mordekhi v yisraela

Torah: B’ha’alotkha (When you set up), B’midbar (Numbers) 8.1-12.16
Haftorah: Z’kharyah (Zechariah) 2.14(10)-4.7
Suggested Messianic Writings: Revelation 11.1-19

Shalom,
וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה קוּמָה יְיָ וַיְהִי בִּנְסֽוֹעַ הָאָרֹן
Viy’hee been-so-ah ha-a-ron vi-yo-mer Moshe “Ku-ma Adoni”
And when the ark journeyed, Moshe said, “Arise Adoni
וְיָנֻֽסוּ מְשַׂנְאֶֽיךָ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ וְיָפֻֽצוּ אֹיְבֶֽיךָ
V’ya-fu-tsu oy-veh-kha v’ya-nu-su m’sa-neh-kha mee-pa-neh-kha.
May your enemies be scattered, and those that hate You flee from Your presence.”

This phrase, from B’midbar (Numbers) 10.35, is sung or chanted in synagogues around the world as the Torah scroll is removed from its cabinet and carried around the room. Those in attendance touch the Scroll cover with a Bible, a Siddur (prayer book), or the tzitzit from a prayer shawl, never the fingers, then touch that object to their lips. The scene pictures the original giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, from Sh’mot (Exodus) 24.3 & 7, “Moshe came and told the people everything ADONAI had said, including all the rulings. The people answered with one voice: ‘We will obey every word ADONAI has spoken….’” Then he [Moshe] took the book of the covenant and read it aloud, so that the people could hear; and they responded, ‘Everything that ADONAI has spoken, we will do and obey’” (emphasis added). Those who love ADONI and His Torah are in essence saying the same thing when the Torah is so honored in our day – we will do and obey.

To Messianics, the Torah scroll, written on a lamb’s skin, represents the Lamb of G-d, Yeshua, and that is why we honor the scroll. We do not worship the scroll, but we honor it as the written word of ADONI, which in turn represents the living Word, Yeshua. And as we understand the fact that Yeshua has been around eternally from before the Creation as a member of the mysterious triune G-dhead, we understand better His statement from Matthew 28.20, “…obey everything that I have commanded you.” Simply put, if we love Him we obey Him; if we don’t love Him, we don’t obey Him. If a commandment of His is relevant, it is to be obeyed, end of story. Somehow many followers of Yeshua have come to the conclusion that the commandments can be picked through and sorted according to personal desire; or worse yet, that the majority of anything to the left of Matthew 1 is irrelevant. Others have trouble with anything past D’varim (Deuteronomy). 1 Yochanan (John) 2.3-4 says this, “The way we can be sure we know him [Yeshua] is if we are obeying his commands. Anyone who says, ‘I know him,”’ but isn’t obeying his commands is a liar — the truth is not in him.” Whether a commandment is from Leviticus or Galatians, our Creator expects us to respond in an affirmative manner. We read in Luke 24.27: “Then, starting with Moshe and all the prophets, he explained to them the things that can be found throughout the Tanakh concerning himself” (emphasis added).

So if Yeshua is in it all, from Genesis to Revelation, then we should honor it all. The immediate understanding of Torah is the five books of Moshe, but the word Torah has such definitions as, “Law, teaching, instruction, direction, to point the way one is to walk in life”. David Stern in the Complete Jewish Bible makes an astonishing but correct translation of Hebrew 8.6: “But now the work Yeshua has been given to do is far superior to theirs [earthly priests], just as the covenant he mediates is better. For this covenant has been given as Torah on the basis of better promises” (emphasis added). According to Stern’s commentary, “If the New Testament is Torah, then the Torah has not been abrogated. Instead, the New Testament has been given the same status as the Torah of Moses; that is, it has come to have the highest authority there is, the authority that accompanies promulgation by God himself. One might say that Torah has been expanded – or better, that Torah has been made more explicit.” [For further understanding of his translation and usage of this terminology here, I suggest reading David Stern’s Jewish New Testament Commentary for a nearly two-page look at this terminology.]

What then is the purpose in us honoring the Word, to obey the Word? Simply this: “For we are His workmanship, created in [Messiah Yeshua] for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2.10). And from Isaiah 43.21, “The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise.” All that we do is to honor Him; all that we do should be a form of praise unto Him. Ancient Israel did not separate the sacred and the secular. That is a good lesson for us.

The words of Moshe above signaled not only a statement of Adoni’s authority as Israel set out from an encampment, but also a prophetic word that will ring true in these last days. “As the ark journeyed…,” that is, as the entire Word of ADONI, and thus the G-d and Messiah of Israel, is held to a higher standard of love, respect and obedience by His children – Jew and Gentile alike, then the G-d of Israel will arise and scatter His enemies, and those that hate Him will flee from His presence. Those who trouble Israel had better beware. Z’kharyah (Zechariah) caps it off perfectly for us, from 2.12(8), a verse just prior to this week’s reading: “Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘Anyone who injures you injures the very pupil of my eye.’”

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Torah: B’har (On mount), Vayikra (Leviticus) 25.1-26.2
along with: B’chukkotai (By my regulations), Vayikra (Leviticus) 26.3-27.34
Haftorah: Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 16.19-17.14
Suggested Messianic Writings: Matthew 22.1-14

Shalom,

The second of the two parashiot (readings) this week is called B’chukkotai (By my regulations), בְּחֻקֹּתַי (pr: b’khoo-koh-tie). Most parashiot are titled after the primary words that begin the section, and the title may not necessarily be the theme. This reading is an exception, in that “by my regulations” is not only the beginning phrase, but the primary theme of the section deals with regulations of HaShem. These are regulations that are to be observed in a covenant relationship.

Israel and the United States are the only two nations in history I am aware of that were founded upon a covenant with the Creator. Israel’s history began with the initial covenant between HaShem and Avraham (Abraham). Yeshua stated in Luke 12.48, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required.” Much has been required of Israel throughout her history, yet her Creator has been faithful to her and to His covenant with her. Because of failures and disobedience, Israel has gone through much. I believe that there is now a pressure being put upon Israel, for her Messiah desires her to recognize and acknowledge Him. It will happen.

The USA was founded upon a covenant with the Creator. I have not personally read, but I understand that this type of teaching is no longer to be found in the average history textbook in our schools today. However, if one does a search, there are publications available with such facts. When one enters into a covenant, there are regulations to be observed. And when that covenant is between the Creator and a nation, the covenant endures through the generations; in fact, each generation is responsible to continue in covenant or face the consequences, whether they be eventual or current.

In this parashah, the Creator declares, “If you live by my regulations…” a lot will happen for your good: rains will come at the proper time and in the proper amounts; the crops will grow and produce abundantly; there will be plenty for all. You will prosper in a righteous way. The land itself will be safe, free from enemy attacks, and when the enemy is chased, they will be defeated greatly. Best of all, the Creator will dwell in the land with those who He has covenanted with, and who are obedient to Him.

However, “if you loathe my regulations…,” terror will come upon the entire land: wasting disease; crops will not produce properly; enemies will begin to overtake the people and the land; people will be fearful when there is no reason to be so. We must note that these are corporate promises, not individual; however, a corporate promise will affect an individual. In other words, because of corporate failure to a covenant, a righteous person could be affected to one degree or another. This is not to be a judgment upon the individual.

And the terror will come in stages: “I will break the pride you have in your own power.” The land will not yield; the rains will come at improper times and improper amounts, or not at all. Calamities will increase relative to the sin level; greater sicknesses will come, people will become scared to move about because of the fear of disease; enemies will begin to gain control. Lastly, the nation may fall and some of the inhabitants scattered among the nations of the world.

This is not written to be gloomy; but just take a look around you at our nation. Swine flu is the current headline every day; storms, heavy rains and flooding are pounding much of the nation, other areas are being burned out. These things have been going on for some time now, and seem to be increasing in intensity. I heard a new term recently (new to many people, but weather services are beginning to put info out – do a Google), referring to a fairly rare type of storm called a “derecho” [pr: deh-rey-cho], a Spanish word which means, “direct, or straight ahead”. A derecho recently passed through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Downbursts of winds up to 130 mph can be produced; the storm itself is a straight line of wind, as opposed to a whirling tornado. The derecho can travel forward at speeds of 50 mph or greater, it can be 250 miles wide and 800 miles long, and can keep going for days.

Believe what you want, my take is that much of what we see in our news does not happen to a nation that is living in covenant. We know that darker days are coming, the prophets have predicted such. The days of tribulation are yet to fully arrive, and we must be ready. Corrie Ten Boom was warned by a Chinese pastor many years ago against preaching an early escape from tribulation. They had done that in China, then communism took over, and many believers were not spiritually strong enough to stand. When tribulation fully comes, I believe that all followers of Yeshua still living will be here for the ride. For some, it may be treacherous and disastrous, for others, it may have little effect.

The idea is to be ready spiritually for whatever may come. No one who believes that we will go through the tribulation looks forward to it, yet at the same time we must remember a couple of things: 1) yes, there will be end-time martyrs for ADONI, just as there have always been and still are martyrs around the globe for Him; and 2) just as at the time of the plagues at the Exodus from Egypt, there were “pockets of safety” for the people of HaShem. If your role is to be a martyr, don’t be fearful of that now. Corrie Ten Boom told another story, of a time when she was worrying about not having enough faith. Her father reminded her that when she was a child, he would never give her her ticket to get on the train until the train had arrived; i.e., you don’t need the grace to be a martyr until that moment arrives. History recounts, in books such as Fox’s Book of Martyrs, of believers dying under great torture while at the same time singing, praising and praying as if nothing was bothering them. At the same time, pray that you will be delivered into one of the “pockets of safety.” Read the Matthew section for this week, and be sure you are “dressed for a wedding”! Tribulation may be terrible, but I can’t imagine a worse terror than being thrown out by the King.

And so we have finished the book of Vayikra, Leviticus. I leave you with the blessing pronounced at the end of the reading of each book of Torah:

Kha-zakh! Kha-zakh! V’neet-kha-zayk! חֲזַק! חֲזַק! וְנִתְחַזֵק!
Be strong! Be strong! And let us be strengthened!

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Torah: Sh’mini (Eighth), Vayikra (Leviticus) 9.1-11.47
Haftorah: Shmuel Bet (2 Samuel) 6.1-7.17
Suggested Messianic Writings: Hebrews 7.1-19

Shalom,
“הַשְּׁמִינִי וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם, Viy’hee bayom ha-sh’mee-nee, And it came to pass, on the eighth day….”  Aharon (Aaron) and his sons have just spent the previous seven days undergoing their consecration for installation into the role of High Priesthood for Israel. Now Moshe (Moses) calls them forth to officially set them in place. The first duty was for Aharon to take a male calf, a young bull, for a sin offering. [Note: a sin offering was to cover any sins committed inadvertently; a guilt offering was for known sin.] Was there a significance to this for Aharon? The Hebrew word for “calf” is עֵגֶל ey-gel, which means a male calf a year old. (A mature bull was to be 3 yrs old). The use of עֵגֶל ey-gel here is unusual for Vayikra/Leviticus; most times a young bull is called a בָּקָר פַר בֶּן par ben kah-kahr, “a young bullock son of the herd”. However, back at the incident of the golden calf (Sh’mot/Exodus 32), the term used for calf was עֵגֶל ey-gel. So the use of עֵגֶל ey-gel in this passage may indicate a restitution for Aharon.

The people of Israel, represented by various leaders, then brought a male goat for their sin offering. Why a young bull for the High Priest and a goat for the people, you may wonder? Simply because the sin of a Priest was of greater consequence, because of the position they were in. Offering a bull did not mean that the Priest had a greater sin; rather, he had a greater position. Position in HaShem’s service is not to be taken lightly. But for the “common folk” (for lack of a better term), and contrary to some teachings, HaShem does classify sin, as well as sinners. Some sins are indeed worse than others. Thus a bull was to be a sacrifice for a greater sin, or for a person involved in a priestly position. Then it went on down the line to goats, sheep, birds, etc.

Now you might wander about Sha’ul’s statement that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. We know that only the shed blood of our Messiah is what truly saves us. The sacrificial offerings all were pointing to that fact. Yeshua’s blood sacrifice has replaced all of the sin and guilt offerings we read about in the Tanakh. But Sha’ul was writing about mankind’s corrupted nature and the inevitable result that no one – from the High Priest on down, can stand before the Creator on their own merit. Only Yeshua, the Perfect One, is able to do that. But the nature of man is different from the behavior of man. Sha’ul wrote of who we are, not what we do. Who we are is the same for every one of us, a human being carrying about a sin nature, separated from HaShem. What we do is another thing. The fact that sinful behavior can be more or less serious, more or less offensive to HaShem, and more or less dangerous to the community of Believers, remains.

Thus, there are levels of sin and levels of punishment throughout Scripture, which is an entire separate study that we cannot go into now. As an example, stealing is a sin, but murder is a greater sin – they are seen and judged differently by HaShem. Some sins are even called an “abomination” to HaShem. Do a concordance search on that word sometime; Torah will give you an understanding of what is what. We will note also that there are different levels of reward. Now understand, the use of bulls or birds was not so that one could compare the sins of another to his own, but rather the purpose was for all to see the multi-faceted nature of sin – how it can affect and infect, how serious and devastating it is, and that it is not such a simple and straightforward matter as “to G-d sin is sin”.

In Vayikra 9.7, Moshe told Aharon to “approach the altar”. Aharon is now officially the High Priest. In the previous chapter, during which Aharon & sons were ordained into the priesthood, Moshe performed all the initial sacrifices. And in verse 8, Aharon performs the sacrifice. The first sacrifice Aharon did was the עֵגֶל ey-gel, the sin offering for himself.

Aharon and sons then went through a series of sacrifices for themselves and then for the people of Israel. Aharon turned, raised his hands, blessed the people, and came down from the altar; Moshe & Aharon next entered the tent, then came back out and blessed the people; “then” the Glory of ADONI appeared. Fire came forth מִלִּפְנֵי meel-p’ney, from the face, the presence, of ADONI. This same term is found in the Aaronic Blessing, “Ya-ayr Ah-do-ni pa-nav – Adoni make His face shine; Ah-do-ni pa-nav – Adoni turn His face….” Hebraic writing is not always consecutive, so very possibly the blessing Aharon spoke here was the Birkat Kohanim (the High Priestly Blessing, the Aaronic Blessing) from B’Midbar (Numbers) 6.

In Vayikra 9.5, we are told that, as the High Priestly sacrifices began, “the whole community approached; or, the whole congregation drew near…” This probably referred to representatives, or more likely, the elders, z’kaynim, from 9.1, along with Aharon & sons. עֵדָה ey-dah is the Hebrew for congregation. Now in 9.24, when the fire came down, “All the people saw it,” and the term is הָעָם כָּל kol ahm. This was a huge event that millions of people were able to observe. We read of a similar event when Shlomo/Solomon dedicated the Temple, and some day soon, when Yeshua returns, every eye will see Him. When the glory came down, the people fell on their faces. When the glory of Yeshua returns, every knee will bow before Him, probably after they/we are able to bring them/ourselves back up off of their/our faces – some in fear and dread, others in reverence and love.

The purpose of all that we study in these chapters is summed up in the statement found in Vayikra 11.44, “be holy, for I am holy”. We may never understand all of the “why’s” during this life, and that is not the Creator’s intention. He is G-d, and we are not. He mainly desires a relationship with His created people, and offers that freely, although only one way, which is trust in and acceptance of Yeshua as Messiah. And there are restrictions within that relationship, just as there are restrictions within a marriage. Paganism abounded in the time of the Tabernacle, and it abounds to this day. Our Creator has devised a plan to show us how to live and escape the evils of the world while remaining in the world – in it, not of it. Never belittle the “Old Testament,” for it is all part of one Book which shows us how to live, love and obey. The whole Book is necessary for a fuller understanding of this walk with Yeshua.

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Vayikra

Torah: Vayikra (And He called), Vayikra (Leviticus) 1.1-5.26(6.7)
Haftorah: Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 43.21-44.23
Suggested Messianic Writings: Hebrews 10.1-18

Shalom,

We begin the third book of Torah this week. The parashah deals with the various types of offerings that are to be made in the newly built Tabernacle. The first offering is called in most translations a “burnt offering”. The Hebrew is עֹלָה olah, which means, “a step, ascending; ascent, stairway, steps; a burnt offering, with the idea of the smoke rising from the burning.” The word holocaust comes from this root word, also the word aliyah, the term for Jewish people going up, that is, going home to Israel.

Artscroll translates the offering as an elevation-offering. Their commentary lists several understandings of עֹלָה olah by various historical Sages, all which can apply: 1) an offering that is completely burned, going up in flames to HaShem; 2) עֹלָה olah could refer to the sin for which one brings the offering, that is, the offering would atone for sinful ideas or thoughts that come up in a person’s mind; 3) the offering’s name reflects its purpose, which is to raise its owner from the status of sinner and bring him to a state of spiritual elevation; 4) עֹלָה olah is superior to all other offerings because it is voluntarily brought and offered on the Altar in its entirety, none is kept back for personal use. I feel that the term elevation-offering, looking at these definitions, thus gives a deeper meaning than simply burnt offering. Also, the offering that was brought was to be without defect. As Messianics, if we consider that Yeshua represents the Altar, then certainly this would mean that we are to bring our best to give to Him.

An interesting short command is given in Vayikra 2.13, “You are to season every grain offering of yours with salt – do not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant with your God, but offer salt with all your offerings.” This is the first mention of including salt with an offering, and it is at first here specific to the grain offering, but ends up as a commandment to include salt with all offerings. There are various understandings of the purpose of salt in the offerings. For one thing, it is important that we not offer something to HaShem that we would not give to another person. In other words, salt is a seasoning, and we would not serve fine food to others without the proper seasoning. This thought is seen as more of a matter of respect, as the salting is not dealing with dietary law. Another reason is that salt is a preservative, and this can allude to the offering’s preservative influence upon the person’s soul. The sacrifice was incomplete without salt, and full obedience is expected by the Creator. In other words, we are to “give of our best to the Master”.

One Jewish Sage noted in the commentary to this verse the basic knowledge that salt comes from salt water that is modified by fire, or heat. Although his teaching went a different direction, what stood out to me from that statement was a tie-in to a couple of statements that Yeshua made. The first is in Mattityahu (Matthew) 5.13, where Yeshua states that His followers are the salt of the earth. In Yochanan (John) 3.5, Yeshua declared that unless one is born again from water and the Spirit, he is not born again. So my connection is that just as there can be no useful salt unless there has been salt water that has been modified by heat, we as believers cannot truly be a useful salt of the earth unless we have been born from water modified by the fire, or heat, of the Ruakh HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit. So when we give of our best to our Master, it must always include salt. This is “the salt of the covenant with your God”.

There is a spiritual connection between salt and the Spirit of HaShem. We are powerless in our spirit without The Spirit. Let’s go back to Mattityahu 5:13, where Yeshua continued, “But if salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again?” Looking at the passage in the Greek, we gain a deeper understanding (just as we do in looking at the Hebrew for Tanakh meanings) that Yeshua is not referring to salt on its own, for salt does not really lose its flavor. Here’s the understanding: the Greek word for tasteless is mo-rah’ee-no, which means, “to make (passively act) as a simpleton: - become a fool, make foolish”. The Greek root word is mo-ros, and I think you can see where that is heading, for the definition is, “dull or stupid, that is, heedless, (morally) blockhead, (apparently) absurd”. We must always be sure that our salt remains salty, and the saltiness that we have comes only from Heavenly wisdom. Wisdom that is not from above can be bad news. Ya’akov/James 3.15 says, concerning ungodly wisdom, “This wisdom is not the kind that comes down from above; on the contrary, it is worldly, unspiritual, demonic.” It is in relation to this idea that Sha’ul (Saul/Paul) wrote in Romans 1.21-22, concerning those who have turned from their Creator: “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” To be truly wise, or salty, is to truly honor HaShem in all that we do and are.

Our Creator is on our side, He desires our love, our service, and our worship, and that’s why He commands even seemingly unimportant things like adding salt to an offering. He wants us to give our best to Him. If we do that, He will increase our “saltiness”.

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Torah: T’rumah (Contribution/offering), Sh’mot (Exodus) 25.1-27.19

Haftorah: M’lakhim Aleph 1 Kings 5.26(12)-6.13

Suggested Messianic Writings: 2 Corinthians 9.1-15

Shalom,

We now begin the section with the instructions for the building of the מִּשְׁכָּן mish-kahn, the Tabernacle. From Sh’mot 25 through chapter 30, where these instructions are found, a comparison can be made with creation – this is in essence a re-creation, a new beginning of the relationship between the Creator and the created. Here is a look at some of the similarities.

In B’resheet (Genesis), after each act of creation, we read, “Elohim said….” At the construction of the Tabernacle, we read, “Adonai said….” The Tabernacle can be seen as a return to the Garden of Eden. B’resheet 2.12 tells us that, “The gold of that land [Eden] is good; aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there.” In Sh’mot 25.3-7 Adonai said “The contribution you are to take from them is to consist of gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn; fine linen, goat’s hair, tanned ram skins and fine leather; acacia-wood; oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; onyx stones and other stones….” The best could be found in Eden; the best was to be given for the Tabernacle. Notice also that acacia wood was to be used in the construction. The Hebrew term for the tree is שִׁטִּים sheet-teem, and is generally translated acacia. “The acacia is really the only tree that would have been plentiful in the Sinai Desert. Acacias are commonly found in Israel’s and neighboring deserts, often being the only trees in an otherwise empty landscape. For this reason some believe that the Burning Bush spoken of in Exodus Chapter 3 was an acacia tree” [from bibleandtrees.com]. The Targum (Aramaic translation and commentary) to the Song of Songs associates שִׁטִּים sheet-teem trees with the trees in the Garden of Eden. The Septuagint translates שִׁטִּים sheet-teem in this Sh’mot passage as “incorruptible trees,” thus inferring an association with the “Tree of Life”. And so the Creator chose, nay, designed this particular hardy wood for the construction of the Tabernacle and its contents.

The sanctuary inside the Tabernacle was intended to be a dwelling place for the Creator, His home among the people (Sh’mot 25.8). The Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle was a place that only one mediator could enter, that being the High Priest. The Ark inside the Holy of Holies was guarded, as it were, by k’ruvim (cherubim) and we know that after man was sent out of the Garden, the way back to the Holy abode of the Creator on earth was also guarded by k’ruvim (Gen 3.24).

After the creation, “Elohim blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day Elohim rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce” (Gen 2.3). The last instruction from Adonai to Moshe concerning the Tabernacle construction is found in Sh’mot 31.13-17, “You are to observe My Shabbats….” Again the seventh day was blessed and set apart, just as at creation.

After the close of the account of creation, we read of the fall of man. In Sh’mot 32, following the commandments of Tabernacle construction, we have the account of the golden calf, another “fall”. There is a slight difference now. Following the fall from the Garden, Elohim promised man that He would send a redeemer, an interceder as it were, to rescue them; after the golden calf incident, Moshe filled the role of the interceder, sparing Israel from total destruction at that time. Thus began the progression to reach the ultimate interceder, who is now sparing all who call upon Him from eternal destruction.

Moshe was to construct the Tabernacle “according to the design you have been shown on the mountain” (Sh’mot 26.30). This is reiterated in Hebrews 8.5, concerning the items and services in the Tabernacle, “But what they are serving is only a copy and shadow of the heavenly original; for when Moshe was about to erect the Tent, God warned him, ‘See to it that you make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain.’” Moshe’s Tabernacle was a facsimile of the heavenly tabernacle, the heavenly abode of the Creator; thus, a Moshe’s Tabernacle gives us a picture of heaven come to earth. And being a copy of the heavenly, then every piece of furniture and every feature was a copy of the heavenly. However, the purpose of each of the items in their heavenly usage is not explained, thus we are given a great mystery of which we “see through a glass darkly,” that is, we understand little at this point of the supernatural realm.

As believers in Yeshua haMashiakh (the Messiah), we know that He is what all this was pointing to. Hebrew 9.11-14 gives an explanation: “But when the Messiah appeared as cohen gadol [high priest] of the good things that are happening already, then, through the greater and more perfect Tent which is not man-made (that is, it is not of this created world), he entered the Holiest Place once and for all. And he entered not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, thus setting people free forever. For if sprinkling ceremonially unclean persons with the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer restores their outward purity; then how much more the blood of the Messiah, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself to God as a sacrifice without blemish, will purify our conscience from works that lead to death, so that we can serve the living God!”

Notice that the above passage said that the Messiah has entered the Holiest Place, the Holy of Holies, once and for all, thus setting people free forever. We noted earlier that inside the Tabernacle there was to be a sanctuary, where the Creator would live. The term in Hebrew for sanctuary is מִקְדָּשׁ meek-dahsh, “a place set apart from the rest for a special function”. This was where the Shekhinah glory of the Creator would dwell, and only one who was purified from sin could enter. In the case of man, the High Priest was the one, and only once a year could he enter. Yeshua, as the Great High Priest, entered in once and has remained.

Now we come to a point that might make us pay attention closely to this picture from the Tabernacle and its purpose. 1 Corinthians 3.16 reads, “Don’t you know that you people are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” Bible scholar William Morford points out that the proper translation should be “sanctuary,” that is, “you are God’s sanctuary….” His reasoning was that the Tabernacle (and the later Temples) “had a court where sin was welcome and an altar where sin was dealt with. Sin had to be dealt with before entering the sanctuary or the priest who entered was dead.” In other words, sin was welcome in that in the outer court, all were welcome to enter; the inner court was the place to deal with that sin, and have it “washed away”. Yeshua entered the Holiest Place, and if in essence that means where He now abides, that is, in His people, then as believers we are now the sanctuary of the Creator. He can only abide in, dwell in, inhabit, a Holy Place. Thus we see our duty to be sure that sin is dealt with, our sanctuary swept clean, and the ashes removed to outside the camp. And since we are weak humans, this has to be a constant daily house cleaning. When Sha’ul said to put on the full armor of G-d, I don’t think that referred to a one-time fitting, but to a daily “getting dressed and ready”.

And all this to say that there is purpose in what we read in Torah and the rest of the Tanakh. The Creator works outside of time, so what may seem like a long time to unfold a plan to us, is an instant to Him. If Moshe was given a heavenly pattern of what to do, then there must be a heavenly purpose for all that we see and read. The B’rit Khadashah, or Messianic Writings (New Testament) should never be seen as a separate entity, but rather a continuation of what had come previously. In Sh’mot 25.8, Adonai said, “They are to make me a sanctuary, so that I may live among them.” The Hebrew for make is עשׂה ah-sah, which can also be translated, “accomplish, achieve, become”. Thus the constructed Tabernacle is a picture of the spiritual Tabernacle, wherein we find the sanctuary of Elohim: “They are to become a sanctuary, so that I may live among them”.

You are God’s temple. The Biblical Temple at times fell into disarray and disuse, and the Shekhinah departed. We must ask ourselves, “What is the condition of my temple?” Looking deeper, “Who is abiding in the sanctuary within me?”

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Torah: Mishpatim (Rulings/Judgments), Sh’mot (Exodus) 21.1-24.18
Haftorah: Melakhim Bet 2 Kings 11.17-12.17
Suggested Messianic Writings: Mattityahu (Matthew) 17.1-11

Shalom,

We come to a special section of Torah now. Israel had just been given the Ten Commandments
(as we read in the last parashah), the guidelines on how to live in obedience to HaShem, and now begins
the explanation of those rules – the commentary, the expansion, as it were. As the ArtScroll Commentary
points out, in Torah HaShem does not make a separation between “Church and State.” In HaShem’s
economy, there is no difference; i.e., all that we do – whether in worship or in work – should be done to
honor Him, and everything should include Him. The reason for all of Torah is summed up in a statement
that Moshe’s father-in-law told him in Sh’mot 18.20, and which we looked at last parashah: “You should
teach them the laws and the teachings, and show them how to live their lives and what work they should
do” (emphasis added). This people had just been delivered from a pagan culture, which had imbedded
itself into their own way of life, and they were pretty clueless about how to live HaShem’s way. None of us
are any different today, and that is why we must constantly be in Torah, and all of the Word of HaShem.
That is the purpose of Scripture. When left on our own without the guidance and wisdom of the Creator,
we really don’t know how to live properly or behave in a righteousness manner. Witness the state of the
world. Torah is our foundation of living; Yeshua is our foundation of faith.

A rather oxymoronic thought is that in true service to Yeshua, every one of us is free to be a
slave. When Sha’ul (Saul/Paul) points out in Romans 6.14 that we are not under law, in context he is
saying that we are not under the condemnation of law; or as David Stern translated in the CJB, “not under
legalism but under grace.” The point is that we are not saved just by obeying the law, but neither are we
saved in order to do whatever we feel like in the name of grace. Sha’ul declares that we are not to sin
because we are under grace. He continues by pointing out that we are slaves to the one whom we obey.
The nature of humanity is to abuse even a concept such as slavery. A dictionary definition of slave is, “A
person completely controlled by a dominating influence.” A magnificent obsession, if you will. The
paradox of our walk is that we are free to obey sin, or we are free to obey HaShem. “Free to be a slave.”
Sha’ul explains in 1 Corinthians 7.22-23 that Mashiakh (Messiah) has paid a price for us and has set us
free from whatever we were enslaved to; so now we are His slave, and we are not to return to being a
slave of our former nature. The purpose of Torah is to set us free from former slavery; that is what grace
is all about. There really need not be a law-grace debate; rather, they are intended to go hand in hand. An
FFOZ1 drash for this parashah began with the thought, “Things get backward if we start to believe that we
must keep God’s Law in order to be saved. Instead, we should keep God’s Law because we are saved.”

If we desire to be a slave to THE Master, Yeshua, here is what we are to do, per Sh’mot 21.5-6. If
we love our Master and want to stay with Him, we need to let Him “pierce our ear on the doorpost,” so
that we will be His slave for life. What does that mean? This is a spiritual picture. Yesha’yahu (Isaiah)
50.4-5 gives us a clue: “Each morning He awakens my ear to hear like those who are taught. Adonai
Elohim has opened my ear, and I neither rebelled nor turned away” [emphasis added]. In a very real
spiritual sense He pierces our ear to symbolize our permanent “slavery” to Him. This passage in
Yesha’yahu 50 is a Messianic portion, as well as these verses in Tehillim (Psalms) 40.7(6)-9(8), “Sacrifice
and grain offerings you don’t want; burnt offerings and sin offerings you don’t demand. Instead, you have
given me open ears; so then I said, ‘Here I am! I’m coming! In the scroll of a book it is written about me.
Doing your will, my God, is my joy; your Torah is in my inmost being.” Yeshua’s joy was obeying His
Father. Our joy should be the same, if we are His “slave for life.”

In Mattityahu 5.38, Yeshua expands upon the concept of eye for eye and tooth for tooth: “You
have heard it said… but I say unto you….” According to Biblical scholar David Bivin, the Hebraic
understanding of what Yeshua said is that one is not to get “even” with evildoers. Bivin explains, “Not
‘competing’ with evildoers is very different from not ‘resisting’ evildoers. [Yeshua] was not teaching that
one should submit to evil, but rather that one should not seek revenge. His statement has nothing to do
with something like confronting a murderer or facing an enemy on the field of battle… loving and praying
for one’s enemies in no way precludes defending oneself when in danger… however, one must forgive
and not seek revenge against those who have insulted or wronged them.”2 In instances in the Tanakh
where this commandment – eye for eye and tooth for tooth – is given3, it has to do with dealing with a
murderer or someone who has done malicious harm to another. But by Yeshua’s time, the commandment
was being taken out of context.

The people of Israel made a curious statement to HaShem in Sh’mot 24.7. Moshe had given the
commandments to the people, and they declared, “Everything that ADONAI has spoken, we will do and
obey” (emphasis added). The last word, obey, in Hebrew is נִשׁמְָע , neesh’mah, the root of which is ,שׁמע
sh’ma, which means,” to hear intelligently, with implication of obedience.” In other words, their response
essentially was, “We will do and [then] we will hear.” Actual servitude means serving HaShem even
before He tells us what He wants us to do.

Although well-known as an anti-missionary, the late Aryeh Kaplan made a good observation
about the above verse in his book, Waters of Eden: “Our sages stress the fact that their first statement
was, ‘we will do,’ and only then did they say, ‘we will hear.’ This indicates that when the Torah was given,
we were ready to keep the commandments and ‘do’ them, before we ‘heard’ any reason or logic for
them.” That is true “slavery,” and bears little resemblance to the slavery system than mankind has abused
for their own evil purpose. In Yeshua we are indeed “free to be a slave.” Yeshua, may we all learn to do
and [then] hear.

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלָםִ – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Torah: Yitro (Jethro/abundance), Sh’mot (Exodus) 18.1-20.23(26)
Haftorah: Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 6.1-7.6, 9.5(6)-6(7)
Suggested Messianic Writings reading: Mattityahu (Matthew) 5.8-20

Shalom,

In the previous parashah, Israel had just defeated Amalek, the Amalekites, and now has another
“visitor” from the family. What we have here has been essentially a family gathering, for all the involved
are descendants of Avraham. Amalek is descended from Esav (Esau), the brother who lost his
inheritance to Ya’akov (Jacob). Yitro (Jethro) is descended from Midyan, who was a son of Avraham and
Keturah, Avraham’s wife after the death of Sarah. The spirit of jealousy that had developed in Esav
continued down his family line, and still continues to this day, in all the spiteful attacks against Israel. The
children from Keturah do not seem to have as deep a need for vengeance, and in our current picture,
Yitro from Midyan became an advisor and a helper to Israel.

Many years earlier, Moshe had been a wanderer in the desert when he “happened” upon the
camp of Yitro, where he ended up staying and marrying a daughter of this High Priest of Midyan. Now
Yitro comes, and throughout the chapter he is described as the father-in-law of Moshe – a role reversal in
a sense, as Moshe had become the greater leader.

Yitro had come for two reasons: to bring Moshe’s wife and sons back to him, and because he had
heard of all the great things that HaShem had done for Israel, bringing them out of Egypt. Amalek had
undoubtedly heard the same report, and here we have a contrast in what the mind and heart of a man will
lead him to do. Those whose hearts are angry and spiteful will remain the same, if that is their base
desire, and as we saw in the case of Pharaoh, their heart will be strengthened in that area. A heart that is
dark will only become darker, short of receiving Light from the Creator. Amalek came to fight, to defeat a
hated enemy. “Midyan” came to help out, to impart wisdom. Both had heard of the miraculous rescue of
Israel out of Egypt. The ArtScroll commentary notes that, “Miracles alone do not transform the beliefs of
the Amaleks of the world; those who refuse to recognize the hand of God will always interpret events to
suit their own purposes.” How true that is. Unfortunately, the ArtScroll authors – non-Messianic Jews – do
the same when it comes to the miracles surrounding Yeshua.

Yeshua gives us a picture of this contrast between hinder or help in this week’s Messianic
Writings reading, from Mattityahu (Matthew) 5, looking at verses 13-14: “You are Salt for the Land” – salt
is a preservative, and had Amalek used their strength to righteously defend, protect and preserve Israel,
they would have had a worthy history, but since they chose the opposite, “ADONAI will fight Amalek
generation after generation” (Sh’mot 17.16). On the other hand, Yitro from Midyan encouraged Israel to
be a Light for the world. His advice to Moshe has lasted for millennia: “You should teach them the laws
and the teachings, and show them how to live their lives and what work they should do” (Sh’mot 18.20).
That is the whole point of Torah, and Yeshua and Sha’ul (Saul/Paul) and Kefa (Peter) and the others in
the Messianic Writings built upon this foundation, as did the prophets and poets and writers of the Tanakh
– Isaiah and David and Hosea and Solomon, on and on – “This is how HaShem wants us to live and
work, not as the pagans do, but as He does.”

This world is still given the choice of fighting against HaShem and His people, as did Amalek, or
supporting the work of HaShem. We can either be worthy salt and preserve the ways of HaShem, or else
become tasteless and worthless to His kingdom. We as believers are to be a light and show others how
to live their lives in His Light, for we are a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. This is what Torah living is
all about, serving the One who created us, whose name is Yeshua. His is the Name above all names
(Eph 1.21; Phil 2.9). He is the One who holds the world in His hand; He is the One in control of all, who
has all authority. The Father has basically released all authority into the Son’s hands regarding this
planet, and when the Son will return to this earth, He will reign for 1000 years and straighten everything
out, and “then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He has
abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under
His feet” (1 Cor 15.24-25).

As I have noted many times in past drashes, the true understanding of Grace is “the power to do
the right thing”. What is the right thing? “…how HaShem wants us to live and work.”

As we serve the One who created us, Yeshua (see Col 1.16), we come to realize that this One
who became a man, and is still a man, is somehow God at the same time – fully God, fully man, and a
part of the mysterious triune God-head of Av, Ben v’Ruakh, Father, Son and Spirit. And when we come to
that reality, then we have to understand that, as He works in the hidden spiritual realm, that there is an
enemy in that hidden realm also, and that enemy is against all who stand with Yeshua.

We are instructed by Sha’ul in Ephesians 6 to put on the full armor of God in our fight against the
enemy. Eugene Peterson states it well in his paraphrased Bible called The Message, “God is strong, and
he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best
materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way.
This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This
is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up
against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has
issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet” (Eph 6.10-13).

And if we have stood, when it is all over, we will be shouting halleluyah’s!

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלָםִ – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Pray for
those “Yitro’s” to come alongside Israel and stand with her, imparting wisdom from above. Pray for
[spiritual] eyes to be opened to see Yeshua for who He is – Messiah and King of Israel.

Suggested Messianic Writings reading: 1 Corinthians 14.13-25

Shalom,

There is much in Scripture regarding the blessing of the first-born. Customarily, the first-born son had the birthright, that is, he was entitled to the first rank and leadership among his brethren and would receive a double share of the inheritance from the parents. Because this was considered to be such a gift of importance, we read of it numerous times in the Word. But along with this is the fact that also many times the first-born is displaced for one reason or another. Rabbi Shmuel has spoken into this, and there are many writings available on the subject.

An early instance is Esav (Esau) losing his birthright and the blessing of the firstborn. Even though he sold it for a bowl of lentils, Ya’akov (Jacob) knew he had gained it dishonestly, so there is no further mention of the matter.
His later deception was a separate issue; apparently Yitz’khak (Isaac) knew nothing of the earlier encounter. But Ya’akov eventually and deceitfully ended up with the larger, more bountiful blessing, leaving a heartbroken Esav with
very little. We had seen a similar situation earlier in Torah, in the case of Yishma’el (Ishmael) and Yitz’khak, except in that case Yishma’el was sent away by his father Avraham. Both of these instances are a case of reverse primogeniture, in which the oldest son should have received everything in the inheritance, but was displaced by a younger sibling receiving it all. Torah would later speak against this, declaring that the first-born son should dutifully
receive what was rightfully his.

In the case of the twelve sons of Ya’akov, we know that Re’uven (Reuben), because of his wrong-doing, was stripped of the honor of the first-born, which was “pre-eminence in dignity and pre-eminence in power” (Gen 49.3 ESV). Because of this, his tribe “attained to no position of influence in the nation” (K&D Commentary). Centuries later, the blessing given to the tribe of Re’uven by Moshe (Moses) was rather weak: “Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few” (Deut 33.6 ESV). Re’uven’s rank of leadership was transferred to Y’hudah (Judah); his double portion to Yosef
(Joseph).

In another instance of the same, the first-born blessing intended for Yosef’s son M’nasheh (Manasseh) was taken from him and given to his younger brother Efrayim (Ephraim), when they were adopted and blessed by Ya’akov.

These are just a few cases, but in each we see that the younger ones who received the blessings went on to greater prominence than the displaced elder brothers. We see much unrest in the middle-east yet today because of the displaced firstborn descendants of Yishmael and Esav. Similarly, although probably having little to do with the current middle-east unrest, the legacy of M’nasheh was seldom heard from in the later Tanakh. In fact, many of them seem to have drifted eastward; remnants being discovered in India in our own day. Rabbi Shmuel’s belief is that if an Israeli of prominence would apologize to their Arab brethren for undergoing centuries of the legacy of displacement [not quoting exactly], something would break for the positive in that arena of the world in the spiritual realm.

In reading this week’s parashah, a little phrase struck me, and I have a new theory as to why the nation of Israel on the whole did not accept Yeshua as Messiah. In Sh’mot 4.22, Adonai instructs Moshe to go before Pharaoh and demand that Israel be released to go worship, for “Israel is My firstborn son…” (emphasis mine). Pharaoh and Egypt did not let this firstborn go, so their own firstborns were later “displaced”.

But could the reason be that Israel did not accept Yeshua, the son of G-d, as their own was because this was a case of the displaced firstborn? “This is my beloved Son [Yeshua], in whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him.” Of course, there is a vast difference between the Holy Sonship of Yeshua and the sonship of Israel, but nevertheless, Israel is called the “firstborn”.

Just as much of the church fell into the trap of believing replacement theology, since it was a non-truth taught as truth for a long time, perhaps Israel on the whole has listened to and believed a non-truth about being displaced as the elder son of Adonai, particularly when the church de-judaized itself, claiming to be the “new Israel”. Any fallacy, if taught as fact long enough, will become truth to people. It is as Sha’ul (Saul, also known as Paul) wrote in 2 Corinthians 10.5, concerning speaking the truth and using spiritual warfare prayer, “We demolish arguments [speculations, logic] and every arrogance [pride] that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought [deduction] captive and make it obey the Messiah.”

Perhaps in a similar instance of the middle-east situation above, a highly prominent church leader needs to apologize to Israel for “displacing” them.

As I said, just a thought that struck me, do with it what you will.

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Pray for the safety of Messianic believers in the Israel military forces. Pray for the displaced firstborn syndrome to be routed at its root, which is hasatan.