Up The Mountain

Exodus 30:11-34:35, Ki Tisa, The weight of Glory

As I settle into the various concepts of this week’s parsha I am beginning to see a few common themes that run through it.  At first, I thought the discussion on the census felt kind of out of place, but ultimately, I am beginning to see just how important it is in the progression toward the big picture.

Close to the end of the reading we find Moses going before the Lord and interceding on behalf of the people.  He isn’t just looking for their atonement.  By this point, Hashem had already given in to Moses and decided not to destroy the people.  By this point, Hashem had already told Moses that He would send an angel to accompany the people on their journey.  This wasn’t enough for Moses.  He insisted that the Lord not distinguish him as any different than the rest of the people.  Either the Lord was going to be present amongst all, or none.  Moses saw himself as one of the people and refused to let Hashem establish him as anything different.

I take this back to the concept of the census, because within the context of the census, each person was to give the same “offering” to the Lord regardless as to their financial whereabouts.  Basically, I see the exact same thing taking place here with Moses.  As we walk through the progression of this week’s parsha, we can’t help but seeing the contrast between Moses and the people.  Even between Moses and Aaron.  Yet, Moses understands something very deep and Hashem Himself puts forth the principle from the very first words of this parsha.  Basically, what Hashem tells Moses is that “it doesn’t matter how much you can or cannot give, at the end of the day, next to Me and what I provide, from my perspective, each of you is only capable of giving the same and, as far as I am concerned, you all are of equal value. Each of you are but one in the bigger picture of who you are as a whole.”

Within the context of this week’s parsha, this concept bookends the entire reading (the census at the beginning of the parsha, and Moses pressing God at the end of the parsha).  With this concept in mind, there are some finer points that we can take from “the books” (the rest of the parsha) that fall between the bookends (this overarching principle).  

When I picture bookends on a bookshelf, I realize the importance of what the bookends provide.  In short, the bookends are there to keep the books from falling over.  Soto is the case with this week's parsha.  We must remain grounded in this principle that we are “all but one” in the context of the bigger picture.  At the same time, we must learn from what is recorded and available through the “books” that are being supported by this overarching principle.  The point is, let’s learn from what comes between the bookends while remaining grounded in what the bookends teach us.  In this case, “we are but one, and in God’s eyes, all of our sacrifices appear to be the same in the context of atonement”.

Skipping the chase and going straight in for the kill, I am going to spell out exactly what I am seeing.  From there, I am going to expand outward.  The point is this, it isn’t about what we have to offer Him, it is all about what He has to offer us.  This is the hinge pin that holds this entire parsha together.  How are we going to go about this relationship?  Are we going to approach it as if we have something to give Him, that He demands something of us, and that somehow, we make a difference to His plan of salvation?  Or are we going to go about this from the prospective that He has something for us and that we ARE His plan of salvation?

Ultimately, I think this is the difference between Moses and the people.  Aaron is stuck somewhere in the middle.  What I am seeing is that each of these characters approached Hashem in a different way.  How and why they approached Him differently had a lot to do with their life experiences and the interactions that they had had with Him up until that point in their lives.  At the same time, how they approached Him also had something to do with how He created them, what kind of fortitude, motivation, and strength of character they had from the point at which they came into this world.  These are the principles that we must keep in mind when tempted to look at others and make comparisons as to “how their walk looks next to mine” or, “how my walk looks next to theirs” and where the principle of the bookends keep us “standing”.  Ultimately, we have two distractions that take us off the journey of becoming a Moses.  The first is to use ourselves as a plumbline and look down on others for not meeting the standards we have risen to.  The second is to use how we see others as the plumbline that beats us down to the point of self-loathing and condemnation.  Once we can move beyond these two pride-based views and can settle into what this relationship with God is really all about, we are poised to learn a little bit from this week’s parsha. 

Again, I am going to skip the chase and go straight in for the kill.  For me the rest of this parsha comes down to this; Are we approaching this relationship based on minimums or maximums?  Simply put, Torah is a foundation and atonement is the lowest level of the relationship.  When we look at Torah form a legalistic perspective while focusing on atonement it becomes a burden and a weight that we are “under”.  The next step is to see Torah as a foundation that holds us up and that we spiritually walk on. In this context, Torah provides stability to our lives.  Here, we know that we are walking in a right standing with God, and that we are His children.  The question then becomes, how far above the foundation do we want to live?  Another way of looking at this would be, how far up the mountain are we willing to climb?

Again, I am going to go back to the image of Moses, Aaron, and the people.  At the same time, I am going to introduce the concept of the Sabbath.  In Isaiah 58:13-14 we read: “If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word, then you will take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (NASB)

What I am seeing in this verse is that the Sabbath is but the introduction to a walk with God.  Let’s call it the foundation.  It is what keeps us on track when we are at the foot of the mountain so that we stay focused on what is taking place on the mountain instead of giving up and making idols of the “gold’ that He has given us.  This concept is introduced early in the parsha.  Later in the parsha, Hashem gives Moses the instructions for the other holidays and connects these holidays to the covenant.  Again, these holidays are simply the foundation to remaining grounded in Him and trusting in all that He is doing.  These holidays reveal His character and remind us of how He has interceded in the past giving us assurance that He will be there to intercede in the future.  From this vantage point we are given the courage to trust Him, and this leads us into a confidence that maybe we too can proceed up the mountain and gain all that Moses has.

I think this is why Moses ground up the gold from the false God (the calf) and mixed it with the water and made the people drink it.  I think he was making a point something to the effect, “this day chose, what will you consume, the water of the living God, or the death of that which is false”.  There is so much here with the gold, the idolatry, and the water that I’m not going to even start down this path.  But maybe this introduction is enough to quicken something into your spirit where He can reveal something deep within you on what you chose to consume each day believing it is what you “need” to survive.

Wrapping this up, the point is this.  Honoring the sabbath, choosing to look to Him for our sustenance and provision, trusting in Torah, waiting on Him, and believing in our salvation are the basic precepts of what it takes to remain in the lowest form of relationship with Him.  In this state we are still a part of the people.  What we are offering is acceptable for atonement.  The question is, is it pleasing unto us?  Is the relationship providing all that we desire?  Are we becoming as free as we would like?  Are our relationships as strong as they could be?  Are our lives filled with the fruit of the spirit?  And is He as pleased as He would be if we were willing to be more dedicated in an effort to be more intimate with Him?

On the other hand, we can allow the Sabbath, the festivals, and all of Torah to give us the faith to know that the journey up the mountain will be worth it.  In so doing, we can grow into the image of Moses who did as He called us to do in Deuteronomy 6:5 when he said, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (NASB).

You see Moses shared these words with us knowing what it is like to go well beyond the requirements of Torah.  For in Deuteronomy 4:29 he tells us that IF we seek the Lord in this way, we surely will find Him.

Personally, I have to believe that this is the way Hashem would want to be pursued. I believe He wants us to know Him, to spend time with Him, and to be transformed through Him.  I believe this is what He wants for us, and when we move into this, I believe it pleases Him very deeply.

Ultimately, we must each ask ourselves a few simply questions.  First off, are we approaching our walk from a pride position where we compare ourselves to others?  Secondly, are we believing that somehow, He is rating us based on what we are or are not capable of providing and the “quality” of our “offerings”?  Thirdly, are we content hanging out at the foot of the mountain or are we really into this for something more?  Have we come to the point of seeing Torah as a foundation that is meant to support us, drive us forward, and give us the footing that will lead us into a lifelong journey with Him?  And, have we come to that place of trusting that giving our full heart, mind, soul, and strength to this journey will be the best choice we have ever made, for in the end, we will see His face, and in the process, our faces will become like that of Moses?

I pray that this has been a blessing and that in and through what I have shared, the Holy Spirit has quickened something into your spirit that will help you take one more step closer to Him.  Amen Amen

Here is a summary of the parsha for those that want to take the time to review:

• Up on the mountain Hashem is giving Moses instructions on:
• The taking of a census,
• The making/use of the laver for washing,
• The making/use of the anointing oil,
• The making/use of the incense,
• The assignment of craftsmen to make all that the Lord had commanded Moses to be made, and
• The importance of honoring the Sabbath.
• At the same time Moses is getting these instructions from Hashem, the following is happening at the camp:
• The people grow weary of waiting on Moses’ return and ask Aaron to make them a god to go before them,
• Aaron collects their gold and, using a graving tool, makes a molten calf for them to worship,
• The people receive the calf and worship it as the god that brought them out of Egypt, and
• Aaron builds an alter before the calf and proclaims a feast which began the next day.
• Back up on the Mountain Hashem tells Moses:
• What is happing on the ground and to go down to the people,
• That He is going to destroy the people, and
• That He is going to start over and create a great nation starting with Moses. 
• Moses responds to Hashem:
• Asking Him if this is what He really wants to do after what He has already done,
• Suggest that this will discredit Him in the face of the Egyptians,
• Reminds Him of His previous covenants with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, and
• Reminds Him that they are HIS people and not his (as Hashem implied).
• Hashem changes His mind against destroying the people,
• Moses goes down to the people,
• Moses throws the tablets of the testimony of the Lord to the ground and destroys them,
• Moses burns and grinds the golden calf into powder, spreads it on the water, and makes the children of Israel drink the water,
• Moses challenges Aaron and Aaron lies about his involvement in the making of the calf,
• Moses gathers the sons of Levi to himself and assigns them to destroy the people.  The killed about 3,000 in total,
• Moses challenges the people to dedicate themselves to the Lord, and returns to the mountain to seek atonement on their behalf,
• Moses seeks atonement for the people while asking that their fate be his fate,
• Hashem compromises and tells Moses that He will send and Angel to go before the people, but He himself will meet with Moses,
• Hashem commands the people to remove any jewelry from themselves and the people do this,
• Hashem and Moses meet face to face in the tent of meeting,
• We are told that Moses came and went from the tent, but Joshua would not leave the tent,
• Moses returns to Hashem and convinces Him to personally go before himself AND the people and to accept the people as His own,
• Moses asks Hashem to show him His glory,
• Hashem responds, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” (Exodus 33:19 NASB)
• Per Hashem’s instructions, Moses cuts two new tablets of stone, takes them up the mountain, and Hashem stood with him, and passed by in front of him,
• In His passing, Hashem spoke these words to Moses: “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
• Moses again requests Hashem’s favor, to make the people as His own possession, and that He be present in the midst of the people,
• Hashem provides Moses with ten distinct instructions that include the requirements for the feast days, ties these instructions to the covenant, and tells Moses to write them down,
• Moses was with Hashem on the mountain for 40 days and nights and did not eat or drink,
• Hashem writes the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets,
• Moses descends the mountain not aware that the skin on his face shone because of his speaking with Hashem,
• Moses spoke to the leaders and moved into a practice of veiling his face when before the people and unveiling his face when before Hashem.

A Holy Scent

Exodus 27:20-30:10, Tetzaveh, “To Command”

All I can say is WOW.  What an amazing week this has been.  As I sit here and contemplate where I started with my concepts of what this blog would be about, and where I am today, I simply can’t believe that only a week has passed.  Not even a week, five short days.  Sadly, I really had to have my world rocked a bit to get to the point to where I have come.  But, as is the case, true to God’s form, it is in these moments of our greatest trials that He shows up and shows off.  Today has proven to be one of those days.  Praise God with an Amen Amen!!

As I look at the title of this weeks parsha and consider where I saw myself going at the beginning of the week, everything fit nicely into a neat little box with a really cute red bow.  Simply put, we are God’s priests, He calls us to look like priests, act like priests, walk like priests, and live like priests.  To say that He commands us to do this is an understatement.  Torah isn’t about telling us how to act. Torah is about telling us who we are to become.  Torah defines the very purpose of our existence and the reason that we have been given life.  Torah tells us about who we are, who we are to identify with, and what our destiny is.  Within this week’s parsha and the description of the priests garments all the imagery of this comes flowing out through the astounding creativity of God and His Word.  It is all right there.  Last week I shared what I call the first great commission.  It is found in Deuteronomy chapter 4.  It reads:

“See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it.  “So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’  “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him?  “Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today?  (Deuteronomy 4:5-8 NASB)

Simply put, our calling, our identity in the world, and our purpose is to become the priests that God can use in this way; to lead the world to seeing His statues and judgements as righteous, our wisdom, and our understanding with Him as the source of all that we are, all that we believe, and all that we do.  With this concept in mind, I moved into the reading.  Right at the beginning we read “You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. (Exodus 27:20 NASB)

My mind immediately made the connection that the quality of the “light” that we emanate is directly proportional to the “purity” of the spiritual influences that we allow to drive our thoughts, words, and actions.  The next verse that really stood out to me was Exodus 28:2 where we read, “You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.” (NASB)

With this I thought, “Yes, for glory and for beauty”!!  Amen Amen.  Praise God, this is our calling and of course, living Torah is beautiful, it is attractive, and it does give off a magnificent light.  This is what it is to be a priest.  This goes beyond commandments; this is about identity.  We are to be beautiful, inside, outside, in our words, in our actions, in our thoughts, and in every aspect of our lives.  This is what it is to live in the Holy Spirit and truly trust in Him.  This is what brings Him the glory; when we can become the priests that He has called us to be”.

And so, it went, each element got a concept that fit nicely into my little box with the cute red bow. 

Each element…..glory and beauty…..the breastpiece, the ephod, the robe, the tunic, the turban, the sash, the holy garments!!!!  All of this on the coat tails of the light of the lamp burning from the most PURE and CLEAN perfect first beating of the most virgin of the olive oil.

Then the gold, the blue, the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.  All used to make up what the priest were to wear.  Can you imagine what these garments looked like?  To say glory and beauty is almost an understatement.  They must have been radiant!!

Then comes the addition of precious gems.  On the shoulders, two onyx stones.  And if the stones aren’t enough, they were to be engraved with the names of the sons of Israel in the perfect cut of a jeweler engraving a signet!!  Then these stones were to be set in pure gold.  Can you feel it?  Glory and beauty!!  The calling, the identity, the destiny of what it is to be His.  Simply amazing, isn’t it?

As I continued to read and “listen”, I was reminded that this is what we are called to look like, to have the Holy Spirit so deep in us that all the world sees is the most perfect light.  No other spiritual influences, nothing but pure Holy Spirit, shining through all the time, holy, Torah observant, following the commandments, and trusting them.  To be priests so in tune with God that we are not just following Torah, we are Torah.

Just as the priests carried the names of the children of Israel on their shoulders, we carry the names of our wives, our children, and all those that God brings into our sphere of influence on ours.  It even goes beyond that; we are even entrusted with the names of the hurt and lost of the world; those that don’t even know we are praying for them.  Yes, this is what it is to be a priest.  To see all those people as fine gems, to know them by name, and knowing that simply being who we are called to be is the answer.  Glory and beauty.  What an amazing plan to lead the world out of the death of sin and into the glorious light of being His.

Just when I thought the imagery was deep enough, I read that the breastpiece was made up of more fine gems, twelve in total, each bearing the name of one of the tribes of the children of Israel. As the verses came alive, and the words so precise, it is apparent that carrying those we are entrusted with on our shoulders isn’t enough.  God knows that we simply can’t carry anyone on our shoulders who isn’t also in our hearts. 

Exodus 28:30 “Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually.”

YES…..this is the truth.  As priests, this is our calling.  We are to be all of this, and we are to carry the judgments of those that God has entrusted us with in our hearts.  This is what keeps us humble.  And the prayers of the humble are heard and answered.  This is what it takes to be intercessors, spiritual leaders, and spiritual covers for those that God has entrusted us with.

The more I meditated on these things the more excited I got.  Nothing but glory, nothing but beauty.  The light of lives exhibiting nothing but the perfection of the Holy Spirit’s exclusive presence, emanating from our mouths words that are as pure as the sounds of tiny bells nestled in the midst of the sweetness of pomegranates.  Never any evil speech.  Never any course talk, never anything said in anger, frustration, or bitterness.  Above our mouths and upon our head we are to wear a plate of pure gold engrave with “Holy to the Lord”.  Amen Amen

From here my mind went through the process of sacrifice, of dedication, and of consecrations.  I contemplated how each of these stages exemplified the journey of our lives as God takes us through the trials and tribulations that refine us.  I heard Yeshua’s words “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25 NASB).  Again, the image of glory and beauty. 

Then I got to the incense and I started to get a little uncomfortable.  I’m not sure why.  Each of the other images should have been equally intimidating, but here, in the sweet smell of the perfect aroma I stopped dead in my tracks.  I didn’t spiritualize the fragrance of the incense into the image of perfect prayers.  I could have.  It would have been easy.  But the Holy Spirit didn’t let me.  All of a sudden, I came to something that didn’t fit into that nice little box with the cute red bow.  Something ugly was happening and I didn’t like it.

I called out to God and I said: “God, I can be all that other stuff, but I can’t make myself smell good all the time.  I work, I play, I live life, and (excuse me for being curt) but sometimes my digestive system embarrasses me.  What am I to do with this one God?  What am I supposed to say?  How can I write a blog holding people accountable to forever, day in and day out, emanating nothing but the smell of perfect holiness?  It just isn’t possible.”

As I started allowing myself to see myself for who I truly am I started letting my self-image slide into the abyss.  I heard myself saying; I am not a suitable spiritual cover, I am not a suitable spiritual leader, I am not holy, my words are not those of a priest, and my actions fall short, I stink, and I’m not convincing anyone of anything any different.

Then, just as fast Romans 8:1 was quickened into my spirit.  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  (NASB)

And just that fast I was led into what this blog is really all about.  The truth is, I will never be able to walk in the holiness of what the priests’ robes imply they are covering.  I just can’t do it.  You can’t either.  None of us can.  That is why we need Him.  Yeshua is our covering.  He is the one that makes us beautiful and in being the garment that covers us, He gets the glory.  It simply isn’t ours to take. 

The questions we must each ask ourselves are these:

• Do we have the grace to accept ourselves when we don’t “smell” as pleasant as we think we should?
• Do we have the grace to live with people who “stink” from time to time? 
• Can we look at ourselves and those that God has surrounded us with and see each other as the priests we have been called to be; priest who are in the process of “becoming” and not priests who haven’t yet “arrived”. 

You see, I have come to accept that this is who I am.  The truth is, as a man of God, I chose to live every single day to please Him and to become the priest that He has called me to be.  But in that process, I know there will be times that I blow it.  I will make mistakes, and I will fall short of the Glory of God.  Simply put, I just won’t be that darn beautiful and from time to time, my actions, words, and thoughts might even “stink”.  That’s just the way it is, but it won’t be hypocritical about it.  My failures will be in the image of a man broken by the reality of the truth.  I need Him, and He is what the world sees when I am “holy and set apart”.  It is for His glory and it is Him who is beautiful.  My job is to simply let Him transform me as much as I can each and every day knowing that I will never be capable of being seen as Him when I let myself be seen without Him. 

I pray that this has been a blessing to you and that if you have been too hard on yourself, that you always remember, there is no condemnation in Yeshua.  At the same time, if you have struggled with being too hard on others, I pray that the brokenness that I have been taken through this week be a path to a place of brokenness for you.  I pray that in this brokenness you find peace, and in and through this, maybe we can all “smell” just a little more holy.  Amen Amen

Looking to Heaven

Exodus 25:1-27:19, Terumah, “Heave Offering”

As I moved into what I felt the Holy Spirit was giving me on this week’s reading I landed on something that I have been wanting to write about for a long time.  I have been considering what it looks like to “have a contemplative approach to the bible that does not wash away the orthodoxy of our calling”.  I don’t think there is a better place to see and understand this concept than with a discussion around the Tabernacle and the various elements.  Often, we hear that the Tabernacle (which ultimately modeled the construction of the Temple) was designed to point to Yeshua.  I fully agree with this while at the same time, maybe not in the way most people would consider.

Let’s start out by looking at some definitions and make sure we are all on the same page.  The first thing is, what exactly am I talking about when I say “contemplative” and “orthodoxy”?  The word “contemplative” in the simplest form means to contemplate or meditate.  Orthodoxy is associated with the practice of customs, beliefs, rituals, and/or religious disciplines.  In modern years these two concepts have almost been portrayed as being in opposition to one another.  New forms of “Christianity” have sprouted up that claim to be “contemplative” and suggest that through their “deeper” insights, they see the orthodoxy as less than important in what they would argue to be the “bigger picture” of God.  At the same time, there are those on the side of orthodoxy that tend to see meditation and contemplative thought as something non-biblical and out of the scope of “Christian” disciplines.

With the later in mind, I think it is important to look at the biblical support for approaching God, the Torah, and our relationship with Him through meditation and contemplative thought as a biblical truth.  Here are just a few of the many scriptures.

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”  (Joshua 1:8 NASB)

I will meditate on Your precepts, And regard Your ways. (Psalms 119:15 NASB)

And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes. (Psalms 119:48 NASB)

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. (Psalms 145:5 NASB)

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:  That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple. (Psalms 27:4 NASB)

For me contemplation and/or meditation is a really important aspect of the Judeo-Christian walk.  It is important to note that I do not see this form of contemplation as one of emptying out the mind and seeing where it ultimately goes.  I believe the scriptures are very clear that we are to mediate on the scriptures, on His precepts, on His Word, and on how He says He interacts in this world and in our lives.  I believe this “contemplation” is a form of simply taking what He has said and going to Him and asking questions, to listen to His voice as He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit, and to consider a more thorough understanding of His basic precepts.  The image is that of an inquisitive child seeking a deeper relationship with their father by coming to Him with questions.  Here are some scriptures that support this form of discussion with the Holy Spirit.    

‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ (Jeremiah 33:3 NASB)

“But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.  (Deuteronomy 4:29 NASB)

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  (Matthew 7:7 NASB)

‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.  (Revelation 3:20 NASB)

With all this said, I think it is time to move into the meat of where I believe the Holy Spirit is leading me.  Ultimately, through my time of contemplation and meditating on the Tabernacle, the Word, Yeshua, and all the scriptures written about them, I have come to see the Word in a lot of different ways.  One of the ways that I have come to see it, is that it is a guide that helps us to understand the interaction between the physical world and the spirit world.  Ultimately, we are physical beings living in a physical world. At the same time, we are spirit beings living in a spirit world.  All too often, we forget the second part of this and end up seeing things strictly through our physical eyes.  I believe that through meditating on the Word we are moved back into center in our relationship with Him whereby we are reminded of the spiritual nature of the world around us, our very being, and who we are as His children.

At the same time, it is important to remember that, it is just as easy to get overly focused on our spiritual nature and the fact that we are spiritual beings living in a spirit world.  We must remember that we are physical beings living in a physical world.  If we get overly spiritually minded, we lose connection with others, we move beyond compassion, and lose our sense of empathy.  It is also important to remember that God gave us a way of life that is substantially physical and how we embrace or reject those precepts leads to manifestations in the spirit world.  He calls His ways life and our wisdom.  He says that they are holy, and He calls us to be holy.  Regardless as to what is revealed to us in the spirit, we must always remember what His Word says about the physical too.  Yeshua was fully man and fully divine.  He was nailed to a physical cross, and He bled real blood.  That real blood was shed for us.  We simply can’t lose sight of these physical realities and how important they are to the Judeo-Christian calling.

I believe the fullness of Torah being about where the physical and spiritual worlds intersect, and how they relate to each other, is best portrayed through the Tabernacle and Yeshua Himself. 

In Hebrews 8:1-5 we read: 

Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man…….Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things (NASB)

From this, it is clear that the earthly tabernacle erected by Moses and the subsequent Temples that were built all “serve (as) copies and shadows of heavenly things”.  So, the question then becomes, what heavenly things?  I would argue that when these things were given, Yeshua was still at the right hand of the Father in heaven and these things pointed to Him, His nature, and His grace.  I believe that this is what John was seeing when he wrote 1John1: 1-3.

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also (NASB)

Putting this into my own words, what I hear John saying is, that as they came to know the physical Yeshua, they grew in their understanding of the savior aspect of the trinity that was with God from the beginning.  I believe he is even saying that he came to the place of seeing how all of Torah communicates an understanding of this aspect of the trinity and, from the beginning, was intended to lead us into a relationship with Him.  This is further clarified in Philippians 2:5-7 where we read:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. (NASB)

In other words, I would argue that one of the major reasons that God sent Yesha down to earth in the form of a man was so that He could serve as a sense of “copy or shadow” of who He is in the spirit, who He had been as the mediator of the Mosaic Covenant, and who He would be as the mediator of the New Covenant.

From this perspective, we can now start seeing that the physical tabernacle and Yeshua were both pointing to the same thing.  They were both pointing toward that which is and has forever been in heaven.  The spiritual Yeshua who was with God in the beginning.  It is no mistake that the Tabernacle points to the man of Yeshua, and that the man of Yeshua is revealed in the Tabernacle.  This is simply a byproduct of the two of them both being given for the purposes of helping us to see and understand the nature of the trinity and who He is in the heavenly realm.

Herein is where things can get a little sticky if we are not careful. This is the stumbling block that I believe most the contemplatives fall into.  I believe that what I have shared is fully accurate and biblically supported.  I believe it is the heart of what God has been attempting to communicate to us for thousands of years.  At the same time, we must remember that Torah is not strictly about helping us understand that we are spiritual beings living in a spiritual world with a spiritual father who is quick to forgive and full of loving kindness.  We must remember that Torah is about the intersection of the physical and spiritual worlds.  We must remember that during the times of the temple there were animal sacrifices that met the ways of God and through which the spirit of Yeshua manifested.  For the last 2,000 years embracing what Yeshua did on the cross is foundational to doing things God’s way.  This is where the orthodoxy comes in.

We must remember that we are fully physical, living in a physical world, and bondservants to God, bought with the price of the blood of Yeshua, and dedicated to making Him Lord.  In this magnitude, we have agreed to do things His way, allow Him to work through us, and to use us to reveal the truth of His Word.  We must always remember that Torah provides the rules of how the physical and spiritual worlds interact, that He wants the world to see Torah as a gift, and that our side of the covenant is to lead the world not only to Him, but to His ways and His truths.  This is a major part of our faith walk.  To believe that Torah is good, our wisdom, and life reveals that we trust Him in what we do not understand.

I think this is summed up in what I call the first great commission.  It is found in Deuteronomy 4:5-7

See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it.  “So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’  “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him? (NASB)

When I think about the tabernacle and meeting Him there, I am taken back to Revelation 3:20.  ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.  (NASB)

I believe this is a wonderful image of what it is to tabernacle with Him, to invite His Spirit into our being, and to open ourselves up to experience His presence within us.  I pray that this has been a blessing to you and that through something you read here today you have been given an image that will help you find a more balanced walk in your relationship with Him.  I pray that we all continue to grow in our likeness of Him, our relationship with Him, and in and through these things, our relationships with others.  

A Heart of Love

Exodus 21:1-24:18, Mishpatim, “Judgements”

As I started preparing for where I felt God was leading me with this message, I had a lot of thoughts as to where I would ultimately go with this.  At the core is the concept that we tend to approach things from how they appear to us in the physical.  From there, I started contemplating how mankind has been conditioned by the concepts of bartering, trade, and exchange.  True love does not barter, it does not keep track, and it does not trade itself for anything in return.  True love is an open hand, an open heart, and simply an extension of ourselves.

What I am describing here is the Love of God.  You see, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob wants to extend His love to us in such a way that it simply sets us free.  In this freedom we become His friend, and in that relationship, we can experience and spread “life” and “life to the fullest” as we love others in the same way He loves us.

On the other hand, the pagan or demonic gods tend to use our flesh desires to lead us into bondage so that we serve them and in so doing, they can experience and spread “death” through us.  They are demonic, self-serving, and care about nothing except their desire to manipulate us through their false promises so that they can use us for their own purposes. 

Sadly, we are so conditioned by these types of relationships that we tend to approach God in the same way and even repeat the pattern with our own families, friends, and those that God has entrusted us with.  The pathway to true intimacy, love, and relationship must go through the self-reflection of investigating the real motives behind our every action.

Ultimately, this self-reflective journey will reveal to us what we are truly focused on.  Are we looking at what we are going to get?  What we want?  Or, our own feelings?  The concept of seeing what we are focusing on and how we approach the relationship ultimately dictates what our relationships will end up being. When it comes to our relationship with God, these principles dictate how rewarding the relationship will be, and ultimately how much freedom and life it delivers us into. This ultimately dictates how well He can use us to spread his Light, love, and life to others.  “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”  (Matthew 6:25 NASB)

I believe this is what Paul is addressing in Romans chapter 9.  When speaking of the Children of Israel he says.  “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.  Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone (Yeshua).  (Romans 9:30-32 NASB)

I really like how Paul worded this.  Notice that he is saying that the gentiles “did not pursue righteousness” where as Israel, “pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law”.

From what I am seeing, our entire relationship with God comes down to what it is that we are putting our focus on (pursuing).  In this, I am going to use an example.  I do a lot of driving.  One of the first things that my dad taught me when I was learning to drive was that I would drive the car toward what I was looking at.  In this example, it doesn’t matter that our desire might be to keep the car on the road, if we let our gaze move off to the side of the road and don’t return our eyes back to the road in front of us, sooner than later, we will be driving the car off the side of the road.

This is exactly what I believe Paul is getting and, and sadly is still so common within the family of God’s people still to this day.  Here are some questions to consider:

• What do we want our relationship with God to look like?
• What do we believe will be necessary to lead us into that relationship?
• What are we “focusing” our attention on as we seek that relationship?

 As we read through this week’s parsha we are led through three full chapters of judgements.  After completing the summary, God calls Moses to bring Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel up to worship Him.  Before doing so, Moses recounted the words of the Lord and all the judgements to the people.  Upon hearing these things, the people responded “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!”. (Exodus 24:3 NASB) From here, Moses wrote all the words of the Lord down, arose early, built an altar, and sent young men of the sons of Israel to sacrifice young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord.  From this, Moses sprinkled half the blood on the alter, and the other half onto the people.  Prior to sprinkling the blood onto the people, Moses read the words to the people, and again they said “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” (Exodus 24:7 NASB) While Moses was sprinkling the blood on the people, he said to them ““Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” (Exodus 24:8 NASB).

As I read these words, I feel like there is an emphasis on the “words” or judgements.  Although what Moses is saying is fully accurate, I believe John is saying basically the same thing in 1 John 4:7–5:3 in a much better way.  Ultimately, John connects the honoring of God’s commandments to the blood of Yeshua, but the presentation comes across as focused on the Love of God more than the commandments themselves.

Before I share these words, I want to add one more scripture.  ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ (Leviticus 17:11 NASB) Because Yeshua is the way, the truth, and the life, I would argue that He is the life force that is within the blood of the clean animals.  If I am correct in this, it is the “blood by reason of Yeshua that makes atonement” for us.

With that said, let’s take 1 John 4:7-5:3, reduce it down a little, and change the wording to go back to Moses sprinkling the blood on the people and connecting that to the covenant and the words that the Lord had given him to share with the people that day.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has given of Himself in this blood that I sprinkle on you this day so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and offered Himself in this blood [to be] the propitiation for our sins.  …………… We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.  …………………  We love, because He first loved us………………Whoever believes that this blood is given of God is born of God, and whoever loves the Father sees the life that is in this blood and that through that life our sins are atoned.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

What I am getting at is this.  When we approach the commandments of God and say “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” as our primary focus, we tend to move into a position of attempting to please God through the keeping of His commandments.  This is what I was talking about in the opening paragraphs of this message.  Our tendency is to focus on the ticks and tacks because they are tangible and physical.  We must remember that He is spirit, and it is His love that truly is at the center of the covenant.  The only thing we need to receive that love is to accept it in the way He is offering.  It truly is that simple.  When Moses was speaking these words, His love was manifest in the blood of sheep and goats.  In this dispensation, His love is manifest in the blood of His only begotten son.  These are His only terms and there is no barter.  It is simply an offer from Him that we are free to accept or reject.  In accepting, His Spirit moves into us and He grows us into the image of the covenant.  It is not something that we do to earn anything.

In this, we approach the blood knowing that it is being given specifically because we CAN NOT fully keep His commandments, and this frees us to approach the covenant from a completely different perspective.  This is the perspective that keeps us on the road toward a deep and meaningful relationship with Him.  It keeps us on a path that avoids a spirit of religion, and keeps us on the path where His love inspires us and motivates us to walk more and more in His word each and every day.

There is no doubt that He does have a way of life that He has given us.  It is truth.  It is holy.  And it is righteous.  There is no doubt that He wants us to grow into it.  To walk in it.  And to live in harmony with all that it is.  At the same time, the heart of the covenant is not found in our ability to do these things.  The heart of the covenant is His heart.  It is a heart that is full of love, grace, understanding, and compassion.  It has always been this way and it will forever be.  When we accept His invitation to come under His blood, to enter into the family, to become a part of the “nation”, we step into relationship with Him.  In and through this relationship He will pour out His love on us and mature us into the children that we were created to be.  In and through this He will give us new hearts and set us free from the ways of this world.  In His love, He will transform us, make us holy, and set us apart.  Our part is listening to Him, allowing Him to do what He is doing, and let Him make us into all that He has called us to be.

I pray that in and through this message we have been challenged to take a deep look into how we go about relationship in general.  Are we open to accept the love that others extend to us?  Or, are we always on guard wondering if someone is attempting to manipulate?  Are we truly open handed in our expressions of love? Or, are our own desires and needs truly at the center of what we want to believe is an expression of “love”?  As we work our way through these questions, I have to fall back on those verses I shared from 1 John.  We are only able to love when we finally embrace the love that He has for us.  His love teaches us to love others in the same way He loves us and it transforms us into beings that are capable of doing it.  If any of us are struggling in how we are accepting and extending love in our human relationships, maybe it is time to investigate what is at the center of our relationship with Him.  If we focus on the love, we will move toward it.  On the other hand, if we are focused on anything else, that is where we will ultimately go.  I pray that his has been a blessing.  Amen Amen