Midrash for Shabbat June 9, 2007
©2007 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries
B'reishit 15, Zephanyah 3.1-19, Tehellim 11, Romiyah 4.1-13

B'reishit 15.1 - We should actually read from 14.20 to get the flow of the narrative. In 14.20, Avram gives a tithe of all the loot to Melech Zadik. Then in v.21, the King of Sodom offers ALL the booty to Avram (I think in a sarcastic manner, as if saying that he didn't appreciate Avram's generosity with HIS property, notwithstanding that he'd lost it all and now it legitimately was Avram's, as he had captured it in battle) as long as he can get back the souls. In this matter, the unnamed king of Sodom (NOT Bera, cf.14.10, perhaps the escapee) represents haSatan, who is more interested in the souls of men than in their material wealth. Avram refused the offer, saying that he would not be enriched by the king of Sodom, and thus be seen as owing anything to him, especially allegiance. Avram went out to free his cousin Lot, not to get the spoils (though that WAS his right).

Then in 15.1 we see YHWH telling Avram that HE was Avram's "shield, and exceeding great reward". YHWH rewarded Avram's renunciation of the wealth the world offered him with a much greater reward - the protection and abundance that only YHWH can give. Avram then asks for a son in his old age. It has been about 11-12 years since he received the initial promise of becoming a great nation, and Avram was understandably getting a little anxious. When will YHWH deliver? Was his most trusted servant to be his heir?

YHWH promises him that his own son will be his heir, not Eliezer. Then, to illustrate, YHWH tells Avram to count the stars, if he can. If Avram CAN, THAT were how many descendants he'd have. And Avram believed YHWH, and YHWH counted that belief as Abram's righteousness. When YHWH told him that he was YHWH who brought him out of Ur to this land, Avram said, "How will I know that what you say is true?" In the space of about 3 seconds Avram went from faith to sight, from trust to doubt. Just like THAT. Just like me. And just like you, if you're honest.

But YHWH doesn't rebuke him for his doubt. He tells him to prepare an offering by butchering 3 beasts of the field and setting their 1/2's opposite each other, and a couple of birds. Then as it began to darken toward sunset, YHWH caused a sleep to come upon Avram. KJV has, "…a deep sleep" signifying spiritual slumber, and "an horror of great darkness", signifying the sin that Avram's seed would enter and the exile that would result. YHWH says as much in the next verse.

When YHWH says that Avram's seed would be a stranger in a strange land, he is speaking of both b'nai Yisrael AND Yeshua. B'nai Yisrael would be in Egypt as slaves for @400 years, while Yeshua would walk the earth for 30 or so years as the strangest stranger ever in any land. He was like an earthling on Mizar 5 - completely out of place. As Yisrael had come out of Egypt with great wealth (and as Avram had in ch.13), so Yeshua had when he carried captivity captive as the Bikkurim offering to Avinu b'shamayim. "Stranger in a strange land" represents exile. "Serve them" represents disobedience to YHWH's Torah. "Afflict them 400 years" - we need to see Ex.12.41, where it says "in the selfsame day." I think this means that the day b'nai Yisrael came out of Egypt was the very calendar day in which YHWH had made this promise to Avi 430 years earlier. The reason Avi's seed couldn't inherit the land of Canaan yet is that the Amorites had yet to completely fill the vials of YHWH's wrath. It wouldn't take long. This same thing is happening today, as the world system is filling up the vials of YHWH's wrath, which are soon to be poured out (Rev.16).

YHWH appears for the first time as a pillar of fire on the earth, passing between the pieces parts and accepting the offering at Avram's hand. Passing between the parts signifies that when these parts are put back together and the animals live again, THAT is when YHWH will break this promise. YHWH would give Avi's seed all the land between the Nile and the Euphrates, anywhere he placed his feet would be theirs. So Avi remained a nomad, walking all over the land grant and, perhaps, then some. Yisrael NEVER possessed or controlled ALL of this land grant, not even under Shlomo, so the fulfillment is yet future. The Hittites settled in central Asia Minor, so the land grant goes at least that far north. Q&C

Zephanyah 3 - Zeph.1.1 shows us that Zephanyah is prophesying to Yehudah during the reign of one of her righteous most kings. Yosiah had been responsible for one of the greatest revivals in Yehudah's history. The fact that THIS prophecy is directed to a nation in revival shows that the revival was on the surface for people to see, but that YHWH, who knows our hearts, saw right through the duplicity of the average Yisraelite. Yosiah was in personal revival, and that translated into blessings on the entire people, but their underlying rebellion would show itself as soon as Yosiah died. YHWH, knowing the end from the beginning, knew this and prophesied through Zephanyah for the purpose of calling his people back to HIS ways, vice their own.

The last city named is Nineveh, but ch.3 is dealing immediately with Yerushalayim, as can be seen in v.2, where it says that she trusted not in YHWH, nor drew near to Elohim. YHWH is NOT Nineveh's elohim. However, I can think of 4-5 possibilities to whom this may have been or may be applied. The ones that come to mind are; 1) the church of the 21st century CE, 2) the RC denomination and her harlot children, 3) the US gov't and her anti-Torah injustice system, 4) all of the above.

"Evening wolves" = z'evei erev = wolves of evening. I think it means that the judges are going around in the shadows looking for suckers to fleece, and by the time anyone can shine the light of day on the injustice perpetrated upon the poor suckers, the evidence is all hidden. Like when the WTC and OKC debris was removed and either buried or sunk in 1500 feet of water before it could be poured over by real investigators. Injustice is indeed swift.

V.4 describes the church of 21st century America almost to a 'T'. V.5 shows that YHWH is still giving them insight into what is happening, he's shining his light on iniquity, but his servants are not making the proclamation. V.6 can be taken as prophetic of 9/11 & WTC and it's aftermath in NYC. And v.7 was NYC's and the NOW's response to YHWH's not so gentle warning to repent.

V.8 is the only verse of Tanakh that uses every letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet. It speaks of Gog uMagog, as they are seen in Ezekiel 38-39, and in Rev.20.8-10. The last part of the verse is unmistakably restated in Rev.20.9b.

It is only AFTER YHWH's fire devours in its jealousy that he turns the pure language to us. We do not turn to it, but YHWH turns it to us. We receive it so that we can serve him in one accord - echad, as the people of Babel were rebelling against him in one accord. Only those who come up for the Feast of Tabernacles (Rev.20.8-10) at the end of the Millennium will have the pure language turned to them. We need to rehearse this NOW.

Does 'beyond the rivers of Ethiopia' (v.10) refer to the landmasses across the sea? Cf. Yeshayahu 18.1-2. This COULD describe the US and her allies. In v.11 the people are not ashamed of their iniquity, but continue in it, feeling secure in the thought that YHWH would NEVER harm Yerushalayim, the city of Zion. Boy, are they in for a surprise, eh?

Vv12-13 show that a remnant of 'poor and afflicted' people will be the true Zion, who do no iniquity, tell no lies, and who are not afraid of men, for YHWH will be their "shield, and exceeding great reward". Q&C

Tehellim 11 - "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" The foundations of our faith is the Word of YHWH, both living and written. If there is even one word that isn't true, it can't be the Word of YHWH, for it is impossible for him to lie - he CANNOT lie. Remember Zeph.3.13 - no lies or iniquity? We need to guard the Word of YHWH in our hearts, keep it safe by studying it and holding to it, no matter the consequences.

In v.5 YHWH tries the righteous, but he hates the wicked. If we are being tried it is proof of his love for us. If we are NOT being tried and tested, we need to ask ourselves if we are among the righteous. The fire, brimstone, and etc. reserved for the wicked will be delivered on them during his wrathful judgment, as seen in Rev.16. Q&C

Romiyah 4.1-13 - Start reading in 3.27 - Works = the letter of Torah, the heart of stone. Faith = the Spirit of Torah, the heart of flesh. In v.31 we prove the worth of Torah by faith. W1828 has this for establish, "1. To set or fix firmly, or unalterably; to settle permanently. I will establish my covenant with him (Yitzhak) for an everlasting covenant. Gen.17." So we firmly set or fix Torah by faith. Does that sound like doing away with it? That is the context of ch.4.

Avi was not justified by works, but by faith, as we saw in the Torah for today and as Sha'ul quotes here, "And Avram believed YHWH, and he counted it to him for righteousness." The works of Torah, done for justification, are just the hard heart of stone. Faith is the soft heart of flesh, on which YHWH's Torah is written and therefore is made the guide to our walk of faith. When Avi believed YHWH, it showed in righteous action according to YHWH's will.

Avi received justification BEFORE he was circumcised. Therefore, CC in the flesh is not a requirement for justification. It can be, however, an act of obedience, if YHWH is leading you that way, after such time as your heart has been CC'd by the Ruach of promise. CC of the flesh, in and of itself avails us NOTHING, and grants no special rights or privileges toward justification. CC was a seal or sign of the justification that had already occurred due to Avi's faith. CC of the heart + the faith walk = justification. We'll discuss Avi's CC and what it means to us in a couple of weeks.

 

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