 |
Building a Holy Place on the Information Highway
Terumah "Lifted-up contribution"
Ex 25:1-27:19
1 Ki 5:26-6:13
Ps 26
Lk 5:16
|
|
|
Click on the acacia tree above to view a short video from the Tzin Wilderness
|
The Mishkan (Tabernacle) provided a sanctuary of holiness in Israel's wandering between Egypt and Israel, between death and a restored life. It was a kind of spiritual limbo, not exactly death and exile, and not exactly a perfectly holy and elevated life in the Land of Israel. In that "limbo," the Israelites were able to find the Holy Presence not in a place, but in the indwelling inside themselves:
They shall make a Sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell in them (
betokham
). (Ex 25:8)
As Rabbi Sacks wrote of this verse,
...the Divine Presence lives not in a building but in
its
builders, not in a physical place, but in the human heart
.
The holy is where God's will rules, not ours.
In that respect, in times when Israel is removed from the Temple and its special worship offerings and methods, it is still possible to maintain personal and corporate holiness. It is still possible to build Him a sanctuary in which to dwell, bringing voluntary gifts such as the silver for the
Mishkan
sockets and the half-shekel for the national offerings.
Now (
vayehi
)
on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it with all its furnishings and the altar and all its utensils; he anointed them and consecrated them also
...(Nu 7:1)
Significantly, the first uses of
vayehi
in "it came to pass" and similar English translations are found here in the Creation:
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר
אֱלֹהִ֖ים
יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר
וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר
Then
God said,
'Let
there be
light';
and there was light
. (Ge 1:3)
And then here in the hint of a problem that will separate brothers...
So
it came about
in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground
. (Ge 4:3)
There is a curious statement by R' Shimon bar
Yohai
:
"Wherever it says 'and it came to pass' [
vayehi
] it refers to something that existed in the past, and was then interrupted, and then returned to its original situation."
If this is true, then the creation of light was a restoration of something that had begun, was interrupted, and then continued. When
Kain
and Abel brought offerings to draw close to the Presence of Elohim, it represented something that had begun previously, was interrupted (in the Garden), and was resumed. As in the Garden, the fruit was at the core of an interruption in relationship.
The
Mishkan
is seen as a restoration of the Creation Garden and its four rivers, an interrupted existence of fellowship with the Creator:
I
have come into my garden, my sister,
my
bride;
I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
I have drunk my wine and my milk.
Eat,
friends; drink
and imbibe deeply, O lovers
. (Sng 5:1)
Traditionally, the rivers of Eden are filled with milk, honey, balsam, and wine. The important element of restoration to the Garden is relationship, not just between Elohim and the individual, but among friends and brothers.
King
Shlomo (Solomon)
is usually seen as the most successful Israelite or Judean king, bringing economic prosperity and peace to the whole Kingdom of Israel.
He built the Temple, the permanent "
mishkan
" in Jerusalem to which all Israelites came to worship. The Temple is linked to the Exodus from Egypt, suggesting the Exodus really ended only when the Temple was built:
Now
it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of
Ziv,
which is the second month, that he
began
to build the house of the LORD
. (1 Ki 6:1)
The Temple's building in Jerusalem should have reflected Passover and Exodus freedom, for the conclusion of the Exodus was not until the Temple was begun. This should have been the culmination of a volunteer journey. Moses prophesied of it at the conclusion of the wilderness journey where the Israelites had worshipped with the Mishkan as the focal point of their brotherhood, yet they continued to suffer fractures in relationship that affected their ability to enjoy a "resting place and the inheritance":
You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes;
for
you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you
.
When
you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and
He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security
,
then
it shall come about that the place in which the LORD your God will choose for His name to dwell...
(Dt 12:9-11)
Moses urged Israel to work toward unity once they enjoyed His rest and security from enemies. In King Shlomo's reign, this security and rest was achieved. However, Rabbi Sacks points out there is a more sinister side to this glorious beginning/ending of living in security and peace in the resting place...
Now
King Solomon
levied
forced laborers from all Israel
; and the forced laborers
numbered
30,000 men.
He
sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in relays; they were in Lebanon a month and two months at home. And
Adoniram
was over the forced laborers.
Now
Solomon had 70,000
transporters
, and 80,000 hewers of stone in the mountains
,
besides Solomon's 3,300 chief deputies who were over the
project
and who ruled over the people who were doing the work
.
Then the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones
. (1 Ki 5:13-17)
The foundation of the Temple was forced labor, not the voluntary contributions of the Mishkan made by brothers! Last week's Torah portion was
Mishpatim
, limiting the service of a Hebrew indentured worker. The forced labor suggests a violation of the statutes. On top of their tithes and offerings and firstfruits, the men were forced and "taxed" with hard labor one month out of every three. Solomon was known for his alliance with Egypt, even taking an Egyptian wife.
After King Shlomo died, his son Rehoboam was petitioned by the northern tribes to reduce the forced labor:
Then
Rehoboam
went to
Shechem
, for all Israel had come to
Shechem
to make him king.
Now
when Jeroboam the son of
Nebat
heard of it,
he
was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon).
Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to
Rehoboam
, saying,
"Your
father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you
." (1 Ki 12:1-4)
Scripture tells us that Rehoboam listened to the counsel of his young men instead of experienced, wiser, older advisors. Instead of easing the burden on his brothers, Rehoboam made it harder, and Jeroboam led a successful rebellion, splitting the northern tribes from Judah in the south. He also set up alternate altars and places of worship.
Rabbi Sacks points out some eerie parallels between King Shlomo, who sowed the seeds of separation among brothers, and the Israelites' experience of slavery under Pharaoh. Both were known for their armies of chariots and horsemen:
Force leads to rebellion. The pattern for building a central place of worship was the
Mishkan
,
Terumah
, when all Israel contributed according to how their hearts moved them.
At the same time the building of the Temple begins, it ends the exodus...the very thing that should be marked by freedom and voluntary service, not forced labor.
Although the
Mishkan
did not have the grandeur of the Temple built through forced labor...it was "small, fragile, portable..." it was designed to form a home in the willing, free human heart.
Tradition associates the beginning of Creation as at the 1
st
of Nisan. Passover is in the month of Nisan, and the Song of Songs is read during Pesach, recalling the love story of the Garden, the place where Adonai planted a dwelling-place where Adam and Eve could be in His Presence.
They are a "planting." Another rabbinic source discusses who the "planting" is, Israel (
Rashi
to
Terumah
). The walls, which were pillars, of the
Mishkan
had to stand erect, not be stacked sideways:
"Then you shall make the boards for the tabernacle of
acacia (
shittim
)
wood,
standing upright
." (Ex 26:15)
Shittim
[acacia] are trees that thrive in the wilderness, desert places. It is the vital component to desert life. Birds eat from its pods and nest in its branches. Gazelles and ibex eat its leaves. Lizards and other small animals burrow under its shade and roots to find cool earth for dens. The eco-system of the Aravah depends upon it. It is like a cedar tree, evergreen. Unlike the tall cedars of Lebanon, it is a low-spreading tree, humble, but most productive in the harshest conditions. It would have been stripped of its thorns to make boards. Those boards protected the holy places of the Mishkan and the Testimony in its ark.
One bird that depends upon the acacia is the plain, gray Babbler. The leader does not threaten or dominate the flock by force; he stands guard on a high branch, exposing himself to the danger of diving raptors; he alerts others to approaching danger with sharp shrieks; he feeds other members of the flock.
The whole
community feeds offspring of dominant pair. They clean and nestle with one another in groups. The babbler will distract vipers from nesting areas by surrounding and attacking the predator.
|
|
| Click on bird to view video |
The little babbler and the lowly acacia tree remind Israel that they are brothers and sisters, dedicated to mutual freedom to worship, not to building grand empires on the broken backs and spirits of Israel.
King
Shlomo
prayed:
So
give Your servant
an
understanding heart
to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this
great
people of Yours
? (1 Ki 3:9)
Israel is a great people and nation of servants to the Most High. King Shlomo somehow understood, but his ability to understand was not transformative. Understanding should never lead to the separation of brothers. Simply stopping at information and judgment does not lead to the ultimate restoration of brothers. King
Shlomo
built an information highway on trade, but it was only a temporary peace. If the information does not lead to transformation, then it is only a temporary grandeur, a way of self-aggrandizement.
Do not settle for study, study, study, debate, debate, debate, right-and-wrong, right-and-wrong, right-and-wrong simply because our generation was given an information highway for self-education. Simply understanding good and evil, which was King Shlomo's prayer, did not transform himself or the nation. It eventually split the United Kingdom of Israel into Israel and Judah. Internet surfing will not unite Israel, nor will it prepare us for the return of the Prince of Peace, who both understands and resurrects with the power of the Ruach HaKodesh. First fruits that divide brothers are not first fruits to Elohim, the planter of the Garden.
"The holy is where God's will rules, not ours."
Come to the little Mishkan in the wilderness. Come humbly, little trees and birds, and you will be a great nation of brothers, servants of the Most High.
The Seven Seals are READY!
It's LIVE on Amazon and available through local bookstores!
The revision of
Creation Gospel Workbook Two: The Seven Abominations of the Wicked Lamp, The Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, and Seven Bowls of Wrath
(and the Thunders) may be purchased to enhance your winter reading and Scripture study!
We've gone from the original 75 pages published in 2009 to 366 pages. The new
e
dition includes extensive explanations of the supernatural bug-horsemen from Abaddon.
The entire Song of Moses is keyed to the Book of Revelati
on along with the events of the Exodus and wilderness journey, clarifying the concept of the Greater Exodus.
The new edition has an Answer Key to the study questions in the back of the workbook.
You already know the Sabbaths and feasts are important, but once you work through this workbook, you'll be more convinced than ever that your faith in Yeshua, his commandments, and especially his feasts, are vital last-day fulfillments of prophecy and inoculation against the plagues of sevens.
Be careful to purchase the February 2020 version (2nd Edition), NOT the 2009 version sold by used book stores on Amazon. Click
Seven Seals or the red horse graphic to view.
Sukkot in Israel
Interested in celebrating Passover or Sukkot 2020 in Israel?
It's time to plan Passover. Join us in Israel for a Passover seder and teaching on the "Lower Egypt" spoken of in Scripture, yet it is prophecy missed by most readers. To read about the adventure, click
Passover in Israel.
You can't beat the price for room and board!
Relax, hike, volunteer, explore the archaeological ruins, study, count the stars, or day tour, and choose the number of days you spend at Tamar. The sooner you register for Passover, the easier it is to book flights that fit your budget and schedule. The feasts are busy flight times in Israel.
|
|
| Sukkot Parade of the Nations 2019 |
If you're interested in a FULL-SERVICE tour, then please consider going at Sukkot 2020. Although we are still negotiating with hotels and working on the itinerary,
the registration page is up so that you can make a deposit. The price may drop once negotiations are concluded and the final itinerary set. Click on
Sukkot of Glory to view or reserve your place with a deposit.
Our New Series on HRN:
50,000 Degrees and Cloudy
The new series based on the book will be available to view on Monday, March 2nd at
www.myrevivetv.com
The deep Torah study in Section One restores the
original foundation of the resurrection. The resurrection is put in the context of the numerous prophecies of in the Torah portions. The Exodus and wilderness journey have illustrations of the event that were too numerous to fit into one book. Section One uncovers the Torah foundation to which the writers of the New Testament refer.
Section Two answers the question, "What happens when we die?"
LaMalah Children's Centre
We appreciate your donations at any time, but especially in the "slow" months of winter. Three of the children will be starting high school, which requires some extra funds.
Thanks to your generosity, the congregations of Kenya and the children of LaMalah were able to enjoy Sukkot.
If you would like to donate to the Children's Centre through The Creation Gospel, click on the Donate link below. It will say The Olive Branch Messianic Congregation on your receipt. Our local congregation is the non-profit covering for our ministry. Checks or money orders may be sent to:
The Creation Gospel
PO Box 846
East Bernstadt, KY 40729
|
|
|
|
|
|
