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Friday, October 3, 2014

Today is Yom Kippur: we have a chance for a defining moment - may we seize upon it...

…Yom Kippur…
…A Defining Moment…
Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:1-4 [Complete Jewish Bible]
23 Adonai said to Moshe, “Tell the people of Isra’el: ‘The designated times of Adonai which you are to proclaim as holy convocations are my designated times.
“ ‘Work is to be done on six days; but the seventh day is a Shabbat of complete rest, a holy convocation; you are not to do any kind of work; it is a Shabbat for Adonai, even in your homes.
“ ‘These are the designated times of Adonai, the holy convocations you are to proclaim at their designated times. [4]

Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:26-32 [Complete Jewish Bible]
26 Adonai said to Moshe, 27 “The tenth day of this seventh month is Yom-Kippur; you are to have a holy convocation, you are to deny yourselves, and you are to bring an offering made by fire to Adonai. 28 You are not to do any kind of work on that day, because it is Yom-Kippur, to make atonement for you before Adonai your God. 29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day is to be cut off from his people; 30 and anyone who does any kind of work on that day, I will destroy from among his people. 31 You are not to do any kind of work; it is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live. 32 It will be for you a Shabbat of complete rest, and you are to deny yourselves; you are to rest on your Shabbat from evening the ninth day of the month until the following evening.” [5]

I write this on the eve before the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur.  For those who want to learn more of this appointed time with YHVH, you can go to the following sites:
·          www.jewfaq.org/holiday4.htm;

Of course, there are many others, you can do the search yourself, but this epistle isn't about the facts, the rituals, the prayers; it is about what Yom Kippur is: a defining moment in our lives.  Let me explain…
                This past year has been a challenge for me. I have seen three ministries, ministries run by men that I care about, ministries that had been set up to help men and women recover from drug and alcohol addictions and the related problems of these addictions close their doors due to health issues on one hand and on the two other, heart issues when the ministers in charge slipped back into the bondage of the sin they were helping others out of.  I have seen issues in my own life, with members of my family, turn down roads that only God can help those involved switch direction and find light again.  I have had issues in my own walk that YHVH has been dealing with me, to correct and change me as He wants…
                Why do you, dear beloved reader, read this blog, or any blog for that matter?  Is it because you think the writer has an insight that will help you in your walk or is there another reason?  I hope you read mine for this reason: that I am just like you. A searcher, a sojourner that is reaching out for truth just like you are.  I am flawed: this past year I have dealt with anger; depression; had forgiveness issues; harbored “baseless hatred” in my heart and other problems.  I have also had unspeakable joy, peace, mercy and grace shown to me by HaShem; had wonderful lessons taught to me by the Ruach HaKodesh; and I have experienced the comfort of the Messiah Yeshua, even when I've veered off course.
                So you see, I hope I’m just like you – and that is why you read my blog – that we can travel this road to find Mashiach[6] together, that we can sit at the gates of Yerushalayim and talk of the greater things of God and raise the heavens with praise and thankfulness.  Yet, here on the eve of Yom Kippur, I have to speak to you, to encourage you, to edify you to seek His face today and to let repentance wash over you so that our journey together next year will be one of unlimited potential as we reach out for truth and the love of Yahveh.

                Mashiach awaits; He awaits the day He shall return, in all honor and glory:
Mattiyahu (Matthew) 13:31-52 CJB
31 Yeshua put before them another parable. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed which a man takes and sows in his field.
32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up it is larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the birds flying about come and nest in its branches.”
33 And he told them yet another parable. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with a bushel of flour, then waited until the whole batch of dough rose.”
34 All these things Yeshua said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without using a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet,
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will say what has been hidden since the creation of the universe.”h
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His talmidim[7] approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world. As for the good seed, these are the people who belong to the Kingdom; and the weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One. 39 The enemy who sows them is the Adversary, the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all the things that cause people to sin and all the people who are far from Torah; 42 and they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where people will wail and grind their teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let him hear!
44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, hid it again, then in great joy went and sold everything he owned, and bought that field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for fine pearls. 46 On finding one very valuable pearl he went away, sold everything he owned and bought it.
47 “Once more, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net thrown into the lake, that caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen brought the net up onto the shore, sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad fish away. 49 So it will be at the close of the age—the angels will go forth and separate the evil people from among the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will wail and grind their teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered. 52 He said to them, “So then, every Torah-teacher who has been made into a talmid for the Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of a home who brings out of his storage room both new things and old.” [8]

Matthew 16:24-27 (NET)
16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower,32 he must deny33 himself, take up his cross,34 and follow me.
 16:25 For whoever wants to save his life35 will lose it,36 but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 16:26 For what does it benefit a person37 if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?
16:27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father,
and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.38 [9]

15 “So when you see the abomination that causes desolation spoken about through the prophet Dani’el standing in the Holy Place”g (let the reader understand the allusion), 16 “that will be the time for those in Y’hudah to escape to the hills. 17 If someone is on the roof, he must not go down to gather his belongings from his house; 18 if someone is in the field, he must not turn back to get his coat. 19 What a terrible time it will be for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that you will not have to escape in winter or on Shabbat. 21 For there will be trouble then worse than there has ever been from the beginning of the world until now, and there will be nothing like it again!h 22 Indeed, if the length of this time had not been limited, no one would survive; but for the sake of those who have been chosen, its length will be limited.
23 “At that time, if someone says to you, ‘Look! Here’s the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ don’t believe him. 24 For there will appear false Messiahs and false prophets performing great miracles—amazing things!—so as to fool even the chosen, if possible. 25 There! I have told you in advance! 26 So if people say to you, ‘Listen! He’s out in the desert!’ don’t go; or, ‘Look! He’s hidden away in a secret room!’ don’t believe it. 27 For when the Son of Man does come, it will be like lightning that flashes out of the east and fills the sky to the western horizon.
28 Wherever there’s a dead body, that’s where you find the vultures.
29 “But immediately following the trouble of those times,
the sun will grow dark,
the moon will stop shining,i
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in heaven will be shaken.j
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, all the tribes of the Land will mourn,k and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with tremendous power and glory.l 31 He will send out his angels with a great shofar;m and they will gather together his chosen people from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. [10]

Daniel 7:13-14 (NASB95)
13     “I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a aSon of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
14     And to Him was given adominion,
Glory and 1ba kingdom,
cThat all the peoples, nations and men of every 2language
Might serve Him.
dHis dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
eAnd His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed. [11]

                Yeshua, the Son of Man, will return one day on Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets, and will preside over the judgment; the books shall be opened and we all shall be judged by what is written in them. But what is it that condemns or condones?

Matthew 7:1-5 (HCSB)
7     “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. a 2 For with the judgment you use, b you will be judged, and with the measure you use, c it will be measured to you. d 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? e 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. [12]

Isaiah 65:2-7 (NET®)
65:2 I spread out my hands all day long to my rebellious people,
who lived in a way that is morally unacceptable,
and who did what they desired.4
65:3 These people continually and blatantly offend me5
as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards6
and burn incense on brick altars.7
65:4 They sit among the tombs8
and keep watch all night long.9
They eat pork,10 and broth11 from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans.
65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!
Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’
These people are like smoke in my nostrils, like a fire that keeps burning all day long.
65:6 Look, I have decreed:12
I will not keep silent, but will pay them back; I will pay them back exactly what they deserve,13
65:7 for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,”14 says the Lord.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and offended15 me on the hills,
I will punish them in full measure.”16 ([13])

Mat 12:30-37 OJB
The one not with me [Moshiach] is against me [anti-Moshiach]. And the one not gathering with me scatters.  (31)  Therefore, I say to you, every chet (sin) and gidduf (blasphemy) will be forgiven men, but whoever commits Chillul Hashem[14] against the Ruach Hakodesh will not be forgiven.  (32)  And whoever speaks a word against the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] will be granted selicha (forgiveness), but whoever speaks against the Ruach Hakodesh, selicha will not be granted him either in the Olam Hazeh or in the Olam Habah(33)  Either make the etz (tree) tov (good) and its pri (fruit) will be tov, or make the etz nishchat (corrupt) and its pri will be rah[15]; for by its pri the etz is known.  (34)  You banim of nechashim (sons of snakes), how are you able to speak tovot (good things), for out of the abundance of the lev (heart) the mouth speaks.  (35)  The ish tov (good man) out of the good otzar (treasure) brings forth good; and the ish rah out of the evil otzar brings forth evil.  (36)  But I say to you, that for every careless lashon horah (evil speech) that men speak, they will be called to account on the Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment). 
(37)  For by your dvarim[16] you will be pronounced tzodek (righteous), and by your dvarim you will be charged with guilt.[17]

Matthew 12:37 (JNT)
37
 “…for by your own words you will be acquitted, and by your own words you will be condemned…” [18]

Our own words condemn us, our thoughts, attitudes and deeds.  Measure for measure, the scales are weighed, the books are opened and the judgment is set.  Thus, this is why I say that Yom Kippur is a defining moment.

What is a defining moment? Well, we can call it by different names -  life-changing events, milestones, crisis points, opportunities, misfortunes, pivot points…

The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as:

“…the point at which a situation is clearly seen to start to change…”[19]

Another way to put it is:

“…an event that typifies or determines all subsequent related occurrences..”[20]

Mel Schwartz (LCSW, M.Phil., psychotherapist, marriage counselor, executive coach, author and seminar leader), writes of a defining moment as this:

“…From time to time, many of us tend to experience an occasional insight. An insight is simply the ability to change our filter and look at things differently. In moments of insight, there's a sudden burst of clarity where there had previously been static; there is an epiphany of movement. It's the a-ha moment. When we are firmly entrenched in our beliefs and rooted in our certainty, we're not typically open to insights. To have an insight we need to temporarily suspend our beliefs and open to new possibilities. We're not so much working on the insight as we are creating the groundwork for it to come forth. In other words, we're getting out of our own way, and opening to new considerations. Without insights we're shackled to a fixed and stagnating reality in which little changes. It tends to look as if life is just replaying itself, day in and day outDefining moments occur when we direct our lives onto a new pathway, borne of an illuminating insight and an expanded awareness. Defining moments stand out in singularity and literally redefine our lives. This process moves us from the mental breakthrough of the moment into a state of action. Sustaining the defining moment requires a foundational shift in our lives. There is ordinarily a state of inertia at work, whereby we tend to slip back into the familiar zone. Therefore, making a commitment is truly essential to maintaining the change…”[21]

While I usually hesitate to include psychology in any study about God, for the ways of man are usually in detriment to God’s ways, I find his definition surprisingly enlightened.  One other thought he had was this:

“…Defining moments speak to the deeper underlying 

questions and struggles of our lives…[22]

Coming to God in repentance and humility on Yom Kippur is to literally redefine our lives.  For too long we have walked our own ways, thought our own thoughts and failed to take responsibility for our own actions. We struggle in the throes of life - with death, with love, with loneliness, with anger, with pride, with our finances, with all the things we consider wants and needs – and yet we fail to recognize that every year we put off the atonement that God  has offered us for our lives, the next year is just a compound of the problems we had hoped to leave behind. Schwartz is right when he says “Defining moments speak to the deeper underlying questions and struggles of our lives”: the deepest underlying question and struggle in our life is the one that keeps us from God.

                Measure for measure, we strive with this mortal existence, never seeming able to break free from the shackles that bind us.  Like the pastors I mentioned in the beginning of this epistle, they sought to help others without conquering the demons in their own lives, and the stresses of life became too much, and they fell away.  It is the true repentance of our hearts, with coming before the Living God and confessing that we have sinned against Him alone and that we throw ourselves upon His mercy that becomes our defining moment – where all things begin to change…

My struggles are not unique.  What I have found is the Torah which gives me strength to endure the problems of life, and a way to walk – as my Messiah walked.  Our nation is in turmoil, for there is no moral compass upon which its leaders follow.  Yet, is it our leaders who have failed, or is it us, the citizens who have failed to set their priorities straight and walk in the atonement of God?  We think in the Western Church that the “Feasts of the Lord” are ancient Jewish rituals, all bound up in “Legalism” because they stem from the “Law”…, but go back to Leviticus 23 again..

Leviticus 23:1 (NET®)
23:1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 23:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them,
 ‘These are the Lord’s appointed times which you must proclaim as holy assemblies –
 MY appointed times:1 ([23] )emphasis added

These appointed times belong to God.  They are for all who call upon the name of God. On Yom Kippur we need to be as Daniel:

Daniel 9:1-19 (NASB95)
1              In the first year of aDarius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans—
2              in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to aJeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, aseventy years.
3              So I 1gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
4              I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said,
“Alas, O Lord, the agreat and awesome God, who bkeeps His covenant and lovingkindness
for those who love Him and keep His commandments,
5              awe have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and brebelled,
even cturning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.
6              “Moreover, we have not alistened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.
7              “aRighteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us 1bopen shame, as it is this day—
to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in call the countries to which You have driven them,
because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.
8              “1Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers,
 because we have sinned against You.
9              “To the Lord our God belong acompassion and forgiveness,
1for we have brebelled against Him;
10           nor have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God,
to walk in His 1teachings which He aset before us through His servants the prophets.
11           “Indeed aall Israel has transgressed Your law (Torah) and turned aside, not obeying Your voice;
so the bcurse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him.
12           “Thus He has aconfirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our 1brulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has cnot been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem.
13           “As it is written in the alaw of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have bnot 1sought the favor of the Lord our God by cturning from our iniquity and 2giving attention to Your truth.
14           “Therefore the Lord has 1akept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is brighteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.
15           “And now, O Lord our God, who have abrought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have bmade a name for Yourself, as it is this day—
we have sinned, we have been wicked.
16           “O Lord, in accordance with all Your 1righteous acts, let now Your aanger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your bholy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a creproach to all those around us.
17           “So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for 1Your sake, O Lord, alet Your face shine on Your bdesolate sanctuary.
18           “O my God, aincline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and bsee our desolations and the city which is ccalled by Your name; for we are not 1dpresenting our supplications before You on account of 2any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion.
19           “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, ado not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”[24]

                We need to speak this way today, for does not the Scriptures say that we, who are called by His name, are grafted into Israel? Are we not part of the ones spoken of by Daniel as “…those who are nearby and those who are far away in call the countries to which You have driven them…”? How many of us have heard this supplication:

2 Chronicles 7:12-14 (NASB95)
12     Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and ahave chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
13     “aIf I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,
14     aand My people 1who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. [25]

How many pastors have cried out this passage, how many congregations have wept at these words, wanting God to heal America, yet they didn't read far enough to see how it was to be done:

2 Chronicles 7:15-22 (NASB95)
15     “aNow My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the 1prayer offered in this place.
16     “For anow I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
17     “As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked,
even to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My ordinances,
18     then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘1aYou shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’
19     “aBut if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them,
20     athen I will uproot you from My land which I have given 1you,
and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight
and I will make it ba proverb and a byword among all peoples.
21     “As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘aWhy has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’
22     “And they will say, ‘Because athey forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.’ ” [26]

Or what about this supplication?

Hos 4:1-6 The Scriptures 1998+
(1)  Hear the word of יהוה, you children of Yisra’ĕl, for יהוה has a case against the inhabitants of the land: “For there is no truth or kindness or knowledge of Elohim in the land.  (2)  “Swearing, and lying, and murdering, and stealing, and committing adultery have increased. And bloodshed follows bloodshed.  (3)  “Therefore the land mourns, and everyone living there languishes, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens. And the fish of the sea are taken away.  (4)  “However, let no one strive or reprove another, for your people are like those striving with a priest.  (5)  “And you shall stumble in the day, and the prophet shall also stumble with you in the night. And I shall make your mother perish. 
(6)  “My people have perished for lack of knowledge…”[27]

Many pastors have lamented over the lack of knowledge in those they serve, yet they also have not read far enough…

“…Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being priest for Me. Since you have forgotten the Torah[28] of your Elohim, I also forget your children…

 Both instances speak of what we don’t do – follow God’s Law, His Torah – and what subsequently occurs when a nation turns away from God. 

                Not only do we as individuals need the atonement of Yom Kippur, but so does our nation.  The Jewish priests would sacrifice 70 bulls on the up-coming Feast of Sukkot, one for the sins of each nation.  When the Temple was destroyed by the Romans (the nations), the way of our atonement as a nation was destroyed also.  Individually, there is the blood of Messiah, but only if we follow Him and His ways.  Read your Bible again – the biggest word in the Scriptures is “IF”… You need to understand; let him who has ears hear, and he who has eyes see.

                Defining moments: 
“…the point at which a situation is clearly seen to start to change…”[29] or
“…an event that typifies or determines all subsequent related occurrences..”[30] 

Where are you today?  Are you ready for a defining moment that will change your destiny? Can you bow your heart and knees to the Lord of Glory, the Ancient of Days?  Will you acknowledge the sacrifice and resurrection of Yeshua, His Messiah?  Are you ready for Yom Kippur?
                                        
Brethren: it is time we got on the same page as God, for there is no other way but His way.  Define the moment, bow your heart, repent today for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

To He who sits on the Throne and His Messiah Yeshua at His Right Hand
be all the honor, glory and power, Amein…

May He richly bless you this day my beloved
Amein and Amein




[1]Authors note: Use of information from Jewish-themed websites should not be construed as these sites endorsing or confirming any thesis introduced by the author of this epistle. I present the information from their respective sites for instructional purposes only and/or to aid in the readers understanding of the subjects discussed.
[2] Author’s note:  Throughout this study I’ll be using the Net® Bible and the Net® Notes: within the notes you’ll see symbols like this: ( א B Ψ 892* 2427 sys). These are abbreviations used by the NetBible© for identifying the principal manuscript evidence that they (authors and translators of the NetBible©) used in translating the New Testament. Please go to https://bible.org/netbible/ and see their section labeled “NET Bible Principals of Translation” for a more complete explanation on these symbols and other items pertinent to the way the NET Bible uses them.
[3] Author’s Note: In these studies I have used the notes that come along with the passages I cite from the sources that I cite: these need a bit of a disclaimer though. As in all things, not everything that is footnoted is something that I necessarily agree with, especially if it contradicts what I believe pertains to any matters of the Torah or the commandments of God. I give you the notes as they are written by the authors of the material I cite from, so that you can see the information contained within them. It truly is not my place to edit or correct them; if they state anything that is in opposition to what I teach, then so be it. I will address these issues if requested, but for the sake of brevity (as if any of these posts of mine are brief ) I insert them and let them stand as they are. If I don’t agree with them, why do I include them you might ask? I don’t believe in censuring anyone’s opinions or scholarship; as I would not want mine censured, so I will not do to that to another. As Rabbi Hillel once stated, “What is hateful to you, do not do to another. That is the whole Torah. Go and learn it.” Torah leads me to respect others, even if I disagree; it leads me to present both sides of the coin, even if it could mean I’d lose part of the argument. That is not to say I should not challenge something I believe contradicts the truth of God’s word; that I will do in the main body of my epistles; that is where my gentle dissent belongs. Most (but not all) of the differences will come when I quote from the NET® Bible (but not exclusively); it has a decidedly Western/Greek mindset to it, but as a wise man once said “How do you eat chicken? Swallow the meat and spit out the bones...” I do though want to present the NET® notes because there is a wealth of information and research contained within them that I hope you find helpful.
[4] Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible: an English version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B’rit Hadashah (New Testament) (1st ed., Le 23). Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications.
[5] …Ibid… Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible: an English version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B’rit Hadashah (New Testament) (1st ed., Le 23:26–32). Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications.
[6] “Messiah”
h Psalm 78:2
[7] talmid, fem. talmidah, pl. talmidim
tal•mid, fem. tal•mi•dah, pl. tal•mi•dim—disciple, student. The relationship between a talmid and his rabbi was very close: not only did the talmid learn facts, reasoning processes and how to perform religious practices from his rabbi, but he regarded him as an example to be imitated in conduct and character (see Mat_10:24-25; Luk_6:40; Joh_13:13-15; 1Co_11:1). The rabbi, in turn, was considered responsible for his talmidim (Mat_12:2; Luk_19:39; Joh_17:12). Mat_5:1+. [Complete Jewish Bible Pronunciation Guide, e-Sword® version 10.3.0, ©2000-2014 Rick Meyers]
[8] Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible: an English version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B’rit Hadashah (New Testament) (1st ed., Mt 13:31–52). Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications.
32 tn Grk “to come after me.”
33 tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.
34 sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.
35 tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 25–26).
36 sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.
37 tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.
38 sn An allusion to Pss 28:4; 62:12; cf. Prov 24:12.
·                     End “NET®” notes
[9]  Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press.
g Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11
h Joel 2:2, Daniel 12:1
i Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 2:10; 3:4(2:31); 4:15(3:15)
j Isaiah 34:4; Haggai 2:6, 21
k Zechariah 12:10–14
l Daniel 7:13–14
m Isaiah 27:13
[10] Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible: an English version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B’rit Hadashah (New Testament) (1st ed., Mt 24:15–31). Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications.
a  Matt 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; Rev 1:7, 13; 14:14
a  Dan 7:27; John 3:35; 1 Cor 15:27; Eph 1:20–22; Phil 2:9–11; Rev 1:6; 11:15
1  Or sovereignty
b  Dan 2:37
c  Ps 72:11; 102:22
2  Lit tongue
d  Mic 4:7; Luke 1:33
e  Heb 12:28
[11]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
a  7:1-5 Mk 4:24-25; Lk 6:37-42
b  7:2 Lit you judge
c  7:2 Lit you measure
d  7:2 Mk 4:24; Lk 6:38; Rm 2:1; 14:10; Jms 2:13
e  7:3 Lk 6:41; Jn 8:7-9
[12]  The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2003. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
·                     [The following notes are taken from the NET Bible® footnotes, copyright (c) 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press L.L.C. All rights reserved. Used by permission from www.bible.org. Numbering system is unique to NET® Notes..  For more information see footnote #2 and 3.]
4 tn Heb “who walked [in] the way that is not good, after their thoughts.”
5 tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”
6 tn Or “gardens” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
7 tn Or perhaps, “on tiles.”
8 sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.
9 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and in the watches they spend the night.” Some understand נְּצוּרִים (nétsurim) as referring to “secret places” or “caves,” while others emend the text to וּבֵין צוּרִים (uven tsurim, “between the rocky cliffs”).
10 tn Heb “the flesh of the pig”; KJV, NAB, NASB “swine’s flesh.”
11 tc The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, reads מְרַק (méraq, “broth”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has פְרַק (feraq, “fragment”).
12 tn Heb “Look, it is written before me.”
13 tn Heb “I will pay back into their lap.”
14 tn Heb “the iniquities of your fathers.”
15 tn Or perhaps, “taunted”; KJV “blasphemed”; NAB “disgraced”; NASB “scorned”; NIV “defied”; NRSV “reviled.”
16 tn Heb “I will measure out their pay [from the] beginning into their lap,” i.e., he will give them everything they have earned.
·         End “NET®” notes
[13]Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Is 65:2-7). Biblical Studies Press.
[14] Chillul haShem (Hebrewחילול השם‎ desecration of the Name), meaning desecration of the name of God..)
[15] רַע mean, trouble, wickedness, wrong, bad, evil, evil occurrence, misfortune bad, disaster [see Isa_28:29 ]
[16] words
[17] Phillip E. Goble. The Orthodox Jewish Bible: Tanakh and Orthodox Jewish Brit Chadasha. 4th edition. Afi Intl Pub, 2010.
[18]  Stern, D. H. (1989). Jewish New Testament : A translation of the New Testament that expresses its Jewishness (1st ed.). Jerusalem, Israel; Clarksville, Md., USA: Jewish New Testament Publications.

[22] …Ibid…
1 tn Heb “these are them, my appointed times.”
sn The term מוֹעֵד (moed, rendered “appointed time” here) can refer to either a time or place of meeting. See the note on “tent of meeting” (אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ohel moed) in Lev 1:1.
·         End “NET®” notes
[23]Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Le 23:1-2). Biblical Studies Press.
a Dan 5:31; 11:1
a 2 Chr 36:21; Ezra 1:1; Jer 25:11, 12; 29:10; Zech 7:5
a 2 Chr 36:21; Ezra 1:1; Jer 25:11, 12; 29:10; Zech 7:5
1 Lit set my face
a Deut 7:21; Neh 9:32
b Deut 7:9
a 1 Kin 8:48; Neh 9:33; Ps 106:6; Is 64:5–7; Jer 14:7
b Lam 1:18, 20
c Ps 119:176; Is 53:6; Dan 9:11
a 2 Chr 36:16; Jer 44:4, 5
a Jer 23:6; 33:16; Dan 9:18
1 Lit the shame of face
b Ps 44:15; Jer 2:26, 27; 3:25
c Deut 4:27
1 Lit The shame of face
a Neh 9:17; Ps 130:4
1 Or though
b Ps 106:43; Jer 14:7; Dan 9:5, 6
1 Or laws
a 2 Kin 17:13–15; 18:12
a Is 1:3, 4; Jer 8:5–10
b Deut 27:15–26
a Is 44:26; Jer 44:2–6; Lam 2:17; Zech 1:6
1 Lit judges who judged us
b Job 12:17; Ps 82:2–7; 148:11
c Lam 1:12; 2:13; Ezek 5:9
a Lev 26:14–45; Deut 28:15–68; Dan 9:11
b Job 36:13; Is 9:13; Jer 2:30; 5:3
1 Lit softened the face of
c Jer 31:18
2 Or having insight into
1 Lit watched over the evil
a Jer 31:28; 44:27
b Ps 51:14; Dan 9:7
a Deut 5:15
b Neh 9:10; Jer 32:20
1 Lit righteousnesses
a Jer 32:31, 32
b Ps 87:1–3; Dan 9:20; Joel 3:17; Zech 8:3
c Ezek 5:14
1 Lit the sake of the Lord
a Num 6:24–26; Ps 80:3, 7, 19
b Lam 5:18
a Is 37:17
b Ps 80:14
c Jer 7:10–12
1 Lit causing to fall
d Jer 36:7
2 Lit our righteousnesses
a Ps 44:23; 74:10, 11
[24] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Da 9:1–19). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
c Deut 4:27
a Deut 12:5, 11
a 2 Chr 6:26–28
a 2 Chr 6:37–39; James 4:10
1 Lit over whom My name is called
[25]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (2 Ch 7:12-14). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
a 2 Chr 6:20, 40
1 Lit prayer of this place
a 2 Chr 7:12
1 Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man
a 1 Kin 2:4; 2 Chr 6:16
a Lev 26:14, 33; Deut 28:15
a Deut 29:28; 1 Kin 14:15
1 Ancient versions and Heb read them
b Deut 28:37
a Deut 29:24–27
a Judg 2:13
[26]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (2 Ch 7:15-22). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[27] Institute for Scripture Research - ISR. The Scriptures 1998 Bible. Electronic Edition, e-Sword v.10.2.1 by Rick Myers. Institute for Scripture Research - ISR, 1998.
[28] The word “law” occurs throughout the Messianic Scriptures, usually in reference to the Torah, in whole or in part. In this respect, our comments above (Law - In the Tanaḵ) should be considered as a background to the correct understanding of the usage of those who wrote the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament). However, a number of other points should also be borne in mind, viz.:

(1) Firstly, the text underlying all translations made today is Greek, not Hebrew, although the original Semitic structures and thought-patterns underlying the Greek text are frequently still discernible in the Greek text. This means that Greek words like nomos (law) may also represent expressions or ideas other  than Torah from time to time in the Messianic Scriptures. Thus, in Romans 7,8, the word “law” sometimes refers to the “Torah”, the Law of יהוה, the first five books of the Tanaḵ (Old Testament), as in Rom 7:14, Rom 7:16, Rom 7:22; Rom 8:3-4, Rom 8:7, but other times it refers to something else such as a body of rules or a fixed system or pattern of behaviour, as in Rom 7:21, Rom 7:23; Rom 8:2.
Both usages appear together in Rom 7:25, where the “law” of sin, i.e. the “fixed behaviour pattern” of sin (sin is “Law-breaking”- 1 Yoḥanan 3:4 / 1Jo 3:4) is contrasted with the “Torah” of Elohim. The expression “the law of sin and death” in Rom 8:2 is not a reference to the Torah as such, but to the system of sin and death in those who are walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit (Rom 8:1-2, Rom 8:6-7).

(2) There are times when nomos (law) is used to refer to a portion of the Torah such as that which applies to the Lĕwitical Priesthood, or to the Set-apart Place (K.J.V. “Sanctuary”), and a failure or refusal to see this could lead to the erroneous conclusion that the Torah / Law given at Sinai has been annulled, abolished, done away, or at least been changed, when in fact this is not the case at all! ( Mattithyahu 5:17-20 / Mat 5:17-20). An example of this is in Iḇrim 7:12 / Heb 7:12. The King James Version puts it this way: “For the priesthood being changed,  there is made of necessity a change also of  the law.”
Since the “change” referred to is in reference to the “scaling down” from the heavenly original to the earthly shadow-copy (see Iḇrim 8:1,2,5 / Heb 8:1-2, Heb 8:5), from a system in which the High Priest is eternal to one in which the human high priest keeps dying and having to be replaced by another, it would be wrong to see this verse as a proof-text for the position that the Torah / Law given at Sinai has been changed. A careful look at the context makes abundantly clear the fact that the order of Malkitseḏeq preceded that of Lĕwi, even as the heavenly Set-apart Place preceded that of the earthly one. The fact that יהושע began his High Priestly duties in the heavenly Set-apart Place after his death on Golgotha does not mean that  the heavenly system only came into being at that time. The point made in Iḇim 7:12 / Heb 7:12 is that the present earthly / shadow-copy / “scale model” cannot produce perfection. Perfection requires nothing less than the ministry of “such a Kohĕn ha Gadol (High Priest), who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Greatness in the heavens, and who serves in the set-apart place and of the true Tent, which יהוה set up, and not man” Heb 8:1-2). [Institute for Scripture Research - ISR. The Scriptures 1998 Bible Explanatory Notes©. Institute for Scripture Research - ISR, 1998.] 

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