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Hebrews11:20
By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. Rebecca's ruse in concealing Jacob and taking advantage of Isaac's blindness to extort from him the blessing that would otherwise be wasted on spiritually void and unworthy Esau lends itself to much speculating: does God endorse lying and deception? Certainly not! This text though can provide for the unspiritual soul an acceptable excuse for such practices. Far be it from Hashem to endorse the darkness of devilish lies; in presenting us with such a story, the God of Light actually reveals to us an eternal messianic truth. The Jewish people had certain expectation for a Messiah, expectations that are right, and true. Many expected the Messianic Redeemer to be a great military hero like King David or the judges of old, one who would deliver them from the tyrannical hand of Rome. The Messiah truly is all that, but as Balaam prophesied, I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh (Numbers 24:17), the Messiah’s coming follows a pattern of concealment. In musing on the coming of the Messiah we are reminded of Nehemiah. Before revealing his kingly mandate to rebuild Jerusalem, Nehemiah spent time under the cover of night to scout out Jerusalem incognito (Nehemiah 2:11-16). We see the same pattern in Queen Esther, who concealed her identity before she was able to put her life on the line to save the nation (Esther in Hebrew means: concealed). We also remember how Joseph received the brothers he would later save under the concealed identity of an Egyptian Viceroy so he could test them (Genesis 42-45). Jacob shows us that the Messiah will initiate His mission in a concealed manner. We also learn from the patriarch that the Messiah will spend a long time in the exile of the nations until He finally returns in glory to the land of His birth. The Messiah did come to His people to fulfill their deepest yearning and expectation, but His coming was concealed. Until this day He appears to them under the identity of a stranger but oh, what a rejoicing it will be for the whole world the day He reveals Himself to His people. It will dwarf the rejoicing of Joseph’s brothers, even that of the Hebrew nation as they were saved from the clutch of Haman. Far from teaching us to lie and deceive, the story of Jacob and Isaac teaches an eternal truth, a truth concealed under a seeming lie. Rebecca received the promise that Jacob should inherit the blessing of Abraham, so instead of deception, their story teaches us love, devotion, and faith for the Commandment and the Promises of God. In our daily discoveries in the Words of Truth, may we do more than read and study; may Abba grant us also to understand the Truth that is concealed underneath the Words.
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Revelations 14:4
These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb. In the beginning of the Book of Numbers we learn about the redemption of firstborns (Numbers 3:45-51). Yoseph and Miriam brought Yeshua, their firstborn to the Temple to be redeemed. The functioning priest who did the redemption that day was Simeon (Luke 2:22-26). Since there is no Temple today there cannot be a functioning priest so the redemption ceremony that Jews currently practice is only ceremonial waiting for the days of the third Temple. Though non-applicable at this time, the principle is rich with teachings. I am a firstborn of my father and never was redeemed. Technically then, I belong to the descendants of Aaron. As an adult, I could redeem myself but I never did. In religious villages of Russia, firstborns of animals couldn’t be used for farm work. As a result, they were left roaming by themselves. They were dirty; they got into the garbage, messed up things and caused overall trouble. Maybe that’s my excuse for causing ‘trouble’ sometimes! Israel, as the biological descent of Jacob is called God’s firstborn (Exodus 4:22). Biblically speaking firstborns have a special status in the family. They receive a double inheritance and carry the role of patriarchs of the family, clan or tribe. The role of firstborn is not necessarily according to chronological birth. God often by passed it because of the unrighteousness of the actual firstborn. We see this principle at work in the cases of Isaac against Ishmael, Jacob against Esau and Joseph against Reuben. The idea of firstborn is linked to the idea of firstfruit. A harvest is dedicated to God by the waving of the firstfruit, of the first harvested omer. In the very same manner, a family of sheep or goats is consecrated to God by the giving up and consecration of the one who opens the matrix. The Book of Revelations tells us about the consecrated firstborns of the harvest of the earth. They come from the twelve tribes of Israel (Jacob’s descendants). They have been chosen and sealed by God with His Name and that of the Lamb. In essence, they are Messiah believers from the twelve tribes of Israel and they represent the harvest of believers from the whole world before the Father (Revelations 7; 14:1-4). Yeshua Himself is their Firstborn who represents them before the Father (1 Corinthians 15:20). We are approaching the end of the Omer counting season. On the first day of the Omer the first sheave of barley is brought to the temple for the dedication of the Harvest. This is the day Messiah rose. Later during the counting of Omer He appointed His intimate disciples, His firstborns harvest from the Land of Israel as His representatives to the rest of the tribes in Diaspora, and to the world (Matthew 28). On the fiftieth day of the Omer which is Pentecost, is the time for the firstfruit of Israel’s wheat to be brought to the Temple. On that day also Israelites and God-fearers from the whole world brought their firstfruit to Jerusalem. These became the firstfruit of Diaspora Israelites (Acts 2). Through them the Words 0of the Master were carried to the rest of the world until today. Hallelu-Yah! John 1:21
"Are you the Prophet?" In his welfare address in the desert, Moses foreseeing his soon departure announces to the Children of Israel "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers--it is to him you shall listen—(Deuteronomy 18:15)”. The literal reading of this could indicate that Moses was speaking of his disciple: Joshua, but classic Judaism always believed that this prophecy pertained also and mostly to the coming Messiah. In fact, priests asked John if he was that ‘prophet’ (John 1:21), and Peter had been taught it from his youth (Acts 3:22). The key word in this prophetic utterance is ’a prophet like me’. In fact, it is a key to recognize the true Messiah. When Moses was born in Egypt, astrologers came to Pharaoh with a dream from his main priest about a boy born to the enslaved Jewish nation who would save them from Pharaoh’s clutch. As a result Pharaoh decided to kill all the boys throwing them into the Nile (Exodus 1:22). This resembles the events surrounding the birth of Yeshua where priests came to Herod about the birth of the Savior of the Jews, prompting him to kill all the babies in Bethlehem (Matthew 2). The life of Moses actually serves as a prototype for Messiah. Judaism often calls respectively Moses and Messiah the first redeemer and second Redeemer. Both are born Jewish, and as Moses finds refuge in the Egyptian palace of Pharaoh, so Yeshua finds refuge from Herod by fleeing to Egypt (Exodus 2:1-10; Matthew 2). Both are also initially rejected by their people (Exodus 2:14; John 1:12). Both Moses and Yeshua are born at a time of national bondage and are destined to break Israel’s bondage. Both lead Israel to the Promised Land and perform miracles to validate their claims. As Moses provides bread from heaven and water from a Rock, Yeshua claims to be the Bread from Heaven as well as the Rock. They both act as legislators, prophets and priests of Israel. Both also play the roles of intercessors to repair the people’s relationship with the Father. Classic Judaism actually says that what is called in Aramaic the ‘Memrah’, translated in Greek, ‘Logos’, and in English as the ‘Word’ (John 1:1-14), had a great involvement in the whole Exodus episode. May we, as the Children of Israel had to learn to obey and follow Moses, learn to obey and follow Yeshua. Deuteronomy 28 tells us of the blessings brought by obedience and of the curses incurred through disobedience. These are still valid today. May we remember the lessons from our fathers and learn that we may enter the Promised Land (1 Corinthians 10:6). May it be soon Abba, even in our days! |
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