Blessing
for the Torah Reading:
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-O’lam, asher
bachar banu m’kol ha-amim,
v’natan
lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the
Universe, you have selected us from among all the peoples,
and have given us your Torah.
Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)
The very first letter of the
Torah is a “beit” it is an enlarged letter and could have many possible
applications. One meaning is that from the very beginning YHVH has sought to
dwell among mankind.
2Ch 16:9
“For the eyes of יהוה diligently
search throughout all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those
whose heart is perfect to Him.
YHVH still seeks a dwelling place
in every person’s heart. This Torah portion is about how the ancient
Yisraelites were to make a voluntary contribution for this to take place. YHVH
still calls those who are willing to pay the price so that His Ruach (Spirit)
may have a dwelling place on earth.
Isa 66:1 Thus said יהוה, “The heavens
are My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is this house that you
build for Me? And where is this place of My rest?
Isa
66:2 “And all these My hand have made,
and all these that exist,” declares יהוה. “Yet to such a one I look: on
him who is poor and bruised of spirit, and who trembles at My Word.
Isa 57:15
For thus declares the high and exalted One who dwells forever, whose
Name is set-apart, “I dwell in the high and set-apart place, with him who has a
bruised and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive
the heart of bruised ones.
אשרי עניי רוח כי
להם מלכות השמים׃
Shaul/Paul more than most understood the mystery of
YHVH dwelling in “one new man” called Yisrael.
Selected passages from the book of Ehpesians
highlighting YHVH’s desire to dwell among His people:
Eph 1:9 having made known to us the secret of His
desire, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him,
What is His secret desire?
That the eyes of our
understanding will be opened to see how Messiah and his “kehelah” the called
out one become the dwelling place of the Almighty.
Yisrael and not the church is YHVH’s secret desire.
Eph 1:10 to administer at the completion of time, to
gather together in one all in Messiah, both which are in the heavens and which
are on earth, in Him,
Eph 1:11 in whom also we did obtain an inheritance,
being previously ordained according to the purpose of Him working all matters
according to the counsel of His desire,
Eph 1:12 for us to be the praise of His esteem (both
Jew and Gentile becoming one in Messiah)
Eph 1:15 For this reason I too, having heard of your
belief in the Master יהושע and your love
for all the set-apart ones, (who are the set apart ones?)
Eph 1:16 do not
cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
Eph 1:17 that the
Elohim of our Master יהושע Messiah, the
Father of esteem, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Him,
Eph 1:18 the eyes
of your understanding1 being enlightened, so that you know what is
the expectation of His calling, and what are the riches of the esteem of His
inheritance in the set-apart ones, Footnote: 1Lk. 24:45.
Eph 1:19 and what
is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who are believing, according
to the working of His mighty strength,
Eph 1:20 which He
wrought in the Messiah when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him
at His right hand in the heavenlies,
Eph 1:21 far above
all rule and authority and power and mastery, and every name that is named, not
only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Eph 1:22 And He
put all under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all, to the assembly,
Eph 1:23 which is
His body, the completeness of Him who fills all in all.
Eph 2:13 But now in Messiah יהושע you who once
were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.
Eph 2:14 For He is
our peace, who has made both one, and having broken down the partition of the
barrier,
Eph 2:15 having
abolished in His flesh the enmity – the Torah of the commands in dogma – so as
to create in Himself one renewed man from the two, thus making peace, (Paul is
referring to the way Torah had been incorrectly presented by man)
Eph 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the set-apart ones and members of the
household of Elohim,1 Footnote: 1Rom. 11:17-24, Isa.
14:1.
Eph 2:20 having been built upon the foundation of the
emissaries and prophets, יהושע Messiah
Himself being chief corner-stone,
Eph 2:21 in whom
all the building, being joined together, grows into a set-apart Dwelling Place
in יהוה,
Eph 2:22 in whom
you also are being built together into a dwelling of Elohim in the Spirit.
Eph 3:10 so that now, through the assembly, the
many-sided wisdom of Elohim might be known to the principalities and
authorities in the heavenlies,
Eph 3:19 to know the love of Messiah which surpasses
knowledge, in order that you might be filled to all the completeness of Elohim.
Eph 4:2 with all humility and meekness, with
patience, bearing with one another in love,
Eph 4:3 being eager to guard the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace –
Eph 4:4 one body and one Spirit,
as you also were called in one expectation of your calling,
Eph 4:5 one Master, one belief,
one immersion,
Eph 4:7 But to each one of us favour was given
according to the measure of the gift of Messiah.
Eph 4:8 That is why it says, “When He went up on
high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some as emissaries, and
some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as shepherds and teachers
Eph 4:12 for the perfecting of the set-apart ones, to
the work of service to a building up of the body of the Messiah,
Eph 4:13 until we all come to the
unity of the belief and of the knowledge of the Son
of Elohim, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the completeness
of Messiah,
Eph 4:14 so that we should no longer be children,
tossed and borne about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men, in
cleverness, unto the craftiness of leading astray,1 Footnote: 15:6,
also 2 Cor. 10:5, 2 Cor. 11:3-14, Gal. 1:6-9, 2 Tim. 3:1-8, 2 Tim. 4:2-4, 2
Peter 2:2-22, Jud. vv. 10-19.
Eph 4:15 but, maintaining the truth in love, we grow
up in all respects into Him who is the head, Messiah,
Eph 4:16
from whom the entire body, joined and knit together by what every joint
supplies, according to the working by which each part does its share, causes
growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Eph 5:5 For this you know, that no one who whores,
nor unclean one, nor one greedy of gain, who is an idolater, has any
inheritance in the reign of Messiah and Elohim.
Eph 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words,1
for because of these the wrath of Elohim comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Footnote: 1See 4:14.
Eph 5:7 Therefore do not become partakers with them.
Eph 5:8 For you were once darkness,1 but
now you are light in the Master. Walk as children of light – Footnote: 1See
2:2, 4:18, Col. 3:7.
Eph 5:9 for the fruit of the Spirit1 is in
all goodness, and righteousness, and truth – Footnote: 1See Philip
1:11.
Eph 5:10 proving what is well-pleasing to the Master.
Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the fruitless
works of darkness, but rather reprove1 them. Footnote: 1Or
confute, or expose.
Eph 5:12 For it is a shame even to speak of what is
done by them in secret.
Shaul ends his letter
with a call to spiritual warfare. Why? Because Ha Satan and all his demons are
doing all they can to prevent YHVH from finding a dwelling place with His one
new man – Yisrael – both Jew and gentile in Messiah.
Eph 6:12 Because we do not wrestle against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the
world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual matters of
wickedness in the heavenlies.
Eph 6:13 Because of this, take up the complete armour
of Elohim, so that you have power to withstand in the wicked day, and having
done all, to stand.
Commentary:
If we don’t see this
letter of Paul as an attempt to bring together one new body consisting of both
Jew and Gentile into One faith – the faith of our fathers – walking in the
ancient paths of Torah illuminated by the life and death of Messiah – and
understand the spiritual forces opposing this desire of YHVH – we will not
understand what Paul is trying to say. This letter must be seen and understood
in its context or it will be completely misunderstood as it has been for
centuries.
Our Torah portion begins:
Exo 25:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Exo 25:2 “Speak to
the children of Yisra’ĕl, that they take up a contribution for Me. From everyone whose heart moves him you shall
take up My contribution.
Exo 25:3 “And this
is the contribution which you take up from them: gold, and silver, and bronze,
Exo 25:4 and blue
and purple and scarlet material, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,
Exo 25:5 and rams’
skins dyed red, and fine leather, and acacia wood,
Exo 25:6 oil for
the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,
Exo 25:7 shoham
stones, and stones to be set in the shoulder garment and in the breastplate.
Exo 25:8 “And they
shall make Me a Set-apart Place, and I shall dwell in their midst.
Exo 25:9
“According to all that I show you – the pattern of the Dwelling Place
and the pattern of all its furnishings – make it exactly so.
The Torah teaches us the exact pattern – tavniet – that causes
His presence to come and dwell within us – IT BEGINS WITH THE HEART –
Why did YHVH create within us hearts?
So that we could love Him with all of our hearts.
And it is from loving YHVH with all of our hearts that
all the rest falls into place.
Above
all else, guard and preserve your heart, for from your heart spring the
outflowings of life. (Prov 4:23)
כג מִכָּל-מִשְׁמָר, נְצֹר
לִבֶּךָ: כִּי-מִמֶּנּוּ, תּוֹצְאוֹת חַיִּים.
Deu 30:6 “And יהוה your Elohim
shall circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed, to love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with
all your being, so that you might live,
Exo 25:10 “And
they shall make an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a
half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
Exo 25:11 “And you
shall overlay it with clean gold, inside and outside you shall overlay it. And
you shall make on it a moulding of gold all around.
Exo 25:12 “And you
shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners, two
rings on one side, and two rings on the other side.
Exo 25:13 “And you
shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold,
Exo 25:14 and
shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to lift up the ark
by them.
Exo 25:15 “The
poles are in the rings of the ark, they are not taken from it.
Exo 25:16 “And
into the ark you shall put the Witness which I give you.
This is the witness that established His presence in our
hearts and lives:
The two tablets – The Torah of YHVH.
The manna – the resurrected life of Messiah – He is the
bread of life.
Aaron’s Rod – a set apart priesthood that will intercede
for us.
Exo 25:17 “And you
shall make a lid of atonement of clean gold, two and a half cubits long and a
cubit and a half wide.
Exo 25:18 “And you
shall make two keruḇim of gold, make them of beaten work, at the two ends of
the lid of atonement.
Exo 25:19 “And
make one keruḇ at one end, and the other keruḇ at
the other end. Make the keruḇim from the lid of atonement, at its two ends.
Exo 25:20 “And the
keruḇim shall be spreading out their wings above, covering the
lid of atonement with their wings, with their faces toward each other, the
faces of the keruḇim turned toward the lid of atonement.
Exo 25:21 “And you
shall put the lid of atonement on top of the ark, and put into the ark the
Witness which I give you.
Exo 25:22 “And I
shall meet with you there, and from above the lid of atonement, from between
the two keruḇim which are on the ark of the Witness, I shall speak to
you all that which I command you concerning the children of Yisra’ĕl.
Exo 25:23 “And you
shall make a table of acacia wood two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit
and a half high.
Exo 25:24 “And you
shall overlay it with clean gold, and shall make a moulding of gold all around,
Exo 25:25 and
shall make for it a rim of a handbreadth all around, and shall make a gold
moulding for the rim all around.
Exo 25:26 “And you
shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners
that are at its four legs.
Exo 25:27 “The
rings are close to the rim, as holders for the poles to lift the table.
Exo 25:28 “And you
shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table
shall be lifted with them.
Exo 25:29 “And you
shall make its dishes, and its ladles, and its jars, and its bowls for pouring.
Make them of clean gold.
Exo 25:30 “And you
shall put the showbread on the table before Me, continually.
Exo 25:31 “And you
shall make a lampstand of clean gold – the lampstand is made of beaten work.
Its base and its shaft, its cups, its ornamental knobs and blossoms are from
it,
Exo 25:32 and six
branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of
one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side;
Exo 25:33 three
cups made like almond flowers on one branch, with ornamental knob and blossom,
and three cups made like almond flowers on the other branch, with ornamental
knob and blossom – so for the six branches coming out of the lampstand.
Exo 25:34 “And on
the lampstand itself are four cups made like almond flowers, with ornamental
knob and blossom,
Exo 25:35 and a
knob under the first two branches of the same, and a knob under the second two
branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same,
according to the six branches coming out of the lampstand.
Exo 25:36 “Their
knobs and their branches are of the same – all of it one beaten work of clean
gold.
Exo 25:37 “And you
shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall mount its lamps so that they give
light in front of it.
Exo 25:38 “And its
snuffers and their trays are of clean gold.
Exo 25:39 “It is
made of a talent of clean gold, with all these utensils.
Exo 25:40 “So see,
and do according to the pattern which was shown to you on the mountain.
Exo 26:1 “And make the Dwelling Place with ten
curtains of fine woven linen and blue and purple and scarlet material.
Make them, with keruḇim, the work of a
skilled workman.
Exo 26:2
“The length of each curtain is twenty-eight cubits, and the width of
each curtain four cubits, all the curtains having one measure.
Exo 26:3
“Five curtains are joined to each other, and five curtains are joined to
each other.
Exo 26:4
“And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the end curtain on one
set, and do the same on the edge of the end curtain of the second set.
Exo 26:5
“Make fifty loops in the one curtain and make fifty loops on the edge of
the end curtain of the second set, the loops being opposite to each other.
Exo 26:6
“And you shall make fifty hooks of gold, and shall join the curtains
together with the hooks, and the Dwelling Place shall be one.
Exo 26:7
“And you shall make curtains of goats’ hair, for a tent over the
Dwelling Place, make eleven curtains.
Exo 26:8
“The length of each curtain is thirty cubits, and the width of each
curtain four cubits, one measure to the eleven curtains.
Exo 26:9
“And you shall join the five curtains by themselves, and the six
curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the six curtains at the front
of the Tent.
Exo 26:10
“And you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is
outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain of the second
set.
Exo 26:11
“And you shall make fifty bronze hooks, and put the hooks into the
loops, and join the tent together, and it shall be one.
Exo 26:12
“And the overlapping part of the rest of the curtains of the Tent, the
half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the Dwelling Place.
Exo 26:13
“And a cubit on one side and a cubit on the other side, of what remains
of the length of the curtains of the Tent, is to hang over the sides of the
Dwelling Place, on this side and on that side, to cover it.
Exo 26:14
“And you shall make a covering of ram skins dyed red for the Tent, and a
covering of fine leather above that.
Exo 26:15
“And for the Dwelling Place you shall make the boards of acacia wood,
standing up.
Exo 26:16
“Ten cubits is the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the width
of each board,
Exo 26:17
two tenons in each board for binding one to another. Do the same for all
the boards of the Dwelling Place.
Exo 26:18
“And you shall make the boards for the Dwelling Place, twenty boards for
the south side,
Exo 26:19
and make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets
under each of the boards for its two tenons.
Exo 26:20
“And for the second side of the Dwelling Place, on the north side,
twenty boards,
Exo 26:21
and their forty sockets of silver, two sockets under each of the boards.
Exo 26:22
“And for the extreme parts of the Dwelling Place, westward, make six
boards,
Exo 26:23
and make two boards for the two back corners of the Dwelling Place.
Exo 26:24
“And they are double beneath and similarly they are complete to the top,
to the one ring. So it is for both of them, they are for the two corners.
Exo 26:25
“And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen
sockets – two sockets under the one board, and two sockets under the other
board.
Exo 26:26
“And you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards on one side
of the Dwelling Place,
Exo 26:27
and five bars for the boards on the other side of the Dwelling Place,
and five bars for the boards of the side of the Dwelling Place, for the extreme
parts westward,
Exo 26:28
with the middle bar in the midst of the boards, going through from end
to end.
Exo 26:29
“And overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold as
holders for the bars, and overlay the bars with gold.
Exo 26:30
“And you shall raise up the Dwelling Place according to its pattern
which you were shown on the mountain.
Finally Shaul warns us about how
we are to build this dwelling place of YHVH.
1Co 3:10 According to the favour of Elohim which was
given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another
builds on it. But each one should look how he builds on it.
1Co 3:11 For no one is able to lay any other
foundation except that which is laid, which is יהושע Messiah.
1Co 3:12 And if
anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
straw,
1Co 3:13 each
one’s work shall be revealed, for the day shall show it up, because it is
revealed by fire. And the fire shall prove the work of each one, what sort it
is.
1Co 3:14 If
anyone’s work remains, which he has built on, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If
anyone’s work is burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved,
but so as through fire.
1Co 3:16 Do you
not know that you are a Dwelling Place of Elohim and that the Spirit of Elohim
dwells in you?
1Co 3:17 If anyone
destroys the Dwelling Place of Elohim, Elohim shall destroy him. For the
Dwelling Place of Elohim is set-apart, which you are.
2Co 4:7 And we have this treasure (His Presence) in
earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power might be of Elohim, and
not of us –
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu,
Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu.
Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you Yahweh, our Elohim, King of the
Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting
life within our midst. Blessed are you, Yahweh giver of the Torah – Ameyn
Please
note these notes are under construction and are subject to correction and are
in no way a final authority on any subject.