Carried

When the Israelites entered in to the Promised Land, they did not enter in with just themselves. They carried Joseph's bones in with them (Gen. 50:22-26, Ex, 13:19, Josh. 24:32), and they carried the tabernacle, including the Ark of the Covenant containing the Word of God, in with them. There is great significance to the carrying in of Joseph's bones with the Israelites. Joseph's name means: "Jehovah has added"; increase, to be joined, to join oneself to". Joseph's marriage to an Egyptian, and the children produced by this marriage, Manasseh and Ephraim, also represented the joining of Egyptian Gentiles to the tribes of Israel. However, in addition to these things, I think that there was a prophetic warfare that was to be accomplished as the Israelites entered in, which we will see. God's people don't just enter a place, or a situation, without bringing a type of prophetic warfare in with them. This week's Sabbath reading is titled Ki Tavo, meaning "When you come in". It comes from the first verse of Deut. 26, as God gave a command regarding what the Israelites were to do when they come in to the land that God has given them as an inheritance: "...you shall take some of the first of all the produce (increase) of the ground from your land (eres - country, land, whole earth, nations, land of the living, continent) that the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide." (Deut. 26:2). The Israelite was to bring this basket of third year (see v. 12) first fruits of the ground to the priest, and make a proclamation over it. When the LORD used to phrase "come in" above regarding the land, it is the word bo, which does mean to come in, or enter. However, it also means "to carry in, lead in". Bo also means: "go in to war, attack an enemy, besiege". There is warfare attached to bo, "to enter in". Bo, "enter in" also includes in its meaning "a bride enters in to the house of the husband, to enter into a chamber, have intercourse". As we can see, there is a marriage meaning attached to the Hebrew word bo. There is also a prophetic meaning to the word bo: "bring to pass, come to pass, be fulfilled, come upon suddenly". So this is not only about coming in to the land. The Israelites would be carrying something prophetic into the land with them, something that is accompanied by warfare - natural or spiritual, and something that will establish a marriage intimacy, as entering into a marriage chamber. This bo warfare will be attached to taking the first fruits of the increase of the land from the third year, and offering it to the LORD (v. 2). The word "take" used here is the Hebrew word laqah, meaning "receive, take, carry away, married, take a wife, take in marriage, accept, infold". This is yet more marriage imagery given to us in this word laqah. The first fruits are to come from the ground, or adama/adam, meaning: "ground, land, the whole inhabited world/red, make red, show red, dyed red, emit redness, to show blood, red as wine in a cup". Whatever the Israelites were to spiritually carry in is not limited to themselves only, but encompassed the whole inhabited world. It is connected to marriage, and it shows the redness of blood or wine. We can't help but see the identity of Jesus, the Firstfruits of the Third Day Resurrection (see 1 Cor. 15:20-21), in this description, and the believers in Christ also referred to in scripture as first fruits (of creation) sharing in His resurrection (see James 1:18), both Jew and Gentile out of the whole earth, who are His Bride. As is included in the meaning of bo, or "enter in", nothing short of a marriage covenant relationship with the Lord is required (Eph. 5:25-28). It is all here. The Israelites were to act out, or rehearse this great prophetic promise, not just to Israel, but to all living in all the world (Jn. 3:16-17).. It was specified that the Israelite was to place the first fruits in a basket (v. 2) to be presented to the priest. The word "basket" is tene, and means "to weave, interlaced". A basket is a receptacle made of various interlacing pieces of straw or reed. It is not constructed of one piece, but of many pieces tightly woven together. This brings to my mind how Paul spoke of the branches that grow from the holy root of salvation. Not only were the Gentile branches grafted in, but the natural Jewish branches, even more so. Psul also said that the interweaving of Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ would mean "life from the dead".(Rom. 11:15-18, 24, 26). In this case, we are to be interwoven together to contain the offering of first fruits, the resurection of Christ. When this offering is brought to the priest, the LORD commanded the Israelite to say (amar - utter, promise, say, certify, publish): "I declare..." (v. 3). The word "declare" is nagad, which means "declare, show forth, messenger, avow, acknowledge, confess, announce, report, stand boldly opposite something, rehearse, predict, expose, be courageous". This was to be a declaration that would establish something prophetically. And that declaration is attached to the third year first fruits. And this declaration is not just for Israel, but for the whole inhabited earth, woven together inseparably. And this declaration is connected to the marriage chamber, and the redness of blood, and cup of wine. It is an offering to be made with rejoicing (v. 11, 14), and to be shared with the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow (see previous post titled "The Vulnerable"). This reading portion from Deut. 26 is paired with Isaiah 60 from the haftorah. Isaiah prophesied of how the Gentiles from all over the world would come to the risen light: "For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the LORD (YHWH: Yod, He, Vaw, He- "Behold the hand, Behold the nail") will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness (nogah- brilliancy, shining splendor, as of fire, as God's surrounding glory) of your rising." (Isa. 60:2-3). The darkness that covers the whole earth, and all of its people, is the hosek/hasak darkness of misery, destruction, death, sorrow, wickedness, an underground prison/Hades. The light is a light that rises up (zarah - rise up, shine, break out, come forth [see Jn. 11:43], appear) in the brilliancy of God. The prophetic picture that was to be carried in to the Promised Land included you and me, both Jew and Gentile. Paul wrote of it many times. Moses commanded it as the Word of the LORD to the Israelites. Isaiah saw the glory of it in the light of rising that overcomes the darkness of death and destruction. If you would like to know more about God's promise of salvation to both the Jew and to the Gentile, you can join in my prayer: "Our Father, You had Your people, Israel, carry Your plan of salvation with them into the Promised Land. They did spiritual warfare on my behalf as they entered in to the land, although they did not know me. They prophetically brought me the resurrection light of Christ that saved me from the overwhelming covering darkness of death. And You brought this prophetic promise to the whole inhabited world, when You miraculously caused Your people to enter in to the land that You swore to their forefathers. That land, Israel, is still the focal point of Your King, Messiah, and the whole earth. I pray for the Deliverer who comes out of Zion for the salvation of Israel and all of us (Isa. 59:20-21, Joel 2:2, Rom. 11:26-27). I ask this in the name of Jesus, AMEN."