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GRACE

 

AS always we start with…

 

Luk 24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Luk 24:45  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, (KJV)

 

Not only is the law, Torah, prophetic, Yeshua also had some other very weighty comments about the law, Torah.

 

Mat 23:23  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

(KJV)

 

Mat 23:23  Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim, for you give maasros (tithe) of mint and dill and cumin, and you have neglected the matters of the Torah of greater consequence: mishpat, chesed, and emunah. These things it was necessary to do and those [others] not to neglect.  (OJB)

 

How many folk can you name that would start a bible study on faith or mercy or grace

or any other supossed New Testament only concept and even consider going to Beresheit or Shemot or Vayikra????

 

 

Joh 5:46  For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

Joh 5:47  But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

 

Yeshua being the very embodiment of GRACE and Moshe’ being the greatest prophet of the Messiah we can readily see that Torah’s teaching on GRACE will be very  important for us to grasp!!!!

 

 

If we neglect, disregard, and especially throw out  Moses’s teaching about mercy or faith or grace or discernment or any other supposed new testament only concept,  we will wind up not believing Him!!! (an evil heart of unbelief)

 

We will ultimately wind up believing self or something self has concocted and will ultimately depart from the living God through unbelief!!!

 

Glory be Roy, I thought there wasn’t any grace in the Old Testament, the Torah!!!!

 

 

 

First mention in Torah is……

 

 

Gen 6:7  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Gen 6:8  But Noah found grace(@j khane) in the eyes of the LORD.

 

 

 

@j khane  kindness, favor 

 

(hmmm, whose kindness and favor)

 

 

j    To enclose private   Absolute value=8 

 

@      Quickening life        Absolute value =50

From the pages of Harav Yitzchak Ginsburg

In Hebrew, each letter possesses a numerical value. Gematria is the calculation of the numerical equivalence of letters, words, or phrases, and, on that basis, gaining, insight into interrelation of different concepts

The assumption behind this technique is that numerical equivalence is not coincidental. Since the world was created through God's "speech," each letter represents a different creative force. Thus, the numerical equivalence of two words reveals an internal connection between the creative potentials of each one.

There are four ways to calculate equivalence of individual letters:

Absolute value, (in Hebrew: mispar hechrachi) also known as Normative value:

Each letter is given the value of its accepted numerical equivalent alef (the first letter) equals 1, beit (the second letter) equals 2, and so on. The tenth letter, yud is numerically equivalent to 10, and successive letters equal 20, 30, 40, and so on. The letter kuf near the end of the alphabet, equals 100; and the last letter, tav equals 400.

In this reckoning, the letters chaf sofiet (final chaf), mem sofiet, nun sofiet, pei sofiet, and tzadik sofiet which are the "final forms" of the letters chaf, mem, nun, pei,and tzadik, used when these letters conclude a word, generally are given the same numerical equivalent of the standard form of the letter. However, sometimes the final is considered.

 

Doing the numbers first……

 

 

8= a new beginning,a result of YHWH Gods              kindness and graciousness to us

 

 

50= deliverance and freedom, a result of YHWH Gods kindness and graciousness to us

 

8+50=58        5+8=13   Whoaaa Nelly, surely not the number 13 associated with grace!!!!

 

13=     Rebellion   (maybe an evil heart of unbelief)

 

Lets look at Noah’s case

 

 

THE INDICMENT

 

 

Gen 6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Gen 6:6  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Gen 6:7  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Gen 6:8  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

 

 

Was YHWH God showing favoritism by extending grace only to Noah???

 

 

Lets get some more N.T. commentary…..

 

Rom 2:4 Or perhaps you despise the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience; because you don't realize that God's kindness is intended to lead you to turn from your sins.

Rom 2:5 But by your stubbornness, by your unrepentant heart, you are storing up anger for yourself on the Day of Anger, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed;  (CJB)

 

Had YHWH God been kind, forbearing and patient with those other than Noah.

 

 

Absolutely He had!!!!!!

 

 

God’s mercy and forbearance should have led them to repent, but they didn’t, why???

 

Up until the time God gave the indictment and during the time Noah was building the Ark, would you say Noah was sinlessly perfect???

 

Absolutely not!!!!

 

 

So hows comes does Noah find grace (favor, kindness, help in time of need) in the eyes of YHWH God??

 

Lets look at some commentary from the Brit Chadassah, (new testament) about Noah….

 

 

Heb 11:7  By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

 

Even though not perfect, Noah believed YHWH God and obeyed

 

God extended kindness and graciousness to Noah to help him build the ark and understand how he should conduct himself during a time of unbelievable judgment because Noah believed what YHWH God had said about bringing judgment and destroying mankind!!!!!

 

(hmmmm….wonder what everyone else was believing??????)

 

 

Remember, every man believes something!!!

 

 

Maybe what their grandpappys had said was the way it was……..

 

 

Maybe what those of esteem amongst them was saying the way it was………

 

Maybe what they thought their horoscopes were telling them the way it was going to be…

 

It’s obvious they were believing everything except what God had said!!!!!

 

Because of their evil hearts of unbelief, they did not think it of any concern to prepare for Gods judgment, because in their minds, “IT WASN’T GTOING TO HAPPEN”!!!!

 

 

 

 

Grace was extended to Noah because He believed what God had said as is evidenced by his actions. (his was not an evil unbelieving heart but a believing heart)

 

At this juncture in our examination of grace we become acutely aware of the importance

it is to us that we know what God says, not what our grandpappys say, not what those we esteem say, not what a denomination says, or anyone else, but what does YHWH God say. 

 

 

Here is why I believe the number 13 occurs in the reducing of the number 58 to finally arrive at the number 4

 

 (4=  the messiah)

 

 

YHWH God’s mercy and kindness and forebearance and grace should lead us to love and follow him, if we don’t love and follow Him his grace is the indictment against us!!!!!

 

Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing (13= rebellion) from the living God.

 

 

God’s grace is vitally connected to what God says

 

The grace of God is not Him giving us the right to do as we please, but it is His giving us help to walk in His teaching and instruction.

 

Physical possessions are not the measuring line of Gods grace….

 

What is the measuring line we should use?

 

 

A love of the truth

A loving heart

A joyous heart

A peaceful spirit

A humble spirit

A servant’s attitude toward our fellow man

A spirit of self-control

 

 

Now that we are beginning to get a grip on grace, lets look at some more commentary in the Brit Chadassah (n.t.)

 

 

 

1Pe 5:5  Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

 

 

What does this verse immediately tell us about Noah??? (Think of all the ridicule he endured)

 

 

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

 

 

What if Noah had failed of the grace of God, would he have started the ark and then when the hard labor of building the ark became a reality would he have stopped????

 

If in Noah’s eyes grace was Gods giving him the right to do what he wanted to or some kind of unmerited favor would he even have started the enormously laborious task of building the ark???

 

Noah was fully convinced that what God had promised to do, He would and could do.

 

 

2Co 6:1  We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

 

 

In the account of Noah, who received of the graciousness of God in vain, was it not those who did not believe God through Noah’s warnings and consequentially His grace became their indictment????

 

Rom 1:5  through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name's sake, (NASB)

 

As demonstrated through Noah, Gods grace was to help Noah obey YHWH God….

 

Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear

 

 

How did YHWH Gods grace help Noah to serve, with reverence and Godly fear….. 

 

 

 

 

Let’s end with a sharp reminder

 

 

Jud 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

Mat 24:37  But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Mat 24:38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,

Mat 24:39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

 

What will mankind be doing?????

 

 

Abusing Gods Grace!!!!!