Adonai persists in developing His children by urging them to think, feel, and do things based on His Truth and the Word He has spoken to them, not the reality of their slavery and great tribulation in Egypt. He instructs the Israelites to request treasure of the Egyptians. He also commands blood on the doorposts and that the Israelites wear traveling clothes and sandals. This was a FUTURE. No one puts on his traveling clothes and packs up money, gold, and silver unless he plans a journey. No one would put blood on the doorpost unless he trusted and hoped that Adonai would and could keep His word.
Faith,
emunah in Hebrew, means something is settled and accepted; to be certain and to believe.
Faith in Greek is
pistis, meaning to be persuaded, to trust and entrust one's self to someone of integrity.
What changed the Israelites from despondent, hopeless, deaf-mute people to careful listeners wearing traveling clothes and new Birkenstocks? Through the miracles, both suffering through three plagues and their deliverance from the rest, the Israelites built a sense of faith and trust in Adonai. The longer you know someone, the more you will either trust or mistrust him. Trust grows into right thinking, feeling, and doing. The blood sealed their faith because they had been primed to reach this point of faith through many miracles.
For instance, when the Egyptians had darkness, the Israelites had light. Israelites could see clearly what others could only grope for in the darkness. Darkness doesn't change what truth is; it merely makes it difficult to see it. The Egyptian darkness meant that truth was not plain; instead it was twisted and influenced by the magicians, false prophets, and the Beast Pharaoh, whose thinking, feeling, and doing was controlled by evil spirits who had taken control of their gleefully yielded nafshim (souls), and therefore their bodies.
Turning off the lights in a room doesn't mean the furniture is not still there. It means that those who can't see will stumble over both the truth and reality of the room, running into one another and tripping over the truth that became an adversary in the dark. Ironically, those who stumble in the darkness blame those who can see for their problems!
Egypt in Hebrew is Mitzraim, which means misery and tribulation. While a righteous nation suffered misery under the Egyptian regime and even suffered a similar darkness concerning truth, the difference was that Israel was being transformed from that darkness to light in the plagues, whereas the unrepentant Egyptians' darkness grew worse. Misery will always twist one's perception of truth, but THE Light, which is Yeshua, IS the Way, the Truth, and the Light.
Ancient Israel and we have been delivered from the misery that darkens understanding. Wasn't the process of your personal salvation a miracle as great as the light in the land of Goshen? Yeshua says in John 5:24: "I tell you the TRUTH, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." A Hebrew is one who has "crossed over."
Passover is an annual rehearsal of salvation from sin, and it marks a change in a believer's very nature.[1] At Pesach, it is not our past that He changes, but us! We are called, justified, glorified, uncondemned, victorious, and most of all, loved! We are free men and women, and not only free, but loaded with the treasures of rich men. We have passed from death to life.
The word chagag, celebration, is spelled chet-gimel-gimel.[2] This symbolizes life with double treasure, the double portion of the firstborn in Messiah. Those who engage the feast have a double portion of joy and freedom. We do not have to rely on the faulty, Old Man Chametz slave-esteem as we were, but on New Man Yeshua-esteem, as we are.
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come... He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.[3]
The Old Lady Who Swallowed the Fly may have been fictional, but Pharaoh is not. There was an Old Man Chametz who swallowed a fly and many other plagues in the darkness of his heart. Perhaps he'll die...
[1] Romans 8:28-39
[2] Chagag contains two gimels, connoting two rich men with arms outstretched.
[3] 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21
The Creation Gospel Workbook 5 Volume 2
This Creation Gospel workbook series in five volumes is the Torah lessons over the weekly parashot. The Creation Gospel paradigm of the Seven Spirits of Adonai, the Seven Days of Creation, the Seven Feasts, and the Seven Assemblies of Revelation appears in each of the portions, yet the Scriptural narratives release the human struggles of the matriarchs and patriarchs, which encourages all who follow in their footsteps of faith. As with all Creation Gospel teaching, an effort is made to tie together the whole Scripture thematically from Genesis to Revelation.
Although the lessons draw from the traditional Jewish sources, the work is not designed to be a typical scholarly Torah commentary. This work delves into the human aspects of each portion or elicit points not typically addressed. For instance, is the seven-branched menorah concealed within the four Rivers of Eden? What do donkeys and camels symbolize in Scripture, and what do they have to do with prophecy? What can each portion teach that will transform lives? The Ruach HaKodesh is invited to move over the words so that disciples of Yeshua can mature in their relationships with the Body of Messiah, with the Father, and even with enemies. Recommended for both individual and group weekly Torah study. Includes study/review questions on each portion.
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to swim at the deep end of the pool? If you are among those who desire to dive into the cool depths of Torah study, then your library will not be complete without Dr. Hollisa Alewine's workbook 5 series. This five volume set devotes each volume to one of the books in the Torah. The teachings are broken down by weekly Torah readings, making it the ideal study text for group environments. It is truly one of the few study texts which offers an abundance of material for both beginners, advanced students, and everyone in between. Based on her renowned Creation Gospel study approach, Dr. Alewine guides the reader beyond the surface-level understanding of the Bible, and into the deeper watery currents of interpretation. Not only will readers reap a harvest of Biblically-sound insight, but they will also glean the techniques by which to unveil other concealed gems of understanding. Taking a dip into the waters of workbook 5 will leave you refreshed and well-hydrated in the Word!"
Scott Aaron, Torat Chaim
BEKY Books
I have some good news for those of you who have expressed interest in the BEKY Books, simple booklets with answers to the basic questions of our journey. The booklets are designed for the newcomer to the Torah and curious/confused friends and family. We held our first editing session on the first four books this week, and we did first-round editing on:
What is the Torah?
A Messianic Shabbat Service
Colossal Questions (What was nailed to the cross? and other questions from Colossians)
Peter's Vision: Beacon or Bacon?
Once we have addressed the first-round edits, each booklet goes out for a second round, more corrections, and then a third round of peer review. If this is complete by the end of January, then we may be able to have formatting and distribution issues settled by the end of February, which means a finished product by early spring on Kindle or paperback.
Here are some of the other titles cooking in the ovens of our lady authors:
Shabbat
Havdalah
Introduction to the Jewish Sources
Truth vs Tradition
The Jewish Calendar
Pharisees: friends or foes?
Yeshua in the Menorah
Rosh Chodesh
If you'd like to suggest titles, feel free to do so. We probably have a lady who can write it! I am super-excited about the group of ladies writing BEKY Books (Books Encouraging the Kingdom of Yeshua), for they have each proven their success and professionalism in ministry and/or academic work.
If you'd like to meet our lady authors, we will soon develop a webpage, www.BEKYbooks.com, and a Facebook page so that you can keep up with the work in progress. Neither is ready yet, but we'll notify you when they are.
Creation Gospel Foundational Online Class
For those of you who have signed up for the online class, it will be several days before you receive your WebEx invitation email. I will be in Nashville next week for HRN Board and REVIVE meetings, but you will receive your email in time to log in for the first class at 9:00 pm EST on the 25th. Between now and then, please be sure you've registered on the WebEx website at www.webex.com. I look forward to having live students soon!
Children's Home in Kenya
Six children have already moved into the Lemalah (Upwards) Children's Centre in Limuru, Kenya. If you can help monthly with expenses for school uniforms, food, staff, etc., we appreciate every dollar. To donate via PayPal, CLICK HERE and specify "Kenya" or send a personal check to:
The Creation Gospel
PO Box 846
East Bernstadt, KY 40729
From our home to yours,
Shabbat shalom!
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