When Elijah heard the earthquake, fire, and wind, “he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”  (1 Kings 19:13)

You wouldn’t know it, to look at him.

His hair wild, his eyes filled with fear, his soul crushed by the loss of hope. Depression shrouded him like a thick dark cloak.  This was the one, people referred to as The Prophet.

This was the man who shut up the skies and stopped the rain for over three years.

This man called a nation to choose which God they would serve and even called down fire from heaven.

This man was now hiding in a cave in the desert.  This man was Elijah the Prophet.

It’s hard to imagine that a threat from the wife of a disobedient king would have this prophet of God running for his life.  How could he be the hero of little children’s stories?  Let alone be raised to a place of honor as the herald of the Messiah himself?

“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (Micah 4:5–6)

It can happen to each of us.  As men and women of God, we can lose sight of the vision and callings that God has given to us.  We get depressed, stumble, and even quit.

While others might leave us in despair, God doesn’t

He cares for us, comforts us, strengthens us, raises us up without shame, and invites us to continue in His mission, without skipping a beat!

Let’s see how God not only redeemed this man from his despair, but also chose him to help redeem His Chosen People.

With the infinite resources of the LORD of Hosts (YHVH Shabaot) on his side, Elijah stands up to 450 prophets of Baal, the god of wicked Queen Jezebel, 400 prophets of the god Asherah, and kills them all (1 Kings 18:19, 40).

Jezebel and her army are now seeking to kill him.  Elijah thinks no one is left to carry on the work of the Lord; he runs for his life to the wilderness region of Mount Horeb and hides in a cave.

There at the mountain where God gave Israel the Torah and came into covenant with them, as a husband with a bride, God speaks to Elijah in his desert experience.

But before we look at what God said to him, let’s pause to consider how the body of Messiah (the church) might respond if Elijah were alive today.

After all, you may know of some Elijah’s, too.

Would church leaders send an army of congregants with the gifts of mercy, hospitality, and encouragement to go after this Elijah and restore him back into service for God?

Or would they leave him 100 miles away in his cave and look for another prophet in town?

Sadly, too often, the choice is the latter.

We tend to see a setback, an episode of despair, or even a sin in a person’s life as a sign that he or she is no longer worthy to serve God or that He has given up on His servant.

In Elijah’s case, he didn’t merely take a few weeks off, he cried out, “I’ve had enough, Lord. Take my life!”  (1 kings 19:4)

Let’s now see how God handles Elijah’s condition.

Lying under a broom tree in the wilderness wishing to die, God sends an angel to comfort and re-energize Elijah’s body with heavenly cake and water.  (1 Kings 19:5–8)

After journeying forty days to Horeb in the depths of the inhospitable desert, God speaks, not in anger through the earthquake, wind and fire, but in a quiet shout, asking him about his distress:  “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  (1 Kings 19:11–13)

Hearing the despair in Elijah’s heart, God gives him a temporary reprieve by choosing another man, Elisha, to carry on his work.

But that doesn’t mean God is done with Elijah.

Like Elijah, we sometimes get burned out from stress, fear, and our own short-sightedness, hiding under the covers of our bed for hours, even days.

When others take our place, we might feel that we no longer have any value to God, especially when other Believers tell us so.

If we believe that lie, the days under the covers can turn into years of uselessness.  Yet, if we are willing to be restored and remain in His service, God is never finished with us.  He clearly wasn’t finished with Elijah, either.

Elijah left the cave to fulfill more assignments for the Lord.  In one of his final prophetic acts, God sent Elijah to warn Jezebel’s husband, King Ahab, of certain destruction, and Elijah obeyed.

Ahab “tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.” Because of his humility upon hearing the words of God’s prophet Elijah, destruction did not befall Ahab.  (1 Kings 21:17–29)

Elijah could have done much more impressive feats on earth, but God took him home early, in a chariot no less.

Yet that still wasn’t the end of his service for the kingdom.  Elijah stood with Moses on Mount Tabor near the Sea of Galilee, as Yeshua (Jesus) revealed the manifest glory of God within Himself on the Mount of Transfiguration!

And God still wasn’t done with Elijah!

The Book of Malachi is the last book in the Tanakh (Old Testament).  It prophesies about Elijah receiving the grand honor of accompanying the Messiah when He comes to reign as King in His Messianic Kingdom on earth.

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”  (Malachi 4)

The Messianic kingdom is the great hope of the Jewish People every day, every Shabbat, and every Passover.

And the return of Elijah, this once downcast, discouraged, and depressed prophet whom God redeemed out of the caves of Horeb is an integral part of that Messianic hope.

“May he soon come to us, with the Messiah son of David,” the Jewish People sing. (lyrics from Eliyahu HaNavi)

The Hope of Elijah’s Return

As the Biblical Festival of Passover starts next Friday night, Jewish families, Messianic Believers, and even some Christians will retell the story of Israel’s redemption from slavery in Egypt, as God instructed each generation to do (Exodus 13:3–16).

This telling (haggadah) happens at a ritual dinner known as a Seder.  According to Jewish tradition, some families set an empty seat at the Seder table for Elijah.  The door of the house is opened and they call out to Elijah — Eliyahu, Eliyahu! expecting the spirit of Elijah to enter and dine with the family.

In all households, a cup of wine is poured.  It is the Cup of Elijah, but they do not drink it.  Some children intently watch for ripples in the wine, a sign that Elijah has visited.

The family and friends at the table then sing Psalms 115–118 that, in part, express how they long for their final redemption:

“I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”  (Psalm 116:13)

“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; … Hosanna!—Lord, save us now! We beseech Thee. Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  (Psalm 118:22–26)

Waiting for Elijah All Year Long

At the closing of each Shabbat (Sabbath), there is a traditional ceremony called Havdalah (separation), which closes off the Shabbat and ushers in the new week.

Elijah and the coming Messianic Kingdom are remembered again in singing this prayer about him:

May Elijah the prophet,
Elijah the Tishbite,
Elijah of Gilead,
quickly in our day come to us
heralding redemption.

And every day, Orthodox Jews say prayers from a siddur (prayer book) after their meals which include a petition for Elijah:

“May the Merciful One send us Elijah the prophet—may he be remembered for good — and let him bring us good tidings, deliverance, and consolation.”

God redeemed and restored a victorious yet dejected servant into even higher service, and He wants to do the same for you.  Elijah came out of his cave, and God is asking each of us to come out from under the covers and get back on the path God has for us.

If we continue hiding away, our service for the Lord is over.

But when we allow God to rebuild us through the talents, skills, and spiritual gifts that He has provided within the Body of Messiah, the church, we can find fulfillment or new vision.  And we can see God’s healing power and give Him the praise.

Our passions may change, but our service is still for the Kingdom of God and that’s all that truly matters.

God has redeemed you, so that you can play a role in helping to redeem others. This starts with your families, neighbors, co-workers, and people you run into whether it is in the supermarket, coffee shop, or a parking lot.

The people you meet may call themselves “Christians” because they grew up with that title.  Yet, as with most Jewish People, no one told them what God really did for them through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

They have never been reconciled to God through Yeshua (Jesus), nor have they been baptised in the Holy Spirit.

Elijah was sent to His people to reconcile them with God, so pray each day for God to give you boldness to reach the lost and even those who think that they are not lost — Jew and Gentile alike.

God wants to use you.

“We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us.”  (2 Corinthians 5:20)

 

The post God Has Not Forgotten You. He Restored Elijah and He Can Restore You. appeared first on Messianic Bible.

Balak (Destroyer)
Numbers 22:2–25:9; Micah 5:6–6:8; 2 Peter 2:1–22

“And Balak [בָּלָק] the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.” (Numbers 22:2)

Last week’s Parasha (Torah portion) ended with Israel seeking to pass through the land of the Amorites on their way to the Promised Land. The Amorites responded with war, but with God’s help, Israel defeated them.

In this week’s Parasha, we see the overpowering strength of God’s blessing on Israel. When Balak, the king of Moab, sent a sorcerer named Balaam to curse Israel, he found that he could not do so.

Although Balaam was commissioned to pronounce a curse over Israel, he found that he could only issue a blessing instead, saying, “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?” (Numbers 23:8)

Many might come against the nation of Israel, but no one can curse those whom Adonai Himself has blessed!

The Moabite King Balak, whose name means waste or to lay waste, wanted to lay waste the nation of Israel. To his dismay, he found that he was unable to do so because of God’s blessing upon her.

Why did King Balak feel so threatened by Israel that he felt the need to have her cursed? It is because Balak, along with his elders, had heard of the Israelites stunning victories over the mighty enemies of Sihon and Og.

Therefore, deciding that it would be too risky to fight Israel directly, they hired a “spiritual mercenary,” Balaam, who was a heathen sorcerer, to put a “hex” on their enemies. Although we may consider this an ancient superstition, many practice such magic even today.

For instance, in the United States there exists a form of Louisiana Voodoo (also known as New Orleans Voodoo). It is rooted in West African Dahomeyan Vodun, which came to the American south through the slave trade.

The Bible strictly forbids the people of God to practice such sorcery; neither are we to seek guidance from astrologers, sorcerers, psychics, or those who consult with the dead:

“When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.

“For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you.” (Deuteronomy 18:9–13)

Sadly, the rise in the popularity and acceptance of books and films such as the Harry Potter series has led some Christians to break this serious commandment at their own peril.

As the world becomes darker and more terrifying, many people seek guidance and comfort from sorcerers and others skilled in the occult arts. But as God’s people, we are to “come out from among them and be separate.” (2 Corinthians 6:17)

The adversary of humankind seeks to deceive and enslave us through a variety of methods: false doctrines mixed with true doctrines, false religions, and fleshly temptations through spiritists, books, TV, and more.

But those who follow Yeshua (Jesus) actually have an advantage that is superior to any of those methods. Believers have the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to lead and guide them into all truth; therefore, they do not need to stumble around in the kingdom of darkness looking for direction from those who serve the evil one.

God promises that if we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13), and that those who are His sheep will hear His voice (John 10:27).

He has not left us to our devices wondering which way we should go.

The Power of the Tongue

Even though most people in today’s modern, Western culture do not purposefully engage in placing curses on others, people frequently and unknowingly affect others in a negative sense with their words.

The Bible tells us that the power of life or death is in our tongue (Proverbs 18:21); therefore, we need to be deliberate when we speak about or over other people, ensuring that our words are constructive and lifegiving.

Not everyone has been so privileged to have blessings spoken over their life, especially as a child. All too often we hear parents, teachers, children, event spiritual leaders speak appallingly ungodly words over others.

These negative words can pierce the heart and soul. False labels are taken to heart and believed to be true, such as loser, stupid, lazy, hopeless, ugly, bad, worthless, inept, idiot, jerk, brat, or unlovable.

What is the answer to this very real problem? How can we escape the multitude of word curses spoken over us?

The answer is found in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah)!

Not only do we find unconditional love and acceptance with Yeshua, but also the blood of the Messiah has the power to break every curse that has ever been spoken over us — whether intentionally or out of ignorance.

Yeshua became a curse for us so that we could be redeemed and set free from every curse: “Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.'” (Galatians 3:13)

Blessing and Cursing the Jewish People

By taking upon himself the task of cursing the Jews, Balaam entered into Jewish history books as Balaam HaRashah (Balaam [or Bilam] the Wicked). Although he called himself a prophet of God, he was motivated more by earning a profit with his gift than edifying, warning, teaching, and blessing others with it.

In Judaism, some consider his name to mean without a nation or people (bli – am), suggesting that by going to curse Israel he became excluded or cut off from a place in the World to Come (Olam haBah).

The reality that Balak and Balaam ignored is that God has promised to bless those who bless the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to curse those who curse us. (Genesis 12:3)

How many people or nations are cutting themselves off from a blessing and a place in Heaven by attempting to curse the Jews?

Although Balaam possessed legendary powers, they were tiny compared to God’s power. Three times Balaam tried to curse Israel, and three times he involuntarily blessed them instead.

Over the centuries, many peoples and nations have tried to destroy Israel, like Balak, but none have succeeded in wiping Israel off the map as they have desired.

Hamas and other Islamic terror groups have written into their charters the goal of annihilating Israel and driving her people into the sea. This desire to annihilate the Jewish People has been shared by Nazi Germany, the Spanish Empire, Byzantine Empire, Assyrian Empire, Philistines, ancient Persia (see Book of Esther), and more.

Why has Israel survived against all odds even till today?

It is because of God’s covenantal promise to the seed or offspring of Israel:

“Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (The LORD of Hosts is His name): ‘If those ordinances depart from before Me,’ says the LORD, ‘then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever.'” (Jeremiah 31:35–36)

God has blessed the Jewish People, and they are as secure as the stars in the sky.

Even though God has made the survival and ultimate salvation of Israel secure, Psalm 83 prophesies that in the Last Days, a confederacy will be formed before our very eyes that intends to wipe out the name of Israel forever:

“They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’” (Psalm 83:3–4)

There is only one way that Israel may be defeated; that is, through her own sin — by turning away from God. This is what happened to the people of Israel in this Parasha. Although Balak and Balaam failed in bringing a curse upon Israel, they brought destruction upon themselves by committing sexual immorality with the Moabite women and worshiping their god, Baal-Peor.

“So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel.” (Numbers 25:3)

Seeing His Chosen People worship pagan gods enraged God and resulted in a plague that killed 24,000 Israelites. Scripture reveals that it was Balaam, who counseled the Midianites to ruin Israel through association with their women. (Numbers 31:7–16)

The Rabbis, therefore, also discern another meaning of the name of Balaam as bilu-am — one who confused the nation.

What happened in the end to Balaam? After being ridiculed by his own donkey, who miraculously tried to save him by telling him about the end that lay before him, Balaam finally died in a battle with the Israelites. (Numbers 31:8)

So ended the life of one who was motivated by greed and selfish ambition rather than by God’s righteousness.

The Book of Jude underscores the error of false prophets like Balaam: “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.” (Jude 1:11)

What was this grave error of Balaam that was serious enough to be included alongside Cain, who murdered his brother (Genesis 4), as well as Korah, who led a rebellion against Moses that resulted in the deaths of many Israelites (Numbers 16)?

We can glean the answer in the ancient Jewish text Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), which contrasts Balaam’s sins with Abraham’s righteousness:

“Whoever possesses the following three traits is of the disciples of our father Abraham; and whoever possesses the opposite three traits is of the disciples of the wicked Balaam:

“The disciples of our father Abraham have a good eye, a meek spirit and a humble soul.

“The disciples of the wicked Balaam have an evil eye [greed/envy], a haughty spirit and a gross soul. …

“The disciples of our father Abraham benefit in this world and inherit the World To Come, and as is stated, ‘To bequeath to those who love Me there is, and their treasures I shall fill’ (Proverbs 8:21).

“The disciples of the wicked Balaam inherit purgatory and descent into the pit of destruction, as is stated, ‘And You, G-d, shall cast them into the pit of destruction; bloody and deceitful men, they shall not attain half their days. And I shall trust in you’ (Psalm 55:23).” (Chabad)

Yeshua also referred to Balaam, saying to the Believers at Pergamum:

“Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.” (Revelation 2:14)

And Peter referenced Balaam in his warnings to Believers; may the people of God today take heed:

“They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey — a beast without speech — who spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

“These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.” (2 Peter 2:15–18)

Why are there so many warnings about Balaam, and how are they relevant today?

Balaam, even after failing to curse Israel directly, continued to associate and cooperate with those who sought Israel’s destruction.

Some within the Christian Church not only associate with, but also financially support people, charities and causes with an anti-Israel and anti-Semitic agenda.

From the example of Balak and Balaam, we can see that being drawn into despising Israel is a dangerous path — and “talking donkeys appear to be in short supply these days!” (Wild Olive)

May God’s people disassociate from those who curse Israel and teach anti-Semitic lies. May the followers of Yeshua, both Jews and Gentiles, choose to stand with Israel to the very end and continue in holiness.

May God’s people disassociate from those who curse Israel and teach anti-Semitic lies. May the followers of Yeshua, both Jews and Gentiles, choose to stand with Israel to the very end and continue in holiness.

Let us bless Israel and pray that God will save her from all those enemies who try to curse her.

Let us also pray that the Jewish People will seek after God with all of their hearts and will walk in righteousness before Him. It is then they will find Him.

The post Balak (Destroyer): Discover God’s Blessings for Israel When Others Try to Curse Her appeared first on Messianic Bible.

“He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals His thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— YHVH Elohim Sabaoth is His name.”  (Amos 4:13)

God has many titles and names depending on how he reveals and expresses Himself.  In this article, we will focus on one of the most encompassing of all the names of God —YHVH Sabaoth.

YHVH is God’s personal name.

In Hebrew, only consonants are written, so people might pronounce YHVH as Yehova or Yahweh, depending on which vowels are inserted.

We will simply use the four letters—YHVH.

By pairing YHVH with the Hebrew word Sabaoth, we get a title that is often translated as LORD of Hosts or LORD of Armies.  But those titles are so limiting in contrast to the true significance of this name.

What is Sabaoth?

Sabaoth is the feminine form of the Hebrew word tsaba, which means army, war or warfare.  In fact, the Israeli military calls itself Tzva Haganah Le’Yisrael (literally, Israel Defense Army).

Yet, tsaba is often used in the Hebrew Scriptures not to refer to a military army but a “vast array” or “host” of resources available to the infinite God of the Universe.

The first time we see the word tsaba is in the completion of Creation.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all  their hosts [seba’am].” (Genesis 2:1)

Here and in other Scriptures, the masculine form of tsaba refers to the entire universe and all of God’s perfect creation on earth.  He made it.  He is Lord over all of it:  lightning and wind, sun and moon, man and woman, animals and plants. Everything!

Now, imagine the result when we combine tsaba with the personal name of God, YHVH—we get a name that gives us a glimpse into how marvelously Almighty and all powerful He truly is.

Let’s take a look at God’s majesty through His name and title:  YHVH Sabaoth

 

The God of Infinite Resources

“Restore us, O YHVH Elohim Sabaoth (O LORD God Sabaoth)! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!”  (Psalm 80:19)

The name YHVH Sabaoth is used 235 times in the Bible.

We first see it in a desperate prayer by a barren woman opening her heart before God and begging for a child. She pleads with YHVH Sabaoth out of anguish and great anxiety, calling upon a God of greatness and supreme power.

Hannah prays, “O LORD of hosts [YHVH Sabaoth], if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, …for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.”  (1 Samuel 1:11, 16)

Hannah is facing one of those monumental obstacles in life that is beyond her power to overcome. She is filled with unspeakable despair, which threatens to overcome her.

This story of Hannah’s prayer is all the more meaningful when we consider the surrounding cultures of her time.

Gentile peoples throughout the Middle East had specific gods, or names of gods, for specific requests: a fertility god for pregnancy, a war god for military conquests, or a god of harvest for agricultural needs, for example.

Whether or not Hannah knew of these gods, she calls out to the One True God as YHVH Sabaoth, “God of Hosts” for her fertility request.

Hannah does not need an army or a military victory.

She needs the Comforter who soothes her tormented soul. 

She needs a God who defends her and will remove her shame in the community because she is barren.  At that time, not having children was a sign of being cursed or a sinner.

She needs the Creator who established the universe and brings life into being.

She needs an enormous Savior for a predicament humanly insurmountable.

She found all of this in YHVH Sabaoth at the birth of her son Samuel.

There Is Power in the Name and Authority of YHVH Sabaoth

While YHVH Sabaoth can be seen as an intimate God who is with us in the details of our human experience (like Hannah in her plight of barrenness), He is also a warrior God who commands armies on behalf of His People.

Imagine someone trying to fight against God! Yet, someone did—Goliath of the Philistine army.

“I defy the armies [maarakah] of Israel,” said Goliath with weapons drawn, ready for tsaba (warfare).

David responds, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts—YHVH Sabaoth—the God of the armies [maarakah] of Israel, whom you have defied.”  (1 Samuel 17:10, 45)

While Goliath openly defies the greatness of Israel’s armies, David reminds him that he is coming in the name of the God of Israel’s armies; and in doing so, the will of God to defeat the giant Goliath is accomplished.

Holiness in the Presence of YHVH Sabaoth

In the face of such greatness is holiness, unlike any king or military commander on earth can ever expect to possess.

Moses appointed Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan and possess the Promised Land.  Just before taking Jericho, a man appeared to him.
Joshua asks this man, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

He replies with his sword drawn that he is “commander [sar] of the army [tsaba] of the Lord.”  (Joshua 5:13–14)

This man is clearly the chief leader of a military unit of power under the authority of YHVH.  And with such greatness, he commands Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”  (Joshua 5:15)

Holiness envelops God’s presence.  In Heaven, for instance, the seraphim who surround our King on His throne are consumed with His holiness, proclaiming,

“Holy, holy, holy is YHVH Sabaoth; the whole earth is full of His glory.”  (Isaiah 6:3)

We are to keep His holiness at the forefront of our thoughts.

Too often, we judge how good or holy we are based on the “bad behavior” of those around us.

When we take our eyes off of YHVH Sabaoth, we forget that He is sitting on His throne in Heaven as the true standard bearer, and we are to live our lives according to what He considers to be good behavior.

As we see the holiness of YHVH Sabaoth, we cannot help but be consumed with the reality of how much we fall short of His standards.

Like Isaiah, we might cry out, “Woe to me! … I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, YHVH Sabaoth.”  (Isaiah 6:5)

When the LORD sees a heart sincerely humbled before Him, seeking to return to His standards, He removes our guilt and commissions us to move forward in His service.

In Isaiah’s case, one of the seraphim (angels) touched his lips with a live coal and said, “Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Then the Lord said, “Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?”

Isaiah responded, “Here am I. Send me!”  (Isaiah 6:6–8)

The Master of the Universe is still looking for humbled people who will answer the call to do His Kingdom work according to Kingdom principles that are assigned by YHVH Sabaoth Himself.

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above.”  (James 1:17)

How do we respond to His call?

Like Hannah, we are to pray.  He will answer according to His will.

Like David, we are to call upon His authority against enemies of His Kingdom.

Like Joshua, we are to acknowledge and show respect for His holiness.

And like Isaiah, we are to go into our workplaces, communities, and families as humbled, forgiven ambassadors of YHVH Sabaoth, spreading the Good News of the Kingdom of God—first to the Jew and then the Gentile.

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion,  “Your God reigns!”  (Isaiah 52:7)

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Chukat (Statute or Decree)
Numbers 19:1–22:1; Judges 11:1–33; Hebrews 9:1–28

“This is a requirement [חֻקַּ֣ת / Chukat / statute] of the law [Torah] that the LORD has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer [parah adumah].”  (Numbers 19:2)

Last week in Parasha Korach, the Levite Korach incited mutiny against Moses.  He and 250 chieftains of Israel questioned the anointed position of Moses as leader and Aaron as high priest.

This week’s Torah portion, called Parasha Chukat, presents the ritual laws of the Parah Adumah (פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה / Red Heifer) and the deaths of Aaron and the prophetess Miriam, Moses, and Aaron’s sister.

The Bridge from Impurity to Purity

To purify the Temple vessels and priest, the chosen red heifer (a young female cow that has not yet borne a calf) was to be blemish and defect free.  It also must never have borne a yoke.

It would be slaughtered under the supervision of the Jewish Priest (Cohen), who would then sprinkle its blood seven times toward the Tabernacle.  Its body would be burned outside the camp and its ashes used to create the waters of purification.

The waters of purification are necessary to ritually cleanse those who had been contaminated by death through contact with a corpse, bone, or grave.  Once purified, they could enter the Tabernacle to draw near to the Living God.

In Hebrew, the concepts of clean and unclean or pure (tahor) and impure (tamei) are akin to an insider and an outsider.  Only those who were tahor (clean / pure) could enter the dwelling place of God’s presence.

Those who were deemed tamei (unclean / defiled) would be kept outside and, if not purified, would be cut off from Israel — for example, lepers.

Along with the ashes of the Parah Adumah being added to the waters of purification, three other elements were put in:  hyssop, cedar wood, and scarlet thread.

These elements were all used in the building of the sanctuary.  The hyssop was used by the priests for sprinkling the blood, the cedar wood was used for the posts, and the scarlet thread was used in the curtains.

Through this mysterious mixing — the sacred elements combined with the ashes of the heifer — death and life would come together in order to bring forth cleansing and purification, which would allow a person to cross the bridge from tamei to tahor.

The Brit Chadashah (New Testament) also speaks of the ashes of the Parah Adumah, promising that the blood of the Messiah has greater power to cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the Living God:

“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God?”  (Hebrews 9:13–14) 

Miriam Perishes in the Wilderness

“Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.”  (Numbers 20:1)

Besides the symbolism of life and death in the waters of purification, this week’s Parasha also provides some details of the death of Moses and Aaron’s sister, Miriam, in the Wilderness of Zin.

Her death occurs about one year before the Israelites enter the Promised Land, and it is also connected to water.

The last time we read about Miriam, she had been stricken with tzara’at (leprosy) as a punishment for speaking against Moses’ choice of a Cushite (Ethiopian) wife.

The tzara’at caused her to become tamei (defiled / impure), and she was exiled from the camp for the required period of seven days after “Moses cried out to the LORD, ‘Please, God, heal her!’”  (Numbers 12:13)

Miriam lived many years after this, healed of her leprosy, and apparently never again allowed pride and arrogance to cause her to speak against the leadership of Moses.

Miriam had played an important role in the prophetic fulfillment of God’s promise to bring Israel out of Egypt, and two of the biggest highlights involved water.

She was the one who carefully watched over baby Moses as he floated among the reeds of the Nile River in a basket.  She bravely intervened and offered her mother’s services as a wet nurse when Pharaoh’s daughter rescued him.

Miriam led the procession of women singing, dancing, and rejoicing with tambourines after God safely led the Israelites through the waters of the Red Sea on dry land while drowning the pursuing Egyptian army.

Although Miriam was considered a leader and prophetess, her death is mentioned only briefly in the Scriptures.  No mention is made of the usual mourning period.  Rabbinic commentary suggests that Moses and Aaron buried her in the middle of the night (Yalkut Shimoni Mas’ei 787), and it seems that Moses and the people did not mourn her properly.

After Miriam’s death, the people thirsted for water and complained, yet again:

“Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to bring us to this terrible place, a seedless place without a fig or a vine or a pomegranate, without even water to drink?”  (Numbers 20:5)

A vine can represent a mother at home with her children, like little shoots all around her table; therefore, some commentaries say that the people who complained were mourning the loss of Miriam, who was like a mother to the Israelites, especially the women and children.  If this is true, they were misdirecting their anguish.  (Psalm 128:3) 

The Well of Miriam

According to Jewish tradition, a water-bearing rock followed the Israelites in the wilderness, but dried up and disappeared at Miriam’s death.  First Corinthians 10:1–4 is seen by some to confirm this rock:

“For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were mikvahed [baptized] into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Messiah.”

This rock is called the Well of Miriam because the water that flowed from it was based on her merit.  One Jewish Midrash fills in the gaps found in this tersely-written Bible account of her death with the following story:

“Miriam died, and the well was taken away so that Israel would recognize that it was through her merit that they had had the well.  Moses and Aaron were weeping inside, and (the Children of) Israel were weeping outside, and for six hours Moses did not know (that the well was gone), until (the Children of) Israel entered and said to him: For how long will you sit and cry?

“He said to them:  Should I not cry for my sister who has died?  They said to him:  While you are crying for one person, cry for all of us!  He said to them:  Why?  They said to him:  We have no water to drink.  He got up from the ground and went out and saw the well without a drop of water (in it).  He began to argue with them….”  (Otzar Midrashim)

Whether a rock followed them, providing water, or Adonai gave them water wherever they went through other means, He did show mercy for their thirst, telling Moses to speak to the rock to bring forth water.

Nevertheless, before following through on God’s command to give them water, Moses responded in anger to their complaining, or perhaps anger at Adonai for Miriam’s death, saying, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?”  (Numbers 20:10)

There is a play on words in this verse.  The Hebrew word for rebels (morim מרים) is spelled the same as the name Miriam (מרים) in Hebrew.

It seems that Moses is thinking of his sister Miriam and had not yet properly mourned.  He may have misdirected his anger about her death toward the people.

In his anger or frustration, Moses struck the rock twice and water gushed out giving the people water to drink — but God had told Moses to speak to the rock, not to strike it.

Moses failed to model obedience at a time when all of Israel was looking to him for leadership.  Therefore, the name of the water was called Meribah (which means to argue, strive or contend).

“Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them.”  (Numbers 20:13)

This word, Meribah, can also be connected to Miriam.  It can be read Meri-bah, which means Miri[yam] is in it — that is, Miriam is in the waters of contention.

Although the name Miriam in Hebrew means bitterness, it can also be read Miri–yam (Miri of the sea).  So, in yet another way, this “woman of the sea” is connected to the waters flowing out of the rock after her death. 

Tending to Our Emotions

Although Moses never mentioned Miriam again after her death, and although she seemed to have been buried quickly, without great public ceremony, the memory of her has been irrepressible.

Like Moses’ anger that caused him to disobey God and strike the rock, whatever we repress instead of dealing with will ultimately demand attention.  And it might be expressed in ways not pleasing to God.  For instance, we must take the time to properly come to terms with our feelings of loss.

We must take the time to grieve, just as the people did at the end of this Torah reading for Aaron — six months after the death of Miriam.

Perhaps Moses did not take the time or did not have the luxury of that time because of his role as leader or because the people were thirsty.

Furthermore, it seems that Moses might not have brought his pain and disappointment to the Lord.  In not doing so, he missed an opportunity to model for the people his trust and faith in God’s love.  Instead, he raged and disobeyed God.

If Moses cannot model faith during such times of loss, then it is only natural that many of us will suspect that we cannot.  But we can and must.

We can bring to Him our deepest pain, our darkest despair, and our broken hearts.  He will cleanse us spiritually from our contact with loss and death, and He will heal us.

May we likewise be healers, allowing rivers of living water to flow freely out of our inner being to help bring people back into a restored relationship with Adonai through the purification we experience in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah).

The post Parasha Chukat (Statute/Decree): Miriam’s Well and Moses’ Anger appeared first on Messianic Bible.

 

“Yeshua said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”  (John 8:31–32)

Are you free?

If you live in the Western world, you likely have a constitutional “inalienable right” to freedom!  You may have freedom to practice religion, freedom to speak, freedom to travel, and the list goes on.

Freedom is what we fight for as nations and as individuals.

This heart cry for liberty appears in the motto of Greece (“Freedom or Death”), the Uruguay national anthem (“Liberty, or with glory we die”), and it was the call of Patrick Henry in 1775 to “give me liberty or give me death!” that helped to convince the state’s convention to send troops to fight in America’s Revolutionary War.

Millions have, indeed, died in their fight for liberty.

Yet, is the freedom they have valiantly fought for and died for the kind of freedom God wants us to live in?

We’ll explore that answer here.

What is freedom?

God’s essence Is embedded in freedom

Living in freedom is vitally important to our Father and Creator.

Even though God considered Abraham His friend, He waited until the critical moment in Israel’s struggle for freedom to reveal His personal name — YHVH — to Moses. And He told Moses to reveal it to the enslaved Hebrew people.

Why?  So that in displaying His mighty power against Pharaoh, His “name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”  (Exodus 9:16)

God placed His whole nature, essence, and being in the center of Israel’s fight for liberty.  But there’s more to the story than that.  Their liberty came with a purpose.  The heart cry of Israel’s Father was:  “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.” (Exodus 7:16)

Whereas individual liberty is often considered the freedom to do whatever the heart desires, God’s freedom is divinely connected to serving Him.

Let’s first take a look at the kind of freedom much of the world is longing for, and then we’ll see what kind of freedom God wants you to live in.

Freedom to Serve Self

Chofesh is probably one of the favorite words of Israeli children, as it has come to mean free time or holiday.  It is also the word for something in a shop or market that is free.

The happy-sounding ani chofshi! literally means, I am free!  Like a goldfish who jumps out of its bowl into the vast waterless world.

Chofesh is often used in Israel’s history to describe a bond servant who had been set free from his service.

Early in Israel’s freedom, God allowed the People to freely choose to place themselves in the care and provision of fellow Israelites as they, in turn, served their providers as bond servants.  It is a picture of our free choice to serve God, who provides and cares for us.

God limited this period of being a bond servant to seven years:

“When you buy a male Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, but in the seventh he shall go out a free person, without debt.  If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.  If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s and he shall go out alone.”   (Exodus 21:2–4)

As a free man, he would need to provide for himself, his family, and make his own choices in daily life.

Yet, there were times that this bond servant did not want to be “free.”

Instead, he freely chose to remain under the protection and provision of his “master,” especially if the master cared for the servant better than the servant could care for himself, whether financially or otherwise.

“If [after being offered freedom] the servant, in fact, says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children, and I won’t go out a free man [chofshi],’ then his master is to bring him before the judges, and he is to bring him to the door or to the doorpost. His master is to pierce his ear with an awl, and he is to serve him permanently.”  (Exodus 21:5–6; also Deuteronomy 15:12)

The servant stayed out of love for his master, who was good to him and for him. True Believers in the God of Israel become His servants because He is good and He is Lord!

“O how abundant is your goodness that you have laid up for those who fear you, and accomplished for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of everyone!” (Psalm 31:19)

No one who truly says he believes, trusts in, and loves the Lord is exempt from bearing this title.  Moses, in fact, is called a “bond servant of God” (Joshua 22:5; Revelation 15:3). Even Messiah is called God’s Servant (Isaiah 53:11).

Non-Believers, on the other hand, have made their choice not to bear this title.

In Hebrew, there is a word for the freedom to choose to serve God, which
we’ll look at next.

Freedom to Serve God

In Hebrew, there is a freedom called cherut.

We see this word in the Siddur (Jewish prayer book), which refers to Passover as z’man cheruteynu, the time of our freedom.

When the People of Israel left the servitude of Pharaoh and crossed the Red Sea into freedom, God didn’t let them wander the wilderness without boundaries, shouting, “Ani Chofshi!, I am free!.”

At Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the Torah:  instructions found in the first five books of the Bible.

When Moses gave the Torah to the People, “all the People answered together and said, ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do!’”  (Exodus 19:8)

At this moment, the People became b’nei-chorin — free men — freely choosing to enter into a binding covenant with the Creator of the Universe.

 

Cherut freedom is not about choosing which food to eat or clothes we like to wear.  Those are merely responses to our bodily needs and desires.

Making choices out of love for God and His Word elevates freedom of choice from our devotion to self-gratification up to a spiritual union with our Father.

In this way, we see that what we choose is a direct result of who we align ourselves with.  And those choices translate to action.

If we use our free will to choose to follow God, imagine what we can
accomplish for the kingdom!

Is Freedom a Cheap Grace Gospel?

Sadly, many in the Christian community proclaim, “Ani Chofshi—I am free!” believing they live in a perpetual state of grace that covers every sin they make without consequences.

And yet, Rabbi Shaul (the Apostle Paul) warned the Believers in Corinth:

“Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”  (1 Corinthians 6:9–10)

Moreover, “if we choose to go on sinning after we have learned the full truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.”  (Hebrews 10:26)

But some Believers have experienced a true washing, a setting apart for service in holiness “in the name of the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ) and by the Spirit of our God.”  (1 Corinthians 6:11)

That washing away of our sins through the blood of Messiah Yeshua, through our repentance, and through the infilling of the Spirit of God Himself is the supernatural gift that we receive for entering into cherut-freedom.

It’s a gift that brings true joy.

This is the reason that Paul and Silas, when imprisoned and shackled, could sing praises to God!  (Acts 16:25)

Freedom and Faith

A right understanding of our freedom in God is foundational to our faith in Him alone.  The “free will” God gives each of us, is an invitation to choose whom we will serve and obey.

All of our actions and choices in life spring from that one decision.

If we choose to follow God, then there are responsibilities and expectations that God established for us to follow.

His rules lead to His protection, His blessings, and His love toward us.

Even though we have disobeyed God, Yeshua paid the price of our sins (penalty of death) so that our initial choice to serve sin would be paid.  He gave us a “do over,” the opportunity to make a NEW choice — to choose to voluntarily submit to God’s rule.

What will you do with that opportunity?

The post God Wants to Set You Free! Find Out How appeared first on Messianic Bible.