RSEA.D. Notes Week 145

Torah Study Notes for Week 145 of the Torah Reading Cycle

thecord.life/notes/week145

Read
Aloud together to hear the Word (Leviticus 23:1-3; Nehemiah 8:1-4; Luke 4:16-17)

  • Torah (T): Devarim (Deuteronomy) 24:1 – 25:19
  • Prophets (P): Hosea 10:11 – 11:12
  • Apostolic (A): Matthew 19:1-9; 1 Corinthians 9:1-14; 1 Timothy 5:17-18
  • Additional (ADD): Sirach 42:1-25

Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

“It will be, when you have come into the land which YHWH your Elohim gives you for an inheritance, possess it, and dwell in it, that you will take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you will bring in from your land that YHWH your Elohim gives you. You will put it in a basket and will go to the place which YHWH your Elohim will choose to cause his name to dwell there” (Deut. 26:1-2)

  1. Final portions of the Pentateuch 
    1. Instructions for worshiping YHWH through giving of your increase. 
      1. Personal and specific
        1. “You will put it in a basket, and will go to the place which YHWH your Elohim will choose to cause his name to dwell there” (Deut. 26:2b).
        2. “Now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, YHWH, have given me.” (Deut. 26:10)
      2. First Fruits – one basket representing the entirety of your harvest.
      3. Tithe – one full tenth of your produce
  2. Understanding the “First Tithe” 
    1. The first tenth of produce from the land was holy to the Lord.
      1. “Thus, all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord” (Lev. 27:30)
    2. Given specifically to the Levites as their inheritance (Num. 18:21-26)
    3. Gathered into dispersed storehouses in each of the forty-eight cities where the Levites lived
      1. “The total number of the cities which you are to give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands” (Num. 35:7)
      2. “We will also bring…the tithe of our ground to the Levites, for the Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns (Neh. 10:37)
    4. The Levites then had to give a tenth of this tithe to the Kohanim (i.e. priests) (Num. 18:26-28)
  3. Understanding the “Second Tithe”
    1. The second tithe was also holy to the Lord and was brought directly to Him in Jerusalem during the pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Shavuot/Pentecost, and Sukkot/Tabernacles).
    2. It was a tenth of all of one’s increase — grain, wine, oil – as well as the firstborn of the herd and flock.
      1. “You shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always” (Deut. 14:23)
    3. The second tithe could not be eaten in one’s hometown (Deut. 12:11-18)
    4. If one couldn’t physically take the entire tithe, they could exchange it for money and take the money to Jerusalem to celebrate at the festivals (Deut. 14:24-26)
  4. Understanding the Third Tithe
    1. This tenth of your increase was given in addition to the first and second tithes, but only every third year.
      1. “At the end of three years, you shall bring forth all the tithe of your produce in that year and shall lay it up inside your gates. And the Levite, because he has no part nor inheritance with you, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are inside your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do. (Deut.14:28)
      2. “When you have finished tithing all the tithes of your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give them to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, so that they can eat to satiety in your cities. (Deut. 26:12)
    2. Contrary to Rabbinic teaching, which teaches that this tithe is substituted for the Second Tithe in the third and sixth year, we believe that it was given in addition to the first and second tithe because an offering was always required at the pilgrimage festivals. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_man%27s_tithe )
      1. “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths; and they are not to appear before the Lord empty-handed” (Deut. 16:16).

KEY POINT #1:
The principle of the tithe was a fulfillment of the 2nd Commandment — “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exo. 20:3).
It acknowledges YHWH as the Creator, Sustainer and Provider of all life. “Now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which You, YHWH, have given me” (Deut. 26:10)

KEY POINT #2:
The function of the tithe was to serve as a tax by the King to provide for the welfare of the ministers in His Kingdom – the Levites – and the disenfranchised – the poor, widow and orphans.
NOTE: For a detailed topic study on Tithing, visit the link on the website at https://thecord.life/topic/tithes/ 

Exhortation
Counsel, comfort, and encouragement (Acts 13:14-15)

  1. First Fruits and Firstborn – our theme for discussion today 
    1. What are they?
    2. What is their significance in the Torah?
    3. How do they relate to us as New Covenant Believers?
  2. Review from Week 142:
    1. One of YHWH’s inherent qualities is intentionality. 
    2. Intentionality – (Def.): the fact of being deliberate or purposive. 
      1. Describes how our thoughts and mental states are always directed towards something, whether it’s an object, event, or concept.

KEY POINT:
The Great I AM does not just exist, He acts with intention and purpose within His creation.

  1. What is the purpose of the First Fruits and the Firstborn?
    1. Is it God’s portion? That which belongs to Him?
      1. “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and you gather its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest”  (Lev. 23:10)
      2. “For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the people and among the animals; on the day that I fatally struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for Myself” (Num. 8:17).
  2. God’s portion goes far beyond the First Fruits and Firstborn.
    1. “All the earth is Mine” (Exo. 19:15).
    2. “Behold, all souls are Mine” (Eze. 18:4)
    3. Who has given to Me that I should repay him?  Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. (Job 41:11)
    4. “The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine” (Hag. 2:8)
    5. “For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all it contains” (Psa. 50:11-12)

KEY POINT:
God is the Source of all that exists. Everything comes from Him and belongs to Him. 

  1. So, if everything belongs to YHWH, how and why does He choose to take only a portion for His own possession?
    1. “But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!’” (Isa. 43:1)
  2. YHWH makes someone or something His own possession through covenant.
    1. “For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself” (Num. 8:17)
    2.  “’Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,’” declares the Lord God. Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil” (Eze. 16:8-9)
    3. When someone belongs to or is sanctified unto YHWH through covenant, they receive His blessing, His grace, and His lovingkindness.
  3. Covenant is relationship between a Father and His children, or a Husband and His wife
    1. Relationship – def: state of being related” by kindred, affinity, or other alliance, from relation + –ship. (see also, “relative”)
  4. The quality and character of relationship is determined by covenant faithfulness
    1. “Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations” (Exo. 34:6-7)
    2. “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. ‘They will be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’ So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him” (Mal. 3:16)
  5. So, in the context of covenant relationship, what is God’s intention with the First Fruits?

KEY POINT:
Torah teaches us that the First Fruits are representational.

  1. The First Fruits represent the “second” or subsequent fruits.
    1. Representational — Def: “Standing for others, acting as a substitute or agent for another”. 
    2. Representative – “Holding the place of, and acting for, a larger body of people in the nation”.
  2. Through covenant, the Levites represented the firstborn of every family.
    1. “And it shall be for [Levi] and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.’” (Num. 25:13)
    2. “Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So, the Levites shall be Mine” (Num. 3:12).
  3. The ritual offering of First Fruits by the High Priest was for the acceptance of the entire nation of Israel.
    1. “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it” (Lev. 23:10-12).
  4. A quick review of “the Elect” in Reform Theology – taken from the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.
    1. From “Chapter 10 – Of the Effectual Calling” (Ref. Rom. 8:30; Rom. 11:7; Eph. 1:10, 11; 2 Thess. 2:13, 14; Eph. 2:1-6; Acts 26:18; Eph. 1:17, 18; Eze. 36:26; Deut. 30:6; Eze. 36:27; Eph. 1:19; Psa.110:3; Song 1:4)
      1. #1 — God effectually calls some out of their sin unto salvation.
      2. #2 — The Effectual call is a free gift of God’s grace alone as is the ability of people to accept it.
      3. #3 — Every individual among the Elect, including infants who die in childhood and people who do not outwardly respond to the ministry of the Word, are saved.
      4. #4 — Those who are not effectually called neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved. 
    2. “For many, Election is a theological term meaning God has decided in advance who He will save from hell. Its roots go back to Augustine (most influential Church Father). The Augustinian view of election holds that God has chosen the save a select few — His “elect”. Many pastors have been taught this in seminary, particularly those of the Baptist and Reformed persuasion” (Riechard, D., p.97).
  5. The general concept of election is a thoroughly biblical and virtually synonymous with the First Fruits.
    1. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (Rom. 8:28-30)
    2. “Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints)” (1 Cor. 16:15)
    3. “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures” (Jam. 1:18).
    4. “These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb” (Rev. 14:4)
    5. [For additional verses on the Elect, see Mt. 11:27; Mk. 4:12-23; Ac. 13:48; Ro. 8:28-30; 9:3-5,11-26; 10:20; 11:5-12; 1Co. 1:23; 2Co. 2:13; 1Ti. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:25; Tit 1:1; He. 3:6; 9:15; 12:2; Ka. 2:5; 1 Pe. 1:2, 3; 2:12].

KEY QUESTION:
In the context of the New Covenant, what is God’s purpose and intention with the Elect/First Fruits?

  1. Like our father Abraham, the Elect are called into covenant relationship with YHWH in order to be a blessing to the nations…and inherit the world
    1. “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:1-3)
    2. “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and YHWH’s glory has risen on you! For behold, darkness will cover the land, and thick darkness the peoples; but YHWH will arise on you, and his glory will be seen on you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around and see: they all gather themselves together. They come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters will be carried in arms. Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and be enlarged, because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you. The wealth of the nations will come to you’ (Isa. 60:1-5)
    3. “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith” (Rom. 4:13)
  2. The Elect/First Fruits have a job to do!
    1. We labor with Him to implore all people to be reconciled to God (2 Co. 5:20).
    2. We are preparing now to rule and reign with Him in the coming ages (2 Ti. 2:12; Re. 20:6), to sit on thrones governing the tribes of Israel (Mt. 19:28; Lu. 22:30) and to become fellow heirs of the world!

KEY QUESTION:
Who do the First Fruits represent? (Hot Potato Warning!)

  1. In the Apostolic Portion, Paul speaks of God’s purpose with the remnant:
    1. “I say then, they (e.g. unbelieving Israel) did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow, I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too” (Rom. 11:12-16)

KEY QUESTION:
If YHWH sanctifies the First Fruits to Himself as representative of the whole, how far does salvation by the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ (1 Pet. 1:19), extend?

  1. I would offer that the Augustinian and Reform view of the Elect does not fit the pattern of First Fruits in scripture.
    1. First fruits are representatives chosen for a redemptive purpose.
      1. They are the “first” fruits, not the “exclusive” fruits.
  2. The intention of God is to gather the whole lump into Christ.
    1. “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, to bring into one the whole in Christ, in the heavens and on the earth” (Eph. 1:10).
    2. “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Tim. 2:3).
  3. All humanity is longing for the Elect/First Fruits to fulfill their calling.
    1. “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom. 8:19-21 KJV)
      1. Greek word ktsis (Strongs #2937) usually translated as “creation”.
        1. Mark 16:15 AMP “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]’”.

KEY POINTS & QUESTIONS OF APPLICATION:
God has granted us by His grace and mercy to counted among His First Fruits.
Do we understand the awesome privilege and responsibility we have been given?

  1. While humanity groans for the sons of God to be revealed, can the Elect justify exclusiveness towards those yet outside the fold? 
    1. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luk. 12:48)
  2. If God desires to redeem the world, why is the Church, generally speaking, so disengaged from it?
  3. If Messiah came to save the world and not to judge it, why do we have it backwards?
    1. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17).

Does anyone have specific questions or need any clarification from what was said during the Summary or Exhortation?

Application & Discussion
Living the Word and following Yeshua (Acts 2:37; Romans 2:13)
Questions, input, and sharpening (Proverbs 27:17; Luke 2:46)

Romans 2:13 For it isn’t the hearers of the Torah who are righteous before Elohim, but the doers of the Torah will be justified.

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

    1. What questions or comments came up during your family’s discussion of this week’s study?
    2. “What other related Scriptures did you find during your study of this week’s portion?”
    3. Have you ever experienced something from this study or something related to it?
    4. “What changes do you need to make in your life to align with what you learned during this week’s Torah Study?”
Additional Study Notes

The Book of Enoch (also known as 1 Enoch) was written during the second century B.C. The older sections (mainly in the Book of the Watchers) of the text are estimated to date from about 300–200 B.C., and the latest part (Book of Parables) probably to 100 B.C. Various Aramaic fragments found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as Koine Greek and Latin fragments, were proof that The Book of Enoch was known by early Jews and Christians.

Yeshua, the Chosen (Elect) One

Enoch 40:1 And after that I saw thousands of thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, I saw a multitude beyond number and reckoning, who stood before the Lord of Spirits. 2. And on the four sides of the Lord of Spirits I saw four faces, different from those that sleep not, and I learnt their names: for the angel that went with me made known to me their names, and showed me all the hidden things. 3. And I heard the voices of those four faces as they uttered praises before the Lord of glory. 4. The first voice blesses the Lord of Spirits for ever and ever. 5. And the second voice I heard blessing the Elect (Chosen) One and the elect (chosen) ones who hang upon the Lord of Spirits. 6. And the third voice I heard pray and intercede for those who dwell on the land and supplicate in the name of the Lord of Spirits. 7. And I heard the fourth voice fending off the Satans and forbidding them to come before the Lord of Spirits to accuse them who dwell on the land. 8. After that I asked the angel of peace who went with me, who showed me everything that is hidden: ‘Who are these four faces which I have seen and whose words I have heard and written down?’ 9. And he said to me: ‘This first is Michael, the merciful and long-suffering: and the second, who is set over all the diseases and all the wounds of the children of men, is Raphael: and the third, who is set over all the powers, is Gabriel: and the fourth, who is set over the repentance unto hope of those who inherit eternal life, is named Phanuel.’ And these are the four angels of the Lord of Spirits and the four voices I heard in those days.

Enoch 62:5-8 And one half of them will look at the other, and they will be terrified, and will cast down their faces, and pain will take hold of them when they see that Son of Man sitting on the throne of His Glory. 6 And the mighty kings, and all those who possess the land, will praise and bless and exalt Him who rules everything that is hidden. 7 For from the beginning that Son of Man was hidden, and the Most High kept him in the presence of His power, and revealed him only to the chosen. 8 And the community of the Holy and the chosen will be sown and all the chosen will stand before him on that day. 9 And all the mighty kings, and the exalted, and those who rule the dry ground, will fall down before him, on their faces, and worship; and they will set their hopes on that Son of Man, and will entreat him, and will petition for mercy from him.

בִּכּוּר bikur (H1061) means “firstfruits” of the crop (cf. Exodus 34:26; Deuteronomy 26:2) and בְּכוֹר bekor (H1060) means “firstborn” of the womb of a woman or animal (cf. Leviticus 27:26; Deuteronomy 15:19); both Hebrew words signify the chosen or elected as belonging to YHWH. בִּכּוּר bikur comes from the root word בָּחַר bachar (H977) which means “to choose” in the sense of an examination to select, or elect, the choicest. בָּחַר bachar is equivalent to the Greek word ἐκλεκτός eklektos (G1588) means to be elected, chosen, or selected.

Beloved and Chosen (Elect)

ἀγαπητός agapētos (G27) means beloved, esteemed, dear, favourite, worthy of love and comes from the root word ἀγαπάω agapaō (G25) which refers to devoted love and affection for someone or something. ἀγαπητός agapētos is equivalent to the Hebrew word אָהַב ahav (H157) literally means “I will give” (cf. Genesis 22:2; Genesis 25:28; Genesis 27:9; Genesis 29:18; Exodus 20:6; Exodus 21:5; Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 10:19; 1 Samuel 20:17; Psalms 11:7; Psalms 119:47; Matthew 5:43-44; Matthew 6:24; Mark 12:30-31; John 3:19; John 11:5; John 14:15; Romans 13:8).

    1. Matthew 3:17 Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
    2. Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
    3. Mark 1:11 A voice came out of the heavens, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
    4. Mark 9:7 A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
    5. Mark 12:6 Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
    6. Luke 3:22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on him; and a voice came out of the heavens, saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”
    7. Luke 9:35-36 A voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One.(mss) Listen to him!” 36 When the voice came, Yeshua was found alone. They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

“The better [manuscripts] give “chosen.” (Comp. the use of a like word in 1Peter 2:4; 1Peter 2:6.) Assuming this to have been the original reading, the “beloved” of the received text must have originated in the wish to produce a verbal as well as a substantial agreement with the other Gospels.” Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

1 Kepha (Peter) 1:1-2 Peter, an emissary of Yeshua the Messiah, to the chosen ones (elect) who are living as foreigners in the Diaspora in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Yeshua the Messiah and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

Matthew 22:11-14 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’ 14 For many are called, but few chosen.” 14 For many are called (invited), but few chosen (elected).

1 Kepha (Peter) 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 In the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Yeshua, The First Fruits

1 Corinthians 15:20-24 But now Messiah has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruit of those who are asleep. 21 For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Messiah the first fruits, then those who are Messiah’s at his coming. 24 Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father, when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

Yeshua, The Firstborn

Romans 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Born From Above

John 3:1-9 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Judeans. 2 He came to Yeshua by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.” 3 Yeshua answered him, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born from above, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Yeshua answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”

We Are His Harvest

Luke 10:1-2 Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two before his face into every city and place where he was about to come. 2 Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest.