The story of Purim can be found in the book of Esther. Esther, a Jewish girl, became the queen to King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) who was the king of the Persian Empire. Her cousin Mordecai was one who sat at the king’s gate. He raised Esther as his own, and when she became queen, he instructed her not to tell the king that she was Jewish. Mordecai ends up saving the king when he hears of a plot against him. This would later come to bless Mordecai and his cousin and all the Jewish people in Persia. Haman, the king’s right hand man, hated Mordecai and his people and made the king to decree a law that could not be overturned: a law to eliminate all the Jewish people. Mordecai goes to the queen and tells her all that he has found out about Haman and his plan. Esther did not want to get involved, so Mordecai makes this profound statement: “Who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Esther realizes that she must save her cousin and her people. Esther and her people begin a fast and they pray; during this time, the king realizes that he never thanked Mordecai for saving his life. So he calls in Haman and tells him that he must put the royal robes on Mordecai and sit him on the king’s horse and parade him around the town saying, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.” Haman’s hatred has not spilled over, and he goes into the king’s chambers just to find Esther who has come in unannounced!

Silence fills the chambers and everyone looks to see if the king will punish her for coming unannounced; but instead, he welcomes her and she asks him to come to a banquet in his honor. So he and Haman attend her banquet. The king tells her to make her request and he would even give her up to half his kingdom if she asked for it. Esther could not make her request yet, so she asks him to come again the next day. This time, she tells the king that Haman wants to kill the queen and her people. The king arose in anger and had Haman and his son hanged. He promoted Mordecai and he wrote a new decree that said that all the Jewish people could arm themselves on the day that was set to annihilate them.

So the Jews had victory over their enemies, and they made the 14th and 15th day of Adar (usually in March, one month before Passover) a day to celebrate, and they called the days Purim. Purim was a great victory that all who believe in the One True Living God can celebrate, for God gives his people the victory in all circumstances when we have faith in Him. Purim is not a holy feast of the Lord, but it is worth remembering.

Ways To Celebrate Purim

– Have a Purim play. When the name Haman is mentioned, it is traditional to boo. When the name Mordecai is mentioned, it is traditional to cheer. It’s something that children or adults can do or even the whole family together.

– Children can color and make masks of Esther, Mordecai, the king, and even Haman. Cut them out and place them on popsicle sticks.

– You can have a dress-up party and each dress as one of the Purim characters.

– Have a party with food and snacks.

Children and adults alike can celebrate Purim, but don’t forget to read the book of Esther, and always remember as you party that God gave the victory to have this party. There is so much you can do. Use your imagination and make your own traditions and memories.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is another story of faith and a great victory given by God. We find this story in the book of Maccabees. The story, in a nutshell, is about the Jewish people who were ruled by the king of Syria, King Antiochus. Antiochus fulfilled the prophecy in Daniel and Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) warning in Matthew, and he also represents the Antichrist in the book of Revelation. Antiochus wanted all the Jews to stop practicing the Torah and follow his pagan ways. But the Jewish people refused, so he murdered anyone who rebelled against him and destroyed their homes. He stormed the temple, defiled it, and replaced the Ark of the Covenant with a pagan god. Many Jews ran and hid, but not Mattathias and his five sons.

When Mattathias could no longer fight, he appointed his son Judah to be their leader. He told them, “Be strong and brave.” Judah was called Maccabee, “the Hammer,” and many people followed him and fought against the Syrians until they finally reached Jerusalem. They first went into the temple, which by now was all filled with weeds in the outer courtyard, and they took down the pagan idol and restored the temple and its courtyards and rebuilt the altars. They rebuilt the menorah and exactly three years to the date, relit the menorah and rededicated the temple. For eight days, beginning on the 25th day of Kislev, they celebrated joyfully before the Lord, for He had given them a great victory against all odds. Hanukkah is a victory all believers in the One True Living God can celebrate because He gives His people victory over the adversaries in their lives. Hanukkah is not a holy feast of God, but a time to remember and celebrate God’s power.

Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah

– Read the story in the book of Maccabees.

– Because Hanukkah is also about the miracle of the oil, jelly donuts and latkes (potato pancakes) are on the menu.

– Gift-giving and charity are also on the menu.

– Dreidel game with chocolate coins is a must. The dreidel was used by children during those days to learn their Torah lessons. You can find how to play online.

– Every day, light your Hanukkah menorah. It has a place for 9 candles, and each night you take the middle candle called the shamash and light the first candle for the first day; then the next day you take the middle candle and light the second candle followed by the first, and so on for eight days. If you are Jewish, here are the blessings that you read:

First night only – “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season, Amen.”

Every night – “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah light, Amen.”

Every night – “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the universe, who did miracles for our forefathers in those days and at this season, Amen.”

If you are a Gentile believer, you can read this before lighting the candles: “Blessed are you, Lord our God, who has given us Your Messiah Yeshua and You have given your people a great victory over the adversary by taking us out of the kingdom of darkness into Your kingdom of light.”

– Celebrate with family and friends and decorate with festive greenery.

July is the month that we celebrate our freedom here in the United States. From the beginning of this great country to today, brave men and women have fought and died to keep us free. America is like no other nation when it comes to freedom. We are blessed to be citizens of a free country, though the Bible tells us that we are to be citizens not of an earthly country, but a heavenly one: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah” (Philippians 3:20-21). Over the years, great kingdoms have come, and great kingdoms have gone. There has been the rise and fall of empires over history, but there is one kingdom that will never end, and that kingdom is the kingdom of God the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, all that is seen and unseen, known and unknown. Great is His kingdom! Today we want to look at this great kingdom and the one who died for us to set us free.

In the Beginning, There Was Two

There are two kingdoms: the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. These kingdoms were established at the time of creation when God separated the light from the darkness in Genesis 1:2-5: “And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. And God called the light day and the darkness He called night, and there was evening and there was morning, one day.” This was before God created the sun, moon, and stars in verses 14-19 on the fourth day of creation. So we see this first separation of light and darkness goes beyond the light and darkness that we understand. John tells us that “God is all light, and there is no darkness in Him,” (1 John 1:5). Yeshua (Jesus) tells us that He is the Light of the world: “He who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of day” (John 8:12). What does He mean by “day?” 1 Thessalonians 5:5 tells us, “For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor darkness.” Paul tells us in Galatians 5:1, “It was for freedom that Messiah set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

Yeshua, our mighty warrior, came to give us freedom. He won the battle on the Cross of Calvary. He bought us our freedom. He redeemed us and set us free. Paul tells the Colossians in chapter 1:13-14, “For He (Yeshua) delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

You see, our sins made us slaves to a hard taskmaster in the kingdom of darkness, and we had no way of freeing ourselves from this bondage which had control over us. “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of death?” (Romans 7:24). But Yeshua our Messiah came and set us free. He delivered us just like He (God) delivered the people in the time of the Exodus from Egypt; but this time, Yeshua was the Passover lamb that laid down His life, and His blood covers us from the death angel. The writer to the Hebrews tells us in chapter 2:14-15, “Since the children (that’s us) are of flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who through fear of death (for the wages of sin is death) were subject to slavery.”

Romans 8:1-2 tells us, “For there is now no condemnation for those who are in the Messiah Yeshua. For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

“But now having been freed from sin and now free to serve God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome eternal life,” (Romans 6:22). So we see that because of our sin we became slaves in the kingdom of darkness, and death was our final outcome. We needed a savior who would save us and redeem us and deliver us out of bondage and take us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. That savior was and is Yeshua, who for the sake of freedom came and delivered us out of bondage. He laid down His life. He fought the spiritual battle to give us the victory, to give us our freedom.

But we are not to use our freedom to continue in sin (Romans 6:14-15). In fact, just the opposite—we are to crucify our flesh and the desires that lead us in sin. Galatians 5:24 tells us, “Now those who belong to Messiah Yeshua have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

At the End There Is One

We see that our Savior not only delivered us from sin and death, but that He will totally destroy the kingdom of darkness so that light will prevail for all eternity. Revelation 17:14 tells us, “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” Isaiah 42:13 also says, “The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse the zeal like a man of war, He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a battle cry. He will prevail against His enemies.” Yes, Messiah is a mighty warrior, and He fights for us every day to give us the victory in our lives. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

At this time that we celebrate our freedom in this country, let us also remember our mighty warrior Yeshua who came also for the sake of freedom.

The Sabbath is a topic of heated debate among believers in Yeshua (Jesus). Most hold the opinion that we no longer should observe the seventh-day Sabbath. In this brochure, we will try to lay out exactly what the Sabbath is and what its place can be in the lives of believers.

The first question to ask is, what is the Sabbath? This English word comes from the Hebrew word shabbat, which means “rest.” The first mention of the Sabbath in the Bible is in the creation account: “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:1-3). Not only did God Himself rest on the seventh day, but He blessed it and set it apart as holy (sanctified it). He took a step back to delight in the work He had accomplished. Surely He didn’t rest because He was tired and needed a break. His actions were done in order to set an example for all who would choose to follow Him. Often the Sabbath is thought of only in that it is one of the Ten Commandments, but as Scripture shows us, this day has been holy from the beginning.

The Sabbath’s history is reiterated in the fourth commandment: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy… For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:8-11). You can see by the wording that it was already an established practice: it was not something new for them to do, but something that they must remember to continue in. Furthermore, the Sabbath is spoken of as something which is not just for a time, but rather it is a sign between God and His people forever (Exodus 31:16-17).

Continuing throughout the Scriptures, we see the Sabbath is a source of blessing for those who follow God, both Jew and Gentile: “Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD… every one who keeps from profaning the Sabbath and holds fast My covenant; even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:6-7). We see again that the observance of the Sabbath is for all time: “‘For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I make will endure before Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘so your offspring and your name will endure. And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me,’ says the LORD” (Isaiah 66:22-23).

In examining these Scriptures, it would seem that the seventh-day Sabbath was not something God intended to ever do away with. But what did Yeshua have to say about it?

In Matthew 12, we see Yeshua in conflict with some of the religious leaders. Their argument was that His disciples, in picking and eating grain, were violating the Sabbath. What was Yeshua’s response? Did He tell them that the Sabbath didn’t matter anymore, or that it was now to be observed only Spiritually and not physically? No, instead He argues that they were not breaking the Sabbath by feeding themselves. In Mark’s account of this story, the words are included, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Returning to the book of Matthew, we see that Yeshua then goes into the synagogue and heals a man’s hand, declaring, “Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:11). The point was not that people should go around deliberately breaking the Sabbath to avoid minor inconveniences, but that if there is a circumstance where alleviating suffering can be done, but doing it would violate the Sabbath, the deed should be done. Just as the hunger of David’s men and the priestly duties took higher precedence, so too does doing good deeds.

One common belief about the Sabbath is that it has been moved to Sunday. This position is not supported by the Bible. According to records of the actions of early believers, it was a custom to meet together on the first day of the week for fellowship and prayer. However, they did this on top of honoring the Sabbath, not without it. Over time, anti-Jewish bias and misinterpretation of Scripture led to the acceptance of Sunday as the hallmark day of Christianity, replacing the Sabbath. Certain misunderstood sections of the epistles, such as Romans 14:5, Colossians 2:16, and Galatians 4:10, are all cited to support an anti-Sabbath view. However, when the context of each of these passages is considered, it is easy to see that the validity of the Sabbath was never in question here. To individually address these passages is beyond the scope of this brochure, but in summary, when reading these passages we must understand who Paul was writing to, as well as the fact that Scripture cannot contradict itself.

God created the Sabbath as an eternal source of joy and delight for man. Neither Yeshua nor the early disciples who followed Him taught that the Sabbath was done away with. By choosing to ignore its significance, we are refusing a wonderful blessing which God desires to give us in this world as a sign and foretaste of the world to come.

Observing the Sabbath

– The Biblical day begins at sundown, so the Sabbath starts on Friday night at sunset and goes until sunset on Saturday.

– Traditionally, the Sabbath is bookended by two services: one on Friday evening to welcome in the Sabbath and another on Saturday evening to close the Sabbath.

– On the morning of the Sabbath, another service is held. Included in this service is the public reading of Scripture in a predetermined reading cycle, which works through the Torah (first five books of the Bible) in one year. Along with the Torah portion, an accompanying section of the Haftarah (the Prophets) is read, and for believers, a New Testament reading is included as well.

– The remainder of the Sabbath may be spent in rest, prayer, study, and fellowship. Reflect on and enjoy God’s creation, since on this day His creative work was finished. Rest in the work of our Messiah (Matthew 11:28), looking forward to when our rest will be made complete (Hebrews 4:9-11, Isaiah 66:22-23).

Passover is one of the seven major Appointed Times of God. It is the time that commemorates the freedom of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. God tells Moses, “On the tenth of this month (Nisan on the Jewish calendar), each man is to take a lamb for his family, one per household… You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, and then the entire assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter it at dusk. They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the two sides and top of the doorframe at the entrance of the house in which they eat it… Here is how you are to eat it: with your belt fastened, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you are to eat it hurriedly. It is the Lord’s Passover.” This will be a day to remember and celebrate as a festival to the Lord from generation to generation. You are to celebrate it by a perpetual regulation.

Unleavened Bread

“For seven days you are to eat matzah; on the first day remove the leaven from your houses… You are to observe the Festival of Matzah (sundown of the fourteenth day), for on this very day I brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12). Leaven represents sin. How significant this feast is when you think that Yeshua (Jesus) was sinless, and He took upon Himself all of our sins (leaven) so that now we can be a sinless offering to God, Unleavened Bread!

Messiah Our Passover Lamb

The apostle Paul tells us, “Clean out the leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Messiah our Passover Lamb also has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

Paul also tells us that we are to examine ourselves before partaking in the meal of the Lord. The Passover was to be performed year after year as a remembrance. Our Messiah tells us the same thing, but He adds that not only are we to remember Moses and the Israelites and how God delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians, but we are also to remember how God sent His only Beloved Son to die on our behalf so we too may have the same experience of being delivered out of the hand of Satan, who held us in bondage. And so we remember as we partake of the Seder Meal that the matzah represents His body and the Cup of Redemption represents His blood, and for this, we too must prepare our hearts to receive.

Don’t Forget the First Fruits!

In later years, the Jews combined the feasts of Passover (the fourteenth day) and Unleavened Bread (the fifteenth day) and called it all the Season of Passover. But during this time, another feast day occurs: the Feast of First Fruits. This feast is on the sixteenth day of Nisan. It includes the offering of the first fruits of the barley harvest. It was at this time that Messiah rose. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 tells us that Messiah has been raised from the dead, becoming the first fruits of those who are asleep. This began the countdown to the next feast, the Feast of Pentecost.

During the time between the first fruits and Pentecost, fifty days, the people would count every day and this was called the counting of the Omer. This represented the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Mount Sinai and our journey from slavery to life. The Torah was given at Mt. Sinai on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was also given on the day of Pentecost to the Apostles. Scripture tells us in Ephesians 6:17 that the Sword of the Spirit in God’s armor is the Word of God, thus linking the two together!

It’s all worth remembering; it’s all worth celebrating!

The Seder Plate

The word seder means “order,” and it all corresponds with the Exodus from slavery to freedom. As you partake in the meal, remember your own deliverance from slavery into freedom.

Shank bone (Zeroah): represents the lamb that was sacrficed on that Passover eve in Egypt.

Roasted Egg (Beitzah): a symbol of mourning that the temple does not stand any longer; but we know that one day Yeshua will rule and reign from Jerusalem.

Bitter Herbs (Maror): usually horseradish; it reminds us of the bondage in Egypt and our former bondage to sin.

Vegetable (Karpas): parsley is used to allude to the crushing labor, and it is dipped in salt water to remind us of the tears of the Israelites as they cried out to God.

Sweet paste (Charoset) : a mixture of apples, spices, and grape juice which represents the mortar used between the bricks the Israelites made in Egypt.

Lettuce (Chazeret): this reminds us of life and how we can go from joy to sadness when sin enters our lives and enslaves us.

Unleavened Bread (Matzah): the bread of affliction.

Four Cups of Wine

1. Cup of Sanctification: “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” Israel is marked as God’s chosen.

2. Cup of Deliverance: “I will deliver you from their bondage.” This reminds us that we were in great need of deliverance and unable to rescue ourselves.

3. Cup of Redemption: “I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgements.” This represents Yeshua, who shed His blood for our redemption.

4. Cup of Hope: “Then I will take you for My people and I will be your God.” The fourth cup reminds us that our redemption is not fully realized yet.

The day after Passover (14th of Nisan) begins the seven-day Appointed Time called the Feast of Unleavened Bread (15th of Nisan). In later years, the Jews combined the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread and called it all the Season of Passover. But during this time, another feast day occurs: the Feast of First Fruits. This feast is on the sixteenth day of Nisan. It includes the offering of the first fruits of the barley harvest. It was at this time that Messiah rose. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 tells us that Messiah has been raised from the dead, becoming the first fruits of those who are asleep. On the 16th of Nisan, you begin to count the Omer. You count every day for fifty days until you reach the day of Pentecost (Shavuot), as it says in Leviticus 23:15, “From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks.” Pentecost (meaning “fifty”) is also called the Feast of Weeks.

Generally, when you count a day of the Omer, you also read a scripture. Maybe on the first or second day you read about Yeshua appearing before his disciples or on the 40th day, you may read about the Ascension. You might even sing a song. But as you count, you are waiting and anticipating the coming of Pentecost and what it means to you.

The First Pentecost

The counting of the Omer is the time that Israel left Egypt and journeyed to Mount Sinai. It was here that God betrothed Israel, as we see in Exodus 19:5, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.” He makes a marriage agreement with her, which is called a Ketubah. In this agreement, He tells His Bride that if she keeps the agreement, He will protect her and care for her and provide for her; but if she breaks the agreement, then she will be temporarily outside of these blessings until she returns and keeps the agreement once again. This agreement is called the Torah.

The Torah (God’s teachings) encompasses the first five books of the Bible, but a basic summarization of the whole Torah is the Ten Commandments. God came with the sound of the ram’s horn, blaring louder and louder. Fire and smoke filled the mountain. “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear” (Exodus 20:18). Though the people said they would keep all God’s teachings, they could not until the “dawn of a new day.”

The Apostolic Pentecost

That new day arose, and it was the resurrection of Yeshua. The disciples counted the Omer and at the 40th day, when Yeshua ascended, He told His disciples to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. So they went and continued to count the Omer till the fiftieth day, the Day of Pentecost. They went to the temple to celebrate the feast day (for they were all devout observers of the Torah), and many other Jews and converts to Judaism were gathered in the city to celebrate as well: “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5).

Suddenly, there came the sound of a violent, rushing wind and it filled the place where they were. There appeared to them tongues, as of fire, distributing themselves and resting on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking with other tongues. The people around them were all amazed at the sights and sounds, and each one of them heard the words in their own language.

Today, the wind that brought the Spirit to those gathered in Jerusalem is still blowing over the hearts of God’s people all around the world.

Let’s Compare

First Shavuot

-Fiftieth day

– Commandments of God written on tablets of stone (Exodus 24:12)

– Written by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18)

– 3,000 slain (Exodus 32:1-8, 26-28)

– The letter of the Torah

– Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:11)

Apostolic Pentecost

– Fiftieth day

– Commandments of God written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33, 2 Corinthians 3:3, Hebrews 8:10)

– Written by the Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 3:3, Hebrews 8:10)

– 3,000 born again (Acts 2:38-41)

– The Spirit of the Torah (Romans 2:29, 7:6, 2 Corinthians 3:6)

– Mount Zion (Romans 11:26, Hebrews 12:22, 1 Peter 2:6)

Paul tells us that we should walk by the Spirit and we will not carry out the desires of the flesh, and in so doing we will be fulfilling the law. So the two are really just one in conclusion of the Passover Season.

Ways to Celebrate

– This is a Holy Day and should be kept by the assembling of the believers in prayer and worship.

– The book of Ruth is read on this day because just as Ruth accepted and joined herself to Boaz and the people of Israel, so too Israel accepted the covenant of God on this day.

– Traditionally, people have kept what is called “Night Watch,” which is an all night vigil of Bible reading and studying God’s Word.

– A special meal is always part of any celebration, and don’t forget to have your Fruit… of the Spirit!

– Plant a fruit tree.

Have fun with family and friends!

Rosh HaShanah, literally meaning “Head of the Year,” is the celebration of the new civil year. In our own secular New Year celebrations, we experience the joy of a new beginning and a chance to set new goals. While we can still do these things individually at any time, the new year is a special event dedicated to this. The same holds true for the Appointed Time of Rosh HaShanah. It occurs on the first day of the seventh month on the religious calendar (there are two calendars: the civil and religious). This usually takes place in September/October. It is a time of joy and celebration, yet it is simultaneously a time for somber reflection and repentance.

Feast of Trumpets

For thirty days prior to Rosh HaShanah, a ram’s horn is blown to call the people to consider their deeds. This horn, called a shofar, gives this day it’s alternate name: The Feast of Trumpets. The sound of the shofar blast is called the teruah; this word can also be translated as “shout.” The purpose of all this noise is to wake us up! Just as Ephesians 5:14 tells us, “For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Messiah will shine on you.'” During the thirty day period mentioned earlier, we blow the shofar every day and recite a short passage which calls us to awake, look deep within ourselves, turn from futile behavior, and return to God so that He may have mercy on us.

The Books Are Opened

Another name which tells us about the nature of the holiday is “Opening of the Gates.” This day is symbolically when the gates of the heavens are opened and God judges all the people of earth. The righteous have their names written in the Book of Life—blessings and health for the next year, while the wicked are portioned out judgement. Those who are neither exceptionally righteous nor wicked are continued to be tried until the end of Yom Kippur, ten days later. This idea should sound familiar and is something we should carefully consider. Rosh HaShanah should remind us of the Final Judgement when the books of our lives will be opened. As we see in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Yeshua Himself tells us, “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each man according to his deeds” (Matthew 16:27). As we all know, our salvation is not earned. However, our deeds will tell us much about the condition of our relationship with God: “If any man’s work which he has built on it [the foundation, Yeshua] remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:14-15).

“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming” (1 John 2:28). And how do we abide in Him? “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing…. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:5, 10).

So we see that Rosh HaShanah is a time for us to examine our lives and see what we can do in the next year to further the Kingdom as well as to grow closer in our personal relationship with God.

Hail the King!

Another tradition associated with Rosh HaShanah is the creation of Adam and Eve and, consequently, the coronation of God as King of the world. All of the other created things were not given free will. But on the sixth day of creation, God made man and gave him the ability to choose if he wanted to serve Him. When Adam chose to do so, God’s kingship over the earth was made complete. This is another reason the shofar is blown on this day: to remember the coronation of the King: “With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the LORD” (Psalm 98:6).

The King is Coming

In addition to remembering the first crowning ceremony, we also look to the future coronation of our Messiah Yeshua: “And behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

When that day comes, we will celebrate His dominion over a new earth: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17). “And nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).

This Rosh HaShanah, let’s make sure our names are written in the book of life; let’s make sure we are storing up treasure in heaven rather than on earth.

Have a sweet new year!

How to Celebrate

– It is a tradition to eat apples dipped in honey on this day, the reason being that we hope that it will be a sweet new year. You are also encouraged to try a new fruit or some type of food you don’t have very often. The new year should be sweet and joyful!

– Make things right with the people around you. Mend any strained relationships and look for ways you can strengthen them in the coming year.

– On the afternoon of Rosh HaShanah, take your family down to a large area of flowing water (ocean, river, lake, etc.), each carrying stones or crumbs of bread with you. Individuals toss their sins, represented by the stones/bread, into the water. This ceremony, called Taschlich, finds its basis in Micah 7:19, where it says, “Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”

– Don’t forget to hear the sound of the shofar and respond by examining yourself.

Yom Kippur marks the most solemn of God’s Appointed Times. It takes place on the tenth day of the seventh month, ten days after the new year (Rosh HaShanah), which usually falls in September/October. Rosh HaShanah is the day when the gates of heaven and the Book of Life are symbolically opened. The righteous are inscribed in the Book of Life for another year of life and health, while the wicked are written out a punishment. The judgement continues until Yom Kippur—the last chance to repent and change your ways. On the evening of this day, the gates of heaven and the book of life are closed. The verdict has been determined for each person for another year.

Jewish Observance

Yom Kippur is known as the Day of Atonement. When the tabernacle and the temple were still standing, this was the day on which the uncleanness of the community was atoned for through a specific process, ordained by God: “This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work… for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD” (Leviticus 16:29-30). The high priest would make sacrifices to atone for the impurity of himself, the people, and for the tabernacle.

On this day, the high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of an animal sacrificed outside the camp upon the mercy seat, the place where God’s presence rested. This is the only time he was allowed in this place, thus also giving this day the name “Face to Face.”

“When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat” (Leviticus 16:20). The high priest would then lay his hands on the goat and confess the iniquities of the people over it. The goat, carrying the sins of the people, would be sent out into the wilderness: “The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness” (Leviticus 16:22). This innocent animal took upon itself the sin of the entire nation of Israel on this day.

After the destruction of the temple, these activities had to be temporarily suspended. While personal repentance and soul-searching were certainly present and necessary actions on Yom Kippur while the sacrificial system was in action, today it is the prescribed activity for this day. The practice of humbling oneself through fasting from food and drink finds its basis in Leviticus 23:32: “It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves.”

God desired that His people would use this day to cleanse themselves by humbly entering His presence. He wanted them to not only go through the motions of humility by fasting and mourning, but to prove their change of heart through repentance: “Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6).

Christian Observance

In all of God’s Appointed Times, we see shadows and reflections of the Messiah. For our own redemption, Yeshua, the sinless high priest (1 Peter 1:18-19, Hebrews 7:25-26), entered the Holy of Holies in heaven with His own blood, bringing us atonement: “And not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). Yeshua Himself was sacrificed outside of the camp (Leviticus 16:27, Hebrews 13:11-13). And like the live goat which carried the nation’s impurity, so too Yeshua bore our sins and the sins of the entire world on the cross and carried the weight of our iniquities to the grave: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

It is important to note that the Day of Atonement comes at the end of the Season of Repentance. It is only after we have repented of our sinful practices that we can truly receive atonement and purification from those old ways. “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). This is a time for us to pause and reflect on preparing for the Final Judgement. “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books” (Revelation 20:12). While we receive our salvation through Yeshua, we see that we will be judged for the things that we do during our life: “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.” (Revelation 20:13).

This Yom Kippur, let’s remember the atoning work done on our behalf by Yeshua and make sure we are preparing ourselves for His return: “So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you” (Revelation 3:3).

Ways to Keep the Holy Day

– This is a day of solemn prayer and repentance (1 John 1:8-10), yet we hold our confidence in Yeshua’s atoning work.

– Those who are physically capable are invited to participate in the 24 hour fast from food and drink.

– The book of Jonah is traditionally read on Yom Kippur since the themes contained in this book are repentance and God’s abundant mercy.

– This is traditionally the day when God gave Moses the second copy of the Ten Commandments and forgave the people of Israel for the sin of worshipping the golden calf.

– At the end of the day, there is a “Closing of the Gates” service that coincides with the symbolic closing of the gates of Heaven. Immediately afterwards, a joyful meal is prepared to break the fast, and preparation for the next festival, Sukkot, is started.

After the solemnity of the Season of Repentance, we arrive at the joyful festival of Sukkot. This seven day long festival takes place five days after Yom Kippur and usually falls in September or October. Directly following these seven days, an extra sabbath is declared, called Shemini Atzeret, meaning “Eighth day of assembly.” It is considered to be a separate holiday, yet at the same time a part of Sukkot. “On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day” (Leviticus 23:39).

Feast of Tabernacles

The word sukkot means “booths” or “tabernacles,” thus giving this Appointed Time the frequently-used name Feast of Tabernacles. God commanded the people to dwell in booths to remind them of His care for their forefathers when He brought them out of Egypt: “You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 23:42-43). This act of dwelling in booths is also reminiscent of the tabernacle, otherwise known as the tent of meeting, where God’s presence dwelt during Israel’s sojournings (Exodus 25:8).

In addition to remembering the provision of the past, this was a time where the people were depending on God to meet a very present need: the proper timing of rain. In the land of Israel, Sukkot is placed right in between the fall harvest and the ensuing rainy season. It is a time for rejoicing in the blessed harvest and entreating God to send the rain, not too early as to ruin the harvest, yet not too late so that the next season’s crop is stunted: “It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil” (Deuteronomy 11:13-14).

Season of Our Joy

Not only is this a naturally happy time, but God Himself commands His people to rejoice: “And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your towns” (Deuteronomy 16:14). We have come out of the most somber feast (Yom Kippur), and now it is time for everyone in the community to celebrate God’s forgiveness and faithfulness to His people.

The joyfulness surrounding this festival led to some interesting activities. One such ceremony was called the Celebration of Water Drawing. A priest would draw water from the Pool of Siloam; this “living water,” as it was called, represented the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-29) and was poured out upon the altar. This draws itself from Isaiah 12:3: “Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” It was during this ceremony when Yeshua said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water'” (John 7:37-38).

The connection between Yeshua and Sukkot is too important to ignore. In fact, there is strong evidence that He was born during this festival. This theory takes into consideration the time of Zechariah’s (John the Baptist’s father) temple service to approximate the time of the events surrounding John’s birth, with Yeshua’s birth happening around six months afterwards (Luke 1:36). In John 1:14 it is written, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” The word “dwelt” here is literally translated as “tabernacled.” He put on the temporary shelter of a human body so that He could bring “great joy which will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10).

Feast of the Nations

Sukkot is called the Feast of the Nations. It was specifically ordained not just for the children of Israel, but for all mankind, both now and in the future. During the dedication of the first Temple, which took place during Sukkot, the foreigner is given a special blessing (1 Kings 8:41-43). In the future, all the nations will come up to Jerusalem in pilgrimage to celebrate Sukkot, as it says in Zechariah 14:16, “Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.” Those who don’t go up to celebrate will receive no rain (verse 17). In Revelation 7:14-15 we see those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb (repentance on Yom Kippur) will serve God day and night, and He will be their tabernacle.

As believers in Yeshua, we have been given an incredible opportunity to live in the Kingdom today. We don’t have to wait until Messiah returns to honor God’s Appointed Times, but we can participate in them and experience the blessing they bring right now.

This year, let’s celebrate Sukkot looking forward to that day when God Himself will make His dwelling with us and we will rejoice in the tabernacle of His presence forever (Revelation 21:3).

How to Celebrate

– Build a sukkah of your own! It should be a temporary structure with at least three walls, decorated with plant material. The roof should not be complete so that you can see the sky through it. You do not need to live in it, but eat at least one meal per day in the sukkah and recite a blessing.

– In Leviticus 23:40, God commands, “Take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees (traditionally etrog, a lemon-like fruit), palm branches, and boughs of leafy trees (traditionally myrtle branches) and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.”

– This is a time where extra hospitality and generosity are encouraged. Invite friends and family over to share in your celebration.

– The day after Shemini Atzeret is called Simchat Torah, which means “Rejoicing with the Torah.” It marks the renewal of the annual cycle of public Torah reading and is honored by great celebration and thankfulness for the word of God. While it is not an Appointed Time of God, it is a valuable celebration.

Isaiah, when he came into the presence of God and saw His holiness, could only cry out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah knew and understood that he was a sinner and that his words made him a sinner. He also recognized that the people around him were sinners because of their words. Now, you must wonder: of all things, why did Isaiah consider his words and not his deeds? We want to take a closer look at this so that we too may understand the sin of our words. We want to start by looking at Scriptures that refer to our tongue and the words that we speak.

James 3:1-12 addresses the tongue. He tells us in verse 2, “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.”

James continues in verses 5-6, “So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.”

He goes on to say in verse 8, “No one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.” These are strong words by the apostle James, and they show us that our words carry weight and consequences.

James goes on to tell us that “We bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth comes both blessing and cursing.” James adds, “These things ought not to be this way.”

We want to continue to see what God’s Word tells us about the things we say, for out of the heart man speaks. “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45).

The heart is the battlefield of life. Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and slanders.” Yeshua tells us in Matthew 15:11, “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” Yeshua, in Matthew 5:21-22, tells us that we murder through our words: “Have you not heard that it was said from the beginning, ‘You shall not murder,’ and whoever murders is liable to the court of law? Yet I say to you that whoever is enraged against his brother baselessly is liable to a court of law and whoever says to his to his brother “Reka” (good-for-nothing) is liable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever calls him a reprobate is made liable to the fire of Gehinnom.” How many times do we say things like this about people? Yet we never think that we are sinning, let alone murdering at that!

Yeshua tells us in Matthew 12:36-37, “Yet I say to you, every worthless word that the sons of men speak, they will give an account for it on the day of judgement. By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be liable.” Yeshua Himself, the one who will judge us on judgement day, tells us that every word that gives a slander or false testimony, every word of murder and judgement of another, will be given account to.

Yeshua tells us in Matthew 7:1-2, “Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” Measure for measure is a kingdom principle, and Yeshua will use the measure by which we judge others to judge us. So Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Let’s look at what Proverbs tells us about our words.

Proverbs 10:11: “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life.”

Proverbs 10:31-32: “The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, but the perverted tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous brings forth what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverted.”

Proverbs 12:9: “With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.”

Proverbs 12:18: “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Proverbs 12:22: “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.”

Proverbs 15:4: “A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit.”

Proverbs 17:5: “He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; he who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.”

One last scripture: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7).

How about you? Have you thought about what comes out of your mouth? Maybe gossip, murder, lies, curses, slander, even though the next words may be, “I am a Christian.” You will give an account on the day of Judgement, for this is what our Messiah has said. Maybe it’s time to repent and turn from your ways and start considering what comes out of your mouth before you speak, for Yeshua tells us, “We are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again?” And so Paul tells us in Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.”

Yeshua tells us that we are to love God and our neighbor as ourselves. Are love, mercy, and grace coming out of our mouths? If we believe in Yeshua, living water should flow from us (John 7:38). James 3:10-11 tells us, “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and saltwater?” We can not talk from both sides of our mouths with an undivided heart and still say we are believers in Yeshua.

Let’s look into that mirror that James talks about, and let us not forget who we are: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 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. 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 1:23-24).

The book of James has good advice for us today, so “Let every person be quick to hear and slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

We are going to look more into that mirror next month.

There are so many theories about the second coming of Messiah. The church, mainly since the turn of the 20th century, has taught that the church is going to be raptured. This recent teaching, in comparison to the foundational teachings, has caused many people to not even think about Yeshua (Jesus) coming back, let alone to prepare for it. Only Evangelicals believe in the actual earthly kingdom of Yeshua, and yet they often do not make the connection of being caught up in the clouds and setting up His kingdom as one act. We want to take a look at what it means to prepare oneself for the coming of Messiah and whether we need to do this in our lifetime.

Mark 1:3 says, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'” This voice was the voice of John the Baptist. John went about crying out to a people who should have been waiting for their coming Messiah. Though the common-folk were waiting eagerly and hoping for the Messiah, those who taught them and those who led them were not. They were quite comfortable in their positions which gave them great authority over the people. So although the people waited for the Messiah, they did not quite understand Messiah’s role. Back then, the common people did not have the Scriptures at their disposal. They knew the Torah and the keeping of the Law, but the deeper thinking was left to the Scribes.

From John we know that to make the path straight and to prepare for the Messiah, one needed to start by repenting. Matthew 3:1-2 says, “Now in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'” Yeshua tells His disciples that John was the fulfilment of the promised coming of the Elijah that was to come: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord” (Malachi 4:5). Now, Yeshua tells His disciples that John was the Elijah that was to come, but listen to how He says that to them: “And if you care to accept it, he himself (John) is Elijah who was to come” (Matthew 11:14). And verse 15 says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Yeshua went on in verse 17 comparing the generation to children calling to other children, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.”

So what does this obscured message mean? It means that John came in the spirit of Elijah to turn the people back to God, but they did not listen, they did not repent. Now, I am not saying that none of the people repented, but because of the leadership of the people who did not repent, Yeshua could not totally fulfill His mission. If the nation of Israel as a whole would have repented, He would have risen from the dead and set up His kingdom. In the prophecy of Malachi, we see that Elijah will come back again before the great and terrible day of the Lord.

This tells us that when Yeshua comes back, the people will repent. In Malachi 4:6 we see this: “Elijah will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.” Now, I don’t think that there was rebellion or division in the family in the time of John, so I am more inclined to say that this is what is going on right now in our families.

Isaiah 40:3 is the first reference to one calling out in the wilderness and clearing the way for the Lord, and the chapter continues in verses 4-5, “Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley; then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The reference is saying the same thing as in Matthew 3:3, about making the paths straight.

We see a similar passage from Paul in Hebrews 12:12-13: “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.” Paul is not an Orthopedic doctor, but he was giving a prescription for peace. But if you look at verses 4-11, it talks about a father’s discipline. Is this not what the prophecy concerning the coming of Elijah was about, to reconcile the father with children? Paul was telling us to make straight paths for our feet and to put the limb that is out of joint back in place so that it can be healed. To be prepared for Messiah’s coming, we must be reconciled in our families, and to do this we must repent and pursue peace.

Verse 15 tells us that we must see to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled. We cannot be like Esau who sold his birthright and then could not find repentance in his heart. We all must have an Elijah Spirit and repent and reconcile our differences and come together, whether it be in our physical families or in the family of God, our community family, or our country. We must repent or the day of the Lord will come and we will experience that terrible day which will cause us to repent.

Let us be like the bride waiting for her husband and prepare by making our garments white without spot or wrinkle. Let us be washed and cleaned by the blood of the Lamb and let us walk by Spirit that leads us in all truth and harmony.

Last month we started looking at 1 Corinthians 3. We began laying a foundation by looking at the elementary principles of Hebrews 6:1-2. We looked at repentance from dead works, faith toward God, and instructions about washings. Now we want to begin by looking at the laying on of hands.

Laying on of Hands

We see all through the Scriptures that the laying on of hands was quite common. Hands were laid on the heads of animals to symbolize the transfer of sins. The priest would lay his hands upon the ram for the burnt offering (Leviticus 8:18) and the goat on the day of Atonement. Leviticus 16:2-22 says that two goats are chosen: one for the sacrifice to the Lord and the other as the scapegoat who took on the sins of the people.

Hands were laid on a person when assuming the responsibility of leadership. We see this when Moses laid his hands on Joshua in Deuteronomy 34:9, which was given to Moses from God as we read in Numbers 27:18-19, 23: “So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hands on him; and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight.'”

Jacob laid his hands on Ephraim and Manasseh and blessed them (Genesis 48:14-15).

Yeshua laid His hands upon the children (Mark 10:13-16).

Hands were laid on a person for healing (Mark 6:5, Mark 8:23, Luke 4:40).

Hands were laid on a person when called by God. We see this with the seven deacons in Acts 6:1-6. These were men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, who were chosen for this task. We see this also in Acts 13:1-3 when the church sent out Barnabas and Paul, which states this: “Then when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”

Hands were laid on a person to receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 9:1-17 tells us about Paul’s conversion, his healing, and his receiving of the Holy Spirit. God tells Ananias to go to Straight Street to the house of Judas and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul and lay hands on him to regain his sight and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 19:6, Paul found some disciples in Ephesus who had not heard of the Holy Spirit, but only of the baptism of John; and Paul laid hands on them and the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. Acts 8:14-19 tells us that Peter and John were sent to Samaria when the apostles heard that they had received the Word, so they prayed that they would also receive the Holy Spirit, for they too only received baptism in the name of Yeshua; and when they began laying hands on them, they received the Holy Spirit.

The result of laying on of hands can be the receiving of spiritual gifts. 1 Timothy 4:14 tells us that Timothy received a spiritual gift when hands were laid upon him in a prophetic utterance. Also 2 Timothy 1:6 tells us that Timothy was to kindle afresh that same gift which was given through the laying on of hands. So we see that the laying on of hands was used in many different ways.

Because the laying on of hands was very significant, it was to be taken very seriously. The Bible warns us not to lay hands on a person without thought. In so doing we might become part of their sins (1 Timothy 5:22). What does that all mean? Well, this is what the elementary principles are all about! You see, in 1 Corinthians 3, the people were quibbling about the fact that one was taught by Apollos and another was taught by Paul and all of this was childish. The people were still worldly and not walking in the Spirit but in the flesh. They were building a foundation other than Messiah. In other words, they were looking to man instead of God. They were focusing on worldly things instead of godly things, and this resulted in sins like jealousy and strife.

Now, because the laying on of hands was used for different reasons, I think this warning pertains to overseers, deacons, and those commissioned to go out in Yeshua’s name. We see this in 1 Timothy 3, which gives qualities and requirements for overseers and deacons, such as being above reproach, prudent, respectable, hospitable, and able to teach. He must be gentle and not a lover of money. He must be of one wife and able to manage his own household, keeping his children under control. He must not be a new convert. We see that if one lays his hands on a person who 1) does not have these qualifications, or 2) is a new convert (one who does not have the foundation of the elementary principles), that those who lay hands could become part of his sins because he will not be able to govern those who are under him. We see this in 1 Corinthians 3, how the people were more worldly and not walking in the Spirit.

It is important that we vote in people to govern and pastor our congregations who have a clear understanding of not only the elementary principles but the Scriptures and operation in gifts of the Spirit. If you see that your congregation is more worldly than godly, that should be a red flag to you that something has to change. Next we want to look at the next elementary principal.

Resurrection of the Dead

As believers, we believe that Yeshua was the firstfruits from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20), and we too will rise from the dead. This is a fundamental teaching that goes way before Yeshua died and rose. Isaiah 26:19 tells us, “Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as dew of the dawn.” So then why would this be an elementary principle? You would think this is a given! Well, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection (Luke 20:27, Acts 23:8). Paul says this: “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor a spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.”

Many religions do not believe in a physical resurrection of the dead where we are reunited with our bodies. For myself, I don’t know how one can cremate someone and then scatter his ashes. Though all things are possible with God, somehow I think the body should all remain together, just for the sake of the belief in the resurrection, for we know that Yeshua is our example in all things. In Philippians 3:10-11, Paul tells the Philippians, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

We must understand that the resurrection from the dead is an elementary principle, one that every believer should build His foundation on, and yet most of us do not understand these two verses. We are to die. We are to crucify. We must put death to our old self, our flesh, our will. We must join in on the sufferings of our Messiah. That may be in dying to ourselves, or maybe even persecution, and in some cases even martyrdom. In this we may know Him. Don’t we know Him? Not necessarily. We may only know about such things, but not until we experience it for ourselves can we relate to our Savior. Only then can we appreciate Him. Only then can we know for ourselves the power in the resurrection, the power when Messiah raises us up from our dead selves and frees us from ourselves, from our flesh, from our worldliness. Only then can we mature as a believer. As a child of God we can now mature in our faith.

Paul said that he considered all things rubbish just to know this freeing experience. The power one has in this knowledge, that “though I walk in the valley of the shadow death I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. For you prepare a table before my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” This is what Paul was talking about attaining to the resurrection: the power over one’s enemies, the blessings of our cup overflowing, the abundant life (this is not financial blessing but spiritual blessings), for I will dwell with God for eternity. I will have the eternal victory in the resurrection of the dead, for I will dwell with God forever. This is the whole idea behind the feast of Tabernacles, known as Sukkot. Next we want to look at the last elementary principal: eternal judgement.

Eternal Judgement

WOW! Paul put this last, I guess because if you don’t repent or have faith or be cleansed or maybe not answer His call, you may not experience the resurrection from the dead, which will leave you to eternal judgement. Well, you may say that someone who is not a believer in Yeshua will not be saved anyway, but we must consider that Paul is speaking to believers about elementary principles. So Paul must have thought that believers need to at least be reminded about such things and at most he must have thought that a believer could one day face God’s judgement.

Now, I know that right now you are saying that if I am a believer in Yeshua, then I am saved and you, meaning me, are a false teacher. So I say, let us walk through this topic and see what God’s Word has to say to us about all of this.

1. This is an elementary principle.

2. Paul tells the Hebrews that they must press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of all of these six principles.

3. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

4. “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yeshua His son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:5-10).

5. “Do not love the world, nor the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

6. “Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that he might destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious; anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:7-10).

7. “But I say, walk by the spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these two are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:16-21).

8. “And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgement. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

9. Self- righteousness – “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (Revelations 15-17).

10. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned… If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” (John 15:5-6, 10)

There are ten reasons, and then there are many parables that were written to believers, and of course there are the other ten reasons called the Ten Commandments. So I say when Paul wrote about the elementary principles of a believer, you can see why he started with repentance and ended with judgement.

It is these very basic but important principles that every believer should build upon as he lays a proper foundation in Messiah Yeshua.

Next time we will continue looking at 1 Corinthians 3.

Yeshua (Jesus) speaks to us about the table of the Lord in some cryptic words. We want to look at and go through the meaning of this.

Matthew 8:11 tells us. “And I say to you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” Yeshua tells us in John 6:50-53, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.”

This sure seems like a very unusual command! Even the people said it was a hard saying in John 6:60. We want to look at this in light of the Day of Atonement.

A Sacrificial Meal

We have to ask ourselves, why did Yeshua say this and what did He mean by eating His flesh and drinking his blood, and at what table? We know that Yeshua did not actually mean that people should eat His flesh and drink His blood, because that is totally against Torah (Leviticus 19:26). We are not even to consume the blood of an animal because the life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). But maybe we can look for a clue in John 6:53. Yeshua says, “Truly, truly, I say, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.” Yeshua was our Passover sacrifice. He was the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) that was slain for our sins (John 1:29, Revelation 5:12).

Symbolically, Yeshua was telling His disciples that there is no life (eternal life) outside of Him. In His sacrifice, the shedding of His blood, the offering of His body, is the only place to find life. He is the way, the truth, the life, and there are no other ways to eternal life. NONE!

The Day Of Atonement

We see that Yeshua was the fulfilment of Passover, this being His first coming. But what about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement? Well, actually Yeshua did all the work in His first coming which we remember during the Spring Feasts, but when it comes to the Day of Atonement, which will be fulfilled in His second coming, which we remember during the Fall Feasts: well, here we need to do some work.

Here we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). The Day of Atonement symbolizes the opening of the gates, which begins at Rosh HaShanah, the Feast of Trumpets, and the end of Yom Kippur is the closing of the gates. Now, what does this all mean? It is all about having your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Yeshua told many parables about the door being closed and people being left out. Matthew 25:10: “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.” In Matthew 22:1-14 also we see this same wedding scenario. This is a reference to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19:6-9. This is the table that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob will recline at.

The Day of Atonement is all about repentance and reconciliation with those who you may be at odds with, and of course, making things right between you and God. It is a day for fasting and praying, something many believers do not do today. This is a day for afflicting your soul: the fear and trembling of our salvation. This is the mourning that is in the beatitudes (Matthew 5:4).

You see, it is not enough to just confess our sins, but we must actually turn from our sins, and that requires a heartfelt and a deep sorrow for our sins. Only that will actually change our behavior. This is what Psalm 51:17 tells us: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

We must see our sinfulness and our need for reconciliation, our need for one who can heal our sinful condition, and that comes only through Yeshua and His shed blood for us. His sacrifice, the giving of His life, is the only way for us to be reconciled with God, and by this our name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Yeshua says in John 6:37, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” Yeshua also tells us that we have to partake of Him because He is our source: “I am the vine, you are the branches; apart from me you can do nothing (Not even save yourself),” John 15.

You see, we must take on the yoke of the Kingdom. Matthew 11:29-30 tells us, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.” To do this, we must eat of the flesh of Yeshua and drink His blood. He must be part of us and we part of Him. We must abide in Him. We must take on the Lord like a yoke and live for Him by His commandments and His ways. We see this in the eating and drinking, which if we do this, it is like when we eat food for our bodies: the food actually becomes part of us. We must also be born of the Spirit and thus walk in the Spirit, for then we are no longer living in the flesh where sin resides, but according to the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25).

Are You Ready for His Second Coming?

So the question is, are you ready for His second coming when the trumpet will be sounded? Revelation 7:14 tells us, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” If you say, “Yes,” then you must ask yourself, “Am I walking with God with all my heart and soul and strength? Have I crucified my flesh and now I am no longer living for the world or by its influence, for I am an alien in this place?”

“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul,” (1 Peter 2:11). Our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20). Ask yourself, “Have I taken on the yoke of the kingdom and am now living to advance the kingdom?” And finally, “Have I eaten the body and drank the blood of Yeshua My Messiah, abiding in Him and Him in I, for it is no longer I who live but Yeshua in Me?”

If you can honestly answer these questions, that you are walking in the Spirit of the Lord, doing His work, keeping His commands, and sin no longer has a hold on you, then you can say in confidence that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of Life, and you are ready for His second coming. If you’re not sure, then spend the time and pray and repent. Change your ways and your thinking and begin to put Him first in your life. Let go of the trappings of this world and clothe yourself with the word of God. Learn to hear His voice and walk in His Spirit by obeying His commandments, and you will begin to hear His voice leading you in all truth.

This is what the Day of Atonement is all about. This why we celebrate this day, because we all need a little reminder to repent and be reconciled with each other and with God. We all need to take the time to change our ways. We all need to come to the table of the Lord and eat and drink of the Lord.

The very first words of the Bible tell of the origin of the world, and start out with a deceptively simple phrase: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” A surface reading of these words would leave you with only the most literal understanding of the creation narrative. The apostle John, however, saw that there was something deeper and more important that needed to be understood.

The book of John begins by mirroring the first words of Genesis, with some interesting alterations: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” What is this cryptic Word that John is speaking of? In the Greek language, the term used for “word” is “logos,” a word that is full of nuance. In one sense it does simply mean “a word”, but the definition extends to include a word which embodies an idea, or a divine utterance/message. John explains in verse 14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” It is clear from these passages that the Word, the Logos, is Yeshua (Jesus).

John’s purpose in using this parallel is to explain the role of Yeshua as God by showing His role in creation. As God spoke His Word into the void, everything came into existence. But God was not alone in this endeavor. As John puts it, “He [Yeshua] was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being,” (John 1:2-3). Everything that has happened and everything that will happen has been set from the beginning through Yeshua. This includes the fact that even before man sinned, a plan for redemption was established: “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for your sake,” (1 Peter 1:20).

In reflecting back on the creation in this manner, we also get the sense that with the coming of Yeshua, a new beginning of sorts had arrived. Prior to the incarnation of Yeshua, the single greatest historical event was the creation of the world. Without it, nothing else would have taken place. But without a Messiah who could reconcile humanity with their creator, the creation would always be incomplete.

There is another application of this title used by John, and that is the fact that Yeshua, as the Living Word, is the physical embodiment of the Torah. “Torah” is the Hebrew word for “teaching,” and is typically used in reference to the law given at Mt. Sinai. The Torah is a physical representation of the will of God. It is a guide for how a righteous person should live. The Ten Commandments begin with the phrase, “Then God spoke all these words,” (Exodus 20:1). And not only the Ten Commandments, but every word recorded in the Bible is straight from the mouth of the Lord: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16). If it is true of man that “his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart,” (Luke 6:45), then how much more so it is true of God, in whose image we are made. Every word that God has spoken is a true and perfect reflection of who He is.

Yeshua, being the Word of God, came to the earth as a living representation of God to mankind. One requirement of this job was to perfectly fulfill, or live out, the Torah. He did not do this to “set us free” from, or somehow change, God’s commandments, but because perfectly abiding in the will of God means perfectly fulfilling His commands: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love,” (John 15:10). The commandments of the Father and the commandments of the Son are not two different sets of commandments, but rather Yeshua brought forth the hidden light which was in the Torah all along: “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Torah was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Messiah Yeshua,” (John 1:16-17).

Let’s seek to experience the fullness of the grace brought to us through Yeshua by walking both in Spirit and in truth, walking on the path that has been set before us since the first dawning of the light of creation.

November is the month that we give thanks–well, at least we used to. But what should we give thanks for? Maybe our health or our wealth or all that we have attained. James has something else in mind.

James 1:2-3 tells us to consider it all joy at the testing of our faith. We should thank God for our trials? James tells us that the testing of our faith results in steadfastness, and if we let steadfastness have its full effect on us so that we may be perfect, we will be complete, lacking nothing. Now that is something to give thanks for, lacking nothing! But this does not mean that we will have every material thing. No, this means that we will have grown spiritually in the things of God, and His wisdom that we will have gained through our trials if we do not doubt will give us victory in that which we have endured and we will receive the crown of life (verses 5-12).

James also tells us in verses 9-10 that we should boast in exaltation in our lowly lifestyle and the rich should boast in their humiliation, because like a flower of the grass that passes away, we are to give thanks to God at whatever financial level we are at because life is short, and we are here today and gone tomorrow. But we struggle with this.

Philippians 4:11-12 tells us that Paul learned a lesson that we too must learn: “I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need.” Paul tells us that God has provided for Him and has given him the victory in his circumstances because he had been steadfast and unmovable in his faith toward God, and this has resulted in his victory. His faith has taught him to be content.

Yes, God will provide for us if we come to Him in faith believing that He is able to do all things, but I tell you, God uses people to carry out His will. At this time of the year we may feel in the giving mood, but what happens to that mood when all the glitz of the season ends? Do we once again go after our ambitions and we close the doors to our hearts? People have struggles all year, not just during the season of giving. The lowly should not be so lowly that they have to beg. We who have much, much is required of us (Luke 12:48). We do not live unto ourselves. We live for God, and God requires that we love one another. God requires that we give of ourselves. God requires that we lay down our lives for our brethren.

James 2:1-13 says, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Yes, we get caught up in our daily lives and we forget, but then there are also times when we plainly rebel against God’s word and we allow our prejudices to rise up, and we feel that if we work hard, so should they! We are told in James 1:13-17, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Yes, all we have is because of God, all our blessings come from Him, even our ability to work and to get financially ahead. So let us give cheerfully, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). And with the measure that we give, it will be given back to us (Luke 6:38). Let us give thanks to God today and everyday, and let us show how thankful we are by being people who give from the heart, as our Father gave when He so loved us that He gave his only begotten Son to die for us when we were still enemies to Him; and let us be people who are thankful, even in our trials, knowing that God loves us. He already proved that on the cross, so let us increase in love, always giving thanks.

Happy giving with thanks unto God!

The story of Noah and the Great Flood is a sobering tale of destruction which has caused many to cautiously ponder its relevance to the current generation. God promised that He would never wipe out the world with another flood; however, the earth is not out of the clear just yet: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up,” (2 Peter 3:10). What does Noah have to teach us on how we are to conduct ourselves in preparation for this day?

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God,” (Genesis 6:9). Throughout the story of Noah, his own righteousness is contrasted against the wickedness of everyone else in the world: “for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time,” (Genesis 7:1). If there was no standard of righteousness or no way in which the people could know God, then their destruction would have been unjust. But as Paul tells us, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse,” (Romans 1:20). All of mankind had lost sight of holiness and become corrupted, blinded by violence and indulgence. But somehow in the midst of such perversity, Noah went against the current and experienced God, knowing that He would soon hold everyone accountable for their deeds.

Several times as Noah is building the ark, we are told that he “did according to all that the Lord had commanded him.” This would give us the impression that Noah was accustomed to hearing from God and obeying whatever he was told. This not only includes basic moral commandments (which alone would have separated him from the rest of mankind), but also includes rules that we might be surprised to hear about. When Noah is being given instructions about which animals to take on the ark, God says to him, “You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female,” (Genesis 7:2). Since God so freely spoke of the clean and unclean animals, Noah must already be familiar with which animals are clean and which are unclean, many years before the covenant at Mt. Sinai.

Although Noah’s good behavior would seem to put him in a lonely position, he does not shy away or isolate himself from the world. But rather, we see in 2 Peter that Noah was a “preacher of righteousness.” This is never stated in the Genesis account of Noah’s life, so from where does Peter get this information? One possibility is that he knew the teachings of the day as taught by the rabbis. There exists a compilation of rabbinic sayings called Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer, which means “Chapters of Rabbi Eliezer.” It is considered to originate as early as the first century, and doubtless some of the ideas it contains had been around for some time already. Within lies page after page of rabbinic explanations of Scriptures, including a line that is relevant to our question: “Rabbi Levi said: …Noah said to them: Turn from your ways and evil deeds, so that He bring not upon you the waters of the Flood, and destroy all the seed of the children of men.” It is not difficult to imagine that as Noah was building the ark, people became curious about what he was up to, giving Noah a chance to spread the news about what God was going to bring about very soon.

Another teaching from the same place says that the construction of the ark took 52 years, and that this was supposed to give the people a chance to repent. As Peter tells us, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance,” (2 Peter 3:9). It is for this reason that Yeshua (Jesus) is delayed in His return, so that all who will repent and turn to Him will find eternal safety.

Peter uses the story of Noah to explain God’s faithfulness in guarding those who diligently seek Him: “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,” (2 Peter 2:9). He makes the point that if God was able and willing to protect people like Noah while destroying the evil-doers, then He is also able to protect us in the day of His wrath. Just as Noah built an ark to escape the flood, we find a source of refuge in Yeshua from the fire of judgement. This doesn’t mean that we won’t go through tribulation or persecution. Rather, those times of testing will reveal just how faithful we have been in preparing for His return: “Each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work… If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire,” (1 Corinthians 3:13, 15).

Knowing this, let us follow the example of Noah, leading a life of purity among a crooked generation, not shying away from preaching and engaging in repentance, but always keeping our eyes fixed on the source of our salvation and watching daily for His return.

Being a follower of God seldom means having an easy life. Someone who knew this more than most was Abraham. Those who saw him, however, would have borne witness to the great blessing which God had brought upon him because of his obedience.

Before he was Abraham (meaning “father of a multitude,”), he was Abram (meaning “exalted father”). When Abram was 75 years old, about the time most of us would be thinking of taking life easy, God tells him to do something quite different: “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing,” (Genesis 12:1-3).

Many others in history have heard this call to travel to some foreign land at the leading of the Lord. This is to be expected, for as Mark records, “Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life,” (Mark 10:29-30). In the days of Yeshua, a disciple would literally leave everything he had to follow a teacher, as we see in the calling of each of the apostles recorded in the Gospels.

While some have physically left their family or their home to follow Yeshua in our modern age, it is not something that everyone must fulfill literally. However, everyone who wishes to be a disciple of Yeshua must consider those relationships and possessions as if they were nothing: “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple,” (Luke 14:26). Abram proved that he was willing to forsake all things in order to know God.

Although Abram left a lot behind, he was by no means a pauper: “Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold,” (Genesis 13:2). As we saw earlier, Yeshua said, “there is no one who has left house, etc.,… who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time.” If God asks us to give something up that is dear to us, in some cases it is because those things may be harmful for our spiritual growth. But in other cases, it is in order to prove that we love God more than those things. In either case, we can hold fast in our belief that God will provide whatever is best for us, whether it be riches or poverty, friends or foes, a place to call home or a sturdy pair of shoes.

Standing in contrast with Abram, we see another rich man in the passage in Mark. This man, however, had put his faith in his own wealth and the security of home: “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!'” (Mark 10:21-23).

This warning of Yeshua’s is not only for those who possess large amounts of wealth. This same obsession can take hold of those on any level of economic prosperity. Nothing that we believe we own or have possession of actually belongs to us: “For the world is Mine, and all it contains,” (Psalm 50:12). Unless we totally renounce this world and every piece of it that we claim as our own, including people we care about or special abilities we take ownership of, we will never be able to completely give ourselves to God. As mentioned before, this does not mean removing those things from your life completely. But just like Abram, we must treat all things as coming from God; they are His to give and His to take away.

Abraham stands as one of the greatest testimonies of faith in the Bible. He did not consider the values of the world as anything to pursue, but rather put his faith in God completely. As there is much discussion about the relationship between faith and works, we may be able to find some truths by looking at how Abraham applied each of these concepts in his life.

Abraham, being without child and very old, is greeted by some intriguing visitors, one of whom is referred to as “the Lord.” He tells Abraham that come next year, he and Sarah will have a son. Just as her husband did when he first heard the news in the previous chapter, Sarah laughs at the declaration. It is a natural reaction for us to laugh when we encounter something that seems illogical or impossible, but God affirms that He is serious: “And the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?” Is anything too difficult for the Lord?'” (Genesis 18:13-14).

The promised child is born and begins to grow. Many attempts have been made to guess exactly how old he was, ranging anywhere from 2 to 37 years old, when God spoke to Abraham: “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you,” (Genesis 22:2). Perhaps Abraham thought that believing God for a son required faith, but now how much more faith it required to give him back to God. Abraham relied on God’s promise that He would multiply his descendants, and he knew that somehow, God would make a way: “Abraham said, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,'” (Genesis 22:8). Before Abraham finishes the job, God holds back his hand from the slaughter and provides a ram for a burnt offering in place of Isaac. He reinforces the promise He had made earlier: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you,” (Genesis 22:16-17). If instead Abraham had chosen to ignore God’s request to sacrifice his son, he would have forfeited a great blessing. We know what happens when people break faith with God, as we see with the people of Israel after coming out of Egypt. God still brought them into the land as He had promised, but not before forty years of difficult times in the wilderness. God always keeps His promises, regardless of how we respond; but with disobedience comes punishment.

Even though Abraham’s actions were something to marvel at from a human perspective, it was not through these actions that he received justification: “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God,” (Romans 4:2). There is only one who is sinless, that being Yeshua (Jesus). It is through Him alone that we receive justification through belief, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Abraham could never be perfect, and indeed we see him make the wrong decision on multiple occasions. This did not lessen his level of righteousness in God’s sight, for he approached God the same way we do: “For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,'” (Romans 4:3). This is true not only of Abraham, but of all whom God has accepted as pure, from the beginning of mankind until today: “For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, ‘A father of many nations have I made you’),” (Romans 4:16-17).

How is it, then, that we as well can have faith like Abraham? We see that he did not expect to gain merit in the eyes of God by obedience, but rather believed God at what He said, and this was counted to him as righteousness. Listening to God requires active participation, as God’s desire is to change us. In order to fall in line with God’s will, we must faithfully obey. No matter how much the command required of Abraham, he knew that his sacrifice was pleasing in God’s sight. Although he was not counted as righteous before God due to obedience, he received the fullness of God’s blessing when he held nothing of himself back. In short, he proved the truthfulness of his faith by obeying God’s commands. If today we choose to conduct ourselves in the same manner of faith, then we can confidently affirm that we too are children of Abraham.

This weeks portion begins with the death of Sarah. After a full 127 years ripe with wanderings and trials, she finally found her rest: “The life of Sarah was one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her,” (Genesis 23:1-2). After her burial, Abraham sends out his servant to find a wife for Isaac his son so that he may be consoled in his time of loss. Paul uses an allegory in Galatians 4 which compares Sarah and Hagar to the old and new covenants. What do the covenants have to do with Sarah and Hagar?

Paul is continuing a rebuke of the Galatians when he says, “Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise,” (Galatians 4:21-23). We must look back at the story to find out a little more about the bondwoman and the free woman.

After God promises a son to Abram, he and his wife grow weary of waiting for God to do as He promised, or perhaps they thought they had done something to merit His disfavor: “So Sarai said to Abram, ‘Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid [Hagar]; perhaps I will obtain children through her.’ And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai,” (Genesis 16:2). Hagar conceives and gives birth to a son, Ishmael. This son, however, was not the one God had spoken of: “And Abraham said to God, ‘Oh that Ishmael might live before You!’ But God said, ‘No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac,'” (Genesis 17:18-19).

Paul, in his allegory, likens Hagar to the covenant at Mount Sinai, known as the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant is not the Scriptures which we call the “Old Testament,” despite this name we so frequently call it as Christians; and it is not the Torah. The Old Covenant was the agreement of the people of Israel to follow God’s commands, when they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” (Exodus 24:7). What followed from that enthusiastic statement was a tendency to do just the opposite. This is why Paul says, “Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children,” (Galatians 4:25). So long as obedience to God is done solely through the flesh, sin, being the inability to fulfill God’s commands, will hold in bondage. When Paul chastises the Galatians for wanting to be “under law,” he is not condemning them for trying to walk in God’s ways. Rather he is condemning their reliance on the flesh, their seeking to gain hold of the promise through spiritless obedience, just as Abraham and Sarah did when they tried to bring forth the promised child through physical means alone.

So what about Sarah? Her conception of Isaac was something much more miraculous. For up until the age of 90, she had been unable to bear children. Most rational people would agree that a 90-year-old and 100-year-old couple are not going to be having children. From a human point of view, it would appear impossible for Sarah to bring forth a child so late in life, especially after being barren up until that age; but with God, all things are possible.

After Paul introduces Hagar as representing the earthly city of Jerusalem, he brings her into contrast with Sarah, who represents the heavenly city of Jerusalem: “The Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother,” (verse 26). If Hagar is the Old Covenant, then Sarah is the New Covenant. The New Covenant is not a new set of rules to follow, but it is a miraculous and supernatural ability to do that which was previously impossible through the flesh: “‘This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts, and they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,'” (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

From a human perspective, it is impossible to keep God’s commands perfectly. If we try to keep them merely through our own efforts, we will be committing the mistake of Abraham and Sarah, becoming, as it were, a child of the bondwoman. But if we put our faith and hope in God through Yeshua (Jesus), walking in the Spirit, then He will be faithful to fulfill His promise in writing His law on the tablets of our hearts. It is only then when we will no longer be held in bondage to the sinful nature, but will be fulfilling our role as children of promise: “So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman,” (verse 31).

In Psalm 17:8 the Psalmist writes, “Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of Thy wing.” Most people know that the shadow of the Lord is a reference to God’s shelter, the safety of His people such as is referenced in Psalm 36:7: “How precious is Thy loving kindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wing.” Also notice Psalms 57:1, 63:7 and 91:4, all of which use shadow as a place of refuge. But is there more? Based on the definition, we see that there is more to this word. So, with all this in mind we want to take a closer look at God’s shadow.

So we start by asking the question, what is a shadow? A shadow can be many things, so let’s get the definition. A shadow is a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface, like a silhouette, outline of an object or shape, a profile; an inseparable attendant or companion, a reflective image; a supernatural being such as a ghost or spirit; a shelter.

A Matter of Light

A shadow is an image cast by light. That shadow creates a silhouette, an image of that which originally caused the shadow. Like in photography when using film, there is a negative that is produced, a shadow of the image; and then when that negative is developed, we see the positive image which occurs: a picture. It is the identical image, but one in the positive and one in the negative. Like the saying, “Me and my shadow,” they are one and the same. So let’s look at the Scriptures to see how this pertains to the idea of a negative and positive.

Exodus 33:22-23 tells us that God placed Moses in the cleft of the rock and covered him with His hand till He had passed by so that Moses only saw the glory of God’s back. What Moses saw was the shadow of God. God is light, and a shadow is an image cast by light. If what Moses saw was so glorious and that was just God’s shadow, just think when we see him face to face!

In Luke 1:35 the angel is sent to Mary to tell her that she will give birth to a child. Mary, confused by it all, asks how this will be possible: “The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.'” What did the angel mean by saying His power would overshadow her? Well, a shadow is an image, and Scripture tells us in Colossians 1:15, “And He (Yeshua) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Hebrews 1:3 tells us that He is the exact representation of His nature. So we see that God, when He overshadowed Mary, created in her His image, the shadow that was created by His Light over her. Again, like photography, there is the positive image, the Father, and the negative image, which became the positive image when born, Yeshua. Yeshua says, “The Father and I are one,” John 10:30.

A Shadow of Things to Come

When Colossians 2:16-17 tells us, “Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or new moon or a Sabbath day, things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Messiah,” it is simply telling us that all these things are the image of Messiah, and when Messiah returns, that shadow, that image, of Messiah will become real. The negative image will become the positive image, and so for now, because Messiah is not with us, He left us the negative image. All these things mentioned are all part of God’s commandments in His Torah, His word, His teachings; and one day we will see them all in Messiah. So should we not keep these commands because they are only a shadow? No! That should not stop us, because the shadow, the negative image, is the exact image of the positive image. The shadow, the negative, does not nullify the positive, nor the other way around, for they are the exact image of each other.

We see this same thing in the Feast of Pentecost. God came down on Mount Sinai and gave His Torah, His word, to the people. And yet at Pentecost, when the tongues of fire came down on the disciples, God gave them the Holy Spirit. So, what is the connection between the two? The first Pentecost at Sinai was the foreshadowing of things to come, and it did come when the Word, the Torah, became flesh, the living word of God, and dwelt among us: Yeshua. Then Yeshua returned to the Father and sent us His Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost, so all who believed could be filled with His Spirit. Once again this is a foreshadowing of things to come when Yeshua will come back and we will dwell together for eternity.

As believers, to be in the shadow of God’s wing is a good place to be, because His shadow is the same as being in His arms. Let us not look down on those things of God which are just a shadow of things to come, because in reality they are the exact image of that which is real.

We have been studying, the last several newsletters, at 1 Corinthians 3. We started by laying a foundation of the elementary principles in Hebrews 6:1-2. Now that we have laid that foundation, we want to build upon it and continue looking at this chapter in 1 Corinthians on foundational living.

We saw that the Corinthians were acting in the flesh when they squabbled about who was taught by a better man. They were looking toward man rather than God. In verse 5 we see Paul telling the people, “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.” Now, what we are going to look at is very important for all who belong to a church family, for all who belong to the body of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).

Paul goes on to say in verses 6-8, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” We see in Amos 9:13 this tag team of gardeners in the Messianic age: “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘When the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine and all the hills will be dissolved.'” Even in the perfect age, the days to come, it will be important for God’s people to work together. Paul tells the Romans in Romans 12:5, “So we, who are many, are one body in Messiah, and individually members one of another.” We are one in Messiah, like a Bride and Groom become One (Genesis 2:24, Mark 10:8, Ephesians 5:30-31).

1 Corinthians 12:12-24 tells us, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body ”whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free ” and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it.”

We see here something very important. We are not only one body, but we see here that all members are equal and deserve respect. There can be no politics in our assemblies. We must be united and work together. As our body works together for our good, so we are the body of Messiah and we represent Messiah, and because of this, we must remember that God is love and we too must love one another. Verse 25 goes on, “So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” Is this something that the church has lost? 1 John 3:17 tells us, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” John tells us in the verse above that this is how we know that we love God: by laying down our lives for the brethren. There are so many people in our churches that are afraid to ask for help because, well, it may be seen as not having faith, or maybe they are an elder or the head of a ministry or secretary or even the pastor, and it would not be politically correct. This must stop in our congregations.

James tells us in chapter 2:15-17 that if a brother or sister is without the necessities of life and one says, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? We can not allow political correctness in our churches. It must be Biblical correctness! We cannot just pray for a person, but we must step out in faith and put legs and action to that faith. Our churches must be a sanctuary, a refuge, and our church should be a place without walls. We must go to the streets and to the highways and byways, searching for those in need. If we are part of Messiah’s body, then we must be his hands and his feet and his mouth and so on, and we must see the needs and rush to the aid of those who are in need and be His hand to hold and comfort His people. “Now, you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts,” (1 Corinthians 12:27-31). Each one of us has a gift, each one of us has a calling, and we must use what God has given us for the kingdom. There is too much division in the church. This is what was happening in the Corinthian church. People lost sight of things, and they allowed politics to enter in by arguing who they followed, as if one was greater than the other. We are all equal in the body of Messiah. Our churches must be a place to plant seeds and bear fruit.

Paul now leaves the garden and begins speaking about building. In 1 Corinthians 3:10, he says, “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it, but each one should be careful how he builds.” The foundation Paul speaks of is his foundational principles that we began this series on, found in Hebrews 6:1-2. He goes on in verse 11, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah.” How important it is that we have godly pastors who hear from God and teach and preach the truth, and this requires time in prayer and study of God’s word. We need to do all we can so our pastors have that time to do what is required of them, even if it means that we need to go and cut their grass or shovel their snow.

Paul goes on to say in verses 12-15, “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” Yeshua tells us in Matthew 7:24, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” And again in Luke 6:47-48: “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”

We can settle for wood, hay, and straw in our lives, or we can be vessels of honor for God and build with gold, silver, and costly stones. But if we choose the first, we take the chance that when the wind and the storm, those trials and tribulations in our lives, come, we may not stand. We may even fall such a fall that we may not get back up. We can also live for God halfway, and on the day of judgment find that we come up suffering loss and be impoverished in the kingdom. Or we can give God our all and find on judgment day a great reward.

All of this is a result of us living a godly life which consists of growing and maturing in the things of God and living by the word of God. We must insist on an atmosphere in our community of believers (our church fellowship) and our worship of the quality that represents a holy God. Remember, our sanctuary represents the heavenly tabernacle in which God resides. Phones and coffee and anything less than sincere worship and adoration for God in our sanctuary is nothing less than an abomination to God, and do not let anyone tell you anything but. We must hold our Pastors to a high standard, for they were called to this and they must be our example. Does this mean that they are not human? Of course not, they are very much human and they too need our prayers and support and should be open to our rebuke if it is consistent with the Word of God. Even the Bereans searched the Word to see if Paul was preaching to them the truth (Acts 17:11). Verses 16-17 in 1 Corinthians 3 goes on to tell us that we are the temple of the Lord and that God’s Spirit dwells in us, and God’s temple is holy. For this reason we too must be holy. Paul ends this chapter with these words: “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness,’ and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.’ So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.”

Let us not be deceived, but let us lay that foundation that Hebrews 6:1-2 tells us to lay, and though we must hold our leaders in high esteem, let us always remember that they too are mere men who are growing also in the Lord.

Jacob and Esau are presented throughout Scripture as polar opposites. Although the two are brothers, their relationship with God and with His plan brings them down two different paths. Paul uses their story to make a point about the relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles and in turn each group’s relationship with God. Let’s find out what’s going on here.

First of all, we would do well to find out exactly who Jacob and Esau were: “Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham became the father of Isaac… Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived,” (Genesis 25:19, 21). God honored the prayer of Isaac and blessed him and Rebekah with not only one child, but twins. Even in the womb, however, the future of the two brothers was being played out: “But the children struggled together within her; and she said, ‘If it is so, why then am I this way?’ So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples will be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger,'” (Genesis 25:22-23). The older of the twins is Esau, with Jacob following close behind, even clutching Esau’s heel. The two nations which God spoke of were the nation of Edom, coming from Esau, and the nation of Israel, coming from Jacob, who God later gives the name Israel.

Paul brings in this imagery in speaking about the position of Israel. In Romans 9, he begins by explaining his earnest desire that his brothers, the physical descendants of Jacob, would come to see that Yeshua is the Messiah, while at the same time explaining that “they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel,” (Romans 9:6). In other words, those from other nations who believe in Yeshua and keep His commands now have a part in the community of Israel. Likewise, not all those who are physical descendants of Jacob are a part of the true Israel, but only if they show the same faith and obedience as their fathers. He explains: “And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated,'” (Romans 9:10-13).

It would seem that Paul is turning the tables. Have the Gentiles now become Jacob and Israel turned into Esau? This cannot be true; but rather he explains, “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable,” (Romans 11:28-29). When Paul compares Israel to Esau, it is simply that: a comparison, a way of presenting an idea. He is explaining that Israel has temporarily been blinded in order that the rest of the world may come to salvation. He again clarifies the position of Gentiles in the body of Yeshua: “I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous… But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches… Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.” (Romans 11:11, 17, 20).

Israel has never ceased from being Israel; Jacob has never ceased from being loved: “‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have You loved us?’ ‘Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ declares the Lord. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob’… Your eyes will see this and you will say, ‘The Lord be magnified beyond the border of Israel!'” (Malachi 1:2, 5). At certain times in the history of the Jewish people, it has seemed as if God no longer loved them, but that is not the case. One day, their eyes will be opened to their Messiah, and they will see that the Lord has truly been magnified beyond the border of Israel.

One of the most famous events in the life of Jacob is his dream of a ladder reaching to heaven. Yeshua alludes to it in a discussion with Nathanael. We want to take a close look at each of these passages to see what they mean together.

We pick up the story of Jacob as he leaves his father’s house to go find a wife. As the day draws to a close, he decides to make camp for the night: “He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place,” (Genesis 28:11). What happens next would astound any one of us: “He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants,'” (Genesis 28:12-13).

Of particular interest is the phrase “the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” In the Hebrew, the pronoun used can mean either “it” or “him.” While the translators chose “it,” meaning the ladder, some rabbis entertained the thought of the angels ascending and descending on “him,” meaning Jacob. Angels are understood to be messengers of God who do His will on earth and in heaven. Therefore the angels ascending and descending on Jacob symbolizes the fact that God’s attention was fixed on Jacob and that He had sent angels to protect and take care of him. The fact that this is true is reiterated in Genesis 32:1 when Jacob heads out to return home: “Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him.”

In the next verse, the same pronoun is used. Again most translations interpret it to mean the ladder, but the JPS Tanakh does it differently: “And, behold, the LORD stood beside him, and said: ‘I am the LORD, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed,'” (Genesis 28:13).

Yeshua knew the intended meaning behind this dream, and He makes reference to it in a conversation recorded in the gospel of John. After meeting Yeshua, Philip goes and tells Nathanael that he has found the Messiah. Nathanael is skeptical, but comes to see Him to find out whether He is the Messiah or not. “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!'” (John 1:47). This is another reference to Jacob, whose name means “he grasps the heel,” which is another way to say “he decieves.” Nathanael believes Yeshua and declares that He is the Son of God. “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And He said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.'”

There are multiple ways to understand this saying. First, it can be understood in the context of the ladder in Jacob’s dream. Yeshua is comparing Himself to a ladder between heaven and earth, as established earlier in John 1, which explains the deity of Yeshua. He descended to earth to be born as a man, and after His resurrection, He ascended back into heaven. He is the ladder we ascend upon to access the Father in heaven, and we await the day when He will descend once more.

Another way of interpreting this is that Nathanel will see the work of God done through Yeshua. It is not recorded whether or not Nathanael actually saw a vision of angels ascending and descending on Yeshua, but for certain he witnessed the mighty acts of power done through Him. The picture of angels around Yeshua is evident in passages like Matthew 4:11 and 26:53. We can also think of the angels mentioned in Yeshua’s words in John 1:51 as being symbolic of the power of heaven which the disciples saw in every miraculous act Yeshua carried out.

Jacob had a vision of the Messiah, but only from a distance. Not until that ladder had been revealed to all mankind was the full meaning of his dream made available. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,'” (John 14:6). We do not only look upon that ladder as if in a dream, but we ourselves can ascend upon our Messiah to meet with our Father, who stands above with open arms, waiting only for us to come.

When we read about sibling relationships in Scripture, it seems there are more negative examples than positive. Starting with Cain and Abel, hatred and jealousy become sins which many fall into. Unlike this early story, however, Jacob and Esau are able to reconcile after years of separation. Reconciliation is important to God, and he requires that we make things right in our lives.

“Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He also commanded them saying, ‘Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: “Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now,'”‘” (Genesis 32:3-4). The first words which Esau will hear from Jacob are those of a humble servant. When Esau sends messengers back saying he will meet him, Jacob organizes several waves of gifts of livestock to send ahead of him, hoping to soften up his brother: “I will appease him with the present that goes before me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.”

Due to Jacob’s actions regarding the birthright, Esau was angry enough to kill him. After a long time of being apart, Jacob wanted to lay to rest any ill will between them, but he couldn’t be sure that Esau would feel the same way. Lots of time had passed, but the “stealing of the blessing” was a life-changing event which had lasting consequences. Jacob recognized that Esau may still want to kill him, but he was willing to extend himself in order to have one last chance at achieving peace.

We see Yeshua discuss the issue of anger against our brothers and sisters. He starts out in Matthew 5, saying, “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell,” (verses 21-23). There is a sort of escalation of both the level of anger and the punishment it deserves.

Yeshua continues: “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” It is important to notice that it doesn’t say “you have something against your brother,” but the other way around. Even if you do not see yourself as the one at fault in the disagreement, it is necessary to extend yourself beyond what would be considered normal in order to achieve peace, even if it means possibly being subjected to the wrath of your brother. If we do not sacrifice our own will for the sake of peace, then how can we expect God to be pleased with any other sacrifice we make?

Jacob meets and parts ways with Esau without any ill consequence. Shortly after, God speaks to him: “Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau,” (Genesis 35:1). Now that Esau’s anger towards Jacob was sated, he could go make an altar and meet God in the place where He had previously revealed Himself (Genesis 35:9-15). Likewise, it is only after we create peace in our own relationships that we can expect to be right with God. If it is not us who harbors this hatred, but rather the other party, we are still required to try to make things right. Just as Jacob presented himself as a servant and gave generous gifts to Esau, so too it is our duty to go the extra mile to try to live at peace. When we do this, we are not acting of ourselves, but we reflect the mercies and the peace which God has graciously bestowed on us: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

It is hard to read the story of Joseph without feeling some sense of pity for him. In some ways, we feel able to empathize with his struggles when nothing seems to be going right in our own lives. Throughout all of these tribulations, he proved himself faithful to God, an example for us to follow.

This week’s parashah contains the low part of Joseph’s life. God gave him prophetic dreams in his youth, telling him that he would be the head of his brothers (Genesis 37:5-11). Combined with the fact that Joseph was their father’s favorite, his brothers grow jealous enough to kill him: “Judah said to his brothers, ‘What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.’ And his brothers listened to him,” (verses 26-27). Stephen affirms this in his testimony before the Sanhedrin: “The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him,” (Acts 7:9).

Joseph ends up becoming a slave in Egypt, but it was not as if God had abandoned him: “Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge,” (Genesis 39:3-4). It is likely that Paul drew from the record of Joseph’s experience when he gave his instructions to those who were slaves (Ephesians 6:5-7, Colossians 3:22-25). This advice is not only for slaves, but for workers who are accountable to a manager or other position of authority. Like Joseph, do this work as if you are working for God and not man, proving yourself faithful in whatever your hands find you to do.

These good times do not last, however. Joseph’s master, Potiphar, has a wife who takes a liking to Joseph. He once again shows where his loyalties lie: “But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 37:8-9). Joseph is not concerned with what she thinks, or even what his master thinks, but only with what God thinks.

Potiphar’s wife does not appreciate being turned down, and spreads a false report about Joseph. He once again finds himself suffering for doing the right thing: “So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail. But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer,” (verses 20-21). Not much of Joseph’s emotions are spoken of in these passages, but it is evident that he didn’t let these trials damper his faith or cause him to be dejected, determining that wherever God put him, he would be light in the darkness. We see that being wrongfully imprisoned is not isolated only to Joseph (Jeremiah 37:15-16, Luke 3:20, Acts 12:5, 16:22-24). As Peter tells us, “It is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong,” (1 Peter 3:17). Whether we are suffering because of something we did or simply because it is God’s will, we can find peace in the fact that if we turn to Him, He will also turn to us and give us peace in all of this.

Due to the exceptional circumstances surrounding Joseph’s troubles, we may be tempted to consider his steadfastness as something out of reach or beyond what is expected of us. On the contrary, as believers we can expect to go through difficult times, “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity,” (Proverbs 24:16). Through these times we show the substance of our faith. The life of a believer is not exemplified by good times, but rather a peace and a perseverance through every difficulty (James 1:2-4). In our various sufferings, we can hold unswervingly to our trust in God, who upheld Joseph through slavery, temptation, and imprisonment alike, believing that He will do the same for us.

In this week’s portion, Joseph is lifted up to the position of a ruler in Egypt. Due to a widespread famine, his brothers have to come down from Canaan to get food. Joseph devises a plan to find out if his brothers have changed from their hateful ways. Even after all his siblings have put him through, Joseph still has a deep love for them.

In the previous portion, Joseph had interpreted the dream of his fellow inmates in the dungeon of Egypt. Fulfilling Joseph’s interpretation of his dream, Pharoah’s cupbearer is restored to his position, and subsequently loses all thoughts of Joseph and the dungeon. This week’s portion begins with Pharoah now having dreams which disturb him greatly (Genesis 41:1-8). At this, the cupbearer recalls how Joseph had interpreted his own dream, and Joseph is brought before Pharoah (verses 9-14). After telling him that the dreams meant there would be a famine (verses 28-31), Pharoah appoints Joseph to head up the efforts to store up grain during the seven years of plenty which were to come before the seven years of drought (verses 38-41). After all that Joseph had gone through, he was now given a place of great authority, and one with much more power than he would have had back in the land of his fathers. If we prove ourselves faithful to God during our trials, He is faithful to bless us abundantly through His great mercy (Genesis 22:15-18, Job 42:10-12, Revelation 21:7).

There is still one matter that must be addressed in Joseph’s life, however: he must meet his brothers. All of the wrongs that had been done to Joseph had been made right, except for his relationship with the other sons of Jacob. When the famine begins, it is not only in Egypt, but it is “in all the lands,” (verse 54). Joseph’s brothers hear that Egypt is selling grain, and so they head down to purchase food for their families. Little do they know that their brother is there waiting for them.

“When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly,” (Genesis 42:7). His brothers do not recognize Joseph, since he has grown up over the years, as well as due to the fact that as an Egyptian with a position of authority, his appearance and style of dress would have been drastically different. Joseph accuses his brothers of being spies, and he treats them as if they are enemies, putting them in prison for three days. Then he lets all but Simeon go back to Canaan, and says that if they come back with their youngest brother Benjamin, then he will let Simeon go.

We may mistakenly believe this was all pure retaliation on the part of Joseph, but there is a deeper explanation for his actions. If he wanted to get revenge on his brothers, he could have had them all killed or punished in many different ways. This was not the case. On the contrary, he loved his brothers and longed to reveal who he was, but first he needed to know that they had truly repented of the way they treated him. To find out whether this is so, he needs to see if they will easily give up their brother Simeon, and later when they return to Egypt for more food, Benjamin (Genesis 44:1-17).

Just like Joseph, we are called to love our brother, regardless of how they have treated us in the past. “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren,” (1 John 3:16). Even if we feel we have the authority or the right to exact punishment on others for the harm they have caused us, we need to give it over to God (Luke 6:27-28, Romans 12:19). Perhaps like Joseph we need to test the ones who have harmed us to see if they have truly changed, but this can only be done from a pure heart that longs for restoration. “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth,” (1 John 3:18).

What does it mean to believe, and yet to believe the impossible? We want to take a closer look at this word.

The word believe in the Hebrew is aman, the verb in Greek is pisteuo, and from this word we get faith – pistis, assurance, firm conviction, from which we get the word faithfulness. When one believes, he puts his trust in something or someone, and that requires of him some sort of action. Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). In other words, Abraham considered that what God had spoken to him was truth, and so Abraham believed. We see here that the word used for “to believe” in its truest sense, is as closely tied to salvation in the Hebrew Scriptures as it is in the Apostolic Scriptures (Galatians 3:6).

So the meaning of the word according to an entry on wikibooks is: “It is the act whereby a person lays hold of God’s resources, becomes obedient to what He has prescribed and putting aside all self interest and self-reliance, trusts Him completely. It is an unqualified surrender of the whole of one’s being in dependence upon Him. It is wholly trusting and relying upon Him for all things. It is not just mental assent to the facts and realities of truth, it must come from a deep inner conviction.”

The writer in Proverbs 3:5 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding,” which is a complete opposite to the one who relies on himself. Proverbs 28:26 tells us, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.” So we see that to believe is faith, and faith is righteousness, and righteousness is salvation. The writer of Hebrews tells it like this: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” (Hebrews 11:1).

Do we have the faith to believe the impossible? When life throws us a curve, when we derail and wander off the path, when we have done the unthinkable, do we have the faith to believe that God so loved me that He sent His only begotten Son, Yeshua, to die for my sins so that I could be forgiven and cleansed from all of my iniquities, transgressions, and sins, washed in the blood and totally redeemed by His blood? That I, when I confess my sins and repent, totally turnabout, now no longer need to carry the burden, the weight, of my sins? That Yeshua’s blood has the power to deliver me from all my guilt and shame? We may say “yes,” but remember this is, to the facts, not mental assent, but this must come from an inner conviction. When we are down and out, maybe due to a death, or a divorce, or a financial need to where life looks like the clouds have rolled in to stay, can we put our trust in the One who tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us? Can we follow the Master when He tells us to forsake all? Can we have the faith to walk in His footsteps? You see, to believe is an action word, and we must take action.

James writes in chapter 2:17-23, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”

If we truly believe, if we truly have faith, if we truly trust God, then we must take our faith and trust and beliefs to a higher level and do the works that God has called us to. For Abraham to be willing to kill his only begotten son, he had to have the inner conviction, the assurance that God would raise him from the dead. That was his hope, that was his confidence, that was his faith, and he believed he had done what God had asked of him, and it was accredited to him as righteousness. Otherwise we are no different than the demons, for they believe God and shudder, but they do not do right by God. Do you believe the impossible? If you do, then you know that nothing is impossible with God, for Abraham knew that he could raise his son from the dead, and God did. Whatever is happening in your life, know this: that you can believe God’s word. He loves you, and He proved it by sending His Son to die for you, so now you can believe!

The reconciliation of Joseph with his family is one of the more heartwarming moments in Scripture. This event, however, was not only an important experience in their life, but was a foreshadowing of things that are yet to come.

After finding that his brothers are ready to accept him, Joseph reveals that he is their brother who they sold into slavery (Genesis 45:1-3). His brothers are rightfully confused. This man they had been conversing with all of this time, an Egyptian prince, was their brother. It seemed impossible, yet here it was playing out right in front of them. Amidst many tears, Joseph and his brothers are reunited. All of the suppressed pain and hardship of years gone by was all coming back to the surface. Joseph is not angry or expecting an apology, but he speaks words of comfort and encouragement to his brothers (verses 4-5, 24).

The brothers are sent back to Canaan to bring Jacob and each of their own families back to Egypt to settle in the best of the land (verses 16-20). God knows that Jacob is concerned about moving down to Egypt. He knew the promise God had made to his fathers, that He would give the land of Canaan to his descendants (Genesis 26:3). God reassures Jacob, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again,” (Genesis 46:3-4).

This would all be a good enough story if it was only that, an isolated event. But the tale of Joseph and his brothers holds a lot of prophetic value as well, both explicitly and under the surface. The most obvious prophecy involving this reunion is found in Ezekiel 37:15-28. At the time of this prophecy, the nation of Israel was divided into the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah. God illustrates through Ezekiel that one day the two houses will be made one again, just as in the days when Joseph and his brothers were reunited (verse 19). As of now, many who are of the people of Israel are unaware, due to their dispersal among the nations. But God will draw His people back from all of the places they were scattered to (verses 21-22) in order to fulfill the words he spoke to Jacob, “I will surely bring you up again.” This is what the Jewish people expect the Messiah to do, and that is exactly what He will do when He returns (Ezekiel 37:24).

There is yet another part of this story. Over the years, many have noticed that an interesting picture of Yeshua the Messiah is foreshadowed in the story of Joseph and his brothers. Just as Joseph was rejected by his brothers, so too was Yeshua for the most part rejected by the Jewish people. Although his brothers assumed he had died, Joseph was alive in Egypt, and ascended to a place of authority, just as Yeshua also resurrected and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. The reason God allowed Joseph to go down to Egypt was so that the world would be saved from the serious drought. Likewise, the reason God allowed the Jewish people to be blind to their Messiah was so that the Gentiles could receive salvation. Just as Joseph was disguised as an Egyptian so that his brothers wouldn’t recognize him, so too in our time Yeshua has been disguised as a Gentile so that the Jewish people do not recognize Him as the Messiah prophecied of in the Scriptures.

All of these parallels lead up to the reunion of the Messiah and His people. Just as Joseph and his brothers experienced a bittersweet reunion, so too will Yeshua and the Jewish people: “They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son,” (Zechariah 12:10). Just as Joseph comforted his brothers, so too Israel will be comforted (Hosea 2:14-15). They will be bewildered that their Messiah has been here all along, but they did not recognize Him. But it was all part of God’s plan: “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance,” (Genesis 47:7).

The last words someone speaks seem to hold a heightened sense of meaning. It is like giving one last gift before you leave, one last chance to give some profound wisdom or token of love. We know this not only from our own experiences, but we also have received parting words through Scripture.

Our portion this week recounts the events leading up to the death of Israel (Jacob). Just as Isaac had purposed to bless his sons before he died (Genesis 27:4), Jacob speaks prophetically over his sons: “Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, ‘Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come,'” (Genesis 49:1). While Jacob does not introduce that he is going to bless his sons, that is in fact what he is doing (verse 28). We see that these final blessings are not like wishing someone good luck, but they are prophetic utterances that foretell of days to come (Genesis 27:27-29, 38-40). Some of the things he speaks don’t sound like blessings we would want to receive (verses 5-7, 19), but they nonetheless reflect the character of the individual as well as the future they will have as revealed by the Spirit.

We see in Paul’s letters another type of parting words. In 2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy that his time here on earth is drawing to a close: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come,” (chapter 4:6). Here we see not so much a blessing as an exhortation. Since Paul knows he won’t be around much longer to give Timothy any further guidance, he wants to leave one final impression: “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction… be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (verses 1-2, 5). All of this being said, Paul did not expect that they would not see each other again before Paul passed (verses 9-13), but this was in a sense a way of showing Timothy that he would need to step up and be able to exhort others just as Paul has been doing until now.

While we can learn a lot from applying these words to our own lives, we have a more direct connection to the parting words of Yeshua. Mark records Yeshua’s words before He ascends into heaven: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation…’ So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God,” (Mark 16:15-19). Matthew also records Yeshua’s last words to his disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:19-20). These are Yeshua’s final recorded words as he walked in the physical world, and we should not take them lightly.

It is true that Yeshua is not dead or even far away from us today, but the words recorded in Scripture are our instructions from the mouth of the Master Himself. In the book of Revelation, Yeshua revealed Himself to John, giving us more words that we should take to heart as the Scriptures draw to a close: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying,” (Revelation 22:12, 14-15).

Last words tell a lot about a person, and sometimes they are more about us than the one who is speaking. Yeshua’s final words as recorded in Scripure tell us a lot about Him and what He expects us to be doing while we anxiously watch for His return. Let’s take care to occupy ourselves with doing the will of our Father as expressed through these words, seeking the Kingdom and His righteousness until Yeshua returns.

Moses’ experience with the burning bush and his mission to go down to Egypt to free the people of Israel is one often told and remembered. Everyone involved was expecting the deliverance to happen right away, but God had a different plan. This situation is not too different from our own present condition.

God chose Moses to lead the people of Israel out of their harsh slavery in Egypt. Appearing to him in the midst of a burning bush, God tells Moses what he will do: “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt,” (Exodus 1:10). God did not specify a timeline of the events that were to occur, nor did He explain that Pharoah would only let the people go after a devastating series of plagues. Foreshadowed in His words are a glimpse of what was to come, however: “But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion,” (verse 19). Moses obviously did not understand the full implications of this phrase, and he assumed his job was going to be to go down to Egypt, say what needed to be said, and God would move miraculously to bring the people out of slavery right away. Even with this comparatively small goal in his mind, he was extremely anxious.

Moses’ anxiety about speaking to the people would be greatly increased when it turned out that God had not acted in the timeframe Moses thought would work best. After appearing before Pharoah and doing everything God had told him to do, things only got worse for the children of Israel. They were expected to do the same amount of work, but were compelled to find their own raw materials. Moses’ words to the people of Israel had given them hope, only for those dreams to come crashing down, dragging them further into despair than they had been before this would-be redeemer had arrived. They reject Moses and chide him for coming at all, and Moses feels the weight of what he has done: “Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all,'” (Exodus 5:22-23). Responding to his plea, God reiterates what He had said before: “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he will let them go, and under compulsion he will drive them out of his land,” (Exodus 6:1).

Throughout Scripture, we are encouraged to wait upon the Lord (Psalm 27:14, Micah 7:7, Romans 8:25). Whether we are waiting for a prayer to be answered or are relying on God to move in a specific area of our life, it is only through patient endurance that we will see the final result. Perhaps we have been like Moses and the Israelites, expecting God to move right away, becoming discouraged and disillusioned when what we had planned doesn’t come to fruition. In times like this, we ought to let go of our preconceptions and trust God to do what He wills. Everything He does is for the praise of His glory, not for the satisfaction of our every desire.

One thing we are all called to wait for is the return of our Messiah Yeshua. “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks,” (Luke 12:35-36). Two thousand years later, we are still waiting for the coming of our Lord: “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance,” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

Perhaps we have lost sight of what we are waiting for, or maybe we are growing tired of waiting for something we believe won’t happen in our lifetime. If this is the case, it is essential that we remember our place. Our job is not to worry about how God will move or when it will happen, but to be prepared every moment of every day, drawing ever closer to Him and preparing the way for His Kingdom: “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay,” (Habakkuk 2:3).

One of the ways God chooses to reveal Himself to people is through supernatural events, what we often call signs and wonders. Typically when we think of these events, we think of healings or other such positive miracles, but throughout Scripture we also see signs and wonders which cause destruction. The same motivation lies behind both the destructive and creative/restorative supernatural events, and that is to draw people to God through the witnessing of His power.

When God sent Moses to set the people of Israel free from their slavery in Egypt, He equipped him with a few miracles which he could do before Pharaoh. God progressively brought more and more extravagant and supernatural events upon Egypt, until everyone in the land knew for certain that this could only be from the hand of God. It is true that God could have found a way to allow the people of Israel to go without the assorted plagues and pestilences that fell upon the people of Egypt, but His will was that not only would the people of Israel be set free, but that those of the Egyptians whose hearts were willing would come to belief in God as well.

He intentionally allowed Pharaoh to be obstinate so that His power would be made clear: “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt,” (Exodus 7:3). Some people take objection to this, saying that God was unjust in bringing judgment against people who were not actively involved in oppressing the Israelites in slavery, when He could have simply softened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would be favorably inclined towards the Israelites. This viewpoint fails to take into account the fact that God is purely just, and He alone knows the hearts of mankind. These acts were done not to punish the innocent, but rather to bring them into knowledge of the truth: “The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst,” (Exodus 7:5). While many of the Egyptians followed Pharaoh’s stubborn example through these punishments, God has shown throughout Scripture His willingness to show mercy on those who trust in Him, and we can be sure that the same was true for the Egyptians who came to believe in God through this experience.

Not only did God desire for Israel and Egypt to come to believe in His might, but that all of the nations who heard of it would stand in awe of Him as well: “For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth,” (Exodus 9:15-16). The plagues on Egypt were part of the testimony that the people of Israel were to the nations. Later, when the spies went into the promised land, Rahab told them that all of the land was in fear because they had heard what God had done for Israel, and the plagues were the first step in that process (Joshua 2:10).

Signs and wonders on such a large scale were not only present in the exodus from Egypt, but have occurred throughout Scripture, which also prophesies that there will be one final time of supernatural destruction. Revelation 8 tells us a few of the tribulations that will fall upon the earth, some of which bear striking similarities with the plagues with which God railed upon Egypt: there will be hail and fire mixed with blood, the sea will become blood, the creatures within the sea will die, and there will be great darkness. Peter also tells us, “The heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up,” (2 Peter 3:10). We can learn a lot about this time by remembering the plagues in Egypt. Those plagues were done so that the power of God might be made known to those who were held in doubt, and so that the people of Israel could be set free with a mighty hand. So too in those final days, the earth will be destroyed so that our redemption from sin and death will be made complete. The signs and wonders which take place will also serve to show the mighty hand of God and cause some to believe in Him before it is too late. While it is generally and rightfully viewed as a time of judgment, God often reveals His mercy through judgment. Justice and mercy are not opposed to each other, but through judgment God reveals His mercy and lovingkindess toward mankind, giving us every opportunity to repent and draw near to Him.

Since God knows the heart of man, He possess a foreknowledge of what each of us will choose to do, and will use that according to His purposes: “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.’ So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires,” (Romans 9:16-18). Let us always pay attention to know our position before God so that we may humbly take refuge in Him in the day of judgment.

Last month we looked at believing the impossible. This month we want to look at faith that moves mountains. What’s the difference? Well, you must first believe to have faith. If I believe that you are a liar, then no matter what you say I will not believe you. But if I believe that you are an honest person, then if you ask me to lend you something I will have the faith to believe that you will return it. So we see that the two work hand-in-hand. So we want to look at what the Bible says about faith.

We saw last month that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Our convictions must go down deep within us, down to the very core of our being. The deeper our roots go down, the stronger is our faith. The stronger our faith is, it becomes impossible for us to be moved from our beliefs. Our faith will not only be the result of us doing a work for the Kingdom, but we will be getting results in this work. But this only comes from knowing God: not knowing of God, but actually having a personal relationship with Him, where you know His voice and you know His will for your life.

Paul told the Corinthians, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Faith is the key to moving the hand of God, and without it it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Yeshua (Jesus) tells His followers in Matthew 17:20, “I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall move; and nothing is impossible to you.'”

So I ask, what is your mountain that you need removed? Yeshua tells us that we can speak to our obstacles, and with even a little bit of faith it will remove itself. The spoken word is a very powerful thing. By the spoken word of God all creation came into existence.

Matthew records a conversation between Yeshua and a centurion who asks Yeshua to heal his servant who was paralyzed. The centurion says in Matthew 8:8, responding to Yeshua after He tells him that He will come, “The Centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.'” This Gentile in the Roman Army must have heard about Yeshua; in fact, he must have known enough about the Hebrew Scriptures that he knew about the creation account to tell Yeshua to just “speak the word” and his servant would be healed. In Biblical times they would have called this man a God-fearer.

Verse 10 gives us Yeshua’s response: “Now when Yeshua heard this He marveled, and said to those who were following Him, ‘Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.'” The centurion knew without a doubt that Yeshua was a man of His word. Because of his knowledge of Yeshua, he believed in what he had heard about Him, or maybe the miracles he may have seen done by Him caused his faith to have the assurance of what he hoped for, which was the healing of his servant. Yeshua Himself said, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves” (John 14:11).

Faith cannot be stagnant, it must be alive and active. James 2:17-18 tells us, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, ‘You have faith, and I have works;’ show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”‘ But faith cannot be apart from God. Yeshua tells us in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

We must work with the Holy Spirit in hearing the voice of Shepherd (John 10:27), leading us in our faith, for He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He has called us to do works of faith (Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 6:9). But you may say, “I have no faith.” But God has given each of us that mustard seed of faith: “But think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3b).

If confessing with your mouth and believing in your heart has the power to bring about salvation, then faith when spoken can move mountains, for Romans 10:8-9 says, “But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that is the word of which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”

What do you have to say today? Speak it in faith and believe in your heart and let God move on your behalf. Paul tells the Ephesians in chapter 6:10-20 to be strong in the strength of the Lord’s might and put on the full armor of God.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Take your stand today and speak to whatever that mountain is that keeps you from going forward in the Lord today.

The plagues God unleashed upon Egypt culminated in the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians, dealing a final blow to the obstinate heart of Pharaoh. To memorialize this purchasing of freedom, God commanded the children of Israel to commemorate the Passover each year. While the literal understanding of this Appointed Time is applicable especially to the physical descendants of Israel, we as believers in Yeshua (Jesus) have also experienced a great redemption.

After striking Egypt with eleven plagues, each increasing in severity, God tells Moses that there is one more plague that must come on Egypt: “Now the Lord said to Moses, ‘One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here'” (Exodus 11:1). After Moses relays the message of what God will do to Pharaoh, God gives Moses special instructions about this time: “Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.” (Exodus 12:14). This time, called Unleavened Bread (verse 17), was instituted here by God in order to remind the people of Israel of all the mighty deeds He did to bring them out of their slavery in Egypt. He gave specific instructions about how they were to celebrate this first Passover so that the firstborn of the children of Israel would not be taken with the firstborn of the Egyptians (Exodus 12:1-13). When God saw the blood on the door post of their house, He would pass over them and not harm the firstborn who were within that house (verse 23).

Why did God want the people of Israel to commemorate this throughout their generations? Because it is the sign of God’s care and election of His people. Even through all of the difficult times the children of Israel have gone through, God hears their cries and will redeem them from the house of slavery. Thinking back upon all of the tragedies which have befallen Israel throughout history, it would be easy to forget that they are indeed blessed and chosen by God. This time of Passover is a yearly reminder that in all generations, God is with His people and will provide a way of escape for those who trust in Him and call upon His name in the time of their trouble.

This theme of redemption which is present in the story of Passover is carried through into the New Testament. Mark 14:12 says, “On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, ‘Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?'” Since Yeshua (Jesus) was Jewish, He was under the same obligation to observe the Passover celebration. He more than most, however, recognized the great significance of this season not only for the people of Israel, but for the whole world. He Himself would play the role of the Passover lamb in order to redeem a people unto Himself from every nation on earth. As per the instructions in Exodus 12, Yeshua and His disciples took part in the Passover meal, what is often referred to today as a seder. It was during this seder when Yeshua took the unleavened bread and said, “Take it; this is My body” (Mark 14:22). What we in Christianity know as “communion” was therefore initially a part of the Passover seder, and this was the time when Yeshua instructed His disciples, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). And just as the blood of the Passover lamb marked the doorway so that the destroyer would not harm anyone inside the house, so too Yeshua shed His blood on that Passover so that all of those who apply His blood to their hearts will not be subject to wrath (Revelation 5:9). He redeemed us from the kingdom of darkness so that we may serve Him (Colossians 1:13).

The meaning of the first Passover is not superseded by the greatness of Yeshua’s Passover sacrifice, for without the first, there would have been no place for the second, greater redemption. They are both pieces in the same puzzle, and without one the other would be unnecessary. This time of Passover holds great significance both for Israel and those who are grafted into Israel through faith in Yeshua, and by ignoring this we do ourselves a great disservice. “Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8).

After their great deliverance from Egypt, the Israelites begin to make their way through the wilderness. Before long, the people naturally begin to hunger, and so God provides a miraculous bounty of bread from heaven. Yeshua (Jesus) speaks of this event as recorded in the gospel of John, telling the people that He is the true manna from heaven and that they must eat of His flesh. But what exactly does this mean?

When we see the great miracles which God wrought on behalf of the children of Israel to free them from the hands of Pharaoh, we may be quick to assume that there was nothing that would ever cause them to doubt God’s power and willingness to disturb the normal functions of nature to care for His people in extraordinary ways. On the contrary, we see that the carnal desires of hunger and thirst obstruct the Israelites’ view of God’s ability to provide: “The sons of Israel said to them, ‘Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger'” (Exodus 16:3). The people had misattributed their plight to Moses and Aaron instead of recognizing that it was God who was behind all of the miracles.

Regardless of their unbelief, God gives them what they want: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction'” (verse 4). God judged that He would give them the food that they required, but would use it as a test to see if the people would be careful to follow His instruction in regard to gathering the manna: they were not to keep any leftover until morning, except on Friday when they were to gather enough for the Sabbath as well.

In the gospel of John, Yeshua is recorded as making reference to this event. The day after He multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the crowd of five-thousand, the people are looking for Him. Apparently they only wanted to see if Yeshua had any more free food to hand out, for Yeshua tells them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal” (John 6:26-27). Just like the people of Israel in the wilderness, the crowds were focused not on God, but only on having their daily needs satisfied. God’s desire is that we do not engage in a frantic pursuit after the satisfaction of our daily needs, but that we trust Him to take care of us as we seek first the Kingdom (Matthew 6:25-33).

The crowds request a sign that He is the One sent from God, the Messiah. They mention that under Moses, their fathers ate manna in the wilderness. Perhaps they wanted to see Yeshua perform a similar miracle as He had done to feed the crowds the day before. Instead, Yeshua responds, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven… I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.” (John 6:32, 35, 53). What does it mean that Yeshua is the true bread of Heaven, the true manna from the Father? And how are we to eat His flesh and drink His blood?

First of all, that He is the manna from heaven signifies the fact that Yeshua descended from the Father rather than being born in the natural way of a man and woman. Eating from Yeshua is very closely connected to both believing in Him and by extension learning from His teachings and applying them to our lives. As we saw in Exodus 16:4, the manna was given to see whether the people would follow God’s instructions. The passage in John 6 also speaks of being taught by God (verse 45) and listening to the teachings of Yeshua (verse 68).

When the people hear these words, they show their disbelief, saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?” (John 6:42). Just as the Israelites in the wilderness attributed their position to Moses and Aaron, so too the crowds speaking to Yeshua are unable to see beyond flesh and blood. Because they knew who Yeshua was growing up, they could not accept that He had descended from the Father. Therefore they said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” (verse 60). Yeshua responds, saying that if they didn’t believe that He came down from Heaven, how could they believe if they saw Him ascending into heaven (verses 61-62). And if they did not believe this, then they would not be able to subject themselves to His teachings.

As those who profess to be disciples of Yeshua, are we eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood? Are we ingesting His words and allowing them to sustain us and become part of who we are? Are we too focused on our physical wants to realize our greater spiritual needs? If not, then let us begin to do so daily, eating and drinking from the only true source of life.

The children of Israel finally arrive at Mt. Sinai after a few months in the wilderness. God has redeemed them from their slavery so that they may be free to serve Him. They witness His great power and His revelation on the mountain, which was meant to inspire the people to keep His commandments so that all may go well with them. What relevance does this event have for us today?

When God was getting ready to give the people of Israel His commandments on Mt. Sinai, first He gave Moses instructions for how the people were to prepare themselves for His drawing near to them. Because God was going to descend upon the mountain and reveal His glory to the people, they needed to be ritually pure and they were not to draw near the mountain. This was not because God didn’t like them or wanted to keep them at a distance, but because as human beings we are not pure enough to approach God’s physical presence. This was also the purpose of the sacrificial system: so that God could let the physical manifestation of His glory dwell among the people (Exodus 25:8). Because God is holy, nothing impure can draw near to Him. These impurities do not necessarily equal sin, but rather our inherent human nature separates us in certain ways from experiencing the full revelation of God.

“Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently” (Exodus 19:18). God was revealing Himself to the people of Israel in a mighty way, and He went on to speak the Ten Commandments to the people. This revelation was overwhelming: “All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance” (Exodus 20:18). Part of the reason for this revelation was so that the people would recognize the greatness of God and His intolerance of sin. It also served to tie God’s revelation of Himself with His commandments. Just as He revealed Himself visually and audibly through fire and the sound of a trumpet, so too He revealed Himself through His moral requirements.

An important passage about the commandments tells us of the words of Yeshua (Jesus), speaking of the longevity and relevance of the commandments to people in every age: “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Torah until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). Some have asserted that all was accomplished when Yeshua was crucified (John 19:30), implying that the Torah has no value. But this fails to take into account the phrase “until heaven and earth pass away” in this passage, which indicates that all is in fact not accomplished.

The book of Hebrews also tells us that all has not been accomplished: “And His voice shook the earth then [at Mt. Sinai], but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.’ This expression, ‘Yet once more,’ denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:27). God shook the earth when He made His covenant with the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai. So too, at the culmination of all things, both the heavens and the earth will be shaken so as to remove them from existence (2 Peter 3:7). We also will be purified and purged of our physical impurity and our sinful tendencies. The Torah will not pass away until this happens, because at that time the Torah will be completely written upon our hearts and we will be able to live out its requirements as part of our very nature (Jeremiah 31:34). Because this is not yet the case, however, we must allow God to continue this work within us, preparing us for the day when these earthly tents will be removed (2 Corinthians 5:1-3).

Just as the old covenant was marked by a shaking of the earth, so too the new covenant will be made complete with the shaking and removal of the heavens and the earth. The physical manifestation of God’s glory on Sinai was intended to inspire the people to serve with reverence and awe. So too we are to set our hearts on the new heavens and earth, the heavenly Kingdom, and the eternal glory of God so that we may serve Him in godly fear and love: “For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven” (Hebrews 12:25). Because we know Yeshua and are aware of our heavenly calling, we have a greater responsibility to serve God and put to death our sinful nature.

While we sojourn here on earth, we are to have our eyes set on our heavenly calling, preparing our hearts and drawing nearer to God by allowing Him to write His commandments on our hearts. All earthly things will soon pass away, so let us look ahead, allowing God to work in us as He prepares us for service in love: “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

The section of the sermon on the mount contained in Matthew 5 has some essential lessons to teach us about our life as a believer. Several perspectives have arisen on the words of Yeshua (Jesus) here, however. Do His sayings lie in opposition to the commandments? Are His sayings, as well as the commands He is expounding upon, an impossible standard we are not expected to actually live by?

Amidst the various commandments contained in Exodus 21-23, God tells the people that the commandments He gives them are the way they are to serve Him: “But you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst” (Exodus 23:25). If they do what is right in the sight of God, then He will bless them and prosper them in the land which He has promised to give them. In Deuteronomy 30, God explains, “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach… But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it” (verses 11, 14). While it is true that no one is able to perfectly live out God’s commandments (Ecclesiastes 7:20), when the people of Israel made it their goal and their aim to please God, He did bless them and prosper them. All He needs is a willing heart, one which is submitted to Him and willing to live in service to Him.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Yeshua mentions several commandments, as well as some of the common interpretations which had arisen around the commands: “You shall not commit murder… You shall not commit adultery… Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce… Fulfill your vows to the Lord… An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth… Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” Instead of lessening the commandment or making it easier to follow, Yeshua revealed the true heart or spirit which lay behind each commandment: “Be reconciled with your brother… Everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart… everyone who divorces his wife makes her commit adultery… Let your statement be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’… Do not resist an evil person… Love your enemies.”

Yeshua’s words here do not negate the commandments they are explaining, but rather straighten out what they actually mean. For example, there is no command that says one must make an oath, but only that one who does take an oath should do it in God’s name (Deuteronomy 6:13). There are obviously certain legal situations where taking an oath is necessary, both then (Exodus 22:10-11) and in our society, but Yeshua explains that in one’s personal dealings, it is better not to swear an oath by anything at all. Voluntarily swearing to the truth of a statement does not do you any good if you are not able to keep your word, and only goes to show to others your own lack of respect for whatever it is you swear by. By simply saying “yes” or “no,” one also avoids the appearance of trying to overcompensate for a lie. In Matthew 5:34-36, we see that the people were apparently taking oaths which were not in the name of God, perhaps hoping to avoid being actually bound by their word, as is also seen in Matthew 23:16-22. Yeshua explains that since everything is under God’s authority, any vow is counted as taking it in His name, and is therefore binding. Since all oaths are binding, it is enough to simply let your own word stand as it is without any oath.

Since we see that Yeshua is revealing just how far-reaching each of the commandments actually are, does this mean He is simply trying to show how impossible it is to live up to God’s standard? Since we are unable to even keep the most literal interpretation of the Torah, how is it possible for us to live up to its advanced spiritual requirements? At the end of chapter 5, Yeshua says, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (verse 48). This seems to hark back to the phrase “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” found in Leviticus 19:2 and other Scriptures which reference the way God’s people are to behave. Since God is holy and perfect, and we are His children, we are to walk in His footsteps. Is it really possible that we are able to be holy, perfectly obeying all of God’s commands?

It is not impossible to walk in a way that is pleasing to God (Genesis 6:9, Luke 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 2:10). Even though our actions are not always in line with God’s requirements, He knows our hearts and He knows whether we are drawing near to Him in faith by walking in repentance and making a true effort to be holy in the way revealed to us through His word and the Holy Spirit. If we are trying to earn our salvation through these works, then we know that this will avail us nothing. But when we have faith in Yeshua and allow Him to do His work in our hearts, He will be faithful to live through us so that we may walk according to God’s righteous standard. When we allow God to circumcise our hearts through the Holy Spirit, He will be faithful to forgive our sins and assist us as we struggle to daily put to death our sinful flesh nature. Since Yeshua’s words and actions are nothing less than an example of how we are supposed to walk, let us make every effort to serve God in a way which is holy and perfect, just as our heavenly Father is holy and perfect.

In the year 2016, ninety-thousand Christians around the world have been martyred. So we want to take a closer look at this. Yeshua (Jesus) warns His disciples that the world will hate them. He says in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” We want to look at the persecuted church and learn from our Master how we should respond to it.

Overcoming Persecution

Matthew writes in chapter 10:22, “And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” Persecution comes in many forms, in many ways, and we as believers in Messiah Yeshua must always be light in the darkness. We must always represent who Yeshua is and not succumb to the ways of the world.

In the beatitudes, Yeshua tells us that peacemakers shall be called sons of God. To overcome persecution we must start with the fact that our Master has overcome. John 16:33 says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” We can now also overcome if we walk in the footsteps of our Master Yeshua. Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Messiah” (1 Corinthians 11:1). It is always better to walk a path that others have walked because those trailblazers have made a distinct road for all others who would also walk on that path, and if we stay on the path that was paved we will not wander off and get lost.

Yeshua goes on with His warning in John 16:1-4, “These things I have spoken to you, that you may be kept from stumbling. They will make you outcasts from the congregation, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them.” It is inevitable that persecution will come to all who follow the Master, and it will come to you too. But knowing that we can overcome is half the battle.

Our Master tells us that when we are persecuted for His sake we are blessed. Matthew 5:10-11 says, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely on account of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

So we see that persecution, as hard as it may be, is a blessing to the believer, for it acknowledges that he is on the right path. So how are we to react when someone insults or persecutes us? Yeshua tells us in Matthew 5:43-48, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The apostle John reiterates Yeshua’s words in 1 John 1:9-11, which tells us , “The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” And again John writes in 1 John 3:13-15, “Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

As believers we know that we will have our trials and tribulations and some will even see martyrdom, but we are to always bless and not curse, for our trust and our hope is in our Master Yeshua, for He is the author and finisher of our faith. He has told us that He would never leave us or forsake us. He is the One who said that we will overcome the world because He overcame the world. So when persecution comes (and it will), we must keep our eyes on our Shepherd who leads us to those green pastures and those quiet waters where He resides. He will prepare a table before us in the midst of our enemies where we can eat and drink of Him.

He is our refuge and in Him is our strength and our song. He is our salvation. He will give us the victory. He will fight our battle. He knows better than anyone: just look to the cross. And as we follow in His footsteps, let us be strong and courageous knowing that He has overcome and so can we.

This month we want to look at the Abundant Life. Many TV Pastors and Evangelists speak of the abundant life as financial prosperity. In some small way this could be true, but when Yeshua (Jesus) said “I have come to give life, and that life abundantly” (John 10:10), I don’t think He was thinking in a financial way, for He also speaks of how hard it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:23). So what was the Messiah speaking about? Let’s take a closer look because I think we all want life abundantly: or do we?

We are going to start by looking at the tabernacle. Why the tabernacle? Because the tabernacle is the central point when we speak about the dwelling of God. We must remember that the tabernacle in heaven has always existed. God spoke to Moses and told him to build the earthly tabernacle exactly the same way it is in heaven.

We want to look at the tabernacle close and up front to see exactly how it relates to us and having an abundant life. We will start outside the outer court.

Praise

The Psalms are full of praise. The word Hallelujah means “God be praised,” which the Hallel comes from. The Hallel is the Jewish pilgrimage Psalms, 113-118, which they would sing on their way to the temple during the feast days. It is important that one praises God with thanksgiving. Psalm 100:4 tells us, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.” Before we even enter the outer courts, we must have praise on our lips and thanksgiving in our hearts. Psalm 98:4-6 says, “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.” Our God is not stoic. We must come with reverence before His throne, but before we get there our hearts must overflow with abundant praise. Now that we have arrived, let’s enter those gates.

The Entrance Gate

This was the only way into the tabernacle. John records Yeshua’s words in John 10:7, “Yeshua therefore said to them again, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep,'” and again in John 10:9, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and go in and out, and find pasture.” He also said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” So we see that the only way into the tabernacle is the only way to eternal life, and that is through the gate/door, Yeshua. There is no other name by which man can be saved (Acts 4:12). It all starts with Him!

The Altar of Burnt Offerings

Today we do not want to look at every sacrifice and it’s meaning. You can go to the website and find the study on the sacrifices, but for today we want to look at only one specific, and that is the sacrifice of Yeshua. The altar of burnt offerings was also known as the altar of slaughter or the bronze altar. The purpose of the sacrifice was so that the one making the offering could draw near to God. Scripture tells us that Yeshua was our sin offering. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “He (the Father) made Him (Yeshua) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Romans 4:25 tells us, “He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.” 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Messiah also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” So many Scriptures, like Hebrews 9-10 talk about Yeshua being our sacrifice, His blood shed on the altar of slaughter. He is our atonement for our sins, our sin offering. From there we go to the laver.

The Laver

The laver was for the sole purpose of washing: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it; when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the Lord'” (Exodus 30:17-20).

Bronze in the Bible usually meant judgment for sin. So here in the outer court you had the altar known as the altar of slaughter which was for the sacrifice that drew the offerer to God, for Scripture tells us that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). Then you had the laver to wash the priest clean. This is a picture of the work of the Messiah who shed His blood so that we could draw near to God and be cleansed of all of our sin. We see at the Last Supper Yeshua washed the feet of His disciples (John 13:5-10). The apostles knew that this clearly represented the laver, especially after Yeshua died and rose becoming our sin offering.

Paul writes in Hebrews 9:13-14, “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Titus 3:5 tells us, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” This is also represented in baptism. Hebrews 10:22 says, “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Yeshua is the one who washes us clean by His blood. So how does the outer court represent the abundant life? Yeshua, our sacrifice, the one who draws us near to God, our atonement from sin, washes us clean from all of our sins so that we who believe will have eternal life and that life, the hereafter, abundantly (John 10:10).

Next we want to go inside to the Holy Place where we will now take hold of the blessing of Messiah’s sacrifice for us.

The Table of Showbread

As we enter into the inner court, we see the Table of Showbread, or what is called at times the Table of Presence. On this table sat twelve loaves of unleavened bread that were baked and placed on the table every Sabbath. The priest would eat of the old each Sabbath day and as it is said, the bread was just as fresh and warm as when it was baked and first placed on the table. Yeshua said “I am the bread of life,” (John 6:35) and “I am the true manna from heaven” (John 6:58). Exodus 16:1-7 speaks of God providing the manna in the wilderness. So every day the people gathered what they needed for that day, but then the Lord said, “And it will come about on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So God gave them a double portion on the sixth day so that they may have rest on the seventh. So is it manna that we are to ask for a double portion of? Let’s take a closer look.

Yeshua said to His disciples, recorded in John 6:53-56, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him.” This flesh is the bread of life and this drink is the well of salvation, and we know that Yeshua was not speaking about cannibalism, but eating from the Word, for He is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14). Isaiah 55:1-2 tells us, “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.” So we see here that God’s Word is part of the abundant life.

Peter refers to the word also as milk. 1 Peter 2:2-3 says, “Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” The Psalmist refers to the Word as the finest of wheat: “But I would feed you with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Isaiah 12:3 tells us, “Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” And the Psalmist writes in Psalm 23:5, “Thou doest prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows.”

So to do some recapping, we come to God in prayer in the name of Yeshua (Colossians 3:17) and we draw near by His blood (Hebrews 10:22) with thanksgiving (Psalm 95:2) and we enter His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). Let us come and feast at His table (we do not want the crumbs, but to feast until we are full and satisfied), and let us eat of the Bread of Life and drink from the Well of Salvation as we come asking for a double portion and that our cup overflows.

This is truly part of the abundant life. But then again, maybe we do not want the abundance of God. The Scriptures tell us that we are to love God with all our heart and with all of our soul and with all our strength (Luke 10:27). But this also means that we are to eat of the Word. We are to make it part of our lives. If we do not want just the crumbs, then we must drink deep from the well of salvation. We can eat all we want and drink all we want and it is all free. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for thee, O God.” If we want the abundance of God, then we must have that desire. We must go after Him with our whole being, never satisfied, but always wanting more and more of God till our cup overflows. This is the abundant life: to have God overflowing in our lives.

Next time we will continue in our journey of the tabernacle in search of the abundance of God.

Often the tabernacle is presented as being only a picture or an object lesson in order to teach the people of Israel about such things as redemption, sanctification, and holiness. This fails to take into account the great amount of Scripture which revolves around the worship in the tabernacle/temple and the great amount of detail and weight that are placed on the maintenance of this system. So what was the purpose of the temple and the tabernacle?

The work of the tabernacle begins with an offering, although not one from the herd: “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution” (Exodus 25:2). The people of Israel were to voluntarily give from their precious metals, animal skins, dyes, and other valuable possessions which would be used in the construction of the tabernacle (verses 3-7).

Right from the beginning, God makes His purpose for the building of the tabernacle clear: “Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). The reason God wanted the tabernacle to be built was so that He could dwell among His people. Even though God is omnipresent and infinite, He in a sense limited Himself because He wanted to dwell in the midst of the people of Israel. All of the rituals and intricate necessities of the sacrificial system were there for a reason, that being to purify the people so that God’s presence would not consume them. We see what happened when people failed to respect the power of God and disobeyed His rules (Leviticus 10:1-2, 1 Chronicles 13:10), which were set up not to punish the people, but to protect them and allow them to draw near to God.

Where did the idea for all of the items in the tabernacle come from? Did God just make them up to be symbols for only that particular time and place? God tells Moses, “According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it” (Exodus 25:9). The fact that there is a heavenly worship service is evident throughout Scripture, and the tabernacle was meant to be a physical copy of this heavenly worship, as the writer of Hebrews tells us of the priests, “They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, ‘See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain'” (Hebrews 8:5). Does the fact that it is a copy and a shadow mean that the earthly tabernacle had no value, or that it was “only” symbolic? No, but the earthly tabernacle and temple, as glorious and holy as they were, pale in comparison with the actual heavenly service which they are a model of.

In contrast with our modern church services, the sacrificial system was the framework for worship, and it encompassed every area of life. Today when we think of worship we most often think of praise and prayer, and this is a way in which we draw near to God. The tabernacle provided the place and the method for a person to draw near to God, which is what worship is all about. Today, since we don’t have a temple, we experience this on a spiritual level, for example through songs and prayer. These forms of worship were also present in the tabernacle and temple (Psalm 27:6, Acts 22:17), but in the tabernacle and temple the worshippers had the accompanying benefit of being close to the physical cloud of glory and being able to see God’s presence in their midst. While a person could still pray and hear God in their home, the tabernacle was a place one could go to really feel God and form a deeper connection with Him.

God does not change, and neither does the way in which He is worshipped. We see in John’s heavenly experiences in Revelation that this worship system is still active (Revelation 11:19, 14:15, 15:5-6). Why then in Revelation 21:22 do we see that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem? Because the physical defilement which is inherent in our human nature will be removed, and God will be able to dwell among us without the burden of physical defilement. In fact, He Himself will be our tabernacle.

The tabernacle was more than just a symbolic lesson about the sacrifice of Yeshua. It was a copy and a shadow of the heavenly system of worship which takes place to this day. By understanding more about the earthly system of worship, we can learn more about what this means in regard to the prophecies about a future day when the temple will be rebuilt as well as spiritual lessons for us to use today. Let us perform our duty as a royal priesthood, offering our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our spiritual service of worship.

The Scriptures tell us that we as believers form a sort of spiritual priesthood. This week’s portion speaks of the garments of the high priest as well as the other priests who were to serve before God in the tabernacle. Let’s look at these garments and how they relate to our spiritual priestly service.

After going into great detail describing the garments which are to be made for the high priest Aaron, God instructs Moses, “For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics; you shall also make sashes for them, and you shall make caps for them, for glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:40). The first thing mentioned is the tunic. This was a generic garment, woven from fine linen (verse 39). Next is the sash, which was also made of linen, and was likely wrapped around the waist. The last article mentioned in the verse is the cap, which was also made of linen, and was a type of turban or head wrapping. The close of the verse tells us that the purpose of these garments was for glory and for beauty.

The first purpose of the garments is for glory. While neither the priests nor their garments were to be an object of worship or praise, since they were connected to the service of God in His tabernacle they were to be glorious. The priests garments would separate them as holy and elevate them above the rest of the nation so that everyone would know that these people were in the service of God. While to us today it may seem strange to ascribe holiness or glory to a set of clothes, God reveals to us here that even clothing can be a form of worship when it is used to bring honor to His Name.

The second purpose of the garments is for beauty. Again, this was not to elevate the priest or his garments as something to be worshipped, but to highlight the beauty of God and of all that He has created. Since God is beautiful, the worship of Him must draw attention to this fact. God has given human beings the ability to recognize and appreciate beauty as well as a desire to create beautiful things ourselves. When we see something beautiful, especially something within God’s creation, it brings us a feeling of awe and gives us a strong desire to worship Him. The priestly garments, specifically ordained by God Himself, were for this very purpose.

God further explains to Moses, “You shall make for them linen breeches to cover their bare flesh; they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs. They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him” (Exodus 28:42-43). The breeches were like a pair of trousers or undergarments which were worn underneath the tunic. While the other garments are for glory and for beauty, the breeches are “to cover their bare flesh,” and therefore are designed for modesty.

Just as the priests served God in the tabernacle, so too we have been called to be priests: “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Yeshua Messiah” (1 Peter 2:5). In regard to the physical priesthood, we are unable to serve. But as a matter of analogy, we are all called to serve as priests, in the sense that we are to worship God and make it our duty to worship Him in every aspect of our life. This is not a new idea, but even at Mt. Sinai God tells the entire nation of Israel that they are to be priests to Him (Exodus 19:6). With the work of Yeshua, we of the nations who have put our faith in Yeshua are now joined to them in that work: “And He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father–to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:6).

Since this is the case, are we supposed to walk around in linen tunics and turbans? No, because those are reserved only for the service of the physical tabernacle. Instead, we have been called to serve God in the manner which is befitting to us. John tells us that fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints (Revelation 19:8). The symbolism of clothing oneself with righteousness is found throughout Scripture (Job 29:14, Psalm 132:9, Isaiah 61:10). We can choose to put off or take on clothing as we please. It is not a part of who we are or an essential part of our character, although it often is used to express one’s inner self. In the same way, we have the choice whether we will serve God daily by clothing ourselves with His righteousness or if we will clothe ourselves in the pursuit of our own desires and our own glory. In the end, this will express who we are on the inside. The purpose of our deeds is not to emphasize the glory and beauty of our own actions, but rather to reflect the glory and beauty of God and bring praise to His Name (Matthew 5:16, 1 Peter 2:12). The way we do this is by clothing ourselves with the breeches of modesty and humility (1 Peter 5:5).

Let us clothe ourselves with the garments of our service as we “Worship the LORD in holy array” (Psalm 29:2).

When Moses would come out from being in the presence of the Lord, we are told that his face shone because of having talked with Him. Why did this happen to Moses, and what lessons does it have to teach us today?

The relationship between Moses and God is one which stands out even amidst the records of the lives of the other great men and women in Scripture. Moses would enter the tent of meeting, and there God and Moses would commune with one another: “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). As God taught Moses all of the commandments and instructions that he would relay to the children of Israel, Moses and God were drawing nearer to each other in relationship.

How is it that Moses was able to have such a strong connection with God? First of all, we are told that Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). We see this in action when God reveals Himself to Moses and declares His Name before him: “Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. He said, ‘If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession'” (Exodus 34:8-9). Moses recognized his own sinfulness and inadequacy in comparison with the Almighty God, and this is the humility God is able to use for His purposes: “He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way” (Psalm 25:9). Moses also identified himself with the people of Israel by using the pronoun “us,” voluntarily sharing the guilt of their rebellion.

Next, we see that Moses had a genuine desire only to know God. He did not have any ulterior motive or deceit in coming to Him, but came as an empty vessel longing to be filled, without any other motive than wanting to know God as a man knows a close friend: “Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight” (Exodus 33:13). The motive behind the desire is also important. In this verse we see that the reason Moses wanted to be so close to God was so that he would be able to find favor in His sight. Moses had reached the point where he was willing to do anything God told him to, and so his desire was to be as close to God as possible so that he could obey him in every way God chose.

Whenever Moses came out from meeting with God, his face would shine. This brilliant gleam was not something generated from within Moses, but was a reflection of the glory of God. “But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him” (Exodus 34:34-35). Because of the brightness of his face, the people could barely look at Moses. As God’s representative to the people, he reflected the glory of God and carried the fear of Him to the people of Israel.

Paul speaks of Moses and his experience with God in describing what life is like for believers in Yeshua (Jesus) within the new covenant: “For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory” (2 Corinthians 3:10-11). The radiance of Moses’ face would fade away as time went past, and the old covenant also is fading away with the power of Messiah. The old covenant is not the Torah, but rather is the agreement of the people to obey the Torah, which they were unable to do. When the fullness of the new covenant is upon us, everyone will know God and will be able to live out His commandments (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:26-27).

As Yeshua has called each one of us to be light, we should look to Moses for an example of what this should look like. It is important to remember that we are not the source of this light. Our job is, like Moses, to reflect the light of Yeshua. This can only happen if we are open to approaching God in the same way as Moses: with a humble spirit and a desire only to be vessels used in the service of our God: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (verse 18).

After instructing Moses on the specifications for the building of the tabernacle, it is now time for Moses to lead its construction. When all the work was completed, it was examined and everything was found to have been done exactly as God had specified. Scripture tells us that we as believers are a tabernacle, and we will also be examined and tested to see if we meet up to God’s specifications. Let’s take a closer look.

The work of building the tabernacle required a great amount of skill. There would be weaving, metalworking, stone setting, and other tasks which required a great deal of talent. God therefore appointed two men named Bezalel and Oholiab, endowing them with the Holy Spirit in order to give them supernatural wisdom and skill in making everything precisely according to God’s instructions. Since God was going to dwell in this place, it needed to be perfect, and so there was no room for artistic license in this endeavor. These two men were not the only ones who were to work on the tabernacle: “Now Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful person in whom the Lord has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.” The role of most people was to provide the materials such as gold, silver, and cloth (Exodus 35:21-29). These two men, however, were both explicitly mentioned as having been specially gifted for the purpose of creating some of the finer parts of the tabernacle, such as the engraving, embroidery, and stonecutting.

“So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the Lord had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them” (Exodus 39:43). Once all of the items had been completed, all that remained was for everything to be set up and for the services of the tabernacle to begin. While everything else had been done by the people, the completion of the task, including setting up and arranging everything in its proper place, was Moses’ job: “He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work” (Exodus 40:33).

All of this time and effort has been leading up to the moment when its purpose would be realized. God shows His acceptance of the work of the tabernacle by descending into it and filling it with His presence: “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34-35). Since everything has been done according to God’s instructions, He is able to dwell in the tabernacle amidst the people of Israel, communing with them and leading them through all of their travels (verses 36-38).

The construction of the tabernacle has many lessons to teach us about our role as believers, especially in the light of the New Testament Scriptures. We are told that we, like the tabernacle, are God’s dwelling place (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Peter 2:5). Once we come to believe in Yeshua (Jesus), we are called to allow the Holy Spirit to work within us, building us up into a place where God can dwell: “Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). This is not a passive work on our part, but a conscious effort to obey God in love through the Holy Spirit and to make our heart a place where He can dwell not only temporarily, but permanently, leading us and speaking with us everywhere we go. God has endowed us with the skills necessary to do this work through the Holy Spirit, but we must stay diligent to stay within God’s framework. He knows what must be done in each of us in order for Him to use us and dwell within us in the fullness of His power. We must not speculate what God wants to do within us, but rather we must simply obey Him.

Just as we as individuals are a tabernacle/temple, how much more so is the body of believers in Yeshua a tabernacle. Like Bezalel and Oholiab, some have been gifted for certain tasks more than others for the purpose of building up God’s people into a tabernacle: “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Messiah” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Just as with the building of the tabernacle, however, each and every person has a role to play, and no role is more or less important than any other position.

Let us each continue the work of the tabernacle of our hearts so that we may all become a place where God can dwell in the fullness of His power.

April is a time when people decorate for springtime, with pastels and flowers and bunnies. We have just gone through a time of darkness and cold and death and now we are beginning to see light and life, a glimpse of flowers and a hope of warmer days. But amongst this joyful time, do we really want to consider death again? Do we really want to consider and meditate on the crucifixion, death, and burial of our Messiah? Even if we want to say “NO,” we must say “YES.” Why? Because the Messiah has asked us to remember.

The Last Supper

Yeshua’s (Jesus’) last supper was actually the Passover Seder. It was here, during this time of remembering the exodus from Egypt, that Yeshua took the matzah, called the afikomen, and said in Luke 22:19b,”This is My Body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” The afikomen was the matzah that was broken, for it is also said in verse 19a, “And when He had taken some matzah and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them.” The traditional blessing was and still is, “Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from out of the earth.”

The afikomen symbolized the body of Messiah. Half of it was covered in a white napkin and hidden until later in the meal when it was found and then uncovered. The other half was to be eaten just as Yeshua did by giving it to His disciples. Many people think that Yeshua instituted some new thing, but He did not. He did not begin a new sacrament or what we call communion. He simply said when we do this, which is the Seder Meal, and when we come to the part of the afikomen, we remember Him giving up His life for us.

What follows in the Seder after the afikomen was the fourth cup, called the Cup of Redemption. Yeshua took the cup and said the traditional blessing, “Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.” Yeshua represented the fourth cup because He was the Messiah who brought redemption. So we remember on Passover that Yeshua was our Passover Lamb, for Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, “Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed. So let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

So you see that I never mentioned Good Friday, and that is because Good Friday does not always fall on the true day of Passover. Now if we are to follow in Yeshua’s footsteps, then we must walk as He walked, and He walked up to Calvary on the day of Passover, the fourteenth day of Nisan on the Jewish calendar. You may say, “Do we need to walk in Yeshua’s footsteps?” The answer is “Yes.” Let’s take a closer look at what Yeshua tells us about this subject.

Following the Messiah

Yeshua tells us in Matthew 16:24-26, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up His cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Yeshua tells us to pick up our cross. Now this means only one thing, and that is death. We must put to death the old self. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:1-17, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Messiah in God… Therefore consider the members of your earthly body dead.” Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2, “I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

We think that the Bible and all that it tells us is an option and that we can choose to follow it or not and to whatever degree we choose, but this is a great deception, for there are no options other than choosing life or choosing death. Save our life and we shall die, die and we shall live, give and we shall receive. You see, it is an upside down kingdom. God’s ways are not man’s. Either we follow in the footsteps of Messiah or we are not following at all. Revelation 3:15-16 tells us, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold not hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” God does not want us sitting on the fence, nor does He want us lukewarm, serving Him today and not tomorrow, picking and choosing which commands we will keep. Yeshua tells us in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

We must pick up our cross and die to ourselves, walking in the footsteps of our Messiah, our Great Shepherd who will lead us every step of the way. We must die to this world and its ways and thinking. So once we have crucified the flesh we can now live for the Kingdom and serve the King of all kings. We now can have our own exodus from Egypt (which represents the world). Now we can be light in the darkness, the light that brings life. We now can celebrate the Seder Meal like our Messiah did and Paul tells us to because now we can truly remember our Messiah Yeshua as we follow in His footsteps.

A motif which runs throughout God’s instructions about the burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering, and even the sin offering is that the smoke will arise as a “soothing aroma” to the Lord. I’m sure most of us would agree that the scent of meat on a fire is a pleasant smell, but is there more to this phrase than simply that God enjoys the smell of burning meat?

For an individual explanation of the different types of offerings, you can view the teachings on our site about the peace offering, grain offering, guilt offering, burnt offering, and sin offering. In short, each type of offering had a different purpose, and the majority were not for the purpose of atoning for sin. Some of them were voluntary and some of them were not, but each of the offerings and sacrifices were for the purpose of drawing near to God, which atonement is naturally a part of, but atonement is not the entirety of worship.

Part of the offerings included the burning of the offered animal on the altar, and the fire and smoke would rise, as if to heaven. Why would God take pleasure in this? Because it was a sign that the children of Israel were doing what He commanded them to do in offering up these sacrifices. Making an offering required one to give up something which had value to them in order to bring glory to God. The offerings were a sign that the people were willing to give of themselves in fulfilling their commitments to God, and in this He takes delight when it is done with a pure heart.

We also see times in Scripture, however, that God does not find the sacrifices to be a pleasing aroma: “As for My sacrificial gifts, they sacrifice the flesh and eat it, but the LORD has taken no delight in them. Now He will remember their iniquity, and punish them for their sins; they will return to Egypt” (Hosea 8:13). What happened? Did God change His mind about the offerings? The verse here says that the people were fulfilling their duty according to the sacrificial system. Does this mean that God didn’t want the people to continue giving offerings? The next verse explains the answer: “For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; and Judah has multiplied fortified cities, but I will send a fire on its cities that it may consume its palatial dwellings” (Hosea 8:13-14). God was not pleased with the sacrifices and gifts because the people’s hearts were not right. Instead of finding their delight in serving God, they were putting their trust in what their own hands could build and focusing on living luxuriously. Instead of devoting their wealth to God, they were acquiring funds and using them to grow on the world stage. Therefore the palaces and other works of their hands that they held dear would rise up to God in smoke, almost becoming like an offering.

Just as the sacrifices could have a displeasing aroma to God, so too the people at times found the sacrifices to have a foul smell: “‘You also say, “My, how tiresome it is!” And you disdainfully sniff at it,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?’ says the LORD” (Malachi 1:13). God presents the priests as “disdainfully sniffing at” their priestly duties. The people were treating the offerings as something which didn’t benefit them, and they were correct in this belief: not because of a flaw in the sacrificial system, but because their hard hearts prevented them from enjoying the worship that the offerings were designed to create. Their offerings were not acceptable because the people were flagrantly sinning despite their attempts at appearing righteous or “tricking God” through bringing sacrifices (Jeremiah 6:19-20).

What does this teach us who are here today with no temple or tabernacle in place? Our sacrifices can also have a pleasing aroma: “But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18). Giving financially is one way in which we can show our devotion to God. The sacrificial system made sure that people of all economic backgrounds could make an offering to God from however much or little they had. In the same way, Yeshua (Jesus) tells us that the sacrifice of a poor person is greater than that of a rich person (Mark 12:41-43). Our sacrifices must not be done as a soulless duty, but rather “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

The sacrifices that we can give are not only financial: “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). When we totally submit ourselves in obedience to what God tells us to do, both through Scripture and through the personal revelation of the Holy Spirit, we are effectively laying down our lives as a sacrifice (Romans 12:1). All of this can only be done from pure motives. Just as the sacrifices and offerings were useless unless accompanied by a heart of worship and love for God, so too anything we do in service to God is of no value unless done as a gift given to Him in humility and love: not because God needs anything we could ever give or do for Him, but because He desires a heart which is willing to forsake all in order to gain Him.

We have seen that the fragrance or the pleasing aroma is not so much the actual scent of the smoke itself, but the obedience which it represents. Whether or not the sacrifices were pleasing or not depended wholly upon the heart of the offerer. Let us therefore make sure our offerings are accompanied with a pleasing aroma: “For we are a fragrance of Messiah to God” (2 Corinthians 2:15).

The kosher food laws are something which most believers in Yeshua (Jesus) have relegated to the position of a relic of days long past. The common belief is that the work of Yeshua now makes these commandments no longer binding upon anyone, and to live by this standard is enslaving yourself to the Law. Others say that the food laws were simply a way to avoid eating food that would make people sick, and so now that we live in a modern age where our food is held to certain health standards, this is no longer a concern. What does Scripture actually have to say on this matter?

God prefaces the food laws by saying to Moses, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth'” (Leviticus 11:2). He goes on to explain that of the different classifications of birds, fish, four-footed animals, and insects, certain characteristics mean some of the animals within these categories are unclean. The foods which God says are not to be consumed are described using very strong language: “You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you… Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is abhorrent to you… These, moreover, you shall detest among the birds… .” Moreover, by consuming these things the people would be considered to acquire the same traits: “Do not render yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean” (verse 43).

What was the purpose of the food restrictions? Some people today argue for observance of these regulations from a nutritional or health perspective, claiming that certain toxins are more prevalent in the animals which God has forbidden. While this may be the case, God Himself tells us why He instituted the diet restrictions: “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44-45). By eating only the foods which God has specified, the people of Israel would show that they were holy and set apart unto God. God’s desire is for us to give every area of our lives over to Him, and this includes what we put into our bodies.

What position should believers in Yeshua who aren’t ethnically Jewish take in regard to the kosher food regulations? One of the biggest obstacles to those who wish to observe the kosher food laws are some unfortunate misunderstandings of certain New Testament Scriptures. To explain each of these oft-disputed Scriptures is beyond the scope of this article, but it is important to keep in mind that Scripture cannot contradict itself. If God said that by observing the food restrictions His people would be devoting that part of their life to Him as holy, then we must keep that in mind when we read the rest of Scripture. It is also important to remember that in addition to the prohibitions regarding certain animals explicitly commanded in Scripture, the Jewish sages and rabbis throughout the ages have regarded the clean foods in Leviticus 11 as being capable of becoming defiled in certain situations. In the New Testament we see this in Yeshua’s dispute with the Pharisees over eating with unwashed hands (Mark 7:1-23, Matthew 15:1-20), as well as in the various disputes over food sacrificed to idols (Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8).

Much discussion has taken place over whether or not the kosher laws are binding upon believers from the nations. If believers don’t follow the kosher food laws, are they buying themselves a ticket to hell? Of course not, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). But we are also told in 1 Peter 1:15-16, “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.'” If we are to be holy in all our behavior, does this not include our diet? The commandment was given to the people of Israel, as all of them were. As grafted-in Gentiles, we have the opportunity to also draw near to God through obeying Him in love. God’s word shows us that doing the right thing for the wrong reason is not acceptable to Him, and so we must be careful to check our motives to be sure we are obeying Him out of love, and not to the neglect of the weightier commands of justice, love, and mercy.

Let us not be content to stagnate in our relationship with God, but always seek to draw closer to Him in holiness and in love through faith and obedience to His commands.

The altar was a central part of the sacrificial system. Without it, there would have been no place to burn the sacrifices and offerings. God explicitly commands that the fire of the altar is never to go out. What deeper spiritual significance does this hold for us?

While giving instructions about the duty of the priests regarding the various sacrifices and offerings, God tells Moses, “The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning” (Leviticus 6:12). He reiterates in the next verse, “Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out” (verse 13). Because of the need for an efficient system where the offerings would be burned, it was important that the fire never went out. The altar needed to be ready at every opportunity so that offerings could continue to be burned on it.

A couple things were noticed by the rabbis when they read this passage. First of all, the fire was to be kept lit continuously, meaning even on the Sabbath. Previously, God had commanded the people not to light a fire on the sabbath (Exodus 35:3). This shows that the service of the tabernacle had a position which was higher than that of the Sabbath, and therefore the Sabbath restrictions were not to affect the tabernacle services. The next thing they realized was that the fire was to be kept going even when the tabernacle was not set up because it was being moved along with the people as they traveled through the wilderness. Even when the altar was not being used because of this fact, the fire was still not to go out. No matter the circumstances, the fire was to stay lit.

Just as the fire of the altar was to be kept burning continuously, so too we are called to keep the fire of the altar burning. What does this mean? Paul tells us, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). To pray at all times is to keep the fire burning within us. This fire must be maintained, otherwise it will quickly grow duller and duller until it eventually dies out: “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart… ‘Now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?'” (Luke 18:1, 7-8). Faith and persistence must both be present in order for our fire to be effective.

We also see that the inner flame within us applies to using our gifts: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). We have all been given spiritual gifts, but these must be put into practice in order to be effective. The fire on the altar was not there just to look nice or provide warmth, but it had a specific task to perform. Likewise, God has given us each talents and abilities, and we are to be good stewards of these things, using them for the glory of God and the quickening of Yeshua’s return.

Outside of the regular duties, the fire was to be kept burning on the Sabbath and when the people were on the move. So too, just as we can offer up prayers and stir up the Spirit within us as we go about our regular duties, we must make the extra effort to keep it alive both during the times of rest as well as the times when we are very busy. Starting a fire can be difficult, but once it is hot and burning, it is easier to maintain. God has provided us with a seed of embers, and it is our duty to allow this to grow into a consuming fire. The flame must be guarded so that it is able to grow, otherwise it will die out: “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). And once it goes out, it is difficult to get it started again.

The fire on the altar was the way in which the offering was able to become something more than just a carcass. As it transformed the dead animal into smoke and ashes, the scent rose up to God as a soothing aroma. When we allow the Spirit to be stirred up within us and never go out, we will experience this same transformation from death to life.

The feast of Unleavened Bread is one of the appointed times God instructed the Israelites to observe. He commanded this time to be a commemoration of their redemption from slavery in Egypt. What value does this time have for those of us who have been grafted into Israel through belief in Yeshua (Jesus)?

After God instructs Moses that He is going to make a covenant with the people in Exodus 33, God reiterates the commandment regarding observing the Passover: “You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt” (Exodus 34:18). The month of Abib is today called Nisan according to the Hebrew calendar. Only a few of the months are named directly in Scripture, but rather most are called by the month number, for example Abib is also referred to as simply “the first month” (Exodus 12:18).

What is the difference between the times of Passover and Unleavened Bread? Technically Passover is the evening which initiates the time of Unleavened Bread, but in modern usage the entire seven-day period is often referred to as Passover as well. The first evening is called Passover because it was the night when God passed over the people of Israel but struck down the firstborn of Egypt (Exodus 12:23). The seven-day period is called Unleavened Bread because the people of Israel were commanded, as we saw in the verse above, to eat no leaven during this period (Exodus 13:6-7).

In preparation for the time of Unleavened Bread, since no leaven is to be found within the houses of the Israelites, families will go through their homes and clean extensively to make sure there are no crumbs or any remnants of leaven which have somehow made their way into the corners and crevices. But what is leaven? No definition is given in Scripture, so it is assumed that those who are reading already know what it is. It must have been known of prior to the exodus, for we see Abraham and Lot both eating unleavened bread (Genesis 18:6, where the word for “cakes” here is ugah, which is a thin wafer, most often in the form of unleavened bread; Genesis 19:3). Some have used this and other contextual clues to assert that Abraham and Lot both celebrated a type or foreshadowing of Unleavened Bread celebration, which is not far-fetched considering we are told that Abraham observed all of God’s commandments and laws (Genesis 26:5).

But what exactly separates unleavened bread from leavened bread? We see in Exodus 12:39: “They baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had not become leavened, since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.” While some therefore interpret leaven to mean yeast, the truth is that it is more than that. According to the verse above, unleavened bread is bread that has not risen. While yeast makes flour rise quicker, the same rising effect can be obtained when grain comes into contact with water. Since steeping in water is part of the process of turning grain into a usable product, all grain is thus treated as leaven. Five types of grain were identified by the Jewish sages as rising in this way: wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye. Any food made with these types of grain is considered unfit for possession or consumption during the time of Unleavened Bread.

So what does this all mean for believers? Does the feast of Unleavened Bread have anything to teach us? Well, as Paul tells us, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” The festivals are a shadow, a reflection, of our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ). In Him they reach their ultimate fulfillment. Does this mean they should not be celebrated? If the feasts are a way in which we can experience Yeshua, should we disdain these times and judge those who wish to observe them?

Leaven represents several things in Scripture, some positive such as the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:33), and others negative such as sin and hypocrisy/pride (Mark 8:15, Luke 12:1). Just as the people are to clean out their houses in preparation for Unleavened Bread, so too it is a good time for us to closely examine our life and clean out any leaven which we find by repenting and turning from our sin. While this is something which should be done on a regular, even daily basis, the time of Unleavened Bread is a special period which God set aside at creation in order to be a reminder and a time where this was to be emphasized (Genesis 1:14).

The question remains: is it our place as believers to join with the Israelites in this celebration of redemption? Even those who are not descended from the Israelites who came up out of slavery in Egypt can rejoice in our own redemption from slavery to sin (Romans 6:18, Colossians 1:13-14). Since we are “grafted in” to Israel by putting our faith in their Messiah (Romans 11:13-24), we also have been blessed with the opportunity to come alongside them and rejoice with them. As Paul tells us, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

Leprosy is something which we see talked about in Scripture, but it is not something which we generally think about or consider in our society today. Although the purification rites of a leper are not something one might see as something necessarily important to study, there are some things on this subject which do have lessons to teach us. Since two full chapters in Leviticus are devoted to the treatment of those who are afflicted with this impairment, we are going to take a closer look.

God begins His instructions regarding leprosy by telling Moses and Aaron, “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling or a scab or a bright spot, and it becomes an infection of leprosy on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. The priest shall look at the mark on the skin of the body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean” (Leviticus 13:2-3).

When the Bible speaks of leprosy, you may have noticed in the footnotes that leprosy does not necessarily mean actual leprosy as we understand the disease today. Many translations therefore attempt to avoid any confusion by simply replacing the word “leprosy” with “skin disease.” In today’s medical understanding, leprosy is a specific bacterial condition known also as Hansen’s Disease, whereas in the Hebrew the word for leprosy, tzaraat, apparently means a different condition both in its symptoms and in that it could affect not only people, but also houses or articles of clothing (Leviticus 13:47-49, 14:34-35).

The disease of tzaraat was considered a punishment for loose lips, such as slander or gossip. This interpretation finds a suitable example in the story of Miriam and Aaron: “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, ‘Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?’ And the LORD heard it…. But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous” (Numbers 12:1-2, 10). Because of the words which were spoken against Moses, God punished Miriam with leprosy. Another reason for this belief about the correlation between leprosy and sins of speech is from a bit of wordplay: metzorah is the Hebrew word for “leper,” and motzi shem ra means a person guilty of slander/libel.

This understanding may help put a new lens on a certain passage in the gospel of Mark. A leper came to Yeshua (Jesus) and asked to be healed. Yeshua is filled with compassion and lays His hands on the man: “Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, and He said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone…’ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around” (Mark 1:42-45). Although Yeshua had healed this man’s leprosy, he did not obey Yeshua. Instead, he went around and spoke to everyone what Yeshua had explicitly told him not to. Is it possible that the reason he had gotten leprosy in the first place is because this man had trouble controlling his tongue?

Continuing this line of thought, the sages interpreted the treatment for leprosy as reflecting the nature of its cause: “He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 14:26). Since the afflicted person apparently has trouble controlling their tongue, during the period which they are afflicted they are to be separated from others. This also serves to teach us that it is important to separate oneself from a person who is loose in their talk. By listening to their words, you become a party to their sin. You also put yourself in danger of becoming like them or of acquiring unrighteous attitudes because of their words (Isaiah 33:15).

Many warnings are given throughout Scripture about sinful speech. We are told not to even keep company with those who might lead us astray by listening to their words, nor to “sit in the seat of scoffers” (Psalm 1:1). James puts it succinctly when he says, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26). While today we may not have to worry about getting leprosy, the sins associated with speech are something we must remain vigilant against. Simply paying attention to what we say will not be enough to truly purify our speech: “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45). This is why James was able to so confidently state that one whose speech is impure is deceiving himself. The issue is not so much the words themselves, but the fact that these words can only come out of a heart which is equal in impurity to such speech. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:6).

If we find ourselves being a party to impure or destructive speech, let us not only seek to separate ourselves from this in the flesh, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, purify our hearts from which all impurity arises.

The Bible tells us that we should count the days starting from the Resurrection to the Feast of Pentecost, meaning fifty. This is called counting the omer (Leviticus 23:15-16). So why do we count? Let’s take a closer look.

The Holiness of Pentecost

Let’s start by what Yeshua (Jesus) tells us about Pentecost. In John 14:16-17 Yeshua tells His disciples, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” Yeshua, after His ascension (which was the 40th day of the Omer), tells His disciples to wait in Jerusalem till the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4).

Joel writes about this promised Holy Spirit in Joel 2:28-29, “And it will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions, and even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” Fifty days after the Exodus from Egypt is when the people gathered at Mt Sinai and God gave the Israelites the Holy Torah, and at the time of the apostles God gave the Holy Spirit. So is there a connection between the two? YES! We need the Spirit of truth to lead us in the truth of God’s Word, and He can only help us when we walk by the Spirit.

So we count for the same reason we have Advent in the mainstream churches, and that is to prepare–not for the baby Jesus, but for His Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the Logos or the Word that was made flesh. The Word of God and the Spirit of God’s Word work hand-in-hand because they are both God’s truth, for God is one God. Paul tells us in describing the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:17, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” So as we count, we must prepare our hearts, change our lives, draw closer and closer to God. Let’s take a closer look.

The Road to Pentecost

We want to look at what we need to do so that we can not only prepare for the Feast of Pentecost, but for us to receive the Holy Spirit and the blessings of the Lord. Yeshua tells Nicodemus, as recorded in John 3:5-7, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I say to you, ‘You must be born again.'”

So we see that we must start by being born again and how are you born again? Well we know that the flesh and the Spirit are opposed to each other, and so because of this we need to do all that we can to first live by the Spirit and then to walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:1 tells us, “It was for freedom that Messiah set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” What is this yoke of slavery? Romans 6:6-7 tells us, ” Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” Galatians 5:24 tells us, “Now those who belong to Messiah Yeshua have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

So what are the deeds of the flesh? Paul tells us in Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Verse 16 says: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.”

How do you walk by the Spirit? Galatians 5:13-14 says, “For you were called to freedom brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor.'” You see the deeds of the flesh are generally self-serving, but the deeds of the Spirit are for your good and the good of others. These deeds are called the fruit of the Spirit. These deeds show that you are of the Spirit of God, for God is love. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us what the fruit is: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.”

Just like any other fruit, we must spread the seed of the Spirit and not of the flesh. Galatians 6:7-8 tells us, “Do not be deceived, God will not be mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Paul tells us in Galatians 5:25, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Galatians 6:6, 9-10 tells us, “And let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches him… and let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

As we countdown to Pentecost, let us examine ourselves and take this time to prepare our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit, so we may live by the Spirit and walk by the Spirit, which is living by the Word of God.

The Passover is on the 14th day of Nisan/or look on the regular calendar. This year it was April 10, 2017. Then on the 16th day of Nisan, April 12, 2017, is Resurrection Day and now you begin counting, “Today is the First Day of the Omer,” and so on, till the 50th day which is the Feast of Pentecost which is May 31st, 2017. For more information, see our page on Counting the Omer.

A peculiar commandment is seen in Leviticus 19 about not placing a stumbling block before a blind person. When interpreted literally it seems as if this would be an easy commandment to follow, as most people presumably never feel the desire to trip someone who cannot see. But what is the deeper meaning of this commandment?

In God’s commandments, we see many miscellaneous ways in which we are to love God and love our neighbor. An interesting example of the latter is seen in Leviticus 19:14, which says, “You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the Lord.” Because of the seemingly obvious nature of this commandment, many have asserted that the literal command here is somewhat hidden behind this imagery. The traditional interpretation is that the blind man is not someone who is physically blind, but rather is intellectually or spiritually blind. To put a stumbling block before this person means to provide the circumstances where harm will come to them or they will sin. The ending of the verse states that by following this command, you are acknowledging that even though the blind man or the deaf man wouldn’t know who treated them this way because of their disability, and thus the offender would be able to get away with it, there is a Judge who sees and hears.

We receive a more complete understanding about stumbling blocks by examining the use of this phrase in the prophets. For example, when God is explaining to Ezekiel his role as watchman and prophet over the people of Israel, He gives him this warning: “Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand” (Ezekiel 3:20). Is this verse saying that God places stumbling blocks before the righteous, violating His own commandment? Obviously this is not the case. We see that the verse says, “if a righteous person turns from his righteousness… and I lay a stumbling block before him.” Therefore, we see that the stumbling block is the inevitable consequence of that person’s path toward sin. If Ezekiel fails to point out that the people were walking along a dangerous path, then God will hold him partially responsible for the stumbling block because it was his duty to point out to people that the only possible end to their walk of sin was to stumble (Proverbs 24:16, Isaiah 24:20).

We see again in the book of Ezekiel an example of a stumbling-block, this time because of the priests: “‘Because they [the priests] ministered to them [the people of Israel] before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn against them,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘that they shall bear the punishment for their iniquity'” (Ezekiel 44:12). The priests themselves were a stumbling-block to the people because of their idol worship. The Levites were supposed to be the religious leaders, but instead of leading the people to God, they became as false shepherds leading the people astray (Ezekiel 34:1-10).

Yeshua (Jesus) reinforces the previous warnings about becoming a stumbling-block: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” (Matthew 18:6-7). To be a stumbling block does not necessarily mean it is done with the intention of causing harm. As we saw with Ezekiel and with the Levites, a neglect of duty on our part can cause others to fall into sin. Yeshua warns us that we must pay close attention to our words and actions so as not to be a stumbling-block to others.

Furthermore, He warns us against stumbling ourselves: “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell” (verses 8-9). Not only are we to be careful not to cause others to sin by our actions, but we must also be sure we do not ignore our own path. Paul gives a similar message when he warns, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

So we see that the commandment to not put a stumbling block in front a blind person is much more far-reaching than initially is revealed. While it is essential that we take heed to guard ourselves and others from encountering a stumbling-block, the only way this can truly be done is by allowing God to lead us in all things: “O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; make Your way straight before me” (Psalm 5:8). With all of this in mind, let us direct our love and our trust toward God as we seek to always walk along the path He has laid out before us.

Several things are spoken of in this week’s portion which are considered profanity. This doesn’t mean profanity as in abusive or improper language as the term is mainly used today, but rather refers to defilement. So what does this mean, and how does this apply to us?

God gives Moses specific instructions about the priests. He tells Moses that they are not to mourn for family members as the rest of the people do, but may only openly mourn for a close family member, such as their mother or father. The way in which they are to mourn is also limited: they may not shave their head or cut themselves in mourning. God explains the reason for these stringencies: “They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they present the offerings by fire to the Lord, the food of their God; so they shall be holy” (Leviticus 21:6). Because of their chosenness and their separation from the rest of the people, they also have an elevated responsibility to carry out their duties before God.

What does it mean that the priests are not to profane the name of God? The English definition of the word “profane” according to Merriam-Webster is, “to treat (something sacred) with abuse, irreverence, or contempt.” God is instructing the priests how they are to conduct their mourning in a holy way. The priests are God’s representatives to the people of Israel, and thus they must be holy in order to express the holiness of God. If they act in a way that is common or in a way that God has commanded them not to, then they are improperly bearing God’s name, thus defiling it. Because they are held to a different standard, if they act like the rest of the people then they will be guilty of profaning or defiling God’s name.

This is not the only action that God says can profane His name in this passage. If the high priest marries a woman who is not a virgin, if a priest who has a physical deformity enters the sanctuary, if a priest’s daughter becomes a harlot, if a person who is ritually unclean eats of the offering: these all are said to be profaning sins. Each of these sins reduce the sanctity of either the service of the tabernacle, which bears God’s name, or they profane God’s name directly.

The priests were not the only ones who could profane God’s name. While the priests were called to be holy among the nation of Israel, the nation of Israel was called to be holy among the nations of the world (Exodus 19:6). Therefore when the people did not obey God’s commandments, they were profaning God’s name: “Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land.'” (Ezekiel 36:19-20). God punished His people for their sin by exiling them among the nations, but the nations saw this as the God of Israel not being strong enough to protect His people and keep them in their land. Thus by their sin the people led to God’s name being profaned by the nations. We see throughout Scripture this same concept: when a person claims to serve God yet acts immorally, people will see this and believe God is unworthy of worship, thus profaning His name (Leviticus 19:12, Proverbs 30:8-9, Ezekiel 20:39).

In the same way, we have been called to be holy: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Since this is the case, we also have the responsibility to not profane God’s name. A few verses later we read, “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (verse 12). Instead of profaning God’s name, our actions are to bring glory to God’s name even among those who do not believe the same way as us.

We must all be careful to watch our actions closely. If we are acting hypocritically or are living in sin while proclaiming to follow Yeshua (Jesus), then is this bringing glory to God’s name or profanity? Even if we feel we are acting righteously in our own eyes, our attitudes and actions may be profaning God’s name in the sight of unbelievers. Since we cannot trust ourselves to act righteously through our own efforts alone, let us commit ourselves fully to God through the power of the Holy Spirit so that we will not profane His Holy Name: “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man” (Proverbs 3:3-4).