SeeingFaith

     This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled, Va-yeira, meaning, "And He appeared." The title is based upon the first verse of the reading portion in Gen. 18:1: "Then the LORD appeared (ra'a - see, look, appear, behold, consider, perceive, seer, foresee, have vision, discern, gaze at, to be visible) to him (Abraham) by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat (hom/hamam - dangerous heat/hot, burning, enflamed) of the day." Abraham saw the LORD in the form of three men who were standing by him, as Abraham "lifted his eyes." (v. 2). Abraham rushed around in the heat to make provision for the three men that they should rest and be refreshed (sa'ad - comfort, strengthen, hold me up, establish, uphold a throne) in their hearts. Do we realize that we can strengthen, uphold, and establish the throne of the LORD? We do so by ministering to Him. We often ask the LORD to minister favor and grace to us in various forms, but do we minister rest and refreshing to Him? Abraham ran to minister rest and comfort to the LORD. (see v. 6-8). It is at this point that the LORD prophesied that He would return to Abraham, and his wife, Sarah would have a son. Sarah, listening in the tent door, laughed to herself when she heard this promise concerning herself and her husband in their old age. That would indeed be a miracle! (v. 9-12). The LORD knew what Sarah thought in her heart and asked her, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?...I will return to you...and Sarah shall have a son." (v. 13-14).

     We have studied ra'a appearing and sight together previously, and, although I try to avoid any repetitious studies and blog entries, I ended up following a path that brought me back to this topic again in a greater depth. Perhaps, in our present times, with many who are suffering and struggling, we need to take a deeper look at this topic. I hope you will agree.

     There is an expression, "blind faith." However, I found here that the LORD provides help for us in our walk of faith by letting us ra'a "see" Him, as Abraham did above. He gives us the appearance of Himself in a form that assures us that He has spoken, and He has promised. If we receive this gracious strengthening of our faith by the LORD, we are helped to overcome circumstances.

     Later on, after Abraham and Sarah's son Isaac (meaning "he laughs") was born, "God tested (nasa - prove, assay, try, test, put to the proof, to try by smell, to try by the touch) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Abraham." (Gen. 22:1).

     This was the test of Abraham that was commanded by God: "Take now (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your son, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (v. 2). Let's look at the word, "Moriah" used here. It is translated from the Hebrew as "Chosen by Jehovah", but the Hebrew root words that make up this word are ra'a and yah, which mean "See" (see above) and "the LORD". The Hebrew letters that make up the word "Moriah" are mem, vaw, reysh, yod, heh, which, when joined together could mean: "the water/blood of the Highest's nailed hand/completed work is shown/revealed."

     The trial of Abraham seems very severe indeed, but it was necessary in order to reveal something of earthshaking importance that would be a blessing to the whole earth: the completed work of the Son of God, His only Son, whose bloodied hand was nailed.

     Let us see how Abraham ra'a saw something that strengthened him in faith and trust in the LORD: "So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled (habas - bind up, govern, restrain, to stop, to rule, to bind up a wound, to bind by allegiance, to shut up) his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) donkey, and took (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (v. 3).

     It is clear from the Hebrew meanings of the words that are used for "donkey" (hamor/hamar) and "young men" (na'ar), that Abraham was "troubled, in turmoil, foaming like a raging sea, reddened, feeling emptiness, shaken, violent in commotion, very angry, growling, yelling, crying and roaring like a lion" as he struggled with the command of the LORD concerning Isaac, but he "saddled" these feelings, or restrained them because of his allegiance to God. Did we think that God's command to offer his son of promise Isaac as a burnt offering did not affect Abraham in a profound way? Did we think that because he is named among the giants of faith (see Heb. 11:8-12), that he calmly led Isaac to the place of sacrifice? He was shaken to his core. Hebrews 11:13 explains that Abraham and other giants of faith, saw the promises from afar off and were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. We are not directed by what we see in the natural, visible world, but by the promises that we see from afar off and embrace with our hearts.

     In this same manner, something happens that will drive Abraham forward. He "sees" something:

     "Then on the third day Abraham lifted his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) eyes and saw (ra'a - see meaning above) the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) place afar off (rahoq - long ago, old, space, far from, of distant time, remote and difficult to get to of place or time, great while to come, dear, precious)." (v. 4).     

     What Abraham ra'a saw caused him to say to his "young men", 'Stay here with the "donkey"; the lad and I will go yonder ('ad - as long, how long whether of space or time, until) and worship, and we will come back (sub - return, restore, refresh, recover, come back, be returned, be brought back, to be converted as a sinner) to you." (v. 5).

     We know the rest of the account. Abraham set up the offering of (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) his son, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) his only son, Isaac, but was stopped by the Angel of the LORD at the last moment. "Then Abraham lifted his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) eyes, and looked (ra'a - see meaning above) and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, 'The-LORD-Will-See (ra'a)/Provide; as it is said to this day, 'In the Mount of the LORD it shall be seen (ra'a)/provided." (v. 12-14).

     Moriah is also the place that many centuries later, would be referred to as Calvary, or Golgotha, the place of the crucifixion of Christ outside of Jerusalem, as well as the possible place of the temple mount. This encounter of Abraham's, of course, speaks to us of the offering of God's only Son, Jesus, as our replacement burnt offering, just as the ram replaced Isaac. He died in our place, by which we sinners are converted (changed) by belief in Him. Jesus, God's only Son, also rose from the dead as the firstfruits or progenitor of our resurrection. Abraham "saw" this out of time, as Jesus also confirmed (see Jn. 8:56-58). Abraham then moved forward towards the destination in faith. Is our vision coming from this place, Moriah, or from another place?

     Abraham had *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) 'ayin eyes to ra'a see as we read in the verse above. These types of eyes are not exclusive to Abraham. All of those connected to *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega Messiah/Christ (see *note below), as Abraham was, have been given 'ayin eyes. However, 'ayin eyes are not just to see physical or natural things only, just as ra'a sight is not limited to the physical or natural. The Hebrew word 'ayin means, "sight, before, to flow, eyes of physical, mental and spiritual faculties, a spring or fountain [sources of fresh or new water, living water]." Are we seeing with those eyes that create a "spiritually seeing faith"? Are our 'ayin eyes springs and fountains of spiritual sight through which God supplies, not only for ourselves, but for others as well?

     We also know that 'ayin eyes see more than the physical realm because they can be darkened, not with physical blindness, but with spiritual blindness by God when His people refuse to "see". Those whose 'ayin eyes are darkened in this manner can no longer perceive the LORD or His works, and they become a people of unbelief rather than faith. They become so spiritually blinded that they cannot even perceive that they are spiritually blind!  How terrible it is to lose our 'ayin eyes! The Lord said this to Isaiah the prophet: "And He (the Lord) said, 'Go, and tell this people: Keep on hearing but do not understand; Keep on seeing (ra'a - see above) but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes ('ayin - see above); Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed." (Isa. 6:9-10).

     The LORD also said through Isaiah the prophet: "Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind!...For the LORD has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your eyes ('ayin - see above)..." (Isa. 29:9-10, excerpt). Even *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega eyes may be closed by God because the eyes of those who are meant to belong to Messiah/Christ refuse to "see".

     Jesus also talked about eyes that have become darkened to spiritual knowledge. (Mt. 6:22-23). In these verses, the eyes are the Greek word and root ophthalmos/optanomai. These Greek words mean: "eyesight, the eyes of the mind and knowing/to look at, behold, to gaze with wide open eyes at something remarkable as opposed to casual vision, watching from a distance, earnest and continual inspection." Jesus also said in another place that the religious leaders who had chosen to be spiritually blind and continued leading others into the same spiritual blindness as their own, were like "the blind leading the blind." Both will fall into the pit that is before them. (see Mt. 15:10-14, Lk. 6:39-42).

     Paul wrote that he prayed for the believers, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, that Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age which is to come." (Eph. 1:16-21). There is an awesome knowledge of the power and dominion of God in Messiah/Christ waiting to be imparted to the eyes of our understanding. Imagine the faith that is created through the opened and enlightened eyes of our spiritual understanding!

     Are we ra'a seeing afar off with our lifted 'ayin eyes, as Abraham did, and believing? Are we seeing it? Have we asked God to give light to our eyes that we may see in this way? It is the LORD who gave us those eyes, and it is the LORD who gave us that sight, and He did so for a reason. Abraham was almost overcome with horror and anger, but then he lifted up his eyes to the place where the LORD commanded him, and he saw.

     Paul wrote that there is no testing/trying/proving/temptation of faith and character that a man may experience from God of which God has not also prepared, produced, appointed, ordained or shown the way out so that we can bear it, especially for those "upon whom the ends of the ages have come." (see 1 Cor. 10:11-13). Abraham was allowed to "see" what he needed to see in order to be able to bear the test that the LORD had placed upon him for our sakes. In these times of testing and refining that come before the return of Messiah/Christ, it is a blessing and a necessity to know that the Lord shows us even the unseen things so that we may overcome. It is the blessing and lesson of this Va-yeira, "And He appeared," Sabbath. 

     The LORD said to Jeremiah, while Jeremiah was imprisoned: "Thus says the LORD who made it, the LORD who formed it to establish it (the LORD is His name): "Call (qara' - call out, cry out, utter a loud sound, summon, invite, call with the name of God/meet, encounter) to Me, and I will answer you, and show (nagad - declare, show, show forth, make known, be apparent, to be in sight, to be manifest, to bring to the light, to conquer, to overcome, to celebrate with praise) you great (gadol - great, high, greater, mighty, great of magnitude or extent) and mighty things (basar - inaccessible, fortified, secret, mysteries), which you do not know (yada in the negative - not perceived, not known, not seen, not revealed, not observed, not aware)." (Jer. 33:2-3). The LORD then showed Jeremiah the wonderful and miraculous restoration that He had planned for Judah.

     The blessed vision that God has ordained for us that is connected to His overcoming Son, Jesus, is not just for the purpose of seeing the darkness and length of the tunnel, but it is provided to us so that we might be able to see "the light at the end of the tunnel," to coin a familiar and applicable phrase. Now that we know that this sight is available to us, we can ask it of the LORD. Are you struggling or waiting upon the promise of the LORD? He is with us in all circumstances in His supernatural way to help and strengthen us. (see Ps. 124:1-8, Isa. 41:8-10).

     If you would like to know more about faith that "sees", you can join my prayer: "Heavenly Father who sees and knows all things, You are not partial nor a respecter of persons. You called Abraham to faith for our benefit, to be a blessing to all the nations and families of the earth, and as our example to follow. Abraham heard Your voice and obeyed. Abraham saw Your appearance, Jesus, and was strengthened by it, and followed the way in which You led him. I pray that I, also, have ears to hear and eyes to see, and a heart to receive what You desire to show me of things that are not yet seen in the natural world, but have already been established and completed in the Spirit. As I am tested, give me eyes to see the way out that You have ordained for me, not just to escape, but in order to strengthen and purify the faith that You have given to me. Show me, Lord, and I will "see." I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

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

Household

      This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Lech - L'cha, which means, "Go! Leave!" This reading portion covers several chapters in the Book of Genesis, from Ch. 12 through Ch. 17. These chapters begin the account of Abram/Abraham's journey into the land of Canaan as he was commanded to do by the LORD. The reading begins: "Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families (mispaha - familes, kindred, a circle of relatives, tribe, a genus, a kind) of the earth shall be blessed..' So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot (his nephew) went with him..." (Gen. 12:1-4).

     The phrase "Get out" as spoken by the LORD to Abram is the Hebrew word yalak, yalak (written twice). This places particular emphasis on the meaning, making it "Get out!" The word yalak/halak means, "to go, walk, depart, move, go away, to die/to live or manner of life, to lead, to bring/walk away, to go through or over a place." The LORD wasn't throwing Abram out of his home and away from his family in Haran as a punishment, but, the meaning implies that he is to get out for his own sake or benefit. As we can see in the above verses, the LORD has attached to the command to "Get out!", incredible and miraculous blessings that will come upon Abram, blessings that would never have ordinarily come into the life of a herdsman. The place in Mesopotamia from which Abram was leaving was Haran, which has the root meaning: "kindle, burn, angry, scorched, dried of thirst, to roast, of men destroyed by heat." From the Arabic language, Haran/harar has this very interesting meaning: "born of a noble race, free born, the brightness and purity of a man obscured by no stain." If we combine the two ideas, we may be able to say that the same fiery brightness that shines from an unstained purity in one man, is the same fiery brightness that destroys another (stained) man in scorching heat.

     The chapters covered by this week's Sabbath reading portion deal with Abram's journey in the LORD into the land to which God told him to go and the covenant that the LORD made with Abram/Abraham. God both spoke to and appeared to Abraham on several occasions in order to direct him. It is also here in these chapters that we first see Abram, or anyone, called a Hebrew ('ibri/'eber/'abar - "one from beyond", from beyond the Euphrates or Jordan Rivers/great grandson of Shem, "the region beyond", region on the other side, "across or beyond"/pass over or through, cross over, overflow, emigrate). (Gen. 14:13). The Hebrew letters used to compose the word "Hebrew" are 'ayin, beth, reysh, yod. These letters' individual meanings could be joined together to say: "See and understand the appearance of the fountain, house, family or body within the Highest's completed work." These are amazing works that the LORD was establishing in and through Abram the Hebrew that started with His command to "Go!".

     We have discussed in earlier blog entries the awesome foundation that the LORD established through Abraham when studying this Lech L'cha Sabbath reading portion in previous years. However, for this entry, I would like to look at events in Genesis 16 and 17.

     In Genesis 16, we see an account of Abram's first-born son when Abram was eighty-six years old. His wife Sarai/Sarah had borne Abram no children, and she told Abram to embrace her Egyptian maid, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Hagar. After Hagar conceived, Sarai/Sarah "dealt harshly ('ana - afflict, force, troubled, weakened, browbeaten, oppress, put down, be depressed, be humiliated, hurt) with her." (v. 6). Hagar fled from Sarai, and the Angel of the LORD found (masa' - find, attain, acquire, meet, encounter, come upon, light upon) her by a fountain ('ayin - eyes, sight, fountain, of mental and spiritual faculties) in the wilderness. The Angel of the LORD told Hagar that she must return to her mistress, Sarai, and then said: "I will multiply your (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) seed/descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude. And the Angel said/sang to Hagar about the name of her son to be born, and told her his name would be Ishmael (yisma'el - God will hear, whom God hears). (v. 7-12). Hagar called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You-Are-the- God-Who-Sees; for she said, 'Have I also here seen (ra'a - see, behold, appear, perceive, regard, seer, foresee, have vision, look upon, gaze at, discern) Him who sees me?" In this statement, Hagar didn't say that she saw an angel, but that she saw the LORD (yod-hey-vaw-hey: "Behold the hand, behold the nail"). (v. 13-14). "So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Ishmael. (v. 15). 

     The LORD had previously established a solemn covenant with Abraham, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates..." (Gen. 15:17-21, excerpt). The LORD repeated that promise to Abram/Abraham, as He promised to make Abraham, then childless, a father of many nations.

     There came a point when a natural and spiritual family or household was to be established through Abraham. This household of Abraham was to be established through God's (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) covenant of circumcision. Every male in Abraham's household, from eight days old, was to be circumcised. However, this circumcision was not only to apply to the natural descendants of Abraham's flesh: "...every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with (your) money from any foreigner who is not your descendant..." (Gen. 17:9-14). The circumcision of the flesh is called here a "sign/token" of the covenant. (v. 11). The word translated as "sign" here is the Hebrew word 'ot, spelled with the Hebrew letters aleph-vaw-tav. which when joined together can mean "the Lord Adonai nailed to the cross, or joined to the covenant. The word 'ot means "miraculous signs, miracles, distinguishing mark, to consent, agree, assent." We can see that the covenant established was to anyone and everyone who lived within Abraham's household, not limited to those who were born of his flesh.

     What kind of household is this? According to the sign (see above meaning) of this household, it is a household of miracles. It is a household of faith, indicated by the consent and agreement necessary by the meaning of the "sign". Finally, it is a household of life, because those who do not receive the "sign" of this household are cut off. This covenant of the sign of circumcision is not limited to an outward or physical sign, but, more importantly, it is an inward or spiritual circumcision. From another reading portion of this Lech - L'cha, or "Go!/Leave!" Sabbath, the prophet Jeremiah wrote of the LORD asking Israel to return to Him and saying: "Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns (see Mt. 13:3-9). Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of your evil doings." (Jer. 4:3-4). The apostle Paul, who in the flesh was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin, as well as a Pharisee, wrote of the same truth: "...For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. (see Rom. 2:25-29).

     Jesus also remarked that being of the household of Abraham requires more than being his genetic descendant. It requires a submission of the heart and understanding to God, the Father. (see Jn. 8:37-39). Circumcision was a prophetic sign as well as a natural sign that pointed us to greater things than the sign itself according to the Hebrew meaning of "sign".

     Abraham's household members, joined in identity by the sign of circumcision, was made up of not only his natural descendants, but even foreigners that he had bought. The prophet Isaiah brings this same revelation regarding the Servant of God, the Messiah/Christ as we read in the household of Abraham: "I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness; and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles....to raise up (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth." (Isa. 42:6/Isa. 49:6). The Servant/Messiah/Christ is for the salvation and restoration of Israel first, and then also to the Gentiles and the whole earth. (see also Rom. 1:16-17).

     It was then that the LORD prophesied and promised to Abraham that his wife (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Sarah would give him a son, who was to be named Isaac. It is with (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) not yet born Isaac that the LORD will establish (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) His covenant, although the LORD promises to bless Ishmael. (Gen. 17:15-22). The very day that Abraham was circumcised, he also circumcised his son, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Ishmael, and all the men of his house (bayit - house, dwelling, temple, household, family, descendants as an organized body). (v. 23-27).

     We can see the identity of the Messiah/Christ upon this natural and spiritual household of Abraham in the repeated presence of the *aleph-tav in the written Hebrew above (see *note below). Jesus also confirmed His personal presence and relationship with Abraham as the eternal Messiah/Christ, and Abraham with Him, that superseded time even though they were forty-two generations apart within flesh and time. (see Jn. 8:56-59, Mt. 1:17).

     The LORD would repeat His covenant promise of the land to Abraham's second son, Isaac, and later, to his son, Jacob. However, the prophecy of Isaac's miraculous birth to a childless and aged Sarah, points to more than the son who will inherit the land. Abraham, before he died, would have several "natural" children, but only Isaac was the son of (prophetic) promise. It was only Isaac out of all of the sons of Abraham who was to carry the seed of the yet-to-be-born Messiah/Christ. (see Mt. 1:1-2, Lk. 3:30-34, Gal. 4:27-29).

     As the LORD Himself established this remarkable and miraculous household of Abraham as a sign, His plan of salvation continued on its set and unchangeable course.

     If you would like to learn more about this remarkable household of miracles, faith and life established not by the will of man, but by the will of God (see Jn. 1:12-13), you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, who is a God like You, establishing the end from the beginning?! Before I knew and loved You, You called me to be accepted and adopted into Your household of salvation, not because of who I was or wasn't in the flesh, but because of Your purpose for me in the Spirit and by faith in Your Son of Promise, Jesus. Let the sign of Your covenant of circumcision be within my heart and my most inward parts as it calls out to others to come and join Your eternal household. Bless the father of our faith, Abraham, and bless His household, both Jew and Gentile. I ask this in the name of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Messiah/Christ. 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. 

Safety

      The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is No'ach (Noah), meaning "Rest", and also "resting place, quiet, to let remain, set down, cause to alight," taken from Genesis Chapters 9-11. The Hebrew letters that make up the word No'ach are nun and cheth and they look like this נֹחַ. 

     The meanings of these two Hebrew letters when combined together can mean: "The Heir to the Throne of life and faithfulness separates and protects in an inner chamber."-

     All of these meanings above are reflected perfectly in the account of the preservation of Noah, his family and, as we know, selections from all of the animals, and all of the food that would be needed for Noah and the animals, during the judgment by flood waters that would come over the whole earth. The rain and fountains of water lasted for forty days, but it took months for the flood waters that covered the mountain tops to recede. We, who are believers in Messiah/Christ, understand that the phrase used above, "the Heir to the Throne", refers to the Son of God, Jesus (see Heb. 1:1-4, Eph. 1:18-23, Rev. 11:15, Rom. 8:16-17). How can we recognize Jesus in the account of Noah? 

     Our first hint comes in the verse: "But Noah found (masa' - to find, to meet, to encounter, to detect, to light upon, to discover, to attain to, to come upon, to reach one, to present an offering) grace (hen/hanan - grace, favor, gracious, beauty, precious, elegance, acceptance, good-will/mercy, gracious, pity, favor, stoop in kindness to an inferior) in the eyes ('ayin - eye, fountain, countenance, knowledge, resemblance) of the LORD (יְהֹוָה/yod-hey-vaw-hey: 'Behold the hand, behold the nail')." (Gen. 6:8). Noah didn't find something, but he met/encountered/discovered/reached for Someone who was Grace. The Gospel of John reveals that Jesus as the Word of God: "...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...And of His fulness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (Jn. 1:14, 16-17). Jesus is the fulness of grace. (see also Titus 3:4-7, 2 Pet. 3:18, Rev. 22:21).

     Noah lived in dangerous and violent times when men's hearts had become full of evil. (Gen. 6:5-7). Man had become so perversely wicked and corrupt that God would have to destroy all life that He had created and loved. Where would Noah turn in this terrible time? There was only One who could preserve and save him and his family.

     At the end of the flood account, the three sons of Noah were to form separate nations: "...according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations...These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood." (Gen. 10:5, 20, 31-32). Acts 17:26-27 gives us even more revelation of why the LORD wanted to divide nations by boundaries: "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."

     Remember how Noah "found", encountered, met, discovered, attained to the Grace of God mentioned above? The LORD divided the people into nations so that they might be more likely to seek and find Him according to Acts 17, above.

     The separation into even smaller groups and separate languages for each son of Noah (see above verses) also leads us into an interesting connection. The Hebrew word used for "languages" in these verses is the word lason/lasan, which means, "tongue, language, talkers, tongue of fire." Later, in the New Testament on the Feast of Pentecost/Weeks, the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples as "tongues of fire", and the "wonderful works of God" was heard spoken of in all of the different languages of the world. This was an important confirming sign of the Gospel of salvation. (see Acts 2:1-11).

     However, immediately after the account of Noah, we read in another part of the Sabbath portion of a people that chose another way to preserve themselves.

     From Genesis 11, we read about these mysterious people: "Now the whole earth had one language (sapa - border, brink, boundary, speech, language, lips) and one speech (dabar - word, speech, utterance, language, decree, reason). And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of the earth." (Gen. 11:1-4).

     These people came from the east and found a plain in Shinar, which is near Babylonia/Chaldea. They had not divided into nations, as the LORD had mentioned in Gen. 10:32 above, but had one border or edge. So they came from further east than even Babylon originally. "East" is the Hebrew word qedem, which means "east, eastward, old, ancient, before, ancient time, eternal, antiquity, earliest time, everlasting,"

     They desired to make fired bricks to build a city and a tower. Bricks that have been fired go through a chemical process called vitrification that changes their characteristics. The clay brick becomes solid and non-absorbent, increased in strength and density with decreased water absorption. Not only did they fire the bricks, but they mortared and covered them with asphalt (hemar/hamar/homer - asphalt, bitumen which rises to the surface of a slime pit/cover over or smear with asphalt, red, glow with redness/asphalt smear that turns red in sunlight). Noah, on the other hand, had covered (kapar - atonement covering, cover with pitch, atonement for forgiveness of sins) the ark inside and outside with pitch, which made the ark waterproof, and was a prophecy of Messiah/Christ sent by God to be our atonement covering. These ancient people who settled in Shinar mortared and smeared their bricks with asphalt that takes on a red appearance in sunlight, and also creates an impervious surface that prevents water from penetrating. This was a manmade or counterfeit atonement covering.

     The tower that they intend to build will have a top that will reach into heaven. If the tower were that high, it would be higher than the previous flood waters. While some speculate that the tower was used for astrology and star-worshipping purposes, which was true with some ziggurat structures later found in the area and may be true here also, we cannot ignore the hints that these people also wanted to preserve themselves from any future flood. Also, the Hebrew word migdal (see below) is used for "tower", having a specific meaning that was not really connected with a ziggurat. God had made a covenant with Noah and all living creatures to never flood the earth with water again, confirming that promise with the sign of His rainbow in the sky (Gen. 9:8-17), but perhaps these people from the east did not know of or trust in that promise. They did not want to be divided into different nations, as the LORD had intended, and they set up defensive measures, including a "red" waterproof "covering", a counterfeit of the blood of atonement, to protect themselves from any flood judgment of God. They relied upon themselves for their preservation and did not seek/reach out for the Grace of God, the Lord of Grace, as Noah had.

     So we can find a connection of the city and tower being built on the plain in Shinar, as perhaps being a defensive response to the previous devastating world-wide flood. However, the purpose of this massive building project may also have to do with their additional statement: "...let us make a name (sem - name, to mark with a sign, designate, a celebrated name, fame, praised and famous, glory, the celebrated name of God) for ourselves, lest we be scattered (pus - scatter, disperse, break to pieces, shake to pieces, flow, overflow) over the face of the whole earth." (Gen. 11:4). Could these ancient people from the east have tried to commandeer the Name of God (HaShem) for themselves? They already had disobeyed the command of God to Noah's family to spread out over the whole earth. In scripture, the Name of God is also connected to a tower: "The name (sem, see above) of the LORD is a strong ('oz - strong, mighty, power, boldness, security, majesty, praise, defense, refuge, protection, make secure) tower (migdal/gadal - tower of size and height, pulpit, elevated stage/magnify, great, greater, powerful, make great); the righteous run to it and are safe (sagab - high, defend, safe, to exalt, to be safely set on high). The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own esteem." (Proverbs 18:10-11). There are many references in scripture to the LORD as a tower, a defense, a place of rescue, refuge and safety. Man cannot provide this magnitude of safety.

     Noah's sons would bring forth many descendants according to Genesis 10. What a great temptation it would be to turn to a people, a city and a tower that claimed that they could offer safety and protection, rather than God! What a great name, with accompanying power and riches, could be had by those who claimed to be able to provide this unassailable defense and protection, even from the judgment of God! However, it would be a false promise, a lie. God showed it to be a lie in a moment: "But the LORD came down to see (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the city and (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, 'Indeed, the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld/restrained (basar - fenced, cut off, walled off, made inaccessible, secrets, mysteries, inaccessible things) from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.' So the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad (pus - see above) over the face of all the earth." (Gen. 11:5-9).

     It is noteworthy that in the very next chapter in Genesis, Abraham's father removed his family from this Chaldean area and began to move them westward towards Canaan. (Gen. 11:27-31). Abraham, obeying the voice of the LORD, would finish the journey into Canaan itself. This move was a foundation of faith for the greatest story ever told. The LORD had a plan and a purpose.

     In the account of the city and tower on the plain of Shinar, it is as if man once again chose to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, rather than the Tree of Life, as he had done in the Garden of Eden. Man again desired to attain for himself the power and qualities that belong to the saving God alone, including the prophesied but not yet at that time manifested Messiah/Christ, noted by the presence of the *aleph-tav (see *note below) in the written Hebrew text. It is Jesus who said that He came in His Father's name (Jn. 5:43-44), and it is Jesus who has prepared a place for us with His Father and Himself. (Jn. 14:1-6). It is God, and not man, who has prepared the genuine wondrous city, the New Jerusalem, which will descend from heaven. (Rev. 21:1-5).

     We now also live in times of violence, fear and danger, as were the times of Noah. We have seen World Wars, atom bombs, hydrogen bombs terroristic threats and attacks, and other means of destruction. There will be men and nations who promise to provide peace, safety and protection, but it is a lie committed in pursuit of wealth, glory and power. It is a lie that the LORD does not want people to believe and trust in or they will perish as the day of His return approaches. Jesus prophesied and warned of these false messiahs/christs and their deceptions. (see Mt. 24:4-5, and 23-27). Only the LORD and His Name (yod-hey-vaw-hey: "Behold the hand; Behold the nail") are the strong tower of our safety. Only in finding the Person of Grace, Jesus Messiah/Christ, as Noah did, do we find our place of safety. If man promises "peace and safety", then sudden destruction will come. (1 Thess. 5:2-3). Beware of the promises of men of false safety.

     From another reading portion of this Noach, "rest" Sabbath, this is the genuine, all-powerful, everlasting promise of peace to those who belong to the LORD as told to His prophet Isaiah: "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, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace (salom/salam - peace, safety, welfare/live in peace, secure, free from fault) be removed,' says the LORD, who has mercy on you...All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you." (Isa. 54:9-10, and 13-14).

     If you would like to know more about the safety found in the Lord, and His covenant of peace, you can join me in prayer: "Heavenly Father, You have given to us the promise of peace and safety - not as man understands "peace", but of Your peace that extends beyond man's understanding. It extends beyond the end of life and into everlasting life. No matter what my circumstances are, no matter what the events of the world are, You have, through Your precious Son, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, assured me of Your peace and safety. I run into the strong tower of Your Name, Lord, and I am saved. I look into Your eyes, and I find and encounter the Grace of Your Son. Mankind makes its plans, but You, Lord, rule over all. You closely watch over Your Word to perform all that You have said, and Your promises are true and sure. I seek Your covering and refuge, and I ask that by Your Holy Spirit, I may lead others to this place of sure peace and safety, saying, 'Enter into the Noach rest of Your Savior.' I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

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

Endings&Beginnings

      At this time of year, after the Feast of Tabernacles, the Torah Sabbath readings come to an end with the last chapters of Deuteronomy, but at the same time, the Torah Sabbath readings are renewed with readings beginning again in the Book of Genesis (Greek word meaning "origins, source, generation, beginning"), or the Hebrew name of the first Book, B'reishit, which means "In the Beginning." The Hebrew Title of this first Book of the Torah comes from the first verse: "In the beginning (re'sit/ro's - beginning, first fruits, first, chief, best, choice, principal thing, first of its kind/head, top, beginning, first, rulers, captain, summit, height, choicest, best, height, summit, forefront) God created (bara - create, creator, select, choose, make, done, shape, form, fashion, to cut, to carve out, to produce) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the heavens ([vaw]*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) and the earth." The presence of the two *aleph-tav's and their written locations in front of the heavens and the earth bring an eternal meaning to those two parts of creation. The presence of the *aleph-tavs also connects the heavens and the earth with the identity of the Messiah/Christ Jesus, who is eternal, and calls Himself "the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last". (see *note at bottom). We see this eternal characteristic of the heavens and the earth, including new beginnings, in these prophecies: Isa. 65:17-25, 2 Pet. 3:13-14, Rev. 21:1-4. When Father God connected the heavens and the earth to His Messiah/Christ by the written Hebrew *aleph-tav, He incorporated into them the ending and the beginning of them as well.

     This Book could have been titled "Created" from the Gen. 1:1 verse above, but the title and emphasis is placed instead upon "beginning". The end of the Torah reading in Deut. 33 and 34 deal with Moses' blessings spoken over each tribe of Israel, the laying on of Moses' hands upon his appointed successor, Joshua, and the death of Moses on Mount Nebo (meaning "prophet") after the LORD showed (ra'a - look, behold, appear, consider, seer, perceive, provide, foresee, to be visible, be shown, cause to see, discern, have vision) Moses all of the land that the children of Israel were about to possess. Within this ending was the prophetic spiritual seed for the new beginning found in the ra'a vision which the LORD caused to be seen by Moses. (Deut. 34:1-4). Moses would end, but the new beginning, the land soon to be possessed by the children of Israel, was incorporated into the vision given to the prophet. There is no ending without the accompanying provision of God of the new beginning. Don't despise the ending of something, but look for the new and greater beginning that is about to come.

      Another reading from this B'reishit Sabbath brings forth a prophetic revelation of the Messiah/Christ in Isa. 42:1-9. The LORD covers this prophecy with His authority as Creator: "Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it (se'esa'im - offspring, issue, descendants, children, produce), who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it." (v. 5). The LORD also is prophesying by the principle of endings and beginnings: "Behold, the former things (ri'son/ri'sa - first in time, foremost, primary, former, aforetime/beginning time, early time) have come to pass, and new things (hadas - new, new thing, fresh, unheard of, renew, make anew, rebuild, repair, be new) I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them." (v. 9).

     The LORD is both the beginning of something and the end of something (see Isa. 46:9-10, Rev. 22:12-13), followed by another new beginning (see Isa. 43:18-19, Isa. 65:17-18, Eph. 4:22-24, 2 Cor. 5:17, Rev. 21:5-6). As we can see from Eph. 4:22-24 and 2 Cor. 5:17 linked above, part of what the Lord is able to create anew is a person, whoever believes Him through Jesus Messiah/Christ, who IS the beginning and the end.

     As we can see from the first verse of Genesis, above, the meaning of the words in Hebrew includes the truth of a Creator who chooses or selects, forms, shapes and fashions. The Creator makes the purposeful decisions. Creation does not occur by happenstance or accident but is purposefully directed. Challenging the idea of Creator God is not just a recent phenomenon. The LORD understood that man in foolishness would deny this truth: "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb (see also Ps. 139:13-18): 'I am the LORD, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself; Who frustrates (para - makes void, come to naught, make ineffectual) the signs of the babblers (bad/bada - lie, liar, used in regard to soothsayers and false prophets/devise, contrive, invent, feign), and drives diviners mad; Who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolishness." (Isa. 44:24-25). Many of those who deny a Creator consider themselves wise intellectuals, but the LORD says here that he makes their "knowledge" into foolishness.

     It is very important that we know God as Creator. The absolute power and authority of the Creator is so great and high, that it is beyond human understanding and imagination without a revelation from Him. In that power and authority, what can't God do? Jesus and the angel of the Lord both said that nothing is impossible with God. (see Mt. 19:25-26, Lk. 1:35-38).

He is a Creator of things that no man can create in the natural world, as He notes above in Isaiah 44. For example, God spoke light energy, both spiritual light (Gen. 1:3-5) and natural light energy (Gen. 1:14-19) into existence, when the scientific law of the conservation of energy states that in the physical realm, energy cannot be created by man: "Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed from one form to another."

     Not only did God command light to manifest from nothingness, but that Light was the spoken Word of God, and that same Light is the Light of life in man (see Jn. 1:1-5). That Light, Who also became flesh, Jesus, (see Jn. 1:14-18) was the Author/Prince and Beginning of Life. (see Acts 3:14-15). 

     It is essential that man understands that he has a Creator and did not create or evolve himself by chance into existence. The LORD directly connects His authority to redeem and save us to His authority as Creator. He is able to redeem man because He created man. He is able to extend His Salvation to man, because He created man. We see this connection in the verses above from Isaiah 44. Isaiah also gave us even more declarations from the LORD of this connection: "But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King." (Isa. 43:1-3a, 15). Here we see again, the Creator has the authority to provide redemption and salvation to the uttermost extreme condition, distance and need through His Salvation, Messiah/Christ Jesus. (Heb. 7:24-25). God created that uttermost and has authority over it. David said in another reading from this Sabbath that there was no extreme distance where he could go over which God does not inhabit and have authority. Therefore, in every circumstance, God can see him, David, and rescue him. (Ps. 139:7-12).

     In another declaration through the prophet Isaiah, the LORD speaks over His people as their Creator: "For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited: 'I am the LORD, and there is no other....Who has declared this from ancient time (qedem/qadam - ancient time, before time, eternal, that which is before, earliest time, beginning/beforehand, before)? Who has told it from that time ('az - beginning, old, earlier, at that time or place, of old, now)? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." (Isa. 45:18, 21b-22). Only God is Creator and therefore, only God is Savior. Man cannot save himself or anyone else. There is only one Savior.

     Again we read from Isaiah: "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I the LORD do all these things...I the LORD have created it (referring to heavens that rain down righteousness and earth that opens to bring forth salvation). Woe to him who strives with (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) his Maker!" (Isa. 45:7-9, excerpt). The earth, the grave, indeed opened and Salvation (Yeshua, Jesus) was brought forth! The earth could not disobey its Creator. Only man will disregard His Maker, even though it is his Maker who has called forth righteousness and salvation on man's behalf from the beginning.

     In another reading from this B'reishit, "In the beginning" Sabbath, we find God's faithful servant Job suffering great affliction through no fault of his own. He is undergoing a testing of his faith that is extreme. In this testing, he is looking in the wrong places for his help. His search, probably like ours would be also, involves the question, "Why did this happen to me?" His friends were not much help to him either, as they also searched for the reason that this affliction came upon Job. In chapters 38 through 41, the LORD begins to present the wonders of His creation to Job through questions. There were mysteries, impossibilities, specific characteristics of creation that were all meant to illustrate the presence and control of a Creator. Man could neither explain nor duplicate any of the marvels about which the LORD asked Job. The LORD "answered ('ana - answer, testify, speak, to sing, utter tunefully) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Job out of (min/men - from, among, a part of anything/string of a harp, a musical chord as parted into strings, slender threads) the whirlwind (sa'ar - storm, whirlwind, tempest, be troubled, tossed with tempest, be sore, be made, insane, violently shaken, scatter by wind)." (Job 38:1, 40:6).

     The LORD entered into Job's whirlwind of affliction and sang His testimony to him with musical chords of strings according to the Hebrew words of the verses. After beginning His revelation of His power in creation, the Lord asked Job these questions: "Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and array yourself with glory and beauty." (Job. 40:9-10). No man can do what God has done as evidenced in His creation.

     After the LORD continues His revelation to Job, Job answered (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the LORD: "I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You...I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees (ra'a - see above) You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:1-2, 5-6).

     The LORD "restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before...Now the LORD blessed (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the latter days of Job more than his beginning (re'sit -see above)..." (v. 10, 12).

     Within the LORD's revelation of His authority and power over His creation, Job found a new knowledge of God and a new beginning prepared for him that was even greater than his former blessings or ending. We also see the *aleph-tav eternal Messiah/Christ thread that we first saw in Genesis 1:1 throughout Job's experience.

     The "in the beginning" B'reishit message of this Sabbath has great meaning for all creation, and for each one of our lives. Contained within it for the heavens, the earth and all that springs out of the earth are endings and beginnings and then again new beginnings enveloped by the identity of (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Messiah/Christ Jesus, who is the spoken Word of creation. Our Father, the Creator, has authority over all, and as Job said, "You can do everything, and...no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You." Are we able to walk in this powerful knowledge where nothing is impossible with God?

     If you would like to know more about this awesome creation power of God, or if you need a new beginning, you can join in my prayer: "Father, Creator, help me to walk in the knowledge of the endings and beginnings contained within the power of creation. Renew me, LORD, by faith in the redemption and salvation of Your Son, Jesus Messiah/Christ. The old things have ended and passed away, and Jesus has made me and all things new. Strengthen me in faith, LORD, and heal my unbelief. You have a new beginning already planned for the heavens and the earth, as well as for me. I praise You and exalt You as my Creator and King, my Redeemer and my Savior. I pray today in the name of Jesus, my *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega". 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. 

Rest

      From the beginning of the creation, the LORD has incorporated the idea of the Sabbath, a holy day of rest, a day dedicated to rest in and with the LORD our God: "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished (kala - end, finish, accomplish, done, determined, be completed, bring to an end, fulfill, bring to pass, wholly reap; destroy, exterminate, cause to cease, put to an end, utterly destroy, expire, quite take away, perish, make clean riddance). And on the seventh (Hebrew root words seba/saba - seven as the sacred full one/to swear, charge, bind by an oath, to charge solemnly, seven sacrifices, seven witnesses, seven pledges) day God ended His work (meleka/malak - service, work prescribed to any one, workmanship/angel, messenger of God, ambassadors, representative, a prophet-priest-teacher, king) which He had done, and He rested (shabat - cease, rest, celebrate, put an end to, to cause to desist from exertion, be completed, sit down) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed (barak - bless as an act of adoration, praised, kneel down, congratulate, make to kneel) the seventh (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) day and sanctified (qadas - sanctify, hallow, dedicated, holy, consecrate, purified, appointed, to be separate, to show oneself sacred-majestic-honored-holy) it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." (Gen. 2:1-3).

     God celebrated not only what He created, finished, accomplished, completed, fulfilled, wholly reaped and determined, as well as the appointed message contained within it, but He also destroyed the previous condition of the earth: deep, thick darkness, ruin and emptiness. I can imagine the LORD giving a shout of "Hallelujah!" over the completion of all things. The seventh day represented the greatness of rejoicing as if our New Year, Christmas and Thanksgiving were combined together! It is no wonder that the LORD told mankind to remember the Sabbath and to keep it holy. It must create sadness in the heart of God to see that mankind has lost the true and glorious meaning of the Sabbath.

     Those who are believers in Jesus, will recognize the Sabbath in the words of Jesus and in His accomplishment on our behalf. Jesus said that the Son of Man, referring to Himself, is Lord of the Sabbath (Mt. 12:1-2, 7-8). Jesus removed religious oppression from the Sabbath by proclaiming that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mk. 2:27-28). Jesus was also an ambassador carrying the message (see meleka/malak, above) of the Sabbath when He declared: "Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest...and you will find rest for your souls...for My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Mt. 11:28-30). Jesus walked in the message of the Sabbath when He miraculously healed many on the Sabbath to the condemnation of the religious rulers. He challenged them and asked them: "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" (Lk. 14:1-6). It is obvious from that conversation that the Jesus had the perfect understanding of the Sabbath. When Jesus gave up His spirit on the cross, He said in what we find in the meaning of the Sabbath: "It is finished." (Jn. 19:30). Jesus had completed His work to provide salvation and atonement for sin, and at the same time, He had, with His resurrection, destroyed the power of the deep darkness and ruin of death for those who would believe in Him. The Name given to Jesus by His heavenly Father incorporates the blessing of the Sabbath, as it causes all creation to kneel before that Name and take an oath (Isa. 45:22-25, Phil. 2:5-11).

     Our understanding of the Sabbath will help us with this week's Sabbath reading portion titled CHOL HA-MO'ED SUKKOT, meaning "The interim days of the Feast of Sukkot, or Tabernacles." This feast lasts seven days with the first and eighth day, called Simchat Torah, or "Rejoice in the Torah," being observed as a special Sabbath: "It is a holy convocation/sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it." (Lev. 23:33-36). So the Feast of Tabernacles is book-ended by days that are treated as Sabbaths, with no work. Within the days of the Feast occurs a regular Sabbath as well, so three Sabbaths are involved with this Feast.

     This Feast is also known as Sukkot, meaning "booth," because temporary shelters are constructed in which the people are to dwell or commune together for the seven days of the Feast. This Feast is also called the Feast of Ingathering in scripture, referring to the joyful harvest of the fruits of the trees and the vines. (Ex. 23:14-16). 

     We see the scripture reference from Exodus 23 noted above. This chapter from Exodus is also part of this Sabbath's reading portion. It shouldn't surprise us to find that the LORD also has a command regarding the Sabbath: "Six years you shall sow (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your land and gather in its (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) produce/fruits, but the seventh year you shall let it lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove. Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest (shabat - see above), and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed (napas - refreshed, take a breath, to breathe, to breathe upon, refreshed as if by a current of air, cease from working, take a breath when wearied)." (Ex. 23:10-12). 

     We see the LORD making provision not only for a Sabbath Day, but a Sabbath Year, and both are meant to be a blessed benefit for man. As Jesus's Words are still teaching us: "Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man." It is a day or year for celebrating, and for giving profound thanks and love to our God who provides everything to us, even our rest and refreshing, our breath. Please let us give the LORD the highest glory, honor and praise that He deserves for providing His beloved creation with a Sabbath day or year, as we come to understand what He meant the Sabbath to be to us. It is not about observing a day on a calendar from which we have removed all divine love and provision, but about freedom from need. The LORD also said in Exodus 23: "So you shall serve (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the LORD your God, and He will bless (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your bread and (vaw-aleph-tav: "the Lord, the First, Adonai nailed to the cross") your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land. I will fulfill (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the number of your days..." (v. 25-26).

     We do not worship the Sabbath, but we worship the LORD who provided the Sabbath for us out of joy, love and care.

     The Tabernacle or Booth which is associated with this Feast, reminds us of the shelters that the LORD provided for His people in the open wilderness when He brought them out of Egypt. It is today constructed with an open roof covered only with leafy tree branches (see Isa. 11:1-10, Jer. 23:4-6, Zech. 6:11-13), and as a three-sided shelter with the fourth side left open as a welcoming and easy door (Jn. 10:7-10) of entry. When I consider the structure of the "booth" or tabernacle used to observe this feast, the open ceiling, covered only by living greens, allows for the connection between heaven and earth. The open fourth side of the booth, not only welcomes people into the booth, but to me it represents the door to enter into the presence of and communion with God, as the LORD says, "Enter into My rest." (see Heb. 4:9-10, Mt. 25:21). To me, the booth built to observe the Feast of Tabernacles is made of living matter because the true Tabernacle is the Prince/Originator of life. (see Acts 3:14-16, Jn. 15:4-8).

     From another reading portion of this CHOL HA-MO'ED SUKKOT Sabbath, we read that the temple of God became the place where forgiveness dwelt for God's people, just as the Tabernacle in the wilderness was the place for the atonement for sins. As Solomon prayed to the LORD in order to dedicate the newly-built temple in Jerusalem, he specifically prayed that the temple would serve as a place for the forgiveness of God for those who came to Him with a repentant heart: "And may You hear the supplication of Your servant (King Solomon) and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive....When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people, Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act...that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers." (1 Kings 8:30-40, excerpt).

     King Solomon concluded, saying: "Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest (menuha - comfortable, ease, quiet, resting place, marital abode) to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses." (1 Kings 8:56).

     The temple or tabernacle represents more than just a physical building, however. Warfare would see the destruction of the temple that Solomon built and dedicated, because Israel sinned against the LORD by worshipping other gods, terrible gods. The temple that was later built and then enlarged and beautified by Herod would also fall to the destruction of the Roman army, as Jesus warned. It would be part of the destruction that would come because Jerusalem had rejected the (Atonement) covering in the Person of the Messiah/Christ. (see Mt. 23:37-39, Mt. 24:1-2). The physical building is a pattern or shadow of the reality of the glorious tabernacle that God will bring down from heaven to the earth: "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 (exaleipho - anoint or wash, besmear or cover to whitewash, blot out, pardon sin) every tear from their eyes; and 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.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.' And He said to me, 'It is done! (ginomai - made, finished, come into existence, be fulfilled, be ended, performed. see also kala and shabat, above). I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be His God and he shall be My son." (Rev. 21:3-7).

     The fulfilment of the meaning of mo'ed "tabernacle" is shown to us above. Our tabernacle is not limited in meaning to a physical building, but it is the presence of God with mankind and the total Sabbath resting place that exists for us with Him.

     If you would like to learn more about the resting place in God, you can join me in my prayer: "LORD of the Sabbath and my Tabernacle, You have created a resting place for me where all of Your work regarding me has been completed. At this time of year, especially, when the Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated, teach me about the fulfilment of this feast in the earth. I do not need to wait for a physical building to be built in order to dwell in the house of the LORD forever. You are my Tabernacle. Your Son returned to You, Father, to prepare this living place for me in His Father's house, so that I may be with Jesus where He, Lord of the Sabbath, is. You have filled Your Feast with three Sabbaths for a reason. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I may also enter into this special rest. I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

GiveEar

      

Words like rain...

     We have seen the LORD tell us to ra'a see, which means not only to see naturally, but to see and perceive spiritually, to have revelation, to perceive, to have a vision, to foresee, to be a seer. It is a powerful and wondrous thing to ra'a see and perceive the spiritual realm as the LORD desires to show us. Many times the scriptures will say, "Lift up your eyes and (ra'a) see...". This Sabbath reading portion is titled Ha'azinu, which means "to give ear to" or "to listen." We see this title used in the first reading portion of this Sabbath in the Song of Moses, Deuteronomy 32:1: "Give ear ('azan - give ear, listen, hear, hearken, perceived by the ear, be obedient, to hear in the same way that God hears and listens to prayers) O heavens, and I will speak; and hear (sama - hear, hearken, obey, understand, discern, perceive, publish, declare, to listen to and consent to and agree with, to yield to), O earth, the words of my mouth."

     This kind of 'azan and sama hearing and ra'a seeing is to hear and see/perceive as God hears and sees. From the beginning, Adam identified the presence of the LORD in the Garden of Eden by hearing (see sama above) His voice. (see Gen. 3:8-10 KJV). All creation still hears the voice of the LORD in this manner (see Ps. 29:3-11) except for man, who in his rejection of God, becomes one who is as the LORD spoke to Isaiah: "Go and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return (shub(v) - return, repent, restore, recover, refresh, repair, be brought back) and be healed." (Isa. 6:9-10). Are we able to "see" from this Word to Isaiah, that during this time when the LORD has set aside the fall feast season and the Day of Atonement for repentance and return to Him, that unless we have eyes that "see", ears that "hear", and hearts that "understand" as the LORD sees, hears and understands, return and restoration to the LORD is not possible? Repentance and all of the healing that comes with it is not a religious term and obligation, as some treat it, but a time to find the ears, eyes and heart of God that the LORD put within us when He created us. It is the time to seek and find the Person who is the Atonement of God, His Son sacrificed for us, and His blood that covers and cleanses sin poured out for us, Jesus Messiah/Christ. Are we truly perceiving Him in the Day of Atonement? We will see more about this later.

     Moses was addressing both heaven and earth in his Song, and commanded that they listen to his words. The following was his declaration (see sama above) to those elements: "Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, as raindrops on the tender herb, and as showers on the grass. For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He." (v. 2-4).

     The words of Moses' Song are to touch and cover every part of the creation like rain and dew descend and cover, and that creation is to hear, perceive, understand and obey them. These words will be imprinted on the creation. They are indelible: making marks that cannot be removed nor forgotten, enduring eternally. We can say also that the Word became a flowing liquid that covers.

     This Ha'azinu, "give ear", Sabbath also falls between Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. On the Day of Atonement, we humble ourselves and repent before the LORD because we understand the cost of the blood of sacrifice that was needed to cover our sins. A life was given on our behalf. However, the Atonement is not just a day, but the prophetic promise of a Person, the Son of God, Jesus Messiah/Christ who is our Atonement as prophesied by Isa. 53:5, declared (see sama above) by Jesus to His disciples, saying: "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Mt. 26:28) and foundationally set by the apostles. (see Rom. 3:23-26, 1 Pet. 2:24-25, 1 Jn. 2:1-2). This same provision of covering also has a special place during these latter days before the return of Messiah/Christ, as Moses will show us.

     The Feast of Tabernacles contains the joyful promise (Ex. 25:8-9, Lev. 26:11-12, Ezek. 37:24-28) and fulfilment of a place prepared for us with God and Christ (see Jn. 1:14, Jn. 14:1-6, 1 Cor. 3:16-17), and the dwelling of God among us. (see Rev. 21:1-6).

     As we continue with the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32, the prophetic declaration that began with exalted praise of the LORD to the heavens and the earth, now turns to great heaviness. The Song contains a warning to Israel, and also to all of us, about their/our continual rejection of the LORD who had delivered them from Egypt and exalted and blessed them mightily in their own land, including providing them with "the pure (hemer/hamar - pure, red wine/seal up, cover or seal with pitch [see Gen. 6:14 - kapar: atonement] blood (note: the sprinkling of the blood is for the atonement for sin) of the grape.". (v. 10-14 KJV). Part of the provision that the LORD had given to Israel was the revelation of the atoning blood, as we see above)

     Moses' Song cried out that if only God's specially chosen and sanctified people would understand and consider their latter end. (v. 28-29). Their latter end will contain tribulation that we also see in the Book of Revelation: disasters heaped upon them, being wasted with hunger, devoured by pestilence, the teeth of beasts, the poison (hema - venom, rage, anger, wrath) of serpents (zahal - crawl into the earth to hide, fear), the destroying sword, and terror within. (v. 23-25, see also Rev. 6:1-8).

     Because of the crookedness and lack of faith found within His people, Moses sings this prophecy of the LORD: "For a fire is kindled in My anger, and shall burn to the lowest hell; it shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains." (v. 22). A fire that burns the whole earth all the way down to its foundations will be released. Ezekiel later prophesied of judgment fire. (Ezek. 19:10-14, 20:45-48). Malachi prophesied of the Refiner's fire coming to purify Israel. (Mal. 3:2-3). The Book of Revelation prophesies destroying fires (Rev. 8:7-11), and the apostle Peter wrote of a melting fire (2 Pet. 3:10-13).

     We have been given the living blood atonement kapar covering to keep us from flood and fire judgment. However, Moses sang that Israel preferred to save themselves by their own strength and gods. These things will fail to save them. The Song turns again at this point: "For the LORD will judge His people and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power (yod - hand, power, strength, direction, force) is gone ('azal - gone, fail, spent, used up, evaporated, exhausted, go to and fro, disappear), and there is no one remaining, bond or free....Rejoice, O Gentiles/nations, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide mercy/atonement (kapar - atonement, purge, reconciliation, forgive, cleansed, merciful, pardon, atone for sin, make atonement for, cover over with pitch, be covered over, overspread) for His land and His people." (v. 36, 43).

     When Israel has exhausted all other ways to save itself, the LORD will have mercy and show them the way back to His (kapar) atonement provision. We see today that nations, including Israel, are relying on their military strength or the strength of their alliances with other nations, to provide them with safety in this dangerous time. We see millions of people running "to and fro" to other nations in order to escape the famine, pestilence, warfare, poverty, persecution and misery in their own countries. The LORD will remove these false safety nets in order to provide for His people, as He promised the forefathers: the true and living safety net that saves them out of all their troubles. (see Ps. 34:4-7, 18-20). Moses, who loved and interceded before God on behalf of the children of Israel, spoke in the 'ozen/'azan hearing ears of Joshua and all of the congregation that they should learn the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) words of his Song and teach their (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) children so that the prophetic warning therein and the kapar Atonement deliverance provided would be perceived with eyes that ra'a see, ears that sama hear and hearts that understand. 

     As Moses prophesied, this will be a terrible time for Israel and the world in these latter days. Jesus described these times: "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days be shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened." (Mt. 24:21-22). I know that this is a difficult message, however, we need to understand the Atonement provision of God, which Moses spoke of to the children of Israel in his Song, in the deepest way - with eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts that understand. Israel needs to understand Atonement in its truest sense. This is something that goes beyond a day of fasting. The Atonement is God Himself in the flesh, offering Himself and His covering blood for our sakes. Jesus said: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!" (Mt. 23:37-39, see also Ps. 91). Jesus, as our living Atonement, felt the strong purpose and desire to cover.

     Moses was not alone in this warning message. From other selections in this Ha'azinu, "Give Ear," Sabbath reading, Psalm 78 is included. It begins: "Give ear ('azan - see above), O my people...incline your ears ('ozen - see above)...we have heard (sama - see above) and known (yada - know, understand, consider, acknowledge, declare, teach, perceive, discern, to know by experience, confess, be revealed)..." (Ps. 78:1-3). The Psalmist wrote that they would not hide this revelation knowledge from their children, even children yet to be born, "That they may set their hope in God..." (v. 7). The Psalmist recounts all of the times that Israel rebelled against the LORD who provided so miraculously for them in the wilderness. Although they were not faithful to Him: "...He being full of compassion, forgave (kapar - atonement, purge, reconciliation, cleansed, pardon, merciful, to cover over, atone for sin, be covered over, to overspread) their iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath. (v. 38). Again, the kapar Atonement that covers came to the rescue, saving them from God's destruction! The Psalmist then points to David, from the tribe of Judah, the place of Mt. Zion, who came for the purpose of shepherding Jacob (Israel), God's people: "So he (David) shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands." (v. 68-72, excerpt). David also represents the house from which the Messiah/Christ Jesus would later come, who was also called "the Son of David."

     The prophet Joel wrote of a people who come against Israel as being "great and strong, the like of whom has never been; Nor will ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations. A fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns...surely nothing shall escape them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like swift steeds, so they run...like the noise of a flaming fire that devours stubble, like a strong people set in battle array. Before them the people writhe in pain; all faces are drained of color...They (the strong people who look like horses) climb into the houses, they enter at the windows like a thief." (Joel 2:2-9, excerpt). This "army" has an appearance as horses. Revelation refers to the four horsemen of the apocalypse, describing the horses they rode and the death that they brought in different forms, but they could not touch the oil (the anointing, Messiah/Christ) and the wine (the blood). (Rev. 6:1-8). These carriers of death cannot touch the blood of the anointing.

     How should Israel be saved? Shall it use its wealth to assemble for itself the world's greatest army? Shall it align itself with, and depend upon the power of the world's strongest nation? Neither of these things will provide the kapar Atonement covering they will need. The LORD will arrange events so that they will have to find that true kapar covering that cannot be killed or destroyed because He promised that He would provide it for them.

     The Law of Moses commands that the Day of Atonement was to be observed as a sabbath wherein God's people "afflict your souls." (Lev. 23:26-32). Those who do not do so will be cut off from his people - perhaps because there is no covering? What does it mean to afflict one's soul? It is often interpreted in part as fasting. However, we need to look more deeply. The soul is the seat of the emotions, the thoughts of the mind, and the will, the desire for self-determination. Joel gives us this look into Atonement: Now, therefore,' says the LORD, 'Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.' So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm." (Joel 2:12-13). 

     Tear down the useless things that we have built within our own souls. Tear open our hearts, and ask the LORD to rebuild and restore those things that He created in our souls when He breathed His own breath into us: eyes that see, ears that hear, and a heart that understands so that we may perceive our Atonement, Messiah/Christ Jesus, and receive Him.

     If you would like to learn more about the Atonement covering of the LORD, you can join me in my prayer: "Blessed LORD over all the earth, "God of Israel" is one of Your names in scripture. You have promised with Your own life and blood to cover, and save all of Israel, and all who believe Your Son, Jesus. Help me to search my own heart, to rend it so that You may restore, renew and rebuild my heart that I may walk in understanding. Heal my eyes, as Jesus did with the blind, so that I may "see." Heal my ears, as Jesus did with the deaf, so I may "hear." I pray this same mercy for all of Israel and the descendants of Abraham, including his descendants by faith, for we have inherited Your promises through our Atonement, Jesus. I trust in You, LORD, and I will declare it to future generations. 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.