Sabbath Twenty-two (August 10, 2002)
Shemot (Names):
Elleh p'qudey (These are the
reckonings), commonly
called Exodus 38:21-31
(*Divided
for three Torah readers)
1
Amen* 21 This is the number of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle
of the testimony, as they were numbered according to the command of Moses, for
the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
22 Now Bezalel, the son of Uri the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all
that Yahweh had commanded Moses. 23 And with him was Oholiab, the son of
Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful workman and a weaver
in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and fine linen.
2
Amen* 24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the
sanctuary, even the gold of the wave offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730
shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 25 And the silver of those of
the congregation who were numbered was one hundred talents and 1,775 shekels,
according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 26 a beka a head (that is, half a
shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for each one who passed over
to those who were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men.
3
Amen* 27 And the hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of
the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the hundred
talents, a talent for a socket. 28 And of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for
the pillars and overlaid their tops and made bands for them. 29 And the bronze
of the wave offering was 70 talents, and 2,400 shekels. 30 And with it he made
the sockets to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and the bronze altar and its
bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar, 31 and the sockets of the
court all around and the sockets of the gate of the court, and all the pegs of
the tabernacle and all the pegs of the court all around.
Jeremiah 30:18
18 "Thus says
Yahweh, 'Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have
compassion on his dwelling places; and the city shall be rebuilt on its ruin,
and the palace shall stand on its rightful place. 19 'And from them shall
proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry; and I will multiply
them, and they shall not be diminished; I will also honor them, and they shall
not be insignificant. 20 'Their children also shall be as formerly, and their
congregation shall be established before Me; and I will punish all their
oppressors. 21 'And their leader shall be one of them, and their ruler shall
come forth from their midst; and I will bring him near, and he shall approach
Me; for who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?' declares Yahweh. 22
'And you shall be My people, and I will be your God.'" 23 Behold, the tempest of
Yahweh! Wrath has gone forth, a sweeping tempest; it will burst on the head of
the wicked. 24 The fierce anger of Yahweh will not turn back, until He has
performed, and until He has accomplished the intent of His heart; in the latter
days you will understand this.
Psalm 67
For the choir director; with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
1 God be
gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us-- Selah. 2 That
Thy way may be known on the earth, Thy salvation among all nations. 3 Let the
peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee. 4 Let the nations
be glad and sing for joy; for Thou wilt judge the peoples with uprightness, and
guide the nations on the earth. Selah. 5 Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let
all the peoples praise Thee. 6 The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God,
blesses us. 7 God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him.
2 Corinthians 4:1 – 5:19
4:1 Therefore,
since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, 2 but
we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness
or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending
ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our
gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the
god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not
see the light of the gospel of the glory of Messiah, who is the image of God. 5
For we do not preach ourselves but Messiah Yeshua as Lord, and ourselves as your
bond-servants for Yeshua’s sake. 6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of
darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah. 7 But we have this
treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be
of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but
not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Yeshua, that
the life of Yeshua also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are
constantly being delivered over to death for Yeshua’s sake, that the life of
Yeshua also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but
life in you. 13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is
written, "I believed, therefore I spoke," we also believe, therefore also we
speak; 14 knowing that He who raised the Lord Yeshua will raise us also with
Yeshua and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that
the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of
thanks to abound to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but
though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of
glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are
temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we
have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2
For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from
heaven; 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. 4 For
indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not
want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be
swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who
gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. 6 Therefore, being always of good courage,
and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight-- 8 we are of good courage, I say, and
prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9
Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be
pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah,
that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he
has done, whether good or bad. 11 Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we
persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made
manifest also in your consciences. 12 We are not again commending ourselves to
you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, that you may have an
answer for those who take pride in appearance, and not in heart. 13 For if we
are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14
For the love of Messiah controls us, having concluded this, that one died for
all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, that they who live should no
longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though
we have known Messiah according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no
longer. 17 Therefore if any man is in Messiah, he is a new creature; the old
things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are
from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Messiah, and gave us the ministry
of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Messiah reconciling the world to
Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us
the word of reconciliation.
Commentary:
King – Priest
– Prophet
King: Yeshua, as King, leads us into
spiritual prosperity, and rules all things for us in love. Messiah was to be of
Israel, a leader and ruler from their midst: (Jer 30:21)
‘And their leader shall be one of them, and their ruler shall
come forth from their midst’. . .
(Matthew
1:1) The book of the genealogy of Yeshua the Messiah, the son of David, the
son of Abraham (from their midst).
Priest: Yeshua, as Priest, stands before
Yahweh for us, making atonements.
(Jeremiah 30:21) He would dare to approach
Yahweh, as no other man would (though Moses, in a sense, did so as prophetic
type). (V.24) In the latter days, Israel will understand this.
(Jeremiah 30:21) . . .‘and
I will bring him near, and he shall approach Me; for who would dare to risk his
life to approach Me?' declares Yahweh.’
Exodus
34:1-8 Now Yahweh said to Moses, "Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like
the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the
former tablets which you shattered. "So be ready by morning, and come up in the
morning to Mount
Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. "And no man
is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain; even
the flocks and the herds may not graze in front of that mountain." So he cut out
two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning
and went up to Mount Sinai, as Yahweh had commanded him, and he took two stone
tablets in his hand. And Yahweh descended in the cloud and stood there with him
as he called upon the name of Yahweh. Then Yahweh passed by in front of him and
proclaimed, " Yahweh, Yahweh El, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and
abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands,
who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the
guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the
grandchildren to the third and fourth generations." And Moses made haste to bow
low toward the earth and worship.
(Matthew
1:20-21) an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph,
son of David, . . . you shall call His name Yeshua (Yahweh is Salvation),
for it is He who will save His people from their sins.”
Prophet: Yeshua, as Prophet, teaches us
His way, that His salvation may be displayed to all the earth.
(Psalm 67:2)
That Thy way may be known on the earth, Thy salvation among all
nations.
Psalm 67
It is interesting that Psalm 67, which we
sing for Rosh Hodesh (New Moon), is the Psalm for the Sabbath that is the (first
week of the month) eleventh new moon of the second year of the Torah cycle.
The Psalm has a title and seven lines
(shown as eight verses). The seven lines make the seven lampholders of the
menorah (traditionally) on David’s shield.
(Psalm 67:title, 1-2) In the Temple,
the Levitical orchestra played harps and flutes, and the Levitical choir sang,
“God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us--
Selah. That Thy Way (‘I am the Way’ – John 14:6) may be known on the
earth, Thy Salvation (Heb. – Yeshua) among all
nations”.
Note the symmetry: compare verses 1 & 7, 2
& 6; 3 & 5 are identical.
1.
May Elohim favor us,
although we are undeserving (Sforno).
May He bless us
– together, as His people.
May He display His
luminous countenance upon us
– being pleased to grant us His light/understanding, so that we know His will
and reflect His glory in our actions.
2.
So that we display His Salvation to
all peoples of the earth, making His way known.
(Isaiah 11:9) The earth shall be full of the knowledge
of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.
3.
Then the people of all nations will acknowledge Elohim,
the Creator and Judge.
4.
The nations will be glad and
sing, because Elohim will judge with fairness, and will guide them.
5.
Then the people of all nations will acknowledge Elohim,
the Creator and Judge.
6.
The earth has yielded the fruit
of the Word of God.
(John 4:36) The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest
is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the
harvester alike!
(Matthew 3:10) Even now the ax of God's judgment is
poised, ready to sever your roots. Yes, every tree that does not produce good
fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
7.
May Elohim bless us, and may all the ends
of the earth fear Him.
2 Corinthians 4
The Apostolic portion parallels the Psalm.
(V.1-2) Therefore, since we have this
ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the
things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the
word of God, but by making known the truth, commending ourselves to every man's
conscience in the sight of God
(V.15) For
all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and
more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.
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Sabbath Twenty-three (August 17, 2002)
Shemot
(Names):
Vumin ha-techelet (From the
blue), commonly called
Exodus 39:1-32
(*Divided
for seven Torah readers)
1
Amen*
1
Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet material, they made finely woven
garments for ministering in the holy place, as well as the holy garments which
were for Aaron, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses. 2 And he made the ephod of
gold, and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen. 3
Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with
the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work
of a skillful workman. 4 They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it
was attached at its two upper ends. 5 And the skillfully woven band which was on
it was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue and
purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, just as Yahweh had
commanded Moses.
2
Amen*
6
And they made the onyx stones, set in gold filigree settings; they were engraved
like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. 7
And he placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as memorial stones for
the sons of Israel, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses. 8 And he made the
breastpiece, the work of a skillful workman, like the workmanship of the ephod:
of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. 9 It
was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a span long and a span wide
when folded double. 10 And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row
was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; 11 and the second row, a turquoise, a
sapphire and a diamond; 12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an
amethyst; 13 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were set
in gold filigree settings when they were mounted. 14 And the stones were
corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve,
corresponding to their names, engraved with the engravings of a signet, each
with its name for the twelve tribes.
3
Amen*
15 And they made on the breastpiece chains like cords, of twisted cordage work
in pure gold. 16 And they made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings,
and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. 17 Then they put the
two gold cords in the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. 18 And they put
the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them
on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it.
4
Amen*
19 And they made two gold rings and placed them on the two ends of the
breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod. 20 Furthermore, they
made two gold rings and placed them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of
the ephod, on the front of it, close to the place where it joined, above the
woven band of the ephod. 21 And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the
rings of the ephod with a blue cord, that it might be on the woven band of the
ephod, and that the breastpiece might not come loose from the ephod, just as
Yahweh had commanded Moses.
5
Amen*
22 Then he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue; 23 and the
opening of the robe was at the top in the center, as the opening of a coat of
mail, with a binding all around its opening, that it might not be torn. 24 And
they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material and twisted linen
on the hem of the robe. 25 They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells
between the pomegranates all around on the hem of the robe, 26 alternating a
bell and a pomegranate all around on the hem of the robe, for the service, just
as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
6
Amen*
27 And they made the tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons, 28 and
the turban of fine linen, and the decorated caps of fine linen, and the linen
breeches of fine twisted linen, 29 and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue
and purple and scarlet material, the work of the weaver, just as Yahweh had
commanded Moses.
7
Amen*
30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and inscribed it like
the engravings of a signet, "Holy to Yahweh." 31 And they fastened a blue cord
to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses. 32
Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was completed; and
the sons of Israel did according to all that Yahweh had commanded Moses; so they
did.
1 Kings 7:13
13 Now King Solomon sent and brought Hiram
from Tyre. 14 He was a widow's son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father
was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and
understanding and skill for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon
and performed all his work. 15 And he fashioned the two pillars of bronze;
eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits
measured the circumference of both. 16 He also made two capitals of molten
bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five
cubits and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 There were nets
of network and twisted threads of chainwork for the capitals which were on the
top of the pillars; seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital.
18 So he made the pillars, and two rows around on the one network to cover the
capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and so he did for the other
capital. 19 And the capitals which were on the top of the pillars in the porch
were of lily design, four cubits. 20 And there were capitals on the two pillars,
even above and close to the rounded projection which was beside the network; and
the pomegranates numbered two hundred in rows around both capitals. 21 Thus he
set up the pillars at the porch of the nave; and he set up the right pillar and
named it Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz. 22 And on the
top of the pillars was lily design. So the work of the pillars was finished. 23
Now he made the sea of cast metal ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in
form, and its height was five cubits, and thirty cubits in circumference. 24 And
under its brim gourds went around encircling it ten to a cubit, completely
surrounding the sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast with the rest. 25 It
stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south,
and three facing east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their rear
parts turned inward. 26 And it was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made
like the brim of a cup, as a lily blossom; it could hold two thousand baths. 27
Then he made the ten stands of bronze; the length of each stand was four cubits
and its width four cubits and its height three cubits. 28 And this was the
design of the stands: they had borders, even borders between the frames, 29 and
on the borders which were between the frames were lions, oxen and cherubim; and
on the frames there was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen were
wreaths of hanging work. 30 Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze
axles, and its four feet had supports; beneath the basin were cast supports with
wreaths at each side. 31 And its opening inside the crown at the top was a
cubit, and its opening was round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a
half; and also on its opening there were engravings, and their borders were
square, not round. 32 And the four wheels were underneath the borders, and the
axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and
a half. 33 And the workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a
chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all
cast. 34 Now there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; its
supports were part of the stand itself. 35 And on the top of the stand there was
a circular form half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its stays and its
borders were part of it. 36 And he engraved on the plates of its stays and on
its borders, cherubim, lions and palm trees, according to the clear space on
each, with wreaths all around. 37 He made the ten stands like this: all of them
had one casting, one measure and one form. 38 And he made ten basins of bronze,
one basin held forty baths; each basin was four cubits, and on each of the ten
stands was one basin. 39 Then he set the stands, five on the right side of the
house and five on the left side of the house; and he set the sea of cast metal
on the right side of the house eastward toward the south. 40 Now Hiram made the
basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work which
he performed for King Solomon in the house of Yahweh: 41 the two pillars and the
two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two
networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the
pillars; 42 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of
pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were
on the tops of the pillars; 43 and the ten stands with the ten basins on the
stands; 44 and the one sea and the twelve oxen under the sea; 45 and the pails
and the shovels and the bowls; even all these utensils which Hiram made for King
Solomon in the house of Yahweh were of polished bronze. 46 In the plain of the
Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. 47
And Solomon left all the utensils unweighed, because they were too many; the
weight of the bronze could not be ascertained. 48 And Solomon made all the
furniture which was in the house of Yahweh: the golden altar and the golden
table on which was the bread of the Presence; 49 and the lampstands, five on the
right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary, of pure gold;
and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs, of gold; 50 and the cups and the
snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and the firepans, of pure gold; and the
hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the
doors of the house, that is, of the nave, of gold. 51 Thus all the work that
King Solomon performed in the house of Yahweh was finished. And Solomon brought
in the things dedicated by his father David, the silver and the gold and the
utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh.
Psalm 68 For the choir
director. A Psalm for David. A Song.
1 Let God
arise, let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee before Him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so
let the wicked perish before God. 3 But let the righteous be glad; let them
exult before God; yes, let them rejoice with gladness. 4 Sing to God, sing
praises to His name; lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose
name is Yahweh, and exult before Him. 5 A father of the fatherless and a judge
for the widows, is God in His holy habitation. 6 God makes a home for the
lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in
a parched land. 7 O God, when Thou didst go forth before Thy people, when Thou
didst march through the wilderness, Selah. 8 The earth quaked; the heavens also
dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God,
the God of Israel. 9 Thou didst shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God; Thou didst
confirm Thine inheritance, when it was parched. 10 Thy creatures settled in it;
Thou didst provide in Thy goodness for the poor, O God. 11 Yahweh gives the
command; the women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host: 12 "Kings of
armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home will divide the spoil!" 13
When you lie down among the sheepfolds, You are like the wings of a dove covered
with silver, and its pinions with glistening gold. 14 When the Almighty
scattered the kings there, it was snowing in Zalmon. 15 A mountain of God is the
mountain of Bashan; a mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. 16 Why
do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks, at the mountain which God
has desired for His abode? Surely, Yahweh will dwell there forever. 17 The
chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; Yahweh is among them as
at Sinai, in holiness. 18 Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captive Thy
captives; Thou hast received gifts among men, even among the rebellious also,
that Yahweh God may dwell there. 19 Blessed be Yahweh, who daily bears our
burden, the God who is our salvation. Selah. 20 God is to us a God of
deliverances; and to God Yahweh belong escapes from death. 21 Surely God will
shatter the head of His enemies, the hairy crown of him who goes on in his
guilty deeds. 22 Yahweh said, "I will bring them back from Bashan. I will bring
them back from the depths of the sea; 23 that your foot may shatter them in
blood, the tongue of your dogs may have its portion from your enemies." 24 They
have seen Thy procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the
sanctuary. 25 The singers went on, the musicians after them, in the midst of the
maidens beating tambourines. 26 Bless God in the congregations, even Yahweh, you
who are of the fountain of Israel. 27 There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling
them, the princes of Judah in their throng, the princes of Zebulun, the princes
of Naphtali. 28 Your God has commanded your strength; show Thyself strong, O
God, who hast acted on our behalf. 29 Because of Thy temple at Jerusalem Kings
will bring gifts to Thee. 30 Rebuke the beasts in the reeds, the herd of bulls
with the calves of the peoples, trampling under foot the pieces of silver; He
has scattered the peoples who delight in war. 31 Envoys will come out of Egypt;
Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God. 32 Sing to God, O kingdoms
of the earth; sing praises to Yahweh, Selah. 33 To Him who rides upon the
highest heavens, which are from ancient times; behold, He speaks forth with His
voice, a mighty voice. 34 Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel,
and His strength is in the skies. 35 O God, Thou art awesome from Thy sanctuary.
The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be
God!
Hebrews
8:1-5
1 Now the main
point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken
His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a
minister in the sanctuary, and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched,
not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and
sacrifices; hence it is necessary that this high priest also have something to
offer. 4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there
are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; 5 who serve a copy and
shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about
to erect the tabernacle; for, "See," He says, "that you make all things
according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain."
Commentary:
Today’s portions relate the past, present, and future meanings of
the priesthood and Temple.
[See Sabbath #64 for pictures of priest’s garments.]
The Torah portion tells of the priest’s garments, prepared for
service in the Tabernacle, the place where God met with man, which is
representative of this present life. The Haftarah portion tells of the
furnishings being completed for the Temple of the Holy One, the place for God to
meet with man, representative of the future renewed earth. Both the Tabernacle
and Temple were earthly models of the eternal heavenly Temple. The Psalm speaks
of the awesomeness of God as seen from His sanctuary – the Tabernacle or Temple.
The Apostolic portion speaks of our High Priest Yeshua, in the heavenly Temple.
In the earthly models, Levitical priests offered sacrifices for
sin, and thanksgiving offerings. Yeshua, who is our priest – after Malchi Tzedek,
not the Levites – has made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins: the sacrifice
that all the earthly animals pictured, and will picture in future sacrifices.
Ezekiel 45 gives commandment concerning how future sacrifices and
offerings are to be performed. It is important, for understanding God’s Word,
that we see that animal sacrifices never took away sin (“For it is impossible
for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” Hebrews 10:4): they were
pictures of Yeshua, and in the future will still be valid pictures of Yeshua.
The Passover sacrifice of Tabernacle times was intended to picture Yeshua’s
future crucifixion; and after Yeshua’s work was accomplished, was to be a
memorial picture of Yeshua’s crucifixion (“Do this in remembrance of Me”
– 1 Corinthians 11:24). The past picture of what He was to do in the then-unseen
future, will still be a valid future picture of what He did in the now-unseen
past. The fulfillment of the crucifixion, which could only be seen for a brief
moment, did not negate the usefulness of pictures to promote understanding and
remembrance of its application to us.
When the Tabernacle was traveling in the wilderness, as the Ark
moved, Moses said, (Numbers 10:36) “Arise, Yahweh! Let Your enemies be
scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You”. But in Temple times,
which picture God’s permanent restoration of earth, the Psalm says, (v.1-3) “Let
Elohim (the Creator-Judge) arise! Let His enemies be scattered, and let His
enemies flee before Him.” And, “Let the wicked perish in the face of
Elohim.” Smoke or vapor symbolize the haughty man, whose pride drives him to
higher and higher toward power and riches, only to have it dispersed as he
perishes. So, for the present we see the grace of Yahweh, in patience; but in
the end, the judgment of Elohim, taking vengeance.
We have a God – Yahweh – Who deals with us in grace. He is loving
toward us, working all things together for our good – even if it doesn’t always
feel good to us. We can rest in Him, assured that He cares for us. Some of us
have a hard time ‘feeling’ that we really have such a God. It isn’t a matter of
us feeling lovey-dovey about God, but knowing that He created us for His glory,
and is leading us to our final state. Today’s Psalm reads, (V.19-20) “Blessed
be Yahweh, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. Selah. God
is to us a God of deliverances; and to El Yahweh belong escapes from death.”
We should note here, that His “deliverances” are from sin, resulting in our
“escapes from death.”
But for those who have no part with Yeshua, it is not so. There
is a judgment coming, where none can stand on his own before a Holy God.
In the last part of today’s Psalm, we are seen by God’s enemies,
as we enter with a procession into the Temple: (v.24-26) “They
have seen Thy procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the
sanctuary. The singers went on, the musicians after them, in the midst of the
maidens beating tambourines. Bless God in the congregations, even Yahweh, you
who are of the fountain of Israel.”
And once we are inside the Temple, it is: (v.35)
“O
God, Thou art awesome from Thy sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives
strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!”
Then the Apostolic portion gives fitting conclusion: (Hebrews
8:1-2) “Now the main
point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken
His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a
minister in the sanctuary, and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched,
not man.” We have a
high priest, who makes atonements for our sin. He is clothed in glory and light,
and sits in the heavenly Temple. We have a savior Who loved us enough to go to
an agonizing death for us, and lives to lead us to walk with Him, and is coming
back to rule a perfected creation.
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Sabbath Twenty-four (August 24, 2002)
Shemot
(Names):
Vayaviyu et haMishkan (They
brought the Tabernacle),
commonly called Exodus 39:33 – 40:38
(*Divided
for seven Torah readers)
1
Amen*
33 And
they brought the Tabernacle to Moses,
the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, and its
pillars and its sockets; 34 and the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the
covering of porpoise skins, and the screening veil; 35 the ark of the testimony
and its poles and the mercy seat; 36 the table, all its utensils, and the bread
of the Presence; 37 the pure gold lampstand, with its arrangement of lamps and
all its utensils, and the oil for the light; 38 and the gold altar, and the
anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the veil for the doorway of the
tent; 39 the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles and all its
utensils, the laver and its stand; 40 the hangings for the court, its pillars
and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords and its
pegs and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of
meeting; 41 the woven garments for ministering in the holy place and the holy
garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as
priests.
2
Amen*
42 So the sons of Israel did all the service according to all that Yahweh had
commanded Moses. 43 And Moses examined all the service and behold, they had done
it; just as Yahweh had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them.
40:1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2
"On the first day of the first month you shall set up the Tabernacle of the tent
of meeting. 3 "And you shall place the ark of the testimony there, and you shall
screen the ark with the veil. 4 "And you shall bring in the table and arrange
what belongs on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and mount its lamps. 5
"Moreover, you shall set the gold altar of incense before the ark of the
testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the Tabernacle. 6 "And you
shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle
of the tent of meeting. 7 "And you shall set the laver between the tent of
meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 "And you shall set up the court
all around and hang up the veil for the gateway of the court.
3
Amen*
9
"Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the Tabernacle and all that is
in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furnishings; and it shall be holy. 10
"And you shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and
consecrate the altar; and the altar shall be most holy. 11 "And you shall anoint
the laver and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 "Then you shall bring Aaron and
his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13 "And
you shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that
he may minister as a priest to Me. 14 "And you shall bring his sons and put
tunics on them; 15 and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their
father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing shall
qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations."
4
Amen*
16 Thus Moses did; according to all that Yahweh had commanded him, so he did. 17
Now it came about in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the
month, that the Tabernacle was erected. 18 And Moses erected the tabernacle and
laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and inserted its bars and erected its
pillars. 19 And he spread the tent over the Tabernacle and put the covering of
the tent on top of it, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses. 20 Then he took the
testimony and put it into the ark, and attached the poles to the ark, and put
the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the Tabernacle,
and set up a veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony,
just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
5
Amen*
22 Then he put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the
tabernacle, outside the veil. 23 And he set the arrangement of bread in order on
it before Yahweh, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses. 24 Then he placed the
lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the
tabernacle. 25 And he lighted the lamps before Yahweh, just as Yahweh had
commanded Moses. 26 Then he placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in
front of the veil; 27 and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as Yahweh had
commanded Moses.
6
Amen*
28 Then he set up the veil for the doorway of the Tabernacle. 29 And he set the
altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the Tabernacle of the tent of
meeting, and offered on it the elevation offering and the meal offering (tamid),
just as Yahweh had commanded Moses. 30 And he placed the laver between the tent
of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing. 31 And from it Moses
and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they entered
the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as
Yahweh had commanded Moses. 33 And he erected the court all around the
Tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court.
7
Amen*
Thus Moses finished the work. 34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and
the glory of Yahweh filled the Tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter
the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of Yahweh
filled the Tabernacle. 36 And throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud
was taken up from over the Tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; 37 but
if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it
was taken up. 38 For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of Yahweh was on
the Tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all
the house of Israel.
Isaiah 33:20 – 34:8
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our
appointed feasts; your eyes shall see Jerusalem an undisturbed habitation, a
tent which shall not be folded, its stakes shall never be pulled up nor any of
its cords be torn apart. 21 But there the Majestic One, Yahweh, shall be for us
a place of rivers and wide canals, on which no boat with oars shall go, and on
which no mighty ship shall pass-- 22 for Yahweh is our judge, Yahweh is our
lawgiver, Yahweh is our king; He will save us-- 23 your tackle hangs slack; it
cannot hold the base of its mast firmly, nor spread out the sail. Then the prey
of an abundant spoil will be divided; the lame will take the plunder. 24 And no
resident will say, "I am sick"; the people who dwell there will be forgiven
their iniquity.
34:1 Draw near, O nations, to hear; and
listen, O peoples! Let the earth and all it contains hear, and the world and all
that springs from it. 2 For Yahweh's indignation is against all the nations, and
His wrath against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given
them over to slaughter. 3 So their slain will be thrown out, and their corpses
will give off their stench, and the mountains will be drenched with their blood.
4 And all the host of heaven will wear away, and the sky will be rolled up like
a scroll; all their hosts will also wither away as a leaf withers from the vine,
or as one withers from the fig tree. 5 For My sword is satiated in heaven,
behold it shall descend for judgment upon Edom, and upon the people whom I have
devoted to destruction. 6 The sword of Yahweh is filled with blood, it is sated
with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of
rams. For Yahweh has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of
Edom. 7 Wild oxen shall also fall with them, and young bulls with strong ones;
thus their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust become greasy with
fat. 8 For Yahweh has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of
Zion.
Psalm 69
For the choir director; according to Shoshannim. A
Psalm for David.
1 Save me, O God, for the waters have
threatened my life. 2 I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have
come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. 3 I am weary with my crying; my
throat is parched; my eyes fail while I wait for my God. 4 Those who hate me
without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; those who would destroy me
are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies, what I did not steal, I then have to
restore. 5 O God, it is Thou who dost know my folly, and my wrongs are not
hidden from Thee. 9 For zeal for Thy house has consumed me, and the reproaches
of those who reproach Thee have fallen on me. 10 When I wept in my soul with
fasting, it became my reproach. 11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a
byword to them. 12 Those who sit in the gate talk about me, and I am the song of
the drunkards. 13 But as for me, my prayer is to Thee, O Yahweh, at an
acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, answer me with
Thy saving truth. 14 Deliver me from the mire, and do not let me sink; may I be
delivered from my foes, and from the deep waters. 15 May the flood of water not
overflow me, and may the deep not swallow me up, and may the pit not shut its
mouth on me. 16 Answer me, O Yahweh, for Thy lovingkindness is good; according
to the greatness of Thy compassion, turn to me, 17 and do not hide Thy face from
Thy servant, for I am in distress; answer me quickly. 18 Oh draw near to my soul
and redeem it; ransom me because of my enemies! 19 Thou dost know my reproach
and my shame and my dishonor; all my adversaries are before Thee. 20 Reproach
has broken my heart, and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was
none, and for comforters, but I found none. 21 They also gave me gall for my
food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. 22 May their table before
them become a snare; and when they are in peace, may it become a trap. 23 May
their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, and make their loins shake
continually. 24 Pour out Thine indignation on them, and may Thy burning anger
overtake them. 25 May their camp be desolate; may none dwell in their tents. 26
For they have persecuted Him whom Thou Thyself hast smitten, and they tell of
the pain of those whom Thou hast wounded. 27 Do Thou add iniquity to their
iniquity, and may they not come into Thy righteousness. 28 May they be blotted
out of the book of life, and may they not be recorded with the righteous. 29 But
I am afflicted and in pain; may Thy salvation, O God, set me securely on high.
30 I will praise the name of God with song, and shall magnify Him with
thanksgiving. 31 And it will please Yahweh better than an ox or a young bull
with horns and hoofs. 32 The humble have seen it and are glad; you who seek God,
let your heart revive. 33 For Yahweh hears the needy, and does not despise His
who are prisoners. 34 Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything
that moves in them. 35 For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah,
that they may dwell there and possess it. 36 And the descendants of His servants
will inherit it, and those who love His name will dwell in it.
Revelation 15
1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great
and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because
in them the wrath of God is finished. 2 And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass
mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from
his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding
harps of God. 3 And they sang the song of Moses the bond-servant of God and the
song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the
Almighty; righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations. 4 "Who will
not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; for all the
nations will come and worship before Thee, for Thy righteous acts have been
revealed." 5 After these things I looked, and the Temple of the Tabernacle of
testimony in heaven was opened, 6 and the seven angels who had the seven plagues
came out of the Temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around
their breasts with golden girdles. 7 And one of the four living creatures gave
to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives
forever and ever. 8 And the Temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God
and from His power; and no one was able to enter the Temple until the seven
plagues of the seven angels were finished.
Commentary:
(V.1) They brought the Tabernacle to
Moses. All of the pieces were brought to Moses.
(V.42-43) So the sons of
Israel did all the
service (avodah) according to all that Yahweh had commanded Moses. And Moses
examined all the service and behold, they had done it; just as Yahweh had
commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them:
“And let the favor of Yahweh our God be
upon us; and do confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of
our hands” – Psalm 90:17.
Within ten months of receiving the Torah
at Mt. Sinai, the Tabernacle was completed. The work of building the Tabernacle
was called service (avodah), the same word as for offering a sacrifice.
(Hebrews 12:25-29) We are to “offer acceptable service, with reverence and
awe,” by not refusing Him who is speaking. For He whose voice then shook the
earth at Mt. Sinai, will in the future shake also the heavens, such that only
those with an acceptable offering will remain.
(V.40:17) Now it came about on the
first day of the first month of the second year, that the Tabernacle was
erected. Moses set up the Tabernacle. He anointed the Tabernacle and all of
its furnishings. Then Aaron and Aaron’s sons went through a mikvah
(baptistery), and Moses anointed them. Thereby, all of this was dedicated to the
service of Yahweh.
Next, Moses lit the lamps of the menorah,
and burned incense on the golden altar. Then he offered the first of the
continual elevation offering: in the morning, (the tamid) a year-old
lamb, and a large loaf of unleavened bread made from fine wheat flour and olive
oil, were burned so that the aroma would ascend to the heavens. So, Moses
initiated all that the priests were to perform. Henceforth, this would be done
daily for most of fourteen centuries – until the destruction of the Temple about
forty years after Yeshua’s crucifixion – to be resumed when the Temple is
rebuilt according to Ezekiel 45
Then Moses set up the courtyard around the
Tabernacle, and the laver for Aaron and his sons to wash before entering the
Holy Place.
When all was completed, God confirmed their service according to
Moses’ blessing: (v.34-35) “Then the cloud covered the
tent of meeting, and the glory of Yahweh filled the Tabernacle. And Moses was
not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and
the glory of Yahweh filled the Tabernacle.”
(V.38) Throughout all their journeys, the cloud of Yahweh was
on the Tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all
the house of
Israel.
“In the sight of all the house of Israel”: (Isaiah 33:20-21)
“Look upon Zion
. . .; your eyes shall see Jerusalem an undisturbed habitation, a tent which
shall not be folded, its stakes shall never be pulled up nor any of its cords be
torn apart. But there the Majestic One, Yahweh, shall be for us . .
.”.
This was prophesied at the middle of the
first Temple period, 700 years after the Tabernacle was established. In another
700 years, John would amplify this prophecy.
Apparently, about 2000 years after John,
the prophecies will be fulfilled. (Revelation 15): Some real latter-day saints
are going to be singing the Song of Moses (Micha-mocha), and the real
Tabernacle / Temple (that the earthly ones picture) is going to be opened in
heaven. And, as Moses could not enter the Tabernacle because of the glory of
God, then no one is going to be able to enter the heavenly because of the smoke
from the glory of God and from His power – in the latter case, until the seven
angels pour out their seven last plagues.
Then this latter-day Tabernacle will come
down to the earth. (Isaiah 33:20) It is called the City of our appointed Feasts
– the eternal Feasts of Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits (Pentecost), and
Tabernacles. It is called a tent that shall not be folded. Therein will reside
the Majestic One. (V.36) “And those who love His Name will dwell in it.”
(Revelation 21:3-4) This Tabernacle of God is where God will dwell among us, and
we shall be His people, and He will be our God. Former things will have passed
away, and all things will be new.
But this is for those who have been given
to love His promised coming, not those who live for the love of pleasure.
(2 Timothy 4:8) “In the future there is
laid up for me (Paul) the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who
have loved His appearing.”
(Titus 2:11-15) For the grace
of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny
ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in
the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of
our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua; who gave Himself for us, that He might
redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own
possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove
with all authority.
Those who built the Tabernacle were
performing the service (avodah) of God. They loved the promise of God’s
presence.
_____________________
To go back to Psalm 69:
This is a Messianic Psalm. It relates not only to David, but to
the then-future crucifixion of Yeshua. It is about Yeshua performing the
priestly service of God. It is as though Yeshua were saying this from the cross
– and part of it He did.
(V.3-4 – see John 15:25)
“I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; my eyes fail while I wait for
my God. Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head;
those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies.”
(V.6-8) “May
those who wait for Thee not be ashamed through me, O Yahweh God of hosts; may
those who seek Thee not be dishonored through me, O God of
Israel, because for Thy sake I have
borne reproach; dishonor has covered my face. I have become estranged from my
brothers, and an alien to my mother's sons.”
(V.9 – quoted in
John 2:17) “For zeal for Thy house has consumed me.”
(V.15 – see Matthew 12:11)
“May the pit not shut its mouth on me.”
(V.21 – see Matthew 27:34, 48)
“They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave
me vinegar to drink.”
(V.31) And this service will please Yahweh better than animal offerings.
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Sabbath Twenty-five (August 31, 2002)
On the Sabbath preceding the New Year (AM 5763) we begin
Leviticus
Yayiqra (And
He called) – the book:
Vayiqra (And He called) – the
portion commonly called
Leviticus 1:1 - 2:16
1
Amen*
1
Then Yahweh called to Moses and spoke to him from the
tent of meeting, saying, 2 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When
any man of you brings an offering to Yahweh, you shall bring your offering
of animals from the herd or the flock. 3 'If his offering is an elevation
offering from the herd, he
shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the
tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before Yahweh. 4 'And he shall lay his
hand on the head of the elevation offering, that it may be accepted for him to
make atonement on his behalf. 5 'And he shall slay the young bull before Yahweh;
and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood
around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 6 'He shall
then skin the elevation offering and cut it into its pieces.
2
Amen*
7
'And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood
on the fire. 8 'Then Aaron's sons, the priests, shall arrange the pieces, the
head, and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 9
'Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest
shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for an elevation offering, an
offering by fire of a soothing aroma to Yahweh.
3
Amen*
10 'But if his offering is from the flock, of the sheep or of the goats, for a
burnt offering, he shall offer it a male without defect. 11 'And he shall slay
it on the side of the altar northward before Yahweh, and Aaron's sons, the
priests, shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 12 'He shall then cut it
into its pieces with its head and its suet, and the priest shall arrange them on
the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 13 'The entrails, however,
and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it, and
offer it up in smoke on the altar; it is an elevation offering, an offering by
fire of a soothing aroma to Yahweh.
4
Amen*
14 'But if his offering to Yahweh is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall
bring his offering from the turtledoves or from young pigeons. 15 'And the
priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head, and offer it up in
smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar.
16 'He shall also take away its crop with its feathers, and cast it beside the
altar eastward, to the place of the ashes. 17 'Then he shall tear it by its
wings, but shall not sever it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the
altar on the wood which is on the fire; it is an elevation offering, an offering
by fire of a soothing aroma to Yahweh.
5
Amen*
2:1 'Now when anyone presents a grain offering as an offering to Yahweh, his
offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil on it and put
frankincense on it. 2 'He shall then bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests; and
shall take from it his handful of its fine flour and of its oil with all of its
frankincense. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke as its memorial portion
on the altar, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to Yahweh. 3 'And the
remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons: a thing most
holy, of the offerings to Yahweh by fire. 4 'Now when you bring an offering of a
grain offering baked in an oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour
mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers spread with oil. 5 'And if your offering is
a grain offering made on the griddle, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened,
mixed with oil; 6 you shall break it into bits, and pour oil on it; it is a
grain offering. 7 'Now if your offering is a grain offering made in a pan, it
shall be made of fine flour with oil.
6
Amen*
8
'When you bring in the grain offering which is made of these things to Yahweh,
it shall be presented to the priest and he shall bring it to the altar. 9 'The
priest then shall take up from the grain offering its memorial portion, and
shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as an offering by fire of a soothing
aroma to Yahweh. 10 'And the remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron
and his sons: a thing most holy, of the offerings to Yahweh by fire. 11 'No
grain offering, which you bring to Yahweh, shall be made with leaven, for you
shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any honey as an offering by fire to
Yahweh.
7
Amen*
12 'As an offering of first fruits, you shall bring them to Yahweh, but they
shall not ascend for a soothing aroma on the altar. 13 'Every grain offering of
yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of
your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings
you shall offer salt. 14 'Also if you bring a grain offering of early ripened
things to Yahweh, you shall bring fresh heads of grain roasted in the fire,
grits of new growth, for the grain offering of your early ripened things. 15
'You shall then put oil on it and lay incense on it; it is a grain
offering. 16 'And the priest shall offer up in smoke its memorial portion, part
of its grits and its oil with all its incense as an offering by fire to Yahweh.
Isaiah 43:21
"The people whom I formed for Myself, will declare My praise.
Jeremiah 31:19
'For after I turned back, I repented; and after I was instructed, I smote on my
thigh; I was ashamed, and also humiliated, because I bore the reproach of my
youth.'
Micah 6:9 – 7:8
9 The voice of Yahweh will call to the city-- and it is sound wisdom to fear
Thy name: "Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time? 10 "Is there yet a man in
the wicked house, along with treasures of wickedness, and a short measure that
is cursed? 11 "Can I justify wicked scales and a bag of deceptive weights? 12
"For the rich men of the city are full of violence, her residents speak lies,
and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. 13 "So also I will make you sick,
striking you down, desolating you because of your sins. 14 "You will eat, but
you will not be satisfied, and your vileness will be in your midst. You will try
to remove for safekeeping, but you will not preserve anything, and what you do
preserve I will give to the sword. 15 "You will sow but you will not reap. You
will tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil; and the grapes, but
you will not drink wine. 16 "The statutes of Omri and all the works of the house
of Ahab are observed; and in their devices you walk. Therefore, I will give you
up for destruction and your inhabitants for derision, and you will bear the
reproach of My people."
7:1 Woe is me! For I am like the fruit
pickers and the grape gatherers. There is not a cluster of grapes to eat, or a
first-ripe fig which I crave. 2 The godly person has perished from the land, and
there is no upright person among men. All of them lie in wait for bloodshed;
each of them hunts the other with a net. 3 Concerning evil, both hands do it
well. The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, and a great man speaks the
desire of his soul; so they weave it together. 4 The best of them is like a
briar, the most upright like a thorn hedge. The day when you post a watchman,
your punishment will come. Then their confusion will occur. 5 Do not trust in a
neighbor; do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in your bosom
guard your lips. 6 For son treats father contemptuously, daughter rises up
against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies
are the men of his own household. 7 But as for me, I will watch expectantly for
Yahweh; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. 8 Do not
rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in
darkness, Yahweh is a light for me.
Psalm 70
For the choir director. A Psalm for David; for a memorial.
1 O God, hasten to deliver me; O Yahweh, hasten to my help! 2 Let those be
ashamed and humiliated who seek my life; let those be turned back and dishonored
who delight in my hurt. 3 Let those be turned back because of their shame who
say, "Aha, aha!" 4 Let all who seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; and let
those who love Thy salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified." 5 But I am
afflicted and needy; hasten to me, O God! Thou art my help and my deliverer; O
Yahweh, do not delay.
1 Corinthians
3:1-23
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men
of flesh, as to babes in Messiah. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food;
for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,
3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you,
are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 4 For when one says,
"I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men? 5 What
then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as
the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was
causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters
is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who
waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 10
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I
laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful
how he builds upon it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one
which is laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah. 12 Now if any man builds upon the
foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's
work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed
with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If
any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. 15
If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be
saved, yet so as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the temple of
God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you
are. 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise
in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom
of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "He is the one who
catches the wise in their craftiness"; 20 and again, "The Lord knows the
reasonings of the wise, that they are useless." 21 So then let no one boast in
men. For all things belong to you, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the
world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to
you, 23 and you belong to Messiah; and Messiah belongs to God.
Commentary:
In the Book of
Exodus, we saw the completion of the Tabernacle. It was to serve as the resting
place of God among men, and His glory filled the house. It was the depository
for the ark with the stone tablets, the place from which the Word of God was to
emanate to all the earth. It was the place for men to come to be elevated to
heavenly purpose.
The final
destination of the Tabernacle, in Jerusalem, was to be the source, for all the
world, of spiritual light and prophecy and judgment. Neither Salt Lake City nor
Abilene Texas was ever proclaimed by God to be the source of prophecy. Neither a
past Christian Europe nor America was ever proclaimed to be the source of
prophecy. “The Torah shall go forth from Zion, and the Word of Yahweh from
Jerusalem!” Yeshua and the Apostles were prophets of Jerusalem.
Only to the
Tabernacle or later Temple in Jerusalem could men go to fulfill the Torah
picture and offer themselves to God for purification and service. Only to the
Temple of the Holy One in heaven can we go to seek cleansing through a
risen-ascended Yeshua, to fulfill the purpose of service for which we were
created. We are to make ourselves an offering, by dedicating ourselves
unreservedly to God.
Elevation
Offerings
(V.2) “When
any man (adam) of you brings himself as an offering (olah –
to come near, be elevated) to Yahweh” – the name Yahweh, rather than
Elohim, is always used in relationship to offerings: God’s attribute of mercy,
rather than judgment, relates to the offerings. The person bringing the offering
must lean with both hands upon the head of the animal, thereby dedicating his
strength and purpose to God. He then either confesses the specific sin for which
he is seeking atonement, states the specific spiritual goal which he desires, or
offers praise to Yahweh.
The animal is
a substitute for the bringer, prefiguring Yeshua – who is the antitype
substitute (Ephesians 5:2). It goes up (is elevated) in smoke as a sweet aroma
to God, representing the man being elevated to heavenly stature or purpose.
Animal
Elevation Offerings (in descending order of what one could afford):
(V.1:3) Elevation offering from herd (bull – from large domestic cattle)
(V.10) Elevation offering from flock (lamb or kid goat)
(V.14) Elevation offering from birds (turtledove or dove)
The dove is a bird of the pigeon family recognized by is cooing cry. The
turtledove is a sub-group known for its devotion to its mate and to its young.
These birds were raised in dome-shaped caves in northern Israel: one can visit
these caves today and see the pigeon-holes all around the large rooms.
Grain
Elevation Offerings (This is the offering of the poor, and is as though one
offered his soul.):
A “soul” (nephesh) may bring a grain offering (minchah), made of
unleavened finely ground wheat flour, olive oil, salt, with granules of hardened
frankincense (an aromatic tree resin). Grain, the staple of human diet,
represents our very existence being dependent upon God. Oil symbolizes comfort
and healing, and frankincense represents joy and satisfaction; salt symbolizes
God’s immutable covenant, because it preserves. No leaven or fruit-honey is
allowed. The soul’s service should not be sluggish (represented by the slow
action of leaven), nor should it be reduced by pursuit of pleasure (represented
by adding the sweetness of honey).
These
offerings were brought by someone desiring to overcome traits such as anger,
jealousy, greed, or cynicism.
Cooked
offerings are made as ten cakes or wafers, then broken into crumbs.
“Threefingersful” (kometz) of the grain offering and all of the
frankincense are burned on the altar as the memorial portion. The remainder may
be eaten only inside the courtyard by priests.
(V.2:1) Grain
offering – uncooked:
wheat flour mixed with oil is salted and offered with
frankincense.
(V.4) Grain offering baked in oven:
wheat flour is kneaded with water, cakes mixed with oil or wafers spread
with oil after baking,
salted and offered with frankincense.
(V.5) Grain offering fried on griddle:
wheat flour is kneaded with water, wafers mixed with oil, broken into bits and
spread with oil,
salted and offered with frankincense.
(V.7) Grain offering deep-fried in pan:
wheat flour is kneaded with water, cakes mixed with oil, then cooked in oil,
salted and offered with frankincense.
Firstfruit
Offering on Waving Day
(This wave
offering is not a “sheaf” of grain, and the day is neither the “Feast of ” nor
“Day of ” Firstfruits.)
(V.14) Omer of
barley flour (for second day of unleavened bread):
plump kernels of barley are parched over a fire, then ground and sifted into
fine flour.
It is mixed with oil, salted, and sprinkled with grains of hardened
frankincense.
It was waved before Yahweh.
(An omer is a unit of dry measurement, and equals approximately three to six
quarts of flour, depending upon the system of measurement.)
_______________
Paul said to
the Corinthian church, “I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual
men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Messiah. I gave you milk to drink,
not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you
are not yet able, for you are still fleshly.”
If we are to
become “spiritual,” we must become elevated beyond greed, hedonism, jealousy,
cliquishness, exalting men, profaneness, etc. In today’s religious world, the
Torah offerings are mostly ignored as irrelevant; so also are spiritual
attributes ignored as unnecessary – even undesirable. Who wants to overcome this
world’s manner of seeking riches and power and pleasure? Who seeks the good of
others more than his own? Who desires even this milk of God’s Word, much less
meat?
The offerings are the Torah basis for so much of what Paul taught; but in
ignoring them, we lose the foundation of much basic Christian/Messianic
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