"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge...to another faith...to another gifts of healings...to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy...to another discerning of spirits...to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
As I was reading the selections of scripture that are part of this week's Sabbath portion, I was directed to a common thread that ran through them. I would like to look at this thread to learn more about it.
This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Yitro, meaning "Abundance." Yitro, whom we call "Jethro" in English, was also the father-in-law of Moses, and we read about him in Exodus 18, beginning with verse 1: "And Jethro (yitro - "his abundance", "his excellence", a tent cord, hanging over, hanging down, that which exceeds measure or limit, remnant, remainder, exceeding, plentiful), the priest (kohen - priest, chief, ruler, officer, prince) of Midian (meaning strife, brawling, contention, quarrelsome, discord), Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Israel His people - that the LORD had brought (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Israel out of Egypt."
Jethro came to visit Moses, and "Moses told his father-in-law of all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians." (v. 8-9).
At hearing of the wonderful things that the LORD had done, Jethro had a moment of revelation: "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods; for in the very thing in which they (the gods) behaved proudly, He was above them." Jethro then made sacrifices and offerings to God, and the elders of the Israelites came and shared a covenant meal of bread (lehem/laham - bread, food, shewbread, grain/fight, war, make war, overcome, prevail, use as food, to battle as destruction, devour enemies) with Jethro before God. (v. 11-12).
The Hebrew root for "bread", laham (see above), has a very deep meaning. The idea of eating this bread is connected to the idea of prevailing against an enemy. We see this usage in Num. 14:8-9. Jesus also told us that He was our Bread of life sent from heaven and we eat this Bread, being His body broken, in our Communion with Him. Jesus overcame all enemies, even the world, death, hell and the grave.
As we read this, we can say that Jethro had a revelatory moment of awareness and knowledge of the LORD. What he had not known before, he now knew with assurance. This is similar to a "born again" experience.
After this, we begin to see the thread that will travel through this Yitro, "Abundance", Sabbath reading. Jethro gave Moses a word of wise counsel, a word of wisdom that would help, strengthen, and advise an over-burdened Moses as he governs and judges more a million Israelites. Jethro said to Moses: "Listen now to my voice (qol - voice, thunder, proclamation, command, thunderings); I will give you counsel (ya'as - counsellor, counsel, advice, advise, guide, command), and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-difficulties to God. And you shall teach them the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-statutes and (*[vaw]-aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-laws, and show them (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-way in which they must walk and (*[vaw]-aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-work they must do." (v. 19-20).
Jethro, a ruler who came out of a place whose name means "strife, brawling, contention, discord, quarrelsome" (see "Midian" above), is now able to offer Godly wisdom and counsel to Moses. This is a picture of the work of the Holy Spirit in Jethro. Isaiah described the Holy Spirit as it would manifest in the Messiah/Christ: "The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD." (Isa. 11:2).
Jethro told Moses to listen to his voice (see qol above). In Proverbs 8, Wisdom is described: "Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice?...Counsel ('esa/ya'as - counsel, advice, purpose, prudence/see ya'as above) is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth." (v. 1, 14-16). Jethro's or Yitro's office as a priest, also includes the meaning of prince and ruler (see kohen above). His counsel of wisdom to Moses was to make it easier for Moses to judge the people of Israel, as also mentioned here in Proverbs 8. (see Ex. 18:13-14). As we see from the verses from 1 Corinthians 12 at the top of the page, and the verses above from Isaiah, the word of wisdom is one of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit.
We see another characteristic of the Holy Spirit of God as Jethro advised Moses to "Stand before God for the people." This is a position of intercession. The Greek word in the New Testament used as meaning the Holy Spirit is parakletos, which means "called to one's aid, advocate, counsel for defense, intercessor, lead into a deeper knowledge of the Gospel truth, giver of divine strength, comforter, consoler." Finally, Jethro commands Moses to teach the statutes, laws, the way and the walk which the people must know and follow. These four things are connected to the *aleph-tav or the *vaw-aleph-tav in written Hebrew as shown above from Ex. 18. This means that these four things are identified or connected to the Messiah/Christ (see *note below). One of the divine purposes of the Holy Spirit as revealed by Jesus is: "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper/Comforter (parakletos - see above), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." (Jn. 14:25-26).
Paul also wrote of the powerful intercession that the Holy Spirit makes on our behalf before God: "Likewise the Spirit (pneuma - third Person of the Trinity and co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son, Holy Ghost, Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord) also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings (stenagmos - groaning, a sigh) which cannot be uttered...He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Rom. 8:26-27, excerpt).
Jethro also told Moses above to teach the people the *aleph-tav words, commands, ways and works connected to the Messiah/Christ, which is Jesus. As we can see from Jesus' words above in Jn. 14, this is the function of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also said of the Holy Spirit: "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you." (Jn. 16:14).
Paul wrote above that the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings and sighs that cannot be expressed in human language. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Helper/Comforter in Jn. 14 above. The Hebrew word used for "Comforter" is naham, which means, "comfort, repent, ease, to console, be sorry, have compassion, to sigh, to groan, to lament, to grieve." Not only do we see the connection in Hebrew to groaning and sighing in intercession, but through the Hebrew word naham we also see the connection of the Comforter to repentance. Repentance is not achieved by the strength of the will of man, but by the sovereign move of the Spirit of God upon and within us. Scripture tells us of Esau, who had changed his mind about rejecting the blessing. However: "...he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears." (Heb. 12:17). He desired to repent but no door of repentance was opened to him. Two of the reading portions of this Yitro, "Abundance", Sabbath, deals with deep repentance.
Isaiah chapter 6 presents us with the vision of heaven that brought Isaiah his calling to be a prophet. In his vision, Isaiah saw (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-Lord (Adonai) sitting on His throne in (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-temple. Upon seeing the awesome sights and sounds of heaven, Isaiah was moved to repentance, saying: "Woe is me, for I am undone (dama - cut off, perish, lay waste, bring to silence, cut off at the sight of the Theophany)! Because I am a man of unclean (tame' - defiled, polluted, unclean, impure) lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-King, the LORD of hosts." (Isa. 6:1-5).
As Isaiah cried out the words above, an angel took a live coal (Heb. root word resep/sarap - hot stone, glowing stone or coal, flame, firebolt, spark/set on fire, kindle) from the altar in heaven, and touched Isaiah's mouth with it, saying: "Behold, this has touched you lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged (kapar- atonement, reconciliation, forgiven, atonement made)." (v. 6-7). Then (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-voice of the Lord then spoke sending Isaiah forth with the prophetic message to the people. (v. 8-10).
The sight of the Messiah/Christ in heaven causes Isaiah to cry out in repentance. Where is the Holy Spirit in this encounter? I see the Holy Spirit in the flaming coal taken from the altar. John the Baptist said that the Messiah/Christ (Jesus) would come baptizing in the Holy Spirit and fire. (see Lk. 3:16-17). When the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples in the upper room on Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, He descended as tongues of fire that rested upon the heads of every disciple. (see Acts 2:1-4) The first indication of the touch of this fire of the Holy Spirit was a change in tongues or language. Their mouths, like Isaiah's, would now be used as vessels of the Lord. Jesus also connected the Helper/Comforter (see above) with repentance: "And when He (the Helper/Comforter) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." Jesus also connected the Holy Spirit with prophecy. (Jn. 16:8, Jn. 16:13).
We read from another portion of this week's Yitro Sabbath in Nehemiah 8: "Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of/before (panim - before, face, presence, countenance, person, from before time, turned towards the face) the Water (mayim - waters, waterspring, washing, waterflood, waters of refreshment, waters of destruction) Gate (sa'ar - gate, door, gate of entrance, heaven, gate of the temple/tabernacle, split open, set a price); and they told Ezra ('ezra/'ezer/'azar - help, succor, assistance, one who helps/aid, female helper/help, helper, surround, protect, aid, succor) the scribe to bring (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-Israel." (v. 1).
There is important information in this first verse from Nehemiah Ch. 8. The whole congregation of Israel, which is identified with the *aleph-tav or Messiah/Christ, is standing before the "face" of the Water Gate. The waters described here are like flood waters that wash (or destroy) according to the Hebrew meaning. The prophet Ezekiel wrote: "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols...I will put (*vaw-aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-My-Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. ...you shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses...Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations." (Ezek. 36:25, 27-29, 31). The Spirit of God is associated with the cleansing process of God's people, as well as their repentance.
Ezra, whose name means "helper" (see also parakletos above) is like the Comforter/Holy Spirit who gives aid. The Book of the Law of God which Ezra reads from is associated with the Messiah/Christ, by the presence of the written *aleph-tav in Hebrew. Ezra assigned Levites who explained, gave the sense of, and "helped the people to understand" the Word of God being read to them (see parakletos above: "to lead into a deeper understanding of Gospel truth"). (Neh. 8:7-8, see also Jn. 16:14 above).
As the people heard the words of the *aleph-tav Book, and were led by the Levites into the understanding of the Word, they began to weep and mourn in repentance because they had not kept the Words of the *aleph-tav Book, which is identified with the Messiah/Christ. The governor, Nehemiah, Ezra the scribe, and the Levites began to comfort and console the people. (v. 9-12). Not only the repentance from being given the understanding of the Word, but the comfort and consolation afterwards are all the work of the Comforter (see naham and parakletos above), the Holy Spirit.
Paul wrote about the cleansing process that begins in the Word of God and includes the inspiration of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote that Christ gave Himself for the church: "...that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." (Eph. 5:25-27).
Paul also wrote to Titus, saying: "...when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7).
The title of this week's Sabbath portion is Yitro, means "Abundance". We see above that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, is poured out in abundance upon us. Joel wrote: "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out (sapak - to profusely expend [soul, life], spill forth [blood, libation], gush out, shed blood, poured out like water, intensively) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-My-Spirit on all flesh..." (Joel 2:28).
The above writings of Paul, and the prophecy of Joel above, tell us that both the Word, which is Jesus and His blood, and the Spirit, work together to bring us our regeneration and renewal. John wrote: "...There are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one." (1 Jn. 5:7-8, excerpt).
If you would like to learn more about the work of the Holy Spirit with the Word of God, you can join my prayer: "Merciful Father, how thankful I am that You sent Your Son, Jesus, the Word, for my salvation! How thankful I am that Your Son, baptized me with Your Holy Spirit! I welcome the cleansing water and renewal of the Word and the Spirit. I welcome the wisdom of Your Spirit. I welcome the guidance of Your Spirit who teaches me Your truth, leads me into repentance, and then comforts and consoles me in renewal and refreshing. Forgive me when I have tried to accomplish these things in my own strength and understanding. Jesus, my Shepherd guides me to the still waters of Your Holy Spirit and the green pastures of the Word of God. I need both in my life, Lord, not only for my own sake, but as a witness to others. I ask this mercy 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.
