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Latest Podcasts in Understanding Torah
Mark Call – Parsha “Emor” teaching from Shabbat Shalom Mesa
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa Fellowship for a two-part look at parsha "Emor" (Leviticus/Vayikra chapters 21 through 24). And this time the parsha contains references to a lot of things that don't even exist any more, which - as we will see - make it all the...
Torah Teachers’ Round Table – Tanakh Edition – Ezekiel ch 34 concl
The teachers complete the study of Ezekiel, chapter 34, including a look at what might be called the "Greater Exodus," still yet to come.
Now Is The Time with Rabbi Steve Berkson | Are You Saved? | Part 10
In part 9 of “Are You Saved?”, we read through James (Ya’akov) chapter 2 and now understand that faith/belief and works are intertwined so that one without the other cannot exist. In this lesson, Rabbi Steve Berkson takes us to the book of Hebrews, chapters 11 and 12...
Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 63 (The Foot Festival to Straying or Sealing)
It doesn’t take long to learn about Passover and Sukkot, but Shavuot? What, exactly, are we supposed to do? There is a lot of celebration, storytelling, camping, and general hilarity during our bookend feasts of Passover and Sukkot, but I’ve had more than one email or student question concerning Shavuot and what to “do.” Just eat dairy products? Just stay up all night reading Torah? That’s it?
No, no, that’s not it. Shavuot forms the axis of the foot festivals. They are called foot festivals because these are the feasts that Israel was expected to walk to three times per year. The more fortunate could ride donkeys. As we listen for the footsteps of Messiah, then where else should we listen the most closely? Yes, the foot festivals.
Two most important themes of Shavuot are the bringing of the firstfruits of the wheat and commemorating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Our working text in the Footsteps of Messiah comes from Song of Songs Chapter 4:1-5. In past newsletters, we related these two symbols, a flock of goats and clean sheep as the nation of Israel come up from her two washings, the crossing of the Reed Sea and the three-day washing to prepare for the visitation at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. The goats represent the Israelites descending from “Mount Gilead,” or the “Mount of Witness,” symbolizing Sinai, where they witnessed the Words in fire, smoke, hail, and rain:
How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are!Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep which have come up from their washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost her young. Your lips are like a scarlet (shani) thread, and your mouth is beautiful. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate behind your veil. Your neck is like the tower of David, built with layers of stones on which are hung a thousand shields, all the round shields of the warriors.Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle that graze among the lilies.
The goat’s hair formed a covering for the Tabernacle: “All the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen. All the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats’ hair.” (Ex 35:25-26)
After the “mount of Witness,” the Israelites begin to work under the inspiration of the Ruach HaKodesh with Betzalel and Oholiav. As an aside, it is a given within the ancient Jewish way of viewing the Revelation at Sinai, that the offer of the Torah was made to the other 70 nations on earth as well as to Israel. Out of those 70, there was a remnant who desired the Torah, yet only one nation that unanimously, and with ONE VOICE replied, “We will do and we will hear.”
Mark Call – Double-Parsha “Acharei Mot / Kedoshim” teaching from Shabbat Shalom Mesa
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa Fellowship for a two-part look at double parsha "Acharei Mot/Kedoshim" (Leviticus/Vayikra chapters 16 through 20) -- and another of those portions that is not only filled with a variety of interesting instructions and...
Torah Teachers’ Round Table – Tanakh Edition – Ezekiel ch 33 into 34
The teachers continue the study of the Book of the prophet Ezekiel into chapter 34.
Now Is The Time with Rabbi Steve Berkson | Are You Saved? | Part 9
In Matthew 24:12 Yeshua taught that because of the increase in lawlessness, the love of many will become cold–what is the love that’s connected to the Law (Torah)? When Yeshua said, “But he who shall have endured to the end…”–what is meant by “to the end”? Moving from...
Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 62 (Footfalls on Kings)
The double Torah portion has a common thread: Those in need of purification, healing, and restoration must go through the agency of a human priest. This human priest is a type and shadow of Messiah Yeshua, a priest after the order of Malkhi-Tzedek. With types and shadows, expect some things to be identical, yet other things to be slightly different in application. As Pastor Mark and Tammy like to say, “patterns and principles.”
The one seeking restoration brings his or her various offerings to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting. From there, the service works its way inward to the bronze altar. The flames of the bronze altar purge out sin, and they provide atonement, or covering. It is from these very coals that the incense service moves the process of restoration even closer to the Divine Presence, the golden incense altar.
In performing their services, the Cohanim were required to wear a turban-like headcover (the high priest wore a type of crown on his) and to be girded with a belt, or sash. Without these, the priests could not perform the service.
In contrast, the metzorah, or leper, was required to let his hair go loose and wear torn clothes. These practices were forbidden to the priesthood when they served in the holy spaces, for they are identified with death and mourning.
Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you will not die and that He will not become wrathful against all the congregation.” (Le 10:6)
“As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’” (Le 13:45)
“The priest who is the highest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes.” (Le 21:10)
The moral of the story? Those who minister on behalf of others have fewer “rights” and more “atonement, covering” responsibilities. Priests are not allowed the depth of grieving behaviors permitted to others.
So what does that have to do with us?
Following the pattern, from Shavuot onward, members of a royal priesthood need “working clothes,” not just a garment of salvation:
A headcover, possibly a “credit crown”
An untorn garment (why else was Yeshua’s garment left whole?)
A sash or belt
Shavuot is the axis of the journey. The Mishkan and priesthood were inaugurated at Sinai to serve the tribal kingdom of royal priests. We should expect these priestly clothes to be explained in the context of Sinai. Having followed the Presence from Egypt to Sinai, from ”animal food” barley to the finest of wheat at Shavuot in untorn garments of salvation, it was time to receive the additional garments and crowns of a royal priesthood. When the Israelites said, “We will do, and we will hear,” they were awarded two…no, one…crown(s).
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Mark Call – Parsha “Tazria” teaching from Shabbat Shalom Mesa
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa Fellowship for a two-part look at parsha "Tazria" (Leviticus/Vayikra chapters 12 through 13) -- and several lessons that are dramatic, not only because they are now so "politically incorrect," but so at odds with what we have seen...
Torah Teachers’ Round Table – Tanakh Edition – Ezekiel ch 33
The teachers explore the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, into chapter 33, and what is probably one of the most clear metaphors - to us, hopefully - in Scripture: the 'Watchman on the Wall.'
Now Is The Time with Rabbi Steve Berkson | Are You Saved? | Part 8
Teaching further on the topic of guarding the Torah and possessing the Witness, Rabbi Steve takes us to Luke 10:25 to look at Messiah Yeshua tested by someone considered as “learned.” Here, the word “inherit” is connected to eternal life. What does this mean? How does...
Mark Call – Parsha “Shmini” teaching from Shabbat Shalom Mesa
Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa Fellowship for a two-part look at parsha "Shmini" (Leviticus/Vayikra chapters 9 through 11) -- and perhaps some insight as well into why what he refers to, especially now, as the 'whore church' would prefer to ignore it. This one...
