Today is 4/11/2020 and it is the Sabbath which falls during the week of Passover. Only the feast of Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles has such a Sabbath. The regular Torah readings are set aside for special Sabbaths, Jewish holidays and Rosh Chodesh (New Moons).
Traditionally, the Torah reading for this special Sabbath comes from Exodus 33: 12-34:26 and the Haftarah portion comes from Ezekiel 37:1-14. I find this extremely exciting since our Yeshua arose from the grave on this special Sabbath just as the Sabbath was ending and the 1st day of the week was coming on, ushering in the Feast of Firstfruits.
Please let me explain why!
When we read from the Exodus portion of scripture above we find that Moses asks HaShem to promise that He will go with them in their wilderness journey. HaShem replies in verse 14:
My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.
HaShem then reveals Himself to Moses in an extraordinary way, and then renews the covenant with Israel since it had been broken with the sin of the golden calf. In doing so, Elohim repeats the command to “observe what I command you this day” in verse 34:11 reestablishing the covenant and instructing Moses to make new tablets in which He will then inscribe the 10 Words. Remember, the first set of tablets had been broken by Moses when he beheld the sin of the golden calf.
When this is all completed, Moses comes back down the mountain with a shining face. Although this section of scripture relating to 'his shining face' is not in the reading, it nevertheless is the completion of the telling of this section of scripture.
This all parallels perfectly with Yeshua and the sacrifice that He made as our Passover Lamb and our Yom Kippur offering, as well as His making of the New Covenant, or Renewed Covenant. Please let me explain: We are all pretty familiar with how Yeshua was the Passover lamb, but when we listen to Yeshua and what He said at the last supper we will see some hidden, similar, things to the Exodus passages.
In John chapter 13 we find Yeshua having His last supper with His 12 Apostles. In this He explains to them what is about to happen during Passover and that He will be the Passover lamb. As He continues teaching them after the supper we notice in chapter 14:15-24 that He promises that He will not leave them alone 'as orphans' but that He will come again and He will send a “helper”, the Holy Spirit, to be with them forever. Also, continue reading in 14:25-31 where He assures them that they have no reason to be afraid for the Holy Spirit will be with them. In verse 27 He assures them of His peace.
Can't you see how this parallels the description given to Moses when HaShem promises that “His Presence” will be with them?
In John 14:21 Yeshua gives command to keep “His commandments”. He continues on by encouraging them to keep His Words, which He states are not His, but His Father's.
This parallels perfectly with Moses in the Exodus scripture where HaShem renews His covenant by instructing Moses to tell the people to 'keep His commandments'.
Elohim didn't make a NEW covenant when He inscribed the second set of tablets, he simply renewed the same covenant which they had broken with the sin of the golden calf.
Likewise, Yeshua did not make a NEW covenant, He was simply renewing the same covenant which had been broken. This Renewed Covenant was spoken about by all of the prophets. Yeshua shed His blood to bring about the renewing of the covenant. He renewed His Father's commandments by teaching them correctly, and He promised to go with them through the Holy Spirit, until His return.
Not only did He renew the covenant in this way, and as the Passover lamb, but He also became our Yom Kippur sacrifice. He became the 'goat' of YHWH as the Yom Kippur sacrifice and shed His blood for remission of sins. This is why John the Baptist could exclaim, 'behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world'. The Passover lamb did not take away sin, it only bought redemption. The goat sacrifice at Yom Kippur brought forgiveness of sins. The word 'lamb' in this scripture literally means, 'of the flock', not just literally a “lamb'.
This once again parallels perfectly with the Exodus account with Moses. Jewish literature states that Moses came down the mountain the third time, with the 2nd set of tablets, on Yom Kippur. This is when his face was shining. This is why ancient Jews could understand the meaning of “atonement”; because of this incident. Just as Moses came down that mountain and had interceded as a mediator between God and the people, so Yeshua became our mediator and interceded on our behalf. He instituted the atonement of our sins, as our High Priest, offering His own blood. At His resurrection Yeshua revealed Himself to His disciples in an extraordinary way, much like HaSham had revealed Himself to Moses in the referenced scripture above.
It is striking that they chose these passages about a renewing of the covenant to be read on the day that Yeshua arose from the dead, renewing the covenant for the last time by His own death, burial and resurrection.
What is even more striking is the passages in the Haftarah from Ezekiel. These passages are the scriptures about the dry bones that come back to life. Just as Yeshua arose from the dead on firstfruits, so also will we arise from the dead to be this great army. These passages are followed by the two sticks of Ezekiel where both houses will be once again restored into one kingdom. The dry bones of the House of Israel, the ones who had no hope, no mercy, not God's people, scattered and seemingly forgotten, will once again be gathered together with Judah and returned to the land, having one Shepherd and King to lead them.
It is amazing how Elohim has gotten the Rabbi's to choose these portions of scripture for this Sabbath's reading, which point to their Messiah, yet many of them still cannot see the truth of Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah. It is not coincidental.
I pray that you are having a wonderful Mo'ed!
Shalom,Leisa
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