Footsteps of Messiah:
Footfalls on Kings
Do you know why editing is so important? Because "Footfalls on Kings" was almost "Footballs on Kings."
The double Torah portion has a common thread: Those in need of purification, healing, and restoration must go through the agency of a human priest. This human priest is a type and shadow of Messiah Yeshua, a priest after the order of Malkhi-Tzedek. With types and shadows, expect some things to be identical, yet other things to be slightly different in application. As Pastor Mark and Tammy like to say, "patterns and principles."
The one seeking restoration brings his or her various offerings to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting. From there, the service works its way inward to the bronze altar. The flames of the bronze altar purge out sin, and they provide atonement, or covering. It is from these very coals that the incense service moves the process of restoration even closer to the Divine Presence, the golden incense altar.
In performing their services, the Cohanim were required to wear a turban-like headcover (the high priest wore a type of crown on his) and to be girded with a belt, or sash. Without these, the priests could not perform the service.
In contrast, the metzorah, or leper, was required to let his hair go loose and wear torn clothes. These practices were forbidden to the priesthood when they served in the holy spaces, for they are identified with death and mourning.
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Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you will not die and that He will not become wrathful against all the congregation.” (Le 10:6)
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“As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’” (Le 13:45)
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“The priest who is the highest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes.” (Le 21:10)
The moral of the story? Those who minister on behalf of others have fewer “rights” and more “atonement, covering” responsibilities. Priests are not allowed the depth of grieving behaviors permitted to others.
So what does that have to do with us?
Following the pattern, from Shavuot onward, members of a royal priesthood need “working clothes,” not just a garment of salvation:
- A headcover, possibly a “credit crown”
- An untorn garment (why else was Yeshua’s garment left whole?)
- A sash or belt
Shavuot is the axis of the journey. The Mishkan and priesthood were inaugurated at Sinai to serve the tribal kingdom of royal priests. We should expect these priestly clothes to be explained in the context of Sinai. Having followed the Presence from Egypt to Sinai, from ”animal food” barley to the finest of wheat at Shavuot in untorn garments of salvation, it was time to receive the additional garments and crowns of a royal priesthood. When the Israelites said, “We will do, and we will hear,” they were awarded two...no, one...crown(s).
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“We know that the Israelites were girded with belts when they received the Torah, as it states, ‘He loosened the belt of kings, and fastened a belt around their loins.’” (Job 12:18) (4§4)
We’ll unpack this some more, but recall Paul’s instructions to the Ephesians:
- “Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS...” (Eph 6:14)
The “belts,” or the ruling authority, of the Canaanite kings was removed when Israel vowed to learn and do the Word. If we who are saved grow in our desire for the Word as we promised, then His desire for us also grows and bridges us into the Land.
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...and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” (Nu 14:7-9)
*Milk and honey (and wine and balsam) are said to flow in the rivers of Eden. (2 Enoch)
As Job said, the belts of the Canaanite kings had already been removed when Israel accepted the covenant with their King. Those belts of authority were transferred to them. Joshua and Caleb are telling Israel: "Tighten up, folks, the authority you think the adversary has is actually yours!"
The Shir HaShirim Midrash 4§4 comments concerning our text about the flock of Israel, “all of them are perfect” in Chapter Four:
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Every year on Shavuot, when they accept the yoke of the Torah anew, God considers it as if they never sinned; hence, no mention is made of the word ‘sin’ in connection with the mussaf of this day
Only caphar, or atonement, is in Shavuot's second mention (Nu 28:30) of mussaf offerings, contrasting it with the first in Leviticus 23:17, which does mention sin. Like Yom HaKippurim, it is a day when sin is wiped away, yet “on faith.”
At Shavuot, the flock of Israel receives a crown and a belt with Ruach fire to strengthen them in this commitment. As Abraham received “righteousness credits,” so do his offspring.
Shavuot is the appointed time to grow from milk to solid food by Rosh HaShanah. Remember the dairy products of Shavuot? As at Sinai, it requires a willingness to “do and hear,” or continuously receive the Word of Moses and Yeshua. The Ruach enables this process:
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“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” (1 Co 3:1-3)
The following passage in Revelation recalls the Jewish understanding of what happened at Mount Sinai, that when the Israelites heard the first couple of commandments, they fell down dead and had to be resurrected. Finally, they went to Moses and asked that he intercede for them, and they turned it around: "We will hear, and we will do." Having faced the immense power of the Divine Presence, they acknowledged that hearing (instruction from Moses) would need to precede some of their doing.
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Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. (Re 1:12–18)
Although tradition says the Israelites received two crowns, one for “we will do” and one for “we will hear,” they were one crown, for all Israel spoke with one voice, “We will do, and we will hear.” There are two crowns of righteousness, yet one, doing and hearing are one thing, one united “voice” of obedience that requires learning and practicing obedience to become experienced. With experience, we go from student to teacher. The credit crown gives us the strength to walk through the trials and tribulations of learning so that we may put on that crown, fully realized righteousness in a resurrected body, "on that day":
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“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Ti 4:6-8)
If we love His appearing, we prepare for it by learning and doing YHVH’s righteousness. A crown awaits us, yet it is His righteousness, awarded to the righteous resurrected as at Sinai. When the elders cast their crowns in Revelation, it is acknowledgment that it is ADONAI’S righteousness, not their own, which they wear. He is the rightful wearer.
The crown(s) given to the flock were thought to have been taken from the radiance of the Divine Presence. Because they were taken from the Throne of Glory, those who receive the crown are free from any more subjugation to foreign kingdoms. Instead, they are among those who are set up to judge and rule those nations.
Along with the crown was given a belt that protected them from the power of the Divine Presence that could have killed them. Yeshua has the Golden Sash of the priesthood, for he is seated at the right hand of the Father, in the direct line of "fire," yet unharmed. The act of “girding” oneself with a belt symbolizes strength and enthusiasm for the mission or task, to exert oneself... (Rashi to Bereishit 48:2)
This is based partially on Elijah’s actions:
- “And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’ In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.” (1 Ki 18:44-46)
The belt is associated with the menorah and the incense service in the Midrash Rabbah. Not only do the priests have to wear a sash, the wordplay hints to the services...
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“‘Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.’ The LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well [הֵיטִיבוּ] in all that they have spoken. Oh, that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever! (Dt 5:27-29)
The two-letter root of well, or tov, is tet-beit. The same appears in the incense service and trimming of the menorah:
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“You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims [בְּהֵיטִיבוֹ] the lamps.” (Ex 30:5-7)
The trimming of the lamps alongside the incense service has the essence of goodness:
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Yatav - יָטַב yâṭab to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right):—be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best...
Incense symbolizes prayer. The Midrash says the wordplay hints to how we (as laypeople, a royal priesthood) can perform priestly service every day. When we learn and obey the Word [pray and obey] with the power of the Ruach HaKodesh as symbolized by the incense service and menorah, then we fulfill our vow to be royal priests, “making good” on our promise, which makes good in the world, sending the concealed light of the menorah to the nations and praying not only to intercede, but to help them realize growth potential. This service had to be done “well” daily.
The menorah and prayer are intertwined.
“Hedek heitev, heitev hedek.”
When the incense was prepared for the service, the Temple official in charge would say, “Grind thoroughly (well, tov), thoroughly (well, tov) grind.” 4§4
This is how the belt of truth supports believers in a community. When our own prayers can’t imagine the kings of Canaan stripped of power, our well-belted brothers and sisters meet us at the “doorway” and carry effectual, fervent prayers to the incense altar. They lift us up. Even now, as we are strengthened in “we will do and we will hear,” the powers and principalities over the kings of Canaan are weakening, for Yeshua wears the golden sash, interceding for us. We must tighten up our belts for one another.
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But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. (Ex 17:12)
- Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension." (1 Ti 2:8)
Imagine that.
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