Footsteps in a Holiness Sandwich
Our Footsteps of Messiah series has focused on the prophecies contained in the Song of Songs. Once we reach the fourth chapter of the Song, some of the prophecies are repeated, yet we can glean more in-depth understanding with the first chapters already established. In Chapter Four, we read:
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How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep which have come up from their washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost her young.
In a previous lesson, we looked at “Mount Gilead” as a wordplay with “mountain of rolling (continual) witness.” There is a literal mountain range in Gilead, but there was Mount Sinai, where the Israelites responded to the covenant invitation with “We will do, and we will hear.” From the heights of spiritual ecstasy at Mount Sinai, the Israelites descended “like a flock of goats” to become a light and witness to the nations. Goats are often symbolic of sacrifice for atonement. Indeed, Israel has suffered sacrifice to hold onto their covenant agreement at Sinai, reflecting the suffering of Messiah for the sake of the nations.
Next, the prophecy refers to Israel as “a flock of newly shorn sheep which have come up from their washing.” Sheep are often symbolic of the innocent, compliant, and easily led. The sages point to the “washing” as the journey through the Reed Sea in their escape from Pharaoh. A second washing was the three-day preparation of washing for the visitation at Mount Sinai. The first washing at the Reed Sea is of particular interest since it explains in more detail the apostles’ doctrines of mercy, grace, and torah. While there has been a long history of poor understanding and applications of the relationship among them, the foundations are in the Exodus from Egypt.
The twelve tribes of Israel grew in their Egyptian captivity. With courage, the midwives salvaged the “young” of the sheep, protecting them from Pharaoh’s death squads.
- "Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep which have come up from their washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost her young [שַׁכּוּל H7909]."
שַׁכֻּל shakkul; from H7921; bereaved:—barren, bereaved (robbed) of children.
There was not a long list of commandments for the flock of Israel to keep while they were being saved.
- Listen to Moses’ warning about the plagues.
- Circumcise.
- Slaughter a lamb, apply the blood to the doorposts, and eat it.
- Leave Egypt.
- Follow the pillar of cloud.
That’s pretty much it. There were no 613 commandments, or even the Big Ten. Not even the Shema or “love your neighbor.” These were simple, demonstrated acts of faith. The details of the 2, the 10, and the 613 would come later in the wilderness.
There is a play-on word with “all of which bear twins.”
תָּאַם tâʼam; a primitive root; to be complete; but used only as denominative from H8380, to be (causatively, make) twinned, i.e. (figuratively) duplicate or (architectural) jointed:—coupled (together), bear twins.
Ta’am is sometimes translated as “perfect.” The flock may be seen as not only complete, but perfect as in upright, with moral integrity:
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“Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless. [תָּמִים]” (Ge 17:1)
The children of Abraham would also be counted like their father, upright. It didn’t mean without sin or mistakes; it meant walk and work on the revealed things each day. The Midrash Rabbah presents a homily concerning “all of them are perfect, ta’am which have come up from their washing.” They point out that in spite of being herded and guarded between the Presence of Adonai Himself and the Angel, the Israelites came up from the Reed Sea unharmed by the intense holiness that was experienced between them. Although not yet walking in the commandments, nor had they even agreed to, the Israelites were already walking by faith. They were on the path, leaving death behind, yet obedience lay before them, a journey to prepare them to go up into the Land of their inheritance.
Although not yet aware of or fulfilling all the Torah, the righteousness was credited into their individual accounts. Without this credit, it would have been impossible for them to survive the “holiness sandwich” in their crossing of the Reed Sea. First, we see the Presence of Adonai Himself going in front of Israel:
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“Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness. The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” (Ex 13:17-22)
Then the flock is sandwiched in holiness when the pillar and angel move behind them, shielding them from Pharaoh while they cross:
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Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.” The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night. (Ex 14:15-20)
If YHVH Himself was leading, then who was the angel of his Presence who became the rear guard? We have clues:
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“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided.” (Ex 14:21)
The Holy One Himself descended to lead and guard the flock of Israel through the Reed Sea:
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“Who has ascended into heaven and descended?
- Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
- Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?
- Who has established all the ends of the earth?
- What is His name or His son's name?
- Surely you know!” (Pr 30:4)
How did the Israelites endure the manifest holiness of Adonai both in front and His Son behind, especially when so much sinful residue from Egypt still clung to them?
Faith. They walked in what was revealed, and like Avraham, they were credited for what was yet concealed. Although not yet mature and fruitful, within each saved person from each tribe was encoded the potential if they continued in the Word in faith.
The Presence of Adonai and the angel in the pillar of cloud exerted authority over the winds and sea as the flock of Israel crossed the Reed Sea. A wind blew all night to stack up the waters, and the waters obeyed and remained in place until ordered to drown Pharaoh’s army. Yeshua’s actions on the Galilee (gal-rolling, similar to Gilad) re-fulfill prophecy and also witnessed, for Galilee was called "Galilee of the Nations":
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When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Mt 8:24-27)
How typical is it that we don’t know when YHVH's holiness and authority is right next to us? How typical that we don’t know the holiness and authority within us that has not yet been brought to fruition and perfection? Nevertheless, the prophecy of the washed sheep assures us that the footsteps of Messiah are walking with us on these mountains and through the seas of the people. We will not drown. We will not burn.
We are growing the Ruach and the letter of the Torah, upward bound to the Promised Land. When we have gaps in our understanding, Yeshua gracefully and mercifully protects us from the sea and fiery force of holiness that consumed Nadav and Avihu. When we rebel, we will stumble and stagger around, and Scripture does not promise us the same protections.
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Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.” (Jn 9:41)
This supernatural protection between the intense holiness of the Presence and the angel of the cloud may be suggested by Paul’s description of the resurrection, sheep rising [שֶׁעָלוּ] from their washing:
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But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Th 4:13-18)
Yeshua may have been asleep in the boat, but he resurrected. By the Father's mercy and grace, so will we!
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Shabbat Shalom!
