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.)
As one reads this Torah portion one is struck by
the separation that takes place with the construction of the Mishkan (Hebrew
for Tabernacle).
This act of separation is deeply
interwoven in YHVH’s creation and revealed in His redemption.
We see in the beginning the first
thing that YHVH creates is light – Truth – so that a distinction can be made
between night and day. The next act of creation was water – He then commands a
separation of water in the heavens and water that covered the earth. Then there
was a further separation between water and land. Then YHVH creates two separate
kinds of animals – water animals and sky animals. Then YHVH creates animals to
live on the earth - kosher animals and
non kosher animals. Then YHVH creates man – male and female.
YHVH’s separation is always meant
to bring about perfect restoration.
Mankind has polluted and defiled themselves by
creating their own patterns and rules of separation.
Religious people have set apart Sun..day as a day
of worship as well as many other religious rituals and rules that they have
chosen to separate themselves from others.
We see this tragically played out in all forms of
religion and distinctions found in society amongst peoples.
There can be no more important issue in the
universe than our being joined together with our Creator.
This Torah portion shows the pattern of separation
that gets us back into the presence of YHVH and to be One with Him forever.
The Tabernacle or Mishkan gives us the pattern of being
restored into perfect fellowhip with YHVH.
First we need to be grafted into Yisrael – The 12 tribes
were camped around the tabernacle in the wilderness – see Rom 11 and Ephesians
2.
Then to enter into the courtyard of the tabernacle one
had to be ritually clean - that is seperated from things which contaminate you.
Many would first undergo a mikvah before entering into the courtyard. The
mikvah (immersion) also speaks of a seperation which takes place on ones life.
At the brazen altar the circumcised Yisraelite would
bring his offering according to the Torah of Korbanot (offerings)
The priests or Kohaniem would be the only ones who could proceed further into
the tabernacle with the required offerings and ritual cleaness as intercessors
on behalf of individuals as well as for the nation of Yisrael.
The High Priest would only enter into the most set apart place once a year on the day
of Yom Kippur in the prescribed manner for atonement for himself and for the
nation of Yisrael.
On the “Eighth day” Shemeni Atze ret or the beginning
of the 8th millenium this tabernacle and later temple pattern will
be done away with because its purpose would have been achieved – our unification
with YHVH.
Mat 5:18 “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and
the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the
Torah till all be done.1 Footnote: 1Lk. 16:17.
The Torah shows the pattern and instruction of how our
restoration with YHVH through Yahshua becomes reality. This will be achieved in
His time and according to His Torah.
Our Torah portion begins:
Exo 26:31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple
and scarlet material, and fine woven linen, the work of a skilled
workman, made with keruḇim.
Exo 26:32
“And you shall put it on the four columns of acacia wood overlaid with
gold, their hooks of gold, upon four sockets of silver.
Exo 26:33 “And
you shall hang the veil from the hooks, and shall bring the ark of the Witness
there, behind the veil. And the veil
shall make a separation for you between the Set-apart and the Most Set-apart
Place.
The Hebrew word for separate is “badal” it is a hiphil
verb meaning that it is a causative verb.
וְהִבְדִּילָה הַפָּרֹכֶת, לָכֶם, בֵּין הַקֹּדֶשׁ, וּבֵין קֹדֶשׁ
הַקֳּדָשִׁים.
The fact that this Hebrew word is a hiphil or
causitve verb teaches us that by the power of the word of YHVH’s Torah all
creation is brought into order and subjection. Yahshua – the Torah in the flesh
was YHVH’s plan of bringing all things into perfect restoration with Himself.
Col 1:16 Because in Him were created all that are in
the heavens and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
rulerships or principalities or authorities – all have been created through Him
and for Him. (note- not by him)
Col 1:17 And He is before all, and in Him all hold
together.
Col 1:18 And He is the Head of the body, the assembly,
who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that He might become the
One who is first in all.
Col 1:19 Because in Him all the completeness was well
pleased to dwell,
Col 1:20 and through Him to completely restore to
favour all unto Himself, whether on earth or in the heavens, having made peace
through the blood of His stake.
Exo 26:34
“And you shall put the lid of atonement upon the ark of the Witness in
the Most Set-apart Place. (another act of separating – the revelation is for an
appointed time)
Exo 26:35
“And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand
opposite the table on the side of the Dwelling Place toward the south, and put
the table on the north side.
Exo 26:36
“And you shall make a covering for the door of the Tent, of blue and
purple and scarlet material, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver.
Exo 26:37
“And you shall make for the covering five columns of acacia wood, and
overlay them with gold, their hooks of gold, and you shall cast five sockets of
bronze for them.
Exo 27:1 “And you shall make an altar of acacia wood,
five cubits long and five cubits wide – the altar is square – and its height
three cubits.
Exo 27:2 “And you shall make its horns on its four
corners, its horns are of the same. And you shall overlay it with bronze.
Exo 27:3 “And you shall make its pots to receive its
ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its fire holders. Make
all its utensils of bronze.
Exo 27:4 “And you shall make a grating for it, a
bronze network, and shall make on the network four bronze rings at its four
corners,
Exo 27:5 and shall put it under the rim of the altar
beneath, so that the network is halfway up the altar.
Exo 27:6 “And you shall make poles for the altar,
poles of acacia wood, and shall overlay them with bronze.
Exo 27:7 “And the poles shall be put in the rings, and
the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar for lifting it.
Exo 27:8 “Make it hollow with boards. As it was shown
to you on the mountain, so they are to make it.
Exo 27:9 “And you shall make the courtyard of the
Dwelling Place: for the south side screens for the courtyard made of fine woven
linen, one hundred cubits long for one side,
Exo 27:10 and its twenty columns and their twenty
sockets of bronze, the hooks of the columns and their bands of silver,
Exo 27:11 and so for the north side in length, screens
one hundred cubits long, with its twenty columns and their twenty
sockets of bronze, and the hooks of the columns and their bands of silver.
Exo 27:12 “And the width of the courtyard on the west
side screens of fifty cubits, with their ten columns and their ten sockets.
Exo 27:13 “And the width of the courtyard on the east
side fifty cubits.
Exo 27:14 “And the screens on one side of the gate
fifteen cubits, with their three columns and their three sockets.
Exo 27:15 “And on the other side screens of fifteen cubits,
with their three columns and their three sockets.
Exo 27:16 “And for the gate of the courtyard a covering
twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine
woven linen, made by a weaver – four columns and four sockets.
Exo 27:17 “All the columns around the courtyard have
bands of silver, their hooks silver and their sockets bronze.
Exo 27:18 “The length of the courtyard is one hundred
cubits, and the width fifty by fifty, and the height five cubits, woven of fine
linen thread, and its sockets of bronze.
Exo 27:19 “All the utensils of the Dwelling Place for
all its service, all its pegs, and all the pegs of the courtyard, are bronze.
In the ancient
tabernacle the sages called the outer court the way; the set apart place the
truth and the most set apart place the LIFE. (John 14:6)
Today we know that
only by following Yahshua can we get to the LIFE.
The only way to follow
Yahshua is by death – separation of our old life to the new life of him
dwelling in us
Col 3:3 For you have died, and your life has been
hidden with Messiah in Elohim.
Col 3:4 When the Messiah, who is our life, is
manifested, then you also shall be manifested with Him in esteem.
Col 3:5
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: whoring,
uncleanness, passion, evil desire and greed of gain, which is idolatry
Paul even died to the Torah.
Gal 2:19 “For through Torah I died to Torah,1
in order to live to Elohim. Footnote: 1See Rom. 7.
What Paul means here
is that the Torah apart from the Ruach of YHVH is merely words written on
stone. The Torah without the Ruach (Spirit) will only bring death and
condemnation. The Torah without the Ruach will cause you to sin even more. Paul
had died to his own understanding and attempts to keep the Torah as a means of
establishing righteousness to having the revelation of the Ruach that in Messiah
the Torah takes on its revelation of YHVH’s redemption and a life of perfect liberty in the Ruach. The Torah was meant to set us
free not bind us.
Jas 1:25 But he that looked into the perfect Torah,
that of freedom,1 and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that
forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of the
Torah. Footnote: 1See 2:12.
Today I believe we
must separate ourselves from both Christian and Jewish doctrines of men that obscure
the true liberating life-giving teaching of the Torah as revealed by Messiah and his messengers through
the First and Second writings (Old and New Testament)
Gal 2:20
“I have been impaled with Messiah, and I no longer live, but Messiah
lives in me.1 And that which I now live in the flesh I live by
belief in the Son of Elohim, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Footnote: 1Rom.
8:10, 2 Cor. 6:16, 2 Cor. 13:5, Eph. 3:17, Col. 1:27, 1 John 4:4.
Let’s once again to turn to Paul who by the
Ruach of YHVH explains to us what this Torah portion is really trying to teach
us.
Isa 8:20 To the Torah and to the witness! If they do
not speak according to this Word, it is because they have no daybreak1.
Footnote: 1Or light
We will look at selected passages from the
book of Hebrews chapters 8-10.
Heb 8:1 Now the summary of what we are saying is: We
have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the
Greatness in the heavens,
Heb 8:2 and who serves in the set-apart place and of
the true Tent, which יהוה set up, and
not man.
Heb 8:3 For every
high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and slaughters. So it was also
necessary for this One to have somewhat to offer.
Heb 8:4 For if
indeed He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who
offer the gifts according to the Torah,
Heb 8:5 who serve
a copy and shadow of the heavenly, as Mosheh was warned when he was about to
make the Tent. For He said, “See that you make all according to the pattern
shown you on the mountain.”
Heb 8:6 But now He
has obtained a more excellent service, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a
better covenant, which was constituted on better promises.
This is not an anti Torah statement - The better covenant or renewed covenant was
that the Torah would be in our hearts – see Yer 31:31-33
This was YHVH’s intent all along. And from the
beginning he told everyone it was his intent; it is part of The Shema
itself:
Hear O Israel . . . these words, which I am commanding you today, shall
be on your heart. (Deuteronomy 6:4, 6)
And again,
You shall impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul.
(Deuteronomy 11:18a)
Heb 8:7 For if
that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been
sought for a second.
It is critical that we notice that the word “covenant”
here is not in the original manuscript – it is written in italics and is an
intended meaning.
The covenant or Torah is perfect – it has no fault.
Psa 19:7 The Torah of יהוה is perfect,
bringing back the being; The witness of יהוה is
trustworthy, making wise the simple;
The important terms of first and second are defined in
the following chapter 9 – note once again the use of covenant in italics.
Heb 8:8 For
finding fault(Gk “blaming”) with them,(note use of the plural - the first and
second parts of the tabernacle) He says, “See, the days are coming,” says יהוה, “when I shall conclude with the house of
Yisra’ĕl and with the house of Yehuḏah a
renewed covenant,
Heb 8:9 not
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took
them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Mitsrayim, because they did
not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them,” says יהוה.
Heb 8:10 “Because
this is the covenant that I shall make with the house of Yisra’ĕl after those
days, says יהוה, giving My
laws in their mind, and I shall write them on their hearts, and I shall be
their Elohim, and they shall be My people.
Heb 8:11 “And they
shall by no means teach each one his neighbour, and each one his brother,
saying, ‘Know יהוה,’ because they
all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
Heb 8:12 “Because
I shall forgive their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawlessnesses I
shall no longer remember.”1 Footnote: 1Jer. 31:31-34,
Heb. 10:16-17.
Heb 8:13 By
saying, ‘renewed,’ He has made the first old. Now what becomes old and growing
aged is near disappearing.
Heb 9:1 Now the first covenant 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,1
Footnote: 1Num. 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.
Heb 9:11 But
Messiah, having become a High Priest of the coming good matters, through
the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands, that is, not of this
creation,
Heb 9:12
entered into the Most Set-apart Place once for all, not with the blood
of goats and calves, but with His own blood, having obtained everlasting
redemption.
Heb 9:13 For
if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the
defiled, sets apart for the cleansing of the flesh,
Heb 9:14 how
much more shall the blood of the Messiah, who through the everlasting Spirit
offered Himself unblemished to Elohim, cleanse your conscience from dead works
to serve the living Elohim?
Heb 9:15 And
because of this He is the Mediator of a renewed covenant, so that, death having
taken place for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant,
those who are called might receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance.
Heb 9:16 For
where a covenant is, it is necessary for the death of the covenanted one to be
established.
Heb 9:17 For
a covenant over those dead is firm, since it is never valid while the
covenanted one is living.
Heb 9:18 Therefore
not even the first covenant was instituted without blood.
Heb 9:19 For
when, according to Torah, every command had been spoken by Mosheh to all the
people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, and scarlet wool,
and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
Heb 9:20
saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which Elohim commanded you.”
Heb 9:21 And
in the same way he sprinkled with blood both the Tent and all the vessels of
the service.
Heb 9:22
And, according to the Torah, almost all is cleansed with blood, and
without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Heb 9:23 It
was necessary, then, that the copies of the heavenly ones should be cleansed
with these, but the heavenly ones themselves with better slaughter offerings
than these.
Heb 9:24 For
Messiah has not entered into a Set-apart Place made by hand – figures of the
true – but into the heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of Elohim on
our behalf,
Heb 9:25 not
that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters into the
Set-apart Place year by year with blood not his own.
Heb 9:26 For
if so, He would have had to suffer often, since the foundation of the world.
But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by
the offering of Himself.
Heb 9:27 And
as it awaits men to die once, and after this the judgment,
Heb 9:28 so
also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall
appear a second time, apart from sin, to those waiting for Him, unto
deliverance.
Heb 10:1 For the Torah, having a shadow of the good matters
to come, and not the image itself of the matters, was never able to make
perfect those who draw near with the same slaughter offerings which they
offer continually year by year.
Heb 10:2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be
offered? Because those who served, once cleansed, would have had no more
consciousness of sins.
Heb 10:3 But in those offerings is a reminder
of sins year by year.
Heb 10:4 For it is impossible for blood of bulls and
goats to take away sins.
Heb 10:5 Therefore, coming into the world, He says,
“Slaughtering and meal offering You did not desire, but a body You have
prepared for Me.
Heb 10:6 “In burnt offerings and offerings for
sin You did not delight.1 Footnote: 1Ps. 40:6, 7.
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.’ ”
Heb 10:8 Saying above, “Slaughter and meal offering,
and burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor
delighted in,” which are offered according to the Torah,
Heb 10:9 then He said, “See, I come to do Your desire,
O Elohim.” He takes away the first to establish the second.
Heb 10:10 By that desire we have been set apart through
the offering of the body of יהושע Messiah once
for all.
Heb 10:11 And
indeed every priest stands day by day doing service, and repeatedly offering
the same slaughter offerings which are never able to take away sins.
Heb 10:12 But He,
having offered one slaughter offering for sins for all time, sat down at
the right hand of Elohim,
Heb 10:13 waiting
from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet.
Heb 10:14 For by
one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being set apart.
Heb 10:15 And the
Set-apart Spirit also witnesses to us, for after having said before,
Heb 10:16 “This is
the covenant that I shall make with them after those days, says יהוה, giving My laws into their hearts, and in
their minds I shall write them,”1 Footnote: 1Jer. 31:33,
Heb. 8:8-12.
Heb 10:17 and,
“Their sins and their lawlessnesses I shall remember no more.”
Heb 10:18 Now
where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer a slaughter offering
for sin.
Heb 10:19 So,
brothers, having boldness to enter into the Set-apart Place by the blood of יהושע,
Heb 10:20 by a new
and living way which He instituted for us, through the veil, that is, His
flesh,
Heb 10:21 and having
a High Priest over the House of Elohim,
Heb 10:22 let us
draw near with a true heart in completeness of belief, having our hearts
sprinkled from a wicked conscience and our bodies washed with clean water.
Heb 10:23 Let us
hold fast the confession of our expectation without yielding, for He who
promised is trustworthy.
Heb 10:24 And let
us be concerned for one another in order to stir up love and good works,1
Footnote: 1Mt. 16:27.
Heb 10:25 not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging, and so much more as you see the Day coming near.
Heb 10:26 For if
we sin purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no
longer remains a slaughter offering for sins,1 Footnote: 1See
also 6:6, Heb. 9:7, Num. 15:15-28.
Heb 10:27 but some
fearsome anticipation of judgment, and a fierce fire which is about to consume
the opponents.
Heb 10:28 Anyone
who has disregarded the Torah of Mosheh dies without compassion on the witness
of two or three witnesses.
Heb 10:29 How much
worse punishment do you think shall he deserve who has trampled the Son of
Elohim underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was set apart
as common, and insulted the Spirit of favour?
Heb 10:30 For we
know Him who has said, “Vengeance is Mine, I shall repay, says יהוה.” And again, “יהוה shall judge His people.”
Heb 10:31 It is
fearsome to fall into the hands of the living Elohim.
Heb 10:32 But
remember the former days, when, after you were enlightened, you endured a great
struggle with sufferings.
Heb 10:33 On the
one hand you were exposed to reproaches and pressures, and on the other hand
you became sharers with those who were so treated,
Heb 10:34 for you
sympathised with me in my chains, and you accepted with joy the seizure of your
possessions, knowing that you have a better and a lasting possession for
yourselves in the heavens.
Heb 10:35 Do not,
then, lose your boldness, which has great reward.
Heb 10:36 For you
have need of endurance, so that when you have done the desire of Elohim, you
receive the promise:
Heb 10:37 “For yet
a little while – He who is coming shall come and shall not delay.”
Heb 10:38 “But the
righteous shall live by belief, but if anyone draws back, my being has no
pleasure in him.”
Heb 10:39 But we
are not of those who draw back to destruction, but of belief to the
preservation of life.
Yahshua did not come to do away with
the Torah and the priesthood but came to elevate it as it served to show that
he the Messiah would bring all things to perfection.
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 YHVH, 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
Please
note these notes are under construction and are subject to correction and are
in no way a final authority on any subject.