Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity, you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah.
הנני ממטיר ‘’Heneni mamatir’’
‘’behold I am causing to rain’’
Shemot/Exo 16:4 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “See, I am raining bread from the heavens for you. And the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, in order to try (אנסנו ‘’anasenu’’) them, whether they walk in My Torah or not. (Emphasis on ‘’walk’’ not only study).
Sometimes our greatest ‘’testings’’ come during seasons of abundance. So, YHVH sometimes sends His children abundant blessings to test them. (אנסנו "anasenu’’)
In our haftarah portion the prophet goes right to the source of many of our problems.
Isa
58:1 “Cry
aloud, do not spare. Lift up your voice like the shophar. Declare to My people
their transgression, and the house of Ya‛aqoḇ their sins. Isa 58:2
“Yet they seek Me day by day, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did
righteousness, and did not forsake the right-ruling of their Elohim. They ask
of Me rulings of righteousness, they delight in drawing near to Elohim. Isa
58:3 They say, ‘Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why
have we afflicted our beings, and You took no note?’ “Look, in the day of your
fasting you find pleasure, and drive on all your labourers. Isa 58:4
“Look, you fast for strife and contention, and to strike with the fist of
wrongness. You do not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on
high. (Does Yom
Kippur benefit you or condemn you?) Isa 58:5 “Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to
afflict his being? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out
sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to יהוה? (Just another religious performance)Isa 58:6 “Is this not the
fast that I have chosen: to loosen the tight cords of wrongness, to undo the
bands of the yoke, to exempt the oppressed, and to break off every yoke? Isa
58:7 “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to
your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, and cover him,
and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Isa
58:9 “Then, when you call, יהוה would answer; when you cry, He would say, ‘Here I am.’(hineni) “If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and the speaking of unrighteousness,
Isa 58:10 if you extend your being to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted being, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness be as noon. Isa 58:11 “Then יהוה would guide you continually, and satisfy your being in drought, and strengthen your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Isa 58:14 then you shall delight yourself in יהוה. And I shall cause you to ride on the heights of the earth, and feed you with the inheritance of Ya‛aqoḇ your father. For the mouth of יהוה has spoken!”
Believers
are called to establish His Kingdom on earth - 2Ch 7:13 “If I shut up the heavens and
there is no rain,(‘’matir’’) or if I command the locusts to
devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, ( בעמי) 2Ch 7:14 and My
people upon whom My Name is called, shall humble themselves, and pray and
seek My face, and turn from their evil ways,( מדרכיהם הרעים – the path of the evil ones) then I shall hear from the
heavens, and forgive their sin and heal their land.( מדרכיהם הרעים – ‘’to turn away from the
paths that evil ones amongst them have introduced)
We see clearly that YHVH is talking about two groups of people – His people ‘’ami’’ and the evil ones ‘’ha ra im’’ the evil ones that dwell amongst His people. And so, our biggest problem is when ‘’His people’’ are influenced by the ‘’wrong people’’ within their midst. This is most probably what is happening in our Torah portion.
Exo
16:4 And יהוה
said to Mosheh, “See, I am raining bread from the heavens for you. And the
people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, in order to try them,
whether they walk in My Torah or not.
Exo 16:5 “And it shall be on the
sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as
much as they gather daily.”
Exo 16:6 And Mosheh and Aharon
said to all the children of Yisra’ěl, “At evening you shall know that יהוה has brought you out of the land of
Mitsrayim.
Exo 16:7 “And in the morning you
shall see the esteem of יהוה, for He hears your
grumblings against יהוה. And what are we, that
you grumble against us?”
Exo 16:8 And Mosheh said, “In that
יהוה gives you meat to eat in the evening, and
in the morning bread to satisfaction, for יהוה
hears your grumblings which you make against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings
are not against us but against יהוה.” (The
‘’ha raim’’ were influencing them)
Exo 16:9 And Mosheh said to
Aharon, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ěl, ‘Come near
before יהוה, for He has heard your
grumblings.’ ”
Exo 16:10 And it came to be, as
Aharon spoke to all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ěl, that they
looked toward the wilderness and see, the esteem of יהוה appeared in the cloud.
Exo 16:11 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Exo 16:12 “I have heard the
grumblings of the children of Yisra’ěl. Speak to them, saying, ‘Between the
evenings you are to eat meat, and in the morning you are to be satisfied with
bread. And you shall know that I am יהוה your
Elohim.’ ”
Exo 16:13 And it came to be that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp.
Hebrew word for ‘’quail’’ is ‘’salav’’ and means ‘’content’’ 1Ti 6:6 But reverence with contentment is great gain. 1Ti 6:7 For we brought naught into the world, and it is impossible to take any out. 1Ti 6:8 When we have food and covering, we shall be satisfied with these.
Exo 16:14 And the layer of dew
went up, and see, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round
substance, as fine as frost on the ground.
Exo 16:15 And the children of
Yisra’ěl saw, and they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know
what it was. And Mosheh said to them, “It is the bread which יהוה has given you to eat.
Exo 16:16 “This is the word which יהוה has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it
according to each one’s need, an omer for each being, according to the number
of beings. Let every man take for those who are in his tent.’ ”
Exo 16:17 And the children of
Yisra’ěl did so and gathered, some more, some less.
Exo 16:18 And they measured it by
omers, and he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered
little did not have too little. Each one gathered according to his need.
Exo 16:19 And Mosheh said, “Let no
one leave any of it until morning.”
Exo 16:20 And they did not listen
to Mosheh, so some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and
stank. And Mosheh was wroth with them.
Exo 16:21 And they gathered it
every morning, each one according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it
melted.
Exo 16:22 And it came to be, on
the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one.
And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Mosheh.
Exo 16:23 And he said to them,
“This is what יהוה has said, ‘Tomorrow is a
rest, a Sabbath set-apart to יהוה.
That which you bake, bake; and that which you cook, cook. And lay
up for yourselves all that is left over, to keep it until morning.’ ”
Exo 16:24 And they laid it up till
morning, as Mosheh commanded. And it did not stink, and no worm was in
it.
Exo 16:25 And Mosheh said, “Eat it
today, for today is a Sabbath to יהוה,
today you do not find it in the field.
Exo 16:26 “Gather it six days, but
on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, there is none.”
Exo 16:27 And it came to be that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none.
This is possibly
one of the most tragic conditions of YHVH’s people – Disobedience and ungratefulness
which leads to rebellion and bitterness. If not repented of this condition has
the most devasting consequences in spreading like a cancer into the
congregation of believers. See Deut 28.
Deu 29:16 “For you know how we dwelt in the land of Mitsrayim and how we passed through the nations which you passed through, Deu 29:17 and you saw their abominations and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were with them, Deu 29:18 lest there should be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe, whose heart turns away today from יהוה our Elohim, to go and serve the mighty ones of these nations, lest there should be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood. Deu 29:19 “And it shall be, when he hears the words of this curse, that he should bless himself in his heart, saying, ‘I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart,’ in order to add drunkenness to thirst. (Like an alcoholic who can’t stop drinking even after his hangover). Deu 29:20 “יהוה would not forgive him, but rather, the displeasure of יהוה and His jealousy shall burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book shall settle on him, and יהוה shall blot out his name from under the heavens. Deu 29:21 “And יהוה shall separate him for evil, out of all the tribes of Yisra’ěl, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Torah.
Deu
29:29 “The secret matters belong to יהוה our Elohim, but what is
revealed belongs to us and to our children forever, to do all the Words of this
Torah.
What is
the secret?
It is
usually only one or two people in the congregation of the righteous operating
from a root of bitterness who can bring huge devastation to the congregation.
Heb 12:15 See to it that no one falls short of the favour of Elohim, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, by which many become defiled, Heb 12:16 lest there be anyone who whores, or profane one, like Ěsaw, who for a single meal sold his birthright.b Footnote: b Gen_25:32-33. Heb 12:17 For you know that afterward, when he wished to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears.
So, what does it mean to trade your birth right blessing? And why would anyone want to trade their birth right blessing?
What is the spiritual trading principle?
There cannot be an inheritance without a death. His death as well as our death to self. Our birth right is sealed by the blood of Yahshua and the Set Apart Spirit is our deposit of what is to come.
In essence many are trading their blood bought birth right for a ‘’bowl of lentil soup’’ when they seek the praise and acceptance of deceived, rebellious religious men and woman. Many of these deceivers have already sold their birth right to accrue riches and to entrench your servitude to them and their own deceptive religious ideas and doctrines for their own despicable self- serving purposes. It has nothing to do with pleasing YHVH but everything to do with their narcist evil self-righteous agendas. Tragically history shows us that most of YHVH’s people willingly trade their birth rights for the worthless promises and persuasions these evil religious merchants offer us. These include you and me. Once we have traded our birth right it is almost impossible to regain it. Eventually only a very small remnant will enter into the Kingdom with a birth right blessing. Only Joshua and Caleb of their generation received the birth right blessing - and every other man 20 years and older of their generation TRADED their birth right blessing. That means only two men out of 603550 men entered into the promised land -Num 1:46 even all those who were numbered were six hundred three thousand, five hundred and fifty. This does not mean all other men were rejected from receiving a birth right blessing, but the blessing would only come after their resurrection, it would not be for this age – the ‘’olam ha ze’’ but for the ‘’olam ha ba’’ – the age to come.
Heb 12:17 For you know that afterward, when he wished to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears.
The birth right blessing belongs to the
first born. Israel and those grafted into Israel have been given the birth
right blessing by YHVH. Exo 4:22
“And you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus said יהוה, “Yisra’ěl is My son, My first-born, Exo 4:23 so I
say to you, let My son go to serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, see, I
am killing your son, your first-born.” ’ ”
The Torah including all other scripture is not about the ‘’church of the first born’’ the Torah and all scripture is directed towards a ‘’wayward’’ people called Israel – those who have come into the bond of the covenant – through the Torah as taught and demonstrated through Messiah. The seven letters Yahshua wrote to the assemblies in the Book of Revelation were all written to Torah observant Messianic congregations. (Only one assembly – Philadelphia – was promised protection during the great tribulation) The word ‘’church’’ no where appears in scripture. It is a made up Christian word.
YHVH is
the only one who can save Israel. He Will Restore Israel
Eze
20:33 “As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “do not I, with a mighty hand, with an
outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, reign over you? Eze
20:34 “And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of
the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched
arm, and with wrath poured out. Eze 20:35 “And I shall bring you
into the wilderness of the peoples, and shall enter into judgment with you face
to face there. Eze 20:36 “As I entered into judgment with your
fathers in the wilderness of the land of Mitsrayim, so I shall enter into
judgment with you,” declares the Master יהוה. Eze 20:37 “And I shall make
you pass under the rod, and shall bring you into the bond of the
covenant,
Eze
20:38 and purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress
against Me. From
the land where they sojourn I bring them out, but they shall not come into the
land of Yisra’ěl. And you shall know that I am יהוה. Eze 20:39 “As for you, O house
of Yisra’ěl,” thus said the Master יהוה, “Go, serve each of you his idols, and
afterwards, if you are not listening to Me. But do not profane My set-apart
Name any more with your gifts and your idols. Eze 20:40 “For on My
set-apart mountain, on the mountain height of Yisra’ěl,” declares the Master יהוה,
“there all the house of Yisra’ěl, all of them in the land, shall serve Me.
There I shall accept them, and there I shall require your offerings and the
first-fruits of your offerings, together with all your set-apart gifts.
Eze
20:41 “As a sweet fragrance I shall accept you when I bring you out from
the peoples. And I shall gather you out of the lands where you have been
scattered. And I shall be set-apart in you before the nations.
Eze 20:42 “And you shall know that I am יהוה, when I bring you into the land of Yisra’ěl, into the land for which I lifted My hand in an oath to give to your fathers. Eze 20:43 “And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you were defiled. And you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you did. Eze 20:44 “And you shall know that I am יהוה, when I have dealt with you for My Name’s sake, not according to your evil ways nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Yisra’ěl,” declares the Master יהוה.’
This Torah portion is a shocking portrayal of the people of Israel then and now. The real problem in the world is not the church it is Israel – it is you and me who are called to be a part of an end time Messianic redemption walking in the blessing and light of YHVH’s Covenant – His Torah.
How are we to deal with ‘’ha ra im’’ the evil influencers amongst us? Yahshua tells us how.
The
Parable of the Weeds
Matty 13:24 Another parable He put before them, saying, “The reign of the heavens has become like a man who sowed good seed in his field, Mat 13:25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel[e] among the wheat and went away. Footnote: eDarnel looks like wheat but is poisonous to man and beast. Mat 13:26 “And when the blade sprouted and bore fruit, then the darnel also appeared. Mat 13:27 “And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? From where then does it have the darnel?’ Mat 13:28 “And he said to them, ‘A man, an enemy did this.’ And the servants said to him, ‘Do you wish then, that we go and gather them up?’ Mat 13:29 “But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the darnel you also uproot the wheat with them. Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I shall say to the reapers, “First gather the darnel and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my granary.” ’ ”
And so, these things will be fulfilled in the last days.
Disclaimer: I realize that I am treading in an area where ‘’messengers (angels) fear to tread’’ I do not consider my insight into these matters as a final authority on this subject and I am fully aware that I am subject to correction on this as well as other Torah related issues.
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 – Amein.