Me, Myself and Adonai

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So many in the Orthodox faith credit Miriam (Mary) as the "Mother of Israel". In my humble opinion, Sarah is the mother of Israel.

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What I find fascinating is that Abraham was by this point a very wealthy man. There would have likely been hundreds of tents that composed his "household". We know that when Lot was kidnapped during the Battle of the Kings, Abram gathered 318 fighting men born of his household. (Genesis 14:14) My point is that Abraham had likely seen hundreds, if not thousands, of men during his travels and sojourning. What made these three men so special that Abraham recognized their divinity upon sight? Something to think about.

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My apologies for the lack of posting lately, as I have been busy with a family tragedy. Things are recovering, so I anticipate more of our Yehovah's Year to resume after Shabbat. Until then, shalom!

God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts and His ways are higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9) It is God who established the foundations of the Earth (Isaiah 48:13) and it is also God who directs our paths. (Proverbs 16:9) We must wait on the Lord (Isaiah 30:18) because His timing is perfect. Sarai did not wait and because of it there has been an ongoing feud in the Middle East for millennia.

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Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

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This is the precursor or model for the Levitical Priesthood tithe. This is where it began.

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This was an ancient battle between nine kings. They were divided five to four. During the battle, Lot and all of his possessions were taken, but a survivor escaped and told Abram. The Most High was with him and his trained, fighting men and Abram successfully won the battle.

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Israel is eternal. It was not ever the property of the Palestinians. It has always and will always belong to YHWH and the Children of Israel. It's a Covenant promise and YHWH does not break His promises.

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If you are like most born again believers, you have searched the Scriptures (Old Testament) for "Jesus," but have come away empty handed. That word just isn't there, right? That's because that is not His given name. Jesus was a Jew and His correct name is Yeshua. It means "salvation". When you understand this, you will see reference to Him everywhere. Take a look.

Shechem, Canaanite city of ancient Palestine, near Nablus. The two locations have been closely—though erroneously—equated for almost 2,000 years: both rabbinic and early Christian literature commonly equated Nablus with ancient Shechem, and Nablus has been called Shekhem in Hebrew to the present, but Shechem’s ruins lie at a site just east of Nablus. - Britannica

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Something to think about.

I think sometimes we forget that ancient peoples traveled by foot, donkey, or camel. The type of travel as described in Genesis 11:31-32 would have been a very long journey. They would have taken all of their possessions with them. Imagine packing your entire house - clothes, dishes, portable furniture, food, etc and carrying it on foot for around 667 miles. Now imagine that you would have to unpack, set up tents, cut wood, make fires, haul water for yourself and your animals every time you stop. And we modern spoiled folk complain about the inconveniences of camping for a weekend! Take a look at a modern map of the ancient walk.

In case you didn't know, the Tower of Babel was the same location later called Babylon. It is located in modern day Iraq.

Fast forward. YHWH solved the language confusion temporarily at the Day of Pentecost after Yeshua's ascension. I like to call it Babel 2.0. Take a look:

Acts 2:1-11 NKJV
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”

Imagine our planet being completely united through speech. How quickly things could get done! Nothing would be lost in translation so we would know the exact meaning of a word choice at all times. Amazing!

What if I told you this will be the case once again? Unfortunately, different translations render verses differently. That is an entire article or lesson for another day. Suffice it to say that personally, I read the Tanakh (Old Testament) online at Chabad.org or Sefaria.org. Then I cross check it through the KJV, NASB, and CJB versions. More often than not, I also look up the verse in the lexicon and dig around to fully understand the words. I encourage you to do the same.

Back to the question at hand. What if I told you that YHWH intends to convert us to one language? According to the Chabad Tanakh, that's what will happen after He gathers the nations for Judgment at Yeshua's return. Take a look:

Zephaniah / Tzefaniah 3:9 For then I will convert the peoples to a pure language that all of them call in the name of the Lord, to worship Him of one accord.

I can't wait!

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Who are the Children of Israel?
The direct descendants of Yaakov (Jacob).

Who are the Biblical Jews?
The descendants of the Tribe of Judah.

Who are the modern day Jews?
Anyone natural born or an official convert to Judaism.

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Do you see that? The rainbow belongs to God. It is a sign of the covenant established between God and every living creature on the earth. It is the promise from God that He will never again destroy the earth and all living things by flood.

It is also a grim reminder that while it is a beautiful promise, it is not a blanket promise. Meaning, God will once again destroy this earth but it will be with fire.

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