theRock

This Sabbath's reading portion is titled Ha-azinu, which means "Listen". This portion is read on the Sabbath before the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. The Day of Atonement is different from all the other feasts that the LORD commanded His people to keep. It is the only feast in which the LORD commands: "...you shall afflict (ana - humble, bowed down, weaken oneself, submit self, oppression and sorrow, to furrow the ground, to bring the earth into cultivation; hear, answer, bear, cry, respond as a witness, pay attention, to make answer, to give account, speak, shout, sing) (aleph-tav) your souls..." (Lev. 23:26-32). The afflicting of one's soul is interpreted to mean that God's people should pray, confess, and repent with fasting. It is a most solemn day. Under the Law of Moses, the atonement for sin took place in the deepest part of the tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, where the High Priest could enter only once a year on this appointed day to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice of atonement upon the Mercy Seat that covered the Ark of the Testimony. The tablets containing the Ten Commandments were inside the Ark. This atonement blood would cover the sins of the people for one year only. Jesus fulfilled this prophetic appointed feast by entering the Holy of Holies in heaven with His own blood as the atoning sacrificial covering for our sins. His sacrifice is not made yearly, as under the Law, but was made once, for all time. (Heb. 9:11-15, 23-26, 10:1,3-4). As I read the Sabbath portion for this week, I saw something about the Day of Atonement, and its fulfilment accomplished by the atoning blood of Christ, that I had not considered before: it was this Atonement that was the very foundation of all creation. We already know the scripture from Revelation calling Jesus "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev. 13:8). In another example, if we look closely at the Hebrew in Genesis 1:1, which starts "In the beginning...", God is written as Elohim aleph-tav. The individual pictographic Hebrew letters, aleph and tav, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, can individually mean "God + cross". Jesus referred to Himself as "Aleph-Tav" when He said "I am the Alpha and the Omega (as translated into the Greek language), the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13). We will see more of the connection between the Atonement and the Foundation of the world in this week's Sabbath reading portion as well. This week's reading includes Deuteronomy 32, which is a song that Moses was commanded by God to teach to all of the people of Israel. His song begins with the phrase "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear O earth the words out of my mouth." (Deut. 32:1). Moses was singing a declaration of witness to all creation (see above definition of "afflict"). In this song, the LORD prophesies that Israel will turn away from Him, including the offering of sacrifices to demons (v. 17), and the many evils, like war, famine, pestilence and beasts, that would fall upon the children of Israel because of that. He also sang: "They are not His children, because of their blemish...children in whom there is no faith." (v. 5, 20). In describing the anger that is therefore created in God, the song of Moses said: "For a fire is kindled in My anger, and shall burn to the lowest hell; it shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains." (v. 22). Who or what could possibly save His people from such holy and righteous burning anger? It is an anger that will descend to, and set on fire, the very foundations of the earth. At the end of his song, Moses revealed this promise of the LORD: "He will provide atonement (kapar - cover, purge, make atonement, make reconciliation (see also Col. 1:19-20), expiate, cancel, cleanse, forgive, be merciful, pardon, overspread, free from legal charge) for His land and His people", which the people and the Gentiles would receive with rejoicing (v. 43). The promise said that God will provide the covering atonement. Although Israel already had the yearly atonement of animal blood by the Law, this atonement is spoken of in the future tense. God will provide it, rather than the sacrifices of men. As Abraham promised his son, Isaac: "God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." (see Gen. 22:6-8, 13-14). The word translated "provide" here really means much more. Don't let traditional knowledge of men rob you of the depth of the Word of God. As a student of Hebrew scripture brought to my attention, the word translated as "provide" is the Hebrew word ra'a, which really means: "behold, show, appear, foresee, look at, present oneself, to be visible, to be pleased with the sight, approve, look one upon another, present, cause to see, to be taught in visions divinely brought, provide". In these verses from Genesis, Abraham lifted up (nasa - bear/lift up, carry, accept, pardon, forgive, bring forth, extol, exalt, magnify, respect, rise up, desire, marry) his aleph-tav eyes and took (laqah - take, receive, fetch, bring, married, infold, send for, mingle, take for oneself, to receive for care and protection, to receive with the ears) the aleph-tav ram and offered it instead of his son. We who believe in Jesus Christ understand and believe that, as prophesied and promised, the future Atonement that God would send in order to cover His people from the fire of His anger that burns to the bottom of hell, would be His own Son, Jesus. In this song, which is read before the Day of Atonement, Moses refered to the "rock/Rock" seven times, including: "He is the Rock, His work is perfect"; "honey from the rock"; "oil from the flinty rock"; "forsook God... and scornfully esteemed the Rock of His salvation"; "of the Rock who begot you"; "their Rock"; "our Rock". This is the first time in scripture that God is described as a "Rock". This Rock in the Song of Moses is specifically identified as "the Rock of God's salvation". The Hebrew word for "rock" is sur, which means "rock, cliff, block of stone, boulder, refuge, beauty, strength, sharp, a sharpened tool made of rock used to circumcise, also to bind, distress, lay siege, fortify, adversaries". The same "Rock" that is a refuge and salvation for some, is war against another. We take it for granted now that God is our Rock, but it must have seemed strange when, for the first time, Moses repeatedly referred to the LORD in this way. Why would God identify Himself to Moses as the Rock, and what did it have to do with atonement? Moses and the people had already had two special experiences with "a rock" in the wilderness that provided enough water for all the people, and their flocks and herds (Ex. 17:1-7, Num. 20:2-11). As we will see, so great was this miracle, that it was still being praised as a specific wonder of God on behalf of His people centuries later in the Psalms (Ps. 105:41, 114:8). The New Testament reveals that this Rock in the wilderness was Christ (1 Cor. 10:2-4). Jesus Himself told of how He was the source of the living water of everlasting life that never runs out (Jn. 4:10, 13-14, Jn. 7:37-3). Here is an interesting scientific point that bears witness to the idea of rock as water found in the natural creation (true science, as opposed to false science, always bears witness to the Word of God). Water can be locked inside of two minerals: ringwoodite and wadslyite. These minerals are found only in the earth's mantle, the foundational rock of the earth. The depth of this mantle rock extends to 250-410 miles below the earth's surface. The amount of water contained in this mantle rock may be more than in all of the oceans combined. Steve Jacobsen, a geologist at Northwestern University said that because of the depth of this mantle rock, "It is not accessible. It's not a resource in any way." (as reported by NBC News). Man cannot access this impossibly deep foundational rock by any human means, yet the Rock followed Israel in the wilderness, and gushed forth abundant precious water when there was none to be found. In another reading portion from Ha-azinu, or "listen", Sabbath lesson before the Day of Atonement, we are again brought to the Rock: "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence...For who is God except the LORD? And who is a rock except our God?...and He makes my way perfect...The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, the Rock of my salvation!" (2 Sam. 22:2-3, 32-33, 47, a Psalm of David). Now, in this Psalm, instead of the fire of God's anger being directed at His people, it is directed at the enemies of His people: "Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of heaven (samayim - firmament spread out like a vault over the globe as supported on foundations and columns) quaked and were shaken, because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it...the foundations of the world were uncovered, at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils." (v. 8-9, 16). This duality, Savior to some and Burning Breath of Fire in anger against an enemy, is included in the meaning of the Hebrew sur Rock as we saw above. Another reading from this week's Sabbath before the Day of Atonement recalls the rock known to Moses that yielded water for the people of God, as mentioned previously: "He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink in abundance like the depths (tehom/hamam - deep, depth, deep places, primeval ocean, abyss, deep hollows in the earth, subterranean water supply/break, consume, crush). He also brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. Behold He struck the rock (see Isa. 53:4 - "stricken... smitten") so that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed...In spite of this they still sinned, and did not believe in His wondrous works...they returned and sought earnestly for God. Then they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer...(He) chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved...He also chose David His servant...to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance." (Psalm 78, excerpt). David and Judah were named in connection to this. From both Judah and David, Jesus was descended in flesh as prophesied, and called Himself "the Good Shepherd" of His flock (Jn. 10:11, 14-16). As the assigned reading for this Sabbath before the Day of Atonement indicates, the atonement to be sent by God in the Song of Moses is also mentioned in connection to the foundational Rock of His salvation. Did you ever wonder why man was formed from the dust (apar - dust, earth, powder, ore, pulverize) of the ground? (see Gen. 3:19). I can't say for sure, but it is interesting that dust is the product of Rock that has been crushed by weathering, and we know that man was created in God's own image. Perhaps it is the image of the crushed (daka - bruise, break in pieces, beat in pieces, crushed, shattered, crumble, crush to pieces) Christ mentioned in Isa. 53:10. Here is yet another hint that the Atonement was the foundation of the world and creation. Man, it can be argued, was created from the Atonement sacrifice of Christ "from the foundation of the world". Let's look at some more verses that refer to the connection of Jesus to the (atonement) foundation of creation: John 1:1-4 - "All things were made through (dia - the channel of an act, by, through, with, because of) Him (The Word, Christ)..."/ 2 Tim. 1:9: "(God) who has saved us and called us...in Christ Jesus before time began"/ Heb. 1:1-2: God who...by His Son...through whom also He made the worlds...purged our sins"/ 1 Pet. 1:18-20: "You were...redeemed...with the precious blood of Christ, was of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you...". Before God, Elohim aleph-tav, created the world, the Lamb of God was slain for our salvation and atonement, and all things were made through Him, the living Word. I hope that I have been able to express the vision of the Atonement blood of Jesus Christ for the purging of our sin as a foundational work from the beginning, and before the beginning, of all creation, including the creation of man. Worthy is the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world! If salvation and atonement through Jesus Christ are indeed the foundation upon which all of creation was established, the LORD insists in Lev. 23 that we cannot disregard it in favor of our own self-righteousness. The Day of Atonement is a Day appointed by the LORD to allow us to humbly confess and acknowledge His foundational sacrifice of Atonement for our benefit. He saw our need even before we knew that we needed it: "But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." (Rom. 5:8-10). If you would like to know more about the priceless Atonement covering and purging our sins, you can join with me in my prayer: "Father of heaven and earth, You sent Your Son, Jesus, as the Atonement for my sins. His own blood has been sprinkled on the Mercy Seat for me. He was the Lamb sacrificed for this purpose from and before the foundation of the world. Moses sang of this Atonement, and taught all of the children of Israel his song. Not only Atonement, but also the living waters of salvation and eternal life are poured from the Rock of our Salvation. By Your Word and Spirit help me to build my house of faith dug deep with its foundation laid on the Rock (Lk. 6:47-48). I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."