Sunday, November 20, 2011

These are the Generations (Toldot): the Story of Our Redemption

This weeks Torah Portion is called Toldot.  It is from Genesis 25:19-28:9.  The title Toldot is Hebrew for “generations”.  There is a very interesting thing about the word Toldot in the Torah and the genealogy which follows.  There is a hidden message here, only to be found by searching the Torah in the original Hebrew language and culture.

After God created the heavens and sanctified the seventh day, He concludes with the words, “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created.” The Hebrew word translated as generations is toldot, תולדות, spelled from right to left with tav, vav, lamed, dalet, vav, tav beginning and ending with a vav and tav. The next time the scriptures the phrase “these are the generations” is used, it is about the generations of Adam after Adam and Eve sin and are kicked out of the Garden of Eden. This time the word toldot is spelled with the second “vav” missing from the word, like so: תולדת. This is called a defective spelling. This is one of the “jots and tittles” spoken of by Yeshua in Matthew chapter 5. Yeshua tells us that these jots and tittles are important and that not one of them will pass away from the scriptures. Jots and Tittles are only found in the original Hebrew language and are not translated to your English Bible. So what is the meaning of this particular defective spelling?

In Hebrew, each letter began as a pictogram and each word is made up of a set of pictures. The word picture of the complete spelling of toldot shows that the covenant is attached on both sides of the shepherd leading the way through the doorway.  With the second “vav” missing in the defective spelling, our side of the covenant is blocked off. Sin has disconnected us from the doorway to the Shepherd.  We can do nothing to restore our relationship with God. We need a redeemer that only He can provide.

The meanings of the names of the ten generations of Adam tell us of God’s plan to bring a redeemer.

(# references are from the Strong's Concordance and Dictionary)

Adam: mankind:
#120 from #119; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.

Seth:  appointed to
#8352.  Sheth,  (shayth) from #7896; put, i.e. substituted;
#7896.  shiyth,  (sheeth) a primitive root; to place (in a very wide application):--apply, appoint, array, bring, consider, lay (up), let alone

Enos: feeble, frail, mortality
#582.  'enowsh,  en-oshe' a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified #120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively):
#605.  'anash,  aw-nash' a primitive root; to be frail, feeble

Cainan: a fixed dwelling place
#7018.  Qeynan,  kay-nawn' from the same as #7064; fixed
#7064.  qen,  kane contracted from #7077; a nest (as fixed), sometimes including the nestlings; figuratively, a chamber or dwelling:--nest, room.

Mahalaleel: God who is praised
#4111.   Mahalal'el,  mah-hal-al-ale' from #4110 and #410; praise of God

Jared: come down, descends
#3382.  Yered,  yeh'-red from #3381; a descent
#3381.  dry  yarad,  yaw-rad' a primitive root; to descend

Enoch:  instruct, train up
#2585.  Chanowk,  khan-oke' from #2596; initiated
#2596.  chanak,  khaw-nak' a primitive root; properly, to narrow (compare 2614); figuratively, to initiate or discipline:--dedicate, train up.

Methusalah: a man sent forth
#4968.  Methuwshelach,  (meth-oo-sheh'-lakh) from #4962 and #7973; man of a dart
#4962 math: from the same as #4970; properly, an adult (as of full length); by implication, a man
#37973.  shelach, from #7971; a missile of attack #7971.  shalach,  (shaw-lakh') a primitive root; to send away, for, or out

Lamech:  beaten, smitten, and tortured
#3929 from #4347.  makkah,  mak-kaw' or (masculine) makkeh {muk-keh'}; (plural only) from #5221; a blow; by implication, a wound; figuratively, carnage, also pestilence:--beaten, blow, plague, slaughter, smote, X sore, stripe, stroke, wound((-ed))

Noah:  rest, a quiet peace
#5146 Noach,  (no'-akh) the same as #5118; rest
#5118 nuwach,  (noo'-akh) or nowach {no'-akh}; from #5117; quiet peace

The generations of Adam read, “Mankind is appointed to feeble, frail mortality, a fixed dwelling place. God who is praised comes down to instruct as a man sent forth to be beaten, smitten, tortured bringing comfort, a quiet peace.”

God promises a redeemer who will come and take our punishment for sin on Himself bringing us into God’s rest. But each time the Bible uses the phrase “these are the generations” the spelling remains defective. The Bible uses the defective spelling a total of eleven times, ten times in Genesis and once in Numbers. Eleven is the number of defect, disorder or imperfection. We see this in the twelve sons of Jacob. When Joseph was in slavery in Egypt there were only eleven sons. In the words of Judah, “one is no more” and Jacob continued to grieve. When Judas Iscariot betrayed Yeshua, the perfect number of twelve disciples dropped to eleven. Before the Holy Spirit fell on the Feast of Weeks, the remaining eleven appointed a man to take Judas’ place so they would be prepared to be witnesses to all they had seen. (Acts 1:16-22)

The defective spelling remained until the line of the redeemer was in sight and God was ready to reveal more of His redemption plan. We see the first glimmer of the redeemer in the book of Ruth which is all about a kinsman redeemer named Boaz. As the book of Ruth closes, the Bible uses the phrase “these are the generations” once again in relation to the generations of Perez.

The original Hebrew manuscripts now spell Toledot with the full spelling, the second Vav is restored. The meanings of the names of the generations of Perez to David, speak of Yeshua as the firstborn of the resurrection, continue with the promise of our resurrection and eternity with God and Yeshua.

Peretz: The one who breaks out
#6556 from #6555; a break (literally or figuratively):--breach, breaking forth

Hezron: a walled courtyard
#2696.  from #2691; court-yard;
#2691. a yard (as enclosed by a fence); also a hamlet (as similarly surrounded with walls)

Ram: high, exalted
#7410 active participle of #7311; high, from #7311 a primitive root; to be high actively, to rise or raise bring up, exalt

Aminidab: a people impelled, a people who volunteer freely
#5992. from #5971 and #5068; people of liberality:
#5068: to impel; hence, to volunteer (as a soldier), to present spontaneously:--offer freely

Nahshon: the one who whispers, prognosticate, predict from the signs
#5177. enchant, whisper from #5172
#5172: to prognosticate: predict from the signs (Dictionary.com definition for prognosticate)

Salmon: invested with garments
#8012 from #8008; investiture
#8008: a dress, clothes, garment, raiment

Boaz: with strength (According to Jewish Encyclopedia)

Obed: servant, worshiper
#5744 active participle of #5647; serving
#5647: to work, bondsmen, servant, worshipper

Jesse: exist, to be
#3448 from the same as #3426
#3426: exist; entity; used adverbially or as a copula for the substantive verb, there is or are, or any other form of the verb to be

David: beloved
#1732. from the same as #1730; loving
#1730: to love; by implication, a love- token, lover, friend; (well-) beloved

The generations of Peretz read, “One who breaks out of the walled courtyard, high and exalted, (with) a people impelled, a people who offer themselves freely (to) the one who whispers, predicted from the signs. (They are) invested with garments of strength, servants and worshippers, existing to be beloved.”

Yeshua breaks out of the grave into new life. When He comes again, we will go with Him experiencing our own resurrection and our transformation. And we will forever be with the LORD.

Micah 2:12-13 NKJV 12 "I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, Like a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make a loud noise because of so many people. 13 The one who breaks open will come up before them; They will break out, Pass through the gate, And go out by it; Their king will pass before them, With the LORD at their head."

שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart

Please visit our web site at: www.moedministries.com

3 comments:

  1. Great very inspirational, I hadn't thought about it from that angle!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Book of Ruth is one of the most powerful prophetic books in the Bible. When you read it pay close attention to the names, not as they read in your English translation, but replace the names with their Hebrew meanings. When you do this, an incredible message emerges!

    ReplyDelete
  3. awesome and really nice post i loved it a lot

    ReplyDelete

You must include your name, city and state at the end of your comment. I do not accept comments from any one who identifies themselves as anonymous. All comments are moderated prior to appearing on this blog.