Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 7/29 through 8/4/12

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Genesis 28–34; Song of Songs 7–8 (also called Song of Solomon, Canticles, or Shir HaShirim); Ruth 1–4; Lamentations 1–5; Ecclesiastes 1–4; and Psalms 119:73–121:8

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. The full year’s Bible Reading Schedule can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.”

If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.

 

Psalm 119 — “O How Love I Thy Torah!”

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If you were to open your King James Bible (or any other similar Bible, e.g., NAS, NIV, NKJV, etc.) to the exact middle, where would you land? Somewhere in the Book of Psalms at or near Psalm 119. Actually, by chapters, either Psalm 117 or 118 is the exact center of the Bible—so Psalm 119 isn’t too far off.

Interestingly, Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible with only two verses, while Psalm 119 is the longest. In this chapter, David exuberantly declares that all people everywhere should be praising YHVH because of his merciful kindness (or his grace) toward us, and for his truth (i.e., his Word or Torah, which is the biblical definition for truth, see Ps 119:142,151).

David playing a harp

The mercy of YHVH and having faith in him is the theme of the first part of Psalm 118. The latter half of the chapter goes on to teach about the salvation of YHVH, and many understand this to be a messianic prophecy pointing to Yeshua, our heaven-sent Savior and Redeemer, who is the Living Torah–Word (John 1:1,14).

Then we come to Psalm 119, which, for 176 verses divided into 22 sections (one for each of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet), extols the supreme and inimitable virtues of the Word of Elohim (i.e., the Torah). David treats the Torah as if he were a jeweler who, after discovering the world’s rarest, largest and most beautiful diamond, carefully and in awe scrutinizes its every facet and all of its unique qualities, and then expresses his unspeakable delight over its supreme virtues. Continue reading →

 

Isaac and Rebekah: Yeshua and Us (Pt 2)

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The story of Isaac and Rebekah coming together in marriage is amazingly prophetic of Yeshua and his end-times spiritual bride — the saints of redeemed Israel. Here is the story as it unfolds in the pages of your Bible and recorded hundreds of years before the birth of Yeshua the Messiah!

Genesis 24:54, Elizar wanted to leave Babylon immediately with Rebekah and return to Abraham. This is prophetic of YHVH’s plea to his end-time people to come out of Babylon the Great (Rev 18:4) — a last days religious, economic and political system that represents all that is evil and contrary to the Word, will and ways of YHVH-Elohim and Yeshua his Son.

Genesis 24:55, Although Elizar and Rebekah wanted to leave her father’s house in Babylon, her family was not willing to let go of her, but insisted that she remain with them in Babylon. In the end times, some believers will heed YHVH’s call to come out of Babylon the Great, while others will be reluctant to leave succumbing rather to the alurements of Babylon to stay “in her” (see Rev 18:3 cp. 2 Thess 2:1–12 with emphasis on verse 10–12).

Genesis 24:58, Rebekah was a woman of faith and was willing to immediately leave her home in Babylon to marry Isaac in Canaan, whom she had never seen. Those saints who wish to be the bride of Yeshua must be willing to leave the spiritual defilement of modern Babylon and to follow the Lamb wherever he goes, even though they have never literally seen him (Rev 14:4).

Genesis 24:62, The very next time we see Isaac after the Akeidah is in verse 62 where he is meditating, supplicating and praying at the well of Lachairoi, which means, “well of the living one seeing me.” This is a prophetic picture of Yeshua the Son, in heaven awaiting his return to earth after his resurrection. There in the Presence of his Father, the Living One who sees him, and whose throne is the well or source of the river of life, Yeshua is making intercession for the saints who are his bride to be (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25).

Genesis 24:64, Rebekah arrives from Babylon on a camel — a semi-kosher animal, which chews its cud, but does not have a completely split hoof (Deut 14:7). This animal is emblematic of Babylon — a word that means “mixture” of good and evil. This alludes to the fact that the bride of Yeshua who comes out of spiritual Babylon (Rev 18:4), like the animal Rebekah was riding, will not be a perfectly “kosher” or righteous or a Torah-obedient bride, but will be a mixture of good and evil. This also points to the grace of Elohim who loves us and accepts us as his Son’s bride, even though we are still worldly and carnal.

Now let’s look at this spiritual picture from a slightly different angle. Elizar is a prophetic picture of the Spirit of Elohim finding and preparing a bride for Isaac (a picture of Yeshua). Rebekah answers the call of the Spirit, leaves Babylon, and with her come the ten camels picturing the ten tribes of Israel, which she is responsible for feeding and bringing out of Babylon. It is our role as redeemed Torah-obedient Israelites who have faith in Yeshua to share the truth of the Torah with as many of our Christian brethren as possible who are still caught up in many non-biblical and even pagan religious traditions. As we give them water (i.e., the Word of Elohim) from the wells of salvation (i.e, Yeshua who is both the Written Torah and the Living Torah, i.e, the Word of Elohim that was made flesh, see John 1:1, 14), they will want to come out of spiritual Babylon (Rev 18:4) and return to the Promised Land of the Hebraic roots of their faith. This fulfills Malachi’s end-times prophecy about the hearts of the children being turned back to their fathers (Mal 3:6).

Genesis 24:65,When Rebekah arrives in the Promised Land, Isaac comes out to meet her, his bride, who had just come from Babylon. This is a prophetic picture of Yeshua coming from heaven to meet his spiritual bride in the air at the resurrection of the saints (1 Cor 15:51–53; 2 Thess 4:13–18; Rev 11:14–18). Meanwhile, Rebekah covered herself with a veil. This prophetically points to the saints of Yeshua who receive their glorified bodies at the resurrection at his second coming. It also is a picture of the New Jerusalem descending upon the bride of Yeshua like a glorious spiritual bridal gown when (or after) Yeshua returns (Rev 21:2).

Genesis 24:67, Upon meeting, Isaac immediately takes Rebekah to his tent to consummate the marriage. This prophetically speaks of the marriage supper of the Lamb where Yeshua and his bride become one, which occurs during the Millennium (Rev 19:7–9).

 

Isaac and Rebekah: Yeshua and Us (pt 1)

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The story of Isaac and Rebekah coming together in marriage is amazingly prophetic of Yeshua and his end-times spiritual bride — the saints of redeemed Israel. Here is the story as it unfolds in the pages of your Bible and recorded hundreds of years before the birth of Yeshua the Messiah!

There are many prophetic spiritual types and shadows to be found in the Torah that point forward prophetically to Yeshua the Messiah. A series of events in Isaac’s life beginning in Genesis 22 and culminating in chapter 24 provide us with some amazing antetypical glimpses into events that would surround the life of Yeshua the Messiah some 1800 years later.

For example, in Genesis 22 we find the Akeidah or binding of Isaac on Mount Moriah is a prophetic shadow-picture of Yeshua’s crucifixion on the altar of the cross. But note the conclusion of this incident in verse 19. There we see that Abraham returns to his young men with no mention made of Isaac being with him. Where was Isaac? Obviously, he was accompanying his father, however the Scriptures fail to mention this. Interestingly, according to Jewish folklore, Isaac was actually killed, but that he was later resurrected. This further strengthens the assertion we have made that the Akeidah was a prophetic picture of the substitutionary death and resurrection of Yeshua at the cross. If Isaac was an antetype of Yeshua, then logically, Abraham would be a type of Elohim the Father. So for illustrative purposes, let’s assume that Isaac’s absence is a picture of Yeshua’s crucifixion and, thus following this scenario, when does Isaac (or Yeshua) next appear on the scene? A wonderful story is about to unfold from the pages of the Bible as we answer this question!

Genesis 24:1, After the death of Sarah, Abraham’s first order of business is to find a wife for Isaac. Similarly, after Yeshua was resurrected from the dead he returned to heaven where his Father began to prepare a spiritual bride for him, which are the saints of redeemed Israel (read 2 Cor 11:2; Rev 19:7–9).

Genesis 24:2ff, Who did Abraham employ to procure for his son a bride? It was Elizar (or Eliezar), his eldest and most trusted servant. In Hebrew, Eliezar means “El (God) is my helper.” Who is the Chief Servant, if you will, of the Father in heaven who is presently searching for and preparing a bride for Yeshua his Son? It is the Set-Apart (Holy) Spirit of Elohim who the Scriptures call the Comforter or Helper (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7).

Genesis 24:10, Elizar went to Babylon to find a bride for Isaac. In the last days, where is YHVH calling his people out of in order to prepare them to be the bride of Yeshua? (See Rev 18:2, 4.)  Continue reading →

 

The Vision of the Smoking Furnace and YOU!

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A Vision of the New Covenant

In Genesis 15:17–18fp, we read,

And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day YHVH made a covenant with Abram …

What is the meaning of this? This is nothing other than YHVH giving Abraham a prophetic vision of Yeshua the Redeemer of Israel dying on the cross paying for the sins of Abraham’s descendants who would break that very covenant that YHVH made with Abraham on that day. Both Jewish and Christian biblical commentators recognize aspects of this truth.

Let’s first establish that YHVH passed through the pieces of sacrificed animal. Rashi, the medieval Jewish Torah scholar, recognizes that the Divine Presence was the one who passed through the pieces of animal while Abraham slept (Rashi’s commentary on Gen 15:10). Furthermore, the ArtScroll Tanach Series Bereishis/Genesis Commentary, vol 1a, states, “The smoke [which rose up into the thick darkness (Radak)] was the ‘Cloud and thick darkness’ which appeared at the revelation of the Torah and the torch in its midst was ‘the fire’ which appeared at Sinai [see Exod 19:18; Deut 5:4]”…. [Elohim] caused His Presence, symbolized by the fire, to pass through and conclude the Covenant.… [T]he culmination of this vision was that the fire consumed the pieces, causing their smoke to ascend to heaven…” (p. 534–535). Christian commentators Keil and Delitzsch in their commentary on this passage state, “In this symbol [i.e., the smoking pot and the fiery torch], Jehovah manifested Himself to Abram, just as He afterwards did to the people of Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire” (Hendrickson, p. 138). So both notable Jewish and Christian scholars relate the smoke and the fire Abraham saw pass between the pieces of meat to YHVH’s Presence in the cloud and pillar of fire that led Israel in the wilderness. We read in Exodus 13:21,

And YHVH went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.

Then in Exodus 14:19 it is written:

And the angel of Elohim, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them.

Who is this “Angel” of Elohim (in other places: he is called “the Angel” of YHVH)? Angel is an unfortunate translation. The Hebrew word for angel is malak (מלאך) and simply means a heavenly or a human messenger. Prophetically this word can refer to human messengers such as the one coming in the spirit of Elijah prior to Messiah’s coming, as well as to the Messiah himself (“Messenger/Malak of the covenant” in Malachi 3:1). In Genesis  32:22–30, Jacob wrestles with a man the Scriptures identify as the Malak of YHVH (Hos 12:3–5) and whom Jacob called Elohim (verse 30). This same Individual redeemed Jacob (Gen 48:18) and is identified with the Malak of Elohim … the Elohim of Bethel (Gen 31:11 and 13), and appeared to Moses at the burning bush (Exod 3:2). Now this same Entity is leading Israel in the wilderness. Again who is he? Stephen in Acts 7:37-39 identifies the Messiah (i.e. “that Prophet” Moses mentioned in Deut 18:15) with the “Angel” or Heavenly Messenger which spoke to the children of Israel from Mount Sinai and who gave them the “living oracles,” who the Israelites later rejected for pagan gods. Paul elsewhere said of that same Personage that the Israelites did “all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Messiah” (1 Cor 10:4).

Of that pillar of fire that led them, we see that it gave them light, we know that light, in the Scriptures, is synonymous with YHVH’s Torah (e.g., Prov 6:23). Additionally, we know that Yeshua the Messiah is the Light of the World — the Word of Elohim in living form (personified) (John 1:1–14).

So, the pre-incarnate Yeshua, in passing through the pieces of meat, ratified the Abrahamic Covenant. He accepted the offering as it went up to heaven in a cloud of smoke even as fire came forth from the same cloud in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and the same pre-incarnate Yeshua accepted the first sacrifice on the Altar of Sacrifice (Lev 9:24, see also Judges 6:20–21; 13:19–20).

But there is more.  Continue reading →

 

Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 7/22 through 7/28/2012

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Genesis 21–27; Job 35–42; Song of Songs 1–6 (also called Song of Solomon, Canticles, or Shir HaShirim); and Psalms 115–119:72

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. The full year’s Bible Reading Schedule can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.”

If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.

 

Paul and the Abrahamic Covenant

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Paul: The Abrahamic Covenant Shows Us the Way of Salvation

In the Abrahamic Covenant, we see the pattern of how a believer receives salvation from YHVH. Let’s allow the Apostle Paul to walk us through the Abrahamic Covenant and explain the salvific aspects of it.

Image of Paul writing the New Testament

In Romans 4, Paul correlates the faith Abraham had in YHVH with that which the redeemed believer must have in Yeshua. Abraham had faith in YHVH, who was Yeshua in his preincarnate state (1 Cor 10:4), even as one now, in order to be made righteous (i.e., obtain right-standing before YHVH) must have faith in the resurrected Yeshua. The Abrahamic Covenant shows us how to obtain initial righteousness or right-standing before YHVH. Abraham’s faith was imputed to him for righteousness (Gen 15:6; Rom 4:3, 22; Jas 2:23).

Another way to say this, according to Paul, is, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom YHVH will not impute sin [i.e., YHVH grants them salvation]” (Rom  4:7–8). Sin is the transgression of YHVH’s Torah-law (1 John 3:4). The wages of sin is death (Rom 7:23). Therefore, according to Paul, the Abrahamic Covenant shows us how to be saved from the wages of sin, which is death, and how to obtain right-standing before YHVH or enter into covenantal relationship with him.

Paul cites David as one who understood the salvific or redemptive implications of the Abrahamic Covenant (Rom 4:6). As a result, Abraham has become the father of the faithful or “the father of us all” (Rom 4:16).

Paul goes on to say in Romans 5 that being justified to Elohim (the Father) by Yeshua’s (the Son’s) blood, we are no longer Elohim’s enemies (because of the sins we have committed against him, which have separated us from him), and we shall be saved from his eventual wrath or judgment against sin. As a result, Yeshua’s death and subsequent resurrection brings us peace or reconciliation with Elohim, joy in this world and eternal life in the world to come (Romans 5:1, 9-11).

This is the same teaching Paul brings to the Believers in Galatia where he reiterates what he said in Romans  4:3 (both the letters of Romans and Galatians were written about the same time: A.D. 55-56). In Galatians  3:6 (as we have already noted), Paul states that, “Abraham believed YHVH and it was counted to him for righteousness.” In the next verse, Paul states that those who have faith as Abraham did are not only the children of Abraham, but that they are also the true children of YHVH (also Rom 9:8, 11).

Paul then goes on to state that this truth is the basis of the gospel message; that is, salvation is by faith in YHVH. This message, the basic salvific or redemptive message of the Abrahamic Covenant, is the same gospel message the Testimony of Yeshua teaches. Paul states that this same gospel message was preached beforehand to Abraham that in him all nations (through Yeshua, Abraham’s Seed) would be blessed (Gal 3:8). Continue reading →