Ex. 35:1–38:20; 1 Kings 40 – 8:21; 2Cor.9:1-15; Heb.9:1; Rev.11:1-13
In this week’s double parashat, we read about the construction of the Tabernacle, as a dwelling place for God. Skilled artisans were used for its construction including foreigners and strangers from Egypt, a shadow and type of the Body of Messiah – Jew and Gentile. Our God who is the Creator of the universe considered it worthwhile to demonstrate the fullness of His love through Yeshua who suffered and died for the whosoever. Likewise we are commanded to love one another and it breaks my heart knowing there are so many beautiful souls who questioned their worth because someone they loved made them feel unloveable. But, not so with Yeshua whose love is unconditional! I know that some of us have been through so much that even something good may feel like a setup. But despite all the problems, aches and pains and tragedies, the reality of God’s love is still always available. Many times I have stood in awe reflecting how God has been with me at every moment throughout my life, and went before me to prevent me falling into the traps He knew I would otherwise surely fall into. He would slow me down and frequently I wrongly interpreted them as impediments or rejection, bur God intervened behind the scenes so that the evil ahead of me would pass me by before I got there. My delay, frustration, irritation and false perception that I interpreted as rejection was, as I eventually discovered, God’s infinite love and protection! This leads us to consider something of vital importance – our responses to God and to others.
In Lev.1:2 Moses stated that, “…when one (the Israelites) offer a sacrifice to the Lord, …the sacrifice must be taken from the cattle, sheep or goats.” However, when we read the phrase in Hebrew it actually says “when one offers a sacrifice of you”. (adam ki yakriv mikem) In other words, sacrifice is bound up with surrendering our lives fully unto Him. As believers, God invites us to bring everything at the feet of the cross – everything. The physical form of sacrifice, an animal offered on the altar, is only an outward manifestation of something inward. The real sacrifice is mikem: “of you” – (I.e., the totality of our lives).
God’s commandments are summarised in Matt. 22 when Yeshua was asked, “What is the greatest command?” He replied from Deut. 6:5: Ve-ahavta et Adonai Eloheinu b’chol lev-vecha u’vchol naf-shecha u’vchol meodecha and Deut.19:18 v-ahavta l-rey-akha k-mokha, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,”
In the Hebrew, the word, ‘neighbour’ can mean both a friend or an acquaintance, but Yeshua takes things one step further (“You have heard it said, but I say unto you…” ) and in the Sermon on the Mount He commanded something that was impossible – to love our enemies and He reinforced this with His Parable about forgiveness (Matt.18:21-35) and in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). I have discovered over 50 years as a believer that there is no greater testimony, something the world has no answer to, than when we demonstrate this impossibility made possible through Yeshua, both individually and corporately.
It’s interesting how our Torah portion combines two unlikely themes: one regarding the construction of the Mishkan and the other concerning Shabbat. Before work on constructing the tabernacle began, Moses assembled the Israelites together and spoke to them about the importance of God’s Word. When he cautioned them not to violate Shabbat by doing any kind of physical work that didn’t include reflecting upon the Word of God something strongly reinforced in the NT: “Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skilfully teaching the word of truth.” (2Tim 2:15)
Scripture has more to say about Shabbat than any other command (111 times in the Torah). God intentionally created us with limited energy and teaches us that work is necessary but not the substance of our existence.
When Yeshua said that Shabbat was made for man not man for Shabbat, He warned not to become entrapped in legalistic observances but to observe it in a spirit of joy and freedom. Interestingly, there exists almost nothing in Scripture to interpret what “honouring” or “observing” Shabbat means so the rabbis have variously interpreted it through the ages and why in practice there have been many loop holes that can be problematic.
In Heb.4:9-12 we find a clue to its spiritual application: “So there remains a Shabbat rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered God’s rest has also ceased from his own work, just as God did from His.11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through the same pattern of disobedience.
Yeshua alone can offer us spiritual rest (Matt. 11:28-29) Prophetically, Shabbat represents a shadow of the eternal rest that He promises for those who know and love Him.
A significant thing following the episode with the golden calf was the transformation of the Israelites into a community from a “wild, disorderly, chaotic, unruly, tumultuous people”
It is an easy thing to bow the knee to the ‘golden calf’ as the Church has demonstrated over 2000 years. Moses took action as directed by God, prophetic in nature, by instructing the Israelites to building the mishkan as a symbolic home for God and, as already has been mentioned, observing Shabbat. And we begin to see now how both Shabbat and the Mishkan were two of the most powerful ways for the Israelites to build community.
It is interesting that when we compare the time taken in Scripture to describe the building of the tabernacle, (hundreds of verse) to the story of the entire creation of the universe, (only around 30 verses) it demonstrates how difficult it is for humanity to make a home for GOD than for Him to create the universe.
It is tempting to skip over large parts of the Tanakh which seem to be filled with what may initially appear as boring details and as is the case here regarding measurements and complicated facts for the construction of the Mishkan. Yet, these very same types of passages often contain the greatest spiritual treasures if we are prepared to delve into the details. Every smallest thing about the Mishkan’s construction: the materials used, their colours, the type of precious metal and even their measurements are purposeful and relevant.
It is a mind-blowing mystery how the eternal God took up residence within a physical structure designed as a temporary dwelling. And here is the application, that the Eternal God who created the universe and everything within it desires to take up residence in us that we might be carriers or “temples” of the Holy Spirit.
And in Heaven our bodies will be changed incorruptible (1Cor. 15:52) where the fullness of God’s glory and presence will be manifested alongside everything we are surrounded by! Our mortality will be transformed into immortality heralding a new beginning stretching out into the vastness of eternity. No more crutches, decay, or need for medical assistance, pain nor sorrow, any kind of loss or failure or disappointment or tears and sorrow, failure, strife or pollution!
God’s glory is not something He ever intended for us to keep to ourselves and each person is responsible to radiate that glory and cascade it to all those who are fearful, broken and facing a lost eternity. Yeshua alone is the answer to every impossible situation, every disappointment every weary, sorrowful and despairing heart and we are the vehicles He uses to share this with others.
To glorify God is to give Him honour. The word for glory in Ex.40:34 is “kavod,” that is related to the Hebrew words for honour (kavod) and heavy (kaved). In Isai.6 when the prophet came into the presence of God His presence was so heavy (kaved) that hecried out in anguish, “ “Woe to me! I [too] am doomed! — because I, a man with unclean lips, living among a people with unclean lips, have seen with my own eyes the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot!” (v.4)
When we give someone kavod, it means to give them honour or respect – it is a heavy (kaved) thing — to treat somebody with importance and value. When we glorify God, we honour Him and, therefore, we cannot truly love someone without honouring them.
The last Hebrew word in the Shema contained in Deut.6:5 “m’eod” is usually translated as “strength” or “might.” But one of our greatest sages, Rashi, translated it differently “with all your wealth.” What did he mean by this?
The command to love God with all our heart (continuously and unconditionally) is very clear and it is one of the most simple statements in Scripture yet with the hardest application. To love God with all our soul was understood by the sages to mean, “with our life”. Yeshua and Paul taught this as a requirement for believers:
“Jesus said to him, “No one, … ‘If any man puts his hand to the plow and keeps looking back, this person is not fit for the kingdom.” (Luke 9:62.)
“So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.” (Rom.6:11) i.e., prepared to lay down one’s life daily
But why would Rashi translate the Hebrew word for strength as ‘wealth?’ It was because he was referring to the ‘wealth’ of our whole being – BODY, SOUL and SPIRIT. An example of this is shared by one of our sages. One day, as he stood with his disciples at the foot of a hill, he looked and saw above them, a shepherd who was blowing his horn to call his flock. After the sheep gathered to him, he led them to a nearby trough to water them. While they were drinking, he looked up to heaven and began to call out loudly, “Master of the world, You are so great! You created heaven and earth, and everything else! I’m a simple man; I’m ignorant and unlearned, and I don’t know how to serve You or praise You. I was orphaned as a child and raised among gentiles, so I never learned any Torah. But I can blow on my shepherd’s horn like a shofar, with all my strength, and call out, ‘The L-rd is G‑d!’” After blowing with all his might on the horn, he collapsed to the ground, without an ounce of energy, and lay there motionless until his strength returned.
Then he got up and said, “Master of the world, I’m just a simple shepherd; I don’t know any Torah, and I don’t know how to pray. What can I do for You? The only thing I know is to sing shepherds’ songs!” He then began to sing loudly and fervently with all his strength until, again, he fell to the earth, exhausted, without an ounce of energy.
After recovering, he got up again and began to call out, “Master of the world! What is it worth that I blew on my horn and sang songs for You, when You’re so great? What more can I do to serve You?” He paused for a moment and said, “There’s something else I know how to do, and I’ll do it for Your honour and glory!” He then stood on his head and began to wave his feet wildly in the air. Then he did somersaults one after the other, until he collapsed on the ground, exhausted. The Baal Shem Tov and his disciples watched all this from a distance, in amazement.
The shepherd lay there silently until his strength returned. Again, he began to speak and said, “Master of the world, I’ve done what I can, but I know it’s not enough! What more can I do to serve You?” After pausing to reflect, he said, “Yesterday, the nobleman who owns the flock made a feast for his servants, and when it ended, he gave each of us a silver coin. I’m giving that coin to You as a gift, dearest God, Maker of Heaven and earth, because You created everything and You feed all Your creatures, including me, Moshe the little shepherd!” Saying this, he threw the coin upwards as a prophetic act showing his intention to bless someone else with it.
