Month: June 2023

What is a Candle?

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn Applied Theology, InspirationLeave a comment

Numbers 8:1-2 reads:

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר

דַּבֵּר, אֶל-אַהֲרֹן, וְאָמַרְתָּ, אֵלָיו: בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ, אֶת-הַנֵּרֹת

אֶל-מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה, יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron, and say to him, when you light the lamps, before the face of the Menorah, the seven will give their light.’”

Numbers 8 immediately follows the accounting of the gifts of the tribes of Israel, presented by the princes of the tribes, before the Lord. The Midrash asks why the command for lighting the Menorah follows the gifts of the tribes, rather than being included with the command for the Menorah itself. The rabbis explain, that while collectively the princes presented riches for the Tabernacle, before the Lord, Aaron and his sons would offer light. While the riches will fade, the light is everlasting.

At times it is difficult to see or recognize the importance of what we have been purposed to do for His Kingdom. Like Aaron, we may watch others participate in different aspects of His Kingdom and wonder why we are not likewise called to do as they are doing. But the Lord is revealing to Aaron and his descendants that what they are called to do the princes of the tribes cannot do: they cannot enter and minister in the Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies.

In fact, the ministry of the Holy Place, to include the kindling of the Menorah, was the first of all ministries in the Tabernacle, and later, the Temple. Without this ministry nothing else happened: sacrifices were not given, reconciliation and thanksgiving did not happen. Without the kindling, the Tabernacle was just a tent.

The story is told that when Moses assembled the Tabernacle and entered, the Ark having been set in place, the light of God was so overpowering that he asked the Lord, “why place the Menorah at all?” The Lord then said to Moses, “Place a curtain between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, and our light will meet there.”

What is the light of a candle in the light of the sun? In the radiant presence of the Glory of God, what is our light? The Kingdom of Heaven.

Messiah Yeshua said, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12).

As Peter amplifies so beautifully, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Pet. 2:9). Chosen. Priesthood. Holy. God’s possession. Proclaimers in light.

Messiah is the light of the Holy of Holies – the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We are as the light of the Menorah, as Messiah said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand so it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before all men so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16).

Again, what is the light of a candle in the light of the sun? We can assume that it is nothing, as it is overtaken by the great light, but in the Kingdom of God, it is commanded.

The divine presence in the Tabernacle was an overpowering light, there was no need for the Menorah – except the Lord commanded it to be. One candle may not seem like much, but when the light is commanded by God, and the deed is done before men, when they glorify Him, the deed has the power of the Son.

We live in an age where it seems that darkness is more powerful than light, but the power of heaven overpowers all.

Our light may seem like nothing in the glow of heaven, but if we are faithful to light and shine, He is faithful to enter in, and dine with us (Rev. 3:20). Let us not, “lose heart in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).

Someone, or something may seem to shine greater, but He has still commanded you to shine for Him regardless.

Be well. Shabbat Shalom.

A Voice Like a Trumpet

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn Applied Theology, InspirationLeave a comment

“The Lord spoke to Moses saying, “Make two trumpets of hammered silver for yourself. They are for summoning the community and having the camps set out” (Num. 10:1-2).

Make for yourself two חֲצֹצְרָה/hasosra, trumpets of hammered silver. These trumpets, blown by the sons of Aaron, would call the leaders or the congregation before the Tabernacle. The sound would prepare the camp to march, call to war, and announce times of rejoicing and sacrifice. The sound was different from the Shofar, used at the Jubilee, but they aligned the children of Israel with the covenant Lord.

Of such importance to the Tabernacle and Temple, and to the children of Israel, that they were part of the spoils of war memorialized on the Arch of Titus in Rome. Why? They invoked courage and cheerfulness in those who heard. The courage to stand knowing that the Lord was with them, and the joy of His presence.

It is an eternal ordinance, for generations to come (Num. 10:10). What do we learn from this? People in every generation, the rabbis tell us, had to make their own trumpet. Meaning, they had to find their own song and sound that helped connect them to the reality of the divine presence. As it says in Psalm 33:1-3:

“Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.”

As most of us know, from a contemporary context, that we are not always inspired by the music of our parents, or the music of our children. While the music of our parents may inspire nostalgia, it may not inspire movement. We need to resonate with a song that is uniquely ours within our generation of faith, one inspiring faith and the good courage to face present challenges, as we read in Psalm 96:1-2, “Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.”

The command remains the same, but how the command sounds may be different; not wrong, just different. We all have songs that speak to our heart, reminding us of the Lord’s immediate presence. This is the heart of the command: to inspire courage and joy by presence.

It is eternal, so how is it active today? In Revelation 1:10, John hears “a loud voice like that of a trumpet.” This voice as a trumpet is, of course, Yeshua/Jesus. Why did Yeshua speak to John in this way?

Both Yeshua and John heard the sound of the trumpet in the Temple; and before the Temple was destroyed, the priesthood shifted from Levitical to Messianic. John is about to see in the Book of Revelation the final struggle and deliverance of the people of God, leading to the judgment of the world.

Yeshua speaks to John with the sound of the Trumpet, to call John to Himself, to announce the time to follow the Spirit of God, in courage and to joy. In much the same way as the trumpet is commanded to be used in Numbers 10:1-10. The כֶּסֶף מִקְשָׁה/hammered silver of the trumpet speaks beautifully of the pressure experienced by the redeemed, but also one beautiful point. Yeshua is saying to John, in a very Jewish way, that the Lord is with him and the congregation of God: as Emmanuel standing in the midst of the congregations (Rev. 1:10, 12-13). Remember, John was alone on Patmos, a Roman death by isolation and loneliness, but Yeshua, our Emmanuel was with him.

Every generation needs to learn to connect to and experience the holy presence of Yeshua, Who is with us always, even to the end of the age. Every generation needs to learn to resonate with the sound of Yeshua’s voice in order to stand (Rev. 6:17), and have the fullness of His joy even in desperate circumstances. As John tells us in Revelation 1:12-13, the voice that He heard is standing in the midst of the congregations even now.

And what is His voice saying to this generation? “Take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

Be well. Shalom.