Roots of Faith

This torah reading contains a lot of material. Hindsight shows that I tried to cover too much in one service. Several very good questions were raised during the service and I did not take the time to fully answer them, and feeling the pressure to cover all that I had in my notes I came across somewhat rushed. All in all though, there are some good points in this week’s lesson and I would still recommend this podcast. Based upon my own hard critique of the way things went, and upon some good critique from a close friend, I will narrow my morning service to less points and write of the other points on this blog.

This week was also a special Sabbath. It is Sabbath Parah and deals with the subject of the Red Heifer (Numbers 19:1-22; The Haphtarah for this special Sabbath is found in Ezekiel 36:16-38). I refer those interested in learning more about this fascinating subject to Rabbi Richman’s work found on his website - www.templeinstitute.org.

This week’s reading covers such subjects as:

• The Anointing Oil
• A Priestly messiah - Aaron is called the anointed (Messiah). See Exodus 30:30; cf. 29:7, 29 and Psalm 133
• The Incense
• The Sabbath
• The incident of the Golden Calf
• Moses as Intercessor
• The Ten Commandments (Second set of tablets)

I tried to cover 4 main points aside from a brief introduction to the Red Heifer. These 4 points were: 1) The Sabbath, 2) The Golden Calf and Moses’ intercession, 3) The remarkable Self-Description of God, 4) The Ten Commandments (Speculation on what they looked like; how big they may have been, etc)

According to the rabbis, the subject of the red heifer is one of the greatest mysteries of the Bible. The subject is one of great interest in certain circles and has created several searches that are akind to Raiders of the lost ark. One searcher is sure that he has found evidence encoded in the Copper Scroll of the whereabouts of the ashes from the previous red heifer.

Indeed this week’s reading coupled with the special reading causes us to focus on cows! Holy and unholy cows. That’s no bull! The fact that some rabbis suggest that the whole red heifer remedy was to make atonement for the sin of the golden calf makes me think of the old addage of “some hair of the dog that bit you”. This is also the case when one thinks of the serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21).

The Sabbath is an eternal sign between God and His people (Exodus 31:13 ff) See especially verses 16 and 17. In verse 17 most translations read that “He ceased and rested”. The Hebrew verb translated “rested” is found two times in the Hebrew Bible; once here in Exodus 31 and the other time in Exodus 23:12 where it refers to the Sabbath rest of “your maid’s son and the alien”. It is interesting to note that it is used to refer to the alien. This reminds me of the remarkable passage in Isaiah 56:1-8.

On Moses’ intercession on behalf of the people of Israel see chapter 32:10 and 32:30-34. God says that he wants to blot out Israel and “make of Moses a great nation”. It makes me think of the promise to Abraham. At this point God actually wants to start over with Moses in bringing His purpose and plan to fruition. Moses challenges this and even says that he would wish to be blotted from God’s book if He (God) would not forgive the people. God tells him that the one that sins will be blotted from the book, and then tells Moses to go!

The Bible mentions this “book / scroll” of God in three other passages; Malachi 3:16-18; Psalm 139:16 and Daniel 7.

I spoke on the strange reaction of Moses to the sin of the Golden Calf. Among other things, he grinds the calf and mixes the powder with water and causes the people to drink it. This is closely paralleled in the story of Numbers 5:11-31 and the suspected adultress. In both cases the root problem that is being addressed is betrayal. See also Revelation 8:10-11 where the inhabitants of the earth have their water supply poisoned by “wormwood”. In Numbers chapter 5 the result of a guilty woman is that her inward parts burst open. The NT contains a story of a betrayor that suffers the same fate (Judas’ means of death according to Acts 1:16-18).

Perhaps the most intriguing self-description and one of the most repeated formulas in the whole Bible is that which God declared to Moses concerning his own attributes (Exodus 34:6-7). This is repeated in Numbers 14:18-19; Jonah 4:2; Joel 2:13; Micah 7:18; Psalm 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; 2 Chronicles 30:9; and Nehemiah 9:17, 31.

So what did the “Ten Commandments” look like? We all have a certain image of Charlton Heston carrying them down the mountain. We have in our mind a general image of how big they were. But according to the text of the Bible, we have very little to go on. We know that the Hebrew says he carried them in his hand (singular), that they were written on both sides, they consisted of two tablets. Not much more than that.

Finally in this week’s lesson we learn that something dramatic happens to Moses’ appearance as a direct result of his meetings with YHWH. His face begins to change. He has to wear a veil to cover it, removing it only when he is in the presence of God.

Moses fasts for 40 days and 40 nights in this week’s lesson. We only read of two others that achieve this feat; Elijah and Jesus - all three of which appear together in a vision shown by Jesus to some of his disciples.

Listen to this week’s lesson and let me know what you think. Shalom, Ross

 

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 comments [37:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this week’s lesson, Ross’ talk covers the normal Torah reading (Exodus 27:20 – 30:10) as well as the Special Torah Reading Zachor.  Tetzaveh covers, among other things, the oil for the menorah, the priestly garments, the consecration of the priests and the altars.

A key word for today is “Remember”, especially since the special reading is called Zachor – Hebrew for Remember.  But to what is the admonition to remember based upon?  What precisely is it that we are to remember?  Amalek – the evil enemy of Israel that rose against the children of Israel and attacked the weak and feeble among the Israelites during their exodus travels. 

In the special section of the Torah read today in synagogues around the world, the following passage from the Torah is read aloud:

KJV Deuteronomy 25:17 Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; 18 How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. 19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

The message is clear….this evil presence shall be blotted, but Israel was to never forget them.  How is it that we are commanded to blot out the remembrance of Amalek and then in the next sentence we are told to “not forget it”?  Exodus 17:16 perhaps provide a key to help us understand.  There we are told that there is a hand against the throne of Yah, and that therefore there will always be war against Amalek from a generation of a generation.  This evil incarnate has raised its ugly head throughout the generations in different forms and under different names.  Whenever a force raises against God’s special treasure Israel one should recognize that it is the spirit of this cruel attacker.

So it was in the time of Saul, the first king of Israel.  Saul was charged to totally destroy those from Amalek in his generation.  Saul does not do so as we read in our special prophets reading for today (I Samuel 15:2-34).  This Benjamite from Kish (I Samuel 9:1-2) allowed certain ones of the enemy to survive.  The real danger in not fulfilling this command of the LORD is realized quite some time later and it was his own descendants that were left to deal with the situation he failed to deal with!

The book of Esther tells the story.  In Esther 3:2-13 we read that Haman (known in Rabbinic literature as a descendant of Amalek) determined to annihilate the Jews.  He chose a certain day (Adar 13 on the Hebrew calendar) by lot (Pur in Hebrew) in which to execute his evil plot.  But God had arranged things to give the family of Saul one more chance to succeed in fulfilling the command.   A beautiful Jewish girl was strategically positioned within the court of the king to make a way for the Jews to be saved.  This girl was the niece of one Modechai who was descended from the same Kish the Benjamite as was Saul!  See Esther 2:5ff.

This shows that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29). Tonight is the beginning of Purim (lots) to commemorate the salvation provided by God for the Jews and the defeat of the Haman and the enemies of Israel.

In this week’s lesson Ross talks about the Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1-10) and describes the meaning of this altar.  The incense represents prayer (Psalm 141; Revelation 8:2-6).

The rabbis say that the four Hebrew letters that make up the word for Incense (Ketoreth in Hebrew) represent four Hebrew words that are a “wonderful summary of the pre-requisites of prayer and its spiritual results in the lives of Men” – Hertz, page 349).  The four words are; holiness, purity, pity and hope.

Ross then takes his congregation to the first chapter of Luke 1:5-11 to describe the scene based upon what the group is learning about the arrangement of the holy place of the Temple / Tabernacle.

Next, the class reviews some prophetic passages that speak of the Menorah (Zechariah 4:1-4; 6:9-15; Revelation 1:4-5, 12-20).  Ross talked about the significance of the true meaning of the lamp.

The Torah describes the bells and pomegranates on the hem of the robe for the priest. Jewish tradition says that there were 72 ornaments on the hem – pomegranate, bell, pomegranate, bell.  In Hebrew this rhymes; pa-amon zahav v’rimon.  Ross talked about the importance of the pomegranate in Biblical literature.

He then talked about the Ephod and that it was made out of the same material as the veil and the curtain.  Just as the tabernacle was to contain representations of the spirit of God and the Testimony in its “heart” so was the priest.  This is perhaps why the priest is dressed as the tabernacle.  This then is the goal of humanity – to be a living sanctuary, a habitation for God.

Indeed the key to all of this is found in this week’s lesson (Exodus 29:45-46).  God wants to dwell in the midst of His people, with His testimony in their heart.

Shalom and enjoy this week’s lesson!  Let us know what you think of our weekly services. 

 

 Tetzaveh - Intro and Torah Reading [46:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tetzaveh - Teaching and Conclusion [41:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download