Weekly Torah Studies
Today's Torah
Portion:
The Hebrew Alphabet:
Qof
The nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is
called “Qof” (pronounced kof) and has the sound of “k” or “q” as
in “queen”.Qof
The aleph
bet is what modern Hebrew calls the alphabet (22 letters that Yahweh used to speak the universe into
existence). But Biblically, Aleph Tav
are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each individual letter
is called an Oat. Oat = sign. It is saying something (giving a Spiritual
Message).
Qof is the letter which symbolizes the
Bride of Christ. It signifies that which is made holy and is set apart for holy
use. “It is written, Be ye HOLY, for I AM HOLY,” 1 Peter 1:16.
“Holy,
Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts, Who
was and Is, and is to come!” (Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8).
Qof is the first letter of the word Qodesh, meaning, “HOLINESS.”
“Worship
Yahweh in the beauty of HOLINESS,”
Psalm 29:2.
“For Yahweh
hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is My Rest for
ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with
bread. I will also clothe her priests with Salvation: and her saints shall
shout aloud for joy,” Psalm 132:13-16.
Spiritual Meaning of the Qof
Qof = K,Q and 100 and means “LAST”, “LEAST”, “HOLY”
and “HOLINESS”
During the days of
the Temple, if one found a container marked with the letter Qof (ק) it
was immediately identified as a container bearing consecrated contents. Qof (ק) was
used to label sacred objects, because this letter symbolizes “holiness” and
marks that which is holy.
“It is a great deal better to live a holy life
than to talk about it. Lighthouses do not ring bells or fire cannons to call
attention to their shining – they just shine.”
– Dwight L
Moody
Yahweh
is HOLY, and He desires holiness on behalf of His People, saying, “You shall be
holy, for I AM HOLY,” Leviticus 19:26.
The
Tzaddi (the letter just before Qof) is the letter of Righteousness. Are these
two letters bearing the exact same message? No! Tzaddi is the walk of
Righteousness – but holiness is the END OF THE PATH. It is the final goal of
Righteousness by Faith.
Romans
6:19 “…For as ye have yielded your
members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now
yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”
Only the
144,000 – Christ’s Bride, will full partake of the full Qof experience. They
will (by Yah’s Grace) reach the End of the Way of Holiness:
Isaiah 35:8
“And an Highway shall be there, and a Way, and it shall be called The Way of
Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it...”
Isaiah 62:12 “And
they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of Yahweh: and thou shalt
be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.”
In light of all that Qof teaches concerning holiness, it may come as a surprise to learn
that Qof’s name, spelled out - קוף
– means “monkey”. How can this be? What does a monkey have to do with holiness?
As one Hebrew scholar explained:
When a man does not elevate himself beyond the
ordinary, when a man does not act in a way to create sacredness, when a man
does not endow his situation with holiness, man is no more than an ape.
(Robert M Haralick, The Inner Meaning of the Hebrew Letters, p 269)
Scripture speaks often of man’s baser,
carnal or “animal” nature. Holiness may easily be mimicked, or “aped”. Apart
from indwelling godliness, we can become worse than animals. We are to be on
our guard, to not allow the carnal man to take over the driver’s seat of our
souls.
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of
life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful
desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new
self, created to be like God in true Righteousness and Holiness,”
Ephesians 4:22-24.
Qof
(ק)
is the only letter which extends below the line. (Other letters only extend
below the line in their FINAL forms, but not in their standard form, as does
the letter Qof.) In addition to
holiness, Qof also represents the
depths to which mankind may sink, by acting like animals and just going with
our carnal impulses and feelings. Doing this is the opposite of holiness.
Qof
words include Kadosh (holy).
The holiness of God is His "specialness".
The holiness of God is His "specialness".
He is to be honored
above all else.
Korban (sacrifice) is also a Qof word.
Qof comes from the root Karev which means to come close.
A Qof year is a year to come closer to God.
Korban (sacrifice) is also a Qof word.
Qof comes from the root Karev which means to come close.
A Qof year is a year to come closer to God.
Qof: Shows Zion vs. Babylon
Occurring over 150 times in the Bible, the word “Zion” essentially means “fortification.” In the Bible, Zion is both the city of David and the city of God. As the Bible progresses, the word “Zion” transitions from referring primarily to a physical city to having a more spiritual meaning. Zion, represents the People of Yahweh – the Holy People – His Bride:
Isaiah
51:16 “…Say
unto Zion, thou art My people.”
Psalm
125:1 “…They
that trust in YHWH shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth
for ever.”
THE
PEOPLE WHO TRUST IN YHWH
WILL
BE MOUNT ZION!
• 1 Peter 2:5
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house,
an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to YAH by Yahshua.”
• Ephesians 2:19-21
“…Ye are
no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of
the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Yahshua Christ Himself being the Chief Corner Stone; In whom all the building fitly framed
together groweth unto an holy Temple in YHWH.”
It is
the Zion of Yahweh’s people, not the literal city of Jerusalem that is foretold
in Micah’s End-time Prophecy:
·
Micah
4:1-2 “But in the last days it shall
come to pass, that the mountain of the houseof YHWH [or a living
temple built with living stones] shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people
shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let
us go up to the mountain of YHWH, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He
will teach us of His Ways, and we will walk in His Paths: for the Law
shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of YHWH from Jerusalem.”
Zion is
also the STONE, foretold in Daniel’s vision, which Yahweh uses to break the
kingdoms of the heathen nations at the end of the world. We know this by
connecting Daniel 2 with Jeremiah 51:
·
Daniel
2:34 & 45 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut
out without hands ... Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was
cut out of the mountain without hands...
·
Jeremiah
51:20 “Thou art My battle axe and
weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and
with thee will I destroy kingdoms.”
Bible Prophecy Compares Both the Bride of Christ – Zion - AND the
Whore of Revelation – Babylon – to Women:
·
Jeremiah
6:2“I have
likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.”
·
Revelation
17:5 “And upon
her forehead was a name written, Mystery, BABYLON the Great, the MOTHER of
HARLOTS and Abominations of the Earth.”
·
“Come
out of her My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins and receive not of
her plagues...”
The
letter Qof is a reminder that WE are
being CALLED OUT OF BABYLON – INTO ZION!
This Week's Torah Studies: (Statutes 41-60)
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 41-60, which are summarized below. Happy studying!
Statute 41-42 Summary:
(41) The priests bear the responsibility to be watchmen who safeguard Yahweh’s holy things and days (42) and lead in the worship of Yahweh. When the priests rightly serve in this post, people are protected by it..
Number 18:5 “And ye (the priests) shall keep the charge of the Sanctuary, and the charge of the Altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.”
Statute 43-45 Summary:
(43) The priests are to serve as burden bearers (intercessors), helping others find pardon and peace with Heaven. (44) Priests are not to have an earthly inheritance. (45) The tithes are the support and inheritance of the priests.
Numbers 18:23-24 “But the Levites (priests) shall do the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a Statute forever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto Yahweh, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.”
Statute 46 Summary:
(46) We (since we are all called to be priests - Revelation 5:12) are to take care to come cleansed before Yahweh. We cannot worship Him, be an acceptable living sacrifice, or minister to others until we ourselves are made clean.
Exodus 30:18-21 “Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the Tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: When they go into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto Yahweh: So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.”
Statute 47-48 Summary:
(47) The Menorah is to be fueled only by pure olive oil. (48) The Menorah Light is never to burn out, but is to be always lit.
Exodus 27:20-21 “And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the Light, to cause the lamp to burn always. In the Tabernacle of the Congregation without the veil, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before Yahweh: it shall be a statute forever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.”
Statute 49 Summary:
(49) The priests are to regularly bless the people in Yahweh’s Name with the following Yah-given blessing:
Numbers 6:23-27 “Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the Children of Israel, saying unto them, Yahweh bless thee, and keep thee: Yahweh make His Face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: Yahweh lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put My Name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.”
Statute 50 Summary:
(50) The priests are to set a show-bread table continually before Yahweh’s Presence.
Exodus 25:30 “And thou shalt set upon the Table Showbread before Me always.”
Statute 51-53 Summary:
When a foul and idolatrous building or city is judged and destroyed, (51) it is to remain a ruin forever. It must never be rebuilt. Also, (52) no items or gain from the judged place may be taken or used by the Children of Yahweh. (53) All proceeds and gain from the judged place must be destroyed and burned by fire.
Deuteronomy 13:16-17 “And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for Yahweh thy God: and it shall be an heap forever; it shall not be built again. And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that Yahweh may turn from the fierceness of His anger, and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as He hath sworn unto thy fathers.”
Statute 54-55 Summary:
(54) A prophet who claims to speak in Yahweh's Name, the prophet must speak the Truth from the Word of God. When a prophet (teacher of “truth”) claims to speak in Yahweh’s Name, but does not speak the Truth from the Word of God, that presumptuous prophet will die. (55) And when person claims to teach truth, he/she must not do it in the name of a false god. Such a false prophet will also die.
Deuteronomy 18:20 “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in My Name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.”
Statutes 56 Summary:
(56) If a false prophet (proclaimed teacher of “truth”) encourages people to do or believe things which honor false gods, you are not to listen to him/her. Even if the false teacher “proves” his false teachings with miracles, you are not to listen to or allow yourself to in any way be influenced by him or her.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for Yahweh your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Statute 57-59 Summary:
(57) Yahweh’s people are not to assemble to hear a false prophet. (58) Yahweh's people must not show hospitality to a false prophet. (59) Yahweh's people are not to show deferential respect towards a false prophet.
Deuteronomy 18:22 “When a prophet speaketh in the Name of Yahweh, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Yahweh hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”
Statute 60 Summary:
(60) Yahweh’s people are not to talk like, nor practice the worldly habits of, nor take on the ungodly customs of the unsaved people around us.
Leviticus 20:23 “And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them."
