Category Archives: Torah Portion

Genesis – TP #3.5 – Circumcision and The Promise

Genesis 17:1,2 “Abram became ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am your God. Be pleasing in My presence and be blameless, 2and I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will increase you very much.”

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Genesis – TP #3.4 – Hagar and Sarai

Genesis 15:4 “And at once the voice of the Lord came to [Abram], saying, “[your house servant] will not be your heir, rather one who will come from you, he will be your heir.”

God promised Abram that the inheritance would be for his son. But Sarai was without children. Rather than talk to God about it, Sarai had a plan for Abram.

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Genesis – TP #3.3 – The Covenant

The Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. God promised that the heir of Abram would be Abram’s son and that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens. Genesis 15:6 then records, “And Abram trusted God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

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Genesis – TP #3.2 – Abram and Lot Separate

Abram again settled in the region of Bethel. His livestock had increased since last he was there. Lot also saw an increase in his livestock. The land was no longer able to sustain them both. Abram told Lot to choose a region to settle, and he would choose the opposite direction. Lot desired the land on the other side of the Jordan near Sodom and established himself there. Abram stayed in the land of Canaan.

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Genesis – TP #3.1 – Abram is Called

We ended the last Torah Portion with the birth of Abram and the death of his father, Terah. Terah was 70 years old when he became a father, and he lived for 205 years. Genesis 12:4 tells us that Abram was 75 when he left Haran after his father died. That would mean that Terah was 130 years old when he fathered Abram. (205-75=130). Abram was not the firstborn of Terah. And, there would have been 60 years between the firstborn and Abram. Since Nahor took one of Haran’s daughters as his wife, we may be safe in saying that Haran was the oldest, Nahor was the middle child, and Abram was the youngest. But, it’s not possible to pinpoint the age of Terah at the birth of Nahor.

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Genesis – TP #3 – Lech Lecha Summary

Six chapters encompass this portion. It begins with Abram leaving Haran after his father dies and going to the land of Canaan. From there, he goes to Egypt during a famine and returns to the same place he left in Canaan. Abram and Lot separate ways and Lot settles around Sodom. Abram goes to battle against some kings that attacked Sodom, and afterward, we meet Melchizedek. God promises Abram a son but after many years, Sarai gives her handmaid Hagar to Abram to father a son through her. God changes Abram’s name to Abraham and makes a covenant with Abraham. Then circumcision is given as a sign of the covenant. Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah and she is promised that she will be the one to have the promised son.

As you can see, a lot happens in these six chapters. Rather than giving a snippet of each section, we’ll save that for the posts to come.

October 9, 2021 – Torah Portion #2

Today’s Torah Portion:

Noach – Noah

Genesis 6:9 – 11:32

Haftarah:

Isaiah 54:1 – 55:5
Isaiah 66:1-24

New Testament:

Luke 17:20-27


Next Week’s Torah Portion:

Lech Lecha – Go From Your Land

Genesis 12:1 – 17:27

Haftarah:

Isaiah 40:27 – 41:16

New Testament:

John 8:51-58

Genesis – TP #2.6 – Genealogy of Noah

We’ve finally made it to the second genealogy of Genesis. But first, there is chapter 10 that tells us about the descendants of the sons of Noah. Chapter nine ends with the death of Noah, having lived nine hundred and fifty years. Life goes on, and the earth is populated through Noah’s sons.

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Genesis – TP #2.5 – Ham Fathered Canaan

Genesis 9:18 “Now the sons of Noah who went out from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth: Ham was father of Canaan.”

Noah had three sons come out of the ark. Why mention at this point that Ham fathered Canaan? Chapter 10 gives a list of Noah’s descendants. That list shows that Ham had four sons. Why is it necessary to mention one of Ham’s sons in verse 18 when talking about Noah’s sons?

Let’s investigate and let Scripture interpret this Scripture for us.

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Genesis – TP #2.4 – The Genesis 9:3 Controversy

Genesis 9:3 “And every moving thing that is living will be yours for food; like grassy vegetables, I give you all things.”

That sounds self-explanatory. Where’s the controversy?

There are no contradictions or errors in the Torah. If there were, then God made a mistake, and He is not perfect. If our understanding of some Scripture causes contradictions with other Scripture, Scripture is not the problem; our comprehension is.

The Torah provides a list of animals for food and animals we are not to eat, otherwise known as clean and unclean animals. Genesis 9:3 makes it sound like all animals are for food. And therein lies the controversy. Is it a contradiction, or can it be reconciled?

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