TheOffering

      The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is T'rumah, meaning "offering". T'rumah comes from the Hebrew root word, rum, which has a powerful meaning for all of us because it means "heave offering, to rise (up), be high, exalted, set on high, to be raised, lifted, lifted up upon, to lift up oneself, elevate, to offer, to become high and powerful". I immediately think of Jesus Christ crucified as a rum offering for our sins and raised up in resurrection. The word t'rumah is used in one of our beginning verses from this Sabbath, found in Ex. 25: "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega in Greek, the name of Jesus in Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13) offering. From everyone who gives it willingly (nadab - make willing, offered freely, give willingly, volunteer, spontaneously) from his heart (leb/lebab/labab - inner man, heart, the soul, the life, mind, wisdom, understanding, conscience, friendly, kindly, seat of courage/in the midst of (heaven)/transport with love, ravish my heart) you shall take My (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) offering." (Ex. 25:2). Every component of the tabernacle would be brought from the spiritual pattern of heaven into the natural realm of earth from these aleph-tav, rum offerings. 

     According to this verse this offering requested by God for the building of the tabernacle is connected to and identified with The Aleph-Tav, Jesus, in the written Hebrew, and must be given by the will and love of each heart. The purpose of this offering is to contribute various precious items to be used in the construction of a tabernacle, the pattern of which the LORD will show Moses: "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so shall you make it." (Ex. 25:8-9). The tabernacle of the dwelling of God among His people is built upon a voluntary love offering. Jesus' voluntary offering of Himself (see Jn. 10:14-15 and 17-18) is also the chief cornerstone of the spiritual temple being built with each of us as the living stones of it (Eph. 2:20).  As the children of Israel brought the various precious items that would construct the tabernacle, we are the precious items that are being used to construct God's spiritual house. We are the temple of the presence of the Holy Spirit as a result of Christ's free-will aleph-tav, rum offering. Jesus is the offering of God, given because of God's love for the world (Jn. 3:16-17). Christ also loved the Church, the Ekklesia, and gave Himself for it before it existed as such (Eph. 5:25-27). 

     As we continue to look at the offering in this T'rumah Sabbath reading portion in 1 Kings 5, young King Solomon is preparing to build the temple that his deceased father, King David, had designed and supplied. In order to build the temple in Jerusalem, Solomon will need cedar timber from Lebanon. Solomon sent a message to King Hiram (hiram/hur - free-born, noble-born/fine white linen [see Rev. 19:6-8], white cloth) of Tyre (sor - "a rock") in Lebanon telling him of his plan to build the temple according to the will of his father, and to request the cedar. Lebanon was known for its tall, straight and fragrant cedar (erez/araz) trees, which had deep roots, were without knots, and unlikely to decay. Hiram had already reached out to Solomon earlier: "Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon because he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always loved David." (1 Kings 5:1). When Hiram heard the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) words of Solomon, "he rejoiced greatly and said, 'Blessed be the LORD this day, for He has given David a wise son over this great people!" (v. 7). Hiram answered Solomon's request, writing: "I have considered the message which you sent me, and I will do all you (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) desire concerning the cedar and cypress (beros - tall, stately, noble, fruit bearing tree used especially for making lances and musical instruments) fir logs...Then Hiram gave Solomon cedar and cypress logs according to all his desire." (v. 8, 10). In exchange, Solomon sent Hiram great amounts of wheat for fine bread, and olive oil every year. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon and the two of them made a treaty together (v. 12). Solomon began this huge building project which would take seven years because of his obedience and love for his father, and Hiram became part of this holy endeavor with Solomon because of his love for David, who was a forefather of the Messiah/Christ who was also called "the Son of David" (see Lk. 18:35-43). We can conclude from this, I believe, that Hiram represents prophetically the believers who have been transformed and purified by the aleph-tav, rum offering of Jesus Messiah/Christ.

     The tabernacle was built to bring the dwelling presence of God among His people as stated in the verses from Ex. 25 above, and the temple was built to bring the Ark of the Covenant and the holy vessels into the sanctuary according to another Sabbath reading portion in 1 Chron. 22:19. David said: "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God, to bring the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) house that is to be built for the name of the LORD."

     The aleph-tav, rum offering is not defined only by the giving things or money, as is the usual manner of thinking, but for the offering to be "high and powerful" (see the meaning of rum above) the offering must be of the life, the leb/lebab heart, and the soul of the giver. This principle becomes clearer in the New Testament, as Jesus, and then the apostles, reveal the power of the aleph-tav, rum offering. 

     The first thing that comes to mind are the words of Jesus when He said: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it..." (Mt. 16:24-25). Then Jesus spoke about rewarding each according to his works (v. 27). We most often interpret these verses above as pertaining to martyrdom or severe persecution for our faith in Christ, but there is also a spiritual meaning to be considered. Paul wrote of this meaning: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in/of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20). This is a picture of an aleph-tav, rum offering that is high and powerful and working in and through us.

     Jesus also mentioned rewarding "works" in connection with taking up one's cross in the Mt. 16 verses above. Part of Christ's "work" while on the cross as an aleph-tav, rum offering for our sins included these words said (lego - affirm over, maintain, teach, command, direct, speak out, to lay forth, put forth, ask, to call by name, to collect, to gather): "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Lk. 23:34). When we see sin, do we make this same aleph-tav, rum offering of words from our heart, soul, and life to our Father on behalf of the sinners? We have been given this authority to do so. Jesus said these powerful words to His disciples: "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." (Jn. 20:21-23). Sometimes we don't have the opportunity to preach or teach directly to someone regarding sin, but we do have the opportunity to give the offering of ourselves in this manner. Jesus found this "work", and the "work" of accepting one of the criminals who was crucified beside Him, was important enough to use His struggling breaths on the cross to speak it as an offering before His Father. Another of His "works" on the cross was to ensure by His Words that His widowed mother would have a place in a household of faith, a spiritual temple of God, to have a place in the Ekklesia Church that would be born out of His death and resurrection (Jn. 19:25-27). Do we speak these aleph-tav, rum offering words from our lives, hearts, and souls to our heavenly Father on behalf of the poor, weak, and vulnerable in order to bring them into the family of God? 

     The apostle Paul wrote of the power of the aleph-tav, rum offering as a living offering: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living (zao - be among the living, have true life worthy of the name, living water having vital power in itself and exerting the same upon the soul) sacrifice (thysia/thyo - sacrifice/slay, kill [of the paschal/Passover lamb]), holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable (logikos/logos - agreeable to reason, spiritual: pertaining to the soul/speech, sayings [of God], precepts given by God, the Word/Christ) service (latreia/latreuo - divine service, the service and worship of God, to perform sacred services/to officiate or discharge the sacred office of the priest, render service, homage, worship to God).  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Rom. 12:1-2). It is this type of high and powerful, aleph-tav, rum offering that builds the tabernacle, temple, spiritual house of the salvation of God upon the cornerstone of the Passover Lamb (see above), Jesus Christ, and I think that it is an example of an important precept from the Word of God that can transform us and renew our minds as we are conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:28-30).

     The apostle Paul also wrote more about the power and exaltation of the aleph-tav, rum offering: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:5-11). The Kingdom of God under the rule of Jesus Christ over all of creation was and is established through high and powerful, aleph-tav, rum offerings.

     If you would like to know more about these powerful, tabernacle/temple-building, aleph-tav, rum offerings, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, by Your mercies, by Your Word, and by Your Spirit, help me to walk in the knowledge of the aleph-tav, rum offering, even as Christ offered Himself from His heart and soul in this manner for all of us. According to Your Word, You desire for me to understand the meaning of "taking up my cross" and following Your Son. It is this offering that conquered death, hell, and the grave. It is this offering that brings salvation into a life and adds another living stone to the spiritual temple of God. Help me to understand that Your Kingdom is built upon this kind of "high and powerful" offering. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."