Torah Class: Day 30 - Significance of Bondservants

 

Basis for our Studies this Year:

The Bible tells us that the “End (of the world) is declared from the “beginning” (Isaiah 46:10). Certainly, this means that the early Biblical record of human history bears End-time prophetic significance. But, it’s actually even more specific than that. The original Hebrew word translated as “beginning” in Isaiah 46:10 is תישאר (rê’shı̂yth). This is the root of Bereshith, which is the Hebrew name of the first Book of the Bible, “Genesis”. In other words, prophecies of the End of the World are found in the Book of Genesis.

The Torah is one of the five keys for unlocking End-time Prophecy… Prophecy is unlocked through the Statutes!

Bond-service is the vehicle for sonship (adoption):

Bondservants specifically pertain to Redemption – and most specifically it is the vehicle for sonship.

Believers in the New Testament referred to themselves as Bondservants of Yahshua:

·   Mary, at the announcement of Messiah’s Birth through her, accepts the assignment with humble submission, referring to herself as a handmaid of Yahweh (a bondservant) Luke 1:38 – “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” 

Paul identified himself as a “servant” (Romans 1:1), “bond-servant” of Yahweh

·       False Teachers and True Contentment

·       Everyone who is a bondservant should serve faithfully, and is a partaker of the “blessings”

o   1 Timothy 6:1-2  “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.”

·       James, the apostle called himself a bondservant of Yahweh

o   James 1:1 “James, a servant of God and of the Sovereign Yahshua Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” 

·       Jude, the brother of James also called himself a bondservant of Yahshua - Jude 1:1

·       Revelation is where John (the Beloved disciple, the writer of Revelation) refers to himself as a “bondservant” of Yahweh…  And says that Yahweh reveals His secrets and Truths to His bondservants – Revelation 1:1

The believers in the New Testament had an identifying name they all used to refer to themselves: bondservants

What did they see about bond-service? Why should we have that identity also?

Exodus Chapter 21 – The Chapter of Bondservants

·       “Servant” in Exodus 21 is H5650, ‛ebed עֶבֶד - From H5647; a servant: -  X bondage, bondman, [bond-] servant, (man-) servant.

o   The Root H5647 means “to work, to serve, to enslave…  to become the servant, to use service…  worshipper”

Exodus 21:1 - A Hebrew servant is purchased (we were bought in the Blood of the Lamb) – and they serve their “buyer” as Master

Exodus 21:2 – The servant serves as such for 6 years, and in the 7th goes out free “for nothing” (with no debt) –

Exodus 21:3-4 – Servants go free in the 7th year, alone…  But their family doesn’t go with them until later… (as believers, we are called to spiritually reproduce)

Exodus 21:5-6 – Bondservants stay, after their debt is paid…  They stay out of love and choice to stay… The ear of the bondservant is pierced on the doorpost of the Master’s House…  The blood is not wasted, but a dot of it would be on the doorpost (this is the mezuzah)…  Mezuzah means both doorpost and it is the container that holds the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) on the doorpost…  So the blood here is a sign that the servant, out of love, is choosing to Shema, as a sign of that choice –

o   Bondservants Shema! Which is why the ear ("hear", shema in Hebrew) is pierced on the Mezuzah)

• §  Deuteronomy 6:4  “Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God is one Yah: And thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”

o   Bondservants have a sign, in this doorpost ear-piercing, that they will love and serve the house – and Yahweh (the God of the House) sacrificially, whole-heartedly, and devotedly. They are choosing to Hear Yah’s Voice (My sheep hear My Voice – shema) and follow Him.

·       Exodus 21:26-27 – the principal here is that the Bondservant is to be lovingly cared for the by Master…  This requirement contains a promise that Yahweh lovingly cares for His own.

·       Genesis 15:2-3 – Bondservants are heirs of the house – adopted as sons.

Sources for purchasing your own Mezuzah(s):

The key in purchasing a Mezuzah is not how it looks stylistically (although you will want to be careful to make sure it doesn't have a star of David, which is a symbol from paganism)...  Biblically, it needs to be a container which holds a small scroll containing Deuteronomy 6:4-9, known as "The Shema". 

Mezuzah on a doorpost in the Old City of Jerusalem.

© Mikhail Levit/Shutterstock.com

In Bible times, Mezuzah's were hand-crafted, usually of metal or stone. The chosen material was waterproof to protect and permanently encase the secreted Shema parchment within. Anciently, the Shema was not seen. Consider the Mezuzah shown above. It is ornate, weather-proof, and not larger than a person's hand... 

These Biblical patterns can serve as helpful guides for choosing a Mezuzah today... In addition to avoiding a style of Mezuzah which bears the star of David or the Judaic Hand, you will also want to avoid choosing a Mezuzah that does not visually appear to be one - it should be visually obvious what it is...  Some Mezuzah's look like door jewelry and are not visually clear as being a Mezuzah. Part of having a Mezuzah is that it is a witness -- a testimony. So, visual clarity is important. See the Guidelines for choosing a Mezuzah below...

The following Mezuzah's meet these Biblical requirements, but offer you a variety of styles to choose from:

• Option 1: Shin-Dove Ornate Enamel Mezuzah which contains Shema Scroll - features the letter shin (first letter of the Shema, and the letter signifying the Fire of burning in one's love of Truth, and devouring the Truth), and a dove with an olive branch (from the story of the Flood) - available from Amazon for $12.49
• Option 2: Menorah-Shin Ornate Enamel Mezuzah which contains Shema Scroll - features the letter Shin (see above) with a Menorah (the 7-Branch candlestick from the Sanctuary, representing Messiah - and abiding in Him, Who is the "Vine" and we are the "branches") - available from Amazon for $9.98
• Option 3: Glass-Shin Ornate Gold-or-Silver-trimmed Glass Mezuzah which contains the visible Shema Scroll - features the letter Shin (see above) with the Shema on a parchment scroll that is visible within the glass container - available from Amazon for $8.78
• Option 4: Choose a unique, exclusive (and far more expensive) Mezuzah from Israeli sources at The Mezuzah Store (remember to avoid designs with the star of David)... Mezuzah options include those made from actual Jerusalem stone... olive tree wood... and more...  very high-brow, but many (not all) options meet the Biblical requirements.

Guidelines for Choosing a Mezuzah...

"Do's" for Mezuzah's:

• Mezuzah should be made of durable material (weatherproof)
• Mezuzah should contain a scroll of paper bearing the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)...  Some also include passages from Deuteronomy 11, but this is not a problem, so long as it contains Deut. 6:4-9, specifically...
• Mezuzah should be about the size of a hand, or slightly smaller.
• Mezuzah should be recognizable as such.
• Mezuzah's may be plain or ornate. If designs are present, they should be Biblically righteous images/patterns...

"Don'ts" for Mezuzah's:

• Mezuzah should not have a Star of David, which is of pagan origin and only became the symbol of Judaism through the other influence.
  
  
  The Star of David is linked to occult Judaism in the Kabbalah which is all about unlocking energies (demonic power and influence) in the life of the bearer
  
  
  and is plainly a well-known occult symbol, as is shown below:
  
  
  
• Mezuzah should not have a Hamsa on it, as this is also from paganism...  
  
  
  The earliest evidence of the hamsa symbol dates back over 3,000 years, often associated with the Mesopotamian goddesses Inanna or Ishtar and the Phoenician goddess, Tanit. To the ancient pagan, it served as an apotropaic, or evil-repelling, amulet, protecting against the "Evil Eye". This is why Jewish Hamsa's often appear with an eye inside them.