Return To The Forgotten Path

Shemot is both the title for the second book from the scroll of the Torah and the title of the first Torah portion therein. Shemot means "names." The English-speaking world calls this book Exodus. The Hebrew title for the book comes from the opening phrase of the book: "Now these are the names (shemot) of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob" (Exodus 1:1).

The English name Exodus comes from the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. The Greek title for the book is Exodus Aigyptou, which translates as "Departure from Egypt." The name Exodus is an abbreviated form of that title. Exodus means "departure." The book of Exodus tells the story of the children of Israel enslaved in Egypt and their miraculous redemption through the hand of Moses, the story of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the construction of the golden calf and the construction of the Tabernacle.

As we study the first week's reading from the book of Exodus, we find the children of Israel in slavery. It seems at first that the God of their forefathers has forgotten them. But God has not forgotten His promises. He remembers His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and brings a Redeemer to their children's children, for the sake of His name, with love.

The tenth reading from the book of Genesis is named Miketz, which means "the end." The title comes from the first verse of the reading, which says, "Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream" (Genesis 41:1). The portion begins with Pharaoh's portentous dreams, Joseph's interpretations and his subsequent rise to power over Egypt. When a famine strikes the land of Canaan, his brothers come to Egypt seeking grain, but they do not recognize Joseph, who engineers a means by which he can test their character.

The fifth reading from the book of Genesis is named Chayei Sarah. It means "Sarah lived," because the narrative begins with the words "Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years" (Genesis 23:1). This portion of the Torah is filled with romance and sorrow. It tells the story of how Abraham mourned his wife after her passing, and how he procured a wife for his son Isaac. At the end of this portion, Abraham is laid to rest beside his beloved wife.

The fourth reading from the book of Genesis is named Vayera. It means "And he appeared" because the first story describes how the LORD appeared to Abraham one day as he sat outside his tent. Section Vayera continues with the series of tests of faith for Abraham, concluding in one great and final trial.  James 2:23 " And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. "  "BUT THOU, ISRAEL ART MY SERVANT, JACOB WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN, THE SEED OF ABRAHAM MY FRIEND" —Isaiah 41:8. II Chronicles 20:7 "“Didst not thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham Thy Friend forever?

You know it is really curious that the Bible three times refers to Abraham as a friend of God.  Only Abraham is referred to in name as a friend of God.  In the New Testament we are called not servants but friends. But Abraham is mentioned by name.  The Greek word used in James for friend is philo which is a word for love that we call friendship love.  However the passage in Isaiah and II Chronicles uses the word ahav which is the Hebrew word for love. Abraham was God’s lover.  Yeah, that sounds a little creepy because we hear the English word lover and we immediately give it a sexual context.   The Septuagint uses the Greek word which comes from the word hetariors and not the word philo.  Odd that James does not use that word but the word philo. Hetariors is a word in Greek which means a friend or companion. There is really no sexual element to hetariors. Curious that the translators of the Septuagint  would use a word that meant a partner or companion for the Hebrew word ahav which is commonly rendered as love.  The word in Hebrew for friend should be ra’ah or dodi.  Yet Isaiah uses ahav which means love or lover and the Septuagint uses a word meaning a companion. taken from: https://www.chaimbentorah.com/2015/05/word-study-a-friend-of-god-%D7%99%D7%94%D7%95%D7%94-%D7%90%D7%94%D7%91/