|
Av 4, 5762 / July 13, 2002
Av 1, 5765 / Aug 6, 2005
Av 1, 5768 / Aug 2, 2008
Tammuz 28, 5771/ July 30, 2011
Tammuz 28, 5774/ July 26, 2014
Tammuz 28, 5777/ July 22, 2017
R'eh Qaratiy /
See, I Have Called
SCRIPTURES (should be read first)
The Tabernacle was the universe in
microcosm, and its components symbolized the major elements of creation (as
shown by Ramban and others).
Bezalel means “In the shadow” –
protection. Uri means “Fiery”. They were from the tribe of Praise.
Oholiab means “Father’s tent”.
Ahisamach means “To fill in” – workmanship. They were from the tribe of the
Judge.
(V.31:3) Yahweh “filled (Bezalel)
with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all
kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold” for the
Tabernacle.
In contrast, Aaron “took (the peoples
gold) from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it into a
molten calf” (V.32:4).
“30
Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, "See, Yahweh has called by name Bezalel
the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31 And He has
filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge
and in all craftsmanship; 32 to make designs for working in gold and
in silver and in bronze, 33 and in the cutting of stones for settings
and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. 34
He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach,
of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to perform
every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and
in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as
performers of every work and makers of designs”
– Exodus 35:30-35.
There is a basic difference between
being “filled” (which is on the inside) and being “anointed” (which is on the
outside).
Men were anointed – oil poured over
their heads – to consecrate them for the offices of King of Israel, Priest of
the Most High God, or Prophet of Jerusalem. Also certain articles were
consecrated for use in the Tabernacle or Temple by being anointed. Yeshua was
anointed, by the Holy Spirit descending upon Him, to be consecrated as King,
Priest, and Prophet. This is an outward portrayal, for display to others.
People may be “filled with the Holy
Spirit” to enable them to perform certain functions – they are “filled with
skill” – Exodus 35:35. This is inward enablement to perform tasks. In
today’s Torah portion, the filling is for artistry to fulfill God’s ordinances
concerning the Tabernacle. Joshua was “filled with the spirit of wisdom”
– Deuteronomy 34:9. Elizabeth (John the baptizer’s mother) was “filled with
the Holy Spirit” and prophesied – Luke 1:41; Zacharias (John’s father) did
likewise – Luke 1:67. Paul instructed believers to “not get drunk with wine,
but be filled with the Spirit” – Ephesians 5:18: so we see that being a
believer does not mean that we are therefore filled with the Holy Spirit.
If the Spirit of God is enabling
someone to perform musically or to expound God’s Word, that does not make him an
“anointed musician” or an “anointed teacher.” Using terminology too loosely
detracts from understanding God’s pictures of Messiah – since Messiah (or
Christ) means Anointed One.
It may be noted that being “baptized
with the Holy Spirit” always refers to a group of people; no individual is
ever said to be baptized with the Holy Spirit – see Mark 1:8, Acts 1:5, and Acts
11:16. It is always a situation where a group of people are in a setting where
each one is filled with some skill by the Holy Spirit, as though a believer
would be filled by virtue of being in that setting. The settings were always to
certify the veracity of some significant message from God, such as when the
apostles were empowered (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8, Acts 10:45) to give the Gospel to
the Jews, and later to gentiles.
(V.2 & 6) God took leaders for the
craftsmen from the tribes of Judah and Dan – the tribes that would remain after
the exile of ten tribes of Israel.
(V.10) The “vestments of uniqueness”
were worn by only one man in each generation.
(V.12-17) The Sabbath commandment is
repeated here to show that the construction of the Tabernacle, despite its
importance, does not override the Sabbath. (A partial comparison is that we do
not even carry money in on the Sabbath for building God’s house).
(V.18) The two tablets represent the
required two witnesses.
(V.32:11) This was a test for Moses,
not a literal change of God’s mind.
[Commentary not completely transcribed.]
We
can fill a bottle with water, or we can immerse bottles in water: those two
actions are not the same. When we immerse bottles in water, opened bottles may
become filled.
An
individual may be filled with the Holy Spirit, or a group of people may be
immersed in the Holy Spirit: those two actions are not the same! We never find a
statement in Scripture of one individual being immersed – “baptized in the Holy
Spirit.”
When
a group of people is immersed in the Holy Spirit, we always find it being for
some momentous reason.
John said: “I
baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not
fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and fire”
(Luke 3:16). It should be noted that the context concerns repenting and being
saved or being unrepentant and “cast into the fire” (v. 9). They would either be
part of a group immersed in the Holy Spirit, or part of a group cast into
hell-fire. Fire never symbolizes the Holy Spirit!
Here
is the prophetic picture: When God took His church out of Egypt, all were
baptized in a cloud and in the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:2). Israel was saved,
but the Egyptians (representing the sinful world) died in their baptism in the
Sea! God’s church was given a miraculous sign to certify that Moses was sent
from God to deliver them – Moses being a forerunner of Messiah Yeshua.
During the forty day period after Yeshua’s resurrection, ending just eight days
prior to Pentecost, Yeshua said: “John
baptized with water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days
from now”
(Acts 1:5). The church of God was given a miraculous sign for a momentous reason
– to certify Yeshua as its risen Messiah!
Later, the Holy Spirit “fell upon all” (Acts 10:44) of a gentile family and
company to certify that gentiles were included in God’s church.
Miracles do not make “the world” come to faith, but rather they certify to
believers in God’s Word that Yeshua is their promised Messiah!
Yeshua “began
to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did
not repent”
(Matthew 11:20). In Nazareth, “He
did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief”
(Matthew 13:58); they did not believe the Torah and Prophets, so miracles would
not make them repent and believe in Him. Yeshua raised Lazarus from the dead:
“Therefore many of the Jews who . . . saw what He had done,
believed in Him” (John
11:45): these were Torah-accepting people who now
accepted that Yeshua was the one for whom they waited.
When
Yeshua was raised from the dead, most people still did not believe: they made
excuses for the obvious!
God gave the Apostles a miraculous ability to speak in unlearned foreign
languages, in order to reach dispersed devout Jews (Acts 2:5) who believed in
Torah enough to come to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. The speeches were
about Yeshua being the promised Messiah for whom they were waiting. For example,
Peter said: “Men
of Israel, listen to these words: Yeshua the Nazarene, a man attested to you by
God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your
midst . . .”
(Acts 2:22).
The Apostle Paul explained, “In the Torah it is written, ‘By men of foreign
languages and by the lips of gentiles I will speak to this people, and even so
they will not listen to me,’ says Yahweh. So then (speeches in unlearned)
foreign languages are for a sign, not to those who believe (that Yeshua is
Messiah) but to unbelievers (‘this people’ – referring to Hebrews who have not
accepted Yeshua as their promised Messiah). But prophecy (explaining Torah) is
not for unbelievers but (instruction) for those who believe. Therefore if the
congregation assembles and all speak different foreign languages, and men enter
who are unlearned or unbelieving (in Torah), will they not say that you are
mad?” – 1 Corinthians 14:21-23.
Readings:
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who chose us from among all peoples by
giving us Your Torah.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, giver of the
Torah."
Reader 1*
Amen. 1 Now Yahweh spoke to
Moses, saying, 2 "See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri,
the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 "I
have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in
knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4 to make artistic
designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, 5 and in the
cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in
all kinds of craftsmanship.
Reader 2*
Amen. 6 "And behold,
I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of
Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may
make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, and the
ark of testimony, and the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture of the tent,
8 the table also and its utensils, and the pure gold lampstand with
all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9 the altar of burnt
offering also with all its utensils, and the laver and its stand, 10
the woven garments as well, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the
garments of his sons, with which to carry on their priesthood; 11 the
anointing oil also, and the fragrant incense for the holy place, they are to
make them according to all that I have commanded you."
Reader 3*
Amen. 12 Yahweh
spoke to Moses, saying, 13 "But as for you, speak to the sons of
Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe My Sabbaths; for this is a sign
between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am
Yahweh who sanctifies you. 14 'Therefore you are to observe the
Sabbath, for it is holy to you.
Reader 4*
Amen. Everyone who profanes it
shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall
be cut off from among his people. 15 'For six days work may be done,
but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to Yahweh;
whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death. 16
'So the sons of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath
throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.' 17 "It is a
sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days Yahweh made
heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was
refreshed."
Reader 5*
Amen. 18 When He had
finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of
the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God. 32:1
Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the
people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go
before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
we do not know what has become of him." 2 Aaron said to them, "Tear
off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your
daughters, and bring them to me." 3 Then all the people tore off the
gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He
took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into
a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up
from the land of Egypt."
Reader 6*
Amen. 5 Now when
Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and
said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh." 6 So the next day they
rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the
people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. 7 Then
Yahweh spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up
from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 "They have
quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for
themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and
said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!'"
9 Yahweh said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they
are an obstinate people. 10 "Now then let Me alone, that My anger may
burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great
nation."
Reader 7*
Amen. 11 Then Moses
entreated Yahweh his God, and said, "O Yahweh, why does Your anger burn against
Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power
and with a mighty hand? 12 "Why should the Egyptians speak, saying,
'With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to
destroy them from the face of the earth '? Turn from Your burning anger and
change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. 13 "Remember
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and
said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and
all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they
shall inherit it forever.'" 14 So Yahweh changed His mind about the
harm which He said He would do to His people.
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who in giving us Yeshua, the Living
Torah, has planted everlasting life in our midst.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, giver of the
Torah."
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who selected good prophets, delighting
in their words which were spoken truthfully.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, Who chose the
Torah, Your servant Moses, Your people Israel,
and the prophets of truth and
righteousness."
Isaiah 43:1-28
Reader 8*
Amen. 1 But now, thus says Yahweh,
your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have
redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! 2 "When you
pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will
not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor
will the flame burn you. 3 "For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of
Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your
place. 4 "Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored
and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in
exchange for your life. 5 "Do not fear, for I am with you; I will
bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west. 6
"I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not hold them
back.' Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory,
whom I have formed, even whom I have made."
Reader 9*
Amen. 8 Bring out the
people who are blind, even though they have eyes, and the deaf, even though they
have ears. 9 All the nations have gathered together so that the
peoples may be assembled. Who among them can declare this and proclaim to us the
former things? Let them present their witnesses that they may be justified, or
let them hear and say, "It is true." 10 "You
are My witnesses," declares Yahweh, "and My servant whom I have chosen, so that
you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no
God formed, and there will be none after Me. 11 "I, even I, am
Yahweh, and there is no savior besides Me. 12 "It is I who
have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you;
so you are My witnesses," declares Yahweh, "and I am God. 13 "Even
from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act
and who can reverse it?" 14 Thus says Yahweh your Redeemer, the Holy
One of Israel, "For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and will bring them all
down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, into the ships in which they rejoice.
15 "I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King."
Reader 10*
Amen. 16 Thus says
Yahweh, Who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings forth the chariot and the horse, the army and the
mighty man (They will lie down together and not rise again; they have been
quenched and extinguished like a wick): 18 "Do not call to mind the
former things, or ponder things of the past. 19 "Behold, I will do
something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will
even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. 20 "The
beasts of the field will glorify Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I
have given waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to
My chosen people.
Reader 11*
Amen. 21 "The people
whom I formed for Myself will declare My praise. 22 "Yet you have not
called on Me, O Jacob; but you have become weary of Me, O Israel. 23
"You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, nor have you
honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, nor
wearied you with incense. 24 "You have bought Me not sweet cane with
money, nor have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices; rather you have
burdened Me with your sins, you have wearied Me with your iniquities. 25
"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I
will not remember your sins. 26 "Put Me in remembrance, let us argue
our case together; state your cause, that you may be proved right. 27
"Your first forefather sinned, and your spokesmen have transgressed against Me.
28 "So I will pollute the princes of the sanctuary, and I will
consign Jacob to the ban and Israel to revilement.
Psalm 63
(To be sung.) A Psalm of
David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1 O God, You are my God; I
shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a
dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 Thus
I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and
Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
my lips will praise You. 4 So I will bless You as long as I live; I
will lift up my hands in Your name. 5 My soul is satisfied as with
marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. 6
When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, 7
For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. 9 But
those who seek my life to destroy it, will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; they will be a
prey for foxes. 11 But the king will rejoice in God; everyone who
swears by Him will glory, for the mouths of those who speak lies will be
stopped.
2 Timothy 1:1-18
Reader 12*
Amen. 1 Paul, an apostle
of Messiah Yeshua by the will of God, according to the promise of life in
Messiah Yeshua, 2 To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace
from God the Father and Messiah Yeshua our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom
I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly
remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 longing to see you, even
as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 For I am
mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother
Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. 6
For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you
through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a
spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
Reader 13*
Amen. 8 Therefore do not
be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me
in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has
saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Messiah Yeshua
from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of
our Savior Messiah Yeshua, who abolished death and brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher
and an apostle and a teacher. 12 For this reason I also suffer these
things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced
that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
Reader 14*
Amen. 13 Retain the
standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love
which are in Messiah Yeshua. 14 Guard,
through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted
to you. 15 You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia
turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 The
Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was
not ashamed of my chains; 17 but when he was in Rome, he eagerly
searched for me and found me-- 18 the Lord grant to him to find mercy
from the Lord on that day-- and you know very well what services he rendered at
Ephesus.
"Blessed are You, Yahweh
our God, King of the Universe,
Rock of Ages, righteous
throughout all generations.
You are the faithful God,
promising and then performing, speaking and then fulfilling,
for all Your words are true
and righteous.
Faithful are You, Yahweh
our God, and faithful are Your words,
for no word of Yours shall
remain unfulfilled;
You are a faithful and
merciful God and King.
Blessed are You, Yahweh our
God, Who are faithful in fulfilling all Your words."
|