NewThing

      This Sabbath reading portion is titled Va-yelek, meaning "Then he went out", which we see in Deuteronomy 31:1-2: "Then Moses went (yalak - go, walk, come, depart, lead, carry, proceed, cause, to walk) and spoke these (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) words to all Israel." The words that he would speak were spoken on the same day as his 120th birthday. Moses said, "I can no longer go out and come in. Also the LORD has said to me, 'You shall not cross over this (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Jordan (meaning "descending")." 

     The number of Moses' years, 120, in Hebrew Gematria has the meaning of a full and complete human lifespan. At the same time, it signifies a period of probation and preparation for all mankind for what is coming next. (see Gen. 6:3). Something is coming to an end while something else is coming to its beginning. Moses would not be going forward with Israel across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. That was an ending, and, I'm sure, a most sad event for Israel. However, who will lead the new beginning? Moses revealed it to Israel: "The LORD your God Himself crosses over (abar - pass over, pass through: especially between covenant parts, pass by, go in advance, cause to cross, impregnate, to cover in copulation) before you; He will destroy these (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua (Yehosua - Jehovah [the LORD] is Salvation) himself crosses over (see abar above) before you, just as the LORD has said...Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." (Deut. 31:3, 6).

     Both the LORD and Joshua, whose name is associated with salvation and also Jesus' Hebrew name, would be crossing over before the Israelites. As we can see from the meaning of abar above, "crossing over" is also includes the idea of impregnating. This is the beginning of a new period for Israel that will require the presence of God and His Salvation to go before them. The people of God get into trouble when, instead of allowing God to go before them, they go before God and become separated from Him. Sometimes the LORD has led the way, but His people have refused to follow in His steps. Please, LORD, always go before us and lead us.

     It is also interesting that Joshua was from the half-tribe of Ephraim. Ephraim was a son of Joseph by his Egyptian or Gentile wife. This half-Hebrew, half-Gentile son of Joseph was adopted as a son by his grandfather Jacob/Israel (see Gen. 48:5-6) and became one of the tribes of Israel along with his brother Manasseh.

     At this point, we can see the meaning of our Sabbath title "Then he went out." Moses went out, but something greater came in, God Himself and His Salvation. The LORD never ends something without starting something greater. Isaiah wrote: "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things (hadas - fresh [gain] of this year, new thing, unheard of, make anew, be new, renew, repair, restore) I declare; Before they spring forth (samah - sprout, bud, bring forth, bear, shine forth, spring forth) I tell you of them...Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing (see hadas above), now it shall spring forth (see samah above); Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (Isa. 42:9, Isa. 43:18-19). This is the language of birthing something new. However, we often find ourselves firmly entrenched instead in the old things. The wisdom of this Sabbath's Va-yelek reading portion, especially as it comes within the Feast days, urges us to look towards the new thing that the LORD is saying or doing.

     Paul wrote in the same Spirit as Isaiah above: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ..." (2 Cor. 5:17-18). Paul wrote that we are to carry forth in that same ministry of reconciliation. However, in this reconciliation, "all things have become (and are becoming) new."

     In John's vision of heaven, he saw this: "Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make (poieo - make, bring forth, bear, produce, shoot forth, fulfill, perform, do) 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 (*aleph-tav in Hebrew), 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).

     There is new and fresh manna (a mysterious flake from heaven that came each morning with the dew, from which the Israelites were able to make bread) available to us every day in the LORD. Even this same miraculously delivered heavenly manna became wormy and stunk when held over beyond the daily arrival of the new manna. (see Ex. 16:4-5, 15-21).  Jesus taught us to pray to our Father in heaven for His daily provision of revelation bread. Do we think that Jesus was speaking of natural bread? It is not disrespectful to the written Scriptures to seek the daily bread of the Lord. The new revelation from God that Isaiah spoke of above never contradicts His written Word but reveals the living depths of it and quickens it in us. Ask the LORD for fresh manna and He will give it to you. Jesus said it this way: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Mt. 7:7-11).

     This Va-yelek Sabbath is teaching us to seek out the precious new thing, the new birthing, that the LORD is doing, especially at this season of feasts. It's about being pregnant and bringing it to the birth as we "cross over" after Him and Joshua/Jesus, His Salvation.

     This coming Sabbath is also a Shuva Sabbath. That is the Sabbath that occurs between the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, two of the Feasts of the LORD, which He commanded to be kept forever. The Feasts are holy appointed times that the people are to keep with God. They mark important spiritual days and seasons that affect not only those who worship God but also serve as a prophetic revelation of Messiah/Christ. One moving example of this is the Feast of Passover, and its fulfilment by the death of the Lamb of God, Jesus, on that feast. Each week, we seek the glory and wisdom of God together on the Sabbath, the first named Feast of the LORD (Lev. 23:1-3), as we study the Sabbath portions together. Each Feast is not only an appointment with God, but it carries with it prophetic implications of events that will affect the whole world. Man makes his plans, but God's plan prevails. 

     The Hebrew word Shuva used to describe this Sabbath comes from another reading portion from the prophet Hosea: "O Israel, return (shub(v) -return again, turn back, come/go back, repent, turn back to God, turn away from evil, restore, refresh, repair, recover, deliver) to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity (aon/ava - punishment, guilt, fault, sin, perversity, crime/crooked, perverse, troubled, wickedly, twist, distort, do wrong); Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him, 'Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifice of our lips." (Hosea 14:1-2). As we can see from the meaning of the word, shuva, above, it means not only to repent and return to God, but it also carries with it the promise of "restoring, refreshing, repairing, recovering, and deliverance." Sometimes we view repentance as an accusation and a punishment chore, but the LORD receives what we worshipfully bring to Him, including repentance of iniquity, and returns to us even greater things that will restore us and keep us spiritually and physically alive. We are increased and made more through a heart-felt and loving return to our wonderful Father in heaven.

     The LORD describes what He returns to us in this way: "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away (see shub(v) above) from him. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily, and lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. Those who dwell under his (Israel's) shadow (sel - shadow, defense, shade, protection) shall return; they shall be revived like grain, and grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon." (v. 4-7). The same revival and restoration that comes to Israel through their repentance will bring others also to the same repentance and resulting blessings. We pray for revival. The LORD's revival is found within the shub(v) return blessings. Even the LORD's feasts bear witness to this. Just five days after the somber Day of Atonement, the rejoicing, abundance and the dwelling of God with His people represented in the Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated for seven days. In Jewish numerology, it is said that the number "five" represents "divine grace and the perfection of the natural order connecting God to the earthly realm through the four directions of the world."

     Sometimes it is the Jewish practice to look at words in Hebrew that are similar to a word to expand the understanding of that word. In the case of shuva (see above), we can also look at the word shava, which means "to cry out or shout out for help, to shout for freedom from some trouble, to implore help, to be freed, ample." We are shouting to the LORD for help and freedom and we are in turn freed by Him. The LORD heard the cries of His people while they suffered in harsh bondage in Egypt, and He answered those cries with deliverance. (see Ex. 3:7-10). There is the Hebrew word shavah, which means, "equal, to agree with, to become like, to resemble, to level or equalize, to set, to place, to bring forth." This adds to our understand of shuva or return as found David's Psalm 18. The LORD delivered David from the pangs of death when David cried out (shava, see above) to Him (v. 4-6), and David then declares: "It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect (tamim - without blemish, without spot, perfect, whole, complete, full, innocent, entirely in accord with truth). He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places." (v. 32-33). From the initial place of death, David was revived and his ways were made perfect and he was set upon the spiritual high places by God. The Hebrew word sheva, similar in form to shuva above, is a solemn oath repeated seven times, or to "seven oneself." It is used also in scripture as the oath that institutes a covenant. (see Gen. 21:27-34). The word sheva also means "completeness." How does this help us to understand shuva return? There are times when the LORD swears an oath upon Himself, making it an absolute guarantee because the LORD cannot lie: "For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, 'Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.' And so, after he (Abraham) had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." (Heb. 6:13-15, also Gen. 21:15-18). A similar kind of solemn covenant oath is also given to those who shuva return to the LORD: "He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old.". (see Micah 7:19-20).

     In receiving our shuva repentance, as we turn back to the LORD, the LORD will forgive our sins, turn our mourning into dancing, our barrenness into fruitfulness, our sorrow into joy, because He has promised to do so and He is faithful. This is the shuva blessing.

     To learn more about fresh manna revelation from God, and seeking the LORD in shuva return and renewal, you can join me in prayer: "Dearest Father, You are calling us to seek You in shuva return and renewal. Who is like our God who can renew, revive and elevate each individual life if we will return to Him? Who is like our God who can use our return to revive the whole world? As the song says, 'I Will Follow Him (wherever He may go).'  LORD, let us seek the new revelation that You supply daily to Your people as the bread that feeds our souls. Your prophet said that You desire to tell Your people what You will do. Old things have passed away, and new things come to us daily from You. It is by this same principle that You have created us new through Your Son, our great Savior, Jesus. I give You the highest praise and thanks for continuing daily to reach out with love, grace and renewal to all mankind. These things I pray to You 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. 

Standing?

   

Peanut Butter Sandwich

     Above is an image of a peanut butter sandwich. I hope that the meaning of this image will be made clearer later in this entry. 

       This Sabbath reading portion, Nitzavim, meaning "are standing," is the Sabbath before the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah, which occurs next week. It is the last Sabbath of the sixth month (according to the religious calendar) of Elul, the month of repentance. Many people associate the number six with man. The number six is also associated with the Hebrew letter vaw, which has a deeper meaning. The letter vaw has the meaning of "a nail, a tent peg, a hook, joining together, making secure, becoming bound or nailed to." Jesus was nailed to the cross. The cross is also represented by the Hebrew letter tav, which means "a mark, a sign, 'x' or cross, ownership, to seal, covenant, join two things together, the last."

     Our  Nitzavim Sabbath reading portion to me has more to do with man being joined to God, as this sixth month of repentance comes to an end before the first fall Feast, the Feast of Trumpets. The Sabbath title comes from this verse containing the words of Moses: "All of you stand (nawtsab(v)- stand upright, appointed, deputy, take one's stand, stand firm, to establish, to be fixed, to be set over, to be ready, to be planted) today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives - also the stranger (gar/gur - stranger, alien, guest, foreigner, sojourner, foreign shepherds/gather together, assemble, stand in awe, remain, stranger, to remain in the temple, to receive under protection) who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water - that you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today, that He may establish you today, as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I make this (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) covenant and this oath, not with you alone, but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today..." (Deut. 29-10-15).

     As we can see, no one is left out of this occasion of taking a stand and being joined together with the LORD. Wives, children, even foreigners (see gar/gur, above) and those who are not physically present are included. This covenant is described in written Hebrew with the modifier of the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega. This identifies the covenant as being associated with Messiah/Christ Jesus (see *note below).

     The use of the Hebrew word nawtsab(v) in connection with the idea of standing is used powerfully in other verses in scripture as well. When Moses asked God to show him His glory, the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock (sur - includes the meaning of the identity of God, and 'to bind together')." (Ex. 33:21). David wrote of his relationship with the LORD: "By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set/stand me before Your face forever." (Ps. 41:11-12). In a section describing the excellence of Wisdom, Prov. 8:2 says: "She (referring to Wisdom) takes her stand on the top of the high hill (root word: rum - exalt, extol, lift up, lofty, to rise, to rise up), beside the way, where the paths meet."

     The purpose of standing before the LORD and being joined to Him in covenant is also stated in Deut. 29: "...so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root (seres - deep permanent root, cause to take root) bearing bitterness (ro's/ro's - gall [see Mt. 27:33-35], venom, poison, poison from the poppy, hemlock, bitter) or wormwood (la'ana - hemlock, to curse, be accursed, poisonous, bitter herb)..." (v. 18). Those who become separated from the LORD would be separated from the tribes of Israel and the curses of the Book of the Law would come upon them, and their names would be blotted out from under heaven. (see v. 19-22). It was the desire of the LORD through this occasion to impress upon His people a warning they would remember not to worship other gods or commit the vile abominations of the Canaanite tribes before them. It was to be a joining of hearts. He did not want them to suffer the curses of the Law, and, as we will see below, the LORD made a personal provision to remove the curse.

     The Law of Moses carried both blessings if perfectly followed, and curses if broken. Paul, a Pharisee of the tribe of Benjamin, explained Messiah/Christ's role in covering the curse of the Law: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Gal. 3:13-14).  Earlier, the apostle Paul quoted the prophet Habakkuk, who wrote: "...the just (sadiq/sadaq - righteous, just, lawful, as justified and vindicated by God/cleansed, put or made right, justify, save, to absolve, to acquit, purge oneself, cause to prevail) shall live (haya - live, revive from sickness or death, quicken, preserve alive, restore to life) by faith (emuna - faith, truth, truly, stability, faithfulness)." (Gal. 3:10-11, Hab. 2:4).

     Whether we are Jewish or Gentile, the LORD told His prophet Jeremiah that it was never His original intention that His people should live under a religious system (see Jer. 7:22-26, Jer. 11:6-10). The LORD said that previously His only commandment to His people had been to hear His voice and obey it, however, His people had refused to hear from Him directly at Mt. Sinai. They wanted someone else, in that case Moses, to hear for them. It requires a personal knowledge of, and relationship with, the LORD in order to hear His voice. Many Christians also do not have a personal relationship with either God or our Savior, Jesus. It is the pitfall of the religious system of man.

     The LORD says in His Word to seek His face until we find it. (See Ps. 27:7-8, 2 Chron. 7:14, Rev. 3:19-22). The LORD says that He has carved each of our names into the palms of His hands so that He can never forget us. Not only has He engraved our names on His hands, but He tells us to see our names there. (See Isa. 49:15-16). It doesn't get more personal than that! Jesus addressed even the thoughts of those that He spoke to because He knew them. (See Lk. 5:22-26, Jn. 2:23-25). The LORD doesn't just see the outer appearance that we like to present to the world, but He sees every thought of our hearts. (See 1 Sam. 16:6-7). The LORD sees and knows our hearts. Do we see and know His heart?

     When fixed ideas or doctrines begin to make me feel distanced from the Person of the LORD, these Sabbath reading portions help me to once again adjust my focus upon the LORD who created me and sent His Son to save me. It is most wonderful to learn about the LORD through the Sabbath that He gave to man. If you have never considered the LORD of the Sabbath, He is beautifully expressed by David in the familiar and beloved Psalm 23.

     Even Moses, the lawgiver, tried to convince the people of God to draw nearer to Him in the Nitzavim, "are standing" Sabbath reading portion: "...return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you, and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul,  ..And (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the LORD your God will circumcise (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off...But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it." (Deut. 30:2-14, excerpt).

     This is the same Moses who told the children of Israel this command of the LORD: "Hear O Israel, the LORD is one! You shall love (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart." (Deut. 6:4-6).

     If we want to get closer to the LORD, we do it with the common language that He established between Himself and man - the language of love. 

     It is taught that this past month, Elul, was a month of repentance in preparation for the coming Feast of Trumpets, but Who were we repenting to? Why were we repenting? Out of what did our repentance flow? Obligation? Religion? Because someone told us to? If we repented because we love the Person of the LORD dearly, and not just the idea of Him, then that is a powerful repentance indeed. It is a repentance that can change us as individuals and change whole nations. Do we want to turn back to the LORD whom we have left behind, run to Him crying "Abba, Father!" and fall upon Him and kiss Him? Clap our hands and praise Him for the great things He has done - for when He kept loving us even when we forgot to love Him or when we forgot to trust in Him? What Father would not be pleased to receive this repentance joined with love? Trying to feed the LORD a repentance that does not come from the place in my heart of love and adoration for Him, but comes from a religious understanding or obligation, is like trying to feed the LORD a peanut butter sandwich without the jelly - He might find my repentance to look unappetizing, very dry and extremely difficult to swallow.

     In other reading portions from this Sabbath, the prophet Isaiah declared his feeling for God after receiving the salvation and deliverance Word of the LORD (see Isa. 61:1-7). The prophet then wrote: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels. For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the LORD God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations." (v. 10-11). Isaiah was overwhelmed with worship. When Jesus read the same words from Isaiah 61:1-2a in the synagogue on the Nitzavim Sabbath, and pronounced them fulfilled on that day, the listeners in the synagogue "...all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth." But then they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" (Lk. 4:16-22). They knew that they had just heard and been greatly affected by words of grace, but then turned away and discounted those words based upon what they thought they knew about Jesus.

     This also brings us to another reading portion from this Nitzavim, "are standing", Sabbath from Isaiah 63. Isaiah again exalts the LORD with words that flow from the LORD's habitation within the prophet's heart: "I will mention the lovingkindness of the LORD and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. For He said, 'Surely they are My people, children who will not lie.' So He became their Savior (yasa - save, savior, deliver, help, preserved, salvation, avenging, defend, rescue, safe, victory, save from moral troubles, be or live in abundance, ample, be spacious, liberty, to set free, conqueror). In all their affliction He was afflicted (see also Isa. 53:6-7, Rom. 4:24-25), and the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. And they rebelled and grieved His Holy (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Spirit (see also Eph. 4:30); So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them." (Isa. 63:7-10).

      The LORD fought His own people on behalf of His Holy Spirit! Have we also underestimated the importance of the Holy Spirit to the Father in heaven? We have the Holy Spirit in a doctrinal box and do not understand His utmost importance within the children of God, in the redemption and judgment of the world, and the return of Messiah/Christ Jesus. Jesus said to His disciples that it was to their advantage if He goes to be with the Father so that He can send the Holy Spirit to them. It is also by the Holy Spirit that the ruler of this world is judged. (see Jn. 16:5-11, Rev. 22:17).

     The LORD poured out/shed everything from within Him in lovingkindness towards His people. (See also Mt. 26:26-29, Mk. 14:23-25). He even afflicted Himself when they were afflicted (see above). However, His people neglected and turned from Him. Even though He became angry with His people for their rejection of Him, the prophet Jeremiah, in another portion from this Nitzavim Sabbath, wrote that the LORD had not finished the selfless and loving shedding or pouring out of Himself on behalf of His people. The LORD promised that He would establish a new covenant with His people, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Israel: "I will write (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) My law in their minds/inward parts (qereb/qarab - inwards, midst, within, the seat of thought and emotion/draw near, come near, approach), and write it on their hearts (leb/labab - understanding, heart, wisdom/ravishment of my heart); and I will be their God, and they shall be My people...they all shall know Me...For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (see Jer. 31:26-34). We need to draw near to the LORD from our most inward parts.

     As we can see, this "are standing" Sabbath has much more meaning than the standing position of our physical bodies. It has to do also with being firmly fixed and established with and in the LORD. The fall Feasts of the LORD are quickly approaching, and it is time to draw near to Him from the deepest parts of our beings. It is time for us, for me, to return to the cross and look upon the Savior who poured everything out so that I may be saved to the uttermost. Repentance should be more than a peanut butter sandwich. It is the tears and the gratitude, the love and the adoration, from that part of us that is not expressed by religious words but is beyond words.

     To learn more about standing before, with and in the LORD, you can join me in prayer: "Most gracious and loving Father, how can I begin to express the love and gratitude I feel for You, who gave everything to save me? How can I express the sorrow of my heart at the knowledge that I have said, thought, and done things that have brought You sorrow and disappointment? I draw near to You, as closely as I can get, and call upon Your lovingkindness to me that You continue to look upon me with Your eyes of mercy and forgiveness and teach me how to live a life that brings You joy and glory. Thank You for sending Your beloved Son to me. Thank You for the priceless gift of Your Holy Spirit, and increase my understanding and reverence for Both. Be blessed and exalted my Father and be glorified and enthroned by Your people. 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. 

Radiant!

      

"Shin", The Name of the LORD

     In a little over a week, the Feast of Trumpets will occur, which is one of the Feasts of the LORD commanded in His Word. This Sabbath reading portion is titled Ki Tavo, meaning "When you come in." The vo letters in the title Ki Tavo, refer to the Hebrew word bo, which means: "enter, come in, lead in, cause to come in, to attain to, to bring near, to bring upon." Our Sabbath title comes from Deuteronomy 26: "And it shall be, when you come into (bo - enter, come in, lead in, cause to come in, to attain to, to bring near, to bring upon) the land (eres - land, country, ground, world, earth, nations, whole earth and its inhabitants) which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce/fruits of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket (tene' - basket, to weave, woven) and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide." (v. 1-2).

     What I learned from this Sabbath reading portion was awesome and beautiful. It shouts, "Prepare to be changed, and to bring change!" to me, especially in view of the coming feast. The two verses above begin us on our journey. The rest of the Sabbath study will show us the radiant result of the journey. The journey of change is not just for our sakes, but for what the world will see in us, affecting them also.

     As we look at the two verses from Deuteronomy, above, the Israelites were to enter into something. The meaning of the Hebrew word bo also includes the idea of leading in, attaining, to bring near, to bring upon. Their entering in will cause something to be brought near, and to bring upon or cause to happen. They not only enter themselves, but the idea of leading others in is also part of the meaning. The land (eres), which they are supposed to enter, is not limited in meaning to a specific piece of ground, but also refers to nations and the whole earth. The Israelites entering into the land has far-reaching spiritual implications. They are not just to enter and visit the land, but they are to possess (yaras - to occupy by driving out previous tenants, to expel, devour, new wine) it, and dwell (yasab - dwell, remain, abide, continue, have one's abode, to sit down, thrones) in it as given to them by the LORD.

     Upon entering the land, the Israelites were to bring the first fruits of the land as an offering. They were to bring it in a basket. Jesus is identified in scripture as the first fruits of the resurrection: "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. (1 Cor. 15:20-23). It is specifically written above that the first fruits of the land are to be placed in a basket. The Hebrew word for basket as shown above, not only means a basket, but to weave or woven. Jesus, in accordance with Jewish burial customs of the day, as illustrated by the Shroud of Turin, was enveloped in a linen cloth, which is a woven fabric. This was the "basket" that held Him, if you will. Peter and John, the disciples, saw the empty linen fabric laying in the open tomb after Christ's resurrection. Seeing the empty linen caused John to believe. (see Jn. 20:3-8).

     The above is not the only reference to resurrection in this week's Ki Tavo, "When you come in," Sabbath reading portion. When the Israelites brought in their offering of the first fruits of the land after they entered in, they were to proclaim: "My father was a Syrian/Aramean, about to perish (abad - perish, surely, utterly, destruction, broken, undone, be exterminated, put to death, blot out, cause to vanish, be lost, have no way to flee, to be wretched, to slay, to cut off), and he went down (yarad - sank, fell, go down, descend, sink down, be taken down, brought down to a lower region) to Egypt (misrayim/masor/sur - Egypt/besieged places, fortified, distress, hemming in/assault, adversaries, bind up, enclose, confine, shut in, show hostility and to treat as a foe) and dwelt there...." (v. 4-5).

     Hopeless in death and utterly cut off, taken down to the lower region so fortified that none can escape: death, the grave and hell. Evil was inflicted upon them in that place (v. 6). This would have been a place without any hope, however: "Then we cried out to the LORD God of our fathers...and the LORD heard our voice...So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. He has brought us to this place and has given us this land...and now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which you, O LORD, have given me." (v. 7-10, excerpt). With a great personal effort, the LORD brought His people out of the previously inescapable place of death and torment. And we remember, honor and proclaim this great liberation with the Firstfruits, Christ, encased in a woven "basket," who descended into hell after His death in order to preach to and liberate the prisoners there. (see Eph. 4:8-10, 1 Pet. 3:18-20). 

     This is the greatest victory in the history of man: the liberation of the human soul from the fortified prison of death, the grave and hell. Is anything therefore too difficult for God? As we live with tragic current events that reek with the presence of evil, are we remembering our own proclamation regarding the power of First fruits of resurrection, Jesus? We are to proclaim His death until He returns in our remembrance of Communion, or the Lord's Supper. (see 1 Cor. 11:23-26). This is the food of life, His own life, with which He fed us. The Communion is essential to our spiritual life in Christ, and our proclamation contained within it goes out to the eres: the whole earth and its inhabitants. (see eres above). Do we believe this?

     In the two verses from Deuteronomy at the top of the page, the LORD commands Israel to bring their firstfruits and "go to the place (maqom/qum - place/rise, raise, abide, become powerful, to be proven, be raised up) where the LORD chooses to make His name (shem - name, reputation, glory, conspicuous position) abide." (Deut. 26:2). The LORD said that there was a place where He has put His name. Many have written that the geographical features of the city of Jerusalem form the Hebrew letter "shin ש" on the face of the earth (see photo at the top of the page). The shin ש is the letter that begins the word shem, meaning "name." Often the letter shin ש alone represents the name of the LORD. That is an amazing fulfilment of scripture. However, the power and purpose of that Name, ש, is even greater.

     The shin letter on the face of Jerusalem is formed by three valleys around and through the area. One might think that the LORD would place His name over a place of beauty, however, the meanings of the three valleys is just the opposite. The Valley of Kidron has the meaning, "turbid, murky, foul, dirty, dark, gloomy, be squalid, to go in filthy garments, a place of refuse." The Valley of Hinnom has the meaning, "lamentation, wailing, groaning, place of the sacrifice of children by fire which is an inhuman and idolatrous practice abhorred by God, also known as Gehenna: the place of constant fires that dispose of refuse and filth, a symbol of hell." Lastly is the Valley of Tyropoeon, also called the Central Valley, that runs through the middle of Jerusalem. This valley has been filled over the centuries with vast amounts of debris. These three valleys also separate the holy mountains of God in or around Jerusalem: Zion, Moriah and Olivet. So this is not only a valley of debris, but a valley of separation. The LORD has used garbage dumps to spell out and magnify His Name in all the eres earth! The LORD God exalts Himself over every situation, condition, and hopeless place. Do we just see the garbage, the gloom, the darkness, the abomination and filth, or do we discern the shin ש Name of the LORD inscribed in the earth as His possession? Do we spiritually write His shin ש  Name and proclaim it? Do we scrape His shin ש Name into the soil with our shoe or with a stick as a child might? We have recently seen acts of great darkness, full of murders and expressions of hatred and anger. The weapon against that darkness is the light of the Lord in us, and the power of His Name engraved into the earth..

      In another portion from this Ki Tavo "When you come in" Sabbath, The LORD assures us that the way to overcome darkness is with resurrection light: "Arise, shine (or - become lighted up, shine, become light); For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you...Then you shall see and become radiant (nahar - to flow, a stream of light, to beam light, be radiant, flow together, the sheen of a running stream), and your heart shall swell with joy." (Isa. 60:1-5, excerpt).

     Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Mt. 5:16). Shining our light before men is not for the glory of our name, but to glorify the shin Name of the Father.

     This same power of resurrection light transforms "garbage dumps" into glory and beauty in another Sabbath portion from this week: "The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing...Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.' Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams (see "radiant", nahar above) in the desert." (Isa. 35:1-6, excerpt).

     Let us flow together as a stream of radiant light. The LORD's Name has already been engraved into the earth.

     If you would like to learn more about shing with resurrection light, you can join my prayer: "My Father in heaven and on earth, the whole earth is full of Your glory, and the resurrection glory of Your Son, Jesus Messiah/Christ. Even as darkness thickens, Your light overcomes it. Teach me by Your Holy Spirit how to shine the resurrection light within me, given to me, and prayed for me, by Your Son. Let that light so shine that those who are lost in darkness will see it and follow it to Your salvation. Let unrestrained rejoicing fill the air, replacing the sound of the weeping and groaning of suffering. I ask these things in the Name of Jesus. AMEN."

BattleForLife

      There is an enemy that is against all life and there is a warfare for life, not only for physical life but for spiritual or everlasting life. It would seem that death is winning in this generation. Pope John Paul II called this "a culture of death". However, I believe that the believers in Messiah/Christ Jesus are a secret weapon in this warfare for life. This is what was brought to my mind as I looked at the scriptures that carry the title words of this week's Sabbath reading portion titled Ki Teitze, meaning "When you go out."

     This phrase is used three times in or around this Sabbath reading portion: 

• "When you go out to battle against your enemies...do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." (Deut. 20:1)
• "When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your hand..." (Deut. 21:10).
• "When the army goes out against your enemies, then keep yourself from every wicked thing...then he (meaning the accidentally unclean) shall go outside the camp...he shall wash with water; and when the sun sets, he may come into the camp." (Deut. 23:9-11).

     As we can see above, the phrase "go/goes out" used in connection with this Sabbath Ki Teitze reading portion is associated with the going out in warfare against enemies. The Hebrew word which is translated as "go out" is the word yasa which means "go forward, come forth, depart, proceed to something, come or go forth with a purpose for a result, bring out, lead out." However, also included in the meaning of yasa is "begotten, break out, shoot forth, spread, spring out." Conception, birth and life are part of the meaning, and part of the warfare. 

     The "battle" (see Deut. 20:1 above) and "war" (see Deut. 21:10 above) is the word milhama, which has the root word laham meaning "fight, overcome, eat, devoured, prevail, to eat or use as food." Joshua and Caleb used this meaning when they described the enemy nations that were inhabiting the Promised Land which God gave to Israel: "...nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread  (lehem/laham [see above] - food, eat, feast, banquets, meals/fight, make war, eat, overcome, devoured, prevail)...and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them." (Num. 14:8-9). This warfare is "Eat or be eaten."

     Deuteronomy 23:9-11 above refers to the "host or army" that goes out against the enemy. This word for army is mahane, meaning "camp, tents, armies, body of people, angels, battle," which has an important root word in Hebrew, hanan, that means "mercy, gracious, favor, pity, show consideration, stoop in kindness, pray, make supplication." Only the wisdom of the LORD could conceive through His language an army that goes out against the enemy that has its root existence and purpose in the mercy, grace and loving-kindness of God through prayer and supplication. The enemy tries to withstand the move of the grace of God towards man, grace being another expression of life, and the door to eternal life. Jesus is described in the Gospel as being full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14), as He also described Himself as being "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (Jn. 14:6). The Greek word used in this verse for "grace" is charis, and its meaning is very similar to the Hebrew word hanan above: "merciful kindness of God by which He influences souls and turns them to Christ, good will, loving-kindness, favor, the gracious divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life." It is the grace of God that saves our souls and our lives. (see Eph. 2:4-10).

     Not only does Jesus, full of grace and truth, have life in Himself, but He is the beginning source of life for all men: "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the light was the life of men." (Jn. 1:3-4). We see that through the Person of Jesus Messiah/Christ both grace and life are joined together in meaning and power. Sometimes in our spiritual warfare regarding many things, we forget that one of the greatest spiritual victories that can be won is the prayerful application of the grace and mercy of God towards man, achieved through Christ, which yields not only life, but resurrection life. To separate grace and life from each other would be like trying to separate Christ into little pieces. He cannot be separated or divided. He is echad (unified into one whole with the Father and the Spirit).

     The verses above from Deuteronomy also mention an enemy or enemies. This is the Hebrew word oyeb/ayab meaning "enemy, foe, adversary, to hate." Peter described Satan as our adversary: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (see milhama/laham above)...But may the God of all grace...perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Pet. 5:8, 10-11). The enemy cannot destroy the grace that saves. It is a sovereign gift from God that is not contingent upon man earning it, nor being "worthy" of it.

We tend to view grace as a quiet, gentle thing, but grace is so powerful that even the speaking of the word can level obstructing mountains into flat plains, and beget or bring forth the chief headstone, Messiah/Christ: "Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth (see yasa above, including the meaning "begotten") the capstone (eben rosa - top most stone, headstone) with shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!" (Zech. 4:7, see also Eph. 1:22-23, Eph. 2:19-22, Col. 1:17-18).

     Jesus described Satan, the devil, and Jesus' own opposite purpose this way: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (apollymi/apo - destroy, render useless, kill, devote or give over to eternal misery in hell. to perish, be lost, ruined, destroy fully/to separate one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed, state of separation). I (Jesus speaking of Himself) have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (Jn. 10:10-11). One kills and One brings abundant life. Many do not believe in the existence of Satan, but God certainly did, as Satan is described in scripture. Jesus certainly believed in Satan and had encounters and conversation with him. Satan is counting on man's false belief that he doesn't exist - the easier it is then to devour man by separating him from fellowship (see apollymi/apo above) with the Lord, Who is life.

     From another reading in this Ki Teitze, "When you go out" Sabbath reading portion, we can see miraculous life brought forth from the lifeless through God's undeserved gift of mercy. The Hebrew word yasa, seen above, meaning "Go out," includes the meaning "begotten, shoot forth, spring up." In Isaiah 54, the prophet addresses the prophetic Word of the LORD to the barren: "Sing, O barren (aqar - barren of either male or female, sterile as if rooted out and destroyed in the generative organs, rooted up, plucked up, to cut, to exterminate), you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not labored with child!...For your Maker is your Husband, the LORD of hosts (saba/seba - war, army, battle, warfare, soldiers, appointed time/fight, mustered into an army, go forth/out to war, wage war) is his name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel...For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies (raham - compassion, merciful, the womb as cherishing the fetus, tender love, great tender mercy, pity, womb, love deeply, to obtain mercy) 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 the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace 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." (Isa. 54:1-13, excerpt).

     The LORD was angry with His people as we see above. However, He turned again and poured out His mercy upon them, not because they did anything to "earn" His mercy, but because of His own love and compassion for them. The meaning of the Hebrew word for mercy used above, raham, has a direct connection with the fetus that is cherished in the womb, and is a synonym for the womb as we see above. As the mercy of God is poured out upon His people, the spiritually and physically barren will bring forth life. Mercy and life are connected to each other. As we again see in this Sabbath portion from Isaiah, in connection to this outpouring of mercy, the LORD calls Himself the LORD of hosts (see above), a name directly connected to armies and battle, as we saw at the beginning with our verses from Deuteronomy. There is a battle for mercy, a battle for grace, and a battle for life.

     The LORD of hosts fought that battle in the scriptures above from Isaiah for God's people. If we look at the chapter before Ch. 54, we see that the battle took place on the cross. Isaiah 53 shows us the battle. The devil meant for grace, mercy and life to die and be utterly destroyed that day as the Son of God was crucified for our sins, but the awesome power of God cannot be destroyed. The cross became instead a fountain of life (see Zech. 13:1-2) as God's grace and mercy were spoken and displayed from it. Jesus called each of us to this same battle (Lk. 9:23-25), if we are willing to carry forward the fight to our generation.

If you would like to know more about the battle for mercy, grace and life, you can join my prayer: "Dear Father, in the name of Your Son of mercy, grace and life, Jesus, I pray for a great outpouring of mercy and life for those who are perishing. I pray life, abundant life, eternal life, for the inhabitants of the earth. I pray that the battle for life is already won, and the whole earth is full of the glory of the LORD. Your mercy and grace saved my life, Lord, and I pray the same for the people of all the nations. Your grace is the divine power by which You touch the hearts and souls of men with mercy and bring them to the salvation knowledge of Your Son, Jesus. I ask for and speak this miracle victory in the hearts of men in the name of Jesus. AMEN."