Tag: Aliyah

Aliyah – Come Up Higher!

Come

Up

Higher!

Hebrew words for higher:

adjective: עִלִי. overhead, upper, topmost.

In Hebrew 

לבוא means: come up (verb) – lavo

 כאן – here – kan

Strong’s Hebrew: 5927. עָלָה (alah) —

to go up, ascend, climb

A primitive root;

to ascend, intransitively (be high) or

actively mount.

Strong’s Hebrew: 4605. מַ֫עַל (maal) — above, upwards

above (7), above* (32), covered* (1), exceedingly (1), forward (2), greater (1), greatly (1), heaven (4), high above (1), high* (1), higher

Strong’s Hebrew: 1361b. gabah — to be high, exalted

Word Origin a prim. root. Definition to be high, exalted (NASB Translation) build high (1), exalt (2), exalted (4), haughty (4), high (4), higher.

Strong’s Greek: 511. ἀνώτερος (anóteros) — higher

come up higher 

Anaba Ἀνάβα   come up

hōde ὧδε here

We have just recently remembered Pentecost/Shavuot/shavuoth/shavos/shevuoth on our Heavenly Fathers calendar. (There are several ways of spelling the Hebrew Appointed Time; however most people know it as Pentecost.)

Our Fathers Appointed Times also reveal His glory in His creation. As the days grow darker in the world, there remains an everlasting light, Jesus/Yeshua said:

I am the light of the world;

and it is the

Servant Light

of our Savior and of His/our Father that will never be extinguished. Recall from previous posts that the center light of menorah is called the Shamash, meaning servant, and this light is also remembered with the observance of Pentecost/Shavu’ot, the 50th day following the waving of the First Fruit harvest sheaf.

The Menorah מְנוֹרָה

was the source of light to enable the priesthood to

SEE

giving light to minister

in the wilderness Mishkan/Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem.

His Spirit of Holiness/RuachHaKodesh was the fire/light which descended upon them at Shavuot/Pentecost enabling them as members of the born from above priesthood, to boldly minister the good news of the kingdom. Exodus 25:31-40

The 7 branched menorah is described in the Torah in exquisite detail, however, one detail is not clearly defined: this detail is the actual shape of the 6 branches which extend from the main stem of the menorah. Are the 6 branches straight, or are they curved? While many scholars believe that the 6 branches are rounded, there are a few who think that the 6 branches are straight; both shown below.

The shamash 

is the candle used to light the other candles of the Hanukkah menorah.

In Hebrew, 

shamash: pronounced shah-MAHSH 

literally means helper.

He is the suffering servant

the shamash,

who lights everyone in the world who comes to Him.

He is the center, the supporting trunk for the other branches.

John 15:5  A picture of Jesus/Yeshua, the light of the world, whose arms and legs were hammered for our sins, just as the hammering of the gold shaped the menorah. The light itself came from the burning of pure olive oil; a symbol of anointing and Ruach HaKodesh/His Spirit of Holiness, which was kindled by the hand of a man of peace and humility.

It is a spiritual light and not seen from the outside of the Temple, only from the inside, and only for Holy/Kadosh purposes.

For more detail on Shamash/menorah click link below:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/what-is-the-connection-between-almonds-and-olive-oil-with-messiah-and-lampstands-part-3/

A Chanukah/Hanukkah menorah,

also known as a chanukiah, has 9 candles:

8 candles in a row, and 1 helper candle, known specifically as a shamash,

which is set apart/sits higher, from the others.

It is not counted as one of the candles.

For students of Gods’ Word, this was the day that marked

the birth of the

called out assembly/ecclesia

in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem by the impartation of

His Ruach ha’Qodesh/Spirit of Holiness appearing like cloven tongues of fire

on the Disciples/Talmadiym/Talmidim

who had waited together for this serious moment.

(holiness spelled both Kodesh or Qodesh)

The significance of the tongues of fire appearing as cloven was surely a comfort to the talmidim/disciples as their understanding of Torah and the Holy/set apart/clean vs. unclean animals were identified by their cloven feet.

Cloven hooves are hooves that split into two toes. Under these restrictions, camels, which chew cud but do not have cloven hooves, would not be kosher, nor would pigs.

Clean Animals Have Split Hooves.

Of the clean animals that walk on the earth Yehovah said:

You may eat every animal with cloven hooves, having the hoof split into two parts, and chews the cud.

Recalling also that this commemorates another day, when Moses/Moshe brought to the whole of the house of Israel

the great covenant of Yahuah –

the Ten Devariym/sayings:

handwritten on caphire/sapphire stone

by the very finger of our Heavenly Father,

these are the instructions in

the covenant of life/chaim

and were also given on the

50th day.

More details at link below:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/sapphire-and-10-sayings/

For those of us who seek to come out of Babylons’ worldly system – to be separate and apart from its ways and to live our lives in harmony with Our Heavenly Father and Jesus/Yeshuas’ instructions, His light remains. It is a powerful light, and like the menorah shining brightly, we are to be glowing brilliantly with Yeshua/Jesus, the light of the world in us!

These Appointed Times are

an annual call to each of us,

not only to dig deeper into His Word and understand all that He wants to reveal to us there, but also to

come up higher…

as John was instructed..

Why?

so He can show us things..

for those with eyes to see and ears to hear

these things will be revealed …

it’s all about timing and preparation.

Revelation 1:10-11

And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this. Rev. 4:1

He was saying to John

I want you to SEE..

far beyond what you see right now…

but you must 

Come! Come up higher.

I will show you things to come.

I will open your eyes to see!

“Go up. Come up. Come up higher.”

He wants us to see certain things;

and in order to see more,

we have to go up.

The word

aliYAH,

is a common word among the Jews…

Aliyah in Hebrew means:

elevation or going up

and can refer to two different parts of Jewish life. It either refers to being called up to say the blessing before or after reading the Torah in the synagogue, or it refers to moving to the land of Israel. It is considered a great honor to be given an Aliyah – going up, to recite the blessing over the Torah.

The term aliyah, going up to Israel, is used in Genesis in reference to Jacob’s bones being brought from Egypt to what would be the Land of Israel, Eretz Israel, in Hebrew.

Also defined as

the act of going up that is, towards Jerusalem

making Aliyah by moving to Israel

and is used by those returning to the land of Israel.

Aliyah means to ascend,
literally: go up to YAH.

עליה

Pronounced: a-LEE-yuh for synagogue use,

ah-lee-YAH for immigration to Israel,

Origin: Hebrew, literally, to go up.

When we obey what His instructions are,

we are literally

going up

to see what He has to tell us.

Our obedience brings us into His presence so that He can show us more of Himself,

more about ourselves, and

more insight to the strategies concerning the work of the adversary/enemy.

He will give us the Way to walk forward in the midst of His glory.

He will provide a fearlessness and boldness, courage that will enable us to be over-comers in this life.

We have recently remembered Pesach/Passover, which also celebrates the subsequent exodus out of Egypt, Israel was in the wilderness 40 years.

As the pilgrims

go up – making aliyah to Jerusalem/Yerushalayim

for the shalosh regalim

they sing the Psalms of David and Solomon.These are called the Psalms/Songs of ASCENT..

In Hebrew, the word translated as

ascent is ma’alah (מעלה),

which means:

ascent or degree

and indicates a movement upward.

There are 15 Psalms of Ascent, 

Psalms 120-135 

 שִׁירים הַמַּעֲלוֹת 

Shirim haMa’alot, 

תהילים של עלייה

psalms of ascent.

Our Heavenly Father wanted them to

aliyah/go up

annually so that they could see that He, who had done mighty things on their behalf, was about to do mighty things again and to bring them into the Promised Land of Israel and fulfill all that had been prophesied.

We too are in a wilderness and He wants us to reflect on

where we are

as we press forward to the promised land in glory.

We have heard His voice:

to come out of Egypt, and

to come out of the world,

to come out of the religious system that is sneakily riddled with traditions of men.

He says, “Come up – come up higher!”

Don’t settle for less

because our Heavenly Father

ALWAYS has more for us..

Now to Him who is able to do

exceedingly abundantly above

all that we ask or think, 

according to the power that works in us…

Eph. 3:20.

We should be like Caleb’s daughter Acsah

who asked her father for springs of water.

כָלֵ֑ב Caleb 3612

Acsah or achsah עַכְסָ֥ה   aksah 5915

Upper and lower springs.

Digging deeper into wells of salvation/lower springs

and the coming up to higher springs/places; where the springs of living water flow down the mountains. This should remind us of the rivers of living water and His outpouring into our lives of His Ruach HaKodesh/Spirit of Holiness.

…Caleb asked [Acsah], “What can I do for you?”
She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.”
So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. Judges 1:14b-15, 

Achsah, was Caleb ben Yefune’s only daughter.

She was offered in marriage to the man who would lead an attack on the city of Debir, also called Kirjath-sepher/Kirjath-sannah.

This was done by Othniel, Caleb’s brother’s son, who accordingly obtained her as his wife.

 

Achsah in Hebrew: עַכְסָה, also Acsah.

One meaning of her name is: courageous

עַכְסָה

also: Adorned, or Bursting the Veil!

Acsah or achsah.  עַכְסָ֥ה   aksah 5915

Othniel   עָתְנִיאֵ֥ל     6274   Joshua 15:17

כָלֵ֑ב    Caleb.   3612

בֶּן־ son – ben 1121

קְנַ֖ז of Kenaz 7073

Achsah was the daughter of Caleb, prince of the tribe of Judah.

She was the only girl in the family, and had three brothers. 

Achsah also has the meaning of

ankle-chain, anklet.

Her father promised her in marriage to whoever should take Debir.

And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher”. Judges 1:12.

Caleb was seeking to award a man who proved himself a fearless warrior, valiant in battle, and more importantly one who had the courage and faith to obey God’s command to conquer. 

Acsah’s narrative serves as an example of contrasting between good and evil in order to reveal how far life has degenerated. The Book of Judges can be read as a chronological narrative or as a geographical one, either way, we see the huge contrast between the start and the end: it starts with good leadership and good circumstances in the land; and ends with no leadership and horrific ones.

On the whole in many cultures these days, conditions and practices have improved, however, Acsah’s story is telling us so much more.

In this narrative we see a very critical part of a whole situation which alerts us to the danger imposed upon those who are vulnerable and powerless.. This happens when everybody does what seems right in their own eyes. 21:25.

Proverbs 14:12 warns us, as do many proverbs which describe the consequences of a particular action or character trait; referring to the blinding effects of passion and self-will; which make people think their own way is best and the most desirable as it appears to be right.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Reading Acsah’s story serves as a reminder to do ALL things by the leading and guidance of and in and through the power of His Ruach HaKodesh/Spirit of Holiness. That means we commit to trust and obey, doing only what is right in our Heavenly Father’s eyes. We must never do what merely seems right, leaning on our own understanding. Rather, in all our ways we must acknowledge Him, and He will direct our paths. Prov.3:6.

In this story Acsah’s husband Othniel had already received a gift of land from her father Caleb but then she asks for more…. Give me also…. We should also be eager for all that our Father has for us. She very wisely asks for the water source which in that time and location is the basis of staying alive… The springs she requested would supply water to their inheritance of dry southern land.

If they had only asked for the lower spring, whole sections of the land would have stayed barren and dry and only a portion of the available resource would have been used.

We too need the fresh water of His Spirit/Ruach and as Pentecost/Shavuot was the fulfilling of that prophesied outpouring we are now able to receive His refreshing anytime. Whenever we are feeling weary, tired and overwhelmed, and need a fresh anointing on our lives and ministries; a fresh infilling of His Spirit is waiting for us; we simply have to yield and receive. Our Heavenly Father is one of abundance and we are

not to settle for less

than the fullness and abundant life He has for us…this is why Jesus/Yeshua came. 

In Luke 11:13 in the Complete Jewish Bible, following instruction on prayer by Jesus/Yeshua to His disciples/talmidim, He says clearly to: keep on asking keep on seeking  how much more will the Father

KEEP GIVING

the Ruach HaKodesh/Spirit of Holiness from heaven

to those who keep asking Him..

We need both the upper and lower springs to feed into our lives. Notice in verse 14, she says, do me a special favor.

Acsah knew she had her fathers favor and she had faith in that special relationship …surely we see the analogy for us if we are in that place of abiding/living in His presence. We too should have the knowing, of the security in His lovingkindness towards us and that we can receive ALL that He has for us.

To know Him and the power of His resurrection is

to know His ability to replenish, refresh and refill us.

He is calling us higher…

speaking to us about stepping into

a new level of holy boldness and spiritual authority. Not in our strength, ways or abilities..but in His!

Cheverim, Mishpochah – friends, family; we are called for such a time as this…we are joint heirs with Mashiach/Messiah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords…

When our mindset is stuck in the lower springs we can’t receive the inheritance of those upper springs. We must consider our true identity and calling in Messiah, in Christ, who we truly are in HIM … we are created in His glorious image …

There is a further lesson for us to learn in Acsah’s story. Her father had treated her more like a prize to be won for the one who could gain victory over the city of the giants. Judges 1:12-13

It would have been easy for her to assume a victim mentality…

Her name means: anklet, which is an adornment..

remembering in those days it also referred to the

anklets or leg chains

that held prisoners to the prison stocks.

Acsah/Achsah, did not give in to the temptation of …poor pity me.. she had the attitude of: an heir ready to receive her inheritance. Furthermore the physical inheritance of well watered land was enhanced spiritually, as the faith of her father Caleb and the generation of Joshua lived on and prospered in her husband Othniel.

We are told in Judges 3:9-11, the Spirit of God came upon Othniel. He became Israel’s first judge and deliverer, and because of his leadership, the land had rest for 40 years. True Shalom when we enter into His rest!

The common western definition of peace is — the absence of conflict or war — but in Hebrew it means so much more:

The root word of Shalom is shalam.

One of the first uses of the word shalam in the Torah is in

Exodus 21 and 22…

meaning: peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility soundness, health, safety and prosperity, nothing missing and nothing broken.

A higher state of mind and spiritual vision can only be reached through the higher practice of personal character. If we live up to the highest and best we know how, our Father will always

call us to come up higher

and when we do we will be faced with other challenges and temptations to further help in forming our characters.

Staying humble is the key to greatness in the Kingdom of God.

Both the Father and the adversary will use the strategy of elevation… but satan uses it for example: as temptation by lifting up in pride and the effects and results are completely different.

Our growth in grace/chen is not measured by the fact we have not backslidden or turned back from following Messiah but that we have an understanding and insight into where we are spiritually.

As a good wise father He withholds some things from us until the growth of our personal character attains the level He deems we are ready to receive them. As we grow in maturity, we have a higher viewpoint and when He shows us a truth, we are accountable to immediately apply the truth we know and begin to live it, applying it to our lives.

Attentiveness and receptivity will always lead to greater intimacy. Like the disciples/talmidim, who waited on His Spirit to fill and empower them, we must learn to pay attention sometimes by waiting upon Him. He leads us from strength to strength, we simply need to place our trust in Him and not in our own understanding or trying to ‘fix it’ by employing our own ways….

We must be receptive, open, and teachable if we want a deep meaningful relationship; and we must be willing and available, giving time to building that relationship.

Going deep

also requires us

to come up higher

where we are called to be seated in heavenly places

and then we will begin to see all things

from our Fathers perspective

from above and not beneath!

Whatever our calling, our function to His called-apart-ones, our inheritance is assured to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose… Rom.8:28

and we are challenged to remember

both the upper and lower springs offer

continual infilling

for us.

Time to Aliyah  –  come up higher.

As the disciples waited to

come up higher

counting the days from the omer;

maybe they were finally learning to

count the cost

of being disciples of the Master.

He was seen by so many during those days, still speaking of the kingdom, cultivating the seeds of His Spirit that were to soon spring forth and bear much fruit!

Everything they had trained and waited for came and they were ready…are we?????

May our days of counting lead to a lifetime of bearing good fruit.. May there be fire in our bones that set our tongues aflame to declare the great things of our Heavenly Father and His Kingdom…. as we

Aliyah

COME UP HIGHER!

Please wait 4 seconds for this song to begin…

and tell Him.. Hineni, here I am! Lead me…

Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now,

but you will follow later.

John 13:36

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim/friends and mishpachah/family!

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week,

you are greatly loved and prayed for daily.

Please don’t leave here without assurance of your salvation

Not sure ..you can be…

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer,

Savior, Lord, and soon returning King

and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are very precious in His sight.

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.

Was Messiah A Son Of The Commandments?

We may be more familiar with the term for a ceremony in Israel

called in Hebrew

Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

It is one of the best known Jewish customs,

bar mitzvah for a boy

and

bat mitzvah for a girl.

Bar בַּר ‎

is a Jewish Babylonian Aramaic word meaning:

son  בֵּן ‎,

ben in Hebrew,

while bat בַּת means:

daughter in Hebrew, and

mitzvah מִצְוָה ‎

means: commandment or law.

When a Jewish boy turns 13, he has all the rights and obligations of a Jewish adult, including the commandments of the Torah.

It is a time when the child assumes responsibility for his or her own life and faith in God at what is considered the Biblical age of responsibility/ accountability. – twelve for a girl and thirteen for a boy. The child crosses over from being a child into an adolescent generally girls mature earlier than boys.

This is possibly where our relatively recent western term of becoming a teenager has its roots. The word teenager was seldom used until 1939 when it was mentioned in a headline in the Journal of Education for a review on a book study entitled Adolescence: A Study in the Teen Age, albeit it was hyphenated as Teen-Agers. Even though a lot of publications of the 1950s sought to explain this adolescence change, it wasn’t until the 20th century that historians began to analyze this phenomenon.

The roots of the 

bar mitzvah, 

which literally means

son of the commandments,

are obscure.

The actual term never once appears in the Hebrew Bible. 

Because there is no specific Scriptural reference to a

Bar/Bat Mitzvah,

its historical background is more difficult to determine as there are no specific references to the ceremony in the Hebrew scriptures. However there are many statements supporting the idea that there is an age of accountability in following Gods way; and from the ancient writings of the Rabbis, we learn that they considered the age of 12 or 13 to be the age of accountability and physical maturity.

The child is now expected to assume more duties and responsibilities of religious life such as:

celebrating the feasts of the Lord,

fasting on fast days, and

wearing a prayer shawl in the synagogue.

Before this time, the parents would generally assume all responsibility for the child’s actions, vows, discipline and religious training. However, this begins to transition to the child at this time, which is marked by this special ceremony; which did not become commonplace until the Middle Ages, as an official initiation for boys into adolescence and Jewish religious duties.

By the age of 13, a Jewish boy would usually have completed his early Hebrew and religious studies.

A similar ceremony for girls at the age of 12 (based on the assumption that girls mature slightly sooner than boys), the Bat Mitzvah, is a modern adaptation to give girls a similar honor and blessing as their male counterparts.

While the beginnings of the modern bar mitzvah ceremony appeared as early as the sixth century C.E., it was not until the Middle Ages that a fully developed ritual emerged. By the 13th or 14th century, the custom of calling a boy up to the Torah was established as the way of recognizing entry into manhood.

The first use of bar mitzvah for the Jewish coming-of-age ritual seems to date to a 15th-century rabbi named Menahem Ziyyoni. 

The bar mitzvah ceremony at that time was a modest affair with two or three major components.

First, was an aliyah.

Aliyah 

עלייה

means ascent, 

referring both to the physical ascent

onto the platform where the Torah is read

and

to the spiritual elevation experienced at that time.

The Hebrew word

aliyah

translates as

elevation or going up.

It is used both for being

called up to the Torah reading

and for

moving to the Land of Israel.

The root of this word is עלה

(Ah-L-H, Strong’s #5927), which means to go up.

Traditionally, a boy is honored with an 

aliyah 

on the first

Torah-reading-day

that follows his thirteenth birthday.

Some wait for the first Shabbat that follows the

bar mitzvah.

In order to receive an

aliyah,

one must be familiar with the procedure of being called up to the Torah and know the blessings recited before and after the reading.

This meant that the

bar mitzvah boy was,

for the very first time in his life,

called up to make a blessing over the public readings from the Torah, the sacred handwritten scroll containing the Five Books of Moses.

In addition, the bar mitzvah boy

often delivered his first public discourse,

teaching the community and

offering thanks to his parents and visiting guests.

So the question asked concerning Messiah.

What do the scriptures tell us?

in Luke 2:41-47, there are scriptures

that may suggest the timing of

His Bar בַּר mitzvah מִצְוָה ‎

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.

  Here we have the only passage recorded concerning any details, from His infancy to the day of His showing to Israel at 29 years old, so it seems it must be of great importance.

Is this when Yeshua/Jesus became

a son of the commandments?

There is no specific reference to bar mitzvah, however His age is clearly noted. The further question of His actual birthday date may have a bearing, or that He was in His 13th year although still 12?

It was the 7 day Feast of the Unleavened Bread and the Festival of Pesach/Passover/First fruits and beginning of Counting from the Omer to Shavuot.

Yeshua/Jesus, His Mother, and His foster-father Joseph made the journey by foot from Nazareth to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem with many other pilgrims. They remained in Jerusalem during the whole week, spending their time in worship and devotion as did the rest of the Jews.

If we were not already aware, now we know that at age 13

Jewish boys become Bar Mitzvah;

they are:

sons of the covenant.

We see in this story that Yeshua/Jesus accompanied His parents to Jerusalem for the Passover/Pesach and that they were part of a company, which was probably made up of extended family and close friends.

Pesach/Passover was one of

three pilgrimage festivals instituted in the Torah called:

שלושה רגלים   Shalosh or Shlosha Regalim:

פֵּסַח Passover/Pesach, (Exodus- physical salvation)

שָׁבוּעוֹת Pentecost/Shavuot/Weeks (Acts – Spiritual salvation)

and סוּכּוֹת Sukkot/Tents, Booths or Tabernacles –

(Joyous thanks for God’s encompassing protection.)

Exodus 23:17, 34:20; Is.1:12

Deut. 16:16;

שָׁל֣וֹשׁ פְּעָמִ֣ים ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֡ה יֵרָאֶ֨ה כׇל־זְכוּרְךָ֜ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י ׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ בַּמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְחָ֔ר בְּחַ֧ג הַמַּצּ֛וֹת וּבְחַ֥ג הַשָּׁבֻע֖וֹת וּבְחַ֣ג הַסֻּכּ֑וֹת וְלֹ֧א יֵרָאֶ֛ה אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה רֵיקָֽם׃

Three times a year—on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths—all your males shall appear before your God יהוה in the place that [God] will choose. They shall not appear before יהוה empty-handed,

The three (foot) pilgrimages,

that required attendance at the Temple in Jerusalem;

all three festivals have both agricultural and national significance.

These festivals are mitzvot (plural of mitzvah – הַמִצווֹת).

Many see mitzvah simply as a command or a good deed, however there is a richer and more complex meaning of mitzvah.

This aspect of mitzvah is as physical actions that reminds us of aspects of our connection to God and of all connections to our Heavenly Father, the festivals of Passover/Pesach and Sukkot/Tents are among the strongest.

The 3rd festival, Shavuot/Weeks/Pentecost, actually celebrates the connection itself.

Shavuot/Pentecost, a week of weeks (49 days) after the Pesach/Passover, was God bonding Himself to the His people.

 His parents went, every year.

This was their faithful custom, their lives being positively encompassed by the law.

Exodus 23:17.

It does not appear that infants/young children were obliged to be present; and yet all the men and older male children are positively ordered to attend the

 Shalosh or Shlosha Regalim

at Yerushalayim/Jerusalem

three times in the year, every year. Exodus 34:23.

However, women were absolved from this requirement. They were not expected to make the trip because of the demands of managing a home and being a mother to the children, who weren’t expected to make pilgrimage either. For the family of Yeshua/Jesus, it was probably that this was the very age at which the male children were obliged to appear before the Lord at the three public festivals – the feast of unleavened bread, of weeks, and of tabernacles.

According to the Jewish writings, it was also the age at which they were obliged to begin to learn a trade. They may have considered it the right time to take Him with them, in order to celebrate that miracle deliverance out of Egypt which God had wrought for His people; the memory of which was carefully to be transmitted to every succeeding generation.

Here it should be noted, we also have Miryam/Mary, and perhaps other women close to her, making the journey to the Holy City.

It is mentioned in commending the obedience of Miryam/Mary and Joseph/Yosef, that they gave diligent observance to outward worship of God. This was not of their own choosing, but by the divine command, that they undertook this annual journey.

The law/Torah, commands the, males “only to, appear before the Lord,” (Exodus 23:17.) This does not entirely exclude females, but spares them by way of kindness; this compassionate consideration, distinguishes the true faith in the one true God from all vain and wicked religion and superstitions.

While she may always have taken her children with her, this time was special because Yeshua/Jesus had reached maturity in the faith, so this story is a glimpse into the quality of Miryam/Mary’s deep and abiding faith.

Passover/Pesach/Unleavened Bread was an eight-day festival,

And when they had fulfilled the days; 8 days in all, 1 the passover, and 7, the days of unleavened bread: 

That year Yeshua/Jesus remained in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary /Yosef and Miriam, didn’t realize this, supposing that He was somewhere in the caravan.

They spent a whole day on the road before they began searching for Him among their relatives and friends. He would have travelled close to them as a ‘child’ as they went up to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem but on the return journey as He was now ‘of age’, they assumed He would have walked back with the men.

When they could not find him they returned to Jerusalem/Yerushalayim.

On the 3rd day they found Him sitting in the temple court among the rabbis not only listening but questioning what they said.

Everyone who heard him was astonished at his insights and his responses.

Yeshua/Jesus tarried behind taking part in the sacred services of the festival, and the conversations held all around the city. 

It appears, they supposed that He had set out with some of His relations, or acquaintances, and was

in the company – Εν τη συνοδια,

a word that properly translated means:

a company of travelers.

As at the three great festivals, not only all the men that were able, but many women likewise, usually attended the celebration at Jerusalem, and for their greater security against the attacks of robbers on the road, they traveled in large groups.

All who came, not only from the same city, but from the same area or district, made one company and they carried basic necessities with them, and tents for their lodging at night. Sometimes in hot weather, they traveled all night and rested in the day. These companies are now call caravans; and in several places they had houses prepared for them to stay in, called caravanseries.

This account of how they traveled gives us an obvious answer to the question often posed:

How could Joseph and Mary make a day’s journey without discovering, before night, that Yeshua/Jesus was not in the company?

In the daytime, it’s not unreasonable to suppose that the travelers would mingle with different parties of their families, friends and acquaintances; however when they were about to encamp in the evening, every one would join their respective families.

Then as it was growing late and Yeshua/Jesus did not appear, His parents first looked for Him where they supposed He would be, among His relations and acquaintances, so, when they didn’t find Him they, anxiously returned to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem to look for Him.

So after three days, they found Him, to their great joy, in one of the chambers of the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, who taught there publicly at certain seasons, and especially in time of the appointed great feasts.  It appears there were no less than three assemblies of the doctors, who had apartments in the temple.

It was customary to propose doubts concerning the meaning of the precepts of the law, and the traditions of the elders, which was generally done by way of questions. If Yeshua/Jesus were, with others, at the feet of these teachers, where learners generally sat, He might be said to be in the midst of them, as they sat on benches placed in a semi-circular form raised above their hearers and disciples.

At age 13 Jewish boys become Bar Mitzvah;

they are

sons of the covenant/commandments.

They learn how to read scripture publicly in the synagogue and to expound on them because, at this age Jewish boys were being prepared for entrance into the adult affairs of the synagogue.

(Luke 2:41-42).

Had Yeshua/Jesus been younger, He might not have been indulged by the elders.

And all that heard him were astonished 

The word εξι σταντο, here rendered were astonished, and εξεπλαγησαν, in the next verse, are much more forcible expressions than the words whereby we translate them.

They indicate, that they were in

astonishment,

and

struck with admiration.

As Messiah Himself told us that, on this occasion, He was employed on His Father’s business; it is probable that, in His answers and objections, He modestly hinted at the errors by which the Jewish teachers had now greatly altered His Fathers’ written law. Remembering that at this time, the schools of learning for the Jews was at its height, and that at the age of 12, Messiah was no doubt superior to the greatest rabbis and Jewish doctors of the Torah/law, there was obvious reason for the admiration mentioned here.

And it came to pass, after 3 days they found Him.

They did not find Him when they first got there, and when they did He was in the Temple, sitting in the middle of the doctors of the law/Torah; as He was listening to them and asking questions. And all of those that heard him were astonished at his understanding and his answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why have you dealt with us like this? behold, your father and I have sought you sorrowing. Luke 2:46-48


Notice His mother says

your father and I referring to Yosef/Joseph,

and He corrects her

And He said unto them, How is it that you were looking for me? Did you not know that I must be about My Fathers’ business?

Luke 2:49 

He didn’t recognize Joseph as His father at this point, saying…

“I must be about my Father’s business.”

These are the first recorded words of Yeshua/Jesus.

They are important, because they express

the purpose of His existence.

That being…

“I must be about my Father’s business.”

Yeshua/Jesus stayed behind in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem, not because He didn’t want to go home, or be in His parents’ company, but because He had business to do there, and was letting His earthly physical parents know that…

He had a Father in heaven, whom He was to be more observant of than them; and respect to His Heavenly Father must not be construed as being disrespectful to them.

The Jewish doctors (of the Torah/law/teaching), say that at twelve years old children must begin to:

fast from time to time,

that they may learn to fast on the day of atonement;

and that at thirteen years old a child

begins to be:

a son of the commandments,

that is:

obliged to perform the duties of an adult, having been from his infancy,

by virtue of his circumcision/brit milah,

a son of the covenant.

It is not stated whether this was the first time that Yeshua/Jesus had gone up to Jerusalem/Yerushalayim to worship at the feast. He had probably done it for some years previously, having spirit and wisdom above His years as the scripture records;

and all should attend on public worship that can hear with understanding, Nehemiah 8:2.

In other words His parents found Him where any good

bar mitzvah boy

would be,  because receiving the blessing of the rabbis was common in ancient tradition. It caught everyones attention that this student was amazing, even the rabbis, with the wisdom of His teaching/drash. Surely this bar mitzvah boy was someone special and as we know only too well,

One who would later proclaim Himself to be the Messiah.

 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.   42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.   43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.   44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.   45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.   46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.   47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.   48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.   49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?   50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.  

51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.   52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

In the Jewish form of instruction, rabbi/teacher and talmid/student, often took turns at asking and answering questions, many of which were concerned with details of the law/Torah/teaching/instructions. The teachers/rabbis in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem noted that Yeshua/Jesus was different from other talmid/students, both in the questions He asked and in the answers He gave.

His concern was not with trivial details of the traditional teaching, but with a real understanding of the mind and ways of God.

Luke 2:43-47.

He reminded His earthly, physical parent(s) of His very unique relationship with His heavenly Father/Avinu and of the need for Him to know

and

do His Father’s will.

50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.  

At the time they did not fully understand what He meant, but Miryam/Mary kept thinking about it, the scriptures say she pondered all these events in her heart.

Yeshua/Jesus, on His part, knew that He still had to be obedient to His earthly parents…

 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.   52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

The conclusion and answer to our question is that…

ANY Jewish young person is automatically a

bar or bat mitzvah

at those ages.

They don’t have to do anything at all

except reach the right age!

What is called a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah,

is just a public recognition of that success in reaching the right age. So at that point in time give or take a few months, Messiah didn’t get or have a bar mitzvah.

He became one!

because every Jewish boy becomes a

bar mitzvah

automatically at age 13.

He is knowledgeable enough to take part in the public actions of an adult, and that is what the young person typically does: stand up before a congregation and demonstrate minimal mastery of basic adult duties.

But even if they know nothing at all, and do nothing at all, they are still bar or bat mitzvah at (respectively) 13 or 12.

So the answer seems clear that even if the visit to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem at 12, was not the timing of His Bar Mitzvah according to Jewish custom and scripture; whenever Yeshua/Jesus became 13 years + 1 day He was automatically

a son of the commandments!

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week,

you are greatly loved and prayed for daily.

Please don’t leave here without assurance of your salvation

Not sure ..you can be…

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer,

Savior, Lord, and soon returning King

and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are very precious in His sight.

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.

What Is The Connection Between Aliyah, Aloe, Spikenard, Gardens, Trumpets and a Plough?

In the recent Post: Swords, Mountains and Gardens, the garden of Solomon was referred to… because

A shofar is a rams horn/trumpet.

winds blow, trumpets blow, Gods’ Spirit blows and there is a connection between Edens Garden

where Gods life was blown into Adam that is the same spirit of the bridegroom blowing upon the garden in song of Solomon

Awake, O north wind, and come, O south, Cause my garden to breathe forth, its’ spices let flow…

Blow on my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and taste his precious fruits.

AMPC [You have called me a garden, she said] Oh, I pray that the [cold] north wind and the [soft] south wind may blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out [in abundance for you in whom my soul delights].

she calls the garden both hers and his, because of that oneness which is between them, Song of Solomon 2:16 & 4:16, whereby they have a common interest one in another’s person and concerns. This is of course symbolic of our relationship with the Lord, (the Bridegroom Yeshua/Jesus and the ecclesia/called out, ‘church’);  as it is of Israel to her God.

That the spices thereof may flow out; that my graces may be exercised to thy glory, the edification of others, and my own comfort.

Aliyah and the Plough.

עֲלִיָּה – Aliyah

There are several meanings to Aliyah in Judaism. Aliyah has the meaning for immigration of Jews from the diaspora to the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael in Hebrew).

Also defined as “the act of going up”—that is, towards Jerusalem—”making Aliyah” by moving to the Land of Israel is one of the most basic tenets of being an Israelite.

Another is the honor of reciting the blessings over the Torah and standing at the bimah while it is read; this is also called an aliyah (plural, aliyot), which means “going up.” This refers both to the physical ascent of the person to the bimah where the Torah is read and to the spiritual uplifting associated with participation in this event.

The third is connected to the Three Pilgrimage Festivals which are: 

Sukkot/ סוכות /Feast of Tabernacles /Festival of Booths which commemorates the wanderings of the Israelites in the desert after the exodus when they resided in booths. It is also the harvest festival – the  gathering of the fruits and grain from the field before the rains.

Passover/Pesach: the celebration of the exodus from Egypt is also the Spring Festival and the barley harvest and, 

Pentecost/Shavuot: is a celebration of the giving of the Torah, the grain harvest, and the festival of the first fruits.  

“Three times each year, all your males shall thus present themselves before God the Master, Lord of Israel.” (Exodus 34:23)

During the times of the Temple, three times a year the Israelites were called to pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

One in Passover/Pesach springtime, the second in early summer, Pentecost /Shavuot and the third for Sukkot in the autumn/fall; also called the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths. Of course there are 4 other feasts Unleavened Bread is connected to Passover; Yom Teruah/Trumpets and Yom Kippur are immediately prior to tabernacles.

The journey they all made is called the ALIYAH or the going up.

shloshet haregalim

הרגלים   שלושת

Simply because where ever you come from your journey was going to be an upward one in elevation due to Jerusalem’s location on seven hills. 

According to the tradition, the pilgrims used to stay with local Jerusalem families and despite the high number of visitors there was always room for all of them.

The pilgrims would bring the priests of the temple gifts from their fruits, harvest, cattle and flocks.

The main objective of the pilgrimage was to visit the Temple. Since the destruction of the Temple, the pilgrimage isn’t observed anymore.

As they traveled they sang and recited the Psalms of Ascent. The word ascent means a step, or an upwards climb. The Songs of Ascent is the ancient title of a collection of 15 Psalms, (or sacred songs).

These Psalms are so called because of the Aliyah and comprise Psalms 120 -134. They are also sometimes called Pilgrim Songs.

Israel Jerusalem old city; typical street sign in Hebrew/Arabic/ English. Note the word Ascent bottom right of the street signs because this was part of the road along which they walked.
Glazed ceramic street sign in English/Hebrew and Arabic of as saraya/ascent in the muslim quarter old city east Jerusalem Israel.

In Hebrew, the word Ascent is מעלה (ma’alah) which is used to describe upward movement, such as going up a hill or climbing stairs.

This was by way of preparation for the upcoming Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement, and the week of Tabernacles/Sukkot that followed.

It gave time for the Israelites to get their hearts right. This was an annual ‘making things right with God time’, prior to the first coming of Messiah.

Teshuvah

תְּשׁוּבָה, “turning to God”

In Modern Hebrew teshuvah means an “answer” to a shelah, or a question.

Here, God’s love for us is the question, and our teshuvah – our turning of the heart toward Him – is the answer.

Teshuvah is the Hebrew word for repentance and literally means to return to our Heavenly Father… and obey Him.

Deuteronomy 4:30 30 When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to YHVH your Elohim and listen to His voice.

Teshuvah is one of the great gifts God gives each of us – the ability to turn back to Him and seek healing for our brokenness.

There is a period of ten days between

Rosh HaShanah/Head of the Year/The Feast of Trumpets

and

Yom Kippur / יום כיפור/ The Day of Atonement, which are called the

“Days of Awe/Yamin Nora’im/עשרת ימי תשובה,”

They are also called Aseret Yemei Teshuvah – the “Ten Days of Repentance.”

Then the blood of the Yom Kippur sacrifice was placed in the Holy of Holies, on the Kapporet/mercy seat, as the High Priest entered before the ark at this one time of the year.

These sacrifices are no longer necessary for the lamb of God has fulfilled all righteousness, however, as believers in Messiah Yeshua/Jesus Christ we can participate with personal prayer.

Another point of the Aliyah relevant to believers is that we are all called to continually, go up, on our journey through life; choosing the higher path every day, not just three times a year.

This time of reflection prior to the start of the fall feasts which begin this year with Rosh Hashanah at sundown on 29 September and ends at sundown 1st October. It is also the new year on the Hebrew Calendar and it will be the year 5780. (Hebrew: ראש השנה), (literally “head of the year”).

The trumpets will sound, the shofar – שופר – will be blown worldwide to call the children of Israel to the start of the 10 Days of Awe. The shofar blast is the annual signal that the spiritual year is coming to a close.

Yamin Nora’im/עשרת ימי תשובה.

A time of repentance, of getting right with God, before the Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement and subsequent Tabernacles celebration, which foreshadows that Messiah is coming one day to dwell with us; to permanently tabernacle with man.

This time of preparation is accompanied by a spiritual house cleaning and can often include a time of crisis, confusion, problems, dislocation and chaos.

After every harvest the fields are turned over and plowed ready for the next planting.

This is a picture of our life it is not something we like or even look forward to or see the flesh ever willingly initiate, nevertheless it is we that have to do it, God does not do this for us!

However Hosea 10:12, plowing up the follow ground is part of life.

12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. King James Version (KJV)

If we plant the good seeds of righteousness, our reaping will be a harvest of love.

If soil is never touched it gets hard because it settles down and it will never produce a great harvest, maybe just a few weeds.

Soil produces abundant fruit after the plow has gone through it, some people just use weedeaters/ Strimmers/ weedwhacker’s/ edge trimmers, etc. It’s really a lazy way of making a good show on the exterior because if we don’t pull up the roots, the weeds grow back. The plow turns everything over moving the earth completely upside down and it makes a big mess.

Only by doing this can the soil become loose and the rocks and stones be brought to the surface. It seems like chaos but it allows the oxygen, (breath of the Spirit) into the soil, then it is ready to become fruitful and bear life.

So when this process begins in our lives and it will… when we encounter crises, problems, turmoil, challenges and shaking, it is all the plowing of the Spirit.

He is allowing our lives to be turned over, not because we have done anything wrong, or that He doesn’t have a good purpose. It is because He does have a great plan and He wants our lives to bear much more fruit.

It is not something to fear or try to avoid but rather embrace, with a trusting submission to His faithfulness.

Our trust could be interpreted in the pictograph as: Look it is revealed that He is placing a fence around us, supporting and protecting us in the situation.

Just as the farmer prepares the fields, or the gardener the ground, it’s as natural as every process of growth.

1Cor. 4:17

6 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 

17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

It is part of the pattern of life’s pilgrimage, they’re a necessity.

So be greatly encouraged for He has considered you worthy of such careful and precise attention and treatment, that in the end, will yield untold blessings beyond all comparison.

We are His

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

It seems foolish to place a treasure inside a jar of clay. Neither does it make much sense to hide something of value inside something that is not worth very much; however as the believer undergoes these harsh attacks the jar of clay is broken down, but then, the Life of God within, which can never be destroyed, can be both seen and shared more easily to others who need this treasure.

Paul says in vs.12 that the breaking process at work in his life resulted in new life in Messiah for the Corinthians.

The reason that God put His treasures into jars of clay, is so the jars of clay would be constantly reminded that they have no power and that they are as fragile as a clay pot, only He has all-surpassing power.

If there is turmoil in our lives right now recognize it as the Spirit of God plowing up our fallow ground and preparing it to receive the new seed, we are to look joyfully for the harvest that will come.

This is one natural season of the plough, another is the spring, after the winter months have hardened the earth.

So whenever your plowing season arrives and it will…

For it comes to every believer and those who choose to make Aliyah in that season, as the wind of His spirit/Ruach blows on my/His garden of our lives, that its spices may flow out we will be a sweet smelling fragrance..

2Cor. 2:15 For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

Song of Solomon: The fig-tree hath ripened her green figs, And the sweet-smelling vines have given forth fragrance, Rise, come, my friend, my fair one, yea, come away.

..And will be released to those being saved

For we are a sweet fragrance to God in The Messiah among those who have life and among those who perish;

To God we are the aroma of Christ among those who are saved and among those who are dying.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2 

The Sweet Smelling Fragrance of our Worship. In Hebrews 1:9 we see that Messiah, the King of all Kings, was

“anointed of God, with the oil of gladness (joy), above all of His fellows.”

As a result of our worship of Him, of being in the Presence of our God and King Who was anointed above all… we will begin to exude the fragrance of His royalty.

Jam 5:7, Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8, Be ye also patient;…

The more abundant the yield, the more pleased is the husbandman, for His work is not in vain. Jesus’s parable not only informs us that God will do the cultivating, but it also tells us something about the manner in which that work will be carried out:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”John 15:1

yielding to that husbandmans work makes it easier.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:1-2).

The soul that expects to be fruitful must be prepared to submit to pruning, and that means sorrow, heartbreak, heartache, and all that goes along with pruning.

The branch does not perform the care, the vine provides it all; the branch only has to yield itself and receive. It is seeing this truth that leads to the blessed rest of faith and the true secret of growth and strength:

“I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.”

Our lives would change dramatically if we only acted as the branches!

The ultimate goal of a true vine is to produce the right fruit of the desired quality by the husbandman and after all the tender care given to the branches, if it is not yielding fruit – the very purpose of that branch becomes defiled.

James 5:7, KJV: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

My father is the gardener and He knows the plans He has for us…

Jer. 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 

For a tikvah/hope and a future for blessing and for a good outcome a future for blessing, we must let the ploughing and pruning prepare us for the plan He has for our lives.

As we remember Messiah at this season of fall feasts, we should also be mindful that one day the last trumpet will sound, the last shofar will be blown…. one year He will return …are we ready?

are we that sweet aroma?

 

He will make us like a garden of fountains whose streams are fed by the mountain springs from the same mountain of spices.

Look beyond,

look up,

for redemption draws nigh

Pruning seems to be destroying the vine and looks as if it’s all being cut away; but the gardener, the husbandman, makes his cut with a sharp knife because he sees the future and knows the final outcome will bring greater harvest. There are blessings we can never have unless we are ready to pay the price of pain. There’s no way to reach them save through suffering. This is the bitter sweet WAY and is not the gospel most want to hear or experience…but it is His Truth and the Way to Life.

Will He find faith (faithfulness of His Bride) when He comes…

Could this be the temptation that Jesus/Yeshua prayed we would not be led into; recorded in Matthew 6:13 – It is the faithlessness of unbelief, and of trying to change our viewpoint from that of our Heavenly Fathers, to one less hard in our eyes?

Jesus/Yeshua only said and did what He heard and saw the father do – nothing more nothing less – and was obedient to death. This is our path also, to take up our cross and follow Him. This is not an easy road and we are not to pray for an easy one but for the strength to follow Him on the one He took and the one He calls us to take after Him.

When He blows upon our garden let’s answer with all our spiritual senses and prepare ourselves for the return of the gardener, the husbandman and our bridegroom. Let’s be alert for the sweet fragrance of His presence as He calls us to Himself and be ready to say, ani lo. 

Listen for His call as the shofar trumpets sound this month… one day He will catch us away to be with Him to tabernacle/Sukkot with Himself forever. Is this the year?

Plough up that fallow ground, repent and get right with God, make aliyah, ascend the mountain of spices whereof the streams make glad.

In Ps. 46:4 David tells us prophetically

4There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 

Yeshua/Jesus is the river of life..

“And then they will see The Son of Man when he comes in the clouds with great power and with glory.” Mark 13:26

for He comes in the clouds with great glory to receive His bride unto Himself

Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him–even those who pierced Him.

The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. אשִׁ֥יר הַשִּׁירִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִשְׁלֹמֹֽה: 

It is a timeless allegory of the relationship between God and the People of Israel, in terms of the love between a man and a woman.

A rose of the valleys: This is prettier than the rose of the mountains because it is always moist.

“As a rose among the thorns” 

Lily of the Valley has the meaning of:

humility, chastity, sweetness, purity.

Also means the return of happiness, which is the reason why it’s often used in weddings.

After Lily of the Valley finishes blooming, the red berries appear on the stem. 

The Latin name Convallaria means “valley” and Majalis means “blooming in May” (from Greek). This woodland plant is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe. In different countries Lilies of the Valley are associated with sorrow, love, purity, innocence, tenderness and faith.

Spices in the Song of Songs permeate Solomons sweet story,  Shir Hashirim, is the equally pleasant presence of the fragrance of spices.

From previous post to refresh our memories:

Without the spices mentioned in this book of love between the Messiah and his Bride Israel, it would be harder to imagine the prophesied marriage, or the communion of believers with their God.  Spices seem to be referring to the ascent/aliyah to the heights of Israel, (Jerusalem) and pointing to spiritual heights experienced by being in the presence of our Lord and Savior. 

Conspicuously, the spices are found in the presence of both Bride and Bridegroom, and in the ‘garden enclosed’—a virtual garden of each delicate and holy spice.   Most of the spices mentioned are the spices of the Tabernacle, the use and purpose of each spice commanded by God to Moses and Israel, and pointing to the pleasant, beautiful realm of Heaven and the throne of God. 

A deeper look at each of the spices, shows not only the symbolic value of each substance, but the nature of the spices which point to Messiah and His suffering. (not included in that post but are in this one.)

We can say something like this to our Heavenly Bridegroom….Breathe upon me with your Spirit wind, stir up the sweet spice of Your life within me and spare nothing as you make me your fruitful garden. Hold nothing back until I release your fragrance. Please come and walk with me as you walked with Adam in your Eden paradise garden. Come and taste the fruits of Your life in me.

When Solomon talked of his beloved feeding the garden and gathering lilies: The Lord keeps on feeding and strengthening those who are maturing spiritually and gathering those who are away from His word and still need to know Him.

So man placed God in a garden of death and laid on Him spices, which also came from a garden.

In the Song of Solomon reference is made to the bride (us).

Let my beloved come into His garden.

Our lives are His garden too and we are also collectively His bride.

Song of Solomon 4:14. with nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes, with all the finest spices.

Song of Solomon 8:14. Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

The title in the Hebrew text is Shir Hashirim Solomon’s Song of Songs, meaning a song by, for, or about Solomon.

The phrase “Song of Songs” means the greatest of songs (cf. Dt 10:17,

“God of gods and Lord of lords”; 1Ti 6:15, “King of kings”).

The Shir Hashirim is our tikvah and our place of grace which is Messiah Himself.

The book took its title from the first two words, shiyr hashiyrim, usually translated as “the song of songs.” This remained the title in Greek and Latin Bible translations in later centuries. The repetition of the word song indicates that the writer considered this “the greatest of all songs.”

A deeper look at each spice, shows not only the symbolic value of each substance, but the nature of the spices which point to the life of Messiah and His suffering.

The spices in the Song of Songs are mostly found also in many other places in the Word of God:  occasionally they are used as parts of the Salvation message, sometimes they are only mentioned as rich and elegant elements for Kings and the very wealthy. 

The spices of Myrrh, Aloes, Frankincense, Saffron, Calamus, Cinnamon and others like a tapestry, weave and waft through the Scriptures, telling the history of God’s Way with mankind in a thread as amazing as the history that is recounted.

It is somewhat hidden from view in the mystery of the Tabernacle, the light and presence of God in the Ark of the Covenant, and the ministry behind the veil/vail entered into only by the High Priest until such time that the veil/vail is torn and the High priest forever was revealed. (Matthew 27:51)

Spices are present in 2 significant journeys into Egypt of those loved whom God loves dearly.  They are present as Joseph is carried captive into Egypt by the Midianites for the later deliverance of Israel; and spices were part of the early years of Jesus/Yeshua, who like Joseph son of Jacob, was also on his way down into ‘Mizraim’.

Scripture also mentions spices that were part of the clothing of the Levites, and they were present with each covenanted sacrifice.  in Song of songs, the betrothed are adorned with spices but in Proverbs, they are used in a mocking way concerning the harlots enticements.

(Proverbs 7:17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon)

First and last mentioned in the Scriptures.

We read of spices early in Genesis, and 3,000 years later find them in the burial and the resurrection of the Lord,

Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

later noting that in Heaven,  they are expressed as the sweet scent of the prayers of the saints.

Luke 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

To ignore the quality of glory the scripture assigns to the spices, deprives believers of the deeper understanding of the love and grace/ of God, and the intricate fashioning of prophecies and similarities pointing to the finished work on the Cross.  

The term ‘spice’ or spices is first mentioned in Genesis 43:11, although Genesis 37 mentions ‘myrrh’ as one of the spices borne by the captors of Joseph on his way down into Egypt. Spices play an important role and symbol throughout the scriptures, so that while they do not appear called by name earlier, they do appear in the first book of the Torah/Pentateuch, marking one of the first fore-shadowings of a Hebrew/Israelite son, who was rejected by his brethren, and sold into captivity with brutal treatment, the history of which will twist and turn its way into their salvation.  The first mention of the general term ‘spices’ in Genesis 43:11 is found among the gifts that Jacob sends to Pharaoh:

And their father Israels aid unto them, If [it must be] so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

we note that in the Garden of Eden,  there are distinctions made regarding edible plants— those that are seed bearing vs. those that are not, and we can be pretty sure that the Garden was permeated by the fragrance of spices. 

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. Gen 1:29

The term used for ‘spice’ or ‘spices’ is :

נְכֹאת or ‘nekot’

referring to a fragrant powder.

Gesenius.  

Following that, the term next used most frequently for ‘spice’ is

בֶּשֶׂם or ‘besem’

which can refer particularly to balsam wood or to any sweet smelling fragrance or spice. 

The first mention of ‘spice’ is in Exodus in which it is referred to as a substance in the Tabernacle of God:

Exodus 35:52 And spice 1314, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.

…although it is mentioned twice before in Ex 25:6 and 30:23 where it is translated as the plural,‘spices’.  Beside the gift to Pharaoh from Jacob during the famine, and the mention of spices accompanying Joseph, a type of Christ into Egypt,  spices are mentioned early in the Bible as the visual component of worship and the Tabernacle: its sacrifices, incense, scent of the priests’ robes and furnishings, but most centrally, the special spices commanded of God to attend the Shekinah glory of God behind the vail of the Holy of Holies.

Last Mention

The Bible mentions the general words ‘spice’ (besem) 29 times in 25 verses, and ‘spices’ (nekot), 29 times in 31 verses though that is not an entirely accurate picture since the same words are at times translated both as singular and plural.  ‘Besem’, ‘Basam’ and nekot are all used, and the number is big if all the variations of the individually named spices such as spikenard, calamus and myrrh are included.  The last mention in the Bible of the word ‘spices’ is in the gospel of John at the burial and resurrection of Messiah:

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

The greek word,

ἄρωμα or ‘aroma’ is used.

The aroma of spices then is seen on the wind of Eden, as Adam and Eve are cast out into the world where nothing grows, and immediately following the rejection of Joseph by his brothers; Joseph as the one who would save Israel is taken to Egypt, attended by myrrh and spices.

Within 400 years of that departure, those spices and others will adorn the Tabernacle and the presence of God in the Ark of the Covenant.  What a beautiful picture of the fragrances of paradise, weaving on the wind and the Word, and attending the worship of Israel for her God.

Spices coming in PART 2

Shalom to all!

Don’t leave this page without assurance in your heart that the fragrance of His Ruach HaKodesh is filling your garden today….please

make sure Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

NOT CERTAIN?

YOU CAN BE..

Its all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and very precious in His sight.

He longs to give you the Shalom He paid the ultimate price for..

Simply and honestly say the following, MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.