Parashah 18: Mishpatim (Rulings) Exodus 21:1 through 24:18

Shabbat shalom, mishpocah/family/friends!  As always, a synopsis of this week's Torah portion (Parashah 18: Mishpatim (Rulings) Exodus 21:1 through 24:18) can be found on our website.

For those who have been Torah observant for awhile, they know that THEY, as grafted in believers, constitute "Israel" - halleluyah! Anyone who has accepted the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is spiritually part of Israel! And that means what? Same God, same rules....

But the question remains: Are we really "set apart" today? Are the Jews "set apart"? No, because many (if not most) seem to be secular, not really serious about being Torah observant, and refusing to accept Yeshua as their Final Sin Offering. Many even participate in eating "unclean" things and are celebrating Christmas and Easter along with the rest of the world.

And as for Christians, many pastors teach that Torah (which they erroneously call "the law") is a curse and that all one has to do to be "saved" is to "believe in Jesus." Somehow, it has totally slipped past most that the death of Jesus never negated the need to obey God's "forever" commands!

Moving on to ourparashah, we find many things very hard to understand, and we at The Refiner's Fire can tell you from experience that atheists and the "lukewarm/half-hearted" have a field day with the chapters we have been reading lately! Even some believers have a hard time with some of the commands YHWH gave to Moshe - such as, Exodus 21:7, which says: "If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to go free like the men-slaves." Or 22:1-2 which says: "If a thief caught in the act of breaking in is beaten to death, it is not murder; unless it happens after sunrise, in which case it is murder. Exodus 21:10 says: If he marries another wife, he is not to reduce her food, clothing or marital rights.

Some men have jumped on this particular bandwagon to prove that YHWH condones polygyny.  Unbelievers scoff and laugh at the idea of God because commands such as the above sound "crazy" and therefore, God and the Bible must surely "be a myth." Either that, or (as many atheists like to put it), "Your God is pure evil"....

But most believers recognize that customs some 3,000 years ago were a lot different from our customs today and that YHWH was providing many commands pertinent to that particular era - an era when selling one's self into slavery was common because it was the only way some were able to earn their living, and YHWH was forced to hand down certain rules to ensure fair treatment (even though they might sound very strange to our modern understanding).

Be that as it may, YHWH was adamant in handing down His Torah rules to mankind, and poor Moshe was caught in the middle, trying to please YHWH while dealing with approximately two million unruly people!

For more educational reading about this parashah, please click on the “parashah” link above.

How can I hear God’s Voice?

READER QUESTION: I was curious to know if there are any scriptures relating to hearing YHWH's (Yahweh's) voice and distinguishing his voice from your own line of thinking. For some reason I struggle with that notion. How would I know if I am using my own line of thinking or God's?

OUR RESPONSE:

GREAT QUESTION! There are actually several ways to "hear" God, with the main one being very simple: “Read the Bible” from cover to cover. And when you’re done, start all over again. The Bible (especially the Torah - the first five Books containing all the “Thus saith the Lord” verses) is our ONLY blueprint for moral, holy living!

Unlike in ancient times, people today have access to Bibles; and therefore, they don't really have an excuse to NOT know what it says. Unfortunately, many don't bother to read it, preferring to listen to a mixture of teachers and so-called "prophets" and their various teachings, whose messages consist of mainly personal opinions and interpretations that usually end up leading people astray. Consequently, many are lost and left in the dark about the real messages contained in the Word....

When we go back to the “beginning” of the Bible, we can see that ADONAI occasionally spoke with an audible voice:

Exodus 33:11 tells us that he spoke to Moshe (Moses) "face to face" (see, also, Numbers 12:7-8, Deuteronomy 34:10). He also spoke to Joshua (Joshua 1:1) and Samuel (1 Sam. 3:1-14). A voice from the heavens was heard when Yeshua was baptized by John (Matt. 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22) and from a cloud that appeared when Yeshua was transfigured on a high mountain (Matt. 17:5, Mark 9:7). And Paul and his traveling companions heard his voice when Paul was struck blind on his way to Damascus to murder Messianic believers (Acts 9:4).

People can also receive messages through the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit) as YHWH speaks to us in various ways. Let’s take a look:

· Through the Bible: The Bible is YHWH's living word. Sometimes a passage "jumps out at us" which seems to be exactly "what we needed to hear" at a certain point in time. Often, particular verses come to mind while we read and/or pray, and God uses some of them to speak to us. Hebrews 4:12-13 reminds us that "the word of YHWH is alive" and "sharper than any double edged sword!" This suggests we must continually be reading the Bible if we are seeking God's wisdom and Will in our lives.

· Through prayer: YHWH's Voice is similar to the "voice" of our conscience. Over time we learn to recognize His Voice as He places thoughts into our minds. Of course, we must learn to weigh against the Scriptures whatever we think we might be "hearing"....

· Through others: ELOHIM often uses others either directly (by causing them to "hear" a message for us), or sometimes in more subtle ways such that they themselves are often unaware that they're being used. For instance, during the course of a conversation with someone, we "suddenly" recognize they gave us the answer to something we had been seeking. (Again, it is imperative to remember that whatever is said MUST be weighed against Scripture! For instance, if someone says, "God gave me a word for you: I think you should go ahead with that divorce of yours and not bother to try to reconcile with your spouse" - then you know that did NOT come from God, because YHWH says He HATES divorce (Malachi 2:16)!

· Through visions or dreams. Through the Ruach, God often gives us certain visions or dreams containing, perhaps just some words that "stick with us"; or entire scenarios that we "just know" were meant for us. Again, these visions/dreams MUST line up with the Bible!

It cannot be reiterated enough that, before relying on words, visions or dreams to guide or direct our lives, they should be carefully tested and clearly applicable. If you "hear" or "feel" a message from God, it HAS to line up 100 percent with what the Bible says. (For instance, if you "hear" or "dream" that you are supposed to murder your neighbor or seduce your neighbor's wife, that is obviously NOT a message from YHWH!)

The key is to “listen to the Ruach” and be VERY discerning.

"What is the age of the Earth?" and other questions

The following was borrowed from our website article, What is the age of the earth?

We learn the following from Talmud (the “Oral Torah"- which is commentary on the first five books of the Bible):

Sanhedrin, Babylonian Talmud p. 97 a.: Rabbi Kattinna said: Six thousand years shall the world exist, and one [thousand, the seventh], it shall be desolate, as it is written, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. [quotation from Isaiah chapter 2 verse 11].

Rabbi Abaye said: It will be desolate two thousand as it is said, After two days will he revive us: in the third day, he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight [quoting from the prophet Hosea chapter 6 verse 2]. Two days meaning two thousand years according to Psalms 90 verse 4.

In other words, there will be:

• Two thousand years of chaos (before Yahweh gave us His written Torah) when the world was steeped in paganism (that's why He destroyed the world by Flood - see Genesis 7 through 9; also read through Exodus 20 when The Ten Commandments were given at Mt. Sinai at a time when YHWH was in the process of trying to show His people how to BE set apart for Him).

NOTE: By the way, Torah has always been around. It is YHWH's Divine Instruction in Righteousness (outlined in the first five Books of the Bible) without which we would have NO blueprint for moral, holy living. Cain and Abel knew to present animal sacrifices (Genesis 4); Noah knew the difference between "clean and unclean" animals (Gen. 7:1-3).

For those who insist Torah is just a "Jewish thing" you need to realize there we no "Jews" until our Third Patriarch, Jacob, fathered his son Yehudah/Judah, who headed the Tribe of Judah (where the term "Jew" originated) - and yet EVERYONE up until that time who believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was TORAH OBSERVANT....

• Two thousand years of Torah and learning about Yahweh and studying His teachings of morality (which began with Abraham, who became a "Hebrew" when he physically and spiritually "crossed over"; and included not only the 613 commandments, but later the Ten Commandments given to Moshe/Moses).

• Two thousand years of Messiah (which we are in now from the time that Yeshua walked the Earth and died as our Final SIN Sacrifice). And soon, as the Bible says, we will enter the Millenium with Yeshua as ruler of the earth for one thousand years, being taught personally by Him. After that, as the Bible tells us, there will be a "new heaven and a new earth."

Parashah 17: Yitro (Jethro) Exodus 18:1 through 20:23

Shabbat shalom, mishpocah!  As always, an synopsis of this week’s Torah portion can be found on our website.

In this parashah, we see the Israelites receiving the Ten Commandments! But first, we are told that Moshe's father-in-law, Yitro (whose wise counsel Moshe cherished) brought an offering (Exodus 18:12) - which once again shows that Torah has always existed, and that it existed before Moshe received the "Ten Commandments" and before the giving of those "613" Levitical commands found scattered throughout the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Note that Moshe was not a "Jew". (He was from the Tribe of Levi, not of Judah.) But the fact remains, he was Torah observant! All believers since the beginning of time obeyed YHWH's Torah; not just "the Jews" as many people suggest.

There were no "Jews" until Jacob had fathered one of his 12 sons, Yehudah (Judah) who became one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Note that ALL believers up until then - including the Egyptian Gentiles who had followed Moshe out of Egypt - obeyed YHWH's Torah.

Remember, even Cain and Abel knew to present animal sacrifices (Genesis 4) and Noah knew the difference between "clean and unclean" animals (Gen. 7:1-3); and at the end of Genesis 4 we see that people had begun to "call on the Name of YHWH". The Tribe of Judah was chosen to teach the world about Torah (Genesis 49:10, Micah 4:2) and: YHWH caused Yeshua to be born into the Tribe of Yehudah/Judah....

Anyway, for a synopsis of this Torah portion, please click on this link to read the Parashah.

An explanation as to why Yeshua was not “God” nor an “idol”

Jewish "counter-missionaries" like to insist that "Jesus is an idol" and that belief in him is "idol worship."  Our article shows why they are dead wrong!

Actually, both Christianity and Judaism are incorrect in their assertions about Yeshua. He was NOT "God" as Christianity insists; he was the MESSIAH! YHWH alone is ELOHIM! But Yeshua also was NOT an "idol" as Jewish counter-missionaries insist - the same people who go around preaching that Yeshua wasn't even the Messiah!

Isaiah 45:21 Let them stand and present their case! Indeed, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, announced it in times gone by? Wasn't it I, ADONAI? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides me. 22 Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God; there is no other. (CJB)

BOTH sides need to re-read the entire Bible to see what it actually says about YHWH and His Divine Messiah.. (About "God" - see Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7; Isaiah 44:6, 45:5, 45:21.)

Yeshua is the Branch!

As you all know by now, many of "our" people are drawn to Judaism, which does not believe that Yeshua is the Messiah.  They insist that Yeshua's NAME is never mentioned in Tanach, and therefore, he is a fake.

Well, Scripture proves otherwise! Consider this:

We all know that Immanuel is a title - "El is with us" - which is a requirement of the Messiah. But Zechariah 6:12 makes it clear the actual "name of the branch" is YEHOSHUA, which 500 years later was truncated in Hebrew to Y'shua.

"In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up to David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety: and this is the name by which she shall be called, 'YHWH our righteousness' [YHWH Tzidqeinu]" (Jeremiah 33:15-16).

"Behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice upon the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell in safety: and this is his name by which he shall be called, 'YHWH our righteousness'" (Jeremiah 23:5-6).

However, neither one of these verses reveals to us the name of the Branch. They merely state that the coming Messiah - known as the "Branch" - would be a righteous king, a descendant of King David, and that he would be the one responsible for bringing salvation to the Jews and to the rest of the tribes of Israel.

Now let us turn to a short account from Zechariah, in which YHWH instructs the prophet to crown the then current High Priest, Joshua.

"Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, who are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah; Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua [Yehoshua] the son of Josedech, the high priest; And speak to him, saying, Thus speaketh YHWH of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of YHWH: Even he shall build the temple of YHWH; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both" (Zechariah 6:10-13).

The word translated "Branch" in all these verses is the same Hebrew word, tzemach. Therefore, there is identity between the "Branch" in Jeremiah 23, Jeremiah 33 and Zechariah 6. In this short drama, we find Joshua (Yehoshua) the High Priest performing in the starring role of the Branch. Essentially the scripture is saying: "Look at the man (Yehoshua) whose name is the Branch." In other words, the current High Priest of Judah in the days of Zechariah, Joshua (Yehoshua), has the same name as the one who would become the "Branch."

In Zechariah 6:10-13, we also discover many very interesting prophecies about the Branch. The Branch will grow up out of his place. The Branch will build the temple of YHWH; the Branch will bear the glory; the Branch will sit and rule upon his throne; the Branch will be a priest upon his throne; and, the Branch will have a counsel of peace with YHWH.

Zechariah 6: 12 and tell him, 'YHWH-Tzva'ot says: "There is coming a man whose name is Tzemach [Sprout]. He will sprout up from his place and rebuild the temple of YHWH.

Most seem to be unaware of what YHWH said to the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 34:11-12: 11 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness."

When YHWH says "when He is with them," in verse 12, He is saying, in essence, "I will be Immanuel," as the meaning of Immanuel is"YHWH is with us." And the only place we read that name Immanuel is in Isaiah 7!

(Written by Andrew Gabriel Roth)

A message for our Jewish friends

An organization called Jews for Jesus is telling Jews that they must ditch Torah in order to accept Jesus. That is a LIE!

The truth is, it would be spiritual suicide for a Jew (or anyone else who worships the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) to give up Torah! Anyone who has ever read the "Old Testament" can see that it's all about YHWH's people (Hebrews), and His attempts to get them away from the world and its pagan mindset.

How? By giving them Divine Rules to follow – which can be found in the first five Books that contain all the “thus saith the Lord” verses! These rules were called Torah, and He told them, over and over again in many different ways to OBEY them!

While most of those original "613" commands were meant for the Levite priests, some pertained only to men, while others were only for women; but some were meant to last "forever" or to be adhered to "throughout your generations."

So, why should Jews turn their backs on who they are, just to join some man-made religion that has changed the rules? Yeshua didn't come to bring the Torah-less Christianity, or any other man-made religion!

Furthermore, if people would READ the "thus saith the Lord" words contained in those first five Books of the Bible, they would begin to understand that He commanded ALL who accept Him as their God to do exactly as HIS people do. They would see the Truth and beauty of the indivisible YHWH/Yeshua/Torah...

By the way, all the above information is IN your Bible!  Please see our challenge to Jews for Jesus for more information.