Where is the line between poetic justice and blind revenge? Just ask Joseph this week, as he finally gets the upper hand over his brothers. The only problem is, he has forgotten the grief of his father in the process by threatening the only son by Rachel he has left, Benjamin, and he is the most innocent person of them all. So beneath the pranks and practical jokes he pulls, there is also a deadly seriousness surrounding almost everyone here. One brother offers to kill his own sons if he can’t bring his other brother home, while dear old Dad sinks lower and lower each day from the weight of his grief and meanwhile–did we mention?–there’s a deadly famine going on that threatens to kill almost everyone in the entire region. And, after all that, this parsha ends on a cliffhanger worthy of any Hollywood blockbuster screenwriter, or is the other way around, that Hollywood aspires to write like Moshe and fails miserably? Either way, this crisis won’t be resolved, whether at the family or the international level, any time soon.
Chag Sameyach! Welcome to the Feast that many think they know but which is filled with tons of surprises. Explore the “Hidden Hanukkah”–or how this occasion has deep roots in the stories of Abraham, Moses, Ezra and so many others. And when we look at who has the longest tradition of gift giving, Hanukkah or that other minor feast that hits on that other 25th day, well let’s just say that answer will surprise many. How did Y’shua keep this day and why do Christians who know he did avoid doing it? These questions and connections are thoroughly explored in more than 40 pages of notes along with 5 massive videos, including a special inside look at the Priestly Calendar and its connection to this occasion as well. Put simply, as Feast Specials go, it doesn’t get any bigger or more spectacular than this one. Enjoy!
Betrayal! Next time you are feeling a little down in the dumps about your family, think about Joseph. When he feels like his life is in a hole–it actually is–and his brothers put him there while debating whether murder or slavery would be a better fate for him. On the other hand, Joseph isn’t exactly perfectly innocent either, dangling his paternal favorite status like coat full of bling, with his father Jacob once again committing the error of favoring one immediate family over another–he just switched from wives to sons–but the effect is even worse and the ramifications much more long lasting. The fate of two nations now lies in the hands of a mischievous 17-year old who must decide which is worse: Living in Canaan with brothers who want him dead or in a foreign pagan land where strangers plot against him. Choose wisely Joseph…the fate of many hangs on what you do next.
Reconciliation! In a stunning climax to 20 years of grief, Jacob and Esau finally reconcile. But there are still many more challenges awaiting Jacob, not the least of which are his own children who betray the Shechemites and defy their own father to avenge the sexual assault of their sister Dinah? Did they go too far or was justice ultimately served? And Jacob’s ultimate return home is bittersweet as he loses the love of his life with Rachel’s death. It is an amazing study in contrasts, highs and lows unlike almost any other parsha, and chock full of surprises along the way.
Two sisters, one old man (their father) who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and caught in between a man who up until recently really thought he was the smartest guy in the room. Welcome to a true story too amazing for TV soaps and the drama is all too real. And if you think one guy being fought over by two powerful sisters is somehow “cool” for the guy, then you’re in for a shock with this one. Watch Laban only appear to agree with Jacob and use his two daughters as bargaining chips for his own gain. Then watch Jacob get overwhelmed for just a moment–like a 20-year long moment–only to turn the tables on Laban for good. But Jacob can’t rest even then, for just in front of him a divine messenger is looking for a wrestling match and the brother who vowed to kill him will soon send 400 armed men to see his brother return.
Oh, and did I mention that whole ladder to heaven thing? And, in a very special bonus video, a 2-hour talking powerpoint on the Ark of the Covenant and where it might be now if it still exists and this time I have also given you notes for that video inside the regular notes for the parsha. Any more action in this one and you’ll need to make popcorn.
Birthrights and blessings, prophecy and family deceptions and the most stable marriage perhaps in all Tanakh faces some of its most grievous moments, and that’s just one chapter! In terms of family drama, this is about as intimate and fascinating as it gets. One brother is is forced into the exile while the other vows to kill him next time they meet. Isaac and Rebecca are caught in the middle, though in their own ways they must own some of the responsibility for near catastrophe that visits them this week. Enter the tent and see this drama play out up close!
One generation ends and another begins, but not before Abraham undertakes through his servant the most personal mission of them all–finding a wife for his beloved son Isaac. And while Isaac is still grieving over his mother Sarah’s death, a distant cousin named Rebecca is coming to soothe his broken heart, but not before we get a preview of one of the most determine adversaries any patriarch ever faced: Laban. So what is Abraham’s victory this week will soon become in the future Jacob’s trouble!
Welcome to the parsha of extremes! From the most personally traumatic test possible–Abraham being ordered by Father Yah to sacrifice his son Isaac–to creating a near international incident with a Philistine king due to a lack of faith on his part–Abraham does it all this week. He also tries to negotiate Sodom’s reprieve but both it and other cities of the plain are doomed, and Abraham also deals with keeping a familial civil war from breaking out as well. Talk about multitasking, this parsha has Abraham taxed to his limits, if not a bit beyond them, but, in the end, he prevails and inherits the greatest blessing any human has gotten from Father Yah to date. So many adventures and so little time, but explore and enjoy his rise. You won’t be disappointed.
In a world where phrases like “disasters of Biblical proportions” have become cliche’, the real deal doesn’t get any bigger than this global flood. But this “titanic” parsha is far more than a disaster tale. It actually contains deep insights, astronomical calendar codes more advanced than anything used today and some amazing prophecies and linkages to events thousands of years in its future. Also get a special update on 4 new free teachings just posted!
In a world where phrases like “disasters of Biblical proportions” have become cliche’, the real deal doesn’t get any bigger than this global flood. But this “titanic” parsha is far more than a disaster tale. It actually contains deep insights, astronomical calendar codes more advanced than anything used today and some amazing prophecies and linkages to events thousands of years in its future. Also get a special update on 4 new free teachings just posted!
Garden of Eden Animals Naked Original Sin Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis St. Louis New
Who says you can’t go home again? Now so do we, not just back to our individual birth places but to the birth place of humanity itself. This is the biggest parsha of the year, filled with all manner of first occurrences and deep mysteries! In a very special bonus, I will be reading from my own personal Matara translation for the parsha as well as give you all the latest updates on the “Genesis Decoded” series. This one has many twists and turns–enjoy!\
The most wonderful time of year continues! In the second part of the most massive Sukkot Special ever, we complete the last two parts of the detailed study proving Y’shua was born just before the Feast began and delve into the beauty and majesty of the remaining Set-apart occasions of Shemnini Etzeret, Simchat Torah and the very last parsha of Deuteronomy, Ve-Zot Ha-Barachah. Plus we take a special look at how our leading Jewish historians, Josephus and Philo, talk about their insights for this amazing Feast and what it means for us today.
One program note: I may have mentioned that 1 Tishri in 26 CE began on August 31st but actually that was when I used the Rabbinic calendar for Gospel dates. The correct date, on the Wheel of Stars calendar, is 1 Tishri on Sunday, September 27th.