Category: Torah

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Discussions Torah

Exodus 35:1-40:38: Rebuilding your life after Heaven’s Pattern

What did Jerusalem look like in Yeshua's time? When did God show His glory there? (Computer animation by www.LumoProject.com)

Why did the LORD call for the building of the Tabernacle? What are we supposed learn from it? How are we supposed to apply the lessons to everyday life today? These are questions answered in the double-header reading ויקהל Vayakhel (“and he assembled”) and פקודי Pekudei (“accounts”), covering the last six chapter of the book of Shemot (Exodus 35:1–40:38).

It’s a second telling about the construction of the Tabernacle, but it’s not just the world’s most lengthy non-IKEA instruction manual. When God repeats Himself, it’s for a good reason. When we look at these plans and compare them to the construction of Solomon’s temple, Solomon’s Temple certain had more and bigger items than what the Tabernacle had. One might ask if bigger always better? Herod’s Temple was even grander than that, but which one had more of God’s glory?

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Exodus 30:11–34:35: Weighed in the balance of faith and found wanting

How much does your righteousness weigh? (Photo via Creative Commons License by Benjamin Earwicker/Freeimages.com)

Have you ever felt like you were lost in the sea of faces? Or that if you disappeared from the Earth no one would notice? It’s not phenomenon of modern life. The Torah reading כי תשא Ki Tisa (“when you take [a census],” Exodus 30:11–34:35) kicks off with a numbering of the redeemed people of Israel and includes the infamous golden calf incident. Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ) touched on the reasons for such numbering of the people of the Kingdom of Heaven when he said the Heavenly Father knows the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:28–33).

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Exodus 25:1–27:19: How thankful are we for our Savior?

A cherubim icon painting from a Russian Orthodox icon-painting workshop, photo by Иконописная мастерская Елеон

How thankful are we our Savior freed us from our old way of life far off from the Kingdom of Heaven? After generations of bondage in Egypt, ancient Israel was sent into freedom with all kinds of material wealth. In the Torah reading תרומה Terumah (“heave offering,” Exodus 25:1-27:19), the Holy One Who freed the people asks for contributions to build the Tabernacle, a special embassy between Heaven and Earth. Through these lessons of returning some of the blessings we receive, we get clued into the great gift we’ve been given through Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ).

In this reading, we also learn about cherubim, which we also see in Ezekiel and Revelation, and explore whether images of them in the Tabernacle are idolatry.

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Discussions Torah

Exodus 21–24: 13 hues of the Creator’s justice and mercy

Cyrus interrogates the King of Armenia. Painting by Noël Coypel from the Château de Versailles currently housed at the Musée de Grenoble. Photo by Wikimedia Commons.

Does the Torah promote vigilantism? Are its instructions backward and obsolete? If not, what do these instructions mean to me today?

In the Torah reading מִּשְׁפָּטִים Mishpatim (“Judgments,” Exodus 21–24), we see an explanation of each of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). By keeping the words of Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ) in our minds (Matthew 22:36–40) while reading the Torah, we can start to understand how the instructions teach us as much about the character of the Father as they do about Heaven’s goal for our treatment of other people.

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Exodus 18–20: Ten Commandments reveal the Creator and Savior of Israel and the world

At Mt. Sinai, God made trespassing a death penalty offense. ““You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ‘No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.”” (Exodus 19:12–13 NAS95) Photo by onixxino via Creative Commons License from Freeimages.com

Much of the world knows that happened in Egypt long ago, when the Holy One of Israel turned slaves into victors through 10 devastating plagues and the Red Sea crossing. And at the time, many in the surrounding Ancient Near East knew about it, too, even without the benefit of social media or CNN.

In Torah reading יתרו Yitro (Exodus 18:1–20:23)​, we learn that Yitro (Jethro) wanted the inside scoop, the real story on this victory over a superpower of the time, so he took his daughter and grandsons and tracked Moses down in the desert of Midian. Israel also got the inside scoop on Who their Savior was, through the 10 Commandments. But they and we must learn to treat the Holy One with respect.

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Are you ready to enter God’s rest? 5 questions to ask yourself (Exodus 13:17–17:16)

Cat resting from his hard work. Photo Patataj Patataj via Freeimages.com.

Am I really free from my old way of life? Am I going somewhere in life that leads to eternal contentment, or am I wandering through this existence, at the mercy of happenstance? These are some of the big questions tackled in the Torah reading בְּשַׁלַּח Beshalach (“when he sent”), covering Ex. 13:17-17:16. We can’t imagine what our ancestors in faith experienced as they witnessed God’s work during the Exodus from Mitzraim (Egypt). As they were leaving the house of bondage, were they really free or did they leave their hearts in Mitzraim, despite the cruelties and indignities they experienced there?

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Those who try to erase history may end up repeating it (Exodus 1–5)

What we fear, we want to eradicate. In the Torah reading שמות Shemot (“names,” Exodus 1:1–6:1), we read how one particular Pharaoh feared the Israelite’s because they refused to assimilate into Egypt. King Herod feared losing his earthy throne to a more rightful Davidic heir so he slaughtered all the young boys in Bethlehem to consolidate his power. This is how all despots deal with real or imagined threats to their control. 

Scripture shows us again and again that the rightful heir inevitably prevails, God makes sure of that, but those around them suffer difficulty and persecution and God takes care of them, too.