Weekly Torah Studies
Today's Torah
Portion:
The Hebrew Alphabet:
Shin
Shin
The twenty-first letter of the Hebrew alphabet
is called “Shin” (pronounced “sheen”) and has the sound of “sh” as in
“shy”.
The
letter Shin, the last in our third
series of letters, completes many themes and insights contained in the
preceding twenty letters. Shin
represents the “totality of an overall process, one that is shaleem (שלם). Shaleem means “whole, full, complete”.
The word Shalom (peace) comes from shaleem. The phrase “perfect peace” in
Hebrew is shalom shaleem. Why is the word for “peace” derived from a
root that means “full” and “complete”? Peace is much more than the mere absence
of conflict; it is the culmination of process – an internal one. It is a
perfect state of being, which is not affected by the circumstances surrounding
it. When we are able to hold this kind of peace in the soul, we are perfected
in Messiah.
The King and the Peace Contest - There once was a king who offered a
prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists
tried and submitted their work. The king looked at all the pictures. There were
only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.
One picture was of a calm lake, perfectly mirroring the
peaceful, towering mountains all around it. Overhead was blue sky with fluffy,
white clouds. It was the favorite of all who saw it. Truly, they thought, it
was the perfect picture of peace.
The king chose the second picture. “Because,” explained the
king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble,
or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all these things and still be
calm in your heart. This is the real meaning of peace.” Real Peace is in
your Heart, and is not dependent on the external circumstances.
Spiritual Meaning of the Shin
Shin = SH, S and 300 and means “SOMETHING SHARP”, “TO DEVOUR,
CONSUME” and “PEACE” “PROTECTION”
Shin is for the word “Shalom”, which
means “peace”. By devouring and consuming sin, Yahweh brings ultimate Peace!
Messiah is called “Sar Shalom”
meaning “The Prince of Peace.” “And His Name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Isaiah
9:6.
Shin is for “El Shaddai”, the Name of God as the One
Who is unlimited, Who is all-sufficient, and Who is powerful enough to meet all
our needs. When we fully recognized this Truth, we will be at PEACE (Shalom) no
matter our circumstances.
The letter Shin
appears on the mezuzah (“doorpost”) –
which contains the Shema. The command
to write the Shem on the door frames of the home is taken literally, resulting
in the appearance of the mezuzah on
the doorposts. The letter Shin, which appears on the mezuzah, stands for three things:
שומר Shomer
– Guardian
שדי Shaddai
– El Shaddai
שמע Shema
– Hear!
The letter Shin
is also formed by the land-forms in Jerusalem.
The
SHEMA
“Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God is one (exclusively, first, supreme) Yahweh. And thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
Shomer: The Guardian of Peace
 Exodus 12:13 “And the
blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see
the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to
destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”
The Passover Lamb is one of the Bible’s
premiere figures of Yahshua.
1 Corinthians
5:7-8 “Purge
out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.
For even Christ our Passover is
sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the Feast, not with old
leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the
unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Yahshua coming unto
him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of
God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Yahweh
commanded His people to observe the Passover, on the 14th day of
Abib (or Nissan), the same day on which Yahshua
was crucified almost 1500 years later as the Lamb of God Who takes away the
sins of the world.
The blood of the Passover lamb on the doorpost signified the Protection
of the Almighty. Yah Himself was the Guardian of all that were in the
blood-covered house. In the same way, the presence of the Mezuzah on the
doorpost signifies that within this house dwells a family which has claimed the
blood of the Passover Lamb (ultimately Christ, although most Jews do not
connect this full picture) and is faithful to Hear Yahweh and obey His Torah.
As such, the family can be at peace, trusting the unseen and ever-present
Guardianship of Yahweh over the house.
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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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