Study Notes Week 66

Torah Study Notes for Week 66 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) 16:1-36
  • Prophets (P): Nehemiah 9:13-21
  • Apostolic (A): John 6:26-71
  • Additional (ADD): Jubilees 50:1-5

Torah Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

Shemot (Exodus) 16:1-36

16:1 They took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 2 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness; 3 and the sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of YHWH in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4 Then YHWH said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from the heavens for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my Torah or not. 5 It shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6 Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening, you shall know that YHWH has brought you out from the land of Egypt. 7 In the morning, you shall see the [glory] of YHWH; because he hears your murmurings against [Elohim].(LXX) Who are we, that you murmur against us?” 8 Moses said, “Now YHWH will give you flesh to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to satisfy you, because YHWH hears your murmurings which you murmur against him. And who are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against [Elohim].”(LXX) 9 Moses said to Aaron, “Tell all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come close to [Elohim],(LXX) for he has heard your murmurings.' ” 10 As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the [glory] of YHWH appeared in the cloud. 11 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At evening you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am YHWH your Elohim.' ” 13 In the evening, quail came up and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew lay around the camp. 14 When the dew that lay had gone, behold, on the surface of the wilderness was a small round thing, small as the frost on the ground. 15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “what is he?" For they didn't know what he was. Moses said to them, “He is the bread which YHWH has given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which YHWH has commanded: ‘Gather of it everyone according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, you shall take it, every man for those who are in his tent.' ” 17 The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered more, some less. 18 When they measured it with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. They each gathered according to his eating. 19 Moses said to them, “Let no one leave of it until the morning.” 20 Notwithstanding they didn't listen to Moses, but some of them left of it until the morning, so it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21 They gathered it morning by morning, everyone according to his eating. When the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is that which YHWH has spoken, ‘Tomorrow is a rest, a Sabbath holy to YHWH. Bake that which you want to bake, and boil that which you want to boil; and all that remains over lay up for yourselves to be kept until the morning.' ” 24 They laid it up until the morning, as Moses ordered, and it didn't become foul, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to YHWH. Today you shall not find him in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather him, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath. He will not exist in him.” 27 On the seventh day, [certain ones](LXX) of the people went out to gather, and they found none. 28 YHWH said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to guard my commandments and my Torot? 29 Behold, because YHWH has given you the Sabbath, therefore he gives you on the sixth day the bread of two days. Everyone sit in his place. Let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people ceased on the seventh day. 31 The house of Israel called his name “Man”, and he was like coriander seed, white; and his taste was like wafers with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is the thing which YHWH has commanded, ‘Fill an omer with him to be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.' ” 33 Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot, and put an omer of the Manna in it, and lay him up before YHWH, to be kept throughout your generations.” 34 As YHWH commanded Moses, so Aaron laid him up before the Witness, to be kept. 35 The sons of Israel ate the Manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate the Manna until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan. 36 Now an omer is one tenth of an ephah.

Review

  • 15:23 When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah. 24 The people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 Then he cried to YHWH. YHWH showed him a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute and a judgment for them, and there he tested them.
    • Statute = חֹק choq (H2706) means to inscribe (write down) a decree or custom. Genesis 47:26; Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Only the land of the priests alone didn’t become Pharaoh’s. Exodus 12:24; You shall observe this word for a statute to you and to your sons forever.
    • Judgment: Often translated as judgment or ordinance, מִשְׁפָּט mishpat (H4941) is from the root word שָׁפַט shaphat (H8199) and means to rule over a case of dispute or wrong doing and make a decision on the case. שָׁפַט shaphat is equivalent to the Greek word κριτής krites (G2923) and is a person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter; an arbiter.
  • 15:26 He said, “If you will diligently listen to [the voice of YHWH],(DSS)(LXX)(SP) and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and guard all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am YHWH who heals you.” 27 They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They encamped there by the waters.
      • Tested = נָסָה nasah (H5254) means “to test to prove one is deserved of being lifted up” and comes from the root word נָסָ nas which means to lift up. נָסָה nasah is equivalent to the Greek word πειράζω peirazō (G3985) means to try, make trial of, or test for the purpose of ascertaining his quality, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself.
      • Listen = שָׁמַע shama’ (H8085) basically means “to hear and obey” in the sense of carefully hearing someone or something and responding with the appropriate obedient action. שָׁמַע shama’ is equivalent to the Greek word ἀκούω akouō (G191) which means to attend to, to consider what is or has been said, to understand, or to perceive the sense of what is said.
    • Diseases = מַחֲלֶה machaleh (H4245) commonly translated as disease, illness, sickness and comes from a root word חֹל chol (H2455) which means to bore a hole into something as in a drill, which spins and moves back and forth while firmly pressing downward to bore a hole. Also connected to the word “dance” (חוּל chool H2342) which can mean to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, or be pained.
Shemot (Exodus) 16:1-36
  1. 16:1 They took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 2 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness; 3 and the sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of YHWH in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
    1. Congregation = עֵדָה edah (H5712) is the feminine of the word עֵד ed (H5707) which means “to witness” in the sense of a person repeating or recounting their testimony of an event. When related to a group of people or a congregation, עֵדָה edah is a fixed congregation or collection of people for a common witness of an event. עֵדָה edah is not to be confused with the קָהֵל qahal (H6951) or ἐκκλησία ekklēsia (G1577) which is the entire a gathering of a people (or nation) called into some public place (cf. Exodus 19:17; Deuteronomy 4:10; Acts 7:38)
    2. Assembly = קָהֵל qahal (H6951) means “to gather” and is equivalent to the Greek word ἐκκλησία ekklēsia (G1577) which is the entire a gathering of a people (or nation) called into some public place (cf. Exodus 19:17; Deuteronomy 4:10; Acts 7:38). קָהֵל qahal and ἐκκλησία ekklēsia should not be confused with עֵדָה edah (H5712) which is a fixed congregation or collection of people for a common witness of an event.
    3. Josephus, Antiquities 3.1.3. And now removing from thence they came to Elim; which place looked well at a distance, for there was a grove of palm-trees; but when they came near to it, it appeared to be a bad place, for the palm-trees were no more than seventy; and they were ill-grown and creeping trees, by the want of water, for the country about was all parched, and no moisture sufficient to water them, and make them hopeful and useful, was derived to them from the fountains, which were in number twelve: they were rather a few moist places than springs, which not breaking out of the ground, nor running over, could not sufficiently water the trees. And when they dug into the sand, they met with no water; and if they took a few drops of it into their hands, they found it to be useless, on account of its mud. The trees were too weak to bear fruit, for want of being sufficiently cherished and enlivened by the water. So they laid the blame on their conductor, and made heavy complaints against him; and said that this their miserable state, and the experience they had of adversity, were owing to him; for that they had then journeyed an entire thirty days, and had spent all the provisions they had brought with them; and meeting with no relief, they were in a very desponding condition. And by fixing their attention upon nothing but their present misfortunes, they were hindered from remembering what deliverances they had received from Elohim, and those by the virtue and wisdom of Moses also; so they were very angry at their conductor, and were zealous in their attry to stone him, as the direct occasion of their present miseries.
    4. John 6:26-27 Yeshua answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For Elohim the Father has sealed him.”
  2. 16:4 Then YHWH said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from the heavens for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my Torah or not. 5 It shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”
    1. Deuteronomy 8:1-3 You will observe to do all the commandments which I command you today, that you may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which YHWH swore to your fathers. 2 You will remember all the way which YHWH your Elohim has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would guard his commandments or not. 3 He humbled you, allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with the Manna, which you didn’t know, neither did your fathers know, that he might teach you that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of YHWH.
      1. Humble = עָנָה ‘anah (H6031) means “to be brought low” or “afflicted” (cf. Genesis 34:2; Exodus 10:3; Deuteronomy 8:2-3; Deuteronomy 21:14; Deuteronomy 22:24; Deuteronomy 22:29; Psalms 35:13) and is equivalent to the Greek word ταπεινόω tapeinoō (G5013) which means “to make low or bring low” and metaphorically means “to bring into a humble condition or assign a lower rank or place to” (cf. Matthew 18:4; Matthew 23:12; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Philippians 2:8; James 4:6; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:5-6)
      2. Test = נָסָה nasah (H5254) means “to test to prove one is deserved of being lifted up” and comes from the root word נָסָ nas which means to lift up. נָסָה nasah is equivalent to the Greek word πειράζω peirazō (G3985) means to try, make trial of, or test for the purpose of ascertaining his quality, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself.
    2. Matthew 4:1-11 Then Yeshua was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. 2 When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward. 3 The tester came and said to him, “If you are the Son of Elohim, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Elohim.’ ” Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of Elohim, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Yeshua said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You will not test the Lord, your Elohim.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the reigns of the world and their glory. 9 He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Yeshua said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You will worship the Lord your Elohim, and you will serve him only.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
  3. 16:6 Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening, you shall know that YHWH has brought you out from the land of Egypt. 7 In the morning, you shall see the [glory] of YHWH; because he hears your murmurings against [Elohim].(LXX) Who are we, that you murmur against us?”
    1. Glory = כְּבֹד kavod (H3519) – The arms and equipment of a soldier or military unit. From a root meaning “heavy” and often paralleled with other weapons. Figurative for power and often translated as “glory.”
    2. Exodus 14:24 In the morning watch, YHWH looked out on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and confused the Egyptian army. 25 He [bound](LXX)(SP) their chariot wheels, and they drove them heavily; so that the Egyptians said, “Let’s flee from the face of Israel, for YHWH fights for them against the Egyptians!”
    3. Cloud. Most often translated as “cloud,” עָנָן anan (H6051) comes from the root עַן an which means “to watch or observe” because clouds are watched and observed to tell the weather as in the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc. In Leviticus 19:26, sorcery, fortune-telling, soothsaying, augury, or practicing magic is forbidden where the phrase תְעוֹנֵֽנוּ te’onenu (from H6049) literally means to “observe the clouds” as translated in Young’s Literal Translation of 1898. עָנָן anan is equivalent to the feminine Greek noun νεφέλη nephelē (G3507) which is simply defined as a cloud (as covering the sky), i.e. the nimbus or thunder-cloud.In Greek mythology, Nephele was a cloud nymph who figured prominently in the story of Phrixus and Helle. Greek myth has it that Nephele is the cloud whom Zeus created in the image of Hera to trick Ixion to test his integrity after he displayed his lust for Hera during a feast as a guest of Zeus. Ixion’s restraint failed him, and he assaulted Nephele, eventually fathering the Centaurs (through Imbros or Centauros).
  4. 16:8 Moses said, “Now YHWH will give you flesh to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to satisfy you, because YHWH hears your murmurings which you murmur against him. And who are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against [Elohim].”(LXX) 9 Moses said to Aaron, “Tell all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come close to [Elohim],(LXX) for he has heard your murmurings.’ ” 10 As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the [glory] of YHWH appeared in the cloud. 11 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At evening you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am YHWH your Elohim.’ ” 13 In the evening, quail came up and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew lay around the camp. 14 When the dew that lay had gone, behold, on the surface of the wilderness was a small round thing, small as the frost on the ground. 15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “what is he?” For they didn’t know what he was. Moses said to them, “He is the bread which YHWH has given you to eat.
    1. To translate מָן הוּא mahn hu as “what is this?” may give good sense in English, but is against the Hebrew grammar, since the Hebrew for “what” is not mahn but mah (The Pulpit Commentary, Volume 1). The phrase מָן הוּא (mahn hu) means, “Mahn is he” or “he is Mahn” (where Mahn is the bread-like substance). However, if the text originally read, מָה הוּא (mah hu), then this would be translated as “What is he,” which explains the next phrase which states, “given that they did not know what he was,” where “what he was” is מָה הוּא mah hu in Hebrew. – Footnote #397 from Jeff Benner’s Mechanical Translation of Exodus
  5. 16:16 This is the thing which YHWH has commanded: ‘Gather of it everyone according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, you shall take it, every man for those who are in his tent.’ ” 17 The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered more, some less. 18 When they measured it with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. They each gathered according to his eating.
    1. Omer = עֹֽמֶר omer (H6016) means to “bind” and is concretely represented as a sheaf.  When referring to a dry unit of measure, an omer is “one tenth of an ephah” (cf. Exodus 16:36) which is about 0.61 gallons or ~10 cups.
    2. Matthew 15:29-38 Yeshua departed from there and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up on the mountain and sat there. 30 Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them, 31 so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, the injured healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing—and they glorified the God of Israel.32 Yeshua summoned his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have continued with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way.”33 The disciples said to him, “Where could we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?”34 Yeshua said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”35 He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground; 36 and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. 37 They all ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, in addition to women and children.
    3. Mark 8:13-21 He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side. 14 They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15 He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 They reasoned with one [another that they had no bread].(mss) 17 [He],(mss) perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still(mss) hardened? 18 Having eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Twelve.” 20 “When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Seven.” 21 He asked them, “Don’t you understand yet?”
    4. Josephus, Antiquities 3.1.6. But presently after this first supply of food, he sent them a second; for as Moses was lifting up his hands in prayer, a dew fell down; and Moses, when he found it stick to his hands, supposed this was also come for food from Elohim to them. He tasted it; and perceiving that the people knew not what it was, and thought it snowed, and that it was what usually fell at that time of the year, he informed them that this dew did not fall from the heavens after the manner they imagined, but came for their preservation and sustenance. So he tasted it, and gave them some of it, that they might be satisfied about what he told them. They also imitated their conductor, and were pleased with the food, for it was like honey in sweetness and pleasant taste, but like in its body to bdellium, one of the sweet spices, and in bigness equal to coriander seed. And very earnest they were in gathering it; but they were enjoined to gather it equally —the measure of an omer for each one every day, because this food should not come in too small a quantity, lest the weaker might not be able to get their share, by reason of the overbearing of the strong in collecting it. However, these strong men, when they had gathered more than the measure appointed for them, had no more than others, but only tired themselves more in gathering it, for they found no more than an omer apiece; and the advantage they got by what was superfluous was none at all, it corrupting, both by the worms breeding in it, and by its bitterness. So divine and wonderful a food was this! It also supplied the want of other sorts of food to those that fed on it.
  6. 16:19 Moses said to them, “Let no one leave of it until the morning.” 20 Notwithstanding they didn’t listen to Moses, but some of them left of it until the morning, so it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21 They gathered it morning by morning, everyone according to his eating. When the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is that which YHWH has spoken, ‘Tomorrow is a rest, a Sabbath holy to YHWH. Bake that which you want to bake, and boil that which you want to boil; and all that remains over lay up for yourselves to be kept until the morning.’ ” 24 They laid it up until the morning, as Moses ordered, and it didn’t become foul, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to YHWH. Today you shall not find him in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather him, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath. He will not exist in him.”
    1. “He will not exist in him”. The Hebrew statement in Exodus 16:26 is לֹא יִהְיֶה בּוֹ lo yihyeh bo (H3808 + H1961 + H0) which is literally translated as, “He will not exist in him.” For some reason, this phrase is left untranslated by most English translations and is commonly written as, “…in it there shall be none” which is not faithful to the Hebrew.
  7. 16:27 On the seventh day, [certain ones](LXX) of the people went out to gather, and they found none. 28 YHWH said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to guard my commandments and my Torot? 29 Behold, because YHWH has given you the Sabbath, therefore he gives you on the sixth day the bread of two days. Everyone sit in his place. Let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people ceased on the seventh day. 31 The house of Israel called his name “Man”, and he was like coriander seed, white; and his taste was like wafers with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is the thing which YHWH has commanded, ‘Fill an omer with him to be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ ” 33 Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot, and put an omer of the Manna in it, and lay him up before YHWH, to be kept throughout your generations.” 34 As YHWH commanded Moses, so Aaron laid him up before the Witness, to be kept. 35 The sons of Israel ate the Manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate the Manna until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan. 36 Now an omer is one tenth of an ephah.
    1. Deuteronomy 8:16-17 who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with venomous snakes and scorpions, and thirsty ground where there was no water; who poured water for you out of the rock of flint; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with Manna, which your fathers didn’t know, that he might humble you, and that he might prove you, to do you good at your latter end; 17 and lest you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.”

Apostolic Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

  1. This week we’re going to explore the age-old topic of Faith and Works.

    1. In our relationship with God, how much and what does He expect us to DO and how much He just want us to have faith and BELIEVE?

      1. “Where do we stop and where does He begin?”

    2. Our portion from John 6 provides us with insight into how Yeshua taught the people regarding these questions.

  2. Our common understanding of faith and works often pits them as opposites, or at least as if they exist in a state of tension.

    1. We are taught that faith equals belief – i.e. the mental assent to and/or agreement with truth.

    2. Works are understood as deeds and actions, specifically the good ones we perform in service and obedience to God.

    3. Both of these definitions are not inaccurate, and most would consider each of them important in the life of the Believer.

  3. So, why the apparent contradiction?

    1. One of the main reasons is that the Gospel message emphasizes salvation by faith, not by works.

      1. “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom. 3:28).

      2. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).

      3. “[W]ho saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Tim. 1:9).

    2. These verses seem to present an even sharper contrast between faith and works when viewed through a Greco-Roman mindset.

      1. Truth is viewed as “either/or.”

        1. That is, if one idea is true it can only mean another idea is untrue.

      2. However, in the Hebraic mindset, truth is “both/and.”

        1. Therefore, truth is established (i.e., filled out) by contradictory ideas.

    3. This was captured in the Reformation principle of “justification by faith alone,” commonly expressed with the Latin phrase sola fide.

      1. Sola fide teaches that a person is made right with God through faith in Christ alone, not by doing good works or earning salvation.

        1. This was a core belief of Martin Luther and became one of the central pillars of the Protestant Reformation.

    4. The Reformers established Sola Fide in response the teaching of the Catholic church that stated we are justified by God’s grace, but humans must cooperate with His grace through faith and good works.

      1. For Catholics, good works — defined as charity, obedience, sacraments — do not earn salvation but are part of the process of becoming righteous.

        1. In this view: Faith + cooperation with God’s grace → growth in righteousness → final justification.

    5. While Sola Fide was a good and proper correction of what had become works-based righteousness, it failed to restore the proper balance between faith and works intended by Yeshua and the Apostles.

KEY POINT:

When faith and works are viewed as contradictory, we will end up undermining both.

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

  1. Now let’s turn to our portion in John 6 to understand how we might learn from the Master the proper balance between faith and works.

  2. Let’s begin by asking a simple question: “What is work?”

    1. The most basic definition of work is activity.

      1. It is the opposite of rest.

    2. Work links intention and with action.

      1. Usage: G2041 /érgon (“work”) is a deed (action) that carries out (completes) an inner desire. Ergon links hearing and doing, confession and conduct.

KEY POINT:

Every action (i.e. work) is the outward expression and end result of an inner intention and purpose.

    1. “Yeshua answered them and said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.’ Therefore, they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’ So, they said to Him, ‘What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.’ ” (John 6:26-31).

      1. Each of these instances of “work” represent the noun or verb form of the Greek word, Ergon which in the LXX is used for the Hebrew word, Melakah (Verb: Abad)

    2. These verses illustrate how Yeshua is directing the people from the external outwards aspects of work to their inner desires and intentions.

      1. “Do not merely seek me for a physical meal, but for spiritual sustenance”.

    3. We do see that their hearts were also seeking faithful obedience to God.

      1. “Therefore, they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’” (John 6:28).

  2. As Jews born and raised within the covenants of Israel, the people were accustomed to “works” being central to their faith.

    1. From the beginning, I believe the opposition between faith and works was foreign in the Jewish mindset.

      1. Israel’s faith was grounded in their redemption from slavery.

        1. They believed in YHWH because He redeemed them from Egypt.

          1. “When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses” (Exo. 14:31).

      2. This faith gave them the inner desire to do the works prescribed by YHWH.

        1. “Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it as the people listened; and they said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!’” (Exo. 24:7).

      3. Whether the people viewed their relationship to YHWH through the lens of King and subjects, Father and children, Master and slaves, or Bridegroom and bride, the end result was a heart of submission resulting in works of obedience.

        1. “So, you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which, if a person follows them, then he will live by them; I am the Lord” (Lev. 18:5; cf. Rom. 10:5; Gal. 3:12).

      4. In Israel, there was no “either/or” with faith and works but rather “both/and”.

        1. This was also the 1st-century religious culture and setting for Yeshua’s teaching in John 6.

  3. So, where was the gap in their understanding?

    1. “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’ So, they said to Him, ‘What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.’ “

      1. These statements are confusing given that many in the crowd just saw Yeshua feed the five thousand and acknowledged Him as being sent from Elohim.

        1. “Therefore, when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world’” (John 6:14).

          1. “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him’” (Deu. 18:15–19).

      2. I believe that John’s gospel reflects reality — namely, that some were putting their faith in Yeshua as Messiah, and some were still held back by hardened hearts of unbelief.

        1. We see in Mark’s account that even the disciples were not “connecting the dots” after the feeding of the five thousand.

          1. “And they all ate and were satisfied. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened” (Mar. 6:42,47,51-52)

            1. Literally, “their minds were closed, made dull; or insensible”.

  4. In spite of their hard hearts, the Lord labors patiently and with love.

    1. “Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.’ Then they said to Him, ‘Lord, always give us this bread.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe’” (John 6:32-36).

      1. The response of the people reveals a hunger that is deeper than physical.

        1. They want the bread of life (i.e. have faith) but are confused about how to obtain it (i.e. what works they need to do).

    2. “Therefore, the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, ‘I am the bread that came down out of heaven’. They were saying, ‘Is not this Yeshua, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?” (John 6:41-42).

  5. At this point, if we were a sales coach for the Gospel, we might take Yeshua aside and gently explain how His approach seems to be pushing people away from faith instead of drawing them closer.

    1. You might even remind Him of the three keys to closing a sale.

      1. Make the customer feel understood.

      2. Establish trust and credibility.

      3. Create a compelling, low‑friction path to “Yes”.

    2. Yet, Yeshua only doubles down.

      1. “’I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So, Yeshua said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (John 6:51–56).

    3. “Lord, I’m not sure Your strategy is working as intended. Should we call a quick huddle to regroup?”

  6. While I’m being humorous, if we’re honest, the words of Yeshua provoke our sensibilities just like they did the disciples.

    1. “When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’” (John 6:60).

    2. We are so used to the truth being sold that it offends us when it is presented in purity.

      1. “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy” (Jam. 3:17).

    3. Compromising the message for the sake of winning more converts would have made the Lord a hypocrite.

      1. Unfortunately, this has become the standard way that faith is presented in many, many churches.

KEY POINT:

Yeshua’s message is hard to receive because the work of God is accomplished through the Spirit, not the flesh.

  1. The divide between flesh and spirit is the main reason why even those who sought the Lord could not receive what He offered them.

    1. “But Yeshua, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, ‘Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.’” (John 6:61–64).

      1. Note that the audience includes more than the twelve, and “many His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him” (John 6:66).

    2. The Lord knew that the work of God included “culling the herd” so that only those called by the Holy Spirit continue to follow Him.

      1. “For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him. And he said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.’” (John 6:64-65; ref. 6:37).

        1. It seems strange in light of our modern perspective on evangelism that even Yeshua could only receive the individual people that the Father had chosen.

          1. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day” (John 6:38-39).

KEY POINT:

The difference between hitting and missing the mark in our walk with God is not faith versus works but flesh versus spirit.

  1. Our works are only acceptable to God when they are born of His will, not our own.

    1. Faith is divine persuasion – i.e. the inner confirmation of what the Lord desires.

      1. “Now faith (#4102) is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).

        1. Lexicon: (4102/pistis) is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. In short, “faith” for the believer is “God’s divine persuasion” – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence) yet involving it. The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know what He prefers, i.e. the persuasion of His will (1 Jn 5:4).

          1. Pistis in secular antiquity referred to a guarantee (warranty). In Scripture, faith is God’s warranty, certifying that the revelation He in-birthed will come to pass (His way).

    2. The Gospel transforms us from people “of the flesh” to “servants of the Spirit”.

      1. “Yeshua answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above” (John 3:5-7).

  2. Looking through the lens of flesh versus spirit, so many questions get answered.

    1. If we are saved by faith, why do we need to keep the commandments? Isn’t this exactly what Paul was teaching against in his epistles?

      1. #1 – Justification is a work of God, by His grace, in response to our inner desire and intention as it aligns with the truth of Yeshua’s atoning sacrifice (i.e. faith).

      2. #2 – Having been born from above, we become the temple of the Holy Spirit which allows to discern God’s will and purpose for our works.

      3. #3 – We become slaves to righteousness, eagerly keeping His commandments because our flesh no longer rules and opposes His standards for right living (see Romans 8:1-16).

  3. The clarion call of Yeshua to His generation was not that they were sinful for wanting to please God by keeping Torah, but that they could only please Him by first becoming a new creation.

    1. This is why He provokes them with difficult teachings about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, something that is grossly antithetical to God’s commandments.

      1. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63).

  4. So, how do we make application of this truth in our lives?

    1. #1 – “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (2 Cor. 13:5).

      1. What is the test?

        1. “Do you not know Jesus Christ is in you? If he is not in you, you do not pass the test” (2 Cor. 13:6).

      2. If Christ dwells in you and you call Him Lord and Savior, then all your works should originate and be empowered by Holy Spirit.

        1. This is the only biblical definition of faith. Everything else is of the flesh.

    2. #2 – Learn to equate loving God with keeping His teachings and instructions (i.e. Torah).

      1. “Whoever believes that Yeshua is the Messiah is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:1-3).

      2. Unless we use God’s definition of love, our faith and works will eventually become Flesh.

        1. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6).

          1. Not a “faith” driven by the will and desires of our flesh, but by His Spirit and for His glory.

            1. Whether it is hyper-spiritual Charismania divorced from scripture or dry and lifeless religiosity void of the Holy Spirit, there are many ditches that keep from a pure and holy faith that pleases Abba.

“The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him” (John 14:21).

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. How do faith and works seem in opposition to each other? Or in harmony?
        6. Why do the teachings of Yeshua often seem very difficult to understand and accept?
        7. What do you understand about how to love God and love your neighbor?

Additional Notes