounts to NIL.  Why?  Jesus said He did not KNOW them I wonder.  Jesus is speaking Hebrew and not Aramaic.  He says they did not KNOW Him.  The first time this word comes up in the Torah is Genesis 4:1, or Adam KNEW his wife.  Is there something about this word KNOW in Hebrew that will give us insight into our relationship with Yeshua?  You bet.      Rev. Ferret (above - teaching at the gates of the ancient city of Gezer) - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him? Check it out at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

TRUTH NUGGET #17 Jesus is the Lamb of God and the original Bible never says He is the Passover Lamb. This is clear in the ancient Greek manuscripts like Codex Sinaiticus dated to 330 A.D. We said He is the Passover Lamb. It is easy to see why but the Bible like the NASB or the KJV, the best translations from the ancient Greek and the Hebrew, state Jesus is the Passover and NOT the Passover Lamb in 1 Cor. 5:7. But, if we see Jesus as distinct from the Passover Lamb, if we see Jesus as the Lamb of God, these lambs on Passover create an amazing picture of God's redemption of His people, Israel, through Moses the first redeemer, and God's ultimate redemption of Jew and Gentile, the whole world, through Messiah Jesus the Ultimate Redeemer. Once again God has created an amazing literary structure in His Bible that creates a mirror to help us see His awesome truth. Let us now study the Mirror of Passover and see the centrality of the Cross from Genesis to Revelation. Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

TRUTH NUGGET #16   For Hebrews they have a Middle East mindset unlike us who have a Greek mindset (Western). For Hebrews they represent major theological concepts many times in pictures. Like Jesus as a Jewish Rabbi telling teaching us that we are branches of the true vine and He is the true vine. In the psalms the writers like David use this Hebrew mindset and create pictures that those who lived in 1200 or 1000 or 900 B.C. would completely understand from the culture of those days. This video will consider two dramatic "pictures" of major attributes of the Lord in Psalm 52:8 and Psalm 18:33 and Hab. 3:18-19. Does His word give us specifics as to how He does support us and help us in trials, troubles, suffering, and perhaps even in death?  The Bible seems to give us a picture of times of trouble and suffering.  The Bible seems to picture them as "high places" - like dangerous steep high cliffs that we must walk, saint and sinner, as we live and persevere in a fallen world. These pictures present amazing truths of our Lord and His love for us His people that can only be understood if you are Hebrew and lived in David's day of the days of Messiah Jesus. Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

In this vidcast (video) we focus on a small detail the Lord inserted in the book of Esther.  For all my years I have never heard anyone teach on it - it was mentioned but no one took it deeper.  This small detail we all have read it.  But, it seems it doesn’t jog our minds to perhaps pursue what the small detail means and why it is there.  But, when we do.  WOW!! So, some say God is not in the book of Esther. That’s right!  There is no mention of God or of faith or religious Jewish practices.  But, this is God’s inspired book.  Thus, call it His TORAH תּוֹרָה which does not mean law but instruction or the Lord's teaching.  What is the Lord trying to get at in the book of Esther?  Some things are very very obvious.  But, we miss things.  Why? We are so disconnected for studying the Bible in its historical context.  When we do this small detail in the book of Esther will lead us to places that will blow us away. So, in this inspired book of the Lord, He is teaching us.  He is giving us His TORAH תּוֹרָה.  Could it be He is connecting us to the Gospel and the Messiah and His redemption plan?  Could it be that the book of Esther is part of His design and plan but we have failed to see it since that small detail is something we’ve ignored?  The answer is YES.  Watch the video.  All this is not my theory, opinion, or view.  It is The Very Word of God and wait till you see where this takes us.  Amazing. Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

What an amazing event we are studying; Moses meets Eloheem, our God, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob at the location of the burning bush on the "Mountain of God" in the Sinai region.  In this podcast we have two major things we will focus on in Exod. 3:9-17.  The first is the uncanny connection between Moses and the Messiah.  Moses is called the First Redeemer among some rabbinic scholars and the coming Messiah is called the Ultimate Redeemer.  As Moses was chosen we read that Jesus, the Messiah (in English from the Greek, the Christ), is the chosen of God in Luke 9:35.  As Moses was sent, the Messiah too, Jesus, was sent as we read in John 20:21.  Is there more? And, are we somehow involved?  Does this relate to us?  Consider, Israel was a born again people in the New Covenant at Sinai, the mountain of God, and we, Jew and Gentile, who proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior, are born again and are part of the New Covenant established at Jerusalem, the mountain of God, as in Isa. 2:1-3 or 66:20.  Wait a minute that's us!  Is there more?  You bet. The second major focus is that for the first time, God makes His own personal name ( יהוה‎ Yahvay) known.  But, recall, one purpose of this study is to hear Jesus' words as He said them between 24-30 A.D. when all they had was the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a. the Old Testament - I don't like using that.  They are not OLD).  We hear Him say in John 5:39 that all scripture testifies of Him.  Their main Bible books then were the Torah תּוֹרָה, the first five books of the Bible; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  Thus, one purpose in this study is to "see" Jesus in the Torah תּוֹרָה!  And, you guys, WOW, does the Torah ever tell us of the Ultimate Redeemer and the Gospel of the Kingdom.  That's why I call the Torah podcast series THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MOSES.  Wait till you see how the giving of God's name ( יהוה‎ Yahvay) in the first Passover season to Moses at the mountain of God (Exod. 3:1) is related to Jesus during the Last Supper in the Passover season as the mountain of God (Isa. 2:1-3). In this podcast I said I would provide two links to two articles on how mistaken many Gentiles and Jews are today in trying to pronounce God's personal name - יהוה‎ Yahvay.  Notice I pronounce it Yahvay and not Yahway.  For one reason there is no "W" sound in Hebrew.  I have other reasons as well but this is "one hill I will not die on."  If you say it is pronounced Yahweh or another way, I respect your view, I disagree, but to me this is not worth the argument.  I rely on solid scholars, proven to me over time, that the pronunciation of His name is probably lost forever until Messiah returns.  But, there are many who claim that His name is pronounced YEH HOE SHOO AH.  So, here's the links to two articles explaining how God's name with no vowel marks (יהוה‎)and God's name with vowel marks ( יְהוָה ) leads to this error.  The vowel marks were put there to tell readers NOT to pronounce the name with the marks but to substitute the word Adonai (אֲדֹנָי -same vowel marks).    The first article is found at the website for the Jerusalem School of the Synoptic Gospels.  You may need to JOIN the school to access the 100's and 100's of scholarly articles written by Godly Gentiles and Jews both Christian and part of Judaism.  Here's the link - https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/2610/ The second article is from 119Ministries.  I do not promote 119Ministries but their article is spot on as per the historical background of the development of the Bible and the Masorite Hebrew scholars.  Here's the link - https://www.119ministries.com/teachings/articles/why-gods-name-is-not-yehovah/ Who is this guy, Rev. Ferret?  (Ferret ... teaching at the Great Pyramid - Giza Egypt) What's his background?  Why should we take time to listen to him?  Here's a link to check out his background - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

The way is closed to the tree of life and the Father.  How can we get back?  How do we come again to be with our Abba, to dwell with Him in His Kingdom?  There has to be a way?   In this lesson, in this verse of Gen. 3:24, we see what Jesus meant in John 5:39 when He said that Scripture testifies of Himself.  He said it between 24-30 A.D. in the Temple Courts.  The only Bible they knew then was the Torah, the Prophets (HaNevi'im) and the Writings (HaKetuvim) or the TaNacK, the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament.  Old?  Nothing old about it - it is God's word and God said His word is the Bread of Life. Rev. Ferret (above - in a tomb in the necropolis of the ancient city of Hierapolis in Turkey) - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

This podcast focuses on the Guilt Offering in Lev. 5:1-6:7.  More than trying to understand the Guilt Offering and its purpose given by Yahvay, the Lord, we also wonder how the Hebrews THEN may have understood this offering and what it may have meant to them.  Remember, all nations in those days did sacrifices.  It was a common almost everyday practice.  For the Hebrews THEN sacrifices were nothing new.  But, there is a huge difference; this time God gives exact details on the sacrifices and this is not like pagan sacrifices and the pagan gods.  The specifications are from God Himself and not made up by man.  This was new, this was amazing, this was awesome.   It is critical that you have listened to all the previous lessons up to this point.  The background details provided and so important to get an idea of the Levitical sacrifices that were God designed and ordered.  I urge you to listen to the previous lessons.  The links to lessons 1-4 are given at the end of this comment section.  An important lesson I mentioned is to understand that the Hebrews THEN coming out of Egypt had probably assimilated into the pagan Egyptian culture.  If not assimilation then they clearly intimately participated in the Egyptian culture and came under the influence of the Egyptian worldview, Egyptian mythology, and the Egyptian gods.  Below is a link that you can access to study this idea.  To understand the integration of the Hebrews into the Egyptian culture is so key to understand these sacrifices in depth and what God was teaching them and US.  For once we understand God's TORAH תורה, which means INSTRUCTION and not law, we also see that what the Lord was teaching them THEN is for all us NOW.  Here's the link to Exodus - 4 - Part 2 - Exod. 2:11-25 HEBREWS BECOME LIKE EGYPTIANS -  ASSIMILATION ... https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/the-gospel-according-to-moses-lesson-4-part-2-exod-211-25/ The Hebrews THEN were probably intimately aware of the Egyptian worldview and how mankind related to the gods of Egypt.  They probably had a good knowledge of the ancient Egyptian creation accounts and that mankind for the Egyptians was not made in the "image" of the gods and humans for the most part were nothing more than another part of creation and were only there to serve the gods.  The Hebrews knew that the gods had no means for one who has "sinned" to be forgiven and accepted again.  All they had was the Book of the Dead and that they would be judged after death and hopefully be found to be a good person woethy of living with the gods.  I mentioned in this podcast I'd link you to important resources to understand the creation myths of the Egytians which helps us see clearly that our God, the true and only creator God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, and the God of Israel, created mankind as a key part of His plan and that male and females are formed and constructed in THE IMAGE OF YAHVAY, the Image of God.  Nothing else in all creation had the status and position of us men and women in God's eyes. Here's the links. 1) My podcast entitled Genesis - 5 part 2 - Gen. 1:1-2  God Creates Chaos - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/the-gospel-according-to-moses-genesis-11-2lesson-5/ 2) Great short video The Egyptian Creation Myth - https://youtu.be/uTy49JlgJZE?si=oOc50lwG4d40SsDX 3) The Origin of the World in Egyptian Mythology -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K1dolK5uf0&t=1s 4) An awesome paper entitled Ancient Egyptian Creation Myths: From Watery Chaos to Cosmic Egg July 13, 2021 Glencairn Museum News | Number 5, 2021 https://www.glencairnmuseum.org/newsletter/2021/7/13/ancient-egyptian-creation-myths-from-watery-chaos-to-cosmic-egg 5) A great resource on the Egyptian gods.  Click on the name of a god to get details as to who that god is and was and what he or she was all about from THE LAND OF THE PYRAMIDS - https://www.landofpyramids.org/ https://www.landofpyramids.org/names-of-egyptian-gods.htm Here are the links to all the lessons in Leviticus so far. Leviticus Lesson 1 part 1 - Introduction https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/leviticus-lesson-1-part-1-introduction/ Leviticus Lesson 1 part 2 - holiness, repentance, revival https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/leviticus-lesson-1-part-2-introduction-holiness-repentance-revival/ Leviticus Lesson 2 part 1 - Lev. 1 - 2 - BURN IT ALL UP https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/leviticus-2-lesson-1-lev-1-2-burin-it-all-up/ Leviticus Lesson 2 part 2 - Lev. 1 - 2 - BURN IT ALL UP https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/leviticus-2-part-2-lev-1-2-burin-it-all-up/ Leviticus 3 - Lev. 3:1-17 - The Shepherd Brought Us Near (See Comment Section - awesome videos ofThe Good Shpeherd) https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/leviticus-3-lev-31-17-the-shepherd-brought-us-near/ Leviticus Lesson 4 part 1 - Lev. 4:1-35 - The Sin Offering - "What's the Gospel?" https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/leviticus-4-part-1-lev-41-35-byad-rooma-the-high-hand/ Leviticus Lesson 4 part 2 - The Sin Offering and The Gospel of the Kingdom https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/leviticus-4-part-2-the-gospel-of-the-kingdom/ For me I never saw how important this study was.  Leviticus, the first seven chapters, were difficult reading with all the detail and specifics.  It was like a manual for my snowblower.  It was not something interesting to read at all.  I prayed a lot about this and I strongly believe the Lord opened my mind and heart to consider the historical context of these chapters.  I felt the Lord showed me that these chapters had a lot more for the Hebrew THEN and us as disciples of Yeshua NOW than a description of each sacrifice and its purpose.  I began to see that these sacrifices were given to the Hebrews out of love for each person, young or old, rich or poor.  The Lord, Yahvay, did this to show them, His treasured possession and us who He is and how much He loved us.  I hope and pray after listening to these lessons you will be able to understand our God, our Lord, in a deeper and more profound way and begin to feel His love for us, the ones made in His image so that we could fill the earth with the IMAGE OF THE LORD, the IMAGE OF THE MESSIAH, THE CHRIST. Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? (Ferret - leading a Bible study tour to Egypt - at Kufu's Pyramid Giza Pyramid) What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

The Jewish feast of Purim פּוּרִים‎ (pronounced in Hebrew Poo Reem) commemorates the deliverance by Esther of all the Jews from annihilation.  It has been glamorized recently in the movie called, “One Night With the King.”  It is also celebrated among the Jewish people annually.  But, the book of Esther has always been problematic for the rabbis.  It is totally secular in that God is never mentioned nor any aspects of the Jewish faith or ritual.  This is one reason why the book of Esther nearly didn’t make it into the Jewish canon, the accepted books of the Hebrew Scriptures.  It is also possibly why no portions of the book of Esther were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.  The other issues in the book of Esther, her being in the pagan harem of king Ahasuerus, better known as Xerxes, or spending one night with the king sexually, were also very problematic with the rabbis and they tried to make up new made up interpretations to make Esther the Bible’s Cinderella; to make Esther a pure, devout, Godly, young lady.  These rabbinic views have affected the way both Jews and Christians understand the story to such an extent that the real meaning of these events has been lost amidst Jewish tradition and legend. In this podcast we will put the book of Esther into its historical context.  We will not ignore the difficult aspects that are presented in The Very Words Of God.  And as we do we will come to see and understand the bigger picture of the book and what it means.  For me after studying these events in their historical context, I have been overwhelmed by the glory of the Lord in this book.  For me I will not be surprised to one day see Esther (she’ll probably being using her Hebrew name then, Hadassah) in the wedding party on the day of the wedding feast of the Lamb.  In this podcast I mentioned a paper detailed the harems of ancient Persia.  The link is shown below.  Link –  https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/harem-i Also, some of you may like to see the archaeological site of ancient Susa.  Check out this short video on ancient Susa and the remains of the palace of Darius the king before Ahasuerus or Xerxes, the king in the book of Esther. Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwkTCPELkvI Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  (Ferret ... in Petra Jordan on a research trip) What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

There is a concept so prevalent in the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament - nothing "old" about it) and in the Messianic Texts (the New Testament) and my 1st teacher in Israel, Ray Vander Laan, termed it as, “Head and Heart and Hands and Feet.”  Over and over again we read the about being righteous and it is pictured in the way we talk or hear or listen (our head) or in our work or results of what we do (hands)  and in the ways we walk (feet) – walk in the commands of the Lord and walk in our own ways.  It is also pictured in the way we think or our emotions of feelings (heart).  Just consider the text in the prophet Isaiah. "Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, ... So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood." (Isa 1:5-15) In one chapter we see this concept played out quite clearly.  The rebelliousness against God is pictured using the concept “head and heart and hands and feet.”  Another place this is seen is in the consecration of the high priest Aaron and his sons.  Consider … "Then you shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. "You shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear and on the lobes of his sons' right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet, and sprinkle the rest of the blood around on the altar. (Exo 29:19-20) In the Torah Commentary by the Messianic Jewish scholar, Tim Hegg, he says that these body parts in the ancient Middle East and among the ancient Hebrews came to mean hearing and obeying the Torah of the Lord using the ear (Head).  The right hand symbolizes one’s work.  Aaron had his hand dedicated to the daily work of the sacrifices of the Lord (Hand).  His feet symbolize that he walk according the God’s ways and maintain his right standing before God in his daily movements in life (Feet).  There are two verses that you may remember that deal with the heart.  In these verses we see that the heart is the source of our wickedness and our evil ways and thoughts.  Consider … "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways (feet), According to the results of his deeds(hands). (Jer 17:9-10) "But the things that proceed out of the mouth(head) come from the heart, and those defile the man. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts (heart), murders(hands), adulteries(hands), fornications(hands), thefts (hands), false witness(head)., slanders(head). (Mat 15:18-19) In Psalm 15:1-3 we again come across this "picture" of head and heart and hands and feet.  Let's delve into this and see the dramatic place it takes us.  Let's study this idea God seems to use to teach from Genesis to Revelation.  Come let's learn about Head and Hearts and Hands and Feet. Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  (Ferret - on the Nile at Luxor Egypt) What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Jesus teaches a harsh fact, a standard of measure He gives us.  It is a tough thing to grasp and to apply in our lives especially in days like today in the USA of 2021.  Jesus said … "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Mat 5:43-45) So, good things happen to the righteous and the unrighteous.  They both experience bad things as well.  There is no difference between Godly Christians and the ungodly, the ones who are anti-God or anti-Christ.  On top of that we are to love our enemies.  No where in the entire Bible do we read such a statement except here.  Jesus does not negate the Torah, God’s instruction in the books of Moses. He does not negate the law in Lev. 19:18 that says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” but He adds to it.  Jesus is saying our neighbor is our enemy, one who persecutes us and may even be out to do us harm and even kill us.  It is Jesus’ requirement of us if we are to be true Christians, real disciples.  This is harsh.  It is tough reality.  We live in a fallen world and Jesus’ does not mince words.  To be a disciple and take on His “standard of measure” is not easy; it is a matter of life and death. But THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.  There is an amazing reality that separates the Godly person from the ungodly, the righteous person following the Good Shepherd from the unrighteous person who follows the false shepherd.  What is that difference?  We see it in one verse in Hebrew in Psalm 4:3 and in the historical context of Jesus’ day.  How might a disciple of Jesus understand Psalm 4:3? I suggest to you we need to grasp what they may have understood.  It truly makes all the difference. I mentioned in this lesson to consider listening to a podcast I did entitled, “For Such a Time as This.”  It is a study on Phil. 4:6-7 … Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Php 4:6-7)   Listening to this podcast (in four parts) will add so much more to this lesson.  If you click on the link below it will take you to the series, “For Such a Time as This.”  They are in reverse order – session 4 is first and you need to “slide down” to access session 1 and begin the study.  LINK - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/?s=for+such+a+time   To complete your study even more, I also suggest you listen to the podcast series on the Lord’s Prayer.  It is so related to Psalm 4:3 and the concepts in this verse and the concept of being a true disciple of Rabbi Yeshua, our Lord, our Savior, our God, Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  See the link below to access the sessions on the Lord’s prayer.  Once again they are in reverse order. LINK - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/?s=the+lord%27s+prayer  Other Truth Nuggets on the Psalms ... Nuggets 10 - Psalm 1 - I Am and Acacia Tree - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nugget-10-psalm-1-a-beatitude-of-the-acacia-tree/ Nuggets 2 - Psalm 23 and 91 - God's Hidden Tents - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nuggets-2/ Nuggets 1 - Psalm 118:24 - This is the Day - But It Isn't Today - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nuggets-1/   Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  (Ferret ... teaching on the Giza Plateau in front of Kufu's Pyramid) What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0