Breaking The Jewish Code Perry Stone

son carried on the family name and secured the family inheritance, it was important to God that the male child would understand the significance of his responsibility and position. In Exodus 13, Moses said that if a male child was the firstborn in his mother’s womb, that child was set apart and holy. When my wife became pregnant in 1989, a friend who was familiar with the Torah said to me, “Your first child will be a boy, because a minister of God must have a male child first.” (He was basing his statement on the passage from Exodus 13:12– 14.) Young boys often have a special bond with their mothers, and young girls with their fathers. When all males over twenty journeyed to Jerusalem three times a year, an important male bonding occurred, bringing the men together in one location for spiritual renewal and fellowship. Application 4—Encountering God’s presence at the temple In ancient Israel the synagogue was the local weekly gathering place, and the Jerusalem temple housed the presence of God. Each Sabbath the community gathered at the synagogue, and, during the special feasts, the men made pilgrimage to the sacred temple, presenting lambs, firstfruits, tithes, and offerings or seeking renewal and repentance. The temple was the dwelling place for God’s presence. While I was growing up, my father pastored in Virginia. We attended church on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights, never missing a revival or special service unless we were sick. Each month the district hosted youth rallies, followed by a meal (usually “fast food”). These monthly youth meetings created relationships we cherished.