Noah (B’resheet) Genesis chapters 6-11
Torah Portion: Noah (B’resheet) Genesis 6-11
Haftorah Reading: Isaiah 54:1-55:5
Today we look at the Torah section called Noah. This portion is concerned mainly with the events leading up to the flood. However, it also covers other events such as the Tower of Bavel and the introduction of Avraham. You can also find the setting apart of clean and unclean animals in Genesis 7:2-8:20 and the commandment to not eat blood. I mention these because this comes long before the Torah commands concerning the same two things. These verses could have been behind the requirements mentioned for non Jewish believers in Acts 15. The reason given in this portion for not consuming blood was the statement it had to do with the life being in the blood. (Genesis 9:8) I mention these because they precede the commandments in the Torah, which is the argument often used to say that we are free from the commandments by the working of the blood of Messiah. Yeshua set us free from the curse of the Law – which was death. But the Word of G-d was not changed by His coming. He himself lived an obedient life to the Word of G-d.
Chukat (Degree) B’midbar Numbers 19-20
Torah Portion: Chukat (Decree) B’midbar (Numbers) 19:1-21:1
HafTorah: Judges 11:1-33
Tonight we read the Torah portion Chukat or Decree. In this Torah portion we read of the death of both Miriam and Aaron her brother. This leaves Moses alone, the last of his siblings. We also read of the incident of bringing forth water from the rock and the decree of the Red Heifer.
In Numbers 19 we read of this decree of Torah. It tells what is to be done to cleanse a person who is defiled by a dead body. This ritual uncleanness would bar a person from participating in the Temple life of Israel until they were cleansed by the ashes of the red heifer. Always remember this kind of defilement had nothing to do with sin but only barred a person from the corporate worship at the Temple or Mishkan. Interestingly after this decree we are told of the death of two of the leaders of Israel.
Metzora Lev 14:1-15:33
Torah Portion: Metzora Leviticus 14:1-15:33
HafTorah: II Kings 7:3-20
First let’s finish up last week. We were going to cover those things that Yeshua and His family did which would be examples of Torah. So let us take a look at what you have found. First, He was circumcised on the 8th day. (Luke 2:21) At 13 He appeared in Jerusalem at the time of his coming of age. He kept the Passover and Sabbath. (Mark 1:21, Mark 6:2, Matt. 5:18)
Tazria Leviticus 12-13
Torah Portion: Tazria Leviticus 12:1-13:59
HafTorah: II Kings 4:42-5:19
Today we read mainly about two things that render a person ta’ama or unclean. One being much more serious than the other. Remember ta’ama or unclean meant the person who was in this state could not enter the Temple in Jerusalem to worship. It did not necessarily mean they had sinned. But this condition rendered them unable to enter G-d’s presence physically. So, let us look at both and see what spiritual lessons we can glean from scripture.
Metzora Lev. 14-15
Torah Portion: Metzora Vayikra Lev. 14-15
HafTorah: II Kings 7:3-20
Tonight I want us to look at the person with leprosy and the process involved with the person becoming clean again. Look at Lev. 14:1-3 which introduces us to this process. It is important to keep in mind that the process we are looking at did not cure the leprosy but was the process to declare the person clean so they could reenter the religious life of Israel.
Tazria Lev. 12-13
Torah Portion: Tazria Vayikra Lev. 12-13
HafTorah: II Kings 4:42-5:19
NT Matt 8:1-4, 11:2-6
This week we continue on with the laws of clean and unclean which began in chapter 11 with clean and unclean animals. I want us to begin our time with what it means to be clean or unclean. The word in Hebrew, tahor, can also be found in Psalms 51:10 where David prays to G-d to, “create in me a pure/clean heart.” So clean denotes something pure and unblemished. Tami, in Hebrew would be the opposite. If you will notice this is the same word used for the sacrifices. They had to be tahor, no blemish or spot could be found. In Torah this term is used to denote if a person would be able to take part in the Sanctuary worship or to come in contact with any holy object. It had nothing to do with sin but rather was a physical issue. It was usually dealt with by the passage of time (usually until evening) and passing through the waters of mikvah. It in effect excluded a person from experiencing the presence of G-d in the Mishkan or Temple. So these laws pertained to the things of the Sanctuary. which is here being used for the first time. These laws had nothing to do with the person’s heart condition, yet they are used in both Hebrew scripture and the New Testament to symbolically refer to issues of morality. So we hear David speak of a Tahor heart. In the New Testament, Yeshua does the same in Matt. 5:8. So as we go on I want us to keep these things in mind as we explore clean and unclean.
Hukath (Regulation) Num. 19:1-22:1
Torah Portion: Hukath (Regulation) Numbers (B’Midbar) 19:1-22:1
HafTorah: Judges 11:1-33
New Testament: John 3:9-21; 4:3-30; 12:27-50
Tonight we look at one of the harder things in Torah to understand. The Red Heifer here in the opening verse we read hukath Torah – The decree of the Torah. It is as if the Torah is saying “This is the point of the whole Torah.” A verse in the New Testament, Mark 12:30-31, reflects the same kind of idea. Here Yeshua gives an answer to a question that was meant to trip Him up. Love G-d and love your neighbor. What do the two have to do with each other?
Ki Tisa (When You Take) Shemot (Exodus) 30
Torah Portion: Ki Tisa (When You Take) Shemot (Exodus) 30:11-34:35
HafTorah: I Kings 18:1-39
New Testament: Luke 11:14-20, Acts 7:35-8:1, I Cor. 10:1-13, II Cor. 3:1-18
This portion of scripture is full of verses to guide us in our lives. We will cover a few which I pray will guide us along the way. To start lets look at Shemot 30:18 where we are told of the bronze laver. What is a laver? It is basically a water container with faucets around it for washing. It was put between the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the altar. Here the priests, on their way to the altar, would stop to wash their feet and hands before approaching the altar. Why would they do this? Part of their daily ritual was to bathe in the mikvah to cleanse themselves. So why would they have to stop again to rewash their feet and hands? Yeshua gives us a clue in John 13:8 where He tells Peter, “If I do not wash you, you have no part in Me.” In the next verse Peter responds with asking Yeshua to wash not only his feet but also his head and hands. Yeshua’s answer to this gives us our answer.
Emor (Say) Leviticus 21:1
Weekly Torah Section: Emore (Say) Leviticus 21:1-24:23, Haftorah: Ezekiel 44:15-31
In both the Torah and Haftorah portions we read about the priests and their duties and qualifications. In the Haftorah, Ezekiel 44:15-31 we read the words of Ezekiel. Who was he? When were these verses written and where was he when he wrote this? Ezekiel was a priest from the temple in Jerusalem so he knew intimately what the priestly duties were. He wrote these verses in Babylon by the river Chebar in 585 BCE.
In Ezekiel 44:15 it says that the sons of Zadok (In Hebrew Zadok means righteous) will stand before the L-rd and offer the offerings while the other priests will do the more menial tasks. Why were they singled out? They were the only priests that kept the commandments concerning the sanctuary and offerings to G-d. Again, they stayed close to G-d and they stayed holy while the rest of Israel had strayed away from G-d. Even the other priests had not remained faithful. This reminds us of the New Testament verses where it says in the last days many of the elect will fall away. If we as the elect know our priestly duties and our role as Christians we will not be deceived in the last days. It also goes back to how important it is to stay clean in the midst of a crooked world. What was the sons of Zadok’s inheritance? In Ezekiel 44:28 it says the L-rd was their inheritance. May this be our inheritance as well.
All these verses in Ezekiel take place in the Messianic age when the Torah will go forth from Jerusalem.