Shemot (Exodus)
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Meaning
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Day Six
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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 21:1-18 (NASB)1
1 Then He said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance. 2 "Moses alone, however, shall come near to the LORD, but they shall not come near, nor shall the people come up with him." 3 Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!" 4 Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!" 8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." 9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. 11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank. 12 Now the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction." 13 So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14 But to the elders he said, "Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them." 15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. 18 Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. 2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Psalm 43:1-3. Psalm 43 came into my 'pre-Torah warm-up this morning. It's been an emotional week for Israel and her supporters. The body of Obed Lifshitz has been confirmed. The bodies of the Bibas children were returned to Israel and the forensic team verified their identities, but the body they sent is not that of their mother Shiri. The two young boys were taken with their mother on 7 September but were likely murdered approximately ten days later. Their father, Yarden, who was released recently, wanted to ensure that the world knows that “Kfir and Ariel were killed with bare hands and then terrible acts were committed against them to obscure the circumstances of the murder.” Hamas wanted it to appear that they were killed in an IDF attack.
But while the cloak of grief weighs heavy on the Israeli people, in the past forty eight hours we've seen the hand of God move. All public transportation is halted because it's been concluded that Hamas was planning on another day of massive death in Israel today. Explosives planted on one bus, exploded after business hours and nobody was hurt. A passenger alerted a bus driver to a suspicious package under a seat on another bus. The driver had the bus vacated and nobody was hurt. Since pulling every bus off route, other bombs found that were timed to detonate at 8:30 A.M. Israeli time. They were all synchronized and the object was to kill thousands of people on the buses at prime time in the morning. Due to a mistake in setting the timer, the one that exploded in the yard after hours was set to the P.M. in error. It's known that fifteen buses were scheduled to explode in the Tel Aviv area. More suicide bombers were scheduled to carry out 'missions' on the light rail. I suppose that these things are inevitable when you consider that Israel will receive home 6 hostages in the next twelve hours, but will be releasing 602 Hamas prisoners, according to the stipulations of the cease-fire. After midnight, Eastern time tonight, there will be 602 Hamas prisoners free to plan more retaliative strikes within Israel. Despite all of this, despite how it appears to our natural eyes, our Father God is in control.
4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 43:4-5.
It's been a very unprecedented news week all around, from all the craziness in government exposed to the condition of the Catholic Pope and his possible retirement or death. But according to our portion this morning, it was an even bigger news week for Israel back in the Sinai desert.
1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. 2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. 3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do. Exodus 24:1-3.
The people responded to the presence of God and the code of law handed down that was, as I'm sure we can all agree, based on those ten commandments. The covenant was ratified, or sealed with great ceremony, after twelve altars were raised.
6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. 8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words. Exodus 24:4-8.
That phrase “blood of the covenant” appears only twice in the Bible. It is here in Exodus, and again in Hebrews.
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? Hebrews 10:29.
How timely, that having finished our book detailing the life and adventures of the veterinarian, James Herriot, I should select an article in the Billy Graham magazine entitled, “Why Is The Blood of Christ So Significant?”, to read for Mamaw Burlock yesterday? Then the very next day, how is it that I be repeatedly tapped with that phrase “blood of the covenant”? This notion that blood will cover or eradicate the sin of rebellion that brings death, was actually conceived by The Creator before Genesis 1:1. It was brought into mention in Genesis 3:21.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21.
Some animal or animals had to die in order to 'cover' our first parents in their new realization of 'sin' and 'rebellion'. The story of Cain and Abel is like a foretaste of the history of men who became divided over the remedy for 'sin' and 'rebellion'. Abel accepted the notion and Cain, we know, didn't, because he only gave the best of his gardening. His offering didn't reflect the same as his brother, or that which his parents received just after they were removed from Gan Edyn, the Garden of Eden. The blood of the covenant was present even before it had an official name. According to the words in Hebrews 10:29, it appears that we could say that Cain counted “the blood of the covenant” as an unholy thing. It might possibly be that it wasn't that he thought it was dirty or vile, but simply 'not holy'. It didn't rank in the honor with which his parents or brother held it. So, the split between mankind could actually have began long before Genesis four, where the big divide between men who did believe and men who didn't, became much more apparent among the descendants of the first parents.
All the way between this twenty-fourth chapter of Exodus until it was written in that Letter to the Hebrews, lay a long history of God's plan for the 'blood of the covenant'. A blood covenant is a very solemn and binding agreement, marked by 'shared blood'. It can symbolize the deepest of commitments of trust between the parties. Whatever some folks say about the authorship of the book of Hebrews, we can take these words seriously. Mankind has been counting the blood of the covenant as 'unholy' and unnecessary and has 'trodden' it 'underfoot' since the days of Cain. The “Last Supper” is also believed to be a Seder Passover meal by Messianics and Messianic Jews. I was taught in my 'churchy' days that Messiah offered a “new” relationship between Him and all believers that emphasized redemption and grace. But after all my travels in Torah, I believe that it wasn't a “new” covenant as much as it was a “renewed” sort. Redemption and grace aren't something 'new' for all believers. Redemption and grace were extended to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new καινός testament διαθήκη in my blood, which is shed for you. Luke Luke 22:20.
The Greek for the word new is καινός kainós, kahee-nos' of uncertain affinity; new (especially in freshness; while G3501 is properly so with respect to age:—new. Adjective. The root G3501 is νέος néos, neh'-os including the comparative νεότερος neóteros neh-o'-ter-os; a primary word; "new", i.e. (of persons) youthful, or (of things) fresh; figuratively, regenerate:—new, young. Adjective.
The Greek for the word testament in that same passage is διαθήκη diathḗkē, dee-ath-ay'-kay from G1303; properly, a disposition, i.e. (specially) a contract (especially a devisory will):—covenant, testament. feminine noun. The root G1303 is διατίθεμαι diatíthemai, dee-at-ith'-em-ahee middle voice from G1223 and G5087; to put apart, i.e. (figuratively) dispose (by assignment, compact, or bequest):—appoint, make, testator. Verb. The root G1223 has descriptor words: by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore. The root G5087 has descriptor words: make, ordain, purpose, put, set (forth), settle.
This “middle voice” in Greek means that The subject is part or all of the action. In other words, the subject is both the cause and the focus, the agent and experiencer, of a verbal action (e.g. I moved (myself)). Verbs in the MIDDLE VOICE are extremely common in Greek, and appear in most Greek sentences.
There are four cups taken during the Passover meal (AKA Seder). They are:
I was late enough in starting this edition today and add to that, I was searching for that connection of “blood of the covenant” that did not come easy. So I had to leave it and 'ruminate' on it in the car on the way to and back from the errands of the sixth day each week. Finally, this is what came out of that:
“the blood of the covenant” = RELATIONSHIP
The Creator God was looking for RELATIONSHIP prior to Genesis 1:1. He had some unique fellowship and relationship with Adam and Eve until it needed to change for the human race. God didn't change. The coverings were taken through bloodshed of animals to maintain the human component of that relationship. This relationship was then refreshed and expanded for the nation of Israel in order to live out their 'calling' as a nation. Their nation would then give rise to Yeshua/Salvation and at that last supper, He saved that last cup for AFTER He would, HIMSELF, be the 'experiencer' of Redemption in one act, once and for all. This could be viewed as the last component of the ultimate RELATIONSHIP between God, The Creator and His Creation, mankind. The same “blood of the covenant” that was, and is, and is to return: Hallelu-YAH!
But while the cloak of grief weighs heavy on the Israeli people, in the past forty eight hours we've seen the hand of God move. All public transportation is halted because it's been concluded that Hamas was planning on another day of massive death in Israel today. Explosives planted on one bus, exploded after business hours and nobody was hurt. A passenger alerted a bus driver to a suspicious package under a seat on another bus. The driver had the bus vacated and nobody was hurt. Since pulling every bus off route, other bombs found that were timed to detonate at 8:30 A.M. Israeli time. They were all synchronized and the object was to kill thousands of people on the buses at prime time in the morning. Due to a mistake in setting the timer, the one that exploded in the yard after hours was set to the P.M. in error. It's known that fifteen buses were scheduled to explode in the Tel Aviv area. More suicide bombers were scheduled to carry out 'missions' on the light rail. I suppose that these things are inevitable when you consider that Israel will receive home 6 hostages in the next twelve hours, but will be releasing 602 Hamas prisoners, according to the stipulations of the cease-fire. After midnight, Eastern time tonight, there will be 602 Hamas prisoners free to plan more retaliative strikes within Israel. Despite all of this, despite how it appears to our natural eyes, our Father God is in control.
4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 43:4-5.
It's been a very unprecedented news week all around, from all the craziness in government exposed to the condition of the Catholic Pope and his possible retirement or death. But according to our portion this morning, it was an even bigger news week for Israel back in the Sinai desert.
1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. 2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. 3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do. Exodus 24:1-3.
The people responded to the presence of God and the code of law handed down that was, as I'm sure we can all agree, based on those ten commandments. The covenant was ratified, or sealed with great ceremony, after twelve altars were raised.
6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. 8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words. Exodus 24:4-8.
That phrase “blood of the covenant” appears only twice in the Bible. It is here in Exodus, and again in Hebrews.
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? Hebrews 10:29.
How timely, that having finished our book detailing the life and adventures of the veterinarian, James Herriot, I should select an article in the Billy Graham magazine entitled, “Why Is The Blood of Christ So Significant?”, to read for Mamaw Burlock yesterday? Then the very next day, how is it that I be repeatedly tapped with that phrase “blood of the covenant”? This notion that blood will cover or eradicate the sin of rebellion that brings death, was actually conceived by The Creator before Genesis 1:1. It was brought into mention in Genesis 3:21.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21.
Some animal or animals had to die in order to 'cover' our first parents in their new realization of 'sin' and 'rebellion'. The story of Cain and Abel is like a foretaste of the history of men who became divided over the remedy for 'sin' and 'rebellion'. Abel accepted the notion and Cain, we know, didn't, because he only gave the best of his gardening. His offering didn't reflect the same as his brother, or that which his parents received just after they were removed from Gan Edyn, the Garden of Eden. The blood of the covenant was present even before it had an official name. According to the words in Hebrews 10:29, it appears that we could say that Cain counted “the blood of the covenant” as an unholy thing. It might possibly be that it wasn't that he thought it was dirty or vile, but simply 'not holy'. It didn't rank in the honor with which his parents or brother held it. So, the split between mankind could actually have began long before Genesis four, where the big divide between men who did believe and men who didn't, became much more apparent among the descendants of the first parents.
All the way between this twenty-fourth chapter of Exodus until it was written in that Letter to the Hebrews, lay a long history of God's plan for the 'blood of the covenant'. A blood covenant is a very solemn and binding agreement, marked by 'shared blood'. It can symbolize the deepest of commitments of trust between the parties. Whatever some folks say about the authorship of the book of Hebrews, we can take these words seriously. Mankind has been counting the blood of the covenant as 'unholy' and unnecessary and has 'trodden' it 'underfoot' since the days of Cain. The “Last Supper” is also believed to be a Seder Passover meal by Messianics and Messianic Jews. I was taught in my 'churchy' days that Messiah offered a “new” relationship between Him and all believers that emphasized redemption and grace. But after all my travels in Torah, I believe that it wasn't a “new” covenant as much as it was a “renewed” sort. Redemption and grace aren't something 'new' for all believers. Redemption and grace were extended to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new καινός testament διαθήκη in my blood, which is shed for you. Luke Luke 22:20.
The Greek for the word new is καινός kainós, kahee-nos' of uncertain affinity; new (especially in freshness; while G3501 is properly so with respect to age:—new. Adjective. The root G3501 is νέος néos, neh'-os including the comparative νεότερος neóteros neh-o'-ter-os; a primary word; "new", i.e. (of persons) youthful, or (of things) fresh; figuratively, regenerate:—new, young. Adjective.
The Greek for the word testament in that same passage is διαθήκη diathḗkē, dee-ath-ay'-kay from G1303; properly, a disposition, i.e. (specially) a contract (especially a devisory will):—covenant, testament. feminine noun. The root G1303 is διατίθεμαι diatíthemai, dee-at-ith'-em-ahee middle voice from G1223 and G5087; to put apart, i.e. (figuratively) dispose (by assignment, compact, or bequest):—appoint, make, testator. Verb. The root G1223 has descriptor words: by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore. The root G5087 has descriptor words: make, ordain, purpose, put, set (forth), settle.
This “middle voice” in Greek means that The subject is part or all of the action. In other words, the subject is both the cause and the focus, the agent and experiencer, of a verbal action (e.g. I moved (myself)). Verbs in the MIDDLE VOICE are extremely common in Greek, and appear in most Greek sentences.
There are four cups taken during the Passover meal (AKA Seder). They are:
- Sanctification “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
- Deliverance “I will deliver you from their bondage.”
- Redemption “I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.”
- Hope (or Praise) ‘Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God.”
I was late enough in starting this edition today and add to that, I was searching for that connection of “blood of the covenant” that did not come easy. So I had to leave it and 'ruminate' on it in the car on the way to and back from the errands of the sixth day each week. Finally, this is what came out of that:
“the blood of the covenant” = RELATIONSHIP
The Creator God was looking for RELATIONSHIP prior to Genesis 1:1. He had some unique fellowship and relationship with Adam and Eve until it needed to change for the human race. God didn't change. The coverings were taken through bloodshed of animals to maintain the human component of that relationship. This relationship was then refreshed and expanded for the nation of Israel in order to live out their 'calling' as a nation. Their nation would then give rise to Yeshua/Salvation and at that last supper, He saved that last cup for AFTER He would, HIMSELF, be the 'experiencer' of Redemption in one act, once and for all. This could be viewed as the last component of the ultimate RELATIONSHIP between God, The Creator and His Creation, mankind. The same “blood of the covenant” that was, and is, and is to return: Hallelu-YAH!
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Revelation 5:6-10.
1 NASB www.lockman.org for daily reading and KJV in commentary unless otherwise specified.
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