Parasha 2: The Fall of Man

"The Fall of Man" 

-- TORAH   P O R T I O N --

Introduction: 

What do you feel when you commit sin? How do you deal with it?

When we commit sin, it often brings about feelings of guilt, shame, and a sense of separation from God. Dealing with sin requires understanding its roots and seeking forgiveness and redemption according to the teachings of the Scriptures. 

 

Our Parasha deals with the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, the creation of Man and his fall into temptation. Today, temptation is one of the chief functions of Satan and his demons. Now the question is how did Man fall into sin? But before that, let's take a look at the strategy of Satan and I saw two D’s. To begin with, Satan made a Discussion that starts in verse 1b to verse 5. “And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan loves to use discussion as part of his bait and he did it also to Yeshua when he tempted Him in the desert. 

In addition, the next strategy that Satan used was Deception. Everytime he wants to deceive someone, he will wait for the perfect moment as he is more cunning than any beast of the field according to verse 1. Perhaps that perfect moment was when he waited for Eve to be alone and starving. If Adam was created first, why did Satan target Eve? Verse 18 says that God saw it's not good for man to be alone so He gave him a helper which in Hebrew is ezer. Since Satan knew that Adam was created first and Eve was his helper, Satan reversed his attack. God created man to woman, but Satan made his own way, Eve to Adam.  He prioritized the helper over Adam, and he succeeded in deceiving Eve, and she deceived her husband.

So how did man fall?

1. Man fell into sin because he entertained the temptation. Satan, being a fallen archangel obviously Eve was the object of his attack, being the weaker one and needing the protection of Adam. Satan found her alone. In effect Satan said "Has God said "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden and surely you shall not die".. for Eve, instead of running away from temptation, she entertained it. The classic example of running away from temptation was Yosef. He didn't entertain the wife of Potiphar. We are tempted to sin in the same manner. Satan will try to get us in the wrong manner because he is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. During the time of temptation we have to remember James 4:7 "Resist(do not entertain) the devil and he will flee from you. 

2. Man fell into sin because he was deceived. In verse six of chapter three it says that Eve saw that the tree was good for food and pleasant to the eyes. She was deceived and decided that Satan was telling the truth and she misunderstood God. Apostolic writing confirms that Eve was deceived in 2 Corinthians 11:3 "But i fear lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted by from the simplicity that is in Yeshua.'' Satan was not successful when he tempted Yeshua because He used the Torah to combat Satan. For us to avoid being deceived by Satan's tactic, we must have a wise and strong foundation of His Torah. Psalm 19:7b says "The testimony (Torah) of the Lord is sure and making wise the simple." 

3. Adam and Eve fell because they did not support, encourage and strengthen each other. In Genesis 2:16-17 God commanded the man saying "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat"... it was a test of obedience by which Adam and Eve were tried so they had a choice to obey or not. Eve made the wrong choice. she partook of the forbidden fruit, and also Adam. Eve blamed Satan and Adam blamed Eve, they each bore the consequences as each had made the choice to commit sin. Indeed, sin is all about choices. It is important to understand and know right from wrong. But the main point here is Adam and Eve are one according to Genesis 2:23-24: “And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” If that's the case, why didn't Eve say to her husband, “Hey, the serpent is forcing me to eat the fruit that God forbids, what should I do?” As for Adam, why didn't he stop his wife, and why did he also eat the fruit? Adam and Eve seem to have lost each other's support and encouragement so they both fell. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.”

Because Satan knows that Adam and Eve are one, he wants to destroy their relationship and even their relationship with God. John 10:10 says: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”

The Grace and Mercy of God

Now it happened that Adam and Eve disobeyed God's instruction. But the gracious and merciful Creator never neglected His likeness. That's why He said in verse 15 of chapter 3: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” A seed from the woman would crush the head of the serpent, and nobody can do this except Yeshua, and so our sins might be forgiven as well. 

We can also see the grace and mercy of God when He clothed Adam and Eve with tunics of skin. This is also a picture of Yeshua's blood that not only covered our sins, but He even paid it fully. Romans 3:24-25 says: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Messiah Yeshua, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Yeshua.” And also in Isaiah 61:10: 

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Just like Adam and Eve, we may even fall. But the good news is we have a gracious and merciful Creator who is always there to catch us. 

Psalm 37:24 NKJV

“Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him  with His hand.”

-- H A F T A R A H   P O R T I O N --

Now let us proceed to our Haftarah portion and let me give you a short background of Tyre. Tyre was an important Phoenician port and mercantile center in ancient times. It was an island, located half a mile from the Mediterranean coastline, approximately 30 miles north of Israel. with the reign of Hiram I (980-947 BCE), Tyre became the most important city and is best known for its Tyrian purple dye manufactured from the shell of the sea snail.

What was the proclamation of prophet Ezekiel about the king of Tyre if we are going to start in verse 1 to 10? That the king will be perished in the hands of the uncircumcised strangers. Why? Because the king was so prideful and arrogant. He thinks of himself as god. 

Now i noticed something about the word of Adonai that came to Ezekiel in verse 11 to 19 which is the story of Genesis 2 to 3 where Adam and Eve were dismissed from the garden of Eden, and God placed Cherubim at the east of the garden to guard the way to the tree of life. In Ezekiel it is the king of Tyre who was punished and dismissed from the mountain of God. 

Also, God is against Sidon. When He punishes them, He will be glorified. For He will send pestilence upon them, and blood will flow in her streets. Because of God's judgment to Sidon, and through this they will know God. 

Our haftarah portion ended with the future blessing of the children of Israel. For they will be gathered once again from the nations whom they are scattered, and God will bring them back to the promised land. Then they shall know that He is their God.

-- A P O S T O L I C   P O R T I O N --

In our Apostolic portion, Apostle Paul compares the actions and consequences of Adam, the first man and the redemptive act of Yeshua. Romans 5:12 starts by declaring that sin entered the world through one man, Adam. Adam's misdeed brought about a condition of wickedness and separation from God for all mankind. So death has spread to everyone, as all have sinned. Through Adam's disobedience, mankind became subject to the power of sin and its devastative result.

For Paul, sin entered through Adam while grace entered through Yeshua. Death reigns from Adam while righteousness reigns from Yeshua.

While Adam's sin resulted in condemnation and judgment, Yeshua's act of righteousness brought justification and salvation (verse 18). Through Adam, many were made sinners, but through Yeshua's obedience and sacrifice, many will be made righteous (verse 19). The impact of Adam's disobedience was broad, and affected the universe. Yet, the impact of Yeshua's obedience and sacrifice is even greater, offering forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and the promise of eternal life to all who believe in Him.

Verse 21 concludes this powerful difference by emphasizing the victory of grace. Sin once reigned in death, but now grace reigns through righteousness, leading to eternal life through Yeshua the Messiah. The power of sin and death has been effectively overcome by the fullness of God's mercy and grace, and the righteousness made available through faith in Yeshua.

Adam's sin resulted in condemnation while through Yeshua there is justification. Through Adam many were made sinners but through Yeshua many will be made righteous. One man affected the entire world and brought sin and death to mankind, but one Man affected the world who suffered, offered Himself and died on the cross and made righteousness and the reconstruction of life provided to mankind.

The connection of our Parasha is very obvious. In the Torah, man was tempted and sinned. In the Haftarah, the king of Tyre sinned because of his pride and imagined himself to be a god. In the Apostolic, because of one man sin entered the world, but because of one Man who died on the cross, salvation and eternal life became possible to us. 

Back to my introduction...What do you feel when you commit sin and how do you deal with it? Salvation is our greatest need. We need to be delivered from sin. We need to be forgiven and reconciled to God. We need the gift of eternal life, and the only solution is Messiah Yeshua.

Shabbat Shalom,

Topher

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-- S O U R C E S --

outorah.org

clintonnc.com

corechristianity.com

renner.org

revealedtruth.com

desiringgod.org

thelehrhaus.com

bible strong app 

Parasha 1 : The Power of God's Word

 

The Power of God's Word 

-- TORAH   P O R T I O N --

Introduction:

Words hold great significance, especially in the context of the Bible. Communication through words is fundamental in our relationships with friends and family. As we embark on the new Three Year Cycle of Parasha, it is an exciting opportunity to delve into fresh revelations from Adonai.

When Adonai created the heavens and the earth, He utilized His word, and its power is evident. It's obvious that the earth was void, without form and darkness was on the face of the deep(v.2). Void in Hebrew is Bohu which means “empty”, while darkness in Hebrew is Choshek which means “destruction, wickedness.” If that's the case, there should be a process of restoration, and so God uses His word for this matter.  Now the question is...What can we learn from the power of His word?

First, through the power of His word, Adonai established parallelism during creation. On the first day, He brought forth light, and on the fourth day, He created the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. Similarly, on the second day, Adonai formed the sky and waters, corresponding to the fifth day when He created creatures in the air and water. Furthermore, on the third day, Adonai produced fruits and vegetables to serve as sustenance for the humans He would create on the sixth day. These parallels demonstrate that our Creator, Adonai YHVH, is both all-knowing and all-powerful.

Second, through the power of Adonai's word, everything He created was deemed good. Genesis chapter one reaffirms this goodness seven times. The Hebrew word used for good is "tov." It is likely that Adonai declared His creation good because they effectively fulfilled the functions for which He designed them. Here, we discern His original intent for creation, which is to bring glory to Him.

Third, through the power of Adonai's word, He created humans in His own image. In Psalm 139:13-14, David writes, "For it was You who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I will praise You because I have been fearfully and wonderfully made." This passage serves as a reminder that we should be content with everything we have. We need not seek worldly remedies to alter our appearance. When Adonai said, "Let Us make man in Our image," it signifies a righteous image, for Adonai is righteous. Regrettably, this righteous image was tarnished when humans sinned. However, the good news is that Romans 5:19 states, "For as by one man's (Adam's) disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's (Yeshua's) obedience many will be made righteous." Through Yeshua, we can regain that righteous image when we declare and receive Him as our Lord and Savior and diligently work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13).

Fourth, through the power of Adonai's word, we have been given authority to rule over other creatures. This authority establishes a unique relationship between humans and creation. We are Adonai's representatives to govern over His creation. With this authority comes the responsibility of stewarding the earth.

Fifth, through the power of Adonai's word, there is a theme of separation. Adonai separates light from darkness, waters from waters, and sanctifies the seventh day by resting in it. When Adonai called Moses to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land, it signified a separation from Egypt, which symbolizes paganism and the patterns of the world. In Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, when Adonai provided instructions on permissible and forbidden foods, it was to separate us from unclean things. Our Creator detests syncretism and desires separation because He is holy. The Apostle Paul affirms this in Romans 12:2, urging believers not to conform to the pattern of this pagan world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds.

Last, through the power of Adonai's word, He ordained a day of rest for us. Adonai did not rest on the seventh day due to weariness; rather, He established it as a model for the human work cycle. Yeshua stated in Mark 2:27-28, "The Shabbat was made for man, and not man for the Shabbat. Therefore, the Son of Man is also the Lord of the Shabbat." Here, it is evident that the Sabbath is intended for all mankind, not just Israel. Yeshua proclaimed Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath, as seen in Luke 4:16 when He observed it as His customary practice. The Sabbath is a moed, a fixed appointed time, and therefore, no one has the authority to change it. Our Creator established it, and it is our responsibility to follow and rest on the same day.

-- H A F T A R A H   P O R T I O N --

Now, let us proceed to our Haftarah portion. As we examine verse 5, we observe Adonai's role as the Creator of the Cosmos (Greek term for Universe) and His plan to fulfill His will through Messiah Yeshua. In Isaiah 49:6b, it is stated, "I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth." Aside from Yeshua, it is the role of Israel to be a light to the Gentiles or nations by spreading the power of Adonai's word. In Isaiah 42:7, it is proclaimed that through the power of Adonai's word, blind eyes will be opened, captives will be set free, and those who dwell in darkness will be brought into the light. This resonates with my personal experience. I was trapped in a twelve-year-long drug addiction and was admitted to a Rehabilitation Center, where I had to complete a six-month program. During my second month, I struggled immensely and turned to playing basketball to alleviate my sorrow. While on the court, tears streaming down my face, I noticed something written on the basketball. It was a Bible verse from Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." From that moment on, I began meditating on the word of Adonai, and I successfully completed the program. Through the power of Adonai's words, my life was transformed. Baruch HaShem!

-- A P O S T O L I C   P O R T I O N --

Moving on to our Apostolic portion, Paul's letter to the Colossians addresses the challenges they faced in Colosse, a city in Phrygia within the Roman province of Asia (part of modern-day Turkey). Paul wrote this letter to warn the Colossians against the heretical teachings they had encountered. The primary issue was the denial of Yeshua's true humanity and the embrace of aspects of Jewish legalism, particularly the requirement of circumcision for salvation, given that the population of Colosse consisted mainly of Gentiles. In response, Paul exhorted them to combat these false teachings. He expressed his continuous prayers for them, asking that they be filled with knowledge and understanding. In verses 15-20, Paul defended Yeshua's divinity, emphasizing that He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, the one through whom all things were created and exist, the preexistent One who surpasses all, and the head of the body. Paul did this because he firmly believed in the power of Adonai's word, which is personified in Yeshua, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.

The connection between our Parasha and the subsequent portions is evident. In the Torah portion, the universe came into being through the power of Adonai's Word. In the Haftarah portion, the power of His Word brings sight to the blind, freedom to captives, and light to those dwelling in darkness. It emphasizes the role of Israel as a light to the nations. In the Apostolic portion, Paul emphasizes Yeshua's deity as the Word made flesh, who has the power to save us and transform our lives.

God's word is simply powerful. That's why He used it when He created the heavens and the earth, perhaps to restore it. And this is also what He used to change my life. So let us strive to meditate, study, and read His words, because its power is the solution to whatever we are going through.

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

“For the word of God is  living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Shabbat Shalom,

Topher

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-- S O U R C E S --

bible strong app 

bibleinsideandout.com

truevinelife.com

heavensinspiration.com

Set-Apart Remnants

"Why fit in when you were called to be Set-Apart."

Welcome to Set-Apart Remnants,  the official blogsite of Emunah Torah Community. 

Our name Set-Apart Remnant came from the word 'qadosh', which literally means "to be set-apart for a special purpose" and from another word 'remnant', which means a small group of people who steadfastly maintain their faith (Emunah) in God, amidst the prevailing atmosphere of disbelief or lack of faith. 

“Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous." - Isaiah 10:22

As zealous followers of the Most High, we have dedicated our lives to studying and understanding the Parashot—the weekly Torah portions—that provide a structured way for exploring the depths of the Word. With each Parasha, we discover the unity of the Scriptures, and we learn the  relevance of Adonai's instructions in our lives. 

You will also find encouraging devotionals, inspired by the Holy Spirit to help you draw closer to Adonai YHVH and apply His teachings to your daily walk. These devotionals will inspire and challenge you to live a life of purpose and meaning towards righteousness and holiness.

Moreover, we offer in-depth teachings from the Scripture, where we explore various topics, prophecies, discipleship and current events that shed light on the divine plan throughout history. From uncovering the richness of the TANAKH (Torah, Prophets and Writings) to discovering the fulfillment of ancient prophecies fulfilled and will be fulfilled by Yeshua our Messiah (Jesus Christ) in the Apostolic Scriptures, it will deepen your understanding and faith (emunah, active faith). Be ready to unlearn the things you thought was right with the illumination of the Holy Spirit. He will be your witness for the truth and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32) 

Join us on this faith journey as we seek to be set-apart remnants, a community of believers committed to exploring the depths of the Scriptures and following the footsteps of our Messiah Yeshua. Together, let us walk in the path of faith in action, cultivating a deep love for the Word and an earnest desire to live out His teachings in every aspect of our life, giving glory to the Father. Let us learn together and grow in faith, wisdom, and spiritual maturity, leaving a lasting impact in our community and the next generation.

Real disciples of Yeshua never stop learning and growing.

Thank you for being a part of the Set-Apart Remnants community.

Shalom!