"The Anchor Holds In Spite of the Storm"
[Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:1-13; Mathew 28:18-20; I Corinthians 10:1-33]
An Anchor, when properly placed, holds a marine vessel securely in one location and keeps it from drifting away from the captain’s desired position. Under the teachings of the Holy Spirit of God, what in Hebrew is called the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), the Five books of Moses serve us as an Anchor to keep us from drifting away from God's good, acceptable and perfect will for our lives.
(Romans 1:1-17; Romans 5:1-2; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-8; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:1-13
At the Anchor, we have come to the understanding, that the daily study of these books, along with the rest of the Scriptures, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit is the way God promised and systematically does place His Word (the oracles of God – see Romans 3:1) in our minds according to the covenant promise. As we go about practicing what He says for us to do, and not practicing what he says for us not to do, these same words become attached or grafted into our hearts. We discover that as we hear and practice doing what we hear [The shema of God - Mark 28:28:34, James 1:21-25), He becomes more and more pleased with what He does through us. Therefore to Him (יהוה) , LORD, YHVH, Yahveh, Jehovah be all the glory for the things He is doing.) As followers of Jesus the Christ (Hebrew – Yehshua Ha Mashiach), our desire is to regard the Law of God (the Torah) in the same way Jesus (Yeshua) did; when he was here. And learn to teach the same specific instructions that his disciples received from him. To continue to practice the same works that he taught them, until he returns. [I John 2:1-16] His disciples were commanded to go into all nations and make disciples. Jesus/Yeshua did not say go into all the nations and make Christians and build churches. Jesus/Yehshua said; "go and make Disciples, teaching them to do what so ever I have commanded you to do." (Mitzvot = "good works")
(Romans 1:1-17; Romans 5:1-2; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-8; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:1-13
At the Anchor, we have come to the understanding, that the daily study of these books, along with the rest of the Scriptures, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit is the way God promised and systematically does place His Word (the oracles of God – see Romans 3:1) in our minds according to the covenant promise. As we go about practicing what He says for us to do, and not practicing what he says for us not to do, these same words become attached or grafted into our hearts. We discover that as we hear and practice doing what we hear [The shema of God - Mark 28:28:34, James 1:21-25), He becomes more and more pleased with what He does through us. Therefore to Him (יהוה) , LORD, YHVH, Yahveh, Jehovah be all the glory for the things He is doing.) As followers of Jesus the Christ (Hebrew – Yehshua Ha Mashiach), our desire is to regard the Law of God (the Torah) in the same way Jesus (Yeshua) did; when he was here. And learn to teach the same specific instructions that his disciples received from him. To continue to practice the same works that he taught them, until he returns. [I John 2:1-16] His disciples were commanded to go into all nations and make disciples. Jesus/Yeshua did not say go into all the nations and make Christians and build churches. Jesus/Yehshua said; "go and make Disciples, teaching them to do what so ever I have commanded you to do." (Mitzvot = "good works")
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B'reisheet
(Genesis) Vayera 18:1-22:24 |
Meaning
He appeared |
Day One
11th day of 8th Month 5786 2 November 2025 
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Haftara
2 Kings 41:1-37 |
B'rit Hadashah
Luke 17:28-37 |
1 Our Father, we receive Your Words and hide Your commandments with us; 2 we incline our ear unto wisdom, and apply our hearts to understanding; 3 We cry after knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding; 4 we seek it as silver; and search for it as for hidden treasures; 5 We declare that we shall understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Declaration of Proverbs 2:1-5
Modeh Ani (ּמודה אני)
Pronounced moe-DEH ah-NEE, this Hebrew phrase literally means "I give thanks" and refers to the prayer traditionally recited upon awaking in the morning.
Pronounced moe-DEH ah-NEE, this Hebrew phrase literally means "I give thanks" and refers to the prayer traditionally recited upon awaking in the morning.
Genesis 18:1-33 (NASB)1
1 Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, 3 and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass your servant by. 4 “Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; 5 and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.” 7 Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. 8 He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate. 9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10 He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. 12 Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” 13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’ 14 “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.” 16 Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. 17 The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19 “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.” 20 And the LORD said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. 21 “I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” 22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD. 23 Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” 26 So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.” 27 And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.
28 “Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 He spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” 30 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” 32 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” 33 As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.
28 “Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 He spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” 30 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” 32 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” 33 As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.
I’m always SO glad to get October 'done' on the calendar. The time change kicked in last night as well. Tonight, we begin closing the chicken coop at approximately 4:40 in the afternoon. All summer, I have an uncanny ability to lose track of time. “What do you mean it's six o'clock!? It feels more like three!” Then all through winter, time somehow stretches out interminably. Every evening it will be black as pitch. My daily exclamation then is, “It's only seven o'clock? It feels so much later!” Does anyone know what is up with that? The winter solstice and I have never been on the best of terms. But on the upside, in one more month, the days will begin to stretch out a wee bit longer every day. My countdown to spring begins in mid-December. It's time now to punch up my winter “to do” list. I don't always get all the items on the list completed by March, but it helps keep me moving through the season. As long as I keep moving, making the list, and focusing on projects in-house, the project to maintain sanity until spring arrives continues. There may, however, be brief periods of “squirrelly”, but they don't seem to last.
Add to the 'moving on' category, we move on with Abraham and Sarah. We find them closer to the fulfillment of the promise of a son. We could break this portion up into two main themes. The first one occurs when visitors arrive, and Abraham, who may well have amassed part of his wealth in the desert hospitality business, invites them in for rest and a feast. In those days, a feast included meat, which is the opposite of how we do things. We eat meat almost every day and sometimes every single meal. In Abraham’s day, there was not the same high intake of meat protein; therefore, when the fatted calf was killed, it was an occasion. This was when Sarah came face to face, so to speak, with the fact (not theory or speculation) that she is to bear a child in another year. Her reaction to the news when she overhears it is that she laughs! Well, why wouldn’t she? Most elderly women will laugh when considering the notion of being pregnant at their age! Almost every night, I played the same routine with a forgetful elderly woman in the nursing home where I worked. She asked, “Now what are these two pills for?” I replied, “Okay, this is your thyroid pill and here is your birth control.” She cracked up every time. Then we moved on to the more serious reply, and she was satisfied.
One more time, I wonder why this twitter by Sarah was considered in a negative light.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. Genesis 18:12-15.
Perhaps it was that a shade of “unbelief” was perceived, for Sarah was actually limiting this miracle just by the question she asked. “Me have a child? How could this be! I’m too OLD, and Abraham is so… OLD!”
Perhaps it was because there could have been an element of mockery in her laughter? The McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia makes a point about 'laughter'.
“Laughter (צחֹק, γέλως), an action usually expressing joy (Ge 21:6; Ps 126:2; Ec 3:4; Lu 6:21); sometimes mockery (Ge 18:13; Ec 2:2; Jas 4:9)...”
Sadly, we can limit the miracles of God because we're trying to make sense of them with our human reasoning. Maybe, just maybe, Sarah's laughter had a tinge of mockery like she was thinking, “Yeah, right!” The counter argument for that stands: 14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? John Trapp, in his commentary, stated:
“Ver. 15. I laughed not: for she was afraid. And well she might; for as everybody hath its shadow, so hath every sin its fear. Her sin she saw was detected, and her conscience she felt was troubled; hence her fear.
Nay, but thou didst laugh. A lie must be roundly reproved, and the truth asserted. She laughed but within herself, but as good she might have laughed out aloud; for God searcheth the heart. "I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was in my country? Jon 4:2 No, Jonah, it was not thy saying, it was only thy thinking: but that is all one before him who understandeth thy thoughts afar off". Ps 139:2.”
Sarah had to have been surprised when the stranger knew that she had laughed, not out loud, but inwardly. “That man knew what I was THINKING?!” That realization could have made her tiny bit of unbelief sprout wings of faith!
The second main theme deals with the knowledge of the atrocities in the cities of the Plain and what The Creator was going to do about these. As I read over the arguments of Abraham and his attitude during this discourse, I marveled; it is no wonder The Ancient of Days had such affection for this man Abraham! Abraham reveals that he truly knows the personality of the LORD.
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Genesis 18:24-25.
How many times have we seen where man has impudently questioned something that God has done, or not done? If we learn nothing else from this man Abraham, we need to learn our place in this cosmos. We are NOTHING without His say-so! He places the breath in our lungs at birth! There is nothing that we have or that we can amass that makes us able to stand before Him (with attitude) and question HIM! Job may have learned this the hard way, but I suspect he knew it all along, but couldn’t convince those friends of his who tried to sympathize and counsel him. How must it have been when Messiah walked the earth and cured leprosy and deadly illness; or let’s consider the healing of the man with the withered hand that reconstituted and reshaped in the eyesight of many witnesses.
10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Matthew 12:10-13.
How could this be explained scientifically back then, when man didn’t have a fraction of the biology knowledge they have now? Messiah was being tested for Sabbath issues in those three versions of the story in Matthew, Mark 3:1-6, and Luke 6:6-11. The fact that the hand was healed and restored in front of witnesses who might have argued, “Look! How can this be when tissue has died and shrinks away how can it 'possibly' experience such change that returns life and function?” Those who were testing Messiah missed the whole point!
Add to the 'moving on' category, we move on with Abraham and Sarah. We find them closer to the fulfillment of the promise of a son. We could break this portion up into two main themes. The first one occurs when visitors arrive, and Abraham, who may well have amassed part of his wealth in the desert hospitality business, invites them in for rest and a feast. In those days, a feast included meat, which is the opposite of how we do things. We eat meat almost every day and sometimes every single meal. In Abraham’s day, there was not the same high intake of meat protein; therefore, when the fatted calf was killed, it was an occasion. This was when Sarah came face to face, so to speak, with the fact (not theory or speculation) that she is to bear a child in another year. Her reaction to the news when she overhears it is that she laughs! Well, why wouldn’t she? Most elderly women will laugh when considering the notion of being pregnant at their age! Almost every night, I played the same routine with a forgetful elderly woman in the nursing home where I worked. She asked, “Now what are these two pills for?” I replied, “Okay, this is your thyroid pill and here is your birth control.” She cracked up every time. Then we moved on to the more serious reply, and she was satisfied.
One more time, I wonder why this twitter by Sarah was considered in a negative light.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. Genesis 18:12-15.
Perhaps it was that a shade of “unbelief” was perceived, for Sarah was actually limiting this miracle just by the question she asked. “Me have a child? How could this be! I’m too OLD, and Abraham is so… OLD!”
Perhaps it was because there could have been an element of mockery in her laughter? The McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia makes a point about 'laughter'.
“Laughter (צחֹק, γέλως), an action usually expressing joy (Ge 21:6; Ps 126:2; Ec 3:4; Lu 6:21); sometimes mockery (Ge 18:13; Ec 2:2; Jas 4:9)...”
Sadly, we can limit the miracles of God because we're trying to make sense of them with our human reasoning. Maybe, just maybe, Sarah's laughter had a tinge of mockery like she was thinking, “Yeah, right!” The counter argument for that stands: 14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? John Trapp, in his commentary, stated:
“Ver. 15. I laughed not: for she was afraid. And well she might; for as everybody hath its shadow, so hath every sin its fear. Her sin she saw was detected, and her conscience she felt was troubled; hence her fear.
Nay, but thou didst laugh. A lie must be roundly reproved, and the truth asserted. She laughed but within herself, but as good she might have laughed out aloud; for God searcheth the heart. "I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was in my country? Jon 4:2 No, Jonah, it was not thy saying, it was only thy thinking: but that is all one before him who understandeth thy thoughts afar off". Ps 139:2.”
Sarah had to have been surprised when the stranger knew that she had laughed, not out loud, but inwardly. “That man knew what I was THINKING?!” That realization could have made her tiny bit of unbelief sprout wings of faith!
The second main theme deals with the knowledge of the atrocities in the cities of the Plain and what The Creator was going to do about these. As I read over the arguments of Abraham and his attitude during this discourse, I marveled; it is no wonder The Ancient of Days had such affection for this man Abraham! Abraham reveals that he truly knows the personality of the LORD.
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Genesis 18:24-25.
How many times have we seen where man has impudently questioned something that God has done, or not done? If we learn nothing else from this man Abraham, we need to learn our place in this cosmos. We are NOTHING without His say-so! He places the breath in our lungs at birth! There is nothing that we have or that we can amass that makes us able to stand before Him (with attitude) and question HIM! Job may have learned this the hard way, but I suspect he knew it all along, but couldn’t convince those friends of his who tried to sympathize and counsel him. How must it have been when Messiah walked the earth and cured leprosy and deadly illness; or let’s consider the healing of the man with the withered hand that reconstituted and reshaped in the eyesight of many witnesses.
10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Matthew 12:10-13.
How could this be explained scientifically back then, when man didn’t have a fraction of the biology knowledge they have now? Messiah was being tested for Sabbath issues in those three versions of the story in Matthew, Mark 3:1-6, and Luke 6:6-11. The fact that the hand was healed and restored in front of witnesses who might have argued, “Look! How can this be when tissue has died and shrinks away how can it 'possibly' experience such change that returns life and function?” Those who were testing Messiah missed the whole point!
14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18:14.
1 NASB www.lockman.org for daily reading and KJV in commentary unless otherwise stated.
Daily Torah Bites ©
anne@anchorchurchsurfside.com
“Vehalachta Bidrachav—you shall walk in His ways!”
Ten Commandments
1
2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
3
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
4
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
5
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
6
13 Thou shalt not kill.
7
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8
15 Thou shalt not steal.
9
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10
16 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.