RaisingLight

      

     The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is B'ha'alot'cha, which means, "When you step up/go up." The source of this title is found in the beginning of the reading in Numbers 8: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 'Speak to Aaron, and say to him, 'When you arrange/light ('ala - come up, go up, ascend, bring, offer, offering, to light, raised, arose, to meet, spring up, be taken up, brought up, taken away, carried away, exalted, cause to go up, mount up, raise, perfect', recover, restore, shoot forth, go from a lower region to a higher) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.' And Aaron did so; he arranged/lighted (see 'ala above) the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. Now this workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was hammered work. According to the pattern which the LORD had shown (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Moses, so he made (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-lampstand." (Num. 8:1-4).

     Although translated as "to light" or "to arrange" in English, the Hebrew word 'ala means much more than that, including a meaning of going up or ascending, as well as to restore or recover, or to perfect something/someone. The lamps being lighted here in the tabernacle are preceded by the *aleph-tav in written Hebrew by which Messiah/Christ identified Himself in scripture (see *note at the bottom of the entry). The priest would light the seven lamps of the lampstand (menora) by stepping up to it or ascending to it. The number "seven" always makes a connection to the Sabbath for me. There are other mentions of "seven" in scripture, especially in the Book of Revelation, but for this entry, I am looking at the connection between the light (of the lamps/lampstand) and ascendency from a lower place to a higher, and resurrection.

     In the creation account from the Book of Genesis, we discover that there is a connection between God's voice and light: "Then God said, 'Let there be (haya/hava/'ava - to be, exist, be established, to arise/to breathe, to become/long for, desire, sigh, wait longingly, crave) light'; and there was light. And God saw (ra'a - see, consider, perceive, foresee, have visions, discern, distinguish, joyful) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-light, that it was good; and God divided (badal - severed, utterly separated, difference, set apart) the light from the darkness." (Gen. 1:3-4). "The light" is preceded by *aleph-tav in the written Hebrew, connecting it to the Messiah/Christ (see *note at the bottom of the entry). This is also confirmed in John's Gospel as the (spoken) Word (logos/lego - of speech, uttered by a living voice, language, the sayings of God, the act of speaking/to say, to speak, call by name, to teach, to affirm, tell, utter) of God, which is Jesus, is described as being the life and the light of men, a light that cannot be overcome by darkness (see Jn. 1:1-5, 9), as we also saw above in Genesis 1. Jesus also referred to Himself and to those who follow Him as "the light of the world". Being "light" is very important to our walk, especially if we understand the 'ala ascendancy that is connected to its meaning.

     There is a connection between "voice" and "light" in both the Hebrew and Greek language of the scriptures. In Hebrew, "voice" is the word qol, which includes the meaning "spark". In Greek, the connection between "voice" and "light" is even more striking. The Greek word and roots for "voice" as used in the New Testament scriptures are phone/phaino/phos, which means: tone, voice, instrument/appear, shine, shed light, bring forth into the light, be bright/light (of lamp, of angels, of God), brightness.

     Scripture says this about the (spoken) Word of God in Psalm 119:105, recorded under the Hebrew letter Nun in the Psalm, which letter means 'descendant, Son, Heir to the Throne': "Your word (dabar - word, saying, commandment, speech, speaking, utterance, discourse, talk, say, spoken, declare, arrange in order, to lead, to guide) is a lamp (nir - lamp, light, candle, glisten) to my feet and a light ('or - light, bright, clear, morning, light of life-instruction-prosperity, shine, glorious, fire, enlighten, luminous, become light) to my path (natib - path, way, trodden with feet, raised pathway)." The spoken Word of God is and becomes light.

     Many believe that God does not speak or have a voice, but scripture clearly declares that He does. Often the LORD tells His people to hear and obey His voice. (see Ex. 3:3-4, Ps. 95:7-9/Heb. 3:14-16, Jer. 33:1-3, Jer. 7:23, Isa. 55:3, Jn. 10:27-28, Jn. 8:47, Rev. 3:20). Jesus repeatedly tells His churches in Revelation to have ears to hear what the Spirit (of God) is saying to the churches. (see Revelation Ch. 2 and 3). Both before and after there was a written law as given to Moses, there was the spoken Word of God to be heard and obeyed. The spoken and written Word are in agreement with each other and confirm each other.

       As we saw above, light has a voice, and the voice (of God) is light. We know from Numbers 8, that the lighting of the lamps of the tabernacle is the word 'ala, which includes the meaning "to come up, go up, ascend, raised, arose, etc.". We can find several scriptures that connect the "voice" (see phone/phaino/phos as light above) with raising up and ascending (see 'ala above):

     Jesus Himself ascended or was taken up "after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen...being seen by them during forty days and speaking (see lego above) of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God...Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight." (Acts 1:2-3, 9). Immediately after speaking the Word, He ascended.

     Jesus also said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear it will live...all who are in the graves will hear His voice (see phone/phaino/phos as "light" above) and come forth - those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." (Jn. 5:25-29, excerpt). The voice of the Son of God is what causes the dead to hear and be raised. It is a voice so powerful that dead ears are able to hear it. Shouldn't living ears hear His raising voice of light even more?

     Paul wrote: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." (1 Thess. 4:16-17). Again, hearing the voice of light (see phone/phaino/phos above) in our ears raises the living and the dead to ascend to the Lord.

     John's testimony of his vision in the Book of Revelation (of Jesus Christ) includes the following: "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice (see phone/phaino/phos [of light] above) which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, 'Come up (Greek: anabaino - go up, come up, ascend up, climb up, arise, rise up, mount up - see similarity to 'ala above) here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." (Rev. 4:1). The voice of light caused John to be raised up, to mount up, to ascend (from a lower region to a higher), as we see in the Hebrew word 'ala above as it is used in Num. 8 in connection to the lighting of the lamps of the tabernacle.

     Those called to be the light of the world by faith in Messiah/Christ Jesus are to both hear and speak the ascendant Word of light of the Lord. They are to 'ala rise up and light the lamps set on the lampstand (see Mt. 5:14-16) that shine the same light of life that darkness can never overcome.

     If you would like to learn more about the ascending light, you can join my prayer: "Dear Father of Lights, Your voice, Your Son's voice, and the voice of the Holy Spirit reaches our ears and raises us up. Father, by Your Spirit, give me ears to hear Your voice of light and ascendency.  By Your Spirit, let me speak Your Words of light that causes others to be raised up as well. By Your Spirit, let me light the lamps of Your holy lampstand and speak Your Words of light that darkness cannot overcome. I will listen for Your voice, Lord, that lights my path and guides me in Your ways of life. I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13. 

Commands

       This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Tzav which means "Command" and includes Leviticus Chapters 6 through 8. In Lev. 6:8-9, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Command (sava - command, appoint, order, ordain, send a messenger, set up, cause to exist, to commission) (aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת/Alpha and Omega in Greek as Α Ω , referring to Jesus Christ: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13)-Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the burnt offering...". The Hebrew letters of sava shown above for the word "command" are tsadhe, vaw and heh, which have the combined meanings of "Behold the nail that joins to righteousness."  We believers in Christ can't help but see Him and the nails of His crucifixion in this meaning. We also see Messiah/Christ in the meaning of the word sava/command because in another Sabbath reading from Malachi Chapter 3, the LORD promises to "send My messenger...even the Messenger of the covenant" who will purify the Levites like a refining fire in order to restore righteousness to an offering that will be pleasant to the LORD (Mal. 3:1-4). The attitude of the priests towards the offerings to the LORD had become mixed with a natural or worldly attitude which caused the offerings to become unacceptable, and the priests were not even aware that this had happened. The priests had lost the significance and holy value of the offering. This Messenger (malak - messenger, representative, angel, deputy, priest, prophet, teacher, ambassador, king) of the covenant is described as "the LORD, whom you seek...Behold He is coming".

     Before the Book of Leviticus, there were no offerings specified by God for sin, trespass or peace (for the purpose of thanksgiving). Before the Book of Leviticus, the Law of Moses only mentioned offerings and sacrifices in connection to the Feasts of the LORD (Ex. 23:14-19) including Passover, and for the tabernacle, and for the sanctification of the tabernacle along with Aaron and his sons. At the beginning of Leviticus, the LORD called (cried out) to Moses and began to give him instruction on the various offerings that would be required for sin, trespass and peace.  Why had this sudden development become necessary? The prophet Jeremiah gives us understanding below.

     In another reading portion from this Sabbath, the Word of the LORD to the prophet Jeremiah gives this revelation regarding these offerings: "For I did not speak to your (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-fathers, or command (see sava, above) them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-thing (dabar - speech, word, things, commandment, purpose, promise, oracle, commune, setting or hanging in order, to lead flocks to pasture, involving leading and following) is what I commanded (sava) them, saying, 'Obey My voice (qol - voice, speech, sound, thunderings, call aloud), and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded (sava) you, that it may be well with you.' Yet they did not obey or incline (nata - stretch out, extend) their (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-ear (ozen/azan - ear, hearing, receiver of divine revelation/to hear, listen, perceive by the ear, hear and obey), but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward (ahor/ahira/ra/ra'a - back parts, behind, backside, on the back/"brother or kindred of evil, wickedness, mischief, hurt, sore, affliction, grieved, injury, malignant, distress/evildoer, afflict, hurt, be broken in pieces) and not forward (panim/pana - face, presence, turn towards/to face, to turn back)." (Jer. 7:22-24). Jeremiah is referring to the original command that God had intended for and promised to His people as He told Moses: ",,,tell the children of Israel: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel...Then all the people answered together and said, 'All that the LORD has spoken we will do'...And the LORD said to Moses, 'Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever." (Ex. 19:3-9). However, when the time came, the people with the aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega-ears refused to hear for themselves (Ex. 20:18-19). They did not go forward (turning to face the LORD), but turned backward, as Jeremiah said.

     Jesus repeatedly exhorted the people who came to Him to hear Him: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (Mt. 13:9, 43, Mk. 4:9, 23, Lk. 14:35, 8:18, 9:44). Jesus also gave this same command to the seven churches of Revelation who needed to hear by the Holy Spirit either the Lord's correction or encouragement (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17. 29, 3:6, 13, 23). Jesus also spoke of the aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega kind of ears when He said during one of His Sabbath teachings: "My sheep hear My voice (phone/phaino/phos/phao - sound of uttered words/shed light, bring forth into the light, cause to shine, be resplendent, become evident/light, heavenly light, having an extremely delicate, subtle, pure, brilliant quality, of truth and knowledge together with the spiritual purity associated with it/to shine, make manifest), and I know them, and they follow (see dabar, above) Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand...I and My Father are one." (Jn. 10:27-28, 30). There were also those who "stopped their ears" in order to refuse hearing Stephen as he related God's plan of salvation, and then they stoned him to death (Acts 7:54-60). The Greek language gives us a beautiful picture of the nature of the LORD's spoken voice (see above phone/phaino/phos/phao). This is the same voice that spoke, and the creation was brought into the light and manifested, including the life in men (see Gen. 1:1-28, Jn. 1:1-5, 14). 

     The prophet Isaiah wrote about hearing the voice of the LORD: "Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live (haya - save, quicken, revive, recover, be restored to life, revive from death); And I will make an everlasting covenant with you - The sure mercies of David." (Isa. 55:2-3). Here, the LORD was not just talking about physical life as a result of hearing, but the life of the soul, even revival from death, according to the meaning of the Hebrew above. In another part of scripture, God told the prophet Ezekiel to speak the prophetic Word of the LORD over the valley of dry bones. Those very dry bones, although they didn't have physical ears, "heard" the Word of the LORD and began to manifest flesh, and draw breath, "...and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army." (Ezek. 37:1-10). No wonder the LORD told His people to hear His voice and obey His commands and live! (Deut. 4:1).

     Ezekiel told us that there can even be the resurrection of the dead by hearing. Jesus raised Lazarus after four days of death by commanding in a loud voice: "Lazarus come forth!", and he did (Jn. 11:43-44). Jesus also said: "Most assuredly I say to you, he who hears My word (logos/lego - a word uttered by a living voice, of speech, anything reported in speech, thing spoken of/to say, to speak) and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live...Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth - those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." (Jn. 5:24-29 excerpt, see also Dan. 12:1-3). Our resurrection from the dead is manifested by our having aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega-ears that hear the voice command of the Son of God.

     This Tzav Sabbath is the Sabbath that comes right before Resurrection Sunday this year. Jesus, the righteous offering before God, was crucified on Passover, and raised three days later on the Feast of First Fruits. Because of this, scripture calls Him our Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7-8), and the First Fruits (Lev. 23:9-14) of the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:20-23). The apostle Peter wrote that Jesus had received (lambano - to take with the hand, lay hold of, to take upon one's self) from God the honor and glory "when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' And we heard this voice when we were with Him on the holy mountain (meaning the Mount of Transfiguration)." (2 Peter 1:17-18). This Resurrection Sunday is a time of thanks, triumph and celebration in the resurrection of Jesus, and therefore the promise of our own resurrection. It is also a perfect time to confirm our commitment and understanding that we will hear the resurrection voice of the Son of God with our aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega-ears in all that He tells us and obey it.

     If you would like to learn more about hearing the voice of God, you can pray with me:  "Dearest Father, You have called me to have ears to hear and a heart to obey Your Words. Forgive me when I have "stopped my ears", refused to hear You, and turned backward instead of turning forward towards Your face. The wondrous resurrection of Your Son, Jesus, was accomplished so I could follow Him as He commands and calls me by His voice into everlasting life. All creation responds and manifests to the commands of Your voice and, by Your Holy Spirit, so do I. In Jesus' name, I pray and give You thanks. AMEN."