John 1:4-5,9

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

The first creation mentioned in the Book of Genesis is the primeval light. The Hebrew gives two different words for ‘light’ in the Book of Genesis, ‘or’ in verse three referring to the primeval Light of the beginning of creation, and ‘mah’or’ referring to the two lights in the firmament in verse fourteen.

The primeval light was the beginning of God’s creation. Without it nothing was created that was created. The word ‘beginning’ in Hebrew comes from the word ‘rosh’, or ‘head’. In Hebraic understanding, the beginning is the head like the engine is the head of a train. It leads the rest and without it no one goes anywhere. It works also with the idea of the head of a snake that pulls the rest of his body. Yeshua introduced Himself to the Laodicean congregation as the ‘beginning of God’s creation’ Revelations 3:14), the ‘head’ without which nothing else moves.

John’s introduction of Yeshua mirrors the Genesis’ account of creation. Whereas the ‘Word’ referred to by the Aramaic ‘Memrah’ in Jewish literature, existed with the Almighty as His Executive Agent, It revealed itself at the beginning, or the ‘head’ of creation as the Light, the Light by which everything else would be done. How fitting this is with the account of John who from His studies under the sages of Israel had understood what they said by the Talmudic statement, “God said ‘let there be Light,’ to reveal that God will ultimately illuminate Israel with the Light of Messiah”.

This was John’s hinted message embedded in the format of his introduction. He was mirroring the text of the first chapter of Genesis. John wanted to reveal that Yeshua was the incarnation of that Messianic primeval Light. God revealed the Light in the very beginning of creation; He revealed a light provoked phenomenon at another beginning through Noah’s rainbow, and finally revealed It as a human 2,000 years ago fulfilling the promise made in Mt. Sinai that God will come live among His people (Exodus 25:8).

As we try to do things in our own effort, as we attempt to lift ourselves up by our own boot straps by trying to change our environment, may we learn to realize that nothing is done without the Light of Messiah; He is the ‘Beginning’, the ‘Head’ without which nothing else is done; by Him and by Him only can anything be done. He pulls and as we yield to His command we let ourselves be pulled. May we learn to be fully satisfied simply basking in the Light of His greatness and beauty, solely obeying His commands. Who knows if we do, it may actually change the world to the better!

John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

Here is John’s prelude to his accounts of the life of Yeshua. He starts the chronicle not with ‘Once upon a time … ‘, but rather in the same manner and wording as the chronicles of creation with the words: ‘In the beginning … ‘. The Genesis account tells us of creation in the following terms: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1-2).

The consistency of the imagery is perfect. In the beginning, when the earth was without form, the spirit of God hovered over the face of the earth. About fifteen hundred years later, at the time of another beginning, we see a repetition of this imagery when Noah’s dove hovers upon the face of the water. At first she could find nothing where to rest her feet. The spirit of God always looks for someone, a host to rest upon. Unlike the raven who did not come back, the dove couldn’t just rest and feed on dead corpses. It did not agree with death and corruption. At the opportune time though, she found the olive tree and brought back a torn branch to Noah.

At the time of another beginning when the world was in the confusion of the ‘Pax Romana’ enforced peace, there was another primeval beginning. In John’s latter days, Yeshua introduced Himself to him as the beginning of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14), so at the beginning of the ministry of our Master, the Spirit of God also came over Him like a dove as He emerged out of the water (Matthew 3:16); a beautiful fulfillment of Isaiah’s Messianic prophetic words, And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him (Isaiah 11:2).

The Holy Spirit’s dove rested upon He who is called the Branch (Zechariah 6:12), the ‘Torn Branch’ of the olive tree of Israel. Through Him the nations learn to praise the God of Israel as the rest of Isaiah’s oracle says, 'In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples--of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. In that day Adonai will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise a signal for the nations … (Isaiah 11:10-12).'

John1:14

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Yesterday was the day after the last day of the Festival of Tabernacles. That day is called in Hebrew ‘Simchat Torah’; ‘Simcha’ means: joy, ‘Torah’ means: Teaching/Instruction, capitalized as to refer to: God’s Teaching and Instruction. Translated into English, this day could be called: ‘The Rejoicing of the Teaching’.

Isn’t it strange to give a human virtue to something that is not biologically human? O my friend, come with me and look a little deeper. There is a tradition in Judaism that on the twenty-third day of the month of Tishrei, in synagogues around the world the Torah scrolls are taken out of their cabinets and put in the arms of congregant. On that day, you will see otherwise austere rabbis laugh, and dance holding the Torah scroll in their arms. People will have a great party surrounding the ‘dancing of the Torah’. What is this party and dancing of the Torah all about?

Upon returning to Jerusalem from Babylon, Ezra understood that the country went to exile because of their disobedience to God’s commands. He then felt concerned for people to be more exposed to the Torah so he established a national reading schedule. This schedule took the people of Israel through weekly sections that completed the whole Torah in a year’s time. The twenty-third of Tishrei in the day when this schedule is completed and Torah scrolls are rolled back to their beginnings to start a new cycle in the following week.

On that day, the Torah rejoices that It has been read and studied through for a whole year. The Torah is now looking forward to teach God’s people again for another reading cycle. The Torah wants to dance, laugh, and rejoice but It has no mouth, no legs and no arms, like the old joke says, ‘Why didn’t the ghost go to the dance? (Answer singing the familiar song): ‘I ain’t got no-body …’ The Torah wants to dance, but It has no body.

On Simchat Torah, we take the Torah in our arms and we become the singing and rejoicing mouth, the dancing legs and the waving arms of the Torah. In essence, we become an incarnation of the Torah to allow It to rejoice in us and through us.

This application of rejoicing in the Torah shows that Jewish sages understood the idea of the Torah incarnated in us as Jeremiah taught it (Jeremiah 31:31-40). All the more, it shows that they understood the idea that the Messiah would be a Son of Man (in Hebrew: Son of Adam) who would be the Incarnation of the Torah, of the Commandments of God spoken at Mt Sinai.

Yeshua, the son of Joseph and Miriam was truly the Son of Adam who became the incarnation of the Torah.

Luke 24:50

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.

In all things Yeshua was a ‘prophet’ like Moses. Before ascending the mountain where God would bury him, Moses blessed the people of Israel (Deuteronomy 33:1); he offers a personal blessing for each one of the tribes. In the same manner, before ascending to the Father Yeshua lifted up His hands and blessed His disciples. We do not know what He said but the language of the text gives a clue.

In the Book of Numbers God gives instructions on how His people should be blessed. Aaron and the Levites (Moses was also a Levite) were to lift their two hands up in the air in the form of the Hebrew letter ‘Shin’ to represent one of the Names of God: El Shaddai and they were to say, the LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:23-26). In Mishnaic writings, this became known as the Aaronic blessing, but also, the blessing of the ‘lifting of the Hands’. So every time the Bible text mentions that the priests lifted up their hands to bless the people, we know what they did and said. It is therefore very likely that this is also the very blessing wherewith Yeshua blessed His disciples as He lifted up His hands before ascending to His Father.

We are used to mean ‘LORD’ as Yeshua, but in the Hebrew text, the word used is the tetragrammaton signifying the Name of God. Therefore when Yeshua prayed this prayer, He was praying for God to bless and keep us, for God to shine upon us, for God to be gracious unto us, to lift His countenance upon us, and give us peace. This is really the whole reason why Messiah came: to put us back in good standing with the Father through the agency of His righteousness. The Aaronic blessing therefore can only be fulfilled through the agency of Messiah. When we pray it on people we pray that they find Messiah.

As it is now, so it was then. From creation’s days, the Messiah has been the Father’s Executive Agent (John 1:1-3). Even before the days when He came ‘to tabernacle/ to sukkah’ with us (John 1:14) the Messiah was alive, well and active. It is He who appeared to Abram in the Plain of Mamre; He that spoke to Moses on the Mount; He who fought with Jacob; who appeared to many people and did mighty acts even before the time of His sojourn on earth. Forever and always, He has been the radiance of the glory of God and(H) the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3).

As Messiah prays this blessing over us before ascending to His Father just as Moses did unto the Children of Israel before he left them, may we receive the imprint of Messiah; may we be formed and conformed according to His will by the work of His righteousness. May we be yielded clay that we may become like Him.

Luke 2:21

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Yeshua.

We are now drawing to the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The traditional guest to receive in our midst on this day is Messiah. A Messianic tradition holds that this eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles is the day of Yeshua’s circumcision (Luke 2:21).

Ritual circumcision is an outward sign of belonging to God’s people. One of the ideas of circumcision is make an outward sign in our flesh of our belonging to God. We alter our body in order to litterally become a new creature. This is quite an idea. People couldn’t say that they were believers in the God of Heaven in a solely ethereal fashion. They couldn’t just quote a statement of faith. They had to show a sign in their flesh that proved and showed that they were a different person from the rest of the world.

In his letters to the Messianic congregation in Diaspora, Paul told the gentiles that joined themselves to the Jewish Messianic movement that Yeshua was the circumcision that allowed them to enter the covenant of Israel, that they joined God through the circumcision of Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah. Paul did not enforced physical circumcision on these gentiles who turned to the God of Israel through Yeshua, but he did nevertheless expect the proof of their commitment through an outward change of lifestyle. They could not get away by just quoting an ethereal creed as a proof of their faith. It had to show in the fact that they drew away from their idolatrous lifestyles. In first century ethics, to turn away from idols unto the God of Israel was as dangerous as today a Muslim becoming a Christian. Paul made no mention of these things to Jewish believers on Messiah. He didn’t need to as there was no issue to address since Jews already circumcised their children on the eighth day.

Jewish traditional circumcisions are usually followed by festivities among relatives and friends. When after her purification Miriam came to present her first-born to God in the Temple, an old man called Simeon, took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel" (Luke 2:28-32). On this day therefore of Yeshua’s circumcision, on this day that His flesh enters the Covenant of Israel as a Jew, it is not incumbent for just Jews to rejoice, but on the whole world as Simeon said that He will be a light for revelation to the gentiles. Yeshua is the Jew mentioned by the prophet Zechariah of whom the nation grab the side fringes because they heard that God was with Him (Zechariah 8:23).

Hear O nations this lone baby cry in the Temple. Hear O nations the groaning of He who brings all people into Covenant with the Almighty. From the very beginning of His life the cut in His body, the drawing of His blood, these signs in His flesh are His invitation at the table of the Almighty. Will you come to Him? Will you change your lives and your habits so you can be found sitting at the table of the God of Israel? Will you follow Him, live like Him, and be found worthy of the high calling whereby He has called you?

Revelations 5:5

“And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

King David is our penultimate guest for this season of Tabernacles. The ruddy looking David became the standard by which all ensuing Judean king would be measured.

King David finished the job started by Joshua. He is the one who finally completed the conquest of the Land, subjugated Israel’s neighbors, brought Jerusalem under Jewish control and got rid of idolatry. These were his greatest accomplishments along with planning and financing the building of the Temple, and organizing its priesthood and liturgy.

A careful study of David’s life teaches us about Messiah. As Yeshua, David was despised by his older brothers; when Samuel visited Father Jesse in search for a King, David was even passed up. His brothers shamed him for his indignation about Goliath’s challenged until the young shepherd boy showed them that the spirit of Hashem was with him. After he killed Israel’s main enemy, David had to flee the country, even spend time living with the gentile Philistines until such a day when he made a triumphal entry in Jerusalem. He also orchestrated the bringing of the Ark to Jerusalem. All this speaks to us about Messiah who after slaying the devil fled the scene and even until today lives in exile alongside with His people even though they ignore Him. One day He will make a triumphal entry in Jerusalem where he will rebuild the temple. The ensuing period will be one resembling the Solomonic era. Israel will live in peace and prosperity and all the nations of the earth will come to bring it their glory as well as to hear the Words of God. The prophet Zachariah tells us that at that time, all the nations will be required to come to Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths, and that under the threat of impending drought (Zechariah 14:16-19)!

David has been accused of having been a lenient father, that he didn’t discipline his sons and therefore brought trouble to Israel. It could be so, but one must not forget that when he started making a family, the prophet Nathan gave David a prophecy. This prophecy stated that David’s son would build the Temple and become the Messiah. How did he know which son? To kill one of his sons could have been disastrous and thwarted God’s plan. David felt responsible for his family, for the Jerusalem that God had given him, but also for the glorious future of the Jewish nation and its Messianic role of teaching about the one true God to the world.

Solomon may have built a temporary temple, but Yeshua, David’s Messianic son is now building the final Messianic Temple. He is doing it the same way He did it before. First He gathers His congregation out of Egypt, brings to His Place, then builds the Temple. For over 2,000 years now Messiah has been gathering a congregation of Jews and gentiles to eventually bring them unto His Place: Jerusalem, and at the end of this Messianic era, He will rebuild the Jerusalem Temple which will then truly become a House of Prayer for the whole world. May come speedily even in our days!

Hebrews 5:4

And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

Aaron and Moses may have been brothers but they each had a very different childhood. Aaron was raised by father Amram and mother Jochebed, who was also Amram’s aunt (Exodus 6:20). Aaron escaped Pharaoh’s edict by little and learned to live as a slave making bricks in the hot sun for Pharaoh’s building projects. Moses was raised in the cool shade of Pharaoh’s palace; he was educated, and became an army officer and a skillful international diplomat.

Through the story of Moses’ and Aaron we are given the definition of a prophet. Moses felt inadequate to speak to the people of God, so Hashem said of Moses’ brother, He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him (Exodus 4:16). Aaron’s job was to be Moses’ mouth not only to Hashem’s children, but also to the incredulous world of his day, And the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet (Exodus 7:1). According to these statements, the definition of a prophet: is someone who has the ability to effectively communicate God’s messages to a desired audience.

Later Aaron was given another function to execute for the people of Hashem. He became High-Priest. As a High-Priest, he continued his function as Moses’ mouth-piece and executive, but people came to him to find the will of God, which Aaron communicated through the use of the Urim and Thummim. These were the stones on Aaron’s breastplate by which he judged Israel, And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly (Exodus 28:30). When Aaron was speaking by the Spirit the right one lit. For the Hebrews, prophecy was a very pragmatic matter. The Children of Israel didn’t always obey the Word they heard, but there was very little doubt as to who said it.

As a High-Priest, Aaron led the priest-hood. The priesthood dealt with the sins of Israel. Though punishments and restitutions were to be executed as a result of sinful acts, offerings also had to be brought to the Temple for the restitution of fellowship with Adonai which was broken because of sin. The sinful person killed the animal, not the priest. The priest only brought the blood to the altar. Once a year also, Aaron the High-Priest brought an offering for the whole nation on Israel in the Holy of Holies. In a certain sense, the function of the priesthood served to remind us of our sinful state; it convicted of sin. In talmudic wrtings, Aaron is also known the peacemaker (Psalms 133).

Aaron’s role was therefore that of a communication medium between us and Hashem, one that also reminded us of our sin. How like the Ruach-HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit Aaron was!

Hebrews 11:24-25

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Oh for the wonders of Hashem’s Words of Torah inscribed in Heaven from before the foundations of the earth! See how, as in an unbreakable code, Hashem wrote the plan of redemption in the very lives of our fathers. What an illustration of the Torah incarnate! Jacob told us of Israel, Joseph of the first coming of Messiah. Hear now, the story continues in the life of Moses.

At Moses’ birth, an Egyptian Wiseman warned Pharaoh that a male child was born to the Hebrews, one who would deliver them from Egyptian slavery. Pharaoh responded to the threat by ruling that all male Hebrew newborns should be thrown into the Nile River. Moses found refuge from certain death by hiding in ‘Egypt’, actually in the very heart of it: in Pharaoh’s palace. As a young man, Moses tried to deliver his people, but his leadership was not recognized by the then elders of Israel. He fled, disappeared from the scene for forty years, to eventually come back in power and glory to not only save his people, but also to answer Pharaoh’s question: "Who is Adonai, that I should obey his voice (Exodus 5:2)”.

Can you see? Can you see that Yeshua who was born under the menacing deadly threats of unbelievers, He who had to flee to preserve His very survival, who seemingly failed in rescuing His people, that very Yeshua will return to succeed this time, and also to give a mighty powerful answer to the incredulous world who asks: "Who is Adonai, that I should obey his voice (Exodus 5:2)”.
In the Book of Revelations John, the beloved disciple gives us a vivid description of this time of the ‘Return of the Master.’ He describes plagues and destructions similar to the ones inflicted upon Egypt 3,400 years ago. He speaks of rapture of God’s children unto the Presence of Hashem, and of their eventual arrival in Land of Promise.

"Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation” (Acts 13:26):let there be no mistake: the Word written in Heaven and in the life of the patriarchs of our faith, the Word that was indelible concerning the past, is indelible also concerning the present and … the future!

Genesis 45:4

And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.”

Just as the life of Jacob merges with the destiny of Israel, the life of Joseph, Jacob’s son, merges with that of Yeshua.

Joseph was born of a barren womb and His brothers rejected his God-appointed leadership over them. At the time appointed, because of jealousy they threw him in a pit where according to Jewish literature Joseph stayed three days and three nights. Later, They sold him for the price of a slave and brought the blood of a goat to his father as a substitute to his own. Joseph then spent time in a prison where he became steward, to eventually rule over the entire gentile world.

Doesn’t that tell us of the story of Yeshua who: was born of a barren womb, whose God-appointed leadership was rejected by his brothers because of jealousy;; who spent three days and three nights in a pit; was sold for the price of a slave, spent time in the prison ministering to the disobedient spirits and who later became the ruler over most the gentile world?

Since the life story of Joseph tell us of the beginning of Yeshua’s life, could the end of it reveal to us the future? Wise King Solomon did say, What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

We must not fail to mention that not all of Joseph’s brothers were against him. Benjamin was still at Jacob’s side and was not part of the plot against his brother. Benjamin loved and believed in his big brother Joseph!

When Egypt faced a famine so dire that it threatened the very life of the empire, God raised Joseph to save Egypt. Egyptians looked to Joseph as he who saved then from famine. Canaan also suffered so Joseph’s brothers came to buy grain from the Egyptian Viceroy, who of course was Joseph. The brothers didn’t recognize their brothers. Joseph looked, acted and spoke like an Egyptian. Joseph recognized his brothers and proceeded to test tehm to see if their heart was changed. He tested them by creating a situation where Benjamin would be enslaved. At that moment, Judah offered his own self as ransom for the life of Benjamin which showed Joseph the change of heart. Whereas before, they gave their brother to save their lives, now they were ready to give their lives to save their brother. This is the time when Joseph revealed himself to them and said:”I am your brother: Joseph!”

What does this tell us? Who is Benjamin today? Would he be the Jew who did not reject and sale Yeshua? Will then there be a time in the soon future when God will test ‘Judah’ with ‘Benjamin’? In present-day Israel the conflict between Orthodox and Messianic Jews is fierce. It is a 2,000 year old conflict. Will Judah pass the test so that eventually, Yeshua reveals Himself to them and say: “I am your brother: Yeshua!” The Hebrew Scriptures say he does. May it come quickly, even in our day!

Genesis 32:28

"Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed."

Jacob has been honored in so many ways. The name given to him became the very name by which God would later be identified: the God of Israel.

As his latter name indicates, the life of Jacob merges with the destiny of the country of Israel. His very birth springs out of potential annihilation and all throughout his lifetime, he has to contend to inherit and keep what God has rightfully given him. Later on, under the threats of his brother Esau, Jacob leaves his birth place of Canaan for Babylon, where he is employed by his uncle to watch his flocks. He marries the two daughters of the uncle and secretly leaves twenty-one years later to return to Canaan. As Jacob arrives, he is met by an angelic host before hearing of his brother who stills seeks his life. It is then that a mysterious powerful ‘messenger’ meets Jacob, changes his name and thereby his heart (Genesis 32).

How is it possible not to see the birth of the nation of Israel in Jacob’s life’s story: sprung out of Egyptian slavery and persecution; pursued by Pharaoh; fought by the Amalekites and throughout their history struggled to preserve their independence and autonomy, only be found expelled from their country for not twenty-one years, but so far, twenty-one centuries. Now Israel is returning to its land where Esau meets and wants to kill him. This battle will end in a bloody war with all the countries in the world gathered against Israel (Zechariah 12). At that time the Messiah, God’s Messianic Messenger will return and …

The rest of Jacob’s story tells us the end from the beginning. Jacob’s Messianic Messenger fights against him and Jacob prevails. Jacob does not let Him go; he hangs on to Messiah at any cost until he gets the blessing causing him a deep wound in his thigh. When Jacob now Israel meets Esau, they make up and Israel enters Canaan, the land of his future, the land promised to his grand-father Abraham.

In the distance, we can already hear the Messenger, the galloping hooves of his horse. He comes in greatness and strength from Bozrah in a garment dipped in blood (Isaiah 63:1). He will fight, wound and bless Israel, change his heart as that of his brother, and carry him to his country with an angelic welcoming committee.

That my friend, is Messiah’s roadmap to peace in the Middle-East. May it come soon, even in our days!

Hebrews 11:19

He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

Of all the patriarchs Isaac may be the most mysterious. It is a miracle that he even lived at all. He was born out of time from a sterile womb; his life was challenged by his step mother, by his step brother; and if that was not enough, God asked for his life. The big question though is: what happened to him after Mt. Moriah?

When he goes to Mt. Moriah, the text constantly reminds us of Isaac’s presence alongside Abraham. Abraham even mentions to the servants waiting at the foot of the mountain, that he and the lad will return to them. But after the offering scene, all we are told is that Abraham returned to the servant and went to live in Beersheba (Genesis 22:19). But what happened to Isaac? We do not hear of him until Abraham decides to marry his son off over twenty years later (Genesis 24:3; 25:20), and then when Rebecca falls off her camel when she sees him (Genesis 24:64: I know that some Bibles write that she ‘dismounted’ her camel, but the Hebrew says ‘fall’).

Many Jewish sages have pondered the question and came up with various answers and parables about it. Here is what I find to be the most amazing ones. The hope of every Jewish father is for his son to become a Torah scholar, so a jewsih scholar supposed that Abraham may have sent Isaac to learn at the feet of Melchizedec, or even went to Heaven to learn at the feet of Messiah. Of all of them, I like the one about Isaac going to learn at the feet of Messiah in Heaven. The parable tells us that at the offering scene, Isaac did die but revived right away and went to Heaven to learn Torah. He would only return later to marry the bride brought to him from Babylon, by Eliezer (the name means: my God is my help), Abraham’s servant.

In Jewish literature, Isaac is often represented as a foreshadow of Messiah. We see it each year in the Passover Afikomen. Paul must have known about the parable of this old rabbi because he said: He (Abraham) considered that God was able even to raise him (Isaac) from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back (Hebrews 11:19). The Greek text from which this verse is taken doesn’t say ‘figuratively speaking’ but, ‘as in a parable’. Abraham must have had mixed feelings; he knew his son was a ‘goner’, but he still told the people at the foot of the mountain that he would return with him.

What sounds amazing to me is that as a foreshadow of Messiah, the picture in this parable fits perfectly. Hasn’t Messiah died on the wood, resurrected right away, disappeared from the scene as He went to the Father, and he will return solely to marry His Bride brought to Him from Babylon (this world) by the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit/ God’s Helper)?

Wasn’t the old rabbi who figured that out from the question: ‘What happened to Isaac?’ on to something?

Hebrews 13:2

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

There is a tradition of hospitality for the Feast of Tabernacles. The idea is to entertain a distinguished guest each night of the Festival. These guests include in order: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses Aaron, King David and Messiah. Of course, the patriarchs do not actually physically come in the sukkah, but their presence is invited through reading, talking and learning about them.

Hospitality was a fundamental virtue to workings of M.E. society in the days of the patriarch Abraham. When a guest was in your house, he was under your wings and protection. If an enemy came to hurt him, you were to use all your resources to protect your visitor; no matter what the cost, your company could find total sanctuary in your house.. A very good example of that is found in the story of Lot even offering his daughters to the sodomites in order to protect his angelic guests.

In traditional writings, Abraham is the standard for hospitality. To be invited to the table and tent of Abraham was a great honor. He would treat you to the best of his flock as if you were a dignitary. Tradition describes that the patriarch would send his servant Eliezer to the highways and byways (and we are talking great distances in the desert) to compel people to honor him by finding restoration and rest in his tent. Again, in M.E. tradition, guests didn’t just stay for a cup of coffee and cookies to quickly be on their way. They got their feet washed, maybe stayed several days at the host’s expense while they, their host and their animals were tended to. Aside from Melchizedek, Abraham seemed to have been one of the rare persons acquainted with the God who made Heaven and earth. This act of hospitality from Abraham was his outreach program in the midst of an idolatrous world. He would invite people and treat them like God would. Abraham wanted to show people God’s favor!

Come to think of it, as we invite Abraham to our sukkah for this first day of tabernacles, we also have all been invited to his table. The tent of Abraham represents God’s favor and an invitation to come to the Messiah, his descendant. Abraham was God’s representative and prophet, and through him, all the families of the earth are blessed (Genesis 28:14). The whole world is blessed as they come to the table of Abraham to have a taste of the World to Come, of the marvelous things God has prepared for those who put their trust in Him through His Messiah. That is why in the synagogues of Paul’s day, those of the gentiles who joined themselves to the God Israel were called ‘those of the family of Abraham’ (Acts 13:26).

May those that meet us on our daily path, may those who get to know us as the Children and representatives of the Almighty Creator of Heaven and earth also find in us, and through us, the bounty, beauty, and restoration Messiah would give them. May all those who come in touch with us get a taste, however small, of the World to Come, of what God has prepared for them. Like with Abraham, may this be our witness in this sad world of darkness.

Revelations 20:5

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.

This is the first resurrection.

Following the logical flow of the text, since those who first resurrect are those who refused to receive the mark of the beast, those ‘did not come to life’ are those who received it. Much is speculated about this mark. We may not at present be sure of its form, but we know its function. In biblical terms the head, especially the forehead represents the will; the hands represent the actions birthed by the will. That is why Jews put these little prayer boxes with a Scripture scroll inside of them when they pray: to remind them of what should be the focus and direction of both their thoughts and their actions. The devil will also try to control our thoughts and actions by attempting to place his mark on our foreheads and hands, and in the sight of God, that is death.

We are used to think of death as a permanent state. But in this verse the dead await resurrection in order to go to their reward, good or bad. We are obviously then talking here about more than biological death, something different than the mere corruption of the body. There are people who are alive and yet who are more dead than the dead; while there are those who are dead, but who are more alive than those still in the body (Matthew 22:32)!

What is then a life that is more substantial than this present state? And what is a death more empty and void than the mere corruption of the body? King David put it in these wonderful words:’ I shall dwell in the house of Adonai forever’ (Psalms 23: 6). In other words, presence with God is life more alive than this life, but absence from God is more mortal than mere body corruption.

As long as we are alive, the candle, however small at times, of the life of God lives in us. Its light is manifest in our hearts via the twinges of our conscience. To others, it is manifest in either strength or weakness according to our obedience of Messiah’s commandments. When we die, that candle is extinguished, but then, until the time of resurrection to judgment, we come to either more than life, what Yeshua called: the bosom of Abraham, or to less than death: the she’ol.

We must take this life more seriously. The good, the bad and the ugly of this life do follow us in the World to Come. We may then shed many tears of regret; Messiah will surely wipe them, but that doesn’t mean that we will not still have to learn the substance of the lesson from the disobedience that caused these tears.

If we are truly sealed with the mark of the Messiah, let us make sure that in each day of this life, both our will and hands are synchronized with those of our Master. Then and only then will the prayer: ‘Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven!’ be answered!

Revelations 20:4-6

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

About this time of future restoration and reorganization of the world, Paul, our Master’s apostle also specified, Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life (1 Corinthians 6:3)!

We are not given too many details about this judging of angels (and the secret things belong to God said Moses); we are simply told in that and other passages that at the time when Messiah will physically reign on earth the faithful will share in His exaltation and judging of the universe which therefore implies judging angels. The idea of mankind judging angels birthed from the Book of Enoch, which was a very widespread Jewish writing from the 1st century C.E., a book the early believers seem to have been familiar with.

What we are told though, (and the things that are revealed belong to us and our children forever Moses also said (Deuteronomy 29:29)), is that if we are to judge angels in the future, we should today be able to judge earthly disputes between ourselves. In essence, our training for judging angels tomorrow starts today with learning to maturely take care of our own issues between oursleves.

The problem is that today, as with many other things, we are not encouraged to manage our issues and disagreements by ourselves. We go to the police, we get a lawyer, or worst, a psychologist! As far as I can understand from his epistles, to Paul the fact that those who called themselves by the name of Yeshua could not manage their own problems themselves was a disgrace and a bad testimony of Messiah’s congregation in front of the non-believers. He said that it would be more valuable to be defrauded that to be such a poor testimony in front of others (1 Corinthians 6:7).

It is high time that we take control of our lives; that we take responsibility of our affairs. We, as Messianic congregations, must organize ourselves into a coherent movement that is self sufficient in every way including self-legislated just as the Hebrew nation was taught to be by Moses in ancient times. Then and only then, we will ever be able to fulfill our destiny of entering the Promised Land of His divine will, and be an example to all nations of life under the rulership of Messiah.

Revelations 20:1-3

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

I heard it said once, ‘When you kick sin out, don’t leave a forwarding address!’

At the time of His coming, Yeshua, the Messiah-King will rule on earth. The Adversary will be under control and therefore, the evil inclination that causes us so much trouble will be greatly diminished. Living by God’s commandments and avoiding sin will be easier then. But at the end of these 1,000 years of relief from the Adversary’s work, Satan will be released. At that time, he will again be allowed to tempt us as he is today.

We must ask ourselves, The Messiah may rule the earth then, but does He rule my heart now? Is He my King today? During the High Holidays, we go through deep introspection, we confess our sins and we deny ourselves on the Day of Atonement. But what happens after that? Is it life as usual? He may have done the atoning work, he may ‘cover’ for our ‘credit card’ debt to the Father, but there is a chilly warning for going back into the works of darkness after Messiah did the hard work of cleaning us up. The writer of the book of Hebrew puts it in these following words, For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries (Hebrews 10:26-27).

As we prepare for the next Festival on our calendar we are told to look back at the time of our sojourn in the desert, at the time when we lived in sukkhas, in temporary flimsy shelters totally vulnerable and dependent on the Father’s mercy. This Festival should also speak to us about our temporal situation on this earth, looking forward to the time when we will enter what John called New Jerusalem, the Tabernacle of God with men. (Revelations 21-22). In that place nothing shall hurt nor destroy; sin death and corruption will not be allowed.

In preparation for that day, we need to learn today to stay away from sin. Like Joseph of old, flee temptation when it comes, even leaving our coat behind when temptation tries to hold onto us. That is our work to do and the idea behind the apostles words to, ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).’

May it be good in Your eyes!

Should believers in Yeshua fast on Yom Kippur by Patrick Gabriel Lumbroso in Beith Hallel

YOM KIPPUR 2010, with Patrick Gabriel Lumbroso from Messianic House of Praise on Vimeo.

Matthew 25:1-7

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.

But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.

Behold the night is far advanced. It has been a long wait and drowsiness has taken hold of the congregations. The Master is getting ready to come with the Bride, and the ten virgins, friends of the bride are expected to stay awake with the bride to serve and help her. But just like the disciples on the Mt of Olives, their eyes are heavy (Matthew 26:43). Will we watch one hour with Him? Will we stand guard, watch and pray?

On the eve of the manifestation of His Messianic nature Yeshua asked his disciples to watch with him, to stand guard in prayer denying themselves of the sleep they so needed. Even today, as we await His manifestation in the world, as we await for the time of the wedding ceremony we are to watch, pray and stand guard. Are our eyes heavy? Can we deny ourselves waiting even though we do not know at which hour he is coming?

A sudden cry pierces the night, ‘The bridegroom is coming, the Bridegroom is coming!’. See him majestically riding on a white horse. He is coming for the Bride and the friends of the bride rise from their drowsiness to fix their lamps. They make sure that it burns clear bright and without smoke: they must trim their wicks. Even so, there comes the time (and even we hear the sound in the horizons); there will be a shout in the heavens, ‘The Bridegroom is coming, the Bridegroom is coming!”. Let us rise from sleep. Let us shake our drowsiness. Awake, awake Isaiah says (Isaiah 52:1,9).

It is time now for us to rise from our sleepiness and appear before the king of the universe. He comes to take the bride and to bring His people to the greatest party ever thrown. He has sent his servants to cry in the streets, in the highways and byways compelling people to come in. He has sent white robes to each one to wear at the feast.

Let us now be ready, trim our wick so the light of our love through our keeping of His commandments shine bright and unequivocally, distinctly and without smoke. Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Matthew 24:48-51

But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Those of us who acknowledge Yeshua as our Master and Rabbi have been given both assignments and responsibilities over His heritage. We are expected to behave as shepherds and responsible leaders over His flock. He left us in charge while He is gone on a journey, but at the time appointed our Master will return. At that time we will sit down with Him for an audit. He will look at what He left us with and require the increase. If there is no increase He will examine the situation and demand an explanation. This is the time when the priorities of our lives will be examined and evaluated.

We all mean to do good and I doubt if any person reading this actually beats his fellow servants or drinks with the drunkards. On the other hand, we can all admit to neglecting our responsibilities by just being selfish, self-motivated, negligent, and over-concerned with our personal pleasure, entertainment and comfort.

As we prepare for rehearsing the Day of the Lord through the Festival of Yom Kippur, we may need to do a little self-auditing. There are several questions we can ask ourselves that can help put us back in perspective: What does Yeshua expect of me? Have I been fulfilling His will and wishes for my life? If not, why? Where am I in my relationship with His family, my brothers and sisters? Are there any sour relationships that I need to sweeten? Would I want Him to ask me the question: ‘why is your relationship with so and so in such a state of negativity?’ Are there people I am responsible for in ether my social or biological entourage, people I am expected to look after? Am I fulfilling my responsibilities with them? If not, why?

James the apostle exhorts us in this way: ‘For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.’ James’ mirror is the Scriptures that project for us the perfect standard expected of us. It is a bit like the evil witch’s mirror in the fairy tale Snow White. We are meant to look in it and compare our lives with the beauty of His Words. The idea is for It to point out our blemishes so we can fix them through repentance and prayer. Sad to say though, like in the story, some of us use it to retaliate against anything that challenges our innate self-righteous spirit. The apostle then continues and says, ‘But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing (James 1:23-25).

Amen!

Matthew 24:45-47

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.”

Since the days of John the Immerser we have been told, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ “At hand’, means easily reachable. Isn’t it strange that more than 2,000 years have passed and the Kingdom has not been established on the earth yet?

Every generation learns that ‘the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand’. In fact, many generations have been convinced that they were going to see the return of Adon Yeshua in their days, but it did not happen. In a way, it is right that it should be so; if not, how would we feel the necessity to ready ourselves for that Day? And even more important, how would we feel the urgency to teach our children about it? If we did not in every generation apprehend the return of Yeshua ‘at hand’, within two generations the whole message would be lost.

Each year during the High Holidays we rehearse this return of our Master; we look forward to His judgment, His vindication, and final take-over of the kingdoms of this world. He will then usher us into 1,000 years of restoration. All wrong will be made right, day will conquer the night. The lost will be restored, injustice rectified. In the glory of His ruling majesty, as Solomon of old, the great King will listen to our pleas, wipe our tears away, vindicate the souls of those persecuted for righteousness’ sake and challenge those who destroy the earth. May it be soon Abba, even in our days!

PRAYER:

May we be ready for that great Day! May we be at that time found doing those which pertain to Your will, not in lip service only, but from the heart living a life that reflects unswerving love and dedication to Your Commandments. May we be found worthy of the title of disciple: one who emulates his Master.

How To: "Soul Accounting" in 5 Steps

Rosh Hashanah is about coming in the presence of the King of the universe for an evaluation of our lives.

We are taught that Yeshua takes our sins upon Himself and it is true. On the other hand, the apostle tells us that we are ‘work out our salvation with fear and trembling’.

I agree that Yeshua takes from us the sins that we know and even the ‘secret faults’ as David called them. Some sins we don’t know because we haven’t grown to know them, but some sins we don’t know because we don’t want to know or we are not even searching.

We should make an effort sometimes to acknowledge our sin to ourselves by seeking deeper into our hearts and being using more aggressive in the matter.

How can we be better people if we don’t know how to fix it, and no it doesn’t just happen by the stroke of the magic wand of the Holy Spirit. We have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Such a soul searching (cheshbon hanefesh), such work takes time, and many a businessman shuts down his operations for a day in order to draw up his yearly report.

What is a good way to appropriately quantify soul-searching?

Mathematics wouldn’t help us. Mathematics deals with dry numbers, whereas an "accounting of the soul," as suggested by its name, deals with matters of the heart and soul.

A Chassidic Rabbi one day gave a relevant parallel to the cheshbon hanefesh: the account and balance sheet every business creates yearly.

Now, any businessman knows that without a balance sheet he has no way of knowing whether his business drew profits or losses. The fact that a store is full of shoppers doesn't say anything; people may come to browse and compare prices, but do not make purchases. Only when the owner draws up a proper balance sheet does he know whether his business is profitable and the year successful.

We, too, can be busy from morning to night, but once a year, we need to take time off to contemplate our most important "business"—that is, our service of our Creator.

Have we progressed towards this goal in the past year? Have we improved our relationship with God? Have we become better people, better Children of God, better examples of Him to others?

Here is a practical guide for conducting a cheshbon hanefesh. It may take some time, there's no need to complete it in one day.

Step One:
Draw two large squares on a paper. Title the first one: "Me and God"; the second: "Me and My Fellows."

Step Two:
In the "Me and God" category, write down the various spiritual commendments you observe, those you are aware of in your heart, those you are responsible to know. Next to each of these, write down whether this is an area in which you incurred a profit or loss in the past year.

Keep in mind that identical balance sheets can indicate a profit for one person and a loss for another. For example, a man who began to keep Shabbat this year who writes, "I kept Shabbat almost every week" has shown a profit; for someone who has done it since the age of 13, it is considered a loss.

Step Three:
In the "Me and My Fellows" section, write down all your notable relationships—e.g., your children, spouse, parents, friends, work buddies, and acquaintances. Here, too, write down next to each one whether you became closer to these people, distanced yourself, or did things you'd have been better off not doing...

Step Four:
The next two steps are the most important ones; without them, all the time invested in this accounting goes down the drain.

Take the "losses" of the year, and turn them into profits. Ask yourself, how can I be a better parent? How can I ensure that I keep Shabbat weekly? How can I improve the atmosphere in my home? How can I devote more time to Torah study? And should I be expanding my ‘business’? Are there other areas that don't even yet exist on my balance sheet that I should explore? A new commandment? A new relationship?

Step Five:
Until now, all the reckoning has been relatively quantifiable, and as such not so difficult. This step takes it to another level altogether.

Now it's time to look beyond all the individual behaviors, and analyze the patterns. Or to put it differently, to look at the inner soul workings that caused all the profits and losses.

• Why are you failing in certain areas?

• What is your perspective on life?

• How important to you are your relationships?

• Do you have a deep-seated commitment to fulfill your spiritual calling in life?

Once you have a better picture of who you are now, and who you'd like to be, then come the High Holidays you are ready to get under the covering and make the necessary changes and commitments.

You can become a different person.

Today's devotion Acts 24:14-16

Acts 24:14-16 (E.S.V).

But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

Hear these words spoken by Yeshua’s apostle Paul, several years after his encounter with the Master: I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Torah (my edition) and written in the Prophets. In other words, Paul’s defense against the High-Priest’s accusations of sedition and profanation was that he never swayed from practicing Judaism; that he believed and practiced the commandments written in the Pentateuch, as well as the teachings of the prophets, which in Jewish understanding is everything else except the poetry books.

Judaism is not a creed; it is a way of life. It is not something that can be practiced without it showing on the outside. The High-Priest knew it and couldn’t refute Paul’s confession; that is why he had to add accusations of seditions to the package of accusatory evidence against Paul. Ananias knew that the Roman governor couldn’t care less about religious squabbles, but disturbing the peace of the Empire was a very serious offense, especially in Jerusalem.

Paul proclaimed his innocence by insisting that he always took pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. In the mouth of Paul, what did this mean? It means that he kept his conscience clear of offenses in front of God and man simply by his sincere efforts to serve God by obeying his commandments. By bringing these facts to the fore, he hoped to close the mouth of his accusers.

The Accuser is always in front of us, accusing us of evil not to the Roman emperor, but to the King Creator of the universe. It is one thing to be accused of an evil that we have done, and we all have done plenty, but this we can do to close the mouth of the Adversary: we can strive to take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man: before God, by obeying His commandments, and before men by submitting to the ordinances of earthly authority; to strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

There are times when we may feel that man’s command goes against God’s command, but I have observed that it is very often our personal tangential application of both which creates the conflict, which then becomes striving for conflict, not for peace.

Let’s take the stand and today make the resolution to follow in the footsteps of the apostle; to for peace.

Hello

Hello

Welcome to my new improved blog

Due to popular demand, as of the 9th of September 2010 I will start sending these daily blogs again. This is a trial run; let me know if you have any difficulty receiving or opening them. 

Patrick

THE VOICE OF THE WORD INSIDE

Psalms 11:4

Adonai is in His Holy Temple, the throne of Adonai is in Heaven:

His eyes behold, His eyelids try the children of men.

We can imagine the conviction that will fall upon each one of us at the end of this age, as we appear before our Lord and Master sitting on His throne in Heaven. We will experience the trying of His eyelids as He looks at us with loving reproach. We will then remember the wrong and hurtful things we did or said when in our mortal state, even though we most of the time knew better. But do we have to wait until that day to experience conviction?

King Solomon remarked that The eyes of Adonai are in every place, beholding the evil and the good (Proverbs15:3).

The prophet Zechariah tells us about God’s seven eyes which run to and fro through the whole earth (Zechariah 4:10).

The apostle Paul teaches us that our body is like the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Our Beloved Master does not watch over from afar; us from Heaven on His throne; He does not shepherd us sitting far away on His throne; He is right near us; in fact, the Torah says that he is within us, within our hearts filled with His Words, and within our mouths as we speak His precepts to each other. Yeshua watches us from His temple inside of us, from, the heart of our souls, within our bodies.

May we be granted to know His presence in the heart of our body and soul just as if we were standing in front of Him in the throne room. May we experience the trying of His eyelids reproving the excuses that we so easily indulge in to justify our failings. Most of all, may we not sear the voice of the conscience that He has put inside of us, neither kick against the pricks of His Spirit (Acts 9:5).

THE ROOTS OF OUR FAITH

Psalms 11:2,3

For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Imagine poisoning the roots of a tree. The tree will still stand for a long time, pretty and strong looking as it always seemed. No one, except an expert, would notice that it was rotting from the inside, until after some months, or even years the tree stops bearing fruit, its branches become dry and brittle and eventually, the smallest storm brings it down.

If the foundations of our faith are poisoned, if the roots that hold our belief system lose their true value, if they carry in them the poisons of lies, deceits and hypocrisy, if they do not feed the tree anymore of the true life-giving nutritive sap to strengthen it, our tree becomes weak, unable to bear the fruit his owner desires. Starvation would provoke sterility and genocide. Existence would become useless and even dangerous as it would eventually dies and rot. The tree would then needs be cut down.

Is it then surprising that the enemy of our soul aims his arrows straight at the foundation of our faith, at the very beliefs that hold it strong—at our faith in God’s Words?

Satan has been at it since the beginning. In the Garden of Eden when he questioned Eve, hath God said. . . .? (Genesis 3:1), and his techniques have not changed. He does not negate the Words, oh no; that would be too obvious: he just changes the perspective with which we read them, thus we understand them differently.

May the Father, the Author and Finisher of our faith, help us and protect us from the enemies destruction of our faith through his meddling with the Word. May we have the courage, the strength to look the Word straight in the face, not sideways nor from the back but straight, to face it like a mirror, let it expose our erroneous ways and change us, let it freely flow into our souls to strengthen and give us Life.

FLEE AS A BIRD

Psalms 11:1

In Adonai put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

Yeshua commented and said that the children of the world are wiser than the children of Light (Luke 16:8). Have you ever heard smart-aleck cynics say that faith is only for the weak and the dependant? If they only knew! In the sight of the world, people who are dependant, insufficient in themselves, look like weaklings, easy to take advantage of and overcome—‘easy targets’ they say.

People of faith can sometimes seem like easy preys. They can be like a little frightened bird, “Go; go to your mountain” the big bullies tells them. “We’ll give you a sporting chance to escape, but get out of our sight before we devour you!” Little do these bullies know that back at his mountain homeland, the frightened bird has a concerned Father who knows of every fallen sparrow and who dresses every blade of grass (Luke 12:6; Matthew 6:30). He is there waiting to come to the defense of the weak, and to unleash His wrath against the arrogant insolents who have dared to touch one of His protégés.

So flee little bird yea, flee to your mountain; do as they say. Because you have put your trust in El Shaddai, and whereas they may think they take advantage of you, your Father will bless your trust and be your everlasting protection. When He comes to your rescue and they feel His wrath, they will be alone; they do not have a loving Father to help them.

Go to the secret place of the Most-High. Abide under the shadow of the Almighty
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Psalms 91:1-4

FAVORS FROM OUR FAVORITE

Psalms 5:12

For thou, Adonai, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

In the book of Job, Satan challenges God about a man’s virtuous life and says, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. (Job 1:9,10)

If we could only open our eyes, we would see how much God looks after us, we would realize the full spectrum of his protection. The shield He covers us with is His favor, as though we are His favorites; God does have favorites, you know. He is automatically closer to those who abide close to Him. When we give Him the honor of being the ‘favorite’ of our hearts, we become His ‘favorite’, He surrounds and covers us.

Before asking God for the benefits of His favor, let us ask ourselves: Is God my favorite? Is He my favorite hobby, pastime, counselor, presence, and friend?

As a reflection on 9/11, Ann Graham, the daughter of the famous evangelist by the same last name gave an answer the question, How could God let something like this happen? She said, I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman that He is, I believe that He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand that He leave us alone?

Looking at all the areas in our lives where we wish that God would somehow intervene, let us check to if perhaps He is perhaps not there because we either have not invited Him, or have even escorted Him out of the issue. Can we then expect His favors?

PURE JOY FROM THE HEART

Psalms 5:11

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Joy--joy from the Spirit—is the trademark of messianic faith. The child of God who truly puts his trust in his God rejoices because he has the assurance that God has answered his prayers even if he doesn’t presently see it. The Child of God doesn’t ‘hope’, he doesn’t ‘wish’ that his Heavenly Father will answer his prayers, he simply knows. He knows because faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) The Greek word used for “substance” in this text is “huposthasis”, meaning the “title-deed”. So the verse could also be translated as: “faith is the ‘title-deed’ of things hope for”. He know that he owns the answer to his prayers just because it is written on a piece of paper called a ‘contract’, in this case, in the Torah written on the hide of a flock of sheep.

Each child of God has this biblical contract with God signed in the blood of the Lamb: Yeshua, the Messiah. The promises in His Words are the terms of the contract and they cannot be broken (John 10:35b). We have His assurance of supply (Philippians 4:19), of protection (Psalms 91:1), and of His love (Hebrews 13:5b).

Abba Father, grant to have opened eyes that we may see and behold that they that are with us are more than they that are against us (2 Kings 6:15-17). Completely throw us at Your feet in the total trust and confidence that, not only You will take care of us and defend us, but in the realization that You are already doing it.

May our countenance reflect this inner peace.

May our spirits emanate the joy of this confidence and trust in You—that those that cross our paths today may know that you are Adonai, our God, our Redeemer, the Restorer or our souls and Defender.

May we rejoice in You always (Philippians 4:4).

STAND

Psalms 5:10

Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

God’s people do not have to worry about anything, especially their enemies. God’s children have the assurance that their enemies will be swallowed by their own counsels. The only time when this does not happen is when God gives permission for His children to be hurt. At such times, God even uses their enemies as a form of chastisement for their disobediences and evil deeds. God even said that He would fight and be His children’s enemy at times, and He often does that by using their opponents.

If our heart is right, if we obey our Father’s commandments, we do not have to worry about the ungodly and the wicked. If we live the way we know God wants us to, if we stay within the parameters of His pavilion in obedience and submission to His commandments, we abide under the security of His protection. The demise of satan, the adversary of God is certain; his fall has been predicted from the Garden of Eden, and we can live with the assurance that in God, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37) (emphasis mine) .

Lies, deceit, rebellion, disobedience and transgressions cannot stand before God. Those who practice them seal their own fate. We don’t have to fight darkness, its people and influences; all we have to do is stand; stand for God and His ways unmovable and unshakable (Ephesians 6:13). This is the picture of the true soldier in Messiah’s army, adamantly standing in defiance against the influences of the enemy’s world. He doesn’t budge an inch from his position; he knows his Lord has drawn His sword of justice and already destroyed the enemy.

APPROPRIATE GIVING

Proverbs 18:23

The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.

This proverb is a sad expression of the inhumanity of man. We witness the roughness of the rich against the poor in politics and business dealings. Domestically, everyday we hear of working folks loosing their jobs, then their homes due to foreclosure. Internationally , due to the financial manipulations of richer countries, most of the world lives in poverty. Since ancient times, the upper class has always lived their affluent lifestyles though the work of the laboring class. Things have not changed very much.

In reading this proverb, the poor and the working man find the meager consolation that when a rich man insults him, nothing unusual occurs. The poor man may also remember that a warning stands for the rich who divested himself of humanity by mammon; against him, as Isaiah said, who grindeth the poor by hard stubborn-hearted conduct, and grindeth his bashful face (Isaiah 3:15). The master said that in that Day when the books are opened, only the merciful will obtain mercy. Yeshua told of Lazarus who had lived a poor life on earth that now he could rest in the bosom of Abraham, while the other who had lived his comfort on earth, needed to go through the fires of need and poverty.

We must also make a note on the proper way of giving, of merciful giving. Many who are involved in philanthropic activities have no concern whatsoever for the poor. Their generosity is only motivated by a need for personal promotion and free publicity. These individuals and companies would not give anonymously because their whole idea is of advertisement. That is also grinding the face of the poor, using the misfortune of others the make a profit for oneself as much as the person who lends to his bankrupt brother with interest.

The poor may certainly benefit from the action, but in the eyes of God, the virtues and heavenly rewards of any good deed are cancelled out when they are done in order to receive a benefit. In fact, the virtues and heavenly rewards of any obedience to any of God’s commandments are cancelled out when done with personal motivation. Even King David said, I will not give unto Adonai of that which has cost me nothing.

Let us therefore today remember this warning against the hard-hearted who answers roughly to the poor either verbally, or by taking advantage of him.

Let us offend neither in words nor in deeds.

THE FAVORED WIFE

Proverbs 18:22

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

The idea in ‘good wife’ in this text does not refer to a ‘well disposed’ or ‘good natured’ woman, but rather to a ‘favored’, as in ‘favored by God’. Our author speaks of a woman who is part of, or found within the covenanted people.

Marriage in the eyes of the Almighty is a very serious thing. God asked Abraham to send away Hagar and her (his) son. After the return from Babylon, the people of Jerusalem who had married women from the land had to put away their wives and offspring (Ezra 9 and 10). This may sound cruel, but disobedience is a serious thing, and we should not take God’s instructions lightly, especially about Marriage.

While the patriarchs went far and wide to find their wives, waited long in order to find the right one and were blessed, both Ishmael and Esau married the inhabitants of the land. This is one of the reasons why they were not fit for God’s Covenant. I guess God knows that the heart of a man cleaves to that of his wife, so if she is not a covenanted woman, he will stray from God. Yeshua rightly said that we cannot ‘serve two masters’. A woman can definitely make or break a man, so God wants to teach us to take these things seriously.

This principle mostly teaches us about our attitude towards sin. The Scriptures tell us of a man who is ‘bound’ to his sin and iniquity in the way that a man is bound to his wife.

Like Abraham with Hagar, we have to learn to put our sin away from us.

Like Jacob with Laban, we have to have to withstand it and refuse to be bound to it.

Like Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, we have to flee from it even leaving our coat in its clasp as we run away in disgust.

Like King David, we have to hate even the sights and sounds of it.

So shall we be a ‘favored’ wife, fit for our Master.

THE APPROACHING DEADLINE

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

When the Children of Israel arrived near the Promised Land, Moses reproved the people in the long discourse called: Deuteronomy. Moses signs off his reiteration of Torah with the following words:

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: Deuteronomy 30:19

Did Moses really put ‘life and death’ before the people, or was he simply God’s tool in the doing? How did God put life and death before the people? By words; words spoken through Moses His emissary. Yeshua also said of the words He spoke to the people from His Father: the Words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are Life’; . that the Words He spoke to the people from the father as ‘word of life’.

How do we ‘choose life’? How do ‘love’ the ‘fruit’ of God’s ‘ tongue’? How does God’s tongue bring us ‘life and death’? Moses implied that the life or death would incur as per our obedience to these words that he spoke from God. The Words of God can only bring us life when mixed with obedience to the Commandments. Let us not deceive ourselves with the idea that the ‘believe’ in the promise of eternal life through belief in the Son, is a completely ethereal belief, empty of obedience. James warned us that faith in the Son without works is dead, and what are the works of our belief? Obedience to the commandments of the One we believe in. Our author believed that; here what he wrote in another place: For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Proverbs 6:23-24. The flatteries of this evil woman lead us to death. God’s commandment keep us from it.

God has spoken from Mt Horeb. Moses has spoken in the plains of Jordan. Yeshua also came, spoke and sealed God’s contract with us with His blood. Yeshua explained the assignment and he said only God knew the deadline to turn it in. The next time He comes, we will be graded and the report cards will be given to God.

We are without excuse now. Let us therefore known and today ‘eat’ the Words that have been entrusted to us so our children enjoy their fruits in the generations to come.

CRITICALCRITICISM

Proverbs 18:20 KJV
A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

Criticism may be the biggest verbal poison of our day. Do we really need to say to that person whatever we, in our own biased perspective perceive as an error, a mishandling or a mistake? And really, do we do it for the other person’s benefit? For God’s? Or merely to validate ourselves, inflate our ego, all in an effort to sustain our emotional balance and heal the hurt born of an inferiority complex? Or maybe, it comes from an uncontrollable desire to control (pun intended!). The truth is that the world will go on accomplishing the exact purposes of God with or without us.

How many wars, divorces, conflicts, divisions and just plain dramas are initiated and sustained just because we open this mouth of ours too wide and too often. James did tell us that he that offends not in words, the same is a perfect man. In the Scripture, the spoken word is compared to a knife, a fire, a hammer, a poison, just to name a few examples. Aren’t those things that need to be handled carefully? I

Whereas words that we speak seem abstract, in several proverbs, King Solomon teaches us that words define destiny, ours, and that of others. Yeshua and James in the apostolic Scriptures reiterated this same theme. Words, the spoken and the unspoken ones define both our present and our future. The fruits of our words, are the reaction that they create, and that we have to live with.

As the new Gregorian year approaches, people have a habit of making of making new resolutions. Let us remember the precious life-giving Words of our Master who said: It is not what goes in the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth.

May we learn to eat good fruits from the words that either come, or don’t come out of our mouth.

AS WE LIGHT THE LAST CHANUKAH CANDLE…

Psalms 5:9

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulcher; they flatter with their tongue.

What a feeling of utter disgust David had with the accepted moral modus operandi of his generation. David abhorred unfaithfulness to God’s spirit in one’s speech; he detested wickedness of heart (the definition of ‘wicked’ is ‘twisted’, as a ‘wick’ is twisted); he hated lying flatteries.

In our present world, success in the areas of entertainment, politics and commerce often stands on the ability to present a spirit of rebellion against God’s ways, to speak words of hellish deception and to flatter mankind thus leading into evil traps.

If we want to be filled with the spirit of the Lord, we need to empty ourselves of the devil’s data first; we need to develop a holy repugnance for what is not godly. We need to honestly ask ourselves: Do I, like David, Moses, Yeshua and many others, have a holy repugnance for the things of the world, the the very ideas of wickedness, lies and deceit? Do I allow my heart, mind and spirit to be day in and day out filled with things that are opposite to the spirit of God?

As we light our last Chanukah candle tonight, let us remember what we celebrate.

This story of the Maccabees tells of the miracles God does when people decide to refuse the influences of the world and to dedicate themselves to follow His Words of Torah. In our day and age the devil disposes of many media tools to shape and frame our minds.

As we light our last Chanukah candle tonight, let us like the Maccabees of old also shout a shout and say: NO to the devil’s wickedness.

As we light our last Chanukah candle tonight, let us again rededicate the Temple of our bodies, and the lamp of our soul to follow and show the ways of Messiah to the world around us.

YESHUA, OUR JUSTICE

Psalms 5:8 Lead me, O Adonai, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make Thy way straight before my face.

Do you have enemies? Have people hurt you and caused you rancor? Is there bitterness in your heart because of unjustly received evil?

Let us not seek revenge. Let us resist the desire to straighten our own righteous cause. Yeshua is the ”lifter-upper” of the righteous. He is the one who vindicates and fills all those who seek and hunger after His righteousness (Matthew 5:6). We only need to ask Him to help us to stay in His way in spite of all that tries to trip us off. To stay in His way is our greatest vindication. When unjustly buffeted, let us ask the Master, our King of Righteousness to show us how to not be perverted by the desire to return evil for evil.

This desire to exact vengeance is where the devil, who is the enemy of all virtue, wants us. He knows that there is no end to the vicious cycle of vengeance and retribution for evil between men. He also uses these injustices to get us to be led by self-righteous emotions. He knows that whenever we are led by our own emotions, he is the one at the helm of our life instead of the Lord’s spirit. The only way the devil gives up, is if we don’t give in, so don’t give up. Let us pray therefore, and the Master will help us be perfect, as His Father in Heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:38-48).

ONE HEARTBEAT AWAY

Psalms 5:7

But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

Hear the cry of King David, a king who has been harshly humiliated in the face of friend and foe. Hear the assurance of one who, when everything including his own self has failed, has unshakable trust in the multitudes of the mercies of his God.

So many of us live a constant life of misery while all the time the Father waits, with patient and moist eyes, for the slightest inclination of our cry to Him for help. What a mistake we make when we measure the mercy and grace of the eternal God by our poor limited failing and selfish standards of love.. In doing so we separate ourselves from His forgiveness and grace. In doing so, we become as the prodigal son, but afraid to come home.

The Kingdom of Heaven can seem so far away to those who don’t know how to find the Father and His grace and yet, God cries daily for everyone to find it. If they would only for a moment unite their heart with Him, they would find that, just as two heart cells pulsate in unison when in contact, the heart of the Father is just one heartbeat away.

Oh, that we would learn to make a temple of our heart to house the love and the multitudes of the mercies of the Almighty God.

Oh, that our hearts would shine so with His love for the world to see and give Him glory; then, His righteousness would begin to cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.

May our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify the Father which is in Heaven.

NOTE: The word used for mercy in the Hebrew text is: chen: meaning: covenant faithfulness.

MESSIAH MARRIAGE PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS

Proverbs 18:19

A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

Brother are essentially meant to be close. The irony is that we often hurt most those who are closest to us. This phenomenon is probably due to the dynamics of higher expectancies imbedded in more intimate relationships. The solution is to be an island and be close to no one (sarcasm intended!).

Because of this higher expectancy, a brother who has been offended is stronger to win back that a strong city. God seems to agree with this principle: of all the enemies of Israel, of all those whom sought its destruction in ancient times, because he sought the annihilation of his brother Israel, Edom who is Esau gets the strongest ‘ax’ from God in the fact that God annihilated its civilization (Obadiah). Because he was Israel’s brother, Esau was held to higher standards.

Married people are not biologically related, (even though the Song of Salomon merges the two relationships (S.O.S. 4)), but the same phenomenon seems to happen between couples. Because of the higher expectancies in marriage, offenses are more sensitive, and the wounds harder to heal. It is more difficult to forgive and restore a broken trust. The Messiah knows something about that. He also has His marriage problems with His wife’s unfaithfulness! What’s His solution?

The example of Messiah solving his ‘marriage’ issues with His Bride is very beautiful: He pays the price. After evil has been revealed, after confession has been made, He offers the option repentance and return. It is then that, as undeserving as we may be, He pays the price and takes upon Himself to do whatever He can to promote the restoration of trust and unity. He swallows His right to be eternally offended.

The apostle Paul teaches us that nothing can separate us from Messiah’s love (Romans 8). We are not Messiah, but as followers, can we still take sample of Him and be like Him?

IT’S HIS FIGHT

Psalms 5:6

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: Adonai will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

Here is the cry of David, a man who has put the total sum of his trust in the Lord of his salvation. As a result of this trust, this man who does not indulge in exerting vengeance. He does not yield to the temptation to vindicate his own cause by his own means.

This is the beauty of being certain of the righteousness of your cause; of knowing that you are with God and that most of all, God is with you. You do not have to justify yourself to yourself nor to others; you do not even have to argue with the adversary. Any time the righteous and his cause are attacked, the avenging battle belongs to the Lord, and to Him only (Isaiah 63:4).

In all of our battles for Him, let us have the assurance that our heavenly Father God is the One who upholds our cause. May we have the assurance that He Himself will show His power against those who malign His children. Let us not be guilty of the sins of leasing and bloodshed practiced by the enemies of righteousness. In our time of trouble, let us find refuge in God and in the surety that He repays. Moses wisely advised the armies of Israel Adonai shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14

Note from the King James dictionary:
”LEASING”: Falsehood; lies; obsolete or nearly so.