Torah Pearls – Vayyera – Genesis 18:1-22:24 – Nehemia Gordon & Keith Johnson
Who were the three men Abraham saw? What can we learn from the cheeseburger of the Bible? What is the meaning of the name Isaac? Was the sin of Sodom really homosexuality? Was Ishmael scoffing, mocking, or something else altogether? The Torah clearly states that human sacrifice is an abomination to God, how then are we to understand the command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac? “In your seed, all the nations of the earth may be…grafted”?
Nehemia Gordon – Ezekiel 18 & 33
Join us for this year’s Tanakh Tour of Israel!
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I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Torah pearls.
Would be nice to hear some shows with believers again
Robert, Keith, Nehemia and I certainly believe the the word of our Father. How do you define a “believer”?
I am enjoying the pearls very much thank you ….. but Ihave to admitt that I do check in on a regualr basis to see you are still interviewing the others like Brad Scott, Jeff Gilbert, Mark Patrone, Rico Cortez etc … come on Jono, you do this well …. can you still have these guys on ……. pretty please …
Thank you, Thank you guys!
Love the teachings and the pearls which come forth from the word of Yah.
It is life to me and fresh air to breathe.
Jono a must say on your comment about a very dis-functional family made me laugh for some time.
But wow the connections of it all the way through to Isaac and Ishmael.
Loved the discussion.
And to add to Yvonne’s list …. Joe Dumond please.
I really enjoy these a lot. Thanks you guys.
Jono,
I too am a regular who misses very much the teachers mentioned by Yvonne and Amanda. This is to take nothing away from Nehemiah and Keith. I just miss the others. So, I will add my own Please, Please, Please.
Bless you brother Jono.
Wow! Love those pearls.
I always love listening to Keith and Nehemia…but Keith sounds so quiet on the recording. When I try to listen in the car, I end up missing half of what he says.
Sorry about Keith’s audio quality, I am working on it and I hope the coming discussions will be clearer 😉
I like most of the other teachers mentioned, but personally I’m finding these “Torah Pearls” invaluable. I hope you’ll keep scheduling Keith and Nehemia for these sessions even if you do have interviews with others.
There are a lot of teachings already available by most of the others named – a Torah portion discussion woven together by a Karaite Jew and a Methodist minister is a bit difficult to find just anywhere. 🙂
You guys are confusing me. A Karaite and a Methodist Preacher. Keith, most people say you have abandoned Messiah and are now a Karaite. What is going on. I certainly believe we should all get along and I am a Jew. But I believe Messiah has already come in the person of Y’shua Ha Mashiach & He said the ONLY way to the Father is through Him. Yes, if you love Him you much obey Torah – all of it except the impossible due to Temple service, etc. but Keith, please tell me you are not abandoning Messiah.
Thank you so much for these Torah Pearls. I love the pearls and love you guy’s. Y’hovah bless you!
I would like to comment again if it’s all right.
We simply must abandon the idea that we can put people into a box and define them by a label in order to figure out where they belong by determining what they believe. This type of judging is something that a lot of people learned in the Christian churches and it seems it has not served us well regarding living a life of love, but rather given us an air judgemental harshness and exclusivity.
For people who believe that Jesus/Yeshua is the Messiah and has already come: what Word was He talking about? The New Testament had not yet been written. Everything there refers back to the Torah and Tanakh. In fact, I believe Rav Sha’ul referred to the whole Tanakh as “Torah” in one of his teachings.
For there to be any unity, we simply MUST find common ground. That common ground is the Word of the God of Abraham, the Tanakh (Old Testament).
So I hope anyone who finds a great big Christian church stick up their butt will feel free to remove it and let’s get on with learning.
Ester, don’t believe everything you hear other people say. Does Keith sound like he’s abandoned Messiah? If you listened to this Torah portion (or any of them) then you can tell Keith hasn’t abandoned his faith in Messiah!
Another great Torah portion Jono!!
Bless Yah!
I very much appreciate the unique viewpoints of all three of you as you interweave your thoughts. You’ve only been doing this show for a litle bit but each week is better than the previous one. Well done! Thanks to you three for taking the time to do this so that we all might benefit. All blessings!
How do you connect the three men in 18:2 to be the two angles in 19:1?
What happen to the third man from 18:2, in understanding it’s not “The Lord” as most people refer it to be, because “The Lord” appeared to Abraham in verse 1 before him seeing the three men
in verse 2?
Our family looks forward to Shabbat studies with you three.
We also have been blessed by Brad Scott and others, Thanks!
Amen to Yvone, Amanda, and David. I have been listening for a year now since I came out of the “church”. The interviews have helped us to even know what to start questioning and studying. Of course we love the Pearls too.
Hi Jono!
Please keep these coming! They are AWESOME…….
Respectfully, I believe it is important to study the Hebrew Roots of our Faith and to help those leaving the Babylon of “churchy-anity” to learn what is right and how we (Israel) have fallen so far away from the truth in the Tanakh. Some things I have noticed though in this pursuit of Hebrew Roots is a tendency to: 1) push Yeshua into a corner or out altogether for a study on what ultimately is Yeshua and his Kingdom. 2) to paint us Hebrews in a warm glowing light while ignoring what Yah has REALLY said about us. 3) to get involved with “traditions of men” that go against the law
Why not get it out in front and teach how Israel has failed and is in need of repentance, is without light, righteousness and truth? Yeshua will not return until we bring forth fruits worthy of repentance by saying “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”? That requires repentance which requires admitting we have a problem with sin. That requires admitting that outside of a few (Yah always has a remnant) most of Israel today is dead in trespasses and sins.
If anyone studies the Hebrew Roots and the Tanakh, it won’t be long before they learn that Israel is in great spiritual need right now and nothing short of a true Jewish Revival worldwide and in Jerusalem will make the difference needful. We can’t ignore the present situation and pretend it does not exist just because we don’t want to offend the Pharisees. Yah can raise up sons of Abraham from stones, according to John the Baptist, so no one can claim eternal life based on that status without repentance.
Thankfully, we know Yeshua will send Elijah to restore all things before the coming day of the lord and he will prepare a people for the return of Yeshua. One thing I think about Elijah, he will not coddle any disrespect to our Messiah in the assembly.
I Love the Torah Portions…….Please MORE MORE MORE, lets get down to the meat.
Thanks Jono, Keith and Nehemia. Really enjoying listening to you guys discuss the Torah. The Truth (Torah) is what it’s all about at the end of the day.
Got to agree with Peggy. You tell um !!!
Jono,
I do love your program, but after reading both your and Robert Lamb’s postings, I felt to respond. While both Keith and Nehemiah are scholars, declaring them “believers” of the Father’s word may be a bit misleading.
The book of Romans says that “Israel” has been shut up in “unbelief.” So as long as Nehemiah rejects Yeshua as Messiah, isn’t he shut up in unbelief? As long as He rejects Yeshua as Messiah whom which the word of the Father plainly declares Him to be, is he really a believer of the Father’s word or is it that he is a scholar of the Father’s word who rejects part of it? (Maybe the most important part?)
As for Keith, if ‘’m not mistaken, he labels himself a Methodist. Is that true? I ask because we are to walk in the Father’s word and part of that walk is to reject the pagan ways. I don’t understand how one can be both a believer of the Father’s word and remain part of a church system that promotes christmas, easter, sunday worship and the “doing away” of Torah. If this statement about Keith is in error, then please forgive me and disregard said statement.
I am not saying I do not appreciate these gentlemen on your program because I do. I learn from them. I am voicing my opinion of what Robert might have been saying and will add that I too hope you would again include on your program those who hold Yeshua as Messiah, the Torah as the way to walk, and reject the “Constantinian” religion. I say again because, 9 of the last 10 programs had Yeshua rejecting guests. Maybe this is why Robert said what he did.
Just my 2 shekel’s worth.
Dovid Ben Yochanan
“Human sacrifice is an abomination to YHWH” – mmm interesting. So what we’ve been taught all the years in the “church” about Jesus being our sacrifice. Any thoughts?
Sodom’s treatment of strangers was the complete opposite of hospitality Abraham showed to strangers. According to the Prophet Ezekiel the hearts of the people were full of pride due to their wealth. They spent their time searching for new ways to satisfy their insatiable appetite for pleasures of the flesh. This included mistreatment of strangers and the poor. Going from pleasure to pleasure they became calloused and degenerated to the point of sexual perversion. They were not judged merely for their perversions but because their pride produced the” fruits” of their wickedness to its fullness.
“Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.” Ezekiel 16:44
Abraham in his eagerness to receive the strangers ran to them and offered rest, comfort and the fatness of his labors for food. His desire to show kindness and mercy was demonstrated in the fact that he “ran” to meet them. In the opposite manner the people of Sodom “ran” to the door of Lot to do evil.
The actions of Abraham serve as an example that encourages us to embrace a lifestyle of hospitality to strangers.
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have secretly entertained angels.”
Antony,
There is a HUGE difference between us offering our children as sacrifices to idols and YHVH offering up Himself to pay the price of our sins, thus fulfilling His end of the Avrahamic Covenant, in order to redeem His own Creation, you and me!
Think it through!
I finally got to listen to the Torah portion today. Thanks again gents you make it fun and very educational. Special thanks to Nehemia for sharing such a wealth of knowledge. Hope the hem of your garment is sturdy enough because I’m holding on, I hear God is with you.
Peace to you Jono, Keith and Nehemia
Thanks David, for your insight. I did think it through, and came to the same conclusion, but someone coming from a different background may have stumbled on that one. It certainly jumped out at me when Nehemia said it.
P.S. Tone down on the pride there buddy.
David, we are all ultimately Israel, so are we all shut out in unbelief? Nehemia brings a perspective to the Torah which I have in all my years never heard taught. Finally some nutritious meaty teachings rather than the junk food being served at “drive thrus” every Sunday morning. I’ll take that anyday of the week 24/7 if I have to.
As for Keith, we only have to look at Moses, Joseph and Esther in the Word to know how YHWH placed them in pagan societies for the progression of His plan. Who are you to state that YHWH isn’t using Keith in that environment to wake “Ephraim” up to their roots?
Jono PLEASE ignore all the naysaying, prideful exclusivists, and keep bringing the Word of YHWH (the truth) through these two men and through this radio show.
Greetings from South Africa.
Really Anthony,
Prideful exclusivists…Forgive us if our opinion is different than yours.
I agree that Sunday is for junk food. But I cannot discount the rejection of Yeshua as easily as you. I never said there was not benefit from Nehemiah’s teaching. I never said do not bring Nehemiah and Kieth on.
I said it would be nice to include on a regular basis those who Accept Yeshua as Messiah and have left the Constantinian religion.
These are beautiful Hebraic insights of the Word we won’t hear from except folks like Nehemiah. I appreciate such programs very much, so enriching, as I am keen to learn and glean from the Hebraic roots of the Word.
How else can folks like us get to learn so much in a program?
This is refreshing.
Thanks Jono, Keith and Nehemiah, Shalom!
Antony,
I really fail to see where there was anything prideful in my comment to you. Perhaps you could spell it out for me so I don’t continue to fail in that regard.
Here is a thought that we who believe Yeshua is Mashiach incarnate should keep in mind:
Yeshua made some statements in which He was trying to point us back to Torah for identification of Himself.
Luke 24:44, “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Torah of Moshe, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” (meaning the entire Tanach)
Prior to this in verses 25 and 26 of the same chapter He said, “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Mashiach to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moshe and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Through these programs we have the benefit of listening to a man who was brought up in Judaism and is well versed in all the writings of the Sages or Rabbis and we have the benefit of hearing their interpretations. That is a good thing!
However, we must consider what is the “place” are we going to give these teachings in our faith.
I for one will give them only the same place that I would give the Constantinian Christian Commentaries, of the so called “Church Fathers” or Theologians or Seminary Professors. They are traditions of men. Is there truth in them? Of course! But, we must remember that we are gleaning from the Tree in the Midst of the Garden. The tree of good and evil. There is good there and there is evil there.
Nehemiah does not believe that Yeshua is Mashiach. He says so himself. I don’t hold that against the man, it only makes me pray for his enlightenment in that regard. He may chuckle at my remark and that is OK also. I will still pray.
All of that was said to say this:
When we listen to Nehemiah giving the Sages interpretations of Scripture such as, “The Three Men” in this lesson, he comes from a totally different paradigm. One of disbelief in Yeshua as Mashiach.
While there is a danger that we may interpret some things in Tanach as pointing to Yeshua as Mashiach that really is teaching something else altogether I believe we should be extremely careful in dismissing Yeshua’s own remarks as quoted above in our interpretations of such passages as the one in this Torah portion.
As someone said above, I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, the pearls, however, I am not going to throw Yeshua out with the bath water.
No offense meant to anyone.
I maintain that these programs are very good and profitable if we keep our Spiritual Heads about us and I have not at any time advocated stopping them. But, I will repeat my desire to hear the other teachers also.
David, if I ever have a Constantinian Christian commentator of the so called “Church Fathers” or a theologian or seminary professor on the program, I want you to stop listening. In the mean time, let’s continue to FREELY glean invaluable Torah insights and Hebrew language clarity from the poor lost Jew who is groping around in the dark with a veil over his head and scales on his eyes and damned to spend all eternity tormented with the devil… because he doesn’t believe in the Constantinian messiah.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the Torah Pearls with Nehemiah and Keith, please, please, please continue them for as long as they can share … YeHoVaH has given us a very very special window through the insights here.
praise Yehovah, praise His wonderful, marvelous, delightful, AWESOME name <3
Jono,
For the life of me, I can’t see where you could find anything offensive in my comment. It was intended as a heads up for all of us. Is that off limits? Every word I said is truth. If you do not wish me to comment on your programs just say so and I will go elsewhere.
Jono,
After sleeping on your remarks to me regarding my comments above I feel that I should make myself clear.
I believe you have taken me to be against Nehemiah Gordon. I want to let you know that that is not true and I don’t feel I said anything that would give that impression to anyone who would read carefully what I wrote.
I am on Nehemiah’s mailing list. I enjoy his teaching. I am grateful for his alerts to Rosh Chodesh. I own his book, “The Hebrew Yeshua vs. the Greek Jesus. I own the book, “A Prayer to Our Father.” I have read, enjoyed and referred to them many times.
I worship each Shabbat with the Host of the Northwest Sukkot of which he attended and spoke this past Sukkot. You may contact her and ask her if I have ever said anything negative about Nehemiah. As a matter of fact, it was my own Son who picked Nehemiah up at the airport in Portland and returned him there.
I believe Father is using Nehemiah in these last days to help connect the “Two Sticks” of Yhudah and Ephriam. I enjoy them on your broadcasts and on others. I was listening to them just this morning on another radio broadcast regarding the “Ban” on “The Name.”
If this is not enough to convince you that I am not Anti-Nehemiah then there is nothing more I can say.
My above comments did nothing but confirm what Nehemiah says himself nearly every time I hear him speak. He is not a believer in Yeshua as Mashiach. He is a Jew, not a Christian, nor a Messianic.
I consider myself to be Netzerim. A follower of “The Way.” You can add whatever labels that make you comfortable, i.e.,Hebrew Roots, Messianic or your choice.
As such, I DO believe in Yeshua as Mashiach. He is my King and I will defend Him till the death!
It is true that Nehemiah and “Messianics” come from two distinct paradigms. I believe that one of the three that appeared to Avraham, was Yeshua, Nehemiah doesn’t.
I was trying to bring to bring that difference to mind among the Messianic listeners. We are commanded to search the “Scriptures” (Tanach) in order to find Yeshua our Mashiach there. That is all I was trying to do.
I believe your sarcastic remarks to me were out of line, however, of course I forgive you. I only wish you to understand me.
I also will repeat my desires to hear other speakers. I like the variety you once had on your broadcasts, however, that is your call, it is your program.
My prayers are with you, Keith, and Nehemiah and I humbly apologize if I have offended any of you.
That being said, I also want to be clear. I WILL STAND FOR YESHUA MY KING, regardless of who likes it so if that is a problem for you I would rather move on and get my spiritual meat elsewhere.
Shalom aleikhem!
David
David, thank you for clarifying.
I stand by the 1st sentence in my previous comment. It has always been my desire to present guests who uphold the Torah and I believe that is the reason most people like to listen, including yourself. If I ever lose that focus I would like to think I would also lose my listenership. The truth is that I strongly feel my commitment to discussing the weekly Torah portion with Keith and Nehemia achieves this focus more than Truth2U Radio has ever before.
Each program can take up to 10 man hours to produce and I do this voluntarily. My wife is currently completing a degree in ancient history and religion, and we home educate our three children. Therefore, my time is limited and I am choosing to invest in the Torah Pearls program with much enthusiasm.
As a result, when you wrote in your comment, “However, we must consider what is the “place” are we going to give these teachings in our faith.
I for one will give them only the same place that I would give the Constantinian Christian Commentaries, of the so called “Church Fathers” or Theologians or Seminary Professors. They are traditions of men. Is there truth in them? Of course! But, we must remember that we are gleaning from the Tree in the Midst of the Garden. The tree of good and evil. There is good there and there is evil there.” I admit, I got a little cranky and the remainder of my previous comment was sarcasm. However, my sarcastic venting might have been better in a comment all of it’s own and not solely directed at you. After all, there have been many commentors that evoked this response from me.
My apologies for making you the sole focus of my comment. 😉
Jono,
Thank you as well for responding in a kind manner.
After reading the paragraph that you referenced above, I admit I could have made myself more clear.
I was saying that, Rabbi’s, Sages, Church Fathers, so called, Theologians so called, etc. are men with opinions that are fallible, therefore, I put them all in the same category and that is of fallible men expressing their opinions.
This was not directed at Nehemiah, Keith or yourself.
I quit reading or listening to the “Christian” theologians etc. immediately upon my discovery that I had been lied to by them for most of my life. Now I am very cautious, not desiring to trade them for another group with a diffenent name, that being Rabbi.
These presentations are wonderful. If you have no time for others then that is well understood. I appreciate whatever offering you provide.
YHVH bless you.
Shalom
The Remnant – many ppl overlook what Ezekiel says about Sodom… it wasn’t stated that it was the homosexuality that caused God to come down… Sodom’s behavior is a lot like ancient Rome and Greece. Greed and selfishness ruled the day… and the people at the top of society were involved heavily in homo and bi-sexuality. Nothing new under the sun.
A comment was made towards the end of this program about certain ancient rabinacle writings which recorded their thoughts and ideas about various meanings of the word ‘blessed’. Can you offer something specific where they might be found?
thanks,
I really appreciate these torah studies, thank you for your work
“Human sacrifice is an abomination to YHWH” – mmm interesting. So what we’ve been taught all the years in the “church” about Jesus being our sacrifice. Any thoughts?”
I shared my thoughts on that here, but Jono has not approved my comment. I respect jono and he has right to do that but I don’t understand why my comment was “banned” (IF it was banned?)?
G’day Pekka, yes, I have been moderating the comments. The reason your comment was not published is because it detracted from the discussion on the Torah portion by introducing an issue regarding your particular theology. The discussion pertained to Isaak, not Jesus. Your attempt to explain why the human sacrifice of Jesus was not a human sacrifice might be better floated on, for example, the Profound Prophecy forum.
To all commentors: please consider, when commenting, that the purpose of the Torah Pearls is to explore the Torah based only on the text at hand. We occasionally may touch on a relative passage in the Tanakh, we may also float traditional understandings in order to highlight what is and isn’t in the text, but we have agreed to allow the listener to draw their own conclusions regarding how these perspectives may relate to their NT theology.
I would encourage listeners to center their comments on the text of Torah rather than use the comments as a soap-box to advocate a particular position of theology unrelated to the words on the page just because they feel their position has been threatened.
Hello Everyone!
Just a quick comment to Jono – LOVE the Torah Pearls! I have been downloading and listening at work. What an increadible blessing. Keith & Nehemia have been great. Thank you for all you do! Blessings to you and your family.
I was wondering what people’s thoughts were on the first few verse where YHVH appears to Abraham. As wee see later on in Exodus, it is impossible for a man to see YHVH and live. It is possible that any messenger who comes on behalf of YHVH speaks and is referred to as YHVH? Thoughts?
Regarding not being able to find 10 righteous, I think people miss the first negotiation of five less, YHWH agreed he would not destroy the city. Abraham left off at 10 because YHWH had already agreed he would not destroy for 5 less. This would bring the actual number to 5. There were 4 that came out…..They could not even find one more to make the 5 needed. WOW……