“Yehovah will see” is the synopsis of the entire story of Genesis 22; Isaac being taken by Abraham in order to make him an olah or “burnt offering,” a sweet aroma to Yehovah. Abraham is being tested. Will his love for Isaac supersede his love for THE Elohim and creator of all things? Yehovah will see!
Yehovah Will See!
I always saw Isaac in my mind as a young child who was ignorant as to the plans that Yehovah and his father had for him.
The book of Yasher, once again, corrects some of the false images that we have been taught concerning this story.
Yehovah Will See Isaac
Listen to a short conversation between Ishmael (51) and Isaac (37) in Yasher 22.
Yasher 22:41 And when Isaac was thirty-seven years old, Ishmael his brother was going about with him in the tent. 42 And Ishmael boasted of himself to Isaac, saying, I was thirteen years old when Yehovah spoke to my father to circumcise us, and I did according to the word of Yehovah which he spoke to my father, and I gave my soul unto Yehovah , and I did not transgress his word which he commanded my father. 43 And Isaac answered Ishmael, saying, Why dost thou boast to me about this, about a little bit of thy flesh which thou didst take from thy body, concerning which Yehovah commanded thee? 44 As Yehovah lives, the Elohim of my father Abraham, if Yehovah should say unto my father, Take now thy son Isaac and bring him up as an offering before me, I would not refrain but I would joyfully accede to it. 45 And Yehovah heard the word that Isaac spoke to Ishmael, and it seemed good in the sight of Yehovah, and he thought to try Abraham in this matter.
Yehovah Will See Abraham
Yasher chapter 22 ends with a conversation between Yehovah and Satan. Here is the last part of that discussion.
Yasher 22:50 Hast thou [Yehovah] seen Abraham the son of Terah, who at first had no sons, and he served thee and erected altars to thee wherever he came, and he brought up offerings upon them, and he proclaimed thy name continually to all the earth’s seed. 51 And now that his son Isaac is born to him, he has forsaken thee, he has made a great feast for all the inhabitants of the land, and Yehovah he has forgotten. 52 For amidst all that he has done he brought thee no offering; neither olah [“burnt offering”] nor shelamim [“peace offering”], neither ox, lamb nor goat of all that he killed on the day that his son was weaned. 53 Even from the time of his son’s birth till now, being thirty-seven years, he built no altar before thee, nor brought any offering to thee, for he saw that thou didst give what he requested before thee, and he therefore forsook thee. 54 And Yehovah said to Satan, Hast thou thus considered my servant Abraham? For there is none like him upon earth, a complete and an upright man before me, one that fears Elohim and avoids evil. As I live, were I to say unto him, Bring up Isaac thy son before me, he would not withhold him from me, much more if I told him to bring up a olah [burnt offering] before me from his flock or herds. 55 And Satan answered Yehovah and said, Speak now unto Abraham as thou hast said, and Yehovah will see whether he will not this day transgress and cast aside thy words.
Yehovah Will See, And He Did See!
This is a beautiful story and there is so much to understand for those who have eyes that see. Yehovah spoke to Abraham in a vision; He did not even give all of His instructions until Abraham had acted on what he had already been told. Yehovah told Abraham to bring his promised son as a olah in the place that He would show him? Where was that place? Did Isaac understand what was going on? What day was it that Isaac was to die? Who were the men left waiting at the bottom of the hill that Abraham and Isaac ascended? How does what happened in chapter 22 (Isaac – an olah) relate to chapter 23 (Sarah dies in Hebron)? Does this story relate to Passover, the second birth and the “Time of Life? Inquiring minds want to know the answers to these questions and more.
Yehovah Ra’ah – Yehovah Will See!
Yehovah ra’ah is translated in by most as “The LORD will provide” and that translation comforts those who want to continue in the doctrines and traditions of men. BUT, Yehovah ra’ah is really “Yehovah will see.” Yehovah will see you and Yehovah will see me. The question is, “Will Yehovah see us acting according to his created purpose, or not?
For more teachings like this one (beginning at Genesis 1), visit our Join Us for Sabbath page.
Please Contact Michael to help support his work in building Yehovah’s kingdom on the earth.
Providence Ministries is NOT incorporated with any kingdom of this world. Providence Ministries is an affiliate of the Director of Ecclesiastical Enterprises, a Washington State acknowledged corporation sole of the ecclesia on file with the Secretary of the State. This charitable ministry is not for profit and maintains its nontaxable status consistent with 26 USC 508(c)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to 501 (c)(3) organizations special rules as a “mandatory exception.”
She is my sister? Oh my – what has Abraham done? The woman who he took to himself 49 years ago; the same woman who Yehovah JUST said would give him the promised son/seed on the next “Time of Life” moed (in less a year), has just been given to Abimelech as his woman.
Abraham has lived in Hebron, which is next to Mamre, for 21 years. Now, right after the destruction of Sodom he goes (I think “flees”) south to Gerar. Why did he leave so suddenly? Is it possible that he was avoiding poisonous gasses from Sodom which were coming up from the valley?
“She Is My sister” Was Said Out Of Fear
This Genesis 20 story moves along quickly; and in verse 2 Abraham is already telling Abimelech, King of Gerar about Sarah saying, “she is my sister.”
Now Abraham said of Sarah his woman, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. (Gen 20:2)
Augh! Why would Abraham say “she is my sister” except out of fear? She is his woman (there is no word for wife in Torah) and his niece; NOT his sister. He fears the king and what he can do to him, and he has failed to understand the significance of what Yehovah had told Him, through His sent ones, just days before.
Is anything too hard for Yehovah? At the appointed time [the moed] I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Gen 18:14)
Abraham is about to receive the son which Yehovah promised him 25 years before. Nothing can happen to Abraham until Sarah conceives his son and still have Yehovah’s word fulfilled. But Abraham fears the people of the land more than he trusts in Yehovah who ALWAYS does what He says He will do. And now beautiful Sarah has been taken by Abimelech as his woman.
And what about Sarah? What a woman of worth she is! Practically every woman today, if faced with the situation that Sarah found herself in, would betray her husband’s confidence. But Sarah did what Abraham asked, even to her own potential hurt. I want a woman like that!
I love this story! It demonstrates Yehovah’s faithfulness to fulfill His words even when those who truly are in covenant/cutting with Him fail miserably by saying foolish and unnecessary things like “she is my sister.”
Here is yet another case where the book of Yasher gives “the rest of the story;” I know you will find it interesting.
For more teachings like this one (beginning at Genesis 1), visit our Join Us for Sabbath page.
Please Contact Michael to help support his work in building Yehovah’s kingdom on the earth.
Providence Ministries is NOT incorporated with any kingdom of this world. Providence Ministries is an affiliate of the Director of Ecclesiastical Enterprises, a Washington State acknowledged corporation sole of the ecclesia on file with the Secretary of the State. This charitable ministry is not for profit and maintains its nontaxable status consistent with 26 USC 508(c)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to 501 (c)(3) organizations special rules as a “mandatory exception.”
Two witnesses. I have heard people talk of the two witnesses my entire life. But I am ashamed to say that these two witnesses might just as well have been called the “two Smiths.” Until this week I never realized that they are Yehovah’s eyes, the two men that He needs to confirm His judgments on a wicked people.
Two Witnesses Are Required For Any Death Sentence
 Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two witnesses, or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you. (Deu 17:6-7)
“One witness shall not rise against a man (eesh) concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses the matter shall be established. (Deu 19:15)
If we do a search for the phrase “Two Witnesses” in all of what most people call the “Bible” we will find that there is only one place that talks about two men who are called “two witnesses.” That phrase is only found in the NT commentaries in the book called “The Revelation of John.” Before this week I would have said that you will not find “two witnesses” in Torah. But I am always learning, and this week was no different.
And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Rev 11:3)
Look at that! The two witnesses are called, “My Two Witnesses.” So cool, in light of what we saw today.
The Two witnesses, Are Men; Not Angels!
AND he [Abraham] saw Yehovah coming towards him, by Mamre’s strong tree, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men [enoshim, plural of eesh] were coming to him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Master [adoni], if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.” (Gen 18:1-3)
Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. And he said, “Here now, my master [adoni], please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.” (Gen 19:1-2)
Angels!? I hate the use of all “religious” words that mislead men who want to know Yehovahand His eternal and unchanging ways. The word malach or malak is often translated as angels, but they are “messengers” who are sent (shalach) by Yehovah to speak and act on His behalf. Throughout Genesis chapters 18 and 19 these supposed “angels” are called “enoshim,” the plural form of “eesh” or “man”. The three men in chapter 18 who come to Abraham, and the two men who come to Lot in chapter 18 are known by them.
“Elohim is not a eesh, that He should lie, nor a son of adam, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Num 23:19)
So Who Were These Three Men?
The answer to this question comes when we understand what a sent one, a shalach, actually is. I like to use the example of Eliezer who was sent by Abraham to find a bride for his son Isaac when describing who a shalach is. What Eliezer did was as if Abraham had done it. What Eliezer said was as if Abraham had said it. The gifts Eliezer gave were as if Abraham had given them and the decisions Eliezer made were as if Abraham had made them. Was he Abraham? No, and yes. He was his sent one, Abraham’s shalach.
For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of Yehovah, and Yehovah has sent us [shalachim, plural of shalach] to destroy it.” (Gen 19:13)
Moses too was sent by Yehovah. Listen to what Yehovah tells Moses about Aaron and then Pharaoh.
So the anger of Yehovah was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as Elohim. (Exo_4:14-16)
So Yehovah said to Moses: “See, I have made you as Elohim to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send Israel’s seed out of his land. (Exo 7:1-2)
Who Were Yehovah’s The Two Witnesses?
I’m going to suggest to you that Abraham and Lot both knew these men. Both of them recognized them from a distance, came to them, bowed down to them and called them “my master” or “adoni.” Who would Yehovah use to represent Him on the earth at this time and who would both Abraham and Lot trust without question? There is only one man, and his name is Shem. We saw in Genesis 14 that he was the melchi-zedek (the righteous’ king) and also, as we saw in Yasher the adoni-zedek (the righteous’ master). Noah [who died when Abram was 58] and Shem raised Abraham and taught him the ways of Yehovah for 39 of his first 49 years. Would it make sense that the three men who first came to Abraham were Shem, Eber and one other? Would it make sense that both Abraham and Lot would run to them, bow down with their faces to the ground and call him (Shem, the leader of the three) adoni (my master) when they greet him? Shem was the one who was carrying the same “Rod of Elohim” that Moses is going to carry in the future. Do Abraham and Shem greet every passerby this way?
The Two Witnesses Have To Be Men Who Are Mature In Understanding Yehovah’s Word
Only Shem and Eber fit the bill for the destruction of Sodom. But Sodom is just a shadow picture of the main event, which is the destruction of the earth for the second time. Who will Yehovah use this next time to represent Him? Men who are still thinking in terms of “the children of Israel” and don’t know who the Ezrach or the Ger (who dwell with them) are? Men who have never learned Yehovah’s created purpose for ‘the man’ and the man’s woman? Men who have never left the kingdom of their birth and who teach men to obey “the law of the land”? Or men who are still teaching others to keep a Seder, a foot-washing ceremony, or communion service instead of a real Exodus 12 celebration?
No, the two witnesses whom Yehovah will use in the future to represent Him on the earth will be Ezrach men who teach other men to leave the kingdoms of their birth and then, at Passover, come into covenant / cutting with Yehovah.
I still have much to say on this subject, but you will have to listen to the video to find out more.
For more teachings like this one (beginning at Genesis 1), visit our Join Us for Sabbath page.
Please Contact Michael to help support his work in building Yehovah’s kingdom on the earth.
Providence Ministries is NOT incorporated with any kingdom of this world. Providence Ministries is an affiliate of the Director of Ecclesiastical Enterprises, a Washington State acknowledged corporation sole of the ecclesia on file with the Secretary of the State. This charitable ministry is not for profit and maintains its nontaxable status consistent with 26 USC 508(c)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to 501 (c)(3) organizations special rules as a “mandatory exception.
Look, these were the sins of Sodom, your sister: 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. (Eze 16:49-50)
What where the sins of Sodom? And what did they do to others that was so offensive to Yehovah that made Him decide to destroy Sodom and her daughters from the face of the earth?
The answers to these questions may provide us with some of the wisdom we need to survive the coming last days of the world as we know it. Sodom is only a shadow picture, a regional example, of what Yehovah will bring on the earth in the future.
In my Sabbath class today we went over an itemization of the sins of Sodom in the book of Yasher in chapters 18 and 19. I believe we will see many similarities to what is happening all over the world today.
Yasher begins its description of the sins of Sodom with a short narrative about where the men of Sodom went 4 times each year; and, what they did in that place.
Yasher 18:12 And they had in their land a very extensive valley, about half a day’s walk, and in it there were fountains of water and a great deal of herbage surrounding the water.
13 And all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah went there four times in the year, with their wives [their women – there is no word for “wife” in Torah] and children and all belonging to them [male and female servants], and they rejoiced there with timbrels and dances.
Of course, this was all about the worship of the sun four-times per year; at the summer & winter solstice, and the spring and autumn equinox, a clear violation of the 2nd commandment. Today we need only look as far as Easter (spring equinox)and Christmas (winter solstice) to see these same sins of Sodom.
And the wickedness which these men performed in that valley violated both the 7th and the 10 commandments regarding adultery and covetousness. Today, we need only to check out the so-called “Family Channel” to see the promotion of adultery and the encouragement of our young sons and daughters to become sexually active. Ha, and that is just the start of the wickedness that goes on 365 days a year, not just 4 times a year.
Yasher 18:14 And in the time of rejoicing they would all rise and lay hold of their neighbor’s women and some, the virgin daughters of their neighbors, and they enjoyed them, and each man saw his woman and daughter in the hands of his neighbor and did not say a word.
Sins of Sodom – Theft And Lies
Next Yasher gives several accounts of men coming to the cities of Sodom and having their possessions taken from them. These are long narratives, but here is just a portion of the whole.
Yasher 18:16 Also when a stranger came into their cities and brought goods which he had purchased with a view to dispose of there, the people of these cities would assemble, men, women and children, young and old, and go to the man and take his goods by force, giving a little to each man until there was an end to all the goods of the owner which he had brought into the land.
17 And if the owner of the goods quarreled with them, saying, What is this work which you have done to me, then they would approach to him one by one, and each would show him the little which he took and taunt him, saying, I only took that little which thou didst give me; and when he heard this from them all, he would arise and go from them in sorrow and bitterness of soul, when they would all arise and go after him, and drive him out of the city with great noise and tumult.
Yehovah’s 8th Commandment is, “Thou shall not steal.”
Sins of Sodom – Theft, False Witness And Perverted Judgments
Next we hear the story of a wicked man (Hedad) who gave refuge to a traveler in order to steal his goods and his money. He bore false witness before the judge of Sodom and the judge rendered an erroneous decision in support of the wicked man.
Yasher 18:28 And the man saddled his ass to go, and he asked Hedad to give him the cord and mantle to tie it upon the ass.
29 And Hedad said to him, What sayest thou? And he said to him, That thou my lord shalt give me the cord and the mantle made with divers colors which thou didst conceal with thee in thy house to take care of it.
30 And Hedad answered the man, saying, This is the interpretation of thy dream, the cord which thou didst see, means that thy life will be lengthened out like a cord, and having seen the mantle colored with all sorts of colors, means that thou shalt have a vineyard in which thou wilt plant trees of all fruits.
This man then took Hedad to the judge.
Yasher 18:33 And the man was provoked at the words of Hedad, and he cried bitterly, and he brought Hedad to Serak, judge of Sodom.
34 And the man laid his cause before Serak the judge, when Hedad replied, saying, It is not so, but thus the matter stands; and the judge said to the traveler, This man Hedad telleth thee truth, for he is famed in the cities for the accurate interpretation of dreams.
This traveler too went away “with bitterness of soul, lamenting and weeping.”
Yasher 18:41 And they went away quarreling from the judge; when the people of Sodom heard them, and they gathered about them and they exclaimed against the stranger, and they drove him rashly from the city.
42 And the man continued his journey upon his ass with bitterness of soul, lamenting and weeping.
The world today often uses the courts to steal everything that a man has. I was one who had my life stolen from me by my ex; my children, my home, my belongings, even my father, mother and sisters.  And it got worse.  They then tried to make me their slave. This kind of behavior displayed by those who bear false witness and by the judges (many of them women) who support this wickedness will not be allowed to go unpunished by Yehovah forever. People WILL reap what they have sown. In this story we again see a violation of the 8th commandment and now the 9th commandment also; “thou shall not bear false witness.”
Sins of Sodom – Shedding Of Blood And Murder
Finally, we see many who are hurt or killed by the people of Sodom. Some for simply being poor and others for helping the poor who came to their cities. These sins of Sodom are all being called to Yehovah’s attention.
Chapter 19 talks about the torture and murder of the innocent in the city of Sodom. Men are tortured, some are starved to death, a woman is killed for giving a traveler a drink of water, Eliezer is wounded for helping a man who was mistreated and even one of Lot’s own daughters is killed for doing kindness to a stranger.
You will have to listen to hear “the rest of the story.” The cries concerning the sins of Sodom are being heard by Yehovah and next week he is going to send two witnesses to see if what He has heard is true, or not.
And Yehovah said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” (Gen 18:20-21)
For more teachings like this one (beginning at Genesis 1), visit our Join Us for Sabbath page.
Please Contact Michael to help support his work in building Yehovah’s kingdom on the earth.
Providence Ministries is NOT incorporated with any kingdom of this world. Providence Ministries is an affiliate of the Director of Ecclesiastical Enterprises, a Washington State acknowledged corporation sole of the ecclesia on file with the Secretary of the State. This charitable ministry is not for profit and maintains its nontaxable status consistent with 26 USC 508(c)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to 501 (c)(3) organizations special rules as a “mandatory exception.â€
Abram, what an amazing man he was; he had the ability (after walking with the Creator for almost 100 years) to hear the voice of Yehovah and do what He requested. In Genesis 17 Yehovah speaks to Abram in a vision and gives him a new name (Abraham); and Sarai, bone of his bone and the flesh of his flesh, also gets a new name (Sarah).
The name Abram [אברהם] is spelled (right to left) aleph, bet, resh, mem and means “Exalted Father” or “High Father.” He is the father of the spiritual seed who dwell in heaven; men who have left their elohim (the lawmakers and judges of their birth) whom they previously served and now follow Abram as he follows THE Elohim and Creator of all things.
The addition of the “hey, [ה]” to Abram’s name made it Abraham [אברהם], and this “hey” added yet another dimension to his high or exalted fatherhood, it adds an eternal dimension.
Genesis 17 is the prelude to Genesis 18 which describes the birth of the spiritual man, Isaac, at the “Time of Life” which falls on the “appointed time” or the “moed.” The “Time of Life” is what Passover was called before it was called Passover. The “Time of Life” (the time that Isaac was born) and the Passover (the time which Israel’s seed was, and is, born) are tied together in the Torah in many ways. The 430 year time-line from Exodus 12, the 400 year prophecy from Genesis 15, the words “that very same day” in Genesis 17 and Exodus 12, the “appointed time” of Genesis 17, Genesis 18, Leviticus 23, Exodus 12 and others.
Genesis 17 – My Covenant / My Cutting
However, the tie between Genesis 17 (the “Time of Life”) and Exodus 12 (Passover), which I want you to see clearly today, is about what Yehovah calls “My cutting” [בריתי]. It is a compound word that is used 23 times in the Torah, 9 times in Genesis 17 alone. Be·ri·ti’ is translated in most bibles as “My Covenant,” but I believe this to be yet another religious word designed to mislead and distract men, who wish to seek and pursue righteous.
And I will make My cutting between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.” (Genesis 17:2)
As for Me, behold, My cutting is with thee, and thou shall be a father of many people. (Genesis 17:4)
Yehovah cutting and Abram’s “fatherhood” seem to be connected.
As I said, be·ri·ti’ [בריתי] is a compound word; the suffix “י” [yad], when added to a noun, says “my.” The Hebrew word that the yad is being added to, in this case, is be·rit’ [ברית], which means “a cutting.” Together they say, “My Cutting.”
Again, we get trapped by these religious words, and few people have seen what I am trying to show you today; even Jeff Benner in his Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible wants to call the Hebrew word be·rit’ a “covenant;” but read carefully how he defines the be·rit’.
[ברית]
“A covenant is instituted through a sacrifice of a choice, fatted, animal which is cut into two and the parties of the covenant pass through the pieces. If one party fails to meet the agreements of the covenant then the other may do the same to them. (see Genesis 15:10,17 and Jeremiah 34:18-20)”
Now read it again and substitute the word “cutting” for “covenant.”
Here are the verses he suggests that we read. We do not cut a covenant; the cutting IS the agreement; and passing through the pieces seals the agreement! Oh my – this is so cool!
Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. (Gen 15:10)
And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. (Gen 15:17)
And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant [בריתי, be·ri·ti’], who have not performed the words of the covenant [ברית, be·rit’] which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth. (Jer 34:18-20)
Genesis 17: 10 – His Cutting
And now look at what Yehovah says what His cutting actually is!
This is My cutting which you all [men] shall keep, between Me and you all and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. (Genesis 17:10)
The cutting that Abraham made, and the cutting that all the spiritual seed of our “high father” made, and will make, is circumcision! And all our seed will pass through the literal cutting when they are conceived.
Genesis 17 goes on to describe who is to be circumcised.
Genesis 17:11 Abraham
Genesis 17:10 Every male of Abraham’s house (We are talking about his gates, he has over 1000 men with him at this point.)
Genesis 17:12 The 8 day old male and every male bought with money (these are permanent servants)
Genesis 17:13 He who was born in Abram’s house
But understanding this cutting goes still deeper. As I said, Genesis 17 is a prelude to Genesis 18; and we will see that it is fundamental to our understanding what is happening in Exodus 12. Please take note of who is to be circumcised in Exodus BEFORE the Ger can draw near and eat the Passover and become as one born in the land; or what must happen before the Passover / the “Time of Life,” the moed, appointed time that Isaac was born AND the moed that all Israel’s seed is born.
But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. (Exo 12:44)
And when a stranger [Ger] dwells with thee and wants to keep the Passover to Yehovah, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land [Ezrach]. For no uncircumcised person [always men] shall eat it. (Exo 12:48)
Ishmael was not the promised and spiritually born seed.
Ishmael did not come from Abraham’s body; Hagar was “a woman” given to him by Sarah who was “bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.” Oh – and Hagar did not get a new name, only Sarah did.
The birth of Ishmael does not fit both the 400 year prophecy, or the 430 years to that “very same day” of Exodus 12.
Ishmael never passed through Abraham cutting; while Isaac, the spiritually born seed, did.
Genesis 17 is just preparation for the coming big event which is prophesied in Genesis 18, the “Time of Life.” Here is a much more in-depth teaching on Genesis 17. I hope you will enjoy it.
For more teachings like this one (beginning at Genesis 1), visit our Join Us for Sabbath page.
Please Contact Michael to help support his work in building Yehovah’s kingdom on the earth.
Providence Ministries is NOT incorporated with any kingdom of this world. Providence Ministries is an affiliate of the Director of Ecclesiastical Enterprises, a Washington State acknowledged corporation sole of the ecclesia on file with the Secretary of the State. This charitable ministry is not for profit and maintains its nontaxable status consistent with 26 USC 508(c)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to 501 (c)(3) organizations special rules as a “mandatory exception.â€
Genesis 15 is all about Yehovah’s promise to Abram to give him “seed” [זרע, ze·rah]. This word often gets translated as “descendants;” but to be clear, when Yehovah talks about “seed,” He is always referring to men. It is the man who carries the seed of future generations and it is the man who produces after his own kind; ha·a·dam [the man] begat seed after his own image and kind after the fall, not Yehovah’s. But we will see, in this chapter, that the seed Yehovah is promising Abram, is spiritually born seed and this seed is Yehovah’s kind.
To really understand this portion of Yehovah’s word we must have a broad understanding of the Torah and Yasher in order to see how all the pieces fit together. Exodus 12 says that Israel, Yehovah’s spiritually born seed, came out of Egypt exactly 430 years to that very same day.
Now the sojourn of Israel’s seed who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years–on that very same day–it came to pass that all the armies of Yehovah went out from the land of Egypt. (Exo 12:40-41)
This number always bothered me because I knew that Israel could not have been under Pharaoh’s rule for 430 years; the numbers just do not work. When Jacob came with his family to Egypt, Levi and his sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, were already born and his daughter (their sister, Yochebed) was in uterus. She was counted among the 70 souls, but only 69 were enumerated in the role in Genesis 46.
Moses’ father was Amram, the son of Kohath, and his mother was Yochebed the daughter of Levi. So unless Yochebed had Moses at 350, something is wrong with this picture and I had to solve this mystery.
So how long were we in Egypt? Where does the count for the 430 years,
to the very same day, begin? How does the prophecy, which Abram received in his dream in Genesis 15, concerning the 400 years of Abram’s seed dwelling in “Egypt,” fit into this story? And how does a man become a spiritually born seed of Abram, a.k.a. “Israel’s seed”?
When I read Yasher for the first time (in 2008 or so) some of these answers started to emerge, but it was not until I was preparing this lesson for my Sabbath class this week that all the pieces fell together. Here is what I found then.
Jasher 81:4 And at the end of two hundred and ten years, Yehovah brought forth Israel’s seed from Egypt with a strong hand.
5 And Israel’s seed traveled from Egypt and from Goshen and from Rameses, and encamped in Succoth on the fifteenth day of the first month.
This is the day that we began by eating our Passover lambs and goats; it is the 1st day of the feast of Unleavened Bread. And because I know that Yehovah does not change and His word endures forever I had to find out what happened 430 years ago on that very same day.
Armed with this new number (210 years we were in “Egypt”) I began to work backwards. The 210 years had to start with Jacob arriving in Egypt. So how old was Jacob when he arrived?
Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?” And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” (Gen 47:8-9)
Now, that was progress; 210 + 130 = 340 years; so I kept looking.
Next, in my quest to understand the 430 years, I asked, “How old was Isaac when Jacob was born? And I found that also.
Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. (Gen 25:26)
I see it now, but I did not see it then. Probably because I was looking for 430 years to that very same day and not 400 years to that very same day; 340 + 60 = 400! But my quest to understand the 430 continued with a partial answer right before my eyes. 430 years minus 400 years left a deficit of 30 years. Abram was 100 when Isaac (as we now know is the spiritually born seed) was born on the moed called “the time of Life.” But in Genesis, the 1st time Yehovah makes his promise to Abram concerning the seed he is 75 years old. Augh! that left me a 5 year shortage; instead of 430 years I could only come up with 425 years. I shared my research with some friends but they also had no answers.
Finally the day came (about 5 years ago) that I discovered the missing 5 years. I was again reading Yasher (for about the 4th time) and this verse literally jumped out at me.
Jasher 13:17 And it was in the fifteenth year of Abram’s dwelling in the land of Canaan, which is the seventieth year of the life of Abram, and Yehovah appeared to Abram in that year and he said to him, I am Yehovah who brought thee out from Ur Casdim to give thee this land for an inheritance. 18 Now therefore walk before me and be perfect and keep my commands, for to thee and to thy seed I will give this land for an inheritance, from the river Mitzraim unto the great river Euphrates. 19 And thou shalt come to thy fathers in peace and in good age, and the fourth generation [this is referring to Moses, the only other man in Torah to call Yehovah “adoni” / “my master”] shall return here in this land and shall inherit it forever; and Abram built an altar, and he called upon the name of Yehovah who appeared to him, and he brought up sacrifices upon the altar to Yehovah.
From the time Abram was 55, he had dwelt in Canaan for 15 year and in Haran for 5, before he left for Canaan, for the 2nd time, at 75 as recorded in Genesis 12. Yehovah first spoke to Abram about his seed, the spiritually born men, inheriting their land when Abram was 70 (at the end of his 1st sojourn in Canaan); and this solved the riddle for me concerning the 430 years to that very same day. What is it that Yehovah is teaching us about that very same and special day?
What day (that very same day) was it that Yehovah spoke to Abram? I have found that Yehovah speaks to His men primarily on His moeds; Sabbaths, new moons and feast days. That day, that very same day, was what we now call the Passover; but back then it was called “the time of life.”That very same day that Abram’s spiritually born seed, Isaac, was birthed; and the very same day that Israel’s seed, Yehovah’s spiritually born men, were birthed as well. Here is my out-line for both the 430 and the 400 year prophecies which Yehovah gave to Abram when he was 70 and when he was 78, respectively. So much to learn, so little time.
Abram’s Spiritually Born Seed
0 Yehovah‘s promise to Abram
Jasher 13:17 And it was in the fifteenth year of Abram’s dwelling in the land of Canaan, which is the seventieth year of the life of Abram, and Yehovah appeared to Abram in that year and he said to him, I am Yehovah who brought thee out from Ur Casdim to give thee this land for an inheritance. 18 Now therefore walk before me and be perfect and keep my commands, for to thee and to thy seed I will give this land for an inheritance, from the river Mitzraim unto the great river Euphrates.
+5 years later Abram (75) departs from Haran
So Abram departed as Yehovah had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (Gen 12:4)
+ 25 years after Abram leave Haran Isaac is born
Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. (Gen 21:5)
+ 60 years is Isaac’ age when Jacob is born
Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. (Gen 25:26)
+130 years is Jacob speaks to Pharaoh when he arrives in Egypt with his family
Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?” And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” (Gen 47:8-9)
+210 Years in which we actually did live in Egypt
Jasher 81:4 And at the end of two hundred and ten years, Yehovah brought forth the sons of Israel from Egypt with a strong hand. 5 And the sons of Israel traveled from Egypt and from Goshen and from Rameses, and encamped in Succoth on the fifteenth day of the first month.
___ 430 Years Total
This means that Abram received this prophecy, when he was 70 years old, on the 15th day of the first month!
Oh my, the ramifications of this new knowledge is mind-boggling for folks who will leave their doctrines and traditions of men behind and begin to learn only Yehovah’s words given through Moses.
WE are so blessed to have Yehovah’s word, in some ways more than Abram. He could not see what we can now see clearly if we will take the time and do the work to understand the message line upon line.
“Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” (Isa 28:9-10)
Abram was in spiritual Egypt his whole life.
Ishmael can not be the promised seed.
Isaac and Israel’s seed were both born on the same day.
The “smoking stove” and the “flaming torch” that passed through the pieces in Abram’s dream was the “pillar of smoke and fire” which appeared with Moses and led us out of our Egypt and into Yehovah’s kingdom and toward our land.
All this is going to happen again!
Please consider joining my Sabbath classes each week; but be warned, these classes are NOT for those who love the doctrines and traditions of men that we have all learned. This is strong meat, for those who have eyes that see and a heart that desires to understand more.
Here is what we went through in this week.
Abram’s Spiritually Born Seed
2G19 Genesis 14:19 – 15 – Abram’s Spiritually Born Seed
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Ezekiel 16 describes the sins of Sodom like this:
