Sunday, October 26, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Experience the Bible
You can't fully understand the Bible until you go there, feel it, smell it, touch it, hear it and climb it!
Samaria: See Pictures Below
Natalie Turner
Land and Bible
Samaria
The ancient cities of Bet El and Ai were located on the Road of the Patriarchs. Ai which means “ruin” and Bet El which means “house of God” is where God met with Abram and later Jacob. Abram and Lot camped their until Lot split off from Abram and went to life in the Rift Valley to the east. God said to Abram, “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you…” (Genesis 13: 14-15) Later Jacob comes to this same area and heaven opens up before him and he names the place Bet El (Genesis 28: 10-22) This location is also significant to the victory over Ai during the time of Joshua. Unlike almost all of the other cities that Israel conquered Ai was completely destroyed!
Shiloh is the city just north of Bethel and Ai before Shechem. This is the city where the Tabernacle was during the period of the judges. Hannah came to Shiloh and prayed for a son and after her son Samuel was taken to the Tabernacle to be redeemed as the firstborn son, Samuel remaind at Shiloh to serve the Lord (Judges 21). When the Ark of the Covenant had gone down to battle against the Philistines, a messenger returned to Shiloh by way of the valley west to Aphek. Eli sat near the gate leading to the Tabernacle and when he heard the news that the Ark of the Covenant had been captured by the Philistines, he fell off his chair and broke his neck. The vineyard of Shiloh is also where the Benjimites got wives from when the women had gone out singing and dancing!
Shechem lies beneath the shadow of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Today the Samaritans who live on Mount Gerizim still sacrifice the Passover lamb during their Pasach. They are a small group of people numbering about five hundred who have maintained a pure genealogical line from generations past. Today’s Shechem is a flourishing metropolitan city. Refugee camps were built after Israel had become a state for the Arab population. However, Israel has given the Palestinian control over these areas and there is no more need for these refugee camps. The Palestinian city has every means to absorb them in to their growing population, but uses the Refugee camps purely for Propaganda. Areas like this one is where we hear of Muslim suicide bombers, because life in the camps are so horrible that they feel and are even told that their reward from Allah would be great if they were to die and take as many people as they possibly could with them.
After the Israelites entered the promised land, God instructed his people to recite the blessings on Mount Gerizim and the curses on Mount Ebal. When Yeshua came to the area of Samaria, he met a Samaritan woman at the well (John 4: 1-32).
Land and Bible
Samaria
The ancient cities of Bet El and Ai were located on the Road of the Patriarchs. Ai which means “ruin” and Bet El which means “house of God” is where God met with Abram and later Jacob. Abram and Lot camped their until Lot split off from Abram and went to life in the Rift Valley to the east. God said to Abram, “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you…” (Genesis 13: 14-15) Later Jacob comes to this same area and heaven opens up before him and he names the place Bet El (Genesis 28: 10-22) This location is also significant to the victory over Ai during the time of Joshua. Unlike almost all of the other cities that Israel conquered Ai was completely destroyed!
Shiloh is the city just north of Bethel and Ai before Shechem. This is the city where the Tabernacle was during the period of the judges. Hannah came to Shiloh and prayed for a son and after her son Samuel was taken to the Tabernacle to be redeemed as the firstborn son, Samuel remaind at Shiloh to serve the Lord (Judges 21). When the Ark of the Covenant had gone down to battle against the Philistines, a messenger returned to Shiloh by way of the valley west to Aphek. Eli sat near the gate leading to the Tabernacle and when he heard the news that the Ark of the Covenant had been captured by the Philistines, he fell off his chair and broke his neck. The vineyard of Shiloh is also where the Benjimites got wives from when the women had gone out singing and dancing!
Shechem lies beneath the shadow of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Today the Samaritans who live on Mount Gerizim still sacrifice the Passover lamb during their Pasach. They are a small group of people numbering about five hundred who have maintained a pure genealogical line from generations past. Today’s Shechem is a flourishing metropolitan city. Refugee camps were built after Israel had become a state for the Arab population. However, Israel has given the Palestinian control over these areas and there is no more need for these refugee camps. The Palestinian city has every means to absorb them in to their growing population, but uses the Refugee camps purely for Propaganda. Areas like this one is where we hear of Muslim suicide bombers, because life in the camps are so horrible that they feel and are even told that their reward from Allah would be great if they were to die and take as many people as they possibly could with them.
After the Israelites entered the promised land, God instructed his people to recite the blessings on Mount Gerizim and the curses on Mount Ebal. When Yeshua came to the area of Samaria, he met a Samaritan woman at the well (John 4: 1-32).
Samaria
Standing on Mt. Gerizim looking over to Mt. Ebal and looking down on Shechem.
The city of Ai and Bet El.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Weekly Torah Portion Deuteronomy 31
Natalie Turner
Jewish Thought and Practice
Vayelekh
ArtScroll Chumash and Rashi:
Deuteronomy commands the nation of Israel to read Torah before the people of Israel; its men women and children and also the strangers in the land (Deuteronomy 31: 10-30). It is the responsibility of the parents to teach their children Torah. How do they do this? One way is by the words of the Sh’ma in Deuteronomy 6. Sh’ma is said twice a day because God says to talk about the commands when you get up and when you lay down (Deuteronomy 6:7). “In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded You?’ tell him the Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today” (Deuteronomy 6). During the Feast of Pasach, children are prompted to ask questions like, “Why do we eat unleavened bread on this night only while every other night we eat leavened bread?” This simple question allows the head of the household to explain to his child the story of the Exodus when God called his people out of the land of slavery. In the same way Gentiles (strangers) will see the practices of the Jewish People and ask questions regarding certain religious observances. And just like the head of the house hold explains who God is and what He did for His people, God’s people, the Jewish Nation should turn to the strangers in their land and explain to them the importance of Torah; who God is, who the Jew is because of what God did and the instructions God gave His people to be a “lasting ordinance for the generations to come.”
Jewish Thought and Practice
Vayelekh
ArtScroll Chumash and Rashi:
Deuteronomy commands the nation of Israel to read Torah before the people of Israel; its men women and children and also the strangers in the land (Deuteronomy 31: 10-30). It is the responsibility of the parents to teach their children Torah. How do they do this? One way is by the words of the Sh’ma in Deuteronomy 6. Sh’ma is said twice a day because God says to talk about the commands when you get up and when you lay down (Deuteronomy 6:7). “In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded You?’ tell him the Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today” (Deuteronomy 6). During the Feast of Pasach, children are prompted to ask questions like, “Why do we eat unleavened bread on this night only while every other night we eat leavened bread?” This simple question allows the head of the household to explain to his child the story of the Exodus when God called his people out of the land of slavery. In the same way Gentiles (strangers) will see the practices of the Jewish People and ask questions regarding certain religious observances. And just like the head of the house hold explains who God is and what He did for His people, God’s people, the Jewish Nation should turn to the strangers in their land and explain to them the importance of Torah; who God is, who the Jew is because of what God did and the instructions God gave His people to be a “lasting ordinance for the generations to come.”
The Jewish Book of Why by Natalie Faye
Natalie Turner
Jewish Thought and Practice
The Second Jewish Book of Why
Why are some practices banned or discouraged in Jewish Law simply because they may give the wrong impression?
Most religious Jews will refrain from putting out Margerine (purely vegetable based) out at a meat meal even though this would in no way be braking Kosher laws. In the same way, a non-dairy creamer for coffee is often not put out on the table during a meat meal. The reason for this is not because it breaks Kosher rules and regulations, but it is done for the Gentiles sake so that he or she will not be confused.
Why are some non-Jews offended when Jews use the abbreviated form “Xmas” for “Christmas”?
The use of “Xmas” was first used as an abbreviation for the word “Christmas” in order to save writing space. Many Jewish people have continued to use “Xmas” instead of “Christmas” because Christmas contains the word Christ. The word Christ to a Jewish person is like nails on a chalk board. The words Christ, Christian, Church and Cross were symbols of the Crusaders who massacred Jews in Europe all in the name of Christ.
Why did Christians change the day on which the Sabbath is observed from Saturday to Sunday?
The answer is simple; Anti-Semitism. The church split off from its Jewish roots “asserting independence” during the persecution of the Jews in Europe. The Roman emperor Constantine made this change official replacing what God had commanded in Deuteronomy.
Why do some Jews place a hand on their heads before drinking or eating?
If a religious Jew cannot find his Kippah in time to say the blessings, he places his hand on his head to remember that he is below the Almight God. However, some Rabbi’s would not agree that the Yam (hand) can serve as a head covering because, “one part of the body cannot serve as a covering for another part.”
Jewish Thought and Practice
The Second Jewish Book of Why
Why are some practices banned or discouraged in Jewish Law simply because they may give the wrong impression?
Most religious Jews will refrain from putting out Margerine (purely vegetable based) out at a meat meal even though this would in no way be braking Kosher laws. In the same way, a non-dairy creamer for coffee is often not put out on the table during a meat meal. The reason for this is not because it breaks Kosher rules and regulations, but it is done for the Gentiles sake so that he or she will not be confused.
Why are some non-Jews offended when Jews use the abbreviated form “Xmas” for “Christmas”?
The use of “Xmas” was first used as an abbreviation for the word “Christmas” in order to save writing space. Many Jewish people have continued to use “Xmas” instead of “Christmas” because Christmas contains the word Christ. The word Christ to a Jewish person is like nails on a chalk board. The words Christ, Christian, Church and Cross were symbols of the Crusaders who massacred Jews in Europe all in the name of Christ.
Why did Christians change the day on which the Sabbath is observed from Saturday to Sunday?
The answer is simple; Anti-Semitism. The church split off from its Jewish roots “asserting independence” during the persecution of the Jews in Europe. The Roman emperor Constantine made this change official replacing what God had commanded in Deuteronomy.
Why do some Jews place a hand on their heads before drinking or eating?
If a religious Jew cannot find his Kippah in time to say the blessings, he places his hand on his head to remember that he is below the Almight God. However, some Rabbi’s would not agree that the Yam (hand) can serve as a head covering because, “one part of the body cannot serve as a covering for another part.”
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Trip to the Negev
This week we spent traveling the biblical and modern day Negev. We spent two of the nights in hostels and one night in a hotel. After visiting Beer Shevah and Arad, we traveled down to Gulf of Aquaba (Red Sea) and snorkeled at Elat. Wednesday we spent the day in the Timnah National Park hiking and touring a model of the Tabernacle. Early Friday morning we woke up and hiked Masada for a beautiful sunrise overlooking the Dead Sea and the Roman camps below. Our last stop for the trip was Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. It was an amazing trip! We did so much!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Shepherding Sheep
Friday we went to the Biblical Gardens, where we learned how to shepherd sheep. It's not that easy, let me tell you. There are so many biblical pictures that come from a shepherd and his sheep.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Yom Kippur Street Race
Because there are no cars on the freeway during Yom Kippur, Bill, Isaiah and Kaelyn had a foot race down the middle of the highway.
Hebrew
We study a HEBREW book
Written by HEBREWS
We serve a HEBREW Lord
Who had HEBREW disciples
We desire to follow the first century church which was first predominitly HEBREW
And through Christ we are grafted into a HEBREW family.
It just makes sense to study the HEBREW language, culture, history, thought and practice.
Written by HEBREWS
We serve a HEBREW Lord
Who had HEBREW disciples
We desire to follow the first century church which was first predominitly HEBREW
And through Christ we are grafted into a HEBREW family.
It just makes sense to study the HEBREW language, culture, history, thought and practice.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Reading of the Sefer Torah
Durning our combine Jewish Thought and Practice class and Biblical Hebrew class, we had the opportunity to read from a Sefer Torah. Here I am using the Yad (hand) to read from the Torah (Deuteronomy). It's so neat to be able to have the ability to read or at least recognize the Scriptures (Tanakh) in the language it was written in.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Hope your all still watching.
The internet here has been down for the last couple of days, which means I can't post new pictures and video's on my blog.
This weekend is our first overnight trip.
We're going to Ein Gedi and will hike it Sunday morning.
But until then, Saturday afternoon is a relaxed day floating in the Dead Sea and camping out under the stars.
Shalom
The internet here has been down for the last couple of days, which means I can't post new pictures and video's on my blog.
This weekend is our first overnight trip.
We're going to Ein Gedi and will hike it Sunday morning.
But until then, Saturday afternoon is a relaxed day floating in the Dead Sea and camping out under the stars.
Shalom
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