Study Notes Week 51

Torah Study Notes for Week 51 of the Torah Reading Cycle

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• Torah (T): Shemot (Exodus) 1:1-22
• Prophets (P): Jeremiah 23:16-27
• Apostolic (A): Acts 7:17-19; 1 Peter 4:1-19
• Additional (ADD): Jubilees 46:9 – 47:12
  Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

Review Genesis 50:1-26

1. 50:1 And Yosef fell upon the face of his father and wept over him and kissed him.
   1. Jubilees 45:16 And he gave all his books and the books of his fathers to Levi his son that he might preserve them and renew them for his children until this day.
2. 50:2 And Yosef commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Yisrael. 3 And forty days were fulfilled for him—for thus the days of the embalmers are fulfilled—and the Mitsrim wept for him seventy days.
3. 50:4 And when the days of his weeping had passed, Yosef spoke to the house of Par’oh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak, please, in the ears of Par’oh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Look, I am dying; in my grave that I dug for myself in the land of Kenaʿan—there you shall bury me.” And now, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will return.’” 6 And Par’oh said, “Go up, and bury your father, according as he made you swear.”
4. 50:7 And Yosef went up to bury his father, and there went up with him all the servants of Par’oh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Mitsrayim, 8 and all the house of Yosef, and his brothers, and his father’s house—only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and the camp was very great.
5. 50:10 And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Yarden, and there they lamented with a great and very heavy lamentation; and he made for his father a mourning of seven days.
6. 50:11-12 And the inhabitant of the land, the Kenaʿani, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, and they said, “This is a heavy mourning for the Mitsrim.” Therefore its name was called Avel-Mitsrayim, which is beyond the Yarden. 12 And his sons did to him just as he had commanded them:
7. 50:13 And his sons carried him to the land of Kenaʿan and buried him in the cave of the field of Makhpelah, which Avraham bought with the field for a possession of a burial place from ʿEfron the Hitti, before Mamre, 14 And Yosef returned to Mitsrayim—he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father—after he had buried his father.
8. 50:15 And the brothers of Yosef saw that their father was dead, and they said, “Perhaps Yosef will hate us, and indeed return to us all the evil that we dealt to him.” 16 And they commanded to Yosef, saying, Your father commanded before his death, saying: 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Yosef, “Please, forgive, please, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you.” And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the Elohim of your father.’ And Yosef wept when they spoke to him. 18 And his brothers also went and fell down before him, and they said, “Behold, we are to you as servants.”
   1. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan And they instructed Bilhah to say to Joseph, Thy father commanded before his death to speak to thee, Thus will you say to Joseph, Forgive now the guilt of thy brethren and their sin, for They committed evil against thee; but forgive, I beseech thee, the guilt of the servants of the God of thy father. [JERUSALEM. And they instructed the tribe of Bilhah the handmaid of Rahel to say, Thy father before he was gathered commanded, saying.]
   2. Exodus 24:16-17 Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death. 17 Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
   3. Deuteronomy 24:7 If a man is found stealing any of his brothers of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him as a slave, or sells him, then that thief will die. So you will remove the evil from among you.
9. 50:19 And Yosef said to them, “Do not fear; for am I in the place of Elohim? 20 And you—you planned evil against me; and the Elohim planned it for good, in order to do as it is this day, to preserve alive many people. 21 And now do not fear; I will sustain you and your little ones.” And he comforted them, and spoke to their heart.
10. 50:22 And Yosef dwelt in Mitsrayim, he and his father’s house; and Yosef lived one hundred and ten years. 23 And Yosef saw the sons of Ephrayim to the third generation; also the sons of Makhir, the son of Menasheh, were born upon the knees of Yosef.
    1. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan And Joseph dwelt in Mizraim, he and his father’s house. And Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. And Joseph saw Ephraim’s sons of the third generation; also the sons of Makir the son of Menasheh, when they were born, were circumcised by Joseph.
    2. Jubilees 46:1-2 And it came to pass that after Jacob died the sons of Israel multiplied in the land of Egypt, and they became a great nation, and they were of one accord in heart, so that brother loved brother and every man helped his brother, and they increased abundantly and multiplied exceedingly, ten weeks of years [2242 A.M.], all the days of the life of Joseph. 2. And there was no Satan nor any evil all the days of the life of Joseph which he lived after his father Jacob, for all the Egyptians honoured the sons of Israel all the days of the life of Joseph.
11. 50:24 And Yosef said to his brothers, “I am dying; and Elohim will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which He swore to Avraham, to Yitshaq, and to Yaʿaqov.” 25 And Yosef made the sons of Yisrael swear, saying, “Elohim will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
12. 50:26 And Yosef died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Mitsrayim.
    1. Josephus 2.8.2. Joseph also died when he had lived a hundred and ten years; having been a man of admirable virtue, and conducting all his affairs by the rules of reason; and used his authority with moderation, which was the cause of his so great felicity among the Egyptians, even when he came from another country, and that in such ill circumstances also, as we have already described. At length his brethren died, after they had lived happily in Egypt. Now the posterity and sons of these men, after some time, carried their bodies, and buried them at Hebron: but as to the bones of Joseph, they carried them into the land of Canaan afterward, when the Hebrews went out of Egypt, for so had Joseph made them promise him upon oath. But what became of every one of these men, and by what toils they got the possession of the land of Canaan, will be shown hereafter, when I have first explained upon what account it was that they left Egypt.
    2. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan And Joseph died, the son of a hundred and ten years. And they embalmed him with perfumes, and laid him in an ark, and submerged him in the midst of the Nilos of Mizraim. [Jerusalem. And they embalmed him, and laid him in an ark in the land of Mizraim.]
    3. Jubilees 46:3-8 And Joseph died being a hundred and ten years old; seventeen years he lived in the land of Canaan, and ten years he was a servant, and three years in prison, and eighty years he was under the king, ruling all the land of Egypt. 4. And he died and all his brethren and all that generation. 5. And he commanded the sons of Israel before he died that they should carry his bones with them when they went forth from the land of Egypt. 6. And he made them swear regarding his bones, for he knew that the Egyptians would not again bring forth and bury him in the land of Canaan, for Makamaron, king of Canaan, while dwelling in the land of Assyria, fought in the valley with the king of Egypt and slew him there, and pursued after the Egyptians to the gates of ‘Ermon. 7. But he was not able to enter, for another, a new king, had become king of Egypt, and he was stronger than he, and he returned to the land of Canaan, and the gates of Egypt were closed, and none went out and none came into Egypt. 8. And Joseph died in the forty-sixth jubilee, in the sixth week, in the second year [2242 A.M.], and they buried him in the land of Egypt, and all his brethren died after him.

Shemot (Exodus) 1:1-22

1:1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt, every man and his household came with Jacob [their father]:^(LXX) 2 Reuben, Shimon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the souls who came out of Jacob's body were seventy[-five]^(LXX) souls, and Joseph was in Egypt already. 6 Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation. 7 The sons of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. 8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn't know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. 10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and escape out of the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Rameses. 12 And as they afflicted them, so they increased and so they broke out [exceedingly, exceedingly].^(LXX) [And the Egyptians]^(LXX) loathed the sons of Israel. 13 The Egyptians ruthlessly made the sons of Israel serve, 14 and they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve. 15 The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah, 16 and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared Elohim, and didn't do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive. 18 The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren't like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 Elohim dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty. 21 Because the midwives feared Elohim, he gave them families. 22 Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born [to the Hebrews]^(LXX) into the river, and every daughter you shall keep alive.”

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Shemot (Exodus) 2:1-25

2:1 A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son. When she saw that he was a good child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrush for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank. 4 His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him. 5 Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the ark among the reeds, and sent her servant to get it. 6 She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. [And Pharaoh's daughter]^(LXX) had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews' children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” 8 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Go.” The young woman went and called the child's mother. 9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” The woman took the child, and nursed it. 10 [And when the child was grown]^(LXX) she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” 11 In those days, when Moses [became great],^(LXX) he went out to his brothers and saw their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers. 12 He turned here and here, and when he saw that there was no man, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 13 He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?” 14 He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian [yesterday]?”^(LXX) Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.” 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, [and drew water for them,]^(LXX) and watered their flock. 18 When they came to Reuel, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter [in marriage].^(LXX) 22 She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.” 23 In the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to Elohim because of the bondage. 24 Elohim heard their groaning, and Elohim remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 Elohim saw the sons of Israel, and Elohim understood.

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2 Timothy 3:1-9 But know this: that in the last days, grievous times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding a form of godliness but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also. 6 For some of these are people who creep into houses and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith are rejected. 9 But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be.

Hebrews 11:22-27 In faith Joseph, when his end was near, made mention of the departure of the sons of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. 23 In faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. 24 In faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time, 26 considering the reproach of the Messiah greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward. 27 In faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

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Testament of Shimon 8:1-4

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs is comprised of the dying commands of the twelve sons of Jacob. It is part of the Oskan Armenian Orthodox Bible of 1666. Fragments of similar writings were found at Qumran, but opinions are divided as to whether these are the same texts.

8:1 And when Shimon had made an end of commanding his sons, he slept with his fathers, being an hundred and twenty years old. 2 And they laid him in a wooden coffin, to take up his bones to Hebron. 3 And they took them up secretly during a war of the Egyptians. For the bones of Joseph the Egyptians guarded in the tombs of the kings. 4 For the sorcerers told them; that on the departure of the bones of Joseph there should be throughout all the land darkness and gloom, and an exceeding great plague to the Egyptians, so that even with a lamp a man should not recognize his brother.

Testament of Qahat 4Q542

The Testament of Qahat is an Aramaic work of which two columns, one complete and one damaged, have survived. It is a typical example of moralizing death-bed literature, similar to the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, but characterized, like the Testaments of Levi and Amram, by its priestly perspective. The script has been palaeographically dated to the end of the second century B.C., but the carbon 14 test, performed in 1990, places it considerably earlier, possibly to 388–353 B.C., or more probably to 303–235 B.C. It is not a sectarian composition. Only the undamaged part of the text is translated here. Two further small fragments have survived without providing anything continuous and meaningful.

Col 1. … I and the Elohim of Elohim for all eternity. And He will shine light on you and will let you know His great Name. And you will know Him, that He is the Elohim of eternity, and the Lord of all the deeds, and the Ruler of all, dealing with them according to His good pleasure. And He will make for you rejoicing and for your sons joy for the generations of truth, for ever. Now, my sons, be careful with the heritage that is handed over to you, which your fathers have given you. Do not give your heritage to strangers, and your inheritance to knaves so that you become humiliated and foolish in their eyes and they despise you, for, although sojourners among you, they will be your chiefs. So hold to the word of Jacob, your father, and seize the laws of Abraham and the righteousness of Levi and mine. And be holy and pure of all fornication in the community. And hold the truth and walk straight, and not with a double heart, but with a pure heart and a true and good spirit. And you will give me a good name among you, and a rejoicing to Levi, and joy to Jacob, delight to Isaac, and glory to Abraham, because you will keep and walk (in) the herit[age] which your fathers will have left you: truth and righteousness and uprightness and perfection and pur[ity and ho]liness and the priesthood according to all that you have been commanded (?), and according to all that Col. 2 I will have taught you in truth from now until all [the age] … every word of truth will come upon yo[u …] eternal blessing will reside on you and will be[come for you] … stay for all the eternal generations and will no more … from your correction and you will establish yourselves to pronounce judgement ov[er … ] and to see the faults of all the sinners of the ages … [to be cast] into the fire and the oceans and into all the cavities for … in the generations of truth. And all the sons of wickedne[ss … ] And now Amram, my son, [I] instruct you … and your sons to their sons. I instruct [you … ] and they have given to Levi my father, and Levi my father g[ave (it/them)] to me … all my books in witness that through them you should beware … [and that there should be] for you through them much merit when you walk in conformity with them. [vacat]

*The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English 7th Edition by Geza Vermes.

The Testament of Amram 4Q543-9

The Testament of Amram is an Aramaic document surviving in five or six fragmentary copies from Cave 4 contains an admonition by Amram, the father of Moses, to his children. The dating of the script varies between the second half of the second century B.C. (4Q543, 544, 547), the first half of the first century B.C. (4Q545, 546 ) and the second half of the first century B.C. (4Q548, 549) In the gravely damaged text of a vision, Amram sees the chief Angel of Darkness, Melkiresha‘. He also addresses the leader of the Army of Light, whose name has disappeared in one of the many lacunae. But is is highly probable that one of his ‘three names’ is Melchizedek.

Fragment 1 (4Q545, 546)
Column 1 Copy of the book of the words of the vision of Amram, son of Kehat, son of Levi, al[l that] he explained to his sons and enjoined on them on the day of [his] death, in his one-hundred-and-thirty-seventh year, which was the year of his death, [in] the one-hundred-and-fifty-second year of Israel’s exile in Egypt … to call Uzziel, his youngest brother, and he ma[rried] to him Miriam, [his] daughter, and said (to her), ‘You are thirty years old.’ And he gave a banquet lasting seven days. And he ate and drank and made merry during the banquet. Then, when the days of the banquet were completed, he sent to call Aaron, his son, and he was about twenty years old and said to him, ‘Call, my son, the messengers, your brothers from the house of … ‘

4Q544, Fragment 1 (4Q543, 545–7)
Qahat (went) there to stay and dwell and build … many of the sons of my uncle together … a man as our work was very great until the dead would be buried. [vacat] In the year of my beginning, when the news of a war became worrying, with my consent our company returned to the land of Egypt and I went to bury them and they did not build the tombs of our fathers. And my father Qahat and my wife Jochebed left me to stand and build and provide them with all their needs from the land of Canaan. And we stayed in Hebron while we were building. [vacat] A war broke out between the Philistines and the Egyptians and the Philistines and Canaanites defeated the Egyptians and they closed the fr[ontiers] of Egypt. And it was impossible [for Jochebed, my wife, to go from Egypt to Canaan] for forty-one years. And we could not return to Egypt. Therefore [we could] not … [the war] between Egypt and Canaan and the Philistines. And during all this, [Jochebed] my wi[fe, was away from me in the land of Egypt … my post … for] she was [not] with me. And I did [not] take ano[ther] wife. [vacat] Women … all, that I would return to Egypt in peace and would see the face of my wife. [I saw Watchers] in my vision, a dream vision [vacat] And behold two (of them) argued about me and said … and they were engaged in a great quarrel concerning me. I asked them: ‘You, what are you … thus … [about me?’] They answered and [said to me: ‘We have been made m]asters and rule over all the sons of men.’ And they said to me: ‘Which of us do you [choose …’] I raised my eyes and saw one of them. His looks were frightening [like those of a vi]per, and his [ga]rm[en]ts were multi-coloured and he was extremely dark … And afterwards I looked and behold … by his appearance and his face was like that of an adder, and he was covered with … together, and over his eyes …

4Q544, Fragment 2 (4Q543, 545–7)
… this [Watcher]: ‘Who is he?’ He said to me: ‘This Wa[tcher] … [and his three names are Belial, Prince of Darkness] and Melkiresha‘.’ [vacat] And I said: ‘My Lord, what ru[le] …’ [And he said to me] … [and all his paths are dark]ness, and all his work is darkness, and he is … in darkness … you see. And he rules over all darkness … and I rule over all light and al[l] …

4Q545 (4Q543A, 546D) Fragment 1a i
Column 1 Cop[ y of the writing of the words of visio]n of Amram, son of Qahat, son of Levi, al[l] that [he has explained to his] sons … on the day of [his] death in the year one hundred and thirty-six – this is the year of his death – in the year one hundred and fifty-two of the exile of [I]srael in Egypt. Also it came to him … and call Uzziel, his younger brother, [and gav]e him Mir[i]am, his thirty-year-old daughter for wife. He made her wedding feast last seven [day]s and he ate and drank at her wedding feast and rejoiced. Then, when the days of the wedding feast came to an end, he sent out to call Aaron, his about t[wenty]-year-old son, [and said] to him, ‘My son, call to me the messengers, your brothers, from the house of … ‘

4Q545 (4Q543A, 546D) Fragment 4
Column 6 … and I will explain to you your name[s] … [that] he wrote for Moses. And also about A[aron] … I will explain to you the mystery of his worshipping. He is a holy priest [to the Most High Elohim. Also] all his seed will be holy in all the generations of e[ternity] … The seventh of the men of (Elohim’s) good will [he will be] called and he will be said … and will be chosen as a priest for ever … [vacat] … I an[nou]nce to you [the] firm [pat]h. I will indeed inform y[ou … For all the Sons of Light] will shine, [and all the Sons] of Darkness will be dark. [For all the Sons of Light] … and by all their knowledge they will … and the Sons of Darkness will be … And the Sons of Darkness will be removed … For every fool and wick[ed will be dar]k and every [sag]e and upright will shine. [For all the Sons of Light will g]o to the light, to … and all the Sons of Dar[kness go towards death] and perdition … The people will have brightness … and they will explain to th[em] …

*The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English 7th Edition by Geza Vermes.

Jubilees 46:9 – 47:12

Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that Jubilees was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Scholars have dated Jubilees to have been written sometime around 160-150 B.C.

Jubilees 46:9 And the king of Egypt went forth to war with the king of Canaan in the forty-seventh jubilee, in the second week in the second year [2263 A.M.], and the sons of Israel brought forth all the bones of the sons of Jacob save the bones of Joseph, and they buried them in the field in the double cave in the mountain. 10. And the most (of them) returned to Egypt, but a few of them remained in the mountains of Hebron, and Amram thy father remained with them. 11. And the king of Canaan was victorious over the king of Egypt, and he closed the gates of Egypt. 12. And he devised an evil device against the sons of Israel of afflicting them and he said unto the people of Egypt: ‘Behold the people of the sons of Israel have increased and multiplied more than we. 13. Come and let us deal wisely with them before they become too many, and let us afflict them with slavery before war come upon us and before they too fight against us; else they will join themselves unto our enemies and get them up out of our land, for their hearts and faces are towards the land of Canaan.’ 14. And he set over them taskmasters to afflict them with slavery; and they built strong cities for Pharaoh, Pithom, and Raamses and they built all the walls and all the fortifications which had fallen in the cities of Egypt. 15. And they made them serve with rigour, and the more they dealt evilly with them, the more they increased and multiplied. 16. And the people of Egypt abominated the sons of Israel.

Targum And Pharaoh told that he, being asleep, had seen in his dream, and, behold, all the land of Mizraim was placed in one scale of a balance, and a lamb, the young of a sheep, was ill the other scale; and the scale with the lamb in it overweighed. Forthwith he sent and called all the magicians of Mizraim, and imparted to them his dream. Immediately Jannis and Jambres, (cf. 2 Timothy 3:8) the chief of the magicians, opened their mouth and answered Pharaoh, A certain child is about to be born in the congregation of Israel, by whose hand will be destruction to all the land of Mizraim. Therefore did Pharaoh, king of Mizraim, give counsel to the Jehudith midwives, the name of one of whom was Shifra, who is Jokeved, and the name of the other Puvah, who is Miriam her daughter. [JERUSALEM. And the king of Mizraim told the Hebrew midwives, the name of the first of whom was Shifra, and she was Jokeved, and the name of the second Puvah, she was Miriam.] And he said, When you attend Jehudith women, and see them bear, if it be a male child, you will kill him; but if a daughter, you may let her live. But the midwives feared before the Lord, and would not do according to what the king of Mizraim had said to them, but they saved the children…Chapter 2 And Amram, a man of the tribe of Levi, went and returned to live in marriage with Jokeved his wife, whom he had put away on account of the decree of Pharaoh. [JERUSALEM. And there went a man of the tribe of Levi and took Jokeved, who was beloved of him, (or, who was related to him,) to wife.] And she was the daughter of a hundred and thirty years when he returned to her; but a miracle was wrought in her, and she returned unto youth as she was, when in her minority she was called the daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bare a son at the end of six months; and she saw him to be a child of steadfastness, (or, of steadfast life,) and hid him three months, which made the number nine. But she could conceal him no longer, for the Mizraee had become aware of him….Josephus 2.9.4. When the vision had informed him of these things, Amram awaked and told it to Jochebed who was his wife. And now the fear increased upon them on account of the prediction in Amram’s dream; for they were under concern, not only for the child, but on account of the great happiness that was to come to him also. However, the mother’s labor was such as afforded a confirmation to what was foretold by Elohim; for it was not known to those that watched her, by the easiness of her pains, and because the throes of her delivery did not fall upon her with violence. And now they nourished the child at home privately for three months; but after that time Amram, fearing he should be discovered, and, by falling under the king’s displeasure, both he and his child should perish, and so he should make the promise of Elohim of none effect, he determined rather to trust the safety and care of the child to Elohim, than to depend on his own concealment of him, which he looked upon as a thing uncertain, and whereby both the child, so privately to be nourished, and himself should be in imminent danger; but he believed that Elohim would some way for certain procure the safety of the child, in order to secure the truth of his own predictions… Targum And she took an ark of papyrus, (tunes,) and coated it with bitumen and pitch, and placed the child within it, and laid him among the reeds on the bank of the river. And Miriam his sister stood at a distance to take knowledge of what would be done to him. And the Word of the Lord sent forth a burning sore and inflammation of the flesh upon the land of Mizraim; and the daughter of Pharaoh came down to refresh herself at the river. And her handmaids, walking upon the bank of the river, saw the ark among the reeds, and put forth the arm and took it, and were immediately healed of the burning and inflammation. And she opened, and saw the child, and, behold, the babe wept; and she had compassion upon him, and said, This is one of the sons of the Jehudaee...Josephus 2.9.6. Hereupon it was that Thermuthis imposed this name Mouses upon him, from what had happened when he was put into the river; for the Egyptians call water by the name of Mo, and such as are saved out of it, by the name of Uses: so by putting these two words together, they imposed this name upon him. And he was, by the confession of all, according to Elohim’s prediction, as well for his greatness of mind as for his contempt of difficulties, the best of all the Hebrews, for Abraham was his ancestor of the seventh generation. For Moses was the son of Amram, who was the son of Caath, whose father Levi was the son of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham. Now Moses’s understanding became superior to his age, nay, far beyond that standard; and when he was taught, he discovered greater quickness of apprehension than was usual at his age, and his actions at that time promised greater, when he should come to the age of a man. Elohim did also give him that tallness, when he was but three years old, as was wonderful. And as for his beauty, there was nobody so unpolite as, when they saw Moses, they were not greatly surprised at the beauty of his countenance; nay, it happened frequently, that those that met him as he was carried along the road, were obliged to turn again upon seeing the child; that they left what they were about, and stood still a great while to look on him; for the beauty of the child was so remarkable and natural to him on many accounts, that it detained the spectators, and made them stay longer to look upon him…And in those days when Mosheh was grown up, he went forth to his brethren, and saw the anguish of their souls, and the greatness of their toil. And he saw a Mizraite man strike a Jewish man of his brethren; and Mosheh turned, and considered in the wisdom of his mind, and understood that in no generation would there arise a proselyte from that Mizraite man, and that none of his children’s children would ever be converted; and he smote the Mizraite, and buried him in the sand. [JERUSALEM. And Mosheh, by the Holy Spirit, considering both the young, men, saw that, behold, no proselyte would ever spring from that Mizraite; and he killed him, and hid him in the sand.]…And he went out the second day, and looked; and, behold, Dathan and Abiram, men of the Jehudaee contended; and seeing Dathan put forth his hand against Abiram to smite him, he said to him, Wherefore dost thou smite thy companion? And Dathan said to him, Who is he who hath appointed thee a chief man and a judge over us? Wilt thou kill me, said he, as thou didst the Mizraite?

Jubilees 47:1 And in the seventh week, in the seventh year, in the forty-seventh jubilee [2303 A.M.], thy father went forth from the land of Canaan, and thou wast born in the fourth week, in the sixth year thereof, in the forty-eighth jubilee [2330 A.M.]; this was the time of tribulation on the sons of Israel. 2. And Pharaoh, king of Egypt, issued a command regarding them that they should cast all their male children which were born into the river. 3. And they cast them in for seven months until the day that thou wast born 4. And thy mother hid thee for three months, and they told regarding her. And she made an ark for thee, and covered it with pitch and asphalt, and placed it in the flags on the bank of the river, and she placed thee in it seven days, and thy mother came by night and suckled thee, and by day Miriam, thy sister, guarded thee from the birds. 5. And in those days Tharmuth, the daughter of Pharaoh, came to bathe in the river, and she heard thy voice crying, and she told her maidens to bring thee forth, and they brought thee unto her. 6. And she took thee out of the ark, and she had compassion on thee. 7. And thy sister said unto her: ‘Will I go and call unto thee one of the Hebrew women to nurse and suckle this babe for thee?’ 8. And she said <unto her>: ‘Go.’ And she went and called thy mother Jochebed, and she gave her wages, and she nursed thee. 9. And afterwards, when thou wast grown up, they brought thee unto the daughter of Pharaoh, and thou didst become her son, and Amram thy father taught thee writing, and after thou hadst completed three weeks they brought thee into the royal court. 10. And thou wast three weeks of years at court until the time [2351 – 2372 A.M.] when thou didst go forth from the royal court and didst see an Egyptian smiting thy friend who was of the sons of Israel, and thou didst slay him and hide him in the sand. 11. And on the second day thou didst and two of the sons of Israel striving together, and thou didst say to him who was doing the wrong: ‘Why dost thou smite thy brother?’ 12. And he was angry and indignant, and said: ‘Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Thinkest thou to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?’ And thou didst fear and flee on account of these words.

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Apostolic Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

1. Today’s portion from 1 Peter 4 is a treasure trove in the journey of discipleship.
   1. We’re going to focus on the first six verses and explore what Peter says here and elsewhere regarding sin, suffering and how we can experience true life in Messiah.

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

1. What is life and what is death? What does it mean to be alive and living? 
   1. These questions are simultaneously very straightforward and very profound.
2. Everyone understands what physical or biological life is.
   1. We are breathing, our hearts are pumping blood through our veins, and our brains are regulating the various systems of our bodies.
   2. In contrast, we consider death to be the absence or end of these biological functions.
3. However, scripture presents a different perspective when it comes to life and death.
   1. For example, in the Garden of Eden, God promised Adam and Eve that when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die (Gen. 2:15).
      1. We know that they did eat from it; yet the text says that “Adam lived to the age of 930 years and then he died” (Gen. 5:5).
   2. So, what death did Adam experience after he ate the forbidden fruit?
4. Apart from a biblical worldview, life and death is purely physical and biological. 
   1. Death is the end of life and not evidence of some kind of curse.
   2. In the same way, living is about survival and trying to enjoy one’s existence by pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain. 
      1. The desires of the world are to be pursued and satisfied how you want and when you want, as long as no one gets hurt.
         1. “[They] pursue a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries” (1 Pet. 4:3).
      2. This is a normal worldview for those who belief that life and death are purely physical.
      3. Any other type of living is considered strange which is why they are “surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation” (1 Pet. 4:4).
      4. Moreover, the perspective that life is more than physical causes them “to malign you” (1 Pet. 4:4), calling you a square, stuck-up, self-righteous, and a goody-two shoes.
5. What about for those of us with a biblical worldview?
   1. What is life and death for us? What does it mean to be alive? 
      1. We wake up each day in our body, and our systems reboot and come online. 
      2. Our eyes open, our ears start listening, our stomach growls, and our minds start processing thoughts.
         1. What do I need to do? Where am I going to go? What do I want? 
      3. If we’re honest, it’s easy for life to become purely biological for us, too.
6. And yet, we know we are different. 
   1. We know God is real and He sees and knows our thoughts and actions. 
   2. We want to live today in a way that pleases Him. We want to be a good representation of Him to the world.
7. But there’s this part of us that always seems to make things difficult.
   1. We want to think about others, but we end up acting selfishly.
   2. We want to dwell on whatever is true, honorable, right and pure (Phi. 4:8), but our thoughts seem to be drawn back repeatedly to vain, empty and sensual things.
   3. We want to be healthy, but we’re plagued by cravings for junk food, and the thought of exercise makes us groan inside.
8. Paul understood this reality and described it for us in Romans 7:
   1. “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate” (Rom. 7:14-15).
      1. “I am of flesh; sold into bondage to sin”. That doesn’t sound good.  
9. What is Paul talking about here? 
   1. Is he remembering what he was like before his conversion?
   2. Or is it possible that Paul faced the same struggles that you and I do in terms of how to live beyond a purely biological existence?
10. Romans 7 has always been a very controversial passage because we have a certain standard and expectation for what it means to live as followers of Christ.
    1. Since Paul says that we have died to sin and are free from it (Rom. 6:2), he must be talking to unbelievers or perhaps to new Believers.
11. After all, if we are mature then we win the victory over the flesh by putting it to death.
    1. “Put to death (#3499), therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5 NIV).
       1. “Everything from your earthly nature, those passions, those biological impulses — kill ’em! Don’t let them live!”
       2. Of course, I agree with John Owen when he said: “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.”
          1.  But knowing the tools in this battle is crucial for victory. 
       3. G3499. nekroó – “to subdue; to deaden”.
          1. Usage: from 3498 /nekrós, corpse-like, lifeless”) – to view as a corpse, i.e. without life; to regard (but not “make”) as dead, inoperative; to mortify, deprive of life or energizing power; (figuratively) to cut off (sever) everything that energizes (especially sin in Col 3:5).

KEY POINT:

Abundant life in Messiah comes through faith that our “earthly” self died positionally with Him (Romans 6:6) and can be rendered inoperative by embracing suffering.

1. What is suffering and what does it mean to suffer?
   1. “Therefore, since Messiah has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God” (1 Pet. 4:1-2).
2. The modern meaning of “suffer” relates to undergoing or feeling pain or distress and sustaining injury, disadvantage, or loss.
   1. It is negative, painful, and meant to be avoided.
   2. There is no clear benefit or value.
   3. However, the original meaning of the word is “to endure”.
      1. suffer(v.) Latin sufferre “to bear, undergo, endure, carry or put under.” This is a compound of sub “up, under” + ferre “to carry, bear: also “to bear children.”

KEY POINT:

To suffer means to endure or bear up under difficulty.

1. So, what causes suffering and why does God allow it in our lives?  
   1. Peter distinguishes between types or causes of suffering.
      1. “[T]those also who suffer according to the will of God” (1 Pet. 4:19).
      2. “[Y]ou suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong” (1 Pet. 3:17).
   2. Suffering is the byproduct of a world in rebellion against God’s will.
      1. The world system stands in opposition to God’s authority.
         1. “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (Jam. 4:4).
      2. We enter the kingdom (or, reign) of heaven by doing the will of God.
         1. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (Mat. 7:21).
      3. Faithful obedience to God’s Word is how we manifest our obedience to His Will.
         1. “And it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to follow all this commandment before the Lord our God, just as He commanded us” (Deu. 6:25).
         2. “So Yeshua was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples” (John 8:31).
      4. Because the world opposes God’s authority, our obedience to His Word puts us at enmity with them.
         1. “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14).

KEY POINT:

To suffer means to endure the consequences of walking in faithful obedience to God’s will for your life.

1. This is the pattern given to us by Yeshua.
   1. “For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (2 Pet. 2:20-23).
2. The call of the Believer is to live as Messiah lived.
   1. “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Messiah as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. For Messiah also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Pet. 3:13-18).
3. The highest goal of our faith is to know the Lord and be conformed to His image.
   1. Suffering is central to this path of discipleship and something to embrace with joy.
      1. “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Messiah. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Messiah Yeshua Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Messiah, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Messiah, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Phi. 3:7-11).

KEY POINT:

Rather than being a purely negative thing without benefit or value, scripture describes suffering as something of great value.

1. So, how does suffering relate to the flesh? 
2. Although scripture frequently refers to our physical bodies as the flesh, the term also refers to Self-Will, which is the part of our nature that seeks autonomy and control in rebellion apart from and against God’s authority.
   1. In short, the power of sin and death reigns over the flesh (i.e. body) and manifests in the Flesh (i.e. Self-will).
3. There are several key principles that relate to today’s discussion.
   1. #1 – Living in the Flesh (i.e. Self-will) corresponds to bondage to sin, hostility towards God, and a rejection of His Word and its authority to govern life. 
      1. “For those who are according to the Flesh set their minds on the things of the Flesh…for the mind set on the Flesh is death…because the mind set on the Flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the Flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:5-8).
   2. #2 – Because of indwelling sin, our flesh (i.e. body) is dead – yes, actually dead — and we have no life in and of ourselves. 
      1. “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness” (Rom. 8:10).
      2. “Deadness becomes the canvas upon which resurrection power is painted.”
   3. #3 – Faith in Messiah means we have a new definition of life, death, and what living really is. 
      1. “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Rom. 8:11).
      2. “I have been crucified with Messiah; and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh (i.e. body) I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20).

KEY POINT:

The reality of life, living and being alive can only be understood through the lens of scripture and more specifically, the life, death and resurrection of Messiah Yeshua.

1. These truths are why suffering is foundational to our salvation.
   1. #1 — Yeshua suffered death in the flesh (i.e. body) to condemn sin in the Flesh (i.e. Self-will).
      1. “Therefore, since Christ has suffered (#3958) in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the will of God.” (1 Pet. 4:1).
         1. G3958. paschó – “suffer”.
            1. The tense of this Greek verb in 1 Pet. 4:1 is the Aortist Participle, which denotes actions as a completed whole.
         2. For Messiah also suffered (#3958, Aortist Participle) for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Pet. 3:18-19).
      2. Peter’s point is that it is Yeshua’s death in the flesh that defeated sin and enables us to share in His victory by faith.
         1. “[A]nd He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds, you were healed” (1 Pet. 2:24).
   2. #2 — Yeshua’s showed us the pattern for suffering – namely, to be willing to trust and obey everything God wills for our life, no matter the cost.
      1. “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered” (Heb. 5:8).
      2. “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross” (Phi. 2:8).

KEY POINT:

The Flesh will always seek to avoid godly suffering by steering our will away from it.

1. # 3 – The question is not if we are going to suffer in life, but whether or not we will choose to suffer for God’s will or our own.
   1. “But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed but is to glorify God in this name. (1 Pet. 2:20; 4:15-16).

1. So, how do we make application of these truths?
   1. Get into God’s will for your life.
      1. How do I do that? 
         1. #1 – “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart” (1 Pet. 3:15).
            1. Acknowledge that the only life you have to live is in, through and for Him.
         2. #2 – Submit yourself to God’s design and order for men and women and teach your children how to do likewise.
            1. The world system stands in opposition to God’s authority, and nowhere is the battle fiercer than who defines the proper design, role, and function for men and women — God’s Word or the wisdom of man?
         3. #3 – Renew your mind with regard to suffering so that it becomes a necessary – and valuable – part of life.
            1. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).

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

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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. 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?”
   5. What thoughts and questions do you have from today’s study?
   6. How do you view the purpose and meaning of life? How does it differ from the people you know?
   7. What is the Flesh and how does it interact with our biological bodies?
   8. What role does obedience to God’s commandments play in a life of victory over sin?
   9. How does Holy Spirit empower us through suffering?
   10. What is the will of God when it comes to design, role and function for men and women?
   11. What’s one commandment where you struggle to understand the heavenly wisdom undergirding it?

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Additional Notes