They ARE the Original owners, deeded to Abraham and to his descendants
They ARE the Original owners, deeded to Abraham and to his descendants
PARASHA: "b'chukotai" (in my statutes) May 27th 2016.....Iyyar 19th, 5776
LEV 26:3-27:34.................JER 16:19-17:14...............2 COR 6:14-18
What are "statutes" one may ask? they are rulings and conditions related to the law, in this, related to HaShem's mitzvoth. We find that verse 3 is very interesting, and it starts with an "IF" which means "conditional"
"IF you walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and perform them...THEN...."
There are three interesting words here; "Walk" "Keep" and "perform" one might say that they are all the same. But why would God mention them like that if they mean the same thing? It is a difficult question to answer, since they all seem to be saying the same thing. Statues are the details of the commandments, we must, "walk" "Keep" and "perform".
We might be reminded of three things which we all go through in the learning process; "knowledge" "understanding" and "wisdom" ; "Y'diy'ah" (knowledge) "Havanah" (understanding) "Chochmah" (wisdom). When we study God's Word, especially his mitzvoth, we gain "knowledge" but some say that with "knowledge" and no more, well, that and 10 cents will get you a cup of coffee, (when was coffee 10 cents? maybe in the 1950s) BUT...if we add "understanding to the knowledge we gain, then that is more, We can read a lot, BUT do we UNDERSTAND what we read? I could read a manual on heart surgery, but I probably would not understand what I read, unless a doctor explains it to me, in more basic terms, if after that, I understand, then....I would have advanced from "knowledge to understanding". Perhaps knowledge and understanding, when it comes to the commandments, would mean that we are "Keeping" in mind what HaShem is teaching us through the Torah. However, if we "put into action" what we have learned, first by knowledge, then proceeded by "understanding" then, we are achieving what God has had in mind for us, that is "performance"
One can "walk" YHVH's statutes in our minds and hearts, "Keeping" them in mind, and then, "Performing" them, so, what we learn we must put into action. We can see that in every job in this world. A doctor learns from books, lectures, thus gaining knowledge and understanding, then he "practices" what he has learned as an intern, and when he has perfected his "performance" he gets his license to practice medicine,
There is a lot to learn in God's Word, He has given us his commandments in order to live a "Kadosh" lifestyle before HIM and before our fellow man (and woman) he has not given us these to make our lives miserable, but to clarify what is holy and un holy, clean vs unclean, especially since we live in a fallen world dominated by sin. The curse of sin has been conquered and vanquished by Yeshua HaMashiach on Calvary's cross, our "Yeshuah" (Salvation) has been secured in HIM, We have gained "righteousness" through HIM, now, we must live a "righteous" lifestyle. (doing what is correct and Kadosh) being "Tsaddikim"
Chapter 26 deals with "conditions" "IF...THEN" "IF YOU DON'T.....THEN" All blessings, relationships, contracts, etc are all "conditional" even salvation is conditional, IF we repent of our sins, and turn from our sinful ways, and accept Yeshua/Jesus as our LORD and Savior, THEN we will be saved, salvation will be ours for all eternity. It is not an automatic thing, Yeshua died for our sins, and it is a free gift, only IF we accept it, by repentance (Teshuvah) If salvation were something automatic, being granted to every single soul on earth at the time of death, then "heaven" would soon become a "hell" with all the Adolf Hitlers, Stalins, etc up there doing there "thing"
the blessings given to Israel were earthly blessings, speaking of their crops, rain, etc, on the condition that they might OBEY his commandments... BUT IF YOU DO NOT OBEY ME...vs 14 then come the curses, is it any different today? I would say not. To stay out of jail, obey the "commandments" of the law of the land. If you want your home to be the state prison, then DISOBEY the laws of the land.
Chap 27 deals with "vowing" and "dedicating" things to Adonai. Back then, it came with a small cost. If a person "vowed" or promised, dedicated something or someone to the service of Adonai, the person had to pay a small price in silver, Today, we see almost the same thing, We can dedicate ourselves to teaching HIS Word, but we have to PAY a bit of silver during our tenure in a Yeshiva or Bible college to get ourselves ready. One time I sent 30 Bibles through Malawi Bible society, to people in small town in that African country, but I had to purchase those bibles through the Bible society, the bibles were "dedicated" to those people, but it still "cost" me some money. So we can see the relationship between money, and dedicating, vowing, etc. Rav Shaul (Paul) paid a "price" to be a "Nazarite" for a time, he got a hair-cut and had to pay a fee.
and this is the end of the book of Leviticus.
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YIRIMYAHU 16:19-17:14
"Oh YHVH, my strength and my fortress" the prophet speaks through the Ruach HaKodesh. "The Gentiles will come to you" and is this not true? the whole world has come to YESHUA and HIS WORD for salvation. The prophet outlines blesses and curses, if Israel chooses to follow Adonai, yet Israel rejected the commandments of God, thus the prophet writes "the sin of Y'hudah is written with a pen of iron, and with a point of a diamond, engraved on their hearts" So all of the people were made "conscious" of their sin....Yet He will "cause them to know My hand and my might, and they shall know that my name is YHVH", in 17:7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in YHVH" So, we can trust in YESHUA and receive his blessings...............or reject.............and receive curses, this is a similar message to the Torah message in Leviticus.
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2 COR 6:14-18
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers" we interpret this more in marriage relationships, which makes sense, both husband and wife should be born again believers
if not, many times, trouble will come forth. But this can also refer to very close friendships, the closer people become, the more our "intimacies" will surface, and the un-believer will see that we are "of Yeshua" and not "of the world" there will be friction,
"Come out from among THEM and be separate (Kadosh, Holy) " which is the calling of ALL PEOPLE, to leave "Egypt" and cross over to "Eretz C'naan" leave the world of sin, and the slavery to sin, and come to YESHUA and be part of HIS PEOPLE. But it doesn't mean we can't relate to lost people, sure, but there is a limit, we should not engage in unrighteous activities which are sinful that they might invite us to do..
.....and you shall be my sons and daughters....So, we are "kol B'nei Elohim" (all children of God) those who have accepted Yeshua as Mashiach and LORD. Baruch HaShem
rabbi Ben Avraham
The beginning of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) NUMBERS 1:1-4:20
PARASHA "B'MIDBAR" (in the wilderness)...........4/June/2016.........27/Iyyar/5776
NUMBERS 1:1-4:20...................HOSEA 2:1-22.....................1 COR 12:12-20
We start our study in the book of Numbers, in the Hebrew, "B'Midbar" (in the wilderness) The English title "Numbers" is because the first part of the book deals with "numbering" the people for certain jobs, task, duties, and it all took place in the "wilderness" or some say "desert"
One might think that this book of the Torah is boring, since it just lists names, yet it has much significance. We serve our God, Adonai-Elohim-Yeshuah, because of who He is. He is a God of "order" He is very organized in all that He does. Everything and everyone in its place, in his or her place. A specific job for everyone. There are no lone rangers in God's Army.
He numbers the tribes to form the ancient IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). Yet these troops did not carry Uzis, and dress in olive green uniforms, they dressed in loose fitting tunics and carried swords, knives, spears, sling-shots, and bows and arrows. Just like the armies of the world, they must have practiced daily with these weapons. One might think, where did they get them? Remember the armies of Egypt that went down-under in the Red Sea? well, dead bodies float, and so do their weapons, so, the Israelites got the weapons from the Egyptians. I am sure that in time, the Israelites learned how to make their own weapons using iron, copper, smelting furnaces, etc.
We can look at most of the armies of today's countries, and see similarities. We have the fighting forces, soldiers that train in combat arms, (infantry, artillery, mechanized unit, special forces, etc.) When I was in the Army for 11 years, I served in the office administration division (clerk typist) chaplain assistant (at that time, serving under the catholic chaplain) , food service, and finally, medical nursing unit, different jobs, different times, but always, "with a task to do"
Not everyone is the "Rambo" type, but there is a job for everyone in today's Armed Forces, no matter what country you live in. I have had the honor to serve as volunteer with the modern IDF, and as volunteer chaplain in the Armed Forces of El Salvador.
In numbering the tribes of Israel for serve in the Army, the starting age was 20 years old, in the USA, the age is 18.
However, YHVH made a distinction with the tribe of Levi, they were the "Chaplains and chaplain assistants" of ancient times. Their whole charge was to care for the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) they were of "non-combatant" status. That is the norm for today's army chaplains, they don't carry weapons, their weapon is the Word of God. The Levites had certain tasks, different family members were charged with covering and carrying the furniture of the Tabernacle, and setting it up again once at a different camp site. Everything had order, we serve a God of order.
All believers are part of God's Army of believers, our war is against HaSatan and his demons, we have the AAF (Angelic Allied Forces) on our side, we just have to know how to call upon them for help and assistance. By prayer and supplication, using the powerful name of "Yeshua" They will come to assist every believer that calls upon them.
The enemy, HaSatan, hates us all, and wants nothing more than to destroy us or ruin our testimony, destroy our families, point an accusing finger at us and say to God "Hey, and he's your son?" or "She's your daughter?" "well hey look God, do you see what your son/daughter just did?" BUT....all of our sins have been covered and atoned for, past, present, and future. Yes, we can imagine God shaking his head sometimes, and saying "oi vey, did you have to do that son/daughter?" Yet there is forgiveness, if we only repent and ask for it.
We also see that Levite ministry began at 30 years old. That was when Yeshua/Jesus began his earthly ministry, at 30 years old, in keeping with the Torah. Today, there is not set age for beginning ministry, only one has to be prepared, have a good knowledge of God's Word, and have a calling to perform a certain task, be in preaching, teaching, being a pastor or rabbi. Most have studied in a Bible college or Yeshiva, yet some have not. Dr. B.R. Laken, known as the "Prince of preachers" only had a sixth grade education, but became a circuit preacher, visiting different churches in the 1930s, riding a mule! But what ever your calling is, tend to it! you're part of HaShem's Army, don't "Sham" (Army word for "being lazy") Don't be a "shamster" The harvest is ripe, and workers are needed!
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HOSEA 2:1-22
Hosea had a hard calling, He was instructed by God to marry a prostitute, and yes, she WOULD be unfaithful. Can you imagine us receiving a call like that? either to marry an unfaithful man or woman, knowing who that person was and what he or she would do? Well, Hosea did, and he STILL loved her (Gomer). She was sold into slavery, yet Hosea bought her back...and still loved her.
This is an illustration of how Israel departed from the ways of HaShem, going after strange gods, committing "adultery" against Adonai-Elohim, Yes, God would punish/chastise his people, YET, he would bring them back to himself, a remnant would be saved, many would perish, yet some would be saved, survive captivity, exile, etc. and turn back to Elohim. Yeshua HaMashiach is the WAY BACK, He is the WAY the TRUTH, and the LIFE, (Ha Derech) (Ha Emet) and (Ha Chaiyim)
If you have gone astray, it is not too late, there is a way back, HE IS!
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1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-20
"There are many members, yet one body" is the message in this part of Rav Shaul's message to the Kehilah of Corinth. Corinth was a very pagan city in Greece. (I was there back in 99) the believers were very carnal, yet Paul still loved them and reached out to them with these letters. There is ONE BODY of believers, even though there are many languages, customs, skin colors, denominational names, yet we are all ONE in MESSIAH YESHUA, whether we call him by his Hebrew name "Yeshua" or English/Spanish "Jesus" or Arabic "Yisa" or Chinese "Yasu" HE knows his NAME in ALL LANGAUGES, after all, he made the languages back in Babel. And as believers in one body, we all have different jobs, and ALL working together, make the body a 'WELL OILED MACHINE" through the Spiritual gifts and abilities. Do you know yours? if not, find out! investigate! YESHUA HA MASHIACH needs YOU, for HIS ARMY.
This might be the last Parasha for a while, for a few months, we are going out of country for the summer, I may not be able to access a PC whenever I want to, yet if I can, I will continue to send out the Parashiot weekly as time permits.
Shabbat Shalom......................rabbi Ben Avraham
PARASHA NASSO ELEVATE
Numbers 4 21 to 7 89.................Judges 13 2 to 25.......Acts 21 17 to 26
You know, I don´t know how to figure out the keys to the punctuation on PCs in Central America, they seem to be all out of order, out of place, the star symbol is really another, and the dollar sign is another, and you know, I am not going to try and find out, I am just going to write this parasha,
This parasha is similar to last weeks, the Levite families are separated (Kadoshed) to serve in the Tabernacle, from 30 years old to 50. As we learned last week, Yeshua started his ministry at 30 years old. We, as high priests of HaShem, we have ALL been KADOSHED or SEPARATED unto the service of our Messiah Yeshua, and it doesn´t matter what family name we bear, all that matters is that we are BORN AGAIN in HIS family. Each of us has been kadoshed to do certain things in the Family of God, in our ¨KEHILOT (congregation). The spiritual gifts give us jobs to do and we should do them to the best of our abilities, just as the ancient Israelite families carried the objects of the tabernacle, so we should carry our load, what we have been called to do, there is no such thing as retirement in God s family, we serve until the LORD brings us home to glory, and then what ( that s supposed to be a question) then we serve some more, for all eternity
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Judges 13 2 to 25
The rest of the Parasha is about the Nazarite vow, in this type of vow, a person could not go near the barber shop, could not drink wine, nor even grape juice, and not touch anything dead. These were people who in their heart, wanted to serve the LORD for a certain time, dedicate themselves entirely to the LORD, and so, went through the Nazarite ceremony. Are there Nazarites today ? ? great, I found the question mark key, it is the key with the long line on top, yeah, makes sense
well, there might be, the WORD of God does not prohibit taking a Nazarite vow today, I guess we just don´t hear of believers calling themselves Nazarites today, but there might be, Samson, the strong man, was called to be a Nazarite from the womb, he was a judge in Israel, from the tribe of Dan. His job was to free the Israelites from under Phillistine rule, this was before Saul was made king. When Israel sinned and stopped serving the LORD; God would send chastisement, in the form of other conquering nations, such as the Phillistines, when they repented, God sent relief, Samson was chosen, yet HE himself was carnal, and violated his Nazarite vows, and so even he was judged by Righteous Adonai, yet ended his life killing thousands of Phillistines when he brought the Temple of Dagon down. Believers, take heed that we stay faithful to our calling, least Adonai bring the house down on top of US !!!
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ACTS 21 17 To 26
Rav Shaul gets some good news, many Y´hudim are coming to Yeshua, thousands of Messianic Jews are now revealed, they love Yeshua and they love the Torah, who says one can t be orthodox and messianic ? sure, I imagine them all were very Torah observant , yet they recognized Messiah Yeshua as LORD, and realized that good works (mitzvoth) did not bring saving righteousness, that saving righteousness came only through Yeshua. Shaul also, wanted to prove to the Jews that he also was Torah observant, so, He also went through the Nazarite ceremony,
Just a bit of exta info, When a person went through the ceremony, his hair would be cut, then, after that, the person would let his hair grow until the appointed time of his Nazarite service was over, then, his hair was cut again, and his hair would be thrown into the fire and be burned, sort of a consumation of his Nazarite service.
We can serve the LORD without going through a Nazarite ceremony, God doesn t look for outward signs of service, he looks into our hearts.
Shabbat Shalom v´hag sameach Shavuot.
There was a tropical lighting and rain storm tonight in San Salvador, lights went out for a while, and so did the PC , The day was cool, part sunny, a wind blowing through the trees, dogs were calm, lazying around, just like the rabbi,, laying around in the hammock, getting up late, still go on to the patio and put on the tefillim and tallit, and do mornng prayers, always to make sure the patio is washed and swept clean, after all, the dogs patrol the property all night, and the patio is part of their terrain. Tomorrow is Parasha teaching at a retired Army capt. house, He loves the LORD, is in his 70 s, and tomorrow afternoon we go to the Beit HaMidrash (House of Study) and celebrate Shavuot and have Hebrew class. Keep us in prayer,, It is still raining, but the lights are on
Rabbi Ben Avraham
San Salvador, El Salvador
PARASHA BaHa´alatcha
June 18, 2016...............Sivan 12, 5776
NUMBERS 8:1 to 12:16...............ZECH 2:10 to 4:7......1 COR 10:6 to 13
Shabbat shalom to all, today the church had an open air movie so that the people in the streets could sit down and watch, a few came to stay, the movie ¨ WAR ROOM was good, about spiritual warfare. Yesterday I met with Major General Nunez and he will get things going so I can serve two weeks as chaplain with the Armed Forces in July. There was a Military ceremony, for the troops returning from Haiti, Malil, and Lebanon, peace keeping forces supported by the UN. The lizards that chirp like birds are gekos I was told. All houses have them here in El Salvador, they get in somehow, but they eat mosquitos, so they can stay and chirp all they want to.
This weeks Parasha deals with lighting the menorah, anointing the Levites, celebrating Passover and following HaShem. Remember that the menorah was the only light in the Kadosh place, and in the Kadosh Kedoshim, the ¨HOLY OF HOLIES¨¨ it was the Shekinah glory itself, Adonai himself lit up the room, the Menorah reminds us that Yeshua is the Light of the World. He lights up the dark places and when there is light, there is no more darkness, He is the Living Torah, which lights our lives, with his WORD, so that the darkness of ignorance, of Torahlessness, dissappears.
As the Levites were anointed for service, so we also are anointed to serve, we are all considered ¨cohenim Gadolim´ high priests before our living YHVH, we have been all kadoshed in order to service, with our spiritual gifts, we have a life long calling, As the levites had specific jobs to do, so do all believers in ministry, there are jobs, callings, through the Holy Spirit, to serve in ministry
For those who could not celebrate Passover because they were either unclean or away from the congregation could celebrate it a month later on the same date, We serve a wonderful God who understands situations, and makes arrangements for those situations, so we should all remember that, if for some reason we miss the 14th of Nissan, we can celerate Passover the following month, but we remember that Yeshua is our Passover Lamb, who is to be remembered every day of the year.
Following Adonai, when the cloud was lifted, the congregation moved and followed the cloud. That is our calling as well, we are to follow where ever the LORD leads us, He will put people in our tracks that guide us, as well as circumstances, events, etc. We should be sensitive to our calling and following HaShem,
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ZECH 2:10 to 4:7
¨the LORD says; sing and rejoice daughter of Zion because I am coming and will dwell in the midst of you. many nations will join that day and they will be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of you
What a promise, many nations today are coming to Yeshua and are being planted in the olive tree to be part of that tree, and to be called AM ADONAI the people of God, it started out with the 12 tribes of Israel and now God´s family has expanded to include ALL of those who are CALLED, no matter what country you are part of.
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1 CORINTHIANS 10: 6 to 13
Rav Shaul talks to the Kehilah at Corinth about complaining, among other things, many of us are doing the ´¨Grumble, Grumble, grumble, groan, we always find things to complain about, with the Israelites in the wilderness, they were blessed with mana bread, yet they wanted meat, thoughts going back to Egypt where they had fish, leeks, onions, garlic, (guess you can imagine their breath) yet they forgot that they were slaves, was food more important than their freedom? Adonai gave them meat, yet a plague followed, it gets down to the saying I once heard from Rex Humbard YOU MAY GET WHAT YOU WANT, BUT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO WANT WHAT YOU GET. something to think about,
lets give thanks to God for what He has given us already, it isn´t a sin to ask for more, but we must always settle for HIS PERFECT WILL and thank him in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, and what we have, for He knows our needs, and will supply us with our needs, and even at times, our wants, all in his riches in glory
Shabbat Shalom.......Rabbi Ben Avraham,
San Salvador, El Salvador
Your Message
PARASHA SHELACH LECHA (Go send) June 25th, 2016
NUMBERS 13; 1 to 15: 36...............JOSHUA 2:1 to 24............HEBREWS 3: 7 to 19
This week s parasha deals with the sending out of the spies to scout out the Promised land. When we read the beginning of chap 13, we see that ADONAI said unto Moshe, "go send"
it wasn t Moshe s idea, it was God s idea, and his command to go visit the Promised land.
The idea wasn t to find faults, but to see the blessing ahead of time
When we read the account. we see that 12 men were sent out and 10 came back with a negative report and only Y Hoshua and Caleb came back with a positive report. Have you ever seen a poster with a school of fish going in one direction and only one fish going in the opposite direction, it is called "going against the flow" a pretty hard thing to do at times, at times it just creates more friction. Caleb and Yehoshua wanted to encourage the people, but the other 10 just saw one giant too many. Negativity is contagious, and unfortunately, the majority won. They turned a blessing into a curse, something good became something bad. Did they not know that YHVH could take care of the giants. I mean, the bigger they are the harder they fall.
We could compare this with the following, suppose you were the owner of a large 5 bedroom house, with 3 bathrooms, a study room, a large garden and a swimming pool. You want to give this to a family that was living in a camp out place, only one bathroom, and when you made your nightly visit to the John, cockroaches would wiggle their antennae to greet you, well you show the house to the family, and they say the following:
"Oi vey, this is going to be one humongous light bill at the end of every month, too much cleaning, and not to mention cutting all the grass, and the expense to clean the pool, imagine the roof leaking, just getting a ladder out of the garage to going up to the roof, just makes me dizzy, and not to mention the taxes, and .........(grumbe, grumble, grumble, groan)
Hey, you wanted to GIVE this place to them, but now, do you still want to (still cant find the question mark on this key board) Maybe not, Adonai says, "OK, don t want it, so, you will all WAIT, yeah, 40 years, in the meanwhile. keep on camping out"
They had their chance,. God would still make good his promise, but they would have to suffer the consequences of taking a negative attitude. Even after seeing the Red Sea open up for them, they still could not see God s hand in all this
We need to find blessings in ALL situations, even when there seem to be "giant" problems, If it is of God, HE will provide for our needs, HE will work out the details.
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JOSHUA 2:1 to 24
Again, we see the spies going into Jerecho, yet they happen upon a prostitute who recognizes just who YHVH is! She recognizes the strength and power of the God of Israel, and she puts her faith to the test. She is rewarded with her life, In the midst of what would be a complete destruction of Jericho, she has and maintains her faith in the promise of tthe two spies. When tough situations come upon us, do we maintain our faith (question)
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HEBREWS 3 : 7 to 19
Rav Shaul writes to the Messianic believers saying :IF, you listen to God s voice, and not harden your hearts...... it is all CONDITIONAL we could all suffer the loss of blessings and rewards, if we treat blessings as curses, We serve a God who is control of s in control of all things, He knows the outcome before it happens, because He looks from the infinite dimensionan not from the finite dimension. We just have to trust Him in all things
Rabbi Ben Avraham........... San Salvador, El Salvador
KORACH
NUMBERS 16: 1 to 18:32.................1 SAM 11: 14 to 12:22................ROM 13: 1 to 7
Just when you think that you have your people under control, just when you think that they learned a lesson from the spies, you get more rebellion, it is human nature to rebel, it is part of the fallen nature of man, his ¨ ENOSH that fights against the spirit
Korach gets up and says, "All of God s people are holy, not only you Moshe" Well, is that true, did Korach say a falsehood? not really, remember that the word KADOSH means "to be separate" Yes, we are HOLY, all believers are HOLY unto YHVH, HOWEVER, Adonai does have specific jobs within the KODESH (the holiness) of the body o believers, some have been called to be church or synagogue/Kehilah leaders, or assistant leaders, music leaders, teachers, rabbis, finance managers, etc,
So it wasn t that Korah was stating an untruth, he was challenging the leadership of Moshe
he was being a rebel, Torah says that "Rebellion is like unto witchcraft" very serious, in the eyes of God, so serious that it became a death sentence to Korach, and unto his family.
We read that the ground opened up and swallowed ALL of Korach´s property, including his family.
Now wait a minute you are saying, why his family? why not only Korah? We must believe that his family was IN AGREEMENT with him, they were accomplices, the a court of law, the thief is guilty, ALSO the driver of the get away car. we might say that his family was DRIVING THE GETAWAY CAR, they were all in agreement with his rebellion, WITH THE ACCEPTION OF a few of his sons, why do we say that? because some of the Tehillim (Psalms) were written by the "Sons of Korach" a few who said "Hey pop, you are WRONG" "We want nothing to do with this" and they set themselves apart from the their family s tents. We know this, they survived to write some of the Psalms .
We must accept the leadership of those above us, we must wait on Elohim for his guidance, perhaps when the time is right, we will be leaders in some capacity or another, by humbleness and not by rebellion.
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1 SAMUEL 11:14 to 12;22
We see also that the people of Israel now want a king, just like the other nations, they are not satisfied with having YHVH as their king, they want a human king, with the same fallen sin nature as they have. kind of like trading a Mercedes Benz for a broken down vehicle that is on its last tire. Shmu el objects, yet he relents, God says Give them what they want, they have not rejected you but ME! They got what they wanted, they got a sour lemon,
We know the story of Melech Shaul, he started out good, but ended up bad, I think we can count on one hand the number of good and righteous kings in Israel. What is the lesson here? if we are appointed to be some kind of leader, let us finish the race on good standards, and follow Torah ways, follow the LIVING TORAH who is YESHUA.
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ROMANS 13: 1 to 7
Let us submit ourselves to the authority which is over us, says Rav Shaul to the Kehilah which is in Rome, those above us have been appointed by God, you might ask, even the bad ones? the ones that make bad decisions ? Well, it is by the will of Adonai that they are there, it might not be the perfect will of God, but his permissive will, we are still bound to obedience UNLESS it violates scripture, we must pray for those over us that they make good decisions that are decisions based of Godly standards.
Shalom Alecheim.....................Rabbi Ben Avraham, in hot, sunny El Salvador
I disagree about Saul.
I also disagree with many other things you say but I think your contributions here are very good indeed.
,Hello and shalom to all
I am back from ministering to the Armed Forces in El Salvador, it was a blessing, and I hope that many of the soldiers and the Air Force members, cadets, officers, etc were blessed. I shared the message from God s Word, traveled to many places in this country, got to wear my army uniform once again, once a soldier, always a soldier.
PARASHA PINCHAS:
NUMBERS 25:10 - 29:40................1 KINGS 18:46 - 19:21........................JOHN 2: 13´-22
In this study, we see the zeal of Pinchas, when the leaders of Israel were dismayed at the whole nation going after the gods of Moab. Some seem to think that Balaam told Balak that since he could not curse Israel, that they could bring a curse upon themselves, by going after the gods of Moab, according to Jewish midrash
However, YHVH brought down punishment upon his people, and rightly so, and Pinchas decided to do something about it, in the sight of all the leaders, we read that a guy named Zimri brought a Moabite woman named Cozbi into his tent, and we all know what went on in side the tent, Pinchas rushed inside with a spear and Shishkabobed them both with one thrust of the spear, pinned them BOTH to the ground, so ended the curse, and PInchas was rewarded with a part of the priesthood.
Now, does this mean one should go out and shoot all the prostitutes, drug dealers, etc? and expect to be rewarded by God ? We all know the answer, we live under a democracy and not under a Theocracy, Israel was a THEOCRATIC society, God made the rules, here we live under the rules of man. Yet we should pray for prostitutes, law breakers, etc, that they might repent and come to accept Yeshua as Messiah and LORD, and thus be saved.
Later in the Parasha, we see the ordinaces of the daily offerings, and we see how Yeshua is reflected in them. 2 lambs, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with fine flour and olive oil, and libation offering of wine. 2 lambs, the number 2 reminds of the letter BEIT in Hebrew, it means HOUSE, we are part of GOD s HOUSE, his family, ¨Anachnu Kol Beit Adonai¨ we are all part of Adonai s house, his family, it takes 2 parties to make a covenant
YHVH is the giver and covenant maker, WE are on the receiving end. The covenant was made on Calvary´s tree, By God himself as YESHUA who is the LAMB of God, we could also say ONE lamb for Israel and ONE for the nations that come to YESHUA by faith,
The flour reminds us of YESHUA the BREAD OF LIFE, and the oil, the RUACH HA KODESH
(Holy Spirit) and the wine, HIS BLOOD, perfect picture, back then, performed twice daily
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1 KINGS 18¨ 46 to 19:21
Elijah is God s man, his prophet, we are reminded of his zeal when he killed the false prophets of Baal, but we also see his human side, he ran for his life when Jezabel threatened to have him killed as well. The angels comforted him and made him some fig cakes, he later went to Mt Horeb, all the way to the land of Midian (Saudi Arabia) and rested in a cave, YHVH assured him that he was not the only one to have kept the faith, there were 7000 Israelites that had not bent the knee to Baal, yet, he needed the rest, we all need to rest, we are all human and get tired out, discouraged, etc....God will speak to us like a ¨CALM BREEZE a comforting voice, yet we need to know how to hear his soft voice, He spoke to Moshe in thunder and lightening, yet he spoke to Eliyahu through a soft small voice, it was what he needed to hear at that time, rest up, you still have a long trip ahead of you, so we all do, work, minister, rest, that is the way of life.
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JOHN 2: 13 to 22
We hear Yeshua s words, DESTROY THIS TEMPLE AND I WILL REBUILD IT IN THREE DAYS. yet not the temple that was standing at that time, His own body, and it was so, in three days, he was raised from the dead. Thus giving us also assurance, that we also, we be raised when we die, our physical bodies will undergo a change, from corruptible to incorruptible, our sinless bodies will be part of our sinless souls and spirit, His death brought us life, eternal life, Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ben Avraham, San Salvador, El Salvador
Thanks for your comment and honesty, it is an honor to contribute, we can all agree to disagree, like many rabbis that discuss Torah together, many disagree with each other but still enjoy the debates and fellowship. I haven t heard from Cabret in a long time, kind of miss his comments, Still love him and pray for him.
PARASHA MATOT (Tribes)
NUMBERS 30 1 to 32 verse 42.........JEREMIAH 1 to 2......................PHIL 3 verses 12 to 16
these chapters are about VOWS, VENGANCE, and sharing the LOOT. We read that when one makes a vow, a promise to Adonai, then one should keep it, the LORD takes serious our promises, I believe that is the reason why scripture advises us NOT to make vows, many vows are made rashly, and on the spur of the moment. Many say LORD, IF YOU GET ME OUT OF THIS MESS, I WILL SERVE YOU yet when the problem is solved, the person forgets all about the promise, Here we see though that when a woman makes a vow, it is only valid if the father or husband approves it, , unfortunately, in the days of old, women, it seemed, did not have all the rights that men had.
VENGANCE, was taken against the land of Midian, and we learn that Balaam recieved his just reward, a sword in the belly, we learn that this evil prophet told king Balak that since he couldn t curse Israel, that they could bring a curse upon their own selves, by following the priestesses of Baal and participating in their whoredoms, we learn that Israel departed from the ways of Adonai but punishment and death followed, now it is payback time.God does not play around, God takes seriously his worship, webelong to him and to HIM only. there are no other gods.
SHARING THE LOOT after the war against Midian, come the rewards, all the gold, silver, and the good stuff , including the widows and orphans, went home with the Israelites, cattle included
HOWEVER, a portion was given to the Levites, reminding us that all that we receive, does not belong to us, there is a certain portion that belongs to YHVH, yet ALL GOOD THINGS COME FROM ABOVE, sometimes, we even get what belonged to the heathen, but in all things, we must remember that ADONAI is the source of all
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JEREMIAH 1 to 2
We are reminded that YHVH knows us, even before our birth, He has ordained us ALL in different callings, ministries, as Jeremiah was called, in due time, so we must be ready to answer OUR calling, in the perfect timing of YHVH
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PHILLIPIANS 3 12 to 16
Rav Shaul writes about RUNNING THE RACE, and REACHING THE GOAL, even though he was not PERFECT in all things, and neither are we, WE MUST CONTINUE TO RUN THE RACE, working in our ministry, jobs, and whatever the LORD has called us to do, there is no such thing as RETIREMENT from ministry, we minister until YHVH calls us home, let Paul be our example, let Yeshua be our example.
rabbi Ben Avraham
PARASHA MASEI (Journeys of)
NUMBERS 33:1 through 36:13..........JER 2:4 through 3:4..........JAMES 4:1 through 12
The themes of this parasha study are ¨the journeys of the Israelites through the wilderness and the cities of refuge in the case of an accidental taking of a life.
We see when we read the chapters that Moshe lists the places where YHVH lead the Israelites, starting from Egypt, through the Red Sea, and into the Land of Madian, up and around the different camping sites, up until they are ready to enter the Promised land, Canaan, crossing over the Jordan River. But all of these have importance to our lives as believers,
The journey of our lives lead us all OUT of our EGYPT. Egypt symbolized our OLD LOST LIFE, the life we lead when we were lost sinners, whether our lives were lead by drugs, alcohol, illegal dealings, or maybe non of that, simply, we didn t know the LORD period,
we had a dissinterest in the Bible and spiritual things, Ask me about the Bible when I was 15 years old, I would have walked away, or tell you about Adam and Eve and about Noah, and leave it at that, or ¨can we change the subject please¨ I would have answered. or......
....¨This is getting booooorrring¨ I might have said, My mom gave me a bible when I was 14 or 15, ¨thanks¨ I said, and I never opened it. But the LORD sends a Moshe to initially lead us out of Egypt, it might be a pastor or rabbi, a friend, for me it was Carl Capra, who sat in front of me in Chemistry class in High School, he invited me to his house for a Bible study, so, out of curiosity I went, found the bible my mom gave me, later on, It was ¨Mom and Pop Woolston, who lead me to a church in Petersburg, Virginia, that was where I was born again in 1973, when I was in the Army, their ministry was to the soldiers at Fort Lee. So for me, Moshe came in the form of Carl Capra and Mr. and Mrs, Woolston, and Evangelist Joe Boyd. They lead me out of Egypt, like we have all been lead out of Egypt. but all of our Egypt stories are different. back then, there were very few Messianic congregations, if any at all
so the next best thing was a baptist church.
Next comes the crossing, we cross over to a new life, leaving Egypt and Egypt s demons behind, our journeys begin, the LORD leads us to different places and events in our new lives, going through tests and trials, just like the Israelites did, HE is refining us in the Refiners Fire, we may go through the ups and downs, but we are on our way to Canaan,
Israel s was a 40 year journey, it would have been shorter if Israel had not lost faith because of the negative thinking spies. Some of us will have longer journeys through our new Yeshua lives, others a lot shorter, YHVH has our time clocks, when our mission on earth is finished, we will be brought home to glory. As Canaan was the final place for Israel, and today, it is a modern land thriving with blessings, places to go and with an Army to support (IDF) our final place is the New Jerusalem, our place in glory, in the world to come, and it will come down to rest on a renewed planet earth, how cool is that! and we will live there like for ever like! how cool. but first, we have to go through our journeys, from here to there and from there to who knows where, only HaShem knows. just trust HIM
CITIES OF REFUGE, were for those who accidently killed someone, because that person s relative would be out looking for revenge. like today, we could be driving and someone steps infront of our car, no time to stop, But some of us could indeed ¨kill¨someone, not on purpose, but without spilling blood. Believers can ¨kill¨other believers or non believers with harsh words, critisicm, judgments, spreading lies, gossip, it might take a life'time to build a positive reputation, or a friendship, but only moments to ¨kill¨it. Some believers instead of facing the victim and repenting and making shalom, they retreat to a ¨city of refuge¨ usually within their own selves, avoiding the other person, It is easy to run and retreat, but harder to face the music, how mature are we as believers? are we going to run to a city of refuge? or try to revive the person who we accidently killed?
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JEREMIAH 2; 4 through 3;4
The prophet certainly has a right to reprove Israel, What did God do against Israel that the Israelites have left worshiping and serving YHVH? and they even say that they are clean.
The LORD pleads with them through his prophet Yirimyahu, yet they will pay the price of rebellion, Israel will be led away into captivity by the Babylonians.
If we are receiving blessing through YHVH today, let us remain faithful to HIM who has blessed us so, least those blessings be taken away and exchanged for curses, let us follow the Torah, the Living Torah, abide by HIS precepts and mitzvoth, If the Father loves us so, let us show HIM our love and obedience.
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JAMES 4: 1 through 12
James (Ya akov) the half brother of Yeshua writes to BELIEVERS, and he tells them NOT to be lovers and conformers to the world, or things of the world. Yes, the world has things to offer, but do they benefit believers? We fight against the flesh, the old nature, and that old nature is in league with the world. James says DON T PASS JUDGMENT ON YOUR SPIRITUAL BROTHER, do not MURMER against him or her, that is one sure way we could ¨kill¨ allow the WORD to judge our brother, not ourselves. Yes, it is our job to point out through God s WORD, things that perhaps our brother or sister in Messiah is failing to observe or transgress against, but not to JUDGE and, or condemn.
shabbat shalom, rabbi Ben Avraham in San Salvador (mission here almost complete
PARASHA DEVARIM (Deuteronomy)
DEUT 1 1 through 3 verse 22.........ISA 1 verse 1 through 27..........1 TIM 3 1 through 7
Well, almost time to come on home. We start the last book of the original Torah, DEVARIM (words) We can imagine Moshe as a grandparent, sitting his grand kids and his sons, daughters on a large rug, and he reviews with them their life´s experiences, journeys, adventures, failures, etc, They listen to him, will they learn from their mistakes? seems not, what with the future adventures ahead, Elohim will chastise them for their sins, rebellion, yet will still love them.
Their adventures are numbered, the naming of judges or assistants to Moshe, the mission of the 12 spies, YHVHs punishment , failure at Horma, the years in the desert,
Israel s defeat of Sehon and Og, division of the promised land, Moshe s request to cross over.
We will see how these adventures can correspond to our own adventures in our lives as believers. Jethro counseled Moshe to name judges to help him judge and govern the people. As leaders, we also need the help of others around us to help us with our tasks on this side of eternity, there are no Lone Rangers in ministry, we can not do it alone, is it any wonder why Yeshua sent out his talmidim by 2s.
We are also tested in our faith, had the 10 other spies come back with a positive report, ¨Let s get em boys¨ the Israelites would have entered the promised land 40 years earlier, 40 is the number of testing, of trials, sometimes, when we fall down in our faith, and don t trust the LORD, we have to pay the price, sometimes it is an unequal marriage, wrong job, bad friends,
Then again, YHVH will lead us to conquerer giants, giants come as big obstacles, big problems, and when we trust HaShem, those giants will fall, just like Sehon and Og, BUT we have to follow the LORD and trust HIM. One thing about giants, the bigger they are , the harder they fall, but when we show a lack of faith, the bigger the giants, the harder WE will FALL.
But GOD also puts limits and barriers in our lives. YHVH did not allow Israel to occupy the land of Moab nor Edom, those lands were promised to the descendants of Lot and Esau, and they are part of the lineage of Abraham. We must learn in our spiritual walk, our DERECH EMUNAH that YHVH at times says NO, or puts roadblocks here and there, some times, we will find out why on this side of eternity, and....sometimes...we will find out the reasons on the other side of eternity.
This was especially hard for Moshe to swallow, he asked the LORD to let him cross over to the other side of the Jordan, GOD said ENOUGH, DO NOT SPEAK TO ME ANY MORE CONCERNING THAT ISSUE. in other words NO MOE, YOU NOT GO. however, we have to remember that 1500 years later, Moshe was allowed to enter, at the Mt of Transfiguration, where he represented the Torah and Eliyahu, the Haf Torah, and Yeshua, the Brit HaDasha
Moshe was allowed to see the promised land from afar, from on top of Mt Pisgah, one wonders if Moshe was allowed to see a gimpse of the future Israel, with the high rises, the modern IDF, the jet planes, etc... we can only wonder.
We can also hope for a bright future when we serve the LORD, sometimes YHVH allows us to see into the future, perhaps a new business venture, new ministry commitments, we just have to live each day, one day at a time, and if the LORD PERMITS.....things will fall in place
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ISAIAH 1 1 through 27
This prophet had a rough job. Letting the people of Israel know that they are really in the wrong. When did YHVH ask sacrifices of them? or offerings? fat of lambs? Well, back in Exodus and Leviticus, he did, sacrifices are part of the 613 commandments. Yet these verses have double meanings. What good are sacrifices, offerings, fat of lambs, keeping the Sabbath, etc IF our hearts, attitudes, actions are FAR FROM ADONAI? well, they are worthless, we are just going through the motions, like rituals. Might as well just not offer up anything, until are hearts and minds are right before YHVH.
The prophet gives Israel a choice, IF YOU WANT, AND HEAR, YOU WILL EAT OF THE GOOD OF THE EARTH, IF YOU CHOOSE TO BE REBELS, YOU WILL BE CONSUMED BY THE SWORD. we have the same choice, to obey or disobey, to follow HaShem, accept Yeshua as our LORD and Messiah, and live by his commandments, OR reject the free gift of salvation, live a rebellious life style, and perish. The choices are still valid.
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1 TIMOTHY 3 1 through 7
What are the requirements of church or synagogue leaders, the word here is BISHOP it comes from the Greek language meaning one who leads
These are high standards, some wonder if the requirement of HAVING ONE WIFE, means HAVING ONE WIFE AT A TIME, because in ancient times, some men had multiple wives, others think it might mean ONE WIFE IN A LIFETIME, disqualifying divorcees. But I have known ministers that are divorced and remarried and are truly men of GOD, so, what ever the exact meaning, we must be careful to present a good testimony before others.
And those minsters who are divorced and remarried, God loves you and these couples can have wonderful ministries, reaching out to others of broken and re made marriages.
Shabbat Shalom...............................Rabbi Ben Avraham
PARASHA: V'ET'CHANAN (and I pleaded)
DEUT: 3:23-7:11...............ISA 40:1-26.....................MARK 12:28-34
Well, I am REALLY back this time. Rainy Houston, OK...so what else is new? We jump into this Parasha listening to Moshe telling his people; "I messed up, so now I have to die here on this mountain" (well, not his exact words). He pleaded to YHVH to allow him to go into the promised land, yet God said; "Enough, don't mention it any more, what I say goes" YET Adonai allowed him to see into the Promised land, and even more, he brought him INTO the land 1500 years later. Lifted him out of Paradise and brought him face to face with YESHUA and ELIYAHU. that must have been one great experience.
Moshe tells his people and pleads with them, "don't forsake the LORD, nor his mitzvoth" (commandments) don't turn to the right nor the left, straight ahead, he goes over the 10 Commandments. He acts like a father before his children, the father before dying counsels his children on life. LIFE! the word "IF" is in the middle, so life is all about "if"
"if" is conditional. IF you obey the commandments of HaShem THEN you will be blessed, IF you choose NOT to, THEN, curses await you. And when you think about it, it has never changed.
We come to the most popular prayer in Judaism, "the Shema" Devarim 6:4, "Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad" LISTEN ISRAEL meaning more than just "to hear" but "to hear, listen, and obey" Adonai is OUR God, we can say that because we are part of HIS people, and He is our Heavenly Father, but only if YESHUA is our MESSIAH and LORD. Adonai ECHAD, He is ONE in UNITY, The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit, all took part in the creation of the world, all united in ONE TRI-UNITY.
Then we have the "V'ahavtah" (You shall love the LORD thy God....) To love YHVH in this way is supernatural, and can only be accomplished through the Holy Spirit. IF we are led by the SPIRIT, THEN, we will have the full capacity to love our Creator God......and you will have these words on your heart, and will teach them.........We should take serious this commitment, to love our God, and to teach his words to others, when? all the time, to who ever that is willing to listen...where? any place that we might find ourselves with a willing "listener" first to our family, then friends, then our church/synagogue members. How do we love God? through obedience to HIS WORD. Yeshua said "If ye love me, obey my commandments, Yes, he taught the commandments of the Torah, and explained them even more fully, He is the author of ALL that is written in the Torah, through his chosen writers.
"You shall bind them on your hands, they will be between your eyes, and upon your door posts and gates" We see these words represented by what we use every day, the Tefillim and the mezuzah. These are not "magic amulets" but "symbols" which are for us, to be used in our worship. To remind us to keep his commandments, his WORD on our minds,
commandments put into action, through our good works. If the orthodox use them, why shouldn't we, as messianic believers do the same? The mezuzah reminds us that when we enter our homes, "The Presence of God is here inside"
In essence, Moshe is pleading with his children to "love and obey the LORD" (or else)
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ISAIAH 40:1-26
Yeshayahu is echoing the words of "Yochanan the Baptizer" "The voice of him the crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God ELOHEINU, YESHUATEINU. The WAY is Yeshua, and his WAY should be our WAY as well, when our lives are without Messiah, our lives reflect a desert, dry, without much life. But when we surrender our lives to Mashiach, then the desert is transformed and life springs forth, we no longer walk crooked paths, but straight paths, why? because we KNOW where we are walking, If HE walks a straight line, so will we (at least we should)
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MARK 12:28-34
These are the famous words of YESHUA spoken to a scribe, When we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, which represent every portion of the human being, THEN we will love our neighbor, as we love ourselves. And when we look at the 613 commandments of the Torah, they all teach us how to relate to our creator God, and how to relate to our neighbor, as well as ourselves, The 613 commandments cover ALL ASPECTS of AHAVAH (love) toward YHVH and toward our fellow man, So YES, the Torah IS FOR TODAY, all of it! practically and/or symbolically.
Shabbat Shalom...............Rabbi Ben Avraham (back in Houston now)
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