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.
Abraham: First Action Hero! This is the parsha where the first patriarch takes center stage. Need a man to humble a Pharaoh into righteousness? Call Abraham! How about a skilled negotiator to keep families from going to war? Call Abraham! Or maybe you need a skilled prophet to predict thousands of year into the future by counting the stars? Yes, call Abraham for that too! All that, and there is still more depth and action to be had. Lech Lecha begins with a surprise twist: The first video is a preview that also answers the ultimate question as I best understand it: What happens after we die according to Scripture? The Torah portion then begin in earnest in Part 2! Enjoy!
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!
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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.
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It’s the most important song perhaps in all of history: the Song of Moshe. Written and delivered on the last day of Moshe’s life and also enshrined in the book of Revelation for the End of Days, Israel is commanded to never forget it even as Moshe is making his final steps up Mount Nebo to die. Explore the rich history, linguistics and timeless spiritual themes that link one of the earliest books of the Scripture to the very last!
Welcome to the 2016 Yom Kippur Special here on Scroll to Scroll! This year’s edition promises to have lots of surprising Scriptural and historical considerations. Did you know there is a strong link between Yom Kippur and Noah’s Flood? Or how about how one demon exorcism actually helps us prove Y’shua fasted on that special day? Paul also won’t let a little thing like bad weather and shipwrecks keep him from his fast either! The linkages to Messiah and the NT may, in fact, be much deeper than some have imagined. Come on in, see the proof for yourself and you be the judge even as Father Yah judges all of us!
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In one of the very last acts of Moshe’s life, Joshua is anointed to lead Israel and is warned of imminent danger. As Moshe then prepares to die, Father Yah makes it plain that He already knows about the future of His treasured people, and it isn’t pretty. And to cap it all off, we have special Haftorah readings for Shabbat Shuvah–the Sabbath of Returning which is between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur–as well as one of the most personal and intimate Torah Thoughts for the Week ever given on this program. It does not happen often that Andrew combines the usual scholarship with a personal revelation which one is free to either embrace or discard at will–but that is exactly what he has done here. Enjoy and Shabbat Shalom!