Prophet Pearls #27 – Tazria (2 Kings 4:42-5:19)

In this episode of Prophet Pearls on the prophet portion of Tazria covering 2 Kings 4:42-5:19, Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson unpack the Biblical nuances behind 'baptism" and "mikvah," and find out what a pita bread and a leper have in common.

After a nod to the vignette that introduces this portion, Gordon and Johnson cannonball into the main story whose message aligns strongly with their respective ministries. It’s a story where the kings are nameless and the protagonist tries to stay in the background while helping a proud and powerful army commander with leprosy. But the hero is clearly Yehovah—orchestrating an unmistakable revelation of his grace sotto voce.

On the way to the portion’s illuminating ending, we learn what modern-day nation was Aram and the nuances of “baptize,” “mikvah,” and “dip”—“taval”, (tet-vet-lamed). Gordon also explains why Naaman expected more hocus-pocus and provides other examples of pagan thinking.

Gordon and Johnson draw parallels between the lessons in this portion and present-day spiritual police (both Jews and Christians) who trust more in doctrines than the Creator. In closing, Johnson prays for those in difficult circumstances to trust the bigness and greatness of God and to “yalak shalom”—to go in peace.

"But Naaman became furious... and said, 'Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely... stand and call on the name of Yehovah his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.'" (2 Kings 5:11)

Image courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University.

I look forward to reading your comments!

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Transcript

Prophet Pearls #27 - Tazria (2 Kings 4:42-5:19)

You are listening to Prophet Pearls with Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson. Thank you for supporting Nehemia Gordon's Makor Hebrew Foundation. Learn more at NehemiasWall.com.

Nehemia: Welcome to Prophet Pearls, recorded live in Jerusalem, the city of the prophets in the eternal capital of Israel, with Keith Johnson and Nehemia Gordon. That’s me.

Keith: Hey. Listen, we are in Israel, Nehemia. We’re in the Land of Israel. We’re doing a two-week intensive, literally, it’s a two-week intensive. For those who don’t realize, what we decided to do is we came together and we said for two weeks we’re going to record everything. We prepared for several weeks, obviously for this. We have people who are our Prophet Pearls Partners. Servants of El Elyon are actually the folks that are doing this one. But we have people that have made comments and some that haven’t made comments during this time but we’ll add their comments in the comments section at nehemiaswall.com and BFAinternational.com.

But we’ve got a lot of people that have been praying for us, they’re interning with us. But this is a major thing. We’re here at a really interesting time in Israel. For these two weeks, we’re literally every single day studying, reading, discussing, praying about the Word of God. And that’s exciting. I’ve just got to tell you -today I thought to myself, “What kind of a deal is this? I get to talk about the Word of God all day today. It’s amazing.” Absolutely amazing.

So we’re in 2 Kings today, chapter 4 verse 42 is where we start, and I want to know why this section snuck in there before the other section. That’s what I really want to know.

Nehemia: Before what other section? What are you talking about?

Keith: Well, there are two sections. There’s this section here, it’s just a few verses, and then it deals with the servant who was healed of leprosy. But the section before it is really a cool section for me. It kind of gives me context for some other things. But I don’t know if you noticed...

Nehemia: In other words, why didn’t they start the section in chapter 5 verse 1?

Keith: Exactly. That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Can you help me with that?

Nehemia: That’s a really good question.

Keith: You can’t help me with that.

Nehemia: So the Torah portion is Tazria, which is Leviticus 12 verses 1 through 13:59, which actually fits with the story of Naaman.

Keith: Exactly.

Nehemia: Which has to do with leprosy. Why this is there - yes, I don’t know. Do you have an answer?

Keith: No, I don’t. But it sure is going to help me as far as thinking... I’ll give you some thoughts about making connections...

Nehemia: Sure. In other words, verses 42 to 44 have got nothing to do with the following 5:1. What’s that doing in there? Yes, I don’t know.

Keith: Yes. So can I read it?

Nehemia: Sure.

Keith: So it says, “A man came from Baal-Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of,” I know why it’s in here, by the way.

Nehemia: Oh, what’s the answer?

Keith: “Bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. ‘Give it to the people to eat,’ Elisha says.” I’m looking at this and I’m saying, okay, so here a man comes, I don’t know why he came. I’m assuming he’s coming to bless the man of God. I don’t know if the intention was to give it to Elisha or whether it really was for the people. But either way, Elisha says, “Give it to the people to eat.” Then he says, “‘How can I set this before a hundred men?’ his servant asked. But Elisha said, ‘Give it to the people to eat. For this is what Yehovah says, They will eat and have some left over.’ Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of Yehovah.”

Now, when I read that, I’m immediately brought to the New Testament. You’re usually the guy that brings up the New Testament and says, “You know, in Matthew it says, and Revelation says...” But when I read this, I think about the feeding of the 500, here it’s a feeding of the 100.

Nehemia: 500? The 5,000.

Keith: I’m sorry, the 5,000. There’s actually another example where it’s 4,000. There are a couple different places where this happens. But I think one of the things that’s so interesting about it is that you have these things that happen, and this is a completely different discussion, I don’t want to go too far down the road. But you have these situations that happen in the Tanakh, and this is just one of them, where we see it here. Here’s an example of something happening, and then when we see it later, in the New Testament, for me, until I really started reading the Tanakh, I never knew this story was here. I never knew this section was even here. I never even knew that there were any connections like that.

But then, now, being able to read it and to see that connection, is just really kind of cool for me to look at it and say, “Wow, this is something that happened before.” So for the people who were reading the Tanakh and they see this happening in the New Testament, did they think, “Oh, this is what Elisha did”? In other words, in their minds do they think, “Oh, this is something that Elisha did”? So like I said, for me it really was an interesting thing. I don’t know why the section is there. I do think it is kind of interesting.

Nehemia: I thought you had the secret, Rabbi.

Keith: [laughing] I don’t know why the section is there. But let me ask this question, we have other examples of people bringing things to the man of God. We had the story where the woman provided the house for Elisha, the room for him where he went to stay. So is that something… and I just want to bring this up in terms of people giving things, in this situation, giving to Elisha. Is there some spiritual basis for that? Is it a practical thing? Are they providing for him? What do you think is happening here?

Nehemia: He’s doing God’s work and he needs to eat, and so they’re feeding him. It’s kind of obvious.

Keith: Yes. So you’re saying… But even though he comes and he brings the food to him, Elisha says, “Give it to the people.” So I don’t know if it’s so obvious. What do you mean it’s obvious? You’re saying that it’s obvious that he needs the bread, but then the story says he gives the bread away.

Nehemia: We’ve got the story of Elijah, where the ravens come and bring him food. But other than that, yes, generally people need to eat, and if somebody is engaged in the work of God, then those who are benefiting from it should feed him. You’re right, he’s saying, “Look, I’m not the one who needs to eat. Watch what I can do,” and he performs this miracle.

I love how it ends in verse 44. It says, “Ki dvar Yehovah,” according to the word of Yehovah, or literally, like the word of Yehovah. It reminded me of the verse Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 3, where it says, “He fed you mann,” or manna in English, “He fed you the mann, which you did not know and your fathers did not know, in order to inform you that not upon bread alone shall live man, ki im al kol motza pi Yehovah,” “for according to all that goes forth out of the mouth of Yehovah shall a man live, yichyeh ha’adam.” So that seems to me like a really cool connection here that we’ve got. Here they’re eating based on the word of Yehovah, what comes out of the mouth of Yehovah, and the same thing here in Deuteronomy 3.

That’s what it speaks to me, that maybe the message here is, look, you think you need to feed those who are doing Yehovah’s work, but he can take care of himself. On the other hand, look… did we do the story where he had the upper room and she prepared for him?

Keith: Of course, we did that story! It is one of our best ones.

Nehemia: Beseder. I don’t remember.

Keith: You were in my upper room at my house. You know you remember that.

Nehemia: That’s right. Yes, okay. I mean in a very practical basis, if someone’s engaged in God’s work, the people who worship Yehovah and care about His word, they need to feed that person.

Keith: Wow.

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: Well, I will say this, Nehemia, one of the things, the great advantages about, obviously, being together… And again, the way that we’ve done this - I used to always argue with you about the fact that I would be opening up my Tanakh, and you’d have this computer with all this information. Folks, I’ve got to tell you something, this computer frustrated me, because I’d ask him a question, and he’d tap, tap, tap, and boom, it would come up. Eventually, I gave in, and I realized that it’s really a powerful thing because you can get information. I want to throw just one thing out to you to check, because you can do this so quick.

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: So in the beginning it says, “A man came from Baal-Shalishah, bringing the man of God.” How many times do we see the phrase “man of God”? The reason I’m asking this question is that this is a situation where obviously this is one of the ways that he’s being described, and we also know that Elisha was a prophet, and maybe there are other terms that were used. But I just thought it was just kind of interesting how many times do we see it, and not to go into the details of who all are called that. But it’s there just as one of those...

Nehemia: We’ve got it 76 times.

Keith: 76 times and that’s the... Okay.

Nehemia: That’s what I got.

Keith: 76 times. Wow. That’s amazing. Maybe we could do...

Nehemia: For example, we have the first one is Deuteronomy 33:1, where it says, “Moshe ish haElohim,” “Moses, the man of God.”

Keith: Yes!

Nehemia: We’ve got, Joshua 14:6, we’ve got, again, there is “Moshe ish haElohim.” But then Judges 13:6, and we’ll get to this section actually, the woman says to her husband, “Ish Elohim ba elai,” a man of God came to me.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: We find out later it’s not actually a man, it’s an angel.

Keith: That’s right.

Nehemia: But it looks like a man to her, I guess. So we’ve got… You want me to go through all 76?

Keith: No, no. I just wanted to be able to throw that out there, that there are these examples of the times it is called…

Nehemia: There’s a bunch of them. I should point out this phrase “man of God” could also be translated as “divine man” in Hebrew, there is that concept that “Ish HaElohim” is a man of God but also means there’s something about that man that’s divine. Not that the man is God of course, but he’s got the divinity in him, the spirit in him. Yes, pretty cool.

Keith: Okay. Well, we have that story. We’re not sure exactly why that’s there. But we did do what we...

Nehemia: I’m sure we can look and find in the Midrash and find out why the rabbis stuck it there, but I wasn’t that interested. I’m more interested in the story that comes after it.

Keith: You like the story after.

Nehemia: Because it ties into the weekly Torah portion, which has to do with leprosy. It opens up and it says, “Naaman was an officer of the army of the king of Aram.” That’s Syria today. He was a great man...

Keith: You just want to casually say that? Tell the people again.

Nehemia: That Aram today is Syria.

Keith: Okay, it’s Syria.

Nehemia: Well, because there were three Arameans kingdoms. People who speak Aramaic, they were called Arameans, and there were three major Arameans kingdoms. There was Aram-Naharaim, or Aram between the two rivers. Today we call that Iraq. There was Aram-Damesek, or Aram of Damascus. There was Aram Tzova, which today is Aleppo, or northern Syria. So those were three ancient Aramean kingdoms - and there are other ones, but those are the three main ones.

So when it says Aram, and it doesn’t say which one, it means Aram-Damesek, Aram of Damascus, because that was the one that Israel had the most interaction with, for obvious reasons. And in some translations I think it says Syria, which is correct. “Syria”, actually, that word comes from the name of a major mountain in southwestern Syria, or southwestern around Damesek, which is called Mount Hermon in Hebrew, and we’re told the Arameans call that Sirion. That’s where you get the word Syria.

Keith: I have to tell you something. I might be maybe the smartest guy in the world as far as it pertains to this.

Nehemia: I’m sure you are.

Keith: Because what I found a long time ago is you always got to find people to get around you that are smarter than you. You’re a walking encyclopedia, Nehemia. I love when you do this kind of stuff. I say, “There it is Aram.” [imitating Nehemia] “Well, you know it’s also, the mountain is on this side…” I love when you do that kind of stuff! [laughing] It excites me. I really enjoy it. I know the people love it too!

Nehemia: Deuteronomy 3:9, it says the Sidonians, they call Hermon Sirion.

Keith: Exactly.

Nehemia: The Amorites call it Senir. Then also that appears again in Psalm 29:6 this reference to Sirion, and that’s where we get the word Syria. But the ancients called it Aram, Aram-Damesek.

Keith: Okay.

Nehemia: All right. “Naaman was an officer of the army,” and you could translate that as “general”, “of the king of Aram. He was a great man before his master, before his lord,” and literally, “nesu panim,” he was raised of face, or respected, “for in him Yehovah gave salvation to Aram. And the man was a valorous warrior and metzora.” He was a leper, which is like kind of just stuck in there at the end. All these other things he is, but he’s also a leper.

I love this statement that, why was he great? Because Yehovah gives through him salvation to Aram. Then what I’m reminded of is the section where Jephthah is writing to the king of the Ammonites and they’re fighting over some territory, and he says, “Is it not that which Chemosh, your god, gave you to inherit you will inherit? And all that Yehovah our God has given before us to inherit we will inherit.” It’s almost like he’s acknowledging this pagan deity.

Whereas here in this story, we’re being told, no, it wasn’t the god of the Arameans who gave them - whose name was Haddad, by the way - it wasn’t that he was great because Haddad gave him victory, it was because Yehovah the God of Israel gave him victory.

Keith: You know something, we could just move on there or I could get really excited as I did as I read about this and thought about this, and even as I was thinking about it again this morning. To me, when I read the first verse, the first verse of this story, and I hear these words, “And he was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded.” And why? “Because through him Yehovah had given victory to Aram.” Now, I stop and I say...

Nehemia: Gave victory?

Keith: Well that’s what it says, “victory,” “gave salvation,” “gave deliverance.” But the focus that I see is - and this is a curveball, and we’re supposed to slow down and say it’s a curveball. Wait a minute. It’s supposed to say this, “He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded because Yehovah had given salvation to Israel.” Wait a minute - what is this going on here where it says, “Yehovah gave victory to Syria”?

Nehemia: What’s the problem?

Keith: No, not what the problem is. What’s the...

Nehemia: Well…`

Keith: No, let me finish. Let me finish. What excites me about it is it lets me know about the bigness of God.

Nehemia: Amen.

Keith: It lets me know about how amazing He is as the great orchestrator. It lets me know He’s the one who’s moving pieces, chess pieces, whatever you want to call it, all over the entire world. In this situation, for some reason, whatever the reason is, and we’re going to find out more about it, is that God has a plan and had a plan that even through this man there was victory to a country that is not central…

Nehemia: Which is the enemy of Israel.

Keith: Which is the enemy of Israel, Nehemia! What do you mean? We have to stop and talk about that!

Nehemia: You know what this reminds me of?

Keith: What?

Nehemia: This is something you shared with me years ago about how when you were a chaplain of the Vikings, doing the sports ministry, that you would go to pray before the game, and wasn’t there some kind of thing you told me about saying, “Well, if God gives victory to our team does that mean he’s taking away from the other team?”

Keith: [laughing] Right. Yes, exactly. That’s why… [coughs].

Nehemia: The Vikings against, you know, whoever… the Packers.

Keith: I’m sorry about the coughing everybody.

Nehemia: Chinaitis.

Keith: I have this thing going on, and it’s not going away, so please bear with me. I’m going to try to speak less, let Nehemia speak more.

Nehemia: It’s like the good old…

Keith: No, but every once in a while, I have to stop and say something because when I think about this, and I’m glad you brought up the example of those days when I would do that, people always say, “Which team are you on?” It reminds me of this story, the important story, in Joshua where Joshua goes before the man of God, the angel.

Nehemia: Joshua 5:11.

Keith: And he says, “Are you for us or for your enemy?” And the angel says, “No.” No! He just says, “No.” [laughing] Here I got the wrong question. It’s not a matter of if I’m for which team. Are you for me? And when I look at this story…

Nehemia: I’m on God’s side.

Keith: Yes. I look at this story, and honestly, I stop, because it’s going to connect later when we’re talking – and remind me about this, Nehemia, through my coughing - that what this tells me right away is there’s a bigger picture. There’s a bigger picture in terms of what Yehovah is doing.

Now, we happen to be presently - and I’m going to just bring this up - we happen to be presently here in Israel during a really intense time, though you’re listening to this in late March, I believe, they’re listening to this in late March. We’re actually here, this is the morning after Netanyahu went before Congress in a really controversial situation where he went and spoke...

Nehemia: It’s actually April 18.

Keith: Oh, this is April… are you serious?

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: You’re kidding me. We were that far? [laughing]

Nehemia: Yes. We’ve done so many episodes.

Keith: Well, anyway, if you didn’t hear about that, it really is interesting. But he’s talking about what’s happening in the region and in different...

Nehemia: Right. Today when we’re recording this it’s March 4, 2015.

Keith: It’s March 4, yes. Actually, as I was listening to that, and I was thinking about this, and I just think about how amazing God is all through Scripture. He not only operates - let me say this - He not only operates on behalf of Israel, He operates on behalf of His creation. And what He does in His creation sometimes… Like, when I read this story, I’m like, “Wait a minute, now you just told us about Assyria, and what do you mean?”

Nehemia: Syria, not Assyria.

Keith: Yes. Syria. I said Syria.

Nehemia: Okay.

Keith: Maybe I said - I’m sorry. You see how...

Nehemia: We need to check the tapes. [laughing]

Keith: No.

Nehemia: Got to check the tapes. I think you said Assyria.

Keith: Go back and you’ll check this whole thing out, you’ll make a… you know…

Nehemia: We’ll edit this out.

Keith: We’ll edit this out. [laughing] But no, just the point, and again, what excited me about it was Yehovah giving victory to Aram, which means it has to be for His purposes. It wasn’t given to him because he’s a good guy. There’s His purposes, and His purposes are well beyond sometimes what we think, and it just shows about His bigness. That’s really what hit me on that whole thing.

Nehemia: Amen. By the way, just for those who don’t know, Assyria is a completely different kingdom, which was in northeastern Iraq today. In Hebrew, it’s called Ashur. This kingdom of Syria is called Aram or Sirion in Hebrew. So Syria and Assyria are two completely different things.

Keith: Absolutely.

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: That’s why I said Syria. [laughing]

Nehemia: I’m sure you did.

Keith: Well, verse 2, can you read that?

Nehemia: Sure. Where are we? Verse 2, I have this here in the Hebrew, “And Aram went out as bands of raiders, and they captured from the Land of Israel a young girl, and she was before the wife of Naaman,” meaning she was the servant there. This was interesting to me because I’ve recently done a bunch of research on the European invasion of America, and how when they would interact with the Native Americans or the Indians, very often there would be someone who is taken as a child, and then that person would become the interpreter. And it actually went both ways. Meaning there were European settlers who were captured as children and then they would translate for the Indians, and vice versa.

So this kind of reminded me of that. Like here’s somebody who has a foot in both cultures and can explain things. It goes on, “And she said to her mistress: ‘Achalei,’” which is a really difficult word to translate. What do you have there in verse 3?

Keith: “If only.”

Nehemia: “If only.” Okay. So I love this, because “achalei” in later Hebrew is the word “halevai,” which is a word I actually growing up didn’t know was Hebrew. I thought that it was “Halewai”, “Halevai” is something like “if only.” It’s just a word that we used in the Jewish speech. Here is the biblical form, “achalei.” “If only my lord would be before the prophet who is in Shomron,” in Samaria, “then,” literally, “his leprosy would be gathered from him,” will be gathered away, would be taken away. Do you have anything to say about that?

Keith: I do have something to say about before that.

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: So again, I said why this caught my attention, in the beginning, it says that He gave victory for Aram. “Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel.” Was this one of the victories that they were given?

Nehemia: I don’t know.

Keith: I mean, I’m just saying. The reason I think that, and the reason I throw that as a possibility is that we know the end of the story. And what’s under the end of the story is that God has this ability, an amazing...

Nehemia: See, yours translates it as “victory”. In my Hebrew, it says “salvation”.

Keith: Salvation.

Nehemia: I take that to mean Aram was actually under attack from someone else, and whoever that enemy was, we actually don’t know, but that the enemy was defeated.

Keith: Awesome. Well, we do know this. We do know that Aram also included in whatever they were doing was taking captive people from Israel, and that was allowed. So it being allowed, we have this servant, and so this servant is there, and again, like I said, we know the end of the story, we’re going to go through the story. But I actually read it from a different perspective now. As I’m reading it, I’m reading it, “Okay, well, Yehovah has got this thing that He’s doing with this country, for what? I think we’ll find out.” So let’s continue.

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria!” How does she know that?

Nehemia: Because she’s from there.

Keith: She’s obviously from there.

Nehemia: Right. Okay.

Keith: “He would cure him of his leprosy.” Which I think, by the way, this is another statement about her. I mean think about this - she’s captive, she’s held captive, she’s been taken from her land, and she’s coming and saying, “Hey, let me… there’s a way that there could be some help for you.” I think we talked about this before, but it’s like, wow. I mean, in my terms, she’s witnessing right now.

Nehemia: Can I say something else about her? So she’s really an Israeli. Israelis will give you unsolicited advice even when you don’t want it. This is what we do. I just spent a year in China, where you’ve been spending time now, and one of the things about the Chinese culture is they’ve been trained - don’t give advice even when people ask for it because you may shame the person by telling him he doesn’t know what he’s doing. In the Jewish culture, we see something wrong we speak up.

Keith: Isn’t that the truth?

Nehemia: [laughing] Exactly. Like, who asked her opinion, right?

Keith: Who asked her opinion? But again, I think it really says something about her. She’s basically saying… she’s the one that’s a captive, and she’s saying, “Look, my master actually could be helped if he would see the man of God in Samaria. By the way, the place where I’m from.” [laughing]

Nehemia: Right. You want to read verse 4?

Keith: Go ahead.

Nehemia: “And he came and he told his master,” meaning the king of Aram, “saying, ‘Like this and like that, spoke the girl who is from the Land of Israel.’ And the king of Aram said, ‘Go and come and I will send,’” and I love what it says in Hebrew, “I will send a book,” sefer, “I will send a book,” or I guess an epistle, but literally it says book, “‘to the king of Israel.’ And he went, and he took in his hand 10 talents of silver, and 6,000 of gold,” probably not talents, probably shekels. And this is interesting, it says, “and ten changes of clothing.”

Keith: Wow.

Nehemia: Like doesn’t that give you an indication of clothes and how valuable it was.

Keith: Wow.

Nehemia: Today I go to Wal-Mart and I buy a shirt for four bucks, and if I get a stain on it, if I can’t clean it out, I throw it away and get another four-dollar shirt.

Keith: I wish there was a Wal-Mart. It took me two days to find a pair of underwear here. [laughing]

Nehemia: It’s not like that here in Israel. But imagine, in ancient times, a change of clothing was equivalent, or not equivalent, but was up there with gold and silver. It says in verse 6, “And he brought the book,” hasefer. What you have? Do you have “book”?

Keith: Let’s see here. “He brought the letter.”

Nehemia: The letter? But it literally says sefer, and really sefer, “book,” is any written document. Like in Deuteronomy 24, we read about the certificate of divorce or certificate of separation, and the word there is sefer, it’s a book. “And he brought the book to the king of Israel saying, ‘And now when this book comes to you, behold, I have sent you Naaman my servant, and you shall take away his leprosy.’ And it came to pass when the king of Israel read the book, he tore his clothes, and he said, ‘Am I God, to kill and to make alive,’ ‘to kill and to resurrect,’ ‘that this one is sending to me that I should remove the man’s leprosy? For know, surely, and see that he’s looking for an excuse against me.’” That’s what it says there.

What’s really interesting to me about the story, and especially the fact that it’s a book, that’s lost in your English with your little “letter,” but it says in Hebrew “sefer.” So here they come before the king and they read a sefer, and what is that? That should speak to you. There are two other examples in the Bible where someone came before a king of Israel or Judah and read a book. One example is where they came before Jeremiah – or sorry, they came before the king of Judah and they read the book that Jeremiah wrote, the book of Jeremiah’s prophecies. Do you remember what it says there of what they did? So the scribe would read it, and it said he would read a section, then he’d take the razor…

Keith: And he’d cut.

Nehemia: He’d cut it out and throw it in the fire.

Keith: But they’d read it first. [laughing]

Nehemia: But they’d read it first. It was a way of mocking Jeremiah, “Ha. Ha. Here’s what this crazy prophet says.” You know Jeremiah, had the last laugh, or Yehovah had the last laugh. The other story this reminds me of is where they came before King Josiah, and they read the book they found in the Temple, and that was the Torah. In that story, as well, Josiah tears his clothes. I think that is such an amazing image. The king of Israel in this story here in Kings, he tears his clothes when hearing the “book” of the king of Aram. Josiah tore his clothes when hearing the book of the King of Kings.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: In both cases, they realized they were in trouble. That’s why they were tearing their clothes. Just as a side note, we talk about yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The application of today, I bet there are people who are tearing their clothes when they hear about what’s going on with the leadership in America.

Keith: Not only in America. I mean lots of places.

Nehemia: I agree with you about that.

Keith: No. I mean it’s really...

Nehemia: But when the it comes from the King of America, people tear their clothes.

Keith: Let me ask you a question, Nehemia.

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: I bet you can’t tap, tap for this one. Okay, folks, it’s a test. It’s a test. I’m going to see how long it takes him. Nehemia, it says here “the king of Israel,” ready? You ready?

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: Get your fingers ready. Here we go. What was the king of Israel’s name? Quickly. You’ve got ten seconds. Ten.

Nehemia: Yes. That’s a really interesting question. Give me the answer.

Keith: Nine. Eight. Seven. Folks, this is finally going to be it. Six. Five.

Nehemia: Give me the answer, Rabbi.

Keith: Four. Three. Two.

Nehemia: I’m not looking. I’m waiting for you to give me the answer.

Keith: He doesn’t know! [laughing] I can’t believe it. And neither do I.

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: No, I don’t either. It’s kind of funny because we’re reading in this story, it says the king of Israel, and you really have to do some... you’d have to put some pieces together to try to figure out…

Nehemia: You could infer it.

Keith: You could kind of infer.

Nehemia: It’s not so clear.

Keith: It really isn’t clear, which really, to me, honestly is a part of the purpose of this thing. It isn’t about the king of Israel. It really isn’t. It isn’t about the king of Israel. It isn’t about him saying, “Am I the one to do this?” And then, of course, Elisha comes in, and that’s the great part of the story. It goes on to say...

Nehemia: It also doesn’t mention what the name of the king of Aram is.

Keith: No, it doesn’t say the name of the king of Aram.

Nehemia: Right.

Keith: And so again, but here’s Elisha, he hears what’s happening, “The man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes.” Can you hear it? Elisha’s there preparing Prophet Pearls, he’s about to do his next section, he’s going over his next section he’s about to do, and here comes one of the servants and says, “Man of God?” “Yes, I’m busy.” “The king just tore his robes.” “Well, why did he tear his robes?” “Well, there was a letter, a book, that was sent from the king of Aram, and it’s ugly.” It’s so funny because what does Elisha say? He says, “Why have you torn your robes?” “He sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” Just like that.

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: I mean I think that’s amazing. It’s like, Elisha doesn’t get all wrapped up into it and all, he says “Just send them to me.” And then, of course, we can go further, and I don’t want to go too fast too far, but can I continue?

Nehemia: Yes, please.

Keith: Okay. He says, “and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.” And then - and this is what I think is so interesting -Elijah doesn’t go out and say, “Well, here’s the great commander out there, let me go schmooze with him.” You know, “The commander is here, let me go and stick my chest out.” He says, “He sent a messenger saying to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.’” That’s it. “Go, wash yourself in the Jordan…”

Nehemia: Like, I’m not even going to see you.

Keith: I’m not even going to come… Look, I’m working on Prophet Pearls, I’m here studying. Are you kidding me? Just go to the Jordan and wash yourself seven times. And again, this story’s a phenomenal story because if you’re… I mean listen, let’s talk about the Jordan for a second, and he basically...

Nehemia: Well, let’s hear what he has to say about the Jordan.

Keith: Yes, let’s hear what he has to say about the Jordan. [laughing]

Nehemia: I’ve said before that there are unnamed streams in Washington state that are bigger than the Jordan River, that flow into some other river. Anyway. So we are here in… okay, what verse are we in?

Keith: Come on. It says we are here in the verse, “Go, now…” Yes, verse 10.

Nehemia: Verse 10.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: “And Elisha sent him a messenger,” it literally says malach, an angel, but it also means a messenger, “saying,” well, we read this.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will return to you and be clean,” or ritually clean, tahor.

Keith: Before you go any further, obviously, I mean this is an obvious issue. So what’s the section in Leviticus we’re reading, and why’d they pick this section?

Nehemia: It’s a section on leprosy.

Keith: Exactly.

Nehemia: Right. Exactly. Okay. “And Naaman was angry, and he went away.”

Keith: No, the English says he was furious. [laughing]

Nehemia: Oh, okay. All right. He was angry. He was furious. “And he said, ‘Behold, I said to myself, he will surely come out and he will stand and call in the name of Yehovah his God, and he shall wave his hand to the place, and the leprosy will be removed.’” That is so profound.

Keith: What a picture. What a picture!

Nehemia: Because what Naaman is looking for here - he’s looking for the hocus-pocus. They knew this from ancient times, that magicians would heal in the name of gods and angels. One of the things they would do, we find this in the literature of magic, and unfortunately, there’s actually a Jewish magical literature, which probably, some of it may predate the Torah, meaning… and I don’t say that in a good way. When the Torah comes along in Deuteronomy 18 and forbids magic, it’s because magic existed in ancient Israel. What magic really was - it wasn’t pulling a rabbit out of a hat, it was healing in the name of a god, and essentially what they were doing was forcing a god to do their will. What they would do is… the word in English, it’s not a word that everybody knows, it’s to adjure. A-D-J-U-R-E. In Hebrew, it’s “lehashbiya.” What they would do is they would essentially force the god or the angel or the deity to swear that he would heal. They would force him into an oath, and that was the purpose of the magical incantations, and so-called Jewish magicians would heal in the name of Yehovah.

It’s actually interesting, that’s one of the reasons… I’ve talked about how it was because of Roman persecution that the rabbis forbade people to speak the name Yehovah. But there was a secondary reason, which was an internal reason, and the internal reason, we’re told, is that there were people healing in the name, and that was seen in Jewish sources as magic.

We actually have some of these magical sources, one of the famous one is the Hebraic Coslogos in the great Magical Papyrus of Leiden. So there were people who were healing using this name as if it was some kind of power – that it was a power that you could essentially get power over Yehovah or harness His power through the name. In Jewish sources, in my view, in biblical sources, that is viewed as magic. That’s a negative thing. That’s forbidden.

We see, for example, when Elisha does heal, and when Eliyahu does heal, Elijah and Elisha, they pray. They’re not saying, “Hey, God, here’s what You have to do.” They don’t have the power. Yehovah has the power, and they’re asking Him to do something. This is what Naaman expects. He expects the hocus-pocus.

Keith: Well, here’s what I think… Probably the most interesting thing to me about this verse is again, like I said, what I appreciate so much, Nehemia, is that when we get to some of these questions, and finding the information, and finding statistics and stuff, it’s just phenomenal what the computer can do.

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: You look in the Hebrew text and you see this, actually, that I think takes this to a different level. If it said this, “I thought,” if it said this, “I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God,” that’s what it says in English. If that’s what Naaman said, even if in Hebrew it said something like, “And he called upon the Lord his God, Adonai,” or something like that, but what it says is he would call… and this is Naaman saying this, “I thought he would stand and call upon the name Yehovah, his God.” So Naaman, [laughing] this is what’s so amazing to me. Naaman knows the name of Yehovah. He says, “I thought he would come out and call upon the name Yehovah.”

Nehemia: Right.

Keith: It doesn’t say, “I thought he would come out and call upon the name of his God.” Or, “Adonai.” It says, “Yehovah.” So Naaman actually says the name, and says, “Aren’t you come and do that? Aren’t you going to come out and stand here, wave your hands, and say, ‘In the name Yehovah…?’” That’s where the frustration comes.

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: Instead, he sends out a messenger? Then, here comes the part that I think is so funny.

Nehemia: Wait, I want to focus on this hocus-pocus. To me this is amazing that he’s expecting some kind of magic, and this reminds me - we may have shared this in the Original Torah Pearls, but I want to share it again. It’s a story that happened in the first century, where there’s a rabbi named Yochanan ben Zakkai, and we’re told about how he had this interaction with some kind of Greek or Roman. Can I read that story?

Keith: Yes, please.

Nehemia: It says, “A gentile asked Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, ‘These rituals that you perform look like a kind of magic! You bring a heifer, burn it, pound it, and take its ashes. If one of you is defiled by a dead body, you sprinkle upon him two or three drops and say to him, You are clean!’” So imagine that. This is talking about a ritual the red heifer in Numbers 19. In the eyes of a pagan, this looks like, not just paganism but magic.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: Which even to a pagan, maybe in certain pagan traditions, is a forbidden thing. “Rabbi Yochanan asked him, ‘Has the demon of madness ever possessed you?’” “‘No,’ the Roman replied.” “Have you ever seen a man possessed by this demon of madness?” “‘Yes,’ he said” And Rabbi Yochanan says, “And what do you do in such a case?” And the Roman replies, “We bring roots and make them smoke under him, then we sprinkle water upon the demon and it flees.”

So this is some kind of pagan exorcism. It’s interesting - in the mind of the Romans, exorcisms were just fine as long as it wasn’t magic. Which I have trouble wrapping my head around, but anyway… “Rabbi Yochanan said to him, ‘Let your ears hear what you utter with your mouth! Precisely so is this spirit a spirit of uncleanness. Water of purification is sprinkled upon the unclean and the spirit flees.’”

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: Okay. So he is essentially describing the red heifer ritual as a type of magical exorcism. “When the idolater had gone, Rabbi Yochanan’s disciples said to their master: ‘Master! You have thrust off that heathen with a mere reed of an answer, but what explanation will you give to us?’” In other words, “We know that can’t be the answer because we know the red heifer is not about exorcism.” “Rabbi Yochanan said to him, ‘I swear it is not the dead that defiles nor the water that purifies! The Holy One, blessed be He, merely says, I have laid down a statute, I have issued a decree. You are not allowed to transgress My decree.’”

In other words, there’s nothing inherent about a dead body that causes you to be unclean in a ritual sense. There’s nothing inherent about… there’s no supernatural power of death that causes you to be unclean. There’s no supernatural power of a red heifer pounded into dust and mixed with water that causes you to be clean. But simply, we are being in obedience to God’s commandments. He said to do it so we do it. I think that’s really profound and I think that this is essentially a first century example of what is happening between Naaman and Elisha. That Naaman is like, “What is this? Where is the magic? Where is the ritual?”

Keith: Yes, where is the magic?

Nehemia: Where is the sprinkling? What’s going on here?

Keith: Come out and yell real loud…

Nehemia: Where is the show? Put on the hocus pocus, the show, and let’s get this done. So read verse 12.

Keith: Yes. It says, “Are not Avana and Pharpar…” excuse me, “the rivers…” You read. [laughing]

Nehemia: “Are not Amanah,” and yours says “Avana” interesting. That’s a whole discussion, but we’ll go past that. “Are not Amanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?”

Keith: Are they better than the waters of Israel?

Nehemia: Yes. Meaning, they’re bigger.

Keith: They’re bigger.

Nehemia: They’re more serious rivers. It’s interesting - you go into the Golan Heights, which is at the foot of Mount Hermon of what really Syria is, and all of a sudden it’s a different situation.

Keith: That is amazing, though…

Nehemia: Like, there are rivers everywhere. There’s the water everywhere.

Keith: Rushing waters.

Nehemia: Yes. Here in Israel, we’ve got the Jordan, which is smaller than some of the sewers in other countries, quite literally.

All right. He says, “‘Shall I not wash in them and be purified?’ And he turned and he went away in anger.” Or does yours have “fury”? [laughing]

Keith: It says, “and went out in heat.”

Nehemia: “In heat,” okay.

Keith: I’m just kidding.

Nehemia: That’s the literal Hebrew.

Keith: That’s the literal, yes

Nehemia: Okay, “Vayigshu avahdav,” “And his servants came close and they spoke to him. And they said, ‘Father.’” I think it’s interesting they call him Father.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: “Is it such a great thing the prophet has spoken to you?” Why don’t you just do it? “Shall you not do it? And even that he told you wash and be purified?” Well, what’s the big deal?

Keith: Just do it.

Nehemia: Just do it.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: In verse 14, and this is really cool, “He went down and he baptized himself in the Jordan seven times.”

Keith: Come on with that.

Nehemia: “According to the word of the man of God,” and I’ve intentionally translated it “baptized” because this is one of the few places in the Tanakh where we have the Hebrew word for baptized. Now, let me finish the verse and we’ll go back to that. “And his flesh returned like the flesh of a young boy and he was clean, he was purified.” So why do I translate that as “baptized”? You know, I’ll hear in the Hebrew Roots community, they don’t want to use the word “baptize” so they use the word mikvah, and they’ll say, “I was mikvah’ed.” But mikvah is actually not a… mikvah is a noun in Hebrew, it means “a pool of water”. The verb is “taval”, “to be dipped,” literally, to dip. If you want to say…

Keith: Make it the Word of the Week, Nehemia!

Nehemia: Can we make that the Word of the Week?

Keith: Explain what it is. Please. I know it’s a really important one.

Nehemia: Okay. So the word is “litvol,” or “taval.” Every word in Biblical Hebrew, we’ve said, has a three-letter root. The three-letter root is Tet, Bet, Lamed, and it means to dip something. I love one of the examples that appears - I’m sure we’ve talked about this before - but one of the examples… And by the way, in Leviticus, where you have the laws of ritual, it talks about washing in water, and it specifically does not use this word. The only time you will find this word is, for example, Leviticus 14:6. It talks about taking a bunch of stuff and it says, “and dipping them,” “to dip them in something.”

Keith: Did you give the three-letter root?

Nehemia: Yes, Tet, Bet, Lamed.

Keith: I’m sorry, I can’t believe…

Nehemia: This is his Chinaitis.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: So for example, Leviticus 14:16 says, “And the priest will dip his right finger in the oil,” et cetera. Anyway, so the word is “taval”. So if you wanted to say, you can't say “I was mikvah’ed.” You could say, “I was tavaled” if you speak Heblish.

I love the examples. Ruth chapter 2 verse 14, where we have a really clear image of what this means, “taval.” Let me read you from the King James version, see what the familiar English is for those who read that. “And Boaz said unto her,” to Ruth, “At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.” Some people actually say that she dipped it not in vinegar but in hummus, because the word is “hometz,” which is from the same root as “hummus,” which is chickpea dip. Anyway, and today we say, “to dip.” “So he dipped himself in the Jordan seven times,” he baptized himself. It’s interesting, he could have stood on the shore and taken kind of like one of those puddle baths.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: I know when I’m traveling and I can’t really get to a shower, I’ll stop at the airport and I’ll do one of those situations in the sink.

Keith: TMI. I’m just joking. [laughing]

Nehemia: Okay. Anyway. So that’s washing in water, or that could be washing in water. Here he completely immersed himself.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: He dipped himself like a piece of bread in the vinegar or in the hummus. It’s to be completely immersed, and he did it seven times.

Keith: According to the word of the man of God.

Nehemia: According to the word of the man of God. I think that’s really interesting. Here we have the only time where someone is purified - in the entire Tanakh, as far as I know, as far as I can remember - where someone’s purifying themselves by dipping themselves in a body of water. It never happens at any other time, as far as I know. Really interesting.

Keith: You don’t think when they went through the Red Sea that they were being baptized?

Nehemia: But they didn’t get wet.

Keith: [laughing] They didn’t get wet. That’s a good point.

Nehemia: It was a dry baptism. [laughing] Maybe they were being baptized in the flood in the time of Noah. But those are the people who… it killed them so they weren’t really reborn.

Keith: Isn’t that true?

Nehemia: Yes.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: Isn’t it interesting though, it’s like after he is baptized seven times in the Jordan River, then he has the flesh of a young boy and he’s clean. Interesting. Verse 15.

Keith: Wow. “When he returned to the man of God with all his company and came and stood before him.” Now, he’s actually in front of the man of God. “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now.” Before we go any further, when he makes that statement… see, when I read that statement, I go back to the beginning of the story, and about how…

Nehemia: We’re not going to feed the man of God; he’s going to feed us.

Keith: No. When I’m going back to the beginning in the story, before this section, Naaman himself… Yehovah had given victory that this young girl had been captured, that this young girl ended up being the ambassador to what was going on there, that the Father in his amazing orchestration, how far it goes and how deep it goes, that literally by the time he says this, he says, “Now I know this.”

So let’s go backward. How does Naaman know this? Well, Aram went and took a slave girl from that place, and she became a slave, and that girl ends up being the one to tell the wife, who she tells the husband, who goes to the husband, who goes to the king, and the king sends the message, and the message gets to the - I mean I just go piece by piece by piece. In all of it, I see God’s hand. I mean this story, to me, is just… I don’t know, there’s something so encouraging about it, I just see God’s hand in every single act that takes place, from the very beginning of the story all the way till here.

And what is the end result? The end result is, this situation has become a light to the nations. This man says, “I now know there is no God in all the earth,” because of what? Not just because of him dipping, but because he’s had an encounter with the Creator of the universe.

Nehemia: I think this is the reason that Elisha didn’t come out initially and perform the hocus-pocus. Look, he could legitimately say, “I heal you in the name of Yehovah.” There’s nothing wrong with that biblically, as long as it’s clear that it’s through Yehovah we’re asking him to do it.

Keith: Amen.

Nehemia: But I think the reason he didn’t is he knew he was dealing with a pagan, and the pagan would immediately confuse the man representing Yehovah, the divine man, the Ish HaElohim with Elohim himself, with God. This is in the pagan mind - especially in these days, it’s very easy to confuse God with a man who represents God. And I know you make fun of me of quoting the New Testament, but I love, there’s a story…

Keith: No, I don’t make fun of you. I think it’s amazing that you do that.

Nehemia: There’s a story in the Book of Acts, where Paul and Barnabas are in some city and they’re healing, according to the story, and the people look at this and they say, “Oh, we know what’s going on, these are two gods that have come to…

Keith: These are Hermes and…

Nehemia: Yes, “That’s Hermes and that’s Zeus.” Like, no! They’re men who represent God, they’re not gods! But in the pagan mind, if a man of God performs a miracle then they confuse that and think that that is God. So that’s why he said, “You don’t even need to see me. This isn’t about me. This is about God, and here’s what God told you to do, the words of God.”

Keith: Amen!

Nehemia: I think that’s what this story is about.

Keith: That’s why I say this story so amazing to me from the beginning to end, is that you just see that… we don’t know the King’s name, we don’t know the King of Aram’s name, Elisha doesn’t come out and say anything to him, we don’t know the girl’s name, we don’t know… All we know is God did an amazing thing.

Now, we’re going to get to the controversy, we’re going to get to the controversy here. I mean, I don’t know if we’re going to get out of this section. But it says, “But he said,” who said this? Elisha said, “As Yehovah lives,” again, there’s that word, “Chai Yehovah,” we talked about it before.

Nehemia: Chai Yehovah.

Keith: “‘Before whom I stand, I will take nothing.’ And he urged him to take it, but he refused.” And we know this story goes on later.

Nehemia: So why did he refuse?

Keith: Maybe he refused because he said, “It’s not about me. Don’t give it to me, I didn’t do anything. Maybe it’s all about Yehovah. I don’t want to have any aspect of you worshipping...” Who knows?

Nehemia: Wait a minute. He’s performed the healing, now it’s time for the tithes and the offerings.

Keith: No, he didn’t perform the healing. [laughing]

Nehemia: Pull out the checkbooks and the credit cards. Look, I’ve seen these healing things on television, this is how it works. But that’s not how it worked back then.

Keith: That’s not how it worked there. Then of course, here comes this verse, and Nehemia, I think this is worth asking why, “Naaman said, ‘If not, please let your servant at least be given two muleloads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to Yehovah.’” So he’s bringing this dirt back…

Nehemia: To make an earthen altar.

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: That’s Exodus chapter 20 verse 24.

Keith: Do you think it’s Exodus 20 he’s thinking? Or do you think he’s saying, “I’m taking something from the land where this God did this amazing thing, and I’m bringing it back to where I’m at.”

Nehemia: So why not a pile of stones?

Keith: I don’t know. I’m just saying.

Nehemia: Why not a pile of wood to make a wood altar? I don’t know. So maybe it’s a combination of both. Look, what I am reminded of when I read this is a Jewish custom or tradition - which probably comes from this verse, not the other way around - when Jews were in the diaspora, and even today, Jews who die off in the diaspora will often have a clump of earth from Israel thrown into the grave so that you are, in a way, buried in the Land, not off in a land of exile, but in the land of your forefathers.

But yes, there is definitely something about… I think, there are two things here. One is he wants the dirt clearly to make an altar, that’s not a question. But why the dirt? Maybe it’s Exodus 20:24. Maybe he’s realizing, okay, this is the holiness of the land. Yes, I don’t know.

Keith: Yes. Who knows? Well, I wish we could end the verse there. We could end it there and not have any controversy. Like, we could end the verse...

Nehemia: I can’t go past this. I want to read Exodus 20:24. It says, “Mizbach adamah ta’ase li,” “An altar of earth you shall make for Me and you shall slaughter upon it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your flocks and your cattle; in every place I cause My name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you.” And maybe, just maybe, Naaman knew that if he brings this dirt back and makes a dirt altar, that Yehovah will mention His name there and there will be a blessing.

Keith: Nehemia, it’s not often you go too far, but Naaman is not reading the Torah and he doesn’t know about Exodus 20:24.

Nehemia: What do you mean? Maybe the slave girl…

Keith: He’s bringing back…

Nehemia: No, maybe the slave girl told him. Look, there’s the blessing in the name…

Keith: He’s bringing back earth because that’s where the God did what he did, and he’s bringing it back. He’s a pagan. You say he’s a pagan. You can’t say he’s a pagan and now he’s reading the Torah. He didn’t read the Torah, Nehemia!

Nehemia: Maybe he’s a pagan that knew the Torah because the slave girl told him, “Hey, look, Naaman, now you believe this stuff? You better make a dirt altar because Yehovah will bless you there.”

Keith: Okay, well, let’s go on, because I think the next verse gives us even further indication on what he’s dealing with.

Nehemia: All right, verse 18.

Keith: Now, here’s the part I say that’s controversial, because maybe if we could end the section there we could have a nice little argument. But then it goes on, “In this matter may Yehovah pardon your servant,” now, I want everyone to just slow down with us. Get your Bible and read this in whatever translation you want. I don’t care if it’s in the Hebrew, the Greek, the Septuagint, whatever it is. “In this matter may Yehovah pardon your servant,” and he calls him by his name, “when my master goes into the house of the false god Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, Yehovah pardon your servant in this matter.”

This is a problem. This is a major problem. No, first you want to say he’s reading the Torah. If he read the Torah, if he’s reading the Torah, he knows this is not...

Nehemia: Well, wait a minute.

Keith: I’m not saying...

Nehemia: He knows in the Torah… he knows at least the principle he’s not allowed to worship another god.

Keith: Exactly. Amen.

Nehemia: That’s not obvious to a pagan. Meaning, a pagan could very easily see Yehovah performs a miracle, but he could then go worship some elephant god because the elephant god also has power to a pagan.

Keith: So my question...

Nehemia: He realizes there’s only one God. Where does he know that from? It’s got to be from the slave girl. He knows it!

Keith: Okay, so he knows that. So is there now going to be some sort of a special dispensation for him?

Nehemia: That’s what he’s asking for.

Keith: I’m asking - is he asking for a special dispensation? “Hey, listen, I know now there’s one God. Look, I’ve got the altar. I’ve got to Your name, Yehovah.” Or is this a guy who’s in the process of learning about who Yehovah is and there’s some sort of grace here in the process?

Nehemia: Well, I think the key thing here is he’s saying, “Look, when it appears that I’m bowing down to this pagan god Rimmon…”

Keith: “When I’m in the house of the false god and we’re worshipping there…” [laughing]

Nehemia: Right. Hold on. So his point is… and the word is bowing down.

Keith: Yes, okay.

Nehemia: It says three times the word “bowing down”. It says, “When my master,” meaning the king, “comes into the house of Rimmon to bow down there and he leans upon my hand, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon. When I bow down in the House of Rimmon...”

Keith: Three times he wants to bow.

Nehemia: “Let Yehovah forgive your servant for this matter.” So why is he bowing down? Because the custom and the ritual of Aram, of Syria, is that the top general sticks out his hand so the king can more easily bow down.

Keith: But he bows down with him.

Nehemia: So his point is, “I’m not bowing down as worship to the god, I’m bowing down simply as respect to the king, and it appears that I’m bowing down, but it’s not really pagan worship. But I don’t feel good about it, because I’m bowing down in front of a statue.”

What it reminds me of is in many churches, especially the Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches in Israel - I don’t know about in other places - they’ll have this statue at the front of Mary or whatever, and other things, and there’s a very low entrance. Literally, the purpose of the low entrance, they’ll tell you, is so that anybody who comes in here, even a Muslim, even a Jew, will be forced to bow down before our statue, because you can’t… unless you can do the limbo thing [laughing] where you put your knees real low. For most people, you’re going to have to end up having to lower your head to get into the door, and it’ll force you to bow down. The question is, is that really worshiping a pagan god when you lower your head in order to get into the door? I’ll tell you my father in his entire life never stepped foot in a church because of this. To him, he didn’t even want a situation where it would look like he was coming to worship, and what he saw as a place for idols and statues.

Keith: So you’re in the Naaman fan club. You don’t think he actually bowed down and worshipped...

Nehemia: Well, he physically prostrated, but it was only...

Keith: In front of a false god.

Nehemia: But for the purpose of sticking out his hand and letting the other guy lean on him. And he’s saying, “Look, I’m not really worshipping, so can I be forgiven?” And what’s the answer?

Keith: Well, hold on. Before we get to the answer, I just want to be clear now. You’re saying that he’s saying, “Look, here’s what I do, but I’m not really doing it.”

Nehemia: Well, he’s clearly saying that. The question is, is his excuse legitimate?

Keith: Yes. So why doesn’t he just say… He had an encounter with the Creator of the universe… Why doesn’t he just say, “I quit my job, and now I’m going to be an Israelite.” Why doesn’t he just join...

Nehemia: You mean he goes...

Keith: I’m asking. Listen, hold on. Let me finish. He had an encounter. He had a situation take place. He’s healed from his leprosy. Why doesn’t he just say, “The gig is up, I’m not going back there, I’m going to convert.”

Nehemia: I’m going to enroll in the conversion program in Israel.

Keith: Or I’m just going to...

Nehemia: Then 12 months from now, I’ll apply for citizenship in the state of Israel.

Keith: That’s what they would say there. But basically, this guy he could never become a citizen of Israel.

Nehemia: You mean a modern…?

Keith: Present day.

Nehemia: Oh, absolutely not.

Keith: Absolutely not.

Nehemia: Because he’s worshipping in the house of another religion. Absolutely not. They wouldn’t let him.

Keith: Yes. So he is worshipping in the house of another religion?

Nehemia: Well, it appears that way, anyway.

Keith: It’s what exactly is going on, Nehemia. [laughing] I’m just telling you it’s what’s happening. I think what he’s saying is, “Look, I’m guilty. This is what happens. Look, it’s the god Rimmon! He’s saying the name. He’s saying the false god’s name.

Nehemia: Yes, in the house of Rimmon.

Keith: So let’s just assume. I want to give a worst-case scenario that it really is that bad. I want to just assume for a second...

Nehemia: Well, he is saying,My heart isn’t worshiping the god, even though my knees are.”

Keith: Let me just say this, I think it’s as bad as it is. I think that it’s as bad as it looks, and yet the prophet says something that I wish we could hear in our hearts right now, where he says, “lech leshalom,” “go in peace.” How can the prophet say, “Go in peace”? There’s got to be some theological reason here. What does this mean? Maybe this doesn’t really mean, “Go in peace.” Maybe it means something else, maybe like, “Don’t bother me about that, you know, just get out of my presence. Don’t make me have to answer.” Or is Elisha saying this…

Nehemia: Wait, can I give you the…?

Keith: I…

Nehemia: Go ahead. [laughing]

Keith: No, I’m fired up here. [laughing]

Nehemia: No, I’ve got something.

Keith: Okay, good. I’m asking the question, and excuse my excitement here, but is Elisha really saying, “Listen, man…” give some extra words. You’re good at this. Give us some other words and maybe it means something else. Is he really saying…?

Nehemia: I’ve got it!

Keith: Okay, good. Tell us what it is.

Nehemia: So Jerusalem is “Yerushalayim.” Maybe he’s saying “lech leshalom,” “go to Jerusalem.” This could be the Rabbinical answer. This is the type of thing the rabbis would come up with to say, “We know what it says in Scripture but it can’t possibly mean that.” So here’s the excuse - Elisha says to him, “Go to Jerusalem and worship there.” And he disobeyed and he went and worshipped in the House of Rimmon. That’s not what it means. He’s really saying, “Go in peace.” And I think he’s saying, “Go in peace” - you could disagree with me - because he’s acknowledging this is a really bad situation. The man’s life will be lost if he says to the king, “Look, I can’t give you my hand to bow down because you’re a pagan who’s worshipping in a pagan house.” So instead, he’s saying, “Look, my heart isn’t worshipping the pagan god even though it appears that my knees are, and in practice, I’m going through that ritual. My heart is with Yehovah, not with Rimmon.” That I think is why Elisha says to him, “Go in peace.” And you could agree or disagree with it.

Keith: Agree or disagree, the only thing I would say is this - that Elisha is a man of God. He knows exactly what’s going on, he’s seen what’s happened, this has been a miracle. I just think - and this is going to sound like really maybe I’m getting a little liberal like you - that for him saying, “Go in peace” is a way of saying, “I acknowledge the difficulty. I acknowledge the fact that the situation is what it is. I acknowledge that you came from a pagan society, you have an encounter with God in the Land of Israel, but you’re not going to stay here. You’re actually going to go back to that place. You’re going to go back to that job.”

There are people listening right now. There are people listening right now who are in similar situations, and let me tell you what I mean by that. They’re in their life, they’re going about their journey, and all of a sudden, they have this encounter. And this encounter is… I mean, there’s no question about it. I’ve had people call and say these things to me, “I just never understood Sabbath. I never understood Sabbath. But guess what? My job has me working on Sabbath.” And they’re like, “I’m under conviction,” and this is a really big deal. “I’m under conviction. My eyes are opened,” and I could actually give testimony about this, “My eyes are opened. What do I do?” And I can hear Elisha saying this to them, “lech leshalom,” in your process, go in peace now, God will work this out. Your heart, your spirit, your mind is right, and I do not say you’ve got permission to go and do whatever you want to do. Don’t forget about Sabbath, whatever. I’m saying that God has this amazing way, and I will tell you why this excites me. This story shows me about the bigness of God and the grace of God that takes a man from a pagan-rooted worshipping false god situation, he has an encounter with God, and the prophet says, “lech leshalom,” “go in peace” in the journey.

If we’d hear the story later, I wouldn’t be surprised if Naaman, six months later, Naaman is not even there anymore. He’s not even in that job anymore. Maybe there’s some amazing thing that happens where Naaman is completely delivered out of it. But in the moment, he could say to him, “Go in peace.” I want people, Nehemia, to hear that word. I’m sorry, I hit Nehemia. [laughing]

Nehemia: I just got punched.

Keith: He’s like I punched him.

Nehemia: The guy’s so excited he’s punching me. [laughing]

Keith: I’m punching Nehemia. No, because listen, you probably aren’t going to remember this…

Nehemia: What’s that.

Keith: Can I end with this? In the first process, 12-13 years ago, when I first had an encounter with God’s time, God’s Torah, God’s name, there were things that I was a part of, there were things that I was doing that didn’t match with what happened in Israel. You didn’t say it this way, but I could hear the Spirit saying, “lech leshalom.” In the process, let God be God. You’re just now coming into a place of understanding certain things that radically change different aspects of your life. I just want to say this, this man, when Elisha says that to him, I can just hear the word grace, the grace that…

Nehemia: Well...

Keith: Listen. The grace…

Nehemia: Can I just show you? I wrote in the computer here “grace” in my notes.

Keith: No, you did really? [laughing]

Nehemia: It’s right here.

Keith: The grace that says there is a process, there’s a journey. I could give you another biblical example… well, I don’t want too far.

Nehemia: Can I just say this? I think the message here is – God, Yehovah, the Creator of the universe, He’s less judgmental than we are. Yehovah is less legalistic than we are. He has more grace than we do. Because if this was us, if this was the religious establishment...

Keith: And this guy came.

Nehemia: Naaman! You must now renounce the king of Aram. You must cast off all…

Keith: You must never go back to that time.

Nehemia: He’s saying, Naaman, you can’t have that dirt because the sacrifice can only be brought to the Temple in Jerusalem. So you’re doing two things - you’re sacrificing to Yehovah outside of the place of the Temple. And number two, you’re bowing down to the temple of Rimmon. You are a heathen. And I hate… oh, my God. Can I just… Look, I’m vexed…

Keith: Now you’re going to get mean! [laughing]

Nehemia: I’m vexed, Keith.

Keith: He punched me!

Nehemia: No. I’m vexed. Can I tell you why I’m vexed?

Keith: Yes.

Nehemia: I’ll deal with people who don’t think like me, who don’t have the same faith as me, who have different concepts than I do, and I’ll be criticized by my Jewish brothers and sisters. And I’ll tell you, very intensely, even more so by my Karaite brothers and sisters. Their response to me is, “Nehemia, how can you go and have an interaction with those people who have a different theology, a different doctrine?” Here’s the phrase they use, they say, “Someone…” Can I say it outright? They’ll say, “A Christian who keeps the Torah,” I’ve been told this, “is no different than a man who immerses himself in the mikvah holding onto a dead rat.” This is the phrase or...

Keith: Nobody has ever said that to you.

Nehemia: It’s actually a phrase in Hebrew, not about the Christian, but holding on to the dead rat. The image there is, yes, I’ve immersed myself in the mikvah to clean myself, but I’m still continuing to be constantly exposed to the uncleanness. That’s the image of immersing yourself in the mikvah holding actually a “sheretz” is the word in Hebrew.

I’ve been told, “Nehemia, how can you interact with those Christians who keep the Torah? How can you interact with those Hebrew Roots people? They’re no different, from our perspective,” is what I’ve been told, “then someone who is immersing himself in the mikvah and holding onto a dead rat.”

And I say, “Can we let Yehovah decide that? Here are people who want to serve Yehovah, the Creator of the universe. Here are people who want to keep his Torah. Here are people who love the people of Israel. Why would I condemn them? Why are you condemning them? Let Yehovah work it out for them and let’s just empower them with information.” Rather than saying, “We’ve got to have the anti-missionary organization. We’ve got to convert the people. We’ve got to convince them why they’re wrong about the verse in Isaiah and why they’re wrong about the verse in Zechariah, and then bring them into the fold and get them to stand before the three rabbis and immerse themselves in the real literal Mikvah.” This is the mentality, and I say, “You know what? That’s not what I’m about.” You know I really want to… I love this example of Elisha where he says to him, “lech leshalom.” He’s empowered him with information; and the rest? He needs to work it out for himself in fear and trembling with prayer and study before the Creator of the universe. Even the prophet Elisha, that’s all he does.

Now I’m reminded that I had a conversation with a gentleman, I think it was about a year and a half ago, and we were talking about this exact issue. This is actually a man who used to be a Christian and now has gone in the direction of, I guess, really Rabbinical Judaism now. He said to me, “Nehemia, I just can’t continue to condone what you’re doing. You’re speaking about Yeshua and you’re not condemning the people who believe in him.” And he said, “Can you show me any example in the Tanakh where the prophets didn’t condemn that which wasn’t in line with the biblical understanding?”

Keith: Don’t tell me you brought this.

Nehemia: I actually brought this story.

Keith: You’re kidding me.

Nehemia: Yes, and he just…

Keith: And you haven’t talked to him since. [laughing]

Nehemia: Well, I have. But he ignored that, and said, “No, I want to be like Elijah on Mount Carmel and cause the fire to come down on the Messianics and the Christians and have them burned up!” That was his position. I said, “You know what? If that’s what Yehovah wants to do, He’ll do it. What I’m going to do right now is go in the spirit of Elisha.”

Keith: Amen. You know what, Nehemia, with that, I want to… and I get to pray. I’m kind of excited. I have a very simple prayer for people. I want people to just take a minute… is it alright if I do this?

Nehemia: Bevakasha.

Keith: It’s humbling to be here, and it’s humbling to open the Word of God and to find a story like this where you can’t always come up with a nice clean little answer. But in prayer, I want to think about those people that are out there right now that are listening [siren] that are really are in a process of discovery.

Nehemia: Wait. Stop. Do you hear that? That’s the religious police. They’re on their way. Oh, no! [laughing]

Keith: [laughing] They’re coming to get us in the basement apartment not far from the Knesset. We’re in the side of a mountain somewhere.

Nehemia: We’re in the side of a mountain.

Keith: We’re in the side of a mountain. We really appreciate you listening. But I want you to just take a second for those that are listening just to bow your heads and close your eyes and think for a second what would it be like for you if you had that encounter with God. That encounter that finds you in a place where it doesn’t always match, it doesn’t always fit with what maybe people think are supposed to be correct and according to the rules and the regulations. And not only the rules and the regulations, the statutes, the judgments, the commands of God that we know that are true and that are real.

At the same time, we find a story like this where we see a man that just breaks the situation. There are people that are listening right now that are in difficult situations, whether it’s in relationships, in jobs, in circumstances. I only have one simple prayer, and it’s really only two little words. I say to that woman, and to that man, to that child, or that family, “lech lashalom.” “Lech lashalom,” “Go in peace.” Amen.

Nehemia: Amen.

You have been listening to Prophet Pearls with Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson. Thank you for supporting Nehemia Gordon’s Makor Hebrew Foundation. Learn more at NehemiasWall.com.

We hope the above transcript has proven to be a helpful resource in your study. While much effort has been taken to provide you with this transcript, it should be noted that the text has not been reviewed by the speakers and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. If you would like to support our efforts to transcribe the teachings on NehemiasWall.com, please visit our support page. All donations are tax-deductible (501c3) and help us empower people around the world with the Hebrew sources of their faith!

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Related Posts: The Original Torah Pearls - Tazria (Leviticus 12:1-13:59) Torah and Prophet Pearls Hebrew Voices Episodes Support Team Studies Nehemia Gordon's Teachings on the Name of God
  • donald murphy says:

    Our Creator won’t allow us to not keep the sabbath.

  • Shimshon says:

    Shalom Nehemiah and Keith, I believe the the bread story was suppose to give us the season when this is happening.

    It’s in Nissan, at the time of the Barley harvest.

    So it’s most probably during the feast of unleavened bread.

    But great work you guys.

  • Susan Byers says:

    Prophet Pearls #27, I can only say, WOW!

  • AL says:

    Must be one of the best torah pearls ever….. Lech lashalom… mercy. Thank you guys appreciate it.

  • mosckerr says:

    My wife Karen tells me that she baby sat you as a child. You favor the karaite ideas?

  • Linda says:

    Hello Nehemia and Keith,
    A thought about Elisha saying “Go in peace” to Naaman when he goes into the pagan temple and bows on his master’s arm – and not saying “Don’t sin anymore”.

    I’m reminded of the woman caught in a physical act of adultery in John 8, when Yeshua does say, “Go in peace but don’t sin anymore.”

    Could it be, that Naaman is still a pagan and hasn’t committed to worship of Yehovah and therefore obedience to Torah, so he’s not told to return to Torah. The woman is a Jew however and she’s being called to full repentance.

    Therefore – Naaman is told to go in peace, but the woman is told to go in peace and don’t transgress the Torah anymore.
    For us as believers who have committed, the message to us if we have backslid, is go in peace but don’t sin anymore. The call is to RETURN to Torah.
    Naaman couldn’t return to Torah however, because he hadn’t go to it yet.

  • Ed says:

    I commented too soon . Wow, the last five minutes was so awesome. Keith’s comments about “going in peace” speaks so much to what I’m currently dealing with as a Torah observant disciple of Christ and Nehemia, it is so inspiring to hear your commitment to finding truth and ignoring those that would seek to dissuade you from it. Let God be God. Amen guys!

  • Ed says:

    I laughed out loud at your tit for tat. Love you guys.

  • donald murphy says:

    to much “chit chat”. believe it is written about not learning how others serve their “gods”, and graces are “goddesses”. go in peace guys.

  • Sheila Price says:

    I have listened to this 3 years after the initial posting, so the Presidency has changed hands since this was first published… but I couldn’t help but think, while you were discussing the Israeli girl who was Naaman’s wife’s servant… I thought of Malachi saying to Ester, “maybe you were put here for such a time as this.”… and I thought of the fact that God’s Word tells us He appoints the ‘king’ of the countries… therefore the one who was president of the US in 2015 was placed there for God’s purpose… (I believe it was to bring about this nation being brought to her knees… more so than on 9/11…pieces of God’s ‘puzzle’ are falling in to place. He was placed in his former position for ‘such a time as this.’, and the same for our current President), just as Ester was in her time and the slave girl in Naaman’s time. God is working as mightily now as He did in Elisha’s time. We just don’t hear about it through mainstream media sources…. ‘he who has eyes to see.. will”
    Thank you both once again for a wonderful teaching.

    • Dale Trottier says:

      Shalom Sheila,

      Your reply has brought Joy to my heart for this too is how I am Experiencing these matters! Our Abba Father YHVH is indeed continuing to Share of Himself from the Infinite Abundance Flowing Freely from the Storehouse of His Love – His Spirit – in Unimaginably Beyond Awesome Ways – on a “global” scale as you have shared here as well as Intimately and Individually among All of His Creation – according to His Good Intent and Purpose so that we may all come to Experience Him as He is and not how we have been taught to think Him to be.

      Todah Raba Abba YHVH! ?

  • Janice says:

    The games in colosiums are of Roman and Greek culture, has nothing to do with the Hebrew cuoture.

  • Dawn Marie says:

    “You could say ‘tavaled’ if you want to speak Heblish…” I just about fell over laughing. Thank you for your amazing sense of humor. I can learn and laugh at the same time. Yehovah has truly given you a gift to bless His Kingdom. You’re a gem!!

  • I can’t help but think that Naaman is also the man (on whom the King of Aram rests his arm) who dies at the city gate in chapter 7. Therefore, the statement that Elisha makes to Naaman, “go in peace” is NOT an approval of the dilemma Naaman brings up of bowing down in the temple of Rimmon. Quite the contrary. Naaman reveals that he knows he shouldn’t do this. Elisha also knows he shouldn’t do this. Elisha is not giving Naaman permission or saying that YHVH will overlook this sin. He’s saying go in peace and don’t worry, you know it’s wrong and it will work out.
    What worked out is that the King of Aram went to war with Israel and it’s doubtful he ever went back to the temple of Rimmon. And Naaman died during the siege between the King of Aram and Israel at Samaria. Therefore Naaman never had to face the sin he was worried about committing.

    • Robert Higginson says:

      Reading through those first 7 chapters of 2 Kings does not support your suggestion that Naaman was the captain who died in ch. 7. Elisha lived in Samaria, and communicated with the king (named in chapter 3 as Jehoram ben Ahav.). The phrase @upon whose hand the king leaned@ is applied to both kings and their captains, but is more likely to be equivalent to the English phrase, @right-hand man@ which would apply universally, than to be intended to identify Naaman as the captain of King Jehoram ben Ahav.

  • Keywester 1 says:

    Didn’t catch the pita/leper similarity, and I’ve played this twice… Clue me in, somebody! Had forgotten or missed the multiplied foodstuff piece, too. I’m feeling so incompetent! Thank you, Nehemia, for all that you do and have done. I’ve learned so much – even if I’ve also forgotten so much. And thank you Keith for bringing him into our sphere.

  • Darlene DeSilva says:

    https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts15%3A5-21&version=KJV

    Acts 15:5-21
    When Gentiles became believers there was a dispute about what would be required. Moses set up in every city a place that the people could learn what was required of them from the Torah reading. They had them follow enough things while they were being taught weekly in the Synagogues. Naaman would be taught by Gods spirit…..there is a lot for the Gentile to learn and unlearn.

  • Debi Swartz says:

    I stumbled across the answer to something I’ve been searching for, for some time! Thanks to you & Chabad.org! Baptism. Since being awakened to Jewish Roots, I’ve been “testing everything” and baptism was on my list. I’ve studied some with a local conservative Jewish community, but they’re not generous with helping me understand or answering my question, but they’re very lovable and I love their holiday services.

    Anyway in the Prophet Pearls portion of Tazria, you talk on 2 Kings 5:14 regarding Naaman being “dipped” 7 times, you said the word was taval tet vet lamed, meaning dip, immerse. I went on chabad.org and searched taval and they mentioned Ps 51:10 where it has the phrase “a pure heart create for me, O God! They said if you take the first letter of each word tahor bera li, spells taval which some Rabbi (sorry I didn’t catch the name) said ” through immersion I become a newly created person” !! I think I got my answer!

    Please do not hesitate to help those of us coming from a Christian background and are busy testing everything and tweaking/correcting our walk with God. Please do say..some of you might have been taught this (some wrong Christian doctrine), but you might want to re-think based on blah, blah or whatever. Thanks so much for all you do!

  • Erin Hunter says:

    Very good conversaion!!!

    By studying the language and ancient history I am truly hum,bled by the intent of the messages.

    Here’s a question for males, spiritually connected to physical.
    In thinking on the roles in intimacy between male and female, with regard to being abstinence – is it possible the reason men [like David and Solomon] had concubines due to the lack of being able to refrain form intercourse?

    I find the Kings had eunuchs for them, it must be the drive in men [sexually] that Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians…

    My husband has stated a time without release is very painful. I am gleaning the deeper meaning for discussion.

    Shalom,
    Erin

    • Joseph says:

      Speaking for myself, your husband is correct and I really appreciate the way you phrased your statement. Shalom sister

  • Heiki says:

    Love this, it has it’s echo in what we read in Acts 15. I’ll do the short short version; verse 19 “…Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God…”

    Most Christians stop there, but it goes on;
    “For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day”

    So they started of easy, and Sabbath after Sabbath they learned Torah; Torah Pearls and Prophet Pearls like you guys are doing 🙂

    • Keywester 1 says:

      I agree about the synagogue teachings in that day, but too soon came their 18-“blessing” Amidah prayer’s added curse on Jewish believers in Yeshua, after which the new Christians had no place to learn Torah, but from each other. So, 2000 years of ignorance, and then God brings us Nehemia through Keith. What a wonderful time to be alive!

  • YoAv says:

    Shalom Shalom Gents,

    I tend to agree with Nehemia, that Naaman was petitioning Elisha for a pardoning for going into the house of Rimmon, when his master went to bow-down to his own god. Master/servant – he had no choice but to go and steady the old man. I see this as similar to when Israel prays at Yom Kippurim, for sins under compulsion to be baptized into Christianity – by denying and lying.

    Naaman was not a free man to worship Yehovah, blessed be He, Elohey of Elohim, as he had come to know Him. 2 Kings 5:15 Naaman was seeking Yehovah’s grace. 2 Kings 5:17, 18 Elisha says, go in peace, because he understands Naaman’s situation.

    I think Keith will not be satisfied, until Naaman has a ‘come to Jesus’ experience.

    I fully understand your Dad, Nehemia, not affirming the Sunday Churches, even by appearance. They hold-on to so many dead rats, willingly. (( I think, partially, Paul sought to help the pagans of the seven churches embrace the Noahide laws (Genesis 9:3), but not his brothers.)) As your Dad knew, the Churches teach Jesus, not Yehovah, blessed be He.

    B’rakhot.

  • Walter B. Kamp II says:

    Dear Keith and Nehemia: You two are such a blessing! I am weeping here; I too now study Torah and my heart desires to be Torah observant – yet I am not always able to, working in agriculture. You guys are a big part of my Shabbat preparations and getting ready for Torah study; you have become my “warm up team” before I go to assembly, and we use your insights often. (especially Nehemia’s language wisdom) Hearing the Holy Spirit in your voices and your joy and your unity is a revelation of God’s heart of love. Yes, !לֵךְ לְשָׁלֹוֹם Thank You SO MUCH –YHVH has touched me through you two!

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  • Debbi says:

    Nehemia and Keith thanks again for explaining the ways of the prophets and how they prayed to Yehovah for healings. Maybe someday you will do a podcast on Exorcist vs Prophets. More in depth than Jezabel and Elijah. When you spoke about magic and incantations it also reminded me of Acts 19:13-16 AMP.

    Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists (men who adjure evil spirits) also undertook to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I solemnly implore and charge you by the Jesus Whom Paul preaches! Seven sons of a certain Jewish chief priest named Sceva were doing this. But [one] evil spirit retorted, Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you? Then the man in whom the evil spirit dwelt leaped upon them, mastering two of them, and was so violent against them that they dashed out of that house [in fear], stripped naked and wounded.

  • Janice says:

    The chronicle of Elisah – they were eating from new grain – what time of year was this? Were the ones eating the prophets/priest that Elisha had hid? Is this a first fruits offering?