Saturday, October 20, 2018

CHUCK KOLB 10/20/2018

Shabbat Shalom - Lech Lecha - Crossing Over Into Destiny !!!

Previously posted ... 
Buy Me some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks !!! 
http://conpats.blogspot.com/2018/10/chuck-kolb-10192018.html 

#ShabbatShalom - Welcome to Lech Lecha (Go Forth), this week’s Parasha (Torah Portion). We know you will be blessed as you follow along with us in this portion of Torah that will be read in synagogues around the world during the Shabbat (Saturday) service.  Enjoy!


Our last Torah reading, Noach (Noah), concluded with a genealogy of Shem, Noah’s son.  That genealogy ended with Terah, father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.  Terah took his son Abram and Abram’s wife Sarai, as well as Lot, son of Haran, who had died, out of Ur of the Chaldeans and headed toward the Land of Canaan. Instead of reaching their destination, however, they settled at Haran where Terah lived out the rest of his days. In this week’s Parasha, at God’s command, Abram carries on with his father’s unfinished mission — to reach the Land of Canaan, the name given to the Promised Land at this time. 

You can view this Parasha on our website complete with embedded links ... 
Parasha Lech Lecha: The Everlasting, Unconditional Covenant 

https://free.messianicbible.com/parasha/paraasha-lech-lecha-the-everlasting-unconditional-covenant/ 
http://free.messianicbible.com/category/torah 

Jewish holiday calendars & Hebrew date converter 
http://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/month_cdo/jewish/Jewish-Calendar.htm - https://www.hebcal.com 
https://yiddishkeit101.wordpress.com/category/hebrew-word-of-the-day 
http://www.wildolive.co.uk/feasts_of_the_lord.htm 

Parasha Reading Schedule 5779 
http://free.messianicbible.com/torah-reading-schedule 

Why Are Christians Adopting Jewish Practice of Studying the Weekly Torah Portion?
https://theisraelbible.com/christians-adopting-jewish-practice-studying-weekly-torah-portion/ 
http://restoringtheway.org/messianic-homeschooling/ 

Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord of Hosts – YHVH Sabaoth 
The name YHVH Sabaoth is used 235 times in the Bible. 
http://free.messianicbible.com/feature/holy-holy-holy-lord-hosts-yhvh-sabaoth/ 

The Prophetic Significance of the Passover Lamb 
http://free.messianicbible.com/holiday/the-prophetic-significance-of-the-passover-lamb/ 

Celebrate Yeshua HaMashiach's birthday - The Feast of Tabernacles !
http://conpats.blogspot.com/2017/10/chuck-kolb-10082017.html 

Simchat Torah: Celebrating Yeshua – the Word That Dwells Among Us
http://free.messianicbible.com/holiday/dancing-joy-simchat-torah/ 

The Daniel Timeline 
http://www.davidjayjordan.com/Danieltimeline.html 

♥†♥ ♥†♥ ♥†♥

Parshat Lech Lecha 

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/3161/jewish/Lech-Lecha-in-a-Nutshell.htm 
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/default.asp?tDate=10/20/2018 

♥†♥ ♥†♥ ♥†♥

Todah Rabah - beloved Rabbi Chaim Richman ... 

Weekly Torah Portion: Lech Lecha 

Trying to explain away creation without fully comprehending the purpose of creation is a lesson in futility which ultimately ends in idolatry. Man, from the earliest generations to our present day has fallen repeatedly into this trap. Avraham understood that purpose and intent were the guiding principles and the enduring forces which created and maintain creation, and that the ultimate and only purpose of creation was for man to know the Creator, the One G-d, blessed be He, Master of the universe.

Lech Lecha (Genesis 12:1 - 17:27) 
Parashat Lech Lecha is read on Shabbat: Marcheshvan 11, 5779/October 20, 2018 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyBL_QdpEfg (20:41) 
https://www.youtube.com/user/henryporter2/videos 
Published on Oct 18, 2018 - The Temple Institute  
https://www.templeinstitute.org/events.htm 
http://www.templeinstitute.org/ 
Weekly Newsletter - http://is.gd/4BUvi 

Special ... Broadcasting from Jerusalem with Rabbi Chaim Richman, Yitzchak Reuven 
Temple Talk Radio: Lech Lecha: Our Father Abraham, First of the True Believers 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs22hcY2auE (46:11) 
Published on Oct 16, 2018 - The Temple Institute 
The Time to Pray for Rain in the Land of Israel 
Abraham, Spiritual Iconoclast and Father of the Jewish People 

Although this current Hebrew month of MarCheshvan does not feature any major holidays, two important dates were observed this week in the Land of Israel, and both are related to the Holy Temple: On the 6th day of the month, we marked the 853rd anniversary of Maimonides' historic ascent to the Temple Mount, and on the 7th, the Jews who reside in the Land of Israel began to pray for rains of blessing. This week's Temple Talk discusses these events and more through the lens of increased Temple consciousness and activism, and Yitchak Reuven and Rabbi Chaim Richman exchange thoughts on the emergence of the patriarch Abraham in this week's Torah portion of Lech Lecha. 

♥†♥ ♥†♥ ♥†♥

The Coming Temple - Full Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKTO8YYs29c (48:17) NuBeat Music 12/21/16 
Filmed in the Old City of Jerusalem, this ground-breaking documentary investigates the research of renowned Biblical archaeologists, Bob Cornuke, David Sielaff and Earnest L. Martin who claim that Solomon and Herod's Temples never stood on the Haram al Sharif, also known as the Temple Mount. If they are right, then there is nothing to stop the Jewish people building their long awaited for Third Jewish Temple in the actual site where the Temples once stood. 

♥†♥ ♥†♥ ♥†♥

Todah Rabah - beloved Rabbi Naphtali “Tuly” Weisz ...  

https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/  https://israel365.com/ 

The Portion of Lech Lecha 
https://theisraelbible.com/reading-plan/genesis/portion-lech-lecha/ 
https://theisraelbible.com/weekly-torah-portion/ 

The Israel Bible side-by-side English and Hebrew text along with audio being read in Hebrew.
https://theisraelbible.com/bible/genesis/chapter-1#verse-1 
https://theisraelbible.com/hebrew-alphabet-chart/ 
https://theisraelbible.com/proper-noun-directory/ 
https://theisraelbible.com/glossary/ 
https://theisraelbible.com/maps 

From a Small Step To a Giant Leap, Lech Lecha 5779
As parshat (Torah portion of) Noach was drawing to a close, Avraham, on his own, set out for the land of Canaan. That being the case, it’s puzzling why at the beginning of this week’s parsha (Torah portion) he needed to be told, “Lech lecha, go … to the land that I will show you.” Wasn’t Avraham already on his way? The holy Zohar poses this question and derives from here a powerful, fundamental insight: It is only because Avraham took the initiative to first set out for Canaan that God then responded
and joined, so to speak, in Avraham’s journey. 

https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/115454/small-step-giant-leap/ 

Marilyn Monroe’s Jewish Prayer Book Up For Auction
by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz 

The Hebrew-English prayer book that once belonged to Marilyn Monroe is going up for auction. Worn and tattered, the small book can attest to the sincerity of her conversion while bearing witness to the spiritual journey of the troubled soul behind the iconic blond bombshell who appeared on the big screen. 
https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/115419/marilyn-monroes-prayer-book-auction/ 

♥†♥ ♥†♥ ♥†♥

2 FREE bumper stickers - I Stand with Israel 

http://www.shilohisraelchildren.org/free-bumper-stickers/ 
Hebrew “Trump 2016” Bumper Sticker 
https://israel365.com/store/i-love-israel/hebrew-trump-2016-bumper-sticker 

Jared and Ivanka Special w Joseph, Arabella and Theodore ... 
Shana tova u'metuka! #RoshHashanah - 5779 
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bngu5vDFBxE/
34 #MedalOfHonor at WH - 5779
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnqwcqwlnO6/ 
@NASA Johnson Space Center - 5779 
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn-GrLEhGYy/ 
Instavid #EndTrafficking - 5779 
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoEciTYh_GN/ 
Jared Nikki Ivanka WH - 5779
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bot6VhehgKT/ 
Happy Birthday Tiffany - 5779
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo5HUZtBegd/ 

https://www.instagram.com/ivankatrump/ 
https://twitter.com/ivankatrump  
http://ivankatrump.com/ 

♥†♥ ♥†♥ ♥†♥

Todah Rabah - beloved Ted Belman writing from Jerusalem, Israel for 17+ years ...  
THERE IS NO DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION 

Globalists have a population control agenda and are succeeding
The birth rate in the U.S. has fallen to a all-time record low

Most ordinary people don’t give too much thought to population issues, but for the elite this is like a religion. 
by Michael Snyder – End Of The American Dream 

So why would the elite want this to happen?  Well, they believe that climate change is the greatest threat that our planet is facing, and they also believe that humans are the primary driver of climate change, and so they are convinced that if they can get people to have fewer babies they are actually “saving the world”. 
https://www.israpundit.org/globalists-have-a-population-control-agenda-and-are-succeeding/ 
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/their-population-control-agenda-is-working-the-birth-rate-in-the-united-states-has-fallen-to-another-all-time-record-low 

A Slap in Abbas’ Face as US Eliminates Eastern Jerusalem Consulate for PA Residents
by David Israel - JEWISH PRESS

The State Dept. is planning to merge its long-serving consulate in eastern Jerusalem with the newly created US embassy in the western part of the Israeli capital, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Thursday. This step is viewed as yet another slap in the face of the Palestinian Authority and its chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, since the consulate has been serving Arabs from Judea and Samaria and from the eastern part of the city for decades. The announcement also does away, for all intents and purposes, with the idea that President Trump was planning to turn the consulate into a US embassy in a new Palestinian State
whose capital would be eastern Jerusalem.
 https://www.israpundit.org/a-slap-in-abbas-face-as-us-eliminates-eastern-jerusalem-consulate-for-pa-residents/ 
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/us-news/a-slap-in-abbas-face-as-us-eliminates-eastern-jerusalem-consulate-for-pa-residents/2018/10/18/ 

Ted Belman, editor and publisher of Israpundit 
https://youtu.be/2_2jJpjU3zA (5:10) ILTV ISRAEL DAILY 10/9/17 http://www.iltv.tv/ 

Ted Belman - 12/3/17 
https://youtu.be/EO5kIMNtZwA (1:08:08) Alexander Gendler 12/3/17 
The “Jordan-is-Palestine” idea, as the preferred resolution for the Israel-Palestine conflict. The conference was organized together with Mudar Zahran, Secretary-General of the Jordan Opposition Coalition, who lives in England under the protection of that country's police.

3 ways to help Ted Belman ... 

Please send checks payable to Ted Belman, 
Dan #33, Unit 25, Jerusalem, 93509, ISRAEL 
Or go to Israel Institute for Strategic Studies 
and use your credit card and mention "Israpundit" 
Donators will get a US tax deductible receipt. 
http://www.strategic-israel.org/  
http://www.israpundit.org/donate/ 

♥†♥ ♥†♥ ♥†♥ 

Courtesy of Bible Gateway via Jewish Voice ... 
Free Map! Where are the Lost Tribes of Israel today?

https://www.salemoffers.com/campaign/lost-tribes-map-fall-2017-b/ 
http://jvmi.convio.net/assets/pdfs/lost-tribes-map.pdf (1 page pdf) 
✡ ✡ ✡
Yavoh ~ He is coming ! 
Yahweh - Yeshua -  Ruach Ha-Kodesh 
Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה   
BREAKING NEWS FROM ISRAEL 
Minute by minute updates here ... 
Watching for Yeshua Ha-Mashiach   
http://www.kolbonews.com/ 
http://conpats.blogspot.com/ 
http://thelibertymill.com/ 
https://rwnofficial.com/
http://www.citizensunited.org/ 
https://www.contendingfortruth.com/ 
https://aim4truth.org/  https://intelnews.org/ 
http://itccs.org/  http://evil.news/ 
https://iomovies.to/  http://123tv.live/ 
http://free.messianicbible.com/  
Pray at the Kotel - the Western Wailing Wall 
http://free.messianicbible.com/enter-prayer-wall/ 
Entire Media News on this Planet 
click continue to use PressDisplay.com 

http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx 

Hummus Lovers, Unite!
https://www.joyofkosher.com/watch/watch-and-make-your-own-lemon-lovers-hummus/ 
https://youtu.be/b-0xyhfD9FE (3:36) 
JOY of KOSHER Fast Fresh Family Recipes 
https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Kosher-Fresh-Family-Recipes/dp/0062207822/ 

A Last Minute Side Dish
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/gluten-free-peanut-free-sesame-noodles/ 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/from-jamie/easy-side-dishes-for-your-next-chicken-dinner/ 

Why Do We Love This Dish So Much? 
Learn about the history and diversity of cholent, 
and then why not give Texas Cholent a try? 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/blogs/cholent/ 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/texas-cholent-number-9/ 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/polish-cholent/ 

25 Everyday 5-Ingredient Recipes - Sign Me Up!
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/5-ingredient-recipes/ 

Super Breakfast for a Super Day!
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/avocado-egg-breakfast-toast/ 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/apple-walnut-muffins/ 

Back to School Snacks for the Kiddos!
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/back-to-school-snacks-israeli-styl/ 

Prep and Eat Healthy All Week Long!
https://www.joyofkosher.com/browse/prep-sunday-and-act-like-a-chef-all-week/ 

Win a Trip to Israel
https://www.joyofkosher.com/page/win-a-trip-to-israel-with-colavita/
FREE DOWNLOAD: My Make Ahead Mezze Recipe eBook (32 page pdf) 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/browse/dips-spreads-and-salad-free-recipe-ebook/ 

Free Mezze Ebook
https://mailchi.mp/jamiegeller/mezze-ebook 

It's your last chance to download my Modern Israeli Summer ebook
Download my FREE Modern Israeli Summer ebook with over 20 fresh & easy recipes. 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/israel/modern-israeli-summer-free-recipe-ebook/

Finally! A Healthy Meal Plan for the Whole Family: Fresh Families by Jamie 
https://freshfamilies.us/ 
https://freshfamilies.us/register/ 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6lQsuWGrrA (1:01) 

Today Show - Make Jamie Geller’s tasty brisket with apples and honey cake 
https://www.today.com/video/make-jamie-geller-s-tasty-brisket-with-apples-and-honey-cake-1315037763843 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/from-jamie/easy-twists-on-holiday-favorites-as-seen-on-the-today-show/
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/as-seen-on-the-today-show-easy-oven-seared-soy-silan-brisket/

The Perfect Week for Matzo... As Seen on The Today Show
https://www.joyofkosher.com/2018/03/the-perfect-week-for-matzo-as-seen-on-the-today-show/
w vid Use matzo in 4 different ways for Passover!
https://www.today.com/video/use-matzo-in-4-different-ways-for-passover-1198725699778
https://www.today.com/food/easiest-most-delicious-matzo-ball-recipe-passover-t125845
Matzo Balls by Jamie Geller 
https://www.today.com/recipes/matzo-balls-recipe-t125837 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/best-ever-matzo-ball-soup/ 

Watch Jamie cooking Brisket with Megyn Kelly on The Today Show
by Shifra Klein 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/2018/01/jamie-gellers-brisket-101-as-seen-on-the-today-show/
https://www.today.com/video/make-3-hearty-winter-meals-with-this-delicious-classic-beef-brisket-recipe-1164913219668 
https://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Gellers-Brisket-101-LEFTOVER/dp/1976983851/ 

Camp Zeke http://www.campzeke.org 
Free 2017 - 63 page cookbook - recipes by Alexandra Zohn, MA, HHC 
http://www.campzeke.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2017-Camp-Zeke-Cookbook.pdf 

The Most Popular Recipe - Year 2017
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/potato-kugel-cups/ 
https://youtu.be/ApKzja2XnWE (6:39) 
The Most Popular Recipes 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/search?query=Most%20Popular%20Recipes 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - EVOO Colavita recipes
https://colavitarecipes.com/recipe/white-bean-and-avocado-toast/ 
https://colavitarecipes.com/recipe/deviled-green-eggs/ 
https://colavitarecipes.com/recipe/sun-dried-tomato-hummus/ 
https://colavitarecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-oat-clusters-fruit-nuts/ 

Home of JOY of KOSHER with Jamie Geller 
http://www.joyofkosher.com   
http://www.quickandkosher.com   
http://www.koshermedianetwork.com 

Our mailing addresses are: 
Kosher Media Holdings LLC: 
1575 50th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11219   

Kosher Network International, All rights reserved.
3771 San Jose Place Suite 22
Jacksonville, FL 32257

Joy of Aliyah  
http://jamiegeller.com/tag/joy-of-aliyah/
http://joyofkosher.com/joyofisrael 
The answer is, it's made with love from Israel !   
https://www.joyofkosher.com/from-jamie/my-jewish-food-memories/ 

https://www.youtube.com/user/joyofkosher/videos  YouTube 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cua0Iw7HGjw (0:41)   
http://usastore.joyofkosher.com/ magazine subscription 
https://www.joyofkosher.com/page/subscribe/ email subscription
Book Jamie - https://www.joyofkosher.com/page/press/ 

FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/jamiegellerdotcom/ 
INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/jamiegellerdotcom/ 
TWITTER -  https://twitter.com/joyofkosher 
PINTEREST -  https://www.pinterest.com/joyofkosher   
https://www.pinterest.com/joyofkosher/joy-of-kosher-community 

Adonai said to Abram, ‘Go forth [lech lecha] from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you ... and I will bless you. Genesis 12:1–2


Shabbat Shalom - Lech Lecha - Crossing Over Into Destiny !!!



Samaria landscape
  
Shabbat Shalom
 
Welcome to Lech Lecha (Go Forth),
this week’s Parasha (Torah Portion). 
 
We know you will be blessed as you follow along with us in this portion of Torah that will be read in synagogues around the world during the Shabbat (Saturday) service.  Enjoy!
  
LECH LECHA (GO FORTH!)
Genesis 12:1–17:27; Isaiah 40:27–41:16; Matthew 1:1–17
 
“Adonai said to Abram, Go forth [lech lecha] from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you ... and I will bless you.”  (Genesis 12:1–2)
 
Our last Torah reading, Noach (Noah), concluded with a genealogy of Shem, Noah’s son.  That genealogy ended with Terah, father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.  Terah took his son Abram and Abram’s wife Sarai, as well as Lot, son of Haran, who had died, out of Ur of the Chaldeans and headed toward the Land of Canaan.
 
Instead of reaching their destination, however, they settled at Haran where Terah lived out the rest of his days
 
In this week’s Parasha, at God’s command, Abram carries on with his father’s unfinished mission — to reach the Land of Canaan, the name given to the Promised Land at this time.
 

Carrying the Torah at the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem
 
The Covenant of God and the Promised Land  
“Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh.  And the Canaanites were then in the land.”  (Genesis 12:6)
 
Abram and his wife, Sarai, become the first settlers of the Holy Land by packing up their belongings and homesteading in Elon Moreh, near Shechem (modern day Nablus) in Israel's heartland of Samaria.
 
God, the original Zionist, made an eternal promise to give the Land to Abram and his offspring: "To your offspring will I give this land.”  
(Genesis 12:7) 
 
At that time, the Canaanites controlled the land; nevertheless, God reassured Abram that it would one day belong to his offspring — the Jewish People.
 
We may see a clear correlation to the political situation in the Middle East today. 
 
The Palestinians have gained control of large tracts of land within Israel, which leaves many Israelis wanting to see the Promised Land divided.  They believe that establishing a separate Palestinian state beside a Jewish state will create peace.
 

The Caravan of Abraham, by James Tissot

Many around the globe also think two states for two peoples is a fair solution because some of the Arabs that currently live in Israel have roots that go back several centuries.  Most, however, came in a massive wave of immigration from surrounding lands in the 19th and 20th centuries.
 
Therefore, some wonder if the Jewish People have returned to the Land in vain.
 
Rivers of tears and pools of blood have been shed in order to reclaim our God-given land.  Did all those who risked and even sacrificed their lives to drain malaria-infested swamps, to re-plant the land, to re-build the cities, and to defend this nation against the hordes of enemies do so in vain?
 
Have the Jewish People survived the threat of extermination throughout 2,000 years of persecution — pogroms and inquisitions and even the Holocaust — in the lands of their exile, finally to return to their Promised Land, just to be driven out once and for all by hate-crazed, religious radicals?
 
Only if God breaks His covenant.  
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed,' says the LORD, who has compassion on you.  (Isaiah 54:10)
 

Two Jewish boys stand before the Torah scroll.
 
God made more than a promise to Abram.  In Genesis 15, God made a blood covenant with him that included giving this land to his descendants through Isaac and Jacob as an eternal inheritance:
“I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.  The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”  (Genesis 17:7–8; also Genesis 15:57) 
To Isaac:
“To you [Isaac] and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham [God changed Abram's name to Abraham in Genesis 17:5].”  (Genesis 26:3)
 
To Jacob:
“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.  I will give you [Jacob] and your descendants the land on which you are lying.  Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and ... all peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.”  (Genesis 28:13–14)
 

Abram Guarding His Sacrifice, by James Tissot
 
Abram did not have to do a thing to establish this covenant with God.  In chapter 15 of Genesis, God alone walked through the animals that Abram offered, indicating that the covenant he cut with Abram was unconditional.
 
God actually caused a deep sleep to fall on Abram when He made the covenant with him, probably to emphasize that God alone is making this unconditional promise and also to prevent Abram from walking through it (Genesis 15:8–20).  In ancient covenant practices, both parties would walk through the offering if it were conditional.
 
With so many Scriptures declaring God's everlasting promise, our claim to this land is not political, but by Divine right.
 
Of course, there is great opposition to God’s Word.  The Canaanites had their weapons and allies, and so do the enemies of Israel today; both gained some temporary victories in their efforts to claim the land as their own but, ultimately, God owns the land and can give it to whomever He wishes. 
 
His everlasting covenant with Abram will stand.
 

A father walks with his sons in Israel.
 
Walking the Land as the First Hebrew  
“Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” (Genesis 13:17)
 
When God commanded Abram to walk the length and breadth of the land, it was not just for a little sightseeing stroll; it fulfilled a legal custom in ancient times to claim ownership of a property
by walking through it. 
 
Egyptian and Hittite kings would regularly leave their grand palaces to take a ceremonial walk through their countryside in order to confirm their ownership of the land.
 
In Mesopotamia, according to ancient records, the seller of a property would lift his foot off the land and purposefully set the buyers foot upon it.  This may further explain the cultural context of the Scripture in which God promises to give Joshua “every place the sole of his foot treads upon.”
 
“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.”  (Joshua 1:3)
 
Legally, then, when Abram walked the length and breadth of the land, he took possession of it for himself and his descendants as an eternal possession.
 

A Jewish man reads a Torah scroll at the Western (Wailing) Wall.  (Photo
by Etienne Valois)
 
Talmudic rabbis (ancient rabbinic commentators of Scripture) have compared Abram’s walk through the land to a vial of perfume that only gives off scent when moved, wafting the fragrance of faith throughout the Promised Land.
 
Whereas Noah walked “with” God; Abram walked “before” God, paving the way for the world to come to the knowledge of faith in
the one true God. 
 
Abram had an ability to cross over borders:  He not only crossed from Mesopotamia to Canaan, he courageously crossed from a world of idol worship to a world in which the one true God was worshiped, instead.
 
The world stood on one side and he stood with truth on the other.
 
He crossed over into his destiny, and his descendants inherited the reward and blessing as well as the characteristic of being those who cross over.
 
For this reason, Abram became the first person to be called an Ivrithe one who crossed over.  This word comes from the Hebrew verb la’avor (to cross over) and is transliterated into English simply as a Hebrew.
 
Lech Lecha, therefore, is one of the most exciting chapters in the Torah (first five books of the Bible), since it chronicles the adventures of the first Hebrew with God.
 
May we, too, come to this life-altering place where we “cross over” into a new, exciting adventure in our life with Him.
 

A Jewish man prays at the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem.
  
Abram Wins the War of the Kings  
“And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.”  (Genesis 13:7)
 
In chapter 13 of Genesis, Abram and his nephew Lot have become quite wealthy.  Their herds are so large that the land cannot support all of them.  (Genesis 13:6)
Consequently, strife breaks out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot, and instead of diffusing the situation, they decide to part ways.
We may perhaps see a hint of the underlying source of strife through the choice that Lot makes.
When Abram offers him first choice of the area, Lot chooses the best for himself, instead of insisting that his uncle, who has treated him much like a son, take the best.
 
Lot chooses the green, fertile plains of the Jordan near Sodom and Gomorrah and Abram moves on to the plains of Mamre (Hebron).
 
“And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.  Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east.  And they separated from each other.”  (Genesis 13:10–11)
 

Abraham and Lot Divided the Land 
(Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us by Charles Foster, 1897)
 
Although the grass may be greener on the other side of the hill, that fact does not mean it is better, nor does it mean we should go there.  Greener pastures do not guarantee that God's blessing is
there for the taking. 
 
Soon after parting company, Lot needs Abram’s aid when four powerful kings capture all of Sodom, including Lot.  Abram rounds up a small army of 318 men and frees the captives: 
 
And he [Abram] and his servants deployed against them at night and struck them; he pursued them as far as Hobah, which is to the north of Damascus.  And he brought back all the possessions; he also brought back his kinsman, Lot, with his possessions, as well as the women and the people.”  (Genesis 14:15–16)
 
Not only did Abram reveal military prowess and valor in the War of the Kings, he also showed great self-sacrifice and kindness toward his nephew Lot.  With a very small army, vastly outnumbered by the four kings and their armies, Abram risked his own life to save his nephew’s.
 
Such valor is demonstrated by our police officers and ordinary citizens who confront terrorists on the streets of Jerusalem.
 
Here in Israel, we are all mishpacha (family); therefore, just as with Abram, Israelis do not allow themselves to succumb to fear or freeze at the possible consequences of protecting civilians; instead, many rush to protect strangers at the risk of their own lives. 
 
Let us pray that Israelis and their leaders will be strong and of good courage, sincerely seeking God, as the end-time threat of annihilation plays out against this nation.
 
Israeli soldiers pray at the Western (Wailing) Wall

The Destiny of Abraham — Eternal Salvation  
Parasha Lech Lecha spans Abram’s life from the age of 75 to 99.
 
That means he lived most of his life without really knowing his destiny — not until God revealed it to him through a covenant that led to a name change.  Abraham waited again a long time before he began to see its fulfillment through a son named Isaac.
 
In this Parasha, God tells him, “No longer shall your name be called Abram [אַבְרָם] but your name shall be Abraham [אַבְרָהָם]; for I have made you a father of many nations [or Gentiles — אַב-הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם].”  (Genesis 17:5)
 
With the addition of only one Hebrew letter — the letter hey (ה) — Abram (exalted father)became Abrahamexalted father of a multitude of nations.
 
The Hebrew consonant ה is often used as an abbreviation for the name of God and is found twice in God’s personal name — YHVH.  So by adding this letter to Abram’s name, God added Himself as Abba Father to Abraham’s nature, character, and destiny.
 
By adding the letter hey to Abraham’s wife’s name, it changed from Sarai (My Princess) to Sarah (Princess of the whole world).
 
For this reason, it is traditionally believed that a change of name can change one’s destiny.
 

A 13-year-old Jewish boy prepares to read the Torah at the Western Wall.
(Photo by Peter van der Sluijs)
 
God did not only promise Abraham the land of Israel, but also that he would be a blessing to the nations 
(Genesis 12:2; 18:18; 22:17–18; 26:3–4). 
 
Today, there are countless ways in which God fulfills this promise to Abraham through the nation of Israel.  Israel's technological, agricultural, and medical innovations and advances are helping
people around the globe.
 
But the most meaningful fulfillment of this promise is the Word of God that the Jewish People have faithfully protected and brought to the world, as well as eternal salvation through faith in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah):
 
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.  It is by His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Yeshua the Messiah from the dead.  Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
 
And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.”  (1 Peter 1:3–5)
 

Abram Called to Be a Blessing (1906 Providence Lithograph
Company Bible card)
 
God’s destiny for Abraham to become the father of a multitude of nations (even Gentile nations) is fulfilled in a significant way through Yeshua, who is a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Matthew 1:2–17).
 
Anyone from any tribe, tongue, or nationality who declares faith in Yeshua becomes an heir of Abraham:
 
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua.  And if you are Messiah’s then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”  (Galatians 3:2729)
 
 
Time is short, and the vast majority of Jewish people
do not yet know Yeshua.
 
We need your help to complete the Messianic Prophecy Bible, which is being specially designed to show the Jewish People how Yeshua fulfills God's feasts, prophecies, and promises.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment