Tu B’Shevat is celebrated on Shevat 15 from this coming Sunday evening and is known as the New Year of the trees.
The Bible has many things to say about trees and their associations which we can’t get into detail here but a couple of points is that Tu B’Shevat is specifically connected with the almond tree, the first tree that blossoms in Israel each year around this season that in Israel leads from winter to spring.
Tu B’Shvat is the fourth of four new years in the Jewish calendar. It is a joyous time where it is customary to eat a special meal of dried fruits and nuts called a ‘seder,’ as with the Passover Seder—including having four cups of wine.
Tu B’Shevat marks the redemption of the Land but it is also a prophetic declaration of the fast approaching time of spiritual blossoming on the Day of the Lord when the remnant of Israel will embrace Yeshua as their Jewish Messiah:
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” (Zech.12:10)
Also we commemorated early during the week International Holocaust Memorial Day and its interesting that these two occasions, one of extreme sorrow and mourning is followed so quickly with the joyous occasion of Tu B’Shevat.
And then this week’s parasha is nestled in-between the two which reflects many similar themes that we will be exploring today.
After the Israelites were rescued from the Egyptian army and had crossed safely the Red Sea, they sang the Song of the Sea (Moses). This is the first time a song of praise to God appears in Scripture. Today, the Song of the Sea is prayed in synagogues during the traditional morning prayers as a reminder that we serve a God of miracles. The Israelites were required to memorise it in order to nurture their covenant relationship with God.
In Rev.15 is contained a promise where believers will sing the Song of the Sea around the throne of God: “Great and marvellous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”
Deborah sang after Israel’s victory over the forces of Siserah in Judg.5. Hannah sang when God granted her a child (1Sam. 2) following her barreness. When Saul was depressed, David would play for him on the harp and his spirit would be restored (1Sam.16) David himself was known as the “sweet singer of Israel” (2Sam.23:1) Elisha called for a harpist to play so that the prophetic spirit could rest upon him (2Kings 3:15). The Levites sang in the Temple.
And today we sing unto the Lord to worship Him because He alone is worthy of all praise, honour and dominion!
B’Shalach (When He Let Go)
Ex 13:17–17:16; Judges 4:4–5:31; Matt 5; Rev 19:1-20;6.
By Raphael ben Levi
“Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, (B’Shalach) that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’” (Ex.13:17)
The opening verse of the Torah portion speaks volumes regarding God’s fatherly concern for the Israelites! No doubt we, like the Israelites, would have preferred shortcuts rather than circuitous routes to reach our destinations in life but God who sees the beginning from the end has an overview that we are not privy to.
The Israelites started well, filled with wonder and delight at the incredible way God had come through for them against the Egyptians. Several centuries of mourning had now been transformed into joy and laughter following their miracle of deliverance beyond anything they could have imagined.
And yet, after only a three days in the wilderness things suddenly changed when they failed to find any water to sustain them. If that was not enough, when they finally arrived at an oasis, the water was so bitter it was undrinkable. It was ironic that after passing through a sea of water with a miracle that they regard as the greatest one in their history, now they stood stranded without even a drop to drink. Three days is the maximum time people can survive without water so it seemed to them as though this was the end. It seemed as though they were again facing a situation as bad as when they were under Egyptian slavery. But, long story short, Moses interceded and God turned the bitter waters into sweet. This was a defining moment that could have raised many questions but God did not judge them but only mildly scolded them: “If you will listen intently to the voice of Adonai your God, do what he considers right, pay attention to his mitzvoth and observe his laws, I will not afflict you with any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians because I am Adonai your healer.” (15:26)
The context here is important: firstly, God is not merely a “Mr Fix-it” but desires that our lives are founded upon a relationship with Him based on obedience. God gave the Israelites a choice: follow His righteous commands within a righteous relationship or face the consequences. By presenting the Israelites with a framework, (even though the details had yet to be established) God was empowering His people to make choices which aligned with His will that would lead to life, wellness, and healing.
Unfortunately things got worse rather than better. Shortly afterwards, “On the 15th day of the 2nd month after leaving the land of Egypt, there in the desert the whole community of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. (16:1) “If only we had died by the hand of Adonai in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full. But you have brought us into the wilderness, to kill this entire congregation with hunger.” This was their second test – the first one related to extreme thirst and now they faced extreme hunger. I cannot help but feel a certain amount of sympathy towards them because unless one has ever experienced prolonged hunger one cannot know the desperation it brings within a person. The recent experience of the Israeli hostages bear witness to this. Hunger is a terrible thing!
So God provided the Israelites with manna described by the psalmist as “angel’s food.” (Ps.78) It was not something the people could hoard, and neither was not transferable. God put the Hebrews in the position of seeking manna daily and relying on His Divine provision instead of counting on a surplus for tomorrow. God desires that our dependance on Him is absolute rather than using Him as a crutch.
God responded to the Israelites as an indulgent father since at this stage their accountability level was still low, and again, if that was enough, He followed this by supplying them with quails. In Ps.106 we read these sad words how God …”gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease among them.”
God led the Israelites through the wilderness through His Shekinah Glory (manifest presence) who dwelt in their midst throughout their 40 years wilderness journey until they entered the land of Canaan: “The Eternal went on ahead to guide them during the day in a cloud shaped like a pillar; at night He appeared to them in a fire shaped like a pillar to light their way. So they were able to travel by day and by night. 22 The Eternal did not remove the cloud pillar or the fire pillar; by day and by night it continued to go ahead of the people.” (Ex.13: 21-22)
It is a wonderful demonstration of the incredible faithfulness of God. Despite the Israelites frequent unfaithfulness during their 40-year period in the wilderness, God never once abandoned them. If ever they only understood one thing it was to know that without Him they had nothing. Even though they constantly complained and threatened to return to Egypt, at the end of the day, no-one actually did. As someone has said: “For the Jew, it is possible to argue against God, even to disobey Him, but not to live without him.”
God desired to teach the Israelites to place their trust in Him at all times not just when it was convenient. In Heb.10:35-36 this point is strongly emphasised: “…do not throw away your confidence which has a great reward. For we have need of endurance, so that when we have done the will of God, we may receive what was promised.”
Many believers are facing increasing challenges in these current times yet still in comparison they are pin-pricks in comparison to a growing number who face martyrdom on a daily basis. Here is an extract of a message a missionary friend in Thailand who shared the following with us:
“I have been to the south of Thailand and ministered to the Thai christians there. They have lost everything for the 3rd time in 5 years. They were so crushed. I brought them out from the power and hold of the enemy. One little boy about 3 yrs old came up to me while I was praying and placed his head on my leg as if to say thank you. It was the first time I had 100% of the church come forward to receive Jesus: Three persons for the 1st time and the rest re-established their covenant with God through Him. Jesus’ presence was so heavy as He began to heal them. Jesus is healing me from their grief which I have wrongly been carrying.
I leave Friday for Pattaya to minister to a pastor who’s grandchildren were kidnapped. The children were found but had been brutally killed. She is so very broken over it. Only God knows how to fix our messed up lives.”
And yet as Paul could boast,
“I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have entrusted to him against that day” (2Tim.1:12) And in (Isa.30:15) “In quietness and confidence lays our strength.” The word for quietness in Hebrew is a harsh word, ’shakat’ meaning, to be calm, relaxed, free from all anxiety. It is frequently used as a rebuke by parents to their children when they cross a boundary. In modern Hebrew, the word, ’sheket!’ literally means, ‘Be quiet!’ But behind the harshness of the rebuke, one is actually blessing them by speaking peace and rest upon their lives in place of turmoil.
One of the best biblical examples of ‘sheket’ is in the Book of Genesis in connection with Shabbat designed by God to provide us with quietness and rest amid the busyness of life amid the other six days of the week.
In Ex.16, is devoted an entire chapter on the importance of Shabbat where God reintroduces Shabbat to the Israelites following centuries of neglect due to being slaves in Egypt. God demonstrated its importance as something distinctive which set the Jewish people apart from the nations.
Observing Shabbat was something the Greek mind-set couldn’t fathom or understand. That God made the universe in six days, made more sense than He did so in seven. For them, the seventh day, was just an empty vacuum which held no meaning. Therefore, the Greeks labelled the Jewish people as lazy! It is the same even today even among many people within the church. But God commanded us to celebrate it as a permanent decree and is as relevant now as it was then. It is a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, a reminder of creation, and a commemoration of liberation from slavery. That in itself serves as more than sufficient reason. The key point though goes beyond observance of these things to the manner we do so. Scripture is deliberately relatively silent in this point stressing our responsibility to “honour Shabbat” (Isa.58) in order for it to be relevant for us through the generations. This has frequently been a stumbling block both within Judaism and the Church rather than a blessing because people so easily observe Shabbat as a legalistic obligation. Yeshua spoke the famous words, “Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath” and He faithfully and observed Shabbat as the Word of God commands – in a spirit of joy and thanksgiving.
Celebrating Shabbat was not to be observed every seventh day but also every seventh year known as the “Shemita” year. The Jewish people worked the land for six years, but on the seventh year they let the land rest, to recuperate and gain back its minerals. It was also an act of trust and godly obedience for God’s provision.
The Jewish people disobeyed God’s law regarding the Shemitah and is made mention of in the Tanakh at least 16 times with commentary alongside other sinful behaviour such as idolatry, child sacrifice, and ritual prostitution that each contributed to their exile.
The NT takes Shabbat to a higher level with the good news that God’s spiritual rest is available for everyone through Yeshua: “Come unto me all those who are burdened and weary and I will give you rest.” The Book of Hebrews links this symbolically to Shabbat: “So there remains a [full and complete] Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labours, just as God rested from [those labours uniquely] His own. 11 Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness].” (Heb.4:9-11)
I would like to conclude by very briefly reflecting upon the curious instruction given to the Israelites at the tail end of this parasha to wear tzitzit given brief mention in just a few sentences yet contains such importance that it became embedded in the Shema, the cornerstone of Jewish faith.
The Israelites were commanded to wear tassels on the four corners of their garments providing a visible declaration concerning their desire to walk in His pathways in accordance with His revealed word. Additionally, it was a reminder that they were set apart under the banner of God through His covenant.
Originally, in biblical times, tzit-tzit were part of the hem of a garment that symbolised authority. When David spared Saul’s life in the cave at En Gedi, he cut off the comer of Saul’s robe, symbolically demonstrating that the king’s authority would be cut off. (1Sam.24:20) The tassels added to the hem were not originally worn by commoners, but by the nobility and those with status including the religious hierarchy including rabbis such as with Yeshua.
The blue colour of the tzit-tzit symbolised royalty, the fabric of the fringed garment stood for priestly holiness. In Deut.22:11 and Lev.19:19, Regular people were forbidden to wear a garment combined of wool and linen known as ‘sha’tnez’ because the priestly garments were made from that blend.
Although sha’tnez was a combination of wool and linen, it marked the wearer as being separated for God’s service. The blue cord was wool and the other thread was linen.
Tzit-zit reminds us that God’s word is as valid today as it always is, but not always in the way we think, and is beautifully revealed in Mal.4:2: “But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings,” The Hebrew word for ‘wings’ is ‘kn’aphim’ that also refers to the ‘fringes’ of the tzit-zit. The context of the verse in Malachi refers to life in the Millennium age, but it also hints at Messiah Yeshua who is the “sun of righteousness.” In Him is healing and deliverance and wholeness in body, soul and spirit.
In Acts 19:11-12 we read how, “…God was doing extraordinary and unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even face-towels that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out [of them].”
In Jn.11:44 we learn about a Hebrew custom to wrap the face of the deceased with his prayer shawl, his tallit, with its fringes in its corners: “The man (Lazarus) who had been dead came out, his hands and feet wrapped in strips of linen and his face covered with a cloth (tallit). Yeshua said to them, “Unwrap him, and let him go!”
This same thing was observed with the burial wrapping of Yeshua (Jn. 20:3-7). The Jews wrapped their heads in their prayer shawls because of their belief in the resurrection. In veiling their faces even in death, they showed respect for the resurrecting glory of God. Moses had veiled his face because of the glory of God radiating upon it. (Ex.34:29-35) To be wrapped in one’s prayer shawl, (tallit) also showed that even in death, the believer was “hiding under the shadow of the Almighty’s wings.” (Ps.91:1)
There is much rich symbolism contained in the tallit, but a greater emphasis for the early believers lay with the inner condition of the heart. Outer beauty is subjective but inner beauty is seen by everyone. Inner beauty can be cultivated and although outer beauty changes over time, inner beauty is eternal. The inner beauty within us is a mark of transformation.
There are moments in each person’s life when one can do something that may seem to be the most insignificant thing ever, yet remains a rhema moment God created us for changing the course of history.
The secret of life is that although I always have to be what I am, there are moments I have to be not what I am also; to go beyond the limits we set and enter the realm of the impossible because He is a God of miracles who transforms impossibilities into realities, failure into stepping stones, water into dry land, and hopelessness into new beginnings.
