THE HUMILITY OF MOSES

Matthew 11:29                                                                                     

… I am meek and lowly in heart: …

The Hebrew text of Scriptures contains several letters that differ in size, some bigger than the overall text, some smaller; there is even one that is broken in two. We find such a scribal oddity in what corresponds in English to the last letter of the first word of the Book of Leviticus, Vayikra, which is noticeably smaller than the rest of the text. The extreme scrutiny Jewish scribes used in replicating this text throughout millennia forbid us to assume a scribal error. Why would Moses then have diminished the ahlef אלף, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and the last letter of the word Vayikrah , meaning, "And he (God) called)"?

The oracles Moses wrote down cannot just be read as a chronological string of words giving instructions. In the Hebrew biblical text, everything matters; repetitions have their value in emphasis as well as the placement of certain clauses within the text. The particular choice of certain words and their lexical root also tells us much about the underlying meaning behind the text. We are not used to pay such attention to these things while reading the Bible, but this is part of the cultural context of the writing, and sad to say, many of these vital details are lost in translation.

Scholars do not really have a satisfying answer concerning the diminishing of the aleph in Vayikra, the first word of the Book of Leviticus, but since Torah students hate a vacuum, it has left room for speculation and here is the most widely accepted reason for it. Vayikra means, "And he (God) called …" (Lev. 1:1). Moses whom Hashem defined as the humblest of all men did not think himself worthy of being singled out and called by God, so he originally wrote Vayikar (same word without the last ahlef), a much more impersonal inflection of the verb also used when the Angel of the Lord meets with the idolatrous prophet Balaam. Hashem disapproved of Moses' writing style and of the comparison, so Moses reluctantly acquiesced and d that last aleph, but smaller. This story is probably not true, but thus being so, it has it does have its own homiletic value in teaching us the vaues endorsed by the fathers of the Judaism our Master Yeshua.

The sages here describe Moses, the man blessed with the highest form of divine revelation one could ever be blessed with, as a person who did not even feel worthy of his calling. This sets Moses, the greatest of the teachers and prophets of Israel, as a trend setter, a blue-print for teachers and would-be prophets for al ages; one by which even the coming Messiah should be identified (Deut. 18:15). There is a dictum in Judaism which our Master Yeshua used, "With the same measure that a man uses, it will be measured to him" (Matt. 7:2). It is believed that because Moses humbled himself, God also humbled himself as he called Moses from the Tabernacle (Lev. 1:1). In a certain sense, Hashem is not afraid of humbling himself as he did also in sending Yeshua, the prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15), "who , being found in fashion as a man, humbled himself, and became obedient unto death …" (Phil. 2:8).

Many desire to be teachers and prophets and these are good callings. May these called to such offices never forget the blue-print of self-effacement and humility that is to be the earmark of all those Hashem chooses to teach and lead his flock. That is the standard measure that should be used, not eloquence, depth, or intelligence, but the spirit of utter humility because, "He dwells in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite" (Isaiah 57:15).

THE KORBAN THAT 'COMES NEAR' FOR US.

Hebrews 4:14, 16                                                           

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Yeshua the Son of God, … Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

During our whole narrative in the Book of Exodus, Moses had unlimited access to Hashem. Now that the Tabernacle is completed and that the glory of Hashem fills it, Moses cannot go in (Exod. 40:34-35). What happened? This is the great paradox concerning the glorious presence of Hashem inhabiting among us; God is to live within us but the sinful nature we contracted through disobedience in Eden forbids us communion. Hashem therefore must ‘tweak the system’, find a loophole so to speak, in order to make fellowship happen.

In the first verses in the Book of Leviticus, the Almighty reveals his plan and says, “The man who approaches me needs to bring Me a ‘token of approaching’ from his flocks or from his herds” (Lev. 1:2: Literal translation by me). It is unfortunate that for ‘token of approaching’ most English texts use the word ‘sacrifice’, as it does not convey the idea meant in the Hebrew text. The Hebrew word used here is Corban קורבן, a Hebrew word left un-translated from Hebrew in the Mark's narrative of the life of Yeshua (Mark 7:11). What is a Corban?

The Torah teaches that life is in the blood, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement (covering) for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement (covering) by the life" (Lev. 17:11), so the blood of a biblically clean animal is brought forward instead of ours which is corrupted by sin. The Hebrew word Corban is actually a derivative from the Hebrew verb lekarev לקרב, to approach or to come near. Therefore the animal brought forward to the altar not a gift nor a bribe to gain brownie points with God, but a token that helps us come near to Hashem by proxy.

It seems that from the time of Abel through the Levitical service to today, both in Heaven and on earth, the principles of approaching Hashem have remained the same; in essence, we don't. We only approach the Almighty God Creator of Heaven and earth by proxy, through the agency of an acceptable token. In the Tabernacle/Temple on earth through the agency of a clean animal; in the throne in Heaven, through the agency of Yeshua the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 5:6; 13:8; John 14:6).

The Torah (as in Hashem's commandments found in the five books of the Pentateuch) is truly a tutor which teaches us this principle (Gal. 3:24). In a sense this confirms the idea that, "I am ADONAI, I change not" (Mal. 3:6).

May we all grow close to our Agent, Yeshua HaMashiach  המשיח ישוע ; as we confess him on earth, He confesses us to his, and our Father (Mat. 10:32; John 20:17).

"SO NOW ... HOPE ... ABIDE."

ADAR 26

Hebrews 12:12-13

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Here’s to those who battle sickness; to those who find themselves losing faith in the midst of financial or domestic battlegrounds. You out there who’s hands droop in discouragement and whose knees weaken under the weight of the heavy load Hashem seems to have unmercifully allowed to be placed upon your weak shoulders (Hebrews 12:12): has this world gotten you down?

A lady I recently met and who had a full life of serving the cause of the people of God recently realized that she is approaching the last years of her life. After being a very active social creature, she is now handicapped and stuck in the small room of an adult care facility. Feeling sick, lonely, and abandoned even by friends, she confessed to me that two days before she contemplated suicide. She then asked me, “Is it worth it? Is it worth it to wait it out, or should I just end it now?” Another lady friend of mine faced with a cancer resurgence cried in my arms the other day, “Why? Why doesn’t Hashem heal me?” On the other side, my wife presently cares for her sick ninety-nine year-old Swedish aunt who does not believe in God or in any sort of thing such as the after-life. As she realizes that she may not reach the meaningful landmark of one hundred years old, she faces her fate with uncanny pragmatism barely falling short of comforting the doctors who care for her. What is the difference? Why does this lady who does not even believe in God seem to have more peace in the face of sickness and probable death than the ones who do?

Hope; hope is the difference. Those who believe have learned to have hope, but as wise King Solomon said, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick …" (Prov. 13:12). Deferred hope may make the hear sick, but is a cynical life without the life and light of hope better? I don’t think so.

The very design of the tabernacle teaches us about the present and tangible hope that Hashem fulfills all his promises; that if he doesn't do it now in the Olam Hazeh  זהה עולם (this age) he will do it in the Olam Habah  הבא עולם (the Age to Come, the Messianic Age). The great divine plan for the destiny of the world is imbedded in the geography of the Tabernacle. Through it the Holy Spirit teaches us that as long as the protos (the first part of the tabernacle which represents this present age) pursues its unfinished course, the Deuteros (the second part which represents the World to Come where the full atonement of the Master our heavenly High Priest rules, the place where promises are all fulfilled) cannot come (Heb. 9:8-9). Our patriarchs understood that as they all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar (Heb. 11:13).

As we look into this beautiful shadow picture in the design of the Tabernacle, may we look for the World to Come with the hope and assurance from he who fulfills all hopes, and into the second part of the King Solomon’s proverb, “… but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life" (Prov. 13:12).

TAKE HIM HOME!

Matthew 22:37

And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Before starting the construction of the Tabernacle, the Children of Israel were commanded to cease from all sort of creative activity and observe the Shabbat שבת. “Oh but, how can we observe the Sabbath? There is no synagogue, no Tabernacle, no Temple …!"

Faith based on worship at a certain place on a certain day is common to most religious systems. Whereas for community sake it is good and even needed to have regular meetings and fellowships, I wonder if that was Hashem’s core original idea. After all, the synagogue service was only a post-exilic organizational attempt to expose people to the Torah, in order to avoid another exile. The problem is that with such systems, religion gets removed from home’s daily life and revolves around what we do in the place of worship. Our teenagers then see the difference between who we are at home and who we are at the place of worship and feel that we are hypocrites, and maybe we are. What was then Hashem’s core idea?

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (Deut. 6:6-9).

Regardless of our other fellowship activities, our religious lifestyle should be a home-based worship system, where Hashem is involved in every aspect of our lives from the time we wake till the time we sleep. The Jewish Friday night custom of sanctifying (separating/distinguishing) the Sabbath day is a microcosm of the Tabernacle which represents God’s presence with his people. The two candles on the table remind us of the Menorah; the challah bread on the table speaks of the bread of presence; the wine of the daily libation; the festive meal of the Sabbath double-offering portion; and the prayers of the altar of incense. It is home-base service officiated by the  father as the priest for his congregation composed of direct and extended family, as well as friends. The Saturday fellowship at the synagogue is good but it is an extra. I would paraphrase Yeshua and say that, ‘it is Friday night which sanctifies the synagogue service, not the synagogue service which sanctifies Friday night." To go to Saturday service and not sanctify the Sabbath at home on Friday night with our families misses the whole purpose. It’s a family thing. On Friday night it is customary for the husband to give an ode to his wife using Proverbs 31; the wife does the same to her husband and they both bless the children.

Hashem doesn’t just want to fellowship with us in a building somewhere when we are on our best behavior, He wants to be invited to live at the very core of our lives, to hear how we talk to each other at the table, witness how we interact and treat each other during the commonest of household functions. How else can we get his correction input if we just play ‘games’ in front of him (which He is actually not fooled by anyways)?

As we live our lives, may we allow him to be present in all our thoughts. May his bord be in our mouth when we sit in our house, and when we walk by the way, and when we lie down, and when we rise. May we bind them as a sign on our hand, and may they be as frontlets between our eyes. May they be written on the doorposts of our house and on our gates, … and on our hearts. 

THE MICROCOSM OF THE TABERNACLE

John 1:14

And the word … dwelt among us

What does the Tabernacle teach us? Let me now take you on a journey to the feet of Jewish sages who have pondered the question for hundreds of Years.

Many have suggested that as he built the Tabernacle, Bezalel saw it as a microcosm of the creation of the universe. Here is how it works. King David describes the first day of creation when God created the Heavens and the Earth using the following words, "stretching out the heavens like a tent" (Ps. 104:2). So we find that a curtain (similar to that of a tent) was stretched out above the Tabernacle. The colors of the material used also corresponded to the colors of sky and earth. On the second day of creation, God made the firmament as a separation between the waters above and the waters below. Similarly, in the Tabernacle there was a curtain separating one part from another. Just like on the third day of creation God gathered the waters into one area, in the Tabernacle there was also a designated place to gather water in a basin. Corresponding to the luminaries created on the fourth day, we find the menorah with its lights in the Tabernacle. On the fifth day of creation, God created the birds. Similarly, there were birds brought as offerings on the altar of the Tabernacle. And corresponding to the creation of man on the sixth day, the service in the Tabernacle was led by the High Priest. The Torah describes how the work was completed on the seventh day of creation and how that day was blessed and sanctified by God. The idea of the Tabernacle was to make a place for Hashem to live on earth. It represents therefore the restoration of all things to the day when the voice of ADONAI could be heard in the Garden of Eden.

Some have also viewed the Tabernacle as a microcosm of the human body with the Ark as the heart of a person and the cherubs with their wings over the Ark as the lungs that spread out around the heart. They saw the table with the showbread as a person's stomach and the menorah with its oil lamps as a person's mind. The frankincense reminded them of the sense of smell and the water basin of the fluids in the human body. Finally, the curtains were to them a person's skin and the beams represented the ribs. Jewish sages taught that every person is a microcosm of the entire universe just like the Tabernacle.

Jjust like it is the light of the world and of the body, the goal of the making of the Tabernacle was for the light of the Shekinah to come dwell within it, and thus within Israel (Exod. 25:22). ;. As farfetched as these musings may seem, we can’t help but realize that our Jewish sages were on the right track in their understanding of the Tabernacle. After all, did not Paul say that to their advantage, the Jewish people had been entrusted the oracles of God (Romans 3:1-2)? As the spirit of God came to fill the earthly Tabernacle, so it filled the earthly ‘tabernacle’ of the human body of the person of Yeshua who is the representation of the presence of God among us, in God’s created universe (Heb. 1:3; John 1:4; 8:12).

As we study these things, may we look forward to the time when Messiah will once again walk the earth among us.

May it be soon Abba, even in our days!

PATIENCE: NOT A HUMAN VIRTUE

Luke 21:19

By your endurance you will gain your lives.

The episode of the golden calf finds a parallel in the days of the Kings of Israel. In the ninth century B.C.E. Ahab marries the Tyrian princess Jezebel who reintroduces devotion to Baal worship. Before long Israel is deep in apostasy and God sends Elijah the prophet to minister to the wayward Northern Kingdom. Elijah’s efforts culminate to the test on Mt. Carmel where again we have as in the golden calf incident, Israel worshipping a false god in a wild dancing party (Exod. 32; 1 Kings 18).

The events on Mt. Carmel ended a three year drought inflicted on the country through Elijah as an results of their Ba'al worship.  Rabbinic historians say that the drought only lasted fourteen months; why then did both Yeshua and James mention that it lasted three and half year (Luke 4:25; James 5:17)? Joseph Fitzmyer explains that the drought lasted fourteen months straddling over a three and half years period, and that this duration of the drought paralleled the length of the period of distress in apocalyptic literature (Dan. 7:25; Rev. 12:6).

In both the golden calf and the Mt Carmel episode we have an impatient people turning to a wild idolatrous party. In the one they wait for Moses to return with the Torah, in the other they wait for the rain (the Hebrew words for ‘rain’ and ‘Torah’ are of the same etymological family). Will it be the same at the end of time? Hear these Words of warning from the Master, For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matt. 24:37-39). 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. 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 (Matt. 24:46-51).

These last 2,000 years of waiting for the return of the Master may seem long, but not as long as to those from whom the revelation of Messiah has been withheld. We have the assurance that,  After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him (Hos. 6:2) (a day is as thousand years to the Lord (Psalms 90:4;

2 Pet. 3:8)).

May we patiently wait for him, each day doing our best to follow in his footsteps and shining the light of his Torah to all around us. May he find us and ours doing so at his return.

May it be soon, even in our days!

FRESH IDOL SOUP!

1 Corinthians 10:14

… flee from idolatry.

IDOL SOUP RECIPE: You will need: 1 freshly worshipped golden calf; 1 angry prophet; a large rock; a big stick; a pestle and mortar; 1 blazing open-flame fire; a generous supply of water.

Remove idol from its elevated platform; meanwhile, heat open fire to full strength. Handling roughly, toss idol into open flames. Allow image to thoroughly melt. Wait till gold has assumed a shapeless mass. Poke with stick to make sure it is completely melted before extinguishing fire. Allow gold to cool. Once cold, crush gold with big rock into medium size chunks. Thoroughly grind gold chunks with pestle and mortar until they reach a powder-like consistency. Spread powder over surface of the water. Serve cold. Serves 603,550.

(Courtesy of First Fruits of Zion Ministries).

In the incident of the golden calf, God treated the Israelites like the woman suspected of adultery (emphasis on ‘suspected’). Here is the passage about it,

And if the spirit of jealousy comes over him (the husband) … the man shall bring his wife to the priest … And the priest shall take holy water … and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. … And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself … the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, …  But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children (Num. 5:14-28).

In the last part of the section the Hebrew says, "she shall bear seed". I believe that Hashem is knowledgeable of human biology and that he knows that women do not bear seed. We also find the mention of a woman bearing seed in I will put enmity between … your offspring and her offspring (Hebrew text for offspring: seed) (Gen. 3:15), so this is not the first time that the Tanach תנך conceives the idea of the ‘seed’ of the woman. Both these references about women bearing seed are formidable Messianic expressions. The first one speaks of the final demise of the devil by the only woman (Miriam) to ever conceive seed without the agency of a man (Mat. 1:18—20), while the other speaks of the future destiny of Israel. How does that work?

The woman in question is merely suspected of adultery; she has not been caught in the act. If she had been, she would be stoned right away, but she is only suspected of adultery and that probably because of uncomely behavior. She shall then be put to the bitter water test; if she really is guilty she should become deadly sick and a curse to her people. Israel as a nation has been put through the bitter waters tests of Sinai, and of exile, but in the end has come out victorious. Looking at the full story, we see Israel again, the Israel of the believers, in the woman of Revelation 12 bearing seed from among the gentiles as a sign of her restoration.

Sometimes the Father allows us to go though bitter times. If our heart is pure towards him, these passing moments of our lives only enhance our station. Bitter times are coming to test all those that live upon the earth (Rev. 3:10). As in Horeb, these bitter times will also take the shape of an idolatrous image (Rev. 13:14). May we keep our heart pure from the world, that we may be found guiltless and bear ‘seed’ unto him.

IDOLATRY TODAY

1 Corinthians 8:4

…  "an idol has no real existence,"…

When Israel made the Golden Calf, they were not transferring their worship of Hashem to that of another deity. In their mind, they were still worshipping Adonai, albeit in a syncretized version. A literal translation of what Moses says in Exodus 32:4 reads: "this is your God Israel who brought you out of Egypt". They thought they could worship Adonai by the medium of something familiar, in this case the calf. Contrary to the claimed deities of the day, being the Creator of all things, the God of Abraham did not want to be represented through the mere medium of one His creations.

Let's look at idolatry in religion today. While the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church are a mixed bowl of ancient Jewish Messianism and their respective pagan cultures, Western Protestantism seems to have has adopted a form of religion that is very reminiscent to Hellenic ascetism and transcendentalism, along with an anti-Biblical materialism philosophy that over glorifies independence, wealth, and prosperity over the virtues of generosity, humility, and a submissive spirit.

There is also a form idolatry that empowers words of affirmation, astral bodies, and geometric shapes, through fear and acknowledgment. Hashem indeed created all languages, geometry, and the astral bodies, all in order to glorify Him (Revelations 4:11); that is why the enemy is intent on high-jacking creation for his own purposes. Witches today center their worship around new moons, and call some of their feast days ‘Sabbaths’. Does it mean that we should stop obeying God’s commandment to sanctify the new moon and remember the Sabbath just because the devil perverted these things (Numbers 29:6; Exodus 20:8)? Should we stop recognizing God’s Holy Days just because pagans also have special days (Colossians 2:16)? In the Bible God used a brazen snake on a pole to heal His people. They were told if they just gaze at it they will live. Several hundred years later, a Judean King Josiah had to destroy it because people had made it an object of worship (Numbers 21:8; 2 Kings 18:4).  

As a French-born naturalized American, as long as I am on American soil the laws of France cannot affect me. In the same manner, when we renounce allegiance to the enemy, as long as we remain on spiritual God’s territory, none of the devil’s trinkets have power over us. Idols, astral bodies, and geometric shapes only have the power we allot them through fear or ignorance.

Judaism teaches that when we use an element of creation for the glory of God we capture it from the hands of the enemy to the glory of God. Wood can make an idol, but also an Ark to house a Torah scroll. Metal can make money, the love of which is the source of all evil, but it also can be fashioned into a head piece to crown the King of Kings. Mathematics, Geometry, physics and astronomy are all related as sciences proving God’s ownership of creation.

It is high time we recapture God’s creation and give it back to him, along with our own hearts, minds, souls, and spirits.

THE 'RENEWED' COVENANT.

John 14:8

"Adoni, show us the Father,”

The Children of Israel blew it. Impatient for the return of Moses they make themselves a god of gold. They did not transfer their loyalty to an idol of gold. Unfamiliar with the idea of an unseen god with no image or temple, they concretized the unseen One who had qualified Himself by taking them out of Egypt into the similitude of a calf. Hashem seems to have an issue with identity theft.

Israel played the harlot during her betrothal so God calls off the wedding. The first covenant made at Sinai is already broken. Israel, the bride is technically allegeable to the death penalty. Justice is an invariable concept. When justice is not paid, we give way to injustice and God cannot be found to be unjust. Justice has to be given its due but here where Moses found a legal loophole: it doesn’t matter by whom it is paid. In this case, Moses negotiates with Hashem. Moses drives a hard bargain. Knowing that the Father wants to destroy Israel but that he also himself found favor in the sight of God, Moses places himself on the side of Israel. He stops talking in 'I', ‘You’, and ‘them’ terms, but uses ‘we’, and ‘You”. Therefore if God kills Israel, He has to also kill Moses. Moses saves the day by identifying himself with Israel, by putting his own life on the line alongside Israel. As a result, by the righteousness of one, the whole nation is saved. This is a very important concept foreshadowing Messiah’s mission.

Having heard Moses’ pleas, Hashem rewards his sacrificial stand and shows His True compassionate nature by renewing the broken covenant. It will be the same covenant but renewed, not a new covenants such, this 'renewed covenant' (brit Chadasha) carries the same terms as the first one.

Hashem does so because of His own character and desire. In the third chapter of the Book of Exodus, as the Almighty Creator of the Universe reveals His identity to Moses,. He uses the words “HEHIYEH ASHER HEHIYEH”, or “I Will Be That I Will Be” (Exodus 3), which means something to the essence of “I Am the Eternal Existential Being and I keep Covenant Forever’. In Exodus thirty-four, Hashem continues revealing His identity. He does so using a list of thirteen attributes. These attributes represent the Father’s compassionate nature and are a central motif in Jewish liturgies. Because Hashem is forgiving and compassionate, there will be a wedding in Horeb after all.

It is so funny that so many people think that divine grace and forgiveness is something our Master Yeshua brought, and that it didn’t exist before. Yeshua’s grace was only a reflection of the Father’s never-changing willingness to atone and forgive. Yeshua came to show and represent the Father's eternal comapssion to us. Do we forget that it is actually God who so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)?

STAND AND BE COUNTED

John 10:3

… He calls his own sheep by name …

The Torah tells us that when a census is taken, each man is to bring the price of his atonement to avoid the plague (Exodus 30:12-13). A census in the Bible is a very serious and dangerous thing. It means to be counted and recognized as a full subject of the Kingdom of God. In that moment, regardless of our social standing, our worth is the same as anyone else. It is the time when our name and lineage are fully recognized in front of all Israel. This is the time when a man stands in the full posture of his person to be counted.

The price of a man’s ransom is universal: half a shekel. The half a shekel price is not to be understood as a payment for salvation in the liking of the old catholic indulgences to redeem us from our sins. The Hebrew word used here is ‘kaphar’, a word meaning: covering’ or ‘atonement’ (Exodus 30:12). It is an awesome thing to come into the presence of God to be counted; we need a covering. In the Hebrew Scriptures, Messiah is often called the ‘Shield” (Psalms 5:12). Messiah truly is our shield whose agency connects us safely to the Almighty. The money collected is to be used for the maintenance of God’s sanctuary. Through it, we each and all take personal responsibility for our enrolment into Israel and for the care of the Temple. Our giving makes us a part of the work of God.

Censuses were often taken for the purpose of military enrolment when only male twenty on up were counted. The reasons a census incurred a plague are not given to us clearly in the Torah text, so they have been left to scholars’ personal deduction and speculations. One thing is sure though: we want to be part of such a census. From Genesis to Ezra, Israel was numbered on nine occasions. The tenth time will be in the future when ‘… flocks shall again pass under the hands of the One (Messiah) who counts them, says Adonai (Jeremiah 33:13).   

In that day, the Messiah will be counting His sheep from both Israel and the nations: He is our ‘half-shekel’, whose confession is priceless as the shield of our souls while dangerous in the world of men. In my case, a long time ago it caused me the scorn and separation of my family; hasn’t He said that He came as a stumbling and an offence (1 Peter 2:6-8)?

No matter what anyone does to them; those counted in this final census, in the census of all census' at the end of He says, I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand (John 10:28).  

PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

Mark 4:40

“Have you still no faith?"

The Master sails on a small fishing boat with His student. They are crossing the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35). As a great storm arises almost filling the boat with water (Mark 4:37), the disciples begin to be swamped and feel in danger (Luke 8:23). The Master sleeps soundly in the stern of the boat. This passage alludes to Jonah’s story which narrates, But Adonai hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep (Jonah 1:4-5). In both stories the main character sleeps peacefully during a dangerous storm; terrified sailors awaken the sleeper and rebuke him; the principal character has the solution to the danger; the storm miraculously calms down; the sailors are amazed; and the boats in both stories are on route to a gentile city; the fact that in Mark’s account the disciples meet a pig herder tells us so.

From their cave carved in the rock, two demoniacs look down towards the lake below in fear and trembling. The spirits in them are panicking. They know exactly who is coming, And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us (Hebrew idiom for: ‘don’t meddle with us’), O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time" (Matthew 8:28-29)? Evil spirits know they look forward to a time of everlasting judgment (1 Enoch 10:13; 55:4). They were surprised to see Yeshua a bit early so they panicked and reminded the Master that their time had not arrived yet. Yeshua took pity on the poor victims and delivered them which created a mixed reaction among these gentiles. On the one hand they rejoiced for the healing, but it came at the cost of their herd.

Even so today the Master’s footsteps are heard and evil spirits fear in anticipation of their coming eternal fiery future. His people are being restored to the Land and His message crosses borders reaching all nations creating mixed reactions. Because he knows his time is at hand, the enemy fills the world with political, financial, social, theological and physical storms which creates fear but again the Master says, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith (Mark 4:40)”? The worst I fear is the storm of new technologies which floods our youth with evil media and ungodly relationships. The evil one tries to destroy the generation that will have to maybe face him before they even get a chance. He will actually succeed in establishing himself for a while, but only for awhile for the King of Kings rises to deliver His people, He will also deliver those of the nations and send the evil ones to their everlasting torment (Revelations 19:11-21).

May it come soon Abba, even in days! 

PEACE AND UNITY

Matthew 5:9

"Blessed are the peacemakers”

As Aaron is anointed High-priest, he became a foreshadow of Messiah. The one time anointing of Aaron is remembered in Psalms 133 in the following words, Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there Adonai has commanded the blessing, life forevermore (Psalms 133:1-3). Why did David compare Aaron’s anointing to peace and unity? We have learned before of the little scheme Aaron used to get people at odds with each other back in fellowship. Jewish sages taught that we should emulate Aaron in our efforts to bring peace within our families and communities.

 We all search for peace and unity but seem to be plagued with division and conflicts. Maybe we have a wrong idea of what peace and unity are. Peace and unity does not mean 'absence of conflict' and uniformity. Debates from differences of opinions are healthy. They keep us intellectually alive and sharp while seeking for better answers. Also, as humans, we are naturally divided into cultural groups and thought patterns. Who said that we were all supposed to be uniformed zombies all thinking the same thing? Hashem made us human beings with free will, not preprogrammed robots.

What creates our inability to be together is not the way Hashem made us, but the way we react to those that are different from us. We generally fear that which we do not understand and do not have the control over, and that is what causes the problem. We all believe in unity but because of our fear mixed with intolerance, we want that unity to orbit around us.  

The Master had around Him twelve men coming from diverse walks of life, culture, and religious affiliation from Israel, and He taught them to love, accept, understand each other, so they could work together. As a result, they taught about the God of Israel to the whole world. Let us therefore learn not to concentrate on what divides us but on what unites us; not on what we dislike but on what we appreciate about each other; not to merely see each other, but see Yeshua, the image of the Father in our brethren.

Didn't our Master say, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9)?

THE URIM AND THE THUMMIM, lost and returned!

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

One of the mysteries of ancient Israel is the ‘Urim and Thummim’: ‘Lights’ and ‘Perfections’ (Exodus 28:29-30). According to tradition, these referred to the twelve stones set in the High-Priest’s breastplate and were often used to consult God’s will. Only the High-Priest would wear them and only a king or prominent leader could inquire of them. The High-Priest and the inquirer would stand in the ‘Holy’, the first chamber of the tabernacle, and the answer would be given by the light of the Menorah shining on certain letters from the names of the tribes written on the stones of the breastplate.

Until they were lost with the destruction of the first Temple, Israel often consulted with Hashem by the means of the Urim and Thummim. One of the most popular examples is how Saul turned to the witch of Andor when a priest deprived him from the linen ephod carrying the Urim and Thumim by bringing them to David, who through their consultation was always able to stay one step ahead of Saul. (1 Samuel 23:6; 28:6).

Hashem wants us to consult Him (Proverbs 3:5-7). Why did He allow the Urim and Thummim to disappear? Only He knows, but during the time of the Babylonian exile Israel filled the void by developing systems of studies that kept them close to the Word and thereby to Hashem. After the exile, Ezra established these systems in rural center synagogues in a yearly Torah reading program.

When the people returned from the Babylonian captivity, Ezra also worked at re-establishing the Temple priesthood. When some families could not prove their Levitical descent, they were refused the offices of the priesthood (Ezra 2:61-62). Their name was not enough. They needed to be found written in the registry. Disobedience had had a disastrous effect on the country so Ezra was therefore determined to stick to the Torah commands about Levitical priesthood; circumstantial evidence was not accepted. Ezra then told potential priests, not to partake of the most holy food, until there should be a priest to consult Urim and Thummim (Ezra 2:63), a prophetic statement which lends itself to the idea that one day, a High-Priest will return with the Urim and Thummim.

Only that High-Priest-Priest, He who is Light and Perfection truly knows whose name is written in the ‘registry’ (Hebrews 5:5; Revelations 20:15). He promised through Moses and confirmed through Peter that we are a nation of priests (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5, 9). As Yeshua HaMashiach returns with the Urim and Thummim, He will confirm whose name is written in the ‘Book’. We will then be able to partake of the ‘most holy food’, that of the ‘peace offering’ (Leviticus 7:31-32).

In the mean time may we, through the agency of the Holy Spirit learn to consult Him about all our affairs. May we learn to seek His advice and follow it no matter what it says.

THE OIL OF THE SHEKINAH

From the time of its introduction to Israel, the world has been rich in speculations concerning the seven-branch candelabrum of the Tabernacle. Since He hasn't told us what its seven mysterious lights are about, studies abound with Menorah enthusiasts desirous to fill this knowledge void. They may all be right, they may all be wrong. Hashem certainly has a way of teasing our curiosity.

From their position in the tabernacle, the menorah lights shined on the twelve loaves of the bread of presence representing the tribes of Israel. Agreeing with Jewish sages of the past, Yeshua not only informed us that He was the light of the world, but that His disciples were also the light of the world (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14). In the words of Jewish sages, the Hebrew word 'or' which stands for 'light', not only refers to physical illumination, but also to mental understanding and mostly, spiritual enlightenment.

The menorah was fueled by scented oil specially prepared for that purpose (Exodus 25:6). In the mouth of the Torah sages, this oil represents our earthly works of obedience to Hashem's commandments. In telling us '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), the Master encourages our obedience to Torah in a way that it becomes a light bearing witness to God in the world. In that 'light', the Master's parable of the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom becomes 'clear'. They all had the 'light', but without the oil of obedience the five foolish virgins' lamps quit burning exposing the shame of their dark spiritual state in which they could not face the bridegroom.  

Scholars taught that Hashem's shekinah (indwelling presence) rests on His children like the wick of an oil lamp. To burn bright and strong this wick not only needs to be trimmed, but also deeply immersed in oil. May our lives provide this oil that the presence of God in us through the agency of His Mashiach may be seen and felt by all, providing light and warmth to the very dark and cold world around us.

THE FRAGRANCE OF GETHSEMANE

2 Corinthians 2:14-15

For we are the aroma of Messiah to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

There is a fragrance reserved for the anointing of the holy. It is a fragrant scent distinguishing the consecrated from the profane (Exodus 29:7; 30:22-33).  As a man distinguishes his wife’s perfume personalized by her own scent, it is a sign for all to recognize what has been consecrated to God.

This oil has a special name. It is called: ‘Shemen HaMashiach’: ‘The Anointing Oil’. “Mashiach’ in Hebrew simply means ‘anointed one’, and the use of this oil was reserved to anoint the offices that required it such as priest, king and prophet. Only three people were known to carry the three offices: Moses, King David, and Yeshua. There is a decree of banishment for whoever replicates this oil or pours it on a common person (Exodus 30:31-33).

Exodus speaks of this fragrance in sacrificial terms, but in Song of Songs it appears in a lover’s language. ‘Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine; your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you (Song of Songs 1:3)’. The Torah’s fragrant oil is called: ‘Shemen HaMashiach’. Oil poured out’ speaks of someone being anointed; the context of the Song is about King Solomon’s kingship, the son of King David. This verse therefore from the Song of Song alludes to the future coming One, the Messianic King who will be known as: Messiah, or ‘The Anointed One’. It is remarkable that one of the steps of His anointing was a passage at a place called 'The Olive Press": Gethsemane.

The Apostolic Scriptures take up the theme of the Anointing Oil in the following terms: But thanks be to God, who in Messiah always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Messiah to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). Through Moses God promised that Israel will become a nation of priests. As the Levites are the priesthood for Israel, Israel is the priesthood for the world. About fifteen hundred years later Galilean Jewish fisherman Peter tells the mixed (Jews and Gentiles) congregation of Messiah that they are a royal priesthood (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9).

As a nation of priests dedicated unto God we are now carriers of the holy scented oil. May our lives truly exhale His fragrance in every case and every situation we meet throughout the day lest we profane the Spirit that is vested in us.