(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.)
This is the
last part of the last parashah (portion) for the book of Shemot we call Exodus
– Pekudei.
It is possibly
more significant than we realize that this final portion is dedicated to the
priestly garments and the various components of the Tabernacle that are
directly part of the priestly environment and function. The priests were called
by YHVH and not man. The priests were called to bring all those whom YHVH had
called and chosen to full maturity and thus bring restoration to those who flee
from mixture and idolatry and survive YHVH’s end time judgment.
In this final
Torah portion the refrain “all YHVH commanded they did” (or something similar)
is repeated some 18 times. Perhaps never before, and never again until Yahshua
returns, would the nation as a whole function in such an obedient way.
In this parasha
YHVH reminds us that He creates a Perfect Man for a Perfect Priesthood – Yahshua
– In Him we are called to be joined to this Priesthood forever and ever.
1Pe 2:9
But you are a chosen race,b Deu_10:15 a royal priesthood,c Isa_61:6
a set-apart nation,d Exo_19:6 a people for a possession,e Isa_43:2
that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into
His marvellous light, Footnotes: bAlso see Isa_43:20. cAlso see Isa_66:21.
dAlso see Deu_7:6. eAlso see Exo_19:5, Tit_2:14. 1Pe
2:10 who once were not a people,f but now the people of Elohim;f who had
not obtained compassion,f but now obtained compassion.f Hos_1:9-10, Hos_2:23.
Footnote: fAlso see Isa_65:1, Hos_1:9, Isa_63:16, Isa_64:8,
Rom_9:25-26.
When the earth becomes ‘’astoningishly’’ vacant and void –
YHVH creates a man and a woman in His Image to bring order out of the chaos and
mediate YHVH’s Peace and Perfection between Creation and Creator. We see this
evidence in the Garden of Eden as well as within the Bride of Messiah. We see
this Mediation of Perfection in the garments of the High Priest.
Exo 39:1 And of
the blue and purple and scarlet material they made woven garments, to do
service in the set-apart place. And they made the set-apart garments which were
for Aharon, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh. Exo 39:2 And he made the shoulder garment of gold, of
blue and purple and scarlet material, and of fine woven linen. Exo
39:3 And they beat out sheets of gold
and cut it into threads, to work it in with the blue and purple and scarlet material,
and the fine linen, the work of a skilled workman. Exo 39:4 They made shoulder pieces for it to join it,
it was joined at its two edges. Exo 39:5
And the embroidered band of his shoulder garment that was on it was of
the same work of gold, and blue and purple and scarlet material, and of
fine woven linen, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh. Exo 39:6
And they made the shoham stones, set in plated work of gold, engraved as
signets are engraved, according to the names of the sons of Yisra’ĕl. Exo
39:7 And he put them on the shoulders of
the shoulder garment, stones of remembrance for the sons of Yisra’ĕl, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh. Exo 39:8 And he made the breastplate, a work of a
skilled workman, like the work of the shoulder garment, of gold, of blue and
purple and scarlet material, and of fine woven linen. Exo 39:9 It was square, they made the breastplate
double, its length a span, its width a span, doubled. Exo 39:10 And they filled it with four rows of stones:
a row of ruby, a topaz, and an emerald was the first row; Exo 39:11 and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire,
and a diamond; Exo 39:12 and the third
row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; Exo 39:13 and the fourth row a beryl, a shoham, and a
jasper – set in plated work of gold in their settings. Exo 39:14 And the stones were according to the names of
the sons of Yisra’ĕl, twelve according to their names, engraved like a signet,
each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes. Exo 39:15 And they made braided chains of corded work
for the breastplate at the ends, of clean gold. Exo 39:16 And they made two settings of gold and two
gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. Exo
39:17 And they put the two cords of gold
in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. Exo 39:18 And the two ends of the two cords they
fastened in the two settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the
shoulder garment in the front. Exo 39:19
And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the
breastplate, on the edge of it, which was on the inward side of the shoulder
garment. Exo 39:20 And they made two
gold rings and put them on the two shoulder pieces, underneath the shoulder
garment, on the front of it, close to its seam above the embroidered band of
the shoulder garment. Exo 39:21 And they
bound the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the shoulder
garment with a blue cord, so that it would be above the embroidered band of the
shoulder garment, and that the breastplate would not come loose from the
shoulder garment, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh. Exo 39:22
And he made the robe of the shoulder garment of woven work, all of blue.
Exo 39:23 And the opening of the robe
was in the middle, like the opening in a scaled armour, with a woven binding
all around the opening, so that it would not tear. Exo 39:24 And they made on the hem of the robe
pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, twined. Exo
39:25 And they made bells of clean gold,
and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe all around
between the pomegranates: Exo 39:26 a
bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the
robe, for the service, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh. Exo 39:27
And they made the long shirt of fine linen, the work of a weaver, for
Aharon and his sons, Exo 39:28 and a turban
of fine linen, and the turban ornaments of fine linen, and short trousers of
fine woven linen, Exo 39:29 and a girdle
of fine woven linen with blue and purple and scarlet material, the work
of an embroiderer, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh. Exo 39:30 And they made the plate of the set-apart sign
of dedication of clean gold, and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving
of a signet: SET-APARTNESS TO יהוה. Exo 39:31 And they put
on it a blue cord, to fasten it above on the turban, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh.
Exo
39:32 And all the work of the Dwelling
Place of the Tent of Meeting was completed. And the children of Yisra’ĕl did
according to all that יהוה had commanded Mosheh, so they did. 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 altar of gold, and the anointing oil,
and the sweet incense, and the covering for the Tent door, Exo 39:39 the bronze altar 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
Meeting, 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’ĕl 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. 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, 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, pattern and plan, they cause
YHVH’s presence to 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 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
ourselves from all that is offensive to Him.
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.
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 has 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 34:1 Come
near, you gentiles, to hear. And listen, you people! Let the earth hear, and
all that is in it, the world and all its offspring. Isa 34:2 For the displeasure of יהוה is against all the gentiles1,
and His wrath against all their divisions. He shall put them under the ban, He
shall give them over to the slaughter, Footnote: 1See footnote Jer.
30:11. Isa
34:8 For it is the day of the vengeance
of יהוה, the year of recompense for the cause of
Tsiyon.
Isa 66:16
“For by fire and by His sword יהוה shall judge all flesh, and the slain of יהוה shall be many –
Isa
66:17 those who set themselves apart and
cleanse themselves at the gardens after ‘One’ in the midst, eating flesh of
pigs1 and the abomination and the mouse, are snatched away,
together,” declares יהוה. Footnote: 1See 65:4.
‘’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.
Eph 2:11 Therefore remember that you, once nationsc in the flesh,
who are called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called ‘the circumcision’ made
in the flesh by hands, Footnote: cSee 1Co_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 2:19 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.
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, YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn.)
Chazak Chazak Ve Nietchezek
Be strong be strong and we shall strengthen ourselves.
חֲזֵק! חֲזֵק! וְנִתְחַּזֵק