As believers in the Messiah we have discovered the richness
of the wisdom of the sages of
Israel. These men, who devoted themselves to the
study of the Torah, have left us a rich heritage. Part of that heritage is a unique method
of learning and interpreting the Scriptures. It’s called thematic analysis. In thematic analysis we search for the
underlying theme/topic of each passage of Scripture. By studying Scriptures related by a
common theme, line upon line and precept upon precept, the Scriptures open up to
us in a unique manner that is clearly inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh. Passages that seemed obscure begin to
make sense, and numerous levels of wisdom and understanding unfold before
us.
Thematic analysis of Scripture is based on the following
premises. 1) Moses wrote the Torah
as five separate books as the Ruach HaKodesh
inspired him. 2) Since Adonai had
him separate those words into five separate books, we surmise that each book has
a unique message or theme. 3)
Within each book, the words are written with two paragraph-like divisions[7]
interrupting the flow of the words.
4) Since Adonai commanded Moshe to separate the individual books into
smaller paragraph-like sections or Parshiot, we surmise that each
Parsha was written as a separate unit because each of those Parshiot is trying
to convey a unique thought, theme, concept or understanding. Therefore, since Adonai inspired these
divisions, we think they are VERY important. We use these God-breathed divisions as
the basis of our thematic analysis of Scripture. Once you begin to interpret the
Scriptures thematically, you will immediately SEE that Adonai wrote His words in a
manner consistent with the intent that they be interpreted thematically.
Here is an
example of what the Parsha divisions look like …
s—Parsha Stumah (plural, stumot)—A
paragraph-like break inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh, still preserved on kosher
Torah Scrolls, where there are at least nine blank spaces between a word and the
next word, all on the same line of text.
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla~yhla ~yhla
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
p—Parsha P'tuchah (plural,
p'tuchot)—A paragraph-like break inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh, still preserved
on kosher Torah Scrolls, where there are blank spaces extending to the end of a
line of text and the subsequent text does not begin until the next line. (Hebrew is read from right to left)
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla ~yhla
Our study is fun and interactive. Everyone contributes to the
discussion. The lesson will
incorporate information for children.
They are responsible for answering questions and completing a WordSearch or some other fun, written activity. Children are naturals at midrashing and connecting Scriptures thematically!
After the Beit Midrash, we will say good-bye to the Shabbat
with a traditional Havdalah gathering.
So come join with us as we participate in the discussion that was started
centuries ago! We feel we are
privileged to participate in this ancient discussion, which has practical
application for us today. These
weekly teachings presuppose that you understand many Hebraic thought
concepts. If you are unfamiliar
with Torah study, please start by reading the five introductory articles
pertaining to these weekly studies.
You can find them at…
http://restorationoftorah.org
Then, just click on
the link entitled, Mishpachah Beit Midrash’s Parashat HaShavuah!
This lesson is presented in a self-study format with lots of
questions. To view my answers to
the questions, simply mouse-over the word Ki
Tissa at the end of the questions (HTML) or the highlighted question
marks (WORD). If you are viewing
this in a regular e-mail format, the mouse-over function will not work;
therefore, answers are also provided as footnotes so that you can print the
article with answers. This article
may also be found at the following link, which will also allow you to see my
answers simply by using the mouse-over feature.
http://restorationoftorah.org/WeeklyParsha/MBMKiTissa.htm
1
Shemot 30:11 - 16
p
2
Shemot 30:17 - 21 p
3
Shemot 30:22 - 33 s
4
Shemot 30:34 – 38 s
5
Shemot 31:1-11 p
6
Shemot
31:12 - 17 s
7
Shemot 31:18 - 32:6 p
8
Shemot 32:7 - 32:14 p
9
Shemot 32:15 - 32:35 s
10
Shemot 33:1 - 11 p
11
Shemot 33:12 - 16 p
12
Shemot 33:17 - 23 p
13
Shemot 34:1 - 26 p
14
Shemot 34:27 - 35 s
Understanding the Parsha
Objective—Learn how to 1) interpret the main theme of
a Parsha, 2) make thematic connections to that Parsha and 3) learn how to gain
greater understanding of the Parsha under consideration through its thematic
connections to other portions of Scripture.
The Signs of a Broken Covenant
I.
Few people really grasp the seriousness of the incident
of the golden calf and its ramifications.
Let us look at Parsha number ten in order to begin to understand how the
sin of the golden calf fundamentally altered the relationship between Adonai and
Am Yisrael (the people of
Israel). Read Exodus
33:1-11.
A. Considering that 1) Adonai and Israel just made a
covenant as described in Exodus 19-24 and 2) He has given them commandments
[Parashat Terumah and Tetzaveh] to build a Mishkan so that He may dwell among
them, what statement in Exodus 33:1-3 seems to be surprising?[8] After considering the dominant themes of
Parashat Terumah and Tetzaveh, why is this statement “surprising”?[9] Provide Scripture references to support
this conclusion[10].
B. What seems to be the main object of discussion in verses
4-6?[11] The jewelry and ornaments seem to be
very important. They are mentioned
three times in these few verses and their removal seem to be the focus of
discussion concerning 1) an expression of the people’s grief and 2) a
“punishment” from Adonai. Let’s see
why verse six states that the jewelry was, “their jewelry from
Mount
Horeb.”
1.
What is the real significance of the phrase “from
Mount
Horeb”?[12] Their jewelry from Mount Horeb
implies that they had dressed themselves in fine dress and ornament at the
giving of the Torah in Exodus 19-24.
Isn’t it strange that ex-slaves would have so much jewelry and
gold—remember all of the gold used to make the golden calf? Where did all of this gold and jewelry
come from—Exodus
12:31-36?[13] Can you think of a verse from Genesis,
thematically connected to the verse just mentioned?[14] That’s right. Now, how does the thematic connection to
Genesis
15:13-14 help shed more light on the significance of Exodus 12:31-36 and
33:4-6?[15]
2.
Putting it all together, we see that the Israelites
decked themselves with jewelry and ornaments at the giving of the Torah at
Mount
Horeb. That’s why
Mount
Horeb is associated with the jewelry
in Exodus 33:6. The act of removing
the jewelry and the command by Adonai that they remove the jewelry is
essentially an acknowledgment that the reason for wearing it (the covenant at
Mount
Horeb) has been annulled or at least
damaged. This is a strong clue that
the covenant had been broken.
II.
Whose people are they?
A. Read Exodus
33:1—Note how Adonai addresses the people in His command to Moses. In Exodus
19:3-6, Adonai makes some promises to
Israel
concerning them as a people/nation. Is His reference to them as “this people” consistent with the
promises made at the covenant of Mount Sinai?[16] Are there any other instances in this
week’s sidra (portion) where Adonai seems to have broken the ties with
Israel as His
people?[17] Read Exodus
33:5, 13 and 16 paying particular attention to how Moses refers to Am
Yisrael. Do you think Moses picked
up on Adonai’s reference to them as “this people” in Exodus 33:1?[18] Moses is emphasizing to Adonai that Am
Yisrael are “His people.” He did
this because He wanted Adonai to re-establish the relationship with them that
was broken as a result of the golden calf.
III.
The Threat of Annihilation—Why does Adonai state that He
cannot ascend to Canaan with
Israel Exodus
33:3,5?[19] Is Adonai threatening them because He’s
the big, bad, mean God of the “Old Testament”?[20] Why does He threaten them so?[21]
IV.
Am Yisrael in the Dog House—Read Exodus
33:7-11. Considering that 1) Am
Yisrael is to build the Mishkan for the purpose of having a suitable place for
Adonai’s glory to dwell among them (Exodus
25:8,22), and 2) Adonai entered into a covenant with them at Mount Sinai in
order that they become His people (Exodus
19:3-6), why are the events in Exodus 33:7-11 so poignant?[22] Provide other evidence that the covenant
of Exodus 19-24 has been broken and annulled!
A. In Exodus 32:9-10 Adonai threatens to annihilate the
entire nation! Were it not for
Moses’ intercession, they would have ceased to exist.
B. In Exodus 32:19 Moses shattered the two tablets
containing the Ten Commandments (a symbol of the covenant). This is a picture that the covenant is
broken and annulled!
C. After Moses’ intercession, he ascends the mountain
(Exodus 34) to receive a new set of tablets symbolizing a New Covenant just like
he did in Exodus 19-24. Note the
thematic connections.
D. In Exodus 34:10 Adonai says that He is sealing a New
Covenant!
E.
Note the textual thematic connections between Exodus
34:11-28 and Exodus
23:10-33. In Exodus 23, Am
Israel had just entered into a covenant with Adonai. If it were not for the sin of the golden
calf, they would have gone straight to Canaan. How does this information along with the
textual parallels mentioned above support the assertion that 1) the original
covenant at Sinai was broken and 2) Adonai has made a New Covenant with Am
Yisrael?[23]
Although most people do not
realize it, the original covenant at Mount Sinai was
broken, but not beyond repair.
Adonai could only ascend with Am Yisrael after forging another covenant
(Exodus 34)! This New
Covenant was the result of Moses’ intercession. Had Moses not interceded on behalf of Am
Yisrael, Adonai would have destroyed them.
In the next section we will learn about the basis for the New Covenant
sealed in Exodus 34.
Searching the Parshiot
Objective—Learn how to 1) uncover the theme of a
passage, 2) relate them to other passages and 3) gain new insight on how to
interpret the original passage based on its thematic connection to those other
passages.
Am Yisrael’s
Undoing of the Covenant
I.
In the previous section, I asserted that
Israel broke the
original covenant at Mount Sinai and that Adonai needed
to make a New Covenant with them in order to be able to dwell with them. To better appreciate this, let’s look at
the numerous thematic parallels between the covenant at Mount
Sinai and the sin of the golden calf.
A. Read Exodus 24.
Also read Exodus 32:1-10.
Thematically compare and contrast the events of Matan Torah (giving of
the Torah) and the sin of the golden calf.
How many thematic connections can you make? Try it on your own, then look at the list below.
1.
Even though the elders of Am Yisrael saw the God of Israel who took them out
of the land of Egypt (Exodus 24:10), they now look upon a golden calf proclaiming that
it took them up from Egypt.
2.
In Exodus 24:4-5 Moses arose early in the morning and
built an altar upon which he offered olah (whole burnt offerings). So likewise, in Exodus 32:6, Am Yisrael
arose early, build an altar and offer olah before the calf.
3.
In Exodus 24:9-11 Moses and the elders eat and drink
before Adonai. So likewise, in
Exodus 32:6 Am Yisrael rise up to eat and drink.
4.
The people stood at the foot of the mountain (Exodus 19
& 24) to receive the Torah. So
likewise, in Exodus 32:19, the people are at the foot of the mountain when they
worship the golden calf.
5.
We know that Am Yisrael wore jewelry and ornaments at
Matan Torah. So likewise, in Exodus
32:3, they use those ornaments to fashion the golden calf.
6.
Just as Am Yisrael had taken up a collection of gold,
silver, etc., for the building of the Mishkan (Exodus 25:1-7), so also did they
take up a collection to build the golden calf (Exodus 32:2-4).
B. Do you notice the striking contrasts? The sin of the golden calf is almost
like an anti-covenant with Adonai.
They reversed or un-did everything established at Matan Torah! The thematic connections bring forth
this contrast in a dramatic manner.
Truly, the covenant was broken.
Revealing Himself as YHVH
I.
Let us return once again to the theme of Adonai’s
Holiness. The Parshiot of the last
few Torah portions are filled with threats of death. We’ve already shown that beginning with
the burning bush experience of Moses, Adonai is making His Holiness (one aspect
of His character revealed by the name YHVH) known to Am Yisrael. In the aftermath of the golden calf
(Exodus 33:3), Adonai states that if He were to ascend with the people He would
have to annihilate them. Let’s look
at other verses thematically connected with this concept that in certain
circumstances, Adonai’s presence may bring on death.
A. Read Exodus
20:19. Why do the people think
they will die?[24]
B. Read Exodus
28:35. Why might Aaron die
before Adonai?[25]
C. Read Exodus
28:40-43. Why might Aaron and
his sons die before Adonai?[26]
D. Read Exodus
30:20-21. Why might Aaron and
his sons die before Adonai?[27]
As you can see, before anyone approaches Adonai,
numerous criteria must be fulfilled.
These are the criteria for the priests. The people could not approach Him (past
the altar) at all! They had to use
the priests as intermediaries. Once
again the Torah is painting a clear picture that Adonai is not easily
approached. Numerous conditions of
holiness must be first reached.
These are meant to protect us from His Holiness, for our God is a
consuming fire!
The 13 Midot (Attributes) of Adonai
I.
We have already seen that the original covenant between
Adonai and Am Yisrael was broken—symbolized by the broken tablets. Am Yisrael are stuck between the
proverbial rock and a hard place.
Adonai 1) refused to dwell among them, 2) won’t call them His people, 3)
wants to annihilate them and 4) would not ascend to
Canaan with them.
Moses has taken upon himself the task of interceding for Am Yisrael. Nonetheless, upon what basis will Adonai
yield to Moses’ intercession and renew the Covenant? Let’s find out. This portion of our study will amaze
you. Once again you will see how
thematic analysis will open your eyes to truths that otherwise would have gone
unnoticed. Let us begin by noting
that when Adonai sealed the New Covenant (Exodus
34:1-28; especially note verse 10), He lists a number of His midot or
attributes. Returning to Exodus 20
when Adonai originally sealed the covenant with Am Yisrael, we will see that He
listed some of His attributes there also.
We should know that these two sections of Scripture are thematically
related because 1) in both instances Adonai is sealing a covenant with Am
Yisrael and 2) in both instances He is listing some of His attributes. After realizing this, we simply need to
apply thematic analysis to these two passages by comparing and contrasting
them.
A. Read Exodus
20:5-7 and note all of the attributes Adonai mentions.
1.
Adonai is jealous.
2.
Adonai will punish those who sin and hate Him.
3.
Adonai will show kindness only to those who love
Him.
4.
Adonai will not forgive those who take His name in
vain.
What is the general tenor of these
attributes?[28] They aren’t exactly examples of
unconditional love and mercy. Even
the attribute of mercy is only for those who love Him. Thus, the attributes Adonai emphasizes
at Matan Torah are those of divine retribution for those who disobey and reward
for those who obey. Note, however,
that the emphasis is clearly on the side of retribution for those who
disobey.
5.
Note also in Exodus
23:20-24 (conclusion of the laws) the theme of divine retribution.
6.
Note how Adonai responds after the sin of the golden
calf—Exodus
32:7-10. He responds exactly
according to the attributes of retribution that He revealed Himself with
earlier!
B. Now Read Exodus 33:19-34:7 and note all of the
attributes Adonai mentions. From
these verses, Jewish scholars have deduced thirteen attributes. Here are most of them.
1.
Exodus 33:19—
a.
He will show grace to whomever He wants to show
grace!
b.
He will have mercy on whomever He wants to have
mercy!
2.
Exodus 34:6-7—
a.
He is merciful!
b.
He is gracious!
c.
He is longsuffering!
d.
He is abundant in goodness and truth!
e.
He keeps mercy to thousands!
f.
He forgives iniquity, transgression and sin!
g.
He will punish, but not necessarily right away!
h.
Sin may be visited upon the descendants of the one who
sins!
C. Now let’s see the obvious thematic connections.
1.
Instead of describing Himself as a jealous God, He now
describes Himself as a merciful God!
2.
Instead of a readiness to punish sin, He now describes
Himself as one who is eager to forgive iniquity, transgression and sin!
3.
Instead of showing kindness only to those who love Him,
the possibility is opened that He will show mercy upon thousands. He is now abundant in goodness and
truth!
D. These new attributes are exactly the attributes that
will allow Adonai to dwell with Am Yisrael and accompany them to
Canaan! This
New Covenant is based on this new set of attributes that accompany it. Moses seizes the opportunity by asking
Adonai to forgive Am Yisrael in light of these new Divine Attributes. Adonai has already reacted according to
His attributes stated in the original covenant. The result was the removal of His
presence and the possibility of annihilation of Am Yisrael! This New Covenant contains the same laws
and expectations; however, Adonai will keep His side of the covenant according
to this new set of Divine attributes.
These are the attributes that allow His presence to return and dwell
among Am Yisrael even though they aren’t worthy. The fact that Adonai will dwell with
them is one of the greatest acts of mercy found in the Scriptures! Those who think mercy is a “New
Testament” concept have clearly not understood this section of Scripture.
Making the Connection Between the Parashat
HaShavuah and the Haftara
Objective—Learn
how to relate Scriptures thematically, thereby learning how to think Hebraically.
Become rooted in the importance of thematic analysis by seeing it in
action as you relate the Torah portion to the Haftarah
portion.
The
Haftara reading is found in I Kings 18:1-39.
I will list some verses from the Haftarah reading. Your job will be to relate them
thematically to the Parashat HaShavuah reading.
I.
How is I Kings 18:6-12
thematically connected to this week’s Torah portion?[29]
II.
How is I Kings 18:18-19
thematically connected to the Torah portion?[30]
III.
How is I Kings 18:21
thematically connected to the Torah portion?[31]
Messiah in the Parsha
Objective—Learn how the Torah teaches about the life
and ministry of Yeshua HaMashiach.
Yeshua said that Moses wrote about Him[32]. Since the Torah never even mentions the
word Messiah, this section will help you see the Messiah in the Torah. This can only be done using thematic
analysis and midrash.
Bezaleel, Solomon
and Yeshua
I.
Read Exodus
31:1-5. What is Bezaleel’s
charge?[33] What is his tribal affiliation?[34] What other Scriptures thematically
connect this one with others related to building of
Temples?
A. In Genesis 28:22 it states that Jacob vows to build the
House of God (synonymous with
Temple).
B. In I Chronicles 22, we learn that Solomon, the son of
David, of the tribe of
Judah will build
the Temple. This is thematically connected to the
Torah portion, where Bezaleel (who is of the tribe of
Judah) will
build the Mishkan.
C. Exodus 31:3 informs us that Adonai filled Bezaleel with
the Spirit of wisdom, insight, and knowledge to build the Mishkan (a shadow of
the Temple). Isaiah
11:1-5 speaks of the Messianic era when the Messiah will be filled with all
of the Spirit of God in order to rule the Messianic kingdom.
The commissioning of Bezaleel teaches us about the
work of the Messiah, who 1) is from the tribe of
Judah and 2)
will be filled with Spirit to build the Temple/House of God!
The Sign of the Messiah & Moses’ Intercession
I.
As we learned in the book of B'reishit (Genesis),
anytime we see 1) pictures of resurrection, 2) pictures of renewed life as a
result of deliverance from impending death and 3) pictures of victory and life
as a result of death, we know the Torah is about to give us a teaching
concerning the Messiah. I call
these themes of The Resurrection and the Life, and
they are especially strengthened when coupled in some manner with the number
three. Read Exodus
32:1-34:10. Pay particular
attention to the following passages; 32:11-14; 32:30-34; 34:8.
A. What is Moses doing in the passages highlighted above?[35]
B. Apart from Moses’ intercession, what was supposed to
happen to Am Yisrael after the sin of the golden calf?[36]
C. Count if you will, the number of times Moses engages
Adonai in intercession on behalf of Am Yisrael.[37]
D. What is the final outcome of Moses’ intercession?[38]
E.
What does this teach us? These verses teach us that Moses is a
type or shadow of the Messiah. We
know this because the Torah teaches us that the theme of deliverance from death
coupled with the number three is a sign of Messianic significance. In Parashat Beshalach, I stated that the
battle with Amalek was a precursor (foreshadow) of the conquest of
Canaan. I
stated that because 1) the battle with Amalek marked the beginning of a new
phase of
Israel’s journey
to the Promised Land, 2) Amalek was representative of the nations
Israel will have
to replace and 3) Joshua fought the battle and he will be the one who will lead
the conquest. Based on these events
I stated that we should expect that the ministry of Moses would also shift at
this point. How does the story
about the war with Amalek hint that Moses’ ministry among
Israel is about
to shift its focus?[39] The story of Moses intercession in the
aftermath of the sin of the golden calf is where his ministry of intercession
begins to pick up. Now, do you see
a thematic connection between the transition of Moses role as a prophet to an intercessor and the
ministry of Yeshua?[40] Truly, Moses’ life is a picture of the
life of Yeshua our Messiah!
A Covenant—Sin—and a Renewed Covenant
I.
We have seen that after entering into a covenant with
Adonai, Am Yisrael broke the covenant.
Then, because of the mercy of Adonai, He renews the covenant. Is this an isolated incident, or does it
have prophetic significance? Since
we know the Torah teaches that the events in the lives of the Fathers (and Am
Yisrael) are prophetic shadows of future events in the lives of their
descendants, I’d like to suggest that the episode of the sin of the golden calf
was a shadow of the necessity for the New Covenant!
A. We have seen that Am Yisrael broke the first covenant at
Mount Sinai.
After Moses’ intercession, another covenant is cut. However, the second covenant is based on
a different set of Adonai’s attributes than the first. The second covenant is characterized by
grace and an abundance of kindness and truth (Exodus
34:6)! Can you think of a
Scripture from the Tanakh that speaks of the necessity of another covenant other
than the Mosaic covenant at Mount Sinai?[41] That’s right,
Jeremiah prophesied that the Mosaic covenant would need to be renewed.
B. Will the laws and commandments of Jeremiah’s “New
Covenant” be different than those given at Mount Sinai?[42] What is the main difference between the
Mosaic covenant and the New Covenant of which Jeremiah prophesied?[43]
C. In summary, Adonai had to make two covenants with
Israel. The first covenant was based on His
attributes of judgment. After Am
Yisrael broke that covenant, He cut a New Covenant with them based on His
attributes of mercy, grace and forgiveness! This is a shadow of two major covenants;
1) the Mosaic covenant at Sinai and 2) the New Covenant instituted by
Yeshua! Now, read John 1:16-17:
16And of His fullness we
have all received, and grace for grace. 17For
the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus
Christ.
Do the words grace and truth look
familiar? Yes they do. They are the very basis for the covenant
made in Exodus 34! There are many
today who would say that there was no grace in the Torah. That’s not true. Grace and truth were clearly expressed
in the Mosaic covenant. If they
hadn’t, Am Yisrael would have been destroyed! Never let anyone tell you that grace and
truth didn’t come until Yeshua. The
difference is that Yeshua is the source of the grace and truth in the Old
Covenant and in the New Covenant.
In other words, the attributes of Exodus 34 find their fullest expression
through Yeshua. Therefore, grace
and truth were not alien to the Old Covenant, but their fullest expression is
through Yeshua, the goal of the Torah.
Moses Secured Grace and Mercy – Yeshua Secures Grace and
Mercy
I.
Read Hebrews
3:2-5 with special emphasis on verse five. We stated earlier that when Moses
interceded three times for Am Yisrael, the Torah was giving us the sign of the
Messiah (The Theme of the Resurrection and the Life),
so that we would understand that Moses’ actions were a shadow of the actions of
Messiah Yeshua. How is Hebrews 3:5
consistent with that interpretation?[44]
A. We also stated that the sealing of the Mosaic covenant
twice was a picture of the need for the New Covenant. The second sealing of the Mosaic covenant
was only possible through the intercession of Moses who was able to
secure the covenant based on Adonai’s abundance of grace, mercy and
truth. Based on that
analysis I said that Moses’ actions were prophetic of the ministry of Yeshua in
the New Covenant.
B. Moses’ actions are a perfect picture of the work of
Messiah in the new (renewed) covenant!
Look at Hebrews 4:14-16:
14 Seeing
then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the
heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For
we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was
in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us
therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews
4:14-16,
emphasis mine).
Notice that in the New Covenant,
Yeshua’s ministry is one of intercession (a great High Priest). Was not Moses ministering as a priest
through his intercession? Secondly,
notice that Yeshua’s intercession is the key to unlocking the grace and mercy
from Adonai! The thematic
connections are very obvious. Just
as Moses secured grace and mercy from Adonai through his intercession for a New
Covenant with Am Yisrael, so too, through Yeshua’s intercession, we receive
grace and mercy from Adonai as part of the Renewed Covenant!
Matan Torah and Shavuot (The Day of Pentecost)
I.
In this last section I’d like to give a quick teaching
on one[45]
of the purposes of the Torah. In
Romans 6-8 Paul states that one of the main functions of the Torah is to cause
sin to increase in the ungodly.
Thematically connected to this concept is the teaching Paul put forth
that the Torah or Old Covenant was a ministry of death (II
Corinthians 3). Many have
perverted Paul’s statements concerning the Torah. Antinomian spirits have twisted Paul’s
true message concerning the function of the Torah. This function of the Torah as a ministry
of death is contrasted to the ministry of the Spirit in the New Covenant. If you allow me to do a midrashic
teaching, I think you’ll see how the Torah was a ministry of death.
How many people were killed at
the giving of the Torah as a result of the sin of the golden calf?[46] How many people were saved on the
Shavuot (Day of Pentecost) of Acts 2?[47] Those of you who have become familiar
with thematic analysis should immediately realize that that is not a
coincidence. Furthermore, did you
know that the Torah was also given on Shavuot? Yes it was. So, we have a picture of two Shavuots. On
the first Shavuot, three thousand people died. On the Shavuot of Acts 2, three thousand
people were given life. Let me now
explain the significance of these events.
We know that when Adonai
delivered the Israelites from
Egypt that it
was a type of our redemption from sin.
Moses said stand still and see the salvation (the Hebrew for salvation
is Yeshuat from which we get
Yeshua) of YHVH (Ex 14:13). Thus, it was Yeshua who redeemed them at
the Red Sea.
When the Torah was given, the people had fallen into idolatry by making a
golden calf and saying “These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up
out of the land of Egypt” (Ex 32:8b).
Therefore, were they not rejecting their salvation (Yeshua) which
occurred at the Red Sea? What happened when the Torah was given
at Sinai? Three thousand people
died at the giving of the Torah (the ministry of death, condemnation, the letter
that kills, etc.) Note, the 3000 were sinners who had rejected Adonai’s
salvation (Yeshua) stating that a calf had saved them. Fast forward to the
day of Shavuot. How many
people got saved? 3,000. Who were
they? Three thousand sinners who, as Peter said,
had killed the Messiah, i.e., they had rejected Adonai’s salvation (Yeshua) as
their fathers had. But what
happened to them? They got
saved. These two scenarios are a
perfect illustration of the ministry of condemnation at work against sinners
when they come to Torah and a perfect illustration of the ministry of life by
the Spirit who can bring life to the same sinners the Torah condemns. That’s why the Spirit was given on
Shavuot, to teach us that the Torah was not meant to work alone. It’s always been Adonai’s intention for
the Torah and the Spirit to work together.
But the Spirit couldn't be poured out until the work of the Messiah had
been finished.
For Your Little Ones
Hidden
Message Word Search—This is a word search for older
children that contains a hidden message within it. After circling all of the words, begin
using the un-circled letters to fill in the hidden message character
spaces. All of the words (25-30)
are taken from this week’s sidra (portion). Important—Adjust the text size of your browser so that
the entire puzzle and hidden message prints on one page. The software at Discovery has a tendency
to print the wrong number of character spaces (in the hidden message) when it
needs to print on two pages.
Word
Search for Little Ones— This is a word search for
younger children. All of the words
(9-12) are taken from this week’s sidra (portion).
Shabbat
Shalom!
[1]
Shabbat is Hebrew for Sabbath.
[2]
In its most limited form, the Torah comprises the first five books of Moses.
[7]
This paragraph-like division is called a Parsha (Parshiot, plural).
[8]
The statement that Adonai won’t ascend with them.
[9]
It is surprising because Parashat’s Terumah and Tetzaveh explain that the
purpose for the Mishkan was to provide a place for Adonai to dwell among them. Now, Adonai is stating that He will not
ascend with them, which seems to negate the entire purpose for the commandments
concerning the Mishkan in Terumah and Tetzaveh!
[10]
Exodus 25:8 and Exodus 29:45-46.
[11]
The jewelry and ornaments worn by the people “from
Mount
Horeb.”
[12]
“From Mount
Horeb,” is meant to remind us of the
event that occurred at Mount
Horeb. It is an idiomatic way of saying from the place where you entered into the
covenant with Adonai.
[13]
The gold, silver and jewelry came from the Egyptians, when the Israelites left
Egypt.
[15]
Genesis 15:13-14 helps us see the true importance of the actions in Exodus 33
concerning the jewelry and ornaments.
By thematically connecting these two Scriptures, we see that the mention
of the jewelry is a sign of the fulfillment of B’rit Bein Hab’tarim (the Covenant Between the Pieces).
[16]
No, it is not. He said they would
be his special/peculiar people, a nation of priests and a holy nation. Now, He seems reluctant to even admit
that they are “His people.”
[18]
Yes, it seems so. It seems that
Moses is trying to stress to Adonai that Am Yisrael isn’t just “this people,”
they’re “His People.”
[19]
Because He may need to annihilate them.
[21]
Because, Adonai has been making Himself known as
YHVH. Part of this
revelation is the truth of His intense Holiness. He cannot dwell amongst sin and
rebellion. One has to go, either
Him or the sin. The issue is His
Holiness. If He’s not among them,
then there’s no problem. But a Holy
God in the midst of an unholy people is a recipe for death.
[22]
The fact that He can no longer even dwell with them is a picture of how their
relationship has been shattered by the incident of the golden calf. The relationship is off. They have broken the covenant! It’s over!
[23]
Most of the instructions in Exodus 23 pertain to conquering and living in the
land. These instructions were
appropriate because after sealing the covenant, Am
Yisrael should be on their way to Canaan. Therefore, we see that the instructions
of Exodus 23:10-33 were given after establishing the covenant at Sinai. The numerous thematic connections
between Exodus 23 and Exodus 34 support the assertion that Adonai has re-sealed
a New Covenant with Am Yisrael. He
is now giving them instructions concerning conquering and living in the land AFTER THIS NEW COVENANT just as He
did after the original covenant.
[24]
Hearing His voice was so intense that the
people literally thought they would die!
[25]
It seems that anyone who either enters or leaves Adonai’s presence
must do so only if Adonai is aware of it!
The sound of the bells alert Him that someone is
either moving into or away from His
presence!
[26]
As priests who minister to and draw near to Adonai, they must be properly
clothed in order to enter His presence.
[27]
If they approach Adonai’s presence without the proper cleansing they may
die!
[28]
Mostly negative and harsh. Half of them involve punishment.
[29]
Because he did not know Elijah’s whereabouts, King Ahab had been searching all
over for him. In the Torah portion,
Am Yisrael do not know what happened to Moses after he
disappeared on the mountain for forty days.
[30]
Both passages mention that Am Yisrael has worshipped an idol/false god.
[31]
In both portions the people are called upon to make a decision to choose Adonai
or the false god (Exodus 32:26).
[32]
Yeshua said in John 5:46 that Moses spoke about him. Psalm 40:6-8, speaking of the Messiah,
said that the book is written about Him.
Paul said that all of the feasts were prophetic shadows of Messiah
Yeshua.
[33]
He will be responsible for building the Mishkan.
[35]
He is interceding for Am Yisrael.
[36]
They were supposed to die! Numerous
times Adonai informs Moses that He will annihilate the people!
[37]
He intercedes three times.
[38]
Adonai spares the lives of Am Yisrael.
[39]
The fact that Moses was primarily involved in intercession during the battle
with Amalek suggests that his role will shift to that of an intercessor.
[40]
Yes, just as Moses initially fulfilled the role of prophet, so likewise, Yeshua
fulfilled the role of prophet at His first coming! During the conquest of the
land—beginning with the battle of Amalek—Moses’ role shifted to that of an
intercessor. So likewise, after
securing redemption, Yeshua’s ministry switched to that of High Priest!
[42]
No. Jeremiah prophesied that the
Torah would be the same Torah given at Sinai.
[43]
The difference is where the Torah will be placed. In the Mosaic covenant, the Torah was
written on stone tablets. In the
New Covenant, the Torah will be written on the hearts of the people.
[44]
It verifies that Moses is a type/shadow of Messiah when it says that
“Moses...was a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after [Messiah
Yeshua].”
[45]
I say one, because the Torah has many functions. See Our True Freedom from the Torah
(Law) on this web page for a full analysis.
