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Av 25, 5762 / Aug 3, 2002
Av 22, 5765 / Aug 27, 2005
Av 22, 5768 / Aug 23, 2008
Av 20, 5771 / Aug 20, 2011
Av 20, 5774 / Aug 16, 2014
Av 20, 5777 / Aug 12, 2017
Av 18, 5780 / Aug 8, 2020
Vaya'as B'tzal-el /
Betzalel Made
SCRIPTURES (should be read first)
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Timeline: years are
A.M. (Year of the World) – from creation.
2448 – Tabernacle
completed. Ark of Covenant made.
480
years
2928 – Solomon’s Temple completed.
36 years
2964 – Kingdom split: Israel and Judah.
241
years
3205 – 10 tribes of Israel
exiled.
133
years
3298 – Ark hidden after 850
years.
3338 – Babylonians
destroy Temple; Judah and
Benjamin exiled.
70 year exile
3408 – Second Temple
completed.
420
years
3828 – (70 AD)
Second
Temple destroyed; exile under Edom (Rome).
Temple times – 900
years. Tabernacle-Temple times – 1380 years.
Seven Millenniums of the
World
1000 |
2000 |
*****
3000 |
********†*
4000 |
5000 |
6000 |
**********
SABBATH
7000 |
ETERNITY |
**** = Tabernacle / Temple period
From the beginning of Tabernacle/Temple times, these were the required
places for animal offerings. Therefore, during times when the Temple is
not in existence, animals are not offered. Animal offerings were
reinstituted when the Second Temple was completed, and will be
reinstituted when the Millennial Temple is built – according to Ezekiel.
For nine weeks we have
been studying the meaning of the building of the Tabernacle in the
Wilderness. On this tenth study week, the Tabernacle is completed. What
is the significance to us?
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The name B’tzalel means “In the shadow.” B’tzalel was given the Holy Spirit for
enablement to make beautiful artistic works and teach others to do so, for the
construction of the Tabernacle as a shadow-picture of Yeshua and of God’s
dealings with man. The Tabernacle was the forerunner of the Temple at Jerusalem
as the place of origin for God’s Word being disseminated to man. This is why the
prophets of God are called “Prophets of Jerusalem” (Jer 23:14, Eze 22:25-28) –
their duty is to take the message from the Temple to the world.
This Tabernacle was a temporary
structure, made of wood and cloth, as well as gold, silver, and copper. It would
be moving around in the desert for 480 years, ending up in Jerusalem.
Then the
“eternal” Temple would be built, a structure of great stones, keeping the gold
and silver and copper from the Tabernacle. The
Temple
would be stand for 900 years, save 70 years when it was destroyed and rebuilt.
(As noted previously, Sadducees would only exist for its last 200 years, and
when they finally tried to control
Temple
proceedings, were met with rioting.)
This is
the place where the Creator-Judge (Elohim) and Merciful One (Yahweh) formally
met with man, from where the Word of Yahweh would be sent to man.
“The Torah shall
go forth from Zion, and the Word of Yahweh from
Jerusalem” (Isaiah
2:3). This is the place from where
“the Prophets of
Jerusalem” (Jeremiah
23:14) come to us, and the “messengers
of the synagogues / angels of the churches” (Rev. 2 & 3).
Synagogues are the outreaches of the Temple in each local
city. They are called “little sanctuaries” (l’mikrash
m’et – Ezek 11:16); a Targum explains this, “I have given them synagogues
which are second to My Temple.” They have lower sanctity than the Temple; they
hold smaller courts for lesser judgments (three judges compared to the Temple’s
seventy-one), and they are not places for animal offerings.
The Temple
is the place men were commanded to meet with Yahweh three times a year, to
rehearse redemption, betrothal, and marriage feasts (Unleavened Breads,
Firstfruits, and Tabernacles – Exodus 23:14). Incidentally, the people going up
to Jerusalem
danced for joy on their way; but there was no dancing in Temple worship: their joy was in being able to
go to the place where they could meet with God (Psalm 122:1)! People would run
to the House of God (Psalm 119:32), but then had to go through a
mikvah, and climb irregular
stairs that promoted serious, purposeful consideration. In the Temple, the mood was standing in prayer, and
sacrifice. (Psalm 134, Isaiah 56:7, 2 Chronicles 7:12).
This is the place we are to
“pray towards” (1 Kings
8:29-30). This was the place where men would come before the Holy One to confess
sin and find atonement – the place of animal offerings.
It was a place of many “ordinances” – physical articles and actions displaying
spiritual meanings. Its “sacred assemblies” were not times of “college style”
instruction – that was done in daily classes.
God brought His (qehal)
church out of Egypt (which represented the world of sin) and gave them many
ordinances (one of the three classifications of (mitzvot)
commandments). Today, much of Christendom only accepts two of them, because of
antinomianism – the prevalent heresy that Torah has been abolished and replaced
by the Apostolic Writings (commonly misnamed “The New Testament,” implying that
it supersedes an “Old Testament”). Even these two ordinances, baptism and “The
Lord’s Supper,” are grossly misunderstood and variously degraded in most
circles, due to the rejection of Torah principles.
The “sacred assemblies” (Lev 23) of Sabbaths and Holy Days were not times for
using “contemporary songs” – that was sometimes done in outside or private
settings; Psalms are to be our expression of joy (James 5:13) and means of
encouragement (Eph 5:19, Col 3:16) even outside of the sacred assemblies. This
is a major area where believers reject God’s instruction in deference to their
own developed desires. This is so extreme that it is common for believers, even
those who claim that God’s Word is uniquely inspired, to act as though their
contemporary songs are more inspired – by using them to the exclusion of God’s
inspired Psalms!
Part of
God’s holiness (His distinction) is: He is Truth. And we are told to “be
holy, as He is holy” (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16): He “desires
truth in our innermost being” (Psalm 51:6).
We are to love God with all of our hearts, and all of our
minds (Sh’ma). Yeshua said, “But
an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father
in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God
is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” –
John 4:23-24.
Our spiritual worship must be based upon truth to be acceptable.
Too often our doctrine and practice is based upon feelings
that are not based upon God’s Word. We must learn to make our feelings conform
to truth, and overcome basing our doctrine upon feelings. “The
heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9), and we are told to
not follow our hearts (Numbers 15:39); our feelings do not represent the Holy
Spirit, but rather we are to make our feelings conform to the Holy Spirit. When
we hear someone say, “The Lord has shown me . . . ”, it is most often either
mistakenly attributing his feelings to the Holy Spirit, or a display of vain
“spirituality.”
Today, sin
is taken lightly. “White lies” are acceptable, even taught as appropriate “where
the situation demands”. Consider: what if, every time we realized that something
we had said was untrue, we would have to buy an animal, take it to the Temple, confess our sin over it, and slit its
throat while a priest held it. And only then could we expect God to accept our
repentance as genuine. Would that not cause us to take truthfulness more
seriously?
In a
recent study in the news, the average person lied many times per hour. It is
common in conversation to misrepresent parts of stories, and just make up
stories, often for no identifiable reason. It is common to repeat gossip because
of trust in the source. Doctrinally, people frequently assert ideas for which
they have no basis, except that they believe such as “truth”. Unrepentant liars
are going to have to account to God for their lies –
and we would know that if we were used to singing
Psalm 66:3!
Yeshua
said
(Matthew 5:6),
“Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied,”
and (Luke 11:9-13)
“And I say
to you, ask, and it shall be given to you;
seek,
and you shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For
everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it
shall be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish;
he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or
if
he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion,
will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more shall
your
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
Let us desire holiness; let us seek righteousness; let us uphold honesty,
wholeheartedly.
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Psalm 66
“For the
Conductor, a song with musical accompaniment.”
This is the Psalm-of-the-Day
for the sixth day of “Passover” (Unleavened Breads) – the celebration of
redemption.
(Zephaniah
3:9) “Then I will transform the
nations to a pure language, that they may call upon the Name of Yahweh to serve
Him with one consent.” (V.4)
They will sing to Your Name. Selah. The previous songs of redemption
(Song of Moses – Mi Chamocha)
were short lived, interrupted by destruction and exile; but at our final
redemption, they (the Song of Moses and the Lamb –
Mi Chamocha – Rev.15:3) will
continue eternally.
If you have ever seen God
deliver you from a situation, by bringing calamity upon someone perpetrating a
wrong against you, then you have an inkling of what David means (v.3): How
awesome is the work of Elohim – the creator who judges His creation! The
rebellious should fear to exalt themselves – think on that (v.7)!
(V.13-16) We are to enter God’s
House with praise and prayer ascending to heaven. We are to fulfill what we say
we will do, and confess our failings. We are to tell the world of His wondrous
dealings with us.
(V.20)
David ends with, “Blessed
be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, nor His lovingkindness from me.”
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 Bezalel
made the ark of acacia wood; its length was two and a half cubits, and its width
one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits; 2 and he
overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding for it all
around. 3 He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet; even
two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 4
He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 He put
the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry it. 6 He
made a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half
cubits wide. 7 He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered
work at the two ends of the mercy seat; 8 one cherub at the one end
and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the
mercy seat at the two ends. 9 The cherubim had their wings spread
upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each
other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
Reader 2*
Amen. 10 Then he
made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long and a cubit wide and one and a
half cubits high. 11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold
molding for it all around. 12 He made a rim for it of a handbreadth
all around, and made a gold molding for its rim all around. 13 He
cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on
its four feet. 14 Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for
the poles to carry the table. 15 He made the poles of acacia wood and
overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 16 He made the utensils
which were on the table, its dishes and its pans and its bowls and its jars,
with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold.
Reader 3*
Amen. 17 Then he
made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its
base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of one piece with
it. 18 There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches
of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand
from the other side of it; 19 three cups shaped like almond blossoms,
a bulb and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a
bulb and a flower in the other branch-- so for the six branches going out of the
lampstand. 20 In the lampstand there were four cups shaped like
almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers; 21 and a bulb was under
the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of
branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming
out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 22 Their
bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single
hammered work of pure gold. 23 He made its seven lamps with its
snuffers and its trays of pure gold. 24 He made it and all its
utensils from a talent of pure gold.
Reader 4*
Amen. 25 Then he
made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit long and a cubit wide, square,
and two cubits high; its horns were of one piece with it. 26 He
overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and
he made a gold molding for it all around. 27 He made two golden rings
for it under its molding, on its two sides-- on opposite sides-- as holders for
poles with which to carry it. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and
overlaid them with gold. 29 And he made the holy anointing oil and
the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.
Reader 5*
Amen. 38:1 Then
he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five
cubits wide, square, and three cubits high. 2 He made its horns on
its four corners, its horns being of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with
bronze. 3 He made all the utensils of the altar, the pails and the
shovels and the basins, the flesh hooks and the firepans; he made all its
utensils of bronze. 4 He made for the altar a grating of bronze
network beneath, under its ledge, reaching halfway up. 5 He cast four
rings on the four ends of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. 6
He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7 He
inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry
it. He made it hollow with planks.
Reader 6*
Amen. 8
Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors
of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 9
Then he made the court: for the south side the hangings of the court were of
fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits; 10 their twenty pillars, and
their twenty sockets, made of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands
were of silver. 11 For the north side there were one hundred cubits;
their twenty pillars and their twenty sockets were of bronze, the hooks of the
pillars and their bands were of silver. 12 For the west side there
were hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten sockets; the
hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 13 For the east
side fifty cubits.
Reader 7*
Amen. 14 The
hangings for the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three
pillars and their three sockets, 15 and so for the other side. On
both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their
three pillars and their three sockets. 16 All the hangings of the
court all around were of fine twisted linen. 17 The sockets for the
pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands, of silver; and
the overlaying of their tops, of silver, and all the pillars of the court were
furnished with silver bands. 18 The screen of the gate of the court
was the work of the weaver, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine
twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits,
corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19 Their four pillars and
their four sockets were of bronze; their hooks were of silver, and the
overlaying of their tops and their bands were of silver. 20 All the
pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were of bronze.
"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."
1 Kings 8:8-45
Reader 8*
Amen. 8 But the poles
were so long that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place before
the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; they are there to this
day. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone
which Moses put there at Horeb, where Yahweh made a covenant with the sons of
Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 It happened that
when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of Yahweh,
11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the
cloud, for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh. 12 Then
Solomon said, "Yahweh has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. 13
"I have surely built You a lofty house, A place for Your
dwelling forever."
Reader 9*
Amen. 14 Then the king
faced about and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of
Israel was standing. 15 He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of
Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with
His hand, saying, 16 'Since the day that I brought My people Israel
from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to
build a house that My name might be there, but I chose David to be over My
people Israel.' 17 Now it was in the heart of my father David to
build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 18 But
Yahweh said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a house
for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19 Nevertheless
you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he will
build the house for My name.' 20 Now Yahweh has fulfilled His word
which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the
throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of
Yahweh, the God of Israel. 21 There I have set a place for the ark,
in which is the covenant of Yahweh, which He made with our fathers when He
brought them from the land of Egypt."
Reader 10*
Amen. 22 Then Solomon
stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel
and spread out his hands toward heaven. 23 He said, "O Yahweh, the
God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath,
keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You
with all their heart, 24 who have kept with Your servant, my father
David, that which You have promised him; indeed, You have spoken with Your mouth
and have fulfilled it with Your hand as it is this day. 25 Now
therefore, O Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father
that which You have promised him, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to sit on
the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way to walk before Me
as you have walked.' 26 Now therefore, O God of Israel, let Your
word, I pray, be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant, my father
David. 27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and
the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have
built! 28 Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his
supplication, O Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your
servant prays before You today; 29 that Your eyes may be open toward
this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, 'My name
shall be there,' to listen to the prayer which Your
servant shall pray toward this place.
Reader 11*
Amen. 30 Listen to the
supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward
this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and forgive. 31
If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and
takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 32 then hear in heaven
and act and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked by bringing his way on
his own head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his
righteousness. 33 When Your people Israel are defeated before an
enemy, because they have sinned against You, if they turn to You again and
confess Your name and pray and make supplication to You in this house, 34
then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them
back to the land which You gave to their fathers. 35 When the heavens
are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they
pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin when You
afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your
servants and of Your people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which
they should walk. And send rain on Your land, which You have given Your people
for an inheritance. 37 If there is famine in the land, if there is
pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy
besieges them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness
there is, 38 whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by
all Your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and
spreading his hands toward this house; 39 then hear in heaven Your
dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his
ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of
men, 40 that they may fear You all the days that they live in the
land which You have given to our fathers.
Reader 12*
Amen. 41 "Also
concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a
far country for Your name's sake 42 (for they will hear of Your great
name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and
prays toward this house, 43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and
do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the
peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel,
and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your
name. 44 When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by
whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to Yahweh toward the city which
You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 45
then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their
cause.
Psalm 66 (To be sung.) For
the choir director. A Song. A Psalm.
1 Shout joyfully to God, all
the earth; 2 sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious.
3 Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness
of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. 4 All
the earth will worship You, and will sing praises to You; they will sing praises
to Your name." Selah. 5 Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome
in His deeds toward the sons of men. 6 He turned the sea into dry
land; they passed through the river on foot; there let us rejoice in Him! 7
He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; let not the
rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. 8 Bless our God, O peoples, and
sound His praise abroad, 9 Who keeps us in life and does not allow
our feet to slip. 10 For You have tried us, O God; You have refined
us as silver is refined. 11 You brought us into the net; You laid an
oppressive burden upon our loins. 12 You made men ride over our
heads; we went through fire and through water, yet You brought us out into a
place of abundance. 13 I shall come into Your house with burnt
offerings; I shall pay You my vows, 14 which my lips uttered and my
mouth spoke when I was in distress. 15 I
shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts, with the smoke of rams; I
shall make an offering of bulls with male goats. Selah. 16
Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell of what He has done for my
soul. 17 I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my
tongue. 18 If I regard wickedness in my heart, Yahweh will not hear;
19 but certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my
prayer. 20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer nor His
lovingkindness from me.
1 John 1
Reader 13*
Amen. 1 What was from
the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have
looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life – 2
and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you
the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us – 3
what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have
fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His
Son Yeshua the Messiah. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may
be made complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from Him and
announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is
no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with
Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7
but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Yeshua His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth
is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make
Him a liar and His word is not in us.
"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."
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