Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for a look at parsha “Vayikra” (the first parsha in the Book of the same name, AKA “Leviticus”, chapters 1 through 5).
This parsha begins with very different, perhaps even grammatically ‘problematic’ verse, that essentially says somebody “called out to Moshe” in an evidently loving way. And it includes one of those “jots and tiddles”, too!
In the Erev Shabbat review of what that means, Mark notes that the Book begins with the word “And…” – so it’s a continuation of SOMETHING, and notes that much of this whole Book also makes the vitally important point that it’s in there for a reason!
And if we ignore that reason, or – worse still – try to convince ourselves that what He said hasn’t changed somehow DID, then what He really do for us after all? Scripture draws a clear bright line between “unintentional sin” and – well, whatever it should be called when the choice is ignorance instead.
Vayikra is a call to ‘intimacy’ with YHVH — and after the events that closed out the Exodus, perhaps specifically a RETURN toward intimacy. And as part of that process, it includes some specific procedures for how that works, when one chooses to make “an offering of themselves” to Him.
And right there, SOME of the issues with what has become dogma surrounding what is now called “sacrifice” begin to come into focus.
After the overview introduction of Erev Shabbat, Mark follows up with the hardcore Scriptural proof that the reason not only a ‘whore church’ that ignores His Word is STILL in exile but a whole society now chooses death over life is that what once passed for ‘priests’ “FAILED to teach the difference” between the clean and unclean, holy and profane, good and evil. We don’t even understand the difference between an offering and a sacrifice, much less what has been “done away with” as opposed to done for us.
Yes, this one is hard-hitting, certainly not “politically correct” (much less filled with ‘socialist just-us’) and not to be missed.
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for a look at parsha “Pekudei” (Exodus 38:21 through the end of the Book) and more of the value, and vital importance, of ‘redundancy’.
This parsha begins with an ‘accounting’ of the elements, materials, and even workmanship that makes up the ‘mishkan’, or tabernacle.
In the Erev Shabbat review of what that means, Mark points out again just how often we might think that “we’ve heard all of this before” there’s more to it — with an emphasis on obedience:
Pekudei begins with an “accounting” (which even Mark, while inclined often to the ‘nerdy’ admits is not the most exciting subject in his opinion) but that’s where the real questions begin. Like “Why do we still study this?” (especially if as I Corinthians 3 suggests, “WE are the ‘temple of God'”).
More disturbingly (since we are also told to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling”) we see quite a few things in Scripture which again make the point that there really still IS a reason why the pattern or ‘template’ of the mishkan matters. More than we’ve probably been told. Especially now.
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for a look at parsha “Vayakhel” (Exodus 35:1 – 38:20) and some of the beauty, and vital importance, of ‘redundancy’.
This parsha begins Moses “assembling” the entire congregation of the ‘sons of Israel’ to hear something, that at least in part, they’ve heard before. And therein lies much of the story!
In the Erev Shabbat review of what that means, Mark points out again just how often we might think that “we’ve heard all of this before” (and yet, there really is “no idle word in Scripture”) — and that’s kinda the whole point. At least, if we are “wise-hearted,” “willing hearted,” and have hearts that are stirred up when they need to be.
During the Sabbath Day teaching, Mark goes in a “whole ‘nuther direction”, based on the idea that while cycles in history and prophecy repeat, SOMETIMES we are on the ‘opposite half cycle.’ Like today.
Vayakhel is about Moshe “assembling” the people of Israel together, so that those who were “wise-hearted, willing-hearted
and those whose hearts stirred them up to create a place where YHVH would dwell among them were able to come together to create set-apart, “holy” works of beauty and literally ‘return to Him’ after the failure of the ‘golden calf’.
Today, in a polar opposite contrast, hard-hearted people who literally HATE the God of the Bible come together to destroy His house and all that is beautiful in His creation. And there’s a lesson there, too, in several ways.
Parsha “Ki Tisa” (Exodus 30:11 through chapter 34) may be the most “story- and theme-packed” parsha in the Bible.
This parsha begins with the census, or literally “head-count” — by means of the silver half-shekel — and continues with some of the most important, and repeated issues and admonitions in all of Scripture, from His Sabbaths, to the tragic story of the ‘golden calf’ and the prohibitions (plural!) against any form of idolatry.
And that obviously should include SO much of what has been incorporated into the various flavors of the ‘Whore Church’ by making those forbidden ‘treaties’ with fake gods.
In the Erev Shabbat review of all of that, Mark Call points out again just how often (because Scripture itself does!) we are told things that contradict the more ‘modern’ teaching that “the law is <em>done away with</em>” when in fact even the rhetorical devices in sections like this reveal the degree of THAT particular lie!
During the Sabbath Day teaching, Mark explores the myriad themes that support the story (or vice-versa) in not only the Torah portion itself, but related pictures from Scripture, and things that show us why the pattern there is still SO important today.
Perhaps primary among those, in this world today, is the “blessing and curse” of being stiff-necked. It almost got “kol Israel” killed after the idolatry of the ‘golden calf,’ but may conversely be the kind of “stubbornness” that is needed to face the even more pervasive myriad of idolatries today.
Parsha “Tetzaveh” (Exodus 27:20 through 30:10) is another ‘semi-controversial’ teaching from the Torah. Is it a proof text of “why the Law is done away with,” or the converse?
This parsha continues the description, among other things, of the clothing “for beauty and for splendor” to be worn by the ‘cohenim’ (priests, of the line of Aaron) and particularly the special garments of the ‘Cohen Hagadol,’ or High Priest.
Join Mark Call first for the Erev Shabbat review of all of that, and another demonstration that even though neither the cohenim NOR the place they were called to serve still exist as they once did, when Scripture says that the commandments associated with them are “forever,” it’s a good reason for us to listen to Him, rather than what we’ve been told He should have said:
During the Sabbath Day teaching Mark again takes a look at the ‘bigger picture,’ of not only the Torah portion itself, but related pictures from Scripture, and things that show us why the pattern there is still SO important today.
There are reasons why ‘the priesthood’ no longer wears those garments, or even has a place to. To listen to the Whore Church, it might have something to do with Melchitzedek. But based on fruit, and warnings associated with scattered and lost tribes, maybe “sackcloth and ashes” is better garb anyway.
Here is another, continued lesson those who would like to be part of a ‘holy priesthood’ should ponder.
Parsha “Terumah” (Exodus 25:1 through 27:19) is one that has been called all kinds of derogatory names by the <em>Whore Church</em> that would prefer to believe all that “Old Testament” stuff was “done away with” — even ‘nailed to the cross’ — rather than admit it doesn’t make sense because people would rather be “destroyed for lack of knowledge”.
It is also the first of several that have to do with the ‘mikdash’, or the ‘mishkan’ (tabernacle) where He “may dwell in us”. Maybe some call it ‘boring’ because they’d just as soon He didn’t.
Join Mark Call first for the Erev Shabbat review of all of that, and a first look at the possibility there’s more here than meets the eye, or the pulpit:
During the Sabbath Day teaching Mark explores the disturbing question of ‘the temple’, which the whore church tells people who don’t actually obey Him is still somehow WITHIN them. But if David, a “man after Yah’s own heart” was not allowed to build the first temple because of the blood on his hands…’how much more so’ a land, a people who celebrate the blood on theirs?
The Truth is the essence of “politically incorrect,” because to be PC is to worship another god, whether that fake is called Baal, Molech, Beelzebub, Ole Scratch, the Almighty State, or just HaSatan.
This is a lesson those who truly seek to be “indwelled by His Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh)” literally need to ‘take to heart.’
Parsha “Mishpatim” (Exodus chapters 21 through 24) is – no doubt about it — the Scriptural “next step” after the general principles and ‘broad strokes’ of the “Ten Commandments.”
It is also the most “judgment-oriented” parsha in the Torah, and has more of what the title says, ‘mishpatim,’ judgments or ordinances, than any other. More importantly, it is THE basis for what once formed the heart of the ‘common law’, and the very essence of ‘righteousness’ and thus civil society.
The fact that it is now “politically INcorrect” speaks volumes.
Join Mark Call first for the Erev Shabbat review of all of that, and the reason why REAL ‘social justice’ is what YHVH says it is, as opposed to self-described “warriors” against it:
During the Sabbath Day teaching — and this week especially — Mark takes a deeper look the stark differences between what NOW passes for “law,” and what really is.
Parsha Yitro (Exodus chapters 18 through 20) is most famously associated with the giving of the “Ten Commandments” to the mixed multitude of “All Israel” on Mount Sinai.
There is, of course, much more. More to the story, more to what was said, and maybe even more than just “ten” of ’em.
During the Sabbath Day teaching, Mark continues that teaching with a deeper look at some of the major “themes” of Yitro, from his mission, to the ‘preparation’ for what is to come, to the famous Covenant itself. There’s even a bit of “nerdy Markology”, which hopefully informed speculation, perhaps couched in modern terminology to help expand on a millenia-old event.
And have you ever noticed that YHVH describes what He is offering to a “Kingdom of PRIESTS” even before those cohenim are identified later as specifically from the tribe of Levi?
including some observations, and ‘dot-connection’, regarding what may have been one of the biggest “data dumps” in human history.
Mark calls it “channel prep” — preparing US for the download, and all the ‘hyperlinks’ that computer channels do at electronic speeds nowadays, but we still have to do by preparing ourselves — line by line, precept by precept — for His instruction to be written on our hearts, so we can walk what we have already been told is a “narrow path” — and FEW there be that find it.
Parsha B’shalach (Exodus 13:17 – 17:16) may just be the most “miracle-dense” portion in the whole Torah, from the “pillar of cloud by day, and fire by night” perhaps the most famous miracle of all – the “parting of the Red Sea” (ok, Sea of Reeds).
Miracles are only part of the story, however, and perhaps it’s BECAUSE of the level of them that the rest of what follows is all the more poignant, and telling.
Join Mark Call first for the Erev Shabbat review of the whole story.
During the Sabbath Day teaching, Mark explores those miracles a bit more, from several perspectives, and especially for an understanding of what we face.
How could people who literally SAW all of those miracles still follow up almost immediately by “whining,” and then ultimately turning to idolatry right “before His face!”??? And if that’s not a warning for us, then what is?
That first Exodus has much to teach us about the next one.
The page link from Hebrew Nation Radio for the combined part 1 and 2 file for both sections are up here as well, and available for download and off-line listening.
This week’s parsha, Bo, (Exodus 10:1-13:16) is best-known as the story of the final three of the “Ten Plagues” (or, the third set of three, plus the unique ‘Death of the Firstborn.’)
But there is far more to the narrative than just what children are told in “sunday school,” or saw in a famous movie.
During the Sabbath Day teaching, Mark focuses this time around on the issue of “signs and wonders” — “otot u’moftim” in Hebrew — and why or whether they still apply in this “modern age”. Or, are we again seeing a lot of fake gods and ‘hardened hearts’?
That first Exodus has much to teach us about the next one.