Toldot:  Jacob's Temple or Edom's Freedom
an excerpt from CG Workbook Five Vol 1        

Rebekah has the gift of prophecy, and she can see, so she asks for Jacob to fetch two kids for the meal of blessing to go with the bread she has baked.  Not only are they to be two kids, but two good/ tovim kids, prime specimens from the flock.  Esau is not a free spirit; it is his nefesh (soul) that has been given freedom without spiritual boundaries.  Rebekah knows that Esau's nature must be redeemed with the scarlet thread.  This is the concept known as the redemption of the firstborn. 

Once redeemed, Esau's red nature can be disciplined of the Spirit, and he is a functional, good part of the whole.  Just as the redemption of the firstborn, the nefesh, is an important part of Pesach and long passages of Shemot (Exodus), the final redemption is viewable on Yom Kippur.  The souls of wise men and women on Yom HaKippurim submit to the Spirit of Adonai.  There are multiple allusions to Yom Kippur and the Temple in Toldot (Generations).
 
The Tent Of Meeting

Along with the goats, Rebekah gives Jacob bread, symbolizing the Bread of Faces in the Holy Place.  The following verse is a key:

Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying,'Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.'(Genesis 27:1-7)

Rebekah knows that the imminent blessing will take place literally in the presence of Adonai.  The Hebrew word for presence in this verse is panim, or face, which suggests also the Bread of Faces in the Holy Place.

Jacob puts on his brother's raiment, the mantle of the goel[1], to go into his father for the blessing of the birthright, just as the high priests of the next generations ( toldot) took the place of their fathers and put on his garments.  The text is specific, "And Rebekah took the best garments of her elder son Esau..." 

Garment(s) is plural.  On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest changed from white linen to the golden vestments, depending upon what part of the service he officiated.  This required frequent changes of dress.  Jacob, a man of the tents, is a type of the priest in the tent of meeting with his Father alone, just as on the Yom HaKippurim, the Day of Coverings, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies alone.  Jacob was covered by his mother (who represents the Shekinah, or the Holy Spirit[2]) with the skins of goats.  Before Adam and Eve were given skins to wear, the glory was their covering.

Rebekah, or mystically the Indwelling of HaShem's Presence, places the hairy goat hides, the glory, on Jacob's hands and neck.  The neck is significant.  "And he (Joseph) fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck" (Genesis 45:14). There is a mistranslation in many English Bibles in this verse.  The Hebrew reads, "And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's necks ( tsavrei) and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck."

Compare that to the blessing given to Benjamin in Deuteronomy 33:12:  "Of Benjamin he said, 'The beloved of HaShem shall dwell in safety by him; shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.'"

The Temple was built on Benjamin's inheritance, between his shoulders.  Rashi explains that the apparent error in Bereishit (Genesis) is therefore not an error, but a prophecy.  Two Temples were built and destroyed between Benjamin's shoulders, his two necks on which Joseph wept.  The Temple is described as a "neck."  Maharal explains that a person's neck connects his head[3] to the body[4].  Thus in Midrash Rabbah, the Temple is called a "neck."  Benjamin also wept on Joseph's neck (singular), signifying the Tabernacle in Shiloh, located in Joseph's inheritance.  The neck thus symbolizes the connection between the upper and lower Kingdoms, the conduit through which the will on earth receives the message from the will in Heaven.  The seven vertebrae in the neck are also significant physical clues to the spiritual.

Song of Songs 4:12 reads, "Your neck is like the tower of David."  This also refers to the Temple, because the neck is the highest point on the Body short of the Head, which is Yeshua HaMashiach.  We are likened to the living stones of the Temple, and just as the Temple was the only high place permitted under the Torah, we are to pull down all the high places in our lives, for what fellowship does the Temple of God have with idols?  The neck contains our vocal chords, and thus is the origin of the voice or words.  "The voice is Jacob's."

It was the voice of the Father that spoke to the High Priest in the Holy of Holies.  His are words that are infinite, without beginning and without end.  It was The Word, the Living Torah, that spoke to mankind from the Temple, which we are.  As Yeshua was faithful in all His House, His Temple of living stones, we should also be faithful servants in this House of flesh.  Guard the ruach, nefesh, and body with all the diligence that the High Priest exercised in guarding the Temple precincts.

Upon the neck goes the yoke of the Kingdom, which Yeshua said is easy, and will not break our necks, our Temple of this body.  It is nevertheless work, worship, and service in the Kingdom to take the yoke on the neck, just as Moses and the priests served in the Temple.  This is the significance of Jacob's neck being covered with goat hair.  It symbolized the glory that would cover the Temple, and it symbolized Jacob's acceptance of the yoke of priesthood in the covenant, a yoke later handed down to his son Levi.  Consider the following Temple or Yom HaKippurim parallels:

The blessing Jacob receives is imparted by placing one's hands on the recipient's head, and the anointing of the high priest is by pouring oil over his head to cover it so that it drips down over the beard.  The Day of Yom Kippur is the Day of Coverings; the root of kaph is one from which we derive words like kippah, or cap.

The priest offered the blood of the goat on the horns (strength) of the altar.  Jacob offered the flesh of the goats to Isaac as an offering in the place of Esau, Edom, which means red, spelled the same as Adam, mankind, meaning blood.  He was redeeming the firstborn.

Isaac's vision is obscured, just as the cloud of incense obscured the vision of the priest in the Most Holy Place.

Jacob desired the blessing of the firstborn to go with the birthright he purchased, which will make him the priest of the family, the goel, and he can make atonement for the household just as the High Priest made atonement for all Yisrael on Yom Kippur.

As the incense and aroma of the nefesh sacrifice is a pleasant aroma to the LORD, so the smell of the field and the savoury meat is pleasing to Isaac, producing the blessing.
 
There are many other thematic connections to Yom Kippur in the Torah portion Toldot.  The conclusion?  In every generation the people of YHVH need spiritual vision, not only for the needs of the present generation, but for generations not yet born.  This was Esau's fault, spiritual shortsightedness.  What good was the birthright to him if the fulfillment was thousands of years away?  On the other hand, he wanted the blessing now.

This is our challenge.  Are the steps that I take with the Father today the result of spiritual vision and faithfulness to the commandments for the benefit of others, or do I simply look for the blessings?  Am I willing to labor in cold, heat, death, loss, betrayals, and family fights to endure until I can return to the Land and build Sukkot for all those spotted, speckled, and streaked herds that will be gathered "like flocks of men"?

"Bless me today, Father," is a desire for Edom's freedom.  "I will do as you say, today, Father, and the next, and the next..." is Jacob's Temple. 

So what will it be?  Jacob's Temple for the sake of all generations, or Edom's Freedom? 

[1] Kinsman redeemer

[2] See Workbook Four

[3] which is Mashiach in the Father

[4] which is the Body of Mashiach






Now available on amazon.com, the newest BEKY Book, Truth, Tradition, or Tare: Growing in the Word.

Readers of the Newer Testament can find its treatment of tradition confusing. Many of the customs in its pages are Jewish, and therefore foreign to non-Jewish believers. Yeshua (Jesus) sometimes corrected those observing religious customs, yet at other times he said they should have observed them. Paul does the same in his letters, and twice he instructs non-Jewish believers to keep the Jewish customs he passed on to them.

Among believers in Yeshua today, some enjoy incorporating tradition into their worship. Some dismiss all customs as "man-made," and therefore extraneous at best or the sin "adding to" the written Word at worst. There is a way to determine the relationship of the written Word to tradition, for the Word would not leave us without comfort on such an important question. Our Father wants His children to grow in wisdom, maturity, and favor before Him as well as their communities.

The methods used by the prophets of the Older Testament (TANAKH) as well as the writers of the Newer Testament (Brit HaChadasha) did leave readers guidelines to divide the Seed of truth from tradition, and then to separate a tradition grown from truth from a "taredition" grown from a different seed. Additionally, it is just as important to the disciple of Yeshua to test the goodness of the soil on which the practice of the Word grows. The most important consideration in the Older Testament's, Yeshua's, and the apostles' instructions is the sincere heart that holds justice, mercy, and faithfulness as the weightier matters of any religious custom.

By evaluating the traditions that one chooses to observe or not observe, the individual can avoid the lament:

"O Lord, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: 'Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit.'"

By applying the instructions in the Word, every believer is encouraged in his or her growth. A careful examination of Yeshua's instructions lifts a nuance that is frequently lost in discussions of truth and tradition. The first step is to identify whether that tradition is a tare. By throwing all tradition into a mental trash bin labeled Man's Tradition, it is possible that one could throw good plants and fruit into the bin with the tares. This is a logical fallacy called oversimplification. Yeshua's parables encourage his disciples to learn critical thinking skills so that growth in the Word is abundant life.

When a disciple of Yeshua examines his or her walk in the Word, there may be times that he or she feels that there is not enough growth. The very fact that we question our growth is a sign of readiness to grow. The next step is to allow the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) to teach us how to bear good fruit. To do that, every disciple can identify beliefs and practices that either stimulate healthy growth in the Word, or they stunt it. Welcome to the living fields of the Father's Garden!


 
 

Don't be alone this December! Come fellowship with friends, believers, and family at HRN's 2016 "Lord You Are My Light" Hanukkah Conference.

Enjoy teachings by Bill Cloud, Hollisa Alewine, Tony Robinson, Daniel Botkin, & more! Experience heartfelt worship and join hands with hundreds of people who share your faith.

We weren't meant to be alone - we were created to be in community with one another. Space is limited so register for this exciting event today! You'll be glad you did.

CLICK HERE or the Hanukkah image above to make your hotel reservation at a special discounted group rate. Discount available on the nights of December 23-26 if booked by December 7.

DATES: December 23-25, 2016

LOCATION: Nashville, TN

HOTEL: Sheraton Music City

REGISTRATION: $30 per individual or $50 per couple or $75 per family.

A Davidic Dance Class will be offered Friday, Dec. 23 frin 4-6 PM. To sign up for this two hour class, REGISTER HERE. $15 per person.


ROAD TRIP! Texas/New Mexico

For those who live in the West Texas, New Mexico area, I will be teaching in Lubbock (Dec. 8), Lovington (Dec. 7), and Amarillo (Dec. 9 & 10). Contact information is as follows:

Lubbock/Lovington: Starla Akers at starla.akers@gmail.com 
"Rethinking the Rapture"

Amarillo: John and Sandi Craig at www.lifeofworshipamarillo.org 
"Channukah: Truth, Tradition, or Tare?"

If you plan to attend and would like a specific product from our Shop page at www.thecreationgospel.com, message me by this Sunday, and we'll make sure we mark that book, menorah, or DVD set with your name to pick up. Specify your name, the product, and the teaching location (Lovington, Lubbock, or Amarillo) where you'll pick it up. This will save the shipping cost for a web order. Since the Amarillo meeting is on Shabbat, products will not be available until Saturday evening after the service.


LaMalah Children's Centre

We can't thank our donors enough for their monthly support of the Children's Center in Kenya.  We are saving for the purchase of a vehicle for the Centre, so if you can help, please click on the link below.  Our most recent update from Brother Ndungu is also below.

Shalom my sister and brother:

The Lemalah community is well. The children are not in school until January. Obviously this will be their first year of "NOT" celebrating xmass. It is our utmost desire to ground them in Torah.

I was visiting Narok county to teach Torah last weekend. I could not help admiring how this people live. Narok is predominantly Maasai.
Many make do without cellphones Those who have them have solar panels to light up their homes and charge their phones. A man with grand children has a room about 10 x 8 feet and a grass thatched hut where the children sleep.

These people can walk for hundreds of kilometers. They get all their water from dug holes and seasonal rivers They grow their food and do not have special clothes to wear for shabbat.  They can stay weeks and even months without money in their pockets. Kiswahili is a difficult language for them and English is all the more.
Yet they are hospitable people. One old family man wants to bequeath the assembly 1.2 acres of land. They will vacate their bed for the visitor too. And we were hosted and well fed by these people.

At the end of a long matatu (Psv) ride, a motor bike taxi will take you to their location, about 20 kilometers from the highway.
And they are very attentive listeners. Pray that Father will continue opening the ears and hearts of all those who hear the good news these last days.

Shalom

Peter 
 
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