Parashat B’reishit (Genesis 1:1-6:8) (Updated 10/13/2022 5783 B”H)

Beginning at the Beginning

Each year after Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles), it is customary to begin re-reading through Torah (the first five books of the Bible). I personally believe it is vital to supplement Torah reading with readings from the rest of the Bible, including the Prophets and the rest of the Tanakh as well as, of course, the New Testament (B’rit Chadasha).

So it is the time of year when we begin back at Genesis (known in Hebrew as B’reishit).

Beginning at the beginning of time.

We do well to understand that in every undertaking in life, we ought embark only with our understanding framed by the history of creation. If we know our Creator and are in right relationship with Him, then we will understand our role as the created and realize our need for restoration and salvation.

Those who do not yet live in right relationship with the LORD, the Creator of All, cannot be called His children.

But there is Good News!

“See how glorious a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children—and so we are!” 1 John 3:1

As God’s children, it is imperative that we share this Good News so that those who are perishing around us would be able to repent and know our Savior, too, and so, too, become children of the Most High God.

I will show you today a very simple method to share your faith, beginning at the beginning.

Are you confident in your ability to share and defend your faith?

As followers of Messiah Yeshua (the Lord Jesus Christ), it is our joyous duty to share with others the Good News of salvation.

We also need to be able to defend our faith.

Demonstrate that our faith is unshakeable!

It is so important to be equipped to share with others the Truth!

This is often called “apologetics.”

But rather than apologizing for what you believe, your task is to share it!

And be able to explain why you believe what you believe! Be confident! The LORD is with you and will give you the words and wisdom when you need it.

Today, I will focus on how one simple verse from Genesis can be used as a powerful spiritual weapon against one of the fastest growing cults: The Jehovah’s Witness organization.

The Jehovah Witness sect presents both a challenge and opportunity to Bible-believing Christians.

Are you ready to challenge yourself to share your faith?

Check out a simple and straightforward way to lead a friend to the True LORD of the Bible!

First, we must recognize that Truth is superior to cult religions and teachings

The Jehovah Witness cult continues to grow around the world. It is highly likely you will encounter a Jehovah’s Witness follower at some point.

You might think I am being very harsh calling it a cult.

However, given the high level of deception and falsehood, softer terms will not do.

Believers: we need to be educated about sects and cults in order to ask the Spirit of Truth to help us evangelize and minister to members of these erroneous organizations.

We also need to pray that the Spirit of all Truth, God’s Holy Spirit, the only True God would help us show genuine love, kindness, and compassion toward all of those who are trapped in confusion.

In order to properly witness to a member of a cult religion, we must ourselves be confident in Whom we have believed and know the Truth of Scripture for ourselves.

Second, it is wise to have a solid understanding of trustworthy Bible translations

My husband and I pastored a mission congregation in the southern USA for many years.

The influence of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the area astounded us.

It was a region impacted by true spiritual darkness.

The Jehovah’s Witness cult members were particularly successful in sowing their seeds of confusion among the Latino/Hispanic community in that area.

The JW movement convinced many Spanish-speaking farm workers in the community that an adulterated bible, their “New World Translation” was superior to any standard (ie. reputable) English or Spanish language Bibles such as the King James Version or Reina Valera 1960.

It is important to educate new believers about trustworthy Bible translations.

We had our work cut out for us teaching the Truth of Scripture as many lay folk didn’t seem to really care about the scholastic origins of the Bibles they were reading.

Third, be familiar with the unsettling founding of the Jehovah Witness Movement

If you have ever studied comparative religion or sects, you may know the founding of the Jehovah Witness movement sounds more like a business enterprise than a revelatory experience.

A group of men (most say about 30) reportedly gathered in a Brooklyn, NY building and invented the religion.

They produced a “translation” of the Bible without knowing the Biblical languages Hebrew or Greek. Again, this is known as the “New World Translation” or NWT.

The men changed generous portions of Scripture to suit their doctrinal inventions (in complete defiance of the command in Revelation 22:18-19 to never add to or take away from the LORD’s Book):

“I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his share in the Tree of Life and the Holy City, which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18-19

It is true many of the first followers of our Messiah Jesus were not highly educated men.

However, it is not true that folks should wholeheartedly trust translations from people who cannot at least rudimentarily engage the languages they are working to translate.

The sinister nature of the NWT “translation” becomes obvious from the very beginning of the tarnished text: right there in Genesis.

How to use Genesis 1:2 as a Perfect Starting Point for Effective Evangelism (particularly with Jehovah’s Witness followers)

I discovered an easy way to strike up a conversation with Jehovah Witness followers.

Simply ask them about the Holy Spirit:

I would ask a Jehovah’s Witness to open their Bible to Genesis 1:2.

A well known verse, it tells us the Spirit of God hovered over the waters at creation:

“Now the earth was chaos and waste, darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Ruach Elohim was hovering upon the surface of the water.” Genesis 1:2, TLV

Ruach Elohim is Hebrew for the “Spirit of God.”

You may be more familiar with the New King James Version’s phrasing:

“The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:2, NKJV

Help people recognize the spiritual danger:

In the false translation used by the Jehovah’s Witness organization (the New World Translation), the word for the Holy Spirit (Ruach Elohim in Hebrew) has been completely eliminated and replaced by a lower-case and non-personal term, the “active force.”

Those who have participated in the JW organization for a long time may be more hostile to you trying to help them, but I found that for those who are newer to the JW ranks, many would talk to me.

Many were open to discussing the glaring issue related to the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit of God (Matthew 12:31).

The Holy Spirit gives believers the words we need when we need them.

And I can assure you, He is faithful.

The LORD of Truth can help you to reach those who have been falsely indoctrinated with the lies of the enemy that have been adopted by the Jehovah’s Witness organization.

He can save those who have been deceived.

Nothing is impossible for God! Matthew 19:26

So there is great hope!

The Jehovah Witness cult has injected a stronghold of deception and confusion into vulnerable people looking for answers to life’s questions.

There are SO MANY false doctrines in the JW religion!

Another easy place to start is with the nature of God.

God has been revealed to humanity as the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We can discuss semantics on “echad,” the doctrine of “Trinity,” or the “Oneness of God” another time. But the point is, we believe in the Holiness and Deity of God. We do not diminish the Son’s standing by denying His divinity – He is Fully God, and we certainly do not take away our reverence and respect for the Holy Spirit of God.

The Simple Truth

For today, rejoice that you know the God of all Truth!

He is the Eternal One, Heavenly Father, the Prince of Peace, Lord of All, and the Mighty Comforter!

Our LORD is the one who saves, fully God and fully human revealed in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ our LORD)!

He is the Conquerer of death and the Conquerer of Confusion. He is King forever!

Do not shy away from sharing your faith!

There are SO many people who are hungry for the TRUTH!

You just might be the very person the LORD wants to use to bring others to know Him.

Are you reading this and have questions about the Truth of our Savior Jesus Christ (Yeshua haMashiach)? Please reach out! We would love to help you know more about the True Savior and Messiah who loves you and died for you so you could live eternally with Him. Pray today for members of the Jehovah’s Witness organization, that they would come to be free from the lies of the enemy.

Are you a member of the Jehovah’s Witness organization? Are you seeking to know the Truth about the Messiah, the Son of God? Please contact us, we would love to help you walk with the LORD:

Updated 5/25/22 B”H

Do you want to be blessed in your daily routine? Here are some practical ways you can receive God’s blessing in your life:

1. Approach God directly through prayer

Some world religions teach that God is far-off, distant, and unconcerned with the daily activities of human beings.

Some people believe that they cannot personally talk with Him: that they need an intermediary or someone “holier-than-thou” to speak to the Almighty on their behalf.

Countless times have people asked me to pray for them, but it becomes clear they have no intention of doing so themselves.

Prayer on the behalf of another is never wasted, but it would be more effective if the requester would join in with true faith of their own.

You can pray any time! Start your day off right, by approaching the throne of the LORD with a humble prayer of thanksgiving and praise.

Why not listen to this song, “Awake, O Israel, put off thy slumber” and start giving Him praise right now!?

2. Reject American Christianity’s dangerous flirtation with yoga and kundalini in your exercise routine

If you have a morning exercise routine, keep at it! Incorporate praise and worship music when you’re on your elliptical or treadmill. Thank the LORD for the ability to move the body that He gave you. If you’ve ever had to recover from an injury or medical intervention, you know not to take exercise for granted.

Pray today for strength. That He would strengthen your every limb and muscle and tendon, that His strength would be made perfect in your weaknesses.

Do NOT follow the New Age movement’s suggestions to “look inward,” attempting to empty the mind in order to find enlightenment, self-actualization, or nirvana.

More and more Americans turn toward Eastern religion, incorporating yoga and kundalini worship practices into their lives and joining the pop culture fascination with anything decidedly nonChristian.

My advice to aspiring yogis: yes, stay healthy, eat some yogurt, but skip the yoga.

Let me explain why:

My friends (natives of northern India) who happen to be evangelical missionaries to that same region attest that yoga is indeed rooted in Hindu religion and they are saddened (appalled, really, but they are shy to show it) by the Western embrace of these dark influences. They risk their lives preaching the Good News of Messiah and rejoicing when bondages are broken as people reject idolatry and come back stateside only to be bombarded by American Christians who get all defensive about their exercise routines.

[Missionaries in India] risk their lives preaching the Good News of Messiah and rejoicing when bondages are broken as people reject idolatry and come back stateside only to be bombarded by American Christians who get all defensive about their exercise routines.

The Scriptures used by thousands of believers around the world instruct plainly what ought be done.

Rabbi She’ll (Paul, the Apostle) wrote to the Romans that believers should “renew their mind,” (Romans 12:2) and assured the Corinthian believers that by the power of the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) and faith in His Name, they now had the “mind of Messiah”(1 Corinthians 2:16).

Followers of Jesus (Yeshua) are to set their minds on things above (Colossians 3:2). We must choose to live differently. Rather than empty our minds, we must fill our mind with the Truth of God’s Word.

There are plenty of ways to demonstrate our faith without compromise. After all, there are plenty of stretching exercises that we as believers can do that are not rooted in yoga’s practices. Let us honor our LORD and not invite Hindu spirits into our lives.

3. Meditate on the Psalms

“Meditation” isn’t anti-Biblical.

The Bible exhorts us to meditate! Meditate as a child of God, on the things of God. Do not meditate as the world does.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8, emphasis added

I always recommend that people meditate on the Word of God as a whole but also specifically on the Psalms. This is timely because I very recently reviewed an excellent devotional resource on the Psalms that uses some of the famous minister Charles Spurgeon’s writings called “Spurgeon and the Psalms.” You can read that review here.

It is a sad reality that so many people do not realize that their Maker, their Creator, will hear them (and answer them!) if they would call upon His Name. Too many think that spiritual meditation is reserved for Buddhists and Hindus. Too many people appear to feel ashamed by the knowledge that they are sinners that they are afraid to speak to the God of Heaven. Many choose not to overcome this barrier, embarrassed that their peers or family will judge them for choosing to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (Yeshua haMashiach).

Many echo David’s wonderings that we find in Psalm 24:

“Who may stand in His Holy Place? (Psalm 24:3b)

How can I receive a blessing from the Almighty One?

How can I know He will touch my life?

How can I know He will heal a loved one?

“Who may go up on the mountain of ADONAI?” (Psalm 24:3a)

It is easier than you may think.

David was inspired to give the answer:

“One with clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully.” (Psalm 24:4)

The next verse assures us of this:

“He will receive a blessing from ADONAI, righteousness from God his salvation.” (Psalm 24:5)

If you sincerely come before Him, bearing no agenda, lifting your soul not to the idols of this world but to the Prince of Peace, He will bless you.

May it be said of you, like of Nathanael in John 1:47, “in him there is no deceit.”

But if you have failed and your hands are unclean due to dishonest dealings and impurities in your heart, let this be a message of hope for your life.

You can be clothed in righteousness if you choose to be wrapped in the garments of His salvation (Isaiah 61:10), the greatest blessing available to anyone on this earth. May nothing impede you from the blessing that is yours if you will receive it.

Here is a song by worship leader Robin Mark that may truly encourage you today called “Garments of Praise.” I love the lyrics:

“Put on the garments of praise, for the spirit of heaviness;
Let the oil of gladness flow down from your throne!
Put on the garments of praise, for the spirit of heaviness;
Your joy is my strength alone, my strength alone!

Make these broken weary bones rise to dance again,
Wet this dry and thirsty land with a river!
LORD our eyes are fixed on you and we are waiting,
For your garland of grace as we praise your Name!

Hallelujah, sing hallelujah!
We give all honor and praise to your Name!
Hallelujah, sing hallelujah!
We trade our sorrows for garments of praise!”

If you begin your day focusing on the LORD and His goodness, the rest of your day will be full of blessing, too. And when there are hard times, you will be spiritually prepared to endure the battle and win. Receive the blessing that He has for you – it is yours, just for the asking. He is willing to give you unmerited favor: what we call, “grace.” And His grace is more than sufficient for you, today.

Also, remember this: we may have our daily routines, but with God, life becomes much more than routine! It becomes full of meaning and joy!

4. Make the decision RIGHT NOW to follow the Savior of mankind and you will certainly receive the blessing and favor of God Most High.

And when you do, let me be the first to say, welcome to the family!!

If you have questions about Messiah Yeshua (Jesus the Christ), please send a message or leave a comment. We would be overjoyed to help you in your spiritual walk. Shalom!

I’ll leave you today with another song that will minister to your heart based on Psalm 24, “Who will Ascend to the Mountain of the LORD?”

The boundary set at Mount Sinai

Shemot/Exodus 19 describes the awe-inspiring events at Mount Sinai leading up to the giving of the renowned Ten Words, or better known as the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20.

The holiness of Adonai, the Eternal One, is such that specific boundaries are given so that the people would not go up onto the mountain or even so much as touch its border. The consequence wasn’t minuscule: anyone who dared to touch the mountain in disobedience would be killed. Exodus 19:13, “Not a hand is to touch it, but he will surely be stoned or shot through. Whether it is an animal or a man, it will not live.”

This sounds harsh to our modern sensibilities, but this was not just any spectator event. The LORD God – YHWH Himself came down onto Mount Sinai, accompanied by thunderings, lightning, a thick cloud and smoke, fire, and an earthquake.

This was the real deal: real special effects far more emotive than any movie you’ve seen. The bottom line: The people could not handle this.

They needed an intermediary and Moshe (Moses) was the one chosen for the job.

The Almighty Creator came down onto Mount Sinai and called Moses up to meet with Him.

A forbidden breakthrough

Exodus 19:21, “Then ADONAI said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to see ADONAI, and many of them die.”

There is an interesting term: “break through.”  יֶהֶרְס֤וּ (transliteration: yehersu). The Hebrew root here is “haras” הָרַס, but what is interesting is that here in verse 21 and then again in verse 24, this verb appears as the intransitive verb (yehersu,) the only two occurrences in the Hebrew Scriptures. Perhaps it is a greater play on words in the English language than even in Hebrew, as what follows should surely grab the reader’s attention:

Exodus 19:24, “‘Then ADONAI said to him, ‘Go down. You are to come back up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the kohanim and the people break through to come up to ADONAI, or He will break out against them.”

Many well-meaning devotional books and prayer leaders encourage believers to “pray for a breakthrough” or even “demand” that a spiritual door be opened unto them. These ideas are based off of Scripture, but can contribute to a proud, almost defiant attitude when not balanced with true rootedness in Scriptural teaching. Could this be the very attitude cautioned against in Exodus 19? A self-righteous posture can cause people to cross the line, risking quite the chastisement. The Lord God is Holy and His people must be made holy, brought near only by the blood of the Lamb.

Indeed, megachurch pastors and TV preachers have coined some phrases that have become extremely popular in Christian circles, but they are not all entirely Biblical:

3 popular Christian phrases that are not entirely Biblical

1. “The Prosperity Gospel.”

The “Prosperity Gospel” refers to the teaching and focus on the idea that if a person prays hard enough and gives enough of their money (tithe plus offerings) they will automatically be prospered with wealth. It is rooted in a very American mentality of material entitlement.

A righteous person will prosper by faith, but not in the materially-obsessed manner propagated by self-aggrandizing tv “evangelists” who egregiously spend millions of their victims’ dollars on private jets.

Might this be an example of how twisting truth breaks through what is right? How many famous people ultimately end up in shame?

2. “God won’t give you more than you can handle.”

Sometimes well-meaning people of faith will use this phrase to attempt to comfort someone in the face of tragedy. The Bible says you won’t be tempted by more than you can handle(1 Cor.10:13), but that is slightly different.

When I have served as a hospital and hospice chaplain, I have found it helpful at times to explain to fearful or grieving people that sometimes God actually does give you more than you can handle. You want to know why? Because then you have to depend on Him and “lean not upon your own understanding.”

The congregation at Mount Sinai didn’t lean upon their own understanding. They obeyed the word of God given through Moses and lived to tell about it.

3. “You need a spiritual breakthrough.”

This one truly seems harmless enough. In fact, it is partly true. Daniel prayed and fasted for 21 days and there was a “spiritual breakthrough:”

“Then [Gabriel] said to me, ‘Don’t be afraid, Daniel! For from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come because of your words. However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia resisted me for 21 days, but behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I had been detained there with the kings of Persia.”

Daniel 10:12-13, TLV, emphasis added

But notice, Daniel’s prayer influenced an outcome in the heavenly realms. In other words, he prayed a breakthrough prayer that benefitted heaven, rather than himself. His was a selfless prayer. The problem is, people get all excited and look to “make a breakthrough,” usually for their own plans or dreams. False preachers profit off of this emotionalism and encourage people to pray for their breakthrough, using quasi-Biblical allusions such as the widow persisting with the unjust judge in Luke 18 or Jacob’s insistence in Genesis 32 that he would not stop wrestling until he received a blessing.

Kingdom of kohanim, Holy Nation

The people were instructed not to come near, but they still had a role. They needed to be clean and part of creating a consecrated boundary around the mountain.

Exodus 19:23 “Moses said to ADONAI, ‘The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You are the One who warned us, saying ‘Set boundaries around the mountain, and consecrate it.'”

Earlier in the chapter, ADONAI reveals to Moses that He intends for the people to be His own treasure from among all people! He also reveals that He wants them to be a kingdom of priests (kohanim) and a holy nation.

The people responded positively when Moses shared this news.

“All the people answered together and said, ‘Everything that ADONAI has spoken, we will do.'” Ex.19:8

They were later given ten specific boundaries – those commands that would shape their identity, the first one recognizing first and foremost that this God, the God of this people, the God of Israel, ADONAI, YHWH, He alone is God.

Yeshua the High Priest

Moshe was a great leader. The Lord used him for so many mighty works, but there came someone even greater than Moses, the One who was and is and is to come, Yeshua ben Elohim:

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a heavenly calling, take notice of Yeshua—the Emissary and Kohen Gadol we affirm. He was faithful to the One who appointed Him in His house—as was Moses also. For He has been considered worthy of more glory than Moses, even as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses surely was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, for a witness of things to be spoken later. But Messiah, as Son, is over God’s house—and we are His house, if we hold firm to our boldness and what we are proud to hope.

Hebrews 3:1-3, TLV

Yeshua’s death exemplified the reality that holiness and sin can’t mix when He took upon Himself the sin of the world. He took it all upon Himself so that He Himself could consecrate us, and we could now approach the throne of God without fear.

Hebrews 4:16 “Therefore let us draw near to the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need.”

Never forget the majesty and awe that accompanies the holiness of our God. We must not approach Him casually! Yes, Yeshua is our Friend and our Brother, but He is also the Almighty God and King Forever, the Victorious One who conquered sin and death so that we might be saved from the wrath of God and come to His Holy Mountain.

May our response be like those awaiting Him at the base of the mountain: “Everything that ADONAI has spoken, we will do.”

The Church and Israel

Believers have commonly been taught that there is a stark contrast between “the Church” and “Israel.” Unfortunately, centuries of bad theology have led to unnecessary division in the body of Messiah.

“Israel” was seen as the “rebellious,” “law-bound,” “old,” “outdated,” “Jewish-other” while

the “Church” was seen as the “sanctified,” “free,” “mostly-Gentile,” “new,” “grace-based” non-religion (though “religion” it was and has been).

This dichotomy has created a needless split between most of Judaism and modern Christianity.

Leadership and Influence

When the Roman Empire became Catholicized, the Catholic religion became the institutional norm. For a time, religious persecution was paused. Catholicism grew in power due to its unity with the empire’s leadership. It was then not in the Catholic Church’s best interest to identify their religion with Israel because they would be forced to acquiesce, at least in part, to Jewish leadership. Working with the Sanhedrin would have presented challenges of its own, as obviously Israel’s leadership did not want to recognize Yeshua of Nazareth as the Messiah of Israel, but perhaps such a sharp breech from a Hebraic understanding of the Scriptures to a very Constantinian one wouldn’t have occurred so dramatically without the overarching influence of Catholicism.

Protestant congregations have likewise largely continued the distancing from the writings of the Hebrew Scriptures by claiming that there is a “new” group or, “elect,” who many erroneously preach have replaced Israel. This is known as “replacement theology.”

Defining “ekklesia”

It boils down to a lack of understanding of this Greek word: ekklesia.

This word is usually translated as “church.”

In fact, in many modern languages we can see a close relationship to the Greek term. Ekklesia becomes “iglesia” in Spanish, “igreja” in Portuguese, église in French, all contributing to the now-global confusion amongst “church” goers and followers of Jesus (Yeshua). Deficient, though well-intentioned, translations have left out the nuance offered by a broader term: “assembly.”

Should “ekklesia” be translated as “church” or “assembly?”

Strong’s Exhaustive concordance, a source relied upon by laity and scholars alike, describes the Greek noun “ἐκκλησία” (“ekklesia”) as meaning “an assembly” or a “congregation.” Strong’s is based on the King James Version of the Bible (KJV), so the English Christian culture influenced the usage of the term, despite Strong’s clear acknowledgement that the word can rightly be translated as “assembly” (notably inclusive of a Jewish assembly). According to Blue Letter Bible, the KJV translates “ekklesia” as “church” 115 times, and translates this same word “ekklesia” as “assembly” only 3 times!

Biblehub provides Strong’s succinct definition that ekklesia = assembly or church, with this more specific addendum:

From a compound of ek and a derivative of kaleo; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both) — assembly, church.

Biblehub.com

It must be acknowledged then, that the inherent biases in Westernized Christian translation, while perhaps well-meaning, have robbed the very “church” being defined of its truly Judaic heritage. Today, a vast number of Christian believers hold onto “replacement theology” (supersessionism) which actually deprives them of their own beautiful heritage as grafted-in members of the spiritual household of Israel.

Disjointedness in the presentation of Gospel Truth

A well-known verse is usually translated this way:

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:18, NKJV

The Catholic Church grasps onto this verse as a prooftext for their claims that Peter was to be pope and provides a basis for the manmade doctrine of papal succession. Peter was instrumental as a pioneer of the faith and preacher of the message of salvation, but no where in Scripture does the Messiah institute the papacy.

A shift in understanding

Renderings of “ekklesia” as “church” like this familiar one in Matthew have produced generations of disjointedness in the presentation of the Gospel truth. It might not seem like a drastic change, but if the word “assembly” were inserted for “church” a shift in understanding begins to take place.

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My [assembly], and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:18, emphasis mine

Assembly = Congregation

The continuity becomes more apparent if it is acknowledged that “assembly” is also translated as “congregation” throughout the “Old Testament” (Hebrew Scriptures). The assembly of the righteous would be preserved upon the firm foundation provided by the Chief Cornerstone, the Messiah and that same assembly would continue into the New Covenant. The Hebrew word “qahal” (קָהֵל) which means “congregation” or “assembly” becomes “ekklesia” in the Septuagint (the LXX or Greek translation of the Scriptures). That being the case, all instances and uses of “ekklesia” in Scripture should unite, rather than divide, the modern “church” with the Hebrew community we know today as Israel.

Furthermore, the Greek term, “oikodoméō,” translated as “built” can also be accurately translated as “rebuilt” or “strengthened,” suggesting the “congregation” of Israel could be renewed, revived, and strengthened through the ongoing revelation of the salvific truth found in Messiah.

Congregation > Community

As much as I generally like the Tree of Life Version’s Bible translation because of its aim to restore the Jewishness back to the Scriptures, I find the TLV’s translation a bit weak on this particular verse:

And I also tell you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My community; and the gates of Sheol will not overpower it.

Matthew 16:18, TLV

While a congregation certainly is a “community,” the divine connotation that is associated with a “congregation” disappears with such a neutral term like “community.” However, the term “community” may still be preferential in that it does not carry with it the baggage associated with most of today’s churches.

Messiah Yeshua or Westernized Jesus

It isn’t wrong to call Jesus, Jesus.

That is our given language.

But if we want to really understand this Jesus, we might want to start by thinking about His characteristics when He walked on this earth. He was a Middle Eastern Jew, not the blonde hair, blue-eyed image that still hangs on many European American church walls. His parents would have called Him by His Hebrew name, “Yeshua.” As the Messiah of Israel, Yeshua didn’t come to Israel to start a completely new “religion.” The point of waiting for a Messiah was that Israel was to be restored, right?

Believers are now part of Israel

Yeshua the King of Israel went above and beyond, of course, because not only did He restore Israel, He welcomed those outside of Israel to join, if they would only repent and come in.

Israel was not replaced, Israel was fortified!

If you are a believer, you are part of Israel!

At that time you were 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 once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. For He is our shalom, the One who made the two into one and broke down the middle wall of separation. 

Ephesians 2:12-14a, TLV

Replacing “replacement” theology

What then, shall we do? Can replacement theology be “replaced?” Yes, but it will take a lot of effort, and probably on a grassroots-like level. As individuals, and then slowly, entire assemblies begin to re-awaken to the Hebrew roots of their faith, there will be healing between Jews and Gentiles, a prayer of so many including Messiah Yeshua – that we may all be One.

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Am Yisrael Chai!

The Wedding in Cana

If you are familiar with the Scriptures, you probably know about a now-famous wedding that took place in a place called Cana, in the Galilee.

*Spoiler alert* the LORD Yeshua (Jesus) turned water into wine that day!

Surely, you already knew that . . . but,

Have you ever thought about the mechanics of this miracle?

Let’s look to John’s account of the Wedding in Cana:

On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in the Galilee. Yeshua’s mother was there, and Yeshua and His disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, Yeshua’s mother said to Him, “They don’t have any wine!”

Yeshua said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with you and Me? My hour hasn’t come yet.”

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

Now there were six stone jars, used for the Jewish ritual of purification, each holding two to three measures. Yeshua said to them, “Fill the jars with water!” So they filled them up to the top. Then He said to them, “Take some water out, and give it to the headwaiter.” And they brought it.

Now the headwaiter did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. As the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, he calls the bridegroom and says to him, “Everyone brings out the good wine first, and whenever they are drunk, then the worse. But you’ve reserved the good wine until now!” Yeshua did this, the first of the signs, in Cana of the Galilee—He revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

John 2:1-11 TLV

Let’s focus specifically on John 2:6 for a moment. He writes of the wedding in Cana:

“Now there were 6 stone jars, used for the Jewish ritual of purification, each holding 2-3 measures.”

A measure is about 9 gallons according to the Tree of Life Version of the Bible.

So there would be 18-27 gallons to work with per container —

roughly 120 gallons of water altogether —

that would be transformed into the highest quality of wine ever tasted.

Back to the jars. In the Bible, numbers generally have symbolic meanings. 7 indicates perfection, completeness, wholeness, holiness, salvation.

777=Messiah. Contrast that to three consecutive 6’s and you’ll get the idea.

6 indicates incompleteness, insufficiency, “almost-but-not-good-enough.”

So if there were 6 jars at the wedding in Cana, we know they were okay. They were good, but not great; useful, but not the perfect solution.

Likewise, the Jewish purification ritual was good. A pattern of that which would be to come, but not the end-all. There was nothing wrong with it, but it just wasn’t quite enough.

It isn’t enough to just go through religious motions.

Just like it isn’t enough to have your name highlighted as the top contributor to a ministry.

And it isn’t enough to walk down to an altar, confess your faith in the Savior of the world, and then go on living as though that never happened.

It also wouldn’t have been enough of a celebration at the wedding in Cana without a little wine!

I know, I know, you might want to start throwing stones at me. Look, the Bible doesn’t always fit neatly into personal preferences or cultural attitudes. We must conform our personal preferences to what the Bible actually says.

Having a glass of wine was not considered a sin in Galilee.

Drunkenness = sin. A glass of wine = not a sin.[That said, a person who does not have self-control or has a history of addiction, that person should not consume alcohol. Also, certain fellowships choose to abstain from alcohol completely, so you should consult your pastor regarding this topic.]

Back to the wedding. Yeshua’s mother Miryam (Mary) didn’t want the soon-to-be-married couple to be embarrassed by a wine shortage. Though Yeshua said it was not His hour, Miryam told the servants to do whatever He said, and when He did, it was the first of His miracles on earth.

At the Wedding in Cana, Yeshua (Jesus) blessed the bridegroom and his family.

The LORD didn’t consternate them for not having enough wine nor lecture them about how washing their hands in a ceremonial fashion couldn’t give them the fullness of the salvation they longed for. He chose to perform the first miracle of his ministry in that place and allow the bridegroom to receive the accolades:

“The headwaiter says to the bridegroom, ‘Everyone brings out the good wine first, and whenever they are drunk, then the worse. But you’ve reserved the good wine until now!'” John 2:10

Whenever you are in a ministry position, look for ways to credit others instead of focusing on yourself like our LORD did at this event.

Those 6 jars were awaiting a touch from the Potter’s hand.

Made complete by the presence of the Vinedresser, the 6 jars contained within them the power to demonstrate the total other-ness of Rabbi Jesus. Eyes were being opened to the reality that the miracle-working, supernatural power of God was being poured out, right there, that day in little Cana.

The Hebrew Scriptures foretell of a day when the mountains will drip with new wine (Joel 3:18 NKJV; 4:18 TLV). At the feast of Shavu’ot (Pentecost), there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) which resulted in people mocking the disciples and suggesting they were drunk on “new wine.” (Acts 2:13). The wedding in Cana proved that something new was about to happen.

Remember, there will always be scoffers. There will always be somebody somewhere who makes fun of you, doesn’t like you, thinks you’re just crazy, or is too bound up in their own religious ideas to credit you as living rightly for God.

Listen, if you’ve got what He has for you, does the opinion of the crowd really matter?

When the LORD Most High decided to pour out His Holy Spirit and Presence upon the gathered believers, how many were present? Acts 1:15 says there were . . . 120.

It’s as though there was more than a gallon of new wine for each of them.

Hallelujah! (The Ruach/Spirit is given without measure. John 3:34 assures us there is no limit to His gift). When a person is filled with Ruach haKodesh, the Holy Spirit, they get more than a gallon. Don’t worry, this isn’t a gas station. You will get more than you came for.

The wedding in Cana foreshadows the glorious reality of Pentecost! The unlimited outpouring of His precious Holy Spirit!

These same believers in the time of the book of Acts had seen the miracles of their Messiah, followed Him, even witnessed Him being killed and resurrected. The wedding in Cana was now a foreshadowing of the return of the Bridegroom to celebrate with His own, holding no good thing back.

Knowing now what you have learned about the wedding in Cana and the fulfillment at Shavu’ot/Pentecost, ask yourself a few questions:

What is it that is incomplete in your life?

Is your relationship with your Creator as close as it could be?

Do you need a dose of something new and fresh and joyful?

Do you still listen to the critics?

Are you well-attuned to the voice of the Master, the One who came that you might have life, and life abundantly?

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?

Whatever isn’t enough, may it become more than enough in Him.

May you be surprised by His generosity, overwhelmed by His thoughtfulness, and embraced by His unending love, the love He showed at the Wedding in Cana.