My House

0:00 So we are. In the Book of Luke for those of you if this is your first Shabbat here. for those of you who are not you can take oops You can take the next five minutes to go ahead and feel free to text your friends. Because I'm gonna review just a short short moment. The material that has led us to this point. We're in the process of spending a dedicated period of time which is now exceeded a year. We're working at about a year and four months at this point covering the Book of Luke delving deeply into the into the book. We have discussed the author.

0:47 Luke who in my more recent days have have decided to actually call him describe because I hold the author is the spirit of God and that Luke decided to write down. What the Lord told him but are you coming up or you going down? All right. Are you gonna be up here for a minute? Okay. Luke is writing to a particular audience. We see in the book in the first verse of the book. That he's writing to Theophilus. He's addressing this to the office. Nope.

1:32 Either you can come stand with daddy or you can go sit with Mom. What do you think? You're gonna stand with me. Okay. I guess it's Gonna Keep Me from Pacing the video team will like this. Luke is addressing Theophilus. In the first verse and so we I have taken a particular point of view on Theophilus. But there are several points that interpretations that have been. discussed over the years that Theophilus is perhaps a a just a generic term for a lover of the god Theo

2:19 Phyllis the lover of God but It seems to me that I the Theophilus is more than just a generic audience. Okay, buddy. No, you can go with Mom. So we see that he Luke is writing to Theophilus here in verses three and four and he says therefore you're Excellency since I have carefully investigated all these things from the beginning. It seemed good to me that I two should write you an accurate and ordered narrative.

3:06 So that you might know how well-founded or how for sure are the things about which you have been taught. So this is where we see the purpose for the Book of Luke the purpose being that he's writing to Theophilus so that whenever you see so that there's that's where you derive your purpose. So that Theophilus may know for sure the things he's already been taught. In other words. It seems to me that the office is already a follower of Yeshua. And Luke is writing to him reinforcing his faith and he's presenting this entire account for that purpose. If that's the purpose. Then what we begin to notice as as Luke.

3:54 Scribes out this book. what we begin to see Is evidence evidence of the inbreaking of the kingdom of God in other words the kingdom of God coming down from Heaven to Earth? But the kingdom of God doesn't just come down the kingdom of God also advances when those of us who are here on Earth in in the case of Luke is specific specificity Luke Theophilus. When when Theophilus and those that are in the account bring their lives closer into accordance with what Yeshua instructs?

4:39 Then also the kingdom of God advances here on Earth. And so what we have is this closing of the Gap if you will and at some point When our lives are aligned and his kingdom has reached here. Yeshua will sit upon the throne in heaven. I in Jerusalem. The kingdom of God already exists much like if you go back to Exodus 25 much like the the bait how big draw how much the the Tabernacle is a cop that Tabernacle that Moses instructed to build here. Is a copy of what he sees already in heaven. The one in heaven is permanent. And the one here is a copy.

5:24 On the coffee here are the sacrifices are offered for the purpose of atonement and they're offered daily and yearly. From which the author of Hebrews derives that they must not be a hundred percent what we would call efficacious or they must not a hundred percent a tone for us because we have to keep offering them. But Yeshua goes to the Heavenly Tabernacle the one that's permanent. The one that has no beginning and has no end and that's where he applies his blood. once and for all because it never has to be repeated because it's the permanent one. It's not the copy. And so the kingdom of God is coming here and will

6:10 be here at some point. You see the kingdom of God you may have heard this term. It's already but it's not yet. So it's already because it exists just like the permanent Tabernacle does in heaven, but it's not yet fully here. Now we can say the kingdom of God resides in us and I think that's a hundred percent. Correct. If Yeshua sits upon the throne of your heart The more we bring our lives into alignment with him and the more others accept him and do the same. It's the more that the kingdom of God is here on Earth as it already is in heaven. So now we get it we talked about the the purpose for

6:58 the Book of Luke. We know that in terms of location. Well lat so I'm gonna I'm gonna talk about as if this was last week for just a moment that Yeshua has been on the way from the Galilee up to Jerusalem. for the purpose of celebrating Passover so he comes through Jericho. In fact, if you guys if you guys have that map if you can pop that map up, I've popped us up the last couple weeks. Yeshua comes down follows that green line ish and gets down to Jericho right there above the Dead Sea. And then you can see this kind of like squiggle in and that's Yeshua going up to Jerusalem

7:45 the red line and and in through Bethany and the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. That's the track that Yeshua followed in the passage that we covered during the week on Wednesday this week. Just as a reminder Jericho is kind of kind of what what would you call that? The the filter point that the point of entry for most of the Jews from the East? The Jews who who have been in the East have now been in the East for over 500 years. They've been in Babylon they've been successful. They're sending their their their ties their Temple taxes. Everything comes in and now you see why is that key is was very wealthy because it

8:33 was the entry point. It's where you charge taxes on everything coming in. And the taxes would come in and that would be charged out there and Zacchaeus Was apparently doing a very good job of that. Perhaps more than that. We then Rabbi Sean talked about the 10 minus Mina's Mina's. Sorry Shawn Mina's Minas last week. the 10 means and and he talked about how the master you know is very interesting. I just want us to keep in mind. That Yeshua is coming up for Passover. I imagine he has at least some understanding of what's about to occur

9:18 and I say that because he tells the disciples look this is what's going to happen. And he spells it out pretty closely to what exactly happens. So he has an idea. He's coming up four Passover. He already has this idea and it's while he's there that he tells this parable about the 10 meanest and the nobleman who goes out becomes king and doesn't the the people in the in the in the town the servants they don't like him. So they send to delegation against him all that again. You can think about what Yeshua is experiencing and he's beginning To speak against those who oppose him in particular in Jerusalem. And you're going to see it even more over the coming couple weeks.

10:05 This week we discussed. Yeshua's arrival to Bethany. to the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem, but I Because the the location I feel matters for our discussion today. I just want to walk you through just a little bit of what we discussed on Wednesday night, but I want to have some pictures so if you guys can start. Yeshua if you popped up those pictures, this is on the top of the Mount of Olives Bethany is just to the east of this. This is looking from the top of the Mount of Olives down in modern day Israel. I should I should be clear looking down into the Kidron Valley and then up and what you see is the retaining wall of what

10:53 used to be the Temple Mount. So this is now this is now what it when you hear politically talked about. Nobody's allowed on the Temple Mount. It's this area kind of right in the middle of the picture right near the the Dome of the Rock. And and I think what is called all oxymel musk next to it the little silver one. I think anyways, the whaling wall the is right on the back side. I don't know that I have a picture. Yes right back there. And so this is looking down. This is what you shoot when Yeshua comes. in in Luke 19. Let's see. Starting in 34. This is right in this area. Yeshua comes he said he sends his disciples ahead

11:41 to get a Colt that hasn't been ridden and and he tells him exactly what it what to look for and they find it and then he rides on the cult down and they begin to sing in Luke 19. :38 What are what is a quote from Psalm? 118? It's not that his disciples. Decided what we're going to sing this verse of Psalm 118 because it's a fantastic verse and applies Yeshua right now. It's that they're on their way to Jerusalem. And as you would go up you would sing through the Psalms that were the Halal Psalms. So Psalms 113 through 118. And so you can imagine they get they're almost to Jerusalem and they're at the the last song

12:26 and it's like this Crescendo in Yeshua is coming down and his disciples are praising him and saying Brooke actually they see they actually don't say Baruch kababisham on tonight. They say blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. They are at this moment recognizing the kingship of Yeshua as he rides into Jerusalem. But it's just his followers. It's not anyone else. And so they come down you can imagine there's a probably a crowd multiple crowds going on Jerusalem. I think I mentioned two weeks ago that Jerusalem the population was somewhere around 40,000 ish during this time period but during the holidays would swell to anywhere between 200,000 in a million people and I

13:12 think I likened it to the City of Austin. Going up to the city of Sanger. If you know Sanger, you know making pilgrimage to Sanger. And you can just imagine how Sanger today would probably go. Oh. And it would probably just melt but but Jerusalem was actually capable of of holding the swell of the people. I mean, I don't know if you really think about that. That's a that's a massive swell of people. It's not just twice your population. It's like exponentially the size of your current population. That would be held. So Yeshua is coming down. He reaches the bottom into the into the kitchen Valley if you can go to the next picture.

14:03 This is again looking down from a different angle slightly in let's go to the next I'm just giving you a couple different pictures of what it looks like today. This is if you can if you can I don't know if you can quite tell but on the right hand side is is the Mount of Olives and on the left hand side is where the temple would have been and there's a valley in between I was speaking. I was talking to my mom this morning. I was like actually the the way the hills are actually reminds me of the Hill Country here in Texas in Central Texas. They're not like these Jagged Mountains that you see in the Rockies. It's these these nice nice Hills and so you can imagine you sure going up and down so you should goes down and he and he looks up and he begins to weep. In in this previous week's passage

14:51 that we discussed discussed on Wednesday. He begins to weep and he says, he says Israel you missed your chance. He's weeping. Because he is the embodiment of Israel. and he knows because he wasn't welcomed in as king as leader of Israel. He knows. That his crucifixion is coming. And because he's the embodiment of Israel. He does what Israel does and Israel does what he does. He

15:39 knows that because he's going to be crucified Jerusalem and all of Israel will also because of his suffering Can you imagine? He knows that the trauma. That's going to occur just a few short decades later the children, that would be murdered. The people that would be crucified and hung on crosses outside lining the roads in and out of Jerusalem. He knows exactly what's going to happen. But he also knows. And maybe we'll talk about this at another point but in not today, but he also knows.

16:24 That his resurrection. guarantees the resurrection of Jerusalem in the Jewish people Does that make sense if his death? Foreshadows the the death and destruction of Jerusalem then his resurrection guarantees. Not just a maybe but it guarantees that Jerusalem will be resurrected from the dead and will be a city. That represents again. The Jewish people and will be given an opportunity again to welcome him. As they miss this opportunity at this point if you can flip to the next picture, I think I have one more here. No, maybe is that it did I only send four? I no, I think there's one more. Yeah this

17:11 one. Oh, this is the this is a sketch from I think maybe a thousand years ago or something and I only did it because there's no there's no City in between. This is not what the temple would have looked like the temple didn't look like that. the temple Was magnificent we'll look at a couple pictures proposed pictures of the temple in a little bit, but you can just see the perhaps the terrain is Yeshua would be coming down. And crossing the valley and and then going walking the pathway up to the gates. to the entry point of Jerusalem So we come to this week's passage. We're going to we're going to cover today. Starting in verse 45 of the 19th Chapter of Luke

17:59 and we're going to finish in verse 48 just four short verses. But it might take us a bit. Then Yeshua entered the temple and began to drive out the merchants saying to them it is written my house shall be a House of Prayer. But you have made it a den of Thieves. And he was teaching every day in the temple the ruling kohanim the ruling priests. And the Torah Scholars, even the leaders of the people were trying to destroy him, but they could not find any way to do it because all the people were hanging on his words. Yeshua entered into the temple at this point. I just mentioned he came down the hill. That's when they're they're singing. We call it Hosanna or or you

18:46 know Adonai. Please save us he's coming down. He's riding on the donkey. He looks up he weeps he then enters into Jerusalem. And so now what we have are his first Acts. In the city of Jerusalem right before his death. He entered the temple. So I mentioned this earlier with the children, but there's a there's a good case that can be made that he entered Jerusalem that day on the 10th of Aviv or of Nissan the modern month of Nisan. That he entered into the into the temple on the 10th. He entered into Jerusalem, but why is that important? Because in the book of Exodus it

19:32 talks about bringing the lamb into your house. For the purpose of keeping in the house until it's Slaughter. for sacrificial purposes On the on the 15th. 14 15th depends on how I'm just going to deal with with it becomes a little sticky when you get right in there but in that time period So the lamb is in the house for this four or five day period and then slaughtered Yeshua enters into the house, by the way also during this four and five day period I know we're just out of Passover and we're trying not to think about the matzah and stuff. But what do we do leading up to Passover?

20:19 We we clean our house. We clean out all of the leaven. We clean out figuratively leaven if it represents sin. We clean out all of the sinfulness in the house. And so Yeshua enters into the house. And he starts cleaning out. The leaven of the house I'm giving you this is the backdrop for what you shoot is doing it's important to understand. He enters into the house. He says my house is a house of prayer away. I'm getting ahead of myself. He comes into the house. Let's see. He he Is immediately confronted? upon entry into Jerusalem

21:06 He's immediately confronted with the reality of the presence of merchants there in the temple. now I'm going to you guys may think I'm spending too much time on particular words, but I'm doing it for a reason. This term Merchants has often been utilized or mistranslated as money lenders. over the years and the money lenders has then been utilized by commentators and translators to show why the Jewish people should be persecuted because they were there robbing God. By by lending money in the temple and charging exorbitant interest. Therefore if that was the case and Yeshua kicked them all out. That's what we should do today.

21:52 You see it's not that far of a stretch of imagination to if a plus b plus C is equal to arrive at a different conclusion. It's not money lenders that's there. It's not people lending money charging exorbitant user user or interest their money changers. So for instance when when we go today, if we get on an airplane we go fly into Tel Aviv. You get off the airplane? immediately there are banks where you can change your money even in the airport. Why? Because it's really difficult. To spend money in a place where that's not the currency.

22:40 So you have to change your money from wherever you're coming from to wherever you're going to. So there has to be somebody who changes the money. the Torah instructs in particular the Jewish men to go up to Jerusalem. It's a man. It's mandatory. It's a mandate. To for Jewish men to go up to Jerusalem three times a year on Passover Shavuot and Sukkot. If that's the case the Jews Jewish men in particular, but also their families would go with them which is why the population would swell so much if that's the case and there's Jews all over the world. It's it's stands to reason that there's

23:26 money that's gonna be coming from all over the world for the purpose of coming up and offering sacrifices and you have to do some money changing. It's also reasonable to assume. that this term Merchant we talked about money changers and Merchants. It depends on what you're what your what's your text translates it as but it's also reasonable to assume that they're selling. the sacrificial offerings I don't know about you guys, but it's a little bit difficult for me to pack a sheep in my carry-on.

24:13 Break, can you imagine that you hear him? But Excuse me, sir. What do you have in your rolling back there? Oh don't mind that. It's just it's just my sheep. We're gonna have to go to clear that at the at the agricultural. You know entry into the country. I I it's difficult to travel with an animal. That's my point. So you can imagine that that they're certain they're selling the sacrificial animals at the at there at the temple for the purpose of being sacrificed. It's also reasonable. I'm giving all of this for a particular purpose. It's also reasonable. And I would say well, let me just quote here from Deuteronomy chapter 14. when they go up to Jerusalem

24:59 To offer their sacrifices they can either take their sacrifices from home or sell their animals and then purchase one at the temple for the purpose of sacrifice. All right. So it's not just reasonable, but it's actually instruction too. Does that make sense? It's instruction to the people to sell their stuff. The animal has to be perfect without blemish. If you're traveling on foot across, you know A Thousand Miles you can imagine how many opportunities there would be for the animal to become blemished. And then would become unfit for sacrifice. So it just seems reasonable that there would be animals there present and actually it's

25:45 not even just reasonable. It's actually God. spoken in God commanded In other words, it's not just permitted by Torah, but it's actually commanded by. So I'm saying all of that because this next but it changes the way you view the passage. If you view it like this, if you view the the money changers the merchants as as commanded by God, it changes the way you read this passage because now we have to figure out what she was upset by. Because it's not he's not upset because they're present they're there. Because that's commanded by God. So what is he upset by? Let's go forward. He says Yeshua enters

26:30 in saying to them it is written my house shall be a House of Prayer. But you have made it a den of Thieves. or robbers So let me before I get going. Let me let me let me just practice something that we've tried Before Our Father Who Art in Heaven? Great you guys remember? When Yeshua starts something. That's well known he expects. everyone else to know what follows so it's important when you find these references in the New Testament. To go and find where Yeshua is quoting from or anyone for that matter. What are they quoting

27:17 from and see what it is that surrounds that text that's been that's been selected for this for this purpose. He says my house shall be a House of Prayer. Okay. It's from Isaiah. I'll give you this from Isaiah chapter 56. So let's just turn over there for a moment. from Isaiah chapter 56 verse 7 part B Or C. I guess maybe it's more. Anyways, it said this is what Isaiah says for my house will be called a House of Prayer.

28:03 for all nations So you see there's there's a key phrase that Yeshua leaves out. He starts the phrase. And he leaves it out. But I think it's important for us to actually look at the context here of Isaiah 56 because I would like to read to you. Versus one through seven because my question is could Yeshua have been stressing. Not the House of Prayer, but the All Nations aspect of that verse. So let's look at the preceding verses starting in verse 1 thus says Adonai preserve Justice do righteousness. for my salvation Just as a reminder for us. Yeshua's name means my salvation

28:53 for my salvation is about to come. My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the one who does this the son of man who takes hold of it who keeps from profaning Shabbat and keeps his hand from doing any evil. Do not let a son of a foreigner who is joined himself to Adonai. Say Adonai will surely exclude me from his people. It's important notice. What what the author is saying here? Don't let someone who's not if I can put it in modern language. Don't let someone who's not Jewish. Say to himself the Lord's going to exclude me from the rest of the Jewish people. Do you see the purpose here? Do you see what's being addressed?

29:39 Then nor let the eunuch say behold. I'm a dry tree. What you can figure that one out. For thus says I don't know to the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths who who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my Covenant. I will give them in my house. Okay, so I want to stop here and just Let you know that if you don't know this already in in Jewish understanding the temple is also called the house. So there there's a there's a direct equivalency being made. So I will give them in my house and within my walls a memorial in a name better than Sons and Daughters. I will give them an everlasting name. That will not be cut off.

30:25 also the foreigners this is the the non-jewish people the foreigners. Let's see. I just lost my place the foreigners who joined themselves to the Lord to Adonai to minister to him and to love the name of AutoNation to be his servants all who keep from profaning the Shabbat and hold fast to my Covenant these I will bring to my Holy Mountain and let them Rejoice where In My House of Prayer. They're burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar. For my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. Do you see what's what's what? This context from Isaiah was being included is that there's a place for

31:13 Gentiles to come and offer sacrifices to come and worship the god of Israel. In the place has to be there. Why is that important? Because I think this is what Yeshua is upset about. It's at this point in history. That the fame of the temple according to Josephus has reached all parts of the world. All parts of the world think about that the fame of the temple Rome is in control. Rome is in charge, but the fame of the temple has reached all parts of the world according to Josephus

31:58 to the point that rulers from around the world. Make pilgrimage to the temple. I'm jumping ahead of myself here and I'll come back to this. Just just remember that. So if it's true. That there are Travelers coming from all over the world who aren't Jewish. Then it seems to to indicate that there would be a place a designated place where they could worship God. So I want to start my second round of pictures here. if you guys can pop up, yeah the temple so I'm sorry. I sent you a pixelated picture. All right. Anyways, this is a rendition of what the temple would look

32:45 like. I have a couple others. Hopefully they'll come out a little bit better. Oh, yeah, here we go. This is better. This is this is a model of what the temple would have looked like. And just to put it in perspective. Let's go with those holes that are in the what do you call those the parapets the the corner? I would call them Rooks and the chessboard but yeah right there. That's probably taller than the size of a man. So just so you can have a size comparison of what it would look like. Yeah, that's certainly those doorways are much larger than the size of man the temp. I I can't remember the dimensions of the temple, but maybe we can go to the next to the

33:30 next. picture this is a rendition of the temple. You have the temple building you have the court. So right around the temple building you have actually it's not labeled, but it's called the court of the priests in the in the court of the men. Then you have the court of the women and then you see up in the top left. This outer area is labeled the court of the Gentiles. So this is the designated place. for Gentiles to come and bring their offerings and Worship the Lord. Do I have another picture? I think I might have one more. I can't remember what it is. Oh, yeah here this is just another sketch and so actually you can also see up there on the top. It's labeled the Western Wall or the the hotel The

34:18 Wailing Wall that we have today. It's that outer support. for the for the structure of the mount and you can see the different areas. That are designated for different. By the way, you can see even the blind man who wears the blind man sit. He's a nicknore nicknore's gate you can see or I don't know how you say that word, but you can see the gate there listed you can see the court of the women you can see all of these different aspects is helpful to have in our understanding this layout that's under that's there Yeshua enters in He comes in. Immediately. He's in the court of the Gentiles of the court of the Nations. And he sees all of the money changers.

35:08 and the merchants taking up the space. This designated for the purpose of worship by gentiles. in other words Their place let's throw a Charged word in here. Their place has been superceded by. the need for sacrifice It's been taken away for the purpose of something else. It's been redesignated. It's been real loaded. But I just you should look at this and go well. But that's the second temple. The first temple is probably was a little bit not like this.

35:53 So I don't have sketches of the first temple, but let me read you. Let me read you something. So the question is was the second temple just an adjustment to include Gentiles or was it present in the first? In First Kings chapter 8 verses 41 and 43. It says this more over concerning the Foreigner who is not of your People Israel when he comes from a distant country because of your name. For they will hear of your great name of your Mighty hand and of your outstretched arm when he comes to pray toward this house toward what house toward the temple. When he comes to pray then you may hear from Heaven your dwelling place and do according to all that the Foreigner asks of you. So all the people's of the earth may know your name to fear you as your People Israel do and

36:40 know that this house that I have built is called by your name. This is the first temple. Already, it's being prescribed that there's an a space for those who are coming from the Nations. There's also in the talmud in in shekelim one five. It's it mentions vow offerings and Free Will offerings that are accepted by them by that are accepted of the Gentiles if you will. After returning from the Babylonian exile offerings were made for the welfare of Gentile rulers by the Jewish people. Where do we see this? We see it in Ezra chapter 6 verses 9 and 10. There's the an offering that's made for the well-being of the Persian monarch. We see it notated in First Maccabees

37:27 chapter 7 for the Hellenistic Kings such as Demetrius the first We see it in Josephus in Wars his book of Wars for the well-being. There's a sacrifice for the well-being of the Roman emperors. In fact, even Philo says that the that there were daily offerings and that the daily offerings for the for the Gentile rulers were two Lambs in a bowl. So all of this is going on in the temple. In if you will my house. this house this house is a House of Prayer.

38:17 But you have made it a den of Thieves. So now we're gonna we're coming to another another reference here. We see this reference in Jeremiah chapter 7. In fact, I'm just going to turn over there also. Jeremiah chapter 7 verse 11 Has this house which Bears my name become a den of robbers in your eyes look even I have seen it. It is a declaration of the Lord. The context here in general in Jeremiah chapter 7 the preceding verses 1 through 10 indicates that there's a high level of hypocrisy going on.

39:02 there in the house that they're worshiping God but are living a life In conflict or in living a life that that is not the way he prescribes. And so what they're saying is this is the Temple of the Lord. This is in Jeremiah in those preceding verses the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord. It'd be like us today it Well, let me I'll just finish what the context says in other words surely the Lord won't destroy his own house. Therefore we're safe. If we're in his house doesn't matter what we do. As long as we're in his house and we say this is the Temple of the Lord then

39:47 we're safe. In other words, they're robbing God of his do. his do is not just a lamb is not just a tithe is not just any of that his do. Is our service? our worship when Israel was delivered from Egypt they were delivered from bondage for the purpose of or so that Does anybody remember? so that they could go into the Wilderness to serve or worship God. It's the same word, by the way. To go into the Wilderness to worship and serve God.

40:32 They're not just delivered from bondage your slavery for the purpose of Freedom. They're delivered from bondage of slavery for the purpose of serving God. So when we are delivered from whatever it is in our own lives and then We actually go back to it and we say this is God's house. He's not getting his due and we're robbing him. Do you make can you make the connection there? We are robbing God in that way. but also this terminology the the Greek term here that's utilized should draw us back to The parable of what we call the Good Samaritan. It's

41:19 the same term. In fact, that was the last time it was used in the Book of Luke. as we talk on Wednesday nights Luke will open up a thread. And he'll return to it later. Luke opens up the thread what what was that thread there's a man coming down from Jerusalem. What was he doing in Jerusalem? He was worshiping God offering sacrifices. He's coming down from Jerusalem. And then there was what a Band of Thieves or robbers and they they jumped him. beat him up leave him for dead. And yeshua's connecting that and coming back around or maybe Luke Luke and Yeshua

42:05 is coming back. and it's coming back around in in Yeshua is seeing what the people who are in charge the leaders of Jerusalem have done to his house. Is become a den of robbers where they they pounce? On someone who enters they don't allow space for someone who enters. There is a potential for the for the merchants that they were or for the currency exchange and/or sacrificial purchase. There's a there is a chance actually that they were overcharging. It's not a guarantee but there's a chance that there are overcharging. Why

42:52 do I say that because actually in in the talmudin track tape pesakim, it mentions that there's a rebuke that is issued to the sons of ananias. Who had corrupted the temple and Sanhedrin for charging exorbitant prices for religious articles in other words things that were for the purpose of worshiping? Who are the sons of ananias? Eliezer Jonathan Theophilus metatias ananias and then the son-in-laws Caiaphas you find all those listed in Josephus if you want. They all served. Not at the same time, but at different times as high priest between the years 16.

43:37 of the Common Era in 63 By the way, I did just name drop Theophilus on purpose. That's that's my theory. I don't think you can ever confirm that but I Would I would I would have a very strong? Argument with anyone I haven't I have no problems having strong arguments, but that's my opinion. That's my opinion. Or that's my general wonderment. Maybe I should say it that way. But it's important to note. Even if they're overcharging at this point, even if there's all of this corruption in the leadership of Jerusalem. It's important to ask the question is Yeshua condemning.

44:26 All Jewish people for this particular sin for this day and forever more. Is he saying that they're worship is tantamount to a den of Thieves? I would hold the position. No, I actually think that Yeshua addresses the the parties that are guilty all the time. We tend to go back and make a generalization and say oh when Yeshua says the Pharisees, he means old Jewish people or when Yeshua says. The high priests or here in this case in Luke. It says the priests. The Torah scholars in the leaders of the People by the way, I want you to know. the absence of the Pharisees

45:13 they're not listed here. Yeshua we've been you're like man Yeshua spend 19 chapters. I did I did make a miss a mistake a couple weeks ago and I said it was the last mention of the Pharisees. The last mention was was here in chapter 19. Yeshua's been what we would call at battle with the Pharisees for 19 chapters, or maybe the first couple of his birth, but for let's call it 16 chapters. All of a sudden their absent for the remainder of Luke by the way. We don't see them reappear. Just that absence to me says you cannot make a general statement against all of the Jewish people. Because he's been calling out the Pharisees. Notably every time and now all of a sudden

46:00 he stops. Which means that there's a different group that he's addressing. It's statements like this where we say. Oh Yeshua is condemning all Jewish worship that it was going on in the temple. You know, he calls it a den of Thieves. It's statements like this that have led to the persecution of the Jewish people now for millennia. And and their false statements they're not true. They're fake news, whatever you want to call it. They don't they don't they don't get a check mark on Snopes or snoops or whatever you Whatever that website is that. They don't get the what's on Twitter the green check mark, I think maybe something like that.

46:45 It's it's unverified all of this is It's false. And so when you begin to buy into it into something false you misread the Scripture. It is important to understand and to look at the scripture originally how it was how it was and who is who is being addressed to Yeshua speaking to a particular group of people here the priests the Taurus scribes and the leaders whatever that whatever that is. Is that grouping includes? It's different than the group of Pharisees that he's been addressing to this point and now we come to verse 47. today in the The ruling kohanim the Torah Scholars,

47:31 even the leaders of the people were trying to destroy him. But they could not find any way to do it because all the people were hanging on to his words. Yeshua continued to teach daily in the temple. If I were to say that. And just in that context, I would say man. Yeshua was there for a long time teaching every day? if Yeshua entered on the 10th Then we're talking about no more than four days. The issue was teaching daily. So think about that. We've taken a long time to go through 19 and 20, but really from from 19 chapter 19 to Acts chapter 2. Is a 50?

48:17 five day period ish plus or minus a couple days. It's it's no it's it's certainly less than 60 days. That's two months. Think about all the transpires between now and Acts chapter 2 in less than two months. Again, it's like when you look at the Modern Jewish calendar, all of the things that have happened today in these 49 50 days. There's discontinuity here in this passage. If you don't look you'll miss it. It says the ruling priests. It says the ruling priests.

49:02 the Taurus Scholars and even the leaders of the people We're trying to destroy him. This three groupings of people by the way, and actually it's not even all priests. It's the ruling priests. You ever think about that? There's there's people who are ruling. And there are others but is not but just because they're ruling doesn't mean that it's everyone. all the priests there's a difference between that group of people and then this group because all of the people were hanging on his every word or onto his words. The rulers the the rule the ruling kohanim the

49:49 Taurus Scholars the leaders of the people sought to destroy Yeshua. Why would they see seek to destroy Yeshua Well, this is a good discussion that we had. on Wednesday night Why would someone seek to destroy Yeshua? Let me make an argument at least there's at least an argument to be made for the purpose of self-preservation. I mean, I mean keeping themselves alive not making themselves wealthy, but just keeping themselves alive. Why can I make that argument? Because there are numerous people who declare themselves to be the Messiah. Within plus or minus 75 years of the life of Yeshua.

50:35 Every time that there's someone who declares themselves to be the Messiah. the the political power Rome at the time comes down and wipes out the Rebellion what happens when you wipe out a rebellion? It you take a bunch of innocent people with the people who are rebelling. It's always the case. There's always innocent people affected. In fact even Luke mentions it that there's a there's this Tower the I think is in. Luke 10 or 11. I can't remember maybe it's a couple chapters later. There's a tower that's built to Tower Falls and there's people that die in this Uprising against pilot and pilot squashes it. It's what another instance of people who are murdered by

51:21 the by the ruling political government of the time. His words yeshua's words. I just want you to think about this. Rome is ruling. Yeshua is coming down the side of the mountain on a cult in the people are saying we welcome the king of Israel and the king of the Lord into the city. Just think about those words. I use an example on Wednesday night, which I'm not going to use today. It was an interesting example and I didn't think it through but anyways, but think about those words recognizing the keyship.

52:06 The Authority the power of Yeshua as he's entering into Jerusalem Think about the challenge that would be to Rome to the emperor and what the reaction would be. If there's already been rebellions now, it's even more let's let's squash it before there's an act of rebellion. Unless you know what maybe there's five you might as well take out the surrounding 15 or 20 people because they were influenced anyways. So let's just squash them all. So there is an element of self-preservation here why the rulers would be upset? and in fact this happens in 70 and then again in 135 and it results in the

52:52 expulsion of the Jewish people. From raw from from Jerusalem. It results in their death their crucifixion all of this. It results. We see it again are a little bit earlier than 70 and their expulsion from Rome. You see all of these different expulsions that happen all over the the empire. their power so here's here's my option. Number two. There's one element of self preservation, which I think is is true and there's another element. If they don't want to lose their place. Their power is being threatened and they don't want to lose their control their influence their power perhaps even their financial benefit of being in the leadership position that they're in

53:39 if yeshua's already witnessed the overcharging of sacrificial elements, then it would seem to reason that that profit was going to the high priest and his family. Which we see his family sits upon the throne of the high priesthood. for 50 years in in Jerusalem But there's a difference between those people and then the people who are actually listening. They're aptly listening to what Yeshua was teaching and there's a recognition of the power of his teaching the people acknowledge that the people are hanging on his every word. So what does this mean today for you and me?

54:25 I want to draw two. applications for us first of all God has always had a plan. For Jews and Gentiles to worship and serve him distinctly as Jews and gentiles. It's it's present in the first temple. It's even present if you want to go and look in this week's Torah portion. You have to look but it's even in this week's Torah portion and how to live In this week's Torah portion you find all four elements. That are mentioned in Acts 15. For for Gentiles to be welcomed into the body you find them all here in in Leviticus, 17 18 or 18 and 19. I think it's 17 18.

55:13 with regards to why the Nations the Canaanites and other nations the Seven Nations were kicked out of the land of Canaan so that Israel could come and dwell because God says if you do what these did you also will be vomited out of the land. If that's the case, then there's some elements there that are that are no goes for all of us and and you'll find all four elements there. God has always had a plan for Jews and Gentiles to worship Him and serve him distinctly as Jews and gentiles. secondly God wants us to be sincere. He he does not want his followers to live hypocritical lives.

55:58 He wants his followers to be sincere in their walk with him. He wants their actions to match the words or or the things that they speak forth the things that they teach I've been spending some time this week in Proverbs chapter 3. and in Proverbs chapter 3 Solomon is writing to to his son and he says let kindness and Truth. Never depart from you. What's kindness and Truth? Mercy, and truth if you will. It's sincere worship of God. It's where we are together.

56:44 And worshiping God and what we do matches what we say. When there's when what we do and what we say don't match you'll see this throughout the Book of Luke. I've mentioned it. Every time Yeshua says it when when those two don't match Yeshua has a problem. So if what we say and what we do don't match. I think it would be safe to say the Yeshua might have a problem with the way we're living Our Lives. So what we say and what we do need to match. So let's be sincere. in our worship when we worship him as Jews and Gentiles distinctly.

57:29 Aviation Mayim Our Father in Heaven, Lord. We thank you for this day. Laura thank you for these these verses or I think you for yeshua's life. Lord even even the the sorrow that he had to go through. Lord helps us better understand how we need to live our lives when we go through sorrow and trial. Lord that we should seek you and that we should find You in everything? Where I just ask that you would draw Us near to you on this Shabbat. Or let us serve and worship you and you alone. We bless you and yeshua's name.

58:15 amen May the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you. And give you peace. if I recognize erase my ref Ere come. He is our night final

59:01 they are similar. shallow bushemi shoemashikenu in the name of our Messiah Yeshua shabbat shalom