TwoPeoples

      The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is Toldot, which means "Generations, Archetypes, Beginnings." Toldot is not just "generations", but the beginning of a spiritual precedent or type which will carry through generations into the future. One of the precedents that we see in this Toldot portion is a fight to the death, and God's judgment against it.

     Abraham had only one child with his wife, Sarah, and the child's name was Isaac. He had another child with his wife's maid, Hagar, whose name was Ishmael. After Sarah died, Abraham married Keturah and had several more children to whom he gave gifts, but "Abraham gave (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) all - that - he - had to Isaac." (Gen. 25:5). The covenant inheritance that Abraham received from God was given to Isaac. 

     Isaac married (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Rebekah but she was childless for twenty years. "Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived..." (Gen. 25:21). The word "pleaded" used in this verse is very powerful in its extensive meaning in Hebrew. It is the word and roots atar/eter/atar, which mean "to pray, entreat, plead, supplicate, intercede, to burn incense in worship, to breathe odors or perfume, to hear and answer/abundance, plenty/to be abundant, plentiful, to multiply, make abundant, to accumulate." We see the meaning "to burn incense in worship" as connected to prayer in the Book of Revelation: "And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand." (Rev. 8:4).

     Also, part of God's covenant with Abraham, which was passed on to Isaac, included the concept of great multiplication (see Gen. 22:15-18). We see this multiplication in Isaac's life in another form also. In the middle of famine in the land, Isaac sowed seed in the land of the Philistines ruled by King Abimelech and reaped in the same year a hundredfold as he experienced the LORD's blessing. (Gen. 26:11-14). We can see a meaning of abundance and multiplication also connected to the Hebrew words atar/eter/atar above.

     The LORD heard and answered Isaac's prayer, and Rebekah, Isaac's wife, conceived. However, she noticed a great problem with her pregnancy: "...the children struggled together (rasas - oppressed, bruised, break, crush, crush in pieces, grievously oppress, crack in pieces, treat violently, to dash one another, to make run) within her; and she said, 'If all is well, why am I like this?' So she went to inquire (see atar/eter/atar above) of the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD." (Gen. 25:22).  As we can see from the meaning of rasas in the above verse, this was not just a "struggle", or a wrestling match, but this could become a fight to the death between the children in her womb. When Rebekah inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered and told her: "Two nations (goy/geva/gev - nation, people, Gentiles, body, corpus/the back, the body/back [as beaten], body) are in your womb, two peoples (le'om - people, folk, gather) shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger." (Gen. 25:23).

     Two archetypes or toldot were coming into being in Rebekah's twins. These archetypes are or will be in a violent struggle to the death. Who are these archetypes? When the twins grew older, one, Esau, who was the first born, would be a skilled hunter (sayid/sub - prey taken in hunting/hunt eagerly, lie in wait, to chase, to hunt, to take, to supply oneself, to lay a snare for fowl or for men) in the fields. The younger twin, Jacob, is described as "a mild (tam - perfect, complete, undefiled, upright, quiet, innocent, pure, gentle, pious) man dwelling in tents (ohel - tent, dwelling, tabernacle, sacred tent of Jehovah)." (Gen. 25:27).

     Although both men came from the same knowledge of covenant, eternal inheritance and salvation as being near descendants of Abraham's household, and both men's names are preceded by *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega in the written Hebrew of v. 28, one man, Esau was violent, and even sought to kill his brother, Jacob (Gen. 27:41). He sought the things of the field bound to the earth, including his own provision. The other man, Jacob, was of heavenly character and sought the dwelling place of God according to the descriptions above. One man, Esau, despised his birthright as the oldest, considering it of no value when he had great needs and temptations of the flesh, while the other man, Jacob, following the revelation of the LORD given to his mother, sought and valued that birthright (see v. 29-34). This is the same picture that we have as Satan tempted Jesus during Christ's forty day fast in the wilderness. Jesus clung to the Word of God and to His heavenly inheritance and birthright in the face of every temptation and challenge (see Lk. 4:1-13).

     Remember in the prophetic Word to Rebekah, these two men would be archetypes or toldot of two different peoples. These two types of peoples go beyond the natural descendants of the two men.  Esau's descendants are identified in scripture as Edom. They sought to harm God's people at every opportunity. The prophet Obadiah, from another reading portion from this Toldot Sabbath, wrote the judgment of the LORD against the people of the archetype of Esau: "For violence (hamas - violent, violence, cruelty, wrong, damage, injustice, oppressor, unrighteous, false (witness), unjust gain, violated, made bare, violently taken away, maltreat) against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever...For the day of the LORD upon all nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall return upon your own head." (Obad. v. 10, 15). The LORD also said that there would be no survivor remaining of the house of Esau (v. 18). As for the house of Jacob, the LORD declared: "But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; The house of Jacob shall possess their possession." (v. 17).

     Understanding that the people of the archetype of Esau are not limited to genetic descendants but also include spiritual descendants, Paul wrote of an unrighteous people who will see the wrath of God, even though "what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them...although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened...And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting..." (Rom. 1:18-19, 21, 28). Like Esau, these people of whom Paul wrote are not ignorant of God nor the inheritance found in God but choose instead corruptible and perishing things that reflect their violent and unthankful hearts. God considers them to be without excuse (v. 20).

     In the Book of Revelation, there is prophesied a spiritual power, called the fiery red dragon, who will hunt and pursue the woman who is pregnant with the male Child, the Messiah/Christ, who was to rule the nations, and "to make war with the rest of her offspring, those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." God supernaturally protects the woman from destruction. (Rev. 12). The dragon's greatest enemy is the descendant of Jacob, the Messiah/Christ, and those who believe in the Messiah/Christ and say so. The genetic and spiritual descendants of the archetype Jacob are the house of Israel, and the believers of the Messiah/Christ who is from that nation/house.

     This also will be in many cases a fight to the death.

     The prophet Malachi from another reading portion of this Toldot Sabbath delivered a mournful prophetic message to Israel from the LORD: "I have loved (ahab - love, friend, beloved, lovely, loveable, to desire, to breathe after) you,' says the LORD. Yet you say, 'In what way have You loved us?' 'Was not Esau Jacob's brother?' Says the LORD. Yet (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated (sane - to hate, enemy, odious, utterly), and laid waste his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness." (Mal. 1:1-3).

     The written Hebrew connects Jacob with the Messiah/Christ, while Esau has had his *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega mountains removed from him. After all, Esau had despised his *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega inheritance and birthright.

     The thing that makes this prophetic Word so sad for the LORD is that the very people who descended from the archetype or toldot, Jacob, showed that they had lost all reverence and thanksgiving for the LORD. They had grown so cold toward the LORD that they were unaware of their falling so far from Him. The LORD had to say to them: "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? says the LORD of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Your name?" (Mal. 1:6). This people's attitude toward the LORD was reflected in their attitude towards their offerings and service to Him. While His own people despise Him, the LORD said that from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, He would make His name great among the Gentiles, "in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations,' says the LORD of hosts." (v. 11). 

     Esau despised the eternal and incorruptible things of the LORD, but the LORD sadly acknowledges that although He loved the toldot archetype Jacob over his brother, the people of Jacob also show this same disrespect and contempt.

     Those who have been called to follow the archetype of Jacob, seeking the inheritance of Abraham including the Messiah/Christ, the inheritance of God, also need to keep this warning in mind as the days ahead before the return of Christ become more turbulent and dangerous. Jesus said to His disciples: "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." (Mt. 24:12-13). Paul also wrote of the danger to faith: "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day (of Christ) will not come unless the falling away (apostasia/apostasion/aphistemi - defection from truth, apostacy, falling away, forsake/divorce, repudiation, something separative/cause to withdraw, become faithless, depart from, remove, excite to revolt) comes first, and the man of sin is revealed...who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped..." (2 Thess. 2:3).

     The account of the brothers and archetypes Jacob and Esau is not limited to their physical descendants, but also to those who are spiritual descendants of the toldot types. In this season dedicated to Thanksgiving in several nations, it is also time to affirm which archetype or toldot we will follow. As Joshua said to the Israelites: "...choose for yourselves this day (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the LORD." (Josh. 24:15).

     If you would like to know more about following the call of the LORD and His eternal things, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, I give You all thanksgiving and praise as the Most High God. You have shared Your inheritance with me through Your Son, Jesus Messiah/Christ. I have been adopted and joined into the promises given to Abraham through faith in Your Son. Fill me with Your Word and with Your Holy Spirit, and seal my heart, mind and spirit, so that I will walk with You all the days of my life, and my whole household also. Keep me steadfast in faith and faithful in love for You and Your kingdom. Let those people be multiplied in abundance who come to You seeking the eternal promises of life and salvation, of deliverance and safety, of blessings, peace, mercy, grace and love. I ask these things 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.

     

     

     

HolySpirit

 

     This Sabbath's reading portion is titled Chayyei Sarah, meaning "the life of Sarah". The title comes from the first verse of Genesis 23: "Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah." The Hebrew used here for "life" is the word and roots hay/haya/hava, which not only mean "life", but also "save, quicken with life, revive, restored to life or health, continue in life, revive from death, to declare, to show, to breathe, breathe out." It also contains the meaning "flowing (fresh) of water". Breath or breathing out are the root of life and the return to life as we see above.  "Breath" is the word ru-ach, or "spirit". Ru-ach HaKodesh is the Holy Spirit of God and is also the Spirit of life and revival of life. Jesus said: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (Jn. 6:63).

     Although the beginning of this Sabbath's reading portion deals with the death of Sarah, Abraham's wife, throughout all of the assigned reading for this week, including Gen. 23, Gen. 24, Prov. 1, 1 Kings 1, and Ruth 2, I found a common thread running through all of these sections: the qualities of the Holy Spirit leading to "the life of Sarah."

     In Gen. 23, Abraham must find a place to bury his wife, Sarah, and insisted on a deed, a legal guarantee, from the sons of Heth, also known as the Hittites, from whom he purchased the burial place for four hundred shekels of silver. He paid the full price for the piece of land: "...the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded/made sure (qum - raise, raise up, establish, confirm, sure, be set and fixed in place, make binding, endure) to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city." (v. 17-18). And there Abraham buried (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Sarah (meaning "noble woman, princess, wife of the king, queen, prince, rule reign, have power, govern").

     The importance of Abraham's obtaining of the deed is found in the meaning of the Hebrew word qum as shown above. Not only is the deed a binding guarantee, but the Hebrew word qum is also associated with being "raised up". Abraham was establishing the fixed precedent that Sarah would be raised up with this deed. The apostle Paul wrote about the Holy Spirit being the same guarantee to us, and also the Spirit's role in resurrection from the dead: "...you were sealed (sealed for security, marked, confirmed) with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee (price paid in security for something) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His (Christ's) glory." (Eph. 1:13-14, see also 2 Cor. 1:21-22).

     In regard to the Holy Spirit and resurrection, Paul wrote: "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death...if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life (zoopoieo/zao - produce alive, make alive, give life, restore to life/to breathe [see hay/haya/hava above]) to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Rom. 8:2, 11). In the Greek language, "Spirit" is the word Pneuma, meaning "breath of the nostrils, a life-giving Spirit, the vital principal by which the body is animated." When this Sabbath portion became titled Chayyei Sarah, or "Life of Sarah", we can see the promise of God of resurrection through Christ by the Holy Spirit that Abraham established at her death. It is a brilliant example of revelation faith on Abraham's part, and the genius found in the depths of the Word of God.

     After Sarah's death, old Abraham sent his most trusted servant to secure a wife from his relatives for his son Isaac in Gen. 24, another reading portion from this Sabbath. Abraham promised his servant that the angel of the LORD would go before him on this mission. As we read the family members from Abraham's brother, Nahor, we see that Bethuel begot (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Rebekah. (Gen. 22:20-23). The servant traveled to Abraham's distant relatives in Mesopotamia with ten camels carrying precious goods and riches for the future bride and her household. In order to find the yet-unknown bride for Isaac, the servant asked the help of the LORD in revealing the ordained bride. The servant asked the LORD to reveal the bride who will draw water from a well for himself and his camels. The servant made the camels kneel outside the city of Nahor (breathing hard) by a well of water (Gen. 24:1-14). It was Rebekah who came to the well, and not only gave Abraham's servant water to drink, but all of the camels as well until they were finished drinking. Camels drink a great amount of water, especially after traveling in the desert. One camel can drink forty to sixty liters of water in just a few minutes, and Rebekah filled the thirst of all ten camels from the water of the well. Abraham's servant knew by this sign from the LORD, that he had found the bride for Isaac. Rebekah also told him that she was indeed related to Abraham's family. She agreed to leave her family immediately and travel to Abraham's son Isaac. When Isaac saw Rebekah and heard all that had taken place from the servant, "...Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent...and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." (v. 15-67, excerpt).

     The prophet Isaiah connected the Holy Spirit with water. The LORD said to Israel: "For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring." (Isa. 44:3). Jesus also stood and cried out to the crowd, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart/belly/soul will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive..." (Jn. 7:37-39).

      The verses above tell us that Rebekah comforted Isaac who was still mourning his mother, Sarah's, death. Jesus told His disciples that He would send the Helper/Comforter (parakletos - called to one's side for aid and succor, an advocate, consoler, intercessor) from His Father to them after He leaves them. Jesus identified the Comforter as the Holy Spirit (see Jn. 14:16-17, Jn. 15:26, Jn. 16:7).

     Rebekah's name means "to ensnare by beauty, a rope for a noose". This sounds like a negative meaning, but it is also the character of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, and therefore their need for Jesus as Savior (Jn. 16:8-11, 1 Cor. 12-13). It is the Holy Spirit that convicts and draws a person to Christ. We see this again in another reading portion from this Sabbath, where we read that Wisdom cries out in the streets to those who are heading to destruction: "Turn at My rebuke; Surely I will pour out My Spirit on you; I will make My words known to you." (Prov. 1:20-23, Jn. 14:25-26).

     In another Sabbath reading portion, we see a connection between water and life as mentioned above when David had his son, Solomon, anointed as King in order to foil the plans of another son who was trying to usurp the throne. David ordered Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet to take (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Solomon to the Gihon ( meaning "labor to bring forth, draw up, take out, break forth of light, burst forth with babe") River (a geographic place also known to some as "the fount of the Virgin"), anoint him king, blow the trumpet (shofar), and sit Solomon on the throne, "and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah." (1 Kings 1:32-35). According to the meaning of this river of water where a king was established and anointed, which also includes a connection to "the Virgin", and the bursting forth of a babe, we can connect this river to the Holy Spirit as the angel spoke to the Virgin Mary: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God." (Lk. 1:35). There is no life, and no resurrection to life, especially associated with the Messiah/Christ line of the royalty of God, including our title Chayyei Sarah, "the life of Sarah", without the Spirit of life, who is the Holy Spirit. This is the source of our title Chayyei Sarah, "the life of Sarah/Princess/Prince".

     In another reading portion from this Chayyei Sarah, or "Life of Sarah" Sabbath, we see another precious quality of the Holy Spirit from the Book of Ruth. Naomi and her two Moabite daughters-in-law all became destitute widows. Naomi's deceased husband, Elimelech's, name means "My God is King." Would Elimelech's death and the deaths of his two only sons mean the death of the ordained royal line of the Messiah/Christ? We will see how God's prophetic plan never fails.

      The widow Naomi planned to go back to her deceased husband's family in Israel, near Bethlehem, for their support. Her daughters-in-law wanted to go with her and did not want to stay in their native Moab, but Naomi urged them to stay since they had family there. One daughter-in-law, Orpah, kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, "but Ruth clung to her", and movingly swore to dwell with Naomi and to never leave her (Ruth 1:14-17). In describing the Holy Spirit to His disciples, Jesus said, "And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Comforter/Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth...for He dwells with you and will be in you." (Jn. 14:16-17). When Naomi and Ruth (meaning "friendship, companion, pasture") returned to Israel and the Bethlehem area, Boaz, a relative of Naomi's deceased husband and a man of great wealth, noticed Ruth gleaning the leftovers of grain in his field, as the poor are allowed to do, while his harvesters gathered the main grain crop. He then heard the report of how Ruth came with Naomi and had stayed with her and helped her. Boaz favored Ruth and told her she was to remain in his field where she would be safe and not go to another field. He also blessed Ruth "by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." (Ruth 2:11-12).  Boaz then said to Ruth: "...when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the young men have drawn." (Ruth 2:1-9). We see another reference to drawn water here as we saw above, perhaps another mention of the Holy Spirit.

     Boaz's name means "strength, swiftness" according to Strong's Concordance, but I also see the Hebrew words bo + 'uz in his name which mean "enter, come in" + "bring into refuge or safety". One of the pillars in front of the temple of Solomon was named "Boaz" (see 1 Kings 7:21), I believe for this very meaning, in order to say to all "Enter into the refuge and safety of the LORD." Boaz became that pillar pointing to the entrance to the place of refuge and safety for Ruth.

     Boaz married Ruth and "the LORD gave her conception" of a son. The women around her declared at this time: "...And may he (the child) be to you a restorer of life (nepes/napas - breath, that which breathes, soul/to take breath, to be breathed upon, refreshed) and a nourisher of your old age..." (Ruth 4:15). Their child would be the grandfather of King David, and the ordained royal house of the Messiah/Christ to come. (see Ruth 4:17). The promise of the royal lineage of Messiah/Christ did not end with the deaths of Elimelech, Naomi's husband and her sons, but was fulfilled by one of his relatives, Boaz.

     The Holy Spirit plays a necessary and blessed role in the life of every believer in Jesus Christ. He is the fountain of the waters of life and resurrection. He is the breath, the Comforter, and the Helper who makes miracles happen in and through our lives. He teaches and reminds us, as the Spirit of truth, all that we must know in our walk with Christ and His salvation from the Words of Christ.

     If you would like to know more about the Holy Spirit or to receive Him in your life, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, You sent Your Son, Jesus, to save us, and to baptize us with the fire of the Holy Spirit. This same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, raises us also, and also seals and guarantees our inheritance in Him. Baptize me to the full in the water and fire of Your Holy Spirit, who is Your promise to me as a believer in Jesus as Lord. Fill my life with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Fill my mouth with the words and language of the Holy Spirit, who speaks the words of Christ. 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 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.

     

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.