Study Notes Week 58

Torah Study Notes for Week 58 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) 8:1-32
  • Prophets (P): Isaiah 34:11 – 35:4
  • Apostolic (A): Romans 9:17-18; Revelation 16:1-21
  • Additional (ADD): Jubilees 48:9-11

Torah Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

Shemot (Exodus) 8:1-32

8:1 YHWH spoke to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what YHWH says, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your borders with frogs. 3 The river will swarm with frogs, which will go up and come into your house, and into your bedroom, and on your bed, and into the house of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading troughs. 4 The frogs shall come up both on you, and on your people, and on all your servants.” ' ” 5 YHWH said to Moses, “Tell [your brother](LXX) Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.' ” 6 Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. 7 The magicians [of the Egyptians](LXX) did the same thing with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt. 8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat YHWH, that he take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may slaughter to YHWH.” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “I give you the honor of setting the time that I should pray for you, and for your servants, and for your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, [and from your servants, and from your people,](SP) and remain in the river only.” 10 Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like YHWH our Elohim. 11 The frogs shall depart from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.” 12 Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to YHWH concerning the frogs which he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 YHWH did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. 14 They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he made his heart heavy, and didn't listen to them, as YHWH had spoken. 16 YHWH said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out [your hand with](LXX) your rod, and strike the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.' ” 17 They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and struck the dust of the land, and there were lice on man, and on animal; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried with their enchantments to produce lice, but they couldn't. There were lice on man, and on animal. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is Elohim's finger;” but Pharaoh's heart was strengthened, and he didn't listen to them, as YHWH had spoken. 20 YHWH said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; behold, he comes out to the water; and tell him, ‘This is what YHWH says, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21 Else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send various sorts of pestilential creatures on you, and on your servants, and on your people, and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of various sorts of pestilential creatures, and also the ground they are on. 22 I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no various sorts of pestilential creatures shall be there, to the end you may know that I am YHWH on the land. 23 I will place redemption between my people and your people. This sign shall happen by tomorrow.” ' ” 24 YHWH did so; and there came grievous various sorts of pestilential creatures into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses. In all the land of Egypt the land was corrupted by reason of the various sorts of pestilential creatures. 25 Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, “Go, slaughter to your Elohim in the land!” 26 Moses said, “It isn't appropriate to do so; for we shall slaughter the abomination of the Egyptians to YHWH our Elohim. Behold, if we slaughter the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, won't they stone us? 27 We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and slaughter to YHWH our Elohim, as he shall command us.” 28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may slaughter to YHWH your Elohim in the wilderness, only you shall not go very far away. Pray for me.” 29 Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you. I will pray to [Elohim](LXX) that the various sorts of pestilential creatures may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only don't let Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to slaughter to YHWH.” 30 Moses went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to [Elohim].(LXX) 31 YHWH did according to the word of Moses, and he removed the various sorts of pestilential creatures from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. There remained not one. 32 Pharaoh made his heart heavy this time also, and he didn't let the people go.

Apostolic Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

  1. Chapter 9 of Romans is all about election and selection, differentiation and distinction.

    1. Who gets picked for the team and why?

      1. Hard not to feel like it spoke to your identity

  2. When it comes to God’s sovereign choice, it’s even more controversial.

    1. Writing in the 1st– century, Paul is stating some facts about God’s choice for the team, and it was an explosive topic.

      1. “You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?’” (Rom. 9:19).

        1. In other words, the person not chosen (i.e. rejected) says, “How is that fair? I wasn’t even given a chance!”

  3. So, who did God choose? Who are His people?

    1. Is it Israel? The church? Both?

    2. Is it an ethnic or racial distinction?

      1. Should we still distinguish between Jew and Gentile?

  4. How do we identify God’s people?

    1. Meaning… how are we to know who they are? What do they look like? What do they do?

      1. What should they look like? How should they act?

      2. Does any of this even matter if God Himself knows who His people are?

    2. These questions are far from settled.

      1. If anything, they are even more controversial than in Paul’s day, at least among professing Believers who care about these things.

  5. Nothing brings this controversy to the forefront like Christmas.

    1. Try asking the question, “Is Christmas Christian?”

      1. Some would say, “Yes, because it’s the celebration of the Savior’s birth.”

      2. Others would say, “Not exactly because the origins and traditions were not Christian. However, the church made it Christian because Christ is Lord and everything should be submitted under Him.”

      3. Still others would say, “It’s not Christian because December 25th is not Jesus’ birthday.”

    2. Rather than argue the merits of each position, I think we need to step back and address a few more fundamental questions.

  6. First of all, what does it mean to call something “Christian”? What does that actually mean?

    1. Technically, using the term “Christian” to describe a thing would make it a proper adjective.

    2. “Proper adjectives carry the identity of a specific proper noun and are capitalized, while regular adjectives describe general qualities and are lowercase” (Copilot).

    3. In other words, embedded in the adjective “Christian” is the proper noun referring to someone who is a “follower of Christ”.

      1. “[A]nd when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers of people; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).

KEY POINT:

From the biblical perspective, the term “Christian” is a noun, not an adjective.

  1. Why does this matter?

    1. Setting aside Christmas for a minute, think about all the ways we use “Christian” as an adjective.

      1. Politics: “Christian values”, “Christian Nationalism”, “Chrisian democracy”.

      2. Culture: “Chrisian businesses”, “Christian schools”, etc.

    2. In modern parlance, “Christian” is used as an adjective to align an ideology, movement, policy, or cultural expression with Christianity—often implying that it’s rooted in, influenced by, or representative of Christian beliefs (Copilot).

  2. We live in a time when it’s more and more difficult and confusing to be “in the world but not of it” (John 17:14-16).

    1. I follow the God of the Bible, and believe in His Son, but who am I supposed to be?

      1. I am a Christ-follower, so technically that makes me a Christian.

        1. “But Christians celebrate Christmas and I don’t see that in the Bible.”

        2. “They also all vote Republican and I see a lot of things in that party that tarnish the name, ‘Christian’.”

  3. I believe that we resolve these struggles when we resolve identity.

    1. Who should I identify with and how should I live?

      1. identity(n.)

        1. From Medieval Latin identitatem “sameness,” ultimately from Latin idem (neuter) “the same”; from id, meaning “it; that one”.

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

In our portion today, Paul’s says this about his own identity:

    1. “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Messiah for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Messiah according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen” (Rom. 9:3-5).

    2. It’s important to note in this passage everything related to identity that YHWH has given to Israel.

      1. “Adoption as sons” – this speaks to family status.

      2. “The glory” – this speaks to what it means to be an image-bearer of the Creator.

      3. “The covenants” – the intimate bond of relationship.

      4. “The Torah and Temple Services” – the wisdom and knowledge from a Father to His children.

      5. “The Promises” – the unbreakable commitment of God’s love and provision.

  2. Israel was given the adoption as sons.

    1. “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Israel is My son, My firstborn” (Exo. 4:22).

    2. “When Israel was a youth I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son” (Hos. 11:1; cf. Mat. 2:15).

  3. Israel was given God’s glory, which includes both His manifest presence and His Name or reputation.

    1. “Then the cloud covered the Appointed Tent, and the glory of YHWH filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the Appointed Tent because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of YHWH filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of YHWH was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel” (Exo. 40:34-38).

    2. “He said to Me, ‘You are My Servant, Israel, In whom I will show My glory’” (Isa. 49:3).

    3. “Shout for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; break into a shout of jubilation, you mountains, forest, and every tree in it; For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and in Israel He shows His glory” (Isa. 44:23).

    4. “I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; and My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, and My glory for Israel” (Isa. 46:13).

    5. It also becomes a proper name of Elohim.

      1. “Also, the Glory of Israel will not lie nor change His mind; for He is not a man, that He would change His mind” (1 Sam. 15:29).

  4. It is Israel alone that YHWH establishes His covenant.

    1. YHWH begins His covenant relationship with one man, Abram, and extends that to his physical descendants through Isaac then Jacob and ultimately to Jacob’s twelve sons.

      1. “God said further to Abraham, ‘Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations’” (Gen. 17:9).

      2. “But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year” (Gen. 17:21).

      3. “Then behold, the Lord was standing above it and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you [Jacob] lie I will give to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Gen. 28:13-15).

      4. “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God took notice of them” (Exo. 2:23-25).

      5. “Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant” (Exo. 6:5).

    2. The renewed covenant is also given to the nation of Israel.

      1. “’At that time,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.’ Thus says the LORD, ‘The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness – Israel, when it went to find its rest.’ The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness. Again, I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again, you will take up your tambourines and go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD. ‘But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, ‘I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.’ Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: ‘If this fixed order departs from before Me,’ declares the LORD, “Then the seed of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever” (Jer. 31:31-36; cf. Heb. 8).

      2. This word of promise regarding a renewed covenant with Israel was fulfilled by Yeshua.

        1. “These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: ‘Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Mat. 10:5-7).

        2. “But He answered and said, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’” (Mat. 15:24).

KEY POINT:

The only continuity of covenant relationship between YHWH and humanity is through Israel.

  1. The Torah and Temple service.

    1. From the beginning, YHWH gave His Torah – e.g. His teachings and instructions for righteousness – to those with whom He entered into covenant.

      1. “The LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him” (Gen. 18:17-19).

        1. Note that well before Mount Sinai, Abraham knew the “torah” for living righteously in the way of the Lord.

    2. The “way of the Lord” describes God’s universal and immutable standard for righteous and just behavior.

    3. The Torah (e.g. Law) given to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai recorded and codified this standard of righteousness, in distinction to the ways of the nations.

      1. “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “I am the LORD your God. You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes (#2708). You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes (#2708), to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God. So, you shall keep My statutes (#2708) and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD” (Lev. 18:1-5; cf. ).

        1. H2708. chuqqah – “statutes”.

          1. Lexicon: Chuqqāh denotes a statute, fixed ordinance, or prescribed institution issued by divine authority. Unlike general “law” (תּוֹרָה) that can include instruction and narrative, a חֻקָּה is a specific appointment set in place by God, binding in perpetuity unless explicitly superseded by further revelation. Its range spans ceremonial rites, civic regulations, priestly duties, commemorative festivals, dietary restrictions, and even royal obligations.

          2. Usage: The recurring formula “a statute forever throughout your generations” (for example, Exodus 27:21) highlights that these enactments originate with the LORD and not with human councils. Their permanence flows from the character of the Lawgiver rather than the endurance of Israel’s institutions. Because the LORD grounds the command in His own name, disobedience becomes a personal affront to Him rather than a mere civil infraction.

  2. The promises of God belong to Israel.

    1. “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision,’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands – remember that you were at that time separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers (xenos) to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:11-12).

      1. Note that there is only one promise, which was made to Abraham, and through his sons, to the rest of Israel.

        1. “And I will make you [Abraham] into a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing” (Gen. 12:2).

        2. “The LORD appeared to him [Isaac] and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws” (Gen. 26:2-5).

        3. “And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, ‘I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you [Jacob] lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Gen. 28:13-15).

        4. “The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.’ The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day like the stars of heaven in number. May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand-fold more than you are and bless you, just as He has promised you!’” (Deu. 1:6,8,10-11).

        5. “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; everything came to pass” (Jos. 21:45).

KEY POINT:

Israel has always been and forever will be the one and only identity of the redeemed, covenant people of God.

  1. So, what about the Gentiles?

    1. As we read in Ephesians 2:11-12, the Gentiles have always been excluded from what was given exclusively to Israel – i.e. the adoption, the glory, the knowledge of God’s way of righteousness revealed in Torah, and the covenants of the promise.

    2. Israel’s unique identity made them distinct from the nations that surrounded them and served God’s plan in several ways.

      1. First, they were to be a model and example of God’s way of righteousness.

        1. “See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him? Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole Torah which I am setting before you today? (Deu. 4:5-8).

      2. Second, God uses the nations to test His people with regard to obedience and covenant faithfulness.

        1. “Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do as their fathers. So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers and has not listened to My voice, I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their fathers did, or not’. So, the LORD allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not give them into the hand of Joshua. They were left to test Israel by them, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses “(Judges 2:1-3, 17,20-23; 3:4).

  2. Even though the physical descendants of Jacob were God’s covenant people, YHWH did not exclude those Gentiles that wished to join themselves to Israel and God in covenant.

    1. “The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘This is the ordinance of the Passover: no foreigner (nekar) is to eat of it; but every man’s slave purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it. A sojourner (toshab) or a hired-servant shall not eat of it. It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it. All the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this. But if a stranger (ger #1616) sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. The same Torah shall apply to the native as to the stranger (Heb. ger; LXX. prosēlytos) who sojourns among you” (Exo. 12:42-44).

      1. H1616. Ger – “stranger; proselyte”.

        1. Lexicon: The word designates a non-native who has taken up residence among the covenant people—neither a passing traveler (who might be called a “stranger”) nor an assimilated “native,” but a settled outsider living under Israel’s civil jurisdiction.

        2. Resident foreigners not only receive humanitarian care; many are invited into Israel’s worship, provided they submit to YHWH’s covenantal terms.

          1. Passover: Circumcised households may celebrate (Exodus 12:48-49).

          2. Sacrificial Offerings: “The foreigner who resides with you… may present an offering made by fire” (Leviticus 17:8; 22:18).

          3. Atonement and Festivals: The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29) and Feast of Weeks (Deuteronomy 16:11) list the foreign resident among expected participants.

KEY POINT:

The consistent pattern from scripture is that Gentiles could be grafted into the covenant people of God through circumcision and the keeping of Torah.

  1. So, then – who is the “church” (Gr. ekklesia) and do they have an identity distinct from Israel?

  2. Question: Who was the first head or leader of the church?

    1. Was it the apostle Peter?

      1. “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Mat. 16:18).

    2. It is according to Catholicism, which is the river from which all streams of Christianity flow.

      1. “The Council of Vatican I (1870), Pastor Aeternus, affirms that this authority—a primacy of jurisdiction—was conferred immediately and directly upon Peter by Christ, establishing him as the visible head of the Church” (Copilot).

KEY POINT:

If the church was an entity established by Christ and assigned under the jurisdiction of Peter, then our identify as Believers should flow from this fact.

  1. But what if the first head of the church was not Peter, but Moses?

    1. “This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.’ This is the one who was in the congregation (#1577 ekklesia) in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you” (Acts 7:37-38).

      1. G1577. ekklesia – “called out ones; assembly”.

        1. Lexicon: “Church” (Greek ekklēsia) describes God’s redeemed people called out from the world to assemble before Him. In the Septuagint it often renders “assembly” of Israel (for example, Deuteronomy 4:10), preparing the way for New-Testament usage, where it consistently designates those who belong to Messiah and live under His covenant lordship.

          1. “Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble (#6950) the people to Me, that I may have them hear My words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

            1. H6950. qahal – “to convoke; call out”.

KEY POINT:

God’s church is Israel, the assembly of those called out from physical and spiritual Egypt into covenant with Him.

  1. By and large, the volumes of systematic theology penned on this topic have only fostered an identity crisis among God’s people.

    1. I believe this is tragic and deeply grieves the heart of the Father.

  2. One of the great triumphs achieved by Yeshua’s sacrificial death was restoring unity in God’s family between Jews and Gentiles.

    1. “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision,’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands – remember that you were at that time separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Messiah Yeshua you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances (#1378), so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity” (Eph. 2:11-16).

      1. What caused this enmity? It seems like Paul is saying it was the Law.

        1. “The cause of enmity between the Jews and Gentiles — even the law of ceremonial commandments, contained in ordinances — consisting in many institutions and appointments concerning the outward worship of God; such as those of circumcision, sacrifices, clean and unclean meats, washings, and holy days; which, being founded in the mere pleasure of God, might be abolished when he saw fit” (Benson).

      2. On the contrary, the enmity was not a result of God’s laws, but those of men.

        1. G1378. dogma – “decrees”.

          1. Lexicon: The word describes an authoritative decree, ordinance, or formal decision that obligates its hearers. It refers to human edicts issued by civil or ecclesiastical authorities.

  3. The “one new man” was YHWH’s original design and intention for His people, Israel.

    1. “AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So, then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Eph. 2:17-22).

    2. “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Col. 2:13-14).

KEY POINT:

YHWH has only ever had one covenant people with one standard for righteous living.

  1. The dogma of men, not the teachings of the apostles, have created a division in identity and lifestyle for Believers.

    1. “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God” (1 Cor. 7:19).

    2. “But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And all who will follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:14-16).

  2. So, how can we apply this to our lives?

    1. #1 — Embrace your true identity.

      1. Israel is the only continuous and unchanging identity in scripture for the redeemed people of God.

        1. It is only when you accept your place with Israel, the people of God, that her history and way of life in the scriptures will feel like they belong to you.

      2. Don’t let anyone be your judge you as journey back to the roots of your faith.

        1. Most of the teachers who oppose Torah observance are steeped in centuries of false dogma (i.e. Replacement Theology, Dispensationalism, etc.).

          1. Only the Father can change their lens of understanding so don’t wait for their acceptance to lay hold of your inheritance!

    2. #2 — Commit to walk in the Father’s loving and gracious Torah of life, one step at a time.

      1. Abba’s commandments and calendar provide everything that we need for lives of godliness.

      2. It’s perfectly normal to have questions on how to keep Torah – we all still do.

        1. Don’t let uncertainty hold you back from simply walking in trusting obedience.

          1. In Yeshua, YHWH has lavished His grace upon us so we can keep His Torah without fear of failure.

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:4).

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?”
    5. What is your identity – i.e. who do you identify with – as a Believer in Yeshua?
    6. When it comes to Torah, do you feel like a stranger and outsider? A native?
    7. Who/What do you understand Israel to be and is it different than what we discussed today?

Additional Notes

Hebrew Words for “Foreigner”

“ger (resident alien, sojourner), nokhri (foreigner from another nation), toshav (temporary settler/dweller), and zar (outsider, stranger in blood or law), conveying concepts from permanent residents needing protection to temporary visitors or outsiders not bound by Israel’s laws, highlighting different relationships with the community.”

  • Ger (גֵּר) H1616 “to sojourn as a settler”: The most common term, referring to a resident alien or sojourner living among Israel, often a refugee or immigrant due to famine/war, who was to be protected and treated fairly (e.g., Leviticus 19:33-34).
  • Nokhri (נָכְרִי) H5237 “to know”: A foreigner, one from a different nation, often used for those outside the land of Israel or not bound by Israelite customs (e.g., Deuteronomy 15:3).
  • Toshav (תּוֹשָׁב) H8453 “to turn to a seat; a returning to ones place of residence where one sits”: A settler or settler, sometimes synonymous with ger, but implying less permanence (e.g., Exodus 12:45).
  • Zar (זָר) H2114 “to be scattered abroad; to be strange”: An outsider, stranger in blood, or one not belonging to a specific group (e.g., a non-Levite), used for those outside the covenant community (e.g., Proverbs 27:2)