It is so wonderful to keep the Shabbat; keep the feasts of the Lord; don't eat unclean meat or tend selfishness. We feel a sense of belong when we submit ourselves and are Torah observance. The most important to remember is that Yeshua must remain our focus and the cornerstone of our faith.
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. Psalm 118:22
What better place to begin than the beginning? In the beginning Yahweh spoke the universe into existence. "Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts." Genesis 2:1. All of physical creation was completed. But one thing remained. On the sixth day Yahweh made Adam, who was then given the task of naming the animals. Having found no helper suitable for Adam among them, Yahweh then made Eve from Adam’s rib, and performed the first marriage. Made woman from the closest place of man’s heart. Teaching Adam the act of love and to appreciate her as from his own flesh. Their honeymoon was in the most beautiful place on earth, in the most beautiful company possible, our Lord our God Almighty."On the seventh day Yahweh finished His work which he had done." Genesis 2:2 The seventh day was the crowning act of creation. It, like the other works which Yahweh had done, was a special creative act. But it was more. It was to be the most special time, set aside forever. "Then Yahweh blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." Genesis 2:3
When Yahweh blessed the seventh day, He set it aside for man to use for “holy purposes”. Yahweh did not need such a holy day in that He personifies holiness, and all he does is holy. . The seventh day was holy beyond any holiness that might be attributed to the rest of creation. While Adam and Eve were to protect all of creation as Yahweh’s own property, they were to be especially careful to guard the seventh day. In a sense, the seventh day was not merely just made a holy day, it was made “especially holy”, as Yahweh demonstrated the first day of Shabbat. Yahweh gave Adam and Eve a solemn first day of rest. Sabbath is a day to rest or cease from labor.
But man requires by his very nature a time set apart for holy purposes, to meet with his creator, separate from the needs of the rest of the week. Such a time is holy to the Lord, defined by Yahweh’s sovereign act of consecration.
Adam and Eve were created in a covenant relationship with their creator and maker. We know that they were to keep the Garden as stated in Genesis 2:15, observe the Sabbath Genesis 2:2-3, cleave to each other as husband and wife Genesis 2:24, and not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil as stated in Genesis 2:16-17.
As long as they observed their part of the covenant, Yahweh would allow them to live forever. Failure to obedience would begin the process of death Genesis 2:17. The weekly sabbatical visit with their maker was the sign that the covenant was being observed. On the very first Sabbath, man was in perfect communion with Yahweh. Then man was unable to keep the Sabbath appointment with Yahweh, and that signified the broken covenant. As we will see later, the Sabbath has always been the sign of obedience to Yahweh’s covenant, and will be until Yeshua returns in the clouds of glory to redeem us all.
The New Testament directly comments regarding the Sabbath’s origin in Eden. And He was saying to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. "Consequently, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." Mark 2:27-28
Reading Genesis once again we notice the fall of man through the disobedience not obeying Yahweh’s covenant. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the things we learn in the scripture and yet miss the true contents at the same time.
If you understand the concepts of the kingdom of Yahweh, you can better understand Yeshua, His ministry, and the mind of Yahweh. Satan took over in the Garden of Eden. Adam, (not beguiled as Eve was), was guilty of treason. Treason, in any kingdom, is worthy of a death penalty. "They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters" Jeremiah 2:13 and 17:13
Ignoring the son of Yahweh and not accepting Him as the son of Yahweh makes us guilty of treason. The Torah is void and empty as an empty garden (heart) without Yeshua. When Yahweh created the Garden, He formed four head waters that flowed from Eden to all the earth. These waters of Eden are the spiritual source of all waters. It is through the waters of the Mikvah whose spiritual source is Eden, that man can find his way back to Yahweh. Yeshua gave us un understanding of water in John 4:14 “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
We all clearly understand that Yeshua was in the Garden of Eden as He is the tree of life. We read in John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. From this understanding, Yahweh’s son Yeshua was in the garden with Adam and Eve to learn through Him the full truth about the Father. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Torah is also called the "Tree of Life," as it points us to Yahweh as He reveals Himself in the scriptures, and thus His salvation. Going back to the time of Moses, Yahweh Himself states that His Torah is the way of "life."
A seed must be planted in the ground or buried in death before it emerges in new life. When it appears, it is nothing like its former state. It gradually grows and becomes the plant Yahweh intended it to be. So is the person who is immersed in the Mikvah. When the person emerges from the Mikvah waters of Yahweh’s creation, he is reborn, a new creation entering into an eminent state of life. The Deeper Meaning of Mikvah is Baptism by Water.
For Israel to continue in intimacy with Yahweh they had to wash themselves, separate them and prepare for the Set Apart One. They had already been baptized in the Red Sea, yet, they had to experience t'vilah again. This time, immersion's purpose was to cleanse the nation to experience Yahweh.
The earth was immersed in the beginning. As part of creation, the Almighty immersed the world in water. "Yahweh said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear, and it was so. And the waters under the heaven gathered to their gatherings and the dry land appeared. And Elohim called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the water He called Seas: and Elohim saw that it was good. And Elohim said, Let the earth bring out grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought out grass and herb yielding seed after its kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after its kind: and Yahweh saw that it was good." Genesis 1: 8-12
John the Baptist urged his listeners to stop their Torah breaking and return to Yahweh through repentance, coupled with immersion. "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of 'emunah' (trusting faithfulness), having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:22
The Hebrew word for "gathering the waters" or "gathered to their gatherings" Genesis 1:9 is actually "mikvah." The place where the waters gathered was a mikvah, or a "gathering of moving waters that renders a ritually unclean person clean." New life sprung forth after the waters were gathered into a mikvah. The Torah says that "the Ruach (Spirit) of Yahweh moved upon the face of the waters."
When a mother gives birth to a child water immerse from the womb before the newborn baby see the world for the first time. The mother looks down and have to use all her power (spirit) to enable the birth to take place. The Father present at the birth will experience this immerging of his child.
This also indicates in the birth of Messiah Yeshua. The Spirit hovered over Mary; she became impregnated, and brought forth a child. The Angel spoke to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of Yahweh."Luke 1:35 This pattern of hovering, immersion and impregnation, is one that Yahweh has set and continues to use to this day.
The Torah says that the immense waters of the Red Sea parted and our ancestors walked across the deep on dry land. With the walls of water on either side of them, the Israelites experienced mikvah, "Our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." I Corinthians 10: 1-2
The Scriptures shows us how immersion not only brings forth new life, but also washes away the old life.
The purpose of baptism is to spiritually cleanse the sinner from all that is contrary to Torah. "Peter replied,Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Yeshua HaMashiach for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38
Before John the Baptist started preaching "repent and be baptized" the immersion or baptism was already an accepted practice in the life of the Hebrew people. John the Baptist stood in the Jordan River, he wasn't doing anything new. Baptism or T'vilah (immersion) was part of the Torah faith before the earthly birth of our Messiah. Baptism is not just as a sacrament ordained by word but an action commanded by the Scriptures.
Yeshua was Yahweh's sacrificial lamb who, as John the Baptist said, takes away the sin of the world. John 1:29 This required the shedding of his blood, the taking of his life. Yeshua said, in instituting the Lord's supper, "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." Matthew. 26:28 We are justified by His blood Romans. 5:9 and "we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Ephesians 1:7
When Yeshua died on the cross His blood was shed in that his life was taken. Literally, Yeshua had shed some blood prior to His death. There was the scourging he endured, the crown of thorns on his head, the nails driven through his hands yet, all of that being true,he had not yet shed his blood in the Bible sense of the giving up of life itself.
When Yeshua uttered his last words on the cross and gave up the spirit his blood was then shed in Bible manner of speaking. John, in John 19:33-34, in speaking of what happened while Yeshau was on the cross but after his death said, "But when they came to Yeshua and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." John 19:33-34
To me this event, the piercing of his side, had symbolic importance for the sacrifice of himself had already taken place, his life already given for ours. "The life of the flesh is in the blood." Lev. 17:11 With his side being pierced the life of Yeshua was now gone for the whole world to see. His blood was shed in every sense of the word.
We realise where Yeshua shed his blood by sacrificing his death, at the moment he died. This then tells us all that if we are to come into contact with that blood that we must get into his death. For me to come into contact with that saving blood, spiritually speaking, I must get into Christ's death. Paul was very clear on where and how you and I do this. He says in Romans. 6:3, "do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death."
Then Paul says in Ephesians. 5:25-26, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word." Does anyone believe the people Yeshua loved and gave himself for has not been cleansed by his blood? But, the text says he cleansed the church with the "washing of water by the word." Thus the blood was in the waters of baptism.
Baptism cleanses the spiritually unclean and brings about healing and restoration in our life. The main purpose of immersion into water is not physical cleanliness, though that does play a part in Scriptural t'vilah. The most important reason we have been called to be Baptist is to reinforce the Torah message of separation. As believers, we have been called out of darkness into the Light of Yeshua. He called us as His own precious people. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to Elohim, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful Light." 1 Peter 2:9
We are set apart to Yahweh as His children. He has called us to set ourselves apart in this world, through our actions. As we choose to obey His Torah and thus replicate His will, we set ourselves apart unto Him. "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says Yahweh. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says Yahveh the Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
Yeshua is the embodiment of the Torah. If sin is the transgression of the law, then the son of perdition or the lawless one, is one who is without law or Torah. The man of lawlessness will be the embodiment of separation from Torah. As a believer you will know the true Messiah by learning of Him... and He is the Torah made flesh!
Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
Yeshua, is the Son of Yahweh, Prophet, Priest, King, Messiah, Saviour, Healer, Light, Truth, The Way of Salvation, The Word (Living Torah)
As Yeshua Himself said: I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.John 6:51-59
When Yeshua speaks of "eating His flesh and His blood," He is refering to the Torah, as He is the "Torah in the flesh." The manna eaten by the Children of Israel was a physical representation of the Torah, which was what truly sustained them. The same can be said of the water from the mysterious rock/well that followed them, which Paul associated with Messiah in 1 Corinthians 10:4
The Word of Yahweh is written on parchment paper made of lamb's skin. The 2 posts which the scroll is rolled onto are called "The Tree of Life." The Lamb's skin (flesh) is literally nailed to the Tree of life. After the Torah reading, the scroll which is still opened to the reading, is lifted up high before the congregation and the congregation declares "this is the Word of Yahweh as given to Moshe on Mt. Sinai." Yeshua said "if I be lifted, I'll draw all men to me." John 12:32-33. I believe that we should read our Torah scrolls as compassionate as we love Yeshua for what He had done for us, "Yeshua the Torah, from beginning to end."
The Torah is referred to as "He". When removed from the ark, He is carried the way one carries a baby. The Torah is dressed in a royal robe; He wears the crown of a King and the breastplate of the High Priest. Yeshua is both our King and our High Priest.
The Ark is where the Torah scroll is kept. The meaning of the word "ark" is "a place for that which is plucked and gathered." The meaning of the word "manger" is also a place to store that which is plucked and gathered.
For Messiah is the goal of the Torah to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the Torah, "The man who does those things shall live by them." And the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, "Who will ascend into heaven?"' (that is, to bring Messiah down from above) or, ""Who will descend into the abyss?"' (that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Yeshua and believe in your heart that Yahweh has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."Romans 10:4-11
From him will come forth the cornerstone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. Zechariah 10:4
Isaiah mentioned a cornerstone laid in Zion. Isaiah 28:16. Yeshua identifies himself with this cornerstone in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17. Yeshua’s identification is reinforced by the disciples in the book of Acts 4:11, Ephesians2:20, 1 Peter 2:6-7.
Yeshua was familiar with the book of Isaiah. As a teenager Yeshua learned the trade of carpentry, we are sure that He would have pondered on the priest who was like a nail driven into a sure place. And as Yeshua used a hammer with force He too tried to remove a nail and saw it lying cut-off on the ground, he must have realised what was meant by the priest being cut off. As every carpenter knows, it is the 'head' of the nail that is damaged whenever it is forcibly removed. The head need not be damaged.
And now for a little space grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezra 9:8
Ezra is directly referencing Isaiah's prophecy of the nail. He sees himself as a typical 'nail'. This passage reinforces the idea that Yeshua was to come as a priest, for the fact that Ezra quotes Isaiah indicates that Ezra understands Isaiah's prophecy of a nail refers to a priest, who is also the ruler.
This same message came to me as a warning that the Messianic movement needs to watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees. The great concern for people in the messianic movement are those who are so only caught up in the length of their beards, the next Feast of The Lord, being Torah observant but they forget the foundation of the Torah, Yeshua HaMassiah.
Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? Shall wood be taken of to do any work? or will men take a pin (nail) of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it suitable for any work? Ezekiel 15:2-4
My anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for Yahweh of hosts has visited his flock the house of Judah, and has made them as his goodly horse in the battle. Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together. And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because Yahweh is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded. And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them...Zechariah 10:2-6
It is a time when new life is given and actions reflect inward change. "And now, why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the Name of Yeshua." Acts 22:16
Now I'd like to lay some groundwork so that you too may see this great testimony of who Yeshua really was and is. And remember, "He is the same yesterday, today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 There are 2 scriptures we need to keep in mind as I walk you through this illustration of the Torah scroll.
Oh! Yahweh save us from becoming self righteous in our Torah observance and teach us Your way, the truth, the light, and let us not forget the One who is at the center of our life. Yeshua HaMassiah our Saviour and Redeemer. Amen!
Love in Yeshua
Be blessed and stay blessed!
Have a joyful day and remember to thank Yahweh יהוה for it! |