March 2017
Pekudei
Haftarah Reflections 23
Torah portion Exodus 38 : 21 to 40 : 38
Haftarah portion 1 Kings 7 : 51 to 8 : 21
Listen to the Prophets
“So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished ..” But it was empty.
Solomon had put his very best into the work, He had recruited about 200,000 workers to carry out the various tasks required. It had taken about 7 years. All that work brought prosperity … for a lot of people … for a long time. (He also spent another 13 years building a home for himself with a separate place for his Egyptian wife). And so the House of the Lord stood, dominant, resplendent, magnificent, and beautiful, in its place of honour in Jerusalem. The place chosen by God Himself.
Solomon called all the Elders of the people to witness the furnishing of the Temple. The priests, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, and Levites brought the other special furnishings, which had previously adorned the Tabernacle, into the new Temple. It was ready for service. But it was still empty.
The joy of the people was expressed in their sacrificial giving. Everything seemed in order. Sheep and Oxen, countless in number, all without blemish, being brought as an offering to the Lord in the place He Himself had chosen.
The Temple had an outer court, the court of the Gentiles. There was then a barrier (in Scripture called the ‘middle wall of partition’) beyond which only Jews were allowed. Within this space, and up a flight of twelve steps we find the most important building. Before it was the Court of Women, beyond which was the place where gifts and sacrifices were made to the Lord. Then came the Court of the Priests with its great Altar of Sacrifice and the Bronze Laver for the ceremonial washing of the Priests. Then a porch leading to The Holy Place. It contained the Altar of Incense, the Table of Showbread, the Seven Branched Golden Lampstand and a beautiful embroidered curtain. The curtain divided the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, 9 metres x 9 metres and 18 metres high. Here rested the Ark of the Covenant containing the Tablets of stone given by God to Moses about 500 years earlier. What an impressive scene. Try to picture it if you can.
Then see the Priests bringing the Ark into the building, carefully placing the Ark inside the Holy of Holies, reverently backing out, through the curtain, through the Holy Place and into the Court of the Priests. Suddenly, without warning, the Shekinah of God filled the Place.
No longer empty, but filled with the very presence of YHWH ELOHIM.
The Priests were in amazement. They could no longer carry on with their tasks. The whole place was filled with the Glory of God.
What a picture.
The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 3:16 declares that ‘we are the temple of God’. In Ephesians 2 he says that we are ‘being built together for a dwelling place of God’. It may be extremely difficult to see a comparison between that magnificent structure which King Solomon built, and that which we see when we look into a mirror! But, other than shape, size and appearance, there is actually no difference when we look to the purpose for which each was made. On their own, both are empty. It is when the Shekinah of God comes and dwells within them that they become the same.
In our parashah, when the Shekinah of God came into the Temple, ‘the glory of the Lord filled the House’. There was an immediate difference. It showed. The whole character of the place was changed. Everyone could see it, sense it, and experience it. It was an overwhelming, overcoming experience for those who witnessed it.
So here is both the lesson, and the challenge for us. There is actually one significant difference between the Temple of Solomon we have reflected on in our parashah, and the Temple which we are as individuals. In the Temple which we are, the presence of God requires an invitation. In His infinite love towards us, God has given us a choice, a free will if you like. But when God is in that Temple, there will be a difference. His presence will be seen. Others will notice.
What then is the evidence of God’s presence?
Simply put, we enter a different kingdom. We voluntarily move from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Light. We place ourselves under a different authority. As the Apostle Paul said to the Romans, “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law (i.e. the law of sin and death) but under grace.” When the power of sin is broken, we will speak, act, and live differently. If that is not in evidence in our lives, a spiritual check-up would appear to be in order.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Vayak’hel
Haftarah Reflections 22
Torah portion Exodus 35 : 1 to 38 : 20
Haftarah portion 2 Kings 11 : 21 to 12 : 16
Listen to the Prophets
This week we look at some events in the life of King Joash, but we need a bit of background to appreciate what he did.
The infamous Jezebel had a daughter named Athaliah. She is described in 2 Chronicles 24:7 as ‘that wicked woman’, and so she was. During her time of influence she completely corrupted the Temple worship, even selling or donating the holy articles of the Temple to the Baals. When her son, king Ahaziah died, she then arranged to have all the royal heirs (her own grandchildren) killed off. As a result, she ruled in her son’s place. The only woman to be ruler of Judah. However, unbeknown to Athaliah, one of her daughters (or maybe step daughter), the wife of the High Priest Jehoiada managed to save the life of one of the grandchildren, the young, one year old baby Joash. She kept him hidden for about six years in the Temple accommodation. So our parashah begins with the succession to the throne of the seven year old Joash (also called Jehoash). He reigned in Judah for 40 years, and, in his very early years, under the Godly tutelage of Jehoiada.
Judah was ruled by 20 kings. Of those, only 8 are described in the Scriptures as ‘good’ kings. That is ‘they did what was right in the sight of the Lord’. Joash, as a young man, whilst under the instruction of the High Priest Jehoida, was a ‘good’ king.
However, due to the laxity of earlier generations of Israelites, and because earlier kings had not all been ‘good’, there were still many ‘high places’ of worship to Baal which still stood. They had not been destroyed as God had instructed in Deuteronomy 12: 1-4.
One consequence of their laxity was evidenced in the Temple. Joash became aware that the magnificent Temple which Solomon had constructed, had not been properly maintained. It was in a poor state of repair. So Joash instituted a ‘building fund’ out of various gifts and taxes which the people payed into the Temple treasury. (We are not told the specific date, but it is fair to assume that this order was given whilst Joash was still very young and under the influence of Jehoida). Joash became king at age 7, and when he was 30 years old he discovered that the repair work had still not been carried out.
Evidently, the priests were not as honourable as we might have expected them to be. They had taken the money, but used it for their own purposes rather than the purpose for which it was provided to them.
(I sometimes wonder how the many televangelists and megachurch leaders today managed to become so obscenely wealthy!)
Anyway, the income flow to these priests was stopped. At the same time they refused to carry out the repair work. So Jehoida devised a scheme to put a large wooden box near the place where the people entered the Temple to present their offerings. A hole was cut in the top of the box to receive the money gifts, and it was periodically emptied by the king’s scribe and the High Priest and used to pay the artisans directly.
There is a most interesting comment, 2 Kings 12:15, which tells us that there was no requirement for an account from these workmen because they ‘dealt faithfully’. The contrast appears to be that the priests originally tasked with the work had not ‘dealt faithfully’. Great testimony of these workmen.
So that is the story. What is our lesson?
Firstly, this whole episode arose because of the initial laxity by the Israelites in treating God’s instruction with contempt. The laxity at the beginning grew into habit and practice in succeeding generations. From time to time, God raised up men like Joash to call the people to account. Today, God is calling people within the gentile community of believers to remind us that His standards remain. He has not changed. His Torah has not changed. And one future day, that same Torah will be engraved on our heart so that it can no longer be broken, as it has been down through the ages. Have we developed habits and practices which are not biblical?
Secondly, God has not, and will not, give up on His people. His mercy and love cause Him to remain faithful to His covenant promises. Today we are privileged to participate in those promises through faith in Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. God is meticulously fulfilling His plan for mankind. He delights to use us in His service. But if we choose not to participate, or try to cheat, like the priests in our parashah did, God finds a way to get His work done without us. In that case, we are the losers.
There were ‘good’ kings and there were ‘bad’ kings. God used them all to further His plans. He still does today. We have a choice. Moses once asked the people “whoever is on the Lord’s side ... come to me”. The Levites answered the call and God used them in a very special task.
The call may still be heard. There is still much work to be accomplished.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Ki’Tisa
Haftarah Reflections 21
Torah portion Exodus 30 : 11 to 34 : 35
Haftarah portion 1 Kings 18 : 1 - 39
Listen to the Prophets
The Sunday School teacher’s favourite story this week! Well, one of them.
After the death of King Solomon, the nation was divided, the North known as Israel, capital Samaria, and the South known as Judah, capital Jerusalem. There were 19 kings of Israel after Solomon. The Bible describes the whole lot of them as “bad kings”. Not a ‘good’ king amongst them. They did not worship in the appointed place (Jerusalem) and neither did they follow the commandments of Torah. King Ahab was the seventh of these kings, and he reigned for 22 years. The Bible says he was the worst of all. He led the people in the worship of the Baals and the Ashtoreths. His wife was the infamous Jezebel.
Elijah lived at this time, and he had plenty of run-ins with both Jezebel and Ahab. Because Ahab was so deliberate in his wilful denial of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and because he was leading the people in his rebellious worship of ‘strange gods’, Elijah, at God’s direction, pronounced to Ahab that there would be no rain in the land until he, Elijah, commanded rain. Three years later, our parashah this week picks up the story, by which time, the land was in serious drought.
It is evident in the text that Ahab had searched high and low to find Elijah. Had he done so he would undoubtedly ended Elijah’s life. But God had now determined that it was time for the rain to return. So Elijah was told by God to present himself before Ahab and make the announcement that rain was coming. Of course there was much more to happen, but the end result would be the return of the rain.
There are at least a dozen men called Obadiah in our Scriptures. The one mentioned in our text is not the prophet. He was a faithful servant of the Lord who served in Ahab’s court. Evidently, when king Ahab was in his most severe wrath because of Elijah’s pronouncement about the rain, he thrashed about at anyone who might be identified with Elijah. Obadiah made himself responsible for hiding 100 of these men in caves, and he fed them too.
Elijah sought him out and asked him to inform Ahab that he was ready to meet with him. Poor Obadiah was petrified. He thought that Elijah might not show up, and Ahab would take vengeance on him for misinforming him that Elijah was there.
What follows is the famous encounter, on Mount Carmel, with the 400 prophets of Baal. The story is so very well known, most can recall the fine detail! Perhaps less remembered is what happened to Elijah after that amazing demonstration of the power of Almighty God. He warned Ahab that the rain was coming and that he should get in his chariot and get out of there whilst he could. Ahab went home to Jezreel. Elijah, in the meantime, outran the chariot and got there first.
Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, made curses and death threats against Elijah, so much so, that Elijah feared for his own life and ran away. Continue reading into the next chapter to get the end of the story!
Now the lessons for us in this passage.
Comparisons with Elijah would be presumptuous. He is a giant of a man before God. He is one of only two men in the Scriptures who did not see death as we see it. (Enoch was the other).His name is linked with Moses. It was Elijah, with Moses, who stood on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17. It is Elijah who will herald the return of the Lord Yeshua. So with that said, we know that Elijah was a human being, just like we are. He made choices to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and he did so with all his might. He committed himself to do whatever the Lord our God commanded. And, as our parashah today clearly indicates, it was not always easy. In fact, it was downright dangerous and frightening some of the time. But God used him. God blessed him. God took care of him.
Some words spoken to Solomon come to mind.
"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9
Few are called upon to acts of heroism and valour, as was Elijah, but there are many other instances of service used in the Lord’s Name. Dare I say it. The only thing the Lord seeks in us is that “loyal heart and willing mind”. He will do the rest according to His mighty power and His perfect plan.
Ask Him and He will show you what to do.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Tetzaveh
Haftarah Reflections 20
Torah portion Exodus 27 : 20 to 30 : 10
Haftarah portion Ezekiel 43 : 10 - 27
Listen to the Prophets
Of all the matters God entrusted to Ezekiel, this prophetic vision and announcement about the building of a Temple is one of the most significant. But it is also the cause of some debate amongst theologians, because it is about a Temple which, even in our day, has not been built. Ezekiel’s vision of this Temple is remarkable. He spends about one fifth of his prophetic pronouncements on this topic.
Ezekiel was in Babylonian captivity as he wrote this prophecy. Earlier, in Ezekiel 33, we were told that Ezekiel was made aware of the destruction of Jerusalem. This would surely have been devastating news to all those who were in captivity. It marked, for them a kind of finality to their life in the Land of promise. The Temple was the place of residence of YHWH Elohim. The Temple was the very centre of their society. It was the ‘rock’ on which their nationhood was built. And now it was gone.
In spite of the importance of their Temple, as a people they had not valued, as they should, the ordinances, precepts and commandments which had clearly been conveyed to them as a pre-requisite of occupation of the Land. So they found themselves languishing in Babylon. Tragic.
God’s instruction to Ezekiel, to describe the Temple to the people, was designed to make the Israelites ashamed that they had put such little value on it. Moreover, Ezekiel was told to describe the plan of the Temple in some detail. Minute detail about its design and the ordinances which were to take place within it, that they should never forget them.
But as we read these details, and compare them to the details of the Tabernacle furniture which God gave to Moses in Exodus 27, which Solomon would have used in the building of the Temple, now destroyed, we find subtle differences. It is in these differences that we see that what God is describing is a Temple which, as yet, has not been built.
So here is the lesson for us.
If the Temple which Ezekiel describes has not yet been built, that can mean only one of two things. The first is that Ezekiel got it wrong! That he spoke presumptuously. And if that is the case, the Scriptures tell us to disregard everything he says. Or in the language of the Bible “do not fear him”. The second meaning is that Ezekiel got it right. Which is what I believe. That being the case, it is awaiting the right time for its construction.
This provides a huge dilemma for those who teach that the covenant which God made with Moses is obsolete. Because with that, also go the ordinances which took place in the Temple, and which are described great in detail in this vision of Ezekiel. So, if Temple worship was relevant in Moses day and after it, up to about 40 years after the death and resurrection of Yeshua. And will be restored in the future, according to this prophecy of Ezekiel, we need to be cautious about our attitude to the Mosaic covenant.
Some will say “hold on a minute”. The Temple was partially restored when Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah returned to Israel about 40 years after this prophecy. Josephus Flavius also informs us that it was enlarged, on a grand scale, by Herod the Great, a few hundred years later still. All that is true. But Ezekiel also tells us (Ezekiel 36:24) that these events will take place when the Jews return from their exile “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land”. That is not just from Babylon. And this event has only happened on any scale at all in the last 100 years, and is gathering pace in our day. So the Temple of which Ezekiel writes is still unbuilt. But it will be.
But the really good news is in the effect of this prophecy on the captives in Babylon. From utter despair at their plight in Babylon, God restores their hope. The descriptions are familiar to them. This is how they were taught to ‘draw near’ to YHWH Elohim. By offering sacrifices to Him. Ezekiel’s prophetic writing says that it is to be renewed, and everything here points to that being in the millennial reign of Yeshua.
There is an enormous challenge to the gentile believer in this parashah. Could it be possible that the sacrificial system is to be restored? Haven’t we been taught that the sacrificial death of Yeshua is final? Well, unlikely as it may seem, that is exactly what Ezekiel is saying.
At this point I need to make a declaration. I did not write this parashah. I am a reader of it, just like everyone else, and I ‘reflect’ upon it.
Finally, for me, the important message is this. Regardless of what I may think, God is God. He is the ultimate authority, and He will choose how He is to be worshipped and praised. My role is to be obedient to Him, in all the circumstances of the future.
On that happy note, we conclude this very challenging parashah.
Ponder, study, reflect, and obey. You will receive truth and blessing.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Terumah
Haftarah Reflections 19
Torah portion Exodus 25 : 1 to 27 : 19
Haftarah portion 1 Kings 5 : 12 to 6 : 13
Listen to the Prophets
King Solomon builds the temple of the Lord. That bald statement does not do justice to the effort made by the tens of thousands of people who were involved.
As our parashah opens, it looks as though King Solomon was the inventor of the ‘fly in fly out’ workforce we see in our large remote mining towns in Australia today. Ten thousand workers at a time, one month away in a foreign country, then two months back home. A staggering organizational task. Thirty thousand workers involved in that part of the programme. Plus another eighty thousand quarrymen, and seventy thousand labourers. Amazing.
Those who have visited Jerusalem and walked through the excavated tunnel adjacent to the Kotel, and have seen the size of those foundation blocks of stone, (1 Kings 5:17) would agree that they are in themselves quite remarkable. Taking into account that they were quarried about three thousand years ago makes it even more so.
The parashah then describes some measurement detail of the building, another most important element of its design and construction. And it is not until we get to the very end of our reading that we find out the reason for this meticulous description.
It is repetitive of many other instances we have seen in our weekly ‘reflections’.
“Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgements, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”
It was to be the place where God would dwell amongst the people. A ready place of earthly identity for them. But we should also note that God is careful to declare the conditions attached to His statement.
Firstly, He undertakes to perform with Solomon, the covenant promises He made with his father David. It is a promise to continue that covenant. And secondly, it affirmed His covenants made with Abraham and Moses, to dwell among them and not forsake them.
The condition:-“if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgements, keep all My commandments, and walk in them”.
Now to the extent that the Scriptures are given to us as an example and as an illumination of God’s ways, it is vital that we discern to what extent these conditions, which are repeated over and over again in the Hebrew Scriptures, from our God who declares Himself to be unchanging (Malachi 3:6), apply to us today.
Some may quickly remind us that our parashah was set in the days of the “old covenant’ and today we live under the “new covenant”. But as I read the terms of the “new covenant” (Jeremiah 31 and Hebrew 8) I cannot see any distinction between the two in terms of God’s Torah, other than the fact that the “new covenant” says that whereas the “old covenant’ was breakable, the “new covenant” is not. Read it carefully and honestly.
So the lesson for me in this parashah is this. God is clearly intent on bringing lasting blessing to His people. We are as much His people as the Israelites of old when we express our faith in the atoning death and resurrection of Yeshua. We are part of His kingdom. He is our King. The King has clearly laid out His instructions for holy and righteous living. His requirement is that we “walk in His ways”. So where is the problem?
Part of our problem lies in the very words used to describe the Scriptures as a ‘divided’ Old Testament, with connotations of antiquity and obsolescence, and New Testament, with connotations of modernity and freshness, even replacement.
If we see the whole Bible as the revealed Word of Almighty God, if we take literally the words of the Apostle John, that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. If we see Yeshua, not only as carrying a wooden cross up the hill at Calvary, but also on the mountain communicating His word, His instructions, to Moses. Only then, will we see the ‘reasonable service’ (Romans 12:1) which God requires of us, as His followers, today.
Shabbat Shalom
RS