1st Portion
[8-14 October 2023]
Theme of the Book of Genesis:
Desire for life, to choose life and to create!
Meaning of "bereshit" = "in the beginning"
This week's Torah portions:
Sunday: Genesis 1:1-2:3
Monday: Genesis 2:4-19
Tuesday: Genesis 2:20-3:21
Wednesday: Genesis 3:22-4:18
Thursday: Genesis 4:19-22
Friday: Genesis 4:23-5:24
Shabbat: Genesis 5:25-6:8 & Isa 42:5-43:10
Apostolic Writings:
John 1:1-18
Col 1:15-17
Heb 1:1-3
Daily Bread for Busy Moms portions:
Joshua 1-7
Psalms 1-6
Matt 1-4
Romans 1:18-32
The word "Torah" is the Hebrew word for "Instruction." Thus the Torah is not five books of laws like many claim it to be. But rather five books of instruction. Instruction for us as believers to find life & life in abundance. Learning more about the Bible and the principles therein enables us to intentionally choose life and return to the way of living as God intended for us to do right from the start.
This does not mean that we have to start doing sacrifices again. NO! Yeshua (Jesus) was the ultimate Sacrifice and we are now under the New Covenant through His Blood. However, the principles as mentioned in the Torah haven't changed, they are still in effect. If we want to argue that the principles no longer matter, then we are in effect saying that God has changed. And we know that He NEVER changes and He NEVER goes back on His Word! We, with our fleshly understanding and man made traditions want to change things to suit ourselves - but God never change - He never has and He never will.
The Torah today is still just as important to us as it was back in the days when the Torah was the only piece of Scripture they had. How fortunate are we to now have the full Bible - which enables us to get a much more detailed picture and confirming everything that was said in the Torah!
In this first parashat/portion, we read about the Creation. When God created the earth and everything in and on it - there was a very specific order of creation. When things matter, He tells us about it in His Word. If it's not important, He wouldn't bother instructing His followers to document it.
When it comes to Creation, there is a heavenly order of creation. It was applicable with Creation and it's still applicable when we create things here on earth in today's day and age.
Firstly, we must have a revelation of what something must be like.
Secondly, we have to hear from God regarding what we want to create / do.
Thirdly, we have to create a space in which we can sow the seed. We have to create a space so that, that which we heard from God can come down in the natural. Remember that everything we see in the physical / natural - first exists in the spiritual realm.
Fourthly, a rhythm must be put in place. On the fourth day of Creation, God created the "moedim" (pronounced moe-ha-diem) / appointed times - which gives rhythm to all who lives and breathe here on earth.
Then in fifth place, after we have created a space for things to come down in the physical - we have to create in the physical as well as in the spiritual realm.
In sixth place is the reason for creation. God's reason for Creation is mankind. We are made in his image and His likeness.
And in seventh place, we know that God completed the Creation by resting / entering Shabbat.
The difference between life and death lies within a choice!
In this parashat / portion, we also read the story of Cain & Abel. Both of them brought sacrifices unto the Lord. Abel's sacrifice was accepted but Cain's was rejected. Cain was very upset with God that his sacrifice was not accepted. But what we often fail to grasp is that Abel's sacrifice was in line with Abba's instruction and thus it was well pleasing unto Him. Cain came to God with his "left overs" - with a mentality of "God knows my heart & God will understand, it does not really matter what I bring."
Right from the start of the Bible, God makes it clear how He wants to be worshipped. When we don't follow His instructions, we can't be like Cain - wondering why God doesn't answer our prayers or why we're not getting breakthrough in our lives. Cain's offering wasn't accepted because he didn't do it according to God's instructions. There is no hidden reason or something that's hard to explain. Cain became a wanderer / sojourner of this earth as a result of his own choices. If Cain followed God's instructions, his offering would have been accepted. The very same principle still applies to our lives to this very day! If we follow Abba's instructions, we will be blessed!
Further on we read that Adam and Eve had another son, named Seth. And from Seth's line, Noah was born. From Scripture we know that Noah was a righteous man. But what does "being a righteous man" even mean? Being righteous in the eyes of God means that you keep on choosing life, in other words - Noah kept on choosing to follow God's instructions and doing what God asked of him.
God spoke life and created, and then gave mankind a choice: life vs death.
Thus what we can learn from this Torah portion is that we should choose life and make choices that will result in righteousness - because we are obeying the instructions. We need to get to the point where we stop trying to change God's instruction to fit our lives. Instead we should allow His instructions to change our lives. It's not simply about keeping the instructions according to our own understanding and fleshly desires, but keeping them in the way that God tells us to.
When we have a true desire for life, we will be willing to make choices to actively pursue it.
But how do we "desire life?" On the first day of Creation, God only created one thing... Light.
This light was not the sun. The sun, moon & stars were only created on the fourth day.
Life and Light are connected to one another. You cannot have the one without the other. When light comes into a place, life comes in. When you have a desire for life, following the instructions becomes a delight. We are called to be a light in this world! Our lives should be a light unto non-believers, a display of Abba's goodness and faithfulness when we follow His instructions.
Yeshua is the Light of life! He is the One Who maintains life.
[John 8:12] "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
Without Yeshua, Who is the Light of Life, we cannot exist. We are called to be followers of Yeshua. If Yeshua is the Light of Life, then we have to be the light unto the world as well.
The entire Torah is about choosing life. The first portion (bereshit) of the instructions is about choosing life through following the instructions.
And with the Apostolic Writings (New Testament) that links to this portion, we read that we should choose Yeshua. Since we are no longer under the Old Covenant (sacrifices & circumcision, etc.) but under the New Covenant (Blood of the Lamb) - it's no longer just a set of instructions. But a lifestyle of following Yeshua's lifestyle. And that's a lifestyle of following the instructions! Choosing life is about choosing Yeshua!
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Portion 1: Bereshit (The blog you are reading now)
