Halal

 The Hebrew word halal is a glorious word. It  means "to shine, to be clear, to be brilliant, to flash forth light, to be praised, to be praiseworthy, glory, celebrate, rejoice, to sing". It sounds like a word that would be used regarding the Lord's glory and presence. It may surprise you to know that halal is a Hebrew word for "marriage"! In the language of God, this is what marriage is meant to be: halal. We can understand why Paul said that marriage is a type of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:25-28). Marriage was always meant to be this, even before the beginning, since Christ was the Lamb sacrificed before the foundation of the world. Neither Adam and Eve nor other men, created the concept of marriage, and they did not define it. Halal takes natural man and transforms him, which is why the LORD said that men leave (azab- forsake, leave behind, abandon while at the same time repair, restore, set free) father and mother, and instead become joined into a halal oneness, or echad, with his wife (Gen. 2:22-25). Echad is an interconnected plurality in the same way of the trinity plurality of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Halal marriage leaves behind the natural condition of man, and restores and repairs the original divine echad. This halal marriage, like the union of Christ and Church, shines with glory, and sends forth that light. Yes, marriage encompasses love, but it is the sacrificial type of love, like the sacrificial love of Christ (see also 1 Cor. 13). This is what makes it shine with glory. It is the glory of Christ, which is the same glory as given Him by the Father, born out of His sacrificial love.
Man tries to define marriage in many ways, some being more profane than others, but seldom do we hear the true purpose and quality of it as God intended it. Shouldn't the Church have the true understanding of marriage, especially as we, the Church, have been spiritually defined by it in scripture? It is very evident in many cases that most of the Church does not understand halal. Can we be shocked that the world desires to define marriage in an equally ignorant manner?  If we want to pull down those carnal strongholds (root meaning: used of those joined to any one by the bonds of natural blood or marriage, to hold one's self to a thing, to adhere or cling to, to be closely joined to a person or thing) of falsehood regarding marriage that we empowered, we need to cast down our own reasonings that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Other disobedience is punished when our obedience is fulfilled first (2 Cor. 10:4-6). We are not to look at marriage based on outward appearance or considerations (v. 7). That is not halal marriage. This is where our warfare begins-inside our own minds, souls, and flesh.
I would like to look briefly at two marriages in scripture that I think illustrate halal. In Gen. 24, Abraham sends his servant back to his own people to find a bride for his son, Isaac. Abraham makes his servant swear to find the correct bride from Abraham's own people by putting his hand under Abraham's thigh (includes the meaning *shaft of the Holy Candlestick of the tabernacle which divides into three branches). The servant travels back to Abraham's homeland, but seeks God's help in identifying which woman is the right woman for Isaac. He bases his request to God on a spirit of generosity and sacrifice to be found in the unknown woman. Rebekah ("ensnarer of men by beauty") comes to the well, and not only gives the servant a drink, but waters all of his camels also. In fact, she runs repeatedly to water them. She runs to keep emptying buckets of water from the well into the trough as needed for thirsty camels (root-ripen fruit, recompense, to deal bountifully with). Though she is outwardly beautiful, it is her inner qualities that identify her as the halal bride. Even before the servant finds out that she is indeed one of Abraham's kin, he puts a golden (shimmer, golden splendor of the heavens, of the sun, of the purest oil, brilliant like gold) nose ring or earring on her, and golden bracelets on her wrists. To shorten the story, although Rebekah has the beauty to capture any man of her choosing, she chooses of her free will to leave her father's house and country, and accompany Abraham's servant to far away Canaan to become a bride for the master's son, a man whom she has never met. As she nears Isaac's tent, she does so covering her natural beauty, and Isaac receives her as his wife (Gen. 24:65-67). As the years go by, it is because of this halal bride Rebekah, and the revelation that she receives from God, that the patriarchal blessing and covenant inheritance is to be given to Jacob, rather than Esau. Jacob, renamed Israel by God, produced the sons and grandsons that became the tribes of Israel, from which Jesus came into the earth. Rebekah's halal marriage established the way for the coming of the Messiah.
In another example of halal, Ruth ("friendship, female companion, mate, neighbor woman") leaves her natural family and homeland, and freely chooses to accompany her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem in Judah. Ruth attaches herself to her mother-in-law in every way. Her mother-in-law was named Naomi ("my delight, favor, grace, beauty, brightness, splendor"). Ruth said to her mother-in-law, Naomi:
"Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God;
Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried;
The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me." 
                                                                                                             Ruth 1:16-17
This kind of commitment to Naomi, and to Naomi's spiritual identity, laid the groundwork for the halal marriage that would soon enter Ruth's life.
After traveling back to Naomi's homeland, Ruth sacrificially gleans in the fields to feed not only herself, but Naomi. This causes Boaz to first notice her, and ask others about her identity. On her mother-in-law's advice, Ruth places herself at the feet of Boaz, who becomes her kinsman-redeemer. Looking at the situation based on natural considerations, this would seem an unlikely marriage. However, this was a halal marriage and from this marriage came the family line that produced not only King David, but again, as in Rebekah's case, established the way for the coming Messiah, Jesus, the Son of David. 
Marriages created in man's image produce various things, some of which man considers good. However, halal marriage produces Christ.
Halal marriage was created to personify kingdom glory, and the image and reign of Christ here on earth. As we are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb in eternity (Rev. 19:6-9) as a halal bride who has made herself ready, part of making ourselves ready should include gaining the revelation of what marriage in God's heart truly means. Also, because of the direct connection between halal marriage and the Lord Jesus Christ, I am sure that it must be the halal bride who joins with the Spirit to say, "Come!...whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."  Rev. 22:17 (see also Jn. 4:13-14, Jn. 7:37-39)

Our Father has ordained and purposed halal.

Fruit

Tonight begins Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, memorializing God's giving of the Torah, His Word, on Mt. Sinai, and also when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the waiting disciples in the upper room. We also call this feast, Pentecost. I would like to look at this giving of the Word and the Holy Spirit in a slightly different way to memorialize this special day.
Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them."   Mt. 7:16-20
John the Baptist said the same thing, even before we heard it from Jesus. He said:
"And even now, the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit  is cut down and thrown into the fire."
John was not warning the heathen sinners of his day. He was severely warning the religious folk. These were ones who seemingly obeyed the Law of Moses stringently, and voiced their strong disapproval of those whom they thought did not obey the Law. However, John said that they were not bearing the good fruit expected. So what kind of fruit did John, and by his anointing, the Holy Spirit, expect to see?
When we consider our lives as believers bearing fruit, we have certain ideas in mind: perhaps the concept of witnessing, and leading others to salvation, perhaps it is the good works and giving generated by love and faith. Maybe it involves having the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit operating in our lives. All of these things are wonderful, but Jesus wasn't speaking of these things as good fruit, because He went on to say that He was not talking about prophesying in His name, or casting out evil spirits, or doing wonders in His name, or even knowing Him as Savior (Mt. 7:21-23). I would have thought these things would be great fruit, but evidently Jesus was looking for something else. He went on to say that the fruit that impresses Him is whoever hears and does His sayings.
There are many verses in scripture of sins to avoid, and of commandments regarding those things that are to be done. All are vital truths to save us from death and destruction. Jesus, being an extremely smart man (because He is God), broke it down for us in a very simple, but devastating way. When asked what was the great commandment in the Law, He said, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."   Mt. 22:35-40
Jesus said that all of the lists, and all of the commandments are summed up in these two points. I can't even get past point one. Yes, I love God. I truly do. I think He is the most amazingly awesome Being who ever was, is now, or ever will be. However, I know I am not being honest if I claim to love Him with all of my heart, soul, and mind. I love other things also, so I cannot be loving Him with ALL my heart. My mind is usually occupied with things besides Him, so I cannot be loving Him with ALL my mind. Often I like to do things that I desire to do, so I am not loving Him with ALL my soul and will in those many moments. I think that if we loved God in that totality of manner, we would be holy and perfect as He is holy and perfect. We wouldn't have the time or the energy to be anything else! However, putting that debate aside, I fall apart anyway at the second commandment that carries the same weight as the first: the one about loving my neighbor. I doubt very seriously if I would die for any of my neighbors, even though they are very nice. Let's get real. Even those of us who believe God and do love Him, can't even get to first base in keeping the two commandments that incorporate all of the other commandments, and all of the prophets. God sent Jesus not because of lists we didn't keep, but because we didn't love Him:
"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."   1 Jn. 4:10
Jesus said that it doesn't matter what else I do for the kingdom of God. If I fail at His sayings, I am not bringing forth good fruit. John the Baptist identified the good fruit as fruits worthy of repentance (Lk. 3:8). Repentance is always necessary for not keeping the sayings of Jesus, the Word of God, summed up by those two great commandments of which He spoke.
Generally, we do not see repentance as creating fruit, especially not greater fruit than doing wonders in the name of Christ! We view repentance as a sad and heavy task, and one that we prefer to urge others to do. However, the fruits worthy of repentance are so powerful, so great, that John the Baptist could see them, or the lack of them, from a mile away. Evidently, you don't even have to be a prophet to discern their presence or lack. These fruits are even obvious to the common man, who easily identifies the place where he can find grapes and figs, and where he can't find them according to Jesus (Mt. 7:16). Those without these precious fruits were called "a brood of vipers" for their lack: barren, worthless trees only worthy to be cut down and thrown into the fire. So what is the greatness in the fruits worthy of repentance that we should run to obtain them- that we should consider ourselves totally lacking if we don't have them?
Paul wrote to the Corinthians regarding their repentance, and the fruits it had borne in their lives:
"For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a Godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear of this matter."   2 Cor. 7:10-11
Since the sorrow of the world produces death, contrarily we can say that the Godly sorrow of repentance produces life. Let's look in more detail at the fruits that were created from the repentance at Corinth mentioned in the verses above:
diligence (KJV-carefulness): speed, earnestness in accomplishing, promoting, or striving after anything. Await eagerly. Disciples listening to their teacher's instruction (at his feet), to put one's foot on the vanquished, footstool.
clearing of yourselves: defense, answer for one's self, defend a person or thing, to exculpate.
indignation: (root) a curved arm, closely enfolding (Lk. 2:28-Simeon took baby Jesus up in his arms).
fear: a reverent awe or fear, overcome at a wonder of God (Mt. 28:4, 8, Mk. 4:41, Lk. 5:26).
vehement desire: longing, pursue with love, intensely crave.
zeal: excitement, fervor, ardor in embracing, fervent in spirit (like water boiling), glow (like heated metal) (Acts 18:25, Rom. 12:11).
vindication (KJV-revenge): to avenge an injured person, to vindicate one from wrong, to protect/defend, carrying out justice (Lk. 18:8, 21:22 (that all things might be fulfilled), Acts 7:24 (said of Moses).
proved (KJV-approved): to show, establish, prove, exhibit, to place together, to stand with (2 Cor. 10:18, Col. 1:17-"by Him all things consist").
clear: exciting reverence, sacred, pure, immaculate, pure from every fault, most holy thing, a saint (1 Pet. 3:1-2, 1 Jn. 3:3, James 3:17 which also mentions "good fruit"). 
As David recounts the fruits that were created from his repentance before God in Psalm 51, (A Prayer of Repentance) he mentions a clean heart that is created in him, a steadfast spirit that is renewed in him, being able to remain in the presence of God, the Holy Spirit remaining with him (v. 10-11), the restored joy of salvation, God's Spirit generously upholding him, resulting ability to teach transgressors the ways of God, and converting sinners (v. 12-13), singing aloud of God's righteousness, and speaking praise, God's doing good to Zion and building the walls of Jerusalem (v. 18). All of these things were fruits that would flow from one man's sincere repentance. Not only is the repenting individual abundantly blessed by the fruits of his repentance, but David wrote that those fruits show outwardly to others changing their lives as well. David expected the whole nation to be benefitted from the fruits of his repentance. 2 Chron. 7:14 tells us the same thing. If God's people, who are called by His name, pray, and sincerely repent, He will heal their land.
This is the fruit that John the Baptist saw as lacking in the religious folk of his generation. This is the fruit that Jesus said that all men would be able to discern, and without which, the tree is only fit for the fire. John said, "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance."
Surely these fruits are worth seeking. Let's seek repentance and the fruit that can change everything.

Our Father has called us to bear precious, powerful fruits of repentance.



 

MercySeat

We are familiar with the Mercy Seat. It was the only piece of furniture in the holiest place in the tabernacle of the congregation. It, like the rest of the tabernacle, was given to Moses after the pattern of the heavenly things. Once a year, on the Feast of Atonement, the High Priest, and only the High Priest, after careful preparation and sanctification, would enter the Holy of Holies, and sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice with his finger seven times (Sabbath completion of God's work/rest) upon the Mercy Seat to make atonement for the sins of Israel. The only purpose in entering the Holy of Holies was to get to the Mercy Seat.
If the High Priest was not properly sanctified, or tried to approach the Mercy Seat on any other day, he would not remain alive.
Concerning "mercy", this week the Lord had me following a trail of spiritual breadcrumbs inch by inch along a path without knowing where that trail was leading, or what I would find as I walked, except I knew it was "something".
I started in Psalm 136, where the following phrase is continually repeated:

"...for His mercy endures forever."

After recounting many of God's wonders, even the works of creation itself, this phrase above is repeated in the Psalm. This phrase appears 86 times in scripture in several books of the Old Testament. God is trying to tell us something. In Hebrew, the phrase would be expressed using chesed (mercy, kindness, goodness, favor, desire, ardency, zeal, love, grace) olam (everlasting, perpetual, from the most ancient time, continuous existence, indefinite, unending future, concealed, time out of mind beyond past or future). "Olam" extends further back than the measured past, and further beyond the imagined future. God, through the scriptures, tells us repeatedly about this quality of mercy. It is olam. Interestingly, chesed mercy also includes the idea of "reproach, wicked thing, put to shame or contempt, reproof". Undeserved pardon doesn't exist without the prerequisite of the guilt of a crime.
According to Psalm 136, all of God's wonderful works mentioned were works that were attributed to, or came out of, chesed olam, not just during measured and known time here on earth, but before and after known time. It is surely a wonderful, genius God Who chooses to create out of enduring mercy, Who enfolds His creation within chesed mercy.
Let's get back to the Mercy Seat. The Hebrew word is "kapporeth". Kapporeth is not just a physical thing, but a place. It means "place of atonement, golden plate of propitiation, the Throne of God." The Mercy Seat, or kapporeth, is the Throne of God. Paul referred to it as "the throne of grace" (Heb. 4:16). In the earthly tabernacle, the presence of God would appear over the Mercy Seat, so we must also assume according to the pattern, this is the Seat of the presence of God in heaven. It is necessary that this Seat be covered with sacrificial blood, because of the holiness of God. That holiness, by its very nature, breaks out against and destroys all that is not holy, therefore the need for the blood of sacrifice that sanctifies by covering sin. The root word used in kapporeth is "katar". It means "to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cleanse, cover with pitch" (which covered Noah's ark, and baby Moses' ark of bulrushes, both of which preserved life in the face of God's and Pharaoh's judgment). In the earthly tabernacle, the Mercy Seat covered the Word (Tablets of the Commandments), the miracle Bread of life (Manna) provided by God without any work on man's part, and the Resurrection (budded rod of Aaron).
God spoke to Moses from the kapporeth, or Mercy Seat:
"And there I will meet with you, and I will speak (commune, KJV) (Heb. "dabar") with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel."  Ex. 25:22, Ex. 30:6
And at that place, Moses in turn spoke to God:
"Now when Moses went in to the tabernacle of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony..."   Num. 7:89
God speaks from the Mercy Seat, and it is there that we speak to Him. The creation was spoken into being, according to Gen. 1. John 1 tells us that the creative Word was Jesus. Can we then believe that this Word was spoken from that heavenly kapporeth? The Word is the building block of creation, but it flowed from the Mercy Seat of God.
Here is what I discovered as I followed that trail of spiritual bread crumbs that I mentioned at the beginning of this piece. This kapporeth, or Throne, from which God speaks the Word (Christ), is a living throne. The kapporeth, according to its meaning, is The Propitiation. The kapporeth cannot be separated from the body containing the Word, the Bread, and the Resurrection. To me Jesus Christ IS the kapporeth, as Paul wrote that He is our propitiation:
"...Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation (mercy seat, merciful, make reconciliation) by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance (holding back) God had passed over the sins that were previously committed..."   Rom. 3:25  and
"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (mercy seat) for our sins."  1 Jn. 4:10
Propitiation is about the blood of the Lamb slain for our sin, but I think it is also about the place, the kapporeth. The two cannot be separated.
The veil before the Holy of Holies, which was torn in two, was Christ's flesh (Heb. 10:20). The contents of the ark, which was the Word, the Bread, and the Resurrection, also refer us to Christ. And the covering, or katar, over that Mercy Seat for olam eternity is His own blood from even before known time. Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation. He is the Alpha-Omega, the Beginning and End, which is the defining quality of chesed mercy. Because of this, we can come to the place of the Mercy Seat without fear-not because of who we are, but because of what He provided for us from His own body.
If God is enthroned above the Mercy Seat, then He must be enthroned upon Christ. You may say that God cannot be enthroned upon Christ, because Christ is seated at God's right hand (Col. 3:1). However, if we look at the root meaning in Greek of that phrase used in Colossians, we see a different thing. We see the kapporeth:
sitteth- stays, remains, exists, is, present (note: it does not specifically mean "to sit")

right hand- used as a place receiving one (Moses and High Priest received at Mercy Seat)
                - to receive or grant access to (the Mercy Seat granted access once/year,
                  and now, forever)
                - not to refuse intercourse or friendship (God spoke to Moses as a friend)
                - the thing offered in speaking, teaching, instructing (Ex. 25:22 re Mercy Seat)
                - to give ear to, to embrace, approve, not to reject, sustain, endure ("mercy
                  endures forever")

I can see more clearly why Paul would often greet the churches with the salutation, "Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and Jesus Christ our Lord."
I hope I have been able to express to you what I discovered following the trail of spiritual bread crumbs. It led me to the Mercy Seat from which I believe God spoke into existence all creation, and completed His work. It led me to the Mercy Seat where God also speaks to me, and I may speak to Him. It led me to the Mercy Seat where I receive the friendship, instruction, approval and embrace of God, and the place where He gives ear to and answers my prayers and petitions. It led me to Christ, my Mercy Seat, the Living Word of God, in a new way, and to His blood, sacrificed to make a way for me into the Holy of Holies to this place before God. It led me to Christ Who laid Himself down, so that God may be enthroned upon Him. This is the finished work of God, by which I can enter into His rest that He provided for me.
I just followed the trail of Bread crumbs that He left for me. So can you. It will take you right there.

Our Father has provided the Mercy Seat for us from olam everlasting to olam everlasting.