Weekly Torah Studies
Today's Torah
Portion:
The Hebrew Alphabet: Zayin
Zayin, the
seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet, concludes the first series of letters,
portraying the story of the Gospel. Considering this, let’s review briefly what
we’ve found in the first letters:
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Aleph
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–
represents the ONE, Almighty, invisible God, our FATHER, Who…
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Beit
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–
“Housed” Himself in human flesh and Scripture, Tabernacling among us…
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Gimmel
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– Yah’s plea to mankind goes forth from
beit, carried by the final Elijahs…
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Dalet
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– who
“knock” on the heart-door of the lost, inviting them to sup with Yah…
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Hey
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– Those
who open their doors (dalet) to the
Truth, receive Yah’s Spirit (hey)…
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Vav
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– Anyone
who has been filled with the Spirit and imputed with Messiah’s Righteousness,
becomes a true man, re-connected to Heaven…
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Having received the Spiritual
Gifts and Messages of these previous six letters, the new man is ready for
effective SPIRITUAL WARFARE. Zayin
means “weapon” and its form represents the SWORD of the SPIRIT.
Spiritual
Meaning of the Zayin
Zayin = 7 and is formed by crowning a vav. It represents a sword.
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Zayin is a paradoxical word, since it means "weapon" or
"sword," but derives from a root word that means
"sustenance" or "nourishment." The root (zan)
appears in words like (mazon), meaning "food." Notice that
the word for bread, lechem, is contained in the Hebrew word for war,
milchamah:
But how
is food or nourishment related to the sword? The sword of spiritual warfare
is needed for our continued nourishment
(lest the enemy prevent us from being filled in the Word of Truth). In
order to be nourished and at rest in Yah, we must effectively engage in
spiritual warfare.
Zayin is considered a
"crowned" Vav. Just as Vav represents "yashar," straight light from God to man, so Zayin represents
Zayin is
used to divide or "cut up" time
· Shabbat - the 7th day of the 7-day week (the week of days)
· Shavu'ot - the 49th day after Passover (the week of weeks)
· Tishri - the 7th month of the year (the week of months)
· Shemitah - the 7th year of rest for the land (the week of
years)
· Yovel - the 49th year (the week of weeks of years)
· The Millennial Kingdom - the 7th millennium of human history
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The Mystery of the Oversized Zayin:
An oversized Zayin
is found in Malachi 4:4:
"Remember the Torah of Moses My servant that I commanded him at Horeb, the Statutes (chukim) and Judgments (mishpatim) for all Israel."
Since Zayin represents a weapon of
the Spirit, remembering the Torah of
Moses is here depicted as a great weapon to be used in Spiritual Warfare.
Zayin
and the Crowned Man:
Note: The sword mentioned in Hebrews 4:12 is
(machaira), a "short sword" that was
sharpened on both edges of the blade.
Zayin is a Picture of Yahshua the
Messiah
Since Zayin represents the crowned Man, we would expect it to reveal more Truth about Yahshua. Indeed, since Zayin's sword represents our Protector, as Yahshua is the "Lion of the tribe of Judah"; and since Zayin also represents nourishment life, Yahshua is here depicted as the Shepherd who feeds His sheep.
Since Zayin represents the crowned Man, we would expect it to reveal more Truth about Yahshua. Indeed, since Zayin's sword represents our Protector, as Yahshua is the "Lion of the tribe of Judah"; and since Zayin also represents nourishment life, Yahshua is here depicted as the Shepherd who feeds His sheep.
Zayin: Letter with Two Faces:
The name of the letter zayin may be spelled in two ways. When it is spelled זין (zayin),
it means “weapon”. But, when it is spelled זן (without the middle yod), it means “to nourish or sustain”. These two concepts – weapon
and nourishment – both illustrate the benefits derived from God’s Word – it is
the Living Bread, by which we are spiritually
Romans 2:4 “…The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.”
Romans 11:22 “Behold therefore
the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward
thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be
cut off.”
This Week's Torah Studies: (Statutes 21-40)
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 21-40, which are summarized below. Happy studying!
Statute 21-22 Summary:
(21) Bind (write) the Torah upon your hands (actions). (22) Bind (write) the Torah upon your mind (thoughts).
Deuteronomy 6:8 “And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.”
Statute 23 Summary:
(23)
Numbers 15:38-40 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the Commandments of YAHWEH, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: That ye may remember, and do all My Commandments, and be holy unto your God.”
Statute 24 Summary:
(24)
Deuteronomy 6:9 “And thou shalt write them (YHWH’s Commands see Deut. 6:4-6) upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”
Statute 25-26 Summary:
(25)
Deuteronomy 31:10-12 “And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the Feast of Tabernacles, When all Israel is come to appear before YAHWEH thy God in the place which He shall choose, thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear YAHWEH your God, and observe to do all the words of this Law.”
Statute 27 Summary:
(27)
Deuteronomy 17:18-20 “And it shall be, when he (a new king) sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear Yahweh his God, to keep all the words of this Law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the Commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.”
Statute 28 Summary:
YHWH has made His Law readily available to us, so that there is no excuse for not knowing and obeying it. Therefore, (28) we are to turn to YHWH with all our hearts and souls and obey His Commandments and Statutes.
Deuteronomy 30:10-14 “If thou shalt hearken unto the Voice of Yahweh thy God, to keep His Commandments and His Statutes which are written in this book of the Law, and if thou turn unto Yahweh thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the Word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.”
Statute 29 Summary:
Recognizing that everything you have (home, food, money, etc…) is from YHWH, (29) thank YHWH for everything He has given to you, regularly and often, lest you be tempted to think you got it by your own prowess or strength.
Deuteronomy 8:10-14 “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless Yahweh thy God for the good land which He hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not Yahweh thy God, in not keeping His Commandments, and His Judgments, and His Statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget Yahweh thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
Statute 30 Summary:
(30)
Exodus 25:8-9 “And let them make Me a Sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, after the Pattern of the Tabernacle, and the Pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”
Statutes 31 Summary:
(31) Reverence YHWH in His Holy Sanctuary, on His Holy Sabbaths.
Leviticus 19:30 “Ye shall keep My Sabbaths, and reverence My Sanctuary: I Am Yahweh.”
Statute 32 Summary:
(32)
Deuteronomy 16:21-22 “Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of Yahweh thy God, which thou shalt make thee. Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which Yahweh thy God hateth.”
Statute 33 Summary:
(33)
Leviticus 26:1 “Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I Am Yahweh your God.”
Statutes 34 Summary:
(34) Do not spend time wishing about, or consider worshiping, nor speak the names of false gods. Their character, authority, or honor have no place in you.
Exodus 23:13 “And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.”
Statutes 35 Summary:
(35)
Deuteronomy 13:12-15 “If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which Yahweh thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; Then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you. Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.”
Statutes 36-37 Summary:
If a dear friend or family member comes to you to entice or pressure you into a practice that glorifies satan (purposely not capitalized), (36) do not listen or fall prey to the enticement. (37) Do not protect, cover for, or go easy on someone who encourages you to worship the devil in such ways.
Deuteronomy 13:6-8 “If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him.”
Statutes 38-40 Summary:
(38) Destroy idols with fire. Do not desire or take any valuable parts of the idol that is being destroyed. (39) Do not bring any abominable objects into your home. (40) Abhor all abominations and abominable objects.
Deuteronomy 7:25-26 “The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to Yahweh thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.”
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