Study Notes Week 53

Torah Study Notes for Week 53 of the Torah Reading Cycle

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

Torah (T): Shemot (Exodus) 3:1-22
Prophets (P): Isaiah 40:11-19
Apostolic (A): Acts 7:23-35; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
Additional (ADD): Jubilees 48:1-2

Torah Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

Shemot (Exodus) 3:1-22

1 Now Mosheh was keeping the flock of Yitro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midyan, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to Elohim’s mountain, to Ḥoreḇ. 2 The messenger of יהוה appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and look, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 Mosheh said, “I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” 4 When יהוה saw that he turned aside to see, Elohim called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, “Mosheh. Mosheh.” He said, “Here I am.” 5 He said, “Do not come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place you are standing on is set-apart ground.” (cf. Acts 7:33) 6 Moreover he said, “I am the Elohim of your fathers,*^ (cf. Acts 7:32) the Elohim of Aḇraham, and* the Elohim of Yitsḥaq, and the Elohim of Yaʿaqoḇ.” (cf. Matthew 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37; Acts 7:32) Mosheh hid his face; for he was afraid to look at Elohim. 7 יהוה said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Mitsrayemah, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Mitsrayim, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Kena’ani, and the Ḥethi, and the Amori, and the Perizzi, and the Hivi, and the Girgashi,*#^ and the Yevusi. 9 Now, look, the cry of the sons of Yisra’el has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Mitsrayim oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the sons of Yisra’el, out of Mitsrayemah.” 11 And Mosheh said to Elohim, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the sons of Yisra’el out of Mitsrayemah?” 12 And Elohim spoke to Mosheh, saying,* “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Mitsrayemah, you shall serve Elohim on this mountain.” 13 And Mosheh said to Elohim, “Look, when I come to the sons of Yisra’el, and tell them,’ The Elohim of your fathers has sent me to you; ‘and they ask me,’ What is his name? ‘What should I tell them?” 14 And Elohim said to Mosheh, “אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה Ehayeh Asher Ehayeh,” and he said, “You shall tell the sons of Yisra’el this:’ אֶהְיֶה Ehayeh (cf. Hosea 1:9) has sent me to you. ‘” 15 And Elohim said moreover to Mosheh, “You shall tell the sons of Yisra’el this,’ יהוה, the Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Aḇraham,* the Elohim of Yitsḥaq, and the Elohim of Yaʿaqoḇ, has sent me to you. ‘This is my name to the age, and this is my memorial to all generations. 16 Go, and gather the elders of the people of*# Yisra’el together, and tell them,’ יהוה, the Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Aḇraham, of Yitsḥaq, and of Yaʿaqoḇ, has appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Mitsrayemah; 17 and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Mitsrayemah to the land of the Kena’ani, and the Ḥethi, and the Amori, and the Perizzi, and the Hivi, and the Girgashi,*# and the Yevusi, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 They will listen to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Yisra’el, to the king of Mitsrayemah, and you shall tell him,’ The* Elohim of the Hebrews has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may slaughter to* our Elohim.’ 19 I know that the king of Mitsrayemah won’t give you permission to go, except by a mighty hand. 20 I will put forth my hand and strike Mitsrayemah with all my wonders which I will do in its midst, and after that he will let you go. 21 I will give this people favor in the sight of the Mitsrayim, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Mitsrayim.

Apostolic Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

Today’s portion from 1 Corinthians 2 presents us with a rather bold statement from the Apostle Paul.
1. “For I determined not to know anything among you except Yeshua the Messiah and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).
Why was this so important to Paul?
1. What is it about the pure message of the cross that we need to understand?
2. What exactly was Paul contrasting in his letter to the ekklesia in Corinth?
3. Does this relate to us today and if so, how can we make application in our own lives?

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

What does Paul mean when he says he knew nothing but Christ and Him crucified?
1. The most common understanding is that Paul is emphasizing the need for a pure Gospel message.
  1. In other words, Paul is emphasizing that centrality of the Gospel message that Christ died for our sins. Salvation from eternal judgment was the priority of his preaching and evangelism, and it should be for ours.
2. This begs the question: “Why doesn’t Paul say, ‘I was determined to teach nothing to you except Christ and Him crucified?’”
The context of this verse is not so much about Paul’s message as his method and manner of preaching.
1. “I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling” (vs. 3).
2. “My speech and my proclaiming were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (vs. 4).
3. “For Messiah did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect” (1 Cor. 1:17).

KEY POINT:

For Paul, “knowing Christ and Him crucified” was not a message but a way of being.

If the Gospel is a message of truth that conveys a set of facts that we want people to believe, then wouldn’t it make sense to convey it with “persuasive words” and “eloquent wisdom”?
1. Isn’t the goal of evangelism to convince people to believe in “Christ and Him crucified”?
  1. If so, the most qualified person would naturally be the inspirational orator, the persuasive debater, and the charismatic preacher.
    1. Ironically, this is the norm for much of mainstream Christianity.
The context of Paul’s epistle is not Big Eva, but the ancient Greco-Roman world.
1. In his day, oration was extremely significant and was considered one of the highest arts and a cornerstone of civic life.
  1. Rhetoric with eloquence (the art of persuasive speaking) was a core subject in formal education. Moreover, it was central for influence in political circles and was a marker of elite status. A skilled orator could rise in rank and gain immense respect” (Encyclopedia Britannica).
  2. Power, influence and status belonged to the wise and eloquent. Moreover, life and truth was shaped by words and ideas put forth by persuasive men.
2. In short, oration was the lifeblood of public life.
This was the culture in which the Believers in Corinth church were immersed, and the environment in which Paul had to compete for attention and influence.
1. Moreover, culture is a byproduct of spiritual influence – i.e. a manifestation of how spirits influence the hearts of people.
Paul describes this dynamic as the “spirit of the world”.
1. “But we received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from Elohim, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by Elohim” (1 Cor. 2:12).
2. “And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:1-2).
The spirit of the world leads natural man away from true wisdom and into a counterfeit life focused on pleasure, comfort, and satisfaction of Self.
1. “Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of the spirit of Elohim, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).
2. “Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest” (Eph. 2:3).
In contrast, the Spirit of God leads the born-again Believer into heavenly wisdom and abundant life in Messiah.
1. “We also speak these things, not in words which the wisdom of man teaches, but which the Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things” (1 Cor. 2:15).
2. “But by His doing you are in Messiah Yeshua, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).

KEY POINT:

Everyone is spiritual. The only question is, which spirit is leading you?

Most professing Believers are under the assumption that conversion marks the end of being led by the spirit of the world and the beginning of walking in the Holy Spirit.
1. We think: “That was then, this is now. That’s who I was, but now I’m a new creation”, and we have scripture to back it up.
  1. “But we received not the spirit of the world…” (1 Cor. 2:12).
  2. “And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world” (Eph. 2:1).
  3. “Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17).
If we’re honest, many of us struggle to reconcile the truth of these facts with the realities of life.
1. If I have died to sin, why is it so hard to free myself from it? (Rom. 6:1)
2. If the body of sin has been done away with, am I no longer a slave to sin, why does the flesh seem to have so much power over me? (Rom. 6:6).
In scientific terms, this describes a state of cognitive dissonance.
1. “Cognitive dissonance describes the mental discomfort experienced when encountering conflicting beliefs or ideas. The brain seeks consistency, so we often resolve the tension by rejecting or rationalizing one idea” (Wikipedia).
As Believers, we might try to resolve this cognitive dissonance of the wrestling match against our flesh in several ways.
1. #1 – We turn to the wisdom of inspirational orators, persuasive debaters, and charismatic preachers who tell us what makes us feel good.
  1. “For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires” (2 Tim. 4:3).
2. #2 – We read our Bibles selectively, ignoring or reinterpreting the words to find consistency with our experience.
  1. “That’s Old Testament.” “I’m just a sinner saved by grace”.
3. #3 – We use comparison to elevate our significance and diminish our sin.
  1. “I don’t look at pornography as much as those other guys”.
Paul understood the cognitive dissonance of discipleship.
1. “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. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:15, 24).
Is it possible to live a life of true freedom and victory in Messiah?
1. The answer is yes, and it comes through knowing Christ and Him crucified.

KEY POINT:

We can choose one of two paths in life – boasting in strength or in weakness.

What does it mean to boast?
1. We tend to equate boasting with bragging.
  1. Brag (def): “To talk with excessive pride about what one has, is able to do, or has done; often as an attempt to popularize oneself”.
2. In scripture, boasting is a heart attitude and mindset that glorifies oneself.
  1. “But YHWH said to Gideon, ‘Too many are the people who are with you, for Me to give the Midianites into their hand. Otherwise, Israel would glorify itself (#6286) against Me saying, ‘My own hand has delivered me.’ (Jud. 7:2).
    1. “become boastful” (NASB); “vaunt themselves” (KJV).
      1. Paʾar (Strong’s 6286) expresses the idea of enhancing, adorning, boasting in, or displaying splendor.
Paul talks about boasting 28 times in his letters to the Corinthians.
1. Most of the examples address what people were trusting and/or holding up as valuable or important.
2. In every situation, Paul returns to the same principle.
  1. “Thus says the LORD, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the LORD” (Jer. 9:23-24).
    1. “[S]o that, just as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (1 Cor. 1:31).
    2. “But the one who boasts is to boast in the Lord” (2 Cor. 10:17).

KEY POINT:

At the core, boasting is an offense against God that takes or claims His Glory.

God deserves all glory.
1. Not only does He deserve it, it belongs to Him.
  1. “[B]ecause of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things; to Him is the glory — to the ages. Amen” (Rom. 11:36).
If the purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, then stealing God’s glory is the universal sin.
1. “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly, he will not be unpunished” (Pro. 16:5).
2. There are six things that the Lord hates, the first of which is haughty eyes (Pro. 6:16).
3. “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverted mouth, I hate” (Pro. 8:13).
4. “For the wicked boasts of his soul’s desire, and the greedy person curses and shows disrespect to the Lord” (Psa. 10:3).
The spirit of the world offers glory to Self, knowing that it defames the Most High God.
1. “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride (#212) of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17).
  1. G212. alazoneia — “arrogance; self- confidence”
    1. Lexicon: The term denotes boastful self-confidence that parades its resources, achievements, or plans as if independent of God. It is not simple rejoicing in what the Lord has done (cf. Psalm 34:2) but an inflated, self-originated pride that assumes autonomy and demands admiration.
What’s one word in our modern world that describes “the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life”? Media.
1. The root of the word “media” is medium; in fact, it’s the same word in the plural form.
  1. In science, medium is defined as the “intervening substance through which a force or quality is conveyed”; for example, air.
2. How do we get most of our media? Over the “air waves”.
  1. Remember which prince is “working in the sons of disobedience among them we formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind?” (Eph. 2:3).
3. The average U.S. adult spends around 7 hours and 2 minutes per day on screens with total media time at 12 hours and 37 minutes per day (emartketer.com).

KEY POINT:

Every day we choose which spirit we will follow and in whom we will boast.

Paul was determined to boast in one thing only — that he knew Christ and Him crucified.
1. For Paul, Messiah’s crucifixion was not just a historical fact, but an experiential reality.
  1. “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 live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20).
Paul viewed his life – e.g. his identity and will –through the lens of crucifixion.
1. This perspective allowed no place for boasting or trusting in the flesh.
  1. “[F]or we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more” (Phi. 3:3-4).
2. Paul’s Self-denial was not empowered by self-effort and ascetism but by a greater love and the experiential knowledge of just how fulfilling life in Messiah can be.
  1. “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, 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. 3:8-11).
True life – e.g. resurrection life – is available to every Believer, but the path to it is a choice to be conformed to death on the cross, and to resist being conformed to the spirit of the world.
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).
2. “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24).
So, where does that leave you and me and how do we apply this to our lives?
First, be willing to examine your life. Start by asking yourself the following questions:
1. #1 — What is the source of my confidence (Con “with” + Fidere “trust”)?
  1. Is it the words and wisdom of men? My own strength, abilities, or character?
2. #2 — In what or whom am I boasting?
  1. A good test is how you feel when your weakness is exposed, or when you’re rejected.
    1. Or when you succeed…does your heart want glory or are you happy to let God receive it?
3. #3 — How much do I love the world and the things in it?
  1. Consider where or to whom you turn with your need – is it to the cross or to the flesh?
    1. What would life look like without any “crutches”?
      1. Media? Junk food? Pornography? Romance novels?
  2. Paul was crucified to the world – are we?
    1. “But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14).
      1. “The world, he says, had become to him a thing crucified: not only a dead thing, ceasing to interest or attract him, but also a vile, accursed thing, something he loathed and despised. And conversely, he himself had become a crucified thing unto the world; not only had he ceased to present to the world anything that could interest or attract it but also had become to it a thing scorned and abhorred” (Pulpil Commentary).
What are some practical ways to make this a reality?
1. Make the Lord your distraction.
  1. Distract: dis– “away” + trahere “to draw”.
    1. “Therefore, if you have been raised up with Messiah, keep seeking the things above, where Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Messiah in God” (Col. 3:1-4).
2. Consume less media.
  1. Learning to be content with less not only weans us from the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the boastful pride of life, but it also increases our enjoyment of the good gifts the Father gives us.
3. Pay the most attention to people who only want God to receive the glory.
  1. Change the criteria for who influences you.
    1. Do they boast in Messiah or are they just smarter, louder, more witty, etc.?

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 Notes