Departure

There is a point in our lives when we make a departure. We leave our parents' house, and begin a life on our own. We leave the familiar and begin a path that is unknown. Spiritually speaking, when God calls us, He leads us from what we have known, and we begin a journey into newness with Him. When the moment comes that God separates us out, He does it in a way that we remember all of our lives. In the most challenging circumstances, we look back at that moment, and we are reminded that God has His hand on our lives in a special way. This moment happened in Jacob's life also. He was forced from his parents' home because of his brother's threats against him. He also began a journey to his mother's family in Syria to find a wife from among her people. This past Sabbath's assigned reading comes from Gen. 28, and is titled "Va'yeitzi", meaning "And he went out". Jacob left from Beersheba (meaning "well of seven-fold oath)" towards a place called Haran (mountainous, to loom up). He went from a place of being well watered, and a place of sabbath (seven) promises, to an arduous, and looming destination. Shortly after his journey began. Jacob fell asleep one night taking one of the stones of the place under his head for his pillow. He had a dream in which he saw the angels of heaven: "...a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and to the south; and in you and in your seed all the famiies of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." (Gen. 28:12-15). Jacob awoke and thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." The use of the word, ladder, here in the dream is the only time it is used in scripture. Notice that the ladder goes from earth up to heaven, rather thn the other way around. The Hebrew word for ladder is cullum. It means "ladder, raise up, exalt, extol, esteem highly, to cast up in a heap like a pile of rocks that are piled on the side as a road is leveled". Worship, thanksgiving and praise raise up that ladder from earth. Relationship with God through Christ (the stone under Jacob's head: Ps. 118:22-24, Isa. 28:16, Mt. 21:42, 1 Pet. 2:4-8) raises up that ladder from earth to heaven. As Jacob began his exile from his home, he now had seen the activity between earth and heaven, he had heard the LORD's voice himself, and he had received a covenant promise from the LORD. In that promise, the LORD also told Jacob that he would someday return to the land he had left. Jacob now knew the LORD for himself, rather than from what his grandfather and father had relayed to him. He had a personal experience. In the days and years ahead, including twenty long years of servitude in his conniving uncle's house, Jacob must have recalled that experience with the LORD, and encouraged himself by it. His uncle's name was Laban. The root meaning is "to make white, to purify, to cleanse, to purge oneself, to make bricks". Although his uncle tricked and took advantage of Jacob at every turn, it would be for a cleansing and building experience for Jacob. A spiritual structure was being built within Jacob from the bricks of cleansing in his trying experience. He must have thought again and again about seeing the angels of God ascending and descending that ladder from earth into heaven. As God has promised to those who love Him and are "the called" by Him, He will make all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28). After Jacob woke from this powerful dream, he took the stone upon which he had laid his head, and poured out oil upon it, and called it a pillar (monument, image, to fix, establish, be determined) in the place "Bethel", meaning "the house of God". As Jacob set apart Bethel as the house of God, he also made a promise to God that ended, "And this stone, which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that you give me I will surely give a tenth to you." (v. 22). Paul in Ephesians wrote about a structure that is built from that same type of stone to become the house of God: "Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are also being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." (Eph. 2:19-22). This is a very special stone indeed, that begins the building of the house of God in Spirit. Peter described this beginning stone as a living stone. In this living stone, Jesus, we also are made living stones that complete this special dwelling of God. As God promised, in Jacob, all the families of the earth will be blessed. As Jacob established a pillar of the house of God with that anointed stone, he also promised God a tenth, or tithe, of all that Jacob would possess in the future. Some today have a problem with tithing. They believe that it is legalistic, something done under the Law. However, with both Abraham and Jacob, tithing is practiced before the Law of Moses was given to the people. However, Abraham and Jacob were not being legalistic in the giving of their tithe. They both had experienced the miracle and revelation of God directly, and they expressed their worship and thanksgiving through the tithe they gave. They gave as part of their covenant with God. God didn't need their tenth, but He accepted it as their thanks, awe, and worship. Remember, the ladder in Jacob's dream represented the exalting and extoling of God, according to the meaning of the word. He received it as their recognition that nothing they had came from their own efforts, but by the unmerited favor and covenant promises of God. Surely a tenth is not too much to give as "Bethels" are built from our lives, as ladders to heaven are extended through our worship and thanks. All things done by the Spirit bring forth fruit in the Spirit, including tithing. The haftarah portion of this past Sabbath reading is from Hosea 11 and 12. The LORD points out how Jacob sought God's favor for his provision in the unknown, yet God mourns for Jacob's descendants who have walked away from God in their hearts, and have sought wealth through man, and the ways of man, rather than through God's favor: "I taught Ephraim (a grandchild of Jacob and a tribe of Israel and used to refer to the Northern Kingdom) to walk, taking them by their arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them...My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, none at all exalt Him." (Hos. 11:3-7). Though God touched Ephraim from the time they began, they did not know Him personally nor recognize Him. Though they knew His name, they never exalted Him. In a similar manner, Jesus talked about the fact that not everyone who claims to know Him will enter the kingdom of heaven, even if they did works in His name. Only those who do the will of His Father in heaven will enter. Jesus will say to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me..." (Mt. 7:21-23). In our spiritual walk, each of us must know God personally, having an experience with Him, as Jaoob did. We cannot know God because our father or mother knew Him. Though Ephraim had the evidence of God's hand upon them, according to these verses, they never established a personal, living relationship with Him, never sought to do His will, and therefore drifted away from God. May we each understand our place as a living stone, in the likeness of our chief cornerstone, Jesus, building up the house of God. Our Father has called us to establish His house. If you would like to experience Jesus, our living chief cornerstone, for yourself, and be established by Him in the House of God, you can do that with the belief in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for your sin, and the confession that God raised Him from the dead: "Lord Jesus, I believe that You died for my sins, and that You rose again from the dead, so that I may have eternal life in You. I believe that You will shepherd all of my days in You, turning all things, even tryng times, for my good. I believe that by You, I enter into the household of faith, the House and family of God. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as I become part of, and build, the House of God, in Your name, AMEN."

Election

The portion of scripture assigned for this Sabbath comes in part from Gen. 25 and Mal. 1. It is titled Toledat, meaning "Generations". This Sabbath portion is about the election of Jacob by God. Isaac's wife, Rebekah, did not conceive, so Isaac pleaded with the LORD, because his wife was barren. Rebekah did then conceive, but she felt troubled during the pregnancy and she went to inquire about it of the LORD. The LORD told Rebekah that there were two different peoples in her womb: "Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger." (Gen. 25:23). Jacob and Esau were the twins born to Rebekah and Isaac. Jacob was the elect of the LORD. His brother was not. Election does not depend upon natural circumstances. Esau was born first (v. 25), but he was not elected. Isaac preferred and favored Esau (v. 28), but Esau was not elected. The elect cannot be accurately identified from a physical appearance (Gen. 27:15-19, 23). Those not elected cannot perform a work to gain election (Gen. 27:38-39, 28:8-9). There is contention, even enmity, between those who are the elect of the LORD, and those who are not (Gen. 27:41). From Mal. 1, and the Book of Obadiah, the haftarah portions of this Sabbath, we can see that those who are not elected despise the LORD (Mal. 1:2-5). We also read how the LORD judges how those who are not the elect treat those who are (Obadiah). If the elect of the LORD are persecuted, then the LORD is also persecuted (Acts 9:3-5/Acts 22:6-8). The Malachi portion also reveals that the LORD will not tolerate His elect treating Him in the same disrespectful and disregarding manner as those who are not elected. By doing so, they are showing that they despise their election. From the title of this Sabbath portion, we can also see that those whom the LORD sovereignly elects will impact generations to come. In the New Testament, we are also called the Elect through Christ. Before we think too highly of ourselves on this account, we should keep in mind that we didn't choose the Lord, but He chose us first, as is the case in election - it is sovereign: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will..." (Eph. 1:3-5) and Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you." (Jn. 15:16). Jesus went on to say, in that same truth of our election: "These things I command you, that you love one another (see Colossians below). If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." (v. 17-18). It is probably good to note at this point what the word "elect" means in Hebrew. The Hebrew word is bakher, and its root word is bakhar. It means chosen, elect (of God), choice, selected, to appoint. It also means to require, to prove, to try, to examine. The world is going to try the elect. The LORD is going to examine and prove His elect. There is something required of the elect. Our example this Sabbath, Jacob, was tried all his life. We often think that we are being attacked by our spiritual enemy, but our own election also tries us, proves us, and examines us. Our election requires a response from us in these circumstances. Regarding our election through Christ, Paul had this to say: "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Col. 3:12-17). If I am being tried, proven, and examined based upon the above requirements of the elect in Christ, I will need the help of the daily work of the Holy Spirit perfecting me. At this time, the nation, the world, and even the Church are in an uproar over the recent election of a man. I believe that we would serve the spiritual interest of the nation, the world, and the Church better, if we truly understood the election of God through Christ in us. May the Lord reveal the height, the depth, and the breadth of His election to us, so that we may, by the help of the Holy Spirit, live out what it requires of us. Our Father has elected us through Christ.

LOVE

We are all familiar with the topic of "Love", especially for those of us who are part of the Christian faith. We all believe that we have an understanding of what love entails. We know that God is love. We know that we are to love the LORD our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We know that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus said that our love for each other identifies us as His disciples (Jn. 13:34-35). If we don't have love for our brethren, then we don't love God (1 Jn. 4:20-21). However, this love is not just for family, friends, and brethren of the faith, but it is to be shown to those who do no good to us, even those who are our enemies. This is the model set before us of God's love (Lk. 8:32-35). Proverbs 10:12 tells us that love covers all sins. The very precious salvation faith, which we all treasure, began in love: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (Jn. 3:16). The first item mentioned as the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love (Gal. 5:22). Paul wrote that all of the spiritual gifts, which we so highly value and desire to manifest in our lives, mean absolutely nothing without love. Then the apostle goes on to describe the character of love, which he called "a more excellent way" (1 Cor. 12:31 and 1 Cor. 13:1-13). We believe that we have an understanding of love already, and we seldom think that we have a need to examine it more deeply. We can see that love plays an enormous and defining role in the Gospel. However, I'm not sure that we really understand the spiritual power of love, and why it is so heavily emphasized in the Gospels and New Testament teachings. In order to take a different look at the subject of love, I would like to refer to the Torah and haftarah portions of scripture that have been assigned for this Sabbath. We begin with the portion from Gen. 23. It is titled, "Chayai (meaning: living, revive, restore to life, remain alive) Sarah". In English, this would be "The Life of Sarah". The odd thing about this portion is that instead of dealing with Sarah's life, it begins with her death, and Abraham's efforts to find her a burial place. Isn't it odd for it to be called "The Life of Sarah"? This gets my attention right away. There is a mystery here that makes me want to look into it. Sarah died at Kirjatharba. This Hebrew word and its roots mean "to lay beams/flooring of a building; to be 4-sided, to be quadrate, four-square; to encounter, to chance to meet; stretch out, repose, lie down". It was later known as Hebron, which means "joining, association; fellowship, to unite, to couple together". To me, all of these meanings are very significant, because they bring the Gospel to mind. At his wife's death, Abraham wept and mourned (to beat the breast, to wail, to weep over). Then "Abraham stood up from before his dead" (v. 3). "Stood up" means: arise, to establish, to become powerful. What was Abraham about to extablish in power out of his love for Sarah? Abraham approached a local tribe of people called the sons of Heth (terror, broken to pieces, go down, terrify, shattered, dismay, break down by confusion and fear, violence). He says to these people, "I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight." (v. 4). These sons of Heth address Abraham as " mighty prince among us" or "prince of God", and offer to give him burial land for free. Abraham insists on paying for the land. Abraham then asks them to speak to Ephron (fawn-like, a calf, a goat, to be dust, powder) the Hittite (descendant of Heth; fear, terror), the son of Zohar (whiteness, to dazzle (so similar to the meaning of Lucifer: light-bearer, shining one, morning star, brightness), who owns a cave in Machpelah (double portion). Ephron also offers to give the land, valued at 400 shekels of silver, to Abraham, but Abraham again insists on buying it. The land was then deeded to Abraham for a possession before witnesses (v. 17-18). The meaning of the phrase "deeded...for a possession" in Hebrew includes: confirm, accomplish, arise, acquisition, bought, purchase, possession, price, something bought, redeemed, recover, create, as God creating and redeeming His people, to erect, to found, of acquiring knowledge, wisdom. To me, from the meanings of the words used in this passage, Abraham, out of his great love for Sarah, separated out, or redeemed a possession from the place of the dead, a place of demonic torment/destruction. He redeemed it to establish a specific place for his beloved wife in death. I believe this spiritual place separated out of a hopeless death, which was established out of love, is the same place tht became known as "Abraham's Bosom". This is the place that Christ referred to in Lk. 16:22 of one who was "carried by the angels into Abraham's Bosom (meaning the upper chest part of a garment used for keeping and carrying things as in a fold, or pocket. "Bosom" also refers to one who so reclines at table that his head covers the bosom of the one next to him. And, of course, the bosom is the dwelling place of the heart. "Abraham's Bosom" in Christ's parable was not the place of torment for the dead. It was the place where those who were righteous, having died believing the prophesied promise of the Messiah to come, were kept in death before the resurrection of Christ. This is not really about Abraham's Bosom, though, but rather about a redemptive, creative spiritual work that came out of the kind of love that defines God, that Christ taught, that the Apostle Paul wrote about, that Abraham had for Sarah. The kind of love that we only think we already know about. The haftaraah portion for this Sabbath comes from Proverbs 1. We saw above, in the phrase "deeded... for a possession", the meaning in part: acquiring knowledge, wisdom. In Prov. 1, wisdom is crying out, raising her voice, at every possible place for people to listen to her counsel. Wisdom is saying here, "I have stretched out my hand...I have called"..."I will pour out my spirit on you" (v. 23-24). For those who ignore wisdom, calamity, terror, destruction, distress, and anguish, will come upon them (v. 26-27). For those who ignore wisdom, a separation from wisdom develops that cannot be remedied. They will then call on wisdom, but will not be able to receive an answer..."Because they hated knowledge..." (v. 28-29). The passage ends with, "But whoever listens to me will dwell (settle down, to abide, continue, lie down, sleep, rest) safely (assurance, hope, without danger and fear, to set one's hope and confidence upon), and will be secure (at ease, rest, be at peace), without fear (dread, terror, a causer of terror) of evil (wickedness, affliction, malignant, broken in pieces, punishment)." (v. 33). What would drive wisdom to cry out so, to reach out continually in Proverbs 1, but love? It is not spoken of as such, but this is the voice of love. The creation of a place of safety, and the rescue from terror is a work of love. Later, in Proverbs 8, wisdom reveals "...and my delights (meaning includes to dandle or bounce a baby up and down in an affectionate way) were with the sons of men", and who also says, "I love those who love me...". "Love", as the scriptures speak of it, as this Sabbath's portion demonstrates it, means more than the commonly held idea. Love creates redemptive works through those who know it and practice it. Perhaps we need to take a serious look at how we view love. Are we thinking of it as the world does, or are we viewing it as God views it, and creates through it? Our Father has called us to walk in love. May the Lord help us to walk in the knowledge of the creative, redemptive power of love. If you would like to receive the truth of Jesus as Lord, and as your salvation, believe and confess: Lord Jesus, You have redeemed me, and called me by name. I believe that You died for me through love, and were raised from the dead so that I may have everlasting life in You. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and His fruit, which includes the same kind of love. Be Lord of my life, and teach me to walk in truth, knowledge and wisdom. By Your love, You have reconciled me to the Father, Who IS love. I give you thanks, and come to you in Your holy name. Amen.

Images

It is important that each of us be a witness to God's revelatory truth, which is His Word. Jesus said, "Thy word is truth." (Jn. 17:17). Jesus is the Word become flesh, and He is described as being full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:1-14). Jesus also said of God's Word, which is truth, that it has the power to sanctify us (Jn. 17:17). The Church's proclaiming of the truth of God is important for another reason. Jesus told us, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn. 8:31-32). There is liberating power in the truth. When the Church fails to tell the truth, but proclaims the world's solutions instead, we are in effect telling people something like this: "Stay in your prison cell, but I will make the cell more comfortable for you - here's a blanket and a pillow." We are called to speak Christ, Who is truth, in order to open prison doors and set the captives FREE. This is part of the power of truth as prophesied regarding the Messiah: "I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house." (Isa. 42:6-7, also Isa. 61:1). Also, the opening of otherwise unopenable cell doors, creates a wonder and a hunger for salvation that causes people to say, "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:23-36). There is nothing that the world can offer that can achieve these results. The world does not accept the power of God's truth. As Jesus declared that He came to bear witness to the truth, the world responded cynically asking, "What is truth?" (Jn. 18:37-38). The world considers truth to be something that is continually changing, or relative, or even unimportant. For this reason, the world's "solutions" are not deeply or lastingly effective, and at best, apply a bandage to a gushing wound. Why should we, the Church, be in agreement with the world's opinion of truth? There are two ways to deliver truth. There is a negative truth, and a positive truth, though both are truth. Here is an example: Someone wants to draw a tree. They ask, "What does a tree look like?" If I supply them with negative truth, I would answer, "Well, a tree does not look like a horse, and it does not look like a rock, and it does not look like a bird...", and so on. I would be delivering truth, but the person would not be able to replicate a tree. In order to replicate the image, positive truth would be more helpful to them: a tree has a strong central trunk with protective bark on its surface. The trunk has a wider base which tapers to a narrower top. From that trunk, branches that look like arms extend laterally from around the trunk, and up to the top. From those sturdy branches, extend thinner branches. At the ends of those thinner branches, grow clusters of leaves, or needles. The artist now has a far better chance of duplicating an accurate image of a tree from the positive truth supplied. In the same manner, we have the ability, by knowing God's Word of truth, to supply helpful, positive truth to reproduce the image that is created by truth, and we already know that the image created by the truth of God's Word is Christ. Here is an example from one of the issues of today. In dealing with the issue of marriage, there are many negative truths that can be supplied. "Marriage is not....". If we want to offer the truth of God that creates the person of Christ, it might be more helpful to describe what marriage is according to the Word of truth: "Then God (Elohim:plural) said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion...over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them..." (Gen. 1:26-28). We can see from the verses above, that God created man to place His image in the earth. He mentions His/Our image/likeness four times. That image would be created by the combination of male and female according to the verses. What does the image of God that is produced with the male/female creation look like? If we look at the Hebrew words and roots involved, it becomes quickly obvious that the image created is Christ. Here are some of the meanings of the Hebrew words used for male (remember, to bring to mind, to make a memorial, pricking, piercing, penetrating, to meditate and think on, to praise, to offer a memorial offering, the recorder of the annuls of the kingdom) and female (to pierce, perforate, bore a hole, pierce through, strike through, to call by name, to thrust through with a spear, to express with holes, blaspheme, curse). Can you see what the image is created within the truth of male and female? Yes, it's Jesus! We see the curious inclusion of "blaspheme", and "curse" within the meaning of the Hebrew word for female, but these two words have a very specific contribution to the image of Christ being created here. Christ was condemned to death by the religious council, and ultimately agreed to by the Gentile government, for the crime of blasphemy. Those who accused Him were actually committing blasphemy themselves, as they falsely accused the innocent Son of God. Scriptures also tell us that Christ has redeemed us from the curse..., having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs from a tree." (Gal. 3:13-14). Apostle Paul confirms the truth of the prophetic image of Christ within the joining of male and female that God established at our creation. Paul wrote in the New Testament, based on verses from Genesis, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined with his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church." (Eph. 5:31-32, Gen. 2:24). Those who receive this positive truth concerning marriage as spoken by God now have this image before them to which they may conform. As we know, however, many prefer to accept a different image. There are those who are ignorant of the truth, or do not receive the truth when it is given to them, including some in the Church. They choose to conform to the images created and preferred by the world. However, those images do not set anyone free. Those images do not have the power to sanctify. Those images do not create the image of Christ. Many times in scripture, God brings judgment to His people who accept false images in place of the image that God has ordained through truth (see Ezek. 7 and 8). The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth, because it neither sees, nor knows Him (Jn. 14:17). How can the world recreate an image of truth when it cannot see, nor know, the original? It can't be done. That's our job. Our Father has provided us with an image of His Son, Who is truth. If you would like to know the truth that sets men free, the truth that brings us to the Father, the truth that redeems us from the curse, the truth which is the image of Christ, you can receive Him by believing His death, and resurrection. You can confess this belief through a prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe You are truth and grace. I believe that You died in my place, and was raised again, so I can live. Come into my heart, and be Lord of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, so that I may be a witness of truth in the earth for others. I thank You for reconciling me with the Father, and for the gift of salvation and everlasting life. I believe and pray these things in your name. Amen.