Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all
eternity. 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.
The events of our parashah
clearly portray Mount Sinai as the model after which the Mishkan and then the
Beit Ha Mikdash (tabernacle and temple) would be constructed. There are three
distinct zones in our parashah; the foot of the mountain; an intermediate
ascent upon the mountain and the top of the mountain where the presence of YHVH
resided, covered by a thick cloud. The people remain at the foot of the
mountain while representatives of the people ascend to the intermediate area or
zone. Moshe alone continues to ascend to the top of the mountain where he alone
speaks to YHVH. These three zones compare to the courtyard of the tabernacle
where the people came; the Set Apart place of the tabernacle where only the
priests served and finally the most set apart place where only the High Priest
entered into once a year. It was now on this most set apart place on top of the
mount Sinai where the initial enactment of YHVH’s covenant would become a
pattern for His redemptive plan throughout the ages for mankind.
What is particularly amazing
about this parasha is the epiphany (a moment of sudden and great revelation or
realization) found in Exo 24:10
and they saw the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, and under His feet like a paved
work of sapphire stone, and like the heavens for brightness. Exo 24:11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against
the chiefs of the children of Yisra’ĕl! And they saw Elohim, and they ate and
drank
Was this perhaps the esteem of YHVH that would come upon a people(or
Person) who was faithful to His covenant?
What is the meaning of this? There has been much speculation concerning
this epiphany.
Exo 24:1 And to Mosheh He said, “Come up to יהוה, you and
Aharon, Naḏaḇ and Aḇihu, and seventy of the elders of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall
bow yourselves from a distance.
Exo 24:2 “But
Mosheh shall draw near to יהוה by himself,
and let them not draw near, nor let the people go up with him.”
Exo 24:3 And
Mosheh came and related to the people all the Words of יהוה and all the right-rulings. And all the
people answered with one voice and said, “All the Words which יהוה has spoken we shall do.”
These words refer to the words
given in the previous two parashiot – the ten words – aseret divrot - and the right rulings – mishpatim.
Exo 24:4 And
Mosheh wrote down all the Words of יהוה, and rose up
early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and
twelve standing columns for the twelve tribes of Yisra’ĕl.
Note the words are given to Yisrael – the renewed
covenant is once again only made with the 12 tribes of Yisrael and with the
‘’mixed multitude’’ or ‘’grafted in ones’’ – (Yer 31:33 and Rom 11:16-22)
Let us remind ourselves that YHVH did not make these
covenants with the church. He made them with Yisrael and all those who are
called to be grafted into Yisrael.
Eph 2:11 Therefore remember that you, once gentiles1
in the flesh, who are called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called ‘the
circumcision’ made in the flesh by hands, Footnote: 11 Cor. 12:2.
Eph 2:12 that at that time you were without Messiah,
excluded from the citizenship of Yisra’ĕl and strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no expectation and without Elohim in the world.
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 2:19 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.
The church was never meant to be a new innovation
separated from its Hebraic roots.