Build

       Last week we looked at the kind of offering that God requires to build His Tabernacle/Temple/Spiritual House.  This week I hope that we will be able to see how that House of God is for the purpose of, and containment of His glory, and how the use or misuse of His vessels of glory can affect the building of God's kingdom.

     In a vision of Isaiah the prophet, he saw and heard angelic creatures in heaven who stood above the throne of the Lord, crying, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory (kabode - glory, honor, abundance, splendor, dignity, reputation, reverence, weight, copiousness, heaviness, majesty, magnificent, the heart and soul)!" And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone (dama - to cease, cut off, destroy, perish, to make an end of, to lay waste, to desolate)! Because I am a man of unclean (tame - unclean, impure, defiled, polluted, profane God's name, profane with wickedness) lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega in Greek, as Christ referred to Himself: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13) King, the LORD of hosts." (Isa. 6:3-5). According to Isaiah's vision, the whole earth is full of the glory of the LORD, and the glory of the LORD reflects the magnificent holiness of His heart and soul as we see from the meaning of the Hebrew words. Jesus told His Father in heaven that He had given us the same glory as the Father had given Him (see Jn. 17:22-23)). This is an incredible gift. This week's Sabbath reading portion will teach us about the design and pattern of the glory and our treatment of the glory.

     This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled T'tzavveh, meaning "you shall command", which begins in Exodus Chapter 27 and runs through part of Chapter 30. The title comes from Ex. 27:20, in which the LORD says to Moses: "And you shall command the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) children of Israel that they bring you pure oil (semen/samen - from a primitive root meaning "to shine") of pressed olives (zayit/ziv - as yielding illuminating oil, to adorn, to shine, to be clothed, splendor, brightness, freshness and beaty, clear and brilliant/brightness) for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually." While olive oil is often associated with the Holy Spirit, this Sabbath reading also leads us to connect it to "the glory" by its meaning in Hebrew.

     The next command given to Moses was to take and dress Aaron and his sons in "holy garments" to be made by gifted artisans whom the LORD has filled with the spirit of wisdom (Ex. 28:1, 3). The LORD said: "And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty." (v. 2). As the LORD describes in detail the garments for Aaron the high priest, He also says: "...And you shall make hats (migba'a - turban, headgear, mitre) for them, for glory and beauty.  So you shall put them on (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Aaron your brother and on his sons with him..." (Ex. 28:40-41). Although sacrifices and the anointing of sanctification were also commanded regarding the priests and the tabernacle, the LORD said: "...at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet you to speak with you. And there will I meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory. So I will consecrate the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) tabernacle of meeting and the altar. I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests. I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God." (Ex. 29:42-45). The glory of the LORD sanctifies His house, and we are the spiritual house of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit. Not only does the glory sanctify His House, but the garments of the priests, as we are also called to be, were to reflect the glory of the LORD.

     In another reading from this Sabbath, the prophet Ezekiel had a remarkable vision of the building of a Temple of the LORD, which many believe will be the third Temple to be built in Jerusalem, and, as usual, the House of God has a present spiritual application for us as well. After Ezekiel describes the details of this prophetic Temple of God, he also sees the following: "Afterward he (a "man" whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze: see Ezek. 40:3) brought me to the gate that faces towards the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory...and I fell on my face (see also Rev. 1:12-18). And the glory of the LORD came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.  Then I heard Him speaking to me from the temple, while a man stood beside me. And He said to me, 'Son of man, this is the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name (see Isaiah above - "unclean lips"), they nor their kings, by their harlotry or with the carcasses of their kings on their high places."  (Ezek. 43:1-7). The imagery of this glory-filled Temple as Ezekiel would relate it to Israel, would change their profaning ways, just as Isaiah was changed by his vision. In this case, the glory was not confined to the Temple that Ezekiel saw prophetically, but the whole earth shone with that glory, as Isaiah also saw above. We are familiar with the glory as believers in Christ, and as Jesus declared, we are partakers in that same glory. However, this is not to be a point of boasting for us, but a point of change. How can we experience the glory of God and not be changed? The glory that Jesus, the Word, had, was the glory of the only begotten of the Father, and was manifested by His being full of grace and truth, not for His own benefit, but for the benefit of others (Jn. 1:14). So we can also see that the Word of God as Jesus, is directly connected to His glory from this verse in the Gospel of John. Jesus also described Himself as a temple, saying, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'...But He was speaking of the temple of His body." (Jn. 2:18-21, also see Rev. 21:22-23).

     We saw above in Exodus, that the priests' garments were designed for glory and beauty. In another reading portion from this Sabbath, we will see that David's prophetically promised kingdom is preserved by a portion of the priest's garment. In 1 Sam. 23, Saul was the king of Israel, but the report of the attack of the Philistines at Keilah, who were robbing the grain from the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) threshing floors, was brought to David's attention. David had already been anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel, but he was not yet king. Saul hated David as a rival and sought his life. Upon hearing of the attack of the Philistines, "...David inquired of the LORD, saying, 'Shall I go and attack these Philistines?' And the LORD said to David, 'Go and attack the Philistines and save (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Keilah.' (1 Sam. 23:1-2). As the king, it would have been Saul's job to inquire of the LORD and go into battle, but he didn't do it. He was busy seeking David to kill him. David's men were reluctant to go on this mission and expose themselves to Saul's discovery. David inquired again of the LORD, and the LORD told him to go and attack the Philistines (v. 3-4).  The attack was successful, and the inhabitants of Keilah were saved (v. 5). Saul indeed heard about David being at Keilah and prepared to go there and kill David. A priest, Abiathar had fled to David at Keilah, and brought the priest's ephod, the breastplate of the priest's garment (see above), in his hand. David inquired of the ephod that if Saul attacked David at Keilah, would Keilah give him over to Saul. The LORD answered that David would be delivered into Saul's hands, so David and his men fled, and their lives were saved (v. 6-13). David sought the grace and truth of the glory that was in the LORD's spoken Word (Jn. 1:14), and he sought the glory and beauty that was in the priestly garments (Ex. 28:2). This saved his life and built his future kingdom.

     While David's kingdom was being built up, in another reading portion from this Sabbath, Saul's kingdom was about to come crashing down, because he would profane the glory of the LORD. The prophet/judge Samuel came to King Saul with a command of the LORD: "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD....Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them."  (1 Sam. 15:1-3). According to Jewish oral tradition, the Amalekites were involved in a form of occultism that included changing shapes, even into animal shapes. They had also mistreated Israel. For these reasons the LORD wanted all destroyed, including the animals. As the LORD pronounced judgment on them, they are written in Hebrew as aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega Amalekites (as written in v. 3). This indicates that they had known the LORD but had chosen instead to profane Him and follow after acts of spiritual darkness. We already know that the Word of the LORD, which came in the flesh as Jesus, is full of glory from Jn. 1:14, but Saul did not obey it. He captured (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Agag (meaning "I will overtop", "I shall increase"; flame), the king of the Amalekites, alive, and saved the best of their animals because it seemed like a good idea to him (v. 7-9). The LORD told Samuel that He greatly regretted setting up (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Saul as king, "for he has turned back from following Me." (v. 10-11). Not only did Saul disobey the voice of the Words of God, but he built a monument to himself at Carmel! (v. 12). Samuel heard the sounds of the animals as he approached Saul's camp. He said to Saul: "When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel?..." (v. 17). Saul still had the hardness of heart to defend his disobedience to Samuel., saying, "But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD...", and he blamed the people for taking the best of the animals to offer before the LORD (v. 20-21). 

     Samuel announced the fall of Saul's kingdom in this way: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." (V. 22-23). Saul tried to repent, but it was too late (v. 24-26). Saul even tried to physically seize Samuel's robe as he turned away, but Samuel again said, "The LORD has torn the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you (referring to David). And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent/relent. For He is not a man, that He should repent/relent." (v. 27-29). It had seemed right to Saul to bring the huge offering to the LORD, but in the eyes of the LORD it was a despised offering that reflected Saul's rebellion and disobedience to the voice of the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Word of the LORD. It is this Word that is full of His glory (see Jn. 1:14). Saul also showed where his heart truly was when he built, not the temple of God, not the Kingdom of God, but a monument to himself at Carmel (meaning "garden land", fruitful field, planted field, orchard, vineyard, vines, vintage, full ears of corn).

     We should also know that the Amalekite king, Agag, whom Saul left alive against the Word of the LORD, would have a descendant generations later named Haman, described as an Agagite (Esther 3:1-2), who would plot to have all of the Jews of Persia killed because one man had offended him. The genocide order was in place and, except for a miracle of God, would have been carried out. He was one of the most notorious villains in scripture. His destruction, along with all of his sons, is recorded in the Book of Esther, and celebrated by the festival of Purim, which will occur in March. The LORD's commands, which Saul considered to be unreasonable, were also based upon His omniscient knowledge of the future. 

     There is a connection between "obedience" as the LORD speaks of it to Saul above, and His glory. In Phil. 2:5-11, the humble obedience of Jesus Christ towards His Father, even by His death on the cross, caused God to exalt Him highly and give Him a name that is above all others. By this name, all creation is brought into worship and reverence, confessing that Jesus Christ is LORD, "to the glory of God the Father".

     If you would like to know more about building the place and the kingdom of the glory of God, you can pray with me: "Father of all, You have made all things, including me, for Your glory. I pray, Father, that by Your Word and by Your Spirit, You would teach me to glorify You in all that I think, say, and do. Lead me to walk in obedience and to seek and honor Your Word rather than my own will. Forgive me, Lord, when I have sought my own glory and praises. Help me to remain "small in my own eyes" so that I may be made big in Your eyes. Let me be a spiritual temple that is filled with the glory of Almighty God in Christ. I ask these things in Jesus' name, which is the name above all names! AMEN."

     

     

Covering

For me, this week's Sabbath reading portion deals with an issue that may still challenge each of us, which is "spiritual covering". Our spiritual covering is an even more powerful protective force than a natural covering such as the roof of a house. Imagine what damage can be done to the inside of a house if its roof is removed. Jesus described the Kingdom of God as a great tree that grew from a small seed, and the covering of that tree serves as a shelter and haven for the smallest and most defenseless of God's creatures (Mt. 13:31-32). If He covers the birds, how much more will He cover us? As God, in His grace, establishes His covering of salvation, peace, favor, protection, and provision over each of us, why would anyone attempt to remove it? Yet we do, as we will see, and we have done so since the divinely created (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Adam (Gen. 2:8) threw off the glorious covering of the royal dominion given to him by God in the Garden of Eden (meaning "delight, pleasure, dainty, finery, sumptuous, softly, to luxuriate"). This Sabbath, we are still in the fourth book of the Bible, which we call "Numbers", but is properly known in Hebrew as B'Midbar, meaning "In the wilderness" as mentioned in Numbers 1:1. Up to this point in our studies in Numbers, God has described His people as armies being set in order for war (see Num. 1:2-3). In the midst of this great army encampment, sat the Tabernacle of God. Encircling the Tabernacle, the Levites were encamped. They had been set apart in specific divisions within their tribe, depending upon their work of service in the Tabernacle before God. Outwardly from the Tabernacle and Levites in the center, the tribal divisions of the armies of God encamped to the north, south, east, and west in the form of a cross. This week's reading, which includes Num. 16-17, is titled Korach, which means "Bald, or to make oneself bald"! There is also a meaning associated with Korach having to do with ice and hail. From this we can get a picture of ice and hail, both being destructive forces, beating upon a surface until the covering, or hair, has been worn away. Korach also happened to be a man's name, Korah, who was one of the Levites (Num. 16:1). Korah and a handful of others led a rebellion against the leaders whom God had appointed to cover His people, Moses and Aaron. These same rebels convinced 250 of the most renowned elders of Israel to join them. It is a strategy of the spirit of rebellion to try to cover its intentions behind a facade of honor and respectability in men's eyes. Shakespeare wrote about this kind of strategy in his play based upon historical fact, "Julius Caesar". In this play, the group of assassins recruited Rome's most highly honored and respected citizen, Brutus, to join their plot by cloaking it in terms that would appeal to such an honorable man. Jesus prophesied our own vulnerability to liars and imposters in the time before His return (Mt. 24:23-25). More than ever, we will need the protection of the spiritual covering in our lives that God has provided, won't we?. In the situation involving the rebels in the Israelite camp in the wilderness, there was a bitterness, envy and resentment behind their voices as the rebels said to Moses and Aaron: "You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" (Num. 16"1-3). Bitterness, resentment, and envy sound like hot emotions, but they are really very cold, like the "ice and hail" that can "make bald" and destroy a covering. Moses' reaction was to fall on his face before the LORD (v. 4). The rebels against Moses and Aaron then stirred the whole congregation of Israel against them, and the glory of the LORD appeared and told Moses that He was about to consume in a moment all of the people. Moses immediately began to re-establish a covering over the people before the LORD (Num. 16:19-24). The LORD then only dealt with the rebels and the 250 renowned elders who initiated the rebellion in a terrifying manner. The earth opened under Korah and his conspirators, and they went down alive into the pit, and the 250 elders were consumed by fire that came out from the LORD (v. 31-35). The people around them were horrified by the sight. Strong action had been necessary for God to re-affirm His appointed leaders, and to re-establish His covering over the Israelites. Amazingly, this may not have been the end of Korah's story. There is a deep mystery here involving God's covering. We can view this important mystery that will have wider implications in Psalm 88. It is a Psalm of the sons of Korah, as it is revealed in the introduction to the Psalm. The sons of Korah were Levites who sang in anointed worship in the Temple. However, Korah and his whole household went alive down into the pit (see Num. 16:23-27, 31-33). So how are there sons of Korah to sing to the LORD generations later? There are various guesses as to how this could have happened, but none of those guesses consider a miracle of the LORD. The Psalm is a desperate cry from someone alive in the lowest pit (v. 6-7). Part of that cry to the LORD is: "Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? (Selah). Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?" (v. 10-11). Did you know that God can hear your cries and cover you even in your lowest pit? David knew that (Ps. 139:5-12). David called this knowledge of God's covering "too wonderful" for him. Jonah knew it, as he cried out from the Sheol pit (place of the dead) in the belly of the fish (Jonah 2:1-6). It is even based upon this mystery of Jonah that Christ declared the sign of His own resurrection from death (Mt. 12:38-41). A man named Heman wrote Psalm 88. The name Heman/aman means "faithful/believe, assurance, bring up, nurse, to be carried by a nurse, support, foster mother/father". Heman, grandson of Samuel, who was also a miracle son of Korah, stood in and wrote for this person who was in the hopelessness of the pit. I will leave this mystery of the covering of God in Psalm 88 here. Back to the Israelites in the wilderness. The spiritual forces of ice and hail that make one bald, and had tried to destroy the covering of God over His people for their survival, were not done yet. The very next day, after the earth had swallowed up the rebels, all the congregation of Israel accused Moses and Aaron saying: "You have killed the people of God." (Num. 16:41). It seems that lies always rise up in an instant, but are slow to die. Again, because the people were rejecting His appointed covering for the people, God told Moses that He would consume this congregation in a moment, and a deadly plague broke out among the people (v. 44-45). Again, Moses fell on his face, not for his own sake, but to cover a people who kept trying to throw off their divine covering. Following Moses' instructions, Aaron then took his priestly censor, and ran into the midst of the people making atonement for them: "And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped." Over fourteen thousand people had been killed by the plague (v. 46-50). God did not stop here, however. In order to further make clear the importance of the prophetic and priestly covering that God, not man, had appointed in order to preserve His people, God caused Moses to collect all of the rods that represented the leaders of the twelve tribes, or armies, of Israel, including Aaron's rod representing the tribe of Levi, the priests. The rods represented the names of the fathers and identities of each tribe, and the authority of the leader of each tribe. The rods were collected and placed within the Tabernacle before the Ark of Testimony. The next day, as the rods were collected, Aaron's (aleph-tav[Alpha and Omega]) rod had not only budded in flowers (sis/sus - blossom, flower, shining gold plate on high priest's turban, a wing gleaming in the air/blossom, shine, sparkle, gleam, show forth), but had also produced ripe almonds (saqed/saqad - almond tree, earliest bloom, first to awake from winter/watch, wake, remain, hasten) (Num. 17:1-9, see also Mt. 24:42-44, Mt. 25:13, Lk. 21:29-36, 2 Peter 3:10-12, 1 Thess. 5:1-6). This miraculous event fulfilled the prophecy that the LORD made in v. 5. We can see in the Hebrew meanings that the appointment of Aaron, and God's re-affirming of Aaron as Israel's priestly covering, also pertains to the Messiah's or Christ's covering over God's people. The LORD said that the budded and fruited (aleph-tav) rod of Aaron the high priest was to be kept in the Tabernacle, before the Ark of the Testimony" as an (aleph-vaw-tav = "God nailed to the Cross") sign (ot - sign, mark, evidence, miracle) against the rebels (meri/mara - bitter, bitterness/to stroke or lash with a whip, to resist, oppose), that you may put their complaints away from Me." (v. 10). We see again in the meaning of the Hebrew word for "rebels" the cold ice and hail of bitterness. In another portion from Korach/Bald, this week's Sabbath reading in 1 Samuel 11, an enemy, Nahash (meaning "serpent, dragon, snake, serpent idol, divination, enchanter, whisper"), king of the the Ammonites ("tribe, kindred, people together, to grow dark, held dark, overshadow, eclipse"), laid siege to Jabesh (yabes - dry, dried up, utterly withered, ashamed, confounded, wither away) in Gilead (meaning "hard, stony region") in Israel. From the Hebrew meanings here, this is about the worst enemy, the serpent, the dragon himself, Satan, that anyone can have. This enemy, named here as Nahash, brought spiritual darkness upon the land, and in that vein, he threatened to put out the right eyes of all the men of Jabesh so that all Israel would suffer reproach (1 Sam. 11:2). The forced removal of an eye was considered cruel and degrading punishment when a people were conquered. The town that this enemy came against, Jabesh, had become a (spiritual) withering, dry place that had drawn this powerful enemy's attack. How had this city fallen into this withered condition which caused them to become vulnerable to this enemy? The people of Israel, had just rejected God's appointed prophet/priest Samuel, who judged them righteously (see 1 Sam. 7:2-6), as a covering over them. They instead demanded a king like the other nations around them (see 1 Sam. 8:4-7, 21-22). God chose Saul to be anointed king over Israel (1 Sam. 9:15-16, 1 Sam. 10:1), even as He warned the people that they would regret rejecting Him as their covering and King, in exchange for a man like themselves to rule them. However, even as the LORD commanded that Saul be made king: "...some rebels said, 'How can this man save us?' So they despised him (Saul), and brought him no presents. But he (Saul) held his peace." (1 Sam. 10:27). The "rebels" spoken of in this verse are also called "the sons/children of Belial" meaning "worthless, wicked, vile, ruin, destruction, destroyer, ungodly". Again there were those who rejected first God, and then Samuel as the covering that the LORD had appointed over His people, and then they rejected the king who had been ordained by God to cover His people. A king like Nahash, who is named to represent Satan himself, would understand the significance of God's people rejecting their supernatural covering. Satan was described in scripture as "the anointed cherub who covers...perfect...", who had been established on the holy mountain of God. This covering angel became filled with violence and pride, and had to be cast out from the mountain of God (Ezek. 28:13-17). King Saul would eventually prove out the warning that God gave the people about the oppression of having a king, but he also, being moved by the Spirit of God, mustered an army of 330,000 from all of Israel on this occasion, crossed to Jabesh on the eastern side of the Jordan River, and defeated the serpent king, Nahash of the Ammonites, rescuing the people of Jabesh Gilead (1 Sam. 11:8, 11). At a later date, David would walk in the understanding of God's covering when King Saul relentlessly chased him in order to kill him. David refused to do harm to Saul when given the opportunity, understanding the danger of removing the covering which God had put into place over His people (see 1 Sam. 24:4-7). As Saul became more and more corrupt, God eventually dealt with him, ending his life. In another example of the glory of God's covering of His people, Psalm 91 praises Him: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." (Ps. 91:1-2). The Psalm continues, with great power, describing the covering and protection of the LORD. So important is the concept of the covering of God, that God makes sure to tell us that He even covers Himself (see Ps. 97:2, Ps. 18:11, Ex. 19:9, Deut. 4:11-12). The Messiah, Jesus, as the ultimate Anointed covering (for sin), was sent to God's people. Jesus wept over Jerusalem, prophetically seeing the consequences of their rejection of His covering: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate (eremos - lonely, deprived of aid and protection, bereft like a flock deserted by the shepherd, or a woman rejected by her husband); for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" (Mt. 23:37-39, see also Lk. 19:41-44). Imagine also the moment when Pontius Pilate, a Roman governor within Caesar's empire, offered Jesus to the people as their king, but the people of God again rejected this anointed and appointed covering, shouting, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!...We have no king but Caesar!" How dangerous it was for Pilate personally to call Jesus a king of the people, when he knew that the only kings approved to rule Israel by the Roman Emperor, were the Herods! Yet Pilate called Jesus "Your King". (Jn. 19:13-16). This was not the way for a Roman governor to live long and prosper in the Roman Empire. However, even Pilate knew the importance of the One whom the people of God refused to receive. Perhaps we think that we, the Church of believers, would never reject the covering that God has set into place over us. However, everyday we make the choice to receive or reject His covering. All of these lessons recorded in scripture above, were recorded for our benefit and learning, not only for the benefit of the generation that had to learn it the hard way (2 Tim. 3:16-17). In one example of falling into the temptation of rejecting God's covering, Paul wrote to a church of "foolish" Galatians, because they had rejected faith in the covering of grace achieved by the death of their Savior, and chose instead legalistic doctrines of seeking righteousness by man's own efforts (Gal. 3:1-9). The covering of God is something that cannot be bought, nor established by men's own efforts. This covering is sovereignly anointed and appointed in and by the LORD. The Lord is looking for us to receive His covering joyfully and thankfully in faith, and the trusting obedience that accompanies faith. To enter into the covering of God, or to learn more about it, you can join with my prayer: "Father of all creation, from the beginning, You provided Your covering to man, so that he wouldn't be destroyed. You covered Your people in the wilderness, as You established their purposes in You. You provided the ultimate covering of Your Kingdom in the atoning blood of your Son, Jesus, that alone delivers us from death. I receive Your covering over my life with thanks. Help me by Your Holy Spirit to remain under the shadow of Your covering, so that I do not wander from it. Cleanse me of the pride and self-will that might rise up in my heart against Your covering. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."

Ephod

Today is Purim. We can read about Purim in the Book of Esther. It is the day that an enemy of God's people had planned for their condemnation and destruction, but those plans were exposed and overturned, and God gave, instead, complete victory and favor to His people. As Esther was implored by Mordechai to intercede with the king on behalf of the Jews, she told Mordechai that the Jews were to fast for three days, as she would do also, before she entered the king's presence. Fasting is a form of repentance and consecration before God. When she then entered the king's presence uninvited, he looked upon her with favor, and extended his scepter to her. He listened to her and agreed to banquet with her. It was at this banquet that the enemy's plans were revealed to the king, and the king acted on Esther's behalf. Esther had consecrated herself, and went before the king, and he heard her petition. This week's Sabbath reading has much in common with Esther in a way. It begins in Ex. 27 and 29 in the Torah. Here we read the description of the high priest's garments that were to be prepared according to the pattern that Moses was shown on the mountain by God. One of the parts of the high priest's garments was called the ephod .Ephod, in general, means "an image". These were God's instructions: "And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to me as priest...They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked...And the intricately woven (ingenious work) band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen." (Ex. 28:2-8 excerpt). God gave Moses a very detailed description of the ephod that the high priest would wear over his tunic. It would cover his chest and back. It would also contain gems representing the twelve tribes of Israel. An interesting point to note is that the LORD said that these garments would "consecrate", or set apart and treat as holy, the high priest. The garments were to be made by only the most gifted of the artisans, not just gifted with talent, but with wisdom as well. From the detailed description of the ephod, or breastplate worn by the high priest, this item meant a great deal to God. Through the ephod, God would communicate with, and guide His people. The stones on the ephod would light up, these lights being called the Urim and Thummim (meaning lights and perfections, or perfect light), when His people sought guidance from Him. Can we see how lovingly God placed His guidance and voice among His people in the pattern of the ephod? It was also important to God because of the prophetic fulfillment of the ephod that we will see later. Many centuries after the time of Moses, the ephod will save David's life. In this Sabbath's haftarah reading from 1 Sam. 23, Saul is the king of Israel, although he was informed by Samuel the prophet that God has rejected him from being king. David has already been chosen by God and anointed to replace Saul as king, and therefore, Saul has sought to kill David. In fact, Saul had by this time killed all of the priests of God (1 Sam. 22:20-21). Only one priest, Abiathar (meaning "my Father is great"), has escaped with the ephod of the high priest, and fled to David. At this time also, the Philistines were attacking the city of Keilah (meaning "fortress"), to rob it of its grain. David sought the LORD to ask if he and his men should go to fight the Philistines at Keilah. The LORD answered, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah." (1 Sam 23:2). David's men, however, were afraid even in Judah, because they were hiding from Saul. It was too risky to show themselves at Keilah, they told David. David inquired again of the LORD, and the LORD again confirmed that he was to go: "I will deliver the Philistines into your hand." David and his men did defeat the Philistines at Keilah, and saved the city (v. 5). King Saul indeed heard that David was going to save Keilah, and "called all the people together for war" (v. 8). He planned to trap David there. David called the last surviving priest, Abiathar, to him and said, "Bring the ephod here." (v. 9). He inquired of the LORD through the ephod, and the LORD confirmed that Saul intended to trap David there in Keilah. David and his men fled that city and were spared. Saul, unlike David, did not value either the prophetic Word, or access to God's counsel through the high priest's ephod, seeing that he killed the priests of God. Eventually, Saul was killed in battle, and David did become the new king of Israel, as God had prophesied. David would later say of the importance of the ephod in his life, "One thing I have desired of the LORD, that I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple." (Ps. 27:4). The glory and beauty of the ephod are refleted in these revelations of Jesus, our Perfect Light: "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." (Jn. 14:13-14). Speaking to His disciples about His going to the Father after His death, Jesus said, "And in that day, you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now, you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." (Jn. 16:23-24). Hebrews says: "Seeing we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession...Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb. 4:14-16). In another place, "...continue to believe in the name of Son of God. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (1 Jn. 5:13-15). Not only does the Father desire to listen, but He made the provision of His Holy Spirit, so we may hear from Him in return. Jesus said, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truuth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you." (Jn. 16:12-15). God still wants to communicate with His people. There is a living High Priest, a living Ephod, who enables our petitions to our Father: "In that day, you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God." (Jn. 16:26-27). We are represented among the precious gems that Jesus wears on the breastplate over His heart as our High Priest. We need have no hesitation to bring our thoughts, hopes, prayers, questions and troubles to our Father, and He will answer. The title of this week's Sabbath reading is T'tzavveh, which is translated, "you shall command". May we understand the heart of our Father, who sent His Son to be the Perfect Light for us - a Son who opens the Holy of Holies to us through His own flesh, and asks us to inquire of His Father regarding all things, and He will answer. Our Father wants to communicate with His people. If you would like to know Jesus, you can pray: "Lord Jesus, I come to You as my High Priest. You gave Yourself so that I could have access to our heavenly Father, who is perfect and holy. You died for my sins, and You rose from the dead and went to be with the Father on my behalf. Fill me with the Holy Spirit, according to Your promise, so I can walk with You in wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and truth. I thank You that You hear my prayer, spoken in Your name, and You have answered it. In Jesus' name, Amen."

CHURCH

 

For this entry, I have been thinking about CHURCH - not "church", as some might know it, but CHURCH.

The specific CHRUCH I would like to look at was not in America, or any country that you might expect. It is the CHURCH of Syria. We can see the glory of this CHURCH as it is displayed in the life of Saul of Tarsus, who later became the Apostle Paul.
In Acts 9, Saul is already known as a zealot in his persecution of those Jews who believed in Jesus. He "breathed threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord" (Acts 9:1). Meanwhile, the believers in the synagogue in distant Damascus (meaning "silent is the sackcloth weaver"), Syria, already had such a wide-spread reputation, that it caught the outraged attention of Saul and the high priest in Jerusalem. Saul received permission to bring those believers, bound, from Damascus to Jerusalem. As he neared the city of Damascus, he encountered the glory and presence of the Lord Jesus from heaven. As a result of this experience, Saul became blind, with the Lord telling him to follow His instructions when he came into the city (v. 3-8). Once in the city of Damascus, still blind, Saul began to pray (v. 11). The Lord instructed one of His believers there, Ananias (meaning "God has shown grace, favor, mercy, pity, pray(er)"), to find Saul, and lay hands upon him. The Lord told Ananias that He purposed a great ministry to the Gentiles through Saul. Ananias was fearful of Saul, because of his reputation as a persecutor of believers, but he obeyed the Lord's instructions:
"And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, Who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."  Acts 9:17
Saul was baptized and remained in Damascus for some time, as he went to the synagogue there, and preached belief in Jesus Christ.
Later in time, after Saul travelled back to Jerusalem and on to other areas, Barnabas ("son of peace, son of a prophet") sought him out to bring him to Antioch ("driven against"), on the border of Syria and Turkey (see map). Saul and Barnabas stayed there at the assembled CHURCH of Antioch for a year, teaching a great many. The disciples of this CHURCH were the first to be called "Christians", or "followers of Christ" (anointed, Messiah, anointed with gifts of the Holy Spirit). (Acts 11:25-26). It is one thing to be a "believer" in Christ, and another to be a "follower" of Christ.
We have another account of the CHURCH at Antioch, Syria, a while later:
"Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas ("son of peace, son of a prophet"), Simeon ("hearken and obey") who was called Niger ("Black"), Lucius ("light")of Cyrene ("supremacy of the bridle", a city in Libya, Africa), Manaen ("comforter"), who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away." 
                                                                                                                 Acts. 13:1-3.
It is interesting that the Lord did not send Saul back to the church in Jerusalem immediately after his miraculous conversion experience, although he did appear before the church leaders there later. Perhaps it was because Jerusalem was too dangerous for believers, and Saul would have a vital end time ministry to fulfill. Perhaps the Lord did not want to send Saul to the church leaders in Jerusalem at that time for another reason. However, for the early years after Saul's conversion, he spent a great deal of time with the CHURCHes in Syria.
The CHURCH at Damascus healed, accepted, and nurtured Saul, despite his fearsome reputation as a persecutor. The CHURCH at Antioch, obedient to the prophetic guidance of the Holy Spirit, officially laid hands on Saul and Barnabas, and released them into their callings. This CHURCH's obedience to the Holy Spirit changed the world, and continues to do so to this day, as Saul would write most of the New Testament.
The CHURCH at Antioch was dedicated to fasting and prayer. This CHURCH valued and relied upon the Spiritual gifts that the Lord placed in their midst, including teaching and prophetic gifts. This CHURCH welcomed worshippers of varying races, and nationalities. We are told that this same CHURCH, hearing and believing a prophetic word of the coming of a great famine, obeyed that prophetic warning, and sent relief to the believers in far away Judea (Acts 11:27-30). This Great Famine that affected the whole world, did soon come to pass as prophesied during the reign of Emperor Claudius.
It is out of the synagogues of Syria that the CHURCH, the humble, obedient followers of Christ, made an eternal impact that we seldom consider.
The photo at the top of the page is the St. George Church in Homs, Syria, or what's left of the physical structure after attack by ISIS. However, the CHURCH in Homs knows that a CHURCH is not just a building, but a called out assembly of believers in Christ, followers of Christ, and they were determined to still meet together there, as the photo shows. Those in the photo happened to be assembled there that day to witness a wedding.
These are some of the things, when added together, that make up the difference between a church, and the CHURCH. It is the CHURCH that Jesus spoke of when He said, "...and on this rock (the revelation of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God), I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose in earth will be loosed in heaven."  Mt. 16:16,18-19
If you attend church, you might want to consider becoming part of a CHURCH. They might appear to be a humble gathering at first look, but the Lord entrusts just this type of gathering with His eternity-changing glory.

Our Father has called us to be THE CHURCH.

"Let the Church Rise"

"The Lord's Prayer"- Aleppo, Syria