Category: Weekly Torah Portion Reading

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Turning Tables

Here in Egyptalon, it’s a language issue. The Hebrew language. One day, the tables will turn:

“For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.” (Zephaniah 3:9)

This echoes the three principles of the fall moedim, which are a step of sorting the sealed righteous from the intermediates from the wicked. Prayer to purify, repentance to seal, charity to the suffering to prove the heart change and willingness to serve the Kingdom.

The first principle, prayer, is a practice of purifying the speech, measuring one’s own prayer against the standard of the Word.

Those sealed with the Name of YHVH are one as He is One. They do not bear the many names of individual idols, but they are a unified, accurate reflection of His image as a nation apart. In a sense, because we tend to impose our face over the face of Elohim (“no other gods in front of me”), the world sees a distorted representation of His Name in us, especially when we assemble all our individual gods that we sometimes choose to place before obedience to YHVH. Too often, we are not a representation of Him, but of our mixed obedience and unreliable loyalty to His Oneness. In that sense, it is also a hearing issue: “Hear, O Israel, YHVH our Elohim, YHVH is One.”

At the end of days, “The LORD shall be King over all the world, on that day the LORD will be One and His Name one.” (Ze 14:9)

There will be no misrepresentation of the Holy Name in that day. Because the names, or reputations of people will reflect the holiness of the Word, His true reputation will be known by all the living.

The blasphemous names of the Great Harlot in Revelation may be a reference to traditional thought about how even in slavery in Egypt, Israel maintained a vital connection to the Promise of the Fathers: their names in exile. The Israelites’ Hebrew names, uncorrupted with Egyptian names, set them apart, even the tribes of Joseph, Ephraim and Menashe. They retained a “pure speech,” Hebrew, even though many among them descended into idolatry. 

They were still a nation apart because of their literal names, but a name is also reputation. Their sexual purity retained the identity of the nation through the generations. Only when the greater part of the nation maintained sexual morality could they retain their identity with their family, clan, tribe, and nation. These two identifiers, speech and sexual morality, set them apart in Egypt.

James, who addresses the “twelve tribes scattered abroad” places emphasis on Godly speech in order to keep one’s Bridal garments unstained, the Bridal Bridle:

“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (Ja 1:25-27)

James emphasizes three aspects of the bridal garments as the three pillars of the fall moedim:

Controlling the tongue by keeping the waters pure, also a prayer practice
Exercising practical holiness by alleviating the suffering of those in distress, charity
Sealing the fountain with repentance, which aids #1 by not allowing new pollutants to fall in.

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? 

Nor can salt water produce fresh. (Ja 3:5-12)

In a play-on words, James warns against both sins of the tongue and sexual immorality, for the “sealed fountain” is thought to refer sometimes metaphorically to the holy marriage bed, each spouse sealing the fountain from outside persons: husbands sealing their fountains from all but their wives, and wives sealing their cisterns from all but their husbands.

So apart from the easy understanding, which is that our speech should be free of cursing, scorn, and gossip, and we should maintain holy marriage beds, how else can we understand the language of a Hebrew?

“A garden locked is my sister, my bride,

A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.” (So 4:12)

The tongue, as James pointed out, is like a fountain, a spring. Israel is referred to as a

·     Locked garden

·     A locked rock garden

·     A sealed spring

It’s pretty easy to figure out. The Bride of Messiah is being restored to the Garden of Eden. It is a locked garden, protected by cheruvim with fiery swords; it is a locked rock garden, the palace of King Messiah, the representation of the Rock of Ages; it is a sealed [as with a signet] spring, watered by the rivers of Eden sourced from the Upper Garden, flowing from the very Throne of Adonai. It is not approachable in a state of sin, let alone inhabitable.

The first mention of gal/galeed is the heap of stones that witnessed to the uncrossable barrier of the Promised Land to Laban and other idolators who did not repent and make the journey with Jacob’s family:

“’Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me. This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass by this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.’ So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac. Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his kinsmen to the meal; and they ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain. Early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.” (Ge 31:51-55)

It was the last meal Jacob and his family were to have with the Laban, the unrepentant idolator.

Israel is to be a locked garden, a stone of witness. Having preserved her identity, pure speech and marital fidelity in the exile, she returns to the Land of Promise given to Avraham. They set a barrier beyond which neither can cross without Heavenly authorization, a seal of approval from the One Who plants the Garden.

Israel’s wilderness journey was semi-supernatural: garments that didn’t wear out, shoes that didn’t wear out, and daily bread and fresh water. It was their preparation to cross into the realm of the Garden in the Promised Land. Alas, the Golden Calf and the Evil Spies delayed the crossing of the Hebrews, an identity that means those who have crossed over. It weeded out those of impure sexual habits, including idolatry, and those whose tongues had not been purified in the journey. What the Hebrews did retain after they finally finished the journey and crossed over was their Hebrew language.

Their language and the marriage bed were two important “preservatives” of the Hebrews in Egypt. These two practices preserved their recognition and witness of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as forefathers, both through descendancy and language. These two things should characterize Israel as they await the Greater Exodus in the Wilderness of Egypt, the Wilderness of the Peoples (Ezek 20:35-36), which gives them a double exile.

While Egypt was one exile, Babylon took the Jews to another, rooted in the confusion of the languages earlier at Bavel. It occurred because humankind wanted to make a name for themselves, not to build the Name of The Holy One. One. One. Not the many confused names, but ONE. One Word. This is difficult to us, for we suffer in a double exile, slavery in a land of idols as well as a confused world of many blasphemous names.

Through Yeshua, however, Adonai has provided a way even for the non-native Israelite to be identified in the wilderness of exile both through language and descendancy.

·     “Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the Promise.” (Ga 3:29)  We are therefore bound to protect the sanctity of the marriage bed and to shun sexual immorality in our homes, for we are descendants of Avraham by faith.

·     Our pure “Hebrew” speech. Torah.

The Torah is the language we embrace and speak in the “Wilderness of Egypt and the peoples.” While we speak many languages, Adonai is returning us to His pure language, Hebrew. It begins by accepting His whole Word, His true representation, in whatever language we can understand it. This begins our journey back to the pure language. Don’t put more emphasis on learning Hebrew than learning and practicing what it says!

I love learning Hebrew, but in this dual exile of Egyptylon, we must begin with learning Torah in our own language. Along the way, we will pick up different levels of skill. Some will learn words like Shabbat, shalom, todah, and those associated with the feast days. Others will become fluent in Biblical or modern Hebrew. What matters is learning in obeying! This is our one clean, daily source of our pure speech.

Remember, two things will characterize, or unify, the Bride in exile: pure speech and sexual morality.

The Torah is the “language” in exile, but sexual morality must still be practiced as Sarah and Joseph in Egypt. “Do not even eat” with sexually immoral believers because it is conscious idolatry:

“Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.” “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.” (1 Co 5:1-13)

Licentiousness characterizes those who serve the god of this world, not the Holy ONE of Israel. When it is time for the Greater Exodus, those of pure speech and holy vessels will exit their exiles to enter the locked Garden.

Until then, we must lovingly but firmly turn the tables on those who would enter our believing communities practicing sexual immorality. We must not invite them to our Shabbat or feast tables if they know the Word and intentionally transgress it. It is a departure both from pure speech and respect for the Elohim of Avraham, Isaac, and Jacob when such sin is deliberately committed without a desire to repent and taking steps to do so.

We are a heap of stones, a witness to the locked garden.

What if they don’t know? Teach them!

Start with the Big Ten. In the Big Ten, the observance of Shabbat is presented along with not committing adultery. Upon the commandments prohibiting adultery and idolatry, other commandments concerning sexual morality hang. They can be taught in kindness.

And when we address disobedience, we should do so in such a manner that the one being excused from the table feels as if we are on his/her side, pulling for his or her success, confident of a desire to change.

They should feel as though if they make this big decision, we would be the first person they would come to for help and guidance. Our table is open and ready when they return.

We should be a safe place to fall so it is easier for the disobedient brother or sister to learn how to stand as true Hebrews. When a fallen brother or sister returns, that table turns full circle.

…That’s All She Wrote

Have you ever written a book? Or thought you might? It seems like a good idea until you start trying to put the words on the page. Or laptop. Everyone has the material to write a book, but not everyone will take the time to write it.

The truth is that every single human being has written a book, is still in the process of writing it, or will write it when they are born. The biographies of our lives are transcribed in Heaven.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. (Re 20:12)

So there are books of our lives. Why so many? Perhaps we are also judged according to the places our lives intersected other lives in their books. And then there is THE book, The Book of Life. This is the standard by which every life will be judged. It is the Law of the Land and the Law of Heaven. The Word of Adonai.

The things written in the book are the deeds of each individual. What you write is your “name,” or reputation, based on your deeds and attitudes. In Hebrew naming, the name chosen for a child represents the many righteous deeds that the parents hope will characterize his or her biography. The Greek word for “written” is grapho:

Strong’s Definitions

????? gráph?, to “grave”, especially to write; to describe.

Outline of Biblical Usage

I.to write, with reference to the form of the letters

to delineate (or form) letters on a tablet, parchment, paper, or other material
II.to write, with reference to the contents of the writing

to express in written characters
to commit to writing (things not to be forgotten), write down, record
used of those things which stand written in the sacred books (of the OT)
to write to one, i.e. by writing (in a written epistle) to give information, directions

So congratulations, you’re an author!

Your book will be judged by the Author of Life Who wrote THE Book of Life, our instructions. He wrote the basics of life, gave us THE Book, and then breathed life into us so we could start writing.

As we grew and learned His Book, we began to write, first instinctively, then consciously, our book intersecting with thousands, maybe millions, of other biographies. Imagine the size of Abraham and Sarah’s books at this point. What you write can certainly affect the biographies of those who are born after you!

While the Torah instructs us in the precepts, each person may creatively live them, making the biography uniquely his or hers. Imagine how the Father takes joy when we find a beautiful or inspired way to write that precept into our own biography.

When we write such beautiful things in our book, we are beautifying our garments as a Bride-to-be awaiting the arrival of her husband. That’s not nearly as scary as the second resurrection, which is reserved for those who were not gathered into the cloud at the first resurrection.

In our weekly Zoom classes, we have been examining the twenty-four garments of the Bride as listed in Isaiah Three. Although Isaiah is chastising Israel for using those garments for the harlotry of idolatry, the judgment prophesied gives insight into how those twenty-four garments should be used to prepare for the Bridegroom’s coming.

“Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.” (Re 4:4)

Everything is double on Shabbat. Double manna. Double joy. Double peace. Guard and remember. In celebrating Shabbat, the Bride experiences a taste of Heaven on earth, a peaceful millennium and firstborn double portion under the rule of Messiah when “the day that is all Shabbat” is administrated by the twelve tribes of Israel from their assigned gates of New Jerusalem. By putting on the twenty-four garments of the Bride, Israel signifies the “double” principle of the millennial Kingdom of Messiah.

To illustrate the garment preparation for the Kingdom of Messiah, this week we focused on garment Number Twenty-three, gilyonim, or “robes.”

23. robes [gilyonim] [hand mirrors] ?????????? a tablet for writing (as bare); by analogy, a mirror:—glass, roll.

How interesting is it that one garment can connote such different things:

Hand mirrors?

A writing tablet?

A scroll (roll)?

A glass?

Each of these items is reflective. How do we see ourselves? James picks up the mirror-garment as one of the essentials for the Bride, explaining how it works:

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” (Ja 1:22-25)

Each day we write on our scroll, either copying what is written of our life from the tablets of the Torah, or arrogantly writing our own Bible, mixing Babylon and Egypt instead of New Jerusalem into the text of what is written of us in the books of Heaven. Our biography. It is not wrong to be self-conscious if that consciousness is a continuous reflection of whether we are reflecting the beautiful life of the Word in our deeds, which are being transcribed.

The foundations of New Jerusalem are made up of precious stones, just as the Kohen HaGadol ministered with twelve precious stones of judgment representing the tribes of Israel. Judgment will reveal the stones when they are finally subjected to the penetrating Light of the Torah. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhC6iPuh4XM

What may have shined as the most beautiful diamond in this world may be revealed as only a dull, colorless stone. What was perceived as only a semi-precious stone or trinket in this world may be seen for what it is in the Light of judgment when the books are opened: resplendent with Light.

In a recent newsletter, we read:

“Arise, O LORD, confront him, bring him low; deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword, from men with Your hand, O LORD, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your treasure; they are satisfied with children and leave their abundance to their babes. As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.” (Ps 17:13-15)

The psalm highlights the difference between the wicked and those who will be rewarded when they “awake,” or resurrect.

While those who seek the things of the world are satisfied with their reward in this life…in fact, they get a “bellyful” of rewards…a hint to those who serve the serpent and the beast. The serpent, the most cunning beast of the field, falls down and goes “on your belly.” He habitually allows his soul (nefesh): appetite, emotion, desire, and intellect to rule; whereas the Ruach-led Bride-to-be will copy faithfully what is written in the Word. The Ruach guides and disciplines the soul. Feelings are not true, only real.

In the millennium, the full-bellied wicked do not “awake” to the same reward as the one who is clothed in the righteousness of the Word, Yeshua. Only then do the righteous fully inherit because they conformed themselves to the likeness of Elohim and were satisfied from His hand with spiritual riches until their resurrection. They are the Bride of His intimacy in His House, in New Jerusalem.

What reveals and authenticates the Bride at the judgment is the “books.”

“A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, and the books were opened.” (Da 7:10)

At the judgment of the righteous, books full of good deeds will be opened. White garments will dazzle. The joy of eternally continuing in those good deeds makes them open books with eternal sequels from the Book of Life. They can celebrate in rivers of fire that do not burn them, or even singe those twenty-four garments!

What of the potential Bride who persistently writes his or her own bible? Made a name for herself like the ancient ones of Bavel who brought about the confusion of languages? They forgot the judgment of the flood and thought mixing in bricks of disobedience with Heavenly aspiration would be okay. What will she do when the books are opened?

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Pe 4:17-18)

It will too late in this world for that Bride-was-to-be to write anymore obedient life into her biography.

Because that’s all she wrote.

The King’s Authority, Angels, and Demons

Last week, we examined the prophetic value of waving and shaking the lulav:

• With the lulav, we call home the exiles from all directions of the earth to the sukkah. They are called to their Kingdom assignments, their reward, and to further repentance.

• First fruits offerings and those consecrated for service are typically waved

• Is 13:13; Mt 24:29; Mk 13:25; Lk 21:26; Re 6:13 describe how powers and principalities will be shaken out of the way to prepare the way for Messiah’s return and Kingdom.

• When Messiah sets up his Kingdom, the tribes will take the places of the removed “stars,” ruling from the twelve gates of Jerusalem under the King’s authority. (For the full explanation, review Powers and Principalities)

Today, disciples of Yeshua are still commissioned to learn, practice, and rehearse their future Kingdom responsibilities wherever they live among the nations. Learning to walk both in and under authority is something vital to orderliness in our walk today and absolutely vital in serving our now-and-future King in the millennium. Yeshua left us an incredibly valuable teaching on our preparation:

And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment. (Mt 8:5-13)

The text implies the servant was not suffering only from a physical malady, but a demonic oppression, or torment. The centurion frames his discussion on authority as being able to tell a subordinate to come or go, and they have to obey. Even demons are subordinate to the Word, and the centurion recognized Yeshua’s authority to send them away. Our King is the Living Word, not to be argued with by any demonic entity.

This is the authority that was to be invested in Israel as rulers with King Messiah. As they rehearsed their leadership in the wilderness encampment, preparing to replace powers and principalities, so Yeshua dispatched his disciples with instructions to practice healing and casting out demons in his Name, or authority. As with any learning exercise, sometimes they encountered challenges. Some demons didn’t accept their authority to send them back to their own realm. By definition, a demon attached to a human is out of bounds. Out of authorized areas. The question is, does the believer understand the authority to send it back to its assigned space?

And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” (Ac 19:15)

Yeshua taught the disciples that for stubborn cases, prayer and fasting beyond the annual Yom HaKippurim was necessary. Just as some ancient warriors, like Uriah or Jonathan, purified themselves, abstained from marital relations before a battlefield encounter, or made vows, so a little yom kippur is a way of preparing for serious spiritual battle by humbling the soul.

This does not mean that if you are not healed, you are deficient in faith. Even Timothy was often ill. Early believers fell ill and were subject to torture and death, so we prepare, pray, and practice using Yeshua’s authority, but sometimes the answer is no. We walk within the authority of the King, and if He has willed a different outcome, then we can only pray and accept that our ministry is not authorized to override a royal decree, only to appeal that it be somehow mitigated.

Yeshua links the final gathering at the resurrection to calling in the Bride-to-be with the “lulav” principle of Avraham, Isaac, and Jacob who are buried at Hebron, awaiting the resurrection. If you’ll remember from last week, the three myrtle branches of the lulav symbolize the three pairs of patriarchs/matriarchs who are buried at Hebron. Because Hebron was thought to be an entrance back to the Garden of Eden, it was a signal to all their descendants that there will be a resurrection.

Having faith in that central idea of the Word is what characterizes those who will return to the Garden, which hovers just above Jerusalem. In the Jewish tradition, when a righteous person crosses into the Garden after death, he is greeted first by Adam with joy, and then there is a sit-down meal with the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the fathers of our faith. Yeshua said there will be lots of room at that table of believers in him. If they walk in righteousness with him, they will experience a pleasant family reunion while they await the resurrection.

So why did Yeshua connect walking in the authority of the Living Word of Adonai with the resurrection?

Learning to walk in authority and under authority today is our preparation FOR the resurrection. Life is not over then, but just beginning. We need faith skills. We need humility. We need a ministry work ethic. We need to understand what authority we have and don’t have in the Word especially if we must be prepared to judge angels! (1 Co 6:3)