Monthly Archives: July 2021

Some Scriptural Thoughts to Ponder . . . ‘When a Woman gives birth . . .’

Leviticus 12:1-8   ‘. . . and when a woman gives birth . . .’

As we go through this study, please notice the similarity between the offerings in this passage to some of those among the weekly offerings of The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), the time of the regathering of the Whole House of Israel . . . 

For a female offspring – 14 days (2 sets of 7) and 66 days – two sets of 33 . . . for a total of 80 days – two sets of 40 (fulfillment  of judgment, things being set right, completion x 2) . . . 

One for each House of Israel.  Remember, Israel was divided into two houses and is represented by the two sticks, the two donkeys, two loaves and the two fish. . 

Another place we see ‘two sets of 7’ are in the seven daily offerings of Sukkot, the regathering of the House of Israel, the Bride, the ‘female’ if you will . . . ( Num. 29:12-34)

For a male child – 7 days (one set of 7) and 33 days, for a total of 40 . . .- (fulfillment  of judgment, things being set right, completion) . . . on the 8th day the boy is circumcised.

After the total days of her uncleanness are finished (whether a male or female child) and she is clean, she presents to the Priest the offering of the lamb and the dove, an offering before the Lord to make atonement and she shall be clean from the flow of blood. (Lev. 12:6-7)

It is interesting at the age of 33 Yeshua (the Lamb) is crucified, and as the High Priest He makes atonement for His bride, offering His Blood as the Lamb of Reconciliation (as well as the slaughtered goat of Yom Kippur)  and the Bride is made clean from the blood by The Blood.

(Let His blood be on us and on our children Matt. 27:25-) . . . and after His departure the Dove was sent . . . (HE is actually both goats of Yom Kippur)

Yeshua came only for the House of Israel . . . (Matt 10:6, !5:24, Ephesians 2) In the offerings commanded during the 7 days  Sukkot, we see 14 lambs – 2 sets of 7 as well as multiple bulls, 70 in total. In Numbers 29:35-36, we see one set of 7 lambs and one bull – 7 lambs signifying the union of the two sticks (‘and the two sticks shall become one in My Hand, says the Lord ( Eze. 37:19) . . . and the 1 bull signifying that ‘ the kingdoms of the earth have become the kingdom of our God’. (Rev. 11:15) So we see a picture of one restored house and one restored Kingdom.

On the 8th Day we see one bull and one set of 7 lambs . . . symbolizing completion.

On the eighth day after the birth of the male child there is ‘circumcision’ . . . the uncleanness is taken away. At the conclusion of each time period – 33 plus 7 days for the male child, 66 plus 14 (two sevens) for the female child – the mother presents the offerings – Lamb and the Dove – signifying the uncleanness has been taken away . . .

It is interesting in these short eight verses you can see the two houses of Jacob becoming the one restored House in the Father’s Hand through the atoning work of Messiah Yeshua

Before Israel went into the Land, preparing to keep the Passover, they were all ‘circumcised’ and the uncleanness was rolled away – Gilgal.

The first time the Hebrews went into the Land as Israel was at Passover.

The next time?

 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that they shall no longer say,`As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ <sup>8</sup> “but,`As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.” (Jeremiah 23:7-8)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua, for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. ¹¹ Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh . . . ¹² that at that time you were without Messiah, being aliens from the citizenship of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. (Eph 2:8-13)

And The Lord will be King over all the earth. And all the nations must keep The Feast of Tabernacles.

 Shalom – R&J

Deuteronomy – Devarim – Moses, Joshua and Chips the War Dog

Huh ? There’s nothing in the Scriptures about a war dog or a Disney movie.  OK, well, just hang on a minute and we’ll explain.

The title ‘Devarim’ is both the Hebrew name for this 5^th book of the Bible, as well as the first Torah portion of that book. The title ‘Devarim’ comes from the Hebrew of the opening phrase ‘These the words’. ‘Deutoronomy’ is the English rendering of the Greek ‘deutoro nomos’/ ‘deutoronomion’ or ‘second law’. This is not literally a ‘second law’ but rather a ‘reminder or reciting or repeating of the law’. It is also referred to in Judaic circles as the Mishneh Torah or ‘repeating of the Torah’- not to be confused with Maimonides’ Mishnah Torah.

So what’s that got to do with an old Disney movie?

Well, for those that know the movie, the plot is about a young army recruit, an old trainer and a german shepherd that just can’t seem to ‘cut the muster’. But at the last minute, this ‘washed-out’ pooch is the only option and must pass the final test the next day. So all night long, the old trainer (he’s not allowed to go to the testing site with the other two) sits with the recruit and the dog, reminding them of all that they need to remember, going over and over their training one last time. Over and over the old trainer keeps saying, ‘ oh yeah, and this is the most important thing . . .’

Well, every time the book of Deutoronomy rolls around in the study cycle, that movie comes to mind. If you’ll allow us to make these analogies – The good ol’ pooch is Israel, the green recruit is Joshua and the old trainer ? Well, that would be Moses. And throughout the Book of Devarim,  Moses is reminding the people over and over of their training, and all that they need to remember as they head into the Promised Land the the battles ahead.  And just like the old trainer in the film, Moses is not allowed go to with them, so he is reminding them one last time.

There is much in the opening chapters (as well as through the rest of the book) that we need to remember. Things like “To you it was shown that you might know that YHVH, He is God; there is no other besides Him”; or “”Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that YHVH, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.” And don’t forget “When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days, you will return to YHVH your God and listen to His voice.”

But the one that stands out most for us begins in Deuteronomy 5:1, for this is the description of what we should understand and recognize as ‘The New Covenant’. What ? That’s right, The New Covenant. In verse two Moses states- ‘God made a covenant with us at Horeb . . . this is not the covenant He made with our fathers’. Why ? For this is the New Covenant. For the first and only time in history, The God of Creation enters into a covenant relationship with a nation He called out and formed. Up to this point, every covenant made by God has been with an individual or a couple; Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, even Hagar and Ishmael. But now, God has formed a family and set up His new household with all the guidelines that are needed for and by this New family . . . the family promised to Abraham.

The English word ‘new’, in reference to ‘new commandment, new covenant or new testament, appears over a dozen times in the Apostolic Writings/New Testament, and only once is it the greek word for ‘new’ as in brand new, never existed before. It is the word ‘neos’, from which we get words like neo-natal. Every other instance uses the greek word ‘kainos’ which means to ‘renew, refurbish or make like new again’. That one instance for ‘brand new’ – neos – is in Hebrews 12:24 where it states ‘ Yeshua/Jesus is the mediator ( intercessor) of the NEW Covenant.

So what does that mean ? We are not going to presume to be able to give a comprehensive answer here, but to this one point we will speak. Yeshua is the intercessor of this New covenant given at Horeb, which is a type and shadow of Messiah and not the other way around. The blood of bulls and goats does not forgive sin, but rather an annual reminder of the sin (Hebrews 10:3) that would be dealt with at a point in the future by the Promised Messiah. But until that prophesied time and event would come,  the sincere obedience from a grateful heart – the circumcision of the heart – coupled with Yeshua’s/Jesus’ intercession (Job 16:19) looked forward to the ultimate reconciliation and atonement being made by the Promised Messiah, and all in the Father’s perfect timing. Abraham’s faith was reckoned unto him as righteousness. Abraham was saved the same way we all are – faith in the Word of God and the Blood of The Lamb of God – Messiah Yeshua. ‘For he (Abraham) looked forward to seeing My day’, said Yeshua.
The New Covenant ? Torah. The intercessor for this Covenant ? Yeshua, the Living Word.”

Meanwhile, back in the movie, Chips the wayward german shepherd finally ‘gets it’, and performs just as the old trainer had hoped. Under the tutelage of the ‘old trainer’ and the leadership and relationship with the ‘recruit-turned-soldier’, Chips is transformed into all he was meant to be.

The same can be true for all who are made part of the citizenship of Israel through the work of Messiah Yeshua on the cross. Being led by the Holy Spirit through the teachings of Moses, the Apostles and Prophets, and Yeshua Himself – the commander of the Hosts of Heaven – we can be transformed into all we were meant to be – for we were meant to be like Him and with Him.

For with the heart man believes, and with the mouth confesses that Yeshua/Jesus is Lord and that YHVH raised Him from the dead, and then you shall be saved. Time is short, and the ‘test’ could come sooner than you think. Are you ready?

Shalom – J & R