Category: Inspiration

Unlikely Comfort

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn Applied Theology, Inspiration2 Comments

When Moses did not immediately return (Ex. 32:1), the children of Israel turn to Aaron to make them a god, a leader to go before them:

“And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said: ‘This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 32:4).

Israel needed a visible leader, and in their fear of being leaderless, they returned to what they knew: idolatry. With the calf before them, and in their midst, they found a short term, and a tragic form of comfort.

How easy it is for us, in our times of desperation, to turn once again to what we have been delivered from. The familiar is comforting, comfortable, but unfortunately those things that once ensnared and controlled us, do so once again when we turn to them rather than the Lord.

The Lord resolved to destroy the very people He has just delivered when the sin is revealed. Yet, Moses passionately intercedes on their behalf, and the Lord relents. What does Moses say?

שׁוּב מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ וְהִנָּחֵם עַל־הָרָעָה לְעַמֶּֽךָ

זְכֹר לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדֶיךָ

“Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent (reconsider) of this evil against Thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel Your servants” (Ex. 32:12-13).

The Torah then records: וַיִּנָּחֶם, יְהוָה, “the Lord repented” (Ex. 32:14). He turns away from His wrath for the sake of the fathers (Ro. 11:28), and the comfort ministered to Him.

What is the message here? The word translated as “repent” or “reconsider” above is from the root נָחַם/nāḥam meaning comfort, comforter, consolation, or to sigh.

The children of Israel turned to an idol for comfort, and did not seek counsel from Aaron in their time of need. They reconsidered their circumstance and found immediate, but tragic comfort from an inanimate object: the Golden Calf.

In the Lord’s anger, Moses intercedes – literally standing between the Lord and Israel – pleading on their behalf: Lord, Moses is saying, turn from your wrath to comfort. The intercession of Moses was a persuasive comfort to the Lord, and He turned away from judgment.

As I have taught many times, the Tabernacle (Ex. 25-31) was the cure sent before the illness of the Golden Calf (Ex. 32). The Lord would show the way of reconciliation when we fail so terribly so as to believe that we are forever disqualified from His love and presence. He also established a visible minister, in the high priest, who would make intercession for His people.

Still, this was all modeled on what Moses witnessed in heaven, as He saw the intercession of the great High Priest Yeshua/Jesus. Moses would then, through many types and shadows, teaches the hope of the coming Comforter (Deut. 18:15).

Comforter is an important concept in messianic theology. He is promised in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writing, we find a beautiful example in Isaiah 40:1: נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ, עַמִּי–יֹאמַר, אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, “Comfort, comfort My people says the Lord.” Then Messiah promises to send another Comforter (Jn. 14:16) in the person of the Holy Spirit Who would remain with us until His return. Yeshua by saying “another” reminds us of His position as Comforter.

The Lord, Who had every right to be wrathful at His people, reconsidered, relented and was comforted, not for His own sake or good, but ours. The Father was showing us the good that comes when we change our minds by listening to the comforting words spoken to us. Comfort changes our attitude, our disposition, and our outlook.

We may not have a Moses or Aaron with us today, but, hallelujah, we have someone greater. The Holy Spirit ever present and walking with us. Ministering comfort to our hearts as needed, and inspiring others around us to speak words of comfort as well. He is ever with us. Yeshua, our Savior, Redeemer and Lord, is ever with us. They are the only comfort we need. Idols of immediate remedy will fail us. Returning to what has ensnared us will only lead to greater guilt, shame and remorse.

This is why we must turn away from the golden calf of our own making, and listen to His healing and comforting words of intercession: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jer. 31:3).

Be well. Shalom.

“And you…”

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

וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית–לַמָּאוֹר: לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר, תָּמִיד

“And you, command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually” (Ex. 27:20).

“And you” appears repeatedly concerning the instruction of the wilderness tabernacle (Ex. 27:20; 28:1, 3). Who is the “you”? Well, it’s easy to discern that Moses is the you specifically addressed here, and elsewhere. The Lord, after all, gave the pattern and design to him; and as the leader, he is charged with its realization. It’s as if the Lord is saying, “And you, Moses, you be involved, you be part of what I’m doing, don’t just stand on the sidelines directing, get out there”

The portion I have in mind is the Torah portion for this week: תְּצַוֶּה/tetzeveh/command. In this portion, from Exodus 27:20 – 30:10, the name of Moses never appears, just וְאַתָּה, “And you.” “And you,” Moses, ensure that there is oil and people to serve the Menorah, the lights in the holy place. “And you,” Moses, equip those serving for their positions, prepare them and clothe them. “And you,” Moses, do not overlook the place of prayer and those serving there.

From the beginning of the construction of the tabernacle (Ex. 25), Moses has not only been doing, inspiring and equipping the artisans and Levitical clan, but all the people of Israel.

Yet: “You (alone) are not obligated to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it” (Pirke Avot 2:21).”

Several rabbinic authorities argue that in the absence of Moses’ name, the “and you” refers not only to Moses, but also to us reading these words so many generations later. Moses was exampling to a nation called to be priests/servants (Ex. 19:5-6), how to serve. In this nation there are servants to the servants, those anointed for ministry in the tabernacle. There are leaders for the leaders who are leading and following.

In the “and you” we are not reading some long ago dismissed language applying only to Moses, we are reading “and you” as spoken to us. “And you” provided an example to follow, that of Moses. We hear this again in the call of the greater Moses, Yeshua/Jesus, “You follow me!” (Jn. 21:22).

Following Messiah personalizes the mission of the “and you,” or “You follow me!” The Lord, in Moses and us, is calling us to be involved, to be active in the mission to build up, not just one tabernacle, but uncountable tabernacles of His presence (I Cor. 3:16). Rather than weaving a tapestry of fabrics, we are building disciples according to the Word who are then dispatched to serve, to be light kindling His light in others.

Faith in Messiah Jesus is not a spectator sport. It’s not a self-help strategy. It is a yielded life faith-ing in Yeshua becoming as a beaten work (Ex. 27:20) tended to by the Holy Spirit, shining out as a city on a hill named the Kingdom of God.

“And you” is a call: “You follow me!” In this we lead as we follow, we teach as we learn, and we grow even as we are humbled under His hand. Moses could have sat and directed from a throne of his own design, but the Lord pointed him … and us … to be involved in the life of manifested holy presence, His presence, as we labor and love among the human community as His moving tabernacle.

Here He takes flawed, common material, “and you,” and makes something beautiful for all to see, as He is glorified.

Yes, this was for you.

Be well. Shalom.

To Where Do We Flee?

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

“Tell the people of Israel to take up a collection for me – accept a contribution from anyone who wholeheartedly wants to give” (Ex. 25:2).

The Torah portion of תְּרוּמָה/T’rumah, contribution, begins the intricate narrative focusing on the construction of the Tabernacle in the wilderness; instructions that will account for one-third (1/3rd) of the Book of Exodus itself. As Moses elaborates on the pattern revealed to him on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 25:9), ultimately hundreds of verses will describe its construction and purpose, a purpose that will serve Israel for nearly five hundred years.

It is easy to overlook, or even ignore, the complex details recorded to ensure that the Tabernacle is built to the exact specifications of the Lord. For something that long ago slipped into the history, do we really need to consider these details at all? While it is beyond the scope of this article to examine in detail the meaning of the elements of the Tabernacle, I just finished a several month series on this topic archived on the Messiah Congregation Facebook page (@Messiah3810), we do note its importance by simple comparison.

The Torah opens in Genesis 1 with the account of creation. In this chapter we find the beginning of all things: the heavens and the earth and all their array. This is described in thirty-four verses. By comparison, the Tabernacle and its ministry, inhabiting but the tiniest speck of creation, is detailed in fifty chapters. Why is the Tabernacle given such attention? Is it of greater importance than creation itself? Not greater importance, just a different importance.

Creation is a general revelation of the majesty, sovereignty and glory of the Lord, as we read in Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands.” The Tabernacle is part of His special revelation to humanity, specifically covenant humanity. Its purpose is to change and repair the heart, allowing for reconciliation and peace in the human community living and working in His creation.

When considering the flow of the narrative from Exodus 24 to Exodus 25, something seems amiss. The rabbinic sages note that Exodus 25 is the cure sent before the illness of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32:1:

“When the people saw that Moses was taking a long time to come down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Get busy; and make us gods to go ahead of us; because this Moses, the man that brought us up from the land of Egypt – we don’t know what has become of him.” Aaron then receives contributions of gold from people whose hearts were motivated to give to this cause: the cause to manufacture the Golden Calf.

Why place the cure before the illness? At times it is not necessarily what you are saying that has the greatest impact, but rather, the order in which you are saying it. For future generations of God’s covenant people, to read about the molding of the Golden Calf, and the plague that resulted, might have become an insurmountable stumbling block of fear in light of so great a sin. Yet, by placing the instructions for the Tabernacle, with its furnishings, offerings and sacrifices ministering reconciliation with the Lord before the record of the Golden Calf, it demonstrated that His forgiveness, grace and mercy is greater than our sin. It is an assurance of acceptance, when we make תשובה/t’shuvah, a return, to Him.

The sin of the Golden Calf began as an issue of covetousness, thus violating the tenth commandment. This sin led Israel to violate the second commandment, that of idolatry. In both cases we find a heart issue. The hearts of the covenant people desired a visible god to go before them, revealing that an idol had already crept into the “holy of holies” in their hearts, displacing the covenant Lord. To remedy this, atonement had to be made, and the hearts of the people had to be changed: the ministry of the Brazen Altar.

When building a house, the standard practice is to first build the foundation, the walls, the roof and the finish work, and then add the furnishings. As the Lord details the construction, He does not reveal the boards or coverings of the Tabernacle first, but what will be placed in the most sacred of locations: the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. This is the place where the blood on יוֹם הַכִּפֻּרִים/Yom HaKippurim, the Day of Atonements, will be sprinkled, covering the broken tablets of the Law, the manna and the staff of Aaron, where the light of the Lord is the only light, and the two cherubim, those armed angels guarding the way into the Garden (Genesis 3:24), will be still in the presence of atonement, later bearing witness to the resurrection in the tomb of Messiah, and His ascension (Jn. 20:12; Acts 1:10).

The Tabernacle is built by contributions, תְּרוּמָה/T’rumah, from those whose hearts moved them to give (Ex. 25:1-2), just as the Golden Calf was created by the stirring of motivated hearts to contribute. While the Golden Calf led to exaltation, partying (Ex. 32:4-6), death and despair, the pattern of the Tabernacle leads to reconciliation by the substitutionary sacrifice of the innocent animal offered by those approaching the holy one of Israel with a broken and contrite heart, in a posture of repentance: brokenness leading to healing and joy.

The Tabernacle demonstrates to us that our first love must, in fact, be first. When the children of Israel wholeheartedly contributed of their treasure to the construction of the Tabernacle, they were placing their treasure where their hearts desired to be – and in that place the Lord would “dwell among them” (Ex. 25:8). Messiah said, “Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and burglars break in and steal. Instead, store up for yourselves wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rest destroys, and burglars do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:19-21).

Israel demonstrates for us that any attempt to replace the covenant Lord with something of our own creation will only end in failure and heartache.

How can we determine where our treasure is? Where our first love is?

We must ask ourselves this question, “To what do we flee when things go wrong?” Do we flee to the Lord? Or do we flee from Him?

The contribution building the Tabernacle reminds us that our treasure is, and is with the Lord: Who redeems us, forgives us, provides for us, and Who mercifully waited for us even while we are yet far off, “For while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Ro. 5:8).

Let us flee to the risen Messiah, Yeshua/Jesus, Who gave His life for us, even with the depth of sin that we had known: His blood is enough; His grace is enough; He is enough. And now, He has built His Tabernacle in us, and His contribution paid it all.

Why all the detail about the Tabernacle? Why chapters and chapters about the work of Christ? The Father wants us to know the depth, the breadth and height of His grace, love, and mercy when we come before Him in need.

Be well. Shalom.