ForgivingtheUnforgivable

     

     

     "Then Jesus said to him, 'Away with you (hypago - bring under, lead under, sink out of sight, drive back), Satan (satanas - adversary of God and Christ, one who opposes, inciter of sin and apostacy towards God, prince of evil spirits, controls idol worshippers, the accuser, the devil, Satan)! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve. Then the devil left (aphiemi - send away, forsake) Him, and behold, angels came (proserchomai - draw near to, worship, visit, assent to) and ministered (diakoneo - to serve, to wait upon, the servant of a king) to Him." (Mt. 4:10-11). 

     The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is Ki Tissa, meaning, "When you take/lift up/carry out", and the title is from Exodus 30:11-12. These verses say: "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 'When you take (nasa - bear up, lift up, take up, carry, forgive, exalt, rise up, support, endure, to cause one to bear, hold up, raise up, be high) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-census (ro's - sum, head, top, beginning, captain, highest, supreme, prince, height, chief) of the children of Israel for their number (paqad - number, visit upon, punish, appoint, judgment, reckon, lay upon as a charge), then every man shall give a ransom (koper/kapar - ransom, satisfaction, price of a life, henna plant [red-brown dye], atonement ordered by the LORD/atonement, purge, reconciliation, mercy, pardon, forgive) for himself to the LORD, when you number (paqad - see above) them, that there may be no plague (negeb/nagab - blow, striking, plague, infliction, stumbling, fatal blow/smite, slain, struck, beaten, plague, hurt) among them when you number (paqad - see above) them." 

     In the verses above, we see an atonement "ransom" commanded by the LORD to provide pardon and forgiveness for His people, Israel. This atonement "ransom" from the fatal blows of plague is connected to the lifting up/raising of a Prince who is the highest supreme, the Beginning. In the Hebrew word meanings above, I see a prophetic picture of the Messiah/Christ Jesus as this Prince who was lifted up on a cross, and then lifted or raised up from the dead. It is the atonement mercy and forgiveness commanded and provided by God by the blood (reddish-brown coloring - see henna above) of Jesus so that we do not have to suffer the fatal blow of plague which He suffered for us.

     This provides a powerful foundation to events that we read in this week's Sabbath portion, Ki Tissa. We will see God forgive the unforgivable.

     

     In Chapter 20 of Exodus, the LORD verbally gives The Ten Commandments to Moses to tell to the children of Israel, including the commands that they shall have no other gods before Him, and that they shall not make for themselves a carved image, nor bow down before them, nor serve them. "For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God..." (v. 3-5). Later, the LORD will repeat this to Moses to tell the people: "...Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make anything to be with Me - gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves." (v. 22-23).

     Later, Moses wrote all of the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) words of the LORD in the Book of the Covenant and read them to the people. The people said to Moses: "All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient." (Ex. 24:4-7). 

     Again, the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai and "He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God." (Ex. 31:18). Now these same *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega words of the LORD would be written again, this time in stone, and by the hand of the LORD Himself. This brings us to Exodus 32. 

     While Moses was still on the Mountain with the LORD: "...when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, 'Come, make us gods the shall go before us; for as for this Moses...we do not know what has become of him." (Ex. 32:1).  Aaron then collected all of the gold earrings that the people were wearing in their ears, "...and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!' So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it...Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." (v. 2-6).

     How can God forgive the unforgivable that we see taking place above? He sent an intercessor.

     The LORD said to Moses: "Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted (sahat - destroy, corrupt, ruin, mar, be rotted, injured, pervert, decay, perish, act wickedly) themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them....Now, therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation. Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God...'Turn from your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (meaning Jacob), Your servants to whom You swore...'. So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people." Ex. 32:7-14, excerpt). The LORD had seen the people as rotting corpses because of their destroying sinful act, according to the meaning of the Hebrew noted above.

     As Moses' anger broke out upon the Israelites for what they had done, he broke the tablets of stone upon which the LORD had written His word, and burned (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-calf of gold that had been made and made the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-children-of-Israel drink it. Three thousand lost their lives that day to the swords of the sons of Levi, the tribe of priests. Why is the calf identified with *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega, or the Messiah/Christ (see *note below)? Perhaps because they made the golden calf idol their substitute man-made savior, their deliverer, their Messiah in their eyes. It still happens today, even with believers in Christ, that gold, money, the work of our hands, our families, our government, our military power, science, the visible things of the world rather than the invisible things of the Spirit, become our answer, our dependence, and the receivers of our faith instead of the One who truly died for us. Paul rebuked the church for turning away from the Gospel truth of Jesus Christ that they had learned and for believing a falsehood instead. (see Gal. 1:6-7). Jesus, through His revelation to John, rebukes a worldly rich church that doesn't even realize that it is really "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked", and urging the church to buy from Him "gold refined in the fire, that...the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed." (Rev. 3:17-18). Satan, the opponent of God and Christ (see above), is always dangling this deception in front of our eyes in order to turn faith away from God.

     Viewing the people, Moses had seen them as "unrestrained/naked," ((para' - uncover, bare, naked, perish, expose). Telling the people that perhaps he could make atonement (see kapar above) for them with the LORD, Moses returned to the presence of the LORD on the Mountain and said: "Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin - but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." (v. 31-32). Seeing that the people had been uncovered or made spiritually naked before their enemies because of their sin, Moses sought God's kapar atonement covering for the people, even offering the removal of himself from God's book. The apostle Paul also said that he would have offered his own salvation if he could on behalf of the salvation of his Jewish brethren who did not believe Messiah/Christ Jesus. (see Rom. 9:1-5).

      I offer the following as food for thought only regarding nakedness and the atonement covering, and not as any kind of doctrine. This is the connection that I am seeing in my spirit. There is another instance of "nakedness" in scripture. It is from the Book of Genesis, when Adam and his wife, Eve, after their choice to rely upon themselves rather than the LORD, having believed the lies of the serpent (see Gen. 3:1-6), discovered that they were naked ('erom/'aram - nakedness, naked and helpless/to make bare, make naked, to be subtle, shrewd, crafty, cunning, smooth, impudent, spiteful as manifesting one's malevolent mind) (see Gen. 3:7). The Hebrew root meaning of "naked" above, 'aram, leads us directly to the serpent who is described as being subtle or cunning in Gen. 3:1. The Hebrew word and root word for "serpent" are 'arum and 'aram. We see the connection between the serpent and the nakedness of man through the Hebrew language here. We can see then that it is Satan's strategy for man to remove his kapar atonement covering, leaving him naked and helpless. How could Adam have had the atonement covering many generations before Jesus Messiah/Christ was slain on the cross? Scripture describes Jesus as the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth. In Isaiah 53, the prophet saw the Servant of God already beaten and slain for the iniquity of us all because the prophet writes of this in the past tense even though Jesus wouldn't be born until 750 years after Isaiah wrote his prophecy. David saw and prophesied of the crucifixion as if it was occurring to him in his present time even though he lived 1,000 years before the birth of Christ and never suffered crucifixion himself (see Ps. 22:1-18). This is the nature of prophecy and the things of the Spirit, as well as the nature of God and His Son: He is past, present and future all at the same time. (see Jn. 1:1-2, Rev. 1:8, Rev. 4:8). It is also interesting that the name "Adam", which is usually translated as meaning "man", has a deeper meaning of "dyed red, be red, to show red, to look red". A related Hebrew word dam means "blood, bloody, wine". Perhaps we can say that Adam's name could mean "a man of the blood". Paul called Jesus the "last Adam" and the "second man" in scripture. (see 1 Cor. 15:45-49).  In Rom. 5:14, Paul wrote that Adam was "a type of Him (meaning Christ) who was to come." When the LORD created "Adam" and his wife, they were naked then also, but scripture says that they were not "ashamed" (bus - ashamed, confounded, troubled, disconcerted, disappointed or delayed, to fail in hope and expectation). If they were not ashamed, then they were in hope and expectation - hope and expectation of what or Whom? Jesus Messiah/Christ is our hope and expectation, our assurance. (see Ps. 62:5-7, Prov. 23:18, Ps. 5:7, Mt. 24:30-31, Rom. 15:12-13). Adam "wore" the atonement covering of the Lord through faith, and he was not ashamed - until he rejected the faith in the atoning blood covering. They then attempted to cover themselves with 'ale/'ala raised-up branch(es).

     In another reading portion of this week's Ki-Tissa Sabbath, we find that the whole nation of Israel, including their royal family, had turned from the worship of God to the worship of the false god, Ba'al.

     How can God forgive this unforgivable thing? He again sent an intercessor, the prophet Elijah: "So Ahab (King of Israel) sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-prophets together on Mount Carmel. And Elijah came to all the people, and said, 'How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.' But the people answered not a word." (1 Kings 18:20-21).

     Elijah took twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel and built an altar in the name of the LORD. (v. 30-32). Elijah faced off against the prophets of Baal who were to offer a bull on an alter to their god, while Elijah prepared an offering of a bull on the altar that he had built to the LORD. The prophets of Baal could not get their god to answer them, and Elijah began to pray to the LORD: "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob), let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-all-these-things (dabar - thing, matter, commandment) at Your word (dabar - see above). Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-their-hearts back to You again." (v. 36-37).

     The fire of the LORD fell and consumed Elijah's (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-burnt-sacrifice, including (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-stones of the altar: "Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, 'The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" (v. 38-39). The LORD had turned the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega hearts of the people back to Himself.

     It is no surprise that God has also provided for us the perfect Intercessor - Jesus Messiah/Christ. The Book of Hebrews says of Christ: "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." (Heb. 7:25). Paul wrote of those who remain in the justification of God through Christ: "Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" (Rom. 8:34-35). John wrote to the church so that we may not sin. However: "... if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation (meaning atoning blood covering sacrifice) for our sins, and not ours only but also for the whole world." (1 Jn. 2:1-2). We also are to pray and intercede continually for all of the saints in the same manner. (Eph. 6:18).

     If you would like to learn more about intercession and forgiveness of God and Jesus Christ, you can join my prayer: "Heavenly Father, when I didn't know you and had no hope in eternity, Your Word gave the promise of intercession on my behalf, and of an atonement covering for my spiritual vulnerability. You fulfilled these promises through Your beloved Son, Jesus. You forgave me of the unforgivable as I was determined to live a life without You. Your Son became not only my Intercessor, but my hope and expectation when I had none. Jesus poured out His blood in order to cover me when I didn't know I needed His covering. Father, I ask You to keep me from the temptation of the evil one and direct my steps so that I never leave the atonement covering Jesus provided for me. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I can pray and intercede for others as Your Son intercedes. 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. 

Workmanship

       This week's Sabbath reading portion not only gave me more information about the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness, but for me it also reflected the building of each believer in Christ, and the building of the spiritual entity known as "the Church". The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is Ki Tissa, which means "When you take". This title comes from Ex. 30:11-12: "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 'When you take the (*Aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) census/sum of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom (koper/kapar - redemption price, price of a life, as a covering [of asphalt or pitch], henna plant used for a dye, ransom/atonement, purge, reconciliation, forgive, merciful, cleansed, pardon, cover over) for himself/for his soul to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them." 

     This instruction is given in the middle of the commandments for the furnishings of the tabernacle. This gives me the thought that the redeemed people of God are included in the concept of the furnishing of the tabernacle. The "ransom" is directly related to redemption and atonement covering. The including of the henna plant in the meaning of "ransom" is very meaningful to believers in Messiah/Christ because the leaves of the henna plant/tree, when crushed to powder are used to produce a bright red pigment called lawsone. When the lawsone pigment/dye ages it darkens to a brownish red color just as blood darkens as it oxidizes. The dye from pure, natural henna adheres to a living surface, like skin or hair, because of a reaction to proteins found there. This bright red to reddish brown dye reminds us of the blood of Jesus covering over our sins in atonement.

     The New Testament tells us that the spiritual house/temple of God is built of living stones or people, both Jew and Gentile. (1 Pet. 2:4-5, Eph. 2:19-22). We can be built into this spiritual house/tabernacle/temple because Christ paid our redemption price for us: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence." (Eph. 1:7-8). Also: "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). Psalm 107:2-3 says: "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south."

     We can again see a parallel between the construction of the tabernacle and the building of the Church of believers as the LORD appoints a master builder: "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "See (ra'a - perceive, see by revelation, foresee), I have called by name Bezalel ("in the shadow/protection of God", protection from the sun in the shadow of branches, shaded,  to sink down into, to be hidden, to perish, buried) the son of Uri (fiery, flame, light of fire, revelations, to give light, break of day, to become light, shine, glorious) the son of Hur (white cloth, fine linen [see Rev. 19:7-8, assoc. with the Bride/Church], be splendid, noble), of the tribe of Judah (Praise, give thanks, confession, confess the name of God, to cast down). And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship (melaka/malak - occupation, work, deputyship, ministry, messenger, angel, prophet, priest, teacher, ambassador, king), to design artistic works. to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship." (Ex. 31:1-5).

     When we look at the meaning of Bezalel's name above, we see the idea of sinking down into, even being hidden within or perishing. We are told in the New Testament to "put on Christ". (see Rom. 13:14, Gal. 3:27). "Put on" is the Greek word endyo, meaning to sink into. We are to immerse ourselves into Christ, even as we have died with Him and have been buried with Him, even as we have been raised with Him (Gal. 2:20, Rom. 6:4, Col. 2:12).

     The Hebrew meanings associated with "workmanship" above are even more powerful as they relate to the Church. Paul wrote: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:10). The meaning of "workmanship" is rooted in the terms of "ministry, messenger, angel, prophet, priest, teacher, ambassador, king". These terms are also connected with the offices gifted to the Church by God as Paul mentioned in Eph. 4:11-13, not for the purpose of building a physical building but a spiritual one in the measure and image of Jesus Christ. (see also Eph. 2:19-22). Jesus addressed the heads of the churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 as "angels" or messengers. We have already seen in previous studies that the fifteen elements used to construct the tabernacle depicted an image of Jesus Messiah/Christ. The master builders assemble these elements into the (spiritual) tabernacle and its furnishings.

   Paul wrote that he was called to be an apostle, which from the Greek word apostolos means: a delegate, messenger, ambassador, eminent teacher of the Gospel. Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth as an ambassador for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20-21). He also refers to himself as "a master builder" concerning the Church, as Belzalel would have been considered in connection with the tabernacle, writing: "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it...For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear...Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Cor. 3:9-13, 16).

     Bezalel from Ex. 31 was gifted by God with His Holy Spirit to be able to take the hasab design of God for the tabernacle and turn it into mahasaba artistic works. This is also the definition of faith as taught to the Church: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." (Heb. 11:1-3). Our whole walk as believers in Christ, and the living temple that we are becoming, is built upon this understanding of prophetic faith. If we step away from this, we step away from Christ and our own resurrection in Him. (Col. 2:6-7, 2 Cor. 5:6-8).

     Bezalel was not appointed by Moses, but by God. Paul wrote the same of his apostolic calling: "Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me..." (Gal. 1:1).

     Above, Paul also mentions that he is including the brethren with him in addressing his letter to the Galatians. Paul is not alone. Bezalel was not alone either. Named specifically by God to work with Bezalel in the construction of the tabernacle was Aholiab: "And I, indeed I, have appointed with him (meaning Bezalel) Aholiab ("Father's tent/tabernacle/dwelling/covering/to be clear, to shine, to be bright) the son of Ahisamach (brother or kindred of support, uphold, establish), of the tribe of Dan (judge, plead a cause, contend, execute/strong, firm, Lord, to rule); and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they make all that I have commanded you..." (Ex. 31:6). The LORD emphasized that Aholiab was being appointed by Him, and his name is synonymous with the tabernacle of God and shining brightly, as we are also called and appointed to be and to do.

     As we can see, there is a magnificent spiritual edifice being built which is called The Church, the Body of Christ, with master builders having been appointed by God to bring forth this spiritual structure. "Brethren of support" have also been appointed to help establish this structure. I think that the case has also been established here that the pattern or design of this structure as well as its construction has been established by God and is patterned after the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness.

     While the master builders have the vision that they are appointed to bring into manifestation, often, as the Book of Hebrews says, they are hindered by the members of the Body who do not understand this pattern, or the expected end result: "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food...a babe...Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection (teleiotes/telios/telos - moral and spiritual perfection, completeness, more intelligent/lacking nothing necessary to completeness, full age, mature/finish, end, purpose), not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works..." (Heb. 5:12-6:1, excerpt). 

     The spiritual edifice being constructed is not to our glory, but, like the tabernacle, it is the dwelling place of Jesus within us and of His salvation, redemption, and atoning work to the glory of God, the Father. Let us move on to the vision of the completed workmanship and accomplish it!

     If you would like to walk in this workmanship of God, you can pray with me: "Father, You have given the vision for Your spiritual temple and the manifestation of Your Holy City.  This vision is of a living temple that conforms to the likeness and Person of Your Son, Jesus Messiah/Christ. Fill us with the Holy Spirit and wisdom, helping us to fulfill Your purpose in us individually and as a body together. 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.

TheOnlyGod

      The various nations, cultures and individuals around the world today have different forms of worship. Some worship God, meaning the God of Israel, the God of Scripture. Some worship a form of "God" according to their own definitions and desires regarding Him. Some worship their ancestors. Some still worship a pantheon of gods, many gods. Some worship a philosophy or a state system. Some worship a political leader as if he is a god. Some worship nature and the gods that they believe rule over each object in nature. Some worship certain animals as holy. Some worship the idea of atheism. Some worship what is called science, and others worship man's "reason". Then there are the more subtle objects of worship based upon what people view as being the most important thing/person to them such as money, possessions, career, success, power, influence over others, self, fashion, music, sports, and many more such things, ideas, and people who have been elevated into idols.     

     One of the reading portions from this Sabbath is Psalm 96. This Psalm is credited to King David because it is also recorded in 1 Chron. 16:23-33, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought up to Jerusalem by David. The psalm makes clear that the knowledge of the Hebrew God and His salvation is expected to be known by all people, by all nations: "...Sing to the LORD all the earth...Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day...Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all (kol/kalal - all, the whole, any, each, every, anything, totality/make complete, make perfect, to put a crown upon) peoples...He is to be feared above all gods, for all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens...Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations/heathen, 'The LORD reigns....He shall judge the peoples righteously.'...For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth." Jesus also commanded His disciples to proclaim the good news of His salvation to all nations and people (Mt. 28:19, Mk. 16:15, Lk. 24:46-47). When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) in Jerusalem fifty days after the crucifixion of Christ on Passover, the multitude who were gathered nearby heard the disciples speaking in every language of every nation (Acts 2:5-12) to their amazement. When the only God offered His gift of salvation, His Son Jesus, it was to the whole world, which He loved (Jn. 3:16-17). When scripture describes those who have become part of the Kingdom of the only God, they are from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9, Rev. 7:9-10). When the prophet described God's house, he described it as a house of prayer for all nations (Isa. 56:7).

     Whether the nations or cultures accept the LORD as the only God or not, it is the LORD who created all, and it is He who will judge all of His creation according to the psalm above. None will be exempt from His expectation that they will have this knowledge. The apostle Paul also wrote that the knowledge of the only God, the LORD who is God as identified in the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament, is expected of all mankind without exception or excuse: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Rom. 1:18-21). People may purposefully reject the knowledge of God, or try to substitute something else for God, but God knows that they know who He is, has always been, and will always be. He is the One who created us, and everything that we see, and scripture says that we all know it, regardless of what man says or chooses to believe instead.

     God has always been God of all of the nations. He has caused even the most powerful kings of various nations throughout history to proclaim Him as God: Pharaoh of Egypt was not a big fan of the LORD, commenting, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go." (Ex. 5:2). During one of the plagues of Egypt (lice), Pharaoh's magicians said to him: "This is the finger of God.' But Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had said." (Ex. 8:19).  After the plague of thunder and hail, Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron to him, and said: "I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. Entreat the LORD, that there may be no more mighty thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer." (Ex. 9:27). Although Pharaoh went back on his word here, after the tenth plague of death to the first born, Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and told them to leave Egypt, with the children of Israel and all of their animals, saying: "...go serve the LORD as you have said...be gone; and bless me also." (Ex. 12:31-32). Pharaoh would again go back on his word, but not because he didn't know who the LORD was. He knew.

     King Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of the Babylonian Empire, asked the prophet of the LORD, Daniel, to include in the prophet's book Nebuchadnezzar's letter to all which begins: "Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me. How great are His signs, and how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation." (Dan. 4:1-3). The king then continued to write his personal testimony of what he had witnessed and experienced with God.

     Isaiah the prophet spoke of a future king, Cyrus, who would be established by God as a great conqueror of nations, and prophesied to this future king: "That you may know that I, the LORD, who called you by your name, am the God of Israel...I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me." (Isa. 45:1-5). Centuries before Cyrus of Persia was born, the LORD was calling him forth prophetically. Cyrus' existence and success would be for Israel's, the LORD's elect's sake (v. 4), and we will see that. Later in time, Cyrus did become a conquering king of Persia (Iran/Iraq).

     In the first year of Cyrus' rule, he was moved by the Spirit of the LORD to issue a decree in order that the prophetic word of Jeremiah the prophet might be fulfilled ending the captivity of God's people (Ezra 1:1). This was the king's proclamation: "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And he has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem..." (v. 2-3). Cyrus also brought all of the captured holy furnishings and vessels of God's temple out of his treasury, had them accounted for, and gave them to Sheshbazzar (Zerubbabel), the prince of Judah, to take back to Jerusalem with the now former Israelite captives (v. 7-11).

     In this week's Sabbath portion there is a mention of Hiram, King of Tyre (Lebanon), and the help and materials that he agreed to send to King Solomon in Jerusalem for the building of the Temple for the LORD's name in 2 Chron. 2. When King Hiram responded to King Solomon's request, Hiram also wrote: "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son...who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal house for himself." (v. 12). There were also over one hundred thirty thousand foreigners who were living in Judah who were recruited by Solomon to provide labor and to act as overseers for the building of the Temple (v. 17-18). 

     This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Ki Tissa, meaning "when you take" (nasa - lift up, bear up, bear continuously, take, forgive, carry, support, be lifted up, exalted, rise up, marry, magnify). The title comes from a principle in Exodus 30:11-16.  Moses was to take a (aleph-tav in written Hebrew letters, or Alpha and Omega in Greek letters which refer to the identity of Jesus Christ: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13) sum or census of the Israelites, everyone twenty years old and above. Look at how the LORD has magnified His aleph-tav people according to the Hebrew meaning of the word "take", above! However, as much as this Sabbath portion reveals that the LORD is God over all of the earth and its inhabitants, over all of the nations and their peoples, this portion also sadly reveals how God's own people chose to worship the gods of foreign nations and make idols of them.

     In one Sabbath portion from Ex. 34, while Moses was on the mountain receiving the commandments of God written by God's own finger (Ex. 31:18), the Israelites in the camp were demanding that Aaron make them a god to worship. Of these commandments of God that had already been told to the Israelites were: "I am the LORD your God...You shall have no other gods before Me...You shall not make for yourself a carved image...of anything...You shall not bow down to them nor serve them..." (Ex. 20:2-4). The Israelites had witnessed the great wonders of God, but they chose to worship a god that they could see with their eyes, saying to Aaron: "Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses...we do not know what has become of him." (Ex. 32:1). Aaron made a golden calf from the gold (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) earrings (nezem - earring, nose ring) that Aaron had told the people to "break off" (paraq - cast away, tear apart, break away, broken in pieces, rent). When Aaron presented the completed golden calf to the people, they said: "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!" (v. 2-4). We saw in Genesis that gold nose rings and jewelry are betrothal and marriage gifts among the Hebrews (Gen. 24:22). The LORD considered Himself betrothed and married to (and jealous of) the aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega sum of His people, and they were "breaking off" this betrothal in favor of an idol of an Egyptian god, Apis/Hapi/Hep, the most popular of the three great bull cults of ancient Egypt, connected to their city of Memphis. The world is expected to know the LORD God of Israel according to scripture, but His own people rejected the knowledge of Him.

     In another portion from this Sabbath, God's people again chose a foreign (Canaanite) fertility god also in the form of a bull called Ba'al, over the LORD God. In 1 Kings 18, the prophet Elijah, in front of the king and all of the people, had a confrontation with the prophets who served Ba'al and demonstrated the omnipotent power of the LORD God. The LORD answered by fire from heaven: "Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, 'The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" (v. 38-39).

     If you have been told that because of your nationality, race, heritage or culture, that the LORD God cannot be your God as the only God, this is not what the LORD Himself has said. History also has borne out this truth, as we have seen above. The LORD God has said that He wants to bring you to His holy mountain, and into His house and into His Kingdom with joy (see Isa. 56:7 above). His salvation, His Son Jesus, is also offered freely to all the world, to any and all who will accept and believe Him.

     If we consider ourselves to be part of the aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega sum of the LORD's betrothed people, we cannot allow the worship of false gods and idols into our relationship with Him for He is a jealous God - and anything or anyone can become an idol in our lives.

     If you would like to learn more about the only true God and the people who belong to Him, you can pray with me: "Father and LORD of All, how wonderful and welcoming You are to all of us. The world may be racist, but You are not. The world may exclude persons based upon nationality or culture, but You do not. You hold Your hand out to all of the families of the nations to become Your family. All of us, through Your Son, Jesus, and by Your Spirit, can cry out to you saying, 'Abba, Father'. Cleanse my heart of all idols, Lord, and of any desires and "self" that I have made more important than You, and all false understandings that are not founded in You. You alone are God in my life, the only God. I ask these things in the name of Your Son, Jesus. AMEN."