Today's Torah
Portion:
Love for Yahweh - first and Supreme
Numbers 6:23-27 -
"Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
Yahweh bless thee, and keep thee: Yahweh make His Face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: Yahweh lift up His Countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put My Name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them."
In this beautiful Statute, which instructs the priests (we are all priests and kings in Yah's service, when we are saved - Revelation 5:10) to speak a specific blessing over Yahweh's people. This special blessing is called "The Lord's Prayer of the Old Testament". It is also known as "The Priestly Blessing". Not only is it a beautiful blessing, but it contains a powerful promise. Yahweh promises that when we speak this blessing over His people, He will bless them with the blessings this prayer contains!
And just what does this prayer blessing contain? Let's take a moment to look at the deeper meaning in each part.
Priestly Blessing Part 1: "Yahweh bless you"
- The word "bless" is to confer prosperity and well-being upon the receiver. Yahweh's blessings are conditional to obedience (and having been forgiven and cleansed for past rebellion) - Deuteronomy 28:1-6. But, when by Yahweh's Grace, we meet the conditions required to receive this blessing, it is very all-encompassing:
- Yahweh promises to make the nation of such people to lead the world (just as Israel did in the time of Solomon, and the United States did in its earlier time when our leaders and policies honored God - Deuteronomy 28:1.
- Our work, in either city or country, will prosper - Deuteronomy 28:3
- The "fruit of our body" will be blessed - Deuteronomy 28:4. This means that our children will also be blessed.
- The "fruit of our ground" will be blessed - Deuteronomy 28:4, meaning that we build or plant or make upon our land (or business) will be prospered.
- The "fruit" of our animals will be blessed - Deuteronomy 28:4, meaning that our pets and livestock will prosper and be blessed of Yahweh.
- Our "basket" and "store" will be blessed - Deuteronomy 28:5, meaning that our pantries and refrigerators will have food.
- And we will be blessed in our "going out" and in our "coming in" - Deuteronomy 28:6.
Priestly Blessing Part 2: "...and keep you"
To "keep" means to provide and care for. It is like a shepherd watching over and protecting His flock-Psalm 121:1-8.
Priestly Blessing Part 3: "Yahweh make His Face shine upon you"
- "Make His Face shine" is a Hebrew expression. It means that the favor and attention of Yahweh would be upon you. We see its meaning from the context in: Psalm 31:16 and Psalm 80:3.
Priestly Blessing Part 4: "Yahweh lift up His Countenance upon you"
- The concept of lifting up the Countenance is to lift up the corners of the mouth - in other words, SMILE. To live and walk in the blessing of the Smile of Yahweh is to abide in His favour.
Priestly Blessing Part 5: "...and give you His peace"
- The peace that Yahweh gives us is not an absence of trouble, but a tranquility and confidence (in Him) amidst even the trials. It is the awareness that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. This is true peace!
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):
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.”
