Enter-In

The title of this Sabbath's reading is Ki-Tavo, meaning "When you come in" from Deuteronomy Chapters 26-28. As with the previous chapters, this portion deals with the instructions of the LORD to the children of Israel, through Moses, as they prepare to enter into the land that God has promised them. In order to have the blessing of God upon both themselves and the land, the LORD repeatedly told His people to keep His commandments. Terrible curses would come upon their new land, if they did not keep His statutes. I think the entrance of the Israelites into their Promised Land also has great prophetic meaning for us. I was amazed to find in this Sabbath reading that their story parallels our story as believers in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The LORD instructed the Israelites that when they came into the new land, they were to gather the first fruits of the land, bring it to the priest as an offering to God, and make a uniquely worded declaration: "And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, 'A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty and populous..." (Deut. 26:5 KJV). Using the Hebrew meaning of the main words in this verse, we could express the verse this way: "An exalted royal, ready to be broken and put to death, was my Prince, my Father. He descended into the adversary's stronghold of distress, fear and assault and remained there temporarily. The few and diminished became a mass of people, a nation, a body, with greatness like the greatness of God Himself, mighty, countless, and multiplied exceedingly." The people's declaration upon entering the land, considering the meaning of the words in the Hebrew language, is recognizable to us as the Gospel of Jesus. We also were delivered out of that place in eternity by the hand of God in the same way mentioned in this verse of the Sabbath reading: "So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm (nata zeroah - "stretched out arm, shoulder (of animal sacrifice"), with great terror and with signs and wonders." (Deut. 26:8). The "outstretched arm" of God's deliverance for us, took the form of Jesus' arms stretched out on the cross in sacrifice. Continuing on with our parallels, in several places in this Sabbath's reading, and in previous scriptures, the LORD describes the land that the Israelites will enter as "...a land flowing (zub - gush out, to die, to flow freely") with milk and honey." (Deut. 26:9, 15, 27:3). In the Song of Songs, Solomon connected the Beloved's bride with the taste of milk and honey (Song 4:10-11, 5:1). It was the practice among the Israelites to give newly married brides a mixture of milk and honey. So not only did the expression "a land flowing with milk and honey" refer to a natural land of abundance and the finest things, but we can also find a prophetic parallel to the marriage of the Lamb of God and the Bride of Christ (Rev. 19:7). The physical entrance into the land by the Israelites as they became a nation has direct correlation to our entrance into the spiritual land of salvation and glory as believers in Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote of the principle that the natural is manifested first, and then the spiritual after (1 Cor. 15:45-46). We do not replace Israel in this way at all, but Israel's entrance into, and existence in the land sets the natural precedent and prophesies of our entrance and habitation of a spiritual land. In another example of this "dual" entrance from this Sabbath's haftarah reading, the prophet Isaiah described the land. He talked about the land in transformation from wilderness and wasteland desert to a place that will blossom like the rose, in abundance, excellence and glory (Isa. 35:1). Israel has indeed become a land that has turned the desert into bloom. They are well known for their agricultural exports to other nations. However, this is also a picture of our transformation through Christ in the kingdom of God. Isaiah also talked about another kind of blossoming that occurs when God comes to save. It is a blossoming that we associate with the Messiah: "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing..." (v. 5-6). Jesus confirmed His identity to John the Baptist and the people of Israel with these very signs (Lk. 7:18-23). Isaiah wrote in this chapter about "waters bursting forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert" for the thirsty land (Isa. 35:6-7). Israel has irrigated the desert and brought water where there was only parched ground before. However, Jesus also talked about another form of living water that He provided to the dry desert of the spirits of man: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink" (Jn. 7:37). To the woman at the well, Jesus said, "Whoever drinks of this water (of the natural well) will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (Jn. 4:10-14). Regarding the land of which Isaiah wrote in Chapter 35: "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others...the redeemed shall walk there." (Isa. 35:8-9). This Highway of Holiness is established by the LORD as a spiritual work - no devouring beasts, no sorrow or sighing shall be found on this Highway (v. 9-10). Of course, Jesus provided a "Highway of Holiness" for us (Mt. 7:14), and our walk with Jesus is to be a walk of holiness (1 Peter 1:14-16). The LORD's covenant with Israel is not just a physical covenant regarding the land, but He also talks about His spiritual covenant with them (Isa. 59:21). In Isaiah 60, another portion from this Sabbath's reading, Ki Tavo, about entering into the land, we read Isaiah's prophetic vision concerning "The City of the LORD" and "Zion of the Holy One of Israel" (Isa. 60:14). The walls are called "Salvation", and its gates are called "Praise" (v. 18). In addition, this is not a natural land with natural light that Isaiah sees. It is a place where the LORD is the everlasting light (v. 19, also Jn. 8:12, Mt. 5:14-19, Rev. 21:23, 22:5). As this spiritual land shines with the everlasting light of God, so should those whom the LORD is calling: "Arise (qum - "arise, be established, be fixed, be raised up"), shine (or - "enlighten, become light, to be illuminated"); for your light (or - "light of a lamp, light of life (see Jn. 1:4), light of day, flood of light) has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you." (Isa. 60:1). Although the earth and people are covered in deep darkness according to the prophecy, the people of this spiritual land shine with the light of God, bringing many to that light (v. 2-4). The rising of the light of the LORD in us is vital in these times of darkness and fear. As the Israelites were about to "come in" to their land, God warned them to keep His commandments and statutes. We also, as those called to "come in" to the land of the Messiah, Jesus, are called to obey God's Word (Jn. 1:1, 14) and keep His commandments as Jesus said: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him..." (Jn. 14:21, 23-24. See also Jn. 15:10-12, 14:15). May we understand that there is a responsibility to be kept regarding the Word of God when coming into the land, which is our habitation in Christ. The spiritual land is glorious, and its work in the earth, through us, is glorious. If you would like to know more about entering into our habitation in Jesus, you can pray: "Lord Jesus, You have made the way for me to enter into an inheritance in God. I believe You died for my sins, and rose from the dead to provide me the inheritance of everlasting life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit to show me, and help me to keep, Your commandments. Let me rise and shine with the light of Jesus Christ that draws men to it from out of the deep darkness. Forgive me for when I have not been that light. I want to dwell in land of Your kingdom, the City of God. I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen."