ONE THING HAVE I DESIRED
GENESIS
01. B'REISHEET 4 of 5
01. Parashah: B'reisheet = In the Beginning
TORAH REFERENCE
HAFTORAH REFERENCE
Isaiah 42:5-43:13
BRIT CHADASHAH REFERENCE
TORAH, HAFTORAH, BRIT CHADASHAH, NEVI’IM, KETUVIM, TANAKH, EL, TORAH PORTION, PASSAGE, ESTEEM, RIGHTEOUSNESS, RIGHT-RULING, COASTLAND, COVENANT, SCHOOLMASTER, RESURRECTION, IDOL
This is the first lesson in this curriculum where the primary reference is not from the Torah, but rather from another part of the Old Testament, which in the Jewish view is made up of three parts: Torah (5 books of Moses), Nevi’im (21 prophetic books), and Ketuvim (12 books of writings). The first letters of each of these three Hebrew words are used to form the acronym “T-N-K,” which is usually spelled as the word “Tanakh.” The Jews call this the Hebrew Bible; the books within it are organized differently but contain the same text.
The Jews divided the Torah up into “Torah portions” for study, and they cycle through these portions every year (although there are some people who cycle through them on a 3-year cycle). At some point in history the Jews were forcibly prevented from studying the Torah at all, so they circumvented the problem by studying portions from either the Nevi’im or the Ketuvim that related in some way to the passage from the Torah. These passages are called “haftorah.” Followers of Yeshua add a third parallel passage to their weekly studies called “brit chadashah” (renewed covenant, new testament), of which you will see a sample in the next lesson. Note: there are other theories about how and why the haftorah came to be and not all of the passages directly parallel a Torah passage. The use of Torah portions (parashah) plus haftorah and brit chadashah are not biblically required but do form an excellent and unifying method of Bible study.
The haftorah for Parashah B’reisheet is officially Isaiah 42:5-43:13 but we have extended it to verse 28, so that we can include an additional reference to Genesis—so let’s start with that. Isaiah 43:27 says, “Your first father sinned...” This is an obvious reference to Genesis 3:6 where we are told, “...She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”
The reason why this passage in Isaiah 42 and 43 was chosen, however, is because of the statement, “Thus said the El, YHWH, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it.” Notice first that here the speaker calls Himself “the El” (a singular form of the plural word “elohim” which we studied in the previous lesson). Then He states His Name, “YHWH.” We are told in the most direct way possible that YHWH is the Creator, the one true God, the El over lesser elohim, gods, rulers, people, creatures, and the entire world. He reiterates that in verse 8: “I am YHWH, that is My Name, and My esteem I do not give to another, nor My praise to idols.”
He wants us to diligently study the Torah and walk in His ways, laid out in the Torah. Isaiah 42:21 says, “It has delighted YHWH, for the sake of His righteousness, to make the Torah great and esteemed.” Now let’s look at the first few verses of Isaiah 42 where YHWH speaks of the One He would send to “bring forth right-ruling to the nations....until He has established right-ruling in the earth. And the coastlands wait for His Torah.” Verse 6 says that this One was “given as a covenant for a people and a light to the nations.” This is all about Yeshua! It’s all about YHWH’s right-rulings! It’s all about mankind learning to live according to the Torah so they can qualify to dwell in the house of Elohim forever!
Look at all the things the Jews have suffered for their failure to comply. Isaiah 42:24 tells us, “Who gave Jacob for plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Was it not YHWH, He against Whom we sinned? For they would not walk in His ways, and they did not obey His Torah!” The entire human race is guilty of ignoring and disobeying YHWH’s instructions, so don’t take this as an attack upon the Jews; they simply picture the consequences of sin for the nations to learn from. Blame Adam and Eve! But no, not even Adam and Eve. If it had not been them it would have been someone else. As YHWH observed, mankind has “only evil in his heart continually” (Genesis 6:5).
Elohim has a house. He has rules for His house. Anyone who lives in His house will comply with His rules. If we want to dwell in His house forever, we will learn to do things His way. Torah lays out the rules and Yeshua sheds light so we can understand and do them. His job is to establish right-ruling on the earth. He showed us how to walk out Torah. WWJD? What Would Jesus/Yeshua Do? He would follow YHWH’s commands!
When will we live in Elohim’s house? In some respects we live in His house now—we live on the earth that He created. But this life is just a schoolmaster (Galatians 3:24-25) to train and prepare us to live eternally in Elohim’s spiritual house in spiritual bodies. This life is temporary. Adam probably had such a body and the Garden of Eden probably was such a place, but when Adam sinned he spoiled all of that. From then on people had to be taught both what they had lost and what they can gain. Our ultimate deliverance from the suffering and sorrow we experience on this earth will be at the Resurrection. We must qualify for that by living according to Elohim’s standards, which He laid out in His Torah.
Once you become sensitized to it, you will see that the Bible is full of references to the Resurrection! Those references have multiple meanings so you can apply them to historical events and to your lifestyle, but don’t miss their deeper meanings. Take this haftorah, for example Isaiah 42:7. Can you see that “to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house” can be talking about the freedom we yearn for and can receive when this life is over? Look at verses 16 and 17: “And I shall lead the blind by a way they have not known....I shall not forsake them.” We who are still alive have not known physical death, so this passage can be speaking also of Elohim’s bringing us to Himself at the Resurrection. Notice that “those who trust in idols....shall be turned back, utterly ashamed.” People who do not put their trust in Elohim and obey Him do not get to be resurrected and live in the Millennial Kingdom!
Verse 42:10-12 tells us to “Sing to the Lord a new song” and “Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice” and “Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.” What do you think that is all about? Write a poem of praise to Elohim for everything He has done for you, and promises to do for you. If you have any musical skill, write music for your poem and perform it for your family and friends.
Read through Isaiah 42 and 43, and make a list of the main points. Cross reference each point to other Scripture passages. Highlight the points that remind you of something Yeshua did or will do. Using a different colour highlight the points that remind you of something the Jews experienced. Underline all the points that refer to the Resurrection.
Make an artistic depiction of the Creation event. What do you think “stretching out the heavens” and “spreading forth the earth and that which comes from it” looks like? What does it look like to “give breath to the people on” the earth and “spirit to those who walk on it?”