Shemot (Exodus)
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Meaning
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Day Four
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Haftara
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B'rit Hadashah
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1 Our Father, we receive Your Words and hide Your commandments with us; 2 we incline our ear unto wisdom, and apply our hearts to understanding; 3 We cry after knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding; 4 we seek it as silver; and search for it as for hidden treasures; 5 We declare that we shall understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Declaration of Proverbs 2:1-5
Exodus 40:1-16 (NASB) 1
1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 "You shall place the ark of the testimony there, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4 "You shall bring in the table and arrange what belongs on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and mount its lamps. 5 "Moreover, you shall set the gold altar of incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the tabernacle. 6 "You shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7 "You shall set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 "You shall set up the court all around and hang up the veil for the gateway of the court. 9 "Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furnishings; and it shall be holy. 10 "You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. 11 "You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 "Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13 "You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. 14 "You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; 15 and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations." 16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did.
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. Exodus 40:1-2.
The original portable Tabernacle was finally completed in the second year of their journey and set up “as God had commanded Moses”. We know that the Ark of the Covenant was the only furniture to survive in the days of David. In his son Solomon’s reign, the Ark was placed in a grand building that was made on what we now know as the Temple Mount or Mount Moriah. Somehow, in all my earlier mainline education the fact that Mt. Moriah and the elevation upon which the ruins of the temple were rebuilt in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah were the same place was never mentioned that I can remember. However, I think I’ve made up for a powerful lot of incorrect perceptions in the past with daily attention to these first five books of the Old Testament. Indeed, Mt. Moriah is the same place where the ruins of the temple remain to this day. Abraham was called to offer up Isaac in that same location. Near the end of his reign as king, David called for a census, which was contrary to the will of God. This was addressed several days ago taken from 2 Samuel, chapter twenty-four. The account is also in 1 Chronicles 21.
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. 1 Chronicles 21:1.
Adam Clarke adds clarity because of this alternate view of that particular situation with David:
"He moved David against them - God could not be angry with David for numbering the people if he moved him to do it; but in the parallel place (1Ch 21:1) it is expressly said, Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. David, in all probability, slackening in his piety and confidence toward God, and meditating some extension of his dominions without the Divine counsel or command, was naturally curious to know whether the number of fighting men in his empire was sufficient for the work which he had projected. See more on 2Sa 24:10 (note). He therefore orders Joab and the captains to take an exact account of all the effective men in Israel and Judah. God is justly displeased with this conduct, and determines that the props of his vain ambition shall be taken away, either by famine, war, or pestilence."
David could have just given us a good example of how a seemingly inconsequential way of thinking can lead to sin. As Adam Clarke suggested, David may have been a little 'puffed up'. That's equivalent to the action of leaven. We know that the action of leaven 'puffing up' is not good unless one is baking bread or some other tasty delight. Asking our Father God to help us determine BALANCE in every thought will help us to steer clear of elevating our press reviews in our own estimation. David may have been using "props" of ambition instead of going one hundred percent on the will of God. There is a balance to be found using 'ambition'. We can use it to improve our lot under Yah's authority, or it can become the tail wagging the dog! We can become far too ambitious and that can overtake us and lead to our destruction.
When David repented for the sin and the grievous result of that decision, he purchased the property from a man named Ornan, a Jebusite (A native of Jerusalem). He erected an altar and offered sacrifice there to make peace between himself and God and to atone for his rebellion of calling the census. Later, his son Solomon began the building of the permanent temple in and about this same area, fulfilling David’s wish to build God a house on earth.
The same general location as Mt Moriah is known for the sacrifice of another. There is sound archaeological evidence to suppose that the place of the crucifixion of Jesus was at the summit of Mt. Moriah, probably near the present-day Damascus Gate and the Garden Tomb which would of course be a literal fulfillment of Abraham's offering of Isaac when God said,
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. Genesis 22:14.
Indeed, The LORD provided, and "in the mount of the LORD it was seen" when the Son of God was killed and three days later He conquered death. Whatever happened to the temple that Ezra rebuilt after the diaspora returned to Jerusalem? King Cyrus of Persia very generously declared that they should go home and rebuild their 'temple' to their God.
1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. 4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. Ezra 1:1-4.
It remained until the next great persecution of the Jews occurred in the days of Antiochus, who routed the Jewish worshippers out of it and desecrated the altar by sacrificing a pig. It was at one of these most heinous times in the history of Israel that a single family was elevated to be role models to all of Israel. You will find this history in the Books of the Maccabees. They can be found in the 1611 Edition of the King James Version which included the section of the Bible known as The Apocrypha. Otherwise, you can key in the name 'Apocrypha' into your search engine and you will find somewhere to purchase these most fascinating books. They were not included in the final canon of Scripture in the Protestant Bible as 'inspired by God but their value for historical purposes is priceless. It remains to be seen whether the early church “fathers’ ” decision to exclude the Apocrypha was the will of God or not.
In any event, the temple stood in various states of use and repair/disrepair until a fellow by the name of Herod came along. By then the first temple built by Solomon stood in the time slot of 957 B.C. to 587 B.C. and the second temple stood from 515 B.C. to the year 70 A.D. with the additions and beautification at the decree of Herod, who was an Idumean (from the kingdom of Edom) who worshiped as a Jew but who was a multi-theist who gave honor to whom he would give honor to further his agendas. This Herod would have a son named Herod Antipas, who would eventually hand off the “problem” of the upstart Jew who had been proclaimed the Son of God by His followers to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.
The Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus wrote in his history, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XV, 11, i:
"And now Herod, in the eighteenth year of his reign, and after the acts already mentioned, undertook a very great work, that is, to build of himself the temple of God, and make it larger in compass, and to raise it to a most magnificent altitude, as esteeming it to be the most glorious of all his actions, as it really was, to bring it to perfection..."
The study of the family of Herod is a fascinating one that I've scraped the surface and would like to do a deep dive at some time. The 'Herod's' were descendants of Esau. They were Idumeans because the Greek for Edom is Idumea. The International Standard Bible Dictionary tells us that:
"The Herodians were not of Jewish stock. Herod the Great encouraged the circulation of the legend of the family descent from an illustrious Babylonian Jew (Ant., XIV, i, 3), but it has no historic basis. It is true the Idumeans were at that time nominal Jews, since they were subdued by John Hyrcanus in 125 BC, and embodied in the Asmonean kingdom through an enforced circumcision, but the old national antagonism remained (Ge 27:41)."
The rancor that once existed between Esau and Jacob showed up in their descendants. The Herodians were set against Messiah right from the moment that Herod the Great heard that a king of "the Jews" was born from the inquiries of the men 'from the East'.
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:1-3.
At this point in history, one might conclude that the descendants of Esau were indeed at the height of their persecution of Jacob's children and of one in particular. The persecution of Herod the Great would have an impact on the mothers and their babies under the age of two, but an angel of Yah appeared to Yosef/Joseph and advised that the little family should go into hiding in Egypt. As soon as the men from the East left Herod, and the decree went out to kill the infants, that angel messenger fulfilled his mission from Yah.
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Matthew 2:13-15.
All these connections between the two testaments were never points of focus in my entire life as they related to my experience as a believer or the Bible. The Bible in my early childhood in the Catholic venue was never encouraged. Then in my Protestant path, the focus was greatly on the New Testament with only Old Testament usage as "cherry-picking" here and there. The Psalms were beloved by many but as for anything else, not so much. We were taught next to nothing about the origins of the Temple in Jerusalem. That's not church-bashing. It's just the way it was. Now I know better and share the gracious company of many others who journey with me each day.
Tomorrow we shall continue on as the Tabernacle is “reared up” as the KJV renders. I expect to be one more day closer to recovery from this throat bug. Next to no voice at all yesterday has morphed into that “Three Fingers Louie” gravelly sound of today. The sky has cleared and the sun is shining. The temperature is steady at thirty-two F. Spring hopes: eternal!
The original portable Tabernacle was finally completed in the second year of their journey and set up “as God had commanded Moses”. We know that the Ark of the Covenant was the only furniture to survive in the days of David. In his son Solomon’s reign, the Ark was placed in a grand building that was made on what we now know as the Temple Mount or Mount Moriah. Somehow, in all my earlier mainline education the fact that Mt. Moriah and the elevation upon which the ruins of the temple were rebuilt in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah were the same place was never mentioned that I can remember. However, I think I’ve made up for a powerful lot of incorrect perceptions in the past with daily attention to these first five books of the Old Testament. Indeed, Mt. Moriah is the same place where the ruins of the temple remain to this day. Abraham was called to offer up Isaac in that same location. Near the end of his reign as king, David called for a census, which was contrary to the will of God. This was addressed several days ago taken from 2 Samuel, chapter twenty-four. The account is also in 1 Chronicles 21.
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. 1 Chronicles 21:1.
Adam Clarke adds clarity because of this alternate view of that particular situation with David:
"He moved David against them - God could not be angry with David for numbering the people if he moved him to do it; but in the parallel place (1Ch 21:1) it is expressly said, Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. David, in all probability, slackening in his piety and confidence toward God, and meditating some extension of his dominions without the Divine counsel or command, was naturally curious to know whether the number of fighting men in his empire was sufficient for the work which he had projected. See more on 2Sa 24:10 (note). He therefore orders Joab and the captains to take an exact account of all the effective men in Israel and Judah. God is justly displeased with this conduct, and determines that the props of his vain ambition shall be taken away, either by famine, war, or pestilence."
David could have just given us a good example of how a seemingly inconsequential way of thinking can lead to sin. As Adam Clarke suggested, David may have been a little 'puffed up'. That's equivalent to the action of leaven. We know that the action of leaven 'puffing up' is not good unless one is baking bread or some other tasty delight. Asking our Father God to help us determine BALANCE in every thought will help us to steer clear of elevating our press reviews in our own estimation. David may have been using "props" of ambition instead of going one hundred percent on the will of God. There is a balance to be found using 'ambition'. We can use it to improve our lot under Yah's authority, or it can become the tail wagging the dog! We can become far too ambitious and that can overtake us and lead to our destruction.
When David repented for the sin and the grievous result of that decision, he purchased the property from a man named Ornan, a Jebusite (A native of Jerusalem). He erected an altar and offered sacrifice there to make peace between himself and God and to atone for his rebellion of calling the census. Later, his son Solomon began the building of the permanent temple in and about this same area, fulfilling David’s wish to build God a house on earth.
The same general location as Mt Moriah is known for the sacrifice of another. There is sound archaeological evidence to suppose that the place of the crucifixion of Jesus was at the summit of Mt. Moriah, probably near the present-day Damascus Gate and the Garden Tomb which would of course be a literal fulfillment of Abraham's offering of Isaac when God said,
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. Genesis 22:14.
Indeed, The LORD provided, and "in the mount of the LORD it was seen" when the Son of God was killed and three days later He conquered death. Whatever happened to the temple that Ezra rebuilt after the diaspora returned to Jerusalem? King Cyrus of Persia very generously declared that they should go home and rebuild their 'temple' to their God.
1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. 4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. Ezra 1:1-4.
It remained until the next great persecution of the Jews occurred in the days of Antiochus, who routed the Jewish worshippers out of it and desecrated the altar by sacrificing a pig. It was at one of these most heinous times in the history of Israel that a single family was elevated to be role models to all of Israel. You will find this history in the Books of the Maccabees. They can be found in the 1611 Edition of the King James Version which included the section of the Bible known as The Apocrypha. Otherwise, you can key in the name 'Apocrypha' into your search engine and you will find somewhere to purchase these most fascinating books. They were not included in the final canon of Scripture in the Protestant Bible as 'inspired by God but their value for historical purposes is priceless. It remains to be seen whether the early church “fathers’ ” decision to exclude the Apocrypha was the will of God or not.
In any event, the temple stood in various states of use and repair/disrepair until a fellow by the name of Herod came along. By then the first temple built by Solomon stood in the time slot of 957 B.C. to 587 B.C. and the second temple stood from 515 B.C. to the year 70 A.D. with the additions and beautification at the decree of Herod, who was an Idumean (from the kingdom of Edom) who worshiped as a Jew but who was a multi-theist who gave honor to whom he would give honor to further his agendas. This Herod would have a son named Herod Antipas, who would eventually hand off the “problem” of the upstart Jew who had been proclaimed the Son of God by His followers to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.
The Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus wrote in his history, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XV, 11, i:
"And now Herod, in the eighteenth year of his reign, and after the acts already mentioned, undertook a very great work, that is, to build of himself the temple of God, and make it larger in compass, and to raise it to a most magnificent altitude, as esteeming it to be the most glorious of all his actions, as it really was, to bring it to perfection..."
The study of the family of Herod is a fascinating one that I've scraped the surface and would like to do a deep dive at some time. The 'Herod's' were descendants of Esau. They were Idumeans because the Greek for Edom is Idumea. The International Standard Bible Dictionary tells us that:
"The Herodians were not of Jewish stock. Herod the Great encouraged the circulation of the legend of the family descent from an illustrious Babylonian Jew (Ant., XIV, i, 3), but it has no historic basis. It is true the Idumeans were at that time nominal Jews, since they were subdued by John Hyrcanus in 125 BC, and embodied in the Asmonean kingdom through an enforced circumcision, but the old national antagonism remained (Ge 27:41)."
The rancor that once existed between Esau and Jacob showed up in their descendants. The Herodians were set against Messiah right from the moment that Herod the Great heard that a king of "the Jews" was born from the inquiries of the men 'from the East'.
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:1-3.
At this point in history, one might conclude that the descendants of Esau were indeed at the height of their persecution of Jacob's children and of one in particular. The persecution of Herod the Great would have an impact on the mothers and their babies under the age of two, but an angel of Yah appeared to Yosef/Joseph and advised that the little family should go into hiding in Egypt. As soon as the men from the East left Herod, and the decree went out to kill the infants, that angel messenger fulfilled his mission from Yah.
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Matthew 2:13-15.
All these connections between the two testaments were never points of focus in my entire life as they related to my experience as a believer or the Bible. The Bible in my early childhood in the Catholic venue was never encouraged. Then in my Protestant path, the focus was greatly on the New Testament with only Old Testament usage as "cherry-picking" here and there. The Psalms were beloved by many but as for anything else, not so much. We were taught next to nothing about the origins of the Temple in Jerusalem. That's not church-bashing. It's just the way it was. Now I know better and share the gracious company of many others who journey with me each day.
Tomorrow we shall continue on as the Tabernacle is “reared up” as the KJV renders. I expect to be one more day closer to recovery from this throat bug. Next to no voice at all yesterday has morphed into that “Three Fingers Louie” gravelly sound of today. The sky has cleared and the sun is shining. The temperature is steady at thirty-two F. Spring hopes: eternal!
16 Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he. Exodus 40:16.
1 NASB www.lockman.org for daily reading and KJV in commentary unless otherwise specified
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