Starting after Sukkot 2024, Hallel Fellowship switched to a three-year cycle of Torah and parallel Bible readings (2024–2027), outlined by TorahResource. While there’s ancient evidence for a triennial cycle, a major benefit is to provide more time to mine more of Scripture for lessons.
Readings
- Exodus 37:1-38:20
- 1Kings 8:8-22
- 1Peter 2:4-10
Shabbat haChodesh (Sabbath of the Month)
Noting the beginning of the first month of Israel’s calendar. Pesach (Passover) is held on the evening of the 14th day of the first month.
- Exodus 12:1-10
- Ezekiel 45:16-46:18
Corresponding reading from the 1-year Torah cycle
Insights from this week’s readings
The passages Exodus 37:1–38:20, 1Kings 8:8–22, and 1 Peter 2:4–10 form a clear biblical thread: God prepares a dwelling place among His people, fills it with His presence, and ultimately expands that dwelling into a living community built on Messiah. The Torah describes the construction of the Tabernacle furniture; the Kings passage describes the Ark resting in the Temple; the New Testament explains that believers themselves become God’s spiritual house.
This means the New Testament builds directly on the foundation of the Hebrew Scriptures. The Tabernacle and Temple were not the final goal. They are lived-out teaching tools pointing forward, backward (for our time) and upward to the Heaven reality. Through Messiah, God’s presence moves with the people in a tent and becomes an anchor for the people via a building. But ultimately, the Presence moves throughout the world in believer who becomes His living temple.
God dwelling among His people
In Exodus the sacred furnishings are built so God’s presence may dwell in Israel’s midst. The Ark, table, menorah, altars, and courtyard form the structure of God’s earthly dwelling.
Hebrew:
- שָׁכַן shākan (“to dwell, settle, tabernacle”)
- Related noun: מִשְׁכָּן mishkan (“tabernacle, dwelling place”)
וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם veshakhanti betokham — “I will dwell among them.”
Exodus 25:8
Septuagint (LXX) translation:
- σκηνόω skēnoō (“to dwell, tabernacle”)
- σκηνή skēnē (“tent, tabernacle”)
Greek examples:
- Exodus 25:8
- Exodus 40:35
- John 1:14 — Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν Kai ho logos sarx egeneto kai eskēnōsen en hēmin (“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us”)
- Revelation 21:3
The Tabernacle was not just a building project. It was a visible reminder that God wanted to live among His people. When the New Testament says that the Word “tabernacled” among us, it uses the same Greek vocabulary from the Septuagint. This shows that the coming of Messiah is portrayed as God dwelling with humanity in the fullest sense.
The Ark and the Presence of God
Exodus 37 begins with the crafting of the Ark of the Covenant.
Hebrew: אֲרוֹן ʾaron (“ark, chest”)
וַיַּעַשׂ בְּצַלְאֵל אֶת־הָאָרֹן עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים vayyaʿaś Bᵉṣalʾēl ʾeṯ-hāʾārōn ʿᵃṣê šiṭṭı̂m — “Now Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood”
Exodus 37:1
Septuagint: κιβωτός kibōtos
Greek examples:
- Exodus 25:10
- 1Kings 8:6
The Ark appears again in the Temple dedication.
1Kings 8:8–9 describes the Ark resting in the Holy of Holies.
The Ark symbolized the throne of God and contained the covenant tablets. When Solomon installs the Ark in the Temple, it shows continuity between the wilderness Tabernacle and the permanent Temple. Messianic teaching often sees this progression as pointing to Messiah as the ultimate meeting place between God and humanity.
The House/Temple of God
Solomon blesses the people and acknowledges that God has fulfilled His promise by establishing the Temple.
Hebrew: בַּיִת bayit (“house, temple”)
בָּנֹה בָנִיתִי בֵּית זְבֻל לָךְ banoh baniti beit zevul lakh — “I have surely built you an exalted house.”
1Kings 8:13
Septuagint translation: οἶκος oikos — “house.”
Greek examples:
- 1Kings 8:10
- Psalm 23:6
- Hebrews 3:6
- 1Timothy 3:15
- Ephesians 2:19
The Temple is repeatedly called the “house of God.” Oikos becomes the normal word for God’s household in the New Testament. This shows that early believers continued to think in Temple categories when describing the community of faith.
‘Living stones’ and the Cornerstone
Apostle Peter applies Temple imagery to Messiah and His followers.
Greek term: λίθος lithos — “stone.”
λίθον ζῶντα lithon zōnta — “a living stone”
1Peter 2:4
Another key term: ἀκρογωνιαῖος akrogōniaios — “cornerstone”
This phrase comes from Isaiah:
הִנְנִי יִסַּד בְּצִיּוֹן אָבֶן אֶבֶן בֹּחַן פִּנַּת יִקְרַת מוּסָד מוּסָּד hinnı̂ yissaḏ bᵉṣı̂yyôn ʾāḇen ʾeḇen bōḥan pinnaṯ yiqraṯ mûsoḏ mûssoḏ — “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed.” (NASB95)
Isaiah 28:16
Septuagint translation: Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμβαλῶ εἰς τὰ θεμέλια Σιων λίθον πολυτελῆ ἐκλεκτὸν ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἔντιμον εἰς τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς Idou egō embalō eis ta themelia Siōn lithon polytelē eklekton akrogōniaion entimon eis ta themelia autēs — “Behold, I lay for the foundations of Zion a costly stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone for its foundations” (St. Athanasius Academy Septuagint)
Greek examples:
- Isaiah 28:16
- Psalm 118:22
- Matthew 21:42
- Acts 4:11
- Ephesians 2:20
The cornerstone is the first and most important stone in a building because it determines the structure’s alignment. By calling Yeshua the cornerstone, the New Testament teaches that God’s spiritual temple is built on Him. The language comes directly from the Hebrew prophets through the Septuagint.
A spiritual house
Peter extends the Temple imagery to believers.
Greek phrase: οἶκος πνευματικός oikos pneumatikos — “spiritual house.”
1Peter 2:5 says believers are being built into this house.
The word οἶκος oikos in the Septuagint frequently translates the Hebrew word בַּיִת bayit.
LXX examples:
- Genesis 28:17
- 1Kings 8:10
Instead of a building made of stone blocks, God now forms a temple made of people who follow Messiah. The imagery does not discard the Temple concept but expands it. The community of believers becomes the dwelling place of God.
A royal priesthood
Peter quotes directly from the Torah when describing the identity of God’s people.
Greek phrase: βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα basileion hierateuma — “royal priesthood”
Hebrew source:
מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים
mamlekhet kohanim — “kingdom of priests.”Exodus 19:6
Septuagint translation: βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα basileion hierateuma
New Testament uses: 1Peter 2:5, 9
God originally called Israel to serve as priests to the nations, representing Him to the world. Peter applies this same description to the Messianic community. The continuity of language shows that the calling given at Sinai continues through those who follow Israel’s Messiah.
Offering spiritual sacrifices
Peter describes the worship carried out by this priesthood.
Greek term: θυσία thysia — “sacrifice”
πνευματικὰς θυσίας pneumatikas thysias — “spiritual sacrifices.”
1Peter 2:5
Hebrew equivalent: זֶבַח zevaḥ — “sacrifice”
Greek examples:
- Leviticus 1:3
- Psalm 51:19
- Romans 12:1
- Hebrews 3:6; 13:15
- Philippians 4:18
- 1Timothy 3:15
In Hebrew, the Temple is literally called God’s “house.” The Septuagint translates this with oikos, a word widely used in the New Testament. When early believers spoke about the “household of God,” they were using Temple language. The idea is that God’s people themselves become His dwelling place.
Shabbat haChodesh insights
Exodus 12:1–10 and Ezekiel 45:16–46:18 reveal a consistent biblical pattern: redemption establishes sacred time, sacrifice provides atonement, the redeemed assemble as God’s people, and righteous leadership guides worship. The Hebrew Torah vocabulary translated into Greek in the Septuagint becomes the theological language of the New Testament. Terms like πάσχα (Passover), αἷμα (blood), and ἐκκλησία (assembly) show how the earliest followers of Yeshua interpreted His mission through the Exodus story.
For modern readers, this means the New Testament does not invent a new religious system. Instead, it uses the language and concepts already present in the Hebrew Scriptures. Passover redemption, covenant blood, and the gathered people of God all form the foundation for understanding Messiah’s role in bringing deliverance and restoring worship — exactly the themes introduced in Exodus and anticipated again in Ezekiel’s vision of future restoration.
Renewal of sacred time: ‘Month’ and the beginning of redemption
הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים haḥodesh hazeh lakhem rosh ḥodashim — “This month shall be the beginning of months”
Exodus 12:2
Key Hebrew word: חֹדֶשׁ ḥodesh/chodesh (“month,” “new moon”)
Septuagint Greek: μήν mēn (“month”)
New Testament uses:
- Luke 1:24
- Luke 1:36
- Galatians 4:10
The Torah establishes redemption as the foundation of Israel’s calendar. Time itself is reordered around God’s saving act. In the New Testament, mēn continues to mark sacred time and seasons, but the theological framework comes from the Exodus pattern: salvation defines the calendar of God’s people. Passover begins the story of redemption that culminates in Messiah.
The Passover lamb: Sacrifice that brings deliverance
Exodus commands Israel to take a lamb:
Exodus 12:5
שֶׂה תָמִים זָכָר (seh tamim zakhar) — “a lamb without blemish, a male.”
Hebrew: שֶׂה śeh (“lamb” or small livestock)
Septuagint Greek: πρόβατον probaton (“sheep/lamb”)
Another key term:
- Hebrew: פֶּסַח pesaḥ (“Passover”)
- LXX: πάσχα pascha
בָּרִאשׁוֹן בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ פֶּסַח barishon be’arba‘ah asar yom laḥodesh Pesaḥ — “In the first month, on the fourteenth day, you shall celebrate Passover.”
Ezekiel 45:21
Ezekiel’s prophecy shows that Passover remains central even in visions of restored worship. The same Greek word Pascha is used across the Septuagint and the New Testament. This continuity indicates that the early believers understood Messiah’s redemptive work through the Passover framework already embedded in Israel’s Scriptures.
New Testament uses:
- John 1:29
- 1Corinthians 5:7
- Luke 22:7
- Hebrews 11:28
The Passover lamb is central to Israel’s redemption. Its blood marked the houses of Israel so judgment “passed over.” The Greek word πάσχα pascha becomes the standard New Testament word for Passover. Paul explicitly interprets the pattern messianically: “Messiah our Passover (πάσχα) has been sacrificed” (1Cor 5:7). The Exodus story therefore becomes a template for understanding Yeshua’s redemptive death.
Blood and protection: Covenant atonement
Exodus 12:7 commands placing blood on the doorposts.
Hebrew: דָּם dam (“blood”)
Septuagint Greek: αἷμα haima
Examples in the LXX:
- Exodus 12:7
- Leviticus 17:11
New Testament uses:
- Matthew 26:28
- Romans 5:9
- Hebrews 9:12
- 1Peter 1:19
Blood represents life given in place of another. The Torah repeatedly teaches that atonement is made through blood. The Septuagint’s αἷμα becomes the same theological vocabulary used by the New Testament writers when describing Messiah’s sacrifice. The continuity shows that early believers saw Yeshua’s death not as a new idea but as the fulfillment of Torah’s sacrificial logic.
The assembly of Israel: A redeemed community
Exodus describes the action being taken by the whole congregation.
כֹּל קְהַל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל kōl qᵉhal ʿᵃḏaṯ-yiśrāʾēl — “all the assembly of the congregation of Israel”
Exodus 12:6
Hebrew:
- קָהָל qahal (“assembly,” “congregation”)
- עֵדָה eydah (“assembly,” “congregation”)
Septuagint Greek:
- ἐκκλησία ekklēsia (“assembly,” “congregation”)
- συναγωγή sunagōgḗ (“assembly,” “congregation,” synagogue)
LXX examples:
- Deuteronomy 9:10
- Judges 20:2
New Testament uses:
- Matthew 16:18
- Acts 7:38
- Ephesians 1:22–23
The Greek ekklesia did not originate in the New Testament, where it is often translated as “church.” It already translated the Hebrew qahal, meaning the gathered people of Israel before God. When the New Testament speaks about the ekklesia, it uses the same covenant term used in the Greek Torah. This shows continuity between the assembly of Israel in Exodus and the Messianic community.
‘The prince’: Righteous leadership
Ezekiel’s vision includes a ruler who leads worship properly.
Hebrew: נָשִׂיא nasiʾ (“prince” or leader)
Example: Ezekiel 45:17
Septuagint Greek: ἄρχων archōn
LXX uses:
- Numbers 7:2
- Ezekiel 34:24
New Testament uses:
- John 12:31
- Acts 3:15
- Acts 5:31
Ezekiel’s “prince” represents righteous leadership that supports true worship. The Septuagint uses archōn, a term later used in the New Testament for rulers. In Messianic interpretation, this anticipates the ultimate righteous ruler — Messiah — who leads God’s people in restored worship and justice.
Studies
Swiss cheese boundaries: Danger of hole-y gates in our house for God (Exodus 35-38)
Exodus 35:1–36:7: Can you handle the truth about God’s love?
Exodus 35:1-40:38: Rebuilding your life after Heaven’s Pattern
Exodus 35–40: Enter God’s rest before building His home
Exodus 35:1–38:20: A weekly reminder from Messiah Yeshua to ‘enter His rest’
Exodus 37-38: Design of the Ark of the Testimony and furniture of Tabernacle holy places
Exodus 35-36: A rested development of God’s House
Shabbat and the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus 35-37)
As we continue going through the book of Exodus, Richard Agee discusses the building of the tabernacle according to God’s instructions in Exodus 35-37. He emphasizes that the artisans were not to follow their own artistic interpretations, but precisely follow God’s commands as revealed to Moses. Mr. Agee also notes the importance of precision in the tabernacle’s construction and furnishings. He discusses the significance of the showbread table and the bread placed on it. Agee also highlights the importance of purity in the garments for the high priest and references how our actions should reflect God. He puzzles over some…
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