Weekly Torah Studies
Today's Torah
Portion:
The Hebrew Alphabet:
Nun
I have to apologize... In my Hebrew alphabet studies, I missed a letter. I missed the letter nun... So, out of order a bit, I am going to share the spiritual lessons of nun today, and then return to the correct order of the Hebrew letters. Thanks for your patience with me!Nun
The
fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is called “Nun” (pronounced “noon”) and has the sound of “N” as in “now”. It has the
numeric value of 50, the number of the Jubilee. There are
two ways to write a Nun. A Nun appearing at the end of a word (sofit)
looks like a Vav, but is longer, extending
below the baseline. A regular Nun looks
much like the Kaph, but is half its
width. The Nun stands for FISH and the SAVED.
Nun represents both faithfulness and the
reward for faithfulness. Moses is seen as the iconic humble servant of Yahweh.
The word “Nun” itself is spelled Nun-Vav-(final) Nun and looks as follows:
Our
Messiah could be called “The Chief FISHERMAN.” He told His disciples that He
would make them “FISHERS of men”, (Mark 1:17).
Like a FLOURISHING, darting
school of FISH that continues to propagate, our Saviour’s Love causes us to
multiply and grow in numbers as we share Him with others. Yahshua, as He
MULTIPLIED the loaves & FISHES for the MULTITUDES, showed us a prophetic portrait
of how those who were filled with Him, the BREAD OF LIFE, would become like
active, darting, MULTIPLYING FISH.
“The RIGHTEOUS shall FLOURISH like a palm tree; he shall GROW like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the House of Yahweh shall FLOURISH in the Courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in old age…” Psalm 92:12-14.
In the Last Days, Yahweh's Ecclesia is divided into two parts, which are sometimes called the Two Sticks. They are also represented as the two fish in the constellation of Dagim (now called Pisces). In short, this is a symbol of God's Church - the saved - who are the "fish".
JACOB’S BLESSING ON MANASSEH AND EPHRAIM: Genesis
48:16 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
“The Angel Who has rescued me from all harm, bless these boys. May they
remember who I am and what I stand for, and likewise my fathers Avraham and Yitz’chak, who they were and what they stood for. And may
they grow (spawn) into teeming multitudes on the earth.”
Since
Fish Represent the SAVED – Nun is the letter depicting God’s CHURCH:
But always a PEOPLE;
Never a fold,
But always a FLOCK,
Never a sacred building,
But always
a BELIEVING ASSEMBLY.
The Church is YOU WHO PRAY,
Not
where you pray.
A structure of brick or marble can
no more be a church
Than your clothes of serge or satin
can be you.
There is in this world nowhere
sacred,
But the Spirit-filled man,
No Sanctuary of YAH, but the
submitted SOUL.
- Anonymous
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The two Fish in the Sky picture represent Ephraim and Manasseh
Ephraim
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Manasseh
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On erev
Shabbat it’s customary to bless our sons with the blessing: “May God make
you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.” This comes from Moses’ comment regarding
Jacob’s blessing imparted to his adopted sons: “By you Israel will pronounce
blessings, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” (Gen. 48:20). Some of the sages
have said that since these boys were born away from the Promised Land (and
therefore never directly knew their grandfather Jacob), they represent Israel
in exile, and the blessing is one of preservation for Yahweh’s people.
The Message of the Nun is embodied in the constellation anciently called Dagim (now called Pisces). The two
fishes, heralding back to Jacob’s prophecy of them is a message to the saved
today – those of the Lost 10 Ten Tribes, later called Ephraim. It is a special
message to the Gentiles, who are saved:
“For thus saith Yahweh; Sing with gladness for Jacob,
and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O
Yahweh, save Thy people, the remnant
of Israel. Behold, I will bring
them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth… a
great company shall return thither.
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I
will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they
shall not stumble: for I am a
father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hear the word of Yahweh, O ye nations… He that scattered
Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For Yahweh hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed
him from the hand of him that was stronger than he,” Jeremiah 31:7-11.
Yahshua
and the Letter Nun:
In
Aramaic, the word Nun means “fish,” a
symbol of activity and life. The first mention of the word is in Exodus 33:11,
in reference to Joshua, the “son of Nun.”
Joshua, the one who succeeded Moses and was able to enter the Promised Land, was
the “Son of Life” - a clear picture of Yahshua
our Messiah.
Notice that the form of the Nun represents a bent Vav (suggesting a humbled man) crowned with glory (the three tagin on the head of the letter). From the Messianic point of view, we see that Yahshua came as a man (Vav), was honored by His absolute humility while upon earth (as indicated by the crown of thorns), and is now exalted as the Righteous One who wears the Golden Crown of God upon His Head forever and ever (Rev 14:14).
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This Week's Torah Studies: (Statutes 61-80)
The Torah studies are provided in two formats for your convenience. The first option (below) is the blank worksheets for this week, which will allow you to print out the worksheets and hand-write the studies yourself. If you have less time, you may wish to read/print my completed Statute studies. The completed worksheets are the second option (below):
This week we will be studying Statutes 61-80, which are summarized below. Happy studying!
Statute 61-62 Summary:
(61) The priests are to burn incense
before Yahweh (which represents prayer–Revelation 8:3-4) every morning and
every evening. (62) The lamps (which represents our witness – Matthew 5:14 – being
filled with Yahweh’s Spirit and abiding in YAH) are to be dressed every morning
and freshly lit every evening.
Exodus 30:7-8 “And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.
Exodus 30:7-8 “And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.
Statute 63-64 Summary:
(63) The fire on the Altar of Burnt
Sacrifice (representing the Cross) is always to be kept burning, day and night. (64) Priests are to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon it to Yahweh.
Leviticus 6:12-13 “And the fire upon
the altar (of burnt sacrifice) shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall
burn wood on it every
morning, and lay the burnt offering
in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace
offerings. The fire shall ever be burning upon the
altar; it shall never go out.”
Statute 65 Summary:
(65) Yahshua was the One Who laid aside the white “linen”
of His perfect righteousness, put on my filthy robes and suffered for me
outside the “camp.” It is by His humiliation and atonement that I am made clean
and accepted by Heaven. This work of the Saviour is to bring about true repentance
and sorrow for sin. The priest carried the ashes outside the camp to cause the
people to think about the Saviour’s work of redemption. This is statute of
remembrance. By beholding, we become changed. We are to cogitate Calvary daily.
Leviticus 6:10-11 “And the priest shall
put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches
shall he put upon his flesh,
and take up the ashes which
the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put
them beside the altar. And he shall put
off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without
the camp unto a clean place.”
(See also Hebrews 13:11-13) (Also note: ashes was a mark or token
of grief, humiliation, or penitence - Nehemiah 9:1, Job 42:6)
Statute 66-68 Summary:
(66) We are not to allow anything unclean to come into the
heart or home where Yahweh dwells. We are not to allow leprosy into our hearts
or homes. Spiritually, leprosy is reprobation (because we lose our ability
to perceive guilt when we choose to justify ourselves rather than repent from
sin) (John 3:19-20). (67) We are not to allow an issue into our hearts or homes.
Spiritually, the issue is pining or wasting away; as in being unthankful,
embittered, or complaining (1 Corinthians 10:10). (68)We are not to allow our
hearts or homes to be defiled by the dead. Spiritually, death is following
lusts and fleshly desires (Hebrews 9:14).
Numbers 5:2-3 “Command the children
of Israel, that they put out
of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put
them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.”
Statute 69 Summary:
(69) The priests of Yahweh are first to be sanctified in
order to fill this role. Then they are set apart for holy use. (See Revelation 5:10).
Leviticus 21:8 “Thou shalt sanctify him (the priest of
Yahweh) therefore; for he offereth
the bread of thy God: he shall be holy
unto thee: for I Yahweh, which sanctify you, am holy.”
Statute 70 Summary:
(70) The priests of Yahweh are to be spiritually clothed in
special garments for glory and beauty (see Ezekiel 16:14 and Ephesians 6:11-18).
Exodus 28:2-4, 40 “And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for
glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak
unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom,
that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. And these are the garments which they shall
make; a breastplate, and an ephod,
and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre,
and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his
sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office… And for Aaron's sons
thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets
shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.”
Statute 71-72 Summary:
(71) Yahweh’s people are to never practice fortunetelling,
nor have anything to do with magic. (72) Yahweh’s people are to never eat anything
with the blood.
Leviticus 19:26 “Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye
use enchantment, nor observe times.”
Statute 73-78 Summary:
(73) Yahweh’s people are to belong to Him
wholly and completely, without any divided or competing
affections. This is what it means to be perfect with Yahweh. (74) Godly parents are
never to alienate their children, transitioning them in crossing over to the
devil. (75) Yahweh’s people are to not consult sorcerers, nor practice sorcery. (76) Yahweh’s people are not to practice magic, nor consort with magicians. (77) Yahweh’s
people are not to practice witchcraft, nor consult witches. (78) Yahweh’s people are
not to consult with demon spirits, nor consort with those who do so.
Deuteronomy 18:10-13 “There shall not be found among you any one that
maketh his son or his daughter to pass
through the fire, or that useth
divination, or an observer of
times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer,
or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all
that do these things are an abomination
unto Yahweh: and because of these abominations Yahweh thy God doth drive
them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect
with Yahweh thy God.”
Statutes 79-80 Summary:
Yahweh’s people are to dress in a way that clearly
reveals their gender. (79) Men are not to dress like women. (80) Women are not
to dress like men.
Deuteronomy 22:5 “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto Yahweh thy
God.”
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