April 2019
Torah Reflections Pesach
Torah Reflections “Pesach 2”
Torah portion Exodus 13 : 17 - 15 : 26
Haftarah portion Numbers 28 : 16 – 25
The Torah of YHWH given to Moses
We come to the last day of the celebration and remembrance of “Pesach”.
The parashah narrative begins with the statement of fact that the Pharoah had finally agreed to “let the people go”. It continues with the story of the journey of escape from Egypt, and the drowning of the pursuing Egyptian army, and it ends with the provision of “sweet water” to drink out of the bitter waters of Marah. A fascinating story.
These events are well known. Even non-Christian sceptics are familiar with the story, so we do not need to re-visit the detail. But we need to find the lessons for ourselves as the story unfolds.
Last week we focussed on the prophetic significance of the whole season of the three Pesach festivals. This week we learn of the detail of the way the event unfolded for them in practical terms. In fact, as we arrive at the very end of the “Feast of Unleavened Bread” in our study this week, we see the hand of Almighty God, and a picture of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach in this parashah.
We could look at the provision of food, which rained down from Heaven each night, sufficient to satisfy each family for the whole day ahead. And that which was not eaten that day rotted before the next day! It was to be gathered and eaten FRESH each day (Miraculously, the same food lasted TWO days when the weekly Shabbat came around).
The Apostle John, in Chapter 6 from verse 32, records the words of Yeshua when He described Himself as “the Bread of Life”. He goes further by relating the “bread from Heaven” in Moses time with Himself.
“Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
It is not going too far to equate the Israelites need for a daily gathering of that bread, with our need today for a ‘daily gathering’ of the bread which Yeshua is. He taught us to pray ‘give us this day our daily bread’. I believe that this phrase has both a literal and a spiritual meaning. We need to gather our ‘bread’ DAILY, just as those Israelites did in our parashah.
We could look at the provision of water. Moses was told to strike the rock, out of which poured an abundance of clean fresh, life-giving water. Our beloved Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Corinth used a most interesting description of this water.
“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ”
1 Corinthians 10 : 1- 4.
Paul is suggesting here that the miracle of the provision of water from the Rock extended to that Rock actually following them around!! The plain sense of this is that it was Yeshua Himself, there with the Israelites on their journeying’s in the wilderness who sustained them with life giving water. On another occasion, when Yeshau was attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, at the time of the water libationCeremony in the Temple He said:-
“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."”
John 7 : 37,38
So then, as the “mo’ed” of Pesach concludes for another year, we remind ourselves that the Passover Seder which starts the celebration of this season always ends with the participants saying “Next Year in Jerusalem”. An anticipatory statement about the coming of Messiah. So we who are believers in Yeshau, can see the way in which this “appointed time” of Pesach not only speaks of Yeshau perfectly fulfilling His role as the ‘Lamb that was slain’, but also throughout the whole parashah we have reminders of His role in our lives as the sustainer of our life
For the believer, without Him there is no hope of life. With Him we have abundant life …. IF we choose to access it. Praise be to Him.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Brit Hadashah Reflections
Brit Hadashah Reflections 30
Hebraic understanding of the Apostolic letters
Philippi was a major city of Macedonia. Read Acts 16 for interesting detail about Paul’s first visit there. There is no mention of a synagogue in Philippi so Sabbath prayer was made at a riverside location and it was attended by some prominent local ladies. The letter was most likely written about 62 C.E., early in Paul’s Rome imprisonment to thank the “ekklesia” for their help and generous support. The central theme of the letter is the preservation of unity in the “ekklesia” through Christ alone.
Paul’s first recorded visit to Philippi was as a result of a vision he had in Troas. The Holy Spirit having prevented him from following his original plan to visit “Asia”. That was about the year 50 C.E. It is possible, but not recorded, that he visited them again on his third missionary trip in about 55 C.E.,on his way through Macedonia to Greece. Three months later, on his way back, he spent Pesach with this “ekklesia”, a mostly Gentile congregation. It seems that there were not enough Jewish men there to form a minion for a synagogue! So he would have had a good knowledge of the people in this “ekklesia”. He opens his letter encouragingly with “I thank my God for every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you with all joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach.” That would surely put them in a good frame of mind to read the rest of the letter!
We see a little later in this letter that he was prompted to write by the arrival of Epaphroditus, one of the Philippi congregants, bearing some gifts for him in his imprisonment. This thoughtfulness had a profound impact on Paul and His prayer expressed the hope that they would (continue to) have wisdom, knowledge and discernment to see those thing which are excellent, so that they would all exhibit the ‘fruits of righteousness’, which, said Paul, came through an intimate knowledge of Christ our Saviour. In their gift to him he could see their behavioural outworking of love and concern. It is a prayer that we could very easily appropriate for ourselves isn’t it? We note that one of the principal aims of Torah living, alongside “loving God with all your heart”, is to care for those who are in need. Yeshua described it (quoting Leviticus 19:18) as “loving your neighbour as yourself.” These Philippians evidently practised what they believed.
Paul then assured these Philippian benefactors that in spite of his personal discomfort of imprisonment, God was using that to embolden others to speak up, bringing salvation, even to his captors. Some others however, were intent on attempting to enrich themselves at Paul’s expense by pretending to be bearers of the “good news”. But even that brought joy to Paul, because some were hearing the word from these frauds and were still coming to faith! And friends, that situation still exists today. Praise God. Paul confessed that he had a problem. “For me to live is Christ” he said, “but to die is gain.” He clarified that by saying that for him, dying and being with the Lord was desirable because it would free him of further trouble in this life, but to continue in this life would afford him more opportunity to be of service to the Lord here, and that thought brought him great joy.
As he sought to encourage them, he exhorted them to unity of spirit, in love, caring for each other. His words should be embedded in the heart of every believer. “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” What would our “ekklesia” be like if everyone had such an attitude? What would our nation be like if everyone adopted Paul’s exhortation? What would our world be like? Well the good news is that it’s coming. It will be just like that one day when everyone lives under the New Covenant. When God’s Torah is written on our hearts and put in our minds. When King Yeshua reigns in Jerusalem. And it may well be sooner than we think.
Paul used the unusual metaphor of “being poured out as a drink offering” in describing his life’s work. There was always a water libation associated with the Jewish sacrificial system, which came at the conclusion of the ceremony. We are apt to forget that at the time of Paul’s writing the Temple had not been destroyed and the sacrificial offerings were still being made in Jerusalem daily! Maybe Paul thought that he was nearing the end of his life (he actually lived another 6 or 7 years) and his service was concluding. So he promised to send his highly esteemed fellow worker, Timothy, as his emissary, to share in ministry with them. But he is also dispatching Epaphroditus, the one who had brought gifts from Philippi, not because he had failed in his task, but because the poor man had been terribly sick and was concerned that the “ekklesia” would be concerned about him. This is quite typical of the personal nature of this Epistle. It is warmly and compassionately written, showing his high esteem for this “ekklesia”. And there is more to come.
Shabbat Shalom.
RS
Torah Reflections Pesach
Torah Reflections “Pesach 1”
Torah portion Exodus 12 : 21 - 51 Numbers 28 : 16-25
Haftarah portion Joshua 5 : 2 to 6 : 1
Listen to the Prophets
The regular sequence of Torah readings is interrupted this week because of the “mo’ed” of Pesach.
Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16 have the commandments about annual observances of the “mo’edim”. (The Hebrew word for “appointed times”, which in turn is usually translated into English as “feasts”). These are times when God specified He would meet with His chosen ones.
Today, they are most often referred to as “Jewish Feasts”. That correctly describes the fact that they are observances remembered by Jews. But it is an incorrect understanding of the Scriptures.
When God gave these instructions to Moses, He carefully worded these ‘appointed times’ (mo’edim) as MY ‘mo’edim’. They may be characterized as times when God says, in effect, “I will be there to meet with you on these specific occasions”. Those who choose not to attend miss an opportunity of blessing through meeting with Him at His invitation.
This festival, known as “Pesach” (Passover), embraces THREE festivals in a period of eight days. The first of these remembers the actual day in history (the 14th day of the first month, Nisan) when the Israelites experienced the ‘salvation’ of the firstborn in their families by placing the blood of the Pesach Lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their houses in Egypt. The Lord ‘passed over’ their houses when He saw the blood.
It also is the exact Hebrew calendar date of the crucifixion of Yeshua. The Christian celebration of Easter (replacing Passover) was formalized at the Council of Nicea in the days of the Emperor Constantine of Rome. It signalled the official separation of the “church” from its Hebrew roots. (In my view one of Satan’s major victories over mankind).
The second remembrance is known as the “Feast of Unleavened Bread” which occurs on the very next day, Nisan 15. (It is a High Sabbath), and it lasts seven days, and begins and ends with a special Sabbath, Note that there are always three Sabbaths during this Pesach festival. The “High Sabbath” which marks the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, (and the Sabbath which marks the end of the festival, PLUS the normal weekly Sabbath). It is this “High Sabbath” which is the Sabbath mentioned in John 19:31 before which the Jews were anxious to confine Yeshua’s body to the grave. Then the ‘normal’ weekly Sabbath occurred immediately prior to the resurrection of Yeshua. This confirms the statement of Yeshua in Luke 11:29 (as well as in Matthew and Mark) when asked for a sign. Read it. The complete lack of understanding of this fact has caused conventional church teaching to major on an incorrect “Good Friday” crucifixion story !
Unleavened Bread is eaten during the whole eight day period of the Pesach remembrance. To Jews it is a remembrance of the fact that they ate unleavened bread,(as commanded in Exodus 12:18) as they fled from Egypt on the night of Passover. Leaven is a symbol of SIN, so to believers, the Unleavened Bread also represents the sinless body of the Messiah which was buried in the grave for three days and three nights.
The third festival in this Pesach season is the “Feast of Firstfruits”. It occurs on the day AFTER the weekly Sabbath in Pesach week. (Always a SUNDAY). It signified the beginning of the Barley Harvest and was celebrated by a priest waving an ‘omer’ (a measure) of Barley in the temple in Yeshua’s day. But it was also the day on which Yeshua was resurrected from the grave. Believers refer to it as Resurrection Sunday. (but in association with Easter rather than Passover!) It signifies that Yeshua became the “Firstfruits from the dead”. (see 1 Corinthians15:23).
We should be grateful that churches worldwide (all varieties) remember the death and resurrection of Yeshua. And that they do so sincerely. But more and more, many people are realizing that our roots are inextricably founded in Judaism and the Lord’s “mo’edim” (appointed times). Those that do then focus more on Passover than Easter.
In addition to your own church fellowship, this year, take the trouble to find a fellowship of believers who celebrate Passover, and join them in that celebration. You will be enlightened, blessed and immeasurably enriched as you do.
Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday)
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Brit Hadashah Reflections
Brit Hadashah Reflections 29
Hebraic understanding of the Apostolic letters
Ephesus is probably the most visited Biblical site outside of Israel. It was an important sea port and commercial centre on the Eastern coast of Turkey which was thought to be home to about ¼ million people at one time. Also an important cultural centre containing Greek and Roman antiquities. Paul wrote this letter from Rome about 5 years before his death. He left Timothy there to shepherd the young “ekklesia” whilst he continued his missionary travels. Ephesus has the distinction of being addressed by the Lord Himself in the letter He dictated to John (Rev 2: 11-17). It is largely a letter of encouragement and intended for all nearby local “ekklesia”.
Paul continued his exhortation to the Ephesus “ekklesia” to act out their own part in their faith walk. “Be imitators of God .. walk in love .. get rid of all the filth in your life.” Do not be deceived by empty words because the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience! You have embarked upon serious business with God. “Walk as children of light.” All this advice and counsel is as relevant to us today as it was when Paul first wrote to the “ekklesia” in Ephesus almost 2000 years ago. Learn that there is a big difference between ‘free salvation’ and ‘no obligation salvation’. The Lord God Almighty has always expected those who are His to live in obedient accord with His standards. It’s called ‘righteous living’. And in our text today Paul is at some pains to spell that out loud and clear. He goes further, “and have NO fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them”, he says. That’s direct isn’t it?
You see, Paul is writing a pastoral letter. He is concerned for these people. It’s the type of life-giving message God gave him to preach. What sort of message do you get in your “ekklesia”? Is it a message of concern for your spiritual welfare? Or is it a ‘feel-good’ warm and fuzzy tickle? Paul gets quite personal as he continues. “Wives submit to your own husband, as to the Lord.” Now he couldn’t be more direct could he? He also had a word for husbands. “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the “ekklesia” and gave Himself for her.” What kind of love was that husbands? Even with ALL our blemishes Christ gave Himself up to be crucified on a Roman cross! Did He ask that we love Him and be obedient to Him first? NO. His loving sacrificial death was unconditional. IT is my view that such unconditional love is so special that it is worthy of our obedience. And I think that is at the heart of Paul’s exhortation to the married couple. A little later Paul described the marriage relationship as a great mystery, as is Christ’s relationship to His “ekklesia”. But Paul never did get married because for him it would have been a distraction from his service to the Lord.
Children and bond-servants are also in Paul’s sight, as are those who are masters of servants, as he continued to exhort this “ekklesia” to pursue perfection and unity in their relationships. But he finally provided an all embracing solution to them to ward off the attacks of the enemy. “Put on the whole armour of God.” It would be surprising if many of those reading this ‘reflection’ hadn’t listened to at least ONE sermon on this topic. Paul is so aware, that notwithstanding the difficulties which can arise from within the “ekklesia’, the real enemy of our faith is Satan. He is ever active where people seek to serve the Lord. Our real enemy is not the person with whom we might disagree on some point of doctrine. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness...”. So God has provided us all with a suit of armour. Regrettably though, we do not all wear it!! Or at least not all of it, and not all the time.
I need to point out again that what I write here is just a ‘reflection’, not a commentary. For that reason I commend you to get together with some Christian friend and have a close look at the armour which God provides. It will enhance your fellowship as you study God’s word together.
“Gird your waist with truth”. Do not just take what others say about the Scriptures. Study the word so as to be SURE what you believe, and why you believe it. “Put on the breastplate of righteousness”. Decide if and how you should modify your previous lifestyle to live as God has directed you. “Have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”. See to it that you are prepared to give account of the hope of your salvation. “Take the shield of faith with you”. Be prepared, as was Yeshua when He was tempted by Satan, to recognize those faulty quotations of Scripture (a favourite of Satan) to try to bring you down. Memorize the Scriptures. Then “Take the helmet of salvation”. Wear it as a sign of your allegiance to your faith. “Have the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”. In fact it is sharper than any two-edged sword of steel. And the Psalmist tells us that “God has magnified His Word above all His name.” How powerful is that? Trust me when I say that the Word of God is so important to our own spiritual growth and well-being, plus it also provides a weapon of offence against Satan’s wiles. And that is exactly what Paul has written to encourage this “ekklesia” in Ephesus, and by extension to us as well. Be blessed as you study the Scriptures and remain in His love.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Brit Hadashah Reflections
Brit Hadashah Reflections 28
Hebraic understanding of the Apostolic letters
Ephesus is probably the most visited Biblical site outside of Israel. It was an important sea port and commercial centre on the Eastern coast of Turkey which was thought to be home to about ¼ million people at one time. Also an important cultural centre containing Greek and Roman antiquities. Paul wrote this letter from Rome about 5 years before his death. He left Timothy there to shepherd the young “ekklesia” whilst he continued his missionary travels. Ephesus has the distinction of being addressed by the Lord Himself in the letter He dictated to John (Rev 2: 11-17). It is largely a letter of encouragement and intended for all nearby local “ekklesia”.
Having established that ‘breaking down the middle wall of separation’ had given new-found freedom for Gentiles to join “ekklesia” fellowship on equal terms with Jewish believers (see ‘reflection’ 27), Paul informed them that his appointment as the Apostle to the Gentiles when he encountered the risen Yeshua on the Damascus road (Acts 9) is part of the reason why he is imprisoned in Rome. Jew and Gentile were previously culturally and religiously separated. This new situation, something considered a mystery to earlier generations, and for which his personal role caused him much physical deprivation, is the result of the death and resurrection of Yeshua. Now, there is a very different division. Two groupings. Simply put, there are those who believe and there are those who do not. In God’s sight that is the new order. It persists today. The word “gentile’ being an all embracing word for “non-Jew”. There is a new “ekklesia” being built, with Yeshua as the Head, made up of ‘the one new man’, Jew and Gentile together in worshipful fellowship. It is an ongoing work of God.
Part of the problem many of us have in understanding Paul lies in the fact that in large measure he is a pioneer, establishing a new order of worship in a mixed congregation and in a Jewish setting at that. Whereas we have a natural tendency to visualize the situation in today’s terms, in which we see ‘the church’ as a building on the corner of the local high street. In Paul’s time ALL the Biblical background is found ONLY in the Hebrew Scriptures. Even the gospel accounts of the life of Yeshua on this earth, which we take for granted, were unpublished, except by word of mouth. It is so important for us to read Paul in the setting into which he wrote.
So he continued, asking them not to lose heart because of his tribulations as he faithfully brought the message to them. “I bow my knees to the Father” he says, “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend and know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.” And he ends with the now well-known doxology. Please take time to ponder the depth of meaning in these beautifully prayerful words of Paul. “Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (that is a staggering concept) according to the power that works in us (astounding).”
As Paul continued with his encouraging message into chapter 4 of our text he used words which are worthy of everyone’s deep reflection. He certainly got my attention!! “Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called”. Then he qualifies “worthiness” for them, and us. “With all lowliness, and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” Wow! (Maybe you already belong to such an “ekklesia”. You are blessed indeed if you are.) “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Then to press the point of unity Paul lists a number of “Ones”. It is an impressive list. “One hope of your calling. One Lord. One faith. One baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in you all.”
As he continued, he had a somewhat uncomfortable word for Gentiles, albeit with some encouragement to follow! Perhaps it might be too much to suggest that we could take Paul’s words as though they were written to us today, because they could well have been. To those who had already come to faith in Yeshua he said that they “should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God … because of the blindness of their heart;” The discomfort continued until he said in paraphrase “you didn’t learn those things from Christ, if you heard Him at all!” Then faith in action. Something we have to do for ourselves. “Put off your former conduct, (it does not disappear of its own accord) be renewed in the spirit of your mind, put on the new man. Be responsible for your own actions!” Further still, “do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”
Friends, this is very practical counsel from Paul. Note that he does NOT say, “now that you have come to Jesus all your problems will go away,” as some teach today. He says you have to work at righteousness in your own life. Why? Because the reward is immense. Your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It is the freely available gift of a Holy and righteous God, but it can be very costly, as indeed Paul knew full well. Didn’t he?
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Brit Hadashah Reflections
Brit Hadashah Reflections 27
Hebraic understanding of the Apostolic letters
Ephesus is probably the most visited Biblical site outside of Israel. It was an important sea port and commercial centre on the Eastern coast of Turkey which was thought to be home to about ¼ million people at one time. Also an important cultural centre containing Greek and Roman antiquities. Paul wrote this letter from Rome about 5 years before his death. He left Timothy there to shepherd the young “ekklesia” whilst he continued his missionary travels. Ephesus has the distinction of being addressed by the Lord Himself in the letter He dictated to John (Rev 2: 11-17). It is largely a letter of encouragement and intended for all nearby local “ekklesia”.
Paul writes in glowing terms of the faithfulness and love for others which he recognized as a characteristic of this “ekklesia” in Ephesus. That, of course, is how it should be in every “ekklesia”. Then he wrote what he had been praying for them, “that they be given the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Yeshua)”. I imitate Paul, as I pray for those reading these ‘reflections’, “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened”, and that you may know “what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints”. Our task is to try to see the unmistakeable Hebraic nature of the Scriptures, especially the Apostolic Scriptures, recognizing that often times our former teaching, with its Greek mind-set, can easily get in our way! “The saints” Paul refers to are the faithful forefathers of the Hebrew Scriptures. The ones to whom ‘faithful obedience’ was counted as righteousness by a just and Holy God. The Ephesus “ekklesia” was a mixed congregation. Jewish believers, with a lifetime knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures would surely have better understanding than the Gentiles, coming from a pagan background, who had joined them in the faith.
But regardless of background, Paul assured them that in Yeshua they had all been made “alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world”. And how did He accomplish that? “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Every one of them, and us, being equal in God’s eyes. All have walked through the same ‘door’. And by invitation too!
Then Paul embarked on an explanation of how the two peoples, Jew and Gentile, are being made into “One new man”. And most of us have been taught, and firmly hold onto, a totally un-Hebraic interpretation of Paul’s words. We all understand that Yeshua “is our ‘shalom’, our peace.” And that “peace” is accomplished in Him as “the middle wall of partition is broken down.” This is an obvious reference to the barrier in the Jerusalem Temple Courts beyond which Gentiles were forbidden to pass. Now look carefully at the Scripture. Whilst the barrier existed, Jews were always permitted to enter the Court of the Gentiles. It was the Gentile who was ‘disadvantaged’ by the barrier. But Paul went further, describing that barrier an “enmity” separating Jew and Gentile. And further still, by calling that “enmity” as “the law of commandments”. (Note: it is worthwhile looking up the meaning of ‘enmity’ in a good dictionary).
So a huge question is raised here. How can the Torah (law of commandments) which is described by David in Psalm 19 as “perfect”, and by other prophets variously as “good, life, truth, light, the way, freedom, and by Paul himself writing in Romans 7:12 as ‘holy, and just and good’, be described as ‘enmity’? That’s the same Torah which forms the foundation of the New Covenant! It is because it was a barrier which prevented the Gentile fellowshipping with the Jew! But in Yeshua, the barrier was torn down. The ‘enmity’ was removed. Gentile became free to participate in the same Torah as the Jew. And that is precisely what the Ephesus “ekklesia” was doing. Jew and Gentile fellowshipping freely in their synagogue. But how does our un-Hebraic mind interpret this? That the Jew is free to abandon the ‘perfect’ Torah in favour of .. what? Do you see, as I do, that we seem to get it all back to front? Our interpretation has the believing Jew, already having abandoned Pharisaic Judaism in favour of Messianic Judaism, now expected to change to a ‘rudderless’ fragmented modern church. Choose one of several optional doctrines!
Paul is much clearer. Writing to the Romans, he saw the Gentile believer becoming ‘grafted in’ to the Natural Olive Tree, which is Israel. Just like the Ephesus “ekklesia”, to whom Paul says Yeshua “preached peace to you who were far off (Gentiles) and to those who were near (Jews). For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father”. He then said that we become “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God .. in whom the whole building, being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” Jew and Gentile, one new man, worshipping our Saviour Yeshua together. It is already happening, but one day, when Yeshua returns, there will be no alternative for us to argue about. All believers will have the “Torah” written on their hearts and put in their minds by God Himself. At least that’s how my Bible describes the New Covenant. And Paul knew it didn’t he?
Shabbat Shalom
RS