Torah Portion - February 8, 2018

Today's Torah Reading: Gen. 27:30-46

Today's 
Torah
Portion: 

Love for Yahweh - first and Supreme

Today we are continuing our study of the Statutes which relate to the first Commandment of having no other gods before Yahweh. Having looked at the Statutes in the first three sub-categories, we are ready to look at the fourth area which is: Statutes on how to worship Yahweh effectively, in the ways that He desires.

Again, we will look at the third set of Statutes under the first Commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me," (Exodus 20:1-3). As we started to see in our study yesterday, the third set of Statutes, under the first Commandment, are about the priests. Specifically, the priests are to lead others in the worship of Yahweh by example, by instruction, and by provision. Let us continue our study of the Statutes in this subcategory.

Exodus 25:30 - 

"And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before Me alway."

In the Statutes, Yahweh used the Wilderness Sanctuary to represent the soul-temple of each saved person. The furniture and design of the Sanctuary display the process of Justification (in the Courtyard), Sanctification (in the Holy Place) and Glorification (in the Most Holy Place. Effective worship is demonstrated through the furniture of the Tabernacle. And from understanding how the furniture was physically placed and used, we can gain much spiritual insight into effective worship of Yahweh.

This first Statute, from Exodus 25:30 is about the Table of Shewbread. The Table of Shewbread was set in the Holy Place of the Sanctuary.  The bread which was daily placed upon this table represents spiritual nourishment. Each loaf of shewbread (12 loaves in all) represented the Living Bread and nourishment we gain from spiritually "eating" the "Bread" of the Word each day.  (Read Lamentations 3:22-24, and 2 Timothy 2:15).

Just as the priests were to physically place the Shewbread upon the Table of Shewbread, every day, so we are to spiritually partake of Yahweh's Word on a daily basis. Never is the table to be empty - without the spiritual nourishment of Heaven's Living Bread.

Exodus 27:20-21- 

"And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. In the Tabernacle of the Congregation without the veil, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before Yahweh: it shall be a Statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel."

The seven-branched candlestick, also called the Menorah, was the source of Light in the Sanctuary.  When the abiding Presence of YAH fills us, we become lights shining forth His Truth. In this way we are witnesses to Yahweh’s glory.  (Read Matthew 5:16 and John 13:15). The light from the Sanctuary Menorah was never to be allowed to go out. In spiritual application, this Statute is calling us to always keep the Holy-Spirit in-dwelling, so that we are always shining witnesses bringing glory to our Heavenly Father. The olive oil, which keeps the Menorah lit, represents the Holy Spirit. We are to daily seek a fresh re-filling of the Holy Spirit in order to keep the spiritual Flame of Light and Truth burning within our hearts.

Exodus 30:7-8- 

"And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it (the Altar of Incense). And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Yahweh throughout your generations."

It is also interesting to note that there are three elements need for any organism to have physical life: it must breathe, it must be nourished, and it must reproduce.  Spiritually, we must do the same to be alive in the Messiah.  We take in nourishment, through the Word of YAH. We reproduce, spiritually, by being His lights set on a hill, and we breathe, the most fundamental life-element of all, by praying, which brings us to our next article of furniture.

The Altar of Incense represents our prayers.  We are to be always in a state of prayer.  For just as we cannot go more than a few minutes without breathing, so we cannot spiritually thrive without prayer. (See Ephesians 6:18 and James 5:16).

The first part of effectively worshiping Yahweh is keeping our spiritual life thriving. We are to daily connect with Yahweh. It is only through this daily connection that our worship of Yahweh has meaning - to Him and to us.

This Week's Torah Studies: (Statutes 121-140)
The Torah studies are provided in two formats for your convenience. The first option (below) is the blank worksheets for this week, which will allow you to print out the worksheets and hand-write the studies yourself. If you have less time, you may wish to read/print my completed Statute studies. The completed worksheets are the second option (below):

Statutes 121-140 Blank Worksheets 

Statutes 121-140 Completed Worksheets (pdf)

An Overview of this Week's Torah Studies:
This week we will be studying Statutes 121-140, which are summarized below. Happy studying!

Statute 121-123 Summary:

(#121) We are to keep the first day of Unleavened Bread as a rehearsal. (#122) We are to hold a holy convocation on it. (#123) We are not to do any servile work on the first day (Sabbath) of Unleavened Bread.

Numbers 28:17-18 “And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein.” 

Statute 124 Summary:

Unleavened Bread is a feast of Judgment. We find this because if the leaven of sin (leaven is an agent, good or bad, so powerful that it leavens the whole lump of dough) is not removed from our lives and homes, we will be cut off from the Abrahamic Covenant. The true “Spring Cleaning” is (#124) removing all spiritual and physical leaven from our lives and homes in preparation for this special week. This is what we are commanded to do.

Exodus 12:15 “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.”  

Statute 125-128 Summary:

(#125) During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we are commanded to eat unleavened bread every day for the full seven days. (#126) There is to be no leaven seen in all in any part of our property or possessions. (#127) Children are to be taught that the reason we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to commemorate deliverance from physical Egypt and continue the work of deliverance from spiritual Egypt. (#128) Keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread is part of the sign that we are preparing for the Sealing of Yahweh. (Rev. 7:3 and Rev. 14:9)

Exodus 13:6-9 “Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Yahweh. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. And thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which Yahweh did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that Yahweh's Law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath Yahweh brought thee out of Egypt.”  

Statute 129-131 Summary:

(#129) The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a Day of rest (Sabbath) and a holy Convocation day. (#130) The last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a Day of rest (Sabbath) and a holy Convocation day. (#131) On these two days of Unleavened Bread, no work is to be done, with one exception: cooking and preparing food is allowed.

Exodus 12:16 “And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.”  

Statute 132-134 Summary:

(#132) On the feast of First Fruits, which is the Sunday (morrow after the Sabbath) during Unleavened Bread, Yahweh’s people are to present the first fruits of the harvest unto Yahweh. The grain of first fruits represents Yahshua (1 Corinthians 15:20) and the 144,000 – first fruits of the final grain harvest (Revelation 14:4). The sheaf of firstfruits is a measurement of grain, representing judgment. (#133) We are to be prepared for first fruits judgment through the Blood of the Lamb and having been made an acceptable living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1). (#134) During the day of First Fruits, we are to wait to eat food, until after we have brought the sacrifice.

Leviticus 23:10-14 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto Yahweh.  And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto Yahweh for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.”

Statute 135-140 Summary:

(#135) To calculate the timing for the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), count from First Fruits. (#136) Count seven Seventh-day Sabbaths. (#137) The day after the seventh Sabbath (Sunday) is fifty days, numbered from First Fruits. (#138) This day is holy convocation day, a Sabbath. It is the Feast of Weeks. (#139) On this day, we are to claim the Blood of Yahshua by claiming His Sacrifice for our sins. (#140) We are also to wave to leavened loaves (we get unleavened with the sin of the world during these 50 days, and re-leavened with the Kingdom) representing the two candlesticks (churches) of Philadelphia (144,000) and Smyrna (end-time martyrs), both of which are filled with the Holy Spirit at the final Pentecost.

Leviticus 23:15-21 “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto Yahweh. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto Yahweh.  And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto Yahweh, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto Yahweh. Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.  And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before Yahweh with the two lambs: they shall be holy to Yahweh for the priest. And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.”