HolySpirit

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

Image

This week's sabbath reading is titled Mishpatim, meaning judgments or ordinances from Exodus chapters 21 through 24, but a look at the Hebrew meaning of the word tells us much more. Mishpat and its root sapat mean "judgment, ordinance, lawful, execution of judgment", as we would expect. However, it also means "manner, cause, worthy, fashion, custom, discretion, measure, as well as justice, right, rectitude as attributes of God and man. It means to condemn and punish the guilty at the same time as it means to plead a cause, defend, and deliver, especially regarding the poor and oppressed. We will see in these chapters that the LORD is establishing principles and a character for His people that prallel and converge with His own character and image. These are not just a set of arbitrary, outdated, rules with which to burden man, as some may think, but these mishpatim are for the establishment of an image on earth consisting of God in, and with, His people. When God created man, He created them, male and female, in His/Our own image (Gen. 1:26-28). This primary truth from the beginning has not changed throughout scripture. We will also see from two of the prophets in this sabbath reading, the connection of the formation of this image in His people with the idea of exodus, a Greek-Latin word meaning "the way or road out of", which is the name, and theme of this second book of scripture. The realization of these things in this sabbath reading was very inspiring for me, and I hope it will be for you also. We can see how these commandments in these chapters from Exodus reflect the character of God. Exodus 22:1-9 speaks about how the thief shall be required to restore what has been stolen, from double up to five times the item stolen. The LORD is the foremost Restorer of things lost or stolen: "And 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 the latter days of Job more than his beginning..." (Job 42:10, 12). The LORD promised to restore Israel: "The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied..." (Joel 2:24-26). The LORD warned His people in this week's sabbath reading not to mistreat a stranger (foreigner), a widow or the fatherless, or He will hear their cries to Him, and His wrath will be poured out upon His people (Ex. 22:21-24). Protecting the stranger, the widow, and the fatherless are part of the LORD's character: "Sing to God, sing praises to His name...a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation...The LORD watches over strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow..."" (Ps. 68:4-5, Ps. 146:9, see also Deut. 10:17-18). The LORD commanded His people not to charge interest or keep security, such as keeping a man's covering garment as security, in making loans to their brethren (Ex. 22:25-27). It is the character of the LORD to give without the expectation of repayment: "What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me?" (Ps. 116:12). Jesus, in expressing the image of divinity, said: "If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also...Give to him who asks you and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away." (Mt. 5:40, 42). In Ex. 23:1, 6-8 from our sabbath reading, the commandment is given to God's people not to circulate a false report, and not to be an unrighteous or false witness. The LORD speaks in scripture of the absolute reliability of His true report (Isa. 53:1), and the value of His true witness regarding His Son, Jesus (Jn. 5:37). The truth of God, or His judgments, and of His witness can also be found in Ps. 119:160, 2 Sam. 7:28, Ps. 19:9, and Rom. 3:3-4 to give just a few additional examples. The LORD wants those who belong to Him to keep truth in justice, because God is truth, as is His justice. In Ex. 23:8, God commands His people not to take bribes in the same way that He does not take bribes (2 Chron. 19:7, Deut. 10:17). God's people are not to show partiality against the poor in justice (Ex. 23:3, 6), just as God does not show partiality: "For the LORD your God is God of gods and LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe." (Deut. 10:17, see also Rom. 2:11). God's people are not to participate in an injustice against someone because he is an enemy (Ex. 23:4-5). In describing the divine character, Jesus said: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just, and the unjust." (Mt. 5:44-45). In another commandment the LORD says: "...do not kill the innocent and righteous..." (Ex. 23:7). This is one of the things that God hates (Prov. 6:16-19). Judgment would come to Israel because their hands were covered with innocent blood (Isa. 59:3, Ezek. 22-27). God does not shed innocent blood - He avenges it (see Rev. 6:9-11, Ps. 106:37-42). In these chapters from Exodus in this week's sabbath portion, God commanded that controversies in justice be brought before the judges to be decided (see Ex. 22:8-9). The Hebrew word used here for "judges" is elohim, which is the very name of God, Himself. God is teaching His people His Word and principles to conform them to His own image and name. We know this in the New Testament as Paul wrote that the church was to grow into "a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Eph. 4:13), and again he wrote that we have been predestined by the Father "to be conformed to the image of His Son...these He also glorified." (Rom. 8:29-30). In another place in scripture God tells His people: "Be ye holy as I am holy" (Lev. 19:1-2, 1 Thess. 4:6-7, 1 Pet. 1:15-16), and "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Mt. 5:48). We don't change ourselves into this same holy and perfect image, however. The Word of God changes us (see Rom. 12:1-2). We learn from this sabbath's reading that there is another necessary element to being conformed to, and united with, God and His likeness. Previously in our scripture reading, only Moses could be enveloped in the presence of God, thereby becoming the intermediary between God and His people. In Exodus 24, an amazing event occurred: "So Moses came and told all the people the words of the LORD and all the judgments (mishpatim- see above). And all the people answered with one voice and said, 'All the words which the LORD has said we will do.' And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins (agan/nagan - basin, cup, goblet, bowl (as pounded out hollow), a laver, a trough for washing/to pound, to strike strings of an instrument, to thrum or beat a tune with the fingers), and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, 'All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.' And Moses took the blood and sprinkled (zaraq - sprinkle, scatter, here and there) it on the people, and said, 'This is the blood of the covenant (see Lk. 22:14-20, which also refers to the presence of the cup, the twelve apostles, and the meal) which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.' Then Moses (meaning drawn out of the water, rescued, pull out) went up, also Aaron (meaning light bringer), Nadab (meaning willingly offered, offer freely, offer self, volunteer), and Abihu (meaning "he is my father"), and seventy (see Lk. 10:1) of the elders (zaqen - ancient) of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone (see Ezek. 1:25-28), and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel, He did not lay His hand. So they saw God and they ate and drank." (Ex. 24:3-11). They saw God. Scripture doesn't say that they saw the glory of God on the mountain, but that they saw God. How is this possible? The New Testament reveals this mystery, and gives us the other necessary component to the image of God joined with man: "And of His (Christ's) fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." (Jn. 1:16-18). In another place Jesus said: "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father." (Jn. 6:45-46). In a third place, it is recorded: "Jesus said to him (Thomas), 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." And Philip said to Him, 'Lord, show us the Father, snd it is sufficient for us.' Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father?" (Jn. 14:6-9). In Exodus 24, the sprinkling from the basin of the sacrificial blood of the covenant upon the people, manifested the presence of the Messiah, Jesus, who said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." There are just too many parallels to the revelations found in the New Testament in this mysterious account in Ex. 24 to be ignored. An additional point of interest regarding these verses from Ex. 24 above is that an aleph-tav is connected to the name of God, Elohim, as it was written in Hebrew: "So they saw Elohim-aleph tav..." (v. 11). Jesus specifically referred to Himself as Aleph=Tav, which are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, when He called Himself "the Alpha and Omega (translated into the Greek), the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" in Revelation. From this sabbath's reading, two prophets prophesied of the removal from His people of the exodus provided by God as they broke the same mishpatim, or judgments, as those that were delivered to His people in Ex. 22 and 23, which they declared they would do. They broke from His Word, and His justice, which is established from His own character and Person. They broke their oneness with His image or likeness, so they broke with His exodus, ("the way or road out of"). Jeremiah wrote that King Zedekiah and all of the people had made a covenant to set at liberty all of the Hebrew brethren who had been kept as slaves, and they let them go (Jer. 34:8-10). Then they changed their minds and brought all of the former Hebrew slaves back into slavery (v. 11). Through Jeremiah, the LORD condemned them for breaking the words given to them through Moses (v. 12-16). So the LORD promised that He would give liberty to those things that would come to bring destruction to His people: the sword, pestilence, famine, and conquering (v. 17). The prophet Amose wrote the Word of the LORD against His people as they broke the mishpatim given by Moses in this week's sabbath portion: they trod down the poor with taxes, they afflicted the just and took bribes (Amos 5:10-13). Their empty sacrifices would not deliver them, because they would not be accepted by God (v. 21-23). Destruction, wailing and very deep darkness would come upon them (v. 16-20). In His people, the LORD expects to see Himself, as He said: "But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream", as He told His people: "Seek Me (davas - seek, search, follow in pursuit or search) and live...Seek the LORD and live..." (v. 4, 6). His mishpatim are not to burden or constrict us, but to develop us into His image, as He determined for us from the beginning. If you would like to learn more about being conformed to God's image, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, You gave us Your mishpatim, Your judgments and ordinances, as one of the ways for me to be conformed to Your image. You gave me the blood of Your Son as a willing sacrifice so that I may see God. Conform me to the image of Your dear Son by His blood, and wash me with the water of Your Word (Eph. 5:26, and 1 Jn. 5:6). By Your Holy Spirit, let Your Word be written in my heart, so that I may be changed, and let Your exodus, "the way out of", be manifested in my life. I ask these things in Jesus' name. AMEN."