I can’t imagine why I skipped this Torah Portion last year as it is actually one of my favorites and involves one of my favorite topics – the difference between “graven images” and things that just happen to be fashioned in the likeness of something. This is a subject that can be much abused when misunderstood, so I will be using a lot more Bible than archaeology on this one – proving that there is a big difference between idols and, for example, dolls and action figures – and the bobbleheads I enjoy putting in front of my powerpoint monitor.

I am also going to attach a blog I wrote on the subject – one that has received quite a few comments that never got published… and with good reason!

Confronting a Devastating Doctrine: Are Children’s Toys Graven Images? Of Course Not.

Welcome to our second Biblical Geography lesson! I hope you caught the last episode on Bethlehem of Judea. This week we are going to do an overview of the entire Roman province of Judea and talk briefly about some of the cities we will be covering later. It’s so important to understand how different Judea and Judeans were from Galileans, Samaritans, Greeks, etc because when Yeshua/Jesus spoke to these people, they became his audience and depending on where they came from, it could change what we think we understand about the story.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the video, here are the links to the two maps from Bible History Online.

First Century Israel

First Century Judea

And here is this week’s video:

A lot of scholars and even believers out there are quick to undermine the ministry and even the existence of Yeshua/Jesus Christ. However, the entire world serves as a witness that something amazing happened when He rose from the dead – the world changed drastically and has never been the same. Not only can we prove that He was a real person, but we can also prove that He destroyed the sting of death by looking at the world before and after His death, burial, and resurrection.

Matthew Chapter 2 is rather unique in the Gospels as it mentions a number of cities and regions: Bethlehem, Judea, the “East,” Jerusalem, Egypt, Israel, Galilee, and Nazareth. These places will pop up again and again in the Gospel histories and so it is important to know where everything is. Matthew 3 will add the “wilderness” and the Jordan River to this list and Matthew 4 will add Capernaum and the Decapolis. Although geography was not my strong subject in school, these places are mentioned in the Bible and so they are worth understanding. Oftentimes, without a knowledge of what these places were like, we miss the meaning of what Yeshua/Jesus was talking about! So this week, we start with Bethlehem of Judea, the City of David. Check out the additional video I am going to post, called The War Cry by Eric Ludy, because it talks about my second-favorite Bethlehem Scripture. You parents will want to review it before having your children view it.

and

Yes, I went totally overboard on Matthew Chapter 1, but as it is our very first adventure into first-century context, there were just too many great subjects that needed to be covered. I take kids seriously and I didn’t want to pass over stuff that would enrich their understanding of the Bible! So, without further ado, here is the entire list:

Part 1: Messiah’s Genealogy: Matthew, Luke, and Missing Links?

Part 2: Why is Tamar in Messiah’s Genealogy?

Part 3: Why is Rahab in Messiah’s Genealogy?

Part 4: Why is Ruth in Messiah’s Genealogy?

Part 5: Why is Bathsheba in Messiah’s Genealogy?

Part 6: How Did the Name Yeshua Become Jesus?

Part 7: Betrothal, Marriage, and Divorce in Ancient Israel

Part 8: Honor and Shame: Messiah’s Origin Story

Part 9: “Jesus Son of Joseph” – Adoption in the Ancient World

and here are the extras I put out:

What is Context? Why is it Important?

Can We Learn from People Who Reject Messiah?

How did Mary Prove Her Innocence? Torah Portion Nasso

This just happens to be one of my favorite subjects on earth – why? – Well, because I am an adoptive mama of two beautiful 16-year-old boys! So who better to teach this? Okay, so a lot of people, but I am what you are stuck with.

We have a FULL slate this week –  Romans 8:14-17, the naming of Yeshua/Jesus by Joseph as opposed to Mary, all the adoptions in Scripture, sonship vs slavery, Yeshua being a “prophet like Moses,” what baptism meant in terms of being “born again,” the curse of Jeconiah, early Christians adopting abandoned newborns – all in about 45 minutes. *Phew*