Zion

      This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled T'azria, which means "She bears seed". We can already see a special significance of this title as God prophesied to Satan from the beginning that the woman would bear a seed that would crush Satan's head (see Gen. 3:15). The reading portion includes Leviticus Chapter 12. The title of the Sabbath portion comes from Lev. 12:2: "If a woman have conceived seed..." (KJV). The word for seed here is the Hebrew word zara, which means "sow, conceive, yielding or producing seed, expanding, scatter seed, to disseminate, become pregnant, to be made fruitful." We are reminded here of the parable that Jesus taught about the sower who sows seed, which is the Word of God, and the great fruitfulness of it, or the lack of resulting fruitfulness (Mt. 13:3-9, 18-23).

      This chapter of Leviticus deals with the laws of Motherhood and Childbirth. The LORD is very protective over the mother and the child, providing a period of cleansing, forty to eighty days, and an atoning sacrifice for the new mother in the law of Moses. If the mother was not able to provide a lamb for the atoning sacrifice, the LORD accepted a more humble sacrifice instead. 

     A male child born was to be circumcised (mul - to destroy or purge the unclean and profane from minds, heart, and body; consecrate self; cut to harvest grains) on the eighth (semini - above the perfection of seven; plenteous, abundance, rich, fat, robust man, shine, to cover, plumpness; octave:lowest and gravest note sung by men's voices) day of life. We can see that circumcision has a much richer meaning than we might have thought, and we can see why God made circumcision a sign of His covenant with Abraham, and the miraculous promises that were connected to that covenant. As is included in the meaning of the word circumcision in Hebrew, Paul wrote that although physical circumcision profits in every way, God is looking for the inward circumcision of the heart (see Rom. 2:28-29, Rom. 3:1-2). The circumcision of the eighth day is not to benefit God, but to bless and benefit the new child, who will be entrusted with the oracles of God (see Rom. 3:1-2 above). While many view childbirth as just a physical and biological process of reproduction, solely within the control and choice of the parents, God views childbirth as a powerful spiritual event of precious and defining significance, and as such He made the spiritual provision for it in the Law of Moses.

     What is extremely interesting in this week's assigned Sabbath reading portions is the connection made between the rituals of birth from Leviticus, above, to a prophetic Word from Isaiah. This connection will add to our understanding of a great mystery in scripture: the mystery of Zion. Zion is viewed as being a synonym for Israel and for Jerusalem, and we will see that connection, but we will also see more.  We will try to search more deeply into Zion.

     How is Zion connected to birth? Isaiah wrote in the very last of his recorded prophecies about the fact that the sacrifices made by God's people have become empty in His sight, saying: "...Just as they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations, so will I choose their delusions, and bring their fears on them; Because, when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear; But they did evil before my eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight." (Isa. 66:3-4). They worshipped the LORD with offerings, but not out of love and regard for Him. These are not the people that the LORD will look upon, but He will regard those who are poor and of a contrite spirit, and who tremble at His word (v. 2). The LORD then begins to speak to those who do tremble at His word, to those who were hated and cast out by those who thought they should be ashamed: "Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation (goy/geva/gev/ga'a/gab - nation, people, Gentiles, heathen, of Israel, of non-Hebrews, of descendants of Abraham, body, corpus/the back, behind, body/back, midst, body, belly/rise up, be exalted in triumph, be lifted up, be risen, raised up, to increase, magnificent, of God/back - see Ps. 129:3: "The plowers plowed on my back; They made their furrows long.") be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) children. Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?" says the LORD. "Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?" says your God. Rejoice with (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; That you may feed and be satisfied with the consolation of her bosom, that you may drink deeply and be delighted with the abundance of her glory." (v. 7-11). Attached to this reading portion from Isaiah, there is also a reference to "the new heavens and the new earth" (v. 22) which we also see in the New Testament. 

     We usually associate the Hebrew word goy, which is translated above as the word, "nation", as meaning Gentiles or non-Hebrew people, but Strong's Concordance does not limit the meaning of goy to that, as we see above.  Many feel that the "nation" being born in a day, as in the above verse, refers to the re-birth of the nation of Israel by U.N. proclamation in 1948. It can also mean, as we look deeper into the Hebrew meanings, that there was a day when a people would be established, both of the Hebrews and of the Gentiles. This type of people would be established from a body, or corpus. These people were to be born out of something or someone who was raised up and exalted in triumph. Zion brought forth *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega (*see explanation at the end of this blog entry) children, and Jerusalem would become not only a physical place, but an *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega place of supernatural consolation and abundance. Are we able to see how "Zion" might mean more in the eyes of some than the surface understanding of the location of natural place only? One meaning doesn't replace or negate the other but is incorporated into it as one. 

     We will also see the very important association of Zion with King David. Whenever I see David doing something in scripture, I look for a prophetic revelation of Messiah/Christ because it is from David's house that the Messiah would come. We know that David had this special prophetic and revelatory gift regarding the Messiah/Christ (example - Ps. 22). Let's look a little further into "Zion" with this in mind.

     "Zion" is first mentioned in 2 Sam. 5:7 and 9: "Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David)....Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built (bana - establish, build up, repair, have children, obtain children, beget children) all around from the Millo (Millo/mala - rampart, mound/filled, overflowing, abundance, consecrate) and inward (bayit/bana - dwelling, within, home as containing a family, descendants as an organized body/see bana above)). So David went on and became great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him". As we can see, many of the meanings connected with this conquest of Zion has to do with having or begetting children, or a dwelling containing children.

      The Jebusites (yebusi/yebus/bus -"threshing place"/tread down, reject, trample down as a thing despised, loath, be polluted), a tribe of Canaanites, who possessed Zion had said that King David and his army would never be able to come into their fortified stronghold. They claimed that even the blind and the lame of the stronghold would be able to repel David. David conquered the stronghold anyway and renamed it the "City of David". A threshing floor, part of the meaning of "Jebusite", is where the wheat or grain and the chaff are separated by beating it, and the edible part of the wheat is gathered into the barn and the useless chaff/tare is gathered and burned. It represents the judgment place of the Messiah/Christ (Mt. 13:24-30). The blind and the lame mentioned here spiritually represent "men who walk in the darkness of ignorance" and those who are "scornfully awkward like the leaping priests of Ba'al", whom Elijah destroyed. The spiritual "chaff" meant for judgment thought that they could escape it if they controlled the threshing place. As with the Jebusites and David, Hell, full of the spiritually blind and lame (see above meanings, also related to the root word of the Greek Hades), could not stop the invasion of Messiah/Christ after His death (Rev. 1:17-18).

     We also learn important information about the concept of "Zion" from its meaning in Hebrew. We will see that Zion represents a transformation. From the Hebrew word siyon and the root, siya, we have the meanings "parched place" and "dryness, drought, desert, barren, solitary place, to parch". However, from the Hebrew root siyun we have the meaning "signpost, monumental and guiding pillar, waymark, a pillar being erected whether for sepulchral purposes or to show the way." Going from a parched, solitary place, Zion became a signpost to show the way. In our faith, an empty dry sepulchre or tomb became the signpost, the monumental and guiding pillar to the resurrection of Jesus, the son of David, the Messiah/Christ for both Hebrew and Gentile people (see Rom. 1:16).  The prophet Ezekiel wrote of a similar transformation in a valley of very dry bones, which became alive again by the Word of the LORD (Ezek. 37:1-10). 

     From our Sabbath reading portion, Isaiah wrote: "And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,' says the LORD." (Isa. 66:23). The meaning of "flesh" as used in the above verse is very significant. It is the Hebrew word basar, which means: "flesh, mankind, all living things (creatures), the living body, the whole body, organs of regeneration and reproduction." Basar also means: "bear tidings, publish, preach, show forth, gladden with good news, to announce salvation as good news, to receive good news, glad tidings, made more fair and beautiful by joy and cheerfulness." We have the manifestation of the awesome meaning of basar in scripture at the birth of Messiah/Christ as an angel of God declared to the shepherds near Bethlehem: "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ (Messiah) the Lord. And this will be the sign (note that the meaning of Zion is also as a signpost or way marker) to you: you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men." (Lk. 2:10-14).

     We have come full circle to the laws of childbirth with which we started in Lev. 12, above. Mary, the mother of Jesus, fulfilled the requirements of the law of Moses for both mother and male child according to the Gospel (see Lk. 2:21-24). Jesus had been circumcised on the eighth day and Mary completed the days of purification and offered the more humble sacrifice allowed of "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." at the Temple in Jerusalem. (v. 24). However, while many would believe that she brought the more humble offering allowed by law to the Temple, she had really brought the preferred offering according to Lev. 12 for her purification: she indeed brought the Lamb to the Temple, who was her newborn son, Jesus. (see Jn. 1:29-36).

     As Isaiah promised, Zion brought forth a spiritual people and nation (goy, see above) in a day. Apostle Peter (Simon), who was a Jew, wrote of this basar transformation of Zion: "Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, 'Behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame...you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (1 Pet. 2:6, 9-10). 

     The Word of God is awesome in its richness and hidden depths! We are invited by scripture to search out those depths (see Prov. 25:2, Acts 17:10-12).

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as Α Ω , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, which is the name of Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.

     If you would like to learn more about being part of Zion and spiritual birth, you can pray with me:   "Father, You have made a special people, both of Jews and Gentiles, who were born in a day through the precious cornerstone of Zion, Jesus. As part of Zion, You transformed me from a dry, isolated and parched place, into a pillar that is meant to show the way to Christ and life. New spiritual life is birthed out of Zion for me and for all flesh. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit who will teach me Your Word and lead me into this special place of Zion built upon Jesus Christ. I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN.".