Shabbat Shalom!
Warm greetings to you, dear Saint. We hope, trust, and pray that this post finds you, your families, and your fellowships well and blessed on this bitterly cold Sabbath amid Hanukkah 2022.
Our Torah Reading
Have you ever considered the reality of a connection between our freely giving to God that which we have and His presence in our lives? Interestingly, the writer of the Book/Cepher of Hebrews/Ivryt 13:15 encouraged us to continually offer unto Yehovah our “sacrifices of praise” (13:15). And he described sacrifices of praise as being “the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name.”
What does giving unto Yah continuous sacrifices or praise offerings have to do with Yehovah dwelling with His people? Simply this: Yehovah inhabits the praises of His people Yisra’el (Psalm 22:3).
Of this beautiful verse, Bible Commentator Matthew Henry wrote:
And, as thou art infinitely pure and upright thyself, so thou delightest in the services of thy upright people: Thou inhabitest the praises of Israel; thou art pleased to manifest thy glory, and grace, and special presence with thy people, in the sanctuary, where they attend thee with their praises.
We glimpse this reality in our Torah Reading for this Shabbat. Which, by the way, is the 63rd Reading of our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle.
It is contained in Exodus/Shemot 25:1-26:30. However, I have been led to focus only on 25:2. And which reads:
“Speak unto the children of Yashar’el, that they bring Me an offering (i.e., Terumah): of every man that gives it willingly with his heart ye shall take My offering” (Cepher).
Here, Yah is instructing Mosheh to take up a freewill offering from the Children of Yisra’el for the purposes of constructing the Tabernacle (i.e., Mikdash).
More on the specifics of this later.
The Relationship Between God and Moses a Foreshadow of Good Things to Come
Mosheh (aka Moses) enjoyed (enjoyed not in a pleasant, desirable manner per se, but in a privileged, exclusive sense—a communion and closeness—an intimacy—a “yada” closeness—with the “Great I Am.’ One that no known human possessed in his day.
For the better part of four centuries, Yehovah had pretty much-left humanity alone. Truly, during the four centuries, we dwelt in Egypt/Mitsrayim, we had no contact with Yehovah. And Yah did not reach out to us.
That’s not to say that Yah wasn’t working steadfastly behind the scenes—in the recesses of time and space—on our behalf. He no doubt was busily laying the groundwork—preparing for His grand reentry into human affairs, having last interacted with the Patriarch Joseph (aka Yosef) in his exaltation as grand vizier over Mitsrayim centuries prior.
Then, in the most unanticipated, unimaginable manner, Yah reveals Himself to this fugitive from Egypt. And Yah does so in a most intimate yet gloriously miraculous way. He speaks directly to Moses/Mosheh from the burning bush that was not consumed atop Mount Sinai (3:2-4).
Truly, on that historic day, heaven came down to earth. And the Creator of the Universe once again spoke face-to-face with a human being. Once again, humanity was lifted up to heaven to commune with Elohiym. He was lifted from the muck and mire and mundaneness of this world.
And thus began one of the most unique relationships ever to exist between Yehovah and humanity.
Of this unique relationship, Torah describes:
“And Yehovah spoke unto Mosheh face-to-face, as a man speaks unto His friend” (33:11; Cepher).
“With him (i.e., Mosheh) will I speak mouth-to-mouth, even apparently, and not in dark-speeches; and the similitude of Yehovah shall He behold…” (Numbers/Bemidbar 12:8; Cepher).
“And there arose not a prophet since in Yashar’el like unto Mosheh, whom Yehovah knew face-to-face” (Deuteronomy/Devarim 34:10; Cepher).
Indeed, the only other human—although He was divinely conceived and born into this world—to match and even greatly exceed Moses/Mosheh in terms of closeness or intimacy with Yah was Yahoshua, our Master. And most certainly, Mosheh was a type of Messiah in many ways. The most prominent of ways is the intimate relationship with Yah.
Thus, Mosheh, like our Master, brilliantly foreshadowed the intimate relationship we today may share and embrace with Yehovah through the Person and Ministry of Yahoshua Messiah. Mosheh was “a shadow of good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1).
Mosheh inaugurated or set into motion Yah’s Plan of Restoration, Redemption, and Salvation that featured Yah fellowshipping—dwelling—with His people.
Master Yahoshua facilitated and brought to full reality Yah’s Plan of Salvation, Redemption, and Restoration (Hebrews/Ivryt 12:2). In fact, not only did Master mediate this superior covenant—this intimate covenant relationship between Yehovah and Yisra’el—us—where Yah dwells with His children. But better, Yah dwells within His people (John/Yochanan 14:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19). Uniting Himself to His people through His perfect Son Yeshua HaMashiyach.
Yah Intends to Dwell Among His People Through Their Giving
We find in 25:2 of our reading where Yehovah instructs Mosheh to take up a freewill offering (i.e., Terumah) from among the people. The freewill offering of the people would facilitate the construction of Yah’s tabernacle (i.e., Mikdash).
He says to Mosheh in verse 25:8-9:
“Let them (i.e., the people) make for me a sanctuary (i.e., Mikdash) that I may dwell among them.”
The people had come into possession of precious, natural earth elements that Yah had beforehand entrusted to us through His giving favor in the sight of the Egyptians, who gave us their wealth upon our departure from Egypt. Torah describes this exchange of wealth as our “plundering the Egyptians” (Exodus/Shemot 12:36).
The sanctuary was meant to be a holy point of reference for us. Yah was explicit that we, His people, in constructing the mikdash, would be constructing a physical edifice such that He may dwell among or dwell in our midst. Yah would not be dwelling in the mikdash, although His presence would be manifested above the Ark of the Tabernacle.
In devising the construction of the mikdash, Yah realized that humans often need a physical, visual reference whereby they may emotionally and intellectually associate themselves with the holy and divine (1 Kings 8:27). The mikdash would fill that need. It would also serve as the focal point or the point of initiation—even the physical and spiritual source—of Godly rule for us. That is as long as Yah’s presence remained with us.
Thus, Yah would eventually stipulate an implementation of community and priestly rules that would facilitate His continued presence among us. These community and priestly rules would separate us from the defilements of the nation peoples of this world to that Yah’s presence would continue with us (Leviticus/Vayiqra 15:31).
Thus, from the mikdash would flow rivers of living water: Yah’s holiness and truths.
Mosheh (our mediator/intercessor) would oversee the tabernacle’s construction. The tabernacle’s construction, for Yah to inhabit it, had to be constructed in accordance with the pattern that Yah revealed to him on the mountain those 40 days.
Spiritually speaking, these bodily tabernacles/sanctuaries/temples of ours must conform to the very image of Yahoshua Messiah for Yah to dwell therein.
How we image Yah to this corrupt and dying world must precisely match that of the Person of Yeshua. Like the development of the mikdash/tabernacle, our imitation of Master Yahoshua must be spot on if we are to be Yah’s chosen ones. There can be no compromise. Thus, as we intently study Torah daily, it becomes equally important to study the Gospel and the Apostolic writings. For we must understand and put on Messiah and walk therein so that Yah may continue to dwell within us.
Our Offerings—Terumah
Central to our thoughts and reflections today beloved is the English term “offering.” The Hebrew term for offering, as used in 25:3, is “Terumah.” Terumah means to donate (Strong’s H8641). Terumah is derived from the verb “ruwm” which means to “lift something up,” as a priest would lift one’s offering to Yehovah for acceptance.
Contextually, Terumah is exclusive to donations or offerings or gifts given to the priesthood to be offered to Yah.
Robert Alter’s commentary on our focus passage brilliantly calls to the reader’s attention the stark contrast between the Terumah that would lead to the construction of the mikdash and the Terumah that would lead to the construction of the golden calf (chapters 32-34).
Here Yah stipulates to Mosheh the exactness of the mikdash construction along with its implements. This stipulation is driven by holy revelation and by the Creator’s desire to dwell with His people.
The Terumah that would bring about the construction of the idol (i.e., the golden calf) was solely for the purpose of providing the people with a visual reference by which we may retrieve some sense of nostalgia from our former lives in Egypt/Mitsrayim.
Consequently, the very riches that Yah intended/sanctioned for His mikdash, the enemy sought to steal and use for his purposes.
What does this say to us today, beloved? When we are born into this world, Yah endows us with talents and strengths, and potential that He intends to be used for His glory and purposes. And as we go through life and Yah grants us strength to work and accumulate wealth, Yah still expects us to use those resources for His purposes and glory.
Yet, more times than not, we squander the “Terumah” by retaining them for ourselves and giving them over to the enemy and the world.
Oh, many of us might devote some of our Terumah to the work of the Gospel after we come to Faith. But most of us end up dividing the Terumah that Yah has entrusted us with (both tangible and intangible) between the work of the Gospel and ourselves, the world, and the enemy. Unfortunately, we, the world, and the enemy get the bulk of the parceled-out Terumah.
One is forced to consider whether we are truly donating that which Yah has entrusted to us to Yehovah. Does not all we have belong to Yehovah, including our very existence? Of course, it does. Yah stipulates what we should render unto Him so that His will and purpose be achieved on the earth.
Yeshua required His disciples to sell all they possessed, give the proceeds from that sale to the poor, and follow Him (Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21). And then He requires that we lay down our very lives for Him (John 13:38). Now, that’s some Terumah, wouldn’t you agree?
And so, it falls to us today, as Yah’s elect, when we come into a covenant relationship with Yehovah, to reorient our perspective on Terumah—our giving. Not just the wages we earn or the funds in our savings and checking accounts, but everything else (i.e., our talents, material goods, strength, time, etc.) for His purpose and will.
The Enemy and Terumah
With the direction the world is heading these days, it’s likely that the world—even the enemy—will determine for its citizens what they will be forced to Terumah to its proxies. What is it that they are projecting for the citizens of this world in the not-too-distant future? You will own nothing and work for the state, and you will like it. The Terumah the enemy will require of its citizens is their very lives.
Beloved, now is the day of salvation. Let us turn everything—offer up everything we possess—everything that Yah has entrusted us with—to Him. I’m not suggesting that we all go out and sell all that we possess and give to the poor and gather ourselves into various communes. No, not at all. But rather, let us detach ourselves from our material possessions such that if Yah requires that we dispense of them for the sake of the Gospel, we are willing and prepared to do so. Also, our talents, strengths, time, and even our lives. Yah then becomes our All-in-All. We are no longer defined by nor reliant upon that which we possess. But rather, we fulfill that glorious admonishment of Yeshua that instructs us to seek the Kingdom of Yah and His righteousness first and foremost. And once we do so, Yah will provide for our needs according to His riches in glory.
As Yeshua required of His disciples, nothing we have must stand in the way of our covenant relationship with Yehovah.
The precious construct of the mikdash would be maintained—vouchsafed—by the Levitical Priesthood. These would ensure the sanctity of the mikdash with exacting precision and dedication to ensure Yah’s continued presence therein and within our nation. The keyword here is “purity”. The priesthood was responsible for maintaining the mikdash’ s and the nation’s purity before Yehovah. And the mikdash’ s central purpose was to be the conduit by which Yah would dwell among us. The implements and the procedures surrounding the mikdash ensured Yah’s continued presence among us and our continued access to Yehovah.
Closing Thoughts and Reflections
What do we do to maintain the mikdash that is our bodies and ensure Yah’s continued presence within us?
Well, we eat clean. We guard against impurities (i.e., not just environmental impurities but also impurities that enter the body through our minds, ears, and thoughts) that would defile it and make it an unsuitable dwelling place for Yah. Furthermore, we walk in Torah, imitating Yeshua in the process. We commune with Yah through His Ruach, which resides and operates within us. Yeshua as our High Priest, intercedes continually on our behalf in the heavenly Mishkan. We offer continually unto Yah our Terumah, which includes the fruit of our lips, as well as we offer all that we possess unto Him, even our lives.
Beloved, just as our ancient cousins were poised to offer unto Yah the materials needed to construct the mikdash and facility His presence in our midst, let us offer—Terumah—our all to Yah such that His indwelling relationship with us grows by leaps and bounds and we thereby glorify Him on the earth.
Shabbat Shalom. Shavu’atov. Have a meaningful and blessed Hanukkah. Take Care.