Everyone likes a good Bible reading plan, especially as the New Year begins.
Today we have just finished our first Bible Reading Plan for 2019! So if you have been reading consistently along with us from the beginning of this year, you deserve a hearty "congratulations!" You made it! (And hasn't it been SUCH a blessing!?)
By way of reminder, I'd like to recap the Bible Reading Plan we used these past 54 days. The pattern that we just finished has been in place over 2,500 years, and is still being used, so it has great merit and has touched millions throughout the centuries and millenia!
In my email 54 days ago (on January 7th) I explained that we would be starting a Bible Reading Plan that Jews have been following for over 2,500 years, and which they still follow to this day, called the Torah Parasha (Hebrew for "Portion").
The Torah Parasha was first begun by the priest Ezra in the Book of Nehemiah, when the Jewish people had come back to Jerusalem following their 70 years of captivity in Babylon. Ezra the priest wanted a method whereby all the Jewish people would read and hear the Torah each week, and complete the Torah once every year.
To accomplish this Ezra divided the five books of the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) into 54 bite-sized weekly portions called Parashah, consisting of two to six chapters. He also added a related portion (usually a chapter or less) from the Prophets, called the "Haftarah" portion.
On every Sabbath day (Saturday) Jews would gather in the synagogues to read the weekly Torah portion out loud, and the Rabbi's would teach from it. (Ezra divided the Torah into 54 portions because the Jewish year, at its longest, is 54 weeks.) The weekly Torah cycle begins right after the Feast of Tabernacles each year. There are also special portions read on each of the Jewish holidays including Passover and Feast of Tabernacles.
So 54 days ago we began our "Bible Reading Plan, starting on the first day of the Jewish month Shevat (which fell on January 7th),
But with one important difference: Whereas the Jews read one portion of the Torah each week,
We will read one portion each day. So here are the numbers of the days, corresponding to the numbers of the Parasha circled in red:
Here is the 2019 calendar for Parsha 1-25 (1 Shevat to 25 Shevat).
So on 1 Shevat we read Torah portion #1...all the way up to Shevat 25, when we read portion #25 (the final day of January).
Then as February began, we continued the pattern, reading Portion #26 on Shevat 26, continuing on up to Portion #30 on Shevat 30. The next Jewish month is Adar, so on
1 Adar we read portion #31
2 Adar we read portion #32
3 Adar we read portion #33, and so on ...continuing up to today, when we read:
24 Adar we read portion #54!
54
Vezot Haberakhah
"And this is the blessing"
Deu 33:1-34:12
Josh 1:1-18
Rev 22:1-5 [Also Mt 17:1-9; Mk 9:2-10; Lk 9:28-36; Jude 3-4,8-10]
Congratulations! You made it! The entire Torah read in 54 days! Plus the Haftarah and Brit Chadashah. You have read all 54 Parsha (Portions) including the Prophetic books, and the New Covenant:Scriptures which are read by Messianic Jews worldwide:
Today is the conclusion of a wonderful journey, filled with many songs and powerful scriptures!
Here below is a list of all 54 Parsha (Portions) including the Prophetic books, and the New Covenant:Scriptures which are read by Messianic Jews worldwide:
Here are the scriptures for day 54:
54
Vezot Haberakhah
And this is the blessing
Deu 33:1-34:12
Josh 1:1-18
Rev 22:1-5[Also Mt 17:1-9; Mk 9:2-10; Lk 9:28-36; Jude 3-4,8-10]
...and a complete list all 54 Parsha: https://stevekuban.com/bible-and-torah-portions
Here is a listing with links for all 54 Parasha (or "Parsha"). Note that these are only for the Torah portion, not the Prophets (Haftarah) or New Covenant portions (Brit Chadasha). I will give you the link for these other portions at the bottom of this email.
Book
Parsha Name
English Equivalent[4]
Parsha Portion
Bereshit (Genesis)1 Bereshit, בְּרֵאשִׁיתIn the beginningGen. 1:1-6:8
2. Noach, נֹחַNoah (rest)6:9-11:32
3. Lech-Lecha, לֶךְ-לְךָGo forth, yourself!12:1-17:27
4. Vayeira, וַיֵּרָאAnd He appeared18:1-22:24
5. Chayei Sarah, חַיֵּי שָׂרָהLife of Sarah23:1-25:18
6. Toledot, תּוֹלְדֹתGenerations25:19-28:9
7. Vayetze, וַיֵּצֵאAnd he went out28:10-32:3
8. Vayishlach, וַיִּשְׁלַחAnd he sent32:4-36:43
9. Vayeshev, וַיֵּשֶׁבAnd he settled37:1-40:23
10 Miketz, מִקֵּץAt the end of41:1-44:17
11 Vayigash, וַיִּגַּשׁAnd he drew near44:18-47:27
12 Vayechi, וַיְחִיAnd he lived47:28-50:26
Shemot (Exodus)13 Shemot, שְׁמוֹתNamesEx. 1:1-6:1
14 Va'eira, וָאֵרָאAppeared6:2-9:35
15 Bo, בֹּאGo!10:1-13:16
16 Beshalach, בְּשַׁלַּחWhen he sent out13:17-17:16
17 Yitro, יִתְרוֹJethro18:1-20:23
18 Mishpatim, מִּשְׁפָּטִיםLaws21:1-24:18
19 Terumah, תְּרוּמָהOffering25:1-27:19
20 Tetzaveh, תְּצַוֶּהYou shall command27:20-30:10
21 Ki Tisa, כִּי תִשָּׂאWhen you elevate30:11-34:35
22 *Vayakhel, וַיַּקְהֵלAnd he assembled35:1-38:20
23 Pekudei, פְקוּדֵיAccountings38:21-40:38
Vayikra (Leviticus)24 Vayikra, וַיִּקְרָאAnd he calledLev. 1:1-5:26
25 Tzav, צַוCommand!6:1-8:36
26 Shemini, שְּׁמִינִיEighth9:1-11:47
27 *Tazria, תַזְרִיעַShe bears seed12:1-13:59
28 Metzora, מְּצֹרָעInfected one14:1-15:33
29 *Acharei Mot, אַחֲרֵי מוֹתAfter the death16:1-18:30
30 Kedoshim, קְדֹשִׁיםHoly ones19:1-20:27
31 Emor, אֱמֹרSay gently21:1-24:23
32 *Behar, בְּהַרOn the Mount25:1-26:2
33 Bechukotai, בְּחֻקֹּתַיIn My laws26:3-27:34
Bemidbar (Numbers)34 Bamidbar, בְּמִדְבַּרIn the wildernessNum. 1:1-4:20
35 Naso, נָשֹׂאElevate!4:21-7:89
36 Behaalotecha, בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָIn your uplifting8:1-12:16
37 Shlach, שְׁלַח-לְךָSend for yourself13:1-15:41
38 Korach, קֹרַחKorach16:1-18:32
39 *Chukat, חֻקַּתLaw19:1-22:1
40 Balak, בָּלָקBalak22:2-25:9
41 Pinchas, פִּינְחָסPhinehas25:10-30:1
42 *Matot, מַּטּוֹתTribes30:2-32:42
43 Masei, מַסְעֵיJourneys of33:1-36:13
Devarim (Deuteronomy)44 Devarim, דְּבָרִיםWordsDeut. 1:1-3:22
45 Va'etchanan, וָאֶתְחַנַּןPleaded3:23-7:11
46 Eikev, עֵקֶבAs a result7:12-11:25
47 Re'eh, רְאֵהSee!11:26-16:17
48 Shoftim, שֹׁפְטִיםJudges16:18-21:9
49 Ki Teitzei, כִּי-תֵצֵאWhen you go out21:10-25:19
50 Ki Tavo, כִּי-תָבוֹאWhen you enter in26:1-29:8
51 *Nitzavim, נִצָּבִיםStanding (Witnessing)29:9-30:20
52 Vayelech, וַיֵּלֶךְAnd he went31:1-31:30
53 Haazinu, הַאֲזִינוּListen!32:1-32:52
54 V'Zot HaBerachah, וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָהAnd this is the blessing
33:1-34:12
54
Vezot Haberakhah
And this is the blessing
Deu 33:1-34:12
Josh 1:1-18
Rev 22:1-5[Also Mt 17:1-9; Mk 9:2-10; Lk 9:28-36; Jude 3-4,8-10]
And here is a link to an excellent Messianic website explaining all the Parsha and how Yeshua fulfills each:
https://hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/summaries.html
Thank you for listening! And thank you for learning with me.
On a personal note, if you haven't yet read yesterday's email, please do, about Rosalia Salan, and how the Lord brought forth powerful songs at the time of her death and last few days on earth! I will be sharing more about this in coming days.
And finally, we have just passed the 36th anniversary of when I ceased playing secular music for a living, to follow the Lord full-time, using my music for Him. Here's a photo of my jazz trio at that time. (I was 22 years old...seems like a long time ago!)
I have never regretted giving Jesus Christ my all! My life has been one fulfilling adventure after another, because of Him!
I will share more about this in my next emails, plus some beautiful songs including "The Pearl of Great Price" which I wrote just prior to leaving secular music.
It became the title song on my album, "The Pearl of Great Price" Vol 2: The Best of Steve Kuban - Two decades of Christian Music by Steve Kuban"
at www.stevekuban.com/store, or on i-Tunes and Apple Music, at
https://itunes.apple.com/…/the-best-of-steve-kuba…/509014850
May God bless you, and make you a blessing. Keep serving Him, with all that you have! And keep studying the New Covenant, the Torah, the Prophets, and the Psalms!
Sincerely in His service,
Dr. Steve Kuban
PS. If you would be so kind, please invest financially to help us continue to record new songs and albums, and to "Take Worship to the Nations," at www.stevekuban.com/donate. We need your help, to accomplish the many large projects the Lord is asking us to do in the coming days, as I celebrate my 40th year since coming to Christ, and the 25th Anniversary of "The Lord is My Tower" live worship album, which God used mightily to touch people's lives, and to send me to the nations!. God will bless you for your giving in faith. Shalom!