Shabbat Beresheet: Beginnings

 







BEREISHEET (In the Beginning)
Genesis 1:1–6:8; Isaiah 42:5–43:10; Revelation 22:6–21


In the traditional Jewish system of reading through the annual Torah, the reading cycle ended earlier this week on the holiday of Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah). We now begin the yearly cycle again with Genesis (Bereisheet), which means in the beginning.


Isaiah 42:5-43:10
Tree of Life Version
5 Thus says God, Adonai,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it,
and Ruach to those who walk in it[a]—
6 “I, Adonai, called You in righteousness,
I will take hold of Your hand,
I will keep You and give You
as a covenant to the people,[b]
as a light to the nations,[c]
7 by opening blind eyes,
bringing prisoners out of the dungeon,
and those sitting in darkness out of the prison house.[d]

8 “I am Adonai—that is My Name!
My glory I will not give to another,
Or My praise to graven images.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things.
Before they spring forth
I announce them to you.”

10 Sing to Adonai a new song,
His praise from the end of the earth,
you who go down to the sea with all its fullness,
islands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its cities exult—
the villages that Kedar inhabits.
Let the dwellers of Sela sing for joy.
Let them shout for joy
from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to Adonai
and declare His praise in the islands.
13 Adonai goes out as a mighty one.
He stirs up His zeal like a man of war.
He will shout, yes, raise a war cry!
He will prevail over His enemies.

14 “I have held My peace a long time,
I have been still and restrained Myself.
Now like a woman in labor I groan,
gasping and panting at once.
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn the rivers into islands,
and dry up the pools.
16 I will bring the blind by a way they do not know.
in paths they have not known, I will guide them.
I will turn darkness before them to light
and the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do,
and I will not forsake them.
17 They will be turned back, utterly put to shame—
those trusting in idols,
who say to molten images, ‘You are our gods.’
18 Hear, you deaf!
Look, you blind, so you may see.
19 Who is blind, but My Servant?
Or deaf as My Messenger that I send?
Who is so blind as the one in covenant with Me,
blind as Adonai’s Servant?
20 You have seen many things,
but you do not pay attention.
Though ears are open, no one hears.”[e]

21 Adonai was pleased,
for the sake of His righteousness,
to make Torah great and glorious.
22 But this is a people robbed and looted.
all of them trapped in holes,
hidden away in prisons.
They have become a prey
with no one to deliver them,
and plunder,
with none to say, “Give them back!”
23 Who among you will give ear to this?
Who will listen and heed hereafter?
24 Who gave Jacob to the looter,
Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not Adonai?
Have we not sinned against Him?
In His ways they were unwilling to walk
and His Torah they did not obey.
25 So He poured out on him the fury of His anger,
and the fierceness of battle.
it blazed all around him, yet he did not understand it.
it burned him, yet he did not take it to heart.
Love for Israel

Isaiah 43 

1 But now, thus says Adonai—
the One who created you, O Jacob,
the One who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you,
I have called you by name, you are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you,
or through the rivers,
they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned,
nor will the flame burn you.
3 For I am Adonai your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you are precious in My eyes, honored,
because I love you,
I will give a man in exchange for you,
and other peoples for your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you.
I will bring your offspring from the east
and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My sons from far
and My daughters from the ends of the earth.
7 Everyone who is called by My Name,
whom I created for My glory.
I formed him—yes, I made him!”
You Are My Witnesses

8 Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears.
9 All the nations are gathered together,
and the peoples are assembled.
Who among them can declare this,
and proclaim to us former things?
Let them present their witnesses
so they may be justified,
or let them hear and say, “It’s true.”
10 “You are My witnesses”
—it is a declaration of Adonai—
“and My Servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe Me,
and understand that I am He.
Before Me no God was formed,
and there will none after Me. 

 

Revelation 22:6-21
Tree of Life Version

Yeshua Is Coming

6 He said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true! Adonai, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what must happen soon. [a] 7 Behold, I am coming soon! How fortunate is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

8 I, John, am the one hearing and seeing these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel showing me these things. 9 But he tells me, “See that you do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets and those keeping the words of this book. Worship God!”

10 Then he tells me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. [b] 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do righteousness, and the holy still be holy. [c] 12 Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to pay back each one according to his deeds.

13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. [d] 14 How fortunate are those who wash their robes,[e] so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life[f] and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 I, Yeshua, have sent My angel to testify these things to you for My communities. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”[g]

17 The Ruach and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come—let the one who wishes freely take the water of life! [h] 18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his share in the Tree of Life and the Holy City,[i] which are written in this book.

20 The One giving testimony to these things says, “Yes! I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Yeshua! [j] 21 May the grace of the Lord Yeshua be with all![k]