PART 2

BIRTH OF YESHUA

When Miryam returned to Natzeret, {before she and Yosef were married, it became known that she was pregnant}. Yosef, a righteous man, was not willing to make her a public example, so he thought it best to privately annul the engagement. But while he was burdened with this problem the messenger of YHVH appeared unto him in a dream and spoke to him, "Yosef, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam to be your wife, because the one who has been conceived in her is of Ruach HaKodesh of YHVH, therefore she will have a son and you are to call His name Yeshua [YHVH who is Salvation], for He shall save His people from their sins." Then Yosef awoke and did exactly according to the instruction of the messenger of YHVH. Miryam and he kept the engagement, but he did not have intercourse with her until after she had given birth to Yeshua. {When it was close to the time for Miryam to give birth, six months had passed since last Pesach and Yochanan's birth. So then, it was time for Succot, the holy Feast of Tabernacles. This is the time each year when Yisrael is commanded to give a portion of their autumn harvest to YHVH and live in temporary dwellings for seven days.} At that very time there also was published an executive command from the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, that everyone in the empire was to be taxed. Every person was forced to pay his taxes in his own town, from where he originally came. So, Yosef also had to leave the Galil and Natzeret to go south into the region of Yehudah, into the town of David, which is called Beit-Lechem [House of Bread], a southern suburb of Yerushalayim. Because he was a direct descendent of David, Yosef travelled to Beit-Lechem to pay taxes along with Miryam his espoused wife, who was now close to giving birth. When they arrived in Beit-Lechem, the inn was full of festival goers and taxpayers and there was no room for them. {However, because it was Succot,} they were content to stay in a temporary shelter {that had been made especially for Succot, as the scripture commands. On the first day of Succot, which is a Shabbat rest,} the time came for Miryam to give birth, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She then wrapped him in work towels and laid him in a food storage bin that was placed there for temporary provisions. That night, in the region close to Beit-Lechem, some shepherds were lounging in the field while watching over their flocks. Suddenly, the messenger of YHVH came upon them, and the glory of YHVH shone brightly all around them. They became very frightened. The messenger said, "Do not be afraid, but listen to me, for I bring you a joyful report; a cause for great celebration to all people. Today, in the town belonging to David, a child has been born for you. He is the Salvation [Yeshua], who is YHVH, the Moshiach. Here is the sign you need to go and look for: you will find the baby wrapped in work towels and lying in a food storage bin." Suddenly, there was with the messenger a multitude of Heaven's armies praising Elohim, saying, "Glory to Elohim Ha'Elyon and on Earth shalom. His good will is toward mankind." Then the messengers departed from them into Heaven. And the shepherds said to each other, "Let us go to Beit-Lechem now and see this event which Elohim has disclosed to us." The shepherds hurriedly came and found Miryam and Yosef with the baby. He was lying in a food storage bin. After they saw this they proclaimed all around the message which they were told by the messenger and Heaven's armies concerning this child. And all that heard their report were in awe at those things which the shepherds told them. But Miryam remembered all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned to their fields, glorifying and praising Elohim for all the things that they had heard and seen, exactly as it was told to them.

CIRCUMCISION OF YESHUA

When the days of Miryam's purification were finished, according to the Holy Torah of Elohim which Moshe wrote down, they brought Him to Yerushalayim, to present Him to YHVH as first fruits of the womb. As it is written in the Torah of YHVH, "Every male that is first from the womb shall be called holy to YHVH." They also offered a sacrifice according to the commandment in the Torah of YHVH: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. {On the last day of Succot,} when the eight days were accomplished for the B'rit Milah [Covenant of Circumcision] the baby was circumcised and given the name, Yeshua [YHVH who is Salvation], which was the name instructed by the messenger of YHVH before the baby was conceived in the womb. Here is the genealogy {through the lineage of Miryam who provided the body} of Yeshua HaMoshiach, the son of David, the son of Avraham, the son of Adahm, the son of Elohim {It was Elohim who provided Ruach HaKodesh to create the Holy One in the womb of Miryam.}: {YHVH} Elohim, {the Creator}, was the Father of Adahm, who was the father of Shet; who was the father of Enosh, who was the father of Ke'inan; who was the father of Mahalal'el; who was the father of Yered; who was the father of Chanoch; who was the father of Metushelach; who was the father of Lemekh; who was the father of Noach; who was the father of Shem; who was the father of Arpachshad; who was the father of Ke'inan; who was the father of Shelah; who was the father of Ev'er; who was the father of Peleg; who was the father of Re'u; who was the father of Serug; who was the father of Nachor; who was the father of Terach; who was the father of Avraham; Avraham was the father of Yitzchak; who was the father of Ya'akov; who was the father of Yehudah and his brothers; who was the father of Peretz and Zerach, (whose mother was Tamar); Peretz was the father of Chetzron; who was the father of Ram; who was the father of Amminadav; who was the father of Nachshon; who was the father of Salmon; who was the father of Bo'az, (whose mother was Rachav); Boaz was the father of Oved; (whose mother was Rut); Oved was the father of Yishai; who was the father of King David; who was the father of Shlomo, {who built the first Mikdash} (whose mother was Bat'sheva who had been Uriyah's wife); Shlomo was the father of Rechav'am; who was the father of Aviyah; who was the father of Asa; who was the father of Yehoshaphat; who was the father of Yoram; who was the father of Uziyahu; who was the father of Yotam; who was the father of Achaz; who was the father of Chizkiyahu; who was the father of M'nasheh; who was the father of Amon; who was the father of Yoshiyahu; who was the father of Yekhanyahu and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Yekhanyahu was the father of She'alti-el; who was the father of Ze'rubavel, {who built the second Mikdash} who was the father of Av'ichud; who was the father of Eli'yakim; who was the father of Azur; who was the father of Tzadok; who was the father of Yakhin; who was the father of El'ichud; who was the father of Eliezer; who was the father of Mattan; who was the father of Ya'akov; who was the father {in law} of Yosef, as being the husband of Miryam, of whom was born Yeshua, who is called the Moshiach. There was a man in Yerushalayim, whose name was Shimon. He was righteous and faithful as he waited for the Shalom of Yisrael and Ruach HaKodesh of YHVH was upon him. Therefore, it had been revealed to him by Ruach HaKodesh of YHVH that he would not die before he had seen the Moshiach of YHVH. On this day Shimon was directed into the Mikdash by Ruach HaKodesh. When the parents brought in the child Yeshua, to perform for Him the necessary obedience to the Torah, Shimon took Yeshua up in his arms and blessed Elohim, prophesying, "Adonai, now allow Your servant to depart this life in Shalom, according to Your word. For my eyes have now seen Your Yeshua [Salvation], which You have prepared before the face of all people as the Light to enlighten the Gentiles and the Glory of Your people Yisrael." Yosef and Miryam were amazed at those things which were spoken about Yeshua. Then Shimon blessed them and said to Miryam, His mother, "Watch carefully! This child is appointed for the fall and rising again of many in Yisrael and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yes, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." In that same instant Chanah came, who was an aged prophetess of the tribe of Asher and a widow of about eighty-four years. She did not depart from the courtyard of the Holy Temple, but served Elohim with fasting and prayers night and day. When she saw Yeshua she also gave thanks to YHVH, and spoke about the child to all those who looked for redemption in Yerushalayim.

MYSTICS FROM THE EAST

After this, stargazers from the east arrived in Yerushalayim asking, "Where is he who is born to be the King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and have come to pay our respects to him." When Herod heard these things, he was troubled. So he gathered all the chief Kohanim and Torah teachers of the people together. Then he demanded to know where the Moshiach was supposed to be born. They said, "In Beit-Lechem of Yehudah, for that is what is written by the Prophet Mikah: 'and you Beit-Lechem, in the land of Yehudah, are you not the least among the principalities of Yehudah, yet out of you will come He who will rule My people Yisrael.' "Then Herod, secretly met with the stargazers and pressured them to tell him what time the star had appeared. He sent them to Beit-Lechem and instructed, "Go and search diligently for the young child and when you have found him bring me your report so I can go and pay my respects to him also." When the stargazers finished with Herod they departed and the star which they had seen in the east led them, until it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they celebrated with very much gladness. Then when they came into the house, they saw the young child with Miryam his mother and bowed down and worshiped Him. They opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Later, being warned by Elohim in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

HEROD MURDERS CHILDREN

After they departed, a messenger of YHVH appeared to Yosef again in a dream, saying, "Arise, take your family and hurry into Egypt and remain there until I bring further instruction, because Herod will seek the young child in order to destroy Him." When he awoke, he took the young child and His mother by night and departed into Egypt. When Herod learned he had been rebuffed by the stargazers he was extremely angry. So, he sent Roman soldiers under his command and murdered all the children of Yehudah that were in Beit-Lechem and in all the area around it, from two years old and under, which age he had figured from the time of birth he obtained from the stargazers. The horrified cries of mothers {watching their children slaughtered} could be heard throughout the countryside. It was like what Yirmi'yahu the prophet said, "A voice was heard in the heights, groaning and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children and will not accept any comfort, because they are gone." When Herod was dead, a messenger of YHVH appeared once more in a dream to Yosef while in Egypt, saying, "Arise, and take the young child and His mother and go into the land of Yisrael, because the ones are dead who sought to kill the young child." Then Yosef took his family and journeyed back to the land of Yisrael. But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Yehudah in the throne of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there and being warned of Elohim again in a dream, Yosef turned aside into the region of the Galil, to raise Yeshua in Natzeret, just as the prophets foretold, "He shall be called a Notzri [Watchman-Branch]." There Yeshua grew and became spiritually strong, filled with wisdom and the enablement of Elohim.

YESHUA AT TWELVE

Yosef and his family went to Yerushalayim every year at Pesach. When Yeshua was twelve years old, they went up to Yerushalayim for the holy Feast, as the Torah commands. And when the days of the feast were finished, they began to return home, but the child Yeshua stayed behind in Yerushalayim. Yosef and Miryam did not realize it, for they supposed that He was in the company of others who were also returning to the Galil. So, they went a day's journey and then began to look for Him among their relatives and friends. When they could not find Him, they turned back to Yerushalayim, to look for Him there. Then, after three days of searching, they finally found him in the Mikdash sitting in the midst of the Torah teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all that heard Yeshua were astonished at his understanding and answers. When Yosef and Miryam found Him they were perplexed and His mother said, "Son, why have you treated us this way? Your father and I have been worried about you, because we did not know where you were." "Why was it difficult for you to find me?" Yeshua answered. "Didn't you realize that I would be involved in Avi's business?" But they did not understand the meaning of what He said. Afterward Yeshua went back to Natzeret with them and submitted Himself to them, while His mother continued to remember and keep in her heart all the things He said. Yeshua continued to increase in wisdom and stature, experiencing the favour of Elohim and the people, {as surely a true heir to King David would}.