Covenant

      This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Va-yeira, which means "And He appeared", found in the beginning of Gen. 18: "Then the LORD appeared (ra'a - behold, to appear, present oneself, to be seen, look at, perceive, consider, have vision, look intently at, to cause to see, to cause to gaze at, look at each other, to face) to him (Abraham) by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day." (v. 1). In the Hebrew meaning of ra'a "appeared", not only does the LORD appear in order to be seen, but He causes Abraham to be able to see Him and perceive Him. We contrast this with the appearance of the angels of the LORD in Sodom. The corrupt, debauched and abusive men of Sodom could not perceive the men who appeared in their city as angels (Gen. 19:4-5), while Lot, Abraham's nephew perceived immediately that these men were different as soon as he saw them, and he sought to protect them. Lot greeted the men/angels in the same manner as Abraham had greeted them earlier (Gen. 18:2-8). Lot, as Abraham did, also rose to his feet from sitting in the gate of the city to go meet them. He bowed to the ground before them, and offered them the items needed to wash their feet (Gen. 19:1-2). Lot also made them a feast as Abraham did (Gen. 19:3). Abraham was willing to sacrifice his child, his son, whom the LORD gave back to him (Gen. 22:2-14), and Lot was willing to sacrifice his daughters (Gen. 19:8), whom the angels spared in the escape from Sodom before its destruction (Gen. 19:12-13). The population of Sodom, with the exception of Lot were spiritually blinded and could not ra'a see and perceive, so the angels also physically blinded them to prevent them from carrying out their evil ideas (Gen. 19:9-11). It is also interesting that Lot's sons-in-law could not ra'a see and perceive the warning that they were given: "So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, 'Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!' But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking." (Gen. 19:14). 

     Paul wrote of the kind of ra'a vision we must have: "...while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Cor. 4:18). How and what are we "seeing"? What are we looking at as being so important to us? It could make the difference between our deliverance and destruction. Sometimes it seems that much of our lives is focused on the things that are passing away rather than the things that endure forever. The very substance of our faith is not in things seen but in things yet to be seen. (Heb. 11:1).

     One reading portion from this Sabbath warned God's people about putting their confidence in the things that can be seen with natural vision rather than seeing with ra'a vision the eternal things of God. The prophet Jeremiah received the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) word of the LORD and, standing in the gate of the LORD's house, warned all who went in and out of that gate that they were facing destruction. God's people had placed their confidence, not in a repentant and restored relationship with God, but in a building - the temple of God in Jerusalem. Jeremiah must be wrong, they said. Surely God would not allow an enemy to enter Jerusalem, the place of the House where He has put His name! Jeremiah told them: "Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, 'The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these." (Jer. 7:1-4). God's people did not obey the voice of God and were committing spiritual abominations and injustices and then saying that the temple of the LORD delivered them to do these things. (v. 8-10, 23-24, 30). God's people found out through great difficulty that Jeremiah's warning had been the true Word of the LORD, and the LORD was willing to allow Jerusalem and His temple to be overrun by a conquering enemy in order to deal with the evil hearts and minds of His own people, called by His name. Do we also define our covenant with God by, and put our confidence in, temporary things which can be destroyed in a moment?

     How we "see" also affects our covenant with God, or lack of one, as we will read.

     The LORD made a covenant with Abraham that would change history and create a new people belonging to Him. The LORD said to Abram/Abraham: "And I will establish (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (Gen. 17:7-8). The Hebrew word for "covenant" is berit/bara/bara, meaning "covenant, alliance [of friendship, of marriage], pledge, agreement, a compact in the sense of cutting/cause to eat, to select/create, form, shape out, choose, create new conditions and circumstances, create transformation, create birth, create something new, create miracles." Look at the amazing things included in the meaning of "covenant"! A new creation is formed that did not exist before the covenant. Paul wrote of this new creation found in our covenant with God in Christ: "Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh...Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Cor. 5:16-17). The Book of Revelation says: "Then He (Jesus) who sat on the throne said, 'Behold (idou/eido - see/to see, to perceive, to understand, to notice, to discern, to discover, to turn eyes, mind, or attention to anything, to examine, to experience any state or condition), I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful. And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts." (Rev. 21:5-6). Do we truly ra'a see and perceive this or do we look upon things after the flesh or natural appearances? Are we continuing to be part of the old and perishing, or the new and eternal creation in Christ?

     Covenant, as we see above, includes the creation of miracles and births as part of its meaning in Hebrew. The LORD wanted Abraham to believe in something not yet visible and totally impossible by the natural appearances. He wanted Abraham to believe God for a son, although Abraham was very old, and his wife was barren (Gen. 18:10-14). However, God created a miracle, a birth as promised, and Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 21:1-3).

     In another reading portion from this "And He appeared" Sabbath is from 1 Samuel 1. Hannah (hanna/hanan/hana in Hebrew), whose name means "grace, favored, mercy, entreaty, prayer/gracious, supplication, besought, to seek favor, implore favor/encamp, rest in tent/tabernacle, abide in tents/tabernacles) was childless because "the LORD had closed her womb." (1 Sam. 1:6-7). Year by year, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Hannah went up to the house of the LORD in Shiloh with her husband and his second wife to make offerings. Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the LORD and saw Hannah praying. She was so involved in her supplication to the LORD for a son that Eli feared that she was drunk (v. 12-14). Hannah answered that she was not drunk "but have poured out my (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) soul before the LORD." (v. 15). Eli answered Hannah saying: "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) petition which you have asked of Him." (v. 17). Hannah's face was no longer sad after hearing this. The LORD later remembered (zakar - remember, the origin is the idea of piercing, penetrating, infixing) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Hannah and: "So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) name Samuel, saying, 'Because I have asked for him from the LORD." (v. 19-20). Samuel became prophet and judge of Israel and would anoint David to become king after Saul. This began the royal line of the Messiah/Christ Jesus. A new circumstance, the royal title of the Messiah/Christ, was created with the birth of this miracle child.

The creative miracles can also be found in a covenant relationship with a servant of God. In another reading portion from this Sabbath, the prophet Elisha manifested the creative miracles of a covenant relationship with those connected to him. These miracles included the multiplication of costly oil for a widow of one of the sons of the prophets, and her sons, who were in deep debt. As we also saw above, there is mention of a door or doorway. Elisha told the poor widow: “And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it (the continual flow of oil) into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones. So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it (the oil) out…” (2 Kings 4:1-5). The oil continued to flow until all the containers were full.

To me, the various mentions of doors, doorways and gates above represent the anointing and presence of Christ, who said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (nome - pasturage, fodder, food, feeding, the needful supplies for the true life, growth, increase).” (Jn. 10:9), as well as a spiritual opening between heaven and earth for us to enter. (see Rev. 4:1-2). Other creative miracles found in this chapter occurring from out of a covenant relationship with Elisha, the prophet of God include a miracle birth, and the miraculous transformation of the dead returned to life. When Elisha went into the chamber with the dead child, he "shut the door behind the two of them." The child became alive and was returned to his mother. (2 Kings 4:32-37).

From our Sabbath reading portion also comes an interesting covenant formed between a king and the servant of God, Abraham. Part of God's expressed covenant with Abram/Abraham included the promise "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you..." (Gen. 12:3). So a fruit of this covenant is that its blessings can be received by those who bless Abraham. In this Sabbath portion, Abraham had two recorded encounters with Abimelech (meaning "My father is king/great king/king of kings"), King of Gerar ("a lodging place", the place of the kings of the Philistines, from the root word garar meaning to drag away roughly). Gerar was in south-central Canaan. From their first encounter in Gen. 20, we find out that Abimelech is a king who hears from God (in a dream) and obeys His voice. In order to correct an inadvertent wrong that he had done to God and Abraham by taking (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Sarah into his household, the king tells Abraham to dwell wherever he wishes in the land ruled by Abimelech, King of the Philistines. The king also gives Abraham a thousand pieces of silver, and also sheep, oxen and servants in order to do justice. Abraham prayed to the LORD for Abimelech and his household, and God healed that household so that all in it were able to bear children. The LORD had made the whole household barren because of the inadvertent wrong or sin done by the king. (Gen. 20). Again, we see miracle births related to covenant between Abraham and God.

     Later, in another encounter with King Abimelech of the Philistines and the commander of his army named Pichol ("strong"/mouth, command, to shatter everything into pieces and to scatter into corners or blow away), Abimelech said to Abraham: "God is with you in all that you do. Now therefore, swear (saba- swear, adjure, take an oath, seven oneself by repeating an oath seven times) to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring (nin/nun - offspring, son, progeny/perpetual increase) or with my posterity (neked - posterity, progeny, race, kindred, tribe); but that according to the kindness that I have done you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt. And Abraham said, 'I will swear." (Gen. 21:22-24). Then Abraham rebuked (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Abimelech because servants of the king had seized (gazal - tear away, carry off, plunder, take away by force, rob, to flay, strip off skin from the flesh, wounded) water from a well that was dug by Abraham. Abimelech told Abraham that he had not been aware that such a thing had happened. Abraham then took sheep and oxen, setting aside seven ewe (female) lambs, and made a covenant between himself and King Abimelech. Those seven ewe lambs, Abraham explained, were to be a witness that it was Abraham that had dug the well, and he called the place Beersheba because of the seven-fold oath that the two had made. Abraham then planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called on the name of the Everlasting God. Abraham remained in the land of the Philistines many days after that. (Gen. 21:25-34).

     What does this encounter mean and why does it matter? The Philistines would have a history of trying to take the covenant inheritance of the Israelites. They even, at one point, grabbed the ark of the covenant in battle! What is that inheritance? The inheritance is not just the natural land, but salvation. Abimelech first took (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Sarah, who had given birth to the son of promise, Isaac. Then Abimelech's servants, without his knowledge, violently seized a well of Abraham's. These wells dug by Abraham represented not just natural water, but also because of God's covenant with Abraham, the wells of the living water of salvation (see Isa. 12:2-3, Rev. 21:6). The line of Messiah/Christ would be established from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and not from any other root. Salvation cannot be taken by force. This new creation, new birth, came out of the covenant (see meaning above) relationship between God and Abraham, and later, between God and David, and then between God, Jesus and us as believers. However, look at what Abimelech did - he placed the well-being of his offspring and posterity into the safekeeping of Abraham, a man who was already very old. Abraham made a sworn oath and then a blood covenant with Abimelech, witnessed by seven ewe lambs. To me, these little ewe-lambs represent the future believers in Christ, the fruit of salvation, and the Holy Spirit within those believers (for detail see Rev. 1:4-5, 11-12, 16, 20). Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree, which not only represents a single tree, but a grove of trees, or multiplication. When I read in Revelation that the heirs of salvation have come out of every nation (race), kindred, tribe and tongue (Rev. 5:9, 7:9-10), I cannot help but think of Abimelech's posterity (see above meaning) being included in that description. The Philistines' origin has recently been traced by DNA analysis of graves from 1200 B.C. to Crete and the northern and western nations surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. They are part of the group called "the Gentiles". It was the timing of God that salvation must first come to Israel and the Jewish people, and then to the Gentiles (see Rom. 1:16-17). Jesus confirmed this as a Canaanite (Gentile) woman sought Him out for a miracle. He reminded her that He was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but then she did get her miracle because of her faith (see Mt. 15:21-18). Perhaps these Philistine Gentiles tried to take or seize this covenant promise prematurely and incorrectly, out of the ordained spiritual timing and order of God. However, Abraham's sworn oath and blood covenant made with King Abimelech of the Philistines will stand forever and produce a grove of trees bearing much fruit. It is also a reminder to the people of faith, both Jewish and Gentile, that the wells of salvation were dug, guarded and repaired for all of us by Abraham and his descendants.

     If you would like to learn more about the everlasting nature of covenant, you can join me in my prayer: "Heavenly Father of covenant and everlasting promises, Your promises live forever. By Your covenant, You create new things, new conditions and circumstances, transformation from one thing to another, births and miracles. The greatest covenant of all is the covenant that You created through the body and blood of Your Son, Jesus, our salvation. Your covenant does not pass away but is remembered and fulfilled throughout all time. You established a world-changing covenant with Your servant and friend, Abraham. Nothing is impossible with You, LORD, and You are still bringing souls into Your covenant of salvation. You have preserved the wells of salvation for them. You have no partiality but have established Your eternal kingdom from every nation, kindred, tribe and tongue that includes all who will accept the gracious provision of salvation. For Your faithfulness, I praise Your holy name, and the name of the Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. 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 Α Ω , 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.

EnduringBlessing

      The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is Lech-L'cha, which means "Go!", or "Leave!" This title comes from the first group of verses from Gen. 12: "Now the LORD had said to Abram, whom we now know as Abraham: 'Get out (yalak/halak - go, depart, follow, proceed, to walk, carry, bear, bring, carry away, spread, vanish, starting point/to lead, to bring, lead away, carry, be at the point) of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you." (v. 1).

     Abram's father, Terah (tarah - delay) had removed his family from Ur of the Chaldeans in Mesopotamia previously and came to Haran to live. Ur, the family's place of origin, means "flame, light of fire, brightness of fire, revelation, become light, glorious". Ur/or refers to the supernatural light spoken into being by God in the beginning of creation, but the city became the center for moon worship at the time. The family's original destination had been the land of Canaan, but they settled at Haran. Haran or Harran was an ancient city of strategic importance located in southeastern Turkey. After Abram's father died, Abram left Haran at the command of the LORD to go to Canaan at the age of seventy-five with His wife, his nephew Lot, and all of the people and possessions that they had acquired in Haran. (Gen. 11:27-32).

     We understand the command "Go out!" in English as issued by the LORD to Abram, but as we see in the Hebrew meaning above, it also means "to bring, to carry (away), to bear" while one "goes out". What was Abram carrying with him to Canaan? We will see more about this later, but we can find an important clue in the meaning of Abram's name. Abram/abiram/rum has the meaning: "exalted father"/Exalted One is my father, father of height/to rise, rise up, set on high, to be raised, be uplifted, to be lifted, heave, to rise or raise, set up on, sound of the trumpet, to offer sacrifices." Jesus said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.' This He said, signifying by what death He would die." (Jn. 12:32-33). Not only was Jesus "lifted up" in His death, but He was raised up in resurrection life after His death. He was also hidden within Abram's name.

     The LORD told Abram that He called Abram out of Mesopotamia into Canaan to be a father of a multitude and a great nation, even though Abram and his wife Sarai were old, and she was barren: "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing...And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed...for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth...Arise, walk (halak/yalak - see above) in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you." Gen. 12:2-3, Gen. 13:15-17). The blessings that God spoke over Abram at this time would change the lives of billions yet to come.

     So Abram brought or carried (see yalak/halak above) the eternal but physically yet unborn Messiah/Christ Jesus, who was concealed within Abram's future generations, to the land that would inevitably and unstoppably become the nation of Israel by the Word of the LORD.  Of course, we find Jesus, or Yeshua in Hebrew, listed in scripture as a descendant of Abraham. (Mt. 1:1, Lk. 3:34). As far as establishing a nation of Israel is concerned, the prophetic Word of God says that out of Zion, not Ur of the Chaldees nor Haran of Asia Minor, comes the Deliverer (see Rom. 11:26, Isa. 59:20, Joel 2:32). The prophet Jeremiah, in another reading portion for this Sabbath, said that Jerusalem "shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts." (Jer. 3:17). One nation, Israel, created from one man, Abraham, as promised by the LORD would gather all nations to it and to the Throne of the LORD and to the name of the LORD.

     Jesus, speaking of Abraham, said: "Your father Abraham rejoiced (agalliao/hallomai - exceedingly glad, to exult, to jump for joy, to rejoice exceedingly/leap, spring up, to jump, to gush) to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." (Jn. 8:56). Jesus let us know that Abraham was either given a prophetic vision or revelation of his descendant, Jesus, as the Savior of the world, or saw it fulfilled from Paradise, and jumped for exceeding joy when he saw it. We can picture the scene when Abraham saw this wonderful thing and began "jumping for joy"!

     From another reading portion of this Sabbath, the LORD identifies Himself as the One who called the generations of Israel forth: "Who has performed and done it, calling (qara - call, cry out, preach, bidden, appoint, call and endow, give name to, address by name, call forth, proclaim, publish) the generations (dor/dur - all, many, an age as a period of time, dwelling place, evermore, posterity/in a circle, everlasting) from the beginning? I, the LORD, am the first; and with the last I am He...you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham, My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends (qasa - lowest, uttermost part, edges, extremity, from the whole of) of the earth, and called from its farthest regions (asil/asal - support, origins, rooted, from ancient and noble stock, deep roots into the earth/reserved, kept, set apart, separated, selected, a root joined and connected), and said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isa. 41:4, 8-10).

    

     The LORD called forth the generations of Abraham by name from the beginning, the time of creation, before Abraham physically existed. The LORD's promise to old Abram and barren Sarai of many descendants was based upon the fact that the LORD had already fulfilled the promise before time began. Because of this purposeful prophetic calling of each by name from the beginning, the LORD can say this to the descendants of Abraham, and to us, his adopted descendants through Messiah/Christ: "...Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. For I the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you." (Isa. 41:12-13). Scripture states: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law...that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we may receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Gal. 3:13-14). God set apart Abraham as His friend in one of the verses above. Jesus called His disciples His friends in the same manner if we do as He commands us to do. (Jn. 15:13-15). Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. (Gen. 15:5-6, James 2:23, Rom. 4:3). In the same way, our faith in Christ is directly joined in scripture to the faith of Abraham and as having the same result of righteousness. (Rom. 4:16-24, Gal. 3:6-9). Galatians 3:8 says that Abraham was preached the Gospel beforehand in the blessings promised to him (Gen. 12:2-3) as a prophetic promise of our salvation.

      In another reading portion from this Sabbath, the LORD directly connects His blessing spoken over Abraham and Sarah to righteousness and salvation: "Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the LORD...Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, and blessed him and increased him. For the LORD will comfort Zion...Listen to Me, My people; and give ear to Me O My nation: for the law will proceed from Me, and I will make My justice rest as a light of the peoples. My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth...My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will not be abolished...Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is My law....My righteousness will be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation." (Isa. 51:1-6 excerpt, and v. 8). 

     We often consider the blessings and promises that God spoke to Abraham as an "old" covenant, however, I hope we can see that the blessings spoken over Abraham by the LORD in Gen. 12 and the subsequent works that the LORD performed in Abraham's life still live and still produce the fruit of righteousness and salvation throughout all future generations of Abraham and all families of peoples (see again Gen. 12:2-3 above).

     If you would like to know more about the everlasting blessings of God of righteousness and salvation spoken over Abraham, his generations, and all families in the earth, you can join me in my prayer: "Heavenly Father, You called Abraham's generations forth by name from the beginning. You ordained a nation to come from Abraham, and You also promised that all families would be blessed because of it. Father, I hold onto those promised blessings of righteousness and salvation for my own family near and far, but also for all of the families of the earth, and especially Abraham's family. You said that all who bless Abraham would be blessed, and all who curse Abraham would be cursed. I bless Abraham and his descendants today as You blessed them. I bless the powerful omniscient work that You foresaw and accomplished for all of us through Your friendship with Abraham. I bless the Messiah/Christ Jesus who saved me and whom You called forth in due time from the generations of Abraham. I join Abraham, Father, in jumping for joy in all that You brought forth through him, and I pray that You bring forth the same kind of fruit from my life. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."

 

Redeemer

           This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled No'ach, which refers to the man named "Noah." Most of us are familiar with the story of the great universal flood that covered the whole earth. The LORD spoke to Noah, saying: "The end (qes/qasas - end, border, extremity, end of time/cut off, utmost, chop off, amputate) of all flesh has come before Me, for the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) earth is filled with violence (hamas/hamas - violence, cruelty, wrong, false, damage, injustice, oppressor, unrighteous, unjust gain, harsh treatment, injurious language/violated, wrongfully imagine, violently taken away, made bare, to tear a covering away violently) through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth." (Gen. 6:13). Prior to this point, the scriptures say: "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) man on the earth, and He was grieved (asab - to be grieved, displease, to hurt, cause pain, vex, tortured, to suffer, afflict with pain or grief) in His heart." (v. 5-6). 

     The LORD looked ahead to the end (see meaning above) of time and saw the extremity of the age of mankind, and the horrible violence that would worsen to its ultimate conclusion. The whole earth would be corrupted by it. He had to cut it off.

     The LORD told Noah what He would do (v. 13 above) and commanded Noah to build an (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) ark (v. 14). The LORD had previously said this about the birth of Noah: "Lamech (meaning "powerful"...had a son. And he called his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) name Noah (noah/nuah - rest/resting place, quiet, set down, remain, drawing breath) saying, 'This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed." (Gen. 5:28-29). So Noah was set apart with purpose from his birth.

     In the LORD's instructions regarding the ark that Noah was to build, the LORD added a seemingly odd detail: "You shall make a window for the ark...from above..." (Gen. 6:16). Why was it important that the ark have a window? The Hebrew word for window here is sohar/sahar, meaning "noon, day, midday, "double light", as bright, blessing, window/to squeeze or to press oil, to glisten, to shine." One of the darkest periods of man was about to begin, but there would be a provision of double light to brighten the ark, like the shining brightness of the anointing oil of olives. We associate light, brightness and the anointing with the Messiah/Christ Jesus.

     Jesus also described the darkness and terror of the days before His return, which He also described as being like the days of Noah. It would be a time more terrible than man had ever known before (Mt. 24:21-22, 29, Lk. 21:25-27). Then Jesus said, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." (Lk. 21:28). While others are fainting with terror, that is our signal to look up and see Jesus coming near. In the same way, I believe, the LORD gave Noah a window of double light like the middle of the day, to "look up" and see the glistening with oil of the Anointed One, Noah's redemption, Messiah/Christ, while the earth was in the middle of darkness and terror.

     We see this return of "light" in another reading portion from this "No'ach" Sabbath. Isaiah wrote of the LORD's returning mercy towards His people: "For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer (ga'al - redeem, act as kinsman, revenger, avenger, ransom, deliver, redeem from slavery/bondage/death, buy back) is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. For the LORD has called you...For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,' says the LORD your Redeemer. 'For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth (see Gen. 9:12-17), so I have sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you." (Isa. 54:5-9). The LORD goes on to promise: "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me," says the LORD. (v. 17).

     These promises of everlasting kindness were not given because His people earned them with their own righteousness- quite the opposite. The promises were given because the LORD is the Redeemer of His people, buying back their freedom and lives that they had forfeited in their unrighteousness. In the process of this redemption, the souls of the people are changed. Jesus said above to look for the redemption, Himself, that draws near in the time of darkness and terror. This is a soul-changing moment as we can imagine. What can we say to unmerited favor and rescue from earned destruction but "Thank You, Lord"?

     From another reading portion of this No'ach Sabbath, the LORD identifies Himself as the One who will redeem Israel: "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.' For the LORD has redeemed (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Jacob, and ransomed (see ga'al, above) him from the hand of one stronger than he. Therefore they shall come, and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the LORD...Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all." (Jer. 31:10-12). The LORD also promises to bring a new covenant to His people, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Israel and Judah. In this covenant, the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) law of the LORD will be placed in their minds and hearts, and they will know the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD: "...for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them', says the LORD. 'For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jer. 31:31-34, excerpt). 

     Again we see that these promises are made regarding the Redeemer, who is identified in the above verses with the *Aleph-tav/the Alpha and Omega law (Word), and the LORD (yod-hey-vaw-hey: "Behold the hand; Behold the nail"), and His people are united together with this identity. Scripture identifies Jesus as the Redeemer (see Eph. 1:7-10, Gal. 3:13-14). Jesus also pointed out that those who recognize and love their Redeemer are forgiven much (see Lk. 7:44-50, see also 1 Pet. 4:8).

     This No'ach reading portion is also connected to something called "Rosh Chodesh Heshvan/Chesvan", which takes place on this Sabbath. This marks the new moon that begins the second month of the civil year. Each month's beginning is timed to begin with the new moon, so why is this second month of Heshvan singled out in this way? Prophetically speaking, we should note that the waters of the Genesis flood began in this second month: "In the sixth hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up (baqa - cleave, divide, break through, breach, rend, asunder, burst, break open, rip up, cut to pieces), and the windows (aruba - sluice, window, lattice, chimney opening, flood gates of heaven) of heaven were opened. And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights." (Gen. 7:11-12).

     Israel connects this second month of Heshvan with bitterness because it was the beginning of the flood waters as noted above, and also it is the month when the rainy season would begin in Israel, and much of the normal daily activities would cease or change because of it. In history, some dark events are also associated with this second month. In 1995, the prime minister, Yitzak Rabin was assassinated. Also in 1938, this second month was the month of Kristallnacht when 1400 synagogues and many copies of the Tanakh (Old Testament) were burned in Nazi Germany. It is believed that both Rachel and Sarah of the scriptures died in this second month of Heshvan according to Jewish tradition.

     However, while the new moon marking the beginning of the second month (Rosh Chodesh Heshvan) is traditionally associated with bitterness and darkness, by placing that "double light", bright as day, shining with the anointing oil window in Noah's ark (see above), the LORD promised to redeem the day of bitterness and darkness. In fact, after the flood waters slowly receded, the earth began to dry out. A little more than a year to the day that the flood waters broke open in the previous second month we read: "And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried. Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 'Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you...so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." (Gen. 8:14-17). In the second month of the civil year, life began to inhabit the earth again.

     This week's Sabbath reading portion recognizes God's mercy and redemption by assigning Isaiah 66 to be read, which makes promises to those of His people who are of a humble and contrite spirit: "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me,' says the LORD, 'So shall your descendants and your name remain. 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." (v. 2, 22-23). These promises are to the ones who are redeemed out of the darkness and terror, although they will see the destruction of those who chose not to be redeemed, whose end is not by flood, as the LORD promised Noah long ago, but by fire (v. 24).

      How did Noah feel at the presence of His Messiah/Christ Redeemer who was with Him in "double light" and the shining oil of anointing throughout the judgment of the flood? This assuring presence could not be bought with money or the power of men and must have provided Noah's soul with great "rest". How do we feel towards our Redeemer, Jesus Messiah/Christ, who has redeemed us with His own life and blood, from the judgment days of darkness and terror for the ungodly, and from the place of death? Are we finding that same reassuring presence and rest for our souls from anxiety and fears at the unfolding events of the world? Or are we caught up in them because we do not understand the miraculous redemption work of Christ?

     If you would like to know about God's redeeming mercy and grace, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father of Lights, You sent Your Son to comfort and assure Noah of His presence with him during the judgment of the world and its inhabitants. You have redeemed those who are called by Your Aleph-Tav/Alpha and Omega name. Your Son, Jesus, was sent to redeem me from death, hell and the grave with His own blood. You have set me apart from Your wrath to come against wickedness in all its forms. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and Your living Word, so I can walk in the great love for You, my Redeemer, that You have shown for me. Let my love for You shine with a brilliant light for all to see, so that many others may receive Your redemption. 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 Α Ω , 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.

     

Creation

      

     This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled B'reishit, meaning "In the beginning", and brings us back to the beginning of Scripture, back to the beginning of everything. B'reishit is also the Hebrew name for the Book that we call "Genesis", and comes from the word resit/ros, meaning "first, beginning, firstfruits, chief/head, top, total, sum, front, beginning, highest and supreme, multitude". Genesis is the Greek word meaning "to be born, origin, source, establish, all events established".

     The word "created" from Gen. 1:1 is the Hebrew word bara meaning "to create [always with God as the subject], creator, choose, make, produce, shape, fashion, cut down, carve out, beget, separating, to feed".

     As we can see from the word meanings above, the Creator cannot be separated from the creation, and so we have in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) created the heavens and the earth." As we know from the Genesis account, all of the separate parts of the creation began as the spoken word out of God's mouth, the first thing created being light: "Then God said, 'Let there be light', and there was light." (Gen. 1:3).

     In John 1:1, we read a parallel but more revealing view of creation: "In the beginning (arche/archomai/archo - beginning, origin, first person or thing in a series, the leader, the first place, principality, rule, the extremity of a thing/to begin, the first to do, leader, ruler, designate office of dignity/to be chief, to lead, to rule, to be first in rank or power) was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." (Jn. 1:1-3). "The Word" used here is the spoken word, logos, and is identified later as Jesus: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (Jn. 1:14). The Greek meaning of the very word "beginning" must include with it a leader, ruler, highest power. "The beginning" also includes the idea of "the extremity of a thing". The beginning must be followed by a continuation of a thing all the way to the end or outermost extended part, no matter how distant that end might be. For instance, the creation continues or perpetuates through many generations from a beginning point. The flower we see today is the result of generations of flowers and seeds. The people that live today came from a long line of generations that had a physical beginning point in Adam and then Noah. The Jewish people have the concept of the creation as being a "cosmic womb" or a perpetual or eternal pregnancy. God placed this perpetual cycle of birth and renewal within the characteristics of His creation. We will see that creation was not just a special one-time event that happened long ago.

     The LORD demanded in His Word that we know this: "Remember this, and show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors. Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,' ... Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it." (Isa. 46:8-11).

     In one of our reading portions for this Sabbath, Job, a godly man who ministered to his community, from those in the highest ranks to those most humble, in an almost Christ-like manner (see Job 29), forgot the above wisdom in his troubles, and God rebuked him: "Then the LORD answered (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 'Who is this who darkens (hasak - darken, grow dim, be hidden, conceal, confuse) counsel (esa/ya'as - counsel, purpose, advisement, prudence, wisdom/devise, plan, guide, purpose, give counsel, minister of a king) by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding."" (Job 38:1-4). The LORD then continued through several chapters to question Job's neglect of the knowledge of God's sovereignty and omnipotence as revealed in the secrets of His creation. The nature of God and creation has a necessary wisdom to teach us.

     What had Job said that caused God to speak to him in such a way out of the whirlwind? In Job 3, we read: "After this Job opened his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) mouth and cursed the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) day of his birth. And Job spoke and said, 'May the day perish on which I was born, and the night in which it was said, 'A male child is conceived.' May that day be darkness; May God above not seek it, nor the light shine upon it. May darkness and the shadow of death claim it; may a cloud settle on it; may the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, may darkness seize it; may it not rejoice among the days of the year, may it not come into the number of the months...because it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb..." (Job 3:1-6, 10). Did Job think that the beginning of his life was in his own hands or the hands of any man? Did he not know that the LORD had ordained his birth from the foundation of the world? As we start our Sabbath readings from the beginning, I think that this is the serious warning and message for us as well this year. Have we, with our words and deeds, "darkened counsel", or caused the supreme wisdom and omnipotence of God to be hidden from sight and forgotten? The LORD may well make demands of us to give an account, as He did with His servant, Job.

     After the LORD gave Job a thorough dressing down concerning his failure to see the sovereignty of God in His continuing manifestation of the purpose of His creation, Job says to the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD: "I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know....I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (Job. 42:2-6, excerpt). One purpose of the omnipotence of God in the creation is that our eyes may "see" Him in revelation understanding. Do we have eyes to see it?

     After God restored Job, he lived one hundred and forty years longer and went on to have seven sons and three daughters. The three daughters were the only children named in scripture and were so excellent that they were given an inheritance among Job's (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) sons. The daughters' names are translated: "Day of the Dove", "The fragrance of incense", and the "Glistening setting of precious gems (ref. Isa. 54:11)". It is as if Job's daughters were a prophetic picture of the Bride of Christ. This anointed generation and those that followed, were hidden within Job's life, which he had wrongfully cursed. With his repentance, this (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) generation was able to manifest as God intended from the beginning.

     We, as believers in Christ and heirs of salvation, were "seen" by God from the beginning: "...just as He (God and Father) chose (see bara, "created", above) us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (agapao - to welcome, to love dearly, to have a preference for, to wish well to, affectionate reverence, unique proof of love such as Christ washing the feet of His disciples)." (Eph. 1:4-6). We were in the knowledge and choice of God from the beginning, and each of us manifested physically at the appointed time here within the creation because of that ancient choice. We have a tremendous responsibility as holders of this almost overwhelming knowledge that our Creator has entrusted to us, but are we sidetracked like Job from this truth by the cares, distractions and desires of life? Jesus warned us against this danger that is so easy to fall into. (see Mk. 4:18-20, Lk. 21:34-35). 

     The creation of man was a very personal work for the LORD. (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Man was created in God's image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-28) and became a living soul by the breath of God (Gen. 2:7). Like the rest of creation, continuity was contained within (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) man, being fruitful and multiplying, generation, after generation: "Then God saw (ra'a - behold, appear, foresee, visions, observe, discern) everything (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them were finished (kala - accomplished, end, done, fulfill, to be determined in thought, plotted, come to an end, make an end, bring to pass, completed, perish, vanish)." (Gen. 1:31, 2:1). As He considered His creation, God saw everything that was contained within it, including future generations, and even the end or accomplished purpose of that creation from its beginning. The generations would bring forth the Messiah/Christ, who is the Aleph-Tav/Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and all of creation would be redeemed and made into a new thing.

     From another reading portion from the B'reishit Sabbath, David considered his own creation which was before he was even formed in his mother's womb: "My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw (ra'a - see above) my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!" (Ps. 139:15-17). 

     This knowledge that God foresaw and knew everything concerning David's life, even before he was physically formed, was so overwhelming to David that he said: "Such knowledge is too wonderful (pil'i, pil'i - double wonderful, incomprehensible, extraordinary, secret, supernatural, marvelous, difficult thing beyond one's power) for me; It is high (sagab - inaccessible, high, exalted), I cannot attain it." (v. 6). This knowledge should change us also and have a profound effect upon us every day of our lives. This is our God and Creator. Are we seeing His greatness in this? He saw you and me and knew everything about us and ordered our days before the foundation of the earth was established.

     All of the things spoken by God in the creation became submitted to the measure of time when the lights in the firmament of heaven were created on the fourth day "to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons (mo'ed/ya'ad - appointed, time, days, congregation, feast, a fixed time or season, a point of time, a set time/betrothed), and for days (yom - day, time, daily, continually, full, always) and years (sana - division or measure of time, an age, a lifetime, a year, transformation, transmutation)...and to divide the light from the darkness." (Gen. 1:14-19). John Ch. 1 tells us that the darkness will never be able to overcome or conquer the light.

     Ecclesiastes, traditionally understood to have been written by King Solomon, says this: "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." And again he says: "...for every matter there is a time and judgment, though the misery of man increases greatly." (Eccl. 3:1 and 8:6). The prophecy of creation manifests at appointed times. All things have already been appointed in time from within the initial creation.

     Jesus came to Galilee to preach the Gospel, saying, "The time (kairos - measure of time, the right time, limited period of time, a fixed or definite time, season) is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel." (Mk. 1:14-15).

     There was an appointed time for Christ to die: "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." (Rom. 5:6). However, Peter wrote of the order of Christ's death within the Creation: "...knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." (1 Pet. 1:18-21). The death of Christ is found in the pictographic Hebrew letters composing the words that open Genesis Ch. 1. Then, at the appointed time, it became manifested. All that we see and exists from the beginning, through the middle and to the end, was established within the initial creation, to be manifested at the proper time.

   Paul wrote: "Even so we...were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman...that we might receive adoption as sons." (Gal. 4:3-5). The creation held that prophecy (Gen. 3:13-15).

     According to His will and good pleasure, God "purposed in Himself that in the disposition of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him." (Eph. 1:9-10). This is a mystery which God wanted to make known to us. It is Who He is. Can our eyes see Him?

     Paul wrote this instruction to the church: "See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the LORD is." (Eph. 5:15-17).  How do we view these times in a way that redeems them from evil? We can view them from the creation as God saw it and expected it to manifest at the perfect time according to His spoken will in Genesis 1. As we saw above, "God saw everything that He made, and indeed it was very good." Paul said in the context of these verses from Ephesians that we are to be speaking in psalms and spiritual songs to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. (v. 19-21). The world curses the day, and the One who made it, but we are not of the world. 

     In another of this Sabbath's reading portions, the LORD identified Himself to His prophet in terms of the creation. He said to Isaiah: "Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it:" (Isa. 42:5, see also Isa. 44:24). The prophecy that followed the above concerned a picture of His Messiah/Christ. The creation is prophetic and the source (genesis) of prophetic events manifesting as declared from the beginning by God. Notice how God speaks in the present tense of His acts of creation? It is not an event to be consigned to the past.

     Another prophet, Zechariah, wrote what the LORD said to him: "Thus says the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:" (Zech. 12:1). What follows this reference to creation is a prophecy about the troubles that will surround Jerusalem "in that day", a phrase repeated seventeen times throughout the prophetic Word delivered to Zechariah, and the revealing of their Messiah/Christ to Jerusalem and the house of David. The LORD was announcing something established within His work of creation into the appointed time of its manifestation "in that day".

     Perhaps one reason that the seventh (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) day became a sanctified day of rest (sabat - rest, celebrate, desist from exertion, to sit down, be completed) for the LORD (Gen. 2:1-3) is because all of His work was not only ended (kala - end, finish, accomplish, fulfill, be fulfilled, bring to pass), but was fulfilled in His sight, and just waited upon the fullness of the appointed time to manifest itself. He had full confidence that His creative Word would continue bearing fruit, and accomplishing His perfect will for all time (see Isa. 55:11). Paul wrote that all things are made manifest by light (Eph. 5:13), and light was the first thing spoken by the living Word (Jesus) of God in Genesis 1. We are called to be the light of the world. Understanding this becomes the place of our rest as well.

     No wonder, then, that nothing has been so undermined and attacked in modern times as the idea that there was a creation fashioned by the Creator, including the creation of man by God, with the world preferring to believe instead convoluted "theories" of godless happenstance. This dead, faithless, powerless secular religion is being systematically taught to our children. We need to speak the wonderful and high truth to our children so that they also may be able to "see God with their eyes".

     If you would like to know more about the continuing manifestation of God's creation, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father and Creator, by Your Word Jesus, You spoke creation and it manifested and continues to manifest generation by generation. Help me to understand by Your Holy Spirit how to change my thinking to incorporate this knowledge that is high, this knowledge of how Your creation continues to bring Your will into manifestation at the proper time. Help me to walk and speak circumspectly each day, so that I am not in opposition to Your spoken will and the manifestation of it for that day. 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 Α Ω , 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.

     

     

TabernaclePilgrimage

      This Sabbath's reading portion is titled CHOL HA-MO'ED SUKKOT, which means "the interim days of the Feast of Tabernacles". This Sabbath falls in the middle of that seven-day feast. The Feast of Tabernacles is a seven-day fall feast commanded by the LORD to His people. It is one of three feasts out of the seven in which the LORD requires that His people physically gather in Jerusalem to come before Him: "Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread...and the Feast of Harvest (also known as the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost), the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering (also known as Tabernacles) at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field. Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord (adon - Lord, master, owner, king, ruler, husband) God." (Ex. 23:14-17). The other feasts may be observed locally, but these three feasts, including Tabernacles, must be observed before the Lord God, which would be at His tabernacle/temple, and later in history that place would be in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:1-6).

     In one of this Sabbath's reading portions, the LORD is withdrawing from the Israelites because of their continuing sinful and rebellious attitude towards Him: "And I will send My Angel before you...for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people." (Ex. 33:2-3). However, Moses could not journey on until he received the promise from God that He would indeed continue to be with them in their midst. The presence and identity of the LORD Himself among His people is what separates His people from the other peoples. Moses said: "Now therefore I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) way (derek/darak - way towards, journey, manner, road trodden, direction, a going hence, the way which leads to that place, mode, course/tread, walk, lead forth, guide, bend a bow, archer), that I may know You and that I may find grace (hen/hanan/hana - grace, favor, acceptance, elegance, kindness/mercy, show favor, pity, to bend or stoop in kindness/dwell, encamp, rested, bow down, incline) in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people. And He (the LORD) said, My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. Then he (Moses) said to Him, 'If Your Presence (panim/pana - face, presence, before and behind, countenance, person/turn, look, prepare, regard, to face, appear) does not go with us, do not bring us up (ala - raised, arose, exalted, ascend, go up, be brought up, be carried away, led up, be offered) from here. For how will it be known that Your people have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth. So the LORD said to Moses, I will also do this (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) thing (dabar - word, thing, matter, speak, utter) that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name." (Ex. 33:13-17).

     It was considered absolutely essential to Moses that God dwell, be present among, and travel with His people. This is "Tabernacle". The Hebrew word and roots for tabernacle is miskan/sakan/sakab, meaning "dwelling, place, tabernacle, residence, temple, habitation, tent/dwell abide, inhabit, remain, continue, dwellers, cause to remain, rest/lie down, sleep, rest, lodge, take rest."

     The prophet, Ezekiel, also wrote how the presence of the LORD, which is the meaning of tabernacle, among His people marks them as different from all other people: "My servant David (referring to the immortal Messiah/Christ, the descendant of David) shall be their prince forever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know the I, the LORD, sanctify (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore." (Ezek. 37:26-28).

     In another reading portion for this Sabbath, King Solomon wrote of the importance of the intimate relationship of grace present when dwelling with God in His tabernacle, especially as the calamity and terror of the last days approach: "Remember now your (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult (ra - evil, wickedness, hurt, trouble, affliction, adversity, grievous, calamity, harm, distress, misery) days come...Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well...Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Eccl. 12:1, 6, 13-14).

     We see an example of the calamity that comes upon God's people when they forsake the blessing of being in an intimate tabernacle presence with their God: "For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the LORD our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the dwelling place (miskan - see above: tabernacle) of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him....Therefore the wrath of the LORD fell upon Jerusalem, and He has given them up to trouble (za'ava - a horror, trembling, object of terror or trembling), to desolation, and to jeering, as you see with your eyes. (2 Chron. 29:6, 8).

     One of the Psalms expresses a deep longing for the tabernacle presence of the LORD. The Psalmist wrote: "(David said) I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place (miskan - see above: tabernacle) for the Mighty One of Jacob....Let us go into His tabernacle (miskan - see above: tabernacle); let us worship at His footstool. Arise O LORD, to Your resting place. You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints shout for joy." (Ps. 132:4-5, 7-9).

     In this place of tabernacle, there is a change in circumstance, a transformation as the LORD answered the desire expressed by the above psalmist: "This (Zion) is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will clothe her priests with salvation. and her saints shall shout for joy." (Ps. 132:13-16). The place of the LORD's tabernacle dwelling with men has become Zion, and the great blessings of the LORD are found there.

     Psalm 84 cries out to be in the LORD's tabernacle, where God dwells with man: "How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God...Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage (mesilla/salal - ways, path, raised way, staircase, ladder, course of life/lift up, cast up, exalt, raise up, make a level way). As they pass through the Valley (emeq/amaq - valley, lowland, open land suited for growing corn or for a battlefield/deep, depth, deep as being unsearchable) of Baca (weeping, lamentation, bewail, mourn, shed tears, weep bitterly), they make it a spring (mayan/ayin - fountain, spring, well, a place irrigated with fountains/eye, sight, fountain, well, presence, face, pleased); The rain (more - early rain, teacher, archer) also covers (ata - cover, enwrap, envelop oneself, clad, array, clothe) it with pools (beraka - blessing, prosperity, praise of God, a gift, benediction, treaty of peace, invocation of good). They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. O LORD of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear O God of Jacob!...For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of My God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!"

     Not only does the tabernacle of God cause a transformation, but the pilgrimage in the Spirit that a person makes to the tabernacle dwelling place of God creates a transformation along the way as we saw in the verses above from Ps. 84. We create spiritual highways that change low places of mourning and bitter weeping into pools of praises, blessing, peace and benedictions, or good words. Sometimes we are so overset by the troubling events of the depths that we see now, that we neglect our upward spiritual pilgrimage that transforms the "now" into the dwelling place or tabernacle of God with man, the place of glory and grace.

     There used to be, and still are, pilgrimages from all over Israel and even from the nations of the world to Jerusalem, to the mountain where the temple of the LORD stood. The people would walk up many inclines and steps as they ascended to the House of God. Many believe that the prophets of God have written about another physical temple/tabernacle that will be built in these end times before the return of Jesus Messiah/Christ. These pilgrimages in the natural were shadows of the spiritual pilgrimages we are called to in order to come to that place where God dwells with and in man.

     Moses sought this place of oneness with God (Ex. 33:18-23). Abraham sought a city whose Maker and Builder was God and not man (Heb. 11:8-10). Both Paul and Peter wrote of the House or dwelling place of God, being built not with natural bricks or stone, but of living stones, which are the believers in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith (Eph. 2:19-22, 1 Pet. 2:4-5). Peter also wrote that by believing in the promises of God, we make a pilgrimage in faith looking forward, as Abraham did, to those new things to come, even a new creation (2 Pet. 3:12-13, see also Isa. 66:22-23). This tabernacle pilgrimage brings forth the transformation from the realm of the prophetic into manifestation (Heb. 10:35-39, and Heb. 11:1-3).

     This is the marvel that awaits us at the end of our spiritual pilgrimage to the tabernacle of God: "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.' Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new..." (Rev. 21:1-5).

     This is a similar transformation as the one we read in Ps. 84, above. regarding the Valley of Baca. If we want to see the tears and mourning of these times transformed into righteousness and salvation, let us begin our prophetic pilgrimage to the LORD's tabernacle.

     Jesus left us the most powerful promise concerning His Father's tabernacle and its feast: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house (oikia/oikos - house, dwelling, abode/house of God, tabernacle) are many mansions (mone/meno - abode, dwelling, indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers/kept continually, not to perish, endure, remain, lasting); if it were not so, I would have told you. And if I go and prepare (hetoimazo - make ready, prepare, provide, prepare a feast, a supper, a lodging; to receive on coming, things made ready in advance) a place for you, I will come again and receive (paralambano/lambano - to take with one's self, to join with one's self, receive near/take with the hand, take up a thing to be carried, to take in order to carry away, to collect, to gather) you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way (hodos - a travelled way, road, a traveler's way or journey [see "pilgrimage" above], progress, a manner of thinking, feeling or deciding) you know." (Jn. 14:1-4).  

     As Jesus described His Father's tabernacle and the place already prepared within it for us, He also connected this to His return. Our spiritual pilgrimage or "way" to God's tabernacle also anticipates not only Christ's return but our being received or carried away to Him - known as the Rapture (see 1 Thess. 4:16-18). Jesus expected His disciples to make the spiritual pilgrimage to the tabernacle of God, where Christ has prepared to be joined to us, and to return. The promises connected to the Feast of Tabernacles/Ingathering are very deep, eternal, and creation changing.

     If you would like to know more about our tabernacle pilgrimage, you can pray with me: "Father, You have called me to Your tabernacle, made me a living stone in Your tabernacle, and Your Son, Jesus, has also promised me a place in Your tabernacle forever. As I make my spiritual pilgrimage to this destination, I am praying and believing that transformation will follow my steps, that deep places of suffering and tears will be transformed into elevated places of Your abounding blessings. As my spiritual pilgrimage to Your tabernacle progresses, let old things pass away, and let Your new things be manifested. Father, let the gathering in, called the Feast of Tabernacles, of Your salvation harvest be filled and completed with both Jew and Gentile from out of all nations, and let Christ's return be hastened. These promises associated with this feast are almost too awesome to comprehend but help me to learn and walk in them by Your Holy Spirit and Your living Word. I ask for and believe these things by faith 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 Α Ω , 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.

     

AtonementWitness

      This Sabbath, according to some calendars, is the observance of the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kipur, which is one of the fall feasts of the LORD. Believers in Jesus Messiah/Christ know that He IS the atonement for our sins, covering and obliterating our sins with His own blood made as a sacrifice, thus fulfilling this feast (see Mt. 26:27-28, 1 Jn. 2:1-2, Rom. 5:10-11, Rom. 3:23-25). This is a one-day feast commanded by the LORD in Leviticus 23: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement (Kipur/kapar - atonement, expiation, redemption/atonement, purge, reconciliation, forgive, cleansed, pardon, pitch, obliterated, to cover over [with pitch], to expiate, be merciful). It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict (see below) your (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. And you shall do not work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God..." (v. 26-28).

     Before we leave the Hebrew word meanings above connected to Yom Kipur, I would like to look more closely at the Hebrew word ana, translated to mean "afflict", regarding our souls. Most traditionally treat the affliction of our souls as a day of fasting and repentance, however, the Hebrew meaning goes deeper than that. The Hebrew word ana means "afflict, humble, be bowed down, to stoop, to weaken oneself, submit oneself, concern oneself with one's soul, be labored or exercised over one's soul." There is an additional meaning to the word ana, or afflict, that requires an action: "to answer, respond as a witness, make answer, testify, speak, give account, sing, cry out, praise song, the shout of soldiers in battle, a witness giving evidence." This powerful day of "affliction" is not only to include a humbling examination of our souls, but it is a day that requires us to take an action, and to give evidence.  We will see this in the next few examples.

     The root word of Kipur (Atonement) is kapar as shown above. The root word kapar first appears in scripture during the account of Noah's building of the ark. As we see above, kapar means "atonement, purge, reconciliation, forgive, cleansed, pardon, obliterated, cover over (with pitch), to expiate, be merciful." The LORD had told Noah that "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood...and cover it (kapar - see above) inside and outside with pitch (koper/kapar - ransom, satisfaction, price of a life, redemption price)." (Gen. 6:13-14). All mankind was to be destroyed except for one family: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (v. 8). How would you feel to have seen by revelation from God the deserved total destruction of all mankind and then to have been told that you and your family would be the only exception? How would you feel to have received this unearned gift? Would you bow down in humility and submission before this awesome gift and mercy of God? This is what the LORD is looking for in His people because we have received the undeserved atonement in the blood of Jesus Christ, who, while we were yet sinners, died for us. Do we understand the utter destruction from which the atonement blood shields and delivers us? Why would we think that this day is about food or the abstaining from food? The LORD corrected this false perception in Isaiah 58. We don't want to reduce an act of God's transformative power and mercy into a religious ritual.

     In this account of the ark, scripture remarks upon Noah's genealogy and generations. Noah is described as a just man, perfect (tamim/tamam - without blemish, perfect, upright, without spot, whole, complete, full, innocent (see Mt. 27:3-5), complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact/end, finished (see Jn. 19:30), clean, perfect, done, be completed, completely crossed over) in his generations, as well as the remark that "Noah walked with God." (Gen. 6:9). The LORD was looking at Noah's generations, calling them "perfect". What He saw in those generations is found in the statement: "Noah walked (halak/yalak - depart, die, live, carry, cause to walk, take away, vanish) with God (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega Ha-Elohim)." To me, this is saying that Noah's generations or descendants contained the Messiah/Christ. In the same way as the later case of David, the seed of the Messiah, who is the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega, was in Noah. This was a very humbling thought for David (see 2 Sam. 7:18-22), and it must have been for Noah also. All of these things is enough to cause a person to bow down before the LORD in thanks and awe.

     Noah, as a witness and a testimony to the atonement, followed God's will and prepared a place (see also Jn. 14:1-6) which was the ark. That place was covered inside and out with the koper/kapar atonement (pitch) that protect from the destruction of judgment. Noah applied the pitch (covering atonement inch by inch, foot by foot, inside and outside of the very large vessel.

     Another Atonement witness or testimony is found in Num. 16:41-50. There had been a terrible rebellion among the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness. As a result of this rebellion, all involved in it died, having been swallowed alive by the earth, or consumed by fire from heaven. After these deaths, the people turned against Moses and Aaron, falsely accusing them of killing God's people (Num. 16:41). The glory of the LORD covered the tabernacle and Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle as the LORD said: "Get away/Get ye up (ramam - exalted, lifted up, mount up, to rise, to be high) from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell (napal - fall down, be offered, cease, die, perish, smite out) on their faces." (v. 42-44). Notice how Moses and Aaron fell down on their faces, as the LORD commanded them to "Get ye up".  The lower you humble yourself or your soul, the higher you are lifted up in the Spirit. "So Moses said to Aaron (aharon - "light bringer"), 'Take a (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) censer (mahta/mehita/hata - fire-holder, censer, firepan, a pan for live coals, implement or vessel in which burning coals are carried/destruction, ruin, terror, a breaking/to take hold of, seize, take away, snatch up [coals], to pick up fire) and put fire in it from the altar, put incense (qetoret/qatar - odor of burning sacrifice, perfume/fumigation, a smoke of sacrifice) on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement (kapar - atonement, purge, reconciliation, reconcile, forgive, cleansed, merciful, pardon, pitch, to cover over, overspread) for them; for the wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague (negep/nagap - blow, striking, plague, stumbling of the foot/smite, hurt, slain, struck, stumble, beaten, defeated) has begun." (v. 45-46). Aaron did so, "...standing between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped." (v. 48). Aaron ran into the middle of a deserved plague of judgment with the atoning fire from the altar. Before the plague was stopped by Aaron's atonement witness, 14,700 people died (v. 49). 

     In describing the Messiah/Christ who would come, John the Baptist said: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Mt. 3:11).

     We experienced a terrible plague in the past few years. Millions were sickened and many died. What was our atonement witness in the midst of the plague? Was it the same as Aaron's? By definition, we, the believers in Christ, understand what it means to be a people who were undeservedly spared (see Rom. 5:8) from utter destruction because of the Atonement blood of Jesus. Did we apply the atonement for the sins of the people in the midst of the plague?

     Jesus, the Person of the Atonement, gave humbling testimony of the ministry of atonement. We think of the atoning work of the cross, which is true, but the atonement didn't start there. Jesus first dropped His atoning blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, meaning an olive oil press, located at the foot of the Mount of Olives, where His soul was so deeply troubled and sorrowful that His sweat became great drops of blood that fell to the ground (see Lk. 22:44), and where His testimony was the submission of His will to the will of His Father. (Mt. 26:36-39, 42). This is the perfect picture of the affliction (ana, see above) of the soul associated with the Day of Atonement.  If you are in this sorrowful place of pressing and wrestling in your soul, Jesus left His atonement blood in that place for you. He left the answer in that place for you also: "Not my will, Father, but Your will."

     The next place that Jesus shed blood was at the house of Caiaphas the high priest. He was accused of blasphemy (see Isa. 50:6), and they spit in His face, beat Him, and slapped Him. (Mt. 26:65-68). If your religion has separated you so far from God that you can no longer recognize Him when He is standing before you, Jesus left drops of His atoning blood in your house also if you will receive it.

     From there, Jesus was taken for the first time to Pilate's palace, where He must have continued to drop blood from the beating, and then He was sent to the palace of Herod, where He also must have left drops of blood on the floor. He was then returned to the judgment court of Pilate, where He was crowned with thorns, scourged, and beaten. (Jn. 19:1-3). There must have been great streaks of blood left at Pilate's judgment seat. If you think that government is the answer to problems, a provider of equity, and the dispenser of justice separate and apart from God, or you are a member of government who panders to power and wealth rather than righteousness, Jesus left drops of His atoning blood in your house too if you will receive it.

     Then Jesus began the walk with the cross through the streets of Jerusalem, where His blood must have trailed on the ground on the way to the place of crucifixion. Simon a Cyrenian (a place in Libya, Africa), a passerby not involved in the horrible proceeding, was forced to carry the cross for Jesus (Lk. 23:26-27). Simon must have gotten smeared with that atoning blood as well. Jesus does not remain confined to a church building but walks the streets of our communities (see Prov. 8:1-10), where He leaves drops of His atonement blood. If you think that the atoning blood of Jesus is only for certain racial, ethnic or cultural groups and not for you, He left drops of His blood just for you. 

     Finally the Atonement and the Atonement Witness, Jesus, came to Golgotha (golgotha/gulgolet/galal - skull/every man, census count or poll to determine the price of redemption/roll away, remove, flow down) where He was crucified (Mt. 27:33-35). Here, of course, His blood would have dripped upon the ground of "the Skull" (every man, see gulgolet, above). However, His blood would also have gotten upon the soldiers who laid Him on the cross, took hold of His arms and legs to nail Him and later stood below Him as they pierced Him in His side (Jn. 19:33-34). The Word of Isaiah 53 tells us that there was never a man whose face and form was so marred as this man. A person doing such a job as those soldiers did on Golgotha couldn't help but come into contact with His blood. If you think that you have done something so offensive to God that you cannot be covered and forgiven by the atonement blood of Christ, Jesus left drops of His atoning blood for you if you will receive it.

     Before the day of His resurrection, Jesus left drops of His blood on the burial cloth that laid beneath and over His body in the sepulcher in which He was buried. If or when you are facing death, Jesus left drops of His atoning blood for you. It is the shed blood that has overcome death.

     Under the law of Moses, on the Day of Atonement in the tabernacle of God, the high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies with a basin of the blood of the sacrifice, dip his finger, rather than a utensil, into the blood and sprinkle the blood of atonement on the Mercy Seat, also called the Throne of God according to Jewish tradition, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people. It is the only day of the year when the priest could enter that holiest part of the tabernacle and come out alive. The atonement must be applied with our hands, not just for our own benefit, but on behalf of others. The Atonement requires an answer, a witness, a testimony, an action. Now, the Book of Hebrews says, we can enter into that holiest place through the torn body of Christ and approach (Heb. 10:19-25) the Mercy Seat, the place where the blood of atonement is applied on behalf of the sins of the people. 

     If you would like to learn more about the Atonement, you can join me in prayer: "Merciful Father, as we come to the Day dedicated to Your provision of Atonement, which is the blood of the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus, lead me by Your Spirit and Word into a deeper understanding of what it means to be a witness giving evidence of this powerful and costly Atonement. As Noah "walked with the aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega God", show me how to walk and apply Your Atonement upon Your Mercy Seat.  It is not by my will, Father, but by Your will. Help me to humble and search my heart and soul until like Noah, Aaron and Jesus, I walk in the application or ministering of Your Atonement especially in these trying times. I ask this in Jesus' name. 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 Α Ω , 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.