Exodus 79 - Exodus chapters 35-39 -Build the Holy Dwelling Place of the Lord

As one examines Exod. 25-31 and 35-39 one finds a repeat – almost word for word in some cases – of verses related to the construction of the Tabernacle.  In the first instance it is God giving detailed instructions to Moses about the construction and the details of the garments of the High Priest and the Priests of the Sanctuary and their ordination ceremony.  In the second case, in chapters 35-39, we read about the actual construction of the Mishkan HaKodesh, the Holy Dwelling place of the Lord, or His Ohel HaKodesh, the Holy Tent (tabernacle in Latin just means tent).  So, we ask why the repeat of so many verses almost word for word. 

This has led a few Bible scholars to develop the DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS or the theory that the Torah was not written by only one man, namely Moses. 

Thus, this makes Jesus, the Lord, God Himself, a liar when Jesus says the Torah are the books of Moses.  If they were written by special groups and more than one person, then Jesus should not say the Torah are the books of Moses implying Moses is the author.  Jesus is God and this creates a real problem as per the character of the Lord.

However, a Jewish scholar, highly recognized and considered a superb Bible historian, Torah expert, and Hebrew scholar, Umberto Cassuto, found the answer to this repetition!  He found archaeologically that in the ancient near east those ancient peoples when writing about the construction of a special temple would repeat what they wrote.  The first writing was to show how a god or gods gave instruction to build the special temple.  The repeat was to describe the actual construction leading to the dedication.  This fits the Torah. 

First … here’s some background on Umberto Cassuto.

UMBERTO CASSUTO

Umberto (Moshe David) Cassuto, an early 20th-century Italian historian, rabbi, and scholar, wrote a popular Hebrew commentary on the Bible, as well as more detailed commentaries on the Book of Genesis and part of the Book of Exodus. His commentary is marked by an assumption that in order to understand the Bible, one must understand the Ancient Near-Eastern cultural context in which it was composed. As such, he incorporates archeological findings, his understanding of ancient Semitic languages, and literary tools into his analysis of biblical verses. 

Cassuto in his own words discussing the repetition found not only in Exodus but throughout the Hebrew Scriptures.

REPETITION IN EXODUS

“The subject of the founding and building of a temple was a kind of permanent literary genre in the ancient literatures of the East; In it, it was customary to first come the divine speech describing the plan of the Temple in all its details and grammar, and then the story of the action, which repeats in an equal or similar way the description in the divine speech. And this is nothing more than a special detail of a general method, the method of repetition that was very popular with the writers of the ancient East.”

(Accessed from https://www.sefaria.org/Cassuto_on_Exodus.35.2?lang=bi)

Here are two links to two articles that are a must read.  These again will enhance and expand your understanding that Moses DID write the Torah and that the Documentary Hypothesis has been proven wrong.

ARTICLE ON MOSES AS THE SOLE WRITER OF TORAH

https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/moses/evidence-mosaic-authorship-of-torah/

SCHOLARLY ARTICLE BY CHRISTIAN SCHOLARS USNG CASSUTO’S FINDINGS

 https://biblearchaeology.org/research-articles/the-documentary-hypothesis/

Once again I provide the article on Jesus’ teaching about the Rabbi/Talmid model of His day.  He taught it precisely and accurately but NOT IN ENGLISH.  And He did not teach it IN GREEK but in HEBREW.  We in the church are commanded by the Lord to go and make disciples (talmidim in Hebrew).  And yet few churches even understand what Jesus meant when He mentioined disciples or talmidim.  Probably since so fe in the church know the Gree or the Biblical Hebrew and how to connect the Greek to the Hebrew.  Check it out …

DID JESUS EVER SPEAK OF THE RABBI DISCIPLE RELATIONSHIP?

DID HE EVER TEACH US USING HIS CULTURE?

NOT IN ENGLISH OR GREEK

BUT HEBREW!!

Jesus said, "A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. (Luk 6:40)

Pupil?  Nope.  The Greek word used here is μαθητής

mathētēs (Strongs number G3101) meaning a learner, disciple or a pupil.  But, Jesus is speaking Hebrew and not Greek.  What is the Hebrew word for disciple?  It is Talmid (תַּלְמִיד) Strongs umber H8527 (pronounced talmeed). The plural form is Talmidim (תַּלְמִידִים) (pronounced talmideem).

Teacher? Nope.  The Greek word used here is διδάσκαλος

Didaskalos (Strongs number G1320) meaning instructor, doctor, master, teacher.  The Hebrew word in Jesus’ day that διδάσκαλος Didaskalos translates is RAV ( רַב )(Strongs number is H8227) meaning master.  The Hebrew word RAVEE רבי meaning “my master.” So when Jesus is called “RABBI” in the Gospels in Hebrew He is being called RAVEE רבי or “my master.”

So, so far, Luke 6:40 can be read …

"A TALMID is not above his RAV but TALMIDIM, after they have been fully trained, will be like their RAV.” (Luk 6:40)

FULLY TRAINED – Nope.  Better is “after he has been made καταρτίζω katartizō (Strongs number is G2675) meaning complete or perfect or finished).  In Jesus’ day a TALMID of a RAV was finished when the RAV saw that his talmid was ready to go in the name of the RAV to teach the Bible just like the talmid’s master or his rav. 

Now we read Luke 6:40 from the Hebrew …

"A TALMID is not above his RAV but TALMIDIM, after they have finished, will be like their RAV.” (Luk 6:40)

BE?? – Nope.  The Greek word used here is ὡς hōs (Strongs; number 5613) meaning “exactly like.”  It translates the Hebrew letter used as a prefix KEE כְּ meaning just like, identical, the same as, be like.  So we finally come to the complete translation from the English to the Greek to the Hebrew of Luke 6:40. 

"A TALMID is not above his RAV but TALMIDIM, after they have finished, will be EXACTLY LIKE their RAV.” (Luk 6:40)

The RAV and TALMID Relationship

To be a talmid was a highly esteemed honor. The relationship between a RAV (we’d say rabbi) and his talmidim went far beyond basic education:

Total Dedication: A talmid would often leave their former life, home, and family to follow their rabbi full-time.

Imitation: The primary goal of a disciple was not just to know what the rabbi knew, but to become exactly like the rabbi. This meant absorbing the rabbi's lifestyle, character, and interpretation of the scriptures.

Walking in the Dust: Ancient Jewish writings describe disciples following their teacher so closely that they became covered in the "dust of the rabbi's feet".

See this video Bible study from Light of Menorah ministries.

Part 1 of what is a disciple - https://youtu.be/JZv2YhSoya8?si=_WidHCq2RTtDVl5R

Link to part 2 - https://youtu.be/m9pNgjAI18g?si=CThLTsg5uLD9gtId

Check out these links from Ray Vander Laan’s website entitled THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW …

https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/rabbi-and-talmidim

https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/preview/1539

https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/preview/1540

https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/preview/1540

https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/preview/1568

https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/preview/1557

In this Bible study podcast I brought up the verse 1 Cor. 3:16 that we are THE TEMPLE of God and the “you” in the verse in Greek is plural!  Check out the Bible study podcasts I did on these verses.

Truth Nuggets #3 part 1 – https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nuggets-lesson-3-part-1/

Truth Nuggets #3 part 2 - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/truth-nuggets-lesson-3-part-2/

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? 

(Ferret - teaching somewhere in the Galilee)

What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0