Shabbat Bible Study for July 1, 2017

©2017 Mark Pitrone and Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Shemoth 27:20 – 28:43 – Yechezkel 3:10-27, 43:10-12; YirmeYahu 11:1-23 – 

Tehellim 59 – Ivrit 3:1-19

Links for today:

http://gorepent.com/wp-content/uploads/posts2/priest-garment.jpg 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Abib 

http://geology.com/world/syria-satellite-image.shtml

Shemoth 27.20-21 – Yisrael was to bring pure oil olive to the sanctuary for the menorah to keep the light burning in the Holy Place forever. The oil is representative of the Ruach haKodesh that would be abundantly ever-present for as long as they kept covenant with Y’hovah – if they stayed true to their word, he would provide all the grace they needed to be able to perform their vows. It is the Spirit of Y’hovah that provides our ability to shema (hear and obey) and shamar (keep and guard) his commandments. When we stay submitted to him, seeking his approval instead of men’s approval, he will be faithful to us and abundantly provide his Ruach to empower us to shema and to shamar. 

Shemoth 28.1-6 – Y’hovah told Moshe to take his brother and his 4 sons and anoint them as priests of Yisrael. No mention is made of any further generations of Priests. The Chumash mentions that this anointing would be passed on to all future offspring of Aharon’s sons, but not to those already alive. This is deduced by the fact that Pinchas was not a Cohen until he was specifically appointed after he killed the Israelite man [Zimri] and the Canaanitish woman [Cozbi] in the Sanctuary in the throes of idolatrous and demonic passion. I think it likely that all of Aharon’s sons were old enough to fill the priest’s office as they came out of Egypt, while Pinchas was still too young. I ALSO think it likely that Pinchas had still not reached the age of ascension to the office when he served Y’hovah in his zeal for the sanctity of Y’hovah’s Tent of Meeting. Pinchas may have been a babe in arms as they left Egypt; he may even have been born during the Wilderness Adventure, and have been in his 20’s when that blasphemous incident happened. He may have been rewarded with early ascension to the priesthood due to his zeal for Y’hovah’s Mishkan and the set-apart office of Cohen. 

The High Priest’s clothing was for ‘kavod v’tifereth’, glory and beauty. All the Kohanim wore the linen britches, girdle, tunic, and coat. The High Priest also had the Ephod and Breastplate, and the mitre and headplate of gold, saying “Kodesh laY’hovah” –  “Set Apart unto Y’hovah”! Do you suppose that’s what the ‘mark of Y’hovah’ will be like in Yechezkel 9, which is yet future?

1 He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man his destroying weapon in his hand. 2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. 3 And the glory of the Elohim of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which the writer’ inkhorn by his side; 4 And Y’hovah said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: 6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which before the house [that is, elders and priests – Mark edit]. 7 And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city. 8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah! Adonai Y’hovah! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? 9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, Y’hovah hath forsaken the earth, and Y’hovah seeth not. 10 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, I will recompense their way upon their head. 11 And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. [Yechezkel 9.1-11]

Could be! Kadosh laY’hovah may be that mark! The political nation of Israel is drawing near to this kind of wickedness as I type. May they see a revival to Yhwh soon, in our day, or we may see the fulfillment of this prophecy with our own eyes. 

Notice also that Ezekiel says that judgment begins at the house of Y’hovah.

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (I Peter 4:17)

The Ephod was an apron that covered the middle of the High Priest’s body from about the bottom of the ribcage to the top of the knee, made of 5 stranded yarn, according to Chumash; 1 strand each of gold, techeleth, purple, scarlet and fine linen, twisted together into the yarn from which the material was woven. The colored strands were probably of wool. The #5 speaks of grace, which clothes the High Priest, for in his own right, he is no more worthy of entering Y’hovah’s presence than anyone else. He does so by the gracious provision of Y’hovah. The Ephod of the High Priest is made of cunning work, which tells me that this was an area where the craftsmen would need Moshe’s input for details and the inspiration of Ruach haKodesh for the ability to understand and perform the detailed work. The belt on the top edge of the Ephod was woven right in, while the shoulder straps were probably sewn to the back of the Ephod and then attached to the shoulder boards by loops in the rear edge. Q&C

Vv.8-43 – The shoulder boards were free-standing settings made of gold, and each had an onyx stone with 6 names carved in raised lettering (like a signet) of the tribes of Israel in their birth order: Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Issachar and Zevulon on one board; Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Yoseph and BenYamin on the other. The stones were set in the gold shoulder boards that enclosed them in a gold network (ouches – KJV), which I can only assume laid between the names and along the outer edges of the stones in a sort of rabbetting on the edges of the stones, whose purpose was to keep the names of the tribes before Y’hovah as a ‘remembrance’. Chumash says they were to be a memorial of the righteousness of the tribes, but the tribes were no more righteous than you or I. They, like we are, were only righteous by their position in Y’hovah and Mashiach. The rabbis seem to think that Jews are righteous because they are born into Jewish homes. But righteousness that is imputed shows itself in righteous behavior, and imputation is not inherited. If there is no fruit, there is probably no imputation, either. I mean, Ishmael was as much a son of Avraham as was Yitzhak. But there is no imputation to Ishmael. Esav is as much a son of Yitzhak as is Ya’acov, but Esav has no imputation. The imputation is through faith, which is by Y’hovah’s calling (Rom.8 and 11) and our positive volitional choice to answer the call. It is Y’hovah who initiates the transaction by his gracious call. We respond by taking a volitional choice to answer, either in the affirmative or the negative. A positive choice results in immediate positional justification, sanctification and glorification and the cornerstones of our house are set. Continued positive volition results in our progressively building on those positional foundations that will, assuming continued positive choices, eventually result in a completed, a tamim, house. 

There were 2 gold chains connecting the shoulder boards to the breastplate. These chains looked like a braided rope of pure gold, and connected the upper corners of the Breastplate to the corresponding shoulder boards. That there are 2 chains puts me in mind of the 2 houses of the ruling tzadikim of Yisrael, Yehudah and Yoseph.

The Breastplate was a setting for the 12 individual stones that represented the 12 tribes of Yisrael. The Breastplate was of the same 5-stranded stuff as the Ephod. The finished product was about 9”x 9”, and the woven piece of Ephod material was about 9” x 18” folded over on itself. I surmise that the individual stones were set in the solid ½ and when the other ½ was folded over it, there were apertures that set the stones firmly in their places. The stones correspond, in the order they are listed, to the tribes according to birth order: Reuven = sardius, Shimon = topaz, Levi = carbuncle, etc. Each stone has the name of its corresponding tribe engraved on it in raised lettering like on the shoulder boards. There were rings of gold in the 4 corners of the Breastplate, the top, as we’ve already said, attaching via the gold chains to the shoulder boards and the bottom rings attaching by a lace of techeleth, which I assume was wool, since all the rest of the techeleth was wool. In Ezek.28, the King of Tyre had a breastplate, as well. But it only held 9 stones, the stones of the entire 3^rd row of the High Priest’s Breastplate are missing and the rest are rearranged. 9 is the number of the chaos of being ‘not quite perfect’, of missing the mark and, therefore, judgment. The 3 missing stones are Dan/ligure, Gad/agate and Asher/amethyst. 

In addition to the stones or memorial for the 12 tribes, the Breastplate also carried the Urim and the Thummim. Urim is from the root word, ohr, light; and Thumim is from the  word tamiym which relates to Y’hovah’s perfection or completeness. The Chumash has the Rambam saying that the Urim was a slip of paper/papyrus that is inserted in the fold of the breastplate on which was written the ineffable [without proper description] name of Y’hovah. The Thummim represented the complete and true answers Y’hovah would give to the questions the Kohan Gadol brought to him. Rambam said the Urim and the Thummim caused the individual letters in the names of the patriarchs to lighten and by putting them in the right order, the priest would get the right and true reply to the question posed. Aharon’s Breastplate carried the memorial stones for the 12 tribes and the right judgment by the Urim and Thummim close to his heart, just as Y’hovah carries chol Yisrael next to his heart and judges us righteously. 

The High Priest’s robe was all of blue (techeleth, v.31), and again I assume it is wool, stretched from the shoulder to near the ground. It was woven complete with the head hole and the rings from which to hang the gold bells and the scarlet, purple and techeleth pomegranates. The gold bells are to announce the presence of the High Priest in the Holy place going about his business in service to Y’hovah’s Mishkan, so Y’hovah wouldn’t strike him dead on the spot. On his mitre, or turban, was attached by laces of techeleth a plate of pure gold with the words engraved Kodesh laY’hovah, or Set-Apart to Y’hovah. He was to wear the mitre with the headplate whenever he was doing his service in the Mishkan, because the plate represented imputed righteousness (v.38). No matter how carefully one selects an offering for him, it will not be perfect enough to be able to stand before Y’hovah. The pure gold headplate signifies the belief that only the best is being offered to Y’hovah, and because we’ve chosen the best we have it is accepted as perfect. Y’hovah looks on our heart’s attitude before he looks at our offerings. Of course, we have to offer what we truly consider to be the very best we have in order for Him to accept is a tamim, perfect.

The coat and mitre were linen, also signifying the imputed righteousness of Y’hovah. Aharon’s sons had coats, girdles and turbans similar to Aharon’s, and for the same purpose, so that they could portray the kavod and the tifereth of Y’hovah as they ministered to him in the Mishkan and the Brazen Altar. And under all their fine they wore linen britches – ‘holy underwear’ – that covered their nakedness from their waists to their thighs probably almost to the knees. They were not boxer briefs. Their daily work in the court was pretty busy and there was need to go up the ramp numerous times a day and people might get an inadvertent look under the coat, so the provision of the ‘holy Bermuda shorts’ under it all was made. Next week, we’ll see the procedure to anoint Aharon and his sons. Q&C

Yechezkel 3.10-27 – Some background – Ch.1&2 are all about Yechezkel’s call and gifting from the Spirit of Y’hovah to do what Y’hovah needs to have done in calling Yisrael to repentance and to go Y’hovah’s way. That call continues in the opening verses of ch.3. At the end of ch.2 Zeke sees a hand holding a scroll, written on within and without. And at the beginning of ch.3 he is told to eat the scroll, which will be sweet to his taste. This was Yochanan’s experience in Rev.10 with the ‘little book’ the angel handed him. Yechezkel’s scroll was full of lamentations, warnings and woes. I assume that Yochanan’s was, also. Both scrolls were like honey to eat. I think that ‘eating’ the scroll means that they internalized, perhaps memorized, the Word Y’hovah had revealed to them, or perhaps the Ruach would bring the Words to their remembrance as it became necessary to reveal. And when the lamentations, warnings and woes were brought to their remembrance for exposition to their people, the Words became bitter in their ‘bellies’, which I take as a euphemism for their souls. In 3.4, Zeke is told to go to the House of Israel. He is not to go to a people of strange speech, but to people who WILL understand his message and will yet reject it. They will not hear the message at his mouth – and in the coming days many, indeed MOST, of the people who name Y’hovah’s Name will not receive the Word of Y’hovah  [they will have taken Y’hovah’s Name on themselves in vain] from us. The average Xian believes he is a part of the Bride of Christ because he said a little prayer a long time ago. He thinks that he’s got his ‘Get out of Hell Free!’ card, and he might. But with that attitude of “I’m saved. What more do I need?” They are relegating themselves to a rewardless eternity at best – perhaps one without Mashiach at all. The Bride is described in Rev.12.17 and 14.12:

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of Elohim, and have the testimony of Yeshua haMoshiach.

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here they that keep the commandments of Elohim, and the faith of Yeshua.

The reason I say that perhaps the average Xian is without Mashiach is right there in 14.12, the patience of the saints is faith in Yeshua + keeping the commandments of Elohim. Saints keep the commandments of Y’hovah. Most churches teach that there is no need to obey the Word of Y’hovah, besides the rather nebulous “Love Y’hovah Elohecha with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” without ever defining what loving Y’hovah means. Yeshua made it very clear when he said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Jn.14.15, which merely restates Ex.20.6 and restated again in Dan.9.4: 

And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:6)

And I prayed unto Y’hovah Elohai, and made my confession, and said, Adoni, the great and dreadful Eloha, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; (Daniel 9:4)

It is as plain as the nose on my face (and that is quite plain) that the definition of ‘love Y’hovah’ is ‘keep his commandments.’

But don’t take heart at this word from me, Yehudah, because most of you neither keep his commandments nor have the faith of Yeshua. You rely on your birth into the physical family of Avraham, Yitzhak and Ya’acov, as if you have no responsibility to keep his commandments. You may keep the word of your rabbis, but the Word of Y’hovah is foreign to you. The VAST majority of the people on this earth that name the Name of Y’hovah, or who claim to be his are either deceived or lying to themselves. This may even be true of some who are reading or hearing this today. Q&C

Yechezkel loved Y’hovah above his very soul or he would not have done what Y’hovah commanded him to do. He was fed the scroll and he devoured it, internalized it, and then he went to pronounce on his beloved people the lamentations, warnings and woes contained in the scroll. I can’t imagine that he was ‘popular’ (which popularity is a curse on the ‘church’ today, whose pastors tickle the itches way down the auditory canals of their contributors). It’s really no wonder that our ‘western society and Xianity’ is in decline and the Moslem society is in ascension – the Moslems preach a truer word, albeit about a false god, while ‘the church’ teaches lies about the Faithful and True Creator and King of the Universe. 

19 O Y’hovah, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. (Yirmeyahu16.19)

I sincerely hope that some of the gentile church and some of the Yehudim awaken to the lies they’ve been told and come to Y’hovah seeking truth, as many of y’all have. Please notice that I did not say ‘All y’all’. That’s because I don’t know ‘all y’all’, so I can’t say that. In fact, of the however many folks there are in this room right now, only about 7 or 8 have ever come to the mike, so I haven’t even a CLUE about all the rest of you. You might all be Moslems or communists or something just gathering evidence to make false accusation against us in the future. For those of you who I just described, these bible studies are archived on the Way To Zion website – you don’t even have to record it for your masters in Mecca or Moscow or Washington, DC or London. You or your masters can download them from there later and you can go enjoy your Saturn-day.

I seriously doubt that many who hear this will understand that we ALL need to awaken from our sleep. Very few received the Word at Yechezkel’s mouth. Who am I to think many will hear it at MY mouth? But we who name Y’hovah’s Name are ALL called to give Israel a wake-up, and as far as I am concerned, Israel means the whole earth. I pray that Ruach witnesses to the spirit of whosoever will through these web-casts and downloads, even the masters of the people who may be planted here to spy us out. (You Know Who You Are!) 

May Y’hovah make our faces strong against those who would accuse us falsely, so that we can bring the truth to the forefront. If they hear us, well. If they refuse, that is on them. But if we don’t speak Y’hovah’s warnings to them, that is on US! If only ALL pastors of ALL churches took their call seriously enough to sound the warning to their flocks! If only they would put their call and their charge above their popularity and the resultant ‘contributions’! Vv.17-21 are very plain. If we see a man in sin, whether sinner or saint, and we don’t warn him, he will die in his iniquity, and his blood will be required of US! But if we DO warn him, and he does not repent, he may yet die in his lawlessness, but his blood is no longer on our hands. And if he hears the Word at our mouth and turns from his sin, we have won our brother and preserved our own souls. Buy One, Get One. That’s a good deal! When the prophet speaks Y’hovah’s Word, he delivers both the righteous and himself. The key is obedience to Y’hovah. We MUST point out obvious sin in our brother’s life and also warn the unbeliever of the doom to come, or their blood is on us. 

V.23 shows us a template or formula; when a man of Y’hovah enters the presence of Y’hovah he falls on his face before him. There are NO exceptions in scripture. When a man falls backwards in a spiritual experience, it is NOT the Spirit of Y’hovah that’s making him fall down. Period. Exclamation point! Every time I’ve seen an evil spirit come out of a man under his control, the spirit threw him back to the ground. That spirit would not prostrate himself to Y’hovah. The Temple guard that took Yeshua in the Garden were under the influence of a wicked spirit or spirits. 

After he delivered the message to Israel in Tel-Aviv, Zeke was struck mute by Ruach haKodesh until such time as Ruach enabled him to speak. I wonder if Zeke spoke when he went to lying on his left side for 390 days and his right side for 40 days in ch.4. I think not. He spoke only as Ruach gave him utterance.

4 And they were all filled with Ruach haKodesh, and began to speak with other tongues, as Ruach gave them utterance. (Acts 2.4)

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with Ruach haKodesh, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (Acts.4.31)

I pray that this would be y’all’s testimony in the days to come. Mine, too. Now, here’s a Midrash on those 2 verses – both groups were filled with Ruach haKodesh. I think the one result and the other result are the same. The ‘other tongues’ and ‘boldness’ are the same thing. We have a hard time speaking the Word of Y’hovah with boldness. In fact, we CAN’T unless the Spirit does it through us. Are the ‘other tongues’ a language we’ve never learned, whether a human or heavenly language? Perhaps, as the situation warrants. But what I KNOW is the manifestation of the Ruach haKodesh is boldness in speaking his Word. 

Yechezkel 43.10-12 – The House is the Beit haMikdash that has been shown to Zeke in vision. I do not think he has the ability to transport the House of Israel into the Temple he saw, so he must have described it to them to see what their reaction would be (v.10). And if the description was enough to make them weep over their iniquity and want to repent, he was to show them the actual plans on a scroll and the laws and ordinances of the service there (v.11). I think that if they would respond positively to the plans and requirements, they would have had a chance to actually build that Beit haMikdash in their lifetimes. The FACT that this Temple was never built proves that, though they may have responded well to the description, the actual plans and requirements closed their minds to it. Q&C 

Tehellim 60 – WOW! The opening verses sound like they were written this past week! They were actually written when Moab and Edom enlisted the aid of Assyria and the Arab nations around Israel to invade Israel just at the time the Kingdom was uniting under David and Israel, militarily, was at its lowest strength. ALL the Kings of the east and north were in array against Israel (2Sam.10). Humanly speaking the pagans picked the absolutely best time to attack. Assyria was on the rise as a military power – far more powerful than even the United Israel. Two words came into play at exactly that time that turned to battle to David and his generals Joab and his brother Abishai – “BUT Y’HOVAH”! And that was largely due to this psalm being on David’s heart, mind and lips. David basically acknowledged that Israel is toast unless Y’hovah intervened and so David asked his intervention. 

Verses 1-4 refer to Ephraim and Yehudah being estranged, which Y’hovah had said would result if the people strayed from him. The rift between Yehudah and Ephraim had existed since Ya’acov’s blessings on his sons in Gen. 48 &49, where I believe the Melchizedek ‘order’ of the priesthood was split, the Kingdom going to Yehudah and the Righteousness going to Yoseph through Ephraim. As we’ve seen in our Genesis studies last year, Yehudah had walked away from his father and family after he had brokered the sale of Yoseph into Egypt. Only after the Tamar incident did Yehudah acknowledge his iniquity and become a tzadik on nearly the same order as Yoseph. After Yehudah showed his change of heart to Yoseph by offering himself in place of BenYamin, Yoseph’s heart toward Yehudah was cemented in love for his elder brother and he held no animosity toward Yehudah. But the same may not have been true of his descendants. Ephraimites (Xians) perpetrate most of the anti-Yehudah actions in the world by an Edomite spirit. Until Mashiach, who was physically a son of Yehudah, came as the tzadik Mashiach ben Yoseph, the rift was palpable and, humanly speaking, still is. But in the spirit, Mashiach had to fulfill both roles as suffering servant (ben Yoseph) and as reigning King (ben David). In vv.1-4 David acknowledged the rift, and asked Y’hovah to forgive the nation and heal it, as Y’hovah had promised he would IF Israel returned to him. David knew that the battle might be fought on earth by his armies, but the real battle was in the heavenlies and that only Y’hovah could win it. If Yisrael would rally under Y’hovah’s banner, the war was already won. Only United Israel will be Mashiach’s Bride, and only Mashiach will deliver her from her enemies. 

Vv.5-8 show that Elohim will bring ALL the land-grant under David’s (and Mashiach’s) rule. This had partial fulfillment in David and Shlomo’s Kingdom, which we see in the middle verses of this Psalm, but even they didn’t rule or hold sway over the entire grant, though it nearly was DUE TO Y’hovah’s deliverance and driving out Assyria and relegating it to the backwaters for a few hundred years to lick its wounds. Assyria never did conquer Yehudah, thanks to Y’hovah’s interventions. The ultimate fulfillment will be under King Mashiach. Ephraim, as the tzadik (ben Yoseph), is the strength of Y’hovah’s hand, and Yehudah, as the melech (ben David), is his lawgiver. I think v.8 may be speaking of Mashiach’s return, when he treads the winepress alone and “washes” his garments in the winepresses of Bozrah (Moav and Edom). 

1 Who this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2 Wherefore red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. (Isaiah 63:1-3)

Vv.9-12 speak of future redemption and Mashiach’s Kingdom. When our armies go out to battle ahead of Y’hovah’s time and plan, they are in deep Kimchee. But when we wait on him and go out under his banner, we not only prevail, we rout the enemy because it is actually Y’hovah who fights for us [Jdg.6-8, where Gid’on, by Yhwh’s power and plan, routs an army of 135K with 300 men]. I think! HE will bring in his Kingdom, not us. We need to get ourselves out of the way and let him lead us by his Ruach. When we fought Og of Bashan and Moav [and Midian, Amalek and the Children of the East, Jdg.6-8] under Y’hovah’s banner, we not only WON, we did so without casualties. Now THAT is how to fight a war! Q&C

Ivrit 3. – Those who partake in the flesh and blood of 2.14,

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

also partake of the heavenly calling,

For the gifts and calling of Elohim are without repentance. (Romans 11:29)

V.1 is the beginning of the argument for Yeshua being the Melchizedek High Priest, and NOT a Levitical priest, which argument culminates in ch.7&8. It was neither the Covenant that Yeshua abolished and replaced, nor was it the Levitical priesthood. It was the Aharonic High Priesthood and the one offering that MUST be made by him on Yom Kippur (which is addressed in ch.9&10). Cf. AENT note for v.1, bottom of pg. 402. This book is a wonderfully and logically laid out argument for the pre-eminence of Mashiach Yeshua’s atonement over the metaphorical shadow-pictures of the bulls and goats. So the children who partook of the Aharonic atonement, meaning they put their trust in the provision of Y’hovah, are also partakers in Yeshua’s Melchizedek atonement.

V.2 likens Mashiach’s faithfulness to Moshe’s. Paul [the author of Hebrews, to my mind] is referring to 

6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, Y’hovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, will speak unto him in a dream. 7 My servant Moshe not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of Y’hovah shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moshe? (Num.10.6-8)

Now THERE’S an indictment against the preachers who say the Torah no longer applies, because it was nailed to Yeshua’s tree. The only thing nailed to Yeshua’s tree, other than Himself, was his accusation 

19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. [Yochanan 19.19-20].

Paul [v.2] says here that Yeshua is faithful in his own house, as he reiterates in v.6a. Yeshua is, therefore, worthy of greater kavod than Moshe. WAIT A MINUTE! Greater kavod than Moshe?! Moshe built the physical nation of Israel out of the 12 tribes. Mashiach is building the spiritual House of Y’hovah out of all the nations of the earth, making a nation of priests for the whole world. The calling of Yisrael is extended to the whole world in Mashiach Yeshua. The houses we see in vv.5&6 are parallel by contrast, as are Moshe and Yeshua. In v.6 Sha’ul makes it clear that the Hebrew Kohanim to whom he is writing were believers in Mashiach who were considering returning to the atonement in the Temple. Paul has made a few references to their mutual faith in Mashiach; ‘our profession’ in v.1, ‘whose house we are’ and ‘if we hold fast’ in v.6. The fact that he had to say ‘IF we hold fast’ is the clue as to their thinking, which was to let go of the confidence and joy and hope to which they’d made profession. That it says to hold fast ‘unto the end’ makes me infer that there is a consequence to not holding fast unto the end. I think these guys were getting ready to deny Mashiach. Yeshua had said to his talmidim:

But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 10:33)

That ought to sober us all up. 

In vv.7-11 Paul paraphrased Ps.95.7c-11

7c To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, as the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years long was I grieved with generation, and said, It a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

In the peshat, that rest was the land, where they would cease their wandering. The day of provocation was when they refused to enter Y’hovah’s rest in his timing at Kadesh Barnea. This points to the sod of the Shabbat rest in the atonement of Mashiach Yeshua – the rest into which the Hebrew audience of this letter had entered and had partaken of its confident joy and hope. He was trying to avert the loss to them of the rest they’d tasted, to remind them of where they had been and where they had promise of going, if they held fast their profession. The implication is that if they turn from their profession, they will be re-enacting Kadesh Barnea. Remember the spies entered into the land and partook of the produce of it, but would not walk with Y’hovah by faith. That is the allusion Paul makes here midrashically. The people knew Y’hovah’s works, but not his ways. Sha’ul is telling these Hebrew Kohanim to look to the ways of Y’hovah – to trust the perception of the Spirit and the hope he brings, and to quit trusting their eyes and their flesh. Israel in the wilderness had been delivered from Egypt and knew that Y’hovah was able to carry them through, but they only believed their experience. They forgot that the same Elohim who delivered them from Egypt by the hand of Moshe had also promised to deliver them into the land that flowed with milk and honey, the land that they had seen and tasted its fruit. Those who would not believe were left out of Canaan’s rest. 

“Not all” in v.16 refers to Yehoshua and Kalev, who truly believed and were ready to act on their belief. Here is one instance in which Ephraim and Yehudah were One in Y’hovah’s hand. Interesting that the Tzadik of Ephraim [Yehoshua] led them into Canaan as a nation, and that the only tribe to fully conquer their inheritance was Yehuda under Kalev. Chol Israel never killed or drove out the Canaanites. Only Yehudah did. Of the 2-4 million Israelites who crossed the Red Sea and received the covenant at Sinai, only 2, Yehoshua and Kalev, got to enter the Rest of Y’hovah. How many people are listening today? 2:2.5M is the ratio of Israelites who left Egypt AND entered the Land to the full number that left Egypt. I sincerely hope this is a ‘low-ball’ and not indicative of the real figure of Bride, or true believer : professed believer. 1 true believer:1.25M professed believers is most certainly a remnant. 

Guard your hearts, folks. 

Walk in His ways. Q&C

End of Shabbat Bible Study