The Torah Portion reading for this week is now up on our app and website. Give it a look! www.triumphintruth.global/torah

Happy purim to those that observe!

In the parable of the royal wedding feast in Matthew 22:1-14, who is the guest without wedding clothes? How did he get into the feast and where exactly does the king command his servants to throw him?
#yeshua #biblestudy

https://rumble.com/v2bv4ec-who....-is-the-guest-withou

Anyone else feeling like there's a trap that is close to being sprung?

When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the LORD when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.
#exodus 30:12

The census was set between the atonement for the priests and the atonement for the people. It was an integral part of the process of atonement. The 1/2 shekel tax that was used to take the census in Exodus 30:11-16 is a token given in place of the donor's blood, but it is also a statement of willingness to give all if necessary. Silver symbolizes blood and the atonement and redemption that is enabled by blood. The exact same amount of silver required of each man means that the same blood atones for all. Atonement doesn't cost more for the rich or poor, the criminal or the police.

https://soilfromstone.blogspot.....com/2009/03/judgmen

SERIES I --- THE NATION UNITES --- LESSON 15

SAUL’S OATH

A TASTE OF HONEY

From 1 Samuel 14:24-52

Saul was so excited about his victory over the Philistines that he made a foolish vow. ‘By evening I will have revenge on the Philistines,’ he said. ‘Whoever eats food before evening will have a curse upon him.’ Even though Saul’s men found honeycomb in the forest that day, they would not eat it, for they were all afraid of Saul’s foolish vow. But Jonathan had not heard the vow, so when he found a honeycomb, he dipped a stick into the honey and ate some of it. Like the rest of the men, Jonathan was tired and weakened from fighting the Philistines. The honey gave Jonathan immediate energy and his eyes brightened. ‘Your father made a vow!’ someone told Jonathan. ‘He put a curse on anyone who eats food today.’ ‘My father’s vow is foolish,’ Jonathan answered. ‘Do you see how my strength has revived since I ate some honey? Think how much greater our victory would be if the men could eat some of the food we took from the Philistines.’ Saul’s men kept on fighting with what little strength they had left, cutting down the Philistines all that day, from Michmash to Aijalon. But as the day wore on, they grew more faint. At last, when evening came and the time of the vow had ended, Saul’s men were so hungry that they butchered some sheep, oxen and calves that they had captured from the Philistines and began to eat the raw meat with blood in it. Someone told Saul about this and reminded him that it was considered a sin to eat bloody meat. ‘They can’t do that!’ Saul said. ‘Roll a big stone over here to me. Then go out among the men and tell them to butcher their animals here and drain the blood from the meat so that we don’t sin against Adonai.’ When the men had finished, Saul built his first altar to Adonai there. ‘Now let’s keep on chasing the Philistines tonight,’ said Saul. ‘By morning we will have complete victory over them.’ ‘We’ll do whatever you think is best,’ the men answered. But the priest who was with them restrained them. ‘We must first ask YHVH what to do,’ he said. Saul asked Adonai what they should do. ‘If we pursue the Philistines tonight, will You go with us and give us victory?’ Saul asked. But Adonai would not answer. ‘Someone has sinned,’ Saul said to the leaders. ‘Gather all the men and we will find out who he is. Whoever is guilty will die, even if it is my own son Jonathan.’ Although Saul’s men knew, not one of them would tell him that Jonathan had eaten the honey. ‘Stand over there,’ Saul told his men. ‘Jonathan and I will stand over here.’ ‘We will do whatever you think is right,’ the people responded. Then Saul prayed. ‘Adonai, YHVH of Israel, show us why You have not answered. Show us who has sinned. If Jonathan or I have sinned, show us when I cast lots. But if the sin is among our people, then let the lots show us that when I cast them.’ When the lots were cast, they showed that the guilt was on Saul and Jonathan instead of the people. ‘Now we will cast lots to show which of us is guilty,’ said Saul. When they did, the lots revealed that the guilt was on Jonathan. ‘What have you done?’ Saul asked Jonathan. ‘I ate some honey,’ Jonathan answered. ‘I picked up a little on the end of a stick and ate it. But I’m ready to die if I must.’ ‘You must die!’ said Saul. ‘May YHVH strike me dead if you don’t.’ But the people did not like this. ‘Why should Jonathan, who saved Israel today, die because he ate some honey? This must never happen! Not one hair of his head will be lost, for he has brought a great victory to Israel.’ The people saved Jonathan from execution. But Saul would not go after the Philistines and they fled in safety to their homes. Now that Saul, as king, had united his own people behind him, he turned his attention to fighting Israel’s enemies; the Moabites, Ammonites, the people of Edom, the kings of Zobah and the Philistines. Saul had many victories, conquering the Amalekites and saving the Israelites from those who held them in bondage. Saul’s three sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malchishua and his daughters were Merab and Michal. His wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaz. The commander-in-chief of his army was his cousin Abner, son of his Uncle Ner. Ner was a brother of Saul’s father Kish and their father was Abiel. As long as Saul was king, there was a constant struggle between the Israelites and the Philistines. Whenever Saul found a strong, courageous young Israelite man, he drafted him into his army.

COMMENTARY

SAUL’S FAMILY

While the Israelite army was pursuing the fleeing Philistines, Saul commanded the soldiers not to eat until nightfall and to continue to pursue and kill the enemy. Saul never expected Jonathan, his son to disobey this order by eating some honey. Would Saul punish his own son, the man YHVH had used to bring victory? A foolish oath was soon to bring grief and shame to the royal family. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin, descendants of Jacob’s youngest son. Saul’s father was a wealthy land owner, who raised Saul to continue as a farmer, but neither Saul nor any of his six children would earn their fame as farmers. Saul’s oldest son aided him in commanding the Israelite army. Although he was heir to his father’s throne, Jonathan never inherited it. He and two younger brothers, Abinadab and Malchishua, died at the hands of Philistine warriors. The youngest son, Ishbosheth, sometimes called Eshbaal, ruled for a brief time at Saul’s death. Saul’s oldest daughter, Merab, married Adriel, a wealthy man in a town across the Jordan. Another daughter, Michal and David were at first happily married, but Saul’s hatred allowed them to live together for only a short time. When David replaced Saul as Israel’s king, historians began to record David’s family tree. Saul’s descendants after that were recorded only through his eldest son Jonathan.

The message, "Be the Salt & Light," was delivered on location at 60 Bailey Ave., Manchester, NH for First Fruits Ministries Sabbath celebration of March 3, 2023: https://bit.ly/3Zqowgg.

For the presentation transcript, download the PDF here: https://bit.ly/3mur3Y1

Sermons at First Fruits Ministries are based on weekly Torah Portion readings announced each week in the church bulletin. This week's messages are based on: Exodus 27:20-30:10; 1 Samuel 15:1-34; Ezekiel 43:10-27; Matthew 5:13-20; Hebrews 13:10-16 (https://bit.ly/3J7rBMo).

This sermon was a heavy hitter. I highly recommend you watch if you are concerned about "seeker-sensitive" churches or Christian schools: https://bit.ly/3Zqowgg

Here's a list of Apostolic passages I recommend studying with #torah portion #kitisa ("When you take", Exodus 30:11-34:35), plus links to commentary and related videos.

https://www.americantorah.com/....2021/03/01/parsha-ki

Psalm 110:2, “ The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.” (KJV) The translation of this verse was very clear when it was first written, for today’s language only three words should be adjusted so it would be easier to understand. “ The Lord shall send the rod of His strength out of Zion: He will rule in the midst of His enemies.”