Through the Lens of An Ancient Yisra’elite Bible Study
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Extracted from Section 2, Chapter 18: The messenger of Yahweh is another term used by the OT writers for the essence or presence of Yahweh that the NT writers apply to Yahusha. The first time the phrase appears in the OT is in the story of Hagar, Sārāh’s handmaiden. This doesn’t mean that the messenger of Yahweh didn’t interact previously, but that this “is the first time in which this figure is described in this way.” In the Bible, only one supernatural being “ever gets such a close designation to Yahweh. All other messengers are just simply called messengers.” There are messengers who are sent from Yahweh, but none are addressed the same way as the messenger of Yahweh. To illustrate the two Yahweh figures we’ll start with Abraham; after all, he does have many encounters with Yahweh and the messenger of Yahweh. In this first example, we have three individuals approaching Abraham. And יהוה appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamrě, while he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day (Gen 18:1 The Scriptures). This is not an illusion or a mirage, Yahweh appears to Abraham. Abraham does not notice them until he looks up and physically sees Yahweh plus the other two. Abraham rushes to meet the three men and he bows low to the ground, (v2). Abraham asks the travelers to stay and rest a bit while eating some food and water with him, (v3). Both Sārāh and Abraham prepared the food for their guest. We have Yahweh in physically human form, in front of Abraham, not only is he talking to him but also eating with him, (v8). One of the guests, which is Yahweh, while he is eating, speaks to Abraham about the child that Sārāh will have, (v10). Sārāh being close by was listening to the conversation and laughter to and doubted herself, (10-12). Yahweh replies to Abraham thus confronting Sārāh’s laughter and doubt (v13-14). Sārāh tries to cover her tracks by lying to Yahweh but that didn’t go that well, the lie was exposed (v15). Think about this for a minute; because she was behind the entrance of the tent (v10), one could probably hear her quick laughter but when she thought to herself, that is a whole different story. No human being can read your thoughts that way.
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Winner of the Christian Book Award Gold Medal, International Impact Book Award, and Christian Indie Award for Theology.
“Through the Lens of An Ancient Yisra’elite Bible Study is a revealing, comprehensive work of biblical analysis.” — Foreword Clarion Reviews
Through the Lens of an Ancient Yisra'elite Bible Study invites readers to encounter Scripture within its original cultural, covenantal, and linguistic world—before layers of Western interpretation reshaped the text. Instead of asking the Bible to conform to modern assumptions, this study restores its Hebraic voice by returning it to the people who first lived, heard, and preserved it.
Written by disabled U.S. military veteran, ordained minister, teacher, graphic designer, and award-winning author Benjamin N. Carrasquillo Jr., this 894-page study combines historical research, Hebraic worldview analysis, narrative structure, and accessible teaching to help modern readers engage the biblical text through ancient Yisra’elite understanding rather than later philosophical frameworks.
More than a devotional guide and more grounded than a theological essay, this book functions as a lens-cleaner for students of Scripture who want to see the biblical text on its own terms. With clarity and accessibility, it explores how concepts such as honor and shame, communal identity, covenantal relationships, Hebraic idioms, and ancient Near Eastern worldview shaped the original meaning and intent of biblical passages.
In this study readers will explore:
∙ Ancient Yisra’elite worldview systems
∙ Hebraic language and idioms
∙ Covenant and communal identity
∙ Honor-shame culture
∙ Biblical narrative structures
∙ Historical and cultural interpretation of Scripture
∙ Contextual biblical understanding through ancient Near Eastern perspective
Ideal for readers interested in:
∙ Biblical Hermeneutics
∙ Historical and Cultural Bible Study
∙ Hebraic Roots
∙ Ancient Near Eastern Context
∙ First-Century Biblical Perspective
∙ Covenant Theology
∙ Historical Theology
∙ Scripture Interpretation and Biblical Literacy
About the Author
Benjamin Nieves Carrasquillo Jr. was born and raised in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. A follower of Yahweh. He is a talented graphic designer, animator, and illustrator with a BA in Visual Communications and Digital Art from the American InterContinental University and a MA in 3D Animation and Visual effects from the Academy of Art University. Attended and completed courses from the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies, Awakening School of Theology, and Liberty University. He is a disabled veteran of the United States military and served in the Virginia and District of Columbia Army National Guard and the Navy. He is an ordained minister and teacher of the Yahweh’s word online and to local churches. He has been married for 34 years to his wife which he met during his active-duty service at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (formerly known as Naval Air Station Miramar). He and his wife have three living children, three grandchildren, and currently live in Virginia.