Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for this week’s teaching of “Shoftim,” (Deuteronomy 16:18 through 21:9), which seems to literally encapsulate most of what is ABSOLUTELY WRONG with the western world today!
The Erev Shabbat overview of course begins with the commandment to select righteous (in other words, Torah-obedient) judges, or ‘shoftim’, to the end that “justice, JUSTICE!” you shall pursue.
Those who have been following what passes for “just-us” nowadays will recognize just how far we have fallen. And the rest of the parsha truly brings that home.
The Sabbath Day teaching is perhaps even more NOT ‘politically-correct’ than last week, to the extent that Mark demonstrates how the command in the last verse in the parsha, literally the one-line summary, is to “<em>do what is RIGHT in the eyes of YHVH</em>.”
Not only has ‘the world’ now gone beyond merely what the Book of Shoftim (Joshua) suggests is a Big Problem, “every man did that which was right in HIS OWN EYES,” but the opposite extreme now has become an overt attempt to “do that which is downright EVIL in the eyes of Him they so clearly hate!”
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for this week’s teaching of “Vaetchanon,” (Deuteronomy 3:23 through 7:11), arguably one of THE most “central” and fundamental teachings in the entire Torah.
The Erev Shabbat overview begins at “and I besought”, the opening words, “V’etchanan” through the warnings about idolatry, and not “adding to,” or “subtracting from” (still VERY popular with both exiled houses!) to the Ten Debarim (commandments, or sayings) and what is described by the Torah Made Flesh as THE most important commandment in Scripture. The main theme, however, is not just “hear,” but “obey,” and “DO!”:
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for this week’s teaching of “Matot,” (Numbers 30:2 through chapter 32), including what turns out to be one of THE most relevant and important — and openly violated — commandments in the whole Book!
The Erev Shabbat overview, from the statute (or “chuk”) about VOWs, and what Mark describes as “covering” in marriage – to the story of the destruction of the Midianites and why all that first part really matters:
Warning: Adult Content, and NOT only NOT “Politically-Correct,” but downright offensive to those who love Lies More than Truth. The title speaks volumes…
The Sabbath Day teaching picks up the theme of Broken Vows, Lies, and False Witness…because it is hard to imagine a more timely parsha than one which warns against what AmeriKa-with-a-K now rubs in our faces. Picture a Swamp Crocodile smirking while lying through big, vicious teeth, and you have a good clue where Mark is heading.
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for this week’s teaching of “Pinchas,” (Numbers 25:10 through 30:1), which includes one of the most “problematic” examples and rewards in the Torah. How can what might be described as murder be rewarded by Yahuah with a perpetual Covenant of Peace?
The Erev Shabbat overview describes the “rest of the story,” since the major action actually took place at the end of last week’s parsh, and then what might seem to be a variety of disjointed other bits and pieces, from a second ‘head count’ to a recap of His ‘moedim’ (appointed times and feasts).
The Sabbath Day teaching explores what it means to be “zealous” for YHVH not only in a bit more depth, but in ‘context’ as well. Pinchas (Phineas) acted to save lives by making a public demonstration against those who — by their actions — acted in open defiance of Yahuah. But he was also “in the camp”, taking action to keep it clean.
If nothing else, Mark proves, while we are still in exile, the world we live in could hardly pass for a clean camp.
And it certainly shouldn’t surprise us that the portion is again SO relevant to the “times and seasons” today. It even has more to say about what constitutes “blasphemy” against His Ruach.
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for this week’s teaching of “Balak,” (Numbers 22:2 through 25:11), where the undeniably apropos metaphor of “Balaam’s Ass” is only one memorable part of the Real Story.
The Erev Shabbat overview describes a Torah portion that is a significant departure from the “journey to the land narrative,” because it not only DOESN’T include the usual cast of characters, but is filled with ‘colorful metaphors’ that have SO much resonance that they have literally “molded” our language! (Even if we now seem to see some of the terminology as “tacky”. But the reason – even the pun – is right here!)
Alternative link via Hebrew Nation Radio for overview Erev Shabbat teaching:
The Sabbath Day teaching this week comes with another warning up front, this time because Mark is arguably even harder than usual – because the lesson of this parsha is! – on the ‘whore church’, and the paganism that now literally IS pervasive. When prominent politicians, pundits, and priests openly break oaths before a ‘god’ they either “know not,” or just plain lie about, and demonstrate “by their fruits” their utter contempt for His Word, we need to see the “coming battle” for what it is. And, yes, Mark uses some VERY strong language, because sometimes, blasphemy against His Ruach merits nothing less.
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for this week’s teaching of “Beha’alotcha,” (Numbers chapters 8 through 12) — another one of those portions that seems to have a lot of disparate, maybe even only loosely-related, elements, from commandments about things that SOUND a bit repetitive, to history that ranges from obscure to fundamental.
The Erev Shabbat overview again looks at the entire parsha in order, and attempts to connect what might seem a bit disparate. And, as is mostly the case, there are some poignant lessons, and no shortage of controversy over what some of them might be.
The Sabbath Day teaching this week may involve even more ‘themes’ than usual. There’s the menorah, the silver trumpets, the substitution of the Levites for the first-born, and more than a little whining.
This time, though, Mark suggests there’s a connection in all of these elements, as well as not only the haftorah reading (from Zecharia chapters 3 and 4) and more than a bit of Revelation, that all connects, and ultimately speaks to us today more than perhaps any generation in a millenium. And it has to do with the central choice in all of Scripture — life or death, blessing or cursing.
Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa teaches the Torah and related portions having to do with this season, continuing the Spring Feasts, and in this case the final Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The Erev Shabbat overview is another look at what follows the initial ‘exodus’ of the children of Israel from Egypt, followed by the crossing of the Sea of Reeds. And it sets up the parallels that resonate so much today.
The Sabbath Day teaching this week is a bit different than usual — as is the Torah portion for the holiday — in that it is much more ‘speculative’ than normal. (As regular listeners know, Mark is careful to distinguish between “what is Written” and ideas associated with “connecting the dots” of Scripture, or — as might be the case today — speculation about how events will play out. “Markology” is how he puts it.)
Follow along as Mark examines the potential, perhaps even probable, connections between the themes, patterns, and ‘shadow pictures’ of things past, and in particular the “parting of the Red Sea,” and what may be to come in the near future.
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa for the second parsha in the Book of Exodus, and the first in the famous story of the Ten Plagues. (Parsha “Shemot,” Exodus 6:2 through 9:35)
The Erev Shabbat overview not only tells the story, but points out how SO MUCH of what is contained in this portion literally “plants the seeds” — reverberates — throughout the rest of Scripture. And it has so much to teach us about “human nature,” but even more importantly, His as well.
The Sabbath Day teaching this week attempts to take one of the most information-packed and “theme-intense” stories in the Torah, and connect more than a few Disparate Dots.
Yes, we may be on the brink of seeing the “bookends” of this story play out. If there are plagues ahead, it’s important to at least have some clue as to what they may look like. Perhaps more importantly, what about “Free Will”? (Did Pharoah really have a choice about the role he played? Maybe that’s an “easy one,” but it leads to other more critical clues…)
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa for the first parsha in the Book of Exodus, by the same name in Hebrew “Shemot”. (Parsha “Shemot,” Exodus 1:1 through 6:1)
The Erev Shabbat overview gives us an introduction to the descent of the descendents of Yakov into bondage, under a pharoah who “did not know Yosef,” and into the first two-thirds of the live of Moshe/Moses as well. (there’s also a major “first proof” up front in there of why the Official Big Brother Approved Romans 13 Bible is so just-plain-wrong, too.)
The Sabbath Day teaching this week is about why this “introduction to the Exodus” is SO important, and why Mark suggests (and that’s what a “look ahead” into prophecy and patterns always is, as opposed to ‘doctrine’!) that we may be on the brink of seeing the “bookends” of this story play out. There’s a reason to be excited about the times in which we live, especially if they may be among the most pivotal in all of human history!
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa for the thrilling climax of at least MOST of the story of the “Suffering Servant,” Yosef/Joseph, and how THE Plan of YHVH continues to play out, with Judah demonstrating what it means to “MAN UP!” — resulting in restoration of the brothers and their houses, lives saved, and — ultimately — a descent into bondage. (Parsha “Vayigash,” Genesis 44:18 – 47:27. And a look at the haftorah in Ezekiel 37, and a bit of Ephesians 5, too.)
The Erev Shabbat overview teaching is about the final installment of the journey to Mitzraim (Egypt) and the restoration saga, but with a perhaps disturbing implication:
The Sabbath Day teaching this week is focused on a specific aspect of the story of the man who represents a picture or aspect of the Meshiach to come. How is it that the very same man who literally saves the entire house of Israel, and was sent to “preserve life” at the same time looks to his brothers like a pagan, and ultimately initiates a process that leads to bondage?
The answer seems to relate to cycles that repeat, whether we like it or not, and what might seem like a contradiction (Ephesians chapter 5, or Ezekiel 37?) if we don’t look at the ‘bigger picture’ – in context. Especially in a ‘season’ like today.