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| Mitswah – His Terms and Conditions (2) |
What follows is a treatise on the Sabbath, on our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Spiritual Mother, as well as how to behave spiritually and morally. On the second of the two tablets Yahowah etched in stone with His own finger, He wrote the following Seven Instructions, beginning with:
“Remember (zakar – recall, reflect upon, recognize, mark, memorialize, mention, proclaim, and be earnestly mindful) that the Sabbath (‘eth ha shabat – the seventh day, the time of promise where our debts are settled so we can settle down with Him based upon the oath of the) day (yowm) is set apart (qadash – is separated unto God for purifying and cleansing and thus special (piel stem (where the object endures the action) infinitive construct (serving as a verbal noun))). (20:8)
Six (shesh – speaking of that which is bleached white or adorned in fine linen) days (yowmym) you can actually and continuously work (‘abad – you can labor (qal stem and imperfect conjugation)) and (wa) you can genuinely engage in the totality of (‘asah – you can do all of, prepare and produce the full extent of, fashion and finish, advance, assign, and accomplish, institute, celebrate, and actually act upon (qal stem perfect conjugation)) all of (kol – the entirety of) your service of representing the Messenger and proclaiming the message (mala’kah – your usefulness as a spiritual envoy; from mal’ak – spiritual messenger and heavenly envoy). (20:9)
But (wa) the seventh (shaby’y – the solemn promise which fulfills and satisfies those who listen and are observant of the role of the seventh) day (yowm), the Sabbath (ha shabat – the seventh day, the time of observance, of rest and reflection, and of ceasing and desisting from ordinary labor to consider the promise to settle all disputes and settle down with) of (la – associated with so as to approach) Yahowah (), your God (‘elohym), you should never actually engage in (lo’ ‘asah – you should not habitually do, consistently prepare or produce, and you should not consistently fashion or finish, advance or assign, accomplish or act upon (qal stem imperfect conjugation)) any part of (kol) the work of God’s Representative and Messenger (mala’kah – from mal’ak, the ministry and mission of the heavenly envoy, the Divine endeavors and labor of God’s corporeal manifestation) yourself (‘atah), your son (ben), your daughter (bat), your male and female servants and staff (‘ebed wa ‘amah – your employees and those men and women who work for and with you), your means of production (behemah – your animals and beasts of burden), as well as (wa) those visitors (ger – foreigners) who relationally (‘asher) are in your home, property, or community (ba sa’ar – are inside an area enclosed by a door or gate, a household, assembly, city, or nation). (20:10)
For indeed (ky – because) in six (shesh – symbolic of mankind being bleached white and purified on the sixth) days (yowmym) Yahowah () acted and engaged, preparing and producing everything associated with completing (‘asah – totally fashioning, instituting, advancing, accomplishing, doing, celebrating, and attending to the full extent of (qal stem perfect conjugation)) accordingly (‘eth) the heavens (ha shamaym – the spiritual realm) and the earth (wa ha ‘erets – the material world), and the seas (wa ha yam), and all (kol – everything) which relationally (‘asher) is in them (ba).
And (wa) He became completely settled (nuwach – He rested after settling all unresolved issues) during (ba) the Almighty’s seventh (ha shaby’y ‘al – God’s solemn promise which fulfills and satisfies those who listen and are observant of the role of the oath of the seventh) day (yowm).
Therefore (ken – consequently, this is true and correct) Yahowah () blessed and adored (barak – knelt down and lowered Himself to greet those He had created, and did everything to lift them up on (piel perfect)) everything associated with this day (‘eth ha yowm), the Sabbath (ha shabat – the seventh day, the time of observance, of rest and reflection, and of ceasing and desisting from ordinary labor to consider the promise God has made to settle our debts and settle us in His home on this), setting it apart (qodesh – separating it from others, dedicating it to separation, cleansing, and purifying).” (Shemowth / Names / Exodus 20:8-11)
We have been asked to follow Yahowah’s example, resting on the seventh day, so that we can remember and reflect upon the promise He has made, and subsequently fulfilled, to settle our debts, resolving every issue which has separated us. Considering what He has done to serve us on this day, especially on the Sabbath of Unleavened Bread in 33 CE, it’s not too much to ask.
While the superficial perspective on this instruction encourages us to cease working on the Sabbath, the deeper spiritual message is that Yahowah has promised to save us so long as we rest and rely on Him to do His job.
As with most everything Yahowah reveals, there is more to this, the First of Seven Instructions God etched in stone on how to live our lives than initially meets the eye. The title shabat Yahowah chose to describe the “seventh” day tells us that this is the time to “observe,” and thus carefully consider the “promise” His “sworn oath” is to save us.”
More than this, the Sabbath is about “nuwach – resting,” because God wants us to realize that we cannot earn our salvation. It is a gift, one whereby we must rely on Him to do everything which is required to redeem us. And He accomplishes this merciful result by way of “nuwach – settling” our debts so that we might become “qodesh – cleansed and purified,” and thereby be “set apart unto” Him. This in turn enables our Heavenly Father to “nuwach – settle” us in His home. It is the reason Shabat and the Ruwach are both described as: “qodesh – set-apart, purifying, and cleansing.”
God is also telling us that when it comes to our existence, and to life itself, He has a plan, one which He has and will continue to follow, and one which He wants us to understand. It is based upon six, which is symbolic of man who was created on the sixth day, in addition to God who is one, equaling the perfect result, represented throughout Scripture as seven. For example, there are seven Called-Out Assembly Meetings, six steps we must follow to receive God’s mercy: Passover, Unleavened Bread, FirstFruits, Seven Sabbaths, Trumpets, and Reconciliations. Collectively, these six steps lead to the Called-Out Assembly Meeting of Shelters, the seventh Festival Feast, where we are allowed to camp out with our Heavenly Father.
And lest we forget, by proclaiming the importance of observing the Sabbath, God has once again placed Himself in conflict with the world’s two most popular religions: Islam and Christianity, whose adherents pray and worship on Friday and Sunday. So I ask you: why do you suppose the founders of these religions collectively thumbed their noses at God’s instructions by selecting days on either side of the Sabbath? The answer, while unpopular, is obvious: Muhammad and Paul were opposed to God.
And please, don’t buy into the Christian myth that we “should worship God every day, making Sunday as good as any other.” Not only doesn’t God want to be worshiped, there is but one day, at the exclusion of all others, set apart to focus upon our relationship with Him. The Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans worshiped their false gods on Sunday, which is why Sunday Worship was mandated by Roman Catholicism in direct conflict with God’s instructions. There is absolutely no justification for it in Scripture.
But this leads to another question: do the billions of Muslims and Christians who thoughtlessly stumble into mosques and churches on Fridays and Sundays without resolving this conflict believe God is capricious (and thus unreliable), or that God has given religious clerics the authority to contradict Him? Or has their faith preempted thinking?
* * *
Before we consider the second of these Seven Instructions, I’d like to turn your attention to something Yahowsha’ said. In Mattanyah / Matthew 19:17 we read: “Teacher, teacher, what good and beneficial thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life? He said to him, ‘Why are you asking Me about what is good, healing, and beneficial? There is One who is healing and beneficial. So if you wish to enter into life, keep His instructions.’”
As we have learned, Yahowah saves. He is the source of eternal life. He is the one who has provided His Towrah to teach us, to instruct us, and to guide us. The Christian fixation on “Jesus” obscures the very message the Ma’aseyah, Himself, revealed. Even He told us not to focus on Him. And that being the case, why does anyone refer to themselves as a “Christian?”
But that was not the end of the discussion. “And he said to Him, ‘Which ones?’” Now if the Ma’aseyah Yahowsha’ had answered by reciting any of the three summary statements Yahowah had written on the first tablet, whereby He affirmed the terms of His Covenant, or had He quoted the previous instruction, He would have been killed prematurely for committing a crime punishable by death: saying Yahowah’s name. And that would have forestalled our salvation because Yahowsha’ had yet to fulfill Pesach, Matsah, or Bikuwrym.
Recognizing that He had already conveyed the message written on the first tablet in His initial answer, the Ma’aseyah specifically cited five of God’s Instructions in His follow up answer, citing six statements in all, which required a paraphrase of the intent of the final admonition: “And Yahowsha’ said, ‘You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your Father and Mother [both represented by Divine Placeholders in the oldest manuscripts]; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mattanyah / Yah’s Gift / Matthew 19:18-19)
This approach shows the Ma’aseyah Yahowsha’s support for the format we have observed. The two tablets are divided between three statements which present the terms of the Covenant and six plus one instructions. The notion of “Ten Commandments” is therefore unsupported.
And as I’ve already mentioned, the reason why Yahowsha’ didn’t actually include the first of the Seven Instructions—the one describing the importance of the Sabbath, is that He couldn’t, at least not without sacrificing His life for naught. You see, the rabbinical establishment of scribes, priests, Pharisees, and Sadducees, had made it a crime, punishable by death, to say Yahowah’s name. And as you may recall, Yahowah signed His name not once, but three times in the context of His First Instruction: “…the Sabbath of Yahowah your God,… For indeed in six days Yahowah completed the heavens and the earth…. Therefore Yahowah blessed and adored the Sabbath day, setting it apart.”
So if Yahowsha’ had recited this accurately, He would have been killed prematurely, outside of the context of Passover and Unleavened Bread. This would not only have caused Him to have given His life in vain, but by failing to fulfill the prophetic promises made about Him being the Lamb of God (a direct reference to Passover), it would also have disqualified Him as being the Ma’aseyah. Further, had He misquoted the Statements and Directions, adding or removing words, He would have violated the Towrah’s teaching regarding this very thing, and thus disqualified Himself as being the “perfect and unblemished” Lamb.
And should you be wondering, had Yahowsha’ usurped the freewill of those who would have assassinated Him for having pronounced Yahowah’s name, He would have violated the prime objective, which is to encourage people to freely choose to form a loving relationship with God. Moreover, Yahowah’s six plus one equals seven formula (mankind in addition to God results in perfection) which permeates every aspect of His instructions regarding our salvation should not be understated. By reciting the last six, Yahowsha’ highlighted this distinction. Also, by stating that paying attention to these Six Instructions resulted in eternal life, Yahowsha’ was affirming that there is a spiritual component to each instruction – one that we will carefully examine and consider.
As we have discovered, there are tremendous insights to be gleaned by those who go back in time and view the picture painted by the Ancient-Hebrew alphabet with which these instructions were initially inscribed. Shabat, written as שַׁבָּת by the Masoretes, and as by Moses, begins with the letter Shin, In paleo-Hebrew it was represented pictorially by teeth, and thus symbolized language and words, instructions and directions, in addition to nourishment. Affirming this legacy, “shama’ – listen” and “shamar – observe” both begin with Shin.
The second letter, Beyth, was depicted by a graphic representation of a sheltered enclosure or dwelling place, and it symbolized being part of a family which was protected inside of their home. Even today, beyth means “family and home,” and beryth, which is derived from it, designates the title of Yahowah’s “Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship.”
The final letter in shabat, Taw, was conveyed in Ancient Hebrew using an upright pillar with a horizontal support beam. It conveyed the ideas of an upright pillar which was designed to hold up and enlarge a tent, and especially the Tabernacle. It also represented a doorway, in addition to a mark, a sign, a symbol, and a signature—all of which are symbolic of Yahowsha’. And as a Theth, the final letter of Yah’s promise even more adroitly bears His signature and mark inside of His protective enclosure.
Therefore, the letters which form shabat convey: instructions regarding the doorway which provides access to God’s home, to being part of His family, to being sheltered and protected by the Upright One.
So now with the First of Seven Instructions set in stone, the Six which follow are ordered according to their significance—a fact suggested by the very next word God wrote: kabed – meaning “significant.” The Hebrew verb, which is habitually translated “honor” in the context of this instruction, literally means “heavy or weighty.” And yet while kabed and its derivatives appear 376 times in the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms, there are only two passages, both in Samuel, where it can be translated as such. On all other occasions we are required to render kabed symbolically, using phrases such as: “very significant, awesomely impressive, great, massive, enormous, valuable, beneficial, worthy of respect, honorable, or weighty in the sense of something which is especially important to consider carefully.” Therefore, with kebed, we are being alerted not only to the relative significance of the following direction, but also to God’s proclivity for symbolism.
The Second of Seven Instructions symbolically provides the following spiritual insights:
“Choose to carefully consider, view as worthy, enormously valuable, and significant, and elect to respect and honor (kabed – I want you of your own volition to perceive as awesomely impressive, intensely relevant, extremely great, massively important and glorious so as to influence and engage (written in the piel stem revealing that our Heavenly Father and Spiritual Mother are affected by and respond to our perceptions of them, and in the imperative mood which expresses a command or exhortation which is subject to volition)) accordingly the symbolism of (‘eth – that which is represented by) your Father (‘ab – biological, adoptive, or heavenly father) and (wa) that which is represented by your (‘eth – the symbolic nature of your) Mother (‘em – biological, adoptive, or spiritual mother) for the purpose of (le’ma’an) continuously lengthening (‘arak – choosing of your own volition to constantly elongating and always prolonging, growing and continuing (written in the hiphil stem, imperfect conjugation, and paragogic nun ending)) your days (yowm) within and upon the Almighty’s (‘al) land (‘adamah – ground; from ‘adam, the name of the first man created in God’s image) which relationally and as a blessing (‘asher) Yahowah (), your God (‘elohym), has actually given to you (natan la – has literally produced, provided, and genuinely bestowed freely to you as a gift (qal participle)).” (Shemowth / Names / Exodus 20:12)
Reinforcing the fact that something is different between this instruction and the four which have preceded it, this is the first and only time one of the verbs Yahowah etched in stone has been scribed in the imperative mood. It sets the guidance God is providing here apart from the affirmation of the Terms of His Covenant and His Sabbatical Plan of Salvation He has previously conveyed. By using the imperative, our Heavenly Father has revealed that He wants us to choose to engage in a family-oriented relationship with Him.
There are seven trillion reasons to fall in love with Yah, and while this isn’t leading the parade, it is nonetheless an important part of the chorus, at least for me. Sure, it’s a subtle thing, but so are many of the best things in life and learning. Here in this statement about our Father and Mother, the supposed “Commandment” least comfortable being rendered as a command, Yahowah interjects the imperative mood. By doing so, He has accomplished to two things – at least for those who are observant. First, He has revealed that not one of these ten statements was scribed as a “command.” And second, He has affirmed that the imperative mood serves as a means to expresses volition. This is what God wants, and He wants us to want it too.
Considering that these instructions are listed in order of their relevance, and that kabed is a symbolic term, as is ‘eth (the contracted form of ‘owth which is the Hebrew word for symbolism), this is one of many times where we are actually compelled to consider a verse metaphorically—making it an especially relevant one to analyze at this juncture.
As we approach this passage, seeking to understand it, remember, Yahowah just told us that fathers would corrupt their children by corrupting His testimony, so “carefully considering and respecting” what one’s human parents have to say would be counterproductive in this context. Further, our biological parents are seldom if ever “awesomely important, enormously great, or glorious.” Moreover, it would be extraordinarily unlikely that “honoring” our parents would add so much as a single day to the length of time most of us will spend in Yisra’el—which is the only land given to us by God. This observation is underscored by the fact it would be another forty years before anyone in this original audience would cross the Jordon River, thereby excluding most of them, while limiting the time the few who made the crossing would spend in the Promised Land. Considering all of these factors, a superficial interpretation of this instruction does not lead to a rational result.
Therefore, to derive the spiritual meaning of this divine prescription for living let’s consider the graphic symbols Yahowah used to write the most telling words in this instruction. Father is comprised of Aleph (א) and Beth (ב), the initial characters in the Hebrew alphabet—and indeed the origin of the English word. When we say “alphabet” we are essentially saying “father.” The א was originally drawn in the form of a ram’s head, which was symbolic of “power, might, leadership, and authority.” A ram represented the “ability to perform, doing whatever work was required.” In ancient Hebrew, the letter ב was shaped to depict a tent enclosure, and therefore it was symbolic of a “shelter, family, and home.” And thus we may infer that the “’ab – Father” being “represented” in the Instruction is the “Mighty One with the power and authority to build His home, doing the work required to shelter His family, and lead them” to the Promised Land: Our Heavenly Father.
The Hebrew word “’Em – Mother” begins the same way, with the original version of א, convey all of the power, authority, and capability symbolized by the ram. But then we must combine this with the Hebrew letter Mem (מ), which was originally drawn to depict the “life-sustaining and cleansing” properties of “water.” The letter was drawn to depict waves upon the sea. So we may conclude that the “Mother” depicted in this Godly instruction, who has the “power to impart life, the ability to sustain it, and the will to do whatever is required to cleanse Her children, perfecting them,” is: Our Spiritual Mother.
For those who may be thinking that I’m reaching here by referring to the symbolism inherent in the ancient Hebrew letters Yahowah actually etched in stone, you may find it comforting to know that of the eight Dead Sea Scroll parchments written in paleo Hebrew, seven of those were Torah manuscripts, which is where Yahowah’s Seven Instructions were written. And as we shall see as we dig deeper into Yahowah’s revelation, most every Hebrew word, name, and title, including God’s, are best understood when we consider the alphabet originally chosen to comprise them.
In this light, while most people are comfortable envisioning God as our Heavenly Father, relatively few are open to the realization that the Set-Apart Spirit (errantly depicted as the “Holy Spirit” or worse, the “Holy Ghost”) is maternal. And yet in Bare’shiyth / Genesis 1:27 Yahowah unequivocally revealed: “So God created ‘Adam in His image (tselem – resemblance, pattern, and model). In the image of the Almighty He created him. Male and female He created them.” God, therefore, in addition to being paternal has a maternal nature. And when we consider the three ways He manifests and describes Himself, as our “’ab – Father,” as the “ben – Son,” and in the form of the “ruwach qodesh – Set-Apart Spirit,” we find that only one of the three titles is feminine.
Moreover, in keeping with the alphabetic symbols which comprise “’em – Mother,” ruwach, a feminine noun, is defined as the “breath of life.” It is directly associated with ruwah, which means “to be completely covered and saturated with water.” Further, while the primary meaning of qodesh, the adjective which describes the Spirit’s nature, is “set-apart,” it routinely conveys the idea of “purifying and cleansing” someone or something so that they may exist in Yahowah’s presence and serve His purpose—further associating its etymology with the handwriting found on the Divine Instruction.
One last thought for those who might still cling to the notion that God is telling us to honor our birth mother as opposed to our Spiritual Mother. Speaking to Yisra’el through the prophet Hosea, Yahowah said: “Rebuke (rib - quarrel in a state of hostility, be in opposition and contend with) your mother, bring a lawsuit forth to prosecute her: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband.” (Hosea 2:2) Their mothers, like their fathers, had corrupted and ignored Yah’s advice, and had chased after false gods whom they called “the Lord,” and were thus leading their children astray.
So it is that by taking our time, considering all reasonable possibilities, and evaluating every pertinent clue, that we discover: by revering our Heavenly Father and Spiritual Mother, by carefully considering what God has to say, by seeing God as awesome and glorious, and by valuing God’s instructions, that our days can be elongated, continuing forever, enabling us to live in the Promised Land, itself a metaphor for heaven. And therein is not only the symbolic meaning behind God’s prescription for living, but also the only rational interpretation of this the Second of Seven Instructions.
This insight also explains why the previous Godly directive regarding our Heavenly Father and Spiritual Mother is more vital than: “You shall not murder, nor kill (lo’ rasah).” (Shemowth / These are the Names / Exodus 20:13) Just two words long, this is the Third of Seven Instructions. But by ignoring or corrupting, disregarding or twisting, Yahowah’s Torah, which includes the Terms and Conditions of His Covenant and Called-Out Meetings, many commit spiritual murder, foreshortening their own lives and those of their children. God is imploring us not to do that.
Before we move on, I’d be remiss if I didn’t resolve an issue which has become the subject of many heated debates. Those who say that God asked us not to commit “murder” are correct, but so are those who insist that He instructed us not to “kill.” The Hebrew word rasah can be translated either way. The ramifications are of course significant, especially as one considers what soldiers are asked to do in religiously and politically inspired wars.
This next Instruction, the Fourth of Seven, also compels us to consider its deeper, spiritual insights. “You shall not commit adultery (lo’ na’ap – you shall not be unfaithful and have relations with more than one marriage partner).” (Shemowth / Names / Exodus 20:14) “Na’ap – adultery” differs from “zana – illicit heterosexual relations” only in that the former speaks of violating the “beriyth – covenant marriage vow” upon which the whole of Scripture is based.
This is the fourth familial reference Yahowah has made. He has spoken of His concern that fathers fail to protect their children, of sons and daughters observing Shabat, of considering the full significance of our Heavenly Father and Spiritual Mother so that we might live forever in the place God has provided for us, and now, of being faithful in marriage. These references underscore our Heavenly Father’s affinity for His beriyth – Covenant – a word which is based upon beiyth, meaning “family, home, and household.” Yahowah’s beriyth – Covenant is therefore accurately defined as a familial relationship based upon a monogamous marriage vow and protective home environment. God’s objective in creating the universe is building and sheltering, enjoying and loving, His children, which is why family serves as His principle metaphor and the Covenant is Scripture’s operative term.
So it is by committing adultery that we shatter symbols dear to Yahowah’s heart: husbands and wives becoming fathers and mothers in faithful monogamous relationships akin to a marriage vow to conceive loving families, providing for their children in protective homes, nourishing them.
Again, before we press on, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that it was adultery, not homosexuality, that was addressed here. That is not to say that God is supportive of homosexual behavior; He isn’t. But it is to say that adultery is of far greater concern to Him. Christians, encapsulated in Pauline Doctrine, are prone to view homosexuality more harshly than adultery, and therefore lash out at homosexuals while ignoring their own behavior. In so doing, they miss the message God was conveying.
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Posted on Jun 02, 2012 22:05pm by admin
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| Mitswah – His Terms and Conditions |
In our quest to get to “yada’ – know” Yahowah even better, and to better “byn – understand” what He is offering and wants from us in return, this is an ideal time to consider the statements Yahowah wrote with His own hand. On the first of the two tablets, God summarized His message to humankind, providing an essential perspective from which to understand everything He would reveal to us in His Towrah. On the second, He taught us how to live our lives.
As always, these translations are amplified, providing you with a more complete rendering of Yahowah’s advice. In addition, they include the Hebrew words themselves, because it is vitally important that you take the time to verify their meanings. In all things you should trust God, not man (including me).
“And (wa) God (‘elohym – the Almighty) conveyed (dabar – communicated, spoke, and wrote, provided instruction and direction with) all of (kol) these statements, using words (dabar – statements and promises), providing perspective (‘eleh – from a relatively close vantage point) in our presence (‘eth – in association with us and in proximity to us), saying (‘amar – explaining, claiming, answering, counseling, warning, and promising):...”
Religious institutions are wont to call what follows “The Ten Commandments.” But according to “‘elohym – God Almighty,” their Author, He “dabar – conveyed and communicated” “dabar – statements using words.” These “statements” are not numbered, and He did not call them “commandments.” There are few things more relevant to developing a relationship with God than understanding this.
Then on the top right of the first of these two stone tablets, the Creator of the universe and Author of life, wrote...
“I am (‘anky) Yahowah (), your God (‘elohym – the Mighty One (suffixed in the second person singular), who relationally (‘asher – and who as a favor) brought you out and delivered you (yatsa’ – I descended to serve you, extending Myself to guide you, doing everything which is required to lead those who respond away) from the realm (min ‘erets – out of the land and region) of the crucible of Egypt (mitsraym – the smelting furnace where metals are refined and tested (a metaphor for judgment and oppression)), out of the house (min beyth – from the home, household, family, and place) of slavery (‘ebed – servitude, bondage, worship, and working for one’s salvation). You shall not exist with (lo’ hayah la – you shall not be moving towards) other (‘aher – someone else’s, different, extra, or additional) gods (‘elohym) in relation to (‘al – near, before, or in proximity to, or in addition to) My presence (paneh).” (Shemowth / Names / Exodus 20:2-3)
Please note: God began by introducing Himself, spelling out His name so that we might know it, etching “” in stone. He said that His Word would provide us with the perspective we would need to exist in His presence. He positioned Himself serving us, working as our savior and guide, personally leading us away from judgment and human oppression—from works-based salvation schemes. And all He asks in return—at least of those who wish to live in His presence—is that we respond to Him and recognize that He alone is God.
The first verb, “yatsa’ – I brought you out,” was scribed using the hiphil stem while bearing the perfect conjugation. By considering what they collectively convey, we come to better understand how we are expected to respond to what God is offering. With the hiphil stem the object of the verb, in this case those God was leading, participate in the action. In other words, to benefit from God’s willingness to deliver us from judgment we must recognize the offer and then respond. Such is the nature of the Covenant Relationship, where we must engage to participate. And such is the nature of our salvation, where we must answer Yah’s invitation and walk to God along the path He has provided.
By using the perfect conjugation, Yahowah is telling us that He has done everything that He can do, leaving nothing to be done. The perfect speaks of a completed action, irrespective of time. It reveals that God would, and now has, “descended to serve us, extending Himself to guide us, so that those who respond will be lead away from the crucible of human oppression and will be delivered from judgment.
Therefore, when we reflect the full implications of the way yatsa’ was written, God said: “I have done everything which is required to lead those who respond away” from the ill effects of subjugation.
Should you not see the symbolism of brace of “mitsraym – crucibles” representing human oppression and divine judgment, God spells it out for you with “beyth ‘ebed – the house of slavery and bondage.” The epitome of religious, political, military, and economic oppression is enslavement and servitude. And the consequence of judgment is the loss of freedom and incarceration.
The second verb, “hayah – to exist,” was modified with lo’, serving as a form of negation, thereby nullifying your existence. It was suffixed with la, a preposition meaning “to, toward, or concerning,” telling us that there is a consequence that will move us in one direction or another. In addition, hayah was suffixed in the third person singular: you, revealing that these words are all about us.
More than this, hayah was written in the qal stem and imperfect conjugation. This stem speaks of that which is genuine and actual, and should be interpreted literally as an expression of reality. That distinguishes from something which is hypothetical or symbolic. Therefore, it reads: “you literally will not exist.” As the voice of relationships, the qal reveals that the subject of the verb, which would be you and me, are subject to the verb’s action, which is the termination of our continued existence. That is to say that our soul’s survival is predicated upon our response to this statement.
In a world which has distanced itself from most overt expressions of paganism, this statement may not resonate sufficiently to save the religious. But here is the rub: The Christian “Lord Jesus Christ” was modeled after Bacchus, Dionysus, Osiris, and Tammuz, and not Yahowah, and thus he represents a different and additional god – albeit a false one. And worse, Allah’s persona is a perfect match for Satan.
Further, rather than using the perfect conjugation as God did with yatsa’, hayah was scribed in the imperfect. It conveys the idea that there is an ongoing and unfolding consequence of this statement which will endure throughout time. So, we out to be very careful in our observations and considerations.
The verb hayah is as important as any word in the whole of God’s Word. It literally serves as the basis of Yahowah’s name – explaining what it means. In Ancient Hebrew hayah was written . I see this telling us that how we respond to Yah’s “yad – hand” determines if we transcend or mortality. Said another way, those who observe what Yahowah has revealed to us in this life, as a result of what He has done, will get to live with Him in the next. And since this speaks of time, as does hayah itself, please note that this verb reads the same right to left as it does left to right. It is not stuck in the ordinary flow of grammar or time as we currently are, with us moving away from the past into the future. With Yah, the past, present, and future all exist as one.
Since the verb hayah means “to exist,” and speaks of “being” irrespective of time, by negating it as lo’ does in this case, the statement reveals that those who embrace other gods will “cease to exist.” And that is because false gods will never be tolerated in Yah’s presence. That is what hell is for, not heaven.
It is also telling that lo’ hayah-la ‘aher ‘elohym ‘al-paneh is a simple statement of fact. It isn’t a command, much less a commandment. Rather than commanding: “You must not go to Venus,” it is similar to saying: “You cannot breathe the air on Venus.”
I find it interesting that after mislabeling these statements as “Commandments,” religious institutions universally skip over Yahowah’s name, the relationship He established with us, and the role He personally plays in our salvation, only to misrepresent hayah to say “you shall not have” as opposed to “you shall not exist.” That is a lot of mistakes considering that we’ve only read the first twenty Hebrew words.
Here now is the second of the three statements Yahowah etched in stone on the first of the two tablets. As you consider God’s words, compare them to man’s truncated “You shall not make a graven image.”
“You should not ever do anything which associates yourself with (lo’ ‘asah la – you should never attend to, act upon, engage with, or profit from, you should never conceive or fashion on your behalf (qal imperfect – conveying a literal interpretation and ongoing implications)) a carved image or idol (pesel – a religious icon or object of worship representing any god), or any (kol) visual representation of something (tamunah – likeness, appearance, picture, drawing, painting, or form which depicts or resembles anything), which is (‘asher) in (ba) the heavens above (samaym min ma’al – the spiritual realm on high including the sun, moon, planets, and stars above), or (wa) which is (‘asher) on (ba) the earth (‘erets – land and ground, even the material realm) below (tahath), or (wa) which is (‘asher) in (ba) the waters (mayim) beneath the land (tahath ‘erets).
You should not ever not bow down and worship them or speak for them (lo’ hawah – you should never prostrate yourself in obeisance and homage to them, show any allegiance to them, or promote their message because doing so will influence you), and (wa) you shall not serve them (lo’ ‘abad – you should not work or labor in their cause as their ministers, nor should you submit to them in servitude, neither should you act upon them or engage with them).
For indeed (ky ¬– because and emphasizing this point), I (‘anky), Yahowah (), your God (‘elohy), am a zealous and jealous God (qana’ ‘el – a God who is desirous of exclusivity in a relationship, a God who is emotionally passionate and extremely protective of those He loves), counting and reckoning (paqad – literally taking stock of and actually recording, assigning, and depositing) the perversity and sin of twisting and distorting (‘awon – the depravity of perverting and manipulating, deviating from the way, the guilt and punishment derived from delusion and depravity, the liability for unfaithfulness and wrongdoing) of the fathers (‘ab) upon (‘al) the children (ben – sons) concerning (‘al) the third and the fourth generations (silesym wa ‘al ribea’) of those who genuinely hate and are hostile to Me (sane’ – of those who actually abhor, detest, and loathe Me, literally striving maliciously against Me, shunning Me).
But (wa) I will genuinely act and actually engage to literally prepare, perform, and produce (‘asah – I will actively effect and appoint, offer and celebrate, and I will demonstrate by doing what is required to deliver on behalf of those who respond) unmerited and unfailing mercy, unearned favor, and undeserved kindness (checed – steadfast and loyal love, a totally devoted and affectionate relationship, faithfulness and goodness) on behalf of (la’ – to enable the approach of) thousands (‘eleph) who move toward Me and love Me (la ‘ahab – who form a close and affectionate, loving and friendly, familial relationship with Me as a result of being concerned about Me and therefore come to know Me) and also (wa – in addition) who approach Me by closely observing and carefully considering (la shamar – who enter My presence by becoming observant and actually focusing upon, thoroughly examining, and thoughtfully evaluating) My terms (mitswah – the conditions of My Covenant, My authoritative directions and instructions which serve as prescriptions for My relationship agreement).” (Shemowth / These are the Names / Exodus 20:4-6)
Yahowah has asked us not to be religious. God is overtly opposed to religious imagery, opposed to religious behavior, and antagonistic toward religious service. He is intolerant of the promotion of any message associated with any god by any other name (and that would include Allah, Jehovah, the Lord, and Jesus Christ). This is because, more than anything, Yahowah is committed to developing a monogamous relationship with us. Endearing Himself to us, and protecting us, is the very essence of His nature—something He is passionate about, which is why He is personally engaged in our salvation.
For these reasons Yahowah warns us about the consequence of distorting, twisting, and perverting His message—something every religion has done. By corrupting His testimony, we condemn our own children—as they are then raised in a milieu of religious deceptions.
By contrast, God has affirmed in writing that those who “shamar – closely observe, who carefully examine, and who revere and rely upon His instructions,” will “checed – receive mercy—an unearned and undeserved gift” Yahowah has personally prepared and delivered. And yet, His unearned favor and unmerited kindness will be enjoyed by one in a million people. That is precisely what “thousands” among billions conveys. As such, all popular religions have been summarily excluded as a means to Divine mercy.
And should you want to be among the few who will benefit from Yahowah’s “checed – mercy,” please note: when God etched this advice in stone there was but one place where His “mitswah – the terms and conditions of His covenant contract” were written—the Towrah. According to God, the Torah is the source of “checed – unmerited, undeserved, unearned, and unfailing favor which leads to a loving relationship” with Him.
Before we press on and consider what more Yahowah etched in stone, I’d like the opportunity to more systematically review each of the four sections which comprise this sweeping summary statement. As we just read, God wrote: “You should not ever do anything which associates yourself with (lo’ ‘asah la – you should never attend to, act upon, engage with, or profit from, you should never conceive or fashion on your behalf (qal imperfect – conveying a literal interpretation and ongoing implications)) a carved image or idol (pesel – a religious icon or object of worship representing any god), or any (kol) visual representation of something (tamunah – likeness, appearance, picture, drawing, painting, or form which depicts or resembles anything), which is (‘asher) in (ba) the heavens above (samaym min ma’al – the spiritual realm on high including the sun, moon, planets, and stars above), or (wa) which is (‘asher) on (ba) the earth (‘erets – land and ground, even the material realm) below (tahath), or (wa) which is (‘asher) in (ba) the waters (mayim) beneath the land (tahath ‘erets).” (20:4)
Since these were written by God to teach us so that we might respond appropriately to Him, the verbs which are designed to guide our actions are especially important. Here ‘asah, which was negated by lo’, was written using the qal imperfect, which is to say that we “should never have anything to do” with God’s laundry list of religious objects. The qal stem dictates a literal interpretation, telling us that God is serious about us disassociating from the kind of images which permeate Christian churches, while the imperfect conjugation refers to any behavior that is ongoing over time. In addition to advising us “not to do something,” lo’ ‘asah also encourages us “not to act upon and not to engage with” these things. It says: “not to serve or profit from any association” with religious or political symbols.
While ‘asah can be translated “make, conceive, or fashion” using its secondary connotation, there are many Hebrew words which are far better suited to describe the act of conceiving, creating, building, carving, or engraving of an idol. For example, to carve in Hebrew is: qala’, chaqah, chatubah, miqla’ath, or charosheth. To engrave is: pituwach or pathach. To create is bara’. And to build is banah. So with so many words which more adeptly describe the construction of a religious icon, we ought not look to the secondary connotation of ‘asah to fill this role. And that brings us to its primary meaning, which when negated and then suffixed with la, tells us “not to ever do anything which associates ourselves with, to never attend to, to act upon, or to never engage with” a “pesel – object of worship.” Therefore, just because you never personally carved a crucifix, you are not exonerated if you worshipped in a church where a cross was present. And you’d be guilty of violating this instruction if you preached on behalf of the cross, pledged your allegiance to a flag, or felt patriotic while standing before a political statue in a national monument.
A “pesel – object of worship and religious icon” can come in many forms, from the wine and bread of Communion and the Eucharist, to the crosses or crucifixes which are on prominent display in most churches and cathedrals. And a “tamunah – visual representation and likeness” is especially all encompassing. It would include the pictures and busts on the walls and the images depicted in the stained glass windows. But if you look closely, especially in an orthodox church, you’ll notice how many references there are to the sun, moon, and stars, with circles around the crosses, halos above the heads of the saints, and starbursts embellishing objects used in church rituals. Not only are men and animals on display, both carved and painted, the Christian god is depicted as a man. But that is not the end of it. The pope wears a Dagon hat, symbolic of the fish god of old, and evangelicals often adorn their cars with an ICTHUS, which is also a fish from the waters beneath the land.
I’d like to think about something else, something I think is directly related to an “object of worship.” And that is the Christian caricature known as “the Lord Jesus Christ,” whereby god is not only modeled after pagan deities, this god was formed in the very image of man. His likeness is ubiquitous in places of worship and prostration. And he is most often adorned with a halo, symbolic of the sun.
Moving on to the second of the four statements, in this the second of three statements inscribed on the first of two tablets, we read: “You should not ever bow down and worship them or speak for them or to them (lo’ hawah la – you should never prostrate yourself in obeisance and homage to them, show any allegiance to them, or promote their message because doing so will influence you), and (wa) you should not serve them (lo’ ‘abad – you should not be coerced into working or laboring in their cause as their ministers, nor should you ever be beguiled into submitting to them in servitude, neither should you act upon them or engage with them).” (20:5)
This instruction is designed to clearly distinguish the kind of images Yahowah considers inappropriate, as well as to affirm that it is our response to these political and religious symbols, not the act of “making” them that is destructive to the relationship God is seeking to achieve. To engage in the Covenant we have to walk away from political, religious, and societal allegiances. And yet look how often people sing national anthems to their flag, pledging to serve what it represents. By standing at attention, removing our hats, and placing our hands over our hearts while others salute, we transform this political symbol replete with stars into an object of worship, and then we speak for it by bellowing out its anthem in the presence of roaring cheers. In America, the Lincoln Memorial is a shrine, a temple to man. And the Statue of Liberty, the national image of freedom to which countless patriots opine, is the Greek goddess Athena, complete with her light and sunburst crown.
Since it is our response to these pagan and political symbols which is at issue, we should not be surprised that there are two verbs in this brief statement. The first, hawah, was once again negated by lo’. It was inscribed in the imperfect because Yahowah realized that we “would make a habit of continually bowing down to, worshiping, and speaking for” the images mankind had crafted. But more than this, hawah was engraved using the hishtafel stem, something so rare it is only found 170 times in the Hebrew text. It is known as the causative reflexive form. And it reveals that the subject, which would be you and me, are influenced by the way we act with respect to the verb. Those who bow down in the presence of religious imagery will find themselves prostrate before God in judgment. Those who worship will be associated with the object of their faith. Those who speak for and promote the gods and institutions man has created will be seen as being allied with them. The truth is: religion and politics change people, just as the military does, in a way that displeases Yah, thereby disassociating those who fall prey to their beguiling nature from Him.
The most obvious, and indeed egregious, violation of this divine edict today is the example of Catholic and Orthodox Christians bowing down before and praying to one of the millions of statues of Mary, whom they believe is “the Mother of God and Queen of Heaven,” albeit, those titles are both Babylonian, as is the religious festival named in her honor: Easter.
So by using “lo’ hawah la” to say “you should not ever bow down and worship, speak for or to, nor show any allegiance for” what could only be construed as political and religious symbols,” and by announcing that “you should never promote their message because doing so will influence you,” Yahowah has expressed His utter disdain for humankind’s propensity to place its collective faith in that which is conceived and controlled by man. But He was not done. You see, the next verb is “lo’ ‘abad – you should not serve them.”
Once again, Yahowah used the imperfect conjugation when He scribed ‘abad, which speaks of habitual, ongoing behavior with unfolding consequences. But this time He used the hophal stem. It is the passive counterpart to the hiphil, which is to say in this case that religious imagery and political symbols influence an individual based upon how an individual acts towards them. So then here is an example of the hophal: “Satan compelled Paul to coerce billions of souls into worshipping him as god, convincing them that he died and was resurrected ala the pagan gods of old.” So while the lost souls are participating in the action, they were beguiled into doing so.
‘Abad, which is the Hebrew word for “work,” depicts “the expenditure of considerable energy or intensity” toward a goal, which in this case is being religious or political. But more than that, ‘abad speaks of service, which today we typically associate with the big three: a religious service, public and thus political service, and military service. And while I would argue that none of these equate to providing a service because the participants are paid and the work is counterproductive, I’d like to draw your attention to the military where “service” is considered to be a sacrifice, both honorable and heroic, for which a debt of gratitude is expected. And yet militaries are trained and equipped to kill. That is their job. And most are good at it. And while that is irrefutably true, there is something equally problematic with fighting: the conditioning that makes it possible. Indoctrinated by their superiors, a soldier’s judgment is altered and the conscience is seared. Even worse, the public is brainwashed into believing that their safety and liberties are provided by these trained killers, their deadly institutions and vicious weapons.
And lest I forget man’s economic systems where most “‘abad – work” is applied, next time you have a chance look at your nation’s currency. If you are an American, you will see the eye of Osiris, a temple to Ra, and inscriptions promising a New World Order written in the language of Rome, the nation which destroyed Yahowah’s Temple and tortured the Ma’aseyah.
One more thought before we move on. Is there any difference between what Yahowah has thus far written and the initial requirements of the Covenant where we were asked to walk away from human schemes and then to trust and rely exclusively on Yah? Hasn’t God simply reinforced those requests with these statements?
The Creator of the universe and the Author of life does not need to justify His position and explain His overt opposition us engaging on behalf of religious, political, militaristic, and economic schemes, but He does nonetheless. Nor is He required reveal the consequence of such behavior, and yet He does that as well. Listen...“For indeed (ky ¬– because and emphasizing this point), I (‘anky), Yahowah (), your God (‘elohy), am a zealous and jealous God (qana’ ‘el – a God who is desirous of exclusivity in a relationship, a God who is emotionally passionate and extremely protective of those He loves), counting and reckoning (paqad – literally taking stock of and actually recording, assigning, and depositing) the perversity and sin of twisting and distorting (‘awon – the depravity of perverting and manipulating, deviating from the way, the guilt and punishment derived from delusion and depravity, the liability for unfaithfulness and wrongdoing) of the fathers (‘ab) upon (‘al) the children (ben – sons) concerning (‘al) the third and the fourth generations (silesym wa ‘al ribea’) of those who genuinely hate and are hostile to Me (sane’ – of those who actually abhor, detest, and loathe Me, literally striving maliciously against Me, shunning Me).” (20:5)
Since Yahowah’s presentation thus far has focused on the need for our relationship with Him to be exclusive, and thus completely devoid of religious affiliations, it is obvious that qana’ conveys “being passionate and zealous and thereby jealously protecting those God loves.” But there is another meaning. Qana’ depicts “paying the price to acquire something valuable.” And I’m sure that I don’t need to remind you that Yahowah personally paid a hellish price to ransom us so that He could reconcile His relationship with us. And in this light, qana’ speaks of “redemption.” It is therefore not unreasonable for God to want what He paid for.
I would be remiss as a guide if I did not expose the fact that when Paul wrote of “love” in his first letter to the Corinthians, he lied when he said that “love is not jealous” and the “love does not seek its own.” True love is always jealous and it always seeks to be loved in return. Moreover, no one’s love is more true than Yah’s, and He is jealous, thereby proving that Paul cannot be trusted.
There are two verbs in this statement. The first is paqad, which means “to count or reckon.” Written in the qal stem, God isn’t kidding. So while He has chosen to turn a blind eye to the victims of religion and to turn a deaf ear to their prayers, He not only pays attention to those who “‘awon – twist and distort” His testimony, He keeps a record of their corruptions.
Scribed as a participle, paqad becomes a verbal adjective, thereby modifying ‘awon, which addresses the “depravity of perverting” God’s message, and thereby “manipulating people so that they miss the way.” And from this perspective paqad’s other meanings come into play. Those liable for perpetrating babel will be “summoned, judged, called to account, and punished” for having committed the most heinous of all crimes. So you may rest assured, all religious and most political leaders will be judged and condemned. Their souls will spend an eternity in She’owl, better known as Hell. God does not take kindly to deception, and in such matters He is unforgiving.
There are few if any Hebrew words worse than ‘awon. Derived from ‘aw’ah, is denotes “distorting, perverting, and warping,” and thus represents a particular type of sin: babel. Affirming this, ‘aw’ah is from ‘awah, which is “to bend, twist and distort.” Therefore, ‘awon depicts “corruption, perversion, distortion, and manipulation,” the very things religious institutions have done to Yah’s Towrah teaching, “twisting” His Word so that people “miss the way.”
No one was better at this or more influential than Paul, the founder of the Christian religion. His letters routinely remove God’s statements from their context, misquote what He actually said, and then twist the corruption to warp the minds of those who believe him. And the consequence has been grievous, because from God’s perspective ‘awon is “perverse, depraved, and reprehensible.” It is “wrong.” It is “delusional.” And “the guilty will be punished” as a “result of deviating” from the truth.
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Posted on Jun 02, 2012 22:00pm by admin
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| Beryth – His Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (8) |
“And (wa) God Almighty (‘elohym) said (‘amar) to (‘el) Abraham (‘Abraham), ‘And (wa) as for you (‘eth ‘atah), you should actually and continuously observe, carefully examining and considering (shamar) My Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (beryth-y), you (‘atah) and (wa) your offspring (zera’) after you (‘achar) throughout (la) their generations, dwelling places, and eras of time (dowr).’” (17:9)
“This one and only (ze’th) Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship of Mine (beryth-y), which relationally (‘asher) you should actually and continuously and observe, carefully and closely considering (shamar) as a means to recognize Me as the source of understanding with regard to an association between Me (byn) and (wa) between you, to help you observe, think, and respond (byn), and between your offspring, so that they might be observant and responsive (wa byn zera’) following you (‘achar), for you to actually circumcise (muwl) accordingly your every (l-cm-kol) male so that they will remember (zakar).” (17:10)
“And (wa) you all shall cut off and separate (muwl) your foreskin’s (‘aralah) association with (‘eth) the flesh (basar). And (wa) this will exist (hayah) as (la) the sign to remember (‘owth) the Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (beryth) between Me (bayn) and between you (bayn).” (17:11)
“And (wa) a son (ben) of eight (shamonah) days (yowmym) you shall circumcise (muwl) with regard to your (la) every (kol) male, so that they might remember (zakar) throughout (la) your dwelling places and generations (dowr), naturally born (yalyd) in the home (bayth), and also (wa) those really wanting to be (kasap) included (miqnah) and acquired (miqnah) with money (kesep) from (min) every (kol) son (ben) of foreign lands (nekar) which relationally (‘asher) are not (lo’) from (min) your seed (zera’).” (17:12)
“He (huw’) must absolutely circumcise him, definitely cutting off the foreskin (muwl muwl) of the naturally born (yalyd) in your home (bayth) and (wa) those acquired (miqnah) with your money and longing (kesep), even those who strongly yearn (kasap) to be included (miqnah). This shall be (hayah) My Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (beryth-y), in (ba) the flesh (basar), serving as (la) an everlasting and eternal (‘owlam) Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (beryth).” (17:13)
“And (wa) the uncircumcised and unresponsive (‘arel) male who fails to remember this (zakar), who relationally (‘asher) is not (lo’) circumcised or changed (muwl) with regard to (‘eth) the flesh (basar) of their foreskin (‘aralah), those souls (nepesh) shall be cut off, be excluded, and banished, uprooted and ceasing to exist (karat) from (min) Her (huw’) family (‘am). By way of association (‘eth) they violated and broke, disassociating themselves from (parar) My Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (beryth-y).” (17:14)
“The Almighty (‘elohym) spoke as God to (‘amar ‘el) Abraham (‘Abraham), ‘Sarai (Saray), your wife (‘ishsah), you shall not call (lo’ qara’), her by the name (‘eth shem) Sarai, but instead (ky) Sarah: to strive and contend with, to engage and endure with and to be empowered and set free (sarah) shall be her name (shem).’” (17:15)
“And (wa) I wish to diminish and humble Myself out of love to provide blessings and favor (barak) through her (‘eth). And also (wa gam), I will literally give (natan) you a son from her (min la ben). And (wa) I want to kneel down and favor her (barak). She shall be (hayah) a way to reach out to (la) individuals from different races and places (gowym). An empowered, authorized, and supernatural spiritual (malakym) family (‘am) shall come to exist through her (hayah min).” (17:16)
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Posted on Jun 02, 2012 21:55pm by admin
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| Beryth – His Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (7) |
While eternal separation from God is a penalty, having one’s soul perish is not. Each individual is given the gift of life and freewill. Everyone can do with them as they please. If a person chooses to avail themselves of Yahowah’s Covenant, to walk away from Babylon and to walk to Him along the path He has provided, God has promised to give him or her the gift of eternal life, to mercifully forgive their sins, to empower such an individual, to enrich them, and to adopt that soul into His family so that he or she can spend an eternity in His presence.
But if we choose instead to ignore God’s provision, to rely on a different scheme, to alter the deal He has cut with us, or simply reject it, we will be ignored by God and remain unaltered by His Covenant promises. It’s ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Such souls don’t know God and God does not know them. For them, death will be the end of life.
The sixth lesson brings us back to Paul. Circumcision is the fulcrum upon which those who rely on Yahowah’s Word move in a different direction than those who believe the “Thirteenth Apostle.” In Acts, the moment we are introduced to Paul, we learn that he advised against circumcision. As a result, he was called to Yaruwshalaym to explain his departure from Yahowah’s Covenant instructions. So in his initial letter, the one he wrote to the Galatians, he was motivated to demean the message of Yahowsha’s Disciples, especially Shim’own (One who Listens known as Peter), Yahowchanan (Yahowah is Merciful known as John), and Ya’aqob (Yahowsha’s brother, who was renamed “James” to flatter an English king). In Galatians, Paul ruthlessly attacks circumcision, and demeans Yahowah’s Covenant, calling them: “of the flesh,” “a cruel taskmaster,” “enslaving,” and a “curse,” “incapable of saving anyone.”
Therefore, Christians have a choice. They can trust Yahowah, or they can believe Paul. Their claims are diametrically opposed and irreconcilable.
It is also instructive to know that we can’t blame this conflict between Yahowah and Paul on scribal error. While not a word from Genesis 8:21 to 17:11 can be found among the Qumran scrolls, these specific passages on circumcision are not only extant, they are unchanged. There isn’t a single discrepancy between the Dead Sea Scrolls, dating to the second century BCE, and the Masoretic Text from Re’syth 17:12 through the end of the chapter. And on the other end, we have a complete copy of Paul’s letter to the Galatians dating to the late first century CE.
Moreover, the preposterous notion that Paul didn’t write Galatians, a book he claims to have written, a book which is universally attributed to him, a book which provides the most sweeping panorama of his life, and a book which serves as the most direct rebuttal to the Disciples regarding his animosity toward circumcision, the Covenant, and the Torah, does not exonerate Paul. He is equally opposed to circumcision, the Covenant, and the Torah in Acts and in Romans.
And that means that the conflict between Yahowah and Paul cannot be resolved. If you side with Paul, you will invalidate the benefits of the Covenant. You will be excluded from God’s family. And your soul will cease to exist. And that is why the choices we make in the flesh, while we retain our physical and animal nature, are so important.
The seventh lesson we can learn from this passage is not to trust English bible translations. God actually said: “And (wa) the uncircumcised and unresponsive (‘arel) male who fails to remember this (zakar), who relationally (‘asher) is not (lo’) circumcised or changed (muwl) with regard to (‘eth) the flesh (basar) of their foreskin (‘aralah), those souls (nepesh) shall be cut off, be excluded, be banished, and be uprooted, ceasing to exist (karat) from (min) Her (huw’) family (‘am). By way of association (‘eth) they violated and broke, disassociating themselves from (parar) My Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (beryth-y).” (Re’syth 17:14)
While not as revealing or complete, the Roman Catholic Vulgate was accurate up to the point of identifying whose family a soul would be excluded from. “The male whose flesh of his foreskin shall not be circumcised, that soul shall be destroyed out of his people: because he hath broken my covenant.” Not only is the pronoun “Her” scribed independently in the Hebrew text via huw’, “‘am – family” was suffixed in the third person feminine singular, reinforcing the fact that it is “Her family” – speaking of the Set-Apart Spirit and the Covenant. Also, the reference to “his people,” suggests banishment from the villages and land of Yisra’el, rather than from our Spiritual Mother’s family.
The King James Version reads identically, and thus promotes the same myth. It is one which would reinforce the ability of the church to excommunicate those who they opposed.
Recognizing that both translators had both made a mistake, the New Living Translation, not knowing how to deal with “Her,” added a second “covenant” and substituted it for “Her.” “Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.” Since it is God’s Word, and since accuracy is therefore important, you should know that there is no basis for “any” in the Hebrew text. They combined “‘arel – uncircumcised and unresponsive” with “lo’ muwl – is not circumcised or changed,” as if only one of these words were spoken by God. Then they completely ignored “‘eth basar ‘aralah – with regard to the flesh of their foreskin”—ostensibly to avoid destroying Pauline Doctrine. Then reversing course, they not only repeated “beryth – covenant” twice even though it was written once, they neglected to convey that beryth was scribed with the first person singular suffix, making it “My Covenant.”
Simply stated, as a sign of our desire to participate in Yahowah’s Covenant we are to be circumcised. The covering of the male genitalia responsible for consummating a marriage and producing children is to be “cut off and separated”—set apart. Our Heavenly Father’s Covenant is about bearing children and building a family by way of a monogamous marriage relationship. Yahowah does not want anyone to miss this point.
So then immediately after discussing circumcision, “God (‘elohym) said to (‘amar ‘el – spoke as the Almighty to) Abraham (‘Abraham – Loving, Merciful, and Enriching Father), ‘Sarai (Saray – from sar meaning princess and patron, noble ruler and leader), your wife (‘ishsah – female individual, woman, mother, and source of warmth and light), you shall not call (lo’ qara’ – you shall not invite or summon, read or recite) her by the name (‘eth shem – her with the personal and proper name) Sarai, but instead (ky – rather) Sarah (sarah – meaning to strive and contend with, to engage and endure with, to persist and to persevere with, to be empowered and to be set free) shall be her name (shem).’” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:15)
Names are important to Yahowah. Most all communicate something important. For example, Sarah, who serves as the mother of Yahuwdym and Yisra’el, was named “to strive with, to contend with, to engage with, to be empowered by, to persist with, to persevere with, and to be set free”—each of which is a Covenant benefit. Her name forms the middle portion of Yisra’el, a compound term comprised of “‘ysh – individuals” who “sarah – strive with, contend with, engage with, endure with, persist with, persevere with,” and are “empowered and set free by” “’el – Almighty God.”
Speaking of the greater good that would come from Sarah, namely the Ma’aseyah, Yahowah said: “And (wa) I choose to kneel down and bless (barak – I want to lower, diminish, and humble Myself out of love to commend and provide favor (scribed in the piel stem thereby affirming that this blessing will come into being through Sarah, in the perfect conjugation, speaking of the total completion of this fortuitous act, and in the consecutive mood, implying that this is Yahowah’s desire, His choice)) through her (‘eth – in association and with her (speaking of Sarah)). And also (wa gam – moreover), I will literally give (natan – I will actually grant and perfectly bestow (qal perfect)) you a son from her (min la ben – from her to you a son).” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:16)
The idea that God diminishes Himself, the notion that He would bow down before men, makes religious people very uncomfortable, as they are compelled to invert His plan. And yet having men and women bow down to God is the antithesis of what God wants.
Man worshiping God not only diminishes our Heavenly Father, it serves no purpose. Let me explain. Can you imagine being so insecure, so inadequate, so self-absorbed, that you would create an inferior being, say garden slugs for example, for the purpose of prostrating themselves at your feet while ritualistically and repetitively telling you how wonderful you are—all the while devouring and sliming up everything you have created. Thirty seconds of such mindless flattery in the midst of such ugliness would be more than enough to make a rational and moral individual so uncomfortable they would recognize that they had made a horrible mistake. They would walk away, saddened, shaken, and indeed diminished by having conceived such a foolish experiment.
But now imagine conceiving beings in your image, and then getting down on your knees, diminishing yourself for a brief time, to show them how much you would like to engage with them. And while on your knees before them, imagine revealing yourself to them, telling them all about you, so that they can come to know you, even enjoy in a relationship with you. Imagine showing them the way to your home and promising to adopt them, to enrich and empower them, even to save them from themselves. And all you tell them that you want in return is for some of them to choose to reciprocate your love so that you and they can grow together. That is the essence of the Towrah, of its Covenant Family, of Yahowah, and Yahowsha’—who is God on His knees.
Retuning to God’s statement, you may have noticed that while Yahowah is committing to bless Sarah, His initial blessing wasn’t for Sarah, but was instead for us through Sarah. Giving Abraham a son through this woman was part of the process God would use to “barak – diminish Himself by getting down on His knees, humbling Himself in love to favor us.” Yahowsha’s great grandmother a hundred times over was this very woman, who in partnership with Yahowah, made it possible for us to engage and live with our Heavenly Father.
Sarah even serves as a metaphor for the Ruwach Qodesh, our Spiritual Mother. Listen...
“And (wa) I want to kneel down and favor her (barak – I choose to lower Myself out of love to bless her (piel, perfect conjugation, consecutive)). She shall be (hayah – she shall exist as) a way to reach out to (la – to move toward) individuals from different races and places (gowym – people everywhere). An empowered and authorized (malakym – royal; from mal’ak supernatural and spiritual) family (‘am – kin who are related biologically and through language) shall come to exist through her (hayah min – they shall be because of her (scribed in the qal stem, imperfect conjugation, telling us that this relational plan will literally unfold over time and produce ongoing results)).” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:16)
By producing the first of thousands of children who would be born into God’s family by way of His Covenant, by establishing the lineage which would lead to the Ma’aseyah Yahowsha’, Yahowah made it possible for “gowym – people everywhere” “hayah – to become” “malakym – empowered and authorized” members of our Heavenly Father’s “‘am – family.” As such, this serves as a succinct summary of God’s “beryth – family-oriented covenant relationship.
Recognizing that this is a very challenging passage to translate, especially for it to be relevant and meaningful, before we consider how well others have done, this would be a good time for you to do some due diligence and exercise your lexicons. I’d encourage you to verify for yourself that the primary definition of barak is “to kneel down,” that ‘eth means “with or through,” that the la prefix denotes “movement toward a goal,” that gowym are “people from different races and places,” that malakym speaks of those who are “empowered and authorized,” that it is related to “mal’ak – spiritual beings,” and also that the primary definition of ‘am is “family.” It would be equally helpful for you to check an interlinear and affirm that the prefixed and suffixed pronouns are as I have rendered them in the following translation: “And (wa) I wish to diminish and humble Myself out of love to provide blessings and favor (barak) through her (‘eth). And also (wa gam), I will literally give (natan) you a son from her (min la ben). And (wa) I want to kneel down and favor her (barak). She shall be (hayah) a way to reach out to (la) individuals from different races and places (gowym). An empowered, authorized, and supernatural spiritual (malakym) family (‘am) shall come to exist through her (hayah min).” (Re’syth 17:16)
After closely examining the Towrah it becomes obvious that Jerome, who could not read or write Hebrew, missed the message in his Roman Catholic Vulgate: “And I will bless her, and of her I will give thee a son, whom I will bless, and he shall become nations, and kings of people shall spring from him.” The Hebrew text does not suggest that God would bless the son, or that “he” would become nations. Further, there is no word remotely related to “spring” in this passage, ‘am is only “people” in the sense of “related kin who are part of the same family,” and the final pronoun is feminine, and thus cannot be “him.”
In a rare departure from the Vulgate, Sir Francis Bacon followed the rabbinical lead and added “[mother]” to the text: “And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be [a mother] of nations; kings of people shall be of her.” While the Hebrew word for “mother,” ‘em, does not appear in this passage, Sarah serves as a metaphor for our Spiritual Mother, making the King James Version literally wrong, but wholly incorrect.
Turning to the New Living Translation, they published: “And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.” Missing the fact that the first “blessing” was “‘eth – through or with her,” these evangelical Christians tried to avoid what they saw as redundancy and verbosity, with “Yes, I will bless her richly,” knowing full well that God said no such thing. And since only theologians and popular pastors schooled in Hebrew were invited to participate in this profitable project, they were also aware that while “‘am – family” and “‘em – mother,” may appear similar in our transliterations, ‘am is written Ayin Mem, while ‘em is Aleph Mem. Further, “zera’ – seed,” the Hebrew word for “descendant,” does not appear in this conversation.
Beyond missing the point Yahowah was making, the prophetic predictions of “kings of nations” being among her descendants” did not happen. It is therefore not accurate, relevant, or a blessing.
At this point, we find absolute confirmation that the Covenant Relationship Yahowah was now enjoying with Abraham and Sarah was a relaxed affair. “And then (wa) Abraham (‘Abraham – the Loving, Merciful, Enriching, and Forgiving Father) fell (napal) on (‘al) his face (paneh – in His presence) and (wa) he laughed (sahaq – he humorously expressed the irony he saw, and he playfully poked fun muttering under his breath), saying (‘amar) to himself (ba ‘eth leb – within his heart), ‘What’s the point or purpose of (ha la – questioning the goal and process of) a son (ben – a child) being born to (yalad) a hundred year old (me’ah sanah)? And what of (wa ‘im – and what about) Sarah (sarah – to strive and contend with, to engage and endure with, and to be empowered by and persevere with)? How is (ha) a ninety-year-old (tis’iym sanah) daughter (bath – the female child or a mother) going to conceive and bear a child (yalad)?’” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:17)
Yahowah, who incidentally is God, and thus the Creator of the universe and the Architect of life, made a prophetic promise and Abraham doubled over and fell down in laughter, muttering under his breath. That’s funny.
But was he really? Sure a man calling his ninety-year-old wife, a “bath – daughter,” seems a bit awkward, but not after you consider that the root of bath is banah: “to build a home,” with “ben – children.”
Beyond this etymological insight into the purpose of the Covenant, consider the bigger, and more obvious, observation: Abraham poked fun at God without any negative repercussions. In fact, Yahowah responded favorably to Abraham’s sense of humor. It is as if this is what God wanted in the first place: an honest reaction, a relaxed relationship, and some good fun.
But that wasn’t the end of it. After questioning God’s sanity, even His ability, and after falling on his face and laughing at God’s plan, the old guy started negotiating with God, as if he had a better idea...
“Then (wa) Abraham (‘Abraham – Loving, Merciful, Enriching, and Forgiving Father) said (‘amar) to God (‘el) the Almighty (ha ‘elohym), ‘Why not (luw – emphatically exclaiming, earnestly pleading for understanding, and hoping for something unlikely to happen, if only You’d consider and why not the possibility of) Ishmael (Yshma’’el – an individual (ysh) who hears (shama’) god (‘el)) living and being restored (chayah – being revived and renewed, being nourished and growing) to (la) your presence (paneh)?’” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:18)
The foundational pillar of “Islam – Submission” is that Muhammad, as a claimed descendant of Ishmael, conveyed the religion which was offered to Abraham unto Arabs. He claims to have been the “ysh – individual” who “shama’ – listened” to “‘el – god” and “qara’ – recited” his message by way of his Qur’an. The name Yshma’’el prophetically warns us about this eventuality. As does the statement Yahowah made regarding the nature of Muslims—those who would claim to be Ishmael’s descendants. “They will be wild asses of men. Their hand will be raised against their brothers, and their brother’s hand will be raised against them. And they will live in hostility with the whole world.”
I also find it interesting, recognizing that Muhammad misquoted everything Yahowah revealed, that the most common mistranslation of shama’ is “to submit and obey.” It is also telling that the Qur’an routinely orders Muslims to “listen to and obey” Muhammad as well as Allah.
Now as we consider Yahowah’s answer regarding Ishmael, and indeed the premise of Islam, be aware that “‘abal – to the contrary,” doesn’t just mean “no,” it is indistinguishable from ‘abal, which means “to lament.” So while Yahowah clearly enjoyed His relationship with Abraham, and so while He would honor His promise to give him a son, He wanted him to know in no uncertain terms that Ishmael would not be considered. And that is a lethal blow to the foundational premise of Islam.
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Posted on Jun 02, 2012 21:51pm by admin
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| Beryth – His Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (6) |
One would have to search the Word of God long and hard to find a more important statement than what follows:
“And (wa) God Almighty (‘elohym) said (‘amar – promised) to (‘el – as God to) Abraham (‘Abraham – Loving, Merciful, and Enriching Father), ‘And (wa) as for you (‘eth ‘atah – regarding you), you should actually and continuously observe (shamar – you should carefully consider, diligently and consistently paying especially close attention to the details so that you understand, genuinely care about, revere, and literally keep your eyes focused upon (scribed in the qal stem which addresses that which is literal and relational, and in the imperfect conjugation which conveys the idea that this close examination is to be ongoing, continuing throughout time so as to always explore)) My Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (beryth-y – My mutually binding agreement, My household promise, My relational accord, My marriage vow based upon home and family (feminine singular, scribed in the construct form, eternally binding, connecting, and associating the beryth – covenant with shamar – you should carefully observe; written with the first person singular suffix: My – telling us that the Covenant is God’s)), you (‘atah) and (wa – in addition to) your seed (zera’ – your offspring (singular construct)) after you (‘achar – following you) throughout (la) their generations, dwelling places, and eras of time (dowr – their families, related births, and lives (plural construct)).’” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:9)
It should be noted that “zera’ – seed” and “dowr – generations, dwelling places, lives, and epochs of time,” were both scribed in the construct form, not only linking the zera’ and dowr together, but also with beryth. Therefore, the “Covenant” is the “seed” from which “generations come to dwell throughout time” with Yah.
According to God, our responsibility regarding His Covenant is to “shamar – observe” it – literally and continually. It is the same instruction He gives us regarding His Towrah—which not so coincidently represents the one and only place where we can go to “observe” Yah’s Covenant, as it is the only place where its codicils are recorded.
The means to become a “zera’ – offspring” of the “beryth – family-oriented covenant relationship,” and thereby “dowr – live throughout time in God’s dwelling place” is breathtakingly simple: “shamar – actually and consistently, carefully and diligently observe and examine every detail” associated with Yahowah’s Covenant as it is presented in His Towrah. We should do this, as should our fathers and our children, no matter where or when we live or with whom we are related.
And although “shamar – observe” serves as the operative verb with respect to our participation in the Covenant, shamar is among the least understood words in Scripture. It is almost always translated “keep” in English bibles even though etymologically shamar is based entirely upon the notions of “using our sense of sight to be watchful, carefully examining and scrutinizing that which can be seen,” of “being focused and visually alert by keeping one’s eyes open,” and of “overseeing things from the proper perspective so as to be aware of what is occurring.” The linguistic inference is that those who “carefully observe and diligently examine everything within their purview will come to understand what they witness,” and that “through this understanding they will protect that which they value and those they love, keeping that which they revere secure.” Shamar conveys the idea that “people should keep their eyes open, that they should always be on guard, and that they should be focused, alert, aware, and perceptive.”
Therefore, shamar is being used to encourage us to “observe” the terms and conditions of the Covenant by using our eyes to read, indeed to focus upon, what is written in the Towrah. God wants us to “examine and consider” the requirements and benefits of the Covenant as they are delineated in His Towrah so that we are secure, protecting those we love.
Shamar is related to shama’, “whereby we are encouraged to use our sense of hearing to listen” to what God has to say to us. Collectively then, the senses of sight and hearing enable us to know Yahowah and understand His Towrah by “qara’ – reading and reciting” it. But there is more: by observing Yahowah’s Guidance, by listening to God’s Instructions regarding His Covenant, by coming to know and understand His Teaching regarding our salvation, we come to trust Yahowah and rely upon His Directions. Trust and reliance then become the Way, the means to our adoption and to our salvation.
You may have noticed that this proclamation from Yahowah regarding what He expects from those who want to participate in His Covenant was direct and unequivocal. Simply stated: shamar beryth is a requirement. If you want to have a relationship with God, you do so by carefully and continually observing His written Towrah testimony regarding His Covenant.
What many miss, and especially those who are religious, is that this statement from God is utterly devastating to Pauline Doctrine. Paul’s thesis, better known as the “Gospel of Grace,” is based upon the notion that Abraham was saved, not because He closely examined and carefully considered what Yahowah had personally revealed to him regarding His Covenant, but instead because he “believed God.” According to Paul, Abraham’s salvation was a product of his faith and not his actions. But “being observant,” especially during personal experiences like this one, leads to knowing, to understanding, to trusting, and to relying, while “belief” is the product of not knowing and of not understanding. In fact, belief all too often leads to faith in things which are neither reliable nor true.
Those who know, trust. Those who do not know, believe. Moreover, the means to “knowing” is “shamar – careful observation.”
God did not ask Abraham to believe Him, nor did He suggest that we should believe Him. He asked Abraham and those who would benefit from the Covenant to carefully observe what He had to say. And to accomplish this, we must read the Towrah, closely examining its every word.
Let’s continue to do what Yahowah requested of us and see where it leads. “This one and only (ze’th – this particular, singular, unique, and specific (feminine singular)) Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship of Mine (beryth-y – mutually binding agreement of Mine, My household promise, this relational accord of mine, My marriage vow based upon home and family (feminine singular, scribed in the construct form, eternally binding, connecting, and associating the beryth – covenant with shamar – careful observation; written with the first person singular suffix, thereby reminding us that this singular, specific, and unique Covenant is God’s)), which relationally (‘asher – by way of making a connection, developing an association, benefiting and blessing) you should actually and continuously observe (shamar – you should carefully and literally consider, you should diligently and consistently pay especially close attention to the details so that you genuinely understand, care about, and revere what you witness throughout the whole fabric of time and that by focusing upon the Covenant you are kept safe and secure (scribed in the qal stem which addresses that which is literal and relational, and in the imperfect conjugation which conveys the idea that this close examination is to be ongoing, continuing throughout time so as to always focus upon the relationship)) between Me (byn – for the purpose of coming to know and understand Me as a result of being perceptive, prudently considering the insights which are discernable regarding Me) and between you (wa byn – to cause you to be aware and to understand), and between (wa byn – for the purpose of coming to know) your offspring (zera’ – your seed (singular construct)) following you (‘achar – after you), for you to actually circumcise (muwl – so that you literally cut off and remove the foreskin of the penis (scribed using the niphal stem which is used to convey the voice of genuine relationships where the subject, which is you, receives the action of the verb, which is circumcision, and the infinitive absolute, which intensifies the action of the verb)) accordingly your every (l-cm-kol) male for them to remember (zakar – masculine human individual who recalls and remembers (singular and absolute)).” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:10)
Not only was this request clear and unequivocal, not only does this affirm Yah’s previous appeal, not only does it reinforce the uniqueness of the one and only Covenant, it encourages us to be observant and to think so that we come to understand precisely what God is asking of us.
But also, this verse is additive, providing us with the fifth and final Covenant requirement: circumcise our sons so that we and they remember the Covenant. So, I ask you, when Paul screamed out against circumcision in his letter to the Galatians, demeaning it while promoting a second and different Covenant, why did anyone believe him? Why have billions of souls been beguiled to believe him?
Sometimes, if we pause long enough, if we dig deep enough, if we are especially observant and thoughtful, we learn something we would otherwise miss. Such is the case here. You see, “muwl – circumcise” was scribed using the niphal stem. The niphal, as the passive form of the qal, conveys three ideas. First, it is a relational stem, affirming the fact that circumcision is germane to our relationship with God. Second, it requires a literal interpretation of the testimony, meaning that these circumcisions are to actual and not merely symbolic. And third, the niphal as the reflexive counterpart of the qal, indicates that the subject, which is you and me as parents, receive the benefit of the verb’s action, which is circumcision.
Collectively then, when the niphal stem is used in conjunction with muwl in this context, we discover that by actually circumcising our sons, we as parents benefit from the act. It is as if we, ourselves, are being circumcised. And that is a very good thing, because circumcision is the sign of the Covenant. It affirms our acceptance, confirming our willingness to be cut into this relationship with God. We are in essence saying: we will raise our children to become Your children.
Bringing this all together, God has systematically presented the guidance and instructions necessary for us to know Him, for us to relate to Him, and for us to be saved by Him. After asking us to walk away from all forms of “babel – confusion,” including family traditions, national allegiances, and religious corruption, Yahowah encouraged us to trust and rely upon Him instead. He then asked us to walk to Him and become perfect, with His Towrah providing the directions. God’s fourth request of us, indeed His requirement with respect to our participation in His Covenant, was presented in the previous two verses. He wants us to continuously and genuinely observe His Covenant, focusing upon and diligently considering the conditions and benefits of this relationship. He knows that when we come to appreciate what He is offering that we’ll respond appropriately. And so now to demonstrate our understanding, to help us remember everything He has shared with us, God is asking us to circumcise our sons. Consider it a signature, a vow to accept and embrace this extraordinary gift – the opportunity to engage in a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father.
If we want to participate in Yahowah’s Covenant, we must circumcise our sons. It is as simple as that. Written in the infinitive absolute, and followed by “kol – all,” there is no room for negotiation or interpretation. We can either accept Yahowah’s terms or reject them – but we cannot alter them to suit us as Pauline Doctrine has done.
Since Yahowah has established only one prerequisite and four requirements for participation in His Covenant, that we walk away from Babylon (away from mankind’s political, religious, economic, and military schemes), that we come to trust and rely on Him (which necessitates us coming to know Him and understand what He is offering), that we walk to Him (along the specific path which He prepared in the Torah) so as to become perfect, that we carefully and continually observe His Covenant, and that men be circumcised, let’s consider why He has asked this specific thing of us.
“And (wa) you all shall cut off and separate (muwl – you shall circumcise (scribed in the niphal stem which is used to convey the voice of genuine relationships where the subject, which is you as a parent, receives the benefit of the verb, which is circumcision, in the perfect conjugation designating that this instruction shall be followed wholly and completely, and in the consecutive thereby associating it with our basar – flesh)) your foreskin’s (‘aralah – the fold of skin covering the conical tip of the penis) association with (‘eth) the flesh (basar – the physical body and animal nature).
And (wa) this will exist (hayah – this was, is, and forever will be (scribed in the qal perfect, signifying something associated with a relationship which is unchanging and unending) as (la) the sign to remember (‘owth – the example to visually illustrate and explain, the symbol and standard, the pledge and attestation of the miraculous nature (singular, as in there is only one sign, construct form, linking the sign to the...)) the Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (beryth – mutually binding agreement, household promise, relational accord, marriage vow based upon home and family (feminine singular, scribed in the construct form, eternally associating the beryth – covenant with ‘owth – the sign of muwl – circumcision)) between Me (byn – for the purpose of coming to know and understand Me as a result of being perceptive, prudently considering the insights which are discernable regarding Me) and between you (wa byn – to cause you to be aware and to understand).” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:11)
Yahowah wants us to “muwl – be cut off and separated from” our “‘eth – association with” our “basar – physical bodies and animal nature.” To be associated with God, we must disassociate ourselves from man. Therefore, not only is the “‘owth – sign” of the “beryth – covenant” a reminder that we must walk away from Babylon before we can walk to God, it signifies that to be adopted into our Heavenly Father’s family, we must transition from physical beings with mortal, imperfect, substantially limited, and decaying bodies, to spiritual beings who are elevated, empowered, and enriched by this relationship.
It is interesting to note that while circumcision is symbolic, the act itself is literal and physical. Further, hayah, which was scribed in the third person masculine singular, and was rendered “this will exist,” in the passage, was more literally scribed “he shall exist” as the sign. Therefore, when we accept the terms of Yahowah’s Covenant, we become its living symbols.
Furthermore, as we discovered in the “Dabar – Word” chapter of this Introduction to God, Hebrew verbs do not designate the past, present, and future, as is the case with English tenses, but instead they reflect truths which remain unchanged throughout all time. Such is the case with hayah, meaning “was, is, and will be” all at the same time. Therefore, we were, we are, and we will always be signs of the Covenant.
“‘Owth – sign to remember” and “‘uwth – to consent and agree,” are written identically in Hebrew. So not only is circumcision, this separation from our physical and animal nature, a “visual means to illustrate and explain the miraculous nature” of the Covenant, it is our way of showing our “consent and agreement” to raise our children in compliance with the conditions Yahowah has outlined. Circumcision is a parent’s pledge to honor God’s family-oriented agreement. It is our signature on their adoption papers—telling our Heavenly Father that we want our children to become His children; that we will dedicate ourselves to assuring that this occurs. And not so coincidently, the best way to accomplish this is to recite the Towrah to our children and thereby expose them to its Covenant, sharing its prerequisite, requirements, and benefits.
While we’ve addressed this previously, while virtually every sentence begins with “wa – and,” that is somewhat misleading. The conjunction is used as punctuation, telling us where to end one sentence and start another in a language without upper and lowercase letters, and without periods, question marks, or exclamation points. I include the conjunctions mainly because they serve to initiate and link each new thought. Such is the case with the following statement...
“And (wa) a son (ben – a male child) of eight (shamonah – from shamen, meaning olive oil, which is symbolic of the Spirit, of light, of being anointed, and of being rooted in the land) days (yowmym) you shall circumcise (muwl – you shall cut off and separate his foreskin (scribed using the niphal stem denoting a relationship which is genuine and indicating that parents benefit from doing as God has requested, and in the imperfect conjugation which tells us that this must continue to occur over time and that it is designed to produce ongoing results)) with regard to your (la) every (kol) male (zakar – masculine individual; from zakar: to commit to memory, to remind, and to remember) throughout (la) your dwelling places and generations (dowr – your protected households and extended families, elevating and extending your lives), those naturally born (yalyd – those naturalized as a member of an extended family through natural childbirth) in the home (beyth – into the household and family (singular absolute)), and also (wa) those really wanting to be (kasap – those deeply desiring, strongly yearning, and passionately longing to be) acquired and included (miqnah – purchased and obtained) of (min) every (kol) son (ben – male child) of foreign lands (nekar – of places where they are not properly valued and appreciated) who relationally (‘asher – by way of making a connection) are not (lo’) from (min) your seed (zera’).” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:12)
In Scripture, eight symbolizes eternity, which is why the symbol for infinity and the numeral itself are so similar. It is why there is an eighth day of celebration associated with the seventh Called-Out Assembly of Sukah – Shelters, which is symbolic of us camping out with God for all eternity. Additionally, the Hebrew word for “eight,” shamonah, is based upon sheman, meaning “olive oil.” In Scripture, olive oil is used as a metaphor for the Set-Apart Spirit because She enlightens us, nurtures us, anoints us, heals us, and cleanses us. The olive is not only native to Yisra’el, it is one of the world’s longest lived trees.
We ought not be surprised in that we were designed by the Author of this instruction, but it should be noted that the eighth day is the perfect time to perform this minor procedure. Excessive bleeding is minimized, as is infection, because human blood coagulates most effectively at this time.
You may have noticed that this is the second time Yahowah has used “zakar – male” in association with circumcision. Since the instruction is directed toward, albeit not exclusive to, young boys, literally “ben – sons,” the reason for using zakar only becomes obvious when you study the words etymology. Zakar means: “to establish in one’s memory, to remind, to remember, to reflect, to recall, and to memorialize something important, making it known.” It also conveys the idea that “truth can cleanse and purify, causing us to shine brightly and brilliantly.” When we are enveloped in the Set-Apart Spirit’s Garment of Light, we are cleansed and purified by Her so that we can radiate Yahowah’s pure and brilliant light. Moreover, each time a parent bathes their son, they will be reminded of their commitment to raise him in compliance with the Covenant.
Especially relevant here is that there are two different classes of individuals to be circumcised, which signifies that two distinct groups of people can become part of Yahowah’s Covenant Family. Abraham’s direct descendants through Yitzchaq and Ya’aqob (who became Yisra’el), are “yalyd – naturally born” into Yahowah’s “beyth – family.” But since Yahowah has routinely promised that the benefits of the Covenant would also be available to “gowym – people from different races and places,” He has provided a provision for adoption. That is what “kasap miqnah – those deeply desiring to be acquired and included” from “nekar – foreign lands,” represents. These are adopted children—gowym.
Hiding this reality, most English bibles base their translations of this verse on the Masoretic Text, where the ksp root of “kasap – longing” is pointed “kesep – money.” As kasap miqnah, the clause speaks of those who “really want to be acquired and included.” But as kesep, the order of things has to be reversed, and miqnah kesep becomes a string of nouns: “acquisition money,” which is then corrupted to read “purchased with money.”
And yet while the “kasap miqnah – really wanting to be acquired and included” translation is more consistent with the Covenant and more informative, the miqnah kesep vocalization does address adoption, and thus provides us with two distinct ways to be included in the Covenant: natural childbirth as a literal descendant of Abraham, and by choice through adoption. And thus both renderings are acceptable when viewed from this perspective.
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Posted on Jun 02, 2012 21:45pm by admin
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| Beryth – His Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (5) |
For us to enter into His presence, God must first reconcile, renew, and then transform us from blemished material beings who are subject to sin, death and decay, who are guilty for having failed to live up to His standard, into perfect spiritual beings who are not only innocent and eternal, but who are now unblemished and undying. In other words, since God already is what He intends for us, He must perfect and improve us to adopt us. And that means that salvation, rather than being God’s gift, is simply the means to deliver the real gift, which are the benefits of the Familial Covenant Relationship.
While Yahowah’s “natan – gift” is His Covenant, being vindicated is an essential part of the process. As a result, we are afforded the opportunity to be included in His family and are bestowed the right to live with Him in His home—forever. Beyond this, we will be empowered, enabled, and enriched beyond our wildest expectations – all of which has far-reaching implications.
Written in the cohortative mood, natan expresses Yahowah’s desire to invite us into His home. It tells us that He wants to adopt us as His children. God has chosen to engage in this relationship with us. He is on record, ready and willing to bestow these benefits upon us.
The qal stem serves to make this promise and offer genuine. It literally makes the Covenant a “natan – gift” of relationship.
The imperfect conjugation reveals that the gift of the Covenant has eternal, everlasting, ramifications, the benefits of which unfold over time. Moreover, the imperfect underscores the fact that Yahowah is consistent in this regard, and that the nature of this gift of relationship is uninterrupted, unchanging, and unfailing throughout the whole fabric of time. And that my friends is an insight you do not want to ignore.
Therefore, by using this remarkable verb in this way, Yahowah has told us: “I want to actually give, I yearn to genuinely bestow the everlasting gift of, I desire to grant the ongoing reward of, I choose to literally offer the unfolding present of, I choose to ascribe and entrust the eternal endowment of, and I wish to devote and dedicate without interruption or alteration, even pay for and consistently provide into perpetuity (natan), My Familial Covenant Relationship (beryth-y) as a means to recognize Me as the source of understanding with regard to an association between Me (byn) and (wa) between you, to help you observe, think, and respond to this relationship (byn).” (Re’syth 17:2)
A sound argument could be made that “beryth – covenant” is the single most important word and concept in the whole of Scripture. Based as you know on beyth, it describes a “family-oriented relationship.” The beryth is God’s nurturing agreement with humankind and His binding promise with His creation. The beryth is a solemn oath of friendship. It represents a mutual alliance and pledge and is based upon a marriage vow. This beryth is focused upon a home where family is fostered and encouraged, even protected. God’s beryth is His constitution, His compact and contract. It represents His treaty with mankind and serves as a partnership.
Yahowah’s unfolding plan to reconcile His relationship with you and me revolves around this, the one and only “beryth – Covenant.” It serves as God’s binding promise to us, His oath of friendship, His vow of marriage.
You will also note that “beryth – covenant” is singular, not plural. In fact beryth is never scribed in the plural form. There is only one Covenant. And that means that the notion of two Covenants, of an “Old Testament” and a “New Testament,” is in direct conflict with the Word of God.
It also means that Paul lied in his letters to the Galatians and to the Romans when he wrote of “two covenants,” with the one memorialized here in the Towrah being “of the flesh,” calling it a “curse” and “cruel taskmaster,” which “enslaved,” “had become obsolete,” and which “never had the power to save anyone.” Because Yahowah’s Covenant is the opposite of these things, and because Yahowah’s description of His Covenant is affirmed in His own voice, Paul’s replacement covenant, said to be of the “spirit,” of “faith,” and of “grace,” isn’t worth the papyrus his letters were written upon. Therefore, if you haven’t already done so, this would be a fine time to wipe your mind and soul clean of Paul’s deceptions.
Simply stated, Yahowah’s one and only Covenant is God’s enduring gift—His eternal and binding promise to form a relationship with us. It alone provides the means for us to become members of His family, and for us to live with Him in His home. While it will be affirmed and renewed, that will not happen until He returns on the Day of Reconciliations. And when this occurs, the beneficiaries will be Yahuwdym and Yisra’el, not Christians. And on that day, rather than the Torah being neglected and disrespected, as it is in Christianity, God’s Instructions and Guidance will be placed inside of us.
Before we press on, we’d be impoverished if we didn’t consider the full implications of byn – especially in this context. By way of a reminder, God has just revealed: “I want to actually give the ongoing benefits of (natan) My Familial Covenant Relationship (beryth-y) as a means to recognize Me as the source of understanding with regard to an association between Me (byn – as the way to recognition and understand this association with Me) and (wa) between you, to help you observe, think, and respond to this relationship (byn – for you to examine, consider, understand, and reply appropriately).” (Re’syth 17:2)
Byn, which can be simplistically translated “between Me” and then as “between you,” is indistinguishable in the text from the operative word of the 119th Psalm. If you recall, Dowd consistently emphasized the importance of coming to “byn – understand” the Towrah’s teachings. Byn then represents “the means to recognize, to comprehend, and to respond” to the Towrah, its Author, and His offer. To byn is to “carefully observe the evidence, thoughtfully considering the available testimony in a discerning and perceptive manner so that you come to know and understand. It is the basis of rational thought and the means to this relationship.
When you consider that byn speaks of the “means to come together,” and represents an agreement “between individuals which causes one party to come into the midst of the other for an interval of time,” the “recognition and understanding” aspects of byn become extraordinarily relevant, especially in the context of the Covenant. I share this because byn describes the purpose of our nesamah, or conscience, that unique gift of God which gives us the opportunity to know and understand Him. Running on byn, our nesamah enables us to differentiate between fact and fiction, right and wrong, truth and deception, that which is reliable and that which is not, so that we might respond sensibly to the Covenant. Byn, as the means to exercise good judgment and decide, prompts the Towrah observant to accept and embrace the terms and conditions of the Covenant. So byn is not only a prerequisite for good judgment, for logic, for justice, for morality, and for making informed and rational choices, it is the means “to understand” the Covenant, to “know” Yahowah, to engage in a “close relationship with” Him, bringing you into God’s presence.
It must also be said that “byn – discernment” is the antithesis of “faith.” Rather than a belief in the unknown, byn is “a rational response to that which is known.” Our participation in Yahowah’s Covenant is predicated upon knowledge and understanding which lead to trust and reliance.
Yahowah’s Covenant promise to Abram continued with these words: “And because (wa) I yearn to continually increase and multiply (rabah – I will, out of My own volition and desire, as part of a mutually engaged relationship, consistently promote and foster growth throughout time for (hiphil imperfect cohortative)) you in (ba) the extreme and to the uttermost (ma’od ma’od – to the greatest extent possible in power and strength, energy and capability, to the highest point in dimensions and status).’” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:2) This is why the Covenant is called “God’s Gift.”
Ma’od is an adverb, and as such, it is modifying “rabah – I will continually increase and cause you to grow forever.” Used once, it would make the “increase and growth” “exceedingly significant.” But ma’od was repeated twice, telling us that God plans to magnify our present status, increase us dimensionally, augment our overall amount of energy and capability, so abundantly, the increase exceeds our imagination. Like a loving father, our Heavenly Father wants to help us grow so that we reach our ultimate potential. And nothing is more empowering or designates a higher status, than being God’s child.
By using rabah (especially scribed in the imperfect) in the context of the Covenant, our Heavenly Father is saying that He will “rabah – consistently rear us, continually caring for us so that we grow into perpetuity and reach our full potential over the entire fabric of time, becoming exceedingly greater than we currently are.” Moreover, by analyzing the juxtaposition of rabah and ma’od, we discover that Yahowah is not speaking about the quantity of Abram’s descendants, but instead about demonstrably and substantially increasing Abram’s status (from a human child to God’s son), his dimensions (from 3.5 (stuck as we are in time) to 7.0) his capability (from matter to energy), his life (from mortal to eternal), and his wealth (from owning a flock of sheep to inheriting his own slice of the universe).
Since Abram lived the rest of his life as a regular guy, a rather typical human, it becomes obvious that these promises all applied to the eternal and spiritual realm. Therefore, those who byn come to view all of this as a benefit of the Covenant, its result, where we become more like God. The children of the Covenant become more powerful and energetic, more capable and longer lived. God’s children enjoy an elevated status. As a result of the Covenant, and of choosing to walk to God along the path He, Himself, walked, we are magnified, inheriting God’s source of energy as our nature is transformed from physical to spiritual.
The fact that Yah communicated rabah using the hiphil imperfect cohortative speaks volumes. The hiphil stem tells us that the subject of this verb causes the object of the verb to participate in the action as if they were a secondary subject. For example, in the sentence “Yada led you toward understanding,” the direct object (you) participates in the action that the subject (Yada) caused. So since God is the subject of this promise and we are the object, it is by consistently engaging with God in His Covenant that we continually grow. Our ongoing participation in the Covenant with Yahowah enables our Heavenly Father to eternally empower us. And as you know, the consistent, continual, habitual, ongoing, and eternal aspects of this verb are derived from its imperfect conjugation. And even better, by presenting rabah in the cohortative mood, we can revel in the realization that this is what Yah wants to do, as it expresses His desire and yearning.
Yahowah has told Abram, and us through him, what the Covenant Relationship was to entail, what He expected, and what He was offering in return. Up to this point, we have learned that Yahowah was insistent that Abram leave Babylon—the headwaters of the political and religious schemes contrived by man. Now He wants him to walk to Him.
There are three aspects to “walking” that I don’t want you to miss. First, those who are walking are standing upright, not bowing down. God wants to be adored as our father, not worshiped as a “lord.” Second, those who are walking are engaged and active, not passive. Relationships are not for spectators. Third, the Covenant is a journey of discovery, a way of life. It is about traveling through space and time with Yahowah.
There is an additional aspect of “walk” worthy of contemplation. There are other forms of locomotion our Heavenly Father could have chosen. And yet He did not say “stand at attention.” Rather, He is indicating that we are to be at ease with Him. He did not say “march.” Therefore, we are not following orders. God did not say “run.” So He isn’t challenging us to perform. He did not say “fly,” suggesting that He isn’t beyond our reach. He didn’t even say “jump,” because He hasn’t set up any obstacles between us. God did not say “ride,” either. Not only will He be providing the transport to heaven, a relationship requires both parties to actively engage. But He did say “walk,” because He wants us by His side, moving through life together.
It bears repeating: Yahowah wanted Abram to walk to Him, which required him to make the conscious decision to choose to be with God, and then to move in that direction. It further implies that God wanted Abram to be at ease with Him, to walk along side of Him, to be conversant with Him. He did not ask Abram to praise Him, to bow before His throne, or to put Him on a pedestal. These instructions are the antithesis of that, and as such they may represent some of the most important words in Scripture.
Yahowah has invited us to have a relationship with Him. He did not establish a religion. Further, this relationship with our Maker is to be on a first-name basis. We are invited to walk side-by-side, in His presence, conversing with Him. If you get nothing more out of this book than that, my labor and your time will be rewarded in abundance. If you capitalize on this offer, God will cause you to grow in status and power beyond your imagination.
Considering the Source, the offer of the Familial Covenant Relationship was very humbling stuff. And that’s probably why Abram reacted the way he did. But pay special attention to God’s reply...
“Then (wa) Abram (‘Abram – Father Who Lifts Up) fell (napal) on His face (‘al paneh – in God’s presence), and (wa) God (‘elohym – the Mighty One) spoke (dabar – talked and communed, shared the word) with him (‘eth), to say (la amar – to respond): ‘Here I Am, look at Me (‘any hineh). My Familial Covenant Relationship (beryth – I have formed a personal partnership and friendly association) is with you (‘eth). You shall be (hayah – you will exist as) a father (‘ab) to (la) many enriched (hamown – an abundance of) people from different races and places (gowym).” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:3-4)
It’s hard to see up when you are looking down, which is why Yahowah’s directions are the opposite of Catholic and Islamic prostrations. While man is prone to falling down, and has been conditioned to bow down, God wants to lift us up so that we can be with Him and look Him in the eye.
The “beryth – covenant” is a family relationship, and an “’ab – father” serves as a progenitor of a family – which is the reference being made here. In this way Abram represents our “Uplifting Father” who was soon to become Abraham, our “Merciful Father.” Both serve as metaphors for God, our Heavenly Father, who is the Patriarch of the Uplifting and Merciful Family Relationship known as the “Beryth – Covenant.” This is God’s plan to adopt and enrich us.
The “gowym – people from many races and places” who have embraced Yahowah’s Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship, and who have been adopted into our Heavenly Father’s family, are indeed “hamown – abundantly rich.” As part of our adoption, we inherit Yahowah’s possessions—which include everything in the entire universe. While I don’t know how many thousands of us there are or will be, there is more than enough to go around to exceed the pledge communicated within this verse.
Speaking of this offer, Yahowsha’ affirmed Yahowah’s promise when He said: “I am the Door (associating Himself with Passover). If anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved…. I came so that they might have life more abundantly.” (Yahowchanan / John 10:9-10)
Throughout Scripture, there are many words and statements which reveal important contrasts, words and ideas which have a light and dark side, depending upon whether the primary, secondary, or tertiary definition is considered. This is one such place. The benefit of the Covenant is derived from hamown’s primary definition: “being enriched with abundant wealth through the accumulation of possessions greatly in excess of what is actually required.” Through the Covenant we are “hamown – enriched” in this way because God’s children receive their Heavenly Father’s inheritance.
But that is not all hamown means. Its secondary definition is “to create an uproar which confuses the masses, to clamor in a loud and unruly fashion so that many are motivated to riot, inducing hordes of militants plunder their victims.” Then under its tertiary definition, hamown speaks of “political pomp and pontification,” even of “religious pronouncements and processions which mystify and cause the preponderance of people to be agitated.” This connotation defines the result: “turmoil, commotion, tumult, and riots.” So because of the massive cultural damage the dark side of hamown can do to an entire community, indeed to a civilization, the final definitional consideration of hamown reads: “crowd, multitude, masses, and populace.”
Therefore, in the dark and light side of this word, we witness the contrast between the consequence of embracing the Covenant and the result of rejecting it. We are either among the few who are adopted by God and are “hamown – enriched,” or we become “hamown – one of the many depraved victims of man’s caustic religious, political, economic, and military schemes.”
Turning next to gowym, we discover that the primary designation, “people from different races and places” is the best fit in this godly pronouncement, because “individuals the world over, regardless of their genes or their geography,” have been enriched by Yahowah’s Covenant. But, gowy, the singular of gowym, can also be translated using its secondary connotation which is “nation,” as it is a subset of the word’s primary implication. And as you are probably aware, religious Jews prefer to transliterate Gowym as “Gentiles,” and then to ascribe the word’s tertiary meaning to those who are not Jewish: “heathen pagans who are uncultured and act as animals.”
Therefore, by using the primary characterization of both words, we know that “gowym – individuals the world over” will choose to be made “hamown – abundantly rich” by Yahowah’s “Beryth – Familial Covenant Relationship.” But many will choose an opposing fate. We discover by considering the implications of the secondary and tertiary connotations of each term, that God is predicting that not all of the gowym who claim Abraham as their patriarch, such as Christians and Muslims do, will benefit. And as usual, He was right.
Before we press on, let’s see how accurately some of the more popular English Bibles did with this extraordinarily important passage. To accomplish this, we should recognize that Yahowah said:
“I want to actually give, I yearn to genuinely bestow the everlasting gift of, and I choose to literally offer the unfolding present of, and I wish to devote and dedicate without interruption or alteration, even pay for and consistently provide into perpetuity (natan), My Familial Covenant Relationship (beryth-y) as a means to recognize Me as the source of understanding with regard to an association between Me (byn) and (wa) between you, to help you observe, think, and respond to this relationship (byn). And because (wa) I yearn to continually increase and multiply, as part of a mutually engaged relationship, fostering growth throughout time for (rabah) you in (ba) the extreme and to the uttermost, to the greatest extent possible in power and strength, energy and capability, and to the highest point in dimensions and status (ma’od ma’od). (17:2)
Then (wa) Abram (‘Abram) fell (napal) on His face (‘al paneh), and (wa) God (‘elohym) spoke (dabar) with him (‘eth), to say (la amar): (17:3) ‘Here I Am, look at Me (‘any hineh). My Familial Covenant Relationship (beryth) is with you (‘eth). You shall be (hayah) a father (‘ab) to (la) many enriched (hamown) people from different races and places (gowym).’” (17:4)
The first Gentiles to “translate” Yahowah’s testimony using secondary and tertiary definitions for “hamown – enrich” and “gowym – individuals from different races and places,” was the Roman Catholic Church. They did so in their Latin Vulgate, where Jerome began by errantly rendering “natan – give” as if it were “karat – cut or make. He also ignored “hineh – look at Me,” which was Yahowah’s response to Abram falling on his face. “And I will make my covenant between me and thee: and I will multiply thee exceedingly.” (2) “Abram fell flat on his face.” (3) “And God said to him: I am, and my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.” (4)
Conffirming that the King James Version is actually a revision of the Latin Vulgate, rather than a translation of the Hebrew text, we find the king’s occultist coconspirator, Sir Francis Bacon, plagiarizing Jerome: “And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. (2) And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,” (3) “As for me, behold, my covenant [is] with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.” (4)
Also ignoring the fact that Yahowah said that His Covenant was a “natan –gift,” and that Yahowah asked Abram to “hineh – look at Him,” the New Living Translation published something substantially different than Yahowah’s actual testimony. To highlight their errors, I have emboldened the words they added without textual support or that they rendered using secondary meanings: “I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” (2) “At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him,” (3) “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations!” (4) Beyond revisiting every one of Jerome’s and Bacon’s mistakes, and beyond their ill advised additions, hayah does not mean “make.” It means: “you shall be” or “you shall exist as.”
It’s little wonder Christians fail to understand that the “Beryth – Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship” presented in the Towrah is Yahowah’s “natan – gift” to us, that God wants us to “hineh – look at Him,” rather than bow down, and that the purpose of this relationship is “rabah – to increase and multiply” us in the “ma’od ma’od – extreme and to the uttermost.” Unknown to Christians as a result of their errant translations, the Covenant was given to Abram so as to “’ab – father” “hamown – many enriched” “gowym – individuals from different races and places.” It is what Yahowah wants most: to empower us to become His children, to lift us up and make us vastly greater than we currently are, so that we might inherit all that is His to give. This is the gift of the Covenant. It is the reason the Towrah was written.
There are two reasons that I can say with absolute certainty that these three bible translations have misrepresented Yahowah’s message. The initial proof is encapsulated in the previous paragraph, where the primary definitions of the words Yahowah actually selected were disregarded.
The second reason is a bit more complicated, but no less relevant. We know Abraham had a legitimate and an illegitimate son. The legitimate son, Yitzchaq, became the father of Ya’aqob who became Yisra’el—a people expressly contrasted from the gowym. The use of “gowym – gentiles” thereby excludes the one and only nation considered valuable by God. And nothing is known about what happened to Yshma’el, other than he married an Egyptian and wandered off into the desert where his offspring were predicted by Yahowah to be “wild asses of men whose hand would be against their brothers, and who would live in conflict with the whole world.” So there is no chance that these gowym asses embody the gift of the Covenant either. Therefore, it is senseless to render ma’od, hamown, and gowym as Christian theologians have done.
Abram’s transition from “Uplifting Father” to “Loving and Merciful Father who Enriches,” illustrates the nature of our Heavenly Father’s Covenant gift. It represents a “loving act of undeserved favor, of forgiveness provided out of a sense of compassion and affection.”
We know this because God said: “And (wa) no longer shall (lo’ ‘owd) your name (shem – your personal and proper name) be called out (qara’ – be proclaimed, read, or recited, summoned or designated) as (‘eth – by) ‘Abram (‘abram – uplifting father). Your personal and proper name (shem – your designation and renown) shall be (hayah – shall exist as) ‘Abraham (‘abraham – Loving and Merciful Father who Enriches; a compound of ‘ab – father, raham – womb of merciful, forgiving, tender love, affection, and compassion, and hamown – to enrich). I have given to you (natan – I have granted as a gift to you) the designation of (ky – the brand and symbolism designating to whom someone belongs of) the father (‘ab) of many enriched (hamown) people from different races and places (gowym).” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:5)
Once again I would like to remind you that God did not, and could not have told Abraham that the benefit of the covenant would be to make him the father of many nations, because that is not what occurred. Beyond the fact that the primary meaning of hamown and gowy are as I’ve rendered them in these passages, if Yahowah intended infer that Yisra’el would become great, then He would not have used gowy or gowym, singular or plural. Apart from using the name Yisra’el, He could have used ‘am, the familial term for naturally-born children. As you know, gowym speaks of foreign populations, thereby expressly excluding Yisra’el.
More telling still, the number of Yahuwdym/Jews has been and continues to be limited by their religious enemies. So even though I understand that there are over a billion Muslims who mindlessly claim to have descended from Ishmael, they are all adversaries, and thus counterproductive to this partnership. After all, Yahowah dedicated the previous chapter to demeaning Ishmael, so His evaluation of Islam is well attested. Therefore, the only other nations which claim decadency from Abraham are expressly disqualified.
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Posted on Jun 02, 2012 21:41pm by admin
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| Beryth – His Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (4) |
And lest we forget, by any definition, a relationship is contingent upon the participation of two parties. In this case it describes a partnership between mankind and God. Yahowah only honors His side of the agreement with those who honor our responsibilities within the relationship. There are very specific things Yahowah has asked us to accept. Unfortunately, however, very few of these conditions have made their way into the any of the popular Christian salvation schemes, where God or the Church does everything, and the participants do almost nothing, save make a profession of faith.
In Ancient and Paleo Hebrew, the script of revelation, the first letter in “beryth – covenant,” is Beyth – which also serves as the Hebrew word for “family and home.” Not surprisingly, it was written by drawing a picture of a tent, which was symbolic of a family living securely in a home. It therefore serves to define the beryth, picturing it as a home sheltering and protecting one’s household.
The second letter, Rosh, was scribed by illustrating an individual’s head. It was designed to convey the idea that something is the first order of business, the most important thing to accomplish, and the top priority. Nothing is more important to Yahowah than this “beryth – Family Relationship.”
The third letter, the Hebrew Yowd, was depicted by illustrating an arm and hand. It was used to visually communicate the will, authority, and ability to do whatever is required to achieve a goal. And Yahowah, the ultimate power and authority in the universe, will stop at nothing, save compromising His integrity and infringing upon freewill, to achieve His heart’s desire: the formation of a Familial Covenant Relationship with humankind.
If Taw is the final letter in beryth, it described what had to be achieved to facilitate the priority of enlarging our Heavenly Father’s family. The Taw was drawn in the form of an upright pillar. It designates a doorway and a tent pole, which when erected, serves to enlarge a shelter, while also providing it with a reliable entrance. Yahowsha’ is the Upright Pillar who enlarges Yahowah’s family and home—which in turn is embodied by the Festival of Shelters. He is the Doorway to Heaven—which is represented by Passover.
And should the related Theth actually denote beryth’s final character, then we have a picture of us being protected by Yah and bearing His signature. That would be a fine and fitting conclusion.
While these visualizations are enlightening, no matter how you look at it, God’s top priority is to “karat – cut” His “beryth – familial covenant relationship” with His creation so that nurtured and protected, we might live forever in His home. As promises and agreements go, there are none more valuable than this one.
As we have discussed, “‘erets – land” is used to describe a literal geographical place, Yisra’el, as well as being symbolic of living with God. It is derived from an unused Hebrew root which means: “firm, reliable, and established.” Similarly, Yisra’el is a material place with a spiritual designation. A compound of ‘ysh sarah ‘el, it describes “’ysh – individuals” who “sarah – strive, engage, exist, and endure” with “’el – God.”
It is exceedingly common for God to use something tangible, such as the ‘erets of Yisra’el, to communicate something which is intangible, such as living with Him in His home. In this vein, He is especially fond of agricultural metaphors—particularly those which relate to preparing the ground so that it is receptive, to pulling the weeds of deception, to tending to the crop, to separating wheat from chaff, and to ultimately harvesting saved souls. Therefore, in this passage which is announcing the “cutting of the Covenant,” we should see the “’erets – land” which has been “’amar – promised” as an actual material place and as the establishment of God’s spiritual family. They both exist, one in the material world and the other in the spiritual. Yahowah wants to campout with those who want to be with Him in both places.
Along these lines, when Yahowah’s prophetic promises are fulfilled, and the Children of Yisra’el are led away from the crucible of human oppression and to the Promised Land, the first step of their journey from bondage to freedom, from death to life, from corruption to perfection, from separation to reconciliation, begins by walking through the Doorway labeled “Passover.” Smeared with the sacrificial blood of an unblemished lamb, Pesach serves as a portal from mortality to immortality.
But even this gateway to eternal life, this first of seven steps leading to God, is of no benefit without Unleavened Bread—which was and is celebrated the following day. Matsah, the second step to living in God’s presence, describes God’s willingness and means to remove every form of corruption from our souls, perfecting us, so that we might exist with Him.
This then leads to the third step on the third day, to FirstFruits, where we are born into God’s family. On Bikuwrym our souls adopted and harvested by Yah.
The fourth step along the Way we are invited to walk to God occurs seven Sabbaths later, which is why it is called Seven Sabbaths. After walking away from human oppression for seven weeks, each day separating ourselves further from religious and political schemes, we find ourselves approaching the very presence of God. And that is why on this day the Children of Yisra’el were given the Towrah on this day—representing the presence of God in our world. So to celebrate, we are instructed to invite everyone we know, regardless of race, age, gender, wealth, or status, to walk with us on this path from man’s material world to God’s spiritual realm. On Shabuw’ah we are empowered spiritually to accurately present what is known about Yahowah, His relationship agreement, and the way He has provided for us to walk to His home, so that everyone has the opportunity to choose to participate in the “beryth – Covenant.”
The fifth step, called Taruw’ah, but known as Trumpets, like Seven Sabbaths, is both an announcement and a harvest. Those who have followed the path Yahowah has provided are asked to proclaim the good news: God has provided a means to survive our mortal existence (Passover), and to live forever. He has provided a means to escape judgment (Unleavened Bread), and to become vindicated, so that we might come to be perfect in His presence. He has provided the means to adopt us into His family (FirstFruits), so that we might live as His children. He has invited everyone to participate (Seven Sabbaths), so that we might stop relying on man’s political, religious, economic, and military promises, and start relying on His promises. But since we are free to choose to walk this path from man to God, Yahowah has instructed those who have made this choice to issue a warning to those who have not. There is a consequence of ignoring, even disrespecting, Yahowah’s seven Called-Out Assembly Meetings—as do virtually all Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Secular Humanists. Reliant on false promises, they will never enter God’s presence, be cleansed of corruption, escape judgment, or transcend their mortality. The end of their mortal lives will be the end of their existence. Their souls will simply fade into oblivion, ceasing to exist.
We know this because God told us on Passover, on Unleavened Bread, and twice on the Day of Reconciliations that those who ignore these invitations to meet with Him will cease to exist. Specifically, those who reject Yahowah’s summons to come into the presence of our Spiritual Mother, the Set-Apart Spirit, on Yowm Kippurym, which follows Pesach, Matsah, Bikuwrym, Shabuwa, and Taruw’ah, will be cut off from God’s family and their souls will be annihilated. Such is the consequence of choosing to ignore God’s Way—to reject the path He has provided for us to walk away from man’s corruption to His perfection, from separation to reconciliation.
Those who choose to participate in the Covenant, those who decide to walk to God along the path He has provided, will be reconciled with their Heavenly Father. They will be redeemed and renewed, all in preparation for the seventh step along the Way—the destination: Sukah / Shelters. During the Seventh Called-Out Assembly Meeting our walk is over, because we are now camping out with our Heavenly Father. We have reached the Promised Land. We are now God’s children.
* * *
As Yahowah’s Covenant Relationship continues to unfold, I encourage you to keep this adoption process and transformation to perfection in mind. It is why, during their fourth meeting, Abram was called a “ben – son.” While he was actually old by man’s standards, he was young by God’s. Our Heavenly Father was in the process of adopting Abram—as He will us. And this serves to remind us that it is never too late. We can come to know Yahowah and serve with Him at any point in our lives. Abraham was a year shy of one-hundred when this conversation occurred…
“And (wa) ‘Abram (‘Abram – Uplifting Father) had actually become (hayah – he had literally come to exist as (qal imperfect waw consecutive)) a son of (ben – a child of) ninety-nine years (tish’ym tesha’ sanah – one who observes, regards, and beholds change which leads to renewal).
And (wa) Yahowah () appeared (ra’ah – He revealed himself and was seen) as God to (‘el – as the Almighty to) ‘Abram. And (wa) He said (‘amar – affirmed) to him (‘elyw), ‘I Am (‘any) God (‘el) Almighty (shaday – the most powerful). Choose of your own volition to walk (halak – of your own accord come, travel, journey through life and come to exist as a unique individual engaging and proceeding (hithpael imperative)) to (la – toward) My presence (paneh – approach Me, exist by My side, face Me) and (wa) literally come to be (hayah – actually become as a result of this choice (qal imperative)) perfect (tamym – innocent and unblemished, upright and blameless, whole and complete, healthy, unimpaired, wholesome, and in complete accord with the truth).’” (Re’syth / Beginning / Genesis 17:1)
This is the third request Yahowah has made with respect to us engaging in His Covenant. And it is directly related to the first two. If you recall, God began by asking: “I would like you of your own accord to literally walk away from and genuinely come out of your country (the land of Babylon and the realm of confusion and corruption), away from your relatives, and away from your father’s home and household, to God’s realm which as a result of the relationship and as a blessing I will show you and provide.” Then we were told: “And he completely trusted in and totally relied upon Yahowah, and so based upon this thinking and His plan, He decided as a result of this consideration to impute innocence and righteousness to him.” So now that path leads to: And He said to him, ‘I Am God Almighty. Choose of your own volition to walk to My presence and come to be perfect.’”
This introduction to the Covenant Relationship depicts “Yahowah appearing as God,” with our Heavenly Father “revealing Himself” through His “Word” to Abram so as “to be seen” by him. For this to occur without incinerating His friend, God had to become corporeal—that is to say, He had to transform some of His Spiritual energy into matter. And to talk with him in this way, He to take on human form. While Abraham didn’t know it, this partial transformation from one state to another was accomplished using a formula whereby the resulting mass was diminished from the source of Spiritual Energy by the speed of light squared.
You will notice that this material manifestation of Yahowah is so diminished from His natural state that the Creator of the universe had to announce that He actually was “God Almighty.” So while the patriarch was able to see and inspect God, there wasn’t enough of the Almighty present to make His identity obvious. By implication then, there was nothing about this human form which visibly distinguished Him as God. Therefore, the only way for such a diminutive representation of the Almighty to actually be “God,” is for this corporeal expression to be part of God set apart from Him. That is to say that an aspect of God’s nature was set apart from Him to meet with His creation. This diminished manifestation of God in our material realm, in our space and flow of time, is better known as Yahowsha’. He too represented a part of God, set-apart from Yahowah to meet with us. That made Yahowsha’ the diminished corporeal manifestation of the Almighty. But it did not make Him the totality of God, as that would have been impossible and ill advisable.
Should you be curious, collectively God’s meetings with Abraham comprise His second of seven visits to earth. The first occurred when He walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam. He would also appear to Ya’aqob during his transformation to Yisra’el. He manifested Himself materially to Moseh to give us His Towrah Instructions. Later, he visited with Shamow’el (meaning Listen to God, better known as Samuel), affirming that reciting His Torah is the best way to meet Him. And then in His sixth visit, Yahowsha’ walked the very same path we are invited to walk to God, beginning with Passover, Unleavened Bread, FirstFruits, and Seven Sabbaths in the Yowbel of 4000 Yah (33 CE). Upon His return in 6000 Yah (2033), He will complete the journey striding through Trumpets and Reconciliations en route to Shelters.
While God manifesting Himself in human form is completely consistent with Scripture, it is totally inconsistent with Rabbinical Judaism. So in this sentence defining the third requirement of the Covenant, Yahowah once again destroyed one of the foundational claims of the Jewish religion. In the third of Thirteen Principles of Faith which define Judaism, Maimonides wrote: “G-d is incorporeal.” That is to say, according to the rabbi, God cannot manifest Himself as a physical being with a body.
Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, also known as “Maimonides” and as the “Rambam” (1135-1204 CE), crafted the most widely accepted listing of Jewish beliefs and laws. Many would consider him the father of modern Judaism—although I think that title belongs to another religious leader, Rabbi Akiba, as he’s the individual responsible for facilitating the rabbinical quest to ascribe Yahowah’s authority to man in the first place. It was Akiba, not Maimonides, who came up with a scheme based upon the exercise of freewill, whereby two or more rabbis could out vote God. This resulted in them placing their Oral Law, the Talmud, above the Torah. Akiba is also the religious cleric most responsible for Jews being sent into exile for eighteen centuries. But don’t get me started…
Anyway, Rabbi Maimonides, after being educated in a Muslim mosque in Fez, Morocco, and living in Cairo, Egypt as the personal physician for the vizier of Muslim Conqueror Saladin, authored the massive (and purposely deceptive and convoluted) Mishneh, a compilation of 613 laws arranged by subject—all of which were designed to turn a family relationship with God into a works-based religion. Spiritually, as a result of Maimonides, Jews were taken back to Egypt and Babylon. And in this regard, it is Rambam’s Thirteen Principles of Faith that form the most universally accepted manifesto on the Jewish religion. In them, the rabbinical mystic and cabbalist said that God was incorporeal. Therefore, by comparing this verse to Maimonides’ edict, we know that either the rabbi or Yahowah cannot be trusted.
Fortunately, we don’t have to guess who is being deceitful. The sixth of Rambam’s thirteen articles of faith says: “The words of the prophets are true.” Moseh, who was called “the greatest of the prophets” in the seventh article, served as the scribe for this passage. So if what Moseh wrote was accurate, this rabbi’s writings were not. It is as simple as that. There is no other rational option. This is just one of many contradictions in Judaism and Yahowah’s Word which lead to the unavoidable conclusion that Judaism, by its own definitions, is false. And yet, hastening their own demise Jews throughout the centuries have trusted the Rambam more than God.
Returning to the passage itself, we find God asking Abram to: “Choose to individually walk (halak – of your own accord come, travel, journey through life, coming to exist engaging and proceeding (hithpael imperative)) to (la – toward) My presence (paneh – approach Me, exist by My side, face Me) and (wa) genuinely come to be (hayah – actually become as a result of this choice (qal imperative)) perfect (tamym – innocent and unblemished, upright and blameless, whole and complete, healthy, unimpaired, wholesome, and in complete accord with the truth).”
In that this represents the third of five Covenant requirements, let’s carefully consider the two verbs, “halak – walk” and “hayah – come to be” by exploring their associated stems, conjugations, and moods. To begin, halak was scribed using the hithpael imperative. The hithpael stem, as the reflexive counterpart of the piel, tells us that the subject of the verb, which is Abram, must act of his own accord to achieve the object of the verb, which is to enter Yahowah’s presence. He, without the assistance of anyone else, must engage in this journey as instructed to reach the destination realized by this walk. And in the imperative mood, walking to God must be Abram’s choice, and his choice alone. Otherwise, the desired response implied by the hithpael stem, which in this case is to individually act in the appropriate way to enter Yahowah’s presence and to become perfect, would be a command rather than a choice under the auspices of freewill.
Bringing these ideas together, Yahowah asked Abram, and therefore us, to individually, of our own accord, to choose to walk to Him. This stem and mood also convey the surprising reality that our walk toward the objective of entering Yahowah’s presence influences God’s response to us. We control the outcome and nature of our meeting with God by our decision to act upon this Covenant condition.
The second verb, “hayah – come to be,” was scribed somewhat differently, using the qal stem along with the imperative, and thus volitional, mood. This is important because the object now is perfection. The qal stem not only addresses reality, telling us that this guidance is to be interpreted literally rather than symbolically, but also reveals that there is a genuine relationship between the verb’s subject, which is Abram’s choice to individually walk to God, and the action of the verb, which is to become perfect. In other words, we come to be perfect as a result of our decision to walk to God.
I’ve studied and translated the Genesis 17:1 passage countless times, and yet it wasn’t until I began writing this Introduction to God that I actually understood its primary meaning. God asked Abraham “halak – to choose of his own volition to individually walk la-paneh-y – to My presence.” When the Hebrew Lamed appears as a prefix, as it does in connection with “paneh – presence,” it serves as “a marker of a spatial extension toward a goal.” As a preposition, la is predominately translated “to, toward, into, and onto”—all of which are appropriate in this context. However, on some occasions, progress toward a goal can be rendered: “for, on behalf of, with regard to, in reference to, in order to, so that, to the point of, and on behalf of”—none of which fit comfortably between “walk” and “My presence” in this Godly revelation. So, the only appropriate and accurate translation of halak la’-paneh-y is: “walk to My presence.”
Before we contemplate how we are supposed to “choose of our own volition to walk individually to God,” in such a way that we “come to Him and enter His presence,” let’s return to the last two words in this sentence. If “wa-hayah tamym – and come to be perfect” is properly translated there is a path we can walk which causes us to be right with God.
Since “perfect” requires the “right answer to every question” and means “to be in absolute accord with the truth, to be completely sound, lacking nothing, to be innocent and unimpaired, to be totally healthy, entirely unblemished, good in the extreme, blameless, moral, impeccable, honest and truthful,” we should not be surprised that the world’s most reliable lexicons define tamym using these very terms. And to them they add: “upright, unscathed, intact, unobjectionable, sincere, and secure.” Therefore, the path to God which we have been asked to walk must be capable of accomplishing all of these things on behalf of corrupt and flawed mortal beings.
Further, a little due diligence reveals that tamym is based upon tamam, which means: “to obtain and acquire innocence, to be vindicated, to be perfected, to be supported, to be completed, and to be fulfilled,” in addition to: to adhere to another so as to be held upright.” But there is more, because tamam also conveys the ideas of “accomplishing something completely and finishing the task at hand so as to become sound and unimpaired, to become upright and perfect.” Tamym and tamam are also related to tamyd, which speaks of “continuing to live into perpetuity,” and to tamak, which conveys the idea of “being held and supported, being kept and sustained.”
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Posted on Jun 02, 2012 21:34pm by admin
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