|
John 1:4-5, 9
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. The first creation mentioned in the first chapter of the Book of Genesis is the primeval light. The Hebrew gives two different words for ‘light’ in the Book of Genesis: the ‘or’ in verse three referring to the primeval Light of the beginning of creation, and the ‘ma’or’ referring to the two lights in the firmament in verse fourteen. The primeval Light was the beginning of God’s creation. Without it nothing was created that was created. The Hebrew word translated as ‘beginning’ comes from the word ‘rosh’, or ‘head’. In Hebraic understanding, the beginning is the head like the engine is the beginning/head of a train. It leads the rest and without it nothing goes anywhere. It works also with the idea of the head of a snake that pulls the rest of his body. Yeshua introduced Himself to the Laodicean congregation as the ‘Beginning of God’s creation’ Revelations 3:14), the ‘Head’ without which nothing else moves nor exists. John’s introduction of Yeshua mirrors the Genesis’ account of creation. Whereas the ‘Word’ referred to by the Aramaic ‘Memrah’ in Jewish literature, existed with the Almighty as His Executive Agent, It revealed itself at the beginning, or the ‘head’ of creation as the Light, the Light by which everything else would be done. How fitting this is with the account of John who from His studies under the sages of Israel had understood what they said by the Talmudic statement, “God said ‘let there be Light,’ to reveal that God will ultimately illuminate Israel with the Light of Messiah”. This was John’s hinted message embedded in the format of his introduction. He was mirroring the text of the first chapter of Genesis. John wanted to reveal that Yeshua was the incarnation of that Messianic primeval Light. God revealed the Light in the very beginning of creation; He revealed a light provoked phenomenon at another beginning through Noah’s rainbow, and finally revealed It as a human 2,000 years ago fulfilling the promise made in Mt. Sinai that God will come live among His people (Exodus 25:8). As we try to do things in our own effort, as we attempt to lift ourselves up by our own boot straps by trying to change our environment, may we learn to realize that nothing is done without the Light of Messiah; He is the ‘Beginning’, the ‘Head’ without which nothing else is done; by Him and Him only can anything be done. He pulls and as we yield to His command we let ourselves be pulled. May we learn to be fully satisfied simply basking in the Light of His greatness and beauty, solely obeying His commands. Who knows if we do, it may actually change the world to the better!
0 Comments
John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. Here is John’s prelude to his accounts of the life of Yeshua. He starts the chronicle not with ‘Once upon a time … ‘, but rather in the same manner and wording as the chronicles of creation with the words: ‘In the beginning … ‘. The Genesis account tells us of creation in the following terms: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1-2). The consistency of the imagery is perfect. In the beginning, when the earth was without form, the spirit of God hovered over the face of the earth. About fifteen hundred years later, at the time of another beginning, we see a repetition of this imagery when Noah’s dove hovers upon the face of the water. At first she could find nothing where to rest her feet. The Spirit of God always looks for someone, a host to rest upon. Unlike the raven who did not come back, the dove couldn’t just rest and feed on dead corpses. It did not agree with death and corruption. At the opportune time though, she found the olive tree and brought back a torn branch to Noah. At the time of another beginning when the world was in the confusion of the ‘Pax Romana’ enforced peace, there was another primeval beginning. In John’s latter days, Yeshua introduced Himself to him as the beginning of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14), so at the beginning of the ministry of our Master, the spirit of God also came over Him like a dove as He emerged out of the water (Matthew 3:16); a beautiful fulfillment of Isaiah’s Messianic prophetic words, And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him (Isaiah 11:2). The Holy Spirit’s dove rested upon He who is called the Branch (Zechariah 6:12), the ‘Torn Branch’ of the olive tree of Israel. Through Him the nations learn to praise the God of Israel as the rest of Isaiah’s oracle says, In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples--of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. In that day Adonai will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise a signal for the nations … (Isaiah 11:10-12). Romans 1:19
For what can be known about God is plain. Hashem has divided all things into two categories: the hidden, and the revealed. The hidden He says belongs to Him, while the revealed belongs to us that we may observe all the words of His Torah (Deuteronomy 29:29). While many try to define the work of Messiah, Paul seems to categorize it in the hidden, as a mystery. The revealed on the other hand can also be divided into two categories. Even though it is faced with linguistic issues, we have what is revealed to us through a literal surface reading of the text of Torah, and then, we have what is revealed to us through logical deduction, midrash, historical, and cultural knowledge. The strangest thing though, is that the things that divide us the most are not the revealed but the things which are hidden which by definition, being hidden, we do not know about. Questions about the nature of God, the nature of Messiah, understanding the awesome Day of the Lord and the properties of the World to Come define theological boundaries and divide believers into denominational pigeon-holes each seeing the other as an heretic. Of all the hidden things the Torah also tells us about, it mentions God's deeds, His Greatness, His wisdom, His knowledge, and judgment. Wise King Solomon also tells us about the heart of kings, which would include the riches of the Messiah King (Job 5:9; Psalms 154:3; Proverbs 25:3; Romans 11:33; Ephesians 3:8). Paul who spent his life as a Torah student and teacher gave us a little clue as to those undefined things of God. He says, For what can be known about God is plain … For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made., they are to be understood by the means of the understanding (Romans 1:18-20). Early narrations of creation agree to that in the idea that God created man in His own image (Genesis 1:27). That's all we're told about Him, so that must be all we need to know, and I don't think that we have yet exhausted what we can discover of God in 'the things which have been made'. Of all the things that would help us in our research of the things of God, the most important ones may not be so high, so deep, or so far. We are made in His image and as such the sages teach that each person represents a whole universe. By learning therefore to understand each other and work together, we may inadvertently discover the heart of God. Before we fly so high, swim so deep, or travel so far to discover the mysteries of our Maker, may we learn to walk the distance necessary to meet a man half-way, or even to walk in his shoes. We may then understand the hidden things of God in Messiah. John 1:14
And the Word … dwelt among us What does the Tabernacle teach us? Let me now take you on a journey to the feet of Jewish sages who have pondered the question for hundreds of Years. Many have suggested that as he built the Tabernacle, Bezalel saw it as a microcosm of the creation of the universe. Here is how it works. King David describes the first day of creation when God created the Heavens and the Earth using the following words, stretching out the heavens like a tent (Psalms 104:2). So, we find that a curtain (similar to that of a tent) was stretched out above the Tabernacle. The colors of the material used also correspond to the colors of sky and earth. On the second day of creation, God made the firmament as a separation. Similarly, in the Tabernacle there was a curtain separating one part from another. Just like on the third day of creation God gathered the waters into one area, in the Tabernacle there was also a designated place to gather water in a basin. Corresponding to the luminaries created on the fourth day, we find the menorah with its lights in the Tabernacle. On the fifth day of creation, God created the birds. Similarly, there were birds brought as offerings on the altar of the Tabernacle. And corresponding to the creation of man on the sixth day, the service in the Tabernacle was led by the High Priest. The Torah describes how the work was completed on the seventh day of creation and how that day was blessed and sanctified by God. The idea of the Tabernacle was to make a place for God to live on earth. It represents therefore the restoration of all things to the day when as He was in the Garden of Eden, Adonai would walk the earth alongside with man. Some have also viewed the Tabernacle as a microcosm of the human body with the Ark as the heart of a person, the cherubs spreading their wings over the Ark as the lungs that spread out around the heart. The table with the showbread represented a person's stomach while the menorah and its oil lamps corresponded to a person's mind. The frankincense symbolized the sense of smell and the water basin represented the fluids in the human body. Finally, the curtains symbolized a person's skin and the beams represented the ribs. Jewish sages taught that every person is a microcosm of the entire universe just like the Tabernacle. As farfetched as these musings may seem, we can’t help but realize that our Jewish sages were on the right track in their understanding of the Tabernacle. After all, did not Paul say that to their advantage, the Jewish people had been entrusted the oracles of God (Romans 3:1-2)? As the spirit of God came to fill the earthly Tabernacle, so it filled the earthly ‘tabernacle’ of the human body of the person of Yeshua who is the representation of the Presence of God among us, in God’s created universe. As we study these things, may we look forward to the time when Messiah will once again walk the earth among us. May it be soon Abba, even in our days! |
Thanks for thinking of us... even a tiny donation is a blessing to us...
Order our new CD at: http://www.thelumbrosos.com/shop.html
Also available on itune. 
Our 'UNDER THE FIG TREE' atL:
http://www.thelumbrosos.com/shop.html 
Check our original judaica and other jewelery at:
http://www.thelumbrosos.com/shop.html Archives
May 2013
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed