Treinta Piezas de Plata

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Treinta piezas de plata… Otro mal uso del contexto Bíblico

Entonces, ¿usted dice que su “Señor” fue vendido por treinta piezas de plata? No puedo discutir el hecho de que los cristianos lo afirmen o que esté escrito en el Nuevo Testamento, ¡pero no estoy impresionado con la supuesta prueba que conecta Mateo 26:15 con Zacarías 11-12-13!

Sí, he escuchado muchas “pruebas” sugeridas para la misión divina del “Señor” del cristianismo. Este tampoco funciona. Ya sabes, la historia: Judas Iscariote recibió 30 piezas de plata por la traición de su amo. Y para respaldar esta afirmación, se usa Zacarías 11:12-13.

Dice:

Y les dije: Si os parece bien, dadme mi precio; y si no, aguanta. Y pesaron por mi precio treinta piezas de plata. (¡Suena bastante convincente! Pero espera…)

Y me dijo el Señor: Echalo en el arca del tesoro, el buen precio que me han dado. Y tomé las treinta piezas de plata y las eché en el tesoro de la casa del Señor. (¡Sí, todavía suena bastante bien! Pero sigue leyendo…)

Averigüemos de dónde viene esto realmente.

En primer lugar, la versión KJV anterior del texto usa la palabra “precio” (שְׂכָרִי), que también según el hebreo Strong incluye los siguientes significados posibles:

שָׂכָר sâkâr, sierra-kawr’; de H7936; pago de contrato; concretamente, salario, pasaje, manutención; por implicación, compensación, beneficio:—alquiler, precio, recompensa(-ed), salario, valor.

Otras traducciones usan; alquiler, pago o tarifa aquí, entonces, ¿por qué se seleccionó la palabra “precio” para la KJV? Parece indicar que alguien está siendo comprado, pero ¿cuál es el contexto de Zacarías 11?

Si usamos el Tanakh para definir lo que está en Tanakh, en lugar de aplicar una pequeña cita extraída de su contexto original para dar credibilidad a una afirmación del Nuevo Testamento, tendremos una visión más completa de lo que realmente se dice. Así que retrocede e investiga el libro de Zacarías.

Zacarías 11 y mucho de la última parte de Zacarías está hablando de lo que iba a pasar con Israel y Judá por su desobediencia a su parte del pacto con YHVH que hicieron en Sinaí. Les muestra rompiendo este pacto, o y el voto de guardar el pacto que claramente se rompe significa que hay un precio que debe pagarse.

El precio por la ruptura de un voto para un hombre es de 50 siclos de plata. Para una mujer se valora en 30 piezas de plata en la Torá. ¡Sí! Es la cantidad que paga una mujer cuando hace y luego rompe un voto. Como dice el versículo siguiente, esto se paga a la tesorería del Templo. La valoración de su voto se muestra en Levítico 27:1-4:

El SEÑOR habló a Moisés, diciendo: 2 “Habla a los hijos de Israel y diles: Si alguno hace un voto especial al SEÑOR sobre el avalúo de personas, 3 entonces el avalúo de un varón de veinte años hasta sesenta años, cincuenta siclosa de plata, conforme al siclo del santuario. 4 Si la persona es mujer, la valoración será de treinta siclos.

Este es el contexto de la profecía de Zacarías 11:12-13:

“Y les dije: Si os parece bien, dadme mi salario; y si no, aguanta. Y pesaron por mi salario treinta piezas de plata. Y me dijo el Señor: Echalo en el arca del tesoro, el buen precio que me han dado. Y tomé las treinta piezas de plata y las eché en el tesoro de la casa del Señor.

Así que la cantidad de treinta es la valoración del voto de una mujer. ¿Por qué una mujer? Jesús no era una mujer. Entonces, desde el principio, el contexto no se ajusta al de la traición de Jesús. Pero algo funciona aquí; si miramos los otros capítulos de Zacarías podemos ver que Judá e Israel están representados como dos mujeres. Por ejemplo:

Zacarías 5:6-9:

Y yo dije: “¿Qué es?” Él dijo: “Esta es la canasta que está saliendo”. Y él dijo: Esta es su iniquidad en toda la tierra. 7 Y he aquí, la cubierta de plomo estaba levantada, ¡y había una mujer sentada en la canasta! 8 Y él dijo: “Esto es maldad”. Y él la metió de nuevo en la canasta, y descargó el peso de plomo en la abertura.

9Entonces alcé los ojos y miré, y he aquí, ¡dos mujeres que se adelantaban! El viento estaba en sus alas. Tenían alas como las alas de una cigüeña, y levantaron la canasta entre la tierra y el cielo. 10 Entonces le dije al ángel que hablaba conmigo: “¿A dónde llevan la canasta?” 11 Me dijo: “A la tierra de Sinar, para edificarle una casa. Y cuando esté preparado, pondrán la cesta allí sobre su base. (La profecía anterior de Judá siendo llevado a Babilonia puede parecer vaga si uno no está familiarizado con Zacarías).

Jeremías 6:2:

He comparado a la hija de Sion con una mujer hermosa y delicada.

Lamentaciones 2:1

“¿Qué cosa tomaré por testigo de ti? ¿A qué te compararé, oh hija de Jerusalén? ¿Qué te igualaré para consolarte, oh virgen hija de Sion? porque grande es tu quebrantamiento como el mar: ¿quién te podrá sanar?

Aquí y en muchos otros lugares, Israel o Judá se representa como una mujer/mujeres. Entonces, si una mujer, aquí prefigurada como Israel como una sola entidad, hace un voto y lo rompe, el valor es de 30 siclos de plata. Entonces HaShem está reclamando que ella necesita pagar por el voto roto, su voto de ser fiel al pacto que hizo con YHVH en el Sinaí. Y este dinero es para ser entregado a la tesorería del Templo, no como precio o pago de un soborno por la traición de Jesús, ¡no! Recuerda que Zacarías dice “dame mi precio (o pago o tarifa)”. (lo que me debes por romper un voto.)

Y es claro que el voto del pacto se está rompiendo en Zacarías 11, porque dice:

contra 10. Y tomé mi vara, la Belleza, y la corté en dos, para quebrantar mi pacto que había hecho con todo el pueblo.

Vs. 14: Entonces corté mi otro cayado, es decir, los lazos, para quebrantar la hermandad entre Judá e Israel.

Entonces, la historia del Nuevo Testamento de la traición de Jesús por parte de uno de sus discípulos no se ajusta a la profecía de Zacarías 11, que es claramente una profecía de la ruptura del pacto por parte de la “mujer” figurativa que representa a Israel.

¡Seamos cuidadosos en el uso libre de los textos bíblicos para mantenerlos en contexto antes de construir una casa sobre arena y adorar un dogma que no tiene fundamento!

Como siempre,

Ariella Tiqvah

Si disfrutaste mi publicación, ayúdenme en compartirla, y si quieres seguir mi blog, me ayudará a salir mas al público con mis ideas. Gracias por tu ayuda.

Thirty Silver Shekels

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Thirty Silver Shekels…Another misuse of context

So, you say that your “Lord” was sold for thirty pieces of silver? I can’t argue with the fact that Christians claim it or that it is written in the New Testament, but I am not impressed with the supposed proof that connects Matthew 26:15 with Zechariah 11-12-13!

Yes, I have heard a lot of suggested “proofs” for the divine mission of Christianity’s “Lord”. This one again bites the dust. You know, the story: Judas Iscariot was paid 30 silver pieces for the betrayal of his master. And to back up this claim, Zechariah 11:12-13 is used.

It says:

וָאֹמַר אֲלֵיהֶם אִם־טוֹב בְּעֵינֵיכֶם הָבוּ שְׂכָרִי וְאִם־לֹא חֲדָלוּ וַיִּשְׁקְלוּ אֶת־שְׂכָרִי שְׁלֹשִׁים כָּֽסֶף׃

“And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.” (Sounds pretty convincing right! But hold on…)

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י הַשְׁלִיכֵ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־הַיּוֹצֵ֔ר אֶ֣דֶר הַיְקָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָקַ֖רְתִּי מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וָֽאֶקְחָה֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים הַכֶּ֔סֶף וָֽאַשְׁלִ֥יךְ אֹת֛וֹ בֵּ֥ית יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־הַיּוֹצֵֽר׃

And the Lord said to me, Cast it into the treasury: the goodly price that I was priced at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the treasury in the house of the Lord. (Yes, still sounding pretty good! But read on…)

Let us find where this really comes from.

First of all, the above KJV rendition of the text uses the word “price” (שְׂכָרִי), which also according to the Hebrew Strong’s includes the following possible meanings:

שָׂכָר sâkâr, saw-kawr’; from H7936; payment of contract; concretely, salary, fare, maintenance; by implication, compensation, benefit:—hire, price, reward(-ed), wages, worth.

Other translations use; hire, payment or fee here, so why was the word “price” selected for the KJV? It seems to indicate that someone is being purchased, yet what is the context of Zechariah 11?

If we use the Tanakh to define that which is in Tanakh, rather than applying one small quote taken out of it’s original context to give credibility to a New Testament claim, we will have a more thorough view of what is actually being said. So back up and research the book of Zechariah.

Zechariah 11 and much of the latter part of Zechariah is speaking of what was going to happen to Israel and Judah for their disobedience to their part of the covenant with YHVH which they made at Sinai. It shows them breaking this covenant, or and the vow to keep the covenant which is clearly broken means there is a price that must be paid.

The price for the breaking of a vow for a man is 50 silver shekels. For a woman it is valued at 30 pieces of silver in the Torah. Yes! It is the amount a woman pays when she makes and then breaks a vow. As the following verse says, this is paid to the Temple treasury. The valuation of her vow is shown in Leviticus 27:1-4:

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the valuation of persons,3 then the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekelsaof silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 4 If the person is a female, the valuation shall be thirty shekels.

This is the context of the prophecy of Zechariah 11:12-13:

“And I said to them, If you think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my hire thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, Cast it into the treasury: the goodly price that I was priced at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the treasury in the house of the Lord.”

So the amount of thirty is the valuation for a woman’s vow. Why a woman? Jesus was not a woman. So, from the get-go the context does not fit that of the betrayal of Jesus. But something does work here; if we look at the other chapters of Zechariah we can see that Judah and Israel are represented as two women. For example:

Zechariah 5:6-9:

And I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is the basketc that is going out.” And he said, “This is their iniquityd in all the land.” 7And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket! 8And he said, “This is Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.

9Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. 10Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they taking the basket?” 11He said to me, “To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base.” (The above prophecy of Judah being taken to Babylon may seem vague if one is not familiar with Zechariah,)

Jeremiah 6:2:

I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.

Lamentations 2:13:

“What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?”

Here and in many other places, Israel or Judah is represented as a woman/women. So if a woman—here prefigured as Israel as a single entity, makes a vow and it is broken, the value is 30 silver shekels. So HaShem is claiming that she needs to pay for the broken vow, her vow to be faithful to to the covenant she made withYHVH at Sinai. And this money is to be given to the Temple treasury, not as the price or payment of a bribe for the betrayal of Jesus, no! Remember Zechariah says “give me my price (or payment or fee).” (what you owe me for breaking a vow.)

And it is clear that the vow of the covenant is being broken in Zechariah 11, for it says:

vs.10. And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.

vs. 14: Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

So, the New Testament story of the betrayal of Jesus by one of his disciples does not fit the prophecy of Zechariah 11 which is clearly a prophecy of the breaking of the covenant by the figurative “woman” who represents Israel.

Let’s be careful in the free usage of Biblical texts to keep them in context before we build a house upon sand and worship a dogma that has no foundation!

As Always,

Ariella Tiqvah

If you enjoyed my post, please like and share, and if you care to follow my blog it will help me to get out there with my ideas. Thanks for you help.

Who Split the Sea? Nahshon, Moshe or …?

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Parsha Beshalach

Is it possible to understand the mysteries of the Torah and Tenakh today? With all the “enlightened” groups who claim certification for their knowledge of the truth, how can we really be sure? Jewish sages and Christian scholars have their approaches to truth. But are these trustworthy? How can anyone find anything?

If a purely scriptural approach is taken to understanding the Torah, using only the work of the prophets of Tenakh as commentaries, with a basic understanding of the original language, I believe that we will have a better understanding of the truths that were written long ago that still serve for our guidance today. History can at times be a reliable resource as long as it coincides with the sacred words of Tenakh. Much of what is claimed as history has been recreated by atheist scientists and evolutionists who have no use for the Creator of the Universe.

So let us plunge into some things written in the Parsha of the week, Exodus 13:17-17:16– Beshalach, named for the word in the first verse which means “sent out.”

We see the Children of Israel on their last day in the land of Egypt heading towards the Yam Suf–Sea of Reeds (today the Red Sea or Gulf of Aqaba). The reason the Torah gives for their journey to the Yam Suf is that God did not want them to see war which would have happened if they traveled through the land of the Philistines. This is interesting when we see the way they were placed into an apparent trap where Egypt could have easily done away with them or forced them to return to slavery. But יהוה did not want them to “see war” and that to me says He did not want them to fight a war, but that He wanted to fight for them in a clearly miraculous deliverance where He would completely destroy the armies of Egypt including Pharoah himself. And God wanted the credit for this. Israel could never say that they were delivered by their own hand. They were to be dependent on the Eternal and eventually learn to work with him, the human with the divine. Yet they were not ready…YET. And in this same parsha there is war, later with Amalek, and it is significant but that is for another time.

Many lessons can be learned from this telling of Israel’s escape from slavery. It was definitely a process of the mind. How does anyone go from being a slave to being a king? Examples of this in history, of tribes overcoming other tribes invariably show that a group of slaves will enslave everyone else when they come into power and this is precisely what God did NOT want to happen. His people were to be different, they were to be a just people, a light to the nations, a people able to rule the world under the supervision of the Almighty, to rule in equity and create Shalom. But Israel was not ready for that and unfortunately we are still not ready to take the lead in these matters. We are still allowing the nations to decide much of what we do as a nation. But let’s not lose the story of Beshalach.

Israel is camped at the shores of Yam Suf at “Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea”. Moshe has been told by יהוה that this situation is what will inspire Pharoah to go in after them (vs 3) for they will appear “trapped in the land.” When Israel sees that Pharoah is after them again with “all his horses and chariots”, the Torah says that they “were very frightened.” It also is the first time they claim it better to be slaves in Egypt than to die in the Wilderness.

But the view of Hashem here is a merciful God that understands the fears of His people. They were really just babes here, barely rescued from slavery by the last horrible plague which caused Pharoah to release them. God does not want them to do anything but to wait and see His salvation. Moshe says:

“Do not fear! Stand fast and see the salvation of יהוה that He will perform today, for as you have seen Egypt today, you shall not see them ever again! יהוה shall make war for you and you SHALL REMAIN SILENT.” Ex 14:13-14 (Note, there is no suggestion that Israel is going to do something on their own.)

There is a famous midrash used here about Nahshon a leader of the tribe of Judah. He supposedly rushes into the sea up to his nostrils before the waters part, but this is not what the Torah says, and in fact it is very misleading. It stands in the way of the truth about what the Almighty wants to teach us about the process of release from slavery. We must see that Israel was not ready to go ahead for many years, in fact 40 more years in the wilderness, when they finally step into the waters of the Jordan before they part.

So what happens now?

Moshe is commanded to stretch out his rod over the sea, but when does this happen, lets follow the story:

“Then יהוה said to Moshe, “Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. And you lift up your rod and hold out your arm over the sea and split it, so that the Israelites may march into the sea on dry ground. And I will stiffen the hearts of the Egyptians so that they go in after them; and I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his warriors, his chariots, and his riders.” Ex 14:15-17.

Notice here that it seems that יהוה is saying that they go forward immediately, but this is a preview of what is actually going to happen after the seabed becomes dry through the strong east wind that comes up.

So what comes first? It is as if יהוה tells Moshe what is going to happen, and then tells what happens. The events start in verse 19.

The pillar of cloud which has led the Israelites on their journey as a warm light at night and a shadow against the heat of the day, now moves itself to the back of the camp along with the Angel of Elohim, between Israel and the armies of Egypt.

“The messenger (Angel) of God, who had been going ahead of the Israelite army, now moved and followed behind them; and the pillar of cloud shifted from in front of them and took up a place behind them” vs 19

“and it came between the army of the Egyptians and the army of Israel. Thus there was the cloud with the darkness, and it cast a spell upon the night, so that the one could not come near the other all through the night.” vs 20

Egypt had experienced a spell of darkness earlier in the 9th plague. This happens again here so that they cannot come near to Israel. I wonder what they were thinking–-”hmmm…maybe we should get the hell outta here”…?)

“THEN Moshe held out his arm over the sea and יהוה drove back the sea with a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground. The waters were split, and the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.” vs 21-22.

Notice the order of events lined up in the literal Torah reading. Nobody rushed into the water before the seabed was dried up. So much for Nahshon and his adventures!

And then Egypt pursues the Israelites into the sea, their chariot wheels come off and when they are well into the midst of the sea they are all drowned by the water which comes crashing down over them from the great walls on either side! What audacity! To think you can trick the Most High into letting you capture that which He has set free! What stupidity and blind obedience to Egypt and it’s sorcery!

But what is the story saying about the plans and mercy of יהוה? How much mercy was shown to Isreal in their own blind disbelief which is shown to be the result of serving Mitzraim! God was saying, don’t do anything! You would just mess it up! Just sit there and wait for me to do something stupendous!

It was not at all about human effort. The only thing Israel was to do was to get up and walk when the seabed became dry enough to pass over. Yes! It took some emunah on their part, but basically there was no alternative other than face death at the hands of the Egyptians. There is a dry escape path ahead, already prepared for them. Yes there are towering walls of water on each side, but what the heck, let’s MOVE forward!

After the experiences of the 10 plagues, the protection of the Almighty clearly providing everything for them, it would be nigh impossible to refuse to move forward. It was just a tiny tiny babystep that was required of them and they obeyed. As Israel gathered together on the far banks of the Yam Suf and Moshe stretched out his rod one more time, they saw their enemies for the last time, “dead on the seashore.”

“Thus יהוה delivered Israel that day from the Egyptians. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea. And when Israel saw the wondrous power which יהוה had wielded against the Egyptians, the people feared יהוה; they had faith in יהוה and in God’s servant Moses.” Ex. 14:30-31

And then they sang!

Halleluyah!

Ariella Tiqvah

If you enjoyed my post, please like and share, and if you care to follow my blog it will help to get out there with my ideas. Thanks for you help.

Yitzhak

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Who really was Yitzak?

Yitzak, beloved son of Abraham and Sarah, was not always alert to spiritual things. 

The question is, why? If his father Abraham saw and discerned truth in the midst of Ur of the Chaldees, heard God’s voice, obeyed without hesitation, argued with the Almighty when things did not seem fair– clearly a man of great discernment, then what happened to Yitzak that he often seems not so bright?

According to my closest research, Yitzak was around 35 to37 years old at the Akeida. So why did he not question this when his life was being offered? It seems from his later behavior that he wasn’t very astute, and that he fortunately, was blessed with a wife who was a bit more street smart! He had been sheltered, but she knew about deception and knew how to make it work for her and for the purpose that she was shown when she was pregnant. Why did G-d speak to her and not Yitzak? It is true that Yitzak prayed for her. But was he a humble “yes man”? I am seeing that at least he didn’t stick up for himself. He dug well after well and then moved on when conflict hit and dug another one. He didn’t fight for his rights.

We see YHVH instructing Yitzak not to go to Egypt. Why was that? Would he have made a regrettable mistake? Both Abraham and Yacov went to Egypt but somehow Yitzak was told not to. 

Then in the giving out the birthright, his discernment was so clouded that he let his appetite and admiration for Esav’s strength make him ready to give him the birthright, only to be reached by his good wife’s superior wisdom. 

It is easy to condemn both Rivka and Yacov for the deception. But why, without any suggested repentance on their part, was the Eternal ready to make a covenant with Yakov when he headed out to find a wife and to flee from Esav? Why, if this deception was an outright evil that they must confess?

And, to his credit, it seems Yitzak learned immediately, for he followed Rivkah’s advice to send him to her people to take a wife from there, for he immediately instructed their son Yacov in what to do. 

In Quest of Truth…

Ariella

Condemning Noah? Part 2

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Abraham’s Walk of Faith…Learned from Whom?

Let’s take a deeper dive into the life of Abraham vs Noah. In case you did not see the first article about Noah, check it out (here).

To quote from that article...“The Bible does not say that Abraham walked with the Eternal, but rather that he was told to walk…”

“And when Abram was ninety nine years old, YHVH appeared to Abram, and said to him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be perfect.” Genesis 17:1

We saw that the Bible mentions that both Noah and Enoch walked with G-d, but note that in the description of the beginning of Abraham’s life God told him to walk before Him. Is there a difference? Is Abraham somehow more righteous than Noah? How would Abraham know what it means to walk with G-d? Was anyone alive to instruct him? Adam died before the flood. So did all the righteous lineage of the family of Seth, EXCEPT Noah! And of course, Noah died in the year 2006 from Creation– which was 350 years after the flood (1656) which is 58 years after Abram is born (See the following concerning Abram/Abraham).

So how many of the descendants of Adam knew him? According to the biblical timeline of the dates of the birth and death of Methuselah, Adam was still alive for many years of Methuselah’s life. And Methuselah died around the year of the flood. Though Noah did not know Adam, Methuselah did– for he was alive for 247 years of Adam’s life. Methuselah also knew Enoch, though Enoch was “taken” some 69 years before Noah was born, so Methuselah served as a bridge, if you will, between Adam, Enoch and Noah, who all are reported in the Torah as having walked with YHVH. Adam and Noah both were coexistent with Methuselah. And Noah lived until a year or two of Abram’s birth. But Shem was alive during the entire life of Abram/Abraham. So we see Adam, Methuselah, Noah, Shem, Abram– A short father to son line to pass on the story of Adam before G-d’s call to Abram.

Now we see Shem, born 98 years before the flood (see Genesis 11:10 where it states that Shem was 100 years old two years after the flood) and lived another 500 years after the birth of Arphaxad places his death from the year of creation (hereafter referred to as anno mundo a.m.) 2158 a.m. For calculating the birth of Abraham (70 years into Terah’s life—Genesis 11:26, Terah being born 1878 a.m.) would make the birth of Abram to be in the year 1948 if, indeed he was the one born in Terah’s 70th year; And I take this as based on 1). Abram was mentioned first in the verse recording the births of the three sons of Terah 2) Abram was the only spiritual character that stands out in the story. See Gen 12:4. From a clear stating of Terah’s birth in 1878 plus 70 years for the birth of Abram would give us the year 1948. Check out this chart:

https://weareisrael.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Noah-Shem-and-Abraham-.png

There is a common teaching that Abram stayed in Haran until his father’s death, but the timing does not line up. Terah
died at 205 years of age. Abram was born in Terah’s 70th year but left Haran when he was 75. Lets see more on this:

In Genesis 12:1 Abraham is told by YHVH:

“Get thee out of they country, and from they kindred, and from they father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee;”

Did Abram leave very soon after the call to go? He obviously did not wait many years to leave. Why does the text mention his father’s house if his father was still alive? If his father’s house no longer had his father in it, then it would not have been a test for Abram, for his father would no longer have been there to detain him. And why later in relating to his servant in the seeking of a wife for Isaac did Abraham mention that he had left his father’s house and his kindred as G-d had instructed him? Since he left both his father’s house and kindred, neither his father nor his kindred were dead at that time. Later when Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac he tells him:

Gen 24:7 “The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.”

And when we think of why Abraham did not go back himself to find a wife for Isaac, we remember that he had been told to leave that land, his father’s house AND his kindred. So he did not want to return there now, and he commanded the servant:

Gen 24:6 “And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.”

Here is something from another source:

“The ‘problem’ with Terah being 130 when Abraham was born has to do with why Abraham regarded his own ability to beget a son at age 100 doesn’t work out (Genesis 17:1,17): and (Abraham) laughed, and said in his heart, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old?’”Apologetics Press

So, assuming that Abram was born when Terah was 70 and he himself was 75 when he left Haran, we find that Noah and Shem were both still alive. Abram being born in 1948 a.m., would indicate that Noah dies 58 years later in 2006 a.m. while Abram is still in Haran and before the call of YHVH. Abraham dies in 2123. Shem dies in 2158 outliving Abraham by 34 years! So he had a lot of time to teach him about the Creator, 175 years of his life and 105 years after he left his father’s house and kindred.

Of course, Noah and Shem may not have lived in the same neighborhood of the Middle East, but later we see Shem appear in Abram’s life.

Shem was Melchizedek. How so?

1) Shem was the only one left of the royal line from Seth, 2) Melchizedek was king of Salem, which seems to be Jerusalem. 3) Melchizedek was a righteous king according to his name, and 4) is declared “priest of the Most High G-d”. 5) Abram paid tithes to him after the battle of the kings. (When the Bible uses, El Elyon (Most High G-d), it is not talking of just any god that is worshiped by whomever. Elyon is used here for the one and only G-d. Check out my other article on Abraham and Melchizedek here.

So as I stated at the beginning, Abram, later called Abraham, had to learn to walk with YHVH: (We remember that Noah is mention as having walked with God, but here Abram is commanded to walk before God.)

“And when Abram was ninety-nine years old, YHVH appeared to Abram, and said to him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be perfect.” Genesis 17:1

And this if fitting for the father of all those who are sons of Abraham. The walk has to be learned! Since Noah and Shem were still alive during the life of Abram, he would have learned from them even before G-d spoke to him and guided him directly.

As I said in my first article: The Flood—Noah’s Fault? Part one: Condemning Noah, the obedience levels of Noah and Abraham were different. By no means did Noah cause the flood because he did not wrestle with God! On the other hand, Abraham clearly had trouble believing the Eternal’s promises up to the point when he was praised by the Almighty in Genesis 15. Before this time he gave his wife away twice out of fear, he took Hagar at Sarah’s suggestion to create a son… Even so, his walk in Emunah was growing for the Torah records:

“And he believed in YHVH; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Gen 15:6

Still later, he argued with G-d about the destruction of Sodom. Perhaps he still lacked trust that God knew what He was doing…Perhaps he had heard the horror stories of the flood and didn’t want this to happen to anyone ever! But in the end the Almighty taught Abraham to trust and the rest is history!

For the sake of Torah,

Ariella