3Nations

In this week's Sabbath reading from Deuteronomy Chapters 8-11, Moses delivers the Word of the LORD to the children of Israel as they are about to cross the Jordan River into the land that God promised to them. They are about to become a nation. As a nation, the LORD has certain insights and warnings for Israel. Moses speaks from the LORD about the land saying: "...you shall keep every commandment which I command you today...that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year." (Deut. 11:8-12). The land into which the Israelites were about to go was not like other lands. This new land was supernaturall provided for from heaven. This land had a very special meaning to God, and that continues to this day, and will continue through the return of Christ, and beyond. It was a land specifically promised to the fathers, but it is also the land to which the Son of God, the Messiah, would be sent to save the children of Israel (Mt. 15:24, Mt. 10:5-8, Rom. 1:16), and from this land, the world and its nations will be changed and ruled by Him (Zech. 14:4-9). Because of all of these things, it is the land of promise in more ways than one. Moses continued to say that if the Israelites as a nation continued to obey God's commandments given to them that day, "to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled." (v. 13-15). Not only was the nation of Israel to follow this command, which is part of the Shema (Deut. 6:4-5), but they were to wear the command on their bodies, and place it upon their homes. They were to be faithful and diligent to teach this commandment to their children in every circumstance as well (v. 18-20). Another benefit that would be upon them as a nation, as they kept this commandment of God, was that all of the occupying nations currently in the land would be driven out from before them by the LORD, even larger and greater nations than themselves, and these nations would have fear and dread of the nation of Israel placed upon them (v. 23-25). If the nation of Israel failed to serve the LORD in love, and turn to other gods, the blessings of the new land would dry up, and the people would perish quickly from the land (v. 16-17). There is great blessing when the countenance of the LORD is lifted upon a person or nation, and great hardship when His glorious face is turned away (Num. 6:23-27, Prov. 16:15). Understanding these same truths, our nation, which is the second nation referred to in the title of this entry, also called upon God from its beginning, and wrote of its commitment to God's precepts in its founding documents. Our first document, the Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." We began our independent nationhood with the premise that all men have been equally created by the Creator. Man did not come into being as an accident of circumstances, our documents declare, and man did not create himself. Also, the idea that men were equal was an earthshaking concept for its time. The other nations of the era did not hold that belief. Could an common man be equal to a king? This was a ridiculous thought to most at that time, but we declared men to be equal because they were all a divine creation of God. These same founders wrote that they would rely upon God, as the Supreme Judge of the world, to determine if their intentions in forming a new nation were right in His eyes: "We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown." Finally, they vowed in this document that they would rely upon God for protection: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence , we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." We believed the precepts of God in forming this nation. We called upon God to judge our intentions, and we relied upon God for protection in this hazardous step of independence. In the writing of our second founding document, The Constitution, we published our belief that liberty did not originate with men, but was a blessing from God to be valued and defended: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." As we became a nation, we did so swearing our belief and reliance upon God. We have also written this same affirmation upon our public buildings, and even on our currency, down to the smallest denomination, the penny. However, as our nation, has turned our back on these declarations and affirmations on many occasions, we have seen, as the LORD warned Israel, that our blessings from God have begun to dissolve. Our extreme weather has caused problems with crops, causing shortages. Cattle have been slaughtered early because there is a shortage of hay and feed. In becoming like the other nations who do not depend upon the LORD for their protection, nor heed His commandments, we have seen a pestilence cover our land. Also, for a nation who never saw a defeat in war, we have had few victories in the last 70 years or so. Enemies no longer have a dread of us, as God promised the nation of Israel if they would love Him and heed His Word. Inspite of the fact that we have the greatest military force money can buy, our enemies have become confident from experience that they can out-wait us, out-last us, and out-fight us. A third nation that carries an obligation before God is a spiritual nation. In a Torah portion before this Sabbath's reading, God said of His people: "For you are a holy people (Hebrew am - "people, tribe, nation") to the LORD your God: the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you or choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the land of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments." (Deut. 7:6-9). Peter wrote a similar description of those who belong to Christ: "They (those who do not accept Jesus) stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people (Greek laos - "people, group, tribe, nation") that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10). Believers in Christ are not only The Church, His Body, and His Bride, but we are also a nation of God in Christ. It is still necessary, and will always be necessary for the believers in Christ to love God, and obey His commandments. As God instructed the nation of Israel, Jesus taught the same part of the Shema as being the greatest commandment (Mt. 22:36-40). Jesus also said, as God taught Israel: "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (Jn. 14:15). To Israel, to America, and to the nation of believers in Christ who have turned away from their love of God, the LORD asks these questions from our haftarah portion of this Sabbath's reading: "Thus says the LORD: 'Where is the certificate of your mother's divorce, whom I have put away? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? For your iniquities you have sold yourselves, and for your transgressions your mother has been put away. Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?..." (Isa. 50:1-2). The LORD waits for us to turn back to Him. He waits for our nation's answer to His call. He is looking for an opportunity to redeem and deliver both individuals, and His nations. The title of this week's Sabbath reading is Eikev, which means "If/Because (you follow)". Who or what are we following? The LORD commands us to follow Him. If you would like to follow the LORD your God in love, heeding His commandments, you can pray: "Heavenly Father, You have asked us to love and follow You. Your Son has asked us to love Him, obey His commandments, and follow Him. You have called me as an individual, and You have called me to be part of a holy nation. You sent Your Son to die for my sins, and to rise from death for my everlasting life: to bring me out of darkness and bondage, and into Your marvelous light. Forgive me of my sins. I turn back to You, and place my life in Your hands. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. Sanctify me and cleanse me, and teach me Your commandments. I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen."

Changes

People who don't know God well, don't think that He is associated with rapid and revolutionary change, but they would be wrong. The Sabbath readings for this week represent a season of profound spiritual changes, as well as changes in natural circumstances. The Torah readings from Deuteronomy Chapters 3-6 begin with the announcement of a pending change of leadership for the children of Israel from the era of Moses, whose name means "to draw out, to pull out", as Moses was drawn out of the Nile River as an infant, and as he drew out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt and slavery. The new leader appointed by the LORD was to be Joshua, whose name means "Jehovah is salvation/opulence". Joshua would lead the children of Israel into the new land. The title of this week's Sabbath reading, in which we see drastic changes, is Va-etchannan (Nachumu). Va-etchannan means "and I besought". In Deut. 3:23-26, Moses besought God to allow him to cross over with the people to see the good land beyond the Jordan River. God not only refused His servant Moses, but said, "Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter." (v. 26). Moses had disobeyed God earlier, striking the rock for water, when God had commanded Moses to speak to the rock, and at that time God informed Moses that he would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land (Num. 20:7-12, Num. 27:12-14). Not only did Moses disobey God's command, but he did not discern Christ as the Rock which followed the camp of Israel in the wilderness, from Whom sprang their living water (1 Cor. 10:4). The LORD also knew that it would require a new leader to lead His people into their new land, and new identity as a nation, rather than as a camp of tribes. No doubt the thought of a change in leadership, no matter how necessary in God's eyes as He provided for the future of His people, caused distress and sadness. The children of Israel were baptized into the baptism of Moses as they went through the Red Sea (1 Cor. 10:1-2), but now they were to be baptized in a new baptism initiated by a new leader as they were about to enter and cross the Jordan (meaning "descender, flowing down, to come down (pertaining to revelation), abundantly) River into the Promised Land. We also received a change in baptisms as we became part of the Church of Believers, from the baptism of repentance, to the new baptism of Christ and the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5, 11:15-16, 19:4-6). Another change experienced by the children of Israel, as Moses reminded them in Deut. 5:2-4, was a new covenant not previously known by their fathers: "The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire." The people of God walked in a new understanding and covenant relationship with the LORD as they received His Word, the Torah. Moses also revealed to the people a new understanding of the Person of God in this week's Sabbath reading. He brought forth what is called the Shemah, which revealed the mystery that the LORD was a plural unit: "Hear O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one (echad- together unitedly, to unify, to join oneself together)!" (Deut. 6:4). We know this unity of God as the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Moses also revealed a change in the understanding that the children of Israel had about their relationship with God. Their, and our, service and obedience to Him, and their personal relationshp with Him, were to be based not upon religion and compulsion, but upon total love (Deut. 6:5). That was a revolutionary thought for the time. God's people were to wear these words on their foreheads and hands, and placed on their houses as a sign (v. 8-9). This "sign" declared the undivided plurality of God, and the love-based relationship we are to have with Him. Another of the changes contained in this week's reading is the timing of the reading. This specific date on the Hebrew calendar signals an acknowledgment of a change. This Sabbath's reading is on the Sabbath following what is considered as the saddest, most mournful day of the Jewish calendar, Tisha B'Av, the ninth of Av, which is observed with sorrow and repentance, along with the hope of receiving a vision (chazon) from God concerning the building of a third temple, and the reign of Messiah (for more information, see the previous blog post). The ninth of Av is the date on which many calamities befell the Jewish people, including the destruction of their two temples. However, the title of this Sabbath's reading is also Nachumu, which means "comfort". This day of comfort and change promised to God's people falls on Tu B'Av, or the 15th of Av. The 15th of Av is considered the happiest day on the Jewish calendar. This year, Tu B'Av falls on July 23-24. It may surprise us to find out that Tu B'Av is considered in Israel to be the most important day of the year next to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. So between two Sabbaths, we experience a complete change in the course of six days of going from the saddest state of repentance on Tisha B'Av, to the greatest joy on Tu B'Av. What accounts for this rapid change? This great day of joy of the 15th of Av is connected to marriage, and many marriages in Israel occur on this date. In years past, the unmarried women in Israel would dress in white and go dance in the vineyards. Unmarried men would go to the vineyards, and hopefully meet the young women who would become their brides! Although this date isn't specifically mentioned in scripture, its foundation in truth is beautifully expressed. The Song of Songs seems to refer to it as it reveals the connection of the vineyard to marriage: "Come, my beloved,...Let us get up early to the vineyards; Let us see if the vine has budded, whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits, all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved." (Song of Songs 7:11-13). No one can say that the LORD isn't a romantic! And, of course, we can't help but connect this lovely image of Tu B'Av with the prophesied marriage of the Messiah, Jesus, with His Bride, those who believe and follow Him. That also will be a time of great rejoicing in heaven (Rev. 19:6-9). Tu B'Av also reminds us of the marriage relationship that God has with Israel (Isa. 54:5-6, Hosea 2:14-16). The Sabbath reading for Tu B'Av titled Nachumu, or "comfort", is from Isaiah 40. It reflects the great spiritual change in the six days from Tisha B'Av to Tu B'Av. Isaiah wrote: "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!' Says your God. 'Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the LORD's hand double (comfort spoken two times) for all her sins...[note: v. 3-4 not included here is the prophecy of the ministry of John the Baptist, who revealed the Messiah to Israel. See also Lk. 3:2-6]...The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken...He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young." (v. 1-5, 11). Sins are pardoned, warfare is ended, and the Lord acts as a Shepherd to His people. All of these qualities are also incorporated in the Person of Jesus. Isaiah 61, the first part of which Jesus read in the synagogue, also brings the prophecy of a complete change from sadness and mourning to comfort, as we find mirrored in Tisha B'Av and Tu B'Av: "...to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." (Isa. 61:2-3). The result of these changes that Isaiah prophesied, is the rebuilding and restoration of waste places, desolations, and ruins (v. 4). The prophet Hosea connects all four themes we have discussed, changes, marriage, comfort (Nachumu), and even the vineyard, as the LORD says: "I will give her (speaking of Israel) vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor (meaning "trouble, disturbance, calamity") as a door of hope; she shall sing there...And it shall be in that day, says the LORD, that you will call Me 'My Husband', and no longer call Me 'My Master' (referring to Israel's worship of the idol, Ba'al)." (Hos. 2:15-16). The apostle Paul revealed in the New Testament the source of comfort, like that found in the Sabbath title Nachumu: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain (see Moses' comment above from Deut. 5) until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess. 4:14-18). The promise of resurrection through the Person and First Fruits of resurrection, Jesus, is the highest comfort found in the concept of Tu B'Av. Paul also wrote: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us...because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Rom. 8:18-21). The Tisha B'Av to Tu B'Av changes affects all creation. The worsening troubles and turmoil of this present time that the whole earth is experiencing will bring forth the return of Christ and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth. These are times of great changes. Some of those changes have caused us to mourn for the losses. However, those losses usher in the comfort of God, with all its hope and joy. The beautiful and hopeful Messianic promises of change and comfort found in Tu B'Av enriches the understanding and faith of the believer in Christ. If you would like to know the comfort of the Lord, which He has provided for His people, you can pray: "Lord Jesus, I believe that You died for me, and rose again from the dead, so I could have everlasting life. This is the comfort of God provided for me in the body of His Son. In an instant, as I receive you as my Lord, You change my natural and spiritual circumstances. You deliver me from mourning, sorrow and loss, to hope, joy, and salvation. I am joined to you as a Bride is joined to the Bridegroom on Tu B'Av. Baptize and fill me in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Three in One. I give thanks in Your name. Amen."

TheVision

The Jewish people observe a special date, Tisha B'Av, the Ninth of Av, which falls this year on this Sabbath. The 9th of Av (Av is the fifth month on the Hebrew calendar) is the date of certain earthshaking events in history that befell the Jewish people, which they believe came about because of their sin. They observe this saddest day on the Hebrew calendar with repentance, fasting, and prayer. Some of the events in history associated with this date of Tisha B'Av include: the discouraging report of ten out of the twelve spies who were sent to scout the Promised Land, which caused the Israelites to refuse to go into the land which the LORD had promised them because of fear; the destruction of the first temple, Solomon's temple, by King Nebuchadnezzar of Assyria in 587 BC, after which the kingdom of Judah was sent into exile to Babylon; the destruction of the second temple, which was built under Ezra's leadership, by the Romans in 70 A.D., after which many Jews were dispersed out of the land of Israel, and into the nations; in 135 A.D., a subsequent rebellion on Tisha B'Av in which 500,000 Israelites were killed, was crushed by the Romans, and the ruins of the previously destroyed temple that were left on the temple mount site were buried. On this same date, the 9th of Av, during the first Crusade, 10,000 Jews were killed in 1096. Also on Tisha B'Av, the Jews were expelled from England in 1290 A.D., from France in 1306, and from Spain in 1492. The Jews were deported by the Nazis from the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland to the Treblinka Concentration/Extermination Camp on Tisha B'Av in 1942. The title given to this special Sabbath's readings is "HaD'varim-Chazon", which means "the words - the vision". The reference to the "words" in the title is because this Sabbath marks the beginning of the reading of the Book of Deuteronomy (chapters 1-3), which is the fifth book of the Torah. "The vision" mentioned in this special Sabbath's title refers to the vision that God gives to the Jews on this saddest day of Tisha B'Av: it is a hopeful vision of the third temple, prophesied by Ezekiel, which the Jewish people associate with the coming Messiah's Kingdom. In the last post, we learned that followng Tisha B'Av, on the fifteenth of Av, the most joyous day on the Hebrew calendar, marriage to one's destined soul mate is celebrated. Considering these things about the vision of the third temple received by the Jews on Tisha B'Av, and the soon-coming marriage celebration of the fifteenth of Av, I think of the assembly of the believers in Messiah/Christ, Jews and Gentiles together, which is the Church. Of these believers in Christ, Paul, an apostle who ministered to both the Jews and the Gentiles, wrote: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are...And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." (1 Cor. 3:16, 17, 23). He also wrote: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Paul described the temple of God this way: "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made of hands." (Acts 17:24, see also Acts 7:47-48). Peter also wrote of this temple associated with our Messiah: "...laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up to a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:1-5). Paul and Peter are describing a spiritual temple, built of believers in Messiah/Christ, which is being built upon the first Living Stone, Jesus. I am not suggesting that this spiritual temple referred to by Paul and Peter replaces the prophesied physical third temple that is to be built. I am suggesting that the vision of the third temple given to Jews on Tisha B'Av, while it may be about a physical third temple, because it is associated with the Messiah, it is also about a special temple in the Spirit. This spiritual temple is one in which we are called to be a part. It is helpful to look at the meaning of the number three, or third, the Hebrew word shelosh. That meaning includes the thoughts of "seeds, fruit, revelation, resurrection, new life, words of life, the giving of the Torah and the Spirit, the foundation of the Temple/House, the first and strongest geometric shape (triangle), harmony and unity, chain of continuity, the third day". The number three is also represented by the Hebrew letter gimel, which pictographically means: "something lifted up like a camel rising from its knees, to ripen, reward, nourish, mature, recompense, benefit, to gather, to carry". This is also what we know about the temple of the Messiah from Jesus: "...Jesus... said to them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' Then the Jews said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of His body." (Jn. 2:19-21). Again, to me, all of these things point me toward a rich spiritual meaning, along with the natural meaning, of the vision of the third temple given by God to Jews on Tisha B'Av. Believers in Messiah, both Jews and Gentiles, should understand the impact of sin upon this holy spiritual temple, as sin also had impact on the physical houses or temples of God. Tisha B'Av reminds us that two temples, which the Jewish people thought could never be destroyed, did see destruction. They thought Jerusalem would be safe because of the presence of those temples of God, but Jerusalem was not safe from attack. Jesus was and is zealous for the house of God, from which He chased, with whips made of cords, those who practiced usury and thievery as recorded in all four Gospels (Mt. 21:12-14, Mk. 11:15-18, Lk. 19:45-47, Jn. 2:14-16). Jesus was not just zealous for a physical temple made of stones. He is zealous also for the living temple of God, those who believe in Him. God is zealous for His house, which contains the pattern of the salvation provided by His Son, and He will not tolerate it to be defiled by sin. Peter wrote to "lay aside" those things that defile the spiritual temple which God is building through His Son (see verses above). Paul wrote his comments about the spiritual temple of God, which we read above, by beginning with the comment, "for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?" (1 Cor. 3:3), and "...you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?..." (1 Cor. 6:8-9). The special scripture reading for HaD'varim-Chazon of this Sabbath comes from Isaiah 1. The LORD prophesies to the heavens and the earth about His people who have become a sinful nation, laden ("kabed"- heavy, hard, massive, burdensome, very oppressive, grievous) with iniquity, a brood of evil doers and corrupters; (spiritually) sick from head to foot with wounds, bruises and putrefying sores. Even though they make many prayers...their hands are full of blood (Isa. 1:1-15). These are the words (D'varim) from Isaiah 1, and this is the vision (Chazon): "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; Seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (v. 16-18). The Jews mourn and repent over the losses of Tisha B'Av. Shouldn't we, the spiritual temple of the Holy Spirit, also remember Tisha B'Av with repentance, and receive the renewing vision of the Messiah's Temple in us? These are "the words and the vision" of Tisha B'Av. If you would like to be part of the spiritual temple that the Father is building, you can pray: "Heavenly Father, I believe that You are building a temple not made by human hands, but a living temple made from living stones. The foundation of this temple is the sacrifice and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus, the Messiah, Who died for me, and the living stones are those who believe in Him, and are filled with Your Holy Spirit. Forgive me of my sin, cleanse me, and fill me with Your Spirit, and the vision of Tisha B'Av, which is the temple of Messiah's kingdom. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen."

MyPeople

As Jesus revealed who His true disciples were, He gave us a very serious insight. He said, "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord", shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Mt. 7:21-23, see also 2 Thess. 2:7-10). If these ministry works mentioned by Jesus do not identify us as being ones who are doing the Father's will, then what does?! Hopefully, this question will be answered as we continue our study. It doesn't matter how we have ministered to others in Jesus' name, if we have not been obedient to the will of the Father in our own lives. In Mt. 7 we also see warnings about judging others without examining ourselves first, and seeking repentance and deliverance for "the plank" in our own eye (v.1-5). This is a very serious situation among us today. We seek the wonders, but not the repentance and change. Jesus brought the good news also in this passage telling us, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (v. 7-8). There are good gifts waiting to be given to us, if we will seek Him first(v. 11). The life found in Christ is not a "do whatever you want to do" kind of life. It is a life that requires God's people to get the planks out of our own eyes through repentance, and to seek Him continually. However, we are assured that if we will do that, great fruit will come of it (v. 16-18). Jesus also promised, "...how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (v. 11). We go from a serious warning, to the heights of all good things in this passage. What is the Father's will for His people in regard to these things? We will see an important truth for this time given to us from this week's Sabbath reading titled Mattot-Mass'ei translated, "the journeys of the tribes". This Sabbath is the last Sabbath before the beginning of the month of Av (meaning "Father" and "Consoler") the fifth month on the Hebrew calendar. The beginning of the new month of Av is called in Hebrew Rosh Chodesh Av. Within this new month, the sin of the ten spies, who brought back a discouraging report to the congregation of Israel, and the destruction of the two temples of God in history as a result of the sin of God's people, are remembered this month. The destruction of both temples occurred many hundreds of years apart but on the same date, the 9th of Av. Therefore, the first nine days of Av are spent in mourning, fasting, and repentance. Following that date, however, the 15th of Av represents a completely different occurrence. From the 10th of Av forward, joyful celebration begins for that coming 15th day of Av. The 15th day of Av is a marriage holiday, celebrating the finding of one's predestined soul mate. It is one of the happiest days on the Jewish calendar. We who believe and wait on the return of Christ, to be joined to Him in the marriage supper of the Lamb, can relate to the prayer said during this month: "May we soon merit the coming Moshiach (Messiah/Christ), and the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash (House of God), so that the times we yearn for will become a reality, especially in our time. Amen." This is very much like the prayer of the Spirit and the Bride in the Book of Revelation regarding the return of Jesus: "Come!" (Rev. 22:17), and "Even so, come Lord Jesus!" (v. 20). To me, the verses from Mt. 7, the Sabbath lesson of this week, and the revelation concerning the month of Av, all have an important message for these end times before the return of Christ. Let's look at Isaiah 66, which is a designated reading from the haftarah for this special Sabbath. In this chapter, God clearly states His will regarding His people, and the incredible fruits that result from the doing of His will. The LORD begins this section of Isaiah by asking "Where is the house that you will build Me?" He makes it clear that His people have made the sacrifices and offerings of His house meaningless as they follow their own ways, having indulged in sin and idolatry. The LORD will send delusions upon His people, because of it (see also 2 Thess. 2:11-12). Not only did they not do the Father's will, but they did not seek Him, or hear Him: "Because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not hear; but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight." (Isa. 66:4). The LORD's house, His Beit HaMikdash, is destroyed by the sin of His own people, as remembered on the 9th of Av. However, the LORD is looking for certain ones among those who call themselves His people, who understand His will: "But on this one will I look: on him who is poor (ani- humble, lowly, needy) and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles (hared- is fearful, reverential) at My word." (v. 2, see also Ps. 51:16-17 and Ps. 34:18-19). As in Mt. 7, we start out in Isa. 66 with a people who claim to be God's people, even doing the work of ministry in the offerings and sacrifices, but serving lawlessness instead because they are not doing the Father's will. Isaiah tells us that the Father's will is a repentant heart in the humble, contrite person. As Jesus warned, we are looking to pull specks out of others' eyes, and seeking to do signs, wonders, and miracles in His name, while He is looking for our humble, repentant heart before Him. In Isa. 66, the LORD speaks directly to those who do humbly tremble before Him. He tells them that there is a sound and a voice going forth from His city, and His temple. Zion is giving birth! Not only is Zion giving birth, but Israel as a nation is rebirthed also. Rejoice and be glad "That you may feed and be satisfied with the consolation (Av) of her bosom, that you may drink deeply and be delighted with the abundance of her glory." (v. 11). Because of this humble trembling before God of the repentant ones, the Gentiles will flow glory like a stream for the comfort of God's people (v. 12). The judgment of the LORD is poured out upon all flesh until all nations come and see the glory of the LORD (v. 16, 18). There is yet another great fruit that will come forth from the humble and contrite heart: "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me", says the LORD, "So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one new moon (Rosh Chodesh) to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me." (v. 22-23). All of this poured forth from the Father's will because of the repentance of even one. In this chapter of Isaiah, we see the destruction caused to the LORD's house by His unrepentant people, also represented in the first nine days of Av, but then we see a shift in the spiritual winds, as God looks for and finds among those who call themselves His people, even one, who comes humbly, contrite and trembling before Him. We also see the same principle in another place in scripture where the repentance of God's people leads to the healing of a nation, even a nation experiencing God's judgment (2 Chron. 7:14). The Apostle Peter wrote, "'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time..." (1 Pet. 5:5-6). As Isaiah did, Peter also connected the new creation to those of a humble heart saying, "...what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;" (2 Peter 3:11-14). God is patiently waiting for us, His people, to come to repentance (v. 9). This is the will of the Father, and this is what breaks the spirit of lawlessness. I hope I have been able to express to you what I saw in these verses: the connection of repentance, even in just one of God's people, to a birth of Zion, and a new rebirth of all nations, and even all creation. The Sabbath scriptures of the Rosh Chodesh Av, and its prayer, reflect this awesome truth. The place of repentance for believers is not a place of condemnation, but a place of cleasning and renewal. It is a place where God can identify those who belong to Him, and find the "one" who does the Father's will. If you would like to join yourself to the will of the Father, you can pray: "Heavenly Father, I come open before you with only the righteousness and grace of Your Son, Jesus, our Messiah, to cover Me. I ask Your mercy and forgiveness for disregarding Your will, and ignoring Your voice. Forgive me for the destruction that this causes to Your house. Your Word, spoken and written, causes me to bow my head before You, because Your Word, Jesus, is filled with Your glory. Cleanse my heart and my ways by the Blood of Jesus, Who died and rose from the dead for me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, my Comforter and my Consolation, so that Your will is fulfilled within me. I join with others who are praying during this month of Av for the coming of Messiah, our destined and perfect soul mate. I ask these things in Messiah's name, Jesus. Amen."

Exceptions

There are rules, and then there are the exceptions to those rules. We don't often think that such a thing may be true of God's Law, and His commandments, but I would like to give some examples that were proven to be exceptions to the rule. Those examples come from this week's Sabbath reading titled "Pinchas" from Numbers 25-27. Pinchas is the Hebrew form of the name that we are more familiar with, Phinehas. Although he was Aaron's grandson by Aaron's son, Eleazar, Phinehas was not yet a priest himself at the time we read about him. Most of us are familiar with the situation that had developed within the camp of Israel during this time. The Midianites (meaning "strife") had schemed, with the advice of the soothsayer Balaam (see Num. 31:16 and Rev. 2:14), to corrupt the Israelites from the inside. Midianite women were sent to seduce the Israelite men into turning from the worship of the God of Israel, to the god of the Midianites, Ba'al: "So Israel was joined to Ba'al of Peor (meaning "gap, gaping wide open like the mouth of a ravenous beast"), and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel." (Num. 25:3). The LORD commanded Moses that all of the offenders who had joined themselves to Midianite women, and consequently to their god, were to be killed. One man named Zimri (meaning "my music") presented his Midianite wife, Cozbi (meaning "my lie, liar") before Moses and all the congregation who were weeping and repenting at the door of the tabernacle. When Phinehas saw this man and woman present themselves before the tabernacle, he chased them with a javelin into their tent and thrust the javelin with such force, that it went through both Zimri and Cozbi, killing them. This act of Phinehas stopped the plague that had been killing the children of Israel, although 24,000 had already died (v. 8-9). This is what the LORD said to Moses: "Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel." (Num. 25:10-13). Aaron had already died at this point, and Eleazar was now the priest, yet it was Phinehas who burned with the same jealousy as God has for His people (the Hebrew word "qana/qina"), and made the atonement that broke the plague. Phinehas acted as a high priest, although he was not the high priest. The nature of the priesthood prophesied by God for Phinehas would be different from Aaron's or Eleazar's priesthood, because it was to be an everlasting (olam- from antiquity into an unending future) priesthood. From Phinehas' line of descendants would eventually come the Zadok priesthood as well. So our exception to the rule in this case was a man who was not a priest yet by the Law, but was accepted by God in a priestly role. Others, like Korah, who had tried the same thing for selfish reasons in rebellion against God, were judged by God and killed. The exception for Phinehas was created because of his motivation, which was like God's. Another exception to the rule occurred when Moses and Eleazar were told to take a census of all the children of Israel by their father's houses, who were twenty years old and above, and able to go to war (Num. 26:1-4). This would pertain to the males of the camp old enough to fight. Even the sons of the rebels who did not die themselves in the rebellion were included in the census. After the census, the LORD said to Moses: "To these the land shall be divided as an inheritance, acording to the number of names...each shall be given its inheritance according to those who were numbered of them." (Num. 26:53-54). When the children of Israel came into the new land, the land would be allotted according to the men counted in this census. The rule stated by God to Moses was very specific about the future allotment of the land, and very specific regarding who was to be counted to be part of the allotment. We've got a rule, and here comes the exception. Five daughters came forward to stand before Moses, Eleazar the priest, before the leaders, and all the congregation of Israel, by the doorway of the tabernacle saying: "Our father (Zelophehad, meaning "first-born"; root meaning: "wounded" + "first-born") died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the LORD...and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be removed from among his faamily because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father's brothers." (Num. 27:3-4). This was an incredible demand to make of Moses, the man who spoke by and for God, especially in front of everyone else. Moses could have easily told them that this rule of allotment was the command of the LORD, and not to be contested. However, Moses did not say that. Scripture says, "So Moses brought their case before the LORD." (v. 5). Moses, the leader and intercessor of God's people, brought the issue before the LORD, rather than making the decision himself, even though the commandment of God was clear. From this thoughtful intercession, we get a groundbreaking exception to the Law: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father's brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: "If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers." (v. 6-9). Not only could daughters inherit, but they were to inherit before their father's brothers. Not only was the exception made for these five daughters, but their argument changed the Law commanded by God regarding inheritance for all daughters in that generation and the generations to come. Who were these five daughters who drew near in unity before Moses and the congregation to argue their case? The number five involved here gives us a clue. Many say that the number five (5) represents "grace". Jewish sources agree saying that the number five means "to be saved, to be rescued; to be saved from out of the world". The names of some of the five daughters seem to create a picture of the Church of Believers: Mahlah means to be pierced, wounded, to pray, to travail. Milcah means the wife of a king, a royal wife. Tirzah means favorable, accepted, delight, approved, pardon, reconcile self, satisfy a debt. If these five daughters do represent the Church, then this is a prophetic picture of what we learn in the New Testament: the Church, who previously had no inheritance, was made to inherit through Christ. That makes me very happy for the exception that was made for the five daughters! Jesus often had to give the experts in the Law of Moses correction as to how they viewed and taught the Law. These experts were always accusing Him of violating the Law, especially regarding the Sabbath. In one case, when Jesus healed on the Sabbath, and came under accusation because of it, He answered: "Which of you having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" (Lk. 14:5). Jesus cited an exception to the rule. In another answer He said, "My Father has been working up till now, and I have been working." (Jn. 5:17). If the Father is working, that becomes an exception to the rules of the Sabbath! He concluded by saying, "The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." (v. 8). Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, and He is also the Lord of the Word, because He IS the Word. He reminded the crowd: "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice', you would not have condemned the guiltless." (v. 7). In another example, Jesus taught about the exception of David and his men eating the shewbread of the tabernacle, which was not lawful for them to eat (Mt. 12:2-4). In all of these things, Jesus reminded us of the true essence of all the Law and the prophets, which is also exhibited by the examples in this week's Sabbath reading: "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. 22:37-40). We love the Word and the commandments of God, but we also love the exceptions, because they teach us precious principles in knowing God. If you would like to grow in the knowledge of God, and His Son, Jesus, you can pray: "Lord Jesus, You have fulfilled all of the Law and the prophets. Not one word from them will pass away, until all has been fulfilled. You became the sacrifice that saved me out of the world, pardoned me from my sins, and gave me Your favor before God. You rose from the dead to fulfill the prophesied exception from death, so that I could be an exception from the power of sin and death also. Fill me with the Holy Spirit of truth and righteousness, to teach me Your ways and Your Word. I ask these things in Jesus' name. AMEN."