theWorm

This weekend we remember Passover, the crucifixion, and the Resurrection of Jesus. If you would like to read more about the Passover, and its importance to all believers, please see the previous entry titled "HaGadol". This is an unusual entry for the Passover and Resurrection season, but I found this information very interesting, and I hope you will also. There are several references in scripture in which nature itself, the heavens, the mountains and the hills, the trees of the field, the stones and rocks, the streams and the rivers, all declare the glory of God and the Gospel of salvation through Christ (see Ps. 19:1, Ps. 97:6, Isa. 55:12, Lk. 19:40, 1 Cor. 10:4). Job recognized the testimony of God in the creatures that He created: "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?" (Job 12:7-10). As we read in Genesis, God created all life, even the creeping things that creep upon the earth, and saw that it was "good". (Gen. 1:24-25). Even the creeping things display the goodness of God! We will see how the Gospel, and the salvation provided to us through Christ's sacrifice for us, is expressed in the story of one of the smallest, humblest creatures that creeps - a worm. This worm is called the crimson worm, or tola, in Hebrew. It is this worm that supplied the crimson or scarlet dye that colored the fabric threads used in the tabernacle of Moses. Moses was instructed to receive the following free will offerings from the people in order to construct the items of the tabernacle: "And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goat's hair..." (Ex. 25:3-4). Moses was to follow the pattern that God gave him for the tabernacle exactly: "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern (tabnit - "pattern, likeness, figure, image, resemblance") of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it." (v. 8-9). There was a resemblance and image being established in the construction of the tabernacle that required even the smallest detail involved to follow God's set plan. That image is the image of His Son, as we have previously discussed. The individual letters of the Hebrew word used for "pattern", tabnit, each have a meaning that when joined together could express: "A house/family of covenant made from the son's or heir's finished work on the cross". This is the pattern of God in all things, including the tabernacle. The tola worm, or crimson worm, supplied the scarlet dye that was required by the pattern given by God. Not only did this humble creature supply a necessary element for the ordained pattern of the tabernacle, but its life cycle proclaims the Gospel of Jesus, as we will see. This is the birth or life cycle of the crimson worm (tola). The male of the species is able to fly, and he hovers over the earthbound female tola worm, and deposits his seed. After conceiving, and when ready to give birth, the female crimson worm climbs, and permanently attaches her body to an oak tree found in Israel (see 1 Pet. 2:24, Gal. 3:13, Deut. 21:22-23). The female then pierces the bark of the tree to suck the sap in order to create a waxy shell or scale of crimson to protect its body. After this, the crimson worm lays her eggs under her body to cover, shelter and protect them until the larvae are hatched (see Ps. 91:1, 4; Mt. 23:37). During the birthing process, the female tola worm secretes a crimson fluid or gel that completely covers her body and her eggs. On the third day of this birthing process, as the eggs under the mother's body transform into larger larvae, the mother's body swells, and the babies feed on their crimson worm mother. Eventually, the mother's body will break open, ending her life. During this stage, the crimson fluid excreted by the tola worm mother completely covers the babies, permanently staining them, and also the wood bark of the tree. On the morning of the fourth day, what is left of the crimson worm mother has lost its red coloring, turned white, and its head and tail have curved around into a heart-shaped form. Her body, that was once covered in crimson color, becomes like a white wax that resembles wool. What is left of the tola worm, this white woolen substance, dries and falls to the ground like snow. The Prophet Isaiah wrote: "...though your sins are like scarlet (reference to the tola worm according to the Strong Concordance), they shall be as white as snow (seleg - snow-white; as linen clothing of the dead; shining like snow in darkness). Though they are red like crimson (tola - worm), they shall be as wool (semer - wool, whiteness)." (Isa. 1:18). Isaiah was referring to the salvation of God in these verses by describing a transformation of sin from scarlet to white. As we can see in the Hebrew words used by Isaiah, this verse refers directly to the tola, or crimson worm. We can also see the picture of Christ's sacrifice for others in the tola worm's giving of her own life to bring life to her many offspring. Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection are also referred to as the Firstfruits of many brethren (1 Cor. 15:20, 23, Rom. 8:29). Even the hovering of the flying male worm over the female crimson worm during conception can be viewed as a likeness to the overshadowing by the Holy Spirit upon Mary in Christ's conception (Lk. 1:35), as well as the hovering of the Holy Spirit over an empty darkness, before life was miraculously created in Gen. 1:2. We see another similarity between the Gospel of Jesus and the tola crimson worm in the establishing of the new covenant in Christ. The larvae babies under the crimson worm mother feed upon her. Jesus specifically told His hearers that they must eat of His body, and drink of His blood to abide in Him, and in the promise of eternal life found in Him (Jn. 6:53-56, Mt. 26:23-26). It was later revealed to Paul by the Word of the Lord, that the Lord Jesus took the bread and broke it, saying, "Take (lambano - "to make one's own, take possession of, receive what is offered"), eat. This is My body broken for you." We enact this specific command from Jesus, remembering His sacrifice and the new covenant in His blood, as we participate in Communion. What we refer to as the Last Supper, and later, as Communion, was a Passover Seder among Jesus and His disciples, with the Passover elements of bread (His body), and wine (His blood), fulfilled by Christ and given to us. (Lk. 22:15, 1 Cor. 11:23-26). The scripture itself also directly links the crucified Messiah to the tola or crimson worm in Psalm 22. This Psalm, written by David, gives a prophetic revelation of the exact details of the crucifixion of Christ found in the Gospel accounts, even though the crucifixion would not take place until one thousand years later. Christ, who is prophetically revealing Himself in this Psalm, says, "But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see me ridicule Me;...saying 'He trusted in the LORD; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!" (v. 6-8, and see Mt. 27:41-44). Although there are other Hebrew words translated as "worm" in the scriptures, the "worm" by which Christ prophetically described Himself in this Psalm is specifically the tola or crimson worm, the same worm that supplied the red dye for the pattern of the tabernacle, the same worm that gives its life for its young. As we can see, scripture confirms itself in even the smallest details. Every created thing of God amazingly testifies of Him. If all creation is declaring His glory and salvation, then we should also, especially in this Passover/Resurrection season: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek/Gentile." (Rom. 1:16). If you would like to experience the power and truth of the salvation of Christ, as all nature declares it, you can pray with me: "Lord Jesus, I believe that You came and died for my sin. I believe that You rose again from the dead. I believe that all who receive You as Lord also receive eternal life through You. Forgive me of my sins, and pour out Your grace and mercy to me, and cleanse and renew me by Your blood. Fill me with the Holy Spirit to teach and lead me in the path of Your salvation and righteousness. I pray and receive these things in Your holy Name, AMEN." *note:I would like to thank and acknowledge JP for the great research and overall contribution to this entry.