Buffalo, Bacon or Sloth?

I would certainly eat that delicious bacon, but My Father in heaven has forbidden me to eat of it, so I will not.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Shemini (שמיני | Eighth)

Torah: Leviticus 9:1-11:47

Haftarah: 2 Sam. 6:1-7:17

Gospel: Mark 9:1-13

Dilemma in Translation

"I am a friend to all who fear You, to all who keep Your mandates" (Psa 119:63).

That possessive noun I translated "Your mandates" [פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ / PIQUDEYKHA] is from the same Hebrew root word [פ-ק-ד / P-Q-D] as the verb often translated "visiting" in Exo 20:5 --

"... visiting [פֹּ֠קֵד / POQED] the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me ..."

The NIV wrongly translates this verb "punishing."

DID GOD THE FATHER ACTUALLY FORSAKE JESUS SOME TIME WHILE THE SON OF GOD WAS ON THE CROSS?

"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'" (Mat 27:46; Cf Psa 22:1; Mar 15:34).

It is commonly taught in Christian congregations that, at the moment when Christ cried out with this quote from Psa 22:1 ("My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"):

1. "The Godhead was ripped apart."
2. "God the Father hid His face from God the Son, forsaking Christ for the time being, because Christ had taken upon himself our sin, and God cannot look upon sin."
3. Similar such things.

Blood on the Doorposts

Although Passover is celebrated annually, the Israelite homes were never again smeared with blood from the Passover lambs.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Pesach (פסח | Passover)

Torah: Exodus 12:21-51

Haftarah: Joshua 3:5-7, 5:2-6:1, 6:27

HOW IT WAS: The Lord’s Supper as Jesus Inaugurated It. (Part #4)

Could it be that when Jesus, the rabbi from Galilee, instituted his Eucharist in the 1st century that he (or a later follower of his) also introduced a new custom into the (then fairly fluid) Jewish Passover liturgy—a custom that had the leader choose the middle of the three loaves of unleavened bread, like the 2nd person of what Christians now refer to as “the Holy Trinity” was chosen for a special assignment?

Could it be that the middle loaf of this “bread of affliction” is broken and half of it consumed, like our Lord Jesus, who was “afflict[ed]” for our sins. Indeed, he referred to himself as the “Bread of Life,” who must be personally appropriated in order for an individual to live eternally with God?[1]

HOW IT WAS: The Lord’s Supper as Jesus Inaugurated It. (Part #3)

After the second cup of wine was consumed everyone washed his hands a second time. Then the leader would take the middle of three stacked loaves of unleavened bread and hold it up. He would then break it into two unequal “halves.” After doing so, the leader pronounced the following invitation, not in the Hebrew language, but in Aramaic, a non-Jewish language:

“This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat! Whoever is needy, let him come and celebrate Passover!” [1]

HOW IT WAS: The Lord’s Supper as Jesus Inaugurated It. (Part #2)

"Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, 'Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?' And he said, 'Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, "The Teacher says, 'My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples'"'" (Mat 26:17, 18).

We can assume that in Mark’s family’s house all was cleansed of leaven and ready for the Passover holiday, as was befitting of Jews. At sundown, Jesus and his twelve closest disciples had gathered in the upper room of the house. It was time for the Passover meal.