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.
This is the last part of the last parashah (portion)
for the book of Shemot/ Exodus – ‘’Pekudei’’ or ‘’the giving of a full
account’’
This final portion of Exodus culminates in the
completion and erection of the Tabernacle on the first day of Aviv – In Torah
portion ‘’Pekudei’’ the refrain “all YHVH commanded they did” (or something
similar) is repeated several times.
ויביאו את המשׁכן – ‘’they brought the dwelling
place…’’ Will this ancient Tabernacle ever be found again and erected in some
form again before the second coming of Messiah?
Exo 39:33 And they brought the Dwelling Place to Mosheh, the
tent and all its furnishings, its hooks, its boards, its bars, and its columns,
and its sockets,
Exo 39:34 and the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the
covering of fine leather, and the veil of the covering,
Exo 39:35 the ark of the Witness with its poles, and the lid of
atonement,
Exo 39:36 the table, and all its utensils, and the
showbread,
Exo 39:37 the clean lampstand with its lamps, the lamps to be
put in order, and all its utensils, and the oil for light,
Exo 39:38 and the slaughter-place of gold, and the anointing
oil, and the sweet incense, and the covering for the Tent door,
Exo 39:39 the bronze slaughter-place and its bronze grating, its
poles, and all its utensils, the basin with its stand,
Exo 39:40 the screens of the courtyard, its columns and its
sockets, the covering for the courtyard gate, its cords, and its pegs, and all
the utensils for the service of the Dwelling Place, for the Tent of
Appointment,
Exo 39:41 the woven garments, to do service in the set-apart
place: the set-apart garments for Aharon the priest, and his sons’ garments, to
serve as priests.
Exo 39:42 According to all that יהוה had commanded Mosheh, so the children of Yisra’ěl did all the
work.
Exo 39:43 And Mosheh looked over all the work and saw they did
it as יהוה had commanded, so they had
done. And Mosheh blessed them.
This conclusion of Moshe regarding the completion of the Tabernacle
sound very similar to when YHVH completed His creation of the heavens and the
earth - Gen 1:31 And Elohim saw all that He had
made, and see, it was very good. And there came to be evening and there came to
be morning, the sixth day.
It is extremely significant that YHVH’s
creation of the heavens and the earth came about because the heavens and the
earth had become ‘’astonishingly’’ vacant and void, in Hebrew
‘’ תהו ובהו’’ (Gen 1:2 And
the earth came to be formless and empty,( תהו ובהו)
and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim was moving
on the face of the waters. Footnote: aOr the earth became ) – YHVH
creates a man and a woman in His Image to maintain His order in His Creation - Gen 1:27 And Elohim created the man in His image, in the image of
Elohim He created him – male and female He created them. ‘’Gen 1:28 And Elohim blessed them, and
Elohim said to them, “Be fruitful and increase, and fill the earth and subdue
it..’’
Tragically, man failed - Jer 4:22 “For My
people are foolish, they have not known Me. They are stupid children, and they
have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no
knowledge.”
Jer 4:23 I looked at the earth, and saw it was formless and
empty.( תהו ובהו) And the heavens, they had no light. ‘’ תהו ובהו’’ is used only twice in the scriptures.
Jer 5:18 “But even in those days,”
declares יהוה, “I shall not make a complete end of you.
Once again, we see the world has become ‘’astonishingly vacant and
void’’
Once again, we see that YHVH calls a people to create a space for Him
to dwell in amongst His people. The ‘’Mishkan’’ or Tabernacle is the ‘’shadow’’
of this ‘’space’’ on earth, to bring light and order into a chaotic world and to
prepare us for His coming kingdom. In these last days there appears to be a
longing amongst His people for the restoration of this ‘’space’. There is a
longing in the hearts of His people again to be delivered out of chaos of ‘’Egypt’’
in the midst of a coming great tribulation; saved from the messenger of death
by the blood of the Lamb and possessing the testimony of Yahshua and guarding
His commands having passed through a ‘’mikvah’’ (baptism) in the ‘’Red sea’’
and covered over by a cloud as they enter into the wilderness – a type of
baptism in the Set Apart Spirit.
Exo 40:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Exo 40:2 “On the
first day of the first month, you are to raise up the Dwelling Place of the
Tent of Meeting,
Exo 40:3 and shall
put in it the ark of the Witness, and screen the ark with the veil.
Exo 40:4 “And you
shall bring in the table and arrange what belongs on it, and bring in the
lampstand and light its lamps.
Exo 40:5 “And you
shall set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Witness, and
put up the covering of the door to the Dwelling Place.
Exo 40:6 “And you
shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the Dwelling Place
of the Tent of Meeting,
Exo 40:7 and shall
set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and shall put water
therein.
Exo 40:8 “And you
shall set up the courtyard all around, and shall place the covering of the
courtyard gate,
Exo 40:9 and shall
take the anointing oil, and anoint the Dwelling Place and all that is in it,
and shall set it and all its utensils apart, and it shall be set-apart.
Exo 40:10 “And you
shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and set the
altar apart, and the altar shall be most set-apart.
Exo 40:11 “And you
shall anoint the basin and its stand, and set it apart.
Exo 40:12 “And you
shall bring Aharon and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting and wash
them with water.
Exo 40:13 “And you
shall put the set-apart garments on Aharon, and anoint him and set him apart to
serve as priest to Me.
Exo 40:14 “And you
shall bring his sons and put long shirts on them,
Exo 40:15 and shall
anoint them, as you anointed their father, and they shall serve as priests to
Me. And their anointing shall be for them an everlasting priesthood throughout
their generations.”
Exo 40:16 And
Mosheh did according to all that יהוה had commanded
him, so he did.
Exo 40:17 And it
came to be in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the
month, that the Dwelling Place was raised up.
Exo 40:18 And
Mosheh raised up the Dwelling Place and placed its sockets, and set up its
boards, and put in its bars, and raised up its columns,
Exo 40:19 and
spread the tent over the Dwelling Place and put the covering of the tent on top
of it, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh.
Exo 40:20 And he
took the Witness and put it into the ark, and he put the poles through the
rings of the ark, and put the lid of atonement on top of the ark, (Is 8:20)
Exo 40:21 and
brought the ark into the Dwelling Place, and placed the veil of the covering to
screen off the ark of the Witness, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh.
Exo 40:22 And he
put the table in the Tent of Meeting, on the north side of the Dwelling Place,
outside the veil,
Exo 40:23 and set
the bread in order upon it before יהוה, as יהוה had commanded
Mosheh.
Exo 40:24 And he
put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side
of the Dwelling Place,
Exo 40:25 and lit
the lamps before יהוה, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh.
Exo 40:26 And he
put the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the veil,
Exo 40:27 and
burned sweet incense on it, as יהוה had commanded
Mosheh.
Exo 40:28 And he
set up the covering to the door of the Dwelling Place.
Exo 40:29 And he
put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the Dwelling Place of the
Tent of Meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering,
as יהוה had commanded Mosheh.
Exo 40:30 And he
put the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water therein
for washing.
Exo 40:31 And
Mosheh, and Aharon, and his sons washed their hands and their feet with water
from it,
Exo 40:32 as they
went into the Tent of Meeting, and as they came near the altar. They would
wash, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh.
Exo 40:33 And he
raised up the courtyard all around the Dwelling Place and the altar, and placed
the covering of the courtyard gate. And Mosheh completed the work.
Exo 40:34 And the
cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the esteem of יהוה filled the Dwelling Place.
This
is the crowning event of Shemot and indeed the entire Torah – YHVH comes to
dwell amongst His people.
Exo 40:35 And
Mosheh was not able to come into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud dwelt
on it, and the esteem of יהוה filled the
Dwelling Place.
Exo 40:36 And when
the cloud was taken up from above the Dwelling Place, the children of Yisra’ĕl
went onward in all their journeys.
Exo 40:37 But if
the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was
taken up.
Exo 40:38 For the
cloud of יהוה was on the Dwelling Place by day, and fire
was on it by night, before the eyes of all the house of Yisra’ĕl, in all their
journeys.
When YHVH’s appointed leaders obey YHVH’s commandments, patterns,
and plans, they cause YHVH’s presence do dwell among them and so restoration
(tikkun) can come upon mankind and on this earth – so shall it be just before Messiah
returns and shall continue to be so forever and ever.
We await the future promise of our perfection and
redemption but in the meantime YHVH dwells with those whose hearts want to
please and obey Him and separate themselves from all that is offensive to Him.
‘’In our pluralistic society we have unwittingly
fallen prey to the Zeitgeist, the “spirit of the times”—we have begun to think
that there is a little bit of good in all things, in all modes of thinking.
We’re hesitant to teach and more hesitant to believe that God is the God of
separation, that He refuses to dwell among the rebellious and wayward, among
the spiritual harlotry of man-made religion. – Hegg’’
2Co 6:17 Therefore, “Come out from
among them and be separate, says יהוה, and do not touch what is
unclean, and I shall receive you. Isa_52:11.
2Co 6:18 “And I shall be a Father to
you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says יהוה
the Almighty.” Isa_43:6, Hos_1:10.
Isa 60:13 “The esteem of Leḇanon shall
come to you, cypress, pine, and the box tree together, to embellish the place
of My set-apart place. And I shall make the place of My feet esteemed.
Isa 60:14 “And the sons of those who
afflicted you come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall bow
themselves at the soles of your feet. And they shall call you: City of יהוה,
Tsiyon of the Set-apart One of Yisra’ěl.
Isa 60:15 “Instead of you being
forsaken and hated, so that no one passes through you, I shall make you an
everlasting excellence, a joy of many generations.
Isa 60:16 “And you shall suck the milk
of the nations, and shall suckle the breast of sovereigns. And you shall know
that I, יהוה, your Saviour and your Redeemer, am the Mighty One of
Ya‛aqoḇ.
Isa 60:17 “Instead of bronze I bring
gold, and instead of iron I bring silver, and bronze instead of wood, and iron
instead of stones. And I shall make your officers peace, and your magistrates
righteousness.
Isa 60:18 “Violence shall no longer be
heard in your land, neither wasting nor ruin within your borders. And you shall
call your walls Deliverance, and your gates Praise.
Isa 60:19 “No longer is the sun your
light by day, nor does the moon give light to you for brightness, but יהוה
shall be to you an everlasting light, and your Elohim your comeliness.
Isa 60:20 “No longer does your sun go
down, nor your moon withdraw itself, for יהוה shall be your everlasting
light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended.
Isa 60:21 “And your people, all of them
righteous, shall inherit the earth forever – a branch of My planting, a work of
My hands, to be adorned.
Isa 60:22 “The little shall become a
thousand, and the small one a strong nation.b I, יהוה, shall hasten it in its
time.” Footnote: bSee Isa_41:14, Dan_2:34-44.
Isa 61:9 “And their seed shall be known
among the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples. All who see
them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed יהוה has blessed.”
Joh
1:14 And the Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us, and we saw His
esteem, esteem as of an only brought-forth of a father, complete in favour and
truth.
When
the fulness of YHVH’s Torah dwells within us – He then finds a dwelling place
to tabernacle within us. This was clearly evident in Yahshua’s life and comes
from the Father with complete favour and truth.
This
clearly is the goal that YHVH has in Mind for His people – (Rom 8:29)
Rev
21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, “See, the Booth (Tabernacle) of Elohim is with men, and He
shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall
be with them and be their Elohim
If
Yahshua is the goal of the Torah, then His disciples are also the goal of the
Torah. (Rom 10:4)
Psa
40:7 Then I said, “See, I have come; In the scroll of the Book (volume of
all scripture) it is prescribed for me. (Rom 10:4)
Psa
40:8 I have delighted to do Your pleasure, O my Elohim, And Your Torah is
within my heart.”[b] Footnote: b Psa_37:31, Psa_119:11, Isa_51:7,
Heb_10:7-9.
Heb 10:7
“Then I said, ‘See, I come – in the roll of the book it has been written
concerning Me – to do Your desire, O Elohim.’ ” Psa_40:6-8.
Heb 10:9 then He said, “See, I come to do Your
desire, O Elohim.” Psa_40:8 He takes away the first to establish the
second. (This is Tabernacle talk)
Note how the writer to the book of Hebrews connects
‘’coming in the fulness of YHVH’s Word’’ with the Tabernacle. Also note the use
of the ‘’first and second parts’’ of the Tabernacle – The Set Apart Place and
the Most Set Apart Place. On the ‘’eighth’’ day or ‘’Shemini Atzeret’’ the
‘’first part’’ and its accompanying ministry are no longer required – we will
then have the New Yerushalayim.
The Earthly Holy Place
Heb 9:1
Now the first covenant (‘’covenant’’
not found in original manuscript) indeed had regulations of worship and the
earthly set-apart place.
Heb 9:2 For a Tent was prepared: the first part, in
which was the lampstand, and the table, and the showbread, which is called the
Set-apart Place.
Heb 9:3 And after the second veil, the part of the
Tent which is called Most Set-apart,
Heb 9:4 to which belonged the golden censer, and
the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden
pot that held the manna, and the rod of Aharon that budded, and the tablets of
the covenant,
Heb 9:5 and above it the keruḇim of esteem were overshadowing
the place of atonement – about which we do not now speak in detail.
Heb 9:6 And these having been prepared like this,
the priests always went into the first part of the Tent, accomplishing the
services.
Heb 9:7 But into the second part the high priest
went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for
sins of ignorance of the people,a Footnote: a Num_15:15-28.
Heb 9:8 the Set-apart Spirit signifying this, that
the way into the Most Set-apart Place was not yet made manifest while the first
Tent has a standing,
Heb 9:9 which was a parable for the present time in
which both gifts and slaughters are offered which are unable to perfect the one
serving, as to his conscience,
Heb 9:10 only as to foods and drinks, and different
washings, and fleshly regulations imposed until a time of setting matters
straight.
So, why the Tabernacle? Because His Word in His people are
now His Dwelling place or Tabernacle on earth.
2Co 3:2 You are our letter, having been written in
our hearts, known and read by all men,
2Co 3:3 making it obvious that you are a letter of
Messiah, served by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living
Elohim, not on tablets of stone but on fleshly tablets of the heart.
Jer 31:33 “For this is the covenant I shall make
with the house of Yisra’ěl after those days, declares יהוה: I shall put My Torah in their inward parts, and write it on
their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.
When the fulness of YHVH’s word dwells in your flesh –
your life becomes a ‘’tabernacle’’ inviting and showing His people the way back
into His presence. Only a remnant is willing and chosen to embody this word.
Then the most taught subject in the Torah – the
Tabernacle- becomes the ‘’blue print’’ written on your heart of what the REAL
meaning and purpose of this life is and how to reach the end goal of our faith.
You know who you are, where you came from, and you know how to reach your
ultimate destiny of this life.
Now we can begin to understand why the Tabernacle is the
most taught subject in the Word.
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, YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn
Chazak Chazak Ve
Nietchezek
Be strong be strong
and we shall strengthen ourselves.
חֲזֵק! חֲזֵק! וְנִתְחַּזֵק