Tornadoes on Saturday and Snow on Sunday night, and the kids are sickly. We got put and enjoyed the snow just a little anyway.

HOPE -- PART 1

To hope is to expect the fulfilment of a desire or wish. As humans, we need hope to help us deal with pain in the present and fear for the future. Worldwide poverty, hunger, disease, destruction and everyday suffering create a longing for something better. Scripture tells us that those who do not have YHVH do not have hope -- Ephesians 2:12. The modern world has often looked for hope in human effort, believing that with time, things would naturally get better and better. The wars of the twentieth and twenty first-centuries challenged that optimism and many have given up hope for a better future. Others continue to trust that humans will find solutions to the problems that they have created. But human history raises the question of whether this trust is well placed. In discussions about hope, many thinkers and writers have attacked believing in YHVH as a bad basis for hope. Early in the church’s history, theologians and priests often focused on the contrast between YHVH’s Kingdom and this world. Some believers began to believe that it was pointless to try to create a better world here and now, since YHVH’s Kingdom was coming soon. This belief was widely criticized in the nineteenth century because it allowed some believers to be cold and indifferent to human suffering. Prussian philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche -- 1844-1900 -- claimed that faith in Moshiach made people cowards because it taught that whatever happened was YHVH’s Will, thus discouraging efforts to change the world. Karl Marx -- 1818-83 -- said that faith in Moshiach was the -- opiate of the people -- a drug that numbed the poor and exploited them and kept them from fighting those who oppressed them. Theologian Jürgen Moltmann is one of the writers who has attacked this kind of faith in his -- theology of hope. After the violence of World War II, many who had trusted in human progress felt that life was hopeless. Moltmann believes that the future gives us a reason for changing the present. When we think of YHVH’s Kingdom, Moltmann says we should be inspired to work here and now to make that Kingdom a reality, rather than abandoning the world because we know that a better place awaits us after death. The resurrection can bring hope to us in our suffering by inspiring us to fight that suffering. But Moltmann’s trust in human effort to change the future could lead some to think of the resurrection as a hopeful symbol or nice story, rather than as a historical reality, something that really happened. Also, too much emphasis on group social action to change the world could cause some to neglect their need to repent and follow Moshiach from the heart and not just in their outward actions. But Moltmann has still helped many believers to examine what the Bible says about hope. Biblical hope is hope in what YHVH will do in the future. At the heart of believer's hope is the resurrection of Yeshua. Paul discussed the importance of the resurrection -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-28. He said: -- If we have hope in Moshiach only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world -- 15:19. Thus, Moshiach’s resurrection not only shows His victory over death, but it also extends that victory to those who belong to Him: -- Moshiach was raised first; then when Moshiach comes back, all His people will be raised -- 15:23. The apostle Peter said, -- All honour to the YHVH and Father of our Adonai Yeshua Moshiach, for it is by His boundless mercy that YHVH has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Yeshua Moshiach rose again from the dead -- 1 Peter 1:3. In that passage, Peter says that the resurrection of Moshiach gives us living hope and points to YHVH’s future blessing upon those who belong to Moshiach. That future hope gives believers the power to live without despair through the struggle and suffering of the present -- compare Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Believers hope is securely based upon the Words and Actions of YHVH. YHVH’s Promises are dependable. The resurrection of Yeshua becomes the ultimate basis for hope. Since YHVH has already overcome death through Moshiach, the believer can live with confidence in the present. No matter how dark the present age seems, the believer has seen the Light to come. People need to hope and hope placed in the personal promise of YHVH is secure. However, this secure hope has many consequences for the way we live in our present world. It frees us from having to live as if the material world, fame, money, reputation and other aspects of life are the only things that exist and frees us to live in a way that puts Moshiach first and others ahead of ourselves. Believers hope offers security for the future and loving involvement in sharing for the present.

WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF A BELIEVER’S HOPE?

A BELIEVER’S HOPE IS BASED ON YHVH’S FAITHFULNESS.
Despite all this, I will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. I will not cancel My Covenant with them by wiping them out. I, YHVH, am their Elohim. -- Leviticus 26:44. These verses show what YHVH meant when He said He is slow to anger -- Exodus 34:6. Even if the Israelites chose to disobey and were scattered among their enemies, YHVH would still give them the opportunity to repent and return to Him. His purpose was not to destroy them, but to help them grow. Our day-to-day experiences and hardships are sometimes overwhelming; unless we can see that YHVH’s purpose is to bring about continual growth in us, we may despair. The hope we need is well expressed in Jeremiah 29:11-12: -- For I know the plans I have for you, says Elohim. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. Retaining hope while we suffer shows we understand YHVH’s merciful ways of relating to His people.

HOPE COMES FROM TRUSTING MOSHIACH.
Yeshua ignored their comments and said to Jairus; Don’t be afraid. Just trust Me. -- Mark 5:36. Jairus’s crisis made him feel confused, afraid and without hope. Yeshua's Words to Jairus in the midst of crisis speak to us as well: -- Don’t be afraid. Just trust Me. In Yeshua's Mind, there was both hope and promise. The next time you feel hopeless and afraid, look at your problem from Yeshua's point of view. He is the source of all hope and promise.

HOPE COMES FROM REMEMBERING ALL THAT YHVH HAS DONE FOR US.
Since we have been made right in YHVH’s Sight by faith, we have peace with YHVH because of what Yeshua Moshiach our Adonai has done for us. Because of our faith, Moshiach has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing YHVH’s glory. -- Romans 5:1-2. As Paul states clearly in -- 1 Corinthians 13:13 --, faith, hope and love are at the heart of the believers life. Our relationship with YHVH begins with faith, which helps us realize that we are delivered from our past by Moshiach’s death. Hope grows as we learn all that YHVH has in mind for us; it gives us the promise of the future. And YHVH’s Love fills our life and gives us the ability to reach out to others.

HOPE GROWS AS WE DEPEND ON YHVH IN THE DIFFICULT TIMES.
For first-century believers, suffering was the rule rather than the exception. Paul tells us that in the future we will become, but until then we must overcome. This means we will experience difficulties that help us grow. We rejoice in suffering not because we like pain or deny its tragedy, but because we know YHVH is using life’s difficulties and satan’s attacks to build our character. The problems that we run into will develop our perseverance -- which in turn will strengthen our character, deepen our trust in YHVH and give us greater confidence about the future. You probably find your patience tested in some way every day. Thank YHVH for those opportunities to grow and deal with them in His Strength -- see also James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7.

HOPE GROWS AS WE REMEMBER THE PROMISE OF THE RESURRECTION.
Brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. -- 1 Thessalonians 4:13. Because Yeshua Moshiach came back to life, so will all believers. All believers, including those living when Moshiach returns, will live with Moshiach forever. Therefore, we need not despair when loved ones die or world events take a tragic turn. YHVH will turn our tragedies to triumphs, our poverty to riches, our pain to glory and our defeat to victory. All believers throughout history will stand reunited in YHVH’s very Presence, safe and secure. As Paul comforted the Thessalonians with the promise of the Resurrection, so we should comfort and reassure each other with this great hope.

WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY?

For a prisoner on death row, a pardon offers hope of freedom. For the spiritual prisoner on death row because of the consequences of sin, YHVH offers ultimate hope by forgiving our sins so that we can be with Him in heaven forever. When life seems impossible, YHVH brings eternal hope. Hope is essential to our perseverance, our getting through the tough times. Without hope we give up. Hope requires one thing, though-a trust in the one who brings real hope.

SO WHERE DOES HOPE COME FROM?

Psalm 39:7: Adonai, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You. Psalm 71:5: O Adonai, You alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Adonai, from childhood. -- Elohim Himself is the Source of hope because he determines our future.

Our Verse of the Week

The Hebrew Roots Index has been updated with the latest posted Hebrew root word parables. All the new additions are listed here,

alittleperspective.com/hebrew-roots-index-updated/

and in their place in the Hebrew Roots Index.

alittleperspective.com/index-of-hebrew-roots/

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Gab @ ChristineMiller
Torah Network @ ChristineMiller

#goodmorning and #happymonday! January 03 #BibleStudy links to readings and study resources:

alittleperspective.com/january-03-bible-reading-2022/

#Genesis 5:1-31, The Comfort Bringer

Hebrew paragraph divisions

Gen 5:1-5 {s} Mortality of Adam
Gen 5:6-8 {s} Mortality of Seth
Gen 5:9-11 {s} Mortality of Enosh
Gen 5:12-14 {s} Mortality of Kenan
Gen 5:15-17 {s} Mortality of Mahalalel
Gen 5:18-20 {s} Mortality of Jared
Gen 5:21-24 {s} Enoch walked with God and did not die
Gen 5:25-27 {s} Mortality of Methuselah
Gen 5:28-31 {s} Mortality of Lamech

Gen 5:28-31 chiastic structure

1a) Gen 5:28a, Lamech lived;

1b) Gen 5:28b, 182 years, and begot a son;

central axis) Gen 5:29, He called his name Noah, saying: “This same shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, which comes from the ground which Yehovah has cursed;”

2b) Gen 5:30, Lamech lived after he begot Noah 595 years, and begot sons + daughters;

2a) Gen 5:31 {s} All the days of Lamech were 777 years; and he died.

Original Hebrew

Gen 5:29, Noah, is Strong’s H5146 (the proper name), the same as Strong’s H5118, nuach, a resting place, from Strong’s H5117, the primitive root, nuach, to rest. The three letter root is nun + vav + chet.

nun = the seed, thus continue, heir, son
vav = the tent peg, thus add, secure, hook
chet = the wall, thus outside, divide, half

The story the ancient Hebrew pictographs are painting, is of continuing (nun) securely (vav) outside (chet). There are two possible explanations. “Outside” is beyond, on the other side of, the tent wall wherein the family dwells, or the enclosure fence, wherein the tribe dwells. Within the tent walls and within the enclosure fence, the family and the tribe is secure. But to also be secure beyond the tent wall and beyond the enclosure fence, that is true security indeed.

And the second, suggested by Dr. Benner’s Ancient Hebrew Lexicon, is that it is beyond the enclosure fence that the shepherd leads his flock to a place of green pasture and still water, where he makes them lie down in safety.

This is the first occurrence of nuach in Scripture, but interestingly enough, it is not the first occurrence of “to rest.”

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. Gen 2:2

“Rested” is Strong’s H7673, the primitive root, shabath, to cease. The three-letter root is shin + bet + tav.

shin = two front teeth, thus sharp, press, eat, two, again
bet = the house, thus house, household, family, in, within
tav = crossed sticks, thus mark, sign, signal, monument

The story the ancient Hebrew pictographs are telling, is of pressing in (shin) to home (bet), for work in ancient times was done in the fields, so when one returned home, it was because the work was done for the day and it was time to sit and rest. When one pressed in to home, when one ceased from labor and took their rest, that action is a sign or signal (tav) that marked that person.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’” Exo 31:12-17

“Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.” Eze 20:12

“‘I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’” Eze 20:19-20

Keeping the Sabbath holy – resting from work, because it is the LORD who sanctifies us, not we ourselves (Eph 2:8-9) – is the sign which marks the Lord’s people. Why do we desire to be marked as the Lord’s? Because the antichrist’s people also bear his mark.

He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Rev 13:16-17

If anyone has an ear, let him hear. Rev 13:9

alittleperspective.com/genesis-51-31-the-comfort-bringer/

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Gab @ ChristineMiller
Torah Network @ ChristineMiller

❤ "Your Word/Torah is truth" ❤

❤ "Your Word/Torah is truth" ❤

I have covered Paul several times on this comic due to the common misunderstanding of him. I thought it would be a good idea to point out how people saying Paul is talking against doing the Torah are actually reading Paul out of context.

This first example is Paul in Acts 21. This is after Paul hears the council's decision on what to tell the Gentiles in Acts 15. This is after Paul visits the places he sends letters to: Thessalonica, Corinth, and Ephesus, as well as several other Roman cities.

Here in Acts 21, the council has heard that Paul was speaking against following Torah, but the council said they knew this wasn't true. (Anyone remember Stephen and what they falsely accused him of?) - To prove that Paul wasn't teaching against the Torah, they have Paul do a public ritual in the Torah. Paul doesn't argue. Paul doesn't say "no, you guys, it's all grace now. We just believe in Yeshua." Paul went and showed, as James put it, his faith BY his works.

http://thestraightandnarrow.cfw.me/comics/406

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