Parashat 22 Portion 72 Shemot/Ex 37:1-38:20 1Kings 8:8-22 1 Pet 2:4-10

This last portion of Shemot – Vayakel – ends with the construction of the Tabernacle with all its furniture, coverings, garments and vessels. All the materials had been collected, now was time to create a “space” where YHVH could dwell with His people and reveal to them who He was and what He desired them to be.

These events remind us that YHVH has allowed all the events in our lives to come about so as to prepare a dwelling place for Himself to dwell in our hearts. Nothing has happened to us by accident. If YHVH has called you, He is preparing you for a vessel of His habitation.

The most discussed topic of the Torah is the “Mishkan” – the Tabernacle.

Where does the construction of this Tabernacle begin? With the “Ark of the Covenant”.

 Is this just a co incidence?

When did our lives really begin on this earth? The day or time when YHVH introduced Yahshua into our lives (hearts) and everything about our lives changed. The Father and His Son came to seek a dwelling place in our hearts. The Torah and all of YHVH’s Word was also meant to change our thoughts and actions.

And so the construction of the Tabernacle begins with the “Ark of the Covenant” the very dwelling place of YHVH amongst men …until the first coming of Messiah.

Exo 37:1  And Betsal’ĕl made the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, and a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. (1.125mx 0.675m x 0.45m)

Exo 37:2  And he overlaid it with clean gold inside and outside, and made a moulding of gold all around it.

Exo 37:3  And he cast four rings of gold for it, for its four feet, two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side.

Exo 37:4  And he made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.

Exo 37:5  And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark, to lift the ark.

Exo 37:6  And he made a lid of atonement of clean gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.

Exo 37:7  And he made two keruḇim of beaten gold. He made them from the two ends of the lid of atonement,

Exo 37:8  one keruḇ at one end on this side, and the other keruḇ at the other end on that side. He made the keruḇim from the lid of atonement, from the two ends.

Exo 37:9  And the keruḇim spread out their wings above, and covered the lid of atonement with their wings, with their faces toward each other, the faces of the keruḇim were turned toward the lid of atonement.

A total circumference of 8 cubits – 8 the number of new beginnings, only that which is perfect enters into His Presence of Perfection. From the very beginning of Creation – YHVH had our perfection, our completeness as part of His plan and purpose for our lives. His Presence creates – Perfection!

The contents of the ark represent the Messiah – the perfect one – who would become our perfection.

Messiah would come to teach us the Torah the way it was meant to be taught – two tablets.

Messiah would come and reveal the priesthood would show us the truth – rod.

Messiah would come to give life the way life was meant to be received – the pot of manna.

YHVH takes common wood and covers it with gold – He takes man, a clay vessel and fills him with His Esteem –

Parashat 22 Portion 71 Vayakel Shemot 34:27 – 36:28 Yerm 31:31-40 1 Cor 12:1-13

Exo 34:27  And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Write these Words, for according to the mouth of these Words I have made a covenant with you and with Yisra’ĕl.”

כז  וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, כְּתָב-לְךָ אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה:  כִּי עַל-פִּי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, כָּרַתִּי אִתְּךָ בְּרִית--וְאֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל.

27 And YHVH said unto Moshe:  'Write for you these words, because upon my mouth these words – I have cut a covenant and with you and Yisrael.

If we change His Words, we annul the covenant. There is only one ancient covenant that YHVH made with Yisrael and the prophet Yermeyahu declared that in the last days YHVH would renew this ancient covenant – Yer 31:31-40.

The “asaret ha devarim” or ten sayings encapsulate the entire Torah, which in turn encapsulates the entire Covenant that YHVH made with mankind. A covenant that would be broken by Yisrael but renewed again to its full perfection and power by Yahshua.

Exo 34:28  And he was there with יהוה forty days and forty nights. He did not eat bread and he did not drink water. And He wrote on the tablets the Words of the covenant, the Ten Words.

Exo 34:29  And it came to be, when Mosheh came down from Mount Sinai, while the two tablets of the Witness were in Mosheh’s hand when he came down from the mountain, that Mosheh did not know that the skin of his face shone(karan) since he had spoken with Him.

Exo 34:30  And Aharon and all the children of Yisra’ĕl looked at Mosheh and saw the skin of his face shone,(Heb Karan – S7160) and they were afraid to come near him.

S7161 keren (fem noun) meaning horn or strength

The strength that came from Moshe’s face was the strength that would radiate from the face of Messiah. They feared because to look into the face that reflects the radiance and esteem of YHVH and to turn around and not embrace this as binding and guiding on your life forever would have serious consequences for your life. If such a one who would consider such esteem lightly he could even be in danger of grieving or blaspheming against the Ruach Ha Kodesh – Set Apart Spirit.

Hints (remez)

2Co 3:13  and not like Mosheh, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Yisra’ĕl should not look steadily at the end (Gk telos – aim or goal) of what was passing away.

Gk word for passing away – katargeo -  to render entirely useless and ineffective, to annul, to do away with.

Vs 7 …the children of Yisra’ĕl were unable to look steadily at the face of Mosheh because of the esteem of his face, which was passing away…

This is sadly a very serious accusation that can be made against those both Jew and Gentile who have annulled the Torah through their traditions and disobedience to YHVH.

Most believers fail to see that Messiah is the goal (Gk – telos) and purpose of all of Torah – Rom 10:4

Only when the veil over the Torah is lifted can one see the esteem of Yahshua.

The beauty and strength of the Torah would only experience brief moments of esteem and acceptance because for the most part it has always been rejected or misrepresented. When Yahshua returns he will restore the esteem of the Torah –

Isa 2:1  The word that Yeshayahu the son of Amots saw concerning Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim:

Isa 2:2  And it shall be in the latter days that the mountain of the House of יהוה is established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills. And all nations shall flow to it.

Isa 2:3  And many peoples shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of יהוה, to the House of the Elohim of Yaʽaqoḇ, and let Him teach¹ us His ways¹, and let us walk in His paths¹, for out of Tsiyon comes forth the Torah¹, and the Word¹ of יהוה from Yerushalayim.” Footnote: ¹His ways, His paths, the teaching and the Word of יהוה are used synonymously.

Isa 2:4  And He shall judge between the nations, and shall reprove many peoples. And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither teach battle any more.

Exo 34:31  But Mosheh called out to them, and Aharon and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him, and Mosheh spoke to them.

This is also possibly a prophetic statement – (“so ed” or hidden meaning) The priesthood and the nation of Yisrael will return to YHVH and recognize His Messiah.

Exo 34:32  And afterward all the children of Yisra’ĕl came near, and he commanded them all that יהוה had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.

Rom 11:25  For I do not wish you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers, lest you should be wise in your own estimation, that hardening in part has come over Yisra’ĕl, until the completeness of the gentiles¹ has come in. Footnote: ¹Gen. 48:19.

Rom 11:26  And so all Yisra’ĕl shall be saved, as it has been written, “The Deliverer shall come out of Tsiyon, and He shall turn away wickedness from Yaʽaqoḇ,

Rom 11:27  and this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”¹ Footnote: ¹Isa. 59:20-21.

Exo 34:33  And when Mosheh ended speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.

Exo 34:34  But whenever Mosheh went in before יהוה to speak with Him, he would remove the veil until he came out. And when he came out he spoke to the children of Yisra’ĕl what he had been commanded,

Exo 34:35  and the children of Yisra’ĕl would see the face of Mosheh, that the skin of Mosheh’s face shone,(karan) and Mosheh would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

Exo 35:1  And Mosheh assembled (Vayakel) all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and said to them, “These are the Words which יהוה has commanded you to do:

Exo 35:2  “Work is done for six days, but on the seventh day it shall be set-apart to you, a Sabbath of rest to יהוה. Anyone doing work on it is put to death.

Exo 35:3  “Do not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.” (Jer 7:18 – not to gather wood on Sabbath- Num 15:32)

Exo 35:4  And Mosheh spoke to all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, “This is the word which יהוה commanded, saying,

Exo 35:5  ‘Take from among you a contribution(terumah- Shemot 25) to יהוה. Everyone whose heart so moves him, let him bring it as a contribution to יהוה: gold, and silver, and bronze,

Exo 35:6  and blue, and purple, and scarlet material, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,

Exo 35:7  and ram skins dyed red, and fine leather, and acacia wood,

Exo 35:8  and oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,

Exo 35:9  and shoham stones, and stones to be set in the shoulder garment and in the breastplate.

Exo 35:10  ‘And let all the wise-hearted among you come and make all that יהוה has commanded:

Exo 35:11  the Dwelling Place, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its boards, its bars, its columns, and its sockets,

Exo 35:12  the ark and its poles, the lid of atonement and the veil of the covering,

Exo 35:13  the table and its poles, and all its utensils, and the showbread,

Exo 35:14  and the lampstand for the light, and its utensils, and its lamps, and the oil for the light,

Exo 35:15  and the incense altar, and its poles, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the covering for the door at the entrance of the Dwelling Place,

Exo 35:16  the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand,

Exo 35:17  the screens of the courtyard, its columns, and their sockets, and the covering for the gate of the courtyard,

Exo 35:18  the pegs of the Dwelling Place, and the pegs of the courtyard, and their cords,

Exo 35:19  the woven garments to do service in the set-apart place, the set-apart garments for Aharon the priest and the garments of his sons to serve as priests.’ ”

Exo 35:20  And all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl withdrew from the presence of Mosheh.

Exo 35:21  And everyone whose heart lifted him up and everyone whose spirit moved him came, and they brought the contribution to יהוה for the work of the Tent of Meeting, and for all its service, and for the set-apart garments.

Parashat 21 Portion 70 Shemot/Ex 32:15-34:26 2 Sam 22:10-51 Rom 9:14-16

Just imagine if there never was a golden calf!

Rom 9:14  What, then, shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with Elohim? Let it not be!

Rom 9:15  For He says to Mosheh, “I shall favour whomever I favour, and I shall have compassion on whomever I have compassion.”

Rom 9:16  So, then, it is not of him who is wishing, nor of him who is running, but of Elohim who shows favour.

Exo 32:15  And Mosheh turned and went down from the mountain, and in his hand were the two tablets of the Witness, tablets written on both their sides, written on the one and on the other.

Exo 32:16  And the tablets were the work of Elohim, and the writing was the writing of Elohim engraved on the tablets.

Exo 32:17  And Yehoshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted and he said to Mosheh, “A noise of battle in the camp!”

Exo 32:18  But he said, “It is not the sound of those who shout of might, nor is it the sound of those who cry out in weakness, but the sound of singing that I hear.”

Exo 32:19  And it came to be, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. And Mosheh’s displeasure burned, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke(Shavar - piel verb – shattered) them at the foot of the mountain.

Perhaps the world has never yet fully recovered from the sin of the golden calf – for centuries when the Torah was read, very few really understood its true message. In these days there seems to be a recovery and an opening of ears and eyes to hear (shema) what YHVH is saying to His people through the Torah.

2Co 3:14  But their minds were hardened, for to this day, when the old (Gk ancient) covenant is being read, that same veil remains, not lifted, because in Messiah it is taken away. (the veil remains for most Christians)

2Co 3:15  But to this day, when Mosheh is being read, a veil lies on their heart.

2Co 3:16  And when one turns to the Master, the veil is taken away.

2Co 3:17  Now יהוה is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of יהוה is, there is freedom.

Because the Torah enlightened by the Ruach Ha Kodesh (the Set Apart Spirit) is the perfect law of freedom

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.

Exo 32:20  And he took the calf which they had made, and burned it in the fire, and ground it into powder, and scattered it on the face of the water and made the children of Yisra’ĕl drink it.

Law of Sotah or “jealousy” A Sotah (Hebrew: שוטה‎‎ [1] / סוטה) is a woman suspected of adultery who undergoes the ordeal of bitter water or ordeal of jealousy as described and prescribed in the Priestly Code, in the Book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible. The term "Sotah" itself is not found in the Hebrew Bible but is Mishnaic Hebrew based on the verse "if she has strayed" (verb: שטה satah) in Numbers 5:12 The process was a trial by ordeal administered to the wife whose husband suspected her of adultery but who had no witnesses to make a formal case (Numbers 5:11-31) – Wikipedia

The sad reality is that historically the nation of Yisrael has suffered greatly under many “ordeals” – (sotah’s or sotot) –

Jer 30:7  ‘Oh! For great is that day, there is none like it. And it is the time of Yaʽaqoḇ’s distress, but he shall be saved out of it.